Prince

I honestly think Prince would be a great as Huggy Bear in a Starsky and Hutch remake. Honest! All that and more in today’s High 5:

WELL …., DUH: I saw an interesting headline the other day about whether or not you can be “born” a couch potato. I can say, without the slightest hesitation, yes.

LOOKING AHEAD: While watching the Monday Night Football game between the Patriots and Saints I was thinking … Super Bowl preview? I’m not so sure about the Patriots, but the Saints look mighty strong and I don’t see anyone in the NFC that will stop them in the playoffs. And don’t even think about playing that Dallas Cowboys card.

TELEVISION SHOW THAT DESERVES A COMEBACK: Starsky and Hutch. I would cast Matthew McConaughey as Starsky, Owen Wilson as Hutch and Prince as Huggy Bear. (Or possibly Luke Wilson as Starsky.)

ANTICIPATION: I’m really looking forward to the new TBS comedy/drama Men Of A Certain Age with Ray Romano, Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula. It looks both real-to-life and hilarious, a combination that is normally difficult to put together. My gut feeling says Romano and Braugher will be outstanding and Bakula will be the weakest link of the three.

QUESTION: For the most part, how come the majority of the best TV programs are now found on Fox and cable? Think about it. Feel free to drop me a line.

I finally got to see Twilight Saga: New Moon on Sunday and the wait was worth it … today’s High 5 is devoted to this monster (no pun intended) of a movie:

STAR OF THE MOVIE: Kristen Stewart — a.k.a. Bella — dominates the film and is Oscar worthy. She develops her character far more than any other in this follow-up to last year’s Twilight. Robert Pattinson is solid again as Edward Cullen, but it is Stewart who steals this installment of a series that is going to be with us for a long, long time.

VAMPIRES INC.: One of the most memorable subplots deals with the European-based ruling council of the vampires. Those are three creepy individuals, with an emphasis on creepy. And one has really bad hair. (I also found the “treaty” between the vampires and werewolves especially interesting.)

THE ENDING: Of course, I won’t give it away here, but let’s just say it was about as close to perfect as possible. As soon as the final credits started to roll my first thought was, “How long long until the third movie?”

SPECIAL EFFECTS: Most of the buzz has been about the werewolves, and they do not disappoint. What impressed me most in this area was how the filmmakers did not go overboard. They left you wanting more, which I’m sure we’ll get next year.

BOX OFFICE: Through its first 10 days, New Moon has now taken in $230.7 million, which is even more phenomenal considering some of the competition it has been up against, namely 2012 and The Blind Side. New Moon might be heading for some previously uncharted waters in terms of popularity. It’s almost a certainty to be one of the top 10-grossing films of all time.

The sooner New Year’s Day 2010 arrives, the better … all that and more in today’s High 5:

THE WORST EVER?: Time magazine is calling the 200s the worst decade in U.S. history and the ‘decade from hell”. The mnore I thought about that claim, the more difficult it was to argue with, considering over the past 10 years we saw the United States invaded, Hurrican Katrina strike, two wars in the Middle East and a recession of epic proportions.  The worst decade ever? Yep, I’d have to agree.

PEOPLE I WOULD LIEK TO MEET: Pat Sajak, Stevie Nicks, Erin Andrews, Houston Nutt, Ann Coulter, Phil Mickelson, Darius Rucker, Hanley Ramirez, Jon Lester, Jonathan Togo.

BLACK — NOT BLEAK –FRIDAY: Early reports from Black Friday retail sales across the country look extremely positive, which is another good sign for the economy. Most analysts predict a major breakthrough in the recession/recovery at some point during the first six months of 2010. The sooner 2009 is over, the better. For the most part, this has been one horrible year from a bottom line standpoint.

HMMMM … : Think you’ve had a bad week(end), how would you like to be Tiger Woods, or his publicist, in trying to put some sort of positive spin on whatever happened surrounding that car crash? This will be interesting to watch unfold.

SONG THAT SHOULD BE A CLASSIC BUT IS NOT: “Expressway To You Heart,” by the Soul Survivors.

