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Monday, July 02, 2012

I Know What You Did Last Summer


Maybe it’s just me, but there’s just something cool about watching scary movies in the middle of the summer.  Even better is when you have a scary movie that takes place during the summer months.

In a way, it’s unexpected.  Most people seem to associate summer with fun, excitement, freedom, and peace.  So when that peace seems to be shattered by a murder, you can imagine the shock that can come from it.

Well, I suppose I have no choice but to imagine it, because I’ve never faced a situation like this.

But what would you do if you were?

Here’s a scenario for you all to ponder.  Suppose that one summer, you and your friends are having the time of your lives doing all the things that make summer worthwhile.  You go swimming at a pool party, go dancing at a night club, host a clambake at the beach...

...that is if people still do such a thing as a clambake.  I am a bit old-fashioned.

Anyway, suppose at some point during your summer of fun, something happens that unexpectedly and abruptly changes everything...such as, oh, I don’t know, accidentally injuring someone on your way to your next destination.  What would you do if you were faced with a terrible situation like this?  Would you immediately call 911 on your mobile phone and try to save their life?  Would you attempt to give them first aid?  Or, would you drive off into the distance pretending that what just happened really didn’t happen, and leave the person to die? 

For four teenagers in a 1997 film, they opted to take the final decision.  And while I’m not intending to quote poet Robert Frost here, they ended up taking the road less travelled by...and that has made all the difference.  For that decision ended up having some rather devastating consequences.

But we’ll get to that a little bit later.


Today’s Monday Matinee feature is “I Know What You Did Last Summer”, which was originally released on October 17, 1997.  Based on a popular novel written by Lois Duncan, and adapted into a screenplay by Kevin Williamson (who was also responsible for the various “Scream” movies), the film starred Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Freddie Prinze Jr.


TRIVIA:  The movie wasn’t the only production that Sarah Michelle and Freddie were involved in.  They played Daphne and Freddy respectively in the live-action Scooby-Doo movies.  In addition, the couple tied the knot in 2002, where they ended up creating another project, their daughter Charlotte, who was born in September 2009.

Anyway, the movie may have been critically panned by various people, and currently holds a 37% approval rating, but despite this, the film amassed $125 million at the box office.  I suppose I can definitely attest to the popularity of this movie just based on the fact that most everyone in my grade eleven class had seen this film in theatres.  I think I was the only one who waited until it came out on video.

The film begins as we’re introduced to the four main characters of the film.  There’s Barry William Cox (Phillippe), Helen Shivers (Gellar), Julie Nicole Johnson (Hewitt), and Ray Bronson (Prinze Jr.).  At the beginning of the film, Helen ends up winning a beauty contest where she is named Miss Croaker (a deliciously ironic pageant title as you’ll see when you watch the film in its entirety).  Helen is thrilled to win the title, and she and her three friends decide to hit the town to celebrate her victory.  It was supposed to be a perfect end to a perfect night.


But in an instant, the carefree lives of the four change, and things will never be the same.  They accidentally runs over a pedestrian in his new car, and the four teens make the assumption that they have killed him.  In a panic over the situation (and at a time in which the iPhone had not yet been invented), they make the decision to toss the body in the ocean and drive away.

A whole year passes, and the following summer, Julie arrives back home from college.  She hasn’t seen Helen, Ray, or Barry since the accident happened, and she’s tried to forget that the incident last summer ever happened.

It’s just too bad that someone else wants to make her always remember what she and her friends did.  In the mail, Julie receives a letter that has just seven chilling words.

“I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER”

Naturally, Julie is freaked out by the whole thing.  She wonders if anyone else had gotten the letter.  Upon showing Helen the letter, Helen tells Barry, and the three of them decide to find out who it is that appears to be stalking them.  Immediately, Barry accuses a man named Max Neurick (Johnny Galecki) of sending the letter, a claim that Max denies.  Barry and Max get into a huge fight, with Barry warning Max that he had better keep his mouth shut.  At the same time, Julie reconnects with Ray, who holds a job as a dock worker, and Ray attempts to reconcile with Julie, but she just isn’t interested.

Shortly afterwards, things get very crazy.  Max ends up getting murdered, and Barry gets run over with his own car following an attack by a raincoat cloaked figure armed with a hook.  Although Barry survives the attack, he couldn’t get a good look at the killer.  Later, at the hospital, the four friends reunite and Julie mentions that she may know the identity of the person that they accidentally hit that fateful night.  She was reading some old newspaper clippings and came across an article on David Egan, whose body had washed up on shore weeks after the accident.  They initially come up with a new theory that David’s sister Melissa (Anne Heche) is the one stalking them, but following a meeting with her, they seemingly dismiss that theory after she tells them that her brother had a meeting with someone named Billy Blue just before he died.


But before the four can investigate this development, the stalker strikes again.  He breaks into Helen’s room and cuts off her hair while she slept, and later on, Julie discovers Max’s dead body stuffed into the trunk of her car with a bunch of live crabs.  Even stranger, when she tries to show Helen and Barry what had happened, she finds that someone had taken the body and crabs out of the trunk while she was gone.  This leads to a lot of paranoia within the group, and Barry and Ray even trade a blow or two in the process.  Julie decides to take matters into her own hands, and goes and visits Missy again while Barry and Helen vow to protect each other during the Miss Croaker pageant and parade.

