Farrah Fawcett was more than big hair, pretty face

Farrah Fawcett's funeral is today. The 62-year-old actress died last week after a lengthy battle with cancer.
While the Texas native will always be associated with "Charlie's Angels," the 1970s television series that catapulted her to fame, her filmography shows that she was more than just a blond with big hair and a big smile, and that she had some acting talent to go with a killer body that helped her sell more than 8 million posters in the late 1970s.
Fawcett started out in television in the late 1960s with guest roles in shows such as "The Flying Nun," which was the springboard for Sally Fields' career.
She added a few small parts in films such as "Myra Breckinridge" and "Logan's Run" before hitting the big time as one of three female detectives who work for a heard-but-never-seen boss in "Charlie's Angels."
Like some other TV stars, Fawcett bolted after a single season. But she was successfully sued by the producers and appeared in a few later episodes as part of the settlement.
And like many other TV stars who quit a hit show, her film career didn't immediately take off. Her big break came in 1984 with "The Burning Bed," a made-for-television film about a battered woman.
Along the way she dumped her husband, actor Lee Majors, and took up with actor Ryan O'Neal. They were together from 1980 to 1997, had a son together, and remained close until the end.
Fawcett caused quite a stir in 1995 when she posed for Playboy magazine. She was 48. Her issue was one of Playboy's best sellers.
Fawcett continued to make movies, such as "Man of the House" with Chevy Chase, and television appearances, including a rambling 1993 visit to David Letterman's show that was to haunt her for years. Her last acting performance was in 2004.
She and best friend Alana Stewart did produce a documentary chronicling her battle with cancer. You can catch "Farrah's Story" for free at IMDB.com or at hulu.com.
Here are six films that are representative of her career. All are available on video or DVD.

"The Burning Bed" (1984) -- Fawcett's big break after "Charlie's Angels" came in this made-for-television film about a battered woman who is raped by her abusive husband (Paul Le Mat) and she sets his bed on fire after he goes to sleep. Other stars include Grace Zabriskie and Richard Masur. The Burning Bed
"Extremities" (1986) -- Reviews were mixed about Fawcett's performance as a woman who turns the tables on a rapist (James Russo) and astounds her friends with the lengths she is apparently willing to go to exact her revenge on her attacker. Other stars include Alfre Woodard and Diana Scarwid.
"Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story" (1987) -- One of three biopics Fawcett did in the late 1980s, about Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton's inability to find true love. Other stars include Anne Francis, Kevin McCarthy and Nicholas Clay. She also starred as Nazi hunter Beate Karsfeld and photographer Margaret Bourke-White.
"The Apostle" (1997) -- Fawcett co-stars with writer, director and star Robert Duvall in this film about a Texas preacher who starts anew as a radio preacher in Louisiana.
Other stars include Billy Bob Thornton, June Carter Cash and Miranda Richardson.
"Dr. T and the Women" (2000) -- Fawcett co-stars with Richard Gere as his nutty wife in this comedy about a Dallas gynecologist and the wildly different women in his life. Other stars include Helen Hunt, Laura Dern, Shelley Long, Kate Hudson and Tara Reid.
"Sunburn" (1979) -- Fawcett poses as Charles Grodin's wife while they try to unravel an insurance scam in this light comedy that was one of the films Fawcett did after leaving "Charlie's Angels." Other stars include Art Carney, Joan Collins and William Daniels.

Wedding season brings laughs

Wedding plans in real life are emotional and stressful, sometimes painful, and always expensive.
Reel-life wedding plans use those same truisms and milk them for laughs. Who doesn't laugh at Martin Short's wedding planner character in Steve Martin's version of "Father of the Bride"? And who can't help but smile when Rowan Atkinson attempts to marry a couple in the British wedding comedy "Four Weddings and a Funeral"?
Hollywood has been making fun of weddings and marriage for decades.
Julia Roberts stars as a bride with commitment issues in the comedy "Runaway Bride" with Richard Gere.
Matthew McConaughey is a confirmed bachelor until he meets Jennifer Lopez in "The Wedding Planner."
In "Made of Honor," Patrick Dempsey stars as a man who is asked to be Michelle Monaghan's maid of honor during her wedding in Scotland.
Debra Messing hires a male escort (Dermot Mulroney) to be her companion in "The Wedding Date" and then falls for the guy with the usual hilarious results.
Blushing bride Kate Hudson runs off with Liv Tyler instead of the groom in "Dr. T and the Women."
Molly Ringwald's family forgets her 16th birthday because they are so fixated on her sister's wedding in "Sixteen Candles."
Here are six comedies available on video and DVD that make light of wedding plans.

