Reflections on Jem

I got a little surprise today after work. I was killing some time at our local Hastings and saw that Jem and the Holograms, the movie, was out on Blue Ray and DVD already. I mean I'm not really that surprised. It bombed in theaters so the quick home release is a tactic to make back some sales.

Now I was in no way ready to just buy this failure, I've heard few good points about it, but I still wanted to see it for myself. So I hopped over to the rental section and nabbed myself a copy for the night. After a quick stop for pizza, Jem got popped in the Xbox One and the journey started.

I told myself going in that this was not going to be a good Jem film, so I tried my best to just look at it as a movie in general. Yes I still picked at the Jem aspects because that's what it was mean to be, but I didn't hold them accountable for the most part. As a Jem movie yes is has some major problems, but as a feel good coming of age movie it really wasn't bad.

The characters were likable, and and you had no problem hating the villain. It was touching, though a bit pushy at times. If it had been just a basic music based film it would have probably fared much better.

The problem, it wasn't. It was meant to be a Jem and Holograms movie. 

Fans put the Rage in Outrageous!

Last week we were given the first trailer for the new live action Jem adaptation. 

To put it nicely, fans were not pleased. 

I was aggravated enough that, after watching it the first time, I was in a bad mood for the rest of the night. 

What gets me is that they made a point to get fan input early on in the production. I even bought into it and followed their news regularly. Yet other than their names, and to an extent their relationships to one another, nothing in the trailer stood out as Jem and the Holograms. It was a major let down and did not feel truly outrageous in any way. 

Yes, they want to update the story. I can deal with the YouTube angle and the Lady Gaga/Miley Cyrus wannabe style. I can even forgive that they turned Eric Raymond into Erica Raymond. However, with all things taken together as a whole, everything I have been shown thus far tells me they've failed. 

They've failed big time. 

Let's call it a day and book the Limp Lizards.

Muppet News Flash!

When most people hear the name "Muppets," images of Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy inevitably come to mind. Being a child of the 80's, I also tend to include the characters from Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock into the group.

Most Henson creations generally fall into this lot for me, and these various characters have been popping up right and left in entertainment news.

Back in March there was an update on the Fraggle Rock movie that saw Joseph Gordon Levitt attach his name to the project. There is a new Sesame Street movie in the works as well, and our beloved Muppet Show cast is returning to prime time TV with an all new show!

The news that I'm the most excited for right now is the premier of a new documentary - "I am Big Bird," which is a look at the man behind our favorite eight foot tall bird.

Since 1969, Caroll Spinney has brought life to two of my favorite Sesame Street characters - Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. At age 81 he is still preforming these beloved icons and has no intention on stopping.

That's 46 years, and counting! *insert The Count laugh here*

It's an amazing track record and shows the longevity of these characters. It's funny to think that Sesame Street started off as an experiment and is still going strong today.

You can learn more about the film, including screening locations and dates, at www.iambigbird.com

I might try and get some of the Podzilla 1985 and Pentanerd cast to make a road trip to Memphis to see this. Though July is a long way away when I could just buy it on iTunes.

One way or another, I plan to check it out and suggest that all Muppet fans do so as well.

Hatred, Sony, and Free Speech - One More Time, with Feeling

Oh everyone takes turns
Now it's yours to play the part
And they're sitting all around you
Holding copies of your chart
And the misery in their eyes
Is synchronized and reflected into yours

Hello again, old friend. No, you're not seeing a ghost. I'm not quite yet dead. I know I said that Blogzilla 1985 would no longer be updated, and you can call me a liar for writing this post.

It's okay, I've been called worse.

I honestly want to stay retired. What have I done in the almost three months since I posted my last article? Nothing worth mentioning, although I do have some exciting news to share with you all very soon.

But for now, let's talk about what brought me back to the world of opinionated writing. Today I want to talk about the big FU - freedom undying. That was the most clever thing I could come up with for the two letters. Go easy on me, I haven't done this in months.

It's been a busy couple of weeks for the word freedom. The world is forever struggling with the term and how to apply it to us lowly humans, but we've built a pretty good society based on everything it provides us. Recently a lot of commotion has been made about our freedom of speech and our right to live without censorship, and that's the exact thing I want to touch upon right now.

