Entertainers That Left Us in 2010

Here is the round-up (although admittedly incomplete) of those actors and other entertainers that passed away in 2010.

The Star Wars Christmas Special

Not to be confused with the God-awful Star Wars Holiday Special of 1978. This litle gem was recently put together with some neat little "photoshopping" and a better story overall. I'll let HotAir's Allahpundit tell you better...

I Just Had To

Fifteeen Reasons Canada is Better than Your Country
By: Chris Bucholz
July 1st, 2008

Yogi Bear Parody

It's about time Boo Boo showed Yogi who the boss is. Apparently this is going viral, so you might have seen it already. If you haven't, you may want to visit the laboratory before you watch it.
Instant classic.



It may be a little tasteless. But c'mon, it's animated. No actual bears were harmed in the filming of this sequence.
You gotta love the The Assassination of Jesse James ending.

Technology Blossoms a Fountain of Youth in Hollywood

A younger Jeff Bridges in "Tron: Legacy" shows how George Lucas' idea of "digging up" deceased Hollywood stars maybe eerie, but not that far off. Thus the age-old question, what will they think of next?

It Was 30 Years Ago Today

December 8, 1980. The day lone gunman and self-described Beatles fan, Mark David Chapman gunned down John Lennon in front of his Dakota apartment building and his wife, Yoko Ono.

I was only nine when this went down. But I still remember the TV news reports, the outpouring of emotions (from both strangers on the street and on TV as well as my sister's friends bawling. It was a weird time for a kid not knowing who this guy was at the time. What was the big deal, I wondered. Well, once I found out who Lennon was and what he meant to the music world and the history of rock and roll after getting into the Beatles in grade eight (and being forced to endure the chuckles and snickers from my musically ignorant classmates) I, like the rest of the world learned to appreciate what exactly he had contributed. Not only in the Beatles, but, as some people may opine, more importantly his solo career.

Released in 1988, Imagine: John Lennon probably remains the best account of Lennon's releatively short solo career.

Meanwhile in New York's Central Park...

Empire Strikes Back Director, Kershner Dies at 87

Irvin Kershner, the man who was responsible for directing the best film in the entire STAR WARS saga, The Empire Strikes Back, has died at the age of 87:

Irvin Kershner, who directed the Star Wars sequel "The Empire Strikes Back" and the James Bond film "Never Say Never Again," has died. He was 87.
Kershner died during the weekend but no other details were immediately available, his agent, Derek Maki, said on Monday.

Kershner already had made a number of well-received movies when he was hired by George Lucas to direct "Empire," which was the second produced film but fifth in the "Star Wars" chronology.
The 1980 production was a darker story than the original. In it, hero Luke Skywalker loses a hand and learns that villain Darth Vader is his father. The movie initially got mixed reviews but has gone on to become one of the most critically praised.

Kershner told Vanity Fair in October that he tried to give the sequel more depth than the original.
"When I finally accepted the assignment, I knew that it was going to be a dark film, with more depth to the characters than in the first film," he said. "It took a few years for the critics to catch up with the film and to see it as a fairy tale rather than a comic book."

Kershner said he had only one sharp disagreement with Lucas. The script originally called for the heroine, Princess Leah, to tell space pilot Han Solo "I love you" and for him to reply "I love you, too."
"I shot the line and it just didn't seem right for the character of Han Solo," Kershner said.
Instead, actor Harrison Ford improvised the reply: "I know."
Lucas wanted the original line but after test previews agreed to leave in Ford's reply, which has gone on to be one of the best-known lines in the series.
The Philadelphia-born Kershner had both musical and photographic training and worked as a freelance illustrator before he turned to filmmaking. He graduated from the University of southern California film school and in the 1950s made U.S. government informational films in Greece, Turkey and the Middle East.

He directed a number of noted features in the 1960s and 1970s, including "A Fine Madness" with Sean Connery, Joanne Woodward and Jean Seberg, "The Flim-Flam Man" with George C. Scott, "Loving" with George Segal and Eva Marie Saint, and "The Eyes of Laura Mars" with Faye Dunaway.
Besides "Empire," his big-budget work included the 1983 James Bond movie "Never Say Never Again" with Connery and "Robocop 2" in 1990.
Kershner also was an occasional actor. He played the priest Zebedee in Martin Scorsese's "The Last Temptation of Christ."

Leslie Neilson Dead at 84

Canadian comedy legend, Leslie Neilson, who brought us such classic lines as, "I'm not joking and don't call me Shirley," from notable movies as "Airplane!", "The Naked Gun" series and "Dracula: Dead and Loving It," as well as the Police Squad televison series has died at the age of 84.

The Runaways

When the all-girl, teenage hard-rock band The Runaways (Founded by Joan Jett and drummer, Sandy West, which also included lead guitarist Lita Ford, lead singer Cherie Curry (who had great stage presence) and bassist Jackie Fox) were traveling the globe, breaking down barriers and influencing a generation of young girls to play rock and roll, I was a mere boy between the ages of five and eight when they were at their peak. I was just getting into KISS, so how or why would a boy of that age get into a girl band? Well, as I just watched the new movie about the Runaways starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning, my vague memories were jolted a bit and it made me realize I wish I did. These girls rocked! Even today, listening to songs like Cherry Bomb, You Drive Me Wild (A great blues-based rock song...from anybody) Queens of Noise and I Wanna Be Where the Boys Are fills me with a sort of regret that I wasn't exposed enough to them because now I wish I could see one of their shows. Only now are people like me giving them their critical acclaim and rightful dues.

I don't consciencely remember hearing any of their tunes or seeing any of their pictures in any magazines (then again, back then there weren't really any radio stations playing them) but I must have in between shots of KISS, Peter Frampton, Cheap Trick and other acts of the day in the magazines of the time. I only heard Cherry Bomb for the first time in about 20 years (at the time) when I purchased the soundtrack for the 70s high school flick, Dazed and Confused.

The movie of their short-lived career as a band released back in April of this year has really gotten me nostalgic of late and I've started to rediscover them. I've brushed up on their tunes from four studio releases (The Runaways, Queens of Noise, Waiting for the Night and And Now...The Runaways and a very good live album simply entitled, Live from Japan and have ordered two of them from Amazon. Like anything I delve into, I'll probably ride this wave for the next six months, defending their accomplishments and relevance from naysayers who claim they were just a footnote in music history. Wrong! If I have to mention their breaking of the glass ceiling, their influence to this day and their music, most of which still stands up despite it being bare-bones, three chord rock (which is probably the reason for their music's staying power and attractiveness) I'll be here all day and night.

They started in 1975 and broke up in 1979 due to musical differences after the departure of lead singer, Cherie Currie and bassist Jackie Fox (Nee Fuchs) and the manipulation and mismanagement of Kim Fowley. Jett and Ford went on to success with solo careers and are still rockin' today, although Ford took a 13-year hiatus to get married, raise a family and live on a "deserted island" in the Caribbean. Currie went on and tried acting (she was in the 1980 release Foxes with Jodie Foster and a small part in the Twilight Zone feature, plus other cameos on television) and is now a chainsaw artist in California. Fox went to law school and is now an entertainment lawyer.