I think you’ll notice a theme in today’s High 5:

BON VOYAGE, CHARLIE: All signs seem to be pointing toward Notre Dame relieving beleaguered football coach Charlie Weis of his duties shortly after Saturday’s game at Stanford. I’m not an Irish football fan, but it’s pretty obvious this marriage is not working. If/when the seemingly inevitable happens and Weis is finally let go, keep an eye on the name Brian Kelley, the current coach at 11-0 Cincinnati.

SONG THAT SHOULD BE A CLASSIC BUT IS NOT: “Rock and Roll Heart,” by Eric Clapton.

LET’S ROCK: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary celebration can be seen at 8 p.m. Sunday on HBO. The Madison Square Garden event, which took place Oct. 29-30, was a two-night jam session of past inductees past, including Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Aretha Franklin, Metallica and many more. If you have never been to the hall itself on the shore of Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio, you owe it to yourself, especially if you a diehard music lover. The inaugural 1986 class of hall inductees included Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, James Brown, Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Fats Domino and Chuck Berry; Some of the other notables through the years have included Aretha Franklin (1987), Beach Boys (1988), Beatles (1988), Bob Dylan (1988), Supremes (1988), Rolling Stones (1989), Temptations (1989), Stevie Wonder (1989), Simon Garfunkel (1990), The Who (1990), Johnny Cash (1992), Jimi Hendrix (1992), Doors (1993), Elton John (1993), Rod Stewart (1993), Janis Joplin (1995), Led Zeppelin (1995), Bee Gees (1997), Jackson Five (1997), Billy Joel (1999), Bruce Springsteen (1999), Eric Clapton (2001), Michael Jackson (2002), AC/DC (2003), The Police (2003), Prince (2004), ZZ Top (2004), Madonna (2008) and John Mellencamp (2008).

INTERESTING: Eric Clapton is the only artist to be inducted three times into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, once as a member of each the Yardbirds and Cream and once for his solo career.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO?: Matthew Sprague.

Kris Allen

A rough start for American Idol champ Kris Allen, but I think he still has a bright future … all that and more in today’s High 5:

HATS OFF: It’s easy to make fun of celebs like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, but I commend them today for their philanthropic efforts. The couple has given a combined $6.8 million to chairtable causes this year.

HATS OFF, PART II: NBA star Shaquille O’Neal paid for the funeral of a 5-year-old North Carolina girl after being moved by national news coverage of the case of Shaniya Davis, who police say was kidnapped and killed. Shaq was touched by the stories he saw and got in touch with the family to see what he could do to help, a spokeswoman for O’Neal said. More than 2,000 people attended the girl’s funeral Sunday. Her body was found Nov. 16 beside a rural road. “I was sitting at home watching it on the news and the story brought a tear to my eye,” O’Neal told The Cleveland Plain Dealer.

BUMMER: The first-week sales results for American Idol champ Kris Allen are in, and they’re not spectacular. Allen’s self-titled debut CD sold 80,000 copies, placing him at No. 11 on SoundScan’s chart, and perhaps more alarmingly, giving him the lowest first-week sales returns for an Idol winner in the show’s eight-season history. One of the trade magazines reports a Jive Records spokesperson says the label isn’t panicking. I hope that’s true. I think Allen will be a major musical force, but one that evolves over time. Idol runner-up Adam Lambert will undoubtedly make a big splash early and then — in my humble opinion — eventually fizzle. The shock value of Lambert’s act will eventually be overidden by the adult contemporary appeal of Allen.

PEOPLE I WOULD LIKE TO MEET: Rick Dees, Ben Roethlisberger, Bruce Drennan, Faith Hill, Eric Clapton, Marcellus Wiley, Jon Stewart, Sarah Palin, Pele, Kristen Stewart, Stuart Scott, Ridley Scott, Ray Romano, Johnny Romano.

SONG THAT SHOULD BE A CLASSIC BUT IS NOT: “Nobody But Me,” by the Human Beinz.

