Anyway, welcome to the world Knox and Vivienne Jolie-Pitt.

Patrick Swayze looking great!

Isn’t it fantastic to see pictures like this…

Patrick Swayze is reported to be responding miraculously well to the treatment he has been receiving for his cancer and looking at pics like this - his fans everywhere can keep praying…because it is obviously working! Stay well Pat !

And if you’ve waited months for the DVD release you feel like kicking the TV screen in…

Some of them don’t bear remembering but many have become so legendary in the let-down stakes that they have made a list of The Worst Endings Ever. Follow the link and you’ll see some of them but I am sure you will be able to quote some of your own…and yes, Castaway is there - as it should be.

But if I had to add one it would be the pathetic ending to War of the Worlds - the Tom Cruise version. Where did the son come from all of a sudden after he previously disappeared off up the hill to join the military fighting the aliens…?

This is a charming, heart warming film made back in 1998 starring the late, great Ian Bannen along with David Kelly, Fionnula Flanagan and James Nesbitt.

The film centres around a small village (supposedly in Ireland but the movie was actually filmed on location on the Isle of Man) and what happens after one of the villagers, Ned Devine, dies from shock after winning first prize on the Lottery. His friends discover that ’someone’ in their village has won the big money…but who?

Jackie & Micheal (Ian Bannen and David Kelly) decide to find out only to discover Ned in his cottage by the sea…dead in front of the TV with the winning ticket in his hand. After a dream, which features Ned and himself, Jackie claims Ned wants his friends to claim the money and share it among themselves. Micheal is drawn into impersonating Ned when the Lottery official arrives…and so the fun, both funny and sad, begins.

This is a wonderful film with characters you will warm to…and NOT warm to - the local ‘witch’ Lizzie threatens to blow the lid on their scheme when she is not promised a bigger share of the money than everyone else…what eventually happens to her is not only shocking but the climax to the story…you will be cheering in your chair.

Everything ends well in this film…and you find out something about Ned towards the end that provides a nice little twist in the tale…I’m not telling

Trivia:

* Ian Bannen, the highly respected and brilliant British actor, died one year after completing this film. He died in a road accident in Scotland when the car, driven by his wife Maggie, overturned. He was on a break during work on the film ‘Simply Sinatra’.

* The film was actually shot on location on the Isle of Man. The village in the film, ‘Tullymore’ was actually called ‘Cregneash’. The local people from the village were the extra’s in the village scenes.

* The Jackie’s House interiors for the ‘chicken dinner’ scene and bedroom and bathroom scenes, were sets built in the old mill in Laxey, the Glen Road.

* Neds House: Ned’s house exterior was a cottage at Niarbyl. The ‘nude swim’ scene was at Niarbyl down below Cregganmooar on White Beach.

* The ‘Fatal Phone Box’ was on the Marine Drive outside of Douglas.

* The final memorable scene was shot on top of Cronk ny Irree Lhaa.

But we all now need to say a few prayers for our blue-eyed boy as he is battling lung cancer. Reports suggest he is coping with the treatment but his memory is failing him unfortunately and is the reason why he has been retired for the past twelve months.

His loving and devoted wife Joanne Woodward is right there with him of course and being the rock she has always been to him. You have to love this couple; theirs has been a union which has been rock solid for over fifty years. Paul himself, when asked once how he copes with women forever throwing themselves at him, said this:

” Why go out for hamburger when you can have steak at home ? “

In an industry where loyalties are few and marriages are built on sand this is one couple who have shown the world how it should be done.

Paul and Joanne pictured on their 50th wedding anniversary.

Angelina and Brad are now the proud parents of twin baby girls after Ange went  into labour in France on Sunday. Okay, so she was not due until August 19 (or so she said ) but us mortal Mums could tell from her appearance in Cannes recently she was not far off popping…and she has !

The two little girls are reportedly named Isla Marcheline and Amelie Jane; the babies and their Mum are all doing brilliantly.

Congratulations !!…

what - this is just a RUMOUR ??

Just breaking:

Angie says her little ‘buns’ are still in the oven and are not yet born. Okay, great. So the big day has yet to arrive.

This is getting exciting !

 

Liza Minnelli, what would showbusiness be without this incredible dame, or should that be ‘dame’ with a D ?

And most certainly what would Liza be without a stage, a microphone, a crowd and a spotlight ? well, we don’t want to know.  Because that is all this amazing entertainer needs to weave her own special brand of magic time and time again.

Liza is undertaking a tour de force of Great Britain right now and she looks brilliant in every way; slim, radiant and just as gutsy as ever. Her show in London last night drew several standing ovations and she deserved it, as always.

Okay, she’s a little stiff  - the result of two hip replacements; a little shaky on certain notes - the result of a life as tumultous as a tidal wave - but to be able to reduce an audience to weeping, cheering adoration…that takes true ability indeed. London audiences can be fickle but where Liza is concerned she can do no wrong.

But Liza has enjoyed an almost lifelong love affair with British audiences; they adored her mother, Judy Garland, and carried her along in their collective arms during her toughest times…all she had to do was sing and she had them in the palm of her hands. Like mother like daughter.

Liza took over walking that yellow brick road when her mother, Judy, grew too tired to go on and it has been just as bumpy a ride for Liza as Judy; with all the same hills and dips that occasionally got in the way. But Liza is a survivor - and a successful one at that.

