infamous

So you are a huge fan of the Joker, your board, your twenty, and you’re (ahem) a little kooky.  What do you do?  You dress up as the Dark Knight’s nemesis and create a little havoc.  According to an AP report this morning twenty year old Taylor Spencer dressed up as the Joker and headed to his local picture show theatre and attempted to steal Batman posters and other memorabilia in plain view of the employees of the theatre in a, wait for it, purple suit.  Subtlety is obviously not this kid’s strong suit.  There are fans, and then there are super-fans, and then there is this guy.

The trailer for the new Terminator Salvation was released at Comic-Con.  Christian Bale is starring as the futuristic war hero John Conner.  This is one of those sequels that could be disappointing.  The third edition to this story was almost unnecessary, although I enjoyed the movie.  Christian Bale does have a great thing going with Batman, and it would be a shame to see that crumble because of a poor showing here.  However, being a big fan of the series, I am definitely going to watch it, despite opinions.  I am sure that with McG on the scene that the product will be good.  The trailer certainly does look amazing.

The creators of the widely popular television series Lost announced that all the answers to the shows multitudinous questions would be coming in the next 34 episodes.  The next two seasons are likely to be quite popular.  With all the questions that they have laid out over the past four years, I don’t know if 34 hours is enough time to get all the answers.  I would venture to say that the DVD of the series will become quite popular as well, as those who got upset at the continued mysteries, now have confirmation that the show is not going to continue down the black hole of insanity that it has spiraled through over the past couple of years.

Drew Carey and Shakespeare are two names that I never would have thought I would hear in the same sentence, but here they are.  It was announced this morning on the AP wire that Carey would be narrating Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Cleveland Orchestra.  He will be accompanied by the Cleveland Orchestra who will be playing the concerto.  The performance will be this Saturday, July 26th at 8:00PM, according to the Blossom Music Festival website.

I do hope that the Cleveland Orchestra has put in adequate rehearsal time with Carey, as his usual schtick would make an evening of Shakespeare as confusing as watching a dull and muddy-mettled rascal wrestle with a small grey coated gnat.  I will look for some reviews in the days to come, and we shall see how well he is received.

The AP reported the death of Estelle Getty today.  She was best known for her role on The Golden Girls as Sophia.  She died on Tuesday.

Is it odd that as a young man I actually watched the Golden Girls?  I don’t know what it was about that show that attracted me as a kid, but I actually found it to be quite funny.  I do not believe that a thirteen year old boy was the target audience, but they had me. The character of Sophia was my favorite, with Blanche as a close second.  It was not until recently that I learned, Estelle was the youngest of the group.  Although she played the not always lovable matriarch of the bunch, she was considerable younger than the rest of the actresses.  I guess that speaks to her great character work.

So long to another great performer this year.  Thanks for the laughs.

According to a report out by the AP this morning, Jay Leno will be performing his last Tonight Show hosting appearance on May 29th.  Conan O’Brien will be the new host of the show the following night June 1st.  There was a promise made to O’Brien more than four years ago that he was next in line for the position on the show, but who would have thought it would be so soon?

In a media stunt, Leno dressed as a bald reporter and asked questions about himself to his boss during a press briefing.  From the AP:

“Everyone’s entitled to change their mind. But I’d imagine that puts management in an impossible situation,” Silverman replied, gamely.

“Is it true you’ve offered Leno a fifth hour on the `Today’ show?” Leno said.

“That’s a great idea, actually,” Silverman said.

Nah, replied Leno, “It’s a crappy idea.”

Also in the report is a confirmation that Jimmy Falon, Saturday Night Live graduate, will be taking over O’Brien’s show.

UPDATE:  Also found in the NYT this morning.

Article out on the AP this morning for AFI’s list of top 10 films in 10 genres.

Animation goes to Snow White. Of course, like there was even a question!

Romantic Comedies goes to City Lights, the Chaplin film for any not familiar. This is a bit silly, but only two on the list of ten were made in my lifetime, so these ten are more like a homage to movie making.

Western goes to The Searchers. Really! Shane came in third, which is silly and The Unforgiven was fourth. Maybe I’m partial because it was one of the first films I watched when I really began to appreciate the art form, but Eastwood’s Unforgiven is easily the best western ever made. Also, missing was Tombstone. How could you not put Tombstone on this list, at least in the top five.

Sports goes to Raging Bull, probably Robert DeNiro’s worst role ever. I was happy to see Rocky come in second and Caddyshack pulling in at seventh. Now this list is getting some respect.

Mystery goes to Vertigo. Okay, but Usual Suspects is tenth. Come on guys, Usual Suspects after Laura or Dial M for Murder. Ludicrous, I’m telling Keyser Soze.

Fantasy goes to The Wizard of Oz. I’m sure that the Lord of the Rings was a close second. No doubt it would have been first if the movie had not ended three times in the final installment. Also some surprising showings were Groundhog Day at eight and Big at ten. This is by far the most accurate accounting of any of the genres I think.

Sci-Fi goes to 2001. Star Wars comes in second, and this is obviously a misprint as the two must have gotten reversed.

Gangster goes to, like there was even a question, The Godfather. Coming in second, and a good spot for it, is Goodfellas.

Courtroom Drama goes to To Kill a Mockingbird. A Few Good Men is also on this list at number five. That’s a surprise, I can’t even remember what that film is about. “You can’t handle the truth!” That’s the only thing that stuck.

Epic goes to Lawrence of Arabia. This is the best list of must see films. Ben-Hur pulls in second and Schindler’s List is third. There is not a film on this list of ten that most people have not seen.

AFI’s site is really nice. They have individual links to all the films with trailers, taped interviews, and film stills.

Ever wonder how Paul McCartney and John Lennon met?  Well a long lost interview between the two was recently found according to the AP , and will be aired on the BBC network radio 4.  No word if this will be available for download over the internet.  I will keep my eye out and if a link arrives I will certainly update this post with it.

In an inspiring form, Obama made a promise to the American people that needed to be said.  From the AP :

“I have found, for the first time, my patriotism challenged - at times as a result of my own carelessness, more often as a result of the desire by some to score political points and raise fears about who I am and what I stand for,” he said before a crowd of a few hundred people at the Truman Memorial Building here. “I will never question the patriotism of others in this campaign. And I will not stand idly by when I hear others question mine.”

While giving a speech in Independence, Missouri Obama removed this weapon from the arsenal of the Republican attacks.  This was an excellent move, and I believe comes from an honest place in this man’s heart.  It is inspiring to see a politician dealing with adversity in such a public and straightforward manner.  Not only has he promised to never question the patriotism of others, but openly admits that it is his own missteps which have allowed this claim to arrise.  When is the last time you heard a politician admit to a fault?