NYT Crossword World Overview

Since I'm posting recaps of my solving the New York Times crossword puzzles, I thought I'd give an overview of the how the puzzle works.

The puzzles are posted each day online at 10pm Eastern (7pm Pacific), the day before the puzzle dates. On Saturday and Sunday the puzzles are posted at 6pm for the Sunday and Monday puzzles.

The Monday through Saturday puzzles are usually 15x15 grids. They get progressively harder each day. I've found that Monday and Tuesday are about the same (and very easy), along with Wednesday and Thursday being equally difficult. The Thursday puzzle (and on occasion Wednesday and Sunday) will have some kind of trick to it. It might be a rebus puzzle for example. A rebus is two or more letters in the same square. Another example is using a black square to represent the word "black." I'm not really a fan of trick puzzles, and if I don't get the trick quickly, I bail on the puzzle.

The Friday and Saturday puzzles are generally the toughest of the week. Many times the Monday through Thursday puzzles will have themes. Basically, they have three or more answers that are common in some way. The Friday and Saturday puzzles rarely have themes (called "Themeless"). Solving veterans prefer there not being themes within those puzzles.

Sunday's puzzle is usually a 21x21 grid. It always has a theme, and a title of the puzzle is included to give a hint to the theme. As I understand it, the Sunday puzzle difficulty is about the same as a Wednesday.

I consider myself decent solver. I am by no means an expert. For example, I can solve the Monday puzzles between six and seven minutes on average. Sometimes I dip below six minutes, but not often. There are those out there who can solve it in two minutes. I kid you not. I solve on an iPad, so I don't know if my time would improve if I solved on paper.

My patience on solving runs about 50 minutes. If I haven't finished by then, I will usually give up and get the answers. Sometimes it takes just one cheat, and I can blast through the rest of the puzzle. I will be honest, and when I can't solve the puzzle I will put a big, fat DNF (Did Not Finish) next to the solving time.

If you're interested, there are two sites I frequent for comments on the daily puzzles. The first is xwordinfo. They have an in with the NYT, because they publish the answers along with the grid and a detailed breakdown of the puzzle as soon as the puzzle is posted online. They have a huge database of all the words used in the puzzles dating back decades. Worth a look.

The other site I frequent is Rex Parker Does the NYT Puzzle. He solves the puzzle, then posts it. If he solves it near posting, he posts his results and comments at midnight Eastern. If he solves it in the morning, well, it will be early but no set time. He can be very critical of the puzzles.

You need a subscription to access the puzzles. It's $6.95 a month or $39.95 annually.

I live on the fringe of the crossword puzzle world, so if anyone reads this and finds fault with something I've written, please, be sure to let me know so I can fix it.

NYT Crossword 04/18/17 (Tuesday)

Cruciverbalist: Bruce Haight
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 9:51

Puzzle uniqueness:

The entire puzzle consisted of  seven letters - A, E, I, L, R, S, T. In  addition, there were four anagrams of the letters within the puzzle. Again, for the trivia minded, I'll let them figure it out.

Words I hadn't known until now:

ASSAI - "Very, in music" (Really?)

Trivia I didn't know:

ARIA - "Mozart's 'Se vuol ballare,' for one" (Though with four letters easily deduced)
ALTAIR - "Brightest 1-Down (STAR) in Aquila" (Knew the star, didn't know it was there!)
STEER - "Animals rounded up in a roundup" (Never knew this was plural! Silly me!)
ELEA - "Zeno's home" (Huh?!?)
REES - "Roger who played a part on 'Cheers'" (This seems a bit too obscure, IMO)

Junk Answers:

LAT - "One of  a pair of map coordinates: Abbr." (Please!)
ELLS - "The black square chunk in front of 55-, 60, and 63-Across, and others" (Whew!)
STER - "Suffix with prank or poll" (Really?)
SSTS - "Concord, for short" (This answer and its singular need to be retired!)
TAS - "See 6-Down," which is "Things graded by 7-Down (TESTS)"
IRAS - "Nest egg for the golden years" (Only because "IRA" was in yesterday's puzzle)

Clever clues:

None that floated my boat...

"The Fate of the Furious" a Fun Film

Went to see The Fate of the Furious today. I really enjoyed it. It's quite a ride. I've mentioned before that I'm an action/adventure movie guy, and this certainly fills the bill.

