#the bill: episode: replica

[augustusaugustus]

13.86 Replica

Steve and Gary chase a man who turns out to have a modified replica gun. This is handy, given that CID have just returned from a failed raid on the guy they know is responsible for the modded gun.

[flyingfortress1]

Hello, so first time using tumblr- admittedly the hbo war fandom is the most engaged I've ever been in a fandom, so bear with me here- I'm a sucker for military history and more specifically, the people who fought in it.

Anyway- watched bob for the first time a few months, then pacific, and watched masters of the air as it came out earlier this year. Loved all three, but pretty new to everything- except for masters of the air because I certainly may or may not have hyper researched the crap out of b-17s in high school lol. Currently rewatching bob now, and reading Eugene Sledge's book which is super interesting.

Finished the first episode of band of brothers- this show is definently worth a rewatch because I get into it so much more because now I know who the fuck they all are haha. Also, thanks to the wonderful researching fans here, I know a lot more about the real life people- and boy, it does give some context to scenes in this first episode. So firstly, the Winters-Sobel feud- knowing that Winters was a bit petty, makes me really see the passive-aggressiveness in Damian Lewis's performance now- no, he really didn't have to take the court martial, I really don't think Sobel thought he was going to, but Dick really went, time to stick it to you mf. and the bit where he's riding in the jeep with Buck. Like Dick. Dickie- don't put yourself in a position where you can take from these men- I don't know if that's just a show line or what, but at least in the show, it comes off as a tad dramatic lol. Does he really think the enlisted dudes are going to jump Buck or something??? And Buck accusing Dick of being jealous is honestly pretty funny.

Also, I have learned that Johnny Martin and Bill Guarnere were good pals- which gives so much context now to the scene where Martin gets the letter about Bill's brother's death. And what's funny, if you pause when Bill's reading the letter, you can actually read it- and dunno if it's a replica of a real letter- but honestly, Martin's wife is kinda sweet in it, like getting letters from Martin is the highlight of her day. It really reminds you of how connected we are- can just text someone anytime. Also, this whole bit implies that Martin told her about Guarnere, his bud, and she actually watched the casuality lists for his brother's name, or at least knew to recognize it- and if you read the letter, communicated with Fran??? Kinda wild, but honestly poor Bill.. I heard his brothe'rs death was always hard, and I had a friend who lost her brother recently, so seen that pain a bit firsthand. What an awful time to find that out- and Hughes performance there while they're all watching the movie, is really good. Like, you can feel Bill almost having a panic attack almost, but he can't do anything cause he's in a public place. I found out a (admittedly not too close friend) died while I was in a public place, and while it's probably no where near close to what Bill experienced in that scene, it's interesting being able to relate to that. Like shock/denial at the reality, but having to maintain your emotions.

Last thought- Hoobler reaching for the luger just makes me want to tie this boy up, knowing what's going to happen, sweet jesus, no luger for you, Hoobler. Talk about foreshadowing btw.

Sorry about the long bit- its the combined history/english major in me lol. Also, would totally recommend the band of brother's podcast on spotify- interviews with writers, cast, and Tom Hanks- super interesting.

[scotianostra]

The actor Bill Simpson was born as William Nicholson Simpson on September 11th 1934 in Ayrshire.

Most famous for his portrayal of Dr Finlay, Simpson was originally an announcer on the BBC before switching channels and being plucked from reading the news with Scottish ITV in Glasgow to start his acting career, his only film role I could find was an uncredited part in The 39 Steps, he did however appear in several TV movies including Green Cars Go East, The Highlander and Mother of Men all in the 50’s.

TV roles for Simpson though are aplenty, Z Cars, The Master of Ballantrae, Scotch on the Rocks, The Mackinnons and The Good Companions are just s few in a career spanning four decades, from the 50’s to the 80’s.

It is Dr Finlay that some of you will remember him from, Bill Simpson hailed from the wee fishing village of Dunure, like Dr Finlay, he was an ex-farmer and the fictional village of Tannochbrae could have passed as a fair replica of his home, in fact the prodigal son returned to Dunure to film an episode in the series. The show made stars of the dapper Bill Simpson, veteran actor Andrew Cruickshank and Barbara Mullen. Dr. Finlay’s Casebook ran for eight seasons over 9 years the final episode, “The Burgess Ticket”, being shown on 3 January 1971, Simpson also took the role for 104 audio episodes broadcast on Radio 4.

After being plagued with heart problems his roles thinned out in the 80’s and he passed away at his house in Mauchline in December 1986 from a bronchopneumonia

[stripedtabbycat]

gravity falls thoughts of the week: i've been joking about ford not knowing what's okay or safe to let children do in the past few episodes but that kind of becomes less funny in the show in "dipper and mabel vs. the future", when we see that these missions he's taking dipper along on are actually putting this kid in danger. sure he manages to survive and get them out of the danger but it's kind of concerning that ford's takeaway from this is "see, you can handle it!" and not "maybe i shouldn't invite this 12-going-on-13-year-old to be my apprentice in highly dangerous field research"

but dipper, of course, doesn't realize this because he's a kid getting to do cool stuff with an adult who respects his intelligence and doesn't treat him like a kid, even though that's the problem. this final string of episodes does a good job highlighting the theme of dipper wanting to grow up too fast and mabel wanting to stay a kid forever and how neither of those are realistic approaches, even though most of the time this isn't a show terribly concerned with realism.

(kind of wild to me thinking about it now that there were a lot of fans at the time who genuinely thought dipper was giving up a great opportunity by choosing not to take ford up on his apprenticeship offer by the end. i guess that's the difference between watching kids' shows when you're closer to the age of the main characters and watching them when you're a lot older than the characters. on most shows i wouldn't worry too much over questions like "are these kids who go on fun adventures that appeal to the target demographic who like to imagine getting to do cool things Literal Child Soldiers?" but here the point clearly is that kids shouldn't have a full-time job instead of going to school and having a normal childhood and adolescence, and also more broadly that the adult in this situation is projecting his own issues onto the kids and does not actually know what's best for them. idk i think it's pretty obvious!)

on mabel's side of (not) coping with things, there's a lot to say about mabeland and what it represents. when i first watched this i was a little disappointed that they didn't make the inside of the bubble a perfect recreation of gravity falls with mabel living out her endless summer by pretending nothing's changed, complete with eerie fake replicas of her friends and family, and instead went full fantasy land...but i did ultimately like where they ended up going with it. i like the implication that mabel doesn't actually have fake versions of the other characters there because she's waiting for the real ones to show up so they can be together (or at least that's my headcanon. dippy fresh might count but he's just the "backup" there to agree with mabel when the real dipper inevitably goes against her plans.) i like that bill isn't too concerned about the others getting inside the bubble because it's designed to keep you trapped there by giving you whatever you want, plus it's an obvious "safe" place in the middle of all the chaos outside. i should probably make a separate post for this because i realized while thinking about this episode that i have a lot of thoughts on mabeland and how the bubble works. (originally the title for part 2 was going to be "escape from mabeland" but the crew thought it was too spoilery or would set up a different expectation from the fans, so it became "escape from reality" instead. which is technically the opposite of what the original title meant but it's still accurate because that's what mabeland is! she's trying to escape from reality!)

final thoughts were that a lot of people thought the conflicts were resolved too quickly in these last few episodes but i'm forgiving of it because they are working with limited time for these episodes here and it is still a kids' show. also the long hiatuses between episodes kind of messed with the fandom's sense of time back when they were first airing. i feel like there was so much fanart of the characters becoming hardened post-apocalyptic warriors during this era but the actual apocalypse in the show's time lasts for like, a week. maybe less.

anyway, watching the finale tonight and then i'll reread my copy of journal 3, and finally read the lost legends comics which just came in from the library, and then hopefully get on the long waitlist for the book of bill, aaaaaand then i'll be done and can go back to watching shows that aren't for kids. well i'll do that after running through over the garden wall one last time, it is the tenth anniversary after all.

[cancerously]

pretty please share some of ur favorite gravity falls secrets/tidbits/etc

oh my god how do i even pick uhm

the password to fiddleford's laptop (that bill destroys in sock opera) is "stanford". we only know this bc Alex Hirsch typed it into a replica at a meetup once in... russia, I believe, but god fidds you gay shit

Alex Hirsch's actual twin, Ariel, does a couple bit voices but the first time she appeared was during the boyband episode where she screams "I LOVE YOU DEEP CHRIS" because that whole episode was dedicated to her and her childhood dreams.

Same as above- Ariel always wanted a pig! And that's why Mabel has Waddles.

You can see Blendin Blandin in the background of the first ~6 or so episodes before The Time Traveller's Pig cleaning up the stuff from the end of that ep. It's all been there from the beginning.

