Why the "Tiki Bar"?
Honestly, there is no structure to this blog at all. For me, it's a chance to talk about what's new in music, movies, TV, sports, etc. Hell, I'll even tell you a few stories along the way! So in other words, think of this as a conversation with your favorite bartender at the local watering hole. Tiki Bars are my thing, so for all intents and purposes, grab some Rum and join me for a conversation.
I hope you said your prayers and ate your vitamins, because Hulkamania is about to run wild in the Tiki Bar! I can confidently say that every 80's and 90's boy looked up to Hulk Hogan. He was our hero and our savior in the fight against evil. He was the Real American. He was the positive influence you could look to day in and day out. We played with his toys, we wore his shirts, and any time we played a WWF game, he was always the character you fought to get.
I remember the first time I saw the Hulkster: It was 1989. I has just started getting into wrestling because my father and my uncle were into it. I was watching WWF Superstars on the USA network. All of a sudden, that music started, the crowd went wild, and out came this ripped guy with blond hair who tore through his work out shirt, and started pounding on some heel in the ring. The fight wasn't even close. Hogan reigned as the victor, and went on to show the public how much he loved them.
That was when I joined up as a full-fledged member of the Hulkamaniacs, and just like any other Hulkamaniac, I had to beg to have every piece of Hulk Hogan merchandise there was. To their credit, my parents were more than generous in their attempts to keep me happy. Just to clarify, I was never a spoiled kid. I never cried or did the "I hate you" bit if they didn't buy me what I wanted. Perhaps that's why they never hesitated to grab up whatever they could find, I guess they appreciated not being screamed at.
You name it, I had it. Hulk Hogan wrestling buddy, Hulk Hogan action figures, Hulk Hogan talking figurine, Hulk Hogan work out set, but let's be real, they only bought it for the shirt and bandanna. Vitamins, ice cream pops, the list goes on and on. I loved the WWF, and more specifically, I loved Hogan. I remember when I was about 5 years old, that there were rumors that Hogan had fought his last match. He wasn't the champion anymore, and guys like The Ultimate Warrior, Macho Man, Undertaker, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels had become the faces of the company. While I loved all of those guys, none of them were the Hulkster.
1992 rolled around and so did Yokozuna. He had taken the place by storm, and were virtually unbeatable. Brutus the Barber was a fan favorite, and had been a close friend to Hulk Hogan. I remember one night on Monday Night Raw (at least I think it was on Raw), he was attacked by Money Incorporated, and had taken a steel briefcase to the face, forcing him to wear a protective mask. He vowed revenge, and was granted it through a tag team match at Wrestlemania 9 at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. By his side was his friend, and Hulkamania was to run wild one more time.
The Mega-maniacs, along with Jimmy Hart, gave it to Money Inc. and walked out as the victors (more or less). Then the main event came as Yokozuna and Bret Hart battled it out for the WWF championship. Yokozuna beat Hart after Mr. Fuji threw salt in Bret's eyes. Hogan ran out to the ring to help Bret Hart out, and instead was challenged by Fuji to fight Yokozuna for the championship. After a matter of minutes, Hulk Hogan dropped the Big Leg, and pinned Yokozuna to become the WWF champion once again. It was, in my childhood at least, the final moment of WWF glory for Hulk Hogan.
If my memory serves me correctly, I think Hogan lost the belt to Yokozuna the next night on Raw, but I might be mistaken. The truth was, Hogan wasn't finished with wrestling, he was finished with the WWF. He had bolted for Ted Turner's WCW, a company built on overpaying for Vince McMahon's prized stars, and drawing them over to the rival. Slowly but surely, Hogan, Macho Man, Diesel, Razor Ramone, The Legion Of Doom, and countless others were heading over to the dark side. Honestly, I didn't follow them. I stayed true to WWF.
Then something horrible happened in the mid-90's. Hulk Hogan came out to a crowd at a WCW show, and proclaimed that he was no longer the good guy. He didn't care about the kids, and had abandoned the career and legacy he had built as the ultimate good guy. Instead, Hollywood Hogan and the New World Order was born. I would tell you more about it, but honestly, I don't know much more because I never watched it. In fact, I was so hurt by the entire situation from him leaving to him becoming a heel, that I had stopped watching wrestling all together. It wasn't until my friend told me about a guy named Stone Cold Steve Austin that I started to watch again.
By the time Hogan came back to the WWF in 2002, I wasn't watching anymore. I would tune in a little from time to time, but I had grown tired of most of the story lines and was too involved with other things. I caught a few of his PPV matches, and saw a little bit of the "Hulk Still Rules" era when he was wearing his yellow and red again, but honestly, I didn't see enough of it to talk about it. Every now and again, I'll go to Nassau Coliseum with a friend and check out a WWF event (to me, it will always be the WWF, not the WWE). I don't know most of the people involved, and I don't have too much connection with any of the fighters.
I go because it reminds me of being there as a kid. I don't watch Randy Orton and see Randy Orton. I see Hogan, and Macho Man, and Stone Cold. I remember making my cardboard signs and screaming for my favorites. I remember hearing that signature Hogan music and listening to the crowd go wild. I remember playing his my toys every day. Then I realized that I hadn't eaten my vitamins that morning, and I should probably get on that when I get home.
