How to Make the Justice League of America Movie a Success

Barely a month after I predicted that the success of The Avengers would revive and kick plans into high gear for a Justice League of America movie, Warner Brothers announced Will Beall (of the upcoming Monster Squad and Logan's Run remake) as screenwriter of the JLA script.

Great news for fans of the DC universe, who have been wondering for years why the likes of great, beloved DC heroes (i.e., Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter), all of whom have rich histories to draw from,  have never really even come close to making it to the big screen. But while the JLA movie now seems to be on track and in pre-production (Beall was reportedly brought in some time in 2011) there are still three major hurdles that need to be cleared to ensure the Justice League of America movie is a success. In the order that they need to be addressed, those three things are 1) reconciling the franchises 2) introducing the characters, and 3) building anticipation.

One of the main reasons The Avengers has been so immensely successful is because Marvel stuck to the formula of a carefully planned production with a slow build. Beginning with the first Hulk movie (and well before The Avengers was ever seriously considered) the Marvel films effectively introduced the characters who would later join forces as the Avengers, established backstories, teased audiences, and got us all emotionally invested in the individual heroes and franchises (The Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America.) Onscreen, storylines in the individual films foreshadowed the coming together of these characters via the "Avengers Initiative", while behind the scenes in the real world, all the lead actors were being signed on. Thor's Christopher Hemsworth and Jeremy Renner, and Captain America's Chris Evans, were locked in to The Avengers early, as was Robert Downey Jr., whose Iron Man deal reportedly earns him up to 7 percent of the revenue in any film in which he plays that character. Additionally, the creative teams for each of the individual Marvel films were put in place early on. There was collaboration among these teams; storylines were carefully weaved together; resulting in The Avengers coming off as a logical next step that movie audiences knew years ahead of time was coming down the pipe.

The JLA movie, unfortunately, has none of this going for it. Despite the fact that the film has been gestating in Hollywood for nearly a decade -- George (Mad Max) Miller was set to direct at one point -- Warner Brothers' announcement this week comes off as nothing short of... well I'll just say it... reactionary.

If the JLA movie becomes the mega-picture it should be, it won't be because it followed The Avengers' blueprint. For one,  half of the core JLA lineup (Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Flash and Martian Manhunter) hasn't even been featured in their own individual movies, or otherwise introduced to contemporary audiences. It's troubling that instead of focusing on the JLA members (the most popular and interesting heroes in the DC universe) over the past 30 years, we've  inexplicably seen lesser (and in some cases, downright obscure) DC characters like Jonah Hex, Catwoman, Steel, Supergirl, and even Swamp Thing make it to the big screen.

Making matters worse is the fact that the JLA members that have been featured in movies (Superman, Green Lantern, and Batman) have done so in very self-contained franchises that have no connection to each other. Dark Knight trilogy director Christopher Nolan has gone on record stating that this summer's The Dark Knight Rises will be the last in the series and (in spite of the fact that Warner Brothers has extended an offer) he has no interest in directing a JLA feature. Pre-Avengers, there were plans for a Batman reboot (with Nolan reportedly producing) but things have likely changed now. Nolan has been clear in stating that he actually prefers to keep any and all of his Batman films independent of the rest of the DC universe, but at this point, any Batman reboot absolutely must support the JLA movie and the rest of the DC cinematic universe.

Warner Brothers also missed a golden opportunity with last summer's Green Lantern to tease both a JLA movie and the upcoming Man of Steel (Superman) feature. When studio execs should have been thinking long-term and doing what they could to at least hint at the formation or existence of the JLA, the GL movie was produced in a vacuum; no one was thinking big picture (no pun intended) and a chance to create audience anticipation was lost.