On the second visit, Julie manages to get some more information from Missy about David Egan.  Missy shows Julie a suicide note that David reportedly wrote, which seemingly matched the same style as the note that Julie had received.  Missy explained that David had been feeling depressed since his fiancĂ©e, Susie, was killed in a car accident some time earlier, and that he took his own life because he couldn’t cope with the loss.  Julie tries to tell Missy that she and her friends were the ones who accidentally hit David that night, but this only causes Missy to react with anger, and she throws Julie out.

So, Missy’s provided Julie with some nice tidbits about David...but are Julie’s conclusions correct?  As the film progresses, the action shifts over to the Miss Croaker pageant, where before the night is over, the body count will continue to rise, the truth about what really happened to David Egan will be revealed, and Julie ends up in a fight for her life after stumbling across the truth.

All in all, I find “I Know What You Did Last Summer” to be a movie that could easily be considered mindless fluff.  It certainly isn’t a film that would be worthy of an Academy Award, but it is a great film to watch while you’re stuffing your face with Orville Redenbacher microwave popcorn.


And, look at it this way.  If the film wasn’t so successful, it wouldn’t have spawned a sequel the following year, “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer”.  But, you know, I’ve always had a bit of a bone to pick with the sequel title.  Should it not have been called “I Know What You Did Two Summers Ago”?  Well, unless the sequel is making a reference to the first movie, which did happen the previous summer.

I’m so confused.  I think I’ll check my mail.  Oh, look, here’s a letter for me.



AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

Sunday, July 01, 2012

A "Reckless" Canada Day Celebration


Welcome to July, everybody, and if you happen to be living in Canada as I am, I want to wish all Canadians a happy Canada Day!

Yes, Canada turns the big 145 today, and I plan to celebrate by donning the red and white today.  Just like yesterday, today’s blog post will be written entirely in red.

And today, I’m going to do another album spotlight.

I’ve done two album spotlights before in this blog.  One was on the Huey Lewis & The News album “Sports”, and the other one was on the 1987 holiday compilation “A Very Special Christmas”. 

And today, I’ll be featuring an artist from Canada, in the spirit of Canada Day.

But, first, let’s meet this artist in question.


Without a doubt, Bryan Adams has not only made his mark on the Canadian music scene, but internationally as well.  Here are a few statistics on Bryan Adams by the numbers.

10 studio albums released
5 compilation albums
4 live albums
67 singles released
11 Top 10 singles on the Billboard Charts
4 #1 singles on the Billboard Charts
20 Juno Awards
15 Grammy Award nominations

And, that’s not all.  In addition to his music, Bryan Adams is also a skilled photographer, taking hundreds of photographs which have been published in various books and magazines all over the world.  Not bad for a 52-year-old who was born in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, eh?

Since 1977, Bryan Adams has been making music, and with the release of his debut album in 1980, his rise to the top of the charts began.

It was very difficult for me to select just one album of his that best describes his career.  1983’s “Cuts Like A Knife” could easily be considered his breakthrough album, but with only three singles charting, the entry wouldn’t be very interesting.  And while my favourite Bryan Adams album is his 1991 effort “Waking Up The Neighbours”, his most overplayed song happens to be on that same album.  While it’s a lovely song, I don’t want the focus to be on just one song.


So, what album did I decide to feature?  The answer is “Reckless”, Bryan Adams’ fourth album, which was dropped on November 5, 1984.

The reason why I chose this album is because it was certainly one of his biggest selling albums.  The album went five times platinum in the United States, and sold over one million copies in Bryan’s native Canada.  The album also did very well in the UK, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland.  The album holds the distinctive honour of being the first record in Canada to sell over one million copies, and was the first album of Bryan’s to reach the top of the Billboard 200. 

Six singles (or 60% of the album) were released from “Reckless” between 1984 and 1985, and each single managed to reach the Top 15, a feat only matched by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”.  So, for this July 1st, I thought we’d listen to these six singles, and have a bit of a discussion about each of them.

They’ll be posted in chronological order.  Here was the first release.


“RUN TO YOU”
RELEASED:  October 18, 1984
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS: #6

I think of all the songs that were released on “Reckless”, this one is probably one of the most recognizable of any song released by Bryan Adams.  The song was actually one of the first to be recorded.  It was recorded in late March 1984, shortly after Adams toured Asia.  Ironically, it was the last song to be written for Reckless.  And, here’s a bit of trivia for you.  Did you know that the song was originally offered to Blue Oyster Cult?  They turned the song down, but Adams jumped on the chance, and it became his highest charting single at the time (it dethroned “Straight From The Heart” which peaked at #10 in 1983).  Another interesting fact about this single is that it was nominated for five MTV Video Music Awards, and lost all five awards.  However, if there is some good to take away from this, it is that “Run To You” was the most nominated video out of any of the ones that Bryan Adams ever made.


