The Rock before he was emasculated

I'm sorry but I am not buying "The Rock" as the "Tooth Fairy." Perhaps if they had stuck to the Disney idea to rename him the Molenator, but that is not the case.

Today in movie theaters across America Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will star in his latest Disney film, Tooth Fairy. While I am positive that his financial earnings with his Disney film, much like Race to Witch Mountain, will be more than welcomed, one must wonder if he feels like he sold his soul?

His loud-mouth, butt-kicking, arrogant soul that is.

I remember a time when "The Rock" was the reason I snuck in some wrestling on television when it was socially unacceptable within my family (truth is it probably sill is - but I do not regret hiding this form them). I remember watching The Rock electrify the crowd in arenas, and the dorm rooms at Shippensburg on Monday and Thursday nights (Smackdown used to be on Thursday nights).

I know I do not strike you as a wrestling fan, and that is because I am not. But I do find myself drawn in by good entertainment, and when the Rock was with a microphone in the WWF/WWE arena, there were few as captivating as him. So it amazes me that today The Rock is now a Disney star making movies geared for kids.

Hey, more power to him. I do hope he will make some movies again with a little more juice to them, like Walking Tall or The Rundown. Check them out. the try to picture the guy with fairy wings and tights.

In honor of the release of Tooth Fairy I decided to take a dip through the archives and share some classic Rock moments, so we can remember just how cool he used to be*.

Here is the Rock rocking State College, PA











* If Dwayne Johnson really is reading this then he should know that I still totally think he is cool and would love to hang out with him just once. He could even call me a candy-ass and pour me a nice tall glass of shut-up juice etc. etc. etc. Because I still smell what the Rock...is cooking.

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Today in Philadelphia Eagles history - special teams stuns Cowboys

From my Page-a-Day Calendar e-mail...

November 6, 1966
In a bizarre game at Franklin Field, the Philadelphia Eagles defeat the Dallas Cowboys, 24-23. The Eagles score all their points in the first half on three kick returns and a field goal, despite gaining only six yards from scrimmage the entire first half. Tim Brown becomes the first player in NFL history to run back two kickoffs in one game for touchdowns, running 93 yards the first time and 90 yards the second. Aaron Martin adds a 67-yard punt return TD and Sam Baker boots a 31-yard field goal to frustrate the Cowboys, who dominated play only to fail miserably on special teams.

The Eagles host the Cowboys on Sunday night. I would love to see DeSean Jackson one-up this performance.

UPDATE: The 700 Level informs me that today is also the anniversary of the release of The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, released on November 6, 1979. This movie of course has a role for Philadelphia 76er legend Julius Erving as Moses Guthrie.

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Music video using Movie and TV clips

How many movies and tv shows will you recognize?

HT: Bag of Nothing

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Michael Jackson's This is It

Here we go again with the Michael Jackson hoopla, and I can not help but get chills in anticipation for this. I very likely will not see this in the theater in the two weeks that it will be out, but you can bet I will be watching it on video as soon as it comes out.

Michael Jackson's music is some of the best I have ever heard. Love him or hate him as you will, but you can not deny the impact he has had on the music and entertainment business. This Is It will surely show just how terrific a performer Jackson was.

Previous Michael Jackson posts:

• Mario Monday Tribute to Michael Jackson
• Michael Jackson made "Weird Al" Yankovic
• Thriller in LEGO form
• Remembering Michael Jackson
  

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Watchmen Review

Let's say this. This is not just another super hero movie. Watchmen is far from being Spider Man, Superman, or even The Dark Knight.

Based on the graphic novel of the same name, Watchmen is a darker semi-realistic take on the life of a super hero in the real world. While the Spider Man movies and The Dark Knight touch on the topic of the super hero having to battle public perception, Watchmen takes it to the next level.

Taking place in an alternate 1985 that not even Doc Brown could have predicted to Marty McFly Richard Nixon is serving his unprecedented fifth term as President of the United States in a time of turmoil. The USA is inching closer and closer to a nuclear war with the USSR. Reluctant to take a strike on the Soviets Nixon waits until Dr. Manhattan, the lone super hero with any real incredible powers, can come up with a device that can bring the Soviets down easily. Dr. Manhattan, a scientist who found himself trapped in an intrinsic field sub tractor which gave him super powers, has been sub contracted by the U.S. government and given the Americans a strategic advantage.

