Television and Movies

Narf

Some of my friends tell me I have no taste whatsoever.

I say, "Thank You." I love movies and tv shows that

have their own distinct vision, no matter how strange.

Sometimes my conception of great vision is the same as

the general public. More often, I derive great pleasure

from movies and tv shows that me, my wife, and about

20 other people have seen. One of those 20 is Jeanne

Chappé who has a great site of reviews of

Films Outside the Loop.

I tried to think of some of my favorite tv shows and movies 

to tell you about. What a task! How should I organize them? 

I'll start with some of my favorite directors and producers. 

Sam Raimi is a great one. He's behind the Evil Dead

movies and some great tv shows like Hercules and 

Xena: Warrior Pincess. Raimi's stuff is fun,

witty, and intelligent. 

Ed Wood, the director of such great films as 

Plan 9 from Outer Space, is a favorite. If you've never

seen an Ed Wood film, you might not enjoy the movie about

him - Tim Burton's Ed Wood. But after you've seen any of his films,

you'll understand Mr. Wood and his unique vision.

Not surprisingly, Tim Burton is another favorite:

Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Batman, 

Nightmare Before Christmas, and Ed Wood

are all classics. And if you're like most people,

you either loved or hated his latest films, Mars Attacks and Sleepy Hollow.

John Waters movies are always fun. His big commercial

success was Hairspray, but he has had a distinguished

career writing and directing films such as Pink

Flamingos, Female Trouble, and Pecker. 

(You may be noticing a fondness for Johnny

Depp movies - good observation.)

You have to love the movies of one of

the greatest actesses of all time, Claudia Jennings.

Her filmography spans the 1970s with features

such as The Great Texas Dynamite Chase,

Unholy Rollers, Truck Stop Women,  'Gator Bait,

Moonshine County Express, Group Marriage,

Private School, Deathsport, Impulsion,

Sisters of Death, and Fast Company.

Claudia died in a tragic automobile accident

on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu

on October 3, 1979.

I also love movies that are made with style, fun, and a

low budget. Some favorites are Rock-and-Roll High

School (the greatest Ramones movie ever), Amazon

Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (the greatest

movie about a Women's Studies professor ever), and

What's Up, Tiger Lily (the greatest egg salad recipe

movie ever).

How about some great science fiction and horror

movies? Check out Forbidden Planet, Boy and His Dog,

The Day the Earth Stood Still, and I Married an Alien from

Outer Space. Do you know the connection between

the Day the Earth Stood Still and the the third Evil

Dead film, Army of Darkness? Here's a hint.

I sometimes like to rent videos to create double- or

triple-features. Try the Evil Dead movies starring Bruce

Campbell: Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, and Army of

Darkness (if you can only do one, see one of the best

horror movies of all time - Evil Dead 2). How about

some highway movies: Highway 61 and Highway to

Hell both feature Satan in very different roles; if you just

want another highway flick, add PowWow Highway. Or

you can make it a hell night with Highway to Hell and

Motel Hell (starring Rory Calhoun and featuring Cliff

from "Cheers" as a rock musician "critter").

You might enjoy this triple-feature:

Clerks, Mallrats, and Bottle Rocket.

Enough movies. How about some television? I can

usually tell that a series isn't going to make it if I get

interested. Have you heard of 

The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.? 

How about Strange Luck? 

Fortunately, Brisco lives on in eternal reruns

on Saturday mornings on TNT. What else has

died an early death just because I

liked it? I know, Freaks and Geeks. What an

amazing show with wonderful characters and

stories. It may have a life in re-runs. All of

these shows have something in common though.

The "family values" folks should have been

praising them. But they ignore good television so

they can accuse television of ruining youth. 

Some favorite shows:
Homicide: Life on the Street 

 NewsRadio starring Dave Foley

from Kids in the Hall. 

Mystery Science Theater 3000

Buffy, the Vampire Slayer

Malcolm in the Middle

Ed

Another favorite that gets my PBS pledge each

year is the News Hour with Jim Lehrer.

I have a fondness for cartoons that speak to both adults

and kids. An old favorite, Rocky and Bullwinkle, is still

on Nickelodeon. A favorite is Pinky and the Brain.

There's one thing you have to love about

Brain. Every night he does the same thing - "try to take

over the world." Notice that Brain doesn't say "try and

take over the world," a phrase heard too often these days.

(It was even spotted in a Rex Morgan comic strip!)

Just think, Brain is teaching a whole new

generation of kids the correct phrasing, and we can all

thank him for it. Pinky and the Brain can also help my

psychology students learn about brain anatomy.

Finally, I'm a sucker for talking animals. I loved all

the Francis the talking mule movies. Babe was just

fantastic. But the animal that has stolen my heart is a

dog named Wishbone. Wishbone is a Jack Russell terrier

who has his own show on PBS. In each episode,

Wishbone gets to portray a different character from

world literature. He may be Sherlock Holmes, Oliver

Twist, Romeo, or the Count of Monte Cristo. This dog,

and this show, are irresistible.

If you love Wishbone, you probably hate the purple

dinosaur... here's the scoop.