He-Man and, GEICO

He-Man and, GEICO

It seems strange to see this ad because He-Man was popular from my generation. It was the first true cartoon show based on a toyline. And, the toyline dictated the way the show told its stories. However, the show was never as huge as the Transformers/GI Joe. However, it was neat seeing the old school He-Man characters show up in an ad. It made me smile. It dates back to a time when I would race home to watch an episode of He-Man.

From Adweek, ((Produced by The Martin Agency and animated by SNL alum J.J. Sedelmaier (which explains the resemblance to TV Funhouse), the spot sees Skeletor cornered by He-Man and his cronies, only to escape after telling them the usual spiel about saving money on his car insurance. I suppose that carries over to his jetpack, as well. ))

While they captured the look and feel of this 80s cartoon, it actually looks better than the original show. Were these the same voice actors from the show? Teela sounds like the original actress, but not the rest of the cast. The reason why I ask this is that most of the living GI Joe cast members came back for that Community episode. There have been old school VO actors appearing on Family Guy from various 80s shows as well.

Then, there is this live action He-Man ad...

Happy Death Day

Happy Death Day

Okay, Universal, you got my attention. I was watching a video on YouTube and this trailer came up. (actually, it was a slightly different version of the released trailer). While I generally don't like watching many modern horror movies, this one caught my eye. The concept is completely different. Plus, it crosses genres with a sci-fi element as well.

It is part Groundhog Day and part Halloween. If done right, this movie could jump-start the slasher movies again with a sci-fi gimmick. (I could also mention the Cause and Effect episode of TNG too) It is clearly a remake of Groundhog Day with the stabbing.

50 Cent's song is a clever way to connect it to the concept of Groundhog Day.  

The Founder (Part 2)

The Founder (Part 2)

Don't say Kroc three times or he will appear and give you burger and fries.  

No, this movie has nothing to do with DS9 or Odo.

While the movie does take some time to show us the McDonald brothers, the movie more about Ray Kroc . Croc was the man behind taking the McDonald's model and making it a franchise across the US. Kroc himself is a character of his own. So, you have to find someone that can fit the role of Kroc.

Michael Keaton does a really good job playing the main character. Kroc is a businessman, but also a bit of a blue-collar type of guy. As the movie progresses, he gets more and more evil and quite frankly turns into a bastard toward the end of the movie. The movie sort of tricks us into cheering for this former milkshake-mixer salesmen. It then shows us his darker side. Keaton handles both sides of this character extremely well.

At first, we kind of feel bad for him when he's just a salesman. As his power grows and grows, you can see the true meaning of this character and that all along he was a bad guy and he had planned on screwing over the McDonald brothers from the get-go.

Of course, Keaton does play a real person and this person was technically the founder of McDonald's but only in expanding the company and copying the brothers' production model. I have a sneaking suspicion that this movie is probably more true to the way Kroc really acted. I believe the movie wasn't embellishing everything that was happening behind the scenes.

There are few problems. Anytime the movie deals with Kroc's wife, the movie comes to a screeching halt. None of the home scenes really works for me and felt like a cliche from a 90s movie. All of the Laura Dern scenes fell flat to me.

I really didn't need to learn about Kroc's home life and it felt forced. The scenes felt added on at the last minute. There are also hints of him stepping out on his wife which really did not work for me either. I want to learn more about McDonald's and not his wife doubting him or him flirting with women. The movie is at its best when it deals with the franchise and the ideas behind the expansion of the franchise.

Overall, the Founder is incredibly enjoyable the movie. I have to recommend this little movie. Despite a few pacing issues, the movie is a nice peek into the founding of the first truly huge fast-food franchise chain. These decisions in the movie reshaped the way food was prepared and tasted even today. Keaton is outstanding and the McDonald brothers are fun to watch. Above all else, this movie makes me want to go out and get a couple of cheeseburgers and some fries.

Grade: B+

Bernie Casey RIP

Bernie Casey RIP

From the Hollywood Reporter, ((Casey, who also starred in Cleopatra Jones and several other blaxploitation movies of the 1970s, died Tuesday after a brief illness at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his representative told The Hollywood Reporter. ))

Bernie was the man. He was one of those character actors that showed up in pretty much everything. Sports fans will remember him from his football days, but I remember him from Star Trek and the various movies.

