Happy Phoebe Cates' Birthday!

I swear to you, to look at recent pictures of this woman, she has not aged a day.  Which is a good average, seeing how she was at one time the poster child for hot chicks.

Phoebe has been in some classics of modern-day film as well, featuring in 1982's Fast Times At Ridgemont High, her other 1982 wonder Paradise (which I personally cannot get enough of.  Really), 1983's Private School, 1984's Gremlins, and she was even in the legendary TV mini-series "Lace", where she tried to find out - from a choice of Bess Armstrong, Brooke Adams and Arielle Dombsdale - which one of those you-know-whats were her mother (it was Bess - SPOILER ALERT).

Then she married Kevin Kline, broke the hearts of males everywhere and opted out of films, making the world a bit more drab.  But as Bogie will always have Paris, so we will have a fine collection of movies to remember her by...even 1987's Date With An Angel, which I'm sure we all have forgiven her for by now.

Now comes the time we show a clip from her masterworks - and what better one to show than her soliloquy from Gremlins.  You know the one. 



Happy Birthday, Phoebe.  But remind me not to ask you what you think of Presidents' Day.

Dope out.

- TGWD

Happy Ringo Starr's Birthday!

Why, you may ask, do I choose to acknowledge this man, when it is also director Vittorio DeSica's b-day?

And actress Shelley Duvall's?

And director George Cukor's?

And also that of Joel Siegel, Jessica Hahn, Robert A. Heinlein and Doc Severinsen?

Because those people - great as they are - never had the chops on the skins that Ringo has, nor have they ever shared co-star billing with Peter Sellers, nor have they been able to manage the same fake Cockney accent all these years.

(which may be real; I have to check on that...)

Whatever the case, this is the man who was also the answer to the trivia question asked by the DJ in Robert Zemeckis' 1978 classic flick I Wanna Hold Your Hand.  And was also Barbara Bach's main squeeze for a long time.  He still might be; I don't know.  He never writes anymore....

But what else can we do to celebrate a man who not only drums and acts...but sings...than to dance along with what may be his best-known song?

No, not that one....

No, not that one either....

This one:



Happy birthday, Ringo!  Long may you ring...and drum.  And stuff.

Dope out.

- TGWD

Happy Rick Ducommun's Birthday!

First of all, I know very well that many other Hollywood types were born today for me to pick on, such as Tom "Couch-Jumper" Cruise, Kurtwood "RoboCop" Smith, Yeardley "Bart Simpson" Smith and Ken "I Direct Weird Stuff" Russell.  But I would rather reflect on a man whom the world over is known as a That Guy.

You know; the ones you see in every film and TV show playing the best pal, the wacky neighbor, the goofy yokel, the drunk goof, the put-upon minion...that's Rick.  A full-fledged That Guy.

And he has had a career that has been going strong since the early Eighties.  And he's been in some big stuff too; like Die Hard, Spaceballs, The Hunt For Red October, The Last Boy Scout, The 'Burbs, Groundhog Day, Last Action Hero and the first Scary Movie.  Not to mention TV shows like "The Last Precinct", Max Headroom", "Moonlighting", "227", "NYPD Blue"...the list goes on and on.  And I haven't even mentioned all the Disney movies and shows he's been in yet!

Suffice it to say, he's been one busy Canuck.

So to celebrate the guy, allow me to give you the highlights from one of his biggies - or maybe lesser-biggies - The 'Burbs.



Happy Cake Day, big guy!

Dope out.

- TGWD

Happy Bruce Campbell's Birthday!

Bruce!  The Bruce Man!  Bruce The Juice!  Brucester!  Brucerino!  Big Bruce!  Bueno Sera, Mister Campbell!

I could tell you his age, but that's a closely-guarded Hollywood secret. All I can tell you is that picture in his attic is looking none the worse for wear....

Do I even have to explain this man's legacy to you?  His films?  His TV shows?  His unforgettable characters?  His chin??  Bruce Campbell is great and I'll tell you something else; he's just getting started.

As if you needed any indication of his legendary powers, give this little prime piece of evidence a look-see, then you tell me:




That's right.  The man.  The legend.  The chin.

Happy birthday to the man who was once Ash, and is always Bruce.

Dope out.

- TGWD

Happy Jack Albertson's Birthday!

Yes, yes, I know; he's been dead since 1981...but he had to have been born at some point along the way before he died, right?

Right.

