More Toons 4 Manic Monday

Phew…. lots of hard work was required to get these new cartoons ready for Monday - the end of the month, weekend chores…. etc etc. But woo woo - here we go.

First up - a cool NEW three stooges cartoon called the Lastest Gun in the West, featuring Hal Smith as the voice of the Robot bandit who is robbing banks and has all kinds of technology tricks up his metallic sleeves. In addition - the cartoon has a opening with the new human stooges in a dentist’s office, practicing without a license. Can you believe - more Dental Content! See Dr. Barre, W.C. Fields, or Winkie for some favorites - or just search for dentist.

Also new - a cool Popeye cartoon titled - Patriotic Popeye. In this classic, Popeye’s nephews are looking for trouble and just want to shoot off some fireworks hidden in the shed for the July 4th holiday. Yes… lots of explosions and roman candles, with an overriding theme of Fourth of July safety. My favorite part is when the nephews do the Duck and Cover routine in the trash can.

And another small sized batch of toons coming next - and then - a killer hilarious cult film.

More Cartoon Madness

We’ll have a few more cartoons Monday…. actually - they are all set, all the heavy lifting is done except a few minor tweaks in the database. But - till then, here’s one killer toon for the weekend - called BOOM BOOM. The first animated sequences featuring smart bombs and smart bullets (they actually chase people, not sure if they are laser guided or infrared). In any event - a cool cartoon. And another free treat - check out a cool Frank Random Trailer for a cartoon batch from back in the day - featuring Freddie the Freshman - yes sir, poultry in motion.

Betty Boop, Topless w/ Max?

In 1934, Betty Boop was totally wide open, and way out of control… ummm for the standards of that era. And here’s a terrific example - of the Janet Jackson nipple ninja star of 1934… in a cartoon called Betty Boop, Rise To Fame. Max Fleischer is featured (as a real human, not a cartoon)… talking to a reporter who wishes to do a feature article on Betty. In this cartoon - Betty paints herself with a quick tan ink…. and ducks behind a screen to put on a hula skirt. For a top - she wears nothing but the lei. Watch closely…. is there a funky frame or two? I won’t tell… but it was all too much for the Hayes Office - which told the Fleischer Brothers that Betty had to lose the garter belt and clean up her act.

We also added another classic Betty Boop animation - Baby Be Good, which has a bunch of scenes using a reversed frame animation sequence. Huh? Basically - you can run the cartoon forward… and all this stuff happens. Then.. to undue everything.. you run the film in reverse… so everything, UN happens.

And one more new politically incorrect cartoon - this one is called Crosby, Columbo and Vallee. From the studios of Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising - some young Indians get a real kick out of the new music on the radio. Of course, the elders of the Indian tribe just hate it. Are they Indians - or just Hollywood Indians - who of course are not Indians at all. (is that Ricardo Montalban?) So many years have passed - it is hard to say.

Iwo Jima -February 23, 1945

We thought folks might be interested in learning a little bit about Iwo Jima - a small island about 750 miles south of Tokyo, since today is the anniversary of the victorious assault on Mount Suribachi. I suspect most everyone has seen the photograph, taken by a fellow named Joe Rosenthal, but do you know a thing about what actually transpired on Iwo Jima? Well … good, you’re honest. Here’s a very short newsreel you can watch for free. Just kick back and learn something. If you want to see the page for This Day in History - click here.

LikeTelevision has a nifty calendar where you can watch some video clips related to each and every day of the year. Check it out and see what, if anything happened on your birthday - other than you being born. (no - i doubt we have footage of your birth, as your mom was modest. :~)

UPDATE -Johnny Carson, Cartoon Downloads

Lots of updates to report…. just edited Johnny Carson’s page - and put up some terrific classic video moments from The Tonight Show. Check out Jimmy Stewart and Jack Webb in clip one, or some brilliant war related humor in clip 2 with Bob Hope, Dean Martin and George Gobels. Clip Two also features Richard Nixon! Clip Three features Michael Landon, a.k.a. Little Joe - who clears up the rumors of homosexuality on the set of Bonanza.

Also new - several new cartoon downloads - Dick Whittington’s Cat, Sport Chumpions, Somewhere in Dreamland, and Yankee Doodle Donkey.

Next? get ready for some more killer cartoons!

Jimmy Carter, Rabbit, Attack Submarine

As we searched the LikeTelevision video archive on Jimmy Carter - we came across an intriguing photo that had us all wondering - ***Leporine Conspiracy Theory! You see - we just learned that a new attack submarine will be named after former president Carter, which immediately called to mind, the Leporine Assassination incident from April 20, 1979. Thank goodness Jimmy had some major martial arts moves with his Kendo paddle.


