YOU SHOULD’VE GONE HOME
Sometimes, maybe it would be wiser if we would just stay home instead of trying to hike 14ers. For instance, here are a few of the hints on our trip this past weekend.
- We left an hour and half late, because when Bob tried to leave work his company had a problem and he needed to deal it
- Due to a traffic jam, we sat on the highway for over an hour in nearly the same spot
- We could have had good BBQ for dinner as we sat on the highway, but we were staying with Bob’s family and we had pizza waiting
- One we started moving again, the weather was nasty
- First, was the most amazing lighting storm I have ever seen
- Then came the heaving pounding rain
- Finally, came the hail, but we did miss most of that. We mostly saw it looking like 3 inches of snow on the road
- Finally, at around 10:30 PM we made it to our destination and pizza.
- I got maybe a half hour of sleep
- We started hiking on Saturday about an hour later than we wanted
- No one in our group got to the top because of rain. Poor Ethan was a lot closer than the rest of us, but he did not get there
- Once we were down, the weather was beautiful
LikeWHERE IS THE HOPE
Fiinally some news from the Pepsi Center this week. The news came from Joe, no less. It is news that gives up hope for the future. Super Joe is going to play one more year for the Avs.
THE CLOSET I’VE BEEN TO HOLLYWOOD IS DOLLYWOOD – PART II
EDITORS NOTE: Awhile ago I did a series of blog entries that I called, FWOB – Friends With Out Blog. One of the writers of one of those entries, must have gotten bitten by the blog bug. He may have one soon have his own blog, but for now he wrote a two part entry that I am going to put here.
This was written before any summer sequels were seen by Randy. Below is part two, the worst sequels.
As always, the opinions express are those of the Randy and do not necessarily reflect those of opinions of the owner of this blog.
The Top Ten Worst sequels/remakes follows a simple criteria: A shameless attempt to mine more money from a successful start, and/or has you leaving the theater feeling like you were punched in the gut because it was such a letdown.
The Ten WORST Sequels/Remakes:
10. Hannibal
Jodi Foster was wise to stay away, although it would have been better with her in it. All the things that made Silence so good were missing here: Suspense, plot, and compelling characters. Even Hannibal himself was no longer menacing. There was a lot of anticipation for a sequel to Silence but this literary took the franchise backward.
9. Alien 3
15 years ago Alien 3 would have been near the top, as it was literally a franchise killer and ruined the storyline of the first two films. But the extended edition (can’t call it a Director’s Cut because David Fincher won’t talk about it to this day) is much better and you could say it was ahead of it’s time as it has aged fairly well. So I have to keep it on the list for old time’s sake, and also for the fact the studio had been promising the audience a completely different movie (teaser trailers imply it was to be set on Earth. Oops.). Alien Resurrection was fairly clever until they unveiled the absurd monster at the end, but it did serve to heal some of the wounds caused by Alien 3.
8. Rocky V
Left such a bad taste that Stallone wanted to make another just so that one wouldn’t be the final chapter. Balboa may not be a masterpiece but was better than this random mess.
7. Star Trek V and Nemesis
After wrapping up a successful fourth film, the Trek franchise was huge and just getting better. Then, William Shatner attempted to follow in the footsteps of friend Leonard Nimoy and direct one the movies. Unfortunately, this was bottom-of-the-barrel and had people begging for Next Generation movies to begin (be careful what you wish for). Sorry Bill, please stick to overacting. But it was the last film in the series, Nemesis, that not only now rivals V as the worst Star Trek, but caused the studio to put all hope in a new “reboot†of the franchise ‘a-la Batman Begins.
6. Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions
So much was expected from these films it was doomed to fail. The Matrix was fresh and innovative so it was thought that, with all the same people returning, these sequels would be just as great. Reloaded probably could’ve avoided the list, but they are one story. Everything was going fine until we meet “the source†and it was all downhill from there. The absurd subplots, confused storyline, and techno-babble all proved that the filmmakers had no real concept of what to do next after the original film. So let’s go with that and pretend The Matrix had no sequels at all.
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and World’s End
Just like the Matrix sequels, they are one combined story. Speaking of that, you would think they would’ve learned from recent history and not follow the same path as the Matrix films. Neither franchise seemed prepared for the success of the original, but had to come up with something. World’s End is the main reason it makes the list, as it didn’t know what to do with what they set up in Dead Man’s Chest. To be fair, the ending is what really kills it. No pun intended.
4. All of the Planet of the Apes sequels
In Beneath the Planet of the Apes everyone and everything on the earth was destroyed at the end. Yet they made three more sequels and a TV show. Absolutely ruined an original and groundbreaking (at the time) first movie that had one of the best ending twists of all time.
