The Persia Bum

It’s Memorial Day and ever since I was a kid, the kick-off of summer was always synonymous with the release of all the summertime blockbusters. Sure, Hollywood has decided to change some of that magic by starting to release their potential big hits in the beginning of May, but I won’t let them change my psychologically dysfunctional youth instilled traditions So, it’s show time. There were two huge movies that came out this weekend, Sex and the City 2, and Prince of Persia. The choice wasn’t really that difficult between the two.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is based on the popular video game, and is good, but it’s also just another standard Jerry Bruckheimer produced action movie. There were plenty of cool fight scenes and special effects, but Prince never really lived up to it’s much hyped potential. It was just another popcorn movie, fun, but empty and predictable. Disney hinted in the past that they wanted this to become another mega-hit like the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise. It won’t even come close. Prince, in its first weekend, couldn’t even outperform the second week showing of Shrek Forever After, at the box office; it didn’t even beat out Sex and the City 2. So, it is going to be tough for Prince of Persia to recoup its $200 million dollar price tag at the box office, and even tougher to become a franchise.

This is supposed to be Jake Gyllenhaal’s biggest role as a leading man. He is solid, and it is well known that he worked out like an animal to fit the part. My wife said “the movie was ok, but I got to stare at muscle-y, sweaty Jake for two hours”….so she was happy. Hey, I got to look at the leading lady Gemma Arterton for two hours, so we called it even.

I think Gyllenhaal was solid and has always had great screen presence, but he played the part too straight. It didn’t seem as if he allowed himself to have any fun with the character, he let the script and the action do all the work for him. That is actually only one of the things that won’t make it the next Pirates. Persia doesn’t have any of the fun memorable characters that Pirates did. Jake had a great opportunity to take a brand new movie character and make it his own, but he played it safe.

The supporting characters do a better job at holding your attention while on screen. Ben Kingsley plays Nizam, the prince’s uncle, and is great as always, but it was Alfred Molina as the shady businessman, Sheik Amar that really stole the show. Molina provided some great comic relief to the film, and was even part of a nice homage to one of his classic early roles in beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s quick, but if you’re a fan you’ll see it. It was a cool moment.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is just another big budget, special effects laden, mindless summer movie. Sure, you’ll get some eye candy, amazing fights, and visually stunning special effects, but it still seemed like something was missing. We left saying “ehhh, it was good, not great, but good.” Hey, at least I didn’t have to go see Sex and the City 2.

The Hopper Bum

The late sixties through the mid-seventies, was to me, the second renaissance of Hollywood. Independent filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Francis Coppola, and Steven Spielberg were breaking all the rules. They were showing the entire entertainment industry that there is more then one way to make a film. The golden age of formulaic film making was over.

Dennis Hopper was one of the guys from that time that had truly left an indelible mark on Hollywood. He started out as just another actor, and got his big break in “Rebel Without a Cause”. Then he moved on to a whole bunch of TV and film roles, including working with James Dean again in “Giant”. It was only after he wrote and directed Easy Rider that Hopper was truly able to be Hopper.

Peter Fonda said “We rode the highways of America and changed the way movies were made in Hollywood. I was blessed by his passion and friendship."

He became a hellraiser, a wildcat. Hopper probably did every drug in Hollywood, and he either made the people he met the best of friends, or the worst of enemies. The stories range from smoking pot on-camera on the set of Easy Rider along with Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson, to pulling a knife on Rip Torn in 1992 at a pre-production meeting of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

One of my favorite Hopper stories was something I read in the book “Easy Riders and Raging Bulls”. (An amazing book, by the way) According to the book when Hopper was on the set of a film he would be on a number of different drugs at any given time of the day. He would smoke a joint and be completely relaxed, and then while the director switched camera angles, or any break was taken, Hopper would do some blow, and be absolutely hyped up. The shots just wouldn’t match up. The producers could not get him to stop no matter what they tried. Eventually they got to a point were they figured, if can’t beat the flow, then we might as ride it. They needed Hopper to be who they needed him to be for the shot. They put indicators on his sides for the day that told him which drug he could be on, for each particular scene. If they needed him to be calm for a scene they told him he could smoke weed for that and well you can figure out the rest. Hopper was uncompromising in his films, and especially in his personal life. He even had a funny side, using Alan Smithee as one of his aliases. (Google it if you don’t know who Alan Smithee is)

There aren’t many Hollywood icons left in the world, and today we lost one of them. So I will leave you with this………………

A quote from Dennis Hopper in Easy Rider:
“No, man, like hey, man. Wow. I was watching this object man, li-like the satellite that we saw the other night, right? And, like, it was going right across the sky, man, and then... I mean it just suddenly, uh, it just changed direction and went whizzin right off, man. It flashed.........”