“SOMEBODY”
DATE RELEASED:  January 7, 1985
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS: #11

“Somebody” was one of those songs that had two different videos made of it.  The one that I have posted is the most common one that most people have seen.  The other one took place inside a football stadium, and featured the same woman (Lysette Anthony) who starred in the “Run To You” video.  The song itself has been praised for its simplistic chorus, with Adams’ long time collaborator Jim Vallance stating that the chorus is so simple that you could sing along with it even if you had never heard the song before.

“I need somebody, somebody like you.  We all need somebody.  Oh yeah.”  Yep, I can sing along to that one splendidly.


“HEAVEN”
DATE RELEASED:  April 9, 1985
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS:  #1

I’m sure that “Heaven” holds a special place in Bryan’s heart.  It was, after all, his first number one single on Billboard’s Hot 100.  The song was actually recorded around the time that his “Cuts Like A Knife” album was climbing the charts, in June 1983.  The song also appeared on the soundtrack of the 1983 film “A Night In Heaven”.  However, Bryan was reluctant to include the song on “Reckless”, as was producer Jimmy Iovine.  The slow ballad seemed out of place when compared to the hardness of the other tracks intended for “Reckless”, and he recommended that Adams not include it in the final cut.  But just before production wrapped, Adams had a change of heart, and “Heaven” was added to the list of final tracks.  Good thing too, considering how successful the song was.  Easily one of my favourite Bryan Adams songs.

Although I don’t know if I can ever forgive DJ Sammy, Yanou, or Do for completely bastardizing it in 2001 with this interpretation.


Oh, and here’s some trivia for you.  The scheduled drummer for the song had another commitment, and wasn’t able to make the recording session for this song, so another drummer filled in...Journey percussionist Steve Smith!


“SUMMER OF ’69”
DATE RELEASED:  June 15, 1985
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS:  #5

There’s a bit of an argument in regards to what the actual meaning is of the number sixty-nine in the song.  Some would argue that the song refers to the year 1969.  Bryan Adams stated that the number is a reference to the classic sex position, but Jim Vallance contradicted Adams’ claims, stating that it has no relation.  What do you think?

At any rate, “Summer of ‘69” is definitely one of those songs that you really have to have in your summer soundtrack.  The music video was directed by Steve Barron (who also directed “Run To You” almost a year earlier).

The song underwent some changes as Adams and Vallance wrote and re-wrote the lyrics, and they almost agreed to name the song “Best Days Of My Life”, as those words appeared in the song more than “Summer of ‘69”.  And here’s some trivia that you may not have known.  You know the line in the song that states “Jimmy quit, and Jody got married”?  If Jim Vallance had his way, the names would have been changed to Woody and Gordy, after members of his high school band.  Adams decided to go with his names instead.  He wasn’t sure where the name Jimmy came from, but Jody was based off of sound-manager Jody Perpik, who had actually gotten married during the “Reckless” recording sessions.


“ONE NIGHT LOVE AFFAIR”
DATE RELEASED:  September 28, 1985
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS:  #13

This was the fifth single from “Reckless”, and the song was as the title described.  It was a song about a one night stand.  Although the song didn’t perform as well as the other singles from “Reckless”, there is an amusing inside joke between Adams, Vallance, and guitarist Keith Scott.  There’s a lyric in “One Night Love Affair” that reads “if the night was made for love, it ain’t for keeps.”  When Adams and Vallance played it back for Keith, they changed the last word to ‘Keith’, which amused him greatly.  As a result of this joke, whenever the song is performed in concert, he stares directly at Keith and sings the manipulated line in an effort to get him to at least crack a smile of amusement during the show.  The next time you’re lucky enough to see Bryan Adams in concert, and he plays this song, keep an ear open.



IT’S ONLY LOVE (duet with Tina Turner)
DATE RELEASED:  November 3, 1985
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS: #15

1985 was a huge year for Tina Turner.  She had made a comeback the year before with the song “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” and ever since that song, she found herself on the top of the charts once more.  So when the opportunity came along for Tina to share a duet with Bryan Adams, (who himself saw his star power rise in 1985), she couldn’t refuse.  Nor could Bryan Adams, who stated that it was one of the most memorable collaborations he had ever worked on.  And, keep in mind that this was coming from a man who would eventually sing with Sting, Rod Stewart, Barbra Streisand and Melanie “Sporty Spice” Chisholm over the years. 

But there was just something special about Tina.  Adams used to watch Tina perform in clubs, and was mesmerized by her from the start.  To have the opportunity to sing with her at only twenty-four years of age was nothing short of awesome.  It’s just a shame that the song was the lowest performing single on “Reckless”, as I felt that it was one of both Bryan and Tina’s best singles.

And, there you have it...a look back on the 1984 album “Reckless” by Bryan Adams. 

Now I turn over discussion to you.

What is YOUR favourite Bryan Adams song and/or album? 


Happy Canada Day, Canadians everywhere!  And for you American readers out there, I haven’t forgotten about you.  I have a 4th of July entry planned that will lead off with a bang!

