Saturday, December 25, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

Merry Christmas!

I'm working on Keith Richards' autobiography currently, and it's fascinating.

Hope everyone had a good one!

-Bill

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: Who plays the narrator in The Big Lebowski?

My answer: That's Sam Elliot, who is well-known for his roles in Westerns, as well as other films.

-Bill

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

I'm still trying to find the first issue of Kevin Smith's Green Hornet series, and am also intending to pick up  Season 1  of The Walking Dead when it comes out.

-Bill

Monday, December 20, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

I may have to get Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 at some point, just so I can do my own version of the Civil War storyline.

-Bill

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: How many movies was James Dean in?

My answer: Eight, but only three of them(East Of Eden, Rebel Without A Cause, and Giant) were starring roles; the rest were background roles that he was sometimes uncredited for.

-Bill

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

I just watched Gran Torino again, and I liked it even more this time.

If that truly was Clint Eastwood's final acting performance, that was a great one to go out on.

-Bill

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

I haven't seen too much of The Boondocks, but the kickball episode I saw two nights ago was good, and the Halloween parody that was on last night was hilarious, so I'll definetely start watching on a regular basis, and maybe pick up some season sets.

-Bill

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

Being a huge nerd, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Kevin Smith has started a Green Hornet graphic novel series, and am looking forward to picking up the first one soon.

-Bill

Monday, December 13, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: Are Jeff and Beau Bridges brothers?

My answer: Yes.  Their dad was Lloyd Bridges, known for his roles in Airplane!, High Noon, Seinfeld, and Roots, as well as many other things.

-Bill

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

Thursday was apparently the 45th anniversary of A Charlie Brown Christmas( December 9th, 1965), which means I have to watch it again, because I haven't seen it in a few years.

Funny story: network executives thought people were going to hate it for a number of reasons(real kids doing the voices, no laugh track, jazz soundtrack, etc.) and it went on to win an Emmy and a Peabody award.

-Bill

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Carl: is Samuel L. Jackson the narrator for Inglourious Basterds?

My answer: Yes, although he was uncredited.

-Bill

Friday, December 10, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

Since Inception was recently released on DVD, I might have to check the movie out again to see if there was anything I missed the first time, and also to see if I can't figure out the ending on a second viewing.

-Bill

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: Has Samuel L. Jackson ever won an Oscar?

My answer: No.  However, he was nominated for Pulp Fiction.

-Bill

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

It's funny- every year for the past three or four years, there has been a clear Oscar favorite. However, this year, the only movies I can think of that I enjoyed that much were  Inception and The Town. Maybe True Grit will give some more competition.

-Bill

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Carl: Has Kevin Costner won an Oscar?

My answer:  Yes. He won Best Picture and Best Director for Dances With Wolves, and was nominated for Best Actor for that film as well.

-Bill

Monday, December 6, 2010

Random Thought Of the Day

The more I find out about post-Beatles John Lennon, the more interesting he becomes to me.

I guess I'll have to pick up some of his albums and check out some lesser-known solo stuff(like Mind Games, for example) or just get Working Class Hero if I can't get the individual albums.

-Bill

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: Has any actor ever played a Batman villain twice in any of the movies?

My answer: Only Cillian Murphy, who played The Scarecrow in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, has played the same villain in two movies. Other characters have had different actors play them in different movies(The Joker, Two-Face), but The Scarecrow is the only character consistent with one actor right now. However, if Aaron Eckhart were to return as Two-Face in the next Batman movie, he would be the second actor to play a villain twice.

-Bill

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

Given how good the Green Lantern movie looks, I wonder if they'll try The Flash next?

-Bill

Friday, December 3, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: How many actors have portrayed Superman in movies or TV?

My answer: Six. George Reeves played him in the classic Adventures of Superman TV series, Christopher Reeve portrayed him from Superman to Superman 4: The Quest For Peace, Dean Cain played him on Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman TV series, Tim Daly did his voice for Superman: The Animated Series, George Newbern voiced him for Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, and Brandon Routh played him in Superman Returns.

-Bill

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

I had no idea that True Grit was a book as well; I'll probably read it before I go see the movie to see how faithful the new film stays to the source material.

