Lifetime Channel’s Drew Peterson: Untouchable aired last night
Drew Peterson had been in the news for quite a bit. He is the retired Bolingbrook Police Sergeant who is accused of killing one wife and possibly a second wife and having a total of four wives. The dude is definitely shady and I don’t think any woman will be marrying him again. I do want to see the movie because I think Rob Lowe will be hilarious in it. Check out the story at the above link. They also posted the best line of dialogue in the film: “I’m untouchable, bitch!” Yeah, the movie just might rule.
The movie aired last night (Saturday, Jan. 21st) but will be aired again:
-
Sun Jan 22 at 8 PM
-
Mon Jan 23 at 12 AM
-
Mon Jan 23 at 8 PM
MAX HEADROOM: The Complete Series on DVD!
Max Headroom glossy photo
I remember watching this television show as a young lad and have not seen it since. I am sure the show is going to seem like some type of sick joke, but I still want to pick this up…for nostalgic reasons. Shout Factory is selling the box set over at their website for $29.99 plus S&H and if you order soon you may be able to get a limited edition glossy photo of the whole cast! I really am cracking up as I am typing this post up. Max Headroom was a selling device used by Coke and it’s so ironic that they made a whole television series out of it. I guess I should not be surprised as there are so many tv shows that were used solely as marketing and selling devices for items (G.I. Joe for action figures/ Transformers for cool toys, etc…). I guess we can all be grateful that the “Where’s the Beef?” lady from Wendy’s commercials never was given her own sitcom based on the iconic old lady from the commercials. I don’t know- the show possibly would be a cult hit. Who knows these days?
ROUTE 66: Season 3 (T.V.)
Route 66 is an anthology series that aired on CBS during the ’60s (1960-1964) and centers around Yale graduate Tod Stiles (Martin Milner), who grew up with money, and Buzz Murdock (George Maharis), a young tough from Hell’s Kitchen whose youthful years were an ongoing struggle. The two young men take to the road after Tod’s father dies and Tod finds out he is flat broke. All that is left to Tod is a 1960 powder blue Corvette.
When Tod’s father died, the company closed and Buzz lost his job. The two set out to find adventure on the open road as they travel from city to city via route 66, staying in each town finding a temporary job to pay for gas, food, and lodgings while tackling life’s social, domestic, and familial issues throughout their journey.
Route 66 was the brainchild of Herbert B. Leonard (former producer, writer, and production manager) and Stirling Silliphant (prolific writer of more than 50 published books, Ad. Exec. for Disney + 20th Century Fox).
At the time, Route 66 was the only fiction series written and shot all over North America. From Chicago all the way to Los Angeles, each story takes place in a different region, city, or state (some repeated), but full of intriguing stories, deep characters, and tough social issues and changing mores are tackled head-on with striking conviction and aptitude.
During Tod and Buzz’s journey across America, they generally stopped in urban or industrial areas-never the idyllic suburbs with their white-picket fences and perfectly manicured, healthy green lawns. That fact that the areas that Tod and Buzz stop in are more prone to poverty, violence, and hardworking men and women hard on their luck gives each episode a bit of authenticity to them. I found that many of the issues brought up in each episode from the ’60s really still has relevance to modern day issues stemming from present times in the year 2010.
I may be biased having been born and raised in Chicago and its suburbs, but my favorite episodes were the ones that take place in Chicago. In “Man Out of Time“, Tod and Buzz are taxi cab drivers in Chicago and run into a Prohibition Beer Baron who has just been released from a 32-year long prison sentence and believes someone from his past is out to kill him. Littered with scenery from downtown Chicago, I was really impressed to see my city’s skyline before it was fully developed. Many of the historic buildings back then still stand tall today. In “Voice at the End of the Line“, the two road travelers find work in a warehouse in Chicago, helping a lonely warehouse supervisor find true love. One scene is filmed from the top of the Tribune building, a breath-taking view shot over the city’s downtown. The stories are well-written, full of excellent acting, and very creative scenarios to keep one completely interested.
Each episode usually has a fun cameo by a well-known film star, such as in “Lizard’s Leg and Owlet’s Wing” in which we are privileged to watch fun performances by legends Peter Lorre, Lon Chaney, and Boris Karloff. Myself being a horror fan first and film freak second, I was tickled pink to watch three of the finest names in horror and suspense appearing in one episode in roles that had more comedic elements pouring through than than they did ones filled with terror. Most of this episode takes place at the Chicago Ohare Inn, an establishment that I am not sure even still stands there to this day.
