Ringo said it best.
It Don’t Come Easy.
That will probably be the theme for the year.
Defensive coordinators had the whole off season to study the Saints’ offense and if there’s one law in the NFL it’s that defenses catch up with offenses.
Two games in, and it’s obvious that defenses are stoking up to slow down the Juicy Fruit Genius. Success changes the landscape, starting with when you get to play.
Two prime-time games in, defenses seem to be taking away the 20 and 30 yard passes, and conceding the dump-off. If you’re going to move the ball down the field on us, you’re going to do it in 5 yard chunks, not 15 yard ones. It also forces the Saints to run the ball, which they stuck with despite limited success. I was kind of impressed with this.
When the Garrett Hartley’s field goal as time expired gave the Saints a hard-earned, nail-biting, pulse-pounding 25-22 victory over the hated 49’ers (yes I still hate them) it signaled a don’t-come-easy, grind-it-out pattern that we may see more of, rather than less. Wonder how 49er fans felt losing in the final seconds after playing so well?
Reggie Bush now has to live without his Heisman and the Saints have to live without Reggie for at least 6 weeks due to the broken leg suffered Monday night at Candlestick Park.
Can’t help but comment on Reggie. He apparently broke the rules and has been deemed ineligible for his last year at USC, causing forfeiture of their season and erasing from the record books (if not our memory) that exciting National Championship Game with Texas.
I’d have made them come pry if from cold dead fingers.
For whatever he did wrong, let’s call it borrowing against future earnings, let me just mention what he hasn’t done. He hasn’t fathered a bunch of children. He hasn’t had any DUI’s. He hasn’t used performance enhancing drugs. He hasn’t complained about how he’s utilized. He hasn’t made too many headlines off the field, save Kim Kardashian.
He’s apparently a great teammate who focuses on winning rather than personal stats. He has no problem serving as a decoy. He’s involved in the community and has been generous with his time and money. He’s beloved in New Orleans and the Saints are a different team when he’s on the field. Lately, he’s improved as a runner and should have a long productive career. In all likelihood, had he gone to any other team he would have been a bust. But the JFG has figured out how to maximize his talents, and he’s a vital cog for the Saints. We’re about to find out how important he is.
I'm not condoning his breaking the rules. I'm just lamenting what other athletes get away with. Or didn't you catch the "Hard Knocks" clip where Antonio Cromartie (26 years old) struggled to name his 8 children by 6 different women in 5 states?
Ho Hum. You've heard the stories. So, while I haven't always been a fan of his play, I'm a fan of Reggie.
The hated Falcons come to town on Sunday, and their approach won’t be a surprise. They’ll run Michael Turner so much he’ll be trying to burrow under the Superdome. The Saints will need to score more than their first 2 games. Points in the Teens won’t win this one.
Time to Crunk it up.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
Saints Report # 1 - September 9, 2010
Man, my time at the University of Southern Mississippi seems so long ago.
I was young, and spry, and could move around a lot more easily.
Yesterday was a long day. I took another pounding in New Orleans. We left early and the build up to the game seemed to go on forever. To be honest, I was a little drained from the hoopla. Could my enthusiasm be waning? Or is it just harder to concentrate at my age? Maybe I should have taken my off season conditioning a little more seriously.
By game time, my feet hurt, and that was just from the pre-game walk through. In the heat, I had trouble staying hydrated. After the game, my legs felt a hundred years old. My joints feel like they needed lubricant. I remember that one hit I took. Wow. It was a long walk to the car and an even longer drive home. Maybe I should have stayed in Mississippi.
No, my name is not Brett Favre.
And that hit I took was from a huge guy as I was leaving the concession stand.
Now, about the game.
Well the game wasn’t pretty. But if the Saints defense plays like that all year the whole NFL has to be worried. Yes, the offense didn’t do great. Dropped passes and missed field goals are not a good sign. But grinding out a 14-9 victory Rickey Jackson-style is a W and we’ll take it. This was an old fashioned defensive whipping. It wasn’t turnover dominated, like last year. It was just good ole stifling defense. Impressive.
The thing I thought about during the game was the incredible job that the Saints have done on free agents. The quarterbacks of the offense and defense – Brees and Vilma were cast off from teams. How different things could have been.
I can only wonder what the offensive meetings must have been like this week. “We’re going to throw the ball the first half, and run it the second half.” I’m sure I’ve seen stranger game plans, but I don’t know when. The Juicy Fruit Genius did it again, so you’ve got to hand it to him.
The pre-game hype, the unfurling of the Championship Banner, the incredible atmosphere around the dome was what will be unforgettable about last night. I can remember just 10 years ago. Few came early, few came dressed, few tailgated. Now it’s a zoo. Champions Square has to be seen to be believed.
Glad I didn’t stay in Mississippi
I was young, and spry, and could move around a lot more easily.
Yesterday was a long day. I took another pounding in New Orleans. We left early and the build up to the game seemed to go on forever. To be honest, I was a little drained from the hoopla. Could my enthusiasm be waning? Or is it just harder to concentrate at my age? Maybe I should have taken my off season conditioning a little more seriously.
By game time, my feet hurt, and that was just from the pre-game walk through. In the heat, I had trouble staying hydrated. After the game, my legs felt a hundred years old. My joints feel like they needed lubricant. I remember that one hit I took. Wow. It was a long walk to the car and an even longer drive home. Maybe I should have stayed in Mississippi.
No, my name is not Brett Favre.
And that hit I took was from a huge guy as I was leaving the concession stand.
Now, about the game.
Well the game wasn’t pretty. But if the Saints defense plays like that all year the whole NFL has to be worried. Yes, the offense didn’t do great. Dropped passes and missed field goals are not a good sign. But grinding out a 14-9 victory Rickey Jackson-style is a W and we’ll take it. This was an old fashioned defensive whipping. It wasn’t turnover dominated, like last year. It was just good ole stifling defense. Impressive.
The thing I thought about during the game was the incredible job that the Saints have done on free agents. The quarterbacks of the offense and defense – Brees and Vilma were cast off from teams. How different things could have been.
I can only wonder what the offensive meetings must have been like this week. “We’re going to throw the ball the first half, and run it the second half.” I’m sure I’ve seen stranger game plans, but I don’t know when. The Juicy Fruit Genius did it again, so you’ve got to hand it to him.
The pre-game hype, the unfurling of the Championship Banner, the incredible atmosphere around the dome was what will be unforgettable about last night. I can remember just 10 years ago. Few came early, few came dressed, few tailgated. Now it’s a zoo. Champions Square has to be seen to be believed.
Glad I didn’t stay in Mississippi
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
2DAT
Well it’s over.
The most enjoyable “wait” til next year in the history of civilization will come to an end with the kickoff Thursday night against the Vikings.
The world is now educated on how to celebrate a sports victory.
Thank the who dat nation.
We parade, we tour, we banner, we dress, we take pictures with the Lombardi trophy. And we do it for 7 months almost to the day. We’re crazy.
Time to start the craziness all over.
Thursday night the geezer express comes to town along with the type of overblown glitz only the NFL can throw together. Here’s the good news – I didn’t think it was possible but the Saints are starting this year right where they started last year.
Under the radar, under respected, and under appreciated.
The talking head consensus is that it was a fluke.
We wouldn’t have it any other way.
