It’s hard to believe that it was over six years ago that I and some ex-TV-Squaders started CliqueClack. We had some pretty high hopes at the time, that we could go out on our own and show AOL what it really meant to be writer-fans of television. It was an incredibly ambitious goal that we never came close to, but we quickly learned that that didn’t matter to us. What did matter was that we had an outlet to write what we wanted, when we wanted, for people who continued to engage in discussion with us.

It’s pained me all these years to never have earned enough with ads and Amazon referrals to pay our writers regularly. We’ve certainly lost some great folks because of it, and I don’t blame them at all. Some have gone on to continue writing for paying gigs, full-time, and that’s been awesome. With the declining frequency of posts comes declining traffic, which results in declining ad revenue … you get the picture. Maybe that’s a bit TMI, but I thought being up-front about where we were at was something I owed you.

This will likely be the final post here at CliqueClack, but there is a silver lining.

For quite some time now, Chuck Duncan and Ivey West had been heading up editing duties for the site. Chuck, I know, very much wants to continue writing. I didn’t want to simply hand over CliqueClack to someone else, though, partly because I’m just not ready to give it away and, primarily, I thought it made more sense to let Chuck have something that was truly his own. That’s just what he’s done.

Friday, April 3, Chuck launches his own site, Hotchka.com, to continue where CliqueClack left off. You’ll see some new and familiar faces there, writing about movies, TV, pop culture, and anything else Chuck might want to throw into the mix. He and his partner, Carl, have already done a fantastic job putting the site together, and I think you’re really going to dig it.

• Check out the site at www.hotchka.com.
• Follow them on Twitter @hotchka
• Facebook
• Google+
• Tumblr
• YouTube

As for CliqueClack, my plan is to keep all of our 11,000+ posts around for as long as I’m possibly able, even if they are thrown in straight HTML and image files in a searchable archive somewhere. I think it’s criminal when sites decide to completely wipe away all traces of past content when they shutter, and dammit I’m going to do my best to make sure that never happens here.

Thank you so much to the writers and, of course, to all of you readers who’ve stuck with us all these years.

Not too long ago, Warner Brothers Animation teamed up the classic Scooby-Doo characters with animated versions of WWE stars in Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery. The pairing must have been successful as the two entertainment giants have joined forces once again, but this time taking a step or two — or 65 million — back in time to meet that modern Stone Age family, The Flintstones.

I grew up watching The Flintstones and I always enjoyed the shows with current stars appearing in Stone Age form like Ann-Margrock and Stoney Curtis. Other celebs, who probably didn’t actually voice their cartoon characters, included Cary Granite, Ed Sulleystone, Rock Hudstone and Perry Masonry. Through many revivals over the years and two live action feature films, the Flintstones and their friends the Rubbles, have encountered many prehistoric versions of modern celebrities. And they’ve done it again with the new home video release The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age Smackdown.

The new story finds Fred promising to take Wilma and Pebbles on vacation, but as usual, his vacation fund is lacking. Another screw up at his job at the quarry costs him a paycheck, so the only thing he can do is tell Wilma the trip is off. But he knows it’s easier to tame a sabre-tooth tiger than tangle with Wilma. At a Water Buffalo Lodge fair, Barney sells chances for anyone to get into the ring with his pet Hoppy but a belligerent customer berates Hoppy so much that Barney steps in to save the day. He wins the match and Fred hatches an idea: create a sports entertainment event with Barney facing off against a group of people they hire and rake in the clams. Literally, since people pay with clam shells in Bedrock.

The event draws a huge crowd to see Barney face off against John Cenastone, Ray Mysteriopal, and The Undertaker, but Barney’s nemesis CM Punkrock returns for a rematch. When Wilma and Betty discover what’s happening and Barney refuses to get into another match, Fred’s fame and fortune looks like its about to go out the window along with his vacation plans. Will CM Punkrock prevail or get his comeuppance?

The new Flinstones & WWE video has all the trappings of the usual Flintstones TV episode including all of the “modern” Stone Age gadgets, like an automatic garage door opener, and businesses (Stonebucks Coffee and Marshale’s). The video also runs under 60 minutes, playing like a two-part episode of the TV show rather than a feature film. The animation is clean and fluid and pays homage to the original enough to please long-time fans but is still modern enough for a new generation, and the Blu-ray presents it all in sharp 1080p video with some of the brightest, most vivid colors you’ve ever seen. The audio is a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that also delivers as you would expect from a Warner Brothers title.

