AFI Film Scores

Here is a list of AFI's top 25 film scores of all time:

http://www.afi.com/tvevents/100years/scores.aspx

I was somewhat surprised by the selections. Of course AFI can't give all the top spots to the same 4 people. They want variety. Where is "Schindler's List"? Where is "Edward Scissorhands"? Thank God "To Kill A Mockingbird" is in there or I might have pooped a tuba. "On Golden Pond"? What the hell is that? I've seen the movie. Didn't like it. Don't remember the music. Does that mean it's a bad score? Probably not. Regardless, is it better than the score to "Lord of the Rings"? Probably not. This definitely inspires me to listen to more "older" film scores. I've always heard good things about Korngold (one of John Williams greater inspirations) and Morricone. Do I agree with "Star Wars" taking top honors? Hmm...I'd have to say yes. I'd have to say "hell, yes" to that one. John Williams may be a little redundant in his music but "Star Wars" is a GREAT score and probably the most popular and recognizable of any film score out there. "Jaws" being so high on the list, I'm not so sure about. Yes, it's a very recognizable theme. Half step followed by more half steps. Yeah, it's clever. But the score isn't all THAT great. I was disappointed to see that several great composers were left off the list such as Danny Elfman, James Horner, Alan Silvestri, Thomas Newman, and Howard Shore. But these are the composers of my generation. They are probably following in the footsteps of many of the older composers listed in the top 25. I just need to familiarize myself with several of these scores to compare and see how great they actually are.

A Letter From New Orleans

Here is a letter that was sent to me by a friend regarding the tragedy in New Orleans and how one person coped:

September 6, 2005

Hi Everyone-

I’m writing this letter to let everyone know that we finally made it home from New Orleans and to tell everyone how things really were down there. I am also sending this letter to the media because of my experience at the Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans- since no one has shown it on the news. I am so disgusted that the media is not reporting the horrible conditions of the actual evacuation. All they show is the airlifts and then all of the sudden the people magically appear in a shelter. I thought we had a free press in this country…

Zach and I arrived in N.O. for a long weekend to celebrate our first anniversary. We had a great time on Bourbon St. Friday & Saturday. We found out the storm was coming Saturday and we immediately tried to get new plane tickets or a rental car. We found out later that there were rental cars that were available; they just wouldn’t rent them. All of us who were really stuck there were tourists and the poor- none of us had cars. At first we trusted that the government would come for us- this is the USA, right? What a joke…they abandoned us there.

Sunday night the Hyatt evacuated us out of our room to the 3rd floor to a big room where we slept until the storm woke us up in the morning. It was pretty safe though the ceiling did partially collapse from flooding on floors above. Monday morning we snuck back up to our room on the 21st floor to get clothes (that’s a lot of steps). The room was pretty much destroyed–windows broken, glass strewn all over the wet floor. We manage to sweep the broken glass over with a serving tray and the bed was dry so we decided to sleep in there that night- at least there was a breeze!

Monday afternoon we walked around the French quarter- there had been a little looting at that point but most things were in pretty good shape- our hotel seemed to be the most damaged building. Our outlook was still fairly positive because we assumed we’d be able to get out the next day. But then the water came…

Tuesday the flood arrived and things started to get worse. We could have gotten out on our own if they had allowed people to come in and get us. I understand not letting people into the city but if they could of just bused us out of the city borders most of us had a place to go.

They gave us a new room on the 14th floor. We would have stayed in our old room since it at least had some air but it started to grow mildew to which I’m really sensitive. There was no electricity or water in the hotel. I think our new room was around 100 degrees even though we kept the shades drawn all day. Most people just slept on the floor in the hallways. We gave our extra blankets to people who were sleeping directly on the dirty hallway carpet. We shared our wet naps with people who had children and babies. Luckily we had filled our tub and stocked water for ourselves. We traded our playing cards for a flashlight. We filled our trashcans with water from the pool to flush the toilet. We just tried to keep as clean as possible.

The Hyatt (which is connected by a 2nd floor walkway to the Superdome) did the best they could and it was probably the safest place in the city. But it was still pretty bad in there. Our mantra was “at least we’re not in the Superdome!” We were fed twice a day, usually half a cup of warm soda, fruit cocktail, and a muffin for breakfast then a bottle of water, a small piece of meat or gumbo, and some rice for dinner. We found out from employees that there was a huge amount of food wasted. The mayor and police stayed on the fourth floor and were fed really well (which they should have been) but a lot of food was trashed. The chef quit because he was so disgusted by the waste…they wouldn’t even let him eat the fourth floor food!

On Wednesday they finally allowed the Superdome people to come outside. I don’t think they were given any food or water up until then. There were warring gangs that took over in there. There were rapes and stabbings and a suicide (a man jumped from one of the higher levels). When the generator stopped working there, the troops advised people to put women & children in the middle and have the men surround them. I also heard that people with weapons took over the bathrooms and wpuldn’t let others use them. There will a lot of really bad stories coming out of there (if they decide to report on it!).

Beginning Wednesday night people started trying to break into the Hyatt because we had the best conditions. The officers and employees were left with no choice but to board up the first two floors of the building. Everyday we were sure they would send more troops to help us get out. We would have walked out of the city if it had been safe. All they had to do was send some troops to line one road out and we would have walked.

Why did it take so long to send troops?????? I guess they’re busy in Iraq. The police did keep us safe in the hotel but they were just outnumbered outside. All they could do was try to keep all the insane people separated from the rest of us.

Fire was our biggest fear. Friday morning I saw the refinery explode and we knew then that we had to get out of the city, even if we had to walk- at that point we were willing to take our chances. We heard from our parents in Philadelphia that some more troops had arrived the previous night so we thought we could make it. Then they announced (finally) the mandatory evacuation and we thought we were saved. That was actually the beginning of the nightmare of the airport. A lot of people are under the impression that there was always a mandatory evacuation, but there wasn’t. If there had been, they would have had to come and get us. I figure they waited until they were able to put together a plan, then ordered evacuation. Does that make sense to anyone?

Friday (9/2/05) afternoon (after 5 days of living in these conditions) we were finally “evacuated” from the Hyatt Regency New Orleans. The night before they had begun to evacuate the Superdome through our hotel (they couldn’t pull the buses up to the Superdome) but that was taking so long that they decided to get us out first. We were told that we would be allowed to board a bus to either Dallas, San Antonio, or Baton Rouge. Instead, we got on school buses with one army guard and were brought to the New Orleans Airport. There were about 300 of us in that load. They told us they couldn’t bring us inside yet because they needed to get the people in there out first; that is was too crowded right then. They brought us snacks and water and Porto potties and told us to wait. Then the guards told us they were leaving.

