New Jack City: ‘Jack Goes To The Movies’ – My Way Or The Highway

Posted on October 10, 2011 by admin

When one reviews movies, as I have for more years than I’d like to admit, you get lots of questions—and often pointed comments…

It almost never fails when I get introduced, I get the usual, "Aren’t you that guy that does movies on radio?"

Yes I am, and the German accident is a dead giveaway.

Just to clear the air, the accent is not fake. I AM a former refugee from the East Germany who immigrated to the United States LEGALLY. My home town is Leipzig.

So what is the most frequently asked question? Hard to say, but one of the more frequent ones is where I and fellow local critics view movies?

That’s changed considerably through the years.

When I first got started we saw a good number of them at private 35mm screening rooms. Mostly the Commonwealth Theatres screening room on Old Film Row at 215 West 18th Street in Kansas City and the Midwest Films screening room one floor below the Leawood Theatre at the Ranch Mart Shopping Center in Overland Park.

Today most movies are pre screened at regional theaters, many with recruited audiences for reaction—especially comedies which play much better with a large crowd. The biggest percentage of these showings are evening screenings with probably the # 1 theatre used by distributors being AMC’s Studio 30 Olathe.

After that it’s usually a tossup between AMC’s Town Center and AMC’s Mainstreet theaters. Every so often though the studios select Cinemark’s Merriam complex or Plaza location. Sometimes they even send us out of the way to the Northland for a screening at AMC’s Barrywoods. Thankfully not too often.

And yes, the studios reserve our seats so we don’t have to get to the theatres an hour before showtime. Nice perk.

For daytime screenings the most frequently used venues seem to be the Screenland Crossroads followed by the Mainstreet and Glenwood Arts. Daytime screenings are usually only for critics without an audience.

Following the screenings, studio reps grap us before we can duck out to get our takes on the film we’ve just seen.
We may even volunteer a quote which they then forward to the respective film company and which then could possibly show up in national ads.

Hello, Shawn Edwards!

So do I have a favorite screening theater? Well you can’t beat AMC’s Mainstreet. After all it’s got great digital projection,  perfect seating and plenty of leg room. And for good measure you get the vibrating theater chairs which activate during action sequences.

They’re almost as good as dropping quarters into those old vibrating motel beds- at least that’s what Hearne tells me.

Posted in Jack_Poessiger | Tagged | 4 Comments

Leftridge: Breaking Down the ALCS/NLCS: One Man’s Quest to be Wrong Once Again

Posted on October 10, 2011 by admin

 

Look, I’m no Craig Glazer. All of my hair is real, I’ve never had to be treated for the clap, and when it comes to picking winners, I’m shakier than Michael J Fox in a vibrating massage chair from Sharper Image.

My record speaks for itself. In the divisional series, I had Tampa Bay, New York and Philadelphia advancing. Wow.

1 out of 4 ain’t bad, right? No, it is. And that’s fine. I’m not THAT kind of sports writer. I’m more of the kind that tries to pretend that he knows what he’s talking about and hopes that a majority of the readers won’t notice. And that’s fine. Just wanted to throw that out there—that I shouldn’t be trusted.

That being said, here’s who you should pick in the Championship Series and why… And yeah, I get it. We’re already a game in on each side. Hey, that’s what happens when you’re a normal dude with a normal job. You have to make some concessions when it comes to living out your lifelong fantasy of covering sports for a third tier news, entertainment and leisure website.

So, here’s how it works…

ALCS:

Pitching: This nod goes to the Rangers. Look, Verlander was the subject of bad wizardry in game one and he’s going to get at least one more start, possibly a bullpen outing. But beyond Verlander, the Tigers’ rotation is wholly mediocre. Max Scherzer is average at this point in his career. So is Rick Porcello. Brad Penny is… fat. And old. Doug Fister looked sensational after coming over to the Tigers late in the year, but his inexperience showed in the Divisional Series against the Yankees.

Meanwhile, Texas straight-edger CJ Wilson is quite good, despite getting lit up against the Rays in the first round. He rebounded nicely in Saturday’s win and should get another start late in the series. Colby Lewis seems to shine in the postseason. Throw in Derek Holland, Matt Harrison and Alexi Ogando, and you’ve got yourself a decent little rotation, fella.

Though the bullpens are fairly even, Detroit gets the edge because: A) closer Jose Valverde was pretty danged amazing this season, and B) Al Alburquerque has the greatest, phoniest sounding name ever (oh, and despite his struggles late in the season and in the first round against the Yankees, he’s an nearly unhittable when he’s on… and I’m sure he’ll get his act together).

Still, though, it’s all about the rotation, and I just don’t think Detroit can keep up.
 

Defense: Occasionally, Jhonny Peralta will make you forget his name is spelled so terribly with a really pretty defensive play. Austin Jackson is usually pretty great, but good God, did you seem him drop that routine fly ball in game one? Sweet creeping Jesus, that was unforgivable. I don’t feel like I can trust him now. He’s betrayed me for the last time, girlfriend. Brandon Inge is like, 45 years old and a shell of his former self.

Meanwhile, Texas has Ian Kinsler at 2nd and Adrian Beltre at 3rd. But wait, there’s more! More, like, their defense isn’t very good. Like, 12th in overall fielding percentage. Out of 14. This despite possessing former Royals heavyweights like Andres Blanco and Endy Chavez.

Yeah, while neither is a defensive dream, we’ve gotta hand it to Detroit off sheer ability to not be maddening when it comes to stopping, throwing or catching a ball.

Offense: This really boils down to power—as in, who’s got it and how do they plan on wielding it?. The Rangers were second in the AL in homeruns. Ian Kinsler hit 32. Adrian Beltre re-discovered his… something… and hit 32 as well. Mike Napoli— Mike Napoli? hit 30 and Nelson Cruz—who apparently decided to reel it in a bit, hit 29. What a bunch of bangers. Oh—AND they also managed to put stick to wood WITHOUT crushing it—they led the AL in batting average with .283.

Meanwhile, the Tigs were seventh in HRs, third in BA and tied for third in on base percentage (with the Rangers, it should be noted). Aside from Miguel Cabrera, they’re pretty pedestrian.

Rangers win offense.

And therefore, Rangers win all—in 6 games.

NLCS:

Pitching: Chris Carpenter has had a fine postseason thus far. In fact, I don’t know that I’ve seen a more dominant effort than the decisive game five victory he pitched against the Phillies. Simply epic.

But beyond that? It’s a mixed bag. Jaime Garcia is good, but young. Jake Westbrook–much like the old gray mare–just ain’t what she used to be. Kyle Lohse had a solidly crafted season, but it feels like he’s pitching a bit over his abilities, and that usually meets a brick wall at some point.

The Brewers, meanwhile, have Zack Greinke (really struggling this postseason, which is a shame to see), Yovani Gallardo (actually out-aced Greinke this year and has looked great so far in October) and Shaun Marcum (let’s hear it for Excelsior Springs!). Great rotation—if Greinke can get his act together.

Oh, and they have John Axford closing out games, a frighteningly mustached man who had 46 saves this season and strikes out more than a batter per inning.

The Cardinals have ex-Royal Octavio Dotel. That’s all you need to know about that.

Pitching goes to the Brewers by a nose (or a long, gangly mustache, if you’d prefer).

Defense: This one is tough. On one hand, you’ve got Albert Pujols grass-picking balls like he was the king of croquet and defensive bad-ass Yadier Molina gunning down runners like they insulted his mother or something. On the other, you’ve got Yuniesky being Yuniesky. Funny side note: Yuniesky Betancourt used to live in my building when he played for the Royals. And… that’s it. Guess it’s not that funny. Although I DID see him picking up a sandwich delivery order in the lobby once. Surprisingly short and stubby… Yuniesky, not the sandwich.

Anyway, he hasn’t looked as bad defensively as we’d expect. And neither has Ryan Braun… or Prince Fielder, actually. Imagine that.

Overall, however, the team was 11th in fielding for the regular season. Oops.

But get this– so was St. Louis.

This one’s almost a push, but I think you give it to St. Louis—barely—because of Molina. Because, you know, catching is important or whatever.

