Category: Trivia

Behind the Scenes: The Making of “Raging Bull”

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Raging Bull fans will want to check out Jay Glennie’s The Making of a Heavyweight: Scorsese and De Niro Behind the Scenes of Raging Bull – in Pictures at The Guardian.  If you click over you’ll enjoy:

  • Behind the Scenes Photos of Michael Westmore’s Make-Up Effects for De Niro.
  • Jake Lamotta & De Niro and the Inscription LaMotta Gave Him
  • Photos from De Niro’s Private Collection
  • A Sample of De Niro’s Heavily Annotated Script
  • Photos from Scorsese’s Private Collection
  • A Handwritten Note from Al Pacino to Robert De Niro

RIP: Lou Ottens

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It has just been announced that Lou Ottens has died at the age of 94.  If Mr. Ottens name doesn’t ring a bell, don’t fell bad.  Mr. Ottens wasn’t famous, but I promise if you’re a certain age, you’ll appreciate his invention because of the hours you spent with it and the enjoyment it brought you.

Mr. Ottens invited the first cassette tape!

Mr. Ottens wanted music to portable, assessable and affordable.  He succeeded on all counts.  I can remember how exited I was to get my first cassette player and blank tapes.  If you’re of a certain age, I’m sure you remember making mix tapes for different occasions and friends.  How cool was it to be able to take your music with you and play it anywhere?  Very cool.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Lou Ottens’ family, friends and fans.

Sly Stallone Directed Films, Ranked

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Jake Dee at ScreenRant looked at the IMDb to come up with Every Movie Sylvester Stallone Has Directed, Ranked.  I decided to compare the IMDb rankings with my own.  After the chart are my thoughts…

Jake Dee (ScreenRant)

Zablo

1. Rocky II

1. Rocky Balboa

2. Rocky Balboa

2. Rocky III

3. Rambo

3. Rambo

4. Rocky IV

4. Paradise Alley

5. Rocky III

5. The Expendables

6. The Expendables

6. Rocky II

7. Paradise Alley

7. Rocky IV

8. Staying Alive

8. Staying Alive

Dee and I agreed on two rankings: #3 – Rambo and #8 – Staying Alive.

I placed Rocky Balboa in the #1 spot for a few reasons. Sly did a wonderful job of capturing the feel of the first movie, but making sure that it also captured how things had changed with the passing of time. I also have a special place for Rocky Balboa because it was such a longshot to be made and it gave the series a wonderful bookend closing.

Rocky III made the #2 spot because Sly was able to take the classic Rocky format (from 1 and 2) and modernize it. It was a dangerous move (Rocky loses, Mickey dies, new music, fast pace, add pro-wrestling) but it worked.

Rambo is #3. Sly placed Rambo with a team and made the battle scenes more graphic. Many thought an older Rambo wouldn’t work, but Sly showed that it would not only work but be one of the best films in the Rambo series.

Paradise Alley comes in at #4. Paradise Alley doesn’t get enough love. Sly’s directorial debut and he chooses a period piece that walks the fine line between drama and comedy. I’m a huge Paradise Alley fan.

#5 is The Expendables. Don’t call it a comeback. What a cool idea. Sly brings together fan favorite action stars and he makes it work not only for this film, but also a new movie series.

Rocky 2 is #6. Sly taking over the directing chores from the man who won the Oscar for directing Rocky. It was a big step, but Sly didn’t falter. Rocky II is a worthy follow-up.

Rocky IV comes in at #7. I like the idea for Rocky IV but it falters just a bit with the Miami Vice quick-cut editing to music. I have grown to enjoy Rocky IV more over time and especially with the way it sets up Creed.

The final spot goes to Stayin’ Alive. I enjoyed this film, but one of Sly’s movies has to come in at #8. Taking on this movie was a huge challenge and props to Sly for stepping up.

“Star Trek: The Animated Series” Trivia

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I’m a fan of the original Star Trek series that ran on NBC from September 8, 1966, to June 3, 1969.  79 episodes aired before it was cancelled.  Dedicated fans of Kirk (William Shatner), Spock (Leonard Nimoy), McCoy (DeForest Kelley) and the rest of the crew made Star Trek so popular in syndication that Star Trek: The Animated Series was created in 1973.  The animated series ran for 22 episodes over two seasons.   

