T3: Out of this World

In honor of the remake of Day the Earth Stood Still, I thought it would be quite appropriate to do a top ten of some of the greatest individual extra terrestrial characters of pop culture. I tried to pick a fair amount of characters from both television and film but I mostly ended up with just characters from cinema. So there’s no confusion, this list is specifically individual characters no alien races. If I had done that then I’d basically of been up to my ears in Klingons and Wookies and that’s just far too overwhelming. It was hard enough for me to sort through the Star Wars universe and pick specific characters but I think I managed a fairly respectable list. I’d like to thank Sean for significantly helping me decide on upon certain characters worth inclusion and I hope I don’t disappoint to many. Without further ado here are some of our favorite intergalactic individuals.

10. Marvin the Martian (Looney Tunes (1948)
Species: Martian
Portrayed by: Mel Blanc
Greatest Moment: His appearance in that Duck Dodgers short was pretty good. I can’t remember anything specifically but I always enjoyed that as a kid.
Background: Marvin the Martian may not be as notable or relevant as he once was, but with his snappy little outfit, short fuse and stuffy little voice you can’t ignore his greatness. Though only appearing in five original Looney Tunes shorts, Marvin has developed a strong following over the years and is probably the most memorable cartoon alien of all time. I mean who’s he gonna compete with? That stupid little green dude from The Flintstones? That guy was a total douchebag. This Mars native’s plans of destruction were always foiled by the likes of Bugs Bunny and Duck Dodgers but they’ll never be able to stop the determination of this little martian.

9. Klaatu (The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Species: Unknown
Portrayed by: Michael Rennie
Greatest Moment: His arrival on Earth
Background: The peaceful Klaatu was wise beyond his years and actually quite charming. Some of his best moments were his interractions with Helen Benson and her son, but we all remember his iconic arrival on Earth. Klaatu had a lot of personality and you can thank Michael Rennie for his memorable performance in perhaps the best sci-fi film of the 50s and certainly one of the best of all time. I don’t have high hopes for the remake that opens tomorrow but I loved the original so I’ll probably still take a peak.

8. Jabba the Hutt (Return of the Jedi (1983))
Species: Hutt
Portrayed by: Larry Ward (Voice), David Alan Barclay, Toby Philpott, and Mike Edmonds (Puppeteers)
Greatest Moment: When Leia was choking him in and his huge tongue was flapping all around and he was making gross noises.
Background: Jabba was a disgusting morbidly obese jerk, but you got to respect that fact that the guy didn’t seem to have any trouble getting what he wanted. Whether it was having Han Solo in Carbonite or a scantily clad Leia by his side, Jabba was the ultimate gangster of the Star Wars universe. His grotesque appearance and booming voice has forever stuck itself into the minds of movie goers and has been parodied all over the place. I mean if it wasn’t for Jabba than we wouldn’t have Pizza the Hutt from Sapceballs.

7. Predator (Predator (1987)
Species: Predator?
Portrayed by: Kevin Peter Hall
Greatest Moment: His final confrontation with Arnold.
Background: Before he became the subject of a dozen mediocre comic books and novels, not to mention the underwhelming AVP franchise he was the lead villain in John McTiernan’s 1987 Sci-Fi classic. An intelligent and elusive warrior, the Predator was a force to be reckoned with and as Arnold so memorably put it “One Ugly Motherfucker.” He didn’t seem to have much trouble wiping out most of Arnold’s squadron but his final battle with Arnold was damn memorable. Even though he was eventually defeated look at how he ended it all, he freaking blew himself up laughing with his own self destruct mechanism! The Predator was instantly shot into alien superstar status with this action packed adventure.

6. Alien (Alien (1979))
Species: Xenomorph
Portrayed by: Bolaji Badejo
Greatest Moment: It was pretty scary when he killed Harry Dean Stanton. The finale was good too.
Background: In space no one can hear you scream and that’s a damn shame cause this thing literally scared the shit out of everyone back in 1979 and still does today. A sleek and vicious creature you have to give props to H.R. Giger for dreaming up this nightmarish creation. From the moment it burst out of John Hurt’s stomach to it’s demise of being sucked into space. This alien made for the perfect sci-fi villain in Ridley Scott’s classic sci-fi feature. It dripped acid, had superhuman stamina and basically had everything you could ever want in a monstrous extra terrestrial, the Alien was legit.