Aside from the aforementioned cameos, Route 66 has had a cavalcade of talent and stars in each and every episode including John Astin, Buster Keaton, Sorrell Brooke, Rod Steiger, Nina Foch, Ed Asner, Leslie Nielsen, Ron Howard, Natalie Schafer, Julie Newmar, James Whitmore, Harvey Korman, Robert Duvall, Dick York, Gene Hackman, Rip Torn, Alan Alda, and Tom Bosley. Academy Award-winning writer Stirling Silliphant (In the Heat of the Night) and producer Herbert Leonard (Naked City, Rin Tin Tin, Circus Boy, Popi) really created a truly unique and cutting edge form of television for viewers in the early ’60s full of groundbreaking production values.
The edgy television anthology came out just three years after “On the Road” hit bookshelves everywhere, transforming modern literature and Route 66 really captures a bit of Kerouac’s book and its feel. I am sure the book influenced Route 66′s creators and gave them the idea for the series in some form. The show was filmed in 40 states and Siliphant traveled around the USA and Canada scouting locations and wrote 3/4 of the show’s episodes. Rumor has it that according to Glenn Corbett (whom replaced Maharis for the last 1 1/2 seasons due to the actor’s illness (Hepatitus), none of the highway footage was actually shot on Route 66 because the creators’ thought the actual highway’s scenery wasn’t interesting enough.
Also of note is that Martin Milner (who plays Tod Stiles) beat out Robert Redford for the role. Imagine that. I thought Milner was the strongest and most likable character in the whole show and was one of the many reasons for which I enjoyed this series so much. The theme song by Nelson Riddles was one of the finer and more memorable theme songs I have heard and really gives the whole series a perfect rating. I strongly recommend Route 66 to anyone that enjoys vintage television that was groundbreaking for its time. Full of actors and actresses that are still acting in films to this day, many of them very familiar and lovable for their characters and roles, Route 66 is a welcomed blast from the past with a relevant social commentary on many tough issues still plaguing society to this day fifty years later.
Route 66 has been fully restored and digitally transferred from the original masters and available through Infinity Entertainment in an 8-disc collector’s set with approximately 28 hours (31 episodes/54 minutes each) and retails for $49.98.
The Judy Garland Show Collection (4-disc box)
I am quickly realizing that I do not like Judy Garland’s television shows. The Judy Garland Show ran on CBS-TV for just one season. I now realized there may have been some valid reasons for this. From 1963-64 The Judy Garland Show ran 26 episodes and have been revered by many today as her finest pieces of work, but not by me. I still think her best piece of work was as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Quite possibly because she was so wholesome and good-natured as she is in her show in which there is an overload of dancing, singing, corny skits and a multitude of cameos, such as Mickey Rooney, Bobby Darin, George Maharis, Bob Newhart, Jack Carter, The Dillards, and Jerry Van Dyke. Unfortunately, this time period is way out of my understanding and it possesses some humor that is pretty dated and, well, just too wholesome. I can appreciate the slapstick humor of Spike Jonze, Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, The Three Stooges, even Charlie Chaplin- but not Judy Garland.
If one really enjoys broadway style singing and dancing with grand costumes and elaborate dances, you may very well like this. I, though, did not. Let’s talk about the finer points of the dvd. The quality of the 4 discs was incredible, especially for footage that was taken from television more than 45 years ago. The sound was incredible, too. I just had a problem with the subject matter. It was far too tame for my tastes. Each disc has one episode that is about 45 minutes in duration, along with some bonus material.
In one episode, starring Mickey Rooney, it almost seems as it was made for Rooney to kiss her butt and talk about how each of them love each other so much. I guess most of these Hollywood stars’ voyages on the television circuit are all about that. The show pays homage to Garland as an actress, performer, and very-talented singer. I think if she had a little bit more zest, a little bit of Gaga-ism in her dance numbers and wardrobe, a younger audience in today’s day and age could relate and appreciate it more. I also felt there were too many “slow” numbers and not enough stage acts.
I do think that Jack Carter’s portions of the show were my favorite. He seemed to have more of a “kick” to his numbers and songs performed. Mickey Rooney’s were not quite as energetic to me. I also think Jack Carter seems like he was more of a “ladies man”, which appealed to me because in these skits there were plenty of gorgeous ladies on hand. I believe many of the guests out-shined Judy Garland, stealing quite a bit of her thunder. And if one is a fan of baseball, Leo Durocher is on the show of the Los Angeles Dodgers, formerly the Brooklyn Dodgers. I am not a huge fan of sports, but I enjoyed hear him talking about Willie Mays and some of the baseball stories. Of course, many of the jokes were involving Judy Garland knowing nothing at all about baseball, mixing up the teams and players. Oh, and thank goodness they did not try to have Durocher try to sing or dance…oops…they DID have him sing, although it was a baseball classic song. Can ya guess which one, folks? I guess when Durocher talked about the time he was kicking dirt at the umpires and they then started kicking more than dirt at each other was interesting, if only slightly.