Never 4get the fandom calling the stan and stan twin theory at like EPISODE FUCKING FOUR OR SOMETHING and then all of us going fuck apeshit when it ended up being real

these are the ones that came to mind immediately but if I started organizing episode-by-episode I'm sure I could find more LMAO

[tugoslovenka]

WHATTTT why didn't you like Bella as Ellie?? ;___;

i mean, the script was damn near a replica from game to show and my left toe emoted more than bella ramsay's entire body did in 95% of any scene. she has zero acting range beyond bored teenager and it shows? not to mention the direction to make her this weird unemotive psychopath was an odd choice to begin with. pedro also felt nothing like joel, he was just Some Dude. it was weirdly emotionless all the way through. the pilot and bill episode were the only good ones and honestly they had little to no bella or pedro content and that's saying something lol

[quarantineroulette]

10 Things That Somehow Didn’t Suck This Year (with a horror films sub-list).

2022 has been an unbelievably surreal and disparate year for me. On one hand, I achieved three long-running goals, visiting Barcelona, becoming a home-owner, and going on a mini-tour with my band. On the other hand, I was plagued by some of the worst periods of depression of my life and endured at least two solid months of virtually nonstop distress in which things got better for a little bit before going really hard on the mental strife. 

Due to so much weirdness going on, I didn’t listen to much music this year and I feel pretty ashamed about that (if you’re a friend and you released music this year, I intend on listening to it very soon, I swear). I’m also a little put off by critical writing in general right now but I still wanted to do some sort of year-end ranking for tradition’s sake. So here’s 10...entertainments? I appreciated this year - whether TV shows, movies, or going to gigs, even though there were a lot of those I unfortunately missed as well. Also throwing in a sub-list of favorite horror films, as those are one of the few things I can focus on even when things are completely haywire elsewhere.

*Atlanta: I really don’t consider a lot of art truly *perfect* but the Atlanta series finale -- and the entire 41-episode show, really -- absolutely was. Out of anyone in my generation, Donald Glover is far and away the *~creative~* I’m most in awe of, most of all for this singular and very special show. I’ll forever be grateful for the intelligence behind Atlanta (I really can’t think of a show James and I have discussed more), it’s unpredictability and the insane level of talent that could be found in its ridiculously stellar cast and crew. I loved everything about every minute of it, but my secret favorite episode was the one where Van has an identity crisis in Paris and Alexander Skarsgard cameos as a cross between an exaggerated version of himself and Armie Hammer. Utterly surreal, totally hilarious, and unquestionably brilliant. 

*“Punk Rock Loser” by Viagra Boys: I didn’t totally love Viagra Boys’ 2022 release Cave World but it still somehow became the album I listened to most this year, and “Punk Rock Loser” had no contest in terms of being my most listened to song. The band excels at songs about decidedly unsavory dudes, so “Punk Rock Loser” isn’t entirely new territory but it is catchy and weirdly groovy in its own little way. Plus, the music video is an instant classic, right down to the Adidas western shirt and completely silly synchronized dance routine. 

*The Rehearsal: This one is a bit of a cheat because I just watched the whole series in like three days so it’s at the forefront of my mind. But something tells me even if I had watched it three months ago I’d still be fucking reeling from it. Like, my sense of perception has been irrevocably scrambled. I need to sit in a dark room and question every interaction I’ve ever had with another human up to this point. I related to this show more than I’d like to admit and also found myself weirdly moved by it at times. Also, massive respect to Fielder for getting HBO to pay for, well, the entire thing, but especially the replica of the Alligator Lounge (although we all know Nate’s Lizard Lounge is really where it’s at). 

*Playing a show with The Veldt: We started working on new music this year so we didn’t play many shows, but we still had a fair amount of success on that front and played our first-ever gigs in the midwest (including a sold out show in Chicago). But being asked to play with criminally underrated shoegazers The Veldt was truly a high water mark (on what was unfortunately a very watery evening in Brooklyn). Had gone to see The Veldt in Philly a month prior to sharing a bill with them, and was wowed by Daniel Chavis’ stage presence and vocal delivery both times around, a pretty powerful counter to the head down aloofness that genre designation typically suggests. Totally cool and lovely guys to boot.

*Warren Ellis - Nina Simone’s Gum: See my previous post, but in short, this book is mesmerizing. What I assumed would be a fairly straightforward rock memoir instead was a loving tribute to Ellis’ idols, providing a lot of insight into collecting and the power we imbue certain objects with and why. Absolutely solidified my opinion that Ellis is one of the most beautiful souls (I mean, he started a sanctuary for wildlife with special needs for god’s sake!) 

*Aldous Harding at Union Transfer: Pretty much the only new music I listened to this year was the aforementioned Viagra Boys, Fontaines DC and Aldous Harding, and I was fortunate enough to see two out of three of these artists live in 2022 (Viagra Boys, maybe next year). Aldous Harding had been at the top of my gig-going wishlist pre-pandemic, so I feel especially grateful that seeing her became a reality this year. It often feels a bit weak to say “OMG I went to see (x) and they sounded just like the album,” but in Aldous’ case, this is kind of an extraordinary compliment, seeing as she sings as about a dozen different characters on her new record, sometimes flipping back and forth over several different vocal styles in a single song. Add to this Harding’s obscure yet very purposeful stage presence and that equals me being enraptured for 90 minutes straight. Had an excellent time pre-gaming at the awesome go-go cocktail bar The Trestle Inn beforehand as well. 

*Intermission: My 10 (actually 11) Favorite Horror Films of 2022

Yeah yeah yeah. Everyone has said it, it’s been a great year for horror. It’s always been my favorite genre and I’ve embraced it even harder since the pandemic for whatever reason. So, just like everyone else is doing, here are my 10 favorites that I’ve seen this year. I didn’t see everything, but I’ve seen enough to have some authority on what was good, maybe...

1) Pearl - Mia Goth’s unblinking stare over the end credits = haven’t been as frightened by a face since Laura Dern running toward the camera in INLAND EMPIRE. Deserves all its accolades and then some. 

2) The Menu - The cast, the setting, the dialogue, Colin Stetson’s score: everything about this was a horrible delight from start to finish. Watching Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy act together was thoroughly electrifying and I will never get Fiennes lobbing the insult “you donkey” at some rich asshole out of my head. 

3) Smile - I saw the trailer for this a zillion times and thought it honestly looked hilariously stupid. Zero expectations and threw me for a complete loop. Still didn’t find it that scary but it was fun as hell and the sound design was excellent. Also, I’m sorry to say I had no idea who (PA native!) Kyle Gallner was until this year but loved him in both this and Dinner in America. 

4) Men / Resurrection - Resurrection walked so Men could run, I guess. Overall, I preferred the former just because I honestly couldn’t believe my eyes for the last 20 minutes and I appreciated its mash-up of folk horror / home invasion / psychological horror / cosmic horror / body horror to the max. Resurrection had Rebecca Hall giving the most insane monologue of the year and my forever crush Tim Roth being a gaslighting sleaze-hound, and those are two things I will never shrug at. 

5) What Josiah Saw - If you ever longed for a southern gothic version of Fire Walk With Me, then head over to Shudder and take this fucked up baby for a ride immediately. Had a scene, totally free of violence or gore, that made me want to squirm right out of my skin. Robert Patrick FTW and was nice(?) to see Nick Stahl again too.

6) Watcher - Great Hitchcockian throwback with great performances by Maika Monroe and Burn Gorman and some beautiful shots of Bucharest. Tense enough that I was nervous going into the bathroom by myself when it was over. 

7) We’re All Going to the World’s Fair - To be honest, I didn’t love this when I was watching it, but jeez did it stick with me. Months after and I still feel a great sense of discomfort whenever I think about it. Not for everyone, but will thoroughly creep you out and fill you with a sense of crushing loneliness, if you’re down for that kind of thing. 

8) Something in the Dirt - Pretty much will be open to anything Moorhead and Benson do just because I find their grassroots approach to cosmic horror and world-building really inspiring. Their latest threw about a million different interests of mine into a pot so I found Something in the Dirt especially delicious. Some really low-key funny moments and I’m still trying to piece it all together but I’m so so happy these guys are out there challenging us and doing it all in such a home-spun way. 

9) Barbarian - Almost didn’t add this because the hype really got to me, but, I know -- that first half was super tense and Justin Long gave his all as perhaps the douchiest character of the year. 

10) Nope - Really wasn’t a fan of US but this was quite a return to form. Loved the set pieces and the unique take on alien design. The spoken word “Purple People Eater” bit was pretty ridiculous but I laughed all the same. The blood house was marvelous, though.

