Jane_Yamamoto's Blog

The LA Film Festival closing ceremony was at the Billy Wilder Theater in the Hammer Museum on Sunday night. They handed out awards in several categories, including best narrative short and best documentary feature. But the award that got the most attention on the red carpet was  the Spirit of Independence award…not to be confused with the

Spirit Awards celebrating the best in Indie films handed out annually the day before the Oscars. Although, it was given by Film Independent (the same organization that is behind the Spirit Awards)

They gave this year’s award to actor Don Cheadle for his commitment to artistic Independence. Actress Taraji Henson told me “Don is one of the best actors of our time; he is a chameleon with every character he takes on.”

Director Paul Hagis described Cheadle as a man of integrity with a quiet intensity. When I told Cheadle about that comment he laughed and said “I paid him to say that.”

Cheadle was just joking and seemed genuinely overwhelmed with the kind words. When I asked him how he picks his roles he told me he has to take a lot into consideration but beyond the character, and project, his biggest concern is how long it will take him away from his family.

A family man…you gotta love that.

Talk soon,

JY

Tonight I met a group of young dancers who can perform jazz, ballet, tap and hip hop.     

500 young girls, ranging in ages between 5 and 18 years old, getting ready for their annual showcase performance in Orange this weekend.

The kids are from the South County Classical Ballet Studio, and they’re excited not only for their show but for two of their dance teachers, Stephen ‘Twitch’ Boss and Katee Shean. Stephen and Katee are among the 16 dancers remaining on Fox’s show “So You Think You Can Dance”.

10-year old Jenna Brooks watches the show every week. However, she’s too young to stay up and watch so her parents have to record it for her. Jenna, along with the other young dancers who take classes from Stephen, say he is a great hip hop teacher and they’re amazed to see all the different styles of dance he’s performing on the show.

Stacy Hagen, the owner of the dance studio, told me she’s so proud of Stephen and Katee and says it’s an inspiration for the young girls to show them how hard work and dedication pays off.

Jenna says she has mixed emotions. She’s sad Stephen won’t be at their annual showcase performance this weekend, but she’s happy he’s doing so well on the show and believes he has what it takes to win it.

Thursday night, two more dancers get voted off. Jenna hopes her dance teachers aren’t among them.

I know a lot of people say golf is boring…even though I play golf I can understand how some might see it as an uneventful sport. But, on Sunday afternoon I was working with engineer Ed Almonte, who doesn’t follow golf. But there he was, glued to the television on our dinner break watching. OK, It wasn’t just another tournament…it was the U-S Open. It came down to the 72nd hole and Tiger sunk a clutch putt to force a sudden death playoff.

On Monday, it was Tiger Woods vs. Rocco Mediate and even if you don’t follow golf it was entertaining. After 18 holes they were still tied… but in the end Tiger won the 14th major of his career.

It was probably the two most entertaining days of golf I’ve ever seen. Mediate never backed down, erasing a 3-shot lead on the back-9 on Monday to give himself a chance to win. He even had a putt to win it all, and even though he pulled it a tad, it wasn’t short.

If you saw it, you know what I’m talking about. If you didn’t watch and think golf is boring, maybe give it a try next time. You may be surprised.

Hit ‘em straight!

JY

What kind of person goes to an arena, even though their favorite team is on the road?

Lakers fans, that’s who! I spent a couple nights out at Staples Center the last couple of weeks with a bunch of die-hard Lakers fans.

The first night, about a thousand people paid between $10 and $15 apiece to watch Game 4 of the Lakers-Spurs series…on scoreboard big screen. They were entertained by the Laker Girls during timeouts, bought food at the concessions and snatched up M-V-P t-shirts at the Team L.A. store.

The best part...everyone went home happy because the Lakers squeaked out a win.

Most of the 5,000 fans who showed up for Game 1 of the NBA Finals weren’t so fortunate. There were a few Celtics fans in the bunch, all of them drawing boos from the crowd.

I didn't get to go back for Game 2, but it had to be crazy with that comeback.

Proceeds were donated to the Lakers Youth Foundation and the Staples Center Foundation, so even though the Lakers lost both games in Boston, a bunch of fans were helping others and having fun doing it.

Game 3 is Tuesday at Staples. What do ya think?

JY

Despite the fire raging on the backlot a few hundred yards away, the show went on at the Gibson Amphitheater Sunday afternoon.

MTV rolled out the golden carpet for their annual Movie Awards. The carpet was jammed with stars at one point. Will Smith signing autographs, Charlize Theron waving to her fans, Lindsay Lohan escorted by her people and Sarah Jessica Parker whisked away before we could get in a question.

I did manage to talk to perhaps one of the biggest stars out there -- literally. I asked Lakers star Lamar Odom if this is how he prepares for the NBA Finals. With a smile he told me ‘yeah’, and also told me he’s proud of his team and just wanted to represent the Lakers. Seeing as he didn’t miss practice or anything like that and Game 1 isn’t until Thursday, no harm, no foul as they say Laker fans.