Every now and again, you see a company roll out a new product that promises to be "the future" of this, that, and the other thing. More times than not, it's a phone, computer, television, appliance, etc. I can't remember too many times when a soda company said, "this is the future". Let me rephrase that; I can't remember too many times when a soda company said, "this is the future", and it was actually successful. Aside from "New Coke", the most highlighted futuristic soda was Crystal Pepsi.
I remember being a kid and being handed a Pepsi. The only thing was, it looked like a Sprite, and I was confused. I thought it tasted pretty much the same, as much as I can remember a soda from 20 years ago. In fact, I liked it quite a bit. Pepsi really believed they were on to something in 1992, when they rolled out a crystal clear cola. This was the caffeine free cola, and I suppose they figured it would be good competition for caffeine free Coke. In fact, it would be spectacular competition because it stood out.
People are always looking for a healthier version of everything; a purer, cleaner version of basically any product on the shelf. Pepsico took the hint, and developed this as the "alternative to cola". After testing the product in Dallas, Providence, Denver, and Sacramento, the company was pleased with the results and decided to start distributing the drink nation-wide. What I remember most about Crystal Pepsi, aside from the fact that it was so different from anything else out there, was that classic commercial featuring, "Right Now" by Van Halen that aired during Super Bowl 27.
With people being so interested in the product, they rushed out to the stores to pick some up. As a result, the sales were high and Pepsi believed they had a hit on their hands. In fact, the Coca-Cola Company launched Tab Clear, a sugar free, calorie free soft drink, similar to Crystal Pepsi. However, after the initial success of the product, Pepsico saw a huge decline in sales. In late 1993, Pepsi changed the formula, and re-introduced Crystal Pepsi as a citrus flavored drink. They also changed the name to "Crystal From Pepsi". This was a failure and by the end of 1993, Crystal Pepsi was gone. Tab Clear was discontinued in 1994.
There are a couple of theories as to why Crystal Pepsi didn't succeed. The first being that, apparently, it just didn't taste as good as regular Pepsi. Another was that people simply weren't ready for it. The biggest theory, and probably most likely, was that the product was just too damn confusing. People associate colas with having a dark color. They associate lemon-lime flavored sodas as being clear. Some people believed that it was a mix of cola and citrus.
The truth is, they just didn't understand what it was, and it scared them away. Part of it as well was the fad. It sold well early, like any other product that is heavily advertised, then once people get their fill, they walk away. I also remember as a kid, this was around the same time that the "soda is really bad for you" argument came to light. While I know people had been saying it for years, this is the first time I personally remember hearing about it.
Then something interesting happened in 2005. Pepsi sold a product in Mexico called "Pepsi Clear". It was a limited time product, as are most of Pepsi's gimmicks. People started to get excited though, because they started to believe that Crystal Pepsi was coming back. In fact, Pepsico filed for trademarks on Pepsi Clear and Diet Pepsi Clear in 2008. Believe it or not, Crystal Pepsi's cult following has been very vocal over the last few years, demanding the product's return to your local store. To take it one step further, Crystal Pepsi currently sells on e-bay, and people are still buying them and cracking them open (although, I would keep it as a conversation piece, rather than drink 20 year old soda). Rallies and online petitions have been responsible for tens of thousands of people voicing their need for their favorite soda. The trademark tactic in 2008 brought people that much closer to Crystal Pepsi.
However, Pepsico has decided to back out of the clear cola race. In late 2010, Pepsi abandoned the trademarks on Pepsi Clear and Diet Pepsi Clear. Unfortunately, the rallies and petitions just weren't enough, and after the initial failure of Crystal Pepsi, it seems as if the company isn't willing to roll the dice on it a second time. To me, that's a pretty funny thing, considering some of the real flops they've released in recent history:
Pepsi Holiday Spice, the cola infused with cinnamon.
Pepsi Blue, berry and cola flavored soda. It tasted like Bart Simpson's all syrup Super Squishee.
Pepsi Summer Mix, a tropical fruit flavored bottle of battery acid.
Pepsi Mojito, a lime flavored cola with a hint of mint. No rum though, so what the hell's the point?
Those were only a couple of gems that I have the misfortune of sampling. They have some really outrageous ones overseas that I will never get to try, and wouldn't want to even if I could. Here's the short list of vomit inducing flavors: Pepsi Ice Cream, Pepsi Cappuccino, Pepsi Ice Cucumber, Pepsi White (this one's YOGURT flavored!). The list goes on and on and on.
Now believe it or not, I am a HUGE Pepsi fan despite the things I had to say about some of those products, but can you blame me? Yogurt flavored soda? I have always preferred Pepsi over Coke because it's a little sweeter. I also love Pepsi Throwback, probably the best product Pepsi has rolled out in years. In fact, Pepsi Throwback was meant to be a limited time item, but it has
done so well that Pepsi has added it to the rotation of colas currently
available. I'll take all the natural ingredients I can get, and I'll gladly have sugar over high-fructose corn syrup any day of the week.
