Whoops (Okay, the Gibson anti-Semitic thing-UPDATED)

Update: Mark Evanier has a quick comment you should read. I'd quote it but I'd end up quoting the whole thing.

Original post: I hadn't said anything here about Mel Gibson's drunk driving charge last weekend because, well, a star driving drunk-that's not really news. However, I'd missed this little part of the story:

...police in Los Angeles now confirm that the official police report on Gibson's arrest on drunken driving charges substantiates claims that he made anti-Semitic remarks and threatened a deputy, a law enforcement official said Monday.

This is what's known in the trade as giving your enemies ammunition.

"Mel Gibson's apology is unremorseful and insufficient," said Anti- Defamation League National Director Abraham H. Foxman. "It's not a proper apology because it does not go to the essence of his bigotry and anti- Semitism.

"His tirade finally reveals his true self and shows that his protestations during the debate over this film `The Passion of The Christ' that he is such a tolerant, loving person, were a sham. It may well be that the bigotry has been passed from the father to the son. It is unfortunate that it took an excess of booze and an encounter with a traffic cop to reveal what was really in his heart and mind.

Personally, I think if his next film makes money, the film community will forgive him. After all the sex-and-drugs songwriting community could forgive Elvis Costello for his "Ray Charles is an ignorant nigger" tirade. Surely even the highly principled Hollywood community can forgive this:

According to TMZ, Deputy James Mee wrote that Gibson tried to evade arrest and at one point went into an anti-Semitic rant.

"F-----g Jews ... The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world," Gibson allegedly said before asking Mee, "Are you a Jew?"

Gibson also allegedly turned to a female sergeant. "What do think you're looking at, sugar t-ts?" the actor said, according to TMZ.

"What do you think you're looking at, sugar tits?"

Well, ladies...how does he look to you now?

Source: NBC10.com

And I'll kick your Spellsword ass

Wizard 33% Combativeness, 30% Sneakiness, 70% Intellect, 50% Spirituality

Brilliant! You are a Wizard! Wizards are spells-casters who study powerful arcane magic. While Wizards tend to be pretty fragile, some of those spells can pack quite a punch. Unlike Clerics, Wizards aren’t as good at fixing people as they are at breaking them, so watch where you toss that fireball… Your most distinctive trait is your intelligence. You're probably well learned and logical, if perhaps a bit fragile.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 99% on Combativeness You scored higher than 99% on Sneakiness You scored higher than 99% on Intellect You scored higher than 99% on Spirituality

Link: The RPG Class Test written by MFlowers on OkCupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Why The Internet Was Invented, part three

So we could have sites with quotes like these, on the subject of The Black Hole:

The ending of this film, with its dualist interpretation of heaven and hell, may be the most theologically revolutionary thing to come out of seventies' children's cinema. Very Cathar in its theological structure, the soul of Dr. Reinhardt is simultaneously imprisoned within the cast-iron shell of his own killer robot in the depths of hell (a gorgeous tracking shot of incredible detail - for instance, look at the death's-head faces on the humanoids who line the valleys of the hellscape) and brought through a crystalline tunnel into the next universe.

I always suspected it was the good guys who were being brought through said crustalline tunnel, while Dr. Reinhardt was being left to rot in hell-but either way, it's clear both of us have thought too much about this.

Random Flickr-Blogging: IMG_8485

Original source here.



Original source here.

And:

I know this isn't a new thought, but man this country is screwed up about sex

Breast-feeding cover upsets magazine readers

Associated Press
Jul. 28, 2006 12:00 AM

NEW YORK - "I was SHOCKED to see a giant breast on the cover of your magazine," one person wrote. "I immediately turned the magazine face down," wrote another. "Gross," said a third.

These readers weren't complaining about a sexually explicit cover, but rather one of a baby nursing, on a parenting magazine. It's yet another sign that Americans are squeamish over the sight, even as breast-feeding itself gains more support from the government and medical community.

The evidence of public discomfort isn't just anecdotal. In a survey published in 2004 by the American Dietetic Association, less than half, or 43 percent, of 3,719 respondents said women should have the right to breast-feed in public.

So that's how screwed up we are, huh? A photograph of a breastfeeding infant, with no nipple visible, mother discreetly turned in profile, and some people are responding as though it were a full-frontal shot of Uma Thurman nude in a shower.

Of course, I wouldn't be offended if that were the cover of a magazine either, but that's a subject for another time. Or maybe not. Because it speaks to something. As most of you guys and gals who read this blog on any kind of regular basis will know, I can put a double entendre spin on just about anything.

But-I'm gonna go out on a limb here-there is nothing sexual about the above photograph. Unless we're so afraid of the reality of our bodies that a baby's breakfast becomes pornography. Which we really shouldn't be.

But apparently, we are. Because IIRC, that figure for how many people think women should be allowed to breast-feed in public is actually lower that that for how many think gays and lesbians should be able to be legally married.