The first game will be fun, but it really is just one game. Expect the refs to put a dress on Favre, Adrian Peterson to run hard, the Vikings to be fired up for a half, but the Saints to separate themselves in the 2nd half. The Saints are better.
So, my annual prediction.
Will the Saints repeat?
Yes.
Will it be easy?
No
It won’t be like last year.
There are many different ways to win a championship.
1. Euphoric year
Last year was one of Euphoria. From the first game, you could just feel the Magic. When I saw the Saints destroy the Lions in game 1, I just knew. It had all the earmarks.
Everything was set up for it.
The toughest opponents came calling at the Superdome - Jets, Giants, Patriots, Cowboys. Magical comebacks on the road – Miami, Washington.
Eventually wore down worthy divisional opponents.
The injuries in the defensive backfield came when the playoffs had essentially been sealed.
Home Field Advantage.
All-time great quarterbacks threw critical interceptions.
The dominoes fell perfectly.
We’ve seen Euphoria years before.
Remember the 1999 St. Louis Rams in Kurt Warner’s first year and their greatest show on turf?
Remember the 1984 Detroit Tigers who started the season by winning 35 of 40 and then breezed through the whole year?
Remember the 1986 Chicago Bears and their famed 46 defense?
These teams, like the Saints, had euphoric, invincible years.
2. Steady Eddy
A good team plays well all year and fights its way to the title, sometimes as an underdog.
The New England Patriots have excelled at this.
3. Hot finish
A team gets hot and healthy as the playoffs begin and streak through. This is really the most common NFL path.
The New York Giants of 2007 come to mind.
If it truly is “our time” and we want to become a dynasty, we now have to get on the Steady Eddy path. This Steeler/Patriot/49er type of path usually centers around the one absolutely essential piece.
The Quarterback.
We’ve got one.
So, my predictions for this year:
A solid, steady year.
The Saints will get off to a fast start, probably 5 – 1, then go through a 3 – 3 stretch in midseason as they adjust to what teams are doing to them. Then, a strong finish will boost them into the playoffs.
A breakout year by Reggie Bush
The defense will be better. Fewer turnovers, but much less yardage allowed, and fewer points.
Drew Brees will get the NFL MVP he deserved last year.
Colston, Pierre Thomas, and Lance Moore will excel.
We’ll beat the Packers in the NFC Championship game after beating the Vikings in the first round. The Lions will be the surprise playoff team in the NFC.
We’ll have our pre-Super Bowl meal at Steve Fields Steak House in Plano.
We’ll beat the Houston Texans 34 – 31 in the Super Bowl. The Texans will have beaten the Kansas City Chiefs (the surprise team of the year) in the AFC Championship.
Drew Brees will be the Super Bowl MVP again.
Any questions?
Jerry Jones will fire Bum Phillips
The Chargers will fire Norv Turner
The Giants will fire Tom Coughlin
We’ll fire up a parade. It’s what we do.
The most enjoyable “wait” til next year in the history of civilization will come to an end with the kickoff Thursday night against the Vikings.
The world is now educated on how to celebrate a sports victory.
Thank the who dat nation.
We parade, we tour, we banner, we dress, we take pictures with the Lombardi trophy. And we do it for 7 months almost to the day. We’re crazy.
Time to start the craziness all over.
Thursday night the geezer express comes to town along with the type of overblown glitz only the NFL can throw together. Here’s the good news – I didn’t think it was possible but the Saints are starting this year right where they started last year.
Under the radar, under respected, and under appreciated.
The talking head consensus is that it was a fluke.
We wouldn’t have it any other way.
The first game will be fun, but it really is just one game. Expect the refs to put a dress on Favre, Adrian Peterson to run hard, the Vikings to be fired up for a half, but the Saints to separate themselves in the 2nd half. The Saints are better.
So, my annual prediction.
Will the Saints repeat?
Yes.
Will it be easy?
No
It won’t be like last year.
There are many different ways to win a championship.
1. Euphoric year
Last year was one of Euphoria. From the first game, you could just feel the Magic. When I saw the Saints destroy the Lions in game 1, I just knew. It had all the earmarks.
Everything was set up for it.
The toughest opponents came calling at the Superdome - Jets, Giants, Patriots, Cowboys. Magical comebacks on the road – Miami, Washington.
Eventually wore down worthy divisional opponents.
The injuries in the defensive backfield came when the playoffs had essentially been sealed.
Home Field Advantage.
All-time great quarterbacks threw critical interceptions.
The dominoes fell perfectly.
We’ve seen Euphoria years before.
Remember the 1999 St. Louis Rams in Kurt Warner’s first year and their greatest show on turf?
Remember the 1984 Detroit Tigers who started the season by winning 35 of 40 and then breezed through the whole year?
Remember the 1986 Chicago Bears and their famed 46 defense?
These teams, like the Saints, had euphoric, invincible years.
2. Steady Eddy
A good team plays well all year and fights its way to the title, sometimes as an underdog.
The New England Patriots have excelled at this.
3. Hot finish
A team gets hot and healthy as the playoffs begin and streak through. This is really the most common NFL path.
The New York Giants of 2007 come to mind.
If it truly is “our time” and we want to become a dynasty, we now have to get on the Steady Eddy path. This Steeler/Patriot/49er type of path usually centers around the one absolutely essential piece.
The Quarterback.
We’ve got one.
So, my predictions for this year:
A solid, steady year.
The Saints will get off to a fast start, probably 5 – 1, then go through a 3 – 3 stretch in midseason as they adjust to what teams are doing to them. Then, a strong finish will boost them into the playoffs.
A breakout year by Reggie Bush
The defense will be better. Fewer turnovers, but much less yardage allowed, and fewer points.
Drew Brees will get the NFL MVP he deserved last year.
Colston, Pierre Thomas, and Lance Moore will excel.
We’ll beat the Packers in the NFC Championship game after beating the Vikings in the first round. The Lions will be the surprise playoff team in the NFC.
We’ll have our pre-Super Bowl meal at Steve Fields Steak House in Plano.
We’ll beat the Houston Texans 34 – 31 in the Super Bowl. The Texans will have beaten the Kansas City Chiefs (the surprise team of the year) in the AFC Championship.
Drew Brees will be the Super Bowl MVP again.
Any questions?
Jerry Jones will fire Bum Phillips
The Chargers will fire Norv Turner
The Giants will fire Tom Coughlin
We’ll fire up a parade. It’s what we do.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
At the Cinema - August 2010
The Kids Are All Right – 9
You’ll like this movie if you like:
a. Annette Bening
b. Family comedy
c. Family drama
I’m not quite sure of the significance of the last part of the title – “All Right” instead of “alright,” but I’m sure of this – Annette Bening will rack up another Oscar nomination for playing Nic, the dominating mother in a long-time lesbian marriage.
I don’t know if Annette is our greatest actress, but watching this movie confirms what I first saw in “The American President.” She can convey more in a facial close-up than any other actor working. She is simply riveting and she can occupy the whole screen. It’s not so much that the camera loves her – it’s that she has an incredible gift for conveying every single emotion and thought and putting it right in front of you. It’s an amazing talent and it’s fully on display here as one of the great performances. See this movie for no other reason than that. I hope she gets her long overdue Oscar. What’s Meryl doing this year?
Julianne Moore holds her own as the other half of the couple struggling to raise two curious teenagers who are on that teen roller coaster we’ve all seen and experienced before. They’re experimenting, they’re curious, and they don’t find all the answers.
