Jack of All Blogs » Art

In Defense Of Spoilers

jangelo — Wed, 09 May 2007 09:29:21 +0000

Back in the day, my younger sister committed a very very serious crime. She told me a spoiler. And it wasn’t just any spoiler. She told me that Bruce Willis’ character in Sixth Sense was actually dead from the start. Whoops, did I just spoil the movie for you? Perhaps not (it’s almost a decade old!).

You’d think I would kill my sister for blurting out the story’s twist, but I wasn’t really that angry. I actually didn’t care at first (I watched the film months after that shocking revelation). But from that point, my sister stopped “sharing” story lines in advance. It was I who was out for sweet revenge (yes, even eight years after) by kidding around with story twists and endings of popular movies. And whenever I open my mouth attempting to “share” she would cover her ears and mutter incomprehensible utterances in order to drown out my voice.

From that point on, I was somewhat desensitized with spoilers. Even if I hear people talking about major story plots or twists, I would take it with a grain of salt, and still enjoy the movie/television show/book even if I knew the ending. No suspense, you say? Well, I’m one of those who tend to think that too much suspense would spoil a story anyway. Let a story take you through the ups and downs of a storyline and pretty soon you’ll be left too exhausted to enjoy it.

Perhaps this is the reason I sometimes watch movies and TV shows twice in a row. I try to seek out details (including imperfections and bloopers) the second, third, or fourth time around. I even scour the ‘net for reviews and recaps.

Sometimes, even before I download episodes of favorite shows online (Bittorrent or iTunes), I check ahead for recaps from those who were able to watch ahead. Silly, some might think. But in my busy lifestyle, I have no more time to actually get shocked and excited over details. I like having them in advance, and watching out for them during the viewing itself. Sometimes people who write recaps and reviews have different perspectives and I find them mistaken (ah, the shock value is there after all).

Some people I know are quite averse to spoilers. When downloading episodes, they try to keep away from any spoiler sites or recap resources. They even turn off their Twitter and IM clients just so people won’t accidentally share any details with them.

But that’s them.

I’m okay with spoilers. Call me weird.

Never-Ending Movie Trailers Spoil Everything!

Top 20 Jacks. No.14 – Jack Lemmon

The Joker — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 16:32:29 +0000

Failure seldom stops you. What stops you is the fear of failure.

I won’t quit until I get run over by a truck, a producer or a critic.

If you really do want to be an actor who can satisfy himself and his audience, you need to be vulnerable. You must reach the emotional and intellectual level of ability where you can go out stark naked, emotionally, in front of an audience.

If you think it’s hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball.

It’s hard enough to write a good drama, it’s much harder to write a good comedy, and it’s hardest of all to write a drama with comedy. Which is what life is.

Nobody deserves this much money – certainly not an actor.

Stay humble. Always answer your phone – no matter who else is in the car.

[tags]jack lemmon, actors,walter mattau, marilyn monroe,shirley maclaine,some like it hot[/tags]

Top 20 Jacks. No.9- Jack Palance

The Joker — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 10:49:19 +0000

Of Ukranian descent, Palance was born in Pennsylvania, the son of a coal miner. In the late 1930s he started a professional boxing career. Fighting under the name Jack Brazzo, Palance reportedly compiled a record of 15 consecutive victories with 12 knockouts before losing a decision to future heavyweight contender Joe Baksi.

With the outbreak of World War II, Palance’s boxing career ended and his military career began. Palance’s rugged face, which took many beatings in the boxing ring, was disfigured when he bailed out of his burning B-24. Plastic surgeons repaired the obvious damage but left him with a distinctive, somewhat gaunt look. After much reconstructive surgery, he was discharged in 1944.

Palance graduated from Stanford and made his Broadway debut in 1947, followed three years later by his screen debut. He was quickly recognized for his skill as a character actor, receiving a nomination for only his third film role, as Lester Blaine. The following year, Palance was nominated again, for his role as the evil gunfighter Wilson. Several other Western roles followed, but he would also play such varied roles as Dracual and Attila The Hun.

Palance’s first wife was Virginia Baker (1949-1966). They had three children: Holly (born 1950), Brooke (born 1952) and Cody (1955-1998). An actor in his own right, Cody Palance appeared alongside his father in the film Young Guns, and was 42 when he died from melanoma in 1998. His father now hosts The Cody Palance Memorial Golf Classic to raise awareness, and funds, for a cancer center.

Since May 1987, he has been married to Elaine Rogers.

Palance paints and sells landscape art, with a poem included on the back of each picture. He is also the author of The Forest of Love, a book of poems, published October 1, 1996, by Summerhouse Press.

