I was surfing through the schedule on my TV Guide last night in order to see what I might record overnight. Lo and behold, I saw a new episode of At the Movies at 11:35 on one of my local stations. A "new" episode on a Sunday night at 11:30. How's that for a graveyard slot?
Of course, I had heard that the series had been canceled, and when I saw that part of the show would be a history of Siskel and Ebert, I figured this might be the last "new" episode. Well, I decided to record it.
I watched it this morning and sure enough, it was the final episode. I did get a little maudlin about it. I mean, I started watching the show the first time it aired 35 years ago. I was a faithful devotee of it for 30 years. I admit that when Gene died in 1999, I slowly started to wean off of the show.
I got really nostalgic when the final critics ran the opening of the first show...Gene and Roger finishing up work at their respective newspapers, hitting the streets, seeing their names on the newspaper trucks and finally entering the theater to tape the show. With that oh, so recognizable theme song playing in the background.
For the record, I found Roger more agreeable to my taste for films than Gene. I always felt Gene was a bit elitist in his reviews, for lack of a better word. Roger would rate a movie based on its intent and whether it succeeded in achieving that or not. If it was supposed to be a popcorn movie and it worked, then it was a "Thumb's up!" I always felt Gene was comparing films to the standard of "Citizen Kane" and the like. At least, that's how I saw him.
Now it's gone. Another long-term memory of my life put into the dustbin of history (bad cliche, I know). It's just another reminder of how life is passing and the great memories slowly fade away.
I loved those guys, and I wish Roger a long, long life ahead.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
"The Expendables" is a fun ride
I went to see The Expendables on opening day Friday. Definitely not a chick flick. I enjoyed it, and if one is just into no-brain action, blood and guts machismo, this is right up that alley.
I do agree with Scott Mendelson's post over at the Huffington Post that this is not really the "all the action stars of the 80s and 90s" that entertainment pundits keep throwing out on news shows. As he puts it,
Missing are "Harrison Ford..., Mel Gibson..., Chuck Norris..., Jean Claude Van Damme..., and Steven Seagal." There is a scene featuring cameo appearances by Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. A nice line is thrown out by Stallone as the Governator is leaving, but it does break the "fourth wall." By that I mean that the line takes you out of the film and into reality. But, I guess that's all right in the long term since the film is about having fun.
I just read that the movie is on track to make about $35 million in its first weekend, and it's going to beat out the chick flick Eat Pray Love by over ten million. I would hazard a guess that a sequel is definitely going to be in theaters down the road.
The good news about a sequel is that according to the Internet Movie Database, Sandra Bullock might be interested in joining the cast. Now that would be fun!
As a final thought, I saw the trailer for the new film Jackass 3D. Now I'm not a fan of dumb comedy films. Just not my thing, but I have to admit there is a sight gag about high-fiving that blew me (and the audience) away. Very funny! I'm still not going to see it though. The rest of the trailer didn't float my boat.
I do agree with Scott Mendelson's post over at the Huffington Post that this is not really the "all the action stars of the 80s and 90s" that entertainment pundits keep throwing out on news shows. As he puts it,
At best you have Stallone, an 80s cult figure (Dolph Lundgren), and two genuine action stars (Jet Li and Jason Statham) who are a generation or two removed from the kind of films that The Expendables is trying to harken back to.
Missing are "Harrison Ford..., Mel Gibson..., Chuck Norris..., Jean Claude Van Damme..., and Steven Seagal." There is a scene featuring cameo appearances by Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. A nice line is thrown out by Stallone as the Governator is leaving, but it does break the "fourth wall." By that I mean that the line takes you out of the film and into reality. But, I guess that's all right in the long term since the film is about having fun.
I just read that the movie is on track to make about $35 million in its first weekend, and it's going to beat out the chick flick Eat Pray Love by over ten million. I would hazard a guess that a sequel is definitely going to be in theaters down the road.
The good news about a sequel is that according to the Internet Movie Database, Sandra Bullock might be interested in joining the cast. Now that would be fun!
