Saturday, December 18, 2010

TOTO, WE’RE NOT IN KANSAS - SUPERCUT

 

 

Rich at Four Four presents the "Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore" supercut! 

A full list of the movies and TV shows included in this clip are below. Supercut spoiler alert!

    1. The Wizard of Oz
    2. Sex and the City 2
    3. Spring Break
    4. South Beach Academy
    5. Entourage
    6. Talons of the Eagle
    7. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
    8. Population 436
    9. Inkheart
    10. Highway to Hell
    11. Crocodile
    12. Passport to Paris
    13. New York Minute
    14. The Ben Stiller Show
    15. Married...with Children
    16. Stargate SG-1
    17. Criminal Minds
    18. Captain Planet and the Planeteers
    19. Sliders
    20. Grey's Anatomy
    21. Ghosts of the Abyss
    22. Brothers at War
    23. Mysterious Skin
    24. Swingers
    25. Fat Actress
    26. Spiders
    27. The Man with the Screaming Brain
    28. Blonde Ambition
    29. Lifepod
    30. Supernatural
    31. Lois and Clark
    32. Pretender
    33. Supergator
    34. Trancers 4
    35. Camp Slaughter
    36. Vamp
    37. Alien Species
    38. Sailor Moon
    39. Swamp Thing
    40. Iron Eagle II
    41. Little Shop of Horrors
    42. The Matrix
    43. Fanscape
    44. Smallville
    45. Jack of All Trades
    46. Avatar
    47. Volcano
    48. CSI: Miami
    49. Real Time with Bill Maher
    50. Happy Town
    51. Gilmore Girls
    52. Bones
    53. Scooby Doo and the Loch Ness Monster
    54. Anamaniacs
    55. America's Next Top Model
    56. Ugly Betty
    57. Shutter Island
    58. Stargate SG-1

JUST FOR FUN …

 

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The test for the strength of the springs?

CHRISTMAS MOVIE TRIVIA … MEET ME IN ST LOUIS

 

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1.    Vincente Minnelli and Judy Garland met on this movie, and married soon afterwards. Minnelli was the director for the film. Garland claimed she married him because she felt extremely beautiful during the film.
2.    Director Vincente Minnelli worked hard to make the movie as accurate to the times as possible. Not only did its novelist, Sally Benson, give explicit directions as to the decor of her home down to the last detail, but the movie's costume designer took inspiration for many of the movies costumes right out of the Sears & Roebuck, Montgomery Ward, and Marshall Fields catalogs from the time period.

3.    Judy Garland recorded "The Trolley Song" in a single take. "The Trolley Song" was inspired by a caption in a book about the history of St. Louis. The book had a page with a picture of a turn-of-the-century trolley car, captioned "Clang! Clang! Clang! went the jolly little trolley."

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4.    The success of the film had encouraged MGM to create further movies involving the Smith family and was to be based on further tales of Sally Benson's family. MGM wanted to make sort of a deluxe color group of serials in the spirit of the popular "Andy Hardy" series. A proposed sequel titled "Meet Me in Manhattan" was in the works in which the Smith family actually moved to New York. (This happened in real life to Sally Benson's family.) However, the project never got out of planning stages and the film was never made.

5.    Judy Garland scoffed at the idea of portraying yet another teenager (she was 21 when filming began) and wanted nothing to do with the film. Her mother even went to MGM chief Louis B. Mayer on her behalf. However, Vincente Minnelli convinced her to play the part of Esther Smith, and Judy later fell in love with the story. In her later years she considered it one of her favorite roles.

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6.    "The Trolley Song" was ranked #26 and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" was ranked #72 by the American Film Institute in 2004 on the 100 Greatest Songs in American Films list.  In "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", Judy Garland refused to sing the grim original line, "Have yourself a merry little Christmas, it may be your last" to little Margaret O'Brien. The line was dropped from the final version of the song.

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7.    The street on which the Smith home stood was built specifically for "Meet Me in St. Louis." Located on MGM's vast Backlot #3 that was at Jefferson and Overland Boulevards in Culver City,it was known at the studio as "St. Louis Street" and all of the houses that were on it were used in various film and television shows throughout the next 27 years, until Lot 3 was demolished to make way for an apartment and condominium project. Even in 1970, the last year of Lot 3's existence, the Smith home still looked like it did in 1944, minus the set dressings, of course.

