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Monday, January 06, 2014

007 Feature #1 - Dr. No featuring Connery...Sean Connery

Last March, I did something quite experimental with this blog on the Monday Matinee portion of the blog.  I don't know how many of you were around during that time, but there's a clue in what the Monday Matinees in March 2013 were all about.  One of the entries is one of the Top 10 of the most read blog entries since "A Pop Culture Addict's Guide To Life" was founded in May 2011.

It was the time in which I took a look at one of the Batman film series and examined each movie on its own during each Monday in March.  I chose the Batman quadrogy (which I don't believe is a word, but am not sure what exactly comes after trilogy, so we're going to just run with it) that ran between 1989 and 1997.  There was the stellar "Batman" from 1989, the just as wonderful "Batman Returns" from 1992, the "I'm actually surprised I liked it more than I thought I would" "Batman Forever" from 1995, and the "Why the hell did I waste money renting this movie" "Batman and Robin" from 1997.

(Proof positive that sometimes film series can be too much of a good thing - although Christian Bale certainly helped breathe new life into the Batman franchise beginning in 2005.)

That said, I've decided to try and kick off the New Year right by doing an extended feature on another film series that I absolutely adore.  A film series that has spawned a total of...let's see...twenty-three films in the series so far over a fifty plus year history!

But, don't worry.  I won't be featuring ALL twenty-three films.  That would be major overkill.  But, I will be featuring at least one film from each of the six actors who have played this iconic role.  The role, of course, being a British Secret Service agent who has a penchant for destructive weapons, an eye for the fastest, luxurious sportscars, a thirst for danger, and a libido that could make even the most potent of men seethe with jealousy.

Hence the reason why for the next six weeks (which will take us all the way to February 10, if you're keeping track), we'll be doing the Monday Matinee on a man who is probably known for his iconic number, sharp dress sense, and his preference of the alcoholic beverage known as a martini.

Shaken, not stirred.



I have to say, I am a huge James Bond fan.  I have been for as long as I can remember.  I will also admit that I got into the movies long before the book series, which was created by author Ian Lancaster Fleming, but I'll admit that I did read some of Fleming's twelve books featuring the suave, debonair super spy, and enjoyed them very much.  But, admittedly, it was the films that really got me hooked.  In fact, later on in this series, I'll reveal what Bond movie was the first one I watched, which Bonds I liked, and which I didn't, and some behind the scenes action of each film that I will be featuring in the Monday Matinee over the next month and a half.

Oh, and did I mention that we'll also discuss Bond girls, Bond gadgets, and of course, Bond themes?  This one, of course being the most iconic of all.



So, to begin this extended feature of all things 007, let us begin with the very first actor to ever assume the role of James Bond in film. (I can't really say first Bond actor ever, as the first person to play the role was an American actor named Barry Nelson in a television special based on the "Casino Royale" novel in the mid-1950s).

(I know...an American playing Bond!  What next?  A blond-haired Bond?  Oh wait...)



Now, it probably won't come as too much of a shock to anybody reading this blog, but I think that the first James Bond was the best one.  There was just something about Sean Connery's performance as Bond that just defined the Bond character for me.  And it wasn't necessarily the fact that he was the first one in a long line of James Bonds and that the others could not compare.  It was the fact that of all the James Bond movies that have been released, I find myself watching and re-watching the Sean Connery films.  They were quite simplistic (the first one released over fifty years ago), and certainly, the earlier films didn't have quite the same amount of bells and whistles that later films such as "Goldeneye", "Die Another Day", or "Quantum of Solace" had...but that ended up being a very good thing in the long run, because the Sean Connery films relied more on story than special effects.

(Though, don't get me wrong, the special effects in the Connery films were wicked cool!)

Anyway, did you know that Sean Connery is the only Bond actor to play James Bond in three different decades?  It's true.  He's also the only Bond to leave the franchise, and come back again - on two different occasions!

Now, if you're looking from the perspective of continuity (a.k.a. the films that were released by Eon Productions), there are half a dozen films that feature Connery as Bond.  But if you're looking at the whole picture, Connery really featured in seven.  The films that featured Connery as Bond were...

DR. NO (1962)
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963)
GOLDFINGER (1964)
THUNDERBALL (1965)
YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (1967)
DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (1971)
NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN (1983)

Now, the title that happens to be italicized is the film that was not produced by Eon Productions...and I actually am one who kind of wished that film never existed.  For one, it was a lame remake of 1965's Thunderball, for another, Sean Connery was well over fifty and you could tell that he was totally wearing a really bad hairpiece, and lastly, the special effects were extremely lame - even for 1983 standards!  The only thing I'll give you about "Never Say Never Again" is that it was the film that featured a then-relatively unknown actress named Kim Basinger in the role of Domino.



The other six films, on the other hand, were brilliant.  I really did have a tough time selecting just one of the six Connery as Bond movies to feature.  I really loved them all.  However, given that the whole Bond franchise began with the film "Dr. No", I thought that it would be a fantastic beginning to the Monday Matinee - Bond Style.

And while we're at it, check out the opening credits to Dr. No!  They may be just over fifty-one years old (the film was released in theatres on October 5, 1962), they are still just as effective as some of the credits of the newer Bond movies.



So, I'm not really going to bore you with too many plot details here, as I feel very passionately about James Bond movies and definitely don't want to spoil too much.  After all, it wouldn't be worth watching if the entire plot is spoiled, now would it?