………….Don‘t stop chasing the flash Dennis, and thanks for the memories.


The best of Dennis Hopper
Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
Giant (1956)
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
Easy Rider (1969)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Blue Velvet (1986)
Hoosiers (1986)
True Romance (1993)
Speed (1994)
24 (2001 – season one)

The Invictus Bum

You can think if this as just another sports movie, but it’s not. It’s just another movie. Maybe if I was a fan of rugby I would have thought of it differently. Sure it was inspiring to a point, but if you want to see a great non-fiction sports movie that deals with race relations, rent “Remember the Titans”. If you want experience some of the true life events that led to Nelson Mandela’s post election popularity in South Africa, and his first step to bring peace to the post apartheid nation, then you will like Invictus. Mandela did have the right idea nothing brings people closer together then the joy of watching their team victorious. Just attend any one of the New York Yankees ticker tape parades in NYC and you will see what I mean.

Back in 1994, after Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) was elected President of South Africa, he knew that he needed a way to unite his country. He felt that his best option was getting them to connect by cheering for an under performing national rugby team to win the 1995 world cup. He enlisted the help of team captain Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon) to get his team to be proud once again to be wearing their colors, and their country.

Clint Eastwood has always been a great director, as well as an iconic actor, but compared to many of his other films this one falls a little short. It was a good movie, but not a great movie. I think a great sports movie should give you chills when the crowd roars, or make you clench with anticipation for the title team to win it all. The message was there, but the drama was not.

Was I happy when they won? Sure. Did I care enough to jump on facebook and tell everyone to rent this as soon as possible? Nope. Sorry Clint, you’re good, and so was the movie, but I still expected better.

The Idol Bum

Yes, I watch American Idol. To be honest there have been many times that I do enjoy the show, but I probably wouldn’t watch it as much if my wife didn’t love it. That being said tonight was the season nine season finale and the last show for Simon Cowell. The producers of the finale tried to put together a star studded music fest full of emotional goodbyes to Simon, as well as a huge amount of returning contestants including 7 out of the 8 past winners. There were duets with the contestants and performances by Bret Michaels, The Bee Gees, Janet Jackson, Chicago (sans Peter Cetera), Christina Aguilera, Hall and Oates, Alanis Morrisette, Michael McDonald, and Joe Cocker. Any other time I probably would have said that this was a fun two hours of music, but this time the producers were able to turn the season nine finale into a complete bore fest.

Simon Cowell has always been loved and hated for his straight forward thinking, and overall rudeness, or honesty, depending on how you looked at it. I always thought he was the smartest guy on the show, and after seeing the finale, let alone the whole season, Simon is just proving that he is still the smartest guy in the room, by leaving. Next year Simon will be on the American version of his UK talent show The X-Factor.

There was not one exciting or musically enjoyable moment in the entire two hours. Sure, it was cool seeing all the past winners together on stage (all but David Cook was there), and it was great seeing Bret Michaels up and around singing “Every Rose Has It Thorn”. Also, Janet looked great, as always, but still the show was still awkward and lackluster.

The biggest joke of the night was a big version of the infamous song from the auditions called “Pants on the Ground”, not only did it feature the songs creator Larry Platt, but many of the notorious audition round rejects like William Hung. The whole thing was completely laughable.

When the big announcement was coming up I really didn’t care much. Then when Lee Dewyze was named the winner over Crystal Bowersox, I cared even less. Crystal should have been the clear-cut winner, and was a week-to-week consistent Janis-like joy to watch. She is an original talent, and even though she didn’t win it all, she will, with out a doubt, be a more commercially successful artist then Lee Dewyze. It just goes to show that as American Idol’s ratings decline over the years, it has become mostly teenage girls that are doing the voting. Over the last 3 years it has been young guys that have won, David Cook, Kris Allen, and now Lee Dewyze, all with the same sound.

American Idol will always be a success, but just like this years season finale it has become increasingly boring, and will never be the powerhouse it once was. The one thing that might bring it back its former glory is the person they pick to fill Simon’s chair, but even then it will always come down to the talent.

The Road Bum

The Road was released on DVD today and is based on the Pulitzer Prize winning book by Cormac McCarthy, the same author of No Country for Old Men. When I read The Road I considered it to be one of the best books I ever had the pleasure of opening. It literally gave me chills. The relationship between father and son, and their will to live was both unnerving and inspiring. The biggest challenge for anyone when adapting a successful book is capturing the same essence that made the book a success in the first place. It is a rare occasion that an adaptation can recreate the imagination of an author or the reader. When I first learned of the desire to adapt The Road in a movie I knew it would not be an easy project considering the nature of the story, the settings, or the minimal characters, so I could only hope that the heart of the story would be captured and everything else would fall into place.