The fine folks at MeTV have posted 12 Fascinating Facts about Star Trek: The Animated Series.  Before you click over for the full story, here are my thoughts on three of my favorite facts…

Leonard Nimoy demanded that Nichelle Nichols and George Takei were cast.  (The budget for Star Trek: The  Animated Series, like most cartoon series of this era wasn’t huge. There wasn’t enough in the budget to bring back Walter Koenig who played Chekov.  Some members of the cast had to provide the voices for multiple characters.  Hats off to Leonard Nimoy for taking a stand to keep Nichols and Takei on board. – Craig)

It was the first Star Trek series to win an Emmy award. (This is surprising since most folks would figure that the original series would have won at least one Emmy along the way. – Craig)

Filmation originally wanted the series to be about adolescent Starfleet cadets. (I’m really glad that this idea didn’t win out.  Star Trek: The Animated Series provided more proof that the original series was still popular with fans and helped pave the way for the big budget Star Trek feature films with the original cast returning. – Craig)

The Top 10 All-Time Most Memorable Movie Songs (and One That Should Have Made the List)!

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Jonathan Blaauw at Listverse recently posted his choices for the Top 10 Memorable Movie Songs.  His list is a good one.  I was happy to see that Eye of the Tiger by Survivor for Rocky III came in at the number one spot.  Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees for Saturday Night Fever came in at #9.  I would have put Stayin’ Alive in the top spot, but who am I to quibble.  The songs in Blaauw’s Top Ten were all excellent choices.

If I was making the list however, I would have found a place for Queen’s Who Wants to Live Forever from the movie  Highlander.  I think that Who Wants to Live Forever is not only a cool song, but perfectly fit the film.  There are many other songs that I also might have picked for my top ten but watch the video below and tell me if you don’t agree, Who Wants to Live Forever is one of the great movie songs of all time.

The Bee Gees’ Record-Breaking Trivia!

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Me-TV posted There’s no jive talkin’ in these 12 fascinating facts about the Bee Gees. As an unabashed Bee Gees fan, I’m happy to see it.

Unfortunately I don’t think enough people give the Bee Gees enough credit for their impact on music and culture.  Although they were making and releasing great music in the 60s, they peaked in the 70s and then continued to write and produce hits well after.  I was (and am) a Bee Gees fan.  I still love their music — it brings back great memories and makes me smile.  Before you click over, here are my three favorite facts from the Me-TV post…

  • They released eight songs in 1978 that reached number one.  (Their #1 hits were “How Deep Is Your Love,” “Stayin’ Alive,” “Night Fever” and “Too Much Heaven.” They wrote and produced the hits “(Love Is) Thicker Than Water” and “Shadow Dancing,” for their little brother, Andy Gibb.  That year they also are credited for Frankie Valli’s “Grease” and Yvonne Elliman’s “If I Can’t Have You.” – Craig)
  • In 1978, they accounted for 2% of the entire record industry.  (Please see above! If the Bee Gees had done nothing else before or after 1978, their success in that one year would have put them in the record books.- Craig)
  • After the public lost interest in the Bee Gees, the Gibbs quietly wrote and produced massive hits for other artists.  (Hits that they wrote for other artists include: Barbara Streisand’s “Woman in Love“, “Islands in the Stream” for Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers, “Emotion” for Samantha Sang, “Chain Reaction” for Diana Ross, ‘If I Can’t Have You‘ for Yvonne Elliman and many more. – Craig)

The Rambo Franchise’s 5 Best Characters (& 5 Best Action Sequences) – & 1 Scene that Should Have Made the List!

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Ben Sherlock at ScreenRant posted The Rambo Franchise’s 5 Best Characters (& 5 Best Action Sequences).  His list is a good one. Before you click over let me show you a clip of an action scene that I think should have been included in Sherlock’s list.  It is the scene with the river pirates from Rambo.

I love how the tension builds as Rambo and crew move past the pirates’ dock. Just when it looks like they may have escaped trouble, you hear the pirates’ boat start up. Then they are hit with an intensely bright spotlight and machine gun fire churns the water around them.  As Rambo tries to negotiate with the pirate leader, Rambo’s eyes move to each of the pirates to see what weapons they possess and their level of danger.  Rambo is already determining the order that he will have to take them out should it come to that… and it does.

Be aware before watching the video it contains some profanity and violence.

The Dichotomy Philosophy Quiz

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I recently took a Dichotomy Philosophy quiz and my results are posted above.  You can see an easier to read version by clicking on the photo.  