3. Jaws IV
I talked some friends into seeing that movie when it first came out. I will never live it down. Zero plot, awful acting, and even the mechanical shark seemed like it was just collecting a paycheck. Even so, enough time has passed that you know some Hollywood exec is thinking about Jaws V.
2. Halloween III
Why not Halloween IV, or V, or VI, etc? The answer is this movie had absolutely NOTHING to do with the original. No characters, story, or any real mention of anything relating to the first two or subsequent films. It’s like buying a coffee and finding they intentionally put V8 in it instead. Somehow this movie was not sued for fraud.
1. Trail of the Pink Panther
Actor Peter Sellers passed away before the making of the film, but they went ahead and made it anyway using deleted scenes and unused footage from earlier films. They later tried to shamelessly pitch it as a “tribute.†Seller’s widow would sue and win in court claiming the film tarnished her late husband’s memory. Beyond that it’s an awful film.
I would be remiss without mentioning some other worthy candidates: Batman and Robin, Batman Forever, Sting II, Caddyshack II, Smokey and the Bandit 3, Cannonball Run II, Superman IV, Poltergeist II and III, Grease 2, Stayin’ Alive, Star Trek Nemesis and Insurrection, Curse of the Pink Panther, King Kong Lives, Jaws III, Jewel of the Nile, and probably a dozen others but I need to stop somewhere…
I didn’t list the Nightmare on Elm Street or Friday the 13th films because I can’t say the originals were that good anyway. Just about any horror sequel could be on the worst list.
Some might say Star Wars Phantom Menace deserved some consideration for this list, but honestly, most critics liked it at the time. Only as years have gone on did the reviews become more negative. Jar-Jar aside, I think the worst thing you could say about Menace and Attack of the Clones is they are unnecessary. Disappointing? Probably, but there are just too many more worthy candidates.
There are plenty of cable channels needing programming to kill time on a lazy Saturday afternoon. You have been warned!
THE DAY I STOP COUNTING THAT’S THE DAY MY WORLD WILL END
We have a winner! Yep, this blog had an unannounced contest. I decided earlier this year, I would give a gift card to the person who leaves the 300th comment on the blog. The momentous event happened today, August 19, 2008, at 11:07 MST.
Sure, I know I am not in the big boy blog-leagues like Ragmuffin Soul. He was able to get 191 comments on one story. It has taken me three and half years to get 300 comments. Still, we shall celebrate it.
So congratulations to Monkey Pen Member, Rick, who entered the precious comment #300 on the “THE CLOSET I’VE BEEN TO HOLLYWOOD IS DOLLYWOOD – PART I” entry. He will be getting a gift card to work on his Burger Grail Search at Culver’s.
Thank you to everyone who has ever left a comment. It makes the blog more fun when you also are part of it.
THE CLOSET I’VE BEEN TO HOLLYWOOD IS DOLLYWOOD – PART I
EDITORS NOTE: Awhile ago I did a series of blog entries that I called, FWOB – Friends With Out Blog. One of the writers of one of those entries, must have gotten bitten by the blog bug. He may have one soon have his own blog, but for now he wrote a two part entry that I am going to put here.
This was written before any summer sequels were seen by Randy.
As always, the opinions express are those of the Randy and do not necessarily reflect those of opinions of the owner of this blog.
Why just sequels and remakes? Because that’s all Hollywood does anymore. Enormous budgets often scare studios away from the “unproven†title, especially during the all important summer season. Of course that doesn’t stop them from being terrible. But, some were good, even great. I’ll start there; get the hard part out of the way first.
The criteria I (Randy) used to come up with the 10 best are:
The Ten Best Sequels and Remakes:
10. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
If not for this one, the franchise may have suffered a premature death after Temple of Doom. It needed a solid third entry to cement the credibility as more than a great first film and a mistake of a sequel.
9. Goldfinger and Casino Royale
The former established James Bond for 30 years. The latter breathed much needed new life into the Bond films, which was so needed after the Brosnan era lost its way as the Cold War ended.
8. Silence of the Lambs
This actually is a sequel, to Michael Mann’s Manhunter starring William Petersen of CSI fame. That movie was later remade into Red Dragon, all because Anthony Hopkins stole the show in this one. It reset the bar for this category that few have met.
7. Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan
This film is considered the best by many among Trek fans, as it proved that Trek can be action-oriented with good villains too. The first Star Trek film was popular, but the series needed more to compete with Star Wars. Star Trek II did that, and although it hasn’t aged as well, at the time it took the franchise to a whole new level as Star Trek exploded over the next decade.
6. Aliens
There is still an ongoing debate over which was better, this one or the original. Alien was masterful at suspense and horror. Aliens succeeded by not trying to duplicate the original, but rather redefined action and horror by superbly blending the two categories. No one has been able to do it as well since, although not for a lack of trying. Aliens was one of the first to revolutionize the “Director’s Cut†by putting it out on laserdisc, blazing the way for the concept on DVD.
