Shazbot! For a lot of us, this hurts.
Oscar, Grammy, & Golden Globe winner Robin Williams passed away Monday, ending his own life at 63 after a bout with depression. What could've brought on the depression, you might ask. I cannot say for sure, but I would suspect that what Williams, and a lot of us, for that matter, thought might be a sure-fire hit, The Crazy Ones, was instead cancelled after one season, cutting short what had been a triumphant return to series television.
After being part of Richard Pryor's repertory company, Williams, of course, hit it big with Mork & Mindy, spun off from his appearance on Happy Days. Mork ran for four seasons, five if you count the ill-advised, misguided, animated prequel that ABC commissioned from Ruby-Spears & Paramount after the main series ended. However, Williams turned his enormous talents to movies, taking full advantage of his training at Julliard. The hits came one right after the other. "The World According to Garp". "Good Morning Vietnam". "Dead Poets Society". "Good Will Hunting", for which Williams won his only Oscar. "The Fisher King". Sure, there were the clunkers mixed in (i.e. "Cadillac Man", with Tim Robbins), but a lot of those were not his fault.
For an example of what he was capable of, let's look back at a time when Robin pulled double duty on Mork:
Edit, 5/10/24: Have to change the video. Here's "A Morkville Horror":
In recent times, Williams was making spot guest appearances on shows as diverse as Whose Line Is It Anyway? (w/Drew Carey) and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, the latter the last of his villain roles. He has four more movies due out over the next few months, including "Night At The Museum: Secret of the Tomb", with Ben Stiller & Owen Wilson, which will be out for the holidays, and likely dedicated to Williams' memory.
I would imagine that there will be a Mork & Mindy marathon announced shortly (Hub was the last network to hold the rights, unless TV Land has a share), plus a sudden run of films airing on any number of cable channels. Whatever demons drove Williams to this point took away a genius who still had much to offer.
Rest in peace, Robin. Heaven's comedy club awaits.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Sunday, August 10, 2014
How many times have you seen this ad? (2014)
M & M-Mars premiered this ad for M & M's candies during this year's Super Bowl, but I'll bet you've seen this at least a few dozen more times since, depending on how often you're at the multiplex.
This spot precedes the trailers and is, in fact, a parody of some of those trailers, which makes Ford's summer campaigns last year and this year look like vanity dressing.
Need I say more?
This spot precedes the trailers and is, in fact, a parody of some of those trailers, which makes Ford's summer campaigns last year and this year look like vanity dressing.
Need I say more?
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Musical Interlude: Games People Play (1980)
Here's a rare glimpse of the Alan Parsons Project, whose 1980 hit, "Games People Play", off "The Turn of a Friendly Card", was the first song I'd heard from the band.
From the band's VEVO channel:
From the band's VEVO channel:
Thursday, August 7, 2014
WWE is missing the point on one match at Summerslam
One of the spotlight matches at WWE's August "special event", Summerslam, sees corporate heiress Stephanie McMahon returning to competition for the first time in nearly 11 years. However, this time, she's not the crowd favorite, unlike in 2003, when she had the support of the fans against her insane father, Vince. This time, Vince is using her and her husband, Triple H, to continue his tired old schtick of the authority figures screwing with the talent. He's pulling the puppet strings because he knows his own act is tired and stale, and he should be at home with the grandchildren.
Stephanie is being pitted against former Divas champion Brie Bella, wife of former champ Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson), who is on the DL with neck & shoulder injuries. Rumors have Brie's twin sister, Nikki, turning on Brie, and also having Triple H, in a clear conflict of interest, as the referee.
Let's address these rumors, one at a time.
1. Having the Bella Twins feud does nothing for either sister, or the Divas division. Period. It would work better if Bryan were on the active roster, but he isn't, and may not be for a while to come. Plus, while fans have been screaming for Nikki's squeeze, current champ John Cena, to turn heel, that won't happen anytime soon, either, because his merchandise brings in too much money to the WWE coffers.
2. Triple H would be better served as a manager, assuming Bryan makes it to LA to be in his wife's corner, risking further injury. However, the "Authority"'s power abuses over the last year require having a neutral advocate to ensure there won't be any sort of a screwjob.
Since I'm overqualified to be a member of WWE's much-maligned creative team, let me offer a solution.
Since this week's television is already taped, let's set the scene for next week.
Raw: The main attraction may be a birthday party for Hulk Hogan, but a couple more surprises would impact the McMahon-Bella match. To wit:
1. The return of Linda McMahon. I'm not kidding. The former CEO has kept a low profile since losing her second attempt at political office in 2012, and who else could perhaps force some sense into her daughter & son-in-law six days before one of the biggest PPV's of the year?
