Yesterday was the birthday of two of my favorite entertainers, Mike Nesmith and David Jones of the Monkees. So in honor of their birthdays here is the first issue of the comic book series based on the Monkees TV show.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Video of the Week: George Burns Comedy Week: A Christmas Carol II
Here is a very funny look at the Charles Dickens classic tale.
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Dinky the Elf on Kindle
If you want to get Dinky the Elf he is now available on Kindle at Amazon.com. Download it for $3.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Turkeys Away!
Being that tomorrow is Thanksgiving I thought that I would share a link to Hulu.com and give you WKRP in Cincinnati's most famous episode. From there first season here is Turkeys Away!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The Monkees Instant Replay (Deluxe Edition)
In true Marketing fashion in that nothing is milked dry till every single drop is gone Rhino records is releasing the Monkees Instant Reply Deluxe Edition. Now I am a big Monkees fan but how much more can the get out of those old recordings. Do us all a favor Rhino and send some of the Monkees back into the studio for new material. Still thanks to BookSteve we have this link to pre-order the above CD. http://www.rhino.com/shop/product/the-monkees-instant-replay-deluxe-edition
Sale: WKRP in Cincinnati the Complete First Season
Normally the price at Amazon is $29.98 but right now it is on sale for $17.49. That's a savings of $12.49. So buy it today and get what I consider the best season ever of one of the best sit-coms of the 70's. Makes a great Christmas gift.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
For Sale: Great Deal for Monkee Fans!
For some Monkee fan out there my trouble is going to be your pleasure. I am laid off work and need at least $300 by the end of the month. So here's the deal. I will send you a framed and signed picture of all four Monkees, a signed first edition of Micky's book "I'm A Believer, my life of Monkees, Music and Madness", a DVD of the 1997 reunion of all four in England, my fictional book of the Monkees "Last Train to Murder" and a 1960's comic book of the Monkees. The signed photo I bought from an autograph dealer. At that time it was only signed by Micky, Peter and Mike and came with a certificate of authenticy. Davy signed it for me in person after a concert in Cincinnati, Ohio. The book that was signed by Micky was gotten for me by afriend and given to me as a Christmas gift years ago. It pains me to have to sell them but I need the money more. So if you donate $300 I will send you all of these if you are the first person to donate and e-mail me that you donated it and give me your address. Otherwise they are $60 each and I will send you the one of your choice if it is still available. Thanks in advance for those who help and want to but can't buy them. What you can do in that case it post a link on your site to this post for those that would be interested.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Money, Money, Money...
...it's a rich man's world. You know it is if you owe for your health insurance. Being laid off and I just got a bill for my health insurance. So if you ever thought about donating to any of my sites now is as good a time as any. Please click on the donate button below or on the right.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
The story of Samson
I thought this was an interesting video as it is the story of Samson told with action figures.
Monday, September 12, 2011
When the Monkees met Steve Skeates and Jim Aparo
I saw this over at http://jimaparofanclub.blogspot.com/. It seems that a teen mag back in the 60's was doing, at least for 2 issues, comics of the Monkees in their magazine. This was when Dell didn't have the rights to them. The story was by Steve Skeates and art by Jim Aparo. Being a Monkees fan I had to share it with you here. They worked in a lot of their song titles. See how many you can find.
Monday, September 05, 2011
lulu.com has books for sale at 20% off
Hope you all are having a great Labor Day. I just wanted to tell you that till Sept. 9th Lulu.com has my book Last Train to Murder for sale at 20% off. Above is a preview of the book. You can get it at http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/last-train-to-murder-pb/14445916 and just type in SEPTEMBER305 when you check out to get the discount.
Saturday, July 02, 2011
Saturday Morning Cartoons: The Thing in Lights, Camera Action
Well it's official. I was laid off yesterday for an undetermined amount of time.
