Before Brian Setzer traded the rockabilly sound of the Stray Cats for big band and swing with his self-titled orchestra, England's Roman Holliday mixed old school swing with modern pop. However, despite the fact that their only American single, "Stand By", gained a fair amount of airplay on MTV, it didn't translate at the cash registers. "Stand By" peaked at #54 on the pop charts.
Monday, May 4, 2015
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Even monsters like soft drinks (1969)
Shasta always ran well behind the more well known brands of soda (i.e. Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper), but they did have some imaginative ads.
For example, in this spot, Dr. Frankenstein sends his monster, christened Igor, to the market to procure some orange Shasta. Tom Bosley narrates. John Fiedler plays the clerk, who doesn't seem to mind that Igor is shoplifting........
For example, in this spot, Dr. Frankenstein sends his monster, christened Igor, to the market to procure some orange Shasta. Tom Bosley narrates. John Fiedler plays the clerk, who doesn't seem to mind that Igor is shoplifting........
On The Shelf: Free Comic Book Day 2015 high-&-lowlights
Yes, that title is correct, pilgrims. We won't be covering every Free Comic Book Day title I've acquired over the weekend. The 2nd day is always great because it's open season and the restrictions stores place on the day itself are eliminated. However, if you follow Diamond's Previews monthly catalog, you could subscribe to as many FCBD books as needed. That's a tactic I will try to remember for next year. Anyway..........
The Best:
These days, Image Comics is known as the home of The Walking Dead, which spawned the AMC series of the same name. However, two of their first books are nearing their 25th anniversaries rather quietly. One of them is Erik Larsen's Savage Dragon. As DC & Marvel are fleecing fans with annual promotional stunts billed as "game changing events", Larsen has soldiered on, with Dragon over 250 issues deep and counting. Not only that, but the current star is a 2nd generation Dragon. Yes, you read that right. Malcolm Dragon is the son of the original Savage Dragon, following in dad's footsteps as an officer with the Chicago PD. Larsen continues to write and draw the series, happy to fly under the radar.
Rating: B.
Valiant Comics is marking 25 years this year, even though the company hasn't been operating the entirety of that time, having relaunched just 3 short years ago. Their anniversary special is an overview of some of their newly relaunched books. The artwork shown is nice and crisp, but the only downside to these books is that they're all $4 per issue, which must be the going rate for most companies these days. If I'm bored this summer, I may go hunting for back issues.....!
Rating: A.
Captain Canuck is a name that some of you might not be familiar with, but the original hero of the Great White North marks 40 years this year. Creator Richard Comely has brought him back and updated the story for modern times. This has possibilities.
Rating : B.
In the Middle:
Marvel, as you probably know, is relaunching Avengers yet again this fall, repopulating the team with current itinerations of Ms. Marvel, Captain America (Sam Wilson, previously the Falcon), Lady Thor, and Ultimate Universe Spider-Man Miles Morales. Yes, this is the end result of their new Secret Wars miniseries (see below), which smooshes together recent, culturally diverse ideas, such as the ones above, but giving Morales the attitude of the animated Ultimate Spider-Man, which I don't dig. At least he's not breaking the 4th wall. Yet. The backup feature in this FCBD preview is an excerpt from Uncanny Inhumans. It has, shall we say, possibilities. Then again, a lot of new books from Marvel start that way, and then somehow, it gets screwed up.
Grade: Incomplete.
Hermes Press has reprint rights to Silver & Bronze Age comic book itinerations of The Phantom, meaning books published by Gold Key & Charlton, to support their new Phantom series, which launched last fall. I'm tempted to invest, and figuring Hermes treats the "Ghost Who Walks" with more respect than Dynamite does....!
Rating: B-.
The Worst:
Marvel's Secret Wars comes a year after the original marked its 30th anniversary last year. The problem I have is that this "game changer" is a total rip-off of DC's original "game changer", Crisis on Infinite Earths, which marks its 30th anniversary this year. I'm not sold on this at all, and to me, it's pointless, and just another stunt to an audience that by now has become desensitized to it all.
Rating: C-.
