You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from KFI AM six forty.
But now it's Friday Nights with Notica Dalla Crue.
Well, thank you so very much, Mo, and happy Friday. We finally made it. And since the weekend is right around the corner, I just want to let you know that I went to a few places in Santa Barbara to check them out just for you. So I was discovering SoCal went to Santa Barbara. I went to the Botanic Garden. It was established in nineteen twenty six, seventy eight acres of breath taking landscapes where nature and conservation
blends smoothly. Now, this garden provides a remarkably opportunity to explore the state's diverse native plants, from majestic redwoods to vibrant wildflowers.
And originally it was dedicated to research and conservation.
It was one of the first US botanic gardens focused solely on native flora. And you know, we have a lot of botanic gardens here in Los Angeles, but I have to say this was probably one the biggest and the most beautiful that I have been to. Now, the garden is not only a hub for conservation and education, but it's also a serene retreat where visitors can unwind
and connect with nature. Strolling along the picturesque trails, one can delight in the sounds of the bird song hummingbirds and the sight of beautiful butterflies dancing among the flowers. With each season bringing new colors and blossoms, every visit to the garden offers a fresh and unique experience. The garden also serves as a place of discovery, featuring several specialized areas that showcase different aspects of California's rich plant life.
Now for instance, the Meadow Garden, it bursts into a vibrant display of wildflowers each spring, while the Desert section introduces visitors to resilient plants thriving in California's arid regions. In addition to the outdoor attractions, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden houses a wealth of resources that support ongoing research and education. The Blakesley Library, located within the garden, a boss an extensive collection of books, journals, archives dedicated to
botany and environmental conservation. These resources are invaluable to students, researches, and anyone eager to learn more about California's plant life. The garden also hosts a variety of lectures, workshops which you could check online, and guided tours providing further insights into the plants and ecosystems that divine California. You could bring your walking shoes, your hiking shoes and just walk around. Like I said, it's seventy eight acres. It's beautiful where
you're sunscreen. I have to say that a reservation is required.
Let me repeat it.
A reservation is required online at Sbbotanicgarden dot org. That's sb Botanic Garden dot org. And the garden is open daily from ten am to five pm. Now I know that we love free ninety nine and free ski.
Unfortunately hearing the same free.
Now, Unfortunately this beauty costs. So adults are twenty dollars, seniors and militaries sixteen, students is fourteen, youth is twelve, and children under three of course are free ninety nine. But you still could see some of the poppies, you know, the poppies is the California state flower. You could see them bloom and it really is a beautiful place to check out. So if you like some more information make
your reservation, go to Sbbotanicgarden dot org. Now, while I was in Santa Barbara, because I spent the entire day in Santa Barbara, which I mentioned before, it's one of my favorite places to go here in southern California, I stopped for breakfast at Cody's Cafe on Hollister Avenue, which is just amazing. I had some boba at eight oh five Boba, which is on State Street, and I had one of.
The best sushi spots. It's called Teru Te Ru. It's on State Street.
And there's two beaches I checked out, so one to watch the sunset was Butterfly Beach.
That is a beautiful beach.
And mo, I know you have some four legged children, Yes, even though you know you have grown children, but you have four legged children that you really love a lot. Arroyo Beach is one of the best beaches to take your four legged children. If you want to just enjoy, have walk, just let them loose.
Beautiful beach. It does have a lot of rocks, but the dogs.
Don't mind them. I mind it because you know they're a little hard on the feet, but just walk around them. But when I say clean, very clean Butterfly Beach and Arroyo Burro Beach. I don't know why it's called Burro, but these are some great places to go in Santa Barbara.
So I've just kind of planned a whole day for you.
So go to the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, then go to Cody's Cafe. Then if you like Bobah, you like the black pearl like I do, like a t tea with black pearls eight o five Boba on State Street, have sushi at Taru, and check out the beaches as well.
I think probably you're leaving out the best part. Well, that's the drive up there.
Oh, that's that is that is the best part.
