(Tom and little Katie)
First off, what is the deal with the return of the big-ass, Big Bird sunglasses? Have the UV raves become so powerful that in addition to SPF 105 we have to shield our entire faces behind the space age technology of giant tinted saucers? Is there any doubt that big spectacles will be close behind? If you are actually a hip, happening person and not a pudgy, short man in his late 30’s you are probably into this new/retro fashion and I apologize for any offense. Please forgive me, I think my parachute pants are on too tight.
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It was brought to my attention by an astute reader last week that when I posted about movie trailers I forgot to mention A Scanner Darkly despite my obvious sci fi leanings. Allow to rectify that that by mentioning A Scanner Darkly now…..er, go check out A Scanner Darkly. It is the latest adaptation of a Philip K. Dick novel which almost always is a good thing. This looks very interesting and I love the animation style. While I am at it I should mention that another reader mentioned a movie coming out by Hellboy director Guillermo Del Toro entitled Pan’s Labyrinth. Check out the site for a cool, creepy teaser trailer. I’m really looking forward to this one in October.
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Been watching American Idol? (Warning: lame, pathetic justification approaching) I have watched nearly every episode this season (for the first time) because I work on Tuesday nights and the residents love the show. My prediction for tonight’s voting results is that these two pictured above, Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee, will remain on the show for next week’s final and then it is anybody’s guess as to who will win. Taylor is so entertaining and fun as is Katherine. For Katherine it is all a matter of whether she picks the right songs. When singing in her element she has the most outstanding voice and she is so stunning (the picture above does not even hint at how gorgeous this girl is) that she could win on her popularity alone. Should be interesting. Sad isn’t it…how low I’ve sunk in my entertainment choices.
On another note, wasn’t House great last night? And the season finale looks phenomenal!
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My daughter played her final game of co-ed flag football last night. I am so very proud of her. She has had more fun at this than any sport she’s played and she has been very dedicated. It makes the chest swell with pride to see my little girl rushing the quarterback and getting sacks or disrupting their timing. Unfortunately I was unable to attend last night’s game but as soon as it ended I received a phone call….on the other end was my very excited daughter who called to report that they won their final game. The score was 96-6! Don’t adjust your tv set folks, you read it right, 96-6!!! She said that the opponent repeatedly ran a play that resulted in an interception and touchdown for us. She was also excited because due to the lopsided score she was able to play offense. Part of me feels sorry for the other team, but as a parent who believes in healthy competition I absolutely love the fact that they put such a whoopin’ on another team!
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And last but certainly not least, today is the one year anniversary of the end of a cultural phenomenon that is difficult to describe or comprehend if you weren’t swept up in it…at midnight tonight one year ago the last theatrical episode of Star Wars began. I was watching the excellent documentary Empire of Dreams last week and sat amazed as I was reminded of all the things George Lucas did to change and revive Hollywood. If you have not seen this documentary I highly encourage you to do so. It is excellent. It is included as a fourth disc in the Star Wars Trilogy boxed DVD set. That disc also has 3 short featurettes with big name directors, etc. discussing Star Wars. All are worth seeing.
Watching that last week got me thinking about Star Wars and how different a pop culture experience that is to anything in my lifetime. Despite the fact that episodes I and II were disappointing I remember the anticipation being palpable for last years’ conclusion. I was reading my before and after movie posts this morning and cracking up at my level of geek enthusiasm. What is it that makes Star Wars different from anything else? Is it simply because we (meaning those of my generation) were introduced to it as children or is there more to it than that? Though I think most of the Star Wars films are great there are better movies out there. But no single movie or movie franchise, no matter how much more I may like it in a one on one comparison to Star Wars, makes me feel the way I do when I get swept up in Star Wars nostalgia. There is a spirit about the whole endeavor that is undeniable. Although there are things about George Lucas that bother me…the constant changing and tweaking of episodes, etc…there is no denying his genius. He put together a fascinating story made almost completely out of ideas and archetypes that had been around forever and yet the result has touched millions if not billions of lives over the last 29 years. May 14th was George Lucas’ birthday. Happy belated birthday George and thanks for the memories!
Katie Holmes looks like she’s on medication.
