Sometimes They Come Back

A few years ago, if you had asked me if I'd like to have one of my favorite fandoms/franchises come back into the light, I'd have given you a resounding "yes!" Remakes, reboots, sequels, updates (for brevity: "revivals")... any of these would certainly make me happy, for one or more of the following reasons:

*A revival would signify that my fandom still had value & importance.

*A revival would potentially bring new people to the fandom, increasing its overall "value."

*Merchandise!

*Something new to watch and enjoy.

For years, it seemed like everybody else's fandoms got shiny new shows, remakes, and sequels, while my fandoms sat idly back in history, remembered by few and forgotten by most. My brother's favorite franchises, in particular, always seemed to be thriving. He liked James Bond (currently at 26 films), Star Wars (8-odd films, with more to come), and Star Trek (currently clocking in at 12 movies and 6 shows).



My fandoms didn't produce as much material, and certainly not as often as my brother's did. Mine also went through some serious dry spells. My fandoms have included Lois & Clark (canceled in 1997), Mystery Science Theater 3000 (canceled in 1999), The Pretender (2001), Harry Potter (last book in 2007; last movie in 2011), DuckTales (canceled in 1990), Indiana Jones (a 19-year film gap between films III and IV), Nancy Drew (mediocre TV movie in 2002, rotten film in 2007), Beauty and the Beast, Back To The Future, Anne Of Green Gables, Full House, and Pride & Prejudice.

Back To The Future, one my favorites (both as a kid and a young adult), had two sequels (1989 & 1990) as well as an animated TV series, so that was fortunate for us fans. I also loved Beauty and the Beast (1991), which... um, well, also had 2 sequels (horrific abominations that they are.) Another fave of mine, My Girl (1991) got a sequel in 1994, which I really liked. On the other hand, Father Of The Bride, a favorite go-to film of my preteen years, had a less-desirable sequel of its own in 1995. Father Of The Bride Part 2 may have been my first indication, at the tender age of 15, that revivals aren't always great.

Eeeek!

Then there are remakes & updates. The two that stand out for me are The Parent Trap (original: 1961/remake: 1998) and Freaky Friday (original: 1976, remakes: 1995 and 2003). Both of the original films had a fun premise, but by the 90's, it was clear the earlier versions needed updating. The original Parent Trap has a weird, sort of flippant encounter with domestic violence, and the girls dancing to Annette Funicello records is just a bit too old-fashioned to even be quaint. The original Freaky Friday mom is stuck in an antiquated female role (Dishwashing! Cleaning! Mending! Baking!) and seems to like it, while the dad is a sexist douche. Annabel's friends say things like "far out" and one is literally named Bambi. FF's two updates both did a fair job, though I won't be surprised if another Freaky Friday comes along in the 2020s.

This is how it tended to go for most of my life. Every few years, there'd be some kind of fandom-related revival to look forward to. Even if the final product itself wasn't great, the revival could pave the way for something better. Like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull. The movie may have been a bummer, but its release prompted a lot of cool merchandise, including multiple LEGO sets and video games.

But within the past couple of years, something strange has been happening with my fandoms. In a short time period -- the last two years, in fact -- a bunch of my fandoms have come swarming back from the land of relative obscurity and into the limelight. Crashing, more like. All at once. So much for that "every few years" thing....


2016 & 2017

• DuckTales: After Treasure Of The Lost Lamp in 1990, DT had a 23-year dry spell. In 2013, they remade the video game (DuckTales Remastered). Now -- oh what the heck -- they're rebooting the freaking show!!

• Anne Of Green Gables revivals are rampant these days. Admittedly, it seems like Kevin Sullivan releases some new Anne-related product every time there's a new moon, but not counting him, just in the last decade we've had books (Before Green Gables and Looking For Anne Of Green Gables), a movie (PBS's Anne Of Green Gables, with 2 sequels planned), and a Netflix series (Anne With An 'E'). Those last two came out within the last eight months. Two entirely independent productions about the same fiery Canadian redhead in less than a year!

