Thanks to a message thread on Facebook, I've been able to check out some old Sesame Street clips I've marked as my favorites on my YouTube account.
Sesame Street was definitely one of the most influential TV shows for me when I was a kid. Seared into my subconscious are some of the most fun sketches and songs I've ever seen, which to this day, I could still recite from memory. Check these lines out:
You take the Golden 'An' to the tan van- you give it to Dan, who'll take it to Fran!
A loaf o' bread, a container of milk, and a stick o' butter. (If you can't remember it, I'll write it down for you. That's OK momma, I won't forget.)
Once upon a time in the land of 8, there stood a castle, very great. With 8 flags up in the air, for the King of 8 had put them there (*trumpets*).
That's about the size, where you put your eyes, that's about the size of it!
What do you think your mother would do, if you yelled like a Yellow Yahoo? (Boo!)
But the coolest of all has to be this one: Stevie Wonder's live performance of "Superstition". And he brought his whole crew with him. And some kids to jam out on the balcony. And I mean really jam out. Check out my post on that particular version of "Superstition" here on my personal music blog, My Thoughts in Stereo.
But just as cool is this one song: something I've never seen on any Stevie Wonder album, though I've heard it's been included in a Sesame Street box set sometime ago.
Stevie has his exact same crew with him, this time with some lovely backup ladies (I wonder if one of them was Denise Williams?). Check this one out and tell me you won't be funkin' out to this. Enjoy!
Stevie used the Heil Talk Box- and he wrote another cool song for Chaka Khan called "Tell Me Something Good" (thanks to rcollins305 for the info). I don't think I ever noticed the tubing (almost well-hidden by the microphone) when I was a kid. Stevie just moves away from the mike to breathe in from time to time.
Now if I could only find a clip of The Pointer Sisters' "Yes We Can Can". I tried searching for it on YouTube. Fail.
You already knew this was coming. Tina Fey is just going to be so all over Sarah Palin.
Exactly what I thought when I first saw Governor Sarah Palin, running mate of Republican presidential hopeful, Senator John McCain, on TV at that Republican Convention a few weeks back. She does look so much like Tina Fey, doesn't she? Check their photos out right here.
The resemblance is uncanny, wouldn't you agree?
In case you didn't know, Tina Fey is best known for her work on Saturday Night Live and on 30 Rock, both on NBC. On a recent airing of Saturday Night Live, the show opens with Tina Fey (as Gov. Palin) alongside Amy Poehler (as Sen. Hillary Clinton) as they address the nation. In true SNL form, the sketch just completely bowled me over. Watch and enjoy.
Special thanks and shout-out to Erin P of The Life of Erin for leading me to Truveo- a virtual treasure trove of great video gems from all over the net, including a lot of classic (and new) SNL skits and sketches. Video originally from the NBC official website.
I've always had a fond appreciation for Mazinger Z. I think it was 1978 or 1979 when we actually got to see this anime in the Philippines. It was phenomenal- kids would run straight home right after school to catch these huge-ass robots slug it out with other evil huge-ass robots; there was nothing on TV like it.
Aside from the other Mecha shows, of course. At the time, other than Mazinger Z, there were Voltes V, Daimos, Mekanda Robot, UFO Grendaizer on one TV station (GMA 7), and then you had Balatak, Jeeg, Danguard Ace, Striker Force and Star Zinger on another (RPN 9). Of course there were others later on (Getta Robot, Gaiking, etc.), so maybe I'll blog all about these other mecha shows in another post.
Anyway, Mazinger Z was the very first mecha anime that came out- Wednesdays, I remember. For a cartoon, the theme was rather different from other usual animated fare at the time, like say, SuperFriends, or Disney movies or stuff from Hanna Barbera.
Mazinger Z ushered in a host of new mecha shows that were a lot more violent, darker, and perhaps a little more mature. Looking back, maybe it was a little too violent for kids (I was 5 or 6 at the time). But as far as mecha anime shows go, Mazinger Z set the conventions which would later be used by similar programs, and set the standard for a great super-robot series.
Check out this great Mazinger Z pic by Jose Liepana. Totally awesome.
The Mazinger Z Story
An archeological research team digs up an ancient civilization (said to be the Myceneans) on an island (which may have been the island of Rhodes?). The team discovers that this civilization made use of an army of giant steel titans (not unlike the legendary bronze giant, Talos), as a protection against invaders. The expedition team unearth prototypes of these titans, and start restoring them.
Realizing these giants can be remote-controlled, Dr. Hell soon sees the massive potential of these prototypes as instruments of world domination, and decides to kill off all the other members of the research team, so he can have the steel titans for his own designs. Professor Juzo Kabuto, another member of the research team, was the sole survivor of this treachery, and managed to escape to warn the world of Dr. Hell's plans.
Dr. Hell then starts building his mobile base of operations and his army of robot "beast fighters". In the meantime, Professor Kabuto builds Mazinger Z- a super-robot created out of a fictitious super-alloy (Chogokin-Z) that could only be found at the base of Mt. Fuji, and armed with an array of weaponry to stand up against Dr. Hell's mecha army.
