RIP Michael Jackson

There aren't that many careers like Michael Jackson's. He's been in the public eye since he was very young.....belting out hits with his brothers, the Jackson Five. He was far and away the star of the group....which lead him to a....shall we say, huge solo career.

Thriller exploded onto the scene in the early 80's, and nothing seemed the same again. With the great music, and great music vidoes as well, Michael dominated the music scene. He could not have been bigger...and he indeed was the King of Pop.

He has had....most likely deserved....recent troubles....and was nothing more than a side show attraction. But when he was in full gear....he was an unstoppable force.

What are your memories of the King of Pop?

J

Ed McMahon- TV, Sidekick, Spokesman Icon RIP

Yet another link to the past is gone.

Ed McMahon died today. Unfortunately the last years of his life have been dogged by money problems. And even more unfitting....is his last appearance will have been in the Cash4Gold ads during the Super Bowl.

McMahon deserves a better legacy...one that I hope endures. Having worked with Johnny Carson....even before the first Tonight Show...Ed hung his hat on the ultimate rising star. In 1962, Johnny began his Tonight Show Reign....and Ed was there to be his foil...straight man.....and bellower of Heeeeeeere's Johnny.

Ed, being a shrewd man, ventured out, hosting and exec producing a number of projects. The most successful being Star Search and his Blooper Show with Dick Clark. He was also the co host with Jerry Lewis on his annual MDA telethon.

Ed is an Icon....and I'll always remember him standing just off stage.....announcing the Tonight Show's lineup, and introducing Johnny every night. Rest in Peace.

J

Here Come the Avengers!

Is it a Golden Age for the movies......It sure has been for me personally.

Batman is a top draw.....financially and creatively. Star Trek...of ALL properties is back and bigger than ever. Harry Potter continues to be great....and Pixar keeps cranking out quality. (Have you seen Up?....if not, do so now)

Marvel is going for the throat with its new slate. Iron Man 2 comes out in May next year. The following May.....Thor makes his movie debut (Played by Captain Kirk's daddy from this year's Star Trek) This will be helmed by the great Kenneth Branaugh. Captain America follows that June. (Casting is not ready for that yet) And then...the Granddaddy of them all.....a movie nobody thought we'd ever see.....the Avengers. Iron Man, Thor, Cap....and most likely a number of other Marvel heroes will join forces.

Things are looking brighter and brighter. With special effect catching up to the eye candy in their comic books....things are just now looking like the future.

J

Here Comes Star Trek

If you had told me two years ago that the most anticipated movie of a year was going to be the Star Trek reboot, I would have said in your dreams....

But here we are, 2009....and inarguably, the biggest film of the year could be Star Trek. Rarely has a summer movie been universally hailed by critics, fans, and non-fans alike. Anyone who has seen the shrewd preview......knows something of quality is on its way.

I would like to take this opportunity to say to media outlets....try not to use terms like, "Beaming to a theater near you", and "Set your phasers on Stunning", and all that garbage.

For a long time Star Trek fan....it's good to see the franchise get a new lease on life. The numbers this weekend could be staggering......

Enjoy the show!

J

Madden 10- Hope the Curse is OVER!

While I'm very pleased to see Troy Polamalu sharing the cover of this years new Madden game......I have to be worried about the supposed Madden 'Curse'.

Previous Cover Boys have been beset by bad seasons, just after they appeared on the game. Shawn Alexander.....career more or less ended. Vince Young.......lost his starting job. Dante Culpepper....got hurt. Ray Lewis.....implicated in a murder. Michael Vick.....do I even need to say it!

Hopefully the 'curse' will pass over the two players this year.....but if it has to hit someone.......it can go to Fitz!

J

Adam Lambert = Awesome

Watching American Idol this year has seemed to be Adam....and everybody else.

Can anyone else win this competition....I don't think so. Oddly, Simon was a bit critical of his performance last night......I think Simon is trying to make drama out of an already finished race.

The only person, who hasn't been in the bottom three yet, is Danny Gokey. Danny does have the chops, and the sympathy factor to contend....but when its all said and done....Danny is a good, one trick pony....and Adam has shown range.

