Established A.D. 2000, March 19. Now in our tenth calendar year! Number 471 (Vol. 10, No. 14). This edition is for the week of March 30--April 5, 2009.
Benchmarks
APRIL BIRTHDAYS Lonnie Dohlen, April 15, 40 yrs. Andrea Dean Von Scoyoc, April 17, 40 yrs.
Last week, as you recall, I drew attention to this homepage's 300,000th hit. What I failed to do in addition to that is also draw attention to this website's nine-year anniversary, which was March 19th!! This is the first time, I think, I ever forgot to mark the occasion, YIKES. So, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to us!
April Fool's Day
Every year I think about pulling some gag on here, but I suck at gags and am usually too afraid they will somehow backfire. Plus, I seem to be attracted to shock-type or morbid headlines, and I'd feel terrible if someone actually believed them. But one I keep nursing not like those deals with my premature retirement and who'd be taking over effective immediately. Since y'all know who that would likely be, it wouldn't be any surprise, so that's not any good either. So, once again, I'm bailing on the whole idea. Maybe next year.
About the New Three Stooges Movie
It was announced in the press last week (and in PCR via Mike's Rant) that a new movie is in the works starring a new Three Stooges, starring Benecio Del Toro (Moe), Sean Penn (Larry), and Jim Carrey (Curly). Much has been made about how none of these actors bear the slightest resemblance to the original Stooges (with the possible exception of Del Toro).
While I shudder to think about updating the Stooges this way as much as the next fanboy, I think the point was missed that the this is not intended to be a bio-pic. As I understand it, this is a new Three Stooges movie with different actors, therefore it is a....(gulp)....re-imagining. So what they look like appears to be only a passing concern.
That said, the whole texture of this excursion will be wholly different: the original Stooges, Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Jerome "Curly" Howard, were all short in height, all Jewish in background, and all from New York with the attendant accents. Most of their material came from Depression-era set-ups, usually the boys trying to find work, then fouling up anything they tried. The physical slap-stick comedy, so identified with the Stooges, would be glaringly out-of-place in today's market, to say nothing of being politically-incorrect on a massive scale (and outright litigious if kids try it at home). I hope the producers know what they're doing before they pay top-scale actors to try and re-create anything like the chemistry of ingenious, if low-budget, vaudevilleans.
Next they'll be trying to update Laurel and Hardy with Steve Carrel and Bob Hoskins. Uh-oh, maybe I shouldn't have said anything.
About the New Wolverine Movie
I received word that there is an internet download floating around already of the new X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie in its entirety, specifically a work-print. I don't think it's an April Fool's joke, but who knows. Anyway, word has it that it's dreadful and does not live up to the promising advance trailers. I hope this is somebody's idea of a joke, because if Wolverine tanks, that would pretty much kill the X-Men franchise.
Wolverine and the new Star Trek movie open within a week of each other in May. The fan buzz for Trek has been disappointly weak, but I'm going anyway. Same with Wolverine.
Politics
At the risk of getting my head bit off by those of you opposed to my discussing politics here on the homepage, I am compelled nonetheless to comment that we find ourselves in another extremely divisive time in American history, particulary regarding the measures being used to get us through this generation's Great Depression. I sincerely invite all readers to share their thoughts on this debacle via the Message Board, wherever you find the topic raging. And try and behave yourselves, I'm just looking for feedback on the Stimulus packages, the General Motors shake-up, and the like. Thanks.
Please consider making a donation to help support Crazed Fanboy! Click on the "donate" link below and give whatever you can. I sincerely thank you for any and all consideration.---Nolan
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