As a final thought, I saw the trailer for the new film Jackass 3D. Now I'm not a fan of dumb comedy films. Just not my thing, but I have to admit there is a sight gag about high-fiving that blew me (and the audience) away. Very funny! I'm still not going to see it though. The rest of the trailer didn't float my boat.
Sunday, August 08, 2010
A Day at the Races
Well, I went to the race track last Wednesday for the first time in about 40 years. I was not impressed. The site was the Del Mar Race Track ("Where the turf meets the surf"), and I must say I really don't see the attraction.
You've got anywhere from six to about 12 horses racing against each other, and I swear, if you don't have a clue about the horses, you might as well forget making any kind of money. They betting goes from the basic who will win to the more exotic exactas, quinellas, pick sixes, etc. Each race, you can pick from one to four finishers. If you pick the four in order, you get a pay out of anywhere between 1,000 to 2,000 dollars, depending on the odds of the winning horses crossing the finish line.
For fun (and to keep busy during the time between races), I played on paper and picked the first four finishes of each race. I had no idea what I was doing, so I bet on one of the top three or four favorites. In the end, had I just bet on the first place horse for all eight races, I would have ended up about four bucks ahead. If I had gone with any of the other exotic bets, I would have lost my shirt! I never picked a one-two finish, let alone a four-pick. I didn't pick any two winning horses back-to-back, so the Daily Double would have killed me.
What was really funny is that in the racing form, they had the winning percentages of the race track "experts" who pick the races daily, and the leader to date had a 25% winning pick! That's it! Their best guy could only garner a one out of four record...and he's published!
In my mind you have to be an idiot to bet on that "sport," especially if you're looking to make a profit. If the record of the experts is so bad, what chance does the layman have? Heck, there are betting games in casinos that give you much better odds than that.
Even though I had no stake in the races, I did find the finishes quite exciting. So I guess if one has a goodly sum of money riding on the outcome, it's got to be quite an adrenalin pumper. What was really neat was the animated tote board keeping everyone apprised of the current places of the horses as they ran around the race track.
I will the say that the ambiance was terrific. It was a great day, mild weather, and you just barely see the Pacific Ocean from where I was sitting. Of course, that was it. Inside the grandstands was a huge open area for the bettors to line up at the windows, and about four or five eat and drink places that had outrageous prices.
I did run across some Damon Runyonesque characters. Now that was interesting. It's a whole subculture in the Horse Racing world. A lot of attendees were retired people. At least I assumed they were retired. Oddly enough, there were a lot of young people (even children) there as well. And boy, they were all busily working the betting lines in the program...excepting the kids, of course. The adults were placing bets for the kids, however.
I suppose, if you're looking for a relaxing day in the summer and can afford to lose money (which you will...at least 99% of you - there are those lucky ones like lottery winners), it's not a bad place to while away the time. Heck, just treat the loss of money as if you were spending a night on the town, and I guess it could be fun.
For me, though, not really my thing...
You've got anywhere from six to about 12 horses racing against each other, and I swear, if you don't have a clue about the horses, you might as well forget making any kind of money. They betting goes from the basic who will win to the more exotic exactas, quinellas, pick sixes, etc. Each race, you can pick from one to four finishers. If you pick the four in order, you get a pay out of anywhere between 1,000 to 2,000 dollars, depending on the odds of the winning horses crossing the finish line.
For fun (and to keep busy during the time between races), I played on paper and picked the first four finishes of each race. I had no idea what I was doing, so I bet on one of the top three or four favorites. In the end, had I just bet on the first place horse for all eight races, I would have ended up about four bucks ahead. If I had gone with any of the other exotic bets, I would have lost my shirt! I never picked a one-two finish, let alone a four-pick. I didn't pick any two winning horses back-to-back, so the Daily Double would have killed me.
What was really funny is that in the racing form, they had the winning percentages of the race track "experts" who pick the races daily, and the leader to date had a 25% winning pick! That's it! Their best guy could only garner a one out of four record...and he's published!
