News12.com Blog

The Man Behind the Joker's Face

  By Elisa DiStefano

Mount Sinai seems to be the furthest place from Hollywood, and that's why Oscar nominee (and past winner) John Caglione, Jr says he chooses to live there--plus the fact that he loves Long Island.

John is a professional make-up artist. He fell in love with the old Universal horror movies as a child and decided he wanted to learn to make people into monsters like Frankenstein. With the exception perhaps of his kids on Halloween, John hasn't made a Frankenstein, but he has made iconic movie faces.

John is the friendliest, warmest, most down to earth guy. His Mount Sinai home is lovely-- and completely normal-- minus an Oscar on the mantel-- that is until he takes you into his workshop. On the wall he has face casts of some of the most amazing actors of our time including Al Pacino (who he has worked with many times), Russell Crowe, Val Kilmer, Dustin Hoffman, Johnny Depp, and the late Heath Legder. On the shelf there are boxes labeled with the names of famous actors and movies. Inside of the boxes are prosthetics. I held Al Pacino's eyes!

John won the Oscar in 1990 for his work on Dick Tracy. He's worked on so many movies including Donnie Brasco, and he aged Bette Midler in For the Boys. John was nominated for the Oscar this year for his work on the Dark Knight. Sadly, Benjamin Button took home the prize. John and I spoke a lot about his amazing experience on the Dark Knight set and what it was like working with Oscar winner Heath Legder. He did Heath's make-up for over 60 days. It took about an hour and a half to apply the Joker's famous face. Here's what he told me-- I find it all so interesting.

"I went to London to start doing makeup tests with Heath and we were just playing around with paints. Heath and I were in the makeup trailer before the tests and Chris Nolan came in and he had a real vision to what the Dark Knight was going to look like. He brought in a book on Frances Bacon paintings which are very kind of abstract and dreary dreamy kind of paintings, disturbing but incredible paintings and Chris' notes were look at this Frances Bacon painting and I want the makeup to appear to look caked and smudged and then I want you to degrade it in stages through the picture."

" They wanted the makeup to look very caked on and very lived in like a psychopath would do the make-up so Heath and I worked out a series of different facial expressions he would hit in the chair. He would scrunch up his face and wrinkle his forehead and I would paint these layers of colors over these expressions which created all the cracks and crevases and gave more expression to what normally would be a white flat painted face... it was a collaboration between me and Heath and Chris Nolan. I described it as a dance.  I actually danced with Heath because the makeup could not really happen without him doing all of these different expressions"

"It was great with Heath... every morning sometimes the calls would be 4:30 - real early- and the first thing he would do is come in and hug all of us, all the actors and the makeup and hair people, big bear hugs and then we'd do the makeup which took about an hour and a half. He would work 12- 14 hours a day hanging off trucks and getting flipped over by Batman. He did a lot of his own stunts and he was really banged and bruised and at the end of the day he would come in and we'd take off the last drop of makeup and we'd all get bear hugs at the end of the night. I've never had an actor that kind of experience with an actor. He was just one in a million, I've never met anyone like him. It's just a great thing that he was just enjoying the work and thats one thing about working with him that I really appreciated... Heath taught me to really enjoy what's going on and not get too bogged down in worrying because its all going to work out."

John is extremely humble and claims he is just riding Heath's coattails. He says that Heath was a huge influence on how he approaches his work and his life.

Up next for John-- he finally gets to work close to home! He will be on the set of the new Angelina Jolie movie "SALT" which begins shooting in Bethpage next month.

Diet Debate

By Elizabeth Hashagen

The great diet debate!

Should you try Atkins- South Beach- Zone- or Weight Watchers?

Well it turns the type of diet doesn't matter!

Really?

Yes, really.  What counts is cutting calories, and sticking with it (you probably already knew this-- but it's nice to hear you're not wrong.. right?!)

So, a new federal study followed people for 2 years to come to this conclusion.

What you need to do is pick the diet that you like the best--if you think you'll have no problem cutting out bread, then go for it.  If you don't mind assigning point to your foods, then try it.

But the people who participated in this study had trouble staying with one approach for too long and most had only moderate weight loss. That's probably where the conclusion "stick with it" comes from.

