April Birthdays

It's April! Time to say Happy Birthday!

Jet Li

-Birth Name: Li Lian Jie

-DOB: 4/26/1963

-Where: Beijing, China

-While filming 2000's Romeo Must Die, he sustained bruised ribs during the fight scenes with Anthony Anderson

Ritchie Blackmore

-Birth Name: Richard Hugh Blackmore

-DOB: 4/14/1945

-Where: Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, England

-He has a younger brother named Paul

Jeremy Clarkson

-Birth Name: Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson

-DOB: 4/11/1960

-Where: Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England

-He is well known for his strongly reactionary, outspoken opinions

Eddie Murphy

-Birth Name: Edward Regan Murphy

-DOB: 4/3/1961

-Where: Brooklyn, New York

-He paid for the funeral for comedian Redd Foxx

Roddy Piper

-Birth Name: Roderick George Toombs

-DOB: 4/17/1954

-Where: Saskatoon, Canada

-DOD: 7/31/2015

-Where: Los Angeles, California

-He firmly believed that swearing was an ignorant man's weapon while smart men talked

Sebastian Bach

-DOB: 4/3/1968

-Where: Freeport, The Bahamas

-He stated in his biography that he was the only Caucasian child in a class of 40 black children

Federico Castellucio

-DOB: 4/29/1964

-Where: Naples, Campania, Italy

-Because of his role on The Sopranos, with his convincing Italian accent, people thought he was an Italian-born actor who spoke broken English. He had to meet with people in Hollywood to convince them he could do other accents, including his normal speaking voice speaking English

Al Pacino

-Birth Name: Alfredo James Pacino

-DOB: 4/25/1940

-Where: Manhattan, New York

-During the filming of 1972's The Godfather, Pacino was in constant fear of being fired

Frank Vincent

-Birth Name: Frank Vincent Gattuso

-DOB: 4/15/1937

-Where: North Adams, Massachusetts

-DOD: 9/13/2017

-Where: Nutley, New Jersey

-His father was an ironworker who worked atop the skyscrapers of New York

Queen Elizabeth II

-DOB: 4/21/1926

-Where: London, England

-DOD: 9/8/2022

-Where: Balmoral Castle, Aberdeen, Scotland

-She was known for doing great things for others and her inspirational, heartwarming holiday speeches

Carol Burnett

-Birth Name: Carol Creighton Burnett

-DOB: 4/26/1933

-Where: San Antonio, Texas

-She initially fired Harvey Korman from The Carol Burnett Show for being rude to the guests. After speaking with him, she hired him back and he was with the show until the end

47 Ronin (2013)

This movie is based on the actual story of the 47 Ronin

Summary

-A group of rogue samurai seek to avenge the death of their master, despite a ruthless shogun informing them not to seek vengeance

Cast

-Keanu Reeves: Kai

-Hiroyuki Sanada: Oishi

-Ko Shibasaki: Mika

-Tadanobu Asano: Lord Kira

-Min Tanaka: Lord Asano

-Jin Akanishi: Chikara

-Masayoshi Haneda: Yasuno

-Hiroshia Sogabe: Hazama

-Takato Yonemoto: Basho

-Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa: Shogun Tsunayoshi

Did You Know?

-The filming was done first in Japanese, because of the supporting cast, then done in English, according to Keanu Reeves

-Carl Rinsch, who directed the film, got into a fight with Universal over this film. They wanted a special effects fantasy film like 2009's Avatar or The Lord of the Rings. Rinsch wanted to make it more of a drama, such as 2000's Gladiator or 2005's Kingdom of Heaven

-This is the first Hollywood film adaptation of the story of the 47 Ronin. Other films have been made about this story, such as: 1941's The 47 Ronin, 1958's The Loyal 47 Ronin, 1962's Chushingura, 1978's The Fall of Ako Castle, 1994's 47 Ronin and 2010's The Last Ronin

-It was said that the character Kai, played by Keanu Reeves, was said to be modeled after Minamoto Yoshitsune, a 12th century warrior who was said to have been trained in martial arts by Tengu

-Initially Keanu Reeves was hesitant to do this film, as he felt his character Kai wouldn't feel integrated into the main plot of the film