In the meantime I just came across this cartoon on youtube.com. I never did watch the cartoon Fred and Barney meet the Thing but here is a segment of that show with the Thing as a teenager. It really kind of reminds me of the Archie gang. The voice of Ronald sounds like it was done by the guy who voiced Reggie Mantle on the Archie Show. When in the guise of the Thing the voice sounds like an impression of Jimmy Durante. I do have to give credit to the actor and the writers. As far as the character of the Thing it is one of the best transitions from comic book to TV screen I have ever seen of the character. They really got it right. Kind of odd to see a teenage version but it was enjoyable to watch.
In the meantime I just came across this cartoon on youtube.com. I never did watch the cartoon Fred and Barney meet the Thing but here is a segment of that show with the Thing as a teenager. It really kind of reminds me of the Archie gang. The voice of Ronald sounds like it was done by the guy who voiced Reggie Mantle on the Archie Show. When in the guise of the Thing the voice sounds like an impression of Jimmy Durante. I do have to give credit to the actor and the writers. As far as the character of the Thing it is one of the best transitions from comic book to TV screen I have ever seen of the character. They really got it right. Kind of odd to see a teenage version but it was enjoyable to watch.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
layoff
Well I got word that I will be laid off from work for awhile after this Friday. So if you have considered donations to this site now would be a good time. Click the button to the right or below.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Don't Be Like Dewey
Recently I heard that the former manager of WHKK, Dan Hubbard, passed away in April of 2010. I didn’t know him well but from the little that I did know he was a very good man. For those of you who don’t know WHKK was a local Christian radio where I and many of my friends hung out and had part time jobs from time to time. For a while they played Southern Gospel music. When I worked there they played Contemporary Christian Music. Lately I find myself listening to some of the old songs that I played there. I have many wonderful memories of some good times there. But like all good memories there is always a sad memory associated with it.
Everyone I every worked with there was just wonderful. One of them I always felt sorry for. His name was Dewey. Now Dewey was a good man and, while I didn’t know it when I met him, he was a very smart man. For some reason he could only work cleaning offices but I later was told that he had a law degree and had a lot of law books. Why do I feel sorry for him? Because this smart man who cleaned the offices at a Christian radio station was…an Atheist. Dewey refused to believe in God. A lot of us tried to talk to him about God but I don’t think any of us ever got through to him. He would put road blocks up to every avenue that the Holy Spirit could get access to him. Only one did I ever see get close, the news director Jeff Eldridge. The more they talked Dewey started to stutter. After he left Jeff said there must be something that caused him to not believe. Dewey was there for years. He heard the music singing praises to the Lord and the sermons from the preachers telling how and why you should be saved. He seemed to pay little attention to them.
A few years later a company bought the trailer park where Dewey lived. Everyone was evicted so they could build a strip mall. Dewey had no place to go. In his depressed state of mind I heard that Dewey went to a bridge that spanned the Ohio River and threw himself into the river. His body was never found.
Dewey lost hope. No place to live and no hope of getting to Heaven because he didn’t accept God into his heart. He heard the Word almost everyday for years and will have to pay for that when he is judged before the God that he always denied. I feel sorry that one day he will be in Hell. He was a good and smart man but that alone won’t get you into Heaven.
If you are reading this please don’t be like Dewey. You may be a good and smart person but please accept Christ into your heart. Just pray to Him to let Him know that you know Jesus Christ died for you and you want to have him in your heart and He will come. But He won’t until you invite him in.
Everyone I every worked with there was just wonderful. One of them I always felt sorry for. His name was Dewey. Now Dewey was a good man and, while I didn’t know it when I met him, he was a very smart man. For some reason he could only work cleaning offices but I later was told that he had a law degree and had a lot of law books. Why do I feel sorry for him? Because this smart man who cleaned the offices at a Christian radio station was…an Atheist. Dewey refused to believe in God. A lot of us tried to talk to him about God but I don’t think any of us ever got through to him. He would put road blocks up to every avenue that the Holy Spirit could get access to him. Only one did I ever see get close, the news director Jeff Eldridge. The more they talked Dewey started to stutter. After he left Jeff said there must be something that caused him to not believe. Dewey was there for years. He heard the music singing praises to the Lord and the sermons from the preachers telling how and why you should be saved. He seemed to pay little attention to them.