Just as Professor Kabuto finishes Mazinger Z, he is assassinated by Dr. Hell's right-hand man, Baron Ashura. The dying professor passes on the secret of Mazinger Z to his grandson, Kouji, who then does battle with the beast fighters sent by Dr. Hell in every episode.
Mazinger Z Weapon Systems
To activate Mazinger Z, Kouji flies a specially-made hovervehicle (called the Pilder) into the super-robot's cranial cavity. This effectively allows him to interface with Mazinger Z and control the mecha's movement and access the weapon systems.
Rocket Punch. Mazinger Z can launch his fist and forearm as a projectile that can punch through steel. These forearms then fly back to reattach themselves back to Mazinger Z's arms.
Koshiryoku Beams. Laser beams that shoot from Mazinger Z's eyes.
Rust Hurricane. Mazinger Z can blow out gale-force winds which can disintegrate steel
Breast Fire. High-intensity beams powerful enough to melt metal that radiate from the red fixtures on Mazinger Z's chest.
Mazinger Z also had a female counterpart, Aphrodite A- which is piloted by the hot-blooded and tomboyish Sayaka Yumi, who also serves as Kouji's romantic interest. While Aphrodite A is also made of the same Chogokin-Z superalloy, she doesn't have much in the way of offensive weaponry. In fact, her only weapon system are missiles launched from her breasts- the Oppai Missile System.
Other Mazinger Z Facts
Go Nagai, the legendary Japanese animator, was the creative genius behind Mazinger Z. Mecha/super-robot fans would usually credit him as the father of the super-robot anime genre, and Mazinger Z as "the mecha show that started it all". In response, Go Nagai would humbly pass the honor to two other animators and their projects: Osamu Tezuka's Tetsuwan Atom (aka "Astro Boy") and Mitsuteru Yokoyama's Tetsujin 28-go (aka "Gigantor").
Mazinger Z was re-dubbed in English and re-named Tranzor Z for the US release in 1985. Many scenes considered too violent or too sexually suggestive were edited from the series, cutting down the number of episodes from 92 to 65.
As you can see on YouTube, Mazinger Z seems to also have been popular in Italy, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Spain and the Middle East.
There were actually two Mazinger Z openings. This one I remember the most watching it as a kid (thanks to javeln, who shared this clip on YouTube):
This other opening replaces the first midway into the season (thanks to JihadAlexander, who also shared this clip on YouTube):
"Crap From My Childhood" is a special feature on old cartoons and kiddie shows from the 1970s and 1980s. Read all about it on Renzie's personal blog on all things television: "Too Much TV!"
Well, I can barely remember the series myself. All I have are memories of '87 or '88, catching it on some afternoons right after I get home from school.
I thought it was kick-ass though. It made a great alternative to other cartoons like G.I. Joe and the Transformers, and I liked the whole concept around the "let's-put-together-a-crack-team-of-commandos-from-around-the world" idea. Check out the intro from a clip we found on YouTube right here:
What's Spiral Zone All About
Supposedly a renegade military scientist who calls himself "The Overlord" managed to envelop a significant portion of future Earth in a strange dark mist using some new form of biological warfare.
Our main villain managed to put up "Zone Generators" which spewed forth clouds that covered vast population centers. End result: millions of people stuck in this spiral-shaped territory (thus, the title) become zombie-like thralls- or Zoners- from which The Overlord now builds his army.
Naturally, he's got himself some henchmen as well- The Black Widows- which act as his lieutenants and special agents, riding around Zoned areas in Sledge Hammers: one-man vehicles with tracked wheels, overhead guns and flails on the side. The Overlord has a special command ATV with a cannon for himself.
Anyway, the world finally unites against this global menace, and puts together a crack team of commandos to go in the Zones and blow up the Zone Generators to liberate the planet one city at a time. We got:
Colonel Dirk Courage. American field commander. Rides around in this monocycle with this massive cannon mounted on top.
Lieutenant Hiro Taka. The team's recon, infiltration and melee combat expert from Japan.
2nd Lieutenant Max Jones. The team's African-American special missions expert.
Master Sergeant 'Tank' Schmidt. The team's heavy weapons specialist from Germany.
Corporal Katerina Anastacia. The team's medic from the Soviet Union.
So these guys don a special body armor that renders them immune to the effects of the Zone. From a mountain base, they're flown to the mission-of-the-week via a jet transport, then ride into enemy territory in fast-attack monocycles.
Spiral Zone Now
It's hard to get a hold of clips or pictures of this old cartoon. Personally, I only have a VHS tape of a few shows myself, and I'd really like to get me a DVD copy (if I could find one). Found a website which supposedly distributed copies of the series, but it's all sold out for now.
Bandai actually had a toy line going on in Japan, years before the franchise (and the accompanying TV series) was developed for the American market. So if you're into collecting the action figures, it means that there should be a number of collectors out there with a few pieces you might be interested in.
"Crap From My Childhood" is a special feature on old cartoons and kiddie shows from the 1970s and 1980s. Read all about it on Renzie's personal blog on all things television: "Too Much TV!"
It's not a secret that NBC late night talk show host Conan O'Brien is into video games. As a matter of fact, he did manage to amuse himself and whatever was left of his staff with rounds of Rock Band during the Writers' Strike earlier this year.