What this all means is that the JLA movie is pretty much starting from ground zero. So the only logical move at this point is for Warner Brothers to make the best of what it's got -- the Green Lantern franchise and Man of Steel -- and simply proceed from there. The extended game plan could proceed thusly:

With a creative team that includes producer Nolan, screenwriter David S. Goyer (Blade, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight) and director Zack Snyder (Watchmen), all signs point to Man of Steel being a can't miss hit. But there's still more than a year before the film is scheduled to hit theaters. Warner Brothers could use that time to shoot a short epilogue to be placed after the closing credits of Man of Steel (similar to the "recruitment" scenes we saw at the end of Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, and the other Marvel films.) A scene like this placed at the conclusion of Man of Steel could see Superman perhaps "checking in" at the JLA satellite, or alternatively, seeking out Green Lantern or one of the other heroes to discuss forming the JLA. Not only could this serve as the launching pad for the JLA film, but it would also make a lot of sense when you consider that Superman is certainly one of the cornerstones of the Justice League.

The next logical move would be to get a Green Lantern sequel into production. Admittedly, the original underperformed, but the pluses of a second GL film outweigh the negatives. For one, Green Lantern is best buds with Barry Allen, making the introduction and spin-off of the Flash character a possibility. As a bonus, should they prefer someone other than Ryan Reynolds to play the title character in the GL sequel (and the subsequent JLA movie) or if in fact they decided to go with a GL reboot instead of a sequel, Warner Brothers already has a means to smoothly accomplish this already built into DC Comics canon. Reynolds' Hal Jordan character could be replaced (as he was in the comics) by the Kyle Rayner Green Lantern, thus providing a seamless way to recast GL with a newer and/or more popular actor. This would then create the opportunity to bring Hal Jordan back (perhaps in the JLA movie) reincarnated as the Spectre. (And once again, this would all be 100% DC canon.)

But of course none of this solves the fundamental problem of getting the remaining JLA characters introduced. Not that some haven't tried. Goyer completed a script for the Flash years ago and fought hard to get it into into production. Now, however, any Flash movie seems more likely to come from Green Lantern writer Greg Berlanti. A Wonder Woman film, despite tons of rumors about Megan Fox starring in the title role, also seems a long ways off (even the updated TV series got shelved) and by all estimations is somewhere in the vague "in development" stage. Aquaman, meanwhile, is also still MIA on the big screen. A movie, reportedly attached to Leonardo DiCaprio's production company, has been rumored -- but for 2015 at the earliest.

The upshot, unfortunately, is that in the wake of the record-breaking box office receipts The Avengers has netted, Warner Brothers will likely forgo a logical, intelligent and anticipation-building film-by-film progression and instead dive headfirst into their JLA movie. Blowing their wad all at once like this seems not only risky, but short-sighted. Even if the JLA movie is a full-on blockbuster, where do you go from there? Could you start to spin off the individual characters into their own films one at a time?... I suppose, but how well would movie fans receive that?

Sadly, DC and Warner Brothers seem to be drooling at the billions The Avengers is raking in and in their mad chase after those kinds of dollars, they're rushing a JLA movie into production far too early.

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With the Success of The Avengers, Is a Justice League Movie Next?

With the Success of The Avengers, Is a Justice League of America Movie Next?

Do we really need to look past the success of The Avengers, which is well on its way to becoming the highest grossing film of all time, for a reason to get a Justice League of America movie into the production pipeline? Give Marvel Studios, parent company Disney, and everyone else involved credit -- they played it perfectly. Beginning with the first Hulk movie, they introduced the characters, gave us the backstories, teased audiences, and most importantly, got us all emotionally invested in the individual heroes and franchises (The Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America.) 

Part of the reason The Avengers is doing so well is because it was the result of a slow and well planned and executed build -- one character at a time; one movie at a time. And even as they were making gobs of money with the individual films, everything was being set up for a big team-up. We knew years ahead of time that a mega-movie featuring ALL of these characters was growing ever closer.

So can someone tell me why Hollywood isn't more aggressive in their partnering with DC Comics to achieve the same thing? Dating back to 1960, the Justice League of America is older and has FAR more backstory than The Avengers ever did. In large part, this is because the JLA has a deeper roster of characters with rich histories that predate (by decades) all of the Avengers -- with the exception of Captain America. And few would argue that the JLA counts among its members, two of the three single most recognizable comic book heroes in history -- Superman and Batman (the third would be Spiderman.) 

So why no JLA movie? 

