Just sitting here waiting on his bracket results.
Pop Culture Ephemera
- F1: The Movie (2025) (Directed by Joseph Kosinski): “Hope is not a strategy. Create your own breaks.” – Sonny Hayes. This isn’t a documentary. It isn’t “based upon a true story.” It is a film that exists somewhere between an action film and a sports film by the director of Top Gun: Maverick (2022). The older, haunted, and talented veteran showing up to prove himself but also mentor the up-and-coming brash superstar is a staple of both genres. It isn’t about art; it’s about movement. The speed and loud music (the tone is set with Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love”) keep the film’s momentum. Don’t expect lots of introspection or character development. There is a place in Hollywood for films like this, and I enjoy them as well as any serious literary adaptation. The ending made me question what I thought this film was about, but that’s about what I’d expect for a film that wants to be a sports film that doesn’t follow the rules of the genre. I enjoyed this film, all the while realizing that it would have been a different experience in IMAX instead of viewing it from the Couch Hole.
- The Pitt – “7:00 a.m.” (S.1 E.1) (HBO) (2025): “It’s a brief backstory about what brought them in, – not an autobiography.” – Dr. Robby. I complain about current shows that drop into the middle of a story spending so much of their time going backwards to fill in key details. It can work (see Better Call Saul), but there are too many examples where it doesn’t. During the first episode of The Pitt, I actually wished we had spent an hour learning more about Dr. Robinavitch aka Dr. Robby (Noah Wylie) and The Pitt. The problem is that because of the production team’s connection to ER (NBC) and Noah’s history, it becomes too easy to consider this as ER: The Next Generation. Dr. Robby isn’t the Dr. Carter that we followed from his first day for over a decade on ER.
The time stamp lends a 24-ish element to the show, which gives it some dramatic effect, mostly in that all of the crap that happens in the first hour of the show, happens in the first hour of Dr. Robby’s shift. The show does a good job of introducing us to the supporting staff of predictable first-years, cranky nurses, and all of the assorted stressed-out personalities that we have come to expect in a hospital drama. The best writing of this episode is at the start when Dr. Robby talks to Dr. Abbott on the roof, as Dr. Abbott hands off the night shift to him. The utterly beaten and tired (vaguely suicidal) look on Dr. Abbott’s face tells us that this isn’t going to be a day at St. Denis (NBC) or Scrubs. I’m reminded of why I didn’t watch ER every week, the anxiety inducement of children being sick, but I’m curious to see what HBO can do with the medical drama.
- Alice Cooper – “I Never Cry” (from Alice Cooper Goes to Hell) (1976): “I may be lonely / But I’m never alone.” Off of Cooper’s second solo album, this is song exists in a weird netherworld of songs. It’s a touching ballad, ostensibly about his alcoholism. It isn’t hard enough to be in rotation on classic rock, and it hasn’t garnered enough popularity to play against other ’70s light rock to play on The Bridge. It’s odd only because it’s one of only two Gold Records from Alice (the other being “Poison”). This might be a mediocre album, but this song should be better remembered. I don’t even recall it showing up on many ’70s compilations.
- Murder Ahoy (1964) (Directed by George Pollock): “Embezzlement is one thing – proof of triple murder is another. Softly, softly catches monkey in a mousetrap.” – Miss Marple. The fourth (and last) entry in the Miss Marple series starring Margaret Rutherford and directed by Geroge Pollock, leans more heavily into the comedy with the mystery being almost an afterthought. This story isn’t bound by any original Agatha Christie novel or story, so it delights in fulfilling our expectations, including Miss Marple as a fencing expert. It’s not unlike the fun of Abbott and Costello or the “Road to…” films. This mystery is mostly set on a training ship anchored in the harbor, but the mystery isn’t of the traditional locked-room variety. I wanted more of the Stringer and Marple interactions that have made the previous two so entertaining. It’s still a fine matinee mystery, although I’d recommend watching them in order to appreciate the character interactions.