-While most of the cast was Japanese and unknown to Western audiences, Hiroyuki Sanada is well known to Western audiences, because of the films he appeared in, which include: 2013's The Wolverine, the 2004 TV show Lost, 2019's Avengers: Endgame and 2007's Rush Hour 3 while Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is well known to Western audiences for appearances such as 2011's Hawaii Five-O, 2005's Memoirs of a Geisha, 2001's Pearl Harbor

-The witch in this film had two different colored eyes, a medical condition called heterochromia. Many Asian cultures refer to this condition as "cat's eyes", as it is a common condition in cats

-The witch was said to have been inspired by a bake-kitsune, which translates into "fox spirit", a type of yokai (spirit, monster, ghost) that can shapeshift into humans or other creatures

-This film is said to have almost nothing in common with the original story. Instead it was set in a world of witches and giants

-There were many critics who claimed this movie was "white washed" only because of Keanu Reeves appearing in it. In reality, Keanu Reeves is 1/4 Chinese-Hawaiian, as is his paternal grandmother while the rest of his ancestry is European. He does not have Japanese ancestry at all

Tootsie (1982)

This film was actually funnier than I initially thought

Summary

-Michael Dorsey is an out of work actor. The only way he can get work is to disguise himself as a woman to get work on a daytime hospital drama

Cast

-Dustin Hoffman: Michael Dorsey / Dorothy Michaels

-Jessica Lange: Julie Nichols

-Teri Garr: Sandy Lester

-Dabney Coleman: Ron Carlisle

-Charles Durning: Les Nichols

-Bill Murray: Jeff Slater

-Sydney Pollack: George Fields

-Geena Davis: April Page

Did You Know?

-Initially, Dorothy Michaels did not speak with a Southern accent. While doing research, Dustin Hoffman felt his voice fall more closely into a female pitch while doing the accent

-Most of the dialogue from Bill Murray was improvised

-In a 2014 interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Geena Davis told him that Tootsie was her very first movie and that she was young and inexperienced. Dustin Hoffman acted as a mentor to her. He gave her advice. One tip he said was "I know you're going to move to Hollywood and be successful, and your co-stars are going to hit on you, and you should not sleep with your co-stars. It's a bad idea. So here's what to say. When they hit on you, say 'I would love to', be very flattering, 'but I'm afraid it would ruin the (on-screen) sexual tension between us.'" Geena Davis used that on Jack Nicholson later when he hit on her and he was impressed, wanting to know where she had gotten that line

-When the crew had bad news to give Dustin Hoffman, they would only give it to him when he was dressed as Dorothy Michaels, because they said he was "much nicer as a woman"

-At her parents' evening at school, Dustin Hoffman passed himself off as his daughter's Aunt Dorothy. His performance was so perfect that no one suspected anything was out of the ordinary

-The clothing Dorothy Michaels wore almost always covered Dustin Hoffman's 16'' neck and Adam's apple

-The insane ways that Michael Dorsey gets fired or quits from a production were actual events that happened to Dustin Hoffman

-After playing the role of Dorothy Michaels for the first time, Dustin Hoffman went home and burst into tears, confessing to his wife that playing the role of a woman forced him to face his own sexist perceptions of women that he didn't even realize he had

-Director Sydney Pollack and Dustin Hoffman fought intensely over the littlest things that even Hoffman suggested Pollack playing his agent George Fields so they could use that energy in the film, and perhaps give Pollack a chance to vent

-The first time Michael Dorsey is waking up to play Dorothy Michaels, there is a photo of Dustin Hoffman's mother next to his alarm clock

-To do research for his role, Dustin Hoffman watched the 1978 film La Cauge aux Folles and the 1963 TV program General Hospital

-The breasts Dorothy were prosthetics that had came from a shop specializing in post-mastectomy care and cost $175 each

-Cher and Olivia Newton-John were considered for the role of Julie Nichols

-Sir Michael Caine, Dudley Moore and Peter Sellers were offered the role of Michael Dorsey

-When Michael Dorsey is auditioning for roles, he says he can do shorter. In real life, Dustin Hoffman is only 5'6''

-The film got its name from Dustin Hoffman's mother Lillian Hoffman, who gave her son Dustin the nickname "Tootsie" as a child

