Pop Culture Fiend

Bruce Lee's 10 Most Memorable On-Screen Moments

2012-02-08T13:02:00.000-08:00

With the new documentary I Am Bruce Lee about to hit theaters, it's a good time to recall Bruce Lee's 10 Most Memorable On-Screen Moments:

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. Slow motion hands (The Way of the Dragon aka The Return of the Dragon)

Okay, I know all they did was run the camera at a faster frame rate and slower shutterspeed, but 40 years later it still looks WAY cool.

6. 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.

5. 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?)

4. Taking on entire an 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: Volume 1.

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.

Read more about the new documentary I Am Bruce Lee

Related Links
Bruce Lee on IMDB

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

2012-02-02T11:49:00.000-08:00

“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) this 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.

It's what 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 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 a sexy 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.

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

2012-01-30T14:55:00.001-08:00

If you don't read this blog regularly then you may not know that one of my (semi-guilty) pleasures is 80s music. Yes, whenever the mood strikes (and it strikes a lot) I load up the ole iPod and enjoy the music that provided the soundtrack to the decade of Pac-Man, Pee-Wee Herman and parachute pants. That decade of rubber bracelets, Rubik’s cube, and Reaganomics.

One problem though. You can use your iPod to listen to 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 1980s. 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 Cindy Lauper, Duran Duran, The Clash, Madonna, Pat Benatar, the B-52's, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and of course, The Smiths (remember all their retro black and white covers?)

It all 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 from my personal collection of 45s. 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 a band itself.

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

It was a huge collaboration that created a smash hit single, but the cover shot of Sir 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?

2012-01-03T15:09:00.000-08:00

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.)

So 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?"

Here in America, over the last 30 years or so, things like movies, music, books, magazines, TV shows, celebrities, fashion, toys and games, advertising, etc., have been elevated from being merely just 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 we 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 fun and entertaining.

Robin on How I Met Your Mother Is Pregnant!... No Wait, Cancel That

2011-12-09T16:00:00.000-08:00

After noticeably beginning to lose steam last year, the sitcom How I Met You Mother has been really good this year. But then, in the middle of what is probably their strongest season in years -- a season featuring the "The Blitz", "The Ducky Tie", an old video of Marshall as "Beercules", and the return of the "Slutty Pumpkin" -- the HIMYM writers nearly sabotaged the whole thing with an apparent misstep that could have ultimately meant the end of the longrunning CBS series.

In case you don't watch, what I'm talking about is the character of Robin (played by Colbie Smulders) announcing that she was pregnant. When this happened two episodes ago I had terrible visions of what lied ahead. I figured they'd keep us on the hook for weeks as we wondered whether the father was Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) or Kevin (Kal Penn.) I figured they might even throw us a retcon curve and reveal that Robin hooked up with Ted (Josh Radnor) late one night, so the baby could also be his.

Robin would then go through turmoil as she decided when and how to tell the father; Lily would be supportive and thrilled because she had someone to be pregnant with; the guys would somehow bond over this new development and the whole show would start to look an awful lot like Thirtysomething.

Fortunately none of this happened. In this week's episode, Robin declared that she wasn't pregnant after all. In fact (and we know this because the entire premise of the show is that it's one big recollection) Robin will never become pregnant because she can't have kids.

It seems the whole pregnancy thing was just a red herring. I'm not sure why the HIMYM writers went this route but the most likely answer is that they threw the show's viewers this curveball strictly for the hell of it and because they're smart enough to know the perils of sitcoms that pursue pregnancy storylines.

If television history has taught us anything, it's that when it comes to longrunning shows, pregnancy represents a "Hail Mary play" for a creative team that's running short on new ideas. What happened to Friends and Mad About You are good examples of how adding a pregnancy (and a resulting baby) to an established sitcom doesn't work to the betterment of a show. It definitely wouldn't have worked for HIMYM.

For one, pregnancy and parenting, at their core, are very serious scenarios. Making our beloved Robin Scherbatsky (formerly known as Robin Sparkles) pregnant would have killed the light-heartedness of the show. Also, a good deal of HIMYM's comedy is derived from the fact that Robin, Ted, and Barney are all single; and that they hang out together in a bar and they each have their respective romantic entanglements that often turn comically disastrous. Robin being pregnant (with Barney and Ted as possible fathers) would have ruined all that. As a mom-to-be, Robin hanging out in a bar, hooking up with assorted guys would have gone from funny to disturbing pretty quick.

Plus, part of the reason Robin's so endearing is because she repeatedly demonstrates that she hasn't got it figured out yet. We identify with that and we laugh at (and at the same time, root for) her as she stumbles through relationships and career moves. We've all had that time in our lives when we were just like Robin -- seemingly a grown up who's got it all together, but deep down we're really just confused and trying to find our way.

Sure, a pregnant Robin would have created opportunities for a few funny plotlines in future episodes, but what the writers really would have done is fundamentally and permanently altered the entire mood of the show, while simultaneously painting themselves into a corner. Because, let's face it, with a baby in tow, Robin, Ted, Barney and the rest of the gang were going to be limited in what kind of wild shenanigans they could get into. And they were going to have to change... most likely for the worst.

Like Mother, Like Daughter: Janet and Paulina Gretzky

2011-12-02T15:49:00.000-08:00

Paulina Gretzky (daughter of The Great One himself, Wayne) made the news this week. Seems the 22-year old aspiring actress/model/singer (Hey, as long as you're aspiring, you might as well be a triple-threat, right?) posted too many racy photos on Twitter and (depending on who you want to believe) her account was either temporarily shut down by Twitter administrators, or by Paulina herself -- reportedly, at the request of her father.

Even though forty-eight hours ago, I had no idea who Paulina Gretzky even was, I decided to check this out, mainly because I had totally forgotten Wayne Gretzky had kids and I was curious.

After checking out the photos on the web, I think this story is a bit overblown. The "too sexy" Twitter pics are fairly tame in this, the internet-age. Rumor has it that Wayne is currently in negotiations to purchase a large interest in the Toronto Maple Leafs, so perhaps that has something to do with why this non-story has such legs.

Or perhaps Paulina is just very media savvy and she herself is the one responsible for alerting everyone about her father's objections. After all, she's the one that put all those photos out there to begin with, so it's clear she's looking for attention.

Anyway, though I was underwhelmed by the "scandalous" nature of the photos, I was awed by how much Paulina looks like her mother. In case you didn't know, Paulina's mom is Janet Jones(-Gretzky), who back in the 80s, was a rising Hollywood starlet with a very bright Hollywood future.

Jones came on the scene virtually out of nowhere, playing the female lead opposite Matt Dillon in Garry Marshall's highly underrated coming of age comedy, The Flamingo Kid, in which Jones (an unknown at the time) played love interest Carla and proved both physically stunning, and surprisingly competent acting-wise. The role gained Jones a good deal of attention in Hollywood, and after a supporting role in the movie version of A Chorus Line, she played the lead role of a top ranked gymnast in the 1986 film, American Anthem. About a year later, Janet began her relationship with Wayne and in 1988 the two were married in a ceremony that was considered Canada's version of a royal wedding.

After that, Janet Jones' show business career all but ended. She was in the very forgettable Police Academy 5, and did one of those Sports Illustrated husband/wife swimsuit photoshoots, but hasn't had a significant role in a movie or TV series since 1987. Presumably, she gave up acting to raise her family (the Gretzky's have five kids in all) and play loving wife to the greatest hockey player of all-time, but it's still a shame we never got to see more of her.

So anyway, back to Paulina. Take a look at these photos of her and tell me she doesn't look EXACTLY like her mom 25 years ago. It's a case where you're positively blown away by the power of genetics.

Trailer Friday for November 25, 2011

2011-11-25T16:02:00.000-08:00

An all new set of trailers and our hearty commentary. Enjoy.

The Sitter (December 9)

"Adventures in Babysitting meets Superbad with a smattering of Sex Drive."

"Adventures in Babysitting is right. The movie's already drawing tons of criticism around the internet for copycatting. And deservedly so -- it's the exact same movie, only with tons of f-bombs!"

"It really is disgraceful how much they stole from that movie -- reluctant babysitter, same number of kids (3), taking them into the city to an all-black nightclub, criminals chasing them... The list goes on and on."

"This seems really raunchy. What kind of parent would let their child act in a movie like this? Still, I did laugh when he whispered, 'I f**king hate you too. I'll destroy you,' to the little girl."

Melancholia (Now playing)

"Melancholia is the perfect title for this film. I wanted to like that trailer but it was really depressing."

"In fairness, it's a movie about a shaky marriage set against the backdrop of a rogue planet crashing into the earth. So tell me, in that scenario, what's there to be happy about?"

"I think an intriguing thing about this film is the fact that Kirsten Dunst's performance earned her Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival."

"That's also where the director (Lars von Trier) sabotaged himself by making jokes about and sympathizing with Nazis during a press conference. Check it out on YouTube here. It's painful to watch."

"Nazi jokes to a roomful of Frenchmen?... Dude, know your audience!"

New Year's Eve (December 9)

"Ensemble pieces like this, Valentine's Day, He's Just Not That Into You, that have the multiple storylines going on at the same time, always seem really gimmicky to me."

"Box office poison Ashton Kutcher in the same movie with box office poison Katherine Heigl... Why didn't they throw in Nicholas Cage too?... This film has no chance."

"Zac Effron, Jon Bon Jovi, Carson Daly, Seth Myers... I can't imagine any heterosexual men would want to see this."

"Okay my focus will be on the women. Halle Berry still looks amazing on screen; Jessica Biel looks great too; this movie proves that Sarah Jessica Parker and Hilary Swank are NOT, in fact, the same person; and someone needs to tell Sofia Vergara that her spicy Latina schtick is wearing thin."

"I guarantee you, Robert DeNiro will only be in that one scene you saw at the very end."

The Hunger Games (March 23)

"I know this movie's based on a popular novel but there's not a lot of originality here. I see elements of Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery", "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell, Stephen King's "The Long Walk", and the movie The Running Man with Arnold Schwartzeneggar."

"It's also very similar to the 2007 movie The Condemned, which maybe not so coincidentally was distributed by the same studio -- Lionsgate."

"The release date is what concerns me. March and April are typically the months where studios clear the decks for summer releases they think are going to make a lot of money. Scheduling this for March 23rd makes me think studio execs in the know don't believe this movie's any good."

"Stunt casting Lenny Kravitz and featuring him so prominently in the trailer should also be a warning sign."

My Week With Marilyn (Now playing)

"I'm planning on seeing this. Michelle Williams is the new Jennifer Jason Leigh. Young actress who started off doing light, teen-oriented stuff. You didn't think much of her at first but she turned out to be super-talented."

"Absolutely. The Station Agent, Shutter Island, Blue Valentine... She always chooses interesting roles and she's always really good."

"This is based on a (disputed) real-life incident that took place when Marilyn was filming The Prince and the Showgirl. True or not, it looks like an interesting story."

USC-UCLA "I Love L.A." Music Video

2011-11-22T15:23:00.000-08:00

With college football season starting to wind down, this weekend features a full slate of games between the sports' biggest rivals -- Alabama/Auburn, Pittsburgh/West Virgina, Georgia/Georgia Tech, Ohio State/Michigan, Florida/Florida St., and one my personal favorites, USC/UCLA.

In honor of the occasion, I dug into the Pop Culture Fiend Archives and tried to find something relevant. What'd I come up with?...

Two things. An old "Beat UCLA" button I got at the USC bookstore, and this VERY old video clip of an ABC-TV produced music video promoting the game.

There was no date on the tape I culled this from, but I'm pretty sure it's circa 1989. I was able to deduce this based on clues in the video -- shots of Larry Smith (USC head coach from 1987 to 1992), USC 1989 All-American defensive back Mark Carrier (#7 in the group of players you see at the very beginning), and a cameo from Richard Lewis and Jamie Lee Curtis from the ABC comedy Anything But Love, which premiered in 1989.

I have to say, no matter who you root for in this rivalry, you gotta love this video's highly apropos use of Randy Newman's "I Love L.A." Also, the blonde majorette grooving in front of the UCLA band is pretty darn cute. (Of course, now that I think of it, she'd be in her mid-40s by now... Oh well.)

Oh, and in case you're wondering, this game ended in a 10-10 tie -- the seventh and last tie in this 82 year old rivalry.

USC-UCLA Football Rivalry on Wikipedia

Trailer Friday for November 11th, 2011

2011-11-11T14:43:00.000-08:00

Hi folks. Well, it's Trailer Friday again. Check out our in-the-moment commentary on an all new crop of movies.

Immortals (November 11)

"I missed Clash of the Titans and was kind of disappointed by Troy but still enjoyed it. This looks way better than both."

"Not enough audience for this movie. It's probably gonna do poorly at the box office. Too bad --I'm a sucker for films based on Greek mythology."

"I'm wary. The last big picture [director] Tarsem Singh did was that J. Lo movie The Cell, which had great visuals but was one of the worst movies I saw that year."

Snow White and the Huntsman (Summer 2012)

"This film has a lot to live up to. The writer got an unfathomable $3 million dollars for what was essentially a spec script. That being said, the trailer looks awesome! Of the two, this is definitely gonna be the Snow White movie you want to see."

"Are we supposed to believe that skinny, pasty, Kristen Stewart is "fairer" than the gorgeous Charlize Theron? Also, it's hard to buy Stewart as an ass-kicking action hero."

"Agreed. Seriously bad casting for that lead role. Stewart always looks so mopey and bored. Like she's constantly thinking, 'Yeah, being a movie star sucks.'"

Project X (March 2)

"Can't Hardly Wait meets Risky Business with a smattering of The Blair Witch Project."

"First of all, they need a more original title. Project X is the name of an 80s movie about astronaut monkeys. (No bullshit, Matthew Broderick was in it.")

"Sex-starved teens have a wild party and wreck the house while their parents are away -- how original!"

"Here's a red flag for you -- Todd Phillips (Old School, The Hangover) is listed as producer but didn't write or direct."

Justice (November 18)

"Why, oh why, do they keep giving Nicholas Cage starring roles?"

"I say the exact same thing about Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, and Anna Faris. But seriously, this could be good. (Director) Roger Donaldson (No Way Out, Thirteen Days, The Bank Job ) knows his way around a thriller."

"Seems very predictable. Did anyone NOT think the favor the vigilante guy was gonna ask for was for Cage to kill someone?"

A Thousand Words (Coming soon)

"Broad, high-concept comedies like this are Hollywood gold. Wish I'd thought of that premise."

"High-concept... or gimmicky? It worked for Liar, Liar, not so much for Yes Man. It's all in the execution."

"I agree it's a great premise but judging from that trailer, they're not doing enough with it. I was expecting to laugh out loud while watching that preview and it just didn't happen."

"This movie would probably work better with a stronger supporting cast. Someone like Chris Tucker as the best friend and Halle Berry instead of Kerry Washington as the girlfriend."

Related Posts:

Hey Everyone, It's Trailer Friday!

Who Slept With Who On Gilligan's Island?

2011-11-10T10:49:00.000-08:00

Over the course of human history, there have been many questions that have plagued mankind... What's the meaning of life?... Are we alone in the universe?... How could teenage girls possibly think Robert Pattinson is good looking?... And do we really need TWO Snow White movies?

But none of these questions compares to the one eternal mystery that every man, woman and child inevitably comes to ponder...

"Who had sex with who on Gilligan's Island?"

After considerable research in which I examined the series, the subtext of the individual episodes, and the psychology of the characters, I was finally able to definitively deduce who each of the castaways slept with during their many years on that damn island.

When you examine the Seven Deadly Sins of Gilligan's Island, you'll see that Ginger represents lust. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that it's Ginger who is at the epicenter of all sexual activity among the castaways. So first off, Ginger did the Professor. You figure, the Professor is very studious, right?... He’s only interested in his experiments and he doesn’t pay Ginger any attention. That turns her on. (You know how chicks are always attracted to guys that ignore them.)

After that, Ginger did it with Mr. Howell. Why?.. One word, money. He probably promised to buy her a house, or jewelry or a movie studio or something after they got rescued. You see, people think that Ginger was this big famous movie star that was probably super-wealthy in her own right. The truth is Ginger was a "B"-movie actress who starred in a lot of low-budget films. Check this list of movies she mentions having starred in prior to being marooned on the island -- The Hula Girl and the Fullback, Mohawk Over the Moon, Belly Dancers of Bali-Bali, and Rain Dancers of Rango-Rango.

See what I mean? We're not exactly talking Schindler's List here, are we?

If Ginger Grant were an actress today, she'd be a lot closer to Carmen Electra than Meryl Streep. So you figure, when it came to her Hollywood career, Ginger was looking to get TO the top, by letting Mr. Howell get ON top... of her.

Okay next, Mary Ann had sex with Ginger. How do I figure?... You have to study the backstory of the characters. Mary Ann is a sweet, innocent, naïve little farmgirl from the midwest --probably still a virgin. Meanwhile, Ginger is this big Hollywood celebrity. You know, with that whole sixties, swinging lifestyle -- free love and what not. She was probably into all kinds of kinky stuff.

So one night, Ginger and Mary Ann go for a moonlight swim in the lagoon... Skinnydipping...They get back to their hut; they have a little champagne... (In case you're wondering where they got the champagne, Mr. Howell opened a case to celebrate after they escaped from the headhunters the day before.) So anyway, they’re in their hut, toweling each other off, sipping champagne... one thing leads to another... Next thing you know it turns into a late night 1990s Cinemax movie starring Shannon Tweed.

Alright, later on -- not right away, but later -- after a couple of years on the island, Mary Ann and Gilligan hooked up. And that made Ginger jealous, so she seduced Gilligan and they had sex. Now I know what you’re saying -- "Ginger was just a huge freakin’ slut!"... You are correct.

