Saturday, May 31, 2008

Some trek posts

Here are some Star Trek IV bloopers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKkvbBoas9Y

Check out Shatner’s hairpiece.

Star Trek TMP Deleted scenes from various filmed versions

Television version Trims

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWv340AUrws&feature=related

Theatrical Version trims

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtWCwqvPiCc&feature=related

Director Robert Wise used scenes and edits from both versions of the film to make his third cut, the Director’s cut. This is the stuff left out.

Note: We will probably never see the Security guard getting killed, the memory wall, or the extended Android Ilia scene in the engine room, because Wise is dead now.

Chocolate Rain McDonald's Spot

Chocolate Rain McDonald’s style

__________________________________________

Okay, someone dug up an extremely old McDonald’s ad with that stupid puppet. To show how old I am, I actually remember that logo they use in the ad.

Hell, I even remember seeing the commercial back in the day.

And you can check out this funny response from this guy.

By the way, what is the guy’s name in the clip? I remember seeing him on many shows with that damn puppet.

Friday, May 30, 2008

Lost again! (Spoilers)

Looks like someone is a little pissed off about the way Lost ended last night (Spoilers)

http://darkufo.blogspot.com/2008/05/harold-perrineau-dishes-on-his-lost.html

There were many shocking moments in the last episode, but Harold Perrineau isn't happy about the ending.

And, I don't blame him. They seemed to have short-shafted his character a bit, but there is a back-door opening for him. This could all be a well-orchestrated misdirection on the producers' part.

Howard the Duck

Howard the Duck (The movie)

I remember watching this movie way back in the day. George Lucas ended up being involved in the movie and some people confuse Lucas as being the director. But, he wasn't, it was Willard Huyck, but Lucas did produce the movie.

The movie hasn't aged well at all.

For some reason, Howard the Duck always reminded me of Macaulay Culkin with his face.

I rarely see this movie on TV anymore and can't seem to find it on video. I read Lucas has distanced himself from this movie and refuses to release it to Region 1.

Here are a few notes:

~Reading the Trivia page, it would appear that this movie 'helped' create Pixar Animation Studios.

~Lea Thompson is cute.

~About eight people played Howard the Duck.

~In a PG movie, it's okay to have a naked female duck with boobs.

~The UK version was edited down for a few years.

Here are a few videos

Howard the Duck - Ending: I remember this song.

A trailer: I have to say the trailer is pretty bad.

Howard getting sucked through a wormhole: That's all that needs to be said about it

Thursday, May 29, 2008

IJ games

The Angry Videogame Nerd takes on all those shitty Indiana Jones games. Man, these games are really bad. Some of the games are shovel-ware. I sort of like the Temple of Doom videogame in a shitty sort of way. I love hearing John Williams' score in it's 8-bit glory.

He also take on NES Accessories. It's no wonder they eventually went for the Wii sports and controllers, based on tighter and smarter technology.

There's a bit of foreshadowing on a certain NES accessory that he will cover in a later program. (You can check out that one here and here)

It is Interesting that the Dance-Dance Revolution pads were based on this technology.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

A look back

Karate vs. Kung fu

http://fastclips.com/videos/PISKluBdWBSK

Way back when I was a little unhappy child, my parents forced me to take up karate. I was a lonely child that didn’t want to take up anything. I just wanted to dwell around the backyard and use my imagination, to basically to be alone.

My father forced the karate lessons on me, and it ended with me hating every moment of it. I didn’t want to be there, so I made sure everyone knew it too. Eventually, my parents got the hint and I stopped going.

Looking back at it now, I do realize the power involved in Karate. I wonder if I should have tried harder and stuck with Karate. I wonder what kind of person I would have been back when I was young. Would it have made my childhood easier to bear?

Above is a video of the two styles fighting each other. I enjoyed it.

The link below will give you more information on the differences between Karate and Kung Fu.

http://www.yongmoonmookwan.com/1/p1.htm

Sweep the leg

Shooting and scoring: Kobe in trouble?

Another Kobe Bryant scandal? Well, Bryant's legal team thinks so...Another Cheerleader scandal

Looks like Kobe Bryant is doing some dribbling outside the court. Rumors abound that Mr. Bryant has been messing around with a former Lakers Girl. There’s only one problem though he’s still married.

Her name is Vanessa Curry and she used to be on the Lakers Girl squad. (they removed her link from the Lakers page)

Kobe’s current wife is named Vanessa Bryant. Yeah, they have the same name.

It was later revealed that Curry was let go from her Cheerleading job at the organization. (To pursue another gig)

Listen, I’m all about people being faithful to their spouses and all. But if a good-looking lady like Curry came up to me, I’d reconsidered my options. Also, I’m not sure why most NBA basketball players are married anyway. Stay single when you’re playing in the league and then marry when you get older. Have as much fun as you can. It’s not cheating when you haven’t tied the knot. (Well, Vanessa Bryant is attractive too. Hold on, they look similar. What is going on here?)

What is up with all these cheerleader scandals?

Better question, why can’t I get involved in one of these scandals…wait a minute…

Back in my College Marching Band days, we went to Indiana to play in a Colts game. Three hours before the game, we watched as the Colts cheerleaders practiced. Yes, they are all hot up close.
________________________________________________
Oh, my

Monday, May 26, 2008

Random Bits

Yo, Dog, where can I get one of these t-shirts.

