Behind the Scenes... with Short Circuit

Finally, part 3 of my little series of movie locations in Astoria, Oregon. And I'm getting to another great movie about a robot who comes alive, Short Circuit. Although I don't have as many locations as the previous ones, there is plenty to tell.

Actually, there is only one location, Stephanie's home, that is highlighted as a location in Astoria. And it is a HIKE to get to the house. You remember how I talked about the hills with The Goonies, how the roads were just that steep as seen in the high speed car chase? Well, the SO and I hiked up one of those roads (on foot, because the rental car was NOT going to make it). Or should I say, we hiked up to the END of the road, where the house is located at the top of this hill, or mountain, or really high topographical point in Astoria.

First, we decided we'd park the car at the bottom of the hill, behind the visitor's center. The map we had showed that this would be the best place to park, because it'd be almost a straight shot up the road. Little did we know this road was an incline, a HUGE incline!

And to top it off, where it looks like the road ends, that's where the road actually continues, as a dirt path!

We had no idea if we were going up a road or a private drive. All we knew is that there were trees on top of us and we had no idea what was at the end of this path.

Luckily, the house was there.

It looks much like it did in the film. Of course there are differences, like no huge back yard for Number 5 to take apart a car. But the view is amazing.

I just have no idea how Stephanie could drive her vehicle down that road. It's deadly on foot, I can't imagine trying to safely get that down and across the Astoria bridge.

So, there you have it. The three films and their locations that the SO and I explored while in Astoria, Oregon. It was a lot of fun, and I hope to do another pilgrimage to other film locations. But it'll be hard to top what we could see in just one town. I think the SO went crazy over the Goonies locations, while I shed a tear every time we went to a location where Ah-nald once breathed. All in all, it was a film lover's dream come true... although it would have been cool to find Number 5 and ask how to program robots to recreate the 3 Stooges...

Behind the Scenes... with Kindergarten Cop

I'm back with another installment of Behind the Scenes, and this time we're looking at Kindergarten Cop. Can you believe the SO has never seen this movie? Her childhood has to be deemed incomplete for missing this Ah-nald gem of a film. Of course there are plenty of locations in the town of Astoria, Oregon which we went to to see if they still looked the same or if they were just a fading memory.

So, where should we begin? I would start with the school, but better yet, let's start with the hotel where Ah-nald would have stayed while in Astoria, the Bay View Inn.

This is the location of his room, number 5. And from the outside, it looks exactly like it does in the film. The interior was recreated in Hollywood, but the exterior is all Astoria. I almost feel "pumped up" just being there.

Now, we can go to the school, as this is where Ah-nald is going to teach little children how to be good little soldiers in his boot camp.

It's a little hard to tell, but the paintings on the outside of the building (as seen in the movie) are still there!

There were created by local Astorian artists, which makes it that much cooler.

Ah-nald gets to know his fellow pedagogue, Rachel Crisp/Joyce Palmieri, at the restaurant located here, at the Red Lion Inn.

A very romantic spot near the water. I can just smell the Ah-nald sweat from that encounter.

The villain in this film, Cullen Crisp, Sr., gets a toy train set from the local drug store.

Now, this location is actually a restaurant. Too bad. I really like toy train sets...

The theater is diagonal from the drug store, which made the pilgrimage nice and short between these two locations.

And this short pilgrimage meant that the next would involve walking up a "hill", with what had to be a 25% incline, to get to Rachel/Joyce's home in Astoria. No wonder everyone in the town is fit. If I had to walk that everyday, I'd be as fit as Ah-nald, too!

So those are the locations I was able to visit from Kindergarten Cop while in Astoria. Of course, it was very awkward taking pictures in front of the elementary school as class was still in session! Very awkward, indeed. The SO didn't want to be in any of the pictures as she hadn't actually seen the movie. That's why she's the party pooper...

Okay, enough with the Ah-nald jokes. But seriously, it was amazing to see how the locations were, compared to what we see in the movie. I can't wait to buy the DVD and watch it all over again!

Because we all need our Ah-nald fix every day...

Behind the Scenes... with The Goonies

I know I haven't done this whole blogging thing in almost a year, but I do have a special 3-part series of blog posts that I want to do. Mostly because I don't want to forget the experiences I had while traveling the Pacific Northwest. Because we all know what kind of memory I have for... what was it I was writing about?

...

Oh yeah, so I'm going to do a 3-part series of blog posts on three unique movies that were all filmed in... Astoria, Oregon! It was really cool to see some of the locations for the films I'll be describing. The first film to discuss has to be The Goonies, as it just screams Astoria (on top of sweet memories from childhood). The SO and I were both excited to see where Mikey, Brand, Mouth, Data, and especially Chunk had their misadventures in the Goondocks of Astoria.

I'll try to do this in order, so it goes with the flow of the movie. You can follow along with this clip of the opening sequence:

Of course, the beginning of this tour means we begin at the county jail...

Not a bad action shot, if I do say so myself. (I was actually just holding myself in that position, trying to look like I was running.) And let me tell you, those hills the cops chase the Fratellis across are just as steep as they look.

Here's the football field, where Andy is trying to get the cheerleaders to do a pyramid.

