tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post1978647370483991451..comments2024-03-25T19:18:14.047-04:00Comments on What's Alan Watching?: Seeing a young world with old eyesAlan Sepinwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-35007628026084865232009-10-14T13:21:30.356-04:002009-10-14T13:21:30.356-04:00"Also, when I was a kid, I totally didn't..."Also, when I was a kid, I totally didn't get that "Fern Gully" is complete environmentalist propaganda."<br /><br />I doubt anyone's reading this thread anymore, but this reminded me of two things: one, what a sign of the times it is that the villain in <i>Ghostbusters</i> is from the EPA. <br /><br />The other is of a short film some classmates once made talking about how <i>Fraggle Rock</i> is Communist propaganda, because the Fraggles keep consuming the labour output of the Doozers, or whatever those workers were called.<br /><br />Finally, I agree with Greg on <i>Cosby</i>. There's just such a <i>Father Knows Best</i> vibe to the whole thing. The only thing that made Cliff ruling those kids palatable was the knowledge that Claire ruled Cliff.filmcrickethttp://filmcricket.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-68231315111304198762009-10-12T08:23:17.199-04:002009-10-12T08:23:17.199-04:00It may sound like sacrilege, but I find the parent...It may sound like sacrilege, but I find the parenting on "The Cosby Show" difficult to watch at times. The joke repeated over and over again is that the kids' problems are ridiculous. And yes, many things teens worry about are pretty ridiculous, but what kind of complex are those kids going to have when their dad mocks them every time they come to him with a problem. The basic message seems to be: "You don't have to pay a mortgage or worry about grown-up stuff, so everything you're worried about is just a bunch of BS."<br /><br />Funny? Yes. True? For the most part. Considerate parenting? Not so much.Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02793802690959682811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-82204573030161794472009-10-12T00:17:18.875-04:002009-10-12T00:17:18.875-04:00You make it sound like Dr. Honeydew treats Beaker ...You make it sound like Dr. Honeydew treats Beaker the way Dr. Weird treats Steve. There's no "Gentlemen, behold!" psychosis coming from Dr. Honeydew. I think you're being too hard on the Muppet :-)deznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-47649074565338105502009-10-11T21:55:39.087-04:002009-10-11T21:55:39.087-04:00Gone with the Wind...I LOVED it when I saw it at 1...Gone with the Wind...I LOVED it when I saw it at 13 and was obsessed with it.<br /><br />Didn't realize until a college professor pointed it out that the second half of the movie is just sooo depressing: the war is over & the South's glory days are over, none of the movie slaves are freed, everyone is dirt poor, the death of Bonnie, etc. <br /><br />I guess I was just so swept up with the "romance" between Rhett & Scarlett to notice.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-16058841269317821672009-10-11T12:03:04.518-04:002009-10-11T12:03:04.518-04:00I can't believe those who mentioned Peter Pan ...I can't believe those who mentioned Peter Pan didn't say anything about the absolute horror of the portrayal of the "redskins" in that movie. It's such a racist piece of crap, I can't even watch it anymore. Now I watch the 2003 live-action one instead.<br /><br />Also, when I was a kid, I totally didn't get that "Fern Gully" is complete environmentalist propaganda. Not that I'm in favor of cutting down the rainforest, but it's just so blatant.notemilyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01314181692027225820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-2961385940490632102009-10-10T14:06:16.936-04:002009-10-10T14:06:16.936-04:00Oh, sorry I'm late. There was trouble at the l...Oh, sorry I'm late. There was trouble at the lab with the running and the exploding and the crying when the monkeys stole the glasses off my head.<br /><br />Professor Frink, Professor Frink,<br />He'll make you laugh, he'll make you think, He likes to run, and then the thing, with the... mm-m person...Oh boy, that monkey is going to pay.John Frinknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-88986940643388514702009-10-10T13:12:15.222-04:002009-10-10T13:12:15.222-04:00Toby O'B said...
Later we went to see "Th...<i>Toby O'B said...<br />Later we went to see "The Godfather", and when Sonny took the maid of honor against the bedroom door, I started gathering up my things. But Grammy never budged. It didn't even bother her when the "lightning bolt" unrobed in front of the window. </i><br /><br />I hope you're still reading, Toby O'B, because this story reminds me of the time my siblings and I, all teenagers at the time, were watching The Godfather. I think it was the scene Carlo was beating up Connie. At any rate, there was lots of cussing in Italian. My dad - whose first language was Italian - came storming into the room yelling, "what is filth you kids are watching?" We said, "It's The Godfather, Dad, and we only speak English." Dad said, "Okay, carry on." <br /><br />It was a nice moment, maybe you had to be there.LAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04868479477550590056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-76368982345093644262009-10-10T10:26:22.060-04:002009-10-10T10:26:22.060-04:00The Archie comics.
