It seems that the county fair just to our south will be getting some national attention. Chris Cuomo, who is the news anchor for ABCs morning program “Good Morning America,” will be making an appearance at the Defiance County fair on Thursday August 21. While there, he will be taping a segment presumably on the Tractor Pulls or maybe it is to report on the sister cities Hicksville, OH and Hicksville, N. Y. But, here is the full article for your enjoyment.

Nanu, Nanu…Tonight, I was treated to a blast from my childhood. There was a mini-marathon of the series that launched the career of Robin Williams. Mork & Mindy was one of several series that spun off of Happy Days. Mork is an alien from the planet Ork who was sent to Earth to observe the primitive inhabitants and make weekly reports to his boss, Orson. The alien is taken in by a young single woman (played by Pam Dawber) and as one would suspect, their acquaintance eventually blossomed and Mork laid an egg that produced a bouncing baby boy who looked like a 50-something Earthling (Orkans age in reverse) named Mearth (appropriately enough). One of Mr. Williams’ heroes, Jonathan Winters, played the rather large bundle of joy.

One of the episodes in the marathon involved Mork’s encounter with a bully. Although he came from a world that had abolished violence and embraced peace, the alien ingeniously dealt with the bully by traveling inter-dimensionally and moved so fast that the combatant totally missed and embarrassed himself completely. Shazbot, indeed!

There were also a number of guest appearances by other actors on the verge of stardom. David Letterman played a motivational speaker named Elsworth(?). Unfortunately, his is the only one I can remember. Anyone want to help on other appearances?

So, it was kind of nice to revisit one of my childhood favorites.

Tonight at our weekly haunted house production meeting, those of us who ventured  to Ghostly Manor discussed our satisfaction with the experience and evaluated what we thought could be done with our fright fest.  We were advised to check the website for another well-reviewed house of horror in Ohio, just considerably farther than Sandusky.  It seems that a location just east of Columbus in Pataskala, Dead Acres is a high ranking house dealing in the macabre.  On its website, it has a list of warnings that apparently should be heeded.  For instance, if you are in the least bit skeptical about whether or not to bring your children, you should LEAVE THEM BEHIND.  There is an addendum that states that the actors involved may occasionally come into direct contact with the visitors (something that our group was warned against doing) but that they should not try to become aggressive in return.  One aspect of this house that caught my eye is the haunted hospital wing.  So, as the month of ghoulish happenings, creepy things that go bump in the night, and other horrifying spectacles approaches, be sure to visit your area house of horror.

Tonight, I rented the DVD of a musical I have heard so much about but have never had the opportunity to see in any form. Stephen Sondheim’s masterpiece, Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street has all the makings of not musical theatre but an operatic tragedy. It tells the tale of a barber, Benjamin Barker, who was wrongfully accused of a crime and sentenced to fifteen years in prison. The evil Judge Turpin was in love with Benjamin’s wife Lucy and had the barber put away so he could have the woman to himself.

As the movie opens, Benjamin (who has assumed the identity of Sweeney Todd) returns to Victorian era London aboard a sailing ship upon which he meets the young Anthony. While the title character was away, his daughter Johanna became the ward of the sadistic judge. Sweeney opens a new barber shop above the pie shop of one Mrs. Lovett who is known around the city for making “The Worst Pies in London.” It is in this barber shop where Mr. Todd plots to take his revenge against the man who sent him away while helping to keep Mrs. Lovett’s business thriving.

The aforementioned tragic character, the young lovers, and in particular the score itself is much more reminiscent of opera. The dark tones set by the entire piece is unlike most light musical theatre. In fact, audiences must be warned of the large displays of blood…. definitely not the “raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens” type of show. However, for those who can look beyond the obvious, what is left is well worth watching. Sondheim composed not only the music but the lyrics to some of his most beautiful songs in Sweeney Todd. “Pretty Woman“,”Not While I’m Around “, and “Johanna ” (one of my favorite Sondheim pieces) are three of the memorable tunes.