All you really need to know about the plot is this.

- It's the first film in which we see the iconic gun barrel image.  Which, I suppose makes sense given that it happens to be the first Bond film.
- The film opens up with the abduction and murder of Jamaican based British Intelligence Station Chief John Strangways by a group of assassins who call themselves the "Three Blind Mice".
- Someone in the film kills themselves after smoking a poison laced cigarette.  Hint:  It's not Bond.
- The film contains this memorable scene.



- The girl, by the way, goes by the name of Honey Ryder (played by Ursula Andress)...the very first Bond girl.
- Apparently James Bond is afraid of spiders.  Who knew?



- The antagonist is a reclusive scientist who goes by the name of Dr. No (played by Joseph Wiseman).  And, it is through Dr. No that we first hear about the enemy organization known as SPECTRE.
- Cape Canaveral plays a key role in this film.  What that role is, I cannot say.

And, that's all that I'm going to spoil for you.  You're just going to have to watch the movie for yourselves.  Believe it when I say that it's worth it.

And besides, considering that they've made over twenty James Bond films, you know that he has to at least survive this one!

Besides, the behind the scenes trivia is much more fun, right?  At least, I think it can be, anyway.  So, what sorts of secrets hide beneath the scripts and film footage of Dr. No?  Well, how about these?

1 - Sean Connery was actually not the first choice to play James Bond.  Cary Grant was actually producers first choice, but they decided not to bother, as Grant would likely only commit to one film, and they wanted someone who would commit to a series.  Though, I have to admit, I think Grant could have pulled off the role.

2 - Sean Connery was thirty years old when he won the role of James Bond.

3 - Contrary to popular belief, Sean Connery did NOT win a contest that ensured that he would become James Bond.  However, a real contest WAS held, six finalists were chosen, and the winner was Peter Anthony.  However, Peter Anthony could not cope with such a role, and dropped out of the production.

4 - Ironically enough, while James Bond is known for being a dapper, well-dressed man, Connery met with film producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman with unpressed clothes and unkempt hair.  Somehow, Sean managed to convince them that he was the right man for the part.

5 - This film marks the debut of Lois Maxwell as "Miss Moneypenny".  Little did she know that she would become the longest running actress in James Bond history, holding onto the role for twenty-three years!  Interestingly enough, Maxwell was almost cast as Sylvia Trench instead, but Maxwell wanted Moneypenny instead, as she felt that the Sylvia role was too sexual for her.  The part of Sylvia instead went to Eunice Gayson.

6 - Bernard Lee plays the role of M, and Peter Burton plays the role of Q.

7 - Julie Christie was considered for the role of Honey Ryder.

8 - That might be Ursula Andress playing the role of Honey...but it certainly isn't her voice!  Believe it or not, her voice was overdubbed by another actress (Nikki van der Zyl), because it was believed that Andress' thick Swiss accent was a little too thick.  Also, Andress was required to wear a fake tan, as her character was supposed to appear Jamaican.

9 - Jack Lord was cast in this film as the first Felix Leiter.  Six years later, he would be cast as the lead in Hawaii Five-O - the original series.

10 - Apparently, Sean Connery actually wore a toupee in this and all of the James Bond movies.  I know I commented that his piece in the 1983 film "Never Say Never Again" was ridiculously bad...but I never knew that he had always worn a toupee the whole time.  I guess wig makers were more skilled in the 1960s than the 1980s?

11 - This movie is the only James Bond film which features James Bond singing!

12 - That beach scene, by the way...it was filmed on location at Laughing Waters Beach in Jamaica.

13 - Diana Coupland provided the singing voice for Honey Ryder.

14 - The iconic white bikini that Andress wore sold at auction on Valentine's Day, 2001...at a cost of 41,000 British pounds!

15 - Ursula Andress was reportedly offered the part of Honey without producers even meeting her.  Suddenly, the dubbing of the voice makes more sense now.

16 - Is the second shortest James Bond movie to be released, clocking in at 111 minutes.  Only "Quantum of Solace" from 2008 is shorter at 106 minutes.

17 - Ian Fleming only had three words to describe the film adaptation of "Dr. No".  "Dreadful, just dreadful."  Fleming would later pass away just two short years later, in 1964.

18 - Ursula Andress made $6,000 for her role in the picture...a modest sum for 1962!

19 - Amusingly enough, despite the fact that she never even had her own voice used in the film, Ursula Andress ended up winning a Golden Globe for her performance!

20 - In Japan, the translated title became "We Don't Want Doctors!"

21 - Sean Connery was actually asked to sleep in the very suits he wore in the film, to get a feel for it and to get accustomed to the wardrobe he would be wearing throughout most of the movie.

22 - Apparently, James Bond isn't the only person afraid of spiders.  Apparently, Sean Connery has an extreme fear of them too.  His fear was so great that a stunt double had to be used for the scene.

23 - The spider was named "Rosie", and contrary to what was shown in the film, Rosie was not harmed.

24 - Filming for Dr. No began on January 16, 1962.  The first scene was filmed at Kingston Airport, where Bond throws a hat in front of his face as he passes a female photographer.

25 - The James Bond film with the shortest title.


And, that's all that I have to say about the very first Bond film, Dr. No.  But there's so much more!

Coming up next week, we'll take a look at our second actor to play James Bond in what could literally be a "blink and you'll miss it" performance!

