It was birthday on Thursday – May 29th, which is also the birthday of Patrick Henry, Bob Hope and JFK. I turned 54 and feel many days like Tommy Lee Jones' character in "No Country for Old Men."
At a time when I think I should have a handle on understanding many things in life, there appears to be so much that is just incomprehensible.
The house next to us has been abandoned. It is supposedly in foreclosure although a check with the Registry of Deeds didn't indicate that action has been taken yet. So you knows who is responsible for the property.
Here's the series of puzzling events: The people who own it (?) left the house unlocked and with the electricity on. Young people have already vandalized the house with gang graffiti. Our across -the street-neighbor put his trash into that house's trash can, rather than his own and apparently put an old wooden toy box on the sidewalk for pick-up despite the fact the garbage guys wouldn't pick it up.
Local kids then smashed the toy box into separate boards and made a bike ramp out of it. At some point someone smashed the debris more and spread it all over the sidewalk and street.
My wife and I cleaned up the debris and the city, at my request, sealed up the house.
There are so unnecessary screw-you actions in this little urban drama. It's difficult to view people as essentially good when so many of them do things that are petty and mean-spirited.
Oh well... hey at least Mary got me a hell of present – a turntable that converts vinyl recordings into digital files. I don;t listen to my vinyl very much but I've got a lot of recordings I love and this will enable me to convert them into a more desirable format.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
Since I was in talk radio back in the 1980s, I've raised money and – hopefully – awareness locally for the issue of domestic violence.
Now I didn't see domestic violence at home. My parents may have fought, but there was neither the emotional or phsysical abuse one associates with domestic violence. The issue just seemed so damn wrong and so preventable to me and yet one that just didn't get the attention it needed.
Domestic violence has tragically touched our lives as my wife's closest cousin was murdered by her husband. It will be just a year ago in July.
The event was so unreal, so hurtful that family members still have trouble dealing with it today.
The government of Massachusetts in under much pressure from a wide variety of interests to see certain programs and initiatives funded. I hope the Legislature and the governor do the right thing and respond to the increasing levels of domestic violence in this state by giving shelters and prevention programs more resources.
Massachusetts has a terrible distinction shared by no other state: a doubling in the number of deaths from domestic violence.
This increase has prompted the Western Massachusetts members of a statewide coalition to call more funding of services for the victims of domestic violence.
Meeting in the offices of Womanshelter/Companeras the domestic violence shelter that services much of Hampden and Hampshire counties Womanshelter Executive Director Karen Cavanaugh, along with the directors of Safe Passage in Northampton, Everywoman's Center from the University of Massachusetts and the new England Learning Center for Women in Transition, called for support of budget amendments that would add state funding for domestic violence services and domestic violence and sexual assault prevention and treatment services.
Cavanaugh said, for years, domestic violence programs have either been level-funded or have been decreased.
In 2005 there were 15 murders from domestic violence. That figure has increased to 42 in 2007, according to information supplied by Jane Doe Inc., the state's coalition against sexual assault and domestic violence. The group also reported that year to date, there have been 17 murders in the Commonwealth and there has also been an increase in sexual assault.
No one understands why Massachusetts alone has seen this kind of increase, Cavanaugh added.
Cavanaugh said that programs such as the ones operated by the four groups save lives by allowing women and their children to escape from dangerous situations. Additional funding would not only allow more people to be served, but help publicize that programs exist.
According to Jane Doe Inc., due to the long term impact on funding cuts from domestic violence programs only one in seven women has the chance of finding an emergency shelter.
Cavanaugh said according to recent statistics, the vast majority of the domestic violence murder victims have not been connected to a domestic violence program.
"There are people we aren't reaching because we don't have the resources to be there," Cavanaugh said.
Mary Anne Winters of the Everywoman Center said additional funding would help more advocates for victims in courts and hospitals.
"Collectively as a society we need to make the choice to support safety," she said.
Last year, the 18-member staff at Womanshelter provided 1,000 people with "face-to-face" service, Cavanaugh said. There were 4,000 calls on the agency's hotline.
Eighty-six percent of the agency's operating budget goes for paying for core services, she added.
"It really is time for more than just sympathy from the Legislature," Cavanaugh said. "I understand the state has fiscal concerns but we need to prioritize."
Women seeking help should call Womanshelter's 24-hour hotline at 1-877-536-1628.
Massachusetts has a terrible distinction shared by no other state: a doubling in the number of deaths from domestic violence.
This increase has prompted the Western Massachusetts members of a statewide coalition to call more funding of services for the victims of domestic violence.
Meeting in the offices of Womanshelter/Companeras the domestic violence shelter that services much of Hampden and Hampshire counties Womanshelter Executive Director Karen Cavanaugh, along with the directors of Safe Passage in Northampton, Everywoman's Center from the University of Massachusetts and the new England Learning Center for Women in Transition, called for support of budget amendments that would add state funding for domestic violence services and domestic violence and sexual assault prevention and treatment services.
Cavanaugh said, for years, domestic violence programs have either been level-funded or have been decreased.
In 2005 there were 15 murders from domestic violence. That figure has increased to 42 in 2007, according to information supplied by Jane Doe Inc., the state's coalition against sexual assault and domestic violence. The group also reported that year to date, there have been 17 murders in the Commonwealth and there has also been an increase in sexual assault.
No one understands why Massachusetts alone has seen this kind of increase, Cavanaugh added.
Cavanaugh said that programs such as the ones operated by the four groups save lives by allowing women and their children to escape from dangerous situations. Additional funding would not only allow more people to be served, but help publicize that programs exist.
According to Jane Doe Inc., due to the long term impact on funding cuts from domestic violence programs only one in seven women has the chance of finding an emergency shelter.
Cavanaugh said according to recent statistics, the vast majority of the domestic violence murder victims have not been connected to a domestic violence program.
"There are people we aren't reaching because we don't have the resources to be there," Cavanaugh said.
Mary Anne Winters of the Everywoman Center said additional funding would help more advocates for victims in courts and hospitals.
"Collectively as a society we need to make the choice to support safety," she said.
Last year, the 18-member staff at Womanshelter provided 1,000 people with "face-to-face" service, Cavanaugh said. There were 4,000 calls on the agency's hotline.
Eighty-six percent of the agency's operating budget goes for paying for core services, she added.
"It really is time for more than just sympathy from the Legislature," Cavanaugh said. "I understand the state has fiscal concerns but we need to prioritize."
Women seeking help should call Womanshelter's 24-hour hotline at 1-877-536-1628.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
Now I didn't see domestic violence at home. My parents may have fought, but there was neither the emotional or phsysical abuse one associates with domestic violence. The issue just seemed so damn wrong and so preventable to me and yet one that just didn't get the attention it needed.
Domestic violence has tragically touched our lives as my wife's closest cousin was murdered by her husband. It will be just a year ago in July.
The event was so unreal, so hurtful that family members still have trouble dealing with it today.
The government of Massachusetts in under much pressure from a wide variety of interests to see certain programs and initiatives funded. I hope the Legislature and the governor do the right thing and respond to the increasing levels of domestic violence in this state by giving shelters and prevention programs more resources.
Massachusetts has a terrible distinction shared by no other state: a doubling in the number of deaths from domestic violence.
This increase has prompted the Western Massachusetts members of a statewide coalition to call more funding of services for the victims of domestic violence.
Meeting in the offices of Womanshelter/Companeras the domestic violence shelter that services much of Hampden and Hampshire counties Womanshelter Executive Director Karen Cavanaugh, along with the directors of Safe Passage in Northampton, Everywoman's Center from the University of Massachusetts and the new England Learning Center for Women in Transition, called for support of budget amendments that would add state funding for domestic violence services and domestic violence and sexual assault prevention and treatment services.
Cavanaugh said, for years, domestic violence programs have either been level-funded or have been decreased.
