They don't make them like they used to

Good Morning and I can hear the school bells already!

So, Saturday night, we decided to sit down and watch a movie.
Yeah, I know, real exciting.
Anyway, having watched and enjoyed the Jason Bourne movies series (as well as the books, but that's another story), it seemed like a good night to catch the latest sequel, 'The Bourne Legacy.'
About an hour into the movie, nobody in the room could figure out the story. The characters were boring. There was no action. The only time there wasn't low-level talking was when one character killed off six others.
We were falling asleep, not a good review of an action movie.
So, I checked the listings and asked if it was OK to change to something else.
"Please," came the quick response.
That's when we stumbled upon another sequel. One that was much more entertaining: 'Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman.'
Yes, it was made in 1943. Yes, some of the costumes were laughable.
The movie, unlike the newer one, was entertaining.
That's all we ask from Hollywood. Unfortunately, more often than not it seems, we have to go back 80 years to find one.

Over here Cap

Good Morning and I hear it's getting warmer!

Every once in awhile I get excited about a new movie coming out.
It doesn't happen too often. I figure I can wait for most to turn up on Netflilx or (rarely) On-Demand.
Years ago, when my group was younger, I remember seeing billboards and watching commercials for the 'Polar Express.' I hadn't read the book, I just had this feeling it would be a great movie to give children the whole theater experience. I was right.
The past couple of weeks, I've been seeing the trailers for the new Captain America movie.
Now, first a little history, I had a few Captain America action figures growing up. Although I was never really into comic books, I always thought it was a cool story about fighting Nazis and stuff.
So, even though we watched the first movie in the series on television, we were psyched about going to the theater for this one.
When you get these big, action movies, they are better at the theater (despite the price). It is an enjoyable movie. It's a lot of fun.
And, if you buy a large popcorn, you get free refills.
Can't beat that.

Hoops vs. movies: The battle for the remote

Good Morning and I think I heard something about tomorrow...

Since we get to sleep in a little later on the weekends, we usually stay up later on Friday and Saturday nights watching some type of movie.
Most times, it's some kind of dumb comedy or action flick. With Netflix and the on-demand stuff, there are plenty of options. The good thing is if the movie is really terrible (there are plenty of those), it's not as bad as if paying at the theater.
The same schedule holds out for most of the year. The movies come on and everybody settles into their spots in the living room.
There is only one exception: The NCAA basketball tournament.
It's just something I like watching. It doesn't matter the game, if one is a blowout, there are three others going on at the same time.
So, we settled in Friday with basketball on the tube.
The first complaint came five minutes later: "Do we really have to watch this all night? Can't we watch a movie? This is BORING!!!"
Quick answers: Yes. Go in the other room. No it's not.
Now, I have to give my housemates credit. They aren't really basketball fans, so they put up with my indulgence before just going to bed a little earlier than a usual Friday.
Now, when I tried to pull the same thing Saturday? That's when the real battle began.

Time to get the candy

Good Morning and welcome back to the Internet!

I was flipping through the TV last night, hoping to find a decent horror movie in honor of Halloween. Since last week I watched 'Halloween,' I was looking for something different. My choices were 'Nightmare on Elm Street 3' and 'House of 1,000 corpses.'
I, for some reason, settled on the latter. Guess I should have just gone to bed early. That was 2 hours, I'll never get back.
By the way, why do TV stations have to talk about healthy Halloween? There's nothing healthy about Halloween and, really, there doesn't have to be.
For the most part we eat healthy, but there are a couple of days better to have at it.
Halloween is one of those days.
So, bring out the pizza and don't get between me and the bag of Reese's.

Movies and such

Good Morning and I liked it better when the sun came up earlier.

Anyway, so I was flipping around the TV channels last night around 8 and stumbled upon the original 'Halloween' just as it was starting.
So, of course, that meant I was stuck. Even though there were commercials on the AMC showing, I kept coming back to the movie.
Now, it's obviously one of the best scary movies of all time. Those seeing it for the first time even 35 years after its release (Yes, it came out in 1978) will be screaming and hiding their eyes. The amazing thing is the movie still holds up after all this time.
Sure, the teens are using landlines instead of cell phones and they are watching black&white movies, but it's still pretty shocking with Michael Myers sits back up.
Sure, there questions we ask now that probably wouldn't have been asked in 1978.
Like, wouldn't anybody notice a guy in a mask following teenage girls in a brown station wagon? Wouldn't the Myers' house have been torn down by now and replaced by a Wawa? How did it get so dark so quickly? Why was Dr. Loomis driving up in the rain? Where the heck are everybody's parents?
Doesn't take away from the movie. Actually, I think it adds a little bit.
It's too bad the dumb sequels and remakes kind of taint the original. Do yourself a favor this Halloween and check it out again or for the first time.

