Ed Rooney's Office

2003-08-08T15:11:00.000-07:00

Now the World Don't Move to the Beat of Just One Drum

You know what's weird about sitcoms in the 80s, so many of them involved housekeepers. Who came up with that? I don't get it. I mean think about it: Charles in Charge, Mr. Belvedere, Gimme a Break, Facts of Life. I guess it was cuz there were so many latch-key kids back in the 80s, was the television networks trying to tell America something about absentee-parenting? I bet Alice must have been PISSED since she could have had her own show if she had waited for the 80s. I mean even Florence got her own show after The Jeffersons. So really what makes housekeepers/babysitters so funny? I mean they keep using this idea for sitcoms, need I mention that other infamous show Who's the Boss? and then again they used it in 90s with The Nanny. What's the deal?

2003-08-06T22:31:00.000-07:00

Pretty in Pink

I spent the weekend watching Pretty in Pink on cable. How is it that Andrew McCarthy was so loved when honestly the only so called "acting" that guy does is open his eyes REAL WIDE and stare like a fucked up crackhead.

Please - someone re-watch Pretty in Pink - especially the end when Molly Ringwald confronts him in the hallway at high school. (which by the way is CLEARLY the same hallway from Back to the Future when Marty talks to Strickland.) Also pay close attention to the very very end when Andrew tells Molly FLATLY that he loves her. Please - THAT guy should have been the mannequin in Mannequin.

Secondly James Spader fucking scares me. He's like 40 wearing a white suit in high school. Riigghhtt....

2003-07-08T16:30:00.000-07:00

Ed, you sounded like DIRTY Harry just then....

Oh god, this is wrong, so wrong!!!

2003-06-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

A Tribute to the Man, The Myth, The Legend . . . Mr. Edward Rooney

So most everybody has heard about Save Ferris, but you probably may have not heard about another band whose name is also inspired by that Great Flick Ferris Bueller's Day Off. That band is Rooney. Want to know more about this cool up and coming band, read some reviews of their stuff on Amazon. I've actually listened to some of their stuff and they've got quite a few catchy tunes.

2003-06-10T13:25:00.000-07:00

Wish Me Love a Wishing Well to Kiss & Tell

Remember Terence Trent D'Arby? He looked like he could have belonged to Milli Vanilli, except this guy could actually sing and he wrote some pretty decent music. Well I was flipping through a recent magazine and there was a review of an artist I had never heard before by the name of Sananda Maitreya. What you've never heard of him? Well it appears Mr. D'Arby changed his name back in October 2001 and is now known as Sananda Maitreya. Check out his official site here. The review of the his newest album under his new name has drawn much critical acclaim. I may just have to check this album out since I admit I did like his earlier stuff. The whole name change thing to me is a bit too much like that Artist Formerly Known as Prince for me though.

2003-06-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

The Greatest Movie from the 80s?

Sixteen Candles. I love this movie. It got played at my 16th birthday and at just about every other 16th birthday party I went to when I was in high school. This was John Hughes in his finest form. Everything works in this movie, the cast, the story, and most of all the great lines. Who can resist such classic moments, such as:

Geek: Just answer me one question.
Samantha: Yes, you're a total faggot.
Geek: Ha ha ha. That's not the question.

Anthony Michael Hall's geekiness was endearing. I've never liked any other character that he's played except this character. It's too bad Michael Schoeffling didn't do more movies, after Sixteen Candles, the only other movies I could remember him in were Mermaids with Winona Ryder and Cher and then that one other dumb movie Wild Hearts Can't be Broken. Back then, I used to think Molly Ringwald's style was cutting edge, plus she had great taste in music. Feel like reminiscing more about this movie, click here.

2003-05-29T17:41:00.000-07:00

What would we do baby, Without Us?

Sloane Petersen is a human and needs validation or else she won't blog. If a tree falls in a forest - does it make a sound? If Sloane blogs and gets no shout-outs does anyone read it? Apparently YES.

The E! Network is running an ad for "E! True Hollywood Story : Justine Bateman. Her dirty secret..." I was thinking, what the hell could she be hiding? Turns out she's bulimic. Sad. That' so Tracey Gold.

I loved Family Ties cause of Michael J. Fox, but Mallory Keaton rocked. Someone told me you can tell a bulimic by their bulging eyes, but Justine didn't look bad to me.

2003-05-29T16:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Duckie

Thank you for the shout-out. I've been meaning to update for sometime, but didn't because I felt nobody was reading the blog. Anyway, now that I know someone other than Jeannie and myself are reading this blog, let me also make the comment that I loved your film Pretty in Pink. I especially dig the soundtrack, most notably INXS's contribution, but then again the song Pretty in Pink pretty much put The Psychedelic Furs on the map if you ask me.

