The Oscars and me

In honor of the Oscars, here’s the story of my connection to the Academy Awards.

Yep, I have a connection.  It’s a bit of a stretch….but it’s true.

I’ve never been in a movie….I’ve never been to the Oscars….I’ve never even seen one in person.

But I have a connection to one of the best movies of the last 25 years….and one of the most memorable  movie characters of all time.

And forget six degrees of separation.  There are only two degrees separating us.

It’s all because I was a tour guide in Niagara Falls.

That was my summer job when I was in college.

I was pretty good at it, if I do say so myself.

After all, I like to talk.  I like to tell stories.  So it was the perfect job for me.

And I did it for four summers, so I told lots of stories to lots of people.

Including an actor.  Who was playing a tour guide in a movie being filmed in the Falls.

One day when I showed up for work, they told me they had chosen me to conduct a special tour.  It seems this actor wanted to observe a real tour guide….so they gave him me.

The movie was called  “Last Embrace”.  Roy Scheider was in it.  So was Christopher Walken.  And it was directed by Jonathan Demme.

Despite those names, it wasn’t very good.

The part of the tour guide was played by a young actor named Gary Goetzman.

Who didn’t have much of an acting career.  Just some small parts in a handful of movies and TV shows.

But he became a producer.  A very successful one.

He produced “Mamma Mia” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”.  He was the co-executive producer of “Band of Brothers”.

And he worked with Demme a few more times.

He produced “Stop Making Sense”.

He was the executive producer of “Philadelphia”.

And….the one I’m talking about….he was the executive producer of “The Silence of the Lambs”.

Featuring this guy:

 Yep, the executive producer of the movie featuring the most famous movie cannibal of all time, studied me for a role in a movie!

So I will forever (at least in my mind) be connected to Hannibal Lecter.

Hmmm….suddenly I’m in the mood for some fava beans and a nice chianti.

Maid of the Mouse?

I’ve been very interested in the news out of Niagara Falls this week concerning the Maid of the Mist.  The latest is that there’s a new deal on the Canadian side.  Starting in 2014, a new company will run the boat ride at the base of the falls.  And in true Niagara Falls fashion, the deal on the Canadian side leaves the American side in limbo…..and could leave the American side up a creek (or a river, in this case).

I’m sure they’ll work something out…..can you imagine no Maid of the Mist on the American side?  However, we are talking about Niagara Falls, so anything is possible.

But that’s not the reason for this post.  When I heard the news, it reminded me that two years ago there was an interesting rumor making the rounds….that Disney was trying to get the Canadian boat lease.  At first, I thought that would be awful for the American side….but then it hit me.  Disney could be the solution for Niagara Falls, NY.  So I posted this commentary on Skunkpost.  And you know what?  Buried in the sarcasm is a pretty good idea.  Are you listening, Niagara Falls? 

  

Money talks, so Wallenda walks

I don’t know about you, but I’m glad that Canada has come to its senses. Not all of Canada, mind you….it’s not like the entire country has gotten together and decided to apologize to the world for Celine Dion.

No, just the Niagara Parks Commission, which has come down from its high horse concerning Nik Wallenda’s high wire act.

They finally wised up and agreed to let Wallenda walk from the U.S. to Canada on an 1,800-foot tightrope high above Niagara Falls and the Niagara Gorge.

Originally, they said no after New York State had given its approval. And think about that one…when’s the last time folks on the American side of the Falls made the right decision?

So once all the details are worked out, a final agreement will be signed and sometime this summer, Wallenda will join the Great Blondin and all the other daredevils who have challenged the Falls.

What led to the change of heart? What do you think? Money, of course. They realized what a goldmine this is.

And that’s what it’s all about.

When the Parks Commission said no to Wallenda last year, they cited safety concerns….but also said the daredevil act just didn’t fit their “mandate, priorities, and long-term goals”. They said those goals were to “promote the Falls as a world-class, natural attraction with unmatched scenery and beauty”.

