My new website!

I've just re-launched www.jordanorlando.com (after a fair amount of the kind of work that's even more tedious to describe than it is to do). I've been meaning to give my site this kind of complete overhaul for years, and I'm delighted that I've finally gotten it finished and launched. It's not complete (there's still a whole lot of stuff that I need to put up there) and I'm sure there are rough edges and errors I haven't caught (which is both the strength and weakness of internet-based projects: unlike print, you're never quite finished since you can launch before everything's 100% complete, as I've done here).

The new site has updated collections of different kinds of work, but, most notably, it has a blog (!) that I'm a bit nervous about since I've never tried solo blogging before. The blog isn't empty (as you'll see): it's already got all of my Horrorthon posts, going all the way back to the beginning (with everyone's comments!) and, as a subcategory, all of my Horrorthon reviews (with everyone's comments!) which, like the other Horrorthon posts, include all the original pictures and cartoons and whatever. Unlike this beloved stomping ground, my new site (including the blog) is 100% searchable (and the blog is sorted by categories, such as the aforementioned "Horrorthon Reviews") so anybody insane enough to want to delve back into my ramblings with some kind of agenda in mind can do so.

I'm extremely open to criticism, comments, and bugfixes (especially bug-fixes; if something doesn't look right or you get any kind of error, it'd be a big favor if you'd let me know). Obviously anyone's interest in Jordan Orlando's website is going to be about as keen as their interest in Jordan Orlando, so it's not like I'm expecting a stampede of traffic. It's kind of weird suddenly having my own blog (which, as I've said, has only just diverged away from my Horrorthon stuff in the past couple of weeks as I've been finishing the site), and I don't really know what that's going to be like...but it's something people have been urging me to do for a long time. It obviously doesn't mean that I'm not any less hardcore Horrorthon than I ever was. Anyway, my new website!

http://www.jordanorlando.com

That guy!

Ted McGinley probably doesn’t receive the recognition he deserves, after all, he’s the “go to” guy when a popular cast member needs to be replaced on a show that has long since jumped the shark. Some actually call it the Ted McGinley curse because when he shows up on a show it signifies impending cancellation.

Let’s take a look, shall we?

Happy Days



In 1980 Happy Days was sinking faster than the Titanic and with the announcement that Ron Howard (Ritchie) and Donny Most (Ralph Malph) were bailing, Ted McGinley was brought in to play “Roger Phillips” a schoolteacher and a “Ritchie”-like character. The show was cancelled shortly after he was hired.


"I'm quitting Happy Days to move on to bigger things!"

The Love Boat



Luck would shine on Ted McGinley once again in1984. Lauren Tewes, who played cute/nerdy cruise director “Julie McCoy” on the popular Love Boat series, was fired due to a nasty nose candy habit that interfered with her ability to work. Did Aaron Spelling hire another cute girl to replace her? Heck no! He hired his Happy Days pal, Ted, for ship duty. Ted played ship photographer Ace Evans. The Love Boat was cancelled shortly after.

"I like coke!"

Married With Children



Ted “I kill TV series” McGinley was tapped again in 1991 for the popular (*cough dreadful cough*) show Married With Children. Al Bundy’s neighbor, Steve Rhoades (David Garrison) quit the show for reasons I’m too lazy to Google. Was Married With Children cancelled? Of course not, why would you cancel a show when you have good old Ted McGinley to save your butt? Ted played the slick Jefferson D’Arcy. The show lasted a few more years but people apparently say that he ruined the show.


"I don't need Married With Children anymore!"

Ted also replaced someone on Dynasty; however soap operas are none of my business and I believe my next patient will be arriving shortly. So there you have it folks, the long, strange career path of Ted McGinley. This post was made possible due to my jerk-patient no-showing on me. I’m certain it holds little interest to you ‘Thonners but I thought it was a fun/stupid slice of television history and I was bored.

Awesome Lego Captain America

Exactly Why Did Bill Murray Keep Repeating His ‘Groundhog Day?’

Excerpt from Slashfilm, The second draft of Groundhog Day says, actually, it was caused by Phil’s scorned ex-girlfriend Stephanie. The second draft of Groundhog Day is pretty close to what we all see in the film. There is a bit more of Phil in the studio at the beginning, but nothing major. But also in the second draft, Stephanie, Phil’s ex-girlfriend, puts a curse on him. Literally, she opens a book of magic spells and does a little ritual that causes him to get stuck in time.