Sunday, January 05, 2014

The Best of The Everly Brothers

I'm doing this Sunday Jukebox entry a little bit differently today due to recent events that took place in the world of music.  Consider this to be a musical tribute of sorts.

On January 3, 2014, the world of music was saddened to hear of the death of Phil Everly, who passed away in hospital in Burbank, California at the age of 74.  The cause of death was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.




The death of Phil Everly signified the end of an era.  Phil, together with his older brother Don formed the group known as The Everly Brothers.  And, as far as The Everly Brothers went, they were one of the few groups to have a music career that lasted several decades.  With twenty-one albums released between 1958 and 1988, as well as three live albums, three compilation albums, and a total of seventy-five singles released over a thirty-two year period, it's safe to say that The Everly Brothers were one of the biggest musical duos of all time.

They were also one of the few groups to have hits on both the pop and country music charts in their heyday, and their harmonious vocals reportedly inspired some of the biggest musical acts of all time, with The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and Simon & Garfunkel reportedly listing The Everly Brothers as one of their biggest influences!

How is that for a brilliant compliment?


Of course, I'd love to try and talk about all 75 of their singles in this blog, but since I am on a time crunch and haven't really got one minute to waste (it's one of those 'can I do a blog entry in two hours' days), I'm just going to cherry pick some of the best and most memorable singles that Don and Phil Everly recorded during their time at the top of the charts.  So, I'm going to post video links of each of the singles, and underneath these videos, I will be putting a little bit of information about each song (chart positions, date released, anecdotes and stories, etc.)

All right.  Let's begin with the song that first got The Everly Brothers noticed, shall we?




BYE BYE LOVE
Date Released:  March 1957
Peak Position on the Billboard Charts:  #2
Peak Position on the Country Charts:  #1

Wow.  Can you believe that this song was released fifty-seven years ago?  My goodness, The Everly Brothers were so young back then!  Anyway, this single was actually the group's second ever release (their debut single "Keep-A-Lovin Me" did not chart), but what a release it was!  I don't know too many people who score a #1 hit with just their second single, and yet on the country music scene, it did exactly that!

Not bad, given that the song is all about breaking up with your girlfriend and feeling incredibly depressed about it.  Basically, this song was like the 1950s version of grunge.  I know, a really wacky comparison, but given that most grunge songs were angry and depressing, it really was the only metaphor that I could come up with.


The song is currently ranked at #210 of Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and several artists have covered the song over the years including George Harrison, Connie Francis, Trini Lopez, and Ray Stevens.




WAKE UP LITTLE SUSIE
Date Released:  September 2, 1957
Peak Position on the Billboard Charts:  #1
Peak Position on the Country Charts:  #1

Can you say 'signature hit'?  I do believe that in my opinion, "Wake Up Little Susie" is that for The Everly Brothers.  It hit #1 on the pop charts for two weeks, and it became the group's second Country #1.  It's also the second song to appear on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, ranking at #311.

It's also a song that was quite controversial at the time that it was released.  Would you believe that a nice song like this one was actually banned in the city of Boston for being too suggestive?  I know!  I suppose that the one part of the lyrics where a couple in love go to a drive-in movie at ten in the evening, and wake up in their car at four in the morning might have gotten some tongue wagging.  However, there's really no evidence within the song that suggests that a little horizontal action went on inside the car.  After all, the kids in the car could have legitimately fallen asleep.  It's entirely possible...especially if the movie were really bad like "Gigli" or something.

Regardless, this song happens to be the first record that director David Lynch bought.  And apparently it happens to be the favourite song of former American president George W. Bush.




ALL I HAVE TO DO IS DREAM
Date Released:  April 1958
Peak Position on the Billboard Charts:  #1
Peak Position on the Country Charts:  #1

Another Everly Brothers single, another song to place on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (This one happens to place at #142).  It also holds a distinction as being the only Everly Brothers single to simultaneously be at the #1 position of every Billboard chart to exist at that time!

And, I also seem to remember this song being used in a commercial for some product that helped people who were lactose-intolerant manage their symptoms!  Funny how a song can trigger such ridiculous memories, huh?

Now here's a bit of trivia regarding the single's B-side, "Claudette".  It was written by Roy Orbison.  And Orbison would later record his own version of this single in 1963!




(TILL) I KISSED YOU
Date Released:  1959
Peak Position on the Billboard Charts: #4
Peak Position on the Country Charts:  #8

Okay, so maybe this song wasn't as big a hit as their previous singles (though it still performed quite well), and although I don't have a whole lot to say about this single, it should be noted that when the song was first recorded, Chet Atkins played guitar, as he did for several other singles.




CATHY'S CLOWN
Date Released:  1960
Peak Position on the Billboard Charts: #1

Our final song for today happens to be the #1 hit, "Cathy's Clown"...which admittedly is probably my favourite song by The Everly Brothers.  It ranks at #149 on Rolling Stones' 500 Greatest Songs of All Time!  

Wow...four songs on that list?  How's that for making a mark on the music scene?

I suppose you could also consider this single to be their last hurrah of sorts, as it ended up being their final number one single. But what a single it was!  Mind you, it was a single in which some poor girl named Cathy gets her heart broken after her man tells her that he doesn't want her love anymore...but hey!  It topped the charts!

