Here is a list of Movies & TV Blogs ordered by Last Commented, posted by members. A Blog is a journal you may enter about your life, thoughts, interesting experiences, or lessons you've learned. Post an opinion, impart words of wisdom, or talk about something interesting in your day. Update your blog on a regular basis, or just whenever you have something to say. Creating a blog is a good way to share something of yourself with others. Reading blogs is a good way to learn more about others. Click here to post a blog.
The man with the most US Television air time in history died yesterday - Regis Philbin
From the Huffington Post;
In response to:
Regis Philbin, Beloved Talk And Game Show Host, Dies At 88
Leigh Blickley
HuffPostJuly 25, 2020, 3:22 PM
Regis Philbin, best known as the host of “Live!” and “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” died on July 24. He was 88 years old.
“We are deeply saddened to share that our beloved Regis Philbin passed away last night of natural causes, one month shy of his 89th birthday,” read a statement from his family sent to People on Saturday.
Philbin, a born and bred New Yorker, was known for his contagious excitement and incomparable storytelling on screen as a talk and game show host. He holds the Guinness World Record for “Most Hours on U.S. Television” with 16,746.5 hours, many of them live and unscripted.
“Spontaneous conversation,” Philbin said about his approach to hosting in a 2011 New York Times profile. “Spontaneity is everything to me, working without a net.”
Regis Philbin was born on August 25, 1931, in the Bronx to Florence and Frank Philbin. After attending Cardinal Hayes High School, he went to the University of Notre Dame, from which he graduated in 1953 with a sociology degree. He then served in the U.S. Navy for two years as a supply officer before following his dreams of being on television, at the urging of a superior.
Philbin got his start working as an NBC page before becoming a newscaster and got his first big break working as Joey Bishop’s sidekick on “The Joey Bishop Show” in the late 1960s. After the show was canceled in 1969, Philbin hosted various late night and early morning talk shows before landing a star-making gig with Kathie Lee Gifford on ABC in 1985.
“Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee” became a ratings stalwart for the network, in large part due to the hosts’ chemistry and Philbin’s antics. The show continued to reel in viewers after Gifford’s departure in 2000, with Philbin even winning a Daytime Emmy for his solo work. Gifford was eventually replaced by Kelly Ripa, who was Philbin’s co-host for over a decade before he decided to leave the show in 2011 after 25 years. Philbin and Ripa also won an Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Hosts in 2011. She now hosts “Live!” with Ryan Seacrest.
His undeniable morning show success was gratifying for Philbin, but in the Times profile, which came out shortly before his “Live!” exit, he said hosting the ABC prime-time game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” beginning in 1999 was “kind of the highlight of my life.
“I realized there was a difference between a syndicated morning show and prime time,” he said. “‘Regis saved the network!’ I used to walk around saying that. I was a big man! I was a giant! It was a wonderful time in a broadcaster’s life to get a show like that. Wow, it was dynamite.”
The prominence of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” was certainly a moment in pop culture history, as the game show became a must-watch event each week until it went into syndication after 2002.
Philbin underwent an angioplasty in 1993 and triple bypass surgery in 2007. Since then, he worked to maintain a healthy diet and cholesterol level.
He was married to Catherine “Kay” Faylen from 1955 to 1968. They had two children together, daughter Amy and son Daniel, who died in November 2014 at the age of 49.
At the time of his death, Philbin was married to his wife of 50 years, interior designer Joy Philbin, with whom he had two daughters, Joanna and Jennifer.
“There’s just something about Regis,” Joy Philbin told Parade in 2011. “There’s always something new on the horizon and it keeps our lives active and fun. I’d rather be with Regis than any other person in the world.”
Regis Philbin, Beloved Talk And Game Show Host, Dies At 88
Leigh Blickley
HuffPostJuly 25, 2020, 3:22 PM
Regis Philbin, best known as the host of “Live!” and “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” died on July 24. He was 88 years old.
“We are deeply saddened to share that our beloved Regis Philbin passed away last night of natural causes, one month shy of his 89th birthday,” read a statement from his family sent to People on Saturday.