So it's no surprise that he's been able to get himself a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV, the latest and hottest GTA title in the controversial game series, which immerses you in a shady world of violence, sex and drug-dealing.
Supposedly, the latest installment of the GTA series has addressed these issues. And for the past few shows, Conan has been kind enough to share his experiences with a more audience-friendly, mellowed-down Grand Theft Auto IV.
Take a look at these:
Clips were shared by MuchRockness on YouTube. Always a good time whenever you catch Conan O'Brien every night on your NBC Channel, on Late Night with Conan O'Brien right after The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Okay fine, maybe I got a little nostalgic after that last post of mine on Iron Man. So I browsed through a few more videos on YouTube, and decided to share the opening themes of other old (circa-1967/68) Marvel cartoons here.
One of the catchier tunes that's been nailed into my brain since childhood was this one of The Incredible Hulk. Never was that huge a fan of the Green Goliath, but this campy theme just never fails to entertain. Check it out:
Not the best theme song there is, right? But incredibly sticky, you gotta give them credit for that. Okay, I'm sure you remember this one of Captain America:
Now that wasn't so bad, was it? Moving on, here are the opening themes for The Mighty Thor and the Sub-Mariner.
Lastly, while not from the same series of cartoons, here's the opening theme from the classic Spider-man cartoon:
So you have to hand it to Marvel for coming up with all these great gems from waaay back then. Sure, they're horrible now, compared to even the worst cartoons you have on Nick or Cartoon Network, but man, were they a lot of fun!
In the most recent Iron Man movie with Robert Downey, Jr., I noticed there was something familiar about the music during that hotel/casino scene towards the beginning. And then Pepper Potts' mobile phone goes off a couple of times. The ringtone was almost instantly recognizable for me, and I just knew it- they HAD to use the theme from the old Iron Man cartoon.
I remember watching the cartoon on weekday afternoons after school in the eighties, not knowing that at the time, the show was already almost 20 years old! I only found out fairly recently that the old Marvel cartoon made its first TV appearance in 1967 or 68.
Totally cheesy, I know. But it sure brings back some great childhood memories, for sure.
Check out my other blog entries on "Everything You Need To Know About Iron Man" on my other blog, "Renzie on Movies", which I wrote after checking out the kick-ass Iron Man movie. You can read Part 1 here, and Part 2 here.
I found myself watching "How I Met Your Mother" from the very start- the beginning of Season One- the other day.
Star World (a cable channel that carries the show) has recently been airing those episodes everyday- which we could catch just right before American Idol or Life or whatever show they have on the primetime slot.
I gotta admit- I love watching "How I Met Your Mother". CBS was right on the money with this one. Some people compare it to "Friends"- but for me, it's like comparing apples and oranges: absolutely no comparison.
What "How I Met Your Mother" Is About
Based from the title, it's really rather straightforward: Ted Mosby (voiced by Bob Saget) has his son and daughter sitting on a couch (in the year 2030) listening to his stories leading to- eventually- how he met their mom.
Which brings us to the current year, where Ted (Josh Radnor) is hanging out with friends from college Marshall Eriksen (played by Jason Segel) and Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan of Buffy and the American Pie series). They are also joined by the modern-day Fonzie, Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris of Doogie Howser, MD) and Robin Scherbatsky (played by the oh-so-hot Cobie Smulders).
So you have the events leading to how Ted eventually hooks up with his future wife as the main story arc, with smaller story arcs within a season. An episode then has the "things-we-did-in-New-York-in-2008" which is all very funny, once you let the dynamics work out among the characters.
Currently, we're on Season Three. Right after the Writers' Strike, a few more episodes would be airing before this current season wraps up. Still, it would be great to get a copy of the DVD to check out the earlier seasons, or you could catch it on your local cable channel (like on Star World, in Asia).
What I Like About The Show
It's fun, it's witty, it's so cleverly written. I care about the characters: what kind of misadventure Barney is getting himself into this time, or how cute Lily and Marshall are together as a couple, or what role Robin would be playing in Ted's future.
Even the recurring characters are a hoot, or the occasional surprise cameo appearance. The show's got a good hold on pop culture, and it's great that they work it so well into the script. Basically you have a lot of catch-phrases in just about any episode.
The theme song? A 15-second edit of "Hey Beautiful" by The Solids. Never fails to cheer me up, no matter how stressed out or crappy I feel. Check it out here on my channel on YouTube.
Great comedy sitcoms don't come your way very often. "How I Met Your Mother" is up there in that tier of great TV comedies, and is definitely one of the reasons we check out CBS every Monday night.
Thank YouTube for bringing back all those childhood memories, I always say. It's been decades since I actually saw anything Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, so featuring the clips here is really such a trip.
"Electra Woman and Dyna Girl", as I remembered was a live-action superhero (or, more appropriately, superheroine) series, which played a lot off on the popularity of the Adam West/Burt Ward "Batman" series. The show was actually part of "The Krofft Supershow", a variety show for kids, together with "Dr. Shrinker" and another old favorite, "Wonderbug".