The Blu-ray also contains a collection of special features including:

• The Superstars of Fred Flintstone Entertainment (9:46) — Director and WWE stars talk about the story and how their real life characters were incorporated into a Flintstones story.
• How To Be a Stone Age Superstar (4:45) — Director Tony Cervone and the WWE stars explain how to create a character’s personality.
• “The Engagement Ring” (26:22) — Original sports themed The Flintstones episode.
• “Take Me Out To the Ball Game” (26:05) — Original sports themed The Flintstones episode.
• Trailers for Scooby-Doo: Wrestlemania Mystery, LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu, Scooby-Doo: Moon Monster Madness

The one glaring omission on the bonus material featuring the WWE stars is CM Punk, who quit (or was fired from) the WWE last year. It’s a shame he wasn’t able to participate since he is such an integral character to the plot. That aside, longtime fans of The Flintstones should enjoy this new production chiefly because the actor doing Fred’s voice, Jeff Bergman, is one of the most accurate to the original that I’ve ever heard. The others are close enough, but Bergman really nails it. Other WWE stars lending their voices to the video include Mark Henry (Marble Henry), Daniel Bryan (Daniel Bry-rock), Brie and Nikki Bella (The Boulder Twins) and Mr. McMahon (Mr. McMagma). If you want to relive your childhood, or introduce your own children to The Flintstones, pick up The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age Smackdown, sit back and, as the theme song says, “you’ll have a gay old time.”

The Blu-ray/DVD/Digital HD Combo package was provided to CliqueClack by Warner Brothers Home Entertainment for the purpose of review.

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The following is a Guest Review written by Monique Mercer.

Mr. Wesley E. Smith, Executive producer of Forgotten Four, started his journey making this movie about four magnificent men when he met Bill Willis about 8 years ago. He was quite fascinated by all the stories. So was I.

Forgotten Four is about four young men who broke the color barrier in pro football: Marion Motley, Woody Strode, Bill Willis, and Kenny Washington. The movie chronicled the humble beginnings of each man and how they fit into the evolution of pro football. During the 1920’s football was integrated. In 1921 Black players Fitz Pollard and Bobby Marshall played in the National Football League. After the Great Depression football was closed off to Blacks.

In 1933 George Preston Marshall held an owner’s meeting and demanded that Blacks not be allowed to play pro football. Blacks were not allowed to play in the NFL again until 1946 when the Cleveland Browns signed Marion Motley and Bill Willis. Later that year the LA Rams owner was pressured in to signing Woody Strode and Kenny Washington.

On the East Coast Paul Brown was a strict but fair coach, then owner. He knew the formula to win. He required all his players to work as a team on and off the field. This was an advantage for Marion Motley and Bill Willis for their team mates stood up for them when other teams would hurt or attack them. On the other hand Woody Strode and Kenny Washington were not so lucky. Dan Reeves the owner of their team, the LA Rams, hated Blacks. He was pressured into signing the two men in order to have a place for his team to play at the Los Angeles Coliseum. These two men had to defend themselves not only against other teams and fans but their own team members as well. They were kicked, punched, and hit before and after plays and even their hands were stepped on when they were on the ground.

All four players were exceptional at the top of their game so what events made two of these men succeed in their sport and two men get lost in the shuffle of history? At a special screening of the film, an esteemed panel answered this and many other questions. The panel consisted of social activist Jeffrey Johnson, Executive Director of White House Initiatives David Johns, IMPACT co-founder Joe Briggs, Executive Producer Wesley E. Smith, and Sports Business Journal media reporter John Ourand.

While attending the screening I got to ask a question of the panel: Do you think Paul Brown’s support of his players assisted in getting them into the Hall of Fame? All the panelists collectively said yes! Because of Paul Brown’s support, both Motley and Willis went on to be inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968 and 1977. The audience was asked to ponder the question why Woody Strode and Kenny Washington were not inducted.

I grew up in Cleveland and was personally touched by the doors these men opened. It was nice to go to a game and see so many black faces like me. My father, Harry L. Stiggers, was a doctor and often times when Black players got injured or sick they needed to see a Black doctor. My father was one of those doctors. I met many of the players for the Cleveland Browns and The Cleveland Indians. Many became personal family friends that came to our house often mostly for my mother’s good cooking.

What I liked about the movie was how it humanized the four men. Family members, friends, players and news commentators spoke on their genuine love of the game and each man’s character. They were hard working loving fathers, supportive team mates, good friends and elite athletes. These men were ordinary people who carried the weight of their race on their shoulders. These four men had what it takes to be the best at what they did. They will go down in history for what they did but they will remembered for what they did stood for. Fortitude, perseverance and their humanity helped open the doors for the ones to follow.