In fact, the song actually hit #1 twice...by two different artists!  The Everly Brothers version hit #1 in 1960.  Twenty-nine years later, in 1989, country artist Reba McEntire released a country music version which also hit the #1 spot - on the country charts!

So, as you can see, the Everly Brothers definitely made their mark on the music scene, and inspired so many people to enter the music business themselves!


And even though one of them passed away just two days ago, the legacy that Phil and Don Everly left behind will remain for years to come.




Rest in peace, Phil.  Thanks for the music!

Saturday, January 04, 2014

Chocolate: Much Better When It's Hot!

This is the very first Saturday Smorgasbord entry of 2014, and I have to admit that I had a really tough time trying to come up with a topic. I think part of the reason is that because the first week of the Saturday Smorgasbord is supposed to be about toys and games, and admittedly, I'm still a little burned out from the post-Christmas blues to even think about doing another blog entry on toys and games. I saw enough of them in the days after Christmas to even do one this week.

So, I hope you all understand my decision to forego the toy/game theme for this week. I promise that it will return next month in February 2014. I just need to take a break from toys and games for a month.

Of course, this leads to a dilemma. What should I talk about if I don't want to do a blog entry on toys or games?

Gosh...it's so hard to come up with an idea on an empty stomach. Hold on a second while I check and see what I have in the pantry.



Ah, hot chocolate. And, not just any hot chocolate either. I'm talking about honest to goodness Laura Secord hot chocolate with a smidgen of mint flavouring. What a perfect beverage to drink on a really, really cold day.

(And, believe me when I say that it's really cold. With the windchill, this area feels like it is at least minus thirty degrees Celsius!)

I mean, why would anybody willingly want to go outside and freeze every single part of their body (and when I say willingly, I mean those of you who don't have to go outside because of work commitments - and if you are one of those people who have to work outside in these frigid temperatures, you have my deepest sympathies), when they could stay inside and sip on a cup of hot cocoa?

Say...that would make a great topic for today.  Hot chocolate!







Ahem...no.  Not THAT Hot Chocolate.  But I suppose that in a pinch, I could use it for a future Sunday Jukebox.




I mean that delicious treat that has been long associated with winter that can be served with or without a dollop of whipped cream on top (for me personally, I prefer my hot chocolate sans whipped cream).

I know that some people would rather drink coffee on a frozen day than hot chocolate, and that's fine - provided you enjoy coffee.  I myself cannot stand coffee (unless it's ion a chocolate bar known as "Coffee Crisp"), so whenever I want a hot beverage, I always go for the cocoa.

And, these days there are many varieties to make hot chocolate.  Most often, you can simply buy containers of the stuff from your local supermarket or coffee shops, but they also make hot chocolate Tassimo and Keurig containers so you can enjoy a perfect cup every time.  You can also mix baking cocoa and water together and heat it up, and then just add a little milk for homemade hot chocolate from scratch.  I suppose that one could even melt a candy bar and mix it up with heated milk to make a hot chocolate like beverage.

(I've never actually tried that method yet, but it sounds like it would be delicious.  I wonder what a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup flavoured hot chocolate would taste?)


So, I have some trivia for you.  How long ago do you think that hot chocolate has been enjoyed as a beverage?  A hundred years?  Five hundred years?

Try two thousand years!

Approximately 2,000 years ago, the Mayans (the same people whose calendar made some believe that our world would be no more after 2012) reportedly made the very first chocolate beverage.  And believe it or not, it was served cold! 




Though, not in the form of a Yoohoo, I'm afraid. 

No, the recipe for the 2,000 year old precursor to hot chocolate was as follows.  Take some cocoa seeds, and ground them up into a paste (which must have been a tedious job as they had no such thing as blenders or coffee grinders two thousand years ago).  From there, the Mayans would add other ingredients to the chocolate paste such as water, cornmeal, chili peppers (!), and other things that could be found within their spice collections.  Once the mixture was completed, they would pour the mixture from a cup to a pot repeatedly until the liquid began to foam up.  Once the liquid foamed up, it meant that it was ready for consumption.  And, what was cool about this beverage was that it was readily available for people of all social classes.  No discrimination to be found in Mayan times - though admittedly the wealthiest social circles of the Mayan culture drank their chocolate beverages from elaborately designed chalices.

The beverage wasn't called hot chocolate though (mainly because it was served cold).  The Spaniards named the concoction "xocolatl".  And, let's just say that when xocolatl was first brewed, not a lot of people liked it.

You see, nowadays most hot chocolate beverages are made with some form of sugar or artificial sweeteners.  Back in the days of the Mayans, sugar was hard to find - especially in the Americas (my, how times change), so xocalatl had a spicy and bitter taste to it.  


Admittedly, I would likely not be a fan of xocalatl.

Now, it's really unknown as to when xocalatl was first served heated up, but it is estimated that the first true cup of hot chocolate was served sometime in the 16th century, as Spanish Jesuit missionary Jose de Acosta made reference to people serving the beverage known as xocalatl heated around that time.  But I think it's safe to say that once sugar became more readily available to people worldwide, sugar permanently replaced the ingredients that made the drink hot and spicy.

Because really, who wants to have chili powder in their hot chocolate nowadays?  Not this person!

(By the way, the hot chocolate that we all come to love now was perfected in the 17th century in Europe.)

And, these days, hot chocolate is consumed for pleasure...but it's also said that the drink has some health benefits.  Apparently, drinking enough of it can prevent certain types of cancer, and that the drink can also be used as an aid for digestion purposes.  Who knew?

