Movie Review: Spider-Man 3

Spider-Man 3

In Brief: What's Good

• Good balance of drama, action, and humor


• Elaborate, well-choreographed action sequences


• Excellent visual effects, as is true with the first two movies


• Hilarious J. Jonah Jameson scene


• Hilarious Bruce Campbell cameo


• More welcome, although brief, appearances from Ursala, the nice, happy girl who lives across the hall from Peter

In Brief: What's Not So Good

• A bit too much crammed into one movie (but not as bad as many critics are saying)


• Mary Jane character not handled well; Kirsten Dunst's lackluster performance not helping


• Tobey MacGuire and Kirsten Dunst have little, if any, chemistry


• Tobey MacGuire and Kirsten Dunst's performances not as good during crying scenes


• Somber ending

Summary:

B	Story
B	Acting
A-	Directing
A	Visuals

Tobey MacGuire returns as Peter Parker and his alter ego, Spider-Man, in the third installment of the comic book movie franchise. This time around, Spider-Man faces a triple threat.

Peter's best friend Harry Osborne still believes Spider-Man killed his father and decides to use his father's Goblin suit and equipment to take revenge on Spider-Man. Thomas Haden Church plays Flint Marko, a small-time crook who's recently broken out of prison to help his daughter only to get mixed up in a scientific experiment that turns him into Sandman, a humanoid made out of living, organic sand. Meanwhile, a symbiotic creature of black goo from a fallen meteorite takes over Spider-Man's suit, amplifying his power and turning his persona to the dark side.

In a way, Peter Parker faces an additional trio of interpersonal threats. His relationship with Mary Jane Waston (played by Kirsten Dunst) is on unsteady ground, which is made more challenging thanks to the flirtations of Gwen Stacy (played by Bryce Dallas Howard, daughter of Ron Howard). His income is threatened when competing photographer Eddie Brock (Topher Grace) tries to upstage him at the Daily Bugle. And, thanks to the symbiotic goo mentioned earlier (un-named in the movie but called Venom in the comics), Peter faces his own inner demons.

I liked the movie. It had, perhaps, too much story to tell in 2.33 hours, but it balanced the various characters and subplots as best it could. It's still entertaining with a good blend of drama, humor, and action. The action sequences are thoroughly impressive, as usual. And, Sam Raimi's directing style feels consistent with the first two movies.

Having said all that, the movie does have its flaws. It's not as good as the 2nd movie, and probably not as good as the 1st either. The opinion seems to be prevalent. On Ebert & Roeper, Richard Roeper and his guest reveiwer both gave Spider-Man 3 thumbs down. John Campea and Doug Nagy of TheMovieBlog.com spent almost their entire Friday podcast trashing the movie, giving it a 3.5/10 and 4/10, respectively. At RottenTomatoes.com, it has a barely fresh rating of only 62%. And, at Yahoo! Movies, critics average it at B- and users average it at B, which isn't bad except that the first two movies earned B+ and A- averages.

Perhaps, the best way to critique and defend the movie is to address the aspects most commonly criticized.

Common Criticisms of Spider-Man 3

(1) Too Many Villains (a.k.a. Not Enough Venom)
Having too many villains (like in the old Batman sequels) means the attention to each one gets diminished. Spider-Man 3 faces that problem too, but it's not as bad as most people say. The conflict between Harry Osborne and Spider-Man was an ongoing theme that needed resolution, but I don't think a new Goblin would have been sufficient to carry the villainy alone in the 3rd movie. I agree that Sandman or Venom probably could have carried the rest of the weight of the movie without having to include both. The movie does an excellent job balancing the various villains and subplots, and there is still time left over for nice character moments with Aunt May and J. Jonah Jameson, as well as the best Bruce Campbell cameo of the trilogy.

(2) Mary Jane Character Mishandled
Mary Jane was used the same way in all three movies. The villain uses Mary Jane to lure Spider-Man into a trap, and Spider-Man has to save her. They should have found a better way to use MJ. True. Some have also described MJ as whiney and nagging in the 3rd movie. All she does is cry, complain, and scream when she's in peril. Unfortunately, also true.

(3) Kirsten Dunst Bad in Role as Mary Jane
I've seen & heard a lot of complaints about Kirsten Dunst. To be honest, I used to be a fan of hers and loved her in the first Spider-Man. But, she did seem to snooze her way through the 2nd movie, and she lost even more appeal in the 3rd. From things she's said in interviews, I don't think she has the right attitude about being in the Spider-Man movies, and it's begun to show in her performances.

