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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Across The Pond and Beyond - Spice Girls

Isn't it amazing how some trends in pop culture seem to explode in popularity, spend a couple of years at the top of the list for trends and fads, and then the following year, it dies a cold and painful death?

A sort of a flash in the pan, so to speak.

We've all seen it happen before loads of times in our lives. Success is something that we all strive for, and if we're lucky enough, we experience it and enjoy it. But, success can be fleeting, and can disappear as quickly as it came. Some people manage to avoid the one-trick-pony aspect of their success, but for every one of those, there seems to be ten flashes in the pan.

For every Madonna and Cher, there's a Jimmy Ray, Macarena, Disco Duck, and Xanadu. Movies, dance crazes and one-hit-wonders that were talked about for six months or so, but after a while were quickly forgotten about.

(Although, I do know quite a few people who have a cult-like interest in Xanadu, so what do I know, right?)

But this blog topic for today isn't about Xanadu. Instead, it's about a group of five British lasses who formed a group in the mid-1990s and took over the world by storm for a few years. With several songs topping the charts in both Britain and the United States, as well as a movie release and several dolls based on the girls, it seemed as though Girl Power had successfully taken over the world.  But just as quickly as it all began, the phenomenon screeched to a halt, and their popularity took a nosedive.

However, if there's one thing that we can take from the case study of this girl group, its that sometimes everything old can become new again. And approximately one decade since they hit it big, they reformed the group and made just as much of an impression the second time around.



Of course, I'm talking about the Spice Girls, the Across The Pond And Beyond for today.

Those of you who grew up during the Spice Girls heyday period between 1996 and 1999 probably know all about the impact the girlish quintet had in the world of pop culture. How could you ignore it? They were everywhere! In CD stores, in movie theaters, on subway posters, in Pepsi commercials, in videos...they wasn't a whole lot of places one could go where they could escape the Spice Girls.



When the Spice Girls were in their heyday, I was in high school. I believe I was in the tenth grade when the Spice Girls made their way into Canada, and for the next two years, it seemed as though everybody had gotten Spice Girls fever. During that whole year of 1997, you couldn't find a radio station on air that DIDN'T play a Spice Girls song unless it was one of those specialty stations. It was absolutely insane just how much this group of five dominated the scene.

And to think that it all started with this song.



ARTIST: Spice Girls
SONG: Wannabe
ALBUM: Spice
DATE RELEASED: June 7, 1996
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS: #1 for 4 weeks

It was a standard pop hit, written in less than a half hour. A song that somehow managed to make a word out of the nonsense term zigahzig-ha. It was a song that was about a simple subject...friendship between girls. Even the video accompanying the song was simple. It showed the group dancing through a hotel's lobby and banquet hall causing all sorts of commotion, made even more interesting by the fact that the whole video was shot in one take. Timing was EVERYTHING in the video shoot.

And somehow it all worked out. The song ended up becoming a number one hit in thirty-one countries between 1996 and 1997, and won an award for Best Dance Video for the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards. It was also nominated for Best British Video at the 1997 Brit Awards, and as of 2011 holds the record for the best-selling single by a female group, with six million copies of 'Wannabe' sold. That's more records than any single by Bananarama, The Bangles, The Go-Go's, and Destiny's Child.

While I don't doubt the success of the single 'Wannabe' and several other singles that the Spice Girls released between 1996 and 1999, I for one wasn't into the whole Spice Girls scene. I wouldn't go out of my way to say that I hated them, but I think after the overexposure of the group combined with the fact that their songs were played almost ad nauseum over the course of my entire high school life, I grew tired of them fairly quickly. In fact, I'll admit to liking one and only one song of theirs. The rest of them range from mediocre to blah. I'll post the Spice Girls song I like best at the end of this blog entry.

To tell you the truth, while I wasn't a huge fan of the group when they were together, I will say that after the band split up in the early 2000s, they really seemed to shine as solo artists...well, at least some of them did, anyway.

And, just who were the Spice Girls? I'll introduce you to them all. In fact, if you click on the names of each of the girls, it'll take you to a link to one of their solo projects, as at some point, all five Spice Girls released solo albums. I'll let you be the judge as to which ones you like best, but in this case, I'll arrange this list via my own personal preferences from best to worst. Of course, this is merely my opinion, and I'm sure some of you will agree or disagree. But that's cool with me.

So, let's meet the Spice Girls, starting with the Spice Girl who I feel has bar none the best vocal abilities out of the five.




You know, I actually think that it was a shame that Mel C was given such a background role in the group. In most songs, we saw that Geri and Mel B (and to a lesser extent Emma) were the ones who mainly sang on the Spice Girls records, but Mel C mostly ended up singing the background vocals along with Victoria. I personally think that Mel C had the best voice of them all. I think that had she gotten the chance to carry a song on her own, it would have been a hit.

The example that I posted for her was the 1999 duet that she did with Bryan Adams, 'When You're Gone'. But really, you should check out her other solo work on YouTube or other music sites, because she has got one hell of a singing voice. I also think that just based on how she presented herself in interviews, that she would probably be the Spice Girl that I would most likely hang around with in the real world. Certainly her look was unconventional as compared to the more glamourous looking girls, but that's what made her stand out in my opinion.