5. Terminator 2 Judgment Day
It’s rare to say a sequel is better than the original, but in this case I think there’s no question. T2 is still one of the better action films even today, and the special effects have held well. Perhaps the movie’s biggest “flaw†was the film was designed to wrap up the series. Of course you knew that wasn’t going to be the case with Hollywood always looking for “bankable franchises.†T3 was entertaining, but had to find a way around the T2 storyline and I think suffered some from it.
4. Batman Begins
It was only a few years earlier when the train-wreck of a franchise reached new depths in Batman Forever and the infamous nipple-suit. Not to mention the horrendous acting and bizarre sets. But aside from Jack Nicholson, none of the previous films could claim they were any better. However, Begins overcame all of that with a great story and a better casting of characters. The fact that it wiped all of that negative history away, and did so by becoming one of the best superhero movies to date puts it high on the list.
3. Godfather, Part II
Using the innovative storytelling style of showing the father’s rise to power and the son’s further decent into moral corruption has never really been duplicated. The ending shots of Michael alone in the late ‘50s contrasted with the scene of the reunited family in the ‘40s so elegantly tied the series together, and demonstrated how far Michael had fallen. Plus, these films have a true timeless quality to them. They immerse you in the time they are set in and never feel dated by when they were made. Of course, Coppola should have never made Part III, which isn’t a terrible film, but just had too much to live up to.
2. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King/Two Towers.
It’s essentially all one long movie, from Fellowship of the Ring on, but the last installment netted 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture. That says a lot, just simply because Hollywood never recognizes fantasy blockbuster films like that. They held true enough to the books, even if King did have too many ending points that made it feel like it was going on too long. Sometimes it’s not a bad thing to deviate from the book just a little. Even so, these films set a new standard of filmmaking for a series that others recently tried to copy but failed. See the next list for some of those movies.
1. Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi
Set the original standard and trend for “trilogies†in movies. Jedi has taken some grief from hardcore fans about overusing the Ewoks, and there is a valid point there. However, Jedi balances the darker Empire and is more impactful in light of Revenge of the Sith. When they first came out, Empire was the “least†successful, but I think you could say it has aged the best over the years. But the influence of these films forever changed the standard for a blockbuster and is why I rank it ahead of the Lord of the Rings, for now. Even Lucas found out just how hard it was to duplicate his own work.
You could make a case for any of the top three to be #1. They are all great films and revolutionized each genre.
There are other sequels and remakes that were great but just didn’t make my list. For example: Superman II, Rocky II-IV, Spiderman 2, The Road Warrior, For Your Eyes Only, A Shot in the Dark, Lethal Weapon 2, King Kong (’05) Harry Potter sequels and more.
The next list is much harder, because, there are so many to choose from! That list next time…
Monkey Meditations
- Olympic Thoughts: I think a shark would get tired trying to swim with Michael Phelps
- It is great to have a reliable vehicle
- I am so thankful for mine
- It is hard to believe it now has over 100,000 miles (160934.4 km)
- Olympic Thoughts: The games should help my Metric System knowledge
- The last few rockies games I have been bad blowout loses
- At least, Sunday was a great day as we sat in the Rockpile with the church, Flatirons Community Church, we attend
- It was also was Faith Day, and we got to hear from Dave Dravecky and Steven Curtis Chapman
- Olympic Thoughts: French can talk some good smack, but that only gets a silver
- I was sad to hear that Vince Bousselaire and his hiking partner died while hiking the Matterhorn in Switzerland
- I did not really know him, but I meet him a few times at mountain classes/seminars at Faith Bible Chapel
- My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends
- Olympic Thoughts: China blocks my website
- I learned that my site is block from the Great Firewall of China website, at least it was a year ago
- I don’t why, but that makes me feel proud
- I wonder why it gets blocked
- Olympic Thoughts: People are more upset over China’s pollution instead of Human Rights Issues
- Oh, the site probably gets blocked because of lines like that
- I know environmental pollution can affect a lot of people
- However, clean air with no real freedom does not seem like a great place to live
AND THE CARDINALS PLAYING ON TV
The second part of our Missouri Major League Baseball Road Trip was in St. Louis. When we got there, we meet up with Ray and Jeannette. They were kind of enough to let us to stay at their place near St. Louis. Since the game was moved to Sunday night to be on national TV (Yes, both games on our trip were moved to be on national TV. Probably because Scott and I were going to those games), we decided to visit the Gateway Arch.
The Gateway Arch and the ballpark are very close to each other in downtown St. Louis. So a lot of people going to the game were also at that Arch. I was very impressed with the monument. We watched a great movie on the making of the Arch. Those guys on the construction crew were amazing to me. The museum in the Arch on Westward Expansion was very interesting to go through. Finally, we made it to the top of the Arch. It was fun to get to the top and see the view.
