Baron Dave Romm
Yogi Bear
By Baron Dave Romm
Watch short and idiosyncratic videos on Baron Dave's You Tube Channel
Note: Magilla Gorilla does not get sold in this review.
Yogi Bear, circa 1961CE
"Yogi Bear" was the most popular television cartoon creation of TV's early years.. Why? I dunno. I remember the cartoons fondly, but don't put them in the same category as the Warner Brother's cartoons, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Beany and Cecil, or even other Hanna-Barbera shows like The Jetsons.
The question arose, among some of my younger-than-I friends: What is the appeal of Yogi Bear? My only real answer: These were the cartoons I grew up with. I can't watch them now, except maybe to dip into for a few nostalgic minutes, and I'm certainly not going to hold Yogi Bear (or most of the animated output of Hanna Barbera) up as cultural icons worthy of today's youth. But they were my cartoons, damn it.
Baby Boomers were the first generation in history who took their childhood with them. Previous generations may have had objects and memories preserved from their youth, and songs learned very early bring back fond memories. But we had virtually everything in its original form. We could watch reruns on tv, listen to the same recordings of songs, see pictures and movies of times gone by. We didn't have to remember our childhood, we could relive it.
We grew older (I hesistate to say grew up) and the world changed, as it always did. But for us, popular culture didn't exist in a small bubble that moved along the timeline: the amount of popular culture expanded. Quiz shows weren't just for the well-educated and highfalutin', like The $64 Question or What's My Line?. As the Boomers fought the Vietnam War and changed the world, "Quiz shows" became "Trivia contests" like Jeopardy. You had to study history to be able to answer quesitions about Cleopatra. You simply had to grow up in that era or any subsequent era to answer questions about Elvis. Unlike the previous generation, our generation's pop culture was also the next generation's pop culture.
I never understood the appeal of Scooby-Doo, since I was a grown-up 14 when that show premiered in 1969. Star Trek had come and gone. Television had moved on, taking me with it. Dismissing kiddie cartoons, I felt so adult. And yet, all those kids for whom Scooby-Doo was their cartoon also had our cartoons. And you still do.
So there.
Yogi Bear, 2010CE
Hey There, It's Yogi Bear was a Big Deal to many of us when it came out in 1964. The movie didn't match the hype, but it was fun if you were into the characters.
A new Yogi Bear movie came out last week, and was the highest priority among a number of good movies currently in theaters. Why did I want to see it? The trailer was good, but mostly... I dunno. I just did. In the same way that I was going to watch the new Harry Potter movie no matter what book they were up to or what critics said, I was going to see Yogi Bear. It felt right.
And, to be honest, I had high hopes but only modest expectations. The movie is a little better than it had any right to be, but only a little. Dan Ackroyd is the best part, voicing Yogi in his best Daws Butler-doing-Art Carney. Justin Timberlake is pretty good as Boo-Boo.
The plot -- plots, really, as several storylines move in and out -- aren't particularly interesting. Heck, they're not as clever as the old show, and I had to look up the episode guide to be reminded. Worse, Yogi and Ranger Smith barely have an adversarial relationship. Everyone is fighting the corrupt and oily mayor, who wants to sell Jellystone National Park to loggers. Tom Cavanaugh plays Ranger Smith far too blandly to be believable as a ranger, much less Yogi's foil. Anna Ferris plays a well-traveled but socially inept filmmaker, who wants to make a documentary about the talking bear. She has some moments, but doesn't add much to the proceedings except as a love interest for Ranger Smith. The best you can say about the plot: It's sufficient to drive the movie from one action sequence to the next.
Yogi Bear is for younger kids, probably as young as I was for the original. Fairly slow paced and decidedly G-Rated, though some of the sight gags fly by quickly. The kids behind me in the theater were laughing in all the right places. I was having fun. You'll do just fine once you realize that a) it's not a great film and b) everyone just accepts two cgi talking bears who steal pick-a-nic baskets.
The second best part, after Yogi's mugging, is the use of 3D. Avatar may have had the larger budget, but Yogi Bear has some clever people using the visual medium. If you go at all, pop for the 3D.
Aside: The Flintsones are based (loosely) on The Honeymooners, which starred Art Carney as Ed Norton, who became Barney Rubble. Meanwhile, the voice of Yogi Bear was inspired by Art Carney as Ed Norton. Art Carney is the inspiration for two cartoon characters. Pretty good there, Art.
Oh, and there's a short cartoon in front of the movie. Turner Entertainment, now part of Time Warner, bought Hanna Barbera in 1991, allowing the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote to share the bill with Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo. Rabid Rider has fun with the coyote on a Segway, still desperate to catch the coyote, and still failing. Sheesh, for the price of all his gear, he could have pizza delivered. But I digress. Like the main movie, more nostalgia than prime entertainment, and it's nice to see the characters continue in a modern setting.