The storyline of the movie follows the history of each super hero's rise and subsequent fall. The Comedian, is one of the elder super heroes. After the heroes have gone into hiding somebody has tracked down The Comedian and killed him. But who could have done such a thing? On the way to learning who is behind all of the sinister plots to kill off the super heroes in hiding we meet Nite Owl, a character that is influenced by Batman, Ozymandias, who is a big fan of Egyptian culture and Alexander the Great, Rorschach, who wears a white mask that changes formations that resemble ink blot tests, and Sil Spectre, the daughter of a heroine of the same name.

My favorite character was Rorschach, who reminds me of Wolverine from X-Men. Both characters have a determination to take matters in to their own hands and have little care for what others feel is right. However, both know inside that they need the help of their friends to achieve the ultimate goal; justice.

The movie is long at two hours and forty minutes. I felt the movie lagged a little in the middle at times but the action scenes are solid and pick up the pace when it is needed. But as I said, this super hero movie is more than your traditional super hero movie so be prepared.

Watchmen is definitely worth checking out. The cast works well together, with no big names heading in.

What did you think of the movie? Did it live up to your expectations? Did it disappoint you or impress you?

Official Movie Website

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Star Trek Trailer

Since I shared with you the X-Men Origins trailer, I suppose I should share the Star Trek trailer with you. In case you have not seen it yet.



May 8 can not come fast enough for me.

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X-Men Origins Wolverine Trailer

I linked to this preview yesterday but I figured I would share the video with you anyway.

May 1 can not come fast enough for me.

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My Friday Post

I am a fan of Kevin James, but even though I have some free movie tickets from Christmas I do not believe I will be using them to see Paul Blart: Mall Cop this weekend. Instead I will wait for this one to hit the shelves at Blockbuster. From what I have seen though James seems to play the role of an everyday serviceman who is highly dedicated and enthusiastic about his job.

Wait a second...that sounds familiar, doesn't it? In any event, James is funny and this is another movie by Happy Madison so it has potential.

As for the sports scene this weekend all eyes are on the NFC Championship. I do believe my Eagles are going to pull a hard fought victory out and advance to the Super Bowl by beating the Cardinals. Who will they face? I think the Steelers will beat the Ravens, but I am rooting for Baltimore this weekend.

Have a good weekend everybody! Talk to you next week!

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40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 Minutes

This YouTube video was sent to me by my sister this morning. I hope you find it as enjoyable as I did.

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The Story Behind Batman's Voice

Odds are pretty good that you have seen the latest Batman movie, The Dark Knight. If you haven't, then YOU'RE THE ONE!

I'll be honest when I say that I did not notice much of a difference in the actual voice of Batman when compared to the previous movie, Batman Begins. Much has been made about how the voice is dark, creepy, and rough. So much has been made of it that some feel that it is too much and kind of stupid. Not me however. I feel that Batman is supposed to scare you and he is supposed to instill fear in his nemesis. That voice is perfect for the Batman that I believe this new series of movies is attempting to portray. As long as he is not trying to use his Batman credit card a la Batman and Robin.

After reading this article from CNN I learned that the voice was indeed modified electronically. To Christian Bale's credit though, most of the voice is his own.

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Stef Mentioned

Stef entered a weekly contest on Entertainment Weekly's website, and she won last weekend! She even got mentioned in their follow up article to the contest in which people predict how the movies in theaters will rank when the weekend is over. Stef (nellarmonia) was the only perfect score!

The prize? An assortment of DVD's including Charlie Wilson's War, some Batman animated movie, some Spice Girls movie and one or two others which escape me at the moment.

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The Happenening Review

Short and sweet.

M. Night Shamalongadingdong just got my last hard earned $1.


Jerk face.

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Rocky Jumped a Park Bench - Part 2

A day after sharing the first installment of the Rocky Jumped a Park Bench, part two is uploaded! Thanks James!

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Rocky Jumped a Park Bench

I love the Rocky series, as any so called Philadelphian (or Philly area native) would likely agree with. Everybody knows the scene where Rocky runs up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum. But what about the location where Rocky fights Tommy Gunn or the pet store Adrian worked in?

Enter James Rolfe, most notable for his Angry Video Game Nerd series. Rolfe actually makes his own documentaries and other kinds of movies as well. Here Rolfe takes a tour of Philadelphia and shows us the actual locations of many of the scenes in the Rocky series, at least the spots in Philadelphia. Sorry Russia.

I'm still waiting for Part two to be uploaded.

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I saw I Am Legend

I saw the new Will Smith movie, I Am Legend, and when I walked back to my car Saturday night I was left in awe. I loved what I had seen and I could not wait to see it again!

Yes, the movie was good and Will Smith was great as usual, but my favorite scene happened before the movie even started. I am referring to the trailer for The Dark Knight, the sequel to the revived Batman franchise due out in 2008.

