Good Morning and welcome back to Tuesday!

One day to go before the World Series. I presume the Super Bowl is about a week away.
Really, doesn't it seem a little ridiculous how far the baseball playoffs are stretched now. Just think about it, when the Phillies won in 1980, Game 6 was Oct. 22. This year, Game 1 is Oct. 22. We may not have a winner until we wake up on Halloween.
Talk about trick or treat.
By the way, there are some pretty good Halloween decorations out there these days. Sure, they seem a bit over the top, but that's what Halloween has become. It used to be just a day for children to dress up and walk around, now it's a month-long celebration with all kinds of crazy costumes for adults and children.
I guess some people have enough money to spend hundreds on a Halloween costume and, sure, dressing up is fun, but come on. Remember when we used to grab something out of our parent's closet, throw it on and call it a costume.
Now, there are full-body Clone Trooper (Star Wars) costumes. There are full face Frankenstein costumes. There are crazy clowns. All kinds of things.
Anyway, I digress, back to the issue at hand. If you want to see the coolest decorated house around go to the corner of Drexel Ave. and Bloomfield Ave. in Drexel Hill. The people who live there have redone their entire house to look like a haunted house, complete with a hearse in the front yard and flashing lights in the windows. I'll try to get a picture later this week.
Well, that's that. Here are today's Halloween song and movie:
First, sing along to:


Then run out to get scared by:


If you have any cool links or photos, send them along to onlinedelco@gmail.com

Good Morning gentle readers!

So, to take a break from anything serious this weekend, we rented the movie 'School of Rock' with Jack Black. It's kind of funny, definitely better than other Jack Black movies. It's also kind of neat to think all the students in the movie played their own music. Something many adult 'groups' can't do any more.
Here's the trailer

Anyway, as part of the DVD extras was a music video for the 'big' song in the movie.
Sitting there with the boys, we suddenly realized they had never seen a music video.
Now, if you grew up in the 80s or 90s, music videos were as much a part of the song as the actual music.
MTV was the biggest thing on the air, but when they actually played the music. Everybody who was anybody had a music video. You couldn't sell the album or single without the video.
They started out simply as the band or singer just jumping around and such, but quickly became mini-movies. It culminated with Michael Jackson's Thriller, which actually was a movie.
I remember when that video was going to debut. We all rushed home from school to check it out. MTV scheduled it to run every few hours and you knew the schedule.
So, since MTV no longer actually shows videos, it was off to an Internet search for some of those classics. Now, they are funny and the boys were bored after about five seconds.
They didn't get the point. Questions came about the meaning of the video, what they were doing in the video, why they weren't playing the music, etc.
I guess the time has passed. Still, it was fun while it lasted.
Here are a couple of good ones:

and:


If you have any cool links or photos, send them along to onlinedelco@gmail.com

Good Morning, Delaware County!

Was flipping around the TV Channels (more than 57 channels, nothing's on and Larry Mendte's still out of work) before gathering everybody for bed when I came across the Marx Brothers' movie 'Horse Feathers.'
The plot, much like in most Marx Brothers movies, doesn't really matter. It was just a chance for everybody to laugh. If you've seen the movie, you know what I mean. If you haven't, run out and get a copy. It might be one of the funniest movies ever.
Anyway, while watching the movie, it became pretty obvious the boys were not interested. Anybody who has boys aged 9 and 6 know right away when something is not touching their fancy.
They, along with the Princess, wanted to watch something animated. Doesn't matter what, if it's animated it must be a children's show, right?
So, they were squirming, finally, one asked, "Daddy, what's wrong with the TV?"
Nothing, why?
"It's broken."
It's not broken, there's a good movie on.
"No, it's broken. There's no color. We can't watch anything without color, it gives me a headache."
Just watch the movie.

Well, the viewing lasted about five more minutes before it became obvious my attempt at getting them to watch something a little different wasn't going to work. So, it was off to bed.
The next day, there was a conversation in the office about movies. We have come to a time where movies are bigger and badder. The computer generation makes anything possible. Sure, there are smaller movies still being made, but they don't make a lot of money. Instead, junk like 'Transformers' or 'Alien vs. Predator' dull our senses.
We have advanced technologically enough that old films look quaint and 'cause headaches.'
I'll have to keep fighting the fight.


If you have any cool links or photos, send them along to onlinedelco@gmail.com

Good Morning, Delaware County!

While searching around for some good reads, I found this.
The question is: If a giraffe can lead a revolution, what's next?
It's funny because anything involving animals doing something different is funny. Just look at the movies, this summer there's going to be a movie about chimps going to space and another about little dogs taking over the world.
Why do we find animals so funny?
Then again, anything's worth a laugh.
Imagine if the lions and tigers at the zoo got together one night and decided to take over. They would be unstoppable.
How about if the circus elephants wanted to take a walk? Would you stand in the way?
How about if apes took over society? Wait, that already happened:


By the way, while that's great, this is better:
CLICK HERE for another version of the Planet of the Apes.

If you have any cool links, photos or Larry Mendte sightings, send them along to onlinedelco@gmail.com

Good Morning, Delaware County!

