Hellboy & the Ghost Hunters
Hellboy is back and this time he’s hanging with the Ghost Hunters!
Top Westerns
The Western Writers of America recently posted their list of the 100 Top Westerns. You just know I had to use their top 100 to come up with my top 20:- The Searchers
- The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
- The Wild Bunch
- The Outlaw Josey Wales
- Tombstone
- Open Range
- The Cowboys
- True Grit
- Shane
- The Magnificent Seven
- Dances with Wolves
- Stagecoach (1939)
- Unforgiven
- The Ox-Bow Incident
- High Noon
- The Shootist
- Red River
- Silverado
- The Long Riders
After The Searchers a lot of the order is subject to change depending on my mood. Also some of the movies that made their top 100 didn’t fit my definition of a “western.” Sure, “Blazing Saddles” is a great COMEDY set in the west, but is it really a western? “The Last of the Mohicans” is a great adventure/romance, but where are the cowboys? In other words, I left off what some might consider to be classics because to me, a western is cowboys and Indians.
– A tip of the hat and a hearty “Hi Ho Silver!” to Bill Crider for the link!
Hellboy is Everywhere!
Hellboy is everywhere. We saw him on Goon Optioned
I’ve been an Eric Powell fan for years. His Goon is one of my favorite comics currently published. [I’d have said that even if Eric didn’t draw one of my all-time favorite Stallone pieces!]Eric recently announced on his website that David [Se7en] Fincher has teamed with Blur Studio and optioned the rights to the Goon for a CG animated feature. Dark Horse Entertainment, the publisher of the Goon will also be involved.
This is great news for Eric and Goon fans everywhere.
Only One Cooke Needed
Darwyn Cooke is one of my favorite comic book creators. I was lucky enough to get a Stallone sketch from Darwyn at MegaCon 2007. It was the last sketch that he did on the last day of the show. Whew!
If you read this interview with Darwyn posted today at Newsarama you’ll begin to understand why he’s a fan favorite.
If you read Darwyn’s The New Frontier; Batman: Ego and Other Tales; or his take on Will Eisner’s The Spirit Volume I and 2 you’ll know why.
Heck, anyone whose favorite movie is The Wizard of Oz [my all-time second favorite movie] has got to be alright in my book!
MMA Update
On June 19th I suggested that Dana White reconsider his tolerance for the drunken destruction that is encouraged in the house during the filming of The Ultimate Fighter. The following day, Ken Iole, who covers the MMA for Yahoo Sports posted similar thoughts.
Guess what Dana White announced today?
“Fighters of Season 8 – which completed filming last week and will begin airing in September – were told they’d have to pay for any damage they did.”
White also announced that Jesse White will fight C.B. Dollaway on the July 19th card headlined by Anderson Silva moving up to light heavyweight to fight James Irvin.
Check out Ken Iole’s column for the full story!
Hellboy in the Studio
You gotta love Swierczynski’s Severance
Duane Swierczynski is one of my favorite authors. His current novel Severance Package is getting great reviews. I plan to order a copy soon. Until then I have Duane’s blog to hold me over.
T.H.E. Cat
About a year and a half ago I posted that I’d love to find the opening to the sixties tv show “T.H.E. CAT.” I hadn’t seen the show since it originally aired in 1966-1967. I was 8 years old at the time and thought T.H.E. Cat was the man. Often things we find awesome as kids don’t hold the same appeal when we become adults. I doubted that the opening could be as cool as I remembered it.
I was wrong. It’s even cooler. Here, see for yourself. How can you not love an opening that describes the “hero” like this:
Along comes a man who saves lives at the risk of his own. Once a circus performer, an aerialist who refused the net. Once a cat burglar, a master among jewel thieves. And now, a professional bodyguard. Primitive, savage, in love with danger. The Cat.
Add in the jazz score by Lalo Schifrin, stunts, a hero with a past, great graphics, and filmed in color but not afraid to focus on black and white — shadows and light. Here is another opening. I just wish that the season [it only lasted one] was available on dvd!
