Random Acts of Thursday - (not so) Free Samples

Samples?  Yes, please.  My grocery store (curse upon my life though it is) has started passing out samples of brownies on my last few visits.  Doesn't make up for them raising all of their prices, but still - free brownies.  Anyhow, it got me to thinking and I thought I'd regale you all with a little quiz about samples.  (You're all excited and tingly, I know.)

Below are songs that were sampled into other music, name the artist and song.

It's a hard-knock life (The Cast of 'Annie')
Under Pressure (Queen/David Bowie)
The Ocean (Led Zepplin)
Good Times (Chic)
We Will Rock You (Queen)
Thank You (Dido)
I'll Take You There (The Staple Singers)
I'm a Man (Bo Diddley)

The following films are sampled in song as well.  Name the artist and song.

Full Metal Jacket
Performance
Young Guns
Animal House

Even Mr. Spock got sampled!  Name the song.  You know you know it.

The following bands and artists are mentioned by other bands in their songs.  Name the song where each of these artists is referenced:

Anthrax
T Rex
Falco
Moby
The Beach Boys
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Jimmy Page

Bonus question: Why bother to sample when you're great on your own?  Name three bands that mention themselves in their song titles.

As usual, you don't win anything, except maybe some fine musical trivia knowledge to try out on your friends and family.  Aren't you lucky?

Movie Mania Monday - 'Tis the Season!

In fact, it's been many seasons since I posted.  What can I say?  I'm easily distracted.  What with the Twitter and all, brevity is wit.  But Santa's a-comin', so let's hope you've been good boys and girls.  Assuming you have been (or assuming you'll lie and pretend to have been 'good') I give you this gift of a long-overdue post.

Christmas has already been good to me.  I have a beautiful granddaughter and we were able to celebrate on Saturday with a pork roast bigger than her.  

And I even captured a picture of the roast on my phone!  That's a minor miracle for me.

(Yes, I have plenty of pictures of the granddaughter on there, too.)

I got my grinder and sausage attachments for the KitchenAid, bratwurst here I come.

I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of my Secret Santa package, for more delicious treats.  I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Secret Santa package I sent, and hope my Sant-ee is as excited to receive it as I was to make it.  Mmm, jam.

And for you, kiddos, I give you a film quote to guess upon.  Or upon which to guess.  It's been a long time, so here are the rules.  No Google or Bing or other web searches, either you've seen this film or you haven't.  Winner will be extolled as the Iron Quote-Guesser, and all the appropriate fame and accolades that go along with it.  Allez guessing! 


I never pictured God with a fat gut and corset singing "My Way" at Caesar's Palace.

Random Acts of Thursday - Spy on Spy Action!

A few weeks ago we spent all our spying energies on James Bond.  Well, on Bond girls, but still. 

There are so many other spy films out there, I figured you could do with expanding your NetFlix rental list a bit.  Below are twelve spies, eleven from film and one from television.  Identify which movie or show each spy belongs to.  Remember to show your work, kids!

• Louis Salinger
• Number Six
• Joe Turner
• Harry Tasker
• Emmett Fitz-Hume
• Ethan Hunt
• Jack Ryan
• Alex Leamas
• Tom Bishop
• Chuck Barris
• Annabella Smith
• Derek Flint

Enjoy yourselves, and go back and answer the Bond quiz as well.  Never hurts.

Which Side Are You On?

I have always been a bed hog.  When left to my own devices, I sleep diagonally or even across the bed sideways.  Lori keeps me in check and usually on my left side, facing away from her so the snoring is slightly less locomotive-like.  However, if, nay, WHEN I go to bed early, I'm sure I spread out and need to be moved.  I know when I'm traveling for work, I revert to old habits and take up the whole bed again. 

Some years ago, probably about the time we got married, I got switched from the left side to the right side of the bed.  I don't know exactly how it happened, but what probably started as a whim so I could be near the fan has become permanent.  I suppose I don't mind this, but that might have something or another to do with why I gravitate back to the other side of the bed when left unchecked.

