Pop culture Q&A

December 19, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

By Rich Heldenfels

McClatchy Newspapers

Q. After patiently waiting months for the return of “At the Movies,” I’ve seen nothing. I heard Roger Ebert was initiating something but have not seen anything about that either. Any news?

A. The most recent incarnation of “At the Movies” had its final episode in August. But Roger Ebert, co-host of the original “At the Movies” with the late Gene Siskel, has announced “Roger Ebert Presents At the Movies,” which will premiere on public TV stations in January.

Ebert and his wife, Chaz, are producers. Christy Lemire, the Associated Press film critic, and Elvis Mitchell, host of radio’s “The Treatment,” will be the principal co-hosts. Also appearing will be film bloggers Kim Morgan and Omar Moore.

Q. After watching “John Lennon: Naked” the other night, I searched for some more Lennon movies and found that in the mid-1980s, there was a TV movie called “John and Yoko: A Love Story” that aired on NBC. Has this movie ever made it to DVD?

A. Yes, but as an import, in a DVD format which may not be compatible with your U.S. player. There was a U.S.-capable VHS release of the December 1985 production, which starred Mark McGann as Lennon and Kim Miyori as Yoko Ono.

The movie has a somewhat troubled history. An actor named Mark Lindsay (not the guy from Paul Revere & the Raiders) was originally hired to play Lennon, then canned when it came out that his real name was Mark Chapman, same as that of Lennon’s real-life assassin. The producers said they had been unaware of Lindsay’s real name.

Q. Can you tell me what Goldie Hawn has been up to? She is a great comedian, and I have enjoyed all of her movies.

A. The actress — who turned 65 in November — has not acted onscreen since 2002, although there have been hints that she would go back to work if it was with her daughter, Kate Hudson.

She published an autobiography in 2005 and has the Hawn Foundation, which according to its website “seeks to help transform children’s lives by providing them with opportunities to acquire vital social and emotional skills, to improve academic performance, enhance the quality of their lives, and help others in their community.”

She also has family to keep up with, including Kate, sons Oliver Hudson (“Rules of Engagement”) and Wyatt Russell and longtime partner, Kurt Russell.