Like Mel C, I also felt that Emma got somewhat of a raw deal in the group. And like Mel C, I think Emma also had a fantastic singing voice. The example I posted in Emma's profile was her 2001 hit 'What Took You So Long', but she's had quite a few singles to her credit as a solo artist, and now makes her living as a radio presenter in England. The youngest member of the Spice Girls, Emma often used to dress in babydoll dresses and would put her hair in Angelica Pickles style pigtails, especially in the earliest stages of the group. But as time passed, Baby grew up, and ended up becoming one stunning lady.




You know, I don't doubt that Posh Spice was good-looking. She was a fox. And, I don't doubt her power of celebrity (likely inherited from the fact that she married international soccer star David Beckham several years ago). And you know what, her solo songs while hit or miss with me do have a good beat, and in the case of the example I posted with her 2003 hit 'Let Your Head Go', a funny video.

But as successful as Victoria Beckham has been, she seemed to me at least to be a little on the cool side. Not quite as personable as Mel C or Emma. So, that's why she's in the middle of the pack.  I'm sure that if I ever met her in person, she would end up being very nice...but the odds of that happening are slim to nil, so let's not go there.  :D




Geri Halliwell...the Union Jack dress wearing red-head who ended up being one of the most heard vocalists on the various singles that the Spice Girls released.  She was also the one who ended up ditching the band first, resigning from the band in a well publicized press conference on May 31, 1998. That move would be the beginning of the end for the Spice Girls, as the band would end up going their separate ways after a lukewarm response to the band's first album as a quartet just two and a half years later.

Now, you'd think that because of the fact that Geri's leaving the band was the first nail in the Spice Girls coffin, I'd rank her higher. But, I can't. If you click on the solo example that I posted for Geri's profile (1999's 'Look At Me'), it's not exactly a song that I particularly like. I hate saying this, but a lot of Geri's songs were mostly forgettable. With cover versions of 'It's Raining Men', and original songs with some rather questionable and juvenile lyrics, Geri should have gotten (and deserved) much better.




I know that I have Mel B as the Spice Girl I like the least, and honestly I don't really think that's fair, as I'd probably have a tie between Geri and Mel B. To be fair, she was the first one that had a solo release, with a 1998 duet she did with Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliot (which is the example I've provided up above). And, I will say that while Cameo's version of 'Word Up' was far superior, Mel B did a surprisingly good job with it.

Really, the main problem that I had with Mel B was the fact that she was a bit too in-your-face, and I felt that especially during the band's hey day, she acted in interviews as if she was constantly on all the time, almost making a point to out-speak and out-talk the other band members. It was even reported that Mel B. and Geri used to do a lot of feuding when the band was touring together. But, I don't dislike her. With recent stints on Dancing With The Stars, and her hosting the television program 'Dance Your Ass Off', her star may end up on the rise again.

So, as you can see, all five members of the Spice Girls had their own successes as solo artists (and some missteps over the years). But when the band reunited for a brief period in 2007 and 2008, the response was overwhelmingly positive, with some of their scheduled shows selling out in less than forty seconds, and had another hit single in late 2007 with 'Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)'.

Proof positive that one should never say never when it comes to making career choices.



Now, here's a little bit of trivia that you might not know about the Spice Girls.

Did you know that the Spice Girls were originally named 'Touch'? That was the name that was given to the group when it was formed in 1994.

Did you know that the group was managed by Simon Fuller, the man behind reality television juggernauts American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance?

Did you know that of the five members that would make up the Spice Girls, only three of them were around from the very beginning? When auditions went on, Mel B, Mel C, and Victoria were some of the first people to audition. Geri missed the first round of tryouts, but was included in the second, and Emma was brought on board to replace another member of the band who was let go from the band due to her not having the drive or motivation to be there.

Did you know that when Geri left the band, she still made an appearance in a single released after the fact? It's true. Although to be fair, the Spice Girls appeared in the form of claymation like fairies in the single 'Viva Forever'.

Did you know that Geri's Union Jack dress was sold at auction to the tune of £41,320? It was sold to the Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas, Nevada, and ended up netting Geri a world record by Guinness for the most expensive piece of pop star clothing.

Did you know that the Spice Girls made a movie called 'Spice World', released in 1997? Although the film did well at the box office, it was a critical disaster, and the Spice Girls ended up winning a Golden Raspberry Award in 1999 for Worst Actresses (an award well deserved as far as I'm concerned, as I couldn't even sit through the movie without changing the channel when it aired recently).

Did you know that there are plans in the works to come up with a Spice Girls musical? If all goes to plan, the musical (tentatively titled 'Viva Forever') could open in London sometime in 2012. Let's hope that the musical is received better than the film was.

And, well, there's more information about the Spice Girls that I could talk about, but I think I'll let you look around yourselves.

In the meantime, I promised you that I would post a video of a Spice Girls song that I actually like, and I'm a man of my word. This song (from the movie Spice World) is one that I can actually tolerate, and showcases Mel C's wonderful voice quite nicely.

From early 1998, here's the Spice Girls video for 'Too Much'.


Tuesday, December 27, 2011

The Price Is Right: Breaking the Barker's Beauties

I've talked about how one of the things on my own personal bucket list is to be a contestant on a game show. That will not change until the day that it happens for me. I don't know what it is, but just being on a game show where you can have the chance to win cash and prizes just gives me a rush. I even enjoy playing electronic versions of game shows. I even have a couple of game show themed games for the Nintendo DS that I play fairly often.

I don't know. Maybe it all stems down from childhood memories of watching game shows in my youth. I still remember being a young boy loving the show 'Press Your Luck' just because of the cartoon Whammies that would pop up each time a contestant lost! There's just something about game shows that I find absolutely captivating.