Rise and Shine: What's next?

Good Morning and it always seems odd when the Phillies are playing on the West Coast!

The question came moments after the everybody was in the house: "What are we going to do today?"
Uh, we were at the beach all weekend, how about a rest day?
"Yeah, but I'm bored. What are we going to do today?"
OK, we'll go see a movie. It's pretty darn hot out anyway, so how about that?
"Sure. At the theater?"
So, we trekked out to the Regal Cinema in Marple. Saw 'Monsters University' and started to go home.
(First, here's a quick review of 'Monsters University:' Kind of cute in a Pixar way. Kind of odd in a cartoon way. I kept being asked if that was what college was really like. 'Monsters Inc.' was much better, but Billy Crystal is still funny, so the movie works).
No sooner did the air conditioner go on in the car when I heard: "What are we going to do the rest of the day?"
Yes, summer is here. Yes, it is!

Rise and Shine --- Oscars? Yawn!

Good Morning and what's the cure for today's Oscar hangover?

Yes, I watched the whole show last night. Yes, my alarm goes off at 3:36 a.m., so it probably wasn't the greatest idea I ever had.
Why did I stay up so late? Mostly, I was hoping the show would get a little better.
I usually like the Oscars. There are usually some funny little bits. I like seeing the scenes from the best movies. There sometimes are actually some surprises.
This year? Boring with a capital 'B.'
There were no real surprises. Everybody predicted 'The Artist' would win and it did. With the exception of J.Lo's dress and the Will Ferrell/Zach Galifianakis bit, none of the presenters did anything outlandish.
Sasha Baron Cohen dumped some ash on Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet, but they didn't even show him sitting in the audience.
Host Billy Crystal looked old, sounded old and his jokes fell flat.
Still, it's one of those nights you just stay up. Now, I need a nap.

Rise and Shine --- Movie reviews

Good Morning and welcome back to the only place you can find this!

So, does anybody really pay attention to movie reviewers. Sure, we might glance if Roger Ebert gives the flick a thumbs-up, but if it stars somebody we like or sounds interesting, we are going to see it.
Well, some will see it in the theaters. If you're anything like me, you've been stuck seeing animated movies at the multiplex over the past 10 years.
Thanks to Netflix and On-demand, though, I've been able to sort of catch up on my movie experience.
So, just in case you'd be interested, here are a few Twitter-like reviews of movies I've seen over the last few months.
Zombieland: Way overlooked. Should have been Oscar nominated.
xXx: Vin Deisel as James Bond. Kind of works in a bad-Rocky kind of way.
The Fast and the Furious: Set the alarm so you don't miss the chase scene at the end. Snooze through the rest.
Pink Panther 2: Steve Martin better in the sequel, but still no Peter Sellers.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice: Why is Nick Cage in every movie. Oh yeah, he overacts to the point it makes it interesting.
Food Inc.: I dare you to watch this and eat anything by home-grown tomatoes for the next week.
Exit Through the Gift Shop: Should have won Oscar. Feel the need to go to Home Depot and buy spray paint.
Inside Deep Throat: Uh, not quite was expected.
Capitalism: A Love Story: Yes, Mike Moore still can entertain and shock with his style.
The Departed: Leonardo can hold his own with Jack. Also, was that really Batman?

Well, that was just a few. I have to get back tot he remote.

Rise and Shine --- Cut, print

Good Morning and, well, it won't be said today!

So, the Oscar nominations came out yesterday and once again, I've only seen one of the movies (Toy Story 3). While it was a good movie, I don't know if it's 'Best Picture' worthy, but some years finding 10 nominees stretches the envelope a bit.

Then again, it's probably as much about politics as everything else has become in this day and age. Know the right people, your movie gets a push. Go outside the box and you have to buy your own ticket to the show.
Hey, whatever works. It's Hollywood. It's not like real life.
So, now that the nominees are out, the big push starts. Try to get out and see the top nominated movies before the Feb. 27 show.
Anybody game for a movie run? I always wanted to try one of those movie marathons where they show all the nominees in one day.
That might be a little too tough, but you never know.
By the way, with all the talk about snubs and nominees, here's one that was overlooked and should get a statue just because it's so good:

Rise and Shine --- Awarded by sleep

Good Morning and welcome back to another one of those winter weeks!