Random Bits

~I went to a Mexican restaurant with some friends Saturday night, and I really had a good time. The restaurant was actually owned by a Mexican family, so the food was really good. There’s nothing like having a steak arrive with smoke and steam coming from the plate. The waiter had to wear oven pits when he served us.

It’s a good thing.

Later on, we ended up watching Juno at their house. Two of us had already seen the movie, but two of them hadn’t. It was interesting watching them watch the movie for the first time. Honest to blog…

~Steve Ballmer receives an egg attack: The guy that throws the eggs at the over-sized douche bag doesn't seem to have good aim. Steve hides behind his desk as the eggs splatter harmlessly onto the large screen behind him. I think the protester made Ballmer's speech a heck of a lot more interesting. I also like the awkward silence after he's done protesting and he just stares at a frightened Ballmer. Dude, you’re supposed to run after throwing the eggs, because standing there just becomes strange.

Please, someone needs to make some Microsoft = Corruption t-shirts.

You can read more here and here.

~What are the least plausible jobs for Steven Seagal?: It seems like he's had every job possible in his movies. But, I want to see him take on Energy Drink maker and Janitor.

Captain EO

Captain EO (AKA that Michael Jackson movie.)

You can check the entire movie out here

This often overlooked, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, 17-minute film was played in Disney owned theme parks. George Lucas produced the movie, and you can clearly tell his influences too. (Note: I can see why he’d create a character like Jar-Jar Binks now. This extended music video is full of characters similar to the often-hated sidekick.)

The film looks very dated now and the acting on Michael’s part is bad, but there is a certain cheesy charm about this little movie. Hey, it was the 80s.

I have many problems with Michael Jackson as a person, but he’s always made big productions out of his music videos and this one is no different. I think more artists need to go this route in music videos. (I’m still looking for that extended version of Bad.)

Grade: C

Things worth noting

~Jackson has the power to turn evil robots into Batman & Robin henchmen.

~The design of The Supreme Leader must have had a great deal of influence on the designers of the Borg Queen in Star Trek: First Contact. There are many similarities between the two.

~ Tony Cox played ‘Hooter’, a blue elephant-looking thing that likes to make farting sounds.

~ James Horner is the composer, and he still rips off his own music from his other scores.

~Strangely enough, this is set in the same universe as the Space Channel 5 videogame series, because they strongly hint this character is the same character in the videogame series. (Jackson plays them both.)

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Strange Wilderness

Strange Wilderness

This movie is not funny. Sure there are a few funny moments, but this movie is beer-fest bad. You would think with this cast they would somehow make this movie work. Why did Happy Madison even fund this movie?

It feels like someone wrote an incomplete script, and they decided to make the movie anyway. Scenes go on too long without any funny jokes. The writers didn’t even try to make sense of the plot.

Nothing really adds up to anything. At first, the movie is about these goof-offs trying to make a wilderness show, and then it becomes a road movie. From there, it changes to a “lost in the jungle” movie. None of it is damn funny either. (They even steal a joke from Black Sheep involving a gas leak in their vehicle.)

You can tell Steve Zahn is bored in his leading role, and Jonah Hill is useless. Justin Long is in the movie, but he nearly says nothing at all, probably there to collect a check.

Is there anything good to say about this movie? Well, there is some female nudity in this movie. But, it is offset by tons of male nudity too, if you’re into that sort of thing.

To say more about this piece of crap would be a waste of time. Don’t watch this movie.

Grade: F-

________________________________________________With a group like this, the movie should be funny.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (part 3 of 3)

Older, but still fun.

The Story

George Lucas wanted the story exactly his way and even going as far as rejecting a script that Spielberg thought was well written and entertaining. However, Lucas always wanted to shoehorn in an Alien plotline into the Indiana Jones series. Spielberg took the idea and grounded into making a bit more sense than what Lucas wanted. Both Ford and Spielberg thought Lucas’ idea was too out there, so they toned it down a bit.

The alien plotline really does hurt this film a lot. While it does fit with the strange supernatural stuff from the first movie, real life aliens seem too X-files for an IJ movie. However, the entire subplot about Indiana seeing the passage of time is a nice touch and should have been

The dialogue ranges from flat to unexciting. You can tell Lucas got his hands on the script and did some rewriting. Not everything is doom and gloom in the story, there are some good continuity moments in this film that are nice little call backs to the older IJ films. (Look for the Ark)

Lucas should have stepped aside and let the writers and producers do the movie they wanted. And as far as plots go, the first and second acts work very well. It is toward the end that the movie falls completely apart with all the Alien mumbo-jumbo.

The Overall Picture

While not a complete disappointment, Indiana Jones And the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull isn't the best movie in the series, but certainly better than Temple of Doom. It is still a fun action/adventure movie that should be watched if you're a fan of the others. It's a good movie, but not as fun as The Last Crusade or as creepy as Raiders of the Lost Ark. Yet, there are things to enjoy and it is still an Indiana Jones movie.