5. Chewbacca (Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)
Species: Wookie
Portrayed by: Peter Mayhew
Greatest Moment I liked it when he was all pissed after losing that weird monster chess game.
Background: Everyone’s favorite furry sidekick comes in at the next spot and you just couldn’t have a list of alien life-forms without him. Equipped with his lucky Bowcaster and possessing one of the most memorable howls in film history, Chewbacca was an excellent partner to the freewheeling Han Solo and one of the most memorable critters in the Star Wars Universe. The 7 foot 4 first mate of the Millennium Falcon won over the hearts of movie goers in the sci-fi classic and has popped up all over the place since then. Possibly most memorable for being somewhat of comic relief in the original trilogy one thing is for sure is that his home is where his spirit goes and if you dare taunt him he’ll rip your arms off and kill your friends.

4. E.T. (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Species: Unknown
Portrayed by: Pat Welsh (Voice), Tamara De Treaux, Pat Bilon, Matthew De Meritt, Caprice Roth (costume)
Greatest Moment: Remember when E.T. got drunk? That was bomb dot com.
Background: Next is the friendly little extra terrestrial that warmed our hearts in Steven Spielberg’s 1982 blockbuster and shot into pop culture as everyone’s favorite intergalactic traveller. Stranded on Earth after being ambushed by government agents, E.T. befriends the young Elliot forming a heartfelt friendship and going through plenty of both humorous and emotional escapades. He wears women’s clothing, goes trick or treating, eats Reeses Pieces all while on the run from the guva-ment people. Not to mention that he has sweet healing powers and a telekinesis. You have to be a sick, twisted heartless monster if you can’t warm up to this friendly little alien.

3. Spock (Star Trek (1966-1969)
Species: Vulcan
Portrayed by: Leonard Nimoy
Greatest Moment: Sacrificing himself to safe the Enterprise in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Background: No one ever though this pointy eared Lieutenant would catch on but in just a short amount of time, he quickly became one of the most popular characters on the show and possibly one of the greatest sci-fi characters of all time. Born on the planet Vulcan to a Vulcan father and a human mother, Kirk’s level headed first mate always keeps his cool. What’s great about Mr. Spock is that even though he was raised by a cold calculating species he still has that human touch of emotionality. Whether he’s spouting his trademark phrase “highly illogical” or giving some douche the Vulcan neck pinch, Spock’s always hip in my book. I can’t say I’m that educated on Star Trek but one thing is for sure is that I respect Spock.

2. Yoda (Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1981))
Species: Unknown
Portrayed by: Frank Oz (Voice/Puppeteer)
Greatest Moment: I’m really more of a Yoda in the original trilogy kind of guy, so I liked it when Yoda was all crazy and hitting R2-D2 with his cane.
Background: Wise beyond his years, masterfully skilled in the Jedi arts and a funny little puppet, Yoda played a large part in what’s often considered the best Star Wars installment. Living on the harsh swamp of Dagobah in a little hut you’d never expect that a senile creature like him would be a Jedi Master. That’s part of what I like about Yoda, he seems like the most unlikely candidate for a jedi master with his size and funny appearance but looks can be deceiving. He’s easily become one of the most memorable characters in the franchise but I’ll always love him best in his first appearance. Speaking in a strange almost backwards pattern, voiced by the multi talented Frank Oz (Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Cookie Monster and a talented director) Yoda speaks of infinite wisdom and is the ultimate philosopher of the Star Wars universe.

1. Kal-El a.k.a Superman (Action Comics #1 (1938)
Species: Kryptonian
Portrayed by: George Reeves, Christopher Reeves, Brandon Routh… Uhh Dean Cain and more.
Greatest Moment: Duking it out with General Zod (Terrence Stamp) in Superman II (1980.
Background: Perhaps one of the most iconic characters in all of pop culture. Known throughout the world as the definitive superhero, Superman has done basically everything in his 70 year existence and continues to entertain the masses in various outlets today. He’s been in comics, radio shows, cartoons, television, movies, toy lines, crappy video games and more! He stands for truth, justice, the American way and will probably always have a place in our ever changing go-go gadget world. Born on the planet Krypton, the young Kal-El was sent to Earth during his planet’s demise landing on Earth, where he would forever make his mark. A classic fish out of water story, Superman would end up disguising himself as mild mannered reporter Clark Kent. Breaking out of his seemingly normal life to save helpless souls, duke it out with Lex Luthor or battle mean tempered aliens Superman is timeless. He is a completely selfless, moral and heroic character that will always have a place in the hearts of many.

Honorable Mention
Kang and Kodos (The Simpsons (1990)
The Blob (The Blob (1958)
The Thing (The Thing From Another World (1951) and The Thing (1982)
Edgar (Men in Black (1997))
Mo-Ron (Freakazoid (1995))

Dishonorable Mention

Alf: There is nothing cool about Alf.

Gold Rush

I noticed that the Golden Globes were announced today, more or less the unofficial precursor to the Oscars, I though I’d make a quick post regarding my opinions. I don’t mean to intrude on Top Ten Thursday but I feel like I should write about this while it’s still fresh in my mind.

