Oh Bother











I remember when I was dating my wife I gave her this card, she framed it and put it on her coffee table. Now twenty some years later it is still up. Snuggle up with your favorite Pooh fan, a pot of honey and take turns reading about the adventures of Winnie the Pooh on National Winnie The Pooh Day.

Writer. Producer. Director. Maverick, King Cohen!

King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen
2017 | PG-13 | 1hr 50 Min | Documentary | Dark Star Pictures

Director: Steve Mitchell

Writer: Steve Mitchell

Stars: 
J.J. Abrams
Rick Baker
Eric Bogosian

Synopsis:
Buckle up for King-Cohen, the true story of writer, producer, director, creator, and all-around maverick, Larry Cohen (Black Caesar, God Told Me To, Q: The Winged Serpent, The Stuff). Told through compelling live interviews, stills and film/TV clips, the people who helped fulfill his vision, and industry icons such as Martin Scorsese, John Landis, Michael Moriarty, Fred Williamson, Yaphet Kotto and many more, including Larry himself, bring one-of-a-kind insight into the work, process and legacy of a true American film auteur. Few can boast of a career as remarkable or prolific, spanning more than 50 years of entertaining audiences worldwide!


Being a product of the '80s and growing up during the amazing time of VHS Larry Cohen played a big part of that. Outside of the obvious hit The Stuff some of his other crazy flicks that filled the shelves of rental stores everywhere where Full Moon High, Manic Cop, and Perfect Strangers Cohen filled this young teenager small screen with some of the best schlock on those cold and snowy weekends.  

What I did not know about Cohen was that he filmed a lot of scenes without permission as he became one of the best at guerrilla style film making. Those stories alone make this documentary a fun watch. 

It's Alive 1974

One of my first Cohen memories is a little foggy because it lands around 1974 with It's Alive. But as I write this I wonder if it was more the sequel from 1978 It Lives Again. See I remember it was date night from my Mom and Dad and I remember Dad not too happy that Mom and their friends picked a movie about a killer baby. Dad was quite conservative as mom was all about the thrill of horror movies. But somehow I remember my grandma coming over to watch me as they went on this journey, and being only four at the time. As for my folks to talk about a horror movie like that really sticks out in my mind. Hell, I could even tell you who they went with.

It's Lives Again 1978
Never the less if you have seen even one of his many movies or TV shows this Documentary is a fast-paced fun watch. I enjoyed how the first act played out over his TV career with hits like The Fugitive and The Rat Patrol along with newer shows like NYPD Blue to his first break on the big screen with Bone Larry Cohen has had one hell of a ride!

3 Bloody Brains out of 5



Punk Rock Monday


On this day in 1978, The Sex Pistols played their last show at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco where Johnny Rotten yelled to the crowd at the outset, “Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated.” It was the last time the band played with bassist Sid Vicious.


1992, American rock drummer, Jerry Nolan from The New York Dolls died from a fatal stroke aged 45. The influential American band formed in 1972 and made just two albums, the 1973 New York Dolls and 1974 Too Much Too Soon. Nolan joined the New York Dolls in the autumn of 1972 to replace Billy Murcia, who had died of asphyxiation as a result of a failed attempt to revive him from a drug overdose while on tour in England, early in the band's career. Nolan left the Dolls together with Johnny Thunders in the spring of 1975. The two then placed a call to bassist Richard Hell, formerly of the Neon Boys and Television, to form The Heartbreakers.


And in 2005, A $100,000 statue honoring the late punk guitarist Johnny Ramone was unveiled by his widow Linda at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Johnny died from prostate cancer in September 2004 at the age of 55. Hundreds turned out for the ceremony, including Tommy Ramone the only surviving band member. Dee Dee Ramone died of a drugs overdose in 2002 and Joey died in 2001 of lymphatic cancer.