I'm thinking of climbing a wild cherry tree to get away from it all...

• Full House: Only in my wildest teenage dreams could that show have come back, but it has -- as Fuller House for Netflix. It premiered in February, 2016. With 90% of the original cast on board, it is already filming season 3. I don't like it, but... it's there.

• Mystery Science Theater 3000: I could have never imagined it would be back. I resigned myself to enjoying Rifftrax in all its humorous glory. But... they brought it back. The actual show. I mean, there's a new Joel/Mike character, and the bots sound different, and Tom Servo can, um, fly now? But it's still shadows in a theater making fun of cheesy movies, as if they've been carrying on that way for 18 years, no big deal.

Finally, there's...

• Beauty and the Beast. I loved the original. Top 3 films of all time. For years I had wanted, and thought about, a live-action version. Probably ever since they did those live-action 101 Dalmatian movies with Glenn Close in the 90s. I imagined this new BATB being darker than the original, more adult. Angsty. Romantic. Heart-wrenching. Beautiful.

Y u no luv me?

Well, I do know some people who loved it!

Just the other day, it was announced that the 90's cartoon series Animaniacs may be coming back. While that show wasn't one of my personal favorites, it was important to people I know. Maybe those people are currently feeling excited. Or maybe they're feeling the way I am. Which is...

NO. STOP. LEAVE IT ALONE. BACK AWAY, HOLLYWOOD. PUT DOWN THE CAMERA. BACK, I SAY!

*Backs away slowly*

*Hides under a pop culture-less rock*

My Top 14: Entertainers Who Are 80+

When I heard the news about Shirley Temple Black passing away recently, I began to think about other celebrities who are, well, um, you know... old. And because I love lists, I decided to make a list of entertainers/celebrities who are over 80, who are still with us. (So, obviously, not Shirley Temple Black. R.I.P.)

I started making this list on February 11th, 2014, and on February 12th, one of the people on it died.*

Yeeaahh.

DISCLAIMERS: If any of the following people die within the next few days or weeks, I didn't have anything to do with it. It was just an unlucky coincidence.

And about the rankings -- the numbers below are no reflection on how "important" I think the person is, or how good an entertainer they are, or anything beyond this: They mean something to me. So don't hurt me. Let's do this.

Note: Last updated 11/29/24.

MY TOP 14: ENTERTAINERS WHO ARE 80+

14.
Maureen O'Hara
Actress
b. 1920
(October, 2015: Escaped from the trappings of this mortal coil at age 95) 

One of my favorite movies as a kid was The Parent Trap, in which Maureen played the mom. She was so beautiful. Others may remember her from Miracle On 34th Street, McLintock!, or How Green Was My Valley. Maureen disappeared from the acting scene for nearly twenty years, but made a minor comeback in the 90s, including a starring role in the much-acclaimed TV-movie The Christmas Box, in which she plays an old lady who helps a young dad figure out what's important in life. 

13.
Betty White
Actress
b. 1922

(December, 2021: Had the last laugh at age 99)



Known for her many TV roles, Betty White has been stealing scenes and splitting sides since the 40's. Still going strong as of this writing, Betty recently starred on the TV series Hot In Cleveland, but is probably best known for playing Rose on Golden Girls. But I hardly ever watched Golden Girls. I know, I know... but I was just a kid when it was on. Still, I've seen her in other things over the years, including her hilarious turn on Community in 2010. Also, she's an advocate for animals, so I gotta love her for that!

12.
Debbie Reynolds
Actress
b. 1932
(December, 2016: Sang her swan song at age 84)

From Singin' In The Rain (1952) to In & Out (1997) and beyond, Debbie has been a force of high-spirited entertainment for more than 60 years. She voiced Charlotte in the 1970s cartoon classic Charlotte's Web, which I grew up on (of course, not having any idea at the time that she was famous.) Reading up on her years later, I learned she was married to Eddie Fisher (they had daugher Carrie, aka Princess Leia, in 1956) but that he left her for Elizabeth Taylor, citing true love (ha!). Well, who cares about them, you're the only one making this list, Debbie! (I know you care.)