So, having not much to do last night, I turned on the Golden Globes.
Five minutes later, I was having trouble keeping my eyes open. Ten minutes later, I was fast asleep.
I don't know, maybe sometime in the past, these award shows were fun to watch. You could see your favorite movie and TV stars yucking it up.
Now, though, thanks to the Internet, we know all about these people and, to me anyway, they aren't entertaining outside of their roles.
Robert DeNiro is good as a gangster, but not so good as a stand-up comedian.
Ricky Gervais is good as a comedian, but when he's using inside talk to bust on fellow actors, well, it seems like we are just viewing a frat party.
I guess it doesn't help I hadn't seen many of the movies or TV shows being honored, but, still, it was boring.
Even the winners were terrible. In order to make the show go quick, they were rushing speeches, giving lists of names nobody knew and rambling about how great it is to win.
Can't wait for the next one!
ZZZZzzzzz

Rise and Shine --- Entering the Princess world

Good Morning and welcome to a brand-new week!

Having a 5-year old daughter means anytime anything happens with a Disney princess, you have to get on board.
With the new movie 'The Princess and the Frog' coming out, the princess world was amped up.
Everything was Princess Tiana, Princess Tiana, Princess Tiana. The girls in school talked about it all day. There were trips to the store (it really doesn't matter which in this over-saturated world) where the Princess, the Frog and everybody else in the movie was highlighted.
Heck, there is even 'Princess and The Frog' Spaghetti O's.
Still, it's fun. It's nice to see children excited. Sure, this time of year they are always excited, but that seems a little different.
Anyway, we were dutifully at the movie theater Friday night (along with about 10,000 other little girls and their families).
I was expecting the usual Disney stuff. We'd have a princess, a prince, they'd dance and everything would work out perfectly.
To my shock, though, it was a rather entertaining movie. The music was well done, the story was actually a little out of the Disney box and the characters actually seemed like real people.
The final test was the opinion of the 5-year old's brothers.
Their reaction: Two thumbs up.
Now I have to find prince material.

Rise and Shine --- New moon? Isn't that in the sky

Good Morning and welcome to the crispness that is Wednesday morning!

The last couple of days (months?) we've been inundated with photos, interviews and videos about the latest 'Twilight' saga.
Apparently, this one is called 'New Moon' and it has something to do with vampires and werewolves.
At least that's what I can garner from the previews. Looks like a slick made movie, but one I know I'll never see, not that I have an inclination to see it anyway.
Sometimes, there are just those things you don't get. They can put out stories about the stars. They can put out books about the movie. They can put the book that inspired the movie in the front of the bookstore. It doesn't matter.
Of course, it probably doesn't matter to the makers of New Moon anyway. I'm not exactly the age group they are going after. They are making tons of money from teenage girls.
If I want a vampire and werewolf fix, I'm popping 'Abbot and Costello meet Frankenstein' in the VCR (yeah, it still works). Maybe I'm the right demographic for that classic.

Rise and Shine --- Traveling

Good Morning and, yes, I broke down and put the heat on last night!

Sometimes we travel. Sometimes, we even travel far enough it takes an airplane to get there.
Even though most airlines have done away with movies on flights (at least free ones), I was thinking what would be the best movies to watch if heading on a long trip.
Here are some hopes:
1. Old School. Yeah, I know, it wouldn't fly with everybody (pun intended), but it will certainly make those hours sitting in the tiny seats a bit more comfortable.
2. Bourne Identity. Especially if you are heading overseas with an iPhone in hand and a mysterious look.
3. Joe vs. The Volcano. Nothing like a feel-good Tom Hanks movie to get you fired up about your trip.
4. The Terminal. Never mind, airlines don't have a sense of humor. Neither do passengers after about four hours or so.
5. Lord of the Rings. Not just one, but the whole trilogy. You will be able to fall asleep during the middle run. If not, it will certainly kill a lot of time.
6. Mr. Bean's Holiday. You're stuck next to somebody snoring badly who keeps passing gas. At least you can escape with somebody who had a worse time.
7. Some Like it Hot. Palm trees. Marilyn Monroe. Jack Lemmon at his best. Nothing would make the trip go smoother. Then again, 'Well, nobody's perfect.'
8. Cars. Yeah, you're in a big airplane. The air is sour. The food stinks. The bathrooms are too small. Nothing like a movie about talking cars to get you through the night.
9. 2001: A Space Odyssey. Now, if your really tired or really inot outer space, this is the perfect movie. Long, slow, boring, but great visuals. Just get a pillow with your headphones.
10. The U.S. vs. John Lennon. OK, there would never be a documentary on an airplane. Besides, Lennon preaching about peace among all people would undoubtedly tick some people off. You don't need that on a plane.
By the way, if this movie comes on, ask for an eye mask and ear plugs, because you are stuck in a time warp:

Rise and Shine --- Movie making

Good Morning and welcome back to the Internet!