Saturday, June 30, 2012

The Raccoons


This weekend, I’m turning my whole blog red to celebrate Canada Day weekend.  I am Canadian, and I wanted to do something special for this blog as we celebrate Canada’s 145th birthday. 

And, for this special weekend, I thought that I would make this whole weekend Canadian themed.  Tomorrow, I’ll feature a quintessential album by one of Canada’s most successful musical artists, but for today, I thought we’d add a little bit of Canadian spice to the Saturday Morning cartoon feature.

Before we get into that, however, you may have noticed that the contest deadline has changed.  That’s because I have not received any winning entries as of yet for the contest at all.  To enter, you need to scope out the May 24, 2012 entry on the blog and find the items that match the clues that I’ve given out on the entry.  The new deadline is August 15.  And, I’ll add on some more incentive.  You don’t HAVE to answer every question.  If you don’t know it skip it.  Just answer as many as you know, and the person who gets the most questions correct will be declared the winner.  Please send all entries to popculturelifeguide1@yahoo.ca no later than August 15, 2012.   Remember what the prize is...the chance to control my blog for one whole week.

Okay, now back to the special Canada Day blog entry.  Today’s blog entry is about a Canadian cartoon series that first began as a series of television specials on CBC.  A few years later, it was turned into a regular series, which lasted an additional six years on the channel. 

Have you ever heard of a singer named Lisa Lougheed?  Many of you in the United States and abroad probably have not, but in Canada, she had a few single releases up in these parts, including 1992’s “World Love” and “Love Vibe”.  Her first single, however, was released all the way back in 1987, when Lisa was just a teenager.  It was this song.


The song was called “Run With Us”, and it did fairly well on the Canadian Adult Contemporary Charts, peaking at #8 in 1988.  However, I’m sure that many of you Canadians reading this blog who are my age or older may recall this song from another source.  This song happened to play over the closing credits of today’s Saturday Morning cartoon feature.


Ladies and gentlemen, today’s focus is on the Canadian cartoon, “The Raccoons”, created by Kevin Gillis.

TRIVIA:  Lisa Lougheed also voiced the character of Lisa Raccoon in “The Raccoons”.


The show was one of Canada’s most successful cartoons, airing in both Canada and the United States (and presumably some other nations in the world aired it as well).  But some of you might be surprised to learn that the program aired during the entirety of the 1980s and part of the 1990s as well.


The conception of “The Raccoons” began in the late 1970s.  At the time, show creator Kevin Gillis was already making a name for himself on several Canadian television programs including “Celebrity Cooks” and “Yes You Can” (the latter of which I remember watching in the earliest days of YTV), and came up with the idea along with columnist Gary Dunford.  The show was based on a conflict that was happening at a cottage in their hometown.  I’m not particularly sure what the conflict was exactly, but given that in most episodes of the show, the Raccoons have to prevent their home from being destroyed by a greedy land developer, I’m under the assumption that a similar situation was taking place.  But, don’t quote me on that, as I honestly have no idea.

Whatever the case, at some point during the development of the characters and show, Dunford decided that he didn’t want to be a part of it, and backed out.  Gillis, on the other hand, refused to let his Raccoons die.  So, he took his creations to a lawyer based in Ottawa, a man by the name of Sheldon S. Wiseman, who saw a lot of potential in the characters.  He and Gillis then assembled a team of writers, animators, and musicians to begin work on a television special in 1979.


On December 17, 1980, that special, “The Christmas Raccoons” aired for the first time on CBC.  This television special was such a huge hit that two more television specials were immediately commissioned, in 1981 and 1983.  Shortly after this, a home video was released in 1984, “The Raccoons:  Let’s Dance”, which also proved to be popular.

By 1984, everybody was talking about the Raccoons, and that same year, executives from both CBC and The Disney Channel had a series of business meetings, and decided to begin funding the show for an entire series of shows.

TRIVIA:  The entire series was estimated to have cost $4.5 million to make.

The first episode of the television series aired in the fall of 1985, and the series ran until early 1991.  So in total, “The Raccoons” had aired on television for almost eleven consecutive years (the lone exception being 1982, when no episodes were filmed).

And just who were “The Raccoons”?  Well, I’m glad you asked.  For here is the section of the blog where we introduce all of you to the world of Evergreen Forest.

Evergreen Forest is just like your typical run of the mill Canadian forest.  There are lush green trees, beautiful scenery, and of course, the frolicking of the critters within the forest.

And here are some of these creatures now.

First, there’s who I would probably call the main characters of the program, the Raccoons.  There’s Ralph and Melissa Raccoon.  Ralph and Melissa happen to be a couple that are married and happily in love (admittedly a fact that I did not know until years after the show ended...in fact when I was younger, I thought they were brother and sister!!!), and live in their dream home lovingly called the “Raccoondominium”.  They both work at an office for a newspaper entitled “The Evergreen Standard”.  Ralph is the editor of the newspaper, and Melissa happens to work at the paper as a photographer.

