Sorry, the No Index, No Follow tags are (you'll need to add the opening and closing html operators): META NAME="ROBOTS" CONTENT="NOINDEX, FOLLOW"/ META NAME="GOOGLEBOT" CONTENT="NOINDEX, FOLLOW"/ Salut! […]
OK Damian, I have it working now. I also use Go Daddy, and Justin's "all in one" code also caused my server to crash, so it looks like a Go Daddy thing. I love Go Daddy though, the service is great, and this is no reason to switch (believe it or not, I also host over at Network Solutions) As for the fix: First, I did not put the rewrite code i […]
Man, thanks for the great review and info. I love that it could be argued that this movie is targeted at social workers and teachers who practice LaME. On a side-note: I hope to have that indexing turned around in 36 hours at the latest. Lots going on tomorrow. Moving furniture for wood floor dude Grandma hired for us (Christmas gift). […]
Thanks..I always wanted that comment follow-up plugin but always forget about it when I'm online. You'd think WordPress would have put that in their default code by now...How are you checking to see if it really redirects? Check Justin again and try to follow his steps. I think you may have got in too deep with the move and created a unique situati […]
So I watched the Oscars last night, and I was wondering who that woman claiming to be Sandra Bullock was. Not only was this actress supposed to be a dramatic serious as opposed to a comedian, but she looked totally different. I think it’s obvious Sandra Bullock has had cosmetic surgery, like a face-lift to smooth out the wrinkles or some work on the eyes. I’m not an expert all the different types of facial surgery out there, but I didn’t even recognize her. Seems like a nosejob, facelift, Botox, or something.
She originally seemed more ethic, but now she looks like an the so-called ideal brunette Hollywood starlet, so it was a career decision that seemed to payoff with her first Oscar award. For some reason athletes can’t enhance their bodies, but actors and musicians can. It seems like the same people who get all over Tiger Woods for taking HGH say that the new Sandra Bullock looks hot. Just sayin’, since they are both performers, and sports is just entertainment no matter how freakin’ serious you want to take it.
At least it used to be. What the f- happened to my city? Where do I start? We used to have blue skies and green parks for the kids to play in. That all changed when Mr. burns brought in his life-choking, pollution belting, cancer plant. Sure, they said it would bring more jobs, but at what cost? He loves to squeeze da little guy.
Well Mr. burns, this time you’re gonna get the squeeze-like a colgate tube down to its last dollop-it’s not gonna take much for me to snuff out your greedy soul. And smithers-frollicking about town like this is Greenwich Village. I’m gonna slash his eyeballs with his own eyeglass lenses. Spreading your putrid rainbow message to our kids. Our kids! Well, Smithers, this ain’t Kansas anymore, and I’ll have Toto and Santa’s Little Helper knibbling at your rotten gonads after I gut you like a fish.
The only decent family in town is Ned Flanders brood- ’nuff said. I will bypass his home.
Let’s move on. Barney-who always hangs out at Moe’s Tavern. A weak- minded blob who gives in to his body’s whims. He wreaks like 5-day old goulash. I’ll send him out the same way he lived his life. I’ll buy him a beer-laced with rat poison.
On the bright side, we do have Krusty the Clown and Sideshow Bob. I like these guys. Thinkin about makin’ them my apprentices. They’ve got the rage, but I don’t think they have the drive. I’ll just help them channel that negative energy into doing something useful for society. After all-I gotta sleep too, ya know? heh, heh…hurm..hrmph. They can fill in for me while I grab some shuteye.
Apu is pushin’ the envelope with me. Nice guy. But this Pakistani piece of s–took away an honest American’s job. He’ll put a knife in your back with a smile on his face. You think you’re laughing all the way to the bank with your outrageous 7-11 markup prices? Well, the next time you open the store vault, maybe you’ll find your brother’s lips, ears and a— made into a fine necklace. What’s the price of that, s———?
That little runt Nelson has it comin’, too. You cant be a bully without a cause. He does a lot of action with no purpose. I’m not gonna off a kid, though. Just teach him a lesson. Maybe I’ll just force him to eat a pound of wasabe. Hurmph. That kid Nelson picks on-I think martin is his name. I started out like dat. Weak, timid and afraid of the world. But now I’m Springfield’s pariah.
Homer is the epitomy of all 7 deadly sins. His death will be a slow one.
Moe is a low down, dirty, stone cold scumbag. Why do we put drug pushers in jail, while a guy who peddles liquid drugs makes money hand over fist? I’m gonna slice his face off like a honeybaked ham.
Chief Wiggum is a gutless man with a gut. He’s only a police officer in name. That badge might as well be a webelos badge. It means nothing to him. Hiding behind that shield won’t cut it with me, Wiggum. If you don’t uphold the law, how do you expect Springfield’s citizens to respect the law? No more shortcuts, donutboy. I’m gonna make you the centerpiece of my Hawaiian luau, while you squeal like that fat pig in Deliverance!
Groundskeeper Willie is a solid guy, though. He does an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay. Unlike those bean fartin w—- from Mexico. Lazy ingrates! Willie just has some emotional baggage ,but hey, don’t we all. Well, it’s gettin late, time to don the mask.
Retribution awaits.
Rorschach vs The Simpsons
Written by DailySkew contributor CCB3. Edited by Damian Hospital. 2010 Copyright. You may link with excerpt, but do not copy in full, unless you want to see CCB3 in court.
