Max Headroom

When I was a kid, I remember a freaky computerized guy. My dad had to explain to me it was a mask. I found it interesting. When I was older, I saw the show Max Headroom and 20 Minutes into the Future on reruns and I knew actor Matt Frewer starring as Edison Carter and Max. I thought Max was only featured in those new Coke commercials and the show. What I didn't know was that he actually started out in the U.K. The Max Headroom character originated in 1985-86 as an announcer for a music video program on Channel 4, the British television channel and it was called The Max Headroom Show. The intent was to portray a futuristic computer-generated character. Max Headroom appeared as a stylized head on TV against harsh primary color rotating-line backgrounds, and he became well known for his jerky techno-stuttering speech, wisecracks, and malapropisms. The Original Max Talking Headroom Show was made by Cinemax in 1987.

The Max Headroom Show was developed into the television movie Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future which in turn became the pilot for a series which ran from 1985 to 1987. The first episode was presented in an extended edition to American audiences in 1986 on Cinemax. Though officially two seasons, only fourteen episodes were created, and only thirteen aired. And then he became the New Coke spokesman. Notwithstanding the publicity for the character, the real image of Max was not computer generated. 3-D rendering and computing technology in the mid-1980s was not sufficiently advanced for a full-motion, voice-synched human head to be practical for a television series. Matt Frewer was in latex and foam rubber prosthetic makeup with a fiberglass suit, superimposed over a moving geometric background.
n a 2002 web chat with Scifi.com, Matt Frewer expressed pleasant surprise at Max's continued popularity, and informed fans that he had a new Max Headroom project "in the deal-making process." No further information is known on this project.


In November 2007 Channel 4 Television made a campaign to warn UK households of the impending digital TV switchover featuring an older looking Max Headroom.

And of course, the famous...

During a broadcast of the Dr. Who episode "Horror of Fang Rock" on WTTW Chicago Channel 11, on Sunday November 22nd, 1987, at around 11:15pm, a Video "Pirate" wearing a Max Headroom mask broke into the signal and transmitted one of the weirdest, unauthorized things ever to hit the Chicago airwaves. Earlier in the evening on the same day, during the Nine O'Clock News on Channel 9 (Yes, a completely different channel) the Max Headroom Pirate also broke in - although it was for a much shorter time and there was no audio. He was never caught.

Generation X FOX TV Movie (1996)

In 1996, at the height of popularity of the 1992 X-Men animated series, a TV-Movie was produced by New World Entertainment and Marvel Entertainment on FOX. It was based on the comic book series "Generation X," which was the younger sect of Mutants mentored/lead by the White Queen and Banshee. Many fans don't like this movie, I liked it a bit when it first came out and now, seeing clips on YouTube, it is not so bad. It actually has some issues from the X-Men movies, like mutant registry and 'terrorism' is thrown around. It infamously featured a Caucasian Jubilee, which got lots of people angry, she is Asian in everything else. What I don't remember was that Emma Frost, was played by Finola Hughes, who is best known for All My Children and being the Halliwell's mother Patty in "Charmed." I knew her from "Blossom" as the step-mother. What I didn't knwo was that there is another version of this movie, outside of the United States, it had curse words, crude humor and racial slurs. One character calls another a 'wetback,' and in one good scene, a male student doubts he can concentrate and relax at the same time and Frost says to think about when he is 'playing with himself.'

Other than Finola Hughes, the cast included Jeremy Ratchford as Banshee, Heather McComb as Jubilee, Matt Frewer (Max Headroom) as the bad guy Russel--exclusive to the movie. From the Generation X movie, M (super strong and abilities, 'perfect'), Mondo (can take on the properties of a material he absorbs) and Skin (stretch skin, wrap around). The other two mutants of the original comic line-up were Chamber (whose chest and jaw was fire--or psionic energy ) and Husk (she sheds skin to another form of metal or something else), and they added characters in place of them. One was Refrax, who everyone thinks had a waste of a power because his was just x-ray laser eyes, but I think it was more like their 'Cyclops.' And another was Buff, who was the only one who got a superhero 'suit' at the end of the movie, as seen below. Her mutation increases her muscle mass and strength and she is ashamed of it. Refrax and Buff also kinda hooked up, much like Chamber and Husk in the comics.