Despite it being a non-James Bond movie, I liked his role in  Never Say Never Again as Felix Leiter. He was the first black version of Felix in the series (kind of). Revenge of the Nerds was another role I have come to love. “You're nerds.” I really dug that the black fraternity took them in when they saw that the nerds were being picked on. Then there is  I'm Gonna Git You Sucka where he played the second lead. He was the hero with soul and his own band. He is brilliant in Sucka. In Another 48 Hrs , he was the prisoner that punches through the glass at Eddie Murphy. He wanted Murphy's character to keep his promise. He was also in that strange comedy Tomcats with the lovely Shannon Elizabeth.

I remember the major 2-parter on DS9. He was one of the founding members of the Marquis rebel group that spanned TNG, DS9, and VOY.

DSP tried it...

DSP Tries it: Getting trouble

Wow, he seems very depressed. After losing his girlfriend and long-standing MCN, this is another major problem for him. I like following DSP because he is a total train wreck. This might be the thing that ends his YT/Twitch career.

He is being very evasive about the bad news. I am guessing it is the IRS looking into him. The fact he is thinking about selling his house sort of leans toward this theory. Some have claimed that it could be that his ex-girlfriend is pregnant. I seriously doubt that. He and his GF really had a love-less relationship toward the end.  I am leaning toward the IRS auditing. I have never seen him this serious, so that is another reason I lean toward the IRS thing.

Side Note: He owns a house and an empty condo.

I kind of hope this major issue does give him a kick in the butt so he can get a part-time job to make ends meet. He might have to move out of that house and back into his condo across the country. Despite being a total dipshit, I have some empathy for this guy.  

You don't me (II)

13. Sweet or Salty? : I don't get what you mean by this question. Are asking me if I am sweet or salty? Or which do I prefer? I am so confused.  Do I like my women sweet or salty?  
14.  Do you enjoy soaking in a nice bath? : I love it when I have time. As I hav gotten older and my health has gone to shit, I tend to spend a lot of time soaking in a bath. I take the shower when I have little time. Why are you asking me this? Are you watching me in my bathroom?
15. Do you consider yourself strong?  : I used to be. Most of my strength is now gone because I feel I have aged about 20 years after my health decline.
16. Something people do, physically, that drives you crazy? : Cracking knuckles or thumping on a pack of cigerates. It drives me insane. I have so many little things that bother me that I have to actively ignore them in order to get through the day.
17. Something you do, physically, that you are sure drives everyone else crazy?  : I am distant and standoffish to you if I don't know you. I will not make eye contact while talking to you. This all comes across as rude.
18. Do you have any birthmarks? : Alright, you're making me very nervous. You haven been spying on me in the bathroom.
19. Favorite childhood game? : Donkey Kong.
20. Do you talk to yourself?  : Yes, it is usually negative. I will sometimes scream and yell at myself. I've been doing this since childhood. I am very harsh.
21. Do you like doing jigsaw puzzles? : I hate them. I have never finished one. I like seeing the complete picture and skip to the end. This is probably why I didn't like building models either. I never touched my Enterprise-A model kit.
22. Would you go on a reality show?  : Yes and no. I hate reality shows. However, I would show up on a show about creating something creative like a comic book or a TV show. I like seeing those type of reality shows when it is about the job and NOT the personalities.
23. Tea or coffee? : Tea
24. First thing you remember wanting to be when you grew up? : Never had any of those type of dreams growing up. Childhood was such a bad and challenging thing for me that I didn't think about the future or what I wanted to be. Just getting my head and issues clear was win for me.
25.  No matter how much money you have or don't have, what are you an absolute snob about?  : Trivia and facts in pop culture. I hate when someone has a lore or trivia fact incorrect. I get a bit snobbish about it. I have to take upon myself NOT to speak up and correct them.  

The Founder (Part 1 of 2)

The Founder (Part 1 of 2)

Wait, Bruce Wayne founded McDonald's?  