***

*“Turn Off Your Brain and Yell” by Suede: I often get anxious whenever a long-running band or artist I love releases something new, even when it’s a band I love as much as Suede, and was honestly not expecting much from their 9th release Autofiction, as it was being touted as more stripped down and less high concept and dramatic. The record is just fine but live the songs are phenomenal, particularly the fittingly cathartic “Turn Off Your Brain and Yell.” The Autofiction closer served as the band’s opener at their headlining show at Philadelphia’s The Met and it was like an emotional wildfire had just ignited. I’m certain every single neck hair of every person in that venue was standing on end from this song onward. Simply put, it fucking slammed. Anyway, this Suede / Manics US tour seemed like the ultimate dream to me on paper but unfortunately turned out a little bittersweet, but at least I can say for probably the only time ever that Michelle Obama possibly had a hand in preventing me from going backstage like I was supposed to (long story!). 

*The Bear: Didn’t think this could possibly live up to its hype, but really what a touching, funny, intense and lovingly made show. Jeremy Allen White, he seems a little like a himbo, but was completely captivated and moved by his portrayal of the emotionally complex and overwhelmed Carmy. Loved when Richie did or said pretty much anything and the (I cringe at the term) *~needle drops~* were spectacular. Ready to drink down a second season like Xanax-laced ecto-cooler. 

*Kendrick Lamar performing “Savior” at Glastonbury : I feel a bit of a faker listing this as I haven’t watched Kendrick’s Glastonbury 2022 performance in full yet (doing that over the weekend, hopefully), and I’ve only listened to Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers once. I have, however, been returning to this video over and over for months now and I love everything about it -- the lighting, minimalist stage set up -- in such stark contrast to an event as overblown as the Glastonbury festival -- the dancers, and of course the fake blood and glittery crown of thorns. Most of all, I love that the message takes precedence, as it should be but so rarely is these days. So, thank you Kendrick and all the preceding makers on this list for saying or doing something meaningful in a year that frequently felt meaningless. 

[papermoonloveslucy]

ELIZABETH TAYLOR

February 27, 1932

Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was born on February 27, 1932, in Hampstead Garden Suburb, London. She received dual British-American citizenship at birth, as her parents were United States citizens. The family lived in London during Taylor's childhood. In early 1939, the Taylors returned to the United States due to fear of impending war in Europe.

In California, Taylor's mother (a former stage actress) was frequently told that her daughter should audition for films. She made her screen debut in There’s One Born Every Minute (1942). She was ten years old. Two years later she played the leading role in National Velvet.  This launched a meteoric film career that won her two Oscars (1961 and 1967). 

Lucille Ball first met Elizabeth Taylor in an arranged ‘set visit’ during the shooting of 1953′s The Long, Long Trailer.  After that, they appeared twice on the same television shows, but did not share screen time. 

“’A Star Is Born’ World Premiere” (1954) ~ a live television broadcast of the red carpet interviews before film’s world premiere. 

“Sunday Showcase: A Tribute to Eleanor Roosevelt on Her Diamond Jubilee” (1959)

Although she started appearing on television in the early 1950s, her scripted TV debut came in 1970 when Lucille Ball invited her to appear (along with her priceless engagement ring and her actor husband, Richard Burton) on a very special episode of “Here’s Lucy” titled “Lucy Meets the Burtons” (HL S3;E1).  

For this show, a special Guest Star credit was created. Liz got top billing!    Although this episode kicked off the third season, it was filmed much later and moved up as the season premiere airing on September 14, 1970. 

It ultimately became CBS’s highest rated show on the air for the 1971-72 television season.  It was also the best remembered episode of the entire series.

This show’s plot was built around the real-life publicity achieved when Richard Burton bought his wife Elizabeth Taylor a 68 carat Cartier diamond ring worth over a million dollars. Property Master Ken Westcott created two replica rings for the medium and long shots which were crafted from chandelier crystals. Although he wanted to keep one after the shoot, Ball took one and Taylor took the other.

 A thirty minute documentary film “Lucy Meets the Burtons: A Comedic Gem” was included on DVD release of “Here’s Lucy” season 3. It includes interviews with Lucie Arnaz, Carole Cook, and behind the scenes footage.

Although this was their first and last time acting together, Taylor and Ball appeared on several television specials together, although they usually did not share screen time. 

“Dinah!” (1977) ~ Dinah Shore interviews the First Ladies of Entertainment. Taylor is interviewed via remote telephone connection. 

“Happy Birthday, Bob” (1978) ~ 75th birthday salute to Bob Hope at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Taylor talks about the previous evening’s reception featuring President Jimmy Carter and reads a message from Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh. Taylor talks about Hope’s contributions to the USO.

“General Electric's All-Star Anniversary” (1978)

“Women I Love: Beautiful But Funny” (1982) ~ Bob Hope takes a look back at the beautiful and funny women he has worked with over the years. 

“Bob Hope's Unrehearsed Antics of the Stars” (1984)

“Bob Hope's High-Flying Birthday” (1987)

Elizabeth Taylor’s personal life was no less dramatic than her on screen roles. She was married eight times to seven men, marrying Richard Burton twice. 

Larry Fortensky (1991-1996)

John Warner (1976-1982) 

Richard Burton (1975-1976) 

Richard Burton (1964-1974) 1 child

Eddie Fisher (1959-1964) 

Mike Todd (1957-1958, his death) 1 child

Michael Wilding (1952-1957) 2 children

Conrad Hilton (1950-1951)

Taylor’s later years were spent doing philanthropic work, concentrating on AIDS and LGBTQ rights. Following her conversion to Judaism, Taylor became an active supporter of Jewish and Zionist causes. 

In 2000, Taylor was designated a dame, the female equivalent of knight, on the queen's coveted New Year's list of titles and awards.

"Well, I've always been a 'broad.' Now it's a great honor to be a dame!"

Dame Elizabeth Taylor died on March 23, 2011 of congestive heart failure at age 79. 

TAYLOR MADE! 

Although she may not have appeared, Elizabeth Taylor’s name was mentioned on Lucille Ball’s sitcoms many times. 

In “Lucy is Matchmaker” (ILL S2;E27 ~ May 25, 1953) Elizabeth Taylor’s name is not mentioned, but her face is quickly seen on camera on the cover of a magazine in a newsstand!  

Although her name is never stated, Elizabeth Taylor was clearly one of the influences when Lucy donned “The Black Wig” (ILL S3;E26 ~ April 19, 1954). Taylor sported short dark hair throughout much of the 1950s, including in her latest film at the time, The Girl Who Had Everything. Instead, Lucy gives Italian actresses like Gina Lollobridgida and Anna Magnani the credit. 

In “Ricky’s Movie Offer” (ILL S4;E6 – November 8, 1954) Lucy and Ethel accidentally knock out talent scout Ben Benjamin. Lucy revives him and tries to act casual, as if in mid-conversation. “Do you mean to tell me that Elizabeth Taylor looks just as pretty off screen as she does on?”

In “Hollywood Anniversary” (ILL S4;E24 ~ April 4, 1955) the list of celebrity guests supposedly coming to Lucy’s anniversary party includes Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Wilding, her second husband. 

Incredibly (or perhaps legally), Liz Taylor’s name IS NOT explicitly mentioned in “Lucy Plays Cleopatra” (TLS S2;E1 ~ September 30, 1963) although the premise was clearly influenced by the smash hit film that came out that same year starring Taylor as Cleo. She was the third to play the Egyptian queen on film, after Theda Bara (1917) and Claudette Colbert (1934).  

In “Lucy Goes to a Hollywood Premiere” (TLS S4;E20 ~ February 7, 1966) one of Lucy’s rare movie magazines has a (fictional) article titled “Marriage is Not for Me” (supposedly) written by Elizabeth Taylor when she was 12 years old! By that time, Taylor’s love life was fodder for Hollywood gossip mongers and tabloids. 

In “Lucy Dates Dean Martin” (TLS S4;E21 ~ February 14, 1966)  Eddie Feldman (Dean Martin) says that while Lucy is attractive, she is no Liz Taylor. Or Gina Lollobrigida. Or Brigitte Bardot.

In “Lucy and the Starmaker” (TLS S6;E4 ~ October 2, 1967), after singing for Lucy, Tommy (Frankie Avalon) says he never thought he had more than an average voice. Lucy replies “if that is an average voice Elizabeth Taylor is an average housewife.”  

In “Lucy and Robert Goulet” (TLS S6;E8 ~ October 30, 1967) Lucy Carmichael says she once entered an Elizabeth Taylor look-alike contest and never even heard from them!

In “Lucy and the Lost Star” (TLS S6;E22 ~ February 26, 1968) starring Joan Crawford, Lucy says that “Mr. Mooney wouldn’t lend a dime to Richard Burton even if he left Elizabeth Taylor as collateral.”

In “A Date For Lucy” (HL S1;E19 ~ February 10, 1969) Lucy and Mary Jane fantasize about dream dates for an upcoming soiree. They mention Richard Burton, but add that Elizabeth Taylor wouldn’t approve. 

In “Lucy the Stunt Man” (TLS S4;E5 ~ October 18, 1965), Mr. Mooney jokingly says that he’s testing for the male lead in Liz Taylor’s next picture!