When we figured out that they had dumped us there and we were on our own, we started asking what was going to happen to us and how we could get out. It’s also interesting to note that they evacuated foreigners separately from us in the Hyatt and they were not brought to the airport. I guess they don’t want the foreign media to find out what’s going on. Some airport employees told us that if we didn’t go inside and get our names on the list, we would never get out. They refused to let anyone drive into the parishes to pick us up- they won’t let anyone into the area. Twelve of us decided to venture into the airport to see what was going on and at least make some phone calls- everyone else was content to sit on the ground and wait a while.

When we saw the conditions inside the airport we were appalled (although I hear it was way better than the Superdome). We suddenly realized the guards had abandoned us in the middle of a totally chaotic environment, much worse then the one we just left, with no plan and no protection. The airport was teaming with thousands of angry, hungry and sick people. None of whom were too keen on tourists getting in their way. When we walked in, all we saw were people everywhere- around 5,000 I’m guessing- waiting to get their names on the list to be evacuated. None of the police (I think there were around 20 cops and homeland security officers in there) knew which way we needed to go or where the “line” began or ended. We figured out which way people were “moving” and tried to get in the mix.

We ended up waiting in that area for 15 hours, standing on a floor covered in urine, feces, and debris; packed together like sardines with strangers—angry, dirty strangers... This was after already being awake for 12 hours waiting to be evacuated. I didn’t know I could stand for that long.

The people in there were the poorest of the poor. Just to give you an idea of how poor and ignorant many of the people were, I’ll describe the family next to us. They were a family who was made up of three races (white, black, hispanic), three generations and a dog who had been airlifted out of a totally flooded area and dropped off at the airport just like us. When I first saw them, the mother was sitting on the pissy ground making sandwiches for the kids. They were all covered in dirt. She was spreading mayo on the bread with her finger and then she licked her fingers! The baby was crawling around on the ground in just his diaper with a bandage on his leg. The daughter looked to be about 12 and we heard her say to her mom- “I ain’t had a cigarette since before my shower this morning.” Her brother was shaking his kids and screaming at everyone. It was really sad. The mom’s boyfriend was dying of cancer and had a colostomy bag hanging on his belt. When we got closer to the front he was holding on to my backpack trying to stand. I had to make him stop because I was having trouble standing myself.

We had to fight our way to the concourse through people who were totally desperate. I was just taking tiny sips of water so I wouldn’t have to go to the bathroom- I didn’t pee for 20 hours. There was no way I was going to try to fight my way back to my spot if I had tried to get to a bathroom. It’s amazing that no one was trampled to death. We’d move like 5 feet and then stand still for like 3 hours. The old and sick were dropping like flies. The medics couldn’t even help them until they passed out. They’d hit the floor and then be covered in urine. Then they would carry them out. If you needed water you just had to yell, “water! water!” and they would start throwing them to your area.

When we finally got to the front the officer would just tell us to be patient; that we were next. Of course, that plane was full and we had to wait another hour and a half to get into the screening area. People just pushed and pushed and pushed. That’s when I finally just started sobbing. The guards saw us crying and felt bad for us but there was really nothing they could do. It was so frustrating to be so close and then have to wait again. We were sure there weren’t going to be anymore planes until morning but we didn’t want to say it aloud for fear of starting further panic. After ten hours of this we finally saw the rest of the people from our hotel just coming into the building- they didn’t get out for another 12 hours after us (we saw some of them the following day in San Antonio).

Finally, at 4:30 am, we got in to be screened. They took our names and info and put us to different staging areas to move us to the plane. We ended up being flown to San Antonio, Texas in a C-17 Navy cargo plane. They put us in 25 rows of ten people each and strapped us to the floor. We did get one picture of the plane before they made stopped us.

We landed at an Air Force base in San Antonio and they tried to make us go with all the newly homeless people into the shelter. We refused and told them they would have to arrest us if they wanted us to go in there. They wouldn’t let a taxi come onto the base either. They finally let us walk out of the base and we called a cab to go to the nearest airport. By the time we got to sleep that evening, we had been awake for 40 hours.

I wish I could have taken some pictures in the New Orleans airport but I think someone would probably have taken the camera and smashed it over my head if I had. I did see a TV camera in there once but have not seen any coverage AT ALL of the actual evacuation process. They’re only showing the outside and I did see some footage of where they take the people who pass out. It sickens me. You know the media looks for the most pathetic, heart-wrenching pictures so the fact that they are not showing the inside of the airport says to me that someone (the government) is not allowing it.

I’ve always been a pretty laid-back person politically but I’m a changed person after this experience. I don’t believe that the government would have taken so long to rescue or help people who aren’t so poor. Some people believe the government didn’t care about the people because most are black. Personally, I think it’s an economic issue but most poor people in and around New Orleans are black. What took so long? The president declared an emergency on Saturday before the storm. At that point FEMA is supposed to move in…why did we have to wait until the following Saturday to get out of the city?????

I wish we had thought to try to get out by taxi. That might have worked. FYI- rental car places still had cars but they wouldn’t rent them because they knew the cars would go out of state and not come back. I’m sure they’d be happy to have the cars out of state now! One family we met from North Dakota who we spent a lot of time with had a crazy rental car story- they were scheduled to leave Sunday morning when the planes were still flying. They couldn’t get to the airport on time because of all the traffic heading out. They called the airline and were told that they would put them on the next flight. They got to the airport, returned their rental car and then were told that the flight had been canceled. They called the rental place right back and asked for the car back and the rental agency told them they weren’t renting anymore cars. So they had to come back to the hotel with the rest of us suckers.

I never thought this would happen in the USA. How vulnerable do we now look to people who hate America? How could President Bush be surprised that the levee broke? You can’t convince me that the federal, state, and local governments did enough to get us out of there. Why didn’t the president force the airlines to keep flying on Sunday?

As I go back and read this letter I realize that I can’t put into words how horrible this experience has been. Please just pass this along so others can understand a little bit of what people went through. The worst thing to me besides the loss of life is the failure of the media to report on the actual evacuation process. Someone doesn’t want the world to know that we can’t effectively evacuate one city. I wonder who? When I finally saw the news on Saturday (9/3/05) I just cried & cried because I couldn’t believe that the news is being censored. I guess I was naïve to believe that the USA has a free press.

