Review Tuesday: EXCALIBUR (1981)

 

EXCALIBUR

1981

Merlin assists Arthur to unite the Britons while evil builds. 

This is a movie I have had friends rave about in recent years. I haven't seen it in decades, and even then, it was edited for television. So I wanted to experience it properly as an adult. For a change, I talked my BFF into seeing this one. 

 

This is the classic tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table except largely told from the perspective of Merlin the Magician. While this film definitely has that 80s film on a budget feel, the script, cast, and direction made it wonderful. 

 

This film starts from the beginning of eh legend. Uther Pendragon (Gabriel Byrne) was in possession of the mystical sword Excalibur, but when he became a petty ruler Merlin and the sword turn away from him. So, in his final act, Uther drives the sword into a stone declaring the one who draws the sword will become the king of England. Time jumps years in advance and a young Arthur inadvertently pulls the sword from the stone, therein starting the myth. 

 

The rest of the story is how Arthur (Nigel Terry) goes on to become a wise and just ruler of England. However, there are forces at work to unseat him. 

 

 I adored this movie, and finally seeing it in its entirety was a delight! Like I said, great script, great cast. This is one of those times that something actually lived up to the hype. Highly recommend if you are a fan of the Arthurian legends.   

   

 

 

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

apotheosis

1. Exaltation to divine rank or stature; deification.
2. Elevation to a preeminent or transcendent position; glorification: Down here I'm the apotheosis of cool (Sewer Urchin from the animated series The Tick).
3. An exalted or glorified example: Their leader was the apotheosis of courage.

straight money

• Someone/something that can ALWAYS be counted on for whatever...wherever...whenever.

If Joe said he's take care of it...then consider it taken care of. The dude is straight money.

History

• Tiradentes: Brazilian hero nicknamed the "tooth puller" was executed in Rio de Janeiro for conspiring against Portuguese rule (1792)

  
• The Red Baron: German ace aviator Baron Manfred von Richthofen was shot down for the second time — this time, fatally (1918)
• Brasilia: became the capital of Brazil, instead of Rio de Janeiro (1960)
• Tiananmen Square: anti-communist protest grew to 100,000 in Beijing; troops suppressed it six weeks later, killing thousands (1989).

Birthdays

• Friedrich Froebel 1782 - Teacher, author, toy maker, invented kindergarten in 1837
• Charlotte Bronte 1816 - Author ("Jane Eyre", "The Professor")
• John Muir 1838 - Conservationist, influential in the creation of the U.S. National Parks System and U.S. foreset conservation, the Muir Woods National Monument in California is named after him
• Oskar Herwig 1849
• Joe McCarthy 1887 - Baseball manager
• Anthony Quinn 1915 - Actor ("Viva Zapata! [1952]", "The Guns of Navarone")
• Don Cornell (Louis Varlaro) 1924 - Singer
• Clara Ward 1924 - Singer (Clara Ward Gospel Troupe)
• Elizabeth II (Elisabeth Mary) 1926 - Queen of the United Kingdom
• Silvana Mangano 1930
• Carl Belew 1931 - Country singer
• Elaine May 1932 - Actress, comedienne
• Charles Grodin 1935 - Actor ("Clifford", "Beethoven I", "Beethoven II")
• Reg Fleming 1935 - Hockey player
• Iggy Pop (James Newell Osterburg) 1947 - Singer, songwriter (Psychedelic Stooges)
• John Weider 1947 - Musician (Family)
• Al Bumbry (Alonza Benjamin Bumbrey) 1947 - Baseball player
• Paul Davis 1948
• Patti LuPone 1949 - Actress ("Evita", "Driving Miss Daisy")
• Tony Danza 1951 - Actor ("Who’s the Boss", "Taxi", "Angels in the Outfield")
• Paul Carrack 1951 - Musician (Mike and the Mechanics, Noise to Go, Ace)
• Andie MacDowell (Rosalie Anderson) 1958 - Actress ("Groundhog Day", "St. Elmo’s Fire", "Four Weddings and a Funeral")
• Robert Smith 1959 - Musician (The Cure)
• Michael Timmins 1959 - Musician (Cowboy Junkies)
• John Cameron Mitchell 1963 - Actor, director ("Hedwig and the Angry Inch")
• Michael Franti 1968 - Musician (Spearhead)
• Nicole Sullivan 1969 - Actress, comedian ("MadTV", "King of Queens")
• James McAvoy 1979 - Actor
• Tony Romo 1980 - Football player
• Cadillac Williams 1982 - Football player

  

  
  

  

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

  

Look forward to Ashley!

