GOBBLE GOBBLE!!!

Papa H wants you to have a happy (and sexy) Turkey Day!!

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THE COMIC BOOK TV SHOWS THAT NEVER WERE (UNAIRED PILOTS)

Earlier this month, the CW network thankfully announced that it was scrapping plans for The Graysons, a television series that would have followed the character Dick Grayson in the years before he became Robin. Television viewers probably lucked out on that one, but The Graysons is hardly the first comic book-based TV series not to make it past (or to) its pilot.

Click HERE for a funny list of some of the of the terrible and sublime shows that never made it onto our airwaves

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OSCAR AD TOUTING HEATH LEDGER'S JOKER

The WB has begun its offical Oscar push with this Variety advertisement for Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" for a Best Supporting Actor nomination.

Oscar ballots are mailed on December 26th, polls close on January 12th, and the nominations are announced on January 22nd.

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STEVE WYNN OPENS EATERY NAMED 'SINATRA'

The legendary Frank Sinatra mystique will thrive once again on the Las Vegas strip.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that casino mogul Steve Wynn will open a new Italian restaurant called Sinatra in his new resort Encore.

Considering that the Sinatra family fiercely protects the singer's image, permission to use the Chairman's moniker may be considered a coup. Still, Wynn and the singer have Sin City history together. The hotelier revitalized the Golden Nugget when he snagged 'Ol Blue Eyes to appear exclusively at the hotel during the '80s.

Wynn says the the Sinatra clan has loaned him such priceless memorabilia as the singer's 1953 Oscar and several Grammy awards which will be peppered throughout the eatery. What's more, Paul Anka has also promised the gold record he won for writing the English lyrics for “My Way.”

For those who expect something along the likes of such themed eateries as Planet Hollywood or The Hard Rock Cafe, think again. "It won't be a museum," he told the paper. "It will be the most stunning restaurant in the country."
Encore is the $2.2 billion all-suites sister hotel to Wynn Las Vegas. Look for the new eatery to open its doors Dec. 22.

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IT'S OFFICIAL: MORE PROOF REAL JOURNALISM IS DEAD

This disturbing tidbit comes courtesy of The International Herald Tribune (which is the international edition of the NY Times.

LOS ANGELES - When Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt negotiated with People and other celebrity magazines this summer for photos of their newborn twins and an interview, the stars were seeking more than the estimated $14 million they received from the deal. They also wanted a hefty slice of journalistic input — a promise that the winning magazine's coverage would be positive, not merely in that instance but into the future.

According to the deal offered by Jolie, the winning magazine was obliged to offer coverage that would not reflect negatively on her or her family, according to two people with knowledge of the bidding who were granted anonymity because the talks were confidential. The deal also asked for an "editorial plan" providing a road map of the layout, these people say.

To read the whole story, click HERE.

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NOTHING LIKE A GOOD 'F-BOMB'

... 'Nuff said.

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'STAR TREK: 902010'

Ok, so not everyone was blown away by the new "Star Trek" trailer. I liked it, however. While it may not boldy go where other movies have gone, it'll be fun to hang out with those old characters once again. Check out some disgruntled Trek fan's take on the new flick, who I can only gather is angry because the characters seem a little too movie and/or TV-ready - i.e., pretty.

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ROCKY BALBOA ON PREMIERE'S GREATEST CHARACTER LIST

When I saw that Premiere was going to list what they believed to be the 100 greatest characters of all time, I was excited to see where they would place Rocky Balboa, one of my favorite - IF NOT FAVORITE -- screen characters of all time. Lo and behold, he was number 64.

64. Rocky Balboa Played by Sylvester Stallone in Rocky (1976, dir. John G. Avildsen) and five later films

The year was 1976, and after so much cynical, Watergate-era fare at the cinema, bicentennial America craved something exhilarating. That jolt came in the form of a streetwise southpaw boxer named Rocky Balboa. When the reigning champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), plucks the sometimes painfully slow and raw Rocky from bad-side-of-Philly obscurity by challenging him to a world-class fight, it’s time for our hero to step up—and prove once and for all that he’s not “just another bum from the neighborhood.” His triumph comes from going the distance—and getting the (unlikely) girl, a super-shy librarian whose name makes up half of the movie’s most repeated mantra: “Yo, Adrian.”