Superhero Lives

Kindred Spirits
iOffer

Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, her cred

I think people are too hard on Kathy. She is funny and smart. Yes I am in her demographic as a gay guy but as a fan, I was insulted by Entertainment Weekly insinuation in an article about her last month, stating that her fan base is a 'rare' species, that is celebrity obsessed. I find her comedy a bit broader. Especially in her reality show, she has sarcasm and self-evading humor. She has some relatable issues on the show---like people judging her and caring about her dog's behaviors. Her show has been awesome lately---when she went to Australia and interacted with Cyndi Lauper, Margret Cho, Lance Bass, Carson (from Queer Eye), and Olivia Newton John. Also, the Rosie visit was cool, especially that her children painted on her Emmy awards (She has 7) and Kathie adores her Emmy.

I like when she gets jealous of her mother stealing her 'gay' (her friend), and then introduces her to the world of Bears and hands her a magazine. And of course, Team Griffin is priceless. Jessica says she 'wouldn't hang out with [Kathy's boyfriend at the time Steve Woz' assistant] in high school.' The dancing bear almost fainted in seeing Kathy. I love Jessica, expecially when she had to hold it down with Steve, who was trying to give away 'merch.' As for hatin', that is always is going to happen. Everyone is gonna hate her, but I love her, she is in between, an 'insider' celebrity talking about other celebrities but not above publicity. It's just very self-aware as well. She's making me laugh and she's having fun, so that's all that is important.

New Venture Bros Season Three so far

We have been waiting desperately for Season Three of the Venture Brothers and it exceeds all expectations. The new season started June 1st and so far there has been 6 episodes. For those who don't know this show, it airs on Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network and it is a parody/homage comedy/adventure series with its own extensive mythology. It stars Dr. Rusty Venture, a former adventurer boy who can't get out of the shadow of his super scientist father and is not much a successful scientist. He has two teenage excitable sons Hank and Dean. Their bodyguard is Brock Samson, makes everyone fear him and can kill anyone. Brock is 'strong, but silent'-type and a hair-trigger temper.

"Shadowman 9: In the Cradle of Destiny"
It starts out as a continuation of the 2-part season two finale. The Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend are taken by the mysterious Guild of Calamitous Intent and interrogated about Phantom Limb. It is an awesome love letter to the two characters, have great gags and pay-offs. It has some flashbacks that continue the mythology and establishes the theme of the third season.

"The Doctor Is Sin"
As the Monarch is no longer the arch villain of Dr. Venture, a bunch of people are trying to take the spot. Dr. Henry Killinger comes in and cleans up the place, giving Venture a new look and big crew. Although, in the end this is a plot for him to begin 'arching' his brother Jonas Junior. It is an awesome episode with a unique twist and everyone is in love with the character of Killinger.

"The Invisible Hand of Fate"
We are finally served up the origin of not only Quiz Boy (Billy), but also Phantom Limb. This episode ties up many characters together, but it does feel rushed. For me, this episode could have been a movie, maybe a straight-to-dvd since it isn't about the main characters but nevertheless. The picture to the left has Colonel Hunter Gathers of OSI in drag, as he later had a sex change to become a woman.

The first three episodes feel like vintages or mini-movies.

"Home is Where the Hate is"
The Monarch and Doctor Girlfriend have moved into Phantom Limb's former home, a gated community for supervillains. Sergeant Hatred throws a villain party, in which the Ventures go to as well. There are so delightful gags such as playing a 'guess your identity' game and Dr. Girlfriend didn't know she was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Nice gags but not entirely memorable.

"The Buddy System"
Rusty tries to build on his fame of a show he did when he was a kid to have a daycamp of adventuring. I feel this episode mostly served as the introduction to the possibility that new character Dermott Fictel (who Hank befriends) is Brock's son. But has hilarious moments such as The Order of the Triad do a 'rap' of safety.