As for the marquee attraction, Johnny Depp who has had a looong standing cinematic relationship with director Tim Burton, was adequate in the role. His singing is better suited for a rock band then a musical stage production. Helena Bonham Carter had some of the more difficult songs to sing as Mrs. Lovett (who one could say is perhaps as villainous as anyone in the show). I was also pleased with the voice of Jamie Campbell Bower as Anthony. In perhaps the closest moment of comic relief, Sacha Baron Cohan plays a scam artist named Pirelli who knows something of Sweeney’s past (those of you who know me KNEW I had to mention this bit that looks like a lot of fun).

Would I recommend this musical to everyone? Definitely not! As I said before, if you can look beyond the the blood, what is left is one of the best shows Sondheim has yet created. Sometime, I have been promised to watch a video of a stage performance with Angela Lansbury (who was the original Broadway Mrs. Lovett).

Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (Vocal Selections) Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim (1930-). Songbook for voice and piano. 44 pages. Published by Alfred Publishing. (AP.VAL2020A) See more info…

Thus sums up the life of John McClane the anti-hero of the four action packed Die Hard films. The latest (I can’t believe I have not seen it before now) Live Free or Die Hard could as easily gone with its working title of Die Hard 4.0. NYPD senior detective John McClane (played as always by Bruce Willis) is aided by a twenty-something computer genius to stop the evil plans of a cyber-terrorist group to totally disable the nation’s computer infrastructure. Led by another computer genius (Timothy Olyphant) with a chip on his shoulder, the villains succeed in taking control of much of the East Coasts transportation, finances, and utilities. This is a three-pronged plan called a “fire sale.”

Next to the original, this is the most interesting and action-packed episode of the bunch. There is a mixing of the old school philosophy of shoot ’em up and pick the bad guys off one by one with a snide one liner (McClane’s signature line “Yipee-ki-yay, _____ is muffled in a key sequence). However, the addition of the detective’s reluctant assistant (played by Justin Long, the “Apple Guy”) brings a touch of new school action as the duo attempt to stop the nefarious scheme.

While the first two films centered the action around Christmas, this adventure takes place on the 4th of July holiday, convenient when most of the government is off. Speaking of the government, it always seems that in these movies, the federal agents are portrayed as nitwits who always call in the local law enforcement to handle the catastrophe at hand.

The best thing to me about the series is that there is no hiding the fact that Bruce Willis ages between films. He is no longer the spry actor he was when he saved his estranged wife from the huge skyscraper in the original Die Hard. He is bruised and battered but still keeps ticking especially when something personal is at stake.  McClane is not disposable and not needing to be replaced with a fresh face every other film.

The action pieces are not bad, either. There is sooooo much going on this time that not two minutes go by when along comes another cliffhanging moment. Cars flying at you in a tunnel, seemingly defeated villains popping back up for one more slug-fest. My favorite involves a police car doing battle with a machine-gun firing helicopter. Not to mention the antagonist’s frustration at McClane’s apparent immortality.

So, action fans should not be disappointed in the latest installment of this entertaining series.

Only BLOCKBUSTER Total Access let’s you Rent Movies Online with the Flexibility to Exchange In-store!

Following the African safari, we drove the short distance to Sandusky, Ohio (home of THE Amazement Park Cedar Point, but we will save that for another time, hopefully soon). In order to get some spirited inspiration for our “Guided Haunted Tour” (it IS NOT a haunted house) and to have a good old-fashioned scare, we went to the Ghostly Manor Thrill Center. It is much more than a mere haunted house (more on that in a bit). For the less inhibited, there are a few video games (Deal or No Deal, that I have commented on before), roller skate and scooter rentals, and a 3D ride-through theatre that I was told was enjoyable.