8.    The Broadway stage version of "Meet Me In St. Louis" opened at the George Gershwin Theatre on November 2, 1989, ran for 252 performances and for nominated for the 1990 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Book and Score.

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9.    Also going on at the time of the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition were the Third Summer Olympic Games. They were the first Olympic Games to be held in the United States. Originally awarded to Chicago, President Theodore Roosevelt had the Games switched to St. Louis so that they would run at the same time as the World's Fair. This turned out to be a huge mistake. The Games merely became a side attraction to the fair's other events and turned out to be a first class disaster. They took nearly six months to complete and were very poorly run. Many competitors went to their graves without knowing that they had competed in the Olympics. As a result of these Games, the Olympic movement almost came to an end.

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10.    The 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition has been claimed by some to be the birthplace of the ice cream cone.

 

TRIVIA BITS ... SPELEOLOGIST

 

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A speleologist studies caves.

MOVIE NEWS … NEW SUPERMAN MOVIE

 

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New "Superman" movie which will be directed by Zack Snyder continues shaping up with possible start date and shooting location. The Globe and Mail says the film will be shot in Vancouver, Canada and the production will likely begin in 2011 summer, which is in line with previous report mentioning the movie would start shooting in June next year.

"[Zack Snyder's] next feature's coming here," Peter Leitch, chair of the Motion Picture Production Industry Association of BC and president of North Shore Studios and Mammoth Studios, says as quoted by the site. While Leitch won't name "The Man of Steel" as the project he means, a source confirms that the next "Superman" movie will be filmed in Vancouver.

QUEEN OF SOUL GOES HOME

 

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The Queen of Soul is happy to be home.

Aretha Franklin, who underwent "highly successful" surgery for an undisclosed ailment on Dec. 2 – and is reported to have pancreatic cancer – was discharged from a Detroit hospital earlier this week, according to a statement released Wednesday.

"I've been at home for almost three days now," says Franklin, 68, in the statement. "My family and friends who brought me home are taking great care of me. I also have a private nurse who visits on a daily basis."

The singer is also optimistic about being out and about soon.

"I'm hoping to be strong enough to go out and see the upcoming Sam Cooke play at the Music Hall in downtown Detroit before Jan. 2, as well as a performance of Dreamgirls at the FOX before it closes," she says.

"The Queen of Soul is in great spirits and very happy to be home where she will be resting in anticipation of spending the upcoming holiday season with her family," her rep adds in the statement.

Despite the grim prognosis for pancreatic cancer patients, Franklin's supporters remain optimistic.

The singer "has a long life in front of her and will be back in concert, on stage, late spring or early summer," her cousin Brenda Corbett told the Detroit Free Press.

Franklin's rep has not commented on the nature of the singer's ailment.

US TARDY CITIES

 

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The US capital has earned the title of the tardiest city in America, based on a survey by the Bulova Corporation and “Wired” magazine.

Many DCers try to be on time. Forty-percent say they set their clocks and watches ten minutes earlier than the actual time in an effort to help with appointments, but still end up arriving late.

New York City ranks second on the list. But the poll also shows that New Yorkers are the least worried about getting to professional meetings at the designated start time. Many Big Apple residents refer to themselves as being “fashionably late” or “just on time.”

The Top Ten Tardiest U.S. Cities:


1. Washington, DC
2. New York City, New York
3. Boston, Massachusetts
4. Cleveland, Ohio
5. Chicago, Illinois
6. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
7. Seattle, Washington
8. Tampa, Florida
9. San Francisco, California
10. Orlando, Florida

COOL PICTURES

 

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GEORGE MICHAEL A JUDGE ON US X-FACTOR

 

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George Michael has reportedly signed to become a judge on the forthcoming US version of The X Factor.

The ex-Wham! singer, who was released from jail in October after serving half of an eight-week sentence for driving under the influence of drugs and possession of cannabis, has allegedly agreed a £1m deal to join Cheryl Cole on the panel.