Jon Favreau was hoping to take home some golden popcorn. He did -- his movie “Ironman” winning ‘Best Summer Movie So Far.’

Jonah Hill seemed overwhelmed with the screaming fans and told me ‘it’s cool’ being at the award show because he used to watch it as a kid.

A fantasy kiss for Verne Troyer? He said ‘Christina Aguilera’.

The fire on the backlot was obviously a big topic on the golden carpet. All of the stars knew about it, many of them saying they watched news coverage all morning before going to the awards.

I heard Chris Brown even showed up early to see the fire firsthand.

Actor Robert Hoffman told me he saw the coverage of the fire and was worried they would cancel the show, thus ruining his chance of winning Best Kiss (he won). He was kidding. I think.

Seth Rogen and James Franco managed to create a little controversy when they pulled out a bag of “fake weed” and smoked what they said was a fake joint. It was meant to be a funny bit, but came off a little awkward.

If you saw the show, let me know what you thought.

JY

It’s been awhile since I went to the movies, but I made a point to go the other night and check out the new Indiana Jones movie. I can say I’m a fan of the first three Indy movies, with my favorite probably being the first, “Raiders of the Lost Ark”.

There was a lot of hype surrounding “Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, and why not? With Harrison Ford back as Indy and Karen Allen even returning to the cast, I was psyched to see it.

But you know what? I didn’t like it, and I can’t really figure out why.

Am I alone on this? Let me know what you thought about Indy 4, because I really wanted to like it.

JY

American Idol is set to crown its 7th winner in a couple of days. Past title holders include: Kelly Clarkson, Rueben Studdard, Fantasia, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Hicks. Last year Jordin Sparks won. This year its down to David Cook and David Archuleta…as we have seen in previous seasons it really doesn’t matter who takes the title …many former Idol contestants like Chris Daughtry, Jennifer Hudson, and even Kellie Pickler used their exposure from the show to help push their careers. And it seems as though for the two guys who won Idol, their careers peaked during the show. Will that be the case for this years winner? And which David will take the AI '08 title?

Look forward to hearing from you!

jy

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Last week, I got a chance to make a difference. Not a big difference, but enough to make one elderly couple in Santa Fe Springs very happy. And I’ll admit, it put a smile on my face in the process.
90-year old Ray Stenson lost his beloved turtle a couple of weeks ago. Ray says he left the side gate open, and Little Joe as he’s known, took off. Ray and his wife Alzo have had Little Joe for decades and the pain in Ray’s voice and the tears in his eyes as he told me about his loss were tough to take.
Some kids down the street found Little Joe and were playing with him one day when they say a woman in a black pick-up truck drove up and told them the turtle was hers.
So on Wednesday night, we filed our report. My photog Kevin Horton and I even drove around the neighborhood looking for Little Joe, hoping we could somehow turn Joe’s pain to happiness.
The next morning I called Ray to see if he had heard anything or found Little Joe. He hadn’t, but several hours later, I found out the woman who had Little Joe returned him to Ray.
We went back out there, and the smile on Ray’s face was as wide as could be. He was playing with Little Joe and talking up a storm, and he couldn’t thank us enough for telling his story and helping get his best buddy back.
We’re not sure if that woman saw the report and then brought Little Joe back. She wouldn’t talk to us. But it didn’t matter. All that mattered was the smile on Ray and Alzo’s faces as we left that night.
I love my job, but on nights like that, I really love it!

Have you ever wanted to fly?
Maybe try hang-gliding, or sky-diving?
Not me. I’m a chicken when it comes to that stuff. So, imagine my trepidation when I found out I was doing a story on a new trapeze school at the Santa Monica Pier.
The school, which started in New York and has been gaining popularity there, was about to open its Santa Monica wing. So they sent out a press release, and in it they say “And your reporter can try it, too!”
That’s all my assignment editor needed to see. Next thing I knew, I was down at the pier shaking in my shoes.
Now, if you saw my package last week, you’ll notice I was screaming as they nudged me off the platform. I know, it sounded way overblown, but like I said, I’m a chicken when it comes to that stuff. I had a safety harness and a net below, but all I could think was “what if the harness breaks” and then “and what if the net fails”.
Of course, that’s not going to happen, but I hated every minute of it. At the same time, I loved every minute of it once I was on land and able to think back on it.
Even though I was only 22 feet up in the air, it seemed higher, and the thrill of flying through the air (hardly with the greatest of ease) was almost enough to ease my fears.
But I’m a scaredy cat, what can I say. I took a lot of good-natured ribbing from a lot of people at work. That’s okay; I ended up having a blast!
Tell me about some the crazy things you’ve done.
Talk to ya later,

JY

Sorry about the delay…I had some drama during my Coachella coverage. On Friday night the battery died on my digital camera, so I wasn't able to take any pictures for this blog. But I managed to get a glimpse of The Raconteurs and The Verve.

On Saturday we spent the day taking in the campgrounds but by night I saw a bit of M.I.A. in the Sahara tent and Prince was scheduled to go on at 10:45 pm. I went live at 10:40 pm and the excitement was building. He ended up going on just after 11:00 pm…I was on an outdoor stage on the other side of the polo field where Flogging Molly performed.  I could see the lights but couldn’t make out Prince on stage or his performance with Sheila E …however, I did hear the music He sounded great!

