Brady Bunch On Hulu
May 28th, 2018 by Proprietor
Since I have posted over 50 Brady Bunch related blogs on this website, and I am interested in many things Brady, I am sharing this good news. The Brady Bunch is now available on Hulu! I discovered this wonderful news during a commercial for Hulu while streaming a show I am watching. I had not posted it immediately, because I wanted to do a little research. Though there are some missing episodes. Based on experience with streaming services in general, I will not be giving up my Brady Bunch Shag DVD collection.
Thanks for stopping by.
New YouTube Video
May 27th, 2018 by Proprietor
Unlocking Darth Sidious
https://youtu.be/gkMs8JPRIKg
Revenge Of The Nerds
May 23rd, 2018 by Proprietor
It is interesting to me that I am now searching out DVDs of old movies, because somehow they are not available on streaming services. There were two movies I wanted to add to my comedy collection, and I found them at Half Price Books, except those movies were included in a Double Feature format. Disappointing, but not really bothersome, so I purchased them.
As I have stated, I love to laugh, that is why I love comedy. Some of the best comedies produced where in the early 1980s and were your coming of age teen comedy. Revenge of the Nerds is one of those. It follows two nerds, Lewis, played by Robert Carradine, and Gilbert, played by Anthony Edwards, as they acclimate to college life. Both nerds are going to Adams College home of the Atoms. As the two walk to their dormitory, they pass the fraternity house of the Alpha Betas which is mainly inhabited by the football team. Immediately they are assaulted with the term Nerd. At first they are in denial about their situation.
The movie plays on stereotypes, which most comedies do, it is a short cut to move the story quickly. The athletes are total jerks and self absorbed and date the sorority which contains all the cheerleaders, Pi Delta Pi. The cheerleaders are considered the most gorgeous women on campus, and any other sorority, in particular the geeky girl sorority, Omega Moo, contains ugly girls. Though some of the girls in the Omega Moo were attractive.
The lead jock, Stan Gable, played by Ted McGinley, takes a disliking to the nerds immediately, because Lewis dared to speak to the lead cheerleader, his girlfriend, Betty Childs, played by the gorgeous Julia Montgomery. The jocks have a party, and burn their house down, because the jocks have no where to live, they invade the dorm. All the dorm residents are faced with living in the gym.
Because of the housing situation created by the jocks burning down their fraternity house, the college was allowing other fraternities to immediately recruit new members. Unfortunately Lewis and Gilbert are not recruited, as well as half a dozen or so, social outcasts, considered to be nerds. After looking for off campus housing, and being rejected due to nerd prejudice, Lewis is walking along, and finds a run down house for sale at a reasonable price. Lewis and the nerds, after an obligatory 1980s building montage turn the house into a beautiful home. Stan and Betty see this, and the jocks burn the word Nerds in front of the house. The Nerds protest to the police, but are informed the police cannot do anything, and the nerds must take the issue up with the Greek Council. Stan Gables is in charge of the Greek Council. The Council rejects the nerds protest due to the bi-laws stating they are not a fraternity. If the nerds found a fraternity that would make them a charter, then the nerds could file formal protests or even compete to run the council.
The Nerds applications to all the fraternal organizations are rejected, except one, Lambda Lambda Lambda. Lambda Lambda Lambda was a fraternity started during segregation and intended to give black men a fraternity on colleges. Immediately the nerds meet resistance, but due to a bi-law in the Lambda charter, the nerds could be given a 90 day trial period. U.N. Jefferson, played by Bernie Casey, is shocked, reads the bi-law, and accepts. The Nerds decide to throw a party to show U.N. how they can party. Lewis goes to ask Betty if she would come, she rejects him, and calls Stan, who actually sees opportunity. The Delta Pis sing a song of acceptance on the Trip-Lambs front lawn. When the party happens, the girls do not show up. Gilbert’s girlfriend, who is a member of the Omega Moo sorority convinces them to let her call her sisters. The girls show up, and no party, because all the nerds, boy and girl are standing on opposite sides of the room. Thanks to joints passed out by Booger, played by Curtis Armstrong, the party turns into a rage. Unfortunately the Jocks crash the party with pigs, and after the pigs are shooed out, the Jocks moon the Trip-Lambs. U.N. Jefferson does not look impressed, but looks pissed.