So, that's our brief look back on the history of hot chocolate.  I'm just going to kick back with my hot chocolate now and try to come up with some ideas on what to write about in my next entry.

Friday, January 03, 2014

Farewell, James Avery (a.k.a. Uncle Phil)

Most of the time when I sit down and write a blog entry, I am usually in a good mood, and I can usually come up with an entry that is filled with a lot of laughs, a lot of fun, and if I'm lucky, I can hopefully inspire some of you to talk about your own memories regarding the subject of the blog.

And, don't be afraid to comment on the blog either. I really love reading all of your comments, be it posted on here, or on the social media networks that I frequently use.

(Just know this. Do not use the comments section to hock your wares or hyperlink to sites which will cost the reader some money. This blog is a non-profit blog, and I will delete your links.)

Today is one of those times in while the blog will take on a bit of a serious note.  Don't get me wrong...the blog will still feature a lot of pop culture memories, and will still contain some fun and laughs.  But it is also going to be a rather sad piece, because the person of which I have chosen to write about has passed away recently, and for me, it's quite a sad loss because he was a huge part of my childhood in a number of ways.



This is a tribute to actor James Avery, who passed away on New Years Eve, 2013, due to complications following surgery.  He was 68 years old.  And, in this piece, I'll be talking about the role that made him a household name.

But first, I think it's important to talk about the many things that James Avery did during his whole life.  I'll admit that when I first began doing research on the Pughsville, Virginia native, I was blown away at the incredible life he lived, and I was actually surprised to learn of some of the many roles he took on during his acting career.

For instance, I had no idea that James had served in the Vietnam War!  After graduating from high school in 1968, he enlisted in the United States Navy and participated in the war between 1968 and 1969 (arguably considered to be one of the deadliest periods of the nearly two decade conflict).  

Following that, Avery moved to San Diego, California, where he initially decided that he wanted to follow an entirely different career path altogether.  He was very interested in poetry and writing (a man after my own heart), and he was determined to try and make a career out of it.  In fact, I was perusing the internet for more information about this, and I happened to come across this quote that James Avery made when he was asked about his writing career.  Just listen to what he had to say about it.

"Writing is such a singular and lonely occupation.  And it's interesting; all of the work that you create is so singular".

Very profound, no?  Oh, yes, I'm also going to share this quote too, just because it made me laugh.  

"I don't understand this whole Twitter, Facebook stuff.  I don't get it.  Make a call.  Talk to somebody."

Sigh.  A man after my own heart.  (Even though admittedly, I use Facebook mostly to promote this blog...)

Anyway, while Avery was writing poetry, he was also getting work writing scripts for various television series, and it was that experience that persuaded Avery to begin an acting career.  And I bet you'll never guess what his first role ever was!  Come on, take a guess!  It might be difficult to think of one that stands out, because as it happens, his first role was actually as an uncredited extra!  But if you pop in a copy of the 1980 film, "The Blues Brothers", and watch really closely at the scene in which people are dancing, you might be able to spot him!  I only wish I could find the scene to point him out.  

But throughout the decade known as the 1980s, Avery made guest appearances in several sitcoms.  I don't even think I can list all of the shows he appeared on, but some of the most successful ones were "Newhart", "The Jeffersons", "Webster", "Amen", "The Hogan Family", "A Different World", and "227", just to name a few.  He would also appear in dramatic series such as "St. Elsewhere", "Simon & Simon", "Cagney & Lacey", "The A-Team", "Moonlighting", and "Dallas"!

And, he also had a prominent role in the voice work industry as well, appearing in cartoons from "Hulk Hogan's Rock 'N Wrestling" to "The Real Ghostbusters".



And, I'm sure that like many guys my age, all we would have to do is listen to James Avery speak, and we instantly hear the voice of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' main antagonist, Shredder!  Here, I'll post an episode that heavily features Shredder, just so you can hear him in action!  Remember, Avery plays the guy who looks like a human blender blade.

(And James Avery played Shredder for six years between 1987-1993.  At the time, it was nearly unheard of for a voice actor to play the same role for six consecutive years...well, that is until "The Simpsons" came along.)

But in 1993, Avery was forced to leave "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", because his commitment to a live-action sitcom that he joined three years prior to him leaving the cartoon series was greater.  And, who could blame him, really?  Even the cast members he worked with on TMNT understood.  Heck, I understood the decision.  After all, it was that sitcom that made him a household name, and it was that sitcom that gave Avery his most famous role.



So, here's a little story all about how his life got flipped, turned upside down.  And, no, I'm not talking about Will Smith either (although this sitcom certainly helped Smith move all the way up to A-list celebrity).  I'm talking about Avery's role as Will's gruff, but kind uncle, Philip Banks, a wealthy judge who lives in a luxurious mansion.



The whole plot of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" is all about culture clashes.  Will Smith is a kid who grew up in one of Philadelphia's poorest neighbourhoods.  His father abandoned the family when Will was just a five-year-old, and his mother was a single parent who struggled to try and keep Will fed and clothed while dealing with the stresses of growing up in poverty.  After a serious confrontation with a bully at a basketball court, in which Will ended up badly injured, Will's mother decided that he needed to leave Philadelphia so that he could have a better life for himself.  So, the decision was made to have Will move in with his Aunt Vivian (his mother's sister) and Uncle Phil in the wealthy Los Angeles neighbourhood of Bel-Air.  And, the whole point of the series was seeing how someone who only knew a life of poverty would adapt to living a life of luxury almost overnight.