Offense: Matt Holliday hasn’t looked fully healthy in a fortnight. Lance Berkman found the fountain of youth. Pujols is… well, he’s still Pujols. He’ll be a deep threat even when he’s a withered old man, whittling wooden gnomes on his front porch. But beyond that, the Cardinals’ offense just isn’t that deep.

The Brewers, meanwhile have it in spades. Corey Hart—who is probably really tired of the ‘Sunglasses at Night’ jokes—sets the table for what is one of the more explosive batting orders in the National League. MVP candidate Braun is having a torrential postseason, Nyjer Morgan can run like a gazelle and if you touch Prince Fielder’s cake, he will flat out kill you.

Huh?

What I mean to say, is that Prince Fielder treats each pitch like the baseball being thrown is a guy telling him that they’re all out of sausage.

Top to bottom, the Brewers have the better offense by a pretty decent margin.

Therefore, I think the Brewers win the series in 7.

So there you have it, my take on the AL/NLCS. Make sure to check back next week so I can explain why the Tigers will beat the Cardinals in the World Series. 
 

Posted in Sports | Tagged | 17 Comments

Hearne: How Long Can Star Czar Keep Job With News Company in 6 Year Freefall?

Posted on October 10, 2011 by admin

Long time no Star stories; let’s play catch up on a big one…

And while it’s been pretty quiet in the local media rumor mill, chances are the Kansas City Star is in store for yet another round of layoffs and/or cutbacks now that the third quarter  has shuddered to an end.

Insiders say it was a rough, tough summer and having played the furlough card following the newspaper’s second quarter results, chances are it may not be pretty.

Yet despite all his missteps and dismal financial results, the guy up top, McClatchy head Gary Pruitt is still large and in charge.

Meanwhile, back in KC at the Star, something kinda funny has been going down…

Star staffers have noticed that the layoff rumors that ran rampant prior to past cutbacks under the tenure of departed Star publisher Mark Zieman have mostly gone away Since Zieman split earlier this year, things have been pretty much Apple Computer quiet where layoff rumors are concerned.

Raising the question of who was behind those leaks and where have they gone?

Now on to reading what tea leaves remain…

Starting with a press release last week from Star parent McClatchy – the nation’s third largest newspaper company. McClatchy announced it will Webcast its 3rd quarter financial results on Oct. 21.

The announcement came the same day McClatchy’s stock broke a 52 week low trading at $1.13 a share. The stock had traded in the past year as high as $5.62. That’s still a long way from the $40 a share McClatchy paid for Knight-Ridder in 2006, so it’s been a rough 5 year ride.

McClatchy’s release included some interesting disclaimers, one of which is more than a little disturbing.

"McClatchy may not achieve its expense reduction targets or may do harm to its operations in attempting to achieve such targets; McClatchy’s operations have been, and will likely continue to be, adversely affected by competition, including competition from internet publishing and advertising platforms; increases in the cost of newsprint; bankruptcies or financial strain of its major advertising customers."

So much for whistling past the graveyard…

The $64 billion question: How much longer can McClatchy chieftain Gary Pruitt dodge the layoff bullet himself having piloted the company’s stock from a high of $63 in March 2005 to barely a buck?

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 7 Comments

Glazer: Scribe Cops to Biggest Blunder in Journalistic History!

Posted on October 9, 2011 by admin

This just in…I was wrong!

The Chiefs are the real deal. Matt Cassel rung up a 90% completion rate against the red hot Colts. Running back Jackie Battle cannot be stopped. D-Bowe made circus catch after circus catch.

These are the Kansas City Chiefs we’ve always wanted and finally we’ve got them.

Great Defense. Hard charging quarterback. Top notch receivers. Well-coached. Guts. Pride. Winners!

My Las Vegas bet is in big trouble.

I know nothing about the NFL or for that matter anything. What a fool I was to think the Chiefs stunk. They are outstanding – I mean the best. Matt had what? Four touchdowns. Biggest Chiefs comeback, EVER! Wow. Now we can hang onto Matt for years and maybe Haley too. Thank God.

BUT WAIT, ARE YOU GUYS OUT OF YOUR MINDS?

The Chiefs do stink. We were handed the game. I wonder why? You mean that 21 point lead wasn’t real? The Colts all of a sudden went cold and couldn’t stop a fart. Their young hot quarterback went from the next Payton Manning to the next Brodie Croyle. Weird how the Colts went from the air to the ground, huh?

And they needed just one score to end the game, odd…..

Its called SUCK FOR LUCK BABY!

One team gets it and the other team – as in us – is a bunch of – you got it – morons. But hey, we’ve got Matt Cassel what more do we need? Four touchdowns and a quarterback rating of one million – he’s tops!

Now let’s try and be honest.

Matt is a B- quarterback in the NFL. And to win a Super Bowl today you need at least an A-. Or hopefully better.
It’s our "good guy" city approach. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride. One day we’ll be average. Great.

SUPER CHIEFS! SUPER BOWL BOUND – 12-4 – just wait, you’ll see. We’re the best around.

The Colts throw a game to get Luck? Nah!

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 21 Comments

Donnelly: St. Vincent @ Liberty Hall, October 7, 2011

Posted on October 9, 2011 by admin

Have you ever come out of a concert scratching your head filled with odd questions that you keep asking yourself? 

"I really liked that, didn’t I?"  Or, "Was that awesome or just kind of weird?"  Or, "St. Vincent is really sexy for a robot."

OK, that last one isn’t a question. 

Rewind three hours:

Walking down a crowded Mass. street, running late and rushing to get to Liberty Hall to see St. Vincent, I was thinking about her latest album I’d hurriedly listened to in preparation for the show.

It’s called Strange Mercy, was released about a month ago and it instantly received praise for its clashes of elements.  It’s a difficult album that includes odd metrics, dissonance, but yet still manages to display a certain volume of pop hook to it. 

Sounds weird, right?

So I didn’t have a real solid expectation for this show other than I thought it would be an interesting performance. St. Vincent has become a critical darling over the span of three albums in the last three years but her style is so mercurial.

Let’s just say that by the end of the show, I still had no idea. 

St. Vincent was genuinely original, energetic, and a bit off-putting at the same time.  

She appeared on the Liberty Hall stage looking poised and perfect, in a sparkly black top.  She said nothing to the crowd as a single white spot followed her to the front of the stage.  She gazed slowly to her left, then scanned back across the audience, with gleaming white china doll skin and huge baby deer eyes carefully evaluating the scene.

Expressionless, St. Vincent picked up an electric guitar and launched into Chloe in the Afternoon, the first track off the new record, but something was amiss.  The sound guys were scurrying, and about fifteen seconds in, she stopped playing and said, "Let’s try this again but with guitar this time." 

She started the song over, and buzzing, chunky guitar led the way. 

Her backing band, which consists of a drummer, a keyboard, and a guy on some sort of effects console or laptop, was flawless all night. They waxed and waned admirably, creating an odd soundscape of beats and thunderous bass. On which St. Vincent placed thrashed out metal guitar riffs featuring tones tripped out to sound like a barry sax at times, and at other times like a UFO making the jump to hyper space.

Again, sounds weird, but stick with me. 

St. Vincent’s vocal style is what I would call traditional in a technical sense.  You know, she could sing folk songs, or pop songs, or whatever.  Where they get unique is in the odd meter and almost melody-less presentation, which at times reminded me a little of Bjork.

For the first four or five songs St. Vincent appeared a little rigid – but comfortable – measured. She didn’t talk to the audience at all, and after each song all the lights went black, leaving the theater quiet and dark until some fan inevitably shouted something to break up the monotony. 

Then, about two thirds through the set, everything changed.  St. Vincent told a story about her days growing up in Oklahoma, and visiting Lawrence as a kid, getting drunk and partying underage.  Her friend, she said, told her to make the audience wave the wheat.  "But that’s a little too much pandering for me.  I mean, you don’t have to or anything.  You can if you want to though."

Instantly, this guitar shredding, robotic, goth-industrial, curly haired waif was the girl next door.     

She launched into the title track, Strange Mercy, and fed the audience members by hand, following that up with two more new ones, Northern Lights and Year of the Tiger, before ending the set with Marrow, a song off the second album that features a jazzy guitar riff set over deep bass and fuzz.