"Dr. Quymn, Medicine Woman"
A wonderful episode. It had to happen some time, the main four characters are served their female counterparts and it is obvious the writers worked real hard to define these characters. Funny enough, Rusty thinks his old childhood pal Tara Quymn's bodyguard Ginny is a man. Ginny is an interesting complex character, never being with a man, she is a flood of emotions with Brock. Of course, Hank and Dean are served twins Drew and Nancy and a love triangle occurs. Also, Tara is Col. Gentleman's step-daughter. And her picture was seen in a previous episode: "Home is Where the Hate is."

"The Buddy System" and "Dr. Quymn, Medicine Woman" both go back into the spirit of the regular past 'fun' episodes, while the first three have a completely different feel.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

"The story of a low-rent super-villain, the hero who keeps beating him up, and the cute girl from the laundromat he’s too shy to talk to. Featuring Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) as Dr. Horrible, Nathan Fillion (Serenity, Desperate Housewives) as Captain Hammer, Felicia Day (Vi from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as Penny and a cast of dozens. Written by Joss Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Jed Whedon, and Zack Whedon. Directed by Joss Whedon. Produced by David Burns, Michael Boretz, and Joss Whedon. Music by Joss Whedon and Jed Whedon. Lyrics by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen. Score and Orchestration by Jed Whedon."

It was written during the strike, Jed is Joss' brother.

Check out Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes

Remember the cartoon "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" back in the 90's? I watched it as a kid and liked it, but had no idea it was based on a movie. Later on cable, I discovered the movie Return of the Killer Tomatoes (pretty good movie by its standards) which had George Clooney. I found it fascinating because it has most of the characters from the cartoon: Professor/doctor Gangreen, Igor, Tara, F.T., Chad and Uncle Wilbur. So this is how it all started... In 1978, with a comedy spoof of B-Movies released by Four Square Productions. The concept of Killer Tomatoes was created by Costa Dillon, and he is the only person to appear in this film and all three of its sequels. The film opens with a scroll dictating that, when Alfred Hitchcock's film The Birds was released, audiences laughed at the notion of birds revolting against humanity, but when an attack perpetrated by birds occurred in 1975, no one laughed. This is followed by a pre-credits sequence of a tomato rising out of a woman's garbage disposal unit.

It became a cult hit and predated the movie-spoofing disaster film Airplane! by two years. The Killer Tomatoes might have remained in that genre had it not been for an unlikely intervention from an equally unlikely source. During the 1986-1987 season of "Muppet Babies," there was a segment in an episode upon which Baby Fozzie deals with how he once faced an 'Attack of the Silly Tomatoes'. The segment used clips from the movie. Oddly enough, it became one of the higher-rated episodes of the season, so much that New World Pictures (the owner of Marvel Productions, which made Muppet Babies) approached Four Square about making a sequel to the first movie. Four Square had never intended to make a sequel but when New World approached them with a two-million dollar budget towards filming a potential sequel, John De Bello, Costa Dillon and Stephen Peace got to work on crafting a script.

Return of the Killer Tomatoes released in 1988, John Astin was in all the sequels as Professor Grangreen. The resulting film, Return of the Killer Tomatoes, was a surprise success. It was one of the rare films where the sequel was actually better than the original (unsurprisingly, considering the obvious low-budget value of the first). New World was pleased with the results, and the company decided to duplicate the results of the film with an animated series aimed at a younger audience. Tweaking various characters and ideas from both Attack and Return, Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes: The Series was born and debuted as one of the first Saturday morning cartoons on the Fox Children's Network in the fall of 1990. What is interesting about the cartoon series, is that in one of the episodes, evil actually won. The show was a big hit, but unfortunately its second season spelled its cancellation because it changed in animation style, plot, and was out of order.

George Clooney did the movie Return of the Killer Tomatoes after he did "The Facts of the life' and Chad was played by Anthony Starke, Sebastian Balfour in "Prison Break," and played the Jimmy on "Seinfeld," who would referred himself in the third person. Rumors are circulating about a remake as well, one starring Bruce Campbell and some other sources says Adam Sandler.