Fantastically UnFOURgettable!

 First of all, I have nothing against the new SUPERMAN movie, the buzz it generated, and I CERTAINLY have nothing against its contributions to the economy and cultural history of the great city of Cleveland, OH, the Birthplace of Rock & Roll and a city that, while others have chosen the legendary phoenix as a symbol of rebirth, has adopted the Buzzard, the cocky mascot of WMMS 100.7 FM, the station as much a part of Cleveland as the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame it helped bring to town, but just as he was for most of his "life", the Man of Steel has seemed like an unattainable ideal. While Everyman would like to be Superman, one super hero movie shines the spot on four heroes who are closer to Everyman and Everywoman. I refer, of course, to THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS, starring Pedro Pascal (MATERIALISTS) offering an Oscar -worthy portrayal of  the leader, scientific genius Reed "Mr. Fantastic" Richards, Vanessa Kirby (NAPOLEON) as a mightier, stronger iteration of his wife Susan Storm Richards, the Invisible Woman (the "Invisible Girl" nickname seems like a misnomer), Joseph Quinn (STRANGER THINGS) as the hot-tempered speed demon, and Sue's kid brother, Johnny Storm, only the second hero to be named the Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who brings his unique personality and gastronomic knowledge that made him a hit on THE BEAR to the character of bashful Benjamin J. Grimm, a/k/a the ever-loving blue-eyed Thing. Set on Earth 820 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, an Earth that bears more than a passing resemblance to New York of the 1960's, (David Crosby to the contrary, I DO remember the 60's and I WAS there.) FIRST STEPS is a loving tribute to the original books by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby who created a more realistic form of super hero, one with more imperfections than Superman and his buds, one who tried his/her best, although they didn't always succeed, as well as to the 60s themselves. (Long time Marvelites will recognize the characters and events referenced, even, SPOILER ALERT, the FF cartoon shows produced by Hanna-Barbera, DePatie-Freleng,and Marvel Animation for FOX Kids. Could a new FF toon show be too far behind? Please say no, Disney+!) Although the FF are clearly why you came, the most dramatic performance belongs to Julia Garner (INVENTING ANNA) as Shalla-Bal, a completely reimagined version of Lee and Kirby's greatest tragic hero , the sky-spanning Silver Surfer. (If anybody  even thinks of calling her "Surfette." they should also think of calling an ambulance!) The special effects are dazzling, the acting is possibly the best in a Marvel movie, Michael Giacchino contributes another stirring music score,and the MARVELous pop tradition continues with music from the Fleetwoods and Brenton Wood,to name just two.

Whether you grew up with the WABC all-Americans,the WMCA Good Guys,or the Merry Marvel Marching Society or you're just discovering 60s culture, F4 FIRST STEPS is the best step any comic book movie fan,nay,any MOVIE fan can take.

Excelsior!

Sturdy Steve

Steve's Smorgas-Blog

What's Up Steven Universe! (Google It or "Cartoon Network")

I know it's been a long time, but here we are again, and I'd like to start by wishing a happy Canada Day and a  happy 4th of July to all those who celebrate, and despite EVERYTHING, and I do mean EVERYTHING that's happened, especially between both of our countries, that should be a lot!

This time, we're going to try something COMPLETELY different: a Smorgas-Blog! (Hope it doesn't leave you Smorgas-BORED!)

APPETIZER: A Bronx Tale

THE SCENE: Yankee Stadium,One East 161st Street, The Bronx,New York

THE DATE: June 4,2025 (On Earth-2)