Being a fan of the brand and a fan of the throwbacks, I really wished they had kept with the Pepsi Clear concept. Honestly, I believe the product would have been a big success. I stated before that most people weren't ready for Crystal Pepsi 20 years ago. I think they would be ready for it now. If you marketed it as a Throwback flavor, it would probably fly off the shelves. I also think you could roll it out as a sugar free beverage, and it would do well. Like I said, people are always looking for a healthier alternative. Although looking down the soda aisle is probably the last place you should be looking, I think the product would appeal to most people and sell. The retro feeling alone would make it a hit.
I found a video on YouTube showing you how to make your own Crystal Pepsi. While the process seems to be painfully time consuming, you can give it a try if you feel the need.
I hope that one day we see the product return. I think it would be a fun
jolt of nostalgia in a world crying out for the "good ol' days". It
would be fun to remember the camping trips, sleepovers, play dates, and
BBQ spent sipping on Crystal Pepsi. I would love to see another
Throwback drink from Pepsi as well, and this is the only one that would
make sense. But let's be real, we'll see Pepsi Pepto-Bismol before we
see Crystal Pepsi again.
Wednesday night, I got to see an advanced screening of The Avengers. This movie does not fail to live up to it's hype. Sometimes, you look forward to one of these summer blockbusters, but they just don't come through in the end. Honestly, this movie is so over-hyped, I was fearful that it would fall short. I was wrong! I'm gonna race through this one quickly because I don't want to spoil any of the plot. And let's be real, if I said the movie sucked, you'd go see it anyway.
Basically, Loki, Thor's brother, is looking to enslave the human race by using the power of the Tesseract. He travels to earth, gets a hold of the powerful Tesseract, takes a few mental hostages with him, and takes off to make good on his plans. Given the severity of the situation, Nick Fury decides to use S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Avengers initiative to stop Loki was taking over. One by one, we see each of the characters make their entrance into the film.
The movie stars Robert Downey Jr.,Chris Evens, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleson, and Cobie Smulders. The cast is star studded, and it works. Sometimes, you see a cast go over the top, and it more or less consists of actors fighting for face time, and trying to one up each other. This wasn't the case at all, in fact they had some of the best chemistry of any movie I have ever seen. Cobie Smulders was a pleasant addition to the movie. I've got to say though, she seems to make it out of every life threatening situation in the film. You literally see rooms of people wiped out, but Aunt Robin lives to fight another day. Looking back on it, I don't mind that much.
The story is fun and entertaining, and the comedy was fantastic. I had heard that other screenings had to be shown twice, because people laughed through so much of the story. I kind of thought that was a load of garbage, but honestly, I have to see it again. Not only because I enjoyed it that much, but because I missed a lot of dialog. The special effects were incredible, for the most part. If you are going to see this movie, make sure it's in 3D or IMAX. You don't want to see this one on a tiny screen.
Now, I said the special effects were great for the most part. There were a few places where it was really weak, almost to the point where you are taken out of the movie. Towards the end of the movie, Loki is riding, what I can only describe as a flying galactic motorcycle of war. The green screen behind him is horrible. I mean, it's really REALLY bad. If you have ever seen Harold and Kumar, you remember when the boys are riding that cheetah through the woods? It's THAT bad.
Through it all, the movie is still a lot of fun. The 3D is great, the characters are fun, and there's a nice balance of comedy, action, and tension. I would have seen it again even if I had heard every bit of dialog. And Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner was excellent casting! This one will be a "wait-outside-of-Best-Buy-for-the-Blu-Ray" the day it comes out for purchase. I'm giving this movie 4 Tikis!
Check this movie out! I think you'll really get a kick out of it. I will say this though, make sure you watch the other films before you see this one. There are certain plot lines that may be over your head if you haven't seen the other films leading up to this. This one took in over a half a billion dollars during it's opening weekend, so my suggestion to you is give it a week or two, let the crowds die down a bit, and then check this one out. It isn't going anywhere anytime soon, and you will enjoy it more if you are actually able to focus on it.
Today, I had planned on reviewing the new Avengers movie. I was excited to see the advanced screening and looked forward to letting you all know how it was. I was going about my day, as we all were yesterday, and then I logged on to Facebook. 30 seconds earlier, TMZ had posted an article about the death of Junior Seau. That's when my ordinary day ended.
Being a huge sports fan, I grew up watching Junior Seau, hoping that one day, he might play for the Jets. It's funny; the other day, during the NFL Draft, I had hoped that the Jets would pick a pass rusher, and that he would be the next Junior Seau. Junior was an incredible athlete. He was a human highlight reel, and you knew that if he was in the game, you were in serious trouble. The truly amazing thing was that he was able to do this over the course of a 20 year career, which is virtually unheard of in today's NFL.
Why is it unheard of in today's NFL? Injuries. I believe the average career in the NFL is only 4 years. Sure, the superstars last for many years, but that's why they're superstars right? So many players come and go so often. Today's NFL is troubling to watch if you are a football fan. For a long time, no one cared what happened to these guys. Now, we are seeing the repercussions. 12 players from the 1994 Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl team died young, and that is way too many. The NFL has worked on player safety, but they NEED to do more. Taking away kick off returns isn't the right way of going about it.
