"Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?" - Generation Xers Mourn The Passing Of The Bard Of Teen Angst

Film director/writer/producer John Hughes has died at age 59 of a heart attack while taking a morning walk during a trip to New York City to visit family.

Hughes was responsible for some of the most successful comedy films of the 1980s and 1990s, including "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", "Weird Science", "The Breakfast Club", "National Lampoon's Vacation", "Sixteen Candles", "Pretty in Pink", "Planes, Trains and Automobiles", and "Home Alone" & "Home Alone 2".

Hughes had gotten his start as a writer for National Lampoon magazine. Children of the 1980s flocked to his teen trilogy made up of "Sixteen Candles", "The Breakfast Club" and "Weird Science" which helped to define a generation and make stars out of Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson and Anthony Michael Hall.

Hughes' imprint was felt on several of his writing efforts too, ranging from "Pretty in Pink" to "Some Kind of Wonderful" as well as "National Lampoon's Vacation" and the "European" and "Christmas" sequels.

Hughes had a gift for discovering talent. Other than Ringwald, stars like Robert Downey Jr., Bill Paxton, Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez and Jon Cryer had major career breaks courtesy of Hughes productions. His 1986 teen classic "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", which he wrote and directed, helped turn Matthew Broderick into a leading man. Hughes films also captured the sounds of the times, with soundtracks for several films including "Breakfast Club" and "Pretty in Pink" producing new wave classics that were also chart toppers.

In the later years of his Hollywood career, Hughes turned towards more adult and family films, including his holiday classic "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" and "Uncle Buck", both starring the late John Candy. He also was a writer on the blockbuster comedy "Home Alone". Hughes hadn't directed a film since 1991's "Curly Sue". His last produced screenplay was 1998's "Reach the Rock".

A spokesperson for Hughes confirmed the director's death. Variety reports that over the last decade, Hughes had stepped away from show business to spend time with his family, maintain a functioning farm in Illinois and support independent arts. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Nancy, two sons, John and James, and four grandchildren.

John Hughes' Filmography (courtesy of IMDb.com)
Drillbit Taylor (2008)
Beethoven's 5th (2003)
Maid in Manhattan (2002)
Home Alone 4 (2002)
Beethoven's 4th (2001)
Just Visiting (2001)
New Port South (2001)
Beethoven's 3rd (2000)
National Lampoon's American Adventure (2000)
Reach the Rock (1998)
Home Alone 3 (1997)
Flubber (1997)
101 Dalmatians (1996)
Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
Baby's Day Out (1994)
Beethoven's 2nd (1993)
Dennis the Menace (1993)
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
Beethoven (1992)
Curly Sue (1991)
Dutch (1991)
Only the Lonely (1991)
Career Opportunities (1991)
Home Alone (1990)
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
Uncle Buck (1989)
The Great Outdoors (1988)
She's Having a Baby (1988)
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Pretty in Pink (1986)
Weird Science (1985)
National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985)
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Sixteen Candles (1984)
Nate and Hayes (1983)
National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)
Mr. Mom (1983)
Class Reunion (1982)
"Delta House" (5 episodes, 1979)


























Rest In Peace, Mr. John Hughes.


Do you have a favorite John Hughes movie? Was there a character of his you always identified with? Got a favorite line? Favorite moment? Share it in the comments.

The "Perfect" Summer Playlist

I have a lot of ideas running through my head this afternoon about what to write this blog about. I'm trying to touch on every aspect of entertainment in this first week or so of existence as a "blogger", but I keep finding myself wanting to write about celebrities and sports since they're both easy to write about, entertaining enough for people to read, and basically ever-changing. As a result, I have decided to quiet my mind by doing one of the things I do best: create a super-incredible, awe-inspiring, emotion-provoking, jaw-dropping, heart-stopping, feet-tapping, pulsating mix-tape. So, if your summer is lacking in the music department (or you just need some new music to listen to) here's some of the most infectious sounds of the 2009 summertime season (in no particular order). Enjoy!

The "Perfect" Summer Playlist
"Don't Stop Believin" - Journey
“Closer to Love” - Mat Kearney
"You Found Me" - The Fray
"Sequestered In Memphis" - The Hold Steady
"Baba O'Riley" - The Who
"Kids" - MGMT
"No You Girls" -Franz Ferdinand
"Something Like That" - Tim McGraw
"Earthquakes and Sharks" - Brandtson
"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" - Otis Redding
"Love Drunk" - Boys Like Girls
"Good Times Roll" - The Cars
"Semi-Charmed Life" - Third Eye Blind
"Life Is A Highway" - Tom Cochrane
"Daydream" - The Lovin' Spoonful
"Renegade" - Styx
"Dark Blue" - Jack's Mannequin
"Use Somebody" - Kings Of Leon
"Mistakes We Knew We Were Making" - Straylight Run
"The Boys Of Summer" - The Ataris
"Rock & Roll" - Eric Hutchinson
"Waking Up In Vegas" - Katy Perry
"This Town" - O.A.R.
"Dizzy" - Jimmy Eat World
"Sunny Hours" - Long Beach Dub All Stars & will.i.am
"Carry On Wayward Son" - Kansas
"Story Of My Life" - Social Distortion
"Don't Trust Me" - 3OH!3
"Second Chance" - Shinedown
"Know Your Enemy" - Green Day
"Good Girls Go Bad" - Cobra Starship
"Smile" - Uncle Kracker
"Beautiful Day" - U2
"Her Diamonds" - Rob Thomas
"Sexy Can I" - Ray J
"Ocean Breathes Salty" - Modest Mouse
"I'm Yours" - Jason Mraz
"In The Summertime" - Mungo Jerry
"The Sound Of Settling" & "Crooked Teeth" - Death Cab For Cutie
"What I Got" - Sublime
"Spitting Games" & "Chocolate" - Snow Patrol
"You Never Know" - Wilco
"Glory Days" - Bruce Springsteen
"Centerfield" - John Fogerty
"All Summer Long" - Kid Rock

