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The Fairly OddParents: Channel Chasers (2003)
One of the funniest TV parodies since SNL.
If you're a fan of comedy, and a fan of television, and especially a fan of "The Fairly Odd Parents", then "Channel Chasers" is for you. This special 90-minute episode of "The Fairly Odd Parents" is one of my favorite episodes of the entire series, largely because of the television spoofs. It also gives a little lesson on the facts of life (and no, I'm not talking about the Norman Lear sitcom), but I can't tell you exactly what happens; you'll have to see it for yourself. And more likely than not, you'll enjoy it, especially if you enjoy seeing television being spoofed, and the shows were spoofed real well, something rivaled only by Saturday Night Live.
Fun House (1988)
We're Going to the Fun House!
In the wake of the success of Nickelodeon's game show slop fest called "Double Dare", Bob Synes and Scott Stone, producers of the groundbreaking "$1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime", broke more ground with "Fun House", the messiest game show ever shown in syndication. If none of the stations in your market aired the show, you could catch it on "Chicago's Very Own" super station, WGN, that is, if you had cable. Getting back to the show, it was given a hip, youthful look, unlike the big money, tight security look of "$1M COAL". It featured a college-aged host named J.D. Roth (this would prove to be his best work), cheerleaders to support each team (Samantha "Sammi" Forrest supported the Red team; her twin sister, Jacqueline "Jackie" Forrest supported the Gold team), an exciting announcer in John "Tiny" Hurley, great synthesized-rock hybrid theme music by Score Productions (who provided the $1M COAL music), and a marvelous set, designed for messy stunts, the awesome Grand Prix race, and of course, the little thing known as the Fun House, filled with obstacles galore, crate loads of cash, and a plethora of prizes--which of those cash/prize tags was the Power Prize? Fun House was one of the best syndicated children's game shows of all-time...okay, it was probably THE best, considering that there weren't too many successful children's game shows made for syndication! When you ask people if they remember "Fun House", many would tell you about the people, but I personally remember the Whitewater Slide that went to the pool. That was one of the hundreds of ways to go in the Fun House, and I think that was a great idea, having its participants go their own way; Stone-Stanley believed in the policy that "the choices are yours and yours alone." The funny thing is that Stone-Stanley did quite well when it came to children's game shows, but not as well when it came to adult game shows! (The only exception is "$1M COAL", but that was before the Stone-Stanley name was established!) But of all the game shows they've done, "Fun House" will forever stand out as their best game show. It was the only show where they would put together silly stunts, crazy races and a massive, magnificent obstacle course and target them to those who handle them best--preteens. Too bad this show didn't last as long as it deserved (unlike "Shop 'til You Drop", which lasted longer than it deserved), or else Stone-Stanley's potential would really have been known. I hope that "Fun House" is rerun again (like on GSN or some other network), and in the words of J.D. Roth, "I hope your house is a fun house!"
The Incredibles (2004)
"That's Incredible!"
Prior to seeing "The Incredibles", I had not been to the movies in two years, and I have never seen a movie in the theaters by myself. But, when I decided to see "The Incredibles" the night before Thanksgiving 2004, needless to say, I made a great choice.
In fact, "The Incredibles" had piqued my interest long before it hit the theaters; I have had a slight interest in superheroes since I was about five or six years old. Surely, I would vaguely be taken in a way by a film about a superhero, but a family of superheroes? Now, THAT sounds like something I shouldn't miss! And I didn't miss out; I went, and was impressed with the results. It consists of almost every genre known to the movies: a lot of action, adventure and drama, a little bit of comedy and horror, a good deal of sci-fi and suspense, a killer music score, and even a little "dash" of romance. Great voice work featuring the talents of Craig T. Nelson (TV's "Coach"), Holly Hunter ("Raising Arizona"), Samuel L. Jackson ("Pulp Fiction") and Jason Lee (the View Askew films and later of TV's "My Name is Earl") among others, as well as the storyline, the direction of animation veteran Brad Bird, and, of course, the slick and stylish computer animation that looks and appears so real, and the quality of it that just says Pixar.