Near the beginning of this script, we meet Phil’s girlfriend, Stephanie, who Phil coldly and unceremoniously dumps. Later, as Phil is going to bed in Punxsutawney, we see Stephanie in her room, using Phil’s business cards and broken watch (conveniently set at 5:59) to perform a magic spell from a book titled 101 Curses, Spells, and Enchantments You Can Do At Home. This sets the theme of Groundhog Day in motion. There is no “higher purpose” given, just an angry, embittered ex-girlfriend with a little book.

Superbowl Volkswagen Star Wars ad

Seinfeld Superbowl ad

The 7 Stupidest Things That Make People Proud

#7. Not Liking Something Popular


From cracked [excerpt], There are some people who think proclaiming that Justin Bieber sucks is the freshest, most daring opinion since not liking sliced bread.

A lot of popular things suck, I'm not arguing with that. But there's no reason to be smug and pat yourself on the back for hating a popular thing, whether it sucks or not.

See full list here

Man Attacks Police By Dual Wielding Lightsabers, Successfully Deflects Tazers

From giantfreakinrobot, Remember that scene in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure where Bob “Genghis” Khan totally ravages Oshman’s Sporting Goods? That actually happened, only it was in a Toys R Us and it wasn’t a recently kidnapped Ghengis Khan but some random guy with a lightsaber.

It happened in Portland, Oregon on December 14 when 33-year-old David Allen Canterbury totally decided to dual wield in the Jantzen Beach store. Reports say he swung his lightsabers, one in each hand, at customers inside the Toys R Us before going outside to confront police. Officers attempted to subdue him using a Tazer, but of course this guy is a Jedi, so he was able to deflect at least one of the Tazer wires away with his sabers.

Police eventually had to resort to old fashioned wrestling, so they tackled Canterbury to the ground and hauled him away. Canterbury has now been sentenced to 45-days in jail and is already seeking mental health treatment.

I’ve shopped at this Toys R’ Us so I know that it’s one of those Toys R’ Us/Babys R’ Us combo stores, which means at any given hour it’s full to the brim with pregnant women and babies whom you probably don’t want in the line of fire when a Sith goes crazy in your local diaper store. Luckily, it sounds like no one was hurt and the would be Jedi is getting the help he needs. Harmless fun all around. Genghis Khan would be proud.

Burn Nature To The Ground!: The 'Venom' Caterpillar

From geekology, Because Mother Nature may in fact be an evil sorceress and not the unshaven, tree-loving, weed smoking hippie-woman we've all imagined, here's an actual shot of a Brahmin-moth caterpillar taken by biochemist/photographer Igor Siwanowicz. WHAT. THE. F***? Why does it have all those freaky doo-dads? Will it kill you if you touch it? Where's Spiderman when you need him? Please don't say banging Mary Jane, please don't say banging Mary Jane. "Banging Mary Jane." GAAAAAH -- and I was just about to ask her out to coffee!

First official photo from Skyfall

From ew, As Skyfall — a.k.a. Daniel Craig’s third film as James Bond — shoots across the globe, fans of 007 have had to make do with some tantalizingly ambiguous shots posted to the official Bond Twitter feed, as well as a few paparazzi shots from the London set. Finally, the first official photo of Craig as Bond has been released, of our dashing secret agent brandishing what appears to be his trusty Walther PPK in Shanghai. The shot suggests a more grizzled Bond in a sleek, colorful setting.

DC Comics to publish controversial 'Watchmen' prequels.

From ew, Geekdom, get ready to rumble with excitement… or grumble with outrage. Or both. In an announcement sure to ignite a firestorm of fanboy passion and pique, DC Entertainment revealed today that DC Comics will publish a collection of mini-series that will expand upon the world of Watchmen, the influential superhero saga originally released as a 12-issue maxi-series from 1986 to 1987. Marked by bravura storytelling, provocative politics, and gritty violence, Watchmen is best known for deconstructing superhero archetypes embodied by cultural icons like Superman and Batman. Why might the new comics be controversial? Because Watchmen’s widely revered writer, Alan Moore, who has long been at war with DC for any number of reasons, has absolutely nothing to do with them.

Branded Before Watchmen, the long-rumored project — which has been on-again/off-again in a variety of forms for years — will be comprised of seven mini-series created by an all-star line-up of talent, including Amanda Conner, who drew the first look at Silk Spectre posted here.

Go here for all the details