Maybe because apart from the Superman movies and the two separate Batman franchises, the top DC characters have never really been given a chance on the big screen. Instead, we've inexplicably seen lesser characters like Catwoman, Jonah Hex, and Swamp Thing. Sure, we got Green Lantern last year -- but why no Flash movie? Why no Aquaman movie? How about Green Arrow and Black Canary? (They're at least as movie-worthy as their Marvel equivalents, Hawkeye and Black Widow.) And why no Wonder Woman? All are great characters, fully capable of carrying one (or more) films on their own. If Hollywood would do these movies right, and then put these characters together with Superman and Batman in a Justice League of America movie, you'd have a film property that could rival, perhaps even surpass The Avengers. 


Yet a quick search of the web for DC Comic movies gives us very little to hang our hopes on. Green Lantern 2 appears to be on track, but Aquaman can't seem to make it off the small screen. The Aquaman TV series that spun-off of Smallville a few years ago never got picked up by a network and was released on iTunes. A movie version (reportedly attached to Leonardo DiCaprio's production company) remains little more than a rumor -- one slated for 2015 at the earliest. 

Screenwriter David S. Goyer, to his credit, has completed scripts for both The Flash and Green Arrow and has fought to get them into production. Both are (or at least were) close to being official, but The Flash (if and when it is ever confirmed) now seems more likely to come from Green Lantern writer Greg Berlanti. And a Wonder Woman movie, despite tons of rumors about Megan Fox starring in the title role, also seems a long ways off. (Even the updated TV series got shelved.) Serious web searching finds the film in the always-vague "in development" stage. 


Maybe the new Superman movie, Man of Steel, starring Henry Cavill and set for release next June, will do well and serve as the first step towards a JLA movie. All signs point to Man of Steel being a can't miss hit. Let's face it, if you can't get a hit superhero movie by teaming director Zack Snyder (Watchmen) with screenwriter Goyer and producer Christopher Nolan (the duo behind Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises) then there's just no hope. 

Odds are, with such a stellar creative team, and an all-star cast that includes Amy Adams, Russell Crowe, Laurence Fishburne, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner and Michael Shannon, Man of Steel WILL do well and hopefully jump start the aforementioned Flash, Wonder Woman and Aquaman productions. From there, it would make sense for Martian Manhunter to make an appearance in Green Lantern 2 and/or a Man of Steel sequel. Then, with the core members of the JLA having all been introduced, best case scenario, we could finally get a JLA movie sometime around 2017... 

One can only hope...

Proof That Even Really Bad Comedies Usually Have At Least One Good Laugh: Skin Deep Edition

Glow in the dark, dueling condoms scene. (No set up required : )

John Ritter, one of the best physical comedians and television actors we've seen, is best known for his role as Jack Tripper on Three's Company. Though he never really made it big in movies, if you're a fan, you should catch Real Men and this film, Skin Deep. Ritter plays a boozy womanizer who in this scene is about to bed yet another conquest while wearing a glow-in-the-dark condom. When the girl's boyfriend pays a surprise visit and then dons his own glow-in-the-dark condom, hilarious chaos ensues. Director Blake Edwards shot this scene with just the right mix of raunchiness and reserve.

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10 OTHER Summer Movies You May Want to See

So maybe you're wondering where've I been the past 3 months. Sorry, but I've been doing rewrites on one of my screenplays. There's some encouraging things happening and I've made new connections that could perhaps lead to getting something sold and maybe even into production. I'm also about halfway through a new screenplay and that will be taking up most of my time -- probably until mid-summer. Still, I'll try to find time to blog and I want to start by talking about this year's crop of summer movies, which I think is unequivocally the best slate of summer films in more than a decade.

No exaggeration, Hollywood has outdone itself. I look at this lineup of summer releases and I see over a dozen films that I would put on my "Definitely Must See" list. I'm especially stoked for Snow White and the Huntsman, Prometheus, The Avengers, Ted, Rock of Ages, and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

But for this blog entry, I'm not even gonna waste your time going over the list of hugely anticipated and hyped movies that you can read about on a thousand other websites. What I'm going to focus on here are some of the "under the radar" pics that won't have as much hype, expectation, or marketing push behind them as The Amazing Spider-Man, The Dark Knight Rises or G.I. Joe: Retaliation, for example.

