Straight To The "Point Break"

Movie Review....We'll do it live. Not so much a movie review, but a commentary.

A friend that usually likes to remain in a dark office and discrete to the public eye told me the other day that one of the greatest action movies of all time is the 1991 Keanu Reeves/Patrick Swayze gem, "Point Break."

Hey...any movie that comes in a "Pure Adrenaline Edition" is worth a shot, and Colin (that's my friend) is a smart individual (especially for choosing me as a friend).

I figured it was destiny because after wrapping up Bruce Almighty...what's next on HBO? POINT BREAK. Merely days after the conversation about it...


All I know about this movie going into it is that there are explosions, bank robbers, Swayze, Reeves and beach. It also has to do with the FBI.

Ok, popcorn is ready.

Start of movie.

The waves off the top...remind me of Baywatch. Now all it needs is Pamela Anderson running on the beach, then inevitably David Hasselhoff will show up. 

A mix of identities...Keanu reeves shooting high powered guns at targets as the scene cuts back to the ocean and surfers shredding. Loud noises always effective. It was a shooting test. Reeves passed. They call him Johnny Utah. He's a special agent for the FBI.

Utah's boss is the dude from scrubs...John McGinley. He's a bit of a tough guy but Utah doesn't seem worried. 

Gary Busey (Pappas) is also in this movie. (He seems like the yoda to Utah...remember...Utah is Reeves).

Bank robbery. A bunch of bank robbers dressed with the faces of ex-presidents. Interestingly enough, they call themselves the "ex-presidents." Polite and forceful they are in and out of the bank in 90 seconds. 27 banks in three years. 

Intimate yelling match between Utah and Pappas. Much like a mean athletic coach, but of course there's a message behind it. Utah refocuses Pappas who was acting old and burnt out of the crime game.

Pappas explains that the "ex-presidents" are surfers based on tan lines from security footage at the bank robbery. That's a new one, but not a lot of robbers moon the camera. 

Utah has to learn how to surf to get in with the "ex-presidents." As someone that has tried to surf, it's not the easiest hobby to pick up right away. Utah wipes out, almost drowns but a surfer chick saves him. Easy plot line for the beginning of a love interest. She acts like she doesn't like him, and he spies on her with binoculars as she changes out of her suit (TOWEL TRICK) in public. He finds out where she works and then demands she teaches him how to surf.

I don't think it usually works in a guys favor to creep out and get a girls information just to randomly show up, and fabricate a story to get her to like him, but hey...maybe lies off a top are a good foundation to start with. Oh, her name is Tyler. 

Of course, Utah learns how to surf the first day out. Amazing how quickly that worked. There's a lot of water splashing between the two. I'm pretty sure they're crushing on each other. 

Before you know it, there's a pickup football game on the beach. Patrick Swayze has been introduced as the "Searcher." He goes by Bohdi. 

Utah was a standout college quarterback. The surfers know that, but at least they don't know he's with the FBI. Now I know why Reeves did so well in "The Replacements."

Utah gets in the wrong waters. The locals get mad he's surfing in there and start fighting him. Bohdi shows up out of nowhere to save Utah from the beat down. Amazing how the timing and location always work out in the favor of the main characters but a pretty good fight scene overall. 

After a party...Bohdi says "Stealth Mission." Night surfing...a challenge for a seasoned surfer, impossible for a new surfer who can't even surf during the day. 

Quote of the movie so far, "I'm F#$#@#& surfing!"-Utah

He rode a wave, and I think he's becoming more accepted by the group.  Then Utah and Tyler spend the night on the beach and he's extremely late for his own raid of a house the next day. Play over work? that's not going to make your bosses happy. 

There was just a crazy gun fight. I couldn't type during it. Too much going on. It included the tough guys at the beach vs FBI. Lots of great action, even actually included a naked woman fighting the guys off, and stabbing one of the agents repeatedly in the back. Then Utah almost gets his face pushed into a lawn mower that's of course in the right place at the right time, but Pappas shoots it...and that turns it off. Again...amazing. Turns out the raid targets were already being monitored for drug activity. Well that just stinks doesn't it. 

Then that's followed up by an epic car chase! The "ex-presidents" rob a bank but Utah and Pappas are right on their tail the entire time. Racing through the streets, before crashing. Pappas and Utah catch up as one of the ex-presidents is trying to torch the getaway car. That then turns into a foot chase that ends when Utah jumps and lands awkwardly on his knee. The same knee he blew out in college playing football. The suspect gets away. Pappas thinks Utah is getting too close to the surfer group. This is all a possibility but who's to say that's the case right now. 