The parents, as it turns out, are fumbling along as well.
When the kids go hunting for their dad – sperm donor, family chaos ensues particularly when Julianne’s character “Jules” strikes up a sexual relationship with him (Mark Ruffalo as Paul.) It’s all well-played and groan-worthy in its familiarity.
Two quibbles with this film. It wants to be groundbreaking but as a bonafide R rated film shows very graphic heterosexual sex, but bales out when given the chance to show lesbian sex (although the lesbians in the theater sitting behind me found the under-cover, appliance-assisted scene hysterical.) When was the last time you saw slow, passionate, loving sex in a movie? Now, that would have been shocking.
And quibble number two is when they stoop to using the crutch of showing a woman smoking. Jules hasn’t smoked in 20 years, but as soon as she gets stressed, she’s got to re-start. It’s an acting shortcut that she’s unworthy of.
But, other than that, the real story here, and I’m not the first to say this, is that it’s a shame that this movie so accurately portrays the family dynamic – the ups and downs, the compromises and lulls, and when was the last “straight” movie to do that? Kramer vs. Kramer?
See it. It’s enlightening and engaging.
Dinner For Schmucks – 8
You’ll like this movie if you like:
a. to be surprised
b. Steve Carell
c. Screwball comedy.
The surprising part is that this movie is actually as good as it is. When Paul Rudd has to recruit a nitwit to be made fun of, and bring him to dinner, well let’s face it – that sounds pretty thin. So, I walked in not expecting much. I didn’t expect liftoff.
In the hands of Rudd and Steve Carell what emerges here is near genius. Pure comedy acting almost never gets award-recognition, but here Steve Carell does the impossible – screwball with heart. Just go with the flow. It’s outrageous and over the top, so don’t expect Shakespeare. I heard mixed reactions as I exited the theatre. Maybe you won’t get it, maybe you won’t like it. Comedy is always personal and a matter of taste, but I laughed way more than I thought I would. Good stuff.
The Other Guys – 6
You’ll like this movie if you like
a. Cop buddy movies
b. Will Ferrell
c. Mark Wahlberg
I went to this one with higher expectations, and you guessed it – found it a little flat. It makes great fun of cop buddy movies – you know the kind, where someone has to be suspended before they can solve the crime. Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg do credible work and most of the movie is amusing, but it just never quite caught me.
However, I will say this. There is one absolutely hysterical scene which I will add to my “favorite scenes” reel, you know, the “You can’t handle the truth” tape.
The hero cops at the beginning played by The Rock and Samuel L Jackson are so over the top they are incredible. Their scene chasing some robbers off of a roof top is an instant classic. Duck in for the first 20 minutes – the set up. Call me and tell me how they filmed it.
The Expendables – 6
You’ll like this movie if you like:
a. digital blood
b. mindless violence
c. over the top action heroes.
And who doesn’t? Sylvester Stallone, who directed this blastathon, is launching another franchise. Shot like a video game, heads get blown off, knives fly through necks, and guns go boom boom boom. What’s not to love? Most action movies are ridiculous, but you know you’re in rarefied air when 5 guys kill hundreds while suffering nary a scratch. Why? Well, you’ll want them back for the sequel. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis make only token appearances, but with Arnold out of job soon, expect him to assume the position in the next one. All in all, not a terrible way to exorcise any testosterone demons. Bring your video game controller and you’ll feel right at home.
You’ll like this movie if you like:
a. Annette Bening
b. Family comedy
c. Family drama
I’m not quite sure of the significance of the last part of the title – “All Right” instead of “alright,” but I’m sure of this – Annette Bening will rack up another Oscar nomination for playing Nic, the dominating mother in a long-time lesbian marriage.
I don’t know if Annette is our greatest actress, but watching this movie confirms what I first saw in “The American President.” She can convey more in a facial close-up than any other actor working. She is simply riveting and she can occupy the whole screen. It’s not so much that the camera loves her – it’s that she has an incredible gift for conveying every single emotion and thought and putting it right in front of you. It’s an amazing talent and it’s fully on display here as one of the great performances. See this movie for no other reason than that. I hope she gets her long overdue Oscar. What’s Meryl doing this year?
Julianne Moore holds her own as the other half of the couple struggling to raise two curious teenagers who are on that teen roller coaster we’ve all seen and experienced before. They’re experimenting, they’re curious, and they don’t find all the answers.
The parents, as it turns out, are fumbling along as well.
When the kids go hunting for their dad – sperm donor, family chaos ensues particularly when Julianne’s character “Jules” strikes up a sexual relationship with him (Mark Ruffalo as Paul.) It’s all well-played and groan-worthy in its familiarity.
Two quibbles with this film. It wants to be groundbreaking but as a bonafide R rated film shows very graphic heterosexual sex, but bales out when given the chance to show lesbian sex (although the lesbians in the theater sitting behind me found the under-cover, appliance-assisted scene hysterical.) When was the last time you saw slow, passionate, loving sex in a movie? Now, that would have been shocking.
And quibble number two is when they stoop to using the crutch of showing a woman smoking. Jules hasn’t smoked in 20 years, but as soon as she gets stressed, she’s got to re-start. It’s an acting shortcut that she’s unworthy of.
But, other than that, the real story here, and I’m not the first to say this, is that it’s a shame that this movie so accurately portrays the family dynamic – the ups and downs, the compromises and lulls, and when was the last “straight” movie to do that? Kramer vs. Kramer?
See it. It’s enlightening and engaging.
Dinner For Schmucks – 8
You’ll like this movie if you like:
a. to be surprised
b. Steve Carell
c. Screwball comedy.
The surprising part is that this movie is actually as good as it is. When Paul Rudd has to recruit a nitwit to be made fun of, and bring him to dinner, well let’s face it – that sounds pretty thin. So, I walked in not expecting much. I didn’t expect liftoff.
In the hands of Rudd and Steve Carell what emerges here is near genius. Pure comedy acting almost never gets award-recognition, but here Steve Carell does the impossible – screwball with heart. Just go with the flow. It’s outrageous and over the top, so don’t expect Shakespeare. I heard mixed reactions as I exited the theatre. Maybe you won’t get it, maybe you won’t like it. Comedy is always personal and a matter of taste, but I laughed way more than I thought I would. Good stuff.
The Other Guys – 6
You’ll like this movie if you like
a. Cop buddy movies
b. Will Ferrell
c. Mark Wahlberg
I went to this one with higher expectations, and you guessed it – found it a little flat. It makes great fun of cop buddy movies – you know the kind, where someone has to be suspended before they can solve the crime. Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg do credible work and most of the movie is amusing, but it just never quite caught me.
However, I will say this. There is one absolutely hysterical scene which I will add to my “favorite scenes” reel, you know, the “You can’t handle the truth” tape.
The hero cops at the beginning played by The Rock and Samuel L Jackson are so over the top they are incredible. Their scene chasing some robbers off of a roof top is an instant classic. Duck in for the first 20 minutes – the set up. Call me and tell me how they filmed it.
The Expendables – 6
You’ll like this movie if you like:
a. digital blood
b. mindless violence
c. over the top action heroes.
