I seriously need to be friends with these guys.
- Any Animaniacs fans out there?
If so, then you'll love this Mental Floss article: More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About Animaniacs
*sigh* Man, I wish that show was available on Netflix streaming.
- 65 Behind The Scenes Photos from Back to the Future (found via ThinkGeek)
In case you've forgotten how eminently crush-worthy Michael J. Fox is. :)
Fox with Huey Lewis. Love it.
- For my fellow Netflix-streaming subscribers, did you see they've added all of the Jem episodes?!
Oh, and if you're one of those Doctor Who fans who's never seen any of the old stuff, then go watch City of Death on Netflix streaming right now. I'll wait.
Ok, no I won't - but I just watched it the other night, and it's a fabulous example of Tom Baker (AKA "the one with the scarf") and my favorite assistant, Romana as played by Lalla Ward. She's smart and strong and awesome, and I just love seeing Baker with an assistant who's more of an equal than someone he has to bail out or boss around all the time.
PLUS, City of Death features a funny cameo from Monty Python's John Cleese:
...AND the villain is the actor who played Mr. Humphries on Are You Being Served. (Loved him!) So, yeah, lots of awesomeness happening there. GO SEE.
[CORRECTION: It's *not* Mr. Humphries. It's the guy from Indiana Jones that kinda sorta looks like Mr. Humphries. Oops. Sorry, guys! But if it helps any, I also learned in the comments that Douglas Adams of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fame penned most of the script. Does that help make up for it? :)]
I know Duck Tales and Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers season box sets (!) are available for purchase online/at Best Buy/etc. Ya know, for those rainy days... :]
ReplyDeleteThank you for your frequent trips down memory lane! I LOVE animaniacs! we have it on DVD so we don't have to worry about going without. I'm proud to say my kids know that one! And they just started showing the old ghostbusters cartoon on one of our channels, so my kids get to learn about that too! They have Jem on YouTube, but I couldn't convince my girl of its awesomeness. Whatever. :) oh, and gummie bears! That was my other fav along with duck tales.
ReplyDeleteI adore Animaniacs! My siblings and I loved to watch as kids and a few years ago we got our younger cousins hooked on the show. Lucky for us, DVDs of the episodes made obvious and awesome presents.
ReplyDeleteI also learned more about Nikola Tesla than I ever knew before today, thanks to that comic from The Oatmeal. My cousin asked me if I knew of Tesla when he got to choose a famous historical figure to write a report on (I had no idea) and now I see why he chose him. Tesla definitely sounds like a fascinating person to study.
Not that you never knew it already, but Mr. Humphries from "Are You Being Served?" was played by John Inman.
ReplyDeleteI just thought I would inform!
*wanders off to waste a day getting nostalgic with Netflix*
I love that Ghostbusters tour idea! It looks like they had great fun, and I love their faces when they're stood outside the Ghostbusters HQ. Geek glee in its purest form.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Tom Baker = win. He's definitely my favourite 'old' Doctor, and possibly my favourite of all time... although David Tennant will always have a special place in my heart.
Also also, Doctor Who and Monty Python in one episode? I think my geek gland is working overtime.
Bless your geeky little heart Jen, There goes all the productivity for my day!
ReplyDeleteHow's a girl supposed to do the laundry and feed the kids with you being so "truly outrageous"?
Jen,
ReplyDeleteYou have single handedly made my day. I love everything about this post and really wish you were my best friend. I can't say enough how much I love Animaniacs,Ghost Busters, Tesla, and John Cleese.
Thank you.
I totally just bought my son a Duck Tails VHS and a Dark Wing Duck VHS at goodwill about 2 weeks ago...he freaking loves them. Tells me that Dark Wing Duck is the most AWESOMEST hero ever..ever. lolol
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I still rock the VHS, why? Because my lovely son somehow scratches the crap outta DVDs..we've had much better luck with VHS'.
The Oatmeal posted a response yesterday. Apparently, someone at Forbes magazine took his Tesla letter a little too seriously and tried to pick it apart. The Oatmeal posted the article and his comments on it. Hilarious.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone remember the cartoon Bravestar? Would love to see it again! Native American in frontier space with a horse that can shoot a gun, so awesome!
ReplyDeleteAnd Love the Animaniacs! Their theme song destroys earworms, works every time!
Leslee
Thanks for the Animaniac's memories; I loved that show. *sigh* I also loved Tom Ruegger's "Histeria!" as well. Fun, witty history; the stuff of geeky wonders :D
ReplyDeleteOh yes, definitely know that JEM is on Netflix. I got my daughter (4) hooked just like I was. I still have a few dolls but not my car, stage, or any of the Jems I had. It's a shame they're no longer cheap on Ebay...
ReplyDeleteI literally took a deep intake of breath when I read the Jem news. That's it - off to find the cheapest Netflix streaming sub, for the shortest time. JEM MARATHON!