Observe if you have not yet seen it...

And if you have not seen it, check out the movie poster as well!

I am putting together my review of I Am Legend as well so check back for that sometime this week. I am still recovering from another pitiful week of football picking!

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The Bourne Ultimatum

I went to see The Bourne Ultimatum over the weekend and I left the theater confident that I spent my money well. The popcorn was just right with it's perfect portion of butter and the medium Barq's Root Beer wasn't watered down or too syrupy.

The move wasn't half bad either!

I note that I have not read the books so I can not compare the movies to the books. I am a big fan of the first installment, The Bourne Identity, and I like The Bourne Suprmeacy. Unfortunately though I forgot how the second movie ended and I made the mistake of not refreshing my memory by watching the first two movies again before seeing the third. Ultimatum, I believe, picks up literally right where the second movie ends, so if you have not seen the second movie, watch it first.

The story of Jason Bourne finally comes full circle as he remembers everything that has been missing in his memory the past few years. He once again finds a way to to out maneuver the C.I.A. as they race to sources of leaked information and a press reporter publishing the vital information. Matt Damon plays the super-hero agent role well, a completely different pace than he had in Ocean's Thirteen earlier this summer. Julia Stiles returns to the plot to fill in a couple holes that Damon couldn't solve himself, although I like Stiles better with long hair, but maybe that's just me.

Joan Allen is back to continue her role as the CIA agent who is attempting to track down Bourne, but she eventually becomes an ally of Bourne in an attempt to justify moral supremacy over Noah Vosen, played by David Strathairn, who is leading a the CIA in covering up the leaks that could harm the CIA and the rest of the government.

Strathairn plays his role brilliantly I think, but that should be expected. Strathairn always seems to play a great role in whatever movie he is in. He is perhaps one of the most underrated actors out there. He has been in some of my favorite movies, such as Fracture, We Are Marshall, and of course A League of Their Own.

I recommend you see this movie, but highly recommend that you watch Identity and Supremacy before Ultimatum.

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Simpsons Movie

I can honesty say that I had been waiting for the day that a Simpsons movie was made and for the longest time I was in the group of people who did not want it to happen. Why? Because I thought they would go overboard and not do the great legacy of The Simpsons it's due justice.

And then it happened. Fox went ahead and made a movie with the Simpson family and cast of characters America and the world has been watching since 1989. And it was brilliant.

Sure, The Simpsons Movie did some things you would never see on the television show, such as Homer using a hand gesture, Marge cursing, and Bart showing off his...well, not his butt. The animation was definitely different from the show, and why not? When you have a Hollywood studio producing one of the ultimate movies in the franchise, you want to make it look good. The movie uses more of a Futurama style in it's animation, which was fine with me. I love Futurama. The plot wasn't too over the top. You get a good fill of the characters you love, but maybe you missed some of your favorite characters.

For example, where was Sideshow Bob? Are you telling me in the whole timeline of the movie you couldn't put Sideshow Bob, the ultimate Simpsons cameo character and nemesis to Bart, in one stinking scene? Was Kelsey Grammar demanding too much? I doubt it, when you can find a way to get Tom Hanks to have one of the best lines of the movie.

And maybe it was just me, but Arnold Schwarzenegger as President of the United States? Why not stick to Simpsons characters and put Simpsons film star Rainier Wolfcastle in that role?

All in all though we follow the story of Homer ruining the lives of his family as Marge questions their marriage, Lisa detests his morals, and Bart looks for a new father figure in his life...Ned Flanders. But as it happens in every show with similar conflicts, Homer realizes what he must do to help save his relationship with his family, and in this case the entire town of Springfield.

If you happen to be like me and have been watching the show on tv for it's entirety, as well as the many many reruns, and own all of the dvd season releases, then you will likely enjoy the movie on another level. There are some great inside jokes that only the purest of Simpsons fans would understand. For example, I knew the elephant's name. Did you? I particularly got a great kick over the scene where Homer and Bart jump Springfield Gorge. I think I may have been the only one in my surrounding area that loved that part so much. I know, I'm a dork.

If you are a fan of The Simpsons, you probably already saw this movie and enjoyed it. If you have never seen an episode of The Simpsons you probably have never watched tv in your life. Do yourself a favor and check out this movie. If you get a chance find a theater that is showing the digital version of the movie, as the picture and sound will be even crisper and sharper than a traditional roll of film (which is what I saw). Prepare to have a good time.

