Making a Fuss for the Restivus
Seinfeld taught us everything there is to know about nothing, which turned out to be everything we love twenty years later.
As the innovative Frank Costanza would say today, on December 23rd of each year, “Happy Festivus!”
Courtesy of the aforementioned Frank Costanza, the creator of “Festivus,” the world was given the platform to air-out their grievances whilst in the presence of our loved ones and an aluminum pole.
What’s my grievance this year?
That Festivus still isn’t a federally recognized holiday.
Ask yourself: Do you have an aluminum pole set upright in the middle of your home?
You would have the chance to get one if you had today off, with plenty of time in the evening to grieve, culminating in a hilarious wrestling match.
Happy Festivus!
P.S. A donation has been made in your name to the Human Fund.
Leaving the Cage
(Photo by Adam Berry/Getty Images)
“Actor Nicolas Cage returns stolen Mongolian dinosaur skull”
This is a real news headline found on Yahoo. It’s not April 1st. This is real life.
One of the reasons why people (myself included) love watching Nicolas Cage movies and searching for past interviews of Nicolas Cage is rooted in the headline above. He’s a uniquely strange human being who electrifies mankind with a talent and magnetism that hasn’t yet been discovered.
Not even the deepest reaches of an exotic rain forest has the answer.
“The actor bought the Tarbosaurus bataar fossil at a New York auction in March 2007” (AFP online).
The dinosaur skull is a part of the Tyrannosaurus family. And on a related note, a belated high-five goes out to America’s national treasure.
Sadly, Nicolas Cage didn’t track down the dinosaur skull by scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef and catching a rare fish that, when examined with a black light, revealed a specific scar that was the birds-eye view of an abandoned fishing village run by a skinny and intensely tan 83 year-old man with long white hair named Kiku who was holding in his possession a worn map that would lead to a specific patch of desert in Mongolia that contained the rarest dinosaur skull pursued by archaeologists from all around the world.
Instead, according to the Yahoo article, Nicolas Cage bought the skull (reportedly outbidding Leonardo DiCaprio) and unknowingly left the country with it in an illegal fashion. Mr. Cage is returning the skull without interference.
Kind of a bummer.
Nicolas Cage should always, always be able to ask someone, “Hey, do you wanna see my dinosaur skull?”
C’mon Mongolia, you’re better than this.
Happy Monday!
Steven Spielberg turned 69 this past Friday.
Arguably the greatest director of all-time, Spielberg has become a film genre himself. Kids and adults love and admire his visual storytelling, for different and similar reasons. For any person who loves movies, a Spielberg foundation is a necessity. Without experiencing the magic of Spielberg, it’s impossible to experience the true magic of movies.
And that’s why he’s celebrated with such fanfare.
That’s why it’s surprising that some people within the film industry didn’t see his burgeoning genius for granted from the very beginning of his bright, trailblazing career. The father of the summer blockbuster (Jaws) received a few nominations from the Academy for his work with the great white shark.
The video below offers Spielberg’s reaction from back in 1976.
People don’t always remember who won Oscars, but they will remember Steven Spielberg’s golden legacy.
Trust yourself and your vision and the right people will see it the right way.
Happy Birthday Steven Spielberg!
The Force Awakens: The New Hope
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is now in theaters!
It all started back in 1977 with Star Wars IV: A New Hope. As we all know, it was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
Good vs. Evil. Droids and Lightsabers. Storm Troopers and Jedi’s. Han Solo and Princess Leia. The Death Star and the Millennium Falcon.
The spoiler-free reviews and reactions from the privileged few who have already seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens have been stellar. And why shouldn’t they be? Embracing the out-of-this-world expectations, director and sci-fi aficionado J.J. Abrams seems to have delivered on the fresh reboot of the beloved franchise. The trailers look fantastic, the cast incredible (Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac), the story appears to have an intriguing premise and feel and, most importantly, the sets are rooted in practical effects.
The latter is paramount because green-screens can ruin even the most popular series (cough cough Star Wars prequels). Yes, there are digital effects in The Force Awakens. However, practical sets seems to have trumped digital wherever possible. This extra effort and attention to detail is a great tribute to the original 1977 and 1980s episodes IV-VI, which were driven by the story and its iconic characters.
Speaking of iconic characters, perhaps the best way to prepare for Episode VII is to watch the most famously pivotal scene from the Star Wars saga.
Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader.
After the disastrous prequels, The Force Awakens seems to be offering Star Wars fans optimism not only for this movie, but for the next two chapters episodes in this epic space saga.
J.J. Abrams + Company (Bad Robot and Lucasfilm) seems to have found the force within themselves and it has led them to their cinematic destiny:
The right side of the Star Wars universe.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 