Film Buff Friday: Cabaret

Ask anyone who knows me, musicals are not my thing overall. "Yes" of course there are some I like here and there, but I do not have a blind love of them. 

File Cabaret under one that I L-O-V-E! Oh, and I know why too. This groundbreaking musical doesn't have the usual sugar coated narrative of the genre. It's quite adult in subject matter and style.

What's that you say? I have whetted your curiosity and you want more?

Then more you shall have by clicking on the link below and reading my buddy Jay's expert piece about the film on his classic movie blog.

If that doesn't compel you to see Cabaret I don't know what will.

T.G.I.F! Life is a cabaret, old chum, come to the cabaret...

https://www.jaysclassicmovieblog.com/post/cabaret-1972 

Michael's Musings

Step Into My Lair
Michael Shinafelt

"What good is sitting, alone in your room? come hear the music play! Life is a cabaret, old chum! Come to the cabaret!" Cabaret, Liza Minnelli 

For some reason my mind landed on planet Cabaret this morning. Hey, creativity is the one thing I don't question in this world. It's my safe word, say it with me... C-R-E-A-T-I-V-I-T-Y - rolls off the tongue like buttah! 

Let's get this Cabaret started minions!

Barbara Streisand & Ariana Grande singing No More Tears/Enough Is Enough at Madison Square Garden feels like a pivotal moment in Queer studies of the future

Scary Drag Queens, discuss...

A hobo called me a bimbo once

Use a Dustbuster after eating your Nacho Cheese Doritos on the Porcelain God please

In the name of all that is Holy. Find something Holy I double dog dare you!!!

Bizarre Quote of the Week - "Spend more time on your knees than on the internet." Mike Pence. Ummmmm, sounds like a come on, I'll pass 😒

R.I.P. Toni Morrison

Lean in to the frequency and give in to the funk. This is your super power.

Woman Crush of the Week - Zoe Kravitz

Green eggs & ham are gross, Sam I Am can suck it!

 Lock the door Patricia Mae Andrzejewski (Pat Benatar's real name)

Nacho, Nacho, Man, I wanna be a Nacho Man

Oh look at that, a living, breathing dumpster fire

WTF did a visual of Christopher Meloni naked on OZ just flash through my mind? Oh nevermind...

Find out who let the dogs out by following me at:

https://www.instagram.com/michaelshinafelt/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/MShinafelt  

Hump Day & Chill

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You've Got To Have Friends

Friendship
Luann de Lesseps & Lance Bass

After the tumultuous past couple of years - a quickie marriage/divorce, getting arrested for a DUI, assaulting a Police officer, entering rehab, relapsing and re-entering rehab and to top it all off being sued by her ex-husband and children, Luann de Lesseps of The Real Housewives of New York City has had quite the bumpy ride.

Lucky for her she's got friends, and lots of them as she takes to the stage in her cabaret show #CountessAndFriends - Look who dropped by while she was performing at The Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Why it's none other than NSYNC singer Lance Bass!

Honestly I kind of like Luann, mainly because she owns her mistakes. She does not blame everyone else for her problems. While her reactions to them may be less than ideal, we've all been there and done that. 

It's nice to see her having a good time and taking her act on the road. She, like all of us, deserves to have something on our lives that makes our soul happy.

Most importantly she has a great support system of, well, friends.

C'est la vie!

Luann on IG -

https://www.instagram.com/countessluann/?hl=en   

Charlie Chaplin, Chinatown, All That Jazz...Read More!

Hey all you film buffs out there, you know who you are. Look what I have for you..read more! 

Dr. Wes D. Gehring, prolific film scholar and Distinguished Professor of Film Studies at Ball State University, has published 36 books, all of them focused on American film comedy, be it romantic comedy, screwball comedy, dark comedy, populist comedy, parody, or personality comedy. Most recently, his focus has been dark comedy, resulting in his late 2014 study,Chaplin's War Trilogy: An Evolving Lens in Three Dark Comedies, 1918-1947, now followed in 2016 with Genre-Busting Dark Comedies of the 1970s: Twelve American Films.  