Of course, it wasn't completely all fun and games for Will.  Living in the Banks household was a challenge.  Will did get along with his Aunt Viv (though admittedly part of the reason why the role was recast midway through the series was because the first "Aunt Viv" openly despised Will Smith, and she was replaced by the second "Aunt Viv"), and he also had good relations with the two youngest Banks children, Ashley and Nicky.  But Hilary was a true-blue airhead, Carlton was a bit of a geeky snob, and I think Will and Geoffrey the butler traded more sarcastic jabs with each other than kind words!

But Will's relationship with Uncle Phil.  That was almost as complex as trying to discover the meaning of life!  And in order to explain it, it might be best to talk about Phil's early life.

You see, Phil's life of luxury wasn't handed to him from a lifetime of family fortunes.  No, he had to work hard for it.  He was born and raised on a farm, and worked hard on the farm doing chores until he was sixteen and relocated to Baltimore.  During the 1960s, Phil became heavily involved in the civil rights movement as an activist (presumably, it is around this time in which he meets his future wife, Vivian), and he was awarded a full scholarship to study at Princeton.  Shortly after that, Phil was accepted into Harvard Law School, and he graduated from that school to become a lawyer (which is the occupation he is currently working as when the show begins - he doesn't become a judge until midway through the series).

So, because Will had heard all the stories from his mother about his Uncle Phil and Aunt Vivian's life of luxury, he had the idea that living there would be incredibly easy, as he believed that the rich life had made them soft.

Boy, was he wrong!



Yeah...that was one thing about Phil that proved that he still had some fire underneath those expensive clothes and fancy digs.  If he was angry, you knew about it!  And, based on some of the things that Hilary, Carlton, and Ashley have said in past episodes, you never wanted to be on the wrong side of him.  Reportedly, he came up with some of the most sadistic and painful punishments ever invented.  Which I suppose was part and parcel of the fact that he did work as a judge, and often handed out stiff sentences as part of his job!

But Phil also had a couple of other flaws to his personality.  He sometimes had a way of re-imagining the past to how he saw fit when he explained to people that all he listened to was classical music.  So, why did he propose to his wife on the set of "Soul Train" where both of them danced on the stage?  And, as you can see on this special episode in which the show celebrated "Soul Train's" 25th anniversary, Phil seemed to have forgotten a lot of the moves he performed while on that show!


Phil also seemed to play favourites with his children when the series first began.  For some reason, he seemed to spoil Hilary with all sorts of presents and privileges, while seemingly not giving his other children the same attention...which could explain how Hilary ended up as a spoiled, entitled brat herself.  But by the end of the series, Phil had even grown tired of Hilary's whining and put his foot down, insisting that Hilary make her own living in the world.  I don't know if she ever did get that message, but I think that by the time the series wrapped up, she was at least trying.

But despite all of the anger that he had at times, and despite all of the moments in which he sometimes let the money and power he had go to his head (his butler almost quit for good because he refused to give him a raise), there was a softer side to Phil as well.  And, I think that side was best shown in the episode in which Will's father comes back into his life after a nearly fifteen year absence and wants to start up a new relationship with him.

Naturally, with Will's father coming back into his life, Will was more than excited to make up for all of the lost time with him.  They hung out together, they laughed together, and Will even made plans to spend some time with him away from Bel-Air...a plan that Uncle Phil strongly disapproved of.  After all, Phil heard all about what kind of a man Will's father was from Vivian herself, and Phil believed that Will's father left him once before - what made him think that he wouldn't do it again?

Naturally, Will did not want to hear Phil's concerns, and it lead to a huge argument between the two of them.  But when Will's father showed his true colours once again, and fate had Will walking in on his father after he had a confrontation with Phil, this powerful scene soon followed.  And, it showed all of us just how much of a man Philip Banks really was.


Right there in that moment, Uncle Phil became the father figure that Will needed in his life.  Right there in that moment, Uncle Phil didn't seem nearly so scary.  And, right there in that moment, James Avery proved that he was the perfect person for that role.

Truth be told, one of the reasons why Uncle Phil was so stern and strict was because he wanted what was best for all of his children - and that included his nephew, Will.  He pushed them hard because he knew how hard the world could be, and he wanted them to be prepared for it.  And, you know what?  I think he succeeded.

I think that's why I find it sort of difficult to grasp that James Avery really is gone.  He was such a huge presence in film, television, and animation, and yet he really gave off the impression that he was a gentle giant.  I think that it would have been cool to have met him because I imagine that he would have had a lot of stories to tell.  And, even in his later years, he was still going strong.  He had lost a lot of weight, and he was appearing in quite a few sitcoms and drama series.  In fact, one of his last roles was on the soap opera "The Young and the Restless"...ironically enough playing a judge, of all things!

James Avery brought Uncle Phil to life as one of the most complex sitcom stars to come out of the 1990s...and boy, did he have fun doing it.


James Avery
1945-2013

Thursday, January 02, 2014

My Summary of 2013? Weird. But Good.

This week's edition of the Thursday Video Blog entry continues the trend that I had going on all week long in this blog, which is saying goodbye to the old, and hello to the new.  And, this blog entry is no exception, as this will be the final entry of dissecting and understanding the year gone by.

