'Arrrrr!'

The Chicago Tribune ^ | July 9, 2006 | Steve Knopper

[SuzyQ2]

"When you look at the golden age of piracy, 1692 to about 1725, pirates were considered what they in fact were -- ruthless brigands, murderers, thieves," says W. Thomas Smith Jr., co-author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Pirates." "Robert Louis Stevenson's book romanticized pirates and made them very personable. That was taken a step further with the story of 'Peter Pan,' where Captain Hook was loosely based on the image of Blackbeard -- and as we all know, Blackbeard was a horrible guy."

So, Mr. Smith, who's your favorite pirate? "I would have to say, I guess, Blackbeard -- it's kind of fun to read about the really bad. He was so colorful, lighting the fuses with his beard, and there's the legend of when he was beheaded, the body swam around the ship several times. He was absolutely, utterly fascinating."

[tsomer]

Loved the first even more, but this was nice.

Well, I wasn't having what you'd consider the optimal movie experience. We went to a late afternoon matinee hoping to avoid the crowd and went a little early to grab good seats. Sat through 40 minutes of idiocy (it's looking grim for summer movies ) and watched all my elbow room fill in. Wound up wedged between my son and a hyperactive 6 year old. I'd forgotten to bring a few Advil, you know, just in case. I did take an extra shirt,long-sleeved, anticipating (yearning for) an artic blast of AC.

I didn't need the shirt, the AC was broken. But I did need those Advils.

[pollyannaish]

LOL. That's great.

[COEXERJ145]

Yep, I've got it too. :-)

[mewzilla]

Captain Kitt

[Ciexyz]

Errol Flynn looked absolutely gorgeous, and was at the top of his form, in "Captain Blood". No film star since that era has equaled him in looks or captivating personality. When I was recently rewatching the DVD of Captain Blood, I got chills from Flynn's performance, it was perfect.

[mewzilla]

Yup. They don't make 'em like that anymore :(

So thank goodness for DVDs :)

[Darksheare]

"A Pirates life is a wonderful life, you'll find it all good sport.."

[mewzilla]

Oh, better far to live and die
Under the brave black flag I fly,
Than play a sanctimonious part,
With a pirate head and a pirate heart.
Away to the cheating world go you,
Where pirates all are well-to-do;
But I'll be true to the song I sing,
And live and die a Pirate King.

[COEXERJ145]

[Radix]

That is really funny.

I don't get out much.

[Richard Kimball]

The calm is on the water
and some of us would linger by the shore.
For ships are safe in harbor,
But that's not what ships are for.

[Slings and Arrows]

Arrrr.

[Tribune7]

ARRRRR!' can mean anything you want it to mean," says John "Ol' Chumbucket" Bauer, a founder of the official Talk Like a Pirate Day Web site.

Wow. Jack Bauer does everything. Betcha nobody calls him "Ol' Chumbucket" to his face.

Except maybe Kim.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

Pretty funny!

[AnAmericanMother]

My son's middle school principal was named Teach.

Everybody else thought "Teacher - Teach. Cute."

Me, I see her in the hall and yell, "Shiver me timbers, it's Captain Teach!"

( . . . she's a great school principal. Even has a sense of humor.)

[AnAmericanMother]

Did you notice how this Pirates movie stole the famous scene where the great Douglas Fairbanks rode his cutlass down the mainsail in The Black Pirate?

[AnAmericanMother]

Oh it is a glorious thing, to be a Pirate King!

[Ciexyz]

Looking forward to seeing this latest Pirate film.

[AnAmericanMother]

It's fun even though the plot is way confusing.

There are other references to famous movies besides The Black Pirate. Look for the Phantom of the Opera riff.