Dierdre Hall of "Days of Our Lives" stars as Electra Woman, with Judy Strangis as her sidekick Dyna Girl. While not fighting crime, they're Lori and Judy, reporters for Newsmaker magazine.
Instead of utility belts, they each have a bulky wrist-mounted ElectraCom- which, by default, serves as their way of changing into their superheroine costumes, as well as acting as a 2-way communication device with Professor Frank Helkin (who invented the ElectraComs, btw), who's constantly monitoring their progress in the Electra-cave.
With the addition of certain cartridges, the ElectraCom can do just about anything from emitting a variety of beams, generate force fields, freeze targets, etc. depending on the mission-of-the-week.
They also have their own vehicle, the ElectraCar, which also transforms into the ElectraPlane.
Also on YouTube are episodes of the show in bits and pieces. Special mention goes to spottymax for putting these up online for fans to enjoy.
"The Sorcerer's Golden Trick". Our crime-fighting duo takes on an evil spellcaster and his plans to clean out Fort Knox. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.
"Glitter Rock". Glitter Rock plans to control the country of Touremberg with his mind-controlling music. Naturally, Electra Woman and Dyna Girl are around to save the day. Part 1, Part 2,Part 3 and Part 4.
"Empress of Evil". More evil spellcasters, more traps, and more Electra Woman and Dyna Girl. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.
"Ali Baba". Dyna Girl lets out her dark side on this one, as the evil Ali Baba subjects her to the power of the Metamorphosis Formula! Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.
"Return of The Sorcerer". The Sorcerer is back with a vengeance, and this time he plans to steal the crown jewels of England. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.
"The Pharaoh". It's mayhem in a museum as The Pharaoh steals the key to unlimited power. Just about the only episode spottymax missed putting up on YouTube.
"The Spider-Lady". Okay, so this time, it's a rip-off of Spider-Man, and made into a female villain. Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.
"Return of The Pharaoh". The very last set of episodes of Electra Woman and Dyna Girl. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.
In 2001, The WB commissioned a pilot for a new version of the show, this time with a more contemporary twist set 25 years after the original series. Supposedly, Electra Woman is already retired, but a fan somehow convinces her to get back into the crimefighting scene, and ends up being the new Dyna Girl.
The pilot was never picked up, but is available on YouTube (courtesy of spottymax once again) for you to check out. Here's Part 1, and here's Part 2. Enjoy.
"Crap From My Childhood" is a special feature on old cartoons and kiddie shows from the 1970s and 1980s. Read all about it on Renzie's personal blog on all things television: "Too Much TV!"
I gotta thank my good friend, Tessa for the heads up on this. We were just chatting on Yahoo, geeking out on this coming Friday's episode of Battlestar Galactica, when she mentions this nice little promotional video she found in her TiVo.
Fortunately for us who weren't able to catch it, it's actually available online. And I have to say, it's a really funny recap to bring you up to speed. Feel free to play it over and over again if you need to :) I watched it at least thrice already.
Spoiler Warning: the eight-minute clip is filled with spoilers from all three seasons, so don't watch it if you still want to watch your BSG spoiler-free. Otherwise, enjoy!
Everything you need to know about BSG right there, right? Time to get those DVDs! An all-new Battlestar Galactica comes your way this Friday, April 4 at 10pm/9 Central. Check out the new clip here on the SciFi.com official website, and watch Season 3 all over again in time for Friday!
Ah, the 90's. You all remember Right Said Fred? C+C Music Factory? What about Ariel and Efrim? Then check out this clip and get ready for a laugh trip!
This SNL Digital Short was first shown on the Saturday Night Live episode that aired on 06 May 2006. Featuring Andy Samberg (as Ariel) and Tom Hanks (as Efrim) in "Please Don't Cut My Testicles". In the clip we also see Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Fred Armisen and Jorma Taccone.
This is actually one of my favorite 'shorts. Always good for a laugh whenever I need a quick pick-me-up. And in case you'd want to sing along- like I occasionally would- here are some lyrics! Enjoy!
"Please Don't Cut My Testicles" Ariel and Efrim
Morning in the kitchen, You're frying an egg I'm squeezing some oranges- The room is getting hot
Over at the counter, I shake the salt You take out a knife- (ooh!) Please don't cut my testicles
Please don't cut my testicles Please don't cut my testicles Don't cut my testicles It's a nice day- relax!
Oh Efrim, you're sexy. Right back at you baby Oh Efrim, you're handsome. I'm serious about my testicles!
At the post office, standing in line You wrap my package, I lick the stamp Put it in the slot, then close the door But please don't slam it on my testicles!
Don't slam my testicles Please don't slam my testicles Don't slam my testicles It's a free country, how fun!
Oh Ariel, you worry I do, I worry often. Oh Efrim, come with me Did I mention I was gay?
Don't burn off our testicles Don't burn off our testicles Please don't burn my testicles I'm sorry, I love you.
This is an ongoing effort on "Too Much TV!" to feature as many of the SNL Digital Shorts shown on Saturday Night Live. You can find a whole lot more on NBC's Saturday Night Live official website.
