TIFFANY AND MEL

Tiffany and Mel after Blazing Saddles (before History of the World, Part I) at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica - 1/25/08

Post-Saddles, Mel did a Q&A with the packed house - below is the final question of the evening...the audio is solid but I was being sneaky with the camera so excuse the awful cinematography.

The best part comes at the end, when Mel sings a tune from his first act. He's in fine form at age 81. Take it away, Mel!

Yahtzee Cup #22 wrap-up - Card #1

January 20, 2008



Three Yahtzee-tested warriors - through clashes real and exhibition - they have sought THE CUP...and now one of them will take the lead and claim Yahtzee Cup #8.

It begins fast - with a pair of games - the first a decisive victory for Roman Castevet (RC), looking to extend his hot streak. Killer Pimp J. John Johnny John (KPJJJJ) and The Yahtzee of Belleville (TYOB) are no match for him early. A pair of Yahtzees (and an extra 100 points) and an asskicking for RC is the Game #1 result.

Game #1
RC 379/ KPJJJJ 252/ TYOB 231
Yahtzees: RC (2)

Game #2 was closer, with an early Yahtzee for RC - but KPJJJJ gets a Yahtzee too and his upstairs score makes the difference.

Game #2
KPJJJJ 288/ RC 245/ TYOB 241
Yahtzees: KPJJJJ (1)

Now, Game #3 (after a delay) gets going, and it's Pimp-slap time, with KPJJJJ kicking ass and taking names, thanks to a pair of Yahtzees and zero zeroes. TYOB rolled a 50 as well, could she be heating up?

Game #3
KPJJJJ 391/ TYOB 246/ RC 231
Yahtzees: KPJJJJ (2), TYOB (1)

KPJJJJ kept his dice hot, another 5-of-a-kind and zero zeroes again - and two more asses kicked. Would it be another one card Cup?

Game #4
KPJJJJ 323/ TYOB 234/ RC 233
Yahtzees: KPJJJJ (1)

The Killer Pimp was now on the verge of taking the Cup...but could he close the deal?

NO. The Yahtzee of Belleville makes her move, looking to claim the "most Cups" title she has held for so long. The Pimp came close in Game #5, with another Yahtzee but no upstairs 63 leaving him short.

Game #5
TYOB 253/ KPJJJJ 228/ RC 214
Yahtzees: KPJJJJ (1), RC (1)

Damn, look out Killer Pimp! She strikes again! Finishing Card #1 in low-scoring fashion, TYOB pulls close, taking her second game in the row. RC's Yahtzee doesn't help him out of 3rd place. Maybe the Famous Bowl is slowing him down after all.

Game #6
TYOB 246/ KPJJJJ 236/ RC 216
Yahtzees: RC (1)

Card #2 coming up NEXT!

KPJJJJ

Yahtzee Cup #22 begins

January 20, 2008

All three Yahtzee Cup competitors now knotted at SEVEN Cups each, a long road since the Superstar Bootyray glory days, as she held seven Cups alone, with the other two totaling seven between them.

Now, at the dawn of a new year...Roman Castevet looks to take charge, he has been the hot hand of recent Cup play...but a third place finish in exhibition play has weighed him down with a perhaps insurmountable burden, he had to consume a KFC Famous Bowl before Cup play today...

Will this limit his dice rolling motion, will he be weighed down mentally and physically by the chicken, the gravy, the mashed potatoes, the CORN?

Truly, Roman, you have no one to blame but yourself. Let the games begin.

KPJJJJ

MOVIE JOURNAL TO NORWAY

I CAN SEE THE FJORDS FROM HERE

Tiffany and Vic have braved the rain to hold hands and be all girly at ATONEMENT. What a perfect opportunity to take care of a little movie business.

Honestly, these reviews are going to get shorter - the idea should be to respond to films I can remember seeing...more immediate reviews would be nice. Since I look back at two years of catch-up and usually dread this.

And that's not the point, is it? This should inspire the writing...so, to that point...

Brief, funny, concise, maybe insightful...but finished, most of all they will be finished. So back to 2006, can I get to Norway from here?

Let's see...

Grizzly Man (2004)- Pretty incredible Werner Herzog doc revealing the method of the title dude, a failed actor who lived in the wild with some very dangerous bears. For a while at least. Herzog's German view of life is in gaping contrast to the title subject.

Grade: A

The Possessed (1977) - Cheesy fun TV-movie from the late, lamented Jerry's bootleg collection, with James Farentino as a tormented priest ridding a girl's school of Satan vibes. Joan Hackett and Harrison Ford also star.

Grade: C+

Curse of the Demon (1958) - Classic, Dana Andrews, Jacques Tourneur and scares.

Grade: A

The Hanging Tree (1959) - Interesting in fits and starts, firey George C. Scott makes the best impression. Delmar Daves directs.

Grade: B

Tristam Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story (2005) - Meta-movie is not-quite as clever as it thinks it is. Or if it is that clever, I didn't get it. I'll allow for both theories.