But it is Sandy West's life after the Runaways that not only makes me sad, but almost angry that she couldn't have a second life in music. She was one of the best musicians in the band (and hands down the best female drummer in rock history, if not one of the best, period) and aside from Jett, probably the most talented out of all of them, including Ford. West continued her association with John Alcock (the band's manager after Fowley) once the group disbanded. She and Ford attempted to record some music, but nothing materialized. She formed formed The Sandy West Band and toured California intermittently throughout the '80s and '90s. She also did session work with John Entwistle of The Who and became a drum teacher.

However, with no residuals or royalties coming in and in financial troubles she was forced to enter a life of organized crime for a short time. She was in and out of jail numerous times and all she wanted was to have her band reunite one more time. In the documentary, Edgeplay: A Film About the Runaways (produced and directed by another former bassist, Victory Tischler-Blue (aka Vickie Blue, their second bassist to quit) West describes she worked mostly in construction, and spent a small amount of time as a bartender and a veterinary assistant. In other parts of the Edgeplay interviews, she alludes to the fact that she engaged in criminal activity in order to make ends meet (e.g., she describes how she had to break someones arm for money they owed). She wraps up the interview nearly in tears, still confused as to why The Runaways couldn't get back together and keep playing. By her own admission in 2004, she never got over the band's demise. "We were an awesome band!" In a more poignant segment, West says, "It still blows my mind that we can't get together for a world tour and a great album. Why? Aren't they sad we broke up? Don't they miss playing with each other? Can you do it for me? Or is that being greedy? Am I asking too much?" Clearly West was the most affected by the Runaways break up and still hadn't gotten over it nearly 30 years after the fact. Rumors of a Runaways reunion flared up a couple of times over the last few years, but although initially interested, ultimately both were nixed by Ford.

Unfortunately, it will now never happen because in 2005, West was diagnosed with lung cancer, which later spread to her brain, and she died on October 21, 2006 at the age of 47. Jett said in a statement, “We shared the dream of girls playing rock and roll. Sandy was an exuberant and powerful drummer,” adding, “I am overcome from the loss of my friend. I always told her we changed the world.” Currie said, "Sandy West was by far, the greatest female drummer in the history of rock and roll. No one could compete or even come close to her, but the most important was her heart. Sandy West loved her fans, her friends and family almost to a fault. She would do absolutely anything for the people she loved. It will never be the same for me again to step on a stage, because Sandy West was the best and I will miss her forever."

It's really weird that I feel empathy for someone I never met and wasn't really aware of her accomplishments made to rock and roll. But just seeing what the band meant to her and all that music that could have been makes me sad. She was good. Really good. There were not many times when you would catch her without a smile on her face when behind her kit. She really loved this band and all she wanted was to play together with her sisters just one more time. "All I wanted to do is be a drummer in a rock band," she once said.

Like she said. Why couldn't they get back together? Why?

Albums by The Runaways:

The Runaways, (1976)
Queens of Noise, (1977)
Live in Japan, (1977)
Waitin' for the Night, (1977)
And Now... The Runaways (international release title), (1978)
Flaming Schoolgirls ("odds-and-sods" compilation), (1980)
Little Lost Girls, (re-sequenced U.S. version of And Now... The Runaways), (1981)
Born to be Bad (early demos compilation), (1993)
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of The Runaways (1999)
The Runaways-The Mercury Albums Anthology (2010)



If you would like some more Runaways stories, check out this blog for reproduced Jackie Fox Runaways stories and if you want to check out a review of Edgeplay and a interview with the director, Victory Tischler-Blue (former bassist after Jackie Fox) look here for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4. If you really love the Runaways and want to remember them from the 70s, you probably don't want to watch this documentary seeing that if forgoes, if unintentionally, the sweetness and saccharine of usual rock and roll bios and reveals the very dark side of the industry, culminating in some very real, very sad residual feelings and memories for some of the girls, especially Sandy West. The film was co-produced by Jackie Fuchs (Fox) as well as her being Blue's attorney.

Hooker Complaint Gets Idiot Arrested

If you went out and bought some marijuanna and weren't satisified with the "product," would you call the cops and complain? Of course not, right? Unless you're this moron...

Let It Be Written Let It Be Done

View all Windsor events on Eventful

The Giants Win the Pennant! The Giants Win the Pennant!

Well the World Series pennant actually. It's the Giants sixth baseball crown overall and their first since arriving in San Francisco from New York in 1958. The last time they won the World Series was in 1954 at the old Giants Stadium.

Time Travel...Do You Believe?

I've always been a fan of time travel stories and movies. Everything from the classic H.G. Wells' The Time Machine and Back to the Future to the recent The Time Traveller's Wife. It's always fascinated me. What would you do if you were able to go back and be on that grassy knoll in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963? Or how about trying to get people to believe you on the eve of September 11, 2001? Think about it. How trippy, and ultimately frustrating, would that be?

Anyways, nothing monumental here. No great revelations or discoveries, but there is some clips provided by the sites that does make my brain perk up. Now I'm no physicist by any stretch, but I believe time travel to be possible. I have absolutely nothing to back it up, just a belief, faith if you will. I think we can go into the past because it's already been set, it's already happened, but not forward because it has not. It's got nothing to do with taking a trip around the sun at light-speed a la Star Trek. I don't know what it has to do with, I just don't think it's that.

Anyways, check out the first story (in a link within the second) about someone spotting a "hipster" in a photo taken set in circa 1940s. He looks a little out of the ordinary, given the wardrobe of the rest of the crowd, but as you can see when you scroll down, it's been satisfactorily explained for the most part. Also that piece reminds me of a scene in 12 Monkeys in which Madeline Stowe's character, who plays a psychiatrist, sees Bruce Willis' character, a patient of hers, in a photo taken in World War I.

As for the Charlie Chaplin DVD seen showing a woman walking by the camera, she appears to be talking on a cellphone-like device...in 1928! Check it out.

It's Settled

This was such a stupid topic of inane conversation to begin with.
First of all, they're muppets. They're not real people. Second of all, who came up with this ridiculous theory? Third, even if they were real people and not just inanimate characters, isn't homosexuality in today's world supposed to be accepted? Isn't it the "norm" nowadays? And finally, they're beloved characters from a kid's show, do you really think for one second that the children watching this show even cared or moreover do they even fully understand what to be gay is?
And, like I said, wasn't all this ridiculous anyways? I was pretty upset (even as an adult who still has a guilty pleasure of watching classic clips on YouTube and sites of that variety) that they took Bert and Ernie off the air because a couple of uptight people didn't like that a pear-headed and football-headed buddies lived together.

Let's deal with the real issues of this show, such as:
Why is the Cookie Monster now the "Carrot Monster?" Why does Oscar the Grouch no longer live in a trash can? Apparently because it's an insult to homeless people?? Why can everyone all see Mr. Snuffalupagous now? Was it to prove to everyone that Big Bird wasn't on LSD?

Ah, why do they have to screw with my childhood?

George Lucas Planning Yet Another Star Wars Trilogy?

Via Gizmodo.com, HotAir.com.

I don't know. I'm torn. Although it would make any true STAR WARS fan wet their bed, the last attempt, other than the the dark and satisfying Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (I still hate having to put in those prefixes) wasn't entirely, um, done right. Could I have made it better? No. Could Lucas have? Oh hell, yea!