That's how screwed up we are about sex.

We're not just homophobic, we're heterophobic.

'Tis to smile grimly over

Kevin Smith's Career Highlights, as chosen by those irrepressible scamps at The Onion. My favorites:

1995: Emerged bloodied but safe after spending 10 harrowing days up Harvey Weinstein's ass.

2002: Smoked away Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back profits in one sitting.

In re the last one, well, that would explain a lot...

The "wearing your underwear on the outside of your clothes" trend has now officially gone too far

Then again, these are pictures of Nicole Richie, who may be the least-sexy alleged hot chick I have ever seen.

ETA: If you scroll down that same link, you'll find some pictures of Lisa Kudrow with her husband and son at LAX. I don't normally like paparazzi photos when someone's young children are involved; I've never linked to one before. That's where I think the line should be drawn.

I'm making an exception in this case because the kid is so obviously digging it.

I'm desperately, desperately old

MTV is celebrating it's 25th anniversary this year, but that's not what makes me feel old. No, what makes me feel old is that by way of tribute their satellite channel VH1 Classic (home of the fantastically invaluable We Are the '80s program) is going to re-run the first 24 hours of MTV programming.

I remember when MTV did that for their 10th anniversary. I'm desperately, desperately old. Meanwhile, USA Today has come up with what they feel are the Top 25 Moments In MTV History.

Herewith, a few of their choices along with my comments. And since MTV used to run videos, we're going to have one or two of those too.

24. Girl meets girl
Aug. 28, 2003

The moment: Madonna performed her classic hit Like a Virgin with Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears at the Video Music Awards. The Material Girl caused a sensation when she shared an open-mouthed kiss with Spears.

Yes, sensational. In some countries in the world, the police still don't do much if a couple of lesbians get killed. In the US, they still can't serve in the military or, in most states, get married. But it sure is sensational when a couple of straight disco divas get it on for attention.

18. A big lil' stunt

Sept. 9, 1999

The moment: Lil' Kim showed up at the Video Music Awards in a one-shouldered purple number with an exposed breast covered by a pastie.

What made it really special: Tongues started wagging when she hit the red carpet. And then when Kim arrived on stage with Mary J. Blige and Diana Ross to present the award for rap video, Ross reached over and cupped and jiggled Kim's exposed breast.

I remember that moment. But to me, the best part was Ross joking "It's the new Supremes!..." As those of us who know something of their history thought "No, if that were the case, one of them would be dying penniless and insane and you'd be pushing the other one out of the spotlight on TV, Diana."

17. You gotta Love it
Sept. 4, 1996

The moment: During the red-carpet arrivals at the Video Music Awards, Courtney Love interrupted Kurt Loder's interview with Madonna by hurling her compact at them. The rocker stole the Material Girl's thunder when she stumbled on stage — babbling about everything from Madonna's shoes to her desire to be a candy striper — then fell down.

What made it special: Although Madonna maintained her composure, Love's brazen interruption marks one of the most embarrassing moments in VMA history.

Sez them! I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Courtney Love ought to be given her own reality TV show. Love, 24/7. Now that's a show that I'd watch.

16. Cornholio is born
July 15, 1994

The moment: On the animated Beavis and Butt-Head, a sugar binge causes the normally shy Beavis to yank his Metallica T-shirt up over his head and become Cornholio, a Nicaraguan rebel in search of "T.P. for his bunghole."

In my entire life, I've only ever thought one joke on Beavis and Butt-Head was funny. It was when they were watching the video for a certain catchy song from 1985...



...and Butt-Head asked, "Is this, like...children's music?"

And then there's the opening of what I remember as one of the best, most underrated game shows in the history of television...

9. 'Remote' turns us on
Dec. 7, 1987

The moment: With Remote Control, pop-culture freaks found a gem of a game show in host Ken Ober's basement. Also lurking there: future stars Adam Sandler and Denis Leary, in skits such as "Stud Boy" and "Andy Warhol's Diary."

And Kari Wuhrer and Colin Quinn! For god's sake, have some respect for a body of work!

(Forgive the exploitative nudity, but I was 16 years old in 1987 and Kari was very important to me)

6. A united front 2
July 13, 1985

The moment: The multi-venue music collaboration Live Aid, organized by Geldof and Ure, aired to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. Bands such as The Who, Duran Duran and Hall & Oates performed around the globe, with main locations in London and Philadelphia.

What made it special: The outgrowth of Band Aid drew 1.5 billion viewers across 100 countries for the live broadcast, one of the largest-scale satellite linkups and TV broadcasts of all time. It raised more than $280 million.

All of this is, naturally, noble. But what those of us who were there at the time remember is that MTV's coverage of the event was the most critisized of the day, because of their inexplicable tendency to cut away from the perfomers to the non-entity VJ's faces for "reaction shots."

"Hey, Teddy Pendergrass is making his first public appearance since his near-fatal car accident which paralyzed him for life. Let's see what Mark Goodman thinks about that..."

