Which is your favorite?

It's one thing to have sales, but it is quite another to know what my readers and the general public prefers. It's one of the biggest questions in all advertising, and every company hopes to know the answer first. And I think there is no better source than just being direct.

At our online store - World of Vass we have over 9 women's fashion clothing lines, 5 men's designer clothing lines, and 12 unisex clothing lines (in addition to our model specific "bikini-style" calendars, mugs, journals, mousepads and more). Many of these unique designer clothing lines provide images to match African American, Hispanic/Latino, and/or White consumers, with more than a few just containing phrases that are both fashionable and eye-catching.

But I want to know what do you think? Which fashion clothing lines are the most interesting? Which catch your attention most? Which is your favorite? And why?

I can tell you that so far sales say that the following are the overall favorites:









I think they are all exceptional fashion choices. And as my models show, they look good on real people.

But are the sales the same as public opinion? Is there a direction you would like to see our next unique fashion clothing line take? Do you want more images or just phrases?

I know that one thing that has been requested has been an Asian line of clothing. It is something we are working on. We hope to have that developed and available shortly.

But what else. You tell us, and we will pay attention - as we always do.

And take the time to check out all our clothing lines at World of Vass. There is something for just about everyone, and we are working on getting something for the ones we have missed so far.

Michael Vass comments on President Obama "beerfest"

Video commentary of the meeting with police, Harvard professor, and President Obama. In particular is the emphasis on the failure to create a positive discussion on the issue of race relations and interactions between police across the nation and people of color.

The transcript of the video is below.

The t-shirt worn by Michael Vass, President of M V Consulting, Inc., can be found at the World of Vass online store. Additional clothing lines for men and women are also available at the online store.

(Sorry, the audio appears slightly muddled.)






You know, with all the attention that the arrest of Professor Gates has been given you would think that real issues between police and African Americans across the country would be addressed. Hell, police policies and actions with all people of color in this nation for that matter. But it’s a subject no one wants to go near.

President Obama could have really made a stance on the issues of race relations and police. He could have taken a position that would have created debate that advances all sides. He could have used examples that I have covered for years now, or who knows how many that the Government has data on.

But he did none of the above. He instead jumped into a situation, stomping all over local authorities, with misinformation and an agenda that honestly was more fixated on defending his friend than addressing race relations.

Think about it. If President Obama really wanted to do something about race relations there have been no lack of opportunities. He could have noted that on the first day of this year 3 Black men were all shot, without provocation or cause, by police. 2 were killed, one seriously injured. Their names are Oscar Grant, Adolph Grimes, and Robbie Tolan. He could have addressed how Oakland BART officers have lied in court in the face of video that proves guilt.

There is something to address how stupidly the police can act. There is a question that needs to be made a national discussion. The fact that African American men, especially those between 18 – 35, are targets of police profiling, brutality, and overreaction.

President Obama could have cited the way the media blew past the attack of 3 Black men by 15 police officers in Philadelphia, or the way the media ignored the cause of the riots in Oakland, or how they failed to even hint at the potential guilt of officers in the California, Texas, and Louisiana cases. Which says noting of the abuses that have occurred in New York, New Jersey, South Carolina, and a dozen other places just in the past couple of years. And the trail of abuse can be seen clearly going back as far as Rodney King. Not that it didn’t happen before then. It just wasn’t reported, and there was no Youtube to press the issue.

President Obama has taken a hit in his approval rating because of the Professor Gates arrest (roughly 2 – 7 points). He is being mocked by comedians about the beerfest that will replace an apology. He has angered police departments across the nation. And he is being called a racist.

All of which promotes nothing positive and benefits no one.

Seriously, a beer is supposed to wipe away racial profiling? A casual chat with the President will alter police departments across the country from a predisposition to react violently towards African Americans (including in one study the finding that police would more quickly and likely shoot an armed or unarmed African American than any other group)? Is this really the best President Obama can do on a subject that this nation needs to address desperately, even as it vehemently hides its head in the sand to avoid.

I realize that president Obama is on a crusade to socially re-engineer America. It’s apparent that he is using all his approval rating to ram big Government and politically extreme laws up America without so much as grease or a ‘may I’. But since he opened the door on the subject of race relations, and he is getting slammed for it, he might as well do something positive.

If President Obama does nothing, as it seems he will, he cannot come back to this. Any future action will carry the mark this has brought him. A mark he does deserve. But a burden that will prevent any substantive change, as it will be mired in the mud of this fiasco.

Think, the precedent being set is ‘Race in America? Have a kegger and don’t worry about it.’

Is this what all those people that were looking to Obama as the fulfillment of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Dream imagined? Is this what all the suffering during the Civil Rights Movement was meant to culminate into?

Honestly, I expected little better from President Obama. It’s one of the many reasons I did not vote for him. But the little I have expected from the President seems to have been far too much to expect. Which makes the future of race relations seem moribund since the way he is screwing up so many things, another chance may not come for decades, if ever again.

Movie Preview: Tron Legacy (TRON 2)

You may have heard that Disney is following up the film TRON with a sequel. In fact you probably heard that rumor for the last 2 decades. But much like the Chinese Democracy album by Guns N Roses, this too has finally come to pass.

Considering the Tron Legacy movie teaser trailer that was recently released, the wait was well worth the time.



The CGI work for this film looks like something that should be a world inside a computer. Disney has taken the cutting edge special effects of the first film and gone way beyond. I mean those light cycles just look great!

I also like the fact that the look is directly an homage to the original film. Normally after such a span of time, you would expect that Hollywood execs might ignore the original film and make up whatever they thought might sell best. It would seem that at least a few of the people in charge actually saw, and liked, the original film.

Another great thing about this film is the fact that it will have Daft Punk creating the soundtrack. Considering this is an electronic film, Daft Punk is the perfect band to highlight the musical score.

The big question is what is the storyline? Again some exec did more than just read the Cliff Notes of the original.

Basically it is known that Flynn (Jeff Bridges) disappeared from our world shortly after the end of TRON. Which makes sense since he was somewhat god-like in the computer realm (he is a programmer after all). Technology grew and got bigger and faster and sharper. Flynn’s son Sam (Garret Hedlund) also grew. He is now in his 20’s and looking for his dad.

It seems that a small group of computer geeks and gamers have found clues making them believe that Flynn is alive. And in the net (or computer world). Somehow Sam is suck in the programs as well, and the father and son team race to get out.

They will get help from old favorites like Tron (Bruce Boxleitner), and I bet the fun YES/NO byte, as well as new programs just for the younger generation (Michael Sheen and Olivia Wilde as examples).

But the main thing that will drive this movie is the look. TRON stood out because when you look at the screen you believe such a world could exist. So far, it look like that same feeling has survived the Hollywood sequel system.

Now if the film can just have a plot that can hold water better than President Obama’s stimulus plan can create jobs, we will have a ride only a light cycle can bring.

Movie Preview: Ninja Assassin

If you were unfortunate enough to have paid to see the Speed Racer movie, you might have noticed a character in the film called Taejo Togokahn, played by singer Jeong Ji-hoon or Rain. His fight scenes were quite impressive, and caught the attention of the Wachowski brothers and Joel Silver. Which has led to Ninja Assassin.

The movie trailer is interesting. Though a bit retro-80’s to an extent, it is an action martial arts film. It has everything you would expect – a bit of traditional homage, modern day settings, lots of fights, explosions, and more than a few guns I bet. This is a movie that is presenting itself as a face paced kick-ass fest.



Now I compare Rain to Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan. He is neither of the 2, and I think we will have a long way to go to see another of either. But he does his action scenes himself, and they work. So I think we can expect to see more of him in the future.

As for the rest of the cast, well there isn’t much to say yet. Honestly I expect very little from them as that is all that is needed. There is a female lead, Naomie Harris, who has the job of just moving the story forward to the next fight. There is the old master, Sho Kosugi (great to see him in a film again), giving us a context for the overall battle. And there is Rick Yune who must chase down Rain. (As a side note, Jet Li and Collin Chou were both originally expected to play roles in the film, but it didn’t work out.)