Meanwhile, DC fared worse with Divergence, which previews three story arcs in their franchise titles starting next month. To wit:
*Superman's next major arc is entitled, "Truth". As in, the exposure of his secret identity. I don't recall people having too many cows when Marvel decided to publicly reveal Iron Man & Spider-Man's true ID's a few years ago, but Supes is treated like a sacred cow moreso than the others because he's been around much longer. I'm not feeling John Romita, Jr. on the artwork, either. It just looks wrong. Not only that, but as some of you are aware, the Man of Steel is swapping his signature costume for casual wear. A t-shirt with the logo and a pair of jeans. The jabroni they hired to write the book thinks that this was what Grant Morrison was planning when Morrison was writing Action Comics 4 years ago. Maybe, but not like this. And Morrison is a better writer.
Rating: D.
*The Justice League faces off with Darkseid. Meh, nothing special, right? Wrong. Writer Geoff Johns thought it'd be cool to give Darkseid a 3rd child. We've become familiar with his warring sons, Orion & Kalibak, for 45 years. Why give them a sibling now? If I had the answer, I'd also come up with a cure for such stupid ideas. Like locking some of these idiots in a library for a month and holding the key.
I digress. The new kid is Grail, Kalibak & Orion's 1/2-sister, born to an Amazon, which makes Grail a cousin of sorts to Wonder Woman. Johns' script also acknowledges what Brian Azzarrello did on the Wonder Woman monthly, altering her origin to make her a demi-goddess, rather than being created from clay, which is now dismissed as a false origin. Did they clear this with the William Marston estate? Grail, though, shares one trait with Orion. She hates her daddy. Hmmmm. I wonder if they also talked to the Jack Kirby estate......
Rating: C.
*Finally, and most incomprehensibly, 5 years after Bruce Wayne had been killed off pro tempore, he once again has been stripped of the mantle of Batman. This time, writer Scott Snyder has jumped the shark. In the latest issue, which hit stores 4 days ago, Snyder decided to make his audience believe he'd killed off not only Wayne, but the Joker, as well. Like, seriously? How stupid does he think his audience is?
And it gets better, or worse, depending on your perspective. Snyder's new arc brings in the Powers family. The name will sound familiar to fans of Batman Beyond. Geri Powers wants what amounts to a "corporate" Batman, and chooses Commissioner James Gordon for the job. Gordon gets a Marine buzzcut and some high-tech armor for his new role. When I first read about this, the first thing I thought of was that Snyder and his editors at DC were cashing in on the success of Gotham, which wraps its freshman season tomorrow night. After reading this preview, I realize that this is the lamest thing that could possibly happen. It won't even last a year before Wayne returns. There's a movie coming next year, you know.
And, I might as well add it here, Snyder gets the Weasel of the Week award for what amounts to the cheapest of stunt story ideas.
Rating: D-.
Meanwhile, elsewhere On The Shelf:
Dynamite recently released a series of 1-shots featuring Doc Savage, The Shadow, & The Avenger in squarebound (Prestige) format, designed to look like the pulps from back in the day. I scored the Shadow volume, and it looks great. Nice story, with a sweet noir-style cover by Robert Hack. If you're a true Shadow fan, you have to have this.
Rating: A+.
Over at Archie, it seems their horror books aren't the only ones experiencing delays. Betty & Veronica was downgraded to bi-monthly some time back, and the current "Farewell" arc, written by filmmaker Michael Uslan, set for 6 issues, has been worse than a snail's pace. Issue 275, a double-size special with reprints thrown in, has only hit newsstands this past week.
The plot: Riverdale's sweethearts are on a global exchange student assignment, and, shockingly, have swapped identities for some reason. In other words, Betty's dyed her hair black to pass for Veronica, while Ronnie has reached for the bleach bottle to turn blonde. Last I checked, there were no bad guys involved, other than Veronica's dad, and, to a lesser extent, Veronica herself, who had rigged things so she'd be the only one going, but a compromise was reached so Betty would tag along. I guess her job is to teach her so-called BFF some humility. They're supposed to be gone for a year minimum, but from what I understand, the foreign exchange students arriving in Riverdale to take their places won't be sticking around. Uslan's done better, and he's better known for his work with Swamp Thing and Batman.
Rating: D-.
