#Chauncey Leopardi

[90smovies]

[duranduratulsa]

Up next on my 90's Fest Movie 🎬 🎞 🎥 🎦 📽 marathon...Casper (1995) on glorious vintage VHS 📼! #Movie #movies #comedy #casperthefriendlyghost #Casper #billpullman #christinaricci #DevonSawa #CathyMoriarty #ericidle #malachipearson #MelGibson #amybrenneman #benstein #bradgarrett #ClintEastwood #jessicawesson #rodneydangerfield #riprodneydangerfield #chaunceyleopardi #garetteratliffhenson #johnkassir #HarryShearer #DonNovello #danaykroyd #vintage #VHS #90s #90sfest #durandurantulsas4thannual90sfest

[ruleof3bobby]

SAFE (1995) Grade: B-

Strange film that will recognize more widely if it was released today. Especially after COVID. The themes of the film are more now than ever. Julianne Moore also gives a strong performance.

[dweemeister]

Whenever you feel alone, just remember that those kings will always be there to guide you. And so will I.

Born to a turbulent family on a Mississippi farm, James Earl Jones passed away today. He was ninety-three years old. Abandoned by his parents as a child and raised by a racist grandmother (although he later reconciled with his actor father and performed alongside him as an adult), the trauma of his childhood developed into a stutter that followed him through his primary school years – sometimes, his stutter was so debilitating, he could not speak at all. In high school, Jones found in an English teacher someone who found in him a talent for written expression, and encouraged him to write and recite poetry in class. He overcame his stutter by graduation, although the effects of it carried over for the remainder of his life.

Jones' most accomplished roles may have been on the Broadway stage, where he won three Tonys (twice winning Best Actor in a Play for originating the lead roles in 1969's The Great White Hope by Howard Sackler and 1987's Fences by August Wilson) and was considered one of the best Shakespearean actors of his time.

But his contributions to cinema left an impact on audiences, too. Jones received an Honorary Academy Award alongside makeup artist Dick Smith (1972's The Godfather, 1984's Amadeus) in 2011. From the end of Hollywood's Golden Age to the dawn of the summer Hollywood blockbuster in the 1970s to the present, Jones' presence – and his basso profundo voice – could scarcely be ignored. Though he could not sing like Paul Robeson nor had the looks of Sidney Poitier, his presence and command put him in league of both of his acting predecessors.

Ten of the films James Earl Jones appeared in, whether in-person or voice acting, follow (left-right, descending):

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) – directed by Stanley Kubrick; also starring Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Keenan Wynn, and Slim Pickens

The Great White Hope (1970) – directed by Martin Ritt; also starring Jane Alexander, Chester Morris, Hal Holbrook Beah Richards, and Moses Gunn

Star Wars saga (1977-2019; A New Hope pictured) – multiple directors, as the voice of Darth Vader, also starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, David Prowse, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, and Frank Oz

Claudine (1974) – directed by John Berry; also starring Diahann Carroll, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, and Tamu Blackwell

Conan the Barbarian (1982) – directed by John Milius; also starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sandahl Bergman, Ben Davidson, Cassandra Gaviola, Gerry Lopez, Mako, Valerie Quennessen, William Smith, and Max von Sydow

Coming to America series (1988 and 2021; original pictured) – multiple directors; also starring Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, John Amos, Madge Sinclair, Shari Headley, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, and KiKi Layne

The Hunt for Red October (1990) – directed by John McTiernan; also starring Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn, and Sam Neill

The Sandlot (1993) – directed by David Mickey Evans; also staring Tom Guiry, Mike Vitar, Patrick Renna, Chauncey Leopardi, Marty York, Brandon Adams, Grant Gelt, Shane Obedzinski, Victor DiMattia, Denis Leary, and Karen Allen

The Lion King (1994) – directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, as the voice of Mufasa; also starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, Moira Kelly, Niketa Calame, Ernie Sabella, Nathan Lane, and Robert Guillaume, Rowan Atkinson, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, Jim Cummings, and Madge Sinclair

Field of Dreams (1989) – directed by Phil Alden Robinson; also starring Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, Ray Liotta, and Burt Lancaster

[vital-information]

"But, for at least part of the 1999-2000 TV season, Freaks And Geeks was a beacon to anyone whose high school experience was awkward, boring, humbling, or painful—basically, anything other than the sexy and stylish depictions that had dominated teen-centered movies and shows. It begins with a feint in the pilot episode, one of best series introductions ever. Director Jake Kasdan scans the high school track, seeking out a very blond football player (Gabriel Carpenter, in a role not unlike his appearance in 1999’s Drive Me Crazy) who’s confessing his affection to a very blond cheerleader in the bleachers. This early encounter is the extent to which Freaks And Geeks would engage with the kind of prepossessing teens who were frequently the subjects of these shows. This decision, Feig tells The A.V. Club, was based on having “grown up on such a diet of teen stuff being about beautiful people who were so cool with everything, including sex. It didn’t reflect anything I grew up around. You would see those kids; they were around. But they weren’t my group. They weren’t the majority of the kids that I knew.”

