GayisGood's Blog

A fantastic performance from Frank Langella as Richard Nixon seals this movie for Oscar bait.  I can also make the same statement for Michael Sheen's performance as David Frost.

A novelty is a cameo appearance by Patty McCormack (little Rhoda from THE BAD SEED).  She portrays Pat Nixon.

I saw FROST/NIXON on December 30.  I am of the philosophy that a director's guidance determines if the story is going to be a hit or miss with the audience.  Ron Howard's directing is the key factor in making FROST/NIXON an historically memorable movie.  Ron Howard pits Richard Nixon and David Frost into a frenzied chess game where one of the two has to emerge as the victor during the taped interviews.  FROST/NIXON incorporates a splendid re-telling of the Watergate scandal at the beginning of the movie so if someone is not familiar with the historical event, the viewer will be well oriented.

I couldn't help but notice that Frank Langella's make-up resembled Ed Sullivan's face rather than Nixon's.

Richard Nixon point blank asked David Frost, before an interview was to begin, if he engaged in any fornicating with his girlfriend. I always thought Nixon was so strait-laced.  It's amusing how Nixon tagged journalists as "sons of whores." 

I hope others remember this Christmas show that aired back in 1961 featuring Red Skelton's portrayal of Freddie the Freeloader who finds a rag doll that magically comes to life for a couple of hours on Christmas Eve.  The rag doll was portrayed by Cara Williams of "Pete and Gladys" fame.  Both Freddie and his newfound friend are playing together like two storybook children in the park.  Then, when the clock strikes 12 midnight, the rag doll waves good-bye and turns back to the lifeless toy.  Freddie weeps and then gives away the rag doll to a Christmas toy collection dumpster.

This is one of those Christmas shows that I always remember.

This happens every year where I will receive at least one of those awful Christmas letters that tells a whole story with characters involved that you do not know.  There was an episode on "Everybody Loves Raymond" where they gathered around the table dissecting one of these letters and laughing at the ridiculous anecdotes.

What is amusing in practically all of these letters is how the author writes the letter in the third person.  Then, you will be given a pie in the face about some relative that is unknown.  It could be Aunt Ida who had to get a colostomy bag attached or LuAnne who just started her first ballet lesson.  Who's LuAnne?  I could care less about Aunt Ida.

Bragging becomes the norm.  I can just picture "My Child Made the Honor Roll" bumper sticker. 

I hate it when someone sends me a Christmas card and writes on that card where somebody passed away.  I read in an etiquette book sometime ago that you are never to write a letter on the card itself.  If you want to write something, you either slip a note inside the card or write a separate letter.   When I receive one of those dreaded cards, I just say to myself, "So, you want to depress me at Christmas?"

But getting back to those obnoxious letters.....I know the intentions are good but you can really have a good laugh when you read that letter over again.

I'm not the only person who feels this way because others have voiced their opinion to me that "The Christmas Shoes" by NewSong is a depressing song to play during the Holidays.  Sometimes I just have to get up and shut off the radio as soon as I hear that song playing.  I want to hear happy songs during Christmas and this song really puts a damper on the jovial Holiday spirit.  Radio stations do have the right to play this song, but for those who don't like this depressing song, we can always change the channel.

If John Lennon was Catholic, he would practically be on  the road to canonization.  The Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, stated that John was a working class lad who was suddenly thrust into a world of unexpected success when he made his controversial remark that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ.  This sudden turnaround of scorn now turned into praise ignores the fact that Lennon still carried his anti-religious philosophy even until the age of 40 when he was tragically shot to death.  Hmmm!  This Vatican newspaper ought to be fair and praise Eminem.  After all, Eminem was thrust into unexpected success.  I remember back in 1966 that Catholic countries like Spain and the Phillipines banned the Beatles after hearing that controversial remark of John Lennon's.  In the South, the Ku Klux Klan urged kids to bring their Beatles records to bonfires. 

"Imagine" is my favorite John Lennon song and it strongly laments that religion is the cause of division in the world.

This revolving door turnaround regarding John Lennon's controversial quote proves my theory that organized religion changes with the times.  I remember when it was a sin to hang clothes out in public on a Sunday or for a retail store to be open on a Sunday.  I remember when some Christians would complain if a Jewish supermarket would be open on a Sunday.  Today all retail stores are open on Sunday.  It was a sin for anyone to wear shorts.  It was a sin to go to Las Vegas.  It was a sin to see a Mae West movie.  It was a sin to listen to Elvis Presley.  It was a sin to do the Twist.  Movies were actually "Condemned" and today those same movies can be seen on TV in the morning. 

Everything changes with time.

Flameless candles are the current trend for the home.  For entertaining, you can turn your house or apartment into an elegant atmosphere.  The biggest draw for flameless candles is safety.  You can leave these candles on all night and never have to worry about a house fire.  You can place flameless candles inside bookcases and other areas where you just could never put a conventional burning candle.  There is no soot and your candles remain in pristine condition.  The ambiance of flameless candles is serene and will put you in a relaxing mood right away.

There are rechargeable types as well as those that operate on batteries.  I have the kind that are rechargeable, so, I never have to worry about batteries.  Also, the LED lights will last for years.

If you could throw a dinner party and invite any 5 people (living or deceased), who would they be?

My dinner invitation list would include:

Joan of Arc

Jackie Kennedy

Peter the Great

Mark McGwire

Richard Gere