MisenPOPic

Brian Johnson (AC/DC) Book Signing (May 26th, 2011)

2011-05-28T19:17:00.000-07:00

My brother and I were fortunate to meet Brian Johnson at Bookends in Ridgewood, NJ and got him to sign a copy of his new memoir, Rockers & Rollers. I'm not a big fan of waiting in line for two hours to meet somebody for three seconds with a rare chance to get a photo with that person. But it's a legend! Besides, I was going to buy the book no matter what, so if there was an opportunity to get it signed and get a possible photo with him, why not? Surprisingly, I was able to get some decent photos only my piece of shit digital camera decided not to work on this day of all days.

Chiller Theatre April, 2011 at OneTrueMedia.com

2011-05-24T19:21:00.001-07:00

A fun little montage of my Chiller Experience!!!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Chiller Experience #6: April 2011

2011-05-04T18:11:00.000-07:00

What can I say about the Chiller Theatre show? What once started out as a simple horror convention in Secaucus, NJ has evolved into the mecca of pop culture-related shows. What's even better is that the show takes place at the Parsippany Hilton down on Route 10, only a few minutes down the street from my house. Considering how much of a pop culture geek I am, what more could I ask for when the Chiller show comes to town each October and April? This kick-ass show brings out the creme de la creme of guests: Oscar Winning screen legends, professional wrestlers, rock & rollers from some of my favorite bands, horror movie icons, and former porn stars. But of course the main attractions for me are the actors and actresses from the movies of my childhood, those movies that are in my Top 25 of which I can pretty much recite from word for word. These actors portrayed characters that I grew up with appearing in movies that I have seen over and over and over again. Going to Chiller is kind of like a family reunion, seeing those key people that are part of my history that I haven't seen in a long time, or have heard so much about but am finally getting to meet them face to face. I could see an actor like Brad Pitt or Robert Pattinson both of whom I'm not much of a fan of walk down the street in NYC, think it's kind of cool, and then just go on my merry way. But at a Chiller Show, I'll meet a cast member from an 80's classic like Revenge Of The Nerds and get so excited that I almost poop in my pants due to the adrenaline. What separates the Chiller show from other shows of it's kind is the fan-friendliness. For the most part, even if you don't want to spend money for an autograph or a photo, you can still pay the admission fee and have conversations with the guests about their careers. I have been fortunate to be a part of the last six Chiller shows making new friends, meeting cool celebs, and reliving my childhood through great conversations with these people. Here's a long-winded recap of my experience at Chiller.

DAY ONE:
The original plan was just to hit the Chiller Show on Friday night. I was originally going to help out a fellow movie buff in Kentucky with getting his posters autographed, but his stuff didn’t come via UPS in time. It actually worked out since I would not have had enough time to get all of his stuff signed that night anyway. So I decided I’d hit the show again on Saturday or Sunday to help my new buddy out. So the first day was all about taking care of me and my needs! With my brother, dad, future sister-in-law, and pal Ron as my entourage, I got to once again enjoy another kick-ass Chiller show and chat with notable stars from movies and rock bands that I love.

"Nerds! Nerds! Nerds! Nerds! Nerds!"
Long story short, I have a bunch of movie lists with the most important one being the list of the Top 100 Movies I Enjoy. Number Five on that list is the 1984 classic, Revenge Of The Nerds. I will take the Nerds four pack (Nerds, Nerds In Paradise, The Next Generation, & Nerds In Love) over the Harry Potter series any day of the week. Watching Revenge Of The Nerds for the first time when I was seven years old taught me new dirty words including a term for female pubic hair and a word that starts with d and ends with g. I also got my first taste of what to expect when I grew up thinking pantie raids and belching contests at college were going to be the norm. I was fortunate to have met Robert Carradine (Lewis) and Curtis Armstrong (Booger) at the last April Chiller show. This time around, I could get my Nerds II: Nerds In Paradise poster 80% complete by meeting Larry B. Scott (Lamar) and Andrew Cassese (Wormser).

Poor Larry B. Scott! He portrayed the most feminine pansy in the history of movies, and most people expect him to be just like Lamar in real life with the limp wrist. Guess what, everyone? Larry is not gay, well at least not gay in the homosexual way, but gay in the real happy way. This guy was just so happy and down to earth that I was shocked. We spoke in depth about his career and course the Nerds movies. He told me that doing those cheesy dance scenes in Nerds IV in order to attract the in-the-closet but obviously gay butler was a real blast for him. The reason for having very little screen time in The Karate Kid was because he was filming Revenge Of The Nerds at the same time and was traveling back and forth from Arizona to California. He enjoyed filming Space Camp was proud that the cast from Space Camp all moved on to bigger and better things. Larry kept shouting "Nerds here!! Get your nerds here!" to entice more people to come visit him, and how could anybody resist the chance to meet a Tri-Lamb? He thought about marketing Nerds javelins to bring to the show and sell but it would have cost a fortune to produce and ship. The rumored next generation Nerds movie is actually a done deal. Larry told me it's already in the can, but doesn't know if it will ever see the light of day. It had better never get released or I will protest and boycott just like I have done so for Larry B. Scott's other remade movie, The Karate Kid.

Andrew Cassese arrived a little bit late because he got stuck in traffic coming back from New York City after doing some voice over work. I wasn't sure what he was going to look like since the last photo I saw of him was in an issue of Maxim for a Revenge Of The Nerds reunion feature and he looked awful. This time around, he looked more like an older version of how he looked in Revenge Of The Nerds II. He was very laid back, but a really nice guy and appreciative of our love for his work in the first two Nerds movies. Per our chat with Andrew, he told us they he too had caught wind of the remake of the Revenge Of The Nerds script and was shocked that it wasn't a train wreck. When asked why he didn't appear in the courtroom scene at the end of Revenge Of The Nerds III, he said that nobody even told him about it but would have done it if asked. Since he aged between the first two Nerds movies to the point of unrecognition, he figured most people just assumed it was him even though it was character actor Sean Whalen instead. Andrew told us he doesn't do much in front of the camera anymore, but does a lot of voice-over work that we probably knew but didn't recognize as being his voice. The reason he looked so different and unshaven in the Maxim Nerds feature was because he was doing a play at the time and wasn't allowed to shave.

"It's alright, it's okay. He's got tits!"
Of all the guests announced for this Chiller show, the person I most wanted to meet was Joyce Hyser. Hyser was Bruce Springsteen's girlfriend in the 80's and of course is best known as Terri Griffith from Just One Of The Guys, another of those classic 80's movies which ranks on the top 25 of my all-time favorite films. At the Chiller show in October 2009, I had the opportunity to meet and actually interview Clayton Rohner. He provided some interesting facts about the making of the movie that I was dying to hear about since a DVD commentary was never made and there is very little known about the behind the scenes stuff available on-line. I was thinking of interviewing Joyce Hyser for even more information, but decided I'd be more than happy to just get a photo of her and even go for an autograph on a poster I picked up on Amazon. Wow, even though it's been twenty five years since Just One Of The Guys, Joyce Hyser still looked damn hot. And boy was she so sweet! I really wanted to give her crap about her infamous "nude scene", but figured it would be best to keep that smile of hers from turning into a frown. Joyce was impressed with my knowledge of the inside information of Just One Of The Guys. We discussed the band that played at the school dance, and she was blown away that my brother and I had the soundtrack and knew that "Hard Way" was performed by Brock/Davis who were members of Rod Stewart's backing band in the 80's. I struggled to come up with a catch phrase from the movie for her to write on the poster, so I went with the simple quote, Maybe my balls don't itch! She then jokingly asked me if my balls were itching at the moment. When I did my best Buddy Griffith impersonation, and said "All balls itch, that's a fact!", she lost her marbles and began laughing. I'm not sure if she was pulling my chain, but when I asked her about a possible sequel, she indicated there was a script called "Just One Of The Dads" and all of the main characters would return from the first movie. I assume if this does happen, it's going straight to DVD, but that's fine by me. Just One Of The Guys is a beloved movie by many, but I'm not sure a movie studio is going to invest much time and resources for a long overdue sequel to this movie, but you never know. I got my photo with Joyce even if the person handling her told me it was an extra $10 but was going to charity. I didn't really think that was fair, but I needed the photo to go along with the autograph, so I obliged. Joyce took a great photo with us, but then my brother and his fiancee also wanted a photo. Joyce invited them to take a photo with her, but right as I took the photo, the mean old lady at her table (who I believe was the mother of a former 80's star) screamed that I owed more money. Joyce just shrugged it off and told the lady to lay off, that it was her wedding present to my brother since he was getting married in a few weeks.

"Be Excellent To Each Other... And Party On Dudes!"
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure is my favorite movie of all time, and it has remained so since 1989 when I saw it in a Florida movie theater and it blew my mind. I seem to quote from it every day, and at one time when my memory was top-notch, I could recite most of the movie line by line. I must have seen this movie 500 times. Keanu Reeves who played Ted ”Theodore” Logan went on to a much successful career appearing in blockbusters such as The Matrix trilogy, Speed, and The Devil’s Advocate. So meeting him is probably not going to happen unless he happens to be sitting next to me in an airport. But the dude who played Bill S. Preston Esquire, Alex Winter, has also had some success but nothing to the degree of Keanu. So it was only a matter of time until he was going to start doing these Chiller shows. When I get to meet and take a photo with an actor who portrayed such a iconic character in an iconic movie, the lottery has been won. He was pretty much just running the motions, but still was a nice guy who answered my questions. Of course the big question I had for Alex was if Bill & Ted 3 is really going to happen. He said the script is close to done, and it’s going to be awesome. He has no plans of directing the third installment. I told him I spoke to William Sadler who played Death in Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey at the last Chiller show. Sadler told us it was the most fun he ever had making a movie and he hopes to hear from Alex about the third movie. Alex indicated that Sadler was indeed a lot of fun to work with, and most of his lines in B&T Bogus were improvised. He seemed honored when I told him that it’s my favorite movie of all time! Alex Winter, time spent with you was non non non non heinous!

"Rock & Roll Ain't Noise Pollution!"
Eddie Trunk is living the dream. The host of VH1 Classic’s That Metal Show and infamous metal DJ, Eddie Trunk has the career I can only dream about. I guess the closest I can get is to live my dream is through him as he interviews the classic hard rock legends and discusses the history of music for a living. We also have a lot in common as we are both from Jersey, are rapid KISS fans spewing venom against the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame for continually dissing them, and have a wide knowledge of music. I just picked up Eddie Trunk’s new book on Amazon, and figured I’d get him to sign it and get a photo with him at no cost since he indicated on his website he would do it for free for anybody who missed his previous book signings. I was lucky to have met him once before at the first Chiller show I ever attended, although I do remember him when he worked at the Alwilk music store in Livingston Mall. Just like the last time, he was really down to earth and spoke passionately about his thoughts on random hard rock topics I hit him with. We tried to "Stump the Trunk by asking him what he knew about the band, Wyld Stallions, whose logo was my brother’s T-Shirt. He got nervous for a second as it was a band he wasn’t familiar with, but laughed when we mentioned it was the name of Bill & Ted’s band from the classic movie. Eddie told us about the guests he is trying to get for the next season of That Metal Show. He thinks there is a good chance James Hetfield will be on. Still a no go on Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, or the KISS hired guns (Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer). There is no chance a guy like Vito Bratta from White Lion will appear as he just is done with the scene. Jake E. Lee is too much of a loose cannon to appear. Eddie would love to have Angus and Malcolm Young from AC/DC on, but guys such as them who don’t live in the United States are tough to book. I asked him why he is so down on Judas Priest’s classic 80’s album, Turbo, since it was full of cool melodies. He liked a few songs on the album, but is firm with his opinion that the album was garbage. Oh well, I still love it!

"One, Two, Freddy's Coming For You!"
Do you remember the cute blond who broke John Cusack’s heart in Better Off Dead or Freddy Krueger’s first victim in A Nightmare On Elm Street? That actress is Amanda Wyss, who I wanted to meet but wasn’t sure if I wanted to shell out money for a photo with her or an autograph. I did have to meet her and say hi, and boy was she a sweetheart! Amanda Wyss definitely gets the award for Nicest Chiller Guest for this show. Not to take away from the other guests who were nice, but Amanda was definitely in a whole other league. Did I mention she still is very cute even though she looks nothing like she did back in those 80’s classics? She asked the obvious question when she noticed my twin brother standing next to me, “Are you guys related?” I had to answer with a snappy retort, so I told her he’s my new buddy who I just met for the first time at Chiller? That got her laughing hysterically, to which I asked her that now that I made her laugh, could I get a photo with her at no cost as I really don’t need her autograph, and paying to take a photo with my own camera is ridiculous. She agreed that it was a dumb rule, but she was paranoid and didn’t want to break the rules in fear somebody was watching her. She told me to come back later to chat some more and she would take the photo with me. I didn’t want to stick around until the end of the show, so I figured I had some extra cash and she was so nice so I’d throw $20 down. If I was to do that, then I would need her to autograph my Elm Street documentary poster I had picked up at the show. When I came back, she told me that she loved my Breaking Bad Shirt. I asked her if she even knew what the shirt meant since the photo of Jesse Pinkman kind of looked like a portrait of me. She said she knew casting directors on that show, had a place in New Mexico, and had done a movie with Bryan Cranston a few years ago. Although she has only seen bits and pieces of the show, she would die for a part on the show. We talked for a good ten minutes about Breaking Bad, and my passion for the show which I believe to be the greatest of all time. I don’t know if she was flirting with me, but my fantasy of hooking up with an 80’s movie star was starting to play out in my mind. Who cares if I’m married, and she’s almost twenty years older than me? We got a great photo, and she asked if I would be back tomorrow so we can talk some more. I told her she wouldn’t remember me even if I did return, to which she replied that I was unforgettable and of course she would remember Mikey The Breaking Bad Guy. She even went so far as to mention she would even remember me even if I saw her at a future show. I kept razzing her and making her feel guilty that she wouldn’t. She must be a great actress, because she finally convinced she would remember me, so we’ll see what happens in the future.

"You Got The Body, And I Got The Brains!"
A Nightmare On Elm Street 2 is the most unintentionally (or maybe it was intentional) gayest movie of all time. Could you believe that Freddy Krueger represented a teenager’s sexual repression? Mark Patton played Jesse, the main character in the film who was struggling with his feelings on whether he loved penis or vagina. Ironically, Mark Patton was portraying a gay character in 1985 even though he himself was still in the closet and wouldn’t come out until later on. I was really happy when I saw Mark Patton would be appearing at the Chiller Show as I had to at least thank him for appearing in one of the campiest and silliest horror movies of all time. When I first approached him, he appeared to look angry. I spoke to him a little about the movie and of course mentioned how gay the movie was. He told me that he’s proud to have a photo still of himself, Marshall Bell, and New Line Cinema big wig Bob Shaye in leather outfits that must be worth a small fortune. After I met Amanda Wyss, I figured I should probably go back and get a photo and signature of Mark Patton. This time around, he seemed more laid back. After I got him to sign the photo, “He’s Inside Me!” and got the photo with him, he told me I now get a prize. Hmm, what could the prize be! He told me to pick a hand, and my prize was a unique bright T-Shirt with the phrase, “Jesse Is A Homo!” I would have bought the shirt anyway had I known he had them on his table, so I didn’t feel so guilty shelling money out for a photo. This isn’t a shirt I was going to find in Hot Topic or Spencers. He also wanted a photo of us holding up the shirt for his Facebook page, and I was more than happy to oblige. Mark Patton turned out to be a real cool guy. He had quit the movie business and now has an art store in Mexico. After many years of staying out of the spotlight, he’s now happy to talk about his Elm Street experience. He also mentioned a documentary is in the works about his performance as Jesse and how it impacted other gay teenagers to come out of the closet. I definitely have to check it out when it’s released. I'm also happy to say he's now my buddy on Facebook. It's an honor to be friends with the first horror male scream queen!

"Snozzberries? Who has ever heard of a Snozzberry?"
There always been some super awesome guests at Chiller, but I don’t think anything could top the 40th anniversary reunion of the kids from Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. This movie is a staple of my life, one that I have seen so many darn times, one that I still will stop everything I am doing and watch when it’s being aired for the millionth time on cable. Quotes like “I Want It Now”, “For every bad deed shines a good and noble deed”, “You get nothing, good day!”, “But I want it more than anybody!” , and “So much time and no little to do, strike that and reverse it” are now part of my daily vocabulary. The opportunity to meet the kids from Wonka all grown up was a real special treat, kind of like winning my own personal golden ticket. I would have killed to meet Willy Wonka himself, Gene Wilder, but he does not attend conventions such as Chiller or really speak much about Wonka anymore for that matter. But I was more than happy to meet Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum), Veruca Salt (Julie Dawn Cole), Augustus Gloob (Michel Bollner), Violet Beauregarde (Denise Nickerson), and Paris Theimman (Mike Tee Vee) all grown up. And an added bonus was Diana Sowle (Mrs. Bucket) who is best known for her heartwarming song from the movie, “Cheer Up Charlie.” While waiting for my friend and brother to arrive, my dad and I were scouting the rooms and having good conversations with the Chiller guests that didn’t have any lines for them. The Wonka room had a crazy line, so we decided to wait. As we were walking down the hallway, I noticed an older lady with a Chiller guest badge wondering where she was going. When I checked out her badge and saw it was Diana Sowle, my heart sank. This was Charlie’s mom, and an opportunity to get a photo with her without having to pay since I didn’t figure on meeting her come time to get my Wonka poster signed. She was so happy that I asked her for a photo and stood posing with me for a few minutes while my idiot dad was figuring out how to use my camera. Such a sweet lady!

My original plan was to get my Wonka poster that I picked up on Amazon signed by all five kids. When I found out that there would be no group cost, and that each person was charging $25, my plan had to change. My brother was willing to get something autographed and shell out the $125 it would cost to get each Wonka kid’s signature. I figured I would give him my poster as a sign of goodwill, and in return I could at least get photos with all of the Wonka kids. What a good brother I am! As the night progressed, the line to enter dwindled down and entering the Wonka room became less of an obstacle. The first of the Wonka kids we met was Peter Ostrum aka Charlie. Very low-key and proper, Peter was more than happy to sign for us and listen to us babble on about how much we loved him. Of course we already knew he had quit the business and is now a veterinarian in upstate New York, but this came as a surprise to my buddy Ron. Ron figured he should ask some questions about his cat, to which Peter was more than happy to give him information. Ron was so happy that he got medical information from Charlie Bucket. Next up was Paris Theimman aka Mike Tee Vee. He unfortunately got put up to the task of gatekeeper as we hounded him with questions about the other guests, what was available to purchase, and why Gene Wilder couldn’t make it. Paris was more than happy to answer our questions and taking photos with us. He even unveiled a replica Wonka hat for us to pose with. The third of the Wonka kids we met was my brother’s personal favorite, Julie Dawn Cole aka Veruca Salt. Super sweet and very attractive for her age, Julie was displaying her new book, “I Want It Now!” which she had written about her experience making the movie. I already have added it to my Amazon wish list, but figure I will wait until a New Jersey library has it. Ron asked her about the Royal wedding since she happens to be British, but she told us that shemissed out on the royal wedding this morning as she was up in an airplane coming to the Chiller Show. It was a real honor to meet this woman whose character was so popular that there is a rock band named after her. We had to wait for Michael Bollner and Denise Nickerson to come back from a smoke break, so we killed more time talking to Peter Ostrum and Paris Theimman. Michael Bollner aka Augustus Gloob was the first to return to the room, and we hit him up quickly. For some reason, he didn’t make the poster and also due to not saying much in the movie, finding a quote for him to sign on the poster was a challenge. I think we just decided for him to write “Saved some room for later!” My buddy Ron got around to chatting with him about German electronic/techno bands which was a personal highlight. Although he had a thick German accent, he now speaks much better English than he did a few years ago when he did the DVD commentary. Last up was Denise Nickerson aka Violet who seemed a bit disheveled trying to be in three different places at one time. She was very nice and insisted on signing the poster with her infamous catch phrase, Can it, you knit!” What a great experience it was meeting the Wonka Kids, since I always envied them for winning the Golden Tickets and being able to live out the fantasy of seeing Wonka’s factory even if things didn’t turn out great for all but one of them.

"They're all gonna laugh at you!"
She was the ditzy chick in Carrie. She was one of Mike Myers victims in Halloween. She got naked for Bill Murray in Stripes. She was Goldie Hawn’s buddy in Private Benjamin. And she was the only Chiller guest who allowed me to take a photo with her for no money. That would be PJ Soles. She’s probably had a bigger career than half the guests at the show who charge a ridiculous $25 fee just to take a photo with them. And there were no crazy lines or potential issues as a lot of the everyday Chiller guests probably didn’t even know who she was. Maybe other B and C level stars can learn from her. PJ Soles was a class act, and was more than happy to take as many photos with us as we wanted. I only wish I spent more time talking with her, but she was in the middle of a deep conversation with somebody else, so I left.

Other Highlights:

The biggest surprise of the show was seeing Robert Romanus pretty much sitting by his lonesome doing a USA Today crossword puzzle with not many people crowding his table. If I had extra cash and a Fast Times poster to get signed, I would have paid. Seriously, this is the guy who played Mike Damone, the best character in that movie besides Spicoli. Yes, he has aged quite a bit since 1982, but this guy had a pretty decent career. I did have a quick chat with him and asked him about the infamous penis scene of his that got cut out of the movie. He laughed and told me he was glad it got cut or else his mother would have died of a heart attack.

Unfortunately, only the head of the Human Centipede (Akihiro Kitamura) was in attendance at the Chiller show. He was a really cool guy and was able to poke fun at himself for being part of a really strange concept. I only wish Ashley Williams who played the middle piece of the Centipede was there Friday night. I really needed to know if she plans on getting more roles having now been typecast as the middle piece of a human centipede that ate poop from a stranger’s butt and had her poop eaten by another woman. She must have some fortitude to have gone along with that role.

Whoa! Sean Kanen, the dude that the ladies know from soap operas, and who I know as Mike Barnes from The Karate Kid Part III is in the house. He was a cool guy, although a little ditzy and acted more like a salesman than a dude simply there to meet his fans. He was hawking all kinds of posters and even was going to sell a signed original script of The Karate Kid Part III. I only wanted a photo with him, only a little on the fence about getting an autograph. He would only do it if I bought something. $5, maybe. $25, no thanks.
Any fan of the Nightmare On Elm Street franchise, or documentaries in general has to see Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy. A lot of in-depth discussions about all of the Elm Street movies including the gay theme of Elm Street 2, the music, the TV show, the history were all included. Except for Johnny Depp, Patricia Arquette, and Larry Fishburne, most all the cast members from the Elm Street franchise were featured. Hell, even Don Dokken and Alice Cooper discussed the infamous tunes they wrote for the franchise. I was talking to a guy sitting at Heather Langenkamp’s table and noticed the poster for the documentary on the table. I told him that whoever produced that was a genius and it was the best documentary about a movie franchise I had ever seen, to which he replied he was that genius. His name is Tommy Hutson and he was shocked when I told him I’d like him to sign the poster and even take a photo with him. Tommy signed the poster thanking me for calling him a genius. His mom must be so proud.

Ex AC/DC drummer Simon Wright was at the Chiller show. I totally forgot to bring an AC/DC album cover to get signed. He told me being in AC/DC was one helluva experience and an honor it was to play with the Young brothers. I also got to meet the legendary metal bassist from Quiet Riot, Rudy Sarzo as well as Joe Bouchard from Blue Oyster Cult. Aren't I cool?

It feels pretty damn cool when a pop culture icon remembers you. My good friend, Geri Reischl aka “The Fake Jan Brady” shouted a “Hi Mike!” from her table as I walked around in the pit. That’s something I’ll tell my grandkids someday.

Of any guest at Chiller, the one with the biggest audience was Gary Busey. The loony bird had a line a mile long that caused some issues for others like me who were not interested in meeting him but only to enter the room to meet Alex Winter, the Elm Street cast, and PJ Soles.

The Mother chick from Danzig’s music video was an absolute mess. She came down the elevator looking like she just came from a nice crystal meth session in her room with Gary Busey. I had no interest in posing for a photo with her since I was scared I might catch some kind of disease.

Jane Wiedlin has always been my favorite Go-Go, even if I thought Belinda Carlisle was cuter. I would get to chat more with her on the second day of the show, but I appreciated when I began singing the chorus to her 80’s hit, Rush Hour "Ooh you send me", and she sang the rest, “Baby in a rush hour.” I couldn’t get that song out of my head the rest of the weekend.

Day Two: My second day at the Chiller show was all work! My brother and I mapped out a plan to meet more stars and get photos as well as help my guy in Kentucky with his stuff. We worked damn hard by hitting the right spots, making sure we got the stuff signed right while taking photos of all the celebs signing at the very least. We would hit only a few road bumps in terms of getting the photos with the celebs. For the most part, it all worked out.

"Dinner With Drac"
I guess it was only a matter of time until I met Zacherley. There might not even be a Chiller show without this legend. He was the easiest person to meet since there usually never was a line for him at previous shows as most horror fans have already met him. As a favor to my pal in Kentucky who wanted his signature, I would meet Zacherley with the bonus being getting a photo with him. As you can imagine, he is very old, and I’m not quite sure if he even knew what was going on. I wanted to ask him about his hit single, Dinner With Drac, but I don’t think he would have been to hear me so I refrained. What did strike me as odd were his fingers which were really bent out of shape. I doubt this guy is able to eat his spaghetti without some help.

"One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch!"
She may be a cute blonde that also has appeared in Playboy, but the reason I wanted to meet Mercedes McNab was because she was April Buchman in Addams Family Values. Her photos do her a lot of justice because although I wouldn't look away if she passed me in a shopping mall, she just isn’t as hot in person. Her attitude and overall demeanor was piss poor. It appeared that we were doing her a favor by asking her questions. She looked at me with a face indicating, “Show me the money or get lost!” My buddy had sent a Fantastic Four poster that he wanted me to sign for him, so I figured a free photo with Mercedes McNab was going to happen. She told me that a photo with her was going to cost extra. Yikes! I kept my cool and asked if she would at least allow me to take a photo of her signing the photo, which she gladly did and even posed. Mercedes told us this was the first Fantastic Four poster she had ever seen, not just at the Chiller show but ever. She has never even seen the movie. The only reason the movie was produced was so that the studio could eventually get the rights to other Marvel properties. I struck out with Mercedes in adding another photo of me with a Hollywood hotty. What does it say about Mercedes when she charges an extra $10 for a photograph with her, yet PJ Soles who is a much bigger star charges zero for a photo opp?

"Whoa, Whoa! Little China Girl!"
Bai Ling has a nice little resume including guest appearances on Entourage and Lost, deleted scenes in a Star Wars prequel, a Playboy pictorial, and co-starring with Jason Lee in The Crow. Did I also mention she is also sexy in a really erotic way? She was more beautiful in person. She liked the whole twin thing my brother and I have and we had a fun conversation with her about her career. I asked her which part she liked better, playing Jack’s island fling on a nonsensical episode of Lost, or training Vincent Chase for a Japanese commercial on Entourage. She turned the question back to me, and no doubt it had to be her role on Entourage since she did a nude scene. I had some cool stuff for her to sign including a Spanish poster of The Crow that got her mother kind of excited. I took photos of her signing everything, and she seemed cool with taking a photo with us. But there was a money-grubbing dude at her table telling us it was an extra $10 for a photo with her. I just spent $60 to get things signed, that wasn’t enough? Bai Ling is really hot, but I wasn’t paying extra money to take a photo with her with my own camera.

"In A World Of Pure Imagination!"
Because my work order included getting a Willy Wonka print and a Golden Ticket signed by Peter Ostrum, Julie Dawn Cole, Michael Bollner, and Diana Sowle, I would be able to get another session in the Wonka room. Since I was getting more stuff signed, why not get another photo or two with Charlie Bucket and Veruca Salt? Plus, now my brother would get his photo with Mrs. Bucket. Of course, anything I didn’t ask on Friday night, I was sure to ask now. Peter Ostrum and Julie Dawn Cole were even nicer the second time around, and it made me so happy to see Peter Ostrum wearing a Wonka T-Shirt. Diana Sowle also was no nice, and it was so cute seeing her husband hanging out behind the scenes supporting his wife. He even wanted to make himself useful so he agreed to take the photo of my brother and I with Diana. Once again, I had to thank her for “Cheer Up Charlie” a song that I seem to always sing to people when they are upset with hopes their frown will turn into a smile. My brother and I left the Wonka room ecstatic that we got our Wonka’s worth from the Chiller show. That would have been true if we didn’t realize that we had not missed the special Willy Wonka reunion panel, which we just had to attend and maybe even attempt to get a photo of us with the entire cast?

What sounded great in theory turned out to be kind of disappointing. The panel started a bit late, and the panel moderator leading the panel didn’t seem to have a clue what he was doing. There was no structure or anything. Only a few people in the audience got to ask questions, many of which were questions of which I already had known the answers to. I raised my hand to ask a real question like would Peter Ostrum have done the sequel if asked, or how come Charlie’s other grandparents got the shaft in favor of Grandpa Joe? Somehow, I didn't get picked and I felt like I was back in high school again. The bulk discussion was about the Tim Burton piece of garbage remake which could have been summarized in two minutes. Don’t get me wrong, I was glad to have attended. I just wish there was more time and more good tidbits about making the movie. I guess I’ll get more information from reading Veruca Salt’s book. Also, the cast members bolted out rather quickly so getting the “money shot” with the Wonka kids didn’t happen. Oh well!