Of course, as in all the other Furious films, the laws of physics (and gravity, if that's not a redundancy) are thrown out the window.

Charlize Theron plays the big bad; however, she really didn't get to do all that much. Most of her screen time is in an airplane with an earpiece on barking out orders. One gets the impression she showed up for a week or two, shot all her scenes, collected her millions and went home. I also think that her master plan is a bit muddied.   

There are a few plot holes as well, but with all the action, those can be forgiven. The one beef I have are the fight scenes. They are well choreographed, but for me, the camera is way too close to the action, and the quick (I mean, superfast) edits are disconcerting. I have to admit that this seems to be the modus operandi for most action sequences in Hollywood, and it has been for a while now.

The opening action set piece located in Cuba was exciting. Also, according to the IMDb trivia page (take that for what you will), the producers reportedly set off the biggest explosion ever to occur in Iceland for the film.

A final note: This movie had the greatest weekend opening worldwide ever ($532 million), squeaking by previous champ Stars Wars: The Force Awakens by about $3 million.

I know that if the reader liked the previous Furious movies, you will enjoy this one as well. I recommend it to be seen in the IMAX format, if possible. One thing I love is when the IMAX intro (the countdown) is themed with the movie. I remember the fuse burning through the numbers counted down in the last Mission: Impossible movie as the MI theme music pounded. Quite thrilling...if you're an action fan, that is! 😉

NYT Crossword 04/17/17 (Monday)

Cruciverbalist: Peter Gordon
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 5:53

Words I hadn't known until now:

APBIO - "H.S. class for a future doctor, maybe" (This seems a bit shaky as an answer.)
LULULEMON - "Big name in athletic wear" (Not a shoe person)
PUPUPLATTER - "Assortment of appetizers at a Polynesian or Chinese restaurant"
BABA - "____ ghanouj" (Still don't know what it is, I'll look it up later)

Trivia I didn't know:

EDD -  "TV announcer Hall whose credits include 'The Tonight Show'""

Junk Answers:

WDS - "Dict. Entries"
APBIO - (See above)
ETDS - "Flight deck guesses about takeoff, for short"

Clever clues:

IRA - "Good name for a tax advisor?"

NYT Crossword 04/16/17 (Sunday)

Cruciverbalist: Timothy Polin

Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 31:56

Theme Title: Saddle Up!

Circled squares within answer are names of horses ridden by famous characters (on top of circled
squares). For those of a trivial bent, I’ll just name the rider answers:
ZORRO
CISCOKID
LONERANGER
ROYROGERS
SCOUT
DALEEVANS

Words I hadn’t known until now:

FRETSAW – “Woodworking tool” (I know a few saws…this is not one of them.)
LOCOMOTED – “Moved, jocularly” (This is a new one for me. Will start using it!)

Trivia I didn’t know:

THEHUMANTORNADO – “1976 blaxploitation film that was a sequel to ‘Dolemite’”
RIODIABLO – “Made-for-TV western co-starring Travis Tritt”
HUTU – “Native Rwandan”
ANNO – “365 giorni” (More of a Spanish guy)
EDNA - “’Hairspray’ matriarch”
ALOIS – “Arnold Schwarzenegger’s middle name”
DOLCE – “Sweetly, on a score”
STU – “’Rugrats’ father” (Never seen the series)

Junk answers:

PAH – “’Poppycock!’” (Really?)
ALA – “___ King”
AXHEAD – “Something getting stuck in a trunk?”
OMS – “Meditation syllables”

Clever clues:

EGGO – “They might pop up in the morning”
BSIDES – “Cuts on the back?”
PEALS – “Wedding rings?”
PATOIS – “Vernacular” (Not clever, just love the answer, not used enough)
LONGI – “Repeated part of a five-mile hike?” (A clue trick used occasionally by TPTB)

Movies, Movies, Movies!

I gotta say that my favorite movie this year is Get Out. Excellent film. Really, nothing has come close to it. It has a great, original perspective on racism. Jordan Peele, the director, has done well with his first effort. I recommend it highly.

Last year, my favorite film was Hell or High Water, with Arrival a very close second. I did see Moonlight and La La Land, but while they were both very good, they were not my cup of tea.