The settings look decent as does the camera work. The special effects are obviously where the bulk of the money was spent on this film and they seem to have been worth what was paid for. The sound is a question that we won’t know until the film comes out, but I expect it to be at least average.

This is not a hard film to figure out. It is formulatic, at least from what the trailer and synopsis presents. It is likely filled with a few plot holes the size of a black hole. And the acting will almost assuredly not win an Oscar or Golden Globe. Seriously, there is nothing more you can expect from a script that was made in 53 hours.

But none of that is important. If the job is done right this will be a popcorn munching brawl that will distract the viewer from the world for 90 minutes. And from the movie trailers that I have seen, it looks like they came to shoot that target loaded for bear.

This will be out in November. Which upsets me as this is something I would want to see now rather than wait for. And considering the lackluster, boring, overly gimmicked movies we have this summer Ninja Assassin would likely do huge business now. Still November is not that long to go, and it will give us time to see a few more trailers before it comes out.

Ninja Assassin does not look like it will be a martial arts movie classic, but it does look like it will be a solid action movie that will be worth the cost of going to a theater for the experience.

Movie Preview: Book of Eli

Well the movie trailer has been released and Book of Eli looks like it will be another hit for Denzel Washington.



I have to say that I am impressed. Denzel Washington is not known for his action movies. Actually, other than a couple of fist fights or shoot-outs he has no real action movies. So this is a new departure for him. And from the trailer I would say that he wouldn’t last in a fight against Riddick, but still looks good.

The post-nuclear war world this film envisions instantly draws me to the Mad Max films. It’s gritty, with harsh sunlight, desolate, and unforgiving. It sets the mood of the depressing results of a war no one escaped. So in that the visuals hit the mark.

The fact that Gary Oldman is in this film is another plus. I have always enjoyed his portrayals. My favorite has to be ‘Stan’ Stansfield from The Professional. And while we have yet to see exactly how he is in this film I’d expect a lot. Likely this is a character that crosses say Aunty Entity, Stansfield, and Cornelius Hatcher (for a bit of lightness).

Thinking about it I think that the entire film could include a few mixes of characters we have seen before. Denzel is obviously an older Mad Max, Man With No Name (Sergio Leone films), John Smith (Last Man Standing) or Hugo Toorop type of character. Weary and burdened, but willing to be the hero if reluctantly.

The big question is what is in the book? That is what is really bugging me. It is supposed to bring redemption to mankind. Which makes me think it’s a religious tome. But it could be a scientific journal containing a cure to some biological weapon released in the end of the war. Or it could be an agricultural book with farming techniques. It even could be the Declaration of Independence. I mean it really can go in a dozen different directions. Which explains why everyone might want the book, since they don’t know what it is. Kind of like the Book of Life from Circle of Iron.

Based on what the movie trailer is presenting, and the quality of the actors, this should be a must see film. The only real doubt I have on the film is the fact that it is coming out in January. Which is a notorious time for the worst films to be released. Though that has changed slightly in recent years.

I reserve my final opinion until a bit more comes out about the film. For now, the hype is still bigger than the movie. But I will still want to see it, as it does look like a good action/sci-fi film.

Black superheros - where are they?

While I was checking out some photos for my post on the Black Panther (new lead actor) I ran across a blog post at Bam! Kapow. And it got me wondering.

Black superheroes. It’s almost an oxymoron. I mean just look at all the media. In virtually every venue it’s obvious that African Americans are either villains, bad guy henchmen, drug dealers, or just don’t exist. Which is about 1000x better than how Hispanic/Latinos, Asians, Native American Indians, and any other person of color is presented.

But comic books are supposed to be different. It’s a world where literally anything is possible. That anyone can become far more than the limitations and expectations of society allow. Because in the world of comic books, at least, everyone can be super.

Except that really isn’t true. The abovementioned post was from 2008. It was made in dedication to the film Hancock, one of a handful of film featuring a Black hero lead. A superhero that is drunk over 50% of the film at that. And in this case, as I recall, the only film besides Blade to feature a Black superhero.

That post listed the top 15 greatest Black superheroes. But take a moment and tell me how many superheroes are non-White? I mean really think about it...

I decided to double check the Marvel and DC encyclopedias. Both are books that purport to cover all the major and minor recurring characters (and more than a few one shots) of these major comic book universes.

For DC, there are 886 White characters – which includes aliens that just happen to be White. There are 5.5% (55) that are Black, 2% (18) Hispanic, 1.5% (15) Asians, and .9% (9) Native Indians. I did not count any aliens that were blue/pink/covered in fur/or non-human in appearance. Of the aliens that are of some non-human coloration, 90% were drawn to exact White features.

Of these characters that are people of color, 85% came into existence in the past 25 years. The exception is for the Native Indian characters, which 50% are older – from discontinued comic books like Jonah Hex.

In total this covers DC comic books from the 1930’s until 2004.

For Marvel, in 2006, we get a similar breakdown. Out of 642 characters that have a discernable race (IE not green like Skrulls or blue like Kree) it works out that there are 543 White, 7% Black (46), 3% (19) Hispanci/Latino, 1.7% (11) Native Indians, and 3.6% (23) Asians. Part of the difference in the numbers goes to the fact that Marvel has far fewer alien characters than DC.

Again these characters of color begin to appear roughly 30 years ago, and prior to that time were virtually none existent. Part of that might also be a result of the fact that Marvel is not as old as DC Comics (roughly 5 years fifference). But like DC, the overwhelming majority of aliens are drawn to specifications that would match a White character.

I won’t even bother mentioning how many of these characters of color happen to be villains. Suffice to say that the further back in time you go, the more likely they are to be a villain. In addition to which Marvel seems to love Asian villains, thus having the higher numbers there.

So when I read about a list of the top 15 Black superheroes, well it seems a bit silly. There is only 101 to work from, of which some 80 of them only appeared within the last decade or so and have little fanbase. There are barely enough of them to not be on a top list in the first place. Extend the list to 20 and you are forced to include Sunspot (Brazillian and Black - and little known), M (very relatively new), and Bumblebee (DC, from the 60's, minor support character little seen or known) as examples.

But what does this say about America? What does this say about the way we not only view the world, but the worlds we dream of and fantasize about?

It tells me that we have taught our kids that people of color are lucky to be included. That only the very few might be lucky enough to reach for the stars. That to even be recognized is achievement, versus being recognized for achievement.

Yes some will think this all silly. But the fact is, when television, movies, and even comic books all say the same thing – something you have blasted into your brain every day of your life – plenty of people might eventually believe it. It's a brainwashing, and everyone in the nation is involved every day.

I am happy someone looked through Marvel and DC to create a Top 15 list. I’m exuberant that not only do Black superheroes now get a chance to shine on the big screen, but that they are wildly successful when they appear. And I am looking forward to see more characters, like War Machine or Luke Cage or Black Panther, take the forefront. (I can definitely live without another drunk Black hero)

But the one thing that cannot be escaped is that in a world that claims improving race relations, at a time when many of the youth of the nation believe that the playing field is flat, the media – especially the entertainment media – projects an image that can only be best described as 1950’s segregation overall.

That’s nothing to be excited about. It’s nothing to be proud of. And it will not change until the day we all pay attention and demand it to change.

Wesley Snipes Black Panther no longer - Marvel may pick Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

In other movie news, there has been a major change. The long talked about film Black Panther, about the Marvel Comics character and not the political party, has moved forward towards production. But the lead for the titular role has changed.

Originally this was a film that was driven by Wesley Snipes, and was set to have him star as the only other major comic book African American character to make it to a movie format. This was of course driven by the successes of the 3 Blade movies and the television series it inspired. All due to the acting of Wesley Snipes, with decent helpings of action and the vampire mystique that is currently popular.