A source told The Sun: "George is going to take the job. It's an amazing opportunity to get back in the limelight and reverse his recent bad spell. Simon [Cowell] knows that Americans love him. He is as big in the US as he is [in the UK].

"He is a true star and has the wit and experience for the job. It's the perfect platform to resurrect his career."

It is thought that show boss Cowell met with Michael at his house last month to talk about the role.

The 'Freedom' star sang with Joe McElderry during the 2009 X Factor final.

 

DREAMING OF … OAK TREES

 

Oak trees

To dream of an old, spreading oak means long life and prosperity. If it is filled with acorns you are due for a promotion or some type of increase in your life.

If a newlywed sees many oak trees in a forest it foretells a long marriage and many children.

AMAZING STORIES … SCIENCE FICTION

 

220px-Amazing_Stories,_April_1926._Volume_1,_Number_1First issue of Amazing Stories, art by Frank R. Paul. April 1926

Amazing Stories was an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Before Amazing, science fiction stories had made regular appearances in other magazines, including some published by Gernsback, but Amazing helped define and launch a new genre of pulp fiction.

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NOSEGAYS

 

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NOSEGAY

A nosegay, posey (or posie, posy), flower bouquet or tussie-mussie is a small bunch of flowers, typically given as a gift. They have existed in some form since at least medieval times, when they were carried or worn around the head or bodice to mask the unpleasant smells of the time[citation needed] - literally, to keep the nose gay (to keep the nose happy). In their current form, they rose to popularity during the reign of Queen Victoria, from 1837 onwards, at which time the tussie-mussie became a popular fashion accessory. Typically, tussie-mussies include floral symbolism from the Language of Flowers, and therefore may be used to send a message to the recipient. The language of flowers, sometimes called floriography, was a Victorian-era means of communication in which various flowers and floral arrangements were used to send coded messages, allowing individuals to express feelings which otherwise could not be spoken. This language was most commonly communicated through Tussie-Mussies, an art which has a following today.

LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS:

The nuances of the language are now mostly forgotten, but red roses still imply passionate, romantic love and pink roses a lesser affection; white roses suggest virtue and chastity and yellow roses still stand for friendship or devotion. Also commonly known meanings are sunflowers, which can indicate either haughtiness or respect – they were the favourite flower of St. Julie Billiart for this reason. Gerbera (daisy) means innocence or purity. The iris, being named for the messenger of the gods in Greek mythology, still represents the sending of a message. A pansy signifies thought, a daffodil regard, and a strand of ivy fidelity.

ANIMAL SKETCHES

 

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MADONNA AND CHILD

 

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The Birth of the Virgin

fresco by Juan de Borgoa

Cathedral of Toledo

VINTAGE … CHRISTMAS

 

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BLAKE EDWARDS PASSES

 

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Blake Edwards, a Hollywood master of screwball farces and rude comedies who was probably best known for the "Pink Panther" movies, died Wednesday in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 88.

His publicist Gene Schwam said the death, at St. John’s Health Center, was caused by complications of pneumonia. His wife, the actress Julie Andrews, and other family members were at his side, Mr. Schwam said.

What the critic Pauline Kael once described as Mr. Edwards’s "love of free-for-all lunacy" was flaunted in good movies and bad ones: in commercial successes like "Breakfast at Tiffany’s" (1961) and "The Pink Panther" (1963), the first of a series of films starring Peter Sellers as a bumbling French policeman, and in box-office disasters like the musical spy extravaganza "Darling Lili" (1970), staring his wife, Julie Andrews, and his slapstick tribute to silent-film comedy, "The Great Race" (1965), starring Jack Lemmon as a black-suited villain and Tony Curtis as a white-suited hero.

Mr. Edwards’s last major success, "Victor/Victoria" (1982), was a farce about a starving singer (Ms. Andrews) who pretends to be a homosexual Polish count who masquerades as a female impersonator. Mr. Edwards received an Academy Award nomination for his "Victor/Victoria" screenplay, adapted from a 1933 German film written and directed by Reinhold Schünzel. It was his only Oscar nomination. But he was given an honorary award by the Motion Picture Academy in 2004 for his "extraordinary body of work." That work spanned more than four decades.

