likesunday

"It's Hedley..."

A comic great has passed, Harvey Korman.

In tribute, a clip from "Blazing Saddles".

Best.

I guess you can pry his gun now...

I know, I know- another blogger eulogy of someone they've never met. This one is actually a bit more personal. A household hero, Charleston Heston, just passed.

My mom had quite a crush on him, I think. He had come to her elemetary (believe his autograph on a school pamphlet, in pencil, is floating around somewhere...Mom, if I happen to have this I will send to you!!!), so it started young. Every Easter, the 10 Commandments would play in our house. Every happenstance showing of Ben Hur. Later I would personally be a fan for much more low-brow fare- Planet of the Apes...Soylent Green...

R.I.P.- and chin up, Mom.

Happy 2008!

Someone asked me last night if I had any resolutions. Well, yes, but not any wrought by the arrival of a calendar day. However, in the interest of the spirit of the thing I came up with one bone fide NYR- to post more. To give a reason for readers to maybe stop back once in awhile. And yea, bring more 'controversial political commentary' back- since you asked for it and all.

To get the year started, I must offer up the best sum-up of what it means to be a Star Wars fan- EVER.

For those who occasionally 'google' themselves to see their web-prints, now you can see your social network trails along with those of friends. I now know my friends' Amazon wishlists going back to 2000; that's a bit creepy and stalkified if you ask me.

Have you wondered about waterboarding, what it is, what is controversial regarding it? A conservative poster on the Straight Dope takes on waterboarding trials to determine if it should be considered torture. You may be surprised.

On a somber note- no good can came from Ms Benazir Bhutto's assasination, but the fact that no one can agree on what exactly killed her is almost more disturbing than her death itself.

That rug really tied the room together...

Be ordained as a Dudeist Priest. Start the week off right.

The Big Lebowski Magic Bowling Ball.

More Dude links than you can shake a stick at from Growabrain.

Fall/Winter Film Frenzy

FirstShowing's 2007 Movie Guide (September thru end of the year).

My personal list of 'can't wait to see' flicks- not to say others on the list aren't intriguing, but with a tot can only fit so much movie-going in:

30 Days of Night. I love Vampyre movies, and this one looks a bit less silly (Vampire 2000, Underworld I and II, Van Helsing) than some of recent years.

Grace is Gone. I'll watch anything John Cusack does, even the Serendipity level blandness, so when he does a better caliber film (High Fidelity, Grosse Pointe Blank, Being John Malkovich) I am a happy camper.

Sweeney Todd. Another Tim Burton/J.Depp combo. So there. My high school theatre class actually put this on, and even that 16-17yr old rendered version was creepy- this should be over the top.

AVP: Requiem. Already mentioned previously here that I'm awash with anticipation, but bummed release date moved out to Christmas.

American Gangster. Ridley Scott directed, great cast- I'm in.

A comment on one of the movies touted for Fall- 310 to Yuma was...boring...slow-paced...ridden with sub-par dialogue (though will hand it to Crowe, was able to turn most of the lameness around, something Bale didn't fare as well at)...it kept me surfing the net on my phone until the end, where the last 5 minutes finally managed to eek some emotion out. Wait for video, unless you're just a western freak or really into the cast (good acting, bad writing).

Why I loves me some internet

If you've been having the month I've had and you need a real reason to laugh- I present to you the "short version of LOTR". So good it hurts.

Ooh, ooh, ooh- new Aliens vs. Predator ("Requim") trailer! Could it be they'll get this right finally?? The 1st installment was soooo disappointing (Temple? wtf?). If they could just make it 1/2 as cool as the Jaguar version of the AVP game, I'd be in.

I have to admit I am enjoying the slow crumbling of the current Administration. Rove, now Gonzales, more outed hypocrites...all without any tax-eating committees or commissions to accomplish it.

This is the cleverest site I've seen in a long time. Miranda July, I am going to buy your book, and tell my friends!

As a parting gift, the Hello Kitty psychological test (actually tagged by Sanrio!). I have a fair stress level and need green and woods, whatever that means...nature..

*scoffs*

Star Trek XI

To hear J.J. Abrams will be directing the next Trekkie installment makes me bare my teeth- in a good way.

