The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz
The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz |
| Mother of US morning TV host Robin Roberts dies Posted: 31 Aug 2012 08:36 AM PDT  ABC newswoman Robin Roberts with fellow cast member Josh Elliott on her final appearance on ABC's 'Good Morning America' yesterday before taking medical leave. — Reuters pic Roberts left the ABC news programme yesterday, a day earlier than scheduled, to see her ailing 88-year-old mother, Lucimarian Tolliver Roberts, in Mississippi. Jeffrey W. Schneider, senior vice-president of ABC News, said Lucimarian died last night. "Robin did make it to say goodbye," her co-host George Stephanopoulos told viewers on today's show. Lucimarian Roberts was the first African-American to head Mississippi's board of education, according to ABC. Roberts, who is expected to be off the air for several months, revealed in June that she had been diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome — a disorder triggered by her treatment for breast cancer five years ago. Her older sister, Sally-Ann, will be the bone marrow donor. — Reuters |
| Spike Lee brings ‘Bad’ magic to big screen Posted: 31 Aug 2012 08:12 AM PDT  Spike Lee poses during the photocall for the movie "Bad 25" at the 69th Venice Film Festival August 31, 2012. — Reuters pic The two-hour documentary called "Bad 25", which has its world premiere at the Venice film festival today, is a familiar mix of talking heads — choreographers, producers and stars — and film of concerts, rehearsals and music videos. Released to coincide with the 25th anniversary of Jackson's acclaimed follow-up to "Thriller", Lee provides few surprises for Jackson aficionados, but paints a picture of a genius at work who cared about every step of the production process. "I think that it was too many years we've... concentrated on stuff about Michael Jackson that had nothing to do with the music," said Lee, 25 years to the day after Bad hit the shelves. The documentary, which Lee called his "love letter" to Jackson, has the backing both of the singer's estate and his record label, giving Lee access to many of the key players in the making of what is regarded as a milestone album. "It was a chance to really dig into his creative process," he added. "We all are blessed with the final work, but it's rare that you get to see how something is put together. We just see the final product. "We don't see the blood, sweat and tears, all the work that goes into how the masters work." Among the novelties is footage taken by Jackson himself, using a handheld camera, of Siedah Garrett singing "Man in the Mirror", the song she co-wrote for the star, a cappella save for an off-camera clicking of fingers laying down the beat. There are also small yet enlightening insights and hints as to Jackson's true character, be it his interest in women, competitive spirit, professional drive or obsession over the smallest riff and dance step. Garrett, for example, recalls how Jackson playfully threw popcorn at her as she tried to record "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", earning her, but not Jackson, a sharp rebuke from the onlooking producer Quincy Jones. Not of this world Sheryl Crow said she was often asked whether Jackson became aroused when they performed a raunchy rendition of the song on his record-breaking "Bad" tour. She did not provide an answer. Actress Tatiana Thumbtzen speculated that mint on the singer's breath suggested he may have been prepared for a kiss at the end of the "The Way You Make Me Feel" video, despite strict instructions only to embrace the singer. Lawyer John Branca, who administers Jackson's estate following his death aged 50 in 2009, recalled a meeting Jackson arranged with his arch-rival Prince. "It was not a happy meeting," he said, adding Prince had brought along a "voodoo box" which Jackson feared meant he was trying to cast a spell on him. That rivalry was part of a competitive streak in Jackson that drove him to try to top the sensational success of his 1982 album "Thriller", still the best-selling album of all time, with "Bad" five years later. He even scrawled "100,000,000" on his mirror to remind him of his target. While industry estimates vary widely, "Thriller" is estimated to have sold between 60-110 million copies worldwide, while "Bad" went on to sell 30-45 million. Nothing, it seemed, was too trivial. In one sequence, Jackson comically re-enacts exactly how he wants two animated characters who feature in a commercial to behave. On a more serious level, Lee explores how Jackson's Afro-American roots were important to him, despite his gradually transforming facial features that made him appear more Caucasian. Several interviewees could not contain their tears as they remembered when they heard of Jackson's passing, and several voiced their conviction at the time that it was not true. Crow was among those who struggled to explain Jackson's talent. "The molecules changed in the room. He changed the molecules," she said of his presence. Near the end of "Bad 25", there is a memorable live performance of "Man in the Mirror", after which Jackson holds his hands aloft to form the shape of a cross. "Michael's not here to answer that. I cannot say he's trying to be Jesus Christ," Lee said in answer to a reporter's question. "I'm not going to say that Michael was saying he was Jesus Christ, but you look at that performance — he's somewhere else. "That's one of the greatest performances ever. You see the way Michael's singing that song, he is not of this world." — Reuters |
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