I’m sure other great films will be coming down the pike, but I really hope that Get Out gets some Academy Nomination love, especially the screenplay. Very well crafted.

I admit that as I’ve gotten older, I have gravitated strongly toward action/adventure films. For whatever reason, films strong on character and/or character development, or explore the human condition don’t really appeal to me anymore. I will go see those kinds of films that get great reviews or are very popular (hence, Moonlight and La La Land), but that’s about it for those genres.

I’m into the good ol’ fashioned shoot ‘em ups and chase movies. Some of the movies I’ve seen this year include XXX: Return of Xander Cage, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, John Wick 2, The Wall, Logan, Kong: Skull Island and Life. Of those, I give the nod to Logan with John Wick 2 a close second. Uh, I just noticed, when did the colon become de rigueur in movie titles?

I’ve retired recently, thus I’ve had the opportunity to see lots of films, which is one of my passions. I’m within walking distance of two theaters, which is very nice. Another advantage is that the theaters have discount matinees on particular days. One theater I can see a current movie for $5, and the other has a $4 admission fee for seniors (with a free card).

If the reader is a movie buff you might check out your local theater for classic movies. Where I live, one screens great films on Sundays and Wednesdays. So far, I’ve had the opportunity to see North by Northwest and Clue this year. In the coming weeks, there will be screenings of Clueless, The Graduate and Casablanca to name a few.

NYT Crossword 04/15/17 (Saturday)

Cruciverbalist: Peter Wentz

Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 29:15

Words I hadn’t known until now: 0

Trivia I didn’t know:

• JAGR – “Hockey legend Jaromir”
• STPETER – “Metaphorical rock of Matthew 16:18
• ATEMPO – “Getting back to speed, musically”
• GRE – “Inits. on a master’s application”
• IAN - “Swimmer Thorpe with five Olympic gold medals”
• ESAISON – “1988 N.F.L. M.V.P. from the Cincinnati Bengals
• FAT – “Epithet for Louis VI, with ‘the’”

Junk answers:

• THORO – “Sweeping, for short”
• ATAD – “Slightly”
• YAYME – ”Man, I did good!”

Clever clues:

• THEJONESES – “Object of envious comparison”
• SPUD – “Chips, initially”
• PONYTAIL – “Women’s World Cup sight”
• DOTEDU – “School closing?”

An Outstanding Crossword Puzzle

I've been solving crossword puzzles all my life. Plus, I've been creating a crossword once a month for a local publication for several years as well. Here's your word for the day: cruciverbalist - a designer or aficionado of crossword puzzles.

 

I subscribe to the New York Times Crossword which gives me instant access to the daily puzzles. One can play on the computer or a mobile device such an iPhone or iPad. For those interested, it's only US$16.99 per year (or you can pay it monthly, if you wish).

 

The reason I bring this up is that last Thursday (March 25), the puzzle, constructed by Patrick Blindauer, was one of the smartest and cleverest ones I've ever seen. I'm going to explain the reason, so spoiler alert! If you love doing crosswords, I recommend you try the puzzle first before reading on. 

 

If you have access to the syndicated NY Times puzzles through various newspapers around the country, the Monday-Saturday puzzles come out six weeks after initial publications in the Times. That puts this particular puzzle coming out on September 5. If you newly subscribe to the crossword program, you will have access to all the back puzzles, and you can solve it that way as well.

 

Last chance...SPOILER ALERT!

 

What is brilliant about this particular puzzle is that it had two gimmicks instead of the usual one. The clue to both gimmicks was the center down answer "Double Feature." As Rex Parker, in his blog "Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle" puts it:

 

...the double-feature answers are movie titles of identical lengths that must be written in side-by-side, in the same single answer, for the Acrosses to make any sense...

I would ad that the letters "written side-by-side" are contained in single squares. The second gimmick is the across fills contained double letters in single squares as well so you see, for example, a clue that seems to be a five-word answer has only four squares! Then you had to figure out to read the two side by side movie titles downward (or...double features!). So, you had two movies in one square (a double feature) and two letters in single across-clued squares (another double feature!). Brilliant!