The game Hatred has created quite a buzz in the inner circles of the industry since the first blood soaked trailer emerged online. For those of you who haven't seen it yet, enjoy it here in all of it's gratuitous glory -

This is the game that has set the internet on fire with talk of censorship and big brother deciding what we can and cannot access, especially in light of the game being taken off of Steam's Greenlight program despite an overwhelming positive response. A quick look on the Greenlight page, as well as Destructive Creations pleasant site, reveals that the game has been reinstated.

Wheeeeeeeeeeee!

One More Good Laugh

It's funny how you can be scrolling through Facebook and then BAM, you're smacked in the face with something that you need to confirm, even though you know it is probably true.

On Monday, Robin Williams died at the age of 63.

It's sad, and a little strange to think that he will only exist on film now. He'll never really be gone, since we can always watch the movies and TV shows again, but it will never really be the same. I'll always feel a little sad even with the laughs, because everything now will just be memories. To be honest, this is one of the Hollywood deaths that I've always dreaded. I grew up laughing at his banter and antics, and I always knew if he was a part of something I'd get a good laugh.

Robin Williams was one of the greats, and there isn't anyone who can fill his shoes.

But I don't want to dwell on the sadness. His family wants him to be remembered for his work and the laughter that he spread to the world. So I'd like to take a little trip down memory lane with a few of my personal favorites from his filmography.

MOVIE REVIEW - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

I wanted to lighten the mood, which is an unenviable task considering everything that has happened in the past few days. And I'm not just talking about the tragedy of Robin Williams death, but also the horrible things happening in Ferguson, MO. It's just a few hours away from me, and I was actually near there over the weekend and completely unaware of what happened. Add to that the sad news that Lauren Bacall passed away today, and you've got more than enough reason to drink yourself to sleep.

Still, it is okay to laugh every once in a while in the face of overwhelming darkness, and what screams fun more than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

Well, technically, Ninja Turtles 1, 2, and TMNT were all way more fun. But the newest Turtles film still ninja beats the crap out of that awful Ninja Turtles 3 movie that was absolutely NOT called Turtles in Time. Yes, they did go through time, but no, it wasn't the name of the goddamn movie! Get your shit straight, fanboy.

Anyway.

You might recall in a previously bold article that I proclaimed the new Turtles movie would probably be awesome because they're still the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Micheal Bay has a way of making fun blockbusters. Some people doubted my sincerity, while others refuse to believe the new film would ever stack up against a rich history of ninja action that we already treasure.

Did the new film make me scream COWABUNGAAAAA? Or did it strike hard and fade away without a trace?

The New Ninja Turtles Will Be Awesome...Probably

We get in a lot of heated debates at Gaming Grounds. A lot of them revolve around comics and video games, and whenever I bring up something like politics the conversation always seems to steer back to if Superman is better than Batman.

For the record, SUPERMAN IS BETTER THAN BATMAN. Anyone who convinces himself that Batman could take Superman on in a one on fight better check their vitals. They very well may have OD'd on that Kool Aid.

A hot topic at ye olde gaming store right now is the upcoming Ninja Turtles movie. I'm of the personal belief that the movie is going to be a fun filled romp for the whole family, but more than a few of my friends have expressed concern that Michael Bay is going to "ruin another franchise."

Which is an odd statement, because I'm looking at the box office receipts for the Transformers series and everything is solid here. Has anyone actually watched the old Transformers cartoon? Yeah, it was really good when I was 10. So was the Mario Bros. cartoon, and Legend of Zelda's, and a plethora of old programs we remember through rose colored glasses. Go back and watch them now and tell me they still hold up.

I can hear at least half of you saying "they still hold up!" Shut up. You're too kind or too easy to impress.

There are some programs that are still solid. The 90's Batman cartoon is still amazing to watch. Darkwing Duck is still a favorite of mine to go back to. The Simpsons episodes of the 90's were the most entertaining of all animated programs in the history of animation, and that's a statement I will stand behind and defend until my dying breath.