Every December we have the Golden Globes which is basically a sneak peak at the year’s Oscar contenders. For example, all the films nominated for Best Picture at last years Oscars had at least a Best Picture nom at the Golden Globes. So the chances are pretty good that the Golden Globe films were looking at here will be pretty similar to the Oscar nominations in late January. So let’s see for Best Picture we got;

Frost/Nixon
Dir: Ron Howard
Written by: Peter Morgan
Cast: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt, Sam Rockwell
Thoughts: This definitely makes sense it’s a star studded political drama directed by Ron Howard and written by Peter Morgan (The Queen) starring Frank Langella as a spot on Richard Nixon. There looks be to drama, humor and entertainment so I look forward to checking it out.

Slumdog Millionaire
Dir: Danny Boyle
Written by: Simon Beaufoy
Cast: Dev Patel, Madhur Mittal, Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan
Thoughts: It’s always a pleasant surprise to see a unique, creative and beautiful film like Slumdog get this kind of attention. I mean this a pretty different film compared to your regular awards fare flicks. Who’d of ever thought that the guy who directed 28 Days Later would make such an acclaimed film as this? It is all very exciting.

Revolutionary Road
Dir: Sam Mendes
Written by: Justin Haythe
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Kathy Bates
Thoughts: This is just one of those films that’s got Oscar written all over it, complete Oscar bait if you will. With it’s cast in the reuniting of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, many will look forward to seeing them together again. Not only that but it’s a dramatic period piece, based off of an acclaimed novel and directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty, The Road to Perdition).

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Dir: David Fincher
Written by: Eric Roth
Cast: Brad Pitt, Kate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, Taraji P. Henson
Thoughts: Very surprising as I never thought a 167 minute long fantasy film directed by David Fincher (Fight Club, Zodiac) would get this kind of buzz. Though it’s always a good sign when you’ve hired Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, Munich) to pen the script. The visual and makeup effects look out of this world and I can’t wait for it’s upcoming holiday release.

The Reader
Dir: Stephen Daldry
Written by: David Hare
Cast: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross
Thoughts: Huh? I think I heard about this once but a possible best picture contender? This is one of those films that award ceremonies spring out at you at the last second to try and be cool and show that their unpredictable. I really don’t know what to think about this film, whatever it’s about. There were definitely a handful of other films that a majority of people were pulling for. Both Milk and The Dark Knight were favorites but both of those only got a single acting nomination each. If this is indeed a look at the Best Picture noms for the Oscars then it’ll be a disappointment, especially for The Dark Knight which has been working it’s butt off to get some well deserved award recognition.

As for the rest of the awards I often find that they could go either way when the Oscar nominations see the day of light so I’ll skip that for now. There are some nice surprises here but as well a a few upsets. It’s not like the Golden Globes set the Oscar nominations in stone, so all we can do now is play the waiting game.

What It All Means…

I’m really all about Cat Fancy becoming a CWU source for breaking Mariner news (albeit a small one), and thought I should elaborate on John’s great post about the blockbuster trade the home town nine was just involved in.

This week has been one big whirl wind for baseball fans. Just yesterday CC Sabathia signed the biggest contract ever for a starting pitcher. The Mets (foolishly) signed former Angel closer Francisco Rodriguez to 3 year-37 million. But the one thing I kept hearing floating around was JJ Putz might be on the move. Initially he was linked to the Detroit Tigers being a Michigan native. The Tigers had a couple of young, cheap ML-ready regulars in OF Matt Joyce and 1B Jeff Larish, that I was hoping we could land. But it turns out Dr. Z wanted both and the Tigers only wanted to part with one, so it dematerialized rather quickly.

Then all of a sudden there were reports of this big three team trade. Where it lacks in super star names, it definately makes up for in sheer number of bodies.

1B Mike Carp
This makes the Russell Branyan signing make sense. Branyan is a capable, cheap, power hitting lefty that can help the team win in the immediate future, while Mike Carp is THE future. Finished up his second season of AA last year, Carp batted .299/.403/.471 (BA/OBP/SLG) making huge strides drawing walks and not striking out so much. Hopefully he’ll get a nod to be starting in Tacoma this year and we’ll see him up at the Safe sooner than later.

RHP Aaron Heilman
Basically what I gather from this guy is he’s a douche. He demanded a trade from the Mets because he thought he should be a starter. So amusingly enough he was traded to a team in the Mariners that has way too many starting pitchers. Now with Putz gone there is talk of sending Brandon Morrow back to the bullpen and I prey to bejesus that that doesn’t happen. His stats indicate he’s not anything close to what we’ve all seen Morrow do, so hopefully this was just one of those bodies that had to be moved and Dr. Z can send him on his way somewhere else in the near future.

