Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Farrah in LOGAN'S RUN
These are for a reader named "interzone " who thought I confused LOGAN'S RUN with SATURN 3.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Remembering When TV Didn't Suck
20 television icons from the '50s and 60s will be honored on a set of first-class postage stamps, "Early TV Memories" to be released Aug. 11 by The U.S. Postal Service.
The stylish set consists of stamps depicting (as seen above) Milton Berle; I LOVE LUCY stars Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance; host Red Skelton; goofy puppet Howdy Doody; DRAGNET star Jack Webb; canine superstar Lassie; William Boyd, also known as HOPALONG CASSIDY; YOU BET YOUR LIFE host Groucho Marx; the ever-lovely Dinah Shore; Sunday night legend Ed Sullivan; Kukla, Fran and Ollie; Phil Silvers of SGT. BILKO fame; The Lone Ranger (Clayton Moore) and Silver; PERRY MASON star and gay actor Raymond Burr; Director and TV host Alfred Hitchcock; The wonderful George Burns and Gracie Allen; the iconic Ozzie and Harriet Nelson; TV mastermind and host Steve Allen; TWILIGHT ZONE creator and host Rod Serling; and THE HONEYMOONERS, with the stars Jackie Gleason and Art Carney. Yes, they left out some classics (Jack Benny, WHAT'S MY LINE? and others), but I'm hoping this is just the first of many sets.
The Day After
It's a strange feeling to lose 2 influential pop culture icons in one day. To cleanse the palate here's a colorful old detergent ad from the days gone by.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Michael Jackson 1958-2009
While I was never a Michael Jackson fan, it is very sad and unexpected that he has died on the very same day as Farrah Fawcett. My favorite memories of MJ were of the Rankin-Bass JACKSON 5IVE animated TV series which ran on ABC from 1971-73.
Farrah Fawcett 1947-2009
In February of this year I ran a birthday tribute to California blonde superstar Farrah Fawcett, who turned 62 on February. We now very sadly mourn Ms. Fawcett's passing after a long illness. Farrah appeared in some of my favorite films, including 1970's MYRA BRECKINRIDGE.
In 1976, Farrah was seen the sci-fi classic LOGAN'S RUN.
Her fresh breezy style helped her land a lead role on CHARLIE'S ANGELS.
But her bathing suit nipple poster made her into an icon.
Her image could be seen everywhere. From coloring books to Halloween costumes and fashion dolls.
Farrah shocked critics and gained legions of new fans when she scored the lead role in the controversial NBC TV-movie, THE BURNING BED. Suddenly, Farrah was a highly sought after actress!
After a few more acclaimed film and TV roles, Farrah pulled a 180 and decided to pose nude for Playboy magazine.
The Playboy spread and accompanying body paint videos erased some of the credibility that she had established over the previous few years.
Sadly personal tragedies and illness have plagued Farrah over the past few years, but our fond memories of her golden years will live on. It is truly an end of an era.
In 1976, Farrah was seen the sci-fi classic LOGAN'S RUN.
Her fresh breezy style helped her land a lead role on CHARLIE'S ANGELS.
But her bathing suit nipple poster made her into an icon.
Her image could be seen everywhere. From coloring books to Halloween costumes and fashion dolls.
Farrah shocked critics and gained legions of new fans when she scored the lead role in the controversial NBC TV-movie, THE BURNING BED. Suddenly, Farrah was a highly sought after actress!
After a few more acclaimed film and TV roles, Farrah pulled a 180 and decided to pose nude for Playboy magazine.
The Playboy spread and accompanying body paint videos erased some of the credibility that she had established over the previous few years.
Sadly personal tragedies and illness have plagued Farrah over the past few years, but our fond memories of her golden years will live on. It is truly an end of an era.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Rex
Last month I worked as the production designer on an hysterical pilot for a TV series called REX starring Simon Rex, Paris Hilton, Jamie Presley and Lance Bass. Here's the trailer:
REX - Trailer from The REX Team on Vimeo.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
What's New Mister Magoo?
From my recently reacquired childhood book collection.
I'll blog about my love for Mister Magoo one day soon.
I'll blog about my love for Mister Magoo one day soon.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Bob Bogle (1934-2009)
Bob Bogle, of the Ventures, the instrumental rock band whose hits included "Walk Don't Run" and the classic "Hawaii Five-0" theme song, has died.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
BEACH GIRLS
The warm California weather has made me want to watch a beach movie.
Soon a black VW Beetle pulls up to Paradise Beach, and a bespectacled, nerdy, but perky young lady named Sarah (Debra Blee) pops out–
Whorish Ginger and Ducky arrive and quickly become bored with conservative Sarah, so they decide to liven things up at the beach house by ordering a pizza and then seducing the pizza boy. 
Then sweet, old Uncle Carl decides the girls can have just one more party! Yay! Thanks Uncle Carl - you're te greatest uncle ever!
This provides the naughty girls with a nifty door prize for their party guests!
Thanks to the intrusive neighbors, Carl's fiancee Julie shows up at the house, looking for him.
Unfortunately THE BEACH GIRLS (1982, directed by Bud Townsend) was the only one I had handy.
