Long Before Someone Kneeled

Posted by: on Feb 1, 2018 | No Comments

Long Before Someone Kneeled

There’s been a lot of talk lately about football, politics, TV ratings and what’s wrong with America’s most popular sport.

The Revenant Movie Review

The Revenant Movie Review

Posted by: on Jan 15, 2016 | No Comments

My movie critic hat

The Revenant Movie Review

Today I’m putting on my movie critic hat, just like the caption sez. Last night I saw the new Leonardo DiCaprio epic The Revenant. Have to admit, I didn’t even know what “revenant” meant, so I looked it up: “A person who returns as a spirit after death; ghost.” So now I know and if didn’t know, now you know…y’know?

An American In Paris Broadway Show Review

An American In Paris Broadway Show Review

Posted by: on Apr 13, 2015 | No Comments


AN AMERICAN IN PARIS
BROADWAY SHOW REVUE

Major disclaimers:
1) I am not a Broadway Show critic by any stretch of the imagination.
2) I have been to the ballet, I can appreciate ballet, but I am not a big fan of ballet.

LOTR In Concert Review

LOTR In Concert Review

Posted by: on Apr 8, 2015 | No Comments

Lord of The Rings in Concert at Lincoln Center

LOTR In Concert Review

I’ve always been a firm believer that there are folks with real talent, and those that wish or think they had real talent…but don’t, so they become critics instead. Sort of like those that can, do; those that can’t, teach; those that can’t teach, teach gym. I try to shy away from the gym thing because one

One Hit Wonders

One Hit Wonders

Posted by: on Mar 30, 2015 | One Comment

One Hit Wonders

“Hey kid rock and roll,
Rock on…oooh my soul.”

So goes the song Rock On by David Essex in a Victoria’s Secret commercial that is currently on air. I’m sure the folks at Victoria’s Secret want you concentrating on the model, her voluptuous cleavage and the bra holding those things up. They are

Obscene on TV

Posted by: on Feb 23, 2015 | No Comments

“Red alert, red alert” screams the first officer. The warning siren is blaring, the image on the screen is bouncing here, there and everywhere, and everyone on board the bridge of the USS Enterprise gets tossed about like lettuce in a salad spinner. I realize Captain Kirk is one tough earthling, but haven’t they heard of seat belts in the 24th century? And this is from a 60s TV series where we first saw DVDs, cell phones (or something close to that), video phones and lots more cool stuff yet to be invented, but which we actually have today. But something as simple as seat belts? I guess that’s part of the artificial gravity on board a starship.

It’s stuff like this that makes me laugh or scream “are you kidding” at the TV, depending on my mood. The crazy shit you see in movies and television that makes absolutely no sense. I know you are supposed to “suspend your belief in reality” when it come to watching this stuff…but come on. Some of this is just so obvious.

Here’s another one. You’re watching your favorite cop show, crime drama or anyone of a few dozen CSI/NCIS type shows. McGarrett or Dan-O or Gibbs or Callen or…well you get the picture…arrive at the pending crime scene with 20 guys in full SWAT gear right behind them. The back-ups have helmets, shields, Kevlar vests, semi-automatic weapons. The star of the show is wearing some sort of nylon, (slightly) bullet proof vest, maybe a baseball hat, and carrying what looks like a BB gun. I realize they’re the stars of the show, you need to see their faces and all their award winning expressions, but can’t we at least get something to protect their heads?  Everyone else has one and we don’t want our stars to get shot, do we? How far does this “suspend your belief in reality” thing go?

And how can we forget the “sure to die” scenario? Our hero faces a dire situation, totally out-manned and out-gunned (cue the dramatic music). Of course they are totally out-manned and out-gunned by the gang that couldn’t shoot straight. In the world of television, terrorists, gang members and other really bad guys carrying big ass guns, couldn’t hit the side of barn. But our hero? He or she is a pro marksman who wounds or kills the bad guy with one shot.

And why is it that they always kill the bad guy right after they say “remember, we need this guy alive”? If you are an actor and have a guest role on a TV show, those are the last words you want to read in the script because those are the last words your character is going to hear before your back in the casting line.

As I said, any time you sit down in a movie theater or in front of the TV, you have to take a lot of what you see with a grain of salt, but would a little reality kill a movie or a TV show every once-in-a-while? I’m all for proton torpedoes, warp speed, death stars and whatever else the science fiction and fantasy writers want to throw at us. But when the captain of the Enterprise and his crew are on the bridge, it should be click it or ticket.

Guilty pleasures

Posted by: on May 8, 2010 | 8 Comments

OK everyone, get your minds of the gutter (GR – that means you). I am not talking about  chocolate oils or rabbits or lingerie. I’m talking about things you like that you don’t want anyone to know that you like.

Last week I was taking a walk around my parents community in Florida. Had the iPod on, the earphones in, listening to my dance music playlist which is really good walking/exercising music. At times, I’m pretty sure I was singing loud enough for people to hear me if anyone was around. If any of my friends should ever hear a couple of the songs I have on my “dance music” playlist, they would be like “you are not listening to that song, are you?” Although I really like some of those songs I’m not sure I really want anyone else to know.

OK, so here are some examples of my guilty pleasures:

  1. The movie Red Dawn – Russia and Cuba invade the USA, high school kids fight back. Starring Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Grey, Lea Thomson. No idea why but whenever it’s on, I find myself watching. It’s hypnotic.
  2. The song Everbody Have Fun Tonight by Wang Chung.  Not only sang by Wang Chung but they turn their name into a verb:  “Everybody have fun tonight, everybody Wang Chung tonight.” Special meaning for me as that song was popular when I was working in Soho for an animation/special effects company and my friend Frank (hi Frank!) got me the disc as a secret Santa present. Funny song, good memory.
  3. The Partridge Family.  This one is not mine but Linda’s. Personally, I never liked it, never understood the whole David Cassiday thing, never got off on Susan Dey like other guys. As I write this, my wife is singing some Partridge Family song and all I can say is yuck!

So now I have shared some of my guilty pleasures with you. Do you have the guts to share any with me and risk public humiliation?