MisenPOPic Movie Review: (500) Days Of Summer

I just finished watching the critically acclaimed (500) Days Of Summer. Every time I hear the words "critically acclaimed", it automatically should make me worry. This movie was all over the place. Ten minutes of great dialogue, five minutes of boredom, three minutes of good plot transition, twelve minutes of artsy cinematography. I'm not sure if Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a good actor or a shitty actor. I'm not sure if Zooey Deschanel was good looking or not. I'm not sure if Levitt and Deschane had good chemistry between them. I'm still not sure if Geoffrey Armend is a bastard for marrying Christina Hendricks from Mad Men, or a hero for ugly but funny men all over the world. (500) Days Of Summer was just okay. Nothing great, nothing horrible. I don't really want to waste any more of my time or yours about this movie.

Grade: C- (Did not meet expectations)

Music That Matters: Top 50 Movie Symphonies (#31 Knock The Cover Off The Ball by Randy Newman)

Although I have never seen the complete movie, I have probably watched the classic scene in The Natural where Roy Hobbs hits the final home run right toward the outfield lights causing some pretty massive fireworks numerous times. What makes the scene so thrilling is the music you hear during this scene from Randy Newman. Yes, Randy Newman. The same guy best known for pop hits like I Love L.A., Money That Matters, and Short People. Randy Newman, the guy who finally won an Oscar in 2001 for his hit song If I Didn't Have You from Monsters, Inc. Although Newman had a brilliant career as a singer and songwriter, he has been primarily composing scores for films since the mid-80's such as Toy Story, Cars, Parenthood, Three Amigos, A Bug's Life, and Meet The Parents. You'll definitely know you are listening to a Randy Newman sung tune when you hear it as his voice in indistinguishable and his piano melodies sound the same on every tune. Check out the tribute to Randy Newman from an episode of Family Guy.


Although, you would have never guessed the score from The Natural in 1984 was composed by Randy Newman!!! Sounding nothing like anything he has ever done, Newman composed music for The Natural that very similar to the style of classical composer, Aaron Copeland. It's not your typical happy piano themed tune sung by Randy Newman, but instead performed by full-blown orchestra. Newman received an Oscar nomination in 1984 for The Natural, but came up on the short end of the stick. It would take 11 more nominations until he received his first award in 2002. Knock The Cover Off The Ball has been used during baseball games when honoring players, and in many television and film previews. It was also used in the John McCain campaign when introducing Sarah Palin. Snippets of the song were included in the End Titles which you also might know as the song used for The Wonder Years series finale when we learn of what happened to the Arnold family. Below is the actual scene from the movie, the music begins around the three minute mark. Good stuff indeed!

Ladies and gentlemen.. #31 Knock The Cover Off The Ball by Randy Newman

MisenPOPic Update 12/31/09

In tribute to one of the greatest bands of all time who were shunned by the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame once again, the photo theme for this week is dedicated to KISS. Although the band's original members Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss created the magic, I can't overlook the Kisstory. Most people forget that KISS did take off the makeup in 1982 and were still a successful band in the 80's and early 90's with other lead guitarists and drummers before putting the makeup back on. Can you figure out who the other five musicians in the montage that also played crucial role in KISS?

With a baby on the way in a few months, my wife has been bringing me with her to register for gifts. The other day I went to Babies R Us, which provided such a horrible shopping experience. Their merchandise is so vanilla, and their selection of strollers and such was not very good. The best part of this process for me was analyzing couples with a child on the way while my wife was intent on registering for items. Seeing two people that are totally not compatible as a couple but stuck together because the dude forgot to wear a condom is intentional comedy at it's best. Yesterday, I went to Buy Buy Baby, and let me tell you that comparing it to Babies R Us is like comparing Metallica to Winger. Better customer service, better merchandised sections, better selection, condensed sections so you don't feel overwhelmed, and fresh product including the Rock-A-Bye Baby music compilations that I wrote about a few weeks ago. Babies R Us/Toys R Us should be ashamed of itself, and as more and more Buy Buy Babys pop up in the next few years, they are going to take away a whole lot of business from the R Us corporation. My prediction is that once this happens, Babies R Us will go the same route as Kids R Us did, out of business!! I actually applied for a job at Toys R Us Corporate in Wayne a few months back as a space planner, but didn't impress them enough to gain employment. I might have to reach out to some of the nice people I met there to see if they could hire me as the head of purchasing in order to keep up with the latest trends. Otherwise, there is no way people my age are going to continue to shop at their stores with their outrageous prices and lack of fun and trendy merchandise. For now, because there are only three Buy Buy Baby stores in New Jersey, we have to go with both options.

Going into the new year, I'm currently working on reading the Up In The Air novel which so far can't light a candle next to the movie, watching the third season of Friday Night Lights which has surprisingly brought a few tears to my eyes, playing Mario Brothers for Wii and almost close to beating the game, and have Up and 500 Days Of Summer to watch tonight before the ball drops in Times Square. Still going to write some Symphony articles in the next few days, and hope to have my Chiller Theater Experience #3 piece up on Sunday.

Happy New Year! Auld Lyng Syne!!

Mikey

Out There!: "Hard Way" by Brock/Davis

As you have read numerous times on this blog, I'm a big fan of 80's movies. Throw in a classic dance sequence or high school prom scene into an 80's movie, and that movie has just improved so much more. The cheesy dances that should you ever want to recreate at your local bar or your best friend's wedding, be prepared to feel the embarrassment when everybody is laughing at you and not with you. The stylish hair cuts filled with tons of mousse, gel, frizz, and whatever other hair product was trendy back then. The neon-colored tuxedos and bright pink dresses. The overuse of make-up. But it's all for naught without a great song to make the scene more enjoyable. A great example of what I'm writing about is the high school prom scene in Just One Of The Guys (a movie that you have already read about numerous times and will continue to read about on this blog!). While we see my boy Clayton Rohner doing his best James Brown impersonation, William Zabka getting his groove on, and Teri Kiser attempting to dance like a guy, a rockin 80's tune is being played by the house band. The song is called Hard Way and the house band performing it was Brock/Davis. When I spoke to Clayton Rohner a few months ago and mentioned I might be one of only ten people on the planet who had the song on his iPod, he smiled and told me I should probably not announce that out loud. He also provided information I didn't know that Brock/Davis was actually Rod Stewart's touring unit that year. Hmm, interesting because I could not find any information at all online about Brock/Davis.

If you are looking to find this song in your local record store, don't even waste your time. My brother had to bid and win the Just One Of The Guys soundtrack on Ebay in order to first get the song a few years ago. The soundtrack is out of print, not available on itunes or any other on-line music service, and no chance of obtaining it on a peer to peer network. Seems to be a running them in these Out There! articles, eh? Now, you can pull tunes from Youtube with specific software to make getting songs like these for your collection. Got to love the internet! Otherwise, this song is nearly impossible to get. The song might be very obscure, but it's got a great rocking melody, and due to having watched Just One Of The Guys numerous times over the past twenty something years, it has kind of become an anthem for me. Hard Way was never released as a single, and Brock/Davis haven't done anything else in their career based on the lack of trivial information available about them on the web. Better to have a hit song from a 80's movie than to not have a hit song at all.

Ladies and gentlemen... "Hard Way" from Just One Of The Guys by the most obscure band I've written about so far, Brock/Davis.