In 2005 there were 15 murders from domestic violence. That figure has increased to 42 in 2007, according to information supplied by Jane Doe Inc., the state's coalition against sexual assault and domestic violence. The group also reported that year to date, there have been 17 murders in the Commonwealth and there has also been an increase in sexual assault.
No one understands why Massachusetts alone has seen this kind of increase, Cavanaugh added.
Cavanaugh said that programs such as the ones operated by the four groups save lives by allowing women and their children to escape from dangerous situations. Additional funding would not only allow more people to be served, but help publicize that programs exist.
According to Jane Doe Inc., due to the long term impact on funding cuts from domestic violence programs only one in seven women has the chance of finding an emergency shelter.
Cavanaugh said according to recent statistics, the vast majority of the domestic violence murder victims have not been connected to a domestic violence program.
"There are people we aren't reaching because we don't have the resources to be there," Cavanaugh said.
Mary Anne Winters of the Everywoman Center said additional funding would help more advocates for victims in courts and hospitals.
"Collectively as a society we need to make the choice to support safety," she said.
Last year, the 18-member staff at Womanshelter provided 1,000 people with "face-to-face" service, Cavanaugh said. There were 4,000 calls on the agency's hotline.
Eighty-six percent of the agency's operating budget goes for paying for core services, she added.
"It really is time for more than just sympathy from the Legislature," Cavanaugh said. "I understand the state has fiscal concerns but we need to prioritize."
Women seeking help should call Womanshelter's 24-hour hotline at 1-877-536-1628.
Massachusetts has a terrible distinction shared by no other state: a doubling in the number of deaths from domestic violence.
This increase has prompted the Western Massachusetts members of a statewide coalition to call more funding of services for the victims of domestic violence.
Meeting in the offices of Womanshelter/Companeras the domestic violence shelter that services much of Hampden and Hampshire counties Womanshelter Executive Director Karen Cavanaugh, along with the directors of Safe Passage in Northampton, Everywoman's Center from the University of Massachusetts and the new England Learning Center for Women in Transition, called for support of budget amendments that would add state funding for domestic violence services and domestic violence and sexual assault prevention and treatment services.
Cavanaugh said, for years, domestic violence programs have either been level-funded or have been decreased.
In 2005 there were 15 murders from domestic violence. That figure has increased to 42 in 2007, according to information supplied by Jane Doe Inc., the state's coalition against sexual assault and domestic violence. The group also reported that year to date, there have been 17 murders in the Commonwealth and there has also been an increase in sexual assault.
No one understands why Massachusetts alone has seen this kind of increase, Cavanaugh added.
Cavanaugh said that programs such as the ones operated by the four groups save lives by allowing women and their children to escape from dangerous situations. Additional funding would not only allow more people to be served, but help publicize that programs exist.
According to Jane Doe Inc., due to the long term impact on funding cuts from domestic violence programs only one in seven women has the chance of finding an emergency shelter.
Cavanaugh said according to recent statistics, the vast majority of the domestic violence murder victims have not been connected to a domestic violence program.
"There are people we aren't reaching because we don't have the resources to be there," Cavanaugh said.
Mary Anne Winters of the Everywoman Center said additional funding would help more advocates for victims in courts and hospitals.
"Collectively as a society we need to make the choice to support safety," she said.
Last year, the 18-member staff at Womanshelter provided 1,000 people with "face-to-face" service, Cavanaugh said. There were 4,000 calls on the agency's hotline.
Eighty-six percent of the agency's operating budget goes for paying for core services, she added.
"It really is time for more than just sympathy from the Legislature," Cavanaugh said. "I understand the state has fiscal concerns but we need to prioritize."
Women seeking help should call Womanshelter's 24-hour hotline at 1-877-536-1628.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
The toughest thing about writing a book is once it is published and there's some initial publicity activity it just sits there. It's like fishing. You hope you cast your lure in the right direction.
There has been little critical interest in my book "Escape! How Animation Broke into the Mainstream in the 1990s," which has been a tad disheartening. I'm grateful for the plugs Michael Sporn and Jerry Beck have made of the book.
Leonard Maltin has now given me a very nice review for which I deeply grateful.
He wrote," Mike Dobbs has been an astute and enthusiastic observer of the animation scene for several decades. For this book, he has collected columns originally written for Animato! and Animation Planet magazines (many of which have been revised). The collection offers an immediate and broad-based look at films, TV shows, trends, and key figures in the field, including interviews with everyone from South Park’s Trey Parker and Matt Stone and one-man-band Bill Plympton to such voice artists as Popeye’s Jack Mercer. "
I ain't lying – here's the link
Thanks Leonard!
There has been little critical interest in my book "Escape! How Animation Broke into the Mainstream in the 1990s," which has been a tad disheartening. I'm grateful for the plugs Michael Sporn and Jerry Beck have made of the book.
Leonard Maltin has now given me a very nice review for which I deeply grateful.
He wrote," Mike Dobbs has been an astute and enthusiastic observer of the animation scene for several decades. For this book, he has collected columns originally written for Animato! and Animation Planet magazines (many of which have been revised). The collection offers an immediate and broad-based look at films, TV shows, trends, and key figures in the field, including interviews with everyone from South Park’s Trey Parker and Matt Stone and one-man-band Bill Plympton to such voice artists as Popeye’s Jack Mercer. "
I ain't lying – here's the link
Thanks Leonard!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Scenes from a roast...The Valley Press Club – the only press club in the state – conducted its annual roast of politicians and vice versa recently and I have to say that it was one of the best yet, even though I was a performer! Hey I got laughs and I was only sorry the pols I lambasted had left at that point with the exception of the mayor of Springrield who received my good sport award.
John O'Brien of Rock102, big time radio guy and a pretty funny dude performed a monologue.
Our emcee was vet TV newsman Jim Polito, who now has a gig on WTAG in his hometown of Worcester as the morning guy. A great and respected investigative reporter, Jim was one of the two reasons people watched our local ABC affiliate and was recently canned by the new station owner. Having been fired three times in my career, I know that however unfair or unwarranted it may be unfortunately it's part of the landscape of working in media.
Here's the other reason people have watched the ABC station – (left) Ray Hershel, who attended his first press club event and got roasted for his legendary perfect hair. Here his locks are being compared to those worn by the mayor of Springfield (center) Domenic Sarno. Leading the judging is Mike Bissonnette the mayor of Chicopee. Ray won.
And here's me on stage delivering a bit on the "Valley Press Club Book of the Month program" in which subscribers will receive books written by local authors such as "Mike Bissonnette's Guide to Credit Card Management." That mayor recently had to deal with $80,000 in debt at his law practice. Similar jokes followed that lampooned local folks.
Photos courtesy of Brian Zelasko
John O'Brien of Rock102, big time radio guy and a pretty funny dude performed a monologue.
Our emcee was vet TV newsman Jim Polito, who now has a gig on WTAG in his hometown of Worcester as the morning guy. A great and respected investigative reporter, Jim was one of the two reasons people watched our local ABC affiliate and was recently canned by the new station owner. Having been fired three times in my career, I know that however unfair or unwarranted it may be unfortunately it's part of the landscape of working in media.
Here's the other reason people have watched the ABC station – (left) Ray Hershel, who attended his first press club event and got roasted for his legendary perfect hair. Here his locks are being compared to those worn by the mayor of Springfield (center) Domenic Sarno. Leading the judging is Mike Bissonnette the mayor of Chicopee. Ray won.
And here's me on stage delivering a bit on the "Valley Press Club Book of the Month program" in which subscribers will receive books written by local authors such as "Mike Bissonnette's Guide to Credit Card Management." That mayor recently had to deal with $80,000 in debt at his law practice. Similar jokes followed that lampooned local folks.