I just bought 'Clerks II' this weekend; there will be a lot of post-baby bedtime laughter in the household this week. Maybe I should check if the geek brigade is interested in a movie night starring this...Hmm...the Star Wars night made it to the 1st half hour of 'Empire', will all 3 of us (yea, it was a sad, sad turn out- bless the Bob for making the trek) falling asleep, but maybe this would have better movie night fu.

I'm trying to ignore the hype...but mama secretly want...

iPhone is a revolutionary new mobile phone that allows you to make a call by simply pointing your finger at a name or number in your address book, a favorites list, or a call log. It also automatically syncs all your contacts from a PC, Mac, or Internet service. And it lets you select and listen to voicemail messages in whatever order you want — just like email.

These should be given out at couples' therapy sessions. This may be the final signal that I should turn to the Mac side. That, or this beautiful promise of the Future.

Requiem.

"When the Levees Broke: a Requiem in Four Acts", currently in HBO programming for September, is simultaneously an indictment, a a funeral for a friend, a celebration (of culture), and ultimately heart-breaking.

An interesting tie to Big Oil in this story I did not know. I'm betting you don't, either, unless you are from there or you've watched this documentary. This could easily have been entitled, "The Rape of a People"...not just African-Americans (but as 70% of the pop. of NO, mostly), but of the citizens of the state of LA. That Big Oil tie may have you seeing this whole tragedy in a new light.

A couple of weeks ago, I was curious, and went searching for public accounts of how Katrina affected them. I was stunned. Sickened. Many of us watched terrible things unfold on our tv screens, helpless, even more helpless when accounts of rapes, of killings and other atrocities were reported. Then, about a week or so later, the Damage control team set in, reassured the Public at Large these were grossly inflated accounts. That the Superdome experience was not the horror reported, only one meal a day and babies dehydrating- myth, legend. These public accounts tell a very different story.

I'd try and go back, link some of these sites for you, but I'm heartsick at the moment and don't think I could handle the exercise. That does not mean I don't think you should take a bit of time to search these recants out yourself. You will know them by the anger, the grief, the loss of faith. Some pretty big names out there reporting these stories, with the same tales.

Why bother? Why, to make it better, of course. To not be the person to glibly decry that these people are 'making out pretty good'. To support the cause of rebuilding.

To vote with this in mind. Every Time.

A Light Interlude...

Over at Skippy, an old question.

Name your 5 favorite films in ascending order.

Mine:

5. Lock, Stock, & 2 Smoking Barrels

4. Blade Runner

3. Alphaville (Jean luc Godart)

2. High Fidelity

1.  Wings of Desire

I can't do just 5, so my Next 5 would be:

6. Blazing Saddles

7. Monty Python's Life of Brian

8. Equal weight (shameful admission warning) to Breakfast Club/Pretty in Pink/St. Elmo's Fire (it's my blog, I can cheat if I want to)

9. Highlander (I)

10. The Big Lebowski

How 'bout you?

Add to your Film Fu

If you do nothing else this week, see "Clerks II".

I skated out of work a little early with a couple enlightened co-workers last Friday, and it by far was the best weekend opener I've attended in a long, long time.

That said, I still need/want to see "Pirates of the Caribbean 2", but have a strong hunch Smith wins the 'motherfucking OMG funny' award of the two. The ultimate hotties prize, on the other hand...

Once you see the film (Clerks II), you must share if you'll ever see Jason Mewes the same way. Or if your opinion of LOTR has been appended in any way. Or if you suddenly notice "Optimus Prime" as part of every media type you encounter.

I'd really love to expound on the scatalogical wonderfulness of the flick- but big lightning storm abrewing and probably should comfort the shivering dog.

If anyone has any advice on what to do to settle a German Shepard/Golden Retriever mix (read: not a small mammal) who is clearly mortally afraid of the slightest storm, please send along. When I adopted her over Christmas, it was mentioned she has periodically been on anti-anxiety meds, which at the time I thought was a bit much.

Now, listening to her panicked panting for the third consecutive evening (AZ actually got monsoons this year), I get it.

The idea of doping up the dog just seems wrong somehow, like we're foisting our mental foibles onto our pets. I say that knowing Sidney (said animal) will be sleeping in the far reaches of my closet tonight, so maybe a pill or two is the more compassionate solution.