If I remember correctly, many sports news outlets had reported that most of the head injuries in football had nothing to do with kick returns. It has to do with overly aggressive players trying to knock each other out of the game. It has to do with unsportsmanlike conduct. It has to do with a general "I don't care about you" attitude in the locker rooms. The NFL has worked hard to eliminate the head shots by handing out penalties and suspensions for head-on-head contact. This is a good start, but there needs to be more. The penalties need to be bigger, the suspensions need to be longer, and the fines need to be greater. They also need to do all they can to educate college players before they enter the NFL.
Junior Seau was a legend, on and off the field. His charitable work and all over "good guy" status is something that won't be overlooked, and shouldn't be clouded given the situation. I can only speak for myself, but watching his mother break down during the news conference was one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever seen. It was so sad, it nearly made me sick to my stomach, but not nearly as sick as I was with what followed: Junior's sister approached the microphone and asked for privacy, and asked the media not to blow this out of proportion. She asked for respect and prayers. Her request was immediately met with a reporter saying, "So, what's your name?"
That's what it is all about isn't it? The story? The scoop? Not 30 seconds after she asks for privacy and for the media to lay low. I get it, his job is to break the story, but give me a break. If I'm his employer, I am ashamed. You just watched his mother get carried away from the podium in shock and hysteria, and that was how you reacted? Give me my story? Not one other person had the guts (not the word I wanted to use, but kids read this thing) to ask a question. They remained silent throughout. In fact, if you watch the video, there seems to be an awkward silence, almost as if everyone was in shock that he continued to ask.
But that was nothing compared to how Reggie Bush reacted. If you go to his Twitter page, you'll see him saying some nice things about Junior, but keep scrolling.
What you will see is: Next thing you know we'll be playing two hand touch football! #Lame.
This tweet came roughly 2 hours after Junior's death had been announced. You know, Junior Seau played for the Miami Dolphins, Bush's current team. Junior was also a USC alumni, just like Bush himself. You would think he would be a bit more sensitive and have a little more class. Forget the fact that this is a tragedy, and this Seau was a legend, but he is an alumni of your former school, AND formerly played for your CURRENT team. I shouldn't be surprised that this was the reaction was from someone with a spotty history to begin with, but give me a break.
Junior Seau was a football legend. He was a humanitarian, and did a lot in his community. My hope is that his legacy is not tarnished because of what happened today. What I hope comes of this is a solution to the problem. Let this be a sign to the NFL that just because a player is rich, famous, successful and seems happy, doesn't mean all is right in the world. Do what you can to keep the integrity of the game, but make the player safety a first priority. Make sure that we do all we can to see that we don't lose anymore Junior Seaus.
If you are a coach, educate your players. If you are a kid just picking up the game, learn how to play it the right way. If you are a parent of a player, remember, the game is meant to be fun. Stop living out your dreams through your 9 year old. Don't antagonize them, and teach them they smashing a kids face is the way to win. Let Junior Seau's legacy continue to grow through this. Let's hope that some good comes out of this in the future.
OK, this one comes a day early. I'm seeing an advanced screening of The Avengers tonight, and I'd like to talk to you about it tomorrow.
For someone who prides themselves on being a pop culture and retro nut, it is assumed that, for the most part, I would be up on major news. Oddly enough, it wasn't until last week that I found out that Universal Studios in Orlando had closed Jaws. I've gotta be honest with you, it breaks my heart to see things like this happen. Growing up in the Nickelodeon Generation, I had Universal Studios crammed down my throat. Anytime I saw those old rides, it would make me smile, because it reminded me of being a kid.
_________ was recorded in front of a live studio audience at Nickelodeon Studios at Universal Studios Florida.
When we were kids (for those of you born in the 1980's, raised in the 1990's), you remember Universal Studios as the place where you could "Ride The Movies". For me, that was what had peaked my interest. Don't get me wrong, I knew heading to Orlando meant going to Walt Disney World, which was nothing to sneeze at. Hell, it was one of the biggest thrills of my life. I went to Disney for the first time in 1990. I remember it well. We did not make it to Universal Studios though. I attribute this to one of two things: Either the park hadn't been opened yet (opened on June 7, 1990), or my parents thought it was "too adult oriented" for a kid.
Not that we had to wait long, we were back in Orlando four years later. My brother and I were significantly older, and could appreciate the park. After long last, in October of 1994, we were in Universal Studios Florida. I'll say this and I'm sure there will be a lot of backlash with this comment, but I actually favored Universal Studios over Walt Disney World. Universal had Nickelodeon Studios, plus it's where you rode the movies! I can't stress enough how cool I thought this was. You were actually interacting with your favorite heroes and villains. Some rides were carbon copies of the films, while others acted as sequels, or even extensions, of some of your favorite stories.
For what it's worth, most theme parks slap a character's name on a ride, advertise the crap out of it, and make you wait an hour to get on it. While these rides are cool and usually a lot of fun, there was just something different about the rides at Universal Studios. Rides like Jaws and Back To The Future made the park what they were. You took a boat ride, got attacked by Jaws, and had to figure out a way to kill him and get out alive, just like the movie. Back To The Future was no different. You and Doc had to stop Biff from ruining the space time continuum. The kicker is, you got to do it in The Delorean! Even a ride like the corny E.T. one had the same charm. Typical fun house style ride, but you hop on a bike and flew with E.T. You actually had a purpose, and E.T. personally thanked everyone on the ride. Given, you could barely understand what he was saying, but if you were lucky enough, you could hear him say your name.