That leaves the Skipper. So who was banging him?... Nobody. Maybe Ginger threw him a bone one day and made out with him, or let him feel her up or something, but that's it. No pity sex or coitus of any kind.

And finally, who was doing Mrs. Howell?... No one. Think about it. If you were on a deserted island and needed sexual gratification -- Mrs. Howell, or a hallowed out coconut?...

Nuff said.

The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s: Part 3

2011-11-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

The countdown continues with numbers 10 through 6 Also, be sure to check out The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s, Part 1 and Part 2

10. The Silence of the Lambs
1991
Directed by Jonathan Demme
Written by Thomas Harris, Ted Tally (Based on the novel by Thomas Harris)
Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glen

A more chilling film, you will not find. A sexually ambiguous serial killer named Buffalo Bob lives in a dank, isolated backwoods home, keeps his female victims in a dungeon, fattens them up, and then skins them so he can wear their flesh as a woman suit... Oh, and this guy's not even the main villain! It's actually Dr. Hannibal Lechter, a brilliant but insane psychiatrist who, when he isn’t murdering and eating the livers of his colleagues, enjoys playing head games with his fellow asylum inmates and coercing them into suicide. Thrust into all of this is Jodie Foster as rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling, working against the clock to track down Buffalo Bob and his latest victim, the daughter of a US Senator, before it’s too late.

Foster and Hopkins give riveting performances as Clarice has to let Lechter inside her head in exchange for his assistance in finding the killer. Taught with suspense and utterly creepy, this film paved the way for a slew of similar psychological thrillers including Final Analysis, Seven, The Bone Collector, Kiss the Girls, and Taking Lives.

Killer Sequence: Lechter breaks Clarice down and forces her to recall haunting childhood memories of what happened on her uncle’s farm.

9. The Rock

1996

Directed by Michael Bay

Written by David Weisberg and Douglas Cook & Mark Rosner

Starring Nicholas Cage, Sean Connery, Ed Harris

Despite two unlikely heroes -- quirky Nicholas Cage and a pushing seventy Sean Connery -- this picture serves as the measuring stick for 1990s action movies. Screenwriters Weisberg, Cook and Rosner flipped the tables by having the two protagonists break in to Alcatraz prison to stop a rogue general (Ed Harris) from wiping out San Francisco with a stolen cache of chemical weapons. Since this film’s release, Hollywood has sought to duplicate director Michael Bay’s heart racing “can-you-top-this” action sequences, but the two films that come closest may very well be Bay's own Armageddon and his latest effort, Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

Killer Sequence: General Hummel makes his demands, and sets off nearly two solid hours of edge of your seat action and suspense.

8. American History X
1998
Directed by Tony Kaye
Written by David McKenna
Starring Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Avery Brooks

Ed Norton, who holds the edge over Johnny Depp as the best young actor to emerge during the 1990s, gives a commanding performance as Derek, an intelligent, but disillusioned Venice, California youth who rises to a prominent position in a neo-Nazi skinhead organization. After serving time in prison, Derek reforms, but upon his release finds that his younger brother is making the same mistakes he did. The film shifts back and forth in time, showing us how Derek was initially drawn into the group, his rise to power, and his eventual rehabilitation and release from prison. The film offers a frighteningly authentic depiction of exactly how hate groups recruit and convert their members and infuse them with their doctrines of prejudice and intolerance.

Killer Sequence: A flashback where Derek murders a black car thief, and a family confrontation where he fully reveals his philosophies of white supremacy to his mother and her Jewish boyfriend are both powerfully disturbing.

Warning: Explicit Language

7. The Shawshank Redemption

1994

Directed by Tim Robbins

Written by Stephen King, Frank Darabont (Based on the short story Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King)

Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman

This tremendously moving film, based on one of Stephen King’s lesser known short stories, stars Tim Robbins as Andy Dufresne, justafiably imprisoned for the murder of his adulterous wife, and traces his experiences through the 30 years he spends in a New England prison. Fine supporting performances by Bob Gunton as the prison warden and the always reliable Morgan Freeman as Andy’s best friend Red, help make this film an engrossing testament to the indominitability of the human spirit. Had it not been released the same year as Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction, this film would have walked away with Best Picture and Best Director Oscars.

Killer Sequence: Andy fulfills the film's credo, "Get busy living, or get busy dying", by carrying out a long-planned, daring and ingenius escape.

6. There’s Something About Mary

1998

Directed by Bobby and Peter Farrelly

Written by Ed Decter and John J. Strauss & Bobby and Peter Farrelly

Starring: Ben Stiller, Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon

The Farrelly Brothers had given us a couple of films that featured good old fashioned, gross-out humor (Dumb and Dumber and the underrated Kingpin) but they scored a box office smash with TSAM, which sprinkled in healthy doses of sentimental romance and hilarious slapstick alongside its’ over-the-top bathroom humor.

Stiller plays straight man through most of the film (whether it’s to Mary’s mentally challenged brother, Warren; Dillon’s sleazy private dick; a homicidal hitchhiker; or Puffy, the border terrier on speed) as he seeks to track down his one and only true love from high school.

Though some found it's scatalogical humor a bit much, TSAM features BIG laughs from start to finish and the film's success kicked off a trend among contemporary American comedies to see how far they could push the raunchiness envelope (see American Pie, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Superbad, Borat, etc.)

Killer Sequence: The “hair gel” scene gave the 90s the same thing the diner scene from When Harry Met Sally gave the 80s -- the single funniest screen moment of the decade.

The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s: Part 2

The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s: Part 4

The Defining Films of the Decades

In Time Review in Zero Words

2011-11-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone, It's Trailer Friday!

2011-10-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

Every other Friday (or so) we all get together to view bunch of the latest movie trailers. So check out what we watched and enjoy the commentary:

Warning: Explicit Content

A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas [red band trailer]

"Yes! That chick who plays Harold's girlfriend (Paula Garces) is back, wearing lingerie and talking dirty!"

"Kumar's girlfriend (Daneel Harris) is hot too. She's in this, right?"

"Speaking of Kumar, Kal Penn is looking kinda old... and pudgy."

"This movie actually looks like it could be okay. Babies doing drugs is always good for a laugh."

Tower Heist

"Tea Leoni's Hollywood career is like a Wack-a-Mole game. Every so often she pops up completely unexpectedly, then disappears."

"It's been 25 years but Eddie Murphy's still got it. It's like as soon as you see his face, you smile."

"Is anybody else looking at Matthew Broderick and thinking, 'Wow, Ferris Beuller really let himself go."?

"An adult action-comedy with that cast... directed by Brett Ratner... This movie's gonna make money."

Piranha 3DD

"Was that Doc Brown from Back to the Future?!"

"Cool -- Ving Rhames has guns for legs just like Rose McGowan in Planet Terror."

"Ten bucks says this movie never makes it theaters and goes straight to DVD."

"Campy, low-budget crap... But hey, can we watch that 'Double D' part again?"

The Mighty Macs

"The producers of this movie are going for that key target audience of 1970s women's college basketball fans."

"Isn't Marley Shelton supposed to be in this movie -- cause I don't think I saw her in that trailer."

"Looks like Semi Pro meets Hoosiers with a smattering of Sister Act."

In Time

"Interesting -- this is from the same writer who did Gattaca."

"Love the premise. Very Logan's Run-ny-ish."

"This could be a great movie. I seriously hope that puss Justin Timberlake doesn't ruin it."

"They had me the second Olivia Wilde's face hit the screen."

Signature Songs: The Bangles

2011-10-21T16:00:00.000-07:00

Starting a new series today called "Signature Songs". In it, I'm going to be talking about the songs that are the best examples of the work of individual recording artists. For example, the signature song for Madonna would be "Like a Virgin. Why?... Because in addition to being a major hit, it includes many of the musical elements Madonna is best known for.

Making a determination like this requires me to generalize a bit, because over the course of their careers, Madonna records songs in many different styles (as do many other longstanding artists.) For example, consider Madonna's "Hung Up", which has that ABBA sample and is very "techno-ey"; "Take a Bow", which is a sad ballad replete with violins and other classical instruments; and "Physical Attraction", which is classic synth-ey 80s dance-pop.

But the reason "Like a Virgin" is Madonna's signature song is because it's the best representation of who she is (or at least SEEMS to be) as a person and an artist. In other words, if you were forced to stereotype Madonna music, or choose one song to save in a time capsule so future generations could know what type of artist she was and what type of music she made, the best choice would be "Like a Virgin". And it has less to do with how big a hit "Like a Virgin" was than it does the fact that "Like a Virgin" includes the optimal combination of ingredients that make up the lion's share of Madonna's musical catalog. "Like a Virgin", for example, includes a lot of synthesizers -- as did most of Madonna's early hits ("Everybody", "Borderline", "Lucky Star", "Angel", "Dress You Up", "Into the Groove".) Like many Madonna songs, "Like a Virgin" is danceable, and perhaps most importantly, "Like a Virgin" is overtly sexual, both in title and lyrics -- and we all know that Madonna has certainly put her sexuality at the forefront of much of her music and her life.

Again, I'm generalizing somewhat and I understand that whether it's an individual artist, a singing group or a band, an artist's music will likely evolve over time. Almost invariably, they'll start to explore different genres and musical styles, draw inspiration from new sources, perhaps collaborate with other artists, and otherwise begin to make music that's entirely (sometimes radically) different from what they're most well known for and/or were creating earlier in their careers.

Notice I said, "almost invariably." Mainly because there are artists who don't evolve very much and continue to churn out the same type of music. Their sound never (or barely) changes and they remain pretty much the same from the start of their careers to the finish.

Punk-oriented bands like The Ramones and Green Day come to mind. Certain "heartland" rockers like Springsteen and John Mellencamp also seem to be making pretty much the same type of music they did when they were first starting out. To my point, recent Springsteen tunes like "Radio Nowhere" off 2007's Magic and "The Last Carnival" from 2009's Working On a Dream, would fit in perfectly next to cuts like "Badlands" and "Prove it All Night" on Bruce's 1978 album Darkness on the Edge of Town. (And judging by the two photos above, it looks like Bruce's wardrobe hasn't changed much either. That shirt looks exactly the same as one he wore during the Darkness on the Edge of Town era!)

My friend Arun and I discussed why heartland-rockers and punk rockers might tend to stay truer to their musical styles. We hypothesized that it's because heartland rock and punk rock are extremely well-defined sub-genres that are closely married to very specific attributes, attitudes and ideals. Heartland-rock, epitomized by Springsteen, Mellencamp, Bob Seger, and even Kid Rock's more recent efforts, is often socially conscious and draws its themes from traditional American values like fairness, hard work, community, and loyalty.

When the music an artist produces is so "rooted" this way, it's understandable how that music might only minimally change -- even over a long haul.

Punk rock is also deeply rooted in very strong and specific ideals. It's stripped-down, fast-paced, angry, and anti-establishment. So as soon as a punk rocker begins making music that moves away from these core themes and attributes, that artist immediately loses their "punk identity" and starts to become something completely different. (They also run the risk of completely alienating their fanbase and the core audience they worked so hard to gain.) This theory may help explain why bands like The Ramones, Social Distortion, and The Offspring made/make the same style music over their 20+ year careers.

Okay, that was quite a digression. I was talking about "signature songs" and the artist I'm going to begin with is The Bangles. Their signature song -- "If She Knew What She Wants".

No, not "Manic Monday", the Bangles first major hit and their most enduring song. And not "Eternal Flame", the band's only #1 record. "If She Knew What She Wants" gets the nod because The Bangles were formed largely based on founding members Susanna Hoffs, Vicki Peterson and Debbie Peterson's shared love of The Beatles, The Byrds, and sixties psychedelia and "If She Knew What She Wants" represents the perfect blend of these three influences.

"If She Knew What She Wants" borrows the "jangly" Rickenbacker guitars found in the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" and the Byrds' "Turn! Turn! Turn! and "Mr. Tambourine Man", but also adds a ton of terrific harmonies, reminiscent of not only the Beatles, but the Beach Boys and the Mamas and the Papas as well. Also, if you listen closely, you'll find "If She Knew What She Wants" is structurally similar to the Beatles' "Nowhere Man" (which also features Rickenbacker guitars by the way.)

I dug through the Pop Culture Fiend Archives and found and posted this performance of The Bangles performing "If She Knew What She Wants" on Late Nite with David Letterman (circa 1987, I believe.)

I've heard the group sing this song many times (including live) and this is arguably their best performance. From Susanna's distinct croon, to their clothes (check out Vicki's 60s-style go-go boots and hairdo) to their impromptu dance moves, this was The Bangles at their peak. The only question is, as an all-girl band that almost certainly had to go through a lot to be taken seriously, why are they not playing their own instruments?...

Oh well, in any case, enjoy!

Related Posts

Where is Popular Music Going?

Proof That Even Really Bad Comedies Usually Have At Least One Good Laugh: Coup De Ville Edition

2011-10-12T13:17:00.000-07:00

The "Louie, Louie" scene.

Coup de Ville is road comedy about three brothers -- a military man (Daniel Stern), a nebbish square (Arye Gross), and a cocky delinquent (Patrick Dempsey) -- forced to drive from Detroit to Miami to deliver their mom's Cadillac. There's very little that's memorable about this film...

Except for this one scene.

In it, the three brothers enter a RAGING debate regarding the true lyrics of the famous 1963 Kingsmen hit, "Louie, Louie". The argument centers on the largely unintelligible lyrics and whether the tune is a "dance song", a "hump song", or a" sea chanty".

As a whole, Coup de Ville is largely unfunny. But everything about this one scene is perfect -- particularly the dialog, the pacing, and the acting. Dempsey's crude analysis and explanation of the lyrics is nicely juxtaposed with that of Gross, and Stern is awesome as the oldest brother, who initially ignores his siblings, but then eventually gets sucked into the debate. You gotta especially love the part where he says, "Oh Bobby, shut up, you don't know what you're talking about." He's just so bullying, sarcastic, and dismissive -- just the way older brothers are in real life. Also comically realistic is how everything escalates and these guys get so worked up over something so trivial -- it's very Seinfeld-esque.

Real Steel Review in Zero Words

2011-10-07T13:06:00.000-07:00

There you have it... If you don't believe me, check the trailer:

The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s: Part 2

2011-10-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

Be sure to check out Part 1 here

15.
Memphis Belle
Directed by Michael Caton-Jones

Written by Monte Merrick

Starring: Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, Tate Donovan, Billy Zane, D.B. Sweeney, John Lithgow, David Straithairn, Sean Astin, Harry Connick, Jr.

Excellent ensemble piece based in part on the true story of the crew of the "Memphis Belle", the first bomber in the 8th Air Corps to successfully complete 25 missions during WWII.

A vicariously thrilling tale of courage and comaraderie punctuated by some fine performances by some charismatic young actors, including Billy Zane, D.B. Sweeney, Eric Stoltz, Harry Connick, Jr. Matthew Modineas staid pilot Dennis Dearborn, and Tate Donovan as his glory hungry co-pilot Luke. The film so accurately captures the look of the period and the story is so engaging, you'll be on the edge of your seat for over an hour hoping the young crew can defy the odds and make it from their base in England to their German target and back.

Killer Sequence: Ironically, the film’s most powerful moment occurs not in the air with the young heroes, but back on the ground when John Lithgow, as an army Colonel working on publicizing the success of the Belle crew, reads through a collection of letters from the loved ones of soldiers killed in battle.

by popculturefiend

14.

Shakespeare in Love

1998

Directed by John Madden

Written by Marc Norman, Tom Stoppard

Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush, Tom Wilkinson, Colin Firth, Ben Affleck, Rupert Everett, Judi Dench

A very clever premise sets this film in motion as it provides a fictional account of a young William Shakespeare in the process of penning Romeo and Juliet (or as it was originally titled, Romeo and Ethel the Pirate’s Daughter.) With Joseph Fiennes (Ralph’s little brother) as the young bard and Paltrow (who won an Academy Award for her flawless performance as his treasured Viola) the

film expertly plays connect the dots and “What if it happened this way?” with the circumstances

surrounding the original production of what is arguably Shakespeare's most well-known play.

Paltrow’s character is slightly reminiscent of Julie Andrews’ in Victor/Victoria in its’ “woman dressed as a man playing a woman” theme but otherwise, Norman and Stoppard’s Oscar winning screenplay is uniquely original and sprinkled with clever literary references and “in-jokes” that add a rich subtext to the film. Some very funny supporting performances from Rush, Wilkinson, Firth, and a scene stealing Judi Dench as Queen Elizabeth I make the film even more of a must-see.

Killer Sequence: The film's climax sees Viola sail for Virginia with her husband. But as Shakespeare begins to write Twelfth Night, he imagines her shipwrecked and their love enduring for all time.

13.

Groundhog Day

1993

Directed by Harold Ramis

Written by Danny Rubin, Harold Ramis

Starring: Bill Murray, Andie McDowell

Refreshingly inventive comedy from one of the funniest and most

underrated filmmakers working in the comedy genre, Harold Ramis (Caddyshack, Analyze This, National Lampoon’s Vacation). Murray plays Phil Connors, a cynical and condescendingly obnoxious weatherman forced to relive the same day over and over until he gets it right. In a series of hilarious sequences, Phil at first fears, then exploits, laments and finally makes the most of his situation. One of the most original comedies in years, featuring a subtlely brilliant comedic performance by the always superb Murray.

Killer Sequence: Phil uses his unique predicament to rob an armored car and seduce a sexy diner patron.

12.

Braveheart

1995

Directed by Mel Gibson

Written by Randall Wallace

Starring: Mel Gibson, Patrick McGoohan, Sophie Marceau

Scottish hero William Wallace is profiled in this sweeping Mel Gibson epic. In only his second directorial effort, Gibson manages to delicately balance the frenzied chaos of the riveting battle scenes with more quietly dramatic moments like those featuring Patrick McGoohan and Sophie Marceau as King Edward the Longshanks and Princess Isabelle, respectively. McGoohan delivers an Oscar-caliber performance as does Gibson, who wound up with two of the golden statues (Best Director and Best Picture.) Brilliantly photographed by John Toll (Legends of the Fall, Almost Famous) this film rivals David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia as the best of it’s genre -- the historical action/drama.