"The Freaks Come Out At Night"
I might know a lot about movies, but I’m always striving to gain more knowledge about stuff I may have missed out on. Although I do know a little about horror movies and have recently caught up on The Evil Dead movies and The Human Centipede, I can’t honestly admit I know anything about Italian horror movies. The only reason I checked out the Italian Invasion room featuring the Demons reunion was because this was the #1 priority on my Kentucky guy’s list of must-haves. As a favor to him, I was more than happy to oblige. Just from observing the fans in the room, I could see there was a passion about this Demons movie. As a person who appreciates those who are passionate about things that I might have missed the boat on, I was curious to learn more about Italian horror. I got a complete crash course from Simonetta Simonetta who explained the impact of the movie, why it was so special that Bobby Rhodes was in attendance, and other interesting tidbits. She definitely sparked my interest and it’s only a matter of time until I watch the movie via Netflix. It goes to show you that an old dog can learn new tricks, and to keep an open mind because you might gain knowledge that can help you out later in life. I’m not sure knowing about Italian horror is going to get me far in life, but adding it to my knowledge of the history of film can only add to my repertoire.

"You're the best around, nothing's ever gonna keep you down!"
Tom Friedley might not really be a big name, but he did have a very small part in The Karate Kid and also happens to be John Travolta’s nephew and Ellen Travolta’s son. He does have horror ties appearing in one of the Friday The 13th movies, and per my work order, he was on the list of signatures I needed to get. So why not get a photo with him also? Tom was a real nice guy, really down to earth and eager to talk about his career. When I asked him why he had very little screen time in The Karate Kid, he told me his character originally had a back story which was cut due to the movie being too long. I asked him if he still keeps in touch with the actor who played Freddy in The Karate Kid. He couldn’t even remember the actor’s name, but we both had a chuckle at the character’s Makin Bacon T-Shirt in the movie. I told him it didn’t hurt to build a career in Hollywood when your uncle is Vinnie Barbarino, but Tom clearly stated he got no breaks and had to read for all of his roles.

"Doesn't Matter What They Say! Our Lips Are Sealed!"
Not only is Jane Wiedlin my favorite Go-Go, but she just so happens to have been in two of my favorite movies of all time. She was Joan of Arc in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and the singing telegram girl who gets shot in Clue. I heard rumors that she wasn’t very nice, but those rumors were not true. Jane Wiedlin was an absolute sweetheart. She made sure to take photos with both my brother and I in solo shots, and then a group shot of three of us. We asked her if she’d be appearing in the next Bill & Ted movie to which she replied she would love to but doubts her character would be returning. I asked her what she thought of Belinda Carlisle’s memoir. Jane said she was disappointed as the book was more about Belinda’s struggle with drugs then a good story about the band. I told Jane to write a book, she said that wasn’t happening any time soon. Jane was promoting a new comic book featuring her a super hero, and my guy in Kentucky requested a signed copy of the comic, which thankfully got me a photo with her. I found out the Go Go’s are playing in Morristown in a few weeks, I might just have to go and check them out.

Other Highlights:

All additional photos I got with guests were a bonus. Thanks to hard work and perseverance, I was able to get photos with Brit Eklund and Robert Dix. I totally forgot Brit Eklund was Rod Stewart’s former lover and the ex-wife of Slim Jim Phantom from The Stray Cats. She still has a smoking body, but she isn’t as hot as she was in the 70’s. I must admit that I knew very little about Robert Dix, but he was in a James Bond movie, so why not get a photo with him after he signed the James Bond poster I gave to him.

I just missed out on Ernest Borgnine and Maude Adams. Funny story is that as I was waiting to meet Brit Eklund, I noticed that the woman who I thought was Maude Adams was closing shop. We had a fun discussion while the whole time I thought I was chatting with Maude asking her questions about making movies. When I asked if she would sign one more item for us, the lady proclaimed that she wasn’t Maude Adams, only her sister. Hmmm! She actually did fool us twice when I noticed on Facebook a few days later that she was just an assistant who worked Maude Adams’ table for the weekend.

Unfortunately, Don Jamieson from That Metal Show didn't appear on Friday or Saturday. A nice surprise, though, was seeing the other guy on That Metal Show, Jim Florentine. Had my brother known he was going to make a guest appearance, he would have worn his Special Ed Crank Yankers shirt and gotten it signed. I overheard him talking with a Chiller staff member that he'd like to do a three day gig at the next Chiller show. Looks like we can expect the voice behind Special Ed and Bobby Fletcher to be at the October show.

Not only are the guests at Chiller top-notch, but so are some of the obsessive fans that get dressed up. Some of the best costumes I saw were a dude who looked and talked just like Ozzy Osbourne, a fake Edge who admitted that retirement sucked, people dressed up like Nerds, Misfits rejects and this "Asshole":

There also was a horror chick covered in red makeup with her boobs pretty much open for all to see. I saw some photos of the she-demon online with pasties on her breasts, but I’m pretty sure when I saw her at the show, there were no pasties. Or maybe my eyes were seeing things they only wanted to see. Perhaps Chiller staff told her that for legal reasons, the pasties had to be placed on her nipples so as not to offend the children. This crazy girl also tried to steal the show in a different way by getting into a cat fight with another woman.

After six Chiller Shows on my resume, I’m running out of legends who I need to meet. I’m crossing my fingers that William Zabka and Donald Gibb will be at Chiller come October, 2011. I still have to chat with Johnny Lawrence/Greg Tolan and Ogre. Regardless who is on the next guest list, you can be sure that I will be there probing the guests with tons more obscure questions.

The MisenPOPIC Year In Review: The Best & Worst Of Pop Culture 2010

2010-12-26T16:40:00.000-08:00

Pop culture has always had a huge impact on my life, ever since I first started collecting baseball cards, watched MTV six hours a day when I was a young lad, listened to my dad's Barry Manilow 8-tracks, or woke up early Saturday mornings to watch The Smurfs just to name a few things. Yet for the first time in a long time, pop culture took a back seat to something or should I say someone who means so much more. In 2010, I became a daddy blessed with a little sweetheart who simply rocks my world. So you can imagine that caring for a baby controlled much of my time, and took away from discovering new music, watching TV, or going to the movies every Tuesday night. Of course, I still was able to catch up on my books, TV, music, and movies when I could, but I realized their importance was not primary anymore, just secondary. As my daughter gets older, I'll introduce her to Angus Young's power chords, Paul Stanley's cheesy song introductions, the Muppets, Walter White & Jessie Pinkman, Dexter Morgan, along with everything else that has brought me so much happiness. She also hopefully will understand that things nowadays are more obvious about making a buck instead of purely entertaining us. But, tradition is tradition, and of course I can always find the time at the end of each year to reflect on the best and worst of pop culture. So here we go:

Top 10 Songs of 2010
If you want to confirm the best songs of 2010 in terms of actual talent and musical integrity, you have come to the wrong place. There are no Fleet Foxes, Radiohead, The Decemberists, My Morning Jacket or other critics darlings here. If you want to confirm the so-called best in music, go read Spin Magazine or something. I might sound like a broken record, but 2010 was definitely not the best year for music, especially rock & roll music. In order to cut costs, music labels figured it more profitable to keep chugging out hip hop, dance, and teenager music recorded on a computer instead of paying session musicians or quality sound engineers to mix a classic rock album. Not that I'm totally complaining, because a good pop song is still something special no matter if there is less thought put into producing it. Wait until you see this list below, you won't even believe you are reading a pop music historian's blog based on some of the vanilla songs that I actually found interesting this year.

10) California Gurls by Katy Perry w/Snoop Dogg- Not an updated cover of the Beach Boys classic, but just a fun little ditty by Katy Perry about surf, sun, and summer. Was Snoop Dogg really needed, though, to contribute to the tune only to gain more airplay and sales in the hip-hop community?

9) Break Your Heart by Taio Cruz & Ludacris- Yet another unnecessary collaboration with an up and coming star and a big name hip hop artist. Taio Cruz came from nowhere to release a kick ass dance tune that even my wife enjoys and allows me to keep on high volume during a long car ride. Who cares about the Ludacris rap?

8) Sexy Bitch by David Guetta and Akon- I'm 33 years old and my dancing in club days are over. But if I were 21, this would be the tune that would get me out on the dance floor. A cool beat if I ever heard one. This David Guetta fellow was all over the music scene this year, and might be the modern day Fatboy Slim. Of course, the edited version Sexy Chick doesn't work for me.

7) Never Enough by Kiss- Technically this song was featured on Sonic Boom released in 2009, but the single didn't hit radio in 2010. Paul Stanley blatantly stealing the riff of Nothing But A Good Time from Poison, but who cares? It works and Bret Michaels has enough on his plate to attempt to sue one of his influences.

6) Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars- I figured it was going to be an R&B cover of the Billy Joel classic the first time I heard the title. Instead, Bruno Mars created a perfect R&B song that I could not get to escape from my head. In fact, I think this song gets better and better every time I hear it. Had it been released earlier, it might have been the song of the year.

5) Dynamite by Taio Cruz- Wow! Taio Cruz with two of the best songs of the year. And next year he'll just be a random answer to a trivia question. "Dynamite" was the 2010 Dance Song Of The Year, so let's rock this club like it's Dynamite!

4) Best Of Me by RATT- When a has been metal band like Ratt releases one of the best rock albums of the year, you seriously have to wonder what the hell happened! The 2010 Rock Song Of The Year, Best Of Me was a cool tune featuring the classic 80's metal sound mixed with a little more modern production.

3) Raise Your Glass by Pink- If only Pink decided to cover a Kiss song based on the title of her latest single from her Greatest Hits album? I have to give credit where credit is due, in terms of pure pop music, Pink is one, if not the best, in terms of singing great pop songs with catchy melodies. Raise Your Glass was a great tune which of course ended up being overplayed on pop and adult contemporary radio. We'll be hearing this tune at wedding and Bar Mitzvahs in 2011!

2) Airplanes by B.O.B and Hayley Williams- A song that made me want to hurl when I originally heard it, Airplanes turned out to be a classic song and one that I constantly sing to my daughter. Of course, the best part of the song is Hayley Williams belting out "Shooting Star" in that weird emo twang. A nicely produced rock/rap collaboration and a song that I think we'll be remembering ten years from now.

And the best song of 2010!!!....

1) Teenage Dream by Katy Perry- No matter how many times it gets played on the radio, I end up raising my fists and telling myself to don't ever look back, ever look back! A perfect and formulaic pop song written by Max Martin and sung by one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen, Teenage Dream was kind of like an anthem. It kills me to honor this song as the best of 2010, but I have to go with my heart and admit it was the song I most enjoyed this year. Even if it means I'm going to be ridiculed!!

Previous Song Of The Years:
2009- Sexy Little Thing by Chickenfoot
2008- Rock & Roll Train by AC/DC
2007- Home by Daughtry
2006- Sexyback by Justin Timberlake
2005- American Baby by Dave Matthews Band
2004- American Idiot by Green Day
2003- Stacy's Mom by Fountains Of Wayne
2002- Without Me by Eminem
2001- One More Time by Daft Punk
2000- Everything You Want by Vertical Horizon
1999- Cowboy by Kid Rock
1998- Psycho Circus by Kiss
1997- MMMBop by Hanson
1996- When Love And Hate Collide by Def Leppard
1995- Long Way Down by The Goo Goo Dolls
1994- Always by Bon Jovi
1993- Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz
1992- Symphony Of Destruction by Megadeth
1991- Hole Hearted by Extreme
1990- Thunderstruck by AC/DC

The Worst Song Of 2010
Billionaire by Travie McCoy & Bruno Mars- Uggh! Not only is Travie McCoy making money and having banged Katy Perry, but he's writing songs that he isn't happy unless he's a billionaire so freakin' bad? I'm sorry, this song lacked intelligence, melody, or anything redeeming. Of course, this meant it hit #1 for a few weeks on the Billboard Top 100 Chart!

Top 5 Albums Of 2010
Just like I previously mentioned in terms of quality songs, there also wasn't much on the album front that got my motor running. I will admit that listening to complete albums or discovering new bands fell by the wayside this year due to being inundated with creating music history playlists and spending time with my baby. It took until the writing of this article to actually determine the five albums I most enjoyed in 2010. This might be the most pathetic list of albums ever in the history of reviewing music.

5) We Walk This Road by Robert Randolph & The Family Band- Not one of his better albums, but one I enjoyed more and more after each listen. Also, the songs worked a lot better live after seeing him perform twice in 2010. Critic's darling producer T-Bone Burnett was the so-called mastermind, which probably is why I didn't enjoy it as much as Randolph's previous two albums.

4) Guitar Heaven by Santana- A cool idea allowing Carlos Santana to perform updated covers of classic rock songs with current artists. Although I wasn't too happy to hear Nas butchering the lyrics to AC/DC's Back In Black, the rest of the album was kind of neat. The best tracks were awesome covers of Def Leppard's Photograph featuring Daughtry and Dance The Night Away from Van Halen featuring Pat Monahan from Train. What could have been a disaster of an album turned out to be pretty enjoyable.

3) American Idiot Broadway Soundtrack- American Idiot was like the modern day Rent. Not much of a story, but a killer array of songs for a Broadway show. It was nice to hear Green Day songs sung from a Broadway ensemble with some new tunes written by Billie Jo as well.

2) Infestation by RATT- Doing what other bands from their era have previously done, RATT got back together with original lead singer Stephen Pearcy and recorded an album staying true to their original sound. It was the first original new album with Pearcy since 1999's self-titled disaster. Carlos Cavazo from Quiet Riot also made his RATT debut on this album contributing some great guitar licks.

And the best album of 2010!!!....

1) No Guts. No Glory by Airbourne- The next best thing to AC/DC even though this band can't light a match to the greatest rock and roll band of all time. What I always found amazing was AC/DC's sound is so simple, yet nobody can come close to duplicating it. Still, Airbourne once again gave their best effort. Good to know there still is some good and simple rock & roll music still out there. No Guts. No Glory was as good if not better than Airbourne's previous two albums.

Previous Album Of The Years:
2009- Feel The Steel by Steel Panther
2008- Black Ice by AC/DC
2007- Icky Thump by The White Stripes
2006- Live To Win by Paul Stanley
2005- One Way Ticket To Hell..And Back by The Darkness
2004- American Idiot by Green Day
2003- Permission To Land by The Darkness
2002- I Get Wet by Andrew W.K.
2001- Everyday by Dave Matthews Band
2000- Everything You Want by Vertical Horizon
1999- Devil Without A Cause by Kid Rock
1998- Psycho Circus by Kiss
1997- Spice World by The Spice Girls
1996- Trial By Fire by Journey
1995- (What's The Story) Morning Glory by Oasis
1994- Dookie by Green Day
1993- Off The Ground by Paul McCartney
1992- Adrenalize by Def Leppard
1991- Pornograffiti by Extreme
1990- The Razor's Edge by AC/DC

Worst Album Of 2010:
A Thousand Suns by Linkin Park- When did Linkin Park decide to be like Radiohead and Depeche Mode and want to be taken seriously? I gave a quick listen to their new album and was repulsed. I'm not the biggest fan of this band, but I enjoyed some tunes from their previous three albums. This album might sell and please music critics, but true Linkin Park fans are going to absolutely hate it.

Top 10 Movies Of 2010
Movie studios still don't get it. Instead of allowing directors to create their own visions without interference or marketing outside the box films, the studios keep playing it safe and released the same types of movies that will make a quick buck: Unwanted sequels (Cats & Dogs 2, Shrek 4), over-hyped comic book adaptations (Jonah Hex), shows inspired from 80's television (The A-Team) and remakes of classic 80's movies (The Karate Kid, A Nightmare On Elm Street) that really pissed off fans of the original like me! Even if the reviews for the new Karate Kid were good, I just had to boycott the movie based on principal. No Zabka or Macchio, then no dice! Lucky for me, I've wised up with my movie-viewing habits. I'm still a fan of seeing the movie in the theater, but unless it's a ballyhoo reviewed movie or a must-see, I'll just wait a month or two and rent it on Netflix or watch it on HBO. And if I do go the movies, I'll go by my lonesome on a Saturday afternoon to pay matinee price and enjoy a private screening without having to deal with teens on their cell-phone, loud talkers, or tall people sitting in front of me. A few years ago, I would have wasted a lot of time and money just to be disappointed that the much awaited sequels or retreads that lacked continuity or smarts. And the whole 3D thing is completely overrated! I understand the studios want to add the new technology to all kid movies to earn some more $$$, but I personally think the 3-D detracts from the movie experience. You lose the color of the animation, and sometimes it even hurts my eyes. If the technology is much improved nowadays, why can't these 3-D movie effects be as good if not better than the stuff from the 80's. I mean, c'mon, Captain EO with Michael Jackson in 1986 was mind blowing. Now those were some killer effects!!! I did see a lot of decent movies in 2010, and most of them were somewhat entertaining. But really only the #1 movie which you will see indicated below was a classic that I'll watch over and over again.

10) Inception- Critics loved this mind fuck of a movie! I thought it was unique and thought-provoking but couldn't light a match to Christopher Nolan's other classics such as The Dark Knight, Memento, and The Prestige. I don't mind movies that make you think, but this one just hurt my brain. I do love Marion Cotillard, though, and will watch any movie she appears in. Boy, that lady can act and she also is easy on the eyes!

9) Machete- Robert Rodriguez doesn't have any movies in my personal Top 100 list, but he has made some memorable movies. Movies like Sin City, Desperado, and Grindhouse all stick in my mind as unique movies! Add Machete to this list. A cool movie featuring Danny Trijillo as the renegade bad-ass, with an all-star supporting cast including Jeff Fahey, Michelle Rodriguez, Jessica Alba, Robert DeNiro, Don Johnson, Lindsey Lohan, Tom Savini, and Steven Seagal. To think the idea for this movie came from a goofy trailer made for the Grindhouse movie Rodriguez and Tarantino did a few years ago.

8) Grown Ups- Adam Sandler is the AC/DC of Hollywood. His movies always stick to the same formula that works for me, no matter how simple it is. Always a nice message at the end, some fart jokes mixed with adolescent humor, a cute leading lady to play Sandler's love interest, and a kick-ass soundtrack of 70's and 80's rock classics. Fuck the critics, Sandler knows his audience and gives us what we want sticking with the same formula he has been using since the late 90's. That trend continues with Grown Ups, the annual summer comedy featuring Sandler and his entourage of actors that appear in most of his movies: Kevin James, Rob Schneider, Chris Rock, David Spade, and Steve Buscemi. A fun movie with a few minor plot lines that weren't really developed. The movie really just felt like a home movie of Sandler and his buddies goofing on each other and their families with a little heart mixed in.

7) Little Fockers- A good sequel is one that keeps the core characters together, continues the story, brings the same actors back, has continuity from the other film, and doesn't shy away from the source material. Which usually means critics are going to hate it. I have gotten smarter over the years and realized not to broaden my expectations for first or second sequels to some of my favorite films of all time. That's why I was surprised to walk out of the theater after seeing Little Fockers with a smile. Nothing earth shattering, or crazy, but I liked it as the final (hopefully!) piece of the Focker trilogy. Go in with low expectations, and you'll like it.

6) The Town- Ben Affleck is becoming one helluva director. His first effort, Gone Baby Gone, was good, and The Town was a nice second act for Big Ben. Kevin Smith has taught him well, just hopefully he doesn't start making garbage comedies like Zach & Miri or Clerks 2 like his buddy anytime soon. Jeremy Renner is becoming my favorite actor, and I think he deserves an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his brilliant acting in this film. Jon Hamm was great also in this movie and proved he shouldn't be typecast due to being best known as Don Draper on Mad Men. A nice movie that might steal some Oscar nominations.

5) Iron Man 2- Although not as good as the original, Iron Man 2 still was a thrill ride of a movie. What did bother me, though, was that the soundtrack was all AC/DC, which I assumed meant that the band's music would be featured throughout the movie. Besides one scene featuring Highway To Hell at the beginning of the movie, there was no AC/DC songs to be had. What a disappointment, a score from Angus and Malcolm Young could have have made this the best super hero movie of all time. Mickey Rourke was a cool bad guy, although I wished his character had more to do. Great action, great special effects, a reminder that not all popcorn movies have to be awful.

4) The Fighter- The Fighter was a good movie, but I'm not sure it's worthy of an Oscar nomination for Best Film. The film definitely deserves nominations for Amy Adams (doesn't it seem like she does something great and gets nominated rightfully so every year?) Melissa Leo, and Christian Bale who finally will get his first Oscar nomination for Supporting Actor, and who I think might just win. I love Christian Bale, the man can act, and he was brilliant as Dicky, the crack-addict ex-boxer who taught his brother the rules of the game. I appreciate that this movie was not just an updated Rocky, or a boxing cliche movie.

3) Brooklyn's Finest- It's a cool movie about three Brooklyn cops which stories all mingle in the end, kind of like Crash. Richard Gere is the veteran cop about to retire who is beaten down due to the the job, Ethan Hawke is the dirty cop who steals money on drug busts to help his family and who wants to defy the politics of the system, and Don Cheadle is the undercover cop caught in the drug trade who has to determine if handing over a friend of the game is worth getting what he always wanted. Great performances by all three actors. Also, nice to see Omar Little/Chalky White in a few scenes. Probably one of the best "dirty cop" movies ever made, and one of the best movies of 2010.

2) Kick Ass- Remember Blankman from the early 90's which starred Damon Wayans and David Alan Grier? It was about a regular guy who wanted to be a super hero and decided to fight crime. It was a good concept, but the movie was strictly a comedy film and was panned by critics (although I liked it!. Kick-Ass used a similar concept, but due to the enormous success of comic-book movies, this movie was more in vein of a Watchmen or Spiderman. Some comedy, but a lot of action. The movie had a few flaws, but definitely entertaining and a lot of fun. The little girl, Chloe Morentz, was so adorable in this film as Hit Girl. She might be the next Meryl Streep earning future Oscar nominations, or she could end up being the next Lindsey Lohan earning DWI arrests? Good stuff from Nic Cage, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse who just might be able to escape simply being known as McLovin.

And the best movie of 2010!!...

1) Toy Story 3- Toy Story 3 is not only a great sequel, but a classic film. Pixar has done it again creating a film with heart that features some of the most lovable characters in movie history. How can you not cheer for Woody, Buzz, Rex, and Mr. Potato Head? The Toy Story franchise hopefully will be to my daughter's generation what Star Wars was to my generation. The theme of the movie held true to my heart, what does a young man do with his toys when he has grown up and moved onto a different stage of his life? Obviously for some guys like me, it took a little longer to give up on his action figures regardless if I bought them and kept them displayed in the blister packs on my wall. What's funny is I saw this movie in 3-D, but even though this was one of the "must-see 3-D" movies, I thought it detracted from the movie. I bought it for my daughter for Chanukah and just watched it again without the 3D, and enjoyed it even more on my bright DLP TV without 3D. Toy Story 3 was head and shoulders above all of the other movies I have seen this year, and is a movie I can't wait to watch over and over again with my kids.

Previous Movie Of The Years:
2009- Avatar
2008- The Dark Knight
2007- Superbad
2006- Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
2005- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith
2004- Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
2003- School Of Rock
2002- Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones
2001- American Pie 2
2000- Keeping The Faith
1999- Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (Uggh!)
1998- Titanic
1997- The Lost World: Jurassic Park
1996- The Rock
1995- Showgirls
1994- Dumb And Dumber
1993- The Sandlot
1992- Wayne's World
1991- Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey
1990- The Adventures Of Ford Fairlane

The Worst Movie Of 2010:
The Runaways- As a music historian, you would think I would mark out for rock biopics about classic rock and roll artists. Yet, they don't do much for me. I didn't like The Doors, Walk The Line about Johnny Cash was just okay, and I could only stomach a few minutes of Ray about Ray Charles. The trend continued with The Runaways, the fictional account based on Cherie Currie's memoir about the first successful all-girl rock band. Kristen Stewart was a doppelganger of Joan Jett, as I had to do a double take due to her really looking and acting like the rock & roll star. Her acting was the only thing I liked about the movie. I though Michael Shannon was too over the top as Kim Fowley, the genius behind the scenes who put the band together. Dakota Fanning was also too bland as Cherie. A lot of the band's history was left out of the movie due to contractual issues with the other members of the band. Lita Ford's role was very tiny as I've heard she was totally opposed to having anything to do with the movie. The bass player's name and appearance were totally off filter. The story didn't really go anywhere, and instead of really digging deep into how influential the Runaways were to girls in the USA, the movie was really just about Currie's drug issues and love/hate relationship with Joan Jett. Too fictionalized and artsy for my taste!

Top 10 Television Shows Of 2010
If you wanted to watch something with substance, something with excellent acting, excellent cinematography, excellent characters, or excellent writing, you didn't need to go to the movies. You could just turn on a cable or premium cable network and catch some great stuff. Music is my first love, but I'm starting to become a TV junkie, and 2010 saw TV stand out as my favorite medium of pop culture. I've probably watched more television in 2010 whether during first airing in prime time, catching up on DVD, or on DVD-R than I ever have in my life. I just can't stand the reality or network comedies anymore which are too formulaic and lacking in any quality. It's all about shows on HBO, Showtime, FX, and AMC, and for some reason the networks save the best for Sunday nights. Below is the list of the best in television in 2010.

10) Survivor: All Stars- The all-star season of Survivor was so fantastic. I knew after the finale and reunion show that I would never be able to watch another season of it again since any future Survivor episode could never live up to the insanity of this season. The best of the best were playing this time around: Boston Rob, Russell, Colby, Jerri, Coach, Sandra, Tom, Parvati, and Cirie. Unlike the first All-Star season which was good but too phony, this season was downright nasty and strategic as there were players in it to win, and not just to get on TV again. I'm now officially done with Survivor unless there is another All-Star season coming. I couldn't even watch one minute of Survivor:Nicaragua and stayed true to my word that I'm done with reality shows.

9) Friday Night Lights- The best "family" show on TV, or should I say Direct TV. The show is too smart for network TV, but we do get the re-runs on NBC in April after the show wraps up on Direct TV. Season 4 was not the best season, but still enjoyable. Seeing Tim Riggins continue to screw up and make bonehead mistakes was entertaining TV. The final season is currently airing on Direct TV with the majority of classic characters from the first three seasons making cameos. I truly believe FNL is the best TV show ever adapted from a film.

8) South Park- Trey and Matt keep on doing their thing. South Park remains consistent, and the sarcastic liberal humor resonates strongly with me. South Park remains the funniest and most unique animated show on television. Too bad Family Guy and The Simpsons lost their spark and faded into typical network cartoons that think they are edgy, but pale in comparison to South Park. How some of the stuff on South Park even makes it to air puzzles me due to the vulgarity and offensiveness of the material?

7) Dexter- I lauded Dexter as the best show on television three years ago. The first three seasons were outstanding. Last season was off and on, but the finale blew me away. The fifth season of Dexter in 2010 was a total waste of time. I'm going to pretend it never happened and await what I hope to be the final season in 2011. There is only so much more the writers can do with Dexter until it becomes totally outrageous. Escaping justice should not be as convenient as it is for Dexter Morgan.

6) Lost- The final season was Lost's worst, and the huge ending was a major disappointment and Eff you to fans like me who were onto the show since the first episode of the first season. It hurts me to write or even think of all the time I wasted on this show. The first four seasons I own on DVD are being put on Ebay as I can't stomach ever re-watching the show again. I do have to give credit where credit is due, Lost might have been the best drama in network history which is why I have to rank it as #6 for 2010.

5) Sons Of Anarchy- So Season 3 was a huge letdown, but this show about renegade bikers still is better than any drama on network TV. I finally caught the first two seasons on DVD and was blown away by the writing and characters. the third season had a drawn-out plot taking place in Ireland which went nowhere. I'm worried due to the increase in audience, the network is more involved and the show could be getting to big for it's britches. I expect a rebound season four in 2011.

4) The Walking Dead- AMC is batting .775. Three of the four shows on this network are in a league of their own. AMC almost hit .1000 as Rubicon started off great, but the last few episodes and finale were disappointing, so much that the show was not renewed for a second season. Not a problem as The Walking Dead garnered nice ratings for the network. And rightfully so as The Walking Dead was outstanding. If you think it's only a show about zombies, you are so wrong. Yes, there are zombies on the show. But the basis of the show is how you function with others in a new world when all the rules of society you followed no longer apply. There were only seven episodes in Season One, but seven solid episodes. I can't wait for Season 2. I recommend this show for those who were disappointed with how Lost ended.

3) Boardwalk Empire- The show that The Sopranos should have been. Mark my words, when all is said and done, Boardwalk Empire is going to be ranked as one of the top 5 TV dramas of all time. Great storytelling based on real life events. Steve Buscemi shines as Nucky Thompson, and Michael Pitt went from boring in the first few episodes to an actor worthy of an Emmy for his work as Jimmy. The dude with the plastic mask is a fantastic character. I even gained respect for Michael Shannon as an actor. You also can not beat all of the gratuitous nudity on the show from Paz De La Huerta, Gretchen Mol, and girls in the background!! We just need more of Chalky White aka Omar from The Wire!!! HBO has a masterpiece on it's hands!

2) Mad Men- Most shows in their fourth season seem to dip in quality. Not the case with Mad Men. Season 4 might just have been the finest season. The show was funnier, and a lot of easier to grasp. Even time it appears Don Draper is down the kill, somebody or something enables him to rise back to the top. Mad Men is not for everybody which I why I don't recommend it. But for those interested in sixties culture and the inner workings of ad agency, it's brilliant. Mad Men lacks any real story arc, so those who worry about not having watched other seasons could jump right in and enjoy. In past seasons, half of the episodes were good and half were to artsy. This season, all thirteen episodes were brilliant. Mad Men has won the Emmy for Best Drama the past three years, and although Boardwalk Empire is just as good, Mad Men's awesome fourth season merits another win.

