There have already been a number of news postings and coverage of Sesame Street’s 40 year anniversary.  Been around for a long time.   I have fond memories of sitting down in the family room of our home after school, sitting in the “big gold chair” and watching Sesame Street.  Use to watch it all the time.  Then finally I turned 16 and decided that was enough.  Ha!

So I thought I’d put together this quick list of classic Sesame Street moments for myself.  I remember all of these.

• C is for Cookie
• Big Bird and the Alphabet Song
• Grover Serves a Burger
• Monsterpiece Theatre: Gone With the Wind
• Ladybugs Picnic
• Rubber Duckie
• Martians Meet a Clock
• Kermit Reports News on the Princess and the Matress
• Twiddlebugs Postage Stamp
• Pinball and Number 9
• Lost Boy Remembers His Way Home
• Loaf of Bread, Container of Milk, and a Stick a Buttah
• Guy Smiley and Beat the Time
• The Great Cookie Thief

Ack!  I haven’t posted anything in over a month!  Seriously lacking here.  We did get back from vacation recently, so that post will be coming as soon as I get through the pictures.  But in the meantime, I decided I needed to get something posted.  I’ve been going through DVDs recently and I watched what has to be one of my favorite Disney cartoon movies - The Emperor’s New Groove.  I can watch that one over and over.  The animation is nothing special, but it’s has to be one of the funniest Disney movies.

It didn’t start out that way.  It was supposed to be a big time musical/drama/comedy typical Disney production.  They even had Sting write six different songs for the production.  All of it was scrapped when things weren’t going they way they wanted with test audiences.  With a brief extension of time they completely re-worked the plot so we have what we have today.  Knowing all of that, it makes it even more amazing that I consider it to be so funny.  The voice acting is perfect for the comedy and it is very well written.

So with that,  I leave you with the following fine snippets from the movie:

“Why do we even have that lever?”

“I’ll turn him into a flea, a harmless, little flea, and then I’ll put that flea in a box, and then I’ll put that box inside of another box, and then I’ll mail that box to myself, and when it arrives… I’ll smash it with a hammer!”

“Um, what’s with the chimp and the bug? Can we get back to *me*?”

“What are the odds of that trap door leading me out here?”

“Don’t listen to that guy. He’s trying to lead you down the path of righteousness. I’m gonna lead you down the path that rocks!.”

“Oh, look. A golden-throated small-winged warbler. Just one more for exotic bird bingo. I am loving this.”

“Squeak, squeakin’, squeak, squeakity.”

“Don’t tell me. We’re about to go over a huge waterfall… Sharp rocks at the bottom? Bring it on.”

“I’m telling you, we did not order a trampoline!”

“I’m sorry, but you’ve thrown off the Emperor’s groove.”

Arrived at work this morning and started checking the news and what do I find?  Big news… Disney is buying Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion.  That’s right… BILLION.  I have to admit, I have mixed feelings about this one.  For being a Disney shareholder, I think it is an excellent move.  Marvel has a lot of characters and properties.  All of them vastly different from Disney properties and so I think the merging is definitely complimentary.

But as a fan of Marvel, not sure what I would think.  But I do think Disney is a different beast than it was 10 years ago.  Their acquisition of Pixar has left me impressed.  Pixar continues to do things the way they have always done, but at the same time, they have been able to influence a lot of things at Disney.  Hopefully that will be the same for Marvel.

So I look forward to walking down Main Street USA and being greeted by Spider-man, Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk and all them fine characters.  Should be a grand day!  (A day that is a long ways off because of Universal’s claim, but still… sometime in the future.)

Elena an I had our traditional late night viewing of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on opening day last week.  We put the girls to bed, left the boys in charge, and went to the 10:30 pm showing.  Then over the weekend I went to see it again while I was in California.  Yep… seen it twice already.

So what did I think?  I thought it was great!  Did they cut some stuff from the book, yes… had to.  The movie is 2 1/2 hours long as it is.  Going into it I wasn’t too sure.  There were plenty of rumors around the net that it didn’t stick to the book and strayed too far.  But I didn’t think that at all.  In fact, I thought it was really close to the book.  I’d even go so far to say that this is my favorite of the six so far.  Knowing that they are splitting the last book into two movies I’m probably going to have to go read the book again.  I can’t think of a good place to stop a first movie to force a second one.  We’ll have to see.

Word of warning… don’t let the PG rating fool you — I don’t think this is for the 10 and under crowd.  But I guess if they’ve read the book then they already know what’s coming.

And a final comment on Utah theaters.  I would like to declare that the Megaplex Theatres here in Utah are the best anywhere.  Theaters in California were $11 for admission, whereas here they are only $8.  The seating arrangements in the Megaplex theaters are better also, you’re not miles from the screen.  And there are two things that I always miss when seeing movies in other theaters — digital projection and reserved seating.  The digital projection makes a HUGE difference.  It’s a lot clearer and you never get the stupid film artifacts in the image.  And reserved seating is awesome.  Every theater should do it.  Go online, pick your seats, and purchase your tickets.  You only have to get there a few minutes before the movie begins and then walk right in to your seat.  It just can’t be beat.  So there you go, my free advertisement for Megaplex Theaters.