But, I won't get into what was right or wrong with the second trilogy *cough Jar-Jar Binks*cough
I just hope, if it's true, that it's not just a money-grab for more merchandise and it actually adds some value to the SW universe. Of course there will be the battle of the new fans versus the old-school ones. There will be people who think Lucas can do no wrong and anything he releases with the STAR WARS name on it will be box-office gold. Of course this is true. But, will it affect some fans allegiance (if not opening their wallets) or being a SW vehicle, will they go and see it in droves anyway? I tend to lean toward the latter. There's just something about the SW franchise that keeps people coming back for more. Is it nostalgia? Is it just good entertainment? Is it something in which people that saw STAR WARS in its original 1977 theatrical release can now share that experience with their kids? I think so, but I also think people just can't get enough of it.

That's why Lucas can go the STAR TREK route and make like nine or ten of these things and people would still go and see them.

The plot is still of course unrevealed, as is the potential cast, but if Lucas was smart, he would do what he did in 1974-cast nobodies with a couple of established stars. Yeah it was fine seeing Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor, but wouldn't it be more apropo to create a litle more excitement from watching new characters blossom?

I wonder if the plot would be anything like these? Episode VII:The Hidden Circle, Episode VIII: The Republic in Crisis and Episode IX: Victory of the Force

Others have logical doubts...
And hopefuls have their reasons...

We'll see.

"Howard Cunningham" Tom Bosley Dies at 83

The lovable dad from the 70's hit, Happy Days has died from lung cancer.

A Few Updates

Here are a few updates in the entertainment world:

Barbara Billingsley, aka "June Cleaver" Dies.

Barbara Billingsley, who gained the title supermom for her gentle portrayal of June Cleaver, the warm, supportive mother of a pair of precocious boys in Leave It to Beaver, has died. She was 94.Spokeswoman Judy Twersky said Billingsley died early Saturday at her home in Santa Monica, Calif. She had suffered from a rheumatoid disease.

She acted in a number of roles in movies from the mid-1940s to the mid-1950s, but it wasn't until Leave It to Beaver that she became a star. When the suburban situation comedy debuted in 1957, Jerry Mathers, who played Beaver, was nine years old and Tony Dow, who portrayed Wally, was 12. Billingsley's character, the perfect stay-at-home 1950s mom, was always there to gently but firmly nurture both through the ups and downs of childhood.The show ran until 1963, and much of its original cast returned for a 1983 TV movie, Still the Beaver, which was followed by a cable-channel series, The New Leave It to Beaver.


'300,' 'Watchmen' Director Zack Snyder Chosen to Helm Next 'Superman' Film

'300,' 'Watchmen' Director Zack Snyder Chosen to Helm Next 'Superman' FilmDarren Aronofsky might have been more adventurous and Matt Reeves might have been more Spielberg-ian, but as it turns out, the director of the second "Superman" reboot will end up more Dr. Manhattan-ish.

As first broken by Deadline yesterday evening, producers Christopher Nolan and David Goyer have selected "Watchmen" director Zack Snyder to helm the latest incarnation of "Superman. " Snyder, who's currently in theaters with "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole," confirmed last night that he'll start working on "Superman" as soon as he finishes his next movie, "Sucker Punch," out next March. The "Superman" film, with a script by Goyer from an idea by Goyer and Nolan, is expected to be released around Christmas 2012 (assuming the world hasn't ended by then). Snyder might not have been the most daring choice among the shortlist, but he's not the dullest either (that would have been Tony Scott). His career has been a curious one. He began as a music video director and did not direct his first film, 2004's "Dawn of the Dead" remake, until age 38. (As a contrast, Nolan made his first film when he was 28, and Bryan Singer, the director of "Superman Returns," was 23 on his first movie.) "Dead" wasn't a major hit, but "300," his next film, was, though it's probably best remembered for extreme slow-motion shots of men's abdominals.

"Watchmen" was his most high-profile film, his lifelong-passion project, and even though it was a slight disappointment at the box office, many admired it. "Legend of the Guardians" has done well in theaters so far, though it's worth watching how "Sucker Punch" does. Warner Bros probably wouldn't enjoy watching their "Superman" director having a film tank the year before they try to relaunch a franchise.It's understandable why Warners has had so much trouble with "Superman" films. You can argue there hasn't been a good one since "Superman II," back in 1980, with two bad Christopher Reeve sequels after that, an ill-advised "Supergirl" movie in 1984, and Singer's polarizing reboot attempt in 2006, which some loved and others found dull and cloying. (Superman has a super-son? Oh, and Kate Bosworth has to be the most boring Lois Lane imaginable.)

Superman projects have vexed filmmakers as varied as Tim Burton, Kevin Smith, McG, J.J. Abrams, and Brett Ratner. The main problem with "Superman" is that we have turned into more of an antihero culture. We like Batman because he's human and flawed and full of rage and guilt. We like Tony Stark because he's selfish and vain and a party guy.Superman is, by his very design, perfect and cheesy -- he's a relic, Ward Cleaver in a blue skintight suit. Singer attempted to capture that naïveté and bring it to today, but his Metropolis seemed as steeped in the '50s as the Steve Reeves films were. The reason the first two "Superman" films worked was that they were rooted in a recognizable place: Metropolis was late-'70s New York City, with all the grime and cynicism that came with it. Superman was an alien (he's the one who was out of place), an actual hero here to save the day, to give everyone faith again. To believe a man can fly, you must at first believe a man cannot.If Goyer and Nolan have figured out how to channel that spirit, maybe this new "Superman" can work. Apparently, Snyder's the guy they trust to find out.


Peter Jackson to Direct "The Hobbit"

The shooting of The Hobbit will begin in February with Sir Peter Jackson in the director's chair after co-financers gave the film the greenlight.
The announcement was made today by New Line Cinema and its parent company Warner Bros, but did not state whether the two-part adaptation of the JRR Tolkien novel would be shot in New Zealand, Stuff reported.

A New Line spokeswoman told NZPA however, no announcement on The Hobbit had been made, though it was expected later today.
It had been widely speculated that Sir Peter would direct the film after Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro quit in May due to delays on a starting date, in part due to financial problems with one of its backers, MGM.
The two-part film is expected to cost about US$500 million (NZ$660m) to make, and it will also be made in 3-D.

"There is no human being on the planet as qualified as Peter Jackson to direct these films," Warner Bros president Alan Horn said.
"Peter is incredibly talented and has the creative vision and experience to bring this beloved property to life in a way that no other film-maker could.
"And the team of Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens have proven through their work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy that no one is more skilled at transforming Tolkien's written words into a vibrant, living language that makes the audience believe they are not merely visiting Middle Earth, but actually living in it."
With funding secured, only the union and producers' locked in an ongoing industrial dispute seem to stand in the way.

Both sides have agreed to work together to update actors' conditions.
Representatives from the Screen Production and Development Association, the Actors' Equity union and the Council of Trade Unions met this week for discussions facilitated by Economic Development Minister Gerry Brownlee.In a joint statement, the groups said discussions were useful and productive.