You've loved her in Juno! Now check out the incomparable Ellen Page as she deals with a zombie and -uh- Count Dracula. In dreamland. Um...just watch the video.
SNL Digital Shorts are back, boys and girls! This one, "The Mirror", is from the sixth episode of the season 33- and the second since the chicks and dudes from Saturday Night Live came back on the air since the Writers' Strike.
As far as I can tell, "The Mirror" features Andy Samberg, Jason Sudeikis and Kristen Wiig.
This is an ongoing effort on "Too Much TV!" to feature as many of the SNL Digital Shorts shown on Saturday Night Live. You can find a whole lot more on NBC's Saturday Night Live official website.
Well at least it looks like the shots were taken from Nathan Petrelli's office or something, using Nathan Petrelli-esque clothes. What do you think?
Saturday Night Live is back on the air, ladies and gentlemen. We've had three episodes (since the Writers' Strike) this year so far, bringing the total live broadcasts to eight this season (we're now on season 33, btw).
It's great to have some old favorites back on TV. Me, I've always been a huge fan of the SNL Digital Shorts. Check this one out called "Hero Song".
Featuring SNL's Andy Samberg, fellow cast member Jason Sudeikis, and I think that's Amy Adams on the sketch as well. Oh, and that dude (35 seconds into the clip) also looks like Jorma Taccone.
Lookin' forward to seeing more SNL Digital Shorts- keep it up guys! Check out more great clips on NBC's Saturday Night Live official website.
OK, so maybe not- but here's a little something for you Project Runway fans.
Great to have Saturday Night Live back on the air. This is a clip from an episode that aired last weekend, March 8. Guest host for this episode was Amy Adams (from the Enchanted movie, as well as Talladega Nights and a couple episodes of The Office)
This incredibly funny skit- “Fierce: The Hot Mess Make-over Show” features Amy Poehler who was awesome as Project Runway contestant Christian Siriano, with Bill Hader as Tim Gunn and Amy Adams as Heidi Klum.
Found this clip through PopOnThePop.com, but of course you can find more clips on NBC's Saturday Night Live official website.
It was in December of 2005, midway into the 31st season, that Saturday Night Live started airing 3-minute short films called "SNL Digital Shorts" as part of its broadcast.
You gotta give credit to The Lonely Island guys- Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone and Andy Samberg for putting all their hard work and comedic talent into making these clips happen. From what I understand, the boys have been largely responsible for writing the stuff, shooting it themselves on digital video cameras, and editing them on a regular PC.
Which is what they've been doing for quite some time during their early Lonely Island days. The very first SNL digital short, which appeared on the 03 December 2005 episode was "Lettuce", which became an instant internet favorite. You can find a clip of "Lettuce" on the NBC official website, but the quality is really bad (we'll feature it when we find a better clip).
What really made it happen for the dudes, was this clip- "Lazy Sunday", which aired 2 weeks later on December 17. It was a huge internet favorite, and racked up some 5 million views on YouTube before NBC pulled it out (but it's now available on the NBC website). Check it out now!
"Lazy Sunday" stars Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell. Oh, and in case you feel like singing to it, here are the lyrics. Jorma Taccone provided the beat to this, and Akiva directed the video.
"Lazy Sunday" An SNL Digital Short
Lazy Sunday, wake up in the late afternoon Called Parnell just to see how he's doin' Hello? What up, Parn! Yo Samberg, what's crackin'? You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'? Narnia! Man it's happ'nin'!
But first, my hunger pangs are stickin' like duct tape. Let's hit up Magnolia and mack on some cupcakes. No doubt, that bakery's got all the bomb frostings. I love those cupcakes like McAdams loves Gosling.
Two! No, Six! No, Twelve! Baker's Dozen! I told'ja that I'm crazy for these cupcakes, cousin! Yo, where's the movie playin'? Upper West Side, dude! Well, let's hit up Yahoo Maps to find the dopest route. I prefer Mapquest! That's a good one too. Google Maps is the best! True that! Double true! 68th and Broadway. Step on it, sucka! What you wanna do Chris? snack attack, muthafucka!
Hit the Chronic-what?-cles of Narnia! Yes, the Chronic-what?-cles of Narnia! We love that Chronic-what?-cles of Narnia! Pass that Chronic-what?-cles of Narnia!
Yo, stop at the deli, the theater's overpriced! You got that backpack? Gonna pack it up nice. Don't want security to get suspicious- Mr. Pibbs and Red Vines equals crazy delicious!
Yo, reach in my pocket and pull out some dough, Girl acted like she never seen a $10 before! It's all about the Hamiltons, baby Throw the snacks in a bag, and I'm Ghost like Swayze.
Roll up to the theater, ticket buying what we're handling, You can call us Aaron Burr from the way we're dropping Hamiltons Parked in our seats movie trivia's the illest! "What Friends alum starred in films with Bruce Willis?" We answered so fast, it was scary: Everyone stared in awe when we screamed "Matthew Perry!" Then quiet in the theater or it's gonna get tragic We're about to be taken to a dream world of magic
In the Chronic-what?-cles of Narnia! Yes, the Chronic-what?-cles of Narnia! We love that Chronic-what?-cles of Narnia! Pass that Chronic-what?-cles of Narnia!