A few years later a company bought the trailer park where Dewey lived. Everyone was evicted so they could build a strip mall. Dewey had no place to go. In his depressed state of mind I heard that Dewey went to a bridge that spanned the Ohio River and threw himself into the river. His body was never found.
Dewey lost hope. No place to live and no hope of getting to Heaven because he didn’t accept God into his heart. He heard the Word almost everyday for years and will have to pay for that when he is judged before the God that he always denied. I feel sorry that one day he will be in Hell. He was a good and smart man but that alone won’t get you into Heaven.
If you are reading this please don’t be like Dewey. You may be a good and smart person but please accept Christ into your heart. Just pray to Him to let Him know that you know Jesus Christ died for you and you want to have him in your heart and He will come. But He won’t until you invite him in.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Thanks
Just saying thanks for those that have clicked on the donations button to the right. It has brought me a little closer to paying that bill.
Friday, June 03, 2011
Need Help
I hope someone can help me as I recently got a bill that I can't pay. I really hate asking here like this cause I feel like I am begging but if you like this site and want to donate anything please click on the Paypal link below. I have only delt with Paypal in cash in times past so I don't know what to do with credit cards or if I have to pay for anything if yo donate with credit cards but I will take what help I can right now.Thanks in advance.
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Monkees.net Contest
Over at Monkees.net they are having a contest as part of their grand re-opening. Among the many prizes that any Monkees fan should have is a copy of my fictional novel "Last Train to Murder." You can see it in the photo above listed with the other prizes. Those other prizes are
■From Friday Music are re-issued Monkees classic CD’s for the first time with bonus track.
■The preeminent Monkees biographer Eric Lefcowitz has donated a copy of his fabulous new book Monkee Business with a special set of actual collectible Monkees Coins! Actual minted metal “Monkee Money” featuring the likeness of Micky, Davy, Peter and Michael – a true collectors item!
■One copy of the only complete biography of Michael Nesmith, “Total Control – The Monkees Michael Nesmith Story“
■One copy of the fiction book based on the Monkees, “Last Train to Murder” by Rick L. Phillips
■Multiple copies of magazines including “Monkees Monthly”.
■10 Gold Monkees Logo clothing patches
So click here to enter and do it now as the contest ends May 11th.
Monday, May 02, 2011
Thor Tales of Asgard
If you like the movie Thor that comes out at the end of the week you may want to order Thor Tales of Asgard. It will be released May 17th. You can get it at Amazon.com.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Help Save Someones Home

I know someone who is in deep financial trouble and may loose their home. So any money I get from the sales of my book Last Train to Murder PB will go to them. If you wish to help go to >Lulu.com.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Free shipping on Last Train to Murder

Buy my book & save on shipping. Go to Lulu.com Enter code APRILMAIL305 at checkout and select Mail Shipping and receive single book shipping cost free. Maximum savings, $4.99. Print and tax amounts are excluded. You can only use the code once per account. Offer ends 4/30/11 at 11:59 PM
Sunday, April 03, 2011
You are a survivor
If you were born in the 1950's or 1960's then you are a survivor. Here is the reason that I saw on the Official 60's Site,com. You can click on the title above to go to that site.
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......
WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays,
We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them! Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......
WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays,
We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them! Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL
Monday, March 21, 2011
Monkees sampler for sale today only
Hey Hey Monkees fans. If you want to get the Rhino sampler it is for sale on e-bay today only at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200589208273&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:1123 or just click on the title above.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Circus Boy
Here is an episode of Circus Boy starring a very young Micky Dolenz. I think this episode is called The Fabulous Colonel Jack.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Dennis the Menace Contest ends and the winner is...

Well the contest is over and the winner is...drum roll please....Michael LeBlanc. He had 19 answers to the 21 questions. The correct answers were as follows...
1.What was the date that the first episode of Dennis the Menace aired on TV? October 4, 1959
2.What date did Dennis the Menace comic strip first appear in the newspapers? March 12 1951
3.Who picked Jeannie Russell to play Margaret? Jay North picked her personally.