-Bill

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Carl: Besides No Country For Old Men, what else has Josh Brolin been in?

My answer: Milk, W., The Goonies, American Gangster, and Grindhouse, among other things. He will also be in the upcoming remake of True Grit and Men In Black III.

-Bill

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

I've been thinking about checking out Life, Keith Richards' autobiography.

There should be some interesting stories in there, to say the least.

-Bill

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: What movies has David Bowie acted in?

My answer: He was Nikola Tesla in The Prestige, Jareth the Goblin King in Labyrinth, and Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation Of Christ, as well as appearing in The Man Who Fell To Earth, and a number of other things.

-Bill

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

Since the Green Hornet movie is coming out soon, I wonder if they'll finally release the TV show on DVD?

Maybe they could get Van Williams to do commentary on the episodes or something.

-Bill

Friday, November 26, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: Which of The Beatles wrote and sang "Something"?

My answer:  George Harrison.  The song was famously covered by Frank Sinatra, as well as Elvis, Ray Charles, and many other musicians.

-Bill

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

I read this morning that Daniel Day-Lewis is signed on to play Abraham Lincoln, and that Steven Spielberg is directing.

That should be great, and most likely will be nominated for(and win) some Oscars.

-Bill

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Carl: Did Russell Crowe and Kevin Spacey ever appear in a movie together?

My answer: Yes. They were in L.A. Confidential together, along with Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito, James Cromwell, and David Straithairn.

-Bill

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

I saw the trailer for I Am The Fourth One yesterday, and I'm still not sure what it's about.

However, the trailer is vague enough that I'm interested to see it, which I guess means it did its job.

-Bill

Monday, November 22, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: Besides Gladiator, what else has Russell Crowe been in?

My answer: A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man, 3:10 To Yuma, L.A. Confidential, and American Gangster, among other things.

-Bill

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

I've heard nothing but good things about Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 1, so I'm definitely going to have to check it out soon.

-Bill

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Carl: Besides Arrested Development, what else has Tony Hale been in?

My answer: He has been in Stranger Than Fiction, Chuck, Law and Order, The Sopranos, and ER, among other things.

-Bill

Friday, November 19, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

I just saw the trailer for Green Lantern, and it looks really cool.

I wonder if DC will have another franchise on their hands, or if they have plans for an eventual Justice League movie.

-Bill

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: How many Oscars has Denzel Washington won?

My answer: Two. He won for Glory and Training Day, and was nominated for Cry Freedom, Malcolm X, and The Hurricane.

-Bill

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

Wow, I can't wait for Batman: Arkham City.

It may even be cooler than Arkham Asylum, which would be really hard to do.

-Bill

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Carl: Besides House, what else has Hugh Laurie done?

My answer: He was in Street Kings, the Stuart Little movies, Flight Of The Phoenix, The Man In The Iron Mask, and Monsters Vs. Aliens, among many others.

-Bill

Monday, November 15, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

I haven't seen a Russell Crowe movie in a while, but The Next Three Days looks interesting.

I wonder if he will be nominated for another Oscar this year?

-Bill

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Carl: Who plays Don Draper on Mad Men?

My answer: The actor's name is Jon Hamm, and he's also been in The Town, We Were Soldiers, 30 Rock, The Day The Earth Stood Still, and Space Cowboys, among other things.

-Bill

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

The closer we get to the True Grit release date, the more anxious I'm getting to see it.

I wonder if I should watch the original before going to see the new one?

-Bill

Friday, November 12, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: Have the Coen Brothers won an Oscar?

My answer: Yes. They won for No Country For Old Men, and were nominated for Fargo.

-Bill

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

I read an interesting editorial a couple of days ago about why we need Clint Eastwood now more than ever, and I'm in full agreement with the points that writer makes.

Incidentally, I still need to go see Hereafter.

-Bill

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Carl: Besides Escape From New York, what else has Kurt Russell been in?

My answer: The Thing, Stargate, Tombstone, Death Proof, Tango And Cash, and Escape From L.A., among others.

-Bill

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

While Skyline looks like a cross between Transformers and Independence Day, I may still have to check it out.