Allison Iraheta

Happy Thanksgiving to all High 5 readers, and good luck with that Black Friday thing tomorrow:

THE NEXT BIG THING: Musically speaking, it could be Allison Iraheta, the fourth-place finisher last season on American Idol. Her debut album, “Just like You,” is scheduled for a Dec. 1 release and the reviews have been tremendous. Iraheta’s Janis Joplin-esque performances on Idol created quite a buzz last spring, and that momentum was maintained during the summer tour of the top 10 Idol finishers. It would not be a major surprise if the spunky little redhead winds up being the biggest star of all from last season’s show. Sorry about that, Adam Lambert fans.

TELEVISION SHOW THAT DESERVES A COMEBACK: The Lone Ranger. I think Brad Pitt would be perfect to resurrect the role originally played by Clayton Moore. I’m not sure about who would play Tonto. Maybe Grady Sizemore?

THAT’S ONE FOR THE BIG GUY: My prediction that The Twilight Saga: New Moon would be “the movie of the year” looks like it was correct, but I’ll be the first to admit I never thought it would be that big of an opening-weekend blockbuster. How big was it? New Moon did more business on its opening weekend than any other movie this year. I have yet to see it (darn the sellouts!), but a person whose opinion I always rely heavily on when it comes to judging a film has told me it “is better than the first, especially the ending.” I can’t wait to see it.

SONG THAT SHOULD BE A CLASSIC BUT IS NOT: “Me And You And A Dog Named Boo,” by Lobo. (I actually have “Lobo’s Greatest Hits.”)

YOUR 15 MINUTES ARE UP: Adam Lambert. (Actually, his 15 minutes are probably just starting, but I’m already tired of all the drama. I think this will get real old, real fast.)

Jennifer Aniston

Anyone else experience some recent sticker shock when going to pick up a prescription? That and more in today’s High 5:

HAMMING IT UP: Food Network celebrity chef Paula Deen got an unexpected serving of ham — across her face. She was helping unload 25,000 pounds of donated meat for an Atlanta food bank earlier this week when someone threw one of the hams like a football and accidentally smacked her. Deen told a local television station, “I thought it busted my lip, but it didn’t.” Later, she tweeted: “I haven’t met the ham that could stop me yet!”

TELEVISION SHOW THAT DESERVES A COMEBACK: The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Jennifer Aniston would be ideal to play Mary. (But could we still call it The Mary Tyler Moore Show?)

YOU CAN KEEP IT: Earlier this week, my wife called her doctor for some medicine to help her get over a lingering cold. I also needed some prescribed drops for an infected eye. When we went to pick up the prescriptions the bill was a combined $347 — with our “discounts.” Are you kidding me? For some cold medicine and eye drops? Needless to say, we passed on both. It’s bad enough the American people are getting scammed on the price of gasoline, but this prescription drug thing seems to now be far worse. Let me repeat that one more time — cold medicine and eye drops: $347.

ST. LOUIS No. 2: Thinking about a weekend getaway to St. Louis? Maybe even relocating there. Might want to think again. According to the latest crime rankings,, St. Louis is the second most dangerous city in the nation, trailing only Camden, N.J. The rankings are done by CQ Press and are an annual collection of data comparing crime numbers, rates and trends throughout the country.

YOUR 15 MINUTES ARE UP: Jon and Kate Plus 8. (It is finally over. Finally!)

Alicia Keys

Is Alicia Keys’ beauty unmatched? While you think about that, check out today’s High 5:

DEATH BE NOT PROUD: I saw an interesting note the other day about what movie star has been “killed” the most in films? Any guesses? The correct choice is Robert DeNiro, who has been knocked off in 14 different films.

TELEVISION SHOW THAT DESERVES A COMEBACK: Cagney and Lacey. How about Drew Barrymore as Cagney and Queen Latifah as Lacey?