A cursory search of the Internet shows studies to determine if you sleep better on one side versus the other (right versus left, not top versus bottom), or if it matters in a relationship, which seems to dictate that the man sleeps closest to the door, which I usually do by virtue of the room design.  There's no feng shui of bed side that I can find.  I don't even understand the feng shui diagrams available on Google, though admittedly I didn't try very hard.

How about you, dear reader?  Do you have a preference of side?  Does the person with whom you share a bed have a side preference, thereby relegating you to the other side by default?  Do you sleep on a side when you're alone?

No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to quiz!

I know quizzes normally happen on Thursdays, but it's been far too long since I've quizzed you, my childrens.  I'm here to resolve that and not make you wait another whole week.  You're excited, I can tell.

For that matter, it's also been far too long since I've entrenched myself in a Bond movie marathon.  I love the James Bond franchise, and while I'm generally a fan of the official (Eon Productions) films, there have been others made to feature 007 as well, with varying success.  I'm looking at you, Never Say Never Again....  In lieu of that, getting you to answer questions about the great and powerful Bond is some comfort.

Put on your thinking caps and get Googling, my little spylets!

• Which actor has starred in the most Bond films to date?
•  
• Which Bond character has been played by the most actors in the franchise history: M, Ernst Stavro Blofeld or Felix Leiter?
•  
• Which of those characters was played by more than one actor in a single film?
•  
• Name two actors to play a different role in a subsequent film than in their original Bond appearance.  (Check the CDS archives for this one, kiddoes!)
•  
• Of the many makes and models of car James Bond has driven, and given his history of destroying anything he drives, which car has featured in more films than any other?
•  
• What children's author wrote the screenplay for one of the film adaptations of Ian Fleming's novels?
•  
• What non-Bond film did said author screenwrite based on an Ian Fleming story?
•  
• Which film featured more actors playing Agent 007 than any other?
•  
• Of those actors, who is the only one to act in one of the 'official' Bond films? 
•  
• Who was the best Bond girl ever?  Discuss.  Unless you think it was Halle Berry, in which case you're wrong.  Even Denise Richards as a nuclear physicist exhibited better acting skills.  And by acting skills I mean acting skills.  Get your minds out of the gutter.

Remember to show your work, kids!  Spelling counts.  When you're done, check this out at LOTD.

Answers here.

Random Acts of Thursday - Shhhmokin'

Other than a cigar on rare occasions, I don't smoke. I am personally put off by residual cigarette smoke. When bars went smoke-free, it was a positive change for me.



However, cigs and smoking are iconic. In old film, in song, even in early television, what would we have made of it when WC Fields showed up, a la Kojak, with lolly in hand in place of his cigar? (Or Winston Churchill, for that matter. I always get them confused. Drunk and wearing a hat? They could be brothers. Wait...WC? Winston Churchill? Hmmmm...)

Okay, that went a direction I wasn't expecting. Sorry about that. Damn brain cloud...

Now, my little quizlings, dance, dance!

1) What actor starred in a Disney film under the alias Paul Mall?


2) Name the television show that featured a character named Salem?


3) What iconic ad man did Don Johnson usurp for a 1991 film?


4) What brand of cigarettes does Bruce Willis smoke in Die Hard?


5) What about in Pulp Fiction?


6) What Acadamy-award-winning film is set in Newport, RI?


7) Name the brand mentioned by Billy Joel in an iconic 80's song.


8) What series of code phrases does James Bond use to identify a fellow agent?


9) In which film did Clint Eastwood light a match on the face of his opponent?


10) What is my favorite Kool and the Gang song? (Hint - it's featured in one of the films listed above.)
 
Bonus:  What brand did my favorite author notoriously smoke his entire life?

If you think you've got them all, check here for the answers.

Random Acts of Thursday - Dan Aykroyd - Angel of Death?

As many of my regular readers know, I've watched a film or two in my day.  Recently, it dawned on me, while watching 'The Dark Knight', that a lot of actors have passed before their time was perhaps due.

(Okay, so a number of them pumped their bodies full of enough drugs to mellow the western hemisphere, but that's beside the point here...work with me.)