And then there were the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

See You on the Other Side, Egon....

I delayed writing this. I didn't want to write this.

I'm still going through my news feed on Facebook and sharing all of the wonderful posts dedicated to the memory of Harold Ramis. I still feel a sting every time I like another picture, another editorial, and another testimonial of just how important he was to the entertainment community.

If you grew up in the 1980's you knew his work. If you were as obsessed with his work as I am, you know everything he had a hand in. He will always be remembered for his catalog of comedy blockbusters, but like so many others, I will always remember Harold Ramis as Dr. Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters.

Ghostbusters is the greatest movie ever made. I say that with absolutely no hesitation or reservations. I saw Ghostbusters before I could even comprehend movies, and I've watched it so many times that I can literally quote it forwards and backwards. I've never lost interest in it or been bored by it. The jokes still have the same impact, the ghost still look just as cool, and I still watch it with the same kind of awe and wonder as I did when I was a child.

Ghostbusters has influenced my life more than anything else I've ever experienced. I mean that. It has influenced my personality, my writing style, and more than anything, it has fueled my belief in the paranormal. Anyone that knows me knows that I have a fascination with the paranormal that borders on obsession. It all began with those cool guys in the gray uniforms, who saved the day with their fantastic proton packs while cruising around in the insanely awesome Ecto One. Watching Ghostbusters 1 and 2 made me want to become what we would now call a ghost hunter. Unfortunately, the technology isn't quite there yet to actually bust them. Still, there is nothing more that I would rather do than chase ghosts. I thank Ghostbusters for expanding my horizons.

And I owe Harold Ramis for the gift he gave me. Once upon a time I just loved his movies without ever actually attaching him to them. As I grew older and became more cognizant of the inner workings of films, I began to appreciate Ramis more. He wasn't just Egon, after all. He was a fantastic actor, writer, and director. His films truly defined a generation, and they're still leaps and bounds ahead of the tripe that Hollywood puts out yearly. His humor, wit, and self reflection were prominent in his films, and it's that personal touch that I'll remember Harold Ramis for the most.

His influence on me extended far past his professional work. I never met the man, but I felt like he was a part of the family. I never had much family, and the heroes that filled the silver screen were always closer to me than anyone I shared blood with.

I never thought I would have to write this, or share why this hurts so much in a public way. I assumed he would never die, but if he did I was positive it would be so far into the future that I wouldn't be doing this kind of stuff anymore.

But here I am with tears welling up as I have to speak my peace about the immortal Harold Ramis. I feel like a child who has just learned about death for the first time, and it brings back those kind of awful feelings that I discovered when my mother passed away. I wish I could think of the right words to say to convey how important his loss is for me, but the poetic farewell I want to write is lost in a sea of memories and emotions.

I will miss Harold Ramis. He was a true talent, a legend, and a personal hero of mine. I only hope that there is something on the other side, and maybe some day I can speak to him in death the way I always wanted to in life.

God bless you, Harold Ramis. Thank you for everything you've done for me.

A Little Music Magic

For the new year I got to go watch "Saving Mr. Banks." I loved the film and it reminded me of the masterminds behind all of the great music in "Mary Poppins." For the Sherman brothers it was their first major job, but it wouldn't be their last. They've contributed music to movies, television and even the stage.

Growing up I never knew who these men were but I have loved many of the movies that their work has been a part of. I discovered a wonderful documentary on these two a couple of years back, "The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story", I highly recommend it to any Disney fan. It gives a lot of great insight to these two great song writers, who by the way are the evil geniuses behind "It's a Small World." Yes that overly cheery, get stuck in your head song that everyone knows was there doing.

Since I have been humming there work for a little over a week now, I've decided to share another top ten list with you all. So for your listening pleasure I give to you my top ten favorite Sherman brother songs..... I didn't mean to but they all ended up being Disney works....


10: "The Ugly Bug Ball" from "Summer Magic"

This silly little number it brought to life by none other than Burl Ives. I'll admit I've never actually watched "Summer Magic" but this song was on one of my Disney Classics albums and always stood out as a fun silly song. It's easy to find yourself singing along and is simple to learn the words to. Though I kinda prefer the sing-a-long song video better than the movie clip since it's played with clips from a Disney Silly Symphony "Woodland Cafe" mixed in, but for this I wanted to stick to the original format.