File this next one under "What the...?"
'Glee' Cast Beats Out Beatles for Billboard Record

NEW YORK – The "Glee" cast has surpassed the Beatles for the most appearances on the Billboard Hot 100 chart by a non-solo act.The cast of the Fox television musical series about a high school glee club has six debuts on the chart this week. That gives it a total of 75 songs on the chart to the Beatles' 71.The show's soundtrack got a boost after this week's episode featuring the music of Britney Spears.Elvis Presley still leads overall with 108 songs to chart on the Hot 100. He's followed by James Brown with 91, then "Glee."The Beatles are sixth, behind Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin. Lil Wayne, Stevie Wonder and Jay-Z round out the Top 10.Nielsen SoundScan says the "Glee" cast has sold 2.8 million albums and 11.5 million downloads.

Bill and Ted 3?

Keanu Reeves recently told MTV that a third installment to the excellent Bill and Ted series is in the works and he and original co-star, Alex Winter are working with the original screenwriters Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon to write the screenplay.A lot of people write off the Bill and Ted's movies as cornball teen flapdoodle for lowest common denominator stoners; but both movies (beside pioneering use of colloquialism "totally") are actually very clever buddy films that had iconic historical figures delivering lines like "hello my excellent friends", and the main characters Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) served as a precursor to ubiquitous Wayne's World duo, Wayne and Garth.
The Bill and Ted movies' cult following is testament to characters that have stood the test of time - or at least evidence that their charming slacker vibes continue to endear audiences 20 years down the track.Watch Keanu's recent interview with MTV where he talks about the pending sequel and you'll see that "that is why we NEED Eddie Van Halen."
http://www.pedestrian.tv/entertainment/news/keanu-reeves-is-making-bill-and-amp;-ted-3/23735.htm

John Lennon's 70th

NEW YORK – Beatles fans worldwide are coming together to celebrate John Lennon's 70th birthday.On the day when the Liverpool Lad would have become a septuagenarian, fans will visit Central Park's tranquil Strawberry Fields and attend a nearby benefit concert in Manhattan.The memorial to the slain ex-Beatle and peace activist includes a mosaic donated by the city of Naples, Italy. A plaque lists 121 countries that endorse Strawberry Fields as a Garden of Peace.

The 2.5-acre site is named after the Lennon song, which observes that "living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see."The birthday celebration got started on Friday in England, where Google UK released a video "doodle" to a Lennon soundtrack.

Nowhere Boy

Some Beatles fan I am. A movie released last year depicting the "tumultuous upbringing in Liverpool" of John Lennon, entitled, Nowhere Boy, got right by me. The 1994 release of Backbeat that depicted the Hamburg days of the Fab Four (before they were that) mainly focused on the relationship of former member, Stuart Sutcliffe and his German girlfriend, Astrid Kirchherr. A very good film, regardless. As a side note, the actor that played Paul McCartney, Gary Bakewell, also played him in the TV-movie, The Linda McCartney Story (2000) about McCartney's relationship with, and death of, wife Linda.

I guess I should find this "Nowhere Boy," huh?

Rock Star: KISS? Really?

Really? Are Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley really going to allow themselves to be put through the ringer of of this whole "Rock Star" show on CBS? You know, the one that had INXS looking for a new singer? Apparently the story goes that this is for "replacements" after Simmons and Stanley "retire," so that new characters can carry on the band name. Seriously.

Even I think this is the epitome of ridiculousness. I know Stanley keeps saying that KISS is not just a band but a phenomenon. While this may be true, do they really expect their fans to embrace a whole new band? Like their history and 19 studio albums (along with countless live and compilations) should be attributed to strangers? Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.

I'm sure I'll check it out (if it is true) only for the novelty of it. But this is just stupid.

More...

STAR WARS in 3D

They said it would happen. Now, it's an apparent reality.

Via The Hollywood Reporter.

The Real Hall of Fame

Since my Rock and Roll Hall of Fame includes KISS and the boneheads at Cleveland's (official)Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (I'm speaking directly to you Mr. Jan Wenner, ya douche) which actually isn't since you have ABBA, Madonna and rap in there) have seen fit not to include a band that has been making music at a consistent rate for 36 years now, that are one of the most fun, entertaining, successful and influential bands of all time, I will relate to you an idea that my room mate and I came up with one night not too long ago. We call it the Bill Haley Memorial Hall of Fame. And just because certain artists are on the list chronologically before others doesn't necessarily mean one is better or more deserving than the others or that they deserve to be on the list sooner.

It goes like this,

You start out with the top 10 pioneers of rock and roll, that, besides their being the first 10 top entries, these are in no particular order or importance (other than being pioneers) then every year thereafter, you add three and only three to the next year's ballot. That way, you pretty much insure who deserves to be there and who doesn't.

Of course, it's nearly impossible to include everyone who you may feel is worthy. There has to be parameters or some sort of guideline. So for that, we decided to use the RNRHoF's rule of only being eligible after 25 years of a band or solo artist's first release. Of course, like any list of "who's the best," there will be debates, but this is our list. Also, this list doesn't necessarily show who the "best" are of any given generation (as technical proficiency doesn't always dictate who the most successful or entertaining artists are)

The First Class-The Pioneers

2010

1) Bill Haley

2) Chuck Berry

3) Elvis Presley

4) Carl Perkins

5) Jimi Hendrix

6) Jerry Lee Lewis

7) The Beatles

8) B.B. King

9) John Lee Hooker

10) Fats Domino

2011

1) The Big Bopper

2) Buddy Holly

3) Ray Charles

2012

1) The Rolling Stones

2) The Who

3) Led Zeppelin

2013

1) Cream

2) The Yardbirds

3) Jeff Beck

2014

1) Alice Cooper

2) KISS

3) Black Sabbath

2015

1) Pink Floyd

2) Lynyrd Skynyrd

3) Creedance Clearwater Revival

2016

1) The Hollies

2) Deep Purple

3) RUSH

2017

1) Janis Joplin

2) The Eagles

3) David Bowie

2018

1) Queen

2) The Ramones

3) The Sex Pistols

2019

1) Metallica

2) Judas Priest

3) Aerosmith

2020

1) The Steve Miller Band

2) Bob Seger

3) Peter Frampton

And so on.
Whaddya think? You may not agree with the entrees, or at least the year or class they're in, but not a bad system to replace the corrupt bastards at the so-called "legitimate" RNRHOF, innit?

Stormtroopers 9/11

Funny.

Funniest Thing Ever!

The Boob Apron
WARNING! Adult language and humor.

Now This Is How You Spend Your Lottery Winnings

If only...


Part 2


Plus apparently they have part-time jobs at Wal-Mart

KISS Tonight at the DTE in Detroit

KISS is going to rock the house at the Detroit Energy Center tonight for their Hottest Show on Earth Tour and I'm gonna be there!

Pics and review to follow.

Rock on and KISS rules!!

UPDATE: 2:32 AM 09//12/10

Yeah they do! What a show! As if I'd expect anything different.

The traffic on I-75 was nuts. Hey, let's hold an event outside of Detroit proper, get thousands of people to attend it, then make them sit in traffic for 20 minutes on the way there so we can do construction. Great idea!

But anyways...
We get to the DTE, I of course grab my merch of The Hottest Show on Earth tee-shirt, a baseball cap emblazoned with the iconic KISS logo and a SimfyLive USB recording of the show that I got a card for to redeem after the show. That was $95.00 in total. American. Not to mention a 24 oz. $9.00 beer that was probably the reason we barely got to our seats in time, which we didn't because just as the "You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best" announcement came over the P.A. system and the huge KISS logo curtain dropped, we were still pushing ourselves through the crowd to get to our seats.
I didn't really care for that, since that announcement and the curtain dropping with the opening pyro over the opening salvo of their first song (which happened to be the first single off their most recent album, Sonic Boom) is usually one of the best parts of the show. If it wasn't for that freakin' traffic on 75 (we also stopped to eat, but that couldn't be avoided, we's a hungry, ya know)

But all was well from then on. It didn't even rain as forecast.