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Monday, April 20, 2026

4/20 - For all you pot heads!

 

omphaloskepsis \ om-fuh-loh-SKEP-sis \ , noun; 

• contemplation of one's navel as part of a mystical exercise. 

Origin: Omphaloskepsis comes from the Greek roots omphalos which means "navel" and sképsis which means "act of looking."

classy smashed

the state of being mildly intoxicated by wine or champagne

the state of intoxication preceding being smassy clashed

the type of intoxication that occurs at a formal event

the type of intoxication that occurs whenever wine or champagne is consumed.

After a few glasses of wine, the maid of honor found herself classy smashed and in good spirits

marijuana minute

• A seemingly long period of time. It occurs most often when under the influence of marijuana due to the altered state of mind. An actually short moment may seem to drag on forever. Similar to: New York Minute

Dude, that speech lasted a marijuana minute. -Charlie
I know, I kept wondering if it was going to ever end -Michael

How long have you been waiting to finally have sex with your girlfriend? Guy #1
I don't know man. It's been a marijuana minute. Guy #2

 
chronic 

1. very high-quality weed, generally with red hairs on it.
2. pertaining to a long-lasting medical condition.

From smoking too much chronic, Joe ended up with a chronic case of the shaky-shivers. 
 

History

• Fenway Park: Boston Red Sox played their first game in the new stadium (1912)
• school busing: in Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, the Supreme Court held unanimously that it was legitimate to use busing as a tool for achieving racial desegregation in schools (1971)
• Columbine High School massacre: two students at Columbine High School killed 12 classmates and a teacher in a shooting spree (1999)
• Danica Patrick: became the first female winner in IndyCar history, winning the Indy Japan 300 (2008)

Birthdays

• Phillip Pinel 1745
• Napoleon III 1808 - Emperor of France

  
• Daniel Chester French 1850 - Sculptor, created Minute Man statue in Concord, MA, Abraham Lincoln seated in the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC
• Adolf Hitler 1889 - Artist, house painter, German leader during World War II
• Joan Miro 1893 - Artist
• Harold Lloyd 1893 - Comedian, actor ("For Heaven's Sake")
• Norman Norell (Norman David Levinson) 1900 - Costume designer, fashion designer
• Lionel Hampton 1908 - Singer, songwriter, jazz musician, bandleader
• Tito (Ernest) Puente 1923 - Jazz musician, bandleader
• Nina Foch (Nina Consuelo Maud Fock) 1924 - Actress ("Spartacus", "An American in Paris")
• Leslie Philips 1924 - Actor ("Harry Potter" films)
• Henri Renaud 1925 - Jazz musician, pianist, record producer
• Elena Verdugo 1926 - Actress ("Little Giants", "Meet Millie")
• Phil Hill 1927 - Auto racer
• Bob (Robert Earl) Braun 1929 - Television host ("The Bob Braun Show"), actor ("Die Hard 2", "The Young and the Restless")
• Beaver Harris (William Godwin Harris) 1936 - Musician
• George Takei 1937 - Actor ("Star Trek", "Star Trek" movie series)
• Johnny Tillotson 1939 - Singer
• Ryan O'Neal 1941 - Actor ("Love Story", "Peyton Place")
• Michael Brandon (Feldman) 1945 - Actor ("Red Alert", "Promises in the Dark")
• Jimmy Winston (Langwith) 1945 - Musician (Moments, Small Faces)
• Steve Spurrier 1945 - Football player
• Tom (Thomas George) Hutton 1946 - Baseball player
• Brian Lavender 1947 - Hockey player
• David Leland 1947 - Actor ("Time Bandits"), director
• Joe Bonner 1948 - Jazz pianist, composer
• Craig Frost 1948 - Musician (Grand Funk Railroad)
• Jessica Lange 1949 - Actress ("Tootsie", "Blue Sky")
• Luther Vandross 1951 - Singer, songwriter
• Denis Leary 1958 - Actor
• Clint Howard 1959 - Actor ("Backdraft", "Cocoon")

  
• Crispin Glover 1964 - Actor ("Dead Man", "Twister", "Back to the Future")
• Mike Portnoy 1967 - Musician, drummer (Dream Theater)
• Wade Hayes 1969
• Carmen Electra 1972 - Actress ("Baywatch"), singer/dancer
• Joey Lawrence 1976 - Actor ("Gimme a Break", "Blossom")