In my mind you have to be an idiot to bet on that "sport," especially if you're looking to make a profit. If the record of the experts is so bad, what chance does the layman have? Heck, there are betting games in casinos that give you much better odds than that.
Even though I had no stake in the races, I did find the finishes quite exciting. So I guess if one has a goodly sum of money riding on the outcome, it's got to be quite an adrenalin pumper. What was really neat was the animated tote board keeping everyone apprised of the current places of the horses as they ran around the race track.
I will the say that the ambiance was terrific. It was a great day, mild weather, and you just barely see the Pacific Ocean from where I was sitting. Of course, that was it. Inside the grandstands was a huge open area for the bettors to line up at the windows, and about four or five eat and drink places that had outrageous prices.
I did run across some Damon Runyonesque characters. Now that was interesting. It's a whole subculture in the Horse Racing world. A lot of attendees were retired people. At least I assumed they were retired. Oddly enough, there were a lot of young people (even children) there as well. And boy, they were all busily working the betting lines in the program...excepting the kids, of course. The adults were placing bets for the kids, however.
I suppose, if you're looking for a relaxing day in the summer and can afford to lose money (which you will...at least 99% of you - there are those lucky ones like lottery winners), it's not a bad place to while away the time. Heck, just treat the loss of money as if you were spending a night on the town, and I guess it could be fun.
For me, though, not really my thing...
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Bottom's Up!
Well, I had my first colonoscopy yesterday (Sat.). Boy was that a trip-and-a-half. Nothing like getting a firehose shoved up the wazoo.
I have to say the worse part of the ordeal was the preliminary stuff. I had to starve myself for two days. My sister said she only had to fast for one day. When I asked the nurse why the difference, she said that only one day fasting results in more failures because the fecal material sometimes doesn't clear, thus resulting in the patient having to do it all over again. I'll take the two days.
So, once having starved myself, I then had to take a laxative the evening before. I love the name of the laxative: "GoLytely." Believe me, there was nothing light about it. I started drinking a gallon(!) of the cruddy stuff at 5pm and didn't finish drinking the whole thing until 11pm. I proceeded to visit Mrs. Murphy (for those of you old enough to remember that phrase) continuously until 1:30 in the morning.
I watched Eraser and The Negotiator on AMC in between the bathroom visits. No-brain movies...perfect. Fortunately I had seen both several times so I didn't miss anything as I sat on the pot.
Saturday morning comes the moment of truth. I'm lying on the gurney and the nurse is prepping me. My blood pressure is 159 (I wonder why?) and I have no idea what to expect. She tells me that I'm getting the Big C instead of a sphygmoidoscopy because I had "occult blood" in my stool sample. "Occult" meaning it can't be seen by the naked eye. Now THAT'S comforting!
Next the poor nurse couldn't find a vein to insert the medication needle, so she had to get another nurse to try. She couldn't find one at first, but on the third try...success! Now I'm cruising with bruising at three places on my right arm. Bleh!
So off I go into the main event. The doctor proceeds to tell me about all the horrible things that can go wrong (e.g., rupturing the intestine), then a hearty, "Sign here!" Followed by a "State your name, social security and the procedure your about to have." Ah, we're being taped. Great... I thought about throwing out a few F-bombs for G.P., but decided against it.
They were really nice people. The anesthetist was a gorgeous blond (Her name was Amanda), fortunately, she didn't have an up-close and personal view of what I was going through, so that saved me. I still had a chance to be suave and debonair with her, even though my hairy ass was hanging out (where she couldn't see it).
The doctor's assistant looked like Wolverine from the X-men. I could barely see his face with all the hair he was sporting. The words "sanitary environment" came to mind.
But to business. I turned on my left side and got to enjoy a TV showing of my innermost being. Sure was clean (Thank you two-day starvation!). Keen.
The first part of the joy ride was a bit uncomfortable, but all-in-all not that bad. And I now have ten pictures of my innards for my scrapbook. There was only one little thing that they took a biopsy of, but it looks good for me for another ten years. Yippee!