In other words, everything that Niagara Falls Ontario ISN’T! What’s the image of the city? Schlock. Pure Schlock. If there’s a cheesy, sleazy tourist trap it’s on Clifton Hall. It’s the Jersey Shore, only less classy.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Look, we’re talking about tourism. For years now, Niagara Falls Ontario has made every right decision and Niagara Falls New York has made every wrong one. There’s a reason the Canadian side is jammed with people all summer long and the American side is a ghost town.

Last week when the Parks Commission did its about-face, its chairperson admitted they changed their minds after reviewing not just Walenda’s safety proposal, but also his economic one. Millions of dollars spent by tourists, pumped into the local economy. Priceless publicity.  Wouldn't it be nice if some of those dollars ended up on the American side?

Think about it….we’re months away from Wallenda’s walk. Months of news coverage. Months of feature stories on networks, websites, in newspapers and magazines. And think of the hype when it gets closer.

It’s going to be interesting to see what date they set for the walk. Personally, I think it should be June 30th. That’s the anniversary of the Great Blondin’s first tightrope walk at the Falls. (here’s a link to my story about him and some of the other Falls daredevils)

And actually, speaking of money, June does make more sense than July or August. Those are the peak tourist season months, so anything that would get more people to come here in June would make sense.

But whatever the date, at least it’s going to happen. At least Canada came to its senses.

Now if we can just do something about Celine.

Happy Anniversary, Annie!

110 years ago today must have been quite a day at Niagara Falls.  October 24, 1901 was the day Annie Edson Taylor had her date with destiny.

Yep, this was the day Annie became the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel.  And she survived.

I love telling this story.  I included it in the story I wrote last month about great daredevil accomplishments at the falls.  I also used to tell it every single day, on every single tour I conducted, when I was a tour guide in Niagara Falls.

It’s a great story.  Not because she succeeded….because she failed even though she succeeded.

Huh?

That’s right….Annie Edson Taylor did exactly what she wanted to do.  She had a plan.  She was going to be the first person to survive going over the falls in a barrel.  She was going to be rich and famous.

The survival part worked out just fine.  The rich and famous part….not so much.

Annie Edson Taylor proved you should be careful what you wish for.  Because you just never know.

Annie was a widow.  In fact, her husband was killed in the Civil War….so as you can guess, she was no spring chicken that day in 1901.  In fact, it was her 63^rd birthday.  And if you’ve seen pictures of people from back then, you know 63 was a lot older then than it is now.  These days, people skydive on their 100^th birthday, they run marathons in their 80’s, and 60 is the new 40.  Back then, 60 was the new 80.  Annie was an old lady.

She was a retired school teacher.  And she came up with this plan, so she’d be able to live the good life in her golden years.  It worked out about as well as those retirees who invested with Bernie Madoff.

But on this date, the future was bright.  Annie got into her barrel, along with her lucky pillow, and off she went….through the upper rapids and over the Horseshoe Falls.  When she was rescued at the base of the falls, she was a little banged up and bloody…..but in pretty good shape.

And that’s when her life went down the drain.

For a little while, Annie made a little money talking about her stunt.  But people had trouble believing this matronly woman was the daredevil who defeated one of the wonders of the world.

The crowds dwindled.

Then her manager took off with her barrel.

Then a young woman went on tour, pretending to be Annie….and more people believed her.

Annie Edson Taylor died at the age of 82, penniless, in the Niagara County Infirmary.  She’s buried in the “Stunter’s Section” of the Oakwood Cemetery in Niagara Falls, NY.

But years after she died, something funny happened.  Annie Edson Taylor really did become famous.  Tour guides like me told her story to millions of people.  She was written up in books.  She was in documentaries.  She's in an IMAX movie.  There’s even an Off-Broadway show about her that opened just last week.

So even though it didn’t happen while she was alive to see it, Annie did become famous.  She’s as big a part of the legend of Niagara Falls as anyone who ever lived.

So you never know.