So here it is, a list I'm calling:

10 OTHER Summer Movies You May Want to See

May 4

Just dropped the grandkids off to see The Avengers? Don't worry old-timer, you can stick around and catch...

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Directed by John Madden (the guy who did Shakespeare in Love, not that fat football announcer) it's an English dramedy about a group of senior citizens who retire, move to India and find it's not all they thought it would be. 

See it for its all-star cast of British film legends – Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson and Peter O'Toole (Yes, he's still alive!)

May 18

Go ahead and see Battleship (the movie based on a 45-year-old board game) but also consider...

What to Expect When You're Expecting (the movie based on a 28-year-old pregnancy guide.)

Cameron Diaz, Elizabeth Banks, and Jennifer Lopez (Average age: 40... Just sayin') play expectant mothers in a film that traces several interconnected couples as they prepare to welcome their new babies. See it for its ensemble cast that also includes Chris Rock, Anna Kendrick, Dennis Quaid, and Glee's Matthew Morrison.

May 25

Why force yourself to see Men in Black III -- you know the ship has sailed on that franchise. Instead, take a chance on...

Chernobyl Diaries

Fans of the Resident Evil and Walking Dead series might enjoy this horror flick about six tourists who visit the abandoned Soviet city of Pripyat (site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster) which turns out to be not entirely abandoned after all. See it because director Oren Peli's track record (Paranormal Activity, Insidious) shows he's definitely an expert in the thriller/horror genre.

June 8

Director Ridley Scott's Prometheus is a much-anticipated sci-fi thriller. But if you like your sci-fi mixed with comedy buy a ticket for...

Safety Not Guaranteed

Three magazine employees answer the following ad:

*WANTED* Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before. 

See it because of the intriguingly amusing premise and because it killed at the Sundance Film Festival.

June 22

If you've already seen the film adaptation of the 80s jukebox musical Rock of Ages (scheduled for release a week earlier) then check out...

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

The Underworld movies, True Blood, Vampire Diaries, Priest, Fright Night, Dark Shadows, Breaking Dawn... Still no end in site for all this vampire crap. But the historical backdrop this film is set against offers something different. Honest Abe fights to win the Civil War and reunite the nation... while battling hordes of vampires looking to take over the country. See it because it's one of those rare instances where there's no other information needed –- the film's title gives you the concept, the plot and the hook.

also June 22

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

With an asteroid about to destroy life on Earth, a man (Steve Carell) hits the road to find his high school sweetheart before the world ends. See it because it's the first (and likely the last) apocalyptic/road-trip/romantic-comedy you'll ever see.

July 6

What's that Mr. Pimply-faced teen selling movie tickets in the box office?... The Amazing Spider-Man is sold out?... Okay, then give me one for...

Savages

It's Scarface meets Blow with a smattering of Breaking Bad. A murderous Mexican drug cartel tries to move in on three friends running a small marijuana business. See it if you're an Oliver Stone fan (he co-wrote and directed) and are in the mood for a WHOLE lot of killing.

July 13

The big release this week is the latest in the Ice Age franchise, Ice Age: Continental Drift. Or, you can ditch the kids and go see the adult comedy...

Ted

Mark Wahlberg stars as a grown man whose teddy bear came to life when he was a child... and hasn't left his side since. See it to find out what Seth (Family Guy) MacFarlane can do when he's freed from the constraints of network television and allowed to sink his teeth into an R-rated feature.

July 27

Summer will be winding down and pickings will be slim, but you'll get at least one more chance at a decent comedy with...

Neighborhood Watch

Suburban dads who formed a neighborhood watch group as an excuse to get out of the house find themselves facing an alien invasion. See it for its cast featuring a triumvirate of comedy masters -- Jonah Hill, Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller.

August 17

Just when you thought The Expendables included every last action hero ever born, The Expendables 2 adds Chuck Norris and Jean Claude Van Damme to the cast. You can enjoy that one with the guys but take your wife to see...