In “Lcuy Goes on Her Last Blind Date” (HL S5;E16 ~ January 8, 1973), when Vanda is trying on the engagement ring Ben gave Lucy, she says “Liz Taylor, eat your heart out.”  

In “Milton Berle is the Life of the Party” (HL S6;E19 ~ February 11, 1974) Elizabeth Taylor is just one of the more than 15 celebrity names mentioned! 

[jenma2ca]

My Dream-

Granger

A TV Series about Hermione Granger at

Clifden Institute of Magic

Because Witches & Wizards who want to specialize need to study for an additional 3-4 years of study, preferably at an Institute of Magic. Duh!

Background-

IMs (Institutes of Magic) came into formation around the year 800. There had always been specialized organizations/program/academies for high levels of Magic. They usually took less than a handful of students each year. Around 800AD the area now know as Nairobi, Kenya had more than 20 of these academies. They joined together and the first IM was founded. IMs were few and small for many years. In the 1800s they continued to grown in enrollment and prestige. This was continued into the 1900s when these IMs became funded by magical governments offering exceptional witches and Wizards the chance to study advanced magics for free. Although specialized academies still exist throughout the world, there are only 25 Official IMs Globally. Although there have been rumors for years about secret IMs for high level dangerous or experimental Magic, none have been confirmed.

Clifden IM , in County Leitrim Ireland, was founded in the year 1050 by Merlin and Morgana High Wizard and Witch of Camelot. The IM itself is invisible to muggles. Only once in the early 1800s did a muggle once view Clifden. He believed it to be the gateway to another universe or perhaps Heaven. He went insane looking for it and eventually recreated the castle from what he remembered . The real Clifden Institute is 1000 times larger and more grand than the muggle replica castle. It is said to be one of the most expansive and beautiful Magical institutes on earth. While it is far from being the oldest, it is considered an elite school competing with Bayou IM in New Orleans, Louisiana USA, Nairobi IM, and Scholomance IM in Transylvania, Romania. (Rumored to be run by the devil to ward off Muggle, but actually run by Magical Creatures -Vampires-Werewolves-Giants-etc who were originally not allowed in traditional IMs, and still face discrimination in employment, the school's speciality is The Dark Arts)

The Show-

Hermione is awarded a special entry into a top level DADA program due to her fighting Voldemort. It’s her secondary field. Her Primary study is Comparative Magical Politics & Wizarding Relations . Hermione is beginning to think about a career in government. Normally student decide these things their final year of Hogwarts, but Hermione missed that year due to her Horcrux search. After graduating in 1999, she continued onto Clifden Institute of Magic.

Ron mises her. He supports her though. Time are hard with the distance. He’s undergoing intense training with Harry and of focused on work, but misses her a lot. Jealousy may occurs and they may go their separate ways for a while, but they always come back to each other. (It’s a TV series, we need the Drama!!)

Hermione & friends dealing with their PTSD of being children of war.

Hermione & her BFFs Ginny, Kellah, Angie, Ali, and Chelsea (aka Chelsea Cho-Chang, because “Cho” liked Quidditch but didn’t loved it and wants to leave her jock friends attitude, and childhood nickname in the past) hanging out, practicing magic on levels they didn’t know existed, dating. It’s PG-13 so nothing to out there, we want teens to see a beautiful intelligent Black leader in Hermione as she growns up, so it will be darker with more adult themes, but still PG-13.

Hermione Roomies/Friends/Classmates/Emenies

Apartmentmates- Parvarti & Padma Patil, Kellah Williams. Ginny Weasley (first woman in the family to go to a IM, her mom is very proud)

Next door student apartments

-Percy Weasley & Penelope Clearwater. Percy worked the ministry taking corospondance classes in Comparative Magical Politics & Wizarding (Hermione's same field) at the ministry’s Intern program, as they were funded by his intern job. After the battle at Hogwarts Percy needed a change, and after a breakdown he decided to quit his job and become a full time student. He is now a third year student and Hermiones’s SA (Sorcerers Apprentice/ AKA TA). He currently lives with his girlfriend Penny.

- Dean Thomas. Seamus Finnigan. Neville Longbottom. Ibrahim “Ibi” Bem. Emmanuel “Manny”Bem (who BTW- parents were Voldy supporters even though their mom’s big bro, AKA Uncle Kingsley fought him at Hogwarts. Their parents were killed a few weeks after the battle of Hogwarts and now the boys are being raised by their Uncle the new Minister of magic. They aren’t handeling all their new found “fame” too well.

- Angelina “Angie” Johnson. Alicia “Ali” Spinnet. Two of Hermiones closest friends.

- Hannah Abbot. Susan “Susie” Bones. Marietta “Mari” Edgecombe. Chelsea Cho Chang.

-Justin Finch Fletchley. Ernie Macmillan. Zachariah “Zach” Smith. Michael Corner

-Off Campus Student Mansion. Cuz you know these girls pulled some strings, pooled their money and bought the nicest place in Clifden.

-Pansy Parkinson. Mafalda “Mal” Weasley. Flora Carrie. Hesita “Hess” Carrow. Daphnee & Astoria “Tori” Greengrass.

-Draco Malloy. Blaise Zambini. Joshua “Pike”.

Off campus apartments ( non students)

Lee Jordan. With occasional long visits from his BFF George Weasley who really wants to hang out with Angie.

“Friends/Frenemies” who drop by for a few episodes throughout the series

(these people don’t go to Clifden as Students but still can come by

“ Katie”Bell. Leanne. Oliver Wood. Cormac McLaggen. “Romi” Vane. Dennis Creavy. Luna Lovegood. “Greg” Goyle. “Millie” Bullstrode. Adrian Pucey. Chase Vasiey. Marcus Flint. “Theo” Nott. Miles Bletchley. Graham Montague. Graham Pritchard. Malcom Braddock. Gemma Farley. Cassius “Cass” Warrington. Harry Potter. “Ron”/“Charlie”/“Bill” & Flure Weasley/ . (Some deep cuts here- if you know you know)

Also let’s be honest, HP was pretty white. Black Hermione being roommates with The Patil sisters, & Kellah, and BFFs with Angie, Ali, Dean, Lee, the Bem Bros, & Chelsea would be pretty cool. They have to kick Blaise’s Anti-muggle ass though.

Ps 19 years ago, Snape one got stupid potion drunk after he ran into a Lily-Lookalike visiting London from Canada. He saw her again that night, and being that she had just had a bad breakup and he looked like her goth musician boyfriend, well... lets just say, Draco is going to have surprise roommate who just graduated from Ilvermorny and reminds him very very much of an old teacher, with Lilly’s eyes of course 😋

[notagamersdey]

The Dream

Painting by: Henri Rousseau

Photo (2021) and Story By Tyler D. Ortiz

Rating: T

Word Count: 2k~

Warnings: bad language, panic attacks

A/N: So this story is inspired by the Pedro Pascal episode of the podcast Talk Art (31:14-34:15). Go check that out if you want to hear some fun stories by the hosts and pp.