After disappearing for a moment the band returned to play a couple off the previous two albums, The Party and Your Lips Are Red, which was definitely one of the highlights of the night.  It rang true and seemed like it was written just for Lawrence, just for tonight, just for us:

"This cities red from riding us into the ground
This cities black
This cities black from all the ashes in downtown
Ashes in downtown, ashes in downtown"

Posted in Entertainment | Tagged | 2 Comments

Hearne: Pitch Parent Unveils Real Deal, New Women’s Zine

Posted on October 9, 2011 by admin

There’s a journalistic catfight brewing…

When Nashville-based SouthComm bailed Village Voice out of the local red ink machine known as the Pitch earlier this year, it was every alt journalist for his or herself. The handwriting, long on the wall, had sent longtime Pitch editor C.J. Janovy and top writing gun Nadia Pflaum scurrying for greener paycheck pastures along with carpetbagger Joe Tone.

And there’s since been strong journalistic evidence that – unlike the village idiots – SouthComm gets it.

If you want to be a successful alternative newsweekly, don’t weigh readers down with overly-long opuses and shopworn hipster subject matter and points of view.

Just come clean and give ’em some news they can use.

SouthComm’s Nashville Scene was a hipper, gentler breath-of-fresh air compared to the dated hipness of the Pitch. Plus it was printed on coated stock – as in glossy paper – and insiders say the wretches at the Star‘s  pseudo alt weekly Ink were (and still are) shivering in their timbers.

That said, SouthComm had a lot more up its publishing sleeve and the betting money was that KC would get a taste of it…

That being two equally smart, snazzy zines, Her Nashville and The City Paper. Again, both on glossy magazine stock – and both high quality variants to the run-of-the-mill grocery rack offerings or stuffy business pubs we’re all too familiar with.

And as of this month, Eagle No. 1 has landed in the form of Her Kansas City...

Which I’m here to tell you, blows away the local competition that I’ve seen.

Sizewise, think of it as a hipper-looking version of KC society zine The Independent. Plus it’s all color, all of the time.

However what sets Her Kansas City apart is its editorial content.

The fact that Her KC actually has editorial content – real news, real features and real real – puts it in a class by itself.

Really.

I’m not a mom, never had a period and subscribing to Cosmo  (almost) never has crossed my mind.

However I can read, I do get around, and not only does Her KC have style, it has a bit of substance. Including an up-front interview with Kauffman Center attendence exaggerator Jane Chu, a well-written how-to-meet-dudes column, a Nadia Pflaum feature on UnicornTheatre honcho Cynthia Levin, a legit fashion spread featuring models from the Kansas City Ballet,  a second coming of infamous former Pitch bad grrrl Jen Chen, a tip sheet for working moms, a wedding survival tale, wine etiquette tips and columns about kids, spirit, health, attitude and KC history.

Now here’s the total deal…

The writing and reporting isn’t dumbed down like it all-too-often to always is in other women’s zines.

Believe it or not, these guys are legit!

And it’s not an ad rag – not yet anyway. And I don’t think it will be because that doesn’t appear to be the mission statement. Her Kansas City’s October issue has 40 pages, 19 1/2 of which are ads. Compare that with the 132 page, July issue of HerLife magazine with approximately 68 1/2 pages of ads to make it past.

If you ask me, Her Kansas City – while it also panders to local adverstisers – is far more substantive and has the makings of a publication women would actually want to read. Rather than just a pub populated by boilerplate designed as a garnish for the mag’s sales reps.

I’s only a one off, but at long last KC appears to have landed a thinking class women’s zine not too smart for its own good.

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 18 Comments

Glazer: Scribe Rocks His 40th @ Shawnee Mission East

Posted on October 8, 2011 by admin

Many of you have been having those five and ten year reunions…

I just had mine again. I wasn’t worried about it at all. After all, I was a cool kid in high school. Yeah, I had my share of haters there too, but screw them.

I’m not someone to jack with in person and they never do.

Going in I felt like, "Yeah, I’ve done better than you guys thought I would."  Not a good attitude to have. I work out with Bruce Ecton, the chairman of our reunions. Bruce had told me we’d be doing the Blue Moose in Prairie Village on Friday and Indian Hills Country Club on Saturday for the biggie.

So I asked one of my girls, Jessie, a 28 year-old hottie. She’s built and a decent gal but looks way too wild. Hey, I wanted to make a statement as usual – that I’m still playing ball. I’d taken my ex, actress Sandhal Bergman to her 40th two years ago. She was the star of that one, but I knew a lot of her friends since I as a sophomore when she was a senior at Shawnee Mission East.

Many of my classmates remembered that I didn’t attend the 30th. I was too busy being indicted by the Feds. Front page news along with a little thing called 9/11 on the exact same day.

So I was surely the talk of that one but not in a good way.

"I knew Craig was up to no good…dope dealing jerk. Probably sells to our kids. Yeah, he drives a Ferrari. What an asshole."

So yeah, I was in the mood to make a little noise. Since then I’ve had book deals, a book, film deals, three movies I produced have come out, Stanford’s is doing well, on and on. So yeah, I was a litte worked up.

But guess what? I was wrong.

I shouldn’t have been such an idiot. The class couldn’t have been cooler, nicer or warmer to me and to everyone who attended. The Blue Moose was so much fun. Indian Hills redone to the tune of six million bucks was like the new Arrowhead, simply gorgeous. My date was treated great, I made her change her super mini skirt to a top and jeans for Indian Hills. Everyone was glad to see me and me them. It was a great, great time.

I was maybe the only "bad cool kid" there.

The rest of my bad guy and girl schoolmates spent too much time getting high, drinking, and not doing well at life. Some were already dead.

The people at the reunion – about 25% of our class of 700 – were mostly well to do and had nice lives. They were in shape and acted pretty damn nice to each other. Ages 56-58, hey its time to live and let live.

The kids who were geeks were now the ‘stars’ and the cool kids were no more.

People didn’t go into their ‘groups’ as they had at other reunions, like the 10th or the 20th. Yeah, it was nice. Got some numbers of a few old pals and planned a few lunches. But truth be known, in all likelihood most of us will never see one another again as long as we live.

We are all just memories of a life gone by…

I miss being the young "cool kid," I really do. I did great at being cool. And I’m still in shape and handsome in my mid 50’s but man, to be young and me again. Boy, I’d shake up the world Life it just goes by so God Damn fast.

So go to your reunions and remember yesterday cause tomorrow’s just a blink away.

I loved Shawnee Mission East and I miss those days.

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 85 Comments

Hearne: So You Think Craig Glazer Doesn’t Have a Clue About Major League Baseball, Eh?

Posted on October 7, 2011 by admin

I don’t want to pimp you guys or anything but…

Check out what The Atlantic had to say about Major League Baseball earlier this year.

Even Apple’s kicking MLB’s butt!

And while you’re at it, add this to my growing Steve Jobs slagheap. Here’s the headline:

"Is Apple More Popular Than Major League Baseball?"

Nice, huh?

Atlantic associate editor Nicholas Jackson does the honors.

"Of course Apple is more profitable than MLB, but it’s also managing to get more money out of every visitor that walks in the door," Jackson begins. "With millions of iPads sold and millions of iPhones sold and millions of laptops and desktops sold — and, yes, even millions of iPods are still sold — Apple is moving its products faster than its factories in China can even produce them. Certainly all of these gadgets bring in more money than peanuts — literally. Apple stores alone are more profitable than America’s favorite pastime, accounting for $9.8 billion of Apple’s reported $65.2 billion revenue in fiscal year 2010. For comparison, MLB reported $7 billion in revenue."

How do you like them Apples?

Look, you guys are welcome to chew me up for not being a "real sports fan." I’ll admit it. I’ve been down that road but that’s not where I’m at now. I’m a fair weather sports fan, a casual fan, if you will.

Frankly, I’m more interested in the business, societal and political aspects of the game than on base percentages. But I do get out and meet and talk to lots of people, and clearly the vast majority of street walkers are not wrapped up in baseball or  sports in general. They have what passes for lives, other interests. When it comes to sports, most people are fair weather at best. Hey, most people don’t collect stamps either, no biggie.

No harm, no foul. Remember 55,000 (wink) Kansas Citians hit the new Kauffman Center for Performing Arts the other day.

My take is for most folks – if the Chiefs, Royals, KU, MU or K-State make the playoffs – are in. Look for ’em at Price Chopper on Game Day. Short of that…

Hey, I went to Arizona, but I kinda got off on K-State beating Miami a couple weeks back, so I’m not a total loss.