HOWEVER, the MAIN attraction was indeed the manor itself. Only five (including taylhis) of us dared to enter the macabre, evil, frightening house of terror. Three of us even were brave enough to make two return trips. On the first trip through the unknown, I was brave enough to face the evil that lurked inside first. Everyone else stood behind me hoping that I would lead them all safely through the fright-fest. Along the way, I heard the others scream my name. Was this fear of the things they saw and that I was the only one who could possibly protect them from the ghastly creatures that jumped out and the other eerie things within the bowels of the manor? I will say yes. I AM FEARLESS LEADER…. HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Finally, we escaped the fifteen minutes of sheer terror.

On the subsequent trips, my two brave compatriots (justj and C) and I decided to attempt to come up with some ideas for our own extravaganza. However, the actors inside decided to have some fun with their repeat guests. There were only 3-4 performers inside. Somehow, they knew my name as at least one of them appeared and stated it in a ghostly voice throughout… and commented on the absence of some hair on the top of my head. “I think you left something back there… ARRRR!!!” The remainder was GOOD animatronic devices, eerie noises, spooky things hanging and dripping from above along the way, confining corridors, and appearances by at least one horror character and one monster that resembled the Rancor from RETURN OF THE JEDI. The most terrifying part for me was the moments in which you knew something was going to happen to scare the WOOLY SHEEP out of you and the suspense was gnawing at you. I LOOOVE A GOOD SCARE!!!! No wonder Ghostly Manor is ranked amongst the top Haunted Attractions in the nation. So, if you are planning a trip to Cedar Point, be sure to keep some time open to visit Ghostly Manor…. It’ll scare the yell out of you. Be advised, I would not take the very young nor the easily frightened. But, if you do, there are things to keep them occupied as well.

It’s a pity I did not know about our trip sooner, I could have asked my cousin and his wife (who lives in the Sandusky area) if he would like to arrange a visit with us.

WOW… WHAT AN EXCITING DAY!!!  A bunch of my EXCELLENT theatre friends and I took the short (?) road trip to Port Clinton to the African Wildlife Safari Park.  It was a very fun place to visit as you drove through a trail on which not only do you see a variety of African wildlife, but you also ENCOUNTER them.  Elk (baby as well as adult), zebras, monkeys, giraffe, gazelle, longhorn steer, and don’t forget the buffalo, and LUDO who was a friend of the friends I traveled with.  I am told that Ludo had gotten along in years since their visit last year and was not nearly as active.  Alont the trail. most of the animals come to your vehicle to check out who was trespassing on their turf and to perhaps snatch a quick snack (of carrots or whatever was in the cups that were purchased at the starting gate.  Quite an interesting experience having a buffalo stick his head in your car and leave his calling card of drool and stench.

I made two journeys through the safari.  On the first, I sat in the back of the van with no operating windows.  In order to get the full impact,  a brave woman and I ventured out alone to brave the wild beast.  Armed with the remaining four bags of carrots that I had purchased at Wal-Mart earlier that day, we circled the perimeter once again.  I was really waiting for the hairy beast of buffalo to sneeze inside the car; thankfully, this did not happen.  Carol and I seemed to have taken longer going through the tour the second time (still not as long as it took our companions in the other vehicle the first time).  At times, a multitude of baby elk  seemed to be congregating  right in the middle of the road, blocking oncoming traffic.  Our solution, blare the horn  and make a speedy dash through a small  pond.  Maybe that was the strange feeling encountered later concerning the van’s “pick up.”  Near the end, the giraffe decided to be more sociable and ventured to the stream of cars.  The presence of carrot vendors along the path may have had something to do with that.

Following our hair-raising excursion through the faux African  wilderness, we rejoined our  companions at a show featuring  a few of the other animals  at the park: a cockatiel named Sydney, a chinchilla, a hedgehog, a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig, and a boa constrictor.  Following the show, a few of our brave troop had a photo op with the snake.  For a great time apart from the ordinary trip to the zoo, take your family (we had a 5 week old along with us and the next oldest who is nearly 2 seemed to enjoy herself visiting the animals) for an African safari.

In my next post, I will continue on our fun-filled extravaganza.