 

I know this may sound confusing, especially to the novice puzzle solver, but just click on the link and you can see the actual puzzle with the answer. Mr. Parker is a puzzle expert and has often competed in the annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. Here is his take on the puzzle:

Astonishing. I don't think I've solved a better puzzle this year. Imaginative concept, perfect execution. Any infelicities in the fill...are minimal and can easily be excused given how perfectly, neatly, delicately this puzzle comes together in the theme material. Like two perfectly functioning zippers, those DOUBLE FEATURE answers are. This Thursday puzzle did what a Thursday puzzle should do, at its best—go off book, make me work to figure out what's up, and then make me go "whoa..." when I figure it out. It helps that this puzzle was not exceedingly difficult.

A side note: The NYT puzzles go from relatively simple on Monday to quite challenging Friday and Saturday. The Thrusday puzzles tend to have some sort of gimmick (such as two letters in one square, or a special character representing practically anything). 

 

A wonderful puzzle, especially for a movie buff like me. Kudos to Patrick Blindauer!

 

I would also like to give a huge "attaboy" to Rex Parker. His daily breakdown of the NYT puzzles are a treat to read, and I love checking him out after I've solved (or given up on) the puzzle.

 

I love it!

 This is a truly amazing piece of sleight of hand by Yann Frisch. According to Gawker:

Frisch recently unveiled the latest iteration of "Baltass" at the 2012 Beijing International Magic Convention, and easily took home the title of Champion du monde.

I'm impressed!

Getting back into America's Pastime

After about, oh, thirty years, I decided to get back into baseball. I did so for a couple of reasons. First, I have to let you know that I've been a Dodger fan since the mid-sixties, when I first came to California. I lived with a family that bled Dodger Blue, and I absorbed their enthusiasm.

Previously, I was a Yankee fan. I'm talking Maris, Mantle, the whole magilla. I can remember when I was living in El Paso, Texas and the school I was attending would play the World Series over the PA system during lunch. Keep in mind that the games were played during the day at that time.

But I digress. Over the next few decades, I became a devoted Dodger fan. But Vin Scully was the game changer for me. Since I was a lover of words, nothing was greater than listening to Vinnie call the games on a warm summer's eve. Heck, when you went to a game his voice would be echoing all over the stadium because the fans would have their 8-transistor radios tuned into his discourse. Someone once said that high school students listening to Vinnie had a 50-point advantage on the SAT test (I'm paraphrasing).

The second reason I got back into the sport, is that at the beginning of this season I found out about MLB.tv, in which one could subscribe for the season and get the home and away feeds of all the baseball games around the country.

Now I know that Vinnie is about 84 and, sad to say, there aren't too many seasons left in him.  So with the opportunity to get all the Dodger games via MLB.tv, I decided that I just had to have at least one last hurrah with Vin and the "Boys of Summer."

So far, it's been excellent! The only drawback is that Vin is just calling the home games. But, hey, who can blame him. He is getting along in years, so that's totally acceptable. I had forgotten how mellifluous his voice is and just how magnificently he paints a picture describing the events of the game.

One of his recent gems that comes to mind is, "He tried to upper cut a very high fastball for a compound fracture." That is so brilliant!

It looks like I picked a good year to follow the Dodgers seeing as how Matt Kemp is tearing up the league, and so far the Dodgers have a great win/loss record.

A bonus I hadn't thought of when I decided to subscribe is that I can watch great moments of other games, such as the perfect game that was pitched by Philip Humber of the White Sox or the steal of home by rookie phenom Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals.

All in all, I'm having a great time getting back into baseball. If your interest is piqued by this post, I'll let you know that I paid $124.99 for MLB.tv, though it might be prorated now that the season is underway.

On a side note, I have to say that Los Angeles residents back in the late sixties, seventies and early eighties were blessed with having hall of fame announcers Scully, Chick Hearn (Los Angeles Lakers) and Dick Enberg (UCLA Bruins and California Angels) call games. Now there's a triumvirate!

Avengers a fun ride

So I saw The Avengers opening day. I loved it! As I wrote on my post regarding The Hunger Games, I am well north of the targeted demographic. But, I have to admit that as a kid I was a big comic book fan. I loved the DC Comics universe (I even had a Superman subscription) and was not particularly fond of the Marvel world. I didn't hate Marvel, just never got into it.

But I have to say that The Avengers is a terrific ride. I got exactly what I was expecting, so for that, I give it a rave. There are a couple of scenes that are gut-busting, downright funny! In my book, The Hulk steals the movie.

