Haze This

NJ.com reports on a string of horrific high school hazing incidents: An investigation has been launched into the hazing allegations, the district confirmed Tuesday. During a phone call in response to a request for comment on hazing accusations regarding the football team, Wall Township Board of Education President Ralph Addonizio read a statement on behalf of the district that said, “Upon becoming aware of the allegation, we immediately contacted the appropriate authorities.' 

Bullying, broomsticks, video. WTF? Look, folks, we were in a fraternity (AXP!). We got hazed. But the the hazing was non-malicious. The idea was to have fun. Why, we got kidnapped with a half a dozen other pledges and dumped on Delaware Bay. They came and got us after an hour. Heck at Wesley College in 1993 you couldn't pledge a fraternity without first watching an anti-hazing video produced by a former state prosecutor and fraternity president, who prosecuted hazing deaths. We were never a huge hazer. 'Go get us a cup of coffee,' was about the worst thing we ever said to a pledge. 

Forgive us for getting nostalgic...Oh what a night...AXP and Delta Phi Sigma...What a mixer what a night...

What Will's Watching, Finch: This film is a combination of Omega Man and I am legend, but without the zombies. Tom Hanks once again proves he's the finest actor of his generation, playing survivalist nerd Finch Weinberg. He's a lone man with a dog and robot. We were at times touched with the robot's development. The post-doom landscape looks good, even beautiful in some places. Finch started off fast but then really slowed down. The ending, while not disappointing, left us ambivalent. Maybe we were paying attention to the wrong things. That being said, Finch is well executed. 3/4

Below, your post Veteran's Day Friday Flag:

   Tattered: the flag we flew on 9/11

Wither Tom Hanks

So last night we watched Apollo 13. This is a fine film staring Tom Hanks, the finest actor of his generation.

[Not Denzell Washington?-Ed]

Well, either/or.

Anyway prior to Apollo 13, Hanks  made four movies that propelled him to stardom-all in a row. These were A League of their Own, Sleepless in Seattle, Philadelphia and Forrest Gump. Hanks won the Academy Award for best actor for those last two films, and rightfully so. Forrest Gump was huge a pop culture and technological phenomenon. How did they get Forrest in the shot with Lynndon Johnson? Philadelphia was a human tragedy and something of a sop to the gays, but still a fine film. Sleepless in Seattle was a silly rom-com and feels more like a Meg Ryan vehicle. A League of their Own is a goofy sports film.

Hanks' was an extraordinary run.

Prior to this awesome quartet of films, Hanks was kind of a goofball actor staring in films like Dragnet. At its' release, Apollo 13 was considered a very solid film, but something of a comedown from the previous four. Ironically, Apollo 13 has aged better than any of those films and has more pop culture significance. 'Uhhh, Houston we have a problem...' may be the most memorable line of Hanks' career. Hanks' only quote from the previous four films is, 'There's no crying in baseball'.

Apollo-13* ends with Hanks' narration about the fate of the characters involved and asks, or challenges really, 'When will we go back?'

By 1995 it already seemed like the space program was stagnanting. The high adventure of The Right Stuff and national effort of the moon shots gave way to the dreary teamster feel of the Space Shuttle. It was disappointing, really. When the shuttle first launched in 1980 it was a big enough deal for our school to watch live on TV.

The shuttle was permanently set back by the Challenger disaster, Generation X's 'where were you?' moment. As Apollo 13 was in theatres, NASA had vague plans for an International Space Station. Today the shuttle is retired and American astronauts hitch a ride to the space station with the Soviets....errr, Russians. 

When will we go back? As it happens the other day we took our youngest on a school trip to the local planetarium 'where fishes swim', she told us. The gift shop sold spaceship stickers books. We bought one. Inside it was all Saturn rockets, Apollo landers and space shuttles. The youngest vehicle was 40 years old. 

There's your answer, Mr. Hanks.

*BTW harkening back to out Battlestar Galactica binge from last summer, Herbert Jefferson plays a reporter.

Tuesday Tally

Tom Hanks Edition

That is, the top five Tom Hanks movies before his quartet of blockbusters, Sleepless in Seattle, A League of Their Own, Philadelphia and Forrest Gump and after Splash put him on the map.

Bachelor Party: Screwball rad 80's comedy, a cousin of Animal House. Tom Hanks being irreverent and zany. Also Towney Katain before David Coverdale. Fun flick.

The Man with One Red Shoe: Tom Hanks, Carrie Fischer, Dabney Coleman, Edward Herman, Charles Durning, Jim Belushi...a dark comedy about an innocent man, Tom Hanks caught in a war between two spy agencies. Lori Singer as the spy/love interest is lovely after the 80's style. A score that is 80's but not over synthed so its dates OK.

Nothing in Common: Tom Hanks is again a screwball, this time a go-go ad-man with an estranged father played brilliantly and believably by Jackie Gleason. Tom Hanks tries to get the account, the girl and reconciliation with his old man. Eva Marie Saint is his mother, Bess Armstrong the artsy old flame who reminds Hanks about what success has cost him.

Volunteers: You got Tom Hanks in 1962 or so lying his way into the Peace Corps to escape his gambling debts. He ends of in Southeast Asia with Rita Wilson and hello John Candy in a great role.

Dragnet: Tom Hanks being loony again, this time with Joe Friday played brilliantly by Dan Aykroyd. Tom Hanks is right at home in 80's LA, Dan Aykroyd is out of place. More Dabney Coleman as well as a nice cameo from Harry Morgan.

Honorable Mention: Tom Hanks' guest appearances on Family Ties.

*Tom Hanks was in some real clunkers too. I'm thinking of Joe vs the Volcano, Turner and Hooch, etc...That quartet of successes really kept him from being known for 80's tripe. See also The Burbs. I've never known what to think of Big.

**Of course, I remember him in that D&D movie...Tunnels and Trolls?