Tag Archives: Cher

DVDs, Movies, Music, TV

The first time I met Cher, I handed her a bouquet of roses stolen from a cemetery…

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Some stars are beautiful, some are talented, some have incredible real hair (think Crystal, Cher). Even Cher’s wigs are pretty hair-raising.

Which brings me to the first time I met Cher. She and Sonny were performing at the Westchester Premier Theatre in the ’70s. (Theater long closed, think Mafia.)

I handed Cher a bouquet of roses stolen from a nearby cemetery; they were fresh, no dead person’s name was attached and hey, I saved money.  She took them from me, ran her finger through my fair and said, “You have great hair!” (Yep, something I am still known for.)

And now, it’s Time-Life that presents a hair-raising experience: The Best of Cher, a five-disc DVD collection that has got you, babe.

From the sequined ’60s to the rocking ’90s and beyond, no one has kept delighting us, surprising us and entertaining us like Cher.

The inimitable multi-hyphenate superstar continues to shine brightly and this spectacular set, packed with unforgettable music, classic comedy and fabulous outfits, includes:
  • 10 star-studded episodes of Cher with guest appearances by such icons as Charo, Ray Charles, Elton John, The Muppets, Linda Ronstadt, Raquel Welch
  • Special appearances on The Dick Cavett Show (1975) and Dinah! (1975)
  • Bonus interviews with Cher, Lily Tomlin, Bob Mackie and producer George Schlatter
DVDs, TV

Sonny and Cher share 10 memorable and magical episodes from their TV show. Yep, they still got it babe

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Yes, the beat goes on.
And on.
And on.
Sonny and Cher share great memories, great music and great guest stars when they take the spotlight on I Got You Babe: The Best of Sonny & Cher (Time Life). The five-disc set is packed with never-before-released episodes of their ’70s variety TV show. And the added bonus–an interview with Cher recalling those sunny days—is most welcome!
When Salvatore “Sonny” Bono and Cherilyn “Cher” Sarkisian came together it was undeniably magical. America first knew them as the duo behind the classic hit “I Got You Babe,” and their popularity exploded with the ’70s smash variety show The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. The perfect match on stage and off, millions of fans tuned in each week to watch the sparks fly and see what Bob Mackie rags Cher was (or wasn’t!) wearing and the show quickly became essential viewing.
The TV gig was a gift from heaven . . . or at least CBS entertainment chief Fred Silverman, who “discovered” them performing in nightclubs and decided they had great potential for a weekly variety series. The  Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour premiered on August 1, 1971 as a summer replacement, but quickly reached the top 20, becoming a Wednesday night draw for the CBS and cementing Sonny and Cher as one of Hollywood’s most beloved couples.
The DVD set contains 10 hilarious, never-before-released episodes beginning, bringing  by bringing TV viewers back to the beginning with the pilot episode,. Oh! The classic sketches are still just naughty enough for nighttime! And tune in for an incredible line-up of guest stars including Dick Clark, Jerry Lewis, Jim Nabors, Joe Namath, The Righteous Brothers, Dinah Shore, Carroll O’Connor, Art Carney, Chuck Berry and The Supremes.

I Got You Babe: The Best of Sonny & Cher also features exclusive extras including:
Sonny & Cher’s pilot, an appearance on The Barbara McNair Show (Original Air Date: February 15, 1970)
Jerry Blavat’s 1970 interview of the duo on Jerry’s Place featuring an impromptu performance of “I Got You Babe”
Interviews with Frankie Avalon, producers Allan Blye and Chris Bearde and Cher herself!

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On March 26, 2017 P. Carl became a man. His riveting story is told in “Becoming a Man: The Story of Transition”

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Many think that issues of transition are a recent  occurrence . . . some even peg it to the news frenzy when Cher’s daughter Chastity announced she was transitioning into a man, Chaz.
Think again.
Becoming a Man: The Story of Transition (Simon & Schuster, $26) explores one man’s gender transition amid a pivotal political moment in America. For 50 years, author P. Carl lived as a girl and a queer woman, building a career, a life and a loving marriage . . . yet still waiting to realize himself in full.  As Carl embarks on his gender transition, he takes us inside the complex shifts and questions that arise throughout—the alternating moments of arrival and estrangement. He writes intimately about how transitioning reconfigures both his own inner experience and his closest bonds—his 20-year relationship with his wife, Lynette; his already tumultuous relationships with his parents; and seemingly solid friendships that are subtly altered, often painfully and wordlessly. Carl blends the remarkable story of his own personal journey with incisive cultural commentary, writing brilliantly about gender, power, and inequality in America.
Cover: Becoming a Man, by P. CarlHis transition occurs amid the rise of the Trump administration and the #MeToo movement—a transition point in America’s own story, when transphobia and toxic masculinity are under fire even as they thrive in the highest halls of power. Carl’s quest to become himself and to reckon with his masculinity mirrors, in many ways, the challenge before the country as a whole, to imagine a society where every member can have a vibrant, livable life. Here, through this brave and deeply personal work, Carl brings an unparalleled new voice to this conversation.
FYI: On March 26, 2017 Carl became a man.

Celebrity Chatter, DVDs, Movies

“Back in Time” takes a look at the impact the “Back to the Future” films have had on on culture

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Cher has always wanted to turn back time. It’s been there, of sorts, in Back in Time , a documentary that’s a look at the very real impact the Back to the Future movies have had on our culture. This tightly-focused film shows that what was once a little idea became something truly amazing which resonated through the culture.
Spanning over two years of filming, Back in Time is a cinematic monument to the immensity of the trilogy’s fandom. By capturing countless of hours of footage and interviews, the crew watched as the impact of the trilogy became apparent. Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale, James Tolkan, Lea Thompson, Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox give interviews about their experiences with the movie.

Back in Time began as a project conceived by Jason Aron, a fan of the Back to the Future series that was posted to the website Kickstarter in June 2013. More than 600 people backed the campaign, pledging more than $45,000 in order for the documentary to be made. The film was shot over a period of two years; while production primarily took place in the United States, another filming location was that of London, England during a Back to the Future fan event. The film opened theatrically on October 21 2015, the day that the series’ protagonist Marty McFly travels to in Back to the Future Part II. The DVD travels to store shelves on September 13.

Gregory Weinkauf of The Huffington Post said that the documentary “gets to the heart of the Back to the Future phenomenon, proving as enjoyable as the franchise it affectionately explores”, calling it “a delightful return to, and updating of, a beloved story”.