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Monday, May 16, 2016

Bad Teacher - 2011 Movie Moment

Have any of you out there had a teacher that was incredibly bad?

I can tell you quite a few horror stories about bad teachers.  Like the computer teacher in ninth grade who I suspect was on the...how you say...wacky tobaccy during class.  Or, the history teacher who seemed to take delight in salivating over the historical figures who caused pain and misery to the general public.  Or the first grade teacher who humiliated you in class because you preferred to walk on your toes.

Certainly in this world are teachers who are absolutely horrible to their students and certainly should never be placed in a classroom setting.  Ever.

But what about teachers who are perceived to be bad by everyone else, but by the time you have them they end up being among one of the best teachers you've ever had?  I seem to recall having one of these teachers when I was in elementary school.  Everyone told me that the woman who taught French was scary and evil and yelled at kids in her classroom, and when we learned we'd have her for French instruction in the fifth grade, I was a little nervous.  But she was one of the few teachers who actually seemed to give a damn about me, and made me feel comfortable learning a second language.

And yes...she did yell at students - but they were misbehaving in class.  They had it coming.



Well, for today's flashback to 2011, I'm going to be taking a look at the movie "Bad Teacher".  It was a movie that while it scored mixed reviews by critics - I'll be the first to admit that I loved it.

Then again, for some reason, there's not too many films featuring Cameron Diaz that I DON'T like.  I know, she's one of those actresses that cause bi-polar reactions.  Some absolutely loathe her, but I like her.  Maybe it was her stint as Princess Fiona in Shrek that cemented it.



So, as mentioned, Cameron Diaz plays the role of Elizabeth Halsey, a junior high school teacher who basically does everything that a teacher probably shouldn't do.  You know, things like dropping F-bombs during class, or showing movies in an attempt to get out of teaching.  Things like that.  Mind you, students like myself would have loved having a teacher like that, but we wouldn't have learned much.

But that's okay because teaching has never really been Elizabeth's passion anyway.  She's more interested in getting hitched to her rich boyfriend and living the lifestyle that gold-digging women like her feel they deserve.

Hate her already, don't you?

Well, when she gets dumped after he puts two and two together - ironically something she should have taught her class - Elizabeth is now forced to do the one thing she hates the most.  Teach.

Of course, Elizabeth soon discovers a new incentive to stay at the school when she meets substitute teacher Scott Delacorte (Justin Timberlake), and she pretty much degrades herself even more by throwing herself at him at every opportunity.  The fact that he is the heir to a watch manufacturing company makes him that much more desirable. 

There's just a couple of things standing in Elizabeth's way.  And believe me when I say that there are two major obstacles in her path.

See, she learns that Scott's last girlfriend had gigantic breasts, and Elizabeth does not.  Therefore, she makes the really stupid conclusion that if she gets her breasts enlarged, it will make Scott fall in love with her.  A plan that seems to be ridiculed by school gym teacher Russell Gettis (Jason Segel), but that's only because Russell himself has a crush on Elizabeth, and wants to get her attention even though Elizabeth snubs him for being a gym teacher.

And then there's Amy Squirrel (Lucy Punch), a teacher who basically exhibits all the characteristics of a person who loves their job and who has dedicated their life to teaching - and who also happens to develop a crush on Scott...and who has resentment against Elizabeth because she somehow manages to stick around at the school despite breaking nearly every rule in the book.

So we have our plot.  Elizabeth hates teaching and wants to impress a guy by getting money for new boobs.  Scott likes Elizabeth, but likes Amy more.  Russell likes Elizabeth, but can't seem to get her attention because Elizabeth is smitten over Scott.  And in between all of that are a group of kids who don't seem to be learning anything other than to be a shallow, insecure adult.

Now you know why this movie is called "Bad Teacher"!

But as the movie progresses, things change.  Elizabeth starts to develop a new appreciation for teaching, and her feelings shift from one person to another.  Sure, she still breaks the rules and engages in some pretty unprofessional behaviour to raise the money for the breast enhancement surgery, but she eventually does come to see the error of her ways.  Someone else in the film gets a major comeuppance as well, and while it's someone you might not expect, it's still strangely satisfying to see.

If you haven't seen this film yet, definitely make it a point to do so.  It may not have been one of the best films of 2011, but it is far from being the worst.

Seriously.  I've seen "Jack and Jill".

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) - 2011 Music Moment

When I think back to 2011 during the year of music, I think of several artists who made an impact during that year.  Britney Spears made a comeback with "Hold It Against Me".  Lady Gaga told everyone that they should be happy to be "Born This Way".  And, yes...even Justin Bieber managed to convince people to sneak underneath the "Mistletoe" with him.

