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- “Some syllables are swords.” — Metaphysical poet Henry Vaughan
- “To me, music is no joke and it’s not for sale.” — Ian MacKaye
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Tag Archives: Liza Minnelli
“My mother gave me my drive but my father gave me my dreams.” — Liza Minnelli
It’s her birthday today. Years ago, my friend Alex, her friend Shannon and I drove through the desert from Los Angeles, blasting Liza Minnelli the whole way. We were headed to see Liza Minnelli live in Las Vegas. Alex was … Continue reading
“My voice isn’t an instrument I can just hang up on a hook.” — Audra McDonald
For Audra McDonald’s birthday My good friend Ted and I were once talking about Audra McDonald and her performance of “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” in the live televised version of The Sound of Music, and what a powerhouse it was. You … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Music, On This Day, Theatre
Tagged Audra McDonald, Liza Minnelli, Natasha Richardson
13 Comments
Review: Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story (2025)
This was delightful. I reviewed for Ebert.
April 2022 Viewing Diary
When I first got the Raging Bull gig, I began a re-watch of all the Scorsese-De Niro movies – at least the ones clustered around that period. I grew up on these films. These movies were huge to me as … Continue reading
Posted in Monthly Viewing Diary, Movies, Television
Tagged Anjelica Huston, biopic, Brian De Palma, Canada, Christopher Walken, comedy, Dana Andrews, documentary, drama, Elia Kazan, F. Scott Fitzgerald, France, historical drama, Italy, Jack Nicholson, Jane Fonda, Joan Didion, John Cazale, Liza Minnelli, Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, Mickey Rourke, musicals, Ray Milland, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Robert Mitchum, romantic drama, Russia, sci-fi, Tuesday Weld, Ukraine, Vietnam, women directors, WWII
12 Comments
Living Truthfully Under Imaginary Circumstances: An Interview with Sam Schacht About Method Acting
I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time and finally last month it happened. I sat down with my old Actors Studio acting teacher Sam Schacht to get his perspective on “Method acting,” a term I hear bandied … Continue reading
Posted in Actors
Tagged Actors Studio, friends, interviews, James Dean, Kim Stanley, Kristen Stewart, Lee Strasberg, Liza Minnelli, Marilyn Monroe, Stella Adler
1 Comment
End of Summer Movie Quiz: My Answers
Dennis Cozzalio presents: Dr. Smithâs Lost in the Space at the End of Summer Movie Quiz. I live for his seasonal quizzes! I have answered (in my typical fashion) with images and Youtube clips rather than just words. It’s been … Continue reading
Posted in Movies
Tagged All That Jazz, Bob Fosse, Cyd Charisse, Dana Andrews, Eminem, Ewan McGregor, Howard Hawks, Jim Carrey, Joan Crawford, John Travolta, Lance Kerwin, Leo McCarey, Liza Minnelli, Maggie Cheung, Marlene Dietrich, Nicole Kidman, Oliver, Only Angels Have Wings, Paul Thomas Anderson, Ralph Macchio, Rita Hayworth, Running on Empty, Saturday Night Fever, Sidney Lumet, Strait Jacket, The Darjeeling Limited, The Double Life of Veronique, Wes Anderson, Zodiac
11 Comments
Driving to Vegas To See Liza with a Z!
Alex just put up part 2 of our Liza journey. We all just totally fell in love with the dude Alex calls ‘The Hairy Man’. Yup. Her description of him totally NAILS it. The beauty and the unexpectedness of humanity. … Continue reading
Driving to Vegas To See Liza Minnelli
Here’s part 1 of Alex’s side of the tale. I just need to say that Alex TOTALLY was Rainman – that is an accurate assessment – and became more and more Rainman-esque as the show approached. “Alex, should we go … Continue reading

