Tag Archives: Batman

Guitar stereotypes are always fun:

Posted on by Standard 17

So, where do my favorite toys fall on this amusing scale from Gearpipe?

GearPipe.com | Trustworthiness of Guitars Scale

GearPipe.com | Trustworthiness of Guitars Scale

I do have to say…  I don’t get why the Prince guitar is for repugnant individuals.  I guess if you’re not Prince, it is a goofy axe to sling.  I am glad that the boring Washburn/Jackson/Ibanez shape is all the way on the left though.  I just can’t get behind them.  I’m not sure why the oh-so-common Les Paul and Stratocaster shapes convey any level of trustworthiness of the player.  Perhaps I’m over-thinking.  This is quite amusing nonetheless.

Seriously though, I can’t find any of these…

Dewey Decibel FlipOut

Dewey Decibel FlipOut

Galveston - B.B. Stone

Galveston - B.B. Stone

Six Flags Batman Guitar

Six Flags Batman Guitar

If you’re quick and lucky, you can win a copy of this poster from Guitar Noize.

Related articles

New Catering Advertisement Opportunities! (for Boston Market & Panera Bread)

Posted on by Standard 4

I’m just sayin’.

Panera Bread - vs. - Boston Market

Panera Bread - vs. - Boston Market

From: Waldo Lunar <world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Nov 4, 2011
Subject: New Catering Advertisement Opportunities!
To: & Cc:  A bunch of Panera & Boston Market Employees

Hello friends at Boston Market & Panera Bread,

I assume that the lack of response to my last email about an all-out catering battle at my house was ill-received.  I didn’t get any interest from either camp, or even any kind of acknowledgement of my email.  Not even a coupon.  Isn’t that the typical response?  “Throw ’em a coupon!”  Color me disappointed.

No reply is rather rude, don’t you think?  Batman movie night has come & gone.  We dutifully provided a favorable dining experience to our guests thanks to an incredible local pizza shop.  Roasted red peppers as a pizza topping?  A hit all around, I tell you!  Subs with a homemade feel cut in to bite-size appetizers were also quite delicious.

I’m not sure why neither Panera Bread or Boston Market was willing to enter my catering battle royale.  It would have been an exciting opportunity for both of you.  I realize now… that you need help with forward thinking.  You missed this opportunity to advertise your catering and fight for my dollar.

I believe that I may have come around to your way of thinking.  Perhaps I need to fight for your dollar.  I previously saw advertisements on the pop machine and all over the windows as borderline obscene… but why stop at the border, friends?  Let’s trample the border, deface it on our way through, and not look back!  I have some ideas that you may find attractive.  I really look forward to your feedback.  (Don’t give me any shenanigans about unsolicited ideas and what-not, we’re all friends here.)

  • Advertising on the napkins.  You already do it on the receipts, walls, & windows.  Subway uses their napkins for nutrition information.  Show them up, advertise!  Think of all that clean wasted ad space ripe for the slinging of your delicious wares.  Were one ambitious, this could extend to the “to go” sandwich wrappings, the fancy new plates that you’re both using, and even the trays.  Hell, why not the drink cups?
  • Guerrilla advertising. You could have employees go into your parking lot at regular intervals, and put flyers under the windshield wipers of cars.  If you really wanna get crazy, try bumper stickers!  People would love decorations on their autos.
  • Me.  Send me a T-shirt that advertises your catering services.  I play in a band.  I’ll wear it to shows.  The throngs of bar patrons who rock out with me on a regular basis will be sure to flock to the nearest Panera Bread or Boston Market location.  I might be able to convince my band-mates to do the same.  If we’d like to get really crazy, may I offer to sell my forehead as a billboard?
  • Paystubs.  Your employees get paid right?  Get that money back!  Advertise your catering services on their pay-stubs, and any communications that you need to send.  There’s room on that W2 envelope for a 10% off catering coupon.
  • Right on the food itself.  This is the one that excites me the most!  You’ve seen the toasters that produce an image of Darth Vader, and the irons that brand your initials on to a steak, right?  There are also printers that print right on things like rice paper & cakes.  Why not take advantage of this technology?  Think about it.  Full color printing on wraps?  Toasty images on buns, bread, & bagels?  Delicious meat branded with confidence, demanding that you pick up a catering menu.  It’s never been done.  It’s opulent.  It’s genius.  (If I do say so myself.)

