Monthly Archives: June 2008

'Mamma Mia!' is the winner that will take it all

Posted on June 29, 2008 by admin

Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Firth are among the cast of ‘Mamma Mia!’ By Ray Bennett LONDON — No matter how many blockbusters there are, Universal Pictures’ screen version of the global hit stage musical “Mamma Mia!” is the … Continue reading →

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What's this? Canadians live longer and have more sex?

Posted on June 29, 2008 by admin

A human Maple Leaf flag made in New Brunswick to honor Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan The Canada Rocks concert in Trafalgar Square on Monday is sold out but that still leaves plenty to do there on Canada Day Tuesday with … Continue reading →

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Edinburgh: Not many sunny days in this 'Summer'

Posted on June 28, 2008 by admin

Steve Evets and Robert Carlyle recall better days in Kenny Glenaan’s ‘Summer’ By Ray Bennett EDINBURGH — Robert Carlyle and Steve Evets make a credible pair of survivors at the nasty end of life’s social stick as an ill-tempered dyslectic … Continue reading →

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Edinburgh: 'A Film With Me In It' is killingly funny

Posted on June 27, 2008 by admin

David O’Doherty, Dylan Moran, Jersey the dog, and Mark Doherty in ‘A Film With Me In It’ By Ray Bennett EDINBURGH — The bodies keep piling up and so do the laughs in Irish director Ian Fitzgibbon’s clever and very … Continue reading →

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Edinburgh: '14 Kilometers' too pretty for its own good

Posted on June 27, 2008 by admin

By Ray Bennett EDINBURGH — The “14 Kilometers” in Gerardo Olivares’ ambitious tale of African refugees seeking a better life in Europe is the stretch of water that separates the northern tip of Africa from Spain. To reach it, the … Continue reading →

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Ron Base's 'Mrs. Cheveley' offers reasons to believe

Posted on June 26, 2008 by admin

My great mate Ron Base, whose novel “Magic Man,” published by St. Martin’s Press, is a terrific read about old Hollywood, is publishing his new novel, “The Brilliant Mrs. Cheveley” online. Set in Paris, London and Vienna at the turn … Continue reading →

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The best little real ale pub in Edinburgh: Halfway House

Posted on June 25, 2008 by admin

No visit to Edinburgh is complete without stopping in at the Halfway House pub on Fleshmarket Close in Old Town between Cockburn Street and Market Street. It is one of the best real ale pubs in Britain and the food … Continue reading →

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Comedian George Carlin had the right stuff

Posted on June 24, 2008 by admin

I saw George Carlin perform live in Detroit and Los Angeles and he always put me on the floor. One of his most observant and funniest routines was simply about “stuff”: my stuff, your stuff, the stuff we collect and … Continue reading →

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Edinburgh: Many small pleasures in nostalgic 'Summer Hours'

Posted on June 23, 2008 by admin

A blonde Juliette Binoche and the cast of Olivier Assayas’ poignant drama ‘Summer Hours’ By Ray Bennett EDINBURGH, Scotland — French filmmaker Olivier Assayas’ film “Summer Hours” was commissioned to help celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Musee d’Orsay in … Continue reading →

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Edinburgh: 'Stone of Destiny' needs a drop of the hard stuff

Posted on June 23, 2008 by admin

Robert Carlyle and the cast of ‘Stone of Destiny’ add some single malt to the equation By Ray Bennett EDINBURGH, Scotland — The “Stone of Destiny” in Charles Martin Smith’s pedestrian new film is the macguffin that a group of … Continue reading →

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