And now, a completely immature joke that made me feel better on this dark day

Serenity.

The movie based on Firefly, Joss Whedon's flopped TV series.

Or...

A bladder leakage product, that is to say, adult incontinence diapers, as it were, something designed to soak up lots and lots of piss and disguise a bad smell.

You be the judge.

And then Ben began to cry

Went to my video store today. Wednesday is "rent one, get one free" day. I'm scanning through the independent comedy section when a title leaps off the shelf and comes rushing into my eyes: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend.

I slumped back against the shelf behind me.

The plot revolves around a marriage. It's got a gay theme qnd a jealous gay character. And just to make me feel a little bit more like someone's encroaching on territory I thought I'd staked out, it features a supporting performance by 1980's pop star Deborah Gibson.

Times like these were made for Heaven 17. All hopeless fantasies are making fools of me...

I tried but could not bring
The best of everything
Too breathless then to wonder
I died a thousand times
Found guilty of no crime
Now everything is thunder

I'll turn the last card down...

It's all about perspective, really

The new Us Weekly mag says Tori Spelling is "broke" after her mom managed to get her cut out of her dad, Aaron's will. Staying out of the eerily appropriate soap-opera the Spellings life and death has suddenly become...

The cover also says she's "struggling to make ends meet." In the blurb they've set up on their web site in hopes of making you buy the magazine, we learn:

Tori’s share – a cash inheritance payment of $200,000, combined with approximately $600,000 in private investments

$800,000. Do you have any idea what I could do with $800,000? Is there anyone reading this who can rationalize "broke" and "struggling to make ends meet" with $800,000? Because if there is, call me, you're beautiful and I think I love you...

This is a shout going out...

My friend Corey has now been mentioned on Mark Evanier's blog a grand total of three times. It would be the act of a small, petty man to point out that I myself have been mentioned nine times, plus this blog is listed on Mark's links page.

Lovely.

A bill that would make it a crime to take a pregnant girl across state lines for an abortion without her parents' knowledge passed the Senate Tuesday

No one knows how many girls get abortions in this way, or who helps them.

A last-minute deal by Sens. John Ensign, R-Nev., and Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., would cut off the ability of men who impregnate their daughters from taking them out of state for abortions and from suing those who help get the procedure in other states.

During floor negotiations with Boxer, Ensign rejected a proposal by Feinstein to protect from prosecution such confidants as grandparents, clergy and others to whom a girl might turn for help.

Another, sponsored by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (news, bio, voting record), D-N.J., would have encouraged the federal government to provide money for more sex education. That bill failed earlier in the day, 48-51.

"If we do nothing about teen pregnancy yet pass this punitive bill, then it proves that this (bill) is only a political charade and not a serious effort to combat the problem," Lautenberg said.

No!

Abstinence is the best way to prevent teenage pregnancy, responded Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla.

"How many people really think it's in the best interest of young people to be sexually active outside of marriage? Does anything positive ever come from that?" Coburn asked.

Okay, any of you want to take this one, or should I?

That's the creepiest thing I've ever seen in my whole entire life

It's actually a picture of a contestant on Britain's Next Top Model. But doesn't it have "Femme-bot who distracts James Bond and then tries to kill him" written all over it?

Okay, the embryos thing

Those of you who watch The Daily Show, which I'm assuming is most of you, well-educated readers that you are, may remember a fella named Sen. Sam Brownback, Republican of Kansas. He's the one who, in making his "case" in opposition to stem-cell research, held up a child's drawing of an embryo that (he said) was asking "are you going to kill me?"

Jon Stewart rightfully had some fun with this anti-science whackaloon. And I can't help thinking it's another one of those cases where something that was satire 20 years ago becomes all-too real today.

But Blue Gal, meanwhile, has something to say about if from a most priviliged position:

I am a former infertility patient. I know.

Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS)? Kiss my ass.

There are difficult decisions to be made in infertility, and they do not need to be made in the halls of Congress. They need to be made between a couple and their doctor, and when you try to tell a group of highly educated (and when you've followed your own reproductive cycle for 24 months IN A ROW believe me you are educated) people who have invested THOUSANDS of dollars and TENS OF THOUSANDS of tears in order to have any child at all...how and when they "should" proceed so that "precious life" is perserved.

Fuck you. Just fuck you. YOU HAVE NO FUCKING IDEA, SIR. NONE AT ALL.

I just kinda thought that was a message that should be shared.

If that's what we're calling it now

AOL users have named Pink the musician they would most like to add to their buddy list.

Note to self: Selling out carries with it a certain amount of bad karma

From a ContactMusic news article on top-grossing films of the weekend:

...the failure of two other newcomers may have given former Disney exec Nina Jacobson and ABC film critic Joel Siegel a case of schadenfreude. M. Night Shyamalan's Lady in the Water, which received Jacobson's negative appraisal when the writer-director took his script to her (he subsequently made the film at Warner Bros.), drew an estimated $18.2 million. Kevin Smith's Clerks II, while costing only a fraction of Lady, earned only $9.6 million. Although the film reportedly cost about $5 million to make, it cost about $20 million to market.

