In my last issue on Cameron Crowe, I listed that I considered Elizabethtown a very underrated movie. Well, I thought that would be a perfect reason for a Top 10 list. By underrated I imply that no matter what amount of popularity or critical acclaim that it did receive, it was not enough based on my opinion of what it truly deserves. In this case, I only intend to include movies that were released during the last 30 years since those have been my prime movie watching years. You will probably notice that many of these films have popped up on previous lists, but some have not. I felt strongly about so many films that I decided to give you a bonus 10 to really make a Top 20. So let's just get right to it, here is OLD SCHOOL'S TOP 10 MOST UNDERRATED MOVIES (1978-2008 + Bonus 10):
Honorable Mention. Office Space (1999) - Though this film, written and directed by Mike Judge, did not enjoy box office success, it has since become sort of a cult classic. That is why I am putting only as an honorable mention because it would probably rank #1 on my list otherwise. Every time I watch it, I notice something new and it never fails to make me laugh. It amazes me that this film took so long to gain popularity because to me it is one of the funniest movies ever made.
20. The Station Agent (2003) - Most people have not seen this little film, written and directed by Thomas McCarthy, and that is a shame. It features amazing character interaction with great performances by the cast which includes Patricia Clarkson, Bobby Cannavale and Peter Dinklage. I took a chance on it and I am so happy that I did. If you want to see a great character driven movie, I highly recommend this one.
19. Brewster's Millions (1985) - This is one of my favorite movies from the 80's and also ranked on my Top 10 John Candy movies (January 21^st issue). It stars Richard Pryor as a minor league baseball player who can inherit $300 million if he is able to spend $30 million in 30 days without having anything to show for it at the end. It actually is a great screenplay and should receive more credit than it does.
18. Elizabethtown (2005) - You only have to go back to my last article (February 27^th issue) to see about this Cameron Crowe film. As I said there, Crowe created a very deep character, played perfectly by Orlando Bloom, who you become emotionally attached to and that is what is at the heart of this movie. This film has many fantastic qualities to it, so I definitely recommend it if you have yet to see this one.
17. Enemy of the State (1998) - This film stars Will Smith and Gene Hackman who both put in fantastic performances. This will definitely appear on my Top 10 list for both actors when I decide to publish those to you. This action drama follows Smith's character as he becomes the target of a government agency trying to protect their own interests. This film somehow did not get the same notoriety of most Will Smith movies even though it is actually one of the best he has ever been in.
16. Tin Cup (1996) - This film, which is written and directed by the very underrated in his own right Ron Shelton, will easily rank on my Top 10 Sports Movies list which is scheduled to be published in the next month. What makes it special is that it is much more than just a sports movie and it features a solid cast which includes Kevin Costner, the beautiful Rene Russo, Don Johnson and Cheech Marin. If you follow golf you will probably enjoy this film a little more, but the story is entertaining enough even if you are not a golf fan.
15. Confidence (2003) - I am a big fan of what I refer to as a "caper" film and this is one of the best I have ever seen. A "caper" film would be anything about con artists or schemers like Ocean's 11 for instance. This film does not do anything revolutionary for the category, but has a strong story that is brought to life by a truly outstanding cast. The cast is lead by Edward Burns (who I feel is one of the most underrated actors out there), but also includes Andy Garcia, Dustin Hoffman, Paul Giamatti and Rachel Weisz among others. As with every single movie on this list, I highly recommend this one especially if you have never seen it.
14. Jersey Girl (2004) - This film is written and directed by Kevin Smith who is one of my absolute favorite filmmakers. It did not get widespread critical acclaim or box office success and some of that may have been impacted by its stars' off-screen relationship. Though the tabloids were covering the Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez relationship like a blanket, the amazing and emotional performance Affleck puts in is totally overlooked. This film ranked on my Top 10 Affleck & Damon Movies (January 23^rd issue) and I am still confused why more people do not enjoy this movie. The great cast also includes Liv Tyler, George Carlin, Jasson Biggs and introduces a little girl named Raquel Castro. Along with the message it delivers, they all help make this movie pretty special to me.
13. Finding Forrester (2000) - This movie, directed by Gus Van Zant, is best described through its tagline which reads "In an ordinary place, he found the one person to make his life extraordinary." This is one of those films that sneaks up on you and then when it is over you step back and feel impressed. The story is about an inner city high school boy who meets a Pulitzer Prize winning author (played by Sean Connery). It is a little bit predictable, but nonetheless enjoyable so you should definitely give it a try.
12. Diggstown (1992) - I admittedly did not see this one in theaters, but I do remember renting the video when it was released and being very impressed by it. The film obviously was overlooked and deserves much more credit for its originality and outstanding performances. James Woods and Louis Gossett Jr. both shine in their roles as a con man and boxer respectively. There is a good chance that you have never seen or maybe even heard of this movie and, if that is the case, I suggest you definitely check it out.
11. The Story of Us (1999) - This film ranked on my Top 10 Rob Reiner films list (January 12^th issue) and is another film that was somehow overlooked when it was released. It stars Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer as a couple over 15 years going through the normal ups and downs of marriage and at the end showing that true love endures. It features a tremendous soundtrack mostly by Eric Clapton which adds that extra touch to make it even more special. I enjoy this movie very much and I would guess that you would too.
10. That Thing You Do! (1996) - Written and directed by the great Tom Hanks, this fun and light-hearted film probably had high expectations to live up to. I feel they met and exceeded those expectations and this film deserves a lot more credit than it normally receives. It features a great soundtrack of mostly original songs and a exceptional cast which includes Hanks himself. I feel that Tom Everett Scott plays "Guy Patterson" perfectly and am still surprised that this actor did not turn into a superstar. This is a movie that most people probably did see, but is maybe worth watching again to recognize some of the brilliance on display.
9. Minority Report (2002) - This movie was very successful at the box office, but still does not get the tremendous credit that I feel it deserves. It appears on both my Steven Spielberg Top 10 (February 12^th issue) and my Tom Cruise Top 10 (January 7^th issue). They create a future world with incredible advances in technology, but the film still revolves around tremendous characters. As I have said before, this film is complex and has a lot going on, so even I did not appreciate it nearly as much until I watched it a second time. So whether you have seen it before or not, please watch it again because you notice so much more the second or third time through.
8. Love Actually (2003) - I enjoy watching this film, written and directed by Richard Curtis, especially around Christmas time. Taking place in England, it follows several different characters lives as they sort of crossover during the holiday season. As I am sure you have noticed by now, character development and interaction is the key element that really makes a film special to me. This movie really delivers in this capacity as rich characters are brought to life by a tremendous cast including Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth and Laura Linney. I know Christmas is still about 9 months away, but if you do not see it sooner, I highly recommend that you see at that time.
7. The Sandlot (1993) - Many people consider this a children's movie, but just because it is about children does not make it a movie just for children. This is a coming of age film that has surprisingly rich characters with fantastic dialogue and interaction. I admit that this movie probably definitely appeals more to guys since it revolves around baseball and all of the main characters are boys. I rank it highly on this list because I enjoy this film probably more as a 35 year old than I would have as a child. The added perspective I have gained with age allows me to appreciate this film that much more.
6. Big Fish (2003) - I would describe this as a modern day fairy tale for adults and that is something we all can use a little more of in our lives. It is directed by Tim Burton, but definitely does not have the darkness I usually attribute to Burton films. The movie is a little quirky, but I tend to like that more than not. I would go as far as to compare it to the amazing Wizard of Oz (which is one of my very favorite films of all time) in its ability to tell a story that blurs the line between fantasy and reality in its effort to simply celebrate the joy of life. Like many of my favorites, this movie seems to get better each time I watch it. If you have yet to see it even once, I highly recommend you give it a try.
5. Beautiful Girls (1996) - I love this movie which follows a guy back to his hometown to attend his high school reunion and take inventory of his life, too. I have loved it since they day I saw it in the theater and each and every time I have watched it since then. Again it develops some rich characters who are brought to life by an outstanding cast which includes Timothy Hutton, Matt Dillon, Michael Rappaport, Uma Thurman, Natalie Portman and so many others. The dialogue is special and the character interaction memorable. Ranked this high you know that I obviously give it my highest recommendation.
4. Indian Summer (1993) - Another one of my all-time very favorites, this film written and directed by Mike Binder did not receive much attention then and still not all that much now. I continue to champion this movie as another well written story featuring very rich characters. It follows a group of seven friends as they re-unite at their childhood summer camp and this premise sets up the opportunities for these characters to interact. The cast is lead by the great Alan Arkin and includes several other well-known actors like Elizabeth Perkins, Bill Paxton, Diane Lane and Kevin Pollack. I never attended a summer camp like this, but for some reason I am just attracted to this movie because of the great story, characters and performances. There is a good chance you may have never seen (or even heard of) this film, but I can't recommend it any more highly.
3. Out of Sight (1998) - Based on an Elmore Leonard novel, this film united director Steven Soderbergh with actor George Clooney. It also includes very strong performances by Jennifer Lopez, Don Cheadle and Ving Rhames among an incredible cast. It has a little bit of everything in it and it gives me some of special elements that I feel my all time favorite film Pulp Fiction provides. I always hoped and thought there was a chance a sequel to this movie would be made, but up to this point I have not heard anything about that possibility. This film falls into my "caper" category of action dramas, but it also makes me laugh quite a bit. Again like nearly all of the films on this list, it features a great story, with great characters and dialogue brought to life by an amazing cast. What else could you want in a movie?
2. Dogma (1999) - Another film written and directed by the amazing Kevin Smith, this is also another of my all-time favorites. Many people were distracted by the religious subject matter of this film and overlooked the fact that it is a pretty phenomenal movie. Anybody who claims this film is blasphemous or anti-religion has obviously not seen the movie. Though it does poke a little fun here and there, it really is a film that promotes faith and religion. Kevin Smith is an expert with dialogue and character development and this film is no different. It ranks #1 on my Top 10 Damon & Affleck list (January 23^rd issue) and will rank very highly if and when I actually release my Top 200 Favorite Movies of All Time.
1. Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) - This dark comedy is definitely not going to appeal to everybody, but it is perfect to me. It ranked #3 on my Top 10 Independent Films (January 26^th issue) and #2 on my Top 10 John Cusack list (January 15^th issue). I am not necessarily a fan of violent films, but if the violence is a function of the story and the humor, then it does not bother me at all. This film is about a professional hitman who is going back to his high school reunion and then hilarity ensues. This movie has never received the acclaim that I feel it so justly deserves, but it still is one of my favorite films of all time.