Now it comes out that Bohdi and his friends are the bank robbers. Bohdi isn't worried but they know that Utah is an FBI agent. They keep saying the human spirit is still alive and Bohdi is trying to keep his guys together, preventing them from falling apart. I don't think that they would be so calm knowing that an FBI agent is on to them but at the same time, they were wearing masks and maybe Utah doesn't know it was their group of surfers robbing banks. 

Bohdi continues to play it cool, picks up Utah, and they head...into the air. This movie is all over the place and is hard to keep up with but at least its filled with action. 

Then they skydive. This I can speak to. It is a total rush and a ton of fun. Going 120 mph straight down is a bit of a rush in slow motion, but the free fall is only for a minute from 14,000 feet(ish) and these guys were free falling for about 5 minutes in the movie. Johnny Utah is a pro a maneuvering himself, hard to believe someone could be thrown into this act and do so well. 

Ahhh the ransom video of sorts. Bohdi shows Tyler kidnapped and in danger to Utah. Now Utah is forced to work with Bohdi and rob a bank with them. This is an incredibly tough spot for an FBI agent to be in. He's outed, and he has to help them rob a bank because someone he cares about is in danger. 

Bodhi gets greedy and decides to hit the vault. That's never the go to move. it ends up a massive failure.  3 people die, and Utah ends up in cuffs. Bohdi is at the airport ready to leave with the money but Utah needs to know where Tyler is before the guy holding her hostage kills her. 

There's another shootout on the tarmac. Pappas is killed along with another one of the ex-presidents. Johnny Utah is off the ground with Bohdi. Utah is too quiet right now, just watching their moves. 

Alright things just got real. Utah jumped out of the plane without a parachute, around 10 seconds after Bohdi jumped out. He catches up to him midair, grabs on and they pull the chute with about 5 seconds to earth impact. Hard landing but crazily they survive and walk away from it. 

Tyler is released, runs to Johnny. They're together safe then the movie cuts to Australia. Bohdi had mentioned a 50 year storm and wanting to surf it. Utah confronts Bohdi. Then they wrestle on the beach. then Bohdi talks Utah into riding the big wave. He presumably dies from wiping out, while Utah walks away and so cooly keanu reeves like throws his badge into the water. 

End Movie.

Summing it all up in few words. The action was incredible. I give it 9/10 on a "Hang 10" scale. The only subtraction is for the corniness of subject matter/jokes at times. All in all, Utah and Bohdi had a mutual respect for each other, and in any other situation FBI/Bank Robber, they would have been the best of friends. Bohdi lived his life to ride that wave, he got to...Utah wanted to catch him. He did, and was at peace with the ending.

Finding Pride Through Pain

Today was an interesting day...seconds, minutes, hours like any other...but really it was ONE phone call and ONE question that has stuck with me.

As news anchors/reporters, sometimes we might be viewed as emotionless because in all honesty, someone's worst day is usually a news station's best day. It offers a chance to compete with the other stations. Who will have the best video? Where will they find most compelling interview? What is the story within the story? As far as emotionless? You couldn't be further from the truth.

Last night, the Rockford area lost three amazing individuals in a helicopter crash. All were members of the Rockford Memorial Hospital REACT team. People that devoted their lives to helping others, saving the lives of complete strangers.

What is better than people that genuinely value a human life?

They were dispatched to Mendota to pick up a patient. They never made it. Exact details on why the helicopter went down still aren't clear.

Honoring the Victims (Left to Right, Bios Courtesy of Rockford Health System)

Flight Nurse Jim Dillow, R.N., 40, joined Rockford Memorial Hospital in 1996. He was an experienced critical care nurse and emergency room nurse and had more than 10 years of experience as a flight nurse.

Flight Nurse Karen Hollis, R.N., 48, began her career at Rockford Memorial Hospital in 1986 and worked as a critical care nurse. She held leadership positions as a Clinical Resource Coordinator and a Trauma Nurse Coordinator and had more than 10 years of experience as a flight nurse.

Pilot Andy Olesen, 65, was employed by Air Methods, our contracted provider of aircraft services. Andy was an experienced pilot when he began flying for Air Methods in 1994 and had been a pilot for REACT for about five years.

With details still so new and information coming in by the second, I answered a phone call after the morning show around 7:15 am. The man on the other side of the line simply said...

"What was the name of the pilot in that helicopter that crashed?"

I paused before answering because it was at that point that I realized I would either make his day, or ruin it in a big way. Would he know the person? Or be thankful it wasn't someone he knew?