***For those not well versed in the *.ine type animal stuff…. here’s a few to whet your whistle.
feline | cat
canine | dog
equine | horse
bovine | cow
porcine | pig
ovine | sheep
avian | bird
ursine | bear
lupine | wolf
murine | mouse
vulpine | fox
aquiline | eagle
anserine | goose
asinine | ass
cervine | deer
elephantine | elephant
leoline | lion
leporine | rabbit
limacine | slug
pavonine | peacock
phocine | seal
serpentine | serpent (i always think of Alan Arkin from The In-Laws whenever i hear that word).

Coming up next… some killer cartoons!

Alan Arkin, Rutger Hauer & Joanna Pacula

All Right - as promised, Escape from Sobibor is ready to view. Check out this powerful movie and watch it online - or you can download the MPG files and make your own DVD (for personal use only, see terms and conditions for details). There’s also a ton of terrific color stills in the image library. I really enjoyed this movie - and we are considering getting more movies directed by Jack Gold.

Ready to go - check it out, Escape From Sobibor, starring Alan Arkin, Rutger Hauer, and Joanna Pacula.

Escape From Sobibor

Sobibor was a Nazi death camp in Poland during World War II. Built around March 1942 - the Sobibor camp was created to kill Jews Most were of Polish decent, though some were from the Soviet Union and others were from Western Europe. The film is not just a story of horror and evil darkness. Why? Because on October 14, 1943 - there was the largest escape in the history of the concentration camps. Over 300 condemned men, women and children escaped on that glorious day. Escape from Sobibor tells this story of tragedy and triumph - and the unbeleiveable power of the spirit that refuses to give into despair and holds onto hope in the darkest of circumstances. Here’s Frank Random’s trailer - may God have mercy on those fools choose to follow the evil tyranny that this film conveys. And may all good and loving people be blessed with the hope that carries one through such darkness.

Escape from Sobibor is a very special film. It is rare when a movie can leave you weeping at one moment, and later, hoping with all your might - that the characters in the movie will make it out of their hellish nightmare. Honestly - i could not help weeping when I watched this. Not just crying - but full blown sobbing. It hurts to view it and to immerse yourself in this heinous reality, even just vicariously watching it as a film. No - there are no gratuitous and shocking photos of ematiated men, women and children. The film hits you in the heart - because you get to know the people and you like the people. You admire their courage and respect their strength in a place that is filled with total despair.

We will have this film ready to view in few more days - till then, read a bit more about the story and the people. Just google Sobibor.

Cody, G.I. Joe, & Hostage Toys

In case you missed it - and i bet you did, yesterday morning there was a report on CNN, an AP wire, and other major news outlets - that an American soldier was taken hostage by the terrorists who were demanding the release of some prisoners, or else they would behead the soldier in 72 hours. The source of this information was an militant Islamic web site - and they even had a picture of the soldier, lifted from the site. Well - in about 72 minutes, the pajama journalists, a.k.a. bloggers… reported that the soldier in question was actually an action figure sold by Dragon Models USA - who went by the name of Cody. Huh, who knew? Now there’s a Cody, special OPs sold in the US… and he didn’t really look like Cody, the doll hostage… ah… then we learn there’s a different model of Cody, that is sold in Kuwait. As Walt Disney used to say… it’s a small world after all.

Anyway… my mind started wandering… back to the days of Commando Cody, who wore a strange helmet whenever he fought against the radarmen from the moon… and i thought… could it be? Is that you- Commando Cody?

Of course - this story was pulled faster than you could - oh my God, we’re idiots… why are we doing PR for the bad guys? Anyway… seems like a good day to check out Radarmen from the Moon with Commando Cody, or perhaps a few classic G.I. Joe commercials - just so (segue in the Who song…) We Don’t Get Fooled Again….AHHHHHHHHHHHH. More background on the story here, here, here, and here. And in case you missed it - George Bush actually captured Bin Laden!

Khomeini Shi’ite cleric - fingered?

On February 1, 1979 - Shi’ite cleric Ayatullah Khomeini returns to Iran and becomes the Holy Terror(ist?) ruler of Iran as the people decide to give the absolute convergence of church and state a try. See this pic of Ayatullah Khomeini voting! Now - i am all for religion and think it very good for the soul - but an all powerful melding of church and state has proven disastrous time and time again. As i was doing some research and looking for an Ayatullah pic - it was ironic that the one i got to first from google images was from 1979 - when Ayatullah Khomeini was named Time Magazine’s Man of The Year. And seeing how George W. was named Man of the Year in 2004, and coming of the wonderful Iraqi elections on Jan 30, 2005 - that left us with the indelible image of the ink stained finger - well i just couldn’t help myself. If you would like to see a great photo blog of the Iraq elections - by all means, check this out.

And if you would like to get a glimpse of what life was like just 26 years ago in Iran… check out this news clip of Ayatullah’s return. Or another here - as students took American’s hostage and held them for 444 days. Another interesting thing i noticed - after looking a dozens and dozens of images of Ayatullah K-meister… let me just say… i have never seen such a sour puss in my life. Not only does he not smile - he doesn’t even begin to crack a smile. Lighten up dude (i know, he’s dead…) BUT - I am pretty sure Allah wants his children to be joyful.