You know, But it's I just love if you have your sunroof open and the you know, it's a beautiful day and the sunroof is open and the windows are down. You could just smell the sea. You could just take in the beauty of the beach and just the view is just amazing and it's like, what is it about like two hours too? Yeah, so you know, going and coming, but a great place, you know. It's it's the reason why Santa Barbara is my favorite place. To go is
because it's an escape from Los Angeles. It's an escape from the one ten freeway, from the from the ten, from the four or five, you know, freeways that we are not in love with, you know what I mean.
And it's just it's just a beauty of a drive.
You sometimes, either if you go by yourself or you go with great company or your partner or a date. You know, if you do go by yourself like I did, it's a great a two hour drive to just kind of clear your mind, bringing your thoughts or make a bucket list or a to do list in your mind of what you want to do, and just just enjoy time by yourself. And I think sometimes we need that we forget that where it was so busy with our work and our lives and our partners that we forget about us.
How much time did you actually spend at the Botanic Garden?
Oh? Okay, Well, is it something.
That you could really fully enjoy in a single day?
Yes?
Oh no, no, no, in a few hours. You know, it really depends on how.
Fast you are, cause you're talking about there were lectures, there are other things to do at the site, So I don't know if you could really take it.
All in a given day.
Oh no, you can.
Well, like I said, it's open daily from ten am to five pm. But there are people like I saw students that were there and they were sitting down and they were sketching. They were just sketching. I saw people taking picture. I saw a couple. I don't know if they were maybe doing an engagement picture like kind of thing.
But you see all kinds of people and you see.
Them enjoying, and you see them, you know, taking close up pictures of you know, the cactuses with the butterfly standing on it. It's just it's it's kind of I want to say, it's like, now, what do you call it national geographic? But in person you know what I mean. So it's it's really it's beautiful.
But it really.
Depends on how how fast you walk, you know, how you want to take in nature, what are your thoughts? Just the beauty of what Santa Barbara has to offer. And like I said, this is one of the oldest botanic gardens that was established in nineteen twenty six, way before we were born.
But you're going to have to set up and reserve, yes, your spot in advance online at sb Botanicgarden dot org.
Correct, plan your visit, correct.
It's late with Mokela. We'll come back with not a Coadela Cruz and a Hitden gym. For this we can est a moment.
You're listening to. Later with Moe Kelly on demand from KFI AM six forty.
Let's continue with Notica day La Cruz and her hidden gym for the week.
Well, thank you our hidden Jim. This week is Brenda Lewis. Brenda Lewis, a determined student from East La, faced a worldwin of challenges during her first year of college. Balancing academics, a part time job, and a new social environment. She felt overwhelmed and isolated. The bright future she had envisioned seemed to fade into a constant struggle, leaving her anxious
and low spirited. Brenda struggled with managing her time effectively, keeping up with her coursework, and finding a support network that could truly understand her struggles. One fatal day, Brenda stumbled upon never a Bother dot org while browsing for student support resources. Intrigued by its promise to help students overcome adversity and build resilience, she decided to explore further.
What she found was a lifeline.
Website offered a range of resources, from peer support groups to mentorship programs designed to provide practical strategies for navigating the challenges of college life. And we've all been in college at least once or another, but I know it can be a little bit of a struggle. Brenda's initial doubt gave way hope, gave way to a hope to show so she could be engaged with a supportive community. As she participated in workshops and connected with other students
facing similar hurdles, Brenda began to experience a shift. The feeling of isolation gradually lifted as she found encouragement and practical advice from both mentors and peers. The strategies she learned helped her regain control over her schedule, improve her
academic performance, and build a more balanced life. Brenda's confidence grew as she realized that she was not alone in her journey and that support was available whenever she needed it never a Bother is dedicated to supporting students like Brenda who face significant challenges during their educational journey. Its mission is to empower individuals by providing them with resources, mentornship, and supportive community to help them navigate their difficulties and
achieve their goals. Never a Bother dot Org stands out as a beacon of hope for students navigating the complexities of their academic and personal lives.