And today's the day for Jack, a veteran of the vaudeville and burlesque stage who graduated to movies and TV later on and was shown to best effect in such films as The Subject Was Roses, Willie Wonka And The Chocolate Factory, Dead And Buried and even featured in several episodes of such classic TV shows as "The Phil Silvers Show", "The Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis", "The Donna Reed Show", "The Tab Hunter Show", and that's really all I can think of....

Oh, alright; he was also a featured playa in "Chico And The Man", where he played....  Yeah, he played "The Man", wiseacre, but what was his character's name?

[INSERT JEOPARDY THEME HERE]

Ha!  Gotcha on that one, didn't I?

Of course, such a gifted comic talent couldn't get away with featuring in just a handful of stuff like that, so I remember the man who lived to a ripe old age (74) with one of those TV shows my fellow homies will be down with but few others will be.  Here, then, is a commercial announcement for y'all:




So a happy birthday to you, Mister...oh wait, I forgot - he's dead.  Well, happy birthday to you anyway, Jack.

(oh, and by the way: Ed Brown.)

Dope out.

- TGWD

Happy Morgan Freeman's Birthday!

We already know there's 20 cool things about him, but today is also the day we celebrate the man, the myth, the voice, the one who thinks that readin' stuff is outta sight: Morgan Freeman.

I know, I know - believe me, there is more to this man than Easy Reader.  After all, this is Lucius Fox, Nelson Mandela, Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris, Joe Clark, President Beck, Dr. Alex Cross, Judge Leonard White and God we're talking about here.  This is the man who has been nominated for awards, won awards and deserved every good thing said about his acting prowess.  He's got it goin' on.

Let's fact it: Morgan Freeman is the man to go to when you need a somber voice, a solid center, a reason to sit down and invest yourself in a story and, above all, a good actor.

Just look at this example and you tell me: Is this a man worthy of praise?



Better believe it.

Happy birthday, Mister Freeman.

Dope out.

- TGWD

Happy John Fogerty's Birthday!

You know, I already know for a fact that this is also the day of birth for actors and actresses like Zelda (Poltergeist) Rubenstein, Brandon ("The Courtship of Eddie's Father") Cruz and Sondra ("I Was This Close To Being MRS. Clint Eastwood") Locke.  And lord knows they would be more logical choices for a blog like this, but I have a reason for wanting to celebrate the birth of this man.

He rocks.  Loud and hard.

What other man has become the icon he has in the world of what is lovingly called "swamp rock"?  John's voice was (and is) so soulful and bluesy and he pours so much of himself into his music that it makes wannabe whippersnappers nowadays just want to pack up their Gibsons and go back to data processing.

I know of few who grew up and didn't hear at least one of his songs, whether it was with Creedence Clearwater Revival or solo, and wouldn't find themselves tapping their feet, singing along and/or smiling in fond reminiscence of the days when rock and roll was actually rock and roll.

Mister Fogerty is still out there, rockin' in the free world, and I say more power to him.  He still has the voice, the chops and the fire in his soul to do so, and I know for a fact that there are a lot from the Sixties and Seventies who can't or won't do what he does.  Or in fact never COULD do what he does.

All I can say to those people is: take notes -



Happy birthday, Big John.  Keep rockin' the Bayou.

Dope out.

- TGWD

Happy George Lucas' Birthday!

Alright, I know I gave this poor guy grief in a few reviews as well as a featured piece awhile back ("George Lucas And The Kingdom Of Crushed Dreams"), but with today being his birthday, I thought I'd better give him a break and celebrate the the man who gave us one of the greatest achievements in film history...

American Graffiti.

The touching tale of teenagers in the 1950s on the verge of maturity, enjoying a taste of freedom before graduation forces them into the world of adulthood.

Okay, and he was also the author and director of a landmark science fiction film as well...

THX-1138.

A chilling fable of a sterile futuristic society where love is forbidden, conformity is the rule and individuality is the enemy, and one lone figure (Robert Duvall) struggles to make his voice heard.

Okay, alright, he also did that Star Wars thing, too.  Which is probably what he'll be remembered for till his dying day, I'll betcha.  But here at 67 years young, Lucas can afford to look back on life with a wry shake of the head and wonder, especially with such stories as Willow and Captain Eo under his belt.  Not to mention Radioland Murders.

..."Radioland Murders?"

LUCAS - He said NOT to mention Radioland Murders!!

Sorry.

Anyway, seeing as no interview with the man could do the day justice, how about the views of a few geeks who have some, definite opinions on their favorite Lucas-created characters from that space thing of his?  (courtesy of ign.com)

Myself, I have to go with Chewbacca - easy to write for, he's a big hairy monster with a gun - who's gonna mess with him?