(4) Tobey MacGuire and Kirsten Dunst Have No Chemistry
Peter and MJ's relationship seems perpetually problematic, and the chemistry between MacGuire and Dunst has felt lukewarm in the last two movies. A couple scenes in Spider-Man 3 show MJ spending time with Harry Osborne, and she seems to have triple the chemistry with him than she does with Peter. If the rumors are true that a possible 4th movie may continue without MacGuire, Dunst, or even Sam Raimi as director, it might be that re-casting the roles may revitalize a character relationship that seems irrevocably strained.

(5) Gwen Stacy: Under-Used and a Waste of Time
Because so much is going on in this movie, there's not a lot of time to develop the Gwen Stacy character, but she is in the movie to help wedge the gap between Peter and MJ, and in that way, she is effective. She is also well acted as spunky, smart, cute, sexy, and cheerful, by Bryce Dallas Howard, much better than Dunst is in her role as MJ. On the other hand, I've heard the opinion that Peter and MJ's relationship was strained enough without adding Gwen as an obstable and that a lesser character, such as the Daily Bugle receptionist, could have served the role as an object of MJ's jealousy. Still, this did not register to me as a major problem.

(6) Too Many Song & Dance Numbers
It's not that there are too many song & dance numbers, it's that Kirsten Dunst (or whomever she is lipsynching from) can't sing that well. As for the dancing, Peter's "dark side" scene in the bar is a bit overdone.

(7) Too Much Crying
The problem is not too much crying. This is a darker, more somber Spider-Man movie, and the crying moments are appropriate in both quantity and context. The problem is that Tobey MacGuire and Kirsten Dunst don't perform that well in crying scenes.

(8) Peter's Dark Side is Silly
When Peter experiences the effects of Venom, he begins to act uncharacteristically. In one scene he walks down the street with a cocky attitude and a very confident stride that we don't see in normal Peter. It comes off looking a little silly, as some have said. Despite being a superhero with a "hot" girlfriend, Peter Parker is still a nerd. So, I think it's interesting and appropriate that even Peter's "dark side" still comes off as geeky--just a different kind of geeky.

-----

Despite the flaws and probably being the least satisfying of the trilogy, Spider-Man 3 is still very well made and better than a lot of other movies out there. Even if some of the criticsm against it is accurate, it's best to judge for yourself. It is, afterall, the first movie of the summer season, when movies are made for action, laughs, and popcorn. So, don't take it too seriously.

Fun Facts from Wikipedia

The movie's budget was $258 million, making it the most expensive movie ever made. Bryce Dallas Howard performed many stunts, unaware of the fact that she was pregnant. The fake fangs that Topher Grace wore as Venom bruised his gums.

Fun Facts from Internet Movie Database

Originally, Sam Raimi did not want Venom in the movie, but he was convinced by Marvel producer Avi Arad and came to appreciate the character in the film. Thomas Haden Church worked out for 16 months to achieve the Flint Marko physique. Kirsten Dunst dyed her natural blond hair red for the role of Mary Jane Watson, and Bryce Dallas Howard dyed her natural red hair blonde for the role of Gwen Stacy. While in the Venom costume, Topher Grace did not drink any water during his breaks.

Slightly Overdue Movie Review: Pathfinder

Pathfinder

In Brief: What's Good

• Some good action scenes

In Brief: What's Not So Good

• A bit hokey and/or predictable at times


• Visually, the colors are dulled and washed out too much.


• Lacks character development, and names of many characters are only revealed in the end credits


• Moon Bloodgood, although beautiful, seems horribly miscast as the Native American woman who becomes Karl Urban's character's love interest.

Summary:

C+	Story
C+	Acting
C	Directing
C	Visuals

Karl Urban (Eomer from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy) plays Ghost, an orphan Viking who has grown up among Native Americans of the Wampanoag tribe. As a child, Ghost was the lone survivor of a wrecked (and/or attacked) Viking vessel and was adopted by the female Native American woman that found him. Ghost has adopted the ways of the Wampanoag. His sword and a memory of the language are the only two remnants of his time among other Vikings.

So, of course, when the brutal Vikings show up to threaten North America again, A now adult Ghost must defend his beloved Native American tribe using the strongest traits of both worlds. Eventually, Ghost has to take up the responsibility of Pathfinder as the sole weapon effective against the Vikings.

