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| 30 Oct 2005 11:27:28 pm |
 TITANIC DID CAMERON REMEMBER ANOTHER FILM IN MAKING HIS? |
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I have been a supporter of the film “Titanic” produced by James Cameron. I liked the film when no one in my family did. I enjoyed the story, the acting and even the special effects. I also enjoyed the story and the way it was laid out, the shots, the scenes and the angles and especially some of the dialogue. This is why I was so disappointed in Cameron after I saw another film about Titanic the other night on late night television.
Channel surfing I stumbled across a well done 1958 British film co-starring a very young David McCallum. “A Night to Remember” is a superb film for the day and was shot in black and white. What disturbed me deeply is in 10 or 12 scenes or more I thought I was watching Cameron’s Titanic! It seemed to me the newer version was blatantly copying the older film.
Many of the scenes, the angles of the shots, the near exact dialogue and even the look of some of the characters! The guy who led the band which played on deck had the same hair style and looked very much like he could have been the father of the actor who played the role in Cameron’s version. Molly Brown uttered nearly the exact same line in both films while rising up in the middle of a life boat imploring the other passengers to go back and pick up survivors. The seaman running the boat had the same lines.
The scene where the White Star Line executive quickly scurries into a life boat trying not to be seen and the glance back from the officer in charge of filling the boats; well it could have been a near exact copy. The shot of Mr. Andrews, the ship builder, staring at Titanic’s clock as the ship began to heavily sink was so close it was scary.
The most telling scene though was when the young people were trying to get out of the steerage compartment and found another route. Upon finding a locked gate one of them goes to the emergency glass and breaks the glass with his elbow. He then grabs the axe inside and proceeds to smash the lock on the gate. The steward above yells out “Hey what are you doing? That’s White Star Line property. I’ll have you arrested for that.” It’s almost exactly the same scene and wording used in both films.
Now I totally understand the story of the Titanic is very well documented by eyewitness accounts. I’m sure both writers took pains to stay as close to those historical accounts as possible for accuracy. After all, Cameron did create a fictitious love story to tell his tale. This is a given.
What I do have to wonder is how many times a younger Cameron saw “A Night to Remember” and remembered it well? |
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Category : General
| Posted By : kckings |  Comments[0] |  Trackbacks [7584] |
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| 27 Oct 2005 12:08:46 am |
| Sox Win, SOX WIN: You heard it here -- again! |
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Well I have to take credit here, giving credit where credit is due.
You may remember last year, actually over a year ago, I predicted the Red Sox would win the World Series and break the curse of the Bambino. The reason was the Yankees signed Alex Rodriguez. I proceeded to lay out a formula detailing why the signing of Arod was a guarantee the Red Sox would win it all after 85 years.
It happened. About half way through 2005 I stated the White Sox would win it all. The curse of the Black Sox would be reversed and for the first time since 1959 the Sox would be in the Series. They would win it in 6.
Well I was wrong. They won it in FOUR!!! Aha! Bingo! Bring on the Lotto! Get me to Vegas! Hot Diggity Dog!!
Well all I have to say to Sox fans is Kudos’. You waited and you got. I never liked the Cubs anyway. Not since Gabby Hartnett’s Homer in the Gloamin’ in the mid 1940’s knocked my Bucco’s out of the chance to go to the series. Not since the Bucs and Cubs (notice the reversal Cub spelled backwards is Buc?) play in the same division. The Same League even.
To my long suffering friend who never missed a Sox game until just before he got married I say “Go Dave Kohl!”
To the late Harry Carey, the most annoying announcer in history, I say “SOX WIN, SOX WIN!”
To Charlie Comiskey, Mr. El Cheapo, the man who they called Commie before the Commies took over Russia, I say “Stick that in your wallet and stuff it!”
And to Shoeless Joe Jackson and Buck Weaver, the two Sox players who were labeled Black Sox but weren’t, I say this “You belong right there on the field with Ozzie Guillen, Paul Konerko and the rest of the 2005 White Sox, celebrating like you should have done in “19.”
If you build a team, they will come! And build it they did.
