New Jack City: ‘BRAVE’-You Can’t Keep A Good Pixar Adventure Down

Posted on June 24, 2012 by admin

The movie industry kept a close watch on Pixar this weekend…

Would the animation studio continue its flawless streak or would its 13th production be the first to not only fail to open in first place at the boxoffice but bomb altogether?

Well, the results are in and Pixar’s winning streak remains unbroken!

BRAVE’s estimated opening weekend domestic ticket sales are $66.7 million and its audience’s CinemaScore was a great "A" rating. The film’s demos were 57% female and 43% male.

That makes BRAVE the 2nd largest animated June opening after its previous success, TOY STORY 3.

So how did our vampire hunting past president fare by comparison this weekend?

Not so good. ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER underperformed by grossing a mere $16.5 million for its three day opening weekend. Making matters worse the picture’s exit score was barely a "C ."

Maybe it’s time for Tim Burton to look more cautiously at future endeavors.

Posted in Jack_Poessiger | Tagged | 7 Comments

Hearne: Alamo Drafthouse Splashes Down @ AMC Mainstreet

Posted on June 24, 2012 by admin

With very little fanfare, Alamo Drafthouse got the keys to AMC’s Mainstreet movie kingdom Thursday…

And to those who may have been anticipating a seamless transition, think again. Rather than rocking it right out of the gate, the Alamo opted to quietly shut things down for a spell. No press releases, no ads in the newspaper, just a brief statement on its new Facebook page:

"Phase one is complete. Old logos are down and the keys are in our hands! We’ll be closed for a few days, but not long at all."

Add to that a blog entry from an Alamoan grousing about the 12 hour drive to KC from Austin for a first-ever visit and plan for staffers to reside here two to three months while taking on the "crazy and daunting task" of converting the Mainstreet and implementing a new food and drink menu.

Remember what I told you about Alamo having to retrofit 80 percent of the Mainstreet’s downstairs (431 seats) to food and beverage service readiness? Apparently that’s the "daunting" part, the Alamo blogger notes.

And it won’t happen anytime soon, not before September anyway.

"Adding full food service to all screens – there’s food and beverage service in three of the six theaters already – is going to require some renovations, and we’d hate to shut down for that right when one of the greatest films of the year almost certainly (The Dark Knight Rises), is about to hit movie screens."

The $64 million question: How much will it cost and how many seats will be lost adding tables and service aisles?

"When you have an outlay of $30 million, there’s just no way AMC or anybody can make money with only 500 seats, even if you sell a shitload of booze," says KCC movie guy Jack Poessiger.

Can Alamo strike black ink with so few seats with its cache and fierce no talking / no texting policies?

"I don’t think it can," Poessiger says.

That said, AMC’s recent redo of its Ward Parkway has sent ticket sales soaring, Poessiger says.

"They lost half of their seats when AMC converted it recently to nicer seats and more legroom and they still don’t have tables and room for serving food in the theater," he says. "But their grosses have been going up since they did that. So they have less seats and are doing more business."

The jury’s out on how many seats the Mainstreet will lose but, "I just can’t imagine them giving up more than 100 seats to do all that," Poessiger says. "Because that would dig them in even deeper in terms of the theater’s financial situation."

The bottom line on the Alamo retrofit:

"They’ll have to find a way to do it to keep the most seats, because they’re already down below the minimum seating for a typical sixplex," Poessiger says. "It’s just not economically feasible. They must know something we don’t know, but it won’t be easy if they take anymore seats out of that complex. But they’ve done so well in their other locations, they must know something. They must know the secret to success."

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 9 Comments

Glazer: St Louis Sparks Nightlife Wilding that Engulfs Westport, Legends, P&L

Posted on June 24, 2012 by admin

Maybe it was the fact the Kansas City Royals played host to the St. Louis Cards…

That likely brought 15,000 out of town folks in for the weekend and that’s a lot of bodies. Maybe it was the cooler weather Friday and Saturday and people were tired of not getting out on the town.

Whatever it was, man this town rocked these past two nights.

There  was  good news almost everywhere. Legends looked to have its best weekend of the summer. Even the fireworks drew thousands of smiling faces to the shopping area. I left Legends and headed to Westport to visit my pal Bill Nigro.

And yes, I’ll admit it, I took Black Barbie with me. Maybe she helped light things up.

And people, Westport was just unreal.

It looked like 1979!

Packed, a good-looking crowd – no hip hoppers for the most part – and a boatload of hotties. By far it’s the best I’ve seen Westport look in years. I mean years. Around midnight there were lines to get into most of the clubs. Wall-to-wall everywhere, from Kellys to Guesto.

Impressive is an understatement.

You have to hand it to the leaders of Westport, from the Kellys to James Westphal. Damn.

What an amazing turn around in just one year. And sans the barricades, thank God. Well done.

It gets better.

Power and Light was packed as well. They did have a large number of urban youth around the outside of the entertainment district. And when Monique and I got inside there lines everywhere. Even in the courtyard there were thousands of people dancing.

It was a more mixed crowd than Westport.

Can you believe Westport had the cleaner cut crowd?

Likely this is because of the dance clubs in the P & L being more hip hop and rap oriented. Westport is almost total Tech, a grunge atmosphere for 20 somethings.

Both areas boasted mostly 20-30 year olds – young, hip – and a ton of talent if you know what I mean.

It’s the new Facebook Generation. I was practically the lone Boomer.

Westport had strong security as did the P & L. I did witness one incident outside Power and Light. About 10 cop cars, and five officers on foot tackling a young black guy. He was running down the street doing who knows what but they seemed to have it under control.

It was that all too rare example of a happening Kansas City.

Bring in some out of towners that want to party, offer up some well run entertainment districts and boom! Totally busy. It was the perfect storm. I thought, why can’t it be this way more often? Too bad our city leaders don’t go out and LEARN what is right and wrong with this city, its economy, its lack of almost any tourism that matters.

A footnote: KCMO wants to give Cordish Company the money to turn a condo downtown into apartments. Aren’t these the same folks who built the P & L then told the city to fuck off when it came to payments, tax evaluations and concern about its failure? 

Understand this though; Cordish is correct. This is the right move. The only way to get ANYONE to move downtown is apartments.

The condos concept has failed. Nobody bought them.

Today less than nobody is buying downtown. The apartment style is the way to go, maybe citywide. We need more people living here.

Kansas City is a truly nice town. I’ve always said we have so much to offer, but few people come here except to see grandma or for a ball game or two. It will take the kind of marketing and leadership KCMO does not have. They have almost none. Haven’t for 50 years.

Before that KC was on the map in a big way. Hey, maybe there’s hope after all.

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 9 Comments

Glazer: Scribe Says Living Hell Awaits Sandusky in Prison

Posted on June 23, 2012 by admin

Say it ain’t so, Jerry….

Well you did it. How’s it working out for you now, Sandusky?

