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bigdcaldavis2000
Reviews
Super Size Me (2004)
Interesting but biased view of American eating habits
Spurlock definitely drives the point across that the fast food industry - well, the American food industry in general - is pure crap.
However, I would have loved to have seen some insight from respected scientists such as Betty Martini and Mary Enig. However, Martini's and Enig's pro-saturated fats and anti-soy stances would have been contrary to Spurlock's message of "fat is bad" and Spurlock's vegan lifestyle, so naturally their views would not have been welcome in this film unless they were to have been lumped in with Big Food. (It should be noted that there are a multitude of documented research that suggests that soy may actually cause cancer.) I also noticed in the film Margo Wootan of the Center for Science in the Public Interest was also in the film. I respect CSPI in some ways for the information that they put out, however from my research I have discovered that CSPI also engages in some disinformation - especially their "The Truth About Trans" article from the March 1988 Nutrition Action newsletter - which really disappoints me, and some other CSPI stances disappoint me. CSPI prides itself in being nicknamed the "food police," but that doesn't stop CSPI from receiving biotech funding from the Rockefeller Foundation to pimp for Monsanto's genetically-modified foods and Monsanto's rBGH growth hormone in cow milk - both of which are by the way fully endorsed by Big Food's front group, the Center for Consumer Freedom. CCF's website is full of "anti-organic" and "pro-GMO" propaganda.
I respect Spurlock for putting out an entertaining film. However, I do wish that he had put out a more thorough message which would have exposed all of the "dirty players in the game." But I guess I have to be satisfied with the information that he put out, and I am satisfied with what he put out. I just hope that sometime in the future he expands on "Super Size Me" with more thorough research, investigation, and information.
High Rollers (1974)
The only show to offer a $10,000 antique fishbowl.
The fishbowl that I mentioned above was one of the prizes offered on the infamous series finale of the late 1970s version of High Rollers. I say "infamous" because it is rumored that Alex Trebek was either drunk or high while making said series finale. Among the zany things Alex said in this episode was "Stayin' alive with the Bee Gees" (most likely referring to a good roll of the dice), "Many moon come...a niner" (most likely referring to a roll of 9 on the dice), "We're gonna add something to it...fish" (referring to the fishbowl), "You lost the fishbowl" (once again referring to the fishbowl), and the classic "Seven-ahhh!!!" (most likely referring to a roll of 7 on the dice).
Overall the show itself was pretty good, but the series finale gives it a kind of cult status.
Seiken densetsu (1991)
One of the best games for the Game Boy!
There were not many RPGs or Action RPGs available for the Game Boy, but what RPGs there were on the Game Boy are some of the best available for the system. Seiken Densetsu was the first in the "Tree Of Mana" series by SquareSoft, and it is one of the best games available for ANY system. This game has a similar playing style to the NES, SNES, and Game Boy "Legend Of Zelda" series. The graphics in this game, although monochrome (since this was released during the days of the original monochrome Game Boy), are beautiful. Nobue Uematsu, the composer of the music for the Final Fantasy series, doesn't let down in the music compartment...the music is downright beautiful considering how limiting the sound hardware of the Game Boy was. Controls are flawless. My only gripe is the difficulty of the "boss" characters...they're too easy to beat.
The Newlywed Game (1977)
In the [blank], Bob!
I love the show more now than I did at this time last year when GSN played The Newlywed Game about 15 times a day. My 2 favorite episodes are :
1. The infamous "Hank and Olga Perez" episode from 1977. It was "Maternity Day" on this episode. One of the questions was for the ladies : "Where is the weiiiiirdest place you've ever gotten the urge to make whoopee?" resulted in one of the funniest (and probably embarassing for Olga) moments in TV history. Her answer was "in the a**". Hank (Olga's husband) completely lost it, as did the studio audience. The Perez's eventually ended up with the most points at the end of the show and won the show's grand prize. For years Eubanks would deny the phrase ever happened and even offered a $10,000 bounty for anybody who could prove it existed, but on the Game Show's Most Outrageous Moments special shown on NBC in 2002, he finally confirmed its existence.