Sparkle

American Idol winner Jordin Sparks hopes this remake of the black cinema classic will do for her what Dreamgirls did for Jennifer Hudson. See it if you want to see the late Whitney Houston's final film performance.

Hollywood Increasingly Turning to Fairytales for Source Material

Since the early days of cinema, Hollywood has repeatedly looked to a variety of "proven" source material in favor of stories written directly for the screen. Many of the early silent-era classics, including Birth of a Nation (1915) and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), were based on successful novels. But contemporary filmmakers now look beyond books for material on which to base what they hope will be their next blockbuster. Sources for highly-anticipated 2012 releases include Broadway plays (Rock of Ages), old TV shows (21 Jump Street), really old TV shows (Dark Shadows), comic books (The Amazing Spider Man, The Avengers), and even children's games (Battleship.)

Still, the source material of choice for Hollywood producers these days seems to be fairytales. It began in earnest in 2010 with the success of Tim Burton's adaptation of Alice in Wonderland and continued last year with the release of Red Riding Hood and Beastly (a modern day retelling of Beauty and the Beast.) Last fall saw the debut of two new TV series based on fairytales (Grimm and Once Upon a Time) and the trend seems to be peaking this year with not one, but TWO soon-to-be-released Snow White features -- the campy Mirror Mirror, and the darker, edgier Snow White and the Huntsman. (The spec screenplay for the latter sparked a bidding war in Hollywood and eventually sold for an astonishing $3 million, one of the highest figures ever paid for a movie script.) Both of the Snow White films are big budget productions starring Academy Award winners (Julia Roberts and Charlize Theron, respectively) and SWATH in particular is a summer release that's already being aggressively marketed, so the film's producers are clearly counting on it being a hit.

Also in the can and ready to go is Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (which like SWATH, adds a vigilante spin to the traditional fairy tale) and Warner Bothers' Jack the Giant Killer. Other fairy tale-based movies in various stages of production include Enchanted 2, Pan, which turns the tables and casts Peter Pan as a kidnapper and Captain Hook as a police officer on his trail; Beauty and the Beast directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Harry Potter alum Emma Watson; and a new adaptation of Pinocchio with director Tim Burton and star Robert Downey Jr. attached. And just confirmed yesterday was Maleficent, a Sleeping Beauty retelling with Angelina Jolie in the title role as the evil queen.

You wonder what took Hollywood so long to begin what looks to be an exhaustive development of fairytale-based movies. Sure, they've been producing animated features for decades -- in Disney's case, for more than 70 years. But with a built in audience already familiar with the characters and stories, and with nearly all of literature's most well known fables and fairytales (including those by the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson) now in the public domain (meaning producers are free to make movie versions without having to pay out licensing fees or royalties) it's surprising that Tinseltown hasn't begun pumping out live action versions in sooner than now.

Bruce Lee's 10 Most Memorable On-Screen Moments

With the new documentary I Am Bruce Lee about to hit theaters, it's a good time to recall these amazing Bruce Lee scenes:

10. Bruce vs James Garner's office (Marlowe)

One of Bruce's celebrity students was screenwriter Sterling Silliphant. Silliphant, who won an Oscar for In the Heat of the Night, became good friends with Bruce and wrote a part for him in the 1969 film Marlowe. Bruce plays a heavy sent to warn private investigator Phillip Marlowe (James Garner) off a case. Bruce does this by demolishing the guy's office with a flurry of kicks and chops and a flying kick that takes out an overhead light. This scene was Bruce's first appearance in a feature-length Hollywood picture.




9. One on one against The Boy Wonder (Batman)

This one makes it purely on the novelty factor. The second season of the Batman TV series featured a crossover episode where the Green Hornet and Kato fought and later teamed up with the Batman and Robin (Burt Ward.) On the day this was filmed, Bruce (as a joke) pretended he was pissed off and intended to fight Ward for real. Ward repeatedly backed away from Bruce and tried to remind his opponent that it was “only a TV show”. Only after Bruce could no longer keep a straight face did he let the terrified Ward in on the gag.