Guilty on 45 of 48 counts of sexual abuse over a 15 year period. What does that mean? Life in prison and trust me, Sandusky will get the max. Look, at age 68 anything over 15 years is basically LIFE. Thats a given.

So he’s a monster. No doubt.

Now the worst is yet to come for Jerry Sandusky. Seeing him come out of the courthouse in cuffs, with that nice, light brown jacket and tie on, his family weeping, the look on his face – yeah, I can see where there’s a twinge of feel sorry for him in some people.

Is it wrong to feel that way about a man who ruined so many young people’s lives? Not really.

The man is clearly INSANE. He really thought he didn’t do anything wrong. All those young men were lying somehow. His own adopted son was going to testify that Jerry molested him.

According to Sandusky’s attorney, Joe Amendola, "Jerry was prepared for this."

WTF? Are you thinking what I’m thinking? WHY DIDN’T HE RUN OR TAKE HIS OWN LIFE!

A few reasons, I suppose.

For one thing, his family. Sandusky seems to be close to them, especially his stepson. Then there’s where to run? He’s a well recognized person, older and not a professional criminal with connections to get to a halfway safe place like South America.

Just to let you know, United States law enforcement tends to find anyone they really want to find. Ask Obama. It just takes time. They also will extradite your ass from about anywhere in the world if they find you. So this would have been tough for old Jerry. And money could have been a factor as well; running costs big bucks and Sandusky may not have wanted to leave his family with no money. He would have needed a ton to survive somewhere else in the world with his profile.

Suicide made the most sense to me. In the garage, car exhaust. Nighty night. Best way out.

Of course, Sandusky figured he was innocent.

So what will happen to old Jerry next?

He’ll be in lockdown, a single one man cell. On suicide watch. No towels, razors, anything sharp, plastic spoons. It’ll be tough to kill himself where he is now. They’ll walk by his cell several times an hour to make sure.

Next, Judge John Cleland will sentence him within 90 days. That will be some form of life sentence. Due to the fact he’s a child molester Jerry will likely go to a high level prison, a state prison. Not good for Jerry. At first he will be forced to NOT BE IN THE POPULATION.

That’s because inmates hate child molesters more than rats. They might kill him on the yard or in the shower.

Old Jerry will be in solitary confinement in a segregated building in lockdown; no cellmate, 23 hours a day. Brother, its enough to drive you nuts, but he may already be there, nuts I mean.

Much of what Jerry will now see happens to most high level beginning inmates. It happened to me.

Save the long term lockdown. All incoming prisoners at high level prisons are placed in the shoe for breakdown and awaiting sentencing. Then they transfer you to your new home somewhere in the state. This is the hardest time you have in prison.

My being a former undercover agent/cop and a guy who stung/robbed drug groups was not good. Especially with all the publicity. But that was nothing compared to what Jerry Sandusky will experience until the day he dies.

Jerry may get lucky and get shanked – stabbed – and die early.

That’s only if he gets into some form of the prison population. Which could be years before that’s ever possible. But one day he’ll be with others in some form. Because at some point he’ll demand to go into the yard population. That’s where he could be killed. And once he’s in long enough and they kinda forget about him, he can make a weapon out of some blades off a shaver melted into a toothbrush and cut his wrists.

But more than likely none of that will happen.

Jerry will simply die of illness or old age in some Pennsylvania prison.

The odds are on his side to do just that. It will be a long slow process, a real nightmare. Understand this is a sick man, a guy who had much good in him but his sexual appetite for young boys destroyed him along with the many young men he molested.

Guess he should have been born a couple thousand years ago in Rome. He could have schooled athletes and been with young boys, it was legal then, but not now.

Today he’s a monster and monsters get killed or locked up.

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 7 Comments

Star Search: R.I.P. Robert W. Butler, Long Live New Star Movie King Jon Niccum

Posted on June 22, 2012 by admin

It’s easy to be critical of the Kansas City Star…

Look how often I partake of the sport. And not because, like hundreds of others, I was laid off in the ongoing financial bloodbath newspapers are enduring in an era where mostly just oldsters continue to read print publications.

Nope, I have a long track record of criticizing the Star, dating from my years spent building and running the Pitch and including years at the paper. It wasn’t always an easy feat, but on dozens if not hundreds – of occasions I followed up on under or misreported Star stories with columns attempting to set the record staright or tell the story behind the story.

I’ve also passed along some attaboys to the newspaper and this is one of those times.

So allow me to say that a year after Robert W. Butler was laid off, his freelance replacement Jon Niccum is kicking butt and doing a splendid job of reviewing movies for the entertainment section.

The former Pitch and Lawrence Journal World  editor has raised the Star’s movie reviewing bar to new heights.

No longer are readers saddled with lengthy, boring treatises on art house product and with mainstream movies relegated to snobby, psuedo-intellectual, put down write ups.

Far from it.

As the Star‘s lead reviewer, Niccum can be counted on to cover movies the vast majority of the public actually want to go see. And if, in Niccum’s opinion, the movie’s worthwhile, he lets readers know why and how. He gives it to them straight with well written reasoning that doesn’t make it appear he’s just to "artsy" to get it or care.

That wasn’t always the case with Butler.

The very choice of films Butler mostly reviewed made it was clear his love of the art was centered around movies that play venues like the Glenwood Arts, Tivoli, Rio and Ranchmart – I mean, Leawood.

Which was a great service to those tiny theaters and helped keep them alive and kicking.

However the audience for most of those art films is tiny to the point of being all but insignificant to most readers of the Star. And since Butler wore his movie reviewing heart on his sleeve, it was hard not to be skeptical of his many reviews dissing mainstream movies. He even fell asleep during a screening of Transformers during some of the movie’s most intense battle scenes.

Nobody can accuse Niccum – who is younger and hipper – of writing off blockbusters like Rock of Ages and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter simply because he fell asleep or is too stodgy. You’re more likely to run into Niccum at a Flaming Lips show than a Lyric Opera performance of Madama Butterfly.

Butler at a cutting edge rock show? Too gauche.

Niccum’s come a long way from his training wheels days at the Pitch in the 1990s.

I remember in 1998 when Butler snagged an interview with the singer Jewel who was in town for a role in director Ang Lee‘s locally filmed Ride with the Devil. Niccum was furious that he was denied a Pitch interview with her.

"Doesn’t she know she’ll never get coverage in this town again in the Pitch?" he said angrily. Or words to that effect.

Yeah, journalism can go to your head.

Niccum’s mellowed since then. And after effectively taking a bullet at the local alt weekly two years later, having an unsuccessful run at the Journal World and having to resign as the head of the KC Film Critics Circle because he didn’t have a legitimate medium for his reviews, he’s a seasoned journalist.

So forget all that, Niccum is back and he’s bad – as in good – really good. And moviegoers and Star readers are the better for it.