Thanx Ozzie, Thanx Joe, Thanx Buck, and thank you Los Angeles Dodgers for giving up on Paul Konerko so many years ago. The White Sox of 2005 and the fans who wished them luck, salute you! Remember you heard it here first; the 2006 Pittsburgh Pirates will win it all. Next year I’ll really be celebrating! |
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Category : General
| Posted By : kckings | Comments[0] | Trackbacks [5525] |
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| 21 Oct 2005 11:09:00 pm |
| Good Night And Good Luck is a Tremendous Film: See it |
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"Good Night and Good Luck" is a must see film for everyone whether you know the story of the battle between CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joe McCarthy or not. Sitting in a half filled theatre with patrons with an average age of 50 only strengthened my belief we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past because there are so few of the current generation who want to learn the history of how we got to where we are.
The film, which is George Clooney's second as a director, is a gem. Interestingly enough it took a big screen project to give renewed life to a small screen voice. The fact it is only 93 minutes only enhances the story it tells.
Beautifully shot in black and white it draws upon a narrow focus of scenes shot entirely inside the CBS building. You never wander outside except for a moment in the beginning and you constantly feel the intensity of this important story, even with its side journeys. These side journeys are neither little, nor unimportant. Instead they lead to the bigger issue at hand which are myriad personal freedoms we enjoy today which were kept from us 50 years ago.
For 93 minutes, despite the side lights as important as they are, the main issue the story focuses upon of course is the purge of Communists and the US Senate hearings conducted by McCarthy. Clooney brilliantly decides early on in the process he will not get an actor to portray the junior Senator from Wisconsin but instead uses actual clips of McCarthy as he purges, twists and manipulates his way through the terror of these historic hearings. Clooney shows how Murrow and his team take on McCarthy in defense of the constitution over the objections of CBS head William Paley and the sponsors.
One of the cool things shown in the film is several commercials of the day. The one for Kent Cigarettes is particularly troubling as it admonishes the pleasures of smoking and how intelligent people are the ones who know to smoke Kent Cigarettes. It shows how far we've come. It is also interesting since Murrow himself has always been synonymous with smoking; never without a lit cigarette in hand even on the air. Imagine that today?
Clooney's use of Diane Reeves soft yet powerful jazzy vocals help set the mood everywhere they are used as breakers or transitions from scene to scene. It is a nice touch and yet not overdone. The music is gentle enough but poignant to where you believe it's something from above, someone higher up looking down on what is happening. The music gives you just enough time to digest the points made moments earlier and Reeves smooth tones help you digest it perfectly. Clooney is moving into Oscar land with this one.
Another key focus of the film is Murrow's insistence TV is a powerful medium which if (said in the 1950's) we aren't careful will become a tool used to broadcast mindless gibberish. Murrow was a prophet in this respect because what he warned of is so true today. Murrow likely turns in his grave at reality television. It all came down to money and Murrow was lucky enough Paley stuck with him to a point. A point which helped McCarthy eventually self destruct.
Through all of this you almost lose sight of the fact actor David Strathairn, who plays Murrow flawlessly, is acting. He is Murrow and will deservedly get an Oscar nomination for his portrayal. It won't hurt Murrow is so highly regarded among the Hollywood elite but even so Strathairn as they say "nailed it." There are a few easy going funny lines in the film and Strathairn handles them so deftly you wonder why this established actor doesn't do more comedy.
For fans he has been excellent in such films as "Eight Men Out" and "A League of Their Own" along with dozens of other pictures. He is likable and while usually permitted only to play under stated characters, he uses this same technique to give Murrow the depth he deserves. Murrow is deep in his convictions and while sometimes troubled by them, remains stern and true to the course. This in the end is the legacy Murrow leaves behind; true to the course of true, fair, enterprising and analytical journalism. Always asking the question of "why" backed with the facts.
Seeing a true newsroom allowed me to remember my days at UPI, at the time one of the only remaining facets of real journalism, a wire service independent of advertisers. I was reminded of one of the reasons I left the world of commercial journalism because TV and radio had become just what Murrow warned they would become; garbage in and garbage out. This is the topic of my next blog and a deeper look.
Finishing with the film in question, "Good Night and Good Luck" shows us all something else. It shows us why there will never be another Edward R. Murrow. The medium has gone past his wildest criticisms and sunk to depths he would never survive. He'd be off in seclusion likely writing a book, or thriving on PBS. |
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Category : General
| Posted By : kckings | Comments[0] | Trackbacks [5481] |
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| 12 Oct 2005 11:33:39 pm |
| TOPPS OFFERS NEW TRADE TEST PROGRAM WITH HOBBY STORES |
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You have to hand it to Topps. At the urging of hobby store owner Don Joss in Washington State the company is offering a test in a dozen or so stores nationwide. The test is headed up by Joss and could be a real way to get people back into the hobby of card collecting. Our store in Ventura, KC Kings, will be a part of this test.
