Findlay – Page 14 – Doug's Views

March 7, 2009April 18, 2020

Witch Mountain one of my favs, hope the new one is good too

During my childhood, one activity we could afford on a regular basis was going to the movies. On March 13th, Disney comes out with “Race to Witch Mountain (2009)”, which is a retelling of “Escape from Witch Mountain (1975)”. “Escape” was and still is one of my favorite films from the 1970’s.

In Findlay we had the Jerry Lewis Theater (later called Twin Palace), Cinema World, and during the summers we had two drive-ins – the Millstream and the Findlay Drive-In (I think that was the name. It was located across from where the present Liberty Benton High School is now). When I was even younger we had the old State Theater downtown where I saw “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)” and “Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)”.

“Escape from Witch Mountain” starts out with the haunting theme music and the superimposed images of the twins Tony and Tia running from dogs and it doesn’t let up. Donald Pleasence was one of the bad guys. The special effects look dated today but for little kids before Star Wars came out they were wild.

Tia was played by Kim Richards and I still have a crush on her to this day. Kim was the smart girl next door who had a decent career before she decided to leave acting to raise a family. She recently returned and one big role was playing Christina Ricci’s mom in Black Snake Moan (2006). Kim has a cameo in the new Witch Mountain film. She has been compared to another Disney product – Lindsay Lohan (in a good talent way). Little known fact is Kim is Paris Hilton’s aunt.

Tony was played by Ike Eisenmann. Like Kim, Ike showed up in all kinds of movies and TV shows in the 1970’s. He moved into voice acting for animated films. He also has a cameo in the new film.

Disney started remaking their old live action films. “Herbie the Love Bug” was fun if a bit off and reading the press on the new Witch Mountain film had me worried. I’ve seen the trailer and seeing they aren’t just redoing the old film makes me feel better. I also learned that the source book by Alexander Key was much darker and more hard core sci-fi which also helps. The original was pretty sugary since it was Disney and the director of the current movie said Disney had no problem with a darker retelling.

If [Director Andy] Fickman has his way, the film will be accessible, but bold. “We want this to be a movie that anybody can go and see and have a great time,” he says. “But I wanted to feel edgy, too. It’s dark and creepy. I went back and read the original Alexander Key book, Escape to Witch Mountain, and it’s a very heavy sci-fi novel. It’s all about questioning authority, hiding in plain sight, and you don’t know who to trust. I loved it. I respect what they did in ’75 at Disney — they had a coat rack attacking people — here we just wanted to make it more intense.”
When asked for a film that he’d compare Witch Mountain’s tone to, he surprised us with the 1982 Eddie Murphy flick 48 Hrs. “The humor in 48 Hrs. came from a very natural place, but the movie itself was a very dark in tone adventure. And that’s sort of where we land. It’s also very inspired by ’70s action movies. The camera angles, the zooms — the way the action was shot.”
Set Visit: Race to Witch Mountain – Part One

But my heart will still be with the 1975 version. Here is a clip of the first 6 minutes of the film:

February 1, 2009April 18, 2020

Gratz to Big Ben!

Big Ben Big Ben Roethlisberger, Findlay High School alum, threw the game winning TD pass to Santonio Holmes to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to his 2nd Super Bowl victory in 4 years. They won 27 to 23. They now have won 6 Super Bowls in all.

Awesome game.

January 24, 2009April 18, 2020

Weekend Ear Candy – Foreigner Urgent

Back in 8th grade I was elected homeroom representative to our Junior High School student council at Glenwood in a contentious vote. I was up against the smartest girl in the class. Her name was Jill B. She had been on Student Council in 7th grade and fully expected to be re-elected.

I should note we were put in homerooms based on the first letter of our last names. So during my 3 years in Junior High all the A’s to J’s (I believe) were in the same homeroom.

I didn’t like the fact that no one stepped forward to run against her and she seemed a bit smug about it all – like she deserved it. So I raised my hand to volunteer.

We each had to give a speech to say why we should be elected and although Jill was smart, she wasn’t good in off the cuff speaking. I found out I was. The teacher had us stand out in the hall while the vote was taken then shortly were called back in.

