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Jack Goes Confidential: Tom Cruise Delivers on ‘MISSION’
Paramount’s release pattern for MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE-GHOST PROTOCOL has been confusing at best to the average moviegoer.
Many fans hit their local megaplexes this past weekend only to find out it wasn’t playing there—YET!
It opened only on IMAX screens last Friday.
Regular theaters weren’t scheduled to open the blockbuster until today (12/21). But then with Columbia Pictures’ THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO moved its opening up from today to yesterday (12/20) at 7:00 p.m., so Paramount did one better. They also moved MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE 4’s regular engagements up one day and beat TATTOO’s first performances by 2 hours—starting shows at 5:00 p.m.
Glazer: God Save The Kansas City Chiefs! Scribe Tortured by Love / Hate Affair
So last night Stanford’s had its holiday party on the Plaza at the hot new Zocalo restaurant and nightspot…
Take it from me it’s THE place to be on weekend nights now. Pretty ladies ages 25 to 45, sharp guys, plus it’s a money place. Nice.
The food is good, too and there’s a large bar area. Anyway, I sat with my brother, Jeff, his girlfriend and my long time pal Joel, a manager at Stanford’s. We grew up together and Joel was explaining how great the NEW CHIEFS are.
"Boy, if we’d had Kyle Orton a few weeks back, we’d be in the playoffs. Beating Green Bay (which may have cost me some nice dough that I’ve waited all year for) was so sweet. The Chiefs proved who was the best team in the NFL."
WHAT?
Hearne: Mission Improbable, Taking It To The Imax
Let me begin by saying this is not a movie review…
However, I did see the new Tom Cruise movie Mission Impossible last night. In all its Imax glory. Jack had assured me it was top notch – and I won’t argue that – however I’ll pass along a few things worth noting.
Starting with the really intense, really loud opening scene.
Jack Goes Confidential: Unsettling ‘GIRL WITH DRAGON TATTOO’ Evokes Intense Experience
For many, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is the most highly anticipated film of the holiday season…
Others—especially those who read the book or saw the original, subtitled foreign version—are worried that director David Fincher’s americanization of Stieg Larsson’s powerful thriller won’t translate well in Hollywood’s hands.
Well, I’ve got good news and bad news.
Come to think of it, it’s all good news. Finche’s version of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO delivers—and then some. And for the record I’ve never seen the original, but friends who’ve seen both Swedish and American versions tell me that Mr. Fincher’s new film has far exceeded their expectations.
Another plus: You’re not bothered with subtitles.
Glazer: Scribe Reaches Out, Conjures Up Christmas Spirit
These are tough times for all of us – even me…
Family deaths, film and TV deals getting even tougher now on projects – it’s hard out there for all of us. I help many friends who are in need with their problems paying bills but money is tighter for me too. We should all try and help those in need in any way we can.
And it doesn’t always have to be just about money. It can be warm phone call, a kind email or a card to let people know that you care.
I know things get a little overheated at times on this site.
I also know many of you readers think I am an egomaniac and only care about myself.
Jack: Anybody Up for a Christmas Goose?
My wished for Christmas present this year probably won’t show up under the tree…
Come to think of it, what tree? Bah, humbug!
Were it to, however, It would come from a kitchen instead of a chimney, accompanied by the most incredibly, wonderful aroma.
I’m wishing, of course, for a great, crisp Christmas Goose dinner complete with potato dumplings, gravy and red cabbage.
OK, so I’m German already.
Urich: My Big, Wet Christmas Gift to Kansas City
For decades people met "under the clock" at Union Station…
But we’ve gotten away from that tradition so, I’m proposing a new holiday tradition: "Kiss Under the Clock."
It will be unveiled Friday morning at Union Station, and if you’re fortunate enough to kiss someone under Union Station historic clock, you have to drop a buck in the giant Salvation Army bucket.
Donnelly: Need a Last Minute Gift Idea? Flip ’em a Bird (or Two)
It’s getting to be pretty hectic for down-to-the-wire Christmas shopping…
That is, for people like myself who inevitably wait until the absolute last second. If you’re like me, every year you tell yourself this holiday season will be different. This year you’ll get going early and get the shopping done by Thanksgiving so you can kick back and relax as the days inch closer to Christmas.
No jam-packed checkout aisles, no fighting for parking at the Legends, no swearing at soccer moms in minivans as you cut them off and slide into the space they’ve been waiting for with their blinker on for 5 minutes.
Sounds like a plan, right?
Edelman: Time for Disgruntled Musicians to Lay Down Arms & Return to Jardine’s
Remember when you were embarrassed to ask for something from, say, your old and sickly grandmother who barely had the energy to raise her hand and pat you on the head?