Photos courtesy of Brian Zelasko
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The only indie bookstore in Springfield closed down recently, throwing many people into another cycle of saying that downtown Springfield is dying. I wrote the following in the papers I edit:
The naysayers will be out in droves talking about downtown Springfield, wearing sackcloths, covering themselves in ashes and moaning now that two stores are leaving Tower Square and that that is an indication of how the downtown has slipped.
Let me ask you prophets of doom and gloom, vultures who enjoy the taste of carrion, how many times did you shop downtown? How often do you make the decision to patronize a locally owned business, instead of heading to a mall or big box store?
If we want local business to succeed then we actually have to patronize local businesses. That might take a bit of an effort, but isn't it worth it?
Instead of heading to that uber-mart to buy produce year-round, why don't you go to a farmers market, farm stand or a locally owned supermarket that features local goods? Why not go to a locally owned bookstore oops, too late for Springfield and buy there instead of going to a big box?
The retail environment can't be based solely on national chains. It's not good for us as consumers, as entrepreneurs or employees.
The closing of Edwards Books at Tower Square should be a wake-up call for all of us who actually want small local businesses to prosper.
Is the new vision of this country a third world debtor nation where we import all of our consumer goods from a dictatorship that keeps labor costs cheap? A country where corporate interests have squeezed out independents? A nation that no longer has the opportunities for personal advancement as it once did?
Hey who the hell cares? Right? Let's all find out what Britney is doing! And where in the frickin' world is Matt Lauer?! And what has Oprah just given her audience?!
It's bread and circus time, baby!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
The following is part of my rant in the weekly papers I edit that sort of dovetails into my previous post. I can see by the comments my Sunday post generated it was a barn-burner – and yes Dogboy we need to talk! Happy trip to you and the Mrs.!
Perhaps media criticism in a market our size isn't the most comment-worthy thing I could write about, but I really believe this country has been lured into a political inertia and the kind of journalism most people are exposed to is part of the reason.
I think there is a lot of hopelessness concerning our various levels of government and that feeling has been translated into a lack of participation for some and a sort of selfishness for others. As long as my cow isn't being gored then leave me alone and let me watch a reality show.
One of my ex-bosses at the college where I spent seven miserable years doing public relations amused himself greatly with a phrase he claimed he coined: "F*ck you, I've got mine." That seems to be a feeling that runs through American society today.
While I'm happy that record numbers of people have enrolled to vote due to the Democratic Primary, I can only hope that these same new voters turn up at neighborhood meetings and at City Council sessions as well as demand more from their local press. The way to do that is with positive reinforcement: tell the advertisers of the media you consumer and like you're a customer because of that outlet. Then write the editor and publisher to tell them you did that. And include some suggestions for stories and improvement.
My e-mail is down and I'm up against deadline, so forgive me as my mind is wandering a bit. Here are some bits and pieces that are floating to the surface through the chaos:
One of the biggest variables in the news business is whether or not an event is a "story." Last week a reporter from CBS3 and I were the only media at a presentation of a $25,000 donation to the construction of a new playground at the Glickman School in Springfield.
Now the school has never had a playground and this generous donation when matched with city funds and those raised by parents and students will give literally thousands of students in the years to come a safe, modern place to play.
Now isn't that a story? So why did other media outlets skip it?
I was the only reporter that I could see at least at Craig Della Penna's presentation about river walks and greenways at Chicopee Comp last week. Chicopee has three river walk projects pending and Della Penna's presentation was certainly a strong argument for them.
Wasn't that a story, too?
For me, a story has to be something that will attract the attention of readers, give them some information they might not be able to ferret out on their own and allow them to react: celebrating, wanting to participate in or protesting an event or situation.
For me, seeing footage of a fire may not necessarily be news in the sense of how many people that story can affect. And the local TV folks love to show us overnight footage of fire and car wrecks.
Why? Well, it's relatively inexpensive to produce. It is potentially crime- and death-oriented, which is huge for television news.
Hey, everyone is strapped for cash in the news business these days. There are plenty of things my staff and I can't get to just because we've run out of time. The events we do cover we feel are important ones that reflect the life of the 13 communities where these newspapers are read.
I've heard television news directors here say that people don't want good news. What they want is crime, money and weather. Good news is just a sideline to the types of news consultants say people want to see.
Are these the same consultants who tell NBC we really want to see the national news time on the "Today" show wasted on Britney and Lindsay crap?
So is my approach to news wrong? Well, our papers are read, we're selling advertising and when people come to our Web site they go to an average of 12 pages.
So folks, if a member of our News Department is the only one who turns up at your event, please know that we and our readers and advertisers think your story is important, even if it doesn't involve a car crash.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
Perhaps media criticism in a market our size isn't the most comment-worthy thing I could write about, but I really believe this country has been lured into a political inertia and the kind of journalism most people are exposed to is part of the reason.
I think there is a lot of hopelessness concerning our various levels of government and that feeling has been translated into a lack of participation for some and a sort of selfishness for others. As long as my cow isn't being gored then leave me alone and let me watch a reality show.
One of my ex-bosses at the college where I spent seven miserable years doing public relations amused himself greatly with a phrase he claimed he coined: "F*ck you, I've got mine." That seems to be a feeling that runs through American society today.
While I'm happy that record numbers of people have enrolled to vote due to the Democratic Primary, I can only hope that these same new voters turn up at neighborhood meetings and at City Council sessions as well as demand more from their local press. The way to do that is with positive reinforcement: tell the advertisers of the media you consumer and like you're a customer because of that outlet. Then write the editor and publisher to tell them you did that. And include some suggestions for stories and improvement.
My e-mail is down and I'm up against deadline, so forgive me as my mind is wandering a bit. Here are some bits and pieces that are floating to the surface through the chaos:
One of the biggest variables in the news business is whether or not an event is a "story." Last week a reporter from CBS3 and I were the only media at a presentation of a $25,000 donation to the construction of a new playground at the Glickman School in Springfield.
Now the school has never had a playground and this generous donation when matched with city funds and those raised by parents and students will give literally thousands of students in the years to come a safe, modern place to play.
Now isn't that a story? So why did other media outlets skip it?
I was the only reporter that I could see at least at Craig Della Penna's presentation about river walks and greenways at Chicopee Comp last week. Chicopee has three river walk projects pending and Della Penna's presentation was certainly a strong argument for them.
Wasn't that a story, too?
For me, a story has to be something that will attract the attention of readers, give them some information they might not be able to ferret out on their own and allow them to react: celebrating, wanting to participate in or protesting an event or situation.
For me, seeing footage of a fire may not necessarily be news in the sense of how many people that story can affect. And the local TV folks love to show us overnight footage of fire and car wrecks.
Why? Well, it's relatively inexpensive to produce. It is potentially crime- and death-oriented, which is huge for television news.
Hey, everyone is strapped for cash in the news business these days. There are plenty of things my staff and I can't get to just because we've run out of time. The events we do cover we feel are important ones that reflect the life of the 13 communities where these newspapers are read.
I've heard television news directors here say that people don't want good news. What they want is crime, money and weather. Good news is just a sideline to the types of news consultants say people want to see.
Are these the same consultants who tell NBC we really want to see the national news time on the "Today" show wasted on Britney and Lindsay crap?
So is my approach to news wrong? Well, our papers are read, we're selling advertising and when people come to our Web site they go to an average of 12 pages.
So folks, if a member of our News Department is the only one who turns up at your event, please know that we and our readers and advertisers think your story is important, even if it doesn't involve a car crash.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
Sunday, May 18, 2008
"The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. But I should mean that every man should receive those papers and be capable of reading them." --Thomas Jefferson to Edward Carrington, 1787
"The only security of all is in a free press. The force of public opinion cannot be resisted when permitted freely to be expressed. The agitation it produces must be submitted to. It is necessary, to keep the waters pure." --Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, 1823
I’m a Jeffersonian type of guy. I believe in the need for a free and healthy press to provide people with information and a vehicle for the exchange of opinions as a foundation for a working republic.