The overall story of Pathfinder is somewhat simple, perhaps too simple, since it is a bit predictable at times and contains little character development. However, as action movies go, this movie has a simple story to tell and tells it effectively. For what it is, Pathfinder is well made and somewhat entertaining despite its flaws.

One flaw is that the movie downplays the beauty of the natural North American landscape by dulling and darkening many of the colors. At times, the movie seems to have only a dozen colors in it including:

• Light Black


• Shiny Black


• Dark Black


• Dark White


• Shadow Grey


• Tree Grey


• Snow Grey


• Moss Green


• Fire Yellow


• Blood Red


• Weird Hollywoodish Blacklight Blue

One thing I like about the movie is the way it handles language. With every character in the movie being either Native American or Viking, the makers could have gone the Mel Gibson route and made the whole movie with subtitles. However, as the protaganists, the Native Americans speak in English, so that we the viewers can understand them. Meanwhile, the Vikings speak in their own language with subtitles. It helps make the Vikings feel like foreign, unrelatable invaders. Whether the Viking language is all or partially authentic, I don't know.

Speaking of language, however, there was one major distraction for me as I watched the movie. All the Native American characters spoke in a "Native American accent" (or inflection, whatever you want to call it). Even though they speak English, they at least "sound" Native American. That part I like. The exception is the character of StarFire, played by Moon Bloodgood (of the short-lived TV show Day Break). She speaks with no accent or inflection whatsoever. She sounded so much like an average, modern-day American that she felt totally out of place whenever she spoke.

Karl Urban does a good enough job here as an action hero, and it's also good to hear Clancy Brown's voice under all the armor and masking of the main Viking antagonist. Even though he is speaking in Viking language, Clancy Brown always makes a good villain.

It sometimes seems implausible just how strong, skilled, and intelligent Ghost would be without having a lot of practice at combat and tactics. Such skill would probably come from warring with other tribes which, of course, is not shown to protect the empathy towards the Wampanoag.

This is not a bad a movie. Granted it's close, but it has just enough redeeming quality to be believable and watchable. I'd just barely recommend it, but if you rent or buy it, I would suggest waiting for a discount or a coupon.

Fun Facts from Internet Movie Database

The actors wore hockey pads under their Viking costumes to make their shoulders look bigger. The movie is based on a Dark Horse comic book of the same name. The Native Americans historically encountered by the Vikings were the Beothuk of Newfoundland, Canada.

Way Overdue Movie Review: Zodiac

Zodiac

DVD Release Date: 06/26/2007

In Brief: What's Good

• Excellent casting including: Jake Gyllenhall, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards, Robert Downey Jr., Brian Cox, and Chloe Sevigny


• Smart, edgy, humorous performance by Robert Downey Jr.


• Occasionally, really good camerawork and directing choices.

In Brief: What's Not So Good

• Not very interesting


• Running time is too long (almost unavoidably, but still a bad thing)


• Anti-climactic ending

Note: Based on a true story (though how much and how accurately, I'm not sure).

Summary:

C+	Story
B	Acting
B-	Directing
B	Visuals

Jake Gyllenhall plays Robert Graysmith, a San Francisco newspaper cartoonist who, thanks to an obsession with puzzles, codes, and mysteries, gets involved in the investigation of the Zodiac killer that plagued San Francisco during the late '60's and '70's. Robert Downey Jr. plays a fellow journalist who takes a similar interest and also gets involved. Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Edwards play cops investigating the case.

The casting is oddly impressive. I say "oddly" because the casting didn't need to be as good as it was. Dermot Mulroney, Adam Goldberg, Clea DuVall, and Ione Skye show up in small supporting roles so insignificant that they could have gotten anyone to play them (I don't even remember Clea DuVall being in the movie or what Adam Goldberg's role was).

As for the story... The Zodiac mystery spans at least a couple decades. Therefore, the movie is unavoidably lengthy so as to portray the passage of time and to include all the significant milestones in the investigation. However, the movie ends up not being that interesting.

This is not to belittle what happened to the real-life victims. It was horrible what the Zodiac did. But, there were only a handful of murders confirmed to be committed by Zodiac. The Zodiac killer goes underground for several years. After another brief stint of killing, Zodiac goes unheard from for years again. As the plot for a movie, it's just not that enthralling. Some interest is maintained by the Zodiac's method of taunting the police and giving clues to newspapers.