The boys came triumphantly down on their platform, swooping over Eric Singer to the opening salvo of Modern Day Delilah, the opening single from their most recent CD, Sonic Boom.


Everything was awesome. From Paul Stanley's belching out the classic hits such as Firehouse (after which, Gene Simmons blew fire) 100,000 Years and I Was Made For Loving You when he swooped over the crowd to his revolving platform just mere meters from where we were. Gene growled his usual fare to classics as Calling Dr. Love, I Love It Loud, Cold Gin and their normal show opener, Deuce. The recent cut, I Am An Animal from Sonic Boom drew positive results as well.

Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer did a jam together that was near brilliance and Singer's rendition of Black Diamond as well as Beth (with Thayer, Stanley and Simmons playing acoustically, off to the side, instead of leaving the stage altogether to have Singer sing it accompanied with a playback of the classic hit) was impressive. Thayer's take on Ace Frehley's old stand alone, Shock Me was surprisingly good too.

So after two and a half hours that seemed like 30 minutes, the show was over. I was more than satisfied, however I did feel a little like someone who works hard all day preparing Christmas dinner, only to have it consumed in five minutes. That is to say all the months of anticipation were fully rewarded, but it was over way too fast.
I got home after the show and listened to half of the show on my new USB stick. I had to wait for 24 hours before I could download the other half of the show with the code I received with it. It's like knowing you were in attendance at one of the Cobo Hall shows that comprised 1975's Alive! LP. Not quite as historic, but just as meaningful all the same.

The band says there will be a new album out by next summer, after they take a well-deserved break from touring the last two and a half years. That includes the consecutive Alive 35, Sonic Boom Over Europe and The Hottest Show on Earth tours. They finish off with a few shows in Mexico, a break, then presumably back into the studio for their 20th studio album. Which means another world tour, I'm sure.

I'll be there and I'll be sure to get my seventh KISS tee-shirt. Then again, it may be 10 by the time I see them again. This was my fourth time seeing them and if it was up to me, I 'd see them a hundred more times, as it never gets old and it never gets dull. There's a reason KISS is the premiere live rock and roll band. It's because they are!

Ghostbusters III...A Follow Up

A while ago I posted a rumor (and a fake trailor) about the soon-to-be announced news of the pre-production of Ghostbusters III. Well, it seems that despite further denials it may be coming to fruition. The Internet Movie Database has it listed as "announced,"on Bill Murray and Dan Akroyd's bio pages. Apparently holdout Murray is on board, as is Sigourney Weaver and even Rick Moranis has been coaxed out of retirement. Ernie Hudson has been known to be willing all along and Akroyd and Harold Ramis have been on board the whole time, no doubt to be writers on the project. No word on Annie Potts as of yet.

I just hope we don't see another "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" moment. Of course, I refer to the disappointing fourth installment of the Indiana Jones saga. It wasn't a bad movie, it's just that it was disappointing, considering what it had to follow. Although now that I think about it, it was better than "Temple of Doom." I don't know, maybe it was just because that annoying Shia LaBeouf was in it.

Anywho, the boys did get together to do voice overs for last years release of Ghostbusters: The Video Game. And I've also heard smatterings of rumor that the script may have something to do with the story of the game. I doubt it, but who knows?

I just hope I can enjoy it and it doesn't ruin the franchise if it's not all together great.

Are You Ready Star Wars Geeks?

Here's something I wasn't expecting that kind of gives a whole new perspective as to what George Lucas was originally thinking vis a vis the opening ROTJ scene. Or at least where he wanted things to start from for episode six (episode three originally=don't ask, it'll just give you a headache)

It's only 56 seconds, but that's enough I'm sure, to make any true STAR WARS geek wet himself:



“We had an outline and George changed everything in it,” Executive Producer, Howard Kurtz said. “Instead of bittersweet and poignant he wanted a euphoric ending with everybody happy. The original idea was that they would recover [the kidnapped] Han Solo in the early part of the story and that he would then die in the middle part of the film in a raid on an Imperial base. George then decided he didn’t want any of the principals killed. By that time there were really big toy sales and that was a reason.”
The discussed ending of the film that Kurtz favored presented the rebel forces in tatters, Leia grappling with her new duties as queen and Luke walking off alone “like Clint Eastwood in the spaghetti westerns,” as Kurtz put it.
Kurtz said that ending would have been a more emotionally nuanced finale to an epic adventure than the forest celebration of the Ewoks that essentially ended the trilogy with a teddy bear luau.

I only hope this isn't the catalyst for changing what seemd to me like a nice way to begin things and perhaps to show that little forshadowing on how things could have turned out for our hero.
Still, it's amazing to some (myself included) how something under a minute long, made over 27 years ago still captures the magic and imagination that was the SW franchise.

KISSTERIA

Yep. More. This is the A&E presentation of "KISSTERIA," that aired last night.

George Steinbrenner Dead at 80

The colorful, sometimes controversial, owner of the New York Yankees, George Steinbrenner has died at the age of 80 of cardiac arrest.

More...

Bio.

Bill Aucoin Passes

Bill Aucoin, the first and most dedicated manager of KISS (who once believed in their future so much-when, very early on in their careers, they looked not to have one-took a huge gamble with his credibility and pocketbook, when he financed their first tour with his credit card, died last Monday after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 66.

I doubt, in today's day and age, will you ever find a more loyal, a more dedicated and more ambitious manager and friend of a rock band anywhere on the planet. How many mangers would have so much faith in a band that he would put his own future on the line for a bunch of kids who, really, didn't look like they had much of one thenselves. Only through dedication, loyalty, hard work and, lots of luck I'm sure, did this man help KISS (among others like Billy Idol) achieve the superstardom that would have surely eluded them without his knowledge and vision. With the help of the late Neil Bogart, the founder of Casablanca Records, they launched the career of one of the most influencial and beloved acts of the last 35-plus years.

The rock and roll world of today would be nothing short of blessed to find another one like him

Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons left a tribute on their website, www.kissonline.com

World Cup...Darth Vader Style

International sporting tournaments + Star Wars= pure awesomeness!

I Just Had To

Actually, it's because I wanted to. And you can't stop me.

Live-Action STAR WARS Television Series

I know, I know. This has been rumoured and "in production" for a couple of years now, so I have no real concrete information. But man, when this thing comes together, it's gonna be sweet!
I, like all other STAR WARS geeks over the age of 30 (who undoubtedly are the original, most critical fans of the saga) will be watching this closely. By all accounts (at least to me) it seems to be coming together as a Star Trek: Next Generation vibe. That would be fine, except it won't be. The producers, George Lucas included, say that it probably won't be anything that anyone is expecting and that the stories will revolve around minor and even un-introduced characters; say from the plethora of SW novels that have been released since 1991. That's a lot of new material and characters.

I mentioned Star Trek, in the hopes that it will have the stories and character development of ST:TNG and not that of Deep Space Nine, which was just terribly boring. That's terribly with a capital "T."