4.How many children do the Wilson’s have? None
5.What was the name of the policeman in Dennis’ neighborhood? Sgt. Mooney
6.After Joseph Kearns, the original Mr. Wilson, died what was the excuse given to explain his absence? He was on a trip to Ohio.
7.What actor replaced Joseph Kearns as Mr. Wilson? Gale Gordon
8.What is the favorite sport of Mr. Mitchell? Golf
9.What network did the show air on? CBS
10.What night did it air on? Sunday at 7:30pm
11.What was the address where Dennis and his parents lived? 627 Elm Street
12.What other TV show did Jay North play on after Dennis the Menace? Maya based on the movie of the same name that also starred Jay North.
13.What cartoon character did Jay North provide the voice to on Saturday morning TV? Bamm- Bamm Rubble on the “Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show.”
14.Willard Waterman played Mr. Quigley on the show. What old time radio character is he also known for? The Great Gildersleeve
15.What was the date of the last original first run episode to air? September 22, 1963
(I started to over look this one as I realized this was the date for a re-run and everyone else gave a different date. Most of them were in June.)
16.What is the name of his dog? Ruff
17.What was the name of Mr. Wilson’s dog? Fremont
18.How old has Dennis always been in the comic strip? 5 and a half
19.How many episodes were there in the series? 146
20.What was Dennis’ catch phrase from the series? Hello Mr. Wilson!
21.What was Mr. Wilson’s catch phrase? Great Scott!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Last Day for Dennis the Menace DVD contest
If you haven't entered this contest you better hurry. Today is the last day to enter the contest to win the DVD set of season one of Dennis the Menace. To see more just click here.
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Dennis The Menace: Dinosaur Hunter
Here is a Dennis the Menace movie that was on the Disney Channel a long time ago that I never saw. It's pretty good. If you are a Dennis the menace fan don't forget to enter my triva contest to win a Dennis the Menace Season 1 box set of the classic TV series. You can go there if you click here.
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Monkees 45th Anniversary Tour

It wasn't long ago that the Monkees announced the dates for their tour of England. Today I heard these are the dates for their North American tour.
6/3/2011 Chastain Park Amphitheatre Atlanta, GA
6/4/2011 Ruth Eckerd Hall Clearwater, FL
6/5/2011 Pompano Beach Amphitheatre Pompano Beach, FL
6/6/2011 Florida Theatre Jacksonville, FL
6/8/2011 Innsbrook Pavilion Glen Allen, VA
6/9/2011 The Community Theatre At Mayo Center For The Performing Arts
Morristown, NJ
6/10/2011 Mohegan Sun Arena Uncasville, CT
6/11/2011 Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort Niagara Falls, ON
6/12/2011 Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort Niagara Falls, ON
6/15/2011 Lowell Memorial Auditorium Lowell, MA
6/16/2011 Beacon Theatre New York, NY
6/17/2011 NYCB Theatre At Westbury Westbury, NY
6/18/2011 Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa / Event Ctr. Atlantic City, NJ
6/19/2011 Filene Center At Wolf Trap Vienna, VA
6/20/2011 Hershey Theatre Hershey, PA
6/22/2011 Stage AE Pittsburgh, PA
6/23/2011 Fox Theatre Detroit, MI
6/24/2011 Lifestyle Communities Pavilion Columbus, OH
6/25/2011 Aronoff Center For The Arts Cincinnati, OH
6/26/2011 Murat Theatre Indianapolis, IN
6/29/2011 Genesee Theatre Waukegan, IL
6/30/2011 Star Plaza Theatre Merrillville, IN
7/1/2011 Minneapolis Zoo Minneapolis, MN
7/2/2011 Minneapolis Zoo Minneapolis, MN
7/5/2011 Paramount Theatre Denver, CO
7/8/2011 Pantages Theater Tacoma, WA
7/9/2011 Sleep Country Amphitheater Ridgefield, WA
7/10/2011 The Mountain Winery Saratoga, CA
7/13/2011 Majestic Fox Theater Bakersfield, CA
7/14/2011 Chumash Casino Santa Ynez, CA
7/15/2011 Morongo Casino Resort & Spa Cabazon, CA
7/16/2011 Greek Theatre Los Angeles, CA
You can visit http://www.facebook.com/monkeestour for tour dates, updated ticketing information and more.