Sometimes you're hit with.
Lower grades, and they offer personal support tailored to individual needs. Through a combination of interactive workshops, one on one coaching, and a vibrant online community, Never a Bother dot Org fosters an environment where students can share their experiences, gain valuable insights, and develop their resilience necessary to overcome obstacles. The organization's commitment to empowering students enhancing their overall wellbeing
makes it an essential resource for them to thrive. So, Brenda, now that you're back in school and you're on your fourth year, I commend you and I thought that talking about struggles of a student, especially during back to school, a lot of people going back to school.
I know a lot of my friends dropping off their.
Kids at USC or UCSB or you know, whatever college they're going. You know, it's it's definitely it's it's it's whether you're going to a new school or you're transferring or you're going to a college.
It's it's a it's a struggle.
I think that every student kind of goes through and we've all been there once. And if you need some more information, and if you are a student or you have a child, this is not only for students, it's also for parents who are helping to cope with their child who is a student. Please visit never a Bother dot org for more information and how you could get involved as well.
I remember when I went to college when I was seventeen, and I remember, you have, even if you're let's say you're going to community college or you're going to a four year college, have all the freedoms of being an adult, but hopefully not all the responsibilities. There are times, though, where you have young people who have all the responsibilities of an adult as well, and they're just getting to the point where they're learning about being an adult, and
it can be a heavy heavy weight. You're trying to get the grades and let's say you're also responsible for paying for your education. I get it, I absolutely get it, where it can be emotionally overwhelming. Look, I got to figure out how I'm gonna pay for school. I still got to do the grades, and you might also be a parent at that time. It's a lot for someone who's still is just on this on the other side of puberty.
I would say, no, I have to completely agree with you. When I was in college, I put myself through school. I was on a five year program there it is, and my first semester. After my first semester, I was on academic embarrassed to say, but I was on academic probation because I was getting a lot of c's and d's. But my parents weren't smart enough to put money for
college for me, so I had to work. I worked three jobs in order to put myself through school, and in summertime, summertime, I never went to summer school.
I used to babysit.
I used to call it babysit rich folks kids because they all of their parents. There were six of them, and like one was a doctor, one was a lawyer, one was a hygienis, one was a nurse.
One I don't know. I don't know what they did.
But I would purposely go, hey, mister, you know, let's say, mister Kelly, don't you want to take your wife out for dinner?
This weekend, and.
It was so I can make some money little babysitting, so I could rack up my dollars, and I would work so hard during the summer so I wouldn't have to work during the school year. But I know what it's like to balance school, balance life, then try to have a boyfriend which I broke up with, and it's it's a lot. And so you know, I feel I understood Brenda's story because you're you're you get so tense and you're like, how am I going to do this all?
But there's always help. And I think that if you speak to someone, or you go.
To your counselor or you you do a kind of kind of a bullet point or a diagram of Okay, from this time, at this time, a schedule, this is what I'm going to do, this is what I have time for. We get so overwhelmed in life, and then you know social media and how it's supposed to be when you're in college, and and then the stress of of of all the schoolwork and your parents. It's a lot for young the young to take on. Never a
bother dot org. Yes, love it, love it, so definitely want to hear more about that.
I don't know. Do you ever circle back with some of these individuals?
One or two?
Okay to uh one move to Nicaragua. I can't think of her name right now. But then I try to keep in touch like an email, and most of the time, like one the holiday's head, I'll send an email saying, hey, I just wanted to reach out and say Happy Thanksgiving or Merry Christmas or so for.
Well, I would love an update as they come across.
Okay, okay, sounds good.
You're listening to Later with Moe Kelly on demand from kf I, A M six forty talks pop Culture, Ron and Report with Mark Ronner.