But back to baseball…

Here’s what bleacherreport said not long ago in "Major League Baseball: Still America’s Pastime?"

"What is wrong with baseball these days?" it begins.  "Has this era become accustomed to the evils of Performance-Enhancing Drugs?  Have players become rather covetous, no longer playing for the love of the game?  Has baseball just lost itself overall?  Let’s face it: Baseball is not what it was."

And that’s courtesy of the jock sniffers at bleacherreport. 

Want another taste?

"Bottom line: Fans are tired of what baseball has come to," bleacherreport says.  "It’s costly.  It’s annoying.  It may not stay America’s pastime for too long"

Now check out this bit of research from the University of Northern Iowa’s editorial staff.

"Baseball, the sport that is, or was, considered by many to be America’s pastime, has gradually decreased in popularity over the past decade. Just look at the number of people who have watched the past few World Series compared to those who watched the Super Bowl.

"Super Bowl XLV, which took place in February between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, was the most-viewed telecast in American broadcast history with 111 million viewers. Super Bowl XLIV, between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts, recorded the second-highest viewership in American broadcast history with 106 million viewers. Super Bowl XLIII, between the Steelers and Arizona Cardinals, had an audience of 98 million and Super Bowl XLII between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots had an audience of 97 million.

"The three World Series in that same time span have had audiences of 69 million (2010 World Series, Giants vs. Texas Rangers), 116 million (2009 World Series, New York Yankees vs. Philadelphia Phillies) and 68.5 million (2008 World Series, Phillies vs. Tampa Bay Rays).

While the 116 million viewers for the 2009 World Series is greater than Super Bowl XLV, remember that that 116 million viewers is a combined total from the six-game series. That comes out to an average of 19.3 million viewers per game."

Get the picture?

Now brace yourselves…

"MLB didn’t fare that much better against the National Basketball Association either. However, it does draw a more accurate comparison, with each sport having a best-of-seven series to decide a champion. The past three NBA Finals have had audiences of 83 million (2010 NBA Finals, Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics, seven games), 47.5 million (2009 NBA Finals, Lakers vs. Orlando Magic, five games) and 89.4 million (2008 NBA Finals, Boston Celtics vs. Lakers, six games)."

UNI’s $64 million question: "Are sports fans simply getting tired of spending three-plus hours watching a game that has made little technological advancements since its inception in the late 1800s?"

Now get back out there and start bashing Craig, I’ve got a lawn to mow

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 23 Comments

Hearne: My Personal Take on Steve Jobs, Part One

Posted on October 7, 2011 by admin

My first encounter with iconic Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs went down at Pennylane Records in Westport…

It was in the mid-1980s and I was a promoter of mostly alternative rock musicians in an era when local radio had zero interest in those artists outside of hit makers like Duran Duran and Simple Minds. I needed a vehicle to reach the target audience for those acts. And while there wasn’t a whole lot to Pennylane’s in-house KC Pitch monthly  contentwise-  there were really no other viable options.

Or so I thought…

However, I couldn’t even get a return phone call to buy an ad for my first concert. So afterwards I tracked down record store owner Hal Brody and pitched him on my concept for expanding the Pitch. To transform it from a record store rag running mostly "house" ads for Pennylane and bar ads for a handful of Westport clubs like the Hurricane and Lone Star into something more closely ressembling what it is today.

In other markets, small, homegrown hippie rags had evolved and continued to evolve into broadbased alternative newsweeklies, I told Brody. They covered the fine arts, dining, a far wider swath of entertainment and edgy, often controversial news stories. And the Pitch could do the same in Kansas City where there was money to be made and fun to be had.

Brody took me up and I began working with his merry band of record store employees to grow the mag.

They were an enthusiastic lot and were further heartened by a Christmas gift Brody got that year he didn’t know what to do with.

It was the very first Macintosh computer. 

Brody brought it down to Pennylane and bestowed it upon messrs Scott O’Kelly and Donna Trussell, then the keepers of the Pitch flame.Needless to say, they were thrilled. And then and there, in that inglamorous basement beneath Pennylane, desktop publishing in Kansas City was born.

I’d attended a personal computing class touting IBM’s first PCs a couple years earlier, but had not been much interested. The little Mac kind of got me going though – I say, kind of. 

Because embarrassing as it is for me to admit, it took a wrestler by the name of King Kong Bundy to actually get me in the game.

But the King & I didn’t last long or go very far and it was quickly back to Job’s Macintosh forever more. I’ve never owned a PC since, nor will I. And in a dumbed down way, I’ve tried to follow in the footsteps of Guy Kawaski, the former Chief Evangelist at Apple. Converting friends and family to the Mac.

Can you believe it? I even got Craig Glazer to by a MacBook earlier this year and he only learned how to spellcheck a handful of months ago.

I digress…

I bought the first true Apple laptop, the Powerbook 170, the minute in came out in 1991.

For a then, not-low price of $4,599. I even thought it was cool that it had been assembled in Ireland. And I wrote the vast majority of my Kansas City Star columns on it for several years starting in 1992. It wasn’t easy though, because I then had to load my columns onto a floppy disk and transfer them to the ultra crappy computers Star reporters had to work on for way too many years.

Years later I bought the very first iBook, literally on my way out of town to cover the KC Wizards championship game and MLS Cup victory in Washinton, D.C. in 2000. Plugged that puppy into a phone jack in the press box at RFK Stadium and emailed story after story to the Star sports desk.

Via dial-up, of course. And while that sounds pretty arcane today, it was cutting edge at the time.

Year after year I waited and watched as Jobs unveiled the new Macs I came to know and love. He put on that little dog and pony show the public now knows so well for the tiny cadre of Mac fanatics. Long before the iPod, iPhone or iPad.

By dumb luck I purchased the very first iMac at Comp USA in Overland Park the day it came out in August of 1998. It had been sold out in advance but I just happened to be there when a manager learned someone had defaulted on their order.

Jobs had been kicked out of Apple for being a jerk in the mid-1980s and unlike his rep today had been rendered a falling star.

Back then nobody thought or knew he’d ever amount to anything much again. He was pretty much a loser. However by 2007, the suits had all but ruined Apple and the conventional wisdom at the time was if Sony didn’t buy it, Apple wouldn’t be around much longer.

That’s when Apple threw caution to the wind – having nothing to lose – and brought Jobs back. 

For a buck a year. 

Which seemed ultra cool and very cheap but only because – as we would later learn – Jobs had calculated a way to make tons more dough by playing a game that now allows billionaire Warren Buffet to pay taxes at a lower rate than his secretary.

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 12 Comments

Glazer: This Week’s Pics; Humble Scribe Handles Crystal Ball With Extreme Caution

Posted on October 7, 2011 by admin

"Alright, let’s not get a big head about being at nearly 90% on your picks, Craig."

For four weeks straight. More than likely the best overall picks from – well, hmmmm – anyone, anywhere. Just sayin. Thats why I remain your humble scribe. or THE GLAZE, as some comments lovers and haters call me.

So as we march forward it’s just gonna get tougher. The better teams will be playing better and there’ll be more "equal" teams. In college ball the good vs. the bad have huge spreads now. So let’s try and be smart and use our friend the "teaser" to add or subtract 6 points or even more often.

Don’t get greedy and go for the one big hit.

Even your humble scribe can’t win them all. There will be some weeks where even I am wrong a bit. But let’s try and avoid that, shall we? Here we go.

 

College Picks:

Last night I had Oregon -22 1/2 over California…close one but YES, cover
Now you’re thinking Glaze you might have just thrown that one in. NO, I had them, but write this on Friday soooo….

*** Let’s tease the two big boys Alabama and Stanford…Alabama is a 29 point fav and Stanford is a 29 point fav. So.

Alabama -23 over Vanderbilt(with the tease)

Stanford -23 over  Colorado (with tease). We must win both to win.

*** LSU -13 over Florida

*** ASU -3 1/2 over Utah

*** Bonus pick: tough call MU -3 over K-State.

PRO FOOTBALL, THE NFL:

Wow, are these hard ones. Teams are so banged up and already looking tired.