And who doesn’t? Sylvester Stallone, who directed this blastathon, is launching another franchise. Shot like a video game, heads get blown off, knives fly through necks, and guns go boom boom boom. What’s not to love? Most action movies are ridiculous, but you know you’re in rarefied air when 5 guys kill hundreds while suffering nary a scratch. Why? Well, you’ll want them back for the sequel. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis make only token appearances, but with Arnold out of job soon, expect him to assume the position in the next one. All in all, not a terrible way to exorcise any testosterone demons. Bring your video game controller and you’ll feel right at home.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
At the Cinema - July 2010
Inception – 10
You’ll like this movie if you like:
a. Seeing a classic
b. Christopher Nolan’s imagination
c. Seeing something you’ve never seen before
The blockbuster summer of 2010 finally got kicked off, just when it seemed like it wasn’t going to happen. It supposedly took Christopher Nolan 20 years to conceive this story and I’m sure glad it wasn’t 21. In Inception, he lifts the constraints that the real world provides and enters the world of dreams, and this opens up his moviemaking to a vista beyond the worldly boundaries we’re used to.
This starts as the story of a professional thief named Dom, played vigorously by Leonardo Dicaprio, who does his thieving within the dreams of his victims. He has demons both while he’s awake and while he’s asleep, and it’s those demons that provide just one of the obstacles as he accepts his latest dream job.
He may be able to gain some freedom from his demons if he can do an Inception – plant the seed of a dream in the target. How do you do an inception? Well, first you assemble a dream team – an architect, a forger, and a chemist. Don’t ask – you’ll understand it when you see it.
Christopher Nolan showed promise with his Memento, then he got carried away with The Dark Knight, which seemed to go on forever. Here, he has no such problem. At the 2 and a half hours that blockbusters require these days, they zip by like you’re in the dream. It’s a magical time, and the scene of his partner (Joseph Gordon-Leavitt in another resume-builder) in a hall \way dream fight is one of those draw-dropping scenes that make us love the movies – you ain’t seen nothing like it.
How did they do this scene? In a free falling aircraft, like Apollo 13, to simulate weightlessness? There seems to be little CGI here, and a lot of cool execution.
This is the movie of the year so far. Go See It.
Salt – 9
You’ll like this movie if you like:
a. Angelina Jolie
b. The Bourne Trilogy
c. The idea of a female James Bond
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Angelina Jolie is our movie star. She is pure charisma and screen presence like no one else working today. There is a scene early in Salt where she is interrogating a suspect and she just stares at him, and she holds your eyes like she is pulling your eyelids open.
Then, it’s off on one amazing adventurous chase after another as she tries to prove her innocence, or is it avenge her guilt?
This is Saturday Matinee Adventure – 2010 style. The action is often ridiculous of course, but Angelina commits to it with such verve, you just have to laugh and stay engrossed.
My only quibble, much like with the Bourne movies, is that there is an awful lot of blurry action, where Salt is kicking a lot of male ass and we’re never really sure how she does it because the camera’s jumping faster than she is. But, the story is all the more fun the more farfetched it gets, and one cringes to think of a male in the role of Salt, as it was originally intended for Tom Cruise. No, No – but the thought of Angie and Tom swapping roles and Angie appearing as Cameron Diaz’s love interest in Knight & Day – now we’d have lined up for that lip fest. Can you imagine? You can? Get your mind out of the gutter.
Joan Rivers – A Piece of Work – 9
The camera followed Joan Rivers for a year of her life, and that couldn’t have been easy on anyone. But when they spliced the footage together, along with historical footage what emerged was a fascinating show business biography – probably more real than any other movie ever made about show business.
Joan is shown in all her insecure, obsessive glory. Famous for her plastic surgery, this is a revealing portrayal of what it takes to be successful on the roller coaster of show business, and her total obsession with filling her calendar with billable dates is a revelation in motivation.
Today we hear about people who aren’t willing to work for a living. Here’s the other side of the coin.
I always found Joan Rivers to be a little on the crude side – not witty humor, just shocking. But watching how she plies her craft and takes every funny day seriously, earns respect. Fascinating piece of film.
You’ll like this movie if you like:
a. Seeing a classic
b. Christopher Nolan’s imagination
c. Seeing something you’ve never seen before
The blockbuster summer of 2010 finally got kicked off, just when it seemed like it wasn’t going to happen. It supposedly took Christopher Nolan 20 years to conceive this story and I’m sure glad it wasn’t 21. In Inception, he lifts the constraints that the real world provides and enters the world of dreams, and this opens up his moviemaking to a vista beyond the worldly boundaries we’re used to.
This starts as the story of a professional thief named Dom, played vigorously by Leonardo Dicaprio, who does his thieving within the dreams of his victims. He has demons both while he’s awake and while he’s asleep, and it’s those demons that provide just one of the obstacles as he accepts his latest dream job.
He may be able to gain some freedom from his demons if he can do an Inception – plant the seed of a dream in the target. How do you do an inception? Well, first you assemble a dream team – an architect, a forger, and a chemist. Don’t ask – you’ll understand it when you see it.
Christopher Nolan showed promise with his Memento, then he got carried away with The Dark Knight, which seemed to go on forever. Here, he has no such problem. At the 2 and a half hours that blockbusters require these days, they zip by like you’re in the dream. It’s a magical time, and the scene of his partner (Joseph Gordon-Leavitt in another resume-builder) in a hall \way dream fight is one of those draw-dropping scenes that make us love the movies – you ain’t seen nothing like it.
How did they do this scene? In a free falling aircraft, like Apollo 13, to simulate weightlessness? There seems to be little CGI here, and a lot of cool execution.
This is the movie of the year so far. Go See It.
Salt – 9
You’ll like this movie if you like:
a. Angelina Jolie
b. The Bourne Trilogy
c. The idea of a female James Bond
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Angelina Jolie is our movie star. She is pure charisma and screen presence like no one else working today. There is a scene early in Salt where she is interrogating a suspect and she just stares at him, and she holds your eyes like she is pulling your eyelids open.
Then, it’s off on one amazing adventurous chase after another as she tries to prove her innocence, or is it avenge her guilt?
This is Saturday Matinee Adventure – 2010 style. The action is often ridiculous of course, but Angelina commits to it with such verve, you just have to laugh and stay engrossed.
My only quibble, much like with the Bourne movies, is that there is an awful lot of blurry action, where Salt is kicking a lot of male ass and we’re never really sure how she does it because the camera’s jumping faster than she is. But, the story is all the more fun the more farfetched it gets, and one cringes to think of a male in the role of Salt, as it was originally intended for Tom Cruise. No, No – but the thought of Angie and Tom swapping roles and Angie appearing as Cameron Diaz’s love interest in Knight & Day – now we’d have lined up for that lip fest. Can you imagine? You can? Get your mind out of the gutter.
Joan Rivers – A Piece of Work – 9
The camera followed Joan Rivers for a year of her life, and that couldn’t have been easy on anyone. But when they spliced the footage together, along with historical footage what emerged was a fascinating show business biography – probably more real than any other movie ever made about show business.
Joan is shown in all her insecure, obsessive glory. Famous for her plastic surgery, this is a revealing portrayal of what it takes to be successful on the roller coaster of show business, and her total obsession with filling her calendar with billable dates is a revelation in motivation.
Today we hear about people who aren’t willing to work for a living. Here’s the other side of the coin.
I always found Joan Rivers to be a little on the crude side – not witty humor, just shocking. But watching how she plies her craft and takes every funny day seriously, earns respect. Fascinating piece of film.