Take the Nic Man’s Abe Lincoln, Vamp Hunter review today…

"Seth Grahame-Smith’s 2010 novel “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” delivered an engrossing, literate revision of history. The film adaptation is as faithful as a $70 million summer blockbuster can afford to be. But its hyper-stylized action scenes rob the narrative of its power," it begins.

"Viewers expecting a parody will be startled. Grahame-Smith -who also penned the screenplay -presents a deadly serious environment, depicting a Civil War-era South where blacks are considered a commodity to be consumed and discarded by vampiric plantation owners. And these aren’t the pretty-boy, frat-party vamps of nowadays, but more like a cloistered gang of hostile survivalists constantly maneuvering to outlast the opposition."

Now the bad news.

"It’s all a bit much, especially by the time Lincoln and cohorts Josh (Jimmi Simpson) and Will (Anthony Mackie) defend a speeding, burning train against a vampire onslaught," Niccum writes. "Most filmmakers would render this ‘Road Warrior’-style finale with a little wink and nudge, but Bekmambetov chooses to stare down the material. It straddles his Civil War tale between Chancellorsville and Cartoon Land.

"Could a more grounded approach to the action visuals improve the picture? At least it would be a respectable choice, and one that might elevate “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” to something better than an amusing CGI movie that’s a slave to its era. In this case, the era is not 1865; it’s the summer of 2012."

Two and a half out of four stars, Niccum gives it.

Pixar’s Brave doesn’t fare any better, garnering ony 2 stars.

Here’s the deal; 2 1/2 stars renders a movie good enough to go see if you have a mind to. Yet it keeps your expectations grounded. That’s perfect for me, because I like going in with low or reasonable expectations in the hopes of being pleasantly surprised.

The big losers in the Star‘s switch to mainstream reviews and a less stodgy critic: the aforementioned local art houses.

However there’s no need to jam those reviews down the throats of the general public when devotees of that genre have more than enough alternative places to read about movies like The Intouchables (Rio), 2012 Gayfest (Tivoli) and Where Do We Go Now? (Glenwood Red Bridge & Tivoli).

Starting with Butler’s Cinema Scene where you won’t find reviews of "Rock of Ages" or "Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter" but will find writeups of the aforementioned art house movies.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/06/21/3668062/abraham-lincoln-vampire-hunter.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/06/21/3668062/abraham-lincoln-vampire-hunter.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpyViewers expecting a parody will be startled. Grahame-Smith (who also penned the screenplay) presents a deadly serious environment, depicting a Civil War-era South where blacks are considered a commodity to be consumed and discarded by vampiric plantation owners. And these aren’t the pretty-boy, frat-party vamps of nowadays, but more like a cloistered gang of hostile survivalists constantly maneuvering to outlast the opposition.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/06/21/3668062/abraham-lincoln-vampire-hunter.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/06/21/3668062/abraham-lincoln-vampire-hunter.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cp
Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 18 Comments

Glazer: Lebron & NBA Kings of the World

Posted on June 22, 2012 by admin

The man so many love to hate has his ring…

Lebron James has been crowned KING of the NBA. The Miami Heat crushed the Oklahoma City Thunder, 4 games to 1. It’s over. Your favorite guy, Lebron, is MVP and he’s one of just five to have a triple double in a final NBA title game. It goes on and on, he’s the best basketball player on the planet.

Like many of you I was pulling for OKC.

Kevin Durant was a Big 12 guy and I thought he might be the better man. James put an end to that thought. Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh proved they are the best. And they vowed to win more championships for them and Miami.

OKC only has two super stars, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. There is no third guy, James Harden was a no show.

Lebron is one of the most vilified players in pro sports.

Why? Because he walked on his hometown club Cleveland, had a TV Show about his "Decision" and then failed to win a title in his first season with the Heat. James was seen as an egomaniac, cold and overrated. He addressed this after the game last night.

"I looked in the mirror and realized I had to be better, on the court and off."

To a certain extent James was humble in victory. I watched him on the sidelines and he was happy as a sixth grader who just got an extra week off for Christmas. The guy seems to be for real with his, "Sorry I was a jerk" attitude today. He’s earned our forgiveness.

James also overcame the cry that he can’t close THE big games. He sure did in this series, including game  4 with a bad cramp and severe pain.

The other reason the Heat jacked OKC is bench strength. KU’s Mario Chalmers was outstanding. In fact, he’s now the new NBA KU star following in the steps of KU’s Paul Pierce.

Yes, the baton has been passed from Kobe Bryant to Lebron James. Lebron is now THE MAN in the NBA.

Look, all the hate that was put on Lebron James was simply NOT fair in the first place.

Though he looks older, the guy is still young, in his late 20’s and was simply trying to live up to his superstar status. He needed to win titles. Cleveland, his hometown and former NBA team, was just not able to get him there. And it’s likely it never would, even with Lebron. He had to move on to a better situation.

I know it sucks for the small market and we all can relate in Kansas City.

Lebron came off as a bit cold and stuck up, but guess what? When you’re at his level that happens. I know, I know, "Thats what he’s paid for, live with it."   I get it. But when you’re that young and everyone is kissing the ground you walk on every minute you get a big head.

Lebron seems to be a decent guy. He never gets in trouble with the law, shows up for good causes and doesn’t have several kids out there with no dad.

KU was well represented with Chalmers, Nick Collison and Cole Aldrich all seeing action.

However, the final score didn’t reflect the beating OKC took, 121 to 106.

They were never in the game. OKC is young and they will be back. Oklahoma needs to find a couple support players to better help their two superstars.

In the end, maybe the best news for the NBA is this; more eyeballs on the playoffs.

It’s closing in on being the offical number two pro sport in America behind the NFL.

Hey, baseball has NOT had the attention this NBA playoff season has experienced.

Major League Baseball does not have a star like Lebron or Durant for that matter.

The NBA seems to be on the way up and so is Lebron James.

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 9 Comments

Starbeams: Cordish Plan Down the Sewer, DMV Days, New Math & Chocolate Love

Posted on June 21, 2012 by admin

The Cordish Co. is planning a $70 million downtown project with a 23-story tower as the centerpiece.  They also want a 25 year tax break.  Thankfully, our $3.6 billion crumbling sewage problem is well-funded, so the timing’s perfect.

*******

Summer is officially here.  June 21 is the longest day of the year….unless you’re at a Kansas DMV.  Then it’s even longer.

*******

A new poll says confidence in U.S. public schools has dropped to the lowest level in nearly four decades. Only 29 percent of those questioned in a Gallup poll said they had a “great deal” of confidence in public schools.  So, that’s like half of us, right?

*******

Boulevard Brewery will not make the popular Chocolate Ale for 2013.  They’re still working on the formula.  It’s a hard formula to combine something that lets your date forget that you took advantage of her, and yet, remember that you gave her chocolate.