*** Green Bay -6 over Atlanta

*** New England -3 over Jets (tease down from New England -9)
and
*** The Bills 9 over the Eagles(must win both to win)

*** Tenn 9 over Steelers (tease)
and
*** Detroit 1 over Chicago Bears  (tease must win both)

I would not do anything with KC and Indy. However if I had too – and I don’t want to and won’t – I’d take Indy -2 1/2 to beat KC on the road.

Have another warm fall weekend and enjoy the games!

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 21 Comments

Glazer: Why Baseball Really Doesn’t Matter Much Anymore & Not Just in Kansas City

Posted on October 7, 2011 by admin

Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio…?

Joltin’ Joe’s long gone and what was once America’s pastime is now mostly an afterthought.

"Man, I don’t even know who’s playin in the Series," is 95% of the feedback you get today at work or if you speak to ordinary people at bars or in passing. Nobody knows What’s more – and sadly – almost nobody seems to care.

Baseball, like real movies, is fading away.

For many reasons. We all hear it’s too slow. That’s because of the larger scale violence given to us by the NFL and Colllege Footballl. Take out the nine million commercials and football is a fast, violent game. And players are in way better shape in the NFL than in Major League Baseball.

Don’t get me wrong, there are some younger baseball players with decent bods, but too many look like they just ate twice at Gates.

Ladies like player’s butts and bods, but players stay longer in baseball. It’s not unusal to have a team with several 33-plus year olds. Like the YANKEES. To prove my point, there are several more television programs right now on football than baseball even though baseball is in the post season.

And while the NFL has few white players, 90% or more are at least Americans.

In football the uniforms hide the player’s color or "where he’s from" look. Whereas in baseball more than half the players are Latino. Case in point, the Yankee’s lineup yesterday in their final loss sending them home; Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, Mark Teixeria, Mariano Rivera, Rafael Soriano, CC Sabathia and more. And unlike the NFL, these guys just wear a ball cap and no helmet so we can see what they look like.

The only real violence in the baseball is sliding home, a pitcher throwing at your head, running into a wall trying to catch a fly ball or fights between players.

That’s not enough to hold people’s interest.

Throw in Roids, player strikes, too many games, the cost of going to ball parks, and that not as many kids play baseball out in the yard or with dad anymore.

When I was a little kid, baseball was everything.

We’d sneak radios into school just to listen to the Yankees/St. Louis World Series. In fact once in a blue moon our teacher would roll in the crummy black and white TV and let us watch Micky Mantle and Roger Maris try and save the Yanks.

In the mid 60’s our Kansas City A’s stunk but we had a young Chiefs team.

Still the NFL was not anywhere near the level of baseball. There was no Super Bowl yet. In 1964 the talk was about baseball. Two short years later things began to change. Mickey Mantle was gone and a team from Green Bay played the Kansas City Chiefs in Los Angeles for the championship in the first-ever Super Bowl.

Yeah, today baseball is nearly a local sport. Sure, we want the Royals to do well and the New York fans still love their Yanks. St. Louis and the LA Dodgers, along with New York, still matter to many people. Just not as many and not enough.

Baseball is now a distant third behind the NFL, College Football and soon the NBA and College Hoops. Yes, it’s very sad.

Another thing from Kansas City’s recent past is being stomped into the ground.

How do we pay those big salaries?

Yep, "Joltin Joe has left and gone away…..hey-hey-hey, hey-hey-hey…"

Posted in Craig_Glazer | Tagged | 32 Comments

Leftridge: MLB Worst of the Worst; Who Will Take Home This Year’s Coveted ‘Cy Dung’ Award?

Posted on October 7, 2011 by admin

It’s that time of year. Everywhere around us, the leaves are changing, Major League Baseball’s postseason is in full effect and throughout the land, thousands of pasty-faced sportswriters are sitting around their Smith Coronas, brows drenched in sweat, trying to determine who—WHO, DAMNIT?—deserves this year’s individual achievement awards.

And unless they have a vote, they’re simply trying to fill up column space by debating the merits of two guys who would have given them wedgies in middle school.

“Oh my! Is it Justin Verlander? He WAS 24-5 on the season, but take a close look at his VORP after night-games, adjusted for a divisional opponent’s park ratios, two days after shaving but three days removed from the last time he ate tropical fruit. In that case, you’ve gotta give it to Jacoby Ellsbury. He’s half Native American, after all.”

The point is, Verlander and Ellsbury had awesome seasons. So did Curtis Granderson and Jose Bautista. There are a million arguments to be made for a handful of those in consideration, so I won’t bore you by trying to convince you that the guy I picked is the best. I don’t have a vote, so it doesn’t matter.

In fact, I’m barely qualified to vote when they’re trying to decide a new M&M color.

Instead, I’d like to go a different route and tell you who shouldn’t win. Who absolutely, unequivocally should NEVER receive a vote this season. From anyone. Including their own mother.

Let’s start with the American League Un-VP.

Adam Dunn, Chicago White Sox DH/1B: Look, I feel bad for the guy, really, I do. By all accounts, he’s a standup fella. Throughout his miserable goat-anus of a season, he said all the right things. He took responsibility. He listened to coaches. He worked on his swing and made adjustments.

But in the end, his season line looks like something from a movie about a baseball player who loses both of his legs and one of this arms trying to hop a train, and then comes back to play the following season: .159 avg, .292 on base, .569 on base slugging. Compare this to last year’s numbers, a year in which he placed 21st in MVP voting: .260/.356/.892. True, he’s never been a huge ‘hit-for-average’ kinda guy. But he’s never needed to be. He hit 40 or more homeruns in five straight years, and 38 in 2010. This year? 11. That’s right, ELEVEN. That’s an alarming drop off for a guy whose whole sole existence is dependent upon driving balls out of the park.

I won’t laugh at Adam Dunn. He’s obviously in a really bad place. The bright spot? The Chicago White Sox are on the hook for $44 mil over the next three years. Suck it, White Sox.

National League Un-VP:

Jayson Werth, Washington Nationals OF: Jayson Werth has all kinds of whimsical, frivolous facial hair. He makes splendid beards upon his face and grows his hair out and dyes it interesting colors. The problem is, his comical appearance was his greatest contribution to the baseball world in 2011. That’s an issue when you’re beginning a 7-year, $126 mil contract with a new team.

The baseball world scoffed when the Nationals—a spendthrift team with a brief history of nothing but losing—took on such an obnoxiously large contract for someone who had previously been, well, average at best. The Nats argued that they were simply playing like the big boys do, with fists stuffed with cash. Werth smiled, nodded, and proceeded to hit .232 with 58 RBI. Add to this his 160 strikeouts (most in his big league career) and 20 HRs (lowest total in four years), and you’ve got yourself a bonafide shitsucker. With funny facial hair.

Have fun with him until he’s 40, Washington!

The Cy Dung Award AL

Hiram Kyle Davies, Kansas City Royals SP (no longer with team): Davies, a fairly promising prospect within the Braves organization (and secret Jew? Who knew?!), was given a million and one chances in multiple major league stops. Unfortunately, he sucked in pretty much all of them. Because of his ‘occasional flashes of brilliance,’ no one seemed willing at accept the inevitable: Kyle Davies is a terrible pitcher. How terrible? No starting pitcher to ever throw over 700 innings in the majors has had a worse career ERA than his majestic 5.59.

 In a particularly horrendous 2011 campaign, he went 1-9 with a 6.75 ERA. He gave up 84 hits in 61 innings and had a WHIP (walks hits per inning) of 1.793. Pretty awful. But his unheralded disgrace on the mound was only a part of his 2011 failings. After (finally, mercifully) being let go in August, it was reported that Hiram had been arrested for disorderly intoxication in Florida.

Shalom, Kyle. I hope you get the help you need and realize your full potential.

The Cy Dung Award NL

Derek Lowe, Atlanta Braves SP: This was a tough decision.

 The Cincinnati Reds’ Bronson Arroyo had a bad year—12 losses, 5.07 ERA. He also makes his own music (never acceptable- I’m looking at you, Shaq Fu) and once rocked white-guy corn-rows. The thing is, Arroyo is an average pitcher with a career ERA of 4.28. So, while it certainly was an off year, it wasn’t a staggering drop off.

It was also difficult to bypass Houston’s J.A. Happ—6-15, 5.35 ERA—but come on, he plays for Houston. There wasn’t one redeeming thing about the Astros this year.