Only in this case, it's more of a personal level.




Over the past five or six days or so, I've been talking about 2013 strictly on a level of pop culture.  The television shows of 2013 that made us obsess over what was going to happen the following week, the music of 2013 that made us get up off of our seats and dance away, the movies of 2013 that were worth paying the thirty-six bucks in snacks to go and see.  Yeah, all that was fun, and I certainly hope that you've enjoyed reflecting back on the year as I have.  This is really the first time I've done a retrospective at the end of the year, and I certainly plan on doing it every year.

But as you'll see in this video blog - the first of 2014 - 2013 was a really weird year, but for all the good reasons.  I do apologize for the beginning of the video...I was distracted by my video game admittedly (though it strangely fit).  But other than that, I think it all worked out, and by the end of it all, I'll explain why 2013 was a fairly solid year.




And, just on a purely superficial note, when I started off the year, I had 100,000 page views.  I'm ending it off with almost a quarter of a million.  Here's hoping that 2014 is just as much of a success - not necessarily because I like to brag over silly numbers, but because my writing is slowly, but surely getting out there.  It kind of makes me feel somewhat justified in knowing that this is eventually what I want to do for the rest of my life. 



Anyway, take care, everyone, and beginning tomorrow, we go back to normal - well, whatever your normal is...

Wednesday, January 01, 2014

Best and Worst of 2013 - The Breaking News

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!



I don't know...there's just something about the very first blog entry of a brand new year that gets me all giddy inside! Maybe it's the rush of hanging up a new calendar. Maybe it's the joy of starting fresh. Maybe it's the new car smell. Whatever the case, 2014 is finally here, and with the arrival of 2014 comes a year with brand new opportunies and brand new outlooks.

But, while we're welcoming in the year 2014, we are still paying our respects to the year gone by, as we resume the Best and Worst countdown of the year gone by after taking yesterday off.

Today we're going to take a look at the world's biggest news stories and reflecting back on what ultimately became a topsy-turvy year. After all, had Harold Camping been correct, we likely should have never seen the year 2013 ushered in at all. Of course, maybe we could speculate that he was actually trying to predict his own death, as he ended up passing away in November of this past year.

(At least he had a better track record than psychic Sylvia Browne, who predicted that she would die at the age of 88, but really only lived to be 77.)

So, I think we can all agree that 2013 had its definite highs, and some tragic lows...and everything in between. From North America to Australia, it seemed that every place in the world had its big news story.

(Well, except where I live, in which the biggest news story that happened here was of an ice storm that really didn't do much damage here. Toronto, Ontario, on the other hand...)

So, let's have a look at what happened over the course of the twelve months and three hundred and sixty-five days that made up 2013, shall we?

We'll go in chronological order.

January 16 – As many as forty people were killed during a hostage crisis at a natural gas facility in Algeria. The hostage crisis began on January 16 and lasted until January 20.



February 15 – People who lived in Chelyabinsk, Russia got a rude awakening when a meteor exploded over the city, shattering windows, crushing cars, and injuring people. By the time the dust settled, it was estimated that at least 1,500 people were injured, and over 4,000 structures needed repairing. The meteor was the most powerful to strike the Earth's atmosphere in over one hundred years.

February 21 – Scientists in the United States use a 3D printer to create a living lab-grown ear from collagen and animal ear cell cultures. It is hoped that this technology can assist in transplants and fixing ear related traumas in the years to come.



February 28 – For the first time in nearly six hundred years, a Pope (Pope Benedict XVI) resigns. He would be succeeded by Pope Francis on March 13.

March 27 – Canada becomes the first country to withdraw from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.



April 15 – Runners and spectators of the Boston Marathon were shaken up after two bombs were detonated yards from the finish line. Three were killed, and another 264 were injured in the blast. The bombs were placed by two brothers who were Chechen Islamist immigrants. One brother would later die in a shootout with police. The other is still in police custody.

April 24 – An eight-story building located near Dhaka, Bangladesh collapses, killing over eleven hundred people, and leaving another 2,500 injured.



May 13 – Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield returns to Earth following a well-documented social media journey about his experiences aboard the International Space Station (which lasted from December 2012 until May 2013.)

June 6 – American Edward Snowden discloses operations engaged by a United States government mass surveillance program to news publications. He would later flee the country, and is reportedly living in Russia, where he has been granted temporary asylum.

July 3 – It's chaos in the country of Egypt as President Mohamed Morsi is deposed in a military coup d'etat, which sees once peaceful protests erupt in violence.



July 6 – Tragedy strikes the small community of Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, after a train derailment ignites mislabeled petroleum cars and a gigantic explosion wiped out a section of the entire city. Forty-seven people were killed in the blast, and at least thirty buildings – including the town library, archives building, and a crowded bar/restaurant – were completely destroyed. It is considered one of the deadliest train accidents in Canadian history.



July 22 – The world rejoiced as Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge is born. The happy parents – Prince William and Princess Catherine – show off the baby the following day as Catherine leaves the hospital.

August 21 – Reports surface that Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria, has allegedly gassed several neighbourhoods surrounding Damascas in the Ghouta chemical attack, which kills and sickens thousands of people.

September 21 – The Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi, Kenya becomes a battleground as al-Shabaab Islamic militants storm the crowded mall, leaving 62 dead and over 170 injured.

