At the movies - with Sam Grant

This is Sim Movie Review and I'm your host, Rick Shawn.

Tonight I have three actors who have just finished filming what should be this year's holiday blockbuster, The Well Beyond Time. I'd like to welcome Marta Tomasi, Jack Harkness and Sam Grant to the studio.

Marta: I would like to say for all three of us that it's a great pleasure to be here.

Rick: Not a problem. Now, this movie is set in?

Marta: We filmed most of it in Egypt.

Marta:  My character is Professor Rhonda Masket, and my speciality is ancient languages including Egyptian hieroglyphs. The story starts with me finding a parchment of ancient hieroglyphs tucked in the back of an old book that I just purchased.

Rick: That seems convenient.

Marta [laughs]: We’ll get back to that. I manage to interpret the parchment and learn that there is a hidden treasure within the Sphinx. So I’m determined to find the treasure and retrieve it to put on display in a museum somewhere. I travel to Egypt and set up in the main tourist camp area.

Sam: Now what Rhonda doesn’t know is that my character, Gabriel Spinner, hide that parchment in a book that he knows she has been wanting to buy. He does this because he can’t find anyone else who could read it. [Evil chuckle] Spinner is not about to donate the treasure to a museum, he wants that treasure for his own.

Rick: So, Sam, you are playing the villain again?

Sam: Yes, that's right.

Rick: This is the third movie where you are playing the villain. Aren’t you tired of it yet?

Sam: Actually, it’s the fourth time I’ve been the baddy. But it’s better to be a villain than to be unemployed.

Marta: It’s that laugh of yours, Sam. Sends chills down my spine even when I know you’re not in character.

Sam: I must say is that it’s a good thing black suits me. Every director seems determined to make the villain wear black.

Marta: What else should a villain wear?

Sam: Canary yellow?  Shocking pink? [laughs] I don't know, but when you see someone dressed in black you should run the other direction.

Rick: Well, if Marta is our hero and Sam is the villain, that must make Jack the love interest.

Jack: Sort of. My character is Jonathan Hawk. He does become the love interest because…
well, here’s the clip.

[Clip starts]

Gabriel: So Jonathan, I need you to spy on the good Professor Rhonda for me. You'll be staying in the tent next to hers.

Jonathan: How would you expect me to spy on her?

Gabriel: My personal recommendation would be as her lover. Your looks do have their advantages.

Jonathan: I don't see why you don't do it yourself.

Gabriel: I fear I have a certain - reputation - amongst the academic community.

Jonathan: You mean this isn't your first time?

Gabriel: Correct. Now can I count on you? For an appropriate fee, of course.

Jonathan: Well, I guess that I can.

[clip ends]

Jack: But it doesn’t take long for my character to start falling for her wit, charm and determination.

Marta: It helps that I can read some of the warning signs left in the Sphinx. After I’ve saved his hide a few times, he is a little more reluctant to be a spy.

Rick: My understanding is the on screen romance isn’t the only one.

Marta: That’s true. Jack and I started dating part way through the filming.

Sam: They’ve been appalling. During the love scenes, the director would yell cut and they would just keep smooching. Plus we had to announce ourselves whenever we went around a corner, just in case they happened to be there.

Rick: Not a fan of true love, Sam?

Sam: True love is fine as long as you don’t force everyone else to put up with it. Coming around a corner to find the two of them slobbering on each other was getting old.

Marta: Sam, you are just an old grouch. No wonder you always play the villain.

Rick: So, are there wedding bells in the near future for you, Marta? Jack?

Marta: We haven't made any plans yet.

Jack: But we haven't ruled marriage out either. We both need a bit of time away from the set and the paparazzi before we can decide.

Rick: All right then. One last question for you. I've heard that this movie was cursed. Is that true?

Sam: Well, we did have an unusual number of equipment breakdowns. Almost every day, something didn't work right. Cameras, lights, vehicles and even our phones would just stop working for awhile, and then start working again for no particular reason.

Marta: At least you were out of the worst part, Sam. While you were stalking around outside muttering your plans, things down in the bowels of the set were dangerous. Sometimes the rigs we had set up for traps in the Sphinx would go off when they weren't supposed to. One of the stunt people had to be hospitalised after getting second degree burns from a fire trap.

Rick: Was that the worst injury? I'd heard that there were multiple deaths.

Jack: Thankfully, no one died. The burns were the worst injury anyone suffered on set. But the equipment failures made every day a pain in the backside. We had to do a lot more takes than usual and you had to worry whenever you went near any of the rigs.

Marta: But we are sure that the movie will be fun and exciting to watch.