TRIVIA:  Ralph was voiced by Bob Dermer, who also did the voices of Grumpy Bear on Care Bears, and Sam Crenshaw from Today’s Special.  Melissa, however, was voiced by no less than FOUR voice actors.  On the television series, she was voiced by both Linda Feige and Susan Roman, but on the television specials, she was voiced by a couple of famous ladies...singers Rita Coolidge and Dottie West.


There also happens to be a third Raccoon living with Ralph and Melissa.  No, they don’t have a child, but they did have a childhood friend who acted as if he were a child.  Bert Raccoon was your classic scene-stealing character.  Voiced by Len Carlson, Bert often spent each episode being happy-go-lucky, carefree, and excited.  He’s a huge fan of comic books and toys, and his personality can sometimes get him into some tough jams.  Nevertheless, Bert happens to have a sense of responsibility and knows the difference between right and wrong.  He works for the Evergreen Times as a newspaper carrier (and sometimes even writes articles for it as well), and he is always thinking of new ideas to make Evergreen Forest better...even if his rather impulsive nature can sometimes get the better of him.

There’s a very big reason why the three Raccoons decided to work at a newspaper.  Firstly, I believe that they have fun doing what they are doing.  Otherwise, they wouldn’t do it, you know?  However, there’s an even deeper reason why they have chosen the career path they have.  In some manner, their quest to find out the happenings in and around Evergreen Forest has helped them preserve their home for generations. 

You see, just outside of Evergreen Forest lives someone who sees the forest as one last barricade between himself and huge riches.


Cyril Sneer, voiced by Michael Magee.

The sad thing was that he didn’t even need any more money.  When we’re introduced to him, he’s doing quite well all on his own.  Unfortunately, Cyril Sneer happens to have as much greed inside of him to fill the entire length of his nose and then some.  And considering that Cyril Sneer is an aardvark, you know that has to be a lot of greed!  Sure enough, in the television specials that preceded the series, as well as the first few seasons of the series, Cyril Sneer regards Evergreen Forest as a gold mine.  By chopping down every tree he can, he can utilize the lumber and industry economy to his own advantage, and make a killing in profits in the process.  Of course, if he were to succeed, Ralph, Melissa, and Bert would end up homeless, and we couldn’t have that.  There wouldn’t be much of a show if that happened, now would there?

And to make matters worse, Cyril Sneer ended up having some allies in his quest for domination of Evergreen Forest.  With his dog, Fang, and his henchmen who are simply known as “The Pigs”, he attempted to come up with various plans and schemes to get whatever he wanted, no matter what.


It’s just too bad that the Raccoons ended up foiling each and every one of their plans.  Leave it to the Raccoons, they certainly knew how to put Cyril Sneer out of commission in a jiffy.  Mind you, the Raccoons had a bit of help along the way as well.  You had Schaeffer, a sheepdog who started off being a dimwitted dog, but as the series progressed, he became a lot smarter, even opening up his own business and helps fix the printing presses at the newspaper whenever needed.  A smaller sheepdog named Broo also makes several appearances during the series, befriending Bert.


There was also a woman named Sophia Tutu, who was first introduced in the 1981 television special “Raccoons On Ice” (which coincidentally is my all time favourite Raccoons episode, for it also incorporates another Canadian pastime – hockey – into the episode brilliantly).  She’s a bit of a ditz when we first meet her, but always has a kind word to say about anyone.

Now here’s something shocking.  The Raccoons biggest ally turned out to simultaneously be related to their worst enemy. 


Yes, Cedric Sneer was the son of the ruthless, money-hungry Cyril Sneer.  At the same time, he was also the best friend of Bert Raccoon.  Although Cedric is the only heir to the Sneer family fortune, his personality differs so much from his father’s that one might not even think that they are related at all if not for the fact that they look very similar.  Whereas Cyril is greedy and strong-willed, Cedric is shy, weak, and a bit of a nerd.  Although Cedric loved the Raccoons, he would often back down from a fight with his old man, as he feared him.  Over time though, Cedric would eventually develop a bit of a backbone, and he stood up to his father on more than one occasion.  In fact, in many episodes, the various plans that Cyril Sneer came up with to uproot Evergreen Forest were foiled by none other than his own son!  How’s that for delicious irony?

Of course, Cyril Sneer himself would end up becoming softer as he grew older.  Mind you, he was far from being a complete angel (because let’s face it, angelic Cyril Sneer would have been quite boring).  But Cyril did have his moments of greatness.  His love for Cedric far outweighed his love for money.  Even though Cedric was more often than not the main reason behind the failure of Cyril’s plans, it seemed as though all was forgiven by the following episode.  He also helped save a schoolhouse from being demolished, helped Lisa Raccoon give up smoking, and even went as far as stopping a more sinister baddie named Milton Midas from causing more damage after he completely destroyed a lake due to pollution.

I think in this case, Cyril Sneer even showed that the greediest of us do have a heart inside somewhere.  It just takes certain circumstances in order for it to appear.  I’ve often seen Cyril Sneer described as an anti-hero, and I think that description fits him well, so I’m going to use it too.