American society totally changed when televisions became mainstream in the 1950’s. Techno geeks like to argue that televisions have been commercially available since the World Fair in the late 1930’s, but it’s all hot hair; they were simply not in homes and there were no real channels. Just ask any senior citizen for the truth. Even though the prices were high even in the 1970’s, the penetration of TVs in American households was total domination.
What will 2010 hold for the world and you? Well, 2010 is the Chinese Year of the Tiger. Does that mean Tiger Woods will make a blazing comeback? Just joking. Let’s use the Enneagram Personality Types to predict 2010. There are 9 Types, yet 2010 isn’t 1-9, it’s “0″. This will be Year Zero, a reboot year. How our lives will be rebooted is another question. Will the economy improve? What about our health or the health of love ones? How about society’s spirituality? Will there be more wars in 2010? Or maybe it’s not a reboot year. Maybe it’s Zero Hour- Earth Zero all over again. Maybe it’s the end. Oh well. Or maybe we see the world as Snapshot Joe, just to give it meaning. You don’t think every previous modern generations thought that the next year would be something special and that they existed in a pivotal time in history? Folks, everything is an illusion- sorry to break the news to you.
However if you are looking for 2010 predictions you don’t really care about those things. So here GUARANTEED LOCK PREDICTIONS for 2010:
There may be rumblings with China, Iran, Russia, Venezuela, and North Korea, but there will not be a World War in 2010.
No aliens will be discovered in 2010.
Animals will not revolt against mankind (dang).
Now here is a DailySkew prediction that is shocking:
Lady Gaga- currently one of the best pop singers who churns out hit after hit, is at the peak of her popularity- and she will start to lose her momentum some time in 2010. In other words, it doesn’t get any better for her right now. By the end of 2010, you will see dents in the force that is Lady Gaga.
This editorial is in response to my partner Tony Vahl’s two articles on Michael Savage and Rihanna.
We are fortunate to live in a society where we can debate like in this forum. My issue with the Michael Savage controversy is that he is an entertainer (i.e. not to be taken seriously), who makes a living on radio ratings, website hits, books sales, fueled by free publicity thanks to his controversial personality.
The reason I used the pro wrestling/Tito Santana “injustice” analogy is because it’s all a work and there was no true injustice, just like Michael Savage getting banned is not a true injustice. The price of freedom of speech may be hateful statements, which are generally non-criminal, but the price of hateful statements for the sake of self-profit is bad karma, i.e. you will be isolated from many groups, be threatened, sued, advertisers will leave you, local stations will drop your show, and you may be banned in certain places. Savage loves the ban because the newswires picked it up, and he painted himself as a victim. It was better than when Obama made a comment about Rush.
Savage loves this…he was probably hysterical laughing and then hacked into a coughing fit, that’s how happy he was, when Jacqui Smith(who most English citizens can’t stand) in the U.K. put HIS name on that list. Instead Savage said he was angry and depressed. I doubt Savage would make a stink of this if Uruguay banned him – it’s not marketable enough: “Banned in Uruguay”. Savage can’t travel to the U.K. Neither can an anti-gay preacher or a terrorist. No sweat off my back if I get banned from the U.K. because of a blog post.
Jacqui Smith is like a version of GW Bush: she’s trying to impose cultural standards and ban hate mongers from visiting the country. I don’t agree with her, but U.S. rule of law does not apply in the U.K. As far as Savage not literally saying to take up arms and overthrow the government, to me that’s being semantic. If someone listens to him every day (and believes his speech- after all Savage is never out of character) they may buy into his theories and decide to “take matters in their own hands” when it comes to some injustices Savage rants about.
Therefore I cannot defend Rush, Beck, Maulkin, Hannity, Olbermann et al when they spread the fear, hate, and anger every day as entertainers. They want it both ways. They want to push people, but not take responsibility. The LDoTR (Last Days of Talk Radio) will not happen as long as ratings are high and advertisers are happy. If a deranged Rush fan does something dumb and tells the world he did it because of Rush, well, maybe Rush will lose some radio outlets.
Usually the ACLU helps people like Savage, but Savage hates the ACLU, so why should they help- that’s the price of venom:
“If I had the power by executive order, I would round up every member of the ACLU and of the National Lawyers Guild, and I’d put them in a prison in Guantánamo and I’d throw the key away. Or I would reopen Devil’s Island and I’d put everyone in the ACLU into — onto Devil’s Island.”
And what does Savage himself say about freedom of speech?
“Deportation, not re-education. You can take C-A-I-R and throw ‘em out of my country. I’d raise the American flag and I’d get out my trumpet if you did it. Without due process. You can take your due process and shove it.”
Or freedom of religion in the U.S.:
…in order to “save the United States,” lawmakers should institute an “outright ban on Muslim immigration”. Everything about Savage is a “work”.
He wants to sue the U.K. for defamation, yet he compares Obama to Castro and Obama to Hitler all the time. It’s all a big joke like The Comedian from Watchmen, so I don’t really think this particular case should be used to defend freedom of speech. Savage is actually a poster-child for freedom of speech in the U.S. since he gets away with so much. He is part of the de-evolution of society as well, just like Howard Stern. Maybe one day society will rebound. (ha!)
I’m sure the U.K.’s decision will be reversed. If this happened in the U.S. (as in Savage was expelled or imprisoned) then I can see the issue as being “real”. I believe- for the most part- the U.S. has a good system when it comes to allowing freedom of speech, and if the U.K. doesn’t- well, it is what it is.
Regarding your deep thought provoking questions based on censorship and Rihanna: I don’t dig the song either…wouldn’t want your daughter to listen to the song. I think with songs, books, TV, and movies society dictates what is offensive and what is acceptable. Since our society continues to devolve and sink to lower depths, the standards are gone and more and more things become accepted.