November 5 – Canadian press have a field day as disgraced Canadian Senators Patrick Brazeau, Mike Duffy, and Pamela Wallin are suspended from their duties over the Canadian Senate expenses scandal. The trio are allowed to keep all of the benefits associated with their duties however, which angers some Canadian citizens.

November 8 – Typhoon Haiyan strikes the Philippines and Vietnam, killing over six thousand people. It is one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded.

November 12 – The piece “Three Studies of Lucien Freud”, painted by artist Francis Bacon, is sold at auction for $142.4 MILLION...setting a new world record for an auctioned work of art.



November 15 – In what was considered to be one of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's worst kept secrets, Ford admitted that yes, he did smoke crack cocaine. He was rewarded for his honesty by having most of his mayoral powers stripped away on this date. A media circus complete with late night talk show hosts poking fun at him shortly followed.

November 24 – The world breathed a sigh of relief as Iran agrees to limit their nuclear development program – in exchange for sanctions relief.

December 14 – Chinese spacecraft Chang'e 3 becomes the first spacecraft to soft-land on the moon since 1976.

So, those were the events that shaped 2013. Now you understand what I mean by having it as one of the most unusual and controversial years so far. All you'd have to do is mention Obamacare and Tea Party in the same sentence and watch the arguments fly.

(NOTE: Please don't argue because I just happened to write both Obamacare and Tea Party in the same sentence. I was just doing it to illustrate a point. Whoops, I just did it again. My bad.)

Now, let's take a look at the world of sports. There were no Olympics this year (though there was a lot of controversy over the 2014 Winter Olympics being held in Russia given that country's stance on gay marriage...which I'm sure we'll hear more about as we get closer to the opening ceremonies), but we did have a Super Bowl, World Series, and Stanley Cup! So, who won this year?

THE 2013 STANLEY CUP WINNNERS ARE: CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
THE 2013 SUPER BOWL WINNERS ARE: BALTIMORE RAVENS
THE 2013 WORLD SERIES WINNERS ARE: BOSTON RED SOX

And, finally, we're going to end this blog off on a sad note, as we pause to remember the famous faces who passed away during the year 2013. So, let's take a moment to remember those we loved and lost in the world of entertainment, politics, and sports.



JANUARY

1 - Patti Page, 85 - singer
7 – David R. Ellis, 60 - director
9 – James M. Buchanan, 93 – American Nobel economist



FEBRUARY

1 – Ed Koch, 88 – former mayor of New York City
17 – Tony Sheridan, 72 – singer
19 – Armen Alchian, 98 – American economist
19 – Robert Coleman Richardson, 75 – American Nobel physicist
28 – Donald A. Glaser, 86 – American Nobel physicist



MARCH

5 – Hugo Chavez, 58 – Venezuelan president
6 – Alvin Lee, 68 – guitarist
7 – Peter Banks, 65 – guitarist
28 – Richard Griffiths, 65 – actor



APRIL

4 – Roger Ebert, 70 – film critic
8 – Margaret Thatcher, 87 – former British prime minister
11 – Jonathan Winters, 87 – actor/comedian
26 – George Jones, 81 – country music singer
30 – Deanna Durbin, 91 – singer



MAY

2 – Jeff Hanneman, 49 – guitarist
8 – Jeanne Cooper, 84 – actress
26 – Jack Vance, 96 – author
31 – Jean Stapleton, 90 – actress



JUNE

6 – Esther Williams, 91 – actress/swimmer
9 – Iain Banks, 59 – author
15 – Kenneth G. Wilson, 77 – American Nobel physicist
19 – James Gandolfini, 51 – actor



JULY

13 – Cory Monteith, 31 – actor/singer
19 – Mel Smith, 60 – comedian/actor
20 – Helen Thomas, 92 – journalist
22 – Dennis Farina, 69 – actor
28 – Eileen Brennan, 80 – actress



AUGUST

5 – George Duke, 67 – keyboardist
8 – Karen Black, 74 – actress
10 – Eydie Gorme, 84 – singer
20 – Elmore Leonard, 87 – novelist
24 – Julie Harris, 87 – actress
31 – David Frost, 74 – journalist/broadcaster



SEPTEMBER

1 – Tommy Morrison, 44 – boxer
2 – Ronald Coase, 102 – British Nobel economist
12 – Ray Dolby, 80 – engineer/inventor
18 – Ken Norton, 70 - boxer
19 – Hiroshi Yamauchi, 85 – former president of Nintendo



OCTOBER

1 – Tom Clancy, 66 – author
10 – Scott Carpenter, 86 – astronaut
16 – Ed Lauter, 74 – actor
25 – Marcia Wallace, 70 – actress
27 – Lou Reed, 71 – singer/songwriter



NOVEMBER

2 – Walt Bellamy, 74 – basketball player
30 – Paul Walker, 40 – actor



DECEMBER

5 – Nelson Mandela, 95 – former president of South Africa
9 – Eleanor Parker, 91 – actress
10 – Jim Hall, 83 – guitarist
14 – Peter O'Toole, 81 – actor
15 – Joan Fontaine, 96 – actress
16 – Ray Price, 87 – country singer/songwwriter

And, that wraps up the news of 2013.

For tomorrow's entry...I talk about my own personal triumphs and struggles of 2013 via video blog. Enjoy what 2014 has to offer. It's only just begun!