But that was all before the U.S. Government decided to railroad Snipes for tax evasion. The negative media blast, and the 3 misdemeanor convictions, seems to have made Snipes unpopular among the Hollywood execs. Though it is unclear at the moment if his production company has lost the rights to this film.

Instead of Snipes, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje has become the leading actor for the role of T’challa Prince of the fictional African nation Wakanda. Which is a decent choice no less. Agbaje is probably best known to most for his roles in the television shows Lost and Oz.

Something I do want to note though is a possible trend in Marvel Comics. The switch from Snipes to Agbaje is similar in ways to the switch in Iron Man 2 from Terrence howard to Don Cheadle. In both cases the presumptive lead was changed with little fanfare, though the quality of the actors was maintained.

What that means I cannot say. But since rumors of a Luke Cage (Power Man) movie is also floating around – obviously to cash in on the trend in Black movies popularity and the existence of President Obama – I will find it interesting to see how Marvel handles the actors there as well.

I am glad to see that the few African American heroes of comic books are getting a moment to shine. It’s interesting to watch as Hollywood, and comic book companies, are starting to recognize the importance and buying power of the African American audience. Something that would likely not have happened without the election of President Obama. Which is in itself a shame.

The only other question left is if the storyline and history of T’challa will be butchered like that of Wolverine and The Hulk (think Ang Lee’s miserable version), or maintained and promoted like Spiderman and Iron Man. If Marvel gets it right, it will be gold.

So long as the movie gets underway before President Obama’s approval rating gets too much lower. Otherwise, I bet all these movies and characters (including War Machine) just disappear.

Can you make ROOM for another classic horrible film?

I truly can’t call this a movie preview, as THE ROOM has been out for some 6 years now. Still it is a very safe bet that almost everybody has not seen this movie. And I can show you why.



Besides the company graphic, this movie trailer is probably the best collection of scenes of the entire movie. I could be wrong though as I have not seen the film. But the following are a couple of videos of the film that I found.

Sex talk – to really get you in the mood and make you care about the characters


Deep emotional angst




And absolute rage



Ok, you get the point. This has worse acting than maybe Gigli and Glitter (debatable), a worse script than most SyFy 'original' movies (arguable), and film editing – plus photography – that matches my worst on a very drunken night. To say this film is bad is the best compliment you can give it.

But is it the equal of say The Toxic Avenger? Or Nuke Em High? Or any Troma Entertainment film for that matter. Does this rise to the horrible joy of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes? Is it as beautifully horrid as Evil Dead (I or II). Some even dare to compare it to The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Well that is probably best left to the viewer to decide. But this is becoming this generation’s midnight film fave. It cost $6 million to make, thus answering the question of whether anyone can make a low budget film with a decent amount of money. But Tommy Wiseau has to be commended as he raised the money without major Hollywood backing – what a shock!

The question before you my readers is not whether this is a bad film. It is unquestionably so. The question is whether this is so bad that you will laugh your buttocks off and enjoy the horror that is its film presentation?

July 28 Update

Just a quick update. It was a long weekend for me as a friend got married and had a wonderful wedding. I was there as both a guest, and I took photos and video of the joyous day. Which of course has thrown me off my pace.

But I am also working on getting an interview with a member of the reality television show Mommy XXX, as well as currently reviewing 2 music groups. Add to that an interview with author Steven Van Patten, and things are hectic.

So I have not gone on vacation, though I need one. Just busy making sure that I can provide the content you want, and the quality you expect.

More soon.

Michael Vass

Paris Hilton may not be a slut, but...

So for the record, Paris Hilton has stated that she is not stupid, or a slut. She felt compelled to mention this before the MTV premiere of a documentary on her life hits the airwaves in a few days. I suppose that answers that.

But having read her response, and the fact that she claims that the image the public has of her being a rich, bratty, idiot is all an act, I thought a comment was necessary. I can use a quote one of my oldest friends once said (not sure if he made it up or heard it somewhere) that I have never forgotten

“You may not be a ho. But you are in the clothes of a ho, you act like a ho. So you can understand if I am confused and treat you like a ho.”

Paris Hilton acts like a slut. She acts like an idiot. In fact if this is just a marketing scheme the woman needs to be provided an Oscar. If this is an act, then why the hell did she not use all this massively incredible skill in any movie which she has appeared in?

As I recall, the coverage of her arrest and imprisonment all stemmed from a single act. Hilton was so incapable of normal responsibilities that she failed to heed the notice of suspension of her driver’s license that was in the glove box of her car when she was arrested. So either that was a brilliant plan to drum up media coverage of her flippant disregard of the law, and the excess of her wealth trying to abuse the legal system, or she is just too dumb to drive.

Look there are just too many reasons why this extremely skinny, extremely spoiled, extremely lucky heiress can be called slut, idiot, airhead, fool, brat, and insignificant. And I can only think of 1 reason why she would like to change that image (reality). The trust fund that ensures she never needs to work or live in the real world, can be taken away if the family get upset enough. In fact, such rumors were swirling just before Hilton stopped being the tabloid pin-up girl about 1 or 2 years ago as I recall.

Perhaps jail brought a dose of reality to Hilton. Perhaps the fear of losing more money than some countries GDP sobered up her actions. Or perhaps this is an elaborate marketing trick to make her popular, again (for whatever reason find her interesting in the first place). Whatever it may be, the end result is the same.

Paris Hilton ‘wears the clothes’, and has the mannerisms of a prostitute. She appears to be about as business minded and intellectual as a crackhead (and to me a similar figure). She has almost as much acting ability as the former Taco Bell Chihuahua. But if I am mistaken, you can understand why.

And what in the world justifies a documentary on Paris Hilton? Beyond having a sex tape, going to jail because of her own stupidity, and having been the progeny of a very blue-blood lineage, there is nothing interesting about her. It might just be me, but Anna Nicole Smith contributed more to the world, and will have a more lasting effect than Hilton. The standards at MTV really have just gone to ground.

List of the going and the gone

Here was something that caught my eye. It’s just a list of the things younger Americans either don’t know or will never learn about. A reminder of just how old I am, and how much the world has changed.

A couple of the things that really struck me about this list of 100 things kids will never know includes:

Typewriters – which is how all my college papers were done, and I still occasionally use

Super-8 film and cameras – which is not a great loss, but is visually interesting

Walkman’s – do people under 30 even know what they are?

Cassette tapes and/or 8-tracks –see Walkman

3 networks on television – yep before cable there were just 3 major channels

An album – though CD’s and DVD’s may be called that, I mean the original vinyl discs

A television without a remote control, in black and white, and/or with a round dial

A phone that is not digital, nor portable

Television stations turn off for the night – yes they used to not be 24/7

A floppy disc – do they even have that for computers any more? Remember when they came in 5 inch size?

Atari video game systems and the joysticks they had – or Intellivision. There was another one too.

Reading books – an encyclopedia, a dictionary, an atlas, an almanac, or just a regular book for entertainment

Writing letters to talk to friends - For that matter, calling someone and having to call back because there were no answering machines, text, IM, and so on

Writing full grammatically correct, properly spelled sentences

Learning how to write in script

Life without a computer

Playing games on a board with people

Going down the block to use a payphone, or a payphone that you could close the door on

Being restricted to just 1 ringer sound

Doing math in school without a calculator – that includes trigonometry, algebra, calculus, and geometry

Slide rules – I don’t even remember that

A library card catalogue system

Paper wrapping on candy bars

There are many more things that the list at Geekdads has. A few things they left out include:

A time before music videos – buying a record just because the singers sounds good

Cartoons only being on tv for 2 hours during the week and 5 hours on Saturday

Banking hours being the only time to go to a bank

Pizza costing 55 cents

Beer cans with pull-tops

Soda and orange juice in glass bottles

No warning labels – on anything

One phone company for the nation – Ma Bell and it was cheaper

When being a soldier was an honor – still is in my eyes

Drinking was legal at 18

Using tokens to get on the subway in NYC – they cost a little as 50 cents as I remember

Not having to worry about school shootings, or the loner students, or child molesters

A time when rap was about having fun

Break dancing

Men wearing platform shoes

Growing afros 14 inches or more – not for braiding just the afro (men and women)

Non-digital clocks

Playing outside

There is so much more. Just imagine though what the next generation will not know or forget.