There were rumors about Ewan McGregor being interested in reprising his role of Obi Wan Kenobi. Don't expect Mark Hamil to make an appearance (unless as another character) as Luke Skywalker was of course just a small child between episodes III & IV. Maybe as the series progresses, we might just see Luke as a young boy or a teenager, but since the stories will be revolving around new and minor characters, don't bet on it.

I've been waiting for this since I first heard about it in 2005. I can't afford to be disappointed.

This isn't official or anything, but here is a "trailer" (fake)for the new project:



And just for fun, I first saw this fan film on starwars.com a few years back and I was able to burn it to a disc, but for some reason, I can't get it to work now. It simply won't play on my CD-ROM drive. Anyway, this is a really cool story based on a little back-story on Darth Maul entitled, "Contract of Evil," that was made by independent film-makers (as the quality attests to) and it is a very good, action-packed, untold vignette of the predecessor to Darth Vader.

Scientists to Probe Ozzy's DNA

Huh?

Oh Please Let This Be So

It seems Perez Hilton, that oh so not hip outer of gay celebrities, is in a bit of hot water. I hope it's true. I really do not like this guy. Not because he's gay, but because he's reeaally gay. You know what I mean? He's not just proud to be gay, he is totally all in your face about it. He's like...well, he's exactly like what Perez himself hates, a religious zealot who pushes (and pushes and pushes) his beliefs into mainstream America and thinks everybody should agree with everything he says and does or your not just wrong, but evil.

I don't like straight people being all in my face and really annoying. That's what this "dude" is, annoying, really annoying. He really did choose the right pseudonym, though. He really is a Hilton, in the sense that, for some reason, people listen to what he says even though he has done absolutely nothing for me to care what he does or says, other than he's annoying and dumb enough for me to take notice. I also notice a cell bug creeping it' sway across my basement floor, that doesn't mean I want it there.

I thought this guy was harmless and irellevent before he was, for some reason a judge for the Miss America pagent (why a gay man would be judging a female beauty contest is beyond me) but then he asks a question which was fair enough, I guess, about Carrie Prejean's opinion on gay marriage. She answered honestly and sincerely, that she believes a marriage is between a man and a woman. He didn't agree and promtply posted on his video blog in a profanity-laced diatribe that she was a "stupid b*itch" because of it. Showing that over-the-top homosexuals are clearly tolerent of others views and beliefs. He said that after he answer "she got booed. I've never seen anyone get booed at a Miss America pagent."

Well the fact is she didn't get booed. In fact, she was clearly cheered for her answer. Perez got a samtttering of appaluse when he asked the question and she got cheered when she answered. Not overwhelmingly, but enough to clearly hear it.
He lied, then cried.

Anyways, so he thinks that in all his over-the-top gayness, that everybody loves him and he can say and do whatever he wants and the "power" of celebretism will cloak him like Harry Potter. Well, no. And since he's always fishing for compliments on his "chiq" little wardrobe ideas, here's an opinion that he may not like, but this really looks good on him, the goof.

And by the way, I do get the irony of me giving him even more attention, which is what he wants, but in the name of decency (and moreover, to expose him outright-his character, I mean; let's not get ridiculous) I had to vent.

The Evolution of Carrot Top

Too funny.

On to the DTE

So, guess who I'm going to see again in September? Yep, I'm off to see KISS once more. This time at the Detroit Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan. And guess what? I'm gonna write about it, too and I don't don't wanna hear any guff! If you've visited this blog enough (and judging by the number of comments left, I assume no one has *sigh*) you should know by now that I blog about KISS quite often. Why? 'Cause...they're...awesome!!

Anywho, so I get some direction the night before I call Ticketmaster that my friend Holly (the one accompanied me to the last KISS show-by the way I really wish I could get the 'SS' to look like the lightning bolts in their name when I type it, just like whenever you see their name in their CD sleeves and whatnot) and her boyfriend and another friend of ours wouldn't mind going to the show as well. Cool by me, the more the merrier and more souls to share in my love of the greatest band in the world.

So, I stay up all night (not because of excitement, but because I slept a little too long earlier in the night and I couldn't sleep between midnight and...well about four o'clock the next afternoon) and in the morning, go to the nearest Money Mart and put what I figured would be enough cash on my re-loadable VISA (no, not the international travel document-nevermind, private joke) about $240 (Canadian, mind you) and try to get home as fast as I could to get on the Ticketmaster website and get the best tickets I could before they were sold out, as the tickets went on sale at 10 a.m; Holly said they wouldn't be, but it is KISS and it is Detroit after all. Me thinks she doesn't understand the almost symbiotic relationship between the two.

So, I get home, get online, and only then I realize I didn't put enough cash on the card. I thought I had figured for the tickets themselves, plus the conversion rate of Canadian to American, fees and taxes. But oh no, I had to have more for the mailing fee. I could have chosen the option to pick them up at Will Call, but c'mon I want them as soon as possible (even though the website said they wouldn't be mailed until "no later than 48 hours before the event," which means I could get them sooner, I guess) I hope they actually have the KISS logo on the tickets as I've seen many do. This will be my fourth time seeing them since 1985 and I've never gotten tickets with their logo on them. Geez, the logo is on every other frickin' thing they release, so why not my ticket??

So after seeing that I was only $12 short, I go back to Money Mart, and throw on another $30 just to be sure. I get back home, go through the process of ordering my tickets again (which cost us more than a few rows of real estate, I'm sure) and in the final tally, end up paying $254 American for four $45 tickets, service fees, taxes and mailing fee-not to mention the conversion rate, which obviously isn't included in the overall price, but still took a bite out of my wallet.

But, Once again, just like the $276 I paid just for Holly and myself to go to the last show we saw at Caesar's Windsor last year (I can't believe it been almost a whole year, BOO!) it'll be worth it, because as the theme for this show says, it will be "The Hottest Show on Earth!"

Did I mention KISS rules?
Yeah, they do.

Lord of the Rings v/s Star Wars

Here's some truth to power from Clerks 2. Although I do enjoy Lord of the Rings and Peter Jackson did one hell of a job, I gotta go with Randall on this one:



There's one thing Randall didn't mention; that without George Lucas and his innovative special effects of Industrial Light & Magic, LOTR wouldn't have been able to be told on the big screen. So there, LOTR geek guy!

And remember, there's only one "Return," and it's not "of the King," it's "of the Jedi."

And while I'm at it, this is for all you Trekkies out there...you Shatner-loving Spock suckers!



Yay! Star Wars wins! That's what would happen you know.

Seriously though, I do like Star Trek. I thought the re-launch movie was awesome. But c'mon, you all know it doesn't hold a candle to Star Wars.


Although...

He Was Robbed!

I couldn't believe it. As I watched Cleveland's Jason Donald run down the first base line and Detroit's Armando Galarraga step on the bag and seize the ball in his hand from first-baseman, Miguel Cabrera, I thought I had witnessed history. It was close. I thought I had just witnessed the first perfect game pitched by a Detroit Tiger in club history. When first base umpire, Jim Joyce's arms stretched out to indicate Donald was safe, I couldn't believe what I saw. There was no way, NO WAY he was safe. Did I say it was close? After seeing the replay, it wasn't.