And The Best Show Of 2010!!...

1) Breaking Bad- Shame on any of you who have not drank the kool-aid I've been offering. Breaking Bad is now in the same echelon as KISS, AC/DC, The Muppets, and 7-11 Coke Slurpees. All of these things get me giddy just talking about them, let alone even thinking about them. Not only was the third season of Breaking Bad the best thing on television this year, this show is the greatest television show ever produced. Brilliant acting by Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul who were rewarded for their work with Emmys this year. Fantastic supporting characters. Beautiful cinematography. Suspenseful plot. Classic dialogue. To indicate how brilliant this show is, a basic filler episode featuring the two main characters (Walter White and Jessie Pinkman) locked in a meth lab just conversing back and forth was better than the Series Finale of Lost which was airing the same time. I'm counting down the days until Season 4 returns in July!!!!

Previous TV Shows Of The Year:
2009- Breaking Bad
2008- Dexter
2007- Lost
2006- The Office
2005- The Office
2004- Lost
2003- Survivor
2002- 24
2001- The Sopranos
2000- Freaks & Geeks

The Worst Television Show Of 2010:
Glee- Last year, I had Glee on my list of best shows! Once the show resumed in January, I couldn't bear watching anymore. The show seems to be written by a fifth grader. The characters are too over the top and cliche. Besides Jane Lynch, the actors should stick to singing only. The plots made no sense (A guy thinks he got his girlfriend pregnant because he prematurely ejaculated in a hot tub!) The music renditions are cool, but cheesy! Every musician wants to make a quick buck now and get their songs featured on the show even if it means their music will sound like something sung from a real glee club. Dianna Agron and Lea Michelle are super hot, but their acting is as wooden as my pencil. Everything wrong with network television is present in this show! The fact that Glee has been nominated for writing and production is just ming-boggling. Unless you are a 14 year old teenage girl, don't waste your time with the show. If you like the music, just illegally download the songs from YouTube!!!

Personal Pop Culture Highlights of 2010:

Robert Randolph & The Family Band in Music Fest in Cranford (For Free)

Robert Randolph Concert at Bowery Ballroom in NYC

Air Supply Concert at Community Theatre in Morristown, NJ
and getting to meet the band after the show

American Idiot on Broadway for my Fifth Year Wedding Anniversary

Breaking Bad Season 3 Premiere in NYC (Meeting Emmy Winners Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul as well as show creator, Vince Gilligan)

Chiller Theater Show in April at Parsippany Hilton
(Meeting Robert Carradine and Curtis Armstrong
from Revenge Of The Nerds)

Chiller Theater in October at Parsippany Hilton (Chiller Show#5 for me and meeting Ginger Allen, Patty Duke, Lita Ford, Seka, and Michael Beck just to name a few)

THANK YOU!!! (THOSE IN POP CULTURE WHO PASSED AWAY IN 2010 THAT CONTRIBUTED SOMETHING WORTHWHILE IN MY LIFETIME)

Ronnie James Dio (Rock & Roll Singer & Legend; Member of Black Sabbath, Rainbow, and Dio; Classic Songs-Rainbow In The Dark, Stranger In The Dark, Rock & Roll Children, Heaven & Hell)

Teddy Pendergrass (R&B Singer; Classic Song-One Shining Moment)

Bob Schimmel (Comedian; I saw him perform live at Bananas Comedy Club in 2007)

Doug Fieger (Rock & Roll Singer: Lead Vocalist of The Knack; Classic Songs-My Sharona, Good Girls Don't)

Tony Curtis (Actor; Father Of Jamie Lee Curtis; Classic Movies: Spartacus, Some Like It Hot; I met him at a Chiller Theater Show)

Leslie Nielsen (Actor best known as Frank Drebin; Classic Movies: Airplane, The Naked Gun Franchise, I met him a Chiller Theater Show)

Irvin Kershner (Director: Classic Movie: The Empire Strikes Back)

Corey Haim (Actor: Classic Movies: Lucas, License To Drive, Blown Away (great Nicole Eggert nude scenes); I met him at a Chiller Theater Show)

Gary Coleman (Actor: Classic TV Show: Arnold Drummond on Different Strokes; "Whatchoo talking about, Willis?")

Peter Graves (Actor; Classic Movies/TV Shows: Mission Impossible, Airplane, Airplane: The Sequel' "Have You Ever Seen A Grown Man Naked?")

Tom Bosley (Actor; Classic TV Shows: Happy Days, Father Dowling Mysteries)

Barbara Billingsley (Actress; June Cleaver from Leave It To Beaver)

Dixie Carter (Actress; Classic TV Shows: Different Strokes, Designing Women)

Robert Culp (Actor: Classic TV Shows: I Spy, The Greatest American Hero; I met him at a Chiller Theater Show)

Rue McClanahan (Actress; Classic TV Show: Golden Girls as Blanche)

Art Clokey (Artist known for his work on Gumby & Friends)

Bob Guccione (Magazine Publisher whose Penthouse magazine was the first nudie magazine I ever saw; Producer of Caligula)

John Leslie (XXX Actor, Classic Movie: Candy Goes To Hollywood) *Rest in peace, Johnny Door Opener!!

Here's to 2011!!!!! -MIKEY

Out There!: "Lucky Number" by Lene Lovich

2010-03-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

You could analyze any genre of music and determine who were the artists that truly influenced it. Heavy metal can be attributed to Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. Disco can be attributed to Donna Summer. Boy Band Pop can be traced back to the Jackson Five. New wave can be attributed to Blondie and The Talking Heads. And cheesy 80's music can be attributed to Lene Lovich. Wait, who is Lene Lovich, you might ask? Well, before Cyndi Lauper, Bow Wow Wow, and Dale Bozio from Missing Persons came along, there was Lene Lovich. She is the genius behind the classic tune, Lucky Number, a song recorded in 1979 that was probably the first to actually sound like a typical 80's tune.

Lene Lovich was an American singer based in the UK whose style was mixing quirky sounds with new wave and punk. She might have been kind of like the female version of Frank Zappa. Her most famous song, Lucky Number, was released in 1979 and it has gone overlooked by club DJ's. It's your typical 80's new wave tune with a memorable whoo whoo whoo whoo chant in the chorus. Very upbeat! Although the song was a big hit in England, it failed to chart in the U.S. Most music fans probably have no recollection of this track, but I am confident it could have been a big hit in the clubs if more attention was given to the tune. I didn't even know about this song until my brother shared it with me. Since it never was a Billboard chart hit and pretty damn obscure, I wasn't sure I even needed it. I probably had it for about two years until it caught my attention one day while falling in and out sleep during a nap. But now after listening to it a few times, I have fallen in love with the tune. Since I've probably heard the classic 80's new waves tunes so many damn times over the last twenty years, it's nice to enjoy a song that's fresh since it wasn't a radio smash while also never receiving exposure on MTV. Lene Lovich was ahead of her time, but is never given credit when people talk about the influences of new wave. Yet in this music guy's estimation, Lucky Number was to 80's new wave music like what Smells Like Teen Spirit from Nirvana was to grunge music. In fact, if you watch the video below, you could argue that she was kind of like the 70's version of Lady Gaga! Who knows, maybe a cover of this song will be on Gaga's next album?

WHOO WHOO WHOO WHOO!! My lucky number's One!

Ladies and gentlemen.... Lucky Number from Lene Lovich

Music That Matters (Top 50 Movie Symphonies: #19 Chariots Of Fire (Theme) by Vangelis)

2010-03-12T18:10:00.000-08:00

There are a few songs throughout my thirty years on this earth that have just stood the test of time with me since the first time I heard them. Songs of which include such a beautiful melody that always keeps me from clicking fast forward. At #19 on this list is one of those songs. It's been with me since I was I five years old, it's with me during elementary school, it's been with me during college, it's been with me during my wedding, and it's still very important to me now. Even though I have still never seen the 1981 Oscar Winning Movie of the same name of which the theme was created for, this classic movie theme composed by Greek musician Vangelis is considered not just by me but also by most movie lovers as one of the greatest movie themes of all time.

What made the song even more unique was that many questioned why a modern song using synthesizers would be the main score for a period piece. Chariots Of Fire took place in 1924 during the Summer Olympics, and a classical score from Elmer Bernstein or John Williams would have probably made more sense. Instead, a then unknown Greek composer named Vangelis was brought in to score the movie. Even though the song featured a synthesizer sound, you can also hear such an amazing inspirational piano melody throughout the song. The Chariots Of Fire theme was such a smash hit that after the movie left the theatres, the song was released as a single reaching #1 on the Billboard Top 100 Charts and staying on the charts for an amazing 97 weeks selling 3 million copies in it's first year alon. Not only was the song a monster success throughout the entire world, but it also earned Vangelis an Oscar trophy in 1981 for Best Film Score. Although Vangelis would later on score other movies including Blade Runner and Mask as well as tunes for the Olympics Games, he would never reach the success he had with Chariots Of Fire. This classic theme will always be synonymous with running in a race just like Gonna Fly Now from Rocky will always be associated with running up steps toward a monument or museum. At least the theme was always in my head when I ran track in elementary school, or running outside to clear my head.

The Chariots Of Fire theme was also used brilliantly in another movie. Remember the classic scene in National Lampoon's Vacation when the Griswolds finally reach Wally World? Although the parking lot was empty, Clark was so proud that his family were the first ones there. Using such illogical thought, Clark decided to park the car far away from the parking thinking that they would be the first ones in to the park, and also the first ones out. Clark and his son Rusty decide to race, and in classic slow motion action as they run in high spirits, the classic Vangelis tune is used making an already classic funny scene even more hilarious. And the best part comes when we find out the park has been closed for renovations. Classic!

Chariots Of Fire works on so many levels: a song that inspires you, a song to listen to while running on the treadmill at the gym, a song that makes you reflect on the past, and a song that defines goodness. Because the song has been with me for so long as one of my favorites, I used it on my wedding video when recapping the momentous occasion. Not only is it a classic movie theme, it's simply one of the most beautiful love melodies of all time.

Ladies and gentlemen... #19 Chariots Of Fire (Theme) by Vangelis

Out There!: "Heartbeat (It's A Lovebeat)" by The DeFranco Family

2010-03-10T16:59:00.000-08:00

Just like there is Justin Bieber, The Jonas Brothers, and Zac Efron making little girls scream in today’s society, back in the 1970’s their mothers were doing some screaming of their own for teen idols David Cassidy, Leif Garrett, and Tony DeFranco. Wait, Tony DeFranco, who is that? You might not know who I’m referring to, but he was yet another of the many teen idols featuring in Teen Beat and 16 magazines in the early 70's. I also assure you that he is no relation to indie music darling Ani DeFranco. Tony DeFranco was supposed to be the next Donny Osmond, but his star power didn’t last too long. I have kept comparing Justin Bieber to Tony DeFranco on this blog, and the reason is because I truly believe twenty years from now nobody will remember him just like people have forgotten Tony DeFranco. But the reason why I am also referencing Tony DeFranco for this week’s column is because of the cheesy but classic tune he and his family recorded in 1973, Heartbeat (It’s A Lovebeat).

The DeFranco family was a family pop group from Ontario that attempted to cash in on the fame of other family-oriented acts like The Osmonds, The Jackson 5, and The Brady Bunch. Featuring Benny on keyboard, Marisa on guitar, Nino on drums, and of course little Tony on lead vocals, The DeFranco family were considered the Italian version of The Osmonds. Per a demo that was heard and pushed hard by the editor of Teen Beat, the DeFranco family soon was signed to a record deal with 20th Century Records. Featuring the lead vocals of 13-year old Tony, the DeFranco Family's first single Heartbeat (It's A Lovebeat) hit the charts reaching #3 on the Top 100 chart and selling two million copies in the process. The success and key marketing strategy led to Tony and his brothers and sisters receiving much buzz in kiddie magazines. Their next two singles would also reach the Top #40, but failed to live up to their first hit, "Heartbeat". Upon the record company's decision to fire their original producer and replace him with Mike Curb who was ironically successful producing the Osmonds, the DeFranco Family was on the verge of becoming yet another fad of the times. Curb wanted to make them a cover band, but the DeFranco family wanted to continue to record new music which led to a horrible meltdown. Because the record company had full control of the band and didn't like that these little punks wouldn't do what was asked, the band was dropped immediately by their label. They also managed to piss off their manager who left them for dead. Although they continued performing until 1978 as a Vegas attraction, the DeFranco family would never be able to get a second chance in the music biz. It also didn't help that human nature wasn't too kind to Tony who didn't age very well during his adolescence and was no longer the cute 13-year old kid with the angelic voice. By the 80's, the DeFranco Family was just another casualty of the music business. The DeFranco siblings would find other avenues other than music, including Tony who is now working as a successful real estate agent in California. I hope Justin Bieber becomes the next Tony DeFranco, and not the next Danny Bonaduce!

I had no real knowledge of this song until catching it on an episode of the legendary VH1 show, Eight Track Flashback back in 1998. The song is pure cheese, but pretty damn hilarious and a good example of how awful some of the music from the 70's was. Check out the video below, I mean c'mon those dance moves would make Michael Jackson jealous! By no means could I say this song is a wonderful recording, but it sure is one of those obscure pop culture nuggets that I like to share with people.

Ladies and gentlemen... Heartbeat (It's A Lovebeat) by The DeFranco Family

"Heartbeat, it’s a lovebeat! Listen to my heart pound, listen to my love sound!"

Music That Matters (Top 50 Movie Symphonies: #20 "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" by Dream Academy)

2010-03-02T15:27:00.000-08:00

We’re getting down to the nitty gritty of the countdown. #20 is a beautiful synth-pop theme from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off which fans of the movie would instantly recognize as the Art Museum theme. The original song, titled Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want, was actually recorded by The Smiths in 1983. John Hughes, the genius director of Ferris Bueller, apparently was a huge fan of The Smiths and saw an opportunity to use one of their songs for his film. I’m not sure if he mistook the fact that The Smiths would not allow their song to be featured. So instead, 80’s pop band Dream Academy’s instrumental version recorded a year later in 1984 that holds true to the original was used. Of course, Dream Academy is best known for their 80's tunes, Life In A Northern Town, so having used an instrumental piece from theme was kind of strange.

As mentioned in the second sentence of the above paragraph, the song was brilliantly used during the scene in which Ferris, Sloan, and Cameron visit the Chicago Art Institute. From the moment the trio enter the museum by sneaking in via holding hands in unison with a group of student to the end of the montage where Cameron thinks he sees his dad’s Ferrari in a photo, we hear this beautiful piece of music play. Hughes must have had a large boner for art, as the montage features a good minute and half of painting and sculptures. The scene is kind of pointless in the overall scope of the movie, but the classic tune more than makes up for it.

For whatever reason, there never was a Ferris Bueller’s Day Off soundtrack ever produced. The version of Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want used in the movie was never released on a Dream Academy studio album. Although the song was finally made available in 2000 as an inclusion on the band’s greatest hits album. I associate this song with innocence and it seemed to really work during what the hell" art montage scene in the film. It's just a classic tune, both the original Smiths version and the instrumental version from Dream Academy. I am still kicking myself for not having used it for my wedding video during the sequence featuring all of the guests, but I sure would recommend it to be used for other people's wedding videos. Well, unless they are people who think outside the box!

Ladies and gentlemen... #20 Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want by Dream Academy

Out There!: "Shaving Cream" by Benny Bell

2010-03-01T17:27:00.000-08:00

Once again while adding more songs to my collection as I am now trying to own every Top 40 song of all time, another gem of a song came into my consciousness. And what makes this song so special is that even though it was written in 1946, this tune definitely was ahead of it's time. The song I'm writing about this week is "Shaving Cream", a song that would become a Billboard hit almost thirty years later, and one that I just added to my list of Top 50 Funniest Songs Ever.

Shaving Cream was written by Benny Bell and sung by Paul Wynn. Bell was a Jewish American singer/songwriter best known for writing tunes that were risque but innocent. He was a definite precursor to "Weird Al" Yankovic and sophomoric humor rappers like 2 Live Crew, Eminem, and Young MC with lyrics referring to poop, butts, and sexual activity. And this was during a time when Bell had no real outlet to get his songs heard on the radio. Shaving Cream was recorded during the 1940's, but didn't gain much exposure in part to the innuendo lyrics. Each verse of the song describes a bad situation setting up an ending in which the last word is assumed to be "Shit." Instead as your ears anticipate to hear this naughty word due to the emphasized Shhhh sound, the lyric actually is shaving cream. Here's the first verse of the song which is a perfect example of what I'm referring to:

"I have a sad story to tell you
It may hurt your feelings a bit
Last night when I walked into my bathroom
I stepped in a big pile of ...shhhhh . . . aving cream,
be nice and clean. . . .Shave ev'ry day and you'll always look keen."

The song gained new life thanks to appearing on Doctor Demento's radio show, a show that supported novelty songs and tunes filled with dry humor. Demento was the king of spreading cheesy tunes of his liking to the nation developing a cult audience in the process. Thanks to receiving tons of requests from his loyal listeners, he was able to influence Vanguard Records to re-release the song in 1975. The song was recorded fresh with Bell on vocals and reached #30 on the Billboard Charts. Finally Buddy Bell had gotten the hit record he was determined to make thirty years earlier.

Give this tune a listen, I think you'll get a good laugh from it. It a classic bunch of Shh..
Shaving cream!!!!! Be nice and clean!"

MisenPOPic Radio: Episode 4 (Turn The Beat Around)

2010-02-26T10:38:00.000-08:00

If you haven't already listened, check out the future award winning MisenPOPic radio podcast that may just have established our groove. Here is the great recap provided my partner in crime

In this week’s episode of MisenPOPic Radio, Mikey Hersh and me are taking all of you into the wayback machine and landing in the age of disco!! In addition to a general discussion of why disco never died, a rundown of the genre’s best songs, and a couple of book recommendations, here’s what you get:

-Lots and lots of Mikey singing-including a tour de force rendition of Cheryl Lynn’s “Got to Be Real” to open the show.

-A plug for Larry Harris’s “And Party Every Day”, the story behind Casablanca Records.

-Bigg Money Mike gives props to any who can rock a killer karaoke version of “Stayin’ Alive”.

-Mikey introduces BMM to a CD that contains lullaby versions of AC/DC songs.

-BMM confirms the fact that you, indeed, can have sex in a YMCA.

-Mikey admits to a steamy man-crush on BARRY GIBB.

-BARRY GIBB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Is “Disco Inferno” the best disco song of all time? And who the hell is the white dude with the O face in the video?

-BMM recalls his very first “Andrea True Connection”.

-Mikey wonders whether KC & the Sunshine Band will be elected into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame.

Courtesy of: http://popblerd.wordpress.com/

MisenPOPic Update 2/24/10

2010-02-24T15:58:00.000-08:00

How y'all doing? As you can see I'm working hard on fixing up my website and should be done by Friday with all of my lists and additional photos. One day at a time, one day at a time. I've just been busy watching season 2 of Breaking Bad On Demand, and if I thought it was the best show on TV after only watching the seven episodes of Season 1, then the seven episodes I've seen of the second season has gotten the show to a whole new level of awesomeness. I'm so stoked to finish Season 2 by Friday, and then I'm all caught up for Season 3 which begins on AMC at 10:00 on Sunday Night, March 21st. Oh crap, I was thinking of going to see Ace Frehley live in Manhattan that night, guess my plans have no changed. But Mikey, you have a DVR, so record and watch it later. I'm still set in my old-school ways, and love to catch my favorite shows when they first air to avoid spoilers. Even if nobody I know watches this magnificent show.

Check out the new photo montage up top. The theme is best comedy teams in movies, and to cap it off, what better comedy group is there than The Hersh Brothers. That photo was taken during an AC/DC concert with my brother and I experiencing pure bliss. There is nothing, and I repeat nothing, like being at an AC/DC concert hearing Malcolm's melodies and seeing Angus in action. Anyway, can you guess the classic comedy duos/trios or at least the movies they appear in?

More quality stuff possibly tomorrow.

C-ya,
Mikey

Out There!: "The Sun Always Shines On TV" by a-ha

2010-02-23T12:46:00.000-08:00

Although the Norwegian synth-pop music group, a-ha, had a big 80's hit and a few other singles that made the Top 40 Singles chart, their career never really took off here in America. But in their home country of Norway, they are as big to the Norwegians as Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen are to New Jerseyians. In fact, even though a-ha is the most successful Norwegian artists of all time, they are considered a one-hit wonder in the United States. Of course, everybody who knows 80's music is familiar not only with the song but also the music video for Take On Me. The song was a huge success in America winning numerous MTV music awards, earning Grammy and American Music award nominations, hitting the #1 spot on the charts in 1985, and of course most important being recognized as one of the greatest songs all of time per Mikey Hersh. But their second single was just as good as Take On Me, although it's gone unrecognized by most music fans. That song is The Sun Always Shines On TV.

The Sun Always Shines On TV was the second single released from a-ha's debut album, Hunting High And Low. Overall, the song sold over 4.5 million copies. It's also a-ha's staple song everywhere else in the world other than the United States. It managed to peak at #20 on the U.S. Top 100 Hits chart, but was a smash hit in England and Ireland peaking at #1 as well as their homeland peaking at #2. If you listen closely, the melody sounds eerily close to Howard Shore's theme from Big which released in 1988. I wonder if the songwriters even caught wind of this and settled out of court, because for years I assumed that the song from Big was inspired by this tune. The song begins as your typical 80's synth-ballad, and than explodes into a fireball of sound with chugging guitars and razzling synthesizer sound. It's just a magical song that I don't recall hearing or seeing the video for back in 1985, but became a favorite tune of mine while accumulating music for my collection.

What also is kind of neat is that the video is sort of like a sequel to the epic video for Take On Me. The video also won two MTV video awards for best Cinematography and editing, and did you know a-ha is tied with Peter Gabriel for the most total MTV music awards won at 8, a record that I'm sure will stand the test of time as the music video has become a dying art form. The video for The Sun Always Shine features the two lovers from the Take On Me video (a-ha's lead singer and the cute blonde who liked a little like an older Debbie Gibson) admiring each other in a dark forest when his hand starts reverting to its animated state. Soon his whole body is consumed by the animation. Hunched over, he sees his beloved for the last time as she bites her lip, knowing that the two cannot coexist in the same world. After exchanging painful parting glances, he runs into the distance and a blue explosion swallows him up, sending him back to his comic book world. The girl is left all alone in the forest. Only at this point does the song begin in which the band performs in a church. Unlike Take On Me which was an all-synthesizer track although the video gave the impression that is wasn't by featuring a guitarist and drummer, The Sun Always Shines On TV actually featured guitars and drums performed by the members of a-ha.

It's just an amazing song that I think you will enjoy if you haven't heard it before. Damn VH1 for implying a-ha was just another 80's one-hit wonder! In fact, a-ha is still going strong in Europe. Just not in the U.S. where people's takes on music are forced to change with the times.

Ladies and gentlemen... The Sun Always Shines On TV by a-ha

Yo, Do You Remember?" "Boner" from Growing Pains

2010-02-22T14:02:00.001-08:00

I've always wondered what ever happened to Andrew Koenig, the actor who portrayed Mike Seaver's best friend Boner on the 80's sit-com, Growing Pains. He was the prototype for future 80's geeks like Screech and Urkel. Apparently, not only did his career disappear, but he has apparently gone missing as well. I didn't even realize he is the son of Walter Koenig, the actor best known for playing Chekhov in the Star Trek TV show and movies. Let's hope that he is found. Hopefully Kirk Cameron is praying to God for not only him to be saved, but his soul as well.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/22/growing.pains.actor.missing/index.html?section=cnn_latest

Music That Matters (Top 50 Movie Symphonies: #21 Rudy (Main Title)/The Final Game by Jerry Goldsmith)

2010-02-22T10:36:00.000-08:00

Jerry Goldsmith is considered one of the greatest if not perhaps the greatest composer of movie scores in the history of film. He has scored hundreds of films from 1957 to 2003, most notably providing the music for classic films such as Star Trek: The Movie, Hoosiers, The Omen, Gremlins, Total Recall, Basic Instinct, and Gremlins to name a few. I will admit that even though there is only one symphony of his on my Top 50, he deserves a lot of recognition for his talent composing music primarily for action, sci-fi, and horror films. But his best piece of work and only entry on this countdown is ironically for a sports movie, and that masterpiece is the theme and "The Final Game" from the 1993 sports movie classic, Rudy.

We all know the story of Rudy Ruttiger, right? He was a walk-on football player at Notre Dame in the 70's who won over the fans and his teammates with his hard work ethic and desire, which in turn allowed him to fulfill his dream of taking the field as a member of the Fighting Irish for one game. A story too good to not be capitalized on the big screen. As the movie informed us as the end credits were prepared to roll, Rudy would become the first and only player ever to be carried off the field on the shoulders of his teammates. Why did he receive so much love? Because he was the perfect underdog! Rudy may have been considered too small, but he made up for it with his character and true heart. He made the practice squad, and his desire and hard work rubbed off on his team. So during the final minute of a meaningless game due to a huge blowout, Rudy was given the opportunity he grew up dreaming of: playing for the Fighting Irish. Rudy plays on the final kickoff, and because there is some extra time remaining, he stays in for one down and sacks the quarterback (Umm, this didn't really happen, but it made for a touching scene in the film!). The movie was also fictionalized in the sense that Coach Devine was seen as the villain who would only put Rudy in due to the pressure from the rest of his team and the shouts from the crowd ("Rudy! Rudy!). Yet, he had actually agreed days earlier to allow Rudy to dress for the game and was never threatened by his players that they would not play on Saturday if Rudy didn't get to suit up as shown in the film. He originally was okay being portrayed as the anti-hero to make for a better drama, but upon seeing how dramatized the final scene was, Devine was not happy. That's Hollywood for you!

The musical arrangement provided by Goldsmith is so beautiful, and even makes the manly man cry. It might be simple and formulaic, but that's okay with me! I can't imagine any other song that works for the moment when that game ends with Rudy receiving so much love from the crowd, his teammates, and of course his family. Would a power ballad or sports-themed anthem like One Shining Moment have worked better? Absolutely not! It's the classic score of Goldsmith's that really hits you like a ton of bricks and gets the best of your emotions. Those flutes and soft vocals are a good combination especially when the tempo picks up throughout the song. I can hear this musical artistry, and tears automatically fill my eyes and makes me think I can do anything!! Surprisingly, the Rudy score was not even nominated for an Oscar, even though it has become a favorite for most sports movie fans and Generation X. The fact that it's always used in movie trailers to promote other movies and of course in professional sports montages goes to show you how powerful this music is. There may not be a more inspirational movie score then Jerry Goldsmith's score for Rudy!

Ladies and gentlemen... #21 Rudy (Main Title/The Final Game) by Jerry Goldsmith

MisenPOPic Concert Review: Air Supply (2/20/10 Morristown Community Theatre)

2010-02-21T14:40:00.000-08:00

I have been an Air Supply fan ever since I first heard songs such as Even The Nights Are Better and All Out Love back when I was five years old. From 1980 to 1984, Air Supply was one of the biggest groups in the world, and the melodies sung by Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell had a huge impact on me as a little boy during those years while sitting in the back seat of my dad's Thunderbird driving to Rockaway Mall for our usual Saturday excursions, or sitting in the barber's chair at Pro Haircutters in Randolph while getting my hair cut. Fast forward many years later, and I was still infatuated with their music while actually being in the place where the band started, Australia ,in 1994 during my college years, or impressing the girls in my dorm at college during freshman year because I was the only heterosexual guy they knew who owned Air Supply's greatest hits. Besides, isn't Air Supply one of the coolest names every for a musical group? Although they always get a bad rap for playing music for sissies which causes many people to admit that listening to the band is a "guilty pleasure", I've always stood tall indicating how much I love Air Supply and what's so wrong with listening to catchy and melodic love songs? The history also indicates they are one of the most successful groups of all time:
One #1 Song (The One That You Love)
Eleven Top 40 singles
Thirteen Top 40 Adult Contemporary Singles including three #1 hits
Six Top 100 Albums
Ranked #89 of the most commercially successful artists of all time.

Every music fan might not even realize that some of their favorite tunes to hum along to came from Air Supply. Look at their list of hit songs from the 80's: Lost In Love, Every Woman In The World, All Out Of Love, The One That I Love, Here I Am, Goodbye, Just As I Am, and Even The Nights Are Better. Their second biggest hit song written in 1983 by Jim Steinman (who is best known for writing the tunes on Meat Loaf's platinum album Bat Out Of Hell) for their 1983 Greatest Hits album, Making Love Out Of Nothing At All, is considered by yours truly to be one of the greatest 500 songs of all time. Their classic 1982 tune, Two Less Lonely People In The World, was almost used as my wedding song until it was changed at the last minute, although those with astute ears could hear the melody during the ceremony before the wedding party walked out. Simply stated, Air Supply has been one group that I've always remained loyal to and have wanted to see perform live in concert but just never got around to doing so.

