Greg's Vacation Adventure: Part 2
Ladies and gentlemen, all I have to say is Greg is still out on vacation running amok throughout the free world. After his romp through Wisconsin, I thought he would be content to come home. However, it appears his love for curry has led him astray. Not only that, but he caused a car accident involving the Indian Minister of State for Education. Shame on you Greg!
Have I got an expose for you! Today, I unveil the vacation spot of our mysterious host. It turns out that, in addition to being well-read and a hockey enthusiast, he also enjoys taking trips to Wisconsin. Perhaps it's the cheese, or the sausage, or even the Brewers that draws him there. But the evidence is clear: Greg loves Wisconsin!
Further proof how cutting edge this site truly is when there's A-listers copying the memes generated herein. Lileks takes his cues from us here:
The Prof was on Hewitt tonight (and contrary to what he said, he came off just fine) and he noted that it?s one of those stories that confirms the suspicions of those who wake every day believing the worst. Sure, they say the sun rises in the east, but that?s just to keep you from looking west where the real action is. Each side is guilty of this - in the 90s a substantial contingent of the right was convinced that Gov. Bill Clinton ran coke out of Mena. It's almost as if you have two options:1. I disagree with my opponent's position on taxation, and therefore I shall oppose it.
2. I disagree with my opponent's position on taxation, and therefore I believe he has sex with goats.
The second option is ever so satisfying to the lone iconoclast: the fact that the mainstream media does not report the rumors about midnight goat-deliveries confirms your worldview. And the faintest whiff of goatiness whets your enthusiasm, confirms your juicy suspicions.
Kudos to Ulysses for both generating this meme as well as tipping me off to the theft. Lileks does, however, make a far better turn of the phrase than I ever have, though.
Dating a Blogger, Reading All About It
The NYT tackles the wide world of blogging from a unique perspective. Taking a look at the more personal side of blogs/journals/diaries/whatever, there seems to be a point made here that such bloggers do so for attention.
Indeed, for many bloggers being noticed seems to be the point. John M. Grohol, a psychologist in the Boston area who has written about bloggers, said they often offered intimate details of their lives as a ploy to build readership.
Mind you, this seems to be directed more at the LiveJournal crowd, and a differentiation is made from the more newsy blogs. Being more the latter than the former, I find it strange, though.
The GOv1.0 concept that led to this site, however, was the Rocky Horror reviews ... somewhere in between the newsy and personal, but one that can be fairly summed up as making me something of a Matt Drudge within that clique. Can't say I did it for attention, though ... I'm more than comfortable disappearing into the woodworks. It did help maintain an interest in the performances, however. And it was both refreshing to see those who read the reviews for insight into what even one mere spectator thought and wasn't afraid to share, as well as frustrating to see the usual (but not unexpected) criticisms of why I chose to do what I chose to do and how I went about doing it. In the end, it was illuminating into the realm of human psychology ... mine included.
And even though my attendance at RHPS has become more sporadic as of late (hopefully in the anticipation that another cast will magicly sprout up within a 20 mile radius of Greg-land), it's still an odd feeling to go back and find some relative newcomer to the game introducing himself to me as if I'm ... well ... somebody.
The thing that maybe makes it easy for me is a practice developed over many years of being an internet geek, habitually partaking of many a message board on anything from news to sports: don't say anything online that you wouldn't say in person. 'Course, I'm a smartass, so that really doesn't cut out a lot of discourse for what might make this site. But with anything in life, there will usually come a time when you're feet are held to the fire over something said/written/etc. To pretend that the internet is some sort of veil that protects you from same is asking a lot from something as simple as copper wire and fiber-optic cables.
No grander message here than that ... read the article though. May not apply to GOv3.0 as you see it now, but it's still a handy read for anyone that uses the internet as a means of communication and information distrobution.
Found this site, which tells you who's linking to you and found a few that I wasn't aware of (or, in one case, keep forgetting to add):
Carl with a K
Famous Blue Raincoat - unfortunately in a language I cannot read
A Side Note
... and of course, I always keep neglecting to add Alex's other side venture (wait, aren't they ALL side ventures?) No Lyfe Journal
OK, I'm changing the game plan a bit here. I'll not waste a lot of time going through the inventory of cast members performing last Saturday night, offering pithy critiques here and there. I went to this show for one reason and one reason alone ... to ensure that I witness the one and only Jim as Frank. Since I made a stupid promise to crank on Kevin for his performance, I'll add that as a bonus, as well as a few other stray thoughts that cannot evacuate my brain easily enough.
Given the amount of acting talent Jim possesses in his pinky, it should be well worth the wait to catch the guy playing the lead role in this shindig. Lord knows it's getting to the point of requiring just such antics to drag me out to Webster for the second week in a row. I had a lot expected of Jim here and in all honesty, I'm still puzzled whether I should be shocked that the earth didn't stand still for his performance, or to take what positive aspects he did bring to the role as positive enough. It's hell living up to expectations, I suppose.