Our sinker-balling friend Derek Lowe, however, pitched for the Braves, a team that played above their heads and almost secured a playoff spot. And he’s always been a steady arm in whatever rotation he’s been a part of. In 15 seasons, he’s 20 games above .500 with a sub 4 ERA. That’s why his ‘11 looks like such a shit-smear on a bright, white nursery wall.

You want losses? He’s got losses. Boom– 17. Lofty ERA get your Willie wiggling? Boom– howsabouta’ 5.05? And here’s a curious stat: Despite 34 starts (second highest in his career) he pitched fewer innings than he had in his previous seven seasons. That’s called being ineffective, baseball fans. Oh, and in order to not be outdone by fellow Cy Dunger Kyle Davies, D. Lowe went out and got himself a DUI in April.

The You’re Not Fit to Manage a Captain D’s Award, NL

Brad Mills, Houston Astros: 56-106. 27th worst record in baseball history on a list that’s topped by 1899’s Cleveland Spiders. You know who was on that Spiders team? Neither do I, and that’s not the point. Point is, all of the blame can’t be placed on Mills. After all, he was a utility infielder for four years with the Expos in the early 80’s, and, before being hired to his current gig, bench coach for the Boston Red Sox.  Said resume does not a skipper make. The real blame lies with general manager Ed Wade who has methodically destroyed this team with pricy free agent signings— think Clemens, Pettite, Carlos Lee—while failing to properly evaluate and draft amateur talent. But hey, we need a fall guy, and Mills is as good as anyone.

The You’re Not Fit to Manage a Captain D’s Award, NL

Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota Twins: It’s hard to say anything negative about someone who has led his team to 6 divisional championships in 10 managerial seasons, but Christ-in-a-handcart were the Twins bad this year. Though they didn’t quite hit the century-mark in losses, they had a robust 99 of them, good for the second worst record in all of baseball.

And say what you will about bad luck—closer Joe Nathan’s failings and injuries, Mauer and Morneau combining for 151 total games, a porn-stached Carl Pavano disguising himself as an ‘ace’—the Twins have had this sort of nastiness in previous years. It’s just that ol’ Ron-Ron has always managed to pull his team through the funk before 2011. Not this year, though. But as a Royals fan? I truly hope the wheels have flown off of the goose.

So there you have it, an unflattering testimonial to the worst of the worst for the 2011 Major League Baseball season. Personally, I hope that there are all new ‘winners’ next year—nobody likes having to shoot a racehorse that grew long in the tooth… (well, except for Gardenhire. And Dunn. It’d really help the Royals if they kept sucking at such a high level. Keep up the great work, guys! )

Posted in Sports | Tagged | 1 Comment

Hearne: Trader Joe’s Encounters Trouble in Paradise, But Don’t Blame Leawood!

Posted on October 6, 2011 by admin

Ahoy there, maties…

Loosen those barnacles and gather round while I tell a see-faring tale about Trader Joe’s ongoing aventures along the shores of Leawood. That upscale local burb famous for its proud stewardship of the color beige, wood shingle roofs and other eye-pleasing aesthetics.

Both Trader Joe’s in Leawood and Ward Parkway Center opened this past July.

But unlike its shipmates on the MU side of State Line, TJ’s Leawood landlubbers were trapped off base on two counts.

 For starters, there’s no parking for TJ’s 70 shipmates at the trendy new One Nineteen center, and the sea dogs must park at other nearby centers, then be ferried over by by RED Development land schooners that run every 10 minutes on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

That’s because parking is tight at One Nineteen, and with new businesses about to open it’s not gonna get any better.

"When this property fills up, it’s going to be a nightmare," says Trader Joe’s first mate Jerry Arns.

Problem No. 2 involves a controversy over an imaginary Leawood law prohibiting shopping cart corrals

According to numerous Trader Joe’s staffers, Leawood doesn’t allow the corrals in parking lots anymore because they’re unsightly. However, Hen House to the north in Camelot Court has them as the store was supposedly "grandfathered in."

But avast now hearties, because that nare be true, says Richard Coleman, Leawood’s director of community development.

"There’s not an ordinance preventing it," Coleman says. "They (just) haven’t made a formal request to make a revision to their development plan. We don’t have a problem with it, they just need to make an application and they haven’t."

Best set sail soon before too many of those bright red TJ shopping carts sail into the sides of the many Mercedes and Jaguar cars overflowing Trader Joe’s sardine tight parking lot.

"We’re on a 15 degree, downhill grade," Arns says. "So if someone leaves a cart up by Sullivan’s, by the time it gets to our building it’s probably going to be going 10 miles-per-hour."

Stay tuned…

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 16 Comments

Car: Humble Scribe Poised to Purchase Sex Machine aka 2011 Lotus Evora

Posted on October 6, 2011 by admin

Don’t look now but everyone’s favorite "humble scribe" is about to go James Bond…

Stanford’s comedy club main man Craig Glazer almost pulled the trigger on trading his  Porsche for a red hot new, red Lotus Evora sports car earlier this year, but the deal fell through. However the game is back afoot and Glazer’s a phone call away from flat-bedding in a sleek black Evora from St. Louis Motorsports.

"I like it a lot, it drives great and handles a step up from my Porsche because it’s smaller and lower to the ground," Glazer says. "I think speed-wise it’s about the same. The top speed is like 170."

Glazer test drove the Evora yesterday in St. Louis and has an offer on the table.

What the scribe likes most about the Evora?

"This car is 007, Daniel Craig today," Glazer says. "It’s like a mini Ferrari – but more like the older Ferarris – and it’s younger and hipper than Lamborghini and Ferrari."

Oh yeah, there’s something Glazer would like to make perfectly clear:

"You know how people say if you get those cars or a Corvette, that you have a smaller dick? That’s just jealousy. I think the Evora is as sexy as any car out there and possibly is the sexiest. But I think those other cars like Lamborghini and Ferrari make a different statement – that you’re super rich. But it’s not about dick measuring."

Without question the Evora is a sex machine, but will it accomodate actual sex?

"Oh yeah," Glazer laughs. "I was able to do it in my Ferrari and that wasn’t much bigger. I don’t know that that would be a goal of mine though.  I think it’s big enough but I don’t think it would be very comfortable. I mean, it’s fairly comfortable for a race car, but most of the sex I’ve had in cars was probably in high school when I didn’t have anywhere else to go.

"Would I ever do it? I suppose, but it’s not something I’m looking forward to trying. I’ve never really been a guy who wanted to have sex in a car – it’s kind of like having sex in an airplane bathroom."

Posted in Car | Tagged | 36 Comments

Jack Goes Confidential: Clooney, Gosling, Hoffman Shine in ‘IDES OF MARCH’

Posted on October 6, 2011 by admin

George Clooney‘s THE IDES OF MARCH isn’t so much a political thriller as a morality tale…

What we’ve got is some terrific insight into the backroom politics of Pennsylvania Governor George Clooney’s race to win the Ohio primary for his party’s presidential nomination.

And tensions are building.

Press secretary Ryan Gosling is being lured by rival campaign manager Paul Giamatti, while New York Times reporter Marisa Tomei is ready to blow-up anything that leaks out of the campaign. And she’s close to blowing the lid off a boat load of indiscretions.

All while senior campaign manager Philip Seymour Hoffman tries desperately to keep it all from falling apart.

Loyalty being the only currency you can count on—or so they say.

Written, produced, directed and co-starring George Clooney, THE IDES OF MARCH is chock-full of performances that the Academy is sure to take note of!

So does the movie favor Democrats? Or does it stay fair and balanced?

In a recent press interview, Clooney defended the film by calling it "a political thriller" and adding he did not consider it a politcal movie because, "I suppose if you’re a Democrat you’ll like the beginning of the movie best and if you’re a Republican you’ll like the end."

Frankly I’m not so sure I agree with him.

If nothing else it’s once again living proof that double-dipping an intern can bring on awkward—make that game changing circumstances. Or as Clooney lays it out here: When you make a mistake you lose the right to play!

THE IDES OF MARCH raising 4 out of 5 political fingers!

Catch JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES Friday mornings on NewsRadio KMBZ Am & Fm and 1660-Radio Bach. Also anytime on Time-Warner Cable’s K.C. ON DEMAND, Channel 411.

