Late to the Party Again

I finally got around to watching the 2009 Michael Jackson movie, This Is It. It was pretty great. It made me think about how he really was a musical genius, and how crazy it was that at 50, he was still just as skinny as ever and could still totally do dance moves that shouldn't even be humanly possible.

He also comes across as really nice, gentle, and humble--which is funny considering that this is the same person who spontaneously accepted the fictional "Best Performer In the Universe" award and made videos featuring giant statues of himself. I guess we'll never quite figure him out.

Happy Halloween!

Recommended viewing: Mad Monster Party.

Dog Day Afternoon

Guy was happy that a recent book I read (Stalling for Time, a non-fiction book about hostage negotiation) made me curious to watch the classic film Dog Day Afternoon. I loved it! I would never have expected to love a movie about a botched bank robbery starring Al Pacino, but after seeing it, I really get what's great about him. He was so funny and interesting in the role. The movie was so New York-y and I loved the deadpan humor of it.

When we watched a "making of" documentary, I was surprised to learn that they actually filmed it in autumn, when it was cold out. The story is supposed to take place on the hottest day of a NYC summer, and I would never have guessed that that wasn't at all the case. The director Sydney Lumet said that they discovered a big problem in that the actors' breath was noticeable in the outdoor scenes. He said the solution for it was simple--you give the actors ice cubes to put in their mouths, which chills their breath and makes it match the temperature outside. Clever!

Nazi Zombies

Dead Snow is a movie about nazi zombies in the snow. If you're like me, that's all you need to hear before running to the computer and putting it at the top of your Netflix queue. If you liked Shaun of the Dead, you'll definitely like this movie too. It's funny, gross, scary, over-the-top, and totally implausible, everything that a good zombie movie should be. And it's Norwegian, which makes it extra fun (unless you hate reading subtitles). I thought it was fun to hear what Norwegian sounds like, especially with all the English phrases that they use (like, "Beer!").

I think pacing is important in a movie like this--the creepiness should build slowly, before all hell breaks loose--and Dead Snow has excellent dramatic pacing.

Happy Halloween!

Ken

Guy and I went to see Toy Story 3 yesterday. We made the mistake of seeing it in 3-D...totally not necessary for a Pixar movie, since they are awesome and don't really need it! It also made it darker and harder to see. Other than that, the movie was great. They introduced a lot of amazing new toys including Ken, who stole the show.

Best Worst Movie

Guy and I saw this documentary last night and it was great! And hilarious. I highly recommend seeing it, but if you possibly can, watch Troll 2 first. (And Troll 2 truly is a strangely watchable bad movie that really delivers.)

We saw this movie at Central Cinemas, which offers food, wine/beer, and table service. And the food was excellent! I had a goat cheese artichoke pizza while Guy had the meat pizza.

Here's the description of the movie from the official website:

"Best Worst Movie is the acclaimed feature length documentary that takes us on an off-beat journey into the undisputed worst movie in cinematic history: Troll 2.

"In 1989, when an Italian filmmaker and unwitting Utah actors shot the ultra-low budget horror film, Troll 2, they had no idea that twenty years later they would be celebrated worldwide for their legendary ineptitude.

"Two decades later, the film’s now-grown-up child star (Michael Paul Stephenson) unravels the improbable, heartfelt story of the Alabama dentist-turned-cult movie icon and the Italian filmmaker who come to terms with this genuine, internationally revered cinematic failure.

"Is Troll 2 really the worst movie ever made as claimed by IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes? Or is Troll 2, as some would claim, a misunderstood masterpiece that never fails to entertain… a work of genius? Twenty years after Troll 2 was made, the feature length documentary BEST WORST MOVIE explores the Troll 2 phenomenon through the personal story of the cast of characters that took part in its creation and why it is celebrated by fans worldwide.

"In the summer of 1989, Italian director Claudio Fragrasso cast small-town dentist Dr. George Hardy and a group of unwitting Utah actors in an ultra-low budget horror film, which eventually became the undisputed Worst Movie in History. Soon after Troll 2’s initial release, Dr. Hardy decided he was better suited battling tooth decay than goblins. He retired from acting and returned to dentistry in his hometown of Alabama unaware of the legions of fans that would one day recognize him as a cult movie luminary.