What do you think of that list? It gives you more insight into my taste in movies and I hope it gives you some ideas on movies you would like to see. Let me know if you take my advice on any of these and what your reaction is. All of the movies ended up being between 1985 and 2005 with most being between 1993 and 2003 even though I was considering the past 30 years. There are so many outstanding films and many of them do not get the credit they deserve. It is interesting that certain films tend to be box office smashes and certain films receive awards and critical acclaim, but there are others that get neither yet are so much better that the films that do. These are some of the best movies I have ever seen.

That will wrap a long issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Please continue to spread the word and I appreciate any traffic you send my way. Be sure to click on the Archive buttons in the upper left hand column to make sure you have not missed any of the past issues. Have a wonderful weekend. Peace and much love.

Check this out: Here is a link to very entertaining and talented magicians Penn & Teller showing their "Cups & Balls Trick."

Quote of the day: On this last day of Black History Month, I will leave you with these great words... "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." -Martin Luther King Jr.

Download this: "Have a Little Faith in Me" by John Hiatt

With all of this movie talk over the last week with the Oscars, I could not help but think of one of my favorite filmmakers and wonder where he has been. What happened to Cameron Crowe??? He has only made eight films in his career, but all but one of them are outstanding. In fact, three of them rank easily within my top 25 favorites of all time. His last film was released back in 2005 and I, for one, would really like to know what he is up to. His last two movies were not met with much critical acclaim, but I still felt they were worthy efforts.

Crowe is now 50 years old, but he made his first big film when he was just 24. He has won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and was nominated one other time as well. He is married to Nancy Wilson from the sister band Heart (after meeting her on the set of one of his own movies) and has twin sons who are about 7 years old now. I am sure he has a beautiful life and is enjoying raising his sons and does not have as much time to devote to making movies, but us fans are really hoping that he has something new coming soon.

For those of you not as familiar with his work, here is a quick summary:

Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982) - This film was based off of the book Crowe wrote after posing as a high school student in San Diego when he was 19. The movie was ranked #8 on Old School's Top 80's Teen Comedies (January 9^th issue). It launched the careers of many stars including: Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Forest Whitaker and Eric Stoltz. It even featured a young Nicolas Cage (under his real name of Nicolas Coppola). Sean Penn's "Jeff Spicoli" stoner surfer dude character was phenomenal. It also features the famous scene where Phoebe Cates gets out of the swimming pool. Crowe tried to create somewhat of a sequel in 1984 called The Wild Life, but this is the one dud on his resumé.

Say Anything (1989) - This is a fantastic film which he also directed and ranks as one of my all time favorites. It was #1 on my Top 10 films of John Cusack (January 15^th issue) who also happens to be one of my very favorite actors of all time. Though the characters behave a little older than the high school students they are meant to be, I feel this film really creates some amazing characters and captures teen angst in a special way. One of those classic scenes in cinema was created when Cusack's character "Lloyd Dobler" holds up a boom box outside of his true love's window and it plays Peter Gabriel's song "In Your Eyes." I truly love this film and I hope Crowe and Cusack hook up again in the future.

Singles (1992) - I am not as big of a fan of this movie which he also directed and produced. Crowe would direct all of his films from Say Anything on and also produce all of his films from Singles forward. This story follows a group of friends living in Seattle at the forefront of the grunge rock phenomenon that was beginning. The film shows Crowe's incredible skill at developing characters. It is always fascinating to me in all of his films to watch Crowe's characters interact with each other. This movie also really starts to emphasize the importance of music to the filmmaker and his movies. The soundtrack to this film became a best-seller even before the movie was released. Looking back, you definitely see that music is carefully chosen and very significant in his previous films as well.

Jerry Maguire (1996) - Again, he is not only the writer, but also the director and producer of this film which garnered him an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. This is another one of my all time favorite movies. It has appeared on three previous Old School Top 10 lists: #1 on Tom Cruise performances (January 7^th issue), #2 on Best Picture Nominees Not to Win (January 22^nd issue) and #1 on with Cuba Gooding Jr. on the Best Supporting Actors (February 19^th issue). You could not have cast this film any better than it was. Crowe again creates an attachment to these amazing characters with incredible depth who interact with each other in a way that is pure entertainment. Then you also have catch phrases like "Show me the money!" which add to the fun. This film touched me on several different levels and I feel it is a work of pure genius in many accounts.

Almost Famous (2000) - This film is semi-autobiographical and earned him his first and only Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Another of his movies that features music at its heart, but still relies on rich characters and their interaction with each other to tell a great story. This particular story originates from his experiences as young journalist that goes on the road with a 70's rock band. Those rich characters are abundant in this movie which I consider to be very under-rated despite its Oscar winning screenplay. At this point in 2000, I felt that Crowe could do no wrong.

Vanilla Sky (2001) - This is the only film that Crowe did not write the entire story himself. Here he only wrote the screenplay to remake a Spanish film and this reunited Crowe with, his Jerry Maguire star, Tom Cruise. Though I feel this movie has a very interesting plot, it also often strays over into some strange moments. To me it seemed like it teetered on the brink of either greatness or confusion. It ultimately proved to be too surreal, but I still feel it has some redeeming qualities. I feel it is definitely a movie that you need to see 2-3 times before you can pass judgment. This was the first Crowe film since 1984 to not achieve critical respect.

Elizabethtown (2005) - Crowe returned with this film which also did not seem to get critical acclaim, but I feel it is a bit under-rated. This story harkened back to more of a Say Anything feel and starred Orlando Bloom who I thought was perfect in his role as "Drew Baylor." Crowe creates a very deep character that you become emotionally attached to and that is what makes this movie special. His wife, Nancy Wilson, helped construct the soundtrack for this film which really becomes intertwined with the story as it moves along. When I publish my Top 10 Most Under-rated Films, this one might just make the list. Unfortunately, this is the last film that Crowe has brought to the screen.

If anybody has an update or has heard any rumors as it pertains to Cameron Crowe, please fill me in. I hope he has a new film in the works, but until then I will just continue to enjoy his tremendous works he has chosen to share with us.