-Bill

Monday, November 8, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: How many Oscars has Robert DeNiro won?

My answer: Two. He won for The Godfather Part II and Raging Bull, and has been nominated for Oscars 6 other times.

-Bill

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

Although I have no idea why Alexander Skarsgard from True Blood was not cast as Thor, I'm still excited to see the Thor movie.

-Bill

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Carl: Was Johnny Depp in Platoon?

My answer: Yes, he was. So were Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, Forest Whitaker, and John C. McGinley.

-Bill

Friday, November 5, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

After seeing the awesome Darth Vader commercial for The Force Unleashed II for about the fiftieth time, I'm becoming compelled to check the game out.

-Bill

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Corey: How many Hulk movies have there been?

My answer: Two. Hulk, starring Eric Bana, and The Incredible Hulk, starring Edward Norton.

-Bill

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: How many movies have Brad Pitt and David Fincher done together?

My answer: Three. Se7en, Fight Club, and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button.

-Bill

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

Just saw the trailer for Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part I, and I'm really interested to see what parts of the book they use for the film.

I'm guessing the whole "hiding out in the woods" section of the book may be slimmed down for the movie, but I've been wrong before.

-Bill

Monday, November 1, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Carl: How many Batman movies are there?

My answer: Eight.  Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman and Robin, Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight. There was also the movie based off of the 1960's TV show, also titled Batman, and Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm, which was a feature-length film released by the people who did Batman: The Animated Series.

-Bill

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

I'm curious to see how the Saw movie franchise ends, considering that Saw 3D is supposed to be the last one.

-Bill

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: Did Stan Lee create Captain America?

My answer: No, Captain America was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, who would later become legendary for his artwork for Marvel and DC in the 1960s and  1970s.  Stan Lee co-created Spider-Man, The Hulk, The Fantastic Four, Thor, The X-Men, Ant-Man, Iron Man, and The Wasp, among others.

-Bill

Friday, October 29, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

Since it seems that Iron Man 3 is in the works, I wonder if they will finally debut The Mandarin as a villain, or save him for the Avengers movie?

-Bill

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: When did the Back To The Future movies come out?

My answer: Back To The Future came out in 1985, Back To The Future Part II came out in 1989, and Back To The Future Part III came out in 1990.

-Bill

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

I really enjoyed The Town; it was probably the best movie I've seen since Inception.

I wonder if it will be nominated for anything come awards season?

-Bill

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Carl: How many movies have Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese done together?

My answer: Three. The Aviator, The Departed, and Shutter Island.

-Bill

Monday, October 25, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

When I first heard that the Coen Brothers were remaking True Grit, I wasn't sure who was going to be Rooster Cogburn(the John Wayne character in the original).

However, I read recently that Jeff Bridges is going to play Rooster Cogburn, so now I have to see what that's going to look like.

-Bill

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: How many movies have Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman done together?

My answer: Three. They acted together in Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby, and then Eastwood directed Invictus, which starred Freeman as Nelson Mandela.

-Bill

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

The new movie Clint Eastwood directed looks pretty cool; I may have to check it out.

I think this is the second movie he's directed starring Matt Damon, the other being Invictus.

-Bill

Friday, October 22, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: What movies has James Cameron directed?

My answer: The Terminator, Aliens, The AbyssTerminator 2:Judgement Day, Titanic, and Avatar, among others.

-Bill

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

I wonder what villains they will use for the Thor movie?

Loki is a must, but Absorbing Man and Radioactive Man would be really cool to see, as well.

-Bill

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Carl: How many movies have the Coen Brothers done?

My answer: 11. Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Barton Fink, Miller's Crossing, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, The Ladykillers, Oh Brother Where Art Thou, No Country For Old Men, Burn After Reading, and A Serious Man.

-Bill

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

If the rumors are true and Killer Croc is one of the villains in the new Batman movie, that would be awesome. My only question is: who's going to play him?

-Bill

Monday, October 18, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: Besides Fargo, what else has William H. Macy been in?

My answer: Homicide, House Of Games, Things Change, Door To Door, The Cooler, and Jurassic Park III, among other things.