Viggo Mortenson plays a man traveling through a post-apocalyptic America. You never really now what happened, or why, you are just forced to be engulfed in this new grey world just as they are. The man’s only job is to protect his son from this destitute land, and from the few survivors that are forced to cannibalism to survive. Along the way the man and his son encounter a band of cannibals that force him to use one of the last two bullets he has left in his gun. The bullets that they intended to commit suicide with once all hope was lost. Eventually their journey is set on the reaching the coast. The father knows that there is nothing there to help them, but also knows that he needs to continuously give his son hope. It is this hope that will give them their much needed will to live. The man knows that his only hope for peace is to give his son the skills to survive once he is gone. Which he knows in his heart is soon.

The movie does take some license by giving the man’s wife an expanded role in their back story, but I don’t think that it gave anything to the story of the man or his journey. In the book she was hardly ever mentioned, and it was that mystery of her absence that made their relationship so heartfelt.

Other then that I believe director John Hillcoat tries to stay true to the book, despite a few other changes and omissions, but sometimes there is just no way to capture the purity of words from these pages, or the vast universe that is the readers imagination. It’s no wonder why there are so few successful adaptations of novels, but when done correctly it can really be an amazing journey. The movie wasn't bad but, I really wanted it to live up to my experience reading it, but unfortunately, it didn’t. So maybe I’ll just go ahead and read the book again.

The 24 Bum

This is the second night in a row that an iconic television show has ended it’s run, I’ve got to say the last episode of 24 was so much more fun then Lost. While Lost kept you on the edge of your brain, 24 almost always kept you on the edge of your seat. I will always consider the first season of 24 as one of the best full seasons of television…….ever!

Kiefer Sutherland has been part of my pop culture almost my whole life. Sure it was nepotism that helped him get a leg up in Hollywood (we all know dad Donald), but it was roles in such movies as Stand By Me (Ace), The Lost Boys (David), and Young Guns (Doc) that put him on the map. Sutherland has been a mainstay in film in television since, but it was 24 that finally gave him an iconic lead character that fit him perfectly, and earned him an Emmy, Jack Bauer.

As Jack Bauer on 24 he fought family, friends, and enemies foreign and domestic, pretty much anyone that got in his way of upholding his beliefs. Sometimes it seemed as if it was him against the world, and he was the only one that knew the right thing to do, and would get the job done at any cost. His nobility and persistence to uphold the law and/or do what was right to reach his endgame was what made us all watch with bated breath as each second past while ….events occurred in real time. However, it was those values that put him in each of those nasty positions. It was Jack’s expertise that kept him one step ahead of everyone else. Jack Bauer was a victim of his own skills.

In the series finale Jack puts himself in a position set straight the events of the previous 22 hours. With his girlfriend murdered, and the government set to kill him Jack feels the need to expose a cover up and kill everyone involved to avenge her death, and the deaths of so many others. For the most part Jack has been alone on his missions throughout our 8 season history with him, but in the end even Jack Bauer couldn’t get to finish what he started without help from his friends, and it was President Taylor (played flawlessly by Cherry Jones) that was his final savior once she finally came to her senses. Jones told Newsweek magazine once that the model for her portrayal of President Taylor was based on a combination of Eleanor Roosevelt, Golda Meir, and John Wayne.

It was nice to see ex-President Logan (Gregory Itzin) finally get what he deserved, and take himself out like the coward that he was. It did seem apropos that he even screwed up shooting himself in the head. I liked the idea that he left himself alive with possible severe brain damage, kind of forcing himself to live as a prisoner in his own head.

There was only one thing that always bothered me about 24. For eight seasons I had to watch Chloe O’Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub) gripe, and complain about everything. I think that is probably the only character that I actually wanted to take a bullet. Even when she was appointed the head of CTU this season she was still such a whiner.

I do have the say though that the last scene when she is watching Jack on the monitor you can tell that she knows that it will be the last time she will ever see him. It was kind of a sweet goodbye for us the viewers as well. Sure, there could be a 24 movie, but tonight was the end of an era of television unlike any other. This show by no means would have worked before the DVR. There are so many people out there that probably never could have made the type of commitment that 24 asked of them, pre-DVR, but it was the right show that came along at the perfect time. Goodbye, Jack Bauer. We will miss you.

The Lost Bum

Is there really anything else to talk about? After six seasons Lost has finally come to an end, and has finally answered so many of the questions that it’s put out there. Not all of them, but most. The creators of Lost have still left a few things to interpretation that has the fans buzzing. It has been made clear though that title of the show was a representation of the characters souls.