Here's the good ... Jim's use of the eyebrow blows away most people's entire acting schtick. Facial expressiveness counts for a lot, especially when performing Frank. Jim adds some elements with that ability that are incredible to the finished product. He gets, I think, just the right dosage of sexiness and power added to the role to make it parallel the movie version incredibly well also. Having listened to Jim discuss this aspect of the performance, it's great to see it practiced.
Now for the bad ... the visual ain't happening. Jim bears a closer resemblence in this role to that of Mr. Boogalow from The Apple. I'll blame Kassi for putting that thought in my head early in the show. Needless to say, the thought remained for the rest of the night. Maybe it was the goatee, maybe it was Jim's muscular physique contrasting with Tim Curry's own British-bulge look. Whatever the case, it's a bit different to see a Frank on stage that's a little ripped in the pecs region. Not that there haven't been Franks up there with a far greater disconnect to the visual, though.
As for the stuff inbetween, maybe I've been away too long, but I had a harder time than normal telling where it was that Jim was really going to go with the role. At time, he was screen accurate. At times, he was comical in his approach to the role. I never got a feel for his Frank like I did with those who perform it with more regularity, and perhaps that (the infrequent performance of this role), in and of itself, is the issue that made it seem a bit perplexing. In the end, there were some notable things to see in this performance that many others don't do well enough. In any event, I've now seen Jim's Frank, so my life is that much closer to being complete.
OK, getting silly promise #1 out of the way, here goes ... what's up with that stupid box dance that Kevin does? Does that happen every freakin' week? Use it sparingly. Having now been two weeks in a row, seeing same stupid dance two weeks in a row, I now look forward to next weekend's hiatus. Brevity is the key to wit. Use that schtick sparingly, son.
As for his Crim, there's a road to getting better and it's not all uphill. Not sure how often Kev has performed, particularly as Crim. There's a need to stay in character, of course. That's a first. Primary among the concerns, though .. perform to the audience, not the cast, not the props, not the hottie sitting a few feet away (ok, that may be allowed if certain levels of hotness are acheived). There was a costume flub I noticed ... no jacket on one scene, not the end of the world but given that Kev is a young pup of a lad, it made him look all the more out of place. Props are also to be used. Improv is great, adding one's own schtick to the role is great ... but show a little mastery somewhere before delving into those regions.
The other stuff that is worth noting is this ... I am so personally grateful that I am no longer the oldest most creepiest guy at RHPS. The presence of older and creepier people than myself is somewhat heartening. Well ... at least it is for me. Suddenly, ol' Greg ain't looking like such a monster after all, is he?
'Nuther thing ... what in the holy hell is up with the damned papparrazzi corp up front? Does it really require three pervs to take photos of all things Rocky? I sat up front early on to get an up close look at Jim's performance. I left with about 30% of my vision, a blind spot I never had before, and some retinal damage. WTF????
One last thing. Next time I arrive at Webster, I'm bringing a pole for those underaged chicks that dance before the show. What in the name of Sam Hill is up with that? Auditions for Ricks? I mean sure, I like eye candy as much as the next guy (for more of that debate, go back a few days), but come on ... if I'm to have eye candy, is it really asking too much to have non-jailbait eye candy?
Since we all know Greg is a freakin idiot when it comes to quality movies, let me embellish upon you what I think might be some of the hits and misses of this year's movie crop (For more in-depth info about said movies, try IMDB or JoBlo.com:
HITS:
X2: X-Men United: But Uber, this is so mainstream and predictable. Well guess what buddy? You're listening to a former comic fanboy who was a reader of the X-Men comic books for many years. After having to endure some of the worst comic to movie translations ever (Captain America, The Punisher, The Fantastic Four movie) in the late 80s through mid 90s, I welcome some of the new interpretations. And this is one of the biggies. X-Men has always been a quality line for Marvel. And with the success of X-Men and Spider-Man, we know that there's going to be more in the making. The only problem I see is oversaturation in this market by introducing movies for characters that just don't have as wide a fanbase (see: Daredevil, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Ghost Rider, Electra).
The Matrix Reloaded: Either you loved or hated the original Matrix. I loved it, Greg hated it. If you're a moron like Greg, don't go see this, the 2nd part of a trilogy (The Matrix Revolutions comes out in November of this year to complete the set). However, if you wish to be counted among the elite of geekdom, you cannot bypass this one.
Finding Nemo: An animated flick? Yes. Simply put, Pixar studios has never disappointed me. So away we go to sit amongst the kiddies for a few hours and hopefully enjoy this one. If Eisner lets Pixar get out from under their little umbrella contract, it might just be the kill shot on his reign at Disney.
