Love sports? Love movies? You'll love this musical spoof of every sports movie cliche

I ran across The Rotten Tomatoes Show on the Current channel last night (hey, it was a slow TV night), which surprised me because I thought that channel was reserved for co-founder Al Gore's eco-lectures. Now I'm including Current on my favorites list, if only to catch this funny look at movies each week.

Check out co-host Brett Erlich's hilarious musical tribute to sports movies titled Last Second Plays. You'll never watch Hoosiers, Happy Gilmore, Major League or any other jock flick the same way again.

Enjoy!

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (and arrested)

What Roman Polanski allegedly did to a 13-year-old girl in 1977 is inexcusable. What the Los Angeles judicial system -- in particular one judge -- allegedly did to the Oscar winning director, making his self-exile from the U.S. seem unavoidable, is fascinating stuff.

Filmmaker Marina Zenovich connected the dots in a fine 2008 documentary titled Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired that indirectly led to Polanski's arrest this weekend in Zurich, Switzerland. Zenovich presented a compelling case that Polanski was being railroaded by a publicity-hungry judge. So compelling that Polanski's attorney made moves to re-open the case, which encouraged officials to arrest Polanski in a country he had visited without incident numerous times.

The clip posted above is an interview with Zenovich at the Sundance Film Festival where Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired premiered. In a country where people are supposedly innocent until proven guilty -- and proving it demands proper procedure -- the documentary raises worthwhile questions on both sides of the bench. Check out the film on Netflix or in segments on YouTube and decide for yourself.

Horror on line two, and Twilight terror on MTV

Just when you thought the MTV Movie Awards were turning a corner on cinematic taste, the winners announced on Sunday night's almost-live telecast proved that good cheekbones and smoldering looks still trump quality. And that Eminem still can't act.

We can only hope that MTV voters will show as much love next year for Robert Pattinson's solid performance as artist Salvador Dali in Little Ashes as they did for his bloodless work in Twilight. Don't bet on it. Squealing girls don't appreciate competition for pinup boys they have no chance in Hollywood of impressing, especially if the interloper is a dude.

But wouldn't it be interesting if next year's Best Kiss prize (won by Pattinson and Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart) went to the cadaverous heartthrob and his Little Ashes co-star Javier Betran? We might see the worst mass suicide since Jonestown, right there in the Gibson Amphitheater.

I hoped that this year's nominated films -- including my No. 1 (Slumdog Millionaire) and No. 3 (The Dark Knight) choices of 2008, not to mention Iron Man that earned an A grade -- would lead to results that might confirm the MTV Movie Awards as a show honoring deserving movies that aren't usually rewarded with Oscars but certainly have style and big audiences.

But aside from another posthumous prize for Heath Ledger, voters stuck with teenybop titles like Twilight, High School Musical 3 and Hannah Montana: the Movie, and popular adults (Jim Carrey, Amy Poehler) because it would be soooooo cool if they were their parents. And kids wonder why grownups don't take them seriously.

I didn't catch all of the show because I was having a great time with HorrorMovieFans.com host Mike Olsson on his online radio show, discussing the Black Devil Doll hornet's nest that I stirred up. We chatted for nearly an hour, and I was impressed (and somewhat relieved) by Mike's rational yet genuinely passionate and informed take on the subject. The Ann Arbor, Mich. resident is only 23 years old but was pulling out references and shaping questions like someone twice his age.

I'd call it a draw but you can decide for yourself after listening to the podcast by clicking this link.

Didn't get to watch Breaking Bad but maybe I can sneak it in before heading to the office, where I'll be doing a telephone interview this afternoon with Saturday morning TV legends Sid and Marty Krofft, creators of the TV series Land of the Lost (the movie version with Will Ferrell opens Friday) and my personal favorites of that era, H.R. Pufnstuf and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters.

You can bet I'm going to ask them what they were on when they came up with those ideas.

Big night for... ummm... let's say people who like their movies

Just a reminder that if I can tear myself away from the MTV Movie Awards show long enough, I'm chatting online with HorrorMovieFansRadio.com at 10 p.m. They should be very excited about the awards bestowed upon Twilight by then.

Realize that for both events I'm postponing the viewing of the season finale of Breaking Bad, hands down the only TV series that deserves to be a movie.

If you're otherwise occupied, I'll let you know tomorrow how all three turn out tonight.

The (Kathy) Fountain of Youth

Let me say right off the bat that WTVT talk show host Kathy Fountain is a brave woman for inviting me to appear for a half-hour on her show today, talking about summer movies and the box office sailing through recessionary times. (Ch. 13, 12:25 p.m. or so, for a shameless plug.)