Kelly Urich hosts the morning show on The Point 99.7 FM

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Hearne: Time Running Out on Jardine’s Liquor License

Posted on June 21, 2012 by admin

Time’s running out for a ‘savior" to rescue Plaza area jazz joint Jardine’s…

That is, if its hard to get 3 a.m. liquor license is to be salvaged. Whether the intention is to do a jazz, blues, dance, gay bar – you name it – it won’t be easy to reopen the space at 4536 Main if the license lapses.

"It expires at the end of July," says Regulated Industries head Gary Majors. "It’s one license and a 3 a.m. license. Typically they have 90 days once it expires to reapply."

And you can pretty much forget someone new coming in and getting a 3 a.m. license without working something out with beleaguered Jardine’s owner Beena Raja.

"No, first of all the license has to be renewed and valid," Majors says. "In other words, in good standing. It’s pretty easy to sign it over, but we have had instances when the owner going out the door says, ‘I’m not signing anything for anybody’ and then the license just dies and has to be reapplied for."

No small feat.

Because a new operator would need to go through a consent process with neighbors, a 45 day process that may or may not result in a license being granted.

Other complications include paying off money owed to liquor distributors and back taxes, something Jardine’s is believed to still owe.

"The state really won’t renew a license if there’s outstanding debt to liquor wholesalers," Majors says. "And you have to bring us a ‘no taxes due’ letter so that we know the city taxes have been paid. The state license makes sure the state taxes are paid."

So are there any deals brewing for somebody to take over the club?

"I haven’t heard a word until your phone call," Majors says.

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 27 Comments

Jack Goes Confidential: ‘BRAVE’ Keeps Pixar’s Winning Streak Alive

Posted on June 21, 2012 by admin

Ancient Scotland has been the setting for many past adventures in movies…

And now it becomes Pixar‘s location for that studio’s 13th production.

Thirteenth? Will it be cursed?

No way, unless you count what the witch does to the Queen in this movie.

The story of BRAVE is a simple one with a red-headed and strong willed Princess Merida (voiced by Kelly McDonald) doing her own thing in the kingdom where her archery skills don’t exactly endear her to the male community.

Her mom, the Queen (voiced by Emma Thompson) isn’t thrilled either.

The final straw comes when Merida refuses to go along with an arranged marriage.

To escape her planned-out future, she escapes into the woods where she falls under a wicked witch’s—a funky witch’s spell – voiced by Julie Waters.

Well, hold on to your ticket stubs!

The spell turns mom into a giant black bear—with emotions— but unable to speak and leading to chaos and fury throughout the kingdom.

Will the Queen’s spell be reversed before time runs out? Will the Princess make up with mom and make pop, King Fergus (voiced by Billy Connelly) proud?

What do YOU think?

Hey, it’s Disney, right? Well actually Pixar which Disney bought a few years back.

As to the production itself, it’s dedicated to Steve Jobs who gave a new lease on life to Pixar back in 1986.
And as for the look of the film, Jobs would be proud.

It’s a charming production with emphasis on female empowerment presented with incredible attention to detail and sweeping lifelike settings—not to mention doses of lighthearted fun throughout.

But be forewarned that BRAVE is not rated G!

It’s a PG-rated computer animated feature for good reason with dark, brutal bear fighting and other battle sequences that could be deemed too scary for the very young.

Pixar breaks here with its usual, easygoing tradition by delivering an almost adult fairytale.

And no, it’s not a sequel.

"Legends are legends—they ring with truths" That line in the film pretty well sums things up.

I thereby bequeath 4 out of 5 fingers to Disney/Pixar’s BRAVE.

My 11 year-old gandson Gage’s take on BRAVE:

"The movie is very good but not for kids under the age of six. It had more action and better animation than most Pixar movies of the past. The best part of BRAVE is the bear fighting sequence. Both boys and girls will like the movie and the 3-D effects were great and worth the extra price of a ticket.
I give it 4 out of 5 fingers.

JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES Friday mornings at 6:40 a.m. on KMBZ Fm & Am / Also anytime on Time Warner Cable’s K.C. ON DEMAND, Channel 411 / And throughout Nebraska on NEBRASKA ON DEMAND, Channel 411.

Posted in Jack_Poessiger | Tagged | 4 Comments

Donnelly: Vermes Lays it on the Table, Steals Point With Little-Used Players @ Seattle

Posted on June 21, 2012 by admin

Sporting KC coach Peter Vermes took a big swing with his starting lineup Wednesday night at the Seattle Sounders…

Six of his eleven starters had played sparingly so far this year and one – outside midfielder Michael Thomas – had never logged an MLS minute.  The other five, Lawrence Olum, Peterson Joseph, Michael Harrington, Jacob Peterson and Soony Saad, had a couple of starts this year combined.

But with a packed schedule looming, including five games in the next 14 days and a cross-continental flight for Saturday’s contest in Philly, having the regulars at full strength going forward was crucial.  So Vermes made a gutsy call, threw all his chips down and let them fall where they may. 

When all was said and done, the gruff KC boss came out smelling like a rose.

This game was a high water mark for both the club and the coach. 

It showed the quality of depth that Vermes has been able assemble and develop over the past couple years.  And it marked a milestone for a club that has wanted nothing more than to establish a legitimate and lasting identity in Major League Soccer. 

Wednesday night was the best sign of both thus far. 

“(We) knew coming in here we were going to have to go deep into the roster,” he explained after the game.  “I thought the guys that participated were fantastic, they took advantage of opportunities.  At times we were a little disconnected in our buildup but outside of that the work ethic was great. They closed the game out, and they picked the right moments to go.”

And go they did.  The boys came out trying to impress their coach, flying around with adrenaline fueled pressure that created a couple half chances in the first few minutes.

Their scrambling paid dividends in the 8th minute when a loose ball rebounded around Seattle’s box before Aurelien Collin finally slipped it back to the foot of Jacob Peterson.  The fill-in winger hit the ball first time on the half volley and, taking advantage of a slight skip off a Seattle defender, dipped the ball into the far side netting to put Sporting up 1-0.

“We talked about silencing the crowd,” said Peterson of his early goal.   “It’s a tough place to come and get points. However long they’ve been in the league, I don’t think I’ve gotten a point here.”

From there things just escalated.

Back and forth went the two sides, with the chances coming fast and furious.  After winning a free kick in a dangerous area, Seattle defender Patrick Ianni leveled things up with a side volley that left KC keeper Jimmy Nielsen absolutely frozen in his tracks, and elicited the kind of call from KC play-by-play man Callum William that’s normally reserved for his employer’s tallies. 

Ianni’s strike was clean and pure, and probably the MLS goal of the week. 

Though a little ragged, the rag-tag KC lineup didn’t hang their heads or back off after Seattle scored.  They still looked fresh and hungry, yet had the discipline to continue playing within Vermes’ system.

Surprisingly, KC took the field in the second half just as they had started the game, but after only a couple minutes Graham Zusi replaced Peterson Joseph.  The Haitian played a decent first half displaying some speed and control, but his fitness seemed to catch up with him in round two.  About 10 minutes after Zusi came on, Kei Kamara subbed in for Jacob Peterson. 

