This is my 100th blog post!  What a long way I’ve come from my first blog post, aptly and boringly titled, “First Post” – it was a description of me learning to blog!  And what a variety of subjects I’ve covered, from retractable sharpie pens, to kids’ blankies…  from movies and tv shows to animals, trips, and family life…  It seems like forever ago that I was taking you all through the 11, 572 snow days we had, and it’s been fun to share all these aspects of my life on the internet while learning things about my friends and family who read and/or comment on my posts.  So thanks to all my readers, even if you just read because I make you, thanks anyway…  I truly appreciate each and every comment I receive – written and spoken, keep it up!  And might I add that I’m the first tangents.org blogger to achieve this milestone…  hope to have others join me soon!

Recently, I encouraged a fellow blogger to post a review of a film which I had heard was absolutely rotten. Since, I had not seen such, I decided to see for myself just how terrible it was.

Some genius decided to give one of the most popular characters in the Batman franchise her own shot at a solo picture on the big screen. Unfortunately, the character bore almost no resemblance to the character at all. Instead of going too far indepth, I will tell you what it is not.

Catwoman in the movie is not Selina Kyle who was introduced decades ago as the sometimes feline nemesis and sometimes love interest of Batman. Instead, she is given the convoluted name Patience Phillips. I had NO patience with this mess and as most people will tell you, I usually do have some degree of patience. She is also endowed (after dying and being resurrected by a cat) with superpowers. The only power I am aware of that the feline fatale possesses is her cat-like reflexes and her nine-lives that she seemed to have used up in the movie Batman Returns. The movie Catwoman does however make a silly attempt to allude to other women who put on the cat-suit including Selina Kyle. Too little too late I’m afraid. That is as far as I feel I need to waste space remarking on this tragedy of a movie. I cannot believe that Bob Kane, creator of the original character, would have his name anywhere near it. He should have sued.

Halle Berry accepted her 2005 Razzie Award in person with her Oscar in hand and made the following statement:

“First of all, I want to thank Warner Brothers. Thank you for putting me in a piece of _____, god awful movie… it was just what my career needed.”

I am so glad that I did not have to spend a dime to see this thing. I only wish that I could have my 90 minutes + returned to me.

There’s been lots of talk of this number on my blog lately, but this time I’m referring to the movie 21, not the tv show.  I have to admit, I was a little reluctant to see this movie because the previews reminded me of Ocean’s 11, and I was not a big fan of that movie.  I also thought I might have trouble following the movie 21 because I don’t know how to play many of the popular card games prominent in Las Vegas; like poker, and most importantly Blackjack.  But I didn’t have trouble following the movie, and I actually enjoyed it from start to finish.  It was a good mix of action, thoughtful dialogue, good acting, and plot twists; all of which add up to a well-balanced and entertaining film.

The movie revolves around a college professor, played by the enjoyable and versatile Kevin Spacey, who trains a “club” of gifted math students to excel at the game of Blackjack.  They develop a system and take trips to Las Vegas to win lots of money.  Enter student Ben Campbell, the club’s newest recruit, who only wants enough money to pay for his dream of attending Harvard medical school.  He gets caught up in the lifestyle, however, and it’s interesting to see what happens next…  I won’t spoil it – it’s a good movie, go see it!

Perhaps in an attempt to put closure on a character he introduced to millions of fans everywhere over 4 decades ago, Sean Connery has pondered the possibility of returning to the Bond franchise.  Not as the British superspy, but as a villain.  That would seem to me to be a first.  An actor who originated a role in a popular series of movies returning to that franchise as the antagonist.  The possibility is intriguing, but as the 77 year old actor stated, they probably would not be able to pay him enough to come out of retirement.  They could not do it for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but Never Say Never Again Sir Sean.  Actually, Connery’s final outing as 007 in the rather waterlogged remake of Thunderball was not one of his finest  two hours.  NSNA has never been acknowledged as an official Bond movie and was released by Warner Brothers and not MGM/UA.

Read the full article here

It seems that everyone is getting in the Indiana Jones spirit.  While chatting with a friend I was directed to the Chicago Cubs’ website and the schedule thereof.  On the May 22nd space, there appears a picture of Harrison Ford as the reknowned archaeologist ready to embark on his latest adventure.  We speculated that all of baseball may have decided to take the day off to celebrate Dr. Jones’ return to the big screen.  Somehow, I had my doubts.  Sure enough on the New York Yankees‘ site, there appeared the same picture but a game was listed.  So, I thought all of baseball was celebrating but just not taking the entire day off.  I checked out the Detroit Tigers’ schedule: there it was again, but yet again the team has a scheduled game.  Only makes me more anxious for the next 21 days to go quickly.

Check your favorite team’s website to see if they are celebrating the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.   At least a Yankee fan had something to divert his attention to tonight 🙁

Today I was reminded of the latest Broadway musical which will be coming soon to a mutiplex near you. Following in the footsteps of Hairspray, the forgettable Producers, and the dreadful adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera is Mamma Mia! the musical based on the music of the Swedish 1970s-80s supergroup ABBA. The big names in the cast seem to be Pierce Brosnan (who knew he can sing?) and Meryl Streep (ditto).

I very vaguely remember hearing the music on the radio during the heyday of disco. I was reminded of it a few years ago when I participated in a karaoke contest at an area bar and grill which an acquaintance operates.  A rather rotund man decided to give us his interpretation of “Dancing Queen” and brought the audience to tears from the hilarity.  His “performance quality” must have given him some points (or it may have been his nerve) because he come in second place in a group of 20.  I am pleased to say that I came in 5th.