Did Universal Studios have attractions that were typical of the other amusement parks? Of course they did, but they seemed to be few and far between. Besides, it was the cornerstone rides that had given the park its charm and identity. Safe to say though, the cash cow of the park was Nickelodeon Studios. There was no way you could go to Orlando and NOT go to Nickelodeon Studios. I remember walking up to it, overjoyed because I knew how special it was. Plus, I was the first of my friends to see it. There's a sense of pride when you know that you are the first.
Kids of the 90's celebrating outside of Nickelodeon Studios. A very famous promotional piece.
I remember walking up to the Gak Geyser and taking a picture with it. We made the rounds and took pictures with just about every cut out and fake character there was. We waited on line for the tour for about a half an hour, and I want to say that there were TV's playing Nick Toons, and Sega kiosks where you could play a game. The tour itself was fantastic. You got to see the sound stages and props. The best was when they took you into the "testing area". They slimed a kid in the audience, and scared your parents by faking a slime attack on them. Oh, the memories.
That's what its all about isn't it? Memories? Well unfortunately, that's really all that's left of Universal Studios. Over the years, they have started to eliminate those signature rides. Don't get me wrong, I understand as much as the next person that things need to change, but in my opinion, there are just some things that need to be left alone. The rides that helped make the park should have stood forever. They were there from the start. They weren't some fad that had come and gone. Those rides represented everything great about the park and old Hollywood, as well as timeless classics. Sure, plenty of shows closed up after the licensing contracts had expired, but that's to be expected.
Logo for the King Kong Ride: Kongfrontation
The first casualty was Kongfrontation. The ride that the adults loved and the kids were terrified of. This ride was fantastic. How often could you get that close to King Kong, or at least believe you were that close. Again, this was one that defined the park and what it stood for. The ride was shut down in September of 2002 to make way for Revenge Of The Mummy. Don't get me wrong, Revenge Of The Mummy is an AMAZING ride. It's got great special effects and is filled with thrills, but this one was a better fit for Islands Of Adventure. You could have had your great ride, plus your classic ride.
Nickelodeon Studios went next. The studio was getting older and wasn't seeing the crowds it had in the past, partially because the tour was stripped down to a shell of what it had been. Productions started moving out to California, and a piece of our childhood was executed on April 30th, 2005. What stands there now? A tribute? A new studio design? A new ride? No; the freaking Blue Man Group. I shot the video below back in November, it says it all.
Back To The Future: The Ride promotional piece.
Just when you think it couldn't get worse, Back To The Future is shut down. This was, hands down, the best ride in the park. This one really killed me. Anyone that rode this one remembers how special it was. If you never rode it, I actually feel bad for you. This ride was a classic, and can't be replaced. They tried though with that new Simpsons Ride. I haven't been on it, and I probably never will. I have no interest in paying for what Universal Studios has become, which is just another amusement park, combined with a mecca for Harry Potter.
Another great promotional piece.
When I heard Jaws had been shut down, I was enraged. It was to a point where I said, "What else?" Is there nothing special about any part of that park anymore? Only to find out that Amity is being destroyed so that they can keep building up the Harry Potter park. But here's the kicker: From what I have been told from people with knowledge, this new Potter park will not connect to the one at Islands Of Adventure. Apparently, people weren't buying passes for both parks. They were only buying passes for Islands Of Adventure so that they could get into the Harry Potter park. Now, you are FORCED to buy dual passes if you want the "full" Harry Potter experience.
What a shame Universal Studios has become. It isn't about "Ride The Movies" anymore. It's more or less, Harry Potter World now. Evidently, there are thousands of people who have taken to the net to vent about this. Apparently, there are thousands of people who were Universal Studios enthusiasts who are boycotting the park completely. I understand why. I keep repeating myself, but this place that used to be so different, has become so ordinary, and in the process, has alienated people who believed in what they were selling.
Don't cast a spell on me for this one!
As far as I'm concerned, you could have had the best of both worlds. You could have renovated and revamped the old rides, let them run like new, and keep them there as a tribute to old Hollywood, cult classics, and the "Ride The Movies" mantra that you built this park upon. You could have taken Islands Of Adventure, with maybe the exception of Jurassic Park and Spiderman, and turned it completely into the Harry Potter Park, which is more or less what you did anyway. If you were going to do away with stuff, do away with the rides that strayed away from what you once believed in. Eliminate the fads and stay true to yourselves and your fans.
I will go to Universal Studios, but only for CityWalk. I love going to Margaritaville and smoking a cigar outside. To be clear, I will not pay to enter Universal Studios, or it's shrine to the wizards of the world. I have very little interest in paying to watch my childhood die. I don't go to Yankee Stadium often anymore, maybe once a year. I used to go to about 20 games a year in the old building, but if you read my article about Fenway Park, I don't need to rehash my feelings about Yankee Stadium. I have little interest in paying so that you can turn your back on what made you different. If I want to go on a ride that has a characters name slapped on it just for the sake of, I'll go to Six Flags...and they're in New Jersey.