But 2011 was a really big year for singer Katy Perry.

Remember how she released the album "Teenage Dream" back in 2010?  Well, nobody knew it at that time, but that album would be considered one of Katy's best efforts, and helped her break at least one record and tie another one.



And honestly, it's a really great record. 

As someone who has found pop music to be quite lackluster over the last two decades, I would have to say that "Teenage Dream" was a rare bright spot in the playlists of cover versions, sampled songs, and songs that basically repeated the same words over and over again.

I'm looking at you Wiz "Black and Yellow" Khalifa.

Back to "Teenage Dream", the album is considered (at least in my opinion) to be a pop masterpiece.  The title track is sultry and sexy, "Firework" is a great self-esteem booster, and "California Gurls" is a song that could still be played at summer gatherings today!  Even weaker songs such as "E.T." could still be considered great compared to some of the stuff that came out around this time.

And of course, there's this song - the topic of today's Sunday Jukebox post.  Looking back on it, I should have posted it on Friday instead, but whatever...it's still going to work.



ARTIST:  Katy Perry
SONG:  Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
ALBUM:  Teenage Dream
DATE RELEASED:  June 6, 2011
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS:  #1 for 2 weeks

This song was the song that engraved Katy Perry's name into the history books for pop music forever.

You see, all of the songs that I had mentioned previously in this blog post all reached the top of the charts between the summer of 2010 and the summer of 2011.  This was the fifth single release from "Teenage Dream" to reach the top spot on the Billboard Charts.  This tied a record that was first achieved by Michael Jackson all the way back in the 1980s!

But in her own right, Katy Perry broke a record and set the stage for women everywhere to challenge her, as she became the first female to have five singles from the same album reach #1.  Nobody else had done it before, and as of 2016, nobody has come close to breaking the record.  Not Adele.  Not Meghan Trainor.  Not even Madonna!



The song itself is definitely a great one, even though critics were not as impressed with the lyrical content.  And since I brought that up, I suppose many are wondering where the source of the lyrics came from.  After all, the song talks about skinny-dipping in the park, drinking too many shots, and having a ménage à trois!  Definitely a much more exciting Friday night than stocking pineapples and watermelons at work, or sitting in front of a television watching "The Amazing Race" while eating rippled potato chips and Philadelphia Cream Cheese Dip.

Don't judge me.  You probably did the same thing last Friday night!

Well, according to Miss Katy Perry herself - the song was based on a real life chain of events one night in Santa Barbara, California!

In an interview that she did on MTV back in the summer of 2011, Perry admits that they went to a club called Wildcat where they drank a little bit too much, danced erratically on the dance floor, did a little disrobing at a nearby park, and took the party to the hotel where Katy was staying at!  I can only imagine the poor guests who were on the same floor as Katy's entourage not getting the greatest night's rest!

But everything happened the way that Perry sang that it did...well, minus the ménage à trois, that is.  After all, she was married to comedian Russell Brand at the time.

And can we just talk about the explosion of colour that the music video brought to our eyes?  It may not be the greatest video that Perry has ever done (in my opinion, "California Gurls" and "Firework" were much more creative), but it's got a lot of references to the decade that Katy was born.  I know being a child of the 1980s myself, I can definitely pick out some of the cameos by top notch entertainers back in the day.  Debbie Gibson and Corey Feldman played the parents of Katy's alter ego, Kathy Beth Terry.  And although he doesn't play the saxophone solo in the song, Kenny G does a convincing job...sax synching?  Is that the proper term for it?

Whatever.  I'm going with it.

But it's not just the 1980s that are represented.  Look closely, and you might see Hanson Mmmbopping their way through a scene in the video.  "Glee" star Darren Criss appears at the very beginning of the video as a party guest who informs Kathy Beth Terry about the debauchery that went on that Friday night.  And in an attempt to grasp onto her fifteen minutes of fame, "Friday" singer Rebecca Black appears alongside Katy Perry and they play a rousing game of "Just Dance"!

TRIVIA:  The home where the video is shot belongs to John Schneider - otherwise known as Bo Duke.

And, of course, the video's plot is one that has been recycled from a standard teen film from the 1980s.  A nerdy girl is interested in the hunky football star, but the football jock won't have anything to do with her because she's dressed like one of the nerd extras hanging out at The Max in "Saved By The Bell".  So, Rebecca Black gives her a makeover and she turns into this perfectly preppy princess that almost everyone in acid-wash jeans would want to get with.  It's a little cheesy, but the whole song is meant to be fun anyway, so I can overlook it.