Clerks II!!

I am soooo there. Here's some teaser fodder for those right along with me.

I have to admit, I'm a complete idiot when it comes to Kevin Smith art. To wit, have the Clerks and Chasing Amy screenplays, most if not all of the Clerks comics (including 2 copies of the 1st issue, one signed by the artist, Jim Mahfood, who happens to live in the Phoenix area, too), and- crowning possession of the lot- the Silent Bob action figure.

Still in the box.

I actually saw him at a San Diego Comic Con in '97 (long story- I managed to get a job for the event because it was my goal to meet James O'Barr, Crow creator). He walked by, and I was too startled to do anything...he even had on the character Silent Bob's long, black trench! He was that guy in my head, so better that it took me a minute to register than say something I'd have to forever live down.

Related follow-up note: After circling his booth about a billion times over 2 days, I finally got up the courage to bring my second edition Crow series up for Mr. O'Barr to sign. I had worked out in my head all these clever asides and pertinent questions like, "Why the Hell did you let them do Crow II?"- I was going to shine.

Several peeps were in line before me, and I watched him sign all the comics in his metallic paint pen, ALL of them in cursive script (just a sig). Then my turn.

I bashfully say 'Thanks' and fork over my comics. He gives me an unreadable look (surprise? what's a chick doing here that isn't a character model? IS she supposed to be some flat-chested version of Witchblade like people are asking her?), and then signs all 3. Slides them towards me, advising me to keep them separated for a while so the ink can dry.

And then I notice- he signed them all, James O'Barr and date- in print.

What could it mean? Was it a gesture of contempt? Or one of generousity- did its inherent uniqueness from the others make the comics more valuable?? {I still don't know}

So I choked. Couldn't say a word to him more than the "Thank-you" for the signing. Proceeded to talk to the other 2 guys working the Kitchen Sink booth- for a half hour. Spoke about The Crow series, other titles- they gave me lots of promo bits, shot glasses, decals, key chains...the whole time I can see JOB in the corner of my eye, watching periodically with the same flat, inscrutable look.

I've met actors, writers (sci-fi, poets), artists...never was I star-struck. Giddy at times, yes, but not frozen. Except when I was faced with the short, balding, slightly over-weight- yet brilliant- James O'Barr.

Point of the matter- perhaps it's a good thing I let K. Smith walk on by. Seems it really is weird thing to meet your idols. Especially when you're a nervous, speech-deprived, neurotic mental idiot in front of them.

No sin here...

Sin City film-comic matches. [from 4-way stop]

Still crying...

This is frickin' Funny- from Ultimate Insult, part 3 of "Leave it to Bush!".

Stressful times of late, so hiding in Mah Jongg games...I'm sure I'll rejoin the world here soon.

Releasing the inner Geekette

Revenge of the Sith- the Abridged Script.

An excerpt for your reading pleasure:

INT. CORUSCANT

HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN runs up to SAMUEL L. MOTHERFUCKING
JACKSON

                     HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN
            Samuel, I rented the original Star
            Wars trilogy from Blockbuster. I'm
            pretty sure Ian McDiarmid is a Sith
            Lord.

              SAMUEL L. MOTHERFUCKING JACKSON
            Then it's time to get medieval on
            some ass.

                     HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN
            Let me come with you.

              SAMUEL L. MOTHERFUCKING JACKSON
            No, go your room.

SAMUEL L. MOTHERFUCKING JACKSON and some OTHER JEDI go to
see IAN. Meanwhile HAYDEN stares out the window of the JEDI
TEMPLE, toward NATALIE PORTMAN'S APARTMENT. Though he says
nothing, we can see that he is conflicted, trying to decide
between his commitment to the Jedi order and his love for
his wife. NATALIE, at the same time, gazes toward the Jedi
Temple, wondering what will happen to her husband.

                     HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN
            How pathetic is it that the most
            well-acted scene between us is the
            one in which we are in separate
            buildings and have no lines?

Enjoy!

BTW- cooooolest new link/story aggregate site (I'm sure there's a more scientific, blog-friendly term, but I don't have the buzzword handy)?

Here you go.