Defining Moment: Rocky runs through the streets in the early morning. As the energetic theme song climaxes, he races up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and turns around to face the city, fists high in the air, victorious. (MGM DVD)

To see the list in it's entirety, click HERE

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MICKEY MOUSE IS 80

A HUGE happy Birthday to the world’s most famous mouse. Walt Disney’s Steamboat Willie premiered on November 18th 1928 at the Broadway Theater. Love the score. They don't make 'em like this anymore. Here's a peek...

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JOHNNY DEPP PIC AS MAD HATTER (FAKE? LEAKED?)

This pic is all over the web today. Many think it's first look at Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s 3D adaptation of "Alice in Wonderland."

Dunno... Just seems fake. Right? Kinda like Heath Ledger's fake Joker test shots from way back.

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JJ ABRAM'S NEW 'STAR TREK' TRAILER

Until the official trailer is released sometime this week (or even today), check out this official trailer for JJ Abrams new take on "Star Trek." Let me rephrase -- not a new take per se -- but an exploration of the original Trek characters before we came to know them. I must say, while not a Trekkie (or Trekker for that matter), this trailer has me stoked if only for those sounds I remember hearing while watching the show as a kid. You know what I mean -- the swoosh of the bridge door; the crisis alarm (whooooommmp, whooooommmp) and of course that mesmerizing theme. Check it out...

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PENTHOUSE TO BUY A HOTEL AND CASINO IN VEGAS?

Vegas needs another casino like Robin Williams needs more chest hair. But, that said, Penthouse is looking to throw its hat into the casino ring ala the now-defunct Playboy Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City in the '70s.

In any case, Penthouse CEO Marc Bell went public with plans to buy what he calls a a "significant property" on the Las Vegas Strip in order to join the casino wars.

"The best time to buy is in a down economy," said the South Florida financier in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Interestingly, his business plan includes tying in his 10,000-Web site empire, most of them social networking sites, to generate business.

"We have no intention to rebrand the name of the hotel (we don't believe that, btw). We would like to see a Penthouse casino presence and a Penthouse pool presence," Bell told Vegas Confidential during an interview at Planet Hollywood Resort in what is known as the "Stripper suite."

His Web sites have 200 million members, including "phenomenal" numbers in Europe and Asia. Penthouse launched a cable television network in January and already has signed up 30 million homes, with another 30 million anticipated by next year, he said.

Perhaps they want to mimic the recently-opened Playboy Club in the Las Vegas Palms Hotela nd Caisno. The new club, with its very noticeable neon bunny head, has casinos, bars, and a bathroom with pictures of Playmates on the walls.

To read more, click HERE.

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THE SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS - THE GHOST OF STEPHEN FOSTER VIDEO

Here's a video from one of my favorite bands, The Squirrel Nut Zippers.

They formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina by James "Jimbo" Mathus (vocals and guitar), Katharine Whalen (vocals, banjo, and ukulele), Chris Phillips on drums, Don Raleigh on bass and sideman Ken Mosher.

While the band's eclectic fusion of Delta blues, gypsy jazz, 1930s-era swing, klezmer, and other styles makes them hard to categorize, their quirky music found a niche in the late '90s -- especially during the brief (yet welcome) swing craze.

Enjoy this ridiculously wonderful video for "The Ghost of Stephen Foster," an ode to the early days of black-and-white animation. Creepy, nostalgic and perfect all at once.



... And let's not forget their ode to the afterlife and modest MTV hit "Hell."

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'QUANTUM OF BONDS' (funny vid)

This funny video is done by the same guy who did "Battle of the Batmans" a few months back. This one is just as good.

The scoop: One Bond replaces the other, but he won’t go down without a fight. Edited using "Casino Royale" (Daniel Craig’s first Bond film) and all of the Pierce Brosnan Bond films, "Quantum of Bonds" really kicks into full gear about 45 seconds in.

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THE WORLD'S CREEPIEST VIDEO?

I HAVE NO OTHER REASON FOR RUNNING THIS VIDEO OTHER THAN IT'S JUST PLAIN ... CREEPY. Looks like a takeout from the film "Jacob's Ladder," quite possibly one of the creepiest films I've ever seen.