The seating section is very "old school", with sections reserved for ticket holders, students, and the band. Astoria High School has the Fighting Fisherman as their mascot, and his name is Stomper.

This location is where the maid tried going across the street, supposedly because she was walking to the house of Mikey and Brand, I think.

The funny thing about this location: the direction she was walking was actually towards the beach. So if she was trying to get to the house, she actually needed to turn around and go the other way... to the Goonies house!

The bowling alley where Chunk sees the high speed car chase looks the same from the outside, but the window where he's looking out has changed a bit.

The view from where he's looking is pretty dead on, too.

The beach where the Fratellis speed away is Cannon Beach, which is where you can find the famous Haystack Rock.

Of course, we're then transported to... the Goonies house!

I know, it's pretty sweet. And yes, I did the Truffle Shuffle in front of the house, which I have video of on my phone. I know, it's so awesome! No cars are allowed up the drive to the home, but we were both willing to walk up the hill to see not only the house, but the view of Astoria, as well.

The view from the Goonies house is just as beautiful as it appears in the movie.

I can't forget Data's house...

But the bike ride the boys take from the house to the Fratellis' hide-out is not as short and quick as they make it out to be. The bike ride starts at 1:45...

We measured it out, and the Goonies house is approximately 20 to 30 miles from the abandoned restaurant! What kid (especially Chunk, or for that matter, asthmatic Mikey) is going to make it that far?

On that deceiving bike ride, the boys pass Mike and Brand's father as he takes the flag down at his museum, which in real life is the Flavel House.

We traveled to Ecola State Park, which is south of Astoria about 20 miles, to the approximate location where the boys leave their bikes in the road to find the location of the buried treasure.

The final location of the film is again near Haystack Rock (I just wanted to get another picture of it in this post!).

The rest of the locations are either non-existent or were created in a Hollywood studio. No matter what, it was pretty cool to see these locations and how they are a part of the town of Astoria!

Of course, this weekend Astoria is having a Goonies 25th anniversary reunion, which includes cast members and a Truffle Shuffle 5K! The gods really must like to toy with us as we were two weeks early! Oh well, we got a t-shirt, some amazing pictures, and wonderful (and sweaty) memories of the Goonies locations in this tiny town off the coast of Oregon.

Corey Haim

Everyone who's anyone will know that Corey Haim passed away this morning. And in a way, another piece of my childhood from the '80s has disappeared forever. It seems like only when we've lost something do we really take the time to look back and appreciate what we had and what we won't have again. The Haimster was like that.

Although he had the drugs problems and disappeared from the silver screen once the clock turned to 1990, the youth and enthusiasm he displayed in his movies with and without the other Corey (Feldman, for those of you playing the game). It can't be explained, but I was drawn to A&E's "The Two Coreys." For some reason, I had to see what the two guys were up to. Yeah, it was a reality show that was more staged than anything Haim had done in years. But it was the two Coreys on the screen, something new, and yet, something old. The old being the way the two interacted was like the Coreys we had seen in the movies. The new was how different their lives were at that point.

And in some way, it almost feels as if we were waiting for them to get back together, to be friends again. It's as if waiting all summer to watch your favorite show return in the fall, only to be told it was canceled at the last minute. We'll never know if the two Coreys would have gotten back together or not. And now we'll never know. Sure, we'll hear Feldman say the two were in an amicable relationship at the time of Haim's death. And yet, it's hard to believe that.

Ultimately, the time we shared with Haim on the big screen was a good time, and we'll always have those movies... except for License to Drive. For reasons unknown, it's very hard to find a cheap DVD of this film, which I consider the best Haim movie from my childhood. Yeah, I know, Lucas was pretty good, but it's hard to believe he could have really done all that. But in License to Drive, it was almost as if we were watching a documentary of Haim (and Feldman). Sadly, I don't have the DVD and will have to hope that one of the movie channels will have it on in the next few days. If so, it'll be one way to reminisce about the Haimster and all that was important to me while growing up in the '80s.

We'll miss you, Corey Haim. Rest in peace.

It appears I may have to break my one rule...

Yes, folks. I think the day has come, much sooner than I thought was possible. But I believe I will have to break my one rule about buying BRDs. Well, I guess there were two rules...

Anywho, I think I'll have to break any and all rules that I had before for this one exception. And that exception is...

Scrubs, Season 8

Yes, yes, I know. It's not action/adventure/thriller/sci-fi/fantasy, but, BUT... it was filmed in 1080. Not sure if filming was done in 1080i or 1080p, but the BRD will be 1080p, so that's got something going for it.

The reason why I bring this up is because I can't understand why the DVD version came out this week and the BRD version doesn't come out until November 17!!! I don't know of any recent television show that has done this, and it's pissing me off!

No doubt this all stems from me purchasing the DVD version (still in its original wrapping, so I can return it) and realizing that the aspect ratio is 1.33:1. That's right... 1.33:1. The show was done in HD, shown on HDTVs as 1080i, meaning it should be 16:9 for all DVD/BRD versions. So why is the DVD version in freakin' 1.33:1?!?! I understand why the previous seasons might be that way, but season 8 was filmed in HD, so at minimum the DVD should be 1.85:1 or 2.35:1. It makes no sense!