ReplyDeleteThat Animaniacs article made my day! My trivia cup runneth over! :D
ReplyDeleteI am so excited to see Jem on instant streaming! I've had the discs in my queue forever and it says "availability unknown", meaning someone has lost the discs.
ReplyDeleteAnimaniacs rule!
How cool is it that you read the Oatmeal!?! I figured I'd be the only one...Did you see that Forbes wrote a rebuttal argument to this comic, and then he wrote a rebuttal to the rebuttal - in typical Oatmeal "red ink?"
ReplyDeletehttp://theoatmeal.com/blog/tesla_response
PLUS, City of Death was written by Douglas Adams. Which becomes more obvious if you've read Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. Because the two share certain plot lines.
ReplyDeleteHulu has a lot of old cartoons as well, including Thundercats
ReplyDeleteAnimanics? Love them. Also just got all three volumes of Duck Tales in the mail yesterday. Going to show them to my son and daugter. They're only 8 (yeah, twins like Luke and Leia) but I already got them hooked on Star Wars, Superman and Justice League! Duck Tales is next. Next year: Ghostbusters, Labyrinth, Back To The Future and Dark Crystal!
ReplyDeleteJen, do you get The Hub network on your cable/satellite? They play Jem, GI Joe, Transformers (although it's a reboot), Fraggle Rock, and then during the evening episodes of like Mork & Mindy, Facts of Life, Silver Spoons, etc. It's like an '80s time capsule :)
ReplyDelete"JEM! She's truly outrageous..." Yes, I sing the beginning of the theme song every time I see the picture on Netflix. Thank goodness my husband understands my geek tendencies.
ReplyDeleteGaaagghh! You have created a situation where I will be forced to get a netflix membership . . . John Cleese AND Mr. Humphries?!? How can I possibly resist?
ReplyDeleteForbes wrote an article blasting The Oatmeal comic, to which he wrote a rebuttal. It is epic:
ReplyDeletehttp://theoatmeal.com/blog/tesla_response
One thing that makes "City of Death" even more awesome is that is was mostly written by Douglas Adams (under a pseudonym), who was script editor at the time. It's hard to miss Adams' unique writing style throughout the episode. Plus the plot played a very heavy influence on his plot for "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" (along with the "lost" Doctor Who he wrote titled Shada). (A further side-note: Adams' "Life, the Universe and Everything" began life as "Doctor Who and the Krikketmen" which was turned down as a possible Doctor Who movie.)
ReplyDeleteThe Ghostbusters stuff was epic! I agree, those guys must be my friends, they are amazing. Can't wait till I make it to New York some day and see those sites for myself! :) Thanks for posting, I would have totally missed it.
ReplyDeleteTHE TIIIIIIIIIICCCCCCKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete:-)
I remember getting in trouble in the fourth grade thanks to Jem. Whoever got the best grade on the spelling test one week would get to read the words out loud for the test the next week. I wanted to compliment the girl who read one week, so I wrote "Totally outrageous reading!" on my test before I turned it in. Apparently the teacher was not a Jem fan (or anything else 80's) because she thought I was being mean. Called me up to her desk and asked why I would be so openly mean to another student. I tried to, like, explain and all, you know, like about 80's slang and stuff, but like she totally like didn't get it at all. Like gag me with a spoon! Like.
ReplyDeleteAnimaniacs is the best, especially the music. We've been listening to Rob Paulsen's Talkin' Toons podcast and laughing our butts off. He's the voice of both Yakko and Pinky along with hundreds of other cartoon voices. He has guests or just talks to himself and his other voices. It's led to watching a ton of Animaniacs on YouTube.
ReplyDeleteMy dad also suggested Tesla every time I had to write a paper on someone. I was glad I did, too!
ReplyDeleteI also did several on Walt Disney! :^D
Man, all this nostalgia is inspiring me to write Netflix to make some suggestions!
Loved Animaniacs, and I bought my Dad the entire Tick collection on DVD last Christmas, it was always his favorite. (When I was in high school he used to wear a T-shit of the Th Tick with the phrase 'Hip deep in Evil.' I love my Dad!) I mentioned Scrooge McDuck to some of my vet students the other day, and they looked at me like I was nuts. It made me feel really old.
ReplyDeleteNot only did I know that Jem is now on Netflix, but my husband found it before I did and he ADDED IT TO OUR INSTANT QUEUE FOR ME. How awesome is my husband?
ReplyDeleteThey do have Duck Tales on netflix:
ReplyDeletehttp://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/DuckTales/70205030?trkid=2361637
Oh jeez! I am a huge Animaniacs fan, and wish like hell Netflix would have it available for direct streaming. Thanks for the link--I needed something to procrastinate with on the late shift this evening!