"Nearly 20 years later, Troll 2 has suddenly become “awfully” popular. A corn-on-the-cob sex scene, pudgy-potato-sack clad midgets, and a peculiar plot about evil vegetarian goblins attempting to transform a young boy’s family into edible plants is unintentionally hilarious, yet strangely captivating and highly entertaining.

"Dr. Hardy finds his days of drilling cavities are met by nights of signing hundreds of autographs at record-setting revival screenings throughout the world. Unlikely byproducts celebrating the BEST WORST MOVIE include fan sites, music videos, dress-up dinner parties and even homage in one of the most successful video games, Sony PlayStation’s Guitar Hero 2.

"But what does the director of Troll 2, Claudio Fragasso, think about his film becoming “awfully” popular? Meet cast & crew and learn how it feels to fail miserably and years later be applauded for it. Best Worst Movie is story of one of cinema’s greatest tragedies… or triumph’s –Troll 2. The result is a hilarious and tender off-beat journey and a genuine homage to lovers of bad movies and the people that create them."

Put That Thing Back Where It Came From!

This is one of my favorite moments from Monsters, Inc.

Get Him to the Greek

One celebrity that I've had very little use for over the years is Sean Combs, aka Sean John, aka Puff Daddy, aka P. Diddy. I always thought of him as a no-talent poseur, and I never really understood why he was famous--his average looks? His sucky music? His overpriced clothes? His bad relationships with women? He just seemed to exert some kind of weird influence over people that I couldn't understand. In addition to his general popularity, he's also very popular with celebrities. I remember thinking, "Maybe he just throws really good parties??"

So I am surprised to report that Sean Combs is possibly the funniest actor in this very funny movie! He has a fairly big part too--it's much more than just a cameo.

Russell Brand and Jonah Hill are both very funny too. Despite the fact that Russell Brand's character is a self-centered, self-destructive, manipulative junkie, he also radiates a sweet childlike charm that makes you root for him anyway. Jonah Hill plays the only sane person in an increasingly insane situation. And Sean Combs plays a megalomaniacal record company executive who is the worst boss ever. It's worth seeing in the theater if you get a chance.

You're Welcome

You may or may not have already heard the good news, bad news about the movie The Hobbit. The good news is, it is definitely being produced! The bad news? Peter Jackson does not want to direct.

I can't really blame him. He is probably incredibly sick of the hobbits by this point. He doesn't even resemble one anymore, ever since he lost weight. (He looks really different! I was surprised when I saw a recent photo of him.)

Anyway, who will direct the next installment of the LOTR saga?

Two words: Leonard Nimoy. Not only is he an experienced director, but Leonard would also be great in the role of Gandalf, since he is now incredibly old. Also, I recommend that this song be featured prominently throughout the entire film.

You're welcome, Hollywood!

Monsters, Inc. Sequel

I'm very excited about this news. The sequel is scheduled for November 16, 2012. So yes, that is a long wait. But I'm sure it'll be worth it!

I love all the Pixar movies--the only one I didn't see is Cars, because I hate cars and I couldn't get into the concept. As a fan of rats, Paris, and food, I loved Ratatouille. And I like water and ocean life so Finding Nemo was great too. Toy Story and Toy Story 2, both adorable. That one about the robots was good, although I sort of instantly forgot about it afterwards...I can't even remember the title right now. But the ecological message was cool, and the way that it used almost absolutely no dialogue at all was very interesting and clever. Up was also clever, and heartwarming, and imaginative, although I felt that the 3-D element was unnecessary.

But of all of them, Monsters, Inc. might be my favorite. How can you really top monsters? They are so cool. Plus, Billy Crystal was born to play the role of Mike.

Speaking of Pixar, that actor from Cheers, John Whats-his-face, has gotten a role in every single Pixar movie every made. That lucky guy. Such easy, lucrative work. Cameron Diaz really lucked out too with that Shrek franchise, she must be loaded just from those movies alone.

Nice work if you can get it!

Best Worst Movie

Guy and I watched the movie Troll 2 on Friday night. It was really good, and by that I mean, really bad in a really good way. Guy had read about it online; it is beloved for its legendary badness.

