Goodbye to the Sonics????

Was last weekends game at Key Arena the last for the Seattle Sonics? For the first time in months.....there is actually hope!

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/basketball/358985_stern15.html

Howard Schultz is now suing Clay Bennett.........Sonics owner and public enemy number one in Seattle, to get the Sonics back.

I've gone from Major NBA fan......to it becoming a literal afterthought. During my days in college (early nineties), the Sonics had a solid team. Me and my friends lived for each game. I actually breezed through a Spanish final, so I could race home to see Game 7 in the Western Conference Finals....which the refs handed the game to the Phoenix Suns. (Yes, perceived sports wrongs are never forgotten) I loved it.

But it has all gone away. When Schultz sold the team to Bennett, it was widely known that he had plans to get the team his hometown, Oklahoma City.

Well pshaw............I still want there to be a team in Seattle. I still want to have the opportunity to fall in love with the NBA. If the Sonics do leave.........all will fade.

Save Our Sonics

J

Summer Movie Preview- July

July 2- HANCOCK
Will Smith, who pretty much owns the Independance Day Weekend, kicks it off again with Hancock..... He plays a superhero, who is kind of a jerk. It looks like it might be a great vehicle for Smith, and it could be much fun.

July 11- HELLBOY II- THE GOLDEN ARMY
I hadn't seen the first film until recently, and I quite enjoyed it. This film looks to add to the BIG MONSTERS equal big fun equation. I hope this will have the fun of the first film.....and with all the same folks making it, it should.

July 18- DARK KNIGHT
If you don't know, this is the film I'm most geeked about this summer. Batman Begins was an absolute knockout, and I'm hoping this one is the same. Of course, this features the late Heath Ledger as the Joker.....which could add to the creepiness of the whole endevour. I'm chomping at the bit to see this one........and I trust the filmmakers to deliver.

July 25- X-Files 2
Muldar and Scully return....but do people care. The X-files was a good lesson of overstaying their welcome. In what could have been an absolute dynamite series....just went on and on without answering the questions that fans demanded to know. However, I'm glad to see their return, and hope they can translate what made the show so much fun onto the screen.

Here's hoping this summer is a good one.......it does look rock solid!

June- Summer Movies Continued

June 6-KUNG FU PANDA

The folks that brought you the Shrek series, brings the story of a Panda......well....who learns Kung Fu. Voiced by Jack Black, and an all-star voice cast. Here's to hoping this movie is a step above the Shrek series. Shrek 3 was in my opinion horrible......but maybe new character can bring the animation geniuses back to their greatness.


June 13- THE INCREDIBLE HULK

I am looking forward to this. Yes....I'm a big Marvel Comics fan....but it looks like their doing what the original Hulk movie didn't do....be exciting. If you go to a film named the Hulk....you expect 2 hours of violence....not a psychological study of Bruce Banner. So throw out the last film....it all starts here. Also, hiring Edward Norton as Bruce Banner is an inspired choice. Here's hoping its an entertaining throwdown.


June 20- GET SMART

Who boy does this look good. I was skeptical when I heard this was in the pipeline....but the preview in theaters makes this look like a scream. Carrell should be perfect in the role of Maxwell Smart. This could be the surprise hit of the year. Anne Hathaway and the Rock also help out. It should be great.


June 27- WALL-E

Pixar returns....with what will undoubtedly be the big kids movie of the summer. They are on a run of epic perportions.....and it doesn't look to stop here. It's the story of a robot who has feelings. If it's from Pixar, you know it has to be good.

All in all, a good looking summer so far......with the Bat returning in July............

Summer Movie Forecast Part 1- May

Hey kids, we are less than a month away from the start of the Summer Movie Season!!!!! I'm thinking this will be a very good summer for movies indeed. Let's take a look.

May 2- IRON MAN

I am completely amped up for this one. Being a LONG time fan of the comic hero, the film makers have taken Shellhead seriously. From the inspired casting of Robert Downey Jr. as billionaire Tony Stark....to hiring director John Favreau....this looks like an absolute winner. Marvel has done something very wise, and smart. They have developed the first weekend of May into their weekend.....with the X-mens and Spiderman films opening at this time. We also have a fun alert, where Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) will cameo in the Incredible Hulk later this summer. Very cool. Iron Man should set the Gold......or Metal standard in terms of box office for the rest of the summer.

May 9- SPEED RACER

This is one of those films that is either going to be a complete dud, or fantastic. There is no middle ground to be had here. The Wachowski brothers are back, for the first time since their Matrix Trilogy. There's alot of people who know of Speed Racer.....and the trailer looks beautiful....but will it work. I hope it does....but I have my doubts.

