Saturday, March 25, 2006

Vote Like It Meant Something

I've received over 700 votes so far in my survey as to whether you folks would prefer that video links on this site be embedded or non-embedded. Voting has been lopsided but I won't tell you which way. I'd like to get as many "ballots" as I can, just to see how this will play out...so if you care at all, read this message and send me a quick e-mail, even if it's only to say YES or NO. The polls are open 'til Noon tomorrow, Pacific Time at which time the bars can reopen and I'll announce the result. And please, no electioneering within 50 yards of your computer.

• Posted at 9:10 PM · LINK

Penelope Follow-Up

The other day in this post, I noted that I would soon be watching the 1966 movie Penelope for the first time since 1966. I said that I remembered it not being very good and that my father and I felt cheated because Jonathan Winters, though billed among its stars, was only on the screen for — and I quote myself: "...what seemed like about two minutes. It was probably more than that but I'll bet it wasn't a lot more than that. Four minutes, tops."

I have now seen Penelope for the first time in forty years. By an odd coincidence, I won't be watching this movie again for another forty years. What a non-entertaining piece of celluloid. The single interesting thing about it is Peter Falk, playing a cop and apparently warming up to play Lt. Columbo many years later.

As it turns out, I was wrong about the length of the appearance of Jonathan Winters in the film. Leonard Maltin says in his indispensible Leonard Maltin's 2006 Movie Guide that Winters is on screen "less than three minutes." That's correct but Leonard, you may want to change that line in your next edition. In fact, I insist upon it. The actual, measured-by-a-stopwatch length of time from when we first see Jonathan Winters to when we last see Jonathan Winters is one minute and thirty-one seconds. Exactly.

• Posted at 8:37 PM · LINK

Still Ominous Television

A couple years ago, back before I learned how to do a frame grab so I could post a TV photo, I posted this item here...

I'm watching a rerun of The Flip Wilson Show that TiVo (we love TiVo) snagged for me this morn from TV Land. In the sketch, Dennis Weaver is playing a Justice of the Peace and Flip is in wedding dress drag as Geraldine, who's waiting for her never-seen boy friend, "Killer," to show up and marry her. Okay, you got the picture?

There's a knock at the door and Flip/Geraldine says, "Come in, Killer." And in comes another guest star on the show, O.J. Simpson, looking very groom-like in a tuxedo. I am not making this up.

"You're not Killer," Geraldine says. (Right the first time, lady!) Actually, Simpson's the Best Man, and he's there to stand in for Killer, who's too busy shooting pool to show up for his wedding. Weaver proceeds to try to conduct a proxy marriage of Geraldine and Killer...until Simpson tries to call it off because "he won't treat you right." Geraldine goes ahead and marries her absent beau anyway.

Geraldine Jones has not been seen in many years. Which proves it's dangerous to stand next to O.J. Simpson at your wedding...even if he's only the Best Man.

TV Land ran the episode again this morning so I TiVo'ed it intentionally and extracted the above photo. And suddenly, I'm suspicious all over again. Because not only has Geraldine Jones not been seen in a long time but that Justice of the Peace recently met an untimely demise, as well.

• Posted at 10:48 AM · LINK

Same to You, Fella...

Here's a short but interesting article in the New York Times about what Bob Newhart is doing these days.

• Posted at 1:40 AM · LINK

Today's Video Link(s)

The Max Fleischer cartoon studio was making Popeye shorts and embarking on their first feature when their releasing company, Paramount Pictures, asked about doing something with a new comic book hit called Superman. The Fleischer Brothers weren't all that interested and they also knew that the more realistic style that Superman would require would be very expensive. So, largely to blow the deal, they asked for a price they were sure Paramount would never meet. When Paramount did, they had no choice but to go out and make what may still be the best adventure-oriented cartoons ever made.

Here's one of 'em: "The Mechanical Monsters," an extra-long (10 minutes) Superman cartoon that was made in 1941. You can watch it below or if you want to save it on your computer, go to this page where you can download it in several different formats. Here we go...

Our non-embedded video link for today is on pretty much the same theme. It's this commercial for the new Citroën.

And for God's sake, don't click on this link. Do you understand? I don't know why I even posted it but please, for your well-being and mine, DO NOT CLICK ON IT. Avoid the temptation. Don't think, "Oh, I have to click on it just to see what it is. Believe me: You don't. Show a little strength of character and do not click on it. Please.

• Posted at 1:12 AM · LINK