Philbin, a born and bred New Yorker, was known for his contagious excitement and incomparable storytelling on screen as a talk and game show host. He holds the Guinness World Record for “Most Hours on U.S. Television” with 16,746.5 hours, many of them live and unscripted.
“Spontaneous conversation,” Philbin said about his approach to hosting in a 2011 New York Times profile. “Spontaneity is everything to me, working without a net.”
Regis Philbin was born on August 25, 1931, in the Bronx to Florence and Frank Philbin. After attending Cardinal Hayes High School, he went to the University of Notre Dame, from which he graduated in 1953 with a sociology degree. He then served in the U.S. Navy for two years as a supply officer before following his dreams of being on television, at the urging of a superior.
Philbin got his start working as an NBC page before becoming a newscaster and got his first big break working as Joey Bishop’s sidekick on “The Joey Bishop Show” in the late 1960s. After the show was canceled in 1969, Philbin hosted various late night and early morning talk shows before landing a star-making gig with Kathie Lee Gifford on ABC in 1985.
“Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee” became a ratings stalwart for the network, in large part due to the hosts’ chemistry and Philbin’s antics. The show continued to reel in viewers after Gifford’s departure in 2000, with Philbin even winning a Daytime Emmy for his solo work. Gifford was eventually replaced by Kelly Ripa, who was Philbin’s co-host for over a decade before he decided to leave the show in 2011 after 25 years. Philbin and Ripa also won an Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Hosts in 2011. She now hosts “Live!” with Ryan Seacrest.
His undeniable morning show success was gratifying for Philbin, but in the Times profile, which came out shortly before his “Live!” exit, he said hosting the ABC prime-time game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” beginning in 1999 was “kind of the highlight of my life.
“I realized there was a difference between a syndicated morning show and prime time,” he said. “‘Regis saved the network!’ I used to walk around saying that. I was a big man! I was a giant! It was a wonderful time in a broadcaster’s life to get a show like that. Wow, it was dynamite.”
The prominence of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” was certainly a moment in pop culture history, as the game show became a must-watch event each week until it went into syndication after 2002.
Philbin underwent an angioplasty in 1993 and triple bypass surgery in 2007. Since then, he worked to maintain a healthy diet and cholesterol level.
He was married to Catherine “Kay” Faylen from 1955 to 1968. They had two children together, daughter Amy and son Daniel, who died in November 2014 at the age of 49.
At the time of his death, Philbin was married to his wife of 50 years, interior designer Joy Philbin, with whom he had two daughters, Joanna and Jennifer.
“There’s just something about Regis,” Joy Philbin told Parade in 2011. “There’s always something new on the horizon and it keeps our lives active and fun. I’d rather be with Regis than any other person in the world.”
online today!
Slow Saturday with a bunch of movies!
I had a browse of Netflix yesterday morning, and I came across The Old Guard, starring Charlize Theron. The movie is about 4 immortal mercenaries, that are exposed, and are now hunted like wild animals. On top of that, they are also getting a new member of their squad, so they also need to keep her safe. It's a great premise, and the movie is solid! It's a great mix of supernatural stuff (not horror, but more like immortality) and gory action. Highly recommended.
After that, Netflix recommended Minority Report to me. I have never seen it, so I gave it a shot, and I really liked it. It's starring Tom Cruise and Colin Farrell, and it's a sci-fi flick about a society, where murder is not a thing anymore. But, our hero is exposed as a possible killer, and he is now forced to run and to make sure, that the pre-crime premonition is wrong. Very highly recommended!
The final film I watched, was Lost Bullet. A French action thriller about a small-time criminal turned mechanic for something called a Go-Fast team (police in super armored cars and massive engines). He is forced to defend his innocence, after his mentor is killed by dirty cops. The movie is a great mix between The Fast and the Furious and Taxi. Taxi because it involves a criminal working with cops, and The fast and the Furious because there is a few fast cars and some insanely crazy car stunts! Extremely recommended!
So all the films I saw yesterday, were really top of the line entertainment. Some blood and gore, some super cool sci-fi and some good old fashioned vehicular entertainment!
