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Frankly Speaking
The serial killer in Bobcat Goldthwait’s new movie is named Frank. Naturally, that caught my eye. “God Bless America” will be released via On Demand on April 6 and in select theatres on May 11.
Joel Murray plays Frank, a terminally ill man who goes on a killing spree. Reminiscent of “Dexter,” Frank only kills those whom he thinks deserve to die. He goes after reality show stars, bigots, people who talk in theatres and people who park poorly.
Joel is one of the very talented Murray brothers. I remember him from the Jay Thomas series “Love & War.” Jay arranged for me to play an extra at a movie theatre in one episode. Coincidentally, Joel’s brother Bill plays a character named Frank in “Scrooged,” in which Bobcat played a part.
Bobcat wrote and directed “God Bless America.” I wonder if the killer’s name has anything to do with a voiceover that Bobcat did for Walmart recently. When you click on frankthefruitcake.com, you see a talking fruitcake that has Bobcat’s distinct voice.
Zahn Meditation
A tragic Knoxville murder was the subject of an hour-long report on the Investigation Discovery show “On the Case with Paula Zahn” last night. It’s been seven years since Johnia Berry was stabbed in her apartment.
I often think of Johnia when I drive by her apartment complex and the Weigel’s store where her roommate ran for help. The show made me realize I had forgotten many details of the case. At the time, I followed the case in the news and tried to help Johnia’s brother and mother spread the word as they kept pressure on the police to make an arrest, which they did almost three years after Johnia’s murder. “On the Case” pointed out that Johnia’s roommate was a strong suspect until he was finally cleared by a DNA test and by a revised analysis of his polygraph test.
In case you missed it, the Johnia Berry episode will be repeated on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. Investigation Discovery is on HD channel 387 and SD channel 111 on Xfinity TV in Knoxville.
Deep Southampton
Almost any show about the Hamptons will grab my attention. I fell in love with the area a long time ago when my family went to Noyac each year for vacation. No trip was complete without a visit to the Penny Candy Shop or Crutchley’s Crullers.
Entertainment Weekly’s cover story is about “Revenge,” which they call “TV’s greatest guilty pleasure.” I got an early seat on the “Revenge” bandwagon when they made the pilot script available as a free download for the Kindle. My only gripe with the show is that North Carolina and California play the part of the Hamptons. However, EW says they sent a camera crew to New York to get some footage of the Hamptons in winter, now that the show is a hit.
The beautiful Hamptons scenery should receive co-star billing on the show “Royal Pains.” The third season resumed last Wednesday, after a four-and-a-half month break. Thank goodness for DVRs. “Royal Pains” now airs at the same time as “Revenge.”
There was no reason for me to ever watch CMT until now. Tom Arnold was on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” promoting a reality series called “My Big Redneck Vacation.” I was half-listening until he said that the show was about a family named the Clampets (really) who were sent to the Hamptons. He got a laugh describing the Clampets’ skills with plywood when Hurricane Irene was on the way.
Relapsing McPheever
They say that ” Smash” is like “Glee” for grown-ups. It’s actually better than that. My interest was piqued by the frequent promos, which inexplicably say “introducing Katharine McPhee.” She was on “American Idol” six years ago.
The series debuts the day after the Super Bowl but NBC has made the pilot episode available three weeks early via several methods including Xfinity On Demand and Amazon Instant Video.
“Smash” tells the story of a Broadway musical being created. The show-within-a-show is a musical about the life of Marilyn Monroe. It only took a few minutes of the pilot to get me hooked. McPhee’s character is competing with another girl for the role of Marilyn. I especially loved the baseball number, in which Marilyn sings and dances with Joe DiMaggio’s teammates.
Jack Davenport plays the director of the musical. I always enjoyed watching him on the British version of “Coupling.” There are a couple of other recognizable faces in the cast including Debra Messing as one of the writers and Anjelica Huston as the producer.
