SCOOBY Dooby Doo, where are you? I wish this cartoon would return. Also, Caspar, the Friendly Ghost. I quite like the Brady Bunch too. And all the Hanna Barbara characters. Oh ya, definitely The Flintstones.
But I think I do have enough of that smart alecky Bugs Bunny. I wonder why many of the cartoon heroes are always too big for their own shoes. Woody Wood Pecker for example, Tom & Jerry, Beep Beep the Road Runner, even the cute Tweety Bird -- they always win -- all the time. It's always the same formula, and their victims never failed to fall into their traps. They are too infallible for my liking.
However, I think the cutest line in cartoon remains "I tot I taw a puddy tat...." This line is so hilarious and it would be what a creature with a short bird tongue (and beak for lips) would say.
Other memorable lines from the cartoons... I'll try:
Ehh, wat's up, doc?
Hohohoheho, hohohoheho, hek, hek, hek, hek, hek....
Wilma, come and open the dooooooooooooooor!
Beep-beep, beep-beep....
Yubedy, yubedy, dat's all folks.
Thursday, 20 June 2013
Can never live without TV
LET's walk down the street for memorable TV series. There was I Love Lucy. Not a favourite with mum and me though. We both found her somewhat irritating. Her hare brain proved too much for mum to bear. But we liked the longsuffering Mr Mooney. But I guess between Marry Tyler Moore and Lucy, we would still prefer to watch Lucy, whose unsophisticated ways could be quite funny. I remembered one episode where she tried to mend a leaking tap. It was quite hilarious.
We love Petticoat Junction and Green Acres. The wacky characters were just right to take us away from the real world. I remember it was shown around 7pm. Come to think of it, our favourite shows were usually around dinner time. Simply perfect.
First thing after throwing down our school bag was to pull open the doors of the TV set, and hit the button. I remember the brand of our TV set was Telefunken. Its two doors had to be drawn apart first to reveal the screen. Strange huh?
But before those great family sitcoms, there was always this series for kids which started around six -- the characters were enacted by puppets. Actually, there were a few of such series. I can't for the life of me remember the titles... but they were the most boring shows I ever watched.. One was set in a submarine which made it even more boring for me (I fell asleep while reviewing Red October when I was with the newspaper. It was such an acclaimed movie, but submarines just bore me to death.) I think there was another set in space (which was just as boring as I didn't even like to watch Star Trek). If only we could fast forward the time to when our favourite series start!
But there was one series which started around six which we quite like, alternating with those animated puppet shows. This was Dr Who who time travels by entering a phone booth, to solve complex problems of different eras.
Then later in the night, actually I think quite late, around 11pm I think, there would be Marverick. We loved the hero, James Garner. My mum and I thought he was so funny, and yet so suave. Alternating with Marverick would be the other cowboy film -- Bat Masterson. But Gene Barry who played this lawman, tried too hard and couldn't quite achieve the charming devil may care attitude that James Garner had in Marverick.
Talking about westerns, we loved Bonanza. My favourite brother was the one acted by Pernell Roberts (the one who was always in black). He always looked serious and responsible. I also got to like Dan Blocker later in the show. He was the kind and understanding one. Little Joe (Michael Landon) was a favourite among my friends, but somehow, not for me. I preferred the more serious (deep thinking) guys then. And of course, we loved the theme song to bits.
Big Valley and Wild Wild West were must-watch too.
Moving away from cowboys... my other must-watch would have to be Twilight Zone, The Saint, Hawaii Five-O, Mission Impossible. And oh yes, Perry Mason, not because of the plots and how he always won his cases but because his secretary always dressed so smartly. And she was so pretty.
Lassie's ok -- shown on Saturday afternoons -- always great to watch the sheepdog bounding home when whistled. Even liked Rin Tin Tin. We were suckers for animal shows. If there were re-runs of these shows, I bet you, I will watch.
Somehow, the army series never quite made it to my hit list -- MASH and Combat were perfectly boring. My mum liked Combat though.
