A BRIEF SALUTE TO THE BIG BANG THEORY

I HATE ninety-nine percent of all sitcoms!.... Oh, who am I kidding?, I hate most of what's on television!


"Molecules".....


So why do I occasionally watch this show?... Is it because Kaley Cuoco is incredibly hot?... NO, but that's an excellent excuse.

I've watched BIG BANG THEORY because it's GENUINELY FUNNY.



These characters are three-dimensional human beings. This show has an incredibly talented group of WRITERS and cast - Mayim Bialik, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Jim Parsons, Kunal Nayyar, Simon Helberg, Melissa Rauch, Kevin Sussman, and John Ross Bowie.



Most tv shows get less interesting as time goes by, but it's the exact opposite with the BIG BANG THEORY... and that's one of the many reasons I watch.



Region one DVDs have been released by WARNER BROS.

MOVIE ADS: BLOOD BEACH

I love the concept, the posters, the print ads, and the trailers. However, the movie bores me to tears.

John Saxon and Burt Young are in this flick.

I think MEDIA HOME ENTERTAINMENT released it on VHS.

As I write this, NO company has released a legit region one DVD.

CAROL CONNORS ENCORE

ENCORE!... ENCORE!... ENCORE!... ENCORE!


Carol Connors singing and dancing on the GONG SHOW.

Look at those KILLER LEGS, and those big beautiful.... well, never mind....

Part of me thinks Carol sang badly on purpose.


Jamie Farr is impressed with Carol's talents, and can you blame him?


Arte Johnson and Jamie Farr, try to stop Jaye P. Morgan from GONGING Carol - although it would have been interesting to see them GONG each other... alas, it was not to be....



Quotes by Chuck Barris, as he consoles Carol - after she's been GONGED in a NON-sexual way....

"Oh Carol... Carol... you got gonged...I thought that your act really consisted of lying on your back and trying to get up"

Chuck Barris is such a sweet talker, isn't he?

SPOOK SHOW ADS

This ad appeared in EL DIARIO ( New York City 1963 )..... It was for a magician named Dr. Neff. He was performing a show at the PUERTO RICO THEATER in the Bronx.

I never got to experience a spook show, but they sound like A LOT of fun!

Apparently, most of these events were hosted by magicians and their sexy assistants.



This ad appeared in THE MIAMI NEWS ( Miami 1950 ). The show took place at the PARAMOUNT THEATRE.

Most of these events took place inside movie theaters across the United States.

I've also been told that freebees, and prizes, were handed out at some events, and that movies were also part of these shows.



This blurb for Dr. Neff appeared in EL DIARIO ( New York City 1963 )



This ad for Dr. Neff, appeared in EL DIARIO ( New York City 1963 ). The show took place at the JEFFERSON THEATER.




As far as I know, only two books have been published on this subject. As I write this, they're both apparently OUT-OF-PRINT ( see below ).

GHOSTMASTERS: A LOOK BACK AT AMERICA'S MIDNIGHT SPOOK SHOWS
This HARDcover book was written by Mark Walker, and published by COOL HAND COMMUNICATIONS ( ISBN: 978-1567901467 ).

PLEASANT NIGHTMARES: DR. NEFF AND HIS MADHOUSE OF MYSTERY
HARDcover book written by William V. Raucher, and published by S. S. ADAMS ( ISBN: unknown ).




A couple of SPOOK SHOW themed DVDs also exist.

SPOOK-A-RAMA: VINTAGE SPOOK SHOW FILM TRAILERS, released by ALWAYS ABOVE AVERAGE ENTERTAINMENT.

I have NOT seen it, and I do NOT know if it's an MOD, or "pressed" disc.

You can get it from AMAZON, and the SPOOK SHOW REVIVAL website.

SPOOK SHOW REVIVAL WEBSITE


MONSTERS CRASH THE PAJAMA PARTY - SPOOK SHOW SPECTACULAR, released by SOMETHING WEIRD VIDEO ( one of my favorite video companies ).

It's an MOD disc.

You can get it from CD UNIVERSE, AMAZON, directly from SOMETHING WEIRD, and many other websites.

SOMETHING WEIRD WEBSITE


FYI: A company called MONSTER WAX makes a set of SPOOK SHOW trading cards ( see link below ).

MONSTER WAX WEBSITE

MOVIE ADS: THE TELEPHONE BOOK

THE TELEPHONE BOOK is an EXTREMELY RARE movie.

It centers around a woman that's obsessed with an obscene phone caller.

I only saw this movie ONCE, when I was young.

I had forgotten about the movie until I saw a preview trailer ( for an upcoming home video release ).



A company called VINEGAR SYNDROME will be releasing THE TELEPHONE BOOK in a BLU-RAY / DVD combo pack.