It’s kind of nice when you can put in two of your most valuable players as subs in the second half with fresh legs, and with the score tied at 1-1.  And still on the bench sat CJ Sapong, Julio Cesar and Seth Sinovic watching their backups take it to one of the best teams in the west.

Not for long, though. 

In the 84th minute Vermes subbed in CJ Sapong, signaling that Sporting was going for the win rather than being content with just one point on the road, as most teams would be.  And why wouldn’t he go for it after taking such a big risk with the starting lineup and finding his team tied with 10 minutes to go?

Unfortunately, the last 10 minutes didn’t see another KC goal, but instead saw Seattle bounce one off the post, then get a man red carded in added time after retaliating against Roger Espinoza with a scissor take-down from behind.

Clearly, no love was lost between these two sides as things got increasingly chippy as the final seconds ticked away.   

In the end, Vermes’ gamble paid off big time, proving really for the first time that Sporting can now be considered a peer club of the MLS elite.  This is no longer just a shiny new stadium "that you really need to experience" or a cheap way to entertain the kids’ soccer team.

Nope. 

If it never was before, this is now a legitimate pro sports franchise with roots, with a legit youth developmental system, quality coaches, and perhaps most importantly, a deep stable of quality players.

We’re no longer the underdog or underground…unfortunately. That was always kind of fun.  

Posted in Starbeams | Tagged | 1 Comment

Glazer: Jimmie ‘JJ’ Walker’s New Book Has Kansas City Connections

Posted on June 21, 2012 by admin

My good pal, Jimmie Walker‘s book: DYN-O-MITE, GOOD TIMES, BAD TIMES, OUR TIMES is out Tuesday…

it’s getting nice reviews and lots of media attention, including the Hollywood Reporter, Washington Post and yes, even the Kansas City Star‘s Lisa Gutierrez did a nice piece on the book. However Lisa, who’s covered Stanford’s and me, missed the local angle. 

The book is written by KING OF STING co author, Sal Manna. It’s on the back cover of the book. More importantly, there’s an interesting story about Kansas City, Fox 4 and Stanford’s in the book by this legendary comedy icon.

The book is a bible on the 1970’s and on the men and women who worked with Jimmie and to a large extent made comedy on TV what it is today. Stories about his staff include Jay Leno, David Letterman and even the late Freddie Prince.

Believe it or not, Walker started his career on TV with the Tonight Show with Jack Paar.

 

There’s a story about when Prince was dating Lenny Bruce‘s daughter, Kitty. He took her to her father’s gravesite and had sex with her on her father’s grave. Prince said he could hear Bruce yell out from the grave, "Go man, fuck her!"

Jimmie talks about how he paid Letterman 150 bucks a week as a comedy writer.

And how Letterman had trouble with sex jokes. In fact there is a famous photo in the book of the Walker Team, that includes, Letterman, Jay Leno, Norman Lear, even Bud Freidman.

Fox 4 had Jimmie on as a guest in the 90’s.

Walker was playing Stanford’s in Westport and it was cold and snowy. Jimmie and his young opening act were wearing heavy coats and hoods covering their heads. They went into the wrong door at TV 4 and it put them in a production area that was off limits. A security guard came up behind them and seeing two black men, he grabbed Jimmie and said, "Hey, you guys don’t belong back here, what in the hell are you doing?" 

Walker took off his hood and turned around. When the guard saw it was Jimmie Walker he said, "Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was you, Mister Walker."

Later when Jimmie went on air he ambushed the host when asked about racism. Walker said, "You got it right here..right here at Fox 4!"

He then told the story of the guard and what had happened. It all went out live. And the next day Hearne wrote a front page story about it in the Star. The story got picked up in other cities and by Hard Copy. We’ve not been on Fox 4 much since.

Thanks Jim.

The book, which looks like it will be a best seller, came together this way: Jimmy and I are tight, talk often, and email each other almost weekly. He told me a few years back he wanted to write his story. He’d written a proposal, but agents thought it was too light.

I told him about my co-author Sal Manna and what a great job he had done on King of Sting. We all met in Vegas in 2008 and hung out for nearly a week. Boy, do I remember that week.

We stayed at Hooters, never do that again.

Walker lives there and Jimmie talked me into walking instead of driving to the MGM next door. It was 121 degrees and we almost didn’t make it. Sal and Jimmie hit it off right away, so Sal wrote the book, sold it more than a year ago and it’s coming out next week. Stanford and Sons has been in several books lately besides these two, including Saturday Night Live comic Darrell Hammond‘s new book.

Jimmie will be on the TODAY SHOW Tuesday, Letterman Monday and tons more. Walker’s been named one of America’s Top 25 comedy icons of all time by several groups including People Magazine.

Walker never left the biz after Good Times, doing more than 20 other TV Shows including stints as a regular on Scrubs and often on Everyone Hates Chris. He’s done stand up in Vegas and all over the world. He’s hosted  TV awards events and been in several films. His comedy on THE DEAN MARTIN ROASTS play to this day.

And GOOD TIMES was still on Nick at Nite as recently as two years ago, can you believe it? 

Walker’s a living comedy legend. Remember, he was the first young black man to have his own hit comedy TV series. Sanford and Son came first, but Redd Foxx was an older guy. Hey, what a great idea for a comedy club name, Sanford and Son. Except my dad’s name is Stanford….wait a minute…STANFORD AND SONS.

Jimmie Walker will return to Stanford and Sons in February.

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 27 Comments

Starbeams: Retro Radio ‘Release’ Week, McCartney Does Bieber & Boulevard’s ‘Love Child’

Posted on June 20, 2012 by admin

New albums have been released this week from Neneh Cherry, Richard Marx, Smashing Pumpkins, Fiona Apple, Jimmy Buffett and Lita Ford.  I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to crank up ZZ99!

*******

Paul McCartney turned 70 this week.  He is the only 70 year-old I know who can pull off the Justin Bieber hairdo.

*******

 

How Merlot Can You Go?

Boulevard Brewing Co just released an expensive bottle of beer, now available at your local liquor store.  It’s a sour beer, called Love Child No. 2, a blend of beers from 41 different barrels, aged up to four years that sells for $20. The target market is people too drunk to realize they’re paying $20 for beer.

Kelly Urich hosts the morning show on The Point 99.7 FM

Posted in Starbeams | Tagged | Leave a comment

Sounds Good: Flaming Lips@LibertyHall, Steve Martin@Midland, Split Lip@Crossroads

Posted on June 20, 2012 by admin

Storied Lawrence concert venue Liberty Hall turns 100 this week, and they’re throwing one helluva party to celebrate…

Fittingly, the party couldn’t be one night only, not for its 100th.  Nope, they’re doing it up right, with two nights of the Flaming Lips starting Thursday. How is Wayne Coyne going to squeeze his giant hamster ball inside the intimate venue you ask?  Not sure.  But I do know it’s going to be insane.  Definitely the smallest venue that the Lips have played in some time, I’m sure.