After that, Netflix recommended Minority Report to me. I have never seen it, so I gave it a shot, and I really liked it. It's starring Tom Cruise and Colin Farrell, and it's a sci-fi flick about a society, where murder is not a thing anymore. But, our hero is exposed as a possible killer, and he is now forced to run and to make sure, that the pre-crime premonition is wrong. Very highly recommended!
The final film I watched, was Lost Bullet. A French action thriller about a small-time criminal turned mechanic for something called a Go-Fast team (police in super armored cars and massive engines). He is forced to defend his innocence, after his mentor is killed by dirty cops. The movie is a great mix between The Fast and the Furious and Taxi. Taxi because it involves a criminal working with cops, and The fast and the Furious because there is a few fast cars and some insanely crazy car stunts! Extremely recommended!
So all the films I saw yesterday, were really top of the line entertainment. Some blood and gore, some super cool sci-fi and some good old fashioned vehicular entertainment!
online today!
Michael Packman, CEO and Pres. of Voice of America.
I've blogged about how many statist, taxpayer funded broadcast outlets, with the Beeb and US PBS topping the list of shame. They actually began quite evenhandedly as to politics, initially garnering such support. Still largely enjoy this attachment to the public teat. But the public is hardly all left wing. Yet over the past decades, with newer staffers from journalism schools, holding degrees in hand from the ueber leftie academy,----well, just look and listen these days.
As a life long Extra Class Radio Amateur, as well as an avid listener to short wave broadcasts, I've seen lots of propaganda, both right and left, on the air waves. The charter of VOA includes language about supporting the policies of the USA. Same with their own charters for other international stations.
This Trump appointment was also at the helm of PBS, so be knows a little about bias in the media. He's letting go a few such biased staffers at the VOA---long overdue.
Elections have consequences, in lots of directions.
As a life long Extra Class Radio Amateur, as well as an avid listener to short wave broadcasts, I've seen lots of propaganda, both right and left, on the air waves. The charter of VOA includes language about supporting the policies of the USA. Same with their own charters for other international stations.
This Trump appointment was also at the helm of PBS, so be knows a little about bias in the media. He's letting go a few such biased staffers at the VOA---long overdue.
Elections have consequences, in lots of directions.
Gun control invades Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes Cartoons, the new series of animated shorts released exclusively on the HBO Max streaming service, will not be "doing guns," says series executive producer and showrunner Peter Browngardt. A throwback to the Looney Tunes cartoons of the 1930s and 1940s — bringing back classic pairings like Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd, Tweety and Sylvester, and Daffy Duck and Porky Pig — the zany cartoon violence depicted in Looney Tunes Cartoons will continue with anvils, dynamite, and other weapons as part of the 1,000-plus minutes of all-new animation taking a cartoonist-driven approach to its simple, gag-driven storytelling.
"We're not doing guns," Browngardt told The New York Times. "But we can do cartoony violence — TNT, the Acme stuff. All that was kind of grandfathered in."
Unlike Cartoon Network's since-cancelled The Looney Tunes Show, styled after a sitcom, Looney Tunes Cartoons doesn't do scripts — before COVID-19, cartoonists gathered in a room together to draw pictures and gags — focusing instead on simple concepts and gut-busting gags.
"Some of them have maybe gone a little too far, so they might come out in a different format," Browngardt said, adding some of those more extreme shorts could be released "packaged for an Adult Swim type of thing."
Added story editor Johnny Ryan, the cartoons are both timeless and not of this time. "We're going through this wave of anti-bullying, everybody needs to be friends, everybody needs to get along," he said. "Looney Tunes is pretty much the antithesis of that. It's two characters in conflict, sometimes getting pretty violent."
Dopey hunter Elmer Fudd is traditionally depicted using guns to hunt wabbits — namely archenemy Bugs Bunny — including classic shorts A Wild Hare and Rabbit Fire, where Daffy Duck accidentally shoots himself in the face while fumbling with Fudd's seemingly unloaded weapon. The hot-tempered Yosemite Sam is another adversary traditionally quick to pull the trigger on a pair of guns not present in the new show.
In Looney Tunes Cartoons, Fudd can be seen continuing his endless pursuit of the wascally wabbit with other weapons, including a scythe.