Palance quotes:

On tabloid stories: “I’m amazed people read this crap about us – about me most of all.”

“The only two things you can truly depend upon are gravity and greed.”

[tags]jack palance,westerns,melanomas,young guns,dracula,movie greats, obituary[/tags]

Top 20 Jacks. No.7- Jack Warner

The Joker — Sat, 04 Nov 2006 05:43:09 +0000

“I have a theory of relatives, too. Don’t hire ‘em.”

“You were very good playing a bitch-heroine, but you shouldn’t win an award for playing yourself.”

“I’ve got America’s best writer for $300 a week.”

Some ticket buyers think they don’t like Jews.”

Career:

Worked in brother Harry’s shoe repair store in Baltimore; 1905—sang illustrated song slides in nickelodeons; with brothers opened Le Bijou nickelodeon in Pittsburgh; 1906—formed the Duquesne Amusement Supply Company; opened production studios in St. Louis and Santa Paula, California; 1917—My Four Years in Germany established Jack as a major producer; 1918—took sole charge of Warner Bros. Hollywood operation; controlled the studio until 1967, then independent producer

Awards:

Academy Awards for The Life of Emile Zola, 1937; Casablanca, 1943, and My Fair Lady, 1964; Irving Thalberg Award, 1958; US Medal of Merit; Order of British Empire. Died: Of heart disease in Los Angeles, California, 9 September 1978.

[tags]hollywood, jack, Jack Warner, actors[/tags]

Top 20 Jacks. No.1- Jack Nicholson

The Joker — Sat, 14 Oct 2006 03:09:58 +0000

“Hereeeee’s Johnny!” ~ The Shining

“You make me want to be a better man” ~ As Good As It Gets

“I almost lost my nose last night and I like my nose. I like breathing through it” ~ Chinatown

“You can’t handle the truth” ~ A Few Good Men

“Wait’ll they get a load of me” ~ Batman

“I tell you Aurora, I don’t know what it is about you but you really do bring out the devil in me.” ~ Terms of Endearment

“I’d rather stick needles in my eyes” ~ Terms of Endearment

“Not that many more shopping days till Christmas” ~ The Evening Star

“No Novocain! It dulls the senses!” ~ The Little Shop of Horrors

“I’m trying to teach you things and what do I get? Prime shit, shit, shit and more shit.” ~ Blood and Wine

“Go with a smile.” ~ Batman

“Little people, why can’t we all just get along?” ~ Mars Attacks

“Over a dog. Over an ugly dog!” ~ As Good As It Gets

“Are you serious? Peanut butter and Jelly is mother’s milk to me.” ~ Wolf

“Soup’s on!” ~ The Border

“Just your average little horny devil.” ~ The Witches of Eastwick

“Now what did I do?” ~ The Fortune

“Think white and get serious!” ~ As Good As It Gets

“And you walked on the earth. It’s a nicer place.” ~ The Evening Star

“I know I can do better than that.” ~ As Good As It Gets

“I want you to hold it between your knees” ~ Five Easy Pieces

“You know, this used to be a helluva good country. I can’t understand what’s going wrong with it.” ~ Easy Rider

“How about it you creeps, you lunatics, mental defectives. Let’s here it for bull goose Randall back in action….The metal defective league in formation.” ~ One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

“You don’t have to be shy with me.” ~ Man Trouble

“Five fights huh? Rocky Marciano’s got forty and he’s a millionaire.” ~ One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

“Darling! Light of my life! I said I’m not going to hurt ya. You didn’t let me finish my sentence. I said I’m not going to hurt ya!” ~ The Shining

“Get on your knees, put your ass in the air and don’t move until I say to.” ~ The Two Jakes

“May not be scientific, but it’s real.” ~ Prizzi’s Honor

“Let’s sing all the songs we know about babies.” ~ Heartburn

“Never let a stranger in your cab, in your house, or in your heart..unless he is a friend of labor.” ~ Hoffa

“My father couldn’t hold on to a job. He kept giving me advice. The more he failed, the more advice I got.” ~ Carnal Knowledge

“Only the good die young.” ~ Blood and Wine

“I was trying to give you a boost!” ~ As Good As It Gets

“This is New York. If you make it here, you can make it anywhere!” ~ As Good As It Gets

“Hey, what’s the matter with ya? You’re screwing’ just like a Chinaman!” ~ Chinatown

“We can go as slow as you want, why not?” ~ Man Trouble

“Would you like to be on the top or the bottom?” ~ The Witches of Eastwick

“But I tried didn’t I, god damn it! At least I did that.” ~ One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

“If you wanted to get me on my back, you just had to ask me.” ~ Terms of Endearment

“Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?” ~ Batman