In particular, I started running down my list o' dead celebs, and it became rather apparent to me that Dan Aykroyd might be the Angel of Death.  Among his soon-to-be-dead co-stars are Chris Farley, John Candy, John Belushi, Tupac Shakur, River Phoenix, Jack Lemmon, Phil Hartman, Anna Chlumsky...wait, she's not dead.  I never saw 'My Girl', but somehow I had it in my head that she died.  Did she die in the movie, or was that Macaulay Culkin?

Anyhow.  Lots of dead folks piling up around Dan.  Not saying it's his fault, just saying that's a lot of dead people.

So this week's quiz is a little morbid, but bear with me.  Two parts to this: first, match the dead actor to the living.  Each list contains both.  With only one exception, I've tried to avoid scenarios where both actors are dead but screws fall out every day - the world's an imperfect place.  Next, identify the film which starred both actors.

An example:  Heath Ledger (B, dead) starred with Christian Bale (1, living) in 'The Dark Knight'.

A) Alicia Silverstone
B) Heath Ledger
C) Jet Li
D) Dudley Moore
E) Christina Ricci
F) Chris Farley
G) Harrison Ford
H) Sharon Tate
I) Kevin Bacon
J) Rodney Dangerfield
K) Marilyn Monroe
L) Steve Martin
M) Bruce Lee
N) John Belushi
O) Dan Aykroyd

1) Christian Bale
2) Raoul Julia
3) David Spade
4) River Phoenix
5) Tony Curtis
6) Aaliyah
7) Joe Pesci
8) John Candy
9) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
10) Bo Derek
11) John Candy
12) Tupac Shakur
13) Brittany Murphy
14) Mia Farrow
15) Chris Penn

Simple, yes?  It's supposed to be fun, kids.  Don't kill yourself over this.

Random Acts of Thursday - Picture in Picture

I remember when I bought my first television, it came with Picture in Picture technology.  Oooh, fancy.  Now I could watch two shows at once, as if my attention span needed the encouragement to swap between shows.

It seems the same is true of film.  I am sick of 'remakes'.  True, without remakes, we wouldn't have gotten Airplane!  But I don't need to see Jackie Chan and Will Smith's son remaking 'Karate Kid'.  I don't need to see Adam Sandler in 'The Longest Yard'.  Nobody needs to see Marky Mark in 'Planet of the Apes'.  And I love the Coen Brothers, but I'm so conflicted about their remake of 'True Grit'.  However, a number of films pay tribute to those who came before without imitation. 

Below are twelve films that have been flashed on screen in later movies, a way for directors to pay homage to classics without needing to lift the script and hand it to some ham to destroy while the original directors roll cartwheels in their graves. 

Your job?  Name the film that shared the original with brand new audiences.

• Rambo
• Casablanca
• Rio Bravo
• Touch of Evil
• Goldfinger
• Spartacus
• Miracle on 34th Street
• Captain Blood
• Watership Down
• Myrt and Marge
• It's a Wonderful Life
• Gilda

Name two movies that feature video stores, though no actual film footage is ever seen.

Name two movies that feature fake films as part of the main film's plotline.

Name two movies that feature 'themselves' in the film.

And really, kids, I can't say it enough.  If you don't recognize these, get out and watch some more movies. 

Movie Mania Monday - Everybody's a Winner

Happy 2011, childrens, and Auld Lang Syne and all of that! 

Time to announce the winners of our second annual trivial trivia giveaway!  There was much work involved, and in the end, only three brave souls dared enter the squared circle we call the NerDome.  (We do.  Really.  I didn't just make that up.)  For those of you looking to expand your education, keep reading.

Tied for first place are Daisy and Kari, who worked their internets to the bone coming up with these answers.

Third place goes to Frank, and really, doesn't everyone win when bacon is involved?

For the curious among you, here are the preferred winning answers:

1)  Name two films that featured two future state governors.  

