Film, TV, Stage, Media 4 - The Hip Quotient

Another Dick-less New Year’s Rockin’ Eve

Post author:Dana Spiardi
Post category:Film, TV, Stage, Media
Post comments:2 Comments
Post published:December 31, 2014

Throughout my teenage years (and for a good part of my 20s) the only date I ever had on New Year's Eve was with Dick Clark. His New Year's Rockin' Eve TV specials provided me with a way to see the big acts of the day in the comfort of my living room. (You know the story: "Last night I saw a rock star in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas I'll never know.") Tonight marks the third year the show will be broadcast on ABC without the presence of its creator and long-time host, who passed away on April 18, 2012. Dick conceived the special in 1972, hoping to give viewers a hip alternative to the bland Guy Lombardo New Year's Eve program that had aired every year since 1956. Here's a look at those early shows.

Vacancies Abound…in Frank Zappa’s Surrealist-Furnished Motel

Post author:Dana Spiardi
Post category:American Bands and Artists Film, TV, Stage, Media Humor and Satire
Post comments:1 Comment
Post published:December 16, 2014

I've stayed in my share of dreary motels, haughty hotels, Socialist-designed apartments with poster-board walls, and even nuclear plant "guest houses" (don't even ask) in villages with names that lacked vowels, but I've never experienced anything quite like Frank Zappa's 1971 mind-blowing movie, "200 Motels." But then, I never dropped acid, either. (Becherovka was the only substance available to numb the reality of the Motel Moskva in Brno, Czechoslovakia, the worst of my many lodging nightmares). Every time I thought I was losing my mind - traveling the weary road on business trips in the 1990s - I remembered the opening line of a movie I once saw, and suddenly I didn't feel so alone in my misery: "Ladies and gentlemen, you can go mad on the road." So goes the intro to Zappa's "surrealistic documentary," which opened at London's Piccadilly Classic Cinema in the U.K. on this date in 1971.

Ognir Rrats: They’re Gonna Put Me in the Movies

Post author:Dana Spiardi
Post category:Beatles Film, TV, Stage, Media
Post comments:3 Comments
Post published:July 7, 2014

When Ringo sang the words of Buck Owens' hit "Act Naturally" on the B side of the 1965 Beatles' single "Yesterday," little did he know that acting would become a second career of sorts. "Well, I'll bet you I'm gonna be a big star. Might win an Oscar, you can never tell," he wailed in his no-frills voice. Well, the plucky drummer may not have lasted a day in the acting workshops of Lee Strasberg or Stella Adler, but he managed to put his kooky stamp on a number of independently-made films through the years, sharing credits with acting giants like Peter Sellers and Richard Burton. And then there was that TV movie of his. Hmmm, does anybody out there remember Ognir Rrats (Ringo Starr spelled backwards)? Allow me to refresh your memory.

Eat Barilla Pasta…Be More Macho

Post author:Dana Spiardi
Post category:Film, TV, Stage, Media Humor and Satire Rants, Reflections, Ruminations
Post comments:3 Comments
Post published:September 27, 2013

Guido Barilla, president of the world's largest manufacturer of boxed pasta, has vowed his company would never feature homosexuals in its ads. Well, when I heard this news, my thoughts immediately turned to Woody Allen's kooky 1973 film "Sleeper," which offered some insights into the virility-enhancing effects of pasta.

When The Greatest Tea Room Orchestra in the World Played for David Frost

Post author:Dana Spiardi
Post category:Beatles Film, TV, Stage, Media
Post comments:1 Comment
Post published:September 2, 2013

"The Greatest Tea Room Orchestra in the World" is how British journalist and talk show host David Frost described The Beatles when they played "By George, It's The David Frost Theme" on his September 8, 1968, talk show. The tune was written by Beatles' producer George Martin. The boys appeared on the show to promote their new single, "Hey Jude," but couldn't resist hamming it up a bit. David Frost died this past Saturday at age 74. While I found his persona a bit annoying, I applaud him for snaring some great interviews. Beatle fans will be interested to know that Frost interviewed the Fab Four on various occasions throughout the years.