Batman and Robin
Saturday, December 29th, 2012
I’m sure that Adam West can be a nice guy. He seems to be a fan favorite when he gives interviews or speaks in panels. I’ve even heard that he sends out free autographs in the mail. But from all personal accounts of meeting Adam West, who starred as Batman in the cult classic TV series from 1966-1968k, he is – oh what’s the word? – a prick. I had already met and gotten an autograph and picture from Burt Ward in 2005. I saw him again in 2007, this time with his counterpart Adam West at a Hollywood Show in attendance. My encounter with him then was not good, as he referred me to his equally pricky handler (who may or may not be his son, I’m not sure), who told me that Mr. West wasn’t ‘doing photos’ that day. Read the rest of this entry »
I always liked the sound of Piper Laurie’s name, but for years I couldn’t put it with a face. But eventually I discovered that she had starred in a wide variety of films, many to great acclaim. From her classic role in Has Anybody Seen My Gal to her Oscar nominated parts in three (count ’em, three!) movies – The Hustler, Carrie, and Children of a Lesser God, – she has been proven to be both incredibly versatile and remarkably talented. She even played the role of Auntie Em in Disney’s Return to Oz, and starred as Catherine Martell and her alter ego Mr. Tojamura, a Japanese man, in Twin Peaks. 
I have loved the movie Groundhog Day since I first saw it after its release in 1993, at which time it got lukewarm to generally positive reviews. But since then, the film has begun to find favor even more and more among fans and critics and has been elevated to the status of an all-time classic, even being selected for Preservation by the National Film Preservation Board. I don’t think I really need to sell anyone on the film; it’s one of my all-time favorites and that’s good enough. But it’s because I love it so much that I was hellbent on making a detour to scout the filming locations of the film during my weekend excursion with Dean to Chicago. 
It was clear that Robert Remus, better known as Hall of Fame wrestler Sgt. Slaughter, could go either way as being a good guy or a bad guy in professional wrestling. On one hand, he could be the overbearing, militant bully who feuded with the likes of fan favorites Bob Backlund or Pat Patterson. On the other, he could represent America’s toughness as he feuded with