That will wrap up another issue of Kickin' it. In my continuing effort to provide you with additional sources of pop culture news, I have been meaning to recommend that you check out Popdose.com. This site features some fantastic writing on some topics that are less mainstream than what you find most places. I find it to be very entertaining, so let me know what you think if you decide to give it a try. Thanks for reading and please continue spreading the word on Kickin' it Old School. I appreciate any new readers you can send my way. Peace and much love.

Check this out: I thought this automotive innovation was kind of interesting. Here is a link that takes you to the disappearing car door.

Quote of the day: "Success is getting what you want. Happiness is liking what you get." -H. Jackson Brown

Download this: "Same In Any Language" by I Nine - This song is featured on the soundtrack to the film Elizabethtown.

I want to kick this off with a quote from last night's show that I feel did an amazing job summing up my feelings towards movies and cinema:
"I love the movies. They entertain us. They offer us hope. They give us dreams. They can take us places we've never been and, just even for a few moments, they can take us away when you want to get away. Movies inspire us. They challenge us and, despite our differences, they are a common link that touches the humanity in all of us." -Jack Nicholson

As promised, here is Old School's 2008 Oscars recap. There were some nice moments in the 80^th anniversary of the Academy Awards. Nielsen says that preliminary ratings for the telecast were 14% lower than the least-watched ceremony ever which was 2003 when still 33 million viewers tuned in. I was obviously one of them.  There were not a lot of good movies this past year, but the ones that were good happened to be really good. Those films were honored, but like I predicted in yesterday's issue No Country For Old Men was the big winner. If you did not read the pre-Oscar issue, please go check that out before reading the rest.

My predictions were very accurate except for the actress categories. As I predicted, No Country For Old Men won four major awards including Best Picture, Best Directors, Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay. The amazing performance by Javier Bardem was justly rewarded and the Coen Brothers were able to come to the stage three times for the other awards. This is very impressive and very well deserved. Juno won for Best Original Screenplay which I also felt was extremely well deserved. I was actually happy to see that Michael Clayton won at least one of the seven awards it was nominated for when Tilda Swinton won Best Supporting Actress (though I was hoping that George Clooney would have pulled off the upset in his category). The biggest surprise of the night had to be that Marion Cottliard won Best Actress in a Leading Role with her performance in a film La Vie En Rose which very few people have even seen. A pleasant surprise to me, The Bourne Ultimatum swept all three categories it was nominated for taking home Oscars for Best Film Editing, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing. It is great to see movies that you have seen and enjoyed win the awards.  That pretty much quickly covers the actual awards though the ceremony unnecessarily dragged on for over 3 hours. I honestly feel those lower ratings could be solved if they shortened the program and focused on the major awards.

The show began with a cool intro with a delivery truck bringing the Oscar statues to the theater, but not as cool as when Billy Crystal hosts the show. Here is a link to view this year's intro. Jon Stewart was the host of this year's ceremony and I feel he did an admirable job. I enjoy his sense of humor and he kept the show moving for the most part. Being Oscar's 80^th anniversary, George Clooney introduced a nice montage showing some of the highlights of the past 79 years. I enjoy these sorts of videos much more than many of the other portions of the program, so here is a link to watch the video yourself. Then about 2 hours into the show Jack Nicholson marched out and delivered that perfect quote that I began this issue with. He proceeded to introduce a video that recapped all 79 previous winners of the Best Picture award. Here is a link to the video that includes Jack's introduction as well. Jon Stewart had some decent jokes sprinkled in throughout the evening, but I though the funniest part was an exchange between Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill as presenters. The premise was that Halle Berry and Dame Judi Dench were supposed to present that particular award, but could not be there so they were the replacements. The funny part was how they seemingly argued over who is more like Halle Berry. You would have to see it to really appreciate it, but I could not find a video of this part yet. Take my word for it, they were very funny.

I thought most of the attendees were dressed very nicely for the event, but it would not be an Oscar recap if I did not at least comment on the best (and worst) dressed. It seemed to me that most people were rather safe. For the ladies, I felt that Jennifer Garner and Katherine Heigl were the most stunning. Taking into consideration that they were pregnant, I felt that both Nicole Kidman and Jessica Alba looked very nice. If I had to pick a worst dressed, I would give that to Tilda Swinton who wore a very unflattering black frock. For the guys, I feel that most look very nice when you put them in a tuxedo. Not that I pay all that much attention to these sort of things, but George Clooney always seems to exude coolness. Other guys that seemed to stand out include: Dwayne ‘The Rock' Johnson, Javier Bardem, Johnny Depp, Jason Bateman, Sean ‘P. Diddy' Combs and Denzel Washington. Again, if I had to pick a worst dressed, I would give that to Daniel Day-Lewis. I am not a fashion expert, but those are my opinions from last night's red carpet.

If you have read most of my Kickin' it Old School articles over the past two months, you will quickly notice my love of movies. (If you have not, then where have you been??? Be sure to click on the Archive buttons and get caught up!) I could not have captured the reasons for that love any better than that opening quote from above. I feel that magic when I experience a great movie and the Oscars always seems to bring a little bit of that magic for me as well. Hopefully some films in the coming year will approach the greatness of No Country For Old Men and the other films I enjoyed so much from this year. That will do it for the Kickin' it Oscar recap. Thanks for reading and please continue to give me lots of feedback. Have a great week. Peace and much love.

Check this out: WARNING again! This is a bit crude again, but oh so funny. In the "Check this out" section of my February 13th issue I included a link to watch an extremely funny video that Sarah Silverman created with Matt Damon for her boyfriend Jimmy Kimmel. Well, last night after the Oscars Kimmel premiered his hilarious rebuttal. Here is a link to watch it. It features some very funny cameos that make it even more comical. I am a big Damon and Affleck fan and this type of display just makes me appreciate them both that much more.

Quote of the day: see the beginning of this article

Download this: "Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight" by Amos Lee - I am a big fan of Amos Lee and this is my favorite song of his

So, I finally saw Gone Baby Gone since it was released on DVD and I have to say that I was very impressed. The film was based off of a novel by author Dennis Lehane who also wrote Mystic River. Like Mystic River, this movie deals with some uncomfortable subject matters especially for me since I have a young daughter of my own. I do not want to give too much away about the movie, so don't worry about any spoilers coming from me here. I am biased because I am a Ben Affleck fan, but I feel he deserves incredible praise for his work on this film. (Speaking of Affleck, here is a link back to my January 23rd issue which had my Top 10 for Affleck & Damon.) He does not appear in the film, but he co-wrote the screenplay based on the novel and also makes his true directorial debut in fine fashion. I often take notice of the technical aspects of a movie in addition to the characters, story and acting. The technical aspects of Gone Baby Gone seemed very strong and I would attribute much of that to Affleck. I actually feel he probably even deserved an Oscar nomination for Directing. He also was blessed with a tremendous cast to bring this story to life. It starts with his younger brother, Casey Affleck, who is nominated for Best Supporting Actor for another film, but just as well could have received a nomination for this role. You might think he only received this part because his brother was the producer, writer and director and I am sure that helped, but Casey Affleck is really a tremendous actor in his own right. The film also stars Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris. You really can't go wrong with these two amazing actors and they both do their normal exceptional job as would be expected. The lone actual Oscar nomination from this film went to Amy Ryan who makes you really dislike her character as you are meant to. I will discuss this a little more below when I make my Oscar predictions. The way the movie ends really creates a moral dilemma for the characters, but also for the audience as you consider what you feel to be the right thing to do. In order to not spoil the movie for anybody, I will not go into details, but I found this to be a very interesting quandary. Despite dealing with difficult subject matters, overall I feel the film really delivers even before the ending, but then this ending really leaves you thinking for quite a time long after watching the movie. That is a trait that many quality films possess and Gone Baby Gone is definitely a quality film from start to finish.