But even on a local scale such as the one in Springfield Massachusetts that’s an iffy proposition.
I’ve pretty much given up on national television to actually give us necessary information. The boiled-down to a sound bite story now competes for time with whatever stupid thing some celebrity is doing resulting in a battle of feeble news elements.
My real concern is with local media. It’s in bad shape. Does the local press give people the necessary vehicle they need to be informed citizens?
Let’s take my hometown of Springfield and its media market as an example. It’s a medium-sized market that has seen outlets for local news shrink and disappear. Much of this has had to do with two on-going trends: the displacement of a local advertising base with one dominated by non-advertising chains and the acquisition of media outlets by outside conglomerates.
Lack of advertising killed off the daily newspaper in Holyoke. A group of investors with no vision deep-sixed the area’s first and dominant local talk station WREB. The corporate dominance in local commercial radio by Clear Channel has resulted in many years of what I call “angry white guy radio” with relatively little local content and only one political point of view.
I’ve welcomed the emergence of progressive radio on one station, WHMP, but even that station has only a few hours of local programming and no local call-in shows.
The local PBS station does have local television programming something the commercial stations have abandoned other than the local “newscasts.” The local NPR station does a bare minimum of local news and basically ignores the largest part of its market, the city of Springfield. The Albany, NY, station WAMC has made a commitment to our news that is quite admirable.
It’s interesting to note that talk radio experts I’ve heard speak all say that a good local call-in show will beat a syndicated one. People want local content.
The dominant regional daily paper, The Republican, has gone through a series of lay-off and cutbacks that has affected the scope and depth of its coverage. The spin-off company of theirs that produces their Web site, MassLive, is based on an economic model that requires free content or content paid for by the newspaper. That’s a bad model right there.
The Republican has become a five-minute read most days. Ironically, there are still plenty of good writers there who are capable of very good reporting.
The Republican has through many years of ham-handed political interference and attempts at king making has made itself suspect when it comes to the coverage of local politics.
Its weakness has allowed the growth of local weeklies, such as the ones I edit. We, too, feel the crunch of the changes in the advertising base and as a weekly can only do so many stories as compared to the daily. Yet we frequently beat the daily in covering stories. I keep a file of their swipes from us.
Our advertisers say they get results and our papers are well read according to independent audits, but I would hate to see our area without a daily paper, something that might happen if trends aren't reversed.
I’ve come up with a plan that would strengthen our paper’s position, but my publisher has yet to adopt it.
Local television news also has some reporters capable of good solid reporting, but they are hampered by formats that emphasize incorrect weather forecasts above real news. Seeing attractive young people report about communities they barely know or care about isn’t a good formula for success in my book.
So are Web sites the answer? That is the huge question because if Jefferson were alive today, I’d bet he’ d be a blogger.
The issue with Web sites is developing an economic model that would support local reporting. Right now, most of the blogging done locally is a sideline supported by another career. That hampers the marketing of the blogs, which is crucial for commercial success.
Will people pay for blogs when they have been trained for generations that news is relatively free with the costs of producing content underwritten by advertisers instead of being purchased by consumers?
People want local news, but would they be willing to pay $1 a day or more for a newspaper or a blog subscription to insure the economic viability of that news outlet?
The other element that is restricting the commercial growth of blogs is the technology needed to view them. Newspapers are cheap and completely portable. One day everyone might have a device to be on-line wherever they happen to be, but now is not that time.
In this market what is truly creating a Jeffersonian press are the wide variety of news and opinion blogs we currently have. I’m thankful for that.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
Friday, May 16, 2008
Below is the latest poll from the Zogby group. Here's what I'm doing: cutting down on trips for work – where I use most of my gas – and looking to see if I could use the bus service on Mondays when I'm at the desk all day. What are you doing?
If my memory serves, one of the reasons Jimmy Carter was booted from office was due to the OPEC gas crisis and yet I seem to hear very little – the corporate media filter at work – about what the current presidential candidates are going to do about this crisis.
Our fragile economy – weakened by NAFTA and bled by corporate greed for short-term profits – isn't robust enough to tolerate rising energy costs.
Boy, I wish the electric cars were on the market.
"UTICA, New York— Record-breaking oil and gasoline prices are causing many Americans brace for even steeper hikes, with 87% who say they expect the nationwide average price for regular unleaded gasoline to hit $4 by Memorial Day, a new Zogby Interactive poll shows.
"This pessimism at the pump isn't just in the short term—nearly two thirds (62%) believe $5 per gallon gas will arrive sometime this summer and the vast majority of Americans (93%) say they are concerned about a potential rise in gasoline prices over the next year—67% say they are very concerned. As Americans spend more for every fill-up, those with the least to spend are the most worried—77% of those with less than $35,000 in household income say they are very concerned about the potential rise in gasoline prices over the next year. Gas-price anxiety might not be quite as strong among those from wealthier households, but even among those with more than $100,000 in household income, 60% say they are very concerned.
"Most also fear that the days of inexpensive fuel may be gone for good—66% are doubtful the nationwide average price for regular unleaded gasoline will ever again fall below $3 per gallon. The interactive survey of 7,815 adults nationwide was conducted May 6-9, 2008, and carries a margin of error of +/- 1.1 percentage points."
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
If my memory serves, one of the reasons Jimmy Carter was booted from office was due to the OPEC gas crisis and yet I seem to hear very little – the corporate media filter at work – about what the current presidential candidates are going to do about this crisis.
Our fragile economy – weakened by NAFTA and bled by corporate greed for short-term profits – isn't robust enough to tolerate rising energy costs.
Boy, I wish the electric cars were on the market.
"UTICA, New York— Record-breaking oil and gasoline prices are causing many Americans brace for even steeper hikes, with 87% who say they expect the nationwide average price for regular unleaded gasoline to hit $4 by Memorial Day, a new Zogby Interactive poll shows.
"This pessimism at the pump isn't just in the short term—nearly two thirds (62%) believe $5 per gallon gas will arrive sometime this summer and the vast majority of Americans (93%) say they are concerned about a potential rise in gasoline prices over the next year—67% say they are very concerned. As Americans spend more for every fill-up, those with the least to spend are the most worried—77% of those with less than $35,000 in household income say they are very concerned about the potential rise in gasoline prices over the next year. Gas-price anxiety might not be quite as strong among those from wealthier households, but even among those with more than $100,000 in household income, 60% say they are very concerned.
"Most also fear that the days of inexpensive fuel may be gone for good—66% are doubtful the nationwide average price for regular unleaded gasoline will ever again fall below $3 per gallon. The interactive survey of 7,815 adults nationwide was conducted May 6-9, 2008, and carries a margin of error of +/- 1.1 percentage points."
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Hey, Barnes and Noble already have a page up for my Springfield postcard book, so go here and order it dammit!
Buy a couple of copies of "Escape" as well or send me $25 for each copy and I'll send you a personally autographed edition.
It looks like I will be having some sort of signing event for "Escape" in NYC and in White River Junction VT later this summer. Distressingly, the indie bookstore where I was going to debut the Springfield book is out of business tomorrow. If you have local non-chain businesses in your community please patronize them.
It's a sorry state of affairs when a city of 152,000 people with four colleges allows its ONE indie store to die. Yes, I'm both a frickin' bleeding heart corporate critic and a local patriot. Sue me.
Buy a couple of copies of "Escape" as well or send me $25 for each copy and I'll send you a personally autographed edition.
It looks like I will be having some sort of signing event for "Escape" in NYC and in White River Junction VT later this summer. Distressingly, the indie bookstore where I was going to debut the Springfield book is out of business tomorrow. If you have local non-chain businesses in your community please patronize them.