Out There! "The One And Only" by Chesney Hawkes

Over the past few days I have been ever so busy downloading some hidden gems from 80's and 90's movie soundtracks. There was one song I added that totally blew me away due to the fact that I had loved the song back in 1991 but for some reason forgot about it ever since. The song is "The One And Only" which ironically would be the perfect title for the artist who recorded it, Chesney Hawkes. Why you ask? Because it would be his one and only hit song! The song was written by another 80's one-hit wonder, Nik Kershaw, who I'm sure you will hear about in a future Out There! blog. "The One And Only" was originally recorded for the 1991 British movie titled Buddy's Song which starred Hawkes as Buddy and Roger Daltrey of The Who as his father. The song blew up on the UK charts in 1991 spending five weeks at the #1 spot. But how did I know about the song since Buddy's Song wasn't a movie that a fourteen year old kid would have known about back in the early 90's? Because it was also featured in the 1991 Summer movie Doc Hollywood starring Michael J. Fox, Woody Harrelson, and Julie Warner. Like Chesney Hawkes, Julie Warner's career also never took enough. Her only other major role was playing Chris Farley's love interest in Tommy Boy a few years later. I'll always remember her legendary nude scene in Doc Hollywood. Back in 1991, my brother and I would watch it over and over again after taping it from HBO as I held one finger on the play button and the other on the rewind button. Remember we didn't have DVR back then!! Anyway, back to the classic song: The One And Only was also a hit in the United States peaking at #10 on the Billboard US 200 Chart. The video got some airplay on MTV, but then Chesney Hawkes faded away into obscurity. He never even showed up on any one-hit wonder countdowns, or Where Are They Now? programs, while his great song evaporated from my consciousness until a few days ago. For those of you in your thirties who were conscious of pop culture back in the early 90's, listen to the tune below and it might even pop back into your brain as well.

Ladies and gentlemen.... A real treat for you. The One And Only by Chesney Hawkes.

Music That Matters: Top 50 Movie Symphonies (#32 The Imperial March by John Williams)

Okay so we are back to the countdown. At #32 is a movie anthem that you all know very well. You've heard it at sporting events, you've heard it at concerts, you've heard it when Roger Federer took the court at the U.S. Open, and you heard it in your head when your in-laws came over for the holidays this past week. It's the Imperial March first heard in The Empire Strikes Back. Of course the genius behind it is John Williams. The Imperial March is also sometimes referred to the Darth Vader theme as it seems to act as the motif whenever Darth Vader appears on screen. The tune can be heard in all Star Wars films except Episode IV. Since its 1980 release "The Imperial March" has become synonymous with tyranny. It's so powerful and dark, yet so beautiful if that even makes sense.

Ladies and gentlemen... #32 The Imperial March from John Williams

The MisenPOPIC Year In Review: The Best & Worst Of Music, Movies, & Television

Here we go! Ever since 1987, I have been handing out awards and making lists recognizing the best in entertainment before the internet launched and I found out I wasn't as original as I thought I was. Oh well, at least I can be another voice in the community to indicate what I liked and didn't like. I sometimes catch myself telling others that there is a lack of creativity in today's pop culture, and it seems that more than ever corporations are controlling all aspects of pop culture. People also seem to care about an actor or rock star's personal life or what they look like in a bathing suit as opposed to the actual art they have created. People are becoming famous for simply being famous. If you are good-looking and appear in a home-made porn film, you are on your way to becoming a superstar, maybe even a brand name! Our society is so intrigued with seeing celebs fall on their faces and destroy their lives maybe in order to feel better about themselves. It's gotten so bad that people care more about these celebrities who they don't even personally know, but can't even listen to their children tell them about the good things going on in their own lives. While we keep getting all this new technology to enhance watching movies or listening to music, what matters most to me is the actual substance. You can throw all the digital effects, THX sound, 3-D motions, but if the story isn't there, I could care less. But if I look past all of the crap, I must say that I have never been so enamored with so much outstanding television programs. We are seeing some amazing storytelling nowadays on our boob tube from some really creative people like Matt Weiner (Mad Men), Zach Gilligan (Breaking Bad), and Damon Lindelof (Lost). As the movie and music industries are being tied down by so much red tape and lack of any substance, prime time cable dramas provided the most bang for my buck and keet me the most entertained this year. But of course there were and always will be great movies and great songs that reminded me why I love pop culture as well. It's just getting harder and harder to find them!

Top 10 Songs Of 2009
It definitely helps that I rarely listen to the radio anymore or watch music videos on Fuse so that I don't get sick of the usual overplayed tunes. This was a strange year in music, and the first time in a long time that there was no definitive song of the year candidate. I went back and forth numerous times over the past few days until I could determine what I thought was the best tune of the year. To qualify for this list, the song had to have been released as a single. Keep in mind also that these were the ten songs that I enjoyed the most, not the ten songs with the highest degree of musical integrity.

10) The Wrestler by Bruce Springsteen- One of the Boss's best tunes I've ever heard that was featured in the surprise hit movie of the same name starring Mickey Rourke. How it won the Golden Globe for best song from a movie but wasn't even nominated for an Oscar is still puzzling to me!

9) Empire State Of Mind by Jay-Z & Alicia Keys- You know how much I loathe Jay-Z, and I still have no idea what words he is spewing on this tune. But the melody is fantastic! Alicia Keys who actually has talent, worked her magic to make this a great song and one of the most memorable of the year. Right now it's still the number one song in the country.

8) The Fixer by Pearl Jam- Pearl Jam's new album only available at Target! I never thought I would hear this happen for a band who yearns to keep their integrity. But with the music business being the way it is, did they have a choice in order to sell their album? The first single from the album was a great little rocker, but definitely not something you would expect to hear from them back in 1991 when they were the kings of the rock and roll business. I'm not a Pearl Jam fan at all, but have loved the first singles from their past two albums. The times might be a changin'!

7) Fire Burnin by Sean Kingston- A great dance track with a funky beat. Somebody call 911, Mikey Hersh actually might still have his dance groove on at the ripe age of 32. This tune was one that always got me dancing like Danny Manero or Al Pacino in Cruising (had to throw in a few obscure pop culture references!)

6) Poker Face by Lady Gaga- I still am not sure if Lady Gaga is just the fad of the moment. But I'm surprised she has had four hit singles from her hot album. Thanks to a nice cover version sung by Cartman on South Park, the song began to grow on me. Another great dance song with a synth-techno 80's beat that might have worked for a band like Human League back in the early 80's.

5) You Found Me by The Fray- If I want to hear a basic corporate pop/rock song at the moment, I know I can count on the Fray. Their music is so simple and formulaic, but it works for me. The first song from their self-titled second album, you couldn't escape this song thanks to it being featured in a multitude of television commercials. Until October, this song was the best I heard and was the front runner for Song Of The Year.

4) This Is It by Michael Jackson- So maybe it wasn't really a new song, but it's the last tune ever released from the greatest entertainer I have seen. Well maybe until we get a slew of unreleased material from The King Of Pop in the upcoming years. Just a great R&B song written by Michael Jackson and my main man, Paul Anka. It's a great swan song to remind me that I lost one my childhood heroes this past year.

3) Modern Day Delilah by KISS- Maybe the new album from KISS was a Sonic bust, but the first single and lead track on the album was a genuine Paul Stanley classic rock and roll masterpiece. One of only two good tunes on the new album, this song reminded me once and again why I love this band and feel so bitter towards the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame for snubbing them from induction once again.

2) Uprising by Muse- I knew very little about this band until I saw their performance on the MTV Music Awards and was blown away. A great song which uses that "Come On" chant to possibly pay homage to Blondie's 1980 hit, Call Me. Uprising has held the #1 spot on the Modern Rock Charts since October. I almost had this song penciled in for the top spot, but the annoying usage of it in movie and TV promos got to be a little too much!!!

And the best song of 2009!....


1) Sexy Little Thing by Chickenfoot- Thank you to Sammy Hagar for continuing to write such kick-ass melodic songs! He and Chickenfoot bassist Michael Anthony are so much better off without the Van Halen brothers. This song just rocked my socks off, made me smile, and confirmed my believes that Rock & Roll will never die. The best rocking song of the year, and the best overall song of the year! Just hit play on the Youtube video above and listen to the guitar melody from Guitar Icon Joe Satriani.

Honorable Mentions:
Whataya Want From Me?/Adam Lambert
Kiss A Girl/Keith Urban
My Life Would Suck Without You/Kelly Clarkson
This Town/O.A.R.
I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)/Pitbull
Right Round/Flo Rida
I Gotta Feelin'/Black-Eyed Peas

The Worst Song Of The Year:
One Time by Justin Bieber- Not just the worst song of the year, but one of the worst songs of all time! I guess with some basic production, any kid with good looks who can be marketed to the Disney tween audience can have a hit song! Usher, Chris Brown, and anybody else associated with this piece of garbage should be ashamed of themselves!