I can not wait to get my hands on this disc, and a few other videos this company is releasing.

FYI: Jill Clayburgh, William Hickey, and Roger C. Carmel also appear in this film.

I do not remember this movie ever being available on legit VHS. But, that was a long time ago, and memories fade.

MOVIE ADS: THE PIGKEEPER'S DAUGHTER

THE PIGKEEPER'S DAUGHTER is wall-to-wall pigs, and NOT just the four legged kind... ha-ha-ha....

I love it!

I don't know if THE PIGKEEPER'S DAUGHTER was ever released on legit VHS.

As I write this, a legit region one pressed DVD has NOT been released.

BROTHER THEODORE

Theodore Gottlieb ( 1906 – 2001 ) - also known as Brother Theodore - was an actor, writer, comedian, and one of the most original entertainers ever!

He delivered his lines with such sincerity, that for a split second, you actually believed the absurd statements that poured out of his mouth.


Brother Theodore with David Letterman

His talk show appearances were almost always memorable. So I tried to watch him, every time he was a guest.

I think I saw every one of his appearances on the Letterman show. Some of those segments are true classics.



I have no idea how many books he wrote, or co-wrote. However, I do remember a paperback I owned. It was called BROTHER THEODORE'S CHAMBER OF HORRORS. This book has become rare, and sells for big bucks. I do NOT remember which company published it.


He also did voice work for animated films... Such as THE HOBBIT.


Brother Theodore in THE STRANGER?

Mr. Gottlieb appeared in THE STRANGER. It was directed and co-written by Orson Welles ( 1915 – 1985 ). Mr. Welles also stars in it, along with Edward G. Robinson ( 1893 – 1973 ), and Loretta Young ( 1913 – 2000 ).

QUOTES FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES ( by DOUGLAS MARTIN - April 6, 2001 )

"he won a bit part in the 1946 Orson Welles film, "The Stranger." He moved to New York after Welles showed a distressing romantic interest in his young wife. He worked at Schrafft's restaurant while beginning to perfect his monologue at small Bohemian clubs in the Village"

Some of his other movie roles include, HORROR OF THE BLOOD MONSTERS ( voice only ), GUMS, NOCTURNA, and THE BURBS.



He also appeared in MASSAGE PARLOR MURDERS ( aka Massage Parlor Hookers ). This is a RARE film that is finally being released in a BLU-RAY / DVD combo set ( by VINEGAR SYNDROME ). I'd only seen it a few times, and had forgotten about it. I'm REALLY looking forward to adding this movie to my collection.



He was supposedly imprisoned in DACHAU CONCENTRATION CAMP. Can you imagine the hellish nightmares that must of haunted him?

FYI: Albert Einstein was allegedly a family friend.

Quote from Brother Theodore ( during an interview with David Letterman ) "I'm a somebody in a century of nobodies"... And he was right.

Someone needs to make a documentary about this man's incredible life.




UPDATED ON APRIL 23, 2013

Well, I should have dug deeper... There IS a documentary about Brother Theodore... It's called TO MY GREAT CHAGRIN.

It was made by a man called Jeff Sumerel.

On Mr. Sumerel's official website, you'll find a link to purchase a DVD. I don't know if the offer is still valid.

I also don't know, if it's a "pressed" disc, or MOD. Payment option appears to be PAYPAL only.

Click on links below.....

YOU TUBE "teaser" for TO MY GREAT CHAGRIN

OFFICIAL WEB PAGE for TO MY GREAT CHAGRIN ( at Jeff Sumerel's website )

JEFF SURMEREL IMDB PAGE


Thanks to Bob Claster for the info. Visit his website ( link below ).

BOB CLASTER OFFICIAL WEBSITE

MOVIE ADS: BRIAN DE PALMA

Mr. De Palma during an interview ( DP/30 )

I don't think Mr. De Palma has ever received the respect he deserves, and that's a shame.

My three favorite De Palma films are listed below....




DRESSED TO KILL.....

I love this movie.

It has an outstanding cast. Keith Gordon, Nancy Allen, Angie Dickinson, Michael Caine, and Dennis Franz.



It's not only creepy, it's also extremely beautiful to look at.

DRESSED TO KILL has been released on VHS, DVD, and BLU-RAY.




BLOW OUT.....

I think this is one of Mr. De Palma's best movies, and I love it very very much.

Nancy Allen is one of the most underrated actresses in the United States.

Ms. Allen turns her character into someone you instantly care about.



In my opinion, this is John Travolta's best performance to date.

John Lithgow is unforgettable as the assassin.

Dennis Franz is priceless.

I saw this movie the night it opened, and the same night I dreamt about it. In my dream the ending was different.