For the geek who might be reading this, here is an article whose writers timed how much screen time each Avenger got.

Also, Scott Mendelson has the skinny on the film's $207 million weekend opening.

Finally, I have to say that the Pepper Potts character portrayed by Gwenyth Paltrow is my personal ideal of a significant other. She's very pretty (to me at least, which is most important), very smart (enables her to rationally cope with just about anything in a relationship...one hopes) and is a great quipster (to keep one intellectually challenged). Now what more can you ask of a person, fictional though she may be? One should be so lucky to find the real thing.

The Hunger Games movie: What might have been

When I read that The Hunger Games was being made into a film about four to five months ago, the storyline intrigued me. I decided to read the novel before the film came out. I enjoyed the book (quick read of half a day) even though it's definitely targeted for the young adult crowd (as were the Twilight and Potter series). Twilight didn't float my boat; however, I found the Potter series engaging. I'm definitely NOT the targeted demographic (I'm so far north of the demographic I'm on the polar ice cap), but the storyline is really intriguing. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.

Some of the set pieces in the book are really terrific! I would have loved to see the movie as R-rated, but since the demographic is under 18 for the most part, it came in at PG-13. It would be nice if they release an R-rated version when it comes out on DVD. Hey, maybe there will be a director's cut!

For me, the producers (and the author, Suzanne Collins - she gets writing credit) went for the rather sanitized violence (considering what it could have been) and romantic triangle. It's a good movie for what it is (and I'm sure the young adults are head over heels about this rendition), but there was so much more they could have done. Sociopolitical issues abound. I think that with the right treatment, it could have been this generation's Blade Runner.

However, after seeing the film, the first thing that came to my mind was that it reminded me of expecting an authentic, tasty, spicy Mexican dinner and getting Del Taco. OK, so I'm weird... :-)

The Hunger Games: Not bad!

Last night, I finished Suzanne Collin's terrific book, The Hunger Games. I must admit I liked it very much. Now I'm not anywhere near the demographic that the novel is targeting (the teenage crowd); however, for me it was a great read.

I'm aware that the movie coming out in March is geared for the young set, but I'm disappointed that the film will be a PG-13. It really deserves an "R" rating, though I know that would really limit the gross income of the movie.

Ms. Collins has some great rock 'em/sock 'em violent set pieces that, if handled correctly, will translate very well on the screen. Let's hope the director is up to the task.

And Hey! Stephen King liked it as well!

I'm definitely getting the next book of the trilogy, Catching Fire.

"Drive" - So-So film

So I saw "Drive." OK, film. I was disappointed in that it was more plot than action. Similar to the "action films" of the 70s. Almost all the action scenes are in the trailer.

After a nice opening, about the first third of the movie was plot development. I kept waiting for something to happen (I know I'm losing the movie when I start looking at my watch in the dark). Now the action scenes were pretty well directed when they occurred. And it does get a bit violent a few times.

I also liked Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman. They play great bad guys. I'm not a fan of Ryan Gosling, and as far as I was concerned his portrayal of a laconic, loner hero was lacking the star power of a Steve McQueen, et. al.

All in all, a good story, but not quite what I was looking for.

A film watcher's companion: IMDb

So I decided to watch Spartacus Saturday, and is my wont, I checked the trivia section of Internet Movie Database before viewing. I found a some very interesting pieces of trivia.

First, Kirk Douglas made the movie because he wasn't selected to play the title role in Ben-Hur (He was offered but turned down the role of Messala - now THAT would have been interesting!). Needless to say, he was miffed. His ego demanded that he make a biblical epic that he could be the lead, hence, Spartacus, of which he was Executive Producer. "June 2008 (it was) Ranked #5 on the American Film Institute's list of the 10 greatest films in the genre 'Epic'".

And the "snails and oysters seduction attempt" dialog between Lawrence Olivier and Tony Curtis was not in the original release as "The Powers That Be" thought it was too suggestive. Homosexual inference and all that. When it was decided to put the dialog in the restored version, the soundtrack was lost, so they needed to have the dialog dubbed. Curtis was still alive, so he did his part. Unfortunately, Lord Larry had died. However, his wife, Joan Plowright, remembered that Anthony Hopkins did a great impression of Olivier so they asked him to do the dubbing, and he did!