Grade: B-

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (part 2 of 3)

The Action

The action set pieces are entertaining and complex. Watching Indiana run around on crates and chasing Russians, I found that it is one of the better action scenes in the movie. Indiana Jones is a bit slower and makes a few more mistakes that back in his younger days. The CGI is these scenes are a bit jarring in some places, but overall are done well. (There is an impressive atomic bomb explosion that

The sound department does a great job in this movie as well. The punches are loud and the explosions are louder.

You’ll be more entertained by the action than the kooky plot.

The Acting

Harrison Ford: He’s a little older and Ford plays Indiana as guy that misses the good old days of the 30’s and 40’s. One scene where he remembers fallen family members and friends is a touching. This has to be one of Ford’s better roles to date. (Remember Firewall?)

Cate Blanchett: Uh, she plays that Russian chick. I really didn’t like most of the scenes with her, but I didn’t hate her performance either. I did like the ant bit involving her legs though.

Karen Allen: Ah, yes Marion Ravenwood has returned. I always like her as the main female lead from the first movie. Sure she’s older, but I still love that wide, bright smile that she still has today. While her character doesn’t have much to do in this movie, Allen is still a welcome sight no matter the age.

Shia LaBeouf: Not a huge fan of his role, but he’s all right here. It is a riff off his role in Transformers though.

Ray Winstone: I really didn’t like his character at all.

John Hurt: Professor Oxley feels like a replacement for Indiana Jones’ father. He really does. Go back and watch the movie and you can see it. Hurt does a good job playing a crazy old man that is the gangs’ only way to discovering the secrets of the Crystal Skull. I just think it would have been more emotional for Indiana if he watched as Jones Sr. started to loose his mind instead of Hurt.

The Music

Legendary film composer John Williams returns to the series and this time he’s in old school Williams mode. There aren’t any of the random action cues he’s famous for in his later years here. This score is structured like his IJ scores from the past.

Here’s the best part; he brought back some of the old themes from the earlier films. The cool Ark theme returns at that beginning for a few scenes (hint, hint). And the ‘family’ theme from the Last Crusade makes an appearance too.

The newer themes are neat too. One theme, The Crystal Skull theme, is rooted in the sci-fi movies from the 50’s and 60’s, and it’s electronic.

It isn’t Williams’ best score, but it certainly is a throwback to his old days and a nice treat.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (part 1 of 3)

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

A little bit older and beaten down, but Dr. Jones is back in this fun movie that doesn’t quite stand up compared to the first three movies.

With a 19-year-old gap between this movie and the Last Crusade, Indiana Jones is a welcomed friend. Yet, the movie has some major problems that keep it from being a true IJ movie.

The charm and wit is still there, but there’s something missing in the script. I think part of that has to do with some unbalanced dialogue by George Lucas. It sounds bad during some of the exchanges between Cate Blanchett and Indiana. Lucas has lost some of the writing skills he had in his early days. What he lacks in scripting, Lucas makes up with a good sense of atmosphere, charm, and action.

It is the year 1957 and Indiana is in a different world. Time has passed and Indiana Jones lives in the Cold War era. He’s no longer fighting Nazis but Communists, led by the kind of sexy Blanchatt.

Setting up the movie with an unconventional opening with some teenagers speeding through an army convoy is a stroke of genius. It shows us we’re no longer in the late 30s and early 40s any more. The movie stands out from the first three movies because it feels like a completely different time frame. This is certainly what the movie does very well and Steven Spielberg and George Lucas should be commended on that.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Star Trek TNG: A Matter of Honor

Star Trek TNG: A Matter of Honor

Ah, an early Klingon episode. The first writer strike severely hurt the creative process of the second season, and yet there were many episodes worth noting in this shaky season. This Klingon episode is one of them.

The episode opens up with Riker asking for a brief transfer over to the Klingon ship Pagh. Riker discovers it’s a harder assignment than he thought. The episode opens the viewer up to the various cultural differences between humans and Klingons, and it does a fine job seeing these differences through Riker’s eyes.

One of the best moments in the episode involves Riker with some of the Klingon officers eating dinner. The writing is funny and interesting. The scene begins with the Klingons making fun of Riker, which turns to Riker joining in on the joke. From there we see Riker bonding with two of the Klingons. It’s just a great scene, and it’s the reason to watch this episode. The scene represents everything Trek stands for.

Brian Thompson does a great job conveying an honorable Klingon. Chris Latta (Who played the voice of Cobra Commander and Starscream in those 80s cartoons) does a fair job playing Captain Kargan, but his character comes across too stupid and bullheaded at certain times in the episode to be that convincing. With the exception of Wil Wheaton, all the actors are good in their roles. However, this is Jonathan Frakes’ episode and he really stands out in this outing.

The subplot about the space fungus (I know it’s rust, but space fungus sounds better) is a bit silly, but it’s merely a plot device to create conflict between Riker and Kargan. Wesley Crusher ruins nearly every scene he’s in, but John Putch’s acting brings the scenes up. I’d like to add that I loved seeing Worf treat Mendon like crap throughout the episode.

All around an effective episode that would pave the way for further Klingon episodes that would end up reaching to the end of DS9. These episodes are some of the best-written episodes in the Trek universe. Klingons are just a fun culture to explore.