Dark Horse is publishing Archie vs. Predator, which is just as well considering Archie Comics' problems of late. Unfortunately, DH should've hired someone to draw the book in a more realistic style, rather than import Fernando Ruiz & Rich Kozlowski from Archie. A Predator drawn Archie-style doesn't work. Neither does this story.
Rating: D.
The Best:
These days, Image Comics is known as the home of The Walking Dead, which spawned the AMC series of the same name. However, two of their first books are nearing their 25th anniversaries rather quietly. One of them is Erik Larsen's Savage Dragon. As DC & Marvel are fleecing fans with annual promotional stunts billed as "game changing events", Larsen has soldiered on, with Dragon over 250 issues deep and counting. Not only that, but the current star is a 2nd generation Dragon. Yes, you read that right. Malcolm Dragon is the son of the original Savage Dragon, following in dad's footsteps as an officer with the Chicago PD. Larsen continues to write and draw the series, happy to fly under the radar.
Rating: B.
Valiant Comics is marking 25 years this year, even though the company hasn't been operating the entirety of that time, having relaunched just 3 short years ago. Their anniversary special is an overview of some of their newly relaunched books. The artwork shown is nice and crisp, but the only downside to these books is that they're all $4 per issue, which must be the going rate for most companies these days. If I'm bored this summer, I may go hunting for back issues.....!
Rating: A.
Captain Canuck is a name that some of you might not be familiar with, but the original hero of the Great White North marks 40 years this year. Creator Richard Comely has brought him back and updated the story for modern times. This has possibilities.
Rating : B.
In the Middle:
Marvel, as you probably know, is relaunching Avengers yet again this fall, repopulating the team with current itinerations of Ms. Marvel, Captain America (Sam Wilson, previously the Falcon), Lady Thor, and Ultimate Universe Spider-Man Miles Morales. Yes, this is the end result of their new Secret Wars miniseries (see below), which smooshes together recent, culturally diverse ideas, such as the ones above, but giving Morales the attitude of the animated Ultimate Spider-Man, which I don't dig. At least he's not breaking the 4th wall. Yet. The backup feature in this FCBD preview is an excerpt from Uncanny Inhumans. It has, shall we say, possibilities. Then again, a lot of new books from Marvel start that way, and then somehow, it gets screwed up.
Grade: Incomplete.
Hermes Press has reprint rights to Silver & Bronze Age comic book itinerations of The Phantom, meaning books published by Gold Key & Charlton, to support their new Phantom series, which launched last fall. I'm tempted to invest, and figuring Hermes treats the "Ghost Who Walks" with more respect than Dynamite does....!
Rating: B-.
The Worst:
Marvel's Secret Wars comes a year after the original marked its 30th anniversary last year. The problem I have is that this "game changer" is a total rip-off of DC's original "game changer", Crisis on Infinite Earths, which marks its 30th anniversary this year. I'm not sold on this at all, and to me, it's pointless, and just another stunt to an audience that by now has become desensitized to it all.
Rating: C-.
Meanwhile, DC fared worse with Divergence, which previews three story arcs in their franchise titles starting next month. To wit:
*Superman's next major arc is entitled, "Truth". As in, the exposure of his secret identity. I don't recall people having too many cows when Marvel decided to publicly reveal Iron Man & Spider-Man's true ID's a few years ago, but Supes is treated like a sacred cow moreso than the others because he's been around much longer. I'm not feeling John Romita, Jr. on the artwork, either. It just looks wrong. Not only that, but as some of you are aware, the Man of Steel is swapping his signature costume for casual wear. A t-shirt with the logo and a pair of jeans. The jabroni they hired to write the book thinks that this was what Grant Morrison was planning when Morrison was writing Action Comics 4 years ago. Maybe, but not like this. And Morrison is a better writer.
Rating: D.
*The Justice League faces off with Darkseid. Meh, nothing special, right? Wrong. Writer Geoff Johns thought it'd be cool to give Darkseid a 3rd child. We've become familiar with his warring sons, Orion & Kalibak, for 45 years. Why give them a sibling now? If I had the answer, I'd also come up with a cure for such stupid ideas. Like locking some of these idiots in a library for a month and holding the key.