And pretty much anything by the following bands (with a few suggestions):

The Beach Boys ("Fun Fun Fun", "Little Deuce Coupe", "Kokomo", "Barbara Ann", "California Girls")
Jimmy Buffet ("Fins", "Volcano", "Coconut Telegraph", "Margaritaville", "Cheeseburger In Paradise")
The Eagles ("Life In The Fast Lane", "Take It Easy", "Heartache Tonight", "Hotel California")
Bob Marley & The Wailers (the entire "Legend" album)
Red Hot Chili Peppers ("Californication", "Under The Bridge", "Scar Tissue", "By The Way", "Dani California")
Jack Johnson ("Bubble Toes", "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing", "Upside Down", "Constellations", "Inaudible Melodies", "Do You Remember")


Let me know if I missed any, and feel free to add some of your own to the list.

What's With Big Guys Trying To Fight Skinny Guys?

Tonight, as I changed the channel from the Dodgers' pounding of the Milwaukee Brewers 17-4 after a 5-run bottom of the 8th inning and made my way back to my current home on the pull-out bed downstairs in my living room, I flipped open my laptop to check the final numbers of the game. To my surprise, I found a rather interesting article about Milwaukee's 268-pound clean-up hitter Prince Fielder, after being hit by a pitch from the 6'6" bag-of-bones Dodger relief pitcher Guillermo Mota with 2 outs in the 9th inning of tonight's blowout, literally roaming the underground tunnels of Dodger Stadium looking to either snap Mota in half... or to eat him (see video HERE). The plunking of Cecil Fielder's son (a 240-pound behemoth himself) was in response to Milwaukee's Chris Smith hitting Dodger slugger Manny Ramirez with a pitch in the bottom of the 7th inning, an inning after the Dodgers had turned the game from a close 5-3 ballgame to a 12-3 massacre (at that point). After the game, the Prince (or perhaps a pauper now) was asked about his expletive-filled rant through the tunnels of Mannywood. He responded, “I don’t remember that.” Mota was ejected on the spot, but this got me thinking... hasn't this happened before? A fairly large man going after a skinny guy? Yes, yes it has...

During a 2003 spring training game, the then Mets catcher and former Dodger great Mike Piazza was hit by a pitch from none other than Guillermo Mota (who shall heretofore be referred to as "Mr. Skinny"). Piazza charged the mound and, as Mr. Skinny ran backwards and THREW HIS GLOVE at Piazza, the benches cleared. But wait, there's more! Apparently this wasn't the first altercation between the two. Mota hit Piazza in the left hip with a pitch on the last day of spring training in Vero Beach in 2002 also. Piazza did not charge the mound in this instance, but later in the game, as Mota walked down the right-field line to leave, Piazza left the bench to confront him. Piazza grabbed Mota by the jersey with both hands, and players from both benches swarmed the pair. You'd think a guy (Mota) who was suspended for 50 games by the Commissioner's Office to begin the 2007 season for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program (aka a guy on 'roids) would 1.) NOT look like Jack Skellington in a baseball cap and 2.) NOT run away from a fight, but you'd think wrong.

Either way, it should make for a semi-interesting game tomorrow night at Chavez Ravine. Manny's slump seems to be over, the ever-injured Jason Schmidt will be going for his 2nd win in as many starts after missing most of 2007, all of 2008, and part of 2009 with what can be summed up simply as hurt feelings, and the Dodgers still have the best record in baseball. Maybe Dodger fans have something to celebrate...


If not, there's always the Angels.


NL West Standings (W-L, GB)
Los Angeles Dodgers - 66-41, --
Colorado Rockies - 59-47, 6.5
San Francisco Giants - 59-48, 7.0
Arizona Diamondbacks - 48-59, 18.0
San Diego Padres - 44-64, 22.5

AL West Standings (W-L, GB)
Los Angeles Angels - 63-41, --
Texas Rangers - 59-46, 4.5
Seattle Mariners - 55-51, 9.0
Oakland Athletics - 46-60, 18.0

First In Line

This being the first ever Queue Revue, I should probably start off by answering the who, what, why, when, and where's of this blog...

My name is Benjamin Richard Green, but you can call me Ben. The reason I started this blog is because on July 22, 2009 I thought it would be a fun idea to slip while sliding back into first base and break my right ankle. As a result of the unwanted break, I have been bed-ridden and have recently run out of fun things to do and good television shows to watch, so I decided to create my own blog (with a little encouragement by James Bean's movie reviews blog, which can be found at www.filmcricketjb.blogspot.com). MY blog will differ from Mr. Bean's in that Jimmy's is solely about movies, whereas mine attempts to encompass all forms of media, so don't worry about the copycat factor. Over the coming days, weeks, months, and possibly years, I will be updating daily quotes, random funny pictures, news articles, entertainment reviews, amazing, inspiring, and original song lyrics, "live" podcasts (with special guests and "live" performances each visit), participatory polls, and overall zaniness that will hopefully be to your liking (and even if you don't like it, read 'em anyway and tell me how bad of a job I'm doing). Feel free to post any and all comments, leave me love notes, share your pictures or videos, and amuse yourself however you want to. This blog is as much yours as it is mine. I may be "crossing the line so you don't have to", but it gets lonely standing at the front by yourself.

In the words of Bill Lovejoy, "The basic fact about human existence is not that it is a tragedy, but that it is a bore. It is not so much a war as an endless standing in line."

Won't you join me?