Johnny Depp wants to be a woman

With all my reviews of the current health care reform debacle, and Torchwood on BBC America, I have missed something interesting. And it’s about Johnny Depp no less. You would think I heard about it since I do enjoy this actor’s work.

But I did not. What I missed is the role that Johnny Depp wants to take on. And as he is wont to do, this role steps far and way from the norm of Hollywood. Johnny Depp wants to do a biopic, as a woman.

Let me clarify, Depp does not want to play a cross-dresser, or a transvestive, or even someone gay. No when I say he wants to take on the role of a woman, I mean just that. So throw away your thoughts of Dressed To Kill, or To Wong Foo Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar.

The woman in question is Carol Channing. She is older (88), so most of us may not be familiar with her. She is an accomplished singer and actress. She has won 3 Tony Awards, A Golden Globe Award, and an Oscar Award nomination. So when I said accomplished I was not kidding. Her best known work is from her roles on stage, which may be part of why some of us are unfamiliar with her body of work.

Channing is a surprising choice for another reason. One that reflects the social attitudes of America, up to present day. Revealed in her 2002 autobiography for the first time was the fact that she is ¼ African American. It comes from her father’s side of the family, and was only revealed to her when she went to college – because her mother didn’t want her shocked if she had a Black baby.

This was a secret Channing found so important to hide from Hollywood and Broadway she didn’t reveal it to anyone until she was 81. That says quite a bit about Hollywood and Broadway, and America in general.

Beyond that, one of her most memorable roles was Lorelei Lee in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes – her rendition then of Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend is considered classic.


(This is a good performance, but imagine when she did this some 40 years earlier)

But she has also starred in far more recent work that I and my readers may be more familiar with. That includes being a voice actor in Chip N Dale’s Rescue Rangers, Family Guy. Also appearances on dozens of television shows including Sesame Street the new Addams Family, The Love Boat, The Drew Carey Show, Space Ghost . The Muppet Show, Magnum PI, Coast to Coast, The Flip Wilson Show and even an episode of Playboy After Dark (in 1969). Plus films including the 1985 version of Alice in Wonderland and voice work as recent as Thumbelina in 1994.


She is iconic enough to have been impersonated by dozens of male comedians, including Robin Williams, and Ryan Stiles of Whose Line Is It Anyway?

This is the woman that Johhny Depp wants to portray. And Channing herself thinks he can pull it off.

“I imagine when or if Johnny should portray me, he will succeed," the Broadway legend told the Advocate. "Because a true artist, such as himself, is one who loves his or her creation and therefore represents their honest view of that which they are creating. I think he is a gifted performer and I would be very proud, as well as interested, in seeing what his vision of me would be.”

I too think he could do it. Not that I think he has the look of a young Channing, but because he is just that damn good. Plus makeup these days is fantastic. Add to the fact that he kind of prepared for such a role from his work in Ed Wood.

Johnny Depp as a woman. It’s just so far out there that the more I think about it, the more I think it’s perfect for him.

Captain Jack Harkness of Torchwood

So I was watching the BBC America program Torchwood and the current 5 night event, Children of Earth. After the 3rd episode on Wednesday, I got into a bit of an argument with a friend of mine. It gets a bit geeky.

Background first. If you are a fan of Dr. Who, you probably are familiar with the character Captain Jack Harkness (played by John Barrowman). Fans of Torchwood obviously know him. For those that are not, he is a human being from the 51st century that was able to time travel to the past (1939 roughly). He met up with The Doctor, and was brought to the future – around 100,000 or 1 million years in the future, I forget which.

It was at this time, called the Bad Wolf episodes, that Capt Jack is killed. But via forces to long to explain, he is brought back to life. Brought back "wrong" as we later find out.

Jack is virtually immortal. By that I mean that if you shoot him in the head he will die and then get back up. Ditto if you stab, burn, nuke or otherwise blow him up. He has been electrocuted, drowned, buried in cement, shot by lasers, had creatures attempt to drain his lifeforce (killing them via overfeeding) and way more – but he always gets back up. The Doctor describes him as a

“…a fixed point in space and time. You are a fact.”

Now this is critical to my argument. We also find out via Dr. Who that some 10 million (or billion, I again forget) years from nowish, Capt Jack transforms into a being called the Face of Boh, and dies.

If you are not a fan of sci-fi, Dr. Who, or Torchwood I thank you for having read this far. If you are also not a bit of a science geek you really may get lost or hate the rest of this post.

So here is my argument. Does it make sense that Jack dies? Is this a contradiction in the 2 shows?

I think not. Because if you view time and space in terms of the Doctor’s universe, then they are not linear. They are like an enormously big, yet absolutely small ball of string. All points of the sting touch every other point. Thus time is simultaneous and instantaneous. We just see it as linear from our point of view.

That as a given, since Jack Harkness becomes a point AFTER the creation of the universe (and thus the start of time and space) he must not be eternal. Which means the Doctor is correct and the shows are right.

I view it like this:

If we view time as a ball, say that Jack is a point that starts maybe 2/3 into the ball. That is when he became a fact and fixed point. He continues to the end of the ball. But since he is not connected to 1/3 of the ball, he cannot be eternal. Because there is some point that is the beginning and end of time that he does not exist as a fact in. Which is one reason why the Doctor initially finds him repugnant after being brought back to life the wrong way.

My friend disagrees as being a fact implies being eternal in their view. That he must be forever, and since he is not The Doctor is wrong.

I told you this was geeky. But to me it’s on the same level as people arguing who deserves to win American Idol. Only better.

So, I leave it to the fans, and any quantum physicists out there. Am I right or is my friend?

The economy is bad all over. Just ask Stephan Baldwin

Hollywood entertainers never get a break. Seriously, we never really feel bad for any of them. They make tons of money (literally), travel across the globe, date and marry people we wish we could (why Janet Jackson picked DeBarge over me I will never understand), and don't really work that hard (as compared to a construction worker for example). So I can understand how generally people never feel bad for them.

Add to this the fact that more than a few entertainers are more of a problem for themselves than anything else. Chris Brown is a coward that beats up on women, Amy Winehouse is the most successful crackhead (reportedly) in history, Michael Vick loves dogfights, virtually every rapper just can't stay away from drug and/or guns, and on and on.

But sometimes we have to recall they are just regular people. And like regular people they have problems like us all. Especially with this economy.

Stephen Baldwin happens to fall into that last bit. He's a fair actor, makes a couple million a film, and generally seems to be a decent person. But all his fame, that of his family, and his career are not enough to overcome the current economy. Just like you and me, he is in financial trouble.

He just declared bankruptcy, to the tune of $2.3 million. Ok so he is not quite like you and me. But the mortgage crisis is still claiming victims. He owes the money on a house that is now valued at $1.1 million. And somehow I don't think he had a sub-prime mortgage.

I'm sure he will be ok. I doubt that he will be homeless. Considering that he let a homeless guy live on one of his properties just to be nice to the guy - who repaid that kindness by selling heroin and getting arrested - I think that the scales of fate will work out in his favor. It doesn't hurt that his family are all pretty secure in the entertainment business too.

Still I suppose this post was just a random rambling about the fact that 1) sometimes we need to remember that entertainers are just like us (with lots more money and the complications it brings) and 2) that the economy is far worse than the Obama Administration has led us to believe.

Not my best post ever, but just something to think about.

Hollywood movie star reacts to Philadelphia racism

When it comes to a news story about entertainers doing a good thing and kids, I just can't stay away. It's these kinds of things we all need to hear more about.

In this case the news starts off in a negative. In Philadelphia, a city known for its negative overreactions of its police force, there was the added negative news that 65 kids were turned away from a private swim club.