A quick review:
Saw the movie 'Wall-E' at the theater Saturday afternoon.
Now, it's a pretty big deal, because with three little ones, an excursion to the movies is a huge undertaking. It has to be the right movie that will appeal to a 9-year old boy, a 6-year old boy and a 3-year old girl.
Believe it or not, those movies don't come around all the time. Plus, it has to appeal to the parents of the three so the 'it looks like a good video movie' doesn't come across their lips.
Thank God for Pixar. The movie company makes cool looking animated movies that has just enough to run across the age groups. Which, when you are talking about a 3-year old, means she can sit still for a quarter of the movie.
Anyway, 'Wall-E,' for those, you know, not in the know, is about the last robot on a trash-filled earth. Apparently, the humans, having finally trashed the planet, escaped in space have been floating around the final frontier for about 700 years.
Every once in a while, the humans send back probes to see if life has resurfaced on Earth.
Well, 'Wall-E' finds a plant during his trash-compacting duties. He comes in contact with the probe, becomes friends, goes to space, has some adventures, comes back and is saved by his new friend (girlfriend?).
Although there isn't a lot actual dialogue, the beeps and bumps of the robots say a lot and there is no loss in the story.
The most ironic thing about the movie is the subtle (well, banging over the head actually) message of overindulgence.
A company (Walmart, Disney) pushed so many needless products onto consumers they had no place to put all the trash. It took over the streets, oceans, everything.
That the movie was financed by Disney makes it all the more ironic.
You can't walk into any store without being beat over the head with Disney princesses. Believe me, there is no store around that doesn't have something with Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Belle and their friends smiling from a cup or dish or toothbrush or toilet paper.
It's a good movie to check out, but think, 'What is going to happen to all that trash?'


If you have seen Larry Mendte walking about town, drop a line to onlinedelco@gmail.com

Good Morning, Delaware County!

So, while the Phillies bats were sleeping last night, I was able to check out a show put on by the American Film Institute that counted the Top 10 movies in different kinds of genres. You know, the Top 10 westerns, Top 10 comedies, Top 10 gangster films, etc.
All the usual suspects were there, including the 'Usual Suspects.' Of course, we were going to see 'The Godfather,' 'Raging Bull,' '2001,' blah, blah, blah.
The thing about great movie lists is pretty much everybody agrees what the great movies are and they are all going to be there. Sure, it was interesting to see some of the stars of the movies talk about them, but they were quick interviews and we were moving on to the next number.
There are movie lists everywhere nowadays. We have the best movie kiss, the best movie villains, the best movie heroes. Again, blah, blah, blah.
So, while thinking about it, we need some new movie lists. So, to help you with your summer viewing lists, here are few.

The Top 10 Jim Varney movies

10. Earnest goes to camp; 9. Earnest saves Christmas; 8. Earnest Goes to Splash Mountain; 7. Earnest Rides again; 6. Slam Dunk Earnest; 5. Earnest Goes to Africa; 4. Earnest in the Army; 3. Earnest goes to School; 2. Beverly Hillbillies; 1. Earnest goes to Jail.


The Top 10 Movies Filmed in Delaware County

10. A Gentleman's Game; 9. Monday Morning; 8. Butterfly Angels; 7. The Presenter; 6. Misdirected; 5. Always Will; 4. Jersey Girl; 3. One Last Thing; 2. TAPS; 1. Eddie and the Cruisers.


The Top 10 Movies You Never Admit to Watching

10. The Fourth Man; 9. Ghoulies IV; 8. Anything with Sylvester Stallone; 7. Look Who's Talking 1-3; 6. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians; 5. Catwoman; 4. Jaws: The Revenge; 3. Soul Plane; 2. Staying Alive; 1. Earnest Goes to Jail

If you have any cool links or photos, of if you have actually seen any of these fine movies, drop a line to onlinedelco@gmail.com.

GOOD MORNING, DELAWARE COUNTY!

Ever wonder why there is so much hype for upcoming movies?
There are stories about people lining up for the new 'Sex and the City' movie for over a week now. The film doesn't officially open until Friday.
I understand being excited about seeing a favorite story or whatever becoming a movie and heading to the theater.
But still, lining up a week before the showing?
Of course, this isn't the first time its happened and it won't be the last.
I remember, way back in time, when the 'Empire Strikes Back' was scheduled to come out. People lined up the day of the movie, got the tickets and sat down to watch.
Of course, when the 'Return of the Jedi' came out, there were longer lines and they started earlier. Still, unless I've blocked it from my mind, I don't remember the lines starting a week before the opening.
No, this is a more 'recent' thing. When the next batch of Star Wars movies started coming out, there were lines ahead of the opening. Of course, those lines also contained many people dressed as their favorite characters, so ...
Back in my youth, I stood in a couple of lines overnight. Once was to see Bruce Springsteen play at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh and another was to see the Rolling Stones play the Vet. At the time, it seemed worth it and kind of fun, especially when the beer started flowing and the pizzas were delivered.
Movies, though, are a different animal. They will probably be in the theaters through the summer, so there is plenty of time to see it.
Maybe I'm missing something with 'Sex and the City.' I only saw the show once and found it pretty boring. I'll probably never see the movie.
Then again, with gas prices out of hand and an unneccesary war still going on in Iraq, maybe we all need a break.
I'll be on the lookout for a few people dressed like Batman over the next few weeks.


If you have any cool links or photos, send them along to onlinedelco@gmail.com