  • My rating for Spiritualism (69.2%) was over twice as much as Materialism (30.8%), and while that is not a big surprise, my guess is that the leaning towards Spiritualism has increased with my age.  I think that’s probably a pretty natural progression.
  • Altruism (79.5%) vs Egoism (20.5%) – I was almost exactly four times higher on Altruism over Egoism.  I’m sure that has also increased as I’ve gotten older.  “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one.”  – Spock
  • Idealism (54.7%) vs Pragmatism (45.3%) resulted in my second closest ratings.  This doesn’t surprise me.  I’m a believer in doing things for the right reason and I am also pretty pragmatic.
  • Hedonism (27.7%) vs Asceticism (72.3%) – This one is perhaps the most surprising.  I see nothing wrong with doing things that are pleasurable, legal and don’t hurt others.  Perhaps the scores are due to the fact that I am a big believer that to just go after instant gratification can lead to problems.  I have put off owning things or spending money now so that I can insure a better future.  The cool thing is since I did that in the past, the future is now.  ; )
  • Nihilism (30.8%) vs Moralism (69.2) – This one would create some interesting debates.  We know that meaning and morality can have different perspectives depending on the culture or situation.  But from my perspective there are certain things that we as a society should all agree on.
  • Rationalism (49.1%) vs Romanticism (50.9%) – These two had the closest scores.  Truthfully, I surprised that Rationalism (intellect and logic) didn’t score higher.  Again, it probably would have with a younger me.  I definitely don’t discount Romanticism (passions and the heart), and they definitely influence decisions and make life better.
  • Skepticism (22.9%) vs Absolutism (77.1%) – were the scores that surprised me most.  I’ve always been pretty skeptical and have wanted to see evidence.  Again, as I’ve gotten older, I think I am more willing to take things at face value.  

I really wish I had taken this test when I was fresh out of college and then again after my sons were out of high school to compare with the scores I have now.  It would be interesting to see which of my perspectives had changed.

Winston Churchill – The Things I Just Learned

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I don’t know as much about Winston Churchill as I’d like.  Sure, I know he was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II, but aside from a few quotes and broad strokes about his life, I don’t know much else.  That’s why I found Carla Delgado’s 7 Fascinating Facts About Winston Churchill at Mental Floss very interesting.  Before you click over, here are my three favorites and my thoughts on each.

THE ABBREVIATION “OMG” WAS FIRST USED IN A LETTER TO WINSTON CHURCHILL.  I don’t know why I find this piece of trivia so appealing.  I guess because it is so random.  I wonder what possessed John Fisher to use the abbreviation. How did Churchill know what the letters stood for? (Context, I guess.) And why did it take so many decades for the abbreviation to catch on?  OMG – so many questions.

WINSTON CHURCHILL LIVED WITH A MENTAL ILLNESS.  Churchill suffered from “long periods of despair and lethargy” which some have diagnosed as bi-polar disorder.  I’m surprised at the high percentage of “great” people from history who had to overcome things that cripple others.  I guess that is part of what makes them great.

WINSTON CHURCHILL WAS AN HONORARY AMERICAN.  I didn’t know that Churchill’s mother was American and that he was granted honorary citizenship.  I like that fact a lot.  We can always use more good Americans.  ; )

Marlon Brando in “Rambo III” – The Offer was Made!

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Here’s something you don’t see everyday.  It’s a letter that along with a copy of the Rambo III script sent to Marlon Brando from Mario Kassar back in 1987 in an effort to get Brando to play Russian Colonel Zaysen! 

While it would have been interesting to see Sly playing against Brando, I think it would have created a much different film. 

The letter and script sent to Brando is currently for sale with an asking price of $1,500.00 from CFMemorabilia. 

Sybil Danning / Paul Gulacy / Bill Black and Me

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The Black Diamond comics shown above each feature a cover drawn by Paul Gulacy.  A fan of the series and actress Sybil Danning recently posted the covers on Twitter with this response…

I responded to his Tweet with, “Funny story – I was Bill Black’s connection for both Paul Gulacy & Sybil Danning!”

I thought I had told that story here before but a search of the site indicates I didn’t… until now.  Let me take you back to 1980…

It’s about 10 at night and I’m watching tv.  The phone rings and I answer.  The voice on the other end asks to speak to “Mr. ZAB-blow.”  Dead giveaway that he doesn’t know me since he mispronounces my name. (For the record it sounds like ZAY-BLOW.)  I think he’s a nervy sales guy and am ready to hang up when he says, he got my name from a Bill Black publication that listed me as an editor.  The guy wants to get in touch with Bill Black.

Little does this guy know, my editing amounted to either putting Bill in touch with artists or copies of convention sketches.  My biggest contribution in this area was that I introduced Bill to Paul Gulacy.  Paul was my favorite artist, we talked fairly regularly and I had commissioned a few pieces from Paul.  Bill wanted to get Paul to do some art for him.

Ah, but back to the Sybil Danning phone call.