We love Petticoat Junction and Green Acres. The wacky characters were just right to take us away from the real world. I remember it was shown around 7pm. Come to think of it, our favourite shows were usually around dinner time. Simply perfect.
First thing after throwing down our school bag was to pull open the doors of the TV set, and hit the button. I remember the brand of our TV set was Telefunken. Its two doors had to be drawn apart first to reveal the screen. Strange huh?
But before those great family sitcoms, there was always this series for kids which started around six -- the characters were enacted by puppets. Actually, there were a few of such series. I can't for the life of me remember the titles... but they were the most boring shows I ever watched.. One was set in a submarine which made it even more boring for me (I fell asleep while reviewing Red October when I was with the newspaper. It was such an acclaimed movie, but submarines just bore me to death.) I think there was another set in space (which was just as boring as I didn't even like to watch Star Trek). If only we could fast forward the time to when our favourite series start!
But there was one series which started around six which we quite like, alternating with those animated puppet shows. This was Dr Who who time travels by entering a phone booth, to solve complex problems of different eras.
Then later in the night, actually I think quite late, around 11pm I think, there would be Marverick. We loved the hero, James Garner. My mum and I thought he was so funny, and yet so suave. Alternating with Marverick would be the other cowboy film -- Bat Masterson. But Gene Barry who played this lawman, tried too hard and couldn't quite achieve the charming devil may care attitude that James Garner had in Marverick.
Talking about westerns, we loved Bonanza. My favourite brother was the one acted by Pernell Roberts (the one who was always in black). He always looked serious and responsible. I also got to like Dan Blocker later in the show. He was the kind and understanding one. Little Joe (Michael Landon) was a favourite among my friends, but somehow, not for me. I preferred the more serious (deep thinking) guys then. And of course, we loved the theme song to bits.
Big Valley and Wild Wild West were must-watch too.
Moving away from cowboys... my other must-watch would have to be Twilight Zone, The Saint, Hawaii Five-O, Mission Impossible. And oh yes, Perry Mason, not because of the plots and how he always won his cases but because his secretary always dressed so smartly. And she was so pretty.
Lassie's ok -- shown on Saturday afternoons -- always great to watch the sheepdog bounding home when whistled. Even liked Rin Tin Tin. We were suckers for animal shows. If there were re-runs of these shows, I bet you, I will watch.
Somehow, the army series never quite made it to my hit list -- MASH and Combat were perfectly boring. My mum liked Combat though.
Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Unforgettable bits and pieces from the movies
SOME people can remember an entire movie -- almost line for line. For me, I can't even remember the plot without prodding, much less the lines. Like I enjoyed watching "Inception" -- but if you asked me what I remember about the movie, my answer would be "It's a puzzlement".
But there are some bits and pieces of a movie which I can remember for life -- even if I have long forgotten the cast or the titles. For me, the poignancy of the moment is what lingers.
Take "The Sixth Sense" for example (I happened to remember the lines this time), one of the characters asked her dead mother "Do I make you proud?" and the answer was "Everyday".
In "Dark Water", it was a tinge of sadness that lingered after the movie. In the last scene, the daughter met her mum (or rather the ghost of her mum) after some 18 years of separation and realised that they can never be together again.
Of course, a good twist at the end certainly makes a movie unforgettable. In "Drag Me to Hell", the most satisfying scene was that of Alison Lohman (as the banker), jamming the cursed button back into the mouth of the gypsy. But the twist at the end was great -- when the button makes a reappearance.
There twist to the ending of Sixth Sense was a grand one too. Simply fantastic.
There are other acclaimed movies, but sometimes all I remember of them are just some irrelevant parts. For example in "Volcano", even now, I could remember how the little terrier managed to leap into the couple's car as they fled from the fiery lava. What a relief. I will never forgive the producer if the little terrier got left behind.
And for other movies, it is the theme song, like "Stand By Me". And for some, it is the hairstyle -- like Lisa Minnelli's in Cabaret.