A)  "Batman and Robin", "Predator" and "Running Man" all starred Jesse Ventura (MN) and Ahnuld Schwartzenegger (CA).  "Predator" also starred Sonny Landham, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for governor of Kentucky, and there is currently a Facebook campaign to elect Carl "Apollo Creed" Weathers to a governorship just to make the 'Governor vs. Predator' argument.  

2)  Name another that featured one future governor and a chimp.

A)  This could only be the Gipper.  Ronald Reagan, then future governor of California co-starred with a monkey in "Bedtime for Bonzo".

3)  Hal Holbrook has never been a governor.  Hal Holbrook has never been president either, but he's played two on TV as well as helping to topple a third in film.  Name two films where his good-guy role turns out to be a front, and he's exposed as the villain (Scooby-Doo style, if you will.)

A)  I underestimated this one, as Hal Holbrook seems to become the villain more often than not.  I was thinking of "Magnum Force" and "Fletch Lives", but I was also given "The Firm" as an option.  Sure, it's just opinion, but somehow I doubt Hal's role in "All the president's men" changed from beginning to end of the film, and it seems that he was an asshole from the start in "Capricorn One". 

4)  Speaking of Scooby Doo (in an offhand sort of way), explain the significance of September 14, 1985 in music history.  (It has to do, marginally, with the Pointer Sisters and one of their 'upbeat' songs, if that helps.  It went to eleven.)

A)  A day that will live in infamy, this was Casey Kasem's 'Snuggles' rant, about having to do a dedication to a dead dog coming out of the Pointer Sisters song.  The rant was later edited into U2, a song by alternative band Negativland.  One would hope you're not asking what this has to do with Scooby Doo.  If you are, go check out Casey's IMDB page.  I'm not giving you a link, that just encourages your laziness.

5)  Also on that day, one of the greatest premieres in all of television occurred, that being "The Golden Girls".  The theme song was originally released by Andrew Gold in 1978.  Name two films to feature Gold's previous hit, 'Lonely Boy'.

A)  Both "Boogie Nights" and "The Water Boy" included this tune on their soundtracks.

6)  Now that you're all sexed up thinking about the television show mentioned above, maybe thinking about baseball would help.  Who followed Jimmy Blake to the plate, possibly in Massachusetts but just as possibly in California, depending upon who you believe?

A)  Jimmy Blake was second at bat, right before Casey in "Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888" by Ernest Thayer.

7 & 8)  Speaking of geography, how far is Winnipeg from Montreal?  Who told you that distance?

A)  While driving distances would be 1470 or 1711 miles depending upon your route, we weren't talking about driving but actual geographic distance.  Currently distance from airport to airport is 1136 miles.  However, according to Mr. Memory, from Hitchcock's "The 39 Steps", the distance is actually 1148 miles.

9)  Why is that distance in miles instead of kilometers?  Burma!  (Sorry, I panicked.  I'm not Doctor bloody Bernofsky, you know.)

A)  "The 39 Steps" was released in 1939.  However, the metric system was not universally in use in Great Britain until 1965, and Canada until 1973.  Presently only three nations worldwide have yet to complete 'Metrication':  The United States of America, Liberia, and Burma.

10)  What do they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in France?

A)  Official spelling on the McDonalds website lists the 'Royal Cheese' as an offering in France.  However, were you to be a Tarantino fan, you'd know this to be the 'Royale with Cheese' of "Pulp Fiction" fame, because thanks to the Metric system, the French don't know what a quarter pound is.

11)  Finally, which actress was born on the anniversary of the Mexican Revolution, and became a global sensation after starring in one of the late Blake Edwards' films?

A)  Bo Derek starred in "Ten", and was the subject of my most popular blog post to date.

I'd like to thank everyone who participated, and I'm looking forward to far more entries on future give-aways.

And of course, what would Monday be without a movie quote to identify?  No Googling or using any other search engines on this one, either you recognize the quote or you don't.  Identify the original source of the quote, no movies within movies or characters quoting past films.  Should you guess the quote correctly, you'll win the peoples' fame and ovation forever, along with the title of 'Iron Quote Guesser'.

The army couldn't afford drapes? I'll be up at the crack of dawn here!