Kelly, Mark Ronner, take it away tonight we'll talk about The Crow. I know a lot of people love The Crow with Brandon Lee, I admit more than me. But I don't know anyone who wanted a remake or a reboot of it, or be a remaker reboot starring Bill Skarr's guard. He was Pennywise in the remake. Remember the original it came out? My god, it was thirty years ago. Pardon me while I changed diapers and set my teeth
in a glass. Here. The original Crow became a big goth emo clove cigarette smoking touchstone, and Brandon Lee died an unbelievably tragic death at a horribly young age, which made people, I think, cleave to it even more. And by the way, I think of everything that's happened in that time, including JD Vance totally ruining eyeliner for guys. Brandon Lee was, of course the son of Bruce Lee,
and he also died at an unthinkably young age. Brandon got killed by a prop gun during the Crow production, sort of similar to the Alec Baldwin Rush shooting we've been hearing about for months, but he'd already filmed most of his scenes and the movie was released and it was a big hit. It spawned some sequels with different characters in casts that no one really bothered much with. The Crow came from a fairly obscure underground comic by James O'Barr, not from Marvel or DC, but a joint
called Caliber Press. How obscure is that, Well, I write comics and I never heard of Caliber Press. I have come across Obar at assorted comic cons in professional events. He always looks sullen, like he went to get a five dollars foot long and was told it's fourteen dollars now, and for good reason. He had a tough early life. He was orphaned, he lost his girlfriend to a drunk driver, and Lee's death hit him hard too. I hope he's
at least filthy rich now. Because his comic didn't stay obscure, it wound up selling more than three quarters of a million issues, and along with four movies, it also spawned a TV show. Now it's five movies. Here's a bit of the trailer for the new one.
What's the first thing you liked about me?
I felt that you are quite brilliantly. You true like my person, you feel like my puss. What's the worst thing you've ever done?
I saw things I shouldn't have seen any of this.
Please don't know that.
When someone dies a crow carry less soap to a nun of the.
Dead, sometimes something so bad happens.
And the soul cannot rest until you put the wrong things right.
Well there's your setup right there.
It's your standard revenge story death wish with a supernatural anger and angle rather some hipster clothes, some makeup, the young couples killed by some sleeze bags and a mystical crow resurrects the guy Eric for revenge. Nothing revolutionary about the concept, but fine. The nineteen ninety four Crow I had a really stylized, dark, grungy look, along with a new wave soundtrack that pretty much guaranteed a bunch of people getting crow tattoos. The youthful angst, the youthful love,
the youthful tragedy. It was hard for me to get into this new Crow. I went today, but not because I'm thirty years older and have a job, and not because of the acting. Although I'm agnostic about the thespian stylings of FKA twigs. At this point, Scars Guards blameless, but there's a lot of blame in this one. We meet Eric Draven as an inmate at some sort of co ed prison rehab facility where everyone has to wear pink sweats, which is presumably some kind of Joe or
Pio humiliation thing. He's incapacitated by flashbacks, I mean, some sort of childhood trauma that involves a dead horse, junkie parent rundown trailer, And I gotta tell you, with scars, guards, mullet and tattoos, I could almost be down with a white trash crow story, but they don't do anything with that. Think about like the crow fridge on the front lawn. It would be fun, but this doesn't go anywhere very interesting.
Ms Wigs gets herself thrown into the rehab joint to escape some bad guys who are after her because she has a secret about him on her phone. The boss is some sort of soul vampire played by Danny Houston, and when his thugs kill Eric and the twig Lady, Eric makes an afterlife deal to get revenge as you heard in the trailer, and bring her back. And he can feel pain, but he can't be hurt. So get ready for lots of cgi of wounds healing, and we're off.
Sort of Okay, not so much. This thing just creaks along. It takes its time, and it almost seems like it's going to grind to a halt until it gets to the third act and the violent revenge part kicks in. About the most I can say about it is that it's exceptionally violent for a short time as Eric works his way through the thugs with a sword while they keep shooting and stabbing him like he's a trailer park wolverine.