Rick: Well, what we've seen of the movie looks fantastic. I would recommend that everyone go to see it in the 3D version while they can. I'm sure I'll see you all again when the sequel comes out. Thank you, Marta, Jack and Sam for coming.

Marta: Thank you, Rick. I've had a great time and I'm sure everyone will love the movie.

Rick: Special thanks to our audience. Next week, I'll be reviewing The Fantamic Sims. Be sure to watch.

Hi Mum, It's Sammy (The Return of Clone 63 - Part 9)

Author's note: I realise that there have been no posts in this blog for a year. Surprise! And sorry about the long wait.

That night was probably the least restful sleep that I'd had in years. Snuggling up to someone in a clown get up was just too freaky, and I discovered that I had a hard time sleeping when I couldn't snuggle.

The sun was barely peeping over the horizon when I gave up and got out of bed. It was early than I wanted to be up, but if you can't sleep, what's the point of being in the bed?

"Hey, little guy," I said as I pulled out the holosprite. "I hope you are feeling happy today."

Hi Mum, It's Sammy (The Return of Clone 63 - Part 8)

"Monica?"

"Yes, Pop?"

"Your father and I are planning to spend the weekend at the resort. Would you and Goby keep an eye on your siblings?"

"Pop! I might have plans for the weekend." I noticed the word 'might'. So she probably doesn't have any yet. Perhaps a little cash?

"It's worth 100 simoleons."

"To share with Goby?" Monica did not sound very impressed with that idea.

I had thought 100 wasn't a bad offer for both of them. Well, it is a whole weekend. I suppose I can up the amount. "100 simoleons each, but you better do a good job of it. Both of you," I told Monica.

"Okay Pop. I'll do it." I smiled. Nothing like cash to motive a teen.

Having settled what to do with the kids for the weekend, Jericho and I threw a few things in a bag and headed for the resort. It wasn't long before we arrived. The new house really is quite close to it.

Hi Mum, It's Sammy (The Return of Clone 63 - Part 7)

Sunrise over the ocean, it was always such a beautiful sight.

"Jericho, I had the weirdest dream last night. I dreamt that you and I had gone through this time portal and into the future. Do you think that Goby had anything to do with it?"

I could imagine our son doing something like that, just to test his newfound ability to influence dreams. It had been the most realistic dream. If it had been Goby, he was already an artist at creating dreams.

"Sammy, you might want to check your pockets first," was the mysterious response from Jericho.

I started to checked my pockets and realised that I had on the same black outfit that I'd acquired during the dream. Wait, what?

An interlude - Into the Future with Sam and Jericho

I am not going to try and fit this into the current Sammy story. But here's their first foray into the future.

So the time portal and traveller appear.

He gives an almanac to Jer.

And glitch stops play.

Hi Mum, It's Sammy (The Return of Clone 63 - Part 6)

During my working day, it was all pretty much the same routine. Answer a few calls, reassure old Mrs Wilkins that no one was spying on her (twice), write a few tickets and generally do all the mundane stuff that police are expected to do.

But it's becoming increasingly clear that I must write reports on citizens, if I want another promotion. There's no time to do that during my work hours, I'm going to have to write those reports during my off hours.

To get some information so I could even start a report, I first tried asking questions of the various people I met during the day. All of the answers I got were either vague or evasive. I was never going to write a report based on them.

So I was reduced to digging through someone's trash, just to find something I could write a freaking report on. I don't normally mind dirt but rummaging through trash is taking dirt to a whole new level. One that I'm not comfortable with.

Maybe giving up police work to do more with the resort is a plan. At least I won't have this to deal with.

Hi Mum, It's Sammy (The Return of Clone 63 - Part 5)

It was the nightmare. I'd had the damned thing multiple times, a couple of times a year since the original event happened.

In the nightmare, I was going to be too late.

In the nightmare, I wasn't going to save Jer.

It was based on the worst moment of my life - when Jericho was being attacked. That scene, with Jer flat and motionless on the floor, still haunts me.

Usually, if Jer is in bed, some part of me realises that it's a nightmare. Or Jer, sensing my distress, holds me tightly which helps. The scene plays out as it really happened. Jericho is seriously hurt but alive.

Real Jericho wasn't in bed so in the dream I dive past Chuck and wrap my arms around Jericho.

I do know it's a nightmare. In the nightmare, I also know that he's dying, I hadn't been fast enough to save him.

"No!" I howl to the world as I hold Jericho close. He's about to breathe his last. He's going to die.

Hi Mum, It's Sammy (The Return of Clone 63 - Part 4)

Since Jericho had gone off with Monica and the toddlers were having a nap, it was a good time for me to spend time with Goby. I sat down next to him, already working away at his homework.

"Thanks for helping, Pop."