And besides...the video was good enough for it to win the Favourite Music Video Award at the People's Choice Awards in 2012,  And in a nice bit of cross promotion, when the video achieved more than 500,000 likes on YouTube, Perry released a video of an interview that she did with pop culture website "Digital Spy" where she gave the interview in character as Kathy Beth Terry!

It's been nearly five years since she's released this song that earned her a spot in pop music history forever.  What's she done since then?  Well, she divorced her husband in 2012, she released the album "Prism" one year later, and performed at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2015.

And as of late, there's been a little bit of controversy going on with her surrounding Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez.  It's alleged that Taylor Swift wrote the song "Bad Blood" about her former friendship with Perry, and more recently, there's been talk of Katy's boyfriend, Orlando Bloom, cheating on her with Selena Gomez.  But so far, Katy's kept quiet regarding that one.

Still...it's been a couple of years since Katy's released new music.  I think it's time for her to start recording again!

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Friendship Scars - 2011 Personal Memory



I want to talk about scars for a moment.

And, what I mean by scars, I mean actual scars.  Not the evil antagonist from Disney's "The Lion King". 

How many of you have a scar?  Or how many of you have had several scars?  Do you hide them, or do you show them off with pride?

I myself boast a total of four scars...but only three of them are visible on my body.

The first one is so tiny that you can hardly see it.  But when I was a year old, I ended up with a scar next to my left eye.  How I got the scar remains debatable.  I assumed it was when our family dog tried to bite off my face, but my parents seem to think I banged it on the side of a coffee table.  Either way, the scar's there.

The second scar I got was when I was around three years old.  It's also the scar you can't see because my hair covers it.  But I fell on a playground slide and bashed my head on the bottom of it.  I don't know whether this incident triggered my fear of heights or not.

And when I was eleven - once again, on a slide - I slid down the wrong way and ended up with several pebbles embedded into my left knee.  The pebbles were removed, but I was left with four circular scars as a result of it due to the fact that I was wearing shorts at the time.

And, of course...my most recent scar also happens to be the largest scar of all.  If you're squeamish about scars, you have my permission to stop reading this post.  But here's a picture of it.



I measured it.  It measures exactly twelve inches across.  And keeping with the theme, I received this scar five years ago in February 2011.

Now, I've talked about how I got the scar before here.  That was when my liver tried to marry my infected gall bladder, and how the doctors decided to permanently annul the union because that marriage would have resulted in my funeral. 

But I do have a moment immediately after that incident took place that has me grateful that I have the scar...and sad that I had some emotional scars that came a couple of years after said event.

So, anyway, my surgery was on February 12, 2011, and for that entire day, I was totally out of it.  Seriously, my surgery took six hours.

And the rest of the night (I came out of my surgery induced coma around 6:30 in the evening - my surgery started at 12:45), I was in a morphine induced haze with a blood transfusion hooked up to one arm, and a catheter attached...well...yeah, you don't need to know.  It was definitely the ugliest that I believe I have ever looked.

And I survived the chicken pox.

Over the next two days, I engaged in such thrilling activities as attempting to sit in a chair (and failing miserably due to the blood loss from surgery), getting three separate blood transfusions (where I learned my blood type is O!), and basically just lying around doing a whole lot of nothing.

Oh, sure...my family was able to come and visit me for a little bit.  But since I was in the Step Down unit (which was the area where once critical patients stabilized), family members were the only ones permitted to see me.  So, it made for a rather boring experience.  If I could, I would have had my Nintendo DS hooked up, but they tend to frown upon video games in the Step Down wing.

So, imagine my surprise when a non-family member came in out of the blue to see how I was doing!

I recognized him right away.  It was my co-worker, Graham.  He and I worked in the dairy department and I had known him at that time for five years.  We were really close friends, and whenever we got the chance to hang out at work, he would play cards with me in the break room, or he'd tell lots of funny jokes, or he'd just listen to me vent about things.  He never always had the right answers, but he always had time to listen.

I'll leave out the part where he tried to get me drunk at Boston Pizza.  The joke was on him though.  My alcohol tolerance level was quite high!

Anyway, I was happy to see Graham, but I had no idea how he managed to sneak into the Step Down Unit to come visit me!  I'm guessing he told the nurses that I was a relative of his or something like that...I honestly don't know.  I never did find out how he did it, but it doesn't matter now.  The fact that he took the time to come and see me when I was at my worst really meant a lot to me, and I think that was the day that really cemented our friendship. 

Two weeks later, I was released from the hospital, and it took another month before I was given the all clear to return to work.  And, over the next two and a half years, my bond with Graham strengthened, and he quickly went from becoming my good friend to my best friend at work.  I knew he would always be there for me, and I knew I was always going to be there for him.

At least, that's what I wanted to believe.