Top 5 Albums Of 2009
Before I get to the best albums of the year, I'd like to stick a huge middle finger to KISS and the Dave Matthews Band for releasing two big turds for albums this year. The new KISS album, Sonic Boom, might have gotten some love from critics who know nothing about the band, but it was a quickly produced piece of shit with the exception of two singles. Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer may be better musicians, but KISS either needs to record more modern-sounding songs without the retro KISS sound to make us forget that Ace and Peter are no longer in the band, or just stop with new material. As for Dave Matthews Band, I know I'll get shit for this because many feel Big Whiskey & The Groogrux King was one of if not their best album ever. I just didn't like it at all and expected more.

5) Leave This Town from Daughtry- You can't get more basic and formulaic than Daughtry, but once again another fine album by the American Idol alum! It took me awhile to get into this album, but it's pretty darn good with some nice ballads. Props to my brother for sticking to his guns on this album. Although Daughtry was the first American Idol to debut at #1 on the Top 200 Albums Chart, the record doesn't seem to have made as much impact as his self-titled debut album. Is it better than the first album? I'm not sure! Is it one of the five best albums I heard this year. Absolutely! Okay you can now throw me under the bus for this opinion!

4) Tinted Windows from Tinted Windows- Tinted Windows was a unique super-group consisting of Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos, former Smashing Pumpkins member James Iha on guitar, Adam Schlesinger from Fountains Of Wayne on bass, and the surprise lead vocalist Taylor Hanson. The songs on the album are very bubble-gummy, but very good. Schlesinger never fails to amaze with fun and catchy tunes. The first single, Kind Of A Girl is a good example of what you could expect to hear on this album. Good stuff, and I'm curious if a second Tinted Windows album will ever be recorded.

3) 21st Century Breakdown from Green Day- Nice to know that some bands still want to keep the album concept alive. Although not as good as their previous concept album American Idiot, 21st Century Breakdown was a fun album to listen to with even more catchy rock melodies from Billie Joe and the boys.

2) Anomaly from Ace Frehley- KISS might have dropped the ball, but no worries as Ace Frehley picked it up releasing perhaps his finest album ever. Filled with hard rocking riffs, and lyrics devoted to his new-found sobriety, the Space Ace should be very proud of himself. Songs like Pain In The Neck, Outer Space, and A Little Below The Angels were instant classics. Even if you aren't a KISS fan but like great rock & roll, I suggest you pick up this album!

And the best album of 2009!

1) Feel The Steel from Steel Panther- The absolute funniest rock & roll album of all time filled with tunes about sex, drugs, and the hard rock lifestyle. Not only were the songs hilarious, but the production on this album was so great. If you weren't in on the joke, you would possibly think Steel Panther was a real band from the 80's scene trying to make a comeback. I'm probably the only music critic to name this as best album, and I'm man enough to admit it was the most enjoyable album I listened to this year.

Honorable Mentions:
Chickenfoot/Chickenfoot
The Fray/The Fray
Rock Of Ages Soundtrack/Various Artists
Swoon/Silversun Pickups

The Worst Album Of The Year:
'55 Cadillac from Andrew W.K.- Instead of making an album full of more melodic party songs that we have come to expect, Andrew W.K. released an record of only instrumental piano music. And it totally sucked! Not even powerful piano melodies, just annoying music to put to you sleep. You mean to tell me I waited six years for this crap? Shame on you, Andrew, shame on you!

Top 10 Movies
For the most part, I saw movies that made me laugh, made me cry and made me keep hope alive that creative screenwriters and directors are still out there cutting the red tape from studios. Unlike last year when I saw two movies so horrible that I walked out on one and squirmed in agony for the other (The movies you ask? The Love Guru and Wall-E. Both received an F!), there weren't any movies that rated less than a C-.

10) The Blind Side- Maybe it was formulaic, but I liked this movie. It might have ranked higher if I didn't read the story the movie was based on before seeing it in the theaters.

9) Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs- Sony's first successful animated movie that might soon put them in the same league as Dreamworks and Disney/Pixar. A short movie, but a sweet one!

8) Anvil: The Story Of Anvil- Does it deserve to be pushed for serious consideration as Best Picture Of The Year? Absolutely not! But it was probably the most honest and real story of a hard rock band past their prime trying to become relevant again. Honestly, as a hard rock fan, I can honestly say that Anvil never hit it big because they simply weren't that great a band.

7) Star Trek- JJ Abrams reboots the Star Trek franchise!!!! Even I'm now a bit intrigued by the whole Star Trek phenomenon.

6) X-Men Origins: Wolverine- My buddy Kevin and I have had plenty of arguments about this one, but I'm sticking to my guns on this one. It was a fun thrill ride of a movie that I enjoyed perhaps due to low expectations. A huge improvement over Brett Ratner's horrible third X-Men movie!

5) Inglorious Basterds- Quentin Tarantino redeems himself after his less than stellar Grindhouse movie a few years prior. This movie even got an amazing performance from Brad Pitt who I never respected as an elite actor. One of the best war movies of all time regardless if the history was tainted a little bit. Christoph Waltz's performance is truly worthy of an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

4) Public Enemies- How could a movie with Johnny Depp and Christian Bale be a stinker? No chance! This movie sort of just came and went this past summer, but Michael Mann's unique crime drama about the infamous John Dillinger was a great movie that I really enjoyed. Marion Cotillard was outstanding in an underrated performance as Dillenger's love interest. This one should see new life on DVD.

3) Up In The Air- Just informing all of you if you haven't seen the movie or heard all the buzz about it. It's going to probably win Oscar for Best Picture Of The Year when announced in March, and this critic personally would be very pleased to see it happen. Truly one of the most fascinating movies I've ever seen, and indicates the main reason why I could never ever be an on-the-road-all-of-the-time corporate asshole!

2) Bruno- I'm not sure why this movie got panned so badly. Bruno was the only movie in 2009 that me laugh so hard that I cried, even if my wife was so repulsed by the movie. I truly thought Bruno was funny as funny if not funnier than Borat.

And the best movie of 2009!

1) Avatar- I'll say it one more time. Avatar is going to be the cult movie for this generation just like what Star Wars was for my generation. Although the movie might have been preachy about saving the environment, I didn't mind. I wanted James Cameron to thrill me once again with his imagination and creativity, and he came through in the clutch for me. Just like his last movie Titanic, the early reviews were mixed, then were horrible, but as the movie kept making money, the reviews ended up as favorable and led to many awards. I think the same might happen for Avatar!

Honorable Mentions:
I Love You Man
The Hangover
Michael Jackson's This Is It
G.I. Joe- The Rise Of Cobra

Worst Movie Of The Year:
Night At The Museum 2: A Night At The Smithsonian- The second time definitely was not the charm for Ben Stiller regardless of how much money the movie made. This movie was almost two hours of pure agony and almost ruined how special the first Museum picture was to me.

Top 10 TV Shows Of 2009
Because I've developed a huge crush on prime time cable dramas and funny animated comedies, I felt it's time to salute the best of the tube. Regardless of Hulu and DVR, I'm still rushing to get home to watch most of the following shows.

10) South Park- Do you know if any show that has been on for twelve seasons and continues to get better? Especially for a comedy? I used to just watch the show in reruns, but it's been so good and so raunchy lately that I make sure to watch it every Wednesday when Trey Parker and Matt Stone are writing new episodes.

9) Glee- The stupidest and fluffiest show maybe ever, but I keep watching for the musical numbers and because I love Lea Michelle who I truly think is going to be a huge huge star.

8) Friday Night Lights- I've just started watching the previous three seasons of this show, and it really deserves the accolades it has gotten even if very few people are watching it. I'm more than patient with waiting for the episodes to rerun on NBC once they are finished airing on Direct TV which I have no desire to purchase. One of the few TV series spun off from a film to be better than the original source. Go Timmy Riggins, Go!

7) Flash Forward- The best new show of the season which has gone on hiatus until March, which I'm okay with in hope they can keep the show interesting. I'm still not attached to any of the characters yet, but the pieces of the puzzle are beginning to come together.

6) Entourage- Vinny and his crew might be losing a bit of steam, but their antics always make me smile. I also look forward to what Ari's going to say and do each week, and love the random celebrity cameos. The show probably has one or two seasons left, than it's time to create a movie franchise just like HBO did with Sex And The City.