Anyway, happy b-day, Big G. And for today, Attack Of The Clones is forgiven. Just for one day.

Dope out.

- TGWD

Happy Jason Voorhees' Birthday!

Yeah, yeah - I know it's Friday the 13th and it's only used as the date of the birthday of a fictional character (he's fictional?...), and even though I've given him a hard time for four movies AND four reviews, Jason Voorhees is the man we associate with the day that, before 1980, we USED to associate with bad luck, black cats, broken mirrors and the like.

NOW we associate it with masked killers, dead teenagers, machetes and chee-chee-chee-haa-haa-haa.

So I guess it's only fair to now give props to the only mad immortal killer that Alice Cooper would think enough of to sing about.

Happy Birthday, indeed, to the man for whom this day will forever be associated.  The Man Behind The Mask: Jason.

Oh, and since I mentioned Alice Cooper and Jason Voorhees in the same posting, here:


Alice Cooper - He's Back (The Man Behind The Mask) by scootaway

Happy Don Rickles' Birthday!

Look at this hockey puck.

Can you believe he's 85 years old?

Can you believe he's SURVIVED to 85 years old?

With as many people as he's insulted in his career, you gotta wonder how he hasn't gotten beaten up yet.  But let's face it - he's made a career out of it and is still going strong with it.  In fact, he's even had a pretty darned successful career voicing Mister Potato Head.

Though I'm shocked he never did the voice for an animated hockey puck, but I guess because the Canadian Film Board's never approached him.

I always thought he was funny, even back in the days when he was the star of his own sitcom (remember "CPO Sharkey", anyone?), but through the years he has persevered and made himself a legend in Las Vegas and beyond.  And how's YOUR career going?

As if we needed any more proof of the man that is Rickles, just look at this clip where he successfully insults just about every single person in this room, including Barry Goldwater, Howard Cosell, Orson Welles and Dino himself.  Of course.  Why wouldn't he?



Happy birthday, Mr. Warmth.

Dope out.

- TGWD

Happy Reb Brown's Birthday!

That's right, mere mortals; today is the day of birth of a man who not only proved Yor was the man, he also proved that it was more than befitting to scream as loud and shrill as you can while firing a gun, jumping out of a futuristic golf cart, fighting werewolves or winning the Vietnam war or boxing Ralph Malph for the hand of Audrey Landers.

Reb Brown - yeah, I know I've given the poor guy a rough time of it but let's face it: no one else could have possibly made a career out of playing the same exact character in every film he's been in...except maybe Charles Bronson.  Be that as it may, I think I may well have found a more fitting b-movie staple than even Christopher Lambert or Steve Reeves.

And nowhere else could I possibly prove it than in this clip from Space Mutiny.  This clip says it all.



Happy undisclosed number birthday, Reb.  May you always be the man.

Dope out.

- TGWD

Happy William Shatner's Birthday!

I'm sorry; I couldn't hear you over the sound of how awesome this guy's birthday is.

Here we have a man who not only was a Starship Captain AND Admiral, a policeman, frequent traveler to The Twilight Zone, nutty lawyer, cranky dad who says particular swear words and one of the saltiest examples of exported Canadian ham but also a spokesman for margarine, automobiles, low-cost travel options and I'm sure of a few Canadian supermarket openings. Hey, why not; I'm sure he feels he owes his fellow Canucks a favor every so often.

And at 80 years, I don't believe he feels the need to slow down any time soon, in spite of the fact that just the fact of saying that William Shatner is 80 years old makes ME feel all that much older.

Then again, I'm hardly as awesome as he.

But hey, who is?

I feel that the best way to celebrate this great humanitarian's birthday is to celebrate not only his most celebrated role, but also to do it in a way that is memorable, entertaining and very musical. And British.

Celebrate with me. Celebrate the man. Dropkick the wall.



Happy birthday, Shat-Man.

Dope out.

- TGWD

Happy Jerry Lewis' Birthday!

Is that right? Is farceur, funnyman, flogen-flaygel Jerry Lewis 85 years young today?

Well, klaven my gloven.

Everybody here already knows this man is funny, right? We know how he started as a dual-act with no less a talent than Dean Martin, right? How they made bunches of movies, made dozens of TV appearances and went on to do a whole bunch of song-and-dance-and joke-a-paloozas on stage, right?

