Theme: FASTEN (60A. Attach, perhaps with hardware that begins the answers to starred clues) - The starting words of the four theme answers are all fasteners.
17A. *Stable storage enclosure: TACK ROOM
61A. *Benjamin Button portrayer: BRAD PITT. What's your favorite Brad Pitt movie? I liked "Troy".
10D. *Wacko: SCREWBALL
34D. *Game that goes down to the wire: NAIL-BITER.
And one more fastener U-BOLT (29A. Letter-shaped hardware).
Simple theme, just as Scott Arkinson mentioned in his interview. The defining FASTEN, without which the theme would still be apparent, further clears up & unifies the four theme entries. Plenty of long & lively fill, esp the Down entries.
Quite a few names in this puzzle. But most of them are easily recognizable. I noticed that on Wednesdays, besides providing the film name hint, Rich Norris tends to give either the surname or the given name of the movie stars to further ease up the clues. EMMA (37A. Mrs. Peel of "The Avengers") is a good example.
Across:
1. Mesmerized: RAPT
5. Medicinal amt.: TSP. 14 Ts in this puzzle.
8. Fenway Park city: BOSTON. Home to the Red Sox.
16. Concert bonus: ENCORE
19. They save the day: HEROES. Nice clue.
20. Affliction: DISEASE
21. Be scared to: DARE NOT. Not Dennis. He dares everything.
22. Bank acct. entry: INT (Interest). And T-NOTE (32D. Conservative IRA asset). Matures in 2-10 years. T-Bill matures in one year or less.
23. Symbol on several keys: ARROW. Computer keys.
24. No __: menu notice: MSG. Chinese dumpling tastes so much better with MSG.
27. Company featuring cavemen in its ads: GEICO. So easy even a caveman can fill the blanks.
33. Chinese currency: YUAN. Chinese dollar. We call US dollar as Mei Yuan. Mei = American. Another currency is DINAR (50D. Iraqi money).
35. Play thing: PROP. Stage play.
36. It's a wrap: SARAN. Have seen this clue a few times. Still love it.
38. Arias, e.g.: SOLOS
40. Plastic surgeon's offering, for short: LIPO (Liposuction). Lipo is just prefix for "fat".
41. "Ghostbusters" co-writer Harold: RAMIS. Wikipedia says he also co-wrote "Caddyshack".
43. Laugh from a Stooge: NYUK. Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk, Curly's laugh. Unknown to me.
44. In unfamiliar territory, maybe: LOST
45. Dandruff site: SCALP
46. Commonly cluttered room: ATTIC. Any old baseball cards there?
48. Maiden name lead-in: NEE
49. Reward for merit: BADGE
51. Egg carton no.: DOZ. I wonder who first thought of putting a dozen instead of ten eggs in a carton.
53. Great Plains terrain: PRAIRIE
56. Mötley Crüe's two: UMLAUTS. The diacritic marks above the vowels in Mötley & Crüe.
62. Fellini's realm: CINEMA
63. Site of the smallest bone in the body: EAR. Good to know.
64. Lowly worker: PEON
65. Sleep apnea sufferer, often: SNORER
66. The Hartford logo: ELK. No idea. See this sign. Why are so many insurance companies based in Hartford?
67. Egyptian snakes: ASPS
Down:
1. Former gen.'s status: RETD (Retired)
3. Cam's output: PICS
4. Sulu portrayer on "Star Trek": TAKEI (George). Surname in the clue, surname in the answer.
5. Lively "Texas" dances: TWO- STEPS. Texas Two-Step. I obtained the answer from crosses.
6. Cobbler's concern: SHOE
7. Spitz-type dog, for short: POM (Pomeranian)
8. Joy of "The View": BEHAR. She's quite bubbly.
9. Burdensome: ONEROUS
11. Ren or Stimpy, e.g.: TOON
12. Its creme may be eaten first: OREO. I don't like the creme at all. Also dislike icing on the cake.
13. Hornet's home: NEST. Was worried that Hornets might refer to a sport team.
18. Tolled: RANG
21. Fail to finish school: DROP OUT
23. Altar boy: ACOLYTE. Seldom see this word in a crossword.
24. Clinton press secretary Dee Dee: MYERS. She sure knows how to spin.
25. "Poison" shrub: SUMAC
26. Beta follower: GAMMA
17A. *Stable storage enclosure: TACK ROOM
61A. *Benjamin Button portrayer: BRAD PITT. What's your favorite Brad Pitt movie? I liked "Troy".
10D. *Wacko: SCREWBALL
34D. *Game that goes down to the wire: NAIL-BITER.