As a child, I loved going to McDonald's. It was another playground away from the playground. Going to McDonald's meant having fun, and it was always an event. So, this movie caught my attention, because I never really followed the history of McDonald's.

The Founder is a very enjoyable movie. The film shows us the birth of the fast food industry today how powerful fast food companies are today. The Founder has a very good chunk of good scenes. Overall, it has some good acting from the main cast. However, there are few problems with the movie. I can honestly say this is a very enjoyable true story” movie. The Founder gives you a deep insight into how franchise companies are created while also telling the story about one of the biggest food franchises in the world.  Great stuff.

The founder is about the birth of McDonald's and the idea of fast food chains overall. This movie is a historical piece showing what happens when a bright idea gets taken over by a  guy that expands on that bright idea. If you wanted to know everything about the history of McDonald's, then watch this movie. The clash between creative folks and the business-minded folks is in full force in this little movie.

Some say this is the Social Network of fast food products, and they're not wrong.

There are two sections of the story. The first half is about the founding of McDonald's and then it switches to the other issues involving creating a franchise from the ground up. Both sections are compelling and directed and told extremely well. Director John Lee Hancock does a great job capturing the mood of the 50s and 60s. There are funny and charming moments mixed in with some very serious moments.  The movie turns from being light-hearted to serious and downright tragic with ease.  

I loved witnessing the ins and outs of the first McDonald's restaurant and its franchise restaurants. The McDonald brothers created the concept of the Ford factory assembly line model and brought it into the restaurant industry. They made their food preset and the focused was on the speed.  It was not about the art of making a burger. The concept for McDonald's was for people to step up and grab the food after paying. It is really a neat way of showing people's reactions to seeing the McDonald's model of making food.

Ray Kroc, the man behind franchising McDonald's, brought in the concept of keeping all the ideas of the first McDonald's restaurant in line with the rest of the franchise. He wanted to make sure all the franchise location kept the taste, price, and format of the founding store. In the movie, we get to see the beginning of the idea of making a burger joint a family-friendly outlet. We see the struggle that Kroc had keeping the cost down and making sure the locations stayed in line with burgers and menu items. The movie does such a great job dumping this info on us with just a few pacing issues.

Devin Faraci hired/fired (back in the news)

There is a lot to unwrap here, but I will try to narrow it down.

Since Devin didn't put up a counter claim to the sexual assault claims, we have to take the word of the victims in this case. He made a vague statement and “retreated” into the real world. He hasn't been in the news for about ten months, yet the movie sites outright refused to even talk about it at the time. Even though it appeared he left the company, it may have been a bit of a cover.

Devin took some time off from everything and went into hiding, or so we thought. He claimed he went into treatment too. However, with sexual assault claims, just going to AA meetings isn't enough. For many, this caused a shit-storm with the Drafthouse guys re-hiring Devin in a limited form. Can someone with an alleged history of sexual assault really be redeemed? I am asking because I really don't have an answer.

Without a court case, wouldn't it be safer not to be connected to Devin?  

From the Hollywood Reporter, ((Alamo Drafthouse CEO Tim League ignited a firestorm by announcing that, just 11 months after a woman came forward to accuse blogger Devin Faraci of sexual assault, the writer had been quietly rehired by the company as a copywriter. ))

Rumors even abound that Devin was still a part of the company as early as a month after his departure.

From The Hollywood Reporter, ((The exact timing of Faraci's reinstatement remains unclear, but one former Drafthouse employee, a longtime programmer who quit last March, told The Hollywood Reporter that Faraci's name was appearing on internal emails as soon as one month after the controversy.  ))

Anyway, The Alamo Drafthouse folks had to let him go after the outcry of reinstating him.

((Hello everyone, 

I would like you each to know that I have spoken with Devin today, and we agreed it is the right decision for him to leave the company permanently. He offered his resignation, and I have accepted it. 

Our company values the ability to reflect on our own actions both individually and as a team. I have reflected a great deal, and I welcome the opportunity to speak with each of you, to listen and to provide the opportunity for further reflection. 