9: "Feed the Birds" from "Mary Poppins"

Richard Sherman said that is was Walt Disney's favorite song. As a kid I always got bored at this part of the movie, but over the years it has truly grown on me. Any more it is very hard for me to not tear up a bit whenever I hear it. When they played a raw version of it in "Saving Mr. Banks" I seriously almost started crying. It just tugs at your heart.

8: "The Beautiful Briny Sea" from "Bedknobs and Broomsticks"

This scene was what made me love "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" as a kid, and it remains one of my favorite Disney sequences still. It was originally written for "Mary Poppins" but cut for story continuity. It found the light of day though in this movie as a great transition before the main characters find their way to the main land of this animated world. I love all of the fish, and the dancing lobsters the most.

7: "I Wanna be Like You" from "The Jungle Book"

"The Jungle Book" was the last animated film to personally have Walt Disney's direction. This is another song that you just can't help singing a long to. You can't go wrong with upbeat fun in animated classics. This isn't one of my favorite Disney films, but I did always love the music from it. I like Louie better on Tale Spin though....

6: "Let's Get Together" from "The Parent Trap"

This song is probably the main reason I like "The Parent Trap." It's just so catchy and peppy. I love it.  Plus it always blew my mind a bit that this was Miss Bliss from "Saved by the Bell" when she was younger. I'll take the Hayley Mills version over the Lindsay Lohan remake any day... though I'll admit the remake wasn't bad.

5: "The Monkey's Uncle" from "The Monkey's Uncle"

How can you go wrong with Annette Funicello and The Beach Boys? This is another one that I've never watched but my Disney Classics albums put it in my Disney library. It's got that classic 60's beach rock that you can't help to tap your foot or bob your head to.

4: "Jolly Holiday" from "Mary Poppins"

This was always the part in "Mary Poppins" that I looked forward to the most as a kid. I've always been a sucker for animation and naturally the sings attached are ingrained into my mind.  Dick Van Dyke said that he loved doing this part of the film because his first love was mime and working with animated characters the experience was quite similar.

3: "Let's Go Fly a Kite" from "Mary Poppins"

This is just a feel good song. It makes you want to sing a long and skip with a big smile plastered on your face. It's test segment in "Saving Mr. Banks" hand me grinning from ear to ear, and tears streaming down my cheeks at the same time. Because of that I have to share both the original and newer clips with you.

2: "Chim Chim Cheree" from "Mary Poppins"

This is the one that I can't stop singing. I won't be doing anything in particular and I'll just start humming or singing it. There's a reason it won an Oscar. Now let's all sing-a-long this time.... cause I'm gonna any way.

1: "The Age of Not Believing" from "Bedknobs and Broomsticks"

I know, I know it's not what you may have been expecting, but this is my favorite Sherman brother song. I find it to be inspiring whenever I'm in a creative rut. I think that everyone has gone though a stage of giving up on dreams but it's something that doesn't have to be left behind. This song makes me cry because it strikes the heart and soul, but it's those same reasons that I know it by heart and love it.

There you have my personal favorite works of these two artist. They may have worked in the shadows, but their creations are well know by many.

 

 

 

Left: Robert B. Sherman 1925-2012   Right: Richard M. Sherman 1928 - present

Live Love...Disappointment

In the year 1999 an alien space craft crashed on a small island in the Pacific ocean and would change the coarse of human history. Sadly this didn't happen in real life but anyone who was a fan of Robotech was waiting for it to come true when the fateful year rolled around.

Robotech aired in 1985, back when most animated shows were required to have at least 65 episodes in order to air. This 85 episode series was a collaborative project that reworked three preexisting Japanese cartoons into one series. Each of these cartoons would serve as a separate, but linear story for the over all series.