Remember, last summer they played the second stage at Kanrocksas in front of several thousand and killed it.

For Friday’s event, Mass. Street in front of Liberty Hall is getting shut down and turned into a psychedelic street party that I expect to be absolutely packed.  This looks to be one of those events that you simply cannot miss if you’re expecting to keep any of your Larryville cred.

On to the picks…

Thursday, June 21st

The Flaming Lips at Liberty Hall in Lawrence

I think Lawrence could get very, very weird in the next couple days.

Like I said, these guys are known mostly for their awesome live shows, and they’re very fond of Lawrence.  Their drummer lives there.  So when I heard that the Lips would be celebrating Liberty Hall’s big 1-0-0 I knew we were in for something special.  And I also knew tickets would be snatched up quicker than a PBR at Franks’ North Star.  So if you still want in you might have to get creative.

For those that haven’t seen the Lips, if you can still score a ticket, do so right now. 

Their live shows are epic, with visuals galore, huge anthems, and of course the giant hamster ball.  And if you can’t get a ticket, just come down to Mass. Street Friday night for the freakout in the streets.

Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers at the Midland in KC
 
Yes, it’s THAT Steve Martin.  But seriously, he’s pretty damn legit on the banjo.  Certainly, I likely wouldn’t be talking about the Rangers if not for Steve Martin’s involvement, but the band has been around for quite a while before they ever joined forces with the wild and crazy guy.  And for what it’s worth, Martin doesn’t make the performances all about himself, or about his comedy, or anything like that – usually.

This particular show is a benefit that features a silent auction and some other stuff, and is being billed as “An Evening of Bluegrass and Comedy” on the Midland’s website.  The actual benefit website, though, doesn’t say much about the comedy part.  Check it out here:  http://www.umbbigbash.org/index.htm

Saturday, June 23rd

MO Chainsaw Grassacre featuring Split Lip Rayfield and others at Crossroads KC

Kansas favorites Split Lip headline this bluegrass throw-down that also features Cornmeal, Sons of Fathers, Grass Crack, Truckstop Honeymoon, Goddamn Gallows, and Deadman Flats.  So if you’re in need of a country good time this might just be the show for you.

Of course, it’s always a good idea to go see Split Lip, no matter how many times you’ve caught their rebel speed-grass act.  I saw them a few weeks ago at Wakarusa for probably the 20th time and I must say, they absolutely killed it.  Probably the best show of the festival.

Posted in Entertainment | Tagged | 4 Comments

Glazer: Scribe Gives His Blessing to Texas Ranch Worker Killing

Posted on June 20, 2012 by admin

Sometimes killing a person is fine, just fine…

A Texas rancher did just that, killed a man with his bare hands. He beat a 47 year-old worker named Jesus Mora Flores to death. Why? Flores was raping his 5 year old daughter. The father was never arrested for the killing.

A grand jury decided not to indict the rancher for the killing. His name is being withheld due to the nature of the crime – rape, molesting a child. Flores was seen running off to the woods with the little girl, according to Shinner, Texas police. The father also was in the area and saw what was about to happen. When he reached the rape scene, Flores had his pants down around his ankles, the little girl was undressed and Flores was in the process of raping the child.

The father jumped the child molester and beat him about the head and body. He then called 911 and asked for help. "Come on! This guy is going to die on me!" the father yelled. "I don’t know what to do!" 

The police didn’t know where the ranch was, it was in a remote area and it took them a long time to reach the ranch. The rancher/father put the soon to be dead guy in his truck and was about to drive him to the hospital.

Too late, he was dead.

Was he in the right? Was it OK to use deadly force? His own hands. Flores had been stopped. He was not able to fight back after the first several blows. Flores had no weapon and his pants were down. Did the rancher do the right thing killing the man who had been attacking his little girl?

I say, "Damn right, he did."

The best result would have been to beat the hell out of this animal and turn him over to the law.

Maybe the rancher wanted to kill the man, we’ll never know. If it was my little girl, I would have wanted the attacker dead. Five year-old child. Terrible. I think justice was done.

Other agencies outside the area likely wanted him charged with involuntary manslaughter.

A charge that could send him to prison. Not in Shinner, Texas. No sir. He’s a hero and I agree.

This is that rare example of courage, fear, and anger that makes sense.

I think we all have thoughts about what we might do in similar circumstances. You protect your family and loved ones. In fact all human life when the innocent are being attacked.

I also thought about Texas being the state that has sent many young people to prison for decades just for having small amounts of marijuana on them. Well, that was a few years back.

Sometimes good does triumph over evil. Just not often enough.

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 40 Comments

Whinery: The War in Syria We Don’t Need to Fight

Posted on June 20, 2012 by admin

Isn’t America (and our NATO compatriots) in enough wars?

I think so, but the powers that be have that insane look in their eye again and Syria is appears to be the next target. The West has been emboldened by its faux victory in Libya and is now ready for the next “domino” to fall.

Syria- after Iran- should be the last country the West wants to play “regime change” in and here’s why…

The S-300 Missile System – the great equalizer as far as air defense systems go – was designed by the Russians and if there’s a war it will be operated by them. It’s a particularly nasty air defense system that can track up to a 100 targets at once and engage up to 12 at a time.

Its surface-to-air missiles are devastating with a range of up to 100 miles and they travel at up to six times the speed of sound which is a lot faster than an F-16.

Which means our big, bad aircraft carriers would be sitting ducks against Syrian anti-ship missiles. Namely the P-800 Oniks and the P-15 ship to ship missile systems. These are very nasty indeed, capable of Mach 2 speeds, skimming the water at 10 meters. We won’t even see them coming until they slam into the hull!

And this is only the tip of the iceberg where the Syrian defenses are concerned.

They have 500,000 troops in the army – between reserves and active duty- that are equipped with 5,000 tanks, 1,000 mortars, 7,000 anti-tank weapons launchers, 3,000 infantry vehicles and 1,700 anti-aircraft guns. Their Air Force is 60,000 strong and uses the infamous Mig-29 “Fulcrums”– which can go toe-to-toe with anything we Americans produce. And they have the Mil Mi-24 Attack helicopters equipped with Gatling guns, bombs and missiles.

About 3 months ago, Iran sent 3,000 special forces to Syria in anticipation of these events and the two countries have a mutual defense treaty where if one is attacked the other helps out. So we attack the Syrians we have to fight the Iranians too. And the Russians have, what is rumored to be at least 5,000 special forces and support staff ready to go to war with NATO.

We start a war here and this ain’t gonna be Iraq or Afghanistan, we’ll be going to war with the “Soviets."

And if Drudge is to be believed, China, Russia, Syria and Iran are coordinating war games in anticipation of a NATO attack.