So, what do you think?  Can I help in this new advertising adventure?  These are the next steps in the evolution of promulgation.  Let’s move onward and upward, into uncharted catering promotional territory.  It will be an onslaught to the senses, and an influx in revenue for all involved.  I’m excited for this venture, and especially excited to get some feedback from everyone involved.

Excelsoir!
-Waldo Lunar
[ -YOUR AD COULD BE HERE- ]

incessant emails / incessant advertising

incessant emails / incessant advertising

Further Reading:

Related articles

☠ Good Halloween Movies?

Posted on by Standard 6

The Monster Squad

Monster Squad

I have a bunch of stuff I wanna blog about, but I need the time to sit down & do it.  [I have some goofy World (and Lunar) Domination ones coming up, some half started… that seems to be what grabs more readers/comments.]

You’ll help write this blog post for me.  If you’re seeing the link on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ … please reply in the comments section here at the blog, not in the comments stream at Facebook or Google+, & not an @ through Twitter.  If you’re logged in on Facebook or Twitter you can comment down below using either account!

This one is relevant & easy to knock out because of the time of year.  I was trolling through Netflix on the Wii the other night, trying to find a good Halloween-ish movie to watch.

Cover of "Shaun of the Dead"

Shaun of the Dead

My wife is scared easily, and wasn’t in the mood for House of 1000 Corpses-like gore or Alien–like “Ah!” jumps.  (I still can’t get her to watch Silence of the Lambs.)  I was thinking The Crow, maybe Monster Squad or Shaun of the Dead.

I thought of a bunch that weren’t available for streaming, like Wolf and Teen Wolf or even Beetlejuice.  I found myself unable to think of campy other spooky fun.

Help me build a go-to list of all of us who are too old to remember good scary/funny/creepy movies like Ghostbusters, Batman, Zombieland, Fido, Edward Scissorhands, etc.

Roku XDS

Roku

While we’re on it, does a streaming service other than Netflix offer these movies, or am I going to have to start trolling the cheap DVD/Bluray bin at Walmart?  Maybe I just need to get a device like Roku that streams Amazon movies.

What movies make you want to mentally escape in front of the blue glow of your TV under a warm blanket on a cool October day?

Related articles

So, do you guys cater?

Posted on by Standard 8

I recently had some correspondence with Panera Bread (The Great Panera Bread Swindle & Panera responds to my insanity, so I write back…), and I still have no reply to my last email.  I assume they think I’m an idiot and will not continue any further correspondence.  The experience reminded me of being bombarded with catering advertisements when I’m already at a restaurant.  I called out a few other places, but Boston Market does the same thing with the catering barrage.  I have a long history with them & letters, pre-dating my WordPress blogging days even.

At any rate, it struck me that they both seem to be fighting (or at least nagging) for catering business.  If we’re already in the store, and signed up for your mailing lists… we probably know that you will cater if needed.  How about focusing the catering advertising on local businesses around each location?

Or, I have a more interesting solution…

From: Waldo Lunar <world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Aug 10, 2011
Subject: So, do you guys cater?
To: RCordova1@bost.com, isabella.contactus@panerabread.com

Ciao Colossal Catering Czars!

I can’t help but feel overwhelmed lately when I visit any of your fine establishments.  I just go there to get a meal, but you have mercilessly force-fed your catering services to me and throngs of other customers in the form of signage on the wall, window-clings, pamphlets, menus, table signage, place-mats, tweets, & emails.  I get it.  I feel like I’m in a giant commercial every time I walk into one of your previously welcoming establishments.  (Bob Evans is highly annoying with the take-out mantra too, but they’re not quite as relentless in their efforts.)  I applaud your tenacity, Panera Bread and Boston Market.  Despite your valiant and exasperating efforts, I have not yet used either of you to fill my catering needs.  In fact, I don’t have any catering needs.  I’m able to make a sandwich spread, some soup, a salad, & even prepare a holiday meal… all for less money than what you can offer, and it has the added bonus of being homemade.