Summary: Matias, after losing his chance to act in a popular TV show, is taken to the Museum of Modern Art by his sister where he realizes he has nothing to lose.

~~~

Today, I’m supposed to meet my sister Lyanna here at East Village Pizza. She said it was a special treat for getting my first “big” role on Law & Order. When I told her the news, she had jumped up for joy, squealing my ear off. It wasn’t a big deal, just another job for the bills, but she was adamant that this job was a life changer. She’s says that about every job.

I came to the pizza parlor early, grabbing my favorite seat in front of the window. We normally sat here when we came because it gave us the perfect view of cold, angry New Yorkers. I had ordered our pizza, waiting for her to arrive when my phone starts to buzz.

I open it up and put it against my ear, holding it with my shoulder, “This is Matias.”

“Matias, I'm sorry to tell you…” Fuck, “…but we’ve decided to go in a different direction...” It’s the fucking casting director, droning on, saying those same fucking words, “You have wonderful talent.,” “You didn’t fit the director's vision.,” etcetera. Etcetera. ETCETERA. It's all movie-talk for “You weren't good enough.”

Grabbing the scruff behind my neck, I slammed my phone shut and stuffing it into my jacket pocket. What the hell was I going to do now? Three hundred bucks – gone in an instant.

“Here’s your order, Sir,” A waiter places the small pizza in front of me, and you know, today was one of the rare days I was able to scrounge enough money to afford the luxury of a decent slice of pizza, and now I can’t even enjoy it.

“God dammit,” It’s moments like these when memories of my father came hit me like a freight train. He used to berate me about goals and aspirations, telling me, “It’s never going to happen, Matias,” and “It’s not a job. You won’t get anywhere with that.” In high school, I used to constantly fight with him, telling him my dreams were achievable. That I would succeed as an actor. He would laugh in my face; tell me they were unobtainable. I mean... Maybe he was right.

Now, I’m living in one of the most expensive cities with over 300,000 dollars in debt, 40 bucks to my name, and a dead-beat waiter job at Planet Hollywood that barely pays for food let alone the bills. I have no back-up plan, no emergency fund. I just had my bachelor's degree in acting, which won't pay for shit.

I shake my head. My neck and back start to ache, an oncoming migraine sitting on my temples.

Matias, the fuck do you want to do that for?

Matias, you’re not good enough.

Matias, you will always be alone.

I stand to leave, throwing the untouched pizza in the trash on my way out the door. The cold winter air bites at my nose when I step outside. I pull my scarf up closer to my neck and make my way down East 9th Street.

Leaving the restaurant doesn’t help. Hopelessness rushes over me like a tsunami. The texture of the wool sweater underneath my jacket scratched annoyingly at the exposed skin on my wrists. It’s a cold wintery day but I feel incredibly hot underneath the layers. A nervous sweat builds underneath my beanie. Everyone’s staring, I know it. They know I've failed yet again. They know I’m just a naïve child.

His voice repeats in my head like a tornado siren, yelling, screaming at me, “You will not survive.”

You will not make an income.

You will not have healthcare.

You are setting yourself up for failure.

…You will die- My phone starts to buzz again. I really want to fucking ignore it but if it’s Lyanna, she’d have every cop in the city on my ass within the hour.

“Hey.” I cough, trying to clear my throat. Act normal.

“Mat! I’m sorry I’m late, I’m-” She sounds like she’s running.

“Actually, Sis, I left…” I stop in the middle of the pavement, getting shoved and cursed at by the impetuous crowd around me.

“What? Why?” Her concerned voice seeps through the phone. Suddenly, heat shoots up my back. She’s going to be upset.

I move off to the side, leaning up against a wall of graffiti, “I didn’t get the job after all.”

I hear her let out a breath, “Different direction?” She asks, knowingly.

I nod, “Yea... said I could act the part, but I didn’t fit the type of Latino they were going for... whatever the hell that means.” I spit out, bitterly.

“Means they’re bigoted.” I can hear the annoyed twinge in her voice.

“Yea... probably...” Lyanna stays quiet. “Hey... So, I’m not really up for doing anything... Can we just go home?”

“Umm...” She hums, clicking her tongue, “No.”

“Lyanna...” Please.

“No, no, I’m serious, I know you. Once you get home you're going to sulk in your room for days. Let's bypass the self-pity and go have fun. Take your mind off it.”

I’m silent for a moment, feeling my anxiety subside as I focus on her words, “What do I get if your wrong?”

“A fresh slice of cheese pizza to replace the one you probably threw away...” She laughs, “Now, how ‘bout MoMA?”

“Sure… MoMA sounds good.”

I’ve always found it difficult to find the Museum of Modern Art. The only way anyone would be able to tell where this museum was is with the three bright red banners hanging off the side of the building holding their acronym in an even darker shade of red. This was basically every building in New York so, of course, I pass right by it. Lyanna managed to catch me before I got too far. She runs up to me and immediately linked her arm into mine.

“Hey stranger, took you long enough.” She greats, warmly.

“You know how it is.”

“Oh common, where’s that smile? We are celebrating!” She starts to pull me into the museum, warm air painting my face when she opens one of the doors.

“Celebrating a failure.”

“Celebrating life.”

We walk in and are bombarded with hordes of people packed in front of every corner of the room. It's as if every single person visiting New York had decided that they would all collectively visit the museum on this specific day. Maybe they were having an event. People of all shapes and sizes were packed in front of each art piece, creating a thick barrier preventing outsiders from looking in on their beauty. In the corner of the room is a balloon man handing out replicas of Jeff Koon’s Balloon Dog to children. I clench my teeth at the disgusting sound of rubber and latex rubbing together. I feel a hot prickling in my neck at the sight of a child squeezing the neck of their bright metallic green Balloon Dog, another child on the edge of crying as she violently hit her blue Balloon Dog onto her stroller seat.

Someone bumps into me. I feel myself tense up. Don’t touch me. I take my arms away from Lyanna, hiding them in my pockets. Lyanna looks up at me, “Hey, are you okay?”

Fuck no,“Yes.”

“You sure? You seem tense,” she raises her eyebrow.

“No. No... I'm good... There’s just.” Act normal, “A lot of people.”

“Well, if you’re sure...” Everyone is breathing my air - of course I’m not sure. “You wanna start off this way then make our way around?” she asks pointing to her left. I nod.

She guides me to the fifth floor, to our first painting. Shes pushing through the crowds so we could get a closer look. It’s a dark painting with a black, shadowy silhouette of an elephant trudging on an upwards incline. The air around him grey, as if he was pushing through a sandstorm. He is struggling to get to wherever he was headed. I’m suddenly pushed closer to the struggling elephant. Lyanna snaps at someone behind me. A balloon pop’s. A child's scream echo around the room. The dark clouds surrounding the elephant fill my edge of my vision as my eyes zoom into the lonely elephant. My throat begins to close. My heart hurts. A voice in my head whispers “You’re dying. You’re dying.” in a joyous chant. I try to breathe but nothing can get through. My hands prickle. My chest stutters. The elephant fades. Only the shadowing and silhouettes of people fill my vision. I still feel the pain in my throat, as I try to breath in air.

Lyanna speaks but her voice is muffled. The darkness that had overtaken my vision slowly fades away. I sit up straight, feeling the soft leather beneath me, becoming aware of my surroundings. We are in different exhibit. It's completely empty. I shift, feeling the leather bench beneath my finger tips. The silence is soothing.

“You feeling better?” Lyanna sits next to me with a cup of water in her hands, causing the leather beneath creaked.

I close my eyes. God. She grabs at my hand but I pull away. Please go away. I can feel her eyes burning into my soul. It’s unbearable. I turn away from her. Please go away. She grips at the cup tightly. The crunch of the cup is excruciating.

“Matias.” She attempts to grab my hand again. I see it coming from a mile away. Like in slow motion. The closer she got, the more I dreaded the contact.

“Fuck! Stop! Can you please just give me a God damn minute?” I stand up trying to get away.

“What is happening?” She’s mad. You’ve ruined everything.

“I don’t want to be fucking touched, Lyanna. Just stop. Stop everything. Leave me alone.” I’m staring at the floor. If I look at her, I’m going to lose it. Shameful. Embarrassing.

“I’m only trying to help.” You’re an embarrassment.

“You’re not!” She’s going to never going to forgive you.

“Okay…” She stands slowly, “Let’s relax for a moment… I’ll be back in a few minutes… Just text me if you need anything.” I don’t say anything while she walks away, the sound of her shoes fading. I sit back down onto the chair, head in my hands.

I take a few deep breaths, focusing on the ground beneath me. The floor is smooth, my hair is soft and messy, the pressure of my elbows on my knees grow. My eyes leave the floor only to be met with a flood of green. A naked woman waking up on a large red couch in the middle of a jungle. Light green paints the leaves towards the bottom of the canvas and becomes darker going up towards the sky. The bright flowers burst up in different directions as the moon peaks through the canopy. The woman is surrounded by hidden animals. I spot a few hidden tigers, a white bird on the top left, a person hidden in the shadows playing an instrument, a few monkeys in the trees and an elephant beyond the trees staring back at me. It was a paradise. So sure of herself, she sits there facing away from me as if she has nothing to lose. She sits unafraid of the world around her.

I can’t relate. I’ll never get my chance. I’ll never not be afraid. I continue to stare at her, trying to understand what she may have done differently. Maybe she kept going. Maybe she stopped caring. Or maybe someone gave her a chance. Whatever she did must’ve worked because she continues to sit as if she has nothing left to lose –

“Henri Rousseau’s The Dream,” I jump. Lyanna stands on my right, staring at the painting with a hand on her hip, “Most people hate this painting.”

“I don’t see why…”

“Eh… Everybody has their own opinions…” She approaches cautiously, “Do you feel any better?”

I nod. “S-sorry,” I look back to the painting, “I just needed a moment to myself.”

“Don’t apologize… I should’ve… I don’t know, been more mindful, I guess.” She sits down next to me. I can see her hesitate before she puts a hand on my shoulder, “Are you going to be okay?”

I don’t answer at first. I look back at the painting. The Dream she called it. Maybe, this was the woman’s dream. Maybe she is like me. Our chances will arise. She strives towards her peace with nature around her as I strive for success in the asphalt jungle. Just as she has nothing left to lose, I, too, have nothing to lose. We are the same.

“Yea… I think I will be.”

~~~

Thank you so much for reading! Let me know what you think! Let me know if I missed a tag or a warning.

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Till Next Time!

-Dey

[scotianostra]

The actor Bill Simpson was born as William Nicholson Simpson on September 11th 1934 in Ayrshire.