But even all this ultra violence, it's just too stupid to enjoy because it involves Eric killing his way through henchman at an opera, an opera where apparently no one works. Nobody in the auditorium can hear all the copious gunfire, and the Danny Houston bad guy just kind of sits inside the opera watching the show, issuing commands on his cell phone while it all happens. I like that actor. But think of all the worst comic movie bad guys,
worst written. You get Susan Sarandon in that awful Blue Beatle movie, John Travolton, one of those Punisher movies, your standard I Want Him Dead stuff. This is in that category. Really terrible, lazy, poorly thought out, unsatisfying, even with all the mayhem, and this thing was in development a long time, like fifteen years. At one point, Jason Momoa was even reportedly attached to it. It's not like they didn't have
time to come up with a passable story. The director of the remake is Rupert Sanders, who also perpetrated the live action Ghost in the Shell movie that most of us would rather forget. Say what you want about the original, and how well you think it's aged, but it had some visual style to it, and that director Alex Proyis also did Dark City and a couple other pretty decent things. Publicists, here's your pull quote. I predict you will not want to get attached two of this crow, at least not
where anyone can see it. But if you do, you can send the photos to me here at iHeartRadio. Please blur out the gross stuff and don't try to tell me it's a Willie Nelson tattoo. And this has been your Murder of crows on the Runner report. MO mark it.
So it's not a beat by beat remake. Is a completely different story from the ninety four version. It's sort of different. But I gotta tell you, even the needle drops puzzle me in this thing. So like they're playing Gary Newman? Am I supposed to be in the stealthy.
Cars Gary Newman?
More obscure Gary Newman? But still good? Who doesn't love Gary Newman? Yeah, so the movie's in the present day, but they're playing like eighties synth pop. I don't know what this means. The whole movie is kind of a mess. I think if you're just compelled to watch this kind of Thing, and you've seen the Crow sequels, Sure you're gonna watch it, but I found it really unsatisfying and, like I said, just kind of playing stupid in parts.
I like Bill Scarsgard as an actor, is he just underwhelming as well?
He is not at all the problem. He could do anything.
In fact, watching him reminded me of time I was I found myself in a social situation with Doug Jones. You know who that guy is. He played the creature in the shape of Water and a bunch of dings. Yes, I was sitting next to him and he mentioned that he was going to play a real tough biker in something, and I said something snotty along the lines of, hey, I think you're terrific, but come on. And then I saw the thing and he was fantastic in it because
he could do anything. And I believe Bill Scarsguard's that same kind of actor. But he's not the problem here. The problem is just the dumb way it's put together, Like it just seemed thoughtless to me.
Did you lose any real care about the protagonist A couple?
Because I know when I watched the original I still felt the love of the original couple.
Oh, They spend a lot of time on the love of the couple in this one. In fact, got it. They do so much of that that I almost knotted off a couple times before before they got to the third act violence. It takes its time getting where it's gonna go, So by the time they get to the action and the third act, you're gonna need that just to wake yourself up.
How long is the movie. It's a little less than two hours. Yeah, I remember. The first one had a little bit more action.
It had a very solid villain, Windcott who played.
What was his name?
Oh, I think I know you're talking about would you believe? I don't think I've seen the movie since it came out of the original, But is this is one of the guys.
Michael Wincott who played Top Dollar.
Yes? Was he one of the the voice in The Wonderers?
I don't remember.
I don't know, but Michael Winkot has this very distinctive gravel voice which scrapes the bottom of the ocean.
I meant to review the original before I saw it, but I just ran out of time and I thought, no, no, no, clean slate go into this without comparing it to the original. Because they in insist it's not a remake. They insist it's not a reboot. To tell you the truth, after I saw it, I don't know what it is. Well, I know what it's not. I don't know what it is.
Yeah, it wasn't like I didn't I didn't want them to do the remake, not because Brandon Lee died tragically.
It wasn't that.
It's just that I don't think anyone was asking for this, and I don't think we gained anything by it.
I don't know if I want to see it. I can't recommend it.
I gotta be honest with you, and I'm not going to go so far as to say it profanes the memory of Brandon Lee. But it just felt totally unnecessary for it never justified its existence, which I think a movie has to do, especially like within the first half hour you're watching it, Well there.
You have it.
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