Faith and religion has held a lot of water for the castaways over the years. In the finally, faith, communion, baptism, and peace were evident, but religion has been a part of the show from beginning to end. The castaways, in the end, have even met up with their loved ones in a church to guide each others souls to be at peace; a church that Jack’s father, the aptly named Christian Sheppard, said that they had built to meet each other. That’s why Ben couldn’t go inside, because he was not loved by them.

The eventual, and as Locke said obvious, leader was Jack Sheppard who had the overtones of Jesus himself. His sacrifices, his leadership, even the wound to his side ala Jesus on the cross. The show ended exactly as it started, with Jack in the bamboo field, and a close-up on his eye, this time though it was closing.

In the sideways worlds of the characters, each one of their “awakenings” of their time on the island was heart warming. They had this look of relief and rest. Once their awakening was apparent they knew what their next step was. They could finally meet each other at the church.

The episode explains so very much, but left plenty of questions on the table. Like what exactly was the island? What or who were Jacob and the man in black? Where the hell is Walt? Was it the electromagnetic energy of the island that made them time travel? How was it possible for the island to move? And was it the nuclear blast that put the island in the bottom of the sea?

Apparently producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse are putting together the season six dvd now, and it will contain many more answers. They could give us the answers now, but then how else would they make a boat load more money off of the dvds?

In the end we know that whatever happened on the island happened up until the nuclear blast, but why it happened and how, is still open to interpretation. Lost is one of those shows that will have a different meaning for different people and their diverse faiths. Everyone’s experience with the show is their own, and Lost’s meaning might be a debate for years to come.

The MacGruber Bum

Today was the opening of MacGruber the first Saturday Night Live character inspired movie in 10 years, and the first good one in almost 20 years. It was gross, perverted, over the top, and laugh out loud funny.

Will Forte plays MacGruber, a character based on MacGyver the television show that ran on ABC from 1985-1992. Forte takes the look and ideals from the original show, twists it up and throws it on its side. He is a highly decorated war hero that is a complete moron, and sexual deviant. His supporting cast played by Kristin Wiig, Val Kilmer, and Ryan Phillipe give Forte plenty of moments to work with, and he takes each opportunity above and beyond.

Ten years after MacGruber’s fiancé is killed at their wedding, her killer Dieter Von Cunth (Val Kilmer) resurfaces when he steals a nuclear missile, and MacGruber is lured back out of hiding to help the U.S. government catch him.

The whole film rests on Forte’s back, and he carries it beautifully teaching us so many lessons like, you should never pack your own explosives, the best way to get revenge on a guy that cuts you off while driving and that celery can be used for more things then you know of.

The last SNL film was The Ladies Man in 2000, and the last successful SNL movie was Wayne’s World in 1992. Wayne’s World was actually the most profitable SNL movie of all time, and the only one to ever make over 100 million dollars at the box office (121.7 million actually). I have a really good feeling that MacGruber is going to break that record.

I didn’t expect to like it. I was a huge fan of MacGyver when I was a kid, and was never an enthusiast of the quick SNL sketches, but Will Forte sold me. Since this was the first SNL movie on so long it was almost as if he knew how big of a deal this could be for him, and Lorne Michaels. So he seemed to say screw it, let’s go all out and leave nothing behind. I am so very excited to see the DVD, and find out what was left on the cutting room floor.

When this is successful it might create a resurgence of SNL movies just like Wayne’s World did in ’92. So what’s next? Gilly? DeAndre Cole (What up wit that?), or one of my favorites Vinny Vedecci?

This is the first great comedy of the summer, so go out have a drink with a few friends, then go laugh your ass off for an hour and a half.

The Rock Bum

For the past four seasons I, like many others, have enjoyed the beautiful work of Tina Fey on 30 Rock. The season four finale was in my mind, an instant classic. Tina Fey’s genius relies on two things, stating the obvious and throwing out ridiculous statements at odd times that make perfect sense for no reason at all, but they are still funny.

When 30 Rock started it was compared to, Live on the Sunset Strip, another show about the backstage antics of a sketch comedy show. Sunset was a dramedy that only lasted one season, and Tina Fey was catapulted to the hierarchy of female comedy in Hollywood. The comparisons ended there. All the fans know that it is mainly her writing, but every writer knows that words don’t matter much unless you have the right actors to bring them to the audience. The supporting cast is the cherry on top of the script.

Alec Baldwin has won multiple awards playing the stations top corporate executive, Jack Donaghy, and has reinvented his whole career with this role. His comic timing is spot on, and you’ll know, as a fan, that every scene he is in is going to be a fast lipped joy ride.

The show has made Jack McBrayer a household name. I think that it also did great things for the careers of Tracy Morgan and Jane Karkowski. Sure they had successful careers before this show, but these parts fit each of them like a glove.