Grade: B

_________________________________________________

Peter Parros plays this Klingon. This guy has had a busy career in TV and is still working.

_______________________________________________

behold, the evil Space Fungus.
______________________________________________
Commander William T. Riker: You come from a very brave and unique people. I'm glad you're with us on the Enterprise.
Lieutenant Worf: Thank you, Commander. And... welcome home.
____________________________________________

Great lines:

Lt. Klag: [noticing two female Klingons staring at Riker] They are inquisitive, they're wondering how you would endure.

Commander William T. Riker: Endure what?

Lt. Klag: Them.

Commander William T. Riker: [looks at the women] One or both?

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

So long, Speed Racer

So long, Speed Racer (My top five reasons why this movie didn’t work in the Box Office.)

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121098342861200259.html?mod=2_1168_1

The new Speed Racer movie is like Hillary Clinton, it doesn’t know it’s going to lose or won’t admit it. Someone needs to whisper in her ear and say, “It’s over.”

It was earlier reported that Speed Racer was number 2 at the Box Office. Then it was switched to number 3. That meant What Happens in Vegas... beat Speed Racer. Dumb shit Ashton Kutcher beat the dudes that made the Matrix! No talented Kutcher! Kutcher punked Speed Racer.

Since everyone in the press has decided to post their reasons why the movie failed to make money, here are a few of mine.

1. Only for lonely overweight redheaded geeks who run web sites: I personally think Speed Racer is too fanboyish for a general audience. Just read his review here. I'm a fanboy, but I can't understand why they even made a movie from a cartoon that was never popular in the first place.

2. Speed Racer who?: How many children do you even know who Speed Racer is? It isn’t the Transformers, which has currently had a TV series in some form on for 7-8 years now. Plus, there were hundreds of people my age with families now that took their little kids to see Transformers. I didn’t see that happening here with Speedy.

3. Iron Man kicked his ass: There is no doubt that Iron Man had something to do with Speed Racer’s failure. It was poor timing on the studios part to release this movie so close to a comic book movie.

4. This movie is rated PG: I’m sorry, but this keeps some of your audience away.

5. The Wachowski brothers don’t do press: This total detachment from press releases and interviews will harm your promotions, guys. People want to a peek inside the thought process of your minds. Listen, I’m not a fan of spin and fake praise, but it is necessary. (Plus, we want to know if that sex change went through.)

Monday, May 19, 2008

Random Things

Random Things

~Lindsay Lohan is asking for sponsors for her 22nd birthday. Wow, I guess her movie career is doing so bad that she’s taking sponsors. She just received news that the producers from an upcoming film dropped her from the project and now there’s word a Jack Black movie dropped her as well. But, she denies being dropped from the film; she dropped the film because she’s too busy. Yeah, busy selling out for your birthday party. (Way to spin it, girl.)

Showing up on Ugly Betty isn’t really considered ‘busy’.

~M. Night Shyamalan’s new movie has a great trailer, but one negative review has come out about The Happening. If you don’t want to be spoiled, don’t read the review.

~As I walked down Broadway during my weekend walk throughout the city, I noticed a bum standing near a bus stop. He stood there hunched over with his head shaking side to side. Nearby, a family checked the busing schedule and didn’t notice him yet. The bum started to punch downward at empty air, as if he was fighting an invisible enemy. He grunted and groaned with every uneven punch. The family noticed him and started to walk away. I walked passed him, hoping that he wouldn’t punch me.

After safely passing him, I wondered if should have used my cell phone and called the cops. “Nah, I’ll just let him continue to fight his own battle by himself.”

What the hell was that about?

~Remember that case with the woman who killed that trucker from Canada? I've gotten some comments from people claiming to be her former boyfriends and stating that she's still drinking after getting out of jail. I noticed a sharp surge in Google hits involving her name coming to my site. News has come out that she just came out of court today and records show she had an alcohol level three times the legal limit. Does this mean I'm going to get another e-mail from the police department asking for records and info like the last incident? Probably not...

~By the way, that case still hasn't been cleared up yet. I can say this; there are some people that are pissed off with me over this incident and the legal fallout. I do know that post is being used in a court case. I don't know who's more pissed off at me the roommate of that Cheerleader or Ray or certain people at my job.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

About that Obama shirt…

About that Obama shirt…

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/14/AR2008051403613.html

This is f’ed up, I grew up on Curious George. I liked the Man in the Yellow Hat, anyone that can pimp out an all yellow outfit is alright to me. Now, this harmless character has some controversy surrounding him and Curious George will never be the same again. Damn you, Mike Norman. `

Mike Norman claims that he never intended for the shirts to cause such an outcry. Really, where has this guy been for most of his life? Under a rock? You simply can’t make a monkey joke involving a person of color.

For years, racist people have called black people monkeys, and it is almost as bad as the N-Word. Any person of color understands that there are racists out there that only view us as animals and nothing else. Despite our progress, there are still some people trying tear down all the progress we've made together.

He should be fully aware that selling these shirts just shows a total lack of respect.

Does that mean he should be banned from selling the shirts? Absolutely not. However, what kind of person would buy such a shirt?

If you want to stop him, don’t buy his shirts and don’t eat at his restaurant.