The announcers, and certainly the home-town Comerica Park crowd agreed with me. "How could he call him safe?" The deafening chorus of boos rightfully followed. Cabrera let loose on Joyce before the final out, as did Tiger manager, Jim Leland, and rightfully so. As rare as perfect games are, not just a no-hitter, mind you, but a perfect game, I would have decked the guy. Fine me, suspend me, I wouldn't care, other than the call that denied the Toronto Blue Jays the first triple-play in World Series history in 1992, that was without a doubt the worst call I've ever seen. I really feel for Galarraga. That poor kid.

Immediately after the game, if he wasn't the epitome of class and modesty, then I've never seen it. After he had a chance to see the replay, understandably, not so much, even if he and joyce did embrace to show no hard feelings on either side.

"I just watched the replay 20 times and there's no way you can call him safe," Galaragga said. "He needs to do a better job in that situation. It wasn't even close."

Personally, I really don't care if Joyce feels bad about it. It's too late for that. What a dick!

Dennis Hopper Dead at 74

And yet another Hollywood legend passes on. Pop quiz hot shot, do you think there'll be another one like him?

Gary Coleman Dead at 42

No more "Whatchu talkin’ ’bout?"
I used to watch Diff'rent Strokes over dinner when I was a kid. It pretty much was a staple of my week, among other shows of the era. I do remember feeling bad for the guy when, like any other celebrity when their popularity wanes, he couldn't even get a job selling newspapers. When I heard a few years ago that he had to take a job as a security guard to pay the bills, I though what a fall from grace. I didn't see this one coming.

Spitfires Win Back-To-Back Memorial Cups

It wasn't much of a challenge for the OHL champs, as they easily cruised to 9-1 final over the host team, Brandon Wheat Kings. Once again the Conn Stafford Smythe trophy as the tournament MVP, went to Windsor's Taylor Hall, the almost certain #1 draft pick in this summer's NHL draft. Why he was ranked behind Tyler Sequin this year, I'll never know. Hall, it must be noted is the first back-to-back MVP in Memorial Cup history.

Brandon must be given all the respect in the world as they came back from 2-0 and 3-1 deficits against the WHL champion, and favored Calgary Hitmen in the tournament semi-final by winning in overtime, 5-4 to even make it to the final.

Next year's tournament in Mississauga (which many say, including fans in Windsor; which I agree completely-should have been awarded to Windsor) will probably not include the Spits, as they are losing their nucleus of players , such as Hall, Adam Henrique, Zack Kassian and Kenny Ryan.

Windsor proved to be the high-scoring powerhouse and favorites to win the experts predicted as they easily went undefeated, winning all four games of the tournament, outscoring their opponents 28-9.

Zombie Beatles?

That is the theme in a new book due out next month. The movie rights have already been snatched up by an outfit called Double Feature. Author, Alan Goldsher has released a new book entitled, Paul is Undead: The Beatles Zombie Invasion. John Lennon is the "ground zero" of the problem facing mankind, who then infects Paul McCartney and hilarity/horror ensues. The only one who can stop them is, apparently, zombie hunter, Mick Jagger. Yep. That Mick Jagger. You'd figure he'd have to start with his own band mate, Kieth Richards. I mean, the dude has been dead for years and still walks among us. He may be the only one that doesn't know it. I think I'd rather see the Fab Four as the heroes instead of the perpetrators, I digress.

Oh yeah, Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, assists Jagger in his endeavor as she's an eighth-level ninja lord. Ok, then.

Spitfires Repeat as OHL Champions

The comeback kids are on their way to defend their 2009 Memorial Cup title in Brandon, Manitoba.

It really is amazing, although not totally unexpected (at least by me) that they're in the position to do so, after trailing the Kitchener Rangers 3-0 in the Ontario Hockey League's Western Conference Final. After beating Canada's #1 ranked Barrie Colts (which they shouldn't have been) for their second straight OHL championship, they're now off to defend their 2009 Memorial Cup title against the Western Hockey League champs, Calgary Hitmen, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champs, the Moncton Wildcats, and the host team, also from the WHL, Brandon Wheat Kings.

The Spits will attempt to become only the fifth team to win back to back titles and the first since the 1994-1995 Kamloops Blazers.

Spitfires Make History

It's only been done two times before. Only two teams have come back after trailing an OHL playoff series 3-0 and have gone on to win it. It was Windsor's second series victory after trailing 3-0 in their 30-year history. They also came back from a 3-0 deficit against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in 2005, and the Ottawa 67's did it to the Oshawa Generals in 1988. The Spits will now play the regular season champion, Barrie Colts in the OHL Final, with the winner advancing to the 2010 Memorial Cup Championship tournament.

TSN has more.

Do You Agree?

Boston.com has come up with a list of the "Top 50 Scariest Movies of All Time." You'll have to go throught the list by clicking on the "next" tab as the pages load one at a time.

My take?
(by the way, the list is chronologically listed backwards here. It should read #50 down to #1, but that's the way it was listed by the website. I just re-produced it as such.)


1) Arachnophobia (1990) More comedic than scary. The best part is when all those spiders come pouring out of the sink. or maybe when one comes out of a victims mouth.


2) The Innocents (1961) Haven't seen it.


3) Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows (2000) Not scary at all. I don't even know what it's doing on a list of "scary" movies. Dumb premise, bad acting. No direction. The ending was neat, but too little, too late.

4) Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) This is how I remember this story. The Gene Wilder version (although I believe the Johnny Depp version is truer to the original main character) and who can forget Denise Nickerson's Violet Beauregarde turning blue and floating away? Freaky stuff when you're a kid. But, how is this scary, exactly?

5) The Wicker Man (1973) Haven't seen it, although I did see the recent Nicolas Cage version. Not bad. But I'm only assuming that this version was probably better.

6) The Blob (1988) Seen the original 1958 version. Much better. I guess it true that it's more scary when you don't see the monster. I wonder where 1985's The Stuff should be on this list?

7) Rosemary's Baby (1968) Haven't seen it-believe it or not.

8) The Brood (1979) Haven't seen it.

9) Event Horizon (1997) Don't really remember this one, even though I know I've seen it. So, I'll have to give it a pass.

10) Dawn of the Dead (2004) Probably every bit as gory as the original (if that's possible) but still doesn't have my loyalty as the first one, even though it was by the same director.

11) Eraserhead (1977) Haven't seen it.

12) The Amityville Horror (1978) Another early fright for me. Much like the Salem's Lot scene where the vampire kid is outside the window, the scene in Amityville with the glowing red eyes was a trip, and the cause for some lost sleep from this at-the-time, 10-year-old when it came on t.v. One of the all-time classics.

13) Pet Cemetery (1989) Cool flick, as is a all Stephen King flicks (with a notable exception to Sleepwalkers, yech!) the best part is when Herman Munster gets it in the Achilles tendon by a scalpel from the deranged re-animated kid hiding under his bed.

14) Open Water (2003) Dumb, dumb, dumb. How a movie about a couple floating in the water is scary (although granted, the premise certainly is) beats me. An hour and a half reduced to 15 minutes of fast-forwarding.

15) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) Another classic of my generation. Let's hope the remake does it better justice than the one done for Friday the 13th (why any of the first four of that franchise isn't anywhere on this list is well beyond me) Anyone remember a young, pre-21 Jump Street Johnny Depp?