Every now and then, it's palate cleansing to watch a really, really bad movie. It's easy to forget (until a movie like this reminds you) just how bad acting, writing, and directing can be. Watching Troll 2 is a magical cinematic experience, what with the completely non-spooky ghost of "Grandpa Seth," the wooden line readings, the community theater quality costumes, and the plot and character motivations that make absolutely no logical sense. Also great: the fact that there is not a single troll in this movie--it's all about goblins. I haven't seen the documentary about it yet, but now I really want to. Here's more from Wikipedia:

Troll 2 is a 1990 horror film, directed by Claudio Fragasso, under the pseudonym Drake Floyd. During production, the film was known as Goblin, and some foreign releases of the movie were labeled as such, but upon release in the United States, the title was changed to Troll 2 in an attempt to help sell the film by connecting it to an established horror movie, the 1986 Empire Pictures film Troll. The two films, however, have no connection apart from the title. In fact, despite the title, no actual trolls appear in Troll 2.

The plot concerns an American family, the Waits family, who are taking a trip to the country to visit a small town called "Nilbog" (goblin spelled backwards), but are plunged into a nightmare as they are relentlessly pursued by vegetarian goblins, who turn people into plants before they eat them.

The cast includes Michael Stephenson, George Hardy, Margo Prey, Connie Young (here credited with her maiden name, Connie McFarland) and Jason F. Wright.

Troll 2 is widely considered to be of poor quality. In fact, for a time the film was rated as the worst film of all time by IMDB.com. The goblins' costumes, designed by cult erotic actress Laura Gemser, consist of burlap clothes stuffed with foam rubber, and latex masks, only one of which featured a movable mouth; the musical score consists of only a few synthesized themes repeated numerous times. In addition, the acting and dialogue have become notorious for their camp value. The scene where Darren Ewing's character states that he will be eaten next has become an internet meme, often appearing in videos alongside the "Garbage Day" meme from Silent Night, Deadly Night 2.

Troll 2 was recently given RiffTrax treatment by Michael J. Nelson (of Mystery Science Theater 3000 fame) and special guest Richard Kyanka from Something Awful.

The movie was filmed in Morgan, Utah and Porterville, Utah, in the summer of 1989. In 2007, A major Troll 2 event took place in Morgan called Nilbog Invasion. The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema's Rolling Roadshow turned Morgan into "Nilbog" again for a weekend, and screened the film for an audience of fans from around the world. Much of the cast attended and appeared in a panel discussion, as well as the writers and director of the film. Director Claudio Fragasso was presented with the key to the city by the Mayor of Morgan.

At the event, Fragasso and writer Rossella Drudi announced plans for a sequel to Troll II, and the audience was polled for their opinion on what the film should be called. The winning title was Troll II: Part II.

In December 2009, late-night host Conan O'Brien recommended Troll II to his list of DVDs and books in his "New Oprah" segment.

The child star of Troll 2, Michael Stephenson, directed a feature-length documentary about Troll 2 titled Best Worst Movie. The film debuted March 14, 2009, at the Alamo Lamar Draft house in Austin, Texas, as part of the Spotlight Features for the SXSW Film Festival. Several cast members from Troll 2 attended the premiere. The screening was followed by a showing of Troll 2. The documentary is currently screening at major film festivals across the world, the most recent being the American Film Institute Festival. The film has also screened at SxSW, HotDocs and Sheffield Doc/Fest.

The film won Best Feature Documentary (as voted by the official jury), as well as the Audience Choice for Best Documentary Feature at the 11th Annual Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival in September 2009. It will release in spring 2010 and is distributed by Area 23 A. It is set for an limited theatrical release begins on 23 April in Alamo Drafthouse and ends on 23 July 2010 in the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema.

Silliest Montage Ever

This is probably the silliest montage you will ever see in a movie. From Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.

Let's Get It Started

Saw Hot Tub Time Machine yesterday and it was great! I highly recommend it. Good times! It was a "high-quality stupid movie" along the same lines as The Hangover and Role Models and I Love You, Man. I really like this new trend. It had a very similar plot structure to all those other movies, especially The Hangover--four male friends are on a road trip, and one of them drives the narrative by being unstable and displaying extremely poor judgment. In Hot Tub Time Machine, that guy is played by Rob Corddry, whose portrayal of a huge asshole is so incredibly funny. I used to love him on The Daily Show. I forgot how funny he is.

Anyway, the movie prominently featured this song by the Black Eyed Peas. I really like Fergie. I like the fact that she used to be a meth addict but then she managed to pull herself together, and I like how she's not really the prettiest girl but makes up for it with personality and sex appeal and charisma. Let's get it started in here!