Seeing the joy that contestants get over winning a car. Seeing said contestants chasing the frightened game show hosts all over the soundstage when they win the said car. That was just spontaneous fun! It was also kind of fun to watch the various bloopers that would pop up on game shows, and I think I remember those more than the actual winners of the game shows.

But you know, some of the most fascinating stories I like hearing about in regards to game shows are the behind the scenes stories that are told. Game show scandals involving contestants. Behind the scenes firings. Hosts getting involved in some unflattering situations. I love hearing about stuff like that.

Sigh...just call me a sick puppy, I suppose.

Anyway, for today's blog entry, I'm focusing on a show that is currently in its 40th year on CBS. Since 1972, the show has given away millions of dollars in cash and prizes, and has been fondly remembered for its pricing games, big wheel, and showcase showdowns. However, it also has a much less happy history, particularly with the women who modeled everything from evening gowns to minivans. The sordid behind the scenes tales from the various spokesmodels of this game show almost seemed just as entertaining as the contestants who appeared on the show.



Yes, The Price Is Right has had one of those runs that have been filled with lots of fun and excitement. And, yes, even some instances of accidental wardrobe malfuctions...



...but the show's also had a lot of behind the scenes turmoil, most of which involve the revolving door of ladies that have served as the show's models over its 40 year history.



This is a blog entry that I like to call...Breaking the Barker's Beauties.



Of course, everyone knows that the reason they were originally called Barker's Beauties was because of the show's most well-known host, Bob Barker, who hosted the show from 1972-2007. I say most well-known as opposed to original because Bob Barker WASN'T the first host. The Price Is Right actually debuted on NBC in the mid-1950s and was hosted by legendary game show host, Bill Cullen until the show was put on hiatus in the fall of 1965. It was revived by CBS seven years later, when Barker became the host for the next 35 years.



In 2007, Barker retired, and in stepped Drew Carey, who has hosted the show ever since.

During both Barker's and Carey's tenures as hosts of the long-running game show, there have been at least 25 women who have served as spokesmodels for the game show. During Barker's years at host, they were known as Barker's Beauties, but by the time Carey took over, they were simply known as 'The Price Is Right Models'.

Now, some of these models have come and gone without much fanfare, such as Anitra Ford and Chantal Dubay. Others have become television stars, or married television stars, as in the case with Gena Lee Nolin, Claudia Jordan or Nikki Ziering (though Nikki's marriage to Ian Ziering from Beverly Hills 90210 didn't last).

But looking over the vast history of The Price Is Right, it's amazing to read about all the scandals that have taken place over the years in regards to the models of the show. Some of them were fired for inane reasons, while others were involved in scandals involving producers, court cases, and even with the host of the program! A few of these models were only on air for a few years, but some had been on the show for two, almost three decades!

So, I thought that I would talk about some of the former Barker's Beauties of the program, why they left, and in some cases, the aftermath that followed. I'll do my best to remain impartial as I describe each case, but keep in mind that sometimes my feelings may come shining through. You have been warned.

For now, let's kick off the discussion, with the most recent model to be served her walking papers.



CASE #1: LUCKY LANISHA LASHES OUT

If you're a fan of the show and have been watching shows as recently as a couple of years ago, you may have heard of the model that Drew Carey affectionately dubbed 'Lucky Lanisha'. Lanisha Cole was given that nickname because it seemed that more contestants won their pricing games when she was the model featured than any other model. Of course, this was merely coincidental, but whatever the case, Lanisha Cole took it in stride.

That was until 2010, when Lanisha quit her job at The Price Is Right. Why did she quit? She claims that she was sexually harassed on the job by executive producer Michael G. Richards, and producer Adam Sandler.




NOTE: I'm not talking about Cosmo Kramer or Happy Gilmour when I say these names...entirely different people altogether.

Anyway, the lawsuit is still being processed as of this writing, but as TIME magazine wrote back in 2010, Cole filed the lawsuit on September 7, 2010, at the beginning of the show's 39th season. Cole, who began working on the show in 2003, said that things went smoothly until 2009, when Richards began dating one of the other models on the program (conflict of interest, anyone?). She claimed that he showed more favourtism towards his new squeeze, and started to treat her badly. He gave her trouble for breaking rules that Cole had never knew existed. As for Sandler, Cole has stated that one time, he burst into the model's dressing room while she was getting changed, and verbally berated her in front of all the other models for not wearing a microphone.

As of right now, nothing has been settled in court, and to most people, it seems like a he said/she said story. But Cole wasn't the first model to launch a lawsuit against the production team of Richards/Sandler. That same year, model Brandi Sherwood-Cochran (who worked on the show from 2002-2009), filed a lawsuit of her own, claiming similar allegations as Cole, plus an additional claim that she was terminated from her job because she had gotten pregnant. Again, no word on either lawsuit reaching a settlement is known...but given that two former models have launched lawsuits against the current production team, it certainly got tongues wagging. But, the legal troubles that Richards/Sandler are facing were pocket change compared to the ones faced by the host that preceded Drew Carey.



CASE #2: THE PERILS OF DIAN PARKINSON

In 1975, a new model came onto the scene in the form of Dian Parkinson. Parkinson was no stranger to the world of modeling, having competed in several national and international beauty pageants during the 1960s (most notably winning the first runner-up title in the 1965 Miss World contest). Dian certainly made an impact on the show during her eighteen year stay on the program, and her sunkissed blonde look combined with massive sex appeal made her one of the more popular models of the whole show.