Monday, February 28, 2011
21 Questions with Dennis the Menace

Thanks to Shout Factory I have a chance to give away a free copy of Dennis the Menace Season 1 on DVD. So here are 21 trivia questions about Dennis the Menace, the TV show and the comic strip. The person who e-mails me the most correct answers by March 12th at originalcaptainatom@gmail.com will be the winner. Now here are the questions.
1.What was the date that the first episode of Dennis the Menace aired on TV?
2.What date did Dennis the Menace comic strip first appear in the newspapers?
3.Who picked Jeannie Russell to play Margaret?
4.How many children do the Wilson’s have?
5.What was the name of the policeman in Dennis’ neighborhood?
6.After Joseph Kearns, the original Mr. Wilson, died what was the excuse given to explain his absence?
7.What actor replaced Joseph Kearns as Mr. Wilson?
8.What is the favorite sport of Mr. Mitchell?
9.What network did the show air on?
10.What night did it air on?
11.What was the address where Dennis and his parents lived?
12.What other TV show did Jay North play on after Dennis the Menace?
13.What cartoon character did Jay North provide the voice to on Saturday morning TV?
14.Willard Waterman played Mr. Quigley on the show. What old time radio character is he also known for?
15.What was the date of the last original first run episode to air?
16.What is the name of his dog?
17.What was the name of Mr. Wilson’s dog?
18.How old has Dennis always been in the comic strip?
19.How many episodes were there in the series?
20.What was Dennis’ catch phrase from the series?
21.What was Mr. Wilson’s catch phrase?
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Here They Come Walking Down the Street Again

They didn't tour for their 40th anniversary but they are making up for that with a 45th anniversary tour. In May the Monkees begin what I hope turns into a world tour in England. Saddly it isn't a world tour as Mike is the usual holdout. But it is always fun to see Micky,Peter and Davy. Here are the dates for the UK tour and if anyone connected to the Monkees sees this please put Cincinnati,Ohio on the USA tour schedule.
THE MONKEES MAY TOUR DATES
May 12th Liverpool Echo Arena
May 24th Manchester Apollo
May 15th Newcastle City Hall
May 16th Glasgow Clyde Auditorium
May 19th London Royal Albert Hall
May 20th Sheffield City Hall
May 21st Birmingham NIA Academy
May 23rd Plymouth Pavillions
May 24th Cardiff CIAgoodma
May 25th Nottingham Royal Centre
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Last Train to Murder is half off
My latest book, Last Train to Murder featuring the Monkees, is for sale at 50% off. Get it now at this great savings while you can at Lulu.com.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Happy Belated Birthday to Peter Tork
Peter's Birthday was on the 13th. He turned 69 that day and it was even mentioned on CBS in their Sunday Morning Almanac. Here is a segment of that video.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Last Train to Murder Reviewed

Michael D Hamersky at comic book collectors blog.com has reviewed my current novel "Last Train to Murder. You can read the review if you click here.
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
In memory of my Dad
Years ago, about 1976, I found David Jones first album. I bought it and for the first time I heard this song. I called my Dad into my room and played it for him. Then I told him I played it for him because this was how I felt about him but didn't know how to tell him myself. Today is his birthday and he would have been 81 years old today.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Soylent Green
I am toying with the idea of making this site dedicated to reviews of movies,tv shows, comic books and music that I read,see and hear. I did one of the TV shows, WKRP in Cincinnati and recently Dark Skies. Today I am doing one of an old sci-fi film Soylent Green. The movie came out in 1973. I like seeing movies fromthe late 60's and early 70's as you get a good but sometimes odd pairing of the movies golden age of actors with the then new age of actors. As many people know this film starred Charlton Heston with Leigh Taylor Young, Chuck Conners, Josepth Cotton and Edward G. Robinson. This cast is a good examploe of odd casting that worked. I espically liked the scenes that had Mr. Conners and Mr. Robinson opposite Mr. Heston. What you may not know about this film is that this film was based on a book called "Make Room! Make Room!" by Harry Harrison. I haven't read the book so I won't discuss that here. This was also the last movie to star Edward G. Robinson. He died before it came out. It seems odd but approiate that he passed away in the film. Kind of gave movie fans closure to some of his fans.
