Movie Review - Balls of Fury

Thanks to Saturday Night Live, Christopher Walken has reinvented himself as a comedic actor. His "More Cowbell" sketch is legendary, and the "Best of Christopher Walken" DVD has been a top seller. Walken appeared in last year's Adam Sandler remote control comedy, "Click," and he also was married to John Travolta in the big screen version of "Hairspray" earlier this year. This week, Walken is back in what could be his strangest role to date in "Balls of Fury."

The film centers on Randy Daytona (played by Tony Award winner Dan Fogler), a child ping-pong prodigy that was the star of the 1988 Olympic Games, (not in real life, just in the movie). Daytona's father places a wager on his son's championship match, which ends up costing Randy the game, and his father his life. Randy is disgraced and spends the next 19 years doing ping-pong tricks in Reno.

Flash forward to the present, and the FBI is trying to bust a Chinese crime lord named Feng, (played by Christopher Walken). Feng also happens to be the one behind Randy's father's death and is a HUGE ping-pong fan. Feng is holding an invitation only ping-pong tournament and the feds recruit Randy to go in as their mole to bust Feng and get his revenge for the death of his father.

An action-craving FBI agent, (played by George Lopez), a blind ping-pong teacher and his niece, (James Hong and Maggie Q.), round out our group of heroes in this slap-stick comedy.

"Balls of Fury" is "Enter the Dragon" meets "Hot Shots," but it doesn't fare nearly as well as either of those two films. The humor is primarily physical, and gets old pretty fast. Fogler is decent as the washed up ping-pong player, and George Lopez is as funny as he can be in his limited role. The big disappointment for me, though, was Walken. It seemed like he never really got a handle on his character of Feng. He's playing a Chinese crime lord, but he's dressed like Gary Oldman in "Bram Stoker's Dracula." And, he's not Chinese! Maybe that's part of the gag, but it's not very funny. He also delivers his lines in a variety of ways - ranging from raspy and gutteral to Liberace-like. The bottom line is that I never bought him as the bad guy.

The climactic scene is over-the-top and ridiculous, with Feng and Daytona playing a life-or-death game of ping-pong...with no table. It makes no sense at all.

So, should you "go see it," "wait for the DVD," or "skip it?"

I'm going with "wait for the DVD," or maybe even HBO.

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Meet "Pre" - America's Greatest Running Legend and Greatest Middle Distance Hero

It has now been 33 years since the untimely, tragic death of America's greatest running legend and its greatest middle distance runner, Steve Prefontaine, and his legacy continues to grow as the void he filled remains open. It is rare but true to say that his legacy may never be matched again.

"Pre"-as he would become known to the world beyond Coos Bay, Oregon-was not only unbeatable on American soil but he captured the hearts of runners and spectators. Fans still swear upon pain of death that many times when Pre would step onto the Hayward Field track at the University of Oregon, the sun would burst through the overcast skies, as if announcing that something great was about to happen.

And happen it did because Steve Prefontaine was there to not just win a competitive race, he was there to entertain his faithful, who could expect a superlative effort as well as a victory.

Pre never thought of himself as the fastest runner in the race, but there is no record of a runner who ever faced him that doubted that he was the toughest, most courageous runner ever. That list included some world-record holders and his most intense rivals.

Like a lot of 5-foot, 100-pound athletes who were 8th grade benchwarmers in the more popular sports like football, Pre turned out for the cross-country team as a freshman and discovered his place in the world.

By the time to graduated from Marshfield High School, he had won 2 state cross-country titles, won state track titles in the mile and 2 mile twice, run a 4:06.0 mile in the Golden West Invitational, and set the national high school record in the 2 mile with a sensational 8:41.5 time.

As an 18 year old he qualified to represent the United States on an international tour and finished 3rd in the 5000-meter run in Europe. His 13:52.8 time was faster than any ever run by the legend of the previous generation, the great Emil Zatopek of Czechoslovakia. He held his own against the world's best, and had yet to begin his collegiate career at the University of Oregon.

In his first 3-mile race against Washington State in a dual meet at Eugene, Pre won in 13:12.8, the 7th-fastest time ever by an American and the fastest time by a U. S. runner in two years. After 21 straight collegiate meets without a loss, he was the hot-shot prodigy, on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a freshman. No one could have known that he was just getting started.

"A strange camaraderie grew up at the time among those of us who lost continually to Pre," said Don Kardong of Stanford. "We were united in our belief that no one should have the success coupled with pride that Pre had. We really wanted, I think, to see the big tree fall." But for Pre, his competitors seemed to not even be on his radar screen.