16) The Fly (1986) Probably the only movie on this list that's better than the original, if only slightly. However, when seeing this (if you can get past the appearance of Gina Davis) how can anyone who's seen the original, Vincent Price (miss him yet?) version not think of the scene at the end where the fly with the head of a man is caught in the web with a spider closing in on him, screaming "Help me!?"

17) Salem's Lot (1979) Not bad for it's day. But even being all of eight years old when this came out (even though I was probably more like 10 when it I first saw it on t.v) the only scene that got to me was the aforementioned scene of the vampire kid tapping the window, two floors up.

18) Gates of Hell (1980) Haven't seen it.

19) Session 9 (2001) Haven't seen it.

20) In the Mouth of Madness (1994) Haven't seen it.

21) Altered States (1980) Again, some cool, kind of freaky parts, but not scary in the classic sense.

22) Mothman Prophecies (2002) Decent. Hard to believe this was based on a "true story." Although a lot of those on this list presumably were. But one of the most scary of all time? Hardly.

23) The Mist (2007) All I can say is without giving too much away is, if he had only waited another 20 seconds.

24) Videodrome (1983) I have seen this one, but it's been so long, I couldn't possibly give an honest critique.

25) Seven (1995) Not just a cool, original, thriller (certainly not a "horror movie") but one of my favourite movies period. Great performances from Brad Pit and Kevin Spacey. And how can you ever go wrong enlisting the talents of Morgan Freeman? Beauty flick.

26) War of the Worlds (1953) How can anyone not give props to this? Based on the Orson Welles radio dramatization of 1938 (who himself based that on the original H.G. Wells novel of 1898) this is pretty much the template of alien invasion stories and it still holds up today. The Tom Cruise 2005 version (which was stolen by a then-11-year-old Dakota Fanning) was pretty good, but would never in a million years get the credit or following that Welles original does, with good reason.

27) Saw (2004) The only one in this franchise I give any credence to. As with most sequels, personally I don't think parts two through six muster up to the original. Time to retire this series. But this one...very good.

28) Janghwa, Hongryeon (A Tale of Two Sisters) (2003) Haven't seen it.

29) The Silence of the Lambs (1991) What is there more to say about this one? It swept the 1992 Oscars, as well as it should have. Great story. Great acting. You know that line about the fiber beans and a bottle of Chianti isn't a classic line for nothing.

30) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) A very dark film. And I meet that literally. You can't see a damn thing! Did no one on the production crew think of bringing some lights? You know they are portable, even in 1974. All you can hear through most of this movie (because really, you can't see jack) is a lot of screaming and a lot of a running chainsaw. Still a classic, though, I suppose.

31) Hellraiser (1997) Cool flick. Although I think I was "thrilled" by the effects rather than "scared" by the story.

32) The Changeling (1980) Haven't seen it.

33) 28 Days Later (2002) I may be in the minority with this one, but I found this movie relatively boring to say the least. It's sequel, 28 Weeks Later even more so. Sorry all you "Days "fans out there. It just didn't do it for me. I found Shawn of the Dead to be more entertaining.

34) Pan's Labyrinth (2006) Really good movie. You really feel for the main character in this one. If you can stand foreign films and sub-titles, it really is worth your time.

35) Jacob's Ladder (1990) I don't know if I'd consider this a horror movie, but it's definitely a thriller. The best work of a young Tim Robbins. Danny Aiello is also good in this. I doubt anyone would guess the ending unless you're a theatre seer. Great twist.

36) Jaws (1975) The beginning of the summer blockbuster. I can remember seeing this at the drive-in (remember those?) and having cars going all the way down the highway. It freaked me out, for sure. Come to think of it, what was my mother thinking taking a four-year old to a horror movie of this magnitude?

37) The Exorcist (1973) Best horror film EVER!! It should have been #1 on this, and every list of this type.

38) Quatermass and the Pit (1968) Haven't seen it.

39) Cloverfield (2008) Apparently, people either love or hate this film. I wouldn't go that far. I think it was a smart, original film. Then again, I still maintain that about "The Blair Witch Project."

40) The Shining (1980) What can you say about this Stephen King classic? "Redrum" is a societal mainstay. Jack Nicholson at his psychotic best.

41) Audition (1999) Haven't seen it.

42) Halloween (1978) Second best horror movie of all time. It really should have a more prominent place on this list than the middle of the pack. Tell me, along with Jason Voorhees,
that Michael Myers isn't a horror movie icon.

43) Evil Dead 2 (1987) Another modern classic that had me on the edge of my seat. Mission accomplished. Gory, funny, brilliant! The same goes for it' predecessor.

44) Dawn of the Dead (1978) A must on any horror list. Absolutely brilliant...and gory. It goes to show that, with the exception of Rob Zombie, only the original film-makers should re-make their own.

45) Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) I must be the only person who thinks that not only is this film not scary, but kind of boring.

46) Alien (1979) Another modern classic. Great effects, good story. Classic scene of the human-host to the alien embryo. Seriously, can anyone look at John Hurt and not think of that dinner scene? This is also the movie that really brought on the female hero genre. They don't make them like this anymore.

47) The Ring (2002) I made a point of seeing this in the theatre in today's DVD and online-crazy world. I was mostly pleased. The girl coming out of the television screen was f-r-e-a-k-y! The original Japanese version, Ringu, was very good too.

48) Rec (2007) Haven't seen it.

49) Ju-On (2000) Haven't seen it.

50) The Thing (1982) Very good. Pretty loyal to the original. Great performance by Kurt Russel. I don't know, I guess I'm just partial to the originals.

So basically, "The Thing" is the scariest movie of all time? A great flick (although I think the original 1952 version, The Thing from Another World is still more physcologically thrilling) And overall, The Exorcist (#12 on the this list) is the scariest movie I've ever seen, bar none! I saw it for the first time when I was about eight years old, and that was on television. So, even with all the t.v. editing, it still freaked me out enough to have a nightmare that kept me out of my room for three days. Well, at least Kevin Bacon's "Hollow Man" isn't on this list.

Speaking of what's not on this list, where's Halloween 2 (1981), The Devil's Rejects (2005), House of 1000 Corpses (2003) The House on Haunted Hill (1959) The Strangers (2008) The Babysitter (1978) The Fog (1980) Christine (1983) Carrie (1976) The Omen (1976) Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) Night of the Living Dead (1968) not to mention the classics, Lon Chaney's and Boris Karloff's Dracula, Frankenstein and Wolfman movies? I mean, this is a list of all time, right?

MMM...Double Down Chicken

And a lot of it. Not to mention a chance of cholestorol. But what can be better than bacon and cheese between two pieces of chicken breast (or what I'm temporarily calling chicken-bread?)

I HAVE to have it!

When KISS Ruled the World

Had enough yet? No? Good.

Gene Simmons on Conan

This is from 2002, but it's hilarious. Gene is such a product whore! And yes, I do realize I'm turning this blog into a KISS site. So, big whoop, wanna fight about it?



And what the heck, here's O'Brien's former side-kick, Andy Richter at the 1995 KISS Convention, just before they did MTV's Unplugged:



Oops, not done yet. Another interview with Gene and a bonus one with Ace Frehley:

Paul & Gene Discuss Musical Influences

Yes, another KISS video/interview. Ya don't like it? Too bad!



And Gene and Eric talk about make-up techniques...?