You see...Graham passed away in November 2013.  He was just one month shy of his 44th birthday.  And, I'm not going to lie...his passing broke my heart. 

My best friend was now gone.  It was bad enough that our friend and mutual co-worker Alex had died a year earlier.  To lose Graham too was just too much.  It's been two and a half years since his passing, and I still think about him every day.  And every single time, I remember how he came to the hospital to see how I was doing because he truly cared about me.

I never really had a whole lot of people in my life who really gave a stuff about me.  Graham was one of those rare people who really loved life and who really loved people.  He had so much to give to the world, and part of me thinks it is so unfair that he had such a short time on this planet.

I never had a friend like Graham before.  And now that he's gone, I fear that I may not meet a friend like him ever again.  But, I know that Graham would not want me to feel sad for him, nor would he want me to stop living the rest of my life.


I survived five years ago because I was meant to.  What that meaning is...I'm still trying to decide.  But one thing is for sure, I never forgot that day.  Because while I did end up with a huge scar across my chest...I did find out the true value of friendship...and it's absolutely priceless.

Friday, May 13, 2016

Jem Reviewed: Episode 8 - Starbright: Rising Star

This is the conclusion of the "Starbright" saga for Jem Reviewed.  As you might remember from last week, Jem and the Holograms had to come back to the movie set they quit to raise money for Ba Nee's eye operation.  And The Misfits did everything to sabotage them.  But when one goes too far, it's Kimber that is at risk of losing her life.



Let's not wait any longer.  Time for Episode 8 - Starbright: Rising Star!

So after Nick...ahem...Dick Mann abandons Kimber to die in a movie set that is blowing up, Jerrica is worried that she will lose her truly outrageous little sister. 



Fortunately, Jeff Wright - who is more of a man than our fearful star of the movie - leaps onto his motorcycle, drives through the explosions, rescues Kimber, and manages to leap out of the path of danger before he and Kimber get seriously hurt. 

Though, Jeff's motorcycle doesn't make it.  Must be an American model.



Although Kimber isn't physically harmed, she is visibly shaken, and Jeff takes her to the first aid trailer for a check-up.  Meanwhile, Dick Mann has the audacity to congratulate Jeff on some killer stunt work, making no mention of Kimber or showing concern for either of them.  Aja grabs a motorcycle helmet, shoves it hard into Dick's gut, and tells him to stick his fat head into that with a sarcastic "hero" tacked onto the end of it.



Yep.  It's official.  I LOVE Aja!

Aja and Shana later stand in front of Jerrica as she transforms into Jem - because when it comes down to delivering the smackdown, Jem certainly has more cojones than Jerrica could even dream of having.  And certainly when it comes to confronting Eric Raymond about what happened to Kimber, Jem will take no prisoners.



Of course, the Misfits refuse to take the blame - even though Clash pretty much gives it away with her stupid cymbal bracelets - and Jem, Aja, and Shana quit the film again, with Jem stating that although her own life is worth falling through papier mache logs, she won't let Kimber be barbecued in the middle of a desert...or something like that.  I assume that Kimber quits by proxy, since she's still recovering from nearly being turned into a french fry.



Rio also quits the project, nearly killing Eric in the process.  Ah, there's quintessential Rio, flexing his muscles and proving how much of a man he is.  Can you tell I'm NOT a Rio fan?



But here's where things get very interesting.  One by one, the film crew - who has taken the brunt of Eric's abuse as well as catering to the spoiled Misfits - walk off the set as well, stating that they can do better than this film.  There are a few holdouts like Georgia the grudge holder and Dick Mann, but most of the crew leaves, causing Eric to struggle to finish the film.



Meanwhile, it looks like Kimber is going to be just fine, and Jeff stays with her to make sure.  Kimber decides that she is going to have to choke down some humble pie and apologize for how badly she treated him, and that she really wants to give him a chance.  Judging by this picture, I think Jeff accepts.



Back at Starlight Mansion, Jerrica is reading Ba Nee a bedtime story, and as you can see from this screenshot, Ba Nee's eyes are getting much worse.  Just another reminder of how depressing this storyline is.  After reading Ba Nee the story, Aja notices that Jerrica is very sad, and Jerrica is sad, given that she doesn't have the money to pay for Ba Nee's operation.  But fear not.  She has a plan.

It's Showtime Synergy once more, and Jem and Aja head downstairs - where most of the film crew waits.  It turns out that Jem has an idea.  They'll make their own film with a limited budget to compete against the Misfits film at the box office.  Great idea!  WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST DO THAT TWO EPISODES AGO?!?