The 80th annual Academy Awards ceremony (Oscars) is to be held tonight beginning live at 7:00 pm central on ABC. Many people love the red carpet coverage and you can begin watching that live on E! or TV Guide channels beginning at 5:00 pm central. Both of those channels already have Oscar related programming on now until they go live to the red carpet at 5:00. For what it's worth, I figured I would give you my Oscar predictions for tonight's awards.
As you have read in past issues, I am a big fan of No Country For Old Men, Michael Clayton and Juno, though I feel it will be No Country For Old Men that is the big winner tonight.
BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE: I think it is a foregone conclusion that this award will go to Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood. I have not seen this performance, so I cannot really comment on it. I did see George Clooney in Michael Clayton and that is who I will be cheering for.
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: As I have discussed several times before, I believe that Javier Bardem will win this award hands down for his role in No Country For Old Men. Not only is this the best performance of this year, but is one of the best of all time in my opinion.
BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: It looks like Julie Christie will likely win this award for Away From Her. Again, I did not see this performance, but I did see Ellen Page in Juno and I feel she is very deserving of this award as well and hope she somehow pulls it out.
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: This race seems to be pretty wide open. Ruby Dee won at the SAG awards and could win to honor her long career. I saw Tilda Swinton in Michael Clayton and I think she is very deserving as well. As I mentioned above, Amy Ryan put in a great performance in Gone Baby Gone and I believe that she will be the winner tonight though it could go to any of the three.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: This award will go to Disney/Pixar film Ratatouille which is also nominated for Best Original Screenplay.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: This is always one of my favorite awards because it honors the quality and originality of the writing. This year I have no doubt that Diablo Cody will win this award for her incredible film Juno.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: This is another award that I feel should go to the Coen Brothers for No Country For Old Men. Though the ending of the film could create an opening for Atonement or There Will Be Blood. I am pretty surprised that Gone Baby Gone did not at least get a nomination in this category.
BEST DIRECTING: This award will definitely go to Joel & Ethan Coen for No Country For Old Men. I feel Tony Gilroy did a particularly excellent job with Michael Clayton, but this award definitely will go to the Coens who already won the Directors Guild award.
BEST PICTURE: No surprise here, I expect this award to go to No Country For Old Men as well. Though I have had high praise for Juno and Michael Clayton, I feel this is by far the best film created this past year. It is a true masterpiece and I cannot wait for it to be released on DVD, so I can watch it a couple more times.

As I said before, I expect No Country For Old Men to be the big winner tonight and deservedly so. Those are my picks, so let me know if you feel strongly about any of them. I highly recommend Juno, Michael Clayton, Gone Baby Gone and No Country For Old Men which I have seen and felt were outstanding. They are either out on DVD already or will be very soon, so let me know what you think once you see them.

The ceremony is scheduled for 3 hours, but I really feel that is too long. I say this every year, yet it doesn't seem to change. All of the awards should be presented, but not all have to be done during the live show. I feel the awards I listed above plus maybe Original Song and Cinematography are the only awards that need to be part of the live show. I do not care to see the presentations for documentaries and some of the more technical awards. They could take a couple minutes to honor all of those winners, but they do not need to take about an hour of the show to present each one and allow acceptance speeches as well. You would still have presentation of special achievement awards and the video honoring all of the actors who passed away since the last ceremony. If the ceremony was tightened up a little bit, I feel it would make it more entertaining and increase ratings. I don't know if it will ever happen, but I would be a big proponent of doing it as soon as possible.

That will wrap up another issue of Kickin' it. I need to go get ready to start watching the red carpet coverage. I plan on posting a Oscars Recap issue tomorrow night, so be sure to look for that. Thanks for reading and be sure to click on the Archive buttons in the upper left column to make sure you have not missed any previous issues of Kickin' it Old School. Peace and much love.

Check this out: Here is another great optical illusion. Follow the directions first above the picture and then below.
If your eyes follow the movement of the rotating pink dot the dots will remain only one color, pink.

However if you stare at the black "+" in the center, the moving dot turns to green.

Now, concentrate on the black "+" in the center of the picture. After a short period, all the pink dots will slowly disappear, and you may only see only a single green dot rotating.

It's amazing how our brain works. There really is no green dot, and the pink ones really don't disappear.
This should be proof enough, we don't always see what we think we see! Pretty cool, huh?

Quote of the day: "How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these." -George Washington Carver

Download this: "Bless The Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts - I am in no way a country music fan, but I still feel this particular song is amazing with a very worthwhile sentiment as well.

After reading yesterday's issue, it is obvious that classic 80's films did NOT receive their due respect at the Oscars. With this in mind, I decided I would create my own special awards to honor these great films from my younger formative years. These will not be your traditional awards, but instead will feature unique categories that address the 80's genre. Without further ado, here are OLD SCHOOL'S MOVIE AWARDS 80s STYLE:
• Special Achievement Award for Vocal Sound Effects - And the OldSchooly goes to... Michael Winslow as "Larvelle Jones" in Police Academy. Here is a link to see some of his best work in this regard.  You may need to turn up your volume a little.
• Special Achievement Award for Supporting Actor Playing a Dead Guy Most of the Movie - And the OldSchooly goes to... Terry Kiser as "Bernie Lomax" in the 1989 film Weekend at Bernie's. Here is a link to the trailer for this film and you can see Bernie in action.
• Special Achievement Award for Gratuitous Male Beach Volleyball - And the OldSchooly obviously goes to... Top Gun with this link to watch the scene that is so popular with the ladies. Just to be fair to the women, I decided to include this award.
• Special Lack of Achievement Award for Worst Make Up - And the OldSchooly goes to... C. Thomas Howell as "Mark Watson" in the 1986 film Soul Man. I don't know who thought this was a good idea, but Howell gives it his best despite a horrible premise.
Now on to the regular nominations and awards.
• Most Effective Use of a Computer - The other nominees include: War Games for almost causing, but then narrowly avoiding World War III; Ferris Bueller's Day Off for allowing Ferris to hack into the school computer and change his number of days absent, but the OldSchooly goes to... Weird Science for using the computer to create a hot chick. Here is a link to watch the scene in which Gary and Wyatt create Lisa (played by Kelly LeBrock).
• Scariest Bad Guy Created With Special Effects - The other nominees include: "Stay Puft Marshmallow Man" from Ghostbusters, The gremlins from Gremlins, "Audrey II" from Little Shop of Horrors, but the OldSchooly goes to... "Chuckie" from the 1988 film Child's Play.
• Best Dancing Scene - The other nominees include: Dirty Dancing, The Breakfast Club with link to watch, Footloose with link to watch, Flashdance, Performing the "African Anteater Ritual" in Can't Buy Me Love with link to watch it, but the OldSchooly goes to...(TIE) Breakin' with this link to watch the final showdown and Beat Street with this link to watch break dancing at its best.
• Best Original Screenplay by John Hughes - The other nominees include: Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), Weird Science (1985), Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987), The Great Outdoors (1988), Uncle Buck (1989), but the OldSchooly goes to... National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989).
• Best Automobile - The other nominees include: The batmobile from Batman, Cameron's Dad's car from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Cole Trickle's car from Days of Thunder, but the OldSchooly goes to... The Delorean from Back to the Future.
• Hottest Babe - The other nominees include: Phoebe Cates from Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Amanda Peterson as "Cindy Mancini" in Can't Buy Me Love, Helen Slater from both Secret of My Success and Supergirl, Kelly LeBrock from Weird Science, Molly Ringwald from Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink & The Pick Up Artist, Apollonia Kotero from Purple Rain, but the OldSchooly goes to... (TIE) Elisabeth Shue from The Karate Kid, Adventures in Babysitting & Cocktail and "Jessica Rabbit" from Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
• Best Sequel of the Decade - The other nominees include: Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo, Beverly Hills Cop II, The Karate Kid Part II, Fletch Lives, Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom, Back to the Future II, Ghostbusters II, but the OldSchooly goes to... (TIE) The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi because I have always remained a big Star Wars fan.
• Best Geek that ends up being kind of cool at the end - The other nominees include: Patrick Dempsey as "Ronald Miller" in Can't Buy Me Love, Pee Wee Herman in Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Everybody (except for Val Kilmer) in the film Real Genius, Everybody in the film The Goonies, Weird Al Yankovic as "George Newman" in UHF, but the OldSchooly without a doubt goes to... Anthony Michael Hall for his fantastic characters in Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Weird Science.
• Best Montage (most classic 80's films have them) - The other nominees include: Revenge of the Nerds fixing up the new fraternity house, Summer Rental getting the ship ready to race, Footloose preparing for the big dance, The Secret of My Success with Brantley doing multiple jobs, but the OldSchooly goes to... Rocky IV for the training montage with a link here to watch it.  You may have to turn up your volume a little on this one, too.
• Best Performance of a Song by a Character - The other nominees include: Marty performing "Johnny B. Goode" in Back to the Future with link here to watch it, The Tri Lambs performing at the talent show in Revenge of the Nerds with link here to watch it, Madonna performing in Desperately Seeking Susan, Maverick & Goose singing "You Lost That Lovin' Feeling" or "Great Balls of Fire" in Top Gun, Ferris singing "Danke Schoen" & "Twist and Shout" in Ferris Bueller's Day Off with link here to watch it, Adventures in Babysitting opening scene with "And Then He Kissed Me" with link here to watch it, but the OldSchooly goes to... Prince performing in Purple Rain.

