History Celebrated in Sacramento

It's not every day that world history can also be celebrated in Sacramento.
Local Egyptians had their say in what was happening in Cairo. First, they held out signs at 16th and J just after the protests started...



The real celebration, and honoring those who sacrificed to change Egypt, came recently. It was at the same corner, but it was just different. I didn't feel I was part of it, but I wanted to be there to show others what it was like, which is why I'm glad to share these pictures...









It's interesting that Egypt winds up being the best example of people power, and the strongest since the Philippines in the '80s. In the U-S, we have Tea Party followers demanding smaller government, no more spending, lower taxes, and maybe someone else as president. All the shouting, though, winds up to be just that: shouting, which results to nothing except the latest catch phrase which a pundit uses to look messianic and ratings-savvy. What Egypt did, with its shouting, resulted in a new country, and hopes for a new future.

The Return of ICWXP: The Return of Rikk Wolf

Three years ago, heavy metal musician and MST3K fan Rikk Wolf decided, with a few friends, to make a little project where he was a zombie-fighting soldier trapped in a movie theatre with two weird looking robots. A mad scientist forces them to watch bad movies, mainly for fun. He admits it's cruel, and sounds vaguely familiar.
It was made into a DVD called Incognito Cinema Warriors XP, and it was sold on MySpace.
Little did he know that he would create an internet sensation, and something that MST fans have been craving for since the Satellite of Love went into TV history.

Now, after two years of weather disasters, technical difficulties, and depression that the Chiefs weren't what they used to be, Rikk is back with a new ICWXP movie. This time, Rikk, Johnny Cylon, Zed the Zombie Head and TopsyBot 5000 face new perils, including the most boring horror movie ever, and a new Big Bad.

Everything about it is new, starting with a live-action version of the old theme, complete with zombies who are looking for brains or a walk-on role in The Walking Dead. Rikk also recorded a new version of the theme, plus other scenes from episodes never shown including an homage to Dragon Ball.
After a sketch that mocks Starbucks, Rikk and the Bots see that Dr. Blackwood, their old nemesis, has been sent off. He's replaced by Special Agent Kincaid (Gregory Wyatt Tinnen), who is so evil he could clearly be Pearl Forrester's male clone. Anywho, he works for the Ludivico Corporation (who probably started this zombie apocalypse because it's so Resident Evil), and he decides to show bad movies more cruelly. He even has an evil smartphone that Pearl would envy.

We start with Ghost Rider, which isn't the Nicholas Cage movie, It's a safety film where a new kid learns about bus safety from a ghost. It's not bad, but it does drive Cylon to sing Jim Croce and TB5K to remark "The dead walk the earth and they want us to read bus safety pamphlets." It also ends with Topsy doing a killer Morgan Freeman.
Then the gang is startled by a famous Lucky Strike ad where cigarettes are square dancing. In fact, we got a lot of callbacks from the short and ad.

The main event: Werewolf in a Girls Dormitory, an 1961 Italian horror movie which is self-explanatory. After very sexy horror flicks like Lady Frankenstein and Bloody Pit of Horror (yes, even that Crimson Executioner guy), we get 87 minutes of droning talk between the characters about blackmail, gossip, funerals and zzzzzzzzzz, etc. We barely get three minutes of werewolf, and it's not even a good one. In fact, it's described as a "were-Michael C. Hall". We're supposed to wonder who the werewolf is: the Peter Lorre caretaker, the teacher who could be a young Frau Blucher, the handsome new teacher, an old guy who's having a near-affair with one of the students, his creepy wife, or maybe whoever came up with this movie. Rick and the gang have to muster all their strength to come up with some good riffs to keep from dozing off.

Some examples:

Opening titles show the "horror" of the monster: "It's the Satan Platypus!"
The new teacher shows up: "I think I'm going to live it here on Wicker Man Island."
Alfred goes home after talking to Mary, the student who's blackmailing him: "He's gonna lay low in Paul Lynde's house for a while."
The caretaker sneaks into the girls' bedroom: "Ben Roethlisberger, your wet dream is here."
When the real werewolf is revealed in a "plot swivel", he then attacks one of the students: "This makes me feel like a teen wolf again."

