The Most Holy Order of Wayward Fans

8:37am: Hollywood Hijinks
First it was The Blair Witch Project, now it's The Fourth Kind. And it's just as "true" as Blair Witch.

7:40pm: A Real Ghost
Patrick Swayze has passed. He was a phenomenal actor. I remember To Wong Foo.., he was absolutely hilarious as was John Leguizamo and Wesley Snipes. However The Beast was quite powerful in its own way.

He was 2 years older than me. Scary to consider that.

My heart goes out to his family.

6:28pm: PSA Update 2 - Ben Kennedy aka Raymond Winters aka Tamaro Vani
Well I heard today that my ever so elusive buddy Ben Kennedy/Raymond Winters/Tamaro Vani is sending emails out of Sunnyvale Ca. Apparently business is not so good these days. The recession has hit us all. Ben/Ray/Tam is suffering and may be looking for a sugar momma to keep him afloat.

Forewarned is forearmed.

I said we'd find you and we are closer.

8:26am: An Invitation
The Prince is never one to be conventional. His invitation to see his new play illustrates this beautifully.

7:18pm: Another PSA - Bernard Brown
Know this guy? BernardBrown41@yahoo.com, AKA Bernardz1? Well if you run into this gentleman, who told me he is the son of a German national and an American woman, an d took her last name, and he is a civil engineer/international business consultant, located in central Illinois, then be forewarned. His IP address traces back to Ghana Africa. I won't swear to this on a stack of bibles, but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he is operating out of an Internet cafe in Accra or somewhere nearby.

11:00am: The Archon Back In Court?
The widow of Ken Kronberg, the former publisher for the Archon, has filed a lawsuit alleging harassment and libel against the Archon. For details see this post at Factnet. Hope the Prince is able to keep a low profile on this one. If it winds up at trial, and my money says it will, the tar and feathers will be flung widely. Regardless, justice for Molly, and belatedly for Ken, may be coming.

9:46pm: Prayers For The Prince
I understand the Prince cancelled the Las Vegas con for a family emergency. Details are unknown, so it could be anyone. It has also been claimed that his brother cancelled an appearance scheduled for today. His website doesn't show it, but it's possible. If so, a very serious situation indeed. I hope whatever it is works out OK.

10:49am: More Stage Work By The Prince
Hat tip to Marjanne

SOLITUDE

A World Premiere by the Latino Theater Company
"Mexicans drink to confess. Americans drink to forget..."
-Octavio Paz


Written By Evelina Fernandez
Directed by José Luis Valenzuela
Choreographed by Urbanie Lucero
Original Music by Semyon Kobialka
Produced by The Latino Theater Company

September 4 & 5, 8pm (Preview Dates)
September 9, 8pm (Opening)

September 10 - October 4
Thursday, Friday, Saturday 8pm
Saturday & Sunday 3pm

Theater 3

General Admission $35
Students & Seniors $15

Cast
Robert Beltran (Star Trek, Voyager, Big Love)
Evelina Fernandez (Luminarias, American Me)
Fidel Gomez (Walk Out, Luminarias, 7th Heaven)
Sal Lopez (Luminarias, American Me, Dementia)
Geoffrey Rivas (Luminarias, CSI)
Lucy Rodriguez (Dementia, ER)
Semyon Kobialka on Cello

On the day of the million immigrant march, Gabriel invites his old neighborhood friends over after his mother's funeral. As the wine pours and mambo explodes, they share secrets, cry together, laugh together, sing rancheras, dance and confess.
Buy Tickets & Showtimes

Or call the LATC Box Office
(213) 489-0994 ext.107

Greetings,
Marjanne Peters (Netherlands)

9:20pm: PSA Update - ISO Benjamin Kennedy, Raymond Winters and ???
Oh Tamaro Vani!!!!!! Where are you?

Back in May I wrote about my encounter with an impostor. Not something I ever care to repeat. However, imagine my surprise today when I received two, yes 2!, comments about my impostor. Both of my commenters met this clown at the same site. His story hasn't changed although his American name has. Fortunately, his M.O. hasn't changed much either and both commenters are hard after him and understandably annoyed.

We're going to find you Tamaro, oh yes, we will.

ETA:

Have you seen this picture? You have? What name was the guy using? Trust me, he's used 2 so far; Benjamin Kennedy and Raymond Winters, both in the Houston Texas area. He actually spoke to one of my commenters on the phone and has an Italian accent. So perhaps Tamaro Vani is his real name, but I am not betting the ranch on that. And if you are the poor schmuck whose picture has been co-opted by this guy, well I am sorry for you. I suggest you have a chat with your local law enforcement folks as to what recourse, if any, you may have.