Dalton Trumbo, who was blacklisted earlier during the McCarthy hearings, did the screenplay (Douglas insisted he be given full credit, much to the chagrin of uber right-winger John Wayne). Trumbo made a "sly dig" at the whole blacklisting thing with Olivier's line, "In every city and province, the list of the disloyal have been compiled."

In the restored version, they also added some more violent scenes that were left out of the original release. One is the lopping off of a Roman's arm by having an amputee put on a prosthetic device to be chopped off. The amputee actor was a man by the name of Bill Raisch. An just who is he? Two years later, he would be the one-armed man Dr. Richard Kimble hunted in The Fugitive TV series.

This last piece of trivia is great. The movie was George Kennedy's unbilled film debut. His role? He was one of the men who stood up and said "I'm Spartacus!" I was so looking forward to that moment as I watched the film, and it was great seeing George in a biblical garb, even though it was only about two seconds! Funny stuff...

I really enjoyed viewing it again, especially with the great bits of trivia I got from IMDb.

My all-time favorite movie scenes

I wrote this back in 2006 on the old TV Guide web site. They still are my all-time favorite, even five years later! I hope they get you thinking of those all-time scenes that are personal to you (Warning: some spoilers!):

What are my 10 favorite, best scenes of all time? The films may or may not be all-timers; however, most of them border on the great.

1. “West Side Story” – When Tony and Maria meet in the gym, the surrounding scene blurs and they begin to dance to a syncopated version of “Maria.” This chokes me up every time I see it. Now this is love at first sight!

2. “2001 – A Space Odyssey” – The Bone-Into-The-Space-Station transition. What a way to leap forward into the storyline. It just reeks of symbolism and all sorts of things.

3. “Alien” – The Chest Burst. I saw this on opening day in Westwood with a full crowd, and nobody, I mean nobody, knew that was coming. Everyone was screaming. They had to pry me off the ceiling!

4. “The Usual Suspects” – The shattered saucer/teacup. Then the cut to the notice board. Wham! I like to pride myself that I can figure endings out pretty well, but that one totally blind-sided me.

5. “Psycho” – The you-know-what. Janet Leigh was one of my first infatuations as a kid, and I was absolutely horrified and totally unprepared for it. This is the truth…I had a family friend who refused to take a shower for years after that film came out.

6. “Forbidden Planet” – The monster attacking the force field fence. I was young, but the combination of the animated creature and the roaring sound effect had me riveted to my seat. I still get chills when I see the scene remembering all those years ago.

7. “Dr. Strangelove, Or…” – Slim Pickens ridin’ the Highway to Hell. I was 14, the Cold War was at its height, and that image was so outrageous, and I would have never thought of that vision in a million years.

8. “It’s a Wonderful Life” – The ending when George realizes all the friends he has. The singing of “Auld Lang Syne” and George saying “Attaboy, Clarence!” gets me misty every time! This is my second favorite film of all time.

9. “Reservoir Dogs” – The torture scene – I will never hear “Stuck in the Middle with You” quite the same way again.

10. “Jaws” – “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” ‘Nuff said.

Cowboys and Aliens - a fun film

So...a quickie review. I saw Cowboys and Aliens on opening day. I love Science Fiction and Westerns. Sounds like a good combo to me!

I was glad it was a straightforward film. Not any kind of camp. It had most of the cliches that the two genres can produce. But I must admit it was fun seeing Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig playing it straight and having to fight the nasty aliens. Not a classic by any means. It entertained me, and that's all I ask.

Speaking of "camp," one of my biggest disappointments was the TV debut of Batman is the 1960s. I was a BIG DC comics fan (had a subscription to Superman), and I couldn't WAIT for the new Batman series to debut. Was I crestfallen when it turned out to be jumpy "campy fun," instead of a straightforward show. Holy Bummer, Batman!

Unfortunately, the big hit Batman became affected my other TV show at the time, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. The first season was a great fun semi-serious rip off of the James Bond films that were floating around, but after Batman became a craze, the second and third seasons of U.N.C.L.E. jumped on the bandwagon. I was not amused...

Sadly, TV actors now shilling products in character

I was catching up on some of the TV series I watch, and yesterday I viewed last Sunday's "The Glades." Much to my amazement two characters were getting into a car, and one of the actors (I'll save him the embarrassment of naming him) said something to the effect of, "Oh, this is the new Kia Optima. I love this car! It's got a sun roof..." and so on. Unsurprisingly, the next commercial break had a Kia Optima spot. The episode was entitled "Gibtown" if you want to see it yourself.