My favorite episode was the one with Bob Newhart and Bobbi Darin as guests. This was the most animated that I had ever seen Newhart, as he was much older when I saw him on “Newhart“which aired on television in the ’80s. Newhart’s humor and jokes still had me cracking up, though, even today.
As for the bonus disc and its features, the disc just consisted of outtakes and bloopers. It was somewhat entertaining and interesting to hear all the background noise, shouting, and technical errors and mistakes back then. One also gets to see how many times Judy Garland messed up certain scenes, as well as all the technical errors that occurred. The scene in which Garland is dressed as a clown, pouring champagne in glasses for her guests kind of freaked me out. I am not a big fan of clowns and Judy Garland makes one scary-ass clown! There are also some clips of her in concert singing and one more clown number, sure to give me nightmares later on.
If one is a huge fan of Judy Garland, then this 4 disc box set is an ideal item to have. It is presented in letterbox with an aspect ratio of 4×3 and original mono sound and 5.1 surround sound. Infinity Entertainment also carries The Judy Garland Show: Volume 1, The Judy Garland Show: Volume 2, and The Judy Garland Holiday Special (which I have already seen and reviewed).
THREE SHEETS-Season 4
I really have to admit, comedian/host Zane Lampert has pretty much got it made in the shade…so to speak. The guy gets to travel around the world with a film and sound crew, drink copious amounts of spirits, wine, alcohol, and beer while getting paid. He learns about the social norms, the cultures, and the food-all the while drinking beer, taking shots, tasting wine and giving viewers a taste of his brand of humor and shenanigans. I envy the dude in some respects. I am an avid beer drinker and I do like interacting and socially engaging with other drinkers and some fellow drunks.
So, what is the formula for an interesting, well-shot, documentary-like show with a host that is both funny and well-versed in his knowledge of all things alcohol-related? Zane Lampert, I tell you. The host of Three Sheets has a charismatic aura that envelops him as he takes pint after pint, shot after shot, and pinkie finger lifting “froo froo” drink after pinkie finger lifting “froo froo” drink. You will come to recognize the lip-smattering that Lampert employs after drinking a really tasty beverage that is to his satisfaction, as well as how quickly he can chug a beer with little to no effort at all. He is quite the man. A show whose focus is that of drinking booze can only have so many segments and shots of footage involving career alcoholics slamming down drink after drink, or the show will get old real fast. After all, how many will want to watch a hybrid of Animal House, American Pie, and Beerfest all rolled up into one with no substance or intellectual direction? I, for one, want some meat and potatoes in my viewing and Three Sheets delivers on a massive scale.
The 4-disc dvd season features 18-episodes, running in around 25 minutes, and filled with a variety of anecdotal info on the countries, people, cultures, and practices of those that are versed in the art of drinking. Lampert is a very like-able host-not annoying or a spazz. The humor is light, witty, and used at appropriate interludes. Lampert respects those that he chats with, throws a joke out now and then, but is strictly business when it comes to tasting the drinks, bottles, and shots. He is all about business. Three Sheets takes the viewer to the finest bars around, as well as to the largest dives imaginable. Also, Lampert takes us to the backwoods to explore home-made hooch and moonshine, some of which I have been privy to sampling myself in my own neck of the woods and can first-hand appreciate.
If one is a fan of The History Channel, Discovery Channel, or even The Travel Channel- you definitely will feel right at home while watching Three Sheets, a show that originally aired on the iN DEMAND Networks‘ owned MOJO HD channel. There is garnered a very passionate following (of which I see why) and now airs on the Fine Living Network. I am happy to hear that Seasons 1-3 are available on dvd on one box set, or one can pick up the seasons individually.
Some of the countries and areas covered on this alcoholic roadshow are Iceland, Amsterdam, New Zealand, Hamburg, Tanzania, Capetown, and Lesbos. Some of the regions explored I had never even heard of, but after watching Zane hit the social hot spots in Lithuania, Poland, Whistler, and Tuscany- I was stoked to one day do some traveling of my own to share my stories of drunken hooliganism and debauchery with the world, if that day ever comes.