After his freshman year, Pre never lost a cross-country race, winning 3 individual NCAA championship titles. He would win 4 NCAA 3-mile titles in track, becoming the first runner to ever win 4 consecutive NCAA titles in the same event.

After his junior year at Oregon, he qualified for the U. S. Olympic team in the 5,000 meters and would finish 4th in 13:28.3 as Lasse Viren of Finland won in 13:26.4. The field literally plodded through the first two miles and sprinted the last mile. Pre would take the lead at one point but could not hold it in the end.

In preparing for the Olympic 5,000 meter, Pre had run four 1320s and three 1 milers with decreasing times. His 1320 times were 3:12, 3:09, 3:06 and 3:00, then he came back with the cut-down miles. For sharpening, he ran a solo mile under 4:00; he just walked to the line in practice, got set, then clicked off a 3:39 mile with no competition. He was ready, but he was not as experienced as the world-class runners he was facing.

Because of his relentless front-running, Pre was non-stop, and many of his opponents set personal records in losing against him.

Think about his personal best times: a 1,500 in 3:38.1, a 3,000 in 7:42.6, a 5,000 in 13:21.9, a 10,000 in 27:43.6, a mile in 3:54.6, a 2 mile in 8:18.4, a 3 mile in 12:51.4, and a 6 mile in 26:51.8, all accomplished by 1975. At his best, Pre once held every American record in the middle distance events from 2,000 meters to 10,000 meters.

Alberto Salazar, the former American-record holder in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters and marathon, had this to say about Pre: "He would not take second effort-it was not acceptable . . . I think it comes down to pride in the end. Not proud, necessarily, that you are better than everyone else, but that you are tougher than anybody else. That if you lose, you are going to make whomever you are running against pay. And that is what Pre did."

John Gillespie, a coach and fan, said "He had charisma. That word-there is something about somebody when you tell people you are going to do something, and then you go out and do it. I know of no single person who could draw people like he did."

Wendy Ray, the Hayward Field announcer for all of Pre's races there, said "He just had whatever that is-I don' t know, actors have it. Singers have it. Some people have it, some people don't. Most people don't. He had a lot of it."

Tom Jordan, a writer for Track &Field News in the early 1970s, said "Pre would fix you with a steady gaze and give the impression that you were the most important person in his life at that instant, and that the things he was telling you were known by few others.

"It was an enormously flattering and appealing trait," said Jordan, "and contributed greatly to what came to be called his charisma."

Pre ran every day of his athletic life. He was up at 6 a.m. and out the door, running again in the afternoon at workouts. Perhaps even more incredible than the records he set and championships he won was the fact that he never missed a single day of practice or a single meet during his 4-year career at the University of Oregon. He was a force that no one wanted to reckon with, or run against.

On May 30, 1975, 24-year-old Steve Prefontaine was killed in a tragic auto accident. A memorial marks the spot of his death in Eugene, Oregon, and attracts runners and admirers to Pre's Rock, the roadside boulder where he died. Like a flame that refuses to be extinguished, Pre lives on.

Copyright 2008 Ed Bagley

Ed Bagley's Blog Publishes Original Articles with Analysis and Commentary on 5 Subjects: Sports, Movie Reviews, Lessons in Life, Jobs and Careers, and Internet Marketing. My intention is to inform, educate, delight and motivate you the reader.

Find my Blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/Sports.html

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Will London 2012 Be The Green Olympics?

Once China has hosted this years Olympics the focus will switch to London.

I feel we should start by all wishing them all the best, they seem to have handled the earthquake disaster well and in my experience are dignified people, who should be encouraged to adopt a more positive human rights policy.

It will then be our turn and a legacy we could leave is to really focus on making these Olympics the driving force for green issues.

There will be many green issues regarding the actual building of the stadias, transporting competitors to and from them and their usefulness afterwards.

Big business will be interested in the games and in turn this allows the consumer to exert a collective influence. Big business has one purpose to enhance the wealth of their shareholders. I am not anti business I just believe by understanding how it works then effective influence can be exerted.

So what issues can be highlighted by making this the truly green Olympics.

Should it be the dreadful diet of many youngsters?

Should it be the ridiculous amount of packaging which supermarkets in particular use to preserve food

Should it be a move away from oil powered transport, the rising cost will continue, what price petrol 2 Pound a litre by 2012?

There are always reasons for not doing something, the China and India are building power stations by the week so what's the point of us bothering walking to the shops?

We cannot lecture others on a greener lifestyle if we make no effort ourselves.