Awesome, dude. Sweet.

We've lost another one of the great character actors, Mako

First a few quotes from the Playbill news item, then me.

Mako, the Japanese actor who was Tony Award nominated for playing the Reciter in the original Broadway production of Pacific Overtures, died July 21 at his home in Somis, in Ventura County, California, according to friends and colleagues.

"Personally, Mako helped open my eyes as a young artist just graduating from USC," East West Players' producing artistic director Tim Dang told Playbill.com. "He made me aware of the lack of opportunities in the industry and the valiant work that was ahead. He wanted to make sure that I was tough enough to survive in an industry where 80 percent of artists are unemployed and that percentage is even worse if you are an artist of color."

Mako's film credits include "Memoirs of a Geisha," "Conan the Barbarian," "Seven Years in Tibet," "Pearl Harbor," "The Green Hornet," "Rising Sun," "The Ugly Dachshund" and more.

His sonorous performance in Pacific Overtures was captured on the original cast recording.

He also appeared in four different episodes of "M*A*S*H" as four different characters over the long span of the series. The most memorable was probably "Guerrilla My Dreams." Mako played a South Korean officer Hawkeye tries to prevent from interrogating a wounded woman being held at the 4077th as an enemy guerrilla. (That synopsis is slightly rewritten from the one appearing in The Classic Sitcom Guide). It was a rare episode in which Hawkeye's trusty liberalism was found to be deficient.

But perhaps Mako's most underrated performance is in an overlooked film called The Wash, released in 1988. Playing a rigid, domineering husband and father who nearly breaks when his wife of over 40 years finds the strength to leave him, he is superb, powerful and filled with emotion. The film may be hard to find, though it is available in some of your better video stores, and I cannot recommend it too highly.

News that under difference circumstances would have caused me to fall down

Kristen Bell, Anne Hathaway featured in Penthouse Magazine. Fortunately(?) it's not a pictorial, it's a list of the "Hottest New Stars." The once and future Veronica Mars came in third under Oscar nominee Amy Adams and someone called Jaime Alexander. The future Mrs. Varkentine came in ninth under a bunch of people she's prettier than, and I don't understand that.

Then again, this is Penthouse Magazine. Their standards may be somewhat higher than mine.

Oh no, not that

Robbie Williams is one of those pop acts that I like...but never quite enough to actually buy one of his albums. Which doesn't make me much of a rarity in America, where he can't seem to get any traction, despire being one of Britain's biggest-sellers.

But I like his perverse onstage persona-especially the time when, on The Tonight Show, he made Mike Myers looks like a homophobic jackass (believe me, if I could find a clip, I would have posted it). I like some of his songs, especially "Millenium." And he's made worthy contributions to a couple of soundtracks and compilations I like, singing the end credits song to Finding Nemo and covering Noel Coward for the 20th Century Blues CD.

Now he's got an album coming out on which...damn if he doesn't seem to be waving to try to get my attention. He's collaborating with Pet Shop Boys-Neil Tennant will duet on one of the songs and he and Chris Lowe are producing parts of the album as well. And covering the classic Human League song "Louise."

I don't know about you, but that's enough to pique my curiosity. But here's the part I don't understand. As reported in the UK Mirror:

ROBBIE Williams is either a very brave or a very foolish man.

The singer is risking the wrath of Madonna's husband Guy Ritchie by raking over the past on a track on his controversial new album

Both dated leggy TV presenter Tania Strecker - Ritchie before he met Madonna and the Robster after the film director ditched her.

Music industry insiders tell us the track She's Madonna is based on an alleged conversation Guy had with Tania when he left her.

According to her version of events, the man behind hit movies Lock, Stock and Snatch ended their romance with the words: "Look, you know I really love you, but she's Madonna."

"Risking the wrath" of Guy Ritchie. Oh no, not that. Not the wrath of Razzie-sweeping director Guy Ritchie, whose ill-conceived collaboration with his wife didn't even open in the UK, and scarcely stopped in the theaters here on its way to home video. Not the man who has seen a promising career turn rotten for reasons upon which I wouldn't dare to speculate (thanks to my cease-fire still being in effect).

Anything but that. No, please no.

Random Flickr-Blogging: IMG_4416: But seriously folks

A choice of captions:

1. You have no idea how good this looks right now. I'm a sucker for water imagery anyhow. I think the ocean is beautiful and many of my favorite songs have, overt or covert, water associations, at least for me (sometimes they just sound watery).

But after the couple of days we've been having in Seattle, when "Go jump in the lake" is no longer an insult but an expression of love...you have no idea how good this looks right now.