The story goes like this. Valley Swim Club is private, but declares they are open membership. Creative Steps Day Camp paid nearly $2000 to allow 65 kids (that happen to be Black and Hispanic) to be able to use the pool to swim. The day camp made one visit, which seems to have caused a ruckus. Not because the kids were rude or badly behaved, but because of race.

"I heard this lady, she was like, 'Uh, what are all these black kids doing here?' She's like, 'I'm scared they might do something to my child,'" said camper Dymire Baylor."

It seems that not only were comments like this stated, but the parents (who it seems were all White) pulled out all of their kids from the pool once the kids of color got in the pool. Which is insulting in far too many ways.

It got worse though. Valley Swim Club then rejected the day care. The very next day the membership was revoked, with an offer to refund the money paid offered. But this was not about money, but a chance for kids to swim.

Valley Swim Club stated

"There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion … and the atmosphere of the club," John Duesler, President of The Valley Swim Club

In just that statement I think the case was clear. Valley Swim Club is open to everyone, as long as they have the right skin color. It's a page right out of Jim Crow and segregation. I'm sure Philadelphia was proud.

But the story was not over. Because after this hit the news on July 9th, people around the nation started to hear what happened. One of those people had the ability to do something about it. That was Tyler Perry.

Perry found this to bne an outrage. That no child deserves such treatment, especially over their race. He said

"It broke my heart and I wanted to do something. I want them to know that for every act of evil that a few people will throw at you, there are millions more who will do something kind for them. Show them they are just as good as anyone else that they can do or be anything they want to be no matter what anyone says."

Then he went a step further. Since the kids couldn't go to Valley Swim Club, Tyler Perry is going to send them to Disney. He has paid for all 65 kids to go to Disney and a Disney Water Park for 3 days.

I applaud Perry and what he has done. I hope that the people of Philadelphia abandon the Valley Swim Club, and write to John Duesler about this. People like him need to be reminded that this is not the 1950's, that even then such actions were never acceptable, and that all of America is better because of the various people that make up this great nation.

Tyler Perry has helped the 65 kids of the Creative Steps Day Camp, and all of us that hear this story, realize that the small minds of a few cannot prevent them from attaining great things in their life. It's a message that I am more than happy to spread.

**You can reach John Duesler and Valley Swim Club at:

22 Tomlinson Rd
Huntingdon Vly, PA 19006
(215) 947-0700

Russell Crowe apologizes over toasty car

Just a bit of quick news. I love positive stories and to speak about the charitable works of entertainers. This turns out to be both.

Russell Crowe started this whole thing off in a negative note. On the set of one the upcoming Robin Hood movie (starring Crowe and Cate Blanchett), one of the boom operators was delayed because her car died. And I mean the car was done - burnt well done according to reports. This left the poor woman bitter and twisted,as she was in deep Rubble. (I think the Brits out there will get that.)

Thus on the set she was complaining about having to buy a new car. This is when Crowe jumped in and let his mouth fly unfettered. Effectively making fun of the situation, and the woman in question. But being a Brit she was undaunted and replied back

Well, I suppose it's OK for you, Russell. You've probably never had to worry about finding five grand for a new car."

Crowe it seems was put well into his place. And he was definitely reminded of the difference between an A-list entertainer and the rest of us that work too hard for a living. So he decided to apologize. By giving her 5,000 pounds and stating

"There you go. You can buy a 10,000 pound car now."

For those in the U.S. he roughly gave her $8,100. Which is a nice way to make up for a snide comment.

And for those that think this, and the reputation of generosity that Crowe has on the Robin Hood set, are just a gimmick to get advertising for the film - so far the media reps for Crowe have yet to publicly admit any of this. So it adds a level of the genuine for me.

If its as true as reports state, and considering that Crowe makes between $10 and 25 million per picture, it was very kind of him. An apology that really sticks in the mind. If only all entertainers could get slapped back to reality, and react in a similar manner, when thier egos take over their mouths and actions.

Well at least they have this example to follow.

DC Comics to movie conversions - reality or waste of time?

If you are a fan of comic books, or the flood of movies based on comic book characters, you probably have wondered

"Are there any characters besides the Marvel line-up?"

Comic book fans all know that this is an overstatement of the facts. There are a host of characters in movies these days. And in the past as well. There is Superman and Batman, but also Hellboy, Constantine, Watchmen (excellent graphic novel series and movie), V for Vendetta (another must see/read), Sin City, along with a host of others.

But basically the big hitters that everyone can recall recently are the Marvel line-up (with the exception of the new Batman Dark Knight series and the Superman retread). DC Comics seems to just be lost in the live action trend. Which brings up an old debate:

Who is better, Marvel or DC?

I think the trend in conversions to movies answers the question in definitive terms. Marvel is king. There are plenty of independents that beat out DC. Take away the Dark Knight, and there is little for DC to hang their hat on. Remove Superman as well and everything else for them falls flat. Because that's the best they have.

To me, the characters of DC are far too over-the-top in general. To cartoonish and simplistic. To one dimensional to be realized in the movie format. That's why DC does so well with taking their line-up and transferring it to cartoons (like the Superfriends or Teen titans). They lend themselves to extremism and lack the depth needed to capture the big screen.

That's not to say the DC writers and artists are bad at what they do. To the contrary, I think they do a great job, given the limitations that they work with. But it does mean that the expectations for all the future DC movies are severely lower, and likely to underwhelm even that.

Put it like this. DC is so weak that the top characters are not getting movies anytime soon. Wonder Woman, one of the old favorites and the most obvious title to hit the big screen (since it was a television show at one time), is still sitting on the sidelines with neither a script nor direction on how to move forward. The same can be said of most of the big DC names. Green Lantern is one of the few to likely be showing up soon, though Aquaman will likely be first.

Yes, Aquaman. A character that is one of the more boring characters to me, especially if he is on land for any period of time. And he will likely be competing with Captain America or Iron Man 3 (possibly Spiderman 4 and/or the Avengers), maybe even Deadpool if the script can be worked out for Ryan Reynolds.

DC is so off the radar that Jonah Hex will be next out of the gate. A character so unknown that it's fanbase ended decades ago. My expectations of the movie can be summarized by the movie's description: a spiritual/supernatural Western. Oh yeah, that just drives people to the theater in droves.

Perhaps the best of the upcoming movies from DC may be the film RED - starring at this point Morgan Freeman and Bruce Willis. It's still being developed but it puts both actors in roles (presumably) they are comfortable with. Freeman is likely a retired CIA man and Willis is the assassin out to kill him. Even if the roles are reversed (which is unlikely for Freeman) it still works. But that has more to do with the actors than the storyline, fan base, or the source material it is based on.

Seriously, the proposed Voltron movie (an 80's cartoon that was very likely the entire source and motivation of the Power Rangers) sounds better than almost everything DC has planned so far. Almost combined. Definitely at least as big a fan base, and arguably bigger.

So to answer my earlier 2 questions, there are a lot of characters showing up in movies that are not Marvel based. Many are quite compelling and interesting. Some are even must sees. Especially compared to missteps by Marvel - ie the first Hulk movie and Ghost Rider as examples. It's just that almost all the good ones you will likely ever see or want to own on DVD will be independents or based on another medium (anime, books, video games, ect.)

As for the second question, does DC suck? Oh yeah. They have a few good ideas and titles, but basically they are the 'red-headed step-child' to Marvel. And everybody else. Which is a shame since the potential should be there.

But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe a supernatural Western will do the trick. Maybe everyone wants to watch a guy swimming for 2 hours. It could happen. I just wouldn't go to Vegas and bet on it.

James Caviezel hurt in morotcycle accident in Washington

I feel really bad for James Caviezel. He was injured in a motorcycle accident, that never should have happened.

It seems that he was in Washington State, and while driving down a road a man threw a bicycle out in front of his Harley. Not your normal motorcycle accident. Not even by a long shot.