2. The identity of the special referee needs to be a real surprise. The way I see it, you need someone with no vested interest in either competitor, nor any past history on either side. Clues would be sprinkled throughout the 3 hour show, and since Hogan will likely get the final segment, this has to start the 3rd hour. By this point, Mrs. McMahon will have made her presence known and back in a WWE ring for the first time in several years. She isn't taking back her old job, but she is serving as an advisor to the new GM, since WWE needs a babyface administrator to offset McMahon-Helmsley Era II. We'll get to that in a bit, but as for the ref, Linda also has that figured out, and has some long forgotten music queued, leading with:
"I'm the lady to mess with!"
Yep, former women's champion Victoria (Lisa Varon, most recently with Ring of Honor after a lengthy run in TNA as Tara) would return after several years away. The shocked expression on Stephanie's face would be priceless. There would be no advance warning in either of these cases, and the crowd pop in Portland, Oregon would be off the charts for Victoria. Trust me on that.
Victoria would cut a promo promising she would be impartial, and, glaring at Triple H, she won't take any crap from anyone, period.
Linda then adds Hogan as an outside enforcer.
Let's see how WWE Uncreative screws this up.
Stephanie is being pitted against former Divas champion Brie Bella, wife of former champ Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson), who is on the DL with neck & shoulder injuries. Rumors have Brie's twin sister, Nikki, turning on Brie, and also having Triple H, in a clear conflict of interest, as the referee.
Let's address these rumors, one at a time.
1. Having the Bella Twins feud does nothing for either sister, or the Divas division. Period. It would work better if Bryan were on the active roster, but he isn't, and may not be for a while to come. Plus, while fans have been screaming for Nikki's squeeze, current champ John Cena, to turn heel, that won't happen anytime soon, either, because his merchandise brings in too much money to the WWE coffers.
2. Triple H would be better served as a manager, assuming Bryan makes it to LA to be in his wife's corner, risking further injury. However, the "Authority"'s power abuses over the last year require having a neutral advocate to ensure there won't be any sort of a screwjob.
Since I'm overqualified to be a member of WWE's much-maligned creative team, let me offer a solution.
Since this week's television is already taped, let's set the scene for next week.
Raw: The main attraction may be a birthday party for Hulk Hogan, but a couple more surprises would impact the McMahon-Bella match. To wit:
1. The return of Linda McMahon. I'm not kidding. The former CEO has kept a low profile since losing her second attempt at political office in 2012, and who else could perhaps force some sense into her daughter & son-in-law six days before one of the biggest PPV's of the year?
2. The identity of the special referee needs to be a real surprise. The way I see it, you need someone with no vested interest in either competitor, nor any past history on either side. Clues would be sprinkled throughout the 3 hour show, and since Hogan will likely get the final segment, this has to start the 3rd hour. By this point, Mrs. McMahon will have made her presence known and back in a WWE ring for the first time in several years. She isn't taking back her old job, but she is serving as an advisor to the new GM, since WWE needs a babyface administrator to offset McMahon-Helmsley Era II. We'll get to that in a bit, but as for the ref, Linda also has that figured out, and has some long forgotten music queued, leading with:
"I'm the lady to mess with!"
Yep, former women's champion Victoria (Lisa Varon, most recently with Ring of Honor after a lengthy run in TNA as Tara) would return after several years away. The shocked expression on Stephanie's face would be priceless. There would be no advance warning in either of these cases, and the crowd pop in Portland, Oregon would be off the charts for Victoria. Trust me on that.
Victoria would cut a promo promising she would be impartial, and, glaring at Triple H, she won't take any crap from anyone, period.
Linda then adds Hogan as an outside enforcer.
Let's see how WWE Uncreative screws this up.
Saturday, August 2, 2014
In Theatres: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Before we discuss Marvel's 4th feature film of the year, a little history lesson is in order.
The Guardians of the Galaxy were originally a group of 31st century wayfarers, long since ret-conned as an alternate reality, thanks to all the excessive tweaking Marvel has done with its rich history over the years. More than was really necessary, to be honest. The current group was put together six years ago, marking the 40th anniversary of the franchise with an eye toward creating a building block for Marvel's cinematic universe.
These "Guardians" are a band of outlaws, though long time fans know that wasn't always the case. To wit:
Peter Jason Quill, aka Star Lord (Chris Pratt, Parks & Recreation) was introduced in Marvel Preview, a black & white magazine that came out in the mid-70's. Created by Chris Claremont & John Byrne before they began their epic run on X-Men, Star Lord was a hero from the beginning, as reprints of his earlier adventures will attest.