5) Family Guy- Family Guy was losing a bit of steam due to the huge surge in popularity, but out of nowhere the writing has gotten a lot better. It's beginning to resemble the show I fell in love with back in 1999 when it debuted after the Super Bowl. Stewie and Brian probably have the best chemistry of any TV duo.

4) Lost- Lost was all over the place last season, but still is one of the best shows on TV. I think I'll be shedding a tear after the upcoming final season, but at least I'll get some of the answers to all of the questions that show has provided us over the last five seasons. After another superb season finale, I'm dying to know how everything is going to unfold. Will next season even take place on the island considering what happened at the end of last season? February 2nd can't come quick enough.

3) Mad Men- Simply brilliant! The show had many twists and turns all for the better of the show. After a poor Season 2, Matt Weiner and his writers revitalized the show with more emphasis on Sterling Cooper while keeping the relationship between the Drapers interesting. After what went down on the Season 3 finale, Mad Men will have a new dynamic to the show. The question is, will January Jones be returning? Sorry, can't write any more, already spoiled enough!

2) Dexter- Season 4 was back and forth this season, but the finale more than made up for the roller coaster ride during the previous ten episodes. I still am keeping quiet as to not spoil the ending for my pals who are still catching up on the show. Dexter is the most lovable serial killer in the history of television, and I'm expecting a record number of kills next season. Mad props to John Lithgow who was brilliant as Trinity, although his performance was not nearly as magnificent as Jimmy Smith as Miguel Prado from Season 3.

And the best show of 2009!

1) Breaking Bad- The adventures of Walter White and his former student Jesse Pinkman as they break into the drug underworld are simply fascinating. Although I have only seen the first season while needing to catch up on what I've heard is an even better second season, I'm going out on a limb to tell you that this might be the best TV drama I have ever seen. Better than Dexter, better than Lost, better than The Sopranos, and better than The Wire. I can't wait for Season 2 on demand, and the season premiere in March.

Honorable Mentions:
The Office
Hung
American Idol
Survivor
That Metal Show

Worst Show Of 2009- All Reality Shows!!!!- I'm just going to lump all of this horseshit together which includes Keeping Up With The Kardashians, The Bachelor, Jersey Shore, The Hills, The Girls Next Door, Teen Mom, The Real World, Celebrity Apprentice, Brooke Knows Best, Rock Of Love, Tool Academy, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, and probably a lot more I'm not thinking of at the moment.

Personal Pop Culture Highlights of 2009:

Meeting my Idol, the one and only Paul Stanley (February)
Watching The Harlem Globetrotters play and meeting Curly Neal (March)
Broadway Shows That Include: Rock Of Ages on Broadway (April), Hair (July)
Seeing Rent again at the NJPAC and meeting Anthony Rapp afterwards
Awesome Concerts I've attended: Fleetwood Mac (June), AC/DC for the 4th time (July), Steel Panther (October), KISS (October), Paul Anka (October)
Chiller Theatre Shows (April & October)
Interviewing Clayton Rohner from Just One Of The Guys (October)
Minnesota Vikings Game (October)

And of course.. Creating & Contributing to the MisenPOPic Blog to entertain and inform the millions and millions (okay, maybe tens and fives) of my fans about the great and sometimes obscure nuggets in pop culture!!!

Here's looking to a great 2010!!!

Mikey

MisenPOPic Movie Review: Up In The Air

One of the things that I hate most in life and especially in Hollywood is nepotism. It always bothers me to see sons, brothers, sisters, and cousins of big stars make it in the business because of a famous father or sibling. Just look at the following examples of those with lesser talent who stuck around: Frank Stallone, Debbie Boone, Julian Lennon, Kate Hudson, Joel Murray, Chad Lowe, and Khloe & Kourtney Kardashian (okay! maybe a bad example since none of the Kardashians have any real talent!) Maybe I'm just jealous that I never had the opportunity to use my mom or dad's name to become a A-List celebrity! When I found out that Jason Reitman was the son of legendary movie director Ivan Reitman (best known for directing some of my favorite movies of all time such as Meatballs, Twins, and Ghostbusters), I was once again skeptical if this was another case of nepotism in order for Reitman to get himself a good deal. He probably did, but the guy actually has enough talent to have made it on his own. His first picture, Thank You For Smoking, was a sleeper hit and one that I thought was better than expected due to part to an outstanding performance from Aaron Eckhardt. Retiman's second film was Juno, which I wasn't too thrilled with. Of course it was a darling with the critics (especially Roger Ebert who gushed over in) which led to a nomination for Best Film at the 2007 Oscars. Keep in mind that although Reitman directed the movie, he was not involved in the screenwriting process. The one responsible for Diablo Cody, whose second film she wrote and also directed (Jennifer's Body) was a critical and financial disaster. I thought Juno was a beautifully directed movie, but the story and characters were kind of flat. When news broke that Reitman's third movie, Up In The Air, was coming to theaters in December and was another big hit with the critics, I was curious to see if if Reitman could duplicate another great movie like Thank You For Smoking, or another dud like Juno.

Well, I saw the movie as part of my annual Christmas tradition, and was totally blown away. Up In The Air is totally deserving of all of the accolades and was on my Top 10 List for 2009. I'm not a big fan of George Clooney, but this role suited him to a tee. He'll get an Oscar nomination, but although he probably deserves the award, he probably won't get it because he was kind of just playing a version of himself. Vera Famiga was outstanding in what is probably her breakout role, and I smell Oscar buzz either as Best Actress of Best Supporting Actress. She was brilliant, and also kudos to her for a nice and surprising nude scene. In fact, everyone in the movie was outstanding including Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, JK Simmons, and Danny McBride. I also could tolerate Amy Morton (who gave us the worst acting performance ever as the mother in Rookie Of The Year!) I also loved that just like Thank For For Smoking, the movie's theme was very dark and cold. You wanted to root for George Clooney's character (Ryan Bingham) but it was very hard because he was so cold and unable to accept the rules of society. For god's sake, this character was a lonely soul on the road for most of the year informing employees that they were out of a job. Although he thought he could change and become a caring person thanks in part to his relationships with two new women in his life, it would be a complete obstacle for him. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but if you are expecting the typical happy ever after ending like most movies, you won't be seeing it in this movie. If this did happen, the movie would have gotten a worst rating from me.

I'm pretty confident that Up In The Air is going to win for Best Picture not just for being a well-written, well-acted, and well-directed movie, but because it is a good representation of the current economic situation our country is in. Again, one of the best movies of the year as well as the second best movie I have ever seen on Christmas! The only knock I had with the movie was the lousy soundtrack. Couldn't Reitman have used a nice symphonic score from James Horner or Alan Silvestri instead of the random indie music? I'm just a stickler, sorry! Up In The Air is currently my pick for Best Movie at the Academy Awards. And also, Jason Reitman is going to do something his father never did, win an Oscar for Best Director! This time around, the son might be a little bit better than daddy!

Grade: A (Met Expectations, Highly recommended!)

The Christmas Tradition For Jews: Let's All Go To The Movies

I enjoy Christmas for one reason and one reason only: it means a nice day with my family going to the movies and eating some chinese food. Like Topol proudly states in Fiddler On The Roof, it's TRADITION! Ever since 1982 with a few minor blocks in the road, I have gone to see a movie on Christmas with family and sometimes friends.. Back in the 80's, it wasn't as popular with all Jews, so there were rarely ever any people there. Now it's a bit more crowded at the cinema because Hollywood releases new movies to lure people to the theaters on Christmas. Thanks to my movie database, the internet, and a pretty decent memory, I decided to do a quick historical recall of the list of movies I have seen on Christmas. I've seen mostly classics, but there were a few stinkers. Here is the list with ratings and also some thoughts as well.

1982- Tootsie (The movie that started it all. I was only four years old at the time, so I had no clue about the overall plot. All I knew was Dustin Hoffman dressed up as a woman, and I really liked the music especially the beautiful tune It Might Be You from Stephen Bishop. Little did I know about the gay jokes, the relationship Dustin had with Teri Garr's character, or that he was an actor trying to land a part. I was pretty smart for a four year old, but I still had lots to learn. I've watched the movie years later to better understand the film. Critics claim it's one of the best movies of all time, I beg to differ) Grade: B

1983- NONE (I didn't go to the movies for some reason this year. I might have been in Israel.)