However, if the publisher of Curious George wants to sue this guy, I’m all for it. He is making money off their image and creating a bad name for their product.

Reality television sucks

As you already are aware, I hate most reality shows. I think they are destroying our minds and bodies. That's why I find this list of The Worst 15 Reality Shows so refreshing. There are some people that hate reality shows just as much as me.

Reality shows seem to be a haven for has-been actors and washed up reality stars from other reality shows. But the list above has some of the worst ones I've heard of.

Britney & Kevin: Chaotic: Thank goodness that Britney Spears reality show only lasted five episodes. It ended up being an extremely low-rated show, even by UPN standards. Now, her running over paparazzi and hitting cars sounds like a better reality show to me.

Mr. Personality: WTF, this was actually a show? And, intern-slut Monica Lewinsky was the host. Monica Lewinsky? This is the woman that kept a soiled dress in her closet, and she hosted a show.

The Swan: There's something disturbing about changing normal women into plastic surgery beauties. Sure some of the women looked a little bad, but is this the right message to send to little girls? Hey, you're dreams will come true through plastic surgery and boob-lifts and not through hard work and school.

My Super Sweet 16: Little rich girls bitching about their 16th birthday party. My 16th birthday party wasn't anything special, and I didn't have any reality show cameras around either. There's something wrong with little girls getting everything they want. The world doesn't work that way, and they need to learn that. Hey, I wanted every GI Joe and Transformers toy out there. Guess what? I didn't get them all.

Monica Lewinsky...It's too easy to come up with an oral sex joke, so I'm not even going to try. And besides, her name is now a term for oral sex. Her mother must be proud.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

The Golden Child

The Golden Child

Way in the mid-80s, Star Trek producers had Eddie Murphy in mind to play a role in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Instead, Murphy chose The Golden Child. It was a move he later regretted. While Murphy didn’t like the end product, I still find the movie very funny and fun.

The Golden Child is a simple movie. Some bad guys kidnap a magical child and only Eddie Murphy can save the child. There is some business with the devil, a bad guy that is really a demon, and a naked woman who is half dragon and human. You mix all that up and you get an entertaining and funny movie with poor production values.

Sure the movie doesn’t stand up to Murphy’s other flicks during this period, but it isn’t his worst movie either. With a paper-thin plot, most of the focus is on Eddie Murphy. He does a great job making fun of the ridiculous plot. It’s like his character is fully aware of the goofiness around him. Eddie Murphy is simply funny in this movie and elevates the movie to another level. Everyone else in the movie plays the story straight and take it seriously, which is a contrast to Murphy’s behavior.

Besides the funny Eddie Murphy, I still fondly remember having a huge crush on Charlotte Lewis. She plays his attractive partner in the movie. Lewis was a sexy woman and even kicks butt in her underwear in one scene. By the way, I loved her scene when she’s fighting the biker gang all by herself in a wet shirt (see-through). It’s is a shame they deleted a sex scene between her and Eddie. Sadly, Lewis has pretty much disappeared from movies and TV now.

The music ranges from cheesy 80s bad to cheesy 80s good. It should be noted that two composers worked on the film.

If you can ignore the embarrassing FX and strange concepts, you might find yourself laughing at the movie. It is certainly ten times better than most of his recent movies.

Grade: C+

Note: In the movie, The Golden Child was a boy. However, a girl played the role: J.L. Reate.

Best Line in the movie: Chandler Jarrell: I dont know, maybe he cut himself shaving and bled to death looking for a kleenex.

Eddie: “You better be a fan of Norbit, or I’ll cut ya.”
______________________________________________

Sardo Numspa: “I could turn you into a wisecracking Donkey or a wisecracking little dragon.”

Murphy: “Being sent back to SNL would be a curse to me…”

Friday, May 16, 2008

Random Bits

Nice, very nice

Random Bits

~Looking at these photos of Megan Fox, I can safely say that I am in love. Women always look better covered in water.

~Terrell Owens sued a Porn company (Bang Bros.) Because they showed him on their site as he walks through the shoot. MC has some more info on the appearance of T.O on Under One Roof. And, TMZ points out something strange about T.O’s character. He’s a porn producer.

~Marvel vs. DC Iron Man/Batman: I love all these stories. I like how Batman reminds Iron Man that Spiderman had a bigger opening and Venom had more screen time than Iron Man's villain. The main villain was the only problem I had with the movie.

~Make a hot girl laugh: I love these bits. Check them out here and here. I pride myself into making people laugh in real life, including hot girls. Too bad it doesn't translate into her giving me her number or myspace page.

Bill O'Reilly remixed

Bill O'Reilly Remixed and Parodied

After this O'Reilly footage resurfaced, people have been remixing and making up their own videos involving this bloated blow-hard.

Here are a few of my favorite ones.

The Dance Remix: I can see this being played in some trendy club with glow sticks and moving dance lights.

Here's a Parody with a guy that looks like a younger Paul Shaffer: The video is pretty funny.

Bill O'Reilly vs. Producer (Parody): This one is probably one of the best ones out there. Deflated basketball face, brilliant!

Colbert takes a jab at O'Reilly: Stephen Colbert defends O'Reilly's outburst with funny results.