It's this blog's goal to feature as many of the SNL Digital Shorts as we possibly can. So drop on in from time to time to see what we can dig up!
And now for a short educational break- our feature for today is a sweet little track from the Insane-o-Flex featuring Dana Swanson and Nick Ingkatanuwat with "I Like Your Booty (But I'm Not Gay)".
The title says it all- and pretty much all the words you need to sing along to this track that was first featured on the Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters OST. See if you can broaden your vocabulary with seven new words for 'ass' or 'booty' from this little number.
Just check out the video!
Featuring characters we all love from the Aqua Teen Hunger Force universe gettin' their groove on! Including the Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past, -hang on- is that Larry Blackmon from Cameo? And is that Schoolly D? Well, we also have The Mooninites- Ignignokt and Er and the Plutonians Oglethorpe and Emory.
To be honest, the song was just going on and on in my head, and I just needed to find a way to get it out of my system.
Unfortunately, I'll probably be singing this song all week. Just not out loud, I hope.
Now do I really need to give you reasons to watch one of the greatest shows ever to come out on Adult Swim?
Well, probably I do. After all, Aqua Teen Hunger Force (or ATHF, for convenience's sake) has a particular kind of humor that might not be for everybody. I have to admit- its sarcastic, absurdist, twisted sense of humor might not be for everybody. But ATHF is very well something that never fails to make me laugh every time I watch it.
The show is now on its sixth season (woohoo!)- which means some 10 new episodes coming out, according to Wikipedia.
So here we are, the Top 10 Reasons to Watch Aqua Teen Hunger Force!
1. Dr. Weird."Gentlemen- behold!" I've always loved the cold opens from the first few seasons. They feature our favorite mad scientist presenting his latest creation to his lone lab assistant, Steve ("Hey, um, Dr. Weird- I thought that grant was to cure diseases or something like that...") which initially provided the focus for the stories, and eventually just became hilarious non-sequiturs by the middle of Season 1.
My personal favorite: "My ass has decided to eat me! It hungers...for more!" You have to see it to believe it.
By the third season, we instead see Emory and Oglethorpe (see below) as the characters for the show's cold opens. While they're both funny as hell as well, I sure miss Dr. Weird...
Dr. Weird is voiced by C. Martin Croker- the same dude who voices Zorak in the Space Ghost Coast to Coast and The Brak Show series. Incidentally, Croker also voices Steve.
2. The Theme Song!"Coz we are tha Aqua Teen! Make tha homies say 'Ho!' and the girlies wanna scream!" Rumor has it that Schooly D composed this opening rap in the limo as he was on his way to the recording studio. It's a fun TV theme- the kind that gets you all pumped up before an episode, you know? And there are two versions out, in case you didn't know- the standard opening theme cut, and another slightly longer cut which you can check out here, with other earlier [Adult Swim] songs.
3. Carl! He's uncouth, he's totally unsexy, he's Carl Brutananadilewski. Or just plain ol' Carl. He's the Aqua Teen Hunger Force's next-door neighbor (who doesn't like them very much, btw), with a penchant for classic rock, pornography, prostitutes and hot wings.
From an entry in Wikipedia, we have this:
He is visited by misfortune in almost every episode, and is occasionally seen completely dead. He is usually seen suffering horribly; i.e. having bug eggs hatching in his stomach, having his skin ripped off, having his fingers chopped off, shooting himself in the foot and bleeding for hours in his living room next to an apathetic Master Shake, being raped by the artificial dog Handbanana or being shot in the shoulder with a flaming arrow by Ted Nugent.
It is shown that he and his father used to work in what is said to be insulation making when he was only 8, shown to be having a rather dilapidated house on Christmas, where he gets a piece of carpet that is to be boiled and eaten, thus explaining his eating of carpets on occasion. He dropped out of high school in his senior year, 1982, because, according to their XM radio show, the school refused to play "I Want to Rock and Roll All Night" at his senior prom, but he was failing anyway.
Just the kind of guy you'd want to hang out with, right? That's Carl for you! Voiced wonderfully by ATHF co-creator Dave Willis.
4. Master Shake. Wikipedia describes him as a...
...lazy, stingy, simple-minded, mean-spirited, illiterate, sadistic, and self-centered milkshake in the form of a white cup with a pink straw and two yellow kitchen gloves.
It's mostly true. He's also the self-proclaimed leader of the ATHF; Frylock's probably just cool about this and Meatwad is just too oblivious for his own good.
Master Shake seems to get a perverse sort of pleasure out of tormenting Meatwad, but most of the time he can be found swimming in Carl's pool or just watching TV.
According to Wikipedia about his abilities:
His special power is that he is able to shoot pistachio milkshake onto the ground, suck liquids (up to 85 gallons) using his straw, and is very proficient with firearms and bows. Also, almost everything he throws to the ground after picking up (with the principal exception of tennis rackets) tends to explode, although none of the team seem to notice most of the time.
Master Shake is voiced by Dana Snyder.
5. Frylock. Definitely the brains of the group, quite possibly the team's voice of reason, and probably the only one with "real" superpowers. Described in Wikipedia as...