Your incessant plugging of your catering service smacks of so much desperation, that it struck me with an idea.  You’re both figuratively fighting for my dollar, why not an actual fight for my dollar?  I’m not suggesting fisticuffs, although your frequency of mentioning catering services suggest that you may indeed jump right in.  I’m suggesting you each prepare a meal for a party, and I will only pay the not-quite-fast-food chain that makes the best meal.  Fight for my dollar!  Sorry, I can’t really contain my excitement at the prospect of such a tournament.  I bet we could get a reality TV show in on this.  If not, I could certainly get someone with a digital camera, and we could post the contest & the results on YouTube.  I’m sure it would go viral.  Can you imagine the bragging rights?

The judges would be those in attendance to my party.  You can certainly do your own background checks and interviews to ensure no partiality or preconceived bias.  I can even leave myself out of the proceedings, as I find you both equally annoying with the catering propaganda.  I could write up a review/summary at the end of the experience.  The only thing you would have to lose is the cost of catering a small party… but the potential to gain respect and more advertising for your catering services.  I’m enabling you, my friends.  I can feel the hunger dwelling deep within you.

I can assure you of my impartiality, as I have hosted several Chili Cook-off events at my home, and have photos to prove it.  I can provide you with copies of our ballots to show our proficiency in scoring food vs. food on several points.  We would of course have to devise a system to compare the proverbial Boston Market apples to Panera Bread oranges, but you can trust my ingenuity on the matter, and can employ a crack team of analysts.

This would be epic, my friends.  Imagine being  a pioneer in this type of event!  What would be next?  Qdoba vs. the Honey Baked Ham Co.?  The KFC bucket vs. your local grocery store’s prepared foods?  If you don’t like my idea, I may sign you up for my mailing list under the guise of getting coupons for my awesome letter-writing and ingenious idea services… only to solicit and re-solicit this very idea ad nasueam.  Using your own logic, you will have no choice but to comply!

Or, you could just have your CEO’s arrange a fist-fight in some parking lot, and I’ll literally give the winner a dollar.

Thank you for your time, I really hope that you give my idea serious consideration.  I will be ready when you say yes to the event.  We can work out the event and the details quite easily.  I actually have a “Batman movie night” coming up, and it would be great to cater that.  (Although, my wife may be making some Batman logo cookies… but we’ll make sure no one can vote for her catering services, she would most likely win hands-down with Batman cookies at a Batman movie party.)

May the best chain win!
-ERiC AiXeLsyD
Vaunted food contest professional.

Panera wrote back first…

Date: Wed, Aug 10, 2011
Subject: RE: Contact Us [Something not on this list] — MESSAGEID(288118)
To: world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com

Dear Waldo,

Thank you for taking the time to contact Panera Bread. We are sorry to hear about your disappointment with our catering advertising. The current promotion is simply one way to let our catering customers know that the option is available. We always strive to provide a wonderful meal, great service and a welcoming environment for our all our customers and hope that you will continue to enjoy Panera Bread. I will let our Marketing decision makers know how you feel, so that your opinion will be considered.

Thanks again for contacting us. We appreciate your business and value your comments.

Sincerely,
Isabella
Customer Comment Coordinator

Oh yeah, Waldo?  With Google+ getting all crazy & stuff, I didn’t want to merge my “regular” Gmail address with the fake one, so I change the W(aL)D email name to Waldo Lunar.  So, my email comes as Waldo Lunar, but I still signed it “Eric AiXeLsyD”.

From: Waldo Lunar <world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Aug 11, 2011
Subject: Re: Contact Us [Something not on this list] — MESSAGEID(288118)
To: Isabella <isabella.contactus@panerabread.com>

Thanks Isabella,

I’m glad that you understand my frustration at being pummeled with advertising, and that you’re willing to pass the sentiment along to the appropriate parties.  I applaud you for your efforts, and the swiftness with which you replied!  I’m on the fence with Panera bread due to this whole “holding the dressing” thing, and the “healthy” chicken noodle soup debacle.  I mean, those homemade-looking noodles were awesome.  The little square things lying sparsely in the greasy broth are sad little stabs into my heart.  Perhaps I must move on to the broccoli soup.