But then in 1993, Dian Parkinson left the show, with Barker explaining that she had left the program to pursue other ventures. The then 49-year-old Parkinson was promptly replaced with then 22-year-old Gena Lee Nolin. It was rumoured that the reason that she had left the program was due to her feud with other long-standing Barker Beauty Janice Pennington. While it was true that producers very rarely had Dian presenting with Janice just before she quit, that wasn't the reason why Dian left.

As the same TIME magazine article I cited in regards to Lanisha Cole's departure stated, the ugly truth surrounding Dian's departure from the show was revealed in 1994. That year, Dian had filed a lawsuit against Bob Barker as well as the show itself to the tune of eight million dollars in damages. Why? Dian claimed that Barker had made sexual advances on her, and that he forced her to have sex with him or else she would end up losing her job.

Although I was only thirteen at the time all of this went on, I remember being incredibly shocked by the news. Up until this point, my opinion of Bob Barker had been nothing but good. To me, he was the silver haired man who gave people cars, and who cared about controlling the pet population. The last thing that I (and probably millions of others) wanted to believe was that Bob was capable of such behaviour.

So imagine all of our shock when Barker eventually admitted that yes, he and Dian did in fact have a consensual sexual relationship for a year and a half. Mind you, technically Barker was single (his wife had died thirteen years prior to the lawsuit being filed), but still...the idea of the host of a game show doing it with one of the models. Instant red flag. Doesn't really matter whether it was consensual at all. The writing was on the wall, and the truth damaged both the reputations of Barker and Parkinson for a long time after that.

Of course, Barker kept his hosting gig for another thirteen years, and eventually, Dian Parkinson was forced to drop the lawsuit. But the aftermath of the lawsuit leads into the next model scandal...and by the end of it all, three models would end up on the unemployment line.



CASE #3: HOORAY FOR HOLLY HALLSTROM

This is one case in which I am unable to continue my impartial stance. I'm just gonna come out and say it. I loved Holly Hallstrom. She remains my favourite Price Is Right model of all time, and I'll come right out and say it. Her dismissal from the program in 1995 was a travesty and should have never happened.

Why did I enjoy Holly so much? Well, aside from the fact that she always had a smile on her face and was probably one of the most fun-loving models that the show ever had, she was also the most unpredictable model as you never knew how a segment would end when she was a part of it. A lot of the times, she would get into situations where the gods of fate plotted against her. Sometimes, she'd hold up a price tag upside down. Sometimes the props she used would end up turning against her. Sometimes she'd have a wardrobe malfunction.

And for the love of God, don't let Holly ANYWHERE near kitchen appliances...



...and yet she STILL looked cute despite all those mishaps.

From 1977 to 1995 (barring a brief hiatus in 1983), Holly Hallstrom made audiences laugh in delight, and it's no wonder that years after her departure from the show, people still look back on her time there fondly.

But then in 1995, things started to go terribly wrong for Holly.

In July of that year, shortly before the show began taping its twenty-fourth season, Hallstrom was let go from her job after nearly nineteen years. Around that time, it was widely reported that the reason for the dismissal was weight related. It was reported on the television show Hard Copy that Hallstrom had been given prescription medication for health issues earlier in the year, and as a result of this medicine, she had gained fourteen pounds over the first half of 1995. Have you ever wondered why Holly was often placed behind huge cars and boats during Showcase Showdown segments? It was rumoured that her weight gain was the reason for it, although that has not been confirmed as true, so definitely don't quote me on it.

Now, if this were the real reason for her dismissal, shame on Bob Barker and the Price Is Right! Fourteen pounds. Big whoop. She still looked amazingly beautiful no matter what size she was. And, most people loved Holly's personality regardless of what dress size she wore.

But as more and more details were made public as to the real reason why Hallstrom was let go, it seemed to further damage the reputation of Bob Barker, and kicked off one of the ugliest court cases in the history of television production.

(Most of the following information comes from the words of Hallstrom herself, in a 2005 interview she did with then Showbiz Tonight host, Brooke Anderson, as well as an interview posted on www.nerve.com)

As Holly said herself in that interview, the reason that she had given initially for her dismissal...the one about her gaining weight was a minor issue. But the real reason she was let go was linked to the whole Dian Parkinson scandal of the mid-1990s. At the time of the scandal, Hallstrom wanted to remain neutral in the conflict between Barker and Parkinson, but according to Hallstrom, Barker refused to let Hallstrom take on the stance of neutrality. Hallstrom claimed that if she didn't testify against Dian in the court battle, Barker would have her fired from the program. Needless to say, Holly stuck to her guns, and she ended up taping her final appearance on The Price Is Right in the summer of 1995.

Of course, Holly couldn't very well say that this was the very reason why she was fired...it would simply be her word against his. But having proof from other staff members who worked on the show saying that Barker had wanted her gone for some time, and that the weight gain was his way of making sure that she would seek out early retirement, Holly decided to fight back.



She hosted a press conference in the fall of 1995, telling every media outlet possible that she was let go from the show because of her weight gain. Barker countered her claims by suing her for slander. Holly countersued citing that she was wrongfully fired. The battle lasted for well over five years. During the battle, Holly ended up losing her home and actually spent some time living out of her car. So, why did she continue fighting after she had lost so much?

She fought to prove a point. She wasn't going to be bullied or strongarmed into doing something that she didn't feel was right.