Despite being out of the spot light for many years, most anime fans of the 80's and 90's will know what it is if you say it's name. For some it can start a conversation that could go on for days. Granted I was a child of the 80's but Robotech didn't hit my radar until I was in high school. Cartoon Network was just starting to plan anime regularly in their new Toonami line up. With Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z already being popular hits in the line up they brought out Robotech to fill another genre of the medium. I watched the first episode, that they had a special airing of one Saturday night, and to be honest I wasn't really interested. I watched it off and on for a few episodes and still nothing really grabbed me.

Then "Bye Bye Mars" aired. The back story of, cranky first mate, Commander Lisa Hayse made me see her in a new light. There was a reason she was so damn by the book and hard. From there the episodes just got better. I wasn't disappointed again until the end of The Robotech Masters saga when rather than started the third story arch, The New Generation, Cartoon Network started back over at the episode one. What the hell? what about the new threat to Earth? Who are these Inivd? I needed to know. I wouldn't get to know. Cartoon Network never aired the final arch.

Once I started college Robotech was being released on dvd. Finally I was able to see the end of the series. I enjoyed it but like many fans I was left with questions. What happened to Rick Hunter and the rest of the SDF-3's crew? Where were the first generation Robotech fighters when all this chaos was going on back on Earth? Granted I had discovered the novels that retold the series and beyond, but as much as I liked reading them it wasn't the same as getting to watch.

In 2005, Robotech:Shadow Chronicles, was announced. It had been twenty years since the show was produced and fans were excited about the new project. The new story took place right where the series ended, brought back old familiar faces as well as some new ones. Most of the original cast returned as well, which own them big points in my book. It was amazing and got fans pumped back up about the older series. Remastered versions of the show were put out, as well as releases of the books and RPG resources. Hints of new projects were flying around, including more animated films and shorts, and the big news a live action film. Not much has been heard of the live action film in a while but just this past week a new animated feature was released; Robotech: Live Love Alive.

I was psyched, finally something new from Roboetch. Granted to see it I was going to have to buy Shadow Chronicles again, since they came bundled together, but I was willing to do that. While out doing some necessary errand running for the week, I tracked down a copy. DVD in hand it was only a matter of time now before the viewing goodness.

Live Love Alive, goes back to the Freedom Fighters of The New generation. This tale takes a closer look at Lancer "Yellow Dancer" Belmont and his role in the war. I love Lancer, he's an awesome character. An injured soldier running form the Invid, who's only chance at survival is to cross dress as a girl to go undetected. Then take that same female disguise and add a need for musical performance and Yellow Dancer is born. I love how Lancer's comfort level, be it as himself or as yellow, tends to make people awkward in one way or another. All and all this should have been a good movie, but I feel cheated.

Remember when Itchy and Scratchy got their own movie? There was that little tag at the end, what was it....

53% new footage.

In Live Love Alive, it's closer to 15% new animation and that's being generous. It's one over inflated recap episode. Basically they condensed the 3rd arch in 89 min. and added a some out of place CG of the mechs in space.

There was a small scene at the beginning, while they explained about the arrival of the Invid, that they showed some cool new footage of the Southern Cross Army and we get an updated design for Dana Sterling of the 15th squadron. Of the new footage it was by far the best looking.

Other wise the only other "new" animation was at the very end. It was of Lancer and Sera showing that they did end up together. That's all good and fine, but if you've read "The End of the Circle" (vol. 18 of the Robotech novel series) you already knew this. Plus they hinted at it pretty good at the end of the series as it was. It wasn't even done that well. I enjoyed the old reused animation better.

All I can say is that "Shadows Raising", the long delayed sequel to Shadow Chronicles, had better be freaking amazing to make up for this sad excuse for a feature. Maybe I'm at fault for not researching it enough first, but I was disappointed with what I got.

The Good Old Days....

 

I recently got around to watching "Oz the Great and Powerful". I enjoyed it, but it really just made we want to watch "The Wizard of Oz" again. I loved that movie as a kid and could probably still quote along with it. It's just one of those movies that stuck with me as I grew up.
It got me thinking about what films I watched over and over again, and yet I could still go back to them now and love them just as much if not more. So I present to you ten films that can sum up my childhood.

Wesley Snipes - Freedom at last!