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'DARK KNIGHT' SCRIPT ONLINE AT WB

You saw the flick, now read the script... As our favorite nocturnal superhero nears the $1 billion dollar mark, with a grand total of $997,535,317 in box office receipts (as of Monday morning), we hear that Warner Bros is planning a big rerelease of the film in January. Just in time for the upcoming Oscar nods at the end of the year, the WB has put the screenplay online... Wannabe scribes MUST check it out.

Download the Script HERE.

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OBAMA AND NEWSPAPERS: MAYBE JOURNALISM ISN'T DEAD ...

So we all lived through history on Tuesday night and the momentous event gave (rightly so) goosepimples to the entire collective world. Yup, we all lived through it and wanted to document it somehow. Get a piece of it as a keepsake for our own personal time capsules.

Here's what an innovative Washington Post reporter had to say about that...

From PAUL FARHI, Washington Post:

To: You
From: Your newspaper

Dear You:

Every day, I was there for You, rain or shine, good times and bad. I was always available. Like a puppy, all I ever wanted was to please You.

Was it lively conversation You wanted? Cackling opinions? The latest news and gossip? I gave You all that. I even tried to keep up on all the sports and business stuff because I knew you cared about that, too.

Oh, we had so many beautiful years together. Sometimes I made you mad. Often, I moved you. But we always made up.

And then a few years ago you rewarded my loyalty by straying. You went elsewhere. You sought the company of others who, you thought, gave you something that I could not. Fickle and faithless, you went looking for something faster, newer and younger.

Oh, You.

I wondered, incessantly, had I failed you? Was it me?

And then one day this week, You wanted me again. Hungrily. Desperately. You searched everywhere for me. You lined up outside my door, stood in the rain and cold, on the chance that I would be available to You again.

And I wasn't there. How ironic!

Finally, You recognized something in me again. Something that had been dormant all these years. That You needed me.

That You needed to hold me again. If only for one special day.

I feel so.... used.

I should be aghast at your behavior. I should cast you aside forever and move on, somehow. But I know in my heart what I have always known:

That I need you, too. Every day. And I want you back. Desperately. Hungrily.

So won't you use me again?

Please?
--30--

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MEGAN FOX AS 'WONDER WOMAN' (FAKE BUT AWESOME POSTER)

I'll keep this brief. No need to expound with an image like this... Thanks to www.wonder-who.com for this gorgeous faux poster.

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STALLONE, STATHAM, LI TEAM UP FOR 'THE EXPENDABLES'

Here in the Lounge, we're suckers for anything Sly Stallone-related. This bit of news hit the Web today and to say we're stoked is an understatement.

Sylvester Stallone will direct a new action film titled "The Expendables," which he also penned. The flick will star Sly as well as Jason Statham, and Jet Li. While story details are sort of mum, it centers on an “expendable” team, hired to do jobs that no one else can or will, who are sent to infiltrate a South American country to overthrow the ruthless dictator and liberate the country.

The film is said to be a part of a two-picture deal Sly inked with with Nu Image/Millennium Films. Principal photography is set to begin in Costa Rica and Louisiana in February 2009.

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REJECTED BOND THEME SONGS (WINEHOUSE, BLONDIE, etc)

Since the heady days of "Goldfinger," famous musicians have ached to perform an iconic James Bond theme song. Here are a selection of rejected efforts (with full audio) that will blow your mind, including Johnny Cash's version of "Thunderball" and Blondie's "For Your Eyes Only."

Click HERE.

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NOIR SUPERHERO MOVIE POSTERS (DARK KNIGHT & SPIDER-MAN)

Thanks to Slashfilm for posting Timothy Lim's very cool and Noir-inspired one sheets for some of the recent and upcoming geek films.

For more, click HERE.

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R.I.P.: AUTHOR MICHAEL CRICHTON DIES AT 66

Prolific novelist and "ER" creator Michael Crichton has passed away at 66.

He's perhaps best known for being the scribe of "Jurassic Park" and its boffo sequel "The Lost World," which spawned a successful movie franchise. His numerous books have sold over 150 million copies worldwide.

"While the world knew him as a great storyteller that challenged our preconceived notions about the world around us -- and entertained us all while doing so -- his wife Sherri, daughter Taylor, family and friends knew Michael Crichton as a devoted husband, loving father and generous friend who inspired each of us to strive to see the wonders of our world through new eyes," his family told ET. "He did this with a wry sense of humor that those who were privileged to know him personally will never forget."