It has been several years since I’ve seen an episode of “The Raccoons”.  I suppose there is a part of me that hopes one day that the show will be resurrected in some form.  I know new episodes are out of the question as both Len Carlson and Michael Magee have passed away.  But, I would love to watch some of the old episodes again.  It truly was a one of a kind Canadian program.

I even owned some of those Raccoons themed colour changing markers in the second grade and used them for every possible art assignment.  Oh, to be a kid again to watch the show while drawing with my favourite markers.

That does it.  I’m writing a letter to CBC telling them to bring back my Raccoons!  They’re a Canadian institution, for crying out loud!




Friday, June 29, 2012

"My Three Sons" - In Loving Memory of Don Grady


I would imagine that it would be hard to say goodbye to somebody who you were quite close to.  I know that over the last couple of years, I have had to say a fond farewell to a couple of people who really meant a lot to me. 

I would imagine that this applies to people who starred in one of your favourite television shows as well.  Sure, the chances of you actually meeting a sitcom star that you grew up watching on television are slim to nil (well, unless you happen to live in Hollywood, California or New York City, that is, in which case your odds grow slightly exponentially).  However, when you read about them passing away in the newspaper, online, or over the radio, it makes one still feel quite sad.  It’s almost like you lost an old friend. 

Certainly there have been instances of this over the years.  I imagine a lot of people mourned the loss of Redd Foxx when he died of a heart attack on the set of “The Royal Family” in 1991.  I remember being shocked in 2003, when John Ritter unexpectedly passed away after being rushed to hospital from the set of “8 Simple Rules”. 


And then there was the recent passing of Don Grady, who passed away on June 27, 2012 from cancer just nineteen days after his 68th birthday.

If that name doesn’t quite ring a bell, you’re probably a bit on the young side.  It’s perfectly fine.  Before video sharing sites came along, I was unaware of the impact that Don Grady had in the world of prime time television.  After all, I was born nine years after the show that made him a star went off the air.  But, with today’s blog entry, I hope that I’ll be able to shed some light on who Don Grady was, as well as the show that helped make him famous.


That show, of course, was “My Three Sons”.


“My Three Sons” was a sitcom that ended up having a lot of notoriety attached to it.  First, the show was one of the few sitcoms to survive and thrive after a switch in networks.  In most cases, a show relocating from one network to another will in all likelihood kill the program.  Not “My Three Sons”, however.  The show swapped networks in 1965, moving from ABC to CBS, and ran for another SEVEN years!

You know, come to think of it, that’s another point that I would like to make in regards to “My Three Sons”.  The show debuted on September 29, 1960.  The show wrapped up on August 24, 1972!  If you’ve kept track, that’s twelve seasons that the show aired!  With 380 episodes filmed, it became the second longest running live-action sitcom of all time.  Only “The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet surpassed “My Three Sons” with 435 episodes filmed over a fourteen season run.


Anyways, the show was all about a man named Steven Douglas (Fred MacMurray).  Douglas was a widower who worked as an aeronautical engineer who was trying to rear three sons on his own. 

Now, there’s a lot that I could say about the show itself (certainly with almost four hundred episodes of material to work with, I could talk about the characters, episodes, and theme songs for ages.  But, I thought that most people who read this blog might enjoy reading the behind the scenes moments in regards to “My Three Sons” rather than having a huge plot summary.  In my experience, that’s what I’ve noticed.

So for today, I’ll post some nuggets of trivia associated with this program, with a special focus on the late Don Grady.  Are you ready?  Here goes!

1 – The first season of the program contained 36 episodes (a lot when you consider that the average season of a television sitcom runs between 22 and 25 episodes).  All episodes of season one were directed by Peter Tewkesbury.

2 – The first five seasons of the show were filmed in black and white.  Part of the reason why the show swapped networks in 1965 was because of the fact that ABC did not want to commit to broadcasting in colour television.  As a result, when the show moved to CBS, the show aired in colour until the end of the show’s run.

3 – The three sons at the beginning of the program were Mike Douglas (Tim Considine), Robbie Douglas (Don Grady), and Richard “Chip” Douglas (Stanley Livingston).  But after Considine left the show in 1965 following a falling out with executive producer Don Fedderson, another child, Ernie Thompson, moved into the household to be adopted by the Douglas family.

4 – Ernie Thompson was played by Barry Livingston, who happens to be the real-life brother of Stanley Livingston.


5 – William Frawley (who many may also remember as Fred Mertz on “I Love Lucy” played the role of “Bub” during the first five seasons.  However, Frawley became ill during the filming of season five and “Bub” was replaced by Uncle Charley, played by William Demarest for the remainder of the show’s run.  Frawley would pass away in March 1966.

6 – Many of the show’s cast members had musical connections.  McMurray began his career playing saxophone during the 1930s, Grady played drums for the band “Yellow Balloon” in the 1960s, Tina Cole (who played Katie Miller Douglas) was born into the musical family “The King Family”, and Dawn Lyn (who played Dodie Harper Douglas) happens to be the younger sister of 1970s heartthrob Leif Garrett.

7 – The only actor to be in every episode of the series was Fred MacMurray.