God that man is scary.
Giant sunglasses hide black eyes. Not that I’m insinuating nuffink. Honest guv’nor.
Did you hear that they are rereleasing the original Star Wars trilogy without the changes made to the recent release?
Does that sentence make sense *scratches head* ?
I can’t wait for the Star Wars TV series. It will rock; oh yes it will.
I heard that Fence….I unfortunately want the best of both worlds…I want the original Han Solo/Greedo scene with all the cool special effect and sound updates of the special editions.
I hope the Star Wars tv series is indeed a good one.
You should have kept your big spectacles from the 80’s and had them made into sunglasses!!
Congrats Tori on your awesome victory!!
96-6 my god! Don’t they have some kind of mercy rule? Anyhow Congrats Tori! I’m so glad you had a blast.
I’m so sick of Tom and Katie. I can’t even escape it on your blog. 🙂 In a related note though last night’s Law Order SVU took a shot at Tom Cruise and his views on not taking medicenes to help people with mental illnesses. House was great again as always.
I’m so ashamed to hang with a guy who watchs AI. Someone told me the gentlemen with gray hair was only 28 and I still can’t believe it. He looks forty. I’m sorry but he has no chance in this society of beating a cute young girl in a popularity contest. IMHO.
Lastly, I refuse to buy another edition of SW. I think I already own two different VHS editions plus the DVD editions. I cry out no more George! I will however watch the new animated and live action series when they come out. I also love SW like you do Carl and am so happy my kids love it as much as their old man. Man I’m a geek.
Why’d they chop off the bottom of Katherine’s legs?
Don’t know…this was just one of many pics I found on a fan site and liked the pose.
crap.. when i first started reading thru this, i thought you said a trailer was out for Hellboy 2 already.. how discouraging to see it was just the Pan thing. next time i’ll read closer before getting excited.
‘Just the Pan thing!??!!” 😉 Well I admit its not Hellboy 2, but this looks pretty darn cool. If you are into creepy fairy tales that is. Unfortunately Hellboy 2 is going to take forever to come out.
I just checked out the Pan trailer and it looks great. Carl, James, Tom? You guys want to see it this fall? Really makes me want Del Toro to get crackin on Hellboy 2!!!!!!!
I’ll put out the challenge right here. James has went and seen a subtitled movie with me but I’m thinking we won’t get Tom there? How ’bout it Tom?
oh my, so many details to respond to.
i think it’s pretty evident that i’m a tremendous fan of oversized sunglasses…but then, i’m silly enough to believe they suit me.
the think about the tom cruise/little girl thing is…i dunno, he lived in the town i spent my childhood in…graduated from the high school & everything…& i remember being a little teenybopper thing, & having crushed on movie stars that were like 20 years older than me, & thinking, daydreams are well & good but it could never happen…the movie star thing aside, & all, how can a 13-year-old girl believe that a 33-year-old man would even consider her? me? whatever.
anyway, Katie Holmes is the same age as me, i think, which just makes the whole thing weirder.
fortunately i keep myself relatively isoloated from most of the morass of pop culture, so i’m not really bothered by it, except for what i was just talking about.
& i’ve never watched American Idol, but i like the idea that a gray-haired man is in the final running…
i can’t get the Pan site to open, but i’ll keep trying, because i mostly trust your judgement.
& if it makes you feel any better, oldben is already planning the star wars series’ 30th birthday party–next may.
it’s a costume party. i’ll give you three guesses as to who we’re going to be…
& finally, i have followed a fish just for you, so check it out & bask.
yep.
I thought of you right away with the big sunglasses thing, thus my comment about no offense. They actually do suit you and probably lots of other people…I just think its funny how fashions go full circle.
I don’t have a problem with the whole age difference thing between Katie and Tom and I really like both of them as actors. He’s a bit weird as she must be to be with him but I don’t really care. I don’t get so tired of hearing about it because I just tune it out.
The grey haired guy could win it, I really think despite Katherine’s looks and talent that Taylor has a 50% shot at this. This is of course only if my prediction holds true and that other guy is the one who gets the boot tonight!
I’m glad you only ‘mostly’ trust my judgement…otherise I would weep for you. Keep trying, the trailer is great.