As a result, you will all be receiving an invitation to a series of small group discussions beginning Friday. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me personally with any concerns as we together chart our path forward. ))

If there is the air of sexual assault, why be associated with him in the first place? I know that Tim League was looking out for a friend, but if your friend is doing horrible stuff, you might distance yourself from his mess. And, trust me it has caused a shit-storm.

Monica All Eyez on Me

Monica All Eyez on Me

I always felt Monic's voice was strong and pleasant. While I like Brandy's work overall, this song really stood out to me. It is a fun song with a classic Micheal Jackson song as its basis. I am surprised this song wasn't a bigger hit like SWV's Right Here (Human Nature).

Michael Jackson's PYT is used as the backdrop for Monica's song. Here's the best part of that fact; MJ approved of this song and even gave them permission to use the unused portions of his PYT song from an extended demo of his title song. Here's the full version of the song that most people didn't know existed. It is a good listen.

The VO from MJ is different and the last two minutes are different from the released version.

Rumor has it that MJ brought the demo to Monica's studio himself.

For shits and giggles, here is MJ's very early PYT demo before the other one was released.  

You don't know me

The Samurai Frog brought up one of these old school blog meme-question things that we all used to do back when blogging was huge. So, I decided to have my take on the meme-question things like SF. Here we go, a throwback meme.

I will probably break it up into two parts for the heck of it.

1. Do you make your bed? : Nope. Why? It is like making a sandcastle and knocking it down every night. Why put time and effort into something you're going to destroy in a matter of seconds?
2. The first car that was officially yours?  : I am trying to remember. It was a brown car from the 70s with leather seats and merely two doors. I just remembered it handled fairly poorly in the snow. It was my first car and my grandmother helped me buy it. I only used it for driving to work and to school. (no dates)
3. Three grocery items you don't run out of? : I pretty much run out of everything. I am not sure. Paper plates? Maxi pads...wait a second.
4. When did you start doing your own laundry? : Pretty early on. It wasn't a milestone for me. It was a fairly easy task. Because I was a latch-key kid, I had to learn these sort of things.
5.  If you could, would you go to High School again?  : Hell, no. I hated nearly every minute of high school with the exception of the concert and marching band. Plus, that huge crush I had on a girl in my late years there. Other than that I would never want to relive that awkward part of my life. I didn't even bother going to my senior prom with the way I felt disgusted with HS. F' high school.
6. Can you parallel park in under three moves? : Nope. I can't even parallel park at all. I grew up in the county and not the city where you had to learn this sort of thing. I can parallel park my fist between your eyes, punk.
7. A job you had which people would be shocked to know about?  : I can't really say. I wish I could have listed “pornstar”, but that never happened.
8.  Do you think aliens are real? : Yes, they are real, but I can't believe they have visited us. I am sure they have some sort of prime directive about interfering with us. Plus, we would be aliens to them too right?
9.  Can you drive a stick shift?  : Nope. I am a lame fool.
10. Guilty TV pleasure?  : I really don't have one really. The shows I watch are good or well-written I guess. I guess I could lump The A-Team series or Knight Rider.
11. Would you rather be too hot or too cold?  : What kind of question is this? Well, I hate the cold and love heat. I slept in a jacket this morning.
12. If the world ends do you want to be one of the survivors? : Yep, I would love to see how this shit show ends. Plus, I will get a cool gun and car while roaming the dead cities.  

Random Things

Random Things

~I haven't been updating the blog as much as I would like to. Depression has been taking its toll on me. I am hoping things will get better, but I am not holding my breath. I hate my job so much that I feel sick just spending 3 hours in the place. Every day is a struggle to get through and I have a constant frown on my face. Plus, I have been sleeping 20-plus hour days just because I no desire to get through the day. I'd rather sleep than struggle through the day. I will get through this I hope. Anyway, let's get to making fun of people.

~Chris Chan Update: It looks like the lawsuit between a lender and Chris was dropped. It happened literally at the last minute. I had kind of hoped it would have gone through because Chris needs to learn about consequences. He has gotten away with attacking people (running people over with his car and pepper straying Gamestop employees) and it was time to face the music. However, there is no way this lender would have gotten their money back because Chris doesn't have a steady job other than his government check.