The 4-disc dvd is 9 hours in duration, is presented in anamorphic widescreen with an aspect ratio of 16×9, as well as a bonus episode, London New Year’s Eve Pub Crawl, plus 90 minutes of webisodes and hilarious never-before-seen outtakes.
I was fascinated to learn the history of Jaegermeister, Beefeater, Heineken, Amstel, and Mead. The only beer that I really wished had been mentioned or had a play in on this season of Three Sheets were two of my favorites, Blue Moon and Hacker-Pschorr, but I guess that may be coming up on a future episode or was already featured. The show has informational interludes, filled with graphs, charts, and mini-histories of all the beverages showcased. I think that without having a fair blending of facts, funnies, and fermentation-the show would have just been pretty average. Three Sheets is by no means average. It is one of the hippest, smoothest, and unique shows I have ever seen that devoted so much intellect and thought to one of my favorite past times: DRINKING and PARTYING!
With a retail price of $24.95 and released from the Infinity Entertainment Group with the iN DEMAND NETWORKS, I consider this 4-disc set a total bargain! Grab a seat on your favorite couch, bust open a 12-pack of your favorite icy cold beverage and grab a couple of shot glasses with your bottle preferred alcohol, for Zane never likes to drink alone and watching this show you will feel like he is right in your home dropping shots of heaven into beer bombs with you.
The Best of Spike Jones (2009)
The Spike Jones Show was a show from the 1950′s that showcased the musical talents, humor, and slapstick kind of comedy that was so influential to so many “modern-day” comedians and musicians that brought comedy to their music, most notably one of my favorite comical musicians Weird Al Yankovic, as well as Frank Zappa, Ernie Kovacs, George Carlin and Billy Crystal. Spike Jones and his band, the City Slickers, were dubbed the “Master of Musical Mayhem” by Rolling Stone magazine and were very popular in the ’40s, ’50s, and early ’60s. Spike Jones and the City Slickers were known for performing satirical arrangements of very popular songs and they did it very effectively.
When I watched this 3-disc dvd put out from the Infinity Entertainment Group, I was reminded of such great comedy acts and personalities of classic black & white television and movies such as Laurel & Hardy, Abbot & Costello, I Love Lucy as well as some more modern-day greats that incorporated music into their comedic spiel such as the legendary Benny Hill. I think that great musical talent and comedy always have gone hand-in-hand and Spike Jones really honed this fine art to a razor-sharp point during his career.
Featuring show regulars such as Helen Grayco (Mrs. Spike Jones), Freddy Morgan, George Rock, Sir Frederick Gas (Earl Bennett), Billy Barty (who you may recall from being in the film Willow with Val Kilmer) and special guests Eddy Arnold, Zasu Pitts and Howdy Doody. In my mind, certain elements of comedy truly are timeless and never get old. What I really enjoyed about this superb 3-disc collection is the plethora of instruments and creativity that went into each musical act. The City Slickers really are a top-notch band and have mastered their instruments, incorporating humor at every performance. Spike Jones and his band incorporate sneezes, hiccups, gun shots, explosives, belches, cowbells, fog horns, milk bottles, and knockwurst. The last item mentioned truly has to be seen to believe.
Some of the more well-known classics on the 3-disc set include “All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth“, with vocals by George Rock, which also was a hit in 1948. Also on the disc is one of my favorites, Rossini’s William Tell Overture which was performed on kitchen instruments and used a horse race backdrop scenes edited together for the song. One of the horses in the race is said to have inspired the nickname of the SNJ aircraft flown by the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels acrobatic team in the 1940′s with the nickname “Beetle Bomb“. Watching this skit, I have never ever felt so sorry for one pathetic-looking horse.
In “A Musical Wreck-We-Um“, we are treated to a whole show in its entirety. I was really cracking up when Spike had RCA Victor’s King of the Mambo Perez Prado and his orchestra who performed some crazy Latin music and it was all business here, no joking around, at least until Jones talked to him after their performance in which he started poking fun at his Spanish and Latin ethnicity calling his language “enchilada talk”. No subject is taboo on the Spike Jones Show! When the band battle between the Perez Prado orchestra and Spike Jones and the City Slickers ensues, there is no turning back.