What the nurse told me was that the occult blood probably came from hemorrhoids. She also said that everybody has hemorrhoids of one kind or another. I didn't know that. Maybe she was just shining me on.
Funny enough, I never felt drugged up. Good job by the gorgeous anesthetist. Too bad she's about twenty years younger than me...and married...we could have had beautiful children together. Hmmm...maybe I was drugged up...
Colonoscopy: A lovely experience that I'm glad I don't have to endure again for ten years. Excepting of course the results of the biopsy. The one thing that makes me feel good is that I know I won't have colon cancer surprisingly rearing up its ugly head and killing me. That alone was worth the journey, and I recommend it for everyone whom doctors feel should get one. It will allay a lot of fear.
I have to say the worse part of the ordeal was the preliminary stuff. I had to starve myself for two days. My sister said she only had to fast for one day. When I asked the nurse why the difference, she said that only one day fasting results in more failures because the fecal material sometimes doesn't clear, thus resulting in the patient having to do it all over again. I'll take the two days.
So, once having starved myself, I then had to take a laxative the evening before. I love the name of the laxative: "GoLytely." Believe me, there was nothing light about it. I started drinking a gallon(!) of the cruddy stuff at 5pm and didn't finish drinking the whole thing until 11pm. I proceeded to visit Mrs. Murphy (for those of you old enough to remember that phrase) continuously until 1:30 in the morning.
I watched Eraser and The Negotiator on AMC in between the bathroom visits. No-brain movies...perfect. Fortunately I had seen both several times so I didn't miss anything as I sat on the pot.
Saturday morning comes the moment of truth. I'm lying on the gurney and the nurse is prepping me. My blood pressure is 159 (I wonder why?) and I have no idea what to expect. She tells me that I'm getting the Big C instead of a sphygmoidoscopy because I had "occult blood" in my stool sample. "Occult" meaning it can't be seen by the naked eye. Now THAT'S comforting!
Next the poor nurse couldn't find a vein to insert the medication needle, so she had to get another nurse to try. She couldn't find one at first, but on the third try...success! Now I'm cruising with bruising at three places on my right arm. Bleh!
So off I go into the main event. The doctor proceeds to tell me about all the horrible things that can go wrong (e.g., rupturing the intestine), then a hearty, "Sign here!" Followed by a "State your name, social security and the procedure your about to have." Ah, we're being taped. Great... I thought about throwing out a few F-bombs for G.P., but decided against it.
They were really nice people. The anesthetist was a gorgeous blond (Her name was Amanda), fortunately, she didn't have an up-close and personal view of what I was going through, so that saved me. I still had a chance to be suave and debonair with her, even though my hairy ass was hanging out (where she couldn't see it).
The doctor's assistant looked like Wolverine from the X-men. I could barely see his face with all the hair he was sporting. The words "sanitary environment" came to mind.
But to business. I turned on my left side and got to enjoy a TV showing of my innermost being. Sure was clean (Thank you two-day starvation!). Keen.
The first part of the joy ride was a bit uncomfortable, but all-in-all not that bad. And I now have ten pictures of my innards for my scrapbook. There was only one little thing that they took a biopsy of, but it looks good for me for another ten years. Yippee!
What the nurse told me was that the occult blood probably came from hemorrhoids. She also said that everybody has hemorrhoids of one kind or another. I didn't know that. Maybe she was just shining me on.
Funny enough, I never felt drugged up. Good job by the gorgeous anesthetist. Too bad she's about twenty years younger than me...and married...we could have had beautiful children together. Hmmm...maybe I was drugged up...
Colonoscopy: A lovely experience that I'm glad I don't have to endure again for ten years. Excepting of course the results of the biopsy. The one thing that makes me feel good is that I know I won't have colon cancer surprisingly rearing up its ugly head and killing me. That alone was worth the journey, and I recommend it for everyone whom doctors feel should get one. It will allay a lot of fear.
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