Has anyone else written to you in regards to the barrage of advertising?  More importantly — Is Panera interested in the catering “battle royale” that I proposed?  If we can get Boston Market on board, I think this will be a stellar time.  You were much more expeditious with your reply.  I trust that you believe in your brand/product enough to put it to the test?  I can try to get some TV people on board once I get confirmation from the principal parties.  I’m sure you can see from my first email that I’ve already put much thought into the logistics.  The prospect of it all has me quite excited.

Thank you once again for your time and diligent response.  Have a great day, and I hope to hear from you again soon!

Hungry,
-ERiC AiXeLsyD
Vaunted food contest professional.

I sort of got a response from Boston Market…

From: <sbrooks1@bost.com>
Date: Thu, Aug 11, 2011
Subject: Boston Market suggestion response
To: world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com

Good Afternoon

Thank you for submitting your suggestion to our catering department. We certainly appreciate the time you took to write and do value all customer feedback. Upon receipt of this information, I will create a report and forward your comments to the Market Leader for your region and our Marketing Department for consideration.

Again thank you for your feedback

Syrenia Brooks
Guest Contact Center Specialist

Huh?  I smell a standard “please don’t bother us” email here.  I still think my idea has merit, and I want a catering throw-down.  Think I can push it any further?  I’ll certainly try.

Batman Movie Night

Posted on by Standard 6

Batman - Mic Check

Batman - Mic Check

So, soon we’ll be having Batman movie night.  Batman has always been my favorite comic book character.  He’s smarter, he’s darker, he’s a crazy detective, he’s relentless, he’s not invincible.  He’s most likely just as insane as the villains he helps take down.  I like that.

I’ve been a comic book & especially Batman fan since I can remember.  I’m sure it had to do with the 60’s TV show being rerun in my youth in addition to Super Friends and Batman popping up on Scooby Doo for whatever reason.  As a kid, I remember digging the Hulk (even though I ran out of the room during the transformation scenes), Spider-Man, and especially the Greatest American Hero.  I want to say I even used to play with my aunts’ Barbie-doll sized Batman & Robin action figures.

The Dark Knight Rises (a.k.a. Magnus Rex) has been filming in Pittsburgh.  Anyone with an ounce of geek cred or anyone that lives in or around the ‘Burgh knows this.  There are a bunch of photos, videos, & spoilers and crazy stuff all over the place if you do a quick Google search.  I won’t bother re-posting/rehashing here.  (Here’s a cool article about the day. …And another one here.)

I went to one of the open casting calls but wasn’t called… but it worked out better as the wife & I were both able to do some unpaid extra work thanks to BeInAMovie.com (peep their Facebook page for possible spoiler photos)!  It was all in all a really long but incredibly fun day.  It was cool to see a bit of the daily grind on a film that’s sure to be a blockbuster.  When else will I get to say that I was an extra in a movie… let alone a BATMAN movie?  Ha ha.  That’s just awesome.  Whether we make the cut or not, it’ll be an experience we’ll never forget.

In an email from BeInAMovie.com after the fact…

What gracious and appreciative people are the family that Warner Brothers are.

And they so appreciated each of your participation and how you came dressed for the scenes. And stayed through rain and heat and humidity.

AND Chris Nolan was awed by your acting ability when Bane and Mercenaries blew up the stadium and mayhem was everywhere.

In with all that, I’m just a fanboy at heart… so we arrive (again) at Batman movie night.  The wife & I hosted a series of Star Wars movie nights that were a good time, a good excuse to get together, and a good excuse to nerd-out with a group of people… fellow fanboy geeks & newcomers alike.  (On a side note… we never did get past the movies proper… we’ll perhaps have to revisit these to delve into the Ewok & Holiday Specials, Fanboys, then the cartoons & parodies.)

Darth Vader vs. Batman

How awesome is this painting?

Whereas Star Wars is one man‘s singular vision (with a couple of ridiculous re-writes), Batman is an iconic character open to many valid interpretations.  Some of the old Legends of the Dark Knight books would showcase this, as well as the recent Gotham Knight movie.