Posted in Jack_Poessiger | Tagged | 6 Comments

New Jack City: IMAX & AMC Get Jump On ‘M:I-4’

Posted on October 5, 2011 by admin

IMAX and Paramount have proclaimed that the 4th installment of the MISSION IMPOSSIBLE franchise will get a 5 day jump on IMAX screens over the rest of the nation’s movie theatres!

‘MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE-GHOST PROTOCOL‘ starring Tom Cruise and slated for worldwide release Wednesday, Dec. 21st will now actually begin Pre-Opening Previews on Friday, December 16th—but only on IMAX screens.

Every other theatre has to wait.
 

It’s a first and definitely a major coup for the mega-screen format and at the same time elevates M:I 4 to super-tentpole status!

Kansas City moviegoers are fortunate because there are 4 IMAX screens available in the area all operated by AMC.

They’re located at the Independence Commons, Barrywoods, Town Center and Studio 30 complexes.

Posted in Jack_Poessiger | Tagged | 6 Comments

Sounds Good: St. Vincent@Liberty Hall, Minus the Bear@Granada, Portugal. The Man@Bottleneck

Posted on October 5, 2011 by admin

 

All Lawrence all the time this weekend.

Sure, you could pay 800 bucks and go out and see Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs tear up some gilfs and silver 
foxes. 

You could. 

Or you could take a little jaunt on down the road to that little hamlet known as Larry and see up-and-coming bands.

Then you could say, "Dude, I saw St. Vincent at this little theater in this little college town back before she got huge."

Instead of, "Dude, I saw Michael McDonald right before his fifth bypass surgery – he was actually dead for three minutes on the operating table before they brought his mellow groovin’ ass back to life"

Think about it. 

Friday, October 7th

St. Vincent at Liberty Hall in Lawrence

St. Vincent is a girl from Oklahoma.  She plays several instruments, mostly guitar, and sings as well.  She was previously a member of the weirdo giant ensemble The Polyphonic Spree and she also toured as part of Sufjan Stevens’ band. 

All three of her albums have received critical praise, perhaps each more than the last.  Which is quite something.  Though I’ve never seen her live, those who have tell me that her live show is even better than her albums.  Her style is somewhat elaborate and quirky, with lush arrangements, unusual twists and turns, and crystalline vocals.  Kind of reminds me of Cat Power at times, but with a bit more edge to it. 

No doubt this show at Liberty Hall will be packed with indie girls and boys alike, though I wouldn’t be surprised to see some more mainstream folks there too — St. Vincent seems poised to break huge at any moment. 

Minus the Bear at the Granada in Lawrence

Who wouldn’t love a band that chose its name based in part on the 70’s TV show BJ and the Bear?  No one, that’s who.  No one.  Though I must admit, the sheer volume of bands around right now that have the word "bear" in their name is a bit curious.  How did this happen?  There must be some kind of rational explanation.   

This Seattle band has been doing its thing for about a decade now, delivering danceable indie pop to a growing legion of fans.  Its latest release, 2010’s Omni, was produced by Grammy winner Joe Chiccarelli of The White Stripes and My Morning Jacket fame, so there’s got to be something to that, right?

I have a feeling this might be the show of the weekend.   

Their current tour features the band dusting off its 2002 release, Highly Refined Pirates in its entirety.  I like to think the album is a political statement on post-modern imperialism, with song titles such as "Thanks for the Killer Game of Crisco Twister," "Hey, Wanna Throw Up?", and "I Lost All My Money at the Cock Fights."  It’s funny cuz it’s true.   
 

Sunday, October 9th

Portugal. The Man at the Bottleneck in Lawrence

This band, originally from Wasilla, Alaska, is way cooler than most everything else you’ve ever heard of that is from Wasilla.  Obviously, they migrated to… (wait for it)…. Portland, where they started to get into the music scene there. 

Its latest album, In the Mountain, In the Cloud, has received copious airplay on alternative rock stations like 96.5 the Buzz, and has received generally favorable reviews across the board.  Sunday’s show has to be one of the smallest venues these guys play anymore, so it might be worth a shot, even for a Sunday night. 

Paste‘s Wyndham Wyeth gave the album a commendable 8.3 out of 10 and had this to say:

"[I]t almost feels as though it picks up right where the last album left off. However, that’s not to say that In 
the Mountain, In the Cloud is predictable or boring—quite the opposite in fact. It’s an amalgamation of everything 
the band has done before, from the electronic drum beats that were prevalent in the group’s debut to a wider array 
of sounds including the use of strings and horns. But In the Mountain, In the Cloud takes it all one step further."
 

Posted in Entertainment | Tagged | 17 Comments

Hearne: While Star Sleeps, KU’s Bill Self Speaks; Eff Off MU – See Ya, Wouldn’t Wanna Be Ya

Posted on October 5, 2011 by admin

Good thing I’m up late working on my Platte County Landmark column…

Because in what may go down as the local scoop of the century (it’s early), KU Basketball coach Bill Self laid some major league pipe to his arch rival Missouri Tigers.

If MU bolts to the SEC, forget about playing KU in the regular season, Self told the Lawrence Journal World.

"If the Tigers do decide to bolt for the SEC, however, they will do so aware there’s the chance they’ll never play KU in hoops in the regular season again," the Journal World report begins.

“ ‘To me it’s a great rivalry, one of the best in college basketball without question, but I don’t think I would be interested in having a once a year game like I did when I was at Illinois, playing Missouri,’ ” Self told the Journal-World Tuesday night.

"He was speaking after learning Missouri’s Board of Curators announced it has delegated power to MU chancellor Brady Deaton to explore options for future conference affiliation," the Journal World reports.

" ‘I could probably change my mind (but) trust me, we would have no trouble finding another nonleague game to play. I love the rivalry (uninterrupted since 1907 with KU leading 171-94). Playing home and home in the league is great and all those things … (but) I can’t imagine, why would we continue playing?

“ ‘If they choose to be somewhere other than with us and with the other schools that they’ve been a part of and could jeopardize the future of the other schools … I’m not going to make a commitment now that we’d ever play again. I’m not saying we won’t. I’m certainly not going to pretend that we would.’ ”

In other words KU is laying it on the line; if MU bolts for the bright lights of the SEC they can kiss KU goodbye.

Prior to Self’s shout out to Mizzou, the working media assumption was that KU-MU football and basketball games would be relegated to pre season / non conference affairs. Assumptions Self blew out of the water with his powerful statements to the Journal World.

"Self grew animated when it was suggested the media would likely ask for a continuation of the series with perhaps a once-a-year meeting between the Border War combatants in Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo," the Journal World continued.

“ ‘I’m not saying it would be bad or won’t be bad (playing once on neutral court). I will say this … the media is not going to dictate who we play. I’ll dictate who we play as long as I’m coaching here,’ Self said. ‘I have no ill will toward Missouri at all, but to do something at a time that could be so damaging and hurtful to a group, I can’t see us just taking it and forgetting. I think that would be something that’d be talked about with our administration and we’d make a decision that’s best for our place. They are making a decision that’s best for theirs. We’ll make a decision on a schedule that’s best for us.

“ ‘I am not going to schedule Missouri just to schedule Missouri. I’m going to schedule what’s best for us, period. That’s how it’s going to be.’ ”

Finally someone in the Big 12 packing a pair and willing to lay it down in the harshest possible terms.

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | Tagged | 21 Comments

Leftridge: Tales from the Tweet: Eric Berry’s Bad Blood, Wright is Wrong & Kevin Kietzman- Murderer?

Posted on October 5, 2011 by admin

Twitter was abuzz recently with player and pundit reaction to the Chiefs’ first victory, the enthralling start to the MLB playoffs, and the continued non-progress of David Stern’s newest drama, “The NBA Lockout: A Billionaire’s Catfight.”  

I only managed to catch some of those things—well, the Chiefs’ stuff, to be precise. But I found some other funny crap, some of which was worth sharing.

Let’s jump right in, shall we?

@BFlowers (Brandon Flowers, Chiefs CB)
“Larry Bird is unstoppable in #NBA2k12 for the #PS3! Make sure you get your copy from @2ksports, in stores October 4th”

Wow… what a complete shill. I mean, I suppose he got a free copy for doing this, but really? I hope if I’m ever a multi-millionaire, I don’t resort to Tweeting for free video games. Wait… unless it WORKS. @FIFA12 is in stores now! Make sure to pick up your copy today!