Up

We went to see the latest Pixar film Up over the weekend with Tim and the girls.  Yet another home run for Pixar.  It was very funny, but also, in Pixar tradition, a great and touching story.  The girls thought it was hilarious.  They kept freezing and suddenly saying “Squirrel” for the next 24 hours.

Pixar has made ten movies now, since 1995.  It made me wonder how I would rank them.  I realize its kind of a silly question because I think I would give four stars to all ten of them.  It’s like asking me to pick my favorite child — wait… maybe I could do that… kidding!  Anyway, if I had to rank them they would be as follows:

1. Toy Story
2. Toy Story 2
3. The Incredibles
4. Finding Nemo
5. Up
6. A Bug’s Life
7. WALL-E
8. Ratatouille
9. Monsters Inc.
10. Cars

Admittedly, I don’t think anything could move Toy Story from the top of the list.  It was just so amazing when I first saw it, being the computer geek that I am.  So the sheer fact that Pixar had the guts to make it and start the whole computer generated animation movie trend will keep it up there forever.  It also doesn’t hurt that the story is still one of the best ones as well.  Can’t wait for Toy Story 3 next year…

I’ve been reminded by a couple of people that I haven’t posted anything for a while. So I’ll use the old standby for content — some reviews of movies I’ve seen recently.

Star Trek
Yes!  This is an awesome movie… so awesome I’ve seen it twice!  It’s really just a lot of fun.  There’s just one plot hole that really took me out of the movie for a moment.  I mean really, they cast Kirk out and he just happens to land on the same planet, in the same place, running into the same cave as that other guy?  That one did make me scratch my head, but I forgive them because the rest is just a lot of fun.  If you’re not a Star Trek fan then I think you will still like it.  And if you have ever seen a few episodes of Star Trek, then it just makes it that much more fun.

Angels & Demons
I read the Dan Brown book just a few weeks before seeing the movie, so the book was fresh in my mind.  As far as adhering to the book, it does a fairly good job.  There are a few plot threads that are removed, but it helped the movie to do it.  But as far as a general “who dunnit” thriller, it works OK.  It’s hard for me to tell because I knew the ending, but on the big screen it just seemed rather so so.  Saw it at a matinee, so it was worth it for that.

Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian
We took the girls to go see this one.  It’s a good family film to go see, especially if the kids liked the first one.  But to me, the “magic” was gone.  The first one was mildly original and inventive.  This one just seemed to be a rehash of a lot of the old gags.  (I admit… there is more monkey slapping in this one and it was still funny :-)  ).  I also found myself doubting the plot synopsis since we just got back from a trip to D.C. last year.  For example, they leave the Smithsonian  (short on time) and suddenly they are in front of the Lincoln Memorial.  I thought to myself “Dude… anyone who has been to D.C. knows that there is no way they got all the way from the Smithsonian to the Lincoln Memorial that fast on foot.”

Whoa!  Haven’t posted anything for quite a while, have I?  I must work harder…

So this post will be about the only TV series that I watch consistently… Lost.  Oh how I love the Lost.  I am so wrapped up in that show that I end up debating with myself over what may or may not be happening.  The last two episodes - “The Variable” and “Follow the Leader” - were great.  I loved both of them.  The producers really have started to answer a lot of questions, but at the same time, a few new ones creep up.  I think it frustrates my wife, but to me I think its great.  The ultimate ploy to keep you watching a show.

Next week is the 2-hour season finale and I am anticipating a real cliff-hanger (hard to imagine, right?).  In the meantime, here are just some of the thoughts I’ve had recently:

• Is Faraday really dead?  You can’t ever dead when “dead really is dead” on Lost, but for some reason I think we’ll see him again.
• What is up with Richard Alpert?  Why is he the only one that is the same through all the times?  And I love the way he looked so surprised to see Locke.
• Locke’s true purpose to see Jacob?  I knew it.  I always thought there was something fishy with Jacob.
• Sawyer just can’t escape Kate.  I have a bad feeling Juliet is going to become a “tragic casualty”.
• Ben is evil, but he makes me laugh.  His conversation with Richard where he proclaims very matter-of-fact “why do you think I tried to kill him?” was very funny.
• I could watch Miles and Hurley debate with each other all day.  It’s hilarious.
• I’ve lost all confidence in Jack.  He’s headed for disaster.  Does anyone else see the relevance to Jacob being evil, Jacob manifested as Jack’s dad, and now Jack trying to blow up the whole island?

Oh… so many other questions.  I could go on forever.  If you haven’t been watching Lost, it’s too late to get into the current series, but I highly suggest you pick up the DVDs and watch them.  Then you’ll be all set for the next and final season.