-Tracy
CTLynch01@comcast.net

Thanks to all who voted for George W Bush for a second term. This letter proves how effective he is as a president.

TRAVISATIONS 9/03/05

Greetings! Sorry I have been away so long. I know you have all been awaiting my travisations, so here goes:

1) Roseanne: Season One. C'mon, you knew that was coming. Roseanne has been a favorite show of mine since it's original air date back in the late 80's. Going back is quite the experience because I'm watching episodes that I haven't seen in years. I'm watching these episodes through new, experienced, and (dare-I-say-it) wiser eyes. The brilliance of this show WAS the reality of the situations. Yet, watching it now I also see that part of the brilliance was also in the performances and the fact that you believed this was a family and that they loved each other. The chemistry between Roseanne and Dan (John Goodman) is beyond any other relationship I have ever seen in a sitcom. It's also interesting to see that the original D.J. was a completely different actor in the series pilot. You see the beginning phases of Darlene's turn for the worst and Becky's boy mismanaging. D.J. is far cuter in the original season, progressively getting uglier and less interesting as the years progress. Nothing much happens with Jackie in this season. She becomes more of a plot builder later on. There is her lover George Clooney though, before he blossomed into a mega star. Some of the most memorable episodes are in this season such as "Toto, We're Not In Kansas Anymore" where Lanford is hit hard by a tornado. It's also always fun to see the first appearance of many of the characters like Ned Beatty as Dan's father and Estelle Parsons as Roseanne's mother. So I'd highly suggest going out and buying this. If you are tentative because you are unfamiliar with it then at least rent it.

2. George Forman Grills: These things are amazing. I didn't start using mine until about a month ago. I'd used them before but I never really grasped how effective they are. It has single-handedly caused me to cook more. I've been cooking steaks and chicken like nobody's business. I go down to the meat market and get myself some fresh steak and some marinated chicken, some wine, and come home and cook a nice meal for myself and a couple friends. Cooking for others is also very travisational.

Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

I thought I'd dedicate this post to Harry Potter. Let me start off by ranking the books to my liking thus far (1 being the best):

1. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Films:

1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
3. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Ok, ok, ok...I know what you are all thinking. "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (favorite among many) ranks number four on my list. Well let me just say that I am not a fan of Quidditch. Perhaps it has something to do with my aversion to sports. Regardless, I don't like watching it in the movies and I don't like reading it in the books. Well, as you are all aware, the whole first half of "Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire" is about Quidditch. Well, a Quidditch cup to be exact. Perhaps it may also attribute to the fact that I read the first 4 books straight. Maybe I was a little burnt out by the time I got to the 4th one. However, you may have noticed that I have put the current book at the top of the list. I'm not sure what the general consensus is out there on this one, but I adored it. My favorite aspects of the book being the history of Voldemort. I actually wished there were more of it. The last few chapters reminded me of something epic and beyond anything else ever attempted in the books. I also found myself in need of a dictionary to understand some of the adult words used by Rowling. I must admit though that the book did leave me feeling very depressed for a couple of days. What happens is devastating. I saw it coming. But when it happened, I never expected it. It was a good length also. I felt that "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" needed some heavy editing. Those are my thoughts. Questions? Comments?

Travisations 8/3/05

1. Getting to visit my friend Linzy. I like to visit my friends. I especially like visiting my friend Linzy. Not only because she lives 40 minutes away from an all you can eat sushi restaurant but because she is such a cool person. I got to go hiking with my foster dog Lady and we got to see Linzy's new apartment and hang out with my old boss. It was an all around good time. We even cooked a little...which brings me to my next travisation:

2. Fried Zucchini. Now is the time for it. Go out, get some zucchini, put some batter on it, throw it in the skillet and prepare for bliss. Yum. Also:

3. Sizzlini. Sizzlini is a discovery I made at a restaurant in Columbus called Spageddies. Basically it's pasta mixed with Italian sausage and spiced with fresh red peppers, tomatoes, and other common Italian spices. Yum. If anybody wants the recipe...let me know. I sorta just throw it together.

4. March of the Penguins. While visiting Linzy, I also had the pleasure of attending a viewing of this movie with her. It's a cute and suprisingly emotional film. It's educational to boot. You walk out knowing more about emperor penguins than you ever cared to. Maybe it was also intended as a social commentary. Nah, I'm probably just reading into it. Then again...

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

I have to admit, I was tentative going in to see this film (especially after seeing the trailer). Being a huge fan of Roald Dahl (especially as a youngster - owning all of his novels) and an avid watcher of the original film, I didn't really see it necessary to redo "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". After seeing the film, I still stand by that statement. I found the film unnecessary. I reread the novel recently, just too see HOW different the original 1971 film (which I also watched again recently) was from the text only to find that it wasn't nearly as "different" as everyone was saying it was. I also didn't find this film version that much "closer" to following Dahl's original text. If anything, the way the film ended and the whole Willy Wonka-backstory-subplot was a total reconstruction surpassing any of the changes the original film made from the novel. Dahl didn't care about families...read "Matilda" or "James and the Giant Peach" or even "The Witches". Dahl was about making children heroes and making dreams come true and teaching the "bullies" and "bad seeds" a lesson about behavior. Besides, the less we know about Willy Wonka the more we accept who he is - especially with an interpretion as outlandish as Johnny Depp's. This brings me to the performances. I adored Freddy Highmore as Charlie just as much in this movie as I did in Finding Neverland. He was the highlight of the film acting far superior to the ugly boy from the 1971 version. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed him so much I felt shorted when he didn't have nearly enough screen time after going into the factory. I must admit, the first 25 minutes of the film were quite good. I was almost moved to tears and applause when Charlie found the last golden ticket It wasn't until they entered the factory that the movie just crumbled. I didn't like Johnny Depp. Possibly because I didn't understand his motives - even with the superfluous back story. I was never a HUGE fan of Gene Wilder either but at least Gene Wilder gave Willy Wonka a heart yet still managed to be believable as a guy who had a magic elevator and lived with Oompa Loompahs. Speaking of, I hated the Oompah Loompah songs in this new version. They just didn't seem to fit the spirit of the rest of the film. I know that Dahl did not approve of the 1971 version, probably because they took the screenplay he wrote and edited it. I'm not so sure he'd approve of this one either. Especially with the Wonka backstory business. Regardless, it's not a horrible film. It's mildly dissapointing, but like I said, I went in with low expectations...they were met. Tim Burton films are always better in concept than they are in execution. I'm always excited to see his films but they always dissapoint to some degree. Someday maybe he'll be able to fine tune his craft and make a solid film. As for now, his movies are consistently sloppy (Ed Wood possibly being an exception). POSSIBLE SPOILER ->>> One last thing that bothered me, when Veruca Salt is being dragged away by the squirrels, why didn't the father just climb over the railing and go down the stairs? Why did he have to wait for Willy Wonka to find the key and open the gate. By the way, I'm thinking that they didn't do the whole squirrel thing in the 1971 version because it would have been to difficult so they just did the goose thing. Which I thought worked too.

