Aging Actors

Over the weekend I happened to catch a bit of "The Fugitive" and "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" (That is no fun to type) and having recently watched Morning Glory with an aging Harrison Ford (he's 68!) I was amazed at how much younger he looked.  Now his skin is sagging and he is a little hunched.  Hey - he still looks better than me, but it breaks my heart to know that he won't produce another action/adventure blockbuster.  And that got me thinking about other actors who are being claimed by the years.  Here is my list of actors/actresses that I am sad to see moving over for younger generations.  I wish I could reverse the years on them...

1. Liam Neeson - he was late to the party anyways, and is still producing great movies.  Only a year ago he made "Taken" where he was a ex-spy trying to rescue his kidnapped daughter but it won't be too long before he's playing a grandpa trying to remember...something....
2. Sean Connery - Oh...he's been aging for years and I'm sure people were looking at him playing opposite Catherine Zeta Jones and thinking it was time for him to get out of the game.  Still nobody played cool quite like the original Bond.
3. Tom Selleck - he never quite hit the same highs as the other actors on this list and that is a shame.  At best he was Quigly Down Under.  But the mustachioed one just oozed macho and I wish he had headlined a few more great films.  Now he is relegated to playing Ashton Kutcher's stepfather - ick!  Sadly we'll never get to see how high he could have flown.
4. Sandra Bullock - For some unknown reason I sat through the entirety of "The Proposal" and couldn't stop thinking how old she is getting.  Women age faster than men for reasons science knows.  It's sad that their stars fade faster than men's - with the notable exception of the spicy Hellen Mirren.  But with Sandra, although her perky personality that popped in "Demolition Man" and "Speed" is still there, she is showing the signs of time.  It won't be long before she'll be playing the soccer mom and the crazy aunt to some forgettable newcomers.
5. Anthony Hopkins - He has been playing old guys as long as I can remember.  Of course, I don't remember him before Hannibal Lecter, but have you seen him lately?  I will still pay to watch him read the newspaper - he is that engaging, but he needs to choose his twilight films (not Twilight the nasty vampire soap opera) carefully.  We don't need another "Black Sheep" with the precious time he has left.
6. UPDATE 1:  Mel Gibson.  Personally, I don't care much about his personal life as I don't care about most people's, not just movie stars.  Still, Mel was quite the draw.  Between Mad Max, Lethal Weapon, and triple threat Braveheart, he could throw down action with the best.  Now he is playing vengeful fathers ala Liam Neeson.  I believe he might have one more dark blockbuster in him, but the lines on his face mean that the lines on his script will involve less stunt work.
7. Clint Eastwood - I know the guy is 80-some and still making movies - Gran Torino and Million Dollar Baby were awesome - and as a director he really knows how to make it raw.  But he won't last forever.  And we won't get to see another Josey Wales, Harry Calahan (sp?), William Munney (which was kinda the point of "Unforgiven" anyway).
8. Tommy Lee Jones - He's still making fine movies like his one time co-star Clint Eastwood, but I fear he won't be making another appearance as Sam Gerard.  And such a shame.  The only reason U.S. Marshals is in my DVD collection is because of his performance.  He'll probably make some more great films, but his action days are (probably) behind him as well.
9. Ed Harris - He's not a name you might think of instantly, but his solid performances in many movies could be easily overlooked.  I even sat through his labor of love - "Pollack" (which I don't recommend, sadly).  Ed will probably go the way of Tom Skerrit, another beloved father figure actor whose character lines are blurring as the wrinkles increase.
10. UPDATE 2: Morgan Freeman.  The man is 73 and still making great films.  I'm a pre-emptive mourner for the day we lose his golden voice.  