1984- The Flamingo Kid (I went to see this with my dad, while my brother and mom went to see Protocol with Goldie Hawn. Can't tell you much about this movie only that it starred Matt Dillon and took place at an island resort. My dad liked it but I was not a happy camper! I never watched it again.) Grade: D

1985- Clue (The first Christmas movie I totally remember. It was snowing so badly that my mom was worried to take my brother and I to see this. But we so wanted to leave the house to see the movie based on our favorite board game, so my mom obliged. I loved this movie then, and I still love this movie even now. The movie was released with three different endings. Lucky for us we got the best ending in which everybody but Mr. Green killed someone ) Grade: A-

1986- Three Amigos (Classic! One of my favorite movies of all time. I remember it was just me, Scott, and my mom. My dad was probably once again in Israel. Scott and I loved it but didn't understand why it doesn't appeal to my mom as we ate Chinese food. Probably the best movie I have ever seen on Christmas!) Grade: A+

1987- Overboard (Another experience with just my brother and mom. This one is my mom's favorite movie of all time. I liked the movie, especially the scene with Goldie Hawn in a thong bathing suit showing off her strawberry mark. Told you I was a perverted little boy!) Grade: B+

1988- The Naked Gun: Files From Police Squad (The first movie that had me rolling on the floor I don't think I ever had seen a movie as funny as this one in my life. Of course, I have rewatched it a hundred times and it's one of my favorites. I remember the movie theater was empty expect for a few people including a friend of mine from school who was also keeping the Jewish tradition with his family.) Grade: A

1989- National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (Looking back on my movie list, I really did see some gems in the 80's. Although I've grown to like the third movie in the Vacation franchise over time, I wasn't impressed seeing it on Christmas. I was puzzled why Audrey and Rusty looked completely different not realizing it was an inside joke with the producers.) Grade: B

1990- Look Who's Talking Too (This one was somewhat enjoyable, but nowhere near as good the first one. My mom liked it because it brought back memories of raising her own kids.)
Grade: B-

1991- Hook (This was supposed to be the biggest movie ever. How could it go wrong with Robin Williams as a grown-up Peter Pan, Dustin Hoffman as Captain Hook, and Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell? The movie was totally confusing for me as I tried to understand what happened to the original Wendy and the boys, and how Peter Pan totally forgot about his past. I don't think I've ever rewatched this one. Left the theater a bit disapointed) Grade: B-

1992- Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (The first Christmas movie I went to with just my brother. I've always thought the sequel was just as good if not better than the original. Tim Curry shines again in the second movie of his I've seen on Christmas.) Grade: B+

1993- Carlito's Way (I don't remember why I wanted to see this one so bad. Was it for a potential nude scene from Penelope Ann Miller. Remember her? I think the trailers looked good especially with Sean Penn as a coked-up crooked lawyer. This movie didn't really do much for me on original viewing, but it's become one of my favorite crime movies. It might have been Al Pacino's last great movie he has appeared in!) Grade: B+

1994- NONE (I was so pissed to have not been able to hit a movie on Christmas in 1994. I had a reasonable excuse, though. I was away in Israel on a teen tourbeing an immature loser missing out on some possible good times with some cute girls my age.)

1995- Father Of The Bride Part II (I probably just went to see this to make my mom happy. I still have never seen the first one. The movie was enjoyable, but certainly not memorable.) Grade: B-

1996- Jerry Maguire (This one was a great movie, except for the love story between Tom Cruise and Renee Zelwiger. Jonathan Lipnicki was adorable in his role which might have been the second greatest performance by a child actor othen than Justin Henry in Kramer Vs. Kramer. Also mad props to Cuba Gooding Jr for his Oscar-winning performance as Rod Tidwell.) Grade: B

1997- As Good As It Gets (And I thought I suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder?! Jack Nicholson was great and the Academy thought so also honoring him with an Oscar for Best Actor. Helen Hunt was good, but I'm not so sure she deserved her Oscar also for this movie. This was a great Christmas movie that brought smiles to all four members of the Hersh family's faces.) Grade: B+

1998- The Prince Of Egypt (The first and only animated movie I've seen on Christmas. My dad actually sucked it up and went to see it with me. My mom and brother went to see something else. The movie had some great animation, but it was very short and not too memorable except for the theme song from Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.) Grade: C

1999- NONE (I can't remember why we didn't go see a movie this year. Maybe because there was nothing good playing? Maybe the weather was not good? )

2000- Cast Away (This was the last Christmas movie I ever saw the AMC Rockaway Theatre before they tore it to the ground in order to build an all-new Best Buy. This movie was definitely a strange one which I did enjoy until the end of the movie. If you've seen this one, you'll know what I'm talking about. One of the most disappointing movie endings of all time.) Grade: B-

2001- The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (Uggh!! Almost three hours of total boredom as both my brother and I were squirming in our seats waiting for the movie to end. This might have been the worst movie we ever saw on Christmas! I did give it a second chance on DVD, and it was not as bad as I originally thought. Although it wasn't very good either!) Grade: C-

2002- NONE (Not sure what happened here! Probably bad weather.)

2003- Stuck On You (What was Matt Damon thinking appearing in this Farrelly Brothers stinker as a conjoined twin with Greg Kinnear? The movie had some funny bits, but can't even compete with Dumb & Dumber or There's Something About Mary as the best movie from the Farrelly Brothers.) Grade: C

2004- Meet The Fockers (A solid movie with a great performance from Dustin Hoffman. But two Focker movies are enough. There is a third movie coming this summer to milk more money. I'll go see it with very low expectations.) Grade: B+

2005- Munich (How this movie didn't win any awards was a shock! Spielberg's best movie since Schindler's List!! This movie was so good that even my wife thought it was amazing. I've only seen it the one time, but would like to find the time to watch it again. This one should be shown in Hebrew Schools for 7th graders all over the U.S.A) Grade: B+

2006- The Pursuit Of Happyness (I'll admit that I cheated on this one. Dawn made me go to a Christmas party on December 25th, and I told her I was not happy that I was going to miss the Christmas tradition of seeing a movie and eating Chinese food. So she compromised, and we went to see a movie on Christmas Eve. The movie was okay, but I could not stand Will Smith's kid at all! And this is the kid who is going to be the new Karate Kid? Shoot me now!) Grade: C+

2007- National Treasure: Book Of Secrets (The first National Treasure was a surprise hit, so I was eager to see the much-hyped sequel. My dad saw this one with me, and he was surprised with the amount of action. I thought the movie was good, but another example of the sequel not being able to match the original.) Grade: B

2008- Valkyrie (Another Christmas, another epic movie! I saw this one with my grandma, dad, and my wife Dawn. The movie didn't get the best of reviews, but we all liked it.) Grade: B

2009- Up In The Air (And so the tradition continues tonight with Up In The Air? Will this be the first Oscar Winner I see on Christmas. Stay tuned! Now that I got a funky blog to write, my review is coming soon!) Grade: ???

So there you have it. Christmas movies are very special to me and with so much changes going on in my life, at least some simple things that have been a staple of my life remain the same. I hope my baby isn't a loud crier, because the tradition begins with him or her in 2010!!

Out There! "It's Christmas All Over The World" by Sheena Easton

Yet another retro article, but one that is most appropriate with tomorrow being Christmas and all. The song I am featuring is my personal favorite Christmas tune, and of course you will never hear it on the radio. Happy Holidays to all!

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it is now that time again; the time when every time you turn on the radio and all you hear is Christmas music. Even though I am a Jew, I have a soft spot in my heart for a good Christmas melody, but I can't tolerate listening to the same 25 songs over and over again. You know the ones (Santa Claus Is Coming To Town by Bruce Springsteen, Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses, Last Christmas by Wham!, and Jingle Bell Rock by The Singing Dogs just to name a few!) There is one particular pop song about Christmas that you will never hear, even though it's sung by a relevant musician and the song has a terrific melody. This tune I'm about to unleash on you is the key song from the infamous Santa Claus: The Movie (a movie of which I am honest in revealing that I've never seen nor have the desire to). The tune is It's Christmas (All Over The World) sung by Sheena Easton. The producers probably figured that if Sheena Easton could score with a hit song from a movie in 1983 (For Your Eyes Only), why not try and get her to contribute another movie classic. Anybody out there know this great song?

