Mike Browne’s Blog

CBC Arts: ‘Karate Kid’ star Pat Morita dies at 73
Goodbye Mr Miyagi/Arnold.

I went to Seattle on Sunday and on Monday morning I went hunting for the elusive White Moose with my friends Erik (aka Zardoz of crappy movie fame) and Joe (aka Treacherous). It was a scary day but we came out victorious. The pictures folowing were taken by both myself and Zar. If you have the stomach you may continue on but beware, there be carnage ahead.
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CBC Nova Scotia – No ‘holiday’ tree for this grower

This is getting ridiculous. Society has gone completely mental. If someone is offended by the word ‘Christmas’ they need to give their heads a shake. I don’t consider myself a chiristian but still celebrate Christmas. I don’t celebrate holiday. I know, I know it has the word christ in it and has been a part of a ‘christian’ (whatever the hell that means this week) holiday since the seventh century. This fear of offending someone with a word like Christmas is getting far out of hand. I would understand were it a hate-filled racist word, but it isn’t. Its just a word that means ‘the day I get presents’, that’s all. Heck, if we really want to get nitpicky, the word holiday is based on the term ‘holy day’ and a holy day denotes one religion or another so holiday is out to. What should one call it then? How about saying, Happy December 25th? I mean the word December comes from the Roman word for ten, so unless nine and eleven are offended I think we have a winner.

I’m grateful that we can say Merry Christmas to people here if we wish to. When Carol and her family lived in Saudi Arabia they weren’t allowed to say Merry Christmas in any banners displayed publically and artificial Christmas trees had to be smuggled into the country.

What’s next? Santa Claus? Santa Claus is a shortened form of Saint Nicolas. That’s right… another christian thing… I can picture the song now:

Here comes the obese redsuited man,
Here comes the obese redsuited man,
Right down obese redsuited man lane…

Political correctness taken to this extreme is pretty silly.

Ferguson Safety Products: Safe clothes & blankets for suicidal inmates in jails and prisons

Mommy, why is Santa in a suicide smock?

Birth-mom Dianne, a volunteer firefighter with the Berwick Fire Department sent me some photos of fire practice and them burning an old home. The pitures are great and remind me of the days when I was a member of the Junior Fire Department (actually Deputy Chief at one point) in the Bridgewater Fire Department. Strange how the biggest memory I have is of the smell of the firehall, the hoses the trucks etc. I miss it. If I still lived in Bridgewater I’d have most likely become a volunteer firefighter as some of the my friends moved on to. I really miss it.

There are more of the pictures Dianne sent after the jump —–>
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Monster House is coming and it looks pretty cool. According to this article at TheMovieBlog.com the trailer is up at Apple Trailers. Also mentioned in the article is concern with Spielberg and Zemeckis, the Executive Producers, being mentioned more prominently than the director who happens to be a first timer.

It is the business of show after all and marketing is marketing (evil until the end), but have we become so jaded and paranoid that we think Hollywood will always lead us down the garden path? I’m beginning to think moreso than not. But, that said, I’m not sure the negative thought is entirely the best one in this situation.

There’s no “fooling” with those two up front. In my experience Exec Producers can be either completely hands off or watch very closely. I’m sure Spielberg wouldn’t negotiate for his name to be featured so prominently if he weren’t involved in some way, and heavily. My bet is that he and Zemeckis had this project kicking about, one of them knew the newbie and want to give him a shot.

Spielberg to Zemeckis: “Let’s see what this kid can do.”

Mr Kenan is probably being watched so closely that he needs to be escorted to the bathroom outside the editing suite by a Zemeckis/Spielberg rep taking notes on whether it was numbers one or two and how long it took. Time is money.

Moustapha Akkad, producer of all 8 Halloween movies has been killed in Amman Jordan in a bomb blast at one of three five star hotels involved in the series of deadly explosions. According to some very early reports the bomb had been placed in a false ceiling in the hotel.

From Variety.com:

Producer dies from bomb injuries
Akkad, “Halloween” exec producer, was attending wedding at hotel in Amman, Jordan

LONDON — Moustapha Akkad, the executive producer of all eight “Halloween” films, has died from injuries he sustained in the Jordan hotel bomb blasts.
Akkad directed three pics including the $17 million budgeted “The Message” (1976) about the birth of Islam. The English-lingo film, starring Anthony Quinn as the prophet’s uncle Hamza, was complicated by its adherence to Islam’s ban on showing images of Muhammad.

Akkad also directed “Lion of the Desert,” a stirring film about Libyan anti-colonial resistance to Italian oppressors between 1911 and 1931. Anthony Quinn played resistance leader Omar Mukhtar with John Gielgud and Oliver Reed also starring.

In addition to the eight “Halloween” pics, Akkad exec produced largely forgotten horror “Appointment with Fear” (1985) and comedy “Free Ride” (1986.)

The U.S. national who lived in Lebanon had travelled to Amman for a wedding. The bomb also claimed the life of his daugh-ter Rima Akkad Monia.

Young Hannibal Starts Filming in Czech Republic – MoviesOnline

Thomas Harris, author of Silence of the Lambs, has written the film, and Peter Webber, director of Girl with a Pearl Earring is at the helm. It might not be too bad, but the publicity still accompanying the article gives me that PG-13 horror kind of feeling. I sure hope this isn’t just an attempt to squeeze out some more cash from a well loved movie franchise. You know it is. They don’t call it “show business” for nothing.

Poultrygeist! Attack of the Chicken Zombies

I just can’t wait until I can get this in the 99 cent bin at the video store.