Can't say I blame her in this case. Not knowing what really happened behind closed doors, I can't really say who is lying, and who is telling the truth...but if everything happened the way that Holly said it did (and I believe that most of what she had said was true), then all it does is colour Bob Barker in a really bad light.

Eventually, Holly ended up having the slander suit that Barker issued against her dropped, and in 2005, ended up reaching a court settlement. But the damage had already been done.

While I'm sure that the last thing Holly wanted to see was for anyone else to lose their jobs over her personal battle with Bob Barker, ultimately, the battle caused two more models to lose their jobs with The Price Is Right as well, ironically enough for the same reason Holly ended up losing hers. Former models Kathleen Bradley and Janice Pennington testified on Holly's behalf in her lawsuit against Bob Barker, as well as three other staff members. In 2000, shortly after their testimonies, all five lost their jobs. Sounds kind of convenient, doesn't it?



For Pennington, she had been a fixture of the CBS version since day one. She had celebrated twenty-eight years as a model on the show, and when she was let go, she didn't even get a chance to say goodbye. Mind you, at the time she was let go, Janice was almost sixty years old, so some had the opinion that she had retired from the program due to her age. And we probably will never know what the real story is through Janice's point of view, because she had a hush clause, preventing her from saying anything about her former boss. 



For Bradley, however, she had no such clause. And when she was let go after a decade on the program, she wasted no time in telling media outlets that she believed that she was fired in retaliation for standing by Holly...just as Holly was let go for refusing to take sides in the Barker vs. Pennington feud.

Sounds just like a soap opera, doesn't it? Much more fascinating than a standard game of Plinko, wouldn't you say?



Truth be told, I was blown away by the behind the scenes drama that took place at The Price Is Right. Some of it may have been hearsay, but some of the tension that occurred was well-documented. It's impossible for all of us to know what really went on as none of us were there...but regardless of whether these events happened the way the parties said they had, it's certainly left a tarnished spot on the otherwise shining game show.

Despite all this though, I still do enjoy watching The Price Is Right. It's a fun show to watch, and it is filled with lots of fun and excitement. Maybe now that Drew Carey is at the helm of the hosting duties, the show will end up moving ahead from all of the drama that plagued it midway through its run.



Only time will tell, I suppose.

Monday, December 26, 2011

Monday Matinee - Rocky

I don't know what it is about December 26th, but I've always felt a little bit of a letdown the day after Christmas.

Certainly yesterday was a time of celebration, love, and festive behaviour. But then what? The eggnog has been drunk, the presents unwrapped, the relatives gone back to their homes. It's all kind of depressing the day after Christmas, for everything goes back to normal.

On top of all that, there's the whole idea of Boxing Day, and the accompanying sales that come along with Boxing Day.

See, in the United States, the big shopping day is Black Friday. In Canada, our version just happens to be Boxing Day. And believe me, if I can afford to do it, I would stay far away from retail establishments as humanly possible.

Unfortunately, I work retail. And, unfortunately, I'll be working today. But that's okay. I don't mind. I have a huge walk-in cooler I can duck and cover in if the customers get too unruly.

At any rate, while people are likely going to be spending Boxing Day standing in long lines returning that crock-pot that they got from their Great Aunt Gertrude so they can get that Blu-Ray player that they really wanted for Christmas, I'll instead talk about the first non-holiday themed entry for the month of December in quite some time.

In this case, the phrase Boxing Day will be used in a literal sense.

I had always looked for an excuse to feature a sports themed movie in this blog entry. I myself am a terrible athlete, and pretty much fail miserably in any sport that is not volleyball or bowling, but for the most part, I find movies based on sports to be quite good. I may not get all the terms, or may not be able to tell the difference between a home run and a grand slam, but if the movies are well-written, they can still be enjoyable.



And the 1976 classic film Rocky is one of those films that still holds up 35 years later.

(Heh...imagine that. A film about boxing on Boxing Day. Go figure.)

Rocky was released in theaters in December 1976 (though New York City had an advanced screening about two weeks prior). What was interesting about the film was that the screenplay was written by a relative unknown in the business.  Not only that, but the person who wrote the screenplay also did double duty, starring as the main character of the movie!



Who knew Sylvester Stallone was a talented multi-tasker?

Prior to Rocky, Sylvester Stallone was struggling. He had gotten evicted from his apartment in New York City, and ended up being homeless for a few days. In an interview that he did with Total Film, he admitted to sleeping at the New York City Port Authority when he saw a casting notice for a soft core pornography production entitled 'The Party At Kitty and Stud's'. Stallone only took on the role in the film out of desperation, and that appearance would become his first credited appearance in a film.

But when Stallone showed off the screenplay that he devised for Rocky (a screenplay that he was inspired to write following the 1975 match between Chuck Wepner and Muhammad Ali), Stallone himself was far from being the first choice to play the title character of Rocky Balboa.

The movie studio that was producing the film, United Artists, loved the script that Stallone presented to them, but pictured the starring role as being played by a well-established star. Among the names tossed around for consideration? James Caan, Robert Redford, Burt Reynolds, and Ryan O'Neal, just to name a few. But Stallone was determined to star in the film, appealing to the producers to give him a chance to show off his acting chops.