OK, so here's the plan: Every Thursday, I'm going retro. How better to start the tradition than with my favorite cartoon and toy line of all time, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I've got to say, when I was a kid, I had a lot of toys. I had a ton of Power Rangers and even more Ghostbusters. In fact, the Ghostbusters are a very close second to the Turtles. But there was just something about the Ninja Turtles that kept you coming back for more. They have you something to believe in, and something to root for.
I really got into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1989. At this point, the comic book has been long established, but the television series and the toy line are just starting to get hot. Let me just say, the toy line from Playmates, in my opinion, goes down as the most successful toy line in history. Why? Because here we are over 25 years later, and the two are still partnered. That speaks volumes to me. Not to mention, the toys were timeless. They were the most fun to play with, and the fact that there were so many different varieties made for endless fun, along with endless imagination.
You could start with your four standard turtles, then decide it's going underwater. Bust out your scuba diving turtles, and you are in business. The villain line was awesome as well. They had the complete roster of bad guys. If you were lucky enough to have a number of Foot Soldiers, you could really put together battles consistent with the TV show and the films. Of course, you fight Shredder at the end. You save the day, but only the day. You know ol' Shred-Head will be back for more tomorrow afternoon after school.
The only thing I didn't love about the toy line was the array of villains and allies that never actually existed in the show. I get it, Playmates needed to keep making money, but they could done more. I would have liked to have seen more heroes and villains from Dimension X. I think that would have been better than some of the absolute nonsense they came up with. I remember getting a few of them for a birthday one year. I thought the action figures were cool, but couldn't understand why they were in Ninja Turtle boxes. To be honest with you, I played with these oddball toys, but I actually never played with them AND the Turtles at the same time. I sent them on their own adventures.
Speaking of another confusing adventure, how can you forget the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle video game for the Nintendo? The year was 1989, the company, Konami. I remember my parents buying us this game. My brother and I were beyond excited to have it. Honestly, we could never get past the bomb stage. Apparently, we traded the game to my father's friend for a copy of Mario Brothers 3. I'm not sure if this was meant to be a permanent trade or not, but it ended up being so. Not that it mattered, we bought it a few years later at Funcoland and ended up with both games.
It's 2012, I still can't get past the 3rd level of this catastrophe. Between the re-generating enemies, lack of pizzas for energy, and electric freakin' seaweed, there was no way for a kid to get past it. I'm 25 now. I play the game on my Wii console, and I'm stick stuck. The game makes absolutely no sense. Almost none of the enemies in the game existed in the show, or even made sense. Leatherface is in the game, along with robots who heads fly, mini evil astronauts, robotic falcons, and men on fire. It's a game that I will always play, and always look back on with fond memories, mostly of being a kid in love with the turtles, but let's be real: this game is horrendous (as were most games on the NES). It's a huge letdown compared to the arcade version, which is probably the greatest arcade game of all time.
The next year brought perhaps the greatest Ninja Turtle moment of all time: A full length, live-action, feature film! I remember when my dad took me to see this movie at the late Commack Multiplex. In fact, I think I made him take me about 4 or 5 times. To this day, it is still one of my favorite movies. I don't care what anyone says. It was fairly true to the TV show, and was as much fun as any episode. It wasn't without a few flaws. There was no Krang, Bebop or Rocksteady, and April was missing her yellow jumpsuit. There was no Technodrome, and the story between Splinter and Shredder had been altered, but all in all, it was a fun watch. It still is!
The 2nd movie was a lot of fun. As a kid, I actually liked it more. As an adult, I don't like it as much for the same reason: It is just too goofy. I know that sounds strange, considering the flick is about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but it was just too silly at times. It was almost as if the writers were trying to one up each one-liner with ANOTHER corny one-liner. It wasn't as dark, and the fight scenes weren't nearly as good. There was a reason for this, however. It had to do, mostly, with international distribution. Believe it or not, many countries overseas had declared the nunchaku illegal many years before the show even began. As a result, the show, as well as the first film, had to be completely re-edited in order to be shown overseas. If you notice, Michelangelo really never uses them. You hardly even see them!
We saw two new villains introduced in the movie, Tokka and Rahzar. Again, no Bebop and Rocksteady. No Casey Jones either! And who could forget the "Ninja Rap", courtesy of Vanilla Ice. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad movie. It's still a fun one to sit and watch, but it wasn't nearly as good as the first one. As an adult, it comes off a bit too fluffy for me. The one positive takeaway was an actress change for April. I always liked Paige Turco over Judith Hoag in the role. I think the animatronics were also better in this film. Makes sense, it was a little later, and the Jim Henson Company had the opportunity to build on what they already had.
Moving on without the Henson Company seems like it would be a mistake. It was, but it is the tip of the iceberg of problems with the third movie. This movie is so bad, it couldn't keep me entertained as a 6 year old. This is a true story: My mother rented the VHS for me the day I finished Kindergarten. It was a reward for doing a good job. I watched half the movie, turned it off and she returned the tape the next day. I didn't see the rest of the movie until two years ago. I had purchased the DVD box set during a Black Friday sale at Best Buy. I had the first movie on DVD, but not the second. The box set was actually cheaper than the regular DVD, so I figured, why not? The trade off was that I ended up with the third flick. It was as bad as I remember it being, and that's putting it lightly. I'm not even going to give it the courtesy of a review. Instead, I filled its space with an anecdote about Kindergarten and Black Friday deals to watch out for.