Twenty-one movies, twenty-one femmes (at least). One marriage, one faux-wedding, several suggestive names. Some brighter than others. One actress an Oscar Winner who ALMOST had her Bond character spun off in a series of her own. By following the link you can get a glimpse of ten of the Best Bond Women and continue on to rank them in order of your preference. HOWEVER, I would like to take a moment to list my nominees for the WORST Bond Women. PLEASE, feel free to comment or include your choice. Or you can also add suggestions for the best. I can think of one that should have been listed.

• May Day & Stacy Sutton (both from the forgettable A View to a Kill. Grace Jones played the statuesque henchwoman of psychopath Max Zorin and former Charlie’s Angel Tanya Roberts played one of the least memorable bombshells)
• Agent Mary Goodnight (dumb name for a dim witted Secret Service agent in The Man With The Golden Gun)
• Dr. Christmas Jones (from The World Is Not Enough. Would anyone believe that Denise Richards could ever convincingly portray a nuclear physicist? The last line of the film is pricelessly dreadful. “I’ve always wanted to have Christmas in Turkey.”)
• Bibi Dahl (Olympic ice skating hopeful in For Your Eyes Only played by Lynn-Holly Johnson fresh from her starring role in Ice Castles. Total blonde eye candy. MUCH TOO YOUNG for the 54 year old Roger Moore. She was seen continuously throwing herself at him; thankfully, 007 kept his distance.)

I realize that the common concensus is that most Bond women ARE indeed eye candy but there have been many notable exceptions

If you were planning to make a space in your upcoming holiday season to see two rather high profile movies, it would be wise to consider changing them or you will be waiting a LOOONG time in line. A few weeks ago, the reboot of Star Trek by Lost head guy, JJ Abrams has been shoved from Christmas Day to May 8, 2009. More recently, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince has been rescheduled for a July release. Not entirely sure why but articles suggest that the writer’s strike from earlier this year may have something to do with it. However, producers claim that the sixth installment of the cinematic adventures of the boy wizard is in the can ready to roll. Some speculate that changing the release date will help in the long run as Warner Bros. previously had no big releases set for midsummer.

As far as the latest franchise to get a face lift, I say ENOUGH already. We will probably be subjected to a totally new interpretation, with an entirely new cast, and be asked to forget everything that came before. Leonard Nimoy is set to make an appearance as an aged Mr. Spock. Of course, Mr. Shatner is bitter because he was not offered a spot in the role that made him famous. However like every good captain, Kirk DIED in Generations (although Bill in his profound wisdom did revive him in a series of spin-off novels… talk about ego). And we will again ask the question, when exactly DID Chekov come aboard the Enterprise. Another sign that this will be an entire relaunch of the series (only the names are the same to not protect the innocent?), it is simply entitled Star Trek (no bloody A, B, C, or D; but wait, they dropped the number after 6, I think).

I was not entirely sure on which blog I should post this entry.  It seems like a retail horror story to me; however, it did not involve me and it concerned a wanna be singer so I guess it fits this site more (although the  genius in question could certainly have fit right in on the Blog for Genius’ site).  It seems that a young man by the name of Timothy Tackett WAS employed at a Burger King restaurant in Xenia, Ohio.  For a birthday prank (on his own birthday), he decided to take a bath in the facility’s industrial size sink and post it on his MySpace site.  Any GENIUS would realize that he probably would not be doing himself any favors by doing this.  Not only  did he get himself in trouble but the manager in charge of the shift and at least one other employee are no longer working at that particular establishment.  One can see where the young man picked up the nickname “Unstable.”  One has to wonder what other pranks he has pulled.  The worst I ever had happen while working on my birthday is being serenaded by a strange fellow from Listhwathistan over the intercom which was not a bad thing at all.

Burger King Does Not Want Its Employees To Take Baths

I’m not entirely sure if this will help the young man in his singing career but it is reported that his MySpace account has seen a large amount of visits since the incident occurred.  Good luck Mr. Unstable.