Now that I got that off my chest, I can say I've got some interesting ideas for next week's postings. I can't wait to write them. Later!

I'm so sneaky...

Okay, so yesterday's post was a little different than most of my usual stuff I write about, but it got me on SI's Hot Clicks, so I'm on this amazing high right now. I thought it might get out there, but never in my wildest dreams did I think this would get shown on a popular site like Sports Illustrated. Freakin' awe... wait for it... some!

Now it's time to get back into some of my usual postings: DVD purchases! Yeah, I know I swore those off back in May, but my BF got me thinking, not everything needs to be seen in BR. Last I checked, any movie filmed before the creation and use of high-def cameras will not be in true 1080p! So instead of getting any movie before the turn of the century on BR, it just makes sense to get them on DVD and watch them on the BR. Still looks pretty nice. Rule two for purchasing BRDs dictates that anything that doesn't have great action sequences shouldn't be needed in BR. And that rule almost got broken...

I would consider myself a fairly manly man. I like to watch sports 24/7, I enjoy action-packed movies, I could eat Jimmy John's every day. But in other ways, I'm not so much a manly man, including not knowing the inner workings of a car, I can't use power tools to save my life, and I don't drink beer (although appletinis do sound nice right now...). Anywho, when I saw the trailer for I Love You, Man I knew this movie was for me. Mostly because it has Jason Segel (love just about anything Freaks and Geeks) and the SO swears I have a bromance with my BF. Not true, althoug I haven't seen him since the wedding... No, not like that, he married a WOMAN. A beautiful woman, and no I wasn't heartbroken that I have to share him with her (tear...).

To make a long story short, the movie finally came out on DVD and BRD last week, and I was ready to buy it on DVD... but a little voice in my head said, "But BR would look amazing." It was a loud voice, but it was persistent. The problem is about 10 bucks - the difference between DVD and BRD. The other problem is it would set a bad precedent for purchasing future BRDs. If a comedy could be bought in BR, why not a drama? Or a TV series (which is a dilemma, with Scrubs Season 8 coming out next week...).

I thought very long as I stood in the DVD area at SuperTarget about what to do. I knew the SO would kill me, and that it would put more money towards her buying shoes and/or yarn. It was really tough to not have the movie in BR, but I reasoned with myself that it was best to get the DVD. Tough choice, but at least I stuck to my rules. Now about Scrubs...

Later!

Gather 'Round, Kids. It's Story Time!

"Just sit back and you'll hear a tale,

A tale of a fateful (road) trip,

That started from the local Borders store,

Aboard this tiny Sentra..."

That's how it all started, one of the worst debacles I have ever been a part of. This story will be told for centuries, about how the SO and I never seemed to reach what seemed like a reasonable goal. I'm talking, of course, about that horrifying tale entitled, "The Blu-Ray Purchase...From Hell!"

All of this begins about a month ago, when one average day I received an e-mail from Borders with a coupon for 50% off any two BRDs. Now I had to jump on this chance, as I had just recently bought my BR and I thought this would be a great way to start my collection (and show off the capabilities of the BR for people who came over to our apartment... yeah, I like to brag about the BR, but it's so freakin' sweet!). I printed off the coupon and waited until the weekend to stop by the Borders near the SO and I.

The one rule I have made for myself, when it comes to BRD purchases, is that the BRD must be worth it in BRD format, i.e. there better be a lot of action and/or need for high definition quality of the film. The first BRD fit both of those stipulations. If you remember from earlier, I had wanted to purchase Batman on DVD, but the SO said that if I bought that DVD, I would have to tape all the screams from Kim Basinger and the SO could play the tape at any point just to annoy me. Well, since a BRD is not a DVD, I just happened to see that Batman was available in BRD form. Yeah, I'm sneaky but I just love this movie.

The second movie I bought definitely fulfills the first stipulation about action, and it also was a movie I have loved since I first saw it 10 years ago. "Enemy of the State" always made me wonder what's really going on without our knowing, and since I didn't have it on DVD, I thought it would be worth it to have it on BRD. So simple purchase, right?

No! Of course around that time the new Harry Potter movie was coming out, so the SO had a look through the BRDs and spotted the BR collection of all 5 movies. Well, she decided at that point in the day (late morning) that she would just wait until all 8 movies were out to get them all on BRD in one set.

Early afternoon: After some talking, the SO starts thinking that it might be cool to have the 5-disc set now instead of waiting for the 8-disc set (probably released sometime in 2012). Okay, so maybe I talked her into it. But I knew she would rather have those in BR format than stick with the DVD versions we had. This was all decided while we were out doing errands, meaning we had to go back to the apartment to print off another coupon! We finished our errands run and made it back to the apartment.

At this point, I should mention that we were in the process of moving into a new apartment, so we actually wanted to spend the afternoon moving a bunch of our stuff into the new place, which we ended up doinganyways. We also needed to pick up the SO's car from the mechanic in my hometown. The day was clearly packed with lots to do. Somehow we left for my hometown to pick up the SO's car in our "apartment-moving" clothes (i.e. scrubs), not thinking that we should change clothes. Bad idea...