That is all for tonight's awards, please drive home safely. Hope you enjoyed reading them as much I enjoyed coming up with them. What nominations would you add??? Let me know what you think. The possibilities are endless.

That will also do it for another issue of Kickin' it Old School. Look for some of my serious Oscar predictions in my next posting. Thank you so much for reading and I ask you continue to spread the word. If you know someone else who might enjoy Kickin' it, please send them the link to get them here. I appreciate it all. Peace and much love.

Check this out: Here is a link to a very funny video. It is a parody of an ending to a generic classic 80s movie bringing every stereotype into play. You have to watch a short 30 second preview before it lets you start watching the 5 minute video.

Quote of the day: "Two roads diverged in a wood and I- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." -Robert Frost

Download this: "Every Time You Go Away" by Paul Young

In the spirit of Oscar week and with my obsession with the 80's, I have decided to go back and look at how the Academy Awards honored (or failed to honor) the classic films of the 80's generation. Now I am not talking about just movies that happen to have been released between 1980 and 1989, but those films that I truly identify as "80's movies." What I found was that there was very little Oscar representation by true 80's movies which is not all that surprising. I will go year by year and call any interesting awards and/or nominations out as we go.
1980 - The only film worth mentioning in this year is The Empire Strikes Back. Though considered much, much more than just an 80's film, my memories still take me back to that decade. This movie won the Oscar for Sound and received a Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects. It was also nominated for Art Direction and Original Score.
1981 - Again not necessarily thought of as an 80's movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark is the only film that comes close for me. This movie won the Oscar for Sound, Visual Effects, Film Editing and Art Direction plus received a Special Achievement Award for Sound Effects Editing. It was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Cinematography and Original Score.
1982 - Now we start to get a couple more classic 80's films show up. Rocky III received a nomination for Original Song with "Eye of the Tiger." Tron received nominations for Sound and Costume Design. ET: The Extra Terrestrial won Oscars for Sound, Visual Effects, Sound Effects Editing and Original Score while also being nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Cinematography and Film Editing.
1983 - Return of the Jedi received a Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects while also being nominated for Art Direction, Original Score and Sound. Flashdance won the Oscar for Best Original Song with "Flashdance...What a Feeling" by Irene Cara. It also received another nomination for Best Original Song with "Maniac" as well as Cinematography and Film Editing. War Games did not win any awards, but was nominated for Best Original Screenplay, Cinematography and Sound.
1984 - Prince's Purple Rain won an Oscar for Original Song Score yet was not even nominated for Best Original Song. Pat Morita was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as "Mr. Miyagi" in The Karate Kid. Footloose received a Best Original Song nomination for both "Footloose" and "Let's Hear it For the Boy." Ghostbusters received nominations for Best Original Song and Visual Effects. Romancing the Stone received a nomination for Film Editing. Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom won an Oscar for Visual Effects and was also nominated for Original Score. Impressively, both Beverly Hills Cop and Splash received nominations for Best Original Screenplay.
1985 - This year did not produce very much. Don Ameche won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for Cocoon which also won for Visual Effects. Back to the Future won the Oscar for Sound Effects Editing and also received nominations for Best Original Screenplay, Sound and Best Original Song for "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis & the News.
1986 - Top Gun won the Oscar for Best Original Song with Berlin's "Take My Breath Away" while also receiving nominations for Film Editing, Sound and Sound Effects Editing. The Karate Kid Part II received a Best Original Song nomination for "Glory of Love" by Peter Cetera. Crocodile Dundee surprisingly was nominated for Best Original Screenplay. Stand By Me only was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, but somehow lost to A Room With a View.
1987 - The next two years would have several nominations. Dirty Dancing won the Oscar for Best Original Song with "(I've Had) The Time of My Life." Michael Douglas won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his "Gordon Gekko" in Wall Street. Moonstruck won the Oscar for Best Actress in Leading Role (Cher), Best Supporting Actress (Olympia Dukakis) and Best Original Screenplay. It was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor. RoboCop received a Special Achievement Award for Sound Effects Editing while also being nominated for Film Editing and Sound. Beverly Hills Cop II's "Shakedown" was nominated for Best Original Song as was "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" from Mannequin. Throw Momma From the Train received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Anne Ramsey. Fatal Attraction received nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress in a Leading Role as well as Best Supporting Actress, but failed to win any of them.
1988 - Rain Man won the Oscar for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Dustin Hoffman won for Best Actor in a Leading Role. It was also nominated for Art Direction, Cinematography, Film Editing and Original Score. As mentioned in my last issue, Kevin Kline was awarded the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in A Fish Called Wanda which also received nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Who Framed Roger Rabbit won Oscars for Film Editing, Visual Effects and Sound Effects Editing while also receiving nominations for Art Direction, Cinematography and Sound. Tom Hanks was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Big which was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay. Coming to America received nominations for Costume Design and Makeup. Die Hard received nominations for Film Editing, Sound, Visual Effects and Sound Effects Editing. Beetlejuice was nominated for Makeup. Bull Durham received a nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Working Girl received nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress in a Leading Role (Melanie Griffith), two for Best Supporting Actress (Joan Cusack and Sigourney Weaver) and Best Original Song, but like Fatal Attraction the year before did not win a single one.

So many amazing movie memories during this decade, yet so little critical recognition. I am not going to include 1989 because that really began a transition into the 90's. As you can see, there were not a lot of true classic 80's movies represented. Many of the films listed above are probably not even considered in that category, but these are the movies I felt were close enough. With all of the incredible music, I am really surprised that there were not more nominations and wins for Best Original Song during the 80's. Based on this lack of Oscar credit, I decided to create my own set of awards to present to the classic 80's flicks. Tune in tomorrow to see who gets my nominations and which categories I have come up with to honor. It should be fun especially for you 80's fans.

That will wrap up this issue of Kickin' it. Like I said, tomorrow will be the Old School 80s Movie Awards, so make sure you check back to see those. Thank you for reading and be sure to click on the Archives to make sure you have not missed a single issue of Kickin' it Old School. Peace and much love.

Check this out: Here is some more interesting trivia...

>More than half of the coastline of the entire United States is in Alaska.

>Amazon: The Amazon River pushes so much water into the Atlantic Ocean that, more than one hundred miles at sea off the mouth of the river, one can dip fresh water out of the ocean. Also, the volume of water in the Amazon river is greater than the next eight largest rivers in the world combined and three times the flow of all rivers in the United States.

>Brazil: Brazil got its name from the nut, not the other way around.

>Canada: Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world combined.

>Ohio: There are no natural lakes in the state of Ohio, every one is manmade.

>Antarctica: Antarctica is the only land on our planet that is not owned by any country. Ninety percent of the world's ice covers Antarctica. This ice also represents 70% of all the fresh water in the world. However, Antarctica is essentially a desert. The average yearly total precipitation is about two inches. Although covered with ice, Antarctica is the driest place on the planet, with an absolute humidity lower than the Gobi desert.

>Damascus, Syria: Damascus was flourishing a couple of thousand years before Rome was founded in 753 BC, making it the oldest continuously inhabited city in existence.

>Rome, Italy: The first city to reach a population of 1 million people was Rome, in 133 B.C. There is a city called Rome on every continent.

>Siberia: Siberia contains more than 25% of the world's forests.

>Sahara Desert: In the Sahara Desert, there is a town named Tidikelt, which did not receive a drop of rain for ten years. Technically though, the driest place on Earth is in the valleys of the Antarctic near Ross Island. There has been no rainfall there for two million years.