-Bill

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

I'm hearing conflicting reports on the upcoming Superman movie; I read that Zack Snyder is scheduled to direct, but then someone else told me recently that Johnathan Nolan(who cowrote Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and Inception) is going to direct.

Either way, it's probably going to be cool.

-Bill

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Carl: how many movies have Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro done together?

My answer: Six. Goodfellas, Casino, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Mean Streets, and Cape Fear.

-Bill

Friday, October 15, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

I was going to take a pass on seeing Jackass 3D, but the "high five" gag in the trailer made me laugh so hard, I'm probably going to check it out.

-Bill

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: What has John Landis directed?

My answer: Animal House, The Blues Brothers, Trading Places, An American Werewolf In London, and the Thriller music video, among many others.

-Bill

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Joke Of The Day

"I was in the store buying Ritz crackers, and I noticed that on the back of the box, they give you all kinds of stuff to do with the crackers - 'use them for little sandwiches!'. Listen, I just like the crackers! I don't want to use them for little plates!"- Mitch Hedberg.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Carl: Besides Criminal Minds, what else has Joe Mantegna been in?

My answer: A number of things, including Homicide, House Of Games, Things Change, The Godfather III, Liberty Heights, Airheads, The Money Pit, and Waiting For Bobby Fischer. He is also the voice of Fat Tony on The Simpsons.

-Bill

Monday, October 11, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

I started listening to a bunch of John Lennon's solo stuff over the weekend in honor of his birthday, and I really liked it. Besides the famous ones("Imagine", "Instant Karma", "Happy Xmas(War Is Over)"), my other favorites are "Borrowed Time", "Nobody Told Me", "Watching The Wheels", and "Give Peace A Chance".

-Bill

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: Besides being Vice President Noah Daniels on 24, what else has Powers Boothe been in?

My answer: Lots of things, including Gorilla Grodd in the Justice League cartoons, Cy Tolliver on Deadwood, and Phillip Marlowe on HBO's Phillip Marlowe series.

-Bill

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Hypothetically Speaking: If I wrote the new Superman movie

In light of the news that a new Superman movie is in the works, and is being directed by Zack Snyder(who did Watchmen, 300, and Dawn Of The Dead), here's what I would do as far as villains:

-Darkseid: the most evil Superman villain, and also, the only one who can go toe-to-toe with him strength-wise. CGI would be a must, but it would look awesome.

- Metallo: Due to having a Kryptonite heart, he's another big threat to Superman, and would also make some great CGI.

- Toyman: more likely the creepy doll version from the cartoon than the Ben Franklin - looking one from the comics, but would work either way.

Other villains that could be used: Parasite, Livewire, Kalibak, Braniac, Mr. Mxyzptlk, and The Collector.

-Bill

Friday, October 8, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: how many movies has Clint Eastwood won Oscars for?

My answer: Two. Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby, and he won Best Picture and Best Director for each.

-Bill

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

While I originally resisted seeing The Social Network, I may have to check it out, because David Fincher is directing. Plus, Jesse Eisenberg(who was in Zombieland) always does a good job in the movies I've seen him in.

-Bill

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Carl: Besides The Untouchables, what other movies has David Mamet written or directed?

My answer: Quite a few. Glengarry Glen Ross, House of Games, Homicide, Things Change, and more recently, Redbelt. These spring to mind, but there are others, as well. 

-Bill

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Joke Of The Day

"Yesterday, my friend said "Guess what I like?  Mashed potatoes." and I'm like "Dude, you have to give me a chance to guess before you tell me the answer."" - Mitch Hedberg

Monday, October 4, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

Although I'm not a huge fan of remakes(with a few notable exceptions), I may have to see Let Me In, just to see how it measures up to Let The Right One In, which is the Swedish film it is based off of.

-Bill

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: Is the Robert DeNiro movie Cape Fear a remake?

My answer: Yes. Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck starred in the original film, but they're both great movies.

-Bill

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

I got to spend the day at the Rochester Writer's Conference at Oakland University; that was a great experience.

I would definitely recommend checking out any local writing groups or workshops if you're interested in that kind of thing, because I learned stuff today I would've never even thought of.