Until Saturday night, February 20th, one week after Valentine's Day when Air Supply came to Morristown, New Jersey for their 30th anniversary tour. The venue was the Community Theatre, right in the heart of Motown, a place I've haven't attended a concert at since 2004 when my dad, brother, and I saw Frankie Valli. Over the past few years, the Community Theatre has picked up the ball bringing in a lot of the classic musicians from the past few decades that have had an impact on me. Air Supply seemed to make the most sense for the venue. When my mother-in-law indicated she wanted to see them again but was waiting until the weather report, I told her how badly I wanted to go to see them with my own eyes as well as to better educate my wife about the band. Thanks to a lack of snow, my mother-in-law got tickets for not only her husband, my wife, and I, but also for my parents and my sister-in-law Shari who actually thought she was going to see an Air Supply tribute show. Because we got the tickets late, our seats were up in the balcony. Since the venue is rather small and the fact that Air Supply isn't such a visual band that we needed to be sitting so close to the stage, our seats were perfectly fine. There were some loud and obnoxious forty-somethings sitting in back of us but were immediately put in their place by an older gentleman in the row in front of us who scolded them like he was their kindergarten teacher. It was classic, and make me realize that even when I do things like that, it's not as cruel as what this guy did. The crowd was a nice blend of young and old fans, and it was obvious there were many people in attendance who were bigger fans than I am who probably have seen in concert numerous times.

Air Supply took the stage right on time, opening the show with their classic 1983 hit "Even The Nights Are Better". Although Graham Russell looked okay, time sure has not been kind to Russell Hitchcock. His classic afro and stunning looks from the 80's are no longer there, nor is that classic high-pitched voice of his which he demonstrated with pride in the 80's and 90's before experiencing voice problems. How do I know this? Why thanks to an episode of Behind The Music, of course! Russell and Hitchcock were accompanied by a young group of musicians including a bald lead guitar player who kind of looked like Rob Halford from Judas Priest without the tattoo on his head, a thirty year-old rock & roll bassist, a keyboardist, and a heavy metal drummer who I'm sure must only be playing with the old fellas for the easy paycheck. What struck me as odd was that after playing only six songs, the band left the stage for a 15 minute intermission. I understand the Air Supply guys aren't as young anymore, but considering they are singing only love songs, and not belting them out like in the past, not sure if the intermission was only an excuse for them to take a poopie break. Graham Russell had some energy, but you can see that Hitchcock was struggling. There was some nice crowd reaction when the band performed their staple songs, but in a surprise move, they played a few tunes from their new album which is hitting stores in three weeks and left out big crowd-pleasing anthems like Two Less Lonely People In The World, Chances, and I Can Wait Forever. Highlights included Graham and Russell walking into the crowd during The One That I Love, and Russell doing his best to sing Making Love Out Of Nothing At All like it was 1983 although me serenading my wife due it being one of my favorite tunes might have sounded better.

Here is the set list based on what I can remember since they did perform a few songs I didn't know:
1) Even The Nights Are Better
2) Just As I Am
3) New Song that I can't recall the name
4) The Power Of Love
5) Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You)
6) Mumbo Jumbo (A new song from their upcoming album of the same name)
Intermission
7) New song from Graham Russell on their upcoming album about a wedding he attended in which the groom was heading off to war immediately after.
8) The One That I Love
9) Lost In Love
10) Dance With Me
11) Making Love Out Of Nothing At All
Encore:
12) We Love You (I think that's what this song was called?)
13) All Out Of Love

After the concert, Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock agreed to meet and greet their fans. Before the show, I spoke with one of their merchandising girls who told me they would be signing autographs and I probably wouldn't have any trouble getting a photo with the guys. I expressed my gratitude to her for being so nice. So she told me she would remember me and try to hook me up with a photo with the guys from Air Supply. After the last song, I rushed out of my seat so I could get a good spot in line for the opportunity. While in line, I met some nice folks and negotiated with them to take the photo for me, and I would reciprocate with a photo for them and email the photo since I'm such a nice guy and came prepared with a camera. As I was waiting patiently after the show for about fifteen minutes, security came around and indicated there would be no photos allowed. God damn it!!! Since I noticed my new friend in merchandising was nowhere to be found, I was trying to figure out how I would be able to get a photo without being thrown out. No light bulbs went off at the time, although in hindsight I should have pulled my "Bobby Brady" trick. I should have asked security in a polite manner for a photo opp making up a story that my twin brother (who I would confirm with a photo on my iPod) was battling stomach cancer which is why he couldn't be there but because we read that Air Supply meets the fans after their shows, he expected a photo to enjoy. I know it's cold and twisted, but sometimes you have to do stuff like this when the rules aren't to your liking but you want it bad enough. And especially since the band even praised the security, I could have used that as my trump card. But hindsight is 20/20, so I didn't pull it off. But I did get to meet the band and got an autographed 8X10 photo and ticket. I spoke to Graham Russell and mentioned how much of fan I was since I was a little boy, and mentioned how much I love Air Supply's melodies. He was really nice, and mentioned how he agrees with me that Making Love Out Of Nothing At All has one of the greatest melodies ever even though he didn't write it. Russell Hitchcock, on the other hand, looked even worse up close and didn't seem to even know what the hell was going on. I did thank him for his vocal magic, and he give me a good old fashioned Aussie smile until security told me it was time to leave.

Grade: B (Not one of the most exciting concerts I've ever been to, but I sure was entertained and glad that I went. Considering Air Supply's music has been very instrumental in my life and they probably are the greatest melodic adult contemporary group of all time in my estimation, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see them live for their 30th anniversary as stars in the U.S.A., and 35th anniversary together as a duo)

For your viewing pleasure, below is the classic video to my personal favorite Air Supply song of all time, Making Love Out Of Nothing At All. Trivia: Did you know the blonde woman in the video portraying Graham Russell's girlfriend actually became his real-life wife of whom he is still married to? Also check out that classic 80's hairstyle of Russell Hitchcock!!!!

MisenPOPic Update 2/19/10

2010-02-19T13:51:00.000-08:00

When I created this blog, I thought I would try and compete with the other pop culture blogs on the web. Considering I think outside the box and love to put a personal spin on music, movies, and TV, it was a no-brainer that my blog would be one of the best. Unfortunately, with a lot going on in my personal life with a baby on the way and other priorities, I can't devote myself full time to writing like the other people do who either have a good economic situation or are better at organizing their priorities. The blog has become my #1 hobby though, and I will continue to be creative as well as write my thoughts and introduce people to some of the greatest but obscure stuff from the past, present, and future. But instead of trying to cater to a broader audience, for the time being I'm creating this website mainly for family and friends and of course for my own entertainment. Whether one person reads it or 1,000 people read it makes no difference to me. In time, I hope that it will stand out for being unique and "real", but I have to put less stress on myself about writing. Nothing should really change except there might a two day lag sometimes until new articles are posted. There also will be a lot more Out There! articles which I most enjoy writing. I'm still working on the photo and list pages which are almost done once I get finished with the introductions. And I'll still be doing the weekly podcasts with Mikey Heyliger discussing our thoughts on music and other fun stuff happening in the pop world. You can't get rid of me that easily!

You've read about my Chiller experiences, so it comes as no surprise that I'm getting psyched for the next show. My kid is due around the time of the show in mid-April, but I'm still holding out for a chance to attend. Mainly because there is one guest that I am dying to meet. That guest is Curtis Armstrong who played the role of one of my top five movie characters of all time, Dudley Dawson aka "Booger" from the Revenge Of The Nerds movies. Should I try and book an interview with him, or just let a conversation flow when I meet him? We'll see. I have tons of questions for him not only about Nerds, but also about his other roles in Risky Business, Better Off Dead, One Crazy Summer, Moonlighting, and American Dad. If I can't finagle a free photo out of him, I might have to cough up $10 because he is a legend in my mind!!

This year is off to bang for my buck (literally!) in terms of music. The only real new songs that have caught my attention have been the charity singles for Haiti which include the new Everybody Hurts single brought together by Simon Cowell and of course the new We Are The World 2010 mess of a song. I've been a good boy and donated money on itunes to add them to the collection.

Well, that was true until today! Right now there is an early frontrunner for 2010 Song Of The Year. Thanks to feedback from my brother and hearing the tune while trying to wake up every morning, I've become a fan of Lady Antebellum's new song, Need You Now. Even though they are a country band, this tune has an old-school pop flavor with a catchy melody. Check it out below.

Hopefully, by the end of next week I will have all of these additional pages finished so I can focus more on expressing my thoughts in new articles about the latest doings in the pop culture world. Tomorrow night, I'll be hitting the Air Supply concert in Morristown to hear the beautiful voice of Russell Hitchcock belting out classic love songs, so a review is definitely going to be written on Sunday. I'm also excited with the news that Breaking Bad is returning on March 21st, and the first two seasons will be available on demand as well as reairing on AMC weeknights beginning on March 9th. I strongly urge you to give this show a chance. It's the best drama on TV, and have I ever steered you in the wrong direction before?

I'm also thoroughly enjoying the last season of Lost even if the show is giving us more questions than answers. This season of Survivor with the best heroes and villains of all time is amazing TV, and I'm marking out for Boston Rob to win since he's probably the most charismatic character ever on that show. I was going to give up on American Idol, but since an old friend's son made it to the Top 24, I might not only have to watch but even call in to keep him on the show. His name is Tyler Grady, and he has a decent shot to make the Top 4!!

Enjoy the weekend, amigos and amigas!

Mikey

Out There!: "Wouldn't It Be Good" by Nik Kershaw

2010-02-18T12:22:00.000-08:00

It there is one song that really defines the 80's, it would have to be Wouldn't It Be Good by Nik Kershaw. Yet, even though the song got a fair amount of radio play and the video constantly was played in MTV's rotation, the song failed to even crack the U.S. Top #40 chart in 1984. Even with Kershaw appearing at Live Aid in 1985 with a live performance of this song couldn't make the song a hit in America. Also strange since the song is one that most people my age remember if they don't recall who the actual artist was who sang it. Yet, over in Europe, Kershaw was a huge success with many Top 10 hits including Wouldn't It Be Good which peaked at #2 in Germany and Ireland, and #4 in England. Other artists such as Cascada and Placebo have even covered the song. The tune seems to now show up on VH1 80's countdowns and compilation albums at Target. I actually loved the song when it was released in 1984, but totally forgot about it until watching VH1 Classic when all the channel did was play retro videos in 2001 for it to return back into my consciousness.

Although Kershaw performed at Live Aid, and played guitar on Elton John's 80's hit tune Nikita, his solo career faded as his music become less commercial causing any of his fans he might have had left to bail on him. He continued to write songs and produce in the early 90's and was the genius behind another Out There! classic, The One And Only performed by Chesney Hawkes. The One And Only was a huge hit in England peaking at #1 in 1991 and also did fairly well in the United States thanks to it's appearance in the movie, Doc Hollywood. He also wrote tunes for The Hollies and a 90's boy band by the name of Let Loose. Since then, he's worked with Bonnie Tyler, Elton John, and Michael W. Smith. He writes and produces, but only performs on occasion at festivals in England. I don't think he could even sell out a small club here in the U.S. Although if the performance were in New Jersey, I would go in an instant.

Other random notes about this song: It was featured in the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories video game in the mid-00's. Ricky Gervais was a fan of the tune, using the song on his HBO show, Extras as well as in a special feature "Living with Ricky" on his Politics DVD. VH1 ranked it as the 88th of the 100 greatest one-hit wonders of the 80's. Be sure to also check out the retro video below featuring Kershaw as an alien with a chroma-keyed suit? Got to love those 80's videos.

Ladies and gentlemen... "Wouldn't It Be Good" by Nik Kershaw (I'm sure you will say "Holy crap! I remember that song" once you watch the video below!)

Music That Matters (Top 50 Movie Symphonies: #22 Young Guns II Overture by Alan Silvestri)

2010-02-17T12:55:00.000-08:00

When people think about the soundtrack from Young Guns II, they automatically think of Jon Bon Jovi. The story goes that Emilo Estevez (the star of the movie) originally approached Jon Bon Jovi to see if he would grant permission to allow the inclusion of Bon Jovi's hit song, Wanted Dead Or Alive, on the soundtrack. Bon Jovi didn't feel that the song fit well with the theme of the movie, but was inspired to contribute a new song, Blaze Of Glory, to the film. Blaze Of Glory blazed fast up the charts peaking at #1 and earned Academy and Grammy award nominations. The single led to Jon Bon Jovi's first solo album titled Blaze Of Glory: Songs Inspired by the Film Young Guns II consisting of tunes filled with anger and aggressiveness of which Bon Jovi was feeling at the time as he was determining whether to leave his band and go solo permanently. Although two of the Bon Jovi songs (Blaze Of Glory, Billy Get Your Guns) were featured at the end of the movie, Jon wasn't the primary composer for the film. There actually was an original score created for the movie, another masterpiece turned in by one of the best composers in the biz, Alan Silvestri.

Ironically, Silvestri was not involved with the first Young Guns movie. That nod went to a jobroni composer named Anthony Marinelli who never created any other memorable scores. Alan Silvestri's Young Guns II score mixed a classic western theme similar to tunes heard in classic western films with a new age melodic hard rock guitar sound. The overture is heard throughout the movie, usually when Billy and his gang were riding onward towards their next escapade. The song kind of makes you feel like you are riding along as a member of Billy The Kid's gang. Just some powerful stuff, and very epic. Although not as recognizable as his other works such as the Back To The Future and Forrest Gump scores, I personally believe it's one of his best.

Ladies and gentlemen.... #22 Young Guns II Overture by Alan Silvestri

MisenPOPic Radio: Episode 3

2010-02-15T17:07:00.000-08:00

A week after a total abomination of a show that was eventually deleted, Me and my buddy Mike Heyliger are back chatting about our views of music and other current topics including the death of Doug Fieger from The Knack, John Mayer, and other neato stuff. The test runs continue. Enjoy!

And per a better summary from Mike Heyliger (and no this isn't plagiarizing!), here some other themes elaborated on this show:

-the “We Are the World” 2010 remake, and why Wyclef Jean sounds like a dying sheep
-Mikey’s childhood fear of Annie Lennox
-the difference between “nigga” and “nigger”, and why the guy who hated grunge and political rap is angrier than the guy who enjoyed that shit.
-2 Live Jews
-Money Mike’s tips on how to successfully hide porn surfing on your computer.

MisenPOPic Movie Review: Crazy Heart

2010-02-14T16:26:00.000-08:00

Jeff Bridges might be one of the best actors of my generation even if his work has gone unrecognized during award seasons. Although he has been nominated four times for his acting performances in films like Starman and The Contender, he has yet to win the big one. He's never been an A-List actor, but he has put together a nice body of work. Personally, I thought he was outstanding as "The Dude" in The Big Lebowski, another stinker movie only helped by his performance. His thirty year plus career might be the only justification for him being the frontrunner to win his first Oscar this year for his role of Bad Blake in Crazy Heart. Although he was magnificent in this movie and turned in a top-notch performance, I still believe that Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker and even George Clooney (and I can't stand Clooney!) in The Up In The Air are more deserving and turned in memorable performances. But like the Academy did for Paul Newman in 1986 and Al Pacino in 1993 but haven't done in awhile, the Best Actor award based on overall body of work and a good performance in a bad movie will go to Jeff Bridges.

Some notes on the movie, Crazy Heart. Jeff Bridges is getting tons of acclaim, we all know that. But what about the actual film itself? I now understand why the movie itself wasn't nominated for Best Picture or screenplay. The film was very slow-paced, and I'm not quite sure what all the buzz was about as the film wasn't a movie I would even remember in detail by next February. Also the movie's storyline was all over the place, and a lot of minor characters like those played by Colin Farrell and Robert Duvall might have been interesting but weren't fully developed for me to even care. In fact, Duvall's character is introduced much later in the film with very little information given as to what his role in Bad Blake's life actually was. And uggh!!! Maggie Gyllenhaal is the female lead in this picture. She might be the darling of independent films, but she must have blown a few movie executives to keep getting decent roles in Oscar worthy movies. She and Bridges had absolutely no chemistry in this movie, and her acting was the absolute pits. And naturally, she received a surprise Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, but I don't think she stands much of a chance of winning. The redeeming aspect of the film was the music. T-Bone Burnett gets a lot of hype for his movie scores, but the songs he wrote that were performed by Jeff Bridges were terrific. I hope to get a copy of the soundtrack soon from a good friend, and won't be unhappy if the song "Weary Kind" wins the Oscar for best song from a movie. Jeff Bridges singing country tunes was great, maybe that's why he got a spot in the new We Are The World song for Haiti.

Grade: C (Did not meet expectations. A nice performance by Jeff Bridges, but nothing earth-shattering. Check out the soundtrack, but stay away from this movie!)

MisenPOPic Update 2/12/10

2010-02-12T19:01:00.000-08:00

So much to write about, but I'm still working on the additional pages which include pop culture photos and music/movie lists, so my thoughts in writing will have to come in short waves. I did have to write a quick piece on the We Are The World 2010 version, but I'm sure I'll have more to talk about next week after the song gets more ingrained in my head. I might have been too harsh!

I wish I could write a ton about the Survivor premiere of Heroes Vs. Villains last night, but again I'm pressed for time. I'm happy Sugar got the boot, much deserved! I think Russell is next if the villains go to tribal, although next week's preview indicates at my favorite player of all time, Boston Rob, might be in trouble (physically!) I want to write so much more, but just not enough time or energy.

I could have added another celebrity photo today to my collection today, but I'm beginning to realign my priorities. So it didn't happen! World famous novelist Jackie Collins was in the NYC Borders near MSG just to see how her new book was being merchandised. I only knew it was her because I saw her appearance on some random daytime talk show for women yesterday and detected her British accent. I'm sure I could have had somebody take a photo of me and her on my cell phone as she looked very gracious speaking to the manager of the store and other customers. I called my mom to find out if Collins was one of her favorite authors, then I'd have a legit reason to ask for a photo opportunity to make my mom happy. But my mom informed me that she wasn't a fan, so I didn't bother. I figured I should probably stick to my plan of only approaching celebrities that actually matter. Although if it were Stephen King, I'd have been stalking him in a heartbeat.

I'm trying to write more, but my time is being too consumed with formatting these lists which can take hours due to my OCD making sure everything is lined up properly. How did I get these genes!!!!

Mikey

We Are The World 2010 (The MisenPOPic Review)

2010-02-12T18:27:00.001-08:00

Finally, the new We Are The World video and song were made available today. I did my part and legally purchased both the video and the song to help those in need. After watching the entire video, I thought it was average and in no way can light a candle to the original. The 1985 version was a classic that people still remember to this day. This song will probably do better on the charts and raise more cash, but will be forgotten in a year or two. Does anybody remember Do They Know It's Christmas Time's sequel in 1987, or the third installment by Band Aid 20? Guess my case is closed! I am very disappointed with the end result, but after seeing the list of performers, my expectations weren't high to begin with! Here are some quick thoughts:

When Justin Bieber begins the tune repeating Lionel Richie's original lyrics, it looks cute as he represents the new generation of music. They could play it off like he's some random kid who won a radio contest to sing the opening lyric. But when I hear that his voice was recorded with that shitty new technology that was also used to enhance the voice of other people who can't sing like Paris Hilton or Lindsey Lohan, I knew right then that the music of today is garbage and that this new song stood no chance of being as good as the original. Twenty five years, we will look back on this video and try to remember who this Bieber kid was. Ladies and gentlemen... Justin Bieber will go down in history as the 2010 Version of Tony DeFranco! How about them apples for an obscure pop culture reference? Go on wikipedia and look him up if you didn't pick up on that obscure reference.

You can tell that this video was put together on the fly. It was poorly edited and didn't give you that wow factor when seeing which artists were redoing lyrics that I've always associated with legends like Kenny Rogers, Cyndi Lauper, and Willie Nelson. I even had to do double takes to find out who some of the artists even were.

Wyclef Jean's vocals and stupid Haiti diatribe on this song was unnecessary and just too over the top. I never understood why people worship this guy. Taking classic songs and butchering them with his Haitian accent isn't talent. And I'm sure every music purist who reads this blog is going to rip me a new one because it's not socially acceptable to say bad thing about Wyclef. Although I did like the song, Rubble Man, he put together with the Season 3 Apprentice contestants.

What I thought would be the worst part of the song turned out to be the best. I'm not the biggest fan of hip hop, but I really liked will.I.am's contribution toward the end of the song. I'm okay with bringing new things to the table if it's good, and this actually made the song more interesting. will.I.am, I salute you! He just might have been the MVP of this song!

Lil Wayne and T-Pain should have not been given solo parts. Brutal! Same goes for Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, and Celine Dion. Just too over the top for me!

The solo parts I thought worked really well were those performed by Jennifer Hudson (who I really think is talented), Josh Groban, Pink, Adam Levine from Maroon 5, Jamie Foxx, will.I.am, the dude from the Fray, and Nicole Scherzinger. I would have been okay with this song if they stuck with soloists such as the aforementioned, people who can actually sing and will still be relevant in ten years.

It looks like Fergie was brought in to record her part after the initial recording session. dded a bit later to the mix. Where were Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift, and Beyonce? They probably figured this new version would be a train wreck and wanted no part of it.

I thought it was a nice touch to keep in the vocals of Michael Jackson and Ray Charles from the original who no longer with us. Considering the death of Kim Carnes and James Ingram's careers, couldn't their vocals be piped in as well in tribute?

If there was no hip-hop influence on this album, many fans would cry foul!!! So will anybody listen to my complaints that there were no hard rock or heavy metal contributions to this song? I think it's time for the 25th anniversary of "Stars"! Read my previous article about this if what I just wrote makes absolutely no sense to you.

This song will be #1 on the charts giving Lionel Richie his first #1 hit in over twenty years. Was this song recorded to help Haiti, or to feed make cash to help the fading careers of his daughter Nicole and her husband, Joel Madden from Good Charlotte? Maybe he needs the cash to feed his grandchild?

After seeing the video, the Dan Aykroyd award for the most random person in the choir who had had me thinking what the fuck?..... Ladies and gentlemen, Jeff Bridges or as he's better known as... The Dude!!!

Final Grade: C+ (Cool for the nostalgia factor and a good idea to raise money for Haiti. But the lack of real star power on this song and phasing out of the original artists on the 1985 song is perplexing to me!)

MisenPOPic Update 2/10/10

2010-02-10T19:08:00.000-08:00

I've been so busy creating the additional pages of lists and photos to the blog that I haven't been able to write that much this week. I hope to have most of the new stuff completed by the beginning of next week, but it's just such been such a struggle formatting the pages thanks to my OCD!!!

I just finished watching American Idol the last two nights. The show has kind of lost it's luster for me, but since I'm invested in the show and I have a small connection to one of the contestants, Tyler Grady, I'll continue to watch. I worked with and still occasionally keep in touch every now and then with Tyler's dad, Derek. Derek is so not the Hollywood type, but I think Tyler is going to make the Final list, so naturally I want to see how his pops handles the spotlight. I've mentioned that Ellen DeGeneres has been nothing short of outstanding in her role as the new judge, but I'll say it once and I'll say it again, American Idol is kaput without Simon Cowell. Another thing that I have noticed about American Idol is that will never win an award for editing. Seriously, who is editing this show? The camera shots totally are out of order and there are just too many goofs to spot if you look closely. Maybe my majoring in radio/TV production in college taught me something after all!

I had to include yet another Muppet viral video that is making it's rounds on-line. Just like the Bohemian Rhapsody viral video from a few months back, the new viral video featuring Beaker singing Dust In The Wind is just so amazing. Beaker never fails to make me laugh!!

Peace aaaaah!

Mikey

Music That Matters (Top 50 Movie Symphonies: #23 Parenthood Montage by Randy Newman)

2010-02-09T15:48:00.000-08:00

I've always envisioned a whole group of my family and friends in the hospital waiting room anticipating whether I am going to have a baby boy or a baby girl when my wife is in process of giving birth. And once I run out with the announcement, the waiting room becomes the scene for a big celebration with champagne, cigars, and simply a lot of love between everyone in the room. This vision isn't totally original, though, I got the vision from a scene in one of my favorite movies of all time, Parenthood. This scene happens at the end of the film as there seems to be a few members of the Buckman family bringing babies into the world. And the entire family is all giddy and together as a dynamic unit in the hospital waiting area. And while this all is happening, there is a brilliant piece of music playing that just warms my heart. That song is the #23rd song on the countdown, and it's called "Karen & Gil/Montage" by Randy Newman. The Parenthood soundtrack is pretty difficult to track down, and finding this song on Youtube just was not possible. I don't even remember how I was even able to add it to my collection.

Of course, I have to remember to bring my ipod to the hospital and have it playing after the birth of my child which is happening in less than three months. Wow, boy!

I wasn't able to find a video clip with this great song, and don't have the time to create a flash audio file, so please enjoy Randy Newman's Oscar-nominated song, I Love To See You Smile, from Parenthood as a suitable replacement.

MisenPopic Movie Review: District 9

2010-02-07T08:25:00.000-08:00

Last night I finally got around to watching District 9, and I'm a little bit perplexed on how this movie got nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture. Don't get me wrong, it was a unique and interesting movie and one of the cooler movies about aliens that I have seen. It was like a mixture of Independence Day, Transformers, and Predator all rolled into one movie. It was a fun movie, but not worthy of an award unless Peter Jackson's name has automatically become synonomous with awards since his Lord Of The Rings movies. My buddy Kevin was right when he indicated that Star Trek should have gotten nominated instead. Not only was Star Trek a better science fiction film, but a better overall film. The only Oscar award that District 9 deserves might be for editing.

With that all said, I still thought the movie was entertaining and I smell a new sci-fi franchise coming because the movie left a lot of things open for a possible sequel or even prequel. If you didn't already know, the basic premise of this movie which I pulled from IMDB is: An extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth suddenly finds a kindred spirit in a government agent who is exposed to their biotechnology. The alien creatures were very creepy looking and a job well done by the Weta Workshop for their amazing visual effects. If you are a sci-fi fan, I'm sure you have already seen this movie. If not, it's definitely your cup of tea.

Grade: B (Did not meet expectations, and should not have been nominated for the big prize at the Oscars. Thanks to the new rule of 10 nominated films, District 9 gets recognized.)

AC/DC's Brian Johnson Reiterates My Opinion of Celebs For Charity!

2010-02-05T21:20:00.000-08:00

According to The Pulse of Radio, AC/DC singer Brian Johnson has lashed out at U2 frontman Bono and musician and Live Aid organizer Bob Geldof for their outspoken activism and public charity work.

In an interview with Australia's Herald Sun, Johnson said that he donates to charity but prefers to stay quiet about it, explaining, "I don't tell everybody they should give money — they can't afford it. When I was a working man, I didn't want to go to a concert for some bastard to talk down to me that I should be thinking of some kid in Africa. I'm sorry, mate, do it yourself, spend some of your own money and get it done."

AC/DC does not play charity events, even turning down a slot at Geldof's massive 1985 Live Aid global concert. Johnson said, "Bob Geldof is a canny lad. He did what he thought was right at the time, but it didn't work. The money didn't go to poor people. It makes me mad when people try to use politics or charity for publicity. Do a charity gig, fair enough, but not on worldwide television."

Source: Blabbermouth.net

MisenPOPic Update 2/5/10

2010-02-05T20:22:00.000-08:00

This Redbox DVD machine phenomenon is awesome! Although I'm confined to only being able to rent new releases and no TV sets, the $1 price is extremely cost-efficient. There is a machine within walking distance from my place which makes it even more convenient, although I hate having to walk into a Wal-Mart to use the machine. Did you know that you can actually reserve new discs to guarantee it will be there for you to pick it up, and you can return the disc into any Redbox machine. Unless I want to go on a binge of classic movies or willing to have a marathon of TV shows on DVD, there is no need for me to ever walk into Blockbuster or opt toward Netflix. I just picked up Inglorious Basterds for $1 just so I can enjoy once again one of the greatest acting performances of all time by Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa. I just watched the first hour, and should bang out the second hour tomorrow afternoon. I also rented District 9, a movie that I wanted to see for some time. The movie was a surprise Oscar nomination, so I am also curious to see if it's truly deserving.

Friday afternoon means that the new Entertainment Weekly hits my mailbox. I'm a sucker for receiving magazines in my box, even if I don't have the time to read most of them cover to cover like the good old days. An interesting article that caught my eye was Jeff Probst ranking all 19 seasons of Survivor. Here is his list, and then of course as a fan who has been there for all 19 season, it's my turn as well.

Probst's List
1) Season 1: Borneo
2) Season 16: Fans/Favorites
3) Season 3: Samoa
4) Season 10: Palau
5) Season 7: Pearl Islands
6) Season 15: China
7) Season 8: All Stars
8) Season 2: Australia
9) Season 13: Cook Islands
10) Season 6: The Amazon
11) Season 18: Tocantins
12) Season 3: Africa
13) Season 12: Panama
14) Season 17: Gabon
15) Season 9: Vanuatu
16) Season 11: Guatemala
17) Season 17: Fiji
18) Season 4: Marquesas
19: Season 5: Thailand

Mikey's List
1) Season 2: Australia (Colby & Jerri)
2) Season 8: All Stars (Boston ROB!)
3) Season 13: Cook Islands (Ozzy & Yul)
4) Season 16: Fans/Favorites (Erik The Moron)
5) Season 1: Borneo (Richard Hatch)
6) Season 10: Palau (Tom & Ian)
7) Season 7: Pearl Islands (Rupert, Johnny Fairplay)
8) Season 6: The Amazon (Rob Cesternino)
9) Season 18: Tocantins (Coach!)
10) Season 4: Marquesas (Boston ROB!)
11) Season 15: China
12) Season 3: Africa
13) Season 19: Samoa
14) Season 9: Vanuatu
15) Season 17: Gabon
16) Season 12: Panama
17) Season 5: Thailand
18) Season 17: Fiji
19: Season 11: Guatemala
After this upcoming Heroes Vs. Villains season, I think it's time to move on from Survivor and of course all quote on quote reality shows.