8 – The show was filmed out of order due to the contract stipulations in MacMurray’s contract.  His contract allowed him to only work 65 days per year, and have a 10-week break in between filming, so that he could work on other projects.

9 – Don Grady was born Don Louis Agrati on June 8, 1944 in San Diego, California.

10 – Grady’s sister was Lani O’Grady, who once worked as a Mouseketeer.  She died of a drug overdose in 2001.


11 – Grady composed the theme song for Donahue.

12 – In 2008, Grady released an album entitled “JazRocPop”.

And, just because I thought it would be nice to see, I’ve included an interview that was done with Grady and the Livingston brothers just three years ago on CBS.


Rest in peace, Don Grady.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Summer Lovin', Had Me A Blast


Are we all excited for summer vacation yet? I hope you are, because it's finally here! And, I'm sure that for many of you, you have plans for the summer. Whether you're hanging out at the mall sipping back Orange Julius beverages, lounging around at the beach hoping to get a little bit of a tan, or riding roller coasters until you vomit, I hope you enjoy yourselves.



Certainly, I have my own plans for the summer. I just attended the eighth grade graduation of two of my nephews a couple of days ago, and this August, I have a friend who is visiting from New York during my vacation away from my real job, so definitely expect to see a blog entry regarding that visit sometime this summer.



I don't know what it is about summer, but it just makes everything seem so much more fun. Buying Slush Puppies at the local gas station. Feeling the warm sunshine on your face. For kids who are young enough, getting two and a half months of freedom from school, homework, and evil teachers.

Summer's a great time for everyone.

So, I thought I'd talk about summers gone by, and how much I loved them. Because, that's basically what I mean by the note's title. The summer lovin' talks about how much I loved summer as a kid. Not about some Australian exchange student I fell in love with over one summer...or any summer romance that I may have had growing up because I never had one...but, you know, summer just began, so there's still hope for a summer fling...

...okay, now I'm going off on a tangent. I do that a lot.

Summertime for me was a great time as a kid. For one, being a kid who didn't have the greatest in-school memories, summer provided me two months of freedom to do whatever I so desired. I would have water balloon wars with people, I'd swim in my teeny-weeny Sesame Street kiddy pool (and don't laugh, that pool was cool until my dad accidentally plowed into it with the lawn mower and tore a hole in it.), and I'd walk over to Darling's Convenience Store and buy an ice cream and play Bubble Bobble. Sadly, Darling's has been replaced with a beauty salon, but I'll always remember the memories associated with that place.




I mean, let's face it. Summertime in the '80's was the absolute best (and by eighties, I mean the decade, not the temperature...though I guess both could apply).

The 1980's were also the summers that I probably remember the most.

Having been born and raised in a small town called Brockville, Ontario, I remember summers in the 1980's always being jam-packed with lots of activities and fun for people of all ages.



One of my favourite memories of Brockville summers that I can recall is the park program groups that I attended for six summers between 1987 and 1992 (or, if you want more detail, between the ages of six and eleven). They used to be run by the Brockville Parks & Recreation group and they were spread out in several different playgrounds. I don't quite remember all of the playgrounds that took part, but there was Toniata, Westmister, J.L. Jordan, Bramshot, and the program that I was a part of, Commonwealth. Okay, so technically, it was Commonwealth for 5 of the 6 summers I was there. In 1991, we were at the now torn down John Knox playground because Commonwealth was undergoing renovations in 1991, and lemme tell you, John Knox playground was so horrible in comparison to Commonwealth, as all they had for playground equipment were seesaws, a tunnel, and a basic set of monket bars...

...and, off I go on another tangent. If I do this again, please slap me. Hard.

As I was saying, I attended the Commonwealth group. To register for the park program, we were asked to join the playgrounds that were closest to where we lived. Since I was already a student at Commonwealth Public School at the time, it made perfect sense, right?

It proved to be quite bizarre as well. Whereas inside Commonwealth's hallways, I was always kind of treated like I was the uncool kid, or had leprosy or something, many of the kids who were in the playground group with me were very cool kids. The groups were for children aged 4-12, and there was a huge cross-section of kids of all ages. Certainly, the older kids hung out with the older kids, while the younger kids hung out with the younger kids, but when we all got together for group activities, we were all one group, and more importantly, we were all one group that got on well. That's not to say that we were all perfect angels...in fact, I can recall being a bit bratty in my younger days. But, that's par for the course. I mean, we were all kids once, right? Certainly going from one of the younger kids to five years later being one of the older ones...it definitely was quite a ride.

And, the park program was FUN!