It's a sorry state of affairs when a city of 152,000 people with four colleges allows its ONE indie store to die. Yes, I'm both a frickin' bleeding heart corporate critic and a local patriot. Sue me.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
I haven't posted any DVD reviews in a while, so here is some of the titles I've endured or enjoyed recently
Indiana Jones: the Adventure Collection
Just in time to help publicize the new Indiana Jones movie, Paramount has released the first three films in a boxed set. The films had been released in a previous boxed set, which is still available and the difference is in the extras they are all new for the new edition.
As for the films themselves, they are a mixed bag, although all hold up very well. I vividly remember my friend Dave Mackey and I catching a peek of the first film at a sneak preview and both of us were bowled over. I'm happy to say I'm still bowled over 20-plus years after the fact.
Director Stephen Spielberg explains in his introduction to the film in the new DVD edition that "Raiders of the Lost Ark" was a test for him to prove he could make a commercial film at or under budget. He deliberately wanted to make a film that was inspired by the Republic serials of the 1930s and '40s and he wanted the production to be fast and relatively inexpensive.
The result was a fast-moving adventure film with a truly different kind of hero that might have seemed vaguely nostalgic to some in the audience, but not to most of them.
In this era of computer-generated images, the three Jones films, which relied on old-fashioned stunt works and physical props, don't seem dated at all. Instead, there is a bracing quality to the "real" action.
My favorite still remains the first. I love the chemistry in the film between Harrison Ford and Western Massachusetts' own Karen Allen and I think the casting of the villains was inspired.
The second film is essentially a horror movie and once you embrace the notion, I think it works very well. "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" is a historic film as its rating of PG caused such an uproar among parents that the Motion Picture Producers Association amended the rating system to include PG-13.
The third film, "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," was my least favorite film when I saw it during its theatrical release. Upon another viewing, though, I really liked the film's humor which is more prominent than in the previous two films and I liked Sean Connery's performance as the elder Jones.
The extras are quite informative and I especially liked a discussion taped in 2003 between the three female leads of the film as well as a discussion on how the filmmakers worked with thousands of bugs, rats and snakes during the course of the three films.
This set is a must-have for your movie library, if you don't already have the films.
First Sunday
Ice Cube has carved out an interesting genre for himself: films depicting urban life that have humor but more importantly a strong dramatic core. I really liked "Barber Shop," which was sold as a flat-out comedy, but was really an engaging drama.
"First Sunday" is from the same cloth. Ice Cube and Tracy Morgan star as two young men raised in the foster care system who have drifted in and out of trouble with the law. When Durell (Ice Cube) learns the mother of his beloved son might be forced to move out of the state because the landlord of her hair salon has demanded a year's worth of rent up front, Durell is confronted with how he can obtain the money for her. After stumbling into a local church with his friend Lee John (Tracy Morgan), Durell decides to rob the church.
What transpires is an involving story about true faith and hypocrisy.
Director and writer David Talbert keeps the action, both comic and dramatic, moving well and the performances are on the mark. Katt Williams almost steals the show as a wisecracking chorus director.
The DVD features the usual extras of a gag reel and deleted scenes.
Well-worth watching, "First Sunday" is a comedy with heart.
For more information, log onto www.sonypictures.com.
The Loch Ness Terror
Here's a simple rule of thumb: television series on the Sci-Fi Channel have a solid statistical chance of being good. Their original movies, on the other hand, are almost bound to be awful.
Why? I wish I could tell you and "Loch Ness Terror" follows that rule. This bloodthirsty dino movie offers the idea that aquatic dinosaurs have survived over the years and have migrated from Scotland through various undersea tunnels to Lake Superior where they find a new group of humans to munch.
The hero of this film is a nomadic cryptozoologist played with a Clint Eastwood swagger by Brian Krause. This guy even smokes little cigars like Eastwood's heroes in his spaghetti westerns of 40 years ago.
Our hero has to convince the skeptical small-town sheriff is there any other kind? before her own son is dino food.
The effects are acceptable and have a level of gore that might offend more sensible viewers, but more sensible viewers aren't the target audience for this by-the-numbers horror film.
Log on to www.sonypictures.com for more information.
Oban Star Racer: Volume One
This French-Japanese animated television co-production is a lot of fun and I found myself watching episode after episode.
Set in the future, the fate of Earth is going to be determined by an intergalactic race set on the planet Oban. The Earth team is headed by rocket racing producer Don Weis who is unaware that his 15-year-old daughter Molly has joined his crew. He hasn't seen his daughter for years and she is just another mechanic to him.
Part "Speed Racer" and part "Last Star Fighter," "Oban Star Racer" is funny, fast and surprisingly touching at times.
I love the design of the show and the animation seamlessly meshes more traditional two-dimensional work with computer-produced three-dimensional animation.
For more information, log into www.shoutfactory.com.
Paranormal U: Season One
My wife pretty much hates the trashy reality shows I will admit I watch. She particularly dislikes "Ghost Hunters" as she says that nothing really ever happens on the show other than some one says they feel cold all of a sudden.
She's right. "Ghost Hunters" is pretty lame at times, especially when compared to "Paranormal U," a reality show featuring a student organization from Penn State that investigates possible paranormal activity.
While "Ghost Hunters" is shot in a straight-ahead no-frills fashion, "Paranormal U" is shot and edited as a horror film. And in this series, there are events captured on camera that are genuinely creepy.
The star of the show is Ryan Buell, a journalism student who has been fascinated with the paranormal since he had a visitation when he was a young child and is the founder of the group. The producers have Buell doing a voice-over that is often times too theatrical.
Certain episodes are better than others. I especially liked one about a bar haunted by a guy identified as having committed suicide there in the 1930s. "Charlie" doesn't like wine glasses and smashes them. During one on-camera interview, a wine glass comes tumbling down and freaked out one of the team members who had to exit the building.
This series is bound to invite criticism from people who believe that ghosts are in our minds rather than the attic, but if you're like me and am intrigued by such subjects, give this series a try.
Sweeney Todd: Two-Disc Special Edition
I've been a big Tim Burton fan for years, but I have to admit I didn't rush to the theater to see his adaptation of the 1980s Broadway hit "Sweeney Todd." Granted, I'm not a big musical fan and the concept of transforming a near iconic horror legend into a song and dance film just didn't interest me.
"Sweeney Todd" under Burton's hand as director is a stylish, beautifully realized film. It is perhaps his best produced film as Burton, while having a great eye for the visuals, has had trouble telling his stories effectively. "Sweeney Todd" wraps every little story point up very neatly.
If you've not heard of the Sweeney Todd legend, something that originated in penny dreadfuls of 19th century England, then you need to know Johnny Depp plays "the demon barber of Fleet Street," a man who is seeking revenge against the judge who wronged him. His disgust with humanity, though, leads him to start killing just about anybody who comes off the street looking for a shave.
Todd has formed an alliance with an impoverished baker, Mrs. Lovetts (played by Helena Bonham Carter), who needs meat for her meat pies. Need I say more?
Murder, cannibalism, sexual perversion and bloodthirsty revenge are at the center of Burton's film which brings a revised version of Stephen Sondheim's musical to the big screen.
While I admire the film for its look, I really couldn't get into it. While there are several sympathetic characters in the movie, they are relatively minor ones. Without some sort of conflict between good and evil there isn't any real suspense. We know Todd will eventually kill the judge and we know that generally things must end pretty badly for all of the central characters.
The result then is a very bloody ride to a predictable conclusion.
There is a whole DVD's worth of extras including a very interesting one on the origins of the Sweeney Todd character and another on the legendary Grand Guignol Theater of Paris that specialized in gory melodramas.
For more information log onto www.dreamworks.com.
Cloverfield
Although the idea of telling a story through "found" footage is not new the modern trend for this style of storytelling originated with "The Last Broadcast" and was popularized with "The Blair Witch Project" "Cloverfield" is still quite a singular movie experience.
Everyone who has ever sat through a giant monster movie has seen scenes in which the creature is stomping through city streets raising havoc and inevitably squashing victims just trying to get out of his way. What if the story was told from the perspective of those hapless city dwellers people who have no real idea of what is happening except there is something very big and inexplicable trying to kill them?