Everybody ready for the Super Bowl this Sunday? I really have no reason to watch unless I'm involved in one of those box pools. So I made sure to get in my wife's pool at work, and I also met some other guy who seemed cool so I bought a $10 box in his pool. Of course, not everybody has a clue how to run one of these pools. Unless a miracle happens, I won't even have the sheet to know what my numbers are or my competition's numbers are, which kills the entire fun of the box pool. I'd like to win and have a history of doing well in these pools, but without the fun of shouting at the TV for field goals and safeties in order to reach my assigned points, there was no point of contributing to these pools. I love that people will go around collecting cash the Monday after the championship games end, but can't figure out to draw the numbers until the last possible moment!!! Uggh!

I might not be writing much this week because I'm going to be busy adding photos and captions to those photos. If you have not already seen my messages on facebook, I'll repeat once again. I'd like to see your photos of you chilling with pop culture legends, and have created a new page to feature these photos. Please send them to me and as long as I know who the celebrities are, I'll be happy to include the photos. I might have a quick movie review of District 9, and of course another movie symphony and Out There! article, but that will probably be it this week.

"Do The Super Bowl Shuffle!" as requested by Jim McMahon, Walter Payton, and the other Chicago Bears from 1985.

Mikey

Misen POPic Update 2/4/10

2010-02-04T18:27:00.000-08:00

As you can see, I've been pretty busy writing a lot, fixing the page with some new features, and beginning to roll on the MisenPOPic podcast with my buddy Heyliger. What I need of course is the support of my friends to tell their friends about it, and of course for them to provide feedback. This isn't only a site for me, but for everybody who enjoys pop culture including family, friends, and people who just happen to stumble upon this site. I want to see your photos with celebrities if you have them, and want to hear your predictions for awards also.

I've added the previous montage themes in case you want to flash back and appreciate the work of my good pal, Jim Veluta. I'm also in process of creating a page of photos of celebrities. I still need to write captions, but the photos are visible. You should see links on the top of page underneath the photo montage. One of those links is Photos with Pop Culture Legends. Again, for my friends out there, if you have photos I can add, I would be more than happy to include them. The more, the merrier. I also plan on creating a page of random pop culture lists to stir debate and most importantly to entertain. Well, even if nobody cares, at least I can continue to entertain myself.

See ya lata, alligators! In a while, crocodiles!

Mikey

MisenPopic Movie Review: Moon

2010-02-04T15:28:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the recommendation from my good pal Jim, I rented a movie that I had never even heard of called Moon. In fact, it was the first DVD I ever rented from one of those Redbox machines. It only costs $1 day to rent new releases as long as you return the DVD the following day, otherwise it's an extra $1 each day you keep it which is still less than renting a movie at Blockbuster as long as you return it within a few days. This just might be my new way of renting movies. And I would recommend it to you as well as long as the nearest machine isn't more than ten minutes away from your house. Anyway...

Moon is an independent science fiction thriller directed by David Bowie's son, Duncan Jones, and starring Sam Rockwell as Sam Bell. The only other big name actor to appear was Kevin Spacey, but only off screen as the voice of the robot, Gerty. Sam Rockwell's character, Sam Bell, is up on the moon by his lonesome on a three year contract to extract helium from the soil to provide clean energy back to earth. His contract is just about up, and he plans on returning back to earth to see his wife and three year old daughter. Right before he is scheduled to return back to earth, Sam goes on one last mission which ends up with him hallucinating and crashing his harvest machine. Fade to black, Sam is back in the infirmary with his robot, and then the total mindfuck begins. I wish I could ever explain what the hell I just watched. Once the movie was over, thank god for wikipedia and IMDB because I had absolutely no clue what the hell happened in this movie. It's very complicated and you have to think long and hard about what you just watched. All I will say is that it involved clones, and determining one clone from another really played tricks on my brain. If you like unique movies (and oh how unique this movie was!!) then this is the movie for you. Sam Rockwell was good playing a role quite similar to Tom Hanks' role in Castaway. The score from Clint Mansell was really freaky and I still can't get it out of my head. I might have to rewatch this movie now that I read the premise, although who has the time to watch a movie over again when there is a whole slew of movies to be watched?

Grade: C+ (Did not meet expectations. A unique movie, but just not my type of movie! I think too much as it is! :)

MisenPOPic Review Of The Oscar Nominations

2010-02-03T17:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning, the nominations for the 2010 Academy Awards were announced. Ever since I was 13 years old, I've always had an interest in the awards and the ceremony itself. Even though the awards really don't mean much, I'm still proud of the fact that I can roll off of my tongue the best picture winners since 1965, and the majority of the winners for the acting awards since 1975. Ok, so I am a loser! So of course I was excited for the nominations, and although with so many other awards shows kind of ruining the surprise of which movies would get nominated, it still was cool to find out. I have even more of an interest because I've seen most of the movies that have gotten nominations. Now I only have to see Crazy Heart, and District 9. Although it's early, I figured I would do a quick review of the major awards and give you my thoughts on who's going to win.

Best Picture
Avatar (Mikey's Rating: A)
The Blind Side (Mikey's Rating: A-)
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker (Mikey's Rating: A)
Inglourious Basterds (Mikey's Rating: A-)
Precious
A Serious Man
Up (Mikey's Rating: B+)
Up in the Air (Mikey's Rating: A)

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Lee Daniels, Precious
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Analysis: It's pretty cool that ten films are recognized for the first time since sometime in the forties, but the race for the Oscar is probably between two films: Avatar and The Hurt Locker. Both are deserving and were two of the best movies I have seen over the past few months. Keep in mind that the awards show is about ratings more than it is about actual film noir, which is why I think Avatar is going to win. The condolence prize will be Kathryn Bigelow becoming the first woman director to win for Best Directing. Or it could go the opposite with The Hurt Locker winning best picture and Cameron only winning for direction. James Cameron even thinks his ex-wife's film is the best of the year and based on his cockiness in 1997 for Titanic, won't win another Best Picture award. Right now it's 50/50, but I'd give the nod based on Oscar politics to Avatar even though The Hurt Locker was a better film. There could be a twist and I wouldn't be upset either if Quentin Tarantino shocks the world by winning one or both of the awards.

Best Actor
Jeff Bridges, ‘Crazy Heart’
George Clooney, ‘Up in the Air’
Colin Firth, ‘A Single Man’
Morgan Freeman, ‘Invictus’
Jeremy Renner, ‘The Hurt Locker’
Analysis: The early front runner was George Clooney, but his stock has plummeted, and he's still got a ways to go until he wins his first award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. He was outstanding in Up In The Air, but kind of just being himself won't cut it. Morgan Freeman was good in Invictus, but he's just lucky to be nominated. I'm glad that Jeremy Renner got the nomination after being snubbed at other awards ceremonies. In my review of The Hurt Locker, I pretty much indicated that he is most deserving of the award. Yet, the Academy usually gives the award to an actor with a broad history in the industry. And I hear Jeff Bridges was phenomenal in Crazy Heart! It looks to be his year, and unless Renner can pull an Adrian Brody and win the award even being more anonymous than the other nominees, Jeff Bridges is going to win.

Best Actress
Sandra Bullock, ‘The Blind Side’
Helen Mirren, ‘The Last Station’
Carey Mulligan, ‘An Education’
Gabourey Sidibe, ‘Precious’
Meryl Streep, ‘Julie & Julia’
Analysis: Sandra Bullock finally gets an Oscar nomination, and although she was very good in The Blind Side, I wouldn't say her performance was Oscar-worthy. She is probably the front runner, but I'm not sure she will be able to keep her steam rolling until March. I didn't see Carey Mulligan or Gabourey Sidibe's performances, but considering they are unknowns, I'm sure there chances are minimal. Helen Mirren also doesn't have a chance, but she won only a few years ago for The Queen, so she must be happy just to be nominated. Meryl Streep has been nominated a record 17 times or something like that, but hasn't won since 1982 for Sophie's Choice. I'm putting my money on Streep to win her second Oscar for acting in a lead role, and her third overall. (She won the best supporting actress award in 1979 for Kramer Vs. Kramer which was most deserved.)

Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon, ‘Invictus’
Woody Harrelson, ‘The Messenger’
Christopher Plummer, ‘The Last Station’
Stanley Tucci, ‘The Lovely Bones’
Christoph Waltz, ‘Inglourious Basterds’
Analysis: There really is no need to analyze this one. Christoph Waltz is a shoo-in to win this award. In my opinion, his performance in Inglourious Basterds was probably one of the ten best acting performances I have ever laid witness to. He deserves all of the praise and recognition. Matt Damon was good in Invictus, but he stands no chance of winning.

Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, ‘Nine’
Vera Farmiga, ‘Up in the Air’
Maggie Gyllenhaal, ‘Crazy Heart’
Anna Kendrick, ‘Up in the Air’
Mo’nique, ‘Precious’
Analysis: I thought Vera Farmiga was terrific in Up In The Air, but neither her or Anna Kendrick have a chance. Maggie Gyllenhall got a surprise nomination (her first) for Crazy Heart and might be a dark horse. Penelope Cruz won last year, and only one other actor (Jason Robards) ever won two consecutive awards for a supporting role, so her chances are slim. I have heard good things about Mo'nique's performance in Precious, and I think she's the front runner. If she does win, I think she would be the first one-named actress to win a Best Supporting Actress Oscar.

Best Animated Feature Film
‘Coraline’
‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’
‘The Princess and the Frog’
‘The Secret of Kells’
‘Up’
Analysis: Another one that doesn't need anaylsis. Considering Up was only the second animated film ever to be nominated for Best Picture, logic indicates it should at least win this award.

Best Original Screenplay
Mark Boal, ‘The Hurt Locker’
Quentin Tarantino, ‘Inglourious Basterds’
Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman, ‘The Messenger’
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, ‘A Serious Man’
Peter Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy, ‘Up’
Analysis: I'd love to see Tarantino win this one, but critics have faulted him for always stealing ideas and dialogue, so I'm not 100% sold on him winning. It's going to be a two man race between him and Mark Boal for The Hurt Locker, and I'd give the nod to Boal for his brilliant script.

Best Adapted Screenplay
Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, ‘District 9’
Nick Hornby, ‘An Education’
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche, ‘In the Loop’
Geoffrey Fletcher, ‘Precious’
Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, ‘Up in the Air’
Analysis: Reading the actual novel, Up In The Air, has been a challenge, but Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner really spruced up the plot for the movie turning it into a completely different direction. District 9 could be a sleeper, but I'll give the nod to Reitman.

Best Original Score
‘Avatar’
‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’
‘The Hurt Locker’
‘Sherlock Holmes’
‘Up’
Analysis: A personal favorite award of mine even if they've seemed to miss the boat much of the time. Why is the list of nominees for Best Score always comprised of movies nominated for other awards, but never for a movie that might have been lousy but had a fantastic soundtrack? I thought James Horner's score for Avatar was one of his best. Although I'm still not 100% sure of Michael Giacchino, I thought the score for Up was also brilliant. This one could go back and forth, but I think Giacchino wins his first Oscar since James Horner already has one for Titanic.

Best Original Song
‘Almost There’ from ‘The Princess and the Frog,’ Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
‘Down in New Orleans’ from ‘The Princess and the Frog,’ Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
‘Loin de Paname’ from ‘Paris 36,’ Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
‘Take It All’ from ‘Nine,’ Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
‘The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)’ from ‘Crazy Heart,’ Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett ’
Analysis: No reason to get my hands dirty on this one either. The Weary Kind from Crazy Heart is winning this one. Sorry Randy Newman!

Of course, Avatar is going to win all of the special effects and sound awards.

The Awards will be handed out on March 7th. Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin are the hosts. I'm not so fond of Alec Baldwin, but Steve Martin always makes me laugh. Considering he has starred in three of my top 50 movies of all time (Three Amigos, My Blue Heaven, & Parenthood), I always root for him!

I'd love to hear what you think, please leave your comments below on movies you support or think might have gotten snubbed!

Out There!: "Stars" by Hear N' Aid

2010-02-03T15:56:00.000-08:00

Not only is 2010 the 25th anniversary of We Are The World and Tears Are Not Enough, but the anniversary of the charity tune to aid Africa from the heavy metal community. Well kind of!! The tune was simply titled "Stars", another 1986 charity single which just might be one of the cheesiest hard rock songs of all time. Do you know even realize that this happened!

During a 48 hour radio telethon at Los-Angeles rock station KLOS in 1985, Dio guitarists Jimmy Bain and Vivian Campbell (who would later join forces with Whitesnake and Def Leppard) noticed there was a total lack of hard rockers present on other charity tunes such as Do They Know It's Christmas? and We Are The World. So with the help of Ronnie James Dio, the three of them wrote a song to unite the hard rockers of the 80's. The name of the smorgasbord of rock legends was Hear N'Aid. How these three guys were able to put it together is still a mystery? They probably has to convince their hard rock pals to show up by promising more booze, drugs, and groupies. It wouldn't even surprise me if half of the rockers on the track were totally stoned while recording. They might even have thought all proceeds from the single would go towards obtaining the best cocaine on the market for them and their bands in the future.

Recorded in May of 1985 at the A&M Studios in Hollywood, Hear N' Aid comprised 40 of the top names in hard rock. Not only did "Stars" feature the pipes of hard rock singers with massive egos but unlike other charity tunes, there would be a guitar solo meltdown in the middle of the track with guitar heroes like Yngwie Malmsteen, George Lynch, Neil Schon from Journey, Carlos Cavazo from Quiet Riot, Brad Gillis from Night Ranger, Eddie Ojeda from Twisted Sister, Buck Dharma from Blue Oyster Cult, and Vivian Campbell himself. Also, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith from Iron Maiden laid down the rhythm melodies, while Jimmy Bain handled bass, Frankie Banali (Quiet Riot) and Vinny Appice (Dio) hit the skins, and Claude Snell (Dio) played keyboards.

The solo vocalists were: Eric Bloom (Blue Öyster Cult), Ronnie James Dio (Dio), Don Dokken (Dokken), Kevin DuBrow (Quiet Riot), Rob Halford (Judas Priest), Dave Meniketti (Y&T), Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt) and Geoff Tate (Queensrÿche)

Backing vocalists included: Tommy Aldridge (Ozzy Osbourne),Dave Alford (Rough Cutt), Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge/King Kobra), Vinny Appice (Dio), Jimmy Bain (Dio), Frankie Banali (Quiet Riot), Mick Brown (Dokken), Vivian Campbell (Dio), Carlos Cavazo (Quiet Riot), Amir Derakh (Rough Cutt), Buck Dharma (Blue Öyster Cult), Brad Gillis (Night Ranger), Craig Goldy (Giuffria), Chris Hager (Rough Cutt), Chris Holmes (W.A.S.P.), Blackie Lawless (W.A.S.P.), George Lynch (Dokken), Yngwie Malmsteen, Mick Mars (Mötley Crüe), Michael McKean (David St. Hubbins of Spinal Tap), Dave Murray (Iron Maiden), Vince Neil (Mötley Crüe), Ted Nugent, Eddie Ojeda (Twisted Sister), Jeff Pilson (Dokken), Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot), Claude Schnell (Dio), Neal Schon (Journey), Harry Shearer (Derek Smalls of Spinal Tap), Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge), and Matt Thorr (Rough Cutt).

Unfortunately, Ozzy Osbourne was probably face down on a highway with no recollection how he got there, and Tommy Lee was banging ten groupies at a time that day which is why these legends could not participate. (I'm just making this up, although it could be true!)

The song itself is just really cheesy, so naturally I love it! I didn't remember it when it was released in 1986, but thanks to one of the many I Love The 80's shows on VH1 in 2002, I discovered this tune and immediately had to learn more about it. Ronnie Dio and his two guitarists must have snorting cocaine off of a mirror when writing this song. Listen to the lyrics to the chorus, they are simple and retarded. The chorus is simply "We're Stars!" Who is the benefit single for, the starving Africans or the metal stars themselves? I understand that Dio and his boys were relevant, but didn't need to be reminded who they are in order to throw some dollars to the needy. I love the ultimate cheese of this video with all these drunk and coked up rock stars all together singing a tune for charity. Just look at Ted Nugent's face as he sings, it's hilarious!

What is kind of funny is that even though the song was recorded in 1985, due to contractual issues with the various record labels representing the bands on the project, Stars wasn't even released until 1986 when the whole relief thing died down. The impact of the single was lost, maybe that's why I didn't even see the video on MTV back then. And you can only imagine how many hours a day I spent watching MTV! Even so, Dio claimed the album which featured the single along with eight live tracks from other major hard rock acts like KISS, Motorhead, Accept, and the Scorpions raised $1 million for famine relief. Of course there was also merchandise such as T-shirts, buttons, and posters sold. Oh! how I would love to be able to find some of this stuff at a garage sale! I would even buy a shirt at the right price. Dio had written a sequel called Runaway Children for a charity he was involved in to aid families of runaways, and because of a lack of interest, he eventually just recorded it on his 2002 album, Killing The Dragon. Rumors have surfaced that Dio did in fact write yet another sequel to "Stars", and although he is attempting to beat cancer, maybe he can either oversee production of this song for a new generation of metal fans and kids who love playing Guitar Hero. Or maybe Dio can expand on the original and write a better chorus. If We Are The World is being redone, why not Stars? Let's get Gene Simmons, Lemmy, Slash, Joe Perry, Dave Draiman from Disturbed among others and record a much heavier version of "Stars". Even if it's not a hit single, the unintentional comedy would be off the charts.

Ladies and gentlemen... Watch the video below and be prepared to laugh your ass off!!! It's "Stars" by Hear N' Aid.

Out There!: "Tears Are Not Enough" by Northern Lights

2010-02-02T17:08:00.000-08:00

It's the 25th anniversary of We Are The World, and we are going to be treated to a brand new version in a few days. It's also the 25th anniversary of Tears Are Not Enough, the charity single recorded exclusively by Northern Lights, a supergroup of Canadian rock stars shunned from the We Are The World single because they weren't true U.S. citizens. Think there is any chance of an updated version featuring the Canadian pop stars of today? I doubt it! Any of you out there remember this song? Maybe, maybe not? The song was pretty catchy and unique for it's time and it just might be argued that the song was actually a better-written and catchier tune than We Are The World.

Recorded February 10th, 1985 in Toronto, Tears Are Not Enough was written by group of writers including David Foster, Bryan Adams, Jim Vallance, and Bob Rock. The actual idea to bring together Canadians to record their own single to aid Africa came from Bruce Allen, manager of Canadian musicians including Bryan Adams, Bachman Turner Overdrive, and Michael Buble. The tune would eventually end up on the USA For Africa album, raising 3.2 million dollars for African famine relief projects with ten percent taken out to assist Canadian food banks. The video got a decent amount of airplay on Much Music in Canada, and although never charting in the U.S., the song was an obvious smash in Canada quickly reaching #1 on the Canadian Top 40 Chart.

Just like USA For Africa including the cream of the crop of U.S. born musicians of the 80's, Northern Lights spared no expense bringing in many of the best-known Canadian artists of that era. Take a look at the big names who recorded solo parts: Gordon Lightfoot (legendary singer/songwriter from the 70's best known for classics like Sundown and If You Could Read My Mind), Burton Cummings (lead singer/keyboardist from The Guess Who whose only solo hit, Stand Tall, is ranked as one of the worst 50 songs of all time in my estimation), Anne Murray, Joni Mitchell, Dan Hill (Adult Contemporary star of the 70's and 80's best known for his AM classic Every Time We Touch), Neil Young (who got shit from the producers for not singing in key even though that is what he's known for. Yet another reason I think he is overrated), Bryan Adams, Mike Reno (lead singer of Loverboy and the poster boy for rock & roll headbands), Corey Hart (the mushmouth singer best known for Sunglasses At Night which I truly believe is one of the ten best songs recorded in the 80's), Bruce Cockburn, and Geddy Lee (vocalist/bassist for legendary rock group and R&R Hall Of Fame snubbed band, Rush)

Also in the background were Paul Anka who I'm shocked didn't get a solo, Tom Cochrane from Rough Rider who later would pen the classic tune Life Is A Highway, Canadian actors John Candy and Eugeny Levy (the face of the American Pie movie franchise only because it's an easy paycheck), Catherine O'Hara (the mom from Home Alone), Paul Shaffer (yes that Paul Shaffer best known as the band leader for David Letterman), and Frank Mills (best known for the piano classic, Music Box Dancer). Even Canada's prodigal son Wayne Gretzky appeared at the end of the video appearing to sing along.

I'm crossing my fingers for an update of this song. Let's get Bryan Adams, Chad Kroeger, The Barenaked Ladies, Geddy Lee, Avril Lavigne, the guys from Sum 41, and Paul Anka involved. Hell, let's even resurrect Corey Hart's career and bring him along for the ride! We must not forget about our Canadian brothers and sisters. Not only can they chip in more dough, but maybe they can even contribute some of the proceeds to the United States for a better health care plan like they have? Eh?

We can bridge the distance, Only we can make the difference, Don't you know that tears are not enough?

MisenPOPic Update 2/2/10

2010-02-02T15:49:00.000-08:00

So much time and so little to do. Strike that, reverse that last sentence. Today is a big day for me and especially my brain. Even though awards ceremonies are a joke and mean nothing, there still is a big place in my heart for the history of cinema and always enjoy when the Oscar nominations are announced. I wish I had time to review today, but it will have to wait until tomorrow. I just am really happy Jeremy Renner got the nomination for Best Actor. Truly deserving of the nomination is he, although it's a foregone conclusion that the award is Jeff Bridges' to lose. I'm also happy to note that I have seen six of the nominees for Best Picture (Avatar, Up, Up In The Air, The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basterds, and The Blind Side) and with the exception of the last movie in that list, all are deserving. I also need to go out and rent District 9.

I'm so absorbed with news about this new We Are The World single which has got my mind spinning with thoughts on future Out There! articles featuring some of the lesser-known charity tunes. I hopefully will be able to enlighten you all and maybe bring back some memories of two of these songs. One of them features only Canadians, while another might just be the cheesiest heavy metal song of all time.

Of course the big deal of the day is the season premiere of Lost tonight. It's been a long wait, and because it's the final season, I hope to get some answers to some of the questions that have been plaguing my mind for the past five seasons. Although I will be sorry to see it go, I'm glad it will get a proper ending and not get dragged on and on like most high rating dramas seem to do. The montage this week pays tribute to my favorite characters from the show with the exception of the two female characters who I only added because I didn't want it to appear that I'm not only interested in men. For my fellow Lost fans out there, enjoy the show and I can't wait to hear your comments tomorrow. Where are we, Charlie asked in season one, and finally we will understand what the island is all about.

To end with a quote from Desmond: See you in another life, brotha!

Mikey

MisenPOPic Special Analysis: We Are The World 25th Anniversary

2010-02-02T13:58:00.000-08:00

I know I am probably beating a dead horse into the ground, but for some reason I am truly intrigued that Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie have decided to revive their massive hit single, We Are The World for an updated recording. If only Michael Jackson were still alive to be a part of the process since he also wrote the song with Lionel Richie. If you haven't heard already, since it's the 25th anniversary of the Grammy winning song that raised tons of cash for the starving people in Africa back in 1985, and of course since there is plenty of devastation in Haiti after the massive earthquake a few weeks ago, a new group of musicians went into the studio where the original tune was recorded yesterday to record an updated version of the song to raise money. The new version will be released to the world on February 12th during the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics and it's expected to raise more than $50 million to aid Haiti.

The 1985 original featured the cream of the crop in the music world during the 80's with big names such as Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, and Kim Carnes (okay, well maybe they all didn't have staying power!) on board. It was a massive who's who of the top musicians during the 80's. And not one of them was asked to return to add their vocals to the new track. Although I do hope that Lionel Richie will sing the same opening line from the original, although it's doubtful.

Below is the list of performers broken into five groups which will be properly explained. The final list hasn't been announced and some of the names on here might be recording parts later in the week or might not be on the tune at all. There truly is a smorgasbord of artists from different genres and different decades, and the result may just be a massive train wreck that damages the reputation of the original classic.

BIG GUNS (The following are the pop stars participating in the project that make the most sense and have earned the right to sing on this classic. Whether I like or dislike the artists is irrelevant. What matters are they are to 2010 what Cyndi Lauper, Huey Lewis And The News, and Hall & Oates were to 1985):
Janet Jackson (It's confirmed that although she was not able to make the recording session, she will record her brother Michael's lines from the original)
Pink
Eminem
Kanye West
Lady Gaga
Justin Timberlake
will.I.am (Of course!)
Usher
Josh Groban
Jennifer Hudson
Jordin Sparks
Lil Wayne (he is actually singing Bob Dylan's verse! Makes sense since both can't sing very well!)
Jamie Foxx
Jason Mraz
Miley Cyrus
Akon
Wyclef Jean
Nicole Scherzinger
Sugarland
Drake
Keri Hilson
Rob Thomas
Enrique Iglesias
Adam Levine from Maroon 5
Isaac Slade from The Fray (I hope he gets to sing Steve Perry's original verse)
Celine Dion (because she wasn't around for the original, and Voices That Care was just not good enough for her!)

I have heard mixed reports, but the following artists would make the most sense: Beyonce, Jay-Z, Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Fergie, Carrie Underwood, and of course God's gift to humanity, the one and only Bono who needs to set the record for singing on the most charity tunes of all time.

Music Legends (These are the legends of the music world who probably regret passing up the chance to be included in 1985):
Barbra Streisand (The fact that she blew off the original must have been killing her for years, especially since after declining to be a part of the original, she ended up on the Hands Across America tribute song a few years later which made very little impact!)
Carlos Santana
Natalie Cole
Gladys Knight
Ann & Nancy Wilson from Heart
Brian Wilson & Al Jardine from The Beach Boys
Tony Bennett
Patti Austin (yes you read that correctly! In 1985, absolutely! In 2010, what a joke! Maybe she just hid in the closet and hibernated at the Jim Henson studio in the late 80's and decided to come out at such an appropriate time as now.)

The Dan Aykroyd Crew (Actors who many people including me wonder what the fuck they are even doing there! The props go to Dan Aykroyd who was probably the most random person included on the original version of We Are The World! Although he did have some hit records as part of The Blues Brothers, so maybe it did make some kind of sense!)
Vince Vaughn (He definitely wins the Aykroyd award for the most random celebrity participating)
Jeff Bridges (Okay, we know he is going to win the Oscar for portraying a washed up country singer in Crazy Heart, but is there any other reason for him be a part of this?)
Rashida Jones (Well, she is Quincy Jones' daughter, so I guess a little nepotism can't hurt)
Nicole Richie (See above, only change Quincy Jones to Lionel Richie)
Randy Jackson (Okay I know he's a music producer and played bass for Journey in 1986, but if he's here, why not bring in Paula Abdul as well?)

The ???? List (Musicians who I know very little about, which obviously means what the fuck are they doing appearing on this song if only to use it as a springboard to gaining notoriety?)
Mary Mary
Melanie Fiona
Raphael Saadiq
Musiq Soulchild
Trey Songz
Ethan Bortnick
3T (Tito Jackson's three sons)
Jimmy Jean Louis
Sean Garrett

And last but not least, The WHAT THE #$#$! List (This list features the most people of which there is absolutely is no justifiable reason for any of them to be included)
Justin Bieber (Am I missing something here with this kid?)
Orianthi (She is talented and I predict big things for her! But just because you were Michael Jackson's guitarist for his tour which obviously never happened does not mean you should be participating)
The Jonas Brothers (I think their star has faded, maybe the right move to be included before we don't hear from them again until the Where Are They Now? VH1 5 special happens in 2030.)
T-Pain
India.Arie
Julianne Hough
BeBe Winans
Mya (Still trying to cash in on her Dancing With The Stars performance!)
Tyrese Gibson
Joel and Benji Madden (Huh? The only thing still keeping Good Charlotte relevant is Joel's marriage to Nicole. A big thanks is in order to his father-in-law)
Brandy
Katharine McPhee (David Cook, Daughtry, or Taylor Hicks weren't available!)
Kid CuDi
LL Cool J
Snoop Dogg (Probably just showed up to see if he can score some premium hash!)
Faith Evans
Robin Thicke (I'm still on the fence about this one)
Zac Brown
Harry Connick Jr.
AR Rahman
One of the guys from Bone Thugz And Harmony

I truly can't wait to hear this song, but my expectations are really low! There isn't anybody performing on the new version that I care much about. Unlike 1985 which features many of my favorite artists of all time (Billy Joel, Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Lindsey Buckingham, Steve Perry, Huey Lewis, Hall & Oates, Stevie Wonder, James Ingram, Bruce Springsteen, Jeffrey Osborne, and Cyndi Lauper). A remade version of the song was eventually due, but would it be so wrong if some of the original musicians could be included on the update? How about a B side with the original musicians since all are still alive except Michael Jackson (who could be replaced by his sister or his gold digger brother Jermaine) and Ray Charles (put in John Legend and nobody would bat an eyelash!)?

We Are The World is one of my favorite songs off all time, and makes me reminisce about a time in my life when being a kid with no issues or responsibilities was so incredible. I still own my original 45 vinyl of the 1985 We Are The World recording, maybe I should cash in while it's hot. And I'm sure any reader under the age of twenty one has no idea what a 45 vinyl even means! Let's hope that this new version of We Are The World will mean to today's youth what the 1985 original meant to me.