Like socially acceptable sexual acts on a first date.
There was much more censorship in the past, and it has been proven to be wrong time and time again. All we can do is exercise our freedom of speech by pointing out our misgivings about songs like Russian Roulette, perhaps protest or boycott things which offend us. Unfortunately, we get into situations like craigslist, where the lunatics run the asylum because they have no standards. We get into the silent majority and LME (Lazy Man Ethics tm) when it comes to accepting the de-evolution of society.
So keep up the good work my friend and call people and systems out and spread your messages.
Did you hear about the Clash of the Titans remake in 2010? Oh, you didn’t know? Well, the Clash of the Titans CGI looks fantastic, and I see a few familiar actors in there. Just based on the trailer, the Clash of the Titans remake looks pretty cool. So why can you detect my underwhelming excitement?
Could it be…that there was no reason to have a Clash of the Titans remake? Yeah, that could be it. Here’s another one: is the plot going to be the same? It looks so based on the trailer. So all we will have is enhanced graphics, better music, and maybe some sex.
Am I being jaded? How long before Clash of the Titans 2010 will be streaming in the Netflix Instant Browse section?
Remake, remake, remake. Because you demanded it. You demanded a King Kong vs Godzilla remake, so you’re going to get it.
What, a new generation must experience Clash of the Titans in full CGI HD? They can’t enjoy the 1981 version? Or is that a myth: perhaps children and young adults actually watch and enjoy movies and TV shows pre-1998?
By the way, what’s the difference between watching the 1981 Clash of the Titans on DVD or TBS vs. going to the movie theater in 2010? Why must be spend $10 per person to experience the same story, but with “updates”? It’s the whole Madden 2010 syndrome. Newer = better in our world.
Why are we as a society so attracted to the new, shiny, gold jewelery that someone is dangling in front of us like a pendulum? Why do we drool and say “that’s awesome” when we see CGI. Twenty years from now this “cutting edge CGI” will look like those Styrofoam rocks in Star Trek: The Original Series. Okay, so I’m exaggerating, but I’m just sayin’. WHY ™?
Okay, it’s cool. But was it necessary to create a Clash of the Titans remake? If you ever watched the original (which I suggest you do if you haven’t) did you ever say, “Man, I wish they could remake that movie.” Can we get Chris Rock to play Calibos?
Titans. Will. Clash. Wow…sounds like a WCW pro wrestling pay-per-view from 1990: Sting vs Ric Flair, this time in a CAGE.
Hollywood marketing and ideas board room meeting (various voices):
“Any new ideas?”
“Well, I was with my girlfriend last night, going through the channels, and I saw this old movie- Clash of the Titans. I don’t know it must have been made in the 1960’s or something. But it was pretty cool. I was thinking- with the success of 300 and Beowulf, we should do a Clash of the Titans remake.”
“Sounds great!”
“Yes, let’s get May and Manfredi on the phone and see if they can come up with a screenplay!”
“Liam Neeson would be a great Burgess Meredith!”
“Who?”
“Nah, cast Neeson as Zeus.”
“Sam Worthington should be the lead.”
“Perseus?”
“Who?”
“Perseus- the hero!”
“Get Worthington’s agent on the phone.”
“Worthington was excellent in Terminator Salvation.”
The Fan movie with Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes is a twisted and depressing psychological thriller, but the unbelievable plot and script is too Hollywoodized to take seriously as a classic 1990’s movie, or to be on De Niro’s resume.
The good news is that De Niro portrays the loud mouthed obnoxious fan that sits in front of you at sporting events to a tee. He’s also divorced, an aggressive dad, and a disgruntled salesman who eventually gets fired. He’s a washed up Little League pitcher who never made it, but can’t let go. He’s addicted to sports talk radio and the San Fransisco Giants.
Wesley Snipes’ character Bobby Rayburn is Barry Bonds (although for legal reasons he says he isn’t Barry Bonds in the movie). Bobby Rayburn is a high-priced free agent with a chip on his shoulder.
I would say the first half of the movie had the potential for The Fan to be right up there with Michael Douglas’s Falling Down (1993) but the plot jumps the shark due to the fantastic (unbelievable) elements of the script such as De Niro’s character Gil killing Juan Primo is a sauna and kidnapping Bobby Rayburn’s son Shawn, or Gil impersonating a MLB umpire.
However, don’t let the plot detract from your enjoyment- this is a popcorn thriller and you have to watch it through the end if you start. This is not a traditional baseball movie at all- it’s a psycho movie. It’s a weird film in which you see the signs that Gil was always crazy. It’s tough to sympathize with Gil or Bobby Rayburn- both De Niro and Snipes play heels in this one.
Still, a great performance by De Niro- it’s just the script that jumps the shark. Welcome to 1996.
Dog Day Afternoon is a gripping true crime movie, one of the best movies of all time. DDA is a juicy piece of overheated New York mood, and a fabulous showcase for its youthful actors. Dog Day Afternoon is a underrated masterpiece of the 1970s. The opening montage of Brooklyn, New York street life circa 1972 establishes the muggy tone of a sizzling afternoon in the city with such closeness that you can almost smell the junk baking in the sun and the water from the hydrants evaporating from the sizzling pavement. Al Pacino plays Sonny, who, along with his noticeably slow-witted accomplice Sal (John Cazale, familiar as Pacino’s Godfather brother Fredo), holds hostages after a botched a bank robbery.