"Not a problem, Goby. What sort of assignment is it tonight?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "Just a bit of maths, Pop. I could just grab a calculator."

"No, Goby, don't." I told him. "Sure, when you are older, you'll use a calculator or computer for all of it. But you should know how to do basic maths without help."

He gave me a look of disgust. "But Pop! Why should I bother now?"

"Let's say you are in a shop. You can pick the bag with 100 mints for 1.50. Or a bag of 300 mints for $5.00. Now which do you buy?"

Goby didn't stop to think. "The bigger bag?"

Hi Mum, It's Sammy (The Return of Clone 63 - Part 3)

"Monica, can you talk to me now and tell me what's wrong?" I asked her as gently as I could. Monica had finally stopped hiccuping and I was hoping to get to the bottom of her troubles. "Who doesn't like you? Is your brother bothering you?"

Monica sniffed. "Pop, it's Dad. Ever since we've moved, it's like I don't even exist. After school, he and Goby swim off going deep in the water and he doesn't even notice me." She stopped to wipe another tear away.

My heart ached for Monica. "Sweetheart, you and I are going to have to make some allowances sometimes because your dad and siblings were born to live in water. Your dad spent a long time living too far away from the ocean. He missed it and right now, he wants to show Goby everything. He never neglected you back on the Plains, did he?"

Monica shook her head. "No, he spent lots of time with both of us."

"I'll talk to him, sweetheart. I'm sure that he loves you just as much as Goby." Goddess, I hope that's true or we are going to have words; serious and angry words.

"Will you Pop?" she sniffed a few more times. "I've been afraid to ask. What if he really says that I'm just not as important as Goby? I'll never swim nearly as well as he can. I'm not a strider, I'm just...me." The tears started flowing again.

I hugged her again. "Monica, you are always you. That's really all any of us can say. But if it makes you feel better, we can find something you can do really well. Drawing, music, science, dancing, there's a lot of things out that you can try." I crouched down so I could look her in the eyes. "Everyone in this family is very important. Don't forget that."

Hi Mum, It's Sammy (The Return of Clone 63 - Part 2)

"Pop? Could you help me with my homework?"

"Depends, honey. Whatcha got? I'm not much use on local history. I don't know any more than you do about that." I could never get either Monica or Goby to admit to being the one who started calling me "Pop the Cop." I'm pretty sure it was Monica who decided to get sillier and sometimes call me "Poppa the Coppa" though she won't admit to that either. Jericho gets to be just Dad.

"Logic problems, Pop. You know the kind. Randy, Sandy and Andy live on the same street. They live in a red house, a blue house and a green house. One owns a cat, one owns a dog and one owns a rat. Who lives in which house with which pet?" Logic has never been a strong point with me but this should be good practice.

"All right, Monica. Let's tackle it. What else do we know?"

Hi Mum, It's Sammy (The Return of Clone 63 - Part 1)

"Sammy?"

"Yes, love?"

"Thank you for arranging this holiday. It's been the best."

"Blue and beautiful, I thought you'd enjoy this." I had arranged a one week holiday at a small, very cheap and run down little resort on an island for my family. From the moment we stepped off the plane, I knew that this was the right place for Jericho and for our Strider children. For the first time since I've known him, Jer was completely relaxed, happy and content.

Not that Jer ever complained about our life in the plains. But he told me on our first date that he was a creature of the sea. And Appaloosa Plains didn't have salt water in any quantity, just one small salt water pond. The islands here were surrounded by salt water. More than enough to sooth the soul of my Seastrider husband.

Hi Mum, It's Sammy (clone 69 - part 7 - Finale)

So, Sammy, how are Mr and Mrs Grant?

Mum, Ashley was the best possible thing I could have gotten out of going to University. She's adorable and she adores me.

"Better catch this honey, I'm going to blow you a kiss."

"Ashley, I treasure every kiss you give me. Have I told you lately how much I adore you?"

"Not for at least 5 minutes, honey."

"I've been slack. I adore you, Ashley Grant. I wish I could give the love of my life a proper honeymoon. I'm sorry we haven't the money to travel."

"Honestly, Sam. It doesn't matter. We have a home. We have enough money to get the baby what it will need. And I have you. That's what I really want."

"Let's not forget Berjes. He's been a great son since I adopted him."

Wished for him from a wishing well, Sam.

Same difference really.

"I like Berjes. If he gets along with the baby, maybe he'll babysit if we go out for a night."

Sammy, a new venue.

Yes, a coffeehouse just opened up and I've got the very first gig here.

Well, good luck. You can certainly use the money.

I'm hitting this crowd up with everything I have. For once, there wasn't a freaking paparazzi on the stage when I was supposed to start. That's usually just so annoying that I'm off balance for the first hour.

