Looking for the title of a animated movie, I remember watching it on the movie network years ago (15+), and it was really quite funny. From what I can remember it was animated, and it was about a bunch of kids, they were rather vulgar and it was a R rated comedy-like movie for adults. I thought it was called The Kid, but i can't find it anywhere online. Keeps coming up with the Disney movie, and its DEFINITELY not a Disney movie. There's one line that stands out for me it goes something like this: "Beware of he who F*cketh, for the time and the tide, by thou thyselves be f*cked in double measure up the a*s, thou ignoble f*ckhead" I would LOVE to find it and watch it. I'm wondering if it was an independent film or something and that's why it's so difficult to find, but if anyone knows the movie I'm referring to, I would greatly appreciate the help.
Answered general questions about movies, TV and more
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There was a movie that had Bette Davis and Burgess Meredith. In the movie, they portray a brother and sister who are renting their house for nine hundred pounds a month to a married couple. The siblings also have their elderly mom living in the house and ask the couple to leave three meals a day outside of her door.
Answer: You're right, it is "Burnt Offerings." Bette Davis is the aunt, not the sibling.
Answer: Maybe Burnt Offerings (1976)? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnt_Offerings_(film). They aren't brother and sister - the sister is played by Eileen Heckart. Bette Davis played Aunt Elizabeth.
You're both right. Thanks.
Why do people in some movies/TV put a blob of sunscreen on their nose? In real life, I typically see people rub sunscreen into their skin, all over themselves.
Answer: The sunscreen you are asking about is likely zinc oxide. It sits on the surface of the skin and scatters the sun's rays. The sunscreen rubbed into the skin, as you describe, doesn't contain zinc oxide, but rather contains chemicals that absorb the solar radiation and converts that energy to heat, which is then released from the body.
Answer: From what I recall, older sunscreens were much weaker than what we have now. And it was common to apply extra to certain areas of the body, like the nose since it sticks out from your face and is more likely to get sun damage. And the extra sunscreen created the white "blob" around the nose. So it just sort-of became a visual shorthand in films and TV for showing that someone is wearing sunscreen. And since people became used to it, it stuck around. It's currently also a good way to show that a character is rigid, set in their ways or old-fashioned, since it's not something you see too much anymore.
I watched a sitcom in the early 90s, and there was a family attending a school raffle, hoping to win a trip to Disneyland. They placed their ticket in either box 6 or 9 just before the drawing, only to realise they were looking at the number upside down, and they ended up winning therapy sessions, which angered a young girl because, as she put it, "I needed that therapy!" I believe this was part of ABC's TGIF lineup, so it could have been "Going Places" or "Camp Wilder." Anyone know the show?
Chosen answer: The show was called "Phenom."
What is the origin of characters saying "all right / OK, now it's personal"?
Answer: "All right," is what David Woder (Matthew McConaughey) says. It became a catchphrase. In Jaws: The Revenge, the tagline on the movie poster was "Now it's personal."
Why do a lot of modern movies/shows include jokes and "quirky" comments in otherwise serious, intense scenes? I am not a Marvel fan but I've heard that this is a common complaint. Is there some reason why creators don't think viewers can sit through a completely sad, scary, or angry scene anymore?
Answer: In the case of Marvel movies, they are directed at a very wide audience. Most ages, both sexes. It is meant for people who enjoy action, sci-fi, comedy and adventure, all of them. These movies are not meant to be heavy, emotional, scary. They are meant for fun for the entire family. If a movie is specifically made as a horror movie for example, jokes and quirky comments are misplaced of course, since it would spoil the horror people are expecting. But in the case of Marvel, they want everyone to enjoy it.
Answer: This is a literary device known as "comic relief." Even in the most intense, dramatic movies, TV shows, or books, the author or screenwriters will inject moments of well-timed humor to give the audience a brief respite from the ongoing suspense. It is difficult to maintain non-stop tension throughout an entire story. By giving a few moments of humor or lightheartedness, the suspense can momentarily be relieved, then rebuilds to carry it through to the climax. It has, IMHO, become an overly-used trope in today's mainstream movies.
Are there any TV series that were cancelled before a complete first season was even aired? I am mostly curious about sitcoms and dramas/thrillers, not reality shows.
Answer: Honestly, there have been numerous TV shows cancelled before a complete first season was aired. Another great example is cult-favorite sci-fi series "Firefly," which was cancelled before the 14 produced episodes finished airing. "Emily's Reasons Why Not" is another good example. It's a romantic comedy series that was cancelled after only one of the six produced episodes aired. (The remaining five episodes never aired on TV, but were quietly released on a DVD set.) "Viva Laughlin," a musical comedy-drama series produced by Hugh Jackman was cancelled after only two episodes, and none of the remaining episodes have aired or been given a DVD release. "Mockingbird Lane," a re-imagining of "The Munsters," was cancelled after it's pilot was aired as a TV-special, so the remainder of the first season was never produced. There's honestly probably hundreds of shows that were cancelled before a complete first season was aired.
I was wondering if there are contracts that require the entire first season to be shown, before a network can decide not to show another season. I guess not, based on the answers here.