Now, you may remember that earlier studies found low carbohydrate diets (like Atkins) work better than a traditional low-fat diet. But this new research found that the key to losing weight boiled down to a basic rule - calories in, calories out.

That's where exercise comes in too--if you decide to diet and add exercise, you'll lose weight faster because you'll burn more calories!

Right now I'm on a diet. I usually don't like to diet because I think you should have a healthy lifestyle and stick with it, but since I have baby weight to lose I wanted to speed up the process. Right now the plan is working, and I think the best part is keeping a food journal and tracking all my work outs. The whole calorie in - calorie out thing:) I just can't wait to fit back in my clothes again!

And the study found that dieters who got regular counseling saw better results. Those who attended most meetings shed more pounds than those who did not - 22 pounds compared with the average 9 pound loss! That's a big difference.  I guess that's why plans like weight watchers have meetings.

The lead researcher, Dr. Frank Sacks of Harvard, said a restricted calorie diet gives people greater food choices, making the diet less monotonous. So if you need to drop a few like me, then pick the plan you like and add in some exercise and hopefully we'll all look better by summer:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heartbroken

Danielle Campbell

 

It is heartbreaking.

7 teenagers, allegedly hunt down a Hispanic immigrant in the streets of Patchogue--- an attack that led to Marcelo Lucero's horrifying death.

Marcelo, who was 38, was beaten, and then stabbed.  He tried to fight back with his belt.

Moments before he was walking to a friends house, to watch a movie on a Saturday night. 

Marcelo, who had been in our country for 16 years, struggling to make his way in the world, liked to rent movies.

Most likely movies with a happy ending, that's because Marcelo truly believed in the American Dream.

Marcelo who grew up in the mountains of  Ecudor, was described as a gentle, joyful man, who lived his  life as a peacemaker.

Marcelo was happy with the election of Barak Obama. He saw it as a moment of healing, and was hopeful it would bring  an end to judgements based on the color of the skin.

Marcelo never missed a chance to call his mother, several times a week, letting her know he was ok and that he loved her.

Because I am a mother, I think of Marcello's mother, so far way, so helpless, unable to change what has happened to her beautiful son.  The thought of her heartbreak is unbearable.

Because I am a mother, I think of the 7 mother's of the teenagers arrested.

I can't imagine their pain, their grief, the feeling of helplessness they must have, how broken their hearts must be.

American Flagpins

By Ken Grimball

   

Seated comfortably in their Home and Careers Class, students at Gelinas Junior High School, in Setauket, were very busy with a special project.  They were using thousands of small red, white and blue beads that were in a large bowl on a table before them.  Next to the bowl, there was a tray of large golden safety pins.  With jestures of content and a few giggles now and then, the Eigth Grade girls were placing the beads carefully on the pins.  This was not being done randomly.  There was a purpose.  They were making creative Flagpins, that could be worn on clothing or placed on the wall or stuck into special place.

The Flagpins were for Veterans, living at the nearby Long Island Veterans Home in nearby Stony Brook. Students in this class reach out to people in their community, who are not often on the front page or often identified at the Shopping Malls. The youngsters appeared to be delighted with their project.  While speaking with them I detected a level of appreciation for the people who had fought so galantly for them in Viet Nam and other conflicts.  

As a Viet Nam era Veteran, I felt quite honored to think that children today had so much feeling and gratitude for these people who faced battles and  who still have scars mentally and physically for being in all sorts of conditions while defending the freedom that we have here in the Good Old U.S.A.

By the time the project is completed, the students would have made Two-hundred-fifty Flagpins that will be given to the Veterans on their well deserved day November 11th. 

Yet Another School Bus Accident

"Yet Another School Bus Accident"

School started just a couple of weeks ago and already we've had three serious bus accidents here in our borough. On September 10th a school bus struck and killed a bicyclist in park slope. Then on September 12th I remember rushing over to Bensonhurst because a school bus carrying special needs students plowed into a building. Two students and two drivers were hurt in the crash. Today I found myself with a bit of déjà vu. Again, I rushed to Bensonhurst for a school bus crash. The driver pulled an illegal u-turn but missed, ramming into a parked car and hitting two homes. Witnesses told me the bus was going between thirty and forty miles per hour. The force was so strong it sent a crack up the side of one of the homes.