Batman & Jokers

Batman & Jokers

This brings us to… the movies I’d like to show:

Why not Batman Begins out of the Nolan series?  I’d argue it’s all about Batman vs. the Joker here.  Sure, some other villains clutter up the ’66 movie, and I ought to include something animated with Mark Hamill & Kevin Conroy… but 3 movies in one night is about all this attention span can handle.  The Joker is as mad & random as Batman is cold & calculated.  The characters play of off each other so well.  In the comics anyway, Batman won’t kill.  He won’t cross that one line to become a madman.  (And after the early 40’s, he wouldn’t use guns either.)

I love all of these interpretations of both of the characters.  The ultra-straight-laced Adam West & zany Cesar Romero are a great pair.  They play off of each other well in the campy style of the old show.  I remember being old enough to think “Mr. Mom is going to be Batman?” in the late 80’s, but Michael Keaton was a stellar Bruce Wayne/Batman.  He played such an odd person, and it worked.  I also remember thinking Jack Nicholson was too fat… the Joker in the comics & in novels was very tall & lanky.  I was surprised on both counts.  Nicholson plays a maniacal psychopath like no other.  Christian Bale is gruff and guarded, and Heath Ledger has redefined the Joker for a whole new generation, effectively making Dark Knight a Joker movie, not a Batman one.

If these nights work out, perhaps we can delve into Return to the Batcave,  some of the animated films, Batman Begins, & maybe even a Joel Shumacher film.

We’re looking at Sat. Aug. 27th for Batman movie night.  Let me know if you’re interested!  We even got Batman cookie cutters!

So, how do I make money at this art thing?

Posted on by Standard 6

I’m a lazy artist.  I always have been.  I generally make art for fun, and give it away.  I made a ton of cool stuff in art class in high school and even in my time at WCCC, now I only have a fraction of it.  I’ve never had an interest in making money from any of it, perhaps because I felt it wasn’t perfect or even “good enough” to sell.  Perhaps it was because I’d feel “dirty” making money from art.  I’m also lazy in that I have a lot of ideas that don’t make it to fruition.  (You should see the AiXeLsyD and Gasoline Dion “almost” song piles… and that Yup-punk band idea…)

I also went through a phase of drawing a bunch of comic book stuff… and it was always my understanding that Marvel didn’t want me selling my Wolverine art, and DC didn’t want me to sell my Batman art.  Somehow the Airbrush guy at the mall makes money on pretty much any popular character out there.  (Exactly who’s buying white T-shirts with airbrushed Mickey Mouse and Garfield on them at a mall kiosk in 2011 is a subject of another blog.)  Is that guy bootlegging?  Is he paying royalty fees?

With the advent of sites like Etsy (and more so Regretsy), I can see now that my art is certainly acceptable for sale.  I’d like to think it’s a few grades above what’s considered acceptable for sale.  The question remains on copyrights though… I see all kinds of people selling Superman, Batman and Spider-Man stuff with images clearly ripped from elsewhere.  Not that I want to sell comic book-art, but I never know what mood will strike me.  My flyer art is mainly bastardization of existing images… so I’m sure I can’t sell any of that kind of stuff.  Again, I think I’m veering toward the subject matter of an entirely different blog.  Back to the insanity at hand…

I’ve been drawing mazes for what seems like forever.  I started them when I was a kid & was in the hospital for a while.  I remember my pediatrician saying I ought to look into getting them published.  I obviously never have.  I have through twitter found another cat on the internet who draws mazes… he sells them online & at art shows and has used LuLu to publish some books.  Is that a good avenue to explore?

I have an idea for what I think would be an amusing photo book… but how does one go into execution of such an idea?  Do I even have time for something like this?

Would I use something like deviantART to set up shop?  How do I get prints made from original artwork?  Should I settle for a Cafe Press or Zazzle store?  Ha ha.  I’d like to put photography in the mix too, eventually.  Every once in a while I capture some stuff that would look great on someone’s wall.  How do I sell the stuff online without the seller site making most of the money, or without breaking the bank in setting up a site & paying any maintenance fees while not selling anything… therefore eventually losing money?

People have also told me that I ought to get paid to write.  I must confess, I would most likely be an editor’s nightmare.  I jump tenses like hopscotch, and my grammar & typing can be quite poor… even though I can differentiate between you’re and your and the apparently difficult they’re/there/their.  (Is it just me, or do they all sound totally different if you’re pronouncing them correctly?)  If you would like to pay me to write, I will certainly take your money.