Allez Guessing!

Movie Mania Monday - Two turtlenecks and a beer

Hey, kids!  It's been another cold week here in the O-hi-o, but it hasn't been without warm holiday tidings.  I even enjoyed some noodle kugel courtesy of the deli up the street from home.  We braved the holiday traffic over the weekend, which explains why I do most of my Christmas shopping online, and right now I feel like I could go for a cup of hot cocoa just in hopes that I could feel my fingers again.

Keep watching this space for further events, kiddoes, the Fun Fact Fat Guy Film Finds Foodipalooza is celebrating it's second year, with lots of goodies in our sleigh.

However, right now, it's time for this week's movie quote.  No Googling or using any other search engines (as if anyone uses anything but Google...).  Identify the original source of the quote, no movies within movies or characters quoting past films.  Should you guess the quote correctly, you'll win the peoples' fame and ovation forever, along with the title of 'Iron Quote Guesser'.

"Hey, we're flexible. Pearl Harbor didn't work out so we got you with tape decks."

Allez guessing and joyeux noel, mes amis!

Movie Mania Monday - Now with a title! I'm sure that helps a bit.

Oh, what a wintry day we've had.   And really, it is beautiful.


Nobody managed to identify last week's film.  Ms. Lee knows it, but she's not sharing.  (Does that mean she's getting coal for Christmas?)  Also, nobody managed to comment on my sentence fragment last week, but I'll take care of that in a post later this week.

Now onto the contest!  As always, rules.  No Google or other web searches, you should know the quote by yourself. This should be the original source of the quote as well, no characters quoting other movies, and certainly no movies within movies. Should you guess the quote correctly, you'll win the people's fame and ovation forever, along with the title of 'Iron Quote Guesser', along with all associated accolades. Now, onto the quote of the week:

Oh god. I just screamed in his face.

Allez Guessing! Meanwhile, I'll be outside shoveling.

Random Acts of Thursday - Over the River and Through the Woods

We were never big on the extended-family holiday when I was a kid.  However, my most memorable Thanksgiving is, in fact, one where we went to my grandmother's house.  That was a tough trek, probably 10 or 12 stairs up to her apartment from ours.  Phew! 

Despite her sweet tooth, my sister was not fond of candied yams.  She jokingly shoved the lock closed on the oven while they were baking, and because of the heat, the oven elected to stay locked for about four hours.  Sarah was quite pleased with herself that evening, to be sure.  Me, not so much.

As you're reading this, we have hopefully completed the 500-mile journey back to Wisconsin to be with family and gorge ourselves on turkey and pie.  I realize that some of you have arduous commutes to your family homes for the holiday as well, and as such thought we'd celebrate Grandma, Nana, Oma, Granny, Gramma or whatever you happened to call your female ancestors.  The actresses listed below have all portrayed a grandmother on the big screen, some more than once.  Identify the films in which each of these women played a grandmotherly role.

• Katherine Hepburn
• Sandy Martin
• Cloris Leachman
• Anne Bancroft
• Sylvia Sidney
• Carol Kane
• Billie Bird
• Diane Ladd
• Holland Taylor
• Maureen Stapleton
• Eileen Ryan

Show your work, kids!  Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. 

Extra credit?  Name two other songs besides the one hinted at in the title that also talk about Grandma.

Monday Night at the Movies - Couldn't care less about the five nine I'm blowin'

As many films as I've seen through the years, it has become increasingly rare for me to see them in an actual movie theater.  Now with the DVR, I'm even less inclined to go pay $9 to sit in an uncomfortable chair while wearing pants and abstaining from alcohol.  However, my local theater is actually local now, just a few minutes up the road instead of half an hour or 28 stop lights away, and apparently Mondays offer matinee pricing all day.  I might be able to sit through a few more films if they only cost me $5.

We saw RED on Saturday, and while I hoped for more, it was still enjoyable.  And I suppose, what kind of depth of character should I expect from a comic book?  I'll take character development if they want to give it to me, but I certainly don't expect it.