"I always thought, 'What if Warner Bros. had never stopped making Looney Tunes cartoons?" Browngardt said of the approach to the new series. "As much as we possibly could, we treated the production in that way."
A study from Parrot Analytics found Looney Tunes Cartoons and HBO original The Not-Too-Late Show With Elmo are the most in-demand series on HBO Max since the streaming service launched May 27. As of June 6, ten episodes of Looney Tunes Cartoons have released on HBO Max.
"We're not doing guns," Browngardt told The New York Times. "But we can do cartoony violence — TNT, the Acme stuff. All that was kind of grandfathered in."
Unlike Cartoon Network's since-cancelled The Looney Tunes Show, styled after a sitcom, Looney Tunes Cartoons doesn't do scripts — before COVID-19, cartoonists gathered in a room together to draw pictures and gags — focusing instead on simple concepts and gut-busting gags.
"Some of them have maybe gone a little too far, so they might come out in a different format," Browngardt said, adding some of those more extreme shorts could be released "packaged for an Adult Swim type of thing."
Added story editor Johnny Ryan, the cartoons are both timeless and not of this time. "We're going through this wave of anti-bullying, everybody needs to be friends, everybody needs to get along," he said. "Looney Tunes is pretty much the antithesis of that. It's two characters in conflict, sometimes getting pretty violent."
Dopey hunter Elmer Fudd is traditionally depicted using guns to hunt wabbits — namely archenemy Bugs Bunny — including classic shorts A Wild Hare and Rabbit Fire, where Daffy Duck accidentally shoots himself in the face while fumbling with Fudd's seemingly unloaded weapon. The hot-tempered Yosemite Sam is another adversary traditionally quick to pull the trigger on a pair of guns not present in the new show.
In Looney Tunes Cartoons, Fudd can be seen continuing his endless pursuit of the wascally wabbit with other weapons, including a scythe.
"I always thought, 'What if Warner Bros. had never stopped making Looney Tunes cartoons?" Browngardt said of the approach to the new series. "As much as we possibly could, we treated the production in that way."
A study from Parrot Analytics found Looney Tunes Cartoons and HBO original The Not-Too-Late Show With Elmo are the most in-demand series on HBO Max since the streaming service launched May 27. As of June 6, ten episodes of Looney Tunes Cartoons have released on HBO Max.
Armageddon (1998)
Has anyone ever seen this movie? I'm watching it right now.It's possible that something could happen someday we never never know.
online today!
"On A Note Of Triumph" VE Day, 1945. 75 Years Ago.
Written For The End Of WWII In Europe & The Greatest Radio Broadcast Of All Time.
It Has Elements Of Celebration, Relief & Gratitude.
It ends with a Hope for a future which, 3/4 of a century on & in retrospect, is saddening for what was Hoped for but not attained
I hadn't heard it before tonight on an Old Time Radio Program.
Similar sentiment of the era -- "The White Cliffs Of Dover" ...
It Has Elements Of Celebration, Relief & Gratitude.
It ends with a Hope for a future which, 3/4 of a century on & in retrospect, is saddening for what was Hoped for but not attained
I hadn't heard it before tonight on an Old Time Radio Program.
Similar sentiment of the era -- "The White Cliffs Of Dover" ...
online today!
I am going to prison.
Seriously. I am going to jail on Wednesday... To shoot an infomercial about the Probation Service here in Denmark. The infomercial consists of 5 videos, that depict the life of an inmate in a prison, and how that prison would be like, without the Probation Service.
I will be on set for about 2 and a half hours, which is a pretty short shoot for me. I am used to 8+ hours of shooting, so a 2 an a half hour shoot is just amazing!
The set is in a old prison, that is no longer used. The primary use now is for movies and tv shows. The most famous example, is a series of movies called The Olsen Gang, where three friends embark on all sorts of weird and wonderful heists and scores. The movies are beloved here, so I am actually quite honored to be taking part in a shoot in that old prison.
I have been told that the catering there isn't the best, so I have to have something with me from home. But a 2 and a half hour shoot shouldn't be too demanding. Unless there's riots or something like that.