Shows being pulled mid-season isn't indicative of what other shows' contracts consist of. Some shows may have had it in their contracts that the entire season be aired (there are shows that get pulled mid-season beyond season 1). I don't have personal knowledge because that would be a lot of contracts to read to find out. So maybe someone does. But there's plenty of shows that don't produce an entire season prior to being picked up, so it's possible all the episodes produced were aired.
Answer: So, so many. Drive comes to mind - Nathan Fillion thriller about an illegal road race, only had a few episodes before being pulled off air. "Selfie" (2014) with Karen Gillan and John Cho was cancelled by ABC after only 7 episodes. "Do No Harm" (2013) cancelled after 2 episodes. The Dictator (2012) starring Christopher Lloyd only had one episode.
Answer: One of the shortest TV shows ever was the 1997 series "Lawless," starring former NFL player Brian Bosworth. It was cancelled after the first episode. Also, "Cop Rock," a TV show in the 90s, was cancelled after only 11 episodes. "When The Whistle Blows," a TV sitcom in the 80s, also only lasted 11 episodes.
Answer: There was a police drama roughly 10 years ago called Golden Boy. It was about the youngest police Commissioner in NYPD history and kept hinting at a department-wide shootout that led to the man's promotion. It lasted 13 episodes.
Answer: Another show was called "Brimstone" and had actors Peter Horton and John Glover. The show only had 13 episodes.
The 1963 ABC "The Jerry Lewis Show" was originally planned for 40 episodes in the first season. It went off after 13 shows.
Answer: Outlaws 1986, was cancelled after a few episodes. Sitcom In Case of Emergency, with Kelly Hu, was cancelled after only a couple of episodes.
My husband watched an episode of a new series in 2021 or 2022. Humans are living on a large, multi-level space ship, maybe more of a "space station." The ship has realistic, Earth-like places, such as a beach room. They have been living there for several years, so the youngest children have never touched real grass, beach sand, etc.
Answer: Answering my own question since I stumbled across a page on IMDB. It's "Ascension", a mini-series from 2014. Only three episodes were made. Stars Tricia Helfer, Gil Bellows, and Brian Van Holt. Humans are living on a ship that was launched in the 1960s. A hundred-year voyage will take them to a new planet, which they are supposed to populate.
Answer: The TV show "The Orville" has an episode similar to this. In s01e04, "If the Stars Should Appear", is about a 2,000 year old bio-generational ship with an Earth like ecosystem and land features. The crew of The Orville find it adrift heading towards a star and after investigating find the inhabitants of the ship thinking they live on a regular planet and don't know they're on a spaceship. This episode was from 2017, but the third and final season was released by Hulu in mid-2022 (and Disney picked up the series later), so maybe it just seemed a new series.
Thank you for responding, but it was not "The Orville." It was definitely an entire new series. The overall tone was more dark and serious. And Seth MacFarlane was not in it. We watch "Family Guy" somewhat often, so we would have remembered him. Also, as my description says, these characters knew that they were living on a ship.
When movies or TV shows are filmed on location, how do they manage to film a scene without interference from the local public?
Answer: They will typically have areas closed off. If it is filmed in an area with heavy pedestrian traffic, there will be notices displayed that anyone in the area could end up on camera and is giving consent to be filmed by being in the area. The film crew will have security measures in place to prevent people from disrupting the production.
Your description is accurate, though I once wandered into a scene of the TV show, "Northern Exposure," that was filming in Seattle. I didn't realise I was in the shot. The film crew didn't notice me. When the director yelled, "Action", I just walked away. I've also driven by several movies filming on the street with traffic passing through, such as "Sleepless in Seattle." I drove by Meg Ryan who was in a car. Tom Hanks was on the beach. Was commuting to work as "Fifty Shades Freed" filmed a car chase on the now-gone Alaskan Way Viaduct. Traffic was temporarily stopped during filming.
Answer: Some big budget shows like the Law and Order franchise have recorded outside scenes with green screens to block out the public but keep natural lighting, building exteriors, sidewalks etc. They add a nondescript city background later.
Has anyone noticed a trend of actors (especially A-listers) becoming producers on projects they're not otherwise involved in (no cameo or directing credits)? It just seemed that not too long ago, an actor would only produce a project he or she was starring in; or for TV shows, would later on become a producer. And I understand it can be a way to make money or is something they're passionate about, so why weren't they doing it before as much? Or am I just reading into too small a sample size?
Answer: This is not a new phenomenon. IMDb lists 28 producing credits for Michael Douglas, including many he did not star in such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Starman, and Face/Off.
This show had an episode about a dad becoming friends with a tough-guy actor, a Chuck Norris type. He was disappointed when "Chuck" wasn't exciting in real life. They mostly talked about their kids and parenting advice. I probably saw it in the late 2000s.
Answer: It was Chuck Norris. It's from an episode of "Yes Dear," S04E09. Chuck plays himself, who is going to play a security guard in his next movie. So he follows Burt Hummbel "Jimmy," who idolizes him. He's thrown for a loop when Chuck acts like a wimpy dad, who wants to show pictures of his kids.