2. Another one of the funniest moments happened on another 1977 edition. One of the couples was an elderly couple named the Bergs (Charlie and Edie). If you were ever looking for a real-life Archie and Edith Bunker, all you had to do was look at the Bergs. The question which caused this episode to be an unforgetable one was : "Ladies, how would your husbands complete this phrase : My husbank is a closet blank?". Most of the ladies predicted their husbands would say "freak" and "case", but Edie's answer of "queen" caused everybody in the studio (even Bob Eubanks) to bust out in laughter. When the husbands came back to guess what the wives predicted, Charlie said "case". Eubanks told Charlie to "brace yourself", and when Charlie found out what his wife said...his expression was priceless. To say he was embarassed would probably be an understatement. However, the Bergs ended up being the couple with the most points at the end of the show and won the grand prize.
There are other funny moments on the show, but these two instances will always be considered the two funniest moments in the entire 36 year history of the show.
Chain Reaction (1980)
Fun but short-lived game
"Chain Reaction" can be best-described as "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" for the early 1980s, although the game had nothing to do with Bacon. The object of the main game was to connect the top word to the bottom word. You had to start from the bottom or top and work your way until either the puzzle is finished or if someone accumulates 50 points, which wins the game.
Two three-member teams competed. Each consisted of two celebrities and a contestant. Order of turn: celeb #1, player, celeb #2, repeat.
The board opened to reveal eight blank spaces. Only the top and bottom words of the chain were revealed in their entirety.
The team of challengers went first. On a member's turn, s/he could ask for the first (or next) letter below the revealed top word or above the revealed bottom word; the letter revealed. If the member correctly guesses the word, it is revealed completely and the team is awarded one point per letter; if it was a double score word (denoted by a "+"), value was two points per. Otherwise, control of the chain goes to the other team.
Game continues until one team scores 50 points. If no one reaches 50 by the time all eight words are revealed, they play another chain. The player of the winning team receeves $250 (later changed to $100), and goes to the bonus game.
The original bonus game went like this : The player was given 60 seconds to turn $1 into $10,000. The object was to give eight correct answers in a minutes. Every time a player answered correctly, half of a zero lit up on a scoreboard. Every other right answer fully lit up a zero. Deemed too hard to win, this version of the bonus round lasted only a week.
After the first week, the mission was nine in 90 building on $0 and working to $10,000. The first correct answer was worth $1. Each of the next three added a full zero. At $1,000, each correct answer was worth an additional $1,000. At $5,000, the ninth and final correct answer doubled the money to $10,000. Assuming you answered more than half of the celebs' questions correctly, this was a bit too easy to gain a very respectable cash prize.
The third version of the bonus round went like this : The object of the bonus game is to turn $0 into $10,000 in 90 seconds. One- or two-word answers are displayed on the celebrities' secret screens. The celebrities alternate one word at a time building on a likely question to that answer. To put the proverbial question mark on the question, one player sounds the bell on the table and the player responds. If s/he responds correctly, s/he is awarded $100. Ten correct answers in 90 seconds pays $10,000.
The final version of the bonus round went like this : The object of the bonus game is to turn $100 into $10,000 in 90 seconds. One- or two-word answers are displayed on the celebrities' secret screens. The celebrities alternate one word at a time building on a likely question to that answer. To put the proverbial question mark on the question, one player sounds the bell on the table and the player responds. If s/he responds correctly, s/he is awarded $100. Nine correct answers in 90 seconds pays $10,000.
The "New Chain Reaction" (which debuted in 1986 in first-run syndication) played the same as the 1980 version except that there were no celebrities, and there were two players per team. Usually the teams consisted of married couples. A new feature in this version was a "pass or play" option. Each word in the first chain was worth 10 points (except for the final word, which was worth double), in the second chain 20 points, and in the third chain 30 points. First team to 200 won the game and played for a jackpot that began at $3000 (later $2000) and increased by $1000 until won.
