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I admit seeing Lyons' quote made me chuckle. It was a combination of seeing a "critic's" quote on a bootleg and the fact that it came from Lyons.

Hey, at least the man gets some respect on the streets!

10 seconds later and I realize just who the actual critic was. Wow, I guess I need a coffee break. Geez.

I'm off to research the context of that quote.

Nice shots of Comiskey, which hasn't been called that for going on a decade. I've frozen my ass many times in those bleachers. Baseball when it's freezing out is a gas!

Apropos of nothing, but Keith Olbermann just spent a few minutes of his show to pay an out-of-left-field tribute to the birthday of the great Ian Richardson of all people; which is just downright awesome considering that he died 2 years ago and I'm guessing that almost nobody else in the world noticed it was his birthday. The "House of Cards" mini-series was one of my favorite British imports of all time.

I listened to that ball game on the radio (I'm a Royals fan). They said if you were in the sun (3rd base side), it was quite pleasant, but if you were in the shade, it was freezing. Good game, though.

My question is, if bootlegs are so readily available, why aren't the sellers busted just as fast?

"Opening Day at Comiskey Park, home of the Chicago White Sox... and one of those places where being overtly all-American still plays..."

What, you mean to tell me that after the presentation of the flag, and the national anthem, they didn't put a UN ambassador on the jumbotron for rebuttal? Geez, Dave, what a snobbish thing to say.

Best part of that DVD cover is the comic sans font written "Widescreen Edition" at the top.

baseball has been bery good to me. my Pop was an MLBer for a while until my Gramma made him go to college. My Pop would have played with young Jim palmer if he stayed. College or MLB? who needs college.

nice pictures Dave but I will never forgive the swindle that led the beautiful old Commie Park being torn down. There is a special place in hell for Big JIm. It ruined my college finals one semester, seriously.

One of my prized pictures as a child (and still is) was a large black and white of CP from the early part of the century. I carried it all over Europe everytime I moved.

go up to Koreatown Dave if you want to find F&F. Guaranteed to be "the first" for all your counterfeit needs. But watch your back and be prepared to bust a move if they think you 'disapprove'.

Too bad the Cubs are in Houston this week and you were forced to go to Comiskey instead of Wrigley.

Why is it that David never talks about movies anymore unless Nikki Finke or Roger Friedman or Patrick Goldstein or Peter Bart or The Paper of Record does it "wrongly" first? I don't think abstaining from the back and forth in the comments section was what the blog really needed after all. It definitely killed a lot of the conversation there.

I think David ought to swear off of the opinions of others for a couple of months and see what he has to say for himself and himself alone.

Any plans to visit the Ghost and the Darkness at the Field? Or maybe a montage a la Ferris Bueller?
At least a shot from the top of Sears Tower.

Welcome to Chicago, Dave - I've been in every major American city and have lived in NYC and DC - Chicago is my favorite, have lived here for seven years! And sorry, it kicks the crap out of LA. Here, EVERY ONE goes outside when it gets above 50 in March; in LA, people are afraid to go outside if it gets under 70.

Looks like reviews are leaking for the big summer movies, now - predictably, the folks at AICN are lavishing Star Trek with praise. Any one want to start making predictions on these films? I think Par has done a masterful job of hyping this thing - they're going to get awareness for it, but the problem is that there is absolutely no breathing room, with X Men and Terminator on either side.

Any one want to make predictions on the summer box office, at this point? Here's some picks for May, which looks damn crowded:

X Men Wolverine
Opens $110 mill, Total $245 mill domestic

Star Trek
$65 mil, $158 mil

Angels & Demons
$71 mil, $184 mil

Terminator Salvation
$62 mil, $171 mil

Night at the Museum 2
$95 mil, $278 mil

Up
$65 mil, $264 mil

As for the top grossers of the season, I think the Top 2 are locked in stone: Termiantor and Harry Potter, both of which should top $300 million.

Any other picks?

Sorry, I meant Transformers and Harry Potter for the Top 2 - Transformers could do over $350 mill.

Glad you're enjoying Chicago, Geoff. But as someone who lived there over 20 years, and has now lived in Los Angeles for 10, I don't think it even comes close to "kicking the crap" out of my current residence.

Nice generalization about the people and their reaction to weather. I don't know what kind of West side fools you were hanging out with when you lived here (if you did), but some of us are a bit more even tempered (or temperatured).

Enjoy your two to three months of nice weather before your godawful, sweltering summer begins, after which you have another 2 months of nice weather followed by the Ninth Circle of Hell that is Winter in Chicago. I'm quite happy with year-round perfection here, and can always visit other climates when I miss them--or did you not know I can be playing in the snow in about an hour's drive?

L.A. owns every city on the planet. FUCK SEASONS. Everyone all talks up NYC, and yeah, it's a cool city, but what's with having to wear WINTERWEAR and shit, and it's all rainy and snowy?