Sonny and Sal are not master-planners; in fact they are amateurs. It’s like a Saturday Night Live skit but it is dark, realistic humor, not slapstick.
Sonny finds himself altered into a dissenter celebrity when his standoff with police (including lead negotiator Charles Durning) is covered live on local television. This has the famous “ATTICA! ATTICA!” scene which is still powerful in 2009. The movie really conveys the feel of rough and unpredictable events unfolding before your eyes, and the whole film is so convincing and involving that you’re glued to the screen.
The film was based on a true story that was published in LIFE Magazine. I can’t say enough how great the movie is- most of it takes place in the bank; the plot is straightforward enough although there are major revelations that come on later.
New Yorkers really hated cops and establishment in the 1970’s and this movie showcases that hatred.
5/5 stars. Adults only. Unquestionably one of the best movies of all time.
The exclusive video contains over 9 minutes of video clips from AMC’s The Prisoner remake. My snap judgement Saturday night Vitamin B-12 reaction:
Changes from old Prisoner to new Prisoner (based on 9+ minutes):
No English spy connection?
Sex
No revolving Number Twos?
New York
Village seems bigger
Number Six works for Number Two but they both admit it’s a trap as opposed to the subtle ah-ha moment when we find out who was really tricked.
Music.
Number Two’s observation room
Number Six’s personality
Similarities of new Prisoner to old Prisoner (based on 9+ minutes):
Number system and Village rules
Some exact dialog and scenes from Episode 1: Arrival
Man vs. society
Use of drugs to extract info
Number Six speaks with old man washed onshore
Number Six battles mental traps
The Good
Ian McKellen as Number Two- meet an older version of The Realtor, folks
Rover’s back!
Modern and hip- this is the new millennium whether you like it or not.
Production looks great- like a movie.
The Bad
Whereas the original Patrick McGoohan Prisoner was innovative, this 2009 version seems very Keanu, i.e. kinda like The Matrix, i.e. yet another addition to the “reality is wrong” and “who am I?” genre.
The NEW Number Six, played by Jim Caviezel, lacks Patrick McGoohan’s subtlety and uniqueness. Of course, any comparison would fall short; I guess Jim’s doing his own take since the original Number Six was based on John Drake from Danger Man (Secret Agent Man) and McGoohan himself. (It seems like this Number Six is really an Enneagram Type Six and not an Enneagram Type Four.)
Gremlins was a hot summer movie in 1984 (although the movie takes place in Christmas)..kids in my class went to see it, so I HAD to see it. I went with my grandparents (I was 7). I remember being in awe of Gizmo and the Gremlins, and walked away very excited and enthusiastic.
I rewatched Gremlins 3 or 4 weeks ago, so let’s compare the mind of a 7-year old vs a 32-year old:
I still think Gizmo is cute.
When I was 7, the stupidity of the main human characters was over my head, as was the romance, and fact that their personalities were pastiches stereotyping a small town.
I didn’t like the hero’s dog getting abused when I was 7 or when I was 32.
I was rooting for the Gremlins as a kid because although the humans were getting murdered, it was done in a Looney Toons slapstick way. The irony is that now, I hated the little monsters, and I feel that Gremlins isn’t suitable for kids, an. I think that’s pretty deep…lol.
The hero is a Enneagram Type 6, which can be frustrating for other Type Six’s to watch (using Spider-Man 3 as an example where many Type Six’s protested Peter Parker’s actions).
The acting was pretty bad.
Burger King’s product placement was very obvious.
The first half is a comedy, but as soon as the Gremlins incubate it becomes a twisted horror flick.
I now see the Gremlins as a symbol of mutant anarchy.
I didn’t enjoy the mother stabbing the evil Gremlin with a butcher knife.
I recall my grandfather being a little worried about me seeing some scenes, but the truth is the violence in Gremlins had no affect on me- I was just happy to go to the movies with my family.
All in all, it really was an innovative movie, and quite sadistically dark. It is truly a departure from other movies marketed to kids pre-1984.
Howard Stern: trendsetter, influential, innovative, controversial, in the center of lawsuits, always fighting The Man, pushing the freedom of speech issue in our faces…his place in talk radio history has been assured. He’s been on Sirius subscriber-only radio for the last few years, so it’s very hard to gauge his quality now. After all, most of his listeners are fanatical loyalists who actually pay money to listen to him. However, I read some internet forums from some former subscribers, and have my own ideas.
For the record, I listened (or watched) Howard probably from 1989 to 1999 on and off. The late night TV shows I saw on WWOR were border-line legal for TV- and I shamed to admit I liked them; I even liked his E! TV show in 1990’s. As far as radio goes, I tended to get burned out after a few days before putting him on again. After a while, the content became too sexist and abusive. Too unhealthy.
Since jumptheshark.com has sold out, here are some possible scenarios outlining when/why Howard Stern has lost his peak:
1) NEVER jumped; Howard is still relevant today. Become a subscriber and listen to how funny and cool he still is. 2) DAY ONE: The man is filth personified and a pervert, who should have never been able to use public radio waves or public TV. 3) 1995: Racist parody of the death of Selina 4) The King of all Media: Movie, TV, book, radio, E! 5) The Divorce. Part of Stern’s on-air personae and appeal was actually being married and somehow remaining true to his wife; then came the Big D. His 2001 divorce was THE time for listeners to live through Howard’s single life, but he never explored it. 6) Jumping to paid radio. $12.95 a month vs for FREE. Take your pick. The size of his market has shrunk because of it. With sooooo many free options on the internet now…why would 9-5 workers pay $12.95/month for satellite radio? 7) 2004: The multi-millionaire Howard goes political, and becomes a left-wing Rush Limbaugh. 2008- Has he become the cliche rich @$$hole that he made his listeners despise all of this years? He was shocked about how much a gallon of gas was. Howard uses callers to make the show, not his own life anymore. 9) Network bans, changing stations, FCC violations, CBS lawsuits, kicked out of Canada…tiring after a while? 10) Time/era. Is there anything left in the envelope to push anymore, even on “uncensored” Sirius radio? It’s 2009…what makes Howard different, unique, or entertaining anymore. Yeah, a bestiality dating show back in 1985 was fresh and innovative (if not offensive to many)…but what about now?