HERE WE GO AGAIN: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is at it again. First of all, let me say I have a pet dog I love, so I am not some anti-humane sort of person. But these PETA people are simply … well, you can fill in the blank. PETA’s latest protest is against the video game “World of Warcraft,” which features some sort of seal clubbing. Yes, they are protesting the killing of fictional animals. FICTIONAL ANIMALS! I wonder what they think about that Whack-A-Mole game? Geez, guys, get a life.

TOP GRADES: Entertainment Weekly graded all of the performances on the American Music Awards and gave the  Jay-Z and Alicia Keys duet, Lady GaGa and Carrie Underwood the only “A” marks.  Adam Lambert earned the lowest grade, a “C-minus”. I think Alicia Keys might be the most beautiful woman in the world. She is striking.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO?: The Sir Douglas Quintet.

The trip back from Ohio was made bearable by a little Blue Collar Radio … all that and more in today’s High 5: 

Larry the Cable Guy

WHAT IS PLAYING IN THE STEVEMOBILE: During Sunday’s 600-mile journey back from Ohio I listened to a satellite radio station I had not paid much attention to in the past. Blue Collar Radio, found at 148 on the XM dial, had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion. The trip took me 12 hours (I stop a lot!) and I probably had that station on at least half of the trip. It features more than Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, Larry the Cable Guy and Ron White, although I wouldn’t mind listening to those guys 100 percent of the time. I should warn you, if you are easily offended or might be traveling in mixed company this station might not be for you. If it were a movie, Blue Collar Radio would probably be “R” rated.

TELEVISION SHOW THAT DESERVES A COMEBACK: “Gunsmoke.” How about George Clooney resurrecting the James Arness role as Matt Dillon? And maybe Julia Roberts as Miss Kitty?

RECORD-SETTING WEEKEND: The Twilight Saga: New Moon legend continues to grow. The film enjoyed the biggest autumn opening weekend in history, grossing “an astounding $140.7 million at the box office this weekend, exploding most industry expectations,” according to Hollywood Insider. It is the third biggest three-day debut ever, according to early estimates from Hollywood.com Box Office. (The Dark Knight still retains the record for the biggest weekend debut with $158.4 million, and Spider-Man 3 is second with $151.1 million.)  Theatergoers gave New Moon a solid “A-” CinemaScore rating.

BULLOCK IS BACK: Sandra Bullock needed a hit movie after the What About Steve disaster earlier this fall, and she appears to have it in The Blind Side. The true-life sports drama brought in an estimated $34.5 million for second place behind New Moon. It’s the best opening gross of Bullock’s career. The film also scored an “A+” among movie-goers. 

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO?: Sinead O’Connor.

Bob Marley

It’s been a long weekend, but a fruitful one … all that and more in today’s High 5:

NEW LEADER IN THE CLUBHOUSE?: Just how popular is deceased reggae superstar Bob Marley? The music legend who died 28 years ago is about to challenge Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson for the title of richest dead celebrity, according to Fortune magazine. Toronto-based private-equity firm Hilco Consumer Capital has struck a management deal with the Marley estate, which is expected to generate worldwide annual sales in excess of $1 billion by 2012. Outrageous, you say? Some industry experts estimate the Marley name, sound, and image already generate as much as $600 million in pirated merchandise.

SONG THAT SHOULD BE A CLASSIC BUT IS NOT: “You Wear It Well,” by Rod Stewart.

AMAZING WEEKEND: This had to be one of the greatest weekends of my life. I drove 600 miles (one way) to watch the Ohio State-Michigan game on Ohio soil, see son Geoff and daughter Kaysi, meet Kaysi’s fiancee, Pete, his parents, Tom and Kitty, and be with Kaysi when she officially picked out her wedding dress. Before I left to return to Quincy early this morning (and re-trace those same 600 miles), I wondered how one guy could be so lucky!

WELL … : There was that one disappointment over the weekend about not getting to see the new Twilight movie, but that will come in time, probably back in Quincy at some point this week. Did you see where New Moon is likely on the way to smashing all existing opening-weekend box office records? I’ll be interested to see the final figures sometime Monday. The all-time opening weekend mark belongs to The Dark Knight at $158.7 million.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO?: Lloyd Carr.