After picking up the car, we were driving back to town and thought now would be the time to stop by Borders to buy the Potter 5-disc set. So we pull into the parking lot, we get to the BR section... and it's not there! Yeah, I looked through every single shelf to no avail. The people in the section could clearly tell that I was in no mood for anyone getting in my way, as I had a face of determination to find it, if it was the last thing I'd do (i.e. the other people could see the SO wasn't too happy about it no longer being there, mostly because she had promised to send our DVDs of the movies to her parents in NH for two of the SO's "cousins" from Korea who were at the age group designed for the Harry Potter books... yeah, it meant that we no longer had either the DVDs or BRDs of the movies).

I went to the front to ask the lady if there were any copies in the stores in Indy. She said the computer was saying one copy was likely in a couple of the stores (meaning I had no chance) but gave me the phone numbers so I could call to find out. So the SO and I each tried two numbers and luckily the downtown store had a copy, so I told the lady on the phone that we'd be down there to pick it up. The coupon said it would no work for any BRDs put on hold, but I figured the lady would help us out anyway if we told her our story.

So we drive an hour to Indy, in the SO's car, in our scrubs, to buy the 5-disc set. It's approaching 8pm and we drive by the store. In the back of my mind, I thought I should drop off the SO so she can pick it up while I park. Little did I know I should have, as the store had new hours. It closed at 8pm Saturday nights!

By the time we parked, walked to the store, it was 8:15! I was pissed. I couldn't believe it. Most Borders seemed to close around 9 or 10 at night, not 8! I could see people inside cleaning up the place and I wanted to knock on the window to get their attention but the SO stopped me. It was no use. The coupon was only good for Saturday, and I blew it...

Even worse, we couldn't get to Trader Joe's in time before it closed. So we drove home, my head down in shame...

Well, I couldn't let this stop me, so I went on Amazon to see if I could get anything close to the price I would have paid at Borders. The SO said not to worry, that we would survive without them but I was too stubborn (and OCD) to not get this set. After perusing through the selection, I found one that was about 10 dollars more than if I had bought it at Borders, so I bought it.

The SO was thrilled when I surprised her with the set. She was happy, I was happy...

Until later in the week, Amazon had a sale on the BRD set of Harry Potter, selling it for $55! So after trying to get it at Borders for $65, after buying it for $75, Amazon itself was selling it for 55 bucks... the irony...

Later!

"...The SO and the DVD/BR whore,

Here on Funny Story Isle!"

One post, 16 reviews. Am I insane?!?

Hey-yo! Back with another post, getting to my roots about reviewing my DVDs (and now BRDs!!!). I've also watched a couple movies from HBO (now that the SO and I have the channel) and also rented a few movies from the library (which is amazing because of all the classics they have). So let's see if I can get through all of these without damaging my reputation, my computer, or my hands...

Almost Famous - Bill Simmons from ESPN said this is the movie of this decade. We'll have to wait until this decade is actually over to decide this fact, but it was an enjoyable movie about a young guy wanting to be a music journalist and his journey with an up-and-coming band. Rented from the library, loved the music, almost bought the BRD of the extended edition (just to know what happens in the extended parts).

Bananas - There's never a moment when Woody Allen let's the comedy stop, so it's hard to catch your breath from all the laughing. No words can describe the plot as it just comes from left field... or Howard Cossell's toupee. A good renter from the library, now if they only had Sleeper...

Coraline (BR) - Really cool story, and the 3D capabilities were nifty, if only because it's the only movie I have that can do this. Too bad we still have to wear the glasses that only a 10-year-old can wear...

Definitely, Maybe - Romantic comedy with Ryan Reynolds, a pretty good story that kept my attention, and the SO really loved Reynolds as a father. It even has a tearjerker moment near the end of the film. Thank you HBO, because I never had plans to rent or buy, and now I don't have to!

Diner - Pretty sure this could represent my fraternity boys and me. I would definitely have to be Daniel Stern's "Shrevie", and where did Mickey Rourke's face go? Did he leave it in Baltimore?

Enemy of the State (BR) - Even though I can't understand how Will Smith is a scientologist, this is a great movie and really started my whole belief system about the gov't and how it... ***(libel material "edited" by the U.S. Government)*** ... I mean, really scary.

Harry Potter and the...

*Sorcerer's Stone (BR) - Good start to the series, the actors look like babies, and it's so cheerful compared to the latest installments.

*Chamber of Secrets (BR) - Kinda forgettable, mostly because the series get much darker and better with Prisoner of Azkaban.

*Order of the Phoenix (BR) - Jumping around in the series, but this movie finally shows what Voldemort can do, and the sad ending reminds us that anyone related to Harry Potter is doomed!

*Half-Blood Prince (IMAX) - Wish the whole movie could be made in IMAX-3D (the last two movies should be), but the glasses were a little tight on the face, so luckily it was only 3D for 15 minutes...15 pointless minutes in 3D! Slughorn was not what the book described, and it was the first time I've seen an IMAX film stop in mid-showing (about 10 minutes left in the film... I know, it totally killed the mood). Can't imagine how big of a mark that'll leave on the digital print...