Monday, June 28, 2010
At the Cinema - June 2010
Knight & Day – 4 out of 10
You’ll like this movie if you
a. Like Tom Cruise
b. Like Cameron Diaz
c. Like cartoons
There are moments of magic in Knight & Day. They come when the two talented leads are interacting calmly and peacefully, showing off their pearly whites and their ample charisma. Unfortunately, those moments are few and far between. Maybe someday Tom will make a nice little quiet movie and show off those acting skills that were present in movies like A Few Good Men or Born on the Fourth of July.
But, more than likely, because of the blockbuster necessity of Hollywood, Tom’s movies will just fall into two categories from now on, Mission Impossible and Mission Ridiculous. This one is certainly ridiculous. One of my pet peeves is how movies always seem to culminate in a famous event. For example, every New Orleans film seems to end up on Bourbon St. on Mardi Gras day. In this one, a chase scene just happens to take place at the exact moment of the Running of the Bulls in Spain. Ridiculous.
As are most of the action scenes. It’s ludicrous and so driven by outlandish special effects and stunts, I kept wanting to scream, “Please, just one shred of believability.” But no, it seems that movies just have to push the boundaries to the point of sacrificing any plausibility. They are just cartoons, painted with computer-generated action.
I guess it didn’t help that I re-watched The Hurt Locker on blu-ray the night before. Its action is real, surprising, and heart-breaking. You care, and you feel the blood.
Bad Lieutenant – 2
Finally caught this on blu-ray as for some reason it never quite made it to the local theatres. Now I know why. When the plot is more over the top than Nicholas Cage’s acting you know you’re in trouble. I thought I knew a good movie when I saw it. Now I'm not so sure. Roger Ebert said this was the best movie of 2009. I wish he could explain that one. This movie reeked. I should’ve waited another year. There’s not a believable or realistic moment in this, another cartoon.
With a dismal box-office summer upon us, it seems that the small screen is more satisfying so let me sing the praises of some small screen alternatives.
Glee
Now the first season is over, and maybe you didn’t catch it. Maybe you’re too cool, or not cool enough, or it just doesn’t interest you.
Too bad. You’re missing some special moments. What is Glee? Glee is basically what happens when you enlist a bunch of Broadway caliber musical talent and slap a story around their renditions of a wide variety of popular music. Just my opinion, but I think Glee will be to the 10’s what American Idol was to the 00’s. In other words we’ll be watching these kids for a long time. Stars are being made, and it’s fun to watch them blossom. And this is real talent, not Saved by the Bell.
Ever gone to see a musical group or show where one person sparkles and you can’t take your eyes off of them? Well this show is full of such people. They all sparkle. As the season unfolded around some wobbly story-telling (they call it bad Glee) the singing and dancing talent began to enthrall us (good Glee).
The final episode was a terrific culmination of the season. I’ve been a couch potato for a long time, but I can’t recall seeing anything on television like their final performance - the Journey medley. The choreography, the singing, the editing, the dancing, the camerawork, and the production values were as good as anything I can ever remember seeing on the small screen.
At least that’s what I think after replaying it on DVR about 20 times.
We’re lucky in that, along with Treme, that make’s two golden musical television shows airing right now – with great music built into the plot.
Copycats can’t be far behind, and that’s ok with me. I say more Music, less doctors, lawyers, and policemen on TV. Can you dig it?
If you can, there’s still time – both series are in reruns. It’s either that or cinema ridiculous.
You’ll like this movie if you
a. Like Tom Cruise
b. Like Cameron Diaz
c. Like cartoons
There are moments of magic in Knight & Day. They come when the two talented leads are interacting calmly and peacefully, showing off their pearly whites and their ample charisma. Unfortunately, those moments are few and far between. Maybe someday Tom will make a nice little quiet movie and show off those acting skills that were present in movies like A Few Good Men or Born on the Fourth of July.
But, more than likely, because of the blockbuster necessity of Hollywood, Tom’s movies will just fall into two categories from now on, Mission Impossible and Mission Ridiculous. This one is certainly ridiculous. One of my pet peeves is how movies always seem to culminate in a famous event. For example, every New Orleans film seems to end up on Bourbon St. on Mardi Gras day. In this one, a chase scene just happens to take place at the exact moment of the Running of the Bulls in Spain. Ridiculous.
As are most of the action scenes. It’s ludicrous and so driven by outlandish special effects and stunts, I kept wanting to scream, “Please, just one shred of believability.” But no, it seems that movies just have to push the boundaries to the point of sacrificing any plausibility. They are just cartoons, painted with computer-generated action.
I guess it didn’t help that I re-watched The Hurt Locker on blu-ray the night before. Its action is real, surprising, and heart-breaking. You care, and you feel the blood.
Bad Lieutenant – 2
Finally caught this on blu-ray as for some reason it never quite made it to the local theatres. Now I know why. When the plot is more over the top than Nicholas Cage’s acting you know you’re in trouble. I thought I knew a good movie when I saw it. Now I'm not so sure. Roger Ebert said this was the best movie of 2009. I wish he could explain that one. This movie reeked. I should’ve waited another year. There’s not a believable or realistic moment in this, another cartoon.
With a dismal box-office summer upon us, it seems that the small screen is more satisfying so let me sing the praises of some small screen alternatives.
Glee
Now the first season is over, and maybe you didn’t catch it. Maybe you’re too cool, or not cool enough, or it just doesn’t interest you.
Too bad. You’re missing some special moments. What is Glee? Glee is basically what happens when you enlist a bunch of Broadway caliber musical talent and slap a story around their renditions of a wide variety of popular music. Just my opinion, but I think Glee will be to the 10’s what American Idol was to the 00’s. In other words we’ll be watching these kids for a long time. Stars are being made, and it’s fun to watch them blossom. And this is real talent, not Saved by the Bell.
Ever gone to see a musical group or show where one person sparkles and you can’t take your eyes off of them? Well this show is full of such people. They all sparkle. As the season unfolded around some wobbly story-telling (they call it bad Glee) the singing and dancing talent began to enthrall us (good Glee).
The final episode was a terrific culmination of the season. I’ve been a couch potato for a long time, but I can’t recall seeing anything on television like their final performance - the Journey medley. The choreography, the singing, the editing, the dancing, the camerawork, and the production values were as good as anything I can ever remember seeing on the small screen.
At least that’s what I think after replaying it on DVR about 20 times.
We’re lucky in that, along with Treme, that make’s two golden musical television shows airing right now – with great music built into the plot.
Copycats can’t be far behind, and that’s ok with me. I say more Music, less doctors, lawyers, and policemen on TV. Can you dig it?
If you can, there’s still time – both series are in reruns. It’s either that or cinema ridiculous.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Ricknuggets
Things I’ve learned lately:
FROM THE NEWS:
Apparently, even after 40 years there’s a point at which a marriage can go bad.
It’s called “The Tipper Point.”
What living person affects the most people on a daily basis?
As a frequent flyer, I vote for the shoe bomber.
BP Sure does have a lot of money. However, if this oil slick heads up the east coast, it won’t be enough.
Just because you’re not part of the problem doesn’t mean you can’t be part of the solution. Where are all the other oil companies? Don’t they have some suggestions? Isn’t this going to affect them in the future? Aren’t there some long term ramifications here for the whole industry?
The Governor of Mississippi went to a picnic rather than meet with President Obama, blowing off a crisis meeting for the second time. Agree or not, wonder what that’s going to cost us?