FUCK SNOW. Snow sucks and is for TOTAL ASSHOLES. So is RAIN. FUCK RAIN. L.A. COMMANDS YOU LIKE THE MIGHTY ZOD.

The only other city that might even come close is TOKYO, but I'm only thinking that because I just watched THE DRIFT six times consecutive, plus I'm sure there's like a million hot Japanese chicks who'd put out for the Lexman. And while it's all good across all colors of the rainbow, it should be WELL DOCUMENTED that the MASTER is predominantly down with Russkis.

Anyway, some PRESSING SHIT because tonight the Cold Blog is about as much fun as a cold sore:

1) Why didn't they just call it WOLVERINE? WOLVERINE sounds cool, and everyone knows what it's about. That whole X-MEN ORIGINS shit sounds CHEESY AS FUCK and totally SCI-FI channel, like some CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE book or something.

b) Was Adventureland really THAT mismarketed? There are roughly a dozen pages of ANGRY THREADS on the bottom-feeding IMDB boards from pissed off dorks all ENRAGED that it's not some FREEWHEELING COMEDY. I kinda thought the trailers sold the nostalgia/80s/K-STEW swooning vibe. Yet all these tools seemed to be expecting HAROLD AND KUMAR RUN AN AMUSEMENT PARK. It was pretty much what I wanted out of it, a Fast Times/Dazed/Up the Academy/Last American Virgin seriocomedy with great acting and a sentimental streak.

Apparently the kids were expecting the '09 equivalent of HOT CHILI? That can't bode well for its legs, since the majority of online know it alls seem actively PISSED about the movie.

Of course they're all fucking idiots because it's the greatest movie in the history of the world and K-STEW is better than any actress ever, ever.

Now watch some old fat ham chick win the Oscar in March.

Also, did I read in EW that CHRISTINA RICCI is engaged to some HACK COMIC?

Fuck, that's a bummer. I'm funny as hell and I'd tax her smoking midget ass like fucking Kenny Rogers.

Two to three months of nice weather in Chicago before summer? Two to three weeks if you're lucky. Granted I only lived in Chicago for about a year-and-a-half, but it's not nearly as great as the people living there insist it is. And there is no place in this country filled with more reprehensible morons than the Wrigley bleachers.

Geoff prognosticated:

Star Trek
$65 mil, $158 mil

Angels & Demons
$71 mil, $184 mil

Terminator Salvation
$62 mil, $171 mil

Are you nuts? Have you been following 2009 box office trends?

Star Trek and Terminator less than F&F4? Nonsense, sir.

Wasn't sure where to post this since it has nothing to do with baseball (go Mets!) or the "Wolverine" bootleg (ask me if I care), but here goes....
Finally caught up with "Observe and Report" last nite--what can I say? the (dwindling) Cleveland "press corps" gets no respect--and it's the most subversive, fearless and ferociously funny studio comedy I've seen in ages.
Seth Rogen gives a career performance of unparalelled brilliance. Cult film for the ages.
That felt good.

If those pirates had an ounce of wit, that would have been a Roger Friedman quote on there.

I'll be very surprised if Wolverine opens over $100 million, Geoff. For one, all this bootleg talk weeks in advance is going make the film feel played out by the time May arrives-- it just won't have that "opening weekend" urgency. And two, X-Men 3 was a huge pile of shit that killed off much of the interest in this franchise among everyone I know.

Summer prognosticating:

Star Trek - I think it will surprise everyone by topping $200 million

Angels & Demons - the Da Vinci hype is dead, I think this will severely underperform. I will be surprised if it cracks $150 million.

Terminator - no reason why this can't do $200-225

Public Enemies - Depp + Bale = $200 million easy

I love Mann and love the book, but I'm not sure about Public Enemies hitting "$200 million easy." It's going to be R and it's summer, so even with Depp & Bale and (presumably) good reviews, I think $200 million will be tough to hit.

Public Enemies is on the top of my list for the summer but I would be suprised if it topped 130. Depp biggest films were all family films, while PE will be more mass audience friendly than Sweeney Todd, I don't think this is going to be a blockbuster. At the top of Cruise's power they only got 100 out of Collateral.

"Public Enemies - Depp + Bale = $200 million easy"

Depp and Bale have yet to prove that either of them can open a movie where they aren't wearing heavy cartoony makeup.

Re: Public Enemies, I agree it will not break 150. What I love about Mann is that he does not sign on to do a Cruise or Farrel or Depp film. They sign on to do a Mann film...which are always uncompromising. I can't wait for it.

Also...In Toronto there is a fairly new theater chain called Empire theatres. I went there on the weekend and noticed they had a new policy for a money back guarantee on some films.

On some posters there was a sticker on them saying if you see a film and it is over you decide you do not like it...you can get a refund within half an hour and you have to hand your stub in.

The films that had this guarantee were Watchmen, Angels and Demons and Terminator Salvation.

Has anyone heard of this before? Has anyone done this and if so what is the process?

Stella's Boy has apparently never been to a Lakers Game. Fuckhole Central.

I have never been to a Lakers game. That is true.