The film begins as a Beach Boys knock-off song called "I Wanna Go To Paradise" plays over a montage of bikini-clad gals and guys doing beach-type activities. The corny sight-gags include a phallic hotdog being squirted with mustard,
a nun waxing up her surfboard,
and the requisite cute dog stealing bikini tops!
Soon a black VW Beetle pulls up to Paradise Beach, and a bespectacled, nerdy, but perky young lady named Sarah (Debra Blee) pops out–and begins unloading her groceries and luggage into a spacious beach house.
She is shocked to see the Mexican gardener apparently urinating – but it turns out he's just watering the garden!
We soon learn that Sarah is house-sitting for her rich Uncle Carl and that she has invited slutty two classmates, a leggy man-ish blonde named Ginger (Val Kline) 
and a generic brunette named Ducky (Jeana Tomasina), over to keep her company for the summer.
and a generic brunette named Ducky (Jeana Tomasina), over to keep her company for the summer. As the two tramps head towards to Paradise, accompanied by a song called "School is Out," we see that they are much more wild than Sarah because they are playfully chucking their school books into garbage pails along the way. Or at least trying to.
They randomly pick up a hunky blonde hitchhiker named Scott (James Daughton) and his guitar along the way. Meanwhile, we are treated to a couple of non-sexual subplots: the Coast Guard is tracking some marijuana pirates. Oh no! And an unnamed gossipy neighbor (played by TV's Mary Jo Catlett, best known as the replacement housekeeper Pearl on DIFF'RENT STROKES) begins to suspect that something's up at Uncle Carl's house.
Whorish Ginger and Ducky arrive and quickly become bored with conservative Sarah, so they decide to liven things up at the beach house by ordering a pizza and then seducing the pizza boy. Yes - that is a salami in his pocket.
The party really begins when various other hot delivery folk and repairmen start arriving at their door with their big packages and greasy tools, while Scott tries to get to know prudish Sarah a bit.
A disco dance party soon gets under way with some uncomfortable close-ups of boobs, asses and clothed vaginas.
A spontaneous pool party breaks out and before you know it most of the chicks are topless, bottomless and senseless.
As the party guests shed their inhibitions and clothing, the clumsy and horny Mexican gardener (Bert Rosario) makes several attempts to get in on the action, but always ends up getting hurt instead.
Meanwhile Scott tries to get into uptight Sarah's pants but she is dismayed by all the partying going on in the house. 
He tells her to "be human." Ouch!
He tells her to "be human." Ouch!Nosy neighbor Mary Jo alerts the police after her peeping-tom husband calls her attention to the sexy shenanigans at Carl's.
So then a humpy cop arrives at the party and joins in on the fun...
as Ducky sports mega cameltoe in a pair of tight red trousers.
as Ducky sports mega cameltoe in a pair of tight red trousers. 
Scott tries to get square Sarah to skinny dip with the rest of the cool kids.
He tries to entice her by showing her his perfect ass.
But Sarah just ain't having it. So he joins the swimmers without her.
He tries to entice her by showing her his perfect ass.
But Sarah just ain't having it. So he joins the swimmers without her.
In the middle of all this chaos, Uncle Carl (Adam Roarke) comes home–of course–and the promiscuous duo Ginger and Ducky overhear him tell Sarah that he wants everybody out tomorrow including them!!!
The girls decide to change his mind. I wonder how they'll do it?
Before you know it, topless Ginger, Uncle Carl and the boom operator are spending some quality time in the sauna with the tightest rolled joint ever.
Before you know it, topless Ginger, Uncle Carl and the boom operator are spending some quality time in the sauna with the tightest rolled joint ever.The morning after, stick-in-the-mud Sarah is annoyed that there are naked bodies all over the house.
Dirty Ducky goes out for a tits-to-the-wind boat ride with Uncle Carl and feigns drowning to get him to give her mouth-to-mouth.
Then sweet, old Uncle Carl decides the girls can have just one more party! Yay! Thanks Uncle Carl - you're te greatest uncle ever!Stuffy Sarah finally relents and lets and studly Scott show her a good time on the beach as "I Want the Night Time" plays.
The pot pirates from the beginning of the movie show up again and soon six garbage bags full of primo weed turn up on the beach, and those bed-hoppers Ginger and Ducky find them.
This provides the naughty girls with a nifty door prize for their party guests!
In the most ridiculous scene in this ridiculous film, some four-eyed dude turns his car into a bong by sprinkling weed in the engine and sucks on the exhaust pipe.
Do not try this at home!
Thanks to the intrusive neighbors, Carl's fiancee Julie shows up at the house, looking for him. After she catches him in the sauna with the sexually liberated Ginger and Ducky, she has a quickie with the lusty police officer from the night before!
Before you know it, the Coast Guard arrives to confiscate the pot by burning it in a campfire–causing everyone to get high including Sarah who finally flashes her tits.
Mary Jo gets a contact high and then who dons a Brunhilda get-up and sings opera on the beach (becoming the proverbial "fat lady"). Therefore signaling us that it must be over soon.
Filthy whore Ducky then throws a box of explosives on the fire, enabling us to view some cheap stock footage of fireworks. Just like LOVE AMERICAN STYLE!
The End. Wow - I think I've learned my lesson, next time I'm feeling like a beach movie, I'll just take a shower instead.