OF Endy Chavez
Endy Chavez is basically replacing Jeremy Reed in the role of back up outfielder. He has a tremendous glove, but no real bat to speak of. Although it would not be a tragedy to trot him out as the every day left fielder as his defense is a huge upgrade over Ibanez. As for a picture that one on John’s post explains itself quite well.

OF Franklin Gutierrez
This is where the trade gets exciting. Like Chavez, Gutierrez’s bat is nothing to write home about, but his glove writes home to mom every single day. Dr. Z announced earlier that he would be the teams starting center fielder and it will be a treat to see him patrolling Safeco’s vast outfield. Every defensive metric out there loves him placing him at or near the top of the leagues outfielders. And if Wak decides to trot out Washburn or Silva, an outfield defense of Chavez/Gutierrez/Ichiro will make those pitch-to-contact pitchers look like King Felix.

We also got three minor leaguers that I read a little bit about. None are that interesting or are reported to have much upside, but the fact that our system is getting fresh bodies is always a good side.

As for what we gave up, I personally believe JJ’s dominant days are over and wish him well in New York. Sean Green was cool, but his skill set is easily replacible as we’ve seen with Roy Corcoran. The only person I sort of regreted giving up was Luis Valbuena who came up last September and played a great second base. He has a bright future ahead of him in Cleveland pairing up with former M’s prospect Asdrubal Cabrera to make a great double play combo.

All in all this trade was great fun to watch and makes it exciting to be a Mariner fan again. Our outfield defense is gonna be historically good last year for the first time since 2001 with Winn/Cameron/Ichiro. Remember that? I think things went pretty well that year. It’s nice to see Dr. Z looking to the future with out raping the present.

Trading Places

Breaking News! According to the email that the Mariners web site sent me late this evening. The club announced tonight that they’ve made a three-team, 12 player trade with the New York Mets and the Cleveland Indians. In the deal the M’s have acquired the following;

From the Mets
RHP Aaron Heilman
OF Endy Chavez
LHP Jason Vargas
1B Mike Carp
OF Ezequiel Carrera
RHP Maikel Cleto

From the Indians
CF Franklin Gutierrez

It’s all very exciting even if it does mean the departure of former ace closer J.J. Putz, RHP Sean Green, OF Jeremy Reed to the Mets and INF Luis Valbuena (Who I’ve never heard of) to the Mets and then to the Indians. With today’s roster moves, the Mariners Major League, 40-man roster is currently at 37 players. Dr. Z’s already deep into rebuilding and I welcome it, I can’t wait to see what these trades do for the team and can’t wait for the upcoming season.

(Pictured above is Endy Chavez making his celebrated catch in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS)

You’re Doing It Wrong

C.A.T.: The Colour and the Shape

Foo Fighters – The Colour and the Shape

I guess I’ll do this because of the angry fan base howling for the return of my beloved CAT’s even though I just setting record over in the Icy Tower’s department.

The first album from the Foo Fighters as a collective group of musicians, Dave Grohl’s vision had finally come true. This album rocks. It has the perfect blend of soft and loud, fast and slow, and gentle singing and throat bursting screaming.

When I was taking drum lessons with the legendary Frank Heye, I asked to learn basically every song on the album. It took me weeks to master Monkey Wrench, months for Everlong, and I’ve never really got My Hero down. Dave Grohl’s drumming is some of his finest work on this album. He once said a normal person usually takes about a week to lay down drum tracks. His take about a month. He is maticulous and it really shows in his work.

Not to just make this post a Grohl orgy-lovefest, but this guy is a genius. If only he wasn’t so lazy these days and actually made a rockin’ album again. But until then we still have The Colour and the Shape.

Singing and Dancing

So my dad told me about this “Proposition 8 the Musical” video that’s been making it’s way around the web, so I thought I’d briefly mention and post a link if you haven’t seen it. Distributed on Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s “Funny or Die” website, “Proposition 8 the Musical” is a satirical mini-musical written by Marc Shaiman about the controversial Prop 8 that was passed in California last November. Featuring an all star cast with the likes of; John C. Reilly, Maya Rudolph, Allison Janey, Neil Patrick Harris, Jack Black as Jesus and many more, “Prop 8: The Musical” certainly isn’t any laugh riot but it’s nice to see all the celebrities out supporting gay marriage and creating the fairly reasonable argument that not every segment of the Bible is eminently reasonable for our society. The video has certainly hit the viral circuit and hopefully this kind of protest can eventually lead to some well deserved change in California.

And here it is keep an eye out for all the various celebrities. It took me awhile before I noticed Craig “Daryl from The Office” Robinson in the background.
Prop. 8: The Musical