Producer J.J. Abrams and director Matt Reeves take this approach to the story. A group of young people is at a party. One of them is taping the event. When all hell breaks loose he keeps taping it. What we see is the tape that has been recovered.
While the first 15 minutes or so of the film seem a little long as the characters are introduced, once the monster makes his debut the film rolls along a quick clip. There are plenty of scares as the group we are following make their way to midtown Manhattan to attempt a rescue of a friend.
What I loved about this film is even when we get a clear view of the monster, the beast's design is so original I still did not truly understand just what I was seeing. And the subway tunnel sequence in the film goes down in my book as a modern horror classic.
The extras include the now standard "making of" featurette, which in this case, is actually quite interesting. There are two alternative endings to the film presented as well, but neither actually makes narrative changes to the film.
"Cloverfield" is an original, very scary and relatively bloodless fright fest.
For more information, log onto www.paramount.com/
homeentertainment.
Jungle Queen
Ah, the relentless silliness of a 50-plus year-old serial is the balm I frequently seek after a day of laboring in the media vineyard and "Jungle Queen" surprisingly took care of my chapter play jones.
I say "surprisingly" because of the three studios that produced these action films aimed at juvenile audiences, Republic Pictures made the best, Columbia Pictures made the loopiest and Universal Pictures made the talkiest. If a sequence could be made in which characters spoke about something rather than showing it, the folks at Universal would do so.
What makes "Jungle Queen," a 1945 13-episode serial, so interesting is its mixture of actual action, implausible plotting and a level of respect for supporting characters one seldom saw in serials. In a nutshell, two American agents are racing around the unexplored jungles of central Africa in 1939 trying to thwart Nazis from taking over the continent. The Nazis are manipulating tribal politics for their own goals, while the mysterious Lothal, "queen of the jungle," is helping the good guys.
What fascinated me was the treatment of the African characters who are portrayed as intelligent and as both good and evil. One doesn't see this kind of characterization very often in American films as of the time.
Will Lothal save the day? Will the Nazis succeed? Log onto www.vcient.com to get your copy and find out yourself.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
Indiana Jones: the Adventure Collection
Just in time to help publicize the new Indiana Jones movie, Paramount has released the first three films in a boxed set. The films had been released in a previous boxed set, which is still available and the difference is in the extras they are all new for the new edition.
As for the films themselves, they are a mixed bag, although all hold up very well. I vividly remember my friend Dave Mackey and I catching a peek of the first film at a sneak preview and both of us were bowled over. I'm happy to say I'm still bowled over 20-plus years after the fact.
Director Stephen Spielberg explains in his introduction to the film in the new DVD edition that "Raiders of the Lost Ark" was a test for him to prove he could make a commercial film at or under budget. He deliberately wanted to make a film that was inspired by the Republic serials of the 1930s and '40s and he wanted the production to be fast and relatively inexpensive.
The result was a fast-moving adventure film with a truly different kind of hero that might have seemed vaguely nostalgic to some in the audience, but not to most of them.
In this era of computer-generated images, the three Jones films, which relied on old-fashioned stunt works and physical props, don't seem dated at all. Instead, there is a bracing quality to the "real" action.
My favorite still remains the first. I love the chemistry in the film between Harrison Ford and Western Massachusetts' own Karen Allen and I think the casting of the villains was inspired.
The second film is essentially a horror movie and once you embrace the notion, I think it works very well. "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" is a historic film as its rating of PG caused such an uproar among parents that the Motion Picture Producers Association amended the rating system to include PG-13.
The third film, "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," was my least favorite film when I saw it during its theatrical release. Upon another viewing, though, I really liked the film's humor which is more prominent than in the previous two films and I liked Sean Connery's performance as the elder Jones.
The extras are quite informative and I especially liked a discussion taped in 2003 between the three female leads of the film as well as a discussion on how the filmmakers worked with thousands of bugs, rats and snakes during the course of the three films.
This set is a must-have for your movie library, if you don't already have the films.
First Sunday
Ice Cube has carved out an interesting genre for himself: films depicting urban life that have humor but more importantly a strong dramatic core. I really liked "Barber Shop," which was sold as a flat-out comedy, but was really an engaging drama.
"First Sunday" is from the same cloth. Ice Cube and Tracy Morgan star as two young men raised in the foster care system who have drifted in and out of trouble with the law. When Durell (Ice Cube) learns the mother of his beloved son might be forced to move out of the state because the landlord of her hair salon has demanded a year's worth of rent up front, Durell is confronted with how he can obtain the money for her. After stumbling into a local church with his friend Lee John (Tracy Morgan), Durell decides to rob the church.
What transpires is an involving story about true faith and hypocrisy.
Director and writer David Talbert keeps the action, both comic and dramatic, moving well and the performances are on the mark. Katt Williams almost steals the show as a wisecracking chorus director.
The DVD features the usual extras of a gag reel and deleted scenes.
Well-worth watching, "First Sunday" is a comedy with heart.
For more information, log onto www.sonypictures.com.
The Loch Ness Terror
Here's a simple rule of thumb: television series on the Sci-Fi Channel have a solid statistical chance of being good. Their original movies, on the other hand, are almost bound to be awful.
Why? I wish I could tell you and "Loch Ness Terror" follows that rule. This bloodthirsty dino movie offers the idea that aquatic dinosaurs have survived over the years and have migrated from Scotland through various undersea tunnels to Lake Superior where they find a new group of humans to munch.
The hero of this film is a nomadic cryptozoologist played with a Clint Eastwood swagger by Brian Krause. This guy even smokes little cigars like Eastwood's heroes in his spaghetti westerns of 40 years ago.
Our hero has to convince the skeptical small-town sheriff is there any other kind? before her own son is dino food.
The effects are acceptable and have a level of gore that might offend more sensible viewers, but more sensible viewers aren't the target audience for this by-the-numbers horror film.
Log on to www.sonypictures.com for more information.
Oban Star Racer: Volume One
This French-Japanese animated television co-production is a lot of fun and I found myself watching episode after episode.
Set in the future, the fate of Earth is going to be determined by an intergalactic race set on the planet Oban. The Earth team is headed by rocket racing producer Don Weis who is unaware that his 15-year-old daughter Molly has joined his crew. He hasn't seen his daughter for years and she is just another mechanic to him.
Part "Speed Racer" and part "Last Star Fighter," "Oban Star Racer" is funny, fast and surprisingly touching at times.
I love the design of the show and the animation seamlessly meshes more traditional two-dimensional work with computer-produced three-dimensional animation.
For more information, log into www.shoutfactory.com.
Paranormal U: Season One
My wife pretty much hates the trashy reality shows I will admit I watch. She particularly dislikes "Ghost Hunters" as she says that nothing really ever happens on the show other than some one says they feel cold all of a sudden.
She's right. "Ghost Hunters" is pretty lame at times, especially when compared to "Paranormal U," a reality show featuring a student organization from Penn State that investigates possible paranormal activity.
While "Ghost Hunters" is shot in a straight-ahead no-frills fashion, "Paranormal U" is shot and edited as a horror film. And in this series, there are events captured on camera that are genuinely creepy.
The star of the show is Ryan Buell, a journalism student who has been fascinated with the paranormal since he had a visitation when he was a young child and is the founder of the group. The producers have Buell doing a voice-over that is often times too theatrical.
Certain episodes are better than others. I especially liked one about a bar haunted by a guy identified as having committed suicide there in the 1930s. "Charlie" doesn't like wine glasses and smashes them. During one on-camera interview, a wine glass comes tumbling down and freaked out one of the team members who had to exit the building.
This series is bound to invite criticism from people who believe that ghosts are in our minds rather than the attic, but if you're like me and am intrigued by such subjects, give this series a try.