More information can be found at http://thegreenolympics.com If you wish to email me regarding any question or to contribute to the debate please feel free.Written by Doug Holloway.My previous articles were entitled Eco Friendly Carpet Cleaning and How to Find A green Carpet Cleaner

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How Can We Swipe 2 Master Secrets From The Winning Olympic Bid To Use In Our Advertising Promotions?

How many goose bumps did you get when the Olympic bid announcement was read out, citing London as the victorious city for hosting the 2012 Olympics?

Let me tell you that I was shaking with emotion when the result was read out. It was such an exhilarating feeling.

Though, after the celebrations drew to a close, I decided to take took a closer look at the winning bid. "Why was it so successful?" I asked myself.

After collecting and putting all the pieces of the bid together, I'm convinced that there were two strategies used that any one of us can borrow and apply to effective use in getting our advertising messages to be super responsive.

The first 'Master Secret' was the use of a 'CELEBRITY' to spearhead the campaign.

It's true that the Olympic bid was somewhat spluttering mid way through its campaign and something was needed, something drastic was needed in order to lift the flagging feeling of the bid.

Enter -(Lord) Sebastian Coe.

You may or may not remember the 800, 1500 meters and the one-mile battles that happened between Coe, Cram and Ovett in the early 80's. Now, THAT was compelling viewing!

With that pedigree and history behind him, introducing Coe as the main ambassador of the bid, was a touch of genius. It gave credibility and a unique tie in to what the games were all about.

With hindsight or not, it's fair to say that the London bid wouldn't have had the same sparkling result if it were left to the politicians and other 'dignitaries' to lead the challenge.

Reason?

They're not OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST CHAMPIONS! And... most are not 'favourites' with the general public.

So, how can you and I use the idea of a CELEBRITY to boost our response in the market place?

Well, all we need do is find a 'Coe Comparative' in whatever field we're doing business in.

Say we're a local butchers and we want to promote our new range of quality meats that have a certain zing and flavour to them. Something that just isn't available anywhere else in the local area.

How about getting the editor of the local paper to be in the promotions saying something like, " Geoff Swan of The Local Gazzette Swears He'd Never Buy Meat From Anywhere Else Than Blah Blah Butchers... The Meat's Just Too Tasty, Just Too Succulent and Just Great Value!"

When everyone else's shouting 'we've got cut priced sausages', you're wading in there with a 'glamour' promotion that the likes of which many customers would never have seen before.

And that means... interest and... custom, plenty of it!

That tie in with a celebrity alone will draw in the customers. But, couple that with great offers, warm and friendly service and a continual communication, it's possible you'd dominate the local area in pretty quick time.

Or, say you're a local solicitor trying to get new clients, why not do a promotion that says something like, " Nancy Kwan of The Chinese Gourmet Cook in Henderson Road Had Her Legal Problems Solved in Double Quick Time By Joe Blow Solicitors."

Again, it's quite unlike anything the regular 'punter' would've seen. And that 'uniqueness' in the marketplace is what all businesses, practices, services, etc, strive for.

See, the publicity by having a 'CELEBRITY' attached to your promotions, is like having an endorsement from someone in the local 'public eye'. Someone the locals trust. A Seb Coe if you will.

Okay, the second BIG SECRET that the London bid pulled out of the hat was... presenting thirty children from a local East End School to be part of the bid! It drew the emotional strings like nothing else would have.

More than that, the children were a 'promise of the future'.

Meaning, the Olympic Games will give these children the opportunity to have their minds and hearts filled with the passion and inspiration and spirit to be someone great. To achieve the highest honour in sport - THE OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL.

Having that promise 'come to life' in the form of those children, was again, a master stroke.

So, how can you incorporate a 'promise of the future' for your promotions and advertising?

Alright, let's say that you've a auto repair shop dealing in cars that are 10 - 15 years old, and your expertise is to 'bring back to life, good as new'.

Now, the way to bring the 'promise of the future' in the marketing and promotion for this auto repair shop, is by way of a testimonial picture showing a BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURE.

Of course, the AFTER picture is the 'promise of the future'. It's what all customers would want their car to look like. It's what they want their 'old banger', to aspire towards.

Showing a customer the powerful future plusses in what a product or service will give them, is a proven and tested way of ensuring the sale.

In what ways can you use these powerful 'OLYMPIC STRATEGIES' to your benefit and gain?

If you spend a little time applying what you learn in these emails, you'll see such an advantage in your business that it isn't funny.

Go get 'em tiger!

Nick James is a UK based direct marketer and product developer. During the last 5 years Nick has sold in excess of 1.6 Million Pounds worth of products and sevices online. Subscribe to his Free Tip Of The Week email at: http://www.Nick-James.com

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