waaaay funny!

Wizards

King Kong

 

King Kong was on television today so I thought I'd use it for Quest on Screen...

Some, like myself, are old enough to remember the original 1933 King Kong starring Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong and Bruce Cabot.

 

As I look back it seems strange to me that I was so scared watching this black and white movie and yet still managed to cry at the end, even though I was very young!

 

Knowing all the new technology it seems pretty amazing that they did so well making it back in 1933!

But the most recent 2005 version, Peter Jackson, makes King Kong look totally real!  Of all the versions after the Original this is the only one that I like.

..Keeping with the original story the Beast falls in love with Beauty.

But none of it would have been as good as it was if it wasn't for Andy Serkis...

..who, once again, dawned the magic computer dots and acted out all the moves for Kong.

... as if that wasn't enough Andy also played the cook on the ship but gets killed fairly early on. (I guess that was to free him up to be Kong!)

Beauty and the Beast is such a classic tale.  The beast being to big and ugly and beauty finding all the inner beauty to fall for him anyway.

Of course King Kong doesn't get to keep beauty in the end but the love story is there non the less.  ...and when Kong dies at the end I dutifully cried.  Why is it even when I know the ending I keep hoping for a happy ending?! duh! 

Burke and Hare

This is yet "another movie" I found that I want to see that is only out on UK DVD. :o(    ..can I say: "not fair!".

I adore Andy Serkis and most of his work I can't see!

I will admit that I met Andy at a Creations Convention once and found him to be the greatest guy!!  Not only did he give his audience all they wanted (continually using Gollums voice) but was thrilled when I asked him about his appearance in the movie Inkheart. (unfortunately it did not do well in the box office) But everyone loves a bit of laughter and this movie sounds just perfect!!  Maybe I will finally get lucky and one day they will make it for the US to see too!

Burke and Hare

 

Burke and Hare (2010)

91 min  - Comedy/ Thriller . 29 October 2010 UK

A black comedy about two 19th century grave robbers who find a lucrative business providing cadavers for an Edinburgh medical school.

I would really love to have this movie *sigh*  I wonder if they will ever produce it for the USA?

Speaking of Andy Serkis...

Did you know that not only is he reprising his role as Gollum in The Hobbit but he is helping direct!

Perfect Launch!

A perfect Launch on a perfectly cloudless day!!

Ending of an Era

Today may well be the last flight for Endeavor. (depending on the weather).

 

I have loved our space program from the very beginning when Alan Shepard made his historic fifteen minute flight in space. I still can easily envision it in my mind... I was in high school and they stopped everything and put it over the loud speakers. As I would wind up doing for all the early space flights..I cried. I was so relieved when he made splashdown that I cried.

 

...as I cry now. But now it's not "just" for the last flight of Endeavor that I am sad, but for the ending of the space program. Oh, I know NASA will muddle on as best it can, but for most intents and purposes it's come to a screeching halt, and I couldn't be sadder.

 

I was amazingly blessed when NASA had the original Astronauts do an autograph show and it came to NJ. As with all their blastoffs and splashdowns, when I walked into the room where they all sat I felt small and insignificant.. I knew I was in the presence of real live heroes. And I would never feel this way again.

Over these many (many!) years, they have all remained my heroes..

 

 

I wish I could say that I knew the names of all the brave shuttle Astronauts, but I don't. However, that doesn't make them any less heroes. There's not a time we don't need heroes, and it's heartbreaking that the Astronauts of today will no longer will no longer have a space program.

 

I am a firm believer that we live on an unstable planet and moving out into space is not a luxury, not a race, but a necessity if mankind is to survive.  (We may well be getting a few "hints" in all the natural disasters that have been happening all over the world.)  No, I don't think Earth will kill off humanity any time soon... but at the same time I pray that we find a way to safety before it happens.  Will I be alive to see it?  No.  But I believe that this is an instance that gambling all will be well is not an option.

 

Ah well.. those are my thoughts.  I've always felt this way and I guess I always will.  I feel we are very wrong in not going back to the moon.  Maybe not making a space station ON the moon.  But at least learning and developing a more secure vehicle to get our men back. To make it safer before going out even farther into space...

.......which really is "our final frontier".

 

Below are 2 photo's that are probably the highlight of my life...

Dedicated to DeForest