After all these years, it still hurts to watch the ending.

It was released on VHS and DVD.




BODY DOUBLE.....

Craig Wasson and Gregg Henry are outstanding.

Plus, you also have Deborah Shelton, Melanie Griffith, and Dennis Franz turning in great performances.



This is such a fun flick! I love the dreamy sequences, and all the dark humor.

As an added bonus, you get to see Barbara Crampton and Brinke Stevens. It's too bad Ms. Crampton didn't have a bigger part.

It's available on both, VHS and DVD.


I highly recommend all of these movies, especially BLOW OUT and DRESSED TO KILL.

ANNETTE FUNICELLO ( 1942 – 2013 )

Annette Funicello as a mouseketeer



While two-faced hypocrites falsely praised a deceased - and VILE - female politician, most of the media FORGOT about the passing of a woman that actually made the world a BETTER place.

Her name was Annette Funicello.

She appeared in many movies and tv shows. Ms. Funicello made life a little more sane, and enjoyable, for countless millions of people around the world.

Contrast that, to what most politicians do.....

Almost every time politicians die, the media is inflicted with selective amnesia, and then the endless ass-kissing begins.

Arrogant and out-of-touch politicians are turned into angels that defecated gold when they were alive.

When in reality, they fanned the flames of hate, destroyed, and divided.

The media conveniently forgets about all the people those power-obsessed DEMAGOGS hurt, while they were in office. The same thing happened after Reagan and Nixon died.

I feel sorry for the families of the politicos, but I feel nothing for the politicians.


Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello in BIKINI BEACH

QUOTES FROM UPI ( April 9, 2013 )
"Funicello, 70, died Monday due to complications from multiple sclerosis, a disease she battled for decades"

Annette, you spread happiness throughout the world, and you'll be missed.....

VHS ERA ADS: THE VCRs

VHS tapes get a lot of attention, but the VCR's don't.

Well, here's a couple of print ads, and some screengrabs from a television commercial.

Those first VCRs were ridiculously expensive, big, and heavy.

One of the first VCRs my folks owned, had a pop-up compartment - like an elevator. You would put the tape into it and push down, until you heard a sound that led you to believe it was closed properly.


Paul Giamatti in a PANASONIC VCR commercial ( 1978 )

Not being able to set the correct time on the clock, seemed to be a common problem.

Do you have the correct cables, and are they connected into the right places?

I can not remember if cable boxes were an extra headache.



There was always a fear of rental tapes being gobbled-up by the player. Or worse, having the tape get stuck, or break. This fear increased a hundredfold for kids playing porn tapes while their folks were away - not that I would know anything about that....

MOVIE ADS: KILL OR BE KILLED

I'm NOT fond of most martial arts films, but this is one of the exceptions.

It was made in South Africa, and one of the actors is a midget. Those facts alone, were enough reason for me to watch.

It has some really fun fight scenes, and I enjoyed watching it very much.

I don't know if this was ever released on VHS in the United States.

I also don't know, if this movie ever had a legit region one DVD release. There is a grey market DVD-R sold by a company called J4HI.

MOVIE ADS: ANNETTE HAVEN

When I was a kid, I thought Annette Haven was extremely cute.

She seemed so out of place in adult movies.

BARBARA BROADCAST is probably my favorite Annette Haven film.

I also liked watching her, and Veronica Hart, in 8 TO 4. It was a loose parody of a movie called 9 TO 5 ( Dolly Parton ).

I also remember watching SEX WORLD, PEACHES AND CREAM, VISIONS OF CLAIR, and a few others.



I don't know which companies released legit VHS tapes of her moives. Since I couldn't rent them legally, I had to buy bootlegs to watch the uncut versions of her films.



Many of her films have been released on DVD, by the following companies.... VCX, CABALLERO, VIDEO-X-PIX / DISTRIBPIX, SOMETHING WEIRD VIDEO, ALPHA BLUE ARCHIVES, and a few others.

CLASSIC MOVIE ADS: A TICKET TO TOMAHAWK

Marilyn Monroe's uncredited part is the ONLY reason, I'm writing about this film.

Let me point out the obvious, Marilyn looks fucking adorable!



I think TICKET TO TOMAHAWK was released on VHS, but I can't remember which company put it out.

As far as I know, this movie has never been released on legit region one DVD ( region two and bootleg discs are your only option ).

MOVIE ADS: CHARIOTS OF THE GODS?

I was a kid, when I saw this documentary. It scared the crap out of me, but I still enjoyed it.

Even the instrumental music that's played throughout the film is spooky.

Both, the movie and the music, stayed with me for days.



It's based on a book by the same name ( by Erich von Däniken ).



It was released on VHS and region one DVD a few times ( by different companies ).