Killer Sequence: Any of the seemingly logistically impossible battle scenes, particularly the one where Wallace appears in blue warpaint and delivers an inspiring speech to his troops.

11.

The Godfather Part III

1990

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

Written by Francis Ford Coppola, Mario Puzo

Starring: Al Pacino, Andy Garcia, Joe Mantegna, Talia Shire, Eli Wallach, Diane Keaton, George Hamilton, Sofia Coppola

Much maligned third installment in the Coppola trilogy based on Mario Puzo’s best seller about the rise of an Italian crime family. Coppola was justifiably criticized for casting his inexperienced daughter Sofia in the pivotal role of Mary Corleone (a part that was to be portrayed by Winona Ryder until she dropped out of the project.) But Sofia’s amateurish performance aside, Godfather III is a superior film that would be much more highly regarded if it weren’t for the fact that its’ two prequels are considered two of the best movies in cinema history.

In a film that was nominated for Best Picture (G3 haters always seem to forget that) Coppola tells the tale of a now repentant Michael Corleone and his attempts to extricate himself and his family from the mafia ties created by he and his father. Coppola cleverly weaves his story around actual historical events, placing Michael at the center of the rise of the Atlantic City casinos and the political/corporate upheaval of the Vatican during the early 1980s. Andy Garcia is charismatic as Michael’s loyal but ambitious nephew, Vincent, who wants to follow in his uncle’s footsteps, and there are fine supporting performances by Joe Mantegna as Michael’s slimy nemesis Joey Zaza, and the overlooked Richard Bright as Al Neri.

Despite production problems that severely impacted his ability to deliver a worthy sequel (Robert Duvall’s character, Tom Hagen, had to be killed off and Diane Keaton’s role as Kay was severely reduced -- reportedly because both wanted more money) Coppola succeeded in making a film that stands on its own but is also true to its predecessors in both theme, characterization and visual style. A totally engrossing movie and one that provides closure on the story of the Corleones, the mafia family to which all others (both real and fictional) are now compared.

Killer Sequence: Every Coppola film has at least half a dozen, but nothing was more gut wrenching than witnessing Mary’s assassination (and Michael’s anguish) on the steps of the opera house.

The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s: Part 3

The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s: Part 4

Airline Magazines, Godfather III, and Madonna -- What's the Connection?

The Playboy Club = Mad Men + American Dreams + The House Bunny

2011-09-27T17:00:00.000-07:00

Though I have been known to tweet an opinion or two, I'm really not in the business of writing reviews -- and I absolutely hate critics. It's incredibly lame when you don't have the mindset or ability to create something of your own, so instead all you do is pick apart the work of others. It's like, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

In any case, the new fall TV season is here and I'm watching a bunch of new shows like Whitney, Two Broke Girls, How To Be A Gentleman, and Pan Am. And even though I'm not into reviews, I'm compelled to write about one of my favorite new series, The Playboy Club.

In a nutshell, it's Mad Men, meets American Dreams with a smattering of The House Bunny.

Like Mad Men, The Playboy Club features an ensemble cast, and is set in the early sixties in a workplace where all of the male characters are unaplogetically misogynistic. The lead character, Nick Dalton (Eddie Cibrian) channels the cool, suave persona of Don Draper and like Draper, has a mysterious and shady past.

My American Dreams comparison refers to the plotlines of that show (which also took place during the 1960s) being set against

the backdrop of real life events. American Dreams, for those who don't remember the overlooked but critically acclaimed series, traced the lives of several characters (in this case, a Philadelphia family) as they experienced the tumultuous culture shifts of the 1960s. The JFK assassination, 1964 Philadelphia riots, Vietnam War, and American Bandstand TV show (produced in Philadelphia at the time) were just a few of the many real-life events incorporated into the show's plotlines.

The Playboy Club is set to travel this same historically accurate route, teasing storylines that incorporate the infamous Chicago mob, the Civil Rights Movement, and even the Mattachine Society, one one of the country's earliest pro-homosexual organizations.

And there's a lot more going on with The Playboy Club, notably the ongoing murder/coverup/investigation of a mafia kingpin, and (also like American Dreams) excellent recreations of actual musical performances. (The premiere episode featured Ike and Tina Turner performing at both The Playboy Club and at Hugh Hefner's Chicago Playboy Mansion.) There's also a healthy dose of workplace romance, and lots of sexual tension between Cibrian and Laura Benanti who plays Carol, the club's resident den mother (hence, my "House Bunny" comparison.)

But if the primary reason you think you might be interested in this show is for the titillation factor, then you won't be dissapointed. There are plenty of sexy, bunny-eared, cotton-tailed bunnies flitting around. (Hey, you know you've got a sexy show when Jenna Dewan is only the third most attractive female cast member.) The clear standout, however, is the gorgeous Amber Heard as Maureen.

I first noticed Heard in Never Back Down back in 2008 and since then, she has taken on a series of curious roles in a number of offbeat films (Pineapple Express, Zombieland, The Joneses) presumably waiting for that breakthrough role that will make her a household name. Maybe the upcoming The Rum Diary, in which she co-stars with Johnny Depp, will serve that purpose, but on the other hand, maybe television is where she'll wind up -- at least for awhile.

In any case, there's an awful lot to like about The Playboy Club, but you have to wonder if it will

last. As a period piece with a large cast, it's an expensive show and will need to garner good ratingsin order to survive. How I Met Your Mother and Two and a Half Men have helped CBS own

Mondays for years, making it more difficult for The Playboy Club to draw the viewers it

needs to stay afloat. The debut scored a

disappointing 1.6 rating (in the key demographic of 18-49 year olds) and yesterday's episode did slightly worse. Clearly, the show is being hurt by WWE Raw and (on the east coast) Monday Night Football, which combine to siphon off a huge share of male viewers.

Too bad, because The Playboy Club is a quality show. Guess I'll enjoy it for as long as I can.

The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s: Part 1

2011-09-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

Came across this article on "The Worst Songs of the 90s" and it triggered two thoughts:

First, this list is full of songs that were MONSTER hits, including "Achy Breaky Heart", "Ice Ice Baby" and "My Heart Will Go On". These songs (and the others on the list) weren't popular for nothing folks. Radio stations were playing them, kids and/or adults were buying them, and folks all over the country were jamming to them whenever they were played at clubs, concerts, or parties -- WHICH WAS ALL THE TIME!

So I guess what this list tells us is that for a 10 year span twenty years ago, the majority of us were complete idiots.

Either that, or maybe, when we look back at our pop culture choices, we all turn into hyper-critical revisionists. (But that's a blog post for another time.)

The other thing this article tells me is that maybe 80s nostalgia is finally winding down and is being displaced by 90s nostalgia.

So with that in mind, let's jump on board with a list of:

The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s:

20.

Higher Learning

1995
Written and Directed by John Singleton

Starring: Omar Epps, Kristy Swanson, Michael Rappaport, Ice Cube, Tyra Banks

Director John Singleton’s follow-up to his overly praised Boyz N The Hood is far more ambitious and more technically sound than his previous work, as the tensions created by racial conflict mount, and eventually wreak havoc on the campus of a large California university. Singleton’s interesting camera work, the broader scope of his story, and the performances he elicits from his ensemble cast (particularly within the storyline depicting how Michael Rappaport, as a freshman misfit, falls in with a band of local skinheads) are all evidence of his growth as a filmmaker. An extremely engaging and realistic examination of race relations among college students and the ingredients that can sometimes lead to conflict.

Killer Sequence: The disturbing climax where Rappaport goes on a killing spree at the school is (sadly) all too familiar these days.

19.

Happy Gilmour

1996

Directed by Dennis Dugan

Written by Tim Herlihy, Adam Sandler

Starring: Adam Sandler, Carl Weathers, Christopher MacDonald, Julie Bowen

Adam Sandler plays the title character, a golf phenom whose sensibilities and demeanor are more suited to the hockey rink than the PGA Tour. Reminiscent of Caddyshack (not only in subject matter but also theme and characterizations) this film has a broader appeal than Sandler’s quirkier, earlier effort, Billy Madison. A home video classic and the picture that kicked Sandler’s movie career into high gear.

Killer Sequence: Hard to top that fight scene with The Price is Right’s Bob Barker.

18.

Friday

1995

Directed by F. Gary Gray

Written by Ice Cube, D.J. Pooh

Starring: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, John Witherspoon, Anna Maria Horsford, Nia Long

Twenty-five year old director F. Gary Gray (The Negotiator, The Italian Job) capitalized on the growing popularity of urban, inner city dramas (Boyz N The Hood, Menace to Society, Juice) by showing us a fun side of life in the hood. Ice Cube, as Craig, proves that he can do more than just scowl into the camera, but the breakout star here is Chris Tucker as Craig’s drug peddling friend Smokey, who expertly jives, whines and connives his way through a film that traces a lazy Friday afternoon in the lives of the two slackers. Tucker creates one of the funniest and most memorable film characters of the decade and Friday's success on home video led to two sequels.

Killer Sequence: Craig settles the score and shows what it really means to be a man in his final confrontation with the neighborhood bully Deebo.

17.

Armageddon

1998

Directed by Michael Bay

Written by Jonathan Hensleigh, Robert Roy Pool

Starring: Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Billy Bob Thornton

Director Michael Bay (of the Transformers movies) proved that he is master of the action genre with this sci-fi thrill-ride. It’s a familiar

storyline: Gaggle of oil drilling miscreants fly into outer space, crash land on an asteroid that’s hurdling towards earth, and somehow manage to blow it up and save the world... Okay, so the story’s not so familiar...

This was the second of two runaway asteroid movies in less than a year (Deep Impact was the other) but producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Carribbean, Gone in Sixty Seconds, Top Gun) and star Bruce Willis know their way around an action movie like no one else. Throw in some killer special effects and a little comic relief courtesy of Steve Buscemi, and this movie scores big time as thrilling, edge of your seat, pass the popcorn entertainment.

Killer Sequence: The opening CGI scenes of midtown Manhattan being decimated by a meteor storm.

16.

Schindler's List

1993

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Written by Thomas Keneally, Steve Zaillian (Based on the novel by Thomas Keneally)

Starring: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley

Steven Spielberg has perhaps enjoyed more success than any other filmmaker in history. In the 90s, his films grossed over $1.2 billion at US box offices. Though many of his films have also been critically acclaimed (Jaws, Saving Private Ryan, The Color Purple, Empire of the Sun), Schindler's List is still considered Spielberg's masterpiece. Disturbing, heartrending and uplifting all at once, the film tells the then little-known story of Czech business magnate Oscar Schindler, and how the morally bankrupt war profiteer finds his heart and saves his soul by orchestrating the escape of hundreds of his Jewish workers from the clutches of Third Reich. It’s impossible not to be moved by this film or the performance of a commanding Liam Neeson in the title role. Filmed mostly in black and white, the movie has an almost documentary type feel, particularly during those scenes depicting the atrocities committed by the Nazis. This film solidified Spielberg as not only the world’s most popular and successful directors, but also one of its’ most important and enduring.

Killer Sequence: The once callous Schindler breaks down in front of Ben Kingsley, openly weeping as he tells him, “I didn't do enough.”

Check back soon for Part 2 of The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s

What's Old is New Again: Contagion

2011-09-15T11:39:00.000-07:00

The new film Contagion looks like a pretty darn good thriller.

But doesn't it look EXACTLY like the movie Outbreak from back in 1995?

For starters, as you can plainly see, the colors used in the two movie posters are almost identical. They're so close in fact, that it makes me wonder whether this was some kind of conscious choice made by Contagion's marketing and publicity team.

Next, check out this description of Outbreak found on Rotten Tomatoes:

A handful of scientists struggle to prevent the destruction of a small town -- and possibly the entire country. In the mid-1960s, a deadly virus is discovered in Zaire that wipes out an entire village in 24 hours. Government researchers are brought in to investigate, but the military opts to destroy the village rather than risk further infection. Thirty years later, Sam Daniels, an expert on contagious diseases, is called in when the virus re-emerges.

Now here's the description of Contagion:

Contagion follows the rapid progress of a lethal airborne virus that kills within days. As the fast-moving epidemic grows, the worldwide medical community races to find a cure and control the panic that spreads faster than the virus itself.

And besides the obvious story similarities, consider this:

Each movie was helmed by a highly acclaimed director. Wolfgang Peterson (Das Boot, Troy, In the Line of Fire) directed Outbreak, while Steven Soderbergh (Erin Brockovich, Sex, Lies and Videotape, The Girlfriend Experience) handled Contagion.

Both films feature very strong ensemble casts. Outbreak stars Dustin Hoffman, Morgan Freeman, Rene Russo, Kevin Spacey and Cuba Gooding Jr. Contagion has Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, and Marion Cotillard.

At the time of their release, both casts brought strong Oscar credentials to the screen. Hoffman had already won two (Kramer vs Kramer and Rain Man), Freeman one (Driving Miss Daisy), and Spacey and Gooding Jr. would go on to win (for American Beauty and Jerry Maguire, respectively) by the end of the decade.

Contagion matches that with Winslet, Paltrow, and Cotillard all having taken home the golden statuette. (Fishburne and Law were both nominated but lost.) Damon did earn an Oscar for Good Will Hunting, but won it for screenwriting.

Finally, take a look at the Contagion and Outbreak trailers. Pay particularly close attention to the common plot points and also the scenes with Sutherland, Hoffman and Law as they present the data and projection for how quickly the virus will spread. The clips and the dialog are awfully close.

Proof That Even Really Bad Comedies Usually Have At Least One Good Laugh: Dude, Where's My Car Edition

2011-09-12T16:08:00.001-07:00

Chinese food scene ("And then?...")

Where is Popular Music Going?

2011-09-07T15:08:00.000-07:00

In the wake of the recent MTV Video Music Awards, I was left pondering the question, "Where is pop music going this millenium?"

These days, instead of having to really contemplate what type of music and which artists you're going to invest your time and money into, most people simply go to the iTunes or Amazon Music Store and cherry pick individual songs without investing too much time, energy or effort. It seems one of the results of this, is that experiencing music today is a lot like ordering the sampler at Red Lobster. A few shrimp, a few scallops, some crab cake, and so on. You're continuously moving on to the next thing on the plate and nothing is really any more lasting, memorable (or palatable) than anything else.

Maybe today's music companies and pop artists have figured this out and have consciously chosen NOT to invest in or encourage creation and development of any new musical styles, genres or "sounds". Maybe that's why modern popular music seems to no longer be evolving and expanding -- certainly not the way that it has in the past.

For example, I was kid during the 70s and 80s and I witnessed firsthand, the birth of several new music styles. Back then, were so many different musical paths to explore, and almost all of them were vital, and edgy and impactful, and lasting. Daring stuff that broke the mold, took music off in new directions, and sounded so different from everything else, that it was immediately placed in its own new genre or subgenre.

Conversely, among today's popular music, I see very few artists attempting to break new ground and very little music that comes anywhere close to being "revolutionary" the way it was during the 70s, 80s, and other previous decades. What I'm lamenting I guess, is that as I survey the contemporary pop music scene,

there’s doesn't seem to be a single definitive (or even discernible) movement taking place. When I compare that with what was going on when I was growing up, it’s startling.

For example, when I was twelve, it was 1978, and the Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” had just been released. Now granted, this wasn’t the first rap record, but probably the one most responsible for the mainstream’s initial recognition of this style of music. At the time, rap was fresh and new. It was music in a completely different form, presented and recorded in a completely different style. From these roots, rap would evolve and go on to become the dominant genre it remains to this day.

But besides rap, there were a number of other major musical styles emerging during the 70s. The punk movement is probably the single greatest example of how quickly a new musical genre can reach huge levels of worldwide popularity and influence. Punk, once dismissed as merely anarchic noise, reached its high point in the 70s and now, forty years later, it's not only still going strong, but is well-respected. (The Clash’s hugely London Calling was released in 1979 and is now widely judged by critics as not just the best punk album of all-time, but among the ten best of the modern (aka "rock") era.

Also in the late 70s, new wave music, a more layered, synthesized, danceable, and radio-friendly spin-off of punk, was on the rise, and soon-to-be major artists like Blondie, The Cars, Talking Heads, Devo, Elvis Costello, and The Police were defining the movement.

And of course the 70s also saw the arrival of disco.

My point is, the musical landscape during the seventies had all these important movements taking place at the same time. Can anyone tell me what’s happening that’s comparable in today’s music scene?

Don’t get me wrong; there are a TON of talented artists (ones that have come up since say, the year 2000) out there making great music today. (Alicia Keys, Thompson Square, Colbie Caillat, Beyonce, John Legend, Michael Buble, Pink, Rihanna, Keri Hilson, Maroon 5, Adele, Black Eyed Peas, Katy Perry, Ne-Yo, Coldplay, and Nickelback, to name just a handful.) But from a 10,000 foot view, it just doesn’t seem that collectively today’s music is carving out any kind of enduring legacy for itself. Rather than coalescing and spurring any new movements in music, more than ever, contemporary artists seem to be contently operating within their own artistic spheres, and their work -- as great (or as lousy) as it may be -- seems to have no context.

Now, those that frown on music being put into specific categories will say that's a good thing. But it's not about categorization. It's about the fact that the evolution and expansion of popular music into new directions has slowed dramatically. Even those considered today’s most popular and "cutting-edge" artists (Lil’ Wayne, Kanye West, Jay Z, Eminem, Lady GaGa, etc.) despite the fact that they continue to produce top-selling, enduring hits; aren’t really breaking any new ground.