Moon

Sam Rockwell--isn't he awesome? (Correct answer: yes.)

I love him mostly for his work in Box of Moonlight and Galaxy Quest, two of my favorite underrated movies of all time. Guy and I just rented Moon, a low-budget science-fiction movie that came out last year. The story was pretty interesting, and the effects look amazingly good for such a cheap movie. It successfully conveys that crisp, clean, "cold" feeling of classic science-fiction, but Sam Rockwell's performance is affecting (and also funny). He plays a homesick astronaut filled with anguish and confusion when he stumbles upon his own clone:

"Moon is the first feature film directed by commercial director Duncan Jones, who co-wrote the script with Nathan Parker. The film was specifically written as a vehicle for actor Sam Rockwell. The film pays homage to the films of Jones's youth, such as 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Silent Running (1972), Solaris (1972), Alien (1979) and Outland (1981). Jones described the intent, "[We] wanted to create something which felt comfortable within that canon of those science fiction films from the sort of late seventies to early eighties."

"The director spoke of his interest in the lunar setting, "For me, the Moon has this weird mythic nature to it... There is still a mystery to it. As a location, it bridges the gap between science-fiction and science fact. We (humankind) have been there. It is something so close and so plausible and yet at the same time, we really don't know that much about it." The director described the lack of romance in the Moon as a location, citing images from the Japanese lunar orbiter SELENE, "It's the desolation and emptiness of it... it looks like some strange ball of clay in blackness... Look at photos and you'll think that they're monochrome. In fact, they're not. There simply are no primary colours." Jones referenced the photography book Full Moon by Michael Light in designing the look of the film.

"Moon's budget was $5 million. The director took steps to minimise production costs, such as keeping the cast small and filming in a studio. Moon was produced at Shepperton Studios, London, England, where it filmed for 33 days. Jones preferred using models instead of digital animation. Jones worked with Bill Pearson, the supervising model maker on Alien, to help design the lunar rovers and helium-3 harvesters in the film. The moon base was created as a full 360-degree set, being 85–90 feet (26–27 m) long and approximately 70 feet (21 m) wide. The film's robot, GERTY, was designed to be bound to a rail within the base since the tether was critical storywise. The visual effects were provided by Cinesite, who sought cut-price deals with independent films.Since Jones had an effects background with commercials, he drew on his past experiences in creating effects under a small budget.

"Damon Wise of The Times praised Jones's "thoughtful" direction and Rockwell's "poignant" performance. Wise wrote of the film's approach to the science fiction genre, "Though it uses impressive sci-fi trappings to tell its story—the fabulous models and moonscapes are recognisably retro yet surprisingly real—this is a film about what it means, and takes, to be human."

"Roger Ebert gave the film 3½ stars out of 4, saying, "'Moon' is a superior example of that threatened genre, hard science-fiction, which is often about the interface between humans and alien intelligence of one kind of or other, including digital.

"Moon was screened at NASA's Space Center Houston at the request of a professor there. The screening was part of a lecture series. "He'd been reading online that we'd done this film about Helium-3 mining and that's something that people at NASA are working on," says Jones. "We did a Q&A afterward. They asked me why the base looked so sturdy, like a bunker, and not like the kind of stuff they are designing that they are going to transport with them. I said 'Well, in the future I assume you won't want to continue carrying everything with you, you'll want to use the resources on the moon to build things' and a woman in the audience raised her hand and said, 'I'm actually working on something called Mooncrete, which is concrete that mixes lunar regolith and ice water from the moon's polar caps.'"

From Wikipedia.

Office Dramas

Apologies to my loyal readers. I haven't been able to post much this week due to some pretty major office dramas. Rather than waste everyone's time by boring you with all the gruesome details, I thought I'd instead post this scene from True Romance for your viewing pleasure. It is the perfect metaphor for what this week was like for me (with me in Patricia Arquette's role).

Yep, it was a hard week, just about as intense and exhausting as it looks here. Still, when you get to that moment when you are slamming that screwdriver straight through James Gandolfini's foot, and then setting him on fire with a lighter and a can of hairspray, somehow it all feels totally worth it in the end.

"Come On, Dad."

