I went through every emotion imaginable the first time I saw The Neverending Story [1984] (in the theatre; which I didn't go to often as a kid). I cried when the horse died and I was scared as all heck by that wolf-like beast. Too bad the sequel [1990] sucked. I never saw the second sequel [1994], and only a bit of one of the television series [1995;2001].
I really have to get the English translation (by Ralph Manheim) of the original German novel by Michael Ende - Die Unendliche Geschichte: Von A bis Z ("The Neverending Story: From A to Z"). The movie only covers the first half of the book, and even then leaves out a lot of great fantasy stuff. After seeing what can be done with the Lord of the Ringsmovieadaptions, it would be awesome to get a Neverending Story film trilogy!
As for the song, only recently did I find out that the singer from the early '80s pop band Kajagoogoo (of "Too Shy" fame) sang this. I knew there was a woman singing backup in the song, but I had always thought the lead was a woman as well! X-D The singer - Limahl (anagram of his surname Hamill) - would make one ugly woman. He's not a very good looking man, for that matter. I don't think his hair helps in that respect. (Though it might work on me. ;-)
Jul04/08 (03:33) - Short Circuit - memory vs reality and missed opportunity
Here's another Facebook wall post that I cribbed from myself. (Hello, Aron!)...
The Short Circuit [1986] movies are great! Great memories, at least. But do people remember how much bad language was in them? I bet they'd get quite a surprise if they watched the films now.
Besides that, there were quite a few jokes that wouldn't pass political correctness "standards", even though the PC police are much more lenient these days. Of course, those were the times.
The worst aspect of this, however, was Fisher Stevens! (with base make-up!) playing an Indian. Compared to the character of "Ben Jabituya", The Simpsons [1989]' Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is practically void of stereotype.
The thing that amazes me the most is that nobody thought to put out any Short Circuit merchandise, particularly after the first movie was a hit and work on a sequel [1988] began.
Toys, in particular! I'm sure toy versions of Number 5/Johnny 5 would have sold like crazy! I just saw some WALL-E [2008] toys and was tempted to buy a couple.
Jul02/08 (00:14) - Movies - The Invisible, WALL-E, Zohan, Star Wars
I posted a note on the Facebook wall of my friend Lisa (Hi, Lisa!) tonight that I thought would make a decent post here. So with a few edits, here it is...
The Invisible [2007] was a very good movie, IMO. It was a remake of the Swedish film Den Osynlige [2002]. The Internet Movie Database ratings of the two films are 6.0 and 6.6 respectively; which I believe is uncommonly close when it comes to original films and remakes. I haven't seen the original though, which was based on a 2000 novel by Mats Wahl.
I saw WALL-E tonight by myself. Very good! For a character with no mouth and whose total English vocabulary consists of his and his crush's names, WALL-E has more personality than most Hollywood actors. Quite impressive.
I knew there would be some sort of environmental message in the film, but wasn't expecting the "human health" message. Some funny stuff came out of that aspect of the film. The environmental stuff made me somewhat depressed despite a very hopeful ending (and ending credits).
A somewhat bittersweet thing about WALL-E is that when (if) the Short Circuit [2010] remake comes out, the younger generations will think it's a rip-off of WALL-E. That said, if a new Short Circuit [1986] does get made, I doubt it will be as good as WALL-E. :-) My only hope is that, if they have an Indian character in the remake, he's actually played by someone of Indian descent.
Of course, in the recent Adam Sandler comedy You Don't Mess With The Zohan (which I truly enjoyed), the Jewish Sandler plays an Israeli, while the Italian John Turturro and the Eurasian Rob Schneider play Palestinians. Thankfully, the beautiful Emmanuelle Chriqui - a Canadian of Arab descent - is more than capable of at least balancing the "looks" of the film. :-) And Lainie Kazan is one hot older BBW! :-D
After watching a bit of Episode 1 on Spike recently, maybe we can't truly blame it on the kid. (Jake Lloyd is his name, BTW.) The lines he had to say were HORRENDOUS!. No kid is so overly explanatory in conversation, even if he is a street-wise slave who has to fend for himself and his mother.
And, yes, although I did get used to Jar Jar Binks after seeing the movie three times when it opened in theatres (due to seeing it with my sister and two different friends, all in different towns), I do admit that he was annoying.
