Showbiz History: The Lion King, Keanu as James Dean, and NPH's Undies
Saturday, June 15, 2019 at 11:29AM six random things that happened on this day in showbiz history (June 15th)...
1960 Billy Wilder's five-time Oscar winner The Apartment had its world premiere on this day in New York City. I just watched it again recently. Shirley Maclaine and Jack Lemmon are perfect in it, don'cha think?
1967 Another premiere, this one for the WW II action drama The Dirty Dozen, an antecedent of a kind to Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds.
1991 Paula Abdul's "Rush Rush" hits #1 (it'll stay there for six weeks). Keanu Reeves does a James Dean thing in the Rebel Without a Cause (1955) themed video. Paula does Natalie of course but no Sal Mineo counterpart? Fail!
1994 Can you feel the love tonight? It's the 25th anniversary of The Lion King, which had dual premieres on this day in Los Angeles and New York before opening in theaters 9 days later. It's the third highest grossing animated film of all time (when adjusted for inflation) behind only Snow White and 101 Dalmatians, which unlike Lion King both had multiple theatrical releases to secure their status. In short, it was a phenomenon. The photorealistic animated remake hits theaters in one month and we seem to be the only people who are not at all looking forward to it. Might even skip... unless we have to see it for Oscar purposes. We shall see.
2010 Happy 9th wedding anniversary to Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart.
2012 Rock of Ages starring Julianne Hough, Tom Cruise, and Diego Boneta opens in theaters hoping to be the next big musical hit but it doesn't work out that way
Today's Birthday Suit
Remember that odd moment when Neil Patrick Harris decided to try for thirst trap status at the Oscars? The Oscars are beloved by the gays and a bit camp... but not that way.
Acting is a noble profession."
More Birthdays
Oscar winners: Actress Helen Hunt (As Good As It Gets), Cinematographer John Toll (Legends of the Fall); Oscar nominees: Cinematographer Dan Laustsen (The Shape of Water), Laurent Cantet (France's The Class); More Showbiz Peeps: Ice Cube, Courtney Cox, Lee Purcell, Alice Englert, Polly Draper, Poppy Montgomery, Leah Remini, Julie Hagerty, Michèle Laroque, Jake Busey, Jim Belushi, Alberto Sordi, Cody Saintgnue, Sterling Jerins, director Herschell Gordon Lewis, cinematography Chung Chung-hoon (The Handmaiden) and Mr Natalie Portman himself Benjamin Millepied.
Reader Comments (13)
Paula! I adored her at the time. That video was on MTV constantly back in the day.
I had serious Paula problems fom 89 - 91.
2019: RIP Franco Zeffirelli.
Everything is perfect in The Apartment. Billy Wilder is the director of the perfect movies. Despite the success of critics and audiences, two sorrows accompanied him throughout his life. He wanted to make more films with Marilyn - despite his disagreements with her - he wanted to use her with Jack Lemmon in Irma La Douce and Kiss Me Stupid, for example, but destiny didn't want it. The other sorrow was that Cary Grant never accepted, inexplicably, when invited, to take part in any of his films.
Was NPH going for Thirst Trap? I thought it was just a Birdman reference.
Of course Rock of Ages didn't succeed because the film was shit. A lot of the music wasn't even great then and it still wasn't great now. Plus, having Julianne Hough and that guy whose name I don't remember as your leads were shit as neither of them could act or sing. Tom Cruise for some reason seemed to actually put some effort which is rare for him to do these days as all he does is do stupid stunts to try and make us forget about Buster Keaton or Jackie Chan (he ain't succeeding). It was just horrendous and I'm going to have to post this rant from Jim Florentine about that film as everything he says is spot-on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSb8lngqFaw
When Paula sings "I can feel it, I can feel you all through me" we all dreamt of being penetrated by Keanu.
Sometimes I forget Neil Patrick Harris is gay. Maybe because he plays heteros so well. Sometimes I think he's a straight guy pretending to be gay.
Neil Patrick Harris is a mediocre actor, not all that likeable personality and honestly not very handsome. With all that taken into account I respect the sheer will power to make a solid career. Oh I just remembered he can sing fairly well.
@Gwen "Everything is perfect in The Apartment." <---- this is basic science.
@Rebecca: 😉 - Yes!
Agree with Gwen and Rebecca about The Apartment - one of the finest movies I have seen in my lifetime. Jack Lemmon was a brilliant actor and "early" Shirley MacLaine was when she was at her best (except for Terms of Endearment). The script/plot for the Apartment was such wonderful storytelling. And to see Fred McMurray (sp?) as a villain was such a shocker to me (having mostly seen him in My 3 Sons) (didn't see The Apartment til much after that). Even though the film has a happy ending, there's nothing saccharine about the film. Just people being people. Which imho is quite a feat when you're making a movie. Kudos to Billy Wilder - who made another perfect film with Some Like It Hot.
Oh, come on. On one hand, I get it. But on the other... The Lion King deserves a chance way more than Aladdin does.
I hope they don't ruin it tho.