Also on this day in 2014, Justin Bieber was questioned by police over the egging of his neighbor's house in Calabasas, California. Bieber spoke to police in relation to the incident, which saw him accused of throwing eggs at his neighbor's house while his neighbor and neighbor's daughter were on the balcony filming him. Billboard reports that a dozen vehicles arrived on Bieber's property with a search warrant, looking for evidence that Bieber was involved in the incident. Det. Dave Thompson commented: "We collected evidence related to that crime. Mr. Bieber was present and cooperative. He was not arrested."

#snowpocalypse2019



Holy Molly what a crazy week it has been, this week at school we had an 8th-grade night as our kids said thank you for all that we have done for the past 8 years. And it was a nice way for the kids to get recognized for everything they have done.


Then on Friday, the school hosted a movie night and it was crazy! All those screaming children ugh not sure many watched "Small Foot" I think that's the name of it. 


I could not tell you anything about the movie I was making popcorn all night but when it was over seemed like the kids had fun. And then came #Snowpocalpese 2019, I get it we knew it was coming but it is still fun to talk about anyway right? Sadly tho I rather have been home with my feet up watching out the window instead I was at work. 


Sadly the excitement came when a driver lost control on route 80 slid off the road and crashed into a power pole. That said pole then dropped down enough for an oncoming Semi to get tangled in the wires pulling them down.  The good new everybody was fine Rt 80 was closed for a few hours and the best part...


We worked in the dark and crazy enough we where busy. Of course, some of the customers were those that had to get off 80 so they came and hung out with us. The power was out from 10am until 4pm and even though the building got cold and we ran on backup power we made the best of it. 

So that was my week in a nutshell next week is to be pretty crazy Ella starts Mamma Mia and Lainey starts Volleyball games. So how was your crazy week?

Oh and my kid is way more popular on Twitter than me 



The Masked Singer Predictions



Ok so who is watching this major hit on Fox, The Masked Singer? I'm always grateful when a tv show comes along and the family fills in the living room to watch together and this silly show has done just that. From brainless judging and the fantastic costumes, The Masked Singer is something unexpectedly deep. And surprising fun you come for the costumes and stay for the hidden voice.


Of course, the show has given us much to talk about and the speculation throughout the house is bringing this family together in a fun way. And being a musical family we can hear the voice and know kind of who it might be but when we struggle a bit thankfully we can go back and listen to the clues. For example, the obvious one is the Peacock the clues:  He started in show business as a kid,  “Putting on a show is in my DNA,”. And of course the line “It’s probably been a while since your mom had a poster me on her wall.” And, he claims to be best buds with Michael Jackson. Finally, and the one that convinced my wife he pets the small dog statue in his intro most likely referring to Osmond’s hit  “Puppy Love”. But for me, it was clear that he was on Broadway with his moves and stage presence. SO clearly in this house, we all agree on Donnie Osmond.

It is the White Rabbit that still has us scratching our heads. My wife is an N'Sync fanatic and really wants to believe its JC from the band as do I, but I think he can sing much better so we are not 100%. And sure it could be Joey and why not he has made a career for himself doing reality shows.

So here are his clues. He’s spent most of his life onstage, but he was “never alone.” Now he “pops up here and I pop up there.” Synchronized singing is his forte. “This rabbit’s gonna win and you believe the last mask standing is gonna be me.” The Rabbit admits he was once part of a group. Let’s do a little process of elimination it’s certainly not Justin Timberlake or Lance Bass I mean come on JT is a little busy at the moment. Chris Kirkpatrick well I never thought he could sing so let's move on. That leaves JC Chasez, who hasn’t been around much, and Joey Fatone, who has.

So in this house, it is Joey Fatone.


The only other one I'm 100% on would be the Bee She’s had a long career, and never wanted to stop doing what she loves. She wants to reach a new generation and prove that she still has what it takes to create a buzz and in her video intro yet another clue a picture of tennis balls. She tells the judges later that she started singing “in the ’50s.”

Often called the “Empress of Soul,” Gladys Knight won Ted Mack’s The Original Amateur Hour in 1952 when she was 7 years old. Then she created the Pips with her siblings and cousins, and they started touring in the late ’50s. Oh, and according to her Wiki page, she also loves to play tennis.