Again, though, his dialogue is partly to blame. Jar Jar's supposed to be an alien George, not a stereotype of a human! And you may have been trying to re-capture the amusing awkwardness of C3PO with Jar Jar's clumsiness, but you went overboard, and that clumsiness was usually more distracting to people than amusing.
Jun30/08 (02:01) - Preds 08/09 Forwards and UFA Choices
The Predators and I almost had the same idea at the trade deadline last season. We both picked the same team to deal with - the Tampa Bay Lightning. But while Nashville picked up forward Jan Hlavac, I was really, really hoping they would get forward Vaclav Prospal. But, the Philadelphia Flyers beat everybody to the punch there.
The following players are a lock up front in Nashville for the 2008/2009 season - Jason Arnott, J-P. Dumont, Martin Erat, David Legwand, and Alexander Radulov. Now, here are my thoughts on the rest of the Predators' potential forward line-up...
I was very disappointed with Jed Ortmeyer's performance last year, considering what was expected when the Predators signed him. He had been a fan favorite with the New York Rangers due to his tenacity, and was developing into a great two-way player, despite being on the fourth line. He was promised a third-line position in Nashville, however, he seemed to disappear when he got there.
I'm repeating myself here, but for the integrity of this post... The first half of Radek Bonk's season was surprisingly good, while the second half was surprising bad (considering the first half). However, in the playoffs Bonk was one of Nashville's best players. The playoffs are also when gritty players Vernon Fiddler and Scott "Scooter" Nichol really step up their game.
I wish Nashville would have kept Brandon Bochenski. I believe if given some decent ice-time and opportunities, he would surprise a lot of people with his offensive ability. He may have been picked up at the trade deadline last year as a backup for the playoffs, but the Predators have said they might bring him back after free-agency starts July 1st.
I haven't heard anything about the progress of Martin Gelinas' recovery but, aside from his surprising season on an individual level, he really lead the Predators with experience and by example; on the ice and, I assume, in the locker-room. I picture him as the veteran warrior who has official captain Jason Arnott's ear.
I also think Rich Peverley's extended time in Nashville proved that he now belongs in the NHL. Though I would miss him in a Predators jersey, if he isn't given a spot on the roster, I would hope that the team would at least give him the opportunity to play with another NHL team, rather than send him back down to the AHL Milwaukee Admirals.
All that said, I believe Jerred Smithson - though he's been doing exactly what has been expected of him (and more at times) - is expendable due to the presence of Fiddler and Nichol on the team. I would have added Jordin Tootoo to this list, but the Predators hope that he continues to concentrate on and develop his offensive game.
I would not mind seeing Ortmeyer go in a trade, and if Gelinas can come back right away at 100%, I'd like to see the Predators re-sign him, then trade Bonk for a draft pick. And, as I said earlier, I'd like to see Bochenski back with the team. Finally, keeping Peverley in Nashville would leave the team with one more spot on a 12-man forward roster.
Steve Sullivan would normally fill a spot on one of the first two lines, but missed all of last season after missing almost half of the previous. If he is still not ready to come back - or doesn't come back at all - I'd fill that last spot with rookies Patric Hornqvist and Antti Pihlstrom, and rotate them in and out depending on their performance.
But the Predators do tend to take their sweet time with prospects (which actually is a good idea almost all of the time), and I would not mind at all if they actually did get a real top-six forward via free-agency. As for which unrestricted free-agent I'd like to see Nashville sign, here's a list in order of preference. (Of course, my top choice - Vaclav Prospal - is already off the market; and back with Tampa Bay.)
Brian Rolston (07/08 Minnesota Wild)
Andrew Brunette (07/08 Colorado Avalanche)
Ryan Malone (07/08 Pittsburgh Penguins)
Miroslav Satan (07/08 New York Islanders)
Kristian Huselius (07/08 Calgary Flames)
I wasn't a fan of Brunette during his one year with the Predators during their inaugural season, but he's developed into a much better player, especially after playing for the Minnesota Wild. And if Nashville doesn't sign Satan, I really hope he finally ends up in New Jersey. For some reason, I've always thought he'd be a good fit for the Devils. I just don't know why... ;-)
Anyhoo...
UPDATE - Ryan Malone has just signed a seven year, $31.5 million deal with Tampa Bay. The Lightning are getting better and better as the regular season gets closer and closer.
I'm very pleased with the Predators' two first-round picks in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Patric Hornqvist was the last pick overall in the 2005 Draft and he's looking to become a sure-fire NHLer, so I'm also hopeful about the Predators' other picks, especially the Swedish goalie they took with their last...