In all three incidents there was nothing wrong with the buses. So what is the problem? Why are there so many accidents? Those are the questions on the minds of people I've met in the neighborhoods where these accidents have happened. Drivers do have to go through a rigorous process in order to get their license to operate a bus in the city. There's a long class involved, a thorough background check and of course a commercial driving test. This page has the list of exactly what these drivers need to have if they want to get behind the wheel of a school bus.

http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/Transportation/VendorResources/DriverInformation/default.htm

But the people I spoke with think clearly it's not enough if these accidents keep happening.

What also outraged people about today's accident-- the driver was wearing a cell phone earpiece. And witnesses on the scene told me he was talking on it at the time he crashed. I'm not sure if this is a fact or fiction-- the driver refused to answer my questions. When I asked him if he was the bus driver he responded "I don't know." (The police assured me he was.)

Speaking of the police, they did not summons or ticket this driver for his illegal u-turn. I did call the bus company, which is privately run by the United Talmudical Academy of Borough Park just to see if they were investigating the incident or suspending the driver. No luck- they said no one would be able to comment until next week.

The good news, no one was hurt in today's accident. But people there say it was just lucky no one was outside. And they don't want to wait for another person to get hurt. So that community in Bensonhurst says they're going to take the matter up with the community board, the school and the bus companies. Stay tuned!

The Music School

Photojournalist Brandon Klein and I were lucky enough to meet 19-year-old Brittany Maier and her mother, Tammy, this month for a story on a music school Tammy is creating in Dix Hills.

It was an experience I'll never forget. But I have to confess, words escaped me on this one.

It's not that I had writer's block. But, when putting together today's story, there was just too much to say and only a minute and 45 seconds to say it. (Minus time for the music.)

Brittany is 19 and is what's known as a prodigious savant, which means her talents are extraordinary. She's blind, autistic and mentally challenged - but somehow her mind opens up with music. Brittany can play anything she hears on the piano, and even composes her own songs.

Hopefully, you'll hear the music and be just as amazed as I was.

And, here are some interesting things that just didn't fit into the piece:

• Brittany composed the song you hear at the beginning and the end. It's not something she memorized. She has written several original pieces.

• She not only learns NOTES by listening to DVDs, she learns to say things like "Thank you very much" after she plays a song, during a concert.

• This music school campus is going to include an ampitheater and a whole lot more - including resources for parents with special needs kids.

• Leanne already plays the piano well but improved during what was just a short lesson with teacher Deborah Vacarro. (Despite having that lesson in front of a News 12 camera, Leanne did not look nervous at all.)

• Eight-year-old Cassie may be the next Brittany. She just started one day, playing tunes she heard on a little keyboard, but she wasn't able to do it when we were there.

I hope I'll get to come back and do another story someday, to hear her playing and to see how the music school is doing.

In the meantime, if you want to find out more about Brittany's upcoming concert in Carnegie Hall next month, or the music school gala and fundriaser in October, here are two links.

http://www.brittanymaier.com/

http://www.brittanyandfriendsfoundation.org/

What's Going On July 21-27

Here's what's going on! Please let me know if you attend any of these events-- and tell me how it was in the Comment section! Thanks Scott for your comment on CrueFest. Have a great week! elisa

Monday 7/21

Do you remember her playing Aunt Hilda on the show Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (featuring Sayville native Melissa Joan Hart)? Perhaps you remember when Commack native Rosie O'Donnell chose her to be her talk show replacement?     Caroline Rhea returns to her stand-up roots at the Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor! Monday, 8 pm 631-725-0818

George Michael is touring North America for the first time in 17 years! See him live at MSG on Monday & Wednesday at 8 pm! 212-307-7171

It's a night of Doo Wop! The Wrenditions and Kid Kyle and the Chichlettes perform live at Ellsworth Allen Town Park on Motor Avenue in Farmingdale at 8 pm! It's FREE! 516-797-7900