Harvey - By the end, I truly believed there really was a 6-foot, 3-and-a-half inch rabbit. Can't imagine anyone but Jimmy Stewart in that role... you hear that, Spielberg?!?

The Incredible Hulk - Another movie I never wanted to give money to, thankfully HBO had it on. Pretty fun movie, but nothing intellectually stimulating. Never saw the 2003 abomination (get it?) of a film, so I have to assume this was better.

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House - Never thought I'd see this one, but luckily the library had it. Always enjoy a Cary Grant film, and this one didn't disappoint, as it appears this movie was a prediction about how the SO and I would act if/when we'd build our home. And the DVD came with a Hanna Barbera cartoon!

Step Brothers - Rented from the library, watched the first 48 minutes, returned it. Not much to be said about a terrible movie with one joke repeated over and over and over and... you get the point. Left a bad taste in my mouth, almost as bad as dog poop...

Wayne's World - It's Wayne's World! Party Time! Excellent! If I could only take one film with me to heaven, this would definitely be a finalist, a top-three in my all-time fave films. I'm not worthy!

So, you're probably thinking, "That was only 15." Well, the one movie I didn't review was The Dark Knight in BR. You already know what I think of this film from an earlier post, and I didn't feel it needed... it was amazing, awesome, rad, groovy, the greatest thing ever since sliced bread... with a cherry on top! The only problem was going back and forth between IMAX and non-IMAX shots. It became a little distracting by the end. But it was still cool!

And there you have it. 1 post, 16 reviews. And I still have my brain intact. If you'll excuse me, I have to qah[g0rq 8h3[gqh er[buenb[erbn[eiqbn[atib...

Whoa! What was that? Maybe my brain is...

THERE IS NO SPOODAWG, ONLY ZUUL!!!

Wait, where did that come from? I gotta get outta here! Later!

Hu-WHAA?!?

Where did the time go? Looks like I've been more truant than Kate Hudson's career, but seriously folks...

Man, it has been a wild time since my last post from July 13th. Moving into a new apartment, my BF's wedding, the loss and addition of new movies to my collection...

Oh yeah, that's right. I have more DVDs! And I also have my first BRDs, too! So rather than write a post for each of these losses and additions, I figured I'd just write a sentence or two about what's new and what's out of my life. Without further adieu, here are the DVDs that we had to say goodbye to:

Duck Soup - Even though I have it in my collection, this particular copy was what kept me laughing for days and weeks. The very definition of what a comedy should be.

Harry Potter Series - Even though they weren't the best fantasy series I owned (cough, Lord of the Rings, cough) I did enjoy the story because I had read all the books.

National Security - Never saw it, don't want to.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines - Without Cameron at the helm, it just hasn't been the same. And it was full-screen!!!

Win a Date With Tad Hamilton - Oh, Topher Grace, this was the best you could find? Love the Topher, just will never watch this movie.

The loss will truly be felt... in terms of number of DVDs.

And now for the new additions:

Animaniacs, Volumes 1-3 - I have to blame Nostalgia Critic (NC) for this. And I have to blame Angry Video Game Nerd (AVGN) and Cinemassacre for introducing me to NC.

Batman (BR) - Finally! I had been waiting forever to own this movie, and Border's had a 50% off BRDs last month, which will tie into a future post about how truly insane I am (because of the SO).

Coraline (BR) - One look at the word "3D" on the box, and the SO was hooked. Plus, it shows off the capabilities of the BR, so not a bad purchase.

The Dark Knight (BR) - This is what started it all, my BRD collection, and it was so worth it to buy. Didn't think it could get any better, but in BR it can.

Enemy of the State (BR) - Loved it when I first saw it. Loved it again because I bought it with Batman, meaning I bought 2 BRDs for the price of 1!!!

Harry Potter 1-5 (BR) - Let's just say the SO better love me for them, because I went through hell (and a tank of gas) to get these for her. Again, this story will be in the future post I spoke of above.

Independent America: The Search For Mom and Pop - The SO really loved this movie. And because we had to give up our DVR (which has had that movie on there since July 2007!) for a new one, I thought having a copy of it on DVD might bring a smile to her face.

Robot Chicken Star Wars Episode Two - If you can't understand why I bought this, then you obviously have never seen Star Wars...which is a shame...because this was hilarious! And the extended version makes this worth the buy.

Congratulations to all the new additions, I hope you enjoy your new home. In the next post, I'll give reviews of all the movies I have seen since I last posted in July. They'll just be one to two sentences long, because there are a lot to go through, and I don't have the patience to write that much on each of them. Until then, later!

PS - I still want to get rid of both copies of Transformers and the special edition of Dark Knight. Someone please take these away from me!!!

My last DVD purchase...

I know, it's sad.

But I have to post it, seeing as from this point on, it's Blu-Ray for me.

Now this happened just after we got the HDTV, so it comes before the moment I proved to the SO we need a Blu-Ray player. Actually, this took place the day after we got the TV in our apartment. We just dropped off the SO's mom at the airport. And I had been waiting two days (TWO DAYS) to go out to Best Buy and get it. In those two days, the local BB had sold out of it (yeah, crappy). So I knew that the BB near the airport still had a copy. Too bad that BB is in the middle of the ghetto. No joke, I think there were bars on every window.