I really hope the injury that ended Martin Gelinas' season doesn't have lingering effects, and that Nashville re-signs him. Because, IMO, he was one of the Predators' MVPs with regards to making the playoffs. His leadership on the ice (and I'm assuming off) and consistent play was impressive, especially in light of some people's belief that he should have retired years ago...
As for Radek Bonk, the first half of his regular-season with Nashville was great, while the second half was terrible. However, in the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs, his leadership and experience made him one of the most valuable Predators on the ice. I don't think the team would have done as well against the Detroit Red Wings in the first round without him...
And on the subject of Nashville losing once again in the first round, the Predators played as good as the Dallas Stars did (in the Western Conference Final) against eventual Stanley Cup Champions Detroit. The Red Wings just came together like a machine this year. The Predators played very well against them considering.
I do not deny that goaltender Dan Ellis was the star of the Nashville / Detroit series, but the Predators did have other guys working their butts off. The whole team played much better against the Wings this year than last season's excellent regular-season team did against the San Jose Sharks in the 2007 playoffs. The Predators have always played hard against Detroit...
One final thing, with regards to Nashville trading away Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell before the 08/09 regular season... The Philadelphia Flyers, as a courtesy, told the Predators that they planned on offering both unrestricted free-agents enough to get them to sign. Offers that, considering the financial situation of the Predators at the time, Nashville might have difficulty matching.
The trade was made so that the Flyers would be able to make those offers before the UFA deadline hit, while the Predators would actually get something for their loss, rather than get nothing after the deadline. So far, in their ten-year history, Nashville has made more deals with Philadelphia than with any other NHL team. A great relationship has been cultivated between management on both teams.
Hopefully, Predators fans and Flyers fans (and hockey fans in general) will get to see an excellent, exciting NHL Stanley Cup Final series between Nashville and Philadelphia in the not too distant future!
Apr18/08 (02:43) - Just A Few Random Thoughts... Episode 001
Here are a few random notes and thoughts, which I'll try not to elaborate on too much...
~ I left Windows Vista for Ubuntu (Linux). Then I left Ubuntu and returned to Vista. (Despite the fact that Vista still can't recognize most MP3 players, including my new Creative Zen V Plus. And I have three audiobooks I need to put on it.)
~ If I ever met a woman and we found out we were going to have a baby girl... and we decided that we really liked the name "Dakota"... and then we found out that we were having twin girls... I think - because of how much we liked the name "Dakota" - we'd end up naming the girls "North Dakota" and "South Dakota"... "Nora" and "Sue"?
~ My friend Duncan sent me a link to the Amazon.com listing of Carlton Mellick III's novel The Haunted Vagina. The short product description on Amazon is great - "It's difficult to love a woman whose vagina is a gateway to the world of the dead."
~ I need more LiveJournal userpics. And some better ones.
I intently watched the Predators first two playoff games against the Red Wings. Nashville's playing very well considering the full-time players they lost near the end of the season - David Legwand (best two-way player on the team), "Old Man" Martin Gelinas (best off-season acquisition, IMO), Jed Ortmeyer (most disappointing off-season acquisition, considering what he was expected to bring to the team), and Scott Nichol (the hardest working player on the team this season; and we lost him in the first period of game one against Detroit).
So far, goaltender Dan Ellis, forwards Jordin Tootoo and Martin Erat, and defenseman Marek Zidlicky have, IMO, been the best players on the team over the first two games. Captain Jason Arnott and J-P. Dumont have been invisible. The overall defense corps has been good. Shea Weber, like forward Alexander Radulov, is showing us glimpses of a great future. And Greg Zanon is proving himself a true NHLer. (Pity the goal off his skate.)
Radek Bonk (who had a terrible second half to the regular season) and Jan Hlavac (who I wasn't too keen about when Nashville picked him up) are playing solid hockey based on experience. On a related note, I'd like to see Coach Trotz give Brandon Bochenski more ice-time; and offensive responsibility. Maybe putting him with Arnott and/or Dumont would get them out of their funk. I'm telling you, Bochenski has some nice moves and could be a decent scorer if given a real chance. He and Radulov may be the best players on the team when it comes to both skating and stickhandling.