I don’t think I do well with deadlines or commissions though.  I don’t work well with others’ ideas.  I’d like to make my own mazes, drawings, paintings, photos, etc. at my own pace.  Although, I aim to be productive with art, & maybe buy some more camera accessories, or a new amp, guitar, or some other new goofy instrument or piece of equipment.  (Because I apparently can’t make any money as a musician unless I join/form a human jukebox band – and let’s face it; I’m a poor guitarist.  Ha ha.)

As you can see, I’m all over the place.  I need focus/direction.  I guess I’m just looking for advice beyond the “you should publish a book” or “you should sell your photos” or the “you should write for someone” point.  I get that, and accept that… but how?  I’m looking for specifics here.  I’d like to hear “I use such & such & it’s fantastic, and works like…” and not “I think my cousin’s uncle’s mother’s neighbor uses blah blah blah, …I think.”  Are you an artist?  How do you sell your work?  Hit me with your wisdom!

Favorite movies from my childhood…

Posted on by Standard 5

I felt like listing some of my favorite movies from when I was a kid.  They’re in no particular order, just how they came to mind.  Some are 80’s movies, some are earlier, with a few early 90’s ones thrown in.  They were all new to me with the advent of home video rental stores.  We used to go to this place called Network Video, & eventually the general store by my house started renting videos too.

I keep adding to the list as some of these movies remind me of others, I may have to do a part 2 or something someday…

Star Wars | Original Trilogy

  • Star Wars – This one’s obvious.  I’m talking the whole original trilogy here.  I really don’t feel the need to elaborate.

    • Ghostbusters

  • Ghostbusters – I remember laughing hysterically at “We came, we saw, we kicked some ass!”  This was the perfect mix of creepy and funny for a kid like me.  I used to rent this one all the time.  I even loved the Saturday morning cartoon.

    • The Goonies

  • The Goonies – I have probably watched this more than any other movie on the list, except maybe Star Wars.  I can still watch this over & over again.  As a kid, it was really easy to be immersed in this movie.  I have felt a little bit like Mikey, Data, Mouth, & Chunk many times.  I just saw something about the original cast reuniting for a 25th anniversary celebration.

    • Gremlins

  • Gremlins – Who didn’t want a Mogwai after seeing this movie?  Regardless of the danger, Gizmo would be the best pet ever.  I actually remember the gremlins being kind of scary too.  (Hey, I was 7 when this came out.)

    • Monster Squad

  • The Monster Squad – This was like “Goonies vs. the Universal Monsters” to me… so, of course, I loved it.  Mr. Alucard called for you.  How scary is that?  This made me want to start a monster club myself.  I may just have to get this on Blu-ray… even thought I already have the VHS & DVD…

    • The Last Starfighter

  • The Last Starfighter – The movie for anyone who’s ever imagined that they’re actually in a video game.  Great plot-line for a kid who likes video games, or sci-fi.  From what I understand, it was one of the first movies to have major use of computer generated graphics.

    • Batman (1989)

  • Batman (1989) – I remember thinking (even at a young age) “Michael Keaton?  The guy from Mr. Mom, Gung Ho, & Beetlejuice?”  I was as surprised as the rest of the world when it turned out to be the scariest and most awesome Batman movie to date.  The comic book nerd in me was overly pleased with Nicholson’s Joker too.  Even though he had always been portrayed in the comics as a lanky degenerate loon… Nicholson seemed to capture the spirit of insanity perfectly in that cool demeanor that only he could deliver.

    • Batman (1966 film)

  • Batman (1966) – I loved the TV show in reruns as a kid, it was like a 60’s comic come to life in all its campy glory.  Plus, the Joker, Riddler, The Penguin, and Catwoman all in one movie?  Wow!  Ha ha ha.  This one still has the coolest Batmobile.

    • Explorers

  • Explorers – Space travel… with a home computer, a Tilt-A-Whirl car, and a junkyard.  What’s not to love about this one?  Again, to a kid, this all seemed quite plausible.  This could have been “Goonies in Space”.  Ha ha ha.