Sweeney Todd: Two-Disc Special Edition
I've been a big Tim Burton fan for years, but I have to admit I didn't rush to the theater to see his adaptation of the 1980s Broadway hit "Sweeney Todd." Granted, I'm not a big musical fan and the concept of transforming a near iconic horror legend into a song and dance film just didn't interest me.
"Sweeney Todd" under Burton's hand as director is a stylish, beautifully realized film. It is perhaps his best produced film as Burton, while having a great eye for the visuals, has had trouble telling his stories effectively. "Sweeney Todd" wraps every little story point up very neatly.
If you've not heard of the Sweeney Todd legend, something that originated in penny dreadfuls of 19th century England, then you need to know Johnny Depp plays "the demon barber of Fleet Street," a man who is seeking revenge against the judge who wronged him. His disgust with humanity, though, leads him to start killing just about anybody who comes off the street looking for a shave.
Todd has formed an alliance with an impoverished baker, Mrs. Lovetts (played by Helena Bonham Carter), who needs meat for her meat pies. Need I say more?
Murder, cannibalism, sexual perversion and bloodthirsty revenge are at the center of Burton's film which brings a revised version of Stephen Sondheim's musical to the big screen.
While I admire the film for its look, I really couldn't get into it. While there are several sympathetic characters in the movie, they are relatively minor ones. Without some sort of conflict between good and evil there isn't any real suspense. We know Todd will eventually kill the judge and we know that generally things must end pretty badly for all of the central characters.
The result then is a very bloody ride to a predictable conclusion.
There is a whole DVD's worth of extras including a very interesting one on the origins of the Sweeney Todd character and another on the legendary Grand Guignol Theater of Paris that specialized in gory melodramas.
For more information log onto www.dreamworks.com.
Cloverfield
Although the idea of telling a story through "found" footage is not new the modern trend for this style of storytelling originated with "The Last Broadcast" and was popularized with "The Blair Witch Project" "Cloverfield" is still quite a singular movie experience.
Everyone who has ever sat through a giant monster movie has seen scenes in which the creature is stomping through city streets raising havoc and inevitably squashing victims just trying to get out of his way. What if the story was told from the perspective of those hapless city dwellers people who have no real idea of what is happening except there is something very big and inexplicable trying to kill them?
Producer J.J. Abrams and director Matt Reeves take this approach to the story. A group of young people is at a party. One of them is taping the event. When all hell breaks loose he keeps taping it. What we see is the tape that has been recovered.
While the first 15 minutes or so of the film seem a little long as the characters are introduced, once the monster makes his debut the film rolls along a quick clip. There are plenty of scares as the group we are following make their way to midtown Manhattan to attempt a rescue of a friend.
What I loved about this film is even when we get a clear view of the monster, the beast's design is so original I still did not truly understand just what I was seeing. And the subway tunnel sequence in the film goes down in my book as a modern horror classic.
The extras include the now standard "making of" featurette, which in this case, is actually quite interesting. There are two alternative endings to the film presented as well, but neither actually makes narrative changes to the film.
"Cloverfield" is an original, very scary and relatively bloodless fright fest.
For more information, log onto www.paramount.com/
homeentertainment.
Jungle Queen
Ah, the relentless silliness of a 50-plus year-old serial is the balm I frequently seek after a day of laboring in the media vineyard and "Jungle Queen" surprisingly took care of my chapter play jones.
I say "surprisingly" because of the three studios that produced these action films aimed at juvenile audiences, Republic Pictures made the best, Columbia Pictures made the loopiest and Universal Pictures made the talkiest. If a sequence could be made in which characters spoke about something rather than showing it, the folks at Universal would do so.
What makes "Jungle Queen," a 1945 13-episode serial, so interesting is its mixture of actual action, implausible plotting and a level of respect for supporting characters one seldom saw in serials. In a nutshell, two American agents are racing around the unexplored jungles of central Africa in 1939 trying to thwart Nazis from taking over the continent. The Nazis are manipulating tribal politics for their own goals, while the mysterious Lothal, "queen of the jungle," is helping the good guys.
What fascinated me was the treatment of the African characters who are portrayed as intelligent and as both good and evil. One doesn't see this kind of characterization very often in American films as of the time.
Will Lothal save the day? Will the Nazis succeed? Log onto www.vcient.com to get your copy and find out yourself.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
Monday, May 12, 2008
There's lots of Indiana Jones stuff floating around in the media these days with the release of the new movie. Paramount is releasing the first three films in a new boxed set with new extras and the company is putting out the third volume of the television series. I had the opportunity to speak with Sean Patrick Flanery for a story and he came off as a humble, working class kind of guy despite the nature of his career. He kept calling me "sir," a habit I have with people thanks to my father who was not only from the South but an career Air Force officer as well.
It might be daunting for some actors to be cast in a role made famous by another performer, but for Sean Patrick Flanery, the star of "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" there wasn't a lot of pressure.
Flanery told Reminder Publications in a telephone interview last week there was a "little leeway" in his characterization because his role revealed the elements that were "all of the things that created the Harrison Ford character we all know and love."
Flanery had the chance to portray events such as Indy's first kiss and the first time he took a life, he said.
The third volume of "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" will be released April 29 on DVD. The series, which was originally broadcast in 1992 and 1993, is currently being shown on The History Channel.
What made the series unique was placing the Jones character either as a boy of 10 or a young man in the middle of real historical events or meeting historical figures. Pancho Villa, Lawrence of Arabia, Louis Armstrong and Sigmund Freud were among the real people who shaped the life of the fictional archeologist.
And for people who might think history is boring, the films have the same kind of rousing adventure as the big screen Harrison Ford outings.
The DVD release of the stories which run close to two hours long is accompanied by documentaries that highlight the historical events and people.
Flanery said he is "super, super proud" of his work on the series. Although he said he doesn't have a lot of access to the show's fans, he's been told the shows have been well received by new audiences.
When asked if he was spoiled by the series with its high production values, Flannery said, "It did and it didn't."
Because the series was something no one had ever tried before, he really did expect other television shows to be similar to the experience. He appreciated the chance to work with the talent that was attracted to the chance to write and direct on the show. The roster included noted directors such as Nicolas Roeg, Mike Newell and Terry Jones.
Flanery has been very busy with both film and television work and he said his time on "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" also taught him not to prefer one medium to another.
"Young Indy is a great example of why I don't care," he said.
A very busy actor, he had a re-occurring role in the television series "The Dead Zone," as well as guest appearances in hit shows such as "C.S.I." and "Numb3rs."
On the sets of "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles," Flanery began his own interest as a filmmaker. He made his first film using the "short ends" the leftover film stock while starring in the series. He has made four other short films since then.
Right now, Flanery is waiting to hear whether or not his first feature film, "Sunshine Superman," will be able to go into production due to a looming strike by the Screen Actors Guild. The film is described at its Web site as "a grand love story that can only happen in that vortex in one's life when they are neither too young to reason, nor too old to dream."
Although many actors turn to directing as part of an evolution of their career, Flanery is actually going a bit backward. He actually wanted to write and direct, rather than act. He explained a friend suggested him for a part and was accepted and since then "I haven't not had a job."
His window for the shooting of the film is tight as he is going to begin filming the sequel to the cult hit "Boondock Saints" on Aug. 25. He admitted feeling "a mixture of desire and trepidation" toward the sequel and compared it to coming back from "the perfect exit" at a date because "the girl is so beautiful you just have to see her again."
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
It might be daunting for some actors to be cast in a role made famous by another performer, but for Sean Patrick Flanery, the star of "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" there wasn't a lot of pressure.
Flanery told Reminder Publications in a telephone interview last week there was a "little leeway" in his characterization because his role revealed the elements that were "all of the things that created the Harrison Ford character we all know and love."
Flanery had the chance to portray events such as Indy's first kiss and the first time he took a life, he said.