Now I know we have to suffer through various types of product placements when watching a TV show (can of a certain soda brand on the table, Apple computer, etc.), but this really goes beyond the pale!

What scares me is that once something like this happens, it's just a matter of time when the actors will be shilling brands all through the show. I can see it now:

"Don't you DARE spritz me with that can of Reddi-Whip with real cream!"
"Care for a Bud Light, which has great taste but it's less filling?"
"Son, how's that iPad workin' for you with your school studies?"
"Damn, I missed my favorite show, 'Burn Notice'!"

You get the point. I do remember many years ago reading that the future will bring us the technology to point at various items on the TV screen during the show (possibly with some kind of laser pointer) such as a piece of furniture or character's clothing, a dialog balloon will popup with the details of the item and its price, and you can buy the item at that instant. Now that's impulse buying!

Of course, this is a corollary to my post regarding women who HAVE to buy Princess Kate's wedding dress. Sadly, the masses just need to have what the celebrities are either wearing or shilling.

I wonder how it goes when the purchaser talks with a friend or neighbor. "Look, Marge, I'm wearing what Piper Perabo wore in last week's episode of 'Covert Affairs'! Isn't it just DIVINE?!?!

Exactly what does a Hollywood/TV Producer do?

I was watching the season premier of "Leverage," and I was amazed at how many "Co-Executive Producers" there were. So, of course, it aroused my curiosity as to exactly what all these producer titles were about. I did a little digging and came up with these definitions from a How Stuff Works web article entitled How Movie Producers Work.

Executive Producer -- Supervises one or more producers as they perform their duties for one or more films. The executive producer may represent the film studio and keep watch over the producer to make sure the movie is within budget and being made the way the studio wants. Or the title may be given as a symbolic gesture or to give a movie visibility. George Clooney, for example, was listed as executive producer for "Far from Heaven" (2002) to generate publicity, but didn't spend any time on the set, according to the film's producer Christine Vachon.

Associate Producer -- Handles certain aspects of production, as assigned by the producer. Usually the associate producer has worked through all three stages of the production, from preproduction to post-production. Sometimes the associate producer title is given as a courtesy title to a key backer of the film who does not have a major role in producing the film.

Assistant Producer -- Works on tasks assigned by the associate producer.

Co-Producer -- Shares producer responsibilities as a team or group with other producers. One producer may take on creative responsibilities while another handles business functions. Or one of the producers may be a major investor who is not directly involved in the movie production. Or a co-producer may have brought the script or the film's star to the production.

Supervising Producer -- Oversees one or more producers as they perform some or all of their duties. The supervising producer may take the place of an executive producer or work for the executive producer.

Coordinating Producer -- Coordinates the work of several producers to create a unified end result. Coordinating producers are valuable when a studio produces several related films, as with "Spiderman," or particularly when two related films are being produced at the same time, as with the two sequels to "The Pirates of the Caribbean."

Line Producer -- Handles the physical aspects of a movie's production and usually is not involved in decision-making regarding creative issues. This is the person who oversees the budget and day-to-day activities during filming. In addition to making sure the movie stays on budget and on target, the line producer handles any crises that may occur.

Almost as many producers as Carter has pills! And if you remember where that phrase came from, you've been on this planet quite a while...

The article runs several pages, and I recommend it as a good way to start to understand what producers do, how the great ones got started, etc. If you're a TV or movie buff, this is a worthwhile read. Besides, it might pique your interest enough for you to become the next great producer!

Lord of the Rings Extended Edition: A great experience!

I just marathoned (if that's not a word, it should be) the new Lord of the Rings Extended Edition on Blu-ray. It was fantastic! I have a 47" HDTV 3D screen along with a high-end sound system. I can't say enough how great it was.

I watched "Fellowship" Friday night and spent the entire morning and early afternoon on Saturday viewing "Two Towers" and "Return." Tons of fun! It was really great getting lost in the world of Middle Earth.

I recommend you getting this fifteen(!) disc set if you're any kind of a movie buff. It's going for $69.99 on Amazon or at Best Buy. You can also download digital copies as well.

Happy 4th of July everyone!