Category: Trivia

The Greatest TV Shows of All Time…

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Katie Doll at CBR came up with her list of The 10 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.  Before you click over to read her thoughts on each, here are how I’d rank her choices, my thoughts and some shows that would have made my list that didn’t make hers.

The 10 Greatest TV Shows of All Time

Doll

Zablo

10. Mad Men (2007-2015)

09. Succession (2018-2023)

08. Lost (2004-2010)

07. Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

06. Seinfeld (1989-1998)

05. The Simpsons (1989-present)

04. The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)

03. The Wire (2002-2008)

02. Breaking Bad (2008-2013)

01. The Sopranos (1999-2007)

* Mad Men (2007-2015) // Succession (2018-2023) // The Wire (2002 –
2008) // The Simpsons (1989-present) – Never Seen

06. Lost (2004-2010) – Watched every episode. Thought it went off
the rails towards the end.

05. The Sopranos (1999-2007) – Watched every episode. Great show!

04. Game of Thrones (2011-2019) – Watched every episode. Loved it!

03. Breaking Bad (2008-2013) – Watched every episode. Loved it!

02. Seinfeld (1989-1998) – Watched & rewatched. Loved it!

01. The Twilight Zone (1959-1964) – Often imitated, never duplicated!

Shows I would have included: Justified; The Wild, Wild West; The Passage; The Strain; The Shield; Columbo.The English, 1883; Tulsa King

“Mighty Joe Young” (1949) / Z-View

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Mighty Joe Young (1949)

Director: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack

Screenplay: Ruth Rose from a story by Merian C. Cooper

Stars: Terry Moore, Ben Johnson, Robert Armstrong, Mr. Joseph Young, Frank McHugh, Douglas Fowley, Nestor Paiva, Regis Toomey, James Flavin, Primo Carnera, Karl ‘Killer’ Davis, William ‘Wee Willie’ Davis, Man Mountain Dean, Richard Farnsworth, Phil Olafsson, Henry Kulky, Ivan Rasputin, Sammy Stein, Irene Ryan and Sammy Menacker.

Tagline:  Striking! Startling! Staggering!

The Plot…

The year is 1937.  Jill Young is an eight year old living on her father’s small estate in Africa.  Jill is in the front yard when two Africans pass by carrying an orphaned baby gorilla.  Jill makes a trade and becomes the owner of the infant gorilla.

Twelve years pass.  Max O’Hara (Armstong) has organized an African safari to capture lions for his nightclub show.  Greg (Johnson) is a cowboy who leads the group capturing the beasts.  They are about to leave when they spot a giant gorilla.  Max and Greg try to capture the huge ape but they only end up angering it.  Jill shows up and calms her now grown gorilla.

Soon enough Max convinces Jill if she comes to Hollywood with her giant ape, they will become famous with everything money can buy.

What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)

Mighty Joe Young won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects!

I first saw Mighty Joe Young when I was a child.  I loved it then,  I’ve rewatched it several times over the years and I still love it.  How could you not?  It has a misunderstood monster (Joe), lions fighting Joe, cowboys!, a test of strength between 10 strong men and Mighty Joe, a love story, and redemption.

The strong men who try Mighty Joe in tug of war include former world heavyweight boxing champion Primo Canera and nine professional wrestlers.  One of them was Sam Menacker.  I knew Mr. Menacker because he was the color commentator for professional wrestling in Indiana.  Menacker was a former wrestler himself.  I thought it was so cool to a young Slammin’ Sammy Menacker in a movie!

This was the first film to feature Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion animation effects.

Mighty Joe Young (1949) rates 5 of 5 stars.

Twilight Zone’s Most Disturbing Episodes

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Robert Vaux at CBR.com posted his choices for the 10 Most Disturbing Twilight Zone Episodes, Ranked.  Before you click over to read his thoughts, here is how my rankings (using just his choices) compare.