It was an overwhelmingly fun movie weekend for me, besides our little outing to the theater.  Caught an old Agatha Christie suspense film yesterday morning, and followed it up with the Rodriguez/Tarantino 'Grindhouse' double-feature that I recorded off of IFC past my bedtime Saturday night.  Gory, yet amusing.  And it included a 'trailer' for Machete, with Johnny Trejo.  That trailer was made in '07, and Rodriguez has now actually made the movie.  It's on the must-see list. 

Slightly more depressing is the news that Mad Max 4 has been pushed back indefinitely.  This makes me sad since it was to be shot in the same outback hills as Mad Max 1 and 2, and I was waiting impatiently.  They've modified the Interceptor a little, but that just makes it cooler.

And we really need a new movie quote.  Since we haven't done this in months, it's only fair we review the rules, right, children?  Your goal is to guess the original source of the quote below.  No Google or other web searches, you should know the quote by yourself. This is specifically to identify the original source of the quote as well, no characters quoting other movies, and certainly no movies within movies. Should you guess the quote correctly, you'll win the people's fame and ovation forever, along with the title of 'Iron Quote Guesser', along with all associated accolades. Now, onto the quote of the week:

Our survival hinges on one thing - finding someone who not only can fly this plane, but didn't have fish for dinner.
(Which is technically two things, I think, but that's how the quote reads.  Can't help it if it's wrong.) 

Allez guessing, mes enfants!

Random Acts of Thursday - Will the real Act of Thursday please stand up?

So yesterday, in my infinite absent-mindedness, I posted, thinking it was Thursday.  That was because I was so convinced that Tuesday was actually Wednesday, I left work having prepared for Wednesday to be Thursday.  Even my not getting up at 5:30 so I can drive to Columbus (like I'm doing today, maybe even as you read this) didn't trigger that it was still Wednesday.

Quick trivia for you kids today.  As you've figured out already, I love film.  Don't have much respect for awards shows or, for that matter, the awards themselves.  However, film and trivia?  Sign me up. 

All of the following actors have won academy awards portraying real people.  The added bonus?  Each of them portrayed a person who was still alive at the time these films were released.

• Spencer Tracy - Father Edward Flanagan in Boys Town (1938)
• Gary Cooper - Alvin C. York in Sergeant York (1941)
• Patty Duke - Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker (1962)
• Jason Robards - Benjamin Bradlee in All the President's Men (1976)
• Robert De Niro - Jake La Motta in Raging Bull (1980)
• Sissy Spacek - Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)
• Jeremy Irons - Claus von Bülow in Reversal of Fortune (1990)
• Susan Sarandon - Sister Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking (1995)
• Geoffrey Rush - David Helfgott in Shine (1996)
• Julia Roberts - Erin Brockovich in Erin Brockovich (2000)
• Jim Broadbent - John Bayley in Iris (2001/I)
• Jennifer Connelly - Alicia Nash in A Beautiful Mind (2001)
• Helen Mirren - Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen (2006)

Now, the quiz.  You didn't think I'd let you off that easily, did you?

1)  Two of the actresses listed above have released albums - one a compilation from one of her films, the other a novelty album released under a fake name.  Identify the actresses and albums.

2)  Which two of the actors listed above actually died before the characters they portrayed?

See?  Two questions.  Easy-peasy.  Show your work, kids, and spelling counts.

Random Acts of Thursday - He's Alive!

Not gone, just busy.  Not to worry, quizlings, there will be more to tax your life-wearied brains.

Just in case you were worried.  And if you really, really need something to do, go ahead and click here.  There's unfinished business to attend to.

Oh, and if you're interested (pretend, will you?), there's a wonderful scathing review of my other blog here.  Read it and enjoy.

(And yes, it just dawned on me hours later that today is Wednesday, not Thursday.  Whoops.)

Random Acts of Thursday - What Knockers!

There is a time in every boy's life when he encounters his first Playboy.  Heck, his first National Geographic, for that matter.  And there are the formative films of one's youth. 

Since I refuse to grow up, any film that brings on the sexytime is a formative film of my youth.  (Though truth be told, I can't even say 'titmouse' without giggling like a schoolgirl.)