11.
James Hong
Actor
b. 1929



James Hong may be the go-to guy any time any movie or TV show needs an older Asian dude, but it's for a good reason -- he's super good at what he does. James came to my attention appearing on many of my favorite TV shows over the years, including The Pretender, Lois & Clark, The Adventures Of Brisco County Jr., Friends... and only about a hundred others since 1955! He's even spry enough to still attend fan conventions -- I saw him last year at Wizard World in Portland. Not just a "hey, it's that guy!" anymore, James Hong is now a (somewhat underrated) Hollywood legend.


10.
Nancy Olson
Actress
b. 1928



When I was a kid, if you appeared in one kids' movie, you were just all right. But if you appeared in two, you were officially awesome. And Nancy Olson was in both Pollyanna and The Absent-Minded Professor, so, of course, I thought she was the cat's pajamas. One of the last surviving actresses from Pollyanna, Nancy earns a place on my list for being an icon from my childhood. (Which is not to say I don't still watch Pollyanna often, because I totally do.)


9.
John Williams
Composer
b. 1932

Superman, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Hook.

Yes, Hook.

John Williams is one of the most well-known film composers in the world, and even though some people will argue that he tends to re-use his own music, I challenge you to find a prolific composer who doesn't. Besides, even though I may slightly prefer the work of James Newton Howard and Alan Silvestri overall, I can't deny that John Williams' work is the most recognizable of any composer currently working today. (Plus, neither of them is over 80, so...)


8. James Tolkan
Actor
b. 1931



So, first of all: Mr. Strickland. I loved Back to the Future growing up, and heck, I still love it, and you can't help but love Mr. Strickland. Appearing in all three films in the franchise (in the third, as Mr. Strickland's ancestor, Marshal Strickland), James Tolkan/Mr. Strickland reminded us that we, no matter what we do, are slackers.

A dozen years later, James showed up on The Pretender, which had become one of my favorite shows. The double-length episode he appeared in would, coincidentally, become one of my favorite episodes. And so Mr. Strickland, uh, I mean James Tolkan, goes down in my book as being immensely cool.


7.
Dick Van Patten
Actor
b. 1928
(June, 2015: Decided 86 was enough)



I never watched Eight Is Enough (on which Dick Van Patten played the dad), but growing up, I knew of him from his small role in Freaky Friday and from his guest appearence on Lois & Clark in 1994. A few years ago, when I found out he'd written a book (Eighty Is Not Enough) I checked it out and really enjoyed it. The man has led a fascinating life, and he seems genuine and sweet.


6.
Sean Connery
Actor
b. 1930

(October, 2020: Broke away from the bonds of mortality at age 90) 



Sean Connery may be retired now, but his past speaks for itself: James Bond. Indiana Jones's dad. Surprise cameos in Kevin Costner movies that send me through the roof. And that accent! It's beautiful. He's awesome. Long live Sean Connery.


5.
 James Earl Jones
Actor
b. 1931 (September, 2024: Completed his circle of life at age 93)



James Earl Jones and Sean Connery could have a badassery contest, and I really don't know who'd win. But let's talk about James. The man's career has spanned television, film, stage, and, of course, voiceover work (he's both Darth Vader and Mufasa (Darthfasa!)) Other JEJ credits include The Sandlot, Field Of Dreams, and at least five episodes of Mathnet. And if you don't know what Mathnet is, just... go.


4.
  Angela Lansbury
Actress
b. 1925

(October 2022: Took her final ride through the sky at age 96)



All right, so I love Beauty and the Beast, and Angela having played Mrs. Potts, well, she automatically gets a spot on this list. But I was well aware of Angela Lansbury growing up, sitting in on the old folks' viewings of Murder, She Wrote and catching her in Bedknobs and Broomsticks. I, personally, would love to sit down and chat with Angela Lansbury over a spot of tea.