There are many other actors who are moving on, will be moving on shortly, or should have moved on long ago.  Bruce Willis is still playing hard men, but how much longer can that last.  Even the amazingly indestructible John McClane will eventually get run over by a power chair.  And Kurt Russel's next role as Snake Pliskin will be "Escape from Shady Rest Home".  Tom Cruise - 'nuff said.  Michelle Pfieffer still looks great, but she won't be playing catwoman again - meow!  Kevin Costner's on the outside of the age envelope to make a sequel to "Dances With Wolves".  Gene Hackman seems to have disappeared from the marquis which is a shame.  He has a real gravitas to him.  Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, and Robert DeNiro are a mixed bag of aging gracefully and should choose their films carefully.  We don't want to remember them for things like "Little Fockers".  Christopher Lloyd - the amazing Doc Brown - has already blown his legacy on "Baby Geniuses" - (Full Disclosure: I did not watch "Baby Geniuses".  I just got a real sucky vibe from it.)  Speaking of "Back to the Future", we never got to see Michael J. Fox peak.  So sad.  I'm also sad to see John Cusack (still cool after all these years) and Mathew Broderick (lost his cool somewhere after "Glory") getting older.  Kevin Spacey has some time left on his clock, but his middle years are coming to an end.  Someday his Verbal Kint limp may be real.

There are many more that I haven't mentioned.   Feel free to nominate your favorite star in a decaying orbit in the comments.

The best ideas

I've said it once and I'll say it again - the best ideas come while I'm in the shower.  I don't know if it's the sweet noise that drowns out the rest of the world so that my creativity has free reign over my mind (funny how you can't hear them, but they can hear you - especially when you're singing.) or perhaps its the soothing massage the warm water beats on my head.  Whatever the reason, my best and clearest thinking of the day comes while I'm lathering up and soaking in a shower.  Not a bath, mind you, but a full-blown, water-wasting, mirror-fogging wonder.  The universe just seems to make sense.

And if you suffer from the aforementioned mirror problem, I have a shower-conceived solution:

Once I went scuba diving and the instructor gave us some sort of spray to keep our masks from fogging.  It seemed to me like dish soap and water.  When we were younger we just spit in our masks and wiped it around, but this seems less barbaric and more hygienic.  In any case, after suffering mirror blight one day, I went out and got some dish soap and rubbed it on the mirror.  Then I took some toilet paper and spread it around.  After wiping all over the mirror till it was evenly spread and I couldn't see the streaks, it no longer fogged.  After a few weeks it started to run, so I applied another coat.  It works great.  And if someone asks you where you learned how to do it, just say you thought it up while *you* were in the shower.  Because - be honest - when has referencing a blog on the internet ever gotten you respect?

Robes

I never understood the attraction with bathrobes until recently. I just looked at them as a convenience. I never understood why Hawkeye always wore one in MASH. (One of the best TV shows ever.) Sure it says "Hey, I'm lazy and unapologetic", but it also says something more.

In days of yore, robes were only worn by people of nobility. Kings, regents, and such. Everyone else wore work clothing. Robes have excess fabric that would get in the way of real work. And fabric was a luxury. A robe is a symbol of respect. I bought mine so I could go outside without going through the hassle of getting dressed. Then I started wearing it inside. When you wear it closed, as it should be, you feel warm and comfy (free plug for Burlington Coat factory where I bought it for $15) and sufficiently hidden from the world to walk outside. But throw it open (wear something underneath before you do this or you'll scare the neighbors) and let it flow behind you. Walk with your head held high. You're wearing a robe. And this is your kingdom.

Feel like a king. Feel like a man. Wear a bathrobe. Open.

My First Post - aaaaahhhhhh.

You would think, given my sometimes surprising points of view and my already notorious thirst for technology that I would have already put up a blog by now. Heck...blogs are old fashioned already. Now if you're not plugged into the latest hyper-social-web injection service, you're old news. But my purpose here is not to be hip or retro or try to share family updates or recipes. I just want an outlet for my thoughts...a mental toilet if you will. That way all the crazy thoughts floating in my head have someplace to go. If they make you think or smile, that is your fault. Feel free to comment. If I don't like it, I reserve the right to remove it with no explanation. This is not a democracy. If you do like it, and perhaps there are enough comments, perhaps I'll keep doing this until my head is empty. Cue time-till-empty-head joke here.

Have a nice day.