The thing all revolves around Tina Fey, and her ability to keep us laughing. The great down to earth thing is that most of her jokes are at her own expense. She gets you to laugh with her, and at her, and she makes you feel like it’s o.k. to do it. She makes you feel like it’s o.k. to laugh at yourself.

The season finale guest starred Matt Damon, Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore and Will Forte, and they are just a couple of high profile guest stars that Fey has written for. There has also been Will Ferrell, Salma Hayek, Jon Hamm, Edie Falco, Steve Buscemi, Al Gore, Patti LuPone, and Whoopi Goldberg among so many others. Each and every one of them was a perfect fit wherever they were placed in the script.

30 Rock is one of those shows that only come around once and a while, and for the last four seasons I have greatly enjoyed it each and every time I’ve watched it. Here’s to the four seasons that have aired, and at least four more seasons of this ideal piece of comedy. So I say kudos to Hollywood for recognizing Tina Fey’s brilliance with the Emmys she’s deserved.

The Family Bum

O.K. it is sweeps week, that means it is the best time on television. That being said I am going with another T.V. show this week, and there will probably be a couple more before the week is out. At first I wanted to talk about the remake of one of my favorite childhood shows “V”, but then I watched the season finale of one of the best new shows of 2009/2010. I knew that this was the show I needed to focus on. I don’t think that I have met one person that has seen this new comedy that hasn’t said the word “I love Modern Family”.

The documentary style format isn’t new, but the non-stop hilarity of the Pritchetts and Dunpheys is delightfully new, and continues with every episode. The best thing about this show is that it delicately walks the line of the over the top comedy and totally unbelievable ridiculous family stories that actually happen to all of us.

It truly is the modern family. Jay is married to his second wife, Gloria, and her son from a previous marriage is Manny. Jay’s daughter Claire is married to Phil and they have three kids, Haley, Alex, and Luke. Jay’s son Mitchell is gay and he and his life partner Cameron have an adopted Asian daughter Lilly.

Each character has its own jagged piece of a dominating personality that fits in perfectly together to complete the perfect puzzle. (Forgive the imagery). Claire is a perfectionist, Phil is permanently optimistic, Haley is a typical teenage girl, and Alex is an extremely intelligent girl that is happy to remind all those around her with little quips, and mind games, Luke reminds us that ignorance is bliss. Jay wants to enjoy his young second wife, and the life he’s built for himself. Gloria is happy to have love in her life rather then a man with looks and a sense of adventure, Manny is the most mature kid in television history. Mitchell is a workaholic that still searches for his father’s approval; Cam has an undying lust for life, both are doting fathers to put it lightly, and Lilly, well she’s still a baby, but I am very excited for what the writers have in store for her when she does utter her first word.

The subtle and delicate issues that each family member possess in their own psyche make them the flawed enjoyable characters that we can identify with now matter what age you are. Through all the idiocy, and neurotic behavior the entire endearing group makes you do two things for a half an hour, …….simply smile! ……& ………laugh out loud!.

If you haven’t watched it then find it. Then laugh, then message me back and say …DANG!!!.......That was a funny ass show. So join the ranks of the “Modern Family”, and unveil the jagged peaces of your personality without fear so that your edges will fit perfectly into the Modern Family puzzle. Then again what family isn’t a puzzle? And when you can put all those pieces together flawlessly it will almost always result in a masterpiece, like ABC’s Modern Family.

The Castle Bum

The thing about T.V. nowadays is that everybody tries to be different. Everybody wants the next big thing. When I was a kid most television was so formulaic that sometimes the only way to tell the difference between them was the actor, character, or location, not much originality. In dramas, there was a crime, a criminal, and a resolution. In comedy, there was uncomfortable or misinterpreted situation that was always resolved by the last laugh. The emergence of cable has forced many producers to take every idea above and beyond. Shows like Lost, 24, The Shield, The Sopranos, and Battlestar Galactica reinterpreted what television can be, but it is nice to get back to that old formula every once and while. The show that brings me back to what I consider to be my golden age of television (late 70’s, early 80’s) is Castle.

The premise is simple. Rick Castle is a crime novelist that gets to ride around with the NYPD as they solve murders so that he can do research for his next series of novels. Nathan Fillion plays his role perfectly and is a whole lot of fun. He is an enjoyable man child that is great on screen, and his chemistry with his partner in crime is even better. Stana Katic plays Detective Kate Beckett, and is the perfect straight woman to his sarcastic attitude and adolescent like joy with each case they solve.

Castle is down-to-earth TV like most of fun shows that were on before the nineties. Shows like Riptide, The Rockford Files, Jake and the Fatman, Starsky and Hutch, Hunter, and so many more kept it simple, yet still brought the fans back for more. It just goes to show that you don’t have to have a series long mystery to make riveting television, or keep the viewers coming back. You can watch any one of the stand alone episodes of Castle to hit the ground running with the rest of the fans.