So Jay Leno had his last Tonight Show. That was news to me.
Welcome to the exciting season finale of the TONIGHT SHOW, ladies and gentlemen.
As you know, this is our last show after 17 years. I want to thank all the people that made it possible – Michael Jackson, Monica Lewinsky, Bill Clinton …
Seventeen years! Do you realize when I started this show, my hair was black and the president was white. Did you know that? When we started this show 17 years ago, Jon and Kate were both 8! The only thing that hasn’t changed in 17 years? The Clippers still suck.
Frankly I don’t think I ever had a desire to stay up and sit through Jay Leno during those last 17 years. Everyone know Conan O’Brien is much more trendy and funny anyway, so I’m glad the torch has been passed to Conan.
I thought Leno and late night shows like David Letterman and Saturday Night Live were overrated. Yes, they had their uses in the pre-Internet/cable/Direct TV/TiVO era, but now they seem like dinosaurs. The big joke is that these comedians try to be “counter-culture” yet they are raking in millions and millions from Hollywood, and in many ways they are the official spokespeople of whatever trend Hollywood dictates.
Not trying to rip Leno, since he’s a success story from humble beginnings, but I always thought his show was typical 1990’s stand-up that just happened to survive thanks to Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show” run, TV station, and time-slot. There were many funnier and more socially relevant comedians that during his 17-year run. What I’m trying to say is if he had a “Jay Leno Show” on FOX an hour later or earlier, he would not be considered the “icon” he is considered today.
I come from a single-parent household in New York and had no siblings, so my mom and grandparents would spoil me with toys even though I never demanded them. Here’s a quick list of some 1980’s toy lines I was obsessed with:
The Main
WWF LJN Wrestling figures- In terms of sheer fun, the oversized rubber wrestling figures takes the cake. Granted the paint would scratch off pretty quickly, but I must have had thousands of wrestling matches.
Masters of the Universe- Had every action figure, vehicle, and castle. I loved the cartoon and the mini-comics
G.I. Joe- Near complete collection…I started in 1984 and backtracked to 1981 at flea markets. It was great streak that lasted until around 1989. The most pose-able figures I ever had, with tons of accessories. 100% fueled by comics and cartoon.
Super Powers- DC made many more figures than Marvel, and I had problems getting some rare figures, but I managed quite a few. Darkseid was one of my favorites. The quality kicked Marvel’s butt. But the good news is that they were virtually the same size as Secret Wars, so I did my own “Crisis”, even before 1985.
Secret Wars- Had the entire set of Marvel heroes and villains.
M.U.S.C.L.E.: Mini fictional alien wrestlers…gotta admit these were the only toys I still played as a mid-teenager, and I didn’t throw them out because it took me so long to track down the little guys. In the end, they outlasted every other toy listed on this page. I gave them to my nephew Jericho, but I don’t think he plays with them. Different era, I guess.
Transformers- At the time I believe these to be the highest quality toy. Never had the whole set…pretty expensive, but I had a lot.
Second Tier
AWA Wrestling figures- If only they were the same size as LJN’s WWF figures….grrrrr…anyway, I still had smaller scale battles with Ric Flair, The Road Warriors, Rick Martel, Abdullah the Butcher, and others.
Thundercats- Too big to play with my other toys, they were high quality. Thundercats was a fantastic cartoon.
Go-Bots- El cheapo Transformers.
Zoids- Awesome dinobots that moved with batteries.
Army guys: Heck, before G.I. Joe I loved those green little army men. Cowboys and Indians, too.
Dinosaurs: Give me a big generic rubber dinosaur made in China and I will give it army men for lunch.
Star Wars: Truthfully I came aboard a little late, but thought the quality was awesome, including the obscure characters.
Matchbox cars: Cars were cool..especially playing in the dirt and mud.
Just a few
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Got a few as a gift…never really saw what the fuss was.
Arak- Conan rip. They were made the same size as He-Man, which was great for me.
Voltron- High quality robots, but seemed too expensive for me to pester. The cartoon kept me hooked.
Patrick McGoohan’s The Prisoner is now up and running for free and totally legal, brought to you by AMC, who is producing the new Prisoner TV series. The Prisoner is one of the most deep TV series ever. Each episode is stand-alone except the last two. The Prisoner is the story of an English secret agent who has resigned, but was kidnapped and put on an island (The Village) with other people who know too much. He is assigned a number (6), and battles his oppressors (lead by the ever-changing Number Two) with his wits, not violence. The Village is supposed to be an Utopian society, but it really a high-tech 1984 fascist society. Recommended episodes:
2- The Chimes of Big Ben (Escape?) 4- Free For All (election parody) 5- The Schizoid Man (Number Six vs…Number SIX?) 6- The General (Man vs Computer) 7- Manny Happy Returns (Back to London!) 14- Living in Harmony (The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly) 16- Once Upon a Time (The Final Battle!) 17- Fall Out (’nuff said!)