Archie is kind of a bastard, i...The Archie comics.<br /><br />Archie is kind of a bastard, isn't he?belindanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-14494751788674733662009-10-10T00:33:50.703-04:002009-10-10T00:33:50.703-04:00In terms of TV, Bewitched. I loved that show as a ...In terms of TV, Bewitched. I loved that show as a kid. I had a huge crush on Elizabeth Montgomery. I thought Dick York was awesomely funny.<br /><br />I watched as an adult and suddenly the premise seemed horrible. A husband forces his wife to deny her heritage in order to pass in middle class suburban society. Substitute 'witch' for any other ethnic group and what Darrin is making Samantha do is horrible.Graemehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14874622261770189776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-43098220037035602882009-10-09T15:57:49.341-04:002009-10-09T15:57:49.341-04:00Charlie Brown: like most children, I felt a deep r...Charlie Brown: like most children, I felt a deep resentment of crabby, critical Lucy and was heartbroken for eternally sad and disappointed Charlie.<br /><br />As a grown-up, it reads very differently. There's something about Charlie Brown's constant anxiety, unfixable longings, and stubborn downerness that DOES make you want to shake him. A real life Charlie Brown indeed tends to produce Lucy-like behavior in one, and then he looks at you, all sad and stomach-hurt. Gaaah!!lizkdchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04745462194643640213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-15379031580511551612009-10-09T13:55:27.401-04:002009-10-09T13:55:27.401-04:00H.R. Puffinstuff. I was 7 when it came out and tho...H.R. Puffinstuff. I was 7 when it came out and thought it was like the best Saturday morning show ever! I got my sister the DVDs for xmas a few years back and we couldn't make it through even one episode.<br /><br />Pretty much anything I liked when I was under 12 is unwatchable to me now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-23889732636637501842009-10-09T10:51:06.333-04:002009-10-09T10:51:06.333-04:00When I was a kid I thought the Oirginal V was good...When I was a kid I thought the Oirginal V was good but the Final Battle was beyond awesome and made the original look lame in comparison. Rewatching them as an adult and I loved the subtext and methaphor of the original and the Final Battle seems awfully silly.<br /><br />My take on Superman the Movie vs. Superman II took a similar turn as well.srpadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-53401126200882723452009-10-09T10:44:43.654-04:002009-10-09T10:44:43.654-04:00Love this thread. Santa Clause in Rudolph was mea...Love this thread. Santa Clause in Rudolph was mean. So was Donner, the Dad.<br /><br />The book I am always debating is the little kids book "I Love You Forever" I, and many friends, think it is incestual. Others find it depicts a nice son and mom who take care of themselves. Creeps me out though when the grown son has mom on his lap and climbs through the window to get to her.<br /><br />http://www.amazon.com/Love-You-Forever-Robert-Munsch/dp/0920668364/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255099080&sr=1-12bettydnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-79129408107165111582009-10-09T10:00:52.276-04:002009-10-09T10:00:52.276-04:00Snow White and Cinderella, and even Sleeping Beaut...Snow White and Cinderella, and even Sleeping Beauty.<br /><br />I now understand why my mother HATED those movies. The sexism is almost unwatchable....it's all about how you have to have a man (or take care of men in Snow White's case) to be fulfilled as a girl. Ugh!Amanda P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-61396194291959354122009-10-09T08:37:09.129-04:002009-10-09T08:37:09.129-04:00Atticus Finch. In my youth I was indoctrinated by ...Atticus Finch. In my youth I was indoctrinated by my liberal teachers that he was a heroic figure. But now it is just so obvious that he has deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture. I'm not saying that he doesn't like white people. I'm saying he has a problem. This guy is, I believe, a racist.<br /><br />It's just a joke. I don't care whether you're a patron of The Gem or The Bella Union.It's all good as long as you watch my show. SHow me the money!G. Becknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-34502854962577780602009-10-09T02:24:07.928-04:002009-10-09T02:24:07.928-04:00"I revisited Meatballs about a year ago, and ..."I revisited Meatballs about a year ago, and Bill Murray seemed way too old to be spending that much time with Rudy."<br /><br />There are a couple of episodes of 'Columbo' - "Etude In Black", but especially "Identity Crisis" - in which the Lieutenant's banter with children seems especially creepy today. Otherwise, there's still so much to love about that show!<br /><br />"As a child I liked James West and Artemus Gordon and didn't understand why; as an adult, I completely get it. What a great show. What great slacks."<br /><br />For those who would be interested, "The Night of the Underground Terror" had a major wardrobe malfunction during the big climactic fight - and "Little Tommy Lopaka" popped out of those tight purple pants (still covered in the tighty whiteys, however).<br /><br />"Oh, and embarrassing parents at movie moments, my Dad took me to a Patton/M*A*S*H double feature and he probably didn't know about the Hot Lips scene or the Painless Pole scene beforehand, but I survived and became a Pro from Dover..."<br /><br />My grandmother took me to that same double-bill when I was a kid, and of course we made it through "Patton" okay. But five minutes into "MASH", and there's an overhead shot of Sutherland and Joanne Pflug making out on a bed, fully clothed, and Grammy's up and out the door. I had to go to - she was my ride!