Drax, the Destroyer (WWE star Dave Bautista, aka "The Animal" Batista) was originally a human named Arthur Douglas, transformed into a green skinned cosmic assassin during Jim Starlin's run on Captain Marvel and Warlock. Douglas' daughter became the telepath Moondragon, but that history doesn't apply to this film. It would appear that this Drax's origins lay elsewhere. Stress appear.
Gamora (Zoe Saldana, "Star Trek", "Avatar") also was a Starlin creation from the same period. In the film, she was introduced as the adopted daughter of Starlin & Marvel's answer to Darkseid, Thanos, but, oh, is she easy on the eyes, or what?
Rocket Raccoon (voice of Bradley Cooper) also debuted in Marvel Preview, albeit in a back-up feature, and wandered about before landing his only starring gig in a miniseries in the 80's. Sure, he has his own book again for the first time in 30 years as part of the hype for the movie, but I'd always believed he was meant for comic purposes, as in a parody.
Groot (voice of Vin Diesel) actually predates them all. He was introduced as a villain in 1960, as an alien scientist who experimented on humans. He'd later battle the Incredible Hulk and otherwise lived a life of obscurity, with his initial appearance reprinted several times.
British writers Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning were tasked six years ago to reboot the Guardians for a new generation, to better integrate the characters into today's Marvel Universe, and, as mentioned before, to prepare them for their movie debut.
The film itself draws inspiration not just from the above mentioned source material, but from other sources as well. The idea of a rag-tag team thrown together against a common enemy's been done many times, both in comics and in movies and television. These "Guardians" have a vibe that is equal parts "A-Team" (thank you, Bradley Cooper) and, well, either the Keystone Kops or the animated Galaxy Goof-Ups. Yes, there are some legitimately funny moments in this film, like "The Avengers" two years ago.
The plot: Ronan the Accuser, described as a fanatic, wants to destroy a particular planet or species, and, despite the obvious differences of opinion, the Guardians are thrown together, just by the simple coincidence of being just in the right place at the right time, but not under the right circumstances. Quill, abducted as a child after losing his mother to cancer, was essentially raised by a group of scavengers known as the Ravagers, whose leader, Yondu, is the only historical link, as far as older fans go, to the original Guardians. Yondu feels Quill has betrayed him one time too many, and now wants his blood, as well as feeding the seeming cannibalistic tendencies of his crew. Gamora wants the same orb that Quill just heisted. With a bounty placed on Quill's head, that's where Rocket & Groot enter the picture. Drax? He wants to kill Ronan, since the Accuser supposedly killed his family. Drax later discovers, to Gamora's displeasure, that it was Thanos who did that deed.
As you can imagine, there are plenty of explosions and fights. Quill discovers late in the movie that he is not completely human himself, and I would guess that will lead to the next film. A sequel has already been announced.
A fine supporting cast, including Glenn Close, John C. Reilly, and Djimon Hounsou, helps keep this from going completely off the chain. What really helps is a swinging 70's soundtrack, thanks to Quill and an ever-present Walkman that he has to retrieve before escaping prison. Sure, it gets silly, and Ronan is ultimately treated like a chump, which is odd since he's best known for hassling the Fantastic Four, And as for that little teaser after the credits? Well, let's just say someone actually appreciated a certain turkey of a movie from the 80's, and leave it at that...........!
Trailers:
"Annie" (December): Same one we saw before, with Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz.
"Night at the Museum 3" (can't recall the sub-title right now): Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Robin Williams, and friends head off to London. Who saw this coming?
"Hobbit 3". If you've been following Peter Jackson's adaptation of the Tolkien books, well, you know how this goes.
'The Giver" (August 15): Jeff Bridges stars in yet another movie based on a book I've never heard of. Also stars country singer Taylor Swift, who doesn't appear in the trailer.
"Alexander" (November): Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner star in this Disney comedy about a family that experiences Murphy's Law all in one day. Feels old school Disney, doesn't it?
"Big Hero 6" (November-December): Disney produces what is really Marvel's 5th and last film of the year, since it's based on one of their lesser known books of the 90's. CGI silliness for the kiddo's.
"Dumb & Dumber To": Jeff Daniels & Jim Carrey are back as Harry & Lloyd, 20 years after the original film. Does anyone here think that Mike Judge's Beavis & Butt-Head inspired these bozos?
And, now, the trailer for our feature presentation:
On WWE Raw 2 months ago, Triple H, who hasn't exactly been a box office champ ("Blade: Trinity", anyone?) told the then-departing Batista that he hoped "Guardians" bombed. Look for Batista to return to make him eat those words, after he's laughed all the way to the bank.