The host segments include Cylon and Topsy mocking Ghosthunters, with a surprise cameo, Topsy doing something so disturbing it excites Kincaid, and the worst surprise party ever. There's even a callback to the letters segment MST3K did way back when.
It's clearly a triumphant return to form for ICWXP. Sadly, it's also the last movie they're going to attack. They're switching to short subjects that could be even worse than any movie Nicholas Cage is in. But we're left wondering what is Kincaid's deal, where he got that evil smartphone, and whether Dr. Blackwood is gone.

Actually, we get a few clues in the extras: Rikk has a commentary on the host segments, and reveals a few tidbits on what's to come. He also includes a couple of music videos from his band At the Left Hand of God. There's a Q and A session with Rikk, Tinnen and Zach Legler (Cylon). They even answer a question I forgot I ever sent them. I do find out Rikk didn't start this show because he worked at an AMC theater. We also see how the bots were made, and a quick tour of the studio. It's more cramped than Best Brains in its early days, but it shows how damn good humor can spring from humble beginnings.

They have a new website at www.ICWXP.com, where you can get past DVDs, YouTube bits, including the new theme, links to Twitter and Facebook, apparel, and even a hint on what season one will be all about. I'm praying for Robo-Blackwood, personally, or maybe the zombies will make their own TV show about how they battle the hideous threat of the living, and call it The Walking Braaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnssssss.
Until then, pray for Rikk Wolf, Johnny Cylon, Zed and TopsyBot 5000..and for more adventures to come.
Maybe they can throw in their version of Alice from Resident Evil, or whoever Kate Beckinsale plays in Underworld, who helps them out because she is an even bigger MST3K fan.

Oscar Party: The Real Season Begins

The Golden Globes were a fraud...as usual.
So, the Screen Actor's Guild Awards is the real start of the speculation on who will be the new Hollywood Royalty after this 2011 Academy Awards.

So far, people think that The King's Speech is the odds-on favorite for Best Picture, after The Social Network was given that title thanks to movie critics and film societies. People are now betting on TKS because Oscar voters are old, and like quaint things. TKS is an old-fashioned British period piece like (ugh) The English Patient. It's about a British King....who has a stammer....which he has to overcome as his country is hurtling towards World War II. It screams Oscar bait, although not on purpose. This is to Oscar voters what Red Bull is to college students who have to finish a term paper three hours before it's due.
Granted, I loved it. Seeing Colin Firth as a King who is just plain scared to talk in public places, partially because he thinks he's destined to be lost in the shadow of the future Edward VIII, is quite a sight. Remember, we see him as the dashing romantic hero with a way with words.

Still, Oscar voters would rather vote for this man rather than Jesse Eisenberg, who plays the total asshole who gave us Facebook. In fact, Jesse might be considerd third behind Jeff Bridges, who is wonderful as the real Rooster Cogburn in True Grit. I just saw the 1969 version on AMC, and that version just wouldn't fly today. John Wayne got his Oscar for that version because it was mainly his last hurrah as a western hero. However, The True Grit of 1969 was too...bright and clean. It was more of a family movie, like The Rifleman. The Coens thought we should see the real True Grit of the 1880's. We hear what people really talked like back then. We don't see Mattie's family because, aside from Rooster and LeBouef, she is on her own in her bid to avenge her father's murder. Also, the ending is much different.
It also made me wonder...how would John Wayne handle Hallie Steinfeld, and how she portrayed Mattie Ross. It would have been a better match.

But back to TKS.....it's a good piece of history, but The Social Network is also good history, and it cuts between the two lawsuits Mark Zuckerberg is battling, and how he created Facebook. You see Eisenberg as a driven guy who is so focused, he forgets to make enough friends to have his back. It's a good story...if you're under 45. If not, you'll go to the old-fashioned drama of TKS.

Overall, the academy may spread the wealth in the major awards. TKS gets Best Actor and maybe Best Picture, Social Network gets Best Director and Adapted Screenplay, Inception should get Best Original Screenplay while Christopher Nolan would have the right to punch anyone who didn't think he should have been in the Best Director mix, Christian Bale gets Supporting Actor for The Flighter, while Steinfeld wins Supporting Actress, and Natalie Portman wins Best Actress for Black Swan (and for wisely making a sex comedy that will be 125 times better than the kind of sex "comedies" that will come down the pike in a few weeks (coughJustGoWithItcoughHallPasscoughevenworsethanNoStringsAttached).