TRAVISATIONS! 6/25/05

1. Batman Begins. I LOVED this movie. It was one of those films that you never want to end; where you're afraid to look at your watch to see what time it is because you know if you do you will know how much of the movie you have left. This film was phenomenal. So much better than the previous 2 atrocities. I could go on and on about how amazing the acting was, how brilliant the script was, how entertaining it was. The best film I have seen this year. GO SEE IT.

2. The Office (British Version). I have never seen the American version but the British version of The Office is quite the gem. It's a different type of humor though. Nothing like farce or even traditional English humor. This humor is almost like intellectual potty humor. Or perhaps it's just potty humor with a British accent, which makes it seem more intellectual. Either way, it's a great show and is available on DVD. It takes a couple episodes to grow so be sure and give it a running start.

3. Pizza Hut. I don't give it enough credit. But it really is an amazing place to eat. Especially when your choices are between that and practically nothing else. Try the Meat Lovers Pizza or perhaps the Buffalo Chicken Pizza (my personal favorite). Nothing like sitting down at Pizza Hut with your pitcher of Coke (or beer) and a nice deep dish hot sizzling pizza to dig into. I love pizza in general, but Pizza Hut holds a special place in my heart...next to Skyline Chili and Chipotle.

TRAVISATIONS! 6/15/05

1. Six Feet Under: Season 3. (*Some MINOR spoilers) If you haven't already experienced the eternal bliss that is Six Feet Under Seasons 1 and 2 then by all means check those out first. Granted, Season 3 wasn't as good as it's predecessors but it still held it's own. To me the whole season was somewhat flat until about the 10th episode when the s*$# hit the fan. Basically everything beforehand was what I like to refer to as "the calm before the storm." Each season seems to showcase a new actor. Season one was Rachel Griffiths, season two was Frances Conroy and Lauren Ambrose, season three was Peter Krause. The guest stars this season added a pleasant level to the Fisher family. I was delighted to discover James Cromwell, Kathy Bates, and Catherine O'Hara making an appearance on the show. But the best thing about season 3 is Lili Taylor who was so conflicted the entire season her fate seemed almost bitter sweet. Can't wait for Season 4 in August!!

2. Chocolate Lucky Charms. That's right folks. If you haven't already discovered them then get out to the super market NOW and buy them. Lucky Charms has always been my favorite cereal and now it has out done itself. Basically, they just took the cereal from Lucky Charms and made it chocolate then threw in the marshmallows they are so known for. It really is fabulous. It even turns the milk chocolate like Cocoa Puffs and Chocolate Pebbles. I still really enjoy regular Lucky Charms but this was something that definitely made me happy and had to be a travisation.

TRAVISATIONS! 6/6/05

Ok. So I have three more Travisations for this week:

1. The Tony Awards. Granted, there won't be another one for about a year. But you can wait. Here are 5 reasons to watch the Tony's:

A. They cut people off if their speeches run over. I'm not just talking about cutting them off with music. They cut them off with commercials! They just don't waste our time with somebody you never heard of thanking a million people you've never heard of.

B. These people are classy. You ever get the impression that the Oscars are a sloppy mess? Well you might if you watched the Tony's. I've always thought the Tony's were classier than the Oscars. Seems more organized and the people seem more composed.

C. The musical presentations. It's so much fun to see clips of shows for me. Especially this year, because I hadn't seen any of the productions. It just makes me want to go back to NYC and see all the shows I've missed.

D. I actually know people there. Whereas I know NOBODY at the Oscars. I can say I know a few people at the Tony's. Whether it's people I've worked with or just met briefly. Sure, not everybody can say this. But it doesn't take much effort. Theatre performers (including Bway) are mostly very down to earth and aren't making 20 million dollars a year like Hollywood performers. They appreciate their fans immensely.

E. You can't really predict the Tony's. So everything is a surprise. Well, they're not as predictable as the Oscar's anyways. Mainly because everybody you're watching with hasn't see any of the shows or they've only seen one or two. This element of surpise seems to keep things interesting.

2. Rescuing an animal. Yes, I've officially rescued a dog. It really does make you feel good. This particular dog was a stray and she had a hurt leg. She was very malnourished and underweight. I took her to the vet where they boarded her for a few days and looked at her leg. Apparently, the leg had broken and mended itself. So the leg is fine, it just didn't mend properly so she walks kinda funny. Fixing it is an option. However, it would be mighty expensive and she seems fine and has adjusted to walking on three legs. So she is back to health and as sweet as ever. She is a black mutt with a medium build. So if anybody is interested out there let me know because this is just her foster home for now. I would keep her but I move around to much so it would be difficult.

3. My Niece.



Abigail Smith

Is Entertainment Weekly Reading My Blog?!

Just a quick note. I was reading Entertainment Weekly and in the magazine they list a TRAVISATION! in their "Must List". The TRAVISATION! was Team America: World Police. I thought that was pretty cool. Makes me feel that my TRAVISATIONS are of some quality! :-D

TRAVISATIONS!