At the same time, I can remember the skies opening up for me when I got my first boombox (it was, after all, 1984) and discovered that there were other channels on the dial besides my parents' country station. 

As such, I give you this week's quiz!  I'll tell you the song, you identify the sexy and the film.  Keep in mind sexy doesn't have to be naked (though it doesn't hurt).

1) Moving in Stereo - The Cars

2) Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd

3) LaGrange - ZZ Top

4) Bolero - Ravel

5) Brand New Key - Melanie

6) Slaughter House - Powermad

7) Atomic - Sleeper

8) Sussudio - Phil Collins

I'm sure I'm missing others, feel free to add them in the comments. 

Speaking of sexy, it seems my readership has dropped off considerably.  Some might logically conclude this is because my writership has also dropped off considerably.  However, I figured it might be easier if I just posted gratuitous pictures of boobies.

Enjoy!

And my favorite...

Movie Mania Monday - How Laborious

Well, I suppose I've been a little rough on you kids.  Two weeks ago, I posted a quote that has stuck with me for nearly 25 years since I saw the original film, and yet I'm left feeling I must be more odd than I first surmised.

Here then, is a quiz of movielicious wonderment.  You want easy, here's easy.  Think of it as a movie-quote version of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon  (Mmmm...bacon....) without me actually making you figure out how each movie relates to the man in question.  Instead, each film quoted below relates to the film next to it via common actor.  Your only task is to identify the films for each quote.

Remember, as are always the rules for quote contests:  Original speaker, no characters quoting other movies.  No cheating.  This means no Google, Bing, Boggle, Quibble, Jeeves or even Yahoo.  We grade on a curve here at CDS Enterprises, with the victor earning the peoples' fame and ovation forever, along with the title of Iron Quote-Guesser.

1)  You mess with the bull, you get the horns.

2)  That's a major appliance, not a name!

3)  Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!

4)  I want a hamburger. No, cheeseburger. I want a hot dog. I want a milkshake. I want potato chips...

5)  You were supposed to fire up! *We* both fired *up*! It's like living with a six-year old.

6)  This is the happiest day of my life! I think my testicles are dropping!

7)  I'm no longer a carnivore. I don't eat anything that's ever had parents.

8)  It's never gonna happen again, Malcolm. I've got it under control. See, I just love naked women. It's a character flaw. And God's testing me now...

9)  Well, I've said it before and I'm going to say it again... There ain't no way, no way, that you could come from my loins.

10)  Do you like to gamble, Eddie? Gamble money on pool games?

11)  What's a six letter word for a condition of the hypothalamus?

12)  Top five musical crimes perpetuated by Stevie Wonder in the '80s and '90s. Go. Sub-question: is it in fact unfair to criticize a formerly great artist for his latter day sins, is it better to burn out or fade away?

Allez guessing!  And bonus points if you can actually identify the links between each film.

Random Acts of Thursday - Elementary, my dear Watson!

I've been remiss.

Several weeks ago, I waxed (on, wax off) about the chronological advance of my childhood crushes.  Somehow, I neglected to include Jodie Foster on that list.  Also in that episode, despite mentioning Phoebe Cates, I failed to post the quintessence of Phoebiness, her Fast Times bikini shot.

I'm here to rectify that.

I've also been lacking in the movie and music trivia department of late. 

I'm here to rectify that.

Wait, this doesn't cut it?  Fine, then.

Something that bothers me regularly, if you'll forgive the lack of segue, is our nation's need to endlessly remake films.  Sure, there are some original ideas out there, but really, did The Karate Kid cry out for a Jackie Chan remake?  Pat Morita must be rolling over in his grave.  (Wait...is Pat Morita dead?  I should probably check that out...)  And if they're not remakes of old movies, old TV shows, or bad Saturday morning cartoons, they're sequels, which I always assume are bad.  Saves me going to the movies, my couch is far more comfortable.

It's as though we can't come up with original ideas.  I have lots of original ideas, myself, but few of them ever see completion.  I'm recruiting, Crappy Unfinished Novel Time needs more creative input.  I'll keep posting my stuff, but really, anyone is welcome to contribute, free of charge.