Proving that not even the United States government can keep a good vampire hunter down, badass actor

Wesley Snipes was released from prison today. 

He's been serving a couple of years for holding back some taxes owed to Uncle Sam, who may or may not be a vampire. Apparently protecting the nation from the scourge of the night isn't enough for big government, who saw fit to lock away Passenger 57. 

If they were being generous, they could have at least blocked Blade's movie "Gallowwalkers"  from ever seeing the light of day.

A farewell to Roger Ebert - or - The creeping realization of mortality

Roger Ebert died today. If that seemed sudden, I was hoping to reproduce the feeling I had when I read those words on IGN.com earlier.

Actually, let me go back and start this story from the beginning.

I realized recently that I've been sitting on the side lines for too long.



I started this blog years ago when it was a completely useless place for me to vent randomly and incoherently. I called it "Blogs THEY Don't Want You to Know About" because I had just been discussing this Kevin Trudeau guy with a coworker at GameStop. If you don't know who he is then you probably haven't been ripped off by him, but he put out a bunch of self help books that THEY don't want you to know about. As far as I know, he never specified who "they" were, but the title seemed catchy enough for me to rip off so I did and a seldom viewed blog in a sea of bloggers was created.

Fast forward to last year, and I decided to dust off the old keyboard and bitch about random things again. I had a couple of readers and developed an inflated sense of self importance. It wasn't until my interview with the lovely Christine Adams that people really started to take notice though. Suddenly my ramblings weren't enough to keep up with all the visitors I had to the blog, so I brought in some friends and like minded souls to share their insights as well. Things went well as I balanced the rechristened Blogzilla 1985 with my work for MMOSite.com, but I quickly found myself writing more for other sites than my own.

I have a new day job that lets me work with video games again, and that's swell. I've been getting more and more back to the old Shannon that existed before life took its Wiffle Bat of General Discomfort and smashed my teeth out. All was well, except for the thing I cherished most - my creativity.

It's been over a month since my last article and I missed connecting with my readers. I missed tricking myself into thinking people cared about my overwhelmingly biased and poorly written opinions.

I wanted back in.

It's not that Melissa, Lindsey, and Phil weren't doing well on their own. I enjoy their work and they bring a diversity to my site that is sorely needed. Also, the rest of the gang is still here, probably. Louie is off being a celebrity with DDP, Jake Roberts, and Scott Hall. Oz and Caz may very well have died, though.

But, for all of their hard work and talent, Blogzilla 1985 is my baby. It needs me as much as I need it. I decided to make my presence felt again and really push BZ85 to the next level that I had plans for before life managed to screw it all up.

I needed a first article, though. I wanted something topical to bounce back with. My original plan was to talk about the new MMO/TV hybrid "Defiance." Idea number two was to talk about Disney closing down LucasArts and what that meant to me as an old school gamer.

But then, with a heavy heart, I read what would be the real focus of this article. Roger Ebert passed away today after a long painful battle with cancer. I never want to write an article that deals with the loss of life, but his was a life that I had long admired. No, I didn't have to write this article - I needed to. It's people like Roger Ebert that made me realize the value of an opinion. An article about his loss is the least I could do in return.

Just like anyone else with dreams of Hollywood, I grew up watching Roger Ebert. I was introduced to his unique brand of infotainment by way of his weekly show with Gene Siskel, who sadly passed away many years ago now. Watching those two argue about movies was sometimes more entertaining the film they were reviewing.

Two memories stand out to me specifically. The first was when they reviewed "Mortal Kombat" and didn't completely tear it apart. I remember being so happy and so proud because I loved the movie, and if both Siskel and Ebert hated something I loved I kind of felt like maybe I was wrong. In this particular case they agreed that Christopher Lambert, some great choreography, and cheap CG made for a damn entertaining film. The second was an episode of the Simpsons, where a faux Siskel and Ebert argued childishly over the newest McBain film. Homer chuckles at the screen and talks about how much he enjoys watching the fat one argue with the bald one.