Like my colleagues and friends in television, we read stories about death, murder, and rape almost everyday. We relay facts to a camera, that go out to an audience. The camera is the layer between a news anchor and reality for someone potentially watching. I realize it's what I signed up to do. I love what I do. I guess it's the sad/painful stories that make telling the good, happy ones, that much sweeter. 

Back to the phone call and the question. I told the man, "Andy Olesen." He repeated the name, said thank you and hung up. I'll never know if he knew him or not. 

I just hope the families and friends of the victims can somehow find peace.  

Calling All Crazies

At the TV station, you never know who is going to call. Fine, that's like many other jobs as well. Quite often, individuals will call with the "most important" story EVER, and tell us it's our responsibility to drop everything we are doing to fix it. Oh mighty journalistic angels we are. 

I was going to write about the person that called today concerning a political race, and how they believed one candidate was being a hypocrite (in politics?? no.....). The focus of his call beyond that was about abortion. It was all over the place, and I'm not going to say any more about it because with the election coming up (that particular race), I don't want to get into the reasoning behind this guys thoughts or lack thereof.  

Instead, I would like to share a transcript of another phone call I took over the summer...with my commentary added. 

June 5, 2012

8:32 am

*Phone Rings*

Ben: Newsroom...(The unlucky only person there that has to answer the phone)

Caller: Hi...um...*crying* I need to talk to someone...

Ben: Ok, who are you looking for?

Caller: You're not going to believe me, but you might know him or see him at the station. (Just fire away)

Ben: Yeah, maybe...who?

Caller: I should tell you a story first because then you'll understand. (I'm banking on no I won't)

Ben: Sounds good. 

Caller: I was drugged 33 years ago, and *sobbing* you'll never guess who saved my life. (I'm guessing you'll tell me)

Ben: Do tell.

Caller: Steven Tyler from Aerosmith. (Didn't see that coming)

Ben: Steven Tyler huh?

Caller: Yeah and I need to thank him. He was like a glowing angel sitting next to me. (Gonna just go ahead and say they were crying the whole time)

Ben: Uh, I don't know him or see him around. (Ahhh how the drugs make sense)

Caller: Well you have FOX at your station and American Idol is on it. (That explains it)

Ben: That isn't taped here.

Caller: It's not? But I need to talk to him, and see him. (The persistence is commendable). 

Ben: Well, we don't have access to Steven Tyler

Caller: Don't you have a computer near you? (I'm not seeing where this is going)

Ben: No (I can't take it anymore)

Caller: I'm not on drugs, I swear (I'm going to kindly disagree)

Ben: Ok, I'll call Steven and tell him you say thank you. What is your name?

Caller: I can't tell you (That makes it hard to leave a fake message)

Ben: I don't think I can help you

Caller: Tell him I love him (not a chance)

Disclaimer: I was not being insensitive, there's only so much crazy anyone can handle.

Stealing Benji Wilson

Murder.

For some people murder is a very real part of their everyday lives. Whether they aren't afraid to commit it, trying to avoid it, or not be impacted by it. 

Murder is what ended the life of Simeon basketball star Benji Wilson. 

ESPN debuted their "30 for 30: Benji" documentary, and it tells the complete story of an incomplete life lived. 

Wilson wasn't a clear cut superstar early on in his high school career. He had to earn his way onto the varsity team, only after his teammates told the coach to give him a chance. He grew to 6-8, and led the Wolverines to a state championship. Wilson became the #1 high school basketball recruit in the nation, the first from Chicago to accomplish that feat.

As you watch the documentary, you see how his story & life are developing. Growing up in Chicago, a hot bed for basketball talent, but also drugs & crime. Benji had people trying their hardest to protect him and dissuade him from becoming a part of the "streets." It's a lifestyle his older brother and friends had fallen into, but Wilson wasn't going to be like that. He even had neighbors like R. Kelly and the rapper, Common. 

More and more people are introduced, and the feel you get is that they want nothing more than to ride the coattails of Benji. Not just for the money or fame, but for a friend and brother to succeed. 

You can't help but wonder when something is going to go wrong. Gangs were spreading their influence into more and more Chicago neighborhoods. Guns were becoming more of a problem. It sounds like 2012, but it's 1984. 

Wilson fell in love, and had a son with his girlfriend when he was just 17 years old. Benji understood his decisions, but remained focused.