7:36pm: The Hurt Locker
What he said! Saw it today. Totally awesome!!

9:18pm: Ice Age 3
I wish I had seen it in 3-D. It was hilarious. Sid and Mother Dinosaur echoed Donkey and Dragon in Shrek although no long term relationship was going to happen here. The flying sequence involving a flock of pterosaurs was outstanding. The aerial flight sequences of standard movies had nothing on this one.

The story begins with the impending birth of Manny and Ellie's bundle of joy. Sid and Diego are feeling left out and lonely, so Diego decides to take off for the life of a bachelor while Sid manages to become the surrogate parent to a trio of eggs, that hatch out little dinosaurs. Mother Dinosaur comes looking for her offspring and takes off with them, and Sid, to a veritable dinosaur haven under the ice. The rest come looking for Sid and we are off to the races and the real story. Once again the value of relationships is stressed as the 'herd' commences on their adventure to find Sid. And what an adventure! We meet the crazed weasel Buck (Simon Pegg) (who sounds Australian to me) who becomes the unlikely leader, with Crash and Eddie worshipping the ground he walks on. Buck lost an eye to the king of the dinosaur land, which he has named Rudy. Rudy hasn't forgotten Buck but you can't keep a good weasel down when he's in the middle of a death defying struggle. Whether he is piloting a pterosaur for the first time or swinging through the vines a la Tarzan, Buck is a character that can't be held back.

Children of a certain age will surely appreciate Crash and Eddie, their surrogates on film, most especially in a scene where noxious gases result in high pitched voices and the equivalent behavior of folks on nitrous oxide (laughing gas).

If you need a few belly laughs, this movie will make them happen.

6:38pm: The King of Pop
Michael Jackson died today. He was definitely a phenomenon, as well as a very complicated man with a strange way of living. CNN is flogging his life and death now, and apparently have been doing so for some time today. His bones will get picked over and picked clean by the media vultures long before he is buried. Brilliant yet troubled, his mark on music will last a long time.

Rest in peace O Gloved One.

2:46pm: Really an Angel
Farrah Fawcett has died. A sad thing, even though death finds us all in the end. She was 62, the same age as my father when he died 19 years ago. I remember Charlie's Angels, and while I envied Farrah for her great looks, I really wanted to be like Kate Jackson's character. I saw her in Small Sacrifices after reading the book by Ann Rule. Farrah was dead on in capturing the personality of Diane Downs, who was denied parole in December 2008.

I looked at the pictures at CNN and Farrah's beauty held up over time. It never really diminished. I wish her family, especially her son who is in a rehab program at the county jail, well.

8:24pm: AT LAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Patriotville is up for an outing in Las Vegas. So what about the rest of us?

9:36pm: Boleros for the Disenchanted
I made a special trip to San Francisco for this play, which was followed by a Q&A session with the actors.

Boleros is based on the real life experience of the playwright, Jose Rivera. The story takes place in Puerto Rico in the 1950s and Alabama in the 1990s. Rivera draws on his own life experience to tell this story.

Flora, a young woman of Miraflores, has had her heart broken by the womanizing Manuelo, arguably the town's biggest 'catch.' She meets Eusebio while visiting her cousin Petra and falls in love. Fast forward 39 years and we meet a Eusebio who is missing his legs, below the knee, has psoriasis and is otherwise dependent upon Flora for his life.

Robert Beltran portrays the alcoholic father of Flora, and the dependent, elder Eusebio. This is a deliberate decision of the playwright. Robert is wonderful as the alcoholic, if loving, Don Fermin who meets his future son-in-law while brandishing a machete. He is no less effective as the elder Eusebio who is living with his arrogance about his body; resulting in the amputation of both legs below the knees due to diabetes, and psoriasis throughout. He is finally struck down by a stroke, which leaves him struggling to speak. In the meantime, we are forced to recognize that the otherwise spiritual Flora is struggling with her own demons, created by Eusebio's philandering actions.

This was a fabulous play and I enjoyed every minute. The very end, when Flora offers Eusebio the opportunity for assisted suicide, with her joining him, literally brought tears to my eyes. As a former hospice volunteer it was not hard to recognize the love that drives a couple to consider options that might otherwise be ignored by the rest of us.