Quote of the day: "If you think you're too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room." -Anita Roddick

Download this: "Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House - Classic 80's tune that still holds up amazing today

This is Oscar Week with the 80^th annual Academy Awards ceremony scheduled for this Sunday evening. In anticipation of this grand event, I will try to feature some movie and Oscar related articles this week. If you have been reading Kickin' it Old School on a regular basis, you will know that there are three Oscar-nominated films which I have seen and that I have high praise for each of them. Those three films include Juno, Michael Clayton and No Country For Old Men. They are all pretty outstanding in an otherwise weak year as far as quality movies go. If you read my January 30^th issue on No Country For Old Men, you would have read my major endorsement for the incredible performance of Javier Bardem in that film. As I said then, his performance as the sociopath "Anton Chigurh." was truly special. To quote myself I said, "When I say special, I mean Bardem's performance is both riveting and haunting and it might be as good as any I have ever seen." I still stand by those comments and I have no doubts that Bardem will win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor on Sunday night. When he wins, he will take the top spot for me in that category, which leads me into a Top 10 list. Before Bardem wins, which Best Supporting Actors would rank as my favorites up to this point? Here are OLD SCHOOL'S TOP 10 FAVORITE BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR OSCAR WINNING PERFORMANCES:
Honorable Mention. Robert DeNiro as "Vito Corleone" in The Godfather Part II (1974) - Though both Part I and Part II won Best Picture, only Marlon Brando received any other acting awards for any of the three films. These films were brought to life by a tremendous cast and though they received some nominations, they deserved more awards. Though I do not consider myself a major fan of The Godfather films, I do give them credit for their place in cinematic history and thus want to recognize the great Robert DeNiro with at least an honorable mention.
10. Tim Robbins as "Dave Boyle" in Mystic River (2003) - This film, directed by Clint Eastwood, featured an outstanding cast dealing with some very difficult subject matters. Sean Penn was awarded the Oscar for his leading role and with Robbins helped deliver a riveting story to the big screen.
9. Joe Pesci as "Tommy DeVito" in Goodfellas (1990) - Though I am not a big fan of these types of mafia related movies, who could forget the scene with Pesci's character asking "How am I funny?" and then proceeding to brutally pound a guy with a baseball bat? Pesci steals every scene he is in and was well deserving of this honor.
8. Morgan Freeman as "Eddie ‘Scrap Iron' Dupree" in Million Dollar Baby (2004) - Like Mystic River, this film is also directed by Clint Eastwood who always seems to get incredible performances out of his cast. Freeman is a special actor and brings a lot to this role and to this film. He also serves as the narrator (like in Shawshank Redemption) which adds a certain comforting feeling surrounding his character. Great performance in a great film, though I personally felt that Thomas Haden Church should have won this award for Sideways and probably would have ranked higher on this list if he had.
7. Alan Arkin as "Edwin Hoover" in Little Miss Sunshine (2006) - I really enjoy Arkin in every role he plays, so I was very happy to see him win at last year's Oscars. He plays an essential character within the story and, though it is a supporting role, I feel the film succeeds in many ways due to his performance as well as the performance of Steve Carell (who was also in a supporting role). If you have never seen this movie, give it a try. It is a little quirky, but still outstanding.
6. Edmund Gwenn as "Kris Kringle" in Miracle on 34th Street (1947) - This is by far the oldest film to appear on this list, but since I have watched this movie nearly every holiday season since I was a child I know the performance very well. He is just a joy to watch as he brings Santa Claus to life without any special effects other than superb acting. Without a doubt, a special performance in a special film.
5. Robin Williams as "Sean Maguire" in Good Will Hunting (1997) - Despite stiff competition in the category, Williams was honored for his fantastic performance as a psychologist who works with a genius with emotional instability. I really think this film, written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, is fantastic in so many ways. One of the reasons is Robin Williams.
4. Kevin Kline as "Otto West" in A Fish Called Wanda (1988) - A very quirky comedy that features many great performances, but none greater than Kline's. He had such great dialogue written for his character and that combined with Kline's amazing talent for physical comedy makes it truly special. If you have not seen this film in a while, I recommend you give it a try again.
3. Jack Palance as "Curly" in City Slickers (1991) - This film features a hilarious Billy Crystal as well as the funny Daniel Stern and Bruno Kirby, but it is Palance's rough and tough cowboy that brings it all together. Who can forget his one-armed push ups he performed on stage as he accepted his Oscar? A great moment in Oscar history and a great performance in this very under-rated movie.
2. Kevin Spacey as "Verbal Kint" in The Usual Suspects (1995) - What an amazing character this is and Spacey takes the role and makes the most of it. This is one of my favorite movies and a lot has to do with the tremendous screenplay and surprising cast. I don't think this film gets enough credit and Spacey's performance is one of the truly best of all time.
1. Cuba Gooding Jr. as "Rod Tidwell" in Jerry Maguire (1996) - This is another one of my all time favorite films and much of it is due to the performances of Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding. Cameron Crowe created a great character and Gooding plays it to perfection. The same joy that the character shows towards the end of the film was also on display when Gooding accepted his award.

There is my top 10 with Javier Bardem soon to take over the #1 position. As I did some research for this list, I was reminded of several years where some spectacular performances were not awarded the Oscar. If some of these actors would have won, this list would have looked much different. Here are a few of the most obvious omissions:
1972 - Al Pacino, Robert Duvall and James Caan (from The Godfather) were all beat out by Joel Grey (Cabaret)
1979 - Robert Duvall as "Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore" (from Apocolypse Now) was somehow overlooked for Melvyn Douglass (Being There)
1992 - Jack Nicholson (from A Few Good Men) was bested by Gene Hackman (Unforgiven)
1994 - Samuel L. Jackson (from Pulp Fiction) was robbed by Martin Landau (Ed Wood)
1999 - Both Tom Cruise (from Magnolia) and Haley Joel Osment (from The Sixth Sense) were beat out by Michael Caine (from Cider House Rules)
2001 - Ian McKellen (from Lord of the Rings) was somehow beat by Jim Broadbent (from Iris)
I am not sure how some of those performances were not awarded in those particular years. It is definitely not a perfect process, but it still carries a lot of weight in the industry. Supporting roles in movies are essential to the ultimate success of the film and it is very meaningful that the Academy Awards takes the time to give them their due credit.

That will wrap up another issue of Kickin' it Old School. One of my next posts will take an 80's angle on the Oscars. Speaking of the 80's, did you all see who will be competing in the upcoming sixth season of Dancing with Stars? None other than Steve Guttenberg (the star of such 80's classics as Police Academy, Cocoon, Short Circuit and 3 Men and a Baby). I may have to tune in just to see the Goot! Thanks for reading and be sure to click on the Archives to make sure you have not missed a single issue of Kickin' it. Peace and much love.

Check this out: One of my favorite comedians is Jeff Dunham who is a ventriloquist. Here is a link to a compilation of some of his act.

Quote of the day: "A man looks in the abyss and there's nothing staring back at him. At that moment a man finds his character and that is what keeps him out of the abyss." -character Lou Mannheim (played by Hal Holbrook) in the film Wall Street

Download this: The Maroon 5 album Songs About Jane is, in my opinion, one of the single best albums from start to finish ever produced by any artist. I would recommend every song on the album, but will highlight just three of them right here... "She Will Be Loved," "Harder To Breathe" and "Sunday Morning"

NBA All-Star weekend in New Orleans is now over and this year it did not disappoint. In my February 15^th issue, I discussed the event and went on to rank my Top 10 Dunk Contest winners of all time. Well, after this weekend you can add a new name to the list. Dwight Howard won the contest this year with incredible charisma and a creative arsenal of dunks. Gerald Green who ranked #10 on my list after winning last year's contest also moves up the list based on his impressive showing which included a dunk while blowing out a cupcake candle sitting on the rim. This showdown was extremely entertaining and produced some of the most innovative dunks ever seen. Here is a link to see the highlights of all of the dunkers, please watch and see for yourself. From Howard's first amazing dunk, he had the crowd in the palm of his hands and he did not let them down. I would say this performance combined with that sticker dunk from last year puts Howard all the way up somewhere between #3 and #5 on my list. The dunk contest regained its status as must-see entertainment.

The actual game on Sunday night is almost an afterthought, but at least this year the game stayed close down to the very end. The East ultimately pulled out the victory 134-128 and LeBron James was named the game's MVP. Ray Allen really allowed the East to win by scoring 14 of his 28 points in about the last 3 minutes of the game. As you can see by the final score, there was not much defense played in the game, but that is common to this type of exhibition. The players put on a show and it was exciting down to the final buzzer.