I know it's a word I made up. I thought it was clever. Perhaps not. Regardless, the word will be the title to a new series of posts where I will discuss things that make my life that much easier to tolerate. Whether it be something from modern pop culture (was that redundant?), something funny someone said, or merely going outside to smell the roses. They will be known as - drum roll please - TRAVISATIONS! (*echo echo echo). Also, I've decided to go on a mission to advertise my blog to more than just the three people I've told about it. I want more people to come read it and experience the thrills that are TRAVISATIONS! To kick start my series of TRAVISATIONS! let me begin with these three gems:

1. Da Ali G Show. It is quite possible that I have never laughed so hard at a television show. IMDB.com describes the show as this:

A burned-out, ignorant, cockney British-Jamaican b-boy; an anti-Semitic, misogynistic nymphomaniac who is a television reporter from Kazakhstan; and a homosexual Austrian fashonista--all played by Sacha Baron Cohen--conduct interviews on unsuspecting Americans, who include prominent pundits in the political system and celebrities, that reveal deeply hidden prejudices and challenge social mores within American society.

There is one interview where Ali G (the b-boy) interviews James Lipton (from Inside the Actors Studio) that is a gut buster. But that is really only one of many hysterical reality sketches. This is available on DVD - RENT IT!

2. Team America: World Police. This is especially for fans of Trey Parker and Matt Stone and the humor they have infused on us all. IMDB.com describes the film as this:

Team America follows an international police force dedicated to maintaining global stability. Learning that power hungry dictator Kim Jong Il (Parker) is out to destroy the world, the team recruits Broadway star Gary Johnston (Parker) to go undercover. With the help of Team America (Stone, Miller, Masasa, Parker, and Norris), Gary manages to slip into an arms dealer's hideout to uncover the plan to destroy the world. Will Team America be able to save the world?

Uh, there is one key element that description in missing. All the characters are MARIONETTES. Clever AND hysterical. RENT IT!!

3. Writing Haikus. Believe it or not. It CAN be fun. Here is how: go online, have a friend give you a word to put into a haiku and then write the haiku. Try to be clever. There is only so much information that can fit into a haiku. My friend and I were discussing "gay" haiku and this is what he came up with:

I meant to say "Cheers"
I see how you got confused
By my "bottoms up!"
-Greg Turner

So there is the first in my series of TRAVISATIONS! The blog won't be exclusively TRAVISATIONS! but I will try to keep them updated weekly. Enjoy!!

It's The Biz

So what would you do if one day two cast members from a show you musically directed dropped out of the show giving you less than 24 hours to replace them in a show filled with difficult harmonies, dancing, dialogue, and several choreographed quick changes. Again, what would you do? I'll tell you what I did. Because it happened to me. Last Thursday, due to discrepancies with the Artistic Director, the only 2 male cast members in our 5 person show called it quits. Leaving us VERY high and dry. This isn't a show you can just walk out on especially due to the LARGE quantity of music and harmonies. But, alas, they DID. Not the most professional thing to do in the world. Actually, it probably fits snuggly down there with sexual harassment, discrimination, and stabbing your boss through the head with a machete. Let me also say that one of the two cast members who left was a friend of mine who I recommended for the job. He said NOTHING to me before he left. How pathetic is that. Not to mention the fact that him quitting reflects on me seeing how I recommended him. OK, on to the fun part. So what did we do, you ask? Well, I got a phone call telling me that I needed to learn the entire show by 2:00 the next day giving me less than 24 hours to learn the show. Seeing how I enjoy sleeping that left me with less than 16 hours to learn the show. That is not NEARLY enough time. Our cast rehearse their shows for 2 weeks and they still have problems for the first week of performing or so. So I said, "uhhhhhhh no no no, this is what we should do". So we basically threw together a cabaret act trying to keep in as much of the show as possible without it being too difficult on myself and one of the replacements that was kind enough to come in and fill in for the other guy at the last minute. So all the medleys were CUT, all the dancing was virtually CUT, and much of the costumes and dialogue were CUT. In their place we put in several solos, such as an Amazing Grace solo, Oh What A Beautiful Mornin', and On The Street Where You Live. We kept several elements of the old show as long as there wasn't TOO much dancing or harmonies. But basically we made it as easy on ourselves as we possibly could. The show was about 15 minutes shorter than the old version also. Which made it about 1 hr long. Here's the clincher though: THE AUDIENCE STILL LOVED IT! They didn't even notice. As I always say, they're too busy shittin' their pants. But, here's another clincher, on Saturday my family had been planning for a long time to come down with 20 OTHER PEOPLE to stay all night and see the show I musically directed. Well much to their surprise (and pleasure) they got to see me in the show. Not something I was exactly looking forward to. But, in the end I guess it all worked out. So, in closing, I ended up performing in the show on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and the two replacements are currently rehearsing their butts off to go into the OLD show on Tuesday. We'll see how that works out. Giving them a few days is even pushing it. But we'll make it work. As far as the two guys who left goes. Well I hope they both fall off the edge of a cliff. A VERY high cliff. So in the end, all I really have to say is: "it's the biz".

Chinese Buffets: Spawn of Satan?

I realize that I have not posted on my blog for nearly 2 months. I ask myself why, and it occurred to me that I just didn't have much to talk about. It also occurred to me that I am completely unaware as to how many people actually read my blog. I know that I read it, and Linzy reads it, and Lisa reads it. Other than that, I'm not quite sure anybody reads it. I get reports but I honestly don't look at those and I'm not sure how much to trust them anyways. But knowing that Linzy and Lisa read it should be enough to motivate me. So I'll try to remember to post more often and not be lazy. With that in mind, I want to mention how Chinese buffets are the spawn of Satan. I had the pleasure of spending time with one of my two readers this past weekend and among our festivities we attended the Great Wall Buffet in Ft. Wayne, IN. Our biggest concern was finding sushi because we both enjoy the occasional spicy tuna roll among other savory raw delights. Much to our chagrin, every quality sushi restaurant in Ft. Wayne was closed until 4 o'clock on Sundays. But we wanted sushi and we wanted it NOW! Not to mention Linzy's flight took off at 3:55 PM. Leaving us -5 minutes to partake of any quality sushi in Ft. Wayne (that's not including check-in and boarding time which adds up to approximately -95 minutes...oh, and eating time which brings us to a grand total of -155 minutes - and that's pushin' it). So we called several Chinese buffets in Ft. Wayne to see if they served sushi. We found one, reluctantly attended the cow troff (as Linzy so eloquently put it), complained about how terrible the sushi was (it was really, really bad), then went about our merry little way. I refer to Chinese buffets as the "spawn of Satan" not only because of their terrible sushi, but also because of the way they make me feel. Not just physically due to the unconscious overeating, but also emotionally and mentally. Looking around at the plethora of people stuffing their faces with MSG, fat, carbs, sugar, grease, oil, and deep fried fish heads, it made me feel like I was a part of something evil. Something unstoppable. It made me feel like we were all being roped into something that was inevitably going to take over the world. The way this place ran was almost like a factory. Like our mouths were part of an assembly line. Get 'em in, fill 'em up, get 'em out. Get 'em in, fill 'em up, get 'em out. Get 'em in, fill 'em up, get 'em out. Disturbing. Needless to say, I will not be jumping at the opportunity to attend any Chinese buffets anytime soon. Perhaps they should make a sequel to "Super Size Me" focusing on the terror that is the chinese buffet. Anybody have any clever names for it? Perhaps "Super Chinese Me" or "Super -> Insert Chinese Lettering Spelling out the word 'Size' <- Me".