So what's new with my obsession with the 80s, well namely music. I've been trying to buy CDs of my favorite bands from the 80s. I was looking to buy The Soup Dragons -- Lovegod on CD and even found it in eBay, but got outbid. How sad is that? I was also looking to buy Ian Brown's solo CD -- remember Ian Brown the former lead singer of The Stone Roses. Well I love his solo stuff, especially Lions which is on his album Unfinished Monkey Business, I even found it at the Tower Records near my house, but because it's an import it costs like $22.99 for the CD. I can't justify spending that much on a CD, even though I know this is a good one. I may reconsider this as I expect to receive my paycheck soon.

Also, I've been having an 80s mini-movie party by myself since Jeannie came to town and bought me the DVD for Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Sean Penn is a genius. One of these days, I'm going to get a dog and name him Spicoli -- why? just cause I think it would be cool to have a dog named Spicoli. I also picked up the DVD for Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure at Target for the modest price of $9.99. I love Keanu Reeves and will see any movie he is in. I first noticed him in the 80s when he was in River's Edge -- if you haven't seen it, you should. Another movie I'd like to see again is Running on Empty with River Phoenix (post-Stand By Me and that godawful buzzcut). I was reading something by one of the movie critics who reviewed Running on Empty and said it was an almost perfect picture. Now, I feel I have to watch it again.

2003-04-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

Jessie is a friend, yeah, I know he's been a good friend of mine.

When me and Jeannie went to New York, of course one of the places we had to visit was the Virgin MegaStore in Times Square. We didn't know it but Rick Springfield had an autograph signing at the time of his new CD. What tipped us off was a line of middle-aged woman, most of them dressed to the nines, checking their hair and make-up in their compacts. Then we saw the sign up saying Rick was going to be there. Rick looked older, but even for an older man -- he is attractive. However, I'm sure he's pretty bummed that the only women who are dying to see him are frumpy, middle-aged housewives. So he must have been pretty excited when he thought he saw Jeannie wave at him, thing was Jeannie was waving at her cousin who just happened to be sitting in the cafe behind the table Rick was signing his CD at. He was probably all "Oh yes, someone under 30 likes me." Sorry dude, honest mistake, but it was a nice gesture. It was cool seeing Rick at the Virgin MegaStore, but if anything was going to get me to stand in line forever, it would have been the free Everclear concert they were having that night.

2003-04-10T19:34:00.000-07:00

Hey girl, move a little closer

On Vh-1 (I can't stop watching that station) the did "Greatest One Hit Wonders." Kajagoogoo was something like #20. Thats an outrage! But I digress...the important thing was the "pop-up" that said, "Limahl was fired by Kajagoogoo over the telephone." How do you think that conversation might have went?

Limahl: Hello?
Kajagoogoo: You're OUT!
Limahl: You guys are nothing without me! I am a f*cking great front man - just look at my hair! Ladies love the hair!
Kajagoogoo: Always with the hair, enough obsessing - it's a neverending story about your hair!!
Limahl: Neverending story....hhmmmm...I don't need you - I'm going solo!
Kajagoogoo: Just try it.

Ok, maybe it didn't go like that, but it might have.....

2003-04-09T21:14:00.000-07:00

Who's that gigolo on the street? With his hands in his pockets and his crocodile feet.

One of the most underrated artists of the 80s has got to be Neneh Cherry. I loved her, if anyone deserves a comeback in the U.S. it's this woman. Not only was she really talented (she writes almost all of her own stuff), she had great style. I was disappointed, she doesn't even have her own official website. The last I heard she was living in Spain with her husband and three daughters. I owned her album on cassette tapes (it was the 80s, CDs had not yet taken over the music world). That tape got played over and over again. I guess most people would think she's a one-hit wonder, but if you listen to her first album there was a lot of good songs on it, I even bought her second album "Homebrew" also really good, she was like the female Beck of her time mixing up various genres of music to make her own unique sound. It's too bad she didn't get more recognition for her efforts. Maybe she was just too far ahead of her time. She obviously seems to have left some impression on today's artists, when she sang in "Buffalo Stance" -- no money man can win my love, it's sweetness that i'm thinking of, this sounds reminiscent to me of J.Lo singing my love don't cost a thing.