When Katharine McPhee was on “American Idol,” my family and I were interested to know that she had attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks. Several of my daughter’s elementary school classmates went to Notre Dame and she considered going there herself before choosing a different school.
Say Good Night
Burns and Allen might be the reason I didn’t sleep well the other night. Or maybe it was Hazel. My wife and I fell asleep with the TV on while we were staying at Aunt Dee’s condo in St. Louis over the weekend. At one point I woke up and heard Gracie Allen’s voice. A little later, the strident voice of Shirley Booth woke me again. In a weird way, I’m a little bummed that I didn’t wake up during “The Jack Benny Program.”
The classic sitcoms air on channel 2.2, which we watched using the digital converter box that we bought for the condo a few years ago. The local Fox affiliate fills its secondary channel with programming from a network called Antenna TV. It would be great if a Knoxville station became an Antenna TV affiliate. I can say that because there’s no TV in my bedroom.
No Surrender
Jilly’s Cupcake Bar & Café in St. Louis has expanded since my visit in August. They knocked down a wall and took over an old fabric shop that was next door. They have a fun atmosphere and a great Sunday brunch. In August, I learned that I should have made reservations. Yesterday, I learned that the reservations have to be made a few days in advance. They don’t take same-day reservations.
As soon as my family and I arrived, we noticed a sign that said they would be on “Cupcake Wars” again that night for a battle of previous champions. Casey Shiller saw us watching him through the window that now surrounds the kitchen. He washed his hands and came out to the hallway to chat with us. He remembered us from August and graciously welcomed us back. When we asked about the show, Casey spoke carefully so as not to reveal the outcome of the episode.
After brunch, we saw Casey and the staff assembling four types of fancy cupcakes. It was obvious to us that these would be the same cupcakes we would see on “Cupcake Wars” that night. My wife knew immediately that he had survived the first round. I hoped he would win and based on his plans for local media appearances this week, I thought maybe he would. Unfortunately, he was sent home after the second round.
The judges seemed unusually harsh in their criticism of Casey’s decorations. The unintelligible French pastry chef Florian Bellanger thought they did not capture the spirit of the American Music Awards. When we lived in California, I was fortunate enough to take my daughter to the American Music Awards and to the after-party. I think Casey’s cupcakes would have been a fine fit for the event.
Happy Disposition
The opening scene of last Wednesday’s episode of “The Middle” should be enough to earn award nominations for each of the five main cast members. The actors playing the Heck family displayed great comedic timing while driving home from Aunt Ginny’s funeral. Frances Bay, the actress who played Aunt Ginny, died in September. The characters talked about how Aunt Ginny looked less wrinkled laying down. Embalming will often make an elderly person appear younger.
Like the Hecks, my family’s tradition is to choose embalming and burial. In the old days, the question of whether to be buried or cremated rarely came up. With the rise in popularity of cremation, the question is a valid one, as pointed out in a blog on NPR’s website last Thursday. The writer, Barbara J. King, adds a third choice of donating one’s body to science, specifically the Body Farm. Because I sometimes volunteer as an emcee for Bone Zones events, I am often asked if I want my remains to decay at the Body Farm. I respect those who choose differently but I have repeatedly said that I want my remains to be exhumable. I haven’t purchased a cemetery plot but my inclination is to choose one a Catholic cemetery.
A “NIMBY” controversy has erupted over plans for a new crematory in Fountain City. Eric Botts, the manager of the Gentry-Griffey Funeral Chapel was my guest on the public affairs program that aired this morning. You can listen via the podcast link below. We spoke about the controversy, about changes in the funeral industry and about the increased demand for cremations. The people who have complained about the crematory are uninformed. Newer technology means there will be no smoke or odor. In fact, the neighbors won’t notice anything. After the interview, Eric and I exchanged Facebook messages. He invited me to tour the facility once it’s up and running.
Frank Murphy Interviews Eric Botts of Gentry-Griffey Funeral Chapel [ 30:00 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download-
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