Then he went on his own and wrote, directed, produced and starred in bunches of movies where his star shone bright and clear for all to see. I've seen lots of them and even own a couple - ever see Which Way To The Front? I have. Ever see The Big Mouth? I have. Ever watch Cinderfella? Love that one.

And through it all, Jerry was Jerry and everyone loved that he is what he is,. which is Jerry.

He even influenced such comics as Eddie Murphy, Jim Carrey, Joe Piscopo, George Carlin, and even Sammy Petrillo. Heck, he even had a "Simpsons" show character modeled after him.

So what better way to celebrate the man than to laugh at - I mean, WITH - him in thsi very special clip that I like to call...the boardroom scene.



Happy Birthday, Mister Lewis. And HOYGENFLAYGEL!

Dope out.

- TGWD

Happy Sidney Poitier's Birthday!

84 years old. YOU should look this good at 84.

ANYONE should look this good. And have accomplished the things that he has in his life.

Award winner.

Respected actor.

Cancer survivor.

A symbol of breaking down the barriers between races, what with films such as Lilies of the Field, The Defiant Ones, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, In The Heat Of The Night and They Call Me Mister Tibbs! - all of them outstanding films in their own rights.

Not to mention the fact that he is also a Knight Commander of the Order of The British Empire, which means that he is actually SIR Sidney Poitier to you, pal.

And speaking of Sir...

No better way to give a gift back to the man than to honor one of the most moving moments in motion pictures. Ladies and gentlemen, the ending of To Sir With Love:



Happy Birthday, Sir.

Dope out.

- TGWD

Happy John Hurt's Birthday!

I know there are a few other actors who have a birthday today (Linda Blair, Bill Bixby, Balthazar Getty, Olivia D'Abo) but I prefer to single out the one whose name is synonymous with the kind of movies that I look at here.

After all, this is the man who was in Alien, Heaven's Gate, The Elephant Man, Watership Down, Midnight Express, Mel Brooks' History of the World: Part I, The Osterman Weekend, King Ralph, Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, both Hellboys, a couple of Harry Potter movies, V for Vendetta and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, just to name a few.

To pass by his birthday on a site like this is to thumb one's nose at a whole slew of worthwhile performances and even a few that were so over the top and willfully subversive in the fact that they were so good in the midst of badness. John Hurt's life and talent is one that must be taken into consideration.

Cake must be eaten. Candles must be blown out. Wine must be raised in toast.

And so I do here, the best way I know how - by presenting another worthwhile performance (albeit a NSFW performance) from one of those Alien films. You know the scene. Just click on it.



Happy birthday, John. Here's to another 70+ years of stuff like this.

Dope out.

- TGWD

Happy Birthday, Andrea Martin!

Yes, today is the birthday of one of the funnest Canadian ladies out there (okay her and Catherine O'Hara): yes, Miss Edith Prickley herself - Andrea Martin.

I remember seeing "Second City Television" way back in the evil Republican-ruled Eighties and thinking that those Canadians were some pretty funny people. Then came along this little number, doing her dead-on celebrity impersonations (Barbra Streisand was always hilarious when done by her) and a dizzying variety of accents and dialects that make even the most seemingly innocent bits come off as riots.

And now here she is a Bradway baby what with being in "Young Frankenstein" and other such plays, not to mention being in movies like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and not only 1974's Black Christmas but also its 2006 remake!

Busy lady.

And in honor of her turning so-many years old (I refuse to blurt out her age because I'm a gentleman...and also because this isn't an obituary or anything like that), I present to you two clips from her SCTV days that not only prove her penchant for physical comedy but also her singing pipes.

First, one of her forays into Sophia Loren teritory...




And as (SCTV)-renowned singer Connie Franklin...



Happy birthday, Andrea!

Dope out.

- TGWD

Happy Trace Beaulieu's Birthday!

Today, Mr. Beaulieu is 52 years old.

And you better not tell me you don't know who Trace Beaulieu is, not after all the posts and observations I've made on "Mystery Science Theater 3000" and "Cinematic Titanic" and the works of Dr. Clayton Forrester.

That's this modest-looking gentleman pictured to the left, here. Yeah; just picture him with a mustache, green-rimmed glasses, frizzed-out hair and a green lab jacket.

There ya go.

It's safe to say that he is one of teh funniest people on the planet, and would be THE funniest if not for the existence of Joel Hodgson, J. Elvis Weinstein, Mary Jo Pehl, Frank Conniff, Mike J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett.

But for now: Trace.