Our camp leaders were always full of energy, and believe me they needed it to keep up with us kids! I don't remember all their names, but I do know a few. I guess Rebekah was one of the earliest ones I remember. Of course, I had known Rebekah for years prior, as she was one of my sister's best friends. Actually, speaking of which, my sister was also a program leader during the John Knox summer of '91, which was for the most part good (except when she caught me acting out...LOL). There was Elizabeth, who was probably with me for almost the whole run I was there, so she was probably the one I was closest to. I also remember a leader named Justine. The final year I was there, we had Shannon and Jennifer, who were also pretty cool. I can't seem to remember too many male program leaders though, which is a shame. But, the ones I do remember were special in their own way.  Yes, sister...even you.  :p



I guess the things I remember the most about the park program was that every single day was filled with surprises. We had theme weeks (Rock N Roll week, Transportation week, Colour week, etc) where we'd have costume contests and craft projects related to the week's theme. We also had special events based on what day of the week it was. For instance, on Tuesdays, we'd have a guest speaker come in to talk about nature and we'd make nature related crafts and play nature related games. Wednesdays we'd spend the afternoon at the Youth Arena where all six playgrounds would gather together for a mondo arts and crafts session. We'd draw pictures, and do all sorts of crafts like painting soda pop cans green and making them into frog statues (and yes, I still have mine). Thursdays we'd all head up to St. Lawrence Park for swimming. Good times.




We'd even take outings out of town. Annual trips to Crazy Horse at the 1000 Islands Camping Resort (which had a neat waterslide and mini golf course) and Studio 801/Celebrity Sportsworld in Kingston, Ontario (which sadly doesn't exist anymore, I believe) were things we all looked forward to.

Those park program memories are memories that I'll always treasure.



Another high point to look forward to was Riverfest and the Great Balloon Rodeo. The Great Balloon Rodeo was held just outside of town, and much like the name suggested, it was a festival that celebrated hot air balloons. There certainly was a lot of balloons both on the ground and in the air, and of course the kids in town would get toy balloons in all colours to play with. Of course, I hated balloons when they popped, so I never got any. There were also rides like the Scrambler and the Tilt-A-Whirl that one could ride on. Sadly, the festival is no longer in operation, which is a shame.

And then there's Riverfest. Only those people who would have grown up in the Leeds/Grenville area would have known what Riverfest used to be like, but let me tell you, it was so much fun.

For starters, it only cost $5 to get in for the entire TEN-DAY festival. Nowadays, it costs four times that much for a quarter of that length of time. But, back in the day, the cost was well worth it.

You got in with the annual Riverfest buttons. Here are a few examples of the buttons below:
 

As far back as I can remember, each year, the buttons were a different colour to prevent people from reusing them from year to year, though I could be mistaken. You will also notice that there is a 5-digit number on the bottom of the button. Every day, they'd draw a number at random at the CFJR booth for a prize. The final day of the festival had the best prize...usually a weekend getaway. I never won the button prizes, but I DID win a prize pack from a local restaurant years ago in a ballot box drawing. (The restaurant later closed down).

Sadly, the last year I can remember them using buttons was in 1995 (I've saved some of the old buttons, and 1995 is the most recent one I have). The next year, they used wristbands, which in my opinion was a substandard replacement...but anything to cut costs, I suppose.

Anyway, once you had your button, you were free to partake in any of the activities Riverfest had to offer. There were buskers down at Block House. Fireworks for Canada Day. The annual Riverfest parade on King Street. Sidewalk sales. Carnival midways. The whole nine yards.



The entertainment was very impressive, and I have to hand it to Brockville, back in the day, they did get some big names. Back in the day, I remember them having a lot of country acts like Crystal Gayle, Eddie Rabbitt, and Tommy Hunter...which seemed to please my parents moreso than me. But, then, we also had April Wine, Jann Arden, and the Barenaked Ladies, who I saw for Riverfest '96...or maybe it was '97...I can't remember. It was before their U.S. breakout in 1998...that much I know. Even recently, we have had Theory Of A Deadman, Hedley, INXS, and Finger Eleven come to Riverfest to perform.

Summertime in Brockville back in the day was awesome. It's just a real crying shame that summers in Brockville these days don't seem to be a good as they once were. I honestly feel sorry for children who live here now.

The park program that I used to attend as a kid no longer runs. I think 1995 was the last full year of it, and by then I was too old to attend. A shame too, because that would have been an awesome summer job for me, and then it would have been one of those full circle type things, where the kid grew up to be a counselor.

In fact, it seems to me that there aren't a lot of opportunities for kids to actually be kids in Brockville anymore. The park program is no more. St. Lawrence Park's waterfront seems to be closed more days than it is open. Riverfest had a great run for almost three decades, but the people of this community seem to have given up on that. I suppose we always have RibFest, a festival in which people can (and often do) eat as many portions of ribs, chicken, and blooming onions as they can possibly scarf down, but even that festival can get old. No wonder the kids in this town seem to be so restless. Aside from an outing at Walmart, there's not a whole lot for them to do in this town. It's very sad.

I wish there was at least a way to recapture some of the magic that I experienced during my summers here as a kid and bring it to some of the kids today. I think they deserve to have the summer that I grew up having.

And this leads to THURSDAY CONFESSION #26, which this video best explains.



Yes...the old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be. But, at the same time, I'm not going to let the lack of things to do in this town stop me from enjoying this summer. Besides, my friend who is visiting me in August has plotted and schemed to make sure that she gets me to see more good about the place I call home.

I accept the challenge, Sharyn D. Bring it on.