8. Battling Chuck Norris in the Roman Colosseum (The Way of the Dragon aka The Return of the Dragon)

A classic fight against the world's second most famous martial artist, filmed in an incredibly unique and exotic location.



7. Nunchaku showdown against Dan Inosanto (Game of Death)

In Game of Death, Bruce plays a retired martial arts champion forced to infiltrate a heavily guarded pagoda. Bruce fights his way up the five-story structure, facing off against a different martial arts master on each level. Incredibly, Bruce never had extensive training with “nunchucks” and had only learned to use them a few years earlier.




6. 1965 screen test

Hollywood “discovered” Bruce at the 1964 Long Beach International Karate Championships, where a producer saw him performing his famous “one-inch punch” and two-finger push-ups. This eventually led to this famous screen test where Bruce charmingly converses with his director and then explains and demonstrates kung fu. (By the way, couldn't they have found someone under the age of 80 for Bruce to demonstrate his moves on?)




5. Taking on an entire Bushido school (Fist of Fury aka The Chinese Connection)

In Fist of Fury (previously known in the states as The Chinese Connection) Bruce seeks revenge against a Japanese school that has insulted his people and poisoned his master. Here, Bruce takes out every last student and their sensei. The victory despite overwhelming odds, as well as the overhead camera angles and intermittent dance-like choreography in this scene is emulated in The Bride vs The Crazy 88 battle in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: Vol. 1.



4/3. Tie: Owning Bob Wall (Enter the Dragon)...

In Enter the Dragon, Bruce warns his opponent, “Boards don't hit back.” Still I always feel bad for Bob Wall. He gets housed in several Bruce Lee movies but is particularly humiliated here. Look at him... face all cut up, kicked square in the nuts, can barely stand or defend himself, and then he gets stomped to death... Sheesh!

and Bruce vs Kareem (Game of Death)

Before he was “Roger Murdock” in Airplane, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was one of Bruce's students. When shooting wrapped on The Way of the Dragon, Bruce learned that Kareem was in Hong Kong and quickly arranged a meeting to film fight scenes for the yet to be scripted Game of Death. Bruce gave Kareem his first movie role playing the villainous Hakim, and from a physical standpoint alone, the fight between the 7' 2” Abdul-Jabbar and the 5' 7” Lee is astounding to watch. (You've gotta love that seated snap kick that leaves the giant footprint on Bruce's chest!)


The iconic yellow and black track suit Bruce wears has been replicated and paid homage to in everything from video games, to SpongeBob Squarepants cartoons, Sugar Ray's “When It's Over music video, and numerous films including Revenge of the Nerds, Kill Bill, and The Last Dragon.

2. "Be water my Friend" (Longstreet)

Bruce's friend screenwriter Sterling Silliphant was executive producer of the 1971 crime series Longstreet, about a blind insurance investigator played by James Franciscus. Silliphant got Bruce a recurring role on the show as Li Tsung, an antiques dealer and martial arts expert. Much of the dialogue in the scenes between Bruce and Franciscus incorporates the principles of Jeet Kune Do, a new, less formal, more eclectic and flexible approach to martial arts that Bruce had recently developed. The “Be water” quote from one of the Longstreet episodes was later recalled in this interview Bruce did with Canadian reporter Pierre Berton and is now considered central to Bruce's ideaology and philosophical legacy.




1. Final fight against Han (Enter the Dragon)

The slashes across the face and chest, tasting his own blood, and of course all those cool mirrored reflections... It's Bruce's signature scene and still one of the best in any martial arts movie.



Related Links
Bruce Lee on IMDB

The Psychology of Groundhog Day: What the film says about us and our existence

“Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don't forget your booties 'cause it's coooold out there today!”

Those are the words Phil Connors (Bill Murray) wakes to each and every morning over the course of the 1993 film Groundhog Day. It's easy to recall the movie's eponymous title, Murray's lovably narcissistic character, and all the “I Got You Babe”, radio smashing comedy. But the real reason Groundhog Day is so memorable is because it's so very genuine. As Phil realizes he's reliving the same day over and and over, he reacts just the way any of us would. Phil handles (and eventually extricates himself from) his inexplicable and unique circumstance by going through five distinct changes of attitude. Phil journeys through confusion, contempt, selfishness, and despair, before undergoing a final transformation into a kind and compassionate human being.