And we stroll in, the SO freaking out over us looking for a DVD in the ghetto. But I figured we go in, we find it, we pay for it, we get out. Simple plan. Luckily, this BB did have what I was looking for: Fanboys. It seems fitting that this would be my last DVD, as it's about people with no lives... like me with my DVDs!

So my DVD-buying days are now over...

Blu-Ray-buying days have begun! Woo-hoo!

And I imagine the Blu-Ray experience to be something like this:

Later!

For once, Best Buy actually means what they say!

Hey-yo!  I'm back with a post I haven't been able to write for a long time: a post about a DVD purchase.  Well, it might get thinner yet, but that's for another time.  So what goody did I shell out money for this time?

Tiny Toon Adventures, Season One Volume Two.

Long title, I know.  But it's worth it to have another piece of my childhood in DVD form.  And thanks to one of my peeps, I was reminded why Best Buy has that name.  Luckily, they still honor the price of a competitor, meaning if a competitor has a lower price and I have proof of it, they will sell the product to me at the lower price.  Which means I have more money to spend, er, save on DVDs!

Who would be crazy enough to sell this DVD for cheap?  Of course that would be our favorite retailer, Wal-Mart.  For once, they served a purpose.  Saved me 7 bucks.  I'd say that was pretty good.  And at just $30 for this purchase, I still have $9 in the DVD fund.  Yay!

I don't know when my next purchase might be, because I have something that might shake the very foundation of this blog.  I know, it's that big!  But that's for another post... (of course I have to raise the intensity level, it makes for good drama, like TNT...seriously, I've seen way too many of those commercials).  Later!

"That meat lover's pizza is NOT loving me back!"

It seems like it's been forever since I've been on a regular schedule of reviewing DVDs, so it was nice to get back to some normalcy for this weekend.  And because I felt bad that the SO didn't pick a DVD last week, I thought she could have the first crack for this weekend (So does this count as last month's SO pick or this month's SO pick?  Hmm...).

And of course, she never disappoints with her pick, meaning it's going to be a Disney selection, and what better selection to make than the most recent DVD purchase involving a film from that lovable mouse... about a dog.  But not just any dog, I'm talking about Bolt.

Yes, yes, I know.  It's pretty obvious that Disney went the old-fashioned route of selecting a topic for a movie: they copied someone else's idea, then Disneyfied it.  You know what I'm talking about.  They even stole from a company they routinely work with (Pixar) by using the same premise as with Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story.  Then they had to increase the cuteness factor of the main character the only way they know how: increase the size of the eyes and you have millions of girls lining up to want to see the film.  I know, the SO is one of them.  She didn't see it in theaters, but she didn't hide her feelings for buying the DVD once it came out.

So here's the quick synopsis: Girl buys Bolt (voiced by John Travolta) from a shelter when he's a puppy, they are part of a television show, and just like The Truman Show, Bolt doesn't know he's a character in the production.  He thinks it's all real, including his super powers (including Super Bark... ooh, sc-ary).  To boost ratings, the show has Penny (voiced by Miley Cyrus... thank God she played a minimal part, her voice alone can be quite annoying!) kidnapped, but Bolt really thinks she needs to be rescued.  He's able to escape into the real world, and along the way, he learns from his new acquaintances that he's living a fantasy world.  As much as this hurts, Bolt still searches for his human.  And in typical fashion, there's a climax and a resolution to the problem.

This movie felt like Homeward Bound: the CGI version.  Bolt has to go across America to find his human, with the help of a cat and in this case a hamster.  And it seemed like every other movie that Disney does these days and in the past.  Usually there's a new take on the theme, but there didn't seem to be that new take.  I will say that if you had never seen a Disney movie, and you were under the age of 10, you probably love this movie.  But I can't say the same, as I've seen a lot of Disney movies, and the last time I checked, I couldn't pass for a 10-year old if I tried.

I think the only reason the SO loved it was because of how cute Bolt was.  How could I tell this?  She gets this look in her eyes that says, "I want a puppy."  We can't afford a bunny, let alone a canine, so as much as she may look at me with those puppy-dog eyes of hers, we can't get one.  And why did I agree to get this DVD?  If you are in a relationship (straight or gay) you know there are certain things you have to do to keep your SO happy, and if this is one little thing that does that, I'll suffer... for now.

That's okay, I get her back with this blog, including her incredible spelling skills...

Yeah, I didn't know Indiana's capital was named for Native Americans AND the eastern European nation of Poland.  That's good to know.

Ultimately, this is how I break it down.  Typical Disney trite, but it keeps the SO happy.  So I lose on all fronts.  Except in this post...hehehe!  Later!

NOW we have a fund cap!

It finally happened, a purchase which raised the issue with how to manage the DVD-Yarn/Shoe Fund.  And again, I can blame Borders for it all...

So on Thursday, I received an e-mail (I should probably just unsubscribe to the mailing list) from Borders that said select DVD titles were going to be 40% off regular price Friday through Sunday.  You know what that means:

"B-A-By...do you think we can go to Borders Friday night?"

And then, the look.