Chaplin's War Trilogy, selected by the Huffington Post as one of the "Best Film Books of 2014," traces dark comedy elements throughout Chaplin's oeuvre, but with special focus on three war-related films: SHOULDER ARMS (1918), THE GREAT DICTATOR (1940), and MONSIEUR VERDOUX (1947). It was Pablo Picasso's "Guernica," through which the painter expressed his shock and outrage over what was happening in the Spanish Civil War, that inspired Gehring to examine Chaplin's work from a similar perspective. What he found was that, the master filmmaker had used dark comedy in three different ways over the years. That is, with SHOULDER ARMS, Chaplin had used it to help the US, Great Britain, and their allies win World War I; with THE GREAT DICTATOR, he used it to try and stop World War II; and with MONSIEUR VERDOUX, he used it to condemn, by implication, business interests which provoked international wars in order to profit from them. Choice (the go-to reference for library purchasing in the US) wrote that, "This tribute to Chaplin is both a brilliant analysis and a cultural history...Gehring remains supreme in film comedy scholarship."

A key theme in Chaplin's War Trilogy (one of many books Gehring has written about that director's life and career) was how contemporary audiences and critics alike were put off by THE GREAT DICTATOR and MONSIEUR VERDOUX, unable to find humor in the death and destruction of World War II, or in the charming menace of a serial killer, much less to see through the dark comedy haze into what Chaplin was actually saying. As the author points out, it was not until the 1960s, with the success of films like Stanley Kubrick's DR. STRANGELOVE, that both reviewers and filmgoers finally caught up with what Chaplin had been doing in the 1940s and rediscovered his previously under-appreciated dark comic masterpieces of that decade. Gehring also came to understand how the national tumult of the 1960s (e.g., urban riots, political assassinations, and especially the Vietnam War) led American movie directors to make dark comedy a pivotal, and often commercially successful, film genre of the 1970s. 

After lecturing on the subject of his latest Chaplin book at New York's Museum of Modern Art in 2014, Gehring decided to turn that larger insight into a new book titled Genre-Busting Dark Comedies of the 1970s, in which he would focus on twelve dark comedies released over the course of still another turbulent decade. The twelve films in question are Robert Altman's MASH (1970), Mike Nichols' CATCH 22 (1970), Arthur Penn's LITTLE BIG MAN (1970), Hal Ashby's HAROLD AND MAUDE (1971), Bob Fosse's CABARET (1972), George Roy Hill's SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE (1972), Roman Polanski's CHINATOWN (1974), Woody Allen's LOVE AND DEATH (1975), Milos Foreman's ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (1975), Woody Allen's ANNIE HALL (1977), Hal Ashby's BEING THERE (1979), and Bob Fosse's ALL THAT JAZZ (1979). 

Gehring opens the Epilogue for Dark Comedies of the 1970s as follows: "From the comic to the sublime, cinema has always had dark comedies. But the genre finally came into its own during the 1960s. Besides new dark comedies like Stanley Kubrick's DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB (1964) and the reissuing of previously underappreciated ones like Charlie Chaplin's THE GREAT DICTATOR (1940) and MONSIEUR VERDOUX (1947) the genre was finally receiving the recognition which it deserved. Yet most of these examples smacked audiences right between the eyes with their mood, such as Chaplin's use of Hitler for humor. The full ambiguous blossoming of the genre would occur during the 1970s, fueled in part by many of the factors delineated in the prologue, including TV's gutting of old school Hollywood, a betrayed trust in feel-good Capraesque people by modern McCarthy populism, New American Cinema cannibalizing the French New Wave, and the promise of Kennedy's New Frontier quickly collapsing...into the violent discord and distrust leading to Watergate." 