And I think it's only fair that we focus on one of the funniest things I've ever seen him do on one of the funniest shows I've ever seen in my life. Hey, it's not my fault it just happens to be from MST3K. It just happens that way.



Happy birthday, Mr. Beaulieu.

Dope out.

- TGWD

It's My Birthday Today!

Whose?

Mine?

...

Oh yeah; MINE!

I'm creeping ever-closer to my expiration date, fans, and as my gift to you on this, the day of my birth, I shall not post anything whiny, self-pitying, ugly or generally uncomfortable about me or my life.

I WILL thank all of you who follow my blog (all 56 of you) and even if you don't post so, I know in your hearts of hearts you wish me all the best, hope I get what I want, believe my cake will be the grandest of all, and so on.

Thank you; the fact that everybody out there follows my blog is a gift in and of itself.

And now I guess someone should sing a song, huh?



Aww...thanks, Norma.

(I can call her Norma.)

Dope out.

- TGWD

Survived Another One...

Well, as this Sunday sinks slowly into the West, I sit here and reflect on the day that was my birthday and have come up with a few realizations:

1) Sometimes we all make too much of our age. I mean, it's good that we grow older, but so many of us make such a big deal about not being kids anymore...hey, you're young as you feel - you just have to keep active and make yourself get out there and do things. That's the best way to feel young, even if you're not.

2) Even if they don't say so, your friends will always be there for you. I know last year's big blow-up at the BMMB was entirely my fault, and I also know that everyone there is a better friend to me than I have been for them, I can only hope that in a year's time I have become somewhat wiser about things unsaid and feelings unshared. I love my friends - here nearby and out there in the cyber-world - and every thing I have posted here is because of them. Andrew - thank you. Patrick - thank you. Anonymous people - thank you. Even that Jacvk Harkness guy who complained about my Second Sight review - thank you for helping hone my snappy comebacks.

3) Keeping a blog helps keep my brain active. This is great and I know now why I'm posting so much more now than I used to - I appreciate the chance to think about what I write and, of all things, work on my spelling and typing skills. I think I've improved in both fields; and I think I'll have to watch some more of my movies to review on them.

4) And finally, life may be rough but not dwelling on it makes it bearable. Time was that I used to sit and fret over every single thing I did, didn't do and wished I had done. Tore me up - I had ulcerative colitis for years because of it. Now, I dwell far less - I still do it from time to time but drop it much quicker now - and feel much healthier for it. I just look forward, plan what is coming and make myself excited for what is to come. Keeps me young, I think.

I think those are important things to know, no matter what your age is.

My b'day itself was fine: got a $25 dollar Wal-Mart card from my sister, my kids took me out to Taco Bell for lunch, the wife got me some new work clothes (I have to be presentable, y'know...), and I got some new DVDs (The Holcroft Covenant, Ghostbusters 1 and 2 pack and the '70s Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - with Peter Sellers and Fiona Fullerton, that one). Nice day all around.

So, I guess my angst last year was unfounded as angst always is. The thing is, I guess I've matured quite a bit in a year's time. I'm proud of myself for that. And I guess that, more than anything, is the best birthday present I could ever have gotten.

Now that I have another birthday under my belt, I guess I can keep this same level of maturity up until next year.

I'll sure try.

Dope out.

-TGWD

I'M OOOOOOOLLLD!!!!

Yes, I am.

Today, the birthday boy sits here, cake in hand (Oreo Brownie cake, TYVM) and pours over the gifts he has received:

* My boss at work (gotta great job as a legal assistant, by the way) not only treated me to a Chinese dinner a day early, but today she took me to the local movie rental place and (knowing full-well how much I love movies) got me the following DVDs on sale:

The DaVinci Code
Pan's Labyrinth
Hot Fuzz
Citizen Kane

...now, how many of your bosses would do that for you? Thought not.

* Next, my daughter hand-made me a card which she drew herself and did all the inside artwork on. A chip off the old block, she is (sniff)...I'm so proud.

* My wife got me the aforementioned cake and, though we were both busy today, took the time to spend with me this afternoon and wish me a happy birthday and snuggle a little while before we went off on our respective errands for the evening. We're rushed, but we're still happy together.

See? It doesn't take much for me to be a happy old codger. Heck, I even got well-wishes for the day from my new pals over at the boards on Badmovies.org - thanx guys; you all rock!!

So it was a good day;. Getting old doesn't hurt when you have friends to help you.

Now, about that list of stuff I've been asking you all out there to get me....

(oh heck; there's always next year. Humpf.)

Dope out.

-TGWD