Stallone had managed to convince the two executive producers Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler, that he was the one who should star as Rocky, but even though Chartoff and Winkler were receptive to the idea, their uneasiness about letting a relative unknown headline a motion picture was still present. Casting for the other roles in the movie proved problematic, as both the roles of Adrian and Apollo Creed were cast late in the film's production. Eventually, Talia Shire and Carl Weathers were cast on the same day for the two roles, though according to The Rocky Scrapbook, other actresses in consideration for the role of Adrian were Carrie Snodgrass and Susan Sarandon.

Rocky was also one of the first films (but not THE first) to use the Steadicam technology, which was used to take smoother shots while actors performed an action that would normally make the camera jiggle.

It has been said that the movie only cost a total of one million dollars to film, which by 1976 standards was quite low (especially when you consider that when Star Wars was released one year later, the budget was ten times that amount).  But consider this. When Rocky was released, the film managed to earn a profit of over $225 million, making it the 6th highest box office return of all films ever made!

One reason why I liked the movie a lot was because from the get-go, it was a real underdog story. And as someone who has been in that position in a number of instances, I can tell you that I am definitely a fan of rooting for the underdog.

I guess in one way, it was sort of an underdog story for Sylvester Stallone in real life. So many people doubted that he could pull off a leading role in the film, and were reluctant to take a chance on him, but Stallone insisted that he was perfectly capable of taking the role and running with it. And, well...you don't need me to tell you that five sequels later, and a bunch of Rambo films later that Sylvester Stallone has made his mark on the movie world ever since as a result of his persistence. So, kudos to Sylvester Stallone on that one!

Anyway, as you know, Stallone managed to convince producers to let him star as Rocky Balboa, a man who worked as a debt collector for a local loan shark in Philadelphia named Anthony Gazzo (Joe Spinell). He manages to make out a living in the Kensington area of Philly, but there's something inside of him that makes him realize that he doesn't want to continue this job forever. He needed a change, and he needed it badly.

Fortunately, a way out seems to present itself in the form of the World Heavyweight Championship, although Rocky doesn't realize it at first. The bout, which is scheduled for the first day of 1976 (to coincide with the American bicentennial later that year), was to take place in Philadelphia, and had undefeated heavyweight superstar Apollo Creed as one of the fighters taking part in the event. Unfortunately, fate threatens to cancel the match indefinitely when the scheduled opponent for Creed is forced to bow out due to an injury.



This event is unfortunate, but Creed is not one to simply walk away from a match due to an automatic forfeit from his opponent. Instead, he offers up another solution. He issues a challenge to the city of Philadelphia to take on an unknown. A local underdog that will take on Creed for the shot of winning the title.

And the person who is selected to battle Creed? Rocky Balboa, a.k.a. The Italian Stallion.

Of course, Rocky has absolutely no experience boxing professionally. He needed some major training to even so much as have a fighting chance against a professional fighter...particularly one with an unblemished record as Apollo Creed.

Enter one Mickey Goldmill, played by former Batman villain, Burgess Meredith.



(On a related note...having the Penguin teaching you boxing moves would be quite the surreal experience, would it not?)



Mickey taught Rocky everything he knew, having been a bantamweight fighter himself in the prime of his life. Although the two clash on a few occasions during the training sessions, Mickey eventually comes to the conclusion that Rocky's potential was much greater than his effort, and he tries to get Rocky to train harder and stronger to make sure that he can reach his maximum power.

Which in turn leads to the iconic scene of Rocky running up that set of stairs to this song.




Ah, yes...the whole running up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the grey workout clothes, jumping triumphantly at his success in making it to the top. Still a classic moment thirty-five years later.



Other people are also on Rocky's side, and helped him gain the strength and confidence needed for him to have a fighting chance against Creed. Take Rocky's friend, Paulie (Burt Young). He let Rocky practice his skills on a slab of beef at the meat-packing plant where he worked. Sounds kind of barbaric, but it seemed to do the trick.



And then there was Adrian Pennino (Shire), sister of Paulie, and eventual love interest of Rocky Balboa. The two start dating during his training sessions, and have a rather romantic date on an ice skating rink (which was purposely filmed without extras in order to keep the budget costs down). Rocky admits to Adrian that the odds of him beating Apollo Creed are astronomically high. All he wants to do is last the entire duration of the fifteen round match without suffering a knockout, and that was good enough for him. No other fighter had managed to accomplish this, and Rocky really wanted to be the first. Then, and only then, would he finally be seen as someone who accomplished something and not just another bum from the neighbourhood.

So, when 1975 becomes 1976, and the match goes ahead as planned, it's Rocky versus Apollo in what was touted the match-up of the year, and while Apollo was determined to defend his undefeated title, Rocky just wanted to last the whole fight.

But, damned if I'm gonna tell you how it all went down. You'll just have to see for yourself.

But, really, Rocky was a great film. One of the few films I can think of in which we have fun rooting for the underdog...especially when the actor at the time was one himself.

But considering the legacy of the Rocky franchise, I think Rocky Balboa did all right for himself.

And, for that matter, so did Sylvester Stallone.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Sunday Jukebox - A Very Special Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS, BLOG FOLLOWERS!

I'm sure most of you are probably busy opening up your Christmas presents, cooking the Christmas ham, and singing Christmas carols, so I won't keep you from your celebrations any further. In fact, this blog entry will probably be one of the shortest ones that I'll ever do.

Today is Christmas, but it also happens to be Sunday, which means that it's time for the Sunday Jukebox feature. Since I began the Sunday Jukebox, I've posted a song that was up for discussion.

For today's blog posting, I think that a whole album is going to be featured. After all, today is Christmas, and this will be the last Christmas blog entry for 2011. I wanted to make it a memorable one.