The guy says that he couldn’t find any phone number for Bill, but he was able to locate mine.  I tell the guy, that I can’t give out Bill’s number but would be glad to take a message for him.  The guy proceeds to tell me he is Sybil Danning’s manager.  He asks if I know who she is.  I do.  He says that they want to do a comic with Sybil as the main character.  They want Bill to publish it.  I take his number and tell the guy I’ll pass Bill the info.  We hang up and I go back to watching whatever I was watching.

I’m pretty sure it was the next day that I reached out to Bill to let him know that I had received a call from a guy saying he was Sybil Danning’s manager and they wanted to do a comic with him.  If you know Bill, you know how enthusiastic he gets.  Bill begins rapid fire asking questions, “When did he call – do I have his number – why didn’t I call him last night to tell him – etc.”  I explain to Bill it was late, I don’t know if the guy is on the level, etc.

Needless to say, Bill was able to contact Danning’s manager and the rest is history.

“The Godfather, Part III” Trivia!

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I imagine that most folks reading this would agree that The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II are two excellent films.  I wonder how many of us would agree that The Godfather, Part III, while not on the same level as I or II is still a good film? 

Todd Gilchrist at Mental Floss presents 20 Facts About The Godfather Part III.  Before you click over, here are my thoughts on three from Gilchrist’s list and one that didn’t make the cut.

ROBERT DUVALL WAS WRITTEN OUT OF THE GODFATHER PART III DUE TO A SALARY DISPUTE.  It was a mistake to not bring Duvall back.  Then they replaced him with George Hamilton as a new character.  It felt wrong and didn’t help the film.

ANDY GARCIA HAD A LOT OF A-LIST COMPETITION FOR HIS ROLE IN THE GODFATHER PART III.  Some of the actors in the running included Alec Baldwin, Nicolas Cage, Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon, Val Kilmer, Charlie Sheen, and Billy Zane.  I thought Garcia did an excellent job in the role. From those listed my second choice would have been Alec Baldwin.

THE GODFATHER PART III FEATURED MANY FAMILIAR FACES BOTH IN FRONT OF AND BEHIND THE CAMERA.  This helped strengthen the film… and only made Duvall’s absence felt that much more.

A Godfather III fact that didn’t make the list is that at one point when it didn’t look like Francis Ford Coppola was going to return there were discussions of getting Sylvester Stallone to direct and star along with John Travolta.  While that would have been very interesting, critics would have been all over it with negativity… and we’d have never gotten Coppola’s return.

For Gilchrist’s complete list and his thoughts on each, click over.

“Creature from the Black Lagoon” Trivia

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One of my favorite horror movies is Creature from the Black Lagoon.  Nicholas Furnal at CBR.com recently posted 10 Things Everyone Missed In Creature From The Black Lagoon.  I’m proud to report that I only missed one, but it is a doozy.  Before you click over, I’ll tell you the one I missed plus two others that are favorties.

Telephone Pole In The Amazon.  I’ve watched Creature from the Black Lagoon dozens and dozens of times (once as recently as last week).  I never noticed the telephone pole.  Of course I am usually watching in the 1.37:1 screen ratio.  Well, now I have an excuse for another viewing.

No Visible Air Bubbles.  I applaud that director Jack Arnold made sure that no air bubbles were present for the Creature’s underwater scenes.  It made the monster all that more realistic.  Hats off to Ricou Browning for being able to hold his breath underwater during several minutes of filming!

Two Separate Creature Suits.  It would have been easier and cheaper to just create one suit, but the folks behind the movie made two (one for land and one for underwater) that varied in flexibility and color.  It’s attention to details like these that make Creature from the Black Lagoon a classic.

Click over to check out the other trivia items and see if any are new to you!

Joe Dator’s Rediscovering “Columbo”

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Over the last year I’ve posted about my wife’s and my renewed interest and love for Columbo starring Peter Falk.  Because the series is so popular it appears on several networks daily which makes recording episodes easy. My wife and I have been working our way through every episode.  Joe Dator is doing the same thing.

Joe Dator is an accomplished cartoonist whose work can regularly be found in The New Yorker, often be found in Mad Magazine and Esquire and believe it or not, at his personal website.  Joe was a winner of The National Cartoonists Society’s 2018 Silver Reuben Award.

I tell you all of this as a way of introduction into Joe Dator’s Rediscovering “Columbo” in 2020.  The cartoon strip first appeared in The New Yorker last October, but can be seen in full at Joe’s website.  I agree with everything Joe says about the joys of watching Columbo.  The one thing I would add is that while Columbo’s first name is never spoken it does appear to eagle-eyed viewers when Columbo shares his ID in a few episodes.