-Despite smoking indoors being a banned act today, at the time the film was released smoking was still permitted indoors where it is now banned

-Artist Andy Warhol appeared as himself and went uncredited

A Very British Christmas by Rob Temple

Just when you thought the laughing ended, now Rob Temple has done it again. He's come out with a how-to guide on surviving the holidays, referencing Christmas, Boxing Day and even New Year's Eve

Read this how-to guide on surviving the holidays with a dash of wit and humor to keep your sanity intact as you watch relatives turn a simple game of Monopoly in to the next world war, how relatives take over your kitchen and make their food like they are a chef with their own cooking show or even who sits next to who so as to avoid awkward questions or handling the Christmas shopping in such a way that either no one gets arrested by the police or no one gets a gift that they will later give away or re-gift to someone else

Very British Problems: The Most Awkward One Yet

This is another standalone book from Rob Temple, the same hilarious mind who brought Very British Problems to life

Have you ever found yourself in these types of situations? Broken out in hives at the suggestion that you 'introduce yourself' over Zoom? Been extra dramatic while rubbing in the shop's hand sanitiser, so everyone knows how thoroughly decent you are? If you answered yes, Rob Temple firmly believes you are suffering from Very British Problems

He takes the quirkier things in life and adds a dash of humor to it. Some of the things he mentions are quite relatable. You'll be laughing in no time

Britain According to Very British Problems by Rob Temple

This standalone book is from the same comedic genius who brought the world Very British Problems

Rob takes every region of Britain and describes them with loving and hysterical humor. This A-Z road map of Britain will have you laughing from beginning to end. He says Britain is a maze of unique and eccentric sights, even going as far as to describe The Shard in London as "The Eye of Sauron". He takes everything Britain is known for and adds a dash of humor in it, saying things to the effect of "Birmingham being known for Black Sabbath", "Platform 9 3/4-after a few hours waiting in a railway station, have your photo taken next to a brick wall"

Very British Problems Volume III by Rob Temple (3 of 3)

The third installment in the highly successful (and hilarious) Very British Problems series

Here Rob tackles random things that can turn in to full scale arguments and regards them with a dash of hysterical humor. He also references his Twitter account @soverybritish regarding random polls he's posted. Also, he now has a Facebook page called Very British Problems where the hilarious situations continue

More Very British Problems by Rob Temple (2 of 3)

The second book in this highly successful (and hilarious) series by Rob Temple

Read about very relatable travel woes that we've all experienced at least once or see when going on vacation or holiday. I especially love it when he describes different kind of accommodations. It's all about the various travel woes we've all faced at one point or another. He describes all inclusives as all drunks

Very British Problems by Rob Temple (1 of 3)

This book series caught my eye when I was browsing the Humor section on the Amazon Kindle store. The title caught my eye. When I read the description, it sounded funny and interesting. After reading it, I realized I have never laughed this hard in a while.

What the book is essentially about is sarcasm regarding every aspect of life. How being socially awkward is a common thing, how to combat being odd in more ways than one and trying to make it day to day with your sanity and dignity intact. Some of the things he mentions are very relatable

Here is a link to it on Amazon

1000 Things You Didn't Know About Me

This book is very similar to the 3000 Questions About Me book. It allows someone to get to know you without saying much. I won't list all 1000 questions, but here are some of the questions included

1. When I have free time, I love to

-Read, do jigsaw puzzles, work on paint by number, diamond art, draw, work on my Japanese lessons

2. My biggest weakness is

-Beanie Babies, books, music

3. My favorite type of music is

-Rock, metal, country, pop, punk

4. The most exciting thing that ever happened to me was

-I went to see Judas Priest in 2018 on their Firepower tour. And two of their crew were charging people $20 to get a picture on the motorcycle Rob Halford would ride onto the stage on. They said they are donating the money to research for Parkinson's Disease. Me and my sister happily did this, knowing the money was going to a good cause

5. I am currently working towards

-Losing weight. I have lost 10 pounds of fat but gained a few pounds in muscle. I am fine with losing body fat but gaining muscle weight.  I'm still working on losing weight and trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The managing of stress is a lot harder since I have very little time to do this except for the weekends

