Film Buff Friday: Shortcut To Happiness

File this one under things that make you go Hmmmmm....

SHORTCUT TO HAPPINESS: After eighteen long years from production to release Shortcut to Happiness finally makes its debut on Blu-ray and DVD on July 16, 2019. Originally "The Devil and Daniel Webster" (the film's original title when it was in production in 2001) was to be the directorial debut of star Alec Baldwin. According to a 2007 Entertainment Weekly article, "production was vexed by alleged money problems and the FBI's bank-fraud investigation of a reported investor". According to a 2007 article in The Guardian, the movie grinded to a halt "during post-production when the FBI seized the investors' assets, including the film, in the course of a bank fraud investigation." Due to this and other rumored creative differences, Baldwin had his director credit removed from the film and replaced with the pseudonym "Harry Kirkpatrick". Baldwin's producing partner Jon Cornick told Entertainment Weekly in 2003, "We spent a lot of time and effort shooting the movie... It's not the movie that we intended to make." 

Producer Bob Yari rescued the film from bankruptcy court and finished the film without Baldwin's participation which received limited theatrical screenings in 2007. Years later the film aired on Showtime and Starz channels but had never received a proper release on home video. 

"I was presented with opportunity to license Shortcut To Happiness," according to MVD Entertainment Director of Acquisitions Eric D. Wilkinson. "Despite the movie's checkered past, I liked it. It reminded me of the high concept romantic comedies of the 1980's and 90's. It has a great cast and production values and I think fans of the genre will more than enjoy this film. So after eighteen years since the movie first started production, I'm excited to finally give Shortcut To Happiness a proper release on disc and digital".

 

Set in New York's literary world, Shortcut To Happiness is a contemporary re-telling of the classic short story ''The Devil and Daniel Webster'' featuring an all-star cast that includes Academy Award® Nominees Alec Baldwin (The Departed) and Dan Aykroyd (Ghostbusters), Academy Award® Winner Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs), Jennifer Love Hewitt (Heartbreakers), Kim Cattrall ("Sex and the City"), Bobby Cannavale (Ant-Man), Amy Poehler ("Parks and Recreation") and Darrell Hammond ("SNL").

 

Jabez Stone (Baldwin), a down on his luck writer, sells his soul to the devil (Love-Hewitt) in exchange for fame and fortune. But when things don't turn out as planned, Stone ultimately decides that he wants his old life again and enlists the help of Daniel Webster (Hopkins) in order to win his soul back from Satan, herself!

Michael's Musings

Giving Cattitude
Michael Shinafelt  

"So-so, so don't fuck with my freedom, I came back to get me some, I'm nasty, I'm evil" - Mother's Daughter, Miley Cyrus 

It's Pride Weekend in Los Angeles, CA, really not sure if I will be attending or not. But I still believe we need it more than ever. This week's edition is going to be a hybrid by Queer ally and amazing artist Miley Cyrus and Myself. I am currently obsessed with her latest EP She Is Coming, which is first and foremost pro everything I stand for. 

You are in for the most "extra" musings of your ass. "Yes" I have Pride & Cattitude...meow to the mix!!! 

This F#g is in heat, let me ride that beat! Beat it, just beat it! 

Who gives a F#ck if they call you a slut? Yeah, do you really care? Well you shouldn't

Going electric leads to way cleaner ______ fill in that Pride blank

One of my most fond Pride memories? Marching with Ken Phillips alongside Margaret Cho in the Los Angeles parade tossing off swag.

Hallelujah We're all freaks, yes! 

Lisa Vanderpump

Once I met the indomitable Lisa Vanderpump  backstage @ Gay Pride, she is as cool as they come.

Do I suck D!ck? You ain't seen sh!t

I love my pussy that means I've got Cattitude 

Why do you gotta be so MotherF#cking extra? Asking for a friend...

Miley Cyrus

Don't let anyone keep you down Miley Cyrus! 

Back-up, back-up, back-up boy. "Yeah" U know who you are -

I'm not obscene, your hypocrisy is 

OMG, what would happen if SHE got the power??? The world would be a better place.

You all are the moon, the stars & special 

It's time for a revolution, join me -
https://www.instagram.com/michaelshinafelt/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/MShinafelt  

Hump Day & Chill

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Celebrating Judy Garland

Celebrate!
Mike Clifford & Judy Garland

June is Pride month, and also happens to be the month that legendary gay icon Judy Garland passed. With the 50th Anniversary of her death arriving on June the 22nd former Teen Idol Mike Clifford decided to cover her signature song "Over The Rainbow" in celebration of her life.

Oh and what a cover it is. Clifford who actually knew Judy (she attended his singing gigs around the Los Angeles area) - Always found her to be kind and supportive of his music career. Of course it was a big deal for Mike that he actually was friends with his idol.