Grade: B

800 Bullets (2002) Ugh. Sam Raimi-style with a foreign accent. Hyper directed Western joke is splashed in ugly color and uglier characters. Talks tough but pusses out too.

Grade: C-

Satan's Triangle (1975) - Lame 70s TV-movie with a slumming Kim Novak and a cast of B-list hunks splashing around the Bermuda Triangle. Doug McClure, Jim Davis, Alejandro Rey co-star.

Complete with SHOCKING ENDING.

Grade: C-

The Monster Squad (1987) - Some Ain't It Cool geeks worship this thing but I missed it as too kiddie when it was out - The Untouchables blew me away in the summer of 87...but this kind of sucks. Not bad, but Duncan Regehr's Dracula and Tom Noonan's Monster are good. Shane Black scripted, this is probably much softer than his original.

Grade: C

The Constant Gardener (2005) - This thriller/drama was wildly praised when it came out - winning Rachel Weisz a supporting Oscar. Good stuff, it is a meaty John LeCarre novel as origin - Ralph Fiennes is quite passive, the live wires have the fun - Danny Huston and Bill Nighy.

Grade: B

DiG! (2004) - Brilliant doc about the implosion of some creative types and the flick finger of fame - finally saw the opening 10 minutes...

Grade: A

We're getting close now, folks! The fjords and the Norway trip of 2006 are just beyond the horizon. Let's press on...in Part Two...

To be continued...

Roman Takes Cup - but at what price?

January 8, 2008

Roman Castevet (RC) completed a massive comeback victory here today - winning three in a row to sweep the Cup into his hands. Now, the all-time Yahtzee Cup standings are even at seven wins apiece for the three competitors. Killer Pimp J. John Johnny John (KPJJJJ) crashed and burned, unable to score the single victory he needed - in fact, unable to even break 200 during Cup play.

Meanwhile, Superstar Bootyray (SB - here playing as "Breathless, we fling us on the windy Yahtzee") took Game #7, the first of the new card, to draw even with KPJJJJ at 3 wins each.

Game #7

SB 365/ RC 288/ KPJJJJ 190

Yahtzees: SB (2), RC 1

But then it started, RC making the comeback of this young year. First, he lays down two Yahtzees for the decisive Game #8 victory.

Game #8

RC 364/ SB 265/ KPJJJJ 153

Yahtzees: RC (2), SB (1)

He couldn't possible keep this up, with the other two only needing ONE victory for the Cup...

Roman Castevet can't be stopped.

Game #9

RC 242/ SB 240/ KPJJJJ 183

Down to the wire, RC sqeaking out a victory. Evening things 3-3-3. Could the Cup totals be evened too? Is the Pimp even playing?!

Game #10 - the moment of truth. RC hits an earlyish Yahtzee and wins easily.

RC 299/ SB 247/ KPJJJJ 177

Yahtzees: RC (1)

DAMN - what a ride, a ten-game Cup won by three in a row from Roman Castevet.

BUT THEN...Exhibition Play starts and RC's luck runs out...

His 3rd place finish assures that he MUST eat one of the Famous Bowls before the next Cup is decided...

CAN HE SURVIVE THAT??

Can anyone?

http://www.avclub.com/content/feature/a_v_club_taste_test_special_the

KPJJJJ

YAHTZEE CUP #21 Card #1 update

January 2, 2008

Delayed by nearly a week, with the Killer Pimp hovering over victory an entire card, Roman Castevet (RC) took the 21st Yahtzee Cup in a marathon battle, finally taking the victory in Game Ten. Quite a turnaround from the quick Cup victories of the recent past.

Game #1 and #2 went the Pimp's way and KPJJJJ looked like an eighth Yahtzee Cup was within his grasp.

Two double Yahtzee games left RC and Superstar Bootyray (SB) behind.

Game #1

KPJJJJ 389/ SB 245/ RC 228

Yahtzees: KPJJJJ (2)

Game #2

KPJJJJ 340/ RC 252/ SB 218

Yahtzees: KPJJJJ (2)

And then, trying to make a move to a 3-0 lead, KPJJJJ falls in a close one to RC...

Game #3

RC 290/ KPJJJJ 286/ SB 225

Yahtzees: RC (1), KPJJJJ (1)

But wait - SB is not out of this one - she takes Game #4 with her first Yahtzee of the night helping her leap past RC to get the win.

Game #4

SB 311/ RC 248/ KPJJJJ 187 (murder)

Yahtzees: SB (1), RC (1)

Game #5 and the card was tightening up. 2-1-1 - could the Pimp make a move? He did with another blowout win, perching himself right above his 8th Cup.

KPJJJJ 388/ RC 247/ SB 145

Yahtzees: KPJJJJ (2), RC (1)

More asskickings but this was as good as it got for KPJJJJ.

Game #6 made it more interesting...as SB won her second game to close out the first card - and ensure a second one.

SB 262/ KPJJJJ 238/ RC 168

A heartbreaker for the Pimp - he had a Yahztee and a large straight - missing the upstairs with the dreaded 62 and missing the Full House that could have won it by one.

Yahtzees: KPJJJJ (1)

TBC....