WIllie and Kris at the AVA's!

Country music legend and Air Force veteran Willie Nelson introduces his great friend Kris Kristofferson who makes an emotional speech accepting the Veteran Of The Year Award. LINK: Youtube

Many people may have forgot about his time in the U.S. Army. He is the son of an Air Force General, and a accomplished Golden Gloves boxer, and he graduated from Pomona College with a B.S. degree, and then became a Rhodes Scholar from Oxford University.
He joined the U.S. Army at the prompting of his father. After graduating from Officer Candidate School he attended and graduated from both Army Airborne and Ranger training in the very top of each class. He was selected for U. S. Army Special Forces Training but refused so that he could attend pilot training where he earned his wings, and became an accomplished U.S. Army helicopter (gun ship) pilot, and achieved the rank of Captain.
He was about to be promoted to the rank of Major, and appointed to teach at West Point when he resigned his commission from the Army to go into music and acting. You can tell in this video that his time in the military means a lot to him.

Peter Graves, ‘Mission: Impossible’ Star, Dies at 83

Peter Graves, the cool spymaster of television’s “Mission: Impossible” and the dignified host of the “Biography” series, who successfully spoofed his own gravitas in the “Airplane!” movie farces, died on Sunday. He was 83.

Born Peter Aurness in Minneapolis, the blond, 6-foot-2 Mr. Graves served in the Army Air Forces in 1944 and ’45, studied drama at the University of Minnesota under the G.I. Bill of Rights and played the clarinet in local bands before following his older brother, James Arness, to Hollywood.

His first credited film appearance was in “Rogue River” (1950), with Rory Calhoun. Mr. Graves’s getting a Hollywood contract for the picture persuaded his fiancée’s family to let her marry him. He changed his name for that movie to Graves, his maternal grandfather’s name, to avoid confusion with his older brother. LINK

Hollywood Icon Elizabeth Taylor Dies at 79

Oscar winning actress Elizabeth Taylor died today at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Hospital. She was 79.

"She was surrounded by her children: Michael [Howard] Wilding, Christopher Wilding, Liza Todd, and Maria Burton," Taylor's publicist, Sally Morrison, said in a statement.

In the same statement, Michael Howard Wilding, 58, memorialized his mother:

"My Mother was an extraordinary woman who lived life to the fullest, with great passion, humor, and love," he said. "Though her loss is devastating to those of us who held her so close and so dear, we will always be inspired by her enduring contribution to our world. Her remarkable body of work in film, her ongoing success as a businesswoman, and her brave and relentless advocacy in the fight against HIV/AIDS, all make us all incredibly proud of what she accomplished. We know, quite simply, that the world is a better place for Mom having lived in it. Her legacy will never fade, her spirit will always be with us, and her love will live forever in our hearts."

In addition to her children, Taylor is survived by 10 grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Morrison said that a private family funeral will be held later this week. In lieu of flowers, the family asked that contributions be made to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation and said that those wanting to send personal messages can log on to Taylor's official Facebook page. LINK

Click here to see photos of Elizabeth Taylor through the years.

Grease Star Jeff Conaway Dies at 60

Jeff Conaway, best known for his role as Kenickie as Grease and Bobby Wheeler on the '70s TV series Taxi, has died at the age of 60 in a Los Angeles-area hospital.

He was found unconscious in his L.A. home several weeks ago and efforts to revive him came to a halt earlier today as his family made the painful decision to take him off life support.

Conaway struggled for years with alcohol and drug addiction an it is believed he fell into a coma after an overdose.

Conaway publicly faced his drug troubles when he appeared in 2008's Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew where he admitted to struggling with cocaine, painkillers, and alcohol.

RIP Jeff. LINK

Orson Welles Drunk Outtake

In these infamous Paul Masson outtakes, Orson tries to deliver his lines while totally tanked. LINK: Youtube

Leslie Nielsen Dies at 84

Hollywood is mourning the loss of legendary actor Leslie Nielsen, who has passed away at the age of 84. The Canadian-born actor came to Hollywood in the 1950's, landing leading roles in such landmark films as Forbidden Planet, but later turned to slapstick comedy with the massive hits Airplane! and the bumbling Lieutenant Frank Drebin in The Naked Gun movies.


Nielsen died Sunday at a hospital near his home in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where he was being treated for pneumonia. LINK

Police Squad! - Two Scenes - watch more funny videos

Barbara Billingsley, Beaver's TV Mom, Dies At 94

Barbara Billingsley, who gained supermom status for her gentle portrayal of June Cleaver, the warm, supportive mother of a pair of precocious boys in Leave It to Beaver, died Saturday. She was 94.

Billingsley, who had suffered from a rheumatoid disease, died at her home in Santa Monica, Calif., said family spokeswoman Judy Twersky.