We still joke about her former afternoon show, in front of a live studio audience, and my first time on it that also turned out to be my last. About 10 years ago, I joined former Tampa Tribune movie critic Bob Ross and freelancer George Meyer to discuss the upcoming Academy Awards with Kathy. Turned out to be a good show, informative and fun.

It also turned out to be Kathy's final show in that format. She got the word soon after taping that WTVT was canceling her program.

Of course she rebounded and thrived in her later slot under the banner Your Turn with Kathy Fountain, daily during the noon news report. But it has become a kind of mock threat: Do what I want or else I'll come on your show. I've done a half-dozen or so shows with Kathy since then -- my favorite was a tribute to the late comedy genius George Carlin -- without anyone losing their gig.

Of course, when you figure that the 4 p.m. newscast on WTSP where I appeared weekly for more than seven years just got axed, Kathy's invitation could be tempting fate.

Your Turn invites viewers to chime in with questions and comments. E-mail them at yourturn@wtvt.com or call (813) 875-8255 or (800) 826-4434. If you can't make it to a TV, Kathy's show is streamed live online at MyFoxTampaBay.com. I'll be the one with the red rose behind my ear.

Charles Foster Kane was a Trekker?

It sure sounds that way, in this teaser trailer for 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture that almost sank the movie franchise from the get-go.

Yes, that's Hollywood legend Orson Welles, who would sell no Paul Masson wine before its time (but loved drinking it, as these sloshed outtakes show), narrating the preview, introducing the U.S.S. Enterprise crew with inappropriate gravitas. Dig that star-spangled psychedelic intro, and the sound effects THX borrowed later to show off its sonic prowess before shows.

The trailer came to mind after slaving for an hour on a Star Trek-themed podcast with Stuck in the '80s guru Steve Spears, that should be ready by Friday's debut of the new, improved Star Trek movie. Listen long, and prosper.

Flashback: Critics log, stardate 11.18.94

Getting back in gear with Weekend stuff, especially reviewing the new Star Trek movie that Princess Di and special guest star Steve Spears saw Saturday.

Too bad it wasn't in IMAX but I thought it was 3-D for a minute, when the movie started and Spears' heart burst from his chest with excitement. Between the spray and his gurgling drool, it was like sitting in the splatter zone of a Gallagher show. The guy takes his Trek seriously.

I don't, and we're using that yin-yang for a sidebar in Weekend, in which I note from a virtual neophyte's p.o.v. what makes me know Star Trek is the real deal, and why it isn't from Spears' vastly superior geekish point of view. It'll make sense. It did when we plotted it over a pitcher of sangria and burritos afterward.

Which got me thinking back to Nov. 18, 1994, when I only had about 18 months on this job, and I was forced to admit to a world of Trekkers that my opinion of the Kirk-Picard collision in Star Trek: Generations wasn't the most informed.

As you'll read later this week, I've come a long way in my appreciation of the franchise -- mostly on Saturday.

But I remember it as if were only yesterday ... (dream-water camera effect, twinkly piano music):

"Trekkers forgive me, for I have sinned.

This is not an easy confession. Unbelievable, perhaps, considering the list of motion pictures I've seen in 30 years of serious movie-watching.

Not one of them has been a Star Trek flick.

Never caught a glimpse of V'ger, Khan or those whales the Enterprise crew saved in part 4. Can't guess if Mr. Spock is certainly dead or sequel-dead. And the only episode of the original series I recall sitting through was The Trouble with Tribbles in reruns after hearing so much about it. You could fit my combined experience with The Next Generation into one episode, with extra room for commercials.

Nothing personal. Just not much of a sci-fi devotee, and I've never liked joining any conspiratorial clique after everybody else.

Like anyone who follows pop culture, I'm familiar with the characters and general themes. Even attended a minor-league Trek convention as a favor to my wife, who is a fan. I don't begrudge Trekkers for their commitment, but my attention quickly wanders when they start dissecting each episode as if it were the Koran.

So, if you're looking for an expert's opinion of Star Trek: Generations, the seventh film voyage of the Enterprise, better subscribe to the Internet. If you want to know if this is a worthwhile movie experience for the masses, not merely an elaborate inside joke among Trekkers, you're on the right page."

Yes, I typed "subscribe to the Internet." But, hey, it was 1994.