I could relate. For years I watched every week on WPSD Channel 6 as Siskel and Ebert waxed poetic on the latest and greatest hits. For a time I no longer wanted to write films - I just wanted to review them. You may not know who wrote some of your favorite films, but you'd be hard pressed to find someone who had never seen Siskel and Ebert. They were the tinsel town equivalent of Santa Claus, Hulk Hogan, or that guy from the Old Spice commercial. You know the one I'm talking about. The guy!!!

When Siskel passed away you could tell it just wasn't the same for Roger. He started to do the show with a revolving door of co-hosts before the producers settled on Richard Roeper. They had a nice chemistry together, but it was a timid substitute for the fire that burned between two long time friends and rivals. I'm not trying to take anything away from Roeper, who is a damn fine writer and entertainer in his own right. Siskel and Ebert were just so incredible together that replacing either one with anyone else would have created the same result.

It was during Ebert's time with Roeper that I began to think about my own mortality. Gene Siskel was such a presence that I still held on to child like beliefs that someone like that could never die. He would live to be a thousand and I would always turn on the TV late on the weekends to see him and Roger sparring over the flavor of the week. When he died I realized that no one lives forever, and that time was much like it was described in Anna Nalick's most famous song - an hour glass glued to the table. I began to notice that no one lives forever, faces fade, and time is an unforgiving bastard.

Ebert's health deteriorated over the years as his battle with cancer turned into a merciless war. I remember seeing the Esquire cover where he first appeared without his jaw and being frightened of what I saw. It wasn't the way he looked that frightened me. I've seen my share of horrors, and a courage man battling a terrible disease did not frighten me. No, it was the fact that this was not the same man I watched every week that made me uneasy. I remember how Roger Ebert looked, as if he were a member of my family that I visited with when I could. This face I saw now was familiar but unsettling, and the article that was attached to it stated very matter-of-factly that he was dying. I know why that face made me feel so horribly now. I was staring into the eyes of my own eventual demise. I was looking at the face of the future, where you can't stop time and everything you know will eventually disappear.

The news of Roger Ebert's death cemented my fear that I will die some day. I will keep getting older day by day, regardless of what I accomplish or how much time I waste. I can count every second of every day or just sleep for a week straight and it will come to the same finale - my finale. As I grow older, more and more of the people I grew up idolizing pass away. Roger Ebert isn't just a loss for me as someone I respected and emulated. His death signifies the very real outcome that I will some day leave this world behind, and everything I cherish within.

Roger Ebert loved his work very much, and even greater was his love for his wife Chaz and his longtime friend Gene Siskel. I can respect the man for his many accomplishments and contributions to the world of entertainment, but I will mourn the man for the aspects that you don't normally care about when it comes to a celebrity. We so often criticize the bad and judge the mistakes that we become jaded to the fact that this very real person is gone. Ebert had no addictions. nor did he live a careless life that ended his existence too early. He was seventy years old when he died, and if any man had lived a full life it would be him.

I can only hope that if I, God forbid, live to be seventy I can say I lived a life half as meaningful as his was. I know I cannot escape death, and though I struggle daily with the fear of leaving everything behind for the great unknown, I take solace in the little things. I enjoy things like the warmth of a loving soul, the crispness of a cold Pepsi, and the starry eyed innocence of a child so enamored with two complete strangers talking about films like they were the most important creations on Earth.

Thank you, Roger. As cliched as it may sound, the balcony is now closed.

I think the man himself said it best in a sadly prophetic post earlier this week about his decision to slow down his work load due to the reemergence of cancer.

"So on this day of reflection I say again, thank you for going on this journey with me. I'll see you at the movies."


I highly recommend you read Esquire's piece on Roger Ebert as it a fascinating look into the waning days of a once in a lifetime celebrity. For your convenience you can read it here. 

A Musical Monolog - The Disney Villain's Birthright

Not to toot my own horn, but if there is one thing I know it's Disney songs. There are very few songs that I don't know by heart and can identify after just a few notes. Then again I've also made it a point over the years to have copies of all the soundtracks, be it digital MP3 files and cd's or the classic vinyl albums and cassettes of old. One of my prized pieces is a vinyl copy of the "Sleeping Beauty" soundtrack that my college roommates gave me as a gift.

