Random Thoughts...

• Leslie Nielsen passed away yesterday and I'm too bummed to make any Shirley jokes. My parents always told me he was a great dramatic actor, and I'm reading a lot comments referencing "Forbidden Planet," but he'll always be Dr. Rumack from "Airplane" to me.


• It was announced today that Anne Hathaway and James Franco are going to be the hosts of the 2011 Academy Awards. Um. Huh? This is a head scratcher for sure. I grew up in the era of Johnny Carson and Billy Crystal-- wonderful comics who could think on their feet and had a wry appreciation of the ridiculous. I have visions of painful, scripted banter and lots of awkward pauses with this particular duo. No disrespect intended to Anne or James, but how did we go from Carson to Hathaway and Franco? This is being sold as a show that's going for a "SNL vibe" but I feel like I'm being punked. Oh well. Another year I skip the awards. 


• When I look at the trailer for "The Green Lantern" I can't decide if I'm getting old or movies really are just sucking a whole lot more these days. (I'm old enough that I have to allow for the possibility that I am out-of-touch. *Sigh*)  I have nothing against Ryan Reynolds, so I don't think it's the casting that bothers me. I just can't get past the sarcastic form of irony that every semi-comedic script wants to include. How many times can someone say "I know! Right?" before it gets old? My 10-year-old says it all the time so I know it's about as cliché as saying something is the bomb. I just wish Hollywood would stop trying to make everything so cute. I now think that Robert Downey Jr. is the only one who should be allowed to play it funny and everyone else has to play it straight. Unless it's Nathan Fillion. 


• It's amazing that different countries can ostensibly speak the same language but have such different slang. While recently watching the whole series of Harry Potter movies I frequently found myself frowning in confusion over terms like "tosser" and "barmy." And I'm a little afraid of treacle tart-- after all, I know what they put into the blood pudding.  Are foreign viewers as confused when watching American movies? Or has Hollywood taught everyone to speak our language?


• Why aren't there any great, cheesy scifi/fantasy shows anymore? I want to see Lucy Lawless flipping through the air and hear Xena's ululation. I want to see men fight with swords and try to take each other's heads off to be the last immortal standing. Is that so wrong? No one seems to know how to do bad special effects in a good way anymore. 


• Whenever I read a really good review I feel slightly inadequate. Then I read a really pretentious attempt at intellectualizing on Amazon and feel all better. 


• It's strange how it needs to be Christmas time to really enjoy a Christmas movie. I suppose I could watch "Elf" anytime, but it isn't the same when it's 90 degrees outside. Plus it's hard to justify drinking spiked hot chocolate in the summer. No wonder we all resolve to lose weight for the new year. Or am I the only one who looks for a reason to spike everything with alcohol? Forget I asked. 


• R.I.P. Irvin Kershner