I'm looking forward to it!
I will be on set for about 2 and a half hours, which is a pretty short shoot for me. I am used to 8+ hours of shooting, so a 2 an a half hour shoot is just amazing!
The set is in a old prison, that is no longer used. The primary use now is for movies and tv shows. The most famous example, is a series of movies called The Olsen Gang, where three friends embark on all sorts of weird and wonderful heists and scores. The movies are beloved here, so I am actually quite honored to be taking part in a shoot in that old prison.
I have been told that the catering there isn't the best, so I have to have something with me from home. But a 2 and a half hour shoot shouldn't be too demanding. Unless there's riots or something like that.
I'm looking forward to it!
online now!
Tuck Everlasting...
It took me months to clear my house and get it ready for sale. Admittedly, I dragged my feet and underestimated the time needed to sift through what I would keep, sell or discard.
Near then end, I had a box of VCR tapes and needed to decide their fate. Most of them were recordings my father took from cable TV shows like HBO. His favorites were Westerns. Offered for the taking on several yard sales, they got pulled back each night. Traumatized over the event, I was forced to say goodbye and put them into the recycle bin. Checking everything in the box, I pulled 2 tapes to keep. One was a home video of me and friends flying model helicopters and the other the movie Tuck Everlasting.
Today, I made time to view the tapes and pulled out the VCR machine, connected it to the TV and scanned both videos. Amazed both tapes actually played. I have a device called Dazzle that will allow me digitize the videos to store them on computer or DVD. Future project.
I did some research on the original movie, based on the novel by Natalie Babbitt. The original is not well known, but the 2002 Disney remake is. YouTube has it on their rental section. I often favor original movies, maybe one day I'll view it.
Briefly, Tuck Everlasting is a fictional story about The Tuck family around the 1900's who happened on a hidden spring and after drinking the water found it had magical properties. They became immortal. They didn't age but the folks around them did. Not to be noticed, they were forced to travel frequently as their secret not to be discovered. Young Jesse Tuck meets Winifred Foster and they fall in love. He reveals the family secret and wants her to drink from the spring. Through a series of errors, the family is tracked and forced to escape to a place where their identity is unknown. The boy urges Winnie to go to the hidden spring to drink the water, after he will return for her.
Sadly, many years have passed before his return only to find her grave marker.
Winnie married, had children and lived a long fulfilling life.
She never drank from the spring.
Some stories stay with you forever...
Near then end, I had a box of VCR tapes and needed to decide their fate. Most of them were recordings my father took from cable TV shows like HBO. His favorites were Westerns. Offered for the taking on several yard sales, they got pulled back each night. Traumatized over the event, I was forced to say goodbye and put them into the recycle bin. Checking everything in the box, I pulled 2 tapes to keep. One was a home video of me and friends flying model helicopters and the other the movie Tuck Everlasting.
Today, I made time to view the tapes and pulled out the VCR machine, connected it to the TV and scanned both videos. Amazed both tapes actually played. I have a device called Dazzle that will allow me digitize the videos to store them on computer or DVD. Future project.
I did some research on the original movie, based on the novel by Natalie Babbitt. The original is not well known, but the 2002 Disney remake is. YouTube has it on their rental section. I often favor original movies, maybe one day I'll view it.
Briefly, Tuck Everlasting is a fictional story about The Tuck family around the 1900's who happened on a hidden spring and after drinking the water found it had magical properties. They became immortal. They didn't age but the folks around them did. Not to be noticed, they were forced to travel frequently as their secret not to be discovered. Young Jesse Tuck meets Winifred Foster and they fall in love. He reveals the family secret and wants her to drink from the spring. Through a series of errors, the family is tracked and forced to escape to a place where their identity is unknown. The boy urges Winnie to go to the hidden spring to drink the water, after he will return for her.
Sadly, many years have passed before his return only to find her grave marker.
Winnie married, had children and lived a long fulfilling life.
She never drank from the spring.
Some stories stay with you forever...
Youtube - Advice
I have only been using Youtube for a while now. I can see the contents on CS, but not directly from Google.
Anyone know, and can give a hand?
Anyone know, and can give a hand?
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