Of all the songs Disney has produced over the years I always find myself drawn to the Villains' songs. Their monologs to music, be it praising themselves or spouting out their master plans, have always been memorable moments. I've seen several best of lists out there, but this time it's my turn. My basis for this list is not only the quality of the song but the visuals that go along with it. That instant that the character starts singing and you know they are the force of evil at work. Music and color are the keys to emotional impact in animation and the following songs all demonstrate this.

With no further ado I give you my top ten Disney villain songs.....

Tis the Season...

Pac-Man Christmas special. Watch it if you never have. It's terrible.

That time of year has rolled around again. I personally am having a hard time getting into the spirit of things so far, partly because of the warm weather we've been having. I grew up in northwestern Pennsylvania, I'm use to being buried in snow by now, but instead here in the Midwest, we're having days hitting seventy. Merry Christmas you don't need a jacket.

One of the things I look forward to every year, besides making cookies and decorating my tree, is watching Christmas specials and movies. I haven't had tv in a couple of year though so I've been making do with picking up my favorites on dvd and blue ray. I wanted to share a few of them with you. Maybe you'll decide to add them to your holiday watch list, if they're not on it already.

My top 15 favorite Christmas specials and movies.

The Greatest Movies You've Never Seen

We at Team BZ85 pride ourselves on bringing you the best in entertainment. But we know that, more often than not, today's entertainment is an awful experience reserved only for the worst kind of liberals in Hell. So, once in a while, we like to bring to your attention something truly great!

Now, we don't know why you've never seen these classics. Maybe you grew up in the wrong time period, maybe you're poor and can't afford a television, or maybe you're just the kind of idiot who would rather watch Honey Boo Boo.

We don't judge here. We save that for when you leave. In the mean time, enjoy this installment of The Greatest Movies You've Never Seen.

Hearts of the Art

Animation is one of my passions, even if I'm not currently doing anything with my degree in it. Needless to say it's all around us in commercials, TV shows, movies and web videos. It touches young and old in all corners of the world. But how often do you really think about who's making Hank Hill say "I sell propane and propane accessories."?

That's what I'm here for. To help toss out a few names of the people who have made the genre of animation what it is today. There's a long list of animation greats out there. I'll be bringing to light some names you may already know and several you may not. Heck some of them I only know about because of my beginning animation class back in the day. One thing will be for sure the men and women I choose to cover will have something in common.

They are at the heart of their art.

This is Halloween....but I Don't Want to Scream...

I love this time of year. The weather is cooling off, the trees are all brightly colored, and there's an excuse to walk around in public in costume. Not to mention candy is everywhere. 

While most people take October to indulge in all their favorite horror movies I look forward to my favorite Halloween specials. I've never been a big fan of being scared. I rarely ever watched horror movies on my own growing up. Though now they seem to be played all the time since it's my sweetie's favorite movie genre. I've gotten better about being able to watch them. I just don't handle gore and slasher/torture stuff very well. 

I would like to share with you some of my all time favorite non-scary Halloween movies and specials, along with a few spooky themed animated shorts.

Hearts of the Art

Animation is one of my passions, even if I'm not currently doing anything with my degree in it. Needless to say it's all around us in commercials, TV shows, movies and web videos. It touches young and old in all corners of the world. But how often do you really think about who's making Bender tell people to bite his shiny metal ass?

That's what I'm here for. To help toss out a few names of the people who have made the genre of animation what it is today. This is where Shannon will be rolling his eyes and saying "great she's gonna go on about Tim Burton and John Lasseter again." Which I will, but not right away. I don't want to be that predictable right from the get go. Besides there's a long list of animation greats out there. I'll be bringing to light some names you may already know and several you may not. Heck some of them I only know about because of my beginning animation class back in the day. One thing will be for sure the men and women I choose to cover will have something in common.

They are at the heart of their art.

 

What's Happening Wednesday

Hey hey hey, it must be What's Happening Wednesday! Each day after Tuesday and before Thursday I like to take a look at some of the interesting stories going around and give you, the loyal reader, my keen observations about them.

And if we can't find anything good to write about, we'll just make it up.