I digress. The new kid is Grail, Kalibak & Orion's 1/2-sister, born to an Amazon, which makes Grail a cousin of sorts to Wonder Woman. Johns' script also acknowledges what Brian Azzarrello did on the Wonder Woman monthly, altering her origin to make her a demi-goddess, rather than being created from clay, which is now dismissed as a false origin. Did they clear this with the William Marston estate? Grail, though, shares one trait with Orion. She hates her daddy. Hmmmm. I wonder if they also talked to the Jack Kirby estate......
Rating: C.
*Finally, and most incomprehensibly, 5 years after Bruce Wayne had been killed off pro tempore, he once again has been stripped of the mantle of Batman. This time, writer Scott Snyder has jumped the shark. In the latest issue, which hit stores 4 days ago, Snyder decided to make his audience believe he'd killed off not only Wayne, but the Joker, as well. Like, seriously? How stupid does he think his audience is?
And it gets better, or worse, depending on your perspective. Snyder's new arc brings in the Powers family. The name will sound familiar to fans of Batman Beyond. Geri Powers wants what amounts to a "corporate" Batman, and chooses Commissioner James Gordon for the job. Gordon gets a Marine buzzcut and some high-tech armor for his new role. When I first read about this, the first thing I thought of was that Snyder and his editors at DC were cashing in on the success of Gotham, which wraps its freshman season tomorrow night. After reading this preview, I realize that this is the lamest thing that could possibly happen. It won't even last a year before Wayne returns. There's a movie coming next year, you know.
And, I might as well add it here, Snyder gets the Weasel of the Week award for what amounts to the cheapest of stunt story ideas.
Rating: D-.
Meanwhile, elsewhere On The Shelf:
Dynamite recently released a series of 1-shots featuring Doc Savage, The Shadow, & The Avenger in squarebound (Prestige) format, designed to look like the pulps from back in the day. I scored the Shadow volume, and it looks great. Nice story, with a sweet noir-style cover by Robert Hack. If you're a true Shadow fan, you have to have this.
Rating: A+.
Over at Archie, it seems their horror books aren't the only ones experiencing delays. Betty & Veronica was downgraded to bi-monthly some time back, and the current "Farewell" arc, written by filmmaker Michael Uslan, set for 6 issues, has been worse than a snail's pace. Issue 275, a double-size special with reprints thrown in, has only hit newsstands this past week.
The plot: Riverdale's sweethearts are on a global exchange student assignment, and, shockingly, have swapped identities for some reason. In other words, Betty's dyed her hair black to pass for Veronica, while Ronnie has reached for the bleach bottle to turn blonde. Last I checked, there were no bad guys involved, other than Veronica's dad, and, to a lesser extent, Veronica herself, who had rigged things so she'd be the only one going, but a compromise was reached so Betty would tag along. I guess her job is to teach her so-called BFF some humility. They're supposed to be gone for a year minimum, but from what I understand, the foreign exchange students arriving in Riverdale to take their places won't be sticking around. Uslan's done better, and he's better known for his work with Swamp Thing and Batman.
Rating: D-.
Dark Horse is publishing Archie vs. Predator, which is just as well considering Archie Comics' problems of late. Unfortunately, DH should've hired someone to draw the book in a more realistic style, rather than import Fernando Ruiz & Rich Kozlowski from Archie. A Predator drawn Archie-style doesn't work. Neither does this story.
Rating: D.
Saturday, May 2, 2015
In Theatres: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Earth's Mightiest Heroes return in "Avengers: Age of Ultron", which, like the 1st "Avengers" movie, is epic in its scope, but so much to the point where a key player in the 1st film was left out of this one.
That would be Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who was left on the cutting room floor, though the sceptre he'd wielded would be central to the plot. The sceptre has fallen into the hands of Baron Strucker, who is engaging in experiments involving humans, particularly a pair of orphaned twins, Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen), whom comics fans know, of course, as Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. Due to the fact that the characters, whilst played by different actors, also appeared in "X-Men: Days of Future Past" last year, and the rights to the fraternal twins are shared by Marvel Studios & 20th Century Fox, they're only ID'd by their familiar code names in the credits at the end of the movie.