Now I must say, I did like the fourth movie from 2007. Despite that it was CGI, had an entirely different cast and was made 14 years after the third movie, I do consider it as a part of the series. Why? Because it picks up a few years after the third movie left off. It has all of your favorite characters, sans Shredder since he bit the big one in "Secret Of The Ooze". I thought it had its funny moments, while stayed dark and gutsy. The fight scenes were pretty good, and reminded me of the early TV show, before the censors and international distribution destroyed it. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out.
I said it earlier, the TV show was my favorite of all time. I have about half of the original series on DVD, and should have the collection finished by the end of the year. The early episodes were by far the best. They were funny enough to keep you laughing, and action packed enough to leave you wanting more. It was exciting to watch as a kid. In fact, you wanted to BE one of them .You wanted to be the hero and fight off the bad guys. I think that's what made the toys so much fun. You couldn't be a turtle, but you could still fight the good fight and create your own stories.
Like I said previously, the early episodes were much better than the later ones. I would say it was around Season Four when the show started to change. The weapon use was reduced, and in some cases, removed completely. Michelangelo's nunchakus were eventually removed and replaced with a grappling hook. I mentioned before how the second film differed from the first because of the censors and the risk of losing money is they couldn't show the film outside of the U.S. The same was said for the TV Show. In fact, in some countries, they are known as the "Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles". Apparently, the word ninja isn't allowed to be used because of the violence associated with the game. But swords, bo staffs, and twin sai attacks are acceptable if used sparingly. Despite it all, the show had a successful 9 year run, ending in 1996.
Naturally, any successful TV show, toy line, comic book, etc, is going to been merchandised left and right. This franchise saw so many different foods, it was insane. Everyone who loved the turtles woke up to a cool bowl of Ninja Turtle cereal on the table. This stuff was the best. It was almost like sugary Crispix, along with marshmallows; a kids dream. I can still taste the stuff. You know you can't complete your breakfast before you take your Ninja Turtle vitamins though. Once you were done, it was off to your toys. The pudding pies were also a favorite. I remember many afternoons spent chompin' away at these while watching the show on TV. I could keep going, but honestly, there is just too much to talk about. These were the three things I remembered the most.
Dear Michael Bay, please don't ruin my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Alright, we all know that a new live-action movie is in the works. Honestly, I was excited when I heard that Michael Bay was attached to it. He did a great job with the first Transformers film, and I really believe he can make a dark, gritty Ninja Turtle movie. Not to mention, I love that it's taking the live-action route again. However, all of that came crashing down when he said that the story was being changed. They are no longer teenagers. Actually, they're really not even turtles anymore! They are aliens...aliens! They come from another planet, and are, more or less, warriors. He said he did it so that they would have a better back story. Last time I checked, their back story was pretty solid.
Could this be what the new turtles look like? Early rumors suggest they might.
He caught a lot of crap immediately, and took to the internet to tell everyone to calm down. In all fairness to him, we haven't seen it yet, and there isn't enough information out there to make a complete decision of how we feel. In all fairness to the fan boys out there (and myself as a bona fide fan boy), I think we have a reason to complain and be worried. My biggest question is how Splinter is going to play into this. There can be no Ninja Turtles without Master Splinter. Also, if this an alien planet run by overgrown animals and reptiles, or is it a planet consisting of Turtle-esque creatures, in which case, how is Splinter even there or involved.
Until we know more about it, I don't want to make a final determination. I'll wait until we know more, or at least until we see the movie. My only plea is that the film, characters, and franchise as a whole, doesn't lose its integrity or direction. I'm OK with a little change, as long as it makes sense in the end. Don't forget, the origins on Splinter and Shredder in the 1990 movie are different from the story in the TV show, and that worked out OK. I just hope that the movie stays as true to the original story as possible. And even if he does make a big mistake, it won't be the worst Turtle moment on film...
Nickelodeon
You may or may not know this, but Viacom acquired the rights to the Teenage Mutant Nina Turtle franchise, and is releasing a new TV Series this Fall. It will be CGI, and star Sean Astin and Jason Biggs. I've got to say, I'm kind of excited about this one. I think, from the early looks of it, that this generation of kids will be treated to a show that is fairly similar to what we grew up with. And you can't forget about Playmates either. They are releasing the toys, just like they did when we were kids. In addition to the new line of toys, they are also releasing a retro line. I'll be picking these up for sure. I've seen the early prototypes online, and they seem pretty impressive.
Hope you guys enjoyed this one. I look forward to more Throwback Thursdays. Hopefully, you do as well.
Today marks a historic milestone for one of the most historic facilities in professional sports. Fenway Park turns 100 years old today, and how better to celebrate than with an afternoon game against their rival, the New York Yankees. Now despite the fact that I am a die-hard Yankees fan (and the fact that I really hate the Red Sox), I have a true appreciation for Fenway Park. It's one of the few relics left that tells us a story every time we see it. Babe Ruth played there. Ted Williams played there. Mel Parnell played there. Carlton Fisk's home run in Game 6 of the 1976 World Series is one of the more recognized highlights in all of sports (along with Bucky Dent's, don't argue with me on this one).