(On a related subject, this is an unpaid commercial announcement: Popsicles are gooooooooood.)

2. Words and image:

Should have taken warning
it was just
People ignoring
Running, hiding, lost
Couldn't find, find a place to go

Red skies at night...

Someone's taking over
And it look like they're aiming
Right at you (and me, and everybody...)
Someone said
we could be dead by morning
Someone cries
leaving

Red eyes at night...

-Red Skies, The Fixx

Original source here.

Random Flickr-Blogging: IMG_4416: The Completely Obnoxious Edition

"Yeah-I showed it to him for a quarter. You got a problem with that?"

Original source here.



Clifford had been wondering whether the new girl was a natural blonde, until he saw the effect that the smallest thought entering her brain had upon her head.

Original source here.



Realizing that he'd badly miscalculated the ratio of Monologues to Vagina, Alex began pondering how he could best make good his escape.

Original source here.



If ever a picture was just crying out for the caption "I'm not as think as you drunk I am..."

Original source here.



"This? Why, this is a special magic charm that protects me from bad luck and also gives men an excuse to stare at my boobs. Why?"

Original source here.



"Cel-e-brate good times, come on! Whaddaya mean the record's over? Come on everbody! One more time!"

When the two vampires in the background took Amy out, nobody really minded that much.

Original source here.



"So, like...that's Barcelona or something behind us, right? What?"

Original source here.

...I'd like to take this moment to apologize for some of the jokes above, which I think most people who know me would say are unlike me. I blame the heat.

In reference to the third piece of advice...

...I'd just like to say that my friend Corey and I are both mentioned (separately) in Wikipedia entries. This means we're experts, according to How To Be An Expert On Anything by Stephen Colbert.

Technology in the hands of 11-year-old boys is a dangerous thing

Case in point.

The word you're looking for, JC, is gay

J.C. Chasez has enlisted the help of former 'NSync bandmate Justin Timberlake for two tracks on the follow-up to his 2004 album 'Schizophrenic.'

The boys reunited to co-write and produce 'God Bless America' and 'Until Yesterday,' the first single from Chasez's upcoming effort. "We had a lot of fun," Chasez tells AOL Music. "'Until Yesterday' is a lot of Beatles-meet-Freddy Mercury. That guy was so operatic and entertaining...

Source: ONTD.

Would you all for Chrissakes jest go and start reading Sinfest allready?

ThenkYew.

(As always, click to enlarge.)

Mouse Track memories

Sparked by reading the new Mouse Tracks: The Story of Walt Disney Records book (reviewed last month in Cartoon Brew), I thought I'd talk a little bit about the records of theirs I remember best from my own childhood.

I suspect that part of whatever creativity I've got going for me (he said pretentiously), as well as my sensitive ear for dialogue, comes from listening to records like these, as well as, later, the great radio shows of the '40s and '50s.

The first Disney record I think I remember listening to may have been the soundtrack album to their Babes In Toyland. But I have no idea whether it was the one featuring members of the original cast or the complete re-recording with a second (cheaper) cast. Something we learn from the book was not at all uncommon. I just remember liking the song where Tom disguises himself as a gyspy fortuneteller before revealing himself in the last line of the song.

Then there's 101 Dalmatians. The version I remember had a title song that didn't appear in the film but has been stuck in my head for oh, not long, about 34 years. One hundred and one (Woof! Woof!), one hundred and one (Woof! Woof!) one hundred and one dalmatian puppies...

And Mary Poppins. All children born anytime in the 20 years since the films first release had to have a copy of this recording, especially since in the days before video, they used to periodically rerelease their films to theaters and make yet another packet that way.

I think it's Leonard Maltin in his Disney Films book who says so much has been said about MP it's hard to know what to say about it at this stage. It's such an excellent movie, one of Disney's best, and the songs are so beautiful and memorable.

The Winnie The Pooh records, especially Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too, and Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.

Aw, man, the best songs ever-"Tubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff..." "The wonderful thing about Tiggers, is Tiggers are wonderful things!"-and the voice of Sterling Holloway. If the Disney corporation spoke with one voice, it would be Sterling Holloway. "I'm so rumbly...in my tum-bly!"

And Paul Winchel, lest we forget, even though, I also learn from this book, he didn't sing Tigger's song on record, Sam Edwards did.

The Jungle Book. First of all, this is probably my personal favorite Disney soundtrack of all time. Not just the songs, but the entire score, and the voice performances. And it led to a terrific record-only sequel, More Jungle Book. I haven't seen the movie sequel Disney released a few years ago and probably never will, there's no way it can be better than this. If for no other reason than that it was recorded while Phil Harris was still alive to play Baloo-and according to the book, contribute greatly to the story as well. It had Louis Prima back as King Louie, too.

Robin Hood. Roger "King of the Road" Miller's performance as narrator Alan-a-Dale, his songs, and Peter Ustinov as Prince John are probably the best things about this movie, which is not generally held to be one of Disney's finest.