It does have merit.  Anthony Julien mentions that they shot Jem's first video on a shoestring budget.  Yeah, but that first video was "Twilight In Paris", which was shot in Paris.  You shut up, Julien.  Other than that, the ideas are great.  They can film scenes at Starlight Mansion and Starlight Music.  Jem and the Holograms will record all the music.  Danielle DuVoisin will make the costumes.  And amazingly, all of the crew members offer their services for free!  I see the warm fuzzies behind the idea, but don't these people have mortgages?

Whatever.  Starbright lives!  Jem says so.  And let's celebrate with a song!



Only - "Putting It All Together" is a really BAD song!  Even the video lacks creativity.  I mean, they could have used "Gettin' Down To Business" from episode three for this scene and it would have worked.  Oh well, they can't all be winners.

Video arrives late for the meeting and is outside setting up her equipment when Clash pulls up in her car taunting her.  It's also through this exchange that we learn that Clash's real name is Constance Montgomery!  I guess it fits, since she's a constance...ahem...constant pain. 

Luckily, the actress that plays Clash is anything but.  In today's piece of Jem Trivia, I reveal that Clash is voiced by Cathy Cavadini - who also voices Blossom on "The Powerpuff Girls"!



And, of course, Chatterbox Video lets Clash know that Jem is doing her own movie.  Naturally, the Misfits get wind of Jem's latest move, and they are none too pleased by it.  But Pizzazz has a plan.  She convinces Georgia to give Clash a makeover so that she can sneak onto the set of Jem's movie to sabotage it.  Georgia starts to show some hesitation, but Pizzazz threatens her.  And this is the person that Georgia wants to DEFEND?



Whatever the case, Georgia transforms Clash into Debbie Gibson, and I have to say that I can see why Georgia is a make-up artist.  She really made Clash unrecognizable.

Lindsey Pearce comes to Starlight Music to get some news on the Jem Project, and Howard Sands confirms that the film has a small budget, but a lot of heart.  Rio blabbers on about how he's the leading man of the film because his ego needs massaging.  Kimber and Aja reiterate the fact that nobody on the crew is taking a salary.  And Jerrica reveals that the soundtrack album for the movie will be released soon with all proceeds going towards the Starlight Girls - because if she mentioned that she was getting the money for Ba Nee, she'd have eleven other girls seething.



It seems like Project: Starbright is going very well.  I wonder how the Misfits movie is doing?



Well, at that moment, director Eric Raymond is absolutely angered at the fact that Pizzazz has brought on several orangutans and other creatures for the film shoot.  Okay, so far the Misfits movie contains a scene in outer space, a Mad Max inspired terrain, a Las Vegas casino, and now a jungle.  This movie sounds more bizarre than "Spice World".

But, I suppose the Misfits needed all those animals for their next video, which is coming on in T-minus 5, 4, 3...



I think it's funny that the Misfits released a song called "Welcome to the Jungle" a full year before Guns 'N Roses released their version.  But I must say, I do enjoy this one.  That's to the credit of Ellen Bernfield, who does Pizzazz's vocals.  She really delivers in this song.



Unfortunately, Dick Mann doesn't really deliver in his performance.  After getting spooked by a lion, Dick freaks out and throws Pizzazz into a lagoon, making her scream loudly and whatever remaining crew is at the movie burst into laughter.  Dick Mann takes out his frustration on Eric Raymond and whines that he was supposed to be the star of the show with JEM, and quits the film.  Oh, I wish Nelson Muntz was around with a Ha-Ha right about now.



Clash successfully infiltrates the soundstage of the Starbright Movie and does some minor sabotage, such as stealing costumes, lighting equipment, etc.  But when she overhears a conversation between Jeff and Video about the video tape of Jem's accident, Clash knows that she must get that tape back at all costs.



Back at the Misfits set, it seems as though the Misfits have become even more obnoxious, and their terrible attitudes are causing more staff members to flee.  Even Georgia has seen the band's true colours, and she walks off the set as well!



And, where does Georgia go?  Crawling back to the Starbright set and begging Jem and the others to forgive her for how badly she treated them.  Now, given Georgia's bad attitude, I wouldn't blame Jem for telling her to go fly a kite.  But Jem decides that Georgia is worth keeping around, and tells her that she's more than welcome to help.

The first thing Georgia does to help is out Clash!  When Georgia notices that Clash is stealing the videotape of Jem's accident from Video's camera bag. she recognizes her handiwork a mile away!  Furthermore, the rest of the crew have noticed the things that are missing, and Jem and the Holograms put two and two together.



Clash runs outside, hops into her car and thus launches the second high speed car chase of the series just eight episodes in.  Clash drives like a maniac, and she almost succeeds in killing Jem and the others by having them nearly get into an accident. 