That's the type of what human being most of us aspire to be someday, but like Phil, we get sidetracked. Life throws curve balls at us (albeit nowhere close to the surreal experience Phil endures) and we get confused. Like Phil, we don't understand what's happening to us; our destiny becomes uncertain, and just as Phil repeatedly asks strangers on the street “What day is this?”, we desperately seek answers.

The next part of the movie features Murray at his finest, as he contemptuously delivers an on-location weather report and mocks the citizens of Punxsutawney, PA for their quaint Groundhog's Day traditions. What Phil is really dealing with here though, is his own fear and anxiety. He's coming to the realization that he's going to be stuck reliving the same day (perhaps forever) so he's lashing out.

Many of us (particularly those of us in mid-life) go through the same thing and respond the same way, deriding our jobs, our bosses and co-workers, and taking our frustrations out on the ones closest to us, all because we're stuck in a career we didn't choose, likely for the rest of our working lives.

Phil's anger eventually subsides and he deviously begins to exploit his predicament to satisfy his own desires. Once again, Murray's comic genius is on full display as Phil starts small. Knowing how the day's events will unfold allows him to impress a group of senior citizens with the correct answer to all the questions on Jeopardy. He then stakes out and executes an armored car robbery, and gains personal information about an attractive diner patron so he can seduce her.

This is perhaps the most authentic sequence in the entire movie. Who hasn't fantasized about having the winning lottery numbers, knowledge of which sports teams would win, or other unknowable information, and then using it for personal gain? In this case, Phil's actions speak to human beings' egotism, avarice, and carnality.

The seduction tricks Phil uses on the girl from the diner fail to work on the woman he's really interested in, Rita (Andie MacDowell), and the ultra-hedonistic, no consequences lifestyle he sinks into leaves him unfulfilled.

This part of the film emphasizes what many people of means have come to learn – that money can't buy happiness and all the indulgences in the world mean nothing without someone you care about to share them with.

So Phil sinks into depression. There are comical suicide attempts, with a deadpanning Murray leaping off a building and then electrocuting himself in the bathtub, only to once again wake up at 6:00 AM the next morning to the sound of Sonny and Cher.

Sadly, it's a reflection of the lives many have resigned themselves to. Like Phil, many of us wake to sound of the radio alarm and the inanity of the same morning deejay. Then we futilely trudge through our day, mistakenly believing that nothing we do or try will ever change our situation.

Like Phil, we feel we're no longer alive on the inside – so why go on?

Then at last, in the film's third act, Phil finds redemption. He chooses to stop living for himself; he accepts his fate and begins to use it to better both himself and the lives of those around him. Thus Phil perfectly positions himself to catch a small boy falling from a tree; he nurses a dying homeless man back to health, learns to speak French, takes piano lessons, and embraces the community and the local residents he'll seemingly be stuck with forever.

But a funny thing happens during this transformation. Phil makes new friends, gains the respect of colleagues, and the affections of Rita. Because he's focusing on others, rather than on resenting, exploiting and lamenting his own condition, Phil evolves from a pompous condescending ass into a benevolent, more complete and yes, happier person.

It's a good lesson for all of us. After 19 years, Groundhog Day and the psychological journey Bill Murray's character takes us on still speak to us. And it's the reason the movie is still so beloved and popular nearly two decades after its release.

80's Cover Art is Celebrated in Put the Needle on the Record

Journey with me, if you will, back a few decades. Back to the time of Pac-Man, Pee-Wee Herman and parachute pants. The decade of rubber bracelets, Rubik’s cube, and Reaganomics. Now go ahead, fire up the ole iPod and reflect on the music that provided the soundtrack for all of that. One problem though... You can use your iPod to listen to your 80's music, but it can't provide the experience of picking up your old 45s and enjoying the original sleeve artwork while you listen.