On the Shockwave Radio Theater scale of 9 to 23, where 23 is top, I'd give Yogi Bear about a 16 or 17. Worth going if you remember the originals fondly, and if you have kids. Catch it in 3D.
Baron Dave Romm is a conceptual artist and a noble of Ladonia who produces Shockwave Radio Theater, writes in a Live Journal demi-blog maintains a Facebook Page, plays with a very weird CD collection and an ever growing list of political links. Dave Romm reviews things at random for obscure web sites. You can read all his music recommendations from Bartcop-E. Podcasts of Shockwave Radio Theater. Permanent archive. A nascent collection of videos are on Baron Dave's YouTube channel. More radio programs, interviews and science fiction humor plays can be accessed on the Shockwave Radio audio page.
Thanks to everyone who has sent me music to play on the air.
Recommended Reading
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Susan King: At home with Hitchcock (Los Angeles Times)
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David Bruce has 39 Kindle books on Amazon.com with 250 anecdotes in each book. Each book is $1, so for $39 you can buy 9,750 anecdotes. Search for "Funniest People," "Coolest People, "Most Interesting People," "Kindest People," "Religious Anecdotes," and "Maximum Cool."
PURPLE GENE'S MINI REVIEW
"THE FIGHTER"
PURPLE GENE'S MINI REVIEW OF:
"THE FIGHTER"
"DIRK DIGGLER' IS "ROCKY"
I HAVENT BEEN TO A GOOD MOVIE FOR A WHILE....BUT TODAY I BRAVED THE WIND AND THE RAIN TO SEE "ROCKY VI" (NOT REALLY) ...."THE FIGHTER" STARRING MARK WAHLBERG, CHRISTIAN BALE, MELISSA LEO AND AMY ADAMS.
DIRECTED BY DAVID O. RUSSELL, "THE FIGHTER" REMINDS ME OF THE ORIGINAL "ROCKY" BUT WITH AN UNBELIEVABLY DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY....WALHBERG PLAYS REAL LIFE BOXING LEGEND MICKEY WARD....WHO GREW UP UNDER THE WING OF HIS OLDER BROTHER BOXER DICKY THE-ONCE-COULDA-BEEN-A-CONTENDA CRACKHEAD TRAINER (BALE) AND HIS MOTHER ALICE, THE BLEACH BLONDE BITCH MANAGER AND BOOKER (LEO)
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There's a bazillion (at least) movies, songs and commercials connected to the 'Holiday Season' that are streamed non-stop out over the ether this time of year celebrating all manner of things spiritual, secular and avaricious... Yes, I know that you are not shocked at that statement, so don't write and say that you are (haha)... Ahem... Moving right along... All righty then...
Share with us, if'n ya please, yer favorites as well as the ones that make ya want to get yer Scrooge on... I'll tell ya mine, if'n you tell me yours...
1.) Movies
2.) Music
3.) Commercials
Send your response to
wrote:
answered:
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
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Lunar Eclipse
'Twill be nights before Christmas and high overhead, the moon will turn brown or maybe deep red. The Earth and the sun with celestial scripts will conspire to make a lunar eclipse.
Weather permitting, sky gazers in North and Central America and a tiny sliver of South America will boast the best seats to this year's only total eclipse of the moon.
The eclipse will happen Monday night on the West Coast and during the wee hours Tuesday on the East Coast. Western Europe will only see the start of the spectacle while western Asia will catch the tail end.
Since the eclipse coincides with winter solstice, the moon will appear high in the sky - a boon for skywatchers. With recent volcanic eruptions around the globe dumping tons of dust into the atmosphere, scientists predict the moon may appear darker than usual during the eclipse, glowing an eerie red or brown instead of the usual orange-yellow tinge.
North and Central America should be able to view the entire show, which is expected to last 3 1/2 hours if skies are clear. Total eclipse begins at 11:41 p.m. PST Monday or 2:41 a.m. EST Tuesday. The totality phase - when the moon is entirely inside Earth's shadow - will last a little over an hour.
Lunar Eclipse
NASA eclipse page:
Griffith Observatory
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"Spider-Man"
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The original opening night was January 11.
The Hollywood Reporter said earlier this week that the $65 million Broadway production was going to be delayed once again.
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"Spider-Man"
Snow Cancels Concert
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga isn't having much luck in Paris.
In October, the pop diva's concerts in Paris were postponed amid nationwide strikes over a government plan to raise the retirement age. One show was rescheduled for Sunday, but it was called off because of snow.
