Charlotte joins Cleveland in running to host 2017 or 2018 NBA All-Star Game
August 13, 2014The Indians are slipping and sliding (during a rain delay)
August 13, 2014
On Tuesday, Andrew shared his thoughts on the passing of Robin Williams. Ordinarily I would shy away from the topic since it was brought up in recently in While We’re Waiting, but not today.
As a boy I remember being fascinated with Robin Williams’ comedy. I was too young and naive to really understand a lot of his subject matter, and I certainly didn’t understand the impact that drugs were having on his performances. All I knew was that he was a ball of energy and you never knew what he was going to do next. His quick wit and improvisation made a big impression on me.
If a life can have a soundtrack to mark time, I believe that movies can do something similar. I was seven years old when I saw Robin Williams in Popeye. At the time, a cartoon that became a live action movie was kind of impossible, but they pulled it off. Williams’ performance of Popeye was so different from anything he’d done to that point, and foreshadowed his ability to dive in and become other characters.
The next Williams movie that made an impact was The Best of Times. I was fully involved in organized football at the time and loved the idea of a team having a reunion game years after the fact to settle an old score. If you haven’t ever seen this movie, give it a shot. It isn’t one of his better known films and the WFNY audience would like it. I’m certain.
The summer before high school came Good Morning Vietnam. This film blended Williams’ true gifts. He was (and my heart sank just now typing was instead of is) a good dramatic actor, and obviously a brilliant comic. The combination made this movie what it is. So many great lines in this movie. Along with movies like Platoon, Good Morning Vietnam helped open the lines of communication between generations about Vietnam. It was a subject never mentioned in my house before.
Dead Poets Society was released while I was in high school, but I didn’t see it until after I had graduated. In fact, I was visiting a good friend from high school at the University of Illinois when we caught a showing at the campus theater. With all due respect to Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets is my favorite Williams role. Anyone who has ever taught has that desire to see a real connection with their students, to know that they truly understand what you are giving them. Williams became the Captain in this film. the circumstances around his death now make this film even more eerie and heartbreaking.
Awakenings was fantastic. Robert DiNero and Williams were tremendous together. If you’ve never seen it, do yourself a favor and watch it. Inspiring.
A flurry of movies seemed to follow, including Hook, The Fisher King, Mrs. Doubtfire and Toys. The Fisher King was the best of this group in my opinion, as a little darker of a movie for Williams. Mrs. Doubtfire was certainly a memorable performance and gave Williams a perfect vehicle for comedy. Toys really missed the mark, and was the first time I remember being disappointed with a Williams movie.
There was a time that I kind of stepped away from Williams’ movies. I’m sure it had more to do with me than Williams. The Birdcage didn’t interest me, and Jumanji-Jack-Flubber all seemed geared towards kids. It wasn’t until Good Will Hunting did Robin’s work grab me again.
I can’t think of anyone anywhere near my age that didn’t like that movie. Certainly that is a testament to Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s amazing story and performances as well, but they couldn’t have made a better choice than Williams for his part.
What Dreams May Come, Patch Adams and Bicentennial Man were all movies I saw and enjoyed, but were a little turned off by the reincarnation overtones. Not my belief system, but I certainly would not say you shouldn’t see the movies because of that. Loved Philip Seymour Hoffman in Patch Adams. There’s another sad story from Hollywood.
Night at the Museum, Robots and Happy Feet resonated with me for a completely different reason. I was now a father—Williams was now helping to bring happiness to my daughter’s life as well as mine.
And there will be more. I saw a report that at least three movies with Williams have been filmed and are in post-production, including a Christmas movie.
I’m sure that there will be a moment of grief watching these movies, knowing that Williams is gone. I’m also sure that the grief will go away as Williams applies his craft and brings home laughs once again. Thank you Robin for all the years of entertainment.
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For those interested in some of the board games I talk about in this space, you will want to check this out once it opens.
Tabletop Board Game Café to Open Late Fall in Ohio Cityhttp://t.co/GQnZfr51oz @dougtrattner @ohiocitytweets pic.twitter.com/fmACO4v0ju
— Cleveland Scene (@ClevelandScene) August 11, 2014
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The headline here is awesome, as is the video that follows:
“Pennsylvania Sports Anchor Punches Man Who Interrupts Live Shot”
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I like Pat McManamon, but the ‘chances Johnny Manziel starts’ daily chart is ridiculous.
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I get the hatred for OSU in Michigan, but what in the world???
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Toronto Argos uniforms. Love these.
UNVEILED: @TorontoArgos release #CFL Signature Uniform. #SignatureLook pic.twitter.com/0oBDwJao2W
— CFL (@CFL) August 13, 2014
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I will be attending GenCon this week, so I should have a number of new game reviews for this space in the coming weeks. Have a great weekend!
