Yearly Archives: 2011
Hearne: Transformers 3; It’s What Not to Sleep Through
Here we go again….
Two years ago on a warm summer night, venerable KC Star movie critic Robert Butler fell fast asleep during the raging battle scenes of blockbuster movie Transformers 2.
"I can’t say for sure how long he was out," I reported then. "But I can tell you he was very much a goner when he was eye-witnessed by the entire KC Confidential Street Team and others in an unawake state. Hey, it was after 10 p.m. and people get tired."
Net result: Butler’s promised-before-noon, next day review didn’t hit the Star Web site until well after 2 p.m.
Complete with a KCC-inspired disclaimer.
Star Search: Former Editor Calls For Stay of Execution For Star Staffers
About spanking new Kansas City Star publisher Mi-Ai Parrish…
With the newspaper likely facing another round of staff layoffs and/or cutbacks following the close of its second quarter at month’s end, the question is, will Parrish’s first major order of business be the axing of however many staffers? As has been the practice for years under now-former head dude Mark Zieman.
Or will parent McClatchy grant its newly-arrived publisher a stay of execution for the sake of getting off on the right foot?
"Oh boy, I hope there aren’t more ropes lying around to hang the bodies from the ceiling," winces retired Star editor Jim Fitzpatrick, who covers the newspaper on jimmycsays.
Stargazing: City of Bad Plumbing, Ugly Fountains, Finest Phallus, Mi Ranchito Sentencing
World War I ended on this date in 1919. The following day, someone in Kansas City thought it would be a great idea to build a giant PENIS to memorialize The First World War.
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Kansas City International airport has been hampered by two water main breaks in recent days. Terminal A parking was flooded and water service to US Airways disrupted. Despite that, travelers say the water breaks were more enjoyable than the ugly fountain in the airport’s median.
Today: 610 Sports Nick Wright Clears the Air, Dismantles Jason Whitlock
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So what does 610 Sports host Nick Wright really think about Jason Whitock?
That’s a question worth asking in the wake of last week’s two part visitation by Whitlock to Wright’s afternoon drive local radio show. During which Whitlock feigned friendship while calling Wright out for being a poser.
First the polite answer.
"I think Jason Whitlock is very talented and very good at what he does, at promoting the brand of Jason Whitlock in his writing," Wright says.
Now the unexpurgated version.
New Jack City: Is 3-D Ripoff To Moviegoers? Michael Bay Takes Stand!
Here’s how that diminishes 3-D!
If the bulb is turned back in its output while darkened 3-D glasses are worn by viewers, the entire 3-D presentation can look faded, limp and far below the standard the filmmakers intented.
Fast forward to TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON opening later this week which was filmed in true 3-D —NOT converted! It’s 3-D is top notch and compares favorably to AVATAR!
Donnelly: Sporting Sizzling, Even with Captain Coming Off the Bench
It was rough at times, and Sporting Kansas City had to scrap their way back from a 1-0 deficit.
But after besting the Vancouver Whitecaps in front of a sell-out crowd, that’s seven games in a row now that Peter Vermes’ boys came away with points at the end of the game. Which is currently the second longest unbeaten streak in MLS.
Yes, home field matters. It matters a helluva lot in MLS.
And although Sporting did concede the first goal of the game, it is still their defense that’s stepping up and providing consistent enough play to keep them in every game…
Glazer: How I Got to be Kansas City’s Baddest Bad Boy
In wrestling they have terms for the good guys and the bad guys – the face and the heel.
But in day-to-day life it’s just, he’s a good guy and he’s a bad guy. Simple, huh? I think most people who are seen as EVIL ONES don’t know it. The hated boss at the office, the guy at school everyone thinks is a dick. And so on.
Then there are the rare, media bad guys.
In KC there is no doubt who that guy might be; ME. Oh, am I the one and only? In day-to-day media, pretty much yes. Sure we always have the disliked jock from the Chiefs or Royals. Or you can throw in an Aggie Stackhaus here or a Funk there (he was getting there).