Also, Rich Peverley has proven to be just as responsible on the ice during the playoffs as he was during the regular season. And we could really use the Vernon Fiddler we saw during last year's playoffs, when he was the hardest working player on the team. Trotz should give Fiddler more offensive opportunities as well. Put him with Arnott and/or Dumont. (I believe the coaches expected Scott Nichol to be this spring's Vernon Fiddler. Hopefully he'll be back in the line-up soon. We won't see David Legwand unless we make it to the second round.)
"Won't somebody please think of the children?" - Helen Lovejoy (The Simpsons)
Unfortunately, Mr. Boll, while not reneging on his promise, has asked for a counter-petition supporting him, and expects to get one million signatures. I expect that if he does, he'll quickly claim that those million signatures cancel out the million in the first petition. Now, if the first petition manages to bring in two million signatures...
Apr08/08 (16:19) - Vista Disease... Ohhh, it burns...
As soon as I entered the address bar alias for the Windows Vista Discussions page into the IEPro Internet Explorer add-on, I realized just how appropriate that alias was.
Mar29/08 (22:46) - Dan Ellis - Hot UFA (and Vaclav Prospal)
From Scott Cullen's latest TSN.ca Backchecking article - "A sneak peek at free agency" (3/28/2008)...
On the Predators' current starting goaltender...
Dan Ellis, G, Nashville - The 27 year-old has taken over as the Predators' starter and has put up sensational numbers along the way (2.38 goals against average, .922 save percentage). He doesn't have a lot on his resume, but he could prove to be the best goaltending value if he reaches the market.
On the player Nashville missed at the trade deadline...
Vaclav Prospal, LW, Philadelphia - The on-again, off-again winger has had a fine season in Tampa Bay and Philadelphia this season, perhaps setting up for next year's disappointment, but the 33 year-old has scored at least 54 points in six straight seasons.
Mar20/08 (23:16) - Jere Karalahti - From Potential To Pot
At the 2002 NHL trade deadline, the Nashville Predators traded away Cliff Ronning, who was the heart of the team at that time, IMO. In exchange, Nashville got Finnish defenseman Jere Karalahti from the Los Angeles Kings.
Karalahti was a great defenseman who could have been a great NHLer. The Predators really needed a big, physical defenseman, and Karalahti fit the bill. Unfortunately, he was on watch by the NHL for a couple of drug infractions.
After the season was over (and having played only 15 games for the Preds), Karalahti screwed up again, and the league suspended him for six months. He was also required to attend a treatment program, but that was too much for him, so he went back home and basically gave up on an NHL career.
So, needless to say, many Predators fans consider the Ronning / Karalahti trade to be the worst in the team's history. I'd have to agree with that wholeheartedly. Cliff Ronning is now retired, after playing two more seasons in Minnesota and Long Island, respectively.
As for Jere Karalahti... Well, here's the latest, courtesy of TSN...
Former NHLer given suspended sentence
The Canadian Press 3/20/2008 9:34:25 AM
HELSINKI, Finland - Former NHL player Jere Karalahti was given a 20-month suspended sentence on Thursday for being an accessory in a drug smuggling operation.
The Espoo District Court found Karalahti, 32, guilty of helping finance the smuggling of amphetamines and cocaine from Estonia into Finland last year, in a case involving 18 others. The Finn was also fined 10,000 euros (C$16,000).
Mar12/08 (20:12) - Tegan & Sara - "Back In Your Head"
It would be nice if MuchMusic played decent music (along with the mainstream crap) like they used to. Now they seem to only play mainstream crap. Anyhoo...
I was just talking to my friend Duncan about "ninja" movies (which usually never portray ninja properly) and he remembered a Christopher Lambert film where he played a businessman caught in the middle of some kind of "ninja war". To find out the name of the movie, I went to Lambert's Internet Movie Database profile.
Starting from the bottom of his filmography, I came to a movie called The Hunted. Duncan and I thought that sounded like a reasonable title for a "ninja" film. Well, that was the one! Duncan also thought he remembered Joan Chen being in the film and, sure enough, he was right. Smart on ya, Dunc!
Looking over the info on the main IMDb page for The Hunted, I noticed the five "plot keywords" listed. These can often be quite amusing, and the ones for this film were indeed amusing...
Male Nudity
Bathing Scene
Bare Butt
Female Nudity
Katana Sword!
It's the last keyword, compared to the first four, that make the list so funny, IMO.
Then I noticed the MPAA rating. The "R" rating isn't unusual, but the rating explanation? I have my doubts about how "official" the explanation is. Something about the wording...