Most famous for his portrayal of Dr Finlay, Simpson was originally an announcer on the BBC before switching channels and being plucked from reading the news with Scottish ITV in Glasgow to start his acting career, his only film role I could find was an uncredited part in The 39 Steps, he did however appear in several TV movies including Green Cars Go East, The Highlander and Mother of Men all in the 50’s.

TV roles for Simpson though are aplenty, Z Cars, The Master of Ballantrae, Scotch on the Rocks, The Mackinnons and The Good Companions are just s few in a career spanning four decades, from the 50’s to the 80’s.

It is Dr Finlay that some of you will remember him from, Bill Simpson hailed from the wee fishing village of Dunure, like Dr Finlay, he was an ex-farmer and the fictional village of Tannochbrae could have passed as a fair replica of his home, in fact the prodigal son returned to Dunure to film an episode in the series. The show made stars of the dapper Bill Simpson, veteran actor Andrew Cruickshank and Barbara Mullen. Dr. Finlay’s Casebook ran for eight seasons over 9 years the final episode, “The Burgess Ticket”, being shown on 3 January 1971, Simpson also took the role for 104 audio episodes broadcast on Radio 4.

After being plagued with heart problems his roles thinned out in the 80’s and he passed away at his house in Mauchline in December 1986 from a bronchopneumonia

[buzzdixonwriter]

Gorgo

I recently rewatched Gorgo, a 1961 US / UK / Irish kaiju co-production, a film I hadn’t seen in several years (at least five, maybe as many as ten).

The last couple of times I watched it I wasn’t paying close attention, just letting it play in the background as I did other stuff.  

Now, having actually paid attention to it again, I’m delighted it holds up as well as my memory told me it did.

I first encountered Gorgo in 1961 when my father took my younger brother and I to see it as the Fine Arts Theater in Asheville, NC.

The Fine Arts, one of only two movie theaters in Asheville (there may have been a 3rd that I didn’t know about due to the segregation laws of that era) specialized in more outre’ fare and typically got the monster and horror shows, as well as the Hercules movies and =ahem!= adult dramas.

It was a memorable trip for several reasons, not the least of which being my younger brother freaking out at the climax when he turned to grab Dad’s arm only to find Dad had gone to the rest room.

Not a great movie but certainly a good one, Gorgo in retrospect was somewhat groundbreaking and as such more deserving of attention.

The late film historian Bill Warren and I would often discuss old sci-fi movies.  Bill, of course, wrote the seminal reference work on 1950s sci-fi movies, Keep Watching The Skies (highly recommended; go order it right now).

He argued that the fifties sci-fi boom may have started in 1950* but it really ended in 1962 when the last of the films put into production in the 1950s finally came out.

I argued that the line was fuzzier, greyer, with some titles showing a clearly different mindset than others released the same year.

Such is the case with Gorgo.

Basically, 1950s sci-fi is about re-establishing the status quo.  Several end quite explicitly stating this (Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers for one) while others allude to the fact that the menace may return…someday.

But their point always was that by the end of the picture things returned to what passed for normal.

Even Forbidden Planet returns to normal by destroying Altair IV and the truly god-like Krell machines found there, thus preventing anyone else from using them.

But 1960s sci-fi had an entirely different flavor, and that flavor was that by the end of the movie things had changed irrevocably and forever.

There was no going back to the way things were, there was only the new normal -- however different and bizarre that normal might be.

Gorgo is a sixties sci-fi film.

Giant monster movies -- what we now refer to as kaiju due to Japan’s dominance of the genre -- started way back in the silent era (like almost everything else in cinema, Georges Melies got there first) with King Kong as the most prominent example before the atom age.

King Kong’s success on TV in the late 40s spurred Warner Bros. to make The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms and that in turn spurred Toho to make Gojira (US title:  Godzilla, King Of The Monsters) and that inspired a giant monster race on both sides of the Pacific.

England, not wanting to feel left out of the fun, made The Giant Behemoth which is an okay but underwhelming example of the genre, noteworthy only for being stop motion animators Willis O’Brien’s last feature work (he worked on other films after that, but not as an animator).

By the late 1950s Godzilla’s popularity inspired the King brothers (US slot machine distributors) to make their own giant monster movie, and despite their unfamiliarity with the genre they made several smart decisions, the first of which was hiring Eugene Lourie.

Lourie had one of those fabulous “cast your fate to the wind” careers that included working as art director on Jean Renoir films in France.

Like so many others, as the Nazis rose in power, Lourie came to America where he continued doing art direction among other behind the camera film work.  His experience with special effects got him a gig direction The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms and from there he directed a few TV episodes then The Colossus Of New York (not what we’d call a kaiju film today, but definitely one of the oddest sci-fi movies ever made) and The Giant Behemoth (itself essentially a remake of The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms).

When the King brothers approached him to direct Gorgo, he was reluctant, agreeing to make the film only they let him do something no other sci-fi film of the 1950s (or before!) had ever done:  Let the monsters win.

While Lourie later complained he felt the film fell short of what he intended, there’s no denying he was swinging for the outfield fence with this one.

The King brothers’ best idea was that they’d start with a 20-ft tall monster getting captured and brought to London, only for the protagonists to belatedly realize they’ve captured a baby and mama is gonna come looking for him.

It ends with Mama defeating everything humanity had to throw at it and returning to the sea with her child, the surviving humans watching them depart and realizing they can no longer consider themselves the absolute masters of all they survey.

That point gets lost in the feel-good moment of mother rescuing child, but it’s there, and it marks Gorgo as one of the first sci-fi films to embrace the concept that change was inevitable and inescapable.

Gorgo is an expertly crafted film, not perfect by a long shot, but satisfying all the way through.  Lourie’s talent as an art director contributed mightily to the film’s final dramatic effect, and the scenes of London panicking as Mama Gorgo comes looking for her child has an intensity lacking in most kaiju films.

As Bill Warren observed, there’s not a lot of originality here, but that’s okay because Lourie and the King brothers covered a number of details typically left out of movies like this, namely how the %#$@ are you going to get your kaiju back to civilization?

Sharp eyed observers will notice a lot of stock footage in this movie (with footage of the British and US navies being used interchangeably for the same ships and crews), but Lourie also disguised some of it well.  

The cost conscious King brothers filmed a lorry carrying a full size replica of Gorgo (doped up and trussed up with nets) through a deserted Piccadilly Circus by sneaking cameras in and doing a wholly unauthorized shoot early on a Sunday morning (explained away in the film as the police ordering people off the streets to reduce the danger of Gorgo escaping).

In a couple of scenes Lourie superimposes his actors over background plates shot for big budget WWII epics, creating a far larger sense of scale than the movie actually had.

The miniatures and the lighting of same are exceptionally well done and very convincing for the era.  Matte work to combine the Gorgos with humans is pretty seamless.

The Gorgo monster suit itself?  Ehhh…not quite so well done.  Call it adequate, certainly not an embarrassment, but far from the best example of the genre.

The movie certainly ended in a far different place than other kaiju of the era and ended up having a surprisingly long half-life as a comic book spin off by Steve Ditko that followed the adventures of Gorgo and his Mama.

There’s a lot that can be done with this kaiju combination, and it’s a shame that’s going to waste.

If ever there was a movie deserving of an upgraded remake, it’s Gorgo.

  © Buzz Dixon

  * When a particular epoch in pop culture starts / stops is always open to debate.  Since Bill wouldn’t consider short films or serials in Keep Watching The Skies he omits several serials released before 1950 that anticipated the sci-fi boom, in particular The Purple Monster Strikes, the first of Republic’s Martian invasion serials as well as the first cinematic sci-fi excursion to include all of the key elements of 1950s American sci-fi:  Paranoia, alien invasion, body possession.  (For those keeping score at home, the Republic Martian serials are The Purple Monster Strikes, Flying Disc Man From Mars, and Zombies Of The Stratosphere though one can argue King Of The Rocket Men, Retik, The Moon Menace, and Commando Cody, Sky Marshall Of The Universe are crossovers of one kind or another; the first three serials were unintentionally linked when cost conscious Republic decided to recycle costumes and props and rewrote dialog to refer to prior releases in order to cover their budgetary limits.)

[palilalia]

PAL-059 Bill Orcutt and Michael Morley LP

“Electric Guitar Duets”

LP reissue of Land & Sea’s limited 2016 tape documenting a performance by guitarists Michael Morley and Bill Orcutt at the L&S gallery in Oakland.