Meanwhile, Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) & Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) are in the course of designing an artificial intelligence that is supposed to be of assistance to the Avengers. However, this particular AI, dubbed Ultron, has gained independent sentience, and sets about his mission as he sees fit. That is to say, to eradicate mankind in order to achieve peace. Roughly translated, Ultron (voiced by James Spader, The Blacklist) represents Stark's darker, baser instincts. Anyone that has been reading Superior Iron Man these days probably knows what I mean.
Banner also figures into an interesting subplot with the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), as they're finding an attraction between them, although it seems that the Widow's charms also work on the Hulk. On the other hand, Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), who had a bit of an attraction to the Widow as well, has settled down to start a family since the last film. We're introduced to Laura (Linda Cardellini, "Scooby-Doo", ex-E. R.), with whom Clint has two kids, and a 3rd on the way. Talk about getting busy. You might say that Natasha might've been looking for love on the rebound with Banner. Now, if they could just get Bruce's canonical sweetie, Betty Ross, into the mix......!
We're also introduced to Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis), an arms dealer who once did business with Stark back in the day. Ultron & the twins pay him a visit, which doesn't end well, although Klaue figures to return down the road, with a new look.
Wanda works her magic on the team, setting Hulk against Iron Man, for example. She uses illusions on the others as a distraction, but it isn't long before she & Pietro see the error of their ways upon realizing that Ultron's best laid plans are badly flawed.
Here's the obligatory trailer:
While I liked the movie as a whole, the comedy segments threatened to overshadow the proceedings. For example, Jim Rhodes (Don Cheadle, last seen doing intros for NFL Network/CBS' Thursday Night Football) tries to get Stark and the team to laugh at a funny story. He relays the tale to ordinary folks and gets laughs. Don't quit your day job, Rhodey. Yes, there were some moments where I was cracking up along with the rest of the paying customers, but I can't be sure what parts weren't meant to be funny. Without giving anything away, the team grows in numbers, setting the stage for not only the next "Avengers" movie, but also the next cycle of Marvel films in general. Speaking of which, that leads us to our trailer list.......
"Fantastic Four" (Aug. 7): From modern day maverick Josh Trank(quilizer)("Chronicle") comes a twisted take on the Ultimate Universe's FF. Jamie Bell (Turn: Washington's Spies) doesn't really look right as Ben, but Miles Teller gets the UU version of Reed Richards spot-on, right down to the geek look with the specs. NY Giants heiress Kate Mara is Sue Storm, with Michael B. Jordan ("Chronicle") as Johnny. Try figuring that one out, as the rationale is being kept under wraps.
"Ant-Man" (July 17): The reason Ultron's canonical creator, Henry Pym, isn't part of "Age" is because he's central to this film. As played by Michael Douglas, Pym has retired from the crimefighting game, passing his helmet & costume to ex-con Scott Lang (Paul Rudd). Has potential to be a sleeper hit, like "Guardians of the Galaxy" was 9 months ago.
Also on the way:
"Insidious 3" (Summer). If you've seen the first two films, you're ahead of me. Not my cup of horror tea.
"Pixels": Adam Sandler & Kevin James team up again. This time, they're being asked to save the world from alien-induced rogue models of 80's video game icons. As silly as it sounds.
"Southpaw": No, this is not the biography of the Tri-City Valleycats' mascot. A boxer (Jake Gyllenhall) tries to reclaim his daughter and his dignity.
"Jurassic World" (June 12): Chris Pratt ("Guardians of the Galaxy", ex-Parks & Recreation) toplines the 4th film based on Michael Crichton's novel.
"Tomorrowland" (May 22): One of Disneyland's famed attractions is adapted into a sci-fi thriller with George Clooney.
"The Man From U. N. C. L. E.": Guy Ritchie directs. Henry Cavill ("Man of Steel") stars as Napoleon Solo in a feature film adaptation of the 1964-8 spy series (currently on Me-TV). Armie Hammer ("The Lone Ranger") co-stars.
"Age of Ultron" gets an A-.