The third volume of "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" will be released April 29 on DVD. The series, which was originally broadcast in 1992 and 1993, is currently being shown on The History Channel.
What made the series unique was placing the Jones character either as a boy of 10 or a young man in the middle of real historical events or meeting historical figures. Pancho Villa, Lawrence of Arabia, Louis Armstrong and Sigmund Freud were among the real people who shaped the life of the fictional archeologist.
And for people who might think history is boring, the films have the same kind of rousing adventure as the big screen Harrison Ford outings.
The DVD release of the stories which run close to two hours long is accompanied by documentaries that highlight the historical events and people.
Flanery said he is "super, super proud" of his work on the series. Although he said he doesn't have a lot of access to the show's fans, he's been told the shows have been well received by new audiences.
When asked if he was spoiled by the series with its high production values, Flannery said, "It did and it didn't."
Because the series was something no one had ever tried before, he really did expect other television shows to be similar to the experience. He appreciated the chance to work with the talent that was attracted to the chance to write and direct on the show. The roster included noted directors such as Nicolas Roeg, Mike Newell and Terry Jones.
Flanery has been very busy with both film and television work and he said his time on "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" also taught him not to prefer one medium to another.
"Young Indy is a great example of why I don't care," he said.
A very busy actor, he had a re-occurring role in the television series "The Dead Zone," as well as guest appearances in hit shows such as "C.S.I." and "Numb3rs."
On the sets of "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles," Flanery began his own interest as a filmmaker. He made his first film using the "short ends" the leftover film stock while starring in the series. He has made four other short films since then.
Right now, Flanery is waiting to hear whether or not his first feature film, "Sunshine Superman," will be able to go into production due to a looming strike by the Screen Actors Guild. The film is described at its Web site as "a grand love story that can only happen in that vortex in one's life when they are neither too young to reason, nor too old to dream."
Although many actors turn to directing as part of an evolution of their career, Flanery is actually going a bit backward. He actually wanted to write and direct, rather than act. He explained a friend suggested him for a part and was accepted and since then "I haven't not had a job."
His window for the shooting of the film is tight as he is going to begin filming the sequel to the cult hit "Boondock Saints" on Aug. 25. He admitted feeling "a mixture of desire and trepidation" toward the sequel and compared it to coming back from "the perfect exit" at a date because "the girl is so beautiful you just have to see her again."
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
Thursday, May 08, 2008
One of my greatest pleasures as a editor/reporter is to interview the comics who come through our area and i was really looking forward to speaking to Larry Miller, one of my favorite comics, character actors and voice actors.
Comedian, actor and writer Larry Miller had a job the day he spoke with Reminder Publications: he was to provide the voice for a French-Canadian goose in the upcoming animated film "Alpha & Omega."
The assignment was an example of Miller's far-reaching career in show business. He has been a top stand-up comedian for years, but he has been a busy character actor as well. His on-camera roles have been in such movies as "Pretty Woman" as the salesman who "sucks up" to Richard Gere and Julia Roberts; the two "Nutty Professor" movies in which he played the exasperated college dean; and the two "Princess Diaries" films.
He has worked in animated productions such as "Bee Movie," and in one of this writer's favorite animated series, "Dilbert," in which he was the evil pointy-haired boss.
Miller will be appearing for the first time at the Comedy Connection at the Hu Ke Lau in Chicopee on May 17.
Ask Miller what he likes to do best, though, and he says "all of it."
He considers himself like baseball great Lou Gehrig, "the luckiest man in the world," although after a beat Miller added, "Well, that didn't work out, come to think of it."
Miller attended Amherst College and after graduation in 1975, he said he decided he wanted to do "something as an entertainer." His subsequent career has been "frankly astonishing" to him. He started performing stand-up comedy in the mid-1970s in New York City where his friends included Jerry Seinfeld and Jay leno.
"I should be horsewhipped if I wanted to change something," he said. "What a joy it is."
Despite over 20 years in show business, Miller is still thrilled by it.
"I had an acting job last week. I was thrilled to be on the set. I waved at the tour buses in Universal [when they passed the set]. I wanted to say to them 'I know why you're on that bus. I'd be on it, too.' It's cool."
Miller became well known for his routine called "the Five Stages on Drunkenness," and he said that he might include it as part of his Hu Ke Lau performance, which mostly will be new material. He admitted that while excessive drinking and its effects are "horrifying," he does find humor in it.
He said he tries to "write all the time." Miller has written a book titled "Spoiled Rotten America," as well as opinion pieces for the "Huffington Post" on the Internet and the "Weekly Standard."
Writing for a stand-up routine is different than longer forms, he said, likening comedy writing to a still: "One drop comes out every 10 seconds." He said a friend of his said a good comic should put in an hour a day. And if you put in two hours, "you're really going to be a good comic, a monster."
He views himself as a professional who can follow a director's requests on a set or in a recording booth but also bring his own skills as a writer to a production.
The difference between theater, the movies and television is that theater is the actor's medium, while film is the medium for directors and television is controlled by the writer/producer, Miller said
"Each captain is different and I follow what the captain wants," he explained.
He did say that being in a recording studio for five hours portraying a goose could be a little taxing.
"It's not tarring roofs, but I can get a little dizzy," he said.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
Comedian, actor and writer Larry Miller had a job the day he spoke with Reminder Publications: he was to provide the voice for a French-Canadian goose in the upcoming animated film "Alpha & Omega."
The assignment was an example of Miller's far-reaching career in show business. He has been a top stand-up comedian for years, but he has been a busy character actor as well. His on-camera roles have been in such movies as "Pretty Woman" as the salesman who "sucks up" to Richard Gere and Julia Roberts; the two "Nutty Professor" movies in which he played the exasperated college dean; and the two "Princess Diaries" films.
He has worked in animated productions such as "Bee Movie," and in one of this writer's favorite animated series, "Dilbert," in which he was the evil pointy-haired boss.
Miller will be appearing for the first time at the Comedy Connection at the Hu Ke Lau in Chicopee on May 17.
Ask Miller what he likes to do best, though, and he says "all of it."
He considers himself like baseball great Lou Gehrig, "the luckiest man in the world," although after a beat Miller added, "Well, that didn't work out, come to think of it."
Miller attended Amherst College and after graduation in 1975, he said he decided he wanted to do "something as an entertainer." His subsequent career has been "frankly astonishing" to him. He started performing stand-up comedy in the mid-1970s in New York City where his friends included Jerry Seinfeld and Jay leno.
"I should be horsewhipped if I wanted to change something," he said. "What a joy it is."
Despite over 20 years in show business, Miller is still thrilled by it.
"I had an acting job last week. I was thrilled to be on the set. I waved at the tour buses in Universal [when they passed the set]. I wanted to say to them 'I know why you're on that bus. I'd be on it, too.' It's cool."
Miller became well known for his routine called "the Five Stages on Drunkenness," and he said that he might include it as part of his Hu Ke Lau performance, which mostly will be new material. He admitted that while excessive drinking and its effects are "horrifying," he does find humor in it.
He said he tries to "write all the time." Miller has written a book titled "Spoiled Rotten America," as well as opinion pieces for the "Huffington Post" on the Internet and the "Weekly Standard."
Writing for a stand-up routine is different than longer forms, he said, likening comedy writing to a still: "One drop comes out every 10 seconds." He said a friend of his said a good comic should put in an hour a day. And if you put in two hours, "you're really going to be a good comic, a monster."
He views himself as a professional who can follow a director's requests on a set or in a recording booth but also bring his own skills as a writer to a production.
The difference between theater, the movies and television is that theater is the actor's medium, while film is the medium for directors and television is controlled by the writer/producer, Miller said
"Each captain is different and I follow what the captain wants," he explained.
He did say that being in a recording studio for five hours portraying a goose could be a little taxing.
"It's not tarring roofs, but I can get a little dizzy," he said.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