- The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) (Directed by Martin Scorsese): “The name of the game, moving the money from the client’s pocket to your pocket.” – Mark Hanna. Is this just Scorsese updating and remaking his gangster films? I couldn’t help but think of the character arcs of Casino (1995) as Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) rises through the world of Wall Street. Isn’t Wall Street just the same excessive lifestyles and gambling of Las Vegas? The difference was that in the world of the 2000s, the story becomes much more about the cult of personality. It’s about the attraction of excess. This was supposedly a four-hour film edited down to three hours that really could get across the same message in two hours. The money, the sex, and the drug use are all taken to extremes. I don’t remember why I missed this in 2013, but I caught it on the big screen this time around. I’m glad I’ve seen it, it deserves its reputation, but I’ll stick to any of Scorsese’s films of the ’80s and ’90s before revisiting this one.
Best of the Rest
- If you had asked me what group was most likely to cover Alice Cooper’s “I Never Cry,” I’m sure that Poison would have made the Top Three guesses. Trouble is that they should have covered it in the early ’90s, but they waited until their Poison’d! album in 2007 when they had lost some of their mojo, not to mention their voices. It’s a passable cover that gives hints that they could have owned it 15 years previous.
- They used to save the reboots for shows that I didn’t care about (Fuller House) or at least I wasn’t emotionally attached to (One Day at a Time, Matlock). Now they are coming for some of my core favorites. I’ve maintained a healthy distance from the Scrubs (ABC), and I’m in denial about The X-Files reboot. I didn’t think they’d even come back for one of my favorite FOX comedies of the early 2000s. Here we are with Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair (Hulu) coming for four episodes in April. My resolve is getting weaker.
- The sheer amount of products that I could imagine Don Adams doing commercials for and it ended up being White Castle? I don’t remember seeing White Castle ads in this era, when I would have been in Southern California. Would you believe they even had a fish sandwich?
Sunday Morning Tuneage Flashback
- Sunday Morning Tuneage from 4/4/2010, it was Easter weekend, so there was a slight break from the baseball and basketball games. I was watching The Pacific (HBO) and had just started Parenthood (NBC), predicting it would soon be cancelled. The list of the week might be the first in a long time that I could probably replace the whole ten if I think about it.
My #69 Top TV Show of All-Time was Get Smart (NBC/CBS) (1965-1970): I was familiar with this show at the time only through Nick-At-Nite repeats. I was almost at the end of Season One on DVD when I ranked this. I finished all five seasons as of late last year, and my ranking would be pretty similar. The early seasons built a hilarious mythology with as many iconic catchphrases as any show of the era. There’s a definite shift after the marriage for the last season where the show becomes only a satire of other specific shows and films. The Mel Brooks/Buck Henry creation worked best when it relied on being a self-aware spy show. I will admit that I was still laughing right through the end. What more can you ask? - BEST MOVIES NOT JAMES BOND FILMED AT PINEWOOD STUDIOS (2010)
- 10. Oliver Twist (1948)
- 9. Vampire Circus (1972)
- 8. Sleuth (1972)
- 7. Peeping Tom (1960)
- 6. Clash of the Titans (1981)
- 5. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
- 4. Superman (1978)
- 3. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
- 2. Batman (1989)
- 1. Aliens (1986)
- BEST MOVIES NOT JAMES BOND FILMED AT PINEWOOD STUDIOS (2026)
- 10. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015): J.J. Abrams took the new trilogy back to the look of the first trilogy with some great studio work. Ellstree Studio had served as the home for the earlier films. This brought more opportunity and a broken leg for Harrison Ford.
- 9. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011): One of the most famous stages at Pinewood is the Underwater Stage that was used for the awesome submarine-chase scene.
- 8. Full Metal Jacket (1987): Kubrick moved from studio to studio through his career. He settled at Pinewood for his last two films. It was used to perfection for many of the interiors, even though it does have some location work.
- 7. The Dark Knight (2008): The best action scenes in one of the best Batman films ever were all shot here at Pinewood. It gave Christopher Nolan the control that he needs to make wonderful films.
- 6. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005): The criteria I’m using on this list isn’t the quality of the final product, but the production value added by the use of the studio. In this film, the incredible chocolate river took over the Bond sets. Not the only Roald Dahl adaptation to be filmed at Pinewood – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) made use of the expansive studio sets too.