After my last post, I got curious about Kal Penn's YouTube videos, so I took a look at some of them. They're not super clever or creative or anything (at least not the ones I looked at), they are just straightforward and direct appeals to the kids...but from an actor who is familiar and likeable to young people.

Good job, Kumar! Your conservative Indian father should finally be proud of you now, even though you didn't become a doctor like he wanted.

Huge Oversight

All I could think after watching this movie last Friday was, "Why did I wait so long to see that??" I didn't know it was the same director as Dude, Where's My Car? At least I made the right choice with that movie and saw it in the theater.

It is totally inexcusable that it took me six years to finally get around to watching Harold & Kumar. If anyone reading this has made the same unforgivable mistake, it's not too late to do the right thing and watch it immediately.

One thing that's fun about this movie is that the main characters are both intelligent (not that this stops them from doing a lot of dumb things). And both actors are awesome. John Cho, who played Harold, went on to do a kick-ass portrayal of Sulu in the Star Trek movie, while Kal Penn (Kumar) now works for the White House! I love the fact that we now have a President who is happy to hire an actor best known for playing a pot-smoking slacker:

"Actor Kal Penn is trading Hollywood for politics, taking a job with the White House doing outreach to Asian-Americans and the arts community.

"The Indian-American, whose given name is Kalpenn Modi, said Tuesday he would be joining President Obama's administration and will not take any acting gigs while he holds the full-time position.

"Mr. Penn is best known for playing Kumar in the comedy “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle” and its sequel, “Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.”

"But Mr. Penn, 31, also was one of the most reliable surrogates for the Obama campaign since the beginning.

"Campaign aides said in 2007 the actor called them to offer his unsolicited help for Mr. Obama's then long-shot candidacy. Some were hesitant at first because Mr. Penn's best-known role was playing a marijuana-loving burnout, but he surpassed their best expectations and attracted young voters across the nation.

"He was instrumental in the Obama strategy of getting students as young as 17 to participate in the Iowa caucus, the Democrat's first victory. Mr. Penn starred in at least 14 campaign videos on YouTube and appeared at multiple events on the candidate's behalf.

"He will serve as an associate director in the Office of Public Liaison, coordinating outreach to Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, along with the arts community. He described the office to Entertainment Weekly as “the front door to the White House.” The office was responsible for the recent celebrations in honor of St. Patrick's Day and Greek Independence Day.

"Among the little known facts about the actor: He was a guest lecturer teaching Asian-American studies at the University of Pennsylvania in 2008, and he is doing an online program to earn a graduate degree in international studies from Stanford University.

"He also acknowledged it will result in a large pay cut: “There's not a lot of financial reward in these jobs. But, obviously, the opportunity to serve in a capacity like this is an incredible honor.”

Mocking Nazis

No, the subject line does not refer to a lame band from the 90s, but rather, a comedy directed by Ernst Lubitsch in 1942 called To Be Or Not To Be. It's special not only because it's very funny, but also because it makes fun of nazis in their own time.

Let's face it, it's fun to mock nazis and other extremely evil people (Dick Cheney springs to mind). Guy was very happy to snap up the last available copy of this movie from Amazon. It has now gone out of print. I haven't seen the Mel Brooks remake but I can't imagine it could be better than the original:

From IMDB: "In occupied Poland during WWII, a troupe of ham stage actors (led by Joseph Tura and his wife Maria) match wits with the Nazis. A spy has information which would be very damaging to the Polish resistance and they must prevent its being delivered to the Germans."

Josef Tura: Wait a minute. I'll decide with whom my wife is going to have dinner and whom she's going to kill.

Maria Tura: Don't you realize Poland's at stake?

Lieutenant Stanislav Sobinski: Have you no patriotism?

Josef Tura: Now listen, you... first you walk out on my soliloquy and then you walk into my slippers. And now you question my patriotism. I'm a good Pole and I love my country and I love my slippers.

Maria Tura: Well, I hope your country comes first.

Lieutenant Stanislav Sobinski: So do I.

Maria Tura: This is an emergency! War!

Josef Tura: Look, look, look, I don't know much about the whole thing... but is this Siletsky a real danger to Poland?

Lieutenant Stanislav Sobinski: A catastrophe!

Maria Tura: He must be taken care of!

Josef Tura: Then he will be taken care of.

Maria Tura: Well, who's gonna do it?

Josef Tura: I'm gonna do it.