The details of Wilson's death are still unclear to this day. Depending on who you ask, the story might be different. Whether he bumped into fellow teens Billy Moore and Omar Dixon while walking on a sidewalk, or it was a botched robbery, the bottom line is Benji was shot twice in broad daylight. 

This is the most compelling part of the documentary for me. 

It's the middle of the school day, as Wilson is lying on the ground fighting for his life. It's like the entire city of Chicago heard the gunshots. Teammates, friends and family run to the scene. The media gets word about the shooting. An ambulance rushes Wilson to the nearest hospital, but there's no trauma doctors on-site, and surgery is delayed for more than 2 hours. He dies the next morning. 

EVERYTHING worked against Benji. He was the 669th murder victim in 1984. 

So far in 2012, Chicago has 426 murders, up from 341 at this time last year. 

Can you place a value on one human life? Is it just a case of showing, proving, sharing how much someone meant?

Ben Wilson was compared to the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Walter Payton. He was the hope of a neighborhood, a school, a city. 

Seeing how the media covered the death, and the funeral was interesting for me because people often think the cameras are intrusive and there's no place for them. I AGREE. At the same time though, they tell a story and they capture emotion. In this case it's the worst kind of emotion with thousands of people grieving, and walking past an open casket paying their final respects. On the other side of the emotion, it could be the soldier coming home, embracing his/her family.

Wilson is that everlasting positive emotion. His legacy kept alive by his accomplishments, but also by those who came after him. Derrick Rose was a back-to-back state champ at Simeon. Now there's Jabari Parker. He's the #1 high school basketball player in the nation, and 3-time state champ for the Wolverines.

The sad truth is that people can do extraordinary things, but we are our own worst enemy. We limit our potential through our negative actions.

 Benji Wilson deserved better. 

Running Through Temptation

Run 

Who knew three letters could be so much work.

Those that know me, know I don't like running at all. There are runners that talk about the feeling of a "Runner's High." I generally just dismiss those thoughts and assume they're crazy for wanting to push the body, mile after mile. 

I said I was going to go for a run today. I told my friends & told myself. My goal was 5 miles (just a random number), but a distance I had never run all at one time.  I ended up going 3.24 miles. Admittedly, I was exhausted, but I was also caught in a heavy downpour and I didn't feel like testing out the warranty on my phone that I had with me. 

Instead of going to a local path, I decided to test out terrain near my apartment. I learned a lot...

I found myself running around the outskirts of the CherryVale Mall. This is where temptation began to come in. I'm really not much of a shopper, so anything at the mall wasn't the issue. I'm trying to get back into shape. Experts/normal people say working the morning shift messes with your fat cells/metabolism etc. 

I've gained probably 20 pounds since moving to mornings at the end of January. TV is all about the way you look and yes the camera adds 10 pounds. I've started to be more mindful of what I'm eating, and I'm trying to add more and more physical activity. 

Weight is something a lot of people struggle with, but it doesn't have to be what dictates how we feel about ourselves. 

As I got into mile number 2, one of my favorite restaurants, a staple of my childhood...Taco Bell.

There were more to follow...DQ Grill & Chill, Sonic, Burger King and Arby's. It's amazing how easy it is to get a meal that would be incredibly rewarding, yet completely unhealthy. I WILL eat at some of these places and easily will skip out on healthy alternatives, but I think that's part of keeping my sanity going forward. 

In running by Magic Waters, perhaps that can be motivation as well to get in shape for next summer. It's a process, but at least I've begun. 

Finally, something that clicked the most in my quest to eliminate unhealthy temptation. A pop-up Halloween store. Indeed, I still need to get a costume. That's not really what its about though. I realized that for a few nights a year we can hide who we really are. (yes, I know...totally cliche but hear me out).

It could be the weight we struggle with, or maybe our self image and the way we think others perceive us. They're personal battles, but they're things that need to be embraced. You can't really tell people how to live their lives, merely can make recommendations or give advice when they ask you to. 

Don't put on a mask. Be exactly who YOU want to be. 

Who knew a short run could give me so much clarity?   

Big House A Big Deal

When it came to college football as I was growing up there was a clear message,

"Don't cheer for MICHIGAN."

It wasn't something that was being forced on me, just merely the way it was. When I was probably around 5 or 6 years old, I took a tour of Notre Dame's campus. It wasn't a recruiting trip (Brian Kelly wasn't there and violations were unheard of). I left there thinking the golden helmets were so neat. My dad bought me a Fighting Irish basketball and warmup jersey. I was set on becoming an Irish fan.