Last night’s episode was the season finale, but it is completely worth discovering some of the past episodes online, and then you can be just as excited for the third season Castle as I am. It’s just some good fun T.V……simple.

The Rivalry Bum

The competition between New York and Boston is as old as the U.S. itself. It all started with power and industry. So when the two cities first met in 1901 they became instant rivals. It was actually Boston that won the first World Series in 1903, but we all know that the Yankees became the most successful franchise in sports history.

Many of you that know me know that football is actually my favorite sport to watch. Hey, what can I say? Baseball can become extremely boring. However, this rivalry always has a certain electricity that doesn’t compare to any other. All fans love rivalry games, and sure there are plenty out there. Lakers/Celtics, Michigan/Ohio State, Ali/Frazier, and oh so many more, but it is Red Sox/Yankees that tops them all.

They have played a total of 2070 (not including tonight’s game), and the Yankees are on top 1,121–935–14(.541).

There are a lot of things that have added to fuel to the fire over the years, from the curse of the bambino, to the 1918 chants that started in 2000 to the Red Sox amazing comeback from a three game deficit in the 2004 ALCS. Not to mention, the Bucky Dent homerun in 1978, and the back to back to back to back homeruns from the Sox in 2007, to the bench clearing brawls, as well as the now infamous confrontation between Don Zimmer and Pedro Martinez. There is never a shortage of drama when these two teams meet up, and I dare you to try and find a ticket for any of the games, at either of the stadiums without dropping a small fortune.

So even if your not a Yankee or Red Sox fan you will still have fun watching these match-ups, because I guarantee that something will happen that will make sure that by the end of the game your alliance will lie with one of those storied franchises.

The Hangover Bum

Tonight is the premiere of The Hangover on cable, and of coarse I had to watch it..... again. Every once and a while a movie comes along that just raises the bar. This is one of those movies. There are very few movies that I actually watched in the theater twice, and once again this was one of them. “The Hangover” actually broke the box office record as the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time, beating out “Beverly Hills Cop” from 1984.

Pretty much everyone has seen it, but if you haven’t it a pretty simple story. Four guys go to Las Vegas to have a bachelor party for their friend. Fast forward to the morning after and join Phil, Stu, and Alan have to find the missing groom Doug, and try to figure out every thing that happened the night before. The rest is an hour and forty-five minutes of pure hilarity. The first thing my friends and I said to each other after watching the movie was “We’ve got to go to Vegas”.

As they get closer and closer to finding Doug they run into all of the ridiculous characters that they encountered last night. A stripper played by the eternally hot Heather Graham, the ever so agile Mr. Chow, played by Ken Joeng, Jeffery Tambor is perfect as Doug’s soon to be father in-law, and even Mike Tyson plays an integral part of the guys adventure. Yes, Mike Tyson.

Ed Helms plays Stu, a pussy whipped doctor that is worried at every turn, but eventually finds his backbone in Vegas. Bradley Cooper plays Phil, a nonchalant school teacher that actually steals cash from his students to go to sin city. However, it is Zach Galafianakis, as Alan that steals the show with lines like…… “I didn’t know they gave out rings at the Holocaust”, and “Tigers love pepper... they hate cinnamon”, and “He was a ri-tard”, and well……..I can go on forever, or at least an hour and forty-five minutes, but I shouldn’t because if you haven’t seen “The Hangover” you should seriously go watch it now. Or at least watch it again.

The Splinter Bum

Sometimes the best thing to do is camp out on the couch, and throw on a great video game. The right game will get you immersed immediately. When I was a kid I would probably try and play every game out there, but now that I’m older I pretty much only play the games that interest me. Even after playing for about an hour I start to think to myself “there is definitely something better I could be doing”, but the Splinter Cell series totally qualifies as an excellent time waster.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction is the fifth game in the series, and I’ve actually played every one of them. When Splinter Cell first came out it started a whole new genre of game.. ….stealth. Sure, there have been a couple of past games like Metal Gear that employed some stealth aspects, but it was Splinter Cell that perfected it. The game has been so popular that for the last couple of years Hollywood whispers have had George Clooney in the title role. A ideal fit if you as me.

As Sam Fisher, voiced by veteran character actor Michael Ironside, you are forced to take on your old black-ops government employer, Upper Echelon, in the hopes of finding the daughter you thought was dead. Actually, the story doesn’t matter it’s pretty much the game-play that makes it. It’s crisp and clean, easy on the eyes. Ducking around corners, silently taking out the enemy, shooting a sticky camera across the room have it make a noise to get the enemy to check it out, and then….BOOM! It’s another perfect trap. Drop from the ceiling, then SNAP! Enemy is gone. It is also the splinter cell iconic infrared googles that have a huge impact in keeping the game interesting. Finding the enemy through walls, and identifying the laser traps can change everything at a moments notice.