On the bonus disc, we are treated to two entire episodes, “Foreign Legion” and “Wild Bill Hiccup“. Dubbed as Musical Depreciation, I can certainly argue that there was nothing but appreciation for their wacky and unique interpretations of classics. One may have even noticed Spike Jones and the City Slickers in some Hollywood films as a specialty act, such as Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943) and Variety Girl (1947). Spike Jones was even going to appear in a 1954 Universal Pictures comedy with Abbot and Costello , but when Lou Costello withdrew for medical reasons, Spike and his band were replaced with Hugh O’Brien and Buddy Hackett who had were very similar in look to Jones and his sidekick.
I really enjoyed watching Spike at the beginning of every show when the band played their seemingly rag-tag plethora of instruments, particularly the cowbells and horns that Spike played with precision-like authority in his token black suit and pants with white crisscrossing stripes that are token to his outfit in every episode no matter what character he is playing. Skits range from the group playing the French Legionnaires in sketch to singing about Germany in full costumes, swilling beer steins back and forth while singing and dancing for laughs as they make fun of the German Nazis! How can you not want to watch this stuff?!!
Watching this golden age of television and music really shows me how much better television was back then before the wave of reality t.v. shows hit America and the rest of the world. It was a time when sleazy, raunchy, and pathetic programming had yet to hit our sets and cable programming. America did not “get off” by watching the misery and downfall of others- instead, they enjoyed some talented and creative programming.
The dvd is digitally re-mastered and features over 60 songs, including Spike’s biggest hits. The 3-disc dvd set was produced under the supervision of his son, Spike Jones, Jr. (he makes an appearance on the show while a young tyke) and the dvd is presented in a full aspect ratio of 4×3 and in mono sound. Bonus Material on the discs include two never-before-aired pilots that had marked the band’s television debut. The dvd runs at a whopping 208 minutes long! Totally well worth it!
CHRISTMAS REVIEW: The Judy Garland Holiday Special
Not since the film The Wizard of Oz have I seen Judy Garland grace any screen I have ever looked upon, but since Christmas is right around the corner (in consumers’ and retailers’ minds, anyways), I felt that I would start reviewing some holiday films-as painful as that may be. If anything, it would make me appreciate horror films that much more.
Now, I do have a confession to make- I LOVE Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life and Bob Clark’s A Christmas Story. They are two of my favorite films amongst a list of 1,000′s. So I figured, “What the hell! Lets review some holiday cheer dvds!”
After watching 5 minutes of The Judy Garland Show Holiday Special, I remembered how much more effort showbiz they put into holiday specials that were made in the ’60s (1963 to be exact), especially in the departments of choreography and dancing. This film has some of the biggest names as guests on Judy Garland’s television special and I got a big kick out of seeing Judy’s daughter, Liza Minelli, in her youth before alcohol, drugs, and age started to show and alter some of her features. In addition to Liza Minelli, whom I did not even recognize in the special, was the talented Jack Jones, Judy’s other two children from her second marriage Lorna Luft and Joey Luft, as well as Mel Torme and Tracy Everitt.
I have to say that I was not expecting to enjoy watching this dvd as much as I did. Maybe it had something to do with that nostalgic feel that black and white features filmed for television have on me, but I really do appreciate vintage and classic television shows and films. This was another one of those. Judy Garland goes quickly through a slew of songs with her guests, “Consider Yourself”,”Steam Heat“, “Little Drops of Rain“, “Where is Love?“, and “Wouldn’t it be Lovely?“. “Steam Heat” was a little cheesy in presentation, but a very catchy tune none-the-less and probably the one song and dance number that stood out the most in my mind. It was performed by Liza Minelli and Tracy Everitt. There were a few solos performed by Judy Garland, a few numbers sung as solos by the other aforementioned guests, and some classics played on piano and sung by Mel Torme, accompanied by Judy Garland.
I was cracking up when a very Hollywood-esque dancing Santa Clause number exploded onto the screen with ten or twelve dancing Santas that really reminded me that I can’t wait to get through with the holidays. My favorites on the disc were the traditional songs song such as “Jingle Bells“, “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire“, “Winter Wonderland“, “Deck the Halls” and “Hark the Herald Angels Sing“.
All in all, I am thankful for films like Silent Night, Deadly Night, Black Christmas, and Gremlins to get me through the holidays, as well as the two timeless classics. The Judy Garland Holiday Special was presented in a full frame with an aspect ratio of 4×3 with original mono sound and 5.1 surround sound. I was kind of surprised at how good the quality of the picture was. It looked superb with very crisp tones of black, white, and grey. It runs just shy of an hour and is only has a retail of $14.95. If one is a fan of Judy Garland and her singing and talented stage acts, then this is your dvd. If one hates Christmas and the spirit of it, go rent some of the Christmas horror films I mentioned earlier.