28 Days Later: Think Steven King's "The Stand" meets "Night of the Living Dead". I'm so glad that Hollywood hasn't given up on the horror genre. Too bad it took monuments of crap like "I Know What You Did Last Summer" to resurrect it, but with some really quality gems being put out in the last few years (The Ring, House of 1000 Corpses, and my favorite: Frailty), horror is back in style.
The Fighting Temptations: Every once in a while you need to go see a typical genre flick. This is that one. It's the "Fish Out of Water" genre (no Finding Nemo jokes please...).
Freddie vs Jason: Shoulda been made 15 years ago, but better late than never.
Once Upon A Time In Mexico: The third part in the Mariachi trilogy. If you liked the first two films (El Mariachi, Desperado), this one should do them justice.
Shaolin Soccer: Been waiting for it for well over a year. Just bring it out and make me happy. Let's see how bad a dub job they do on it.
MISSES:
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: As much as I like Sean Connery, he's just too freakin old to play Allen Quartermain. But at least they didn't get Richard Chamberlain to play that part again. This is an example of comic book adaptations gone awry. First of all, it's not a very well-known comic outside of the comic geek circles. I mean, everyone's heard of Spiderman and Superman and Batman and characters like that, but who here actually knew LXG (the horrid abbriviation for this title) was actually based on a comic book? Yes, you in the back with the pony tail and the stained blue shirt...
Daddy Day Care: Do you even remember when Eddie Murphy was funny? Yeah, I didn't think so. The guy makes a few good films in the 80s (Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America), does some crap (Golden Child, The Distinguished Gentleman), then makes a couple hits in the 90s (The Nutty Professor, Dr. Dolittle), leeched off their success (The Nutty Professor 2, Dr. Dolittle 2), and has rounded the train straight to crap (Pluto Nash, assorted other honking pieces of feces). Eddie, go back to making fun of James Brown & Buckwheat.
The In-Laws: I just don't think that Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks will have the chemistry between them that Peter Falk and Alan Arkin had in the 1979 version of this flick. Pass over it and tell Michael to go back to doing his wife.
2 Fast 2 Furious: 2 little 2 late. No Vin Diesel = no screaming teenage girls.
The Hulk: Sorry Ang Lee, but you can't mess with the Hulk. Unless of course you include that sad walking away song that always played at the end of every episode of the Incredible Hulk. I think I'll just enjoy the Incredible Hulk DVDs that are on my Netflix queue and pass this one over. Besides, it has a stringy-looking Nick Nolte in it. Here Nick, have a beer.
From Justin to Kelly: Three words: No Freakin Way.
Pirates of the Carribean: Please someone send Michael Eisner off to Never Never Land. Next thing you know they're going to have a movie about the teacup ride.
Charlie's Angels 2, Legally Blonde 2, Terminator 3, Bad Boys 2, Tomb Raider 2, American Wedding, Jeepers Creepers 2, Dumb and Dumberer, Spy Kids 3D: All sequels that should not be made. Please please please won't someone finally just go to Hollywood and make a movie about a pie-eating crime fighting midget who can travel through time and has a talking, shifty-eyed dog for a partner and an irritable boss (preferably African American)? I mean, this is where we're heading people. And I get grief for going to see X2 and Matrix Reloaded?
I'll have a few more thoughts to add to this later on, but for starters, here's the individual highlights ....
Frank - Roy: Roy started off decent, but trailed off through the night. Screen peeks became more and more obvious as the show went on, and force of character went out the window around the halfway mark. Roy's got a good look for the role and should be a little sharper with a few more tries.
Brad - Daniel: What is the freakin deal with the stupid hat? I hate to be harsh here, but for a guy who started off with so much potential, Daniel seems to be getting a little lazy up there. Not sure how best to explain it.
Janet - Kassi: Drunk off her ass, and the chick still does a bang-up job. Simply astounding. There is simply no limit to wonders of Kassi.
Riff Raff - Rummy: Nicely done role here. Chris stays focused throughout the show and puts on a solid performance and stays in character. Great ingredients for potential greatness. Get with Jim for further notes on the role in question and the sky is the limit.
Magenta - Gin'a: For political reasons, I'll pass on commentary here. Too much history to be objective.
Columbia - Lindsay: I'm starting to envision Lindsay as the perfect Columbia from here on out. Great look for the role, well performed, and there's always the neverending hope that something will come flying out of that corset. I will disagree with one patron on the aforementioned Lindsay's laugh, however ... it is not, as was described, "a snort away from being the worst laugh ever" ... it's a honk and a snort away from that. Still, she's cute. That makes up for more than enough.
Eddie - Carlos: I would have preferred to see a clearer destruction of the transducer, but after almost seeing him wuss out, at least Carlos put some effort forth and did some minor damage. I guess that's good.
Rocky - Greg(not me): WTF????
Dr. Scott/Crim - John A: Ya simply can't go wrong with John A in these roles. Nothing particularly noteworthy, just another solid effort by the veteran.