For perhaps the first time since the mid-50s, there seems to be no style of music and no artists that are either single-handedly (like The Beatles) or as part of a movement (like punk) challenging, or otherwise changing the landscape of popular music. To put this statement in context, consider what's taken place in music during the last sixty years:

The 50s saw the birth of rock and roll and many of its subcategories -- rockabilly, doo-wop, etc.

The sixties gave us the British Invasion, a new wave of folk artists (Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Peter Paul & Mary, Joni Mitchell); the California surf sound (epitomized by groups like the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, and The Rivieras); Motown; the rise of girl groups (Shirelles, Chiffons, Crystals, Ronettes, etc.) and a slew of hugely influential artists out of the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas, including The Byrds, The Doors, Buffalo Springfield, Janis Joplin, Crosby Stills & Nash, Jefferson Airplane, and The Grateful Dead. The 60s also saw the development of what might very well be music’s biggest technological innovation -- multitrack recording -- which instantly and dramatically changed the way nearly every style of produced music would sound from that point on.

The 70s saw the geneses of the previously discussed punk, new wave, rap and disco movements, along with funk, Philly soul, and the golden-age of singer/songwriters (Cat Stevens, James Taylor, Carly Simon, etc.)

In the 80s, new wave and rap entered the main stream; we got the Michael Jackson phenomenon (which rivaled those of Elvis and The Beatles), and what amounted to a second British invasion led by synth pop artists like Thompson Twins, Eurythmics, Human League, and Pet Shop Boys. College radio gave us The Replacements, R.E.M., 10,000 Maniacs, Violent Femmes, and other "alternative" rock.

And of course the biggest mark made during the 80s came courtesy of the music video -- which helped transform several (what were then considered) somewhat marginal talents into bonafide music superstars. (I’m talking to you Madonna and Duran Duran!)

In the 90s, there was grunge, gangsta-rap, and the high point of the previous decade’s alt-rock (Juliana Hatfield, Liz Phair, Radiohead, et. al.) And on the other end of the spectrum, dance music was redefined and began to heavily influence pop. In the process, techno and electronica artists (Moby, William Orbit, The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim) finally gained recognition. Dance beats creeped into rap music too, energizing it, and helping convert it into the modern hip-hop we know today.

Put this all together and you can see there was

one hell of a lot going on from 1955 to the year 2000...

But that’s where it all kind of ends. Past 1999, there seems to be a void -- certainly when you compare it to the volume of twists and turns pop music had taken in the decades prior. What did the first decade of the new millineum give us?… The boy band craze comes immediately to mind. What else?… Britney, was kind of a mini-phenomenon, I guess…

But can anyone offer a new and significant musical style or genre that’s come up over the past decade?…

The Beatles at Candlestick

2011-08-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 45th anniversary of the Beatles' final concert performance -- Candlestick Park, San Francisco, August 29th, 1966. The band did of course famously perform on the roof of Apple Studios in London in 1969, but that wasn't so much a concert as a short jam session -- sort of a final public performance for the band (and goodbye to the fans) as the group was in the process of disintegrating.

The Candlestick show was the final engagement on a 14-stop tour that criss-crossed the US and Canada The short set list includes a nice mix of early Beatles tracks ("Rock and Roll Music", "I Wanna Be Your Man") along with cuts from the 1966 album Rubber Soul ("Nowhere Man", "If I Needed Someone".)

There's a great article with more details about the concert here and if you'd like to download all the tracks, just click this link. A word of warning though -- although this is one of the Beatles most popular bootlegs, the audio quality is pretty terrible; it's almost painful to listen to. If you'd like a better quality concert, try this one from 1964, recorded at Convention Hall in Philadelphia.

The Payback

2011-08-25T14:56:00.000-07:00

Heard James Brown's "The Payback" earlier today. I can remember that song from when I was a little kid (my older sister had the 45) but now, every time I hear it, I think of this scene from Dead Presidents. It's one of the best and most appropriate uses of song for a movie soundtrack that I can remember.

If you haven't seen it, the main character, Anthony (Larenz Tate) is a kid growing up in New York City in the early 70s. He's in a bar shooting pool for money against a young wannabe hoodlum, Cowboy (Terrence Howard.) Anthony wins the game and asks to get paid. Cowboy proceeds to cuss Anthony out, throw him down on the pool table and cut his face with a knife.

Later, Anthony joins the Marines and is shipped into combat in Vietnam -- where he winds up getting tough in a hurry. Anthony then gets out of the service and returns to the same bar, where he runs into Cowboy again. They start shooting pool... and then we hear that funky guitar intro to James Brown's classic. Enjoy. (Warning: Explicit Language)

Shot Through the Heart!...

2011-08-22T15:35:00.000-07:00

Last week marked the 25th anniversary of the release of Bon Jovi's classic Slippery When Wet. The success of this album (8 weeks at number one) and its four hit singles "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Living On A Prayer", "Wanted Dead Or Alive", and "Never Say Goodbye" elevated Bon Jovi from "just another 80s hair band" to bonafide rock superstars. Here's a quick look back:

"You Give Love a Bad Name", the album's first single, was released in July of 1986 and began a steady climb to #1 on Billboard's Hot 100, ultimately reaching that peak position in November. The song's crunching guitar intro and catchy chorus help make it the ultimate "Get Psyched" song. But you don't have to believe me, just ask Barney from How I Met Your Mother.

The second single, "Living On A Prayer", was also a top hit -- four weeks at #1 in 1987 . Today, LOAP is a karaoke and Guitar Hero favorite, and it also holds the impressive distinction of being ranked #1 on VH1's list of the the 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s.

"Wanted Dead or Alive", Slippery When Wet's third single, peaked at #7 in early 1987. A few years later, Emilio Estevez asked Jon Bon Jovi for permission to use the song for the movie Young Guns II. Jon declined but did write and record a brand new song for the film's soundtrack, "Blaze of Glory", which hit #1 in September of 1990.

"Never Say Goodbye", the final single off Slippery When Wet, was released in August 1987, nearly a year to the date after the album was originally released. Though not as successful as the first three singles, the song's nostalgic, sentimental lyrics hold extra meaning for the band's older fans.

But We're Still Way Younger Than Mr. Furley, Right?

2011-08-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a super-depressing thought for all of us who used to watch and enjoy Three's Company... We are now much closer to Mr. Roper's age then Jack Tripper's.

So Let Me Get This Straight... You're Complaining About Hot Women in Tight Leather?

2011-08-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

Actress Anne Hathaway plays Catwoman in next summer's The Dark Knight Rises. Hathaway's a fine choice for this role. Dressed down, she has the pasty, plain Jane look of a bookwormish Selina Kyle (Catwoman's alter ego.) But Hathaway is also statuesque, and has the long lean figure you picture when you think of the classic feline villainess.

Last week, the first photos of Miss Hathaway on set in her Catwoman costume were released and apparently fanboys and other hardcore "Batman-o-philes" (should we call them "Batties") are up in arms. Judging from their comments, it seems the consensus among them is that this iteration of the Catwoman costume is too basic and boring and not "gadgety" enough.

On the one hand, I get it. These very vocal fans (all guys I presume) want something a little more sexed up. Maybe something low-cut, like this version of Catwoman from the Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe video game?

Or maybe they were thinking a kinky two-piece, strappy number with matching whip like Halle Berry wore in the 2004 Catwoman movie?

Maybe leather's not the way to go at all. Maybe they prefer the vinyl outfit worn by Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns?

Or maybe go retro and put Hathaway in the original Catwoman costume worn by Julie Newmar opposite Adam West in the Batman TV series? (I took this shot of it last month at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington D.C.)

A bit of perspective people. What the heck are you complaining about? Anne Hathaway is hot and her outfit is tight. And if you're looking for something sexier to "fantasize" to, just continue to troll the internet for perverted Batman fan art.

Welcome Back, Welcome Back, Wel-come Baaaack

2011-08-10T12:39:00.000-07:00

So in honor of the return of Pop Culture Fiend, here's the theme song from Welcome Back Kotter...

Now one interesting thing about this show, is that it was based on part of creator and star Gabe Kaplan's stand-up comedy routine where he recounts his high school years growing up in Brooklyn. The routine is featured on the EXTREMELY hard to find comedy album Holes and Mellow Rolls, for which the cover art originally looked like this...

After Welcome Back Kotter became a hit, however, the album was re-released with cover art that tied into the show...

In any case, it's a brilliantly funny LP, and in addition to his tales of the real-life sweathogs, Kaplan delivers hilarious bits on feminine hygiene, The Exorcist, and masturbating astronauts.

WBK ran on ABC for a total of four seasons, at which point it completely fell apart due to the departure of star John Travolta. But I was pleasantly surprised to see that when TV Land honored the series this past April, Travolta (though he's the only cast member that's still relevant in Hollywood today) happily joined his fellow cast mates, minus Ron Palillo (Arnold Horshack) to accept the award.

Of course, no discussion of WBK would be complete without a mention of rap artist Mase's use of the WBK theme song in his 2004 "comeback" song, "Welcome Back". This probably the most interesting sample in the history of hip-hop since Jay Z copped the banjo licks from Green Acres for the intro to The Blueprint. (Okay, that didn't really happen but wouldn't it be cool if it did?)

And finally, someone needs to tell me why a great show like WBK is not available on DVD. I mean, you can get the first season, but that's it. ABC, Warner Brothers Television and whoever else, please get on the ball with this. We want to see more stuff like this:

I'm Back, Big as Life and Twice as Ugly!

2011-08-10T12:11:00.000-07:00

After an exclusive tour of Europe, Scandanavia and the Subcontinent, Pop Culture Fiend is back!!!!

Where've I been since December 2010?... Working on screenplays a bit, but mostly just painfully suffering through this mortal coil. But I'm sure you don't care about that...

I actually wanted to bring back the blog at the beginning of the year, but I felt I needed to go through the site first, fixing broken links, and give PCF.com a general facelift. But like I always say, "Time is a motherf**ker", and I just couldn't put enough consecutive hours in to get everything done. So I finally figured, "Screw it", I'll just jump right back into it and fix what I can when I can.

So what should you expect? More of what we're known for -- highlights, remembrances and discussion of American pop culture (with lots of focus on 80s and 90s related stuff), plus a new Facebook page, more reader interaction, exclusive video from the Pop Culture Fiend archives, and maybe even some guest bloggers.

So please subscribe, follow us on Twitter, share us on Facebook, and as we start pumping out the new content, be sure catch up on some of our old posts.

2009-12-25T18:03:00.000-08:00

Defending Isiah

2009-11-18T13:11:00.000-08:00

Sportswriter Jackie MacMullen has co-authored a new book with Magic Johnson and Larry Bird focused on their relationship and rivalry, which began when the two faced off in the 1979 NCAA Championship game and continued as the two became (arguably) the greatest NBA players of the 1980s.

Thus far, the most compelling thing about this book (and what everyone’s talking about so far) are Magic’s comments about his “friend” and fellow NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas. Before I get into that, however, I’ll provide the backstory (word of warning, there’s a lot of it), do my best to identify all the different players (no pun intended) in this drama, and try to identify what could have possibly led to Magic’s very curious allegations against Thomas.

Magic and Isiah traveled many of the same roads. Just two years apart in age, the two grew up in the same area of the country -- Magic’s roots are in Lansing, Michigan, Isiah’s in Chicago. Both are point guards that led their college teams to NCAA titles as sophomores, and each turned pro immediately after. The future superstars signed with the same sneaker company and shot TV commercials together. But even as the two struck up a friendship and rose to become the best point guards in their conferences, their professional careers, personalities and reputations were quite different. Isiah wound up staying in the Midwest with the Detroit Pistons and endured several miserable seasons on losing teams. Detroit was then, as it is now, a blue collar town -- harsh, gritty, tough. Beginning with Isiah, Pistons owner Bill Davidson, GM Jack McCloskey, and head coach Chuck Daly slowly set about building a winning franchise by assembling parts (Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn, Joe Dumars) and developing an extremely physical style of play the rest of the teams in the league would come to hate but wouldn't be able to match.

Magic, meanwhile, joined the Lakers, already a winning franchise with All-Star players Jamaal Wilkes, Norm Nixon, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Johnson flourished in glamorous Los Angeles and enjoyed immediate success as an NBA champion and Finals MVP and quickly became L.A.'s media darling with the brilliant smile.

But on a deeper level, what was taking place with Magic and Isiah would prove to be at the root of all the animosity and bad feelings that have now developed between the two. Magic, because he was in L.A., was schmoozing, ingratiating himself to others, and playing to the media. It was Hollywood after all, and image was everything. Isiah, meanwhile, didn’t care about his image or how he was perceived by others. He was more focused on trying to turn his team into a winner and orchestrating the on-court and front office moves that would make his team as tough, as physical, and as good as it needed to be to become winners. Magic and the Lakers were already winners. They were beating everyone and looking good doing it. Thomas and the Pistons aspired to beat everyone... while beating them up. This is how it all began -- Magic becoming “Showtime” and Isiah a “Bad Boy”.

Throughout the early 80s, Magic and his Lakers versus Bird and the Celtics was one of the premiere rivalries in the NBA. But by 1987, the Pistons were also a legitimate power, losing the conference championship to the Celtics in seven games. The following year, Detroit made it to the championship against the Lakers and a good part of the story revolved around the two good friends and All-Stars (Magic and Isiah) finally facing each other for the crown. In a move that seemed strange to most, the pair actually kissed (European style) before every game. The Lakers wound up winning the series in seven and it looked like a new rivalry was born.

By this time, Magic and Isiah were like brothers. Johnson often let Thomas stay at his home and drive his cars whenever the Pistons came to town. Once, after the NBA Finals, the two took a suite at the Helmsley Palace and spent the weekend in New York. But things started to unravel after Magic’s announcement in November 1991 that he was HIV positive. Magic’s startling revelation and subsequent departure from the game stunned the sports world and soon after speculation began as to how Magic got HIV, as well as who might have given it him. (One popular rumor identified porn star Heather Hunter as the source.) In any case, Magic was barely gone two months, when he was given special permission to play in the 1992 All-Star game. Isiah, then president of the NBA Players’ Association, played a major part in getting this done when he petitioned Commissioner David Stern’s office for Magic’s inclusion even though sponsors were skittish, and many players had concerns about playing with Magic. (Karl Malone, for instance, then one of the leagues’s biggest stars, expressed his inner paranoia publicly when he questioned the idea of Magic’s full-time return to NBA and worried what would happen if Magic suffered an on-court cut.) Thomas’ recollections of defending Magic during this time are crystal clear:

"They weren't going to let Magic play in the All-Star Game; all the players were coming out [against him]. You know how that all got turned around? I had a meeting with all of the players -- and I told them not only was he going to play, but we were going to shake his hand and give him a hug. And I was the first to shake his hand and hug him and give him a kiss, to let people know that's not how the virus is spread. Call Charlie Grantham [the former union
executive director and COO] and ask him how Magic got to play in the All-Star Game. Ask him who called the meeting."

That game wound up being a celebration of Magic. Johnson and Thomas repeated their famous kiss ritual and Isiah led the rest of the eastern All-Stars in laying off Magic (to an almost embarrassing degree) and letting him score at will so he could claim MVP honors in what we thought at the time would be his farewell to the league.

It was immediately after these events that another rumor about Magic’s HIV began circulating, albeit in a much less public fashion than the speculation about Heather Hunter. This rumor claimed that Magic had gotten HIV because he was gay or bisexual. Few then (or now) believed it, particularly not Magic’s teammates or his other close friends.

Which brings us to Magic’s assertions in MacMullan’s book. He claims that it was Thomas who spread this rumor, that he (Magic) was tremendously hurt by this, that it led to the complete dissolution of his and Thomas’ friendship, and that this failed relationship has been, in MacMullan’s words, “the biggest personal disappointment of his life.”

Isiah, for his part, says "Magic acted and responded off some really bad information that he got… I think Magic has been misled on a lot of things, and unfortunately this has been another one of them. I am hurt and disappointed that he has chosen to believe others as opposed to his closest friends.”

Thomas doesn't stop there. In his own defense, he's called Magic out and questioned his character and forthrightness by claiming, “There is this public person and then there is this b.s. person. There's Earvin and then there's Magic.”

Magic’s claims about Isiah seem less than credible for several reasons. For starters, why has Magic waited until now, 18 years after the original events took place, to make all this known? Has he secretly hated Thomas all these years? Isiah says that whenever he’s seen Magic over the years, “he has always been friendly.”

Second, as Thomas himself has pointed out, he was Magic’s closest friend and the two men had engaged in very unusual public displays of affection. This being the case, Thomas is 100% right when he says, “if I was questioning [Magic’s] sexuality, then I was questioning mine too. That's how idiotic this is.”

Then there's the idea of motive. Why would Thomas want to spread such a damaging rumor about his closest friend and his HIV status? It seems unlikely given Thomas’ history. In his dealings with Stern and his fellow players, he had just stood up for Magic in this regard. Also, Isiah’s brother Gregory had AIDS, so certainly Thomas must have had some understanding and sensitivity towards those with HIV? Wouldn’t a more likely source of the defamatory rumor about Magic be someone like Malone, who was very vocal about his concerns over Magic coming back and having to play against him? Or someone like Tim Hardaway, the poster boy for homophobia who is quoted as saying, “I hate gay people and I don't like to be around gay people” and “I wouldn't want [a gay teammate] on my team.”

Hardaway made those comments in 2007 but was an NBA All-Star (and was being considered for the Dream Team) at the time the Magic rumor started. Make no mistake, back then, there was still a great deal of ignorance regarding HIV and AIDS -- enough that the Magic rumor could have been started by literally anyone, and not necessarily out of malice, but through a lack of knowledge about how HIV is contracted. Truthfully, how could Magic, or anyone else for that matter, definitively know the origins of this rumor? Magic says that his agent at the time, Lon Rosen, is the one who told him it was Isiah. This “he said, she said” looks to be the extent of Magic’s proof and it seems (either immediately or after contemplating things all these years) he's convinced himself that Rosen is telling the truth.