"I wish for world peace, Grammy," you’d respond, and leave it at that. I mean, the old gal couldn’t afford to get you a present. She was buying more drugs than Amy Winehouse on a tour of the Balkans.
Hanging out at Jardine’s Saturday night, I thought how nice a slice of that peace would be– peace between jazz musicians and club owners. It seems somebody told somebody something, and the next thing we jazz fans knew, part of the band at Jardine’s didn’t show up. The guys who did play worked their hands off; and Beena put a brave face on it.
But this was Saturday night at the best jazz club in town. We all deserved better (even without a cover).
This boycott Beena business is a dead end.
Leftridge: Gift Giving Ideas for Just About Anyone
With Christmas only a stone’s throw away, I’ve decided to take the guess work out of gift-giving.
Nobody really knows what Grandpa wants and Dad has enough "executive" golf-themed items for his desk (exceptionally funny because Dad doesn’t work at a desk– he’s a ‘slicer’ on the hog-slaughtering assembly line… Get real).
Surprise them with a gift for the ages!
Have them talking for weeks afterwords! Whatever… Just buy one of these goddamned things and call it a day.
Glazer: Chiefs Threaten Scribe’s Big Bet & Romeo May be Kansas City’s Juliette
Well, it happened…
The Chiefs made some big news for once, for the first time in years. They beat the undefeated Green Bay Packers at Arrowhead. Huge upset. One the Packers may not recover from. Their defense has been poor all season, Aaron Rodgers looked terrible and the Pack looked very beatable.
Reminded me of New England towards the end of their unbeaten run – they were just worn out.
The Chiefs defense showed up big. They had a good running game and quarterback Kyle Orton played mistake free football. They executed the perfect game plan. And Romeo Crennel may have won the Head Coaching job for next season.
Leftridge: TV Time — The Walking Dead —
The first thing you need to know about The Walking Dead is that it’s a show about love.
We’ll let that sink in for a moment.
Are you adequately recovered from my claim? Good.
So yeah, it’s a show about love, first and foremost. It’s about love, and human nature, and the evil that men do, and familial relationships and sociological interactions. It’s basically a primetime soap opera about a group of people, and the way they treat life, and the way life treats them. It’s a soap opera about people thrust together unwittingly into less than desirable circumstances. And zombies.
Yes, zombies.
And to many, that’s what this show is, or what it means. It’s a tale of a bunch of people banded together by fate, shooting the shit out of zombies in order to procure themselves a better tomorrow.
And though the zombie brains may splatter, and their rotten faces be exploded under the cool blast of a 12 gauge, this show is still about the humans behind the gun, a poetic testament to those forced into a life of murderous indifference.
Glazer: Scribe Lays Down This Week’s Picks as Chiefs Prepare for the Worst
Well sports fans, your humble scribe wants to let you know nothing has changed at Arrowhead…
The Packers – like I told you the Jets would do – will dance on the Chiefs Sunday. They will cover the 13 1/2 point spread. And that’s the VEGAS SPREAD (betvegasvic.com), not 14.
I see this as a 38 to 13 game with the Packers winning. That Chiefs Defense only works well on bad teams or wounded teams. The Pack lost one good receiver, other than that, say good night. Packers.
There are some low level college bowl games Saturday and one NFL game.
Oddly and I can’t remember the last time there were no college bowl games on New Year’s Day. Everything’s moved to January 2nd, Monday because of the NFL. Odd, huh?
Pro Football: Here it goes….
Today: Bourdain Does Stroud’s & Savoy, Pletz Death Update & ‘Toon Shop’ Redux
There’s a ton going on so let’s get going….
For starters chef, author, television host and culinary wild man Anthony Bourdain has been in town for much of the week, ahead of his perfromance tonight at the Midland by AMC. Earlier this week, roving KC Confidential comments catalyst Chuck Lowe caught Bourdain in the act, film crew in tow, at B.B.’s Lawnside BBQ. Lowe says Bourdain was swilling beer and swallowing KC ‘Q for an April edition of his Travel Channel show "No Reservations."
Wait, there’s more…
"B.B.’s manager Mike Shannon told me Bourdain was going to Stroud’s yesterday and the Savoy today," Lowe says. "So he’s making a week of it here in Kansas City."
Concert biz insiders may want to note that Bourdain’s show at the Midland tonight is being promoted by Jam out of Chicago with former KU SUA concert king Steve Traxler (who’ll be in town for the show) spearheading the promotion.