If you can't see The Simpsons Movie, or you alreday have and you're still looking for some good laughs, then check out the Adam Sandler and Kevin James film, I Now Pronounce you Chuck and Larry. I think Adam Sandler is funny, but I think Kevin James is hilarious. James was the star of one of my favorite, and often overlooked, show The King of Queens. Having grown to love his character of Doug Heffernan, I had to see this film. As in every Sandler film over the past few years you will find Sandler playing the role of the guy who thinks of himself first and everybody else never, until he realizes that his best friend needs help that nobody else can provide. From there Sandler transforms his opinions 180 degrees as you get the feel good ending. And you got it, Sandler's pals make their usual cameo appearances, and so does Gary Valentine, James' brother.

Of course the most marketable aspect of the film is Jessica Biel. Gee, I wonder why...

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Shrek 3

So I saw Shrek 3 last weekend, and like Spider Man 3, I was left unfulfilled. Perhaps I should have had the risotto?

I believe that the first Shrek was the best of the three, although I debate that with myself sometimes and go with the second. The third one was kind of dull and missing some of the humor that made the first couple movies so good. I don't know, I guess we can only hear the "Nobody likes an ogre" story so many times. We get it, it's what is on the inside that really counts!

The third installment of the Pirates of the Caribean saga comes out tonight so I'll be sure to check it out. I have high hopes that this movie will lift my spirits when it comes to summer movies. We're off to a somewhat disappointing start.

Maybe it was just me, but I thought the season finales of 24 and Lost both kicked butt! This season of 24 was somewhat dull so I was pleased with the traditional, upbeat, heart pumping, exhilarating season finale that 24 is usually good for. I don't know what will happen next in the life of Jack Bauer though. As for Lost, I loved the twist at the end showing that we were actually looking forward in the life of Jack Sheperd, instead of backwards. Creepy!

I'm looking forward to tv watching in the upcoming months now so I can catch up on some shows I've been missing out on (I'm looking your way Heroes and Alias.)

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Spiderman 3

*Before reading this rambling, be sure that either A) you have seen Spider man 3, or B) you have no interest in seeing the movie, because I will spoil part of the plot line for you. So, consider yourself forewarned.


Like many of you I'm sure, I saw the third installment of the Spider man movies. I have been looking forward to this film quenching my thirst for the Spider man story to reach a new level, yet I left still wanting to order a Vault to fill that need.

I felt that Spider man 3 fell into the same trap that Batman and Robin did. That problem was having too many characters and thus too many story lines. What I saw was essentially two Spidey movies crammed into the time they had for one. When I was in my comic book reading days my friend Jason introduced me to Venom, one of the baddest villains around. I quickly grew found of Venom and loved his storyline, even when it appeared to fight for good rather than evil. Venom was a twisted character and one tough dude and he hated Spidey. This movie did not give Venom his justice. And rather than leave themselves open for a, dare I say it, a fourth Spider man film focusing more on Venom, they killed him off. To me, a lot of potential died with him.

The whole Sandman character, to me, seemed kind of forced on us. It seemed that the character was thrown in there to either fill up space, or try to force another threat on us. To me, I feel there could have been stronger characters to put in the movie instead of Sandman, some more powerful Spidey foes. I would have liked to see Peter Parker's professor, Dr. Curt Conners, be written in to take his role as the Lizard. If a fourth movie is done, maybe that's the way they will go.

As I mentioned, Venom and Sandman were the two main villains, but the movie starts off by Harry settling his score with Peter, and then Peter knocks him out and that results in Harry losing his memory. How convenient. It's not like Spidey could have three enemies at the same time, right? And as if that weren't enough they introduce the black Spider man, sort of the evil alter ego of the friendly neighborhood Spider man. Again, the story line is jumbled enough as it is. Then of course there is the strained relationship between Peter and Mary Jane Watson.

Two movies could have easily been made out of this film. One movie could have dealt with Harry and Sand-Man, and then the other could have centered on the love story and Venom (as wella s the black Spider man).


Here is my hope for the fourth movie (if there ever is one). Carnage needs to be brought in. He is the toughest and most vicious of all the Spider man villains I think. And since Venom was already written off, Carnage would be the next best thing. I would have had Spider man and Venom fighting each other first but then have them team up to take out Carnage, but then again, I'm not a Hollywood writer am I? I wish another hero could be brought in, like Ghost Rider or Dare Devil, but the fact that those characters have been in their own movies surely will prohibit form that happening.

There were some excellent previews before the movie though, including Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer and the latest Harry Potter film, both due out this summer. And the popcorn wasn't too bad either. If you like the Spider man movies, you should still see this one, however I remain thinking that the original is still the best.

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