Thankfully he had a helmet on, which inevitably helped him survive the incident. But it does remind me that the dangers on a motorcycle are normally not the road or the driver.

In most every case of a motorcycle accident, with an experienced driver, I have noticed that some outside force is involved. Not to say that motorcycle drivers don't just have accidents. But it is to say that most bikers are far more cautious and aware of the road than the average driver in a car.

Still I can't imagine anything preparing someone for what happened here. The big question has to be why? That question has not been answered yet. But the initial reports are saying that the unidentified man may have had mental issues. No surprise there.

I am glad to hear that Caviezel will be ok. There have been just too many sudden deaths of entertainers recently. We can all do with a bit of time before another pops up.

Movie Preview: BULL

BULL is another film that caught my attention. The trailer is stylized and slick. It has a sun-washed look and gives an image of a darker Ocean’s Eleven.



The most important thing to recall in this film is the first thing said in the trailer

“Do you think that anybody actually tells anybody the whole truth.”

The movie trailer rolls off like a classic deception film. Reminding me of the aforementioned Ocean’s Eleven, Matchstick Men, The Hustle, and a few others. It just has that feel. That something is going on and you don’t know exactly what that is.

Which can make a great film if it is done right. Done wrong though and the film is a waste of time. This film could go either way.

The cast includes Maury Chaykin, a character actor that I have always enjoyed watching. He always had just the right touch to a character that is deeper and less obvious than whatever he initially appears.

Also there are a few unknowns (or at least unknown to me) including: Simon Reynolds, Lindsey Deluse, Craig Lauson, Jeff Seymour, Lori Hallier, and Ellen Dubin. Which can really add to the to the film as there are no preconceptions as Chaykin can bring to a degree.

Is this a good film? I’m not sure. But from the trailer it looks like it could be quite good. In fact it might be part of a trend back to well written and envisioned filmmaking. Hollywood has abandoned films of this nature, but obviously there are more than a few directors and writers that can still envision a good story.

Who is really in charge in all this? Who has the upper hand? What are they after?

All great questions. My guess, and that is all I have right now, is that Charlie – the lead – is the guy scamming his boss. Though the secretary might have a plan of her own. But I could be very wrong. And even if I am right, how it all plays out is yet another thing.

I will say that no matter what the film seems like a worthwhile time and easily a trip to a world that we have not seen throughout the summer.

Movie Preview: Soul Power

Taking a step back to the past – the year is 1974. Some of my readers won’t be born for another 10 or 20 years. There is no internet. There is no such thing as cable television. There is no ESPN. And in this year the greatest athlete of the 20th Century is about to engage in a competition that the world will stop to watch. The “Rumble in the Jungle”

For those that are unfamiliar it was one of the biggest boxing events ever. Muhammad Ali was going to take back his World Heavyweight title from George Foreman (long before he ever thought of a quick way to grill burgers). The fight was to be held in Zaire. And it was to feature some of the best and most acclaimed African and African American entertainers of the time (and likely since).

Back in 1974 there were none of the instantaneous luxuries we have today. Which meant that an event like this was huge. Few if any events today can compare to the 3 days of entertainment that preceded a boxing match everyone wanted to see. In many ways it could compare to watching the World Cup finals.



The focus of this film is not the classic fight though. It is about the entertainers and the struggles entailed to get to the stage in Zaire. Then it details the performances of BB King, Bill Withers, Celia Cruz, Miriam Makemba, and James Brown.

Yes, it’s a documentary. From a perspective about the entertainers, and an event that shook the ground when it took place.

It’s short, and there are not a lot of scenes of the performances (due to cost constraints and the fact this happened 30 years ago). Still there is nothing like watching James Brown in his prime, or BB King, and all the others. Plus its interesting to see the bits of commentary of all these great African American entertainers about the world at that time. Though this is hardly a film that is only an African American film.

This is a worthwhile film for those documentary fans, as well as fans of music and history. This is a short trip to the past, and a joy. Check it out if you can.

Movie Preview: Evangelion 1.0

Evangelion 1.0 is an anime movie that most anime fans already know. In fact, when I was the trailer for the film I had to ask myself why this is a movie.

This was a full anime series, Neon Genesis Evangelion. The characters, battles, and outcomes are all known. It’s so bad that the entire movie trailer is just several scenes from the coming episodes of the television series strung together. Yeah, it’s just that recycled.



The art is the same. The characters are the same. I would even guess that the voice acting is exactly the same. Beyond editing together the episodes, I am unaware of anything that this movie presents to people that have seen the series. [Though a quick scan of the internet states that there are a few new scenes. Which is still not enough for me to spend my money on.]

The argument can be made that the whole venture is an attempt to find new audiences. But let’s be realistic. In America the anime audience is relatively small, and they have seen this before. New fans are more likely to be drawn from watching Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim lineup (especially on Saturday night), than will ever come from this movie.

Add to that the fact that showing this film overseas, in Japan, is useless. In fact all the major venues of anime are pretty much out. Though some will enjoy seeing this on a major big screen, most will be bored watching a story they have seen several times over in various episode re-runs 1 more time. At a cost of over $20+ per person.

[Again, I stand corrected. My research found that this did incredibly well in Japan. Who knew a retread would do so well.]

The film is a re-release of a 2007 version. It has been dubbed into English and should hit selected theaters this weekend I believe. Honestly I would suggest getting the DVD, or the series and watching that. At least then the same money will allow you to watch the anime anytime you want.

Movie Preview: In The Loop

Ok, so I really must see the British movie In The Loop. I saw a couple of trailers and I was just laughing out loud.



I mean who in the world gets away with saying

“You are my Kunta Kinte, now go out and get your laptop.”

And makes it funny.

In fact, critics over in Britain described the film as follows



Which a friend of mine was led to comment

“You know it must be good when critics are that against it. I mean what a critic wants to see is a bunch of mimes painting the Eiffel Tower green. That they would be thrilled with and call art. It would probably win an Oscar.”

Any film that can elicit that much humor, with that many curses (which it might take American audiences 2x to catch), yet is political intelligent and original deserves to be viewed.

Or of course you could watch Transformers 2 and see a bunch of CGI robots smash a bunch of things for no real reason.

Blogger gets house arrest for Guns n Roses songs

Back in August of 2008 I wrote about how the FBI overreacted to the temporary actions of a blogger. The blogger, Kevin Cogill, posted 9 tracks of the Guns n’ Roses Chinese Democracy album on his blog, Antiquiet. He also removed the tracks. All of this long before the album went on sale later that year.

In that post I stated.

“…Since when does the FBI bother with a copyright issue? Isn’t this normally an issue that lawyers resolve with a stroke of a pen, threatening a lawsuit if the material is not removed (which it was)?

This is overkill, and a problem for bloggers of all sizes. If ABC News, or MTV, the news media, or Sirius Radio played the songs before release (which radio stations have long done) there would never be FBI closing down those companies. The DJ responsible would never be yanked of the air until they can make bail. They would never have to face criminal charges in court.”

But arrested he was. By a fully armed team of FBI agents armed to the teeth at dawn. You would have thought Cogill was an international criminal the likes of a terrorist. But he is nothing of the kind.

Cogill lost his job. He was incarcerated. He plead guilty to a misdemeanor. And the prosecution was still not satisfied. On behalf of the RIAA, the prosecution sought to have Cogill jailed. Thankfully the judge did not agree.

Cogill was sentenced and will have 2 months house arrest. The Government will have access to his computer, and he has to make a PSA for the RIAA against copyright infringement. All in all, more than what was deserved for what he did.

I realize that the law was broken. I understand that punishment was due, in some form, considering all the manpower that was used to make him a scapegoat. But none of this was necessary.

A simple request from the record companies near-limitless horde of lawyers could have ensured compliance. It is a fact that he had already removed the information by the time the FBI got involved. But instead a statement was made that day.