As for what happens in the film itself...well, I can't tell you. You'll have to see it for yourself. And just remember this piece of advice: If it's from Pixar, it's gotta be good. And "The Incredibles" is absolutely no exception. If this comment was helpful along with the reviews, and if you see the film for yourself, you will end up saying, "That's incredible!"
Tic Tac Dough (1990)
What were they thinking?
When Dan Enright (Jack Barry had died six years before) and Kline and Friends decided to bring back The Joker's Wild and Tic Tac Dough in 1990, needless to say, they failed in more ways than one. Between the two, TTD90 was the worst one. The set was cheap (one large video screen instead of nine smaller video screens? Heck, the podiums were even smaller than on its predecessor!), the music was stupid (the composer was, of all people, Henry Mancini; he has done better), the format of tie games was bad (why was the pot reset back to zero anyway?), the bonus game stunk (Making a tic-tac-dough with your choice of X or O? What happened to the "various amounts of money, a Tic, a Tac, and the dragon"? And why on earth did the dragon and dragonslayer do some rapping? Obviously, Simon Bar Sinister Cowell would've hated it as much as the viewers hated it!), and of course, there was the host (Patrick Wayne's constant yelling of "YOU'RE RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!", "YOU BLOOOOOOOOOOCK!" and, most humiliatingly, "YOU WIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNN!" would have made his father, movie legend John Wayne, and Jack Barry, turn over in their graves). Did five-game winners even win a car? I don't think they did. It all adds up to the worst revival in game show history. If you ever come across an episode of TTD90, I have five words for you: WATCH AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Barney & Friends (1992)
Don't tell me THIS show is still airing!
I don't get it. I just don't get it. "Barney and Friends" has been lambasted by millions through the years, and I will admit, I was one of those lambasters. Any child who watches this show doesn't realize that what they're watching is just a piece of trash. Barney is very annoying, and very selfish. Add Baby Bop, and it gets even worse. Add B.J., then you have a very creepy television nightmare. Then, you get the children. They're old enough to know what Barney is trying to teach them! What are they doing there in the first place? It would be funny if Barney and his friends appeared on the Jerry Springer show. That would certainly be one of the wildest moments in television history! Even more significant is that this show marked the beginning of the end of public television as we knew it, as we have seen less and less of the more informational and interesting public television programs that aired in the 1970s and the 1980s. What a BIG difference a selfish son of a gun makes. When this show leaves PBS, a big sigh of relief will be felt among millions of people, but a huge dent will have been made in the annals of television history. A message to Barney himself: You may not realize it, but YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED.
In a nutshell, there are other choices. Better choices.
The Jerry Springer Show (1991)
Don't tell me THIS show is still airing!
If you think that Barney & Friends has been on the air ten years longer than it should have aired, I have news for you: Barney is only the tip of the iceberg, only scratching the surface. Only one other show has aired ten years more than it should have: the Jerry Springer show. What with all its fights and foul language, along with mature content, it definitely appears to be "too hot for TV", but what do they do? THEY SHOW IT ANYWAY! I think that they really go to the extreme, but they have not come up with my suggestion: Have Barney the Dinosaur appear on the show! Then, bring in Baby Bop and B.J., as well as some of his former "friends" who really didn't like him, and then have a fight break out! I think it would look very funny, seeing Barney tossed around all over the place! In other words, Barney would be perfect material for Jerry Springer, because he's made of "great green gobs of greasy, grimy gopher guts!" Material like that is what I call bad television. Why are many people watching this show, anyway? Television keeps getting worse by the minute because of content-filled shows like this! There are several great choices for children to watch, but keep them away from Barney. The same thing applies to adults, because there are several great choices for them to watch, and Jerry Springer's show is not one of them. If you happen to appear on the show, I have two words of advice for you: CONTROL YOURSELF!!!!!