And why not? Isiah’s an easy target -- someone the public is willing to believe the worst about. But Isiah also happens to be someone people (including Magic’s inner circle of old NBA buddies and associates) might want to lay this rumor-starting thing off on. Could Magic’s allegation be part of a larger conspiracy against Isiah that’s been going on for years? It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds. Let’s face it, Isiah’s track record during his playing career certainly made him more than his share of enemies. Among other things:

After the Pistons were eliminated in the ’87 conference finals, Isiah (in what was perceived by white America as nothing short of blasphemy) disparaged Larry Bird when he said that “if he weren’t white, he’d be just another good guy.”

When Detroit was on the verge of a championship, Thomas ran Adrian Dantley out of town by getting management to trade him for Dallas’ Mark Aguirre, Thomas’ old friend from back in Chicago.

At the end of the Game 4 of the ‘91 Eastern Conference Finals, just as Chicago was about to complete a sweep, Thomas led his teammates off the floor and right past the Bulls bench with time still left on the clock.

And perhaps most famously, Thomas allegedly masterminded a “freeze-out” of Jordan during the 1985 All-Star Game.

Certainly these aren’t the only reasons why Thomas seems to be so intensely disliked now. He did, after all, run the CBA, the NBA’s beloved farm system, into the ground. He also dreadfully mismanaged the New York Knicks, one of the league’s crown jewel franchises, setting the team back for years to come. But does any of this mean Isiah is a traitor or a false friend? If being a bad front office exec means you're a bad person, than Elgin Baylor is Lex Luthor, Hannibal Lechter and Vlad the Impaler all rolled into one.

Many of Isiah's other actions are at least somewhat defensible. Consider:

His comments about Bird were in support of ones made by Dennis Rodman. Lost in the crush of anti-Isiah sentiment that exists today, is the fact that it was Rodman who originally made derogatory remarks about Bird, claiming that he was overrated and that he had only won multiple MVPs because he was white. Isiah chimed in in defense of his younger teammate. Also, remember that these comments were made only minutes after the Pistons were eliminated from the playoffs, and that Isiah knew he had given away the series in game five when his lazy pass was stolen by Bird. Under those circumstances, you’d think Thomas’ comments about Larry Legend could be brushed off as sour grapes…They weren’t. Race is always a hot button for reporters, and the media (fresh off the feeding frenzy that ensued after Al Campanis' controvesial statements) blasted Thomas.

For sure, Thomas had the ear of both GM McCloskey and owner Davidson, and often pulled strings to get his way. And yes, Thomas engineered the Dantley for Aguirre trade. But how is this any different than Kobe Bryant running Shaq out of L.A.? Or his attempt to force an Andrew Bynum for Jason Kidd deal a few years later? Individual star players in the NBA (moreso than in any other professional sport) can have a great deal of influence on management decisions. The smart ones sometimes use this influence to make power moves or even hold their teams hostage. Look at what the Cavs have done over the last two years in efforts to appease LeBron. But no one holds this against King James. He just wants to win. One can argue that if the Dantley/Aguirre deal doesn’t get done, the Pistons never get over the hump and claim their two titles. And at least Isiah was never responsible for getting his championship-winning head coach fired the way Magic did Paul Westhead. (It’s interesting how history seems to have forgotten this dirty little detail about the beloved Magic’s career.)

The Pistons walkout at the end of game four in ’91 was completely classless and maybe the worst display of bad sportsmanship ever (not counting that New Mexico soccer chick.) But you know what? The Pistons did it as a team, and it was completely in character. It was the end of a long and very fierce rivalry that took place back in the days when NBA rivals (particularly in the Eastern Conference) were often bitter enemies. There was animosity between the Sixers and Celtics (Bird and Dr. J threw punches during a playoff game) and Detroit HATED Boston because they had what the Pistons wanted -- conference titles and championships. The Celtics hated the Pistons right back (Robert Parrish clubbed Laimbeer in the face, for crying out loud.) Later in the decade, on their way to conference titles, Detroit eliminated the Bulls from the playoffs three straight seasons. The Bulls hated them for it and because the Pistons physical style made them a frustrating team to play. And while I’m not forgiving the ’91 walkout, for two teams that despised each other, hugs and warm handshakes at the end would have been disingenuous. At least give Isiah credit for not being two-faced.

And as for the infamous 85 All-Star Game freeze-out, the story goes this way: Some of the Eastern Conference All-Stars resented Michael Jordan’s rapid ascension into super-stardom and were jealous of his fat Nike contract and all his other endorsement deals. Jordan, it seems, was rising too high too fast and the East All-Stars, led by starting point guard Isiah, conspired to keep the ball out of Jordan’s hands and limit his scoring opportunities. Isiah, it’s said, had extra motivation to do this because the game was played at the Hoosier Dome. This was Isiah’s territory, conspiracy theorists would have you believe, and it was bad enough that Jordan was now the toast of Thomas’ home town of Chicago. He’d be damned if he was going to let Jordan grab any glory in Indiana. By game’s end, MJ was limited to 2 for 9 shooting and had only seven points.

But the reality is there was no freeze out. Jordan simply had an off night shooting and his playing time was limited by East coach K.C. Jones. Jones, in fact, gave Jordan’s backup, Sidney Moncrief, the same number of minutes as Michael (22).

Also consider that Isiah played less than half that game. This means that in order to effectively freeze out Jordan, he would have had to have the cooperation of backup point guard Dennis Johnson and others on the Eastern squad. It’s doubtful that Thomas, then just 24 years old could have persuaded DJ and veteran teammates like Erving, Moses Malone, and Robert Parish to participate in his alleged plot.

And yet the idea of a villainous Thomas screwing Jordan over has endured, even though Jordan himself (most recently, at his Hall of Fame Induction) has dispelled the idea. (Let’s see, a claim of alleged backstabbing by Isiah that turned out to be false… Interesting.) But even as the freeze-out has now been revealed to be little more than NBA folklore, at the time, Jordan and everyone else was more than willing to believe it was real. Indeed, in Jordan’s eyes, it was real enough for him to use as a reason to keep Isiah off the Dream Team. When the IOC ruled that US pro athletes would be able to compete at the Barcelona Olympics, and USA Basketball set about building a team, Jordan kept everyone at bay with a host of non-committal assertions that he was "very interested" in playing. Jordan was at the absolute peak of his power during this time -- NBA champion, reigning MVP and the unquestioned face of the league. USA Basketball, the NBA, and Nike, among others, desperately wanted Michael to play, but Jordan couldn’t stand Isiah. Beyond the events of the ‘85 All Star Game, Jordan still resented Thomas for all that had taken place during their playoff battles, for the Pistons’ on-court thuggery, for the “Jordan Rules” that had frustrated him for years, and for other reasons that only Jordan himself could justify. (To be sure, if there’s one thing we’ve learned from Michael’s very bitter induction speech, it’s that the man can hold a grudge, and that he takes both real and imagined slights against him personally.)

So as it turns out, there was a plot involving Isiah and Jordan -- except Thomas was the one that got screwed. As a condition for Michael joining the Dream Team, Isiah would be left off. Magic, meanwhile, has his own take on this incident. “Isiah killed his own chances when it came to the Olympics,” he says. “Nobody on that team wanted to play with him. ... Michael didn't want to play with him. Scottie [Pippen] wanted no part of him. Bird wasn't pushing for him. Karl Malone didn't want him…”

Really Magic?... NOBODY?

Well we already know why Jordan and Magic were against him. Pippen was a Bull and Jordan’s wingman, so it’s no surprise that he’d also object to teaming with Isiah. And after years of Bad Boys-Celtics run-ins and the remarks from back in ’87, you can see where Bird would be opposed. But what could guys like Chris Mullin, David Robinson and Clyde Drexler (guys Isiah hardly knew and rarely played against) possibly have against him? Not that it really mattered. Jordan’s word was law and as soon as he made his feelings known, Isiah’s participation was no longer a consideration.

But it’s curious that in the MacMullan book, Magic would, on the one hand, accuse Thomas of stabbing him in the back by way of false innuendo, but then stop short of naming that as the reason he helped keep Thomas off the Dream Team. It’s as if one had nothing to do with the other. And maybe it didn’t. Maybe Thomas’ exclusion had more to do with the types of actions and behaviors Davidson was alluding to. Magic’s declaration that Isiah was almost universally disliked makes one ponder these comments by Pistons owner Bill Davidson:

"I was very, very close to Isiah, and there were times he was almost like a son. But, because of his background... I told him he had to change... I said, 'You've got it made now. Don't keep doing those things that you've been doing.'… But he couldn't change...We just come from different backgrounds. He had to fight his way up, and I didn't have the problems he had growing up. There's a lot of good things about Isiah, but when we had our parting, it was over something pretty substantial."

Those unnamed things were substantial enough for Davidson to renege on an offer he purportedly made to Isiah to join the Pistons front office after his playing career ended -- a position that later went to Thomas' backcourt mate Joe Dumars.

Perhaps those things are what Magic meant when he said, “Isiah killed his own chances…” and why he never stuck up for Thomas, the way Thomas stuck up for him with Stern prior to the ‘92 All-Star game. Still, one wonders why Magic, like Davidson, doesn’t go into detail or offer any insight as to why Thomas was, is, or should be so reviled.

Even some of Thomas' former teammates, John Salley for instance, have mixed feelings about him. It’s puzzling given all the man’s positives. Over the years he has long been heavily involved in charitable and humanitarian causes, including personal outreaches to curb gang activity, organizing “No Crime in Detroit Day” and donating both his time and money to numerous causes. Indeed, Thomas was once awarded the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award as the most charitable player in the NBA.

Thomas did a lot for his fellow NBAers as well. During his time heading the players’ union, he successfully negotiated to reduce the agents' cut of contracts from 10% to 4% -- a move that most assuredly drew the ire of many an agent... including one Lon Rosen.

Speaking of Rosen, Thomas had this to say about him:

“I think you can go back and look in that era and see who [Magic’s] closest friends were, and who his closest friends are now. At that time, I don't consider Lon Rosen to be one of his closest friends; he was one of his business advisers making money off him."

Maybe there are two sides to Isiah. But it seems this may be true of Magic as well.
One thing about Magic’s issues with Isiah, however, seems fairly certain -- like everyone else, he isn’t really sure who started the rumor about him, particularly after so much time has passed. And in their rush to sell books via rash, reckless, headline-grabbing accusations, neither MacMullan nor Magic ever connect any dots or present any type of compelling evidence againstThomas.

And once again, why are we just hearing about this now? This all started close to 20 years ago. If Magic has known it was Isiah all these years, why did he continue to be friendly towards the guy? Thomas says, “Every time that I’ve seen Magic, he has been friendly with me. Whenever he came to a Knick game, he was standing in the tunnel with me. He and [Knicks assistant coach] Herb [Williams] and I, we would go out to dinner in New York.”

This all seems easy enough to confirm. Someone just needs to check with Williams. And if Isiah’s story is true, then the questions should shift back to Magic. Why would you be friendly and go out to dinner with someone that’s backstabbed you? Someone, according to MacMullan, “with whom your relationship was over many, many years ago.”

When you hold Magic’s version of events up to the light of day and consider what his reasons might be for calling out Isiah almost two decades after the fact, you come back to one incontrovertible fact -- Magic is hawking a book. He’s selling his story and every good story needs a villain. When the Game Was Ours is supposed to be about Magic and Bird. But that’s old hat… Michigan State-Indiana State, Lakers-Celtics, series clinching sky hooks, we’ve heard it all before. What the story needed was a villain...

I guess Magic and MacMullan either found one or invented one.

Commercials We Love - Fruit of the Loom and Big Fig

2009-11-11T09:30:00.000-08:00

Here's two from the 70s featuring grown men dressed as fruit.

There were several of these Fruit of the Loom spots. Looking at them now, they're not very politically correct. What's with the stereotyping? Why does the black guy have to be the grapes?... What, a black man can't be an apple?... Or a lime?... Or a damn tangerine?... "Right On" my ass -- your underwear is racist man!

As for the fig newton commercial, I picture the guy thinking, "Four years at Yale Drama School and now I'm dancing around in pantyhose, curly toed shoes and a giant freakin' fig costume."

Deja V

2009-11-04T13:50:00.000-08:00

SPOILER ALERT!

If you're planning on watching the new V TV series, read no further...

Last night, ABC began its attempt to rope us in to watching its "new" series V, about aliens that come to earth, ostensibly on a mission of peace and benevolence. Oh, but not so fast there bub, it seems these "Visitors" are not what they appear to be. They're actually a sinister lizard-like race set on conquering our world and enslaving earth's population.

And if this all sounds familiar, it's because this new V is based on the original V miniseries (and the sequel series V:The Final Battle) that appeared on NBC in 1983 and 1984, respectively. Those original series were big hits back then and I guess ABC figures that enough time has passed, so it's time for new version.

But I view things differently. It's one thing to remake individual movies, and I'm even cool with modernizing these movies for TV (the way they did with Carrie a few years back.) But to take an entire miniseries (the original V alone ran over 200 minutes) and ask viewers to spend untold hours watching it in its new incarnation as a full-blown, ongoing episodic TV show? That's asking a lot.

V was one of the most highly watched miniseries of all-time, and while it was certainly very enjoyable sci-fi, I have no interest in investing my valuable TV watching time in something I've already seen (even if it has been 25 years.) And though you may hear terms like "re-imagining" used to describe the new V, ABC isn't really going out of its way to convince us that the show will be fresh enough to keep us interesed. Quite the opposite in fact. Judging from the clips and promos as well as last night's premiere episode, this new V looks like a pretty faithful and straightforward remake. Last night, for instance, we got the same setup -- alien ships hovering over earth's major cities and the introduction of the Visitors and their sexy female leader. And not only does it look like we're getting the same premise and plotlines, V's cast and crew are on record saying they will "take the most iconic moments [from the original V] and make sure they do service to them."

Clearly, this means we can expect re-do's of the dramatic reveal of the Visitors true reptillian identities, as well as the infamous "guineau pig-eating" and "lizard baby" scenes.

To be fair, the early reviews of the V pilot have been largely outstanding. "The first five minutes will hook you for the entire season," one TV critic claimed. (I found this to be far from the case.) But how good or intriguing V the series is isn't as important as was the decision to remake it in the first place. To my point, isn't there something disappointing about a major network recycling quarter century old material (even enlisting the same writer of that material, Kenneth Johnson) and then heavily promoting and presenting it as a television event we can't miss? This over-dependence on pre-existing material (sequels, movies based on toys and books, etc.) has led to a decline in the quality of Hollywood productions, and now, in many instances, cable channels like USA, AMC, HBO and Showtime have overtaken the big four TV networks (ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox) in offering original, high quality programming.

Just for the record, V really is can't miss television. I didn't miss it last night, and more importantly, I didn't miss it back in 1983 when it was fresh and something we could all be a lot more excited about.

Related Links:

A 2008 SyFy Radio interview with Jane Badler, star of the original V. In it, she talks about her time on the miniseries and gives her thoughts on a V's revival.

V Official website

Reality Used To Be A Friend Of Mine: The Problem With Reality TV - Part II

2009-11-02T15:15:00.000-08:00

Part 2 in the three-part series "The Problem With Reality TV"

It celebrates the worst in people.

Reality TV producers learned long ago that when it comes to their TV choices, the average person with the average life isn’t interested in watching... well, average people with average lives. Rather, it seems what the average viewer wants to see are extremes. Extreme situations -- people stranded on desert islands, couples racing around the world, men and women competing for the same person's affections or to see who can lose the most weight. And what’s even better, is when these people have extreme personalities. When it comes to casting reality shows, producers trip over themselves to choose people that are exceedingly arrogant (Omorosa from The Apprentice), shallow (Audrina from The Hills), duplicitous (Survivor's Jonny Fairplay), daft (Sunset Tan’s Olly Girls) and disgusting (every single person on Rock of Love.) Indeed, it’s fair to say that at best, reality show feature a disproportionate number of people with, shall we say "negative" personality traits.

Studies show that reality TV stars and contestants (as well as those who’ve simply auditioned or applied to be on these shows) commonly possess the most narcissistic of personalities. According to psychiatrist Dr. Drew Pinsky (ironically, a reality show star himself) these people genuinely feel like they deserve be on television and that their lives are so interesting, people should actually WANT to watch them.

So what do we wind up with? Shows full of egotistical people with horrible personalities. These people's vanity often makes them antagonisitic, which inevitably leads to conflict and the types of behaviors and actions that show producers and network executives feel makes for good television and higher ratings.

So in effect, reality TV “personalities” (I henceforth refuse to refer to them as “stars”) are celebrated for their arrogance, conceit, rudeness, foul mouths, ignorance, depravity, and other distasteful attributes.

One of the worst offenders in this regard are The Real Housewives series, which, in chronicling the lives and times of a group of shallow, over-priviledged women, actually encourages their pretentiousness, social climbing, and bad parenting.

And the saddest part is, it seems the very worst of these people are the ones who get the most recognition, often in the form of their very own series. Thus, we've had to endure empty-headed, playing on her looks Kendra going from The Girls Next Door to Kendra; fame-seeking, money-grubbing Megan graduating from Rock of Love to Megan Wants a Millionaire; and the vile, classless "New York" spinning off of Flava of Love to I Love New York. (By the way, anyone who wants a bigger bang for their buck, can get a vast assortment of reality show degenerates at one time. Just tune in to Charm School or Tool Academy and enjoy.)

And then there's I Love Money, a show that unapologetically seeks out the worst of the worst from other reality shows, and then showcases their unadulterated greed and willingness to debase themselves and each other for fame and cash.