In fact, this is probably the only animated feature of which I can honestly say I would rather listen to a record with the music, dialogue, story and songs, letting my imagination fill in the rest, than watch the movie!

The songs are great. "Not In Nottingham." "Oo-De-Lally" (Never ever thinkin' there was danger in the water, They were drinkin', they just guzzled it down...), "Whistle Stop," “The Phony King Of England."

Although Ustinov doesn't get to sing a song, he does get one of my all-time favorite Disney lines:

"This crown, Hiss, gives me a feeling of power! Power! (Forgive me a cruel chuckle) Power."

The whiskery-voiced Pat Buttram is great as the Sheriff, too.

Dickens Christmas Carol with Mickey Mouse and Scrooge McDuck. This original musical for record was released seven years before the short film on the same theme. As I imagine More Jungle Book is, this is the superior to its film cousin in every way. Alan Young played Scrooge for the first time and also wrote 99% of the script, including a mispronounciation by Goofy which has been hanging around my head for 30 years. "I'm doomed-doomed!" pronounced as if "doomed" rhymes with "humid."

Now we come to some records I'd forgotten were released on the Disney label, because they're not from the soundtrack to Disney films.

They distributed the soundtrack recordings to the Charlie Brown television specials. It says here:

Some of the albums, such as A Charlie Brown Christmas, were direct lifts from the soundtrack, while others, including Charlie Brown's All-Stars, combined soundtrack dialogue with new voice work by the current Peanuts child actors.

This explains why the All-Stars special never sounds the way I remember it in my head when I see it today. The record is one of my favorites, along with Christmas and You're In Love, Charlie Brown. But there's something that's always bothered me about it.

Why does Linus join the other kids in yelling at Charlie Brown when he tells them they're not going to get uniforms?

Not only is that not in his character (I don't think) it makes even less sense in the context of this special, since Linus already knows they're not getting uniforms, and a moment later he's informing the others of why Charlie Brown turned them down. Glad I got that off my chest.

Anyway, I love the score that swells up at the very end when Linus tells Charlie Brown "They made your uniform out of my blanket!" I've never found that exact recording on any of the Charlie Brown music CDs.

On the other hand, it's probably best that we not say much about the instantly-dated Flashbeagle.

Finally, The Hobbit.

The music, usually by Maury Laws, was a highlight of all the Rankin/Bass specials, and this was arguably his crowning acheivement. I was always surpried a CD rerelease didn't happen while Hobbitmania was sweeping the land, although the special was put out on DVD.

I value the special so highly it's one of the reasons I can't get on board the why-doesn't-Jackson-do-The Hobbit-next train some are on. I'm sure it would be great, but...

These, then, are (some of) the sounds of my childhood.

Okay, the Joel Siegel/Kevin Smith/'Clerks II' thing

As one or two of you may have heard, movie reviewer Joel Siegel caused a scene at a "Clerks II" screening recently when he walked out midway, loudly announcing his intention to do so. Smith, rightly taking this as a golden opportunity to promote his rebel persona, has been posting about it on his blog and doing a radio talk show appearance or two about it.

In Scanners, Jim Emerson links to Smith's blog entry of the subject, and writes:

(WARNING: If you follow the link to Smith's blog above, be prepared to scroll down through various merchandising offers before getting to the posting itself; and, of course, you should expect lots of profanity and comments about donkey shows and mustaches and ejaculate -- that incorrigible Smith je ne sais quois!)

He then offers his

Full disclosure: I once liked a Kevin Smith movie ("Dogma"), and I haven't seen "Mallrats" or "Jersey Girl." Others, however (especially "Clerks"), have been painful experiences for me. I feel like an accused Communist writing this, but it is my full confession. Indeed, when an aspiring indie filmmaker (who has since had considerable success) once asked me for some directing advice, I told her to watch Smith's films to see exactly how not to shoot a movie, especially a comedy. She recently wrote to say she had heeded this advice, and to thank me for it. She is more than welcome. You can learn a lot from watching bad movies, and Smith's are every bit as hacky as Michael Bay's. The only difference is that the budgets are generally a bit smaller.

I've liked more of Smith's movies than Emerson has, and I've seen them all. I wrote about them at length in my review of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, which is one of the ones I liked. But as you can see in that review, I bought everything Smith was saying at the time about how this was his "hail and farewell" to those characters, and now he was going to try to become a more mature filmmaker.

Well, funny story. "Jersey Girl," his first attempt at such a film, came out and bombed the way it deserved to bomb, it was jaw-droppingly bad. Next thing you know, Smith discovers that why yes! He does have more to say about his Abbott and Costello team after all!

To which I said fine, but let's not pretend he has any more credit with the artistic bank, hmm? To coin a phrase, A Whore Like All The Rest.

(According to some reports, Smith did "Clerks II" not just because he's looking to suck the last drops from his fan base, but as a reward to Jason Mewes for getting sober. This may make him a good friend, but it doesn't make him a good artist.)