"The Heartbreak Kid" (2007) -- Ben Stiller finally finds the woman (Malin Akerman) of his dreams, marries her and then discovers on their honeymoon she's more than he thought. Making matters worse, he then meets the real woman (Michelle Monaghan) of his dreams. Also stars Jerry Stiller.
"My Best Friend's Wedding" (1997) -- Julia Roberts sets out to sabotage the wedding plans of her best friend (Dermot Mulroney) after he asks her to be part of his bridal party. Other stars include Cameron Diaz, Rupert Everett, Philip Bosco and Rachel Griffiths.
"Muriel's Wedding" (1994) -- Toni Collette loves Abba, hates her life in Porpoise Spit, Australia, and dreams of her wedding day. Then her day arrives and she only wants to share it with her new best friend (Rachel Griffiths).
"My Big Fat Greek Wedding" (2002) -- A Greek woman (Nia Vardalos) has to endure her family's constant meddling as she meets and prepares to marry a non-Greek (John Corbett) man in this outstanding comedy. Other stars include Michael Constantine, Lainie Kazan, Andrea Martin and Ian Gomez (Vardalos' real-life husband).
"The Wedding Singer" (1998) -- Adam Sandler escapes from a bad engagement and then tries to help Drew Barrymore do the same in this comedy about a couple that never seems able to connect. Other stars include Christine Taylor, Angela Featherstone and Matthew Glave.
"Moonstruck" (1987) -- A widow (Cher) from Brooklyn is all set to get remarried to Danny Aiello until she meets her fiance's brother (Nicolas Cage) and falls for him in this romantic comedy. Other stars include Vincent Gardenia.

Hollywood has never met a movie it couldn't make again and again

Movie remakes in a perfect world would take a so-so film and make it better.
Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world. As a result, Hollywood remakes rarely are better than the original film and often beg the question, Why?
"The Taking of Pelham 123" is the latest movie remake to come out of Hollywood. The Tony Scott film starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta (deliciously wicked) is about crooks holding a New York subway train for hostage. Robert Shaw led the bad guys in the original and Walter Matthau was the transit cop pitted against him.
Coming in September is a remake of "Fame," a film about New York's high school for performing artists. Plans have been announced for a remake of Kevin Bacon's "Footloose."
They follow a host of recent movie remakes including "Halloween," "Friday the 13th," "The Last House on the Left," "3:10 to Yuma," "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and "Journey to the Center of the Earth."
Some movies have been remade more than once.
"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" has been remade twice and loosely inspired a couple of other movies.
Other movies, such as "The Three Musketeers" and "Beau Geste," are seemingly remade by each new generation of actors.
Sometimes a director will take a second shot at his own work. George Romero has made "Night of the Living Dead" at least three times. Alfred Hitchcock made two versions of "The Man Who Knew Too Much."
Every now and then an actor will star in remakes by different directors. John Wayne starred in "Rio Bravo," "El Dorado" and "Rio Lobo," which are essentially the same movie about a family threatened by a bad guy and defended by a besotted sheriff and his gunslinger pal.
Many Hollywood remakes are of foreign films, such as "Three Men and a Baby," "Victor/Victoria," "The Ring," "The Departed" and "The Italian Job."
Here are six Hollywood movies that are as good or better than the originals.

"Father of the Bride" (1991) -- Steve Martin stars in this remade of the Spencer Tracy comedy about a father's attempt to arrange a wedding for his daughter (Kimberly Williams). Other stars include Diane Keaton, George Newbern and Martin Short. There has been one sequel based on Tracy's sequel to the original.
"Ocean's Eleven" (2001) -- George Clooney stars in this Steven Soderbergh remake of Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack classic about a plan to knock over some Las Vegas casinos. Other stars include Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Andy Garcia, Elliott Gould and Scott Caan. There have been two sequels to the Clooney version.
"King Kong" (2005) -- Peter Jackson does a great job remaking the original 1933 classic with Jack Black as a filmmaker who takes a crew to a secluded island and finds the big ape. Other stars include Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody and Colin Hanks. Great use of special effects in this remake.
"The Magnificent Seven" (1960) -- John Sturges transplants Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" into the American West and delivers a stunning remake about gunslingers hired to protect a Mexican village from a bandit's gang. Stars include Yul Brenner, Steve McQueen, Eli Wallach, Charles Bronson, James Coburn and Robert Vaughn.
"Little Shop of Horrors" (1986) -- Frank Oz does an incredible job turning Roger Corman's film about a man-eating plant into a musical starring Rick Moranis and Ellen Green as star crossed lovers. Other stars include Vincent Gardenia, Steve Martin and Bill Murray.
"The Thing" (1982) -- John Carpenter makes full use of special effects in his version of the 1951 sci-fi classic "The Thing from Another World." Kurt Russell stars in this film about an alien running amok at an Antarctic research station. Other stars include Wilford Brimley, T.J. Carter, David Clennon and Keith David.