Josh Massey, I was thinking the same thing. I almost thought they screwed it up. LMAO!

Worst collection of individuals in mass scale I've encountered were at Raiduhs games. Seriously it was a prison yard. Sure I was clandestinely routing for the other team but I couldn't see how even their own fans could endure that atmosphere for 4 hours much less an entire season.

Is there any kind of love triangle in Public Enemies? Women love dark, tough men w/contorted souls. If it's not some 3 hr opus, I think retention will be high for this film and it'll do well.

Nicol D, as far as I know any movie theater will give you your money back if you walk out 20-30 mins in. Have not heard of any other guarantee.

I've been to many Laker games. I've never heard the Laker faithful chanting "take it off" to girls sitting nearby, nor have I seen fan get into drunken fistfights BEFORE THE GAME EVEN STARTED, nor have I seen a special family section reserved for those fans who want to sit in the bleachers but don't want to get into fights, get completely shitfaced and act like total baffoons. I've seen all these things at Wrigley.

Don't get me wrong...as far as I know, a fan's never murdered another fan at Comiskey (like at Dodger Stadium a few years back) and the biggest fight I've ever seen was in San Diego of all places. So take what I say with a massive grain of salt.

Wow, money back guarantees on movies? Weird...I'd think there would have been a number of takers on Watchmen.
When I was younger I worked at a Blockbuster once and they had a money back guarantee policy. Some guy brought back Rabid Graniies and wanted his money back because he didn't like it. The manager asked "Did you think you were GOING to?"

"Nicol D, as far as I know any movie theater will give you your money back if you walk out 20-30 mins in. Have not heard of any other guarantee."

I know, Empire has that policy too. This was something special only put on certain films they felt the public was guaranteed to like. Hence, why it is on the blockbusters I mentioned.

You can actually watch the full film and within 30 minutes get your money back if you do not like it. Just wondering if anyone had done it and it is as easy as it sounds. They also stipulate you have to tell the manager why you didn't like it.

You guys need to go to a football game at LSU. The horror, indeed.

Perm - the Blockbuster in my neighborhood when I first moved to DC had the same deal, every movie was guarenteed. I thought ok, I will rent shitty movies that I was curious about and return them for a refund. If they didn't want to give a refund they shouldn't guarentee obvious pieces of shit.

I only did this a few times because each return ended with either a ten minute arguement with the cashier, or they wouldn't know how put the refund into the system and would just stare at me with their blank eyes(same with their raincheck policy for if a new release was out). Even without any special considerations it usually took longer to rent a movie than it did to watch it. I ended up going 20 minutes out of the way to an mom and pop store in Takoma Park to rent until I found Netflix.

Video Americain!

Sports + Booze = Assholes

"And there is no place in this country filled with more reprehensible morons than the Wrigley bleachers. "

they were from the suburbs Stella. Most people you'd meet at a game don;t know the first thing about baseball or want to. It's the same people you'd meet at a trendy but unentertaining nightclub.

Wrigley is a place where people unleash their inner asshole out into the world. We call them Lager Louts in London where I spent most of my adulthood. SOme people buy a Harley when they get some cash...well sensible ones buy an old Norton.

You can;t go to a game without some drunk dude who thinks he's Depp hitting on you every time you want to buy a 'dog or use the ladies room.

Why I am a Mets and sout'sider fan.

f*ck the Cubs and their entire corrupt money grubbing merchandising franchise.

At least George Steinbrenner, the meanest man in baseball, spent money on his team.

"Depp and Bale have yet to prove that either of them can open a movie where they aren't wearing heavy cartoony makeup."

I never thought of it that way. I guess that's true. They are like "alternative" leading men...big in every other niche picture but somehow still not mainstream.

It isn't just cartoony makeup though. More like can they open a movie where they aren;t in some type of a) costume of a different era or world b) completely altered physical state c)insane with all the trimmings?

I meant to say some people buy a Harley when they get some cash...sensible ones buy an old Norton, and the unsensible/insensible with money to burn buy Cubs tix.

If you really like baseball...and are a Cubs fan that's fine. But most "cub's fans" wouldn't know a baseball if they got hit in the head with one...which happens often.

'....the comic sans font written "Widescreen Edition"...'

that's fucking hilarious, don lewis, i thought the exact same thing. ah, the ol' 'comic sans' font from 'microsoft word'...i mean, the level of cover art sophistication is simply staggering!

Exactly Perm, I can't tell you how excited I was to find that place. It felt like home. The clerks were the usual film geeks but without the condescendition. I was in there late on a tuesday once and bumped into Clarence Page, and we talked about movies with the clerk for about 20 minutes, it was a big geek moment for me.

I grew up in the DC area so I know of those places. Although my personal fav was Video Vault in Old Town Alexandria. Easier for me to get to, and I think they had a bigger selection...and the ambiance of walking around an old creaky townhouse couldn't be beat. Their sign said "Guaranteed worst movies in town," and they held true to their promise.

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