Dick Clark: remembering the late and great television-personality

Dick Clark, the iconic American TV personality, passed away after suffering a massive heart attack yesterday. Since the late 1950's he's been one of the main television personalities hosting iconic shows such as "American Bandstand" and "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve".

He served as not only as a famous personality, but a savvy businessman as well. His production company, Dick Clark Productions, has produced thousands of hours of television throughout the years and even had a licensing arm which owned or operated restaurants and theaters across America.

Ryan Seacrest, mentee and friend of Clark, issued a recent statement to NYDailyNews.com stating:

"I am deeply saddened by the loss of my dear friend Dick Clark. He has truly been one of the greatest influences in my life. I idolized him from the start, and I was graced early on in my career with his generous advice and counsel. When I joined his show in 2006 , it was a dream come true to work with him every New Year's Eve for the last 6 years. He was smart, charming, funny and always a true gentleman. I learned a great deal from him, and I'll always be indebted to him for his faith and support of me. He was a remarkable host and businessman and left a rich legacy to television audiences around the world. We will all miss him.”

The news hit this current day TV personality hard. Just after the news broke Wednesday, Ryan remembered the late Clark on "American Idol". Not only did Seacreast idolize him growing up, but Clark became a close mentor as well as close friend of his. Seacrest even co-hosted "New Years Rockin' Eve" after Clark suffered a stoke in previous years.

Imagine: your idol, the person you grew up watching, the person you dreamed about becoming, actually ended up being a peer and friend. It has to be heartbreaking to the American Idol host.

But, if there's one thing Seacrest learned from his late idol, was Clark's love for his work. While remembering Clark during "Idol", Ryan told the audience, "I know he's in a better place, saying 'Hey, let's get on with the show'," then added, "You got it, boss".

Who says YOLO?

Ok, so maybe you can only live once, but with today's technology you can come "back to life" as a hologram. Yes, I'm referring to the new viral sensation of Tupac's hologram performing at Cochella this past weekend.

It really is incredible to watch, and in perspective of normal concert production costs, isn't over-the-top expensive to produce. News sources estimate the hologram cost between $100 thousand to $400 thousand to create and took around four months.

With help from Dr. Dre, and a blank check received from Cochella organizers, this idea became a reality.

The mastermind behind creating this optical illusion, Digital Domain, is the same company responsible for the reverse aging in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and de-aging Jeff Bridges in "TRON:Legacy". While AV Concepts was responsible for actually projecting the image and having it perform flawlessly.

What's especially interesting, is that this isn't just a projected previous performance. Nick Smith, president of AV Concepts, describes how when creating holograms, "you can take their likenesses and voice and...take people that haven't done concerts before or perform music they haven't sung and digitally recreate it".

So is this the beginning of a new age in touring? There's arguments to be made on both sides. While some argue that it can be a cost-efficient way to bring celebrities and artists to more venues, others argue that the surprise factor and uniqueness of holograms would wear off too quickly if over-used.

I agree with the later. I don't think I'd pay to see just anyone's hologram in concert. However, if used for special occasions, I think it could really open up great opportunities in the realm of entertainment.

They're baaaack...

If you lived through the 1980s, you probably either 1, were obsessed with; 2, watched or 3, at least heard of the hit TV show "Dallas".  It brought world-wide recognition, not to mention stereotypes, to my hometown of Dallas and the state of Texas.

Since I was born in 1990, I missed out on the original "Dallas" craze. However, I'm particularly excited that TNT is bringing the show back this coming summer because of two reasons. Firstly, because my mom worked in the costuming department, so having the show picked up would be of personal interest to my family. Secondly, I think the show will do well if given the chance by the public.

To be blunt, a lot of remakes fail. Melrose Place, for example, came back to TV in 2009 and lasted only one season with horrible reviews. However, "90210", the remake of "Beverly Hills, 90210", came back in 2008 and has lasted thus far, so there's hope for "Dallas" yet.

The new "Dallas" features original cast members including Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray as well as a new generation of Southfork: Josh Henderson, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster and Julie Gonzalo.

Using both original and new cast will hopefully draw in multiple target markets and hopefully create great new ratings for this historic show.

So stay tuned this summer, Wednesday, June 13, for the "Dallas" two-hour season premier!

An aniversary of Titanic proportions

The hit movie "Titanic" has come a long way from its two-part VHS past to the digitally remastered 3D theater experience of today. I'm not ashamed to admit that I've had its re-release date on my calendar for about five months now, so I'll be a happy camper (or should I say blubbering mess) Friday after FINALLY having the time to go see it!

The original film grossed over $1.8 BILLION since its original release in 1997, and according to the LA Times, "Titanic 3D" has grossed about $28 million domestically so far, coming in third behind "The Hunger Games" and "American Reunion". Incredible, considering the majority of the public has already seen this film multiple times before.  After taking about two years to convert to 3D, its re-release is timed perfectly with the tragedy's 100th year anniversary.

When the 2,224 passengers boarded the RMS Titanic April 10, 1912, times were extremely different. President William Howard Taft was in office, the average salary was about $750 dollars a year and America's divorce rate was 1/1000. For entertainment, people enjoyed live music or went to "talkies" on the weekends, and while radio had technically been invented, it was still in its very early stages of scientific trial.

It's crazy to think about how far we've come in just 100 years. From silent films to blockbusters in 3D, I'm sure our forms of entertainment would be incomprehensible to those living in the early 1900s. While no medium could ever come close to experiencing the actual tragedy, it will be interesting to experience this movie in 3D. This extra element allows you to feel a little more involved in the story more than ever before, resulting in a unique experience for the viewer.

While some, aka my mom, thinks this movie is corny or melodramatic, I think it's breathtaking. Of course the characters Jack and Rose are purely fictional, but they represent all of those on the voyage; all of the mothers, husbands, children and lovers that were torn apart that fateful night. It's epic, romantic and heartbreaking all at the same time. This film gives a voice to those stories lost at sea 100 years ago.

So, if you haven't already been to the new "Titanic 3D", go see it. Not only to see a spectacular movie but to remember those who lost their lives on that tragic April night.

And ladies, of course be prepared to fall in love with Leo all over again...in 3D!