During the Q&A session a question came up regarding the cast's view of the characters and how they took the story into themselves. What was very interesting is that most of the cast either had Puerto Rican or multi-ethnic roots. All of them could relate to the characters.

The play's run ends on May 31.

ETA: For a detailed writeup, check out Rigel's work.

I don't know what is ahead for Robert, but I was reminded that he is a far better actor than some of the Sci-Fi movies might have suggested. It is a bit depressing to realize that he is better than the material I have seen on Sci-Fi. At the same time, it is gratifying to know that there are opportunities available beyond Sci-Fi. I am glad I made the journey to San Francisco.

2:43pm: Weather Report
Cool, some sun forecast for tomorrow and Monday. Not bad for this time of year, and pretty typical when you think about it. But that weather map for the rest of the country!! One big blob of rain and storms smack in the middle. That will put a damper on a lot of BBQ plans.

It's also the sort of stuff that drives pilots nuts (although this is what they really get paid for) as they bob and weave around the buildups and storm cells, with the Seatbelt sign lit nearly full time. That can be hard on passengers' bladders, especially if they are purchasing drinks. On the other hand, it can make for entertaining listening on Channel 9 if you are flying United Air Lines. The usual expanse of dead air between handoffs is instead punctuated by calls for deviations in this or that direction, requests for altitude changes as the air gets more turbulent (break out the air sickness bags!), and the general exasperation that comes from riding a roller coaster in mid-air. But it's spring!!! That's what you get at this time of year. C'est la vie!!

7:26am: It's Been Nearly 8 Years
I haven't ever seen the Prince perform live, aside from the Galaxy Ball.

8:00am: A PSA
I never cease to be amazed at the chutzpah of people looking to prey on the rest of us. They really do take it for granted that they will win and we will lose. I suppose the odds are in their favor since most of us don't go around with a permanently suspicious attitude about strangers. In mid-May I came across such a person, who uses the email address ben_kennedy4u@yahoo.com and can be found on Yahoo Messenger as Ben_Ben.

This person (I don't know that it is a guy) spun quite a tale as a 50ish Italian immigrant who became a naturalized citizen and changed his name so everyone would know he's an American now. His Italian name, Tamaro Vani (no I don't believe it), just wasn't good enough. Back in the old country his mother Adona and (grown) son Santo still live la dolce vita along with a brother and sister. Ben_Ben claimed he moved to Houston 6 years ago to get over the tragic death of his wife. Cue the violins maestro. In some alternate Houston a road construction and paving company, by the name of Kennedy and Associates Company Limited, is out building and patching the highways and byways. He owns that company in case you haven't figured it out. His own house has a pool and he has a male English bulldog about 4 years old. Now on its face he sounds like he could be a real standup citizen. Heck, he even sent me roses (to my mailing address not the home address). Wasn't that nice? They are very pretty and they even smell like roses should smell.

But I was suspicious throughout. The fact that Yahoo Messenger provided a trail to a Houston area woman called Foxy Lady raised the first flag. His story completely unraveled when he provided me with his claimed address. I had told him who I worked for, but I don't believe the implications fully registered. I went to work (on my own) with this information, and while there is a man with that name at the address, that is the only thing that checks out.

I have taken steps to notify all the sites where I encountered this person. I am not going to enable him (or her) by keeping silent. It's unfortunate that we have to work so hard to protect ourselves, but that is the price we must pay. I am posting this so that my readers can learn from my mistake.

ETA @10:30 AM - Chutzpah, you can never have too much. So I received an email response to my cutting this person off, in which he declares he loves me and not to believe what other people say. He totally does not get that he sunk his own ship.

4:35pm: Passengers
I finally watched Passengers. It is an interesting little thriller/ghost movie. Like Sixth Sense and Jacob's Ladder it deals with the questions of what is death and do we know when we are dead. I don't believe it was done as well as it could have been. The crash, the events on the plane, the setting itself were all fine. It was the acting that bothered me.

The psychologist, Claire, was just a bit too uptight and I never got the sense that she really unwound herself until the very end. The mystery or conspiracy regarding the other survivors didn't quite grab me, and I believe that was partly because I found Claire a bit offputting. Eric wasn't all that either. It became evident quite quickly that he was dead, but getting there was not half the fun it could have been. On the other hand, the revelation about Arkin, played by David Morse, was really well done. Morse himself was wonderful. He appears to be a very tight lipped, creepy acting airline employee who is behind the mystery and then we realize he is a wounded soul in pain for his perceived failure. In one scene Arkin travels from fierce conviction to near emotional breakdown, prevented only because he gets a grip on himself. Arkin holds himself responsible for the crash, and is unable to let go of his guilt. One has to wonder how long it will take for him to forgive himself and move on. .