So for me Gladys Knight! You could just hear the soul in her voice and I could listen to her again!

The other one we feel strongly about is the Raven as Ricki Lake and here is why. She came out big like Broadway big as well, she took control of the audience and judges with her presence and Ricki was the star of Hairspray and Cry Baby so we know she can sing and carry herself on stage. And in her promo she did say All her life, she’s listened to “other peoples’ stories.” She calls herself a sunny person, and say she’s always found an audience. “No one talks like me.”  And recently, she suffered a tragic loss, and “like a phoenix, she’ll rise up.”. We also know that her ex-husband committed suicide last year that would tie into her tragic loss witch by the way I feel was unneeded in the storyline.


As for the unicorn, I said Tori Spelling but still not 100% on her but her back story would say so. The rest well I just don't know and I love it hell I could be wrong on all of them so far. So what are your guesses? And if you have not seen the show why not? Let me know in the comments lets talk The Masked Signer.


In Honor Of Steve Clark



Let's kick off the new year with one of my all-time favorite bands Def Leppard. This time around they have covered Depeche Mode', Personal Jesus for a new Greatest Hit's Album that came out for Christmas last year.



And in Honor of  Steve Clark guitarist with Def Leppard, who on January 8th, 1997 was found dead at his Chelsea flat by his girlfriend, after a night of heavy alcohol consumption combined with prescription drugs. The autopsy revealed he had died from an overdose of codeine and had Valium, morphine and a blood alcohol level of .30, three times the British legal driving limit. In 2007 Clark was ranked No.11 on Classic Rock Magazine's "100 Wildest Guitar Heroes".


Pop-Tart Cereal Yay or Nay?

For those of you that are kids of the '90s looks your tastebud dreams have come true. After 20 years this much talked about and craved cereal is back onto supermarket shelves. The real question how bad is it? And will my fourteen-year-old eat it?

I really don't remember the early concoction of this pop culture phenomena but the bright blue box jumped out at my kid so it ended up in our cart. And now, well it sits on the shelf with other boxes of cereal that nobody wants to eat.

I guess we really should have looked at the small lettering that reads "Delicious Filling In Every Bite!". I mean Pop Tarts are gross anyway but to put that filling in your milk is really bad in my book.

The center jam as we call it is so hard and sticky and just not good. The outside texture is fine it's your average cereal fair. We just can not get past that gross center.



As for my Fourteen-Year-Old, she thinks its ok looks like she eats it dry when she gets bored but you can tell after a few bites she is done with it. So if anybody would like to come over for a bowl of Pop-Tarts Cereal feel free it's going to go stale in this house.

How Come, Chief Willoughby?

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri
2017 | R | 1 Hr. 55 Min. | Comedy, Drama | Fox Searchlight

Director: Martin McDonagh

Writer: Martin McDonagh

Stars:
Frances McDormand
Woody Harrelson
Sam Rockwell





Synopsis:
THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI is a darkly comic drama from Academy Award nominee Martin McDonagh. After months have passed without a culprit in her daughter's murder case, Mildred Hayes makes a bold move, painting three signs leading into her town with a controversial message directed at William Willoughby, the town's revered chief of police. When his second-in-command Officer Dixon, an immature mother's boy with a penchant for violence, gets involved, the battle between Mildred and Ebbing's law enforcement is only exacerbated.


In a simple word, Wow. Winner of four Golden Globes and with seven Oscar nominations, including two win's Three Billboards is well worth the hype. And as much as I loved McDormand's role Sam Rockwell playing a small-town racist cop was the role that moved me the most. Dixon (Rockwell) is introduced to us as an outspoken and lewd cop with a love for racial slurs who supposedly tortured the town's black prisoners in previous incidents is where the heart of this movie lies. 


What makes this role great of course is Dixon's good-heartedness emerging throughout the movie, which gives him nearly equal time onscreen as McDormand's character. After a series of personal tragedies, Dixon becomes a changed man and Three Billboards' unlikely hero. Rockwell deserved his Oscar win along with that Golden Globe. And to be honest I feel Woody Harelson was slightly underlooked as he knocked it out of the park as well. In fact, there is not one bad cast member through the film.