On both Earth-1 and Earth-2,Congregation Emanu-El of the City Of New York, America's leading Reform Jewish temple,is celebrating 180 years of history and growth from a simple building on Grand and Chrystie Streets in Manhattan's Jewish Quarter to a magnificent structure on Fifth Avenue and East 65th Street, and, to mark the occasion, the home standing New York Yankees have invited key representatives of Emanu-El, including Senior Rabbi Joshua N. Davidson (who performs the invocation,) Cantor Sara Anderson (performing the National Anthem and "God Bless America" in a handsome version of the official Yankee pinstriped jersey emblazoned with her honorary number,1 1/2, more on that later) with her husband Peter and beautiful baby Golda Grace (Number 2 1/2) in tow,and members of the Men's Club (including a handsome devil named Steven Eisenpreis,why DOES that name sound so familiar?!?) who perform the time-honored ritual of throwing out the first pitch after they stroll onto the field waving their Yankee caps at an insanely applauding audience as a video of Temple history unspools, Thanks in no small part to Emanu-El's presence, the Yanks go on to beat the visiting Cleveland Guardians, formerly the Indians, (LONG STORY!)by a 3-0 margin.

THE DATE: June 4,2025 (As it actually happened right here on Earth-1)

The Men's Club buys its tickets to the game like EVERYBODY ELSE,they don't even get a plug on the Fan Marquee (That honor goes to the Manhattan JCC, darn it!),a marching band from Joisey plays the Anthem after the pre-game parade, of Little League teams, the Yanks DJ spins the recording of the late,great Met Opera star,and honorary number 1 1/2 Robert Merrill (In the aforementioned alternate reality, Cantor Anderson, a devout Broadway and opera fan, would be paying homage to Bob by wearing his number.) singing "God Bless America", and some other lucky sons of guns throw out the first pitch. At least (A) the Yanks beat Cleveland in THIS reality as well,(B) we were serenaded by a marching band,and (C) we saw a live sporting event IN PERSON, and how cool is THAT?!? Besides, the aforementioned Rabbi Davidson is a loyal METS fan as are most of the clergy at Emanu-El.

THE MAIN COURSE: Speaking of Cleveland...

...That's where I'll be for July 4th Weekend. Everybody LOVES to pick on Cleveland, but in addition to being immortalized by fellow Steve Steven R. Gerber and Ohio native Val Mayerik in Marvel's surreal, classic "I-Can't-Believe-It's-Not-Underground" epic HOWARD THE DUCK, comedian Drew Carey on his epynomous ABC sitcom, and writer Harvey Pekar and Robert "Fritz the Cat" Crumb in a comic classic that IS underground, AMERICAN SPLENDOR, it's the home of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and where DJ Alan Freed coined that very term. CLE, as its residents call it, is also where Al Roker got his start as a weatherman,Don Imus, who lost his job in New York over a notorious racist, sexist slur, achieved national fame as a National Guard officer who called a McDonald's to order "!200 Hamburgers To Go",and also the home of the Guardians of Traffic, (Now you know where the team got its name!) and the movies MAJOR LEAGUE (made when they were STILL the Indians) and DRAFT DAY (starring Kevin Costner, Jennifer Garner, and, unfortunately, Diddy). I'll also take a day trip to the Akron-Canton area, home of NBA star LeBron James (The Akron Hammer) and the Pro Football Home of Fame. 

SIDE ORDERS: A Hall of A Band

The Rock Hall is ALREADY spiritual home to Dolly Parton,Cyndi Lauper, Bon Jovi, and ABBA, and I'm sure Brian Wilson, the leader of the Beach Boys,  Sly Stone of the Family Stone, who have recently passed,are already inducted, as well they should be. Sadly, Robert Cabot Sherman Jr., better known by his nickname, Bobby, was also taken from us by kidney cancer. To be perfectly honest, I don't think he qualifies as HOF material because a few of his hits were featured on a show a lot of you young 'uns never heard of called SHINDIG in the 60's and the majority of those hits charted very high in the 70s and he was VERY limited by his bubblegum label,but his hits, "La La La (If I Had You)", "Oklahoma City Times", "Cry Like A Baby",and "Turtles and Trees", to name a few, WERE the soundtrack of a lot of lives in the 70s. (At least Bobby deserves an Honorable Mention or Participation Trophy, if the HOF gives out such things.)