O'Reilly Responds to the leaked video: Looking at that young O'Reilly, I'm amazed how much bigger his head has gotten and the turkey neck has grown too.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Die Hard II thoughts (Yippie Ki Yay Mr. Falcon)

I just watched the tail end of Die Hard 2. While certainly not the best movie in the Die Hard series, it still has its moments.

Here are a few thoughts I’d like to make.

~Renny Harlin directed this movie, when John McTiernan (Die Hard) was too busy. I wished they would have waited for McTiernan’s schedule to clear up and hired him to direct. Harlin simply doesn’t have the skill that the McTiernan has in making action films. After this hit, Harlin would produce crap after crap movies.

~William Sadler and John Amos make great villains. I also like the plot twist involving Amos.

~When Sadler’s character tricks the British Airplane down, I couldn’t believe it. It is a harsh scene, but it makes the audience hate his character even more.

~Colm Meaney is the pilot of the airplane that crashes. Meaney would later end up on Star Trek TNG and then move to DS9. William Sadler would have a recurring role on DS9 as a villain and share a few scenes with Meaney.

~Scenes from an early workprint of Die Hard 2 has made its way to the Internet:

Die Hard 2 Workprint - Icicle Scene: Just a couple of seconds added here.

Die Hard 2 Workprint - Airplane Scene: A few seconds added here and there. There are added shots of the people inside the plane screaming and shielding their eyes. Harlin admitted it was too much. And I agree with that, editing a few seconds out was a wise move.

Die Hard 2 Workprint - Skywalk Scene: Just a bit bloodier.

~There was another deleted shot of a little girl on the doomed airplane right before the plane crashes. She’s the one that owns the teddy bear. It happens right after the Stewardess confronts the old lady. Check out more here.

~And who can forget the wonderful TV edit? Yippie Ki Yay Mr. Falcon?

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Grand Scientology Auto

It looks like the makers of GTA IV have been making some not too subtle attacks on Scientology.

It appears they named a street after the founder L. Ron Hubbard. And, this street is near some other streets that the programmers named after cult leaders.

Then, someone discovered a strange church with a volcano logo. (The guy took a picture and there it is above the post.)

I have to give credit to Take-Two Interactive for daring to make fun of Scientology. I'm sure someone in the Scientology law firm will try to sue Take-Two.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Go Speed Racer, here he comes...

Go Speed Racer!

I can't believe I've never heard this remixed techno song with samples from the Space Racer show.

Here's the kicker, it gets very “freaky” at the 3:50 mark. After listening to the moaning and grunting in the song, I want to smoke a cigarette, and I don't even smoke.

If they had put this song in the movie, I'm sure more people would have went to the theaters.

that crazy girl from the subway...

Remember that crazy girl from the subway video? (Soulja Girl)

Well, there's more to the story than what we saw in the video.

If this was any other nutjob, the police wouldn't care. but they discovered the identity of this crazy woman. I guess it had something to do with the fact that it was plastered all over Youtube.

((After getting tips identifying the young woman as Ziyad, MARTA police charged her with simple assault and two counts of disorderly conduct. ))

((Investigators told WSB-TV Channel 2 reporter Tom Jones they were able to identify the elderly passenger and after speaking with her they arrested Ziyad. Her mother told WSB-TV's Monica Pearson Ziyad is bipolar and was off her medication when the attack took place. ))

Looking at the video again, I can see the Bipolar in her behavior. She's lucky one of the guys, who were defending the older woman, didn't hurt her. By the way, the older woman is the mother of the head football coach of Morehouse College.

I'm a little mad that the police only act when there's a lot of press. Remember that whole stolen X-Box story?

I'm sure they're some T-shirts and TV deals being made with this woman.

Bill O’Reilly blopper?

Here are a couple of guys out on the town looking for women. Wait, so the man on the right is a woman? Oy...

Bill O’Reilly is an asshole

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2tJjNVVwRCY

We all know that now, but he was a prick back in his Inside Edition days too. Can you imagine how much bigger of an asshole he is now behind the scenes? He looks like such a crybaby in this clip.

Now, is this real or was this just Bill goofing around?

Monday, May 12, 2008

Michael Clayton

Michael Clayton

When things go wrong for the rich people, a major law firm brings in a Fixer, Michael Clayton, to fix the problems. And, Things do go really wrong when one of Clayton’s lawyer friends looses it in a proceeding. On the surface, things seem on the normal. As Clayton digs deeper, he discovers a major conspiracy. And because of this discovery, his life is in danger.

This movie isn’t for everyone, but it isn’t a bad film. The movie has some great moments, but the film has many dull spots at the beginning. There are long scenes that don’t pay off until the middle of the film.

The slow pacing and the nearly disconnected subplot about Clayton’s brother will turn some people away from the movie. (The brother subplot does seem to pay off in a limited fashion to the main plot though.) But it is the acting that will attract people to the story.

George Clooney is fine in this rather reserved role, but Tilda Swinton will steal the movie. I don’t want to give anything away, but she has a great moment toward the end of the film. Clooney and Swinton make up for some of the duller moments.

Michael Clayton isn’t as good as the critics make it out to be, but it is not a bad movie either.