To fill the gaps and lend some substance, the movie focuses on the life and private investigation of Gyllenhall's character. His obsession with the case disrupts his work and personal life. The movie spends just enough time developing his personal life that we know what his life entails and recognize the passage of time but not enough time for us to be emotionally invested in Graysmith's success.

On top of everything else, the resolution to the story feels very low key and anti-climactic.

Zodiac is held together by the strength of the performances, especially from Robert Downey Jr., and from the occasionally interesting images, special effects, and camerawork. Oddly, that still makes it a decent movie. Perhaps if the movie had been made more "Hollywoodish" it would have been more exciting, intriguing, or satisfying. On the other hand, that would have cheapened it.

The way the movie is made, I can almost imagine it being cut into small scenes and those scenes being used as visual aids during a four-hour documentary on the History Channel. If you rent or buy Zodiac on DVD expecting a nail-biting thriller, you may be disappointed. But, if you don't mind a lengthy yet well-acted docudrama that's more informational than entertaining, and if you appreciate a movie that's well made, regardless of what the content is, then you may just like Zodiac.

Fun Facts from Wikipedia

Robert Graysmith, the real-life person Jake Gyllenhall's character is based upon, later wrote two non-fiction books about the Zodiac killer (Zodiac and Zodiac Unmasked). The movie was shot on a digital camera rather than on film, and the editing software was Apple's Final Cut Pro.

Fun Facts from Internet Movie Database

The cipher mailed to the Chronicle in the movie was actually mailed to the Examiner. The actual location of one of the murders could not be used by the production, so a set was constructed and the city background was digitally filled in.

Way Overdue Movie Review: Black Snake Moan

Black Snake Moan

DVD Release Date: Not Yet Announced (as of early May)

In Brief: What's Good

• Excellent performances, including a daring and challenging performance by Christina Ricci.


• Fairly original concept & story.

In Brief: What's Not So Good

• The story gets a little wayward toward the end and wraps up a little too conveniently.

Warning: This is a very adult movie. Not recommended for young viewers.

Summary:

B-	Story
A-	Acting
B	Directing
C+	Visuals

Christina Ricci plays Rae, the epitome of southern, uneducated, chain-smoking "white trash." Deeply in love with her boyfriend who is off to re-join the military but also so obsessed with sex that she can't stay faithful while he's gone, Rae finds herself in a physically threatening situation.


Samuel L. Jackson plays Lazarus, an old ex-blues singer whose wife has just left him for another man. He discovers Rae and nurses her back to health. Realizing her obsessions but not willing to succumb to her temptations, Lazarus chains Rae to his radiator and tries to get her to change her evil ways.


This movie is as racy as it is intriguing but just barely escapes being creepy, raunchy, or cringe-worthy. Lazarus is a God-fearing man, and despite his faults and his unorthodox methods, he cares for Rae and sees it as his mission to help her. The movie handles the relationship between Lazarus and Rae in a strange way, but it moves toward being helpful to both.

Rae's problems aren't totally her fault. Victim to childhood abuse and an uncaring mother, she's, well, messed up. Her boyfriend, played by Justin Timberlake, is fighting some internal demons of his own. All three main characters must face their difficulties and reach a new understanding and acceptance of their situations.


The best things about this movie are its originality, daring nature, excellent performances, and interesting character development. Of course, the publicity for this movie focuses on Christina Ricci in drastically skimpy clothing and heavy chains. Granted, that's an important element of the movie, but there's much more to it than that. There's an actual story here. It's unique, sometimes bizarre, sometimes shocking, and unfortunately, wraps up a little too conveniently. But, it's worth a viewing for the interesting ride it takes from where it begins to how it ends up.

Fun Facts from Wikipedia

The title of the film comes from a 1927 Blind Lemon Jefferson song. During production, Christina Ricci ate only food items that lacked nutritional value to give herself an unhealthy appearance in the film.

Fun Facts from Internet Movie Database

Christina Ricci wore a real, 40-pound chain for much of the filming. Some of the clothing worn by Ricci in the movie came from her own wardrobe or were bought by her, just for the movie, at a department store.

Way Overdue Movie Review: The Astronaut Farmer

The Astronaut Farmer

DVD Release Date: 07/10/2007

In Brief: What's Good

• Feel-good story.


• Dreamy, patriotic kind of tone.


• Well-written, considering the hard to believe concept and plot.


• Cute kids.