MisenPOPic Book Review: I Am Ozzy

2010-02-01T16:57:00.000-08:00

What a surprise it was to hit my local Borders and notice that Ozzy Osbourne has written his memoirs. Considering all of the drugs and alcohol Ozzy has been rumored to have used over the past thirty years, how could he even remember anything that happened? Because you can only gain so much information from Wikipedia and I'm a sucker for books about hard rock, I spent the past few days at Barnes & Noble and Borders reading it. I'm not the biggest fan of Ozzy even if I own all of his albums, but wanted to learn more about his history. Although I take Ozzy's words with a grain of salt, I still was intrigued by his recount of what he thinks happened in his past. I just read the book as if it were a work of fiction. Ozzy sure has lived a crazy lifestyle and it's shocking that he wasn't another rock & roll casualty.

I figured the book would really delve into his recent struggles, his children, and the popular reality show of his in the early 90's. But only a little bit was written about the show, and what was indicated was that Ozzy really didn't care too much for it. What really interested me was his upbringing in a poor working-class section of England and how he wasn't expected to make much out of life. I found out more on how Black Sabbath was formed as well as how Black Sabbath kicked Ozzy out of the band. I also learned more about Ozzy's relationship with Randy Rhoades who was Ozzy's guitarist on his first two albums before dying in a freak plane accident. Of course, he talks about biting the head off of a dove, chewing the head of a bat that he thought was a rubber toy and getting rabies, and of course pissing on the Alamo. Ozzy goes into much detail about all of the drugs he snorted, all the liquor he consumed, and all of the relationships he ruined due to his addictive behavior. You really understand how important his wife Sharon was to saving not only Ozzy's career, but also his life. Ozzy comes off as a tragic figure who never meant to hurt a soul and had a heart of gold, but just could not stop abusing his body with drugs and alcohol. For those who have seen Ozzy on TV over the past few years, he is an absolute mess and is truly fortunate to be still be on this earth.

Ozzy's biography was a quick read. Again, I'm not sure how much of it was true, but Ozzy and his co-writer put together a nice little story blended with a lot of humor. If you also love reading about bodily fluids, poop, horrid sex acts, and utter destruction of one's body, this is the book for you. Although not as good as Motley Crue's book The Dirt, Ozzy's book is a must read for hard rock fans.

Grade: B

MisenPOPIC Radio: Episode 2 (2/1/10)

2010-02-01T16:17:00.001-08:00

Money Mike and Mikey Hersh discuss last night's 52nd Annual Grammy Awards and review the award winners and performances. They also have fun analyzing the new We Are The World 25th Anniversary song, and have a chat about other charity tunes.

Music That Matters (Top 50 Movie Symphonies): #24 Beach Merengue Mix by Ira Newborn

2010-01-31T14:56:00.000-08:00

At #24 is the first of two brilliant merengue tunes composed by Ira Newborn and heard in the classic 1990 comedy, My Blue Heaven. For those of you not familiar with Newborn's work, he also has composed scores for important movies like Sixteen Candles, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Uncle Buck, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and Mallrats. Newborn probably is most famous for composing the theme from the 1982 cult TV series Police Squad which would be reused in the three Naked Gun movies. Ira Newborn might not be one of the most familiar composers or even been nominated for an Oscar, yet his themes including the merengue tunes in My Blue Heaven have achieved cult status.

The Beach Merengue mix is the second merengue tune heard in the movie. During Barney Coopersmith's (played by the great Rick Moranis) company picnic, based on the fact that he now has experience with the dance thanks to some prior coaching from Vincent Antonelli (Steve Martin), he wants to impress his date and dance the merengue with his date, Hannah Stubbs (played by Joan Cusack). Barney tips the band leader a few bucks to play some merengue music which he is more than happy to oblige on. At first Hannah is hesitant, especially since she is a lot taller then him and also is a bit of a prude herself. But soon enough, the couple are having a great time performing the dance and then taking their dance moves all over the beach. Not only is the song a hit with Barney and Hannah, but Barney's partner Kirby can't seem to stop his feet from moving even though his colleagues would probably look down on him for being a sissy. So Kirby (played by Bill Irwin) also goes off on his own and dances up quite a storm until he almost trips and breaks his leg. Although not as good as the original meringue scene which I'll be writing up later on the countdown, this scene is still magnificent and really clues you in on the fact that Barney Coopersmith does have a personality and is a fun guy thanks in part to his Mob boss turned state witness and new friend, Vincent. The music really works over the scene in which two former straight-edged characters have shed their rough interiors to have a great time which probably will lead to some bedroom activity

By the way, this song is extremely difficult to obtain!! The My Blue Heaven soundtrack was never released, and the Beach Merengue mix was never added to itunes or available on any peer to peer networks. My brother was only able to get his hands on the song from another soundtrack collector on the internet that claimed he got them directly from Ira Newborn himself.

Ladies and gentlemen... #24 The Beach Merengue Mix by Ira Newborn from My Blue Heaven

MisenPOPic Update 1/31

2010-01-31T14:25:00.000-08:00

I'm simply falling behind. I have these great ideas and stories in my head, but with not enough time to think let alone breathe, I haven't been able to write much this week. Talking is a lot easier for me than writing, and I would think listening is more easier than reading for those that are entertained by my ramblings. So be sure to listen to the MisenPOPic podcast tomorrow in which Heyliger and I will recap the awards and performances from the Grammys. More importantly, with news that the 25th anniversary of We Are The World will be recorded the following day in the same studio as the original, I am so psyched. Although I have a lot of questions including who is going replace Dan Aykroyd as the "What the hell is he doing there celebrity, and who from the original besides Lionel Richie will be singing on the updated version. Listen to another test run podcast which I think will really entertain you. I'm going to jot down some quick Grammy predictions instead of writing a full-blown article about these awards that really don't mean much.

Quick Grammy picks for the Awards that people care about:

Record of the Year
* "Halo" – Beyoncé
* "I Gotta Feeling" – Black Eyed Peas
* "Use Somebody" – Kings of Leon
* "Poker Face" – Lady Gaga
* "You Belong With Me" – Taylor Swift
Should Win: "I Gotta Feeling"- Black Eyed Peas
Will Win: "You Belong With Me" – Taylor Swift

Album of the Year
* I Am... Sasha Fierce – Beyoncé
* The E.N.D. – Black Eyed Peas
* The Fame – Lady Gaga
* Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King – Dave Matthews Band
* Fearless – Taylor Swift
Should Win: "Feel The Steel"- Steel Panther. Oops, sorry!.....
Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King – Dave Matthews Band (even though I still think it's their worst album!)
Will Win: Fearless – Taylor Swift

Song of the Year
* "Poker Face" – Lady Gaga
* "Pretty Wings" – Maxwell
* "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" – Beyoncé
* "Use Somebody" – Kings of Leon
* "You Belong With Me" – Taylor Swift
Should Win: "Poker Face" – Lady Gaga
Will Win: "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" – Beyoncé

Best New Artist
* Zac Brown Band
* Keri Hilson
* MGMT
* Silversun Pickups
* The Ting Tings
Should Win: Silversun Pickups (even though they should not even be considered "New"
Will Win: Zac Brown Band (Another Grammy winner that will be the answer to an irrelevant trivia question in ten years!)

Best Hard Rock Performance
* "War Machine" - AC/DC
* "Check My Brain" - Alice in Chains
* "What I've Done" (Live) - Linkin Park
* "The Unforgiven III" - Metallica
* "Burn It to the Ground" - Nickelback
Should Win: War Machine" - AC/DC (Umm, the best rock & roll band ever? I really want to see if Angus and the boys even show up in case they win!)
Will Win: "Burn It to the Ground" - Nickelback (Just because the Grammy voters don't have a clue about music and of course Nickelback needs to just keep selling more albums)

Best Rock Song
* "The Fixer" - Pearl Jam
* "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" - U2
* "21 Guns" - Green Day
* "Use Somebody" - Kings of Leon
* "Working On A Dream" - Bruce Springsteen
Should Win:"The Fixer" - Pearl Jam
Will Win: "Use Somebody" - Kings of Leon (Based on common sense since this song is nominated for song of the year)

Best Rock Album
* Black Ice - AC/DC
* Live from Madison Square Garden - Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood
* 21st Century Breakdown - Green Day
* Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King - Dave Matthews Band
* No Line on the Horizon - U2
Should Win:* Black Ice - AC/DC (Their best album since 1990's The Razor's Edge)
Will Win: * Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King - Dave Matthews Band (Uggh!)

Also this week, another movie symphony, Out There! article featuring the 25th anniversary of another charity single, and hopefully another recap of meeting a celebrity. I'm also reading and thoroughly enjoying the new Ozzy Osbourne biography which might also need a review.

Noteworthy this week in pop culture is the announcement of the Oscar nominees on Monday, the premiere epidsoe of the final season of Lost on Tuesday, a show recapping the history of Survivor called Surviving Survivor on CBS Thursday, and of course the Super Bowl on Sunday with some great commercials lined up including a Griswold reunion of Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo, and a new Dr. Pepper Cherry ad featuring Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.

Back with more later this week, and remember to listen to the podcast which should be up Monday evening at 9:00!

Mikey

MisenPOPic Update 1/28

2010-01-28T19:47:00.000-08:00

I'm falling behind a little bit the past few days as I've been all over the place. The good news though is myself and my pal Mike Heyliger are on our way to establishing a fun podcast which we will probably start doing once per week. Instead of writing a live Grammys blog, we'll rehash the awards and ceremony on Monday. I'll probably stick with a quick review tomorrow of the ten most prestigious awards, even if the Grammys really mean nothing in the scheme of life.

Hope you enjoy this week's theme. If you haven't figured it out, the montage features my favorite cartoon characters of all time. Can you name them all? Some are obvious, others might be tough to guess. Of course my favorites include a piece of shit, a retarded dog, an old pediphile, and a jive turkey hiding behind a ski mask! Not everybody goes with the obvious choices of Homer Simpson, Alvin the chipmunk, and Bugs Bunny.

I'm tired, and my hands are still cold from holding a Slurpee cup a few minutes ago. Time to bid adieu!

Mikey

Music That Matters: Top 50 Movie Symphonies (#25 Theme From Victory by Bill Conti)

2010-01-27T18:05:00.000-08:00

We are now half way through the countdown. At #25 is a classic score from Bill Conti from perhaps the greatest movie ever about soccer, Victory. This was one of my dad's favorite movies due to his love of soccer and because it featured his idol, Pele. His love for the movie rubbed off on me, even if soccer was the only thing from the film that I understood back in 1982. Remember,I was four years old and knew nothing about wars, POW's, Germans, and rescue missions at that time. Released in 1981, this movie was jam-packed with big name actors including Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, and Max Von Sydow, and also legendary soccer stars including Pele and Bobby Moore. Victory, or Escape To Victory as it was called in Europe, is about a group of allied prisoners of war stuck in a German refugee camp during World War II. Michael Caine plays John Colby a former British footballer who makes conversation with an SS Major played by Max Von Sydow after the German recognizes him per his visit. Von Sydow's character decides to stage an exhibition soccer match between a German team and a team of allied prisoners led by Colby. The thought is that it might allow for the men to be freed from prison, but in actuality it's all one big publicity stunt in order to spread propaganda. Colby has to field a team and finds some major talents in his camp including the one and only Pele. I'm not quite sure how a Black dude from Brazil who can do amazing stuff with a soccer ball just happens to be in a German prisoner camp, but if it means we will see him performing bicycle kicks later on in the movie, that's fine with me. Then there is Sylvester Stallone who plays Robert Hatch, an American POW who sees a grand opportunity to try and get a spot on the team in order to hatch an escape plan. Although he has very limited skills, he cons his way onto the team as the goalie thanks to some good luck. The big game happens toward the end of the movie, and I don't think I have ever seen such a beautiful and realistic game of Hollywood soccer ever played on screen. The first half of the game is close even though the German team is playing dirty and the referees are penalizing the Allied team. At halftime, the score is close and while some of the players plan on escaping through the locker room per the arrangement made by Hatch, some others feel they can still win the game and want to compete. Rather than escape to sure freedom, the Allied team decides to take the field for the second half. Even with a banged-up Pele who can barely walk. One of the greatest movie moments ever and perhaps the first that I saw as a four year old was when Pele performs a signature bicycle kick which is then shown a few more times in different angles. The POW team actually takes the lead in the game, but due to the bullshit refs, the goal is disallowed due to a questionable offsides call. Tied 4-4 thanks to some outstanding goalkeeping work, the game is about to end on a penalty kick due to another bullshit call from the ref. Stallone saves the days causing a tie, and the crowd goes nuts. I won't give away the ending because I advise this movie for everybody, but it's pretty funny when Max Von Sydow gets up and applauds which would probably get him shot!

The best part of Victory is the final credits which features all of the actors and soccer legends through highlights from the movie over the brilliant score from Bill Conti. I can watch it over and over again, the music and the soccer scenes gel together nicely. The soundtrack from Victory is impossible to find. There has never been a Bill Conti greatest hits album either, so it took me years to add this song to my collection. I remember searching Sam Goody, Best Buy, and used records shops in hope of finding the soundtrack and this one song. Thanks to new technology, I was able to pull the theme from my DVD three years ago. Of all of the themes on this countdown, the theme from Victory is the one that might just mean the most to me on a personal level.

Ladies and gentlemen.. Another Bill Conti masterpiece... Theme From Victory

And of course, the magic scene from Victory featuring Pele!!!

Out There!: "When The Heart Rules The Mind" by GTR

2010-01-27T13:22:00.001-08:00

Did you know that there were four members of 2010 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductee, Genesis, to have additional success on their own? Of course everybody knows that original lead singer Peter Gabriel became a superstar with his legendary music videos and theme song from the hit movie Say Anything (In Your Eyes). The original drummer and the replacement vocalist who belted out the essential Genesis tunes of the 80's was Phil Collins, who I believe we can say had a pretty fine solo career himself. Lead guitarist Mike Rutherford formed his own band, Mike & The Mechanics in the mid-80's which produced 80's staple songs such as Silent Running, All I Need Is A Miracle, and The Living Years (which was a worldwide smash even holding the #1 spot on the Billboard charts in March of 1989). And then there was Steve Hackett, the original Genesis guitarist who left the band in 1977 to pursue a solo career. Surely you remember GTR, the supergroup Hackett formed with former Asia and Yes guitarist Steve Howe in 1985? No, you don't remember? Well I actually didn't remember either until I was introduced to VH1 Classic in 2000 and saw their music video for their only hit single, When The Heart Rules The Mind, a video I hadn't seen since it debuted in 1985.

GTR were notorious for creating a band with synthesizer and guitar melodies without the use of an actual keyboard synthesizer. It may have worked in the studio, but doesn't sound so hot when they played live. GTW released their self-titled debut in 1985, produced by Steve Howe's friend and former bandmate in Asia and Yes, Geoffrey Downes. You might remember him as the lead singer of Video Killed The Radio Star when both he and Howe were members of The Buggles. GTR's album peaked at #11 on the album charts, and even went gold. The first single from the album was When The Heart Rules The Mind. If somebody asked what music sounded like in the 80's, showing them the music video for When The Heart Rules The Mind would probably give that person a pretty good idea. Just check out the funky dance moves of Max Bacon on lead vocals. It's safe to say that Carlton on Fresh Prince used this video as inspiration. The song was a moderate success sticking on the charts for 16 weeks peaking at #14. A second single, The Hunter, received decent airplay on MTV and peaked at #85. A lot of Genesis and Yes fans were less than pleased with the songs believing them to be filler-material pushed out quickly to capitalize on the success Genesis was having as a trio (Collins, Rutherford, and Tony Banks). GTR continued playing live shows around the world, but Hackett began to lost interest due to artistic limitations and disagreements about financial issues. So he quit the band in 1987. Howe tried to keep the band alive bringing in a new singer/guitarist, but it never panned out and GTR was no more.

When people ask which band was the only to have four members have solo success, usually the answer is The Beatles. But Genesis would also be the right answer even though they can only name Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, and Mike & The Mechanics, but forget about GTR!!!

Ladies and gentlemen... When The Heart Rules The Mind from GTR (no not GNR!)

MisenPOPic Radio Is Coming!

2010-01-25T18:33:00.001-08:00

It's just a work in progress as my partner in crime Mikey Heyliger and I attempt to record the greatest podcast of all time. We'll be rapping about movies, music, book, sports, adult entertainment, and throw in a bunch of random pop culture nuggets from the 70's and 80's. Here is the first episode unedited, it's kind of like the Holiday Star Wars Christmas Special in the sense that the producers will want to have it destroyed soon after it was released. We are still working on creating an identity for the show and establishing some kind of order to it. You obviously can tell my voice is rather low and I sound tired, while Heyliger sounds like a younger version of Casey Kasem! We will be doing a few more test runs until we confirm the angle we want to take on the podcast. Give it a listen! Pop it into itunes if you want to hear it on your ipod, and let us know what you think.

MisenPOPic Movie Review: The Hurt Locker

2010-01-24T09:25:00.000-08:00

I always make it a point to see the movies that are competing and winning all of the awards whether it be the SAG, Golden Globes, Critics Choice, or Oscars just so as long as the movies aren't directed by Woody Allen or are too artistic for me to appreciate. So far, I've seen most of the noteworthy movies: Up, (500) Days Of Summer, Inglourious Basterds, Invictus, The Hangover, and Avatar. When the hoopla surrounding Up In The Air came first by critics wanting to immediately hand the award over to Jason Reitman's movie about the trouble economy, I made sure to catch this movie. After seeing the movie on Christmas, I agreed with the critics and was pretty confident that it was going to win the Oscar for Best Picture. Then the buzz seemed to steer toward another movie called The Hurt Locker that must have come and gone in theaters because I don't remember it being released. I had to wait until it arrived on DVD this past week. There really is no comparison between Up In The Air and The Hurt Locker, it's like comparing Howard The Duck to The Godfather. Brilliantly directed by Kathryn Bigelow, I'd even go so far as to say it might be the best war movie I have seen since Saving Private Ryan in 1998. I probably enjoyed Avatar directed by Bigelow's ex-husband James Cameron the most of any movie I saw in 2009 and won't gripe if it wins the Oscar for Best Picture, but The Hurt Locker probably was the best actual film of the year.

For those of you who aren't familiar with this movie, The Hurt Locker is a movie about an Army Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit during the Iraqi War who are responsible for locating and disarming bombs. Shot in 16mm, the film feels more like a documentary than an actual movie. It leaves you on the edge of your seat as you never quite know if James will deactivate the various kinds of bombs before they go off. The Disposal Unit consists of three soldiers: African-American Sergeant J.T. Sanborn who is the rational solider responsible for aiding the bomb technician as he gallantly tries to disarm the bomb; Specialist Owen Eldridge who provides the humor even as he questions whether he is cut out for the war and worried if he will live or die; and of course the best character in the movie, William James the reckless team leader responsible for actually disarming the bombs without much of a care in the world. With all the buzz about Clooney and Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart, the best performance that people will still be talking about fifteen years from now is the brilliant acting of Jeremy Renner as James. Perfectly cast, Renner seems like your everyday southern boy obsessed and passionate about his role in the madness and should win the Best Actor award even though politics and the fact that he's not a household name will hurt his chances. Bigelow also did a helluva job directing this film, and any other year she would be the first woman to win an Oscar Award for a war movie. But I think it's James Cameron's year, and Avatar is going to win the awards for Best Picture and Best Director. I recommend The Hurt Locker for people that enjoy war movies and want to get a realistic idea of how stressful and determined these bomb squads are in deactivating these weapons of destruction. Also, William James is a character who you will loathe in a good way if that makes sense. James Cameron beat me to the punch when he proclaimed that The Hurt Locker is the modern-day "Platoon". The Hurt Locker may just be one of the ten best movies about war I have ever seen.

Grade: A (Exceeded Expectations)

Out There!: Dario (Can You Get Me Into Studio 54) by Dana & Gene

2010-01-24T07:47:00.000-08:00

This is yet another previous Out There! article I wrote for Sonic Clash about a very obscure novelty song about the legendary Studio 54. Enjoy!

I’ve always said that if I could ever go back in time, I’d love to experience New York City during the Summer Of Sam. The mean streets, the peep shows, the filth. But most of all I would want to turn the beat around at Studio 54. I’ve talked to a few people who have been there back in 1977 and they refuse to discuss it because either they were too coked up to remember or choose not to remember what they did there so their spouse never know.

Studio 54 was known for the drugs, the mix of random celebrities, the tunes, and of course the debauchery. Open sex on the dance floor, cross dancers, and owner Steve Rubell being obnoxious as all hell. This place wasn’t just a dance club, it was the buzz of the pop culture world, and the place you had to be if you lived in the metropolitan area. So much so that a band recorded a song about how difficult it was to get in. We all have heard the story of Chic’s classic 1978 song Le Freak being a reaction to not getting into the club. Nile Rodgers is adamant that the song was originally called “Fuck off! Who knows? The song that really defines Studio 54 to me was a little-known novelty tune by Dana And Gene called Dario (Can You Get Me Into Studio 54) in 1979 which was a tribute to the guy at the velvet rope who gave access to the club.

This probably may be the obscurest of the obscure songs I’m going to feature in this article. Good luck finding this one. It’s not on any music sites, compilation albums, Yadda yadda. It took us a few months for us to track it down. It was released as a 12″ single, but didn’t chart on the Top 100 Single chart, although it may have hit the Dance Charts. It’s your typical cheesy disco tune with the catchy bass groove, electric drum beat, and strings.

Dario is a fun little song that pays tribute to one of the most influential dance clubs in our nations’ history. Is it one of the most influential disco songs of the 70s’? No way! Is it one of the best novelty tunes? Maybe. Is it one of the rarest songs to find from the 70’s? Absolutely! Youtube doesn’t even have a video for it. The closest I got was what you see below: A cover version by Kid Creole which doesn’t do the original tune much justice.

I wonder if Dario would grant access to me and my brother? Probably not!

MisenPOPic Update 1/22/10

2010-01-22T19:03:00.000-08:00

Man do I hate these A-List celebrities who feel they need to boost their egos by showing the world how much they care about the less fortunate. Of course I'm referring to tonight's Hope For Haiti star-studded telethon. It's the same crop of douchebags that appear on all of these telethons and commercials: George Clooney, Bono, Leonardo Dicaprio, Stevie Wonder, Dave Matthews, Bruce Springsteen, and Brad Pitt. They care so much about raising money for other countries, yet would you ever see any of these stars on Jerry Lewis' telethon to help kids in their own country with muscular distrophy? Now don't think I am a uncaring and disspirited monster! What happened in Haiti was just awful, and we should all make donations and show sympathy for the Haitian people. But do I need celebrities to play music and beg me to donate money? If these celebrities donated food, supplies, and cash to Haiti, that's wonderful. Just shut up about it and do it, there is no need to prove who donated more amongst the Hollywood industry!! These actors and singers think they are messiahs or prophets and can change the world, but remember they are only people who act and sing for a living. The only reason most of these celebs reach out is to inflate their ego and keep their image clean in the public eye. They care about world issues which is great, but could care less about me or you if we approached them in a public place for a quick photo opportunity and autograph. Why does this telethon have to be on every damn channel, and why is it so easy to predict who is going to be on? You just know Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, Jay-Z, and Sting are going to be on. And it's not a relief effort without Bono involved in some way. And jeez, the producers of this show like to fuck with us by making us think that if we call right away, we'll get to talk to a celebrity like Sasha Baron Cohen, Stephen Spielberg, or Colin Farrell. What a crock of shit! I knew the Haiti telethon was on tonight, but assumed it would only be on MTV and shown on-line! I'm just pissed because I was looking forward all day to watching one of my new favorite shows tonight on ABC, Shark Tank. That's all I have to say about that!

Toyota announced that there is a major recall on Camrys and Corollas. This is just great! Guess who is the proud owner of a 2008 Toyota Corolla! It's me! Supposedly, there is a problem with the acceleration pedal causing the automobile to automatically speed up on it's own. There have been a lot of bad accidents in which drivers and their passengers are on the roads when the car just goes loco on them causing them to drive straight-on into buildings or flipping over hills and ponds like the General Lee did on The Dukes Of Hazzard! That's the last thing I need right now, for my car to go all Knight Rider on me! With our economy just bouncing back, the last thing we need now is for Toyota to start bleeding money as they try to restore their image. If they can give me an upgrade and a Mark Sanchez autographed ball, Toyota can have my car back.

Just finished reading Tera Patrick's new biography, Sinner Takes All. No I didn't spend cash on it, I just spend three days reading it at Barnes And Noble and Borders. I'm sure the managers loved me sitting there reading the book not caring if the obscene photos were in full view of their customers. I did my best to hide what I was reading if kids walked by. If it's going to be on the NY Times Best-Seller list next week (even though I don't know anybody except myself who would buy this book or even read it, yet the sales will be in the millions) then it's all good. Add it to the list of other books written by porn stars that I have read without purchasing which includes Jenna Jameson, Ron Jeremy, and Jerry Butler. These books were all so fascinating! To understand how men and women get involved in the adult film industry is just mind-blowing. In Tera Patrick's case and like most women in porn, she lived a rough childhood. Her mom was abusive, and her dad was never around to teach her about the facts of live All she knew was that after seeing a photo of Paulina Porizkova on the cover of her dad's Playboy as young girl, her dream was to be a model and have guys worship her. And thanks to some bad advice, bad friends, and bad relationships, she ended up doing pornographic movies signing a raw deal which might would end up screwing her over in the long run. Tera became a phenomenon in the industry and ate up the lifestyle by doing drugs, smoking pot, and becoming a recluse to her friends and family. She hooked up with Evan Seinfeld from Biohazard thinking he was the perfect fit of a husband for her. The perfect male specimen adorned with tattoos and full of adrenaline who is not a good example of a nice Jewish boy. But like most porn relationships, the marriage was doomed once her husband got involved doing porn movies with her. She grew up and wanted to become an entrepeneur, not performing in any more XXX movies so she could be a normal wife and raise a child. After the book was written and almost ready for print, Seinfeld and Tera broke up because he really just used her to get himself into the porn world. The book was a quick and easy read, but I don't really feel sorry for Tera Patrick. Her time has come and gone, and although she might appear in some reality shows and on the cover of Maxim, her chance to become the biggest mainstream porn star is finished. The book was like some kind of therapy for her, but it won't surprise me to hear that she has returned to doing porn movies again really soon. My brother, dad and I actually had the pleasure of meeting her back in 2002 and she was really nice even if the posse with her were completely rude and overprotective of her. Check out the classic photo of my dad and her below.

Well, it is almost time to end this little rant. Of course you all know my focus is on the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday. If you stuck a lump of coal up my butt tonight, by Sunday you would have a diamond. I've been down this road twice in my lifetime as a Vikings fan seeing them come up short in the 1998 NFC Championship Game (Gary Anderson sets the record for most consecutive field goals and extra points, but shanks a 38 yard FG to win the game) and 2000 NFC Championship Game (The Giants destroyed them 41-0 which almost caused me to go postal at the ESPN Zone in NYC where me and pals were watching the game). I want this so bad! So bad! And to make things even more interesting, Prince has recorded a new theme for the Vikings. Prince?!?! The only black guy who lives in Minnesota has finally shown some interest in his local football team. The song is pretty cheesy and sounds likes something you would hear in church! Couldn't he just rerecord Let's Go Crazy or Raspberry Beret with new lyrics? Speaking of pop songs for football teams, why hasn't any other team since the 1985 Chicago Bears recorded a tune? Wouldn't it be sweet if the Vikings created the "Purple People Eater Shuffle" with Favre, Peterson, Allen, Rice, and the rest of the boys rapping alongside Jay-Z or Timbaland? The Bears actually won the Super Bowl after doing so. If teams are 1-0 due to to recording a song and bringing the team together, why hasn't any other team done it since? Hell, just for shits and giggles I did some research, and noticed that the Super Bowl Shuffle hit #41 on the charts and was even nominated for a Grammy. With the love so strong in the media for Brett Favre, you don't think the Vikings could record a kick-ass anthem better than what Prince did? That might be even better than an actual Super Bowl win!! On second thought, what the hell am I talking about? Below is Prince's new fight song and also the very popular Pants On The Ground video featuring (hopefully!) the 2010 Super Bowl Champion Minnesota Vikings.

If the Vikings do lose on Sunday,there might not be any more blog articles for a while until I get out of what could be a three week funk! Skol, Vikings, Skol!

Mikey

The Death Of VH1 Classic

2010-01-21T14:53:00.001-08:00

Back in 2000, a new channel dedicated to music aficionados like me debuted for some lucky enough to have digital cable at that time. That channel was VH1 Classic, simply a network that played the classic music videos that I had grown up with. And besides some on-air bumpers, there were no commercials at all. I wasn't fortunate to have digital cable in 2000, so you can imagine my glory when I went to my buddies houses for the weekend. I would get to my friends' houses on Friday night for a fun time drinking and looking to dance with girls in Long Island or Philadelphia. But on Saturday throughout the day while killing time until another fun night of drinking and partying, my brother and I sat glued to the television watching music videos that we hadn't seen in years. While the rest of the guys wanted to get out of the house and do something, Scott and I were perfectly fine staying inside and reliving our childhood through this channel. There was a Metal Mania hour, a classic rock hour, an 80's hour, even a request hour for the more obscure videos. Mind you that this was all before Youtube which would give us instant access to any music video that we wanted to see. VH1 Classic was what MTV used to be when I younger, only better due to lack to advertisements. When my brother and I moved out to a place of our own and Cablevision finally added the digital cable service, we bought in simply because we needed our fill of classic videos from Duran Duran, Michael Jackson, GTR, A Flock Of Seagulls, and many more. But we should have enjoyed the channel as much as we could because soon enough things would begin to fall apart.