That problem has been solved (somewhat) by Matthew Chojnacki's Put the Needle on the Record, a 272 page book celebrating the artwork of 45 and 12-inch singles from the 1980's. In addition to the original art, the book provides the visions and stories behind the images and offers plenty of first-hand commentary and other information about the individual recording artists, graphic designers and art directors involved.

And they're all here. Retrospectives on the cover art for singles by the Clash, Cindy Lauper, Duran Duran, Madonna, Pat Benatar, B-52's, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and of course, The Smiths (remember all their retro black and white covers?)

The book left me with an uncontrollable urge to go into my closet, dig out my old singles and reminisce. So I did. Still waiting on my copy of Put the Needle on the Record from Amazon, so to whet my appetite, I recently spent time studying the cover art of my personal collection of 45s from The Pop Culture Fiend Archives. Here are a few faves:

Quintessential 80s chick Patti Smyth was pouty on the cover of Scandal's "Beat of a Heart".

The artwork for ABC's "Be Near Me" was as stylish as the band itself.

The "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" cover superimposed the Pet Shop Boys with an old photograph of blue-eyed soul legend Dusty Springfield.

It was a huge collaboration that created a smash hit single, but the cover shot of Paul and MJ looks pretty amateurish and informal -- like it was hastily taken just outside the recording studio.

Madonna plays peek-a-boo on this original pressing of "True Blue", which was a limited edition single issued on blue vinyl.

Dan Hartman's "I Can Dream About You" from 1984's Streets of Fire used the same graphic art as the movie poster.

Why Pop Culture?

Why pop culture?...

I got asked that question recently. There are a million blogs out there and a fair amount of them are devoted to popular culture. But when I was asked why I started PopCultureFiend.com, I thought it was important to reiterate my feelings on the subject. (It's a great time to do it, what with this being the first post of the new year.)

Well, first and foremost, when I write about pop culture, I'm following the old adage, "Write what you know."

So then the next logical question is, "What is pop culture and why is it important?"

Over the last 30 years or so, American movies, music, books, magazines, TV shows, celebrities, fashion, toys and games, advertising, etc., have been elevated from being merely frivolous diversions that (entertaining though they may be) have little or no lasting significance. Instead, these things are reflecting and indeed shaping our society, as they underscore who we are and what we care about, and bind us together through a common experience and shared appreciation.

By examining our popular culture, studying it, you create a window into the hearts and minds of American society and see concrete examples of what we've come to value, accept and embrace.

Think I’m overstating things? Why then, is it our popular culture that continues to endure and permanently etch itself into our memories, even as other (seemingly more consequential things) pass away? Why are movie quotes like, “Show me the money,” as easily recognized as “Ask not what your country can do for you."?

How is it that most people know more lines from Caddyshack than they do bible verses?

And why are events from the 80s like Iran-Contra and the US invasion of Grenada -- events that had not only national, but global implications -- practically forgotten, while movies and TV shows from the same era (like The A-Team, 21 Jump Street, Miami Vice, Footloose and Die Hard) are still beloved and continue to live on remake after remake, sequel after sequel?

Because it's the miscellanea of popular culture that’s providing cohesion for us in this, the most diverse society on the planet. So many of us are of different races, religions, economic statuses. We live in vastly different geographies, have different political ideals, enjoy different cuisines; and the list goes on and on. Because of this, any given American’s experience can be completely foreign to that of the next. And yet we’re able to find common ground in our shared remembrance of a popular TV show, song lyric, music video, or children's game. Or in our recognition of a funny movie scene, or a one-liner delivered by a stand-up comedian. Or in our mutual admiration (or disdain) for a particular celebrity.

Popular culture has now moved beyond fad or trendiness, beyond the realm of the short-lived, and beyond the moment. It has ingrained itself in our society and now influences the way we communicate, how we act, and what we value. And we're certain to continue perpetuating our pop culture the same as we do our religious rituals, political history, family traditions, and all the other things that make up traditional culture. And finally, through all of this, pop culture continues to be one more thing… uniquely and undeniably, it's just plain fun. Enjoy...