What Without Bob?

The Mast of the past.

What's up readers? Once again, I've fallen behind in my duties here at Zboneman.com (something, I must confess, happens far too often). The past few weeks have been moving at a feverish pace. I'm still reeling from ShoWest. My final report is still in the works. Hopefully, I'll have it up within the next week or so (at least before next year's show). I've also been working hard with an array of assorted colorful charcters to get our TV show "Film Fanatics" off the ground. We're close. Really close.

Just this week, I wrapped up a little film making competition we throw twice a year in St. George, UT. We offer up amateur film makers a theme (in this case, it was "Heroes"), and the directors have one week to create a ten minute short utilizing that theme. All the projects came out terrific, and we're hoping at some point, we might be able to put them up here at the site. We'll keep you posted. And yes, yours truly did make a flick, but I'm not at liberty to discuss it. It's much funnier if you just see it. Suffice to say we're hoping we might be able to turn our short into a feature someday. We'll see. Finally, for those not in the know, my wife and I are expecting our third child this July so I've been juggling quite a few items during the past couple of months. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I'm on it. Also look for reviews for Grindhouse (loved it!) and Blades of Glory (liked it).

On a final note, during the madness that is my life, I was checking my e-mails and received a message about Bob Clark's recent death (Mr. Clark and his twenty-two year old son taken as a result of a car accident). When I read this, I was instantly deflated. It ruined my day in fact. No, I didn't know Mr. Clark personally, but the man touched my life. This is a guy who made three landmark films in three entirely different genres. His Black Christmas is considered in many circles to be the quintessential slasher film predating Halloween by nearly four years. It isn't often regarded as a masterpiece, but I've always been a huge fan of it. It is an absolute must if you're a lover of the genre. In the early 80's, Clark delivered Porky's, a film that would define the teen sex comedy. There's a terrific little article in the recent issue of Entertainment Weekly in which the magazine talks about the importance of Porky's. To some, it's a throwaway movie, but for me, it's a flick that's close to my heart. When it was released, I was a pre-teen and like most boys my age, there was nothing more imortant than a nice pair of boobs. Back then, boobs weren't as eaisly accessible as they are now, so thank you Mr. Clark for the early peek. Finally, in 1983, Clark would release the film that would forever define Christmas for me. I'm referring of course, to A Christmas Story. I'll never forget seeing that movie. I had actually gone to a 6-plex (a 6-plex - that's hilarious) in North Hollywood. I was, I don't know - maybe fourteen. My intention was to buy a ticket to A Christmas Story and sneak into A Nightmare on Elm Street. I was a horror fanatic, even back then, and Freddy Krueger was all the rage. Since I was under seventeen, I knew I was going to have to be sneaky if I wanted to see that particular movie. Unfortunately, the staff at this theater were on to my caper. They could see right through it, so ultimately, I was all but forced to see A Christmas Story. Oh how grateful I am to the North Hollywood United Artists staff for being on the ball that afternoon. A Christmas Story is my all time favorite holiday movie. It's just a sweet celebration of youth, and getting to see the movie for the first time as a pre teen was a special added bonus. On a sidenote, I did end up sneaking into A Nightmare on Elm Street after A Christmas Story and loved it as well. All was great with the world on that day, and while I suppose I have to thank Wes Craven for a little bit of that happiness, it was really Bob Clark who made it so memorable. He will be missed. My thoughts and prayers are with Clark's family. I wish them all the best.