    • Leonard Part 6

  • Leonard Part 6 – Part 6 of a nonexistent line of films… Bill Cosby fends off mutant vegetarians with magic meat.  It burns them like holy water on vampires.  That alone will make you want to watch this even though Cosby hated it and spoke out against seeing it while he was supposed to be promoting the film.

    • The Experts

  • The Experts – Does anyone else remember this movie at all?  There doesn’t seem to be much  about it on the web.  It’s classic 80’s comic Commie cheese.  Two guys, one John Travolta and one other dude are somehow transplanted to a 1950’s style town in Russia set up as an experiment…  where the people think they’re in 1950’s USA.  It’s like Pleasantville, only not.

    • Cloak & Dagger

  • Cloak & Dagger – This was another one where you could really imagine being the kid in the film.  This YouTube clip sums up the mood quite well.  It’s a great kid-centered spy movie with a good deal of action, if I remember right.

    • Funny Farm

  • Funny Farm – This has got to be one of the most absolutely hilarious movies ever.  Andy Farmer is driven to the brink of insanity by an incredibly odd small town and a series of classic (& at the time still funny) Chevy Chase pratfalls.  The telephone operator,  Yellow Dog, mutton balls… all favorite movie moments.

    • WarGames

  • WarGames – Yeah, I just wrote about this one.  Every kid with a computer envisioned hacking into a government computer… or at least hacking into something… and this was all before the internet.

    • Flight of the Navigator

  • Flight of the Navigator – This movie is excellent.  I know I wore out the VHS, and watched it every time I happened to catch it on TV.  Alien abduction, a morphing spacecraft, time anomalies, government conspiracies.  Intense!

    • E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

  • E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – I loved this move and still crave Reese’s Pieces every time I think about it.  I wanted to build a communication device with my record player too.  This movie probably started my distrust of the government.

    • Weird Science

  • Weird Science – Geek movie extreme, with that 80’s “my life will end if I don’t get laid” vibe.  Less believable than WarGames, more believable than Explorers… Sort of.  I never watched the TV show that this spawned, but the movie was a favorite.  Oh yeah, the theme song was cool too!

    • Willow

  • Willow – Best fantasy movie ever?  Maybe.  It had a 2-headed dragon, sorcerers, a hero, an unwilling little-person hero, tiny funny guys, a villain that looked like Skeletor, and endless amounts of awesome.

    • Back to the Future

  • Back to the Future Trilogy – If there was an order to this list, this would be very near the top.  These movies were fast paced, exciting, and visually stunning.  This is what movies should be like.  Plus, Christopher Lloyd is bat-shit-nuts and that’s always entertaining.

    • Project X

  • Project X – As a kid, I loved monkeys, chimps, gorillas, and pretty much any primate.  Pop them into an action thriller, and of course I was hooked.  This is probably another reason why I distrust government so much.

    • Big Trouble in Little China

  • Big Trouble in Little China – This movie is just ridiculous.  Martial arts, Uzis, lightning bolts, and Kurt Russell.  What more do you need to throw in to have a winning movie?  Oh yeah, creepy monsters and a Chinese sorcerer.  That’s what.

    • Indiana Jones

  • Indiana Jones Trilogy – Yeah, just the first 3 here… they were, after all, the only ones out when I was a child.  Indiana Jones is the movie hero.  The hat, the whip, the attitude… it’s iconic.  These would also be at the top of an ordered list.  I think that goes without saying.

    • The Last Dragon

  • The Last Dragon – Martial arts plus Motown.  We used to watch this during lock-ins where I took Taekwondo as a kid.  Bruce Leroy vs. Sho’Nuff had a very Jedi-like vibe, and there was lightning.  This is super cheesy, but it’s what makes it a great flick.  Sho’Nuff!!!

    • Coming to America

  • Coming to America – Ah.  Once upon a time Eddie Murphy was funny, & not afraid to say dirty words.  Sadly… this movie probably sparked the fat-suit movies to follow with Eddie and Arsenio playing multiple roles.  But there are so many things in this film to love…  McDowell’s, Soul Glo, Sexual Chocolate.  Priceless.

    • Enter the Dragon

  • Enter the Dragon – Bruce Lee’s final film, and (I think) the first one that I saw.  What kid doesn’t love martial arts movies?  The crazy mirrored room scene is my favorite.