“…Arrests because you used a public photo (with credit to its source) of a politician in a negative post? Possession of a podcast or post on a laptop or cell phone means federal charges for distribution or receiving stolen goods? And how long is it before a blogger just gets arrested because they wrote something someone else did not like.”

I have never agreed with the manner or the reasoning why the FBI ruined the life of Cogill. I still don’t now that he has been sentenced. And I still believe that all bloggers should keep an eye out for actions like this one. Especially with the current government in power.

At least the album was decent. The least of positive news, but the only real positive in this story.

Golfing in Australia just got longer

Over the years golf courses around the world have extended their grounds to counter the improvements of technology, and golfers like Tiger Woods and John Daly. It’s something that has become commonplace, and by now almost everyone has already made their changes. Except for one course in Australia, where the concept of big eludes even the Texas definition.

Australia? Yes, the country down under. Known for kangaroos, Paul Hogan, and extreme bias against the aboriginal people that were the original owners of the country, the country now hosts a golf course that is so unique that I doubt another like it will ever be built.

This par 71 golf course, Nullarbor Links, is roughly 848 miles long. Yes, that is miles and not a typo. Not even Daly can drive that. In fact, it is so long a course that it takes 3 days to play one round. Some of the holes are 60+ miles from each other. It is actually longer than England.

Now before you bewilder your mind with thoughts of greens that roll forever, I’ll tell you the gimmick. There is just 1 hole each in towns stretching across Southern Australia. The goal is to spike tourism as golfers travel across the nation, hitting some of the lesser known spots and landmarks along the way.

Will this idea work in the global recession? Would anyone spend 3 days playing the same round of golf? Is the idea of driving an hour or more to reach the next tee worth the time to get to Australia? Well the answers will come in October when the course opens up.

Oh, as an added bonus you do get a certificate if you finish the course. No word yet on the cost though. Which I really can’t imagine. Guaranteed it won’t be cheap. But I’d consider it if any of the proceeds actually went to charities for the Aborigines.

Eureka is back at SyFy Channel - even if my review is late

So I didn’t have a chance to discuss the new season of Eureka when it came out. But it is a show that I really enjoy, so I watched it again. And I find the new season off to an interesting start.

When last we left Sheriff Carter, he had just lost his job. A situation that meant he would have to leave this secret town of big brains. Plus it meant that he would have to leave Dr. Blake, whom he should be with.

We pick up the show with Carter interviewing, a task made harder by the fact that he cannot make any reference to his duties at Eureka. Basically he has to interview under the basis that he was just working in a simple small town. Which makes me wonder why there was no device (kind of like the one used in the 2nd season opening episode) used to remove his memory and ensure that this super-top secret is not leaked to anyone.

But as the job hunting at the Department of Homeland Security is on-going, we see that Dr. Blake has progressed quite a bit with her pregnancy. Something that is odd considering the lack of time from the prior season ending.

Things even get more odd when Deputy Lupo, next in line to be sheriff is passed over for the position. The person hired is such a surprise that everyone is amazed. He is Sheriff Andy (as in Griffith) and is a robot. A step that is not too far out for this town of science fiction made reality. But way too much for Deputy Lupo to handle.

Of course while all this is happening, everyone is saying their goodbyes. It’s definitely a sad tone to it all. Thankfully Zane is no where to be seen. Though Carter’s girlfriend (runs the cleaners) is gone. Whatever happened to her is something I never recall hearing mentioned. One day he is supposed to go on a weekend fishing trip with her, then she is just forgotten.

But its these little mistakes that fill this episode. We see things like a robot with a supercomputer brain, that can’t arrive at an accident scene faster than Carter who was told after Sarah (his house) mentions it to him, though Andy is hooked up to the internal web of the town. Andy seems incapable of making obvious inquiries, which Carter and Lupo do even though they have no authority to do so. And Andy is the obvious target of situations that seem so blatant that halfway through the episode you are guessing at who might have done it.

My guess by the way was the obvious choice, and wrong. Though the real culprit is just as obvious and has done similar actions before.

Basically this is the same series that we left. The characters are just as familiar and interesting. The relationships feel genuine. But this first episode is sloppy. Far more so than usual, and with far less explanations to cover the plot holes.

Plus a new arc is created by the end of the episode. One that seems to involve aliens, or at least something from space heading to Eureka. My guess is that it will be similar to Vjer from Star Trek: The Motion Picture (the first of the big screen adaptations – and after 30 years still better than the latest film). Which might be interesting if the writing improves.

This is not to say that I did not enjoy the episode. I’m glad Eureka is back, Carter, Blake, and all. The episode was entertaining, if a tad bit bland. I’m interested to see the birth of the babies, Zoey is growing up to be a cute intelligent young woman, and the suggested love triangle with Fargo/Lupo/Zane has me betting on Fargo. Plus we may actually see Carter and Blake finally get together as the fates allowed once upon a different dimension.

All of it has great potential still. But I get the feeling that the writing is slipping. That too much is being taken for granted. That the move to Friday nights signals the end is very near. That SyFy [or SciFi – the name change fits since they never had any respect for their supposed core audience] is still the same lying bunch of television executives that can’t understand anything more complicated than the same sitcoms we have seen since 1950. And the show may be winding down. Which would be a shame.

Yet, there is time. And everything seems as entertaining as it was before. Maybe even a bit of innovation in the writing too. Which means that if you are stuck home on a Friday night, this is an option to take.

Michael Jackson joins Tupac and Elvis sadly

There are some things in life you see coming from a mile away. Sometimes it doesn’t even need to be your life. With the sudden death of Michael Jackson you knew that one of 2 things would happen: People would claim he wasn’t dead and this was all staged or that he was murdered.

Now I am not going to say that the man was not killed. I definitely don’t know enough to say this. But I have to say that I have my doubts. Lots of them.

That does not mean that others have those same doubts. LaToya Jackson is quoted as having said

“Michael WAS murdered," declared La Toya, 53. "And we don't think just one person was involved. Rather, it was a conspiracy of people. I feel it was all about money. Michael was worth well over a billion in music publishing assets and somebody killed him for that. He was worth more dead than alive.”

Well in part I can see her point. Alive Jackson owed some $400 million dollars to investors. He was otherwise in debt. But he did have a vast array of music publishing rights. The Beatles catologue comes to mind.

Still, how would some publicly unknown group of people gain access to those rights? Which I am sure are part of the assets that Jackson passed on to his children?

LaToya is also quoted as stating that $2 million in cash and jewlery is missing. Which could be a motivation for murder. Though it would seem more likely that in the confusion surrounding his death, anyone with access to the Jackson home might have been able to take advantage and steal lots of things. It definitely does not seem like a reason to kill him, and not in the manner in which he died.

But all of this feeds into the conspiracy theories circling the net. As early as June 30th, on at least one blog I am aware of, people were making radical claims and associating them with the death of Jackson. So it is likely that as things move forward we are going to hear more.

I expect to hear that it was the pharmacuetical industry, Sir Paul McCartney, the investors that paid him $400 million, muslims, people who don’t like muslims, the doctors supplying him with drugs, aliens, the Queen, Scotland Yard, and others I can’t even begin to guess at.

Maybe Michael Jackson was killed. It is not beyond reasonable doubt at this moment. But I imagine that no matter what is found and proven, there will never be an end to the rumors and theories. Which is a sad thing to see happening, especially after such a tragic event.

Who is the real pet when it comes to cats?

In news that is a bit odd, I ran across something that is of no real surprise. Often I have stated to those friends I know that their cat seemed to have them trained incredibly well. Now I have a scientific study to prove I was right.

It seems that for those people that own a cat, especially those that have smaller households, the cats have a specific call to get fed when they want it. It’s a mix of a purr and a meow. The combination is just at the right pitch, and disharmonious enough, to get a person to react just as the cat wants.

This call is so well tuned to people that even non-cat owners note the sense of urgency in the sounds. It seems that part of the sound is a close mimic to the sounds of an infant. Which is something every person will pay attention to, even without kids.