(On a matter completely unrelated to writers trying to suck the last drops from their fanbase, it was announced recently that Joss Whedon would write a "Buffy" sequel comic book series. And the creativity continues.)

So, the news that Smith was returning to his "View Asknewverse" already had me halfway turned around about him. It got worse when he published his "collected writings," which led me to predict he was now entering his "Mel Brooks in the '80s" phase. I had more to say about the book, which you can see in the Amazon link above.

I'd been thinking of posting something about this Joel Siegel thing, either in comment on All Along The Watchtower or here, but I'd decided not to. I just figured I didn't have too much to say about it.

I used to think, at the very least, you could say the man makes the movies that he wants to make, and he puts them out to stand or fall on their own. As a creator who wants very much to do something like that, at least I could honor and salute him for it.

Siegel should apologize for disrupting a screening, and you can't really blame Smith for using every chance to promote his movie-well, maybe you can. Wait a minute. Emerson has three examples of critics who didn't like one of Smith's movies being kept from press screenings of those in the future.

So, Smith wants the good reviews without risking getting the bad ones. Who can blame him? I suggest he just grow some cojones, be upfront and honest about it, and announce publicly: "If you don't like one of my movies, you will never be allowed to a press screening of Un Film de Kevin Smith again."

Joel Siegel. Did a dumb thing for which he could apologize-not to Smith, but to his fellow reviewers whose experience he disturbed.

Kevin Smith. Off the artistic roll call. Forever.

Ya! Ya! Ya! Death!

(click to enlarge)

Credit: The Sinfest webcomic.

You know, the saddest thing about this is that I'm in no way surprised

Actress Bryce Dallas Howard and director/writer M. Night Shyamalan have been making the late night talk-show rounds to promote his new film, The Lady In The Water. This has led me to wonder recently: Whatever has become of Haley Joel Osment?

You remember him, former child actor. He saw dead people. Now he sees a dead career. Funny story. He's been hospitalized after a car accident.

...police are investigating the possibility that alcohol played a role in the late-night incident.

Yes, that's right. A former child star is behaving recklessly, getting in trouble with the law, and abusing alcohol. You never see that...

PS: Yes, this story is only peripheraly about Bryce Dallas Howard, but given a choice between running an image of an ex-child star or a hot n' sexy redhead, you know which I'm going to choose every time...

See, you wouldn't think it to look at her, but with nothing more than colored chalk, nifty shoes, and a blue ice pop...

...Nicky knew she was going to rule the world.




Source.

Ashley Olsen takes another step closer to her future profession

...by which, of course, I mean starring as Sandy in revivals of Grease. What'd you think I meant?

Source: ONTD.

Didn't you always kind of suspect?

(click to enlarge)

A brief observation

There is nothing like Jon Stewart talking about the area in-between George W. Bush's balls and anus to make one hestitate before starting to suck ones lemonade-flavored Fruit Bar popsicle.

A new declaration of purpose

This is a blog for the coarse rabble who enjoy nonsense.

Who know that that the periodic dirty thought is paradoxically necessary to keep the heart pure, and that Christianity has been corrupted perhaps to its very core.

This blog's designated man-crush is Captain Jack. And when I say Captain Jack, I don't mean your namby-pamby Johnny Depp with his cartoony "acting," I mean the cheerfully bisexual action hero/con man supporting character on last year's Doctor Who-


-and soon to be seen in his own program.

This is a blog for people who feel that "female sexuality" is not just code words for "whores."

This blog knows that comedy and comedians are valuable.

This blog's Dulcinea remains Ms. Hathaway.


See you in hell.

PS: I'm back, baby!

Lindsay Lohan still hasn't found her mind

LINDSAY LOHAN is stunned after being compared to Hollywood beauties MARILYN MONROE and SHARON STONE. The actress reveals Stone herself and a close friend of Monroe have approached to remark on the likenesses - and she's staggered to be compared to such Tinseltown aristocracy. She says, "Marilyn's best friend came over at the event (at which she wore a Monroe-inspired dress) and said she'd been taken aback because she thought I looked so much like Marilyn. It was incredible. "Recently Sharon Stone told me, 'There's a picture of you in a white dress and you look just like me.' I was so flattered."

Source

For those of you playing at home, this is, respectively, Marilyn Monroe, Sharon Stone and Lindsay Lohan.

Like triplets.

Frankly, I was expecting a lot more Cartman

Stan 50% Kyle. 44% Cartman 38% Kenny 31% Which Southpark Character Are You? (With pictures.) created with QuizFarm.com

If we go, go insane We can all go together

Water 80% Fire 65% Air 50% Earth 50% Spirit 35% Which of the Five Elements are you? created with QuizFarm.com

Nelly Furtado: Symbol of everything that is wrong with women today

Ms. Furtado has recently been following in the footsteps of Huff and trying to pick up a little of that L Word dollar by "opening up" about her bisexuality and attraction to women. It's an obvious publicity stunt, and people being what they are, it's working.