Taking what he learned from the pioneering dark comedies of the 1940s and 1960s, Gehring now examines these twelve darkly comic and deeply thought-provoking films of the 1970s, a period in which American filmmakers rebelled and matured precisely in sync with members of America's Baby Boom generation, the perfect audience for some of the greatest - and darkest - comedies ever made. 

Because dark comedies were so abundant in the '70s, Gehring went out of his way to pick several films not normally thought of as being of that genre (illustrated below).

Dr. Wes D. Gehring's Chaplin's War Trilogy: An Evolving Lens in Three Dark Comedies, 1918-1947 and Genre-Busting Dark Comedies of the 1970s: Twelve American Films are both now available from McFarland & Company, Inc. 

Marcus Goldhaber Veterans Day Charity Release

Marcus Goldhaber

New Patriotic Standard COME HOME AMERICA

Aims to Ignite Movement to Serve Military

as They Serve Our Nation

Acclaimed New York Singer-Songwriter MARCUS GOLDHABER Launches ‘Home for the Holidays’ Season for the Troops with Veterans Day Charity Release

Proceeds from Song, Concert Tour and Upcoming Album

to Benefit Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)

With thousands of American combat troops about to spend another holiday season far from their families, COME HOME AMERICA has been crafted by acclaimed New York singer-songwriter MARCUS GOLDHABER as a new patriotic standard aimed at launching a movement to repair our increasingly damaged connections with those who’ve sacrificed during our decade at war.

Available Veterans Day to jump-start the “home for the holidays” season, COME HOME AMERICA (Fallen Apple Records) is Goldhaber’s stirring ode to our nation’s two million service members across the globe, as well as the 24 million veterans back home, both embraced and discarded. The mission is simple: to benefit the needs of this new generation of returning veterans, while improving and strengthening the dialogue between civilians and military families for years to come.

Proceeds from COME HOME AMERICA benefit Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.iava.org), which strives to build the “New Greatest Generation” as the first and largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Goldhaber will be participating with IAVA in New York City’s Veterans Day Parade.

                                                            "Come Home America" Video

                                               

Remembering the troops at the holidays is just the beginning for COME HOME AMERICA. Produced and arranged in Nashville by Cliff Goldmacher (Ke$ha) with the stylish accessibility that has earned Goldhaber high praise from People Magazine to Jazz Times as a recording artist and fixture on Manhattan’s jazz-cabaret circuit, COME HOME AMERICA is being released for the holidays as a precursor to the 2014 COME HOME AMERICA Concert Tour and a like-minded album of Goldhaber originals due Memorial Day 2014. The album, the followup to last year’s highly praised Almost Love, will be arriving as the yearlong COME HOME AMERICA Tour, starring Goldhaber and the COME HOME AMERICA Band, will be hitting stride in concert halls, stadiums, military bases, and parades around the world – all while continuing to benefit IAVA.

“Much of this comes down to education and the absence of a continuing dialogue between civilians and military families,” says Goldhaber. “I have a strong wish to bridge this gap so that we can all feel more connected to each other.”

 

Goldhaber was careful to construct a broad, sweeping melody and rousing chorus that “you want to wrap people in like a blanket,” to help transmit his message in an inclusive and accessible way. By countering his vocals with restrained nuance, Goldhaber was able to marry the intimate approach more natural to his style with the expansive message of COME HOME AMERICA.

“I needed to connect people who don’t know a lot about this subject and help bridge that gap,” he says. “If it’s something that’s accessible and memorable, it’s something that people can get closer to.”

Come Home America is out today Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11, 2013, through iTunes, CDBaby, and Amazon.

Come Home America on the web at:

www.comehomeamericatour.com

www.facebook.com/comehomeamericatour

www.twitter.com/comehomeamericatour

10 Random Thoughts: Clea Cutthroat

Once upon a time there was a little grrrrrrrrrl named Mollie Black who grew up in that sprawling, and I do mean sprawling, suburb of Los Angeles, CA known as, the valley.