That would be Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who was left on the cutting room floor, though the sceptre he'd wielded would be central to the plot. The sceptre has fallen into the hands of Baron Strucker, who is engaging in experiments involving humans, particularly a pair of orphaned twins, Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen), whom comics fans know, of course, as Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. Due to the fact that the characters, whilst played by different actors, also appeared in "X-Men: Days of Future Past" last year, and the rights to the fraternal twins are shared by Marvel Studios & 20th Century Fox, they're only ID'd by their familiar code names in the credits at the end of the movie.
Meanwhile, Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) & Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) are in the course of designing an artificial intelligence that is supposed to be of assistance to the Avengers. However, this particular AI, dubbed Ultron, has gained independent sentience, and sets about his mission as he sees fit. That is to say, to eradicate mankind in order to achieve peace. Roughly translated, Ultron (voiced by James Spader, The Blacklist) represents Stark's darker, baser instincts. Anyone that has been reading Superior Iron Man these days probably knows what I mean.
Banner also figures into an interesting subplot with the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), as they're finding an attraction between them, although it seems that the Widow's charms also work on the Hulk. On the other hand, Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), who had a bit of an attraction to the Widow as well, has settled down to start a family since the last film. We're introduced to Laura (Linda Cardellini, "Scooby-Doo", ex-E. R.), with whom Clint has two kids, and a 3rd on the way. Talk about getting busy. You might say that Natasha might've been looking for love on the rebound with Banner. Now, if they could just get Bruce's canonical sweetie, Betty Ross, into the mix......!
We're also introduced to Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis), an arms dealer who once did business with Stark back in the day. Ultron & the twins pay him a visit, which doesn't end well, although Klaue figures to return down the road, with a new look.
Wanda works her magic on the team, setting Hulk against Iron Man, for example. She uses illusions on the others as a distraction, but it isn't long before she & Pietro see the error of their ways upon realizing that Ultron's best laid plans are badly flawed.
Here's the obligatory trailer:
While I liked the movie as a whole, the comedy segments threatened to overshadow the proceedings. For example, Jim Rhodes (Don Cheadle, last seen doing intros for NFL Network/CBS' Thursday Night Football) tries to get Stark and the team to laugh at a funny story. He relays the tale to ordinary folks and gets laughs. Don't quit your day job, Rhodey. Yes, there were some moments where I was cracking up along with the rest of the paying customers, but I can't be sure what parts weren't meant to be funny. Without giving anything away, the team grows in numbers, setting the stage for not only the next "Avengers" movie, but also the next cycle of Marvel films in general. Speaking of which, that leads us to our trailer list.......
"Fantastic Four" (Aug. 7): From modern day maverick Josh Trank(quilizer)("Chronicle") comes a twisted take on the Ultimate Universe's FF. Jamie Bell (Turn: Washington's Spies) doesn't really look right as Ben, but Miles Teller gets the UU version of Reed Richards spot-on, right down to the geek look with the specs. NY Giants heiress Kate Mara is Sue Storm, with Michael B. Jordan ("Chronicle") as Johnny. Try figuring that one out, as the rationale is being kept under wraps.
"Ant-Man" (July 17): The reason Ultron's canonical creator, Henry Pym, isn't part of "Age" is because he's central to this film. As played by Michael Douglas, Pym has retired from the crimefighting game, passing his helmet & costume to ex-con Scott Lang (Paul Rudd). Has potential to be a sleeper hit, like "Guardians of the Galaxy" was 9 months ago.
Also on the way:
"Insidious 3" (Summer). If you've seen the first two films, you're ahead of me. Not my cup of horror tea.
"Pixels": Adam Sandler & Kevin James team up again. This time, they're being asked to save the world from alien-induced rogue models of 80's video game icons. As silly as it sounds.
"Southpaw": No, this is not the biography of the Tri-City Valleycats' mascot. A boxer (Jake Gyllenhall) tries to reclaim his daughter and his dignity.
"Jurassic World" (June 12): Chris Pratt ("Guardians of the Galaxy", ex-Parks & Recreation) toplines the 4th film based on Michael Crichton's novel.
"Tomorrowland" (May 22): One of Disneyland's famed attractions is adapted into a sci-fi thriller with George Clooney.
"The Man From U. N. C. L. E.": Guy Ritchie directs. Henry Cavill ("Man of Steel") stars as Napoleon Solo in a feature film adaptation of the 1964-8 spy series (currently on Me-TV). Armie Hammer ("The Lone Ranger") co-stars.