In Brief: What's Not So Good

• The story often requires a suspension of disbelief.

Summary:

B	Story
B	Acting
B	Directing
B	Visuals

Billy Bob Thornton stars as Charlie Farmer, a Texas cattle rancher and ex-member of NASA who has always dreamed of being an astronaut but was forced to drop out of the program for family reasons before he fulfilled his dream. Still obsessed with going into space, Farmer has decided to build a rocket in his barn and have his teenage son serve as ground control for his impending launch.


The movie does a good job exloring Farmer's obsession and how it affects the opinions of others, including his own family. Billy Bob Thorton plays Farmer as being determined, confident, and idealistic, but not crazed. Farmer is sane; he's just chosen a dream that is difficult to achieve, inconvenient for others (the government), and somewhat worthy of reasonable skepticism.


One thing about the story particularly impressed me and helped salvage some credibility. Before even seeing the movie, I thought that of all the resources necessary to independently construct a rocket, it would be the fuel that would be the hardest to acquire. In fact, the acquisition of the fuel is a major subplot at the beginning of the movie, so the filmmakers did not overlook this important plot point.


This is definitely a feel good movie. It's partially--if not completely--ludicrous, but if you accept that and run with it, one may find this movie uplifting, humorous, and poignant.

Fun Facts from Wikipedia

This is one of two films starring Virginia Madsen that premiered on 23 February 2007, the other being The Number 23 which stars Jim Carrey. This is the 2nd time Billy Bob Thornton and Bruce Willis have starred together in a movie about space travel, the first being Armageddon. Shepard, the son in the movie, is named after Alan Shepard who was the first American in space. The rocket in the movie is a nearly-scale replica of the Mercury-Atlas rocket that sent the first Americans astronauts into orbit. The space suit worn by Thornton's character is the same as the Navy Mark V pressure suit worn by all Mercury 7 astronauts prior to Mercury-Atlas 9.

You Might Be a Child of the '80's If...

I was just listening to the Cooper Lawrence Show on the radio (at low volume while reading a chapter about static variables, static methods, and number formatting in Head First Java) when Cooper read off a list of things that might indicate if you were a child of the '80's. I could relate to lot of the things on the list.

Cooper didn't say where she got the list, so I looked it up online. Of course, this is one of those lists that has many different versions, but I think I've found the one that's closest to the one she read.

Anyway, here's the list (as I found it online) with my comments in italics:

You Might Be a Child of the '80's If...

• You know what a "burnout" is.
  Not positive. Is that from Breakfast Club? I'm possibly the only person on the planet who didn't see it until I went to college and haaaated when I did.


• You owned/operated a 'Trapper Keeper'
  Oh, of course; new one every year. Always filled with Lamborghini Countach folders.


• You know what "Psych" means. Unfortunately, yes.


• Once, while spending hours in the arcade, you actually lined up quarters on the top panel of the game -- to "reserve" your spot.
  Lining up quarters? Probably, but isn't being in an arcade enough of an '80's indicator on its own?


• You know the profound meaning of "Wax on, Wax off".
  How Mr. Miagi trained Daniel to block punches in Karate Kid.


• You know that another name for a keyboard is a "Synthesizer".
  Yeah, I guess.


• You can name at least half of the members of the elite "Brat Pack".
  Not off the top of my head.


• You know who Tina Yothers is.
  She played Jennifer, the youngest (and later next-to-youngest) child in Family Ties. Then... She fell off the face of the planet. ;)


• You wanted to be a Goonie. Sort of.


• You felt ashamed when Rob Lowe got in trouble for sex with minors and videotaping it, because you liked him.
  Uh, no (I think some items on the list are geared toward women).


• You had top-of-the-line Commodore 64s in your jr. high computer lab. Worse, TRS-80's. But, I had a Commodore *128* at home. :)


• You know who Max Headroom is.
  Yeap. I even watched his short-lived TV show.


• You even wore fluorescent, neon if you will, clothing. Uhm, maybe.


• You could breakdance, or wish you could. Wish, maybe.


• You wanted to be The Hulk for Halloween.
  Not really. Spider-Man, actually.


• You Believed that "By the power of Greyskull, you HAD the power!"
  No, I did watch the He-Man cartoon, but I wasn't a freak about it.


• Partying "like it's 1999" seemed SO far away. Probably.