MPAA: Rated R for strong bloody ninja violence and some sexuality.
Bloody ninja violence?! I know the MPAA can be quite specific about some aspects of films, but are they really that specific about what type of "bloody violence" can be expected in a film?
Feb24/08 (04:27) - Mike Sillinger & Vaclav Prospal
A couple of entries ago, I posted some quotes by Karla Sillinger in reference to all the NHL teams her husband Mike has played for (12 in total, including Nashville), and how often he has been moved at the trade deadline.
Well, the chances that Sillinger will get traded this deadline have dropped, since he may miss the remainder of the season with an injury. He could still be traded, but likely only as an extra in a larger deal. Unless there is a team that really wants to see him as a core part of their roster next season.
And I don't see why a team wouldn't think Sillinger capable of being a core part of their roster. He truly is under-rated in the league. He's considered a career NHLer, but not worth keeping for a full season? I don't understand. *shrug*
Mike has only spent a complete season on the permanent roster of a single team three times in his entire career. One season with Detroit, one with Vancouver, and last season with the New York Islanders. Somewhat ironically, his injury will likely make it possible for him to actually stay with one team for two complete seasons. Wow!
So, Mike's not coming back to Nashville. :-( I'm really hoping, however, that the Predators take a big step and pick up Vaclav Prospal from Tampa Bay. He's almost a point-a-game player, and plays a great two-way game. Consistent and defensively sound. He'd be an excellent Predator, IMO. And not just a rental either.
Unfortunately, I don't think Nashville management is looking for a player that high up on the general NHL "shopping list". They say they want a "top-six forward". (Prospal is a first-liner.) I'm hoping they're at least looking for someone with true offensive ability.
Granted, I wouldn't want a player who's a defensive liability, but I'd be very disappointed if we got a player who really can't cut it on the first line, even if he's mainly used on the second. The Predators do not need another player who's actually better suited for a defensive role.
So, David Poile, make a deal. And not just any deal. I want to see Prospal in a Predators jersey. I want to see him on the ice for Nashville in their first game after Tuesday's trade deadline. Or sooner, if possible. Just make it happen!
Feb19/08 (17:29) - Defending Jordin Tootoo & The Robidas Punch
This is one YouTube clip of the infamous gloved punch Dallas' Stephane Robidas took from Nashville's Jordin Tootoo when Robidas went after Tootoo following a check on Mike Modano.
And here are some comments from the video's thread, and my replies...
baird007
If you take a look at the angle, it wasn't a planned punch. Tootoo just got a lucky shot. Another thing, you don't try and take out the lead player with cheap shots.
beautypersoni
"... you don't try and take out the lead player with cheap shots."
Lead player? Are you talking about Modano? If so, that was a clean hit. Tootoo's always getting jumped by someone when he takes another player out with a HARD but CLEAN check. And there is no rule (in neither the NHL rulebook NOR any so-called "players code") that says you can't check the other teams' "star" players. Anyhoo...
I had to edit my reply below for length in order to post it on YouTube...
Crymson1
While TooToo hasn't been as cheap this year as last, certainly last year he was unbelievably cheap and played in a highly dangerous manner.
beautypersoni
While I agree that Tootoo straddles "the line" quite often (but as you said, not as often as he did in the past), I believe there are quite a number of other players whose play is much more questionable. I also think a lot of the flack about being a dirty player that Tootoo gets relates to his propensity to leave his feet when he checks. I don't think he's attempting to hurt anyone when he does this, and he's not a headhunter. He keeps his checks shoulder to shoulder. Unfortunately, for him to do that, he often HAS to leave the ice, due to his smaller stature. A number of players of similar size and playing style are guilty of this. Anyhoo...
Here are a few quotes from Scott Cullen's February 15th Backchecking column ("Jagr's Star Fading?") on TSN's website...
CHIRPING
"I'm not going to lie; the trade deadline is circled on our calendar like Easter or Christmas. But it's not like I have the movers on speed dial." - Karla Sillinger, wife of oft-dealt Islanders C Mike Sillinger
"I feel sorry for the 18 teams that haven't had Mike Sillinger." - More Karla Sillinger
- - - - -
"At first, the refs were yelling, 'No blood.' I said, 'It doesn't matter, I don't have a tooth.' One said, 'It could have been from a previous injury.' So I went and found it on the ice, like I keep my tooth on Velcro just for this opportunity." - Wild RW Mark Parrish, w
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