The Kissing Game ... What?

"Since the invention of the kiss, there have only been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind." - Peter Falk in The Princess Bride.

Happy New Year! Most of us celebrate the passing of the new year by counting down the seconds and then planting a smooch on a loved one, or the person/s nearest us in a room or crowd.

The celebration of the New Year is one of the few times it's OK to kiss a complete stranger and not get slugged by the stranger, the stranger's significant other, your significant other or a combination of all three. By no means are we advocating waiting until the end of the year to get your smooch on with a stranger just to feel the soft lips of ... Sorry, where was I?

Ah yes, kissing. Sam from Casablanca sang "A kiss is just a kiss," (ff to :35) but I must disagree. Kisses have meaning. Kisses have depth and kisses can be symbolic.

For example - take one of the most famous kisses in history: The picture of a sailor kissing a nurse in the middle of Times Square - taken on Aug. 14, 1945 - was shot most famously by Alfred Eisenstaedt (This photo was taken by Navy photojournalist Victor Jorgensen).

The sailor was grabbing women and randomly kissing them in celebration of President Roosevelt announcing the end of World War II. At first look, the pair pictured kissing could have been lovers. But they were complete strangers.

Fast forward 66 years to another kiss caught in the middle of a public situation - this time in Canada. Normally, I crack jokes about our neighbors to the North, but in this instance, I must tip my metaphorical cap to the Canadians featured below.

In the aftermath of the Vancouver Riots, which happened in anger after the Canucks were shutout in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals by the Boston Bruins. No fan of New England sports teams, I can understand the angst of being on the losing side in a sports contest.

But let's be sensible: Did the fans in Ottowa riot in 2007 when the Ducks beat the Senators for the Stanley Cup? Did the fans in Philadelphia riot (moreso than normal) when the Toronto Blue Jays won the 2003 World Series?

Championships aside, the riots did occur. At first glance, the couple in questions - Australian Scott Jones and his Canadian girlfriend Alex Thomas - seem to be sharing a tender moment in the midst of urban crisis.

But there was more than meets the eye. Jones later said that after he and Thomas were knocked to the ground, he was kissing her to comfort her and calm her down.

In this case, a kiss was definitely more than a kiss. It was meant to help the turbulent times go by.

Until next time ...

Oh no, not another LIST

Guess what Rick (played by Humphrey Bogart) ISN'T saying to Sam in this scene from the 1942 classic, Casablanca? 

One of the most misremembered lines in film history comes from this movie. What is commonly remembered is "Play it again, Sam."

What Rick actually said is "You played it for her, you can play it for me." (it's at 1:46 of the clip).

Similarly, in Empire Strikes Back, when Darth Vader finally takes responsibility for being Luke's father - (Guess they didn't have Child Support Services in a Galaxy, Far, Far Away) - Vader is misremembered to have said "Luke, I am your father."

What Vader actually said was "No. I am your father."

However, a coworker - and others - who haven't seen these movies wouldn't know those quotes - or even the mistaken quotes. With that ... wait for it ... Here ... wait for it ... is MY list of the 10 movies that if you claim to like movies - you need to see before you die:

1. Gone with the Wind - I read the book during my spring break of my junior year of high school and then watched the movie. The story, the backstory and Clark Gable chucking the deuces is epic.

2. Ben Hur - Chariot races, ocean battles ... and a cameo by Jesus. This is an early example of a movie by men for me.

3. Casablanca - Boy meets girl, boy loses girl in World War II, boy and girl meet in gin joint, girl uses boy, boy loses girl, boy gains beautiful friend. That's the condensed version, but there's singing, kissing, and gun-play in between.

4. The Godfather I & II - I lump the first two movies together because they were were an extension of one film. Fredo was responsible for Vito almost getting whacked in Part I and got the kiss of death in Part II.

5. Star Wars - An incredible tale of boy meets girl, who turns out to be his sister; fights villain, who turns out to be his father; meets mentor, who dies nobly. Oh, and Han shot first.

6. Pulp Fiction - We found out what a Royale With Cheese is, how to dispose of a headless body and how to revive someone who ODs on heroin.

7. Hoosiers - A true-story about the little team that could. They ran the Picket Fence, but didn't get caught watching the paint dry.

8. Rocky II - Forget about the original - which won the Oscar for Best Picture. Why? Because Rocky LOST!! The sequel shows the dangers of illiteracy, commitment to family and the true resolution: Yo Adrian, I did it!

9. Forrest Gump - This movie had more catchphrases than almost any movie in history. I think I might watch the movie later one to see how many catchphrases there are. My favorite? "Run Forrest, run!"

10. Top Gun  - This is the movie that started the conversation in my office. A 27-year-old colleague had NEVER seen this movie (or Star Wars, for that matter). In honor of that colleague - and another who loved this movie for the VOLLEYBALL SCENE ... here you go.

Until next time ...

Greedo Shot First .. Why we're here

Who is this guy and why are we here?
The handsome fellow featured in the photo is Greedo, the bounty hunter. He had the misfortune of running into Han Solo in a bar early in the movie Star Wars.
What happens next is what urban legend is made of:

There was an exchange of words and then gunfire. When the puff of smoke cleared, Greedo was slumped over the table dead. Since 1977, the question has raged - Who shot first, Han or Greedo.

The answer depends on which version of the movie you're watching ...

In the original film, it was Han who shot first.

But as hanshootsfirst.org and Peter Howell of the Toronto Star wrote, in subsequent re-releases on video and DVD, Star Wars creator George Lucas changed the scene to make it appear that Greedo shot first because Lucas wanted to make Han look less of a rogue and more of a good guy. 

So what's the answer? To paraphrase Ben Kenobi, both Han and Greedo shot first, depending on your point of view.

This recap is an explanation of what this blog is about, or as Obi-Wan so aptly put it: "You're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."

Until next time ...