8/7/98:
THE LATEST WORD ON THE BAT'S NEXT FLIGHT...
TASTE-TESTING A STORM...AND, HOW THE HELL
DID HE GET ALL THIS VINYL?!
The summer movie season seems
to be fizzling, with HALLOWEEN WATER actually
coming out on a Wednesday. Wasn't
Wednesday usually reserved for big-time
releases like STAR WARS flicks?
And though I don't find The
Drudge Report interesting, its author recently
remarked (and I'm paraphrasing here) in
a speech to the National Press Club: "Isn't
it more interesting to talk about GODZILLA
than to actually see the movie?"
Which
brings us to one of my favorite topics --
talking about flicks that haven't even been
made yet! This week's future flick? BATMAN
5.
After the financial and critical
drubbing -- both deserved, by the way --
last summer's BATMAN & ROBIN received,
it's hard to believe any studio would be
interested in backing another installment
in the limping series. But, sheep are sheep,
and it appears that Warner Bros. (producers
of the first four installments) will be
making an announcement regarding the series.
Since the box office disaster
of the fourth installment rumors have been
flying fast and furious: George Clooney
will leave and be replaced by Kurt Russell.
George Clooney will leave and be replaced
by Clint Eastwood for a version based on
THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. Clooney will fly
off and Ben Affleck (aigh!) will star in
a version based on YEAR ONE. Villains will
be played by everyone in Hollywood including:
Jeff Goldblum, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey,
and Howard Stern (The Scarecrow); Billy
Bob Thornton (The Ventriloquist); Jim Carrey
(reprising The Riddler); Michelle Pfieffer
(back as The Catwoman); Jack Nicholson (Joker);
and, Jenny McCarthy and Madonna (Harley
Quinn). Whew...oh yeah, and Robin becomes
Nightwing, Batgirl dies, and The Bat adopts
a new Robin in the form of Leonardo Decaprio.
In order to keep up with this
fast and furious rumor mill, ring up The
Geriatric Bat for the latest details,
a recap of recent rumors, and links to other
B5 rumor sites. But, if you're like me,
and you find BATMAN:
THE ANIMATED SERIES and THE
NEW ADVENTURES OF BATMAN far better
than any of the flicks in the series (except
maybe BATMAN RETURNS), dial up their official
sites for episode guides, video, sound,
and schedules.
It's a Summer Storm...
Sometimes
when I'm fighting off a vicious hangover
I reach for a beverage that gives me a little
hydration without the sticky sweet syrupy
feel of a cola. However, sometimes even
my beloved Mt. Dew
has too much sugar and caffeine -- resulting
in a solid rock of nausea jiggling around
in my belly.
Pepsi, the nation's number
two soft drink company, has always tried
harder than Coca-Cola. And, in response
to hungover writers, editors, students and
graphic designers everywhere they're now
testing Storm, a lemon-lime beverage poised
to battle Sprite and 7-Up.
Main difference? While those
beverages provide a crisp, sparkling flavor
they lack the caffeine boost you sometimes
need after a tough morning. Storm solves
that problem, adding a caffeinated jolt
to its lemon-lime base. And fear not Dew
fans, a quick call to the Pepsi Consumer
Question Line confirmed that this fluid
would simply be a line addition and in no
way threatens The Dew.
Taste test results? In a blind
taste test our judges were hard pressed
to make a distinction bewteen Sprite, Storm,
and 7-Up.
Vinyl, Vinyl, Everywhere...
Frequent
readers know I'm not one of those anti-progress
tree-huggers. But, after years of cd purchasing
I find that my cd collection continues to
shrink while my vinyl shelf grows and grows
and grows.
It isn't the sound, like lots
of audiophiles protest. It isn't even the
price, though I can't understand how a new
Rocket From the Crypt disc can cost $10
while a new major label release runs close
to $15.
To
me, I simply like the look, feel, and the
distinctive snap & crackle an LP brings
to the table. Let's face it, when was the
last time you actually read a cd booklet
while you listened to the disc?
If you're looking to grow
your vinyl collection, there's only one
place you need to haul ass to -- Jerry's
Records in Pittsburgh, PA.
"Pittsburgh?!,"
you're saying. Trust me. Dealers from NYC
travel over to the big, bad 'Burgh simply
to shop Jerry's 12,000 square feet of nothing
but vinyl. No cds, no videotapes, no books.
LPs, 45s, 78s, 10", 12"...room
after room of nothing but rock, pop, alternative,
soul, r&b, compilations, soundtracks,
spoken word, jazz, country, international,
folk, comedy, and the list goes on, and
on, and on.
If
you're ever in the Pittsburgh area -- and
I mean within five hours -- do yourself
a favor and stop by 2136 Murray Ave. in
the Squirrel Hill neighborhood just off
376. Call 412-421-4533 or 1-800-95-VINYL
for hours, details, and directions.
That's it for this week...