The Nerds have had enough and plot revenge. First the Nerds stage a panty raid on the Delta Pis. This would just be normal hijinks in college, but the nerds move into felonious levels. The raid is cover for Lamar, played by Larry Scott, and Wormser, played by Andrew Cassese, to install spy cameras through out the Delta Pi house. There were no pin-hole cameras back in the 1980s, so massive cameras with periscopes had to be installed. This required drilling holes into ceilings. Why none of the sorority women ever noticed these massive holes and periscopes defies common sense, but it is a comedy. During the panty raid there is the gratuitous topless women running around screaming, etc. I am not a prude, but sometimes the nudity can be just for the sake of nudity. Though the women were naturally beautiful. In the 1980s women were not overly enhanced and trying to be perfect. The women might be fit, and maybe have a pooch belly, but they were still beautiful. The nerds leave and go home.
There is a cut to the nerds at home setting up a television with a large remote to control the cameras. The nerds peer into the Delta Pi sorority, and there is topless women, eventually one woman removes her panties, and the nerds go full squirrelly with comments. As stated before, women were more natural back then, so use your imaginations.
The nerds then turn there revenge toward the jocks. A bottle of undiluted “Liquid Heat” is removed from the training room. Liquid Heat is a liniment that gets hot to relax strained or knotted muscles. It is usually diluted with water. The nerds pour the liquid all over the jocks athletic supporters.
During Coach Harris’, played by John Goodman, pep talk the jocks begin to collapse in anguish and pain, eventually running away to shower. Ogre, played by Donald Gibb is the last man standing.
The nerds relay their revenge to U.N. Jefferson, who is delighted they stood up for themselves, and offers them a full charter into Lambda Lambda Lambda. Now a full chartered fraternity, the nerds set their sights on winning the Greek Council by competing with the Omega Moos in the Greek Games. This is where the movie becomes more interesting and intense, with plenty of highlights and performances. Watch the movie. Suffice it to say, the underdog succeeds.
The following night I watched, Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise, to see if it was as bad as I remember it. It was. Sometimes when a really good comedy is created, making a sequel is not a good idea. Except, studios always want to milk the cash cow dry at every opportunity, the sacrifice it on the alter of stupidity.
Thanks for stopping by.
New YouTube Video
May 20th, 2018 by Proprietor
A Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes video showing the unlocking of the Wampa.
Trade Paperbacks And Graphic Novels
May 16th, 2018 by Proprietor
I might have posted something a while back, but I am lacking something to write about. The list is of trade paperbacks and graphic novels you might want to check out. The books that made the list are ones I have read multiple times, and will more than likely read again. Some of them are very good, and when I read them with my current world view, seem better or different. Books are listed in Alphabetical order.
Amazing Spider-Man, Kraven’s Last Hunt: The title does give away the story, but the ending is where it is the most shocking. Kraven takes his enemy, Spider-Man through a wild psychotic journey, riddled with darkness and tragedy. Very scary, and interesting tale.
Avenger’s Forever: Avengers are a hot commodity these days. Take members to the Avengers through the various time stream, and team them up. It is an interesting premise, and the foe they fight is Kang or not. It is an interesting, twisted tale, where obscure characters and villains are woven in. Even if a modern fan picked it up, the story would still be very good.
Batman, The Dark Knight Returns: If you have been watching many of the DC movies, Batman Vs. Superman was sort of based on this book, combine with the Death of Superman. The Batman Movies with Christian Bale were also based on this book. Today it still has some relevance, but because Frank Miller wrote certain elements set in the 1980s, it loses some of it’s cache.
Batman, The Killing Joke: Technically not a graphic novel or trade paperback, but a one shot. It is still one of the finest, and scariest tales written. The Joker is as evil as ever, and torchers Commissioner Gordon and pushes Batman to nearly lose it.
Batman, Hush: Usually in two books, there is probably a combine series. Jim Lee, one of the best comic book artist ever, worked in secret with Jeph Loeb on a project. The bet was neither could keep it secret until it was done. They introduced one of the best and freshest villains to the Batman lexicon, then everyone screwed it up.
Crises On Infinite Earths: DC’s original attempt to reboot their universe, except they did not do it every four years. It tried to compress the multiverse into one, and was filled with shocking events, like the Death of Supergirl and Flash. Still a very good book to read, and with the internet handy, you can look up lots of the obscure villains or heroes.