It's also a symbol of "newer isn't always better". I think that the John Henry-Tom Werner-Larry Lucchino group should be saluted for their respect to the organization, the fans, and baseball as a whole. They've spent hundreds of millions of dollars repairing the old place, and it seems like Fenway is here to stay. Apparently, they were the only group of potential owners that were willing to keep the place going. Let me say this, I am a Yankees fan, and I have teams that I like, and teams that I don't, but I am a BASEBALL fan first and foremost. I am a true believer in hanging onto things that make the game what it is. There should be a certain bit of magic that comes with attending a game. Some parks offer a little more than that. Some teams do it by adding restaurants and shops, or fan plaza's, which is all well and good in this day and age. There are some parks that just give you a sense that you are somewhere special, which is more than any video arcade or over-the-top salad can do. Fenway can do that. Wrigley can do that. Yankee Stadium (the OLD Yankee Stadium) used to do that.
Every time I see Fenway on television, it makes me angry that Yankee Stadium is gone. Call be biased, but Yankee Stadium was the greatest ballpark on the planet. There were more historic, memorable moments at that stadium, than anywhere else. More legends played there, and it seemed like the ghost of legends past was always lingering. It started the minute you walked into the place: The smell of stale beer and hot dogs is something that I will carry with me forever. It was dark and crowded, and all you wanted to do was get to your seat. To me, this was the most magical part of going to Yankee Stadium: You walked through that dark tunnel, and all you could see was light. Once you got to the end, it was almost as if the world just opened up around you, and all of a sudden you are transported back in time. Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle are sending balls into the short porch. DiMaggio extends his hitting streak. Lou Gehrig refuses to sit down, all while Yogi and The Scooter are joking around.
The Old Yankee Stadium sitting next to the New Yankee Stadium
You knew you were somewhere special. You knew how important Yankee Stadium was. For me, it was a place I looked forward to going to for the rest of my life. The Yankees were all about tradition and legends, and there was no way Yankee Stadium would ever be taken down. I was wrong, and there isn't a day that goes by where I don't miss the old place. Is the new Yankee Stadium nice? Yes, it is. Does it have soul? No way. What the new Yankee Stadium has is padded seats and luxury boxes for those who can afford it. It has a wide variety of food options...on the field level. It has wider seats and aisles...on the field level. You can stand on line for food and not miss a bit of the game...on the field level.
The new Yankee Stadium does very little to cater to the blue collar fan. Now I can only speak for myself with certainty, but I think it's a safe assumption to say that I speak for the vast majority when I say, I can't afford those seats. I can afford to sit upstairs. Upstairs, you see the same 5 or 6 food stands over and over again. Upstairs, you can't see the field if you are standing on line. Funny thing about standing on line is that it hardly moves upstairs. We were told, "more options, shorter waits". Last time I was there, I spend 2 innings waiting for a hot dog and a soda. I could have done that in the OLD Yankee Stadium and have cared less because I was at Yankee Stadium. In my opinion, the seats aren't much wider, and the aisles are still on top of each other. The even figured out a way to ruin Monument Park! In the old stadium, you would walk slowly past the plaques of each retired Yankee. Once you finished that, you had to turn a corner which opened up into the beautiful Monument Park. Again, butterflies in your stomach. Now, you walk down a flight of stairs, and in no particular order is Monument Park. It's kind of thrown together in a, "Well, there it is, go look at it" mentality.
Let's be real here, the new Yankee Stadium is for the business man, not the baseball fan. The proof to me was when people complained about the obstructed view seating in the bleachers, which the Yankee Organization had "no idea" would happen. It's architecture 101: If you build something moving forward, your view to the left and to the right WILL be blocked. Billions of dollars spend between designs and executions, and you're telling me that the designer didn't notice that? Give me a break. You just took your most loyal fans, The Bleacher Creatures, out of the game by blocking out half of the outfield. But that's OK, because they can enjoy the game inside the air conditioned Mohegan Sun Sports Club...all for an extra $110 ($100 if you buy them in advance).
Good for the John Henry-Tom Werner-Larry Lucchino group for fighting the good fight and keeping Fenway alive. Good for the Ricketts family for slowly improving Wrigley, yet keep it afloat. Those stadiums are special venues for a special game. Baseball is a game with heart and integrity. It's about history and triumph in the face of disparity. Baseball is THE American Past time. Baseball keeps up together. It gives us hope. It makes us happy and sad. It gives us something to root for. It's about acceptance and diversity. It's about Jackie Robinson who broke the color barrier, and Fernando Valenzuela who connected the Dodgers with the large Mexican community out in Los Angeles. We all played Little League, and we all dreamed of one day playing for our favorite team. It's that childhood innocence, the smell of your glove, and the will to win that keeps me coming back for more. Those two buildings remind us of that, and about a past era when baseball meant all of this. Yankee Stadium has no feeling anymore. It isn't inviting for the blue collar fan anymore. I miss the old Yankee Stadium, I really miss it.
*Disclaimer: This article, like any other, is strictly based on MY opinion. Some may agree and some may disagree. This wasn't meant to hurt any feelings or insult anyone, but this is the way that I feel.
