At The End Of The Day

In A World Where Godfather Quotes Are Copy...

What's with The Godfather quote in the promos for the new Russell Crowe movie, State of Play? Have Godfather quotes become that ubiquitous? The line in the promo is, "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." I'm hoping there are some royalties due on that one.

State of Play only joins other movies that quote, liberally or not, from one of the greatest films of all time. Two that come to mind immediately are Ocean's 13 and You've Got Mail. Can you think of others?

A marketing story

The good people of PR Pulp pointed us to a new online game called "Don't Shoot Your Eye Out." The interesting part is that it's presented by OfficeMax in an effort to give consumers a more interactive experience its brand.

And it looks like the cult holiday classic "A Christmas Story" is gaining more traction as we roll into December.

Brian Jones, a 30-year-old former Navy lieutenant, purchased the house Ralphie Parker lived in from the 1983 film. Jones restored the 3-story house in Cleveland and opened it up for tours this past weekend. He even purchased the house across the street to be a gift shop.

So why did he make this investment?

"I just want people to come and enjoy it as I have," said Jones.

Sure, you can buy a Red Ryder carbine-action, 200-shot, range model air rifle this Christmas. But you can't buy fans like Jones who give your movie new life 23 years after it was made.

Return of the stallion

OK, I'll admit it: I can't wait to see "Rocky Balboa."

Maybe it's because I'm a purebred Sicilian-American. Maybe it's because of the Trans-Am. Maybe it's because he's the ultimate underdog and he trains to a legendary musical score.

Whatever the reasons may be, I applaud Sylvester Stallone for getting back in the ring at the age of 60 to fight one last time on the big screen.

I'm betting that I'm not alone in my unabashed zeal to see "Rocky Balboa" in December. I'm so glad he "left something in the basement."

Enjoy the trailer.