I have to give credit to my pal Jim for bringing this song to my attention about four years ago. I had never seen the Santa Claus movie as a kid because my mom preached to me about not getting too excited about anything relating to Christmas. I didn't know about this song until my buddy gave it to me because he was shocked I didn't already have it in my collection. Upon listening to it over and over again, I began to love it! It's a 5 star song, and is my personal #1 Christmas tune of all time. The song was never released as a single, although that shouldn't mean that we can't hear it in the same rotation as the plethora of other Christmas tunes. It really irritates me that radio stations are too shallow and can't think outside the box to expose us to different Christmas songs. Perhaps if Rihanna covered this song, we'd be able to enjoy the great melody while stuck in traffic on a snowy December morning? As for adding it to your collection, it’s tough but doable! The 1985 soundtrack has been out of print for years, and it's not a song you can find on a Christmas compilation album. People, we have been given a gift, and that gift is Peer To Peer or Youtube! You shouldn't have a problem downloading if you know the tricks of the trade.

What's great about the song is that it is totally 80s-sounding, but has a powerful chorus that could cause many Jews and Muslims to convert and celebrate Christmas. Come to think of it, I'm going to listen to the song right now and prepare myself for another winter filled with commercialism, Christmas pop culture countdown shows, and Santa Claus sightings in malls.

Ladies and gentlemen.... "It's Christmas All Over The World" by Sheena Easton

Little Nuggets 12/23/09

Since I have too much time on my hands and keep coming up with more thoughts that pile up in my head, I figured I'd share some of these pre-Christmas ramblings with you.

Another day and another celebrity death. On Sunday right before Avatar was about to begin, thanks to instant information from a Blackberry, I heard the news. Of course the first thing I immediately thought of was it had to be another celebrity drug overdose, but now it's being ruled complications from the flu. Murphy was known for having some problems with drugs that can't find at your local CVS, and although I'm no doctor, I have to assume the rampant drug use caused her nervous system to malfunction. I never really was a fan of her work, she just didn't do much for me on camera. I'm sorry to see her die at such a young age, but her better acting days were behind her anyway. Wow, do I sound like such an insensitive prick! Tiger Woods must be so happy as this big story turned the attention away from him for a little while!

Def Leppard are working on a new cartoon featuring their likenesses. Is this really a good idea? Do they think they could pull this off? Considering their last album, Songs In The Sparkle Lounge, bombed on the charts, do people even still care about them? I'm a huge Def Leppard fan, and even I have no interest whatsoever to see this animated cartoon. So is Rick Allen going to have a bionic arm and is Joe Elliott going to screech with high notes to kill villains. Note to the producers of this crap, save your money and move away from this project!!! By the way, when is that new cartoon about John Oates and his mustache hitting the airwaves?

I've already announced a boycott of the Karate Kid remake, but I have to give props to the team that put together the trailer. It doesn't look like it's going to be as big of a train wreck as I originally thought, and has potential to appeal to a new generation of kids not familiar with the original. If they could have also used Ralph Macchio and William Zabka (oh yeah and Thomas Ian Griffith as Terry Silver) in cameo appearances to hand off the reigns to Jackie Chan and Will Smith's kid, I'd check it out. For those who haven't seen it yet, below is the trailer:


Still feeling the chills from watching Avatar last weekend. If you haven't read my review, I'll say it again. Avatar is going to be for today's generation of moviegoers what Star Wars was for my generation. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

How disappointing was the Survivor finale on Sunday? I've been adamant that the show is not "real" and manipulated by the producers to make for better television which in turn makes the sponsors happy. But they can only do so much, and must truly leave it up to the bitter members of the jury to vote for the winner. It seems that no matter how many challenges they create to eliminate boring contestants, or telling Russell where the immunity idols are to make us believe he found them on his own, the producers have no pull with the jury. Survivor finales are usually fun, but when the truly best player does not win only because of the jealousy of the people they outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted, it's a huge letdown. I've seen it happen many times!! I am looking forward to the 20th Season of Survivor, the only reality program I can still tolerate. It definitely makes for a good season when you already know the contestants. But I'm sticking to my guns with the following proclamation: After the next Survivor, I am done not only with any reality show, but with Survivor also. There is only so much more I can tolerate knowing I'm watching a manipulated game show. Can't we get truly "real" television soon? I'm sticking to the cable dramas instead.

Still on the Survivor subject, considering how upset Russell was after not being named the winner, don't you think he must be more pissed because he is probably not going to go far in the All-Star next season which he supposedly is a cast member of?

Another huge death that went unnoticed in the media. Keri Lee Tucker, the Box Of Junk Girl on The Metal Show, was found dead in her apartment last week. Still no explanation what happened. She was gorgeous beyond belief, and seeing her wiggle the box was always a treat.

As a favor to my wife, I'll sometimes watch Wheel Of Fortune with her. Seriously, it is Jeopardy for idiots, and sitting there for thirty minutes is pure agony!! Why do these people always buy vowels quickly, doing all of the work for somebody else who can then go ahead and solve it? Do you think that they are told before the show that it makes for better television to choose vowels? Also, why is Vanna White even there? Now that the letters are electronic and could pop up automatically, is there a point of her standing around while earning the easiest paycheck in the business?

Why hasn't there been another Ken Jennings on Jeopardy? I can't recall a champion staying on for more than two weeks. Jennings was on for almost four months? Think maybe there was some manipulation to boost ratings. Hmm? I'm wondering if or when ABC would ever replace Jeopardy and Wheel Of Fortune with another lame talk show? It's going to happen eventually, but I'm a purist and like the old-school game shows that have been on the same time for god knows how long.

Imagine the internet was around in 1984? A lot of classic movie scenes would never have happened. One good example is the Blue Oyster bar scene. You remember that crazy scene. Blanks And Copeland are told to monitor the big party that Mahoney is throwing during their break. They are able to gain the party information through bullying tactics, although Mahoney was two steps ahead of them. Nowadays, if I get an invite for a party, I'd go on-line to do some research so I'm prepared. These two schmucks didn't have that resource which would have saved them a lot of embarrassment and humiliation. I'd think if I got trapped for hours slow dancing with a gay biker, it would take years to recover from that.

Ghostbusters III has been talked about for years, and it seems like it's finally going to happen. Do we really need this movie to happen?

Judd Apatow has made a huge impact on not just Hollywood, but real life as well. In his movies, the funny but unattractive dudes seem to score with the hot chicks. His ideas must have had a huge influence on the ladies of Mad Men. Elisabeth Moss (Peggy Olsen) is engaged to ugly funny man Fred Armisen from Saturday Night Live, and Christina Hendricks (Joan Holloway, who according to Roger Sterling was the best piece of ass he has ever had) married the ugly funny man Geoffrey Arend from movies such as Super Troopers and The Ringer. Why of course he also happened to appear on Apatow's failed TV show, Undeclared! Seems to be a positive sign for funny buy ugly guys out there that they might land super hot babes if they can only make them laugh.