<br /><br />Later we went to see "The Godfather", and when Sonny took the maid of honor against the bedroom door, I started gathering up my things. But Grammy never budged. It didn't even bother her when the "lightning bolt" unrobed in front of the window. <br /><br />I think it had to do with her parents both being from Italy and she wanted a taste of that era once again. (By the time of my Dad's generation, you couldn't tell that there was an Italian background to that side of the family.)<br /><br />Sorry for going on so.....Toby O'Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06999037844031101965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-58388266394075149132009-10-09T01:51:22.069-04:002009-10-09T01:51:22.069-04:00@Christy: You ever work up that "Mad Men"...@Christy: You ever work up that "Mad Men"/"Bewitched" theory and are looking for a place to showcase it, I'd be happy to give it a mirror berth at my Inner Toob blog! It sounds perfect for that venue!Toby O'Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06999037844031101965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-45129018064251138372009-10-09T01:33:57.379-04:002009-10-09T01:33:57.379-04:00On rewatch, Kevin Arnold was a little shit, but I ...On rewatch, Kevin Arnold was a little shit, but I still love the show. <br /><br />I was never a huge fan of Veronica and Logan together, but rewatching their relationship was barely possible. I rolled my eyes and groaned a lot.<br /><br />I am pretty sure I'm never going to read The Catcher in the Rye again because I'm afraid I'll hate it now that I'm an adult.Alfnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-43608570618505621082009-10-09T00:55:08.615-04:002009-10-09T00:55:08.615-04:00I'd like to treat Ethel Mertz to a nice relaxi...I'd like to treat Ethel Mertz to a nice relaxing day at the spa. She had to contend with a much older husband who delitrd in insulting her and a best friend who at best subjected her to regular humiliation, and at worst put her life in jeopardy!Susiehttp://readcomics.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-33671985329421929842009-10-09T00:54:52.939-04:002009-10-09T00:54:52.939-04:00I never minded Ferris Bueller, because it always s...I never minded Ferris Bueller, because it always seemed that while he obviously enjoyed getting the best of the adults, the day was equally about helping Cameron.<br /><br />One movie that I recently saw in a whole new light was Mary Poppins. As a kid, it's all about how the children finally get to have fun. But now I see it being just as much about the father. The scene where Mr. Banks sings about not realizing his ambitions is very moving. So is Bert's gentle, understanding rebuke about getting too lost in working for the good of the family instead of being with the family. I also appreciate the vocabulary in that movie; how many films for children use the phrase, "carve his niche on the edifice of time?"JKChicagonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-85633819954922742092009-10-09T00:44:47.782-04:002009-10-09T00:44:47.782-04:00Any disney cartoon where they gave the animals eth...Any disney cartoon where they gave the animals ethnic voices. The definition of cringeworthy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-5395664578287488072009-10-09T00:20:20.391-04:002009-10-09T00:20:20.391-04:00Willie. Wonka.Willie. Wonka.Chuck Nottheshownoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-2502041936983015112009-10-08T23:36:32.351-04:002009-10-08T23:36:32.351-04:00Re Edward. I wish that would happen, but there ar...Re Edward. I wish that would happen, but there are a LOT of older women who are into Twilight, and don't see the connection.<br /><br />I just want to digress for a second about the And then Buffy staked Edward The End t shirts I've been seeing. <br /><br />Really? Have you watched Buffy? Did you see Season one where even after she thinks Angel tried to attack her mother she still was reluctant to stake him? What about season 2 and where she really needed to stake him and didn't. Did you see her falling in lust with Spike before he gpt his soul?<br /><br />Angel and Edward are pretty much the same vampire. <br /><br />She'd have sex with him before she'd stake him.<br /><br />I've been terrified of going back to watch Buffy because I'm terrified it won't hold up. Seasons 6 and 7 were terrible and I never liked firefly, so I don't know what would happen since i'm past any joss whedon is a god notions.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08965717916375558077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-11898247529684406292009-10-08T23:24:35.971-04:002009-10-08T23:24:35.971-04:00Older than most here:
Loved Lost In Space (and all...Older than most here:<br />Loved Lost In Space (and all the cheesy SciFi shows from the 60s)but find it unwatchable now. I dug June Lockhart (holdover love from Lassie)and Bill Mumy and the Robot is classic, but now I need Dr. Smith to have an airlock accident.<br /><br />Oh, and embarrassing parents at movie moments, my Dad took me to a Patton/M*A*S*H double feature and he probably didn't know about the Hot Lips scene or the Painless Pole scene beforehand, but I survived and became a Pro from Dover...<br /><br />PuffAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-27235793232964112672009-10-08T23:22:38.606-04:002009-10-08T23:22:38.606-04:00Holly Martins -- oh yes. I am so with you on Real...Holly Martins -- oh yes. I am so with you on Reality Bites. Back when I was 14 and subscribing to the teenage girl magazines, the Ethan Hawke character was a dreamboat idealist who Didn't Compromise His Principles. I watched the movie again in college and he was insufferable! And the greasy, greasy hair! Get a job and buy some shampoo, dude.<br /><br />I'm also with those who found Ferris Bueller kind of uncomfortable -- I identified more with Cameron, and I thought Ferris would be an incredibly stressful friend to have. (Nothing is more stressful than being told to "relax" all of the time.)MCBnoreply@blogger.com