Don't get me wrong McDormand who won a Golden Globe for her performance and the Oscar for best leading lady, that I'm not disputing is well deserved. The character she portrays is so unapologetically and cold you can not help but root for her. As her allies disappear and those in power try to silence her, she only gets louder. And according to IMDB Frances McDormand was hesitant to take the role of Mildred when offered to her, but was eventually convinced by her husband, Joel Coen. She said, "Because at the time he gave it to me I was fifty-eight. I was concerned that women from this socioeconomic strata did not wait until thirty-eight to have their first child. So we went back and forth and we debated that quite for a while, and then finally my husband said, 'Just shut up and do it.'" And we are all glad she did. 



***Spoilers Ahead***

Despite the racial undertones and the touchy subject matter Billboards somehow in some way kicks you in the gut and warms your heart at the same time. Now fair warning this is an art-house style film so the ending. If you try to "solve" Three Billboards is to completely misunderstand what this movie is, or what it’s ultimately about. For one thing, the film doesn’t introduce one iota of evidence that any of these characters are guilty of the murder. It’s not a murder mystery or a whodunit. There are many things important to its plot and what it is as a film, and the identity of the murderer is not one of them. In fact, the very not-solving of the murder is perhaps the key to its ending.

4 out of 5 Stars

Life finds a way In Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
2018 | PG-13 | 2 Hr. 8 Min. | Action | Universal

Director: J.A. Bayona

Writers: 
Derek Connolly
Colin Trevorrow

Stars:
Chris Pratt
Bryce Dallas Howard
Rafe Spall

Synopsis:
Three years after the Jurassic World theme park was closed down, Owen and Claire return to Isla Nublar to save the dinosaurs when they learn that a once dormant volcano on the island is active and is threatening to extinguish all life there. Along the way, Owen sets out to find Blue, his lead raptor and discovers a conspiracy that could disrupt the natural order of the entire planet. Life has found a way, again.


The formula for the Jurassic Park films has always been relatively simple: Take an island full of dinosaurs, add humans, and let chaos ensue. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, may lack its predecessor’s sense of wonder, but offers a much darker and a more intense adventure than previous films. In this installment, we get tossed into a terrifying possibility of mixing dinosaurs with mankind on our own turf. The movie’s hero's spend as much time avoiding the jaws and claws of dinosaurs as they spend hiding from the guns of mercenaries and the conspiracies of evil men in Fallen Kingdom, making for a distinctly different approach to the premise than previous films have taken.


With all of that being said Falling Kingdom does not seem to be for everyone in this household tho it seemed to work on half its audience. This movie is a pure masterpiece of visual effects that make every scene look fantastic, even in the story’s most terrifying moments. The dinosaurs are not only amazing to watch in action but also rendered with a level of detail that makes each dinosaur distinct, even when the action is at its most hectic. Not only do you find yourself on the edge of the couch this time around you also find yourself rooting for the dinosaurs. 


Fallen Kingdom is an ambitious film, certainly. The story’s willingness to take the franchise in a new direction feels like a risk worth taking, and the final product is a visual spectacle that’s well worth experiencing. I know for me I can not wait to see what the future holds and the possibility of humans living alongside Dino's is an amazing thought. 



4 Stars out of 5

Happy New Year




Well, gang 2018 is in the books and a fresh clean slate is upon us. 2018 was defiantly an up and down year for us. The crowning achievement has to be both girls getting parts in our local theatre's production of Joesph and the Amazing Color Dream Coat.  And Ella did not stop there getting a roll in Something Wicked This Way Comes at the college. It's hard to believe my 8th grader who has severe PTSD and Anxiety made two plays that changed her life! This was truly a godsend for her and has opened the world up giving her new life.



And it does not end there as both made it into White Christmas as well and Ella tried out for Mamma Mia at the college competing with 80 plus students and was selected for a part.  Looks like this dad has a few theater kids on his hands and really could not be any prouder.





