2 topics...in one post!

Hollywood has this insatiable desire to not leave well enough alone. They find the need to unnecessarily screw with the classics, leaving the viewer to sit there, blankly staring at the screen, and mumbling, “What the fuck???” What is the need to revamp, redo, and inevitably muss up, films that didn’t need it? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?

Since the invention of silent films, there have been thousands, probably MILLIONS, of movies made. So I can see where it would be difficult to come up with something original. But isn’t that the POINT of getting into that business? To flex your creative muscles and be able to look at something proudly, saying, “Yep. I made that shit up.”

Yet a lot of writers and directors find it easier to go “eeny meeny miney mo” and redo an oldie. Oftentimes, it’s an oldie that should just be left alone. Check out Wikipedia, here and here, for a gargantuan list of movie remakes. I couldn’t believe there have been that many, though a lot I’m not familiar with. There are also those that have been redone MORE than once.

Here
and here


Once you’re done browsing those links, come back and check out the REAL point of today’s post…

And that is, it seems Disneyland is now jumping on the “mess things up for no good reason” bandwagon.

(From the AP) "Walt Disney's nearly half-century-old vision of peace-loving dolls of the world is getting a revamp. The dolls at the "It's A Small World" ride will be replaced by more than two dozen of Disney's popular cartoon characters, including Aladdin, Nemo and Ariel…
The ride's trademark earworm will also change. Disney has woven a few bars from some of its hit soundtracks into the classic "Small World" melody.”

WHAT?! Are you serious?! The ride has worked – AS IS - for damn near 50 years. Why does it need to be changed now?? When I get older and have kids, I can’t take them on that ride and say, “Mommy did this ride when she was your age! It hasn’t changed a bit! And now, just like mommy did so many years ago, you also get to have the song stuck in your head for a solid week!!!”

They want to keep the “aging” ride “appealing to younger generations and give it a new twist”. Isn’t that what the rest of the park is for? That park, as far as I know, is constantly changing to include and incorporate all the new films Disney keeps churning out. I’ve never been to Disneyland but I’ve been to Disney World. Twice. Is the Peter Pan ride even still there? What about the Pirates of the Caribbean? I’m sure if the Pirates ride is still around, it underwent a few changes over the course of the past couple years. (Think: Johnny Depp)

But that is UNDERSTANDABLE. A movie was made by the Disney coporation…and they have a ride by the same name. “It’s a Small World” has NOTHING to do with The Little Mermaid, or Aladdin, etc.

To me, the message of this ride is what’s more important than giving it a “new twist”. The ride depicts children of all races and nationalities coming together peacefully and playing, hanging out, being friends. If you can point that out to your children and explain the significance of it, especially in today’s times, THAT is what matters. Not having glitzy animated mermaids and fish and other cartoon characters. I think by doing that, the ride loses a lot of meaning and charm and becomes just another moneymaker.

NOT having to do with the SuperBowl...

This, as the title says, has nothing to do with the SuperBowl, but I wanted to post it after yesterday's commercial-themed writings.

The new Pepsi Pass commercial, which originally aired January 19 I believe.

Check the soda jerker at the VERY beginning of this commercial. You see him from the back, pouring a soda. In the next snippet, he's turned to pass the soda to his customer. If you blink, you miss him, but that's my good friend from back in highschool, Bob T. I'm so proud!!!

SuperBowl commercials

Is it just me, or did they kinda suck this year? Not only that, I saw more movie trailers during commercial spots than I think I'd seen in the entire week leading UP TO the SuperBowl.

I wasn't real impressed with the majority of Pepsi's ads, though I did like this one. (Mainly because of Bob Dylan.)


The Castrol Edge commercial with the "grease monkeys" was cute. But I'm a fan of monkeys, so I think that alone gave that ad an edge. "They made me their king." Love it.

Budweiser was another company whose ads didn't do a heck of a lot for me. I did like the drawing board skier - I thought that was pretty clever. But the sentimental, sappy Clydesdale commercials just kinda get old after a while. If you're going to spend the money ($3 million for a 30 second ad), go entertaining. That's just my opinion.

That being said, my two favorite commercials...


GE's first ever SuperBowl ad is a "modern take on the classic song, "If I Only Had A Brain," from the film, The Wizard of Oz, imagining what can happen when old technologies have a brain." I liked this one for very OBVIOUS reasons...and the crow zapping at the end was a nice touch.


Laughed my ASS OFF when this one aired! And apparently it was thought up by two out of work guys entering a contest?

Another notable mention? The one where the stuffed koala gets punched in the face. Can't recall what company it was, but a stuffed koala wearing glasses and getting punched in the face was pretty humorous to me.

SuperBowl XLIII

It seems to me that each SuperBowl is touted as “the most exciting!” or “the best!” or “the most memorable yet!”. I’m being perfectly honest when I say that I’m not a huge football fan. I do enjoy certain players, teams, etc., and I watch on very rare occasions. The SuperBowl, however, is totally different. I am one of those people that watch mainly for the commercials, but I don’t fast forward through the game itself. To me, the SuperBowl is a huge celebration. Why? Because football is OVER, and baseball season is RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!!!

I was for the Steelers all the way. Everyone in St. Louis seems to think Kurt Warner is the best thing since sliced bread. While he does seem like a genuine guy, and he has done (and continues to do) a lot for St. Louis, I refuse to like him just on principle. My brother completely agreed with me, in that, there is just something...I can’t put my finger on it…but I don’t like the guy. There. I said it.

It was a very exciting game, I must admit. Steelers scored first when Roethlisberger was met at the goal line and pulled into the end zone by his center…or so everyone thought. The play was reviewed, and replays showed his left knee down before he crossed the goal line. No touchdown. But they did kick an 18-year field goal. (3-0 Steelers.)

Fumbles and incomplete passes followed for the Cardinals in the second quarter, along with a touchdown for the Steelers. And one for Warner’s team. Roethlisberger committed a turnover, and the Cardinals ended up at the Steelers’ 34-yard-line.

What happened next was probably the most incredible football play I can recall seeing during a live game. (With things like this, replays just don’t count.) Eighteen seconds were left in the first half when one of Warner’s passes was intercepted by the Steelers’ Harrison and quickly…AMAZINGLY…ran 100 yards (the longest play in Super Bowl history) back for a Steelers touchdown. Let me repeat myself: A 100-yard interception return for a touchdown by Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison. He managed to shake off three different Cardinals players, including Warner, and never lost his footing. Harrison was hit just short of the goal line, but his knee landed on the Cardinals player and he tumbled head-first into the end zone. I am not ashamed to admit that I found myself screaming “Go, go, GO!!!” at the TV like a lunatic. (17-7 Steelers)

Bruce Springsteen, looking really…REALLY old, played the halftime show. Not bad, the man can still groove. And he’s kinda sexy. I mean, for an old guy and all. Wasn’t a big fan of the song he sang w/ the choir…thought he fell kinda flat.

Onto the third quarter! Nothing too exciting…21 yard field goal by Jeff Reed of the Steelers. (20-7 Steelers)

Victory is ours! Right! Right?? Suddenly all hell broke loose. The Cardinals rallied, pulling it out of their behinds, and THEY were on the way to winning SuperBowl XLIII. They proceeded to score 16 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. (23-20 Cardinals)

I felt my hopes for a Steelers victory being dashed. I knew the Warner “God speak” (yes, I am not a fan of that, sorry) was coming, so I started doing dishes. But suddenly…

Roethlisberger threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds left to give Pittsburgh a 27-23 victory over Arizona!!! Yaaaaaaaahhoooooooooo!!!!!!!!
(Commercial reviews coming tomorrow…)