ReplyDeleteJen, have you ever heard of the tv show Sanctuary? I think you and John would get a kick out of it. It's got a sci-fi premise and loads of interesting characters--including Nikola Tesla. It's very very good--oh! And it also has Amanda Tapping as the lead actress. :) Happy hunting!
ReplyDeleteI'm a longtime Chick Lit fan and I only had a passing knowledge of Nikola Tesla until I read the book Addition by Toni Jordan. So weird and funny and so much info about Tesla! Definitely not your average Chick Lit book, that's for sure. I really recommend it if you're looking for a quick, fun read!
ReplyDeleteKaren
Thanks for the heads-up on The Oatmeal's commentary on Forbes response to the Tesla cartoon, Linden V.
ReplyDelete@ Onib & zebrabelly - ok, that is seriously awesome. I've read Dirk Gently, but it's been so long I don't even remember the plot points! I may have to read it again now. :)
ReplyDelete@ Tori - I'm afraid we don't have cable or satellite at all! Which is why we watch almost everything online.
@ Frank - I tried your link, but Netflix is showing the title as "unavailable." I'll check back later.
@ My Name - I've seen a few eps of Sanctuary, but I need to go back & watch them all in order. Thx for the reminder!
Onib is clearly my soulmate.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'd been reading Dirk Gently for years (it's my favorite Adams book) before I realized one of the characters is a Time Lord and has how own TARDIS. He was originally from Shada.
I have to be pedantic about "Doctor Who." The villain in "City of Death" is not played by John Inman of "Are You Being Served?" fame but instead by Julian Glover, who is most well known for his role as Walter Donovan in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" and General Veers in "The Empire Strikes Back." And Lalla Ward has always been my favorite companion; she and Princess Leia were my heroes growing up.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the Scouting New York ghostbusters tour? I think there's a link right on his front page. awesome sight too.
ReplyDeleteAlso, on Netflix, go ahead and laugh, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Really it's good.
Not much to do with the post (besides, you know, awesome geekery) but Towel Day is on May 25, three days from now, and all the hoopy readers know what I'm talking about... but do they know where their towel is?
ReplyDeleteI would love to see some Jen & John & Towel pictures! Please?
Mr. Humphries was played by John Inman, who is *not* in City of Death. The villain there is Julian Glover, who apparently has plenty of geeky cred of his own. But he's not Mr. Humphries.
ReplyDeleteThat Animaniacs article made me happy-- I was with some friends just this past weekend, and two of us were reminiscing about the show (and sharing clips of the Baloney and Friends/Woodstock Slappy episodes via YouTube on my phone with the third.) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThat Ghostbusters tour was AWESOME!!!
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to go into the library and ask one of the librarians if she was menstruating.
But I hear they frown upon that.
I love Animaniacs but the TinyToons were my favorite. I have that song stuck in my head now, lol! We're tiny, we're tooney, we're all a little looney...
ReplyDeleteI have all the seasons of Animaniacs on DVD you can find them at Best Buy sometimes, and they aren't too expensive!!!!
ReplyDeleteDoes anybody remember the cartoon "Freakazoid"? I loved that one too
ReplyDelete~Jeccaess
omg that ghostbusters vid was awesome!. also i wholeheartedly agree with you that they need more old skool cartoons on netflix!! i didn't realize they had gem! must start watching. i just had a convo yesterday with a friend and we agreed that they need ducktales, tiny tunes, animaniacs, and i wanted the racoons!
ReplyDeleteFurther trivia - Lalla Ward is the wife of Richard Dawkins. Who was a close friend of Douglas Adams, who worked on the script for that Dr. Who episode.
ReplyDeleteLast year our town played Back to the Future as one the outdoor free movies. We took our whole family. My five year old was fascinated and my one year old actually sat still and eventually fell asleep during it. For days after my son Owen played that he needed to make sure my husband and I would fall in love so he wouldn't start disappearing. Yay for getting to enjoy one of my favorite childhood movies with my kids on the big-screen.
ReplyDeleteOh and did you ever see Histeria? A spin-off on Animaniacs with a History twist. Lots of fun!
Oh I wish they would add The Tick too!!! I loved that show.
ReplyDeleteI have to tell you, whenever I watch Jem, I like to count the felonies that The Misfits commit. It makes the show THAT much better.
ReplyDeleteBlowing up mailboxes?
Wreckless endangerment?
Attempted murder?
It really is truly, truly outrageous!!
You know which animated serious I REALLY want to see on Netflix? Gargoyles. Please Netflix? Please?
ReplyDeleteMore trivia. Eleanor Bron, who is in that Dr. Who clip with John Cleese, played Ahme in The Beatles movie help. She was the cult member who helped the Beatles. She asked Ringo to whistle Beethoven's Ode to Joy, and was in the Beatles fab house when John sang ''You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," among other scenes.
ReplyDelete