In fact, our state leaders seem to be downplaying the urgency of this situation which could wipe out half of our coastal economy.
But, we’ll still have the other half. Roulette anyone?
FROM SPORTS:
You know you are a beloved coach when your former players visit you on your deathbed one after another, the way it happened with John Wooden.
Name another coach that this would happen to. Bobby Knight?
Sometime good sportsmanship is more memorable than a perfect game.
The young pitching prospects just keep on coming in baseball.
The Saints’ draft, mini-camps, and upcoming training camp are getting more press than the 5th game of the season. Wonder why?
Six. That’s how many times I’ve watched it.
I learned Saints cornerback Jabari Greer, on why he chose the New Orleans Saints in free agency said, “Frenchman Street.”
On Treme, I learned why.
FROM THE LAST SEASON OF 24:
There is apparently some new way to shave out there. Must involve 10 blades.
I’ve never seen anyone stay as clean shaven for 24 hours as Jack Bauer did.
Now that was amazing!
I also learned that wounds heal extremely fast on television.
Also, there are a lot more people out there who can work for 24 hours without taking a break, or even yawning, than I would have suspected.
In fact, have you ever seen anyone yawn on TV?
And finally, I learned that Big Brother is always watching, and her name is Chloe.
FROM GLEE:
It’s ok to break into song anytime you want.
The High School drama of today is a lot different than the high school drama of 40 years ago.
FROM AMERICAN IDOL:
I learned that when in the audience listening to music you should scream constantly.
If it’s a slow song, sway. You can’t listen sitting still using only your ears. You must participate, no matter how much it irritates couch potatoes.
Randy Jackson personally got on the shark and made it jump when he complained that Crystal’s performance of “Me and Bobbie Magee” started “a little slow.” No shit, American Idiot. One of the greatest songs in rock n roll history starts a little slow. Maybe he should’ve stayed busted flat in Baton Rouge.
No surprise that for the 3rd straight year a cute guy playing a guitar won, in an upset over a (slightly) more talented performer.
How to fix AI:
Ban the professionals
Ban the instruments
Ban the audience
Ban the judges
Ban the performers.
There, that should about do it.
FROM ABC:
Not every personnel move works out the way it should. As comfortable as George Stephenopoulas was on “This Week” is how uncomfortable he looks on Good Morning America. Apparently it’s easier to interrogate George Will than Lady Gaga.
AND, the worst thing I learned, was that T Boone Pickens said there was a well like this in Mexico once and it took them 290 days to cap it.
It was in 200 feet of water.
FROM THE NEWS:
Apparently, even after 40 years there’s a point at which a marriage can go bad.
It’s called “The Tipper Point.”
What living person affects the most people on a daily basis?
As a frequent flyer, I vote for the shoe bomber.
BP Sure does have a lot of money. However, if this oil slick heads up the east coast, it won’t be enough.
Just because you’re not part of the problem doesn’t mean you can’t be part of the solution. Where are all the other oil companies? Don’t they have some suggestions? Isn’t this going to affect them in the future? Aren’t there some long term ramifications here for the whole industry?
The Governor of Mississippi went to a picnic rather than meet with President Obama, blowing off a crisis meeting for the second time. Agree or not, wonder what that’s going to cost us?
In fact, our state leaders seem to be downplaying the urgency of this situation which could wipe out half of our coastal economy.
But, we’ll still have the other half. Roulette anyone?
FROM SPORTS:
You know you are a beloved coach when your former players visit you on your deathbed one after another, the way it happened with John Wooden.
Name another coach that this would happen to. Bobby Knight?
Sometime good sportsmanship is more memorable than a perfect game.
The young pitching prospects just keep on coming in baseball.
The Saints’ draft, mini-camps, and upcoming training camp are getting more press than the 5th game of the season. Wonder why?
Six. That’s how many times I’ve watched it.
I learned Saints cornerback Jabari Greer, on why he chose the New Orleans Saints in free agency said, “Frenchman Street.”
On Treme, I learned why.
FROM THE LAST SEASON OF 24:
There is apparently some new way to shave out there. Must involve 10 blades.
I’ve never seen anyone stay as clean shaven for 24 hours as Jack Bauer did.
Now that was amazing!
I also learned that wounds heal extremely fast on television.
Also, there are a lot more people out there who can work for 24 hours without taking a break, or even yawning, than I would have suspected.
In fact, have you ever seen anyone yawn on TV?
And finally, I learned that Big Brother is always watching, and her name is Chloe.
FROM GLEE:
It’s ok to break into song anytime you want.
The High School drama of today is a lot different than the high school drama of 40 years ago.
FROM AMERICAN IDOL:
I learned that when in the audience listening to music you should scream constantly.
If it’s a slow song, sway. You can’t listen sitting still using only your ears. You must participate, no matter how much it irritates couch potatoes.
Randy Jackson personally got on the shark and made it jump when he complained that Crystal’s performance of “Me and Bobbie Magee” started “a little slow.” No shit, American Idiot. One of the greatest songs in rock n roll history starts a little slow. Maybe he should’ve stayed busted flat in Baton Rouge.
No surprise that for the 3rd straight year a cute guy playing a guitar won, in an upset over a (slightly) more talented performer.
How to fix AI:
Ban the professionals
Ban the instruments
Ban the audience
Ban the judges
Ban the performers.
There, that should about do it.
FROM ABC:
Not every personnel move works out the way it should. As comfortable as George Stephenopoulas was on “This Week” is how uncomfortable he looks on Good Morning America. Apparently it’s easier to interrogate George Will than Lady Gaga.
AND, the worst thing I learned, was that T Boone Pickens said there was a well like this in Mexico once and it took them 290 days to cap it.
It was in 200 feet of water.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
At The Cinema - May 2010
The Secret in Their Eyes – 9
I admit it, I came late to foreign films. Maybe it was Pan’s Labyrinth that convinced me I could watch subtitles and still enjoy a movie. Maybe it was Run Lola Run. I don’t know.
I was stunned when Pan’s Labyrinth didn’t win the Oscar for Best Foreign Film of 2006. But, the Academy put in a rule that if you didn’t see all the foreign films you couldn’t vote. So, I had to go see the winner – The Lives of Others, and it was dynamite.
Last year it was The Secret In Their Eyes, an Argentina film, albeit directed by Law & Order veteran Juan Rose Campenella that upset heavy favorite White Ribbon. So, I thought I’d check it out.
Good decision. The Secret In Their Eyes is a love story/murder mystery that goes back and forth in time (like so many movies do now) and weaves a slow hypnotic spell, before culminating in an ending that surprised me. Endings rarely surprise me anymore – but this one got me. Filled with humor, some very minor but realistic action, and most importantly quiet passion, it is the story of a brutal rape and murder that haunts a retired investigator into writing a novel based on the crime. As he writes he begins to question his life, the investigation, and most importantly his choices of the heart.
In retrospect, the title gives too much away, as Ricardo Darin and Soledad Villamil’s faces speak knowing volumes of the case and the feelings they’ve never forgotten and what could have been – should have been as the killer and their feelings got away.
Subtitles are almost unnecessary. This is a marvelous, riveting film. If you get the chance – guess the secret.