Related Posts:

Reality Used To Be A Friend Of Mine: The Problem With Reality TV - Part I

ESPN 30 for 30 is 2 for 3 So Far

2009-10-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

ESPN’s 30 for 30 is an ambitious documentary series that presents 30 sports-related films from acclaimed directors, including John Singleton (Boyz in the Hood), Barry Levinson, and even Ice Cube. Each Tuesday a new feature premieres and thus far we’ve been treated to Peter Berg’s King’s Ransom (which traces the events surrounding Wayne Gretzky’s trade from the Edmonton Oilers to the L.A. Kings) and Mike Tollin’s Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL?

I must say I wasn’t digging Levinson’s The Band That Wouldn't Die, which reflected on what happened in Baltimore after the Colts’ departure for Indianapolis (Barry, it’s been 25 years -- you really need to get past this.) Still, overall, 30 for 30 has been fantastic. In the coming months, we can look forward to Unmatched, covering the friendship and rivalry between Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova; The Best That Never Was, about former Oklahoma running back Marcus DuPree, and The Two Escobars, which examines the murder of Columbian soccer player Andres Escobar after his own goal led to Columbia’s elimination from the 1994 World Cup.

Tonight’s feature is Muhammad and Larry, a memoir of the events surrounding the 1980 heavyweight between Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes. At the time, the legendary Ali was challenging champion and former sparring partner Holmes and attempting to win the title for a fourth time. Ali got into his best shape in years, but Holmes, despite not having any real competition during his entire title reign ,was a great and underrated heavyweight in his prime. He beat Ali badly, much to my disappointment. (I watched the fight live on closed circuit television, which for you youngsters out there was sort of a predecessor to pay-per-view -- except instead of being able to watch in the comfort of your home, you had to go to a movie theater or similar public venue.)

Shout Out to: The Force M.D.s

2009-10-22T11:13:00.000-07:00

An incredibly unique vocal group from the mid-80s, The Force M.D.s were true pioneers, practically inventing the fusion of rap music and 1950s-style harmonies best described as "hip-hop/doo-wop".

Coming out of Staten Island, New York (no, they're not doctors -- the "M.D." stands for "Musical Diversity") these were five gifted MCs that, unlike most of their contemporaries, could sing and harmonize on par with the best R&B groups (think The Treacherous 3 meets The Impressions.)

After signing with Tommy Boy Records in 1984, The Force M.D.s had a string of R&B radio hits including the rousing "Let Me Love You" and "Forgive Me Girl", and the heartfelt ballads "Tears" and "Here I Go Again". The group went on to score their biggest hits with 1985's "Tender Love" (#10 on Billboard's Pop chart) and 1987's "Love is a House" (#1 R&B).

Unfortunately, subsequent albums didn't enjoy as much success and the group's popularity began to wane. In the 90s, The Force M.D.'s fell on hard times, as two of the original members passed away and the group slipped into obscurity.

Still, it wasn't until the emergence of Boyz II Men and their debut album CooleyHighHarmony in 1991 that we heard anything approximating the unique musical style of The Force M.D.s. "Tender Love" is one of the most covered R&B hits of the 80s and has directly influenced the work of Alicia Keys and others, and President Obama has stated the group was one of his favorites growing up.

Here's a three-minute mini-documentary about The Force M.D.s. (Check out what hip-hop legends like Doug E. Fresh, Mr. Magic, DJ Red Alert, Kurtis Blow and Melle Mel have to say about the group's originality and impact.

Oh, and if you're wondering where they are now, and if they can still sing, check this out...

Reality Used To Be A Friend Of Mine: The Problem With Reality TV

2009-10-20T14:24:00.000-07:00

Let me preface what I'm about to write by stating for the record that I do not hate reality television. For example, over the years, I have been an on and off watcher of, among others, The Real World, American Idol, The Bachelor, and Dancing With the Stars. Aw hell, I'm even guilty of watching crap like Temptation Island, Beauty and the Geek, and Scott Baio is 45 and Single. But things have gotten out of hand…

It was past 12 AM, the very early morning hours of a Sunday morning, and I was up late doing chores around the house. Saturday Night Live was a repeat so I flipped through the channels quickly. As you might expect, there’s very little on worth watching at midnight on Sunday so I settled for whatever was on the E channel. It was The Girls Next Door. Now I don’t watch this show, but I was planning on going to bed in about a half an hour anyway, so I figured I’d just leave it on, finish my chores and hit the sack.

As it turns out, this particular episode of TGND provided a snapshot that nicely underscored all of the fundamental problems with reality TV.

So the show starts and Kendra comes to the Playboy mansion and tells Hugh Hefner (who's looking more and more like a scrawny, feeble baby bird every day) that she wants to start a softball league. Hef finishes off his can of Ensure and then agrees to bankroll this thing -- so Kendra sets about recruiting players (mostly other Playmates), procuring uniforms and otherwise organizing the game. Now admittedly, watching Kendra sit in an office applying every bit of her brain power towards assembling a team (“Let’s see, we need a pitcher… first baseman… second baseman… umm… third baseman...") was beyond hilarious, but as I continued watching, I thought, “This… right here, is what’s wrong with reality television.” Let me explain:

It indulges and rewards the undeserving.

From what I can tell, the whole point of The Girls Next Door is to document the lives of the young ladies that Hefner (who has gone from a trail blazing hero of the publishing world, to sad fop and punchline to endless Viagra jokes) has chosen to house, clothe, and otherwise indulge in luxury, simply for being A) hot and B) naked in the pages of his magazine, and in some cases, in private as well (or so they would have us believe.)

But what have Kendra, Bridget, Holly, the Kardashian girls, or any of these people done to deserve this type of indulgence? They, like many reality TV personalities are largely unskilled and unaccustomed to working for what they want in life. Yet they all have fanciful aspirations of becoming singers, TV hosts, business entrepreneurs, or all too often, famous just because they’re on TV.

Would Elizabeth Hasselbeck, for example, be a fixture on a successful morning show (The View) had she not been the cute girl on Survivor 2? And would someone as young and inexperienced as The Hills star Lauren Conrad EVER have been given the kind of job opportunities she’s been given (and have her own clothing at the age of 23) had she not been a reality show star?

The answer in both cases is a resounding no. But reality show producers believe for some reason that because we rooted for Hasselbeck on Survivor, we'd naturally want to see her every morning and hear her ridiculous "Obama is a socialist", "Liberals control the media" right-wing opinions.

These same producers also believe that without the leg up (jobs, apartments, connections) that they provided to Conrad, watching her try to make an honest go of it in the fashion world would be too long, drawn out and boring of a process. So instead of letting their subject sink or swim on their own, "reality" shows too often offer these life-altering short cuts and free passes to people that haven’t done anything other than be lucky enough to be featured on a dopey TV show.

And I’m not talking about people on Top Chef or the contestants on American Idol. Idol, as played out as it is, retains some legitimacy because it's a completely open competition that rewards talented kids when they might otherwise go a lifetime living in anonymity. What that show’s done for Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Carrie Underwood, and the rest has been tremendous, but those people EARNED what they got. They have a definable and clear-cut talent (singing) that few others could ever hope to have. But those like the aforementioned Conrad, and even moreso, her cohorts Heidi and Whitney?... I'm sorry, there’s just no way Heidi would ever have a singing career (or even be allowed anywhere near the microphone on karaoke night at Buffalo Wild Wings) based on her own merit. More recently, Whitney was set up in New York with her own series, The City, and a dream job working for Diane Von Furstenberg. (I feel for every fashion student that’s going to school, working an unpaid internship and/or holding down a part-time job to pay their tuition.)

What have any of these people done to deserve the breaks they’ve gotten and the lives they're living?

And still we all continue to invest in this. Reality show producers, and all of us who watch these shows and others like it, are the ones making it possible. So Kendra, who doesn’t seem to have the brains to organize a spirited game of “Duck, Duck, Goose”, gets the green light, funding, assistance (and assistants) she needs to make the softball game happen. It’s symptomatic of many of the reality shows we see today. Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami and the Run's House spinoff Daddy's Girls, for example, both star people with no appreciable talent or ability, and assume that viewers will want to watch as they’re given keys to the kingdom, that is, all the resources they need to painlessly start their own businesses and otherwise pursue their every whim, whether it be opening a clothing store, hosting a radio show or pursuing an acting career.

Why are we humoring these people? Watching a "reality" show where someone is basically living a charmed life where everything is handed to them on a silver platter is neither fun, interesting or "real" (more on this in Part 3 of this series.) Yet for every Project Runway or So You Think You Can Dance that shines a spotlight on the earnest and their bona fide efforts towards achievement and recognition, there are ten Brooke Know Best's that feature the frivolous and self-serving exploits of the under-qualified, over-privileged, and (at best) only marginally talented.

Even worse than these are the shows predicated on the fact that viewers will tune in to see individuals with nothing more to offer than their loathsome personalities and outrageous behavior.

Which brings me to the second thing wrong with reality TV…

Defining Films of the Decades - The 60s

2009-10-14T12:14:00.001-07:00

Continuing the "Defining Films of the Decades" series I started some time ago, here are my choices for the 1960s. As a reminder, these films were chosen based on excellence, timelessness, and relevancy as it pertains to the decade in which it was released. This means it should in some way reveal or reflect the decades' current events, social issues, trends, tastes, mores, creative sensibilities or artistic styles.

The 60s

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Gregory Peck gives the performance of the decade as Atticus Finch, whom the American Film Institute named as the single greatest American movie hero of all-time. This film opened the eyes of many to what the power of dignity, principles, and forthrightness can accomplish in the face of oppression, ignorance and racism. In this regard, To Kill a Mockingbird provided inspiration for the American Civil Rights Movement that was reaching critical mass at the time.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

The Cold War, Cuban Missile Crisis, and high command of the US political and military infrastructure, all perfectly satirized by Stanley Kubrick and Peter Sellers.

The Sound of Music (1965)
With perhaps the most cinematic opening shots ever, The Sound of Music is the third highest grossing film of all-time (after adjusting for inflation) thanks largely to its sweeping, majestic photography, Julie Andrews angelic singing voice, and the masterful songwriting of Rodgers and Hammerstein.

The Graduate (1967)
The sixties were largely about counter-culture and railing against traditional thinking, lifestyles and conventions. Films like Easy Rider, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and Bonnie and Clyde celebrated this and perpetuated the idea of the antihero. But in its own, more subtle way, The Graduate also had a lot to say about bucking prevailing mores and rejecting America’s “plastic” society. Forty-two years after their release, Simon & Garfunkel’s "Mrs. Robinson" and "Sounds of Silence" from film’s soundtrack are still mainstays on adult contemporary radio.

THE Defining Film of the 1960s:

Goldfinger (1964)
There were two earlier screen adaptations of Ian Fleming spy novels (Dr. No and From Russia with Love) but Goldfinger was the first to really zero in on the formula for a successful James Bond film -- girls, guns and gadgets. The result: a huge hit at the box office (the fifth highest grossing film of the decade) that propelled the popularity of the 007 character to all-time highs. Gert Frobe as Auric Goldfinger remains one of the most memorable villains in film history and Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore is still the ultimate “Bond Girl”.

Related Posts
Defining Films of the Decades - The 50s
Defining Films of the Decades - The 40s
Defining Films of the Decades - The 30s

More Fall TV Shows You Should Watch (and Not Watch)

2009-10-09T11:07:00.000-07:00

That's right, we have no lives. What we do have is a big-ass TV, a buttload of cable channels, and the brains and taste needed to weed through a ton of new fall shows and tell you which are worth your valuable time. Don't thank us, just buy us a TiVo. We're still living in the Dark Ages videotaping everything.

The Middle

What it is:
The wife from Everybody Loves Raymond, the janitor from Scrubs, and their weird offspring.
A little more to go on:
A middle-class, slightly dysfunctional family with three kids all just trying to get by. So if you don’t count Family Ties, Malcolm in the Middle, Roseanne, According to Jim, Growing Pains, Full House, My Wife and Kids, and Family Matters, it’s a pretty original concept.

Premise: F
Lead Actors: C (We liked Patricia Heaton on Raymond and even in her failed followup Back to You, but not in this. She's a car salesman?... Seriously?)
Supporting Cast: D (Brian Doyle-Murray helps a little, but a sitcom where the kids aren’t cute or funny is a bad sign.)
Writing: F
Overall: F

The show aims for quirky, How I Met Your Mother-style comedy but misses the mark. I know we keep harping on it but the lack of a laugh track really hurts this show and the family and their foibles and eccentricities, which are meant to be droll and endearing, come off as annoying and pathetic. We honestly had trouble just getting through the first 15 minutes of the premiere episode. This one will be axed before Halloween.

Modern Family

What it is: The Office (the home version)
A little more to go on: Suburban dude in his fifties (Ed O’Neill) has a hot young Latina wife (Sofia Vergara) and a smart-alecky stepson. Meanwhile, another couple (Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell as her tool of a husband) struggle to relate to their teenage kids; and a gay guy and his overly dramatic life partner have just adopted a Vietnamese baby. Oh, and all of these people are related. Got it?

Premise: C

Lead Actors: B
Supporting Cast: B-
Writing: B+
Overall: B

Creator Steve Levitan (who also brought us the underrated Just Shoot Me) developed this obvious Office clone, right down to its documentary style. O’Neill, channeling a bit of his old Al Bundy character, is perfect as the family’s sarcastic, always slightly annoyed patriarch. The comedy is smart but comprehensible and the writers do a nice job of weaving storylines together. The gay characters, though somewhat trite, are also funny, but strangely, Bowen's family comes off as pretty normal. Once again we get no laugh track (I guess we’re supposed to be smart enough to figure out what’s funny all by ourselves) but in this case, it totally works.

Flash Forward

What it is: 24 meets Lost with a smattering of Fringe -- so I guess you could call it Frosty 4.)
A little more to go on: Based on a novel by Robert J. Sawyer, at the exact same moment, everyone on the planet goes unconscious for 90 seconds and has a vision of their future six months into the future. The FBI tries to figure what (or who) caused this and why at least one mysterious person was awake during the whole thing.

Premise: A
Lead Actors: B+
Supporting Cast: B+
Writing: B+
Overall: B+

A great cast that includes the Joseph Fiennes, Sonya Walger (HBO’s Tell Me You Love Me) and the always excellent Courtney B. Vance star in this series that expertly combines a paranormal premise with the suspense and “every episode a cliffhanger”- feel of 24, and just touch of the “what the f**k is happening” confusion of Lost. Apart from the main story of the blackout investigation, nearly every character (and there are many in this one) has an interesting storyline. We especially like John Cho (Harold and Kumar, Star Trek) as an FBI agent who’s haunted by the flash he had of his own death, as well as Walger as the wife/surgeon struggling to distance herself from the man her flash indicated she’d leave her husband for. This is nitpicking, but I will say it struck me as curious that a U.S. production of a novel by a Canadian witer includes so many British actors (Fiennes, Walger, ER’s Alex Kingston, and more) playing Americans. Also, the kid actors in this show aren’t very good. Other than that, ABC labeled this show as “can’t miss” and they were right. If you haven’t seen the early episodes, catch up online.

2009-10-05T16:00:00.000-07:00

Well, not ALL the new shows. But way more than most of you out there who have jobs, hobbies, social engagements, significant others, or something better to do every night besides sitting in your tiny apartment in your dirty underwear watching TV, eating Fritos and licking the salt off your fingers…

Um... not that WE do that…

We were talking about this guy we know…

We all have girlfriends…

They're models and they live in Canada…

Okay, moving on... In the past, we were the very first ones to hip you to Friends, 24, Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, Big Bang Theory, Dollhouse, and other hit shows. (Of course, we also recommended Men Behaving Badly, What About Brian, Reunion, and Big Shots, but hey, you gotta take the good with bad, right?) Anyway, here’s our review of some new fall shows:

Accidentally On Purpose

What it is:
Knocked Up meets Three’s Company with a smattering of the Mary Tyler Moore Show.
A little more to go on:
Thirtysomething career woman Jenna Elfman works at a TV station (hence the Mary Tyler Moore comparison), has a one-night stand with a twentysomething video game jockey and aspiring chef with three loser roommates. She gets pregnant and they all move in together.

Premise: C
Lead Actors: C (Elfman gets an A but co-star Jon Foster has as much charisma as a box of Wheat Thins.)
Supporting Cast: F
Writing: B
Overall: C-

The writing is pretty crisp and hip, but the pacing is off and the first episode felt ridiculously rushed. The supporting cast (including TV vet Grant Show and Ashley Jensen from Ugly Betty) adds absolutely nothing. Also, the producers didn’t think things through. Where’s this show gonna go after the baby comes? (Anybody remember what happened to Mad About You?) Elfman deserves way better.

Cougar Town

What it is:
Sex in the City meets Desperate Housewives with a smattering of I Love Lucy.
A little more to go on:
Real estate agent Courteney Cox is divorced and attempting to get back into the dating scene with the help of best friend Christa Miller (The Drew Carey Show, Scrubs) and sassy assistant Busy Phillips.

Premise: D
Lead Actors: B-
Supporting Cast: C+ (We’ve liked Busy Phillips since her days on Judd Apatow’s Freaks and Geeks)
Writing: D
Overall D+

Cox’s character has a lot going on. She’s raising a son, dealing with her deadbeat ex-, feuding with a cradle-robbing neighbor, and fumbling through relationships with various boy-toys. Unfortunately, none of this is very funny. Cox and Miller (what the hell’d she do to her lips, by the way?) are both good comedic actresses but can’t sustain this frenetically paced vehicle.

Melrose Place

What it is:
One of the most popular night time soaps of the 90s revamped, with a few original cast members thrown in for good measure.
A little more to go on:
You’ve got a lot of the stereotypical characters here. A hot, bitchy manipulator (Katie Cassidy’s Ella), a sensitive artist (Michael Rady’s Jonah), the bad boy (Shaun Sipos’ David), dark, brooding, mysterious guy (Colin Egglesfield’s Auggie), and a seemingly sweet but possibly psycho chick (Ashlee Simpson’s Violet.) Lucky for us the show’s producers learned a lesson from 90210 last year and jump-started this show by bringing back 1st-gen Melrose characters Sydney, Jane and Michael.

