Episode 15% Tip....How's your Film Cred?

Movies are the church potluck suppers of the entertainment world.

Singular dishes brought in by those who believe they have a gastronomic treasure they must share with the world.

And yet, look at the serving table at the end of any potluck and you'll find patterns in the chaos.

....Dishes devoured by all, Corningware licked clean of all morsels.

....Some plates receiving quite a few interested noshers, etching impressionist Pac-Man's in the pie plate.

....Then there are those (usually some kind of creamed leafy vegetable concoction) that are left to assume room temperature.  Things either so distasteful or visually unappealing that they are left uneaten and pristine.

....There are still others that defy the odds.  Offerings that look GREAT as you scoop them up and equally HORRIBLE as you spit it into your napkin; and some that perhaps didn't attract the eye but would've had you in culinary heaven had you but dared to try it.

Movies have that same mystique.  Films both good and bad that most everyone has experienced, or hidden gems that are passed over.

We all have classic movies that, for whatever reason, slipped beneath our radar.  Perhaps you were abroad studying, or going through a nasty divorce, or sleeping incessantly due to a raging case of mononucleosis.

Admitting to those missed cinematic nuggets often illicits incredulity by your friends.  In our gaming group, there is an uber geek who recently confessed to never having seen ANY of the Star Wars films.  I'll pause a moment while your face corrects itself from the unmistakable "WHA????" face you're making right now...

I took an inter-stroll over to the American Film Institute (AFI) website and found a list of the top ten films in ten different genres, just to check and see what quintessential flicks escaped my ready gaze.

The link, in case you want to synthesize your own "film cred": http://www.afi.com/10top10/

Genres they chose:

Animation

Romantic Comedy

Western

Sports

Mystery

Fantasy

Sci-Fi

Gangster

Courtroom Drama

Epic

Add up your score from each category to give yourself a "film cred" score out of 100.

What films passed you by?

For me, here are some notable overlooks:

Romantic Comedy:  Annie Hall, Moonstruck

Western:  Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Sports:  The Hustler

Mystery:  Chinatown

Sci-Fi: Clockwork Orange

Gangster: Scarface, Bonnie and Clyde

Courtroom Drama: To Kill a Mockingbird, Judgment at Nuremberg

Epic:  Laurence of Arabia, Ben-Hur, Schindler's List

True, the list is subjective and there are many notable omissions (no horror categories,  ergo no Stephen King films; no straight up dramas...so Citizen Kane is nowhere to be found), and the Top Tens themselves are prone to debate (as lists always do), but this is a good place to start.

So, what's your score.  I came up with 54.  I thought I'd have a few more than that.  Granted, many films on the list date back to the 30's and 40's, but it's a very good representative sample.

One thing is clear, I gotta put my Netflix to work...

[EDITOR'S NOTE:  We actually discussed this on tonight's taping of the Happy Time Magic Hour.  When we get the show up on the intrawebs, I'll add the link here]

Episode Apollo 14...Das ist Gut, Capitain Kirk...

Nearly twenty years after the end of World War II, Star Trek: The Original Series aired "Patterns of Force", an alternate Earthlike planet episode in which its denizens had embraced Nazism.  It was one of the series' best, and as always, sought to make a statement beyond just being a good sci-fi story.

The interesting thing is that "Patterns of Force" finally had its premiere.

You're thinking....wait, the series itself ended more than 40 years ago.  How could it have JUST premiered a new episode.   And I'm sure I've seen this one before.

Well, "Patterns of Force" did indeed debut last week....in Germany.

You see, Germans are uncomfortable about their troubled past, and with good reason.  A totalitarian regime responsible for the deaths of millions is not an easy thing to own up to.

So, movies and TV shows that depict this history are often panned by the German public.

But, last week, it aired...albeit with a warning that it might disturb younger viewers (I might actually have aruged that the warning should've been to older viewers).

It's an episode about racism, tolerance, cult of the personality, and more.  And kudos to the Germans for being willing to confront the mistakes of their forebearers.

Episode 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo.....Singer Geek RETURNS!!!

After an extended hiatus, I've decided to resume the blog that has already become legend.

SINGER GEEK RETURNS!!!!


With the might of Google Plus, I can rebuild Singer Geek.  Faster, stronger....