Optional episodes: 1- Arrival- Truthfully, as long as you watch the opening credits for every other epside, this one is not necessary. Total set-up episode. Watch only if you are curious, the Recommended Episdodes are better. Don’t make this your first episode. 3- A, B, and C- Can Number Two find out Number Six’s secrets via dream manipulation? Great background history of Number Six. 8- Dance of the Dead- Deep symbolism masquerade. 9- Checkmate- Who can Number Six trust? 10- Hammer Into Anvil- Murder mystery. 11- It’s Your Funeral- Number Two assassination plot. 12- A Change of Mind- Number Six gets his mind rewired.
Weird Ones 13- Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling- Patrick McGoohan couldn’t film the full episode, so Number Six switched bodies. 15- The Girl Who Was Death- Storybook tale.
Had no interest in American Idol, not even a drop to post about it during the season. I’ll never touch Dancing with the Stars either unless I mock it. I admit I haven’t been watching or following AI, so I had to laugh when I saw the two American Idol finalists on yahoo and MSN today, two guys named KRIS and ADAM.
I was like…damn, this is so gay. Do straight single guys actually watch this show? If you are a straight single guy please let me know why you watch AI and actually care about two boy-toys like KRIS and ADAM or even listen to host Ryan Seacrest. Heck, maybe Ryan Seacrest should try out next year, he looks just like KRIS.
Why is Harry Potter so popular? It’s not like J.K. Rowling wrote anything original. Combining different elements of the fantasy genre is nothing new; boy wizards are not new. Creating characters we care about? Uhmm..join the line of hundreds- if not thousands of characters- that we care about. She created an interesting timeless story? Again, join the line. It’s all marketing. R.L. Stine is a much more productive, varied, and quality children’s author. Rowling was at the right place and the right time. That’s the luck of the draw. That’s what makes life fun (albeit “unfair”).
The DailySkew’s Tony Vahl recently wrote a Books of Magic vs Harry Potter post, so I’d like to post about the fantasy genre and creativity:
Tony and I had a long phone conversation years ago about fantasy works and “borrowing”.
So let me just summarize here:
Most of the fantasy elements we have come to expect and accept (magic, monsters, princess, different setting, different races, kingdoms, etc.) all stem from age old fairy tales, folk tales, and fables. Toss in religion and mythology and you have a complete backbone and inspiration for such literary or creative works as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Lord of the Rings, Conan, Dungeons & Dragons, Final Fantasy, Harry Potter, etc. It could be argued that the main fantasy prototypes began with the Epic of Gilgamesh, Homer’s Odyssey, One Thousand and One Nights. The collected works of the Brothers Grimm were highly influential, and even the village life of Aesop’s tales were influential as well in terms of creating the genre. George MacDonald (goblin kings, magic, etc.) and Lewis Carroll predated Tolkien. Suffice to say many companies and artists made a MINT in modern times from this fantasy genre after the groundwork was already set.
For me, fantasy and sci-fi were the driving force behind my love for computer games, video games, and- more importantly- reading (along with comic books). I must have devoured more fantasy novels than any other genre. I would take a text game over a graphics game any day of the week.
The birth of Dungeons and Dragons (1974) was based miniature war games, which generally had a King Arthur medieval slant, Conan the Barbarian (heavily), the Hobbit, and Lord of the Rings (magic + monsters). Even that is too simplistic a statement, but it is generally true. The creators of D&D used statistics to create a battle system (based on the aforementioned war games, which was based upon chess, obviously) and used monsters, spells, and weapons from previous fantasy stories.
Unlike previous eras in American history, where recreational activity for youngsters included athletics and TV, we now had role playing games, video arcade, and conventions of unapologetic nerds who were fanatical about Star Trek, comic books, and other niches. Youngster drive trends and eventually are the mainstream.
To say D&D was huge in the 70’s and 80’s in an understatement. It inspired “computer geeks” to create text RPGs and MUDs in Unix. Not only did RPG imitators crop up all the time, but Apple and Commodore text adventure computer games was big business, too. Children’s fantasy books (mostly swords & sorcery) became widely available at all the bookstores, school book fairs, and libraries. D&D was the integral part to mainstream fantasy into other genres such as computers, video games, and movies.
TSR finally started pumping out their own AD&D computer games, and licensed them to Nintendo and Sega as well. Square’s Final Fantasy copied the Hit Point, Experience, and Level system from D&D, including the monsters that were already borrowed from Hobbit, which had already borrowed from mythology and folk lore.
Fast forward to 2009, and World of Warcraft (a 100% D&D rip) is still #1 and is still the #1 addictive online RPG. There are dozens of “imitators” and spin-offs- but as I’ve shown- in this genre everything seems public domain anyway.
So this takes us to full circle: because fantasy writers, artists, and “players” are so creative AND detailed, it’s very possible nothing is “new” anymore in the particular genre, and that only amalgamations can be created. What J.K Rowling did is no different than what Sega’s Phantasy Star did when it ripped Final Fantasy or what Tolkien did when he borrowed from folk tales. [For the record, I give him credit for being original with The Hobbit due to it's 1930's release date, but by the time Lord of the Rings was finally completed and published in the 1950's, the market was already flooded with fantasy books, such as The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser - sacrilegious I know.]
Look every writer and artist take bits and pieces, changes things, spins things, inject ideas from their own personal experiences, mixes it together and POOF! and idea is made, just like a magic spell. It is what it is.