QUOTABLES

 

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Friday, December 17, 2010

JUST FOR FUN

 

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VINTAGE … CHRISTMAS

 

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I look at these vintage photographs and wonder about them.

Who is the child?

Where is she now?

Where did she come from?

What is her name?

Whoever you are, little girl, thank you for the joy that you bring at Christmastime as we view your delightful photograph.

CHRISTMAS MOVIE TRIVIA … GREMLINS

 

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· Originally planned and scheduled for a Christmas release, the film was rushed into production shortly after Warner Bros. found out that it had no major competition against Paramount's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) or Columbia's Ghost Busters (1984) for the summer movie season.

· In the original draft of the script, instead of Stripe being a Mogwai who becomes a Gremlin, there was no Stripe the Mogwai and Gizmo was supposed to turn into Stripe the Gremlin. Steven Spielberg overruled this plot element because he felt Gizmo was cute and audiences would want him to be present at all stages of the film. This became stressful for Chris Walas who had designed the Gizmo puppet only for the actions that happened in the first half of the movie.

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· While Rand Peltzer is talking with his wife at the inventor's convention, the machine from The Time Machine (1960) can be seen in the background winding up to full power. The scene cuts to the house, and when we cut back again, the machine has gone, leaving only a wisp of colored smoke.

· Mrs. Deagle, the richest lady in town, has named her cats after different kinds of currency (including Kopeck, Drachma and Dollar Bill).

· The "Rockin' Ricky Rialto" billboard shows a man dressed like Indiana Jones, holding a microphone like a whip, and the "Rockin' Ricky Rialto" logo in the Indiana Jones typeface.

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· While watching Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) on the local cinema, one of the gremlins wears some Mickey Mouse's ears.

· The set for Kingston Falls is the same one used for Back to the Future (1985). Both movies were filmed in the Universal Studios backlot.

· At Dorry's Tavern, one of the gremlins is playing Star Wars (1983).

· The footage of Santa on the roof that Mr. Futterman is watching in his home is of Red Skelton in a Christmas skit from one of his shows.

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· After watching his earlier short films, Steven Spielberg considered Tim Burton to direct the film. But decided against it because at the time Burton had never directed a full feature length film.

· According to Joe Dante and Michael Finnell, the original rough cut of the film ran 2 hours and 40 minutes.

 

LADY GAGA AND ELTON JOHN’S DUET

 

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"Hello Hello", a song which reunites good friends Lady GaGa and Elton John for the first time since their Grammy performance, will be released on February 8, 2011. It will be made available for purchase in a "Gnomeo and Juliet" soundtrack album along with the other 13 songs.

Back in October, GaGa tweeted, "Eltoneo + Guliet! Finishing our duet Hello, Hello in studio. Sounding so amazing, some last finishing touches and off to the movies!" The song reportedly will be played in the movie when the two lead characters, lawn ornaments named Gnomeo and Juliet, meet for the first time.

TRIVIA BITS... CINDERELLA’S SLIPPERS

 

CINDERELLAS SLIPPERS

Cinderella's slippers were originally made out of fur. The story was changed in the 1600s by a translator. It was the left shoe that Aschenputtel (Cinderella) lost at the stairway, when the prince tried to follow her.

FASHION … MEN’S FOR 2011

 

Thom Browne  Spring - Summer 2011

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TAX MEN AFTER MJ’ ESTATE

 

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California tax officials are chasing the executors of Michael Jackson's estate for $131,000 in unpaid bills. In March, staff at the state's Franchise Tax Board filed a creditor's claim with the estate administrators for $1,647.

However, tax chiefs filed an amended claim on Friday, December 10, adding $130,000 to the total amount due. The new amount includes interest and penalties which stem from the 2009 tax year, according to the Associated Press.

DAME JUDI THE GREATEST!

 

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Dame Judi Dench has been hailed as the greatest stage star of all time - ahead of theatre legends Laurence Olivier and Sir Ian McKellen. The "Bond" star has worked in theatre since the 1950s and has received seven of Britain's prestigious Olivier Awards - more than any other performer.

And in a poll by acting publication The Stage, the actress saw off competition from the man her accolades are named after to be crowned queen of the theatre. After hearing the news, Dench said, "I'm completely at a loss for words but it's one hell of a thing to live up to."