Nelly's career is hotter than ever now that she's remembered to flex her sex and shed her hippie vibe:

“I went through a feminist phase and read a lot of philosophical stuff. Some of the male bashing brainwashed me for a bit so I stopped. I love men!”

"Me love you long time, Joe! (click! Whiiiiir) I love men! Me love you long time, Joe! (click! Whiiiiir) I love men!"

Source: ONTD.

Random Flickr-Blogging: IMG_7226

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!



Deep down, George knew it would never really last. She got embarassed every time her bra strap showed. He was tired of getting rug burn on his head. But during that glorious Christmas party, The Amazing Bendinis, as they were known forever after, thought nothing of dropping everything to show their friends just how they got together in the first place.


There's something in this about all women, too (and men, probably).

There's something in this about all women

...but I don't know what it is.

Original source.

NOTICE

This blog may be closing soon. Thank you for your patronage, but I need a break.

Under a Cajun moon I lay me open
There is a spirit here that won't be broken
Some words are sad to sing
Some leave me tongue-tied
(But the hardest thing to tell you )
But the hardest words I know
Are I love you goodbye
I love you goodbye
--I Love You Goodbye, Thomas Dolby

And now a little traveling music, if you please...

A wonderful character actor named Barnard Hughes has died

He was 90. As is my wont at times like these, I want to talk about performances of his that meant something to me.

As the CNN obituary notes, he won the Tony award for the title role in the stage production of "Da," by Hugh Leonard. I never saw the play but he recreated the part 10 years later in the remarkable film version opposite Martin Sheen. To describe the character makes the performance seem less than it is; yes he's a curmudgeon, yes he's crotchety and "cranky." But none of this speaks to how delightful the performance and the film (shot on location in Ireland, some of the landscape is breathtaking) is.

Those three C's were typical of the kind of roles in which Hughes tended to be cast, but he was usually able to put some spin, either of comedy or just-below-the-surface sweetness on them. Take his part in the underrated movie"Doc Hollywood," wherin he played the very picture of the old country doctor who seemingly lives to bedevil his young city "colleague" played by Michael J. Fox.

You may remember him as the grandpa who got the last words in "The Lost Boys." Dramatically, those last words are a cop-out that simply scream "we thought more about the SFX than the script," but Hughes delivers them so well it's hard to care. As big SFX movies go, it's an almost Shakespearian moment.

He was also Walter Gibbs and the dual role of Dumont in the groundbreaking "Tron." When I think of Hughes in that film I think of the dignity and humanity he brought to his roles, both as the human Gibbs who is being pushed out of the company he founded, and the program Dumont, guardian of I/O. "Tron" has more good actors in it than you might think, but Hughes towers above them all.

I think the first place I remember seeing him was in the title role in the sitcom "Mr. Merlin" which I remember liking when I was 10 but who knows what I'd think of it now.

"Mr. Merlin:" Why yes, yes it was the '80s.

I don't quite know what else to say about him-except that he's another actor who, like John Spencer, I'd always kinda hoped to be good enough to write for one day. I send good thoughts to his family and friends, those that were priviliged enough to know and not merely admire him.

Rest in peace, Da. And remember...you're not to touch that teapot!

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Following up on my post of last month about the writer of "Heathers," one of the more perfect movies of the past 15-20 years, reuniting with its star, Winona Ryder, for a new film...

"According to Winona Ryder, she and Heathers scripter Daniel Waters--both at work on the dark comedy Sex and Death 101--are drumming up a sequel to the 1989 cult classic. 'I've been [arguing], 'There's Heathers in the real world!' she says. 'We have to keep going.'"

No. No you don't. No you shouldn't. "Heathers" does not need a sequel. Then again, that's what I think about "Clerks" and look what's happening there. Even if you could justify such a sequel artistically-and 99% of all sequels can't be-too much time has passed; it's been 17 years and we know too much about Winona.

I don't know what it is with all these years-after sequels lately. I think the "Clerks" sequel is going to suck but I don't care that much, and I certainly don't care that the "Basic Instinct" sequel wasn't worth the wait (who was waiting?). I read elsewhere that Danny DeVito is talking about a third "Romancing the Stone" picture. Forgive me, but has anyone seen Kathleen Turner recently? She may still have the sexy Jessica Rabbit voice but "Body Heat" was a long time ago. Most people probably know her best now as Chandler Bing's transsexual dad.

But "Heathers" actually means something to me, and I don't want to see it tainted.

Source-via ONTD.

Anne Hathaway is trying to kill me.

Seriously. It's the only explaination. Look at this: For crying out loud...

Picture via ohnotheydidn't, where you can also see the rest of Ms. Hathaway's shoot for a magazine called "Hollywood Life." It is unfair how beautiful that woman is.