Staycation: PH & CDS
This year it didn’t work out that we could take our normal family vacation. We usually spend some time in Indiana and then either Tennessee or North Carolina. With everyone on different work schedules and gas [not to mention the economy] being what it is we opted to take a staycation rather than a vacation. [As in stay Florida and do some day trips…]
We’d wanted to see Cirque Du Soleil for years and decided that this would be the time to finally do it. Tickets with our AAA discount were reasonable and so last Wednesday we made a day of it.
After a late breakfast the family piled into my “Jack Cartermobile” and headed to Orlando to hit some of the shopping outlets. On the way over we got caught in one of the worst storms that I’ve ever driven in. Lighting was striking all around, rain was coming down in washtubs and visibility was nil — then it started to hail! Luckily the storm passed after just a few minutes and we continued on. Years ago, when the outlets were truly discount shops, we’d drive over on a pretty regular basis. Now you really have to get lucky to find a real bargain since most of the shops are tourist traps. Chris and Mike scored a couple of t-shirts and the Queen found some sort of bags that keep fruit and vegetables longer in the “As Seen on TV” store.We decided to go to Planet Hollywood for dinner before Cirque Du Soleil. The Orlando Planet Hollywood has always been my favorite due to it’s location and unusual design. We hadn’t been there in a few years, so we were all looking forward to it. I’m happy to say that none of us were disappointed. The menu has been updated a bit, but we were still able to get our “Cap’N Crunch” chicken appetizer [they call it something else, but that’s what it is] and it was as tasty as we remembered. Dinner was even better. Mike and I opted for BBQ bacon burgers, Chris had the Philly cheesesteak, and the Queen had a spinach salad. Everyone thought that their meal was the best and no one left hungry. On the way out, we swung through the gift shop so I could score a t-shirt [see the design in the photo above], and then it was off to the circus… literally.
We were really lucky in that we were seated in the second row from the stage. At first I was concerned that we might be too close to the action and get stiff necks from looking up, but that wasn’t the case mainly due to the amount of action going on everywhere! And once the show starts it doesn’t let up. If you’ve ever seen Cirque Du Soleil on television and been impressed you can just begin to imagine what it’s like to see the performers live and so close you could literally [at least from our seats] reach out and touch them.Everything about the show is amazing. You probably already know how awe-inspiring the acts are, but until you see the show live, you don’t realize how well designed the sets and stage are. Or how the special effects and live music work to change the moods of each performance. Looking back, it’s also crazy to think that once the show started there were no words spoken and it never felt like we were watching traditional acts in a “circus.” The time flew by and I left wanting more; not because I didn’t get my money’s worth, but because I was having such a great time. The Queen and kids felt the same. We’ll definitely go back.
After the show we walked around Downtown Disney. The crowds weren’t too bad and the night was just the right temperature to make trips to the Virgin MegaStore and other shops enjoyable. The drive home was filled with laughter and talk about what a great day it had been… we didn’t even complain about the storm.
If only every day could be so perfect.
Hellboy II Excitement
As we get closer to July 11th, I get more excited about Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Yeah, sometimes I’m like a little kid.
Death Race Site
Anyone been to the new Death Race site? I have to admit, I’m looking forward to this drive-in movie without the drive-in.
George Carlin: RIP
George Carlin, who had suffered from heart problems for years, died yesterday at the age of 71. Carlin, best known for his comedy routine about the “seven words you can’t say on television,” was one of the brightest and wittiest comedians to ever grace a stage. Carlin’s comedy made you think. He challenged your ideas and made you laugh at the same time. What better send off than to quote some of my favorite Carlinisms:- Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?
- I’m not concerned about all hell breaking loose, but that a PART of hell will break loose… it’ll be much harder to detect.
- One can never know for sure what a deserted area looks like.
- When someone is impatient and says, “I haven’t got all day,” I always wonder, How can that be? How can you not have all day?
- If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn’t it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted?
- I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.
- The whole meaning of life is trying to find a place for your stuff.
George Carlin repeatedly crossed the line and made me laugh every time. I miss him already. My best wishes go out to his family, friends and fans. I leave you with George Carlin’s thoughts on death [do not click on the link if you are offended by profanity or jokes about religion].