But to really make this work you have to engage, be funny, have a regular public face, and of course be on the air and/or in print often. Bingo!
That narrows the bad guy vote down to one. Tag, I’m it.
Caitlin: Attn KC Confidential Shoppers! Spring 2012 Menswear Blue Light Specials
If you’re reading KCConfidential chances are you: 1) are male; 2) are disgusting; 3) have pondered Craig Glazer‘s weird hair-like thing on top of his head far too much; and 4) are in dire need of some fashion advice. While I can’t fix the disgusting part, I can make some recommendations on how to at least hide that part when you’re out in public.
As photos are released from the runways in Paris, I’ve spotted a few overarching trends noticeable across the board.
Sportswear:
Designers have scattered Spring 2012 collections with sporty, lighthearted vibes. Models at Givenchy wore ballcaps and army-green tank-tops, white or green jackets and high-end sweatshirts. Models at Junya Watanabe were clad in statement utility coats, bright orange rain parkas, and lightweight denim jackets.
Hearne: Did Jason Whitlock Bitch Slap Nick Wright? Please
Ruthless bitch slap or meaningless love tap?
You make the call. With Anthony Weiner‘s package in the rear view mirror, the Royals in the toilet and the Chiefs in limbo it almost had to be a slow sports news week. So much so that the local sports blogosphere jumped for joy over back-to-back call ins by all-but-forgotten former Star sport Jason Whitlock to 610 Sports afternoon host Nick Wright’s show.
Did Whitlock really take Wright "to the woodshed" or "bitch slap" him as one blogger breathlessly panted?
"No way," says KCC movie guy Jack Poessiger who listened to both broadcasts. "He tried, but he never was able to. It was just an on-air stroking of the mind. There was no bitch slapping on either side."
On a scale of one to ten – 10 being a major league bitch slapping, what would Poessiger rate it?
Today: Kansas City’s Eric Stonestreet Caught in “Modern Family” Money Grab
It’s hungry at the top …
As in, money hungry. In the playful, halcyon early days of hit ABC sitcom Modern Family, there were group hugs all around. No mas, The National Enquirer reports. The cast is caught up in an "old-fashioned war over money."
"Cast members go for the throat as they battle for big raises," the headline reads.
According to the Enquirer, Modern Family’s castmembers are in the process of renegotiating their salaries "with the series on a hot streak."
"Each cast member wants a bigger piece of the pie than the others, especially in light of the show’s ratings success and the big bucks syndication deal that was cut last year," a show insider tells the Enquirer. "Their agents are climbing over each other’s backs trying to get the best deal."
On top of Modern Family’s financial food chain?
Starbeams: Royals All Stars, Sprint’s New 3-D Evo, Solar in Sweet Springs
It’s time for the Royals to determine who their All-Star Game representative will be. So far the leading candidate is the beer vendor in section 225.
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The Kansas City Zoo wants a city-wide 1/8-cent sales tax to generate over $17 million a year for the zoo. I’m having a hard time with this because, as I understand it, the zoo animals already receive free healthcare.
Glazer: How Not to Get Rich Quick in Hollywood, Take Deux
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I sat down for breatfast yesterday with hot film/tv star on the rise, comic Bryan Callen.
We talked about what we’re both up to. Bryan has about 12 projects he’s working on. He’s the star of the new MTV series DEATH VALLEY and a regular on IN PLAIN SIGHT.
In the 1990’s that would have meant seven figures a year for sure. Today, it’s like, "Hope it gets more seasons."
Glazer: How to Not Get Rich Quick in Hollywood
"Show me the money" – seems that’s the new battle cry in LA these days…
An entertainer/actor can have a ton of credits on hit shows and still not make the huge bucks anymore. When I say huge I mean seven figures a year or more.
I’ll short sheet this.