And the bottom line is that all of this is fine; but let’s not just put J.K. Rowling on a pedestal or act like her work of art is something special (i.e. unique)- it’s not. And she didn’t direct the movies either, folks. It’s just ironic to me that she wrote the #1 book series of all time, and that millions and millions of people are fans of the Harry Potter character and his stories, when if fact, it’s derivative- to put it politely.
The Anatomy and Evolution of a Drive-By MEDIA Assassination I’m a comic book fan. However, I never really dug the X-Men as much as other comic book titles, although I did like a few mutants that appeared in other Marvel comics, like Professor X, Ice-Man, Beast, and Wolverine. I absolutely loved the first “X-Men” movie. In fact, it ignited the super-hero movie genre, which has been VERY successful financially and the quality of comic book adaptations has been generally good.
Yet my expectations have been VERY low on comic book movies when it comes to sequels. So comic books fans will excuse me for not getting that excited about the Wolverine movie, even though I was hoping for it years ago, because I think Hugh Jackman is awesome and Wolverine is extremely marketable. I thought the X-Men franchise kinda went in the wrong direction with its 3 movies, and I feel a Wolverine movie is a bit too late, especially since its a straight action movie on the heels of last year’s “Dark Knight” and this year’s genre-busting “Watchmen“. But that’s neither here nor there- Wolverine should be a fun movie.
Suffice to say, there has been a lot of positive buzz and free marketing for “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”. Many entertainment magazines, newspapers, TV shows, industry trade publications, and websites have been running Wolverine movies previews ALL the time to cash in on Marvel’s second most popular character (Spider-Man being the first).
So after riding Wolverine on for MONTHS, this is how they repay Hugh Jackman and company:
The Daily Variety- featured in the HBO series Entourage as being personally motivated in making or breaking actors- kinda gave it a mixed and flat review, while saying the action and acting was fine.
The New York Daily News- TABLOID TRASH- gave it one star, and went on to rip it to shreds although the details were dubious at best. Here’s what the critic’s readers said about his review:
“I find it ironic that you call the film a fiasco when this review is pretty much a fiasco too.
“I just saw that you gave the execrable ‘Pink Panther 2″ three stars. I think that nicely sums up the level of professionalism on display here…”
“This guy can’t be serious…I saw the DVD download movie and it connects just like in the comics for the most part for one.”
“…hack writer…”
“Mr. Movie Critic, sir. Please tell us why on earth should we listen to your opinion? Is it because you have spent years studying the finer points of film and are the closest thing to an expert there is? Why don’t you share some of your top movie picks so that the rest of us can trash them? Why do movie critics even exist. In these stressful economic times, that is one thing we could definitely live without.”
“I’ve already seen the advance film via downloads…it is great. this reviewer doesn’t have a clue.”
Here’s the next step in killing a movie’s buzz:
Have Reuters report selected negative comments from the aforementioned reviews and squak away like a parrot. Reuters is like AP- they are a worldwide newswire service that have their “reports” picked up on the wire all the major newspapers and websites:
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Movie critics took sharp claws to “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” on Wednesday, carving it up in several poor reviews, but box office watchers said it still should bring blockbuster ticket sales at this weekend’s debut.
Reuters then used the worst quotes from the two reviews, and left out that Variety said the action was perfect. I checked Rotten Tomatoes. Although it has a low percentage of positive reviews, many reviewers liked the action movie. It seems as if the reviews are mixed. But the Reuters article makes it sound like a “Speed Racer” BOMB.
And now for the final step in how to kill a movie. Enter the DrudgeReport. Mr. “024,235,238 IN PAST 24 HOURS" Matt Drudge went ahead and linked the Reuters “report” with a bad headline.
I saw the MSN Yahoo headlines yesterday about a “Miss California controversy”. I yawned. I passed. I never watch beauty contents, I don’t know why people still watch them, and I sure don’t care about the cliche of a dumb blonde trying to answer a question about society.
Then when I woke up this morning to Power96, I heard the DJ’s and callers bashing Miss California (actually I think she was a contestant or something, I have no idea if she won)- Carrie Prejean- and ripping her to shreds. So I said to myself: Okay, I bet she didn’t say anything bad, or maybe she’s dumb and had a misquote. Then DJ Laz played the tape:
Blogger Perez Hilton: ‘Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalise same-sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit. Why or why not?’
Miss California : ‘Well, I think it’s great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage.’
‘And you know what, in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman.
‘No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised and that’s how I think it should be – between a man and a woman. Thank you very much.’
So…led by the celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, all mainstream celebrity MEDIA outlets followed suit and attacked Prejean for “being against gay marriage”.
Newspapers and websites are reporting the “controversy”.
Man, we really live in a new world (Earth-O).
I mean, last time I checked, California voted against same sex unions marriage November 4, and many Americans are extremely against same sex marriage. It’s only legal in 4 states.
It’s not like Prejean is expressing a fringe view or politically extreme or wacky opinion. Again, whether you like it or not, according to polls, it’s generally a 50-50 opinion, with other polls showing most Americans don’t support same sex marriages.
But the leftist entertainment MEDIA in Hollywood and New York support gay marriage, so the news reports are skewed.
It’s pretty much “How DARE she say that?” “She is setting back gay rights 20 years!” “She’s from CALIFORNIA, how could she not support gay marriage?”
Gee whiz.
Why does her opinion even matter? Why does Perez Hilton’s outrage matter? Why does a guy call himself Perez Hilton? To be Paris Hilton? Why does the entertainment MEDIA tell us how to feel? Why does being against gay marriage automatically make someone homophobic? It’s like someone who is against illegal immigration being labeled as a racist.
