Happy Birthday Manute Bol!!!

Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,

As the title would imply, I would like to wish a happy 45th birthday to NBA legend, humanitarian, Dinka tribesman, activist, and inspirtation to us all, Manute Bol. Born in Sudan. he grew up learning the ways of the Dinka tribe. At age 15, he killed a lion with a spear. He also chipped a tooth on the rim the first time that he tried to dunk. For either achievement, that should get you an NBA contract. Even in my prime, I only got a few cuts on the top of my head from a rim. Never had a problem with a tooth. So he moved to the United States at the age of 18 and played college basketball at the University of Bridgeport. After two years there, he was drafted in the 5th round (definitely a 1st rounder by today's standards) by the San Diego Clippers (moved to LA shortly after) but was traded to the Washington Bullets (now Wizards). His first year in the NBA, the 7'7" 200 pound walking stick figure of a man was teamed up with the NBA's shortest player Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues...and also set a record of 397 blocked shots for a rookie, which still stands today. Over the next eleven years, he played for many teams and got into many fights on the court, none of which were really his fault. I don't know what it was with him & 7'6" Utah native Shawn Bradley during their careers, but people just liked to pick fights with them. Penis envy? He also is the only NBA player to have more career blocks than points. He also had a quirky three-point shot...but made six in one game...twice during his career. Oh, it's certainly a sight to behold. I'll see if I can find some video on it. Despite all his obstacles and injuries, he played with great dignity and sent the majority of his modest NBA salary back to his homeland of Sudan. We're talking MILLIONS of dollars.


As injuries and old age crept up towards the end of his career, he returned to Sudan to bring aid...and was thrown into a POW camp by an opposing party in the political struggle. He was able to escape to Egypt (like many of his brethren) and eventually get back to the United States. However, with no NBA career, he was forced to use his comical appearance and award-winning smile to raise money to send to his people in Sudan. How bad did it get? How about Celebrity Boxing against William "The Fridge" Perry? That's right, second billing behind Tonya Harding & Paula Jones even. Or playing in a charity hockey game just to raise money? The man is a 7'7" 200 pound Dinka warrior from Sudan. He was never meant to SEE ice. Even after a serious car wreck has left him nearly paralyzed, he has worked his way back to healthy...and still continues his tireless efforts. It is for this commitment to helping his people that I salute him and urge you all to donate to the Ring True Foundation, his charity organization that donates to Sudanese refugees. There was actually a great report on his career on Real Sports last year, I think. Check it out if you get the opportunity. In the meantime, happy birthday again, Mr. Bol!!!


New Movie Release Tuesday - Today was yet another movie rental release Tuesday...and a big one at that with three blockbusters coming to Blockbuster. First up, Michael Bay's masterpiece of retro-robotics "Transformers" followed by the Robert Rodriguez zombie movie that's so good it's bad, "Planet Terror" and finally, Hilary Swank in "The Raping"...er, "The Reaping." Sorry, this one wasn't going to win any awards. I've already expressed my appreciation for the first two movie when I saw them in theatres (looking forward to extended scenes of Rose McGowan in "Planet Terror") so I'm really looking forward to "The Reaping." It came out about the same time as the "Omen" remake...but this one scared me more for a few reasons.

• It had the devil (or antichrist or demon or whatever) as a little southern girl instead of a boy. Everybody knows that the Devil is female...just like God. They just like to take different forms sometimes...and there's really nothing more sweetly sinister than a cute Southern girl.
• The reason this movie wasn't going to win any awards is because I sincerely doubt that Hilary Swank is going to die in this one...being the lone star power. I'm still convinced that if she was beaten to death in the conclusion of "The Next Karate Kid" that she would have won an Academy Award for that movie. Sorry, I'm a Karate Kid nerd. "Strike First, Strike Hard, No Mercy sir!!!"
• Any movie that references Biblical plagues is usually pretty cool. Frogs, locusts, fire, firstborn, oh yeah, even the Mighty Ramses himself would be trembling along the Mississippi Delta.
• Being set in the rural South is cool too...because I'm anticipating an ending credit roll with a soundtrack of "Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band. Tehehehe...

Devil Movies

Medal Winners

Gold - The Exorcist (1973) - This movie is genuinely creepy. It's one of the few movies that actually send a shiver down my spine when I watch it...and I'm fairly desensitized when it comes to scary movies. The Devil takes over a twelve-year old girl and it's up to a young priest to save her. Based on the novel by William Peter Blatty (so you know it's good, right?) and brought to the screen by William Friedkin, it's creepy and hellishly good. Try not to be surprised by the little girl's vulgarity or what she does with the crucifix though.

Silver - The Devil's Advocate (1997) - Not just a wonderful pinball game that you can play when you're in Springfield but an eery movie about greed and desire...and Al Pacino as the Devil...err, I mean top dog at a prestigious law firm. Sorry if I gave the ending away. It's not exactly the Sixth Sense...and his name isn't Louis Cypher or anything...it's John Milton. Keanu Reeves is a cocky lawyer from Florida who hits the big time and is headed to a New York firm with his goddess of a wife Charlize Theron...but the firm is fittingly named for all the hotties walking around every corner, moral judgments calls next to every water cooler, and your first assignment is to get Craig T. Nelson a.k.a. "Coach" off for murdering his wife. I'm going to warn you ahead of time, it gets really brutal at one particular part. So brutal that I had to turn it off the first time I watched it...but Al Pacino is the Devil, so I had to finish it later on.

Bronze - Legend (1985) - As much as it irks me to mention Tom Cruise on my blog, this movie was pretty good...and Tim Curry is a fantastic Devil, which is why it seems to be the only job that he can get now...is voice of the Devil. This tale of fantasy and unicorns and pans and ogres also features Mia Sara (Princess Lily and Sloane from Ferris Bueller...but then the only other thing I've seen her in was Timecop) as a hottie princess and Tom Cruise has to save her. So basically she's screwed. Oh wait, this is a tale of fantasy. She may have a chance. All is not lost. Ridley Scott makes good movies.

Suggestion - The Lighter Side of Satan - "Oh God, You Devil" with John Denver & George Burns, "Little Nicky" with Adam Sandler and Harvey Kietel as the Devil, "Bedazzled" with Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley (most convincing Devil yet), even "South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut" all great comedies looking at the lighter side (just moral dilemmas, not fire & brimstone and violence). Give them a shot. You won't be disappointed. Also, there was a short-lived animated series on NBC or something called "God, the Devil, & Bob" with James Garner, Alan Cumming, & French Stewart voicing. I liked it. You might like it too.

Flush It - End of Days (1999) - "Angel Heart" doesn't count, released amid the whole Y2K thing, trying to transfix the 666 thing to be 999, Gabriel Byrne is the Devil, Arnie takes on Satan, but it still manages to be a fairly good movie. Why? It's creepy at some points. Why is it my Flush It? It's not Louis Cyphre...but they use a clergyman writing "Christ in New York" so when Arnie says, "Maybe it's Christine York!" That's when it becomes my Flush It...and after the rest too. It's still a pretty good cheesy movie...and Y2K never happens either. See? Happy ending.

Future Watch - Faust - I haven't seen a big screen version of Faust yet. That'd be cool. I'm also interested in Willem Dafoe playing the Devil at some time...or Gary Oldman...since he can do anything. Until that happens, I'll just enjoy all the sexy devils that I'll see around Halloween. Have a great day everybody!!!