2003-04-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

Example of Bad 80s Music

So while I love the 80s, I will admit there was some godawful music during that period. Let me further explain myself. Over the weekend, one of my neighbors was washing his huge ass truck and playing at full-blast Foreigner's Greatest Hits including I Wanna Know What Love Is and Waiting for a Girl Like You. The other neighbor immediately starts screaming saying "Turn that fucking shit off." My sentiments exactly.

2003-04-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I'm fine.

This weekend I saw Fast Times at Ridgemont High on cable followed by American Pie 2. I was thinking to myself does the fact that Sean Penn, Nicolas Cage, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Forrest Whitaker all going on to have quite reputable and respectable careers in the film industry mean that there is going to be some member of American Pie 2 who will also achieve this level of fame and recognition. Can we anticipate that Jason Biggs may in the future win an Oscar like Nic Cage did for Leaving Las Vegas? If he does win, it won't be for doing movies like Saving Silverman or Loser. Even though these are two popular "teen" movies, I feel like "Fast Times" was just more real, if kids are like the ones in "American Pie" well then all I have to say is wow kids nowadays are dorks.

I liked "Fast Times" because besides being hilariously funny (due in part to the screenplay being written by Cameron Crowe), the characters were interesting. I wanted to know why Stacey (Jennifer Jason Leigh) was such a slut and wanted to "do it" so bad and then winds up pregnant and getting an abortion. I liked how Spicolli (Sean Penn) was perpetually high all the time and talking nonsense as the stoner surfer dude. I felt sorry for Brad (Judge Reinhold) because he got fired from All-American Burger when it clearly wasn't his fault, I also feel sorry for him because his career just didn't take off like the rest of them. I think the last thing I can remember him was in one of the Beverly Hills Cops movies. American Pie 2 just tries to hard to be Porky's, but the characters all just seem pathetic, this was the case in the first American Pie. I remember thinking to myself as I watched it, what's so funny about a guy having sex with a pie? I think that's pathetic. Anyway, just putting my two cents in about how movies were back in the 80s compared to now.

2003-04-05T09:32:00.000-08:00

Papa Smurf, are we there yet? Not far now, my little smurfs.

Did you know there is an official site for the Smurfs? I guess I shouldn't be surprised, they were pretty huge back in the 80s. I admit I owned a few Smurf shirts, what can I say, they were smurfy. Saturdays were awesome because I could watch 90 minutes of The Smurfs. I think Johan and Peewee were pretty cool additions as the Smurfs human friends, but when they started bringing in the smurflings, that's when they lost me. I liked how the Smurfs were named for their character traits, like Grumpy Smurf, Greedy Smurf, Handy Smurf, etc. I would name my neighbor Jackass Smurf (when you leave town, turn your goddamn alarm clock off, Jackass), but I digress.

So what other Smurfy merchandise did I own, well I recall I had an awesome Smurf lunch pail, but then again I also had Strawberry Shortcake, Scooby-Doo, Heathcliff, Care Bears, Peanuts, and if I'm not mistaken even an A-Team lunch pail. What the hell was I thinking? Interested in finding that special lunch pail you had back in the day, click here.

2003-04-04T22:19:00.000-08:00

Have a Berry Good Day!

VH-1 (My new fave station) is showing "I Love the 80's."

Hal Sparks is on talking about Strawberry Shortcake. He said:

"You draw a line on the sidewalk. Strawberry Shortcake people on this side, Smurf people on that side. And you Care Bear jack offs can stay off the sidewalk completely."

2003-04-03T22:49:00.000-08:00

Goonies Never Say Die

If you are a complete 80's geek and LOVE the Goonies - you MUST watch this:

The Goonies Vacation.

These guys show real love for the movie and are darn funny - watch all the way through the credits - look out for superb acting skills. Good job Ron and Patrick.

2003-04-03T09:59:00.000-08:00

Dude looks like a Lady

Androgyny was big in the 80s. Here's my Top 10 List of Adrogynous celebs:

10. Milli Vanilli -- Tight bike shorts and long, hair extensions. Enough said.

9. The Lead Singer of Dead or Alive -- Who can forget him spinning in his Asian inspired get up and the wind machine?

8. El DeBarge -- Extremely high voice, delicate features, without the mustache I would have mistaken him for a girl.

7. Prince -- His outfits speak for themselves. He liked ruffles and weren't afraid to use 'em. He also liked the hair over the eye look.

6. Annie Lennox -- Sported a mega short orange crewcut, and likely inspired Sinead O'Connor's bald look in the 90s.

5. All the Big Hair Bands (e.g., Poison, Cinderella, etc.) -- They wore more make-up than most women do then and now.

4. Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran -- Definitely the prettiest member of the group. Reportedly, celebrated his wedding entirely in pink.

