The Spinward Marches

From DDain: Steven...yet another question...this one about your star status in Los Angeles...do you ever name drop your own name when going somewhere so you can get preferential treatment?

"Don't you know who I am? I'm Steve Edwards...I don't wait in line to eat!"

That's a good question DDain. The reality seems to be through the years that  on occasion I will catch a break solely because I'm on television, but mostly it works the other way:  Being recognized when I'd rather not be (which is almost all of the time) and having nobody have the slightest idea who the hell I am if  it would bring some advantage.

It goes like this:  
I'm standing in line  for something and the guy in front of me does  a double take  and says, "I can't believe you're standing in line..."
The guy behind me says, "Are supposed to be somebody?"
I say, "No, not really."
The guy in front says," Go ahead  tell him who you are."
The guy in back  says, "Yeah who are you?"
I, feeling really uncomfortable mumble, "Uh, Steve Edwards."
The guy behind says,  "I never heard of you. Why should you get special treatment?"
Guy in front, "You know, he does the show with the  two crazy women, 'Good Morning LA'  on Fox."
Guy in back, "Oh yeah..........I hate that  show."

People always use the line about using celebrity to get  a better table at a restaurant. Well, I don't  want a better table. What is a better  table? How can people's egos be so fragile, that their identity  is tied up with getting the right table? How 'bout this... go to a restaurant not  to see how important you are, but just to eat and get out. Status shouldn't be an issue, not getting  food poisoning  should be.

I've seen it happen so often in this business, young actors get their first break, are on the cusp of becoming known and the first time a limo is sent for them, they call their parents in Indiana and say, "Mom, I can't believe this, they've sent a limo for me." Six months later, their show or movie is a hit and it's,  "I said  a stretch limo not a Town Car, and I asked for Panna  Water, not Evian!!!! Can't anybody get anything right here?" OK.. maybe a little bit of an exaggeration (a little), but you get the point.

And finally there's the thing that happens once in a while: A person comes over, all excited, looks me in the eye  and  says something about being a big fan and oh, I'm just so excited. I just can't remember  your  name.

I tell him it's Steve Edwards  and  he  says, "No you're not."
I insist that I am, he pauses, says, "Oh" and walks away.

My best to all of you!!!!!!

This post has been edited by an administrator

Move over James Frey...You got nothin! So James Frey wrote that book, A Million Little Pieces,

and several of those pieces were trumped up, embellished and not worth the paper they were written on...AND he hoodwinked Oprah, the most effective place to sell books to women today. Oprah caught on and nailed him on her show and it was a big chapter in pop culture.

Ah, but Clifford Irving had Frey beat by at least a million different pieces, More, than thirty years ago, he wrote the autobiograpy of the then most reknowned, reclusive celebrity in the world...the mysterious and extremely weird Howard Hughes, a man so isolated that no one could get to him except the writer Irving who gained unprecedented, one on one, access to the hermit Hughes.

Except that he didn't....He made it all up. There were no interviews, he never met Hughes, Hughes never heard of him. There was also no Oprah, but(if my memory is correct) he went on 60 minutes with none other than Mike Wallace and Wallace questioned him about the truth of the book, I remember Irving looking straight into the camera and asking Howard to go public and tell the world that it's all true.

James Frey=small fry fibber It was a big deal then; now with celebrity obseesion, E, Extra, Access, ET, all the celeb driven tabloids, not to mention the internet and talk radio etc..this would be a Hugh, Gigantic story! Maybe as big as Paris Hilton,,Okay that's probably going too far..but you get the point. It seems the movie, The Hoax, directed by Lasse Hellstrom isn't playing in a lot of theaters and that's too bad. Starring Richard Gere in one of his best performances as Irving, a man on the edge of panic, but always quick to come up with a lie, The Hoax is really a lot of fun, a little bit of a hoax itself. It tells the story, ( with a few extra added embellishments of it own), could have been a little shorter, but kept me involved all the way through. you've got to see Alfred Molina as Irving's sidekick and suffering co-conspiritor. Catch it while you can and let me know what you think.

Another movie I really liked was The Lookout with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. This was another good one that just slipped through and deserved more attention. Anybody see that? Finally, what happened to Grindhouse? I didn't see it....what did you think?

Thanks for stopping by my blog!  Ask any questions you like and I'll respond right here!

 Steve
 

Robert Crais has written a series of books starring LA private eye Elvis Cole. It's a great series and the newest book is the best.

It's called 'The Watchman' and this one features Elvis' partner Joe Pike; the lean, lethal guy who is emtionally deeply scarred but never swerves from his sense of right and wrong.

When he runs for exercise at three in the morning along Ocean Ave in Santa Monica, coyotes run with him. He's that kind of guy.

In 'The Watchman,' his task is to protect a Paris Hilton clone wild child from sinister forces and we learn about the really screwed up Pike.

The book flies by.... Elvis is there for laughs and support and the wild child comes to grips with her life.

Read it!!!

-----

Have a comment about this review or one of the latest movie reviews? Just add your comments below.

Click here for the movie review of "300."


Agree? Disagree? Share your thoughts in the comment space below.

This week, it's two for the price of one!

A look at the movies "Zodiac" and "Black Snake Moan."

Click here to see the reviews and drop a line with your thoughts.

For the very first fine installment of this new Web-only endeavor: Did you see the movie "Breach?"

 

What did you think?

 

Check out the "Steve Reviews..." video story on the movie here.

 

Then, come back and debate away in the comments area below... love to see your opinions. 

 

A new review's coming your way next week. Until then..............