Another team that adopted my fandom was "The Ohio State University," via my adoptive second family the Travis'. Mrs. Travis is a proud alum and we would all watch games in the family room growing up. My first memory is watching Eddie George during the 1995 season, as he rushed for nearly 2,000 yards and 24 touchdowns. I haven't seen a game in "The Shoe" but I plan on it someday.

I realize I'm breaking a lot of rules here when it comes to cheering for certain teams but this week I had the opportunity to visit Michigan Stadium for a "Football Saturday." I've watched countless games on TV, and even attended "The Big Chill" back in 2010 between Michigan/MSU. More than 100,000 people in a stadium for a hockey game?? Unheard of!

Yes, my girlfriend Laurel went to Michigan. She is a proud alum, as she should be. Her fondest memories of college are going to class (no joke) and "Football Saturday." As I mentioned, liking anything that has to do with Michigan is against a lot of what I know, but I also appreciate a passion for sports and a dedicated fan base. 

"If you build it, he will come."

-Field Of Dreams (1989)

On Saturday, the Wolverines celebrated their homecoming against Illinois. As I walked through Michigan's campus, Maize and Blue littered the streets, college kids were playing flippy cup on the lawns (parents alongside). It had the feel of nearly every other college campus I've been on with a home football game. As I continued to walk with Laurel and a handful of her friends, the crowds kept growing, so did the amount of Maize and Blue. We eventually got to the golf course known for the tailgating. At $40 dollars a car, it's a real money maker. Vehicles were strategically setup between the fairways, with thousands of people disregarding the rain.

Thanks to family friends (The Witt's), we tailgated with the finest. Their friend Ernie makes sure everyone is included and fed. A spread of hot dogs, burgers, tacos, chili, ribs, cake, candy, and of course beverages welcomed everyone, even the adopted Wolverines. 

GAME TIME.

After more walking, we reached the stadium. I was hit with tradition instantly. Decked out in my Michigan gear, I felt like I was included in the rich history of Michigan football. They have 72 All-Americans, 3 Heisman trophy winners and 11 national championships. 

When you enter the bleachers, there are dozens and dozens of rows. We sat in the 8th row. Up close to the action, but just a few people out of the more than 110,000 that showed up to support the team. When you get that many people yelling for a similar cause, the atmosphere is electric. That moment, that first touchdown Michigan scored defines college sports and it's following. You can replace the Michigan logo with any other school, pick your favorite. The idea is that we all cheer for something/someone, but in this case to be a part of this particular school and fan base was rewarding. As a graduate of Northern Illinois University, I sat through too many games of 11,000 people watching on. A lot of the time, it was a better team (record wise) than Michigan has had in the last 5 years, with the exception of Michigan's Sugar Bowl win last year. Sometimes the devotion overrides success. It's an understanding that hopefully better days are ahead. 

The Wolverines won their 899th football game, taking down the Illini 45-0. 

Ultimately, I won. As a sports fan, and for choosing the right girl to date to introduce me to such an epic experience. So, going back to growing up with a certain mentality about something? 

Give EVERYTHING a chance. It's worth a try. 

Canal Jumping. Something I will do.

Canal Jumping. 

This has been the topic of conversation with family and close friends of mine over the last few days. It's apparently quite popular in Amsterdam, probably second to visiting the red light district. When I was in Amsterdam in 2008, mi amigos (that's not what they call them there) didn't explore beyond the city limits. We walked for miles to find a windmill. Hold on, as I type, I'm learning that I have so much more I could tell you about, not just concerning Amsterdam. There is awesome history there, art as well, Heineken flows from the brewery. There was the night of watching the Superbowl, and trying to keep the bar open because it didn't start until two in the morning overseas. 

I digress. 

Canal jumping is something I wish I experienced. ESPN's camera crews traveled and followed the plight of Kenny Mayne, solid situational journalist. an entertainer, comedian. Mayne, was hoping to witness a record of a well known CJ (canal jumper/jumping, situational abbreviation).

The idea is that you run forward, hang on, climb up the pole, while shifting your weight and the pole over the canal...hopefully 10 to 20 meters landing in the grass/sand on the other side. 

Why this is intriguing to me is because of the oddity. Traditional in Amsterdam, mysterious to Americans. I find it amazing that we could stop and think about something that's been done for decades, possibly centuries. In the next year, I will canal jump, its been added to my bucket list. Who's coming with? (To Amsterdam...or a local creek that will pose as a canal) 

Oh, and as my friend Billy Travis pointed out...If you do well you get to kiss the mayor there...You're a champion and she gives you that reward. 

Here's to friendly skies.