But Jem realizes that she has a supercomputer on her side, and with help of the JemStar earrings, she projects a hologram of a fallen oak tree across the street that Clash is on, which causes her to spin out of control.  Nice idea for stopping the car, but I'm just saying that had she flipped the car and died, Jem would technically be charged with manslaughter at the very least.

But let's not think about that.  Clash is apprehended, the stuff is recovered, and Jeff rushes the tape to the movie unions.  Gee, I wonder how Pizzazz will react to this news?



I'm guessing not well.

It's time for the final scene to be shot for the Starbright Movie, and it's essentially a love scene between Jem and Rio.  It's a great display of walls of flowers, Jem's acting, and Rio's jealousy.  They have a minor argument in character, and nearly meet for their on-screen kiss when...



...oh, sweet Jesus...what is DICK MANN doing there?  Okay, I can maybe tolerate the Holograms giving Georgia another shot, but if Jem gives him another shot, this movie just may as well be shelved.  Even Rio threatens to quit the film if Dick comes back, which tells me that sometimes Rio can be just as much of a dick as he is. 



Ah, but fear not.  Jem has a plan.  Taking lessons from Aja about how to hit someone where it hurts, Jem simultaneously strokes his ego while stabbing it at the same time.  First she offers him a bit part, which makes him seethe.  And then when she announces that he will be working for free like everybody else, that makes Dick Mann prove how much of a dick he really is, and he storms off like a petulant child.  And somewhere on the radio, Steam is singing "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye".

Actually, that sounds like a good idea.  The scene concludes with Jem and Rio kissing, wrapping up the shoot as well as the video for the wonderful song, "People Who Care". 



"People Who Care" is really the first ballad that Jem and the Holograms have done...and while it does come across as a little cheesy...it's quite a nice song.  I like it.

That's a wrap, everyone!



And, contrary to what this screenshot implies, Ashley doesn't become a lesbian.  I think it's supposed to be a hug...it's just badly drawn.

Meanwhile, Pizzazz is lying on a sofa musing about how wonderful it is to be rich, famous, and gorgeous, and at first I'm thinking that this is just a normal day for Pizzazz...but it's actually a scene for their film.  Nice to see their modesty translating onto the big screen!



But their scene is interrupted by a group of people from the director's guild, acting guild, stuntman union, and some other Hollywood groups.  I don't know what they are, as I'm quite distracted by that one guy's mustache.  I mean, seriously...I've never seen one quite like it!  And because of all of the violations that were captured by Video's camera, the unions have put a stop to all filming!  Eric is notably upset, but the rest of the Misfits don't seem to really care.  Pizzazz was getting tired of the work anyway, and boasts that they have enough footage anyway.  Oh, I just love it when you can sense disaster right away!



Not even Harvey Gabor seems to take pride in his daughter's moves.  Furious by the fact that the film's budget has ballooned and appalled by the way that the staff members were treated by them, Harvey Gabor sells the studio out from Pizzazz's control and makes Howard Sands the new studio head.  Cue the temper tantrums from the Misfits!



Ba Nee's operation is up next, and we learn just how serious the situation is.  There's the possibility that Ba Nee's surgery won't work - which is bad enough - but Jerrica was forced to put up Starlight Mansion as collateral for the surgery!  If they don't get the money raised by a specific time, Jerrica could lose Starlight Mansion, which means that the Starlight Girls will be homeless.  Again.

And now, here we are.  The premieres of both "Starbright" and "The Misfits Make It Big"!  Although Shana is concerned at the large line outside of the Misfits movie, Kimber is more optimistic. 



The Misfits arrive in a limo for their premiere, and their fans want them to give them autographs.  Stormer at least attempts to try and get back, but Pizzazz and Roxy act like diva snobs. 

It appears as though the running time for the Misfits movie is slightly shorter than Starbright, and the fans that are still in line for the second showing of the film are eager to know what it was like.

To nobody's surprise, the moviegoers hated the Misfits film.  They said it was awful, it stunk, there was no Jem.  Part of me really wanted Hasbro to release versions of both films so that we could have a say in which film was better.   And, also I want to see just how much of a trainwreck the Misfits movie was!

Meanwhile, the people who saw Starbright loved the movie.  They really loved it!  They love it so much, they want to see it again!  And so do the people across the street at the Misfits movie!



To the shock of Pizzazz, Roxy, and Stormer, everyone runs over to the Starbright movie, and Jem and the others celebrate happily!  At this rate, I'd say that the girls should easily have the quarter of a million dollars to pay for Ba Nee's surgery.



See?  What did I tell you?