Pinocchio (1940)
A true classic
Three years after coming out with his greatest work ever, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", Walt Disney came out with another one of his greatest works, "Pinocchio". This was the first movie I ever watched, and I must say it was the best; sure, there were better movies that I had seen, but none of them had the familiarity that Pinocchio gave to me. It gave us a lesson, telling us that those who are good get rewarded. It was also the film that introduced us to the world-famous Disney anthem, "When You Wish Upon a Star." This film is yet another example of Disney at his finest.
My score: 10 out of 10. In stars, it's a 4-star film. ****
South Park (1997)
Sometimes it tends to grow on you...
Yes, "South Park" has survived all those negative reviews and comments from many people, including myself, but other than all that foul language and mature content (some people might not handle such content until they are old enough to live in a retirement home), there is the theme song. If I was to watch at least one part of it, it would be the opening sequence,because I like the theme song; it, like, spoofs the themes from "The Beverly Hillbillies", "Petticoat Junction", and "Green Acres"! Currently, the theme sounds more like those themes than ever before, especially the "Petticoat Junction" theme. BTW, the first season recording sounds a little like it has a carillon in the background, a la "Always Something There to Remind Me". So, if you want to watch "South Park", unless you can tolerate mature content, don't watch the actual show itself, just the opening sequence.
BTW, I personally didn't like the show at first, but after about a decade, it has grown on me. People my age come to appreciate the rude and crude adult humor that the team of Parker and Stone have come out with, and I've taken a good laugh from them. Older people (like my older relatives) wouldn't appreciate the stuff that "South Park" has to offer, and they make a good point. It's just that what is right for some people isn't right for others. But no matter what I thought of the show itself, before or after, disdain or just-for-laughs, this is one of the shows that always gives me something to laugh at when I feel like it.
"Oh, my God! They killed Kenny!"
Fernwood 2 Night (1977)
A piece of Ohio, no matter how you slice it.
"Fernwood 2-Night", a spinoff of "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman", was set in Fernwood, Ohio, and its three stars all had ties to Northeast Ohio--Martin Mull (Barth Gimble) grew up in North Ridgeville, Fred Willard (Jerry Hubbard) was born and raised in Shaker Heights, and Frank DeVol (Happy Kyne) grew up in Canton. So without a doubt, there was a strong tie to Ohio with a show set in Ohio. Oh, BTW, it's funny. I remember seeing it on Nick at Nite around 1990, and during the first half of the decade, it was one of only two sources from which I remembered Martin Mull; the other one, of course, was the Red Roof Inn commercials.
Anyway, it's a funny show, lampooning "The Tonight Show", among others. Both sidekicks had standard opening spiels ("And now, your host and mine, Mr. Barth Gimble!", and "And now, Heeeeeeeeeeere's Johnny!"), and they even had still images for the bumpers a la Carson! If you have a chance, check it out. You'll enjoy it, like I did, and you don't have to be an Ohioan to enjoy it!
The People's Court (1981)
Great show, great music
When I watched "The People's Court" from 1993 through 1994, and again from 1995 through 1996, I tuned in not especially for Judge Joe Wapner, reporter Doug Llewelyn, or bailiff Rusty Burrell. I tuned in because I really liked its theme song. Okay, you don't have to like the theme song to like this show. Wapner was a tough judge, Llewelyn was not too rowdy when interviewing the litigants, and Burrell was not much of a distraction. I really like the show's theme music, composed by Allan Tew, especially when the piccolo played when the camera zoomed in on the show's logo at the beginning to finish off the "What you are witnessing is real..." spiel. If only this show would be rerun again, and if it was, it would most likely be on Court TV; but for now, I'll have to settle for "Judge Judy". Give kudos to Ralph Edwards and Stu Billett for this show, the talent, and, of course, great theme music.
Mitchell (1975)
Don't watch it alone.
This film is definitely not one of the highlights of Joe Don Baker's career. If you really want to watch this disaster of a film, never, Never, NEVER watch it without MST3K. Then again, you could be annoyed by how many times they say the word "Mitchell".