Three life certainties: Death, taxes and movies

Figured everyone could use a laugh right now, just a day away from the deadline for filing 2008 income tax returns. But exhuming this old Three Stooges short (well, not that short; you'll find Part 2 at the tail end of this post) made me realize that Hollywood hasn't produced many movies with the "Infernal Revenue Service" as a key player.

Two reasons: People go to movies to escape from life's hassles, and any movies about the April 15 tax deadline would have an extremely limited window for marketing. You wouldn't go out of your way to see a Thanksgiving-themed movie in May, would you?

Besides that, how do you come up with a happy ending about giving away a chunk of your hard-earned dollars?

(Full, tragic disclosure: My mother-in-law works for the IRS. Think that doesn't add a little sting to the process?)

But a little digging came up with these movies in which the IRS' annual harvest of American salaries plays an important or memorable part. If you can't find them on TV or home video, any old Wesley Snipes movie will do.

The Shawshank Redemption -- Prison inmate Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is an accountant jailed for murder, who does the warden's taxes to gain favor.

The Wheeler Dealers -- James Garner plays a Texas tycoon milking the tax code and New Yorkers for millions.

Bachelor in Paradise -- Bob Hope stars as an author of books for single men whose latest project - dealing with suburban housewives - is a quickie to pay off back taxes.

The Young Philadelphians -- An ambitious law-school graduate (Paul Newman) tackles the (then-)new, lucrative field of tax dodges for clients.

The Mating Game -- An old farmer has never filed income taxes, prompting a stuffy IRS agent (Tony Randall) to investigate. Soon, the only form he's interested in handling is the farmer's daughter (Debbie Reynolds).

The Last Gangster -- Edward G. Robinson plays a mobster shipped to Alcatraz for income tax evasion. Yes, it was inspired by Al Capone's trouble with the IRS.

The Jackpot -- A nice guy (Jimmy Stewart) wins a $24,000 prize on a radio show (yay!) then realizes he must pay taxes on it (boo!).

The V.I.P.s -- Liz Taylor and Richard Burton starred in this ensemble melodrama but Orson Welles added comic relief as a filmmaker forced to marry his star to avoid paying $1 million in back taxes.

Stranger Than Fiction -- An IRS agent (Will Ferrell) whose life is supernaturally controlled by a novelist (Emma Thompson) falls in love with his latest target for auditing (Zooey Deschanel).

And now, the conclusion of our Three Stooges program...

'Fever Pitch' Red Sox fans in the house George built

So, my pal Harry Diez has an intimate connection at George M. Steinbrenner Field, home of the New York Yankees spring training games. Harry recently palmed a ticket to me, for last night's matchup with the Boston Red Sox - a feisty rivalry any time of the season.

Perfect place to wear Tampa Bay Rays gear, just to rub in that A.L. championship like Yanks and Bosox fans have at the Trop for years. The fact that our seats were front row behind the Yankees' dugout made it even sweeter. I was probably the only person at the game who was hated by everybody but that's how I roll.

Nice way to spend a night off from thinking about movies but, of course, it never works out that way, thanks to Harry.

We had access to the private Dugout Club under the stands behind home plate where the food and beer never ends and the walls are adorned with trinkets like a couple of the Yankees' World Series trophies. Harry remembers Yankees lore almost as well as he recalls trivial movie stuff, as he proved again when we headed to the Dugout Club for the first time.

"There's a couple of movie stars over there," he said. "You can do a story." Before I could ascertain where he was pointing midway up the stands, Harry was off to retrieve two blonds in Red Sox jerseys, pulling out a couple more Dugout Club wristbands and better tickets behind home plate.

Their names are Jessamy Finet and Erin Nanstad, both from East "Bahstahn" and a couple of "wickahd pissahs." Jessamy and Erin were profiled in a 2004 documentary on Red Sox fans titled Still, We Believe, produced when the team hadn't broken their World Series futility streak. Peter and Bobby Farrelly watched the movie while preparing their Red Sox comedy, Fever Pitch, and hired them for minor roles requiring three weeks of work.

"It was the accent, blond hair and we drink a lot," Jessamy (the shorter one) said, explaining their break. How Harry recognized them, I'll never know.

Jessamy plays the old friend Jimmy Fallon greets in the stands, who brags that she got her stomach stapled and lost 300 pounds. Erin's greatest moment - getting a bloody nose from Lenny Clarke - was cut from the movie but made the DVD's extras.