• You thought that Transformers were more than meets the eye.
  Definitely thought they were awesome. Kept all of them in storage until just recently when I sold them on eBay. Parting with Optimus Prime, Jetfire, Metroplex, Soundwave, the Constructicons, and the Combaticons was not easy. Like selling a piece of childhood (but, I can't help it, Transformers, even out of the box, still sell surprisingly well on eBay).


• You can, right now, hum to yourself the theme to 'Inspector Gadget'. Yeap.


• You wanted to be on Star Search. Nooo.


• You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off.
  Probably; did't pay much attention.


• You wore a banana clip at some point during your youth, or knew someone who did.
  Uhm, no. Another girl question.


• You knew what Willis was "talkin' 'bout". Yeap.


• You HAD to have your MTV.
  As Cooper and her sidekicks stated on the radio, you're a child of the '80's if you remember when MTV played music.


• You remember when Kramer was on a show called 'Friday's'. Nope.


• You hold a special place in your heart for "Back to the Future".
  Oh yeah. The third movie is actually my favorite. Whenever it comes on TV, my body and mind become paralyzed, and I simply *must* watch.


• You know where to go if you "wanna go where everybody knows your name".
  Cheers. I don't think you have to be a child of the '80's to know that one.


• You thought Molly Ringwald was REALLY cool. Not really.


• You actually thought "Dirty Dancing" was a REALLY good movie.
  Never saw it; never wanted to.


• You heard of Garbage Pail Kids.
  Yes. Didn't collect them, but my cousins did. Very gross.


• You knew "The Artist" when he was humbly called "Prince".
  Sort of. Not much into music in the '80's.


• You actually saw Ted Danson as the MacDaddy he played "Sam" to be.
  Uhh. "Watchu talkin' 'bout, Willis?!?"


• You remember when ATARI was a state of the art video game system.
  Yeap. In fact, it's the only one I ever owned. Never did get a Nintendo, Sega, XBOX, or anything else since then. I remember my parents becoming un-characteristicly addicted to the game Asteroids. They probably played even more than I did, to the point that my mom actually got a common '80's affliction--"Atari Thumb".


• You own(ed) any 'cassette singles'.
  Just a few. Usually better to get the whole album on cassette, and only if you knew at least three of the radio releases were "awesome" or "radical" first.


• You were led to believe that in the year 2000 we'd all be living on the moon.
  Not necessarily living on the moon, but where's my freakin' flying car?


• You remember and/or own any of the Care Bear Glass collection from Pizza Hut. Or any other stupid collection they came out with.
  No, but I think I did collect the Shirt Tales stuffed animals (when I was really young). I think they were available via a restaurant; not sure it was Pizza Hut though.


• Poltergeist freaked you out.
  The bits and pieces I saw did, when my cousins were watching at the beach on a family trip one year. In general, horror movies still freak me out (or anger me if they're just stupid).


• You carried your lunch to school in a Gremlins or an ET lunchbox.
  Possibly. It was probably Dukes of Hazzard, Knight Rider, or Transformers instead.


• You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the ONLY female smurf.
  Yeah, that is a good question. What a shallow gene pool. Do you think she was responsible for birthing the entire population of the village? We never did see her pregnant. Maybe Smurfs gestate in the womb very quickly. Weren't all Smurfs adults? I wonder if they were born as adults or if they had accelerated aging. Maybe there were other Smurf villages, and there was one Smurfette per village. But, then where did all the Smurfettes come from? Maybe Smurfs did not gestate inside a Smurfette womb but instead grew in "fibrous husks" like the J'naii, the androgynous race from the Star Trek: The Next Generation fifth season episode "The Outcast". This is all definitely, very worth pondering. Don't you think?


• You know what a Doozer is. Uhh. "Watchu talkin' 'bout now, Willis?!?"


• You wore bike shorts underneath a short skirt and felt stylish, or knew someone who did.
  You know, not really. Neither the bike shorts nor the skirt, not in the '80's or ever.


• You ever had a Swatch Watch.
  Don't think so, but I was always tempted to spend actual money on one of the giant size Swatch Watch wall decorations.


• You remember when Saturday Night Live was funny.
  I was probably more of an early/mid 1990's SNL watcher. But, I do remember when Benny Hill still came on late night TV. The Benny Hill theme music never ceases to be funny. Speed up almost any video footage and set it to Benny Hill music and it's funny. As long as there's farting and Benny Hill music, comedy will never die.