What happened to these men after their football careers were over?

• Marion Motley became a whiskey salesman, a lottery worker, a postal worker, and also worked for the Ohio Department of Youth Services.
• Bill Willis enjoyed working with children and took a position as an assistant Recreation Commissioner in Cleveland than he became Chairman of the Ohio Youth Commission.
• Kenny Washington became a police officer for the City of Los Angeles, he was also a contestant in a popular TV show You Bet Your Life.
• Woody Strode became an actor. Woody Strode had roles in many famous movies: Spartacus, Once Upon A Time In The West, The Professional, The Quick and The Dead and many others. He was also a wine maker. What I found fascinating about this man is that he married a Hawaiian Princess and was treated like royalty in Europe but he continued to make his home in Los Angeles.

I would have liked to see more personal information about the men. I was left with many questions. I was now curious and could not wait to race home and find out more about them. But I was still left to wonder if anyone is pushing for the induction of Strode and Washington in to the Hall of Fame.

Forgotten Four is now airing on EPIX and EPIX On Demand.

Waiting for Lightning is the inspirational story of visionary skateboarder Danny Way. The film follows the journey of a young boy from a broken home in Vista, CA, whose passion for skateboarding would one day bring him fame and a lifetime of accomplishments. Way’s drive has no limits as exemplified by his creation captured on screen, a ramp of prodigious and dangerous proportions, across many cultural and ideological boundaries to attempt the impossible: jump China’s Great Wall on a skateboard. It’s a film about how much abuse the body can sustain, how deep you have to dig to survive the challenges life presents, and how high and far dreams can fly. Danny Way has not only proven himself to be an incredibly talented skateboarder but also the sport’s greatest innovator. In his quest for greatness, Way continues to shape the very sport which helped save his own life.

Waiting for Lightning is currently playing in select theaters across the country, but it is available on iTunes as well and we’d like to give you the opportunity to watch the film for free! Our friends at Warner Home Video want to share Waiting for Lightning on iTunes with CliqueClack readers. Now through January 1, 2013, simply leave a comment on this post telling us if you’re a fan of Danny’s or just want to see the movie, and we will pick three comments at random on January 2. The winners will receive a $15.00 gift card good for a rental of Waiting for Lightning … or anything else on iTunes (there are no restrictions on the gift card). Good luck and happy holidays from CliqueClack!

**This offer is now closed. Winners will be notified by email. Thanks for commenting, and check back for more giveaways!**

What’s the deal? Why did I find myself getting more and more teary-eyed as the Vin Scully report on CBS Sunday Morning progressed?

Maybe it’s because I’ve been doing one thing consistently for a good part of my life — relentlessly attending Dodger games at Chavez Ravine. As a kid and a teenager and an adult, I’ve attended literally hundreds of games. In the beginning, it was a few here and there with my father. Later, I accompanied a friend’s mother to games several times a week … driving with her, meeting her at the Ravine, sitting with her and cheering with her at every hit and strikeout. It must have been a strange scene now that I think about it: Some young upstart attending game after game after game with my “other mom,” the two of us yelling our heads off and, quite often, leaving the game horse and unable to speak.

Of course, during every moment of every game I’ve ever been witness to Vin Scully has been there calling the plays, dissecting them, providing off-the-cuff commentary, enriching my enjoyment of the sport. With Vin behind the mike, there’s never a dull moment.

I was at a restaurant on a Saturday night with televisions blaring all around and found myself forever leaving my dinner to watch Game #1 of the Dodgers / Athletics World Series contest unfolded. Everyone in the place was glued to the sets while Vinny called Kirk Gibson’s walk to the plate and the resulting game-winning home run which ignited the eventual Dodger victory of 1988. And watching the Dodgers on television at home is no different. Vinny is there as well. If he’s not announcing because it’s a game of the week on another channel and not a local broadcast, my TV volume gets muted and the radio comes on. Many think I’m crazy to do this, but that’s not it at all. I’m just that obsessive about who I hear talking game when the Dodgers are playing.

It’s an appreciation and a right of the season and a need, all rolled into one. It’s the taste of summer: Baseball and play by play from Vin. There are very few announcers, past or present, who are baseball institutions. Harry Caray. Bob Uecker. Red Barber. But Vin Scully? He’s not only an institution, he’s one of a kind, a baseball legend. And one who will continue, at least for one more season as the voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lucky us.

And those tears? Guess they’re a little bit of a love affair going on inside me.

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