"Age of Ultron" gets an A-.
The last national telethon has retired
USA Today and other media outlets reported on Friday that the Muscular Dystrophy Association has decided to end their annual telethons, which had been reduced in size the last few years after Jerry Lewis was ousted as National Chairman in 2010. Plans call for fund-raising efforts to continue online for the foreseeable future.
The catchphrase, oft spoken by Ed McMahon, "Stay up with Jerry and watch the stars come out!", was retired with Lewis, but Lewis' departure also must've taken millions of viewers with him. It's the only real reason MDA came to their decision on Friday.
I'd not be surprised if, at home, we'll still have a telethon.
The telethon business model has been in decline the last several years. Locally, what had been a telethon for United Cerebral Palsy now supports Albany's Center for Disability Services, and gets the last Sunday in January from the local Fox affiliate, which took it over from WTEN several years ago. By that time, the overnight format had been discontinued, as WTEN, the ABC affiliate, had initiated the Sunday-only format that Fox affiliate WXXA, which shares the news department with WTEN, adopted when they took over the telethon.
What the future holds for CBS affiliate WRGB's annual MDA Cares special, which would be in its 3rd year this year, after MDA disbanded its syndicated network in favor of moving their telethon to ABC for the final two years, is unclear at this point. An MDA spokesman said that "it's not a 21-hour world anymore". Maybe, but the way MDA disrespected Lewis, who founded the telethon nearly 50 years ago, suggests that their current hierarchy isn't really interested in continuing the tradition. Granted, with newspapers & magazines turning their readership in the direction of their websites, MDA is taking that same route. Gone are the days of Lewis, backed by a gazillion stars and pushing himself to exhaustion, casting aside the image of the legendary clown of radio, movies, and television, charming viewers.
The catchphrase, oft spoken by Ed McMahon, "Stay up with Jerry and watch the stars come out!", was retired with Lewis, but Lewis' departure also must've taken millions of viewers with him. It's the only real reason MDA came to their decision on Friday.
I'd not be surprised if, at home, we'll still have a telethon.
Friday, May 1, 2015
Ben E. King (1938-2015)
Ben E. King started off as a vocalist with the Drifters before venturing out on a solo career. The one solo hit that stood out, "Stand By Me", was given a second life on the charts after the release of a namesake movie in 1986 that in turn was based on a short story by Stephen King (no relation, of course).
The music world is mourning the passing of Ben E. King, who passed away Thursday at 76. King co-wrote "Stand", which was covered by artists as diverse as John Lennon and Mickey Gilley before King's version was reissued. The following video interlocks footage of King's original performance of "Stand" from 1961 with new material that features two of the film's co-stars, River Phoenix and Wil Wheaton. After a montage of movie clips, Phoenix suddenly has a guitar in hand as King finishes the song. Phoenix would give music a try himself before his passing a few years later.
Rest in peace, Ben.
The music world is mourning the passing of Ben E. King, who passed away Thursday at 76. King co-wrote "Stand", which was covered by artists as diverse as John Lennon and Mickey Gilley before King's version was reissued. The following video interlocks footage of King's original performance of "Stand" from 1961 with new material that features two of the film's co-stars, River Phoenix and Wil Wheaton. After a montage of movie clips, Phoenix suddenly has a guitar in hand as King finishes the song. Phoenix would give music a try himself before his passing a few years later.
Rest in peace, Ben.
Would you spend $100 for a PPV fight?
There are a few things to keep sports junkies happy this weekend.
1. The Yankees & Red Sox meet again, this time at Fenway Park. How loud will the boos be for Alex Rodriguez every time he walks up to the plate?
2. The Mets, who've fallen back to earth by losing 5 of 7, continue a weekend series with Washington, and in danger of falling out of first place at the end of the weekend if they're not careful.
3. NHL & NBA playoffs.
4. The Kentucky Derby. Enough said there.
Finally, after years of stalling, followed by hype, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. & Manny Pacquiao will finally meet for the unified welterweight title. Problem is, this PPV fight may be the most expensive fight of all time for consumers.