Rating: A.
The Guardians of the Galaxy were originally a group of 31st century wayfarers, long since ret-conned as an alternate reality, thanks to all the excessive tweaking Marvel has done with its rich history over the years. More than was really necessary, to be honest. The current group was put together six years ago, marking the 40th anniversary of the franchise with an eye toward creating a building block for Marvel's cinematic universe.
These "Guardians" are a band of outlaws, though long time fans know that wasn't always the case. To wit:
Peter Jason Quill, aka Star Lord (Chris Pratt, Parks & Recreation) was introduced in Marvel Preview, a black & white magazine that came out in the mid-70's. Created by Chris Claremont & John Byrne before they began their epic run on X-Men, Star Lord was a hero from the beginning, as reprints of his earlier adventures will attest.
Drax, the Destroyer (WWE star Dave Bautista, aka "The Animal" Batista) was originally a human named Arthur Douglas, transformed into a green skinned cosmic assassin during Jim Starlin's run on Captain Marvel and Warlock. Douglas' daughter became the telepath Moondragon, but that history doesn't apply to this film. It would appear that this Drax's origins lay elsewhere. Stress appear.
Gamora (Zoe Saldana, "Star Trek", "Avatar") also was a Starlin creation from the same period. In the film, she was introduced as the adopted daughter of Starlin & Marvel's answer to Darkseid, Thanos, but, oh, is she easy on the eyes, or what?
Rocket Raccoon (voice of Bradley Cooper) also debuted in Marvel Preview, albeit in a back-up feature, and wandered about before landing his only starring gig in a miniseries in the 80's. Sure, he has his own book again for the first time in 30 years as part of the hype for the movie, but I'd always believed he was meant for comic purposes, as in a parody.
Groot (voice of Vin Diesel) actually predates them all. He was introduced as a villain in 1960, as an alien scientist who experimented on humans. He'd later battle the Incredible Hulk and otherwise lived a life of obscurity, with his initial appearance reprinted several times.
British writers Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning were tasked six years ago to reboot the Guardians for a new generation, to better integrate the characters into today's Marvel Universe, and, as mentioned before, to prepare them for their movie debut.
The film itself draws inspiration not just from the above mentioned source material, but from other sources as well. The idea of a rag-tag team thrown together against a common enemy's been done many times, both in comics and in movies and television. These "Guardians" have a vibe that is equal parts "A-Team" (thank you, Bradley Cooper) and, well, either the Keystone Kops or the animated Galaxy Goof-Ups. Yes, there are some legitimately funny moments in this film, like "The Avengers" two years ago.
The plot: Ronan the Accuser, described as a fanatic, wants to destroy a particular planet or species, and, despite the obvious differences of opinion, the Guardians are thrown together, just by the simple coincidence of being just in the right place at the right time, but not under the right circumstances. Quill, abducted as a child after losing his mother to cancer, was essentially raised by a group of scavengers known as the Ravagers, whose leader, Yondu, is the only historical link, as far as older fans go, to the original Guardians. Yondu feels Quill has betrayed him one time too many, and now wants his blood, as well as feeding the seeming cannibalistic tendencies of his crew. Gamora wants the same orb that Quill just heisted. With a bounty placed on Quill's head, that's where Rocket & Groot enter the picture. Drax? He wants to kill Ronan, since the Accuser supposedly killed his family. Drax later discovers, to Gamora's displeasure, that it was Thanos who did that deed.
As you can imagine, there are plenty of explosions and fights. Quill discovers late in the movie that he is not completely human himself, and I would guess that will lead to the next film. A sequel has already been announced.
A fine supporting cast, including Glenn Close, John C. Reilly, and Djimon Hounsou, helps keep this from going completely off the chain. What really helps is a swinging 70's soundtrack, thanks to Quill and an ever-present Walkman that he has to retrieve before escaping prison. Sure, it gets silly, and Ronan is ultimately treated like a chump, which is odd since he's best known for hassling the Fantastic Four, And as for that little teaser after the credits? Well, let's just say someone actually appreciated a certain turkey of a movie from the 80's, and leave it at that...........!
Trailers:
"Annie" (December): Same one we saw before, with Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz.
"Night at the Museum 3" (can't recall the sub-title right now): Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Robin Williams, and friends head off to London. Who saw this coming?
"Hobbit 3". If you've been following Peter Jackson's adaptation of the Tolkien books, well, you know how this goes.
'The Giver" (August 15): Jeff Bridges stars in yet another movie based on a book I've never heard of. Also stars country singer Taylor Swift, who doesn't appear in the trailer.