Premise: B (with the underrstanding that simply updating a hit show from 15 years ago is incredibly lazy and unoriginal.)
Lead Actors: B
Supporting Cast: B
Writing: C+
Overall: C+

The “who killed Sydney” storyline holds your interest, as does the med student by day, hooker by night character played by Stephanie Jacobsen. The return of Heather Locklear as Amanda Woodward could really see this show take off. Still, all in all, not bad for what it is.

Remembering James Dean

2009-09-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

Fifty four years ago today... Wait, that makes no sense. Those two things are mutually exclusive. If it was "54 years" ago, then it can't be "today"...

On September 30, fifty four years ago, James Dean died in car accident. Dean was many things: a gifted artist and pioneering "method" actor, the country's first "young" movie star, idol to a generation of America's youth, the personification of teen angst and rebellion, enduring hero of the 1950s...

Above all else though, Dean was a multifaceted, multi-talented, complex personality who could have become many things. It was only through a specific combination of talent and ability, desire and focus, and hard work and happenstance that he became a timeless icon and one of the most famous figures in American pop culture.

Much has been written about him but here are ten things most don't know about James Dean:

Dean grew up in Fairmount, Indiana, a small town that stakes claim to being the birthplace of both the hamburger and the ice cream cone, as well as the ancestral home of Wilbur and Orville Wright, inventors of the airplane.

In addition to acting, Dean also had a knack for drawing and painting. He also wrote poetry. Frustrated by the limitations and close-mindedness of the small midwestern town he grew up in, he composed the following:

My town likes industrial impotence
My town's small, loves its diffidence
My town thrives on dangerous bigotry
My town's big in the sense of idolatry
My town believes in God and his crew
My town hates the Catholic and Jew
My town's innocent, selfistic caper
My town's diligent, reads the newspaper
My town's sweet, I was born bare
My town is not what I am, I am here

After moving to New York, Dean's first "big break" was in the 1952 Broadway show See the Jaguar, which opened and closed in only four days.

While living in New York, Dean's struggling actor friends and contemporaries included the then equally unknown Martin Landau, Paul Newman, and Steve McQueen, all of whom Dean competed with at casting calls.
Also while living in New York, Dean shared an apartment with his good friend Dizzy Sheridan, best known for her role as Jerry's mother on the sitcom Seinfeld.
Dean had starring roles in only three films, each time portraying a character that (like him) had one syllable in both their first and last names -- "Cal Trask" in East of Eden, "Jim Stark" in Rebel Without a Cause and "Jett Rink" in Giant.
In the early 50s, Dean dated and fell in love with Pier Angeli, an Italian actress he met on the set of East of Eden. Angeli eventually wound up marrying singer Vic Damone, and on the day of their wedding, a dismayed Dean sat outside the church on his motorcycle and gunned the engine as the bride and groom emerged. Years later, Angeli confessed that Dean was the only man she ever really loved.
Dean had a premature "aged" look when he died. For the movie Giant, he had shaved his head to create a receding hairline look for his scenes as the older Jett Rink.
Foreshadowing Dean's tragic death, in the original script for Rebel Without a Cause, when Jim Stark runs out of the house to show that he removed the bullets from Plato's gun, the police shoot and kill him.

The cover art of the album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, purposelly recreates the setting and pose of this famous photograph of Dean.

Finally, here's a 20/20 news story from many years ago that does a nice job of recounting Dean's life and legacy.

Cougar Time!

2009-09-22T10:59:00.000-07:00

Over the last several years, pop culture has been enamored with cougars. And no, we're not talking about Snaggle-Puss, the anthropomorphic, well-dressed but slightly effeminate mountain lion that's always exiting stage left. We're talking about sexy older women in pursuit of younger men. To my point, there's tons of blogs and websites (of varying ilks) dedicated to the appreciation of cougars, and we've also seen several cougar-related characters and storylines in recent TV shows and movies. Among our favorites: Izabella Scorupco as Paige in the straight to DVD movie Cougar Club; Famke Jansen as Ava, who seduces Sean's son on Nip Tuck; Susan Blakely as self-help expert Angie, who sexes up Charlie Sheen on Two and Half Men; and of course Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, who has an affair with her daughter's ex-husband on All My Children.

Reality TV has also embraced the cougar. There was the Bachelor-knock off Age of Love, featuring a group of cougars competing for the affections of a younger man, and The Cougar, with a group of younger men vying for a 40 year old woman.

And ABC is just about to premiere its new fall series, Cougar Town, starring Courteney Cox as a fortysomething divorcee trying to get back in the dating scene. By the way, it wasn't always "Courteney" (with an extra "e") was it? Didn't it used to be just plain old "Courtney"? We'll have to go back and watch the opening of Friends. Don't you love how these celebrities just decide mid-stream in their careers to correct the spelling or pronunciation of their names? Remember when Demi Moore was "DEM-ee"? Now it's pronounced "De-MEE". Or Terrell Owens. It was "Ter-REL", now it's "TER-el". WTF, just tell us this stuff from the start people...

Where were we?... Oh yeah, cougars... To wrap things up, here's our favorite cougar-related TV commercial. Cougars and Tacos?... Sounds good to us... (Click here for a link to the commercial. If it doesn't play automatically, it should download and you can open with your browser.)

Commercials We Love - "You Will"

2009-09-16T08:36:00.000-07:00

This 1993 commercial (narrated by Tom Selleck) always seemed kind of vague, even cryptic, to me. Now of course, it all makes perfect sense and it's obvious that a lot of what AT&T was referring to was the development of its wireless cellular network infrastructure and the technologies that were greatly advanced as a result. Unfortunately, by the time all of these technologies were finally realized and became available to the everyman for everyday use, this commercial and the others in the series were long forgotten.

What AT&T needs to do is a followup. Something like this:

"Hey, remember all that cool shit that guy from Magnum P.I. told you about back in the nineties? Well you can do all that stuff now... Oh and by the way, guess who made that possible?... That's right, US... AT&T!... IN YOUR FACE VERIZON!... So all you ungrateful little bastards need to quit bitching about dropped calls and get down on your knees and start kissing our blue and white asses!"

Return to Melrose Place

2009-09-14T15:53:00.000-07:00

After bringing back Beverly Hills 90210 last season (as just plain ole 90210) wasn't it just a matter of time before the CW took the next logical step and ressurrected Melrose Place? The original Melrose was a spin-off that ultimately became one of the most popular shows on television and even reached the level of “water cooler” show, right alongside its contemporaries Friends and Seinfeld.

So far, it looks like the new Melrose is getting mixed reviews. I watched it Tuesday and I have to say, it held my attention… but barely. Maybe we're being too crtical, too soon, but most of the characters, including Violet (Ashley Simpson), Riley (Jessica Lucas) and Auggie (Colin Egglesfield) aren’t terribly interesting and so far the show’s writers haven’t hinted at very many compelling storylines (with the exception of “who killed Sydney and why” -- but I’ll get to that in a minute.)

All in all, the premiere episode was very reminiscent of the original Melrose’s entire first season. If you recall, that season the plots and almost all the characters (particularly Courtney Thorne Smith as Allison and Andrew Shue as Billy) were downright boring. The show only took off after the characters of Sandy (Amy Locane) and Rhonda (Vanessa Williams) were jettisoned; Heather Locklear was brought in to play ad exec Amanda Woodward; and Thomas Calabro’s character (Michael) turned evil.

You’d think the new Melrose Place producers would’ve learned a lesson from this but it seems like they missed a golden opportunity to perhaps launch the new series with Locklear in a multi-episode arc (maybe as the owner of the apartment complex?) Perhaps Heather wasn’t available, or maybe she wanted too much money because instead, what we got was Laura Leighton returning as Sydney, who is now the apartment manager.

Seems like the producers had the right idea. Last season, bringing back cast members Jennie Garth and Shannen Doherty from the original show attracted extra viewers to 90210 and helped expand its audience demographic beyond those in their late teens/early twenties.

Similarly, the Melrose producers had Leighton and Calabro reprise their roles from the original Melrose... But then they blew it by killing off Sydney and barely giving Michael any screen time at all.

In fairness, it’s not all bad. We do like Stephanie Jacobsen as Lauren, med student by day, prostitute by night, and also Katie Cassidy as upwardly mobile Ella. But what this show really needs is a jump-start—something to pull in viewers of the original series, because let’s face it, there’s a ton of competing programming for that teen and twentysomething audience it's targeting. What made the original Melrose so entertaining was when the storylines came off the rails (remember the cliffhanger where crazy-ass Kimberly blew up the courtyard?) and when Michael, Sydney, and Amanda were wreaking havoc on a weekly basis. But it seems like this new incarnation of Melrose has too many "Allisons" and "Billys" and not enough "Kimberlys" and "Michaels" (although we can see Ella becoming a scheming Amanda-esque type character.)

Original Melroser Josie Bissett will be back for at least one episode as Michael's ex-wife, and Daphne Zuniga returns as Jo at the end of the season. That's fine, but did anyone ever really care about them the first time around?

Come on -- get with it you guys! Inject some life into the show! Pick up the phone, make a deal with Heather Locklear and bring back Amanda as a regular. Then punch up Michael's role and commence with the over the top, crazy plot twists! Let's go! We wanna see stolen babies, catfights in the pool, dead bodies rising from the grave, and brides run over by speeding cars on their wedding day!

Madden Curse Strikes Again

2009-09-11T08:48:00.000-07:00

Troy Polamalu, star defensive back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, strained his MCL last night against the Tennessee Titans and is out 3 to 6 weeks. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin admitted that the injury could even be something worse than a strain and Polamalu will undergo an MRI today.

Polamalu is now the latest in a VERY long list of players who've suffered major injuries or other career derailments the same year (or shortly after) they appeared on the cover of EA Sports Madden Football game. Consider:

2008 Brett Favre (New York Jets)

The Jets started 8-3, but then Favre tore the biceps tendon in his throwing arm. He threw 6 fewer touchdowns and 7 more interceptions than in 2007 and the Jets finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs.

2007 Vince Young (Tennessee Titans)

Young finished with an abysmal nine touchdowns and 17 interceptions. The next season, amid personal problems, he lost his starting job to Kerry Collins and has yet to regain it.

2006 Shaun Alexander (Seattle Seahawks)

Alexander missed six games with a broken foot. His 896 yards and 7 touchdowns were his lowest since his rookie season.

2005 Donovan McNabb (Philadelphia Eagles)

McNabb suffered a sports hernia and missed the second half of the season. The Eagles finished 6-10 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1999.

2004 Ray Lewis (Baltimore Ravens)

Lewis had a fine year and his numbers were only slightly down from the year before. However, he did miss one game due to injury and, for the first time in his career, did not record an interception.

2003 Michael Vick (Atlanta Falcons)

Literally days after Madden was released, Vick broke his leg in a preseason game and missed 11 games. Oh, and a few years later I think there was this thing with some dogs or something?...

2002 Marshall Faulk (St. Louis Rams)

Faulk rushed for 430 fewer yards and had 4 fewer touchdowns than 2001. It was Faulk's worst season since 1996.

2001 Daunte Culpepper (Minnesota Vikings)

Culpepper missed four games with an injury and threw for 1300 fewer yards and 19 fewer touchdowns than he did in 2000.

2000 Eddie George (Tennessee Titans)

George played great in 2000 (1509 Yds, 14 TDs) but the following year he failed to break 1000 yards. Tennessee missed the playoffs and George was never again a premier back.

1999 Barry Sanders (Detroit Lions)

Prior to the season, Sanders asked Detroit to trade him. When they refused, he abruptly retired.

1998 Garrison Hearst (San Francisco 49ers)

Hearst had a fantastic regular season but broke his ankle in the playoffs. Complications occured and Hearst missed most of the next two seasons.

So it seems there's definitely something to the alleged curse. Truth be told, it's actually one of the reasons I shied away from Larry Fitzgerald (who appears on this year's cover along with Polamalu) in my fantasy football draft.

Clock's ticking Larry...

Remembering John Hughes

2009-08-20T08:56:00.000-07:00

The recent death of director John Hughes got me thinking about his significance and his tremendous contribution to the last two decades of 20th century American cinema.

Hughes' most significant film was certainly The Breakfast Club, which, like Rebel Without a Cause thirty years earlier, gave a voice to the contemporary American teenager and offered both a humorous and sobering exploration of their angst, issues, and culture. The Breakfast Club expertly walked the line between comedy and drama -- something very few films attempt, and even fewer are able to do effectively (see Judd Apatow's latest picture, Funny People.) The Breakfast Club also served as a launching pad for young stars Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, and Emilio Estevez, and though only mildly successful at the box office when it was released in February of 1985, the film neveretheless marked the start of Hughes (and the rest of Hollywood's) heightened interest in producing teen movies -- ultimately resulting in a sort of "High Renaissance" of the genre. The Breakfast Club became even more iconic a year after its release when it gained wild popularity among teens after it began appearing on cable television. As a result of all this, The Breakfast Club has forever secured a place in pop culture history as THE defining movie for Gen X-ers. (For more on these topics, be sure to read my three part series, The Evolution of the 80s Teen Movie: How Bob Clark, Gen X, and Home Video Changed the Landscape of American Cinema.

Hughes of course also wrote and/or produced and directed several other terrific 80s teen comedies including Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Weird Science. The prolific director also gave us Uncle Buck; Planes, Trains and Automobiles; and the underrated She's Having a Baby. In the nineties, Hughes was the writer of the little-known gem Career Opportunities, Disney's 101 Dalmations remake, and the hugely successful Home Alone.

And of course prior to The Breakfast Club, Hughes' big break came as the writer of National Lampoon's Vacation, which earlier this year, celebrated its 26th anniversary. Maxim magazine published an interesting article -- an oral history of this film (one of the best comedies of the 80s) in one of its recent issues. I couldn't find it anywhere online, so I posted it below for your enjoyment (just click the pictures for the larger, readable size pages.)

"Sex, Drugs & Holiday Roads
(The Uncensored Oral History of the Funniest Road Trip Movies Ever Made)"

Hughes' deserves a large degree of respect and remembrance for The Breakfast Club by itself. Throw in all the films listed earlier, plus the Vacation and Home Alone sequels, and the fact that Hughes helped assemble movie soundtracks that included some of the most hip, eclectic and evocative music of the 80s (Yello's "Oh Yeah", Simple Minds' "Don't You Forget About Me") and it's no wonder that this filmmaker was, and will remain, one of our most beloved.

UPDATE:

Here's the tribute to John Hughes from the 2010 Oscars

The Evolution of the 80s Teen Movie - How Bob Clark, Gen X, and Home Video Changed the Landscape of American Cinema

The Evolution of the 80s Teen Movie - How Bob Clark, Gen X, and Home Video Changed the Landscape of American Cinema - Part II

Five Lives You Really Should Own

2009-08-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

Many people (myself included) aren't big fans of live albums. A lot of times, they're little more than money grabs by music labels and/or artists themselves as they attempt to cash in on their popularity by quickly assembling and marketing a new release without having to write or record new songs. But even more often, live albums disappoint because, let's face it, the majority of artists today don't sound anywhere nearly as good without the polish that comes from a studio. Despite this, true fans always seem willing to bite the bullet and shell out for live albums from their favorite acts. But then, every so often, there's a live album of such quality or significance that it's definitely worth the money. If you're a fan of pop, rock, soul, or r&b, here are five "lives" you really should give a listen to:

Paul McCartney - Tripping the Live Fantastic

The Beatles last concert (apart from their famous 1969 one-time performance atop the Apple studios roof) was in 1966. The band, however, continued making music until their breakup in 1970. This means many of the Beatles best and most popular recordings were never performed live by them. As solo acts, John, George and Ringo rarely performed Beatles tunes in concert and when they did, they most often stuck to those they had composed themselves (e.g., George’s "Here Comes the Sun" and Ringo’s "Octopus’s Garden".) Tripping the Live captures tracks from Paul’s 1989-90 world tour, which marked the first time hits from classic Beatles albums like Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The White Album, and Abbey Road were ever performed in concert. (Incidentally, the famous and highly circulated recording of what purportedly are Linda McCartney’s horrible backing vocals during "Hey Jude" supposedly came from the concerts chronicled on Tripping.)

Highlights: "The Long and Winding Road", "Things We Said Today", "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End"

The Supremes - The Supremes at the Copa

Recorded in 1965, back in the days when the top acts still headlined in nightclubs or on the Vegas strip. The Supremes were one of the very first black artists invited to perform at the famous Copacabana in New York City. These performances helped elevate them to the top of Motown roster and paved the way for the label’s other artists (like Marvin Gaye and The Temptations) to also play the club.

Highlights: "Stop! In the Name of Love", the group’s vocal segue into "Baby Love"

Bruce Springsteen - Live 1975-85

Box sets used to be reserved for artists who had been in the business for 25 years or more, or whose early recordings were somehow never commercially available before. This release (issued in November of 1986) changed all that and now it seems anybody that’s had more than three albums issues a box set. Live 1975-85 captures ten years of Springsteen during the height of his popularity and does its best to recreate the experience of his legendary 3-4 hour concerts.

Highlights: "Rosalita", "Born to Run", "Jersey Girl"

The Fixx – React

As mentioned earlier, many bands don’t sound anywhere nearly as good live as they do in the studio. Synth pop/new wave group The Fixx bucked this trend and lead singer Cy Curnin’s haunting voice is just as rich and penetrating on this album as it is on any of their studio tracks.

