FOOTBALL FEVER
It’s the holiday season and football is in full swing. If there was any doubt, you don’t need to look further than the Boys & Girls Club of America, which honored FOX Sports and loads of local pigskin-loving fans.
All brought their sports spirit and flocked to the Beverly Hilton Hotel as FOX Sports Exec Eric Shanks accepted his honors. Famed football faces Joe Buck and Erin Andrews cohosted the event.
Of course, what would a football-themed fundraiser be without a game?
The live auction featured tickets to Super Bowl XLIX, as well as great getaways and a chance to tee off and meet Joe Buck and Greg Norman. Touchdown!
ALL MY LOVING
Congrats to locals Katharine Ross and Sam Elliott. They just finished a super successful, one-night performance of A.R. Gurney’s “Love Letters.” I bumped into Katharine at the center before curtain call and she is as charming and delightful as ever. The production was directed by Diane Namm and sold out.
CELLULOID STOCKING STUFFERS
Not only are football, festivities and food all the rage this time of year, but so is celluloid. It seems like Hollywood is saving a lot of the best for last. The holiday movie season began last week.
Lovers of the late Robin Williams won’t want to miss “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb.”
The hit movie franchise features its original stars, including Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt, Malibu’s Dick Van Dyke as Cecil and Ben Stiller as Larry. It’s an all-star cast with Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais, Ben Kingsley and even Crystal the Monkey.
In this latest installment, a museum security guard travels the globe on a quest to discover the magic of an ancient artifact that brings history to life.
Major movie action comes Christmas Day. We’ll see if Angelina Jolie’s “Unbroken” takes off. The much buzzed about movie was shut out for a Golden Globe. The real life story of Olympic runner turned World War II bombardier Louis Zamperini has been a best seller and avid readers look forward to seeing its transition to the screen.
If you are a fan of Bradley Cooper, you might pass the popcorn at “American Sniper.” It’s a biopic about Chris Kyle, the most lethal sharpshooter in U.S. military history. Cooper shares the stage in this dramatic thriller with Sienna Miller and Jake McDorman.
“The Interview” was supposed to come out as well, but Sony Pictures pulled the film days before its release. It’s now back on, being released in a limited number of theaters.
“The Interview” stars James Franco and Seth Rogan. The comedy revolves around a tabloid TV reporter who snags an exclusive interview with reclusive North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, only to be recruited by the CIA to plan an assassination plot. The film had no invited press at its premiere in Los Angeles before it was scrapped altogether. “The Interview” is believed to have caused a major hacking scandal at Sony. Information released includes social security numbers, salaries and emails, concerning everyone from George Clooney to Malibu’s Adam Sandler. Do private emails apply to the public right to know? Malibu Seen says no.
The other long awaited holiday movies are “Into the Woods” and “Selma.” Both open on Christmas Day.
“Selma” couldn’t come at a better time, depicting the dramatic account of a turning point in American history when Martin Luther King, Jr. led a campaign to secure equal voting rights amid violence and opposition.
We also go “Into the Woods.” Stephen Sondheim’s beloved Tony Award winner makes it to the movies in this screen adaptation. According to the popular tale, a baker and his wife head to the woods after being cursed by a witch and hope to make their dreams come true. All the while, they come across the likes of Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and other fairy tale characters. The film stars Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt.
So from fantasy to drama, there’s something for everyone before the clock strikes 12 on New Year’s Eve.
Ho, ho, ho!