"Alexander" (November): Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner star in this Disney comedy about a family that experiences Murphy's Law all in one day. Feels old school Disney, doesn't it?
"Big Hero 6" (November-December): Disney produces what is really Marvel's 5th and last film of the year, since it's based on one of their lesser known books of the 90's. CGI silliness for the kiddo's.
"Dumb & Dumber To": Jeff Daniels & Jim Carrey are back as Harry & Lloyd, 20 years after the original film. Does anyone here think that Mike Judge's Beavis & Butt-Head inspired these bozos?
And, now, the trailer for our feature presentation:
On WWE Raw 2 months ago, Triple H, who hasn't exactly been a box office champ ("Blade: Trinity", anyone?) told the then-departing Batista that he hoped "Guardians" bombed. Look for Batista to return to make him eat those words, after he's laughed all the way to the bank.
Rating: A.
Musical Interlude: All I Have To Do Is Dream (1972)
This could've been the last hit record for the late Bobby Darin, but, alas, it wasn't released as a single.
In 1972, Darin had his own variety show, The Bobby Darin Amusement Company, airing on NBC as a summer replacement for Dean Martin, which gave the versatile Darin the opportunity to not only sing, but demonstrate his acting skills in comedy skits.
In this clip, he teams with Petula Clark for a cover of the Everly Brothers' "All I Have To Do Is Dream", which had been covered by Glen Campbell & Bobbie Gentry, and later by actress Victoria Principal, of all people, and Andy Gibb.
In doing research, I checked the discography on Darin, and that's how I know this version of "Dream" wasn't released as a single. Ms. Clark had also stopped reaching the Top 40 by this point as well. But, ah, don't they make such a cute couple?
In 1972, Darin had his own variety show, The Bobby Darin Amusement Company, airing on NBC as a summer replacement for Dean Martin, which gave the versatile Darin the opportunity to not only sing, but demonstrate his acting skills in comedy skits.
In this clip, he teams with Petula Clark for a cover of the Everly Brothers' "All I Have To Do Is Dream", which had been covered by Glen Campbell & Bobbie Gentry, and later by actress Victoria Principal, of all people, and Andy Gibb.
In doing research, I checked the discography on Darin, and that's how I know this version of "Dream" wasn't released as a single. Ms. Clark had also stopped reaching the Top 40 by this point as well. But, ah, don't they make such a cute couple?
Friday, August 1, 2014
Classic TV (maybe): The Benny Hill Show (1969)
Benny Hill charmed audiences around the world with his self-titled comedy-variety shows between 1955-91, an astonishing 36 seasons. American audiences first met Hill in a pair of films, "The Italian Job", with Michael Caine, and "Chitty Chitty Bang! Bang!" with Dick Van Dyke, in the 60's, and became acquainted with the risque funnyman all over again when Thames' 1969 version of The Benny Hill Show was imported to the US in the late 70's, initially as part of a promotion with stations in New York & Los Angeles that Thames was undertaking. The series subsequently went into general syndication through the 80's, in a compact half-hour format, editing some of the more bawdier skits.
Hill, like his American contemporary, Jackie Gleason, was also a songwriter. However, unlike Gleason, Hill was a singer, rather than just a composer-conductor, and quite good, too. He certainly had a good ear for American music--Boots Randolph's classic "Yakety Sax" was Hill's closing theme song.
Hill further achieved international fame by appearing as one of his best known characters, Fred Scuttle, in a music video for Genesis' "Everything She Does", in the mid-80's. Around that time, Hill returned to Thames for another run, which ended in 1989.
I'm guessing this is from his 1969 Thames series, as we have a skit where Benny parodies the popular game show, $ale of the Century.
The Benny Hill Show, for the majority of its American run in the 70's & 80's, aired in late night syndication, but no one ever considered the prospect of Hill actually coming to the US to promote it. Hmmmmm.
Rating: C.
Hill, like his American contemporary, Jackie Gleason, was also a songwriter. However, unlike Gleason, Hill was a singer, rather than just a composer-conductor, and quite good, too. He certainly had a good ear for American music--Boots Randolph's classic "Yakety Sax" was Hill's closing theme song.
Hill further achieved international fame by appearing as one of his best known characters, Fred Scuttle, in a music video for Genesis' "Everything She Does", in the mid-80's. Around that time, Hill returned to Thames for another run, which ended in 1989.
I'm guessing this is from his 1969 Thames series, as we have a skit where Benny parodies the popular game show, $ale of the Century.
The Benny Hill Show, for the majority of its American run in the 70's & 80's, aired in late night syndication, but no one ever considered the prospect of Hill actually coming to the US to promote it. Hmmmmm.
Rating: C.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)