Not a bad movie, but it could have been better.

9:29am: KA-CHINGGGG!!!!! KA-CHINGGG!!!!!!
Ah the sound of active cash registers, busily sucking in the dollars. $76M+ for the first weekend of Star Trek. Music to Paramount's ears. Unless something weird happens and traffic suddenly tanks, I would think they would make the $200M Paramount is expecting and more besides that.

9:36am: Star Trek XI
This movie will make a ton of money for Paramount. Roger Ebert offers his take on it all:

The new movie essentially intends to reboot the franchise with younger characters and carry on as before. The movie deals with narrative housekeeping. Perhaps the next one will engage these characters in a more challenging and devious story, one more about testing their personalities than re-establishing them. In the meantime, you want space opera, you got it.

My take - Star Trek as we know it is dead. Wrap your minds around that because Abrams has killed it off. The dialogue in Star Trek XI is unequivocal about it and makes the statement that this is an alternate reality created by the arrival of Nero (young Spock describes the situation). If Abrams intends something else he is saving it for a sequel, but I don't think that will happen. He was determined to start the franchise over and he surely has.

It is a slam bang action film that never lets up, even in the slower spots. For a demographic that moves at light speed it is perfect. For the Trek fans that don't, it can be fun except for those who see this as heretical since they are wedded to the previous canon. Trust me on this, nothing that we saw before can happen as it did with this new timeline. This is not the Mirror Universe or some parallel timeline as some fans fondly wish. The arrival of the original Spock and Nero, which is accidental, changes everything.

I saw it twice, on Wednesday and on Thursday, and I enjoyed it the first time. The second time I was paying closer attention to the details, although I did miss the Tribble. Zachary Quinto as Spock, and Karl Urban as Bones are outstanding. Chris Pine will have to grow on me. I am not impressed by the soundtrack. Alex Courage's theme pops up for a nanosecond in a couple of scenes, and never gets heard in full until the end credits. The new theme, if that is what it was, sounds like a riff from The 13th Warrior.

( Here there be spoilers in amazing detail, and my take on the wisdom of Abram's choices. )

All that said, no matter how you slice it this is the equivalent of moving from Windows XP to Windows Vista. The logo is the same but the guts have changed. Whether or not you like the change will depend on how much you need the original canon to stay intact. For me, I want to see if Abrams create a film that has more to it than cool SFX and lots of noise and excitement. That stuff wears off pretty quickly. Much as I enjoyed this film the franchise needs more than what we first saw. Ebert is right, Abrams has set the stage for the next film. I will be interested in what he does with it.

8:44am: Star Trek Is Dead - Long Live Star Trek?
Over at The Chicago Tribune we have a review of Star Trek XI (spoiler alert!!). It got 3 starts and I know that the rating system goes higher than that. Four I think. Reading through the review, which omits Leonard Nimoy altogether, I found these comments to be the most interesting:

The cerebral philosophical dilemmas from the original Gene Roddenberry-created series? Those belong to the mists of time. Director J.J. Abrams’ merrily assaultive reboot, heavy on the iPod- and iPhone-friendly close-ups even in the action scenes, is more “Star Wars” than “Star Trek,”......

and

The film may not be memorable science fiction, but it’s an engaging pop diversion. If Abrams can learn to appreciate the value of an occasional medium shot, all the better. And considering those vicious brain-slugs administered aurally in “Khan” are administered orally in this latest “Star Trek,” I’m not sure I want to know where they’re heading in the sequel.

I am going to a screening tonight with a free pass, which means I won't necessarily get in. No worries, I have a reserved seat for tomorrow. In everything I have read to date about the movie it is clear that Abrams didn't just 'reboot' the franchise. What happened to Trek is the equivalent of dumping Windows XP for Windows Vista. I will have more to say after I see the movie.

5:32pm: Hobbit Update
The latest from Empire Films. It's going to be a bit of a long wait.

5:23pm: Viggo
From The Guardian, an interview with Viggo Mortenson. I really like this interview, it gets into the person more than most. The movie also sounds very interesting. Hope it shows up here in the US.

8:40pm: Fan Movies
And you thought that only happened in Star Trek? HA!!! Check out this trailer for The Hunt for Gollum. Star Trek New Voyages showed us what could be done in the Trek-verse. Now we see what can be done in the LOTR-verse.