6. The one movie I could watch over and over is

-The Living Daylights, License to Kill, Casino Royale, Live and Let Die, What a Girl Wants, The Man with the Golden Gun, too many to list

7. The weirdest thing I do with food is

-Mix corn with mashed potatoes, mix Coke and Sprite together

8. The best song for a sing along is

-Blurry-Puddle of Mudd, Baby Girl-Sugarland, No Excuses-Alice in Chains, Ain't Just the Whiskey Talkin'-Trace Adkins, Riot-Kane Brown, Bury Me in Georgia-Kane Brown, Halfway to Hell-Jelly Roll, Liar-Jelly Roll, Dead Man Walking-Jelly Roll

9. I have a collection of

-Beanie Babies, books, metal pins, CDs, Lego models, jigsaw puzzles

I actually have at least three featured in this photo. The blue jay, the green-headed mallard and the leopard

10. My favorite way to spoil myself is

-Buying a cup of coffee from Dunkin' Donuts every Friday. As a way of celebrating another week done

11. My biggest insecurity is

-My body. I was bullied as a child, by both my father and school classmates. To this day, I still think of myself as unattractive, ignorant and heavyset

12. My dream car is

-1971 Plymouth Barracuda

-1971 Ford Gran Torino

-1970s Dodge Challenger / Charger

13. The most important thing on my bucket list is

-Planning a trip to England, Australia, Japan and Hawaii

14. When life stresses me out, I always

-Work on my Japanese lessons. Paying attention to my lessons takes my mind off stress

15. My favorite sports team is

-Arsenal Gunners

-Tottenham Hotspurs

-Cincinnati Cyclones

-Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 team

-Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team

16. My most complicated relationship was

-My father. He verbally abused me and my sister, put us down, belittled us, made us feel inferior, made us feel that we would never amount to anything. He even told us we would never amount to much

17. If I were to learn another language, it would be

-Japanese. I'm actually in the process of learning

18. My favorite actor is

-Jet Li, Sylvester Stallone, Al Pacino, Hugh Jackman

19. My favorite band is

-Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, too many to list

20. I don't trust myself with

-Being in bookstores / music stores with money

21. The best costume I ever wore was

-My Steampunk costume. I wore it two years ago to work and everyone loved it

22. Sometimes I suffer from

-Anxiety, depression

23. One thing I do for hours is

-Read, do jigsaw puzzles, draw, work on paint by number / diamond art, work on Japanese lessons

24. My favorite trilogy is

-Austin Powers, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, I would say the James Bond series, but that is more than three films

25. The hardest I have ever laughed was when

-I discovered this humorous series of books by a British author named Rob Temple called Very British Problems. I am not quite sure why, but the sarcastic tone he uses in those books ensured I was in tears from laughing so hard. I even bought his Very British Christmas book and nearly laughed myself into an asthma attack. I was laughing so hard I was crying. Some of the things he lists in that series are very relatable, in fact, I've done quite a few before

26. The three words that best describe me are

-Nerd, headbanger / metalhead, bookworm

27. I'm currently saving money for

-A trip to England, Japan, Australia and Hawaii. Not at the same time, of course. Over the course of time I would like to visit all of these places

28. I think tattoos are

-Awesome! I have 9 and am torn between four different ideas for number 10

29. I love the lyrics of the song

-No Excuses: Alice in Chains, Blurry: Puddle of Mudd, Last Resort: Falling in Reverse, Cats in the Cradle: Harry Chapin, Selfish Age: As Lions, Wasted Years: Iron Maiden

30. I'm quietly battling

-Anxiety, occasional bouts of depression

31. My favorite line from a movie is

-Why are you trying so hard to fit in when you are born to stand out?- What a Girl Wants

32. One golden opportunity I missed out on was

-Seeing the band Ghost when they were here in Cincinnati. It was during the week, all of the good seats were already bought and I had no one to go with

33. I love every song on the album by

-Selfish Age: As Lions, Seventh Star: Black Sabbath

34. My favorite role model is

-Queen Elizabeth II. She was elegant, classy and beautiful. Her holiday speeches were inspirational, heartwarming and she made everyone feel that she really cares if they have a good year. And plus I love the fact that she's tough as nails despite appearing as a kindly older woman

35. The best way to get me to open up is

-Talk about music