Mollie was drawn, much like Jessica Rabbit, to performing, however this is not your typical LA raised Movie Star Tale....Mollie was a goth grrrrrrrrrl....so what is a little goth chica who grew up in sunny LA to do?

Flee to Berlin, Germany, and ebmrace her darkside, of course, here to address 10 Random Thoughts from yours truly is Berlin's Queen Of The Underground Scene: Ms. Clea Cutthroat ...!


CABARET
The word alone makes my mind immediately spin to Sally Bowles’s infamous emerald green finger nails. It also makes me think to all of the bad cabaret shows that I did in New York. Oh, I have some really goooooooood friends for coming to support me at whatever random, weird restaurant with the strange, no budget cabaret show I was dancing in. I guess that is why God created the 2 drink minimum. Of course, “cabaret” also makes me think to Berlin…but, I don’t go to cabarets here. Is that wrong? If so, the Pope I hear is still in Germany, so maybe he can absolve me of my sins ;)
　
MISTRESS OF THE DARK
“That gal in the dress that always says ‘yes’”,

Sometimes I fall a bit behind on TV series, being over here in Berlin, but I just recently found “The Search for the Next Elvira” while I was on my last tour. I must admit I did feel a bit ashamed that I didn’t know of it before, but I tossed that guilt into the pile of dead virgins lying at Elvira’s feet, and devoured every episode in about one night. No joke. I was totally addicted from the first second. Needless to say, the next night, my wigs were all getting ratted, sprayed and I was Elivra-fied. I think it is completely fair to say that next to Madonna, Elvira is one of my favorite female Icons.”My name’s Elvira, but you can call me ‘tonight’”.ELVIRA!!!! Love her! But, does anyone not love her? Who better to idolize when you’re a little Goth girl growing up in the San Fernando Valley?
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BLOOD 
That word makes me happy. Yes, happy. But, it has a total positive connotation to me. When you say blood, I immediately think: life, warm, show, performance, glitter, audience, fake blood with strawberry taste….and I did it waaaaaaaaaaaaay before Lady Gaga. Love her, but the blood thang...that’s mine J.

I have no love for “emo blood”. I have absolutely no interest in blood symbolism that is overly ripe with wallowing-self-pity-emo-whining filled-self hatred- nonsense.

I use fake blood on stage, some performers use real blood. I choose fake blood because that is within my comfort zone. For whatever innate, organic reason, blood symbolizes power, overcoming obstacles, and release to me. I hate this “emo” imagery I see. (i.e. suicide razor blades, bloody suicide wounds, “misery loves company” imagery etc.) It’s bullshit and it’s counterproductive. Yes, there is no one that goes thru this life without a struggle, and yes, art is allowed to express anything it wants too…but, anything that is coming out of me, even though I use punk, fetish, contemporary, horror, or pop imagery, does not champion weakness or self pity.

Ok…whew! That was an unexpected rant, off to the next word!

HALLOWEEN
HALLOWEEN! MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY! The Halloween craze has definitely picked up here in Berlin, over the last 5 years that I’ve been here- Thank God!

But I have no idea what to wear this year! AAAAHHHH!!!! I’m throwing a Halloween party this year, and the drag queen that I’m hosting the night with is going as a giant tampon…what goes with a tampon? A maxi pad?!?! No, no no….Hmmm, maybe I could go as a pregnant Beyonce?

MADONNA
Bring the Queen roses people! ROSES! Why would anyone ever think to bring her hydrangeas? I mean, its MADONNA…I wouldn’t bring her chrysanthemums, or daisies; you bring the woman roses or OFF WITH YOUR HEAD! Well, at least he didn’t give her sunflowers. Hell, maybe the point here is please don’t ever give ME sunflowers ;)

What can I really say about Madonna…First record that I ever owned, first tape I ever owned, (yes, I know I am dating myself here) and my ultimate female idol. I love her, she’s untouchable, and thank GOD she is so bitchy in all the right ways. She’s the Queen people, always and forever.
　
BERLIN
Home! Berlin is fate for me. I had never thought of leaving NYC, or the States for that matter…was all pure chance that I came to Berlin, and when I moved here, it was like golden dominos of fate just fell into place. Finally, I was in the right place, at the right time. I still love NYC, I still love the States, but Berlin is absolutely where I am meant to be at the moment.