Time Warner Cable, for example, is asking roughly $90 for a regular PPV broadcast, but if you want to go high-definition, it'll cost $100. If you think that's bad, a restaurant chain like Buffalo Wild Wings is refusing to carry the fight because they're being charged $1000 to screen the card. I know boxing PPV's are the most expensive, but this is flat ridiculous. The very definition of greed.
Do I plan on watching? No. I stopped watching boxing long ago, largely because I've fallen asleep watching some of those Saturday or Sunday afternoon fights on CBS, ABC, or NBC. Do I really care who wins? No.
Consider the players:
Floyd Mayweather, Jr. fancies himself to be this generation's Muhammad Ali. Actually, he's more like a cross between Ali and, maybe, Mike Tyson, who took offense to Mayweather's comparing himself to Ali. Given Mayweather's arrest record, he falls closer to fighters of Tyson's generation, anyway.
If Mayweather is Ali, then Pacquiao would be Joe Frazier, who defeated Ali in a legendary bout in 1971, only to lose two rematches. Finally, as Ali & Frazier had Howard Cosell as a sounding board back in the day, today, there is ESPN's Cosell wannabe, Stephen A. Smith, whose primary beat was basketball, but now he thinks he can cover football and boxing, too. We have to assume Cosell was an idol of his growing up. Just listen to Smith talk sometimes. He tries to sound like Cosell, yet he's 10 times as annoying. He's from Frazier's hometown of Philadelphia, but even Rocky Balboa and Fat Albert would be more popular than Smith is.
God help us all if one of the fighters ends up doing a commercial for a certain brand of beef jerky that embarrassed Richard Sherman by having Smith be the voice of his stomach.
No, I'll be watching the Mets and filing a review on "Avengers: Age of Ultron". All things considered, I'd rather watch a Celebrity Deathmatch marathon.........
1. The Yankees & Red Sox meet again, this time at Fenway Park. How loud will the boos be for Alex Rodriguez every time he walks up to the plate?
2. The Mets, who've fallen back to earth by losing 5 of 7, continue a weekend series with Washington, and in danger of falling out of first place at the end of the weekend if they're not careful.
3. NHL & NBA playoffs.
4. The Kentucky Derby. Enough said there.
Finally, after years of stalling, followed by hype, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. & Manny Pacquiao will finally meet for the unified welterweight title. Problem is, this PPV fight may be the most expensive fight of all time for consumers.
Time Warner Cable, for example, is asking roughly $90 for a regular PPV broadcast, but if you want to go high-definition, it'll cost $100. If you think that's bad, a restaurant chain like Buffalo Wild Wings is refusing to carry the fight because they're being charged $1000 to screen the card. I know boxing PPV's are the most expensive, but this is flat ridiculous. The very definition of greed.
Do I plan on watching? No. I stopped watching boxing long ago, largely because I've fallen asleep watching some of those Saturday or Sunday afternoon fights on CBS, ABC, or NBC. Do I really care who wins? No.
Consider the players:
Floyd Mayweather, Jr. fancies himself to be this generation's Muhammad Ali. Actually, he's more like a cross between Ali and, maybe, Mike Tyson, who took offense to Mayweather's comparing himself to Ali. Given Mayweather's arrest record, he falls closer to fighters of Tyson's generation, anyway.
If Mayweather is Ali, then Pacquiao would be Joe Frazier, who defeated Ali in a legendary bout in 1971, only to lose two rematches. Finally, as Ali & Frazier had Howard Cosell as a sounding board back in the day, today, there is ESPN's Cosell wannabe, Stephen A. Smith, whose primary beat was basketball, but now he thinks he can cover football and boxing, too. We have to assume Cosell was an idol of his growing up. Just listen to Smith talk sometimes. He tries to sound like Cosell, yet he's 10 times as annoying. He's from Frazier's hometown of Philadelphia, but even Rocky Balboa and Fat Albert would be more popular than Smith is.
God help us all if one of the fighters ends up doing a commercial for a certain brand of beef jerky that embarrassed Richard Sherman by having Smith be the voice of his stomach.
No, I'll be watching the Mets and filing a review on "Avengers: Age of Ultron". All things considered, I'd rather watch a Celebrity Deathmatch marathon.........
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