Twilight Zone’s Most Disturbing Episodes

Vaux

Zablo


10. Number 12 Looks Just Like You
(Season 5, Episode 17)

09. To Serve Man
(Season 3, Episode 24)

08. Eye of the Beholder
(Season 2, Episode 6)

07. Nick of Time
(Season 2, Episode 7)

06. Deaths-Head Revisited
(Season 3, Episode 9)

05. Nightmare at 20,000 Feet
(Season 5, Episode 3)

04. The Dummy
(Season 3, Episode 33)

03. The Shelter
(Season 3, Episode 3)

02. It’s a Good Life
(Season 3, Episode 8)

01. The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street
(Season 1, Episode 22)


10. Number 12 Looks Just Like You
(Season 5, Episode 17)

09. Eye of the Beholder
(Season 2, Episode 6)

08. The Dummy
(Season 3, Episode 33)

07. Deaths-Head Revisited
(Season 3, Episode 9)

06. Nick of Time
(Season 2, Episode 7)

05. It’s a Good Life
(Season 3, Episode 8)

04. Nightmare at 20,000 Feet
(Season 5, Episode 3)

03. The Shelter
(Season 3, Episode 3)

02. To Serve Man
(Season 3, Episode 24)

01. The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street
(Season 1, Episode 22)

Robert McGinnis’ Censored Art for “Dr. No”!

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Tony Stella shared this on his Twitter feed and I thought it was interesting.  The bottom art by the great Robert McGinnis was used to promote James Bond in Dr. No.  Compare it to the top art and you can see how it was censored prior to use.  Bond is given shorts.  The lady isn’t as well endowed and what she has is better covered.  Also note the changes in her face.  In the top art she seems to enjoy her, uh, job at hand much more.  ; )

The Twilight Zone’s Scariest Monsters!

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The MeTV staff came up with their list of The 7 Scariest Monsters That Spooked Us On ‘The Twilight Zone”.  I decided to play along.  I’ve commented on each of their choices and provided my list of the seven best Twilight Zone monsters.

MeTV

Zablo

1. “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” (Excellent choice. Also made my list. – CZ)

2. “The Eye of the Beholder” (Great design, but were they really monsters? Misguided, yes. But monsters? – CZ)

3. “The Fear” (Scary at first, maybe. Then you find out what the “alien” really is. – CZ)

4. “The Invaders” (Almost made my list. – CZ)

5. “The Living Doll” (This episode didn’t resonate with me. The doll was just irritating. – CZ)

6. “Hocus-Pocus and Frisby” (Loved the alien design but the episode was a comedy so not scary. – CZ)

7. “The Masks” (The faces were well designed. The people getting the new faces weren’t nice, but were more victims than monsters. – CZ)

1. “The Howling Man” (Great design. What monster is scarier than the devil? – CZ)

2. “It’s a Good Life” (Little Billy Mumy is one of the scariest monsters ever in this episode. – CZ)

3. “To Serve Man” (Nine foot tall aliens that eat humans? Yeah, that’s scary. – CZ)

4. “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” (Features The Twilight Zone‘s best jump scare! – CZ)

5. “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” (One of the scariest Twilight Zone episodes because we are the monsters. – CZ)

6. “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?” (Although this episode features humor, it’s scary to think that an invading alien force is already living among us. – CZ)

7. “Nick of Time” (A fortune telling maching that may provide you a glimpse of the future. Do you dare look? – CZ)

The All-Time Best Action Movies!

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Variety posted The 50 Best Action Movies of All Time.  Like all lists of this sort it included some films that most might not consider (as action films) and left off others.  Still, lists can be fun. I decided to see how I’d rank the same films.  *** means I haven’t seen the movie.  (And I cannot believe I still haven’t seen Hard Boiled.)

Variety

01. The Road Warrior (1981)
02. Die Hard (1988)
03. North by Northwest (1959)
04. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
05. Enter the Dragon (1973)
06. The French Connection (1971)
07. The Matrix (1999)
08. Aliens (1986)
09. Seven Samurai (1954)
10. Bullitt (1968)
11. Speed (1994)
12. Goldfinger (1964)
13. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
14. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
15. Hard Boiled (1992)
16. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
17. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
18. Ben-Hur (1959)
19. The Wild Bunch (1969)
20. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
21. Heat (1995)
22. The Wages of Fear (1953)
23. Gladiator (2000)
24. Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
25. United 93 (2006)
26. Point Break (1991)
27. Police Story (1985)
28. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
29. Foxy Brown (1974)
30. Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol (2011)
31. The Dirty Dozen (1967)
32. Commando (1985)
33. Run Lola Run (1998)
34. Fast Five (2011)
35. The Black Pirate (1926)
36. Casino Royale (2006)
37. Once Upon a Time in China Part II (1992)
38. Inception (2010)
39. Duel (1971)
40. The Raid (2011)
41. The Warriors (1979)
42. Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965)
43. The Bourne Identity (2002)
44. The Day of the Jackal (1973)
45. Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
46. Hero (2002)
47. Vanishing Point (1971)
48. The Fugitive (1993)
49. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
50. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Zablo