The weather led authorities to ban big trucks from driving through the Ile de France region that includes Paris. Lady Gaga's trucks couldn't get to the venue on time, concert venue Bercy stadium said on its Web site.
The diva vented on Twitter, writing that "all 28" of the trucks carrying sets for her elaborate show had been detained. She said had wanted to do a show without the sets, but even sound and power equipment was blocked.
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Nick Park
Filmmaker Nick Park says he is in talks on the possible development of a theme park ride based around his cheese-loving Wallace and Gromit characters.
The Preston-born animator told Kirsty Young about the plan on Saturday's edition of the Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs.
"We are in the middle of discussions with Blackpool Pleasure Beach about a Wallace and Gromit ride," Park said.
Park, who has won four Oscars for his animated films, said some of his early inspiration came from his youthful reading of the Beano.
Nick Park
Hack Underscores Flaws
Gawker
The fallout from a hacking attack on Gawker Media Inc. a week ago underscores a basic security risk of living more of our lives online: Using the same username and password for multiple sites is convenient, but costly.
After the attack on the publisher of such blogs as Gawker, Gizmodo and Jezebel exposed account information on as many as 1.4 million people, several unrelated companies had to freeze their accounts and force users to reset passwords.
Gawker Media itself didn't have all that much sensitive information about its users. But the usernames and passwords obtained there could open doors to more valuable accounts elsewhere, including e-mail and banking.
Twitter, Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc., among others, saw the potential damage and began resetting their passwords en masse, disrupting users as they tried to check their e-mail or post a tweet.
Gawker
Ronnie Indicted On Assault Charge
'Jersey Shore'
One of the stars of MTV's "Jersey Shore" has been indicted for an assault that prosecutors say happened just off camera during the first season.
A grand jury in Ocean County, N.J., says there's evidence that Ronald "Ronnie" Ortiz-Magro committed a crime.
The grand jury said the 25-year-old reality TV star knocked a man out with a punch on Sept. 4, 2009, when the show was being filmed in Seaside Heights. While the punch wasn't shown on the show, Ortiz-Magro was seen bragging about it.
Prosectuors told The Asbury Park Press that they hoped to resolve the case without an indictment.
'Jersey Shore'
Stamp Loophole
QE II
The government insisted on Sunday it is closing a loophole that could see Queen Elizabeth II's head removed from stamps if the Royal Mail national postal service is sold to a foreign firm.
The monarch's head, facing left, has appeared on adhesive postage stamps since their invention with the 1840 "Penny Black", featuring queen Victoria.
The current standard stamps, drawn up in 1967 by Alan Machin, are considered a design classic and a defining icon of Britain.
Her Majesty's Government is in talks with Buckingham Palace after realising that the legislation paving the way for the Royal Mail to be sold off failed explicitly to guarantee the Queen's head would remain on the stamps.
QE II
Ghosts Haunt Hotel
Cold War
The Berlin Wall came tumbling down two decades ago, but you can still revel in the rural holiday splendor enjoyed by the man whose iron rule of East Germany crumbled with the collapse of communist power.
Just an hour's drive north of Berlin deep in the woods of eastern Germany, visitors will find a unique blend of communist and feudal spirits alive at the holiday retreat formerly reserved for German Democratic Republic leader Erich Honecker.
Built more than 160 years ago, the Jagdschloss Hubertusstock hotel's premises were once a deer-hunting preserve for German emperors during the 19th century and were later owned by the Nazi government during the Third Reich.
Guests today can still enjoy the atmosphere of a secluded luxury getaway surrounded by an enduring 1960s decor in which Honecker played host to Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and haggled with his West German counterparts.
Cold War
Weekend Box Office
`Tron: Legacy'
Jeff Bridges' sci-fi sequel "Tron: Legacy" has leaped to the top of the box-office grid with a $43.6 million opening weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Other newcomers premiered with modest to poor receipts, continuing a sluggish end to Hollywood's year.
The weekend proved no picnic for Dan Aykroyd's family flick "Yogi Bear," which fell flat at a weak No. 2 with $16.7 million. The Warner Bros. release features the voices of Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake in an adaptation of the TV cartoon about the picnic-basket-thieving bear.
Reese Witherspoon's love-triangle romance "How Do You Know" was a dud with just $7.6 million, the Sony release opening at No. 8. The movie co-stars Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd and Jack Nicholson.
1. "Tron: Legacy," $43.6 million.
2. "Yogi Bear," $16.7 million.
3. "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," $12.4 million.
4. "The Fighter," $12.2 million.
5. "The Tourist," $8.7 million.
6. "Tangled," $8.68 million.
7. "Black Swan," $8.3 million.
8. "How Do You Know," $7.6 million.
9. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1," $4.8 million.
10. "Unstoppable," $1.8 million.
`Tron: Legacy'
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