Highlights: "Saved By Zero", "Secret Separation"

The Jacksons – Jacksons Live

For as much attention as Michael Jackson has received for his solo efforts and his early work with The Jackson 5, the years he spent in between as part of The Jacksons are often overlooked. The Jacksons were essentially a continuation of the Jackson 5 (with brother Randy taking the place of Jermaine) except the group now took far more creative control of their music. From 1976 to 1980, The Jacksons released four albums that spawned hits like "Shake Your Body Down", "Enjoy Yourself", "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Lovely One". Jacksons Live chronicles the group's Triumph tour (named by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the best tours of the era) and includes hits from the J5 as well as Michael’s solo debut, Off the Wall.

Highlights: "Can You Feel It", "Off the Wall", the brothers’ extended banter before the "I Want You Back/ABC/The Love You Save" medley.

Defining Films of the Decades - The 50s

2009-08-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

Here's Part 3 in my eight part series:

The 50s

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
With the two previous decades being dominated by the war effort and the Great Depression respectively, the 1950s marked the first time Americans had the time or inclination to acknowledge teenagers and their place in society. Rebel established Dean as the embodiment of America’s youth and the country’s biggest teen idol.

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Film adaptation of the Tennessee Williams stage play. Marlon Brando’s explosive performance resonated with audiences, as did those of co-stars Vivian Leigh, Kim Hunter and Karl Malden (all of whom won Academy Awards for their roles.)

On the Waterfront (1954)
Brando strikes again. The best actor of his generation in perhaps the finest of the decade’s many gritty dramas.

Some Like it Hot (1959)
With the possible exceptions of James Dean and Elvis, Marilyn Monroe is the most enduring pop culture figure from the 1950s. She gave one her most memorable performances in this hugely successful Billy Wilder comedy.

THE Defining Film of the 1950s:

The Ten Commandments (1956)
Credit the enduring popularity of this film to its all-star cast (Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter, Edward G. Robinson, Debra Paget, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, etc.) and the sheer scope of this epic’s production. The Ten Commandments was the highest grossing live-action film of the decade and director Cecil B. DeMille’s depiction of the parting of the Red Sea remains one of the most iconic scenes in the history of cinema.

Related Posts
Defining Films of the Decades - The 60s
Defining Films of the Decades - The 40s
Defining Films of the Decades - The 30s

Shout Out to: Lippy the Lion

2009-08-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

One of the most overlooked characters on the Hanna-Barbera roster, Lippy the Lion was a cartoon short that served as one-third of The Hanna-Barbera New Cartoon Series that premiered in 1962. (The other two shorts comprising the show were Touche' Turtle & Dum Dum, and the slightly better known Wally Gator.)

Lippy the Lion was significant because it was one of a handful of cartooons that featured voice characterizations by arguably the two greatest cartoon voice actors of all time -- Daws Butler (Yogi Bear, Woody Woodpecker) and Mel Blanc (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and all the other Warner Brothers favorites.)

Lippy the Lion is also memorable for having perhaps the most comedically ironic sidekick ever -- Hardy Har Har, a laughing hyena suffering from depression. Now I don't know if he was ever clinically diagnosed, but I do remember Hardy being constantly dreary and pessimistic, and having this sort of general, neverending malaise. Perhaps they should have done one of those "very special" episodes of Lippy, where Hardy tries to kill himself, then finally agrees to see a shrink and gets a Zoloft prescription.

On a side note, Lippy the Lion was yet another one of those cartoon characters that never wore pants. Seems like animators love to have cartoon animals wearing clothing, as long as it's not pants. Think about it...

Lippy the Lion - Hat, no pants.
Donald Duck - Shirt, no pants.
Bugs Bunny - Classy white gloves... but no pants.
Quick Draw McGraw - Hat?... Check... Neckerchief?... Check... Gun holster?... Check... Pants?... Nope.
Top Cat has a hat and a snazzy vest... and no pants.
Huckleberry Hound has a hat and a tie (but no collar or shirt to go with the tie)... and no pants.
And Hardy Har Har somehow has a collar but no shirt... and of course, no pants.

What the hell? Is there something inherently difficult about drawing pants? Or did every animator somehow miss that day of class?

Anyway, as I check YouTube, I see tons of Lippy and Hardy videos. Glad to see that they've finally been given their due.

Defining Films of the Decades - The 40s

2009-07-31T10:56:00.000-07:00

Here is part 2 in this eight part series:

The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
Henry Fonda’s moving portrayal as beaten but not bowed Tom Joad reflected the plight of millions of Americans in the forties who were still suffering the effects of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl.

Citizen Kane (1941)
Quite simply, a textbook for modern expressionistic filmmaking. Director Orson Welles innovative work in cinematography (such as his use of deep focus and low angle and crane shots) was daringly bold, as there was no way to know what critics and audiences would make of it. Welles broke similar ground in the art of film editing (using it to compress time) and sound mixing (as a way to provide continuity and demonstrate contrast.) The end result was a film of unmatched technical achievement that presented its characters and story in ways audiences had never experienced prior.

Double Indemnity (1944)
Billy Wilder’s classic was the most critically acclaimed and influential of the film noir (“dark film”) genre that turned the movie industry on its ear by challenging Hollywood's Production Code and presenting stories that explored murder, sex, adultery, and other elements of society that until that time, had either been romanticized or ignored by American filmmakers.

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Not only has this movie’s theme and storyline been borrowed for dozens of subsequent films (Mr. Destiny, The Family Man, Click) as well as TV shows (episodes of Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Cheers, Married With Children, and Moonlighting come to mind) but it’s been a beloved holiday classic for decades.

THE Defining Film of the 1940s:

Casablanca (1942)
One of the most overrated films of all time that’s still somehow made an indelible impression on our popular culture, largely due to Humphrey Bogart’s iconic characterization of boozy, cynical club owner Rick Blaine; the classic Herman Hupfeld composition “As Time Goes By”; and the film’s enduring quotability (“Of all the gin joints…”; “Here’s looking at you kid”; “This looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship”, etc.)

Defining Films of the Decades - The 60s

Defining Films of the Decades - The 50s

The Defining Films of the Decades - The 30s

Family Guy's Funniest Pop Culture References

2009-07-29T21:42:00.000-07:00

One of the things that makes Family Guy so great are the hilarious references to other TV shows, classic movies, hit songs, TV commercials, toys, games and other pop culture phenomena.

Whether they're imagining Optimus Prime being Jewish, the dad from Eight is Enough as an abusive father, or Stewie rocking out to Scandal's "The Warrior" in his own iPod commercial, Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane and his writing team consistently come up with the most creative parodies and send ups ever. That being said, here are some of Family Guy's funniest pop culture references.

Meg dates The Count from Sesame Street.

Darth Vader is a meter maid and is having a very bad day.

Peter stumbles upon a different type of Breakfast Club

Peter creates his own sitcom with an intro reminiscent of Laverne & Shirley, Family Ties, Three's Company, Bosom Buddies, and more.

Chris wanders into a-ha's "Take On Me" video.

Why ghosts chose Jennifer Love Hewitt to be their whisperer.

Lois' tumor sings to the beat of "Rock Me Amadeus"

Defining Films of the Decades - The 30s

2009-07-26T14:34:00.000-07:00

Was listening to Bill Simmons' podcast recently, as he spoke with writer/reporter Chris Connelly. The two were debating what they believed to be "the defining film of this decade", with the criteria being excellence, rewatchability, and creativity.

Simmons mentioned Almost Famous -- which is positively ridiculous. Think about it, the defining movie of this decade is set in the 1970s?

I'm hereby adding new criteria to the mix -- to "define" a decade, a film needs to be in some way inherently "in and of" that particular decade. In some way, it needs to reveal or reflect the decades' current events, social issues, trends, tastes, mores, creative sensibilities or significant artistic styles.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not specifically excluding historical dramas, period pieces, or any other films, but come on... a decade's "defining" film should have qualities that identify or represent the prevailing nature, qualities and characteristics of that decade, or at least the prevailing nature, qualities and characteristics of filmmaking during that decade.

With this in mind, I'm starting a new series with my own list of the defining films of the decades, beginning with the 1930s:

Runners Up

King Kong (1933)
The giant ape on top of the Empire State Building is the most enduring film image of the decade. King Kong pioneered the use of special effects (including miniatures, rear projection, and the stop-motion animation that would eventually evolve into today’s cgi) and dazzled audiences in the process. The film was also one of the very first to feature a completely original score.

Top Hat (1935)
The thirties were the golden age of the grand Hollywood musical. Top Hat was the classiest of these and its songs were the breakthrough film work of legendary composer Irving Berlin.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Taking a stand against government corruption and bureaucracy, Jimmy Stewart, as in many of his films, was the personification of the 1930s everyman.

Gone With the Wind (1939)
When you adjust for inflation, remarkably, this 70 year old epic is still the highest grossing movie of all time.

THE Defining Film of the 1930s

The Wizard of Oz (1939)
A nearly perfect film in every respect, from the casting, to the costumes, to the songs and score, and it’s lasting moral –- no matter where you go in life, there’s no place like home.

Related Posts

Defining Films of the Decades - The 60s
Defining Films of the Decades - The 50s
Defining Films of the Decades - The 40s

"The Ultimate 80s Movie Quiz"

2009-07-19T19:31:00.000-07:00

Sorry, we've been away from the blog so long, but in our defense, it was our first lapse in over 6 months. Anyway, now that we're back, prepare to take The Ultimate 80s Movie Quiz!

A word of warning, this quiz is not for the faint of heart. None of these questions are easy, so unless you've seen the movie in question multiple times, you're gonna have a tough time. And while some of the answers can be found by Google-ing, for others, the internet won't help you at all.

Lastly, for questions marked with an asterisk, the answer can be found somewhere in a post on this blog (browse the site or use the search tool if you like.)

Good luck!

POP CULTURE FIEND's ULTIMATE 80s MOVIE QUIZ

What high school do the guys in Porky’s attend?

While presenting at the Oscars, actress Kim Basinger scolded the Academy for failing to nominate this 1989 film for Best Picture.
To date, cast members from Fast Times at Ridgement High have earned this many Academy Award nominations.

Which co-star of The Legend of Billie Jean is best known for voice characterizations on a popular TV series?

“Two dollars!” is a line repeated in which 1985 teen comedy?

“The Sorels” are a fictional singing group in this movie.*

In the 1987 comedy Summer School, what was the character Chainsaw’s real name (not the real name of the actor)?

In All the Right Moves, Brian (Christopher Penn) gets a scholarship to play football at what college?

This guitarist in a popular 80s band had a cameo delivering a singing telegram in a 1986 comedy. Name the person and the movie.

Laurence Fishbourne plays the same character in the movie Hoodlum as he does in this 1984 film.

On the current TV show Chuck, Tony Hale plays the Buy More’s efficiency expert Emmett Milbarge, which is a mash-up of two characters’ names from this 1985 film.*

Complete these character pairings from Top Gun:
- Maverick and __________
- Iceman and ___________
- __________ and Wolfman

What’s the brand of the lawnmower Kevin Bacon and his neighbors argue over in She’s Having a Baby?

In Die Hard, what does Chief Robinson (Paul Gleason) say after the two Agent Johnsons’ helicopter is shot down?

In Back to School, Thornton Mellon (Rodney Dangerfield) recites a poem by this author:
- Kurt Vonnegut
- Robert Frost
- Dylan Thomas
- Longfellow

This 1982 film featured Matt Dillon and Emilio Estevez and was based on a book by S.E. Hinton*

This mid-80s film had the same title as a Beatles song and starred Keanu Reeves.

This actress was originally cast as Vicki Vale in Tim Burton’s Batman, then later feuded with the director when she was passed over for the role of Catwoman in the sequel.

At the beginning of Back to the Future, who has a cameo as the faculty member that rejects Marty’s band because they’re “too darn loud.”

“Isn't that just like a wop? Brings a knife to a gun fight.” is a line from what 80s gangster film?
- Scarface
- Once Upon a Time in America
- The Untouchables

This film was the first theatrical release from Tri-Star Pictures.*

What 80s film starring Carl Weathers was also the name of a popular toy from the 1970s?

In Caddyshack, Ty (Chevy Chase) tells Danny he had a college roommate named ________________.

In On Golden Pond, what’s the name of the fish Henry Fonda has been trying to catch for years?

In A Fish Called Wanda, Wanda (Jamie Lee Curtis) can’t resist when Otto (Kevin Kline) speaks this language:
- Spanish
- Portuguese
- French
- Italian

In The Natural, what team does Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) play for?*

The forgotten 1981 film Neighbors features John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and what other Saturday Night Live alumnus.

"The Duke of New York" is a character in this film.

In The Naked Gun, what’s the name of the opera singer Frank Drebbin (Leslie Neilsen) impersonates?

What actor and martial artist had one of their first onscreen roles in 1984’s Breakin’?*
- Jean Claude Van Damme
- Steven Seagal
- Chuck Norris
- Michelle Yeoh
- Cynthia Rothrock

This 1987 comedy was remade years later with the title Love Don’t Cost a Thing.

In Diner, Boogie (Mickey Rourke) makes a bet he can get his date to "touch his pecker” in the movie theater. What’s his date’s name and what movie are they watching?

In Ferris Beuller’s Day Off, this Buffy the Vampire Slayer actress plays a student who explains to the teacher (Ben Stein) why Ferris is absent.

What was so unusual about the animal ridden by Tanya Roberts in 1984's Sheena?

In Youngblood, how many hockey goals did Dean Youngblood (Rob Lowe) supposedly score in the junior leagues?

In Airplane, what’s Johnny’s response when McCroskey (Lloyd Bridges) tells him, “The fog is getting thicker.”

List all of the James Bond movies released in the 1980s.

What reality TV star had a role in the 1984’s Up the Creek?

In 1986’s Aliens, which character dies first:
- Apone
- Hicks
- Newt
- Dietrich
- Vazquez

In A Christmas Story, what does the secret Little Orphan Annie message turn out to be?

In No Way Out, Kevin Costner's character Tom Farrell is actually a Russian operative named ______________.

In 48 Hours, what song does Reggie (Eddie Murphy) sing in his jail cell?

In the early 80s this actor came out of 20+ year retirement to play a role in a Best Picture nominee. Name the actor and the movie.

In Terms of Endearment, Jack Nicholson plays Garrett Breedlove, a retired
- baseball player
- college professor
- tennis instructor
- astronaut

The 1985 film Visionquest featured this hit by Madonna:
- "Into the Groove"
- "Dress You Up"
- "Papa Don’t Preach"
- "Crazy for You"
- "Borderline"

“It can't be bargained with, it can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear, and it absolutely will not stop… ever… until you are dead.” is from what film?

The story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry is recounted in what film?*

According to Conan the Barbarian, what is best in life?

What's the name of the male stripper in Bachelor Party?

In When Harry Met Sally, who plays the woman with the classic line, "I'll have what she's having."

Al Franken Wins Senate Seat (Finally)

2009-07-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

We missed a lot of news over the past week or so, including the fact that the Minnesota Senatorial race was finally decided last week. (Are you kidding me? It took eight months to settle this thing?... Only in America.)

Anyway, for those who weren't aware, they've been trying to figure out who won this thing since way back on election day in November. Turns out, it was one of the closest elections in the history of American politics, with less than 300 votes finally separating the two candidates. Then there were recounts, and protests, and more recounts, and then it went to the courts and now, finally, your newest United States Senator is... former Saturday Night Live writer and cast member Al Franken...

Who?...

Exactly... We barely remember this guy from SNL but we dug into the Pop Culture Fiend Archives and found this clip from 1988 that refreshed our memories. In it, Franken plays televangelist Pat Robertson (ironically enough, at a time when Robertson himself was running for President. )

Al Franken as Pat Robertson
Uploaded by popculturefiend

Pop Culture Fiend

Bruce Lee's 10 Most Memorable On-Screen Moments

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

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

Why Pop Culture?

Robin on How I Met Your Mother Is Pregnant!... No Wait, Cancel That

Like Mother, Like Daughter: Janet and Paulina Gretzky

Trailer Friday for November 25, 2011

USC-UCLA "I Love L.A." Music Video

Trailer Friday for November 11th, 2011

Who Slept With Who On Gilligan's Island?

The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s: Part 3

In Time Review in Zero Words

Hey Everyone, It's Trailer Friday!

Signature Songs: The Bangles

Proof That Even Really Bad Comedies Usually Have At Least One Good Laugh: Coup De Ville Edition

Real Steel Review in Zero Words

The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s: Part 2

The Playboy Club = Mad Men + American Dreams + The House Bunny

The 20 Most Must-See Movies of the 90s: Part 1

What's Old is New Again: Contagion

Proof That Even Really Bad Comedies Usually Have At Least One Good Laugh: Dude, Where's My Car Edition

Where is Popular Music Going?

The Beatles at Candlestick

The Payback

Shot Through the Heart!...

But We're Still Way Younger Than Mr. Furley, Right?

So Let Me Get This Straight... You're Complaining About Hot Women in Tight Leather?

Welcome Back, Welcome Back, Wel-come Baaaack

I'm Back, Big as Life and Twice as Ugly!

Defending Isiah

Commercials We Love - Fruit of the Loom and Big Fig

Deja V

Reality Used To Be A Friend Of Mine: The Problem With Reality TV - Part II

ESPN 30 for 30 is 2 for 3 So Far

Shout Out to: The Force M.D.s

Reality Used To Be A Friend Of Mine: The Problem With Reality TV

Defining Films of the Decades - The 60s

More Fall TV Shows You Should Watch (and Not Watch)

Pop Culture Fiend Is Watching All The New Fall Shows, So You Don’t Have To… You’re Welcome!

Remembering James Dean

Cougar Time!

Commercials We Love - "You Will"

Return to Melrose Place

Madden Curse Strikes Again

Remembering John Hughes

Five Lives You Really Should Own

Defining Films of the Decades - The 50s

Shout Out to: Lippy the Lion

Defining Films of the Decades - The 40s

Family Guy's Funniest Pop Culture References

Defining Films of the Decades - The 30s

"The Ultimate 80s Movie Quiz"

Al Franken Wins Senate Seat (Finally)