Grade: C+

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Random Stuff

Random Stuff

~It looks like Stephen Colbert can dance pretty well. Korean singer/dancer actually visits Colbert and has a dance off with Colbert. The guy certain has a Michael Jackson style to his dance moves. You can check out one of Rain's videos here. At first he's an Angel and then becomes a soldier (?). Rain gets major cools points for coming onto Colbert's show and making fun of himself.

~Clay Davis from The Wire says shiiiiiit like no other person. He's one of these corrupt characters that ends up surviving all kinds of scandals. Watch this clip of his character conning an entire courtroom into thinking that he's a man of the people instead of a conman.

~What the hell is this girl talking about? Is this English? What has happened to our education system?

As a member of the black community, I'm embarrassed. I'm also sure she has a child. Why is she picking on an old woman?

~A British DJ dumps a cheating Girlfriend live on air. It's not his girlfriend, but I like how he sets her up and drops her down. I smell a lawsuit.

~Super Mario Brothers III/The Wizard: (reviewed by the Angry Video Game Nerd, it is a positive review): I can't believe how much promotion there was for Nintendo in the Wizard movie. Super Mario Brothers III was probably the best Mario game around, even today with those stupid Mario Wii remote games. I loved Mario III, and this is coming from a Sonic the Hedgehog fan too. If you get a chance, play Super Mario III again.

~Speaking of Super Mario III, how the heck does a raccoon tail give you the power to fly? In the real world, raccoons can’t fly. The real power of the raccoon tail should be going through garbage cans at night. (Isn’t it a feather icon that turns into a raccoon tail?)

Call me strange, but if I saw a fat dude, who looked a lot like Ron Jeremy, flying around with a raccoon tail sticking out of his ass, I’d call the police.

Idle Hands

Idle Hands

I just got done watching the movie Idle Hands. I remember watching this movie years ago and not really enjoying it that much. Watching now after all these years, I have to say that I rather enjoyed watching it. It's a good mixture of violence and humor. Jessica Alba is very hot in her role. This was before before she got really skinny. Seth Green is almost too convincing as a drugged up slacker.

The best part is the fact Anton's hand kills his friends, but his friends come back from the dead and haunt him because they were too lazy to go to heaven.

The movie was intended to be bad and goofy, but there are some scary moments here and there. This movie would have never been made or worst PG-13ed.

Anyway, I read that there was another ending to the movie and I decided to find it, which I did find.

Check out the original ending: I have to agree with the director. This ending is too serious, but it has a very A Nightmare on Elm Street style and feel to it. It's almost a throwback to those 80s movies in this ending.

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Star Jones vs. Barbara Walters

The claws are out in this catfight Star Jones vs. Barbara Walters

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=4799179&page=1

After all these years, Barbara Walters still knows how to make the news. She not only bashes Star Jones (which is a good thing), talks about Rosie and her big head, but also dishes some dirt on her affair with married former Senator Edward Brooke.

Being the shallow person that she is, Star Jones has decided to attack Walters for coming out with the information.

(("It is a sad day when an icon like Barbara Walters, in the sunset of her life, is reduced to publicly branding herself as an adulterer, humiliating an innocent family with accounts of her illicit affair and speaking negatively against me all for the sake of selling a book," Jones told Us Magazine. "It speaks to her true character."))

Star Jones, you should know a lot about character. I remember when you started to promote your wedding and not revealing the sponsorship of the wedding whenever you mentioned it. You didn’t reveal that you were promoting these people on The View.

I don’t like Walters that much, but I like her more than Star Jones. Jones wants to be in front of the media when things are going good for her, but shuts up when her personal life falls apart. You can’t have it both ways, Star.

GI Joe casting, Yo, Joe!

Uh, they got some things wrong and a few things right.

Okay, we all know the GI Joe movie is coming no matter what. I'm still thinking the movie is going to bite the big one, but I'm willing to give this movie a chance.

Here are a few photos from the live action GI Joe movie from the site Coming Soon. Check out the other photos there.

(Yo, Joe!)

Yeah, this is Duke. For some reason it feels like this guy should be starring in a poorly funded CW (WB) production or working in the WWE. Duke was blond and seemed a bit older.

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Ripcord: Marlon Wayans. Don't act goofy in this movie, Marlon. Btw, wasn't Marlon up for the role of Robin in the Batman films or was that the other Wayans brother. I read somewhere that he was even fitted for a Robin suit.

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Destro: Last time I checked the old show, this character wore a metal helmet silver or gold. And, he didn't look like a James Bond villain. Please tell me the MARS lettering in the background isn't the name of the organization. I hope it's Cobra.

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Storm Shadow: Nice. They got this one right. I wonder if he'll switch sides like the character in the Cartoon/Comic universes.

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Random Bunch

Random Bunch

~Hot for teacher: Tiffany Shepherd, a science teacher, got canned for her cans. She has a part time job dressed in a bikini for a boating fleet. It looks like someone didn't like what she did and complained to the school board. It wasn't like she walked around the classroom in a bikini or banged some of the students. Hey, I'd have a problem if she moonlighted as a stripper, but this second job isn’t more than Hooters on a boat. Why are we so afraid of sex and the female body? Hey, if you have the body, feel free to show it off. There always seems to be one jealous lady that’s going to hate on the attractive woman.