The ladies were spending the final night of their 10th anniversary spring training road trip together, pounding Steinbrenner's beer in the womb of Yankee pride, loving every ironic minute of it (until the Sox lost, 7-1). We spent the middle innings chatting about the celebrity that Fever Pitch brought them in New England. Last year, they attended the Triple-A All-Star Game in Pawtucket and were mobbed by autograph seekers. Jessamy threw out the first pitch at a Red Sox game. Both sneaked into the Red Sox clubhouse once, which they still talk about in confessional booth tones.

"It kind of felt like we were violatin' or somethin'," Erin said. "We knew we shouldn't be lookin' but we couldn't help ourselves."

I had to ask: Did you steal anything?

 "We got gum," Jessamy said. I wouldn't be surprised if it were already chewed.

The women also told me about taking a road trip to watch the Sox play an interleague game in St. Louis, a spur-of-the-moment decision without tickets, travel or lodging plans made. They found a cheap flight to Chicago and rented a car they planned to sleep in after a four-hour drive to St. Louis.

When they got there, the women ran into the Farrelly brothers, unaware they were shooting a bit more of Fever Pitch. The Farrellys were amazed to learn about their impromptu trek. "I told 'em: 'This is what we do,' '' Jessamy said. The Farrellys then arranged for game tickets and a hotel room for their part-time actors. One more curse reversed.

(Images: Boston.com and Steinbrennerfield.com)

Hal Ashby: Don't know the name? His films are familiar

This year's Sarasota Film Festival, running Friday through April 5, offers a retrospective of the films of Hal Ashby, the least-known of the film school generation that changed Hollywood in the 1970's, and one of the best. The other members of that group -- Martin Scorsese, Francis Coppola and Peter Bogdanovich among them -- would likely agree.

Unlike those guys, Ashby never did many interviews extolling their own virtues. He was a hippie in Hollywood, a scraggly-haired dude in dark glasses and tee shirts who liked his drugs.His masterful output in the 70's dwindled in the next decade due to his habits and being ornery. Ashby died in 1988 of liver and colon cancer.

Nick Dawson, a 28-year-old Scotsman, read Peter Biskind's book about that era, Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, and was struck by the references to Ashby. He sought a more detailed biography and found none had been published. "I figured if I wanted to read a book about him, I'd have to write it myself," Dawson told me during a telephone interview.

Dawson's book, Being Hal Ashby: Life of a Hollywood Rebel, makes him a perfect choice to moderate the Ashby tributes in Sarasota.

Sunday in our Latitudes section (and earlier on tampabay.com), I'll have more on Ashby with Dawson and Jon Voight, who won an Oscar in Ashby's Coming Home.

For now, enjoy Dawson's comments on the seven films from the 70's that will be shown at the Sarasota festival, before Ashby gets a posthumous career achievement award on April 4. See how many you know (or cheat with the IMDb links provided), perhaps without knowing the mercurial genius behind them:

The Landlord (1970) -- "It’s a remarkably assured and audacious debut. Some aspects are incredibly experimental and daring. It’s surreal but has this internal logic making it work perfectly."

Harold and Maude (1971) – "People forget what a flop it was, initially, and the way it was mistreated by Paramount when first released. It’s a testament to the film, and moviegoers generally, that the film connected with audiences and created this dialogue about big issues like life and death."

The Last Detail (1973) – "This and Shampoo are fascinating because of the partnership with (screenwriter) Robert Towne that led to some of his most accomplished work. They come from two different perspectives: Towne is an unemotional, almost analytical writer (who) didn’t engage emotionally with the characters, and Ashby was really a humanist. The way Ashby interprets Towne’s vision is fascinating."

Shampoo (1975) – "The weird thing is that it was a period piece when it was made. It was already a time capsule movie; conceived in 1968 then Warren Beatty and Towne took seven years to make it. In a sense it’s dated because it’s looking back and criticizing a generation that went wrong, made by members of that generation with a jaded perspective."

Bound for Glory (1976) – "(Ashby) spoke several times about his spiritual understand of Woody Guthrie. It’s a very personal film. Guthrie is someone who left home young, worked on railroads, slept on the road and had no money. Ashby was knd of that hobo character the same way Woody Guthrie was."

Coming Home (1978) – "A delicate subject that nobody wanted to touch. United Artists made it only because the persistence of people who were creatively involved, and their willingness to defer their salaries. Again, you see Ashby’s ability to turn a story about ideas and a sensitive political situation, and make it a human story."

Being There (1979) – "Before production, people were saying it was a one-joke movie; how are you going to make this work? But it works so beautifully because Ashby doesn’t treat it as a joke. The film is unquestionably a comedy but it’s an engaging story with satirical ideas in it. It’s a film that has remained relevant with a sly depiction of American politics."