And, this episode ends with Jerrica treating Ba Nee to a special screening of Starbright at Starlight Mansion - a movie that Ba Nee remarks is the best thing she's ever seen.  I'm guessing this takes place weeks after Ba Nee's surgery.  At least, I assume, anyway.

So, what have we learned?  You can have a big box office movie without spending a bundle.  People will stand by you if you treat them with respect.  And, never use papier mache to make a log.  Seriously, this three-parter is absolutely well done, and I can see why so many fans list these episodes as their favourites.


Next week, the girls take part in a World Hunger Shindig.  And the Misfits want to satisfy their hunger by honing in on the action.  Maybe they just need a Snickers bar...

Thursday, May 12, 2016

The Alumni of "All My Children" - 2011 Television Finale

2011 was one of those years in which a lot changed in the world of traditional television.  Particularly in the world of daytime dramas.

It seems hard to believe that in 1991, there were eleven daytime dramas that were on the air, and in 2016, we are now left with only four.

Now, many of these soap operas were cancelled after just a few years.  That was the case with "Ryan's Hope", "Loving", "The City", "Generations",  "Capitol", "Passions", "Santa Barbara", and "Sunset Beach". 

But we also lost some long running shows as well.  "Another World" went off the air in 1999 after thirty-five years.  The world stopped turning for "As The World Turns" in 2010 after fifty-four years.  And in 2009, "Guiding Light" dimmed permanently after a whopping seventy-two years on the air - both on television and on radio.

And by 2011, another show was set to join the soap opera graveyard.



On September 23, 2011, the 41-year-old soap opera "All My Children" aired its final episode on ABC.  Although the show did briefly come back in online form with assistance from Prospect Park Studios in 2013, 2011 is really the date that most fans of the show associate with the end.



Since the show's debut in 1970, millions of fans watched "All My Children" to see what scandals, romance, and mystery the citizens of Pine Valley, Pennsylvania could get embroiled in.  And the show certainly was a popular one.  Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, it was always within the Top 5 most watched daytime serials.  In fact, it was the top rated soap opera in 1978 and 1979!  I can't even list the number of Daytime Emmy Awards that the show received over its forty-one years on the air.  It's been that many.  Heck, Susan Lucci herself was responsible for at least 20+ of those nominations, finally winning an award in 1999 after years of being nominated!



And, of course, Susan Lucci will forever be known as the face of "All My Children" long after the show stopped.  After all, she did play the role of Erica Kane for the entire series run, and probably had more storylines, scandals, and love interests than any of the other cast members combined.

But, what other famous faces got their start on "All My Children" all those years ago?  And what are they doing now?  In some cases like with Peter Bergman, Maurice Benard, Elizabeth Hendrickson, and Billy Miller, they've gone on to other soap operas.  And sadly, some actors such as David Canary and James Mitchell are no longer with us.

But did any AMC alumni find super stardom after the show?  Yes, of course!  In fact, I've found a total of ten superstars who received their first big break on "All My Children" and who will forever hold the soap near and dear to their hearts for kickstarting their careers.

Let's have a look.



KELLY RIPA
Played Hayley Vaughn Santos (1990-2002; 2010)

Obviously this one is a no-brainer.  We all know that Kelly became a huge star interviewer after leaving the show in 2002 to co-host "Live With Regis and Kelly".  And although she's involved in a bit of a feud with her departing co-host Michael Strahan, Kelly's still done well for herself.  And, I think of all the people on this list, Kelly probably has the most fond memories of "All My Children" here.  Not only did she appear on the show for twelve years - returning in 2010 for the 40th anniversary - but she met her husband, Mark Consuelos, on the show!



SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR
Played Kendall Hart (1993-1995)

Another person who can attribute their success to "All My Children" is Buffy the Vampire Slayer herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar.  The original Kendall Hart - also known as Erica's secret daughter - certainly wreaked a lot of havoc in Pine Valley, earning her a Daytime Emmy in 1995 for her hard work.  But rumours of a feud between her and Susan Lucci ran rampant, and she left the show the same year she won the Emmy.  But Sarah grew to become a huge film and television star, and she did return to the show for a cameo in 2011 - but since Alicia Minshew was already playing Kendall at the time, she played a random hospital patient.



KIM DELANEY
Played Jenny Gardner Nelson (1981-1984, 1994)

You may remember Kim Delaney from her brief stint on "CSI: Miami", as well as in Lifetime's "Army Wives".  But before all that, Kim Delaney was part of a quartet of young actors who formed some of "All My Children's" first supercouples.  She was paired up with Greg Nelson (Laurence Lau), who became best friends with Angie and Jesse Hubbard (Debbi Morgan and Darnell Williams).  And certainly in her initial three years, she experienced a lot of love, and a lot of heartbreak.  Her character's death in a jet-ski accident in 1984 still probably breaks the hearts of fans everywhere.  Her character briefly returned as a ghost in 1994 during the Pine Valley tornado storyline trying to help her brother Tad (Michael E. Knight).

