We Are Stars!

I’m sure you’ve heard the USA For Africa charity song from the ’80s that raised money for starving children in Africa called “We Are The Children”.

I know that song was popular but, honestly, I never liked it.

You may not be aware of a much better charity song for African children that was recorded 28 years ago today by some of the biggest names in 80s heavy metal.

On 1985 May 20th, members of Dio, Judas Priest, W.A.S.P., Twisted Sister, Dokken, Queensryche, Quiet Riot, Rough Cutt, Motley Crue, and more got together and called themselves Hear ‘N Aid to record the song “(We Are) Stars “!

“(We Are) Stars“, twenty-eight years old today, is the heavy metal answer to We Are The World.
And it’s much better!

Check it out:

Back To The Future 25th anniversary

In the summer of 1985 one of the greatest movies made was released.
“Back To The Future” hit the theaters when I was fifteen years old…close to the age of the lead character in the movie played by Michael J. Fox.

I’m of the generation of the ’80s (often called “Generation X”), so watching a movie about a teenager of the ’80s* going back thirty years (from 1985) to 1955 and experiencing a type of “culture shock” was fun to watch…at least pulled off by the excellent actors Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Crispin Glover it was.

(*Actually Michael J. Fox is nine years older than me. He wasn’t a teenager in 1985…but twenty-four years old.)

Anyways, it’s hard to believe that the first “Back To The Future” movie is already twenty-five years old!
They could make a remake of “Back To The Future” about a kid of today’s generation going back to 1985 and it could probably have just as many “generation gap” gags.

To celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of “Back To The Future“, Universal Studios is releasing the entire “Back To The Future” trilogy together in one-set on high-definition Blu-Ray discs on 2010 October 26.
This new set will contain over two hours of bonus material including sixteen deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes footage and “Tales from the Future,” a new six-part retrospective documentary.

Here’s the ad for the upcoming “Back To The Future” 25th anniversary re-release on Blu-Ray:

Compare that to the original 1985 trailer for “Back To The Future“:

And it seems that the “Scream Awards” (which recognizes the best horror, sci-fi and fantasy movies) honored the 25th anniversary of “Back To The Future” a few days ago with a reunion of the cast.
Here’s an ad for it:

Mario is 25 today

I saw a commercial on TV today that said Mario, the main character in the Nintendo “Super Mario Bros.” video games, turned 25 today.

So I guess “Mario” turned five years old when I first came to Japan twenty years ago. That really makes it seem like I’ve been living in Japan for a long time!

I’ve never been very interested in video games. When I was a kid, I occasionally played “Pac-Man”, “Astroids”, “Centipede” and other games like that which were new at that time.

I have a sister who is ten years younger than me and I remember when she got a Nintendo television-game system with a “Mario” game (I’m not sure which one) when she was in elementary school.

And my children have Nintendo DS game machines and a number of game cassettes…including a few different “Mario” game titles.
I’ve tried playing them but I’m not so good at them though.

Even though I don’t play video games often at all, I know that Mario is the “King” of video games. He’s more popular than Pac-Man ever was.

There was even a Hollywood “Super Mario Bros.” movie. I haven’t watched it. Just like all other “video game” themed movies…it looks like a really dumb movie.

Anyways, to celebrate Mario turning twenty-five years old today (2010 September 13), Nintendo Japan is giving away:

red “Mario” or green “Luigi” tote-bags to 2,000 people,

“Happy 25th anniversary, Mario” T-shirts to 3,000 people

and decks of “Mario 25th anniversary” playing cards to 5,000 people.

You can enter into the drawing for these items via the Nintendo Japan website.
The entry deadline is 2011 January 10.

Are you a “Mario fan”?