...A floating red box of French fries sporting a "van dyke" beard, dental braces, and a blue mystic jewel embedded in his back.
He uses his fries to grip things and occasionally as a fry radar or 'Frydar.' He is also able to shoot all of his fries at a target simultaneously (referred to once as "The Defense of Idahocules" in commentary).
Frylock is scientifically-minded and conducts experiments in his room, which contains his library, supercomputer (which Shake purchased, but avoided actually paying for), cloner, and various other lab equipment. He is the most intellectual of the ATHF characters, and also attempts to provide the others with some sense of morality.
His jewel gives him various powers, such as the ability to fly (or mostly hover around), and shoot lasers, fireballs, lightning, and even fire-extinguisher foam from his eyes.
Voiced by Carey Means- the same guy who voiced all the parts of Thundercleese on The Brak Show.
6. Meatwad. Our lovable morphing ball of grease and meat- though we're not completely sure what kind of meat it is exactly, what we DO know is that it isn't fit for human consumption.
Even more simple-minded than Master Shake, child-like (with a plastic chew-toy for a brain), and as such, is often the subject of Shake's cruel practical jokes and exploitative behavior.
His main power is shapeshifting; which in the past he has used to morph into a hotdog, a meat igloo (well, those two mostly), also a meat-bridge, a Wayne Gretzky meat sculpture (that looks more like a samurai Lincoln), and other various meat objects.
As he doesn't have much in the way of friends, Meatwad actually managed to put together a number of inanimate companions (crude dolls, made of the simplest household objects) to play with from time to time:
...such as Dewey the paper towel roll, Vanessa the apple, Jeffy the garden hose, and Boxy Brown, a cardboard box decorated with the face of a generic blaxploitation protagonist.
Meatwad is also voiced by co-creator Dave Willis (who also does all the Carl parts, see above).
7. The Mooninites. Ignignokt and Er are our recurring two-dimensional characters; Ignignokt is laid-back but arrogant and smug, while Er is more belligerent, and known for his trash-talking.
The Mooninites generally look the same, resembling blocky, old school Atari-style graphics: Ignignokt is larger and green, while Er is smaller and pink.
The Mooninites are voiced by ATHF creators Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro- Dave voicing the Ignignokt parts and Matt doing the Er parts.
8. Emory and Oglethorpe. Two crudely drawn spiked aliens from the planet Pluto, whom we see by the start of Season 3, replacing the Dr. Wierd series of cold opens.
Oglethorpe the fat, orange one, while Emory is the tall, green Plutonian. Oglethorpe seems to be Austrian/German based on his accent, claims to be a genius, but is probably just as simple-minded as Master Shake or Meatwad.
Emory, on the other hand, might actually have more sense than his Plutonian companion, but is more soft-spoken, and therefore tends to just go with the flow.
Oglethorpe and Emory are usually seen bickering with Ignignokt and Er- which makes for some very funny interaction. Oglethorpe is voiced by Andy Merrill- the same guy behind the Brak character, while Emory is voiced by Mike Schatz- who voices Torpedo Vegas on Frisky Dingo.
9. MC Pee Pants. MC Pee Pants is our mentally insane, eight-foot spider who wears a shower cap and a diaper. He usually has some twisted scheme for world domination, and uses rap to sugar-coat his criminal master-plans. From Wikipedia:
He is frequently killed, after which he is reincarnated by Satan in a new form with another convoluted scheme. Thus far he's been a cow (Sir Loin), an old man and briefly a vampire (Little Brittle), an earthworm, and, finally, a fly in the ATHF movie.
Voiced by MC Chris- who also had some parts on Sealab 2021.
10. The Box Set DVD is out! Because you just have to watch 'em all over again just before plopping yourself down to enjoy the newest Aqua Teen Hunger Force DVD Box Set out in the market!
Sure, you got volumes one to four- but do you already have ATHF volume 5? It's got 2 disks from the latest ATHF season- including favorites such as "Dickesode", "Hand Banana", "Ezekiel", "Car Wash" and the Star Studded Xmas Spectacular!
With loads of extra features and hours and hours of Aqua Teen Hunger Force goodness (assuming you watch it over and over again- which you probably will).
Okay, lemme whet your appetites a bit. Here's a little teaser from TV.com:
They thought they had met the enemy. They thought they had seen evil. They thought wrong. As the new season begins, the feeling that rescue is close at hand, the survivors don't know whether or not to believe Charlie's final message that the people claiming to liberate them are not who they seem to be. As unlikely alliances are formed, those they thought could be trusted may turn against them, as the enemy of their enemy becomes their friend. But who can be trusted? Is rescue really as close as it seems?
How does THAT grip your shorts? In any case, it's great to finally have some new shows on TV. So thank Bob for J.J. Abrams and his crew, the good people of ABC, and the guys behind Lost.
I got my eyes once again on the series for this season- let's hope it's a good one!
Look, I'm a huge fan of TV themes. I've been collecting the themes to my favorite shows as soon as I found out they could be collected.
With the internet, Wikipedia, YouTube and other great sites out there, you can easily build up your collection of TV tunes, plug in, and bombard your eardrums with the opening themes of your favorite programs.
