Michael Keaton

Let's get this out of the way: I do not have a crush on Michael Keaton. Okay, maybe I do, but it's just a small crush.

Keaton is the ultimate actor. I would put him up against any of the big guns.

Let me show you what I mean.

(NOTE: I have nothing against the following actors. I just need to use some real names to prove my point.)

Russell Crowe - I loved Russell in The Insider. Not so much in Gladiator. Keaton could've pulled off both of those characters without a hitch. Russell, on the other hand, would probably have a problem doing Mr. Mom or Beetle Juice.

Tom Hanks - Tom rocks! He can do romantic comedy (Sleepless in Seattle), drama (Philadelphia), comedy (Big) and even adventure (The Da Vinci Code). Keaton does romantic comedy (Speechless), drama (Clean & Sober), comedy (The Dream Team) and even adventure (Batman). The one thing that Hanks lacks is the Bad Guy. Even when he is a 'bad guy' (You've Got Mail, The Ladykillers) he's charming and likeable.

Keaton, on the other hand, was just plain evil in Pacific Heights and Desperate Measures.

Kevin Spacey - I love Kevin. He can sing (Beyond the Sea). He can do drama (American Beauty). He can do comedy (The Ref). He can be the bad guy (Se7en).

I don't know if Spacey could've pulled off Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing like Keaton.

And while Keaton hasn't done any roles singing, I know he can. (One of his first roles was on Mary Tyler Moore's variety show with David Letterman. Dave will show clips from it everytime Keaton comes on his show.)

My point is, this is a guy that won the National Society of Film Critics Awards in 1989 for both Beetle Juice and Clean & Sober.

Now that's a range.

Other Reasons He Belongs in the Hall of Fame:


He was Batman!
He's a Steelers fan!
He has kissed Kim Basinger, Nicole Kidman and Michelle Pfeiffer!
He was on the Simpsons.



Reasons He Should Be Excluded:
Herbie: Fully Loaded (One of the only Keaton films I haven't seen)

Bond...James Bond

James Bond was first introduced to the world in Ian Fleming's 1952 novel, Casino Royale.

Since then, other authors have taken over the Bond universe and there have been a total of 20 movies released featuring Mr. Bond.

(NOTE: This post is about James Bond, not about the actors that played James Bond. We all know that Connery was the best, so let's leave it at that.)

Bond had it all.

Cars

• Aston Martin DB5
• 1937 Rolls Royce III
• Sunbeam Alpine
• Lotus Esprit
• 1962 Rolls Royce
• Aston Martin V8
• Ferrari Spider 355
• BMW Z3 Roadster
• BMW Z8
• Aston Martin V12 Vanquish
• Jaguar XKR
  

Gadgets & Weapons

• Grappling Hook Guns
• Homing Devices
• Seagull Snorkel Suit (which kept his tuxedo completely dry)
• Fake Fingerprints
• Walther PPK 7.65mm
• Wrist Dart Gun
• Cigarette Case Safe Cracker
• Mini Camera
• Electronic Shaver Bug Detector and Recorder
• Polarising Sunglasses
  

Women

• Ursula Andress
• Honor Blackman
• Diana Rigg
• Shirley Eaton
• Jill St. John
• Catherine Schell
• Lana Wood
• Jane Seymour
• Britt Ekland
• Barbara Bach
• Tanya Roberts
• Michelle Yeoh
• Teri Hatcher
• Denise Richards
• Sophie Marceau
• Famke Janssen
• Maud Adams
• Kim Basinger
• Barbara Carrera

Yep, Bond is the man!

Welcome to the Hall of Fame. How would you like your martini?

Homer Simpson

I was looking at the past inductees of the Hall of Fame and I was shocked that Homer wasn't in there yet. I mean, after all, I do take in consideration any person that has been on "The Simpsons," so it would only make sense to put the ultimate Simpson on the list.

As you probably all know, I don't watch a lot of TV. My TV watching is limited to Steelers football games and reruns of "Seinfeld" and "The Simpsons".

The reason I watch "The Simpsons" is because of Homer. Sure, there are other characters that I enjoy, but Homer is the reason I ever became a fan of the show. It was a nice change from the usual TV father that we saw in the 80's. Not saying that I have modeled my life after him, but it was nice to see a different dad that drank beer, belched, ate donuts, skipped work, spent his evenings at Moe's and tried to kill his boss.

A few of his accomplishments:

1. He was an astronaut.
2. His band, the B Sharps, won a Grammy.
3. He toured with Smashing Pumpkins, Cypress Hill & Peter Frampton.

Homer is also the ultimate soundbite. There are many websites dedicated to Homer Simpson quotes, but here are a few of my favorites:

• Heh Heh Heh! Lisa! Vampires are make believe, just like elves and gremlins and eskimos!
• Bart, you're saying butt-kisser like it's a bad thing!
• Oh Lisa! You and your stories! Bart is a vampire! Beer kills brain-cells! Now lets go back to that...building...thingy... where our beds and TV...is.
• I think Smithers picked me because of my motivational skills. Everyone says they have to work a lot harder when I’m around.
• Be quiet, Brain, or I'll stab you with a Q-tip
• Kill my boss?!? Do I dare live out the american dream?
• Mmmm...Sacrelicious!
• If he is so smart, how come he is dead?
• If something goes wrong at the plant, blame the guy who can't speak English.

Welcome to the Hall of Fame, Homer.

Penn & Teller

In a career where people take themselves too seriously (David Copperfield, anyone?) it's good to see that some guys use a little comedy in their magic.

I am, of course, talking about Penn & Teller.

These are the guys that went of the Letterman show, and, after being mocked for doing a "rabbit in the hat" trick, poured hundreds of cockroaches onto Letterman's desk.

These are the guys that will be the first to tell you that magic is a scam. They will even show you how tricks are done. (I saw them on one of the morning shows do the "ball under the cup" trick and then they did it in slow motion, to show how it was done.)

These are the guys that were picked by Disney to introduce "The Sorceror's Apprentice" on Fantasia 2000.

These are the guys, that describe their show in Vegas as, "an edgy mix of comedy and magic involving knives, guns, fire, a gorilla and a showgirl."

How could you not like that?

Oh yeah, and they were in an episode of The Simpsons.

Yep, these guys definitely deserve Hall of Fame status.