Elena and I went to the 11:15pm showing of Twilight on Friday.  I wasn’t sure what to expect.  And as Edward made his first appearance on the screen and some woman from the back of the auditorium yells “Woohoo!  Bite me Edward!” then I really began to wonder.  But when the movie was done I can say that I actually did like it.  I think it held to the book pretty well.  (Yes, I have read the book.)  I thought the actors and interaction between them for Bella and Edward were pretty good.  But I think you may have had to read the book to appreciate the movie.  It is not a “Vampire Story”.  It is more like 70% teen drama/romance and 30% vampire story — but so is the book.

Twilight
So I give it 3 stars.  It was good.  I’m sure I’ll see it again on DVD.

And since I haven’t posted reviews for a while, here are a bunch of other ones that I’ve seen recently:

Quantum of Solace
I like the new take on James Bond.  And Daniel Craig is a great Bond.  This movie is very much in line with the Bourne movies, but that’s a good thing here.  This one is fast paced and action filled.  Not quite as deep as Casino Royale, but still good.  I love the way that they have setup this new over-arching organization, just like the SPECTRE days of old.  And I would advise that you watch Casino Royale again before seeing this one, it really leans on a lot of the information in that movie.

Eagle Eye
It was keeping me intrigued until you find out what the “Eagle Eye” is.  Ugh… that made me kind of roll my eyes.  We’ve seen this movie too many times before.  Still good action, but mediocre story.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars
A decent Star Wars story.  The animation was sometimes distracting to me, not sure why.  The dialogue was a little rough.  You can certainly tell that its supposed to be a TV show and not a feature film.  I still find it hard to watch Anakin Skywalker do anything noble, knowing what a whiny and evil person he becomes.

Journey to the Center of the Earth
Marginal campy fun.  It might be more exciting in 3D, but we just watched it at home.  It was short and sweet and to the point, so that wasn’t bad.  A decent rental.

Ghost Town
This one had me laughing pretty good.  Ricky Gervais was hilarious.  It was a rare fusion of both really good comedy and a decent romance.  The ending was good and the overall feel was just plain fun.  If you haven’t seen this one yet it’s probably in the dollar theatres now, go see it.

I was a long time Netflix subscriber.  I had a subscription for almost two years.  But about 8 months ago I stopped it.  The reason was that I realized I had two discs that I hadn’t watched and hadn’t returned in over 2 months.  I just didn’t get around to watching those movies (I can’t remember what they were).  I figured that it was better to stop the monthly fee (was about $19 a month) and instead just use Blockbuster, or even better the $1 a night rentals at Redbox.  Seemed like I would save money.

Well about two weeks ago I started Netflix back up again (only the 2 at a time price this time).  Why?  Well, there were several reasons at the time:

1. I wanted to catch up on Heroes Season 2.  Netflix is certainly great for TV show DVDs.
2. I had just shelled out $12 for three movies from Blockbuster.  A little steep…
3. I had gone to Blockbuster because I was sick and tired of going to the Redbox only to find the selection was terrible.  They never have the new stuff, its always gone.

So I started it up, primarily to get through Heroes then I’d probably be done.  But now that its going, I can’t believe I ever stopped.  First of all, it’s so convenient.  I never have a problem getting new stuff, and with a distribution center so close the turnaround is just a couple of days.

But best of all, I started doing the online streaming of content.  Want to watch Heroes?  They had the entire 2nd season for online watching.  I watched every single episode in a couple of days.  What’s even better is that for some TV series (Heroes included) they even stream the recent episodes.  So I’ve been able to get caught up with the current season.  How convenient is that?

Another thing that will keep me going is that as of yesterday you can now stream the Netflix movies to your XBox 360.  So I can sit down and watch a whole bunch of stuff whenever I want.  Admittedly, the video quality isn’t the best, but it works OK.  (I could use a faster internet connection, did you hear that Qwest?)  I don’t think video streaming is perfect for everything.  I still like my DVDs.  But for an occasional use or to watch TV shows (all of The Office episodes are available!) it works well.

And finally, you can get Blu-Ray discs from them for only $1 extra a month.  No… I don’t have a Blu-Ray player yet, but it is making it tempting…

So thank you for taking me back Netflix.  I wasn’t in my right mind when I left.

First, to all questioning the manliness of this movie review I will remind you that I have already seen The Dark Knight twice — have you?

Moving on… Elena, Maren, and I went to see Mamma Mia! this morning.  You have to know what to expect before you go, right?  It was actually quite entertaining.  I haven’t seen the Broadway show, so this was new territory.  I’ve heard a number of people say “it’s amazing how many songs you actually recognize” and it is true.  I think I knew or had heard at least 80% of the music before.

Meryl Streep is very good and can certainly sing.  Pierce Brosnan… well, his singing was actually OK, but it was hard to get past the “why is James Bond/Thomas Crown singing?” factor.  The entire cast was pretty good.  And much to my wife’s dismay, it appears that Mr. Darcy really is the “Dancing Queen”!

So I’d say go see it for a matinee.  Yes, it’s a musical.  But you know, a lot of the musicals that have been coming out lately have been pretty good.  I liked Hairspray and Moulin Rouge.  Chicago was OK as well.  Dreamgirls was a little too much, I admit that one bored me.  So come on!  Get a little culture and branch out!

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