I'm also soliciting for reader input here at the CDS.  Email me your questions, however trivial or inane.  It's called filler, people!

Also, while I've not been writing many posts lately, the larger crime is that I haven't been reading many other blogs, either.  And commenting on fewer.  I apologize to the many talented and creative writers who bless the Internet with their work.

But finally, it's quiz time!  I'll bet you thought it would never happen.

Every time it's shown on television, I get sucked into The Fifth Element.  (Happened again last Friday, when I picked up the last ten minutes.)  Besson's editing is quick and I love every minute of it.  Milla Jovovich isn't bad, either.  As far as current science is concerned, there is no 'fifth element'.  However, there are four other elements, earth, water, air and fire, that deserve equal billing. 

Therefore, onto the quiz.

1)  Name three songs (along with the performing artist) that mention earth (or some variation on the theme) in lyrics. 

2)  Ditto for fire.

3)  Ditto for air.

4)  See where we're going with this?  List three songs that mention water in some form.

5)  A question for Bob, name a song that mentions water in addition to my favorite dessert.

6)  Name five bands that reference one of the four elements in their band name.

7)  Name two bands that reference, rather than one of these elements, an element from the periodic table, as their name.

8)  Identify the band whose song about an airborne conveyance, while lyrically not qualified for an answer above, uses two elements to achieve lift.

9)  Name the author and 1962 book whose central premise is the same as the name of that band.

10)  Finally, which band released an album by the same name as the band from question 8 (mysteriously close to the time the band in question 8 took their name)?

As always, we grade on a curve here at the great and powerful CDS.  Show your work, kids!

And with special thanks to Dave Barry (along with Strunk and White) as an early influence on my sensibilities, 'Elements of Style' would be a great name for a band.  Just sayin.

Movie Mania Monday - Fear not, little ones!

It's been a long, long time.  I'm such a sight.  Though I doubt I'm looking better than a body has a right to.

Busy, busy times at the Chez NFG.  But we're trying, and you, dear readers, have stuck with me.   Shows you're not a fickle lot, and I appreciate that.  It's barely been two weeks that I've been away, but it feels much longer.  At least in that time I've managed to get an Ohio driver's license.  And only three visits to the OBMV to do so!  I think it's a new record.

And as it's been over a month since the last installment of movie quote trivia, let's recap the rules, shall we?  No Google or other web searches, you should know the quote by yourself. This should be the original source of the quote as well, no characters quoting other movies, and certainly no movies within movies. Should you guess the quote correctly, you'll win the people's fame and ovation forever, along with the title of 'Iron Quote Guesser', along with all associated accolades. Now, onto the quote of the week:

The problem!  It's happening again!  I need fruit!

Allez guessing!

Random Acts of Thursday - I'd rather fight than switch...

I am important. And not just self-important, but other people rely on my knowledge and insight. I have a lofty important title at work. I have a corner office. A real office, not just a glorified cubicle, my desk and door are both made of wood (or wood particulate...let's not split hairs.)

All that said, I find it necessary to share that yesterday, I wore baby blue boxer shorts covered in flying pigs. Monday, little race cars.

I haven't always worn boxers, I grew up tight and white, snug as a thug. Cool white cotton, softly cradling my 'personal area'. Somewhere along the line, I started the slow transition to boxers (briefs with loose dress pants, boxers with jeans), and once I made the final transition in my mid-20's, I haven't looked back.


Sure, I could still wear tighties, and I could also tuck my tee shirt into them like they do in the ads. But really. Briefs and I had a parting of the ways, and never again will we meet. Can you see me in my BVD's, gloriously parading like King Fahd on some Saudi beach?

You can now, I'm sure.


I've tried the Switzerland of undergarments, the boxer brief, and while I could see the appeal while wearing loose-fitting shorts at the gym, said gym membership was also 'brief', and back to boxers I went.


What about you, dear reader? What fantastic or failed experiments have you experienced in the fine world of undergarments?