The camera ventures under the bleachers, where Daniel Desario (James Franco) is holding court among the other “freaks,” before panning over to our protagonist, Lindsay Weir (Linda Cardellini), who’s lurking nearby, ever between groups. The camera keeps moving, settling on an altercation between the “geeks”—Lindsay’s brother, Sam (John Francis Daley), and his friends Bill Haverchuck (Martin Starr) and Neal Schweiber (Samm Levine)—and a bully named Alan (The Sandlot’s Chauncey Leopardi). Lindsay comes to their rescue, but inadvertently offends Sam by referencing his diminutive stature. Lindsay is insulted by Alan’s buddies for her trouble, and Sam stalks off. This opening scene is a prime example of the brand of subversion found in Feig’s good-hearted show. A lesser series would have dedicated at least five minutes to Lindsay making up her mind, either in approaching the freaks or standing up for her brother. In Feig’s pilot, Lindsay acts decisively and still gets it wrong, which is not how this is supposed to go—that is, not on network television, and certainly not on the powerhouse network that was NBC in the late ’90s.

That was far from the last time Freaks And Geeks would defy expectations. In the same episode, we learn Lindsay is in the midst of an existential crisis brought on by her grandmother’s death. Hearing from her grandmother, the kindest and best person Lindsay had ever known, that there was nothing waiting on the “other side” leaves her questioning everything. So the former mathlete goes looking for answers in unlikely places, including under the bleachers and on the “smoking patio” with the freaks. Lindsay bonds with the freaks, especially Kim Kelly (Busy Philipps), whose depths were just as filled with teen-girl fury as insecurity. She even manages to win over the caustic Ken Miller (Seth Rogen). But her behavior flummoxes her parents, Harold (Joe Flaherty) and Jean (Becky Ann Baker), and to a lesser extent, her brother. Lindsay’s quest, which unfolded over the course of the season, was probably just as baffling for NBC executives (and possibly viewers). She wasn’t mollified by a new relationship with sweet stoner Nick Andopolis (Jason Segel), nor did she quickly learn her lesson and return to her high-achieving best friend Millie’s (Sarah Hagan) side. The absence of easy answers became a defining element of Lindsay’s life, as well as of the show.

But Freaks And Geeks was always just as optimistic as it was realistic, which is a key part of its enduring appeal. It’s a show about survival, about how a found community can help you muddle through anything. Despite the labels, Feig’s characters are all basically good people—failing that, they’re people who are capable of doing better."

Danette Chavez, "Why Freaks and Geeks Is the Teen Show that Endures"

[laconic-void]

Sandlot fic. Part TWO

Benny POV

Man, that was a hell of a ride. Smalls now has the best baseball in town in his possession. I have to admit, I'm kind of disappointed that I couldn't have it, but Smalls needs it.

I had watched Smalls go inside with his stepdad, but I couldn't follow the conversation from there. I hope things turn out okay.

I think a lot about all of our different families. I have an admittedly helpful older sister, Ramona. Smalls is an only child. It must be nice and quiet.

I have it better than some of the guys. Squints has a brother who's a year older, but they're complete opposites and can't cooperate to save their lives. Yeah-Yeah is constantly scolded for not getting as good grades as his twin sister. Even so, I've always wanted a brother, someone I can be really close to.

I waited until it got dark before climbing out my window to visit Smalls. I knocked gently on his own bedroom window and he sleepily answered.

"Well, how'd it go?" I whispered eagerly.

"Not too bad, but I can't go to the sandlot for a week."

I frowned. "What're you gonna do instead?"

Scotty rubbed his eyes. "I don't have an erector set anymore, so I don't know. Probably just chores."

"I know!" I exclaimed, briefly forgetting I was supposed to be quiet. "Whoops. Sorry about that, haha. I know what to do. Tomorrow morning, I'll bring you a walkie talkie, and I'll keep you updated on our game throughout the day! How does that sound?"

Scotty's face lit up. "That sounds great!"

I smiled. "Alright, see you then!"

...

"Where's Smalls?

"He can't play no more. Only for the week, though. Until then we can talk to him with this walkie talkie."

"Aw, okay."

Things had been rough in the beginning, but Smalls had earned the respect from all of us, especially now that, partially thanks to him, we had unlimited baseballs to play with.

"Just about to head down to the sandlot, smalls. Over."

...

"Ham's calling his shot. Over the fence. There it goes. Going. Going. Go- uh oh. Looks like Hercules wants to play fetch!"

I laughed as I watched the scene unfold. "Hercules is running towards Ham at record speed! He may have been pickled, but he is still a hell of a beast! Oh! Out!"