The 12 hour Girl

So the new cast for our Spring show is here. Well, most of them. We had the pleasure of experiencing the presence of one cast member for less than a day. She came, she saw, she went. Ok, there is more to it than that. The girl's name was Shannon. Shannon drove about 8 hours here from St. Louis. She also came with her mother and her mother's friend who occupied another car because she apparently had too much stuff to fit into one car. Ok, you're here for three months...two carfuls seems a little excessive. She is 25 years old and a hairdresser. She dropped her job in St. Louis because she was so excited to come here. Well, apparently that excitement dwindled to a mere speck when she saw where she would be living and realized how much was expected from her in the show. I'll be the first to admit that the cast housing here isn't the most spectacular in the world but it's FREE. Not only that but many theatres provide much less stellar habitats. But Shannon wasn't having it. I knew the second that I met her she wasn't going to last. She freaked when she went to eat at a diner about 5 minutes from here because everyone there apparently had mullets. The clincher though must have been the music rehearsal. Shannon didn't and couldn't read music AT ALL. The shows here require the performers to sing a lot of ensemble singing and 4 part+ harmonies. Not to mention that I move fast in my rehearsals and I expect my performers to keep up. If there are those that need a little extra help outside of rehearsals, that is fine. But I'm not about to waste everybody's time because one person can't keep up. That freaked Shannon because she probably thought there would be very little harmonies and we would just have her sing solos most of the show. That was not the case. So Shannon was here for approximately 20 hours. Less than a day. But we have fun exaggerating a little (of course) and calling her the "12 hour girl". Ah poor Shannon. Little does she know that she just put a nice big bruise on her career. She wasn't even willing to give us (or herself) a chance and that's, in a business sense, is highly unacceptable. But at least she didn't waste our time.

Another Joke...

This one made me laugh pretty hard:

LAST CHILD SUPPORT CHECK!!!

Today is my baby girl's 18th birthday. I be so glad that this be my last child support payment! Month after month, year after year, all those damn payments! Didn't think I ever see this day!So I call my baby girl, LaKeesha, to come to my house, and when she get there, I say, "Baby girl, I want you to take this check over to yo momma house and tell her this be the last check she ever be gettin' from me, and then I want you to come back and tell me the 'spression on yo mama's face." So my baby girl she take the check over to her. I be anxious to hear what she say and what she look like. Baby girl walk through the door, I say, "Now what yo momma say 'bout that?" She say to tell you that "you ain't my daddy" .... and watch the 'spression on yo face.

And The Award WENT Too...

First, let me warn everyone NOT to see "Winn Dixie". Yes I saw it. I'm ashamed. Let's leave it at that. Second, everybody needs to rent and see "Shaun of the Dead". It's a hysterical British parody of classic, and more recent, zombie movies (Dawn of the Dead, 28 Days Later, etc.).

Ok, on to the award ceremony.

Shauns of the Dead:

-Chris Rock and his lack of humility along with his crass and insulting behavior.
-Andrew Lloyd Webber accompanying Beyonce on his beautiful Original Song (and I'm NOT a Webber fan)
-The show running only 30 minutes over.
-The cute moment between Shrek and Chaplin
-Johnny Carson tribute
-Beyonce's numerous evening wear changes
-Every Best Picture nominee won at least ONE award
-The Incredibles winning 2 awards...including Best Animated Picture.
-Alexander Payne and Charlie Kaufman winning their first Academy Awards (2 of my Hollywood favorites)
-Yo Yo Ma
-Morgan Freeman finally winning an award (I know that I didn't want him to win...but he deserves it regardless.)
-Jeremy Irons Presentation
-Mickey Rooney is still ALIVE!
-Dustin and Babs - they're so cute...they should be married in real life.
-Paul Giammati was there. What a good sport.
-Chris Rock's Gap/George W. analogy

Winn Dixies:

-Chris Rock and his lack of humility along with his crass and insulting behavior.
-That awful song from Motorcycle Diaries.
-That awful song from Motorcycle Diaries winning.
-Was it just me or did the ceremony seem really boring?
-Ray winning for Best Sound Editing. Why?
-Melanie Griffith and her breasts.
-The numerous awkward moments where all the nominees had to line up to be told they were losers.
-The numerous awkward moments where all the nominees were denied their walk down the aisle because, alas, they were given their award in the aisle.
-Martin Scorsese losing (I'm starting to feel really bad for him)
-Did anybody else notice the "Terminator" theme being played more than once??
-Those random shots of the ceiling screens.
-Whoopi Goldberg almost ruining the Johnny Carson tribute (why doesn't she just give up?)
-The fact that I have not seen ONE of the Lifetime Achivement Award recepient's (Sidney Lumet) movies. (I'm sorta ashamed)
-Laura Linney's hair. Ewww
-The plethora of empty seats. Why were there so many?

And The Award Goes To...

Ok, let me first start by saying I have not seen these top contenders:

Hotel Rwanda
Closer
Ray
Before Sunset

I swear on the soul of my dead step sister (who just happens to not exist) that I will see Ray before the Academy Awards tomorrow night if that means that I have to go out and buy it from Wal-mart...carefully remove it from the wrapping and those annoying sticker sealants...watch it...carefully place it back in the wrapper and sealants...and lastly, return it for a full refund. You see, I checked today on Wal-mart's DVD return policy and they said that if it's open it can only be exchanged for the exact same thing. You may be asking why I just don't rent it. Well, I live in the middle of nowhere and the only video store that I know of carries about 6 copies of it (3 dvd 3 tapes) and they were all checked out. You may be asking why I didn't rent it from Netflix. Well, I did. There is apparently a long wait on it (I queued it over a month ago) so they are bypassing it and sending me other videos in my queue until Ray is available. You may be asking why I just don't keep the movie if I buy it. Because I don't want to own it. I just want to see it! I will probably never see Before Sunset and the other two I have queued on Netflix for when they arrive on DVD later this year. With that said I would like to present my awards and predictions for Oscars 2005!