Will Ferrell may be busiest actor in Hollywood

Like him or not, you can't deny the simple truth that Will Ferrell is one of the busiest actors in Hollywood.
His latest film, "Land of the Lost," is the 25th movie role he's had since 2000. This includes feature films, such as "Step Brothers" and "Semi-Pro," voice-only roles such as "Curious George," and uncredited performances such as in "Wedding Crashers."
Ferrell, 42, just keeps churning out comedies. Not bad for a guy who was considered by many to be a disappointment when he joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 1995 after a stint with the Groundlings comedy group in Los Angeles. He beat out Steve Carell to get that plum assignment.
Fast forward 14 years and Ferrell is now considered to be among the finest to come out of the "SNL" finishing school for comedians. And he's among the most popular film comedians in America.
Not all of his movies succeed. "Bewitched," based on the television series of the 1960s, is one that missed. But that doesn't stop him, and that's the mark of a pro.
Like many who have preceded him in Hollywood, Ferrell uses a lot of the same people in his movies. His stock company includes David Koechner and Andy Richter.
Here are six movies available on video and DVD that show off Ferrell's talents.

"Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" (2006) -- Ferrell's portrayal of a disgraced NASCAR driver seeking redemption is hilarious. Other stars include Dolton's own Jane Lynch, Chicago's own John C. Reilly, Gary Cole, Amy Adams and Sacha Baron Cohen.
"Old School" (2003) -- Ferrell considers this his breakout movie and who can disagree. This comedy about three guys (Vince Vaughn and Luke Wilson being the other two) who start a college fraternity is laugh out loud funny. Other stars include Jeremy Piven, Ellen Pompeo, Juliette Lewis and Leah Remini.
"Blades of Glory" (2007) -- Ferrell teams up with Jon "Napoleon Dynamite" Heder in this comedy about two banned figure skaters who find a loophole that allows them to compete as a doubles team. Other stars include Will Arnett, "SNL" colleague Amy Poehler and Jenna Fischer.
"Elf" (2003) -- Ferrell stars as a super-sized North Pole elf who goes to New York to connect with his real family in this Christmas comedy. Other stars include James Caan as his real father, Bob Newhart, Ed Asner as Santa, Zooey Deschanel and Mary Steenburgen.
"Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" (2004) -- Ferrell stars as an oblivious television anchorman in 1970s San Diego whose life takes a turn when Christina Applegate joins him as co-anchor. Other stars include Paul Rudd, Seth Rogan, Steve Carell and David Koechner. Watch for the battle of the news teams with cameos by Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller, Tim Robbins and Luke Wilson as rival anchormen.
"Kicking & Screaming" (2005) -- Ferrell is a family man who gets the chance to coach his son's soccer team. That pits him against his win-at-all-costs father (Robert Duvall), a coaching legend. But Ferrell does have Mike Ditka (as himself) on his side. Other stars include Kate Walsh and Musetta Vander.

Nominate suggestions for future columns to bubbabong1@hotmail.com

David Carradine found dead in Bangkok

Actor David Carradine, best known to baby boomers as Caine from "Kung Fu" and to younger audiences as Bill from Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" movies, was found dead Wednesday in a Bangkok hotel room. He had apparently hanged himself.
Carradine, 72, was the oldest son of noted actor John Carradine and patriarch to a Hollywood dynasty. He was half-brother to actors Keith Carradine, Robert Carradine and Michael Bowen. Two of his children are actors, daughters Calista Carradine and Kansas Carradine. He also had two acting nieces, Ever Carradine (daughter of Robert) and Martha Plimpton (daughter of Keith).
Carradine moved easily between television and movies. His role as Caine in television's "Kung Fu" from 1972 to 1975 made him a star. He then starred as his character's grandson in "Kung Fu: The Legend Continues" from 1993 to 1997.
He also starred in movies ranging from Martin Scorsese's first hit "Boxcar Bertha" in 1972 to Tarantino's "Kill Bill" films in 2003 and 2004.
He was an action star of sorts in the 1970s, starring in several low budget films such as "Cannonball" and "Deathsport."

Over the years he worked with a number of great directors including Scorsese, Tarantino, Hal Ashby and Ingmar Bergman.
Besides acting for more than 40 years, Carradine was a producer, director, writer and editor. He also was a musician and had composed music for at least one film and had and contributed songs to movie soundtracks. He was also an accomplished artist.
Here are six of his best performances that are available on video or DVD.