The film was actually an answer to the population explosion that the world was experiencing in the 60's and 70's. Overcrowdind in every country and mjor city was and still is a concern. How would we feed them all? Real food is now gone in this bleak future world. Only the manufactured food called Soylent is able to sustain us. They are identified by different colors and the most popular is the one is Soylent Green.
A man is murdered by a hired killer. We aren't told who or why at first. In this way the film is really murder mystery. Heston is a cop and he investigates the murder. As he peels back the layers he finds that the food company is behind it and, as most movie fans know by now, that Soylent Green is really made from corpses of dead people. Soylent Green is people.
If your only exposure to this ending is the one they spoofed on Saturday Night Live then you will be disappointed. Heston doesn't run through crowds shouting that famous phrase at the end. He is shot and carried out. He raises his hand soaked in his own blood saying the phrase and trying to warn them that one day they may breed us like cattle.
With the excepton of this taking place in the future and food being manufactured form people, there is very little to associate this in the science fiction area as it has been for decades. It is more of a cop drama then anything else. A pretty boring onw too. The acting is great but not enough to save it for my money. Still if you want the movie, book or the poster you can get them at Amazon. The on good thing about this movie was that it showed that Chuck Conners was a good an actore as Charlton Heston. More famous for his heroic roles on TV like the Rifleman and Branded, Conners was even better in films as the villian. I wish he had as big a film career as he had in TV.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Slap Happy Pappy
Here is a good example of a cartoon from the 1940's. Very funny spoofs of the celebrities from that time.
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
Dark Skies on DVD
Thanks to an advance copy of this DVD set from Shout Factory I am able to give you a review of the TV series Dark Skies.
The 1990’s was a decade of change for television. Programs that the big 3 networks normally wouldn’t have touched with a ten foot pole in earlier decades were now making their way to the broadcast airwaves. One of the biggest and most enlightening of the decade, broadcast on NBC from 1996 to 1997, was Dark Skies. Fact and fiction merged as it told the history of the United States of America from 1947 to the present. Well at least they would have gotten to the present if it was allowed to run longer. The fact that just a single season of the series aired at all on a major network was and still is to this day a major accomplishment.
It starts in the early sixties. Young John Loengard and his girlfriend Kim Sayers arrive in Washington DC. He has a job as a Congressional aide and she gets one working in Jackie Kennedy’s office. Together they find out the truth about what happened that involved the UFO crash in Roswell, New Mexico. Since then aliens have been involved in every major and even some minor events of our country and the rest of the world. John becomes involved with a secret government organization that is battling the alien takeover but in a belief that everyone should know the truth he quits and now he and Kim are on the run from them as well as the aliens known as the Hive. No one can be trusted as the Hive have deep undercover operatives everywhere.
This is one of the best sci-fi conspiracy shows that ever aired. The two hour pilot episode alone is worth the price of the DVD set. It was directed by veteran film director Tobe Hooper and released as a movie in the foreign market.
Eric Close and Megan Ward do a great job playing our heroes John and Kim but the standout performances are from J.T. Walsh as Frank Bach and Tim Kelleher as Jim Steele. This is one of the last performances by J.T. Walsh and may be his best job ever. Frank Bach is the head of the secret organization named Majestic that is fighting the aliens and trying to keep the public and most government officials in the dark about the invasion. He and Loengard are always at odds with each other. The scenes with them together are some of the best. They may be enemies but they respect each other on how they battle the aliens and sometime even help each other out.