01. Enter the Dragon (1973)
02. Die Hard (1988)
03. Aliens (1986)
04. Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
05. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
06. The Matrix (1999)
07. The Road Warrior (1981)
08. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
09. The Warriors (1979)
10. Commando (1985)
11. Casino Royale (2006)
12. Gladiator (2000)
13. Heat (1995)
14. Point Break (1991)
15. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
16. Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol (2011)
17. Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
18. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
19. The Bourne Identity (2002)
20. Speed (1994)
21. Fast Five (2011)
22. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
23. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
24. Goldfinger (1964)
25. The Dirty Dozen (1967)
26. North by Northwest (1959)
27. The Fugitive (1993)
28. Duel (1971)
29. The Wild Bunch (1969)
30. The Wages of Fear (1953)
31. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
32. Ben-Hur (1959)
33. Inception (2010)
34. Run Lola Run (1998)
35. Bullitt (1968)
36. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
37. Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965)
38. Foxy Brown (1974)
39. Seven Samurai (1954)
40. The French Connection (1971)
41. Vanishing Point (1971)
42. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
*** Hard Boiled (1992)
*** United 93 (2006)
*** Police Story (1985)
*** The Black Pirate (1926)
*** Once Upon a Time in China Part II (1992)
*** The Raid (2011)
*** The Day of the Jackal (1973)
*** Hero (2002)

Sly Stallone’s All-Time Best Movies

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Thomas Leatham and Calum Russell at Far Out came up with their list of The 10 best Sylvester Stallone movies.  Before you click over to see their thoughts on each film, here is how our rankings compared.  I also included some Stallone films that would have made my list, but didn’t make theirs.

Leatham & Russell

Zablo

10. Cobra (George P. Cosmatos, 1986)

09. The Suicide Squad (James Gunn, 2021)

08. Demolition Man (Marco Brambilla, 1993)

07. Rocky IV (Sylvester Stallone, 1985)

06. Cliffhanger (Renny Harlin, 1993)

05. Nighthawks (Bruce Malmuth, 1981)

04. First Blood (Ted Kotcheff, 1982)

03. Cop Land (James Mangold, 1997)

02. Creed (Ryan Coogler, 2016)

01. Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976)

10. The Suicide Squad (James Gunn, 2021)

09. Demolition Man (Marco Brambilla, 1993)

08. Cobra (George P. Cosmatos, 1986)

06. Cliffhanger (Renny Harlin, 1993)

06. Rocky IV (Sylvester Stallone, 1985)

05. First Blood (Ted Kotcheff, 1982)

04. Creed (Ryan Coogler, 2016)

03. Nighthawks (Bruce Malmuth, 1981)

02. Cop Land (James Mangold, 1997)

01. Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976)
  • Get Carter (Stephen Kay, 2000)
  • Rambo (Sylvester Stallone, 2008)
  • Paradise Alley (Sylvester Stallone, 1978)
  • FIST (Norman Jewison, 1978)
  • Rocky III (Sylvester Stallone, 1982)

The All-Time Best Black & White Monster Movies!

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Jordan Payeur at CBR.com came up with a list of the 10 Best Black and White Monster Movies.  Before you click over to see Payeur’s comments on each, here’s my rankings using just Payeur’s list.  I’ve then included several black and white monster movies that would have made my rankings.  What did I miss?