Best Picture:
Who will win: Million Dollar Baby
Who should win: Million Dollar Baby
*Now I didn't particularly find Million Dollar Baby astounding and I haven't even seen Ray. But I know that the other contenders that I did see I didn't particularly find astounding either. The Aviator was just too long and pretentious. Honestly, who really cares about Howard Hughes? Was his life really that unique? Not to me. Sideways was good but is it really Best Picture worthy? For Sideways I think it was just an honor for it to be nominated. Finding Neverland was sweet but flawed. I always have a hard time honoring a movie that totally takes the truth and makes it so Hollywood that it's no longer the truth and it becomes fabrication. So that leaves us with Ray (which I haven't seen but I doubt I'll find it that astounding either - I'll keep you posted though) and Million Dollar Baby. I did find my choice to be a very good movie so I stick by it. I find it unfortunate that Kinsey was not nominated for this category. That was my #1 film of 2004. But it was sadly overlooked.

Best Actor
Who will win: Jamie Foxx
Who should win: ????
I think I'll wait to see Ray and Hotel Rwanda before I make up my mind on this award. I know that everybody is hyping Jamie Foxx. But I've also heard that Don Cheadle in Hotel Rwanda is also very impressive. Clint Eastwood was fine in Million Dollar Baby but he wasn't THAT good. Especially seeing how he knocked one of the best performances of the year (Paul Giamatti in Sideways) out of the race. Leonardo Dicaprio did very well in a role that did not suit him. It's like when you go see a show at a high school and the person playing the old lady is just so great and funny but ultimately she's NOT an old lady and an old lady would have done a much better job when you really think about it. I don't know if that metaphor even makes any sense. But it does in my brain so whatever. Johnny Depp will have his moment...he will have his role...he will have his award. This one was not it.

Best Actress
Who will win: Hilary Swank
Who should win: *TIE* Hilary Swank and Imelda Staunton
I suppose if it came down to the nitty gritty I would choose Imelda only because she doesn't have one yet. But I love Hilary Swank and I love her performance in Million Dollar Baby. She is a truly talented actress who commits herself to a role but never over does it. She knows exactly what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. She's precise and accurate. Then there is Imelda who just has such an obvious craft to her acting that you sit there and say to yourself the entire time that this woman really knows how to act. You end up studying her craft and analyzing every move, every gesture, and every detail about her performance because you know that, to her, there is something behind it all. We will see what I have to say about Annette Bening in the future. As for Catalina and Kate. Well, for Catalina it truly is an honor to be nominated because I do not see what the big deal is about that performance. And for Kate...love her, love her, love her...but just like Johnny, this one is not her moment, her role, her award.

Best Supporting Actor
Who will win: Morgan Freeman
Who should win: Thomas Haden Church
I always have a fond appreciation for a good comedic, yet deep, performance. I think Thomas Haden Church delivers that in Sideways. Let me be the first to say that comedy is HARD. Harder than drama. And when you mix the two and do it successfully, it's impressive. I love Morgan Freeman, but there has to be a better role for him out there where he can really strut his stuff. I've seen him play this character a thousand times. He does it VERY well but I just want to see more from him. It's almost like he doesn't even try. He just walks on the set and turns on the Morgan Freeman. Give us something new Morgan. Please! Was Alan Alda even in The Aviator? I swear if you blink your eyes you'd miss him. Why was he nominated? Especially over such other great performances such as Freddie Highmore in Finding Neverland. Jamie Foxx? Again, why was he nominated? He was good in Collateral but nothing spectacular and he's already going to win for Best Actor. Wasted nomination if you ask me. Unfortunately, I haven't seen Clive Owen. I've heard he's great though.

Best Supporting Actress
Who will win: Virginia Madsen
Who should win: ???
This is another one where I haven't seen 2 of the films nominated. I feel bad picking "should wins" when I don't have all the facts. However, I am going out on a limb and voting for the slight underdog as the "will win". Some people are insisting it's going to be Cate Blanchett (who was also very good) but I think that Madsen might just make an upset. Supporting Actress is always full of surprises. Laura Linney was also great in a film that I loved so I wouldn't mind seeing her win either. This is a tough one to predict.

Best Director
Who will win: Clint Eastwood
Who should win: Martin Scorsese
Just give it to the man already! Before you know it he's going to be dead and you're all going to be sorry you never gave him the golden phallus. Don't wait for his final "GREAT" one. It's probably not going to happen. C'mon, his films are getting progressively worse and worse...I mean did you see Gangs of New York? He did great films. Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull. Just give him the damn award.

Adapted Screenplay
Who will win: Sideways
Who should win: Sideways
Call it what you want but it Sideways is a great script with excellent dialogue. Sure it's not the must plot driven thing in the world. But it has class. The Motorcycle Diaries was so boring I wanted to slit my wrists. Million Dollar Baby was good but a little hokey, and oh-so-predictable. You already know my feelings on Finding Neverland...fabrication *cough cough*. And I probably will never see Before Sunset. Why you ask? Well, I just probably never will. No interest really.

Original Screenplay
Who will win: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Who should win: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
If The Aviator pulls an upset here I will literally be "upset". Supposedly, The Aviator is in a close second. It wasn't a bad script but Eternal... was just so original and brilliant. How can you not award a script like that. It was, by far, the best script of the year and should be awarded.

So there you have it. My main predictions. I also saw about 80 percent of the smaller contenders (excluding things like Best Documentary, short subject, etc.). I think the most important one is Animated Feature which I think will be awarded to The Incredibles as well it should. So enjoy the show tomorrow night and I'll be posting after the ceremony with my updates and pointless banter! See ya.

Life Sucks

First, let me apologize for not posting recently. I know people hate posts where people just apologize for not posting but I feel really bad about it. To make a long story short, I've been going through some semi-traumatic times lately and I am now just starting to pull through to a healthy new me. Lately, I've been busy attending auditions throughout the country (well, just Ohio and Memphis to be exact) scouting for talent for good ol' Bearcreek Farms USA. Let me tell you, the talent in girls: stellar. The talent in boys: not so much. Why is it that talented men are so much harder to come by. From the audition in Memphis I would say that 1 out of every 5 auditonees were male. 1 out of every 3 males sang (the rest just did monologues). 1 out of every 5 singing males were remotely decent. That's a very small percentage. So please, to all you men out there, if you have any talent and people tell you you are talented (besides your mother and local church congregation) then by all means...join the theatre world. We need you!

