Happy 70th Birthday, Cher, from Buddy B!

"Stars never die, they just fade away." Pop singer/ superstar Cher certainly refuted that adage by her sheer longevity.

It's been said that after an atomic blast, there'd be nothing left but roaches and Cher. Such is her legend as a survivor.

Today, May 20th, 2016, Cher -- a fellow Taurus -- turns 70. What a wonderful milestone for a timeless icon.

Cher started in show business as half of Sonny and Cher. She was a shy teen at the time but somewhere that all changed.

It was when Cher was appearing on the tv variety series, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. Cher was sick of her husband's overly controlling behavior and decided to take her career and her life back into her own control.

Cher has won an Oscar,, a Grammy, an Emmy among other prestigious awards.

She has a transgender son, Chaz, and has long been a big supporter of the LGBT community throughout the world.

They say black don't crack. Neither does white -- if you can afford all the work Cher's had done to her face over the years.

Some people think Cher is a vocal lightweight but she is not I assure you, after seeing her many times live in concert. Her voice is strong, throaty but powerful.

Like Joan Crawford, Cher's incredible career spanning six decades has depended upon her reinventing and adapting of her image for the public.

Happy 70th birthday, Cheilyn Sarkisian!

Cine Beaverhausen: Money Monster

Money Monster was released on my birthday, May 13th. It stars George Clooney, and Julia Roberts along with a sturdy support cast.

It's a political thriller but mostly quite predictable to the end. However, it's an intense film for mature-minded audiences wary of the onslaught of brainless action films.

The film's masterfully directed by Jodie Foster. The story involves a young man with a gun. nicely portrayed by Jack O'Connell, who lost all his money on the stock market. He comes after tv-renowned Clooney, whom he believes is responsible for his losses. Domestic terrorism of sorts is in focus.

Foster's no stranger to this kind of territory, what having done The Panic Room and Flightplan, that film where her daughter is held hostage on an airplane. Her success has benefitted from her diversity as actress, producer and director. Julia Roberts, who I once considered a romcom lightweight, is particularly good in this.

While worthy of viewing, you can definitely wait this one out till it arrives on video.

Kiki & Herb Seeking Asylum at Joe's Pub

Kiki & Herb returned to Joe's Pub this week, so I went with a friend to celebrate my birthday, just two days afterwards. As par usual, they were side-splittingly funny and very entertaining generally.

Kiki & Herb: Seeking Asylum is a wonderful addiion to their body of work. Over the years, they've lost none of their edge. In fact, they've gotten edgier.

Justin Vivian Bond is Kiki and Kenny Mellman is her pianist and comic straight man Herb. They work  well together, very well indeed.

Kiki & Herb have released a few albums though there's nothing like seeing them live. They've toured in the USA and in Europe.

I first caught their act, Kiki & Herb Will Die for You, at Carnegie Hall many years ago and immediately became a fan. However, there is nothing better than seeing them in the relative intimacy of a club like Joe's Pub in the East Village. What a great way to celebrate my birthday! Welcome back, Kiki & Herb!

Cine Beaverhausen Wallows in The Shallows

The Shallows opens June 29th. If the preview I caught tonight is the final edit, this film should appeal to all suspense thriller and horror fans.

It's very tense and involves a woman being attacked by a great white shark. She is able to cling to a narrow raft for safety after first climbing to safety on a rock.

It's sort of Jaws on the cheap but, nonetheless, a well-made nail-biter.

Bake Lively is our damsel in distress and she does a remarkable acting job. The flick is directed with verve by Jaume Collet-Serra. He's ventured into the horror and suspense territory before with films like Orphan and the 2005 remake of House of Wax with Paris Hilton that was pretty bad, actually. But here he is provided with a good script to work with.

Here he has a good script to work with and it makes a difference. At least catch this film on video when it arrives. A scary summer treat!

Trailer at the link below:

http://cdn.collider.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/the-shallows-blake-lively.jpeg

Cine Beaverhausen: Elvis & Nixon, Preview

There's a definite feeling of "been there, done that" at the movies with Elvis & Nixon, to be released this Friday,

There's no doubt that it's expertly done and yet it's not particularly satisfying. I saw it on previews and the audience gave it a mixed reception.

Elvis' meeting with the President is historic trivia , even, camp. The film's comedic script, however, puts this nicely in perspective and direction by Liza Johnson handles this well.