By 2002, VH1 Classic began running advertisements only for music-related shows on VH1, and soon enough there were solid blocks of commercials featuring laundry detergents and fast food restaurant chains. And the downward spiral continued as the more obscure videos were replaced with the more popular videos from Madonna and Bruce Springsteen. The request hour which had introduced me to some obscure 80's classics suddenly vanished. A new hour of programming played a retro video and the current video of legendary rock bands began including some artists who I wouldn't even consider retro. And then all of the leftover reruns from VH1 of Behind The Music, Pop-Up Video, and Storytellers were on every half hour just like what was happening on VH1. And then the Two For Tuesdays in which there were blocks of videos from the same artist stopped. Soon enough, instead of 24 hours of fresh random videos, the programming was broken down into one six hour block of videos that repeated four times a day. All of a sudden, the channel was reairing every single VH1 Award show and documentaries about the greatest albums ever recorded. Now it's all the same bullshit documentaries, outdated Pop-Up Videos, edited movies about rock & roll, and that damn Jackson Family movie that has earned Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (Boom Boom from Welcome Back Kotter) a lot of royalties. And soon enough the whole prestige of the channel died so I just lost interest. Even although there was Youtube only a click away, I still loved to see the random selection of videos on my television screen. Now I only watch the channel for the metal mania block of old school hair metal and hard rock videos, and the original program That Metal Show which pays homage to my favorite genre of music.

Why did this happen? I'll tell you why this happened. Because they couldn't just leave a good thing alone. When the channel began to make an impact, VH1 figured they could add revenue by selling airtime to advertisers. Also, the programming department at VH1 which includes number crunchers who know nothing about music just got lazy. Why pay top dollar for new documentaries and commercial-free blocks of retro videos when they can make VH1 a channel featuring reality shows about B/C List celebrities and dump the old outdated VH1 programs and 80's movies that played over and over again on the Classic Network. The stuff is classic, so it made sense to just run the programs over and over again just on a different channel for those who never saw them when they originally ran six or seven years ago. Instead of running these same programs ten times a day, can't they just go back to airing the videos? Fuck, I'll even deal with a few commercials. It seems that this channel does well with their hard rock programming. Why not make it VH1 Metal and just show hard rock videos, new metal documentaries, That Metal Show episodes, and other original programs geared toward the metal fan? Why all the fucking red tape?

VH1 Classic quickly went from being one of the most innovative and greatest networks on my cable box to just another piece of shit channel that serves no real purpose anymore. Oh well!

MisenPOPic Update 1/20/10

2010-01-20T15:06:00.000-08:00

Rumor has it that finally the MisenPOPic podcast is on the way. For those who are too lazy to read but want something fun to listen to on your ipod while sitting in traffic or running on a treadmill at the gym, your dreams are about to come true. The other big blogger with the same initials as me will join me to put a unique spin on what is happening in pop culture. It will be a work in progress, but I am up for the challenge. Real heart to heart conversations about good information and humor are not and will not just be a thing of the past!

As for the new theme, you are probably looking at it and wondering what the hell is that all about. What the montage is saluting are characters from some of the dumbest movies from the 80's and 90's ever, but movies that I enjoy for the pure cheese. Can you guess the characters and movie stinkers above? Come on, broaden your horizons and learn about some of the cheesiest sequels ever made? Heck, you might even have a memory from one of these movies that I would love you to share with me.

On that note, I'm out of here, but will be back tomorrow with a nice little essay about the death of VH1 Classic!

For those about to rock, I salute you!

Mikey

Music That Matters: Top 50 Movie Symphonies (#26 Hymn To The Fallen by John Williams)

2010-01-19T15:03:00.001-08:00

Not only was it a travesty that Shakespeare In Love won the 1998 Best Picture Academy Award over Saving Private Ryan, but also that John Williams brilliant score lost the Best Movie Score Academyaward to Nicola Piovani's score for Life Is Beautiful. And the losses also continued with a defeat at the Golden Globes to Burkhard Dallwitz's score for The Truman Show, and another loss at the BAFTA Awards at the hands of the score from Elizabeth. There was some redemption though with a win at the 1998 Grammys for Best Instrumental Composition For A Movie. Hymn To The Fallen is simply brilliant, and the best of John Williams' movies scores during the past twenty years. It is so powerful that the song can bring tears to my eyes in a matter of seconds at the most random of times. The song never appears in the actual film, but only during the end credits while those who saw in in the theaters sat in stunned silence after seeing a terrific movies, and any World War II veteran in attendance were weeping uncontrollably. Not only is this a brilliant movie theme, but perhaps the best musical piece ever that pays tribute to those who lost their lives in not only World War II, but all wars. Pretty confident am I that this song will live on forever, and I hope my children will one day play this tune for me when I'm no longer on this earth.

Ladies and gentlemen.... #26 Hymn To The Fallen by John Williams from Saving Private Ryan

Out There!:"Girls In Cars" by Robbie Dupree

2010-01-18T14:38:00.000-08:00

Do you remember Robbie Dupree? His first single off of his self-titled 1980 album was Steal Away, a song that hit #6 on the Billboard charts and has appeared on numerous compilation albums. Very formulaic for that era known for a lot of adult contemporary stars peaking on the charts. The riff of Steal Away is actually very similar to the Doobie Brothers mega hit song What A Fool Believes. His second single, Hot Rod Hearts also was a hit song peaking at #15 on the charts. And then Dupree and his adult contemporary style faded away thanks to a little thing called MTV. And Dupree never had another hit song ever again!

Well, he never did have another hit song, but he did record a little nugget in 1987 when asked to contribute a tune to the second WWF wrestling album, Piledriver. His single, Girls In Cars, was the first track on the album and was used as the wrestling theme song for Strike Force (Tito Santana & Rick Martel). The track is classic 80's and super cheesy, so naturally I loved it. Although I'm not sure whose bright idea it was to use this tune for two of the older wrestlers on the WWF roster to walk down to. I've also wondered what the inspiration for the song's title was. I actually don't like girls in cars because you can't really get the whole scope of the beautiful women driving on the highway. They may have their windows down so you can see their pretty faces. But the body might not match the face, so what's the big deal about girls in cars anyway? Why couldn't Dupree sing about "Girls in Malls", or "Girls in Porn"? These songs could have had some great lyrics. Anyway, a video was released for every song on the Piledriver album including Girls In Cars, but for some reason I couldn't find it on the web? Strange considering how easy it is in this day and age to download any obscure video from my childhood.

In a related story, a few years ago while at college in New Paltz, NY, I happened to see a flyer attached to the local record shop window indicating Robbie Dupree was going to perform locally in an intimate setting style show. I assumed it was the actual man behind Girls In Cars, and would have loved to attend the show and make a special request to hear an acoustic version of the song. My buddies and I really wanted to go, but I think it was on a Monday night and there was no way we could miss Monday Night RAW during that period.

Ladies and gentlemen... A real gem from the world of wrestling. Girls In Cars from Robbie Dupree.

Best Of YouTube!!!! (January)

2010-01-16T20:26:00.000-08:00

Here are some more real gems from my past, present, and future that I'd like to share with you for the month of January!

I've been pretty adamant that Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure is still the movie that I most enjoyed. When CBS announced they would be broadcasting a Bill & Ted Saturday morning cartoon produced by Hanna Barbara one year later, I was thrilled. Alex Winter, Keanu Reeves, and George Carlin even did the voice work for their characters giving the cartoon instant credibility. The show lasted on CBS only for less than a season, and was the last original Hanna-Barbara cartoon ever produced for CBS. The following year, the cartoon was produced by DIC Entertainment and aired on Fox. The quality of the show worsened, and Winter, Reeves, and Carlin did not lend their voices for the second-rate production. Below is the opening credits montage for the CBS version which included a cheesy but cool theme tune.

Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor did four movies together but Stir Crazy was the one that really utilized their comedic brilliance. Filmed in 1980 with Pryor still high on cocaine during the entire shoot per Gene Wilder's autobiography, and it didn't taint his performance at all. Watch the classic "We Bad!" scene below to see what comedy is all about.

The Karate Kid III might be viewed as a horrible movie by most people, but I love it and will defend it until the day I die. Terry Silver gave up all of business interests simply to gain revenge for his friend, John Kreese. Below is the audition of director John G. Avildsen's son, Jonathan, for the part of Mike Barnes that eventually went to soap opera heart throb Sean Kanan. Not to worry as nepotism helped Avildsen get his pinnacle role as Snake, Mike Barnes personal assistant in The Karate Kid Part III. You might remember him for his catch phrase "You Know It!" which should have made AFI's Top 100 Movie Quotes of all time. Below is the screen test Jonathan Avildsen did for the role, it's pretty awful. Notice that the girl playing Daniel's love interest is not Robyn Lively from the movie, but Leanna Creel who is best known for playing Tori on the final season of Saved By The Bell.

If I could shoot one celebrity and not go to prison or get the death sentence for my actions, I would take out Dane Cook. The guy has absolutely no talent, but due to good self-publicizing on myspace, became a huge name on the comedy circuit and is now getting major roles in movies and dating starlets. And teenagers think he is the funniest person of all time with no knowledge of true comedians like Steve Martin, Richard Pryor, and Rodney Dangerfield. Great minds think alike as the writers of Family Guy feel the same way as this no-talent hack. Below is a quick gag on Dane Cook that pretty much says it all. I wanted to get a better clip, but this was the only one I could find.

Eventually I will pay more more of a tribute to the following song from Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star. The song might be poorly written, but just look at the talent associated with this group song about former child stars who don't want to be bothered in public. Dustin Diamond (Screech), Maureen McCormick (Marcia Brady), the trio from Threes Company, Leif Garrett, The Brady boys, Jeff Conaway, Erin Moran (Joanie Cunningham), Adam Rich (Nicholas Bradford from Eight Is Enough), Todd Bridges, and Gary Coleman just to name a few. Take a look at the clip below if you haven't already seen the movie and you will feel so nostalgic seeing this crop of B-list and C-list celebrities from the 70's and 80's TV shows my generation has loved so much.

This burlesque strip show with a Star Wars theme definitely appeals to a lot of people I know. Hell, even I would be entertained or probably be laughing my ass off if I actually was in attendance for this. Girls removing storm trooper uniforms, Jabba The Hutt lard, and C3P0's armor is truly the work of somebody who thinks outside the box. Just hope George Lucas doesn't get wind of this! Check it out for a good laugh.

And on that note, I'm out of here. More classic videos that you might have missed coming in February.

Mikey

Little Nuggets 1/15

2010-01-15T15:28:00.000-08:00

Of course my main focus is still on the Minnesota Vikings Playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys this Sunday at 1:00. But I've actually been collecting a few thoughts to try and keep my mind off of a possible Favre meltdown. If the Vikings do lose this one, I will be as miserable and sad like I was when I was told I wasn't going to meet Paul Stanley three years ago. Actually however miserable I was for that episode, it's going to be ten times worse if they lose on Sunday. And the kicker of it all is I am going to meet my future sister-in-law's family after the game. I know I can be pretty obnoxious when meeting people for the first time even though it's not my intention. But there could be a good chance I'm going to make a bad first impression by cursing and sulking the entire time. Please, for my sake and my brother's sake, let's have a Vikings victory. The Golden Globes are on Sunday night at least which might be able to keep me sane for a day or so. My quick picks and thoughts are included at the end.

This whole late night talk show was is a complete mess. I think more people care about the drama between Conan and Jay Leno than they do about their actual late night shows. I know most people don't like Leno, but I'm in the minority of people who have always felt he was better than David Letterman and should stay on as long as he wants to. He's just lovable and has great timing with his jokes. There actually might not be any real politics going on at NBC. Leno is supposedly a sweetheart and pals with Jeff Zucker, so NBC wants to keep him happy because he is a helluva guy who also appeals to the grandparents out there who are up past their bed time, I also like Conan, but I hear he is a real douchebag besides the fact that his humor is more geared toward a younger audience. With so much crap going on in the world and the fact that I only watch Leno in cycles, this whole mess doesn't really effect me.

What does effect me but knock on wood has been taken care of is that Michael C. Hall aka Dexter Morgan was diagnosed with cancer. His cancer was find early and is expected to make a full discovery. What would my life be like without Dexter Morgan, considering the show is on fire right now and there are more stories to be told. Best wishes in your recovery, Michael C. Hall, and glad cancer won't take your life even though your character has taken many lives.

24 returns on Sunday for it's ninth season. When the show debuted in 2001, I was hooked since the first minute. I kept track of the show for seasons one through six, and introduced the show to a lot of people. But around the fifth season, the show was becoming very stale and totally predictable. How many times would Jack escape another death-defying obstacle, or how many times would CTU be infiltrated by a mole working for the bad guys. I tried to enjoy the previous season hoping there was a good explanation why Tony Almeida happened to still be alive after having been killed previously in a past season. Once again the writing was stale, and the acting was rotten which caused me to give up after just three episodes. Supposedly, the show is back on track. But once I got involved watching better produced and better written shows like Breaking Bad, Dexter, and Mad Men, I just can't stomach any more of Jack Bauer's missions. This show needs to be taken off the air as the novelty of it has worn off four years ago.

Finally, a TV commercial that I have to pause my DVR when watching because it is so great. It's the new Staples campaign featuring a shopper going ecstatic while in an aisle reviewing products and their price. The actor playing the enthusiastic shopper is brilliant with his facial expressions, and I hope they continue this ad campaign. I'm not a programmed idiot who now has to shop exclusively at Staples because of the ads, but I'm curious what would really happen if I went into a Staples or any department store for that matter, and screamed "THAT'S A LOW PRICE!" Instead of being offered a cart from a store employee because there are 7,000 items that are reasonably priced, I'll probably be thrown out of the store. I might need to get my camera and film this, again because I have no shame! Here's the commercial below, be warned that it will make you laugh like a hyena:

I'm out of ideas and that damn Vikings game is beginning to take over my brain again, so here's a quick analysis of the 2010 Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night. These award shows are fun because alcohol is served, the nominees are sitting at tables like they have been seated for a wedding, and the show is less casual than the Oscars or Emmys. The nominees also include some that most casual movie and television fans have seen like The Hangover and Glee. Should make for a fun watch and also is a good determinant of what movies will be nominated for Academy Awards when announced a few weeks later. The TV awards don't matter to most, but they matter to me. Here's who should win and who will win:

Best Motion Picture -- Drama
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air
Should Win: Avatar
Will Win: Up In The Air (I think Up In The Air will win the Golden Globe, but the more prestigious Oscar Best Picture award will go to The Hurt Locker which I still need to see per the recommendation of my pal, Kevin)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture -- Drama
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sadibe, Precious
Should Win: Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria (Because she is the best young actress today and is quite a hottie. Eff you, John Krasinski!)
Will Win: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture -- Drama
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Tobey Maguire, Brothers
Should Win: George Clooney, Up In The Air
Will Win: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart (I have heard that Bridges gives the performance of a lifetime, and it's about time he wins some awards for his work. Way to go, "The Dude"!

Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
(500) Days of Summer
The Hangover
It's Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine
Should Win: The Hangover (Why not? Critics loved it, and it actually was pretty funny)
Will Win: (500) Days Of Summer

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Meryl Streep, It's Complicated
Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia
Julia Roberts, Duplicity
Should Win: Marion Cotillard, Nine (I haven't seen this movie nor do I want do, but if her performance is anything like her excellence in Public Enemies, she should win!)
Will Win: Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia (I like that actors and actresses can be nominated for multiple roles. Streep is on fire right now, and probably is a shoo-in to win for one of her performances)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
Matt Damon, The Informant
Daniel Day Lewis, Nine
Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
Joseph Gordon Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man
Should Win & Will Win: Joseph Gordon Levitt, (500) Days of Summer (He should be nominated for making me laugh as the totally miscast Cobra Commander in G.I. Joe)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Mo-Nique, Precious
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Should Win: Vera Farmiga, Up In The Air
Will Win: Mo-Nique, Precious

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Matt Damon, Invictus
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Christophe Waltz, Inglorious Basterds
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Should Win & Will Win: Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Basterds (Probably one of the best acting performances of all time!)

Best Animated Feature Film
Coraline
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
The Princess and the Frog
Up
Should Win: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Will Win: Up (This is a no-brainer. I loved Up almost as much as Meatballs, and with talk of Up getting nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, this one is in the bag! Score another hit for Pixar!)

Best Director -- Motion Picture
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds

Should Win & Will Win: James Cameron, Avatar

Best Screenplay -- Motion Picture
Up in the Air
It's Complicated
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds

Should Win & Will Win: Up In The Air

Best Original Score -- Motion Picture (As you know, a personal favorite!)
Michael Giacchino, Up
Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant
James Horner, Avatar
Abel Krozeniowski, A Single Man
Karen O. and Carter Burwell, Where the Wild Things Are

Should Win: Michael Giacchino, Up or James Horner, Avatar

Will Win: James Horner, Avatar

Best Original Song -- Motion Picture
"I Will See You," Avatar
"The Weary Kind," The Crazy Heart
"Winter," Brothers
"Cinema Italiano," Nine
"I Want to Come Home," Everybody's Fine

Should Win & Will Win: "I Will See You," Avatar

BEST TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA

• Big Love

• Dexter

• House

• Mad Men

• True Blood

Should Win & Will Win: Mad Men (Season 3 of Mad Men was fantastic and probably deserves the award more for this season than for the uneven season 2. Dexter is now getting some buzz, but critics seem to forget they hated the entire season except for the phenomenal finale. I'd love to see Dexter win this award someday, but it wasn't as good as Mad Men this year)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA

• Glenn Close, Damages
• January Jones, Mad Men
• Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
• Anna Paquin, True Blood
• Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Should Win: Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Will Win: January Jones, Mad Men (the weakest actress on Mad Men but still gets raves for some unknown reason!)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA • Simon Baker, The Mentalist
• Michael C. Hall, Dexter
• Jon Hamm, Mad Men
• Hugh Laurie, House
• Bill Paxton, Big Love

Should Win:Michael C. Hall, Dexter (He should win this every year. Maybe he'll get a sympathy nod due to his recent cancer diagnosis.)

Will Win: Jon Hamm, Mad Men (It sure is a good thing that Bryan Cranston from Breaking Bad was not nominated maybe because the show was ineligible so Hamm has a legitimate shot. By The way, why hasn't Vincent Kartheiser who plays Pete Campbell on Mad Men been nominated yet?)

BEST TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

• 30 Rock

• Entourage

• Glee

• Modern Family

• The Office

Should Win: Modern Family (even though I personally can't stand this show!)

Will Win: Glee (I've already admitted on record that I one of ten heterosexual males who watch this show. It's fun, but in no way,shape, or form should it even be considered the best comedy television series on the air. But I have a strange feeling that it's going to win. )

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
• Toni Collette, United States of Tara
• Courtney Cox, Cougar Town
• Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
• Tina Fey, 30 Rock
• Lea Michele, Glee
Should Win: Lea Michele (Because she is adorable and can belt out a tune like nobody her age I have ever seen)
Will Win: Courtney Cox, Cougar Town (Please, anybody other than Tina Fey!!)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

• Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
• Steve Carell, The Office
• David Duchovny, Californication
• Thomas Jane, Hung
• Matthew Morrison, Glee

Should Win: Steve Carell, The Office (The man is simply brilliant even if his character Michael Scott has lost a step or two over the past three seasons. He is deserving of the award for the entire run of The Office.)

Will Win: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (I hope so, because Matthew Morrison from Glee who also is a front runner for the award might be the worst actor in the history of primetime television. Dustin Diamond (Screech from Saved By The Bell) could even outact this guy.)

Have a great weekend, and enjoy the best weekend of NFL Football of the season. Of course I'll be all over the place on Sunday for the Vikings game. I'll also be rooting for the Cardinals, Colts, and Chargers (sorry to my dad but I can't stand hearing about them anymore!)

Skol, Vikings, Skol!

Mikey

Out There!: "One Shining Moment" by Teddy Pendergrass

2010-01-14T15:33:00.000-08:00

Teddy Pendergrass has died today at the age of 59 due to colon cancer. For those casual music fans who are not familiar with his career, Teddy Pendergrass was a prominent R&B/soul performer in the late 70's/early 80's who was nominated five times for best R&B male performance Grammy awards. Before embarking on a solo career, he was the lead singer of popular 70's soul group, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. If you happened to catch the Behind The Music VH1 documentary about Pendergrass, you might also remember that he was involved in a serious car crash in 1982 that left him paralyzed from the waist down due to a serious spinal injury suffered in the accident. He returned to the music industry after rehabilitation in 1984 performing a beautiful ballad duet (Hold Me) with a then unknown Whitney Houston and released a few more songs until 2006 when he retired from the music business. One of those songs was recorded in 1993 which happens to be one of my favorite songs of all time and was used on my wedding video opening montage that showed baby and kid photos of my wife and I. Most people also know this song, but probably not who performed it. The song I am referring to is a fitting tribute song to Teddy, "One Shining Moment". I actually wasn't going to write up this song for a while, but feel it's appropriate to do so now in light of Teddy's death.

One Shining Moment was written and originally recorded by David Barrett, but it's Pendergrass's 1993 recording that people most remember. David Barrett was a song writer primarily focused on writing uplifting sports anthems but never really had much of a career as a performer. The song was actually written by Barrett after viewing Larry Bird's performance in the 1979 NCAA Tournament but wouldn't become a sensation until much later on. Barrett passed along the song to his buddy Armen Kateyian, who many know as a prime time sports investigative reporter, who at the time was working for CBS. Kateyian then passed the song to CBS Sports Creative Director Doug Towey. One Shining Moment was actually going to be used as the postgame montage after Super Bowl XXI, but the montage was cancelled due to time restraints. CBS then decided to use it as the post-game montage after the Indiana/Syracuse 1987 tournament final game, and it's been the official NCAA ending theme ever since. The original Barrett-sung theme was used until 1993, then switched to Pendergrass's brilliant rendition from 1994-1999. Although Pendergrass sang the best version, the theme now used is the version sung by Luther Vandross which apparently was his last recording ever before his death from a stroke. Hopefully CBS will switch back to the Pendergrass version for this upcoming tournament in honor of the legend, and also because it truly is the best version. One Shining Moment is the ultimate sports anthem and makes you feel like a winner and that you can achieve your dreams if you work hard or something like that.

Ladies and gentlemen.. In tribute to Teddy Pendergrass.. from the 1996 NCAA Tournament... One Shining Moment!!

Music That Matters: Top 50 Movie Symphonies (#27 Across The Stars by John Williams)

2010-01-14T15:16:00.000-08:00

When George Lucas announced that the second Star Wars prequel was going to be a love story, I was okay with that as long as it would be done right and advance the story. Unfortunately, Hayden Christiansen and Natalie Portman's chemistry was very cold on screen besides the fact that the dialogue they were given to work might have been written by a teenager. Thank God their chemistry improved on the final Star Wars Film, Revenge Of The Sith!

The big question before the movie premiered was what kind of love-themed melody would John Williams come up with for the film? Would it be soft and sweet like the Luke and Leia theme from Return Of The Jedi, or be powerful and grand like the theme from Saving Private Ryan? Williams actually combined both soft and epic to create an outstanding piece of music that could also best serve the wedding of a science fiction geek and his prized wife. The theme is called Across The Stars (Love Theme From Attack Of The Clones) and is associated with the forbidden love between Anakin and Padme. The song begins slowly and then Waa Laa! the violins start playing in faster tempo making it sound fit to be a Star Wars theme! Man I only wish I can remember what I learned in the Music Theory night class I took as a sophomore at New Paltz to use better terminology for these articles. Thanks to Wikipedia, I can inform you that the song was written in D Minor, but changes keys throughout the song. Another movie masterpiece by the king of movie scores, John Williams.

Ladies and gentlemen... #27 Across The Stars from Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones from John Williams

Out There!: "Somebody Farted" by Bobby Jimmy & The Critters

2010-01-13T16:31:00.000-08:00

Did you know there was a semi-hit old-school hip hop song about flatulence back in 1985? I didn't know this until right after college when I began collecting all the great songs of the past, present, and future. Back in high school, every time a student let off a little gas, they always had to shout "Safety!" or else people could keep on punching them in the arm until they figured out the magic word to make it stop. My wife would be happy to tell you that I subconsciously always say that magic word still even not although I know she'll never hit me. What I also learned in high school was a few people who would sing during class the lyrics, Somebody Farted, oh oh oh oh! I never knew until later that they were actually singing the chorus from an actual song called Somebody Farted by Bobby Jimmy & The Critters.

There isn't much information about Bobby Jimmy & The Critters other than they were a Los Angeles comedy rap group who started in the late 80's. Bobby Jimmy actually is Russell Dean Parr, a pretty popular radio host of a nationally syndicated morning show heard by millions of people. He also has done voice-over work, and various comedy impersonations while on his way to stardom. He also ran his own record label in the mid eighties, Rapsur Records, and later was signed to Easy E's label Ruthless Records where his stuff was produced by a young up and comer named Dr. Dre. Bobby Jimmy has a few novelty songs, but nothing as memorable as Somebody Farted. The song itself is pretty silly, but good for a laugh or two. I'd also recommend it to the DJ at the bar to spin the record when a drunk goofball lets one rip so bad that it clears the dance floor. There was no music video ever shot, and the song didn't chart. But it's probably the best song that people might not know about cutting the cheese.

Ladies and gentlemen... Somebody Farted by Bobby Jimmy & The Critters.

MisenPOPic Update 1/12/10

2010-01-12T18:01:00.000-08:00

I'm writing this while watching the season premiere of American Idol. Everybody who does know me understands that I'm a critic who has very small filters when analyzing what is entertaining and unique as opposed to what is stale and not interesting. I think that's why I can't stop watching this show so I can judge who has actual talent and who doesn't. Even those without talent but have some type of charisma are okay, but the ones who just suck who are there for no valid reason is really annoying. I do commend the producers for sticking to the same basic formula, but after nine seasons, even I must admit that seeing all that talentless losers who just use the show to get their ten minutes of fame is starting to grate on my nerves. I'm not quite sure how much longer American Idol can keep going with Simon leaving after this season, though. The show might be able to get by this year without Paula Abdul, but Cowell is the face of the franchise. Unless he is bullshitting everybody in order to get a more flexible schedule and a production deal on Fox for his X Factor show, American Idol is done after this season. Ellen DeGeneres should be a better judge than Paula, but not even her star power will be able to keep the show going. Any Simon Cowell impersonator they sign up for next season also just won't work. Off the top of my head, I can think of one guy who would do it in a heartbeat and might be more arrogant than Simon Cowell. In fact, we saw him on the finale of American Idol Season 8. That guy would be Gene Simmons from KISS who knows as much about music and what is marketable as Simon. And if this ever did happen, even I won't watch it! I knew the franchise was declining, but it still warrants huge ratings for FOX. But I think we saw the biggest talent ever to grace the Idol stage on last season, Adam Lambert. And his album just isn't selling even with some catchy singles on the radio. And we all know how the actual winner Kris Allen's career was going to slide into obscurity, but this quickly? Let's all enjoy American Idol Season 9 because this is the swan song for the biggest TV show of the past nine years.

By the way, that rock and roll cat with the two broken hands is the son of a former co-worker of mine. Yeah, I actually know that kid. His name is Tyler Grady, the son of a sports card grader. His dad was a real good guy but also had one of the most unique sense of humors of anybody I have ever known. I don't remember if he ever brought Tyler to the office, but I remember hearing about him and seeing his photo displayed proudly on his daddy's desk. I only wish Derek (Tyler's dad) was on the show to congratulate his son so the whole world could see his beer gut! Tyler is heading to Hollywood and probably has a good shot to make the cut so he hopefully doesn't follow his dad into the sports card business. I worked with his dad from 1999 to 2002, when Tyler was probably eight years old. Oh boy, how I feel like an old man!

On a random note, I might just have to call Blockbuster to let them know how much I despise their business. Not just their on-line service which is a piece of horse poop, but their actual stores. I wanted to rent "Big Fan" today but was told no stores in New Jersey were going to carry the video. Just like other popular but high demand TV Shows on DVD like Friday Night Lights, Sons Of Anarchy, and Breaking Bad. Do the people who work for Blockbuster corporate office even follow the industry trends, or do they just crunch numbers? Is our whole world of entertainment being run by morons with no clue about what is good but only from what they hear from focus groups and meaningless statistics? Why am I sitting on the sidelines why all this damage is being done? You know how much I'm opposed to the oversaturation of products to the market. But maybe I'm really just opposed to the oversaturation of bad product due to lack of research? Let's give the power back to the movie directors, back to the disc jockeys, back to the credible writers! Sorry, there I go on another tangent! But in all seriousness, something has to be done about the arts and business before all creativity is lost and everything is run by skewed statistics.

Back to American Idol, maybe I'll see somebody else that I kind of know! Although I might just stop watching these audition shows and wait until we get to the cream of the crop.

Mikey

MisenPOPic Update 1/11/10

2010-01-11T17:49:00.000-08:00

It's really hard for me to care about anything this week except the Vikings game this coming Sunday. My mind is almost totally clear of any thoughts except getting through the week. I may or not may write much this week, but considering I'd like this blog to be great but don't receive much feedback, I don't think it will be missed by anybody with the exception of maybe a few people. I'm going to watch RAW tonight two weeks ago hoping something happens with Mike Tyson and of course Bret "The Hitman" Hart.