It's still a fun ride. And Paula has had moments of lucidity...and sheer lunacy. That's why we like her.

Jason

U 2sday

A new U2 CD is out today....and I can't wait to get a chance to check it out!

I've been lucky to see U2 five times so far, and I very much hope to see them again this year! They announce they're new tour next Monday.

U2 is on Letterman all this week, and GMA on Friday.

I declare today U 2sday.

J

Battlestar Galactica.......Check it out

Yes......I've been away for a bit. Super Bowls and the extreme winter blahs can do that to ya.....Also, I was very busy watching Battlestar Galactica.

The Sci Fi channel hit has always been on my list to watch....but I just couldn't seem to get around to it. A friend of mine has been bugging me for ages to do it......Well I did....I I didn't do it lightly. About 2 months ago.....I had two weeks until the final BSG season premiere hit.....so I watched the miniseries, and 4.5 seasons in two weeks! Yes.....I blasted through around 100 hrs of programming in two weeks........and I loved every minute of it.

What makes it so good. First....the characters are fleshed out to the Nth degree. You know who, and what these characters are. 2nd- Exec Producer and head writer Ronald Moore knows how to ratchet up the drama, suspense, and action in a tight little package. Some things happen on this show you wouldn't believe. Even with 3 shows left to go....I have no idea where it's going, and I couldn't love it more.

If you love good drama with a little Sci-Fi mixed in....this is the Gold Standard!

J

Should Super Bowl Sunday be a National Holiday?

Believe it or not, there is some action to make Super Bowl Sunday.....and the Monday following should be considered a National Holiday!

Their rational, and it does have some merit, is it's truly the one shared day between Americans across the board. SuperBowlMonday.com is trying to raise signatures to make this a law.

They have 10 Holiday Names in mind. My favorite is "National Recovery Day."

They have a number of great facts on the big game itself. 17% of all Americans (over 20 million) hold or attend a Super Bowl Party. 50 million women will watch the game. It's the slowest weekend for weddings. Sales for antacids increase by 20%, and so on.

Check it out, and enjoy the big day......which may or may not become a national holiday.


J

Help me, Help a Friend, get his big break!

Hollywood is a place where you need in the right place at the right time.....and get your chance at a big break. If you will forgive me, I'm asking you to assist me to do it for a friend of mine.

Director Rich Cranor has been making independent films in the Seattle area for the last 5 years. With advances in Cameras, and home editing systems, instead of shaking cameras and bad editing usual involved with independent films.....his look and sound good.

His latest creation, Katana is being featured here.... Katana @ Strike TV It's a quick pilot to generate interest in the project. Another friend of mine, Yuji Okumoto....yes, the bad guy from Karate Kid 2 stars as the bad guy. (Since I'm promoting friends....Yuji has a great Hawaiian Cuisine Restaurant in Seattle, Kona Kitchen that you should check out.

If the clip gets enough interest, they may decide to give them a green light for production.

Thank you for checking it out....and maybe you could help my friend get his big break.

Jason

Happy New Year....and I'm late to another great thing

Ahhhhh.....Netflix.

I've always thought Netflix was most likely a good thing. But I never jumped in to the goodness.

But....lo and behold, Netflix has begun streaming content to my beloved Xbox360. So of course, I signed up. (I'm not being paid for this by the way) For 8.99 a month....I get one DVD mailed to me at a time, and unlimited movies with streaming. AWESOME.

Now of course, their entire DVD lineup isn't available on streaming, but enough is. Of all things, I watched reruns of Kate and Allie. If you don't know, it was a show from the 80's about two women sharing a home with their kids after they divorced. It was a sharp show for a while. Oddly enough, I was the same age as the daughters in the show, and thought they were cute. Now watching it, I think Kate is cute. (Jane Curtain is not my cup of tea.)

Also, the speed in which they mail out the DVD's is pretty quick. Im now going to watch the entire run of Family Ties....(Dated, but still awesome), and finally watch Battlestar Galactica.

Streaming is the future folks. Still the reason I have resisted Blu-Ray, because I think all will be available soon streaming, and the day of owning physical movies will be over. (But the new Serenity Blu-Ray is drawing me closer to getting one!)

Happy New Year all.


Jason