~Jerry Lewis: I didn't make a big post about his death. I wasn't really a fan of his body of work. I felt he was too goofy for me. I also didn't like his movies. I also got the impression he was a huge prick to everyone around him. I would like to learn more about his time with Dean Martin and their falling out. Will we see that bad WW-II clown movie?

~Did you know that Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis had their own comic book series? And, DC Comics published it. Here's the kicker, the series lasted from 1952-1971 with 124 issues. It looks like a cheap knock-off of Archie Comics.  Lewis would take over the leading character when the duo broke up.  And, Lewis would "team up" with Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.  I wish I was making this up.  

Cash me Outside girl has a music video

Like the bad case of the shits, the Cash me Outside girl keeps coming back no matter how much you flush it.  

Yes, the Cash me Outside girl (CMO) is making music now. Well, it is actually what an alien believes what human music sounds like. She is basically that ratchet white girl that talks like she's from the ghetto and sounds and acts completely ignorant.

When I listened to this track, I feel a sickness form in my throat. This song is so bad that I want to destroy every copy with a blowtorch. She is also rapping in that strange style that current rappers rap in and it bothers me. They keep repeating things and use too much auto-tune.

I hate the fact this is what has become of pop culture. It is troubling that this little girl thinks she can make a career out of something that other people spend their whole lives to accomplish.  She got in a matter of months. What's going to happen to her when her 15 minutes of fame drys up? Well, McDonald's is hiring.

While the music video is thankfully short, the song and video might be worst than the Friday song from years ago. This isn't as playful and takes itself too seriously.

-Is this a horror movie: Some random old guy drops her off in the hood. Why is there a grown man dropping her off in the “bad” part of the city? This seems creepy. Then, there is that ground-swelling horror music before the song starts. Why?

-How did she get there?: At a certain point, CMO ends up on top of the project building. How did she get there really?

-Protesters?: Why does the CMO girl have protesters? It makes no sense given she is just a ghetto-acting reality star with no talent. You have to have a career before you get detractors. Again, I am confused.  

Here's a hint; people aren't going to remember you. 

Gates McFadden clears up the reasons behind her 2nd season departure from TNG

Gates McFadden clears up the reasons behind her 2nd season departure from TNG

I remember liking Dr. Crusher a lot during the first season, despite the poor writing all around. Then, the producers wrote her off the show. Thus, leaving Wesley Crusher parent less...at 16. I could only imagine the things I would get into parentless during that age. Clearly, they didn't think it through. Plus, the producers were considering getting rid of Troi, because they didn't know how to write for her either. Given all good messy things that happened during the first season, I'm surprised they didn't get rid of half the cast.

This new information does clear up what really happened with the change between Dr. Pulaski and Dr. Crusher. Gates had a particular problem with episode Code of Honor. Code of Honor was the episode that was really racist and bad even for me. She also had some issues with some of the sexist stuff. Some of this can be blamed on Gene Roddenberry. Gene Roddenberry was a problem, but producer Maurice Hurley was also a problem. I'm almost sure Gates is talking about having a big problem with Hurley. Hurley ended up passing away a few years ago.

From Memory Alpha, ((According to Rick Berman, Hurley was the reason behind Gates McFadden's departure from The Next Generation in its second season, as he disliked her acting and "had a bone to pick with her." After he left the show in the third season, McFadden was invited back by Berman. ))

Due to a major shakeup behind the scenes, Maurice ended up leaving the show after the second season. Gates came back during the beginning of the third season. This was also when Roddenberry 's influence started to wane and Berman and Piller started to come into power.

Basically, McFadden was fired because she called out the bad writing on the show. For the most part, she is absolutely right about all the crappy things to happen during that first season and some of the second season. However, Hurley got tired of her and wanted her off the show.

I remember a lot of rumors about McFadden and a certain producer which I won't mention here but were floating around. However also heard rumors that she wanted a movie career and shift it toward making bigger movies such as The Hunt for Red October. Most of her scenes were cut anyway. It appears none of this was true.

Besides I think most of the cast the not get along with the actress that played Dr. Pulaski.