SHORT OF THE MOMENT: "I CREATED LANCELOT LINK" (UNCUT!)

Jeff Krulik has just made available via Youtube the original, uncut version of the great little documentary short "I Created Lancelot Link". Shot back in 1997 (but released in 1999) by Krulik and Diane Bernard and edited by Mark Zuckerman, the short was sliced up like a banana split for the extra's doc feature on last year's "Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp" remastered DVD release by Film Chest. Film Chest did do a really nice job on that DVD compared to Image's earlier DVD release which was much darker and washed-out looking. But they should've just included "I Created..." as an extra unto itself instead of cutting it up and burying it within the DVD extra's own doc. At the very least they should've made it accessible with a chapter stop. In this day and age there's no excuse for that. One gets the feeling that the makers of the DVD's own doc were trying to reap the benefits of Bernard and Krulik's hard work themselves. Jeff was also the one responsible for pointing out to them in 2004 that Tonga, the star chimp who played Lancelot, was actually alive and well and living in an animal sanctuary (not that he received any credit for that discovery).

Okay, enough monkey-poop flingin'. Let's get swingin'! In the words of Ed Simian, "It'll be a really big shoooo-oooo-ooooooo!"

CLIP OF THE MOMENT: ROSEMARY CLOONEY ON "TWILIGHT THEATER" (1982)

Another clip from NBCs tv program "Twilight Theater"! (see Pee Wee Herman's appearance below) In the skit "Common Nightmares", an intro revolving around the Barnes and Barnes song "Party In My Pants" leads into Rosemary Clooney singing her classic pop hit "Come On-a My House". The shot of the rotating pig with candles was taken from a Residents music video. Also at the "party" are a few New Wave icons from bygone years (remember Spazz Attack from Devo's "Satisfaction" video?). This may not seem like a big deal nowadays but this was some freaky shit for a major network in 1982!

CLIP OF THE MOMENT: PEE WEE HERMAN ON "TWILIGHT THEATER" (1982)

This is a segment from the NBC late night tv special "Twilight Theater". As far as I can remember there were 2 episodes several months apart that appeared in the time slot where Saturday Night Live usually was. I believe SNL was in repeat stage between seasons maybe and I suspect that NBC was giving "Twilight Theater" a trial run as a possible replacement program for SNL? I remember that the first episode was hosted by Roddy McDowell and had a lot of "hip" music stuff and was slightly-underground-leaning-ish, at least for a network tv program in 1982. It might not seem like a big deal now, but in pre-MTV days seeing, for example, a Devo music video ("Beautiful World") on tv was a big deal! They also had a skit revolving around a Barnes and Barnes song - "Party in my Pants" featuring Rosemary Clooney and a few New Wave icons (Spazz Attack anyone?) -, a Tom Tom Club video ("Genius of Love"), The Temple City Kazoo Orchestra and other cool stuff. Including probably the very first ever tv appearance by our beloved Pee Wee Herman, predating his own tv show and even those early "Late Night with David Letterman" appearances". The skit, called "The Pee Wee Herman Show", features Steve Martin in a brief cameo spot who, if I remember correctly, also appeared in a few other skits on the show. It also features Gary Panter's "Clocky" and opening credit artwork, and has the same kind of atmosphere and theme song as Pee Wee's live stage show that was taped and turned into the HBO "Pee Wee Herman Show" 1-off special. I don't recall much about the second "Twilight Theater" episode except that it wasn't quite as cool.

Note: This was taped by myself when I was in high school on my Dad's Betamax. The picture and sound are a bit rough but all things considered it's a miracle it survived.

"Will Pee Wee ever see Joe again?" Enjoy!

KICK OUT THE JAMS MUTHA*%@#ERS! CLIP OF THE MOMENT: THE MC5!

SERGE GAINSBOURG: FRANCE'S SECRET VICE (1992)

Several years ago my buddy Shabby unearthed this short UK tv documentary on French music legend Serge Gainsbourg and now you can check it out over at the Purple Zombie DJ blog. I found it really entertaining and quite informative considering it is only 25 minutes long. But I think, possibly because of the short running time, they focused a bit more on the scandals and sensationalism of Gainsbourg's life and I kind of wish there was a little more time spent looking closer at his music. Still, this fast-paced little doc has some great interviews with Jane Birkin and others that knew him, some nice footage of Gainsbourg singing as well as interviews (including the infamous F-bomb dropped on live tv in front of Whitney Houston), recording sessions and other rare footage.


LINKS:
"Serge Gainsbourg: France's Secret Vice" video at the Purple Zombie DJ blog is at http://purplezombiedj.blogspot.com/2010/09/serge-gainsbourg-frances-secret-vice.html

Under Arrest: A Tribute To Serge Gainsbourg website (French language) is at http://www.gainsbourg.org/

TRA - LA - HUH!!?? THE BANANA SPLITS ARE BACK!

Break out the Ritalin, kids! The Banana Splits are returning to television! Yes, you heard right! The new Banana Splits shows are scheduled to slip onto your screen sometime in September on the Cartoon Network and Boomerang channel, although I am not 100% clear if these are to be full-length programs (as they were in the '60s) or "shorts" thrown into commercial breaks during pre-existing shows. I can though say that, after taking a look at their orb-popping website , they seem to have done a good job emulating the old Sesame-Street-on-LSD style but cranked-up with a bit of speed for the new ADD generation. Whether or not resurrecting Beagle, Fleagle, Drooper and Snork from Kiddy TV Pergatory is a good thing depends on if you liked the show to begin with. I myself was a pretty big fan although I'd probably have taken "Ultraman" over them any afternoon of the week. I did convince my Mom to let me send in the Poptart boxtops for the set of Banana Splits 45s which I still have (what's left of them). As for the show itself, I always dug the live-action bits with the Splits running around slapstick-style while a barrage of Hannah-Barbera stock cartoon sound fx boinged and popped throughout. I also liked the groovy songs and the jungle live-action "Danger Island" sequences. But some of those particular cartoons just didn't quite do it for me. Even as a young kid I was mostly bored by those, they always seemed like filler to me that I had to wait through to get to the "good stuff"! It'll be interesting to see what kind of 'toons (if any) the new show has. There are reports that Warner Brothers (who owns the rights) are already getting ready to market new Splits products including a CD with all-new tunes (titled "Go Bananas Your Way"), a DVD and... yes, a live tour! Hmmm... Maybe I can actually make it into this one! I was stopped at the gate at both Hilary Duff and Miley Cyrus concerts. (Apparently there is some silly rule about wearing raincoats indoors when it's not raining outside. How was I to know?) And now with the Banana Splits resurrected, I ask you... can The Bugaloos be far behind? One can only dream.

Below you can compare the old and new Banana Splits. They look pretty much the same to me although Beagle appears to have lost a few pounds. Also Snorky seems to have much shorter hair now and looks less freaked-out then he did in the '60s. But, in his defense, it was the hippy era after all. Rumor has it that due to many bad trips he had gone the way of Syd Barrett but, after several years struggling in rehab, he has reportedly cleaned up his act. Good on ya Snorky! Tra-la-la, la-la-la-la...

THEN:

NOW:


For more info and a LOT of flashing colors, loud sound effects, moving thingies, groovy songs, nutty games and many video clips check out the official website at http://www.bananasplits.com/ .

Which "Ultraman" monster does my dog Bella Buttons most look like?

Bella Buttons

"Ultraman" tv show monsters