-Bill

Friday, October 1, 2010

Hypothetically Speaking: If I wrote the Justice League movie

First, let me go on record and say that a live-action Justice League movie should probably not involve Batman, since the newer films (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight)are much more reality-based, and maybe not Superman either, unless they manage to do another film and revamp the series like they did with Batman.

That being said, here's who I would use:

-Green Lantern: The leader of the team, and also one of the most powerful

-The Flash: Probably the Barry Allen version, although Wally West may appeal more to the kids

-Wonder Woman: The veteran of the team, and another powerhouse

- Martian Manhunter: The most powerful, and also the outsider of the team

- Aquaman: More likely the most recent version with the hook hand and long hair, just to make him more edgy

I guess Hawkman and The Atom could be added if they make a sequel, and the villain in the first movie would probably have to be Starro, just to keep with the continuity of the comic.

-Bill

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Carl: who is the lead singer of The Guess Who?

My answer: The lead singer is Burton Cummings, and the guitarist is Randy Bachman, who later was a part of Bachman Turner Overdrive.

-Bill

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

So I guess Buried has 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, which means I may have to check it out.

It looks pretty good, but I don't know if the "buried alive" concept would work for a whole movie.

-Bill

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Joke Of The Day

"You ever notice how turkey is trying to get into other meat products? Turkey bacon, turkey burgers - we like you for you, man!" - Mitch Hedberg

Monday, September 27, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Carl: Besides The Usual Suspects, what else has Chazz Palminteri been in?

My answer: A number of films, including A Bronx Tale(which he wrote) and Bullets Over Broadway. He also recently made an appearance on Modern Family.

-Bill

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

That Wall Street sequel looks pretty interesting; I may have to check it out one of these days.

I've always been a fan of Michael Douglas, plus Josh Brolin is usually awesome in whatever he's in, and I always wondered if the two would ever do a film together.

-Bill

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Carl: Who is the singer of Deep Purple?

My answer: There have been a few, but the most famous is Ian Gillian, who was the lead vocalist on "Smoke On The Water", "Highway Star", "Space Truckin'", "My Woman From Tokyo", "Speed King", etc.

However, David Coverdale(lead singer of Whitesnake) was also in the band for a few years, and did "Burn" and "Lay Down, Stay Down", among others.

-Bill

Friday, September 24, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

I'm probably going to go see Rob Riggle(and other Daily Show correspondents) do stand-up on Saturday, so that should be pretty good. Sadly, John Oliver is not involved, but Riggle is always funny when I've seen him(including his cameo as the cop with the tazer in The Hangover), and I enjoy Wyatt Cenac's work, as well.

Then again, that's just my opinion.

-Bill

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Corey: Is there a superhero named Shazam?

My answer: No, "Shazam!" is the magic word used to turn Billy Batson into Captain Marvel. DC Comics is not allowed to use the name "Captain Marvel" in any promotional way, because Marvel Comics trademarked the name before DC settled its lawsuit with the company that Captain Marvel originally was produced by. By the time Captain Marvel became a DC hero, Marvel already had a character with a similar name. By the way, Shazam is a acronym for Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury - Billy Batson gets their abilities when he turns into Captain Marvel.

-Bill

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Hypothetically Speaking: If I wrote the Green Lantern movie

Watching Green Lantern: First Flight a couple of nights ago got me thinking: what villains would I use in  the live-action movie, apparently starring Ryan Reynolds as GL?

Here are my top picks:

- Sinestro: Green Lantern's arch-enemy

-Kanjar Ro: intergalactic arms dealer

- Star Sapphire: GL's girlfriend and boss Carol Ferris possessed by an evil gemstone

While there are other villains(Starro would be cool, but they might save that for if they ever do a Justice League movie), those are the main three I would focus on.

-Bill

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

The Tigers game was pretty good last night, thanks to a 7-5 win over the Royals and seeing Will Rhymes get his first major league home run.

Even though there didn't look to be many people there, the crowd still got into it at the end, especially at the top of the ninth inning. Plus, we ate at Nemo's, which is always a bonus.

-Bill

Monday, September 20, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: What bands were Crosby, Stills, and Nash in before they started performing together?