Heck, I personally want gay people to be accepted and happy. If they want to get married, they should get the certificate. No sweat off my back. Maybe gay marriages will last longer than straight marriages. I don’t have a problem with gay marriage. But I do have a problem with people saying Miss California somehow gave the “wrong answer” or said something “controversial” or is “against gays”. I have a problem with the MEDIA backlash.
I saw the article was linked on Drudge, so once again this will be a leftwing vs rightwing issue. The culture war continues.
Terror of Mechagodzilla AKA MechaGodzilla’s CounterattackAKA ,Mekagojira no Gyakushū was the last Godzilla movie of the original continuity (called the Showa Series era because of the Japanese emperor) due to Japan’s gas crisis and poor economy at the time. Of course, if you’ve been following my reviews, the quality of the movies had been decreasing anyway. Godzilla would go on hiatus until the Godzilla 1984 reboot. This is also the last movie where Godzilla appears as a hero.
Because it is the final movie, Godzilla faces two monsters, the tone is dark and melancholy, and it features the return of original composer Akira Ifukube, this movie ranks #2 in the Showa Era to many Godzilla fans. However, I believe fans overlook the non-monster scenes and bad plot. (The script was chosen from the winner of a contest.)
Plot Well, it’s a direct continuation from the last movie, Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla, which had a horrible plot. Interpol is looking for MechaGodzilla’s body parts at the bottom of the sea, but they are attacked by a new monster named Titanosaurus. After much boring investigation, it is revealed that a mad scientist who has been excommunicated from the Japanese scientific community, is controlling Titano.
After sitting through Interpol agents investigating the (presumed dead) scientist by interviewing his gullible and protective daughter, it is revealed that the spy ape aliens from the last movie are teaming up with the mad scientist to control Titano and are rebuilding MechaGodzilla 2 to destroy Tokyo.
To make a VERY LONG STORY SHORT, the aliens turn on the scientist, his daughter dies, but she is rebuilt into a cyborg to control MechaGodzilla 2, and Godzilla and Interpol team up to defeat Titanosaurus and MechaGodzilla 2. Interpol finally defeats the aliens.
The “subplot” (the hero Interpol agent falls in love with the cyborg daughter) was actually the main plot. The Good
Great score by the returning Akira Ifukube, of course.
Special effects (explosions, miniatures, underwater scenes, Titanosaurus’ costume) were excellent for 1975, and probably the best for any Godzilla movie from 1954-1975.
Titanosaurus: 1st and only appearance, and it’s a shame. He has a great roar, and looks more streamlined as an aqua monster than Godzilla. By the way, Titanosaurus is a good guy monster whom we pity in the movie because he is under the control of the mad scientist and aliens.
The Bad
What can I say? The alien invasion storyline was bad the last time, and this time it is equally bad, but extended due to the old mad scientists and his cyborg daughter. I just don’t think it’s intellectually honest to ignore that the human parts of this movie were just as bad, if not worse, than the previous movie.
Uneven pacing…way too many human characters in Interpol…the aliens were once again James Bond rip-offs…the romance had a tragic ending but it was way too weird to take seriously.
The movie takes itself too seriously in general, and just doesn’t have an interesting or engaging non-Godzilla scenes. The aliens are bbbbbbaaaad cheese that I forgot all the way in the back of the refrigerator.
The Ugly
MechaGodzilla 2 can’t hold a candle to the first one. It is being controlled by a spurned cyborg woman this time, yet winds up standing around most of the time as Godzilla and Titanosaurus duke it out. After its head gets destroyed, it looks super corny (light bulb head).
Conclusion
Great monster battles, but with the screen time focused on a bad plot, this movie is overrated. I gotta say that people feel attached to this movie and always say how cool the return of MechaGodzilla was. Yet I can’t see how someone can sit through such a bad storyline, unless they are paying penance like I am. I have to assume most Godzilla fans who rate this movie second only to the first one, fast forward through the movie to the good parts, or perhaps childhood nostalgia plays tricks on the memories. I could definitely envision someone making the mistake of thinking Titanosaurus and MechaGodzilla teaming up was an awesome movie back in the day, but the subplots kill this movie from being a cult classic for me.
I will be ranking the Showa Series in my next Godzilla post and see how it rates.
The search for diets that work has eluded many seekers. Before looking into any specific type of diet, the person must have the following personality attributes: dedication, drive, commitment, and discipline. Yeah, it sounds like joining the army, I know, but the bottom line is that you have to keep on top of your diet [...] […]
NPR: - Blockbuster is about to go bust OPINION ALERT – we’ll be covering the end of Blockbuster here, with lots of apocalyptic-style photos; Blockbuster has been behind the curve for years — what. They couldn’t negotiate to get rights for streaming movies like Netflix did? They didn’t see the idea of a DVD rental machine like [...] […]
This time around I realized that the raccoon was free from suffering now. It's a shame its life had to end like that- it was blameless; humans built roads in the middle of his ancestor's forest. Progress and technology broke that raccoon's legs and took his life tonight. But now the suffering has ended for it. I mourned the raccoon and the way […]
ust a quick observation before I run: I jumped from watching 1980's pro wrestling to the 1991 Survivor Series because WWE put up the whole PPV online for a limited time. It never fails to amaze me how much things change. It was like I was in a time machine from 1987 to 1991... […]
2008- Has he become the cliche rich @$$hole that he made his listeners despise all of this years? He was shocked about how much a gallon of gas was. Howard uses callers to make the show, not his own life anymore.