Call it good mimicry, great genetics, or a weakness in cat owners, the result is the same. The cat gets fed when it wants to be, and the owners are the one trained to do so. I can’t help but be reminded of the mice from Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (the books and never the horrendous movie).

Now that it has been established that cats can get people trained to feed them, I wonder how long until they figure out that cats also get picked up, petted, and a host of other things on their terms.

Makes you wonder who really is the pet in the relationship?

Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan redo The Karate Kid

Jaden Smith is really turning out to be quote they superstar. After finishing the film with his father, and then showing up Keanu Reeves in The Day The Earth Stood Still (hard not to show up that fiasco of acting), he is now out in China with Jackie Chan. That’s a pretty impressive summer job he has for himself.

Considering his age, and the general trends of Hollywood, it’s impressive to see that he is growing in his abilities and that directors are taking notice. The only real shame is that so far he has not really been in a huge success. Yes the films with Reeves and his dad made money. But they are not big hits.

The latest film, Kung Fu Kid, is a revisioning of The Karate Kid. While I generally despise revisioned films, the inclusion of Jackie Chan makes this interesting. It will take place in Bejing, is current day, and will emphasize the abilities of Jaden. This very well could be a huge hit for this young actor.

Of course the fact that his father is one of the producers, plus the fame of Chan, and then add in the nostalgia for the original, and you have a film that should definitely be a hit. Except there is one hitch in the film. The director.

That would be Harald Zwart. He was responsible for the flops One Night At McCool’s and the revisioned refuse Pink Panther 2. The only other film he has done that you might know internationally is Agent Cody Banks, which was decent but no blockbuster.

How this director was attached to this project is unknown to me, but likely the only thing that could cause the film to be worthless. Well that and writer’s that have no clue what made the original worth watching.

If this does turn out to be a hit film, I think that Jaden will be well on his way to a career that will exceed his father. Considering that Will Smith is familiar with working his way to the top, has had the experience of losing it all, and knows the fickle nature of critics and fans I expect that Jaden will be well prepared for added fame. This is one child actor that should never see the front page of a tabloid – except for any woman he might date.

If this film fails though, I expect that it will be the fault of the director. Based on his trend, this is an uphill battle. Still a bit of failure may be just the thing to keep his head from getting bigger than his britches. In fact I think that every child star should have some degree of failure to help balance out their expectations. Britney Spears and Lindsey Lohan are great examples of the potential if they don’t.

The film will be out in 2010 I expect. So there should not be too much time for speculation. Either way I think it will be another step forward for Jaden Smith. Hopefully it will be just the thing for his 12th birthday.

Prepare for the arrival of Thor, and Natalie Portman

I was wondering, what is it you think of when you hear the name Thor? You know, the Norse god of Thunder. A mythological being that lives in Asgard, and is the source of the day of the week called Thursday.



For those only slightly familiar with the mythology, you likely think of a big dirty Viking. Maybe you envision Arnold Schwarzenegger from the movie Conan the Barbarian. Either view would likely be very accurate. Of course some comic book fans would point to the character that Marvel has had for decades. And the subject of a 2011 comic book to movie conversion.



Which brings me to the point of this. Natalie Portman has been signed on to portray the nurse of Thor. In the comics she in fact takes care of the weak human host of Thor, Dr. Donald Blake. He is the human embodiment of Thor on Earth. At least as Marvel’s backstory goes. Dr. Blake is average in most respects, until he strikes his cane to the ground and becomes Thor. But if that sounds too silly don’t worry. Marvel has reportedly killed that part of the backstory. So the deity that is Thor will have a human nurse, for whatever reason he might need it.

So who is Thor? Who commands lightning, has the strength to lift 100 tons, does not fall ill, has a body that Lou Ferrigno and the Governator would both be jealous of? Chris Hemsworth.



Not too impressive huh? Well if you are wondering who he is (and I did), if you saw the mess that is the Star Trek relaunch (revisioning) then you saw him for a minute or 2. He was George Kirk, father of James T. Kirk – future captain of the Enterprise. If you are looking for another movie role to judge Hemsworth by, and he needs it, you need to wait for this years’ A Perfect Getaway or the revisioning of Red Dawn next year. But either way, he is Thor.

He hardly looks Nordic to me. Blond hair might help but he is no Max Von Syndow, Kirk Douglas, or even Rutger Hauer for that matter. Still I am far from an expert on Nordic looks. He has nothing on Vikings, though I imagine that there must have been smaller, weaker Vikings somewhere. And as for the mythological looks, don’t even get me started.

Will this be a good movie?

Way too soon to tell. But we do know this. Thor is at best a teir-2 Marvel comic. So the fanbase is hardly huge. Plus we know that there will be plenty of CGI as Hemsworth is hardly a bodybuilder, let alone a Norse god. We can also assume that Portman is around to distract the men from any non-action scenes. This will cut down on the need for a plot or solid writing, as all we need is her in danger and in tight dresses. Thus I expect this film to be about as good as Ang Lee’s Hulk.

Hopefully I am wrong. And there is more than enough time to prove me so. I hope Marvel uses it.

Movie Preview: Blood:The Last Vampire

If you want to see something outside the usual Hollywood mega-explosion, action without plot, summer blockbusters I think there is another choice. It’s a film that most have likely not heard of, unless you happen to be into anime and/or manga. Blood: The Last Vampire is a live-action film based on an anime of the same name.

The original story, in the anime, is of a girl called Saya. She happens to be at least several hundred years old, a vampire, the last of her kind, and hates an offshoot breed called Chiroptera. The Chiroptera are literally hematophagous bat-like creatures, or if you recall the comic book character Man-Bat (on steroids and not as cute). Saya kills and feeds off of the Chirptera. The story takes place in Viet Nam era Japan.

To give you a better idea of what it’s about I found this video.



This is the basis of the live-action film. While there have been a few changes, the core story is basically intact. Saya is now a half-human, half-vampire. She still is out to kill, just this time it’s other vampires. She is still incredibly old. And she still works with a mysterious government agency.

Saya has been made a bit older for the film. The time has been changed to around the 70’s, still in Japan. The film is in English with Japanese sub-titles overseas, which is a switch based on improving the number of people seeing the film (silly Americans can’t watch a film and read at the same time you know). And it looks like a solid film.



The look and feel of this movie is incredibly close to the original anime. This is likely due to the attentions of producer Bill Kong (who was producer of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), and the original direction thoughts of Ronny Yu (known best to American audiences for Fourmula 51, Bride of Chucky, Freddy vs. Jason, and Jet Li’s Fearless) – who became a producer on the film as well. Both men are very good when they are left alone to make a non-Hollywood style film, which Blood is. As for the director Chris Nahon, the only thing he has done that I am aware of is Kiss Of The Dragon. That was a so-so film, thus this may be his break-out or break-down piece.

If you know anime, you have likely know all about this film. If you don’t I suggest it anyway. It is rare that you get to have a plot (of some degree), action, martial arts, strong female leads, and solid visuals in a single movie. The fact that the film was made in English is just another benefit and reason to go see the film.

I realize that there is no hulking CGI robots, that the lead is Korean (Jun Ji-hyun also known as Gianna Jun for this English version film), and that there is a plot. Obviously that makes this film less appealing to some that prefer intergalactic robots that apparently are idiots and plot-holes so big that the NCC-1701 could fly through them. But perhaps these comments might change your mind

“The Hollywood Reporter's Maggie Lee praised Jun's performance as Saya, feeling that she "displays ample aptitude for being an action heroine, doing most of her own tendon-twisting martial arts stunts and looking utterly fetching in a sailor suit that could turn any guy into a uniform-fetishist".

Will this film win an Oscar? No. But it should fill the void in a higher quality action films that nothing so far this year has hit upon from Hollywood. At least that’s what this movie preview concludes. I’ll review the actual film as soon as I can.

Michael Vass interviews 4-time author Victoria Morris

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