An Amish Joke

An Amish woman was driving her buggy to town when a highway patrol officer stopped her.

"I'm not going to cite you," said the officer. I just wanted to warn you that the reflector on the back of your buggy is broken and it could be dangerous."

"I thank thee," replied the Amish lady. "I shall have my husband repair it as soon as I return home."

"Also," said the officer, "I noticed one of your reins to your horse is wrapped around his testicles. Some people might consider this cruelty to animals so you should have your husband check that too."

"Again, I thank thee. I shall have my husband check both when I get home."

True to her word, when the Amish lady got home she told her husband about the broken reflector and he said he would put a new one on immediately.

"Also," said the Amish woman, "the policeman said there was something wrong with the emergency brake."

Killer Bunnies

So I've discovered a new game recently, thanks to a friend of mine in NYC. The game is called Killer Bunnies. No seriously, it's called Killer Bunnies. Well, to be exact it is called Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot. No seriously! Basically, the title of the game explains it's premise. To be more specific, the game is similar to magic (yes, it's a card game) except not as complicated (I think, I've only played magic once and I didn't get it). They even have a website - http://www.killerbunnies.com. GO.

Fire and Brimstone

Recently, my area has suffered from vast amounts of flooding and ice. Now we have about 8 inches of snow on the ground. I was driving along and there is a local Wesleyan church that has a sign out front. Sometimes the quotes are amusing and sometimes they say things like - "Be thankful it was only ice and water. It could have been fire and brimstone." Ok, ok...you all know my thoughts on this matter - and if not, well, I guess I don't want to really get into it at the moment. But after being infuriated at the quote, then laughing about it a little, then being infuriated again, I realized that I don't even know what the hell brimstone is...no pun intended. Dictionary.com defines it merely as "sulfur". Then, as you scroll down it says "an inflammable mineral substance found in quantities on the shores of the Dead Sea". Interesting. Apparently, a city in the Bible was rained on by fire and brimstone. That must have stunk...literally. By the way, Brimstone is also the name of a band and a TV series that lasted about year in the late 90's. It was about a dead cop, sentenced to Hell, then returned to Earth by the Devil to recover 113 escaped evil spirits. Does anybody remember this show? Or did they actually see it. I'm drawing a blank here. I'm also wondering if the Wesleyan church was talking about the TV show in their quote. I doubt it. They were probably referring to the brimstone in the bible...seeing how it's a church and all. I also looked up "fire and brimstone" on dictionary.com. It defines the phrase as: "the punishment of hell." OK. So was that church saying I should be thankful for ice and water instead of "the punishment of hell?" How do they know I'm going to hell? Oh wait...I said I wasn't going to get into this didn't I. BTW...I also found this in my research: FIRE AND BRIMSTONE. It's interesting. Check it out. Talk at you later!

NY, NY, etc

So I am officially, 100% no longer a resident of NYC. This past week I ventured there to clear my old apartment of any remains. It was a prosperous visit. I saw David Letterman, a few friends, a Broadway show (Little Women starring my friend Amy McAlexander), a couple movies, and I did a little shopping and eating...ok, lots of eating. The flicks I caught were Kinsey, which was phenomenal, and Finding Neverland, which was very good. I recommend them both. David Letterman was an interesting experience. The guest list was awesome (note sarcasm). The guests were Rudy Giuliani and some 11 year old drummer prodigy. LAME. Perhaps some of you caught the broadcast. The 11 year old kid was actually pretty good, but c'mon...couldn't they get ONE movie star? Speaking of movie stars...what is wrong with Mos Def? Wait...did I say movie star? I meant to say "rapper slash movie star". Anyways, is there something wrong with him mentally? Did he get hit by a bus or something? I just watched an interview with him on the late late show with Craig Ferguson and not only was his singing performance atrocious but during his interview he sounded a bit on the slow side. Does he talk like this in the movies? I really can't remember seeing a movie he was in. But I was just appalled by his performance. It really was atrocious. There is no other word for it. Craig Ferguson, however, is great. I really like him as a talk show host. I guess he's just a temp though. So final assessment: I no longer live in NYC at all, go see Finding Neverland and Kinsey, David Letterman is in dire need of celebrities, Mos Def sucks, Craig Ferguson doesn't, and Mos Def sucks...he seems nice though.

The Ice Storm Part Deaux

That's right folks, you heard it here first. I have suffered my second, I repeat, second ice storm in 10 days. The whole nine yards: no electricity, no water, no heat. This makes me come to this conclusion. Either God is punishing me for my heathen ways. Or he is punishing everyone around me for voting for George W. Bush. I vote for the latter. No, but seriously people, my friend (who shall remain nameless...we'll call her Ms. Pruitt...no, no, better yet, Lisa X) told me recently that someone she knows said God was punishing the people in Indonesia because they were "Godless". What about all the innocent children over there? What about the Christians? There had to be a few of them there, right? Let me just say that I don't think God punishes anybody. That's my stance on that issue...not to start a debate or anything. But if he WERE to punish somebody...it'd be the people who voted for George W. Bush. JUST KIDDING! sorta...

TV on DVD

Can I just tell you how brilliant this concept is to me? For one, you don't get those lousy commercial breaks interrupting your program. Two, you get a quality digital picture. Three, you can stop and start as much as you like. Four, you don't have to wait weeks or months to see the next episode (one exception: you're waiting for the next season to come out on DVD). Five, you can stop the program, get up to pee, then start watching again. Six, you get amazing extras such as audio commentary on the episodes. Did I miss anything? I'm currently watching the 5th season of The Simpsons that just came out on DVD. Yes, I also watched these episodes when they aired. But that was 10 years ago! Next I want to watch the last episodes of Sex and the City which was also just released. I'm extremely lonely and bored right now because everybody has left me where I'm working and living. I feel a sense of cabin fever approaching...think Jack Torrance from The Shining. Thankfully, I'm able to sway that fever due to this magnificent invention called TV on DVD. Thank you entertainment industry. Thank you. Ok, back to The Simpsons.