“As an episode typical of buddy comedies where a great idea sets in motion a catastrophically idiotic plan, Bill Orcutt and Michael Morley’s attempted incognito infiltration of now-defunct women’s public bath Osento, once located on Valencia Street in San Francisco, flips the sequence of events on its head. How unsuccessful our erstwhile Daphne and Josephine were in the above endeavor is directly related to the reliability of that beloved and versatile adhesive product known as duct tape. Roll your eyes and mutter “oh god” in whatever sequence seems most euphonious to you, just as Sgt. Anne Guthrie at the police station four blocks away did when they were hauled in, but be prepared to accept the explanation, as did she, that tequila and a game of Truth Or Dare gone awry were the real criminals. Once regrettable antics were permanently affixed to the rearview mirror, the pair chauffeured across the bay to Land And Sea, the cozy gallery on San Pablo Avenue in Oakland and sobered up on vegan cocktail wieners and gummie vitamins. You may doubt, you may scoff — have fun with it, champion, seriously — but on July 6, 2016, they rendered a landscape where miniature squalls grind in between seamlessly intersecting improv, and they did it sharp as the slap of a palmful of plum-colored hazelmyer elixir following a good, close shave.

The distinctive sound of the Fender Telecaster as played without effects by Orcutt (“one of music’s premier abstractionists,” according to Osmo Montesanto) remains unblunted throughout the album, an aggressively serrated presence within Mr. Morley’s contrapuntal flanking. This freely improvised performance is imbued with discipline and deliberate restraint, the better to connect the players more to the sound than to the instruments. “The electric guitar forms a relationship with the amplifier,” said Morley in an interview with Monster Fresh back in 2010, “As this defines many things unable to be conveyed with language.”

The duo’s number-one fan worldwide Cye Husain, pictured on the back cover, would surely attest that the singular structure-building of Orcutt and Morley defies and transcends most any “well, actually” bloviature that the usual bore-splainers will need to hurl into the troposhere. For instance, that a third guitar is clearly audible at certain parts in the mix — beautifully recorded by Gabie Strong, by the way — can be accounted for most sensibly by Aotearoan metaphysics. Mr. Morley’s ax of choice was “Patu Tutae Opoko Nui, a 2006 Squire Telecaster made in Indonesia that I had modified over the years. It died and was ushered up to Valhöll in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2018.” Readers opting to take a moment to refer to Morley’s Instagram post dated 6 June 2018 and view the last rites of this extraordinary combination of wood and metal should do so now. He cried. You should expect to do the same. “The sound of a third guitar,” explains Morley, “will no doubt be the ghosts of the Kaumatua Opoko Nui serenading us from the ether of the beyond.” Certified and confirmed: the blockchain nodes of Afterlife 2.0 function as designed, allowing a dead guitar to accompany itself two years before its death. That’s some long-white-cloud Ouija right there, superior to and more efficient than getting stopped at customs with a bunch of undeclared pedals in the pockets of your cargo shorts.

Electric Guitar Duets is that otherworldly modulation we all crave and rarely find, hovering halfway between a deeply satisfying lattice of blurred sky roars and the soundtrack from a Stefan Jarworzyn biopic scored by Sergio Leone left on the floor out of its sleeve. Morley and Orcutt hold everything sideways at least as well as the centrifugal force required for slow-motion footage of mannequins riding tiny motorcyles around the inside of a chrome replica of Lee Van Cleef’s skull. For other examples of fluid-splattered shards glistening inside crimson murk pulsations, only murder rolling through cold, cold blood comes to mind as superior to this 44-minute live recording.” — S. Glass

BUY

[papermoonloveslucy]

MARILYN MONROE

June 1, 1926 - August 4, 1962

Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson) was an actress, model, and singer. Famous for playing comedic "blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s and was emblematic of the era's changing attitudes towards sexuality. She was a top-billed actress for only a decade, but her films grossed $200 million by the time of her death in 1962. More than half a century later, she continues to be a major popular culture icon.

"When I was five I think, that's when I started wanting to be an actress. I didn't like the world around me because it was kind of grim, but I loved to play house. When I heard that this was acting, I said that's what I want to be. Some of my foster families used to send me to the movies to get me out of the house and there I'd sit all day and way into the night. Up in front, there with the screen so big, a little kid all alone, and I loved it.” ~ Marilyn Monroe,1962

Lucille Ball never worked with Marilyn Monroe, but meet her in 1953 at Ciro’s Nightclub on Sunset Strip, along with Betty Grable, and Red Skelton. Monroe’s immense popularity permeated Ball’s work none-the-less. 

At the start of “Changing the Boys’ Wardrobe” (ILL S3;E10) the gang is heading to the movies to see “That picture we’ve been trying to get to for weeks with Marilyn Monroe.” The movie is likely Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, which premiered in New York City in July 1953. On November 5, 1953, the same day the episode was filmed, Monroe’s new film How to Marry a Millionaire was released in the US. 

The November 1953 cover of TV and Movie Screen Magazine saw Lucy (in “The Camping Trip”) and Marilyn wearing the dress she wore on the May 1953 cover of Life Magazine promoting Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. 

Also on November 5, 1953, the town of Monroe, New York (60 miles from New York City) was temporarily renamed Marilyn Monroe.

The film later inspired much of the plot of “Second Honeymoon” (S5;E14), Lucy’s failed attempt to make their transatlantic crossing to Europe more than just a working vacation.    

Monroe’s dinner companion turns out to be a seven year-old boy, just like Lucy’s ping pong partner turns out to be young Kenneth Hamilton (Harvey Grant). 

Lucy gets stuck in a porthole just as Monroe did, also draping a blanket around her shoulders so passersby wouldn’t know what was really going on.

The idea for the burlap potato sack dresses in “Lucy Wants A Paris Gown” (ILL S5;E20) comes from Monroe’s real life. 

In 1951 Marilyn Monroe took a series of high fashion photographs wearing a potato sack as a response to a journalist who said that she might look sexier in a burlap sack than her usual fashion choices. 

Lucy first wore burlap at the end of “Mr. and Mrs. TV Show” (ILL S4;E24) as her scary version of a Phipps make-over.

In “Ricky’s Movie Offer” (ILL S4;E5) Lucy and Ethel argue about who looks more like Marilyn Monroe. 

While Lucy has the facial features, Ethel has the blonde hair. 

Fred (hilariously) settles the argument!  

In “Ricky’s Screen Test” (ILL S4;E7) a long list of Hollywood names are dropped in anticipation of hobnobbing with celebrities, including Marilyn Monroe. 

In “Lucy and Harpo Marx” (ILL S4;E28) Lucy wonders if Ethel might pass for Monroe to a near-sighted Carolyn Appleby. After Ethel tries to walk like Marilyn Monroe, Lucy decides that “nobody is that near-sighted!” Fred says that he looks more like Marilyn than either of them! 

In “Lucy and Superman” (ILL S6;E13), the Appleby’s come over for a social evening that Ethel calls “the bore war” because the couples only talk about their children. As the scene opens, Caroline is in mid-sentence talking about a Marilyn Monroe film.

CAROLINE: “...and he picked up Marilyn Monroe, slung her over his shoulder and carried her off!”

Although the title is never mentioned, the film they are discussing is Bus Stop, starring Marilyn Monroe and Don Murray. It was released in August 1956, two and a half months before this episode was filmed.

When “Lucy Does the Tango” (ILL S6;E20), she stuffs eggs down her blouse and Ethel stashes a some in her back pockets. Lucy tells her, “Whatever you do don’t try to walk like Marilyn Monroe,” but the ‘yolk’ is on Ethel when Fred suddenly enters through the kitchen door! 

In “Lucy the Gun Moll” (TLS S4;E25), Lucy plays Lucy Carmichael and Rusty Martin. The name Rusty Martin was probably derived from Lucy’s hair color and the surname of Mary Martin, who introduced the song “My Heart Belongs to Daddy” (music and lyrics by Cole Porter) in the 1938 Broadway musical Leave It to Me. Marilyn Monroe sang it in the 1960 film Let’s Make Love.  In that same film, Harry Cheshire, who played Sam Johnson in “Oil Wells” (ILL S3;E18), played Monroe’s father. Jerry Hausner (Jerry, Ricky’s Agent) and Joan Banks (Reporter Eleanor Harris in “Fan Magazine Interview”) played uncredited supporting roles. 

Lucy and Marilyn shared a leading man in handsome Keith Andes. Andes was Lucy’s male lead in Wildcat on Broadway, and later played was featured on three episodes of “The Lucy Show.”  

In 1952, he played opposite Marilyn in Clash By Night, an RKO picture. 

In “Lucy Gets Ricky on the Radio” (1952), the June 3, 1952 of Look Magazine actually had Lucille Ball and Marilyn Monroe on the cover!  Monroe was promoting Clash by Night, and Desi had written a feature on his wife for the magazine. So Marilyn actually did appear on “I Love Lucy” - if only in a still photo. 