The party sounds great!!!! And I will check out the fish!
And Jeff, you look at that girl…or better yet see her live…and then criticize me for watching AI! 😉 Actually I’m embarrassed too but I was hooked into this season from the first sour note and I will see it through next week to the bitter end!
Due to moral opposition, I have never and will never see any of the Star Wars offshoots but I did sleep in authentic Harrison Ford Star Wars sheets as a kid. I think it kind of warped me.
how authentic? Did Han Solo himself sleep in them? Were there Wookie hairs? 😉 You don’t know what you’re missing Jay…SW is the geek equivalent of crack…and just as bad for you!
So, Carl and I were watching another great episode of Bones last night when Jeff stole him to go watch MI III. Tommy Boy does very well in this sort of role I must admit. Did you like the movie Jeff? Anyway, as he was leaving Carl asked if I could watch Am Idol and let him know how it went (so much for watching it “for the residents” at the home). he, he. Unfortunately, I kind of got sucked into the emotions of the show (Carl’s prediction was correct BTW), and I now have to watch the final show.
Love, Love, Love Star Wars.
Tori’s game was great the first half, and the second half was pretty good except I started feeling bad for the other team (they are just kids after all). Speaking of mercy, our coach did send an offer to the other coach to call the game which made that coach mad…you can’t always offer mercy without offending.
The big sunglass phase just kills me. Ugh. As far as AI, Go Taylor!! Katherine comes off as a little smug and I thought she should have been gone 2 shows ago, but what do I know? I enjoy Taylor’s voice; Katherine’s comes and goes for me, depending on the song/genre.
there’s something very compelling about that picture of you daughter – it’s hard to explain but it’s really cool, like captured movement, like attitude. congrats to her and her team!
i don’t watch tv and my pop blinders have been in high-rev as of late so i’m sorry to say that i cannot comment on much of this, except to say we all have watched things that we are not too proud (i myself have watched soaps before)
DON”T get me started on Lucas – i saw that documentary carl and yes pixar spun off from lucas arts and yes, they put out cool games and yes, some stories are stronger than even the storyteller – but lucas bugs me – i’m glad SW is over
Pan’s Laberynth looks interesting (i thought it was a minotaur…) – though it’s funny how that villification of pagan (druids and the like) religions still continues today – like how the devil is a faun and pan is scary
p.s. carl, you really should link that directly to the post about Scanny Darkly
Thanks for ratting me out dear! 😉
Yes Shannin, Katherine should have gotten voted out a couple weeks ago when she didn’t do well on either song but this past week she did really well. I think in a voice to voice comparison she has a stronger one than Taylor, but Taylor is consistent which should hold sway in this competition.
Thanks Mysfit, I think it is a rather weird picture of her with her mouth piece in and her strange stance but it does the job.
For all he did for film and to inspire in me my love of science fiction I can give Lucas a pass on all the things I don’t like about him.
Not all shows villify those things though Mysfit…Chronicles of Narnia had similar creatures, etc. on both sides, good and evil. I see your point though. I am really excited about Pan’s Labyrinth…doubly excited because it being done means that del Toro is moving on to Hellboy 2!!!
I fixed my links Mysfit!
I recently purchased a new pair of sunglasses. They’re more of medium size. I tried on the big ones and just laughed. I loved the 70’s. I was old enough to remember some of it!
WAY TO GO TORI!!!
Hello Mary, thanks for letting me steal away your AI obessed husband to go watch MI-3 with me. I really enjoyed it. It was just as good as the others and if he makes a 4th I’ll go see that one, too. I thought that Phillip Seymour Hoffman was excellent as the “bad” guy too. We also saw the latest trailer for Pirates 2 and that I’m even more geeked than before to see it too. Have a great weekend.
Note to Tori – I talked with your Asst. coach Mark yesterday and he said you guys actually won 105 to 6. That is so incredible. Glad you had a blast this season.
I can’t complain anymore about the age different between Holmes & Cruise after meeting John Wesley Shipp the other day. He’s 20yrs older, but I’m in love. lol
(I posted about the Comic Con on my site)
Cool, look forward to reading it Angela.