Now, as I retire to my lair to pick over the remains of geek topics and news, I need your help.

Go back and read a post or two.  If you like what you've read, +1 me on Google+, share me on Facebook.  Help me to achieve the global geek domination I so richly deserve.

Interested?  Want in on the ground floor?  JOIN ME!!!

Episode 12 Monkeys: All Hail, Saruman!

Sir Christopher Lee (known best from "The Lord of the Rings" (Saruman), a Bond bad guy (The Man with the Golden Gun), and the Hammer Horror films) was given the Fellowship Award at the BAFTA's (the British version of the Oscars).  Lee was visibly moved to receive the honor (see below).

I hope that Peter Jackson is able to film Sir Christopher as Saruman in "The Hobbit".  Lee is 88 years old now, and has trouble getting around.

Lee is not only one of the great "bad guys" in movie history, but also is an incredibly prolific and accomplished actor.

Congratulations, Sir Christopher.

Episode Ocean's 11: What Would Happen if Bruce Lee went up against Iron Man?

Thanks to the fun of stop motion animation, now we know!

Make sure to watch it through to the end, and learn Iron Man's secret  !!!!

Episode Ten Commandments: BEHOLD YOUR MAN OF STEEL!!!

Zack Snyder and company have selected their new Superman.

He is none other than 27 year old Henry Cavill, best known for his work on "The Tudors".

While the ladies and some of our gentleman readers compose themselves, what does this mean?

First off, it once again means they're going with a relative unknown for the part of Kal-El.  That's nothing to fear, necessarily.  It certainly worked for Christopher Reeve, and many believe it worked for Brandon Routh.

Secondly, it means that Christopher Nolan (considered "The Godfather" of the project) wants to skew the film once again to a younger star.  Does that signify that we'll be getting an origin story again?  I sure hope not.    Supes' story is well known and does not need to be rehashed in total.  If Nolan uses the origins in short brief flashbacks (as he did in "Batman Begins"), it can be a useful tool to flesh out his character.

As with any good film (superhero or otherwise), true onscreen magic comes from a compelling story about the characters.  "Superman Returns" did this very well, but fell apart a bit with Lex Luthor's plot.  The shots of him hovering above the earth, seemingly to drown out, even for a moment, the din of all those who count on him was powerful.  Similarly, his flight with Lois as he explains that the world truly depends on him as a savior,  which makes him forever alone and apart is what makes Superman such a compelling character.

Good luck, Henry.

Episode Deep Space Nine: Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Polyhedrals, Copper!!!

So, if you're a geek and you get sent to prison, what do you do (besides cry little baby tears)?

Perhaps you read, maybe have your family slip you some comic books inside a loaf of bread, put Lord of the Ring posters up over the escape hole you're digging (shameless Shawshank reference).

Or, you request a chance to play that Mac Daddy of all geek pursuits.... Dungeons & Dragons.

As it turns out, most prison inmates that want to can actually play D&D in the pokey, provided they are sent the materials by sympathetic family and friends on the outside.

Except, of course, for Kevin Singer, inmate at the Wisconsin based Waupun Correctional Institution.

Official Story:  Judge Bans D&D in Prison - Now Guess Why

In 2004, Kevin's materials were confiscated.  So, of course, he sued, saying it violated his 1st Amendment rights.  Just last year, the Court of Appeals upheld the ban for Singer, stating that it promoted gang behavior.

According to them, a Dungeon Master gives directions and establishes a hierarchy...much like a gang (at least that's what they say).

They also stated:  D&D can "foster an inmate's obsession with escaping from the real life, correctional environment, fostering hostility, violence and escape behavior," which in turn "can compromise not only the inmate's rehabilitation and effects of positive programming but also endanger the public and jeopardize the safety and security of the institution."

That's right, everyone....D&D turns you into a BAD ASS.

Now look, I certainly won't begrudge the prison system from taking something away from an inmate they think is detrimental (Singer is, after all, in prison for murder).  It's just when I think of things that should be dubbed contraband, D&D is not one of them.

In the same article, they posted a link to show what really happens when one is exposed to D&D.  I show it to you here, in all its glory:

Now 'fess up, geeks, you found yourself in there somewhere, didn't you?