There is a story behind this album too.

Certainly growing up, we all had our own holiday soundtracks that we all listened to during our childhood. My sisters and I were no exception.

For one sister, I believe the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer soundtrack was a part of her childhood holiday soundtrack. My other sister owned an album by the Peppermint Kandy Kids (at least I think that's what it was called).

And in my case, I had this album.



'A Very Special Christmas', released in 1987.

Would you believe that this was the first of SEVEN Very Special Christmas albums released? It's true. A Very Special Christmas was one of those albums that had classic and non-traditional Christmas carols recorded by popular artists at the time the album was released.

Now, I know what you're saying. Most pop artists tend to murder Christmas carols instead of making them better. Yeah, well, I tend not to agree. If a song is done well, I can overlook it.

You know something, I can even tolerate that Justin Bieber Christmas song that's out right now. Of course, back when 'A Very Special Christmas' was released, Justin Bieber wasn't even born yet, which makes me suddenly feel really old.

But really, the proceeds of 'A Very Special Christmas' went towards a fantastic cause. All the money raised from the sales of the album went towards the Special Olympics.

Keith Haring, who died from AIDS in 1990, designed the cover art for this album, as well as the six follow-up albums of the same series (basically the same picture, just with different background colours).

By 1998, the album was certified quadruple platinum (selling over four million copies over a ten-year-period.

That's a lot of money raised for the Special Olympics.

And really, that's all I have to say about this album. The reason why I wanted to talk about it is because every Christmas deserves a holiday soundtrack, and I thought...why not post the songs from the album in links on this blog so that you can enjoy the sounds of the season as well?

Here are the fifteen songs on the original pressing of the album in 1987. I say original because there's a substitution in later pressings of this album.

Here they are, in order.




Now, on some later releases, track #13 was replaced by a different Bon Jovi song (I Wish Every Day Could Be Like Christmas), but for the most part the track listing remains unchanged.

As far as my favourites, #5 is probably my all-time favourite...something about the way Chrissie Hynde delivers those lyrics sends chills down my spine. #2 is quite well done as well. I liked #8, just as a novelty hit. #12 and #13 are fairly decent songs as well.

Still, there are a few misses as well. I liked Madonna back then, but I find Santa Baby to be one of the worst Christmas songs ever written, so I call that a miss. I'm also normally a fan of Stevie Nicks, but felt she could have done a better job with a different carol.

But still, the album is worth checking out.

Merry Christmas everyone. I hope it's filled with everything you hoped it would be and more.

See you Boxing Day!

(waves goodbye!)

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Saturday Morning: Alvin and the Chipmunks

We've waited all year, and it's almost here! Happy Christmas Eve, everybody!

For today's blog entry, I really wanted to go back in time. To a Christmas long ago that holds such fond, fond memories. It's very much linked to the theme for today, which is Saturday morning programming. And, it's linked to a show that I specifically saved for today of all days. That's how much this show meant to me.

So, let's take a trip back in time. Christmas 1988 to be specific. That particular Christmas was a very special one for me, as it was probably the last Christmas where everyone in my immediate family still lived under the same roof. The following year, my eldest sister would end up getting married and leaving home once and for all. As for the other sister, she was seemingly sixteen going on thirty-five. As the lone person under the age of ten in the family at the time, I was not exactly all that thrilled with the idea that everyone else in my family was getting older, and I was still just a kid.

Granted, the age differences between my siblings and I don't seem all that huge now that we're all full-grown adults...but when you're a kid, it seems a lot more noticeable.

Anyway, Christmas 1988 was turning out to be one of those Christmases that was filled with lots of happiness, and joy, and wonderful holiday traditions. And of course, just like most other Christmases that I can remember, there was an assortment of beautiful presents. My parents may not have had a whole lot of money to go around back in the 1980s, but they certainly did know how to make a dollar stretch. I can't remember having a Christmas where we did without, anyway.

That particular Christmas, I can remember there being three gifts that were all identically wrapped. All three of them the same size, same weight, same wrapping paper even. Two of them were for my sisters, the third one for me. They were a gift from Santa Claus.

And when the three of us opened them up, well...this is what we got.



All three of us had gotten one of the three Alvin and the Chipmunks dolls for Christmas. 

My eldest sister got Alvin, which made sense. He was the leader of the Chipmunks and her favourite colour was red. The other sister got Theodore, who was her favourite Chipmunk of the three.

As for me, I ended up with Simon. Which ended up being a good choice, as I always saw myself as smarter than my sisters.

(Little sibling rivalry joke there. Heh.)

No, in all seriousness, Simon was always my favourite. And, besides, Simon was the tall one of the group and wore glasses. I wear glasses and am at least six to eight inches taller than my sisters. Really, looking back on it back then and seeing how I turned out as an adult, the choice couldn't have been more perfect.

You know, twenty-three years later, the Chipmunk dolls still exist. They're all at my parents place, each one displayed prominently in our Christmas decorations each year. Alvin, Theodore, and my Simon doll. Simon still even has the little piece of tape hanging from his glasses when I accidentally broke them.



But that was cool. It just added a little extra memory to the fondness that I have of Alvin and the Chipmunks, and how they made Christmas '88 all that more memorable.

