Sneak Peek: A Star is Remembered

Hey, all!!
I just wanted to give those who follow me a little sneak peek of the documentary I've been working on, A Star is Remembered: The Making of a Masterpiece.
As pointed out in the video, there is still a lot of work to be done on this; I haven't even completed all the interviews. But I just wanted to give you all a little sneak peek of what's been done so far and (hopefully) what will become a really cool project.

Let me know what you think (either on here or on YouTube), and if you want to be a part of the project, let me know!

In other news: I also received my Judy Garland: A Celebration magazine in the mail shortly after I posted on the subject. I'll be posting a review soon once I finally get a chance to read it all, but it looks like a promising issue!

Issue Two of "A Celebration" has been mailed out!

Sneak peek of the cover art for Issue 2

Gary Horrocks of The International Judy Garland Club has announced that the second issue of A Celebration has been sent out via Royal mail. It's only a matter of time before us lucky members get another beautiful keepsake that is a true tribute to Judy's memory and artistry.

This next issue will be 60 pages and includes 70 beautifully reproduced photographs and articles on Judy's time spent in London and her make-up artist and friend Dottie Ponedel.

Below is a link to the club's website - they've made some adjustments since I've last seen it, and it looks BEAUTIFUL. Check it out - information on joining the club is also available on the website:

http://www.judygarlandclub.org

I'll be posting a review on the next issue as soon as I get it, which hopefully will be soon. I can't wait!!

Sneak peek of inside spread of Issue 2

A Couple of Updates ..

Hi, all!

My gosh, it's the middle of January already, I can't believe it. True to my promise in my previous post from this month, I'm going to try and keep this blog updated more. That being said, here are a couple of those updates:

1. A Star is Born Documentary
I know I haven't done much talking (not to mention working on) this project, but I promise you, it will get done! Both John Fricke and Scott Brogan from The Judy Room have agreed to help me and I know that with their cooperation this thing can be great. If you or  anyone you know would be interested in participating or offering their thoughts on this wonderful film, PLEASE let me know!

2. JSP - "Lost Tracks" Release
I finally have it! I ordered this box-set the day after Christmas and it just arrived from the UK yesterday. Boy, just what I needed. I'm saving my maiden listen for this weekend and I'll try to do it chronologically, though I'm tempted to just listen to my favorites and the songs I haven't heard before. I'm going to try and write a disc-by-disc review if my schedule permits. JSP has also announced another Garland release (which I will be posting about soon) that looks to be due later this year.

3. Tumblr
I have recently discovered the wonders of the website "Tumblr" and have started a Judy page - it's a mash up of graphics, art, photos, and quips that I update just about every day. I've found several rare photos on there and some great material for future blogs. Follow!!

Thanks for following, everybody!! Hope the rest of your January is great and stay warm if it's cold out!

Have Yourself a Very Happy New Year!!

Happy (belated) 2011 wishes to everyone!

First and foremost, I owe an enormous apology to all who are following me - I haven't done an update in a long time, which I simply attribute to family time and laziness. Thankfully, with winter term getting its kick start, I'm back to being on top of things and have several posts planned up for you all.

Secondly, I want to wish a very Happy Holidays, though it's uber late - I hope you and yours were happy, healthy, and got all you wished for!

Christmas 2010 was a gloomy one for me, I was feeling generally listless and crabby much of the time. This was actually a Christmas where I was more Scrooge rather than Rudolph.

However and happily, I did get to spend some quality time with several friends over the break, and being the little social butterfly that I am, that was simply wonderful. One such get-together involved my showing a very dear friend of mine both Meet Me in St Louis and In the Good Old Summertime, to coincide with a little holiday movie marathon the two of us had set up together. He's a good sport, he's seen several Judy films with me and he loves musicals almost as much as I do.

During the viewing of these two little holiday gems, my friend and I chatted constantly - trading commentary about the film, how much we loved the holidays, things that were going on with our life. And then we got to the scene where Judy is singing to Margaret O'Brien in St. Louis. I just sat there entranced, because this was the first time the song had ever really hit me.

As I watched Judy sing, I felt so close to the scene I could almost literally feel the emotions pouring forth from the frames. Even more amazing to me was the fact that I realized "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is not a sad song. It's about keeping your chin up and carrying on with hope for the future. It represented everything about the holidays that should be revered - love, family, togetherness, strength and beauty. It was a breathtaking moment for me and it changed my way of thinking for 2011.

WHICH, by the way, is here and I hope it will be "bright, shining, and beautiful" as in the words of Judy. Happy New Year to everyone!!