- 5. 1917 (2019): Sam Mendes returned to the studio for this WWI film. He even built an outdoor set to capture his vision. It turned into one of the best-looking films of that year.
- 4. Clash of the Titans (1981/2010): Twenty-nine years apart, the two films were made at Pinewood. The 2010 film mostly utilized it for shots that needed CGI. The original version used the size for practical effects as Harryhausen matched location footage with his stop motion in the Pinewood studios. Interestingly, in 1981, Clash of the Titans and For Your Eyes Only (1981) would be filmed at Pinewood at the same time, sharing the underwater stage used in both films and sharing many of the same production teams.
- 3. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 and 2 (2010/2011): The film series was made all over Britain, using exteriors and studios that best fit the needs. These last two films had extensive use of Pinewood Studios, especially the Bond Stage for the Dark Forest.
- 2. Aliens (1986): Who loves a studio more than James Cameron? The atmosphere of this movie is out of this world (literally, I guess). I can’t imagine he could have created it without the variety of options at Pinewood.
- 1. The Hobbit Trilogy (2012/2013/2014): Yes, much of it was filmed in New Zealand, but if you were watching the production videos released during the making of on YouTube (or attending the Comic-Con panels) you saw Peter Jackson walking around the Bond sets made to look like the New Zealand sets. The expansive space made the production more efficient without sacrificing any quality.
1976 in Review
- March – Mad Magazine #181: Cover by Norman Mingo. “The pen is mightier than the sword . . . except when it runs out of ink.” – Alfred E. Neuman. The movie parody was “Rollerbrawl.” We lived in a world where 50 cents got you art by Al Jaffe, Don Martin, Bob Clarke, Jack Davis, and Sergio Aragones on a monthly basis.
- March 20 – Alice Cooper married choreographer Sheryl Goddard in Acapulco, Mexico. They are still married as of 2026 with three children. She was part of his stage shows and was often the sadistic nurse that beheaded Alice on stage.
- March 29 – The Indiana Hoosiers continued their undefeated season with a 65-56 Elite Eight victory over the Marquette Warriors. Kent Benson went for 18 points and 9 rebounds and Scott May hit them for 15 points. The Al McGuire-coached Warriors were thought to be the team that could beat Bob Knight’s Hoosiers. Indiana was headed to the Final Four to match up against UCLA.
What the Hell Did I Put in My Mouth?
Oreo: Stuf of Legends 01
Art by Todd Nauck. This is supposed to be grey creme that turns blue. It definitely appeared to be blue already when I opened them up. I hope that doesn’t mean that someone has licked them. Normal Oreo flavor, but that blue it turned my tongue lasted an uncomfortable amount of time. I’m surprised to have an Avengers tie-in out this early, but they are depending on this being a huge hit. Hopefully, a film that won’t turn your tongue an unnatural blue.
Cheetos: Sweet Southern Heat Barbecue
I don’t know much about Madison Beer, other than she’s a Canadian singer. She is the face of what is our first real BBQ-flavored Cheetos. There was a Flamin’ Hot version last year that was too overwhelmed by heat to be much of a BBQ version. These are a great application of the flavor that made great Lays chips. The issue for many will be that the flavor has obliterated all taste of the cheese that make a Cheeto a Cheeto. As a crispy BBQ snack, these are great and don’t stain your fingers.
Ruffles: Doritos Cool Ranch
I don’t think that Dude Perfect hit their shot here. The thing about the Doritos corn chip is that it brings an inherent flavor that can handle lots of flavor without being overwhelmed. That’s not the case with the Ruffle. It’s a step up from a thin chip, but the buttermilk and garlic flavor is just too much for this chip. It might have worked better in the Kettle or Wavy Lay’s environment. I wanted this to work, but there needs to be some modulation in the flavoring levels.
“Break a heart, break a heart of stone
Open it up but don’t leave, don’t you leave me alone
‘Cuz that’s all I got to give you
Believe me Babe, it ain’t been used
My heart’s a virgin, it ain’t never been tried” – Alice Cooper