ElfQuest, Book 1: Sometimes Volume 1 or whatever current incarnation that reprints the first ElfQuest tale. It follows Cutter and his band of Wolfriders to Sorrow’s End, where they meet other elves. Cutter is brash and young, prone to rash behavior, and acting before thinking. He falls in love with Leetah, the healer of Sorrow’s End, and a much older elf than he. It is high fantasy, and one of the best drawn trade paperbacks out there. Wendy Pini shows she is a master at her craft.
Golden Age: Another DC tale using the golden age heroes. Except it reframes them as being put out to pasture, and the government inventing a new hero. It is an excellent book, keeping the mysterious elements hidden until near the end.
Green Arrow, The Longbow Hunters: An attempt to strip down Green Arrow into less of a trick arrow guy, and more serious bowman. It also was during the attempt by DC to tell more mature tales, and make the heroes more gritty. This one does all of that, and it is extremely well written.
Infinity Gauntlet: The current Avengers movie is somewhat based on this book, though the plot is somewhat revised. Thanos gathers the Infinity Gems, and decides to reshape the universe based on his ideals. The Marvel heroes unite to fight him.
JLA, Tower of Babel: Batman’s enemy Ras Al Gul uses failsafe measures thought up by Batman to defeat the JLA should they go rogue to neutralize the JLA to implement his plans. After the team defeats Ras the real things hit the fan.
Judgement Day: Written by Alan Moore based on characters created by Rob Liefeld, and yes Liefeld does draw most of the art. It is a great story, and it helps people appreciate that Liefeld is a great idea man. So please don’t bash him for his art. It was produced by Liefeld when he owned his own imprint.
Kingdom Come: DC deconstructing it’s universe in a tale that has the second generation of heroes being worse than the villains. Eventually something has to be done after an anti-hero kills a villain and wipes out half of Kansas. Superman becomes involved, and the title tells what begins to happen.
Legion of Superheroes, The Great Darkness Saga: I admit, I am a Legion fan, but my personal prejudices do not shade the fact that this is a great tale. A powerful villain from DC’s past enters the future, and begins to create havoc. The Legion has to figure it out, and stop the plans of universal conquest.
Maus, A Survivor’s Tale: Written by Art Spiegelman, he tells his father’s story about his ordeal in Nazi Germany, and surviving a concentration camp, except the Jews are Mice and the Nazis are Cats. It is very gripping and stoic tale, it treats the subject strongly, even though it might not seem like it do to the juxtaposition of people for animals.
Planetary: Four volumes of trades collecting the entire run of one of the most interesting, pop culture referencing and twisting superhero tale. What if the Fantastic Four were evil was the whole basis for the comic. Three heroes, Jakita Wagner, Drums and Elijah Snow must stop them and figure out how to make the world a better place.
Secret Wars: In the 1980s Marvel needed a comic to sell toys based on their characters. Marvel decided to team up all the major heroes in one book, and have them fight major villains on a planet in a far away solar system. It was not cheesy or disrespectful or poorly handled, it is still one of the best team up stories written. The sequel sucked.
Squadron Supreme: Marvel’s knock off of the Justice League take over the United States with good intentions. Creating cures for diseases and all kinds of good things. Unfortunately the group paves a path toward dictatorship. The very thing the group fears might happen, they become.
Superman & The Legion of Superheroes: As I admitted, I am a bit prejudice when it comes to the Legion. Jeff Johns writes an incredible story. Superman is brought into the future to save the Legion and the United Planets.
Superman, Red Son: One of the finest alternate versions of Superman written. What if the rocket containing the baby Kal El crashed into the Soviet Union? Batman is a freedom fighter and terrorist, Wonder Woman a sympathizer to the Soviet cause, and Lex Luthor is still a jerk. There is an interesting twist in the end.
Watchmen: The seminal and best comic book written. I read this trade paperback once a year. Not on a specific date every year. I might read it in February of 2017, then May of 2018, but at least once a year. Every year I marvel at how good it is, and pull more from the story.
That is my list of trades and graphic novels you might want to check out. I did not link to anything on Amazon, because Amazon cancelled any advertising I could do, since I did not bring in enough traffic. So, just Google or go to Amazon on your own.
Thanks for stopping by.