Basically it works like this. Topps will provide a special display about the size of a 3200 count box of cards. This box will be filled with cards, common and stars, from a particular new series of cards Topps will offer to trading card stores. For instance, when it comes to Topps Heritage Football the company will ship a box full of singles to the store to place in this display. The cards will be given to the store for FREE.
There will be many products Topps will do this with. If this new program is successful, Topps will undoubtedly spur others on to do the same thing.
The card store in return is NOT to sell these cards. These cards will be set aside for customers who actually buy a box of this product from the same hobby store. So if a customer walks into the store and purchases a box of Topps Heritage Football, the customer is then free to trade one-for-one any card in the box in hopes of completing his set of cards.
Again the store is not allowed to sell the cards and the customer must purchase at least one box of this product from the store in question. Some hobby stores will very likely bend or even break these rules but we will not. The reason is Topps has always said its first goal is to do things to encourage people to be set collectors. To build sets is the ultimate goal. If collectors do build sets everybody wins because the stores will be able to sell common cards and actually make money on them.
There will be people who come into our store asking if they can trade for these cards as well. If they didn’t buy a box from us, they cannot trade out of this box with us. The rules state they must purchase from us. This should encourage people to buy a box just to be able to trade for these cards, IF, they want to build a set.
Here is where it does get tricky. We don’t have many set builders so this may not be a big hit. It may not be worth the cost Topps will invest in it. We will wait and see because on the surface it looks like a winner situation for all concerned.
Kudos’ to Topps and DJ for putting this one together. It will help. |
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Category : General
| Posted By : kckings | Comments[0] | Trackbacks [7417] |
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| 10 Oct 2005 11:05:48 pm |
| COINS: THE BUYING AND SELLING GAME |
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You can’t blame people for being a little suspicious when answering an advertisement in the newspaper, but as a businessman I just wish they would give you a chance before saying no. You can’t get any better than a personal experience, one on one. It just doesn’t get any better than this.
Case in point. I recently took out an advertisement in the local newspaper looking to buy vintage coin collections. Coins are something we added to our store inventory this past year and we’ve done quite well. Well enough in fact, we had to look for more coins to add to our inventory. This is why we decided to run an ad for a month.
The ad was very specific. We were looking for vintage coins, large and small collections, no state quarters and no commemorative coins. We didn’t even want foreign coins. The ad ran for 30 days. They’ve been calling for six weeks.
I would say there have been about 10-15 telephone calls responding to the ad. Two men actually brought in their items and one left without his coins and with lots of my currency. The other brought such high end stuff, mainly gold, I chose not to buy since he wanted way too much and at the moment we don’t have a market for it. Also being new to the coin world as far as having a store we are feeling our way more slowly.
In almost every instance the collector backed off when they learned we were a store buying and selling coins. By the tone in their voices and questions they asked it was obvious they were not interested in dealing with a store but wanted to talk to other coin collectors about selling their collections.
This is understandable to a point. Selling to another collector will likely bring them more money than a store simply because we are usually going to offer less because we have to re-sell it. On the other side of the coin (yes a pun was intended) we have the cash ready to buy. Either you want to sell or you don’t. Nearly all of these people were elderly or senior citizens who basically were saying we want to sell now that we are old, but we don’t want to give it away.
The annoying thing is they wouldn’t even give us a chance. When asked we told them we pay anywhere from 40-percent to 60-percent of the Red Book price based upon the condition of the coins. We don’t use the wholesale Grey Sheet preferring to offer what we know we can buy them for and still sell them reasonably fast for a reasonable profit. Only two were willing to give us the benefit of the doubt.
None of these folks would come in and discuss what they have by sitting down, comparing what is selling currently and what is not. A personal experience is important which is why we will not quote prices of trading cards on the phone. I have to see it before I can tell you what we pay. On coins we’ll give a range simply because we want to make sure the customer knows we won’t be offering them less as a collectible than the coins are worth in dollars and cents.