Clifford delivers one of the best vocal performances of his career with his rendition of the song classic from The Wizard of Oz. 

Let your troubles melt like lemon drops and celebrate Judy's life by hitting the video below...

Happy Pride Month! 

Mike on the WWW at:
https://www.facebook.com/MikeCliffordsWonderfulWorld/
https://www.reverbnation.com/mikeclifford6   

Monday Motivation

Here's Looking @ U
Michael Shinafelt

"Food, glorious food! Hot sausage and mustard! While we're in the mood -- 
Cold jelly and custard!" - Oliver!

"Yes" today's Monday Motivation is you guessed it, food! What I eat does not consist of any of the things mentioned above. Of course I am not a starving orphan being fed gruel. But I did play one in a musical production of Oliver! That's correct minions I was once a thespian. 

Moving onward, losing 50lbs is never easy for anyone, especially when you are in your 50's. Ya know 50/50 😛Thus one must do what they do food wise to drop the weight. Whilst that does not mean to starve thyself it does mean you can't eat hot sausage with mustard.

It means when you eat you have to do it clean and healthy. I would say stick to this pretty strictly in the beginning before you have cheat days. That's what I had to do at least. Once you lost a good amount of the ole' bulge then add the cheat day, but do not, I repeat, do not go overboard!

Also cut out, or simply cut back on drinking. I am wine type of dude who cut back. I like it in to cap off my day and would find it hard to completely kick it to the curb. Call it my cold jelly and custard.

Now get out there and get motivated minions!

Get healthy with me at:

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

https://twitter.com/MShinafelt  

Just Because...Justin Theroux

Riding On Bikes With Boys
Justin Theroux

Just Because he looks yummy in a sleeveless Britney Spears T-Shirt, Just Because his guns are a blazing and Just Because of his freeballing ways, here is Justin Theroux out and about on his bike in New York City.

I remember really noticing Justin for the first time when was oh so bad in the Charlie's Angels follow-up, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. Justin was so hot being the sadistic criminal Seamus O'Grady who is the Ex of Dylan Sanders (Drew Barrymore) in the movie.

"Yes" he made my toes curl, and then some. I then remembered him from David Lynch's Mulholland Drive where he portrayed another lousy member of the male sex. You know the real portion, not the dream portion of this living Hollywood nightmare.

While he is a good actor, there is nothing like the many images of Justin freeballing on the WWW. He gives Jon Hamm a run for his money, ah Hell who am I kidding, I could never choose one or the other in this case, we'd have to compromise and go menage.

Thus I leave you Justin and his Theroux on this Sunday, June 2nd 2019.

Woot!

Justin on IMDb:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0857620/?ref_=tt_cl_t6

Saturday Sinema: Maze

MAZE, a New York Times Critic's Pick

coming to Blu-ray and DVD on June 25th

Maze is based on the true story of the 1983 mass break-out of 38 prisoners from the HMP Maze high security prison in Northern Ireland

The film was one of the biggest openings in Ireland ever, 

doing over $1 million at the box office in UK / Ireland

Nominated for 4 Irish Academy Awards, including Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Screenplay and Best Original Score (IFTA Awards)

Maze charts how inmate Larry Marley, played by Tom Vaughan-Lawlor (Love/Hate, Avengers: Infinity War), becomes chief architect of the largest prison escape in Europe since World War II - an escape which he plans but does not go on himself. 

Up against him is the most state-of-the-art and secure prison in the whole of Europe - a prison within a prison. While scheming his way towards pulling off this feat, Larry comes into close contact with prison warder Gordon Close, played by Barry Ward (Jimmy's Hall). 

Larry and Gordon's complex journey begins with cautious, chess-like moves. Initially, Gordon holds all the power in their relationship and rejects all of Larry's attempts at establishing a friendship between them. Bit by bit, Larry wears down Gordon's defenses, maneuvering himself into a position of trust. 

As each man begins to engage with the other as an equal, the barrier between prisoner and warder has been broken. During all this time, however, Larry has been scheming behind Gordon's back, gleaning as much information as he can and working with other prisoners in a separate block, trying to engineer their escape. 

When the escape finally takes place, thirty-eight prisoners reach the main gate and nineteen get away. Gordon is stunned by Larry's betrayal and his own foolishness. Still, both of them have been irrevocably changed by their interaction. Their relationship represents the beginning of dialogue between the two sides, the first green shoots of the eventual peace process. 

As both the epicenter of an enduring conflict and the source of its eventual resolution, the story of Maze is the story of the troubles themselves.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/311667348 

Pre-order: https://mvdshop.com/search?q=maze

Bonus Materials: 

• Director's Commentary by Stephen Burke
• Short film '81' by Stephen Burke