My answer: David Crosby was in The Byrds, Stephen Stills was in Buffalo Springfield, and Graham Nash was in The Hollies.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

Just finished watching Green Lantern: First Flight; I was pleasantly surprised.

Anyone who's a fan of the Batman, Superman or Justice League cartoons(from 1991 to 2006) should check that out.

-Bill

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

It's interesting that Sacha Baron Cohen has been cast to play Freddie Mercury in a biopic; However, I hope it's not just for the physical resemblance.

This may be his Good Will Hunting as far as making the transition from comedy to drama, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Then again, that's just my opinion.

-Bill

Friday, September 17, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Nick: Besides Boardwalk Empire and Desperado, what else has Steve Buscemi been in?

Answer: The Sopranos, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Big Daddy, and Billy Madison, among other things.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Joke Of The Day

"People say 'Hey, did you know it takes less muscles to smile than frown?' And I respond 'Did you know it takes more time to say that than to leave me alone?'"- Bill Hicks

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Cheap Plug: Raul Malo's website

Besides being one of the best musicians I've ever heard, Raul Malo also has a really cool website. Not only does it have a forum, tour schedule, and videos from the various shows on his tour(among other stuff), but his journal is very well-written and interesting, especially the most recent entry titled "Three Little Pigs", where he takes a look at what's going on in today's world, and what might be done to fix it.

Here's the link: http://www.raulmalo.com/journal.html

- Bill

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy: How many movies did Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci do together?

My answer: Three. Raging Bull, Goodfellas, and Casino.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Joke Of The Day

"I don't have a microwave oven, I just have a clock that occasionally cooks stuff." - Mitch Hedberg

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

Raul Malo put on a great show in Lexington last night, working in "Blue Moon" and "Cryin'"(the Roy Orbison song), as well as a number of his songs and even "Sweet Dreams", which got a big reaction from the older country fans in the audience.

He also made a True Blood reference at one point, which about fifteen people got out of the three hundred or so that were there.

-Bill

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Hypothetically Speaking: If I wrote X-Men 4

I have no idea whether or not there's going to be another entry in the X-Men series, but if there is going to be, here are ideas for villains previously unused in the first three films:

Apocalypse: The Darkseid of the Marvel Universe; also definitely one of the best villains in regard to putting the world in danger

Omega Red: Huge, strong, has adamantium whips that come out of his gloves, evil, and Russian - I don't know why they haven't used him, actually

Sauron: scientist that accidentally turns himself into an evil pterodactyl with a human brain; I'm guessing they might work in Ka-Zar and the Savage Land if they use Sauron

Then again, that's just my opinion.

-Bill

Friday, September 10, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

While logging on to the Internet, I saw another Yahoo News bulletin that wasn't as polarizing as the "Physics vs. God" one from a while ago, but still interesting- apparently, a restaurant has made the decision to ban screaming children from the premises.

While screaming kids are not always the most pleasant audio experience(on airplanes, for example), I guess it's up to their parents to make sure they are ready for prime time, which includes going out to public places like restaurants.

Then again, that's just my opinion.

-Bill

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question comes from Jeremy, and it's another good one: how many movies have Al Pacino and Robert De Niro appeared in together?

My answer: Three. The Godfather Part II, Heat, and Righteous Kill.

-Bill

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

Hopefully, we're going to go see Raul Malo in Lexington on Saturday night. He's great; plus, it's going to be "MTV Unplugged" style, so that should be interesting to hear.

-Bill

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Joke Of The Day

"Sometimes, I help my friend not move. It's much easier than moving. I just go over and make sure he doesn't start loading stuff into a truck." - Mitch Hedberg

Bonus joke of the day: "Rice is good if you want two thousand of something." - Mitch Hedberg

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

Wow.

Getting a chance to see Allen Toussaint(for free, no less) at the Detroit Jazz Festival yesterday was definitely an unforgettable experience.