You can actually play this entire game without ever engaging any of the enemy. Sure, I do, because I like to shoot them in the head, even though I don’t have to. It’s about the way you move, it’s about figuring out puzzles, and it is no surprise that every one of the Splinter Cell games have been placed on the top 5 list of the year each year it’s come out.

Here's the trailer:

The 30-30 Bum

Today I watched the latest presentation of ESPN’s 30 for 30 series of 30 short film documentaries based on the most interesting sports issues of the last 30 years spanning 1979-2009. The episode I watched today was “Straight Outta L.A.” directed by Ice Cube. It tells the story of the NFL Raiders time in Los Angeles, and the effect that hip-hop had on the organization, the city, and vice-versa.

When hip-hop first broke out on the scene in L.A., it was N.W.A. that brought N.F.L. fashion to the fore front of music. The rap group needed to have an identifiable trademark, but didn’t want to be flashy. They let there voice be the loudest thing, and wore all black while donning a Los Angeles Raiders hat. The Raiders silver and black was a perfect fit. It gave them an identity, the L.A. gangs a neutral color to wear, and the Raiders became the number one marketable team in the country for several years.

I always knew about the Raiders indelible mark on the South Central and Compton communities in L.A., but it wasn’t until I watched this that I realized how big of an impact the hip-hop world and Raider-nation had on each other. At that time I believe the Raiders and N.W.A. would have the same adage….. loved or hated, but never ignored.

There are so many other 30 for 30 films that have already aired about Ali & Holmes, The L.A. Kings and Gretzky, The migration of the Baltimore Colts, and the literal trials and tribulations of the early life of Allen Iverson, and so many more. There is no way for me to go over all of them, so I’ll just mention a few. Such as:

“Run Ricky Run” by Sean Pamphilon & Royce Toni – Did you ever wonder what the hell was going through the mind of Ricky Williams when he decided to leave the glitz, glamour, and money of the N.F.L. to go “find himself”? Well you are not alone, and this film makes you wonder if Ricky is really crazy or one of the most sane, level headed, worldly people, anyone can meet.

“The Legend of Jimmy the Greek” by Fritz Mitchell – When I was a kid, my father would watch football every Sunday, and his favorite guy to watch was Jimmy the Greek. Jimmy was the blue collar guy on T.V. that everyone loved, except most of the people that worked with him. This film tells the tale of Jimmy’s upbringing, gambling, and his every-man persona that made him famous. It was also that, I can say anything attitude, and racial comments that was the cause of his downfall.

“Small Potatoes: Who killed the USFL?” From director Mike Tollin – The story of the rise and fall of the United States Football League, and how it changed the face of all of professional football. Believe it or not, it was Donald Trump that had a huge hand in changing the whole free agent market of the sport, and eventually in the opinion of many brought about the downfall of the league. My family actually had season tickets for the New Jersey Generals….Trump’s team.

Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks by Spike Lee – All about the tumultuous relationship between Reggie Miller and not only the Knicks, but the entire city of New York, including director Spike Lee. Reggie loved to break the hearts and spirits of Knick fans, especially Spike. As a Knick fan it was hard to watch, but riveting at the same time. Reggie Miller proved himself to be one of the biggest clutch players of all time.

That’s is the thing that I like about these 30 for 30 films, they give you so much in-depth information about these sports moments, that those moments become stories, and those stories become some of the things that change sports or even the world forever.

The Expenda Bum

The dream team of action movies is on the way, and I couldn’t be more excited. Today I watched the trailer for “The Expendables” and it looks awesome. Sylvester Stallone was able to accumulate some of the best action stars from the last 25 years in this blow ‘em up tour de force. Stallone also wrote and directed the movie, and that is going to make every guy say let’s go, and most girls say, hell no.

Either way this is one cheesy popcorn movie that makes me giddy with anticipation. Sure there are a lot of other action movies coming out this summer, but this one looks like it is unlike anything else. It is “The Dirty Dozen” of the new millennium. It’s over the top with ridiculous catch phrases, and way way to much violence…….perfect.

I really don’t think that Stallone has gotten the credit he deserves in Hollywood, or even by his fans. He has written and/or directed most of his biggest hits including the Rocky and Rambo movies, and even at the ripe old age of 64 shows no sign of slowing down. A fifth Rambo movie is in the works and set to be released next year.