The game ended late last night, but the positive effects that NBA All-Star weekend left behind in New Orleans will remain for quite a long time. You see, there is a certain positive economic benefit when a major event like All-Star weekend is held in any city. This alone served to help a city that is still reeling from Hurricane Katrina two and a half years later. The NBA and its players went one step further with its "NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service." Many of the NBA's brightest stars including LeBron James, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd were joined by 2500 other league employees as volunteers helped the rebuilding process at schools, houses, playgrounds and building sites around the city. There was a front page headline on the local paper which declared it "the largest single volunteer effort since Katrina" happened. The players themselves were rolling up their sleeves and doing the work and at the same time bringing attention to the situation that still exists down in Louisiana. Many people do not realize that the devastation still remains in this region and maybe this attention may help expedite the efforts. Like I have said before, pro athletes get so much negative publicity that I have to take the time to call attention to some of the positive moments. The response of the NBA Family to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina was immediate and sustained. Through the efforts of the NBA, its teams, current and former players, and the National Basketball Players Association, contributions to the Gulf Region have exceeded $15 million to date. NBA efforts have included the construction of 35 homes with Habitat for Humanity and the building of five playgrounds. The NBA's commitment to the revitalization of New Orleans was evident on March 8, 2006, when the Hornets hosted the L.A. Lakers in the city's first professional sporting event following the hurricane, it continued on May 22, 2006, when the city was awarded All-Star 2008, the first major event of any kind to commit to New Orleans and culminated in Friday's "NBA Cares All-Star Day of Caring." New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin was quoted saying the Hornets and the league "have gone above and beyond in meaningful support of the people and city of New Orleans. They have contributed to rebuilding housing, education revitalization projects and have supported numerous charitable and non-profit agencies. A strong part of the recovery progress in the city of New Orleans can be linked to the community efforts of the New Orleans Hornets and the NBA." These efforts should definitely be considered one of the greatest highlights of a weekend already jam packed with the more obvious highlights. Congratulations to the NBA and its players on a truly first class event from start to finish.

That's all for this edition of Kickin' it Old School. The Oscars are this coming Sunday, so we will definitely hit some movie topics this week. Thanks for reading and continue spreading the word. I appreciate all of the links back to my blog and I ask you all to consider adding a link to Kickin' it Old School on your site. If you have missed any issues, be sure to click on the Archive buttons in the upper left column to see all of them. Hope you all have a fantastic week. Peace and much love.

Check this out: The cable channel Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is in the midst of its annual tribute to the Oscars. They have what they refer to as "31 Days of Oscar" when they show mostly Oscar winning movies. Here is a link to the schedule for this week and the remainder of the month. I am sure there are some movie worth setting your DVR or Tivo to record for you. Wednesday night you can see On The Waterfront and Some Like It Hot. Friday you can see Raging Bull and Ordinary People. Each day you can find films worth watching.

Quote of the day: "Dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price." -Vince Lombardi

Download this: "Tha Crossroads" by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - This is one of my favorite hip hop songs of all time which was featured on the album E. 1999 Eternal. I am not sure why this song did not become more popular, but I feel it is a truly special song.

Back in my February 8^th issue, I gave you my Top 10 Favorite TV Characters from the 80's. At that time, I mentioned how so many of those shows had such great theme songs and that I would do a list of my favorite TV theme songs. Well, that is what I am going to do today. You will notice that nearly all of the songs on my list are from 80's shows and I feel this is because most shows today do not really put much emphasis on the opening credits and having a theme song. There are some here and there, but it is no longer an essential part to a television series. It was difficult to narrow this list down to just 10, so I am going to give you a bonus 5 songs plus a list of the other songs that just missed making the top 15. As an added bonus, I will provide a link so you can hear and see the opening credits for each show that made the list. Since I am doing this, I am not going to comment too much on each song. I tried to create this list based on my favorite theme songs and it is not based on the best shows or the most recognized songs. Are you ready? Here are OLD SCHOOL'S TOP 10 FAVORITE TV THEME SONGS (+ Bonus 5):
Honorable Mention. Laverne & Shirley - This show which ran from 1976-1983 was supposedly set in the great city of Milwaukee with the girls worked at a fictitious beer brewery. That alone warrants the honorable mention, but it has a catchy tune as well. The song is titled "Making Our Dreams Come True" performed by Cyndi Grecco. Here is a link to watch it.
15. Good Times - I have always loved the theme song from this show that ran from 1974-1979. I would even go as far as to say it is "Dy-no-mite!" It was performed by David Gruson, Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman. Here is a link to watch it.
14. Diff'rent Strokes - The "Arnold" character from this show, which ran 1978-1986, made my Top 10 TV Characters from the 80's list. The theme song was sung by Gloria Loring, Al Burton and Alan Thicke (yes, the same Alan Thicke that starred in Growing Pains). Here is a link to watch it.
13. Moonlighting - Again, the "David" & "Maddie" characters from this show, which ran 1985-1989, made my Top 10 TV Characters from the 80's list. The theme song became a minor hit showing up on the charts and was sung by popular jazz artist Al Jarreau. Here is a link to watch it.
12. Family Ties - This show ran from 1982-1989 with the "Alex P. Keaton" character making my Top 10 list as well. The theme song was titled "Without Us" and was performed by the great Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams. Here is a link to watch it.
11. WKRP in Cincinnati - This show ran from 1978-1982 and featured a very talented and funny cast of characters. The only thing better than the cast was the theme song which was sung by Steve Carlisle. I could not find a video of the opening credits, but here is a link to listen to the song at least.
10. Party of Five - I actually rarely watched this show which ran from 1994-2000 and makes it the most recent show to make the entire list. It does have a fantastic theme song titled "Closer to Free" performed by the BoDeans. Here is a link to watch it.
9. Growing Pains - This show ran from 1985-1992 and featured a great theme song. There were different singers who performed the song titled "As Long As We Got Eachother" but the most common version is by B.J. Thomas and Jennifer Warnes. Here is a link to watch it.
8. Silver Spoons - This classic 80's show ran from 1982-1986 and starred Ricky Schroder. Looking back, the show was only average, but the theme song was outstanding. It is a song titled "Together" written by Rik Howard and Bob Wirth. Here is a link to watch it.
7. Perfect Strangers - This show amazingly lasted from 1986-1993. It was the story of Balki the sheepherder from the fictional island of Mepos comes to America to live with his cousin. Then the wackiness ensues. "Don't be ridiculous." The theme song titled "Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now" is performed David Pomeranz. Here is a link to watch it.
6. The Wonder Years - This was one of my very favorite shows and ran from 1988-1993. It was set 20 years earlier in the late 60s and early 70s. I thought it was fantastic and had the perfect theme song. It was Joe Cocker singing a cover of the Beatles tune "A Little Help From My Friends." Here is a link to watch it.
5. Sanford and Son - Running from 1972-1977, this is the oldest show that made my top 15. I have always thought the theme song was fantastic despite it only being instrumental. I even had it as the ringtone on my phone for several years. The song is titled "The Street Beater" and is by the great Quincy Jones. Here is a link to watch it.
4. Welcome Back, Kotter - This show ran 1975-1979 and might be best know for starting the career of John Travolta. The theme song titled "Welcome Back" was performed by John Sebastian (from Lovin' Spoonful) and actually became a Billboard Hot 100 #1 song in May of 1976. Here is a link to watch it.
3. Mad About You - This show ran from 1992-1999 and starred Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt. It is one of the few newer shows to make the list. The theme song is titled "Final Frontier" and was originally performed by Andrew Gold. Here is a link to watch it.
2. Cheers - This show aired 1982-1993 having the longest run of any show to make the list. Set in a Boston bar, it gradually developed into an outstanding program, but theme song was great right from the start. It just seemed like such an appropriate sentiment for this show.  Here is a link to watch it.
1. The Greatest American Hero - This show only aired from 1981-1983 making it the shortest running series to make the list. The show was not very good at all, but the theme song was fantastic. The song titled "Believe It or Not" was performed by Joey Scarbury spent 18 weeks on the Billboard Top 40 charts and peaked at #2 in August of 1981. This video does not do it justice, but here is a link to watch it anyways.