He's a singer/pianist/songwriter from New Orleans who's been covered by everyone from The Rolling Stones to Robert Palmer, and whose songs many people have probably heard without identifying him as the writer or singer(remember "Sweet Touch Of Love" from the Axe commercial where the guy turns into chocolate? That's one of his songs, too)

As for the show, it was amazing. He played many of his hits("Mother In Law", "Sweet Touch Of Love", "Workin' In A Coal Mine", and more), and talked with the crowd between every song, but my personal favorite moment came when he noted it was hard for him to describe New Orleans while speaking, so he did it via music - and went into a medley of songs on the piano including "Chopsticks", "Greensleeves", and classical music before concluding it with a great version of "City Of New Orleans".

All that combined with a feeling of rarity for the performance(as he does not tour often, if at all) made it a very special time - plus we stopped at the original Buddy's for dinner afterward(Bonus!).

-Bill

Monday, September 6, 2010

Ask Useless Trivia!

Today's question comes from my friend Morgan, and it's one I wouldn't have thought of, but a good one nonetheless: Does David Bowie sing "All The Young Dudes"?

My answer: No, David Bowie wrote "All The Young Dudes". The band who performed it is Mott The Hoople, whose  lead singer/pianist/songwriter was Ian Hunter, later famous for "Once Bitten Twice Shy", "Cleveland Rocks", and "Ships", among many other great songs.

- Bill

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Hypothetically Speaking: If I wrote the Avengers movie

While The Avengers is to come out in the next couple of years, since they still have to set the movie up with the Captain America and Thor( and possibly Ant-Man) movies, here are the characters I would include  were I to write the script:

 The Avengers:
Iron Man: original member and leader of the team(at least until Cap shows up), plus often assists the team with funding in the guise of Tony Stark

Thor: Another original member, also the most powerful of the team

Ant-Man: another of the original Avengers; thanks to his inventions, can shrink down to Ant-Man or grow up to 30 feet tall as Giant-Man

The Wasp: rounds out the original team; like Ant-Man, who she's married to, she can shrink to ant-size and  also has a "wasp sting" tazer in both of her gloves

Captain America: discovered by The Avengers after being in suspended animation for decades; leader of the team and its public face

The Hulk: while he accompanies the team on its first mission, he storms off afterward and is replaced by Cap

The Villains:

The Red Skull: Captain America's arch-enemy, and a constant threat to the team

Loki: Thor's evil half-brother, who's almost as powerful

The Mandarin: Iron Man's deadliest enemy; controls a worldwide crime syndicate as well as being quite powerful himself; could be revealed as the mastermind behind Iron Monger and Justin Hammer(from the first two Iron Man movies)

The Space Phantom: weird alien that can imitate others; convinces The Avengers that The Hulk has turned on them, which leads to him leaving the team

Other Characters:

Nick Fury: acts as an advisor to the team, and sends them on missions, including the rescue of Captain America

The Black Widow: Russian spy who assists SHIELD and The Avengers; eventually becomes an Avenger herself(maybe in the sequel)

Joke Of The Day: "You Ever Notice?" Edition

"You ever notice the first guy at a green light is the last guy to see it?"  - Bill Hicks

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

Anyone who's a comics fan or a fan of Clint Eastwood's westerns(I'm both, personally) should check out the recent Jonah Hex graphic novels, like No Way Back and Luck Runs Out. As violent as they are, they are also very well-written, and offer a look at(in my opinion) one of the three best anti-heroes in comics history(the other two being Wolverine and The Punisher).

-Bill

Friday, September 3, 2010

The Top Five: Singer/Guitarist Teams

(Note: this applies to bands whose lead singer does not play an instrument often or at all, thusly disqualifying some of my favorite musicians like The Beatles, Ian Hunter, CCR, Stray Cats, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, George Thorogood, ZZ Top, Eric Clapton, Joe Walsh, etc.)

Top Five Singer/Guitarist Teams

#1. Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend

#2. Robert Plant and Jimmy Page

#3. Freddie Mercury and Brian May

#4. David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen

#5. Bon Scott and Angus Young

Honorable Mentions: Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Ian Gillian and Ritchie Blackmore.

- Bill

Ask Useless Trivia!

This question was posed by my old friend Jeremy, and it's a good one: Are The Clash a punk rock band?

My answer: No.  To me, they're too diverse. If you listen to "I Fought The Law", "Train In Vain", "Straight To Hell", and "Rock The Casbah", they're four totally different  songs.