    • Star Trek

  • Star Trek series – Yeah, I like both Star Wars and Star Trek.  Star Wars is more awesome, but don’t get me started.  In school, a lot of us nerdy kids were into Star Trek… the show, the movies, the shows that came after…  it was awesome.  The play between Kirk, Spock, & Bones gets better & better with each film in the series!

    • The Karate Kid

  • The Karate Kid – As a kid in a Taekwondo class, I loved these movies.  All three were good, but especially the first one.  (We’ll forget about The Next Karate Kid, and the new Jackie Chan one.)  I wanted to be the Karate Kid, only in a Cobra Kai uniform.  “Sweep the leg!”

    • Labyrinth

  • Labyrinth – This movie still creeps me out.  David Bowie’s Goblin King is more than a little creepy.  The Muppets here are the stuff of nightmares… almost as bad as the ones in The Dark Crystal.  This is like a darker Wizard of Oz type film… it really put me in another world.

    • The Dark Crystal

  • The Dark Crystal – We need more creepy Muppet movies.  Forget this GCI and 3-D stuff, I want puppets and stop-motion!  I honestly can’t even tell you the full plot, but I watched this several times and loved it.

    • Just one of the Guys

  • Just One of the Guys – I think this became a favorite just because I’ve seen it so many times.  I mean, it was always on.  And, there was like 3 seconds of boobs.

    • Short Circuit

  • Short Circuit – Johnny 5 is alive!  No disassemble!  Very funny childlike innocence in a robot come to life thanks to a lightning bolt.  Wacky comedic adventure,  loved this one.

    • The Princess Bride

  • The Princess Bride – A very funny tale with the infamous Inigo Montoya.  All movies should be this fun.

    • The Toy

  • The Toy – If you’ve never seen this, I recommend going to get it right away… or any Pryor movie except Superman III.  It’s just fun & goofy.  The Wonder-wheel is my favorite part.  And, there’s a lesson in there somewhere…

    • Revenge of the Nerds

  • Revenge of the Nerds – This movie made me want to be a nerd, if I wasn’t one already.  The 2nd one wasn’t all that bad, ether.  I think this made me want to start a nerd band too.

    • Police Academy

  • Police Academy series – I generally like all of these movies… I think I wanted to be Larvell Jones, or at least Zed.  Heh.  The eyebrow gag is the best…  I love movies that are just goofy to be goofy.

    • Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend

  • Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend – Perhaps this is why I still believe in the Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, and Mokèlé-mbèmbé… and why I say “No problem!” all the time.

  • “Crocodile Dundee” – For a while in the 80’s, there seemed to be this odd obsession with all things Australian.  I don’t know if this was a cause of that or just another part of the wave, but I remember thinking how cool Australia was for quite a long time.  It was a like a fresh quirky cowboy movie.  The Simpsons episode where Bart prank calls Australia also pokes fun at this fascination.

    • The NeverEnding Story

  • The NeverEnding Story – What kid didn’t love this film when it came out?  It was visually amazing, sad, exciting, a little scary… it was an incredible adventure.  I bet Gmork would still scare me if I watched it now…

    • Don't Tell Mom, The Babysitter' Dead

  • Don’t Tell Mom, The Babysitter’s Dead – This movie has two things; the line “The dishes are done, man!” and Christina Applegate.  All I needed in 1991 was Christina Applegate. I would of watched 3 hours of her doing anything. Ha ha ha.

    • PredatorPredator

  • Predator – This movie was scary and thrilling.   It has one of the best movie lines ever… Jesse Ventura’s “I Ain’t got time to bleed.” …as well as many others.  This kind of film is so easy to get drawn into.  I was in this world when watching this film.  Heat vision?  Invisibility?  I think I wanted to be the Predator… ha ha ha.

    • I could go on with the Superman films, Spinal Tap, Dick Tracy, Howard the Duck, Harry and the Hendersons, Moving, Aliens, Beetlejuice, Gorillas in the Mist, The ‘Burbs, One Crazy Summer, Planet of the Apes, Gleaming the Cube, Pump up the Volume, King Kong, the Godzilla flicks,  so many good ones…