Exit Through The Gift Shop – 7
Here’s the hot documentary of the moment. For me, this is a tale of 2 movies. The first hour is a riveting tale of a compulsive filmographer. Thierry Guetta spent many years filming street artists at work around the world. His fascinating footage has been spliced together by Banksy, a legendary and unfilmed street graffiti artist himself. I didn’t know much about this subject - now I know too much. The first hour is funny and enthralling.
Unfortunately, the last 40 minutes or so, when Guetta becomes an artist himself, is not only less interesting, but less entertaining, and ultimately less believable. As I left the theater I wasn’t sure if I’d just been manipulated, or someone was pulling my leg – Hard.
If you see it, you decide. Then let me know. Not a great film, but the kind you’ll be talking about for a week. Especially if you're trying to figure out the title.
I admit it, I came late to foreign films. Maybe it was Pan’s Labyrinth that convinced me I could watch subtitles and still enjoy a movie. Maybe it was Run Lola Run. I don’t know.
I was stunned when Pan’s Labyrinth didn’t win the Oscar for Best Foreign Film of 2006. But, the Academy put in a rule that if you didn’t see all the foreign films you couldn’t vote. So, I had to go see the winner – The Lives of Others, and it was dynamite.
Last year it was The Secret In Their Eyes, an Argentina film, albeit directed by Law & Order veteran Juan Rose Campenella that upset heavy favorite White Ribbon. So, I thought I’d check it out.
Good decision. The Secret In Their Eyes is a love story/murder mystery that goes back and forth in time (like so many movies do now) and weaves a slow hypnotic spell, before culminating in an ending that surprised me. Endings rarely surprise me anymore – but this one got me. Filled with humor, some very minor but realistic action, and most importantly quiet passion, it is the story of a brutal rape and murder that haunts a retired investigator into writing a novel based on the crime. As he writes he begins to question his life, the investigation, and most importantly his choices of the heart.
In retrospect, the title gives too much away, as Ricardo Darin and Soledad Villamil’s faces speak knowing volumes of the case and the feelings they’ve never forgotten and what could have been – should have been as the killer and their feelings got away.
Subtitles are almost unnecessary. This is a marvelous, riveting film. If you get the chance – guess the secret.
Exit Through The Gift Shop – 7
Here’s the hot documentary of the moment. For me, this is a tale of 2 movies. The first hour is a riveting tale of a compulsive filmographer. Thierry Guetta spent many years filming street artists at work around the world. His fascinating footage has been spliced together by Banksy, a legendary and unfilmed street graffiti artist himself. I didn’t know much about this subject - now I know too much. The first hour is funny and enthralling.
Unfortunately, the last 40 minutes or so, when Guetta becomes an artist himself, is not only less interesting, but less entertaining, and ultimately less believable. As I left the theater I wasn’t sure if I’d just been manipulated, or someone was pulling my leg – Hard.
If you see it, you decide. Then let me know. Not a great film, but the kind you’ll be talking about for a week. Especially if you're trying to figure out the title.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
One in Half a Million
Suddenly, he’s gone.
Our good friend Frank Kennedy passed away Friday Night after a 2 month battle with lung cancer. Our thoughts go out to his wife Annette and their family.
You probably didn’t know Frank. If not, you missed knowing one unique individual.
We loved being around Frank and Annette. Frank was a big man with an even bigger heart. I know that’s a cliché, but I’ll defend its use in this case. When he was one of the Ford Dealers I serviced, I spent many hours with him learning and listening. He was a great story teller, whether it was about his days as a policeman in the DC area, or his many years in the car business. I will always remember the 10 year battle he fought trying to thrive and survive as a car dealer in a small wonderful community in Maryland that he and Annette had made their home. He was a short distance from a huge dealership, but through legendary perseverance he carved out a respectable business against the odds. How many people still get up and go to work at 5:30 every morning? Well Frank did, every day. And he loved it.
What made Frank a great salesperson was something you don’t see anymore. He would look you in the eye and absolutely absorb what you were saying. His smile would light up when yours did. His eyes would sparkle when yours did. He was just a joy to be around. He listened to you and you listened to him.
We know how much his family is hurting today because Frank was a person that enjoyed life to the fullest, and you just came along for the ride. I could tell all the stories about going out to eat with Frank where he inevitably ended up in the kitchen talking to the chefs about how great the food was and how much he enjoyed it. We would be standing at the front door, going "where's Frank?" When we left the restaurant we had eaten great food. Frank had made new friends.
I remember after taking Frank to Il Mulino in New York City, we were having a discussion about where we'd like to eat our last meal. I was so proud that Frank said Il Mulino - that was the ultimate, that he had enjoyed that meal so much. I'd have given anything to take Frank there one more time, for one more ride.
I often hear the term “wrongful death.” It makes me wonder, what death isn’t? Someone hurts and misses with every passing.
But, what makes this one hurt so much to me is that it was preventable.
Like most who die of lung cancer, Frank was a smoker.
We’ve all lost someone to cancer, and we know how horrible it is.
Breast cancer is an epidemic of the last 100 years.
We’re not sure what causes it.
Colon cancer is reaching epidemic proportions.
We’re not sure what causes it.
Lung cancer?
Well, we’ve figured out what causes it.
Not everyone who smokes gets it, but almost all who get it smoke.
Everyone who knows me knows how much I despise this product. I don’t blame those who smoke. If you’re hooked, you’re hooked, and we know how hard it is to quit.
It is the peddlers who should be ashamed. This is a product solely designed to get you to “have” to use it, not choose to use it. It is chemically enhanced to increase its addictive properties. It is a product that were it presented for market today, would never get approved. They stack the deck to their advantage like no other business in America.
Yet it lives on.
How long?
In the recent health care debate, through all the noise I kept thinking, “Hey – wait a minute, here’s an answer for you – how about let’s stop this tobacco insanity? It would save billions in health care costs.”
We’ve made incredible progress in reducing the effects of smoking, but it lives on as a legal product, that kills an estimated half million people a year in the US, and accounts for 30% of cancer deaths. 30%! Half a Million! That's 1369 a day! I used my calculator.
I have lost friends to cancer. I have friends battling it right now. You do too. For many, it's nothing that they did.
But, to put it in “hurricane” parlance, if you smoke, you’re choosing not to evacuate. Or, to put in in "local" parlance, guns don't kill people, smoking kills people.
It’s a helluva risk, and one that will some day affect people you love and who love you.
So today I rant because I’m devastated that I have lost another friend to this horrible disease. On this day, I apologize if it seems inappropriate, but once again in my life I’m mad and sad.
Good bye Frank. We will miss you like you’d never believe. But I’m also going to wonder about those days we could have spent shooting the bull on your beautiful back porch overlooking that valley.
I’m going to wonder what could have been if there wasn’t really an evil empire.
How Long? How Long?
Our good friend Frank Kennedy passed away Friday Night after a 2 month battle with lung cancer. Our thoughts go out to his wife Annette and their family.
You probably didn’t know Frank. If not, you missed knowing one unique individual.
We loved being around Frank and Annette. Frank was a big man with an even bigger heart. I know that’s a cliché, but I’ll defend its use in this case. When he was one of the Ford Dealers I serviced, I spent many hours with him learning and listening. He was a great story teller, whether it was about his days as a policeman in the DC area, or his many years in the car business. I will always remember the 10 year battle he fought trying to thrive and survive as a car dealer in a small wonderful community in Maryland that he and Annette had made their home. He was a short distance from a huge dealership, but through legendary perseverance he carved out a respectable business against the odds. How many people still get up and go to work at 5:30 every morning? Well Frank did, every day. And he loved it.