27 Comments
I’m actually somewhat surprised that OSU is the most hated college basketball team in Michigan – I would have guessed MSU. I know OSU has been very good as of late, but I don’t think the football rivalry COMPLETELY transposes. And despite the respect for Izzo, that doesn’t mean you can’t hate the team overall.
Say hi to GenCon for me. I am stuck at work…[sad trombone]
but Wyoming is completely expected. I mean who doesn’t remember the huge rivalry between the Buckeyes and Cowboys. Not to mention their jealously of our state that we have the better combination Brown & Orange compared with their Brown & Yellow.
then, there is the long history of insults. Thad Matta telling fans to behave (you aren’t in Cheyenne!!!) and Rulon Gardner stomping on buckeyes at the Olympics after defeating Karelin to show even in victory for the USA, he hates Ohio State.
I mean, the list goes on and on from there, but we all know the history.
No interest in The Birdcage?? Missing out on some amazing performances in that one, not just from Mr. Williams.
http://youtu.be/5wIRVpDzaM8
I look forward to this HBO Sports documentary. Hopefully Liev Schreiber is available again.
C:tB is stealing our favorite expressive medium!
http://www.cavstheblog.com/?p=27389
since we focused mostly on non-movie aspects yesterday, I agree that movies is where we should focus today.
Jumanji – my eldest son’s favorite movie for a long time. Noone played a kid trapped in a man’s body like Robin Williams (Jack, Hook, et cetera).
Night at the Museum – one of my younger son’s favorite movie series. Few could steal scenes as a seemingly background character quite like Robin Williams (Robots, Happy Feet, et cetera).
Here’s the weird thing. I think he connected with men on a completely different level than women. My wife likes his movies, but I don’t think she really appreciates his work the same way that I or my sons do. I mean, Robin Williams characters in his movie act the way I wish I could be a lot of the time. Ball of energy and just kid-like at times, wise and introspective at others, dark and sullen as well. Always the deepest dive into the emotional aspects of the character.
Hmm….gonna have to get the WFNY legal team to fire up some C&D letters.
Or we show them who the Master Haikuers are.
*IT’S A HAIKU-OFF!*
On it!
Most importantly, to whom do I send the bill?
You can send it to either Joe Gilbert or Colin Hass-Hill. We make our newest writers pay our legal fees, hazing style.
Good policy, but I have a strict policy of my own: “Only represent clients who pay.”
One of my favorite parts of that movie is when he’s privately talking with soldiers on their way to combat and finds out one of them is from Cleveland: “So Vietnam isn’t that much different for you, huh?”
Great, great movie and performance. The fact that his entire radio rants were ad-libbed is just priceless and amazing. The laughter that they show from the other folks in the studio was genuine, not scripted, as it was the first time they had heard that stuff, too.
Colin Hass-Hill sounds like a legal firm.
Ah “pro bono pecuniam”
Sir, I know in my heart that I am funny.
Oh, Frenchy. Oh, Lieutenant Steve. Oh, Frenchy.
One line that I have incorporated in everyday usage:
“This guy’s as boring as whale s#!t.”
I use the weather lines all the time. And, it’s always fun to see the expression on people’s faces when they ask you the boring “what are you doing this weekend?” and you respond with:
Going to go downtown and try to find a Vietnemese man named Phil.
I used to joke about some of the missions we got in Iraq looking for bad guys:
“Today, we’re going to go up to some people and ask them, ‘Are you the enemy?’ And if they say, ‘yes,’ we’ll shoot them.”
Thanks, Robin. Classic, timeless humor.
Loved the Good Morning Vietnam soundtrack, has great music with tons Williams’s radio bits between songs. It’s probably been 20 years since I last heard any of it, but now when I hear some of those songs ending my brain starts right in on the RW parts.
I thought you were talking about animated GIFs….
Fair enough…how about our second favorite?
As long as they don’t make a GIF of a haiku turning into a meme…that would be like a turducken.
When I first heard that Williams had died, “What a Wonderful World” immediately started playing in my brain. I will forever link that song to Robin Williams and GMV.
My top ten of Robin Williams, in no particular order:
Dead Poets Society
Good Morning Vietnam
Good Will Hunting
The Birdcage
Aladdin
Hook
What Dreams May Come
The Fisher King
Awakenings
FernGully
What a career.
Okay, 10 movies? That is tough even without any type of order.
Good Morning Vietnam
Aladdin
Hook
Good Will Hunting
What Dreams May Come
Jack
Night at the Museum
Insomnia
Patch Adams
Jumanji
Honorable Mention: Robots, Mrs. Doubtfire, Dead Poet’s Society, Best of Times, Popeye
I had started with three, then five…had to stop myself at ten or just end up posting a link to his IMDB page
Game six of the Red Sox WS…of course:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WsHwXs_aq4