I've gone on and on about the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and the huge slap in the face to the members of the KISS army including me. But it's not only a slap in the face to me as a KISS fan, but also a slap in the face to me as a music history aficionado. I was going to break down the achievements of the band and analyze the hypocritical arguments against them being inducted such as: they weren't great musicians (yet, the Sex Pistols are in the Hall even though Sid Vicious didn't actually play bass, as are The Ramones who only play the same three chords in all their tunes), their music didn't have any substance (Umm, I love AC/DC to death, but they are in the Hall Of Fame with the same basic tongue in cheek lyrics. Not all rock and roll music has to have substance, it just has to be good enough to make the gimmick work), they were a band who wore costumes and make-up (as did David Bowie who went bi-sexual for a few years and had an alter-ego known as Ziggy Stardust, Elton John wore flamboyant costumes such as Donald Duck outfits, and Parliament/Funkadelic were pretty out there! Of course these acts are all in the hall of fame), they hit their peak in 1976 and were only relevant for a few years (People always forget KISS had success in the eighties after removing the make-up, so throw this out the window. Besides, artists like Buffalo Springfield, The Velvet Underground, and Janis Joplin are in the Hall Of Fame with no longevity. So Paul or Gene had to die young in order to be recognized? I know Nirvana is going in first ballot only on the simple fact that Kurt Cobain killed himself right as they reached their peak. Should Nirvana have kept going on, they would not even be relevant anymore! I can go on and on about this, but will save it for another time) and Gene Simmons is a prick (I can't deny that, and I'm sure he will ask for $$$$ in exchange for the band's costumes and such to be displayed). Johnny Rotten didn't even show up to the induction, AC/DC didn't even care but showed up out of respect to the fans, and Ozzy wanted Black Sabbath to be removed from the ballot but still showed up when they did get inducted.) Instead, I'm going to make it crystal clear why they have not yet been inducted. It's all politics!!

Jan Wenner has an ego the size of Mt. Everest, and for the past thirty+ years has been the one responsible for determining what truly is great music. What he hasn't realized is that once his magazine was more interested in saving it's ass by covering hot trends and putting Backstreet Boys, Justin Timberlake, and The Jonas Brothers on the cover of his magazines, Rolling Stone was no longer relevant. Back in the late 60's, the music fans needed a magazine that went against the grain and weren't tied down to outside interests. So Jan Wenner founded Rolling Stone. Of course that does not hold true anymore. Although it probably kills him and his staff, they need to feature the latest and greatest trends with cover stories and generous reviews in order to sell magazines. Of course after they get their cover stories, in their year-end magazines, they'll do a total 180 and rip apart the stuff only a few months ago were telling us was the future of Hollywood. How does this equate to KISS being snubbed. If you didn't know, Jann Wenner is the head of the nomination committee. Back in the 70's, when KISS needed music publications to help promote the band, Wenner and his crew didn't understand what the band was all about. They never have taken kindly to hard rock bands as evident by the lack of them in the Hall. Anyway, Wenner thought the band was a joke and stuck to his big stories about John Lennon, Bob Dylan, and Joni Mitchell. KISS gained exposure by turning to other magazines such as Creem and Circus. Fast forward to 1996 and the infamous KISS reunion. Rolling Stone wanted to feature the band because it was the hottest thing on the planet But Gene and Paul remember how Rolling Stone failed to promote them back in their heyday, so they told Wenner to fuck off and worked exclusives with Spin magazine. So KISS is snubbed every year not because of anything to do with their music, but because of a stupid business grudge. I wanted to go on and on and on with this, but I figured a quick blurb was sufficient. So now you know the real reason why!!!

By the way, here are my quick thoughts on the 2010 Nominees:

ABBA- You might not find a bigger hetero-sexual fan of ABBA than me. Benny and Bjorn were outstanding song writers who gave some some great pop melodies. Agnetha was a goddess, and Anni-Frid had some great pipes. But there is no way that they should be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. And especially not since other more influential "ROCK" bands like KISS, Rush, Judas Priest, Chicago, Iron Maiden, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Bon Jovi are not in.

Jimmy Cliff- If this was the "World Music" Hall Of Fame, then absolutely? But when your biggest contributions to the music world are a cover of Johnny Nash's I Can See Clearly Now, acting in an infamous movie (The Harder The Come), and having your most recognizable song be written by Latoya Jackson, you shouldn't be in. This one was a joke!

Genesis- They were a huge influence on me in the eighties. How could you go wrong with songs like Invisible Touch, That's All, and Throwing It All Away. But this was total corporate rock, which means that if you putting in the band for this material, then it could be a good sign for Journey, Styx, and REO Speedwagon. As for the Peter Gabriel era of Genesis, it was truly overrated. Their songs were twenty minutes of crap, and the band was more known for Gabriel's elaborate costumes. You are telling me KISS can't in, but Genesis can. I love the band, but in a perfect world, they should not in the Hall. But considering other artsy bands like Talking Heads and Blondie are in, then it makes sense.

Iggy & The Stooges- I still don't get their appeal or influence, but I'm sure that if I was alive in the 70's and caught them live, I could have more of an opinion. From what I have seen, Iggy Pop was all substance and not a good musician. The most overrated musician of all time! So he flashed his 10 inch cock around and cut himself with glass on stage? Iggy and the Stooges get in for being a crazy live act? Alice Cooper and KISS both has more shocking acts, and unlike the Stooges, their music was actually good.

The Hollies- This might be the only one I agree with, only because Buffalo Springfield, The Rascals, and Lovin' Spoonful are in. It also doesn't help when you are buddies with Jan Wenner (i.e. Stephen Stills which helped Buffalo Springfield, and Graham Nash which helps the Hollies) Carrie Ann is one of my favorite tunes of all time, and nobody could sing a melody in the 70's like Graham Nash. If the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame really only represented the creme de la creme of music, The Hollies would have no chance.

I finally caught some clips from The Gene Simmons Roast. Jeffrey Ross, Greg Gass (who also did a great impersonation of both Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons), and Lisa Lampanelli really took it to Gene. And judging from Gene's face, it didn't make him happy to hear potshots about his talent, his ego, and his lover Shannon Tweed. Why couldn't they have gotten scorned ex-KISS member like Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, Vinnie Vincent, and Eric Carr's family to real stick it to him? By the way, did you see who the house band is? None other than Steel Panther, although at this time they were known as Metal Skool!


I have a few personal goals for 2010, but even with the easy access to information making nothing a challenge anymore, I still have a few goals in relation to pop culture. I want to find a copy of the Lean On Me soundtrack ('cause Mr. Clark don't play), obtain the theme song from Meatball II, see a photo of Thora Birch's mom (why you ask? Only because she was Candy Christian in the legendary Candy porn movies, and I'm dying to see what she looks like now. Google Image searches over the years have left me with nothing!), and to find out if Bambi Woods is still alive (Bambi Woods was the lead role in Debbie Does Dallas. The big mystery is that she has disappeared since 1986 and nobody, not even private investigators, have any idea what ever happened to her! She could have died of a drug overdose, she could be a born-again Christian living in Montana with a husband and three kids. My theory is that she was involved with the drug mafia, and her body was never meant to be discovered. Oh how I hope I am wrong!)

On that note, I am out of here before I go off on another random tangent. Got some more movie symphonies (even if they don't seem to be a hit!) and an Out There! retread coming this week. Otherwise, Happy Holidays!

Mikey

MisenPOPic Update 12/21/09

You know what my problem is, I put way too much pressure on myself when I write. In terms of writing commentary pieces such as this KISS Hall Of Fame blog that is just not coming along the way I want, my brain just turns to mush. The movie symphony and Out There! articles are easy to write and very enjoyable as well, although sometimes I might lose focus on them every now and then. When I write these quick little updates like I'm doing now, the article just flows like a river. Maybe instead of working articles in my head for days, I should follow a good friend's advice and just write whatever I'm thinking at the moment. I know I can write, in fact I can write well. But as I get older and I want to read, watch, listen, and do everything, there's just not enough time in the day to get everything done. DAMN you, internet!!! You know how there are studies being done to analyze retired football players brains to see what kind of damage has been done from playing football. I wonder what my brain looks like with so much useless information in there that most people would question why it's even there in the first place! I guess it just comes down to some days I have the spark to write, and sometimes I just don't. Guess my wife is right, I do put too much pressure on myself. Especially on something like this which probably is read by ten people (if even that). I do feed on feedback (that sounds kind of catchy), which is why I always encourage people to let me how I am doing and what things I should write about. My dream is to get verbal and do some really great podcasts, but that hasn't quite panned out as of yet. Who knows? So seriously, show some support and let me know what works and what doesn't!

Anyhoo, godspeed to all and more good stuff hopefully coming later this week.