• You had Wonder Woman or Superman underoos.
  Wonder Woman, uh, no. Superman, maybe. Batman, far more likely. Spider-Man, very good chance. Robin or Aquaman, I was a kid so I didn't know any better.


• You know what a "Whammee" is..
  I think it's a reference to the cartoon monsters that stole your winnings and made you lose your turn on the game show Press Your Luck. Is there another kind of Whammee?

If you can identify with at least half of this list then you, my friend, are a "Child of the 80's".
Of course, if you were born in America in the mid '70's to early '80's and your parents didn't keep you under a rock, you really don't need the list to prove it. ;)

Babylon 5: The Lost Tales Available for Pre-Order

Babylon 5: The Lost Tales on DVD is available for pre-order exclusively at Amazon.com. The release date is 31 July 2007. They've set the initial cost at a discounted $16.99.

Amazon gives the option of free shipping for orders of $25 or more, so I've put in my order for Babylon 5: The Lost Tales and Babylon 5: Legend of the Rangers (something I never had gotten around to getting until now).



Babylon 5: The Lost Tales contains two stand-alone stories in the Babylon 5 universe. Main cast members of the Babylon 5 and Crusade TV shows returning for The Lost Tales are Bruce Boxleitner as Interstellar Alliance President John Sheridan, Tracy Scoggins as Earthforce Captain Elizabeth Lochley, and Peter Woodward as the Techmoage named Galen.

The DVD became available for pre-order just around a week ago, and already, within a couple days, it rose to the #6 spot on Amazon's best selling DVD list. It's now slipped slightly to #8. However, for the pre-order of a DVD collection of two stories, totally only 75 minutes, based on a low-budget syndicated science fiction show that ended it's fifth and final year on the crappy TNT network around nine years ago, I'd say reaching the top ten best sellers list in its first week is still pretty impressive--especially since its toughest competition includes Oscar-nominated The Queen, blockbuster Casino Royale, Night at the Musem, and the phenomenal documentary series Planet Earth.

Babylon 5 is just that good. It was and still is my favorite TV show. Ever.

Originally, The Lost Tales was to have three stories, but the story about Michael Garibaldi and his nemesis, Psi Cop Alfred Bester (played by Star Trek's Walter Koenig), was held back for the next DVD, which I'm thinking will surely happen now that the pre-orders for this disc have gone so well. Despite repeated success, Warner Bros. tends to be tough on Babylon 5 and always makes it prove itself before moving on to the next thing. I think this DVD has proven itself already.

Pre-order your copy of Babylon 5: The Lost Tales to help it return to the #6 spot or higher.

Mike Huckabee on CBS's "Face the Nation" Last Sunday

Now that I've won an iPod in an eBay auction, I've been subscribing to a few more podcasts, including the one for CBS's Sunday morning news show "Face the Nation" hosted by Bob Schieffer. I like Bob Schieffer. Occasionally his voice sounds like gravel in a soda can, but he's a cool old guy who asks good questions, makes insightful comments, and seems overall to be a "straight-shooter."

I remember watching Bob interview former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld one time about a year or two ago. Rumsfeld was being evasive and cryptic and half nuts as usual, and Bob wasn't satisfied with some of his answers. A few times Bob called Rumsfeld on his B.S. Rumsfeld stubbornly "answered" the questions with that squinty, "why-doesn't-anyone-understand-my-craziness" look on his face. Realizing he wasn't going to get a real answer out of Rumsfeld no matter how hard he tried, Bob practically giggled and gave up on the interview. He didn't give up in a defeated kind of way, more like a "this-guy-is-wasting-my-time" kind of way.

Anyway, the show from last Sunday included an interview with Mike Huckabee, one of my currently preferred presidential candidates. The interview went much better than the one with Rumsfeld because both Bob Schieffer and Mike Huckabee are as articulate as they are candid. Unfortunately, Bob focused a lot on campaign funds and with a fair bit of pessimism, considering how low on the totem pole Huckabee is on funds. On the other hand, Bob praised Huckabee for being an interesting, refreshing, alternative candidate. In a way, Bob affirmed that Huckabee is also a worthy candidate, despite the financial challenge. I wish the interview had been longer because Bob only got to ask two questions about the issues, one about Iraq, one about religion.

Unfortunately, the "Share" links from the CBS video viewer force you to sit through a Xerox commercial first (something you don't have to do if you access video by already being in the CBS website), and I found the links directly to the videos to be a bit buggy, so here's the link for the CBS page from which you can access the Mike Huckabee Face the Nation interview (and don't be fooled by the headline at the top--the mention of Romney's misleading hunting statement is only a tiny part of the interview). The video links are in the blue section in the right-side column.

Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?

Take the quiz to see if you're smarter than a fifth grader.

Incredibly enough, I actually got 100% correct out of the 20 questions. So, maybe I'm also smarter than a sixth or seventh grader too. ;)

I'm surprised I got them all right, though. There were several hard ones, including a couple I had to guess at after narrowing down the answers to two possibilities each.

Vote for Maddie

No, Maddie's not running for president. I don't even know Maddie.

I stumbled upon her profile at Facebook while looking at local groups. She is someone nearby in Eden who has entered the Smashbox Model Search 2007, apparently a modeling contest by a cosmetics company.

She's pretty cute and could use your support. If you think she's got a nice look and/or you'd just like to support a local Triad person, click on her photo and throw a vote her way (I reiterate, this is for a cosmetics modeling contest, so don't worry, clicking on the pic won't take you to an adult site or anything like that).

VOTE for MADDIE

(If anyone explores the Smashbox site and finds another local Triad person or even just another North Carolinian in the contest, leave a comment with the URL of the person's profile or at least the profile ID number.)

Mike Huckabee on The Daily Show

Mike Huckabee, former Republican governor of Arkansas, is one of the lower tier presidential candidates that I like and am wanting to learn more about.

The videos below are parts 1 & 2 of his appearance on The Daily Show. He and Jon mostly talk about Huckabee's book, "From Hope to Higher Ground," (which I own but have not gotten much of a chance to read yet), and no mention is made of running for president, so this appearance must have been before he announced his candidacy.

The interview is pretty good. I like Huckabee. He has a good viewpoint on things and expresses it in an articulate way. Jon challenges him on whether what he says is rhetoric, but Huckabee seems pretty honest to me.

Huckabee is fresh on my mind right now because of an article I found online about him challenging the authenticity of a claim made by Mitt Romney's team regarding Romney's hunting experience. It prompted some clarification on the part of Romney's people, but I have to admit, it's kind of a "softball" challenge.

Anyway, here are two pieces of the Daily Show interview:

Easter Eve in God's Acre

Yesterday, the day before Easter, my family braved the chill and wind to fulfill our yearly ritual of cleaning gravestones and placing flowers on graves of family members buried in God's Acre in Old Salem and the adjacent Salem Cemetary.

Unfortunately, because of the unusual coldsnap this year, some flowers probably died last night, and some were already wilting yesterday. A few people may have even decided to skip flowers this year. And yet, God's Acre is still a beautiful site at Easter anyway.

So, I decided to take a few pictures. You can click on each picture to see a much bigger version.

Lower Section of God's Acre (in Old Salem)


Old Salem is very close to downtown Winston-Salem, so you can see some of the skyline in the background. The white, round-top building is the Wachovia Center. The roundness of the building's top is inspired by an arch, a shape utilitized on many Moravian churches. I'm not sure I've seen it before, but I've read that a marble mosaic in the building's lobby is inspired by the Moravian Star, a prevalent decoration seen during Christmas.



In the background of the photo below, you can see the back of one of the buildings in Old Salem. I believe the rear of the building is an expansion since it looks so new. You can also see a parking lot used by Salem College, which is also located in Old Salem.


Upper Section of God's Acre (much, much older graves)





Salem Cemetary (right next to God's Acre)


In the photo above, you can see how close the public Salem Cemetary is to the Moravian graveyard God's Acre. Moravians use a standard, plain white, rectangular gravestone, and arrange the dead by age and gender. In Salem Cemetary, you'll find gravestones of all different sizes and shapes, including above-ground crypts. There are, however, some Moravians buried in Salem Cemetary, and many of them use the standard Moravian gravestone, including several of my family buried there.


Graves of Family Members

My grandmother, "Mama Reid." She and my grandfather are buried, practically in opposite corners, in the lower section of God's Acre.

My grandfather.

My great great grandmother, buried in the older, upper section of God's Acre.

My great grandmother, "Nana Land." She, my great aunt, my great grand father, and my two great uncles are all buried adjacent to each other in Salem Cemetary. Three out of the five still use the standard Moravian gravestone. My two great uncles have gravestones that look similar but are smaller versions to the standard Moravian stone.

My great aunt, Barbara.

My great grandfather.

My great uncles.