The rules of parenting have changed over the years.
Those of a certain age might remember the paddle. They might remember white gloves. They might remember getting dressed up for every occasion. They might remember walking home from school alone. They might remember going outside with no parental supervision.
There was a time when parents were supposed to be disciplinarians. You might remember having to clean your room every day. You might remember continually saying 'Yes sir' and 'Yes, Maam.' Never saying 'No.'
The times change. Now, you can't let your children out of your sight. You can't let them play outside alone, forget about walking home from school or hopping on a bike to go to a friends house.
It's the nature of the world and, well, whether we like it or not, it's the way things have to be done.
Still, with school pressure starting in first grade, children need an outlet. So, we might let them go crazy at home. They can play. They can create. They can run around in the house.
Of course, that leads to broken things and, more often than not, toys throughout the house.
Staying on top of things while working is virtually impossible. You do the best you can and keep trying.
Right or wrong, the children run the roost at our house. Sure, they have 'jobs' to get done each week. Most times they get done, sometimes not.
Where is all this going, well, over the weekend the 7-year old decided he wanted to be a movie director.
He has an idea for the movie in his head. He is recruiting his brother, sister, friends and even the dogs as actors.
It's an interesting story about good guys, bad guys and a search for pirate treasure (I think).
So, we'll let him get the story done and see where it goes.
There's just one part about a burning house that may need to be edited out.

Rise and Shine --- Rain, rain go away

Good Morning and welcome to another day for ducks!

OK, now we remember the downfall of spring. After emerging from the dark, dank winter, we were treated to a great early spring. There was a lot of sun. There was warm (hot?) temperatures. There were fun times to be had outside.
Then, this weekend we got the rain. And more rain. And more rain.
It seemed like every minute of the day was saddled with cloud cover and the wet stuff. OK, it got nice late Saturday afternoon, but then it turned back into rain.
Now, there's nothing wrong with rain. When it's nasty outside, it gives you a chance to take a Sunday break. Relax. Watch a few movies (something for everybody, say, Spider-Man 2, Bedtime Stories and Aladdin) and take your time for once.
The downfall, though, is there is a jungle starting to emerge on the lawn. We all know the grass grows quicker this time of year, but, add in a few inches of water and, bang, its up to your knees.
Of course, it's raining, so you can't get out and cut it down. So, it just keeps growing. Pretty soon, you'll lose a small child in the 'trees.'
When it finally stops raining (they are hoping some time Wednesday), it will be time to get out the sickle.


If you have any cool links or photos, send them along to onlinedelco@gmail.com

Rise and Shine --- Making the best of Swine Flu

Good Morning and welcome back to another Thursday (yes they keep coming)!

So, you're sitting at home with Swine Flu (or Whooping Cough) and have nothing to do but feel miserable. Well, you would be wrong on that account.
Have a friend head to the video store for this Swine Flu movie festival:
1. Outbreak. Who better than Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo and Morgan Freeman to save the day? If nothing else, they get to wear cool suits.


2. The Stand. Anybody who has read this Stephen King book is drawn in by the good-vs.-evil plot. The Devil vs. an Angel. Gary Sinise vs. Jamie Sheridan. More important, though, is none of us knew at the time that King is a modern-day Nostradamus. That's right. King wrote about an out-of-control flu virus that takes out most of the world despite the government trying to calm the waters by denying its existence. Hmmm. The biggest drawback: Molly Ringwald is also one of the saviors.


3. 28 Days Later. So, we have a bug that turns people into zombies. Sounds like it's already infiltrated the Republican Party.


4. The Omega Man Forget Will Smith's remake, you want Charlton Heston to be the last man standing with one heck of a cool car. On second thought, forget about it. Smith packs more action.


5. 24: Season 3. Just pop in the DVD and you're good for 24 hours of Jack Bauer craziness. You have drug dealers, virus, the Mummy and travel that takes days for us normal people is done in less than an hour. Besides, there are no commercials, so it's a bit less than 24 hours.


You can thank me later, after the antibiotics.
If you have any cool links or photos, send them along to onlinedelco@gmail.com

Rise and Shine --- Great or scary?

Good Morning and welcome back to the work week!