And one more fastener U-BOLT (29A. Letter-shaped hardware).
Simple theme, just as Scott Arkinson mentioned in his interview. The defining FASTEN, without which the theme would still be apparent, further clears up & unifies the four theme entries. Plenty of long & lively fill, esp the Down entries.
Quite a few names in this puzzle. But most of them are easily recognizable. I noticed that on Wednesdays, besides providing the film name hint, Rich Norris tends to give either the surname or the given name of the movie stars to further ease up the clues. EMMA (37A. Mrs. Peel of "The Avengers") is a good example.
Across:
1. Mesmerized: RAPT
5. Medicinal amt.: TSP. 14 Ts in this puzzle.
8. Fenway Park city: BOSTON. Home to the Red Sox.
16. Concert bonus: ENCORE
19. They save the day: HEROES. Nice clue.
20. Affliction: DISEASE
21. Be scared to: DARE NOT. Not Dennis. He dares everything.
22. Bank acct. entry: INT (Interest). And T-NOTE (32D. Conservative IRA asset). Matures in 2-10 years. T-Bill matures in one year or less.
23. Symbol on several keys: ARROW. Computer keys.
24. No __: menu notice: MSG. Chinese dumpling tastes so much better with MSG.
27. Company featuring cavemen in its ads: GEICO. So easy even a caveman can fill the blanks.
33. Chinese currency: YUAN. Chinese dollar. We call US dollar as Mei Yuan. Mei = American. Another currency is DINAR (50D. Iraqi money).
35. Play thing: PROP. Stage play.
36. It's a wrap: SARAN. Have seen this clue a few times. Still love it.
38. Arias, e.g.: SOLOS
40. Plastic surgeon's offering, for short: LIPO (Liposuction). Lipo is just prefix for "fat".
41. "Ghostbusters" co-writer Harold: RAMIS. Wikipedia says he also co-wrote "Caddyshack".
43. Laugh from a Stooge: NYUK. Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk, Curly's laugh. Unknown to me.
44. In unfamiliar territory, maybe: LOST
45. Dandruff site: SCALP
46. Commonly cluttered room: ATTIC. Any old baseball cards there?
48. Maiden name lead-in: NEE
49. Reward for merit: BADGE
51. Egg carton no.: DOZ. I wonder who first thought of putting a dozen instead of ten eggs in a carton.
53. Great Plains terrain: PRAIRIE
56. Mötley Crüe's two: UMLAUTS. The diacritic marks above the vowels in Mötley & Crüe.
62. Fellini's realm: CINEMA
63. Site of the smallest bone in the body: EAR. Good to know.
64. Lowly worker: PEON
65. Sleep apnea sufferer, often: SNORER
66. The Hartford logo: ELK. No idea. See this sign. Why are so many insurance companies based in Hartford?
67. Egyptian snakes: ASPS
Down:
1. Former gen.'s status: RETD (Retired)
3. Cam's output: PICS
4. Sulu portrayer on "Star Trek": TAKEI (George). Surname in the clue, surname in the answer.
5. Lively "Texas" dances: TWO- STEPS. Texas Two-Step. I obtained the answer from crosses.
6. Cobbler's concern: SHOE
7. Spitz-type dog, for short: POM (Pomeranian)
8. Joy of "The View": BEHAR. She's quite bubbly.
9. Burdensome: ONEROUS
11. Ren or Stimpy, e.g.: TOON
12. Its creme may be eaten first: OREO. I don't like the creme at all. Also dislike icing on the cake.
13. Hornet's home: NEST. Was worried that Hornets might refer to a sport team.
18. Tolled: RANG
21. Fail to finish school: DROP OUT
23. Altar boy: ACOLYTE. Seldom see this word in a crossword.
24. Clinton press secretary Dee Dee: MYERS. She sure knows how to spin.
25. "Poison" shrub: SUMAC
26. Beta follower: GAMMA
28. Early metalworking period: IRON AGE. When people started to use coins.
30. Belted constellation: ORION. Why is it "Belted"?
31. Forgetful moment: LAPSE
39. Sudden-braking result: SKID MARK. Two Ks.
42. "I don't want to hear the rest": SPARE ME
52. Rock artist Frank: ZAPPA. Father of Moon Unit.
53. Cpls.' underlings: PFCS. PFC = Private First Class.
54. Picnic spoiler: RAIN. For once it's not ANT.
55. "It will come __ surprise": AS NO
56. River through southern Russia: URAL
57. One-eighties: U-IES
58. Corvette roof option: T-TOP. Three Ts in this corner.
59. Train sched. list: STNS
61. Blossom visitor: BEE. Hey, Melissa!