“The Expendables” looks to be what a summer movie should be, and like I said the cast he put together are unlike any other. Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Ludgren, Steve Austin, Mickey Rourke, Randy Couture, Eric Roberts, Terry Crews, and of coarse Stallone himself in all of his snarling glory. It even features a couple cameos by the only other two guys that have made more money at the action movie box office then Stallone. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Bruce Willis add their faces to a couple of scenes, and I’m sure the studio made sure they ended up in the trailer. Stallone did try to get Jean-Claude Van Damme involved, but he turned it down claiming that there was no substance in the character.

Also, Wesley Snipes was offered a role but couldn't accept because, of his tax problems he wasn't allowed to leave the United States without the court's approval. The role was taken by Forest Whitiker and rewritten for him, but he was forced to leave the film due to a scheduling conflict. Then it was announced that rapper 50 Cent was replacing Whitaker, many fans were disappointed and, after a few days, Stallone decided to cast former NFL player Terry Crews in the part. Crews has been around along time, and trust me you know who he is. He is one of those actors that you see on the screen, and say “hey I know that guy”.

Steven Segal was offered a role as well, but turned it down do to personal issues with one of the producers, and Kurt Russell turned down a cameo because he didn’t want to be involved in "ensemble acting at the moment".

I have to hand it to Stallone, he did his best to put together a who’s who of wham bam movie stars, and through all the personalities and egos did a pretty good job. My only hope is that my anticipation doesn’t outweigh my enjoyment when it finally comes out in August. But hey, I’m not looking for an Academy Award winning film. Just two hours of fun in the theater, and from the trailer that looks like exactly what we are going to get.

The Breaking Bum

It took me a while but I finally got into Breaking Bad on AMC. I just watched the season 2 finale, and can't wait to catch up to Walter White's season 3 antics. It is one of the best scripted shows on television. I never watched it from its inception, but the fact that Bryan Cranston won the best actor emmy two years in a row for it's first two season peaked my interests, and I'm glad it did.

Walter White has found new life when faced with death, and Cranston plays him beautifully. Cranston doesn't even need to utter a word to play out a scene. His facial expressions alone can give you everything you need to know.

Bad is can be extremely intense at times, but certain light comic moments even it out without taking anything away from the core of the story about a man facing his own mortality, and finding his strength in the process. Every single person in his life makes things a lot harder for him, but with every problem he faces he seems to find a person inside of himself that he loathes and loves at the same time.

I could go on and on about the supporting cast as well. Aaron Paul as Walter's partner Jesse and Dean Norris as his DEA agent brother in-law Hank are the exceptional yin and yang that surround Walter's life, and in my opinion two of the most enjoyable characters to watch interact with Walter. Every time he has a scene with one of them you know some kind of explosion is going to occur. It's external and loud with Jesse, but internal and tense with Hank and you can read Walter's face every time he has a conversation with Hank.

Yeah, Walter is cooking meth, and yes he and Jesse have been involved in dealing, murder, intimidation, using Walter's family to launder their money without their knowledge, and so many other devious acts. He is doing all of this to pay for his cancer treatments and make sure that his family doesn't have to be left with nothing when he dies. Through it all Walter does find his niche, and you can tell that he is enjoying it just a little bit.

With all his bad, you can't help but root for the guy at every turn.

The first 8 episodes of the 3rd season are already saved on my DVR, and I can't wait to see what Walter's life has in store for him next.

The First Bum

My entire life has revolved something on the screen. The love for all things film, television, and video games has been all encompassing. It is, like many others, my passion.

When I was a kid watching a movie, or getting involved in a television series kept me entertained more then anything. This is something my family knew, and I guess since I was the youngest in the house it kept me out of their way for most of the time. Also, since my parents were divorced taking the kids to the movies was one of the easiest and cheapest things to do. On most Saturday's my mom and stepfather would take all us kids to the movies, and on Sunday's when my dad would pick up my sister and I, and we would either watch t.v. at his store or go see another movie. I guess it was easier then talking.

Be that as it may, all things screen became my passion, my outlet, and my escape. That's one of the reasons I decided to start this blog. Another is that I am one of those guys that sees something and likes to share the experience. Yes, I am one of those "you gotta see it" guys.

So each day I plan on posting something I experienced on the screen that day. It could be a movie, a t.v. show, a video game, or even something you can catch on your p.c. There is rarely a day that goes by that I don't wind up seeing something on a screen, and now I want to share my feelings for all things screen.

There are a lot of things that I am already excited to talk about like the bevy of big summer movies opening, summertime baseball, madden 2011, and of coarse season 3 of True Blood.

So much to come, and I am thrilled to start this whole new chapter of my life.

By the way the main reason I decided to do this, is my wife. Her belief in me keeps me going everyday, and in her eyes the only thing that matters is that I do what I love and all good things will follow. Thank you baby.

Testing

Do not adjust your screen...this is only a test of the screenbum broadcast system.