Steve and I got together again this summer for a week of fun at Horizon camp! It was a little bit on the rough side for Steve as we found ourselves in the cabin chilling out to movies and board games during the super hot days. Thankfully the cooler nights allowed us to hang out with friends playing cards and laughing about life.

Ella's Confermation


Well, the big bump in the road was my wife seeing the business that she worked hard at for 30 years close their doors. It was a big sad process watching Bergners close down and to watch my wife come home emotionally exhausted every day. And thanks to living in this small town that has watched its mall slowly fade away jobs have become pretty hard to find. So here is to a better year on that front.




So what is in it for me in 2019, well this blog turns 10 can you believe it? I simply started out as a way to relax and communicate with Steve long before Facebook and well My Space. But as the years gone by my blog changed as well, now it is more of a journal and a way to remember my time here on earth. As much as blogging has dried up I will keep it going it is still fun and relaxing for me. I love checking in on many of my blog friends as well.  Still not a big fan of Facebook.

 Myself, Eric, Heather, And Dad

I know I say it every year I want to make this more personal as well but I can never crawl out of my shell feeling like nobody wants to hear it. I promise I will work on it agian this year.  Last year I challenged myself to watch and review 52 movies. I finished well into the '60s and as a busy dad, I'm proud of that. So this year I'm shooting for 100!

My favorite picture that I took this year, The Clouds look like a waterfall.

Also looking to do more Blogathons this year as they really open my mind to new things. And it's a great way to knock titles off of the backlog.

My top likes on Instagram


Ok keeping it simple in 2019 nothing drastic! As always I can not thank my readers enough! You guys keep me going.


🎇Happy New Year🎉

Bob

Christmas means comfort, joy and chaos

Love the Coopers
2015 | PG-13 | 1 Hr 47 Min | Comedy | Image Ent.

Director: Jessie Nelson

Writer: Steven Rogers

Stars: 
Steve Martin
Diane Keaton
John Goodman

Ssynopsis:
When four generations of the Cooper clan come together for their annual Christmas Eve celebration, a series of unexpected visitors and unlikely events turn the night upside down, leading them all toward a surprising rediscovery of family bonds and the spirit of the holiday.


Back in the day when I worked for the theater we always agreed on one thing the bigger the star list the worse the movie gets. Well, Love the Coopers takes an amazing line up and squanders it away with the likes of Diane Keaton, John Goodman, Marisa Tomei, Alan Arkin, Olivia Wilde, June Squibb, Amanda Seyfried and Anthony Mackie in a Christmas comedy of numbing boredum and tackiness.


However though all of its subplots Olivia Wilde is the only storyline that holds your interest. Almost as if this was the main part of the story and the rest was pure fluff around it.  It is quickly established that  Joe Swanberg is her Drinking Buddy as we watch them awkwardly flirt their way through this movie. Their storyline does bring much-needed vinegar to otherwise flat material. The scenes of Eleanor and Joe also stand out as the only ones grounded in any sense of contemporary reality; she ribs him about climate change, gun control, and religion, though of course, their clashing values are no match for the parents need to see Eleanor settle down.


And then there is what I think the main story to be and that involving Tomei who plays Emma, Charlotte's (Keaton) sister and easily the film's least charitable creation. Childless, husband-less, needy and passive-aggressive, Emma is also a shoplifter and ends up in the back of a police car while trying to compete with finding the perfect gift. She's envious of Charlotte's seemingly perfect suburban existence but learns a valuable life lesson, which, as far as I could tell, had something to do with the importance of buying expensive gifts for the people you love. Tomei is a superb actress as well as Keaton but man its comforting to know they both go on to make better movie choices. 


I did laugh a little and was moved mainly by Amanda Seyfried story even if it was a short one. But in the end, it was just another Christmas Movie about a dysfunctional family over the holiday looking for a cheap laugh as we watch them struggle. Many of us struggle through the holidays and are looking for a laugh or an escape through the warm glow of our television sets. Sadly the Coopers did not do it for me as Chevy Case can. 


3 Ninja Santa's out of 5