Amazon discontinued the ability to create images using their SiteStripe feature and in their infinite wisdom broke all previously created images on 12/31/23. Many blogs used this feature, including this one. Expect my archives to be a hot mess of broken book cover images until I can slowly comb through 20 years of archives to make corrections.

Monday, July 19, 2010

On The Road, RRS Hiatus, And Movie Talk

It's my turn in the rotation over at Access Romance Readers Gab. Today I'm talking about authors wandering into territories that you (the reader) don't necessarily want to travel to. Why not head on over, have a read, and leave a comment?

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For the three of you who look forward to the feature, you'll probably notice I didn't do a Random Romance Sunday post yesterday. That's because I sort of hit a wall, what with me being spread a little thin these days between work, home and preparing for my trip to Orlando for RWA. Also, with RWA coming up on me at light speed, the next couple of Sundays will be spent posting about that - so RRS will be on hiatus until after the conference. Again, for the three of you who actually look forward to those posts. Heh.

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It was hotter than sin here in Southern California this weekend (low humidity doesn't really matter much when it's 104-frackin-degrees outside!), so My Man and I hit the movies to soak up some air conditioning that won't jack up our electric bill. We saw Inception.

Yeah, wow.

Wowee, wow, wow.

I haven't seen a movie that good in a long-ass time. Like My Man said, it was just great to see an intelligent, grown-up movie with a good cast and excellent script. We used to go to the theater almost every weekend and these days, it's a monumental occasion for us to bother - mostly because....well, we like grown-up movies. Men who don't act like petulant little boys and women who aren't brainless twits. Seriously, is this too much to ask? Apparently. Hence the hardly ever going to the theater these days...

Oh and another thing? Cute guys wearing suits. Just sayin'.

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I was sad to learn this weekend that veteran character actor James Gammon passed away after a battle with cancer. Gammon, age 70, had a long and varied career thanks to his distinctive appearance and even more distinctive gravelly voice. However, he went to his grave probably best known for playing Lou Brown, tire salesman turned manager of the sad sack Cleveland Indians in one of the all-time classic baseball movies - 1989's Major League.

While I consider Bull Durham the all-time greatest baseball movie ever - Major League runs a very close second. It's one of those movies that I literally have to stop and watch when I run across it on cable. It's funny, it's heart-felt, and it has one of the more realistic portrayals of a librarian I've ever seen in a movie (played by the sexy Rene Russo no less!).

Gammon is survived by his wife of 38 years and two daughters. Oh, and the Indians just happened to sweep my insanely hapless Tigers this weekend in a four game series. I like to think they did it for Gammon - as opposed to my Tigers just sucking.

God speed Lou.

11 comments:

Lori said...

Oh, I didn't hear about James Gammon. That's so sad. He also played Don Johnson's dad in Nash Bridges, which is what I most remember him for.

So glad to hear that Inception was good. We almost went to see it this weekend, but decided to wait a week for the furor at the theater to die down.

Tracy said...

That's so sad about Gammon - I loved him in ML.

Gosh I don't think I've seen a grown up movie in the theater for years! lol

And it was 110 here so you got off easy this past weekend! lol

Lil Sis said...

I was going to mention Gammon this weekend on the phone - he started his career in Orlando so his death made big news there...

Big Sis said...

Nice eulogy Wendy. I hadn't heard about Mr. Gammon passing (I knew the face/voice but not the name).

Kath said...

Make it at least 4 of us who make sure we tune in on Sundays for your latest Random Romance. Enjoy RWA, clear your decks, but know that some of us will applaud to see RRS return

Wendy said...

Lori: We tend to see matinees, so didn't have to battle the hordes too much :)

Tracy: I'm trying to think of the last movie we saw in the theater before Inception....and I'm literally drawing a blank. Iron Man 2? I think?

Lil Sis: I caught the news on a baseball blog I read - and sure enough - they quoted the Orlando Sentinel.

Big Sis: He did a ton of westerns. Not surprising with that voice....

Kath: Yeah! 4! LOL. The plan right now is for RRS to return on August 8.

nath said...

Oh, have fun at RWA!! :D

My friend raved about Inception... so I guess it's definitively the movie to see this summer :D

novelnelle said...

I've been trying to tell myself that I can wait for Inception to come out on video but I don't think I'm going to make it - way too many good reviews. I'll just keep trying to remind myself of the total dirt squirrel in front of me who took of his shoes and socks then put them on the seat next to him. By far one of the worst smells I've ever had to subject myself to for an extended period of time.

Glad to hear you enjoyed it though. I love Leo and will pretty much watch anything that he's in. If it's an awesome movie that makes it a total bonus.

Tracy S said...

Parts of Major League were filmed at the old (now gone) Milwaukee County Stadium! They needed people to fill out the seats for different scenes, so my family went down there. We spent a night in the bleachers cheering when they told us to. It was fun! It also showed us how boring filming a movie is. The did the same guy bunting the ball like 100 times because he couldn't get it right! LOL I loved James Gammon's manager role.

Wendy said...

Nath: Now I'm afraid that everyone is hyping Inception so much that there will be backlash :(

NovelNelle: OMG!!!!! WTFBBQ?!?!?! He took his shoes and socks off in a public movie theater?! What is WRONG with people?!

Mayberry Mom: Ha! There are major league baseball players who can't bunt worth a damn - so that poor actor has plenty of company. Neato that you got to be an extra :)

Tracy S said...

Wendy~my dad played ball in high school and in local leagues until I was about 10 and he wrecked his rotator cuff. He kept saying, "man, I can do better than that!" He had everyone around us in stitches giving the actor advice after each take. Of course the actor couldn't hear him, but it kept those around us entertained. :)