3. David Bowie -- Loved mixing it up in male and female attire.

2. Michael Jackson -- The rumor back then was that he and LaToya were the same person.

1. Boy George -- made androgyny his trademark.

2003-04-02T23:35:00.000-08:00

Out on the ledge again - You're threatening to jump again

Let me give you the history of the friendship of Jeannie and Sloane. She was the first person I met who knew all the words to "Postcards from Paradise." Hello - best friend for life.

B&T's Excellent Adventure is just that - excellent. If not just for the stellar performance of the great 80's girl band icon Jane Wiedlin as Joan of Arc - then how about when Bill & Ted try and "pass off" the historic figures by giving them common modern names - such as "BOB" Genghis Khan. That is comedy.

Watching Real Genius was great - but when is third rate cable going to rerun Better Off Dead. Who cares if I own it - I want to happen upon it on a Sunday afternoon while flipping the channel to TBS. That will definitely be worth my "TWO DOLLARS." How many times have you sat in the car and looked at the car next to you - thinking in your head of the "Ree" brothers attempting to race Lane Meyer at the stoplight. In your best Howard Cosell accent - "The once great Lane Meyer...."

2003-04-02T22:43:00.000-08:00

You killed Ted, you medieval dickweed!

When Jeannie talked about Real Genius it got me thinking back to other classic 80s movies that I loved back then and continue to love today. Ahhh, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, I have to admit this is probably one of my most favorite of the 80s films and I can watch it over and over. I really wanted them to have their group "Wyld Stallyons". I still laugh everytime I see the scene where Ted (Keanu Reeves) comes out of the Circle K and tells Bill (Alex Winter) that he asked a lady and she confirmed that Marco Polo was a great 14th century Italian explorer to which Bill exclaims "I knew it wasn't just a water sport!" That's just one of the many great quotes from this classic 80s film, for more click here. What I think this movie does is really explore the slang of the 80s, do we really use "bogus" or "hellacious" enough nowadays? Come on people, let's put "barf me out" back into circulation.

2003-04-02T11:23:00.000-08:00

"Jerry, if you think you can make me do whatever you want by threatening me...well, that's where you're right."

Thank you HBO. Staying home from work DOES have it's benefits. Such as watching a rerun of "Real Genius" on HBO. One of Val Kilmer's greatest works.

So sit back, make yourself some microwave POPCORN, and have a look. Oh and Kent... this is God...stop playing with yourself.

2003-03-31T11:59:00.000-08:00

Oh Dong, where is Grandpa's AUTO-mobile? Lake, big lake.

Oh the 80s, let me count the ways. Lately, I've been feeling nostalgic for the 80s. Why? Well things were simpler back then, kids were less ghetto and more preppy (remember those polo shirts with the crocodiles on 'em). People were concerned about the ozone layer and the Cold war. Madonna was unpolished with her armpit hair and trendy accesorizing with rosaries and dirty blond hair. This was Madonna during the "pre-cone bra years" of her "Blonde Ambition" tour memorialized forever in Truth or Dare.

The 80s gave birth to MTV -- when it was considered cutting edge and anti-establishment, not the horseshit that's on today with TRL and frickin' Gideon Yago as the new geeked up version of Kurt Loder (Gideon is such a dork and what's with the crazy tattoo on his forearm, he kinda reminds me of the grown up version of Paul from The Wonder Years). The 80s saw the rise and fall of that great filmmaker and screenwriter, John Hughes. John, where have you gone????? You went from serious teen angst (e.g., Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink) to less compelling children's fare (e.g., Home Alone, Dennis the Menace).

What I hope this blog provides for you my fellow Gen-Xers is a place where you can relive a time when jelly shoes were "it" along with your matching jelly bag. Guys wearing vans and having a tail with their hairdo was considered high fashion -- this particular type of male also enjoyed breakdancing on flattened cardboard boxes. Kids Incorporated, Thundercats, and The Cosby Show were "must see" television (at least for me). The best thing about the 80s for me though has got to be the music -- hello, was Christina Aguilera even born when Human League was singing (Keep Feeling) Fascination. Intrigued by this blog, well then come back for more, such as my analysis of the rise and fall of Brit Bands, including the genius that was The Stone Roses.

2003-03-31T11:03:00.000-08:00

You play with words you play with love

Tonight on A&E's Live By Request - "Hall & Oates." Oh yeah baby! Although it looks like Darryl Hall stole John's moustache.

2003-03-31T11:02:00.000-08:00

Hey kids rock and roll, rock on

This is a website dedicated to all things 80's. Movies, celebs and especially music.