There are my top 15 songs. Hope you enjoyed the video links. Here are some of the other shows that just missed making the list: Taxi, Three's Company, Scrubs, I Dream of Jeannie, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Drew Carey Show, Barney Miller, M*A*S*H, Friends, Who's the Boss, Mr. Belvedere and The Jeffersons. Like I said, there are a lot of good theme songs and most come from the 1980s or before. What are your favorites??? Let me know what you think.

That will do it for another issue of Kickin' it. As always, thanks so much for reading. This is my 40^th issue since beginning this ride! If you missed any of them, be sure to click on the Archive buttons and go back and get them all. Please spread the word and let people know about Kickin' it Old School. I appreciate any traffic you can send my way. Peace and much love.

Check this out: I found a "name that tune" type of game for TV theme songs on line. Here is a link to play the game and see how you do. Some of the songs are probably from my list above.

Quote of the day: "Greatness is not where you stand, but in what direction you are moving." -Oliver Wendell Holmes

Download this: "Believe It or Not (Them from The Greatest American Hero)" by Joey Scarbury - There is a full length version of this song available and I thought it was appropriate based on today's topic.

It is NBA All-Star Weekend and, even though it does not hold the same luster it did 20 years ago, it is still one of the best exhibitions in all of professional sports. I have been watching All-Star Weekend ever since it began back in 1984. That is when the Slam Dunk Contest began; then they added the 3 point Shootout in 1986 and began broadcasting the live event starting in 1987. Some of the festivities begin tonight, but most are held tomorrow (Saturday) night and it is all televised on TNT. I encourage you to at least set your DVR or Tivo to record the contest because you never know what amazing feat you may witness. I know I will be watching.

The 3 point Shootout is a fantastic display of the best pure shooters the game has known. Past winners include Larry Bird, Craig Hodges, Dale Ellis, Mark Price, Glen Rice, Ray Allen and Peja Stojakovic. I always have enjoyed seeing this competition, but it is the Slam Dunk Contest that everybody really comes to see. There was nothing better than the Slam Dunk Contest back in the late 80's when you had superstars like Michael Jordan facing off against Dominique Wilkins, but then it definitely dropped off in the mid to late 90's. Luckily, Vince Carter helped resurrect the contest in 2000 and it has been pretty decent again ever since. It is truly amazing what athletic ability and innovation these players bring nowadays. The NBA added a rule for the Slam Dunk contest only allowing first, second or third year players to participate. It really showcases some of the young talent in the league, but you will never see the superstars like we once did. Here is a link to a great video that highlights some of the best dunks over the 23 year history of the Dunk Contest and even features some Dr. J footage from the 1976 ABA Dunk Contest. It is about 9 minutes long, but really shows some phenomenally creative gravity-defying slam dunks. If you watch it now, please be sure to come back and finish reading here because I am going to give you a Top 10 list of the best Slam Dunk Contest Winning Dunkers of all time. So here are OLD SCHOOL'S TOP 10 SLAM DUNK CONTEST WINNERS:
Honorable Mention. Julius Erving - Dr. J was the first to really make dunking into an art form. Though he never won the modern day Slam Dunk Contest (finished 2nd in 1984 to Larry Nance), he did win the 1976 ABA Dunk Contest by performing the famous free throw line slam which was extremely rare and especially amazing for that time. He definitely deserves an honorable mention here.
10. Gerald Green (2007) - He won last year's contest with some pretty incredible dunks. This spot could have gone to several other guys like Kobe Bryant (1997) or Dee Brown (1991) or Nate Robinson (2006), but Green seemed special. He will be competing again this year and if he can win back to back titles, then I would consider moving him up the list for sure.
9. Spud Webb (1986) - At just 5 feet 7 inches tall, he is the shortest player ever to win the Slam Dunk Contest. Nate Robinson won in 2006, but he is 2 inches taller than Spud. Webb showed tremendous innovation despite not even being able to palm the basketball. I still feel that Wilkins was the better dunker that year, but you have to give credit to the underdog little man.
8. Harold Miner (1993, 1995) - His nickname was "Baby Jordan" from college and though he never came close to Jordan's level in the NBA, he did excel in the Dunk Contest winning it twice. Winning two contests put him on my list ahead of the one time winners.
7. Isaiah Rider (1994) - He won it in 1994 and then made it to the finals again in 1995. He had one incredible slam that was nicknamed the "East Bay Funk Dunk" which was amazing at the time. Looking back, players today seem to be able to do that sort of move with ease.
6. Josh Smith (2005) - Though he only won it one year, he showed some incredible flair for the dramatic. For one of his dunks, he put on a Dominique Wilkins jersey to honor him. This kid has tremendous athleticism and is a budding star in the league today.
5. Desmond Mason (2001) - He won it in 2001 and then made it to the finals in 2003. Known as "The Cowboy" because he played college ball at Oklahoma State, he looks more like a bird the way he can fly through and hang up in the air. He punishes the rim when he slams it through.
4. Jason Richardson (2002, 2003) - This two time winner also went to the finals in 2004. He is a dynamic dunker who performed some moves that had never been seen before. He had a dunk where he threw the ball off the backboard, caught it and put it between his legs before slamming it home. He had another where he did a between the legs reverse dunk arching his back seemingly too far from the rim to put it down. Incredibly dynamic.
3. Dominique Wilkins (1985, 1990) - It was hard for me to rank ‘Nique this low because he was one of my favorite players growing up. "The Human Highlight Film" as he was called not only won 2 titles, but was in the finals in both 1986 and 1988 and realistically could have been named the winner of both of those, too. His 1988 Dunk Contest finals face off against Michael Jordan is legendary. Here is a link to a quick recap of that particular match-up. Wilkins was one of the few dunkers who jumped off of both feet and his signature dunk was the "windmill." I loved watching Dominique play.
2. Vince Carter (2000) - As I mentioned earlier, Carter burst on to the scene and really resurrected this contest. They decided to not have the contest in 1998 and the NBA strike cancelled the All-Star game in 1999, but in 2000 Vince Carter showed why he was nicknamed "Half Man Half Amazing." Here is a link to a quick video that shows some of the incredible dunks that he displayed that year with several replays from different angles. The NBA owes Carter a debt of gratitude for saving this contest and breathing life back into All-Star Weekend when they needed it most.
1. Michael Jordan (1987, 1988) - What can you say? Jordan took the torch from Dr. J and not only ran with it, but flew to a new planet with it. Though I was a bigger fan of Dominique at the time, you can't deny the greatness of Michael Jordan. He always added a little extra flair to every dunk whether it was an extra pump or a leg kick. Jordan revolutionized not only the Dunk Contest, but the game of basketball itself.

There is my Top 10 and you saw all of them if you watched the video I linked to earlier. Over the last two years, I felt the best dunks performed were not done by the eventual winners. Two years ago, the tiny Nate Robinson won despite missing his final dunk 14 times before getting it down. He defeated Andre Iguodola who had one of my favorite dunks of all time which I have a link to right here. Then last year, Dwight Howard had an incredible display of leaping ability when he slapped a sticker high on the backboard before he dunked. I have a link to this unbelievable performance right here. Howard is participating tomorrow night and I can't wait to see what he does this year.  My list above only includes dunkers who actually won the contest. There have been some amazing dunks along the way by those who did not end up winning and many of those were included in that long video I recommended at the start. If you go out and stand in front of a regulation basketball hoop that is 10 feet high and then imagine millions of people watching you, I think you begin to appreciate how special these athletes are and what an art form the slam dunk can actually become. I am still in awe when I watch those dunks from the 80's and these young kids today never fail to impress. Like I said, I am eager to see what they come up with next. I will be watching tomorrow night and I hope to see another dunk that makes me jump out of my seat.

If interested, here are a couple more links to some NBA.com highlights from past dunk contests:
Year by Year Recap of the Best Contest Dunks
Best Contest Dunks By Category
Both are very cool, so go check them out if you enjoy slam dunks.

That will do it for another issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks for stopping by and please help spread the word. I appreciate any links back to my blog that you put in your blog or on your website. Notice that I finally figured out how to put live links into my blog rather than listing all that code (thanks skumora!)  I hope you all enjoy your weekend. Peace and much love.

Check this out: Here are some interesting bits of trivia. I have not re-verified all of this, but they sound reasonable to me...
A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.
A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.
A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours.
A "jiff