Mikey

Music That Matters: Top 50 Movie Symphonies (#28 Rose by James Horner)

2010-01-09T12:02:00.000-08:00

When I watch the final few minutes of Titanic, I always break down in tears because of all of the drama happening on screen. What makes these scenes even more poignant is the wonderful background music from James Horner. Most people think it is Celine Dion's voice on the musical motifs in the movie. This is actually not true. Dion did sing the theme song, "My Heart Will Go On" which was also written by James Horner using the key melody with new lyrics. Both this song and James Horner's complete score both win Academy Awards. The actual singer is Norwegian superstar, Sissel Kyrkjebo. With the soft passion that emerges from Norwegian singer Sissel Kyrkjebo's voice over the soft flutes and violins, the song just hits me so hard. I can't remember when this actual piece of music is played during the final minutes, probably during the scene when Rose says her final goodbyes to Jack. The melody was reused in multiple sections of the film which is why I always mix the songs up. What I do know is the music is brilliant. Based on the large sales numbers of the Titanic soundtrack, the music was a major reason why Titanic became the highest grossing movie of all time. I'm sure in 1997, you could not attend a funeral or a high school dance without hearing one of James Horner's gems from Titanic.

Ladies and gentlemen.. #28 Rose from Titanic by James Horner. Since it sounds very similar and is also so magnificent, also included is the Final Dream music which is used when all of the characters reappear including Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) appear in Rose's final dream before she dies.

Out There!: "Punk Rock Girl" by The Dead Milkmen

2010-01-08T16:40:00.000-08:00

In 1988, I decided that the song that was the best that I heard that year was a tune from an awkward band named The Dead Milkmen. Since the first year I began honoring the best song of each year in 1987 when I honored a Brooklyn-based white young hip hop group called The Beastie Boys for their hip hop anthem Fight For Your Right, it was obvious that I was beginning to think a little bit outside the box. Before the late 80's, I couldn't care less about anything that wasn't popular and could be considered a bit ignorant. You can be damn sure that if I was writing a blog back then, it wouldn't focus on the more obscure and random stuff I write about now. I wouldn't be caught dead listening to alternative bands like The Cure, The Smiths, or Depeche Mode because it wasn't consumed by the masses.. But when I first saw the video for The Dead Milkmens' satirical punk song titled Punk Rock Girl one fine day, I thought it was a really unique and melodic song. The lead singer had the most annoying voice I had ever heard before, but his satirical lyrics about being in love with a punk rock girl was fascinating to me. Also the fact that he was singing with little enthusiasm while strumming basic chords on a guitar was kind of odd. What did make me quiver a bit was the appearance of the actual punk rock girl that lead singer Rodney Linderman was having his crazy adventures with. For some reason, the unique images of bloody fingers, unicorns, and ghouls dressed up as brides that were associated with most 80's videos didn't bother me in the slightest, but I was really concerned why the Dead Milkmen lead singer would be in love with a girl with a green mohawk, a tattoo on her right temple, and who wore ripped nylon pants. A really strange video featuring rock and roll at it's rawest, but it was still kind of cool to me.

The Dead Milkmen actually were formed in Philadelphia in 1983, but never really saw much commercial success. In a neat sports-related story, Detroit Tigers rookie Jim Walewander became a vocal fan of the band which was noted on his 1988 Topps baseball card. Walewander actually invited the Dead Milkmen to Tiger Stadium to see a game in which he hit his first and only major league home run. Punk Rock Girl arrived later that year, and was in the MTV rotation for awhile back when MTV was awesome! The video also appeared a few years later on The Beavis & Butthead Show of which it was panned in good fun. Punk Rock Girl appeared on The Dead Milkmen's 1988 album Beelzebubba which I actually almost bought at Wall To Wall Sound & Video back when I frequented the Rockaway Mall with my brother and dad every Saturday in the good old days. The song also made their 1997 greatest hits album, but until featured on the Left Of The Dial: Dispatches From The 80's Underground box set released in 2004, Punk Rock Girl could never appear on any other of the thousands of 80's compilations. Probably because Punk Rock Girl was never a hit single even though it could be seen a few times a day on MTV. Yet The Dead Milkmen still have a small cult of fans who would be proud to tell you that they were huge influences on spreading alternative music to the masses and encouraging other similar bands like They Might Be Giants and Cake. I still have always held this song and music video high in my heart for nostalgic purposes to remember a time when I didn't have to think too hard about things and could enjoy the innocence of being a kid. Now I always enjoy singing along to the classic lyrics like "You don't got Mojo Nixon then your store could use some fixing!" or the simple chorus of:"Punk rock girl you look so wild, Punk rock girl let's have a child, We'll name her Minnie Pearl, Just you and me, Eating fudge banana swirl, Just you and me. We'll travel round the world, Just you and me punk rock girl". Even to this day, it is still one of my top 500 songs of all time.

Ladies and gentlemen... "Punk Rock Girl" by The Dead Milkmen

Cool Beans!: Survivor All-Stars Preview

2010-01-07T23:14:00.000-08:00

For the tenth anniversary and twentieth season of Survivor, the best of the heroes and villains are returning for another All-Star season. If this season is going to be anything like the first All-Stars season, it could make for some great television. As I have mentioned already, Survivor is the only reality show that I care about even if I'm now convinced that the majority of it is scripted and influenced by the producers. Which is why after this season, I am done with the show. But I can't resist seeing some of my favorite Survivor contestants from previous seasons together trying to win the big prize. So I'm psyched to watch. But seriously, when they have a bunch of contestants that are now playing for a second and some cases a third time, don't you think these people must be offered a lot of money to come back? Or having confirmation that they won't actually have to suffer in Samoa, but will only be filmed in rough situations to make it appear real on television because they really are all actor wannabes and reality academy graduates? Or maybe these people are so shallow and obsessed with seeing themselves on the boob tube so much that they are willing to play one of the most brutal social games ever? I'd probably say the latter. The tribes are broken down into two groups this time: 10 of the most lovable heroes of past seasons, and ten of the most ruthless and despicable villains ever to appear on the show. Hopefully this time around, the winner of Survivor All-Stars is actually deserving and not some hot chick that wasn't even supposed to be on the original All-Stars edition who won simply by riding on the coat tails of others.

Here are the cast members with my little quirks and comments about each of them:

The Heroes!!!

Rupert Boneham (Season 7: Pearl Islands, Season 8: All Stars) - Rupert is the most popular Survivor of all time, which helped him earn one million dollars per a fan vote after finishing fourth in the first All Stars season. This might hurt his chances of going far. Would you let somebody who is totally lovable and has won a million dollars stay in the game? No chance! Rupert still has the infamous beard and is sporting his familiar tye-dye clothes, but must have been on the Jenny Craig diet because he's really skinny this time around.

JT Thomas (Season 18: Tocantins)- JT is the first Survivor to win the title without even breaking a sweat. He didn't lie, steal, or cheat letting his buddy Steven take the fall for him. There is no way he will be able to get by just because he is likeable. Just like his fellow tribe mate Tom, he will have a huge target on his back because he only won a million dollars in the eighteenth season, but also won the fan vote for an extra amount of cash. Unless he wins immunity or builds a solid alliance with the ladies, he isn't going too far.

Tom Westman (Season 10: Palau)- The last time we saw Tom on Survivor, he simply dominated the game. He made key alliances, didn't even see a tribal council until the merge, and won immunity challenges when his neck was on the chopping block. I'm surprised he agreed to return, but am so happy to see one of the best players make another run. He will need to be more ruthless this time, because being a hard worker and getting along with others isn't going to work for him this time. The fact that he already won a season of Survivor and is regarded as one of the best players ever won't sit will with the other players, so I don't expect him to make it to the merge unless he can find the hidden immunity idol which wasn't around when he last played.

Colby Donaldson (Season 2: Australia, Season 8: All Stars)- Colby returns for the third time. I'm cool with this because he is one of my favorite contestants ever even if he royally screwed up the first time being not bringing Keith with him to the finals costing him a million dollars. Although Colby was on the first All-Stars season, he really didn't make much of an impact. Because he is the alpha-male of Survivor and good pals with Jeff Probst in real life, there is no reason why he shouldn't be allowed to compete once more. Colby truly is the perfect male specimen who I have a total man crush on even though I'm 100% hetero-sexual. In fact, with my baby being born in a few months, I even wanted to name it Colby if it's a boy in tribute to the reality cowboy and to increase the chances that my son will be a superstar! Do I think Colby has a chance to win in his third try? He might go farther than he did on the last All-Star season and make the jury, but I think he falls short once again.

James Clement (Season 15: China, Season 16: Micronesia)- Another of the most popular players ever on the show, even if he totally blew it all on first season not using either of the immunity idols in his possession. He supposedly was an actual grave digger, but with all of the fame he gained from his appearances on Survivor, I doubt he is digging ditches anymore. He had to leave the game due to injury on his second season, although he probably wasn't going to make it further in the game at all. He has some important allies like Cirie, Parvati, and Amanda in this game, and could be a surprise threat to finally win.

Stephenie Lagrossa (Season 10: Palau, Season 11: Guatemala)- The hard-nosed athlete from Jersey is another one back for a third season. She is one of the most determined players of all time, even though she did seem to whine and complain a lot. Her first time saw her make the jury after being the only left from her tribe when the merge happen, while her return in the following season saw her make it to the final two. If she can build solid alliances, there might be an opportunity for her to win the million dollars.

Amanda Kimmel (Season 15: China, Season 16: Micronesia)- Amanda holds the record for most amount of time spent on Survivor making it to the final three and final two in her two competing seasons. And the fact that she did it with no rest speaks volumes of her passion for the game. This time around, her boy Ozzy isn't around to protect her, but she still has allies in James, Cirie, and Parvati which could help her in the game. I don't think she is one of the best players in terms of strategy, but she can compete in challenges and isn't bad on the eyes, so I'm okay with her competing a third time. How awesome would it be if she wins runner-up again?

Jessica "Sugar" Kipher (Season 17: Gabon)- The cute pin-up girl is back for a second attempt to win a million dollars. The last time she finished in third place because she played with her heart and not her head by bringing Bob to the finals with her. She definitely was one of the surprises in Survivor history making bold movies and even finding the immunity idol even though the other contestants thought she was just another dumb blonde. As long as she builds a strong alliance with the southern boys like James, JT, and Colby, she should be able to at least make it to the jury. If she doesn't expect to cry a river like she did last season, then she is in for a rude awakening.

Cirie Fields (Season 12: Panama, Season 16: Micronesia)- The first time Cirie played, she was a lost soul in the game and didn't have a clue. Even not having outdoors experience and rubbing people the wrong way, she made it to the final five. Her second time out on the island saw a whole new side to Cirie. She was actually playing hard because she genuinely wanted to win the money, but was only able to finish third. Cirie is probably one of the best women to ever play the game, and deserves her spot. Because of the way she played in Micronesia, she will be seen as a threat and probably won't make it far. But she has surprised me in the past, and maybe she can do it again.

Candice Woodcock (Season 13: Cook Islands)- I am still scratching my head on this one. I don't mind her being on the show because she is one of the best-looking girls ever on Survivor, but was she one of the best players ever? No way! Is she even considered a hero? I doubt that. I'm sure our buddy Billy Garcia will be watching her in action this upcoming season, though. What I fear is that Candice could be the next Amber Brkich from the last All Star season. Amber only got on the show because Elisabeth Hasselbeck didn't need to bother since she was on The View, and Mark Burnett needed another hot chick to fill out the cast. Amber added nothing to the show other than riding Boston Rob's coat tails and winning that season because the jury had major bones to pick with Rob. I fear Candice might be in the same position, as she has a major ally on the villains team in Parvati who she was pals with on the thirteenth season. She's my dark horse favorite as of now.

The Villains!!!

"Boston" Rob Mariano (Season 4: Marquesas, Season 8: All Stars)- In this Survivor fan's eyes, Boston Rob is one of the best players ever in the history of Survivor. He should have won the first season of All Stars, but even though he didn't win the million dollars, I would say winning Amber and gaining a wife and a few more minutes of fame on The Amazing Race was a nice consolation prize. It has been awhile since he last played the game, and maybe married life and children have tamed him? He could be a threat to make it far in the game if he can build a strong alliance. If he gets cocky, there is no doubt he will be blind-sided because the other contestants already know he is a snake.

Randy Bailey (Season 17: Gabon)- One of the nastiest and cruelest contestants ever, but could be a wild card if the smart player can maneuver getting him to the final with them. He rubs people the wrong way and won't win, but could cause some major damage with blind sides and breaking alliances. I'm still not sold on him being an All Star, but if there is a villain group, I guess he has to be there because he is hands down the nastiest player ever.

Tyson Apostol (Season 18: Tocantins)- Tyson didn't make it too far during his time on Survivor. Yet he made us laugh with his witty testimonials and not giving a crap about anything or anybody. He can fake a good smile smile though while preparing to stick a dagger into your heart. I like his chances this time around, especially being in the same tribe with his former cast mate and head coach "Coach" Wade. Tyson is a total bad-ass, and I can't wait to see him scheme with guys like Boston Rob and Russell.

"Coach" Benjamin Wade (Season 18: Tocantins)- Yeah baby! There is no second season of All Stars without the funniest and most interesting character of all time. Coach needs to stay on this show as long as possible for pure entertainment value. He is sure to bring more laughter, and I can't wait to see him interact with the other legends of the game. With his assistant coach Tyson on his team, and his good buddy JT on the heroes side, he is in good shape to form a solid alliance and go far in the game. I only hope that he has more tall tales to tell thanks to his pathological visions of grandeur.

Russell Hantz (Season 19: Samoa)- Russell is the true wild card in this game. He is there to compete and prove he is the best Survivor ever, but he might be seen as threat because his fellow contestants don't know much about him. Judging from his reaction on the Live Finale a few weeks ago after not winning, I fear he was also pissed because he didn't make it too far on All Stars. If he's truly the best player, he needs to align with Boston Rob and Parvati while also continuing to find hidden immunity idols with no clues. Rupert was an unknown on the first season of All-Stars and actually finished higher. I can't wait to see how far Russell can go.

Jerri Manthey (Season 2: Australia, Season 8: All Stars)- The first true bitch on Survivor makes her third return to Survivor. Her ouster on the second season of Survivor was one of the biggest mark-out moments ever. On the first All Star edition, Jerri was kind of bland and boring as she attempted to win fans over by not being such a reality mess. She claims that this time she is reverting back to her personality from Australia. She may not be the smartest player in the game, but she could make the game very interesting. How awesome would it be if her and Colby actually hooked up and formed a secret alliance?
Seriously, though, is Jerri only doing this again for the paycheck or does she think appearing once again will get her serious dramatic roles in the future. It's been ten years, and she's still only known for milking her reality success!

Parvati Shallow (Season 13: Cook Islands, Season 16: Micronesia)- She definitely deserves a spot on the villains team due to her awesome blindsiding of the guys during her second stint. Oh yeah, also because she is so damn cute! She does have allies on the heroes side with Cirie, Amanda, and Candice, but she'll need to form a solid alliance on her current tribe in order to make it to the merge. Since she also has already won the million dollars, she also has a huge target on her back as well.

Sandra Diaz (Season 7: Marquesas)- Although I'm glad that they got another previous Survivor winner on this season, I was hoping for somebody a little bit better. I also would not classify her as a villain, but the producers must have needed a lot of help to cast women for this season. Sandra probably won't last long, I expect her to be the first or second one out.

Courtney Yates (Season 15: China)- Well, at least they were able to bring back one real bitch to the show. She was not a good player, but she got under your skin and deserves her spot. I'm shocked the producers were able to lure her onto the show. Courtney has no redeeming qualities, and is a total whiny bitch with no real chance at winning immunities due to her less than spectacular physical skills. If she can make it to the merge and lay low, she could very well make it to the finals. Usually there a lot of accidents when All Stars are on the show. Because she is so brittle and skinny, I'm concerned she could be a casualty and leave the game early. Wait, I forgot that this won't be true reality, and she'll be treated fine. Nevermind!

Danielle DeLorenzo (Season 12: Panama)- Uggh! The only really bad casting job. Danielle was totally forgettable on the twelfth season, and should not be on this season. Did I also mention that she isn't even that nice to look at? I also fear that she'll fly under the radar again and make it to the finals. Could Mark Burnett not be able to lure Susan Hawk or Eliza Orlins back instead?

Yet I can't complain too much! Mark Burnett and his crew picked a pretty decent cast for this go around. I am shocked a bit that nobody from the first season is on for this All Star edition and only four Survivor winners are returning. I would love to see the ultimate Survivor featuring only the nineteen winners, but the chances of that happening are pretty unlikely. Here are a few Survivor contestants I would have liked to have seen return:

Richard Hatch (Season 1: Borneo, Season 8: All Stars)- The central figure behind the success of the Survivor franchise would have been the perfect villain for this season. Too bad he's stuck in prison on tax evasion. Otherwise, I'm sure he would be on this season to stir up more problems and create more mind games.

Brian Heidik (Season 5: Thailand)- Brian was one of the best players in the history of Survivor who outwitted everybody without ever being threatened to be voted out. He also has had a history of domestic violence issues which may be why the producers didn't bother asking him back for either All Star seasons. He also could have been a good villain. If there ever is a season of just the winners, I would bet money on him to go far and possibly claim the title of Best Survivor ever.

Terry Deitz (Season 12: Panama)- He should have been on the Heroes team. If I'm not mistaken, he won every immunity challenge except the final one while also holding onto the immunity idol. What made him so great was that he was in jeopardy of being voted out every single time because he had lost all of his allies, but he was able to make it to the final three. A true competitor, he should have been considered!

Ozzy Lusth (Season 13: Cook Islands, Season 16: Micronesia)- The best Survivor ever in terms of competing in the challenges. Ozzy was a threat to win rewards and immunity at all times. He went to the final three in Season 13, and was one vote short of tying Yul for the prize. His downfall in the sixteenth season was that he was too cocky and didn't think he needed to use the immunity idol, which in turn got him blind sided. Ozzy was the my favorite Survivor in terms of the physical game, plus he got bonus points for hooking up with Amanda while supposedly having a pregnant wife back home. This is what I learned from Billy Garcia at Chiller a year ago.What a sleazy but balls out thing to do.

Yul Kwan (Season 13: Cook Islands)- A very good strategic player who was also able to keep his honor. Yul has stated he would only return if the All Star edition only had the winners. Otherwise, I'm sure he would have been involved.

Johnny Fairplay (Season 7: Pearl Islands, Season 16: Micronesia)- John Dalton, or should I say Johnny Fairplay, was the most charismatic Survivor until Coach came along. He lied right through his teeth in one of the best moments ever on Survivor when he claimed that his grandmother was dead in order to win a rewards challenge. He did return for the sixteenth season, but seemed totally disinterested and requested to be voted out first so he could return to his pregnant wife. Probst can't stand him, but I'm sure would have wanted him to take part if he would be able to put his head in the game. Imagine an alliance featuring Boston Rob and Johnny Fairplay? They would be so vicious.

Taj George (Season 18: Tocantins)- She was a hard-nosed player with a heart of gold. Also known as the wife of Eddie George, she was one of the most lovable characters in Survivor history. I would have put her on the heroes team instead of Candice, and then move Candice to the villains team and eliminate Danielle from the game. Oh well!

Elisabeth Hasselbeck (Season 2: Australia)- Of course there was no way she would ever do it again, but having her on would definitely boost ratings. Considering Survivor paved the way to future stardom, why can't she go on one more adventure since it's just acting anyway?

We still have over a month left until Survivor All-Stars returns on Thursday, February 20th. Should make for some great television viewing. I simply can not wait!!!

MisenPOPic Update 1/7/10

2010-01-07T17:35:00.000-08:00

I hope you enjoy the new themed logo as much as I do. It's a tribute to my favorite Muppets. I'm expecting big things for the Muppet franchise in the next few years. A new movie in the same vein as The Muppets Take Manhattan is in the works being written by Jason Segal, the Bohemian Rhapsody viral video featuring the Muppets became an internet phenomenon, and sooner or later Disney will start creating hot new merchandise featuring the famous Muppet characters. The Muppets are a huge part of my life, and perhaps one of the only consistent pop culture nuggets in it. I loved the Muppets as a nursery school toddler making sure with my mom that I could watch The Muppet Show in prime time. I hold precious memories of going to see The Great Muppet Caper and The Muppets Take Manhattan with my grandma in the cinema. I remember seeing Muppets From Space during a random Saturday morning in college and holding back tears of joy. I remember collecting the Palisades Muppets action figures and hanging each one up on my wall, and also happy with the amount of cash I gained from selling them on ebay two years later. And you can be damn sure that the Muppets will be a huge part of my child's life as well. I am putting my foot down on a lot of licensed kiddie crap like Dora and Hannah Montana, but have no issues with my kid being bombarded with Muppets dolls, clothes, and music! Muppets are timeless, and appeal not just to kids, but to grown-ups and losers like me who still sometimes acts like a kid.

A few people have asked my opinions of the People's Choice Awards. I glanced at the winners, and it was no surprise that the winners represented all of the crap the Madison Avenue has been pushing down our throats: Twilight, Taylor Swift, yadda yadda yadda. If it truly is the People's Choice, why can't the winner be who actually receives the most votes without an actual ballot telling you who to vote for. These awards just show how stupid people are who vote simply on the trends that they are told are cool. It came as no surprise that Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Dexter, AC/DC, or Steel Panther weren't recognized. People's choice awards are just another lame excuse to make the fans think they have a say in picking what is the best. Stupid! Although KISS actually never won a Grammy but did win a People's Choice Award in 1976 for their classic ballad, Beth!

CBS has announced the cast for the next season of Survivor All Stars, which came as no surprise to me thanks to internet spoilers. But I'm really excited with the cast, and if it is anything like the previous All Star edition of Survivor, it will make for some kick-ass television. I'm working on a preview which should be up by the end of the weekend. Otherwise with very little on television, no movies that I'm dying to see in the theaters, and walking out of Barnes & Noble empty-handed, I am spending a lot of time with my music collection listening to the songs that I've rarely listened to as well as browsing through each song to make sure they are in the correct playlists and are of decent quality. I've said it once and I'll say it again, put me in a room with just food and my itunes collection, and I can spend all day listening to music and creating unique playlists for myself.

Speaking of which, my itunes are calling to me right now. Hope your New Years is off to a good start, and I'll be back tomorrow saluting the best song of 1988 in my eyes although you might have never even heard of it.

Mikey

Music That Matters: Top 50 Movie Symphonies (#29 Cocoon Theme by James Horner)

2010-01-06T15:28:00.000-08:00

One of the best movies from the 80's was Cocoon, a touching movie about senior citizens finding a fountain of youth thanks in part to a life force used in a local swimming pool to give power to aliens living in cocoons. Directed by Ron Howard, Cocoon starred Jessica Tandy, Brian Dennehy, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Maureen Stapleton, Gwen Verdon, and Don Ameche (who won a 1985 Oscar for supporting actor in this film). And to add to the star power and establish Coccon as a true 80's movie, Steve Guttenberg had a part in the film. Add this up to other 80's movies like Three Men And A Baby, Police Academy, Short Circuit, and Ready For The 80's, and you can see how he truly was the king of Hollywood back in those days. But more important than anything else was that the movie included such a touching and motivational score provided by James Horner.

James Horner was primarily involved in scoring science fiction and action movies before becoming Ron Howard's go-to guy on his drama pictures. Before Cocoon, Horner's best- known work were the scores of Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan, Krull, 48 Hours, and Commando. Cocoon allowed Horner some artistic freedom to bring new elements to his work which in turn led toward creating perhaps his greatest dramatic theme ever. A lot of 80's movies had unique melodies that are great but are so typical of an 80's movie such as early stuff from Danny Elfman, Ira Newborn, and Alan Silvestri. The theme from Cocoon, though, is timeless and could still work in movies being produced in the here and now. Like a lot of other movies from the 1980's, the soundtrack came and went quickly, and is out of print. What sucks about this is that even though the music is beautiful, because it's never been remastered, audiophiles can't truly enjoy it's brilliance. Cocoon received two Oscar nominations, although Horner was shut out of any nominations for his brilliant theme. But Cocoon's score made James Cameron take notice. Cameron now uses Horner as his primary composer which would allow him to see his biggest success with the themes from Titanic and Avatar.

If you love great movie symphonies but never heard the theme from Cocoon, you are in a for a treat. At #29.... The Theme From Cocoon from James Horner.

MisenPOPic Update 1/5/10

2010-01-05T16:02:00.001-08:00

There isn't really a lot going on right now in the world of pop culture, with the exception of a possible resurgence of professional wrestling now that TNA has become a possible threat to Vince McMahon and his precious WWE. If Hulk Hogan truly has changed his mindset per his last autobiography that I read, hopefully he can provide a threat to the kid-friendly WWE. I'm not in a great mood to write a whole plethora of stuff about the Bret Hart situation, but I will admit seeing him on RAW for the first time in twelve years brought a lot of joy to the Hersh household last night. The guy has always entertained me with his wrestling ability, and the fact that he might be the most charismatic person I have ever seen on television. To also see him and Shawn Michaels, two guys who might respect but sure don't like each other, reconcile in the ring was the greatest moment in wrestling since Chris Jericho's WWF debut in 2000. Let's hope Vince McMahon's large ego doesn't screw up what could be the wrestling angle that brings back the legions of retro fans like me and my pals watching religiously every Monday night.

I also like this new wrestler who actually is now the champion thanks to being Triple H's work-out buddy. His name is Seamus, who might be the unintentionally funniest and goofiest wrestler I have ever seen. His gimmick is that of being a Celtic Warrior, and he is the only interesting new talent on the show with a unique persona who can work the microphone.

I spent a lot of hours tonight finally beating Super Mario Bros. for Wii. Well, I beat Bowser and saved the princess, but still have to collect all of the Star coins to unlock new worlds and truly beat the game. It's hard to be an obsessive-compulsive Mario Bros. video game player, or simply obsessive about anything nowadays. How I only wish I could watch DVD extras, or go on-line to catch internet exclusive viral videos of my favorite television shows like I used to be able to do. When is "too much" really too much? Uggh!

Mikey

Out There!: "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" by Hanoi Rocks

2010-01-05T15:29:00.001-08:00

Here is yet another Out There! article that I wrote for Sonic Clash. Strangely, the actual music video was removed from Youtube. That stinks. Anyway, here is the great rock & roll song that you probably never heard of, but should. I only have two more blog articles from Sonic Clash, and then all future Out There! articles will be fresh.

When most people think of the phrase “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams”, they think of the smash hit from Green Day from the American Idiot album. Not me! When I think of this song title, I think of the rockin’ little ditty from a lesser-known 80’s hair band, Hanoi Rocks. Music fans usually know very little about this hard rock band from Finland except for the fact that their drummer Razzle was killed by Vince Neil of Motley Crue in a terrible automobile accident. The fact that Vince Neil got away with manslaughter was outrageous (read the Crue’s bio The Dirt! for more info), but he also killed the future of Hanoi Rocks. The band was on the cusp of greatness until this unfortunate incident which really affected the band in a major way. Two members of the band left right after the incident and Hanoi Rocks faded away.

1984 saw the release of their final album, Two Steps From The Move, which features the classic tune, “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams”. Although the song wasn’t officially released as a single, a video was still made and aired briefly on MTV. The song has a fun chorus that immediately sinks into your head. “Take me Baby..(Guitars- NUH NUH NUH NUH) on the Boulevard Of Broken Dreams!” Who knows how big Hanoi Rocks could have been if Razzle hadn’t died, as the hair metal explosion really wouldn’t take full effect until two years later. Perhaps Hanoi Rocks would have been ranked in the Top 5 on one of VH1’s plethora of music lists if not for the tragedy. For my fellow “hair metal” aficionados who may have overlooked this great song, take a ride down the boulevard of broken dreams.

Music That Matters: Top 50 Movie Symphonies (#30 Big Overture from Howard Shore)

2010-01-04T14:53:00.001-08:00

Howard Shore has been composing score for movies for a long time, but will probably always be best known for his work in The Lord Of The Rings movies. Yet in this movie symphony fanatic's eyes, I'm a bigger fan of one of his more overlooked symphonies. Although he also has done brilliant work in such films as The Silence Of The Lambs, Miss Doubtfire, Dogma, and Analyze This, he is only on this countdown only once for his beautiful overture from the 1988 comedy classic, Big.

Unfortunately the Big soundtrack came and went, and is currently out of print. It took me a good while until I was able to add the brilliant Shore masterpieces to my collection. The best part of the overture that really hits home for me it the end motif . We hear it during the end of the movie when Susan (Elizabeth Perkins) finds out that Josh Baskin (Tom Hanks) really is a 13 year old boy. She drives him to his home but before he leaves the car, they say their final goodbyes and share one last kiss. Why she didn't just go back to the Zoltar machine and become a young girl again is a question for another day? Although I did just read an alternate ending was filmed but never used in which young Josh is sitting in his classroom at school when he turns around to notice a young female classmate whom he recognizes as Susan which has been confirmed by Anne Spielberg. I'm also curious how many years of therapy she endured after such a traumatic situation. She raped a thirteen year boy for christ sake! Anyway... As Josh walks toward his house, Susan is about to drive away. She has looked away for a brief second but when she turns her head up, she is surprised to see that Josh has shrunk back to his normal size. The music that is playing over this scene by Howard Shore just thrills me, and sometimes even makes me a little teary-eyed. Simply a beautiful melody!

Ladies and gentlemen... #30 The Goodbye motif from the Big Overture from Howard Shore