Tuesday 7/22

Uniondale's own Busta Rhymes is coming home! See him, along with Linkin Park and more at Jones Beach! The Projekt Revolution Tour starts at 2 pm on Tuesday! 516-221-1000

The former lead singer of Foreigner, Lou Gramm , takes the stage at John. J. Burns Town Park on Merrick Road in Massapequa. It's a FREE show that begins at 8 pm! 516-797-7900

Wednesday 7/23

"Where the Boys Are" , "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" and "Happy Birthday Sweet 16" are just some of the hits you'll hear when Neil Sedaka and Connie Francis share the stage at Capital One Bank Theatre at Westbury! The show starts Wednesday at 8 pm! 516-334-0800

Thursday 7/24

Hear the beautiful music of the Nassau Pops Symphony Orchestra . It's a FREE concert at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Bethpage . Thursday, 8 pm. 516-797-7900

Friday 7/25

It's a tribute to the Beatles! The Cast of Beatlemania will perform at Theodore Roosevelt Beach on Larabbe Avenue in Oyster Bay. The FREE concert is Friday at 8 pm. 516-797-7900

"This one's for the girls!" Martina McBride will perform at Jones Beach on Friday at 7:30 pm! - 516-221-1000

Michael Feinstein & Linda Eder share the stage at the Capital One Bank Theatre at Westbury on Friday & Saturday night at 8. 516-334-0800

Saturday 7/26

Judy Garland once called him the best jazz singer in the world! You can see Jack Jones perform live --for FREE-- at John. J. Burns Town Park on Merrick Road in Massapequa. The show starts at 7 pm. - 516-797-7900

Hear rock songs sung a cappella! "Rockapella " is at the Boulton Center in Bay Shore Saturday night at 8! 866-811-4111

You may not have heard of Katy Perry, but I bet you've heard her song "I Kissed a Girl". She's a part of the Vans Warped Tour at the Nassau Coliseum. It starts at 12 pm on Saturday. 516-794-9303

  Get ready for some "Jessie's Girl" under the stars! Attention all General Hospital fans, "Dr. Noah Drake" is hitting the stage! See Rick Springfield perform live at the Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay. The show starts at 8 pm on Saturday! 516-922-0061

See the Freelance Vandals and other local bands perform at Billyfest! It's at the Union Park Café in Oceanside on Saturday at 4:30 pm. 631-226-0953

Sunday 7/27

                          Do your kids love Disney's "Doodlebops" ? See them live at the Brookhaven Amphitheater in Farmingville. The show is on Sunday at 2 pm. 631-451-8010

Remembering Bobby

     The usual role for an athlete breaking into the sportscasting field is to let him or her become the interviewer.  The general feeling is that the athlete knows the players so thats a good place to start.

     Overlooked is the fact that many star athletes have spent their careers answering questions from reporters.  From an early age, they've been the center of attention, always answering, never questioning.

     Bobby Murcer, along with so many lovable traits, apart from his playing and broadcasting talent, was a questioner.  He cared about the people he met, asked about their lives, remembered their names.  Bobby made them stars. 

     I was just a stranger to Bobby when I first met him - another reporter with a mic - but like everyone else, he always made me feel like he was enjoying our minutes together.  He affected everybody that way and never changed - good health or poor health.  Always upbeat, always optimistic.

     More important than any statistics, Bobby will be remembered for his impact as a Hall of Fame person exhibiting human qualities that few ever attain.

Dog Days of Summer

By Meteorologist Rich Hoffman

Dog Days Begin (July 3)
From the Farmer's Almanac
The Dog Days (a period of 40 days beginning July 3 and ending August 11) are named for the Dog Star, Sirius, which is visible with the rising Sun at this time of year. Ancients associated this sky picture with the hot days that coincided with it. Sirius is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (Greater Dog).

Dog Days bright and clear,
indicate a happy year.
But when accompanied by rain,
for better times our hopes are in vain

Enjoy the dog days and don't forget to give your dog plenty of water and keep them cool. Just like humans than can get cranky when its hazy, hot and humid.

DWY TEST

(10/25/07) ROOSEVELT - Concerned residents demanded answers about an $8 million operating deficit at the Roosevelt school board meeting Thursday night, but the one person who bewildered them most never showed up to clear the air.