In the bonus round, a standard chain was shown to the players, and the players alternated guessing the words. If a contestant answered incorrectly, a letter would be added to the word, and they 'lost' a letter from their tally. The tally began at 9 letters.
In January 1991, the show became the "$40,000 Chain Reaction". The team element was eliminated and one contestant played the game in an attempt to be the weekly champ and win $7500. The bonus round was a three word chain and offered $300 if a contestant solved the chain with one letter in the middle word, $200 with two letters revealed, and $100 with three letters revealed.
The top players came back to play in a tournament, and the winner of the finals (500 points were needed to win!) won $40,000. The finals were held on the final episode in December 1991.
Blake Emmons was the original host of the "New Chain Reaction", but he was replaced during the first season by veteran emcee Geoff Edwards (of "Treasure Hunt" and "Starcade"). Coincidentally, Geoff Edwards substituted for Bill Cullen for one week of the original series while Cullen substituted for an ill Allen Ludden on "Password Plus".
Classic Queen (1992)
The 2nd U.S. installment of Queen's music videos
A Kind Of Magic - Interesting video. Brian, Roger, and John play hobos, and along comes Freddie the magician who uses his magic powers to change Brian, Roger, & John into clean people and musicians. Includes vivid computer-generated animation. Directed by Russel Mulcahy. The only video to feature Brian May with facial hair (in this case, a mustache).
Bohemian Rhapsody - This is the "Wayne's World" version. Includes bits from the original BoRhap video, some concert footage from Earls Court in 1976 and Wembley Stadium in 1986, and of course clips from the "Wayne's World" movie. The ending shot of Queen is from the intro of their "One Vision" video. Original version directed by Bruce Gowers, but I think Penelope Spherris directed this version.
Under Pressure - Interesting video. Neither Queen not David Bowie were in this video as they had other committments at the time. Most clips are from the silent movies era, but there are a few clips of lots of explosions and then-recent developments in the world concerning war. Directe by David Mallett.
Hammer To Fall - A Queen performance video shot before one of their concerts from their 1984 "The Works" tour. Directed by David Mallett.
Stone Cold Crazy - Not quite a performance video, but most of the footage is of Queen's performance of the song at a 1974 concert at The Rainbow Theatre in London. Directed by ? (possibly The Torpedo Twins, aka DoRo).
One Year Of Love - A clip video featuring clips of Queen videos, Queen concerts, Freddie Mercury videos (especially "I Was Born to Love You" and "Made In Heaven"), and clips from the "Highlander" movie. Directed by DoRo (The Torpedo Twins).
Radio Ga-Ga - Interesting video featuring clips of Fritz Lang's classic 1927 silent film masterpiece "Metropolis". Also features the now-famous clapping chorus. Word is that the extras (the fans, who were recruited from the Queen Fan Club) got the clapping part "down pat" almost immediately, but it took a while for Queen to get it right. Video is also known for John Deacon's "planet-sized afro"...you have to see the afro to believe it. Directed by David Mallett.
I'm Going Slightly Mad - Video was shot in B/W in order to hide the fact that Freddie Mercury was dying of AIDS. Mercury also wore tons of makeup, most likely to hide any Karposi's sarcoma spots. Mercury wore two wigs in this video : a black wig and a banana wig. Features Brian May in a penguin costume. Also includes a real penguin who took a dump on the leather sofa. And includes a man in a gorilla suit (rumored to be Elton John). Directed by DoRo.
I Want It All - Performance video shot in Los Angeles. The first video to feature Freddie with a 1980s George Michael-style beard (rumor is he grew the beard because he was getting black spots on his face from his disease). Directed by Davis Mallett.
Tie Your Mother Down - A performance video shot before a concert in Nassau, Bahamas...no crowd in this one. Directed by Bruce Gowers.
The Miracle - Interesting performance video featuring 4 young boys performing as the members of Queen. Even the young Freddie, a then-unknown Ross McCall, looked the part, complete with a wig and leotards (for 1970s Freddie) and the infamous mustache (for 1980s Freddie). The real members of Queen show up in the end. After the kids finished their take, Freddie Mercury asked them if they would tour for the band as Queen's touring days ended 3 years prior. Directed by DoRo.