Hearne: Greg Hall’s Imaginative but Silly Tale of Nick Wright Getting Bumped
A funny thing happened to 610 Sports afternoon host Nick Wright on the way to the dentist yesterday…
He awoke to a column by former KCC media sport Greg Hall claiming that Wright was so damaged from an on-air encounter with former Star sports scribe Jason Whitlock on Monday that he was taking yesterday and today off from his radio show.
That somehow Wright had been either wrist-slapped off the air by management at Entercom or so shamed he couldn’t bear to face listeners.
Which I can now report was ridiculously bogus. Really.
Starbeams: Top 5 Things About 75 MPH, Green Lantern @ Noble House Jewelry?
THE TOP 5 THINGS ABOUT 75 mph SPEED LIMIT IN KANSAS:
#5. Now you can storm chase while being respectful of the law.
#4. People in Salina can get to their next door neighbor’s house in 45 minutes.
#3. Makes it easier to drive next to a speeding fire truck.
#2. Quicker getaway when God decides to deal with Westboro Baptist freaks.
#1. All the people doing 90 are no longer a blur.
Hearne: Skyrocketing Funny 102.5 FM Success No Laughing Matter!
Radio stations love nothing more than trying to brainwash their advertisers…
Sometimes via smoke and mirrors (do the initials KMBZ ring any bells?), sometimes through unexpected strokes of incredibly good fortune.
As in the case with KC’s new radio darling Funny 102.5 FM. While Cumulus would be loathe to admit it, it’s probably safe to say nobody expected these kind of results when the 24/7, all-comedy station signed on earlier this year.
Now on to the cheat sheet..
Jack Goes Confidential: CARS 2 an Action Packed Journey w/ Potholes & Detours!
Fasten your seatbelts! You’re not in Radiator Springs anymore!
In CARS 2, Disney’s Pixar Animation unleashes a clever and very busy case of mistaken identity as spunky race car Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) and his tow-truck buddy Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) head to capitals around the globe to compete in the World Grand Prix. To once and for all determine who’s the fastest car on the planet.
But the road to the finish line is filled with plenty of potholes—not to mention intrigue and espionage.
Yes folks, director John Lasseter has turned the Cars franchise into a spy thriller on wheels!
Who would’ve seen it coming?
Today: The Case Against America’s Pub in Westport
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The jury’s still out…
It remains to be seen whether controversial black dance club America’s Pub will be allowed to remain in Westport when its lease is up at year’s end. Many Westporters are convinced it’s a magnet for violent crime and the summer weekend night floods of African American youths who fill the streets and surrounding parking lots.
The Brian Euston killing last year, for example, went down in an altercation just outside America’s Pub.
To that end, they’ve initiated a campaign to close America’s Pub down, says its attorney Harris Wilder.
Tony: The Key To Eternal Blog Survival
I’m often comforted and frightened by the thought that so many of the words I’ve blogged on the Internets will remain archived until the end of recorded human history and for a short time thereafter.
Either by way of The Wayback Machine or the secret dossier that Google and Facebook are keeping on all of us. The Web really is a lot more permanent than people realize. Despite the fact that local online publishing operations tend to have the lifespan of a June-bug.
So, because I’m a generous and kind soul with a penchant for busty lingerie models, I’d like to share the keys to bloggy immortality. And while I can’t promise any of my advice will earn gentle readers even pocket change to help with their electricity bill, it’ll certainly delight potential employees who need an excuse to pass on your application.
Now, on to the advice . . .
Glazer: Return of the Humble Scribe; Handicapping the Chiefs Game by Game
As the NFL strike comes to an end, we can now look closely at the Chiefs’ chances in 2011…
Answer: Not Much.
Why? Unless the team’s draft picks are off the chart – especially at wide receiver – the offense could be worse this season. Quarterback Matt "The Franchise" Cassel has got to be much more effective. And that’s hard to do with just one solid back and maybe one wide out in Dwayne Bowe.
Maybe this will all get better. I do think the Chiefs defense will improve, mostly due to experience.And PS, we also have a new offensive coordinator, so who knows on that one?
So while the team may improve overall, the Chiefs schedule is a bitch. Uphill to say the least.