Thanks. I haven't watched all of that show's episodes. Do you know if any streaming services have it?
Answer: I forgot to add that at the episode's epilogue, a bully laughs at Chuck Norris for gushing about his kids. Chuck gets mad and Kung Fu's his butt and Jimmy is dumbstruck to see his hero in action.
Anyone recognize this horror movie/TV show from 1990 or earlier? A surly preteen is walking down a street, when he's accosted by a strange man who says the boy is upset because it's his birthday and his parents forgot. The boy runs off, but obviously the comment hit home. He walks into an abandoned building to find a party with cake and presents all set up for him. He keeps calling for his family to come out, but instead, strange toy robots come clanking out of the darkness. When the boy opens the cake box, there's a severed human head inside which smiles and says 'hi', causing the boy to scream and run off. I was babysitting when I watched this and it was upsetting my charge so I turned it off, and I never got to see the ending, and it always bothered me.
Answer: The movie is called Spookies.
Thank you.
Are "TPS" reports a thing in the real world? It seems that ever since "Office Space", a variety of shows have employees or bosses mentioning "TPS" reports, the latest being "Titans" and "The Mandalorian." Or did Mike Judge make it up and everyone else throws it in as a joke?
Answer: They're real. TPS stands for test procedure specification. However, I suspect their use in other shows was inspired by "Office Space."
This 90s movie has a part where the main character talks to a group of kids, then the kids' teacher/counselor says "Children, that brings me to my next point: don't smoke crack." They all nod quickly, as if the main character seemed crazy to them.
Answer: Adam Sandler's "The Waterboy" (1998). After Bobby is done talking to the kids, football star, Lawrence Taylor delivers the line.
I'm looking for a '90s, maybe '80s movie about a female president having an affair, or a relationship that people didn't approve of. She and her boyfriend were photographed outdoors one night. Another woman referred to the president's behavior as "putting on a sex show." I only saw the preview on a VHS tape.
Answer: It could be The Contender from 2000. Joan Allen plays a vice-presidential candidate who is dragged through the mud by political rivals. There are rumors about orgies, prostitution, and other.
That seems to be it. I did a search for the script, and it contains the "She was putting on a sex show" line. Thanks.
Why do some movies list the cast in order of appearance, or in alphabetical order? Most movies don't - the order seems to depend on top billing - so is there a specific reason?
Answer: Generally when the cast is listed alphabetically it's because there's an ensemble cast or no-one with top billing, despite what any movie poster or cover may show. It's a way to be as fair as possible to all cast members involved. When the cast is listed in order of appearance, it's much the same way, because no-one is getting top billing. But it's also generally done when the order of appearance plays a part in the film or to make it clear which character is which. For example, the 1990 film "Slacker", most of the characters don't have names, just a description.
Trying to remember a movie in the 80s or 90s where a young man learned to play saxophone from a blues expert. He played twinkle twinkle little star.
Answer: It could be from an episode of "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles." It was the one episode with Harrison Ford. In 1950, Indy and a friend are being chased by henchman in the Wyoming mountains. After losing them and hiding out in a cabin, he tells the story of working in a jazz club in 1920' Chicago. While learning to play the Sax, he and his college roommate Eliot Ness investigate the murder of a local mobster.
Is there a movie/show in which a male character says "Hey, it's me. You're probably wondering how I ended up in this situation"? I've watched a couple of Instagram videos that had this quote.
Answer: It's a common trope, taking various forms. Seemingly the first occurrence of this specific type of voiceover/flashback is from Sunset Boulevard (1950), starting with someone dead in a pool, and the dead character is the one who takes us back to show us what led to that situation.
Yep. Various films start with something similar, like start of the movie Ratatouille (2007), the movie Holes (2003), The Emperor's New Groove (2000), Spiderman (2002) and most episode intros of My name is Earl (2005-2009). None actually use that exact sentence though.
In the 90s or early 2000s, I was watching an episode of a TV show. Apparently the characters were discussing small things that make them feel good. A twenty-something woman said "wearing bikini-style underwear backwards." It *might* have been "Two Guys, A Girl, And A Pizza Place", or a show that was airing before/after that. Sorry for not having more details; just wanted to see if anyone recognizes the scene.
Answer: There was a TV sitcom that ran for two seasons in 1999, titled, "It's like you know." A west coast version of "Seinfeld." A group of thirtysomethings sit around talking about the little things of life, while living in the lap of luxury. One is a dot-com billionaire, the other is Jennifer Grey. She plays herself and makes jokes about her nose job. In one episode her father Joel Grey makes a cameo.
What is the name of this point and click video game I played in 1986 or 87? You follow your dog through a portal in your uncle's (?) lab and wind up in a world where everyone (including the dog) is super cool. It being the 80s, that meant they dressed like martians. I could never get very far, because after a couple of minutes of game time, the bad guy would feed you to a carnivorous zoo animal.
Answer: Some of this description sounds a lot like "Pepper's Adventures in Time" but that came out in the early 90s. Also the game didn't have any Martians in it.
If it came out in the 90s, I didn't play it in the 80s.
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Answer: It wasn't the South Park movie, was it?