Here's hoping you had as much fun as I did this weekend. It certainly was Lush and there was a great dessert.
There always seems to be another list of the 'The greatest movies of all-time.' Those lists are broken down into comedies, action movies, musicals and the like (we'll stop there before searches start sending red lights to powers above).
One of the movies on the lists is 1967's 'The Graduate.' Now, I try to see the movies on 'greatest' lists if only because it's a fun thing to do.
Up until now, though, I'd never really watched 'The Graduate.' It's been touted as great from Roger Ebert to some Norwegian reviewer.
After finally seeing the whole movie, here's another quick review: scary.
Now, if you've seen the film, you know the story. If you haven't, well, check out the reviews above.
Anyway, what struck me as strange was how the Dustin Hoffman character is actually a stalker. Is he really that far from Travis Bickle?
After sleeping with his girlfriend's mother, he falls into a depression, then trails her around Cal-Berkley. He hides in the bushes to watch her. He looks out windows with binoculars. He runs after buses. He even scares Mr. Roper.
Maybe it's a view of a simpler time. Maybe it should be taken that way. Maybe it's just dated and doesn't play in the reality of this world.
Today, Ben Braddock would be arrested and drawing pictures in prison.
Anyway, that's just one opinion.


If you have any cool links or photos, e-mail them to onlinedelco@gmail.com

Rise and Shine --- 100 things to do

Good Morning and welcome back to the mist!

We've had 100 places to see before you die, 100 songs to hear before you die and 100 books to read before you die.
Now, since we never have enough lists, there is 100 moves to see before you die.
Now, I'm sure they are all good movies and such, but, really, I've never understood how you can rank movies. Much like art, movies are in the eye of the beholder.
You can tell good writing when you read it (like you get here every day), you can tell good music when you hear it and it's always cool to travel.
Movies, though, are different. Somebody might like 'The Red Balloon' (not on the list), while somebody else might like 'Point Break' (also not on the list).
What's the point? Well, sometimes it's better to have no point.
Just enjoy (this is from the list):


If you have any cool links or photos, onlinedelco@gmail.com

Rise and Shine --- Trailing the Oscars

Good Morning and welcome to the end of the week!

So, after sitting through 15 minutes of movie trailers, it's time to make those Oscar picks. Now, granted, it may not be the most scientific way to figure out the best movie, but it beats shelling out $10 for every ticket.
So, here we go:
Best Picture: MILK The preview has a lot of action and music. It also holds the best line of they year: "You have to give them hope." That's something we all need in this day and age.
Best Animated Feature: WALL-E Not only does the trailer give you a great look at the story, it also makes you want to see the movie. When it opens. The first day. Lots of fun.
Best Director: FROST/NIXON Whenever you get a chance to vote for Opie Cunningham, take it.
Beat Actor: Sean Penn in Milk. See above.
Best Actress: Melissa Leo, Frozen River Never heard of the movie before watching the trailer, but it appears to show a story that could be any one of us.
Supporting Actor: Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder Sure, Heath Ledger is probably going to get the award, but, in three minutes, Downey gives the performance of a lifetime.
Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, Doubt Just a powerful performance.
Now, the trailer of the year:


If you have any cool links or photos, send them along to onlinedelco@gmail.com

Rise and Shine ---- Oscar, bloscar

Good Morning and welcome to Thursday!

So, the Oscars are this Sunday. Make sure you enter our Oscar contest HERE. The winner gets a $50 gift certificate to Stephen's on Main Street in Media. Not only that, but you will get a personal phone call from Daily Times entertainment guru Jim Atkins.
Anyway, back to the Oscars. Do the Academy Awards really mean anything any more?
Having not seen any of the films nominated for best picture (the only movies I've seen this year are Wall-E and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Get the picture?), I wonder if they are the really the best films of the year. Sure, they are most likely pretty good. I hope to see most when they roll out on DVD, but none can be considered 'big hits.'
Yeah, in these times we are scrimping on entertainment, but they haven't been able to hold a ticket-sale flag to some other movies out there.
All of the Oscar nominated films are still in theaters. Only 'Slumdog Millionaire' has been able to crack the Top 10 in ticket sales this past week.
Not to say movies like 'Friday the 13th,' 'Paul Blart: Mall Cop' or 'The Pink Panther 2' are great movies, but they are what people want to see.
Yeah, we all agree some movies are better than others, but if nobody's watching does it really matter?
By the way, since all you gentle readers are sitting on the edge of your seats, I'll pick the Oscar winners after watching the trailers only in Friday's Rise and Shine.
Here are some funny moments from the Oscars:


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