Lieutenant Stanislav Sobinski: But how?

Maria Tura: Where?

Josef Tura: I'm gonna meet Herr Siletsky at Gestapo headquarters. And after I've killed him I hope you'll be kind enough to tell me what it was all about!

More funny quotes from To Be Or Not To Be can be found here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035446/quotes

Chip Salter, Downhill Racing Potato Chip

Tagline: How fast must a potato chip go to get from where he's at?

An upstart and cocky potato chip is suddenly promoted to the U.S. Ski Team. He joins the team in mid-season in Europe, and immediately clashes with the team's head coach and more experienced teammates. Leaving his small-town girlfriend behind, he begins a tempestuous romance with the sophisticated but capricious Francesca, personal assistant to ski company owner Heinrich Von Pickleaus.

Partway through training, Chip becomes dispirited by the challenges presented by his light weight and thin, crispy physique. In an Academy Award winning performance, Gene Hackman (as the team's head coach) convinces Chip that he has what it takes to win the Gold.

Chip: Coach, I can't do it. I'm a potato chip. I weigh less than an ounce! I was crazy to think I could become the fastest downhill racer in the world. I can't even use real skis. I have to use these tiny little skis that were custom designed for me. Let's face it, I'm not a winner...I'm a snack.

Coach: I'm surprised at you, Chip. I really am. What happened to that guy I met in Munich? The one who strutted in here and told everyone he met that no one was faster, no one was better, no one else could win it...but him?

Chip: Coach...the other day, when I was waiting for the ski lift. There was this very light wind, see? And...it almost lifted me up and blew me right off the hill, man. [Bitterly] Right off the hill.

Coach: Oh yeah? Oh yeah? Is that so. Well, I'm here to tell you, kid, that you can make it! You can win! I don't care if you weigh an ounce or 10 pounds or 300 pounds. You're the best damn skiier on the team...hell, in my entire career, I never met a kid like you. You have what it takes...on the inside, kid. On the inside.

Chip Salter, Downhill Racing Potato Chip now available in Blu-ray.

Illustration by Guy Foulard

Downhill Racer

Instead of watching the real Olympics, we watched this movie last night. It was pretty good, although Robert Redford is no Amazing Skiing Tomato:

Downhill Racer was a 1969 film directed by American director Michael Ritchie in his film debut. A drama about ski racing, it starred Robert Redford and Gene Hackman.

Tagline: How fast must a man go to get from where he's at?

An upstart & cocky ski racer (Redford) from Idaho Springs, Colorado, is suddenly promoted to the U.S. Ski Team. He joins the team in mid-season in Europe, and immediately clashes with the team's head coach (Hackman) and the more experienced teammates. The assistant coach is played by Dabney Coleman and Swedish actress Camilla Sparv plays the love interest. Karl Michael Vogler plays her boss, a ski company owner.

Lots of good World Cup ski racing action, leading to an exciting climax at the Winter Olympics. The winter scenes were filmed on location in the Alps, mostly in January 1969. Prominently featured are the Lauberhorn at Wengen, Switzerland, and the Hahnenkamm at Kitzbühel, Austria. Also included were Megève, France and St. Anton, Austria.

The off-season scenes were filmed at various locations in Colorado; the track scene was filmed at a relatively new Potts Field, on the east campus of CU in Boulder.

The suspected inspiration for the lead character in the film was a composite of Spider Sabich and Billy Kidd. Sabich, a young and attractive Californian, finished fifth in the slalom at the 1968 Olympics, at age 22. Kidd was a U.S. Ski Team veteran from Vermont who won the silver medal in the slalom at the 1964 Olympics at age 20. Those close to Sabich remember him as much more positive and easy-going than Redford's character, Dave Chappellet. While Kidd was more aloof than Sabich, he too was more light-hearted (and had a much better sense of humor) than Chappellet.

The far-fetched notion of an American winning the men's Olympic downhill would be realized fifteen years later, when brash upstart Bill Johnson predicted his victory in 1984 in Sarajevo, and then delivered, besting silver medalist Peter Müller of Switzerland by 0.27 seconds.

A decade later, a humbler Tommy Moe won on a considerably more challenging course in Lillehammer, Norway, taking Olympic gold for the USA in 1994 by a mere 0.04 seconds over the home country favorite, Kjetil André Aamodt.