Glazer: A Black Eye for the NFL & Black NFL Players / The Drug Bust
NFL players – and especially NFL players of color – took a knockout blow yesterday…
On Wednesday, Chicago Bears wide out Sam Hurd was busted by the DEA for buying one kilogram( 2.2 pounds) of cocaine. On top of that, Hurd had ordered 1,000 pounds of weed and up to 10 KIlograms of coke per week. That’s a wholesale value of just under a million bucks a week. Meaning this guy is a major supplier to dealers. Many of the dealers we are told are current and past NFL players.
In the double digits according to the Feds.
I heard about it first on 610 Sports with Nick Wright (and by the way, we made up). Nick made two important comments. ONE: a guy buying this much ain’t selling a bag of weed to his pals. This is serious weight – Scar Face weight. SECOND: many other players will be named, this could be the worst criminal event ever for the NFL – way worse than the Michael Vick scandal.
This is a HUGE DRUG RING.
Sounds Good: Katlyn Conroy@RecordBar, Drakkar Sauna@Jackpot & Beena@ Jardine’s
All of the shows I’m recommending this week are at Jardine’s because, well, Beena threatened to stab me in the heart with a trident if I crossed her (again).
You guys all know how she can be, right?
I heard that one time she caught an employee taking a non-approved bathroom break and so to make an example, she murdered their whole family on stage in front of everyone.
Yeah.
Then, as if that wasn’t enough, she locked the doors and made all the remaining employees listen to jazz for, like, an hour and a half…with no booze!!
Just be careful out there guys, you’ve been warned…
Star Search: Star Sends ‘Thirsty’ Reporter to Jardine’s to Tell the Rest of the Story
Can I get a drumroll?
After two weeks of watching from the sidelines, the Kansas City Star is poised to enter the finger-pointing, media circus and soap opera surrounding embattled Plaza area jazz club Jardine’s.
Unlike Fox 4‘s fox hunt, count on the Star story being balanced. In other words, rather than just loading up on pissed off servers and a single musician who’s check got caught in a bank account freeze, the Star will weigh in with both sides of the story.
That being said, this is going to be a delicate tightrope walk for Star music man Tim Finn.
Leftridge: Calling All Coaches- Who’d Like to Come to Kansas City?
So Todd Haley is gone, and though it’s only been a few days—that he’s undoubtedly spent sitting on his couch in basketball shorts, scratching the scruff on his neck and wondering where it all went wrong—we’re already picking over the corpse of his career and making wild assumptions and wish-lists concerning who might be next in line. The life of a head football coach is probably not a fun one, and it provides all of the safety and job-security of a one-legged lobsterman on a rickety fishing boat.
But shed not a tear for the plight of the oft-embattled NFL coach; the average 2010 salary was a cool $3.25 million. And yeah, it’s a year-round job, despite its seasonal nature, and it consumes you. Your family life probably suffers, you have no free-time and your insides are just one giant ulcer of second-guesses and game film. That said, I mean, come on… $3.25 million.
Jack Goes Confidential: ‘SHERLOCK HOMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS’-Game On!
The teaming of Robert Downey, Jr. with Jude Law and director Guy Ritchie worked extremely well in 2009’s SHERLOCK HOLMES.
The question being, could they repeat the magic two years later? The answer being, damn right.
Downey, Jr. as Sherlock reprises his role as the world’s most famous detective and Law returns as his formidable colleague, Dr. Watson.
And you guessed it, this 1891 cat and mouse game sports a new antagonist. He’s criminal mastermind at large Professor Moriarty, played devilishly by Jared (Mad Men) Harris who may prove to be Holme’s equal—or possibly even better!
Today: Fox 4 Falls for Phoney Picket Photo Op While Musicians Boycott Plaza Jazz Club
The most sensational scandal in the modern Kansas City Jazz history is unfolding before our eyes…
If you thought jazz was dead in this town, think again. Granted, lip service from the usual suspects and the undying passion of ardent aficiondos aside, jazz isn’t exactly a popular art form these days.
Far from it.
Don’t get me wrong though. There’s a ton of quality live jazz around town spearheaded by artists like Mark Lowrey, Brandon Draper, Megan Birdsall, Danny Embrey, Lonnie McFadden, Shay Estes, Hermon Mehari and Mark Southerland. It just doesn’t get much media attention, and outside of venues like the Folly, Mutual Musicians Foundation and Jardine’s, not a lot of foot traffic.
Speaking of foot traffic…
A pair of former Jardine’s servers and a handful of their friends layed down a small town news style photo op for Fox 4 tonight around 7:30 p.m. The servers and scab friends picketed Jardine’s for Channel 4’s 9 and 10 p.m. news. Is it actually that easy to get on local television news these days?
I thought you had to actually be murdered or die in a fire or car crash.