When the show debuted in 1957, Jerry Mathers, who played Beaver, was 9, and Tony Dow, who portrayed Wally, was 12. Billingsley's character, the perfect stay-at-home 1950s mom, was always there to gently but firmly nurture both through the ups and downs of childhood.

Born Barbara Lillian Combes in Los Angeles on Dec. 22, 1915, she was raised by her mother after her parents divorced. She and her first husband, Glenn Billingsley, divorced when her sons were just 2 and 4.

Her second husband, director Roy Kellino, died of a heart attack after three years of marriage and just months before she landed the Leave It to Beaver role.

She married physician Bill Mortenson in 1959 and they remained wed until his death in 1981.

Survivors include her sons, three stepchildren and numerous grandchildren.

More on this story at the LINK.

'Happy Days' Dad Tom Bosley Dies At 83

Tom Bosley, whose long acting career was highlighted by his hugely popular role as the understanding father on television's nostalgic, top-rated 1970s comedy series Happy Days, died Tuesday. He was 83.

Bosley died of heart failure at a hospital near his Palm Springs, Calif., home. Bosley's agent, Sheryl Abrams, said he was also battling lung cancer.

TV Guide ranked Bosley's Happy Days character, Howard Cunningham, No. 9 on its list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time'' in 2004. The show debuted in 1974 and ran for 11 seasons.

After Happy Days ended, Bosley went on to a recurring role in Murder, She Wrote as Sheriff Amos Tucker. He also was the crime-solving priest in television's The Father Dowling Mysteries, which ran from 1989 to 1991. LINK

Dennis Hopper, 1936-2010

Dennis Hopper, star of Easy Rider, Blue Velvet and Super Mario Bros., is dead at 74. [Reuters. Photo from Giant, Via: Flatland] tracking. Via: Boingboing

Diff'rent Strokes Actor Gary Coleman Dead At 42

Former child star Gary Coleman, who rose to fame as the wisecracking youngster Arnold Jackson on the TV sitcom 'Diff'rent Strokes' but grew up to grapple with a troubled adulthood, has died after suffering an intercranial hemorrhage. He was 42. LINK: The Presurfer



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Students remake Goofy Movie's title sequence

Tavie sez, "You have to be impressed by this student film, 'After Today Live'. These kids made an incredibly detailed shot-by-shot remake of the Goofy Movie's opening song, 'After Today' (the hero's 'I Want' song) with live actors instead of animation."

It's impressive work indeed! All produced for $100, too!

Amazing Shot-for-Shot Remake Goofy Movie - After Today Live (Ted Sowards), LINK: Boingboing, Via: Youtube

The Munchkins after 70 Years

Newsweek interviewed five actors who played munchkins in The Wizard of Oz. They reminisce about the production of the movie and how it impacted their lives. Did you know that Toto got paid more than they did? You can read about the movie in Stacy’s trivia post.

Via: io9, Via: Neatorama

Top 10 Best Adam Sandler Movies

Comedian. Actor. Musician. Singer. Writer. Producer. Swell guy (probably). The sum of all these parts makes Adam Sander who he is today; a much loved and much viewed working entertainer.

He makes us laugh. He makes it look easy. There are few comedic actors when have been at the top of the box office for as long as The Sandman, so let's appreciate this multi-talented dude. LINK

'Streetcar' Actor Karl Malden Dies at 97

Karl Malden, July 1: The Academy Award-winning actor, known for roles in cinematic milestones 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and 'On the Waterfront' and for his jump to TV in the 1970s with 'The Streets of San Francisco,' died of natural causes at his home in California. He was 97. LINK

"A Streetcar Named Desire - Blanche and Mitch" LINK


Blanche (Vivien Leigh) tells Mitch (Karl Malden) the tragic story of the death of her husband, Allan, with the Varsouviana being heard. From the 1951 movie-version of the play written by Tennessee Williams.

"Marlon Brando On The Waterfront 1954 Clip" LINK


Here's a great definition or, better, a great "re-definition" of church! Karl Malden, as the priest, gets it right. What would happen if the churches in America adopted this sort of gritty, street-smart approach to ministry and community reordering?

Paul Newman RIP

Legendary actor Paul Newman has died at the age of 83 of cancer:

Paul Newman, the legendary actor whose steely blue eyes, good-humored charm and advocacy of worthy causes made him one of the most renowned figures in American arts, has died of cancer at his home in Westport, Connecticut. He was 83. [...]

In 1982, Newman and his friend A.E. Hotchner founded Newman’s Own, a food company that produced food ranging from pasta sauces to salad dressing to chocolate chip cookies.

"The embarrassing thing is that the salad dressing is outgrossing my films," Newman once wryly noted.

To date, the company — which donates all profits to charities such as Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang camps — has given away more than $200 million. Newman established the camp to benefit gravely ill children.

Link, Via: Neatorama