One man flat out told me “Well at those prices I guess I really need to find another collector to sell my coins to.” This was appreciated. What isn’t appreciated are those folks who say “I’ll get down there tomorrow” and never show. All the while after hanging up the phone you can hear them somehow telling their spouse “I’m not going to a dealer who will rip me off.”
There are some dealers who do take advantage of sellers. We all try to buy for the lowest possible fair price. Sometimes we over pay and get stuck with merchandise for years. My store is full of nice items which have been there for years. I have money tied up in these items and they are valuable according to some price guide. I still own them and no one wants them at any price.
Dealers usually try to be fair. They try to buy at a fair price but low enough to turn the products quickly and make a reasonable profit. Sometimes we end up making a lot on an item, sometimes they never sell. Dealers really don’t want you to kick yourself the next day after selling something to them. They want you to come back and buy as well as sell. At least give them (us) the chance. It’s only fair. |
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Category : General
| Posted By : kckings | Comments[0] | Trackbacks [9673] |
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| 08 Oct 2005 10:10:18 am |
| Wallace & Gromit, Worth the Trip Down the Lane |
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In reviewing movies a reviewer sees so many bad films it is easy to understand why we gush greatly upon seeing a very good one. Such is the case of the newly released Wallace and Gromit film, “Curse of the Were-Rabbit.”
For those of you not familiar with the clay-mation pair of Wallace (the cheese loving man) and his faithful but non-talking best friend and dog, Gromit, you should be. This English pair of animated beings is the most ingenious grouping since Bonnie & Clyde, since The Lone Ranger and Tonto, since, well, since cheese & crackers.
Steve Box and Nick Park do a wonderful job at directing this laugh filled film. Especially noticeable is the lighting. When the two are in Wallace’s Truck (they are non-violent pest control workers, ridding the local area of rabbits in advance of the great vegetable competition) you see the sunshine bouncing off the vehicle. The shadows are perfect and you get the feel you are in this animated romp. This is a neat trick.
A film such as this, using clay figures, takes years to build and using a simple plot is the only way to do it. The plot is simple and needs to be just that. These guys make the most complicated moves and they make them simply understandable and seamless. The filming techniques and the great attention to detail are simply fantastic. Did I say the word simple enough? This is what is so cool about this movie.
It is a movie they plan on having you see more than once due to the hidden detail and tight jokes. For instance when the Vicar shows the bad guy how to kill the Were-Rabbit, he opens an old book from the church library. Leafing through the pages he sees how to exterminate other rare killers and gets to the page on the “Were-Rabbit.” Before you have much of a chance to read the page you notice something you want to see again but cannot unless you see the entire film again. The Were-Rabbit is also described in Latin. You quickly notice “Carrotus..." then the page is gone. I would have loved to have read the entire segment on the Were-Rabbit but alas I could not. Smooth move.
There were two or three sexual innuendos which were brilliant and certainly not offensive. Our heroine, Lady Tottington (deliciously voiced by Helena Bonham Carter) is discussing her woes with Wallace and states, about her other suitor (again voiced neatly by Ralph Fiennes) he doesn’t even notice “my produce.” She says this as she holds two beautiful melons to her chest. The scene is not lost on any adult in the audience.
This is done perfectly a couple of times and it draws a clever smile or even a laugh from the audience. However, the film is perfect for children who may or may not get the light romantic humor. There are more than enough bunny funnies to go around. Gromit, who does not speak is always the top of the heap and this film is just as fun to watch as it is clever.
If there is an underlying moral to the story you don’t mind it at all. There is a gun control theme, a “don’t mess with nature” theme, a don’t kill animals theme and an homage to the old science fiction films of the 1930’s and 1940’s. If you find yourself caught up in “King Kong,” “Mighty Joe Young,” “Frankenstein,” “The Werewolf,” and “Attack of the Killer Tomato’s,” this is a good thing. It’s obvious they were all part of the writer’s past as he borrowed from all of them. You know what though, you don’t mind at all because this film works. It simply works.
Oh by the way, stay through the credits to the very end. There is a little quip worth waiting for. Somewhat like the ending in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.,” and “A Knights Tale.” Stay the extra few minutes. It is a memorable moment. |
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Category : General
| Posted By : kckings | Comments[0] | Trackbacks [7518] |
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| 06 Oct 2005 10:15:38 pm |
| AN 8 CARD DILEMMA, JUST A SMALL ONE |
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I have personal dilemma. It’s not really a big deal or anything and to some of you reading this is might sound kinda stupid, but here goes.