What made Frank a great salesperson was something you don’t see anymore. He would look you in the eye and absolutely absorb what you were saying. His smile would light up when yours did. His eyes would sparkle when yours did. He was just a joy to be around. He listened to you and you listened to him.
We know how much his family is hurting today because Frank was a person that enjoyed life to the fullest, and you just came along for the ride. I could tell all the stories about going out to eat with Frank where he inevitably ended up in the kitchen talking to the chefs about how great the food was and how much he enjoyed it. We would be standing at the front door, going "where's Frank?" When we left the restaurant we had eaten great food. Frank had made new friends.
I remember after taking Frank to Il Mulino in New York City, we were having a discussion about where we'd like to eat our last meal. I was so proud that Frank said Il Mulino - that was the ultimate, that he had enjoyed that meal so much. I'd have given anything to take Frank there one more time, for one more ride.
I often hear the term “wrongful death.” It makes me wonder, what death isn’t? Someone hurts and misses with every passing.
But, what makes this one hurt so much to me is that it was preventable.
Like most who die of lung cancer, Frank was a smoker.
We’ve all lost someone to cancer, and we know how horrible it is.
Breast cancer is an epidemic of the last 100 years.
We’re not sure what causes it.
Colon cancer is reaching epidemic proportions.
We’re not sure what causes it.
Lung cancer?
Well, we’ve figured out what causes it.
Not everyone who smokes gets it, but almost all who get it smoke.
Everyone who knows me knows how much I despise this product. I don’t blame those who smoke. If you’re hooked, you’re hooked, and we know how hard it is to quit.
It is the peddlers who should be ashamed. This is a product solely designed to get you to “have” to use it, not choose to use it. It is chemically enhanced to increase its addictive properties. It is a product that were it presented for market today, would never get approved. They stack the deck to their advantage like no other business in America.
Yet it lives on.
How long?
In the recent health care debate, through all the noise I kept thinking, “Hey – wait a minute, here’s an answer for you – how about let’s stop this tobacco insanity? It would save billions in health care costs.”
We’ve made incredible progress in reducing the effects of smoking, but it lives on as a legal product, that kills an estimated half million people a year in the US, and accounts for 30% of cancer deaths. 30%! Half a Million! That's 1369 a day! I used my calculator.
I have lost friends to cancer. I have friends battling it right now. You do too. For many, it's nothing that they did.
But, to put it in “hurricane” parlance, if you smoke, you’re choosing not to evacuate. Or, to put in in "local" parlance, guns don't kill people, smoking kills people.
It’s a helluva risk, and one that will some day affect people you love and who love you.
So today I rant because I’m devastated that I have lost another friend to this horrible disease. On this day, I apologize if it seems inappropriate, but once again in my life I’m mad and sad.
Good bye Frank. We will miss you like you’d never believe. But I’m also going to wonder about those days we could have spent shooting the bull on your beautiful back porch overlooking that valley.
I’m going to wonder what could have been if there wasn’t really an evil empire.
How Long? How Long?
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
At The Cinema - April 2010
Hot Tub Time Machine – 2
You’ll like this movie if
a. You’re easily amused
b. You like John Cusack
c. You think it’s a great concept
I give this a 2 for the 2 times I laughed.
Some movies are great scripts, with great titles. With this one, they should’ve stopped right there, kind of like Snakes on a Plane. Better to imagine it than actually sit through it.
Look, I like raunchy comedy as much as anyone. But, there’s one key element that should be present. It should be funny. This movie just falls flat. The main characters are so broad and boring that the only spark to the film is in the females who apparently inhabited the 80’s. They’re genuinely likeable, interesting, and well-acted. Other than that, not much works. Maybe the 80’s that the protags travel back to just weren’t that funny. The movie just never engaged for me.
The plot telegraphs itself like a hanging curveball, and yet it is so full of holes it’s borderline ridiculous. I could give it away, but why spoil the lack of fun? Let’s just say that in Back to the Future, hair growth ability wasn’t one of the things that changed as people vaulted back and forth through time. So, all in all, a huge disappointment. I went looking to be entertained and should have stayed home. I’d have laughed more at one of those Jimmy Kimmel short films he’s doing these days. In the best spirit of the 80’s I wanted to just yell, “Engage, Maverick, engage.” It never did.
Date Night – 8
You’ll like this movie if
a. You like Tina Fey
b. You like Steve Carrel
c. You like to laugh
This movie is Shakespeare by comparison. First and foremost the stars of this lightweight froth, Tina Fey and Steve Carrell are today’s comedy royalty. Their timing, rapport and delivery are a pleasure to watch, and it’s nice to see stardom deserved for a change.
It’s also nice to see a realistic portrayal of a married couple that actually seem committed to each other. Sure, they’re thrust into an unrealistic story, but it’s their skill that makes the ridiculous believable. Nice can be funny – what a revelation.
What’s really cool is that the movie gets funnier as it progresses. Instead of fizzling out early like so many comedies the movie builds to a hilarious climax. Nice work, and a nice way to spend an hour and a half. That’s right, short and sweet too.
Here’s hoping the two stars make more movies together. We could use a Tracy and Hepburn.
You’ll like this movie if
a. You’re easily amused
b. You like John Cusack
c. You think it’s a great concept
I give this a 2 for the 2 times I laughed.
Some movies are great scripts, with great titles. With this one, they should’ve stopped right there, kind of like Snakes on a Plane. Better to imagine it than actually sit through it.
Look, I like raunchy comedy as much as anyone. But, there’s one key element that should be present. It should be funny. This movie just falls flat. The main characters are so broad and boring that the only spark to the film is in the females who apparently inhabited the 80’s. They’re genuinely likeable, interesting, and well-acted. Other than that, not much works. Maybe the 80’s that the protags travel back to just weren’t that funny. The movie just never engaged for me.
The plot telegraphs itself like a hanging curveball, and yet it is so full of holes it’s borderline ridiculous. I could give it away, but why spoil the lack of fun? Let’s just say that in Back to the Future, hair growth ability wasn’t one of the things that changed as people vaulted back and forth through time. So, all in all, a huge disappointment. I went looking to be entertained and should have stayed home. I’d have laughed more at one of those Jimmy Kimmel short films he’s doing these days. In the best spirit of the 80’s I wanted to just yell, “Engage, Maverick, engage.” It never did.
Date Night – 8
You’ll like this movie if
a. You like Tina Fey
b. You like Steve Carrel
c. You like to laugh
This movie is Shakespeare by comparison. First and foremost the stars of this lightweight froth, Tina Fey and Steve Carrell are today’s comedy royalty. Their timing, rapport and delivery are a pleasure to watch, and it’s nice to see stardom deserved for a change.
It’s also nice to see a realistic portrayal of a married couple that actually seem committed to each other. Sure, they’re thrust into an unrealistic story, but it’s their skill that makes the ridiculous believable. Nice can be funny – what a revelation.
What’s really cool is that the movie gets funnier as it progresses. Instead of fizzling out early like so many comedies the movie builds to a hilarious climax. Nice work, and a nice way to spend an hour and a half. That’s right, short and sweet too.
Here’s hoping the two stars make more movies together. We could use a Tracy and Hepburn.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)