However, for the life of me, I cannot understand why some had to watch Sound of Music 10 times... Or Fiddler on the Roof X times, or even Doctor Zhivago (though I do like the song from this movie).
But I can understand why some people watched Exorcist more than once. I caught the rerun on TV some years ago... and it still sent the chill down my spine. None of the sequels could match up to the dark and foreboding mood of the first movie.
The other horror movie second to Exorcist would be The Omen where memorable scenes include the one where the priest was pierced by a rod that was struck by lightning... and the playback of the recording of the devil's voice.
For childhood horrors, I loved Dracula movies -- which always had scenes of dark carriages rocking hurriedly up winding paths towards the dark castle. These are my favourite Dracula scenes till today... They give you a sense of expectancy -- the thrills are about to unfold. Yummy!
But there are some bits and pieces of a movie which I can remember for life -- even if I have long forgotten the cast or the titles. For me, the poignancy of the moment is what lingers.
Take "The Sixth Sense" for example (I happened to remember the lines this time), one of the characters asked her dead mother "Do I make you proud?" and the answer was "Everyday".
In "Dark Water", it was a tinge of sadness that lingered after the movie. In the last scene, the daughter met her mum (or rather the ghost of her mum) after some 18 years of separation and realised that they can never be together again.
Of course, a good twist at the end certainly makes a movie unforgettable. In "Drag Me to Hell", the most satisfying scene was that of Alison Lohman (as the banker), jamming the cursed button back into the mouth of the gypsy. But the twist at the end was great -- when the button makes a reappearance.
There twist to the ending of Sixth Sense was a grand one too. Simply fantastic.
There are other acclaimed movies, but sometimes all I remember of them are just some irrelevant parts. For example in "Volcano", even now, I could remember how the little terrier managed to leap into the couple's car as they fled from the fiery lava. What a relief. I will never forgive the producer if the little terrier got left behind.
And for other movies, it is the theme song, like "Stand By Me". And for some, it is the hairstyle -- like Lisa Minnelli's in Cabaret.
However, for the life of me, I cannot understand why some had to watch Sound of Music 10 times... Or Fiddler on the Roof X times, or even Doctor Zhivago (though I do like the song from this movie).
But I can understand why some people watched Exorcist more than once. I caught the rerun on TV some years ago... and it still sent the chill down my spine. None of the sequels could match up to the dark and foreboding mood of the first movie.
The other horror movie second to Exorcist would be The Omen where memorable scenes include the one where the priest was pierced by a rod that was struck by lightning... and the playback of the recording of the devil's voice.
For childhood horrors, I loved Dracula movies -- which always had scenes of dark carriages rocking hurriedly up winding paths towards the dark castle. These are my favourite Dracula scenes till today... They give you a sense of expectancy -- the thrills are about to unfold. Yummy!
Monday, 17 June 2013
Calling Mr Jack Neo... Or the Pang Brothers
MR Jack Neo... Or the Pang Brothers, where are you? I've got this book, a compilation of "true" ghost stories in Singapore, set in the 50s and 60s. I am sure some of the tales will make a good scary movie -- you know, one of those three-in-one ghost movies? It has a lot of accounts from witnesses. Really delicious to read, with detailed descriptions of where, what, how and even why the "encounters" happened.
Please call me if you need someone to write the script ;)
My brother bought the book at the Indian stall at the mouth of the lane where we lived in Serangoon Gardens. It was old and tattered. Probably second or third-hand. Many years later, I came home from school to find it in our dustbin outside. (My brother must be packing his room.) I picked it up and it had stayed with me till now -- after I have moved house like three times!
[Picture of the book to come. I need to search for it in my cluttered flat first.]
Please call me if you need someone to write the script ;)
My brother bought the book at the Indian stall at the mouth of the lane where we lived in Serangoon Gardens. It was old and tattered. Probably second or third-hand. Many years later, I came home from school to find it in our dustbin outside. (My brother must be packing his room.) I picked it up and it had stayed with me till now -- after I have moved house like three times!
[Picture of the book to come. I need to search for it in my cluttered flat first.]
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