But, if there is one thing I’ve learned…never say never…so, I don’t know if I’ll be in Berlin or Bali in 10 years, but I’m enjoying soaking in all the creativity that this city has to offer.
I’ll also be soaking in fake tanning bed rays soon! Its winter now and the days grow shorter by the second. That, I will never like, but if you keep busy enough it gets easier. Or, maybe in ten years I’ll have a winter house in Bali that I can escape too.

LADY GAGA
The first Lady of Media. She is a bold and dynamic artist. She has an amazing creative team around her and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in watching her development over the next years, and there are not so many current pop artist that peak my interest in that way. She is clearly inspired by the underground scene and by artists before her…but, at the end of the day, aren’t we all? But, even if she is the First Lady of Pop, Madonna will always be my Queen.

More important than whatever fashion “Do” or “Don’t” Gaga is wearing at the moment, more than anything else she does, I have infinite respect for what she has done for the LBGT community. I applaud her for using her celebrity for championing the community, and bringing issues of tolerance, bullying, same sex marriage, “don’t ask don’t tell”, to the forefront of mainstream media. Hell, she’s meeting with Obama. So, even if you don’t like her current hair color, you have to give her due respect. She’s active, she’s vocal, she’s loud, and I do believe that she is sincerely passionate and invested in the fight.

NAPKINS
I have to be honest; the only thing that comes to my head is a runny nose. So, I decided to Google the napkin and see if could learn some interesting fun facts to share.

I learned that napkins can be dated back to the Spartans, who used small pieces of dough to wipe their hands clean while eating. Interesting, huh? So, we went from dough, to a whole rainbow spectrum of paper napkin sizes, colors, and shapes.

Huh. Yeah, I could share more, but I lost interest, and I fear that you’re losing interest….so let’s keep it going ladies, shall we?
　

JUSTIN BIEBER
From napkins, to Justin Bieber. Well, I don’t think that the Spartans used small pieces of Justin Bieber to clean their hands…but they sure could’ve taken a cue from his manicured eyebrows. I mean, how old is he? 16? And his eyebrows are puuuurfekt. Somehow that kind of freaks me out. My second revelation about him is that he has a women’s perfume called Someday. Ick.

It all just makes me roll my eyes, gag up my vanilla latte, and toss up my hands in frustration. WHY!?! But then…I have a clear flash back. A memory that I’ve tried to delete, that I’ve tried to hide…but let’s be honest…when I was 14, I had NKOTB bed sheets. Yes, sheets. So, really…Go Justin! Cuz, if I was 14 now, I would still have Madonna posters all over my wall, and I would still be praying every night to somehow get cleavage like Elvira…and I would be rocking the Bieber manicured eyebrow.
　
GUTTER
That’s easy: punk, and, (drum roll please) BOWLING! I can talk a great game, but I am absolutely the gutter-ball-bowling-princess. Well, and if we take the word “gutter” to bowling, I gotta be sure to mention one of my favorite movies: The Big Lebowski!

And you know, I think bowling is just a nice way to wrap this all up. So, let’s all rock our Elvira wig, grab our beer with a dainty cocktail napkin, lace up our bowling shoes while Madonna’s “Holiday” is blasting over the sound system, and let’s throw some gutter balls right down that shiny lane. But, ya better beware- losing team gets sprayed down with Beiber’s Someday Eau deParfum.


Have a bloody good time and keep up with Clea at:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/cleacutthroat

*November she will be touring France with Bonaparte

*The Bonaparte Live DVD 0110111 (Quantum Physics & A Horseshoe) | The Movie - Release Date 11.11.11 Official Trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V623FEHJMtk