Most are pretty easy enough to find- say, all of the CSI shows make use of songs from The Who. Or shows like Scrubs, Smallville and Battlestar Galactica have been gracious enough to put together OST albums for schmucks like myself.
Lately, my girlfriend and I have finished Season 2 of CBS' How I Met Your Mother (great stuff, btw, if you haven't seen it yet!). Yes, we've been huge fans since the first few episodes of the previous season. It's an awesome show. Not just awesome- it's legendary! Anyway, we decided to find a copy of the theme and maybe load it on our mobile phones as a ringtone or something- coz that would just be incredibly cool. Running a search on the usual sites: TV.com, Wikipedia, Imdb.com all point to the theme song being done by The Solids (half of which turns out to be the creators of the show: Carter Bays and Craig Thomas!). It's a song called "Hey Beautiful", which you can listen to in its entirety on The Solids' page on MySpace (which you could check out here).
While the song in itself is an incredible piece of work, those of us looking for that recognizable little hook from the opening theme of the show won't be treated to the happy "puh-pa-pa-pah, puh-pa-pa-pah puh-pa-ra-ruh ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ruh" hook we've all grown to love. Hey, while on their MySpace page, do check out their other songs- great stuff right there too.
Anyway, I've noticed a whole bunch of fans looking for the short version of the song. Couldn't find a copy of it a month ago- so I decided to get my own using Moviemaker. Right now, I've loaded it onto my phone and my girlfriend's. So when we get a text message, we get treated to a 12-second slice of ear-candy: never fails to brighten up an otherwise crappy day.
I might be a media guy, but my field is really more into radio and marketing more than anything else. For the most part, it means that what I know about television is pretty much stuff just about anyone can know- so don't expect me to go technical or anything.
I'm just a regular dude who just happens to appreciate me some good TV.
TV has so much to offer- a show I like might not exactly appeal to your tastes and vice versa. And that's the beauty of it all- with just so much TV going on, there's definitely something for everyone out there. We even have our own guilty pleasures- and that's just all good.
Feel free to share your thoughts on whatever TV show you like (or don't like). As long as you're all mature about it, with a genuine desire to inform, educate, or just someone with an honest opinion- come, sit and let's talk about TV.
Welcome to "Too Much TV: Renzie on TV!", Renzie's personal blog on all things television| Action Adventure TV Favorites| Cartoon TV Favorites| Comedy TV Favorites| Drama TV Favorites| Reality Show Favorites| Recommended Viewing| Sci-fi Favorites| Soundtrack Listings| Special Features| Talk Show Favorites| TV Gossip| TV News| TV Trivia| Video Clips| another blog by Renan Salvador Viloria Baluyut
Welcome To Renzie's TV Blog!
Hey, Renzie here at your service, and thanks for stopping by to check out the stuff on this blog.
Stick around, and come share a thing or two yourself. It would be much appreciated, really. Cheers, everyone!
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Featured Reads on "Too Much TV: Renzie on TV!"
Wanna know which shows are coming back, which ones are new and which ones got the axe? Check out Renzie Reviews: The 2008 Fall Lineup, covering the five major networks: ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and The CW!
But the coolest of all has to be this one: Stevie Wonder's live performance of "Superstition". And he brought his whole crew with him. And some kids to jam out on the balcony. And I mean really jam out. Check out my post on that particular version of "Superstition" here on my personal music blog, My Thoughts in Stereo.
3. Carl! He's uncouth, he's totally unsexy, he's Carl Brutananadilewski. Or just plain ol' Carl. He's the Aqua Teen Hunger Force's next-door neighbor (who doesn't like them very much, btw), with a penchant for classic rock, pornography, prostitutes and hot wings.
4. Master Shake. Wikipedia describes him as a...
5. Frylock. Definitely the brains of the group, quite possibly the team's voice of reason, and probably the only one with "real" superpowers. Described in Wikipedia as...
Even more simple-minded than Master Shake, child-like (with a plastic chew-toy for a brain), and as such, is often the subject of Shake's cruel practical jokes and exploitative behavior.
7. The Mooninites. Ignignokt and Er are our recurring two-dimensional characters; Ignignokt is laid-back but arrogant and smug, while Er is more belligerent, and known for his trash-talking.
Oglethorpe the fat, orange one, while Emory is the tall, green Plutonian. Oglethorpe seems to be Austrian/German based on his accent, claims to be a genius, but is probably just as simple-minded as Master Shake or Meatwad.
9. MC Pee Pants. MC Pee Pants is our mentally insane, eight-foot spider who wears a shower cap and a diaper. He usually has some twisted scheme for world domination, and uses rap to sugar-coat his criminal master-plans. From Wikipedia:
10. The Box Set DVD is out! Because you just have to watch 'em all over again just before plopping yourself down to enjoy the newest Aqua Teen Hunger Force DVD Box Set out in the market!
I might be a media guy, but my field is really more into radio and marketing more than anything else. For the most part, it means that what I know about television is pretty much stuff just about anyone can know- so don't expect me to go technical or anything. 
Hey, Renzie here at your service, and thanks for stopping by to check out the stuff on this blog.