~Speaking of Hooters, I always enjoyed going to that restaurant, but I think they’re a little overpriced for my taste. I guess you’re paying for the lovely ladies in tight shirts as well.

~When I went to the second viewing of Iron Man last weekend, I noticed this crowd was more nerdy/geek. There were fewer women in the crowd and more lonely dudes, most of who stayed from the surprise ending. Surprisingly, the fanboy funk wasn’t that bad. However, being a geek myself I felt a little embarrassed with some of the groups of geeks around me. Every time I heard a stupid comment, I’d think, “That’s why geeks don’t get invited to the good parties or get laid.”

One comment that had me shaking my head was this one, “Well, it was a good movie, but it wasn’t 300.” Uh, 300 wasn’t that great, fanboy.

~I’ve watched a few episodes of "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (2006) on hulu.com, and I have to say that the series is good. Yeah, the preachy storylines sometimes are bit much, but there is some heart to the story. MC posted this before, but it's worth repeating here. This is the way to open up a show. Everything this character says is absolutely true about Network TV. It's great seeing a character lose it, but get it at the same time.

A good clean family restaurant.

Go, Speed Racer

Watch three minutes of Speed Racer

I know it’s three minutes, but something inside me is telling me this will be a terrible movie. Reviews have been mixed.

But to be fair, there are some positive reviews out there. Some people out there like the frantic pace and shiny appearance. This movie could very well become a hit because of the kids and teens, or it could very well crash and burn. The Wachowski Brothers (Sister?) could find themselves in Hollywood jail for a very long time if this movie isn't a modest hit.

By the way, the PG rating and that stupid chimpanzee have me a little worried too.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Iron Man (review part 3)

ILM did a magnificent job with the special effects in this movie. All the Iron Man suits are very convincing on screen, especially their movements. I still don’t understand why they can’t make a convincing Hulk.

One of the best sequences is the second attack in Afghanistan. I just loved the chase between Iron Man and a pair of US jets. It reminded me of the Transformers FX from last year. There are some impressive FX scenes throughout the movie.

Ramin Djawadi does a fair job with the score. I would have preferred a score with a stronger central theme, but what he has here worked for me. The rock music actually did fit well with the whole Iron Man thing. I think a stronger score would have made the movie better. If there were one thing many Marvel movies lack, it would be stronger soundtracks (Spiderman III’s was weaker than this movie).

Anyway, go into Iron Man with an open mind and you’ll have a lot a fun. While it isn’t as sharply written as Batman Begins, the movie certainly knows how to have fun.

Grade: B+

Notes:

~Wait at the end of the credits…

~It looks like they’re setting up a few Ultimate Marvel Universe elements into the shared movie continuity.

~In some early scripts, Tony Stark’s company was going to be ones responsible for the construction of Doc Ock’s robotic arms from Spiderman II.

Monday, May 05, 2008

The Outrageous Joe Piscopo

“They say time is the fire in which we burn.”

Damn it, Joe hasn’t aged that well.

Unfunny Man Joe Piscopo was in Louisville and I missed him.

http://www.tmz.com/2008/05/05/say-it-aint-so-joe/

I would have asked a few questions; mostly they will have to with his appearance in Star Trek TNG: The Outrageous Okona.

Forget his work on SNL, “what was it like working with Data?”
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He’s always claimed that he gets more questions about his appearance on Star Trek TNG than anything else he’s done. When your career highlight is dancing on stage with an android, that's a give in.

(BTW, he was a last minute replacement for Jerry Lewis on that episode, which Jerry was busy working on Wiseguy. Piscopo would do an impression of Lewis in the episode.)
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~This was also the episode Teri Hatcher showed up in with Billy Campbell (The Rocketeer)

~I like that Data asked the computer to bring up the funniest comedian, and it brought up Joe Piscopo. Piscopo, really? Was the holodeck malfunctioning again?

And, now I leave you with this great quote: Okona: "Life is like loading twice your cargo weight into your space craft. If it's canaries and you can keep half of them flying all of the time, you are all right."

I’m not sure what he means, but I want that on a Hallmark card.

Random Thoughts

Random Thoughts

~I ended up doing better in classes this semester than I thought I would. One class, I was 15 points away from a B-. I hate when that happens. Next semester, I am taking some 400 level classes and the foreign language class Arabic I for the first time. Yep, I’m going to have to the learn basics of the language, reading, writing and speaking.

~Terminator 4 is going to be PG-13: And, I’m not going to watch this water-down movie. Why do we even need a fourth movie?

~I hate those damn Ewoks, but this Ewok Gospel Song is funny. Look for a cameo from someone from the actual Star Wars movies. I wonder if there is some extra deleted footage of the Empire kicking the crap out of these little teddy bears. Come on, George.

~Some girl told me that she doesn’t mind a little eye shadow on a guy’s face. Really? Women enjoy the fact that guys take just as long in the bathroom for makeup and putting on tight pants and hair care as much as they do? Men, we’re turning into women.

~John Stewart takes on the Media and Wright: Is the media this stupid? Wright is a crazy SOB. Please, someone stop this nonsense.

 
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