Then on Sunday I focused on some of the pieces of artwork on the field. I got stuck climbing the metal tree house. If you were there you know what I’m talking about.  It was hot but not as bad as I expected.  

Thanks for all your tips on surviving Coachella. I would love to hear any crazy stories during your time in the desert.

Later,

JY

 

Actor Brad Garrett has a passion for poker and on Sunday he hosted a Texas Hold-Em Poker Tournament at Hollywood Park. A sprinkling of his celebrity friends were spotted at tables…Ray Romano, Mimi Rogers, Amaury Nelasco, and Teri Hatcher.

On the surface it looked like a typical poker tournament players taking bad beats, some going all in too early; however, a second look and you would see it was a charity tournament for 1736 Family Crisis Center. A non-profit organization operating 8 shelters for runaway teens, homeless youth and domestic violence victims. 

One of the directors from the family crisis center told me because of government funding cutbacks, they rely on this fundraiser to help bring in money to keep the programs going at the shelters.

The Fundraiser Poker tournament is expected to bring in about $50,000 for the 1736 Family Crisis Center.

I’m going out to cover the Coachella Music Festival in a couple of weeks. I hear it’s a blast, with a lineup of bands that will keep it going for 3 days straight. Prince is the latest addition. I hope I get to see a little of his performance on Day 2, but no matter what it should be quite a weekend.

For those of you who have gone in the past, what’s the best way to maximize my experience? Any tips, suggestions? Good spots to watch from? Maybe a lesser known band I should definitely see?

Help me out! This will be my first music festival.

JY

Idol gives back on Wednesday. The producers of American Idol have filled the 2 1/2 hour show with lots of performances including, John Legend, Miley Cyrus, Maroon 5, Snoop Dogg w/Charlie Wilson, and Carrie Underwood. They taped most of it at the Kodak Theatre. I was backstage to get interviews and i must say it was quite a scene. Snoop Dogg was surrounded by his entourage...he wore a sweatshirt with an Idol Gives Back logo on it and told me he plans to put it on e-bay -- money will go toward his sons football league. Fergie surprised me with her extensive knowledge of this years Idol finalists...and speaking of Idols...former Idol winner Carrie Underwood looked elegant in her Farrah Augsana gown. She also mentioned that season 7 Idol finalists are incredibly talented and she's grateful they weren't around when she was in the race for the title. The show on Wednesday is about giving back. Idol judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul along with show host Ryan Seacrest have all decided to donate there paycheck this week. I've been told the goal is to raise $100 million dollars for 6 different charities. Have you worked with any charities that are changing lives? or Have you had a life changing experience volunteering or working with an organization? would love to hear from you.
talk soon.
jy

The fourth season of “Hell’s Kitchen” starts Tuesday, and yes I’ll admit, I’m a fan of the show. I’m not sure why. I don’t usually like to see people ridiculed or embarrassed, but for some reason I love the show.

Fox’s publicity department sent me a first episode screener. I love getting those! I watched it the other night and of course, I’m hooked again.

Chef Ramsey is as rude and obnoxious as ever, but I say that with all due respect. I interviewed him after Season 1 and he was real nice, not at all like you see him on the show.

As for Season 4, if you’ve been a fan of the show, you won’t be disappointed. The “contestants” run the gamut, from a hotel cook to a stay at home dad. Only problem with the screener…they didn’t show me who got eliminated!

One interesting note – this season’s winner will be a senior chef at Gordon Ramsey’s new London restaurant in West Hollywood. It’s supposed to open this summer.

So watch Tuesday night. I will be. And let me know what you think.

First off, I’m not even sure where to post this? It’s either entertainment or sports, because the national finals are shown live on ESPN.

Last week, I attended the L.A. County Spelling Bee. It was a regional qualifier with contestants between the ages of 9 and 11. The competition was pretty intense, with parents and kids alike giving it their all. You hear horror stories of some parents pushing their kids too hard, and by now you’ve probably seen the footage of that young boy fainting during a competition. But I didn’t see that. I saw parents providing support in an optimistic environment, and the kids seemed to relish the opportunity to show what they know.

And they were really good.  10-year old Glenda Chen was the winner. Her winning word?

U-N-C-O-N-S-T-I-T-U-T-I-O-N-A-L.

Glenda Chen and 2nd place winner  Hanz Legaspi  move on with the ultimate goal to win the 2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Winning the National contest is quite lucrative…last year’s winner took home $35,000 and a $5,000 scholarship.

Good Luck Glenda and Hanz!

 

SOME OTHER RANDOM THOUGHTS:

American Idol – They’re down to the top 10 Tuesday night. I’m always interested to hear from you. I will be interviewing former Idol contestant Kimberly Locke to see how life is for her post Idol.

March Madness – You always know the NCAA Tournament is going on because there’s a bunch of yelling in the newsroom. I’m out of my pool already. Go UCLA!