Day: December 8, 2021

Revive the past? Yes and NO(!)

At first glance, these seem like worthy goals: Revive the past AND do a live TV show.
Still, there’s a key question: Is this piece of the past really worth reviving?
NBC’s “Annie Live” (shown here) was mostly excellent; ABC’s “Diff’rent Strokes” was thoroughly awful. Let’s look at both: Read more…

Best-bets for Dec. 10: “West Side Story,” at home or in theaters

1) “West Side Story” (1961), 8 p.m ET., Turner Classic Movies. On the day Steven Spielberg’s version reaches theaters, TCM has the original from 60 years ago. It’s flawed – heavy-handed plot, cliched (almost cartoonish) characters and the casting of non-singers (Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer, shown here) who were then dubbed. But all of that is overridden by a confluence of genius – music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, choreography by Jerome Robbins. The flaws fade; this won 10 Oscars, including best picture. Read more…