Liza Minnelli Trivia:

* Liza was born on March 12 1946 by Caesarian Section.

* She was named by her father, Vincente Minnelli, after the famous George Gershwin song ‘ Liza’. ( Liza, Liza, skies are gray
But if you smile on me, all the clouds will roll away )

* Her mother, Judy Garland, appeared in a musical sequence in the film ‘ Till the Clouds Roll Away ‘ ( 1946) as the famous singer Marilyn Miller singing ‘ Look for the Silver Lining ’ whilst heavily pregnant with Liza. The scene was filmed ( directed by Vincente)  with Judy singing the song whilst standing behind a sink and washing up in order to hide her ‘ Liza-bump’. This was 1940’s America of course…

* Liza made her very first film appearance in the movie ‘ In the Good Old Summertime ‘ ( 1948 ) starring her Mum and Van Johnson - it was directed by her father, Vincente Minnelli. Liza, aged two, appears right at the end of the film in the closing sequence when Van Johnson lifts her up and cuddles her along with Judy. Cute to boot !

* Not long after Liza also appeared in the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz movie ‘ The Long Long Trailer ‘ ( 1951) and had a brief unscripted role in their wedding sequence. Unfortunately the scene in which Liza appeared was cut from the released film…bummer!

* Liza was a very bright and perceptive little girl at an early age and liked to be taken seriously. Once when she was aged about four her father, Vincente Minnelli, was sitting in a chair after a days work at the studio reading a newspaper. He put the paper down, looked at little Liza sitting playing near him and said…” You know Liza, I think De Gaulle is not the right person to lead France “.  Liza, astonished that her father was speaking to her so maturely called out to her mother, Judy…” Mama, Daddy is TALKING to me ! “

* Liza married gay Australian entertainer Peter Allen ( one half of the duo ‘The Allen Brothers’ ) in 1967; they were married for seven years and remained the closest of friends after their divorce in 1974 and until his death from AIDS in 1992. Close friends say the two remained deeply in love with each other to the end.

* In 1974 Liza married Jack Haley Jnr. Her new husband was the son of Jack Haley Snr who played the role of the ‘Tin Man’ in the film ‘ The Wizard of Oz ‘ with her mother Judy Garland ( in the role of Dorothy).

* Liza spent most of her teen years living with her father Vincente Minnelli.  She attended school in England.

* Liza was a very close friend of artist Andy Warhol and reputedly owns over $20 million worth of his works.

Robert Knox was standing on the threshold of life at eighteen; he was planning an acting career when his life was cut tragically short in the early hours of Saturday morning outside a nightclub in south east London.

Robert had gone on a night out with his brother and some friends when they were caught up in yet another senseless attack. He was defending his younger brother and was stabbed. One more victim of the drink-knife-youth culture that is turning the United Kingdom into one huge graveyard for young people.

With his love for acting Robert had just finished filming a role in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and was due to be cast in the next instalment of the film series. He was destined for great things but that wonderful future has been stolen from him.

His family have paid tribute to a dearly loved son, brother, grandson and nephew. His friends have paid tribute to a good friend, kind and loyal - he died protecting his brother. The nation is paying tribute to a young man who could have been anyone’s brother or son - who was unfortunate to be caught up in an all too common situation now.

The world is a poorer place when people like Robert are lost in such a way. He lives on though and because he will shine in his movie we will always be able to admire, and reflect, on just how much greater he could have become.

Robert Knox: died 24 May 2008

This should silence all those people who chose to write him off before he even began his fight against the pancreatic cancer that he is battling right now.

Just looking at him here proves he is defying the doomy gloomy brigade, and there’s more good news on his condition. His doctors are so pleased with his response to the treatment that they claim he has a very good chance of a full recovery.

Apparently he does not have the cancer to the full extent originally thought and this has been the biggest benefit for his prognosis. You have to agree he looks wonderful despite those pics of him a short while back where he looked pale and thin - which is to be expected though. Cancer is just about the biggest battle your body can stage and we think he is going to come out a winner !

The news was also broken by Ange’s co-star in her new animated film, Kung Fu Panda , Jack Black who let slip and then Dustin Hoffman put his foot in it by telling all that her due date is August 19th. Hey, that’s my son’s birthday!!

Here’s a pic of the glam couple on the famous red carpet…

Looking just as gorgeous is Aussie actress Cate Blanchett who looks divine just four weeks after giving birth to baby Ignatius…

Sean Penn caused a stir when he lit up a cigarette in defiance of so-called French ‘anti smoking laws’ - I can honestly report that if there is one country where smoking will never be stamped out it is France…

Blues Brothers - always a great way to wile away a couple of hours. Great music really makes this film

Ghostbusters - my youngest kids had never seen this so I bought it yesterday. Lot’s of fun!

Sense and Sensibility - okay, not so much an oldie but a real good chick flick if ever there was one. Best thing in the movie is Alan Rickman of course…

I also bought Little Miss Sunshine. I was quite disappointed in this film I have to admit, I was expecting some really great moments but they never came!

But my pick of the week?

The Castle - a wonderful little film made in Australia back in 1997. About an ordinary Aussie family who are close and loving, funny and ever optimistic. Their home, right beside the airport, is their castle and when they face losing it to big businessmen they put up the fight of their lives to save it. Great humour that is genuinely Australian and if you don’t have a warm glow as the closing credits roll then there is something seriously wrong with you.