Tim Kelleher as Jim Steele has one of the thankless roles in the series. He is the main alien who has taken over the body of a Majestic agent. This character is put through the ringer with losing sight in one eye, needing to change his identity from time to time, always getting captured and then escaping. I doubt he thought this was the direction his character would take during the run of the show. But Kelleher handled it well and proved to be an actor’s actor.
One thing this series is well known to science fiction fans for, even those who have never even seen one episode of the series, is the introduction of actress Jeri Ryan to television audiences. Her first appearance comes in the episode titled “The Warren Omission.” It is an introduction to a character that you won’t forget. She comes in kicking and knocks an agent, Kim and John to the ground and warns him what will happen if he tells the truth.
Another thing that I loved about this series was taking events and people of the time and working them in to the story. The aliens were responsible for everything from the murder of JFK to the Watts riots. Characters of that era that play parts in the series range from Robert Kennedy and John Lennon to Jim Morrison and Carl Sagan. James F. Kelly plays Robert Kennedy so well you would almost think he really was Robert Kennedy. He’s on so many episodes he should have been given star billing with the others.
The extras in this set are wonderful. There is the two hour pilot that is shown the way it was overseas. There are interviews with the stars and the creators Bryce Zabel and Brent V. Friedman. One of the selling points of the series was, not knowing if the series was based on fact or fiction. During the interview with the creators they told something that blew my mind and made me wonder again if it was real or not. I’m not going to tell you what that is because I want you to buy this DVD set and see for yourself.
The sad thing is that the series was canceled too early. We will never see how the Hive ties in with Watergate, Iran-Contra or the Gulf Crisis. There was an attempt for renewal to bring the series up to 1997 in season two but it didn’t save the series. In my opinion this is one of the great science fiction series. Any science fiction fan needs to add this to their DVD collection. It took guts for NBC to air even a single season. It took a long time to get the series to DVD due to musical licenses for the songs in the series. Shout factory took the risk and the series is here with all of the music. Don’t let them regret producing it on DVD. Buy it so more series of this quality will be release for us to enjoy.
Look for it in your local store on January 18. Even better you can order it now at Shout Factory.
Monday, January 03, 2011
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Bringer of Light
I have an old College friend, Randy Wallace, who is the Pastor at Oak Ridge Baptist. Most of his life Randy liked to write and record his own music. I ran into him the other day and he told me that he is still doing it and his most recent album is Bringer of Light. Well I have listened to it and it is great. The music is positive adn uplifiting just like Randy himself. The cover is seen above in the screen capture. You can buy the CD and hear previews of some of the songs if you go to his record company site CDbaby.com.
Here what it says on the album notes. Many diverse styles are covered on this CD, ranging from Modern Country to Traditional Southern Gospel to Easy Listening and even Light Rock...but, beyond the styles is the optimistic message of hope and joy that are always evident in Randy's live performances.
This is Randy's fifth recording, and among his best. His first album, "Deliver the Young Musician," was mentioned in the book, "Vintage Vinyl:A Decade of Jesus Music," by Ken Scott.
Writing, singing, and playing about everyday things and situations and their deeper dimensions has always been Randy's forte, and in this collection of songs both old and new, it comes to the front once again. From the song for his wife ("Unvoiced Tribute") to his tribute to his parents ("The Moral"); from the contemporary Gospel feel of "His Hand" and the Van Morrison-like "God's Got a Hold on Me;" and the Jimmy Buffett-style "Believe in Yourself," all the way to the uptempo bluegrass "Gerald Brock Hill," this highly anticipated release will brighten your day and touch your heart.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Short Break
Just an FYI that I will be taking a short break for awhile. But I will be back soon with a review of the soon to be released on DVD TV series Dark Skies. Thanks to Shout Factory for the review copy.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Merry Christmas from On My Mind:The Monkees Screen test
Merry Chirstmas and Happy New Year. To all Monkees fans here is a screen test video that was recently pointed out to meby Booksteve. I always heard that Micky and Peter's weren't shown on TV because theirs was silent but in Peter's case that doesn't seem to be why. The one here by Micky looks like it was from a call back since there are others with him.
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