Craig has been doing his show for several years now, and I am always enchanted by his creativity and how he has made this form his own.  He is compared sometimes to Jack Paar but his experimentation with the show reminds me of Ernie Kovacs.

following are three videos…two from the show last night and an Ernie Kovacs classic.

A McVicar Sketch:

The cold opening that makes me laugh like crazy:

And an intro to an Ernie Kovacs special by Jack Lemmon

Happy New Year!

Some folks have made some shoe games, or you can always see my previous post for some shoe antics on my appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson”.

Have some fun and games:

Of course all this fun and games brings attention to the serious response of many people in Iraq, who yearn for real freedom.  This journalist brought our attention to this, and we need to listen.

Also here’s the late nite round up of shoe jokes

Hopefully we’ll find a video that we can post tomorrow

I went to a screening last night of the independent film “The Wrestler”, to see Mickey Rourke’s performance. Physical, unwavering, and true on so many levels, his work is some of the most daring that I have seen. Playing Randy “the Ram” Robinson, a professional wrestler living off the fumes of his career, facing death and reaching out to his daughter, a stripper and his fans so as not to be alone, Rourke gives the performance of a career. He is courageous enough to show his vulnerability and fears beneath the steroid filled aging action figure of “The Ram”. Bravo Mickey!

Also, there are amazing performances by the beautiful Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood.

I had a conversation after the film with one of the legendary gentlemen of Hollywood. Now ninety years old, but eternally ageless A.C. Lyles started at Paramount Pictures in the 30s as an office boy for Adolph Zukor. He is still always active, was a consulting producer on the HBO series Deadwood. It is always a pleasure to talk with A.C. He reminds me of what Hollywood was when it was at its best. Or how I think it could have been.

A.C. Lyles was reminded, after watching Mickey Rourke’s work, of Jimmy Cagney in his Oscar nominated performance in “Angels with the Dirty Faces”. Pat O’Brien’s character tells Cagney as he goes to the electric chair to go yellow, so the kids won’t idolize you. Cagney’s character does.

This film has sections that are strong…I will never look at a staple gun the same way again….but the lessons delivered at the end are in the best traditions of filmmaking.

I presented alongside Davide Scalenghe who is with CurrentTV here in Italy. They are on Sky on channel 130, and many filmmakers were interested in how it would work to get their documentaries on the air.

I helped them learn how to let people know about their projects. In the prehistoric times, early man gathered around a fire to tell stories, now we are gathering around social networks like Facebook. It is important to know the new forms of communication, and to have a story to tell.

Thanks to Alessandro Signetto and the great team at European Days in Torino. It was an honor to be there.

During the presentation for the preshow, I introduced Wes, a singer from Cameroon. He finished with a beautiful chant for President-Elect Obama, and revealed the optimism that is growing world wide. I got to talk with him after, and in an emotion filled moment noted that we all see our face in Obama’s. Wes can see his face, I can see mine. Therefore I can see my face in Wes’s and he can see his in mine, and with this connection we can use this key to make something wonderful together. That is the optimism that we need right now.

It was a true honor to be at the special edition of the World Music Awards. Beyonce, Estelle, Kid Rock, Akon, Lola Ponce and many others helped celebrate World Music, with a special award gong to the Beatles, accepted by Ringo Starr.

The executive producers John Martinotti and Melissa Corken have created something worthwhile and extraordinarily fun. Presented for many years in Monte Carlo, with sidetrips to London, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, the show has benefited the Monaco Aide and Presence Foundation, and in Monte Carlo is presented with the good will of H.S.H. Prince Albert of Monaco, a truly splendid person.

Of course one of the best things was to go with my fiance, D.ssa Virginia De Agostini.

It was great working with the Manetti Bros . They work with great spirit, and although they are two, work with one great big heart.

I had the opportunity to work in Italian, my partner was played by a fine Italian actor Bruno Armando. I also got to drive around a Lamborghini.