"The Long Riders" (1980) -- A Western with a twist. All of the sets of brothers in the movie are played by real-life acting siblings. David, Keith and Robert Carradine are the Younger brothers, while Stacy and James Keach are Jesse and Frank James. Stars include Randy and Dennis Quaid, Christopher and Nicholas Guest and Pamela Reed.
"Boxcar Bertha" (1972) -- Martin Scorsese directs Carradine and then girlfriend Barbara Hershey in this film about a union organizer and his prostitute girlfriend during the Depression. Other stars include Barry Primus, Bernie Casey and John Carradine.
"Bound for Glory" (1976) -- Carradine stars as folk singer Woody Guthrie during his travels during the Depression. Other stars include Melina Dillon, Ronny Cox and Gail Strickland.
"Kill Bill" (2003 and 2004) -- Carradine is Bill in these Tarantino films about a woman (Uma Thurman) seeking revenge on the people who almost killed her and stole her baby. Other stars include Lucy Liu, Daryl Hannah and Michael Madsen.
"Death Race 2000" (1975) -- Carradine stars as Frankenstein, a driver in a futurisic American road race where teams earn points by running over pedestrians in this cult classic. Other stars include Sylvester Stallone and Mary Woronov.
"Kung Fu" (1972 to 1975) -- All three seasons of the show about a young Chinese man wandering the American West are available. He later portrayed this character's grandson in "Kung Fu: The Legend Continues."

For more information on David Carradine's film career or to leave a message for his family visit http://www.david-carradine.com/

Hollywood robots either kill you or make you laugh

Filmmakers have loved robots almost from the beginning of movie making. The early German sci-fi classic "Metropolis" featured robots back in 1927.
This summer, two of Hollywood's top robot franchises are back.
Already showing in theaters is "Terminator: Salvation," the fourth installment in the "Terminator" series that began 25 years ago with Arnold Schwarzenegger trying to bump off Linda Hamilton. This time Christian Bale is mankind's savior John Connor trying to destroy a robot army dedicated to wiping out humanity.
Up later this month is "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," the sequel to 2007's hit film about alien robots waging war on Earth. Shia LaBeouf is back as mankind's best hope and Megan Fox as his pretty but tough girlfriend. So, too, are the autobots (good alien robots) and decepticons (bad robots).
Movies about killer robots are not new in Hollywood. Cylons have been killing people since the 1970s television series "Battlestar Galactica." Eve is a beautiful killing machine in "Eve of Destruction" and Gene Simmons unleashes a swarm of killer robots in "Runaway."
Friendly robots have also been around for decades. "Tobor the Great" saves a young boy from bad guys, while a race of worker robots helps a group of friends save their apartment building in "batteries not included."
Some robots are sneaky, though. Bishop turns out to be a robot with his own agenda in the original "Alien" movie. And who knew that the henchmen were robots in "Halloween 3: Season of the Witch."
Many movie robots are in it for the laughs, such as the robot that escapes from the Army in "Short Circuit."
Some robots are just like people, such as Data in the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" series and films.
Some robots used to be people, such as the murderous creation Harvey Keitel turns into in "Saturn 3," and anyone unlucky enough to be assimilated by the Borg.
Occasionally, a robot will blow a fuse and then become dangerous. That's what happens with HAL in "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "I, Robot."
Here are six films available on video and DVD that feature robots down through the years.
"Kronos" (1957) -- A gigantic electricity-sucking robot lands in the ocean off Mexico and after knocking the crap out of the Mexican air force starts heading for Southern California in this vintage sci-fi thriller that scared me royally for most of my youth. Stars include Jeff Morrow, Barbara Lawrence and Morris Ankrum.
"Bicentennial Man" (1999) -- Robin Williams stars in this film based on Isaac Asimov's story about a robot's quest to become human, which takes about 200 years and brings him into contact with lots of people who would just as soon disassemble him. Other stars include Embeth Davidtz, Sam Neill and Oliver Platt.
"The Stepford Wives" (1975) -- Katharine Ross thinks something is odd about the town of Stepford, Conn., and soon finds out the secret the townspeople are keeping. Other stars include Paula Prentiss, Peter Masterson and Tina Louise.
"Westworld" (1973) -- Robots at a high-tech theme park suddenly malfunction and start killing off the staff and guests in this sci-fi thriller. One of the guests then finds himself being stalked by an animatronic gunslinger from the resort's Wild West park. Stars include Yul Brenner, Richard Benjamin and James Brolin.
"THX 1138" (1971) -- This film takes place a couple of hundred years after man has retreated underground to survive a nuclear disaster and has turned control of practically everything in the underground city over to robots. Stars include Robert Duvall, Donald Pleasence and Maggie Meomie.
"Artificial Intelligence: A.I." (2001) -- In the near future, a robotic boy (Haley Joel Osment) is adopted by a family and then abandoned. The boy then embarks on a quest to find the blue fairy that will turn him into a real boy in this film that was started by Stanley Kubrick and finished by Steven Spielberg. Other stars include Frances O'Connor, William Hurt and Jude Law.