I'd love to change the ice cream shop background but I haven't the cash to buy and set up my own stage props.

And let's not mention how lame the music gets. It drives me nuts but I can't turn it off.

I did the fire baton a few times and did not once set myself on fire.

That alone makes this a good performance for me.

Damn, Sammy, you have been working out. That has to take a lot of strength.

Not just strength, you have to develop enough flexibility. It's no been easy to get here.

A bit more patter, a lot more juggling, some more mime work.

Wow, Sammy, you still have an audience at nearly the end of the performance.

Plus they all seem very enthused. Cheers and hand waves at every table.

I'm glad. This is the best damned show I've ever given.

I can tell Sammy. It's been excellent.

"I'd like to thank you for being a fantastic audience. Good night everyone."

"Excuse me, Sammy the Spectacular, I'd like to offer you a weekly gig."

"Really?"

"Yes, Thursday nights starting at 6 pm are all yours."

"Thank you, I'll be here."

Congrats Sammy, you have a regular gig. That should make life a little easier.

Attack of the zombies? Looks a bit scary.

Are you kidding? All I have to do is walk away. He can't keep up at all.

Now might be a good time to prove that.

Okay, I walked inside. Zombie failed to stop me. Time for some food.

"Sammy, it's time."

"I'm eating, can't it wait?"

"Sammy, babies don't like to wait."

"Oh god, baby? You want the hospital?"

"Yes, honey. Now."

Awww, it's a boy. Are you happy, Sam?

Of course I'm happy. Meet our new son, Larry.

Sammy? Is that Berjes new room?

He wouldn't want to share with the baby now, would he?

Yeah, but the colour scheme. Isn't that colour and that pattern a bit ... feminine?

I got that for free. When Berjes gets home, we can find him something more suitable. Bedspread and wallpaper.

I'm sure he is pleased to not have to share with the new baby.

We didn't get much yet for the baby. I don't think it will need much beyond the crib and we are still a bit cash strapped.

It's a cute crib and the baby does have a room to itself. That would be something.

"Hey adorable."

"Hey handsome, what's up?"

"I was wondering if I could convince you to play a little. Go back to our Uni study breaks, so to speak."

"Oh Sammy, stop. Any time you want to play, you can just ask."

The local karaoke joint had a SimFest. I decided to go and check out the competition in town.

The magician was godawful. She only performed a handful of tricks after I arrived and failed about half of them. The Fest had been going on for some time, I don't know if the other performers were better or not.

"I'd like a try on stage, if there is room in the lineup."

"There's room. What's your act and stage name?"

"I'm an acrobat. Sammy the Spectacular."

"Just as soon as the magician is done, you're up. And at the rate she's going, it won't be long."

By the time I'd changed into my outfit, the magician was off the stage.

The audience didn't seem that thrilled by her. I was hoping she hadn't left them cold.

So I was pretty pleased to be greeted by a lot of applause. I launched straight into my usual array of tricks. Juggling, the fire baton.

Any accidents?

No, no, I did that on purpose.

Sammy!

All right, I do still have problem with the fire baton. Good thing it's a flame retardant costume.

Your backside must nearly be flame proof as well.

Sheesh, Mum.

At least the contortion stunts all went well.

Cami seemed quite impressed by the show, actually.

"Thank you all, you've been a wonderful audience."

"Let's all thank Sammy the Spectacular. Next up, Ronnie Rotgut with a few of your favourite songs."

Hey Mum, later that evening, I found that I'd won the SimFest.

Well done, Sammy.

Berjes really is growing up well, Sammy.

And he likes Ashley quite a lot. It's good for both of them, Ashley doesn't know many people in town. Berjes has always wanted a proper family so having a step-mom makes him much happier.

Well Mum, I guess it's time to say farewell. I have a lovely wife, 2 fine sons and my professional life is finally coming together well. You were right that I shouldn't have been pushing for luck, more work got me where I really wanted to be.


---
Note, under normal circumstances, I would have followed Sam to the top of the profession. Unfortunately, the save was corrupted by sending him to University with some mods not really ready. After he got home, the crashes were more and more frequent.

So this comes to an end since I do have an older save that I can get Sam to the top of the profession without it crashing so much. But since that's before University, Ashley won't be there so that's why this story ends now.

I think Sammy did hate being embarrassed on stage. I've never seen him stop and bellow at the world quite so regularly as this one did. Just about every performance, until the last couple after Ashley came into his life.

---

The look of shame because a trick failed. Poor Sammy.

Hadn't seen Sam try this stunt before. I have seen Shrimp try it a few times in a different game and he's still never done it. Always flat on the face.