Payeur

Zablo

10. Village of the Damned (1960)

09. The Man Who Laughs (1928)

08. Haxan (1922)

07. Cat People (1942)

06. The Wolf Man (1941)

05. The Mummy (1932)

04. Dracula (1931)

03. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

02. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

01. Nosferatu (1922)

10. The Man Who Laughs (1928)

09. Village of the Damned (1960)

08. Haxan (1922)

07. Cat People (1942)

06. Nosferatu (1922)

05. The Mummy (1932)

04. The Wolf Man (1941)

03. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

02. Dracula (1931)

01. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

  • The Phantom Carriage (1921)
  • Frankenstein (1931)
  • The Invisible Man (1933)
  • Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (1943)
  • Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
  • The Thing from Another World (1951)
  • Them! (1954)
  • Night of the Living Dead (1968)

The 10 Best Sly Stallone Films Ranked by Reddit and Craig Zablo

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Vidhi Narula at Collider posted The 10 Best Sylvester Stallone Movies, According to Reddit.  How the list doesn’t contain a single Rocky or Rambo film is beyond me.  Before you click over to get Narula’s thoughts on each film, here is how I’d rank the Reddit choices.

Reddit

10. Cop Land (1997)
09. Tango and Cash (1989)
08. Bullet to the Head (2012)
07. Cliffhanger (1993)
06. Demolition Man (1993)
05. Daylight (1996)
04. Oscar (1991)
03. Nighthawks (1981)
02. Cobra (1986)
01. Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003)

Zablo

10. Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003)
09. Oscar (1991)
08. Demolition Man (1993)
07. Daylight (1996)
06. Tango and Cash (1989)
05. Cobra (1986)
04. Cliffhanger (1993)
03. Bullet to the Head (2012)
02. Nighthawks (1981)
01. Cop Land (1997)

Sly Stallone’s Best Movies Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes and Craig Zablo

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Blaine Turner at Movieweb posted Sylvester Stallone’s 18 Best Movies, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes.  You know me and lists.  So using just the films ranked by Rotten Tomatoes, here’s how I compare.

Rotton Tomatoes

18. Demolition Man (1993) – 62%

17. The Lords of Flatbush (1974) – 64%

16. Rocky III (1982) – 65%

15. Escape to Victory (1981) – 67%

14. Shade (2003) – 67%

13. The Expendables 2 (2012) – 67%

12. Cliffhanger (1993) – 68%

11. Rocky II (1979) – 70%

10. Nighthawks (1981) – 71%

09. F.I.S.T. (1978) – 73%

08. Cop Land (1997) – 75%

07. Rocky Balboa (2006) – 77%

06. Death Race 2000 (1975) – 82%

05. Creed II (2018) – 83%

04. First Blood (1982) – 86%

03. Antz (1998) – 92%

02. Rocky (1976) – 92%

01. Creed (2015) – 95%

Zablo

18. The Lords of Flatbush (1974) – 64%

17. Death Race 2000 (1975) – 82%

16. Antz (1998) – 92%

15. Escape to Victory (1981) – 67%

14. Demolition Man (1993) – 62%

13. Creed II (2018) – 83%

12. Shade (2003) – 67%

11. Rocky II (1979) – 70%

10. Cliffhanger (1993) – 68%

09. F.I.S.T. (1978) – 73%

08. The Expendables 2 (2012) – 67%

07. First Blood (1982) – 86%

06. Creed (2015) – 95%

05. Rocky Balboa (2006) – 77%

04. Cop Land (1997) – 75%

03. Nighthawks (1981) – 71%

02. Rocky III (1982) – 65%

01. Rocky (1976) – 92%

10 All-Time Best Action Movies!

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Josh Keslinger at CBR.com came up with his list of the 10 Best Action Movies Of All Time, Ranked.  Before you click over to see his rationale and the trailers for each, here’s how our rankings compare.  I’m a fan of all of these films, but this is how I’d rank them today.

Keslinger

Zablo
10. Heat (1995) 10. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
09. John Wick (2014) 09. Police Story (1985)
08. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) 08. Léon: The Professional (1994)
07. Indiana Jones & The Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981) 17. Heat (1995)
06. The Matrix (1999) 06. Indiana Jones & The Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)
05. Léon: The Professional (1994) 05. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
04. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) 04. The Matrix (1999)
03. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) 03. John Wick (2014)
02. Police Story (1985) 02. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
01. Die Hard (1988) 01. Die Hard (1988)

One more thing before you click over, I would have found a place for Enter the Dragon… and that would be the #1 spot.