May 16- THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA- PRINCE CASPIAN

I enjoyed the first movie in the Narnia 7-part series.......and this one does feature the kids from the first film. The boys from Saturday Night Live can unleash another "I like the Chronic....what?.....Chronicles of Narnia!" Schtick. This film has a built in audience that should support it well. It will be interesting to see if Narnia will have the legs of the Potter series.

May 22- INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDON OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

This is it. This is a film that MUST be good. The last Indy film, the Last Crusade was a very fun romp. Early looks at this picture look like it may be the same. It's nice Marion is back, and Cate Blanchette as an evil rival of Indy's can't be bad. Here's hoping George Lucas doesn't infect the Indy series as he did the Star Wars series. I have high hopes for this one, as does about everyone in America.........so I hope they don't let us down.

May 30- SEX AND THE CITY

Carrie and Company are back from the hit HBO series. I have to admit I never checked out the original show, but if you listen to the ladies around the office....this is THE MOVIE OF THE SUMMER. I'll check it out......I have a feeling it'll be like a non-fan watching a Star Trek movie. Time will tell.

I'll have a look a June next.....with Pixar....a mad Green Guy....and Steve Carell.

Charlton Heston- RIP

Charlton Heston was the man. I was very saddened by his death over the weekend. He was an actor who possessed great screen presense, and commanded attention.

Heston was introduced to me by one of the all-time greats- The Ten Commandments.


It is a near 4-hour film that is buoyed by Heston's talent. You believe he is the heir to the throne of Egypt....and you believe it when he's spoken to by God to deliver his people. Yes, the film has its share of cheese, but I love it.....and it is an epic that is worth broadcasting every Easter on ABC.

Heston won his only Oscar, for his work in the epic Ben-Hur. There was a time in my youth, where I thought if a film was over 2 hours....it must have Heston in it. I mean look at his body of work, that influenced me as a youth. Midway, Earthquake, Airport '75, Planet of the Apes, Ben-Hur and Commandments....all over 2 hours.....and all entertaining.

I will always be saddened that our last look at Charlton will be when his house and good nature were hijacked by Michael Moore for his Bowling for Columbine documentary. I don't blame Moore for doing what he did.....it gave a fitting end to his movie, but it showed signs of the future disease hindering Heston. It's a real shame.

Rest in Peace, and thanks for the movies that filled my young mind in the 70's with awe and wonder.

April Fool's Day.....and Entertainment Wishes

I have never been a fan of April Fool's Day. It never really rang true to me. It has gotten to a point where I refuse to look at internet sites on this day, for fear of seeing news that I've been waiting for.......and then getting my hopes dashed that they aren't true. I guess buyer beware sort of qualifies for getting duped there.

But that does get me to thinking....what news items am I dying to see.

I'll keep it to entertainment.....the obvious ones news ones being....the War is Over....Bin Laden captured....etc.

I have to say....the BIG ones have been almost all taken care of. I was DYING to see the Star Wars series was to continue. After a 16 year wait.....I wish they had never done the prequels....so I guess watch what you wish for.

The special effects world, made another of my big wishes true.......Realistic Super Heros on the screen. I always knew there could be a killer Spider-Man flick out there....and there was. Iron Man should be a continuation of my heroes of yore making a spectacular splash on the silver screen.

I even got a surprise....of something I would have wished for if I'd thought of it. The new special effects on the original Star Trek series have made the series vital again. The very well done work has made the great episodes even better.....and the numerous stinkers much less worse.

So what would I wish for now. I'd love to see one of Joss Whedon's TV creations return. I do feel thankful we got the wonderful movie Serenity out of his show Firefly.....but I would very much like to live with these characters again. I would also like to see a Buffy/Angel Feature Film one of these days. Sarah Michelle Gellar needs a hit....so why not? I very much doubt any of these will be resurrected though.

As you may know, I am a big fan the Rock Band and Guitar Hero Series on my beloved XBox 360. I am looking forward to the day when either Led Zeppelin or U2 make an appearance. It would be a blast to rock out to my heroes of music. (Speaking of which, U2 and Led Zep should be on tour this fall or early next year............CAN'T WAIT)

I'd love to see the Sopranos return in one form or another, see a live action movie of the old Japanimation series Star Blazers, have Roger Ebert get healthy enough to return to his show, and have more Harry Potter adventures to look forward to.

But I have learned to love what you have, than pine what you don't have. We have Dark Knight (Batman Begins 2) in July.....a new Joss Whedon Show coming this Fall, CSI has new episodes this week, Idol is kicking some A, and new Guitar Heros are coming this year.........so I am thankful. But being a fan....you always want more.

Have a good April Fool's,

Jason