Of course, growing up, I was always surrounded by Alvin and the Chipmunks. One of the first cassette tape albums that I ever owned was an Alvin and the Chipmunk album! It was one of those albums that was obviously released during the 1980s as the Chipmunks and their girl counterparts known as the Chipettes did cover versions of popular eighties hits. Michael Jackson's 'Beat It', Cyndi Lauper's 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun', Billy Joel's 'Uptown Girl', and many more. Gimme a sec...



...okay, I just Googled it, and found that the album was called “The Chipmunks: Songs From Our TV Shows", released in March 1984.

You know, come to think of it, I think my parents bought me the tape because I was so into the Saturday morning television show that aired on NBC at the time.



The cartoon, which aired on NBC from September 1983 to December 1990, was probably my first introduction to the Chipmunks. And it was such a wonderful show. I have so many fond memories of watching that show while devouring bowl after bowl of whatever sweetened cereal was in our pantry at the time. I never missed one episode of the show, and after a while, I could sing along with the Chipmunks no matter what episode aired.



It's also nice to know that the Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise is being brought to a brand new generation of viewers through the computer-animated feature films that have aired since 2007. The film versions have already released two highly successful films, and a third sequel, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, was released just a few days ago, on December 16, 2011. While I haven't seen any of these films (for some reason I can't get used to the fact that Dave Seville is played by the same guy from 'My Name Is Earl'), again, it's nice that a new generation is being exposed to the same cartoon characters that brought me joy in my own childhood.

But the origins of the Chipmunks goes way back. Even before I was born.



The origins of Alvin and the Chipmunks came about in 1958. The creator of the Chipmunks was a man by the name of Ross Bagdasarian. In 1958, Bagdasarian had been on the charts with the song, 'Witch Doctor'. It became a big hit in the summer of 1958, and spent two weeks at the top of the charts. Of course, the song was recorded by Bagdasarian under the stage name of David Seville. Part of the novelty of the 'Witch Doctor' record was the fact that in some parts of the record, the vocals were sped up, making Bagdasarian's voice more high-pitched as a result.

Like that of a chipmunk.

'Witch Doctor' was a hit on the charts, but it also won a couple of Grammy awards for song engineering the same year the song was released.

And the success of 'Witch Doctor' prompted Ross Bagdasarian to use the same engineering techniques to create a new singing group.

The premise was for Ross to use his stage persona of David Seville to promote a hot new group that was making the scene. The catch? The group was made up of three singing chipmunks that he had adopted as his own children. The chipmunks each had their own names and personalities. Alvin was the troublemaking lead singer. Simon was the intelligent, bespectacled Chipmunk. And Theodore's personality lead him to be a little gullible in nature, but he probably had the sweetest disposition of all of them.

And here's a bit of trivia for you. The three Chipmunks got their names from the executives of their original record label.

It was decided that with the Christmas season fast approaching, the Chipmunks first single would be a holiday themed one. So, during the fall of 1958, Ross Bagdasarian went to work singing each of the Chipmunks parts in a different pitched voice, and then harmonizing them together to form the Chipmunks group.

And, here's the perennial Christmas classic that came about as a result.



ARTIST: The Chipmunks (featuring David Seville)
SONG: The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
ALBUM: Let's All Sing With The Chipmunks
DATE RELEASED: Fall 1958
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS: #1 for 4 weeks



Ah, yes...Christmas Don't Be Late. Once again, I have such fond memories of this song. To me, you can't have a Christmas without hearing this song at least once. It's a classic song where the Chipmunks sing about not being able to wait for Christmas, and how all they really want for Christmas are toy planes that fly around in loops, while all Alvin really wanted was a hula hoop (which back in 1958 was one of the most requested toys on Christmas lists).

The song immediately became a hit, landing on the top of the charts on December 22, 1958. It remained on the top of the charts until January 12, 1959. It would become the biggest hit that Ross Bagdasarian would have his name attached to. It was also the last Christmas themed song to ever hit the top of the Billboard charts. Even as of 2011, no other Christmas themed single had even come close to making the top of the charts in North America.



Bagdasarian shifted his main focus towards the Chipmunks project and released a television cartoon known as the Alvin Show (it ran for one season in 1961), and several records starring the Chipmunks. Between 1958 and 1969, Bagdasarian recorded a few albums as the Chipmunks, and each one sold quite a few copies worldwide.

Sadly, on January 16, 1972, Ross Bagdasarian suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 52. For seven years, the Chipmunks went silent. After all, the man behind the Chipmunks was gone, and it seemed as though the Chipmunks would soon fade away into the background.



Enter the son of the Chipmunks creator, Ross Bagdasarian Jr. and his wife, Janice Karman.

In 1979, when the younger Bagdasarian was thirty, he decided to honour his father's legacy by rebooting the Chipmunks franchise. With Bagdasarian taking over the voices of David Seville, Alvin and Simon, and Karman becoming the new voice of Theodore, the Chipmunks were reborn.

During the last half of 1979, the husband-wife duo of Bagdasarian and Karman recorded the newest Chipmunk album, and in June 1980, the album 'Chipmunk Punk' was released in stores. The album, which were cover versions of punk classics by artists such as Queen, Blondie, The Knack, and Tom Petty, sold very well in stores, and peaked at #34 on the Billboard 200 Albums list that same year.



And with that, the modern-day version of Alvin and the Chipmunks was reborn.

I for one am grateful that Ross Bagdasarian Jr. and Janice Karman decided to bring back the Chipmunks once more, to honour the legacy that his father created back in the late 1950s.

After all, I wouldn't have had this Christmas memory to share this 24th of December if they hadn't.

Merry Christmas Eve, everybody!