DESSERT: Groovy Movies

The Summer Movie Season looks very promising with SUPERMAN (Did I mention I'll also visit a shrine to the Man Of Steel's creators, Clevelanders Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster?), FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS,and SUPERGIRL (formerly SUPERGIRL: WOMAN OF TOMORROW. LOOOONG story!) on the horizon,but already I've seen Wes Anderson's THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME, starring Benicio del Toro as an eccentric millionaire and promising newcomer (and Kate Winslet's daughter) Mia Threapleton as the sole heiress, who wants no part of material wealth and prefers a vocation as a Bride of Our Boy, the Late, Great J.C. of Biblical Fame, in a fast paced bruised-forearm epic reminiscent of the Indiana Jones epics, and even Carl Barks' classic Uncle Scrooge stories, and Disney/Pixar's ELIO, which TRIES to measure up to the lofty standards set by TOY STORY, CARS, THE INCREDIBLES,and A BUG'S LIFE,but doesn't QUITE make the cut. (Still a good ninety minutes in an air-conditioned theatre, nonetheless.)

CHECK,PLEASE! Hope all of you reading in the East Coast made it out of this EXCRUCIATING heat wave in one piece, and that you say a prayer for our troops keeping the peace in the Middle East and Europe and our police officers doing the same here at home.

Talk to you from Cleveland!

Steve

DON'T Give My Regards to Lancaster, PA!

 If you've never been to the Sight & Sound Theater (formerly the Millenium Theater) in Lancaster, PA, keep it that way, OK?

Long story short: it began in 1976 with a slideshow presentation for the American bicentennial with equipment rented from the Amish-leaning Lancaster Bible College , and evolved into theatrical interpretations of Biblical stories.

If you live in New York, Philadelphia, Wilmington, or its home market of Harrisburg (including Hershey, which is WAY worthier of a visit, and not just from chocoholics!) no doubt you've seen spots for their latest production, a 30th anniversary revival of NOAH: THE MUSICAL. Frankly, I'm surprised it didn't take the gargantuan bath its namesake took in Torah!

I have no kick against the Amish, I respect their right to worship as they see fit, and I remember the nice chicken dinner an elderly couple served me and a bunch of tired, but happy, Ranger fans on our way home from Hersheypark, but let's not kid ourselves, gang, under those antiquated outfits are the biggest bunch of hypocrites the world has ever known. These people claim to abhor modern culture, yet with musicals such as NOAH and its newest monstrosity, an adaptation of the book of DANIEL now playing in Branson, MO, they try to emulate the better-known, and better, productions of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Alan Menken, and my fellow Steves, the late great Mr. Sondheim and the Wicked cool Mr. Schwartz.

To be honest, I have no desire to see NOAH, (One of the things S&S likes to boast about is live animals on stage and in the audience, and if NOAH indeed has two of every animal, all that stench for two hours is not worth the schlep!) so,with Purim right around the corner,I watched their must-miss production of QUEEN ESTHER (so you don't have to),and it failed to tick any of the boxes. No memorable numbers, (Think "Popular," "Defying Gravity", "The Room Where It Happened," etc.) no comic relief, (Think "You'll Be Back," "Hakuna Matata," or the traditional Purimspielen, or Purim plays, filled to overflowing with public Haman shamin' and pop culture references built around the common theme, "They kicked our butts, we kicked their butts, let's eat.") no superstars, (Maybe it's all for the best.) and worst of all, no sense. (Why is Hadassah, the nice Jewish girl who will be queen, wearing a chador at the beginning?) I guess the reason why the filmed version has no credits is that they 're all in Witness Protection.

I will spare you the agony by NOT linking you to the website or giving you directions by plane,train or automobile (There IS another S&S in Branson MO. There are a LOT of better dinner -theaters there.)

Long story short: If any of your friends ask you if you want to see NOAH at the Sight and Sound,ask them back,"Do you mind if Amish it?"

Steve out!