Nuff said?

And bear in mind the Assad Family that run Syria are of an obscure branch of Islam called the “Alawi’s” who comprise only 17% of the population and know they will be exterminated if they lose control of the Country.

So will our Nobel Peace Prize winner- El Presidente Obama- start another war?

He’s tanking in the polls and is getting more and more desperate every day. Does Obama launch ANOTHER war to salvage his re-election?

At the very least, World War 3 ought to be reason enough to call off the election.

Because we are not gonna be able to beat the Syrians without pushing the World to the brink.

Posted in News_and_Views | Tagged | 13 Comments

Leftridge: Carlos Beltran; from the “Ah, What Coulda Been” Files

Posted on June 20, 2012 by admin

So this past weekend, the Kansas City Royals traveled down I-70 to play the Cardinals. We all know how this goes.

For the Cardinals and their fans, this weekend usually doesn’t mean a whole heck of a lot. St. Louis is usually playing much better ball and doing that whole thing where they perennially contend while the Royals, God love ’em, are throwing out a bunch of washed up rejects and young kids who are apt to be gone once they fall out of affordability.

One of these latter types who we lost to the highest bidder—long since gone from our humble burg, now—was Carlos Beltran.

And now that the current Cardinals outfielder is fast cementing a Hall of Fame candidacy, this is particulary depressing.

After being traded to the Houston Astros in the midst of their 2004 playoff run (for Mark Teahan! And John Buck! And Mike Wood! And wait—an Astros’ playoff run??!! What?), Beltran excelled in postseason play, ultimately setting himself up for a big-ass contract, the likes of which the Royals couldn’t have even started to dream about beginning to imagine thinking about affording (well, you know… unless they’d sunk early-funds into Beltran instead of Mike Sweeney).

In 2005, he signed a seven year deal with the New York Metropolitans worth $119 million. He hit 41 homeruns in 2006, setting the Mets’ single season record, and won his first Gold Glove. In that year’s NLCS, he hit three homeruns, bringing his playoff total to 11 knocks in 22 games. Before being traded to the San Francisco Giants in the middle of the 2011 season—he was due to be a free agent and the Mets were in cost-cutting mode—he’d tallied 3 Gold Gloves, won 2 Silver Slugger Awards and had made 6 All Star appearances. In December of last year, he signed a two year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals for $26 million.

And though his career has undoubtedly been hampered by injuries—his legs are particularly troublesome—he has put up the sort of career figures that everyone in Kansas City always expected him to.

Over the weekend, he recorded the 300th stolen base of his career. Coupled with his 300 homeruns, he is now in an elite fraternity with only eight other players, and the only switch hitter amongst the group. He just turned 35, and, if his recent return to astounding productivity is any indication of future successes, he could easily end his career with 400 homeruns, 350 stolen bases, 2,500 hits, and close to 1,500 RBI. Couple this with his previously referenced defensive hardware, and a very strong case can be made for the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. VERY strong.

The frustrating thing as a Royals fan is that WE HAD HIM. He was ours to watch flourish and grow, but unfortunately, we never found the pieces to fit around him. Therefore, he languished and, when it was brutally apparent that there was no intention of him remaining a Royal, he was dealt for a bunch of long-departed promises.

This is nothing new.

As KC sports fans, we’re used to it. Unlike losing Jermaine Dye or Zack Greinke, however, we rarely have to deal with the loss of a future Hall of Famer. We lose good players—sometimes REALLY good players—but rarely do they go on to quietly achieve the sorts of amazing things that Beltran has. The unfortunate part—the one that not only kicks us in the teeth but then shits in our cereal—is that, unless the current regime does something to change the course of history (which TOTALLY sounds like the description of an Arnold Schwarzenegger film), he’ll head into Cooperstown rocking a New York Mets hat.

So hear me out: his current contract ends at the end of the 2013 season. He will turn 37 in April of 2014. Presuming that he’s still in working order—that his knees haven’t blown into a thousand pieces or anything equally as grotesque—we need to sign him to a two year deal worth, oh, I don’t know… he’ll be old then, so… $24 million? He can DH and maybe collect his 400th homerun as a member of the Royals. Maybe he’ll have fun, and maybe this eternal “youth-movement” full of ridiculously talented youngsters will be firing on all cylinders and maybe we’ll be winning. And maybe, just MAYBE, he’ll decide that he started here, he ended here, and when the committee asks his preference (they listen to the players’ wishes, though ultimately, they make the decision themselves) he’ll petition to go in as a Kansas City Royal.

Fools can dream, right?
 

Posted in Sports | Tagged | 7 Comments

Starbeams: The Top 5 Ways to Spot a Kansas City Terrorist

Posted on June 19, 2012 by admin

Federal officials have arrested a Kansas City businessman for allegedly being part of an al-Qaida terror cell.

Top 5 Ways to Spot a Kansas City Terrorist:

#5. He gripes about having to drive 45 minutes north of town just so he can fly an airplane into a building.

#4. Drives around town all day looking for something worthy of blowing up.

#3. Lives in a cave called Hunt Subtropolis.

#2.  Gets really irritated when other terrorists ask if he has a dog named Toto.

#1.  Answers terrorist hotline with, "Hi, may I help you?"

 

Kelly Urich hosts the morning show on The Point 99.7 FM

Posted in Starbeams | Tagged | 2 Comments

Hearne: Life After Missouri’s Tigers; KU Football Renaissance Explained

Posted on June 19, 2012 by admin

There’s been no shortage of hooting and hollaring about KU football and new head coach Charlie Weis...

Last year’s slogan for KU’s football team was "Believe." Which worked just fine for the two meaningless, winning games at home against McNeese State and Northern Illinois. From there however the Jayhawks went 0 and 10 against K-State, Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Missouri and every other team they faced.

It was ugly and cost KU coach Turner Gill his job.

Which brings us to sexy new head coach Weiss and the hopes and dreams of the KU football faithful who can scarely remember the good, old days when the head coach was "phat" and abusive to student athletes and delivered winning seasons and bowl games.

So how high are those high hopes lately?

"Pretty modest actually," says promoter, and KU football follower Brett Mosiman. "I think everybody’s excited to have Weis but people realize that the last coach was like Terry Allen. He was a horrible coach and a horrible recruiter. He was a wonderful human being, but a horrible Division One football coach and the cupboard is bare."

Put another way, a four win season for KU this year would be a godsend, Mosiman says.

Here’s why…

"The Big 12 is the most horrible gauntlet to run in all of college football because they play nine conference games – some leagues only play seven," Mosiman says. "But even with a couple of cupecakes to start the season, KU still has to play Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, West Virginia and Baylor.

"I mean, the two baby teams in the Big 12 are Iowa State and Kansas, so there are no easy games. And when you’re Kansas you’re playing nine very tough games. In the Big 10 they’re playing games against teams that are really bad like Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, Northwestern and Minnesota. There’s five teams that probably haven’t been to as many bowls as Kansas. I mean, KU could compete against those teams. But nine games against bowl elligible teams is what KU has and that’s a huge deal."