But the difference in this look is that the SO knows she can get more yarn this way.  So she agreed.  I wasn't looking for anything pricey this time around.  Just a week ago, I had used a 40% off coupon to buy The Public Enemy for 12 bucks, so I was looking for something I really wished to have, that I couldn't find at Best Buy (i.e. any classic movie), that wasn't going to cost an arm and a leg.

Of course, I had a few in mind.  The first being Amadeus, but it wasn't a "selected" title.  They didn't have The Awful Truth (oh, Cary Grant...).  Super Troopers can easily be bought at Best Buy, so I didn't want to waste this opportunity.  That didn't leave much, but oh...

What's this?

Can it be?

What is THIS doing in the bargain counter?

Finally, a purchase worthy of 40% off its regular price.  I'm talking about The Chaplin Collection: Volume One.  I know!  How was this still available?  I don't know.  About a month ago, I had seen it at the top of the shelves in the comedy DVD section.  Last week, I didn't see it, so I thought it had been purchased by some evil person who didn't want me to enjoy some silent movie action.  But for some strange reason, it was still here.  And it was "tagged" (with red tape), meaning it counted for 40% off!!!

So originally, the price of the collection was $76.99.  So 40% of that price is $30.80, meaning the final price was $46.19!  Totally worth it.  But this led down to a dark, dirty road known as the "Fund Cap"...

Originally, the SO and I had agreed that however much I spent on DVDs, she could spend that amount on yarn and/or shoes.  But with this purchase, the SO put her foot down and said that there had to be a limit to my happiness.  Meaning that this could easily get out of hand, and what would really be the purpose of this fund if one person could still spend hundreds on their vice, when this was meant to curb that spending?  The current cap is set at $75, but it may be brought down slowly until it reaches a $50 limit, total.  I know, bummer, but I just need to get the SO to buy more yarn/shoes (which I hate, but if there's a DVD I really want...).

And I know there's a DVD I'm wanting...

Later!

Borders, why do you put me through this?

Two purchases in one week?  Is that even possible?

As you've read in my earlier post, I was finally able to realize my dream of owning Andy Richter Controls the Universe on DVD.  But the DVD purchases didn't end there (Yeah, I bought Bolt, but because the SO wanted it, it is neither one of my purchases nor does it count against me in the DVD/Yarns and Shoe War I have with her).

We begin Thursday morning.  Just checking my e-mails when I stumble upon the usual garbage known as a Borders coupon e-mail.  Usually these contain coupons for 15 or 20 percent off an item.  I almost got duped by the 40% off one DVD box set a couple weeks back.  But I held out.  This e-mail's coupon, though, was too good not to use...

40% off any item, regardless of price!

Hallelujah, the DVD gods have been good to me for all the pains I've taken this week!

So what could I possibly use this on?  And how could I get the SO to allow this?  Ah, that is the key, for we both receive Borders e-mails, meaning she had a 40% off coupon as well.  Therefore, she would make a purchase as well.  Not a DVD purchase, but we'll forgive her for that.  Maybe.

Indeed, the obvious choice was the choice I almost made a couple weeks back with the earlier coupon: Amadeus.  Yes I have it on VHS, but this is Amadeus: Director's Cut.  With 5.1 Digital Surround Sound.  The music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart swarming all around me was so enticing, but was it worthy of such a coupon?  Was any movie able to garner my attention for such a priceless coupon (well, not really priceless, but it does mean less money I've spent on DVDs, which is a good thing... well, a good thing in that it means more money to spend on other DVDs!)

But then it dawned on me.  What was one of my future purchases that I really wanted?  That's right, White Heat.  Well, Borders didn't have it, but they did have The Public Enemy, another James Cagney movie and one that was an integral part of my gangster movie collection.  So sorry Wolfgang, I promise you one day you will be a part of my collection... in Blu-Ray!  Think about it, 7.1 Digital Surround Sound!  

So at the end of the day, $12 spent for one DVD.  This puts me in the red for the Fund, $5 to be exact.  I have to hold off now, unless I want to allow more money to be spent on yarn/shoes.  But I can't do that, so I'll just remain content with what I have... until my eye catches the next prize!  Later!

What's wrong with bro-mance?

If I had tons of extraneous cash lying around, I'd probably go to the movies this weekend (somewhere between the NCAA March Madness games - a guy has priorities).  And one movie that has intrigued me since I saw the trailer months ago is I Love You, Man.  A tale of a guy (Paul Rudd) who needs a best man for his wedding but has no guy friends.  I'm assuming the hilarity ensues when he tries to find that guy friend, who finds that guy friend in an investor (Jason Segel).  The twist is how this relationship takes over the relationship Rudd has with his fiancee, so he must learn to balance between the two.

This hits close to home.  No, I have plenty of guy friends (although they're all more than an hour away... tear).  And I get to see my best bud every couple of weeks or so, especially since I'm in his wedding this summer.  But that's the whole thing, he's getting married.  Does that change things between us?  My boy and his fiancee have been together since I've been with the SO, so I've always felt that I can be myself around him even with the introduction of the SO in my life.  It's almost like J.D. and Turk...