After our time as a tourist in St. Louis, we went into our baseball mode and headed to the game. The front of the stadium had many statues of former great Cardinals. It also has a very Coors Field feel about the building as it was made to look classic and fit into a downtown area.
We had great seats down the right field line a few sections from the foul pole. The ballpark is very pretty. The only thing that I did not like was the scoreboard. It was nice, but it had the older yellow/orange digital text unlike the ‘K’ or Coors Field. It was a nicer scoreboard than Dodger Stadium for video but not much different for text. I hope they upgrade that at some point.
I had never seen so many vendors. It felt like every section had at least four to six vendors in it at a time. I guess they must sell a lot drink and food in St. Louis.
Since I was kid, I figure I have been blessed to attended around 175 minor and major baseball games. However, I have never caught a foul ball. In fact, I never really been close. However, late in the game a foul ball hit the beam between the first and second deck and bounced back towards us. It was just over my hands as jump for it. The ball hit the lady who was sitting in the seat in the row in front of me. She just had shoulder surgery and hit her in that shoulder and bounced away from her. Poor lady, but the Cardinals attendant did bring her some ice and she said she was OK.
As for the game, the Cardinals started off well and had a nice lead. Then the Phillies had a good inning as the Cards manager kept changing his pitchers for every match-up and it backfired as the Phillies took the lead in the top of the 8th. The Cardinals had many changes to tie and win the game in the bottom of the 8th and 9th, but could not get that clutch hit to win. So the Phillies won the game, 5-4.
We were able to get out of downtown pretty easy and get back to Ray and Jeannette’s place for a good nice sleep. Then we got breakfast with Ray the next morning and then drove back home to Colorado.
It was a great baseball trip for Scott and I and probably for our wives since they got a few days without us. Here are the photos of our time in St. Louis.
KANSAS CITY LIGHTS SHINE FOR ME TONIGHT
Back in February, my friend, Scott, and I were talking baseball. We talked about the old Negro Leagues and how much we really liked Buck O’Neil. We thought it would be a fun trip to go see the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City. Then we talked about how we were “those people” who would like to visit all the Major League Baseball Stadiums. So we thought at least we could do a trip to Missouri to see the museum and two baseball stadiums.
Finally, the time arrived for our three day road trip to Missouri. When we got to KC, we swung by loyal Monkey Pen Member, Matt’s house. We only got a very brief time with him. Matt made sure we could not stay with him as he got a house full of cats to keep me away. Then he made up some story about doing the video for some family wedding. Then he got us tickets to the Royals game, but what he got us put is right in the sun all day. I think he still bitter about the WNBA not making it to KC, yet. Ok really, Matt is great guy and it is shame we could not get more time together, but I do appreciate him getting us the tickets for the game.
After seeing Matt, we went to the Museum. We spent about two hours looking at photos, uniforms, movies, statues, etc. and reading all the information. I am so glad we got to visit the place. I really enjoyed seeing a piece of baseball history.
For lunch, Scott found a place from the show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives called Grinder’s. It is pretty close to the museum. The food was awesome. It was not really healthy, but it was a road trip.
From there we went Kauffman Stadium to catch the Chicago White Sox’s playing the Kansas City Royals. I had been to a few games there before, but it was called Royals Stadium the last time I was there back in 1989. A lot of things have been redone since I was there. In fact, there was still a lot of construction going on as they were making the concourses bigger and adding lot of things to the whole stadium. There was a new, very big HD scoreboard that was great. They showed a lot of replays, which is nice to see as much baseball games I have been to barley show replays.
The game got moved from the evening to afternoon to be one of the Fox Saturday games. Being an afternoon game just seems to make the weather even more oppressively hot and humid. Apparently the heat index was around 115 during the game. It was brutal for sure. Thank God, the there were plenty of empty seats in the shade for us to move to. I am glad we were just visiting as living there would kill me.
Since it was so hot and humid, the game really was more of offensive game as the ball carried more. Since more runs were scored, the game was a lot longer. Yet, we stuck it out and survived the heat. The Royals won the game 9 to 7.
One of the neat aspects of the game was it was Military Appreciation day at the ‘K’. The Marines, Army, Navy, and Air Force swore in a bunch of new soldiers before the game. The first pitch was thrown out a by a WW II vet who was a Japanese POW for four years and who endured the Bataan Death March.
After the game, we went to Fiorella’s Jack Stack’s BBQ in downtown KC. We figured we should do BBQ in KC. It was very good food. So we may have struggled a lot with the heat in KC, but at least we ate well.
Here are photos of the road trip stop in KC.
Next up, the road trip continues to St. Louis.