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JOAQUIN PHOENIX GETS ALL ... PISSED

Isn't it great how some celebs take themselves wwayyyy too seriously? Check out Joaquin Phoenix's reaction to an E! reporter after telling him that he's quitting acting to pursue, uh, music... Yes, music...

He can't be like Don Johnson, Bruce Willis, Eddie Murphy, Kevin Bacon, Russell Crowe, Phillip Michael Thomas, Keanu Reeves, Scarlet Johansson, Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, John Travolta, David Cassidy, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Cher, Bette Midler, Babs Streisand, Jamie Foxx, Kevin Costner and Juliette Lewis and simply do both.

No, the guy has to QUIT in order to do it right. Whatever... Nonetheless, check out the vid.

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TOO LATE FOR McCAIN? (WHY YOU SHOULD VOTE REPUBLICAN)

Is it too late for McCain? Nope. Not a chance... remember that Kerry was ahead in the polls four years ago...

That said... If you don't have a house, mutual funds, 401K, a job, or if you are not planning to inherit anything in the near future, this election prolly won't affect you. For the rest of us schnooks who are still working on mortgages, children and grandchildren, or retired living on a pension and or Social Security, perhaps you'll take a couple of minutes to read the proposed changes in the American tax system.

This election cycle, it's something you should be aware of so you don't get blind-sided.

Proposed changes in taxes after 2008 General election:

CAPITAL GAINS TAX

MCCAIN
0% on home sales up to $500,000 per home (couples). McCain does not propose any change in existing home sales income tax.

OBAMA
28% on profit from ALL home sales.

How does this affect you?
If you sell your home and make a profit, you will pay 28% of your gain on taxes. If you are heading toward retirement and would like to down-size your home or move into a retirement community, 28% of the money you make from your home will go to taxes. This proposal will adversely affect the elderly who are counting on the income from their homes as part of their retirement income.

DIVIDEND TAX

MCCAIN 15% (no change)

OBAMA 39.6%

How will this affect you?
If you have any money invested in stock market, IRA, mutual funds, college funds, life insurance, retirement accounts, or anything that pays or reinvests dividends, you will now be paying nearly 40% of the money earned on taxes if Obama become president. The experts predict that 'higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains
would crash the stock market yet do absolutely nothing to cut the deficit.

INCOME TAX

MCCAIN (no changes)

Single making 30K - tax $4,500
Single making 50K - tax $12,500
Single making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 60K- tax $9,000
Married making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 125K - tax $31,250

OBAMA (reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts)
Single making 30K - tax $8,400
Single making 50K - tax $14,000
Single making 75K - tax $23,250
Married making 60K - tax $16,800
Married making 75K - tax $21,000
Married making 125K - tax $38,750

Under Obama your taxes will more than double

How does this affect you?
No explanation needed. This is pretty straight-forward.

INHERITANCE TAX

MCCAIN 0% (No change, Bush repealed this tax)

OBAMA Restore the inheritance tax

How does this affect you?

Many families have lost businesses, farms, ranches, and homes that have been in their families for generations because they could not afford the inheritance tax. Those willing their assets to loved ones will probably lose them to these taxes.

NEW TAXES BEING PROPOSED BY OBAMA

* New government taxes proposed on homes that are more than 2400 square feet

* New gasoline taxes (as if gas weren't high enough already)

* New taxes on natural resources consumption (heating gas, water, electricity)

* New taxes on retirement accounts

And last but not least....

* New taxes to pay for socialized medicine so we can receive the same level of medical care as other third-world countries.

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THE TOP JAMES BOND THEMES (chart position)

With "Quantum of Solace" opening Nov. 14, I give you the top charting Bond themes:

No. 1 "A View to a Kill" - Duran Duran (from "A View to a Kill")


No. 2 "Live and Let Die" - Paul McCartney & Wings (from "Live and Let Die")


No. 2 "Nobody Does it Better" - Carly Simon (from "The Spy who Loved Me")


No. 4 "For Your Eyes Only" - Sheena Easton (from "For Your Eyes Only")


No. 8 "Die Another Day" - Madonna (from "Die Another Day")


No. 8 "Goldfinger" - Shirley Bassey (From "Goldfinger")


... and a personal favorite...

"Thunderball" - Tom Jones (from "Thunderball")

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