“Husbands Beware” (1956) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Husbands Beware (1956)

Director: Jules White

Writer: Felix Adler, Clyde Bruckman

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Maxine Gates, Christine McIntyre and Emil Sitka.

Tagline: Wildest and wackiest battle of the sexes yet!

The Plot…

After Larry and Moe marry Shemp’s sisters, they learn what a terrible mistake they’ve made.  Then Shemp learns that if he marries before the day ends, he’ll inheirit a fortune!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

If the second half of Husbands Beware sounds familiar, it should.  The entire second half except for a few seconds at the end is lifted from the Stooges’ 1947 short, Brideless Groom.

This was the first Stooges’ short released after the death of Shemp.

Husbands Beware (1956) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Hot Ice” (1955) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Hot Ice (1955)

Director: Jules White

Writer: Elwood Ullman, Jack White

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Kenneth MacDonald, Christine McIntyre, Ray Corrigan and Blackie Whiteford.

Tagline:  All tangled up with a girl-crook and a lady-gorilla

The Plot…

After barely graduating from a detective school, Larry, Shemp and Moe apply for jobs at Scotland Yard. They’re hired as janitors. While cleaning the grounds they get a lead on the stolen and priceless Punjab diamond. Our boys decide to follow-up. The lead takes them to a hotspot for tough-guy criminals and a pet gorilla. What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Hot Ice (1955) is a mash-up of two Stooges’ 1948 shorts, Crime on Their Hands and The Hot Scots.  It makes use of footage from both.  Director Jules White loved recycling old Stooges’ shorts and inserting a few new scenes to create “new” stories.  Despite the fact that Hot Ice used a lot of footage from two shorts directed by Edward Bernds, only Jules White was created as the director.  C’mon, man!

Hot Ice (1955) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Pardon My Backfire” (1953) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Pardon My Backfire (1953)

Director: Jules White

Writer: Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Frank Sully, Phil Arnold, Diana Darrin, Jules White (voice) and Blackie Whiteford.

Tagline:  3-Delirious in 3-Dimensions!!

The Plot…

Larry, Moe and Shemp are auto mechanics who need money in order to marry their sweethearts.  When escaped convicts pull into their gas station to get their car fixed, our boys release that the reward money would be just what they need to get hitched.  Let the fun times roll…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Pardon My Backfire was filmed and released in 3D.  It was their second (and last short) done this way.  The first was Spooks! released earlier that year. Because it was filmed in 3D, it took 5 days to complete.  Most Stooges’ shorts were done in 3 and the later remakes were sometimes done in a single day!

Pardon My Backfire (1953) rates 4 of 5 stars.

Lee Marvin’s All-Time Best Movies!

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Ben Sherlock at ScreenRant came up with his list (and rationale) for the 12 Best Lee Marvin Movies Ranked.  Sherlock’s list is a good one, but leaves out some of Marvin’s films that I’d have included.  So before you click over, here’s how Sherlock and I compare and the movies that would have made my list that didn’t make his.

Sherlock

Zablo

12. Paint Your Wagon (1969)

*** Monte Walsh (1970) (Haven’t seen yet.)

11. Monte Walsh (1970)

*** The Iceman Cometh (1973) (Haven’t seen yet)

10. The Killers (1964)

10. Paint Your Wagon (1969)

09. The Comancheros (1961)

09. The Big Red One (1980)

08. The Iceman Cometh (1973)

08. Cat Ballou (1965

07. The Professionals (1966)

07. The Professionals (1966)

06. The Big Red One (1980)

06. The Comancheros (1961)

05. Bad Day At Black Rock (1955)

05. Bad Day At Black Rock (1955)

04. Cat Ballou (1965)

04. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

03. The Dirty Dozen (1967)

03. Point Blank (1967)

02. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

02. The Killers (1964)

01. Point Blank (1967)

01. The Dirty Dozen (1967)

I would have included The Big Heat (one of my all-time favorite films), The Emperor of the North (Marvin and Borgnine in one of the most violet fights ever filmed) and Death Hunt. (Marvin vs Charles Bronson and Carl Weathers with Angie Dickinson for good measure).