To my surprise I won. I think it might have had something to do with her smugness and the fact there were more boys than girls in the class.

Student Council’s main job was to host school events like dances and movie nights. I got to run the popcorn machine which was fun and I had to clean it up at the end of the night – which wasn’t fun.

We would hire a DJ to come in for the dances. Being a school there were some songs he wasn’t allowed to play like “Cocaine” by Eric Clapton, “The Stroke” by Billy Squire, and “Don’t Try Suicide” by Queen but other songs were fine.

One song I remember that got a lot of play that year was “Urgent” by Foreigner. So whenever I hear the song it takes me back to those dances at Glenwood and the smell of popcorn.

Here is a live version of the song:

Foreigner – Urgent (live)

January 14, 2009April 18, 2020

They say it’s my birthday…

Today is my birthday and I can tell you having a birthday in January kind of sucks. It seems that it has always sucked. It is snowing, cold, and it is 2 weeks after New Years and the same week as MLK day and it all brings back bad memories for me.

I bring this up because today it is freaking cold, snowing and blowing, which reminds me all the missed birthday parties when I was in elementary school.

Back in the day, if it was your birthday, time would be taken to celebrate it in class. I remember there was a paper crown you wore and you gave out cupcakes or some other treat to the other students. It was a bit weird for the birthday person to give out stuff.

About 90% of the time, when my birthday came around in January we either had no school due to snow or in some cases we were out for the day for Martin Luther King’s Birthday.

So out of the 6 years of elementary school I think I got to celebrate my birthday once or twice.

I just now remembered that some kids had birthdays in the summer so they never got to have a party in class at all.

But enough about them. This is all about me… me…. me… boo hoo…

January 10, 2009April 18, 2020

Rep Jim Jordan still clueless and still hates the Unemployed

I like the old saying attributed to Abraham Lincoln “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt”. Well it seems US Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH 4) seems not to be familiar with that quote because during a conversation with journalists in Findlay this past week, as he was about to start his second term in Congress, he removed all doubt on a number of issues.

In a question and answer format Jordan ran through the various issues facing the country:

Q: Are we not in different circumstances now? Making more credit available, more money available has not worked. The money has been sitting idle. Does not that argue more for government spending, putting people to work on public works projects who are not at work?
A: I would have to say just the opposite. All the government spending has not worked. When you think about the bailout fever that has grabbed Washington, whether it has been the Fed or it has been the Treasury itself (bailing out) Bear Stearns, AIG, Fannie, Freddie, Citigroup, auto bailout… we have tried this. We have been through a year now, spending.
A better approach, I think, is allowing the marketplace, those people who make the marketplace work, to have tax breaks. That will have a better chance of growing the economy versus additional spending.

and this related answer:

Q: What is the threat to the work ethic?
A: Fifty-three weeks of unemployment insurance… When I was in the (legislature), one of the things we Republicans did for welfare reform was… putting on a time-limits component which said if you are an able-bodied adult after two years of welfare assistance, you are done.
As far as respecting the free market, when you look at all the bailout stuff, that is just anti-free market.
Jim Jordan: Tax cuts make sense, but spending a concern published in The Findlay Courier 01/10/2008

Did he check his e-mail or read the papers? The free market led to the bail out when selfish profit mongers did stupid things because of a lack of oversight and millions of people got hurt. It would be like cake frosting when the so-called free market would burst into flames, that it would take out the people who caused the flame out in the first place, but they seem to be the ones who get away with it every time.

I wonder if Jordan has ever had no money or so little he had to decide between filling the tank with gas or dinner?

I find in these comments someone who is out of touch with people who are poor and the working poor. Those who have no money and those who make so little that they are one check away from falling into the social safety net.

I don’t know of or have ever known anyone who wanted to be unemployed. Even after losing a job the bills don’t stop. There might be a mortgage to pay, electricity to keep on.

Of course at the end of a long day at the Capitol, Jordan can slip into his warm bed and not have to be concerned about the unemployed, afterall the free market will save the day.