It seems to me(given my limited punk experience) that the true punk rock bands like Iggy and The Stooges  and MC5 have a sound and stick to it,but are also basically credited with inventing that sound.

Then again, that's just my opinion.

-Bill

Cheap Plug: The Wire Eyes

Make sure to go over to Facebook and check out The Wire Eyes; they're good, I promise.

Plus, a kid I've known for 18 years(Brad Potts) is in the band, so yeah, I'm a little biased.

Here's the link: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/The-Wire-Eyes/142114102484796

- Bill

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Random Thought Of The Day

As I'm logging on to the Internet this morning, the first thing that appears on my screen is a Yahoo News bulletin that says something along the lines of "Hawking says God does not play role in the universe" and then a subhead of "Says physics prove it"

Just when I thought TV pundits were running out of things to yell at each other about, here we go again. Now I have to go back and watch "Man of Science, Man of Faith" and chuckle at the people who will inevitably scream themselves hoarse about this.

Then again, that's just my opinion.

-Bill

Hypothetically Speaking: If I wrote the new Spider-Man movie

I wouldn't.

I have no idea why someone feels the need to reboot the Spider-Man series, as Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 were both very good, and to re-do the series without Sam Raimi directing seems like a mistake to me.

However, if they insist on a do-over, here are some villain ideas they didn't get around to in the first three movies:

 - Scorpion: always a cool villain and threat to Spider-Man, plus J. Jonah Jameson is partially responsible for his creation, so there's a subplot waiting to be used.

- Mysterio: probably my favorite weird Spider-Man villain, and his use of illusions to trick Spidey and commit crimes would be a cool use of CGI

- Rhino: another good mid-level villain, and a fight between the two would also probably lead to some cool CGI effects, like Spider-Man using webs to slingshot a rock back at Rhino after Rhino throws it

Also, The Vulture, Shocker, Kraven the Hunter, the Spider-Slayer robots(also masterminded by JJJ), and even obscure ones like Hydro-Man, Hammerhead, Molten Man or The Chameleon could be used, even if it's just in a montage.

-Bill

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Joke Of The Day

" I hate when people show you a picture and say 'this is a picture of me when I was younger.'  Every picture of you is when you're younger! If someone came up to me and said 'this is a picture of me when I was older', I'd be like 'how'd you do that? Gimme that camera!". - Mitch Hedberg

Bonus joke of the day: "I don't have a girlfriend, I just know a girl who'd get really mad if she heard me say that." -Mitch Hedberg.

What's going on at Useless Trivia

Before I get started, a quick disclaimer: I do not write to offend, so I want to make sure and note that everything written on here is solely my opinion.

Now then, I thought I'd give a guide to what may be popping up on the blog:

-Useless Trivia Presents: an original short story by me

- Ask Useless Trivia: questions I've heard from people, or have been emailed

- Joke Of The Day: either a joke I came up with, or one I've heard from someone else

- Hypothetically Speaking: how I would write something, either a movie, TV show, etc.

- Useless Trivia Hall Of Fame: celebrities I admire, and the reasons why

- Useless Trivia Movie Review: my thoughts on movies, complete with rating system

- Random Thought Of The Day: self-explanatory

-  Stuff No One Cares About: weird facts, statistics, etc. I come across while reading or surfing the Internet that I feel the need to share

- Cheap Plug: stuff I like enough to mention and/or link to

- The Top Five: carried over from my Facebook page, top five lists ranging from movie genres to restaurants

That's all for now.

- Bill

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Welcome to Useless Trivia!

What's up?

I'm Bill Ray, and this is the coolest blog no one's ever heard of!

While I'm actually trying to be a writer, I thought this would be a good way to remove all the stuff I can't say in job interviews or professional settings from my mind  and write them down instead, so they don't come out of me like Tourette's ("I think I'd be good for this job because...Raiders of the Lost Ark is the best movie I've ever seen!").

With that in mind, my goal in doing this is for people to have as much fun reading the blog as it is for me to write it, and any feedback(positive or otherwise) is appreciated and can be sent to rayw@mail.gvsu.edu.