Nixon is portrayed by the mercurial Kevin Spacey, flexing his acting skills in grand style. And Michael Shannon's is stellar in his comedic turn.

While no big shakes, Elvis & Nixon is an antidote to the summer's plethora of action films and juvenilia. Elvis fans should swarm to this, others may want to wait till it comes out on video. This film may not attract a wide audience outside the United States.

Released by the indy Amazon Studios.

On the Town with Buddy Beaverhausen: Ty Jeffries at The Metropolitan Room

Last night, in her swan song at The Metropolitan Room, Ty Jeffries tickled the ivories and the funny bone with his show, Miss Hope Springs -- Queen of Fools.

Hope brilliantly entertained us in royal fashion with her great humor and brilliant songwriting.

A good time was had by all at Ty's packed house this evening. He has one more show in NYC, and that will be at The Duplex and he will be there, performing April 15th before heading back to London, where Hope is toast of the town.

Jeffries is a tall, imposing figure in a black, sequined mini-shirt and in flats. Photos from tonight's show are expected soon.

This is a laugh-out-loud, laugh-a-minute sensation. And, maybe, after the show is through, she'll relax and do up the west village.

Congratulations, Ty, on your illustrious show. Your patter is brilliant as is your songwriting! Smooches!

Here's our Q&A from earlier this month:
http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2016/03/q-with-miss-hope-springs-ty-jeffries.html

Special thanks to the club's sexy French sound technician, Jean-Pierre, for helping me catch a cab afterward, way above his call of duty.

Buddy Beaverhausen's Random Thoughts: Strange Bedfellows 2: Dick Cheney Supports Hillary

That 2012 heart transplant seems to have softened the often embittered Dick Cheney up  Its donor must have been a Democrat because the ex-V.P (under George W. Bush).

Cheney praised Hillary Clinton but sagely added that his all-out endorsement for her might be a "kiss of death" for the Democratic nominee.

Indeed, as Clinton has been under attack in a smear campaign by rival Bernie Sanders branding her as the new Cheney. I think Sanders is a new big liar, hitting below the belt and smearing her unfairly. He'd say anything to win his party's nomination.

Cheney did not mention Trump, Cruz or any other Repub candidate still standing. But that, in itself, plus his endorsement, speaks a thousand words. It's like the rats are jumping ship before it goes down!

Cheney is, of course, considered a war criminal in most of the world and should be tried. He sent our young soldiers off to die on our invasion of Iraq. Turns out they never existed and he set off a firestorm of hatred and retaliation that goes on until today. Meanwhile, his company Halliburton, then   headquartered there made billions off of war and countless deaths.

Hill may feel that, with friends like Cheney, who need needs enemies and wisely stay away from his endorsement. Cheney, on his part, spoke kindly about Hillary's diplomacy skills and ability to reach across the aisle to get things done.

Video Beaverhausen: Caged

1950's Caged is always worth re-watching. It's an absolutely riveting drama and serious critique of the penal system in America.

Caged is the prototype for women's prison films that later devolved into sexual exploitation films. Caged is the real deal, however.

Eleanor Parker portrays Marie Allen, an innocent girl who goes into prison at age 19 and comes out, after her experiences there, a hardened criminal. She was Oscar nominated fro her role, deservedly.  She won that award, however, at the Venice Film Festival.

Hope Emerson upstages everyone as the cruel matron, Evelyn Harper. Her portrayal has been oft imitated and even parodied, most conspicuously by Divine in 1970s' hit satire, Women Behind Bars.

Hope's nemesis is Agnes Moorehead as the prison warden who seeks to reforms a sexist and unjust system and protect her ladies. Betty Garde and Lee Patrick in Sapphic roles also shine. And I think Jan Sterling is just adorable as Smoochie. and Jane Darwell.

The screenplay, by a woman, Virginia Kellogg, who actually spent time in jail to research this film has a very evolved feminist point of view.

Stylishly directed by John Cromwell with great cinematic flair. The dialogue sizzles. It begins with the line, "Pile out you tramps! It's the end of the line!" and includes gems like "What shall we do with her file?"/"Keep it active. She'll be back!" and "After a while, you don't think about men. You don't think about men at all."

I used to watch this on tv when it would be on Million Dollar Movie in constant replay on our local channel 9. The Allied Artists release at one point lost its licensing but was revived in time for the LGBT Film Festival in NYC back in the 1990s.

A must see. Available on dvd.