And getting Missouri off the schedule doesn’t make it any easier, Mosiman says.

"No, because we replaced Missouri with TCU and TCU’s been in the Top 10 seven times in the past 10 years," Mosiman says. "And West Virginia, I think most people would say is equal if not better than Missouri. The point being that KU is not only the 10th team in the most solid league, they’re playing nine bowl elligible teams. And on top of that the Big 12 gives us four home games and five road games, so what chance do we have?"

There is hope however, Mosiman says.

"In two or three years we’ll be in a lot better shape, but playing a lot better this year probably means we’ll win two or three games. I’d say the over/under on the season is probably 3 1/2 to 4 games. So in a rosey scenario we might be four and eight maybe. I predict four and eight."

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 10 Comments

New Jack City: Hollywood Figures It Out…from Kansas City

Posted on June 19, 2012 by admin

If I told you Hollywood’s major studios turn to Kansas City for information and insights about their latest movies you’d probably think I was nuts…

Well they do, and I’m not!

THE BOX OFFICE ANALYST, LLC here performs important services that only a handful of similar companies provide—worldwide. Think of it as an analytical think tank that its movie making clients draw to shepherd their movies through the jigsaw puzzle of film distribution.

Box Office Analyst started in 1982 as ex-Kansas Citian John Shaw‘s Movieline International in Texas and since 2010 has been helmed by Douglas Stone in K.C.

And Stone’s no stranger to the movie biz.

His family booked and marketed a number of Drive-In theaters here and later operated the Mid-America Cinema chain. When AMC became Mid-America’s new owner, Stone joined Stan Durwood‘s operations and for 20 years oversaw the circuit’s analytical projects, eventually rising to the position of Vice President of Strategic Analysis for American Multi Cinema.

As a Box Office Analyst Stone provides movie data to studios, including opinion tracking, consumer interest, the boxoffice potential of films, statistical comparisons to similar past and present releases and ticket sales forecasts.

How close are his predictions?

Stone claims an 85% on-target average.

His predictions come from a myriad of sources which include industry insiders, statistical comparisons and deciphering volumes of data and other materials available today.

Put another way, Stone’s company is a data interpreter.

He’s got Warner Brothers, 20th Century-Fox, Universal, Paramount, Disney, Sony (Columbia-Tri-Star) and Lionsgate among the buyers of his services.

And his client list doesn’t end with the studios.

The nation’s biggest exhibitors, including Regal, AMC, Cinemark and Carmike also make weekly use of Stone’s forecasts and analytical data.

With the motion picture industry being closely followed today by financial and investment entities, Stone counts a number of them also as end users of The Box Office Analyst’s consulting services.

Why? For trend analysis, baby.

Can the general public access Stone’s insights? Not really, but he offers some weekly industry data free of charge via the boxofficeanalyst.com website.

With three updated newsletters a week from Kansas City to his worldwide client base, Doug Stone’s Box Office Analyst, LLP keeps the movies on track right where it counts – in potential ticket sales.

Posted in Jack_Poessiger | Tagged | 4 Comments

Glazer: The Real, True Hollywood Story of Why the Government Doesn’t Like Roids

Posted on June 19, 2012 by admin

Roger Clemens, NOT GUILTY…

Boy, you don’t hear those words often in federal court. They win nearly 95% of their trials. Which doesn’t mean the defendant is guilty, the Feds just have the power to always win. But not this time.

In fact, the government has now wasted millions of dollars and manpower to stage yet another public witch hunt that the public did not want to go along on.

Remember, Barry Bonds also walked.

Bonds was convicted of one minor charge but did no jail time. Clemens was cleared of everything. The government chose not to indict Lance Armstrong.

Did all three of them do steroids? No doubt.

The problem is, so did thousands of other baseball, basketball, football players just to name a few sports. "Roids" are now a common "vitamin" amongst not just pro and college athletes but Americans in general.

With the Clemens case over, it’s unlikely the government will ever again try a steroid/pro athlete case.

The public has spoken; "We don’t want to hear it."

For many reasons. For one, we love our superstars – even Bonds is loved in his city. Clemens is arguably the best baseball pitcher of all time. He’s won more Cy Young Awards than any other pitcher, including one at age 42 just seven years ago. Amazing. Even with steroids.

And you still have to be better than pretty good to do all that, huh?

Yes, steroids make you play better, especially in muscled up areas like home runs. However, it’s not fair to go after a chosen few when the entire NFL has to use them to not get KILLED out there.

So why slice and dice a few super star baseball players?

Simple, the government wants to slow down the use of steroids among young people.

Yet there is NO proven harm from the drugs when they are used correctly.

You can overdose on almost all legal drugs. The best examples of that being Arnold, Sly and Mickey Rourke – all movie stars who over used. Still they all seem to be in pretty good shape and healthy.. Stallone and Swartzenegger are now 70 and looking pretty good. 

That being said, we live in a dangerous world. Our nation has a high crime rate with the less educated Latino and Black groups.

Rampant steroid use would only grow young potential violent criminals to massive sizes.

It’s as simple as that.

Imagine 10 or 20 million thugs the size of Lebron James. Not a good thing.

So this is the major reason steroids are a no-no with the Feds. They don’t care about your health. Please.

Steroids are the new "fountain of youth." 

This is the only major way to slow down the aging process, look fit and young even into your 70’s. Nothing else can do that. Nothing. Sure it helps to eat right and work out, but again, PLEASE.

Testosterone and HGH are both legal today when doctor approved. So how bad can they be when used properly?

In generations to come these drugs and other steroids will allow people to live to be well over 100, maybe even 120. More importantly, they’ll look damn good even at 80, maybe 90.

Just think 80 will be the new 40. Damn. Sadly we won’t be here to see that.

Clemens and Bonds did pay a price.

Roger likely won’t go into the Hall of Fame for some time, and who knows if and when Bonds will ever be voted in? Plus they suffered great financial losses with lawyer bills and many sleepless nights. Most of all it hurt their families, their pride and their legacies.

Yes, they were all guilty of using steroids, but so were most of your pro heros.

My favorite Roger Clemens story – I’ve told it before but it bears repeating – was when Clemens and Red Sox pitcher Matt Young came into Stanford’s in Westport years ago. It was around 4 PM and they were in town to play the Royals. I walked up to Roger, introduced myself and we spoke for a bit. When I walked away he said, "Hey Craig, aren’t you gonna buy us a drink?" 

I turned and said, "Roger you make more money in a year than all the people in this restaurant put together, you should buy us a drink."  Roger smiled and said, "You’re right. Bartender, buy everyone in this joint a cocktail on me." 

And he did just that. Great guy.

But damn, I wish it had been later at night – we’d have been busier and made a killing!

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 17 Comments