@JoseCanseco
“Love and miss u dad”

Canseco’s Twitter feed is like looking into the soul of a wilting flower.  It’s horrifically honest and sad, and at times, downright depressing. Prior to last week’s multi-Tweet tirade against Car Max (“Don’t go to car max u can get a better deal at any other place .they also have kids working here that will insult u with trade in value”) he spent his time alternately pining for someone named Leila (“I want to apologize to leila for what I said about her .she is a kind and beautiful person who deserves better than me”) and threatening followers who made fun of him (“Better to be a hasbin than never have bin”).

For the love of all that’s holy, Jose, please stop.

@JavierArenas21
“Grandma that lever on the side of seat makes it recline #howdoesthatsteeringwheeltaste”

“Never been so excited about pasta”

“is it a good thing if ur vacuum sucks”

Oh, Javier, you insanely lovable bastard. I think the first one’s a crack at an old person’s driving skills, the second is… yeah, I don’t know… and the third is a joke. I think? Keep ‘em coming, Javy.

Speaking of the Chiefs’ secondary, Eric Berry (@Stuntman1429) has been active in his inactivity. Like his buddy Javier, he too visits Walmart:

“I can finally use the electric carts at wal mart without bein chased by management.”

Keeps us up to date on the ACL:

“Surgery was straight. Really appreciate everyone’s prayers. Doc was kinda freaked out cuz he found out I bleed orange. forgot to tell him.”

And lusts after a sports reporter:

“Any day u wake up to sage talkin about sports on ur tv is a good day.”

ESPN’s Sage Steele, Berry? Really? She’s 38, married, and a mother three times over. And all of that being said… I’m just not feeling it, EB. Whatever boils your potato, I suppose.

But the real story of the week wasn’t Berry’s love life, or Arenas’ zingers, it was the Chiefs victory. So what did people think?

@ChrisWarcraft (Chris Kluwe, Vikings P)
“Normally I’d apologize to the KC fan I beaned in the head during warmups, but we lost, so I won’t. #justkidding, #hopeyoudonthaveaconcussion”

Like our own Arenas, the Vikings’ punter is one of Twitter’s more enjoyable personas. And he seems to have maintained his humor in the loss:

“So now that we’ve arrived home, what should tonight’s liquid solace be? Skyy? Patrón? Bacardi? Drano?! #remembertokillyourbrainresponsibly”

@kkwhb (Kevin Kietzman, 810 WHB)
“Tim Brewster scares me but I love Gus.”

Agreed, at least on the Brewster part. Jesus, it was like having to listen to Will Ferrell’s  “Voice Immodulation Guy” describe what he’s seeing on the sidelines.

@theprogramkc (Soren Petro, 810 WHB)
“Cassel off to a tough start…. But Succop gets the FG. Chiefs lead for the first time in 2011!!!!!”

Yep, and that lasted for a little over 5 minutes. Pop the top on that Riunite, kids! But hey, they persevered, didn’t they?

@kkwhb (Kietzman)
“Chiefs seem to be perfect cure for mcnabb.”

Then perhaps the later sickness stemmed from the Houston’s that he reportedly ate the night before. Regardless, he ended up embodying the reason the Eagles and then the Redskins severed ties. They both saw what a lot of other people didn’t (myself included). McNabb is done.  

@theprogramkc (Petro)
“Vikings fans representing today…. 5 to 10 percent of the crowd is in Viking gear!”

This is both the blessing and the curse to being such a cordial city. Anytime one of Kansas City’s teams plays a team within a 10-hour radius, we’re likely to see an influx of the other teams’ fans. It’s better than being in LA/San Fran/Oakland, though. At least here, no one is beaten almost to death after a loss.

@theprogramkc (Petro)
“Hali’s sack gives him 44.5 for his career… Moving him into a tie with eric Hicks for 5th in Chiefs history. Jared Allen is 7th with 43”

Very interesting, impressive stat, and one that I can honestly say surprised me a bit. Let’s hear it for Hali, folks.  Prolific AND less obnoxious than O’ Mulleted One.

@getnickwright (Nick Wright, 610)
“And for those asking about Brandon Flowers… I would be absolutely shocked if he played. This week or next. #Chiefs”

“I’m not ready to say Baldwin is definitely out, but as I said in previous tweet. It’s looking less likely than it was 4 days ago. #Chiefs”

Nick Wright was all over the place with his incorrect injury news. Baldwin was ready to roll, no WAY was Flowers playing. Though he later copped to his error, the damage was done. Like my momma always said, ‘if you don’t have something (w)right to say, don’t say nothing.’ Or something like that.

@kkwhb (Kevin Kietzman)
“Been a lot of places, my deck at sunset in September is greatest place on earth.”

Sometimes, Kietzman’s Tweets sound like his radio show—rambling, incoherent and two seconds away from name-dropping his deck builder. Oh, AND he’s a murderer:

“Moth flew at fire pit, backed away, heat was too much and he fell onto rocks. #notmyfault”

Thanks for sharing that, Kietz. I’ve forwarded this Tweet to the good people at PETA.

@AdrianPeterson
“!!! Who knew in Kenya there’s been reports of Eagles taking kids up to the Age of 6! YEAH, I didn’t stutter…Eagles! WOW”

So… Adrian Peterson is nuts, right?

@BlaineGabbert
“Saw a family of armadillos walking down the street”

And Blaine Gabbert is right there with him? I feel like both of these Tweets were shared by an old, grandfatherly man sitting in rocking chairs, softly gumming a Werther’s Original.

@theprogramkc (Petro)
“Sources told me last night… and the Royals confirmed this morning Bubba Starling received a citation for minor in possession in Arizona.”

@getnickwright
“Regarding Bubba Starling MIP… Is there any law more asinine than having to be 21 to drink, but 18 to do, literally, anything else?”

@mellinger (KC Star columnist Sam Mellinger)
“I’m not saying I’m right about this. I’m just saying Bubba Starling’s MIP is a 1 on a 1-10 scale of things to get worked up about. #Royals”

“Irrelevant question: long as there’s no drunk driving, would you rather the #Royals catch Bubba with a beer or a Big Mac?”

Somebody sound the goddamned alarms, Bubba bellies a brew!

Good points from Mellinger and Wright. I was really hoping that this story wouldn’t get blown out of proportion, and it didn’t. Though it seems to go against everything I know about KC media, they managed to let this story die—as they should have.

@TJMoe28 (Mizzou RB)
"I hate seeing guys get injured. I pray for safety for everyone on the field before every game. Fans don’t understand what injuries do to ppl."

Are you kidding, TJ? They ruin folks’ fantasy football teams! Of COURSE fans know what injuries do to players!

And finally:

@Royals_Report (Bob Dutton, KC Star)
“#Royals trade 1B Kila Ka’aihue to Oakland for minor-league pitcher. More soon at kcstar.com.”

Two things about this Tweet.  1) Bob Dutton’s Twitter picture makes him look like a sad serial killer and 2) So long, Keela Killawalla’hi. I never got the infatuation with you and your minor league power, but I bet somewhere, Calvin Pickering is rubbing his ample, Virgin Islander belly and nodding approvingly.
 

Posted in Sports | Tagged | 11 Comments

Starbeams: THE TOP 5 FEATURES OF THE NEW SPRINT iPHONE

Posted on October 4, 2011 by admin

Overland Park-based Sprint is said to have agreed to pay $20 billion to buy 30.5 million iPhones from Apple over the next four years according to The Wall Street Journal.  Sprint is betting the farm on this and will be the only carrier offering a truly unlimited data plan.

THE TOP 5 FEATURES OF THE NEW SPRINT iPHONE:

#5. The Angry Birds app comes pre-loaded with West Nile virus.

#4. The Sprint iCloud that stores your documents is actually a tornado.

#3. Automatically blocks calls from the Kansas City Star.

#2. Costs $200 unless your name is Gary Forsee, then it’s $50 million.

#1. Buy a phone, receive 20,000 square feet of office space at Sprint’s Overland Park Campus ghost town.

Kelly Urich hosts the morning show on The Point 99.7 FM

Posted in Starbeams | Tagged | 1 Comment