Hypothetical Bias

Rage ... taking over ...

While doing some deep research for my next book, I recently (about 5 minutes ago) found this Mystery Men Wiki. My favs:

Mr. Furious: "I guess from now on I ride in a wolfpack of one."

The Shoveler: "We struck down evil with the mighty sword of teamwork and the hammer of not-bickering."

The Blue Raja: "There aren't any evil trios, are there? No — they all have to travel in gangs like little babies."

Invisible Boy: "Hey, Dad — I'm going to my room with three strange men."

The Spleen: "If you want to know what my power is, pull my finger."

The Bowler: "Maybe you should put some shorts on or something if you want to keep fighting evil today."

The Sphinx: "We are number one! All others are number two, or lower."

Message to G. Mark Holmes: Your move, bitch.

release the kracken!

as i am hacking away at the computer trying to find a t-statistic bigger than 2, my wife is watching dancing with the stars.  our next contestant is harry hamlin, and the pre-commercial teaser references something about "battling the kracken". talk about a cross-demographic reference:  i would wager that in all the demographics older than 25, males 25-34 is probably the lowest watcher of this stupid ballroom dancing crap (i'd rather watch something on HGTV. or even I-AA football.). but a reference to the award-winning* clash of the titans, and harry's legendary depiction of perseus, is sure to bring these big spenders to the show in droves. if the slinky outfits on the women don't.  (by the way: laurence olivier: clash of the titans :: marlon brando : superman, the movie)

* burgess meredith apparently won something called the saturn award for supporting actor.  however, clash of the titans was also nominated for special effects. really?  even for 1981 technology, i can do better effects now with my cell phone.

Murderball

Give the movie, Murderball, a shot.   IMO, if you want to watch a great sports documentary, this one should not be missed.

An X-iday gift

The Chronic of Narnia Rap from SNL via youtube.com provides a reference to the first SecTreas of the U.S., a review of mapping software ("Google Maps Is The Best. True Dat! Double True!") and tips for fitting a movie into your holiday budget. A must!

And you can rap along with the lyrics ...

What am I thankful for?

My beautiful family and ... Ben Stiller movies.

Mystery Men: A Review

Starring: Ben Stiller, Jeneane Garofolo, William H. Macy, Pee Wee Herman, Greg Kineer, Hank Azaria, etc.

A story of a hapless group of superhero losers turns into a fight of good vs evil. During their classic struggle Mr Fury (Stiller), paralleling the experiences of the hypo-bias guys, finds the love of a beautiful woman. The bowler (Garofolo) comes to peace with the death of her dead father (note: intentional doubling of dea__ words). The shoveler (Macy) wins the respect of his family. Along the way the superheros learn the value of teamwork. The Sphinx says it best: "You must be like the wolf pack. Not like the six pack." Indeed. An excellent date movie ... and don't forget the tissues (you'll cry like a baby).

And if you are ever looking for more Sphinx-like quotes, here is the script.

And, yes, this is an economics blog, so here are the numbers:

Released in US	August 6, 1999
Total US Gross	$29,762,011
Production Budget	$68,000,000

Looks like a dog, right? Well, don't forget the all important overseas box office and video sales. Otherwise, what do movie goers know anyhow. This is one great movie!