Happy Halloween!

I know it's early, but a) I'm excited about it, and b) I'm going to be busy all day today and tomorrow. So make yours a safe and happy one!

I Want One: Ford Mustang like in "Bullitt"

Auto Express reports: This is the first picture of Ford's tribute to the classic Steve McQueen film 'Bullitt'. Check out this teaser image of the most muscular Ford Mustang yet. Bosses at the Blue Oval will unveil the special model at next month's Los Angeles show.

Taking its inspiration from the car used by Steve McQueen in the classic Sixties film 'Bulliit', it's sure to be one of the stars of the American expo. Like the 1968 original it will feature distinctive "Highland Green' metallic paintwork and gunmetal grey alloys.

Engineers at the carmaker are keeping tight lipped about the mechanical specification. However, expect to see a supercharged version of the 5.4-litre V8 motor that pushes out a tarmac churning 500bhp. The sprint from standstill to 60mph should take just 4.5 seconds.

The original version became famous after starring in a classic cinematic car chase through the streets of San Francisco. McQueen did most of the driving during the epic seven minute pursuit, for which producers got through two of the iconic Pony cars.

Product Contradiction o' the Day

I saw a commercial for this product last night. D-Con No View Rat Traps tout that they allow you not to have to look at a dead rat once it's in the trap. But then they put a picture of a dead rat on the trap itself.

Kinda defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

WTF is with Disney and Sequels??

I just finished a biography of Walt Disney entitled: Walt Disney: An American Original, by Bob Thomas. Probably what stood out to me the most was Walt's philosophy in making movies.

In 1933 Walt Disney produced the cartoon Three Little Pigs. It was a hit. Though cartoon shorts usually lasted only briefly in theaters, it was shown longer than most feature films. Millions bought records of the song "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" feeling that it was a sort of anthem for optimism in the wake of the Depression. When theater owners clamored for more pigs, Walt resisted. He didn't want to duplicate; he was always looking towards the future, trying to push the boundaries of animation and art itself. He didn't want to do more of the same. And so he was quoted as saying, "You can't top pigs with pigs."

Disney did his best not to duplicate; he constantly attempted new animation techniques and styles, and tried not to belabor ideas. But after his death, it looks as if the Disney company has forgotten Walt's beliefs.

Not only have they made remakes of classic live-action movies ("The Shaggy Dog," "Freaky Friday," and "That Darn Cat" to name a few) but also sequels of classic animated features. Why make "Bambi II," "Lady & the Tramp II," "Fox and the Hound 2," "Cinderella II," & "Jungle Book 2"? And even their newer movies have been sequelized: "The Lion King 2," "The Little Mermaid II," and "Kronk's New Groove." It's as if any time there's a hit, Disney sees dollar signs and churns out another. None of the sequels or remakes have done nearly as well as the original; none have surpassed the quality of the classic. (The only exception seems to be Pixar movies, with their dual hits of "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2" -- and now "Toy Story 3" is in the works.)

So please, for the love of God...for the love of Walt!...don't take a classic and make a sequel out of it -- even if it's just for video. No amount of money is worth butchering a classic. Just remember the wise words of Walt: "You can't top pigs with pigs."

Happy Birthday, Rita Hayworth!

"I haven't had everything from life. I've had too much."

"I never really thought of myself as a sex goddess; I felt I was more a comedian who could dance."

"All I wanted was just what everybody else wants, you know, to be loved."

"I think all women have a certain elegance about them which is destroyed when they take off their clothes."

"The fun of acting is to become someone else."

"Basically, I am a good, gentle person, but I'm attracted to mean personalities."

"We are all tied to our destiny and there is no way we can liberate ourselves."

"After all, a girl is... well, a girl. It's nice to be told you're successful at it."

Haunted Subway Car!

Halloween's coming and I couldn't be more excited! So to get us in the mood...here's a great experiment by Improv Everywhere. Thanks to them for making riding the subway even scarier!