I see by the old Firestats Count that Morat’s Blog has had 1000 unique visitors from countries foreign and domestic. However unique the 5 or so repeat commentators may be, I urge even the casual passer-by to not be afraid to comment if you have any profound bits of wisdom to add. Surely my profound knowledge of even the most minute of trivia peaks enough curiosity to leave a few letters…. and some of those letters may even form a word or two. Even Morat himself has asked me to send greetings to everyone living in Liswathistan. And there must be other fans of “The Office” out there who would like to share their views as well as on movies old and new. Especially with the summer blockbuster season approaching despite the early word on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I heard reports that fans are not to expect too much… WOOLY SHEEP to you all who review movies months before they open.). Plus, The Dark Knight sounds like it will be fabulous.

1995’s James Bond offering, Goldeneye, introduced Pierce Brosnan as Agent 007.  His road to the role is a long, detailed journey that I will not elaborate upon.  The plot concerns the efforts of the Russian mafia to control the world’s electronic circuits with the use of a high tech satellite named Goldeneye.  This would lead to a financial meltdown on a global scale.

However, as with most Bond films, the plot takes second seat to the tried and true devices seen in the best of the series.  The pre-title sequence shows 007 taking a 720 foot plunge from atop a dam (which still holds the world’s record for the highest bungee jump from a fixed structure).  Later while driving a large armored tank, Bond chases villains through the streets of St. Petersburg.

The femme fatale, played by Famke Janssen, disposes of her victims in a rather crushing manner.  Some of the most memorable character names are attributed to roles from the spy series.  Goldfinger gave us Pussy Galore; the rather forgettable Moonraker introduced Dr. Holly Goodhead; the title character of Octopussy; not to be out done, Xenia Onatopp appears in Goldeneye.

The film was also significant for two other important reasons.  It was the first to be produced following the collapse of the Soviet Union.  Goldeneye also introduced Dame Judi Dench as the first female “M”, head of the British Secret Service.  She is extremely quick in establishing her position and making it known that she sees Bond as a “sexist, misogynist dinosaur” and a “relic of the Cold War.”

While not the best of the series, Goldeneye does have several bits of necessary Bond lore to make it an important segment in the continuing franchise.  It does have enough action to keep the viewer entertained and that is the most important part of any 007 film.

After walking downstairs this morning, I ALMOST looked at the calendar to make sure I knew what day it was. On the television, the 1994 remake of the classic Miracle on 34th Street was playing. Whichever channel was playing this must have been pretty desperate, especially at the end of April when most people’s thoughts are not focused on anything remotely related to Christmas. Plus, why choose such a horrible remake to play?

The beloved 1947 movie starred John Payne, Maureen O’Hara, a young Natalie Wood, and Edmund Gwenn who received the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as Kris Kringle. It also featured William Frawley who is best known for his role as Fred Mertz on “I Love Lucy.”

The overall plot of both films is relatively the same. A department store Santa who claims to be the real thing, is put on trial to prove his sanity. He seeks to not only convince the court but also a young girl who has been trained by her mother to dismiss all notions of myths, fantasy, and imagination.

Too much was changed from the original to the most recent remake. Characters were dropped including a young man who works with and idolizes Kris. In the original, Kris sings a charming song to a young Dutch girl in her native tongue. Macy’s department store was wise enough to not allow the use of its name in the remake; instead, the name was changed to Kohl’s (or if you prefer, Coal’s which 20th Century Fox should have been given in their collective stockings).

But, the casting of Mara Wilson as Susan sent shivers down my spine. Something about the youngster’s acting just makes me cringe. This film and Mrs. Doubtfire are the only times I remember seeing her on screen.

There have been a few other television remakes of the immortal classic. However, as in most Hollywood remakes, the original is far better. Next holiday season, treat the entire family to this fun movie (even if you have to explain to the children why there is no color).

After all this piñata talk (found the ñ symbol!), we had to pop in the movie Parenthood the other night.  Along with the hilarious piñata scene (ok, now I am over-using the ñ a little bit), I had actually forgotten how entertaining this movie really is.  It’s a really good blend of comedy and drama, and it’s not just another silly comedy – it actually has a valuable life lesson.  I highly recommend it to anyone who has kids, but I do not recommend it for the whole family since it’s rated PG13 and can actually be somewhat crude at points.  It has great directing and acting and 2 academy award nominations to boot.

The movie revolves around the Buckman family – elderly, empty-nesters (sort-of) and their 4 grown children and their families who are all facing regular life problems of their own.  Steve Martin plays Gil, a man whose own overused stress responses to everyday life are mirrored in his son, and that situation only stresses him out further!  He is such a worry-wart that he has lost all ability to enjoy regular life and its trials and tribulations, and my favorite part of the movie is when he realizes this; thanks to the wise, if confused, words of his very elderly grandmother.  This scene is hilarious and heartwarming at the same time, and if you’re anything like me (someone who tends to be a worrywart, sweats the small things), a movie like this really helps to keep the small bumps of life in perspective.

Watching this movie again as a parent made me appreciate it so much more than I appreciated seeing it as a teenager.  Again, I’d really recommend it to any parent, and if you’ve seen it already, I’d say try it again if it’s been awhile.  That’s what I did, and I would have to say that it’s now one of my favorite movies!