"THAT DOESN'T COUNT!" Ham protested. "Hercules isn't a player! Hey-" Hercules shoved Ham to the ground and licked his face. Bertram grabbed the ball and dropped it on Ham's stomach. "Out!"

"Yeah-yeah, get outta here!'

"OH, NO!" Squints shouted. I knew that tone. I turned around, and sure enough, Phillips and the rest of the Tigers were lined up on their bikes.

"Guess who just arrived! Over." I said into the walkie talkie.

"Oh no, is Phillips back? Over."

"Yep, for some reason. Over."

"Where's your boyfriend, Rodriguez?" Phillips taunted.

"Can it, Phillips!" I shot back.

"Benny's more of a man than you are!" Ham defended. "He can run faster than you can bike!" Everyone else cheered in agreement. I just rolled my eyes. I'm pretty proud of myself for pickling the beast, but I try to stay humble.

"Here, Smalls, I'll relay the conversation. Phillips just said Ham eats food scraps from the garbage. Ham said Phillips got his name from his screwdriver-shaped head..." I released the button and heard Smalls laughing. I realized how ridiculous it must sound hearing it from me, and I chuckled along.

"Does he know you pickled the beast? Over." Smalls asked.

"I'm not sure. He might have been at the founders' day parade. Or the pool. Over."

"I bet he wouldn't mess with you if he saw how fast you ran. You nearly broke the sound barrier trying to escape Hercules. Like a jet. Over."

Smalls complimenting me like that made me feel really good. "Thanks. It's really whatever though. Over."

"Sure it is," Smalls paused. "Alright, my mom just called me for lunch. See you later Benny. Out."

I put the walkie talkie in my pocket and smiled.

End for now.

Fun fact: the fact that Squints has a brother is based on the fact that Chauncey Leopardi was notably very different from the character he played, listening to gangsta rap and wearing baggy jeans! He also has been selling Cannabis for 20 years lololololololol. Won't put that in the story though

[rasslingrob]

Sixty) The Big Green Steve Guttenberg really fell of the radar for a patch in the early 1990s, did he not? The Big Green brought him back into the "social consciousness" for a bit. This, It Takes Two, Zeus and Roxanne, Casper: A Spirited Beginning, and Tower of Terror. Then a slight comeback in the 2000s with recurring appearances on Veronica Mars, Ballers, and Dancing with the Stars. Man! If you watch a lot of these 1990s sports films and you will see a lot of actor overlap. Patrick Renna and Chauncey Leopardi (The Big Green and The Sandlot) and Jay O. Sanders (this and Angels in the Outfield) from this had the overlapping effect here. https://www.instagram.com/p/CpHG19_uM0C/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[cultofbeatles]

“Wear a T-shirt and jeans tomorrow, okay?”

The Sandlot (1993) directed by David Mickey Evans

[i-finally-watched-it]

The Sandlot (1993)

dir. David Mickey Evans

In the summer of 1962, a new kid in town is taken under the wing of a young baseball prodigy and his rowdy team, resulting in many adventures. (via IMDb)

Highlight/s: Smalls is adorable 😭; the performances!

Lowlight/s: Unnecessary arse shot of a woman crossing the road, being ogled by CHILDREN; then Squints later tricking her into giving him mouth to mouth at the pool so he could forcibly kiss her - at least it wasn't just brushed of as some harmless "boys will be boys" BS though! (well, sort of); buuuut then they ended up getting married & having NINE KIDS when Squints finished school apparently?? ..ew.

Will I watch it again? Maybe. I think this is one of those movies that's kind of hard to really get into if you're watching it for the first time as an adult. I know that if I'd seen this when I was a kid, I would've loved it, the way I love Honey I Shrunk The Kids and Hallmark's Alice in Wonderland, and I would've been watching it regularly for that sweet nostalgia hit 😂

Rating: 👍🏻

[vintagewarhol]

[90smovies]

[duranduratulsa]

Now showing on my 90's Fest Movie 🎥 marathon...Casper (1995) on glorious vintage VHS 📼! #movie #movies #comedy #Casper #christinaricci #billpullman #CathyMoriarty #DevonSawa #malachipearson #ericidle #MelGibson #benstein #ClintEastwood #bradgarrett #jessicawesson #rodneydangerfield #riprodneydangerfield #chaunceyleopardi #garetteratliffhenson #johnkassir #HarryShearer #fredrogers #vintage #vhs #90s #90sfest #durandurantulsas3rdannual90sfest

[vendriin]

The Sandlot (1993)

[rapwave]

NEW POST: Logic - Homicide (Feat. Eminem) (Official Music Video) (https://www.rapwave.net/2019/06/28/logic-eminem-homicide-video/)

[ohmy90s]

The Sandlot (1993)

[rollinstone007]

#283 / 2016 Movie List / The Sandlot (1993) / David M. Evans