These Are The Days Of Our Lives - Inferior to the original British version. Includes parts of the original British video and animation from the Buena Vista company. Directed by DoRo.
One Vision - Basically footage of Queen recording the song at Musicland Studios in Germany. The first Queen video to be directed by DoRo.
Keep Yourself Alive - Includes footage of a Queen "lipsync" performance on "The old Grey Whistle Test" and vintage clips of a Harry S. Truman campaign ad. Directed by ?
Headlong - A cross between a performance video, an in-the-studio video, and a music video. Includes a performance part, an in-the-studio part, and an original part of Queen lying in some bookshelf-type thing parallel to the floor. Directed by DoRo.
Who Wants To Live Forever - A performance video featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Featuring almost 1,000 candles, a boys' choir, Freddie in a tux, Roger Taylor in casual clothing (and rumored drunk), and John Deacon playing a double bass (bass fiddle). Directed by David Mallett.
The Show Must Go On - Clip video including footage from concerts and recent videos such as "Scandal", "The Invisible Man", "The Miracle", "I Want It All", "Breakthru", and "Innuendo". Among the clips from videos are clips from the music video "Back Chat" which is not availale on any official Queen video (rumored to by on a "bootleg" video of Queen videos). Directed by DoRo.
Whew! (1979)
Good show
"Whew!" was a fast-paced game show that aired on CBS from 1979 until 1980. The game consisted of two contestants. One contestant was the "charger", while the other was the "blocker". It was the charger's responsibility to "charge" up the game board by answering at least one blooper per level within 60 seconds(there were six levels on the board). The first five levels had dollar amounts from $10 to $50, while the sixth level had a $250 spot, a $350 spot, and a $500 spot. The blocker's responsibility was to place strategic blocks on the board. They could place up to 6 blocks, with a maximum of 3 blocks per level on levels 1-5, but only 1 block on level 6. If a charger picks a blocked spot, they get a 5 second penalty, and that money would be credited to the blocker, however the blocker could only win the credited money if the charger lost the round. If the charger successfully completes all 6 levels, they win the round and the money they accumulated. If the charger is not doing good and running short on time, they could yell "Longshot!", which would freeze the clock and move them straight to the 6th level, and the blocker would place a block on one of the level 6 spots (it was possible to have 2 blocked spots on the 6th level if one of the blocker's 6 blocks was placed on the 6th level). In the Longshot, if the charger answers the blooper incorrectly or if they pick a blocked spot, the blocker wins the round automatically, but if the charger answers the blooper correctly, they win the round automatically. In the event of a 1-1 tie, a coin toss decides who blocks and who charges. The first contestant to win 2 rounds wins the championship and goes on to the "Gauntlet Of Villians" bonus round. In the bonus round, they had to answer all 10 bloopers before time runs out. If they do, they win $25,000, and retire (this show was during CBS' $25,000 winnings limit). The contestant had 60 seconds plus 1 second per $100 they won in the main game, so if they won $1,430 in the main game, they would have 74 seconds to "run the Gauntlet" (60 seconds plus 14 seconds). In the Gauntlet, Tom Kennedy read the blooper (unlike the main game where the blooper was seen on the trilons, the bloopers were only heard in the Gauntlet). The contestant had to answer the blooper correctly (and in time) to advance to the next villian. If they were incorrect or fail to answer, a buzzer would sound and the blooper would appear on the villian's "Telly Belly" (the TV monitor on the villian). If the contestant failed to win the $25,000, they would win $100 for every villian they beat. After the seven day run by Howard Wilson where he eventually beat the gauntlet for total winnings of over $35,000, CBS instituted a new rule which stated that contestants had to retire after running the gauntlet 5 times, whether or not they won the $25,000. After several months due to dismal ratings, celebrity partners were added, and shortly after that, "Whew!" was cancelled. Randy Amasia's own site has a much more detailed description of the show, along with his adventure on the show (Randy was a contestant on the show and defeated the Gauntlet on his first try for total winnings of $26,100).