And, let's go on with another CSI: Miami alum.



EVA LARUE
Played Maria Santos (1993-1997, 2002-2005, 2010-2011)

Eva LaRue has certainly had an interesting career.  She's played Annette Funicello, she was on "CSI: Miami" for the latter part of the show's run, and she briefly appeared as Danny's new wife on the show "Fuller House".  But it was "All My Children" where Eva LaRue really shined.  Sure, she had brief television and film appearances before joining the soap in 1993, but she developed a lot of fans while she was on the show for three separate stints - one of which where she was killed off but brought back to life.  Typical soap opera.



CHRISTIAN SLATER
Played Caleb Thompson (1986)

Okay, it's time to add some males to this list.  And here's an interesting fact.  I had no idea that Christian Slater was on "All My Children".  It was one of his first roles, and apparently it didn't last that long as 1986 is the only year that he is credited for.  However, we all know that two years after appearing on the show he scored a little role in a film called "Heathers", and this kickstarted his lengthy film career!



MELISSA LEO
Played Linda Warner (1984-1985)

Another blink and you'll miss her actress came in the form of Melissa Leo, whose character of Linda Warner tried to get in between the supercouple of Nina and Cliff back in the mid-1980s.  But don't feel too bad for her.  Although she wasn't on "All My Children" for long, she has since gone on to appear in some critically acclaimed movies including "21 Grams", "Frozen River" and "The Fighter" - the latter of which won her an Academy Award for Best Actress!



MICHAEL B. JORDAN
Played Reggie Montgomery (2003-2006)

These days, you may remember him from his two year stint on "Friday Night Lights", or you may have seen him on "Parenthood"...or if you're really unlucky, you might have seen him in that box office bomb "Fantastic Four" from last year - though to his credit, I didn't think his performance was bad.  Prior to all that though, he got his big break on "All My Children", playing the adoptive son of long-running character Jackson Montgomery (Walt Willey).

Oh, let's add another Montgomery to that list, shall we?



LEVEN RAMBIN
Played Lily Montgomery (2004-2008, 2010)
Played Ava Benton (2007-2008)

Yep, that's right.  Much like David Canary and Elizabeth Hendrickson before her, Leven Rambin played dual roles on "All My Children" that could NOT have been more different.  As Lily Montgomery, Rambin played a character who was autistic - which must have been a real challenge for her.  But as Ava Benton, she played Lily's secret sister who was street-smart and charming.  Since leaving "All My Children", Rambin has carved out a great film career.  She was in "The Hunger Games", "Chasing Mavericks", and "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters".  Not bad at all!



MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG
Played Lily Montgomery (1993-1996)

Or, mayber there's just something about the role of Lily Montgomery that just attracts famous faces.  Case in point, Michelle Trachtenberg.  She has been in everything lately.  Starting with her lead role in the kids film "Harriet the Spy", she went on to play Buffy's little sister on "Buffy: The Vampire Slayer" (reuniting her with Sarah Michelle Gellar).  She also did a six year stint doing voices for "Robot Chicken", was on "Gossip Girl" for four years, and is currently working on the film "Sister Cities".  Clearly, she shows no sign of stopping her career anytime soon.  And to think it all began on "All My Children"!



JOSH DUHAMEL
Played Leo du Pres (1999-2002, 2011)

It was so hard to come up with just ten people since there were so many to choose from, but I'm sure most will probably throw stuff at me if I didn't include Josh Duhamel on this list.  After all, he's had quite the film career since leaving "All My Children".  And sadly, his time on "All My Children" was cut short as he fell off a cliff and died.  Though he did return in 2011 in a dream sequence featuring himself and Rebecca Budig who played his love interest Greenlee Smythe.

As I said before, Duhamel has immersed himself into the movie industry.  Some movies have been great "Win A Date With Tad Hamilton".  Some not so good "Life As We Know It".  And some ("Movie 43") are best left not talked about at all.  But he did marry Fergie from the Black-Eyed Peas!

Honourable mentions go out to Amanda Bearse, Jesse McCartney, Cameron Mathison, Colin Egglesfield, Lacey Chabert, Kelli Giddish, Shari Headley, Mischa Barton, Laura San Giacomo, Paige Turco, and Lindsay Price for also making a career after "All My Children".  I just only had room for ten names!



Can you think of anyone else who got famous for appearing on a daytime soap like "All My Children"?  I'm interested in hearing your responses!