Mikey

Out There!: "Eaten By The Monster Of Love" by Sparks

Sometimes when I run out of ideas for songs to add to the collection or simply forget what I am missing, I'll browse through compilation albums. If it's good enough to be on a 70's or 80's compilation album, then it should be in my collection regardless if the song was actually a hit. About two years ago, I was scrolling down an itunes list of best songs from the 80's. I had the majority of the songs, but there was this one tune called Eaten By The Monster Of Love by a band named Sparks (no relation to Jordin Sparks). I kind of knew a little about the band thanks to an old co-worker of mine who graciously shared with me and of which I graciously never uploaded. He might have even given me the song I am referencing, who knows? So I got down and dirty trying to locate the song on a P2P network (okay, so sue me!) and I believe it took a few days until I was able to obtain the song. When I listened to it, I was floored not only by how catchy it was, but that I sort of remember hearing it somehow in my youth. Based on the fact that I watched a lot of 80's movies on HBO to see some skin and the song was featured in Valley Girl, that might be why I remember it.

So who actually was Sparks? Why, they were a band formed in Los Angeles in 1970 by the Mael brothers that focused on quirky and cutting edge lyrics. The band has been able to adapt over the years by adopting various types of musical genres including glam pop and electronic dance. In fact they are still around. Before there were bands like They Might Be Giants, Morrissey, and The Smiths, there was Sparks who were the lesser-known forerunners of the alternative genre. Sparks peaked in the early 80s with a few hits including Eaten By The Monster Of Love which was a throwaway track on their 1982 album, Angst In My Pants. Yet thanks to an appearance on the 1983 Valley Girl movie soundtrack, the song made a few waves. Not enough, though, to have any life on the Billboard Charts. If I'm not mistaken, The Monster Of Love was actually about a young boy thinking his penis was a monster shooting out liquid. "Don't let it get me, don't let it get me! " Hmm, interesting!

Ladies and gentlemen... Eaten By The Monster Of Love by Sparks.

There is no actual music video, so I used the scene from Valley Girl of which it appears and also found a recent live appearance of the classic tune. Be warned, it's very catchy!!

Music That Matters: Top 50 Movie Symphonies (#33 Born On The Fourth Of July Theme by John Williams)

MTV never, and I mean never, showed videos for a symphonic song included in a movie. But to my surprise, I caught wind of a video in 1989 for the main theme of Born On The Fourth Of July by the master of his craft John Williams. And the theme just blew me away making me realize that John Williams did more than just score movies for Stephen Spielberg and George Lucas. Born On The Fourth Of July was supposed to be the sure fire Oscar winner about the life and struggles of Ron Kovic, a Vietnam war veteran and anti-war activist who became paralyzed from the waste down while fighting in 'Nam. Tom Cruise was brilliant in the role of Ron Kovic, and should have been a lock to win the Best Actor award. He would lose out to a then unknown actor named Daniel-Day Lewis for My Left Foot. Although Cruise would later be nominated for Jerry Maguire, he probably has never has an easier shot to win. Although the movie was successful and earned director Oliver Stone an Oscar award for Best Directing, Born On The Fourth Of July lost out to Driving Miss Daisy for Best Picture and John Williams couldn't bring home another award for his brilliant score. Although his loss was at the hands of Alan Menken's The Little Mermaid score which would begin the long reign in the 90's of scores written for Disney movies. I can't fault the Academy for not recognizing John Williams that year.

The theme is an extremely uplifting song with a powerful solo trumpet performance by Tim Morrison. It also would be one of Williams' first pieces in a politically themed movie that would continue in the early 90's when he reteamed with Oliver Stone for JFK. I have always loved the song since I first saw that video back in 1989, but had never seen the film to really appreciate the song. But I finally saw the movie last year. Born On The Fourth Of July was a good movie, but once again John Williams made another movie great with one of his best themes of all time. Might by overlooked by the masses, but not by me!

Ladies and gentlemen.... #33 The Born On The Fourth Of July Theme from John Williams

MisenPOPic Movie Review: Avatar

I don't think I have seen a more hyped blockbuster movie coming to a theater near me in the past few years. Probably not since the Lord Of The Rings movies back in 2001-2003 has there been such a movie with so much hype. And I wasn't really too impressed with those movies with the exception of the third film, Return Of The King. So when James Cameron's much ballyhooed movie Avatar came out this past week, I was a little hesitant to buy into the hype. Hearing things like how Avatar would change the way future movies are made and includes the best live-action computer generated effects might just be the work of a good studio PR man working his magic. But the reviews started filtering in with many critics including the movie on their Top 10 Lists of 2009 and even talking about possible Oscar nominations for best picture of the year. Seriously, has James Cameron ever made a bad movie? The Abyss might have been his worst, and that movie was pretty amazing. So with my cousin Zachary coming up for the holidays this past weekend, and the Vikings not playing until Sunday night, I figured it would be as good a time as any to see the movie. And...

WOW!!!! I loved this movie. And this is coming from somebody who is hesitant to hand out praise for movies of this caliber because the movie directors of today don't make 'em like they used to. The CGI in this movie is so amazing that it makes the Star Wars prequel characters such as Jar Jar Binks look like Muppets. James Cameron also created an amazing original story featuring interesting worlds, characters, and creatures. Avatar probably is the most visually stunning movie I have ever seen. Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana, that dude from Dodgeball: The Movie (Joel David Moore), and Giovanni Ribisi were outstanding. The main antagonist played by Stephen Lang was a total bad-ass who I couldn't stop rooting against. Hell, even Michelle Rodriquez redeemed herself with her great acting after her abysmal performance as Ana-Lucia from Lost. The special effects, cinematography, action scenes, and sound effects were top notch. Of course you know that if you read my blog on a constant basis, how important movie scores are to me and their impact on making a good movie great. James Horner might have contributed his best score ever for this film, and I'll be shocked if he doesn't win the Oscar in March for Best Movie Score. I'll have to get my hands on this soundtrack immediately.

It's pretty much a done deal that Avatar is winning all of the special effects Academy awards to go along with the soundtrack for James Horner. Is it a serious contender for Best Picture? I feel it might deserve to be nominated, but can't compete with Up In The Air or Nine. The only knock I have on the movie is that it probably was 45 minutes too long. There also was an additional battle scene in the movie that wasn't necessary. For this reason, I had to drop the grade down slightly. I also appreciated the 3-D, but I care more about story over substance. Besides, I'd rather watch great battle scenes without the big glasses adorned on my face. Otherwise, Avatar lived up to the hype which is something that usually doesn't happen in this day and age. Avatar was the best movie I have seen this year, and also a movie I plan on watching over and over regardless of the two hour and 45 minute time frame. Fifteen years from now, Avatar will be to my cousin and his generation what Star Wars is to me and my generation!! And those are some huge words of gratitude!

Grade: A (Exceeded Expectations which is impressive considering how high the expectations already were!)

MisenPOPic Update 12/19

Of all days to just sit down and churn out my KISS Hall Of Fame article, and another Out There! article, and I still find so many other things to keep me busy. How do video gamers do it, devote so much time to one game, then move onto the next game with no qualms? How does Bill Simmons find time to write books and 5,000 word articles about pop culture while devoting time to his family, kids, and other hobbies? Time management in this day and age with the internet and it's wealth of information and the ability to watch videos, download music, read encyclopedias, browse photos, and check out free internet porn really is a struggle for me. Every time I take two steps forward, I fall back another four steps.

Anyhow, by the end of this year, I promise to write the KISS HOF Article which is very important to me, my Top And Bottom Lists of the best in music, movies, and TV because I'm sure you haven't read the lists from People, Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide, Time, Sports Illustrated, USA Today, your local newspaper, etc. I've been doing these best of lists and award winners ever since I was twelve years old, and it sucks when you find out you aren't the only stallion in the stable. At least I can entertain myself, I guess. So now with this blog, I can share it. Also will get my Nightmare On Elm Street 2 Homoerotic article and Chiller #3 Experience up before the end of the years. Add in the daily movie symphonies and bi-daily Out There! articles, and I should get back on schedule. Hopefully next year I can get rolling on the podcasts and celebrity interviews before my kid arrives, and there will be very little time to do anything. Oh well, guess I have to agree with
Kurtis Blow because these are the BREAKS!

Enjoy the snow and keep on walking in a winter wonderland!!

Mikey