Some Like It Hot (1959) is arguably one of Marilyn Monroe’s most popular films. What does it have in common with Lucille Ball? In 1958, both Lucy and Monroe were depicted at San Diego’s famous Del Coronado Hotel. It is the hotel that the Ricardo’s and Mertzes stay at in “Lucy Goes to Mexico” (LDCH S2;E1) as well as the backdrop for much of the film. Although Desilu filmed establishing footage of the hotel, the cast stayed in Hollywood, while Monroe went on location (as seen above). In “Lucy Goes to a Hollywood Premiere” (TLS S4;E20), Mr. Mooney says he wouldn’t buy a second hand nightie if it had been worn by Jack Lemmon in Some Like It Hot.

The Irving Berlin song “There’s No Business Like Show Business” was sung on “I Love Lucy” and “The Lucy Show.”  Although it was originally from the Broadway musical Annie Get Your Gun (1946), it also served as the title and was performed (by Merman) in the Marilyn Monroe film There’s No Business Like Show Business in 1955. 

In 1952, Marilyn co-starred by Richard Widmark (”The Tour” ILL S4;E30) in the film noir drama Don’t Bother To Knock. The film also featured “Lucy” players Lurene Tuttle (Fine Arts League President), Verna Felton (Mrs. Porter), Gloria Blondell (Grace Foster), as well as Harry Bartell, Olan Soule, Robert Foulke, and Bess Flowers.

That same year, Monroe starred in We’re Not Married! opposite Lucy’s friend and former co-star Ginger Rogers, as well as Eve Arden (”Hollywood at Last!”), Paul Douglas (”Lucy Wants a Career”) and Eddie Bracken (Too Many Girls). 

One of Monroe’s most iconic moments came in March 1962 when she sang “Happy Birthday” as a birthday present to President John F. Kennedy in a public birthday celebration also attended by Lucy’s friends and co-stars Jack Benny, Jimmy Durante, Henry Fonda, Danny Kaye, Shirley MacLaine and Elliott Reid. A year later, Lucy Carmichael also gave Kennedy a present, a sugar cube replica of the White House on “The Lucy Show” with Elliott Reid doing Kennedy’s offstage voice as well as playing a small on-camera role! 

"I never quite understood it, this sex symbol. I always thought symbols were those things you clash together! That's the trouble, a sex symbol becomes a thing. I just hate to be a thing. But if I'm going to be a symbol of something I'd rather have it sex than some other things they've got symbols of." ~ Marilyn Monroe, 1962

Monroe was married (and divorced) three times: 

James Dougherty, Merchant Marine & Policeman (1942-46) 

Joe DiMaggio, Baseball Player (1954-55)

Arthur Miller, Playwright (1956-61)

In “Lucy is Enceinte” (ILL S2;E10), Fred gives Lucy a signed baseball for his future 'godson’. When he asks Lucy to read out the signature, she at first says “Spalding,” the ball’s brand name, but then finds it is signed by Joe DiMaggio.

In “Ragtime Band” (ILL S6;E21), Little Ricky asks his Uncle Fred: 

LITTLE RICKY: “Who’s Joe 'Maggio?” FRED: “'Who’s Joe 'Maggio?’ You talk more like your father everyday.”

In “Sales Resistance” (ILL S2;E17), Lucy compares herself to Willy Loman, the title character in Death of a Salesman, a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Arthur Miller first produced on Broadway in 1949 and made into an Oscar-nominated film in 1951.  

Speaking of husbands, Desi Arnaz has something in common with Marilyn Monroe, too. Both of their souses were accused of being Communists by the House Un-American Activities Committee during the 1950s. Both Lucille and Arthur Miller were cleared of charges and their careers continued, although that was not true for many celebrities of the time. 

Monroe died on August 4, 1962. The toxicology report showed that the cause of death was acute barbiturate poisoning. Empty medicine bottles were found next to her bed. The possibility that Monroe had accidentally overdosed was ruled out because the dosages found in her body were several times over the lethal limit.

The character of Ginger, the movie star castaway on “Gilligan’s Island” (1964-67) was described during casting as a combination of Lucille Ball and Marilyn Monroe. Tina Louise had Lucy’s red (ginger) hair and Monroe’s shapely physique. The series also featured Natalie Schafer (Phoebe Emerson) as Mrs. Howell, and Alan Hale Jr. as the Skipper. Hale performed on “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy”. Series creator Sherwood Schwartz was a Lucy fan. His brother Elroy Schwartz actually wrote scripts for Lucille Ball. 

In the 2013 web-series “Ryan & Ruby” both Lucille Ball and Marilyn Monroe are given special thanks for their inspiration. The last name of star and creator Ryan Burton's character is "Carmichael", the same as Ball's character on the "The Lucy Show". In Ryan’s kitchen there are fridge magnets with photos of both Lucy and Marilyn.  

Lucy and Marilyn are street characters at Universal Studios theme parks, their iconic hair and costumes making them instantly recognizable.

The same day Marilyn Monroe was born in 1926, another Hollywood icon with connections to Lucille Ball was also born, Andy Griffith.  To read his birthday blog, click here! 

[rainbowsconnect]

Muppets!

Yeah!! I am excited to talk about the muppets after the museum visit the other day. Okay so:

my favorite female character: Smh at the lack of options. Still, even if there were more lady muppets to choose from, Miss Piggy would probably still be my fav. I think too many people (both fans and ppl who have written for the muppets lmao) see her as just a stuck up diva but she is so much more than that. The front she has of being The Best is her own way to build up her self confidence. She has to work to be the most glamorous pig in town while making it seem like this is no effort to pull off at all. Sometimes the front falls and we do see how much she has to work and it is the source of comedy, sympathy, and respect the audience has for her.

my favorite male character: Scooter is my orange son. I love him. His earlier persona of guy who helps Kermit keep everything running smooth while also being a brown noser for his own gain is hilarious.

my favorite book/season/etc: Film peaked with The Muppet Movie.

my favorite episode (if its a tv show): Television peaked with the Harry Belafonte episode of The Muppet Show.

my favorite cast member: Richard Hunt. ❤

my favorite ship: Listen... I know everyone has their Kermit and Piggy hot takes. But is it not enough to see them snuggling in A Muppet Family Christmas, dancing together in The Great Muppet Caper, or getting married in Muppets Take Manhattan and feel your heart warm? Sometimes love is a smarmy frog and his strong pig girlfriend.

a character I’d die defending: Not so much a character but I hate when people go after Matt Vogel's Kermit. He is not responsible for Disney firing Steve Whitmire and he is a great performer besides.

a character I just can’t sympathize with: This doesn't really apply here.

my anti otp: Remember when the ABC muppets show made Kermit that guy who dates a younger replica of his ex? Yeah. :/

a character I grew to love: Rowlf the Dog!! As a 90s kid, he wasn't around much when I was young so I didn't know him very well. But I grew to love him as I rewatched older muppet things and as he started appearing more with Bill Barretta performing him.

[1simpsons]

Mad Bart Simpsons Drops da Bomb shell on 9 11 Twin Towers Mad Bart Simpsons Drops da Bomb shell on 9 11 Twin Towers 9/11 Twin Towers Mad Simpsons Drops da Bomb Shell Bart Simpson Twin Towers 9/11 Bomb shell drop Mad The World Trade Center was a complex of seven buildings located in New York City and for a few years the tallest buildings in the world. Barney Gumble once illegally parked Homer's car at the complex of the twin towers, where it received an enormous number of parking tickets and had one of the front wheels clamped. Homer, with the family, traveled to New York to retrieve the car and stubbornly drove it away with the clamp still on the wheel.[1] On February 26, 1993, a massive truck bomb detonated in a garage of the North Tower. On September 11, 2001, the towers were destroyed by two Boeing 767 airplanes from American Airlines and United Airlines, named American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, hijacked by 10 Al-Qaeda terrorists in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Despite this, Homer still tried to order a collectible plate from a 1980s TV Guide where the mailing address was One World Trade Center.[2] Due to the 9/11 attacks, the episodes "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson" and "New Kids on the Blecch" have the scenes with the twin towers edited out when shown in syndication. Episodes Include: "Homer the Father" "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson" "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson" is the first episode of The Simpsons' ninth season. The 179th episode of the series overall, it was originally broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on September 21, 1997. The episode features the Simpson family traveling to Manhattan to recover the family car, which was taken by Barney Gumble and abandoned outside the World Trade Center, therefore gaining numerous parking tickets and a parking boot. Writer Ian Maxtone-Graham was interested in making an episode where the Simpson family travels to New York to retrieve their lost car. Executive producers Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein suggested that the car be found in Austin J. Tobin Plaza at the World Trade Center, as they wanted a location that would be widely known. Great lengths were taken to make a detailed replica of the borough of Manhattan. The episode received generally positive reviews, and has since been on accolade lists of The Simpsons episodes. The "You're Checkin' In" musical sequence won two awards. Because of the World Trade Center's main role, the episode was taken off syndication in many areas following the September 11 attacks, but had come back into syndication by 2006. Category: Entertainment Animation Comedy & Humour