ETA: Sure enough, TKS takes best cast. If the actors are leaning towards the traditional choice, then Social Network just lost its last chance to get the middle-age vote. TKS is a shoo-in in the BAFTAs in two weeks. It's all because in TKS, we have a hero and a comeback story. In Social Network, you have a massive jerk who just didn't have enough regrets while he was changing how we use the internet.
I am surprised Melissa Leo beat Hailee Steinfeld in Best Supporting Actress. It looks like Leo will get the sweep, along with Christian Bale. Steinfeld's last best hope could be the BAFTAs, if she wins Best Actress over Natalie Portman. I really think if we get a major upset somewhere, it would be there.

Donald Sutherland and the Walk of Fame

While my hopes of seeing Conan and Ellen Degeneres didn't work out (tip: call the Ellen Standby line hotline at 8:00:01 AM), I did enjoy seeing Donald Sutherland get his star on the Walk of Fame, just off of Hollywood and Orange. It is also where they shot an early scene from the original Buffy movie. It was where she was leaving a lousy movie. The building used to be a movie house, but has been converted to a fancy strip mall. It was also a chance to take my Kodak Zi6 for a whirl. Thing is, I also tried to take photos at the same time, and put both cameras above a few photographers who were in front of me.
However, the photos came out much better.....



With Colin Farrell, who will be in a movie with Donald called "Horrible Bosses":



and the sign, who is wondering when its first close-up is coming...



The Flickr set is right here.

Of fog and football

About a month after everyone else, I am finally on my winter holiday. I'll spend three days in Los Angeles, and, as usual, talk shows will be top of my list.
I'll be at Kimmel, and will try to get into Conan and Ellen DeGeneres if they suddenly have a lot of standby seats to fill.

Also, it's the real start of Oscar season. Usually, it's the Golden Globes, but this year is an exception because they snubbed True Grit. That's why next week's SAG Awards is the real start. Melissa Leo's chances of winning Best Supporting Actress will really be measured once she is competing against Hailee Steinfeld.
Despite this, the nominations will be announced tomorrow. It's a given both Leo and Steinfeld will make the final cut in that category. It seems it will be the war between George VI and Facebook, with Rooster Cogburn 2.0 as a possible spoiler. I am hoping all of the TV stations will be stalking movie houses to get instant opinion on who got nominated.

I will also try to fit in a tour, too. I was thinking about going to Paramount, where the cast of Glee will supposedly hide from tourists who pass by, especially Lea Michelle. Considering they think they're justified after their Golden Globe bonanza, that's show biz for you....and that there's a lot of pressure in making music. Who else is in their position on TV? However, I don't know if I can get in today, or even Wednesday if I'm out of luck in trying to get a standby spot to Ellen. If nothing else, I can wander around the Kodak Theater. It's been years since I've done that. It would be perfect now, since preparations for the Oscars should be underway.

I'm only going because of a fare sale, and a new hotel deal. I could have gone last week to celebrate Buffy's birthday at a comic book store in L-A, but it didn't occur to me. I just wanted to be in L-A when the Oscar nominations came out. If nothing else, I'd like to do something I haven't done in L-A before, or it's been years since I have. Just do something different.
At least, I'll start using the AMC movie passes, which means a direct route to the Citywalk to see True Grit.

So, what about fog and football?
Well, it's really foggy in Sacramento, except at the airport. For some reason, it's less foggy, and no flights have been severely delayed. So, I should head for L-A's premature spring, with temps in the 70s. Sacramento will be lucky to hit 61.
Now the football part: Green Bay vs. Pittsburgh will mean big ratings because it's a Super Bowl matchup that traditional fans would love. What I've noticed is that the NFL has changed its conference trophies. They used to be shaped like the side of a stadium. Now, the trophies are variations of the Lombardi Trophy. I guess it makes the Super Bowl loser feel like they've almost won the big trophy, but almost. Trust me, those who don't win the Super Bowl from now on will now the difference between the Lombardi Trophy and the conference trophy they wind up getting.