If you know me well you know I am a big fan of former Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski. I probably have one of the biggest collections in the world of Maz stuff from cards to autographs to odd ball stuff. I’ve met the man on occasion, interviewed him twice and sat down for drinks with him and my two sons in a private meeting. He’s a truly great man.
Anyway, one of the things I’ve always wanted to do is to collect all eight cards in the 1961 Topps baseball card set which depict the 1960 World Series. These cards show what I consider to be the greatest World Series of all time, and not just because Maz ended it with a walk-off homer in the last inning of game seven. It was just a fantastic series in which the Yankees killed the Bucs in three of the seven games. Fortunately for Pittsburgh you have to win four.
Anyway I’ve put off collecting these cards knowing one of them is an $80 value since it depicts Mickey Mantle. Then this week a young man came in to sell me some cards and these eight cards were part of what was offered. I immediately bought them for myself, which I rarely do. Card no. 307 “Mantle Slams 2 Homers” is a really strong card to sell and this one really is in mint condition. It’s likely, if graded, a PSA 8. This would bring close to $200.
I want to display the 8 cards in a 9 card holder with another card of Maz, possibly signed. The problem is some are vertical and some are horizontal. So this won’t work. I’d like to frame them with a large signed photo of Maz and maybe each of the guys who are depicted on the cards. Or, at least the key guys in the photos. This would be easy except when doing this you really do ruin the cards.
So here is the question. Do I sell the Mantle card and get a lesser grade one and then frame it, or do I do something else? I like having a Mint Mantle card no matter what. Nearly all the other cards are nice as well. Do I do the same with those? I’m not sure.
Pondering this question has me in a bit of a twist. I know there are more important things in the world, in fact, more important in my own life. This is a slice of life however which is really cool, and important to me. Oh, what is a body to do? Suggestions? |
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Category : General
| Posted By : kckings | Comments[1] | Trackbacks [6541] |
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| 05 Oct 2005 11:13:39 pm |
| TOPPS AND WRESTLING, GUESS AGAIN |
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As a hobby store owner, a baseball card shop owner, as a businessman, I can’t help but believe sometimes the manufacturers have little if any respect for us – the hobby store owners. It has come to roost again as another deadline has come and gone to order a product direct from the manufacturer producing it. Again, I hate to say it, but Topps is doing it’s best to make hobby store owners feel more like Rodney Dangerfield.
The product in question is WWE Heritage Wrestling cards. The company is hyping the fact wrestling sells to a new audience. A big audience in fact loves wrestling. It is one of the most popular spectator events in the country. You can’t call it a sport but it’s almost – well – not even almost a sport. It’s fake but people love it.
Topps is offering a very nice product which is cheap enough on the surface. A 24 pack box with $2 packs at about the normal margin we get from these companies. We are lucky if it’s 35-percent.
The rub is they want us to order it without telling us what is in it. Oh they tell us there are autographs and relic cards but the insertion rates are non-existent. If it was one autograph per box I would have ordered it directly from Topps. However, there is no such animal. Vaguely it seems Topps is saying we don’t know how many signatures on cards we’re going to get but we’ll put them in there when we decide how much we are going to make. The hobby dealers decide this plus the retail giants because Topps prints to order.
This still leaves us with a question. What is the insertion rate for the autographs and relics? Most of the time Topps does tell us on the order forms. The other companies pretty much do all the time. Why a company cannot tell its buyers (its customers) what it is making without asking us to purchase it first, is beyond me.
You wouldn’t buy a bottle of white liquid if it didn’t tell you on the cover there was milk inside. You wouldn’t buy a gallon of ice cream which just said “Ice Cream” on it. Why on earth should we be asked to purchase a box of cards by the case when the company can’t even tell us what’s in it?
How about this? I’ll order three cases and I’ll pay by credit card. But I won’t give you the credit card number. You just send me the product when it ships and I’ll call you with the credit card number after I open a few boxes to see what’s inside. If there are no autographs in the few boxes I open I guess the company was wrong about autographed cards in the boxes. So instead of calling you with the credit card number, I’ll keep you guessing too. |
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Category : General
| Posted By : kckings | Comments[0] | Trackbacks [6403] |
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