The Oscar nominations came out today, and for the first time ever, all five flicks up for Best Picture are films that I actually wouldn’t mind seeing. Milk and Frost/Nixon are already lined up in my Netflix queue for when they come out on DVD, and you know I’ll watch anything Kate Winslet’s in (The Reader). ...Benjamin Button has also piqued my curiosity (even though Brad Pitt’s in it) and even this Slumdog Millionaire thing looks halfway interesting. As expected, the late Heath Ledger is up for Best Supporting Actor for Dark Knight, and as usual Meryl Streep is nominated for something—I swear, that woman could play a damn speed bump in a movie and be nominated for an Oscar. Also predictably, Angelina Jolie is up for Best Actress—I hope my girl Kate kicks her scrawny little overrated ass in the voting in that category!
I was also pleased to see my other girl, Marisa Tomei, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for The Wrestler. I’m a bit miffed, though, that Terrell Owens wasn’t nominated for his enthralling performance in his remake of The Crying Game.
MOVIE REVIEW
While I’m on movies, I watched Mamma Mia last night, and was quite underwhelmed. I thought the story was pretty hokey, and being a big ABBA fan, I had great difficulty in digesting Razzie Award nominee Pierce Brosnan warbling one of my all-time favorite ABBA songs ("S.O.S."), as well as that older gal vamping to "Take A Chance On Me". Much to my surprise, Meryl Streep can actually sing, but still our real ABBA girls Agnetha and Frida have nothing to fear from her. One thing I did like was how the musicians re-created the songs—I initially thought they were just using the backing tracks from the original ABBA records with new vocals overdubbed, until I listened a little more closely for the subtle differences. They also made a few alterations to the lyrics to fit the storyline, but I’m surprised they didn’t eliminate that silly cringe-inducing bon mot "you’re a doggone beast" from "Honey, Honey". I imagine the Broadway musical version of MM is probably a lot more entertaining and would hold my interest a lot longer than this movie did. I gave it about a 5.5 out of ten.
CARDINALS RULE?
Damn, I wish I’d plunked down a few bucks on the Arizona Cardinals to make it to the Stupor Bowl before the season started—I’d be poopin’ in tall cotton right about now. Is there any doubt now that Kurt Warner has had the oddest successful career in NFL history? Let’s review: While laboring in obscurity as an Arena League QB, he gets pulled out of his moonlighting grocery store job and winds up leading the St. Louis Rams to two Super Bowls (winning one of them), then his career goes into decline with the Rams and he’s replaced by Mark Bulger. He then spends a year in purgatory looking like a total has-been with the Giants while tutoring young Eli Manning. He ultimately lands in Phoenix, and just as I was about to write him off altogether, he winds up leading the team that used to be in St. Louis to its first Super Bowl! Certainly a most circuitous route for a potential future Hall of Famer to take, and since Warner is nearing retirement age, what a storybook ending this would be if he goes out on top by knocking off Pittsburgh next weekend. Nothing personal against the Steelers, but having grown up watching the St. Louis football Cardinals on TV every Sunday back in the ‘70s, I’d love to see the Redbirds win this one for the likes of Jim Hart, Dan Dierdorf, Jim Bakken, Conrad Dobler, Mel Gray, Roger Wehrli and the late J.V. Cain. Go Big Red!
USELESS INFORMATION TRIVIA QUESTION #1
What do Michael Jackson, Ichiro Suzuki, Michael Moore, Timothy Leary, Bobby Brown and Ricky Nelson all have in common? [Scroll down for the answer]
BOB MAY, 1932-2009
The man inside the robot on TV’s "Lost In Space", actor Bob May, died earlier this week. May did the Robot’s twisting-torso movements and arm-flailing during all those "Danger! No, Will Robinson!" moments, but not the Robot’s voice—that was provided by the show’s narrator, Dick Tufeld. The all-time classic for me was the time when the Robot played acoustic guitar with his hooks! Because it was so difficult getting in and out of the costume’s shell, during breaks in the shooting schedule, May would often remain inside the Robot and smoke cigarettes, which kept the cast and crew entertained with the smoke seeping through the openings. Must have been quite a sight. Danger! Danger!
MOST ILLOGICAL
While I’m on ‘60s TV Sci-Fi shows, I read a trivial tidbit the other day that I’m having trouble believing. Seems that George "Goober" Lindsey was actually considered for the role of Mr. Spock on "Star Trek". I know he always wore that dorky pointed Jughead hat, but I just can’t picture him with pointy ears! I can picture Goober on "Star Trek" about as readily as I can picture Leonard Nimoy on "Mayberry, RFD". As our aforementioned friend the Robot might say, "That does not compute!"
And in a related piece of Trekkie trivia, I also read that the late Jack Lord of "Hawaii Five-O" fame was in contention for the role of Captain Kirk. Now that I can kinda see: "Book ‘em, Scotty!"
YER 15 MINUTES ARE UP
It’s time they dispose of the annoyingly perky Progressive Insurance chick on their TV ads. She was kinda semi-cute to me at first, but now these commercials have become grating and stupid, so it’s time for her to join the "Dude, you’re gettin’ a Dell" geek, Joe Isuzu, Suzie Chapstick, the Domino’s Pizza ‘Noid, et al, in the irritating commercial spokesperson/character retirement home. Same goes for that "Smilin’ Bob" goomer on those dumbass erectile dysfunction ads, the Geico gecko (and cavemen), the "Can you hear me now?" Verizon Wireless geek and the two dorks in the mini-van on the Sonic commercials.
CLASSIC OVERUSED TV/MOVIE CLICHÉ #5
Ever notice when they show people driving a car or truck on TV or in movies, 90% of the time the rear view mirror on the windshield is missing? It’s also amazing in the parallel universe that is Hollywood how at night the dashboard lights in these vehicles are usually bright enough to perform surgery by.
THERE ARE SOME REAL ASSHOLES OUT THERE
Don’t believe me? Then click here!
TRIVIA ANSWER
Michael Jackson, Ichiro Suzuki, Michael Moore, Timothy Leary, Bobby Brown and Ricky Nelson are each on the all-time roster of the Seattle Mariners. MJ only used one batting glove, naturally...
FROM THE PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT YOU KRAMER VS. KRAMER…
It’s Cougars vs. Cougars!
4 comments:
I'm with you - I'll be remembering the old Big Red heroes while I'm rooting for the Cardinals to win this year's Super Bowl. I'd have to agree on Kurt Warner on having the oddest successful NFL career, although Earl Morrall's comes close, and Ottis Anderson would be up there too.
Most annoying commercial? That would have to be that Walmart commercial where the whole family is singing "We Will Rock You". Hopefully that gets retired when football season is over.
No argue with you on that one--Freddie Mercury's ashes are probably boiling in his urn.
Sorry dude, I am in major love with the Progressive chick (I confessed my love for her on an earlier blog post). She's also one of the office girls (hard to recognize) in one of my faves "Mad Men". I just think she's hot and spunky.
I find myself hard pressed to "root" for anyone at my advanced age, but I am one huge Kurt Warner fan. Super Bowl champ, hurt and now maybe Superbowl winner again. I have met and interviewed him and he is as real as it gets.
You have an awesome blog, bro. Keep it up.
Thanks man--that means a ton coming from you, my friend!
Progressive girl is kinda like Fran Drescher to me--physically attractive, but aurally annoying.
Since the Chiefs were so bad during the mid-'70s, their home game were blacked out here, so we got the Cardinals almost every Sunday back in the day, so I started rooting for them, especially during the Don Coryell "Cardiac Cards" era. Would be rather boffo to see the franchise finally win it all again, even though they're in Arizona now.
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