Where was I?  Oh yeah, my boy and me.  How do you balance between the two best friends in your life, the guy who's been there since day 1 in college and the girl who knows you better than you know yourself?  I guess that's the part of growing up I never really thought about.  So I can have the SO AND the bro-mance (although Rudd and Segel hate the word, it's kinda catchy).  One of my other boys even asked when my BF and I were going to go on our bro-date to see the movie.  Hardi-har-har.

Of course I want to see it, but I'll wait until it's out on DVD.  Just something about that Freaks and Geeks cast.  Now there are exceptions (not too sure about Observe and Report... that might be a "wait until cable").  But I have a good feeling about I Love You, Man.  And hopefully, there will be no Segel man-part showing in this film like in Forgetting Sarah Marshall.  Loved that film, but don't need to see his... you know.  Not necessary, although his cereal bowl was awesome (and I mean a cereal bowl, so don't get any ideas what slang it is - it's not slang, his bowl was huge!).

So if you go see the film this weekend, think of me and my boy, J.D. and Turk, and all the other bro-mances out there that show two guys can be best buds even when their lives are changing around them.  Later!

Borders is EVIL!!!

Now I know why Friday the 13th is so bad...

So I got into lab this morning, just checking my e-mails before getting ready for a meeting and some lab work (I know, I actually had work to do instead of working on this blog... I know, how dare anything take me away from doing what I love!).  And then IT showed up...

An e-mail from Borders.  But not just any normal e-mail.  Usually it provides a 15-20% coupon good for any item in the store.  Sometimes it's 30-40% towards a book or CD.  But oh no, they went and did it... a 40% off any DVD box set!

I know, how dare they!  They know I'm trying to cut back on spending on those precious DVDs (although I did drive the SO to the yarn store today - $12 more to my DVD fund!).  And what do they do?  Two weeks before Andy Richter Controls the Universe comes out, they provide a coupon that would provide a lot of relief from a purchase like that.  Doing the math, the DVD costs $40.99 at Borders.  40% from that is $16.40, meaning it would cost $24.59...

Okay, so it's cheaper buying from Best Buy (or Amazon... oh Amazon, how I love thee), especially with the $5 gift certificate.  But for some reason, it's the whole "40 percent off one DVD box set" that has me happier than a stormtrooper NOT on either of the Death Stars, happier than J.D. in one of his daydreams, happier than... I'll stop there.  Can't show too much of my nerdiness in this post.

So is there anything I need in my collection that I don't already have?  Check my other blog, Tenacious Spoo in the List of DVDs to see what I have and what I do need.  You'll be a big help to me and you'll get the evil look from the SO.  Okay, so I'll get the evil look, too... okay, I'm getting it right now from her, even though she's across campus.  I can still feel it.  Scary.  I know.  Later!

Best Buy, you finally paid off!

Is there anything better than free money?  Okay, I guess it's not really free if you have to spend money to get it, but that's beside the point.  The point is... what was my point?

Oh yeah, so in the mail yesterday was a letter from Best Buy with a $5 gift certificate because I spend more money than our government on useless things (for me, it's DVDs, for the government, take your pick).  Which means... yes, that's five dollars that doesn't go against me in the DVD/Yarn and Shoes tug-of-war.  

Better news.  Because I took piano lessons when I was young, I qualify for an auditory study that pays $20 to sleep.  I know, that's freakin' awesome.  What's more awesome is that with the $5 gift certificate and the $20 from this study, that will cover the cost of Andy Richter Controls the Universe.  I know, awesome!

So, if I do the math right, I'm currently $8 in the positive, $5 that doesn't count against me, $20 that goes against me, that leads to... $12 in the negative!  I'd have to say that counts as a small victory.  Even in these hard economic times, this may turn out to be a quality purchase.  And it doesn't leave much for the SO to spend on her yarn and/or shoes... another small victory!  I'm so happy I could...

Or possibly...

Later!

Devastating...

That's the only word I can describe about Sunday.  No, it's not about how bad my team is doing in basketball or even the state of the economy...

On Sunday, we were without... CABLE!

AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

It was terrible, I came back from working in the lab around 2pm to have the SO tell me the cable wasn't working.  I didn't think much of it.  Thought I could just unplug and plug it back in and it would be fine.  Worked all the other times the cable was acting funny.  Not this time.  So I called the cable company, and they said the area was out and the service people were out working on it right now.

That was all fine and dandy, except it was out until 8:47pm!  I know, terrible...

And the worst thing?  Because there was no cable (and obviously no DVR), one of the movies I wanted to watch from TCM's 31 Days didn't get recorded!  I know, a travesty, a sham, a sham of a travesty!  So I won't be able to watch Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  Tear.

Luckily, Fox (and almost every network) posts episodes of their shows online, so we could watch "Simpsons" and "American Dad."  But it's hard to forgive the cable over Encounters.  Oh well, I'll just DVR it again, if it ever is on TCM again...

Sorry for the delay over this weekend's DVD review.  Been busy, and that's no excuse.  So it will be up and posted very soon, that's my guarantee.  Later!

And as a way of asking for forgiveness, I present you with this, something that describes me to a "T" (or whatever letter works in this situation... probably not "Q", that's got a bad rap... maybe "M"?  No, that's weird... how 'bout "S"?  I'll have to think about that one):