3.
Dick Van Dyke
Actor
b. 1925

Dick Van Dyke first came to my attention playing Bert in Mary Poppins. Some years later, my parents & I watched him on his long-running TV series Diagnosis Murder. (They probably remembered  him from The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-66)). With his long career of being funny and charming, I can't help but hope that my favorite chimney sweep/sidewalk-chalk artist/kite seller/mystery-solving doctor never goes away.


2.
Alan Young
Actor
b. 1919
(May, 2016: Went to that big money bin in the sky at age 96)



Mr. Ed was before my time, but DuckTales (in which Alan voiced Scrooge McDuck) came at exactly the right time for me to appreciate Mr. Young's talent. I also grew up watching Mickey's Christmas Carol and have seen The Time Machine several times. A few years ago, I found out he'd written a memoir, Mr. Ed and Me (later updated to Mr. Ed and Me and More), which I read, and which I loved. Like Dick Van Patten, Alan's memoir is interesting and funny and just a great read. He's written another book about show business, too, which I'm about to read. And perhaps the coolest thing of all? He voiced Scrooge McDuck in last year's video game DuckTales: Remastered! (Which I totally bought, you know I did.) And you know that adorable Scottish accent? He's still got it.

1.
  Beverly Cleary
Author
b. 1916

(March, 2021: Closed her final chapter at age 104)



Oh my freaking goodness, if this woman ever dies, I'm going to cry my eyes out. (ETA: WAHHH.) Even though she hasn't written anything in years, her past work is more than enough to put her at #1.

Reasons I Love Beverly Cleary

1. Ramona Quimby
First appearing as a minor (but hilariously naughty) character in the Henry Huggins books, Ramona soon branched out into a series of her own, and became one of the most relatable, sympathetic heroines in kid literature. She had fears -- of the usual things like dogs and the dark, but also of deeper things, like her parents' happiness and whether or not anyone loved her. She struggled to understand the adults in her life and often found things confusing and unfair. She was every kid, put into typewritten form.

2. Leigh Botts
Beverly Cleary won the Newbery Award for Dear Mr. Henshaw in the 80's, and for good reason -- it is excellent. So is its lesser-known sequel, Strider. Cleary captures the trials and angst of a boy who, over the course of the two books, goes from being a naive little kid, writing to his favorite author, to navigating high school and the world of girls.

3. A Girl From Yamhill and My Own Two Feet
Beverly Cleary's two memoirs are so vibrant, so compelling, so wonderful, that I've read them both multiple times. She was born in rural Oregon at the tail end of World War I. Later, her family moved to the suburbs, where they managed to make ends meet during the depression. In the second book, Beverly is off to college, then taking her first job, and meeting her future husband. Never dull, full of lively descriptions, and teeming with interesting glimpses into the lives of those in the early 20th century, these two memoirs show us that Mrs. Cleary wasn't just a children's book writer. She was a writer.

* * * * * * *

So that's my Top 14. You're probably thinking, hey, what about ---? Well, here's a list of some other people who are also 80+ and cool:

Maya Angelou (1928-2014)
Richard Sherman (1928-2024)
Fyvush Finkel (1922-2016)
Roy Dotrice (1923-2017)
 Ivy Bethune (1918-2019)
Al Molinaro (1919-2015)
Carol Channing (1921-2019)
Cloris Leachman (1926-2021)
Eva Marie Saint (1924-)
Lauren Bacall (1924-2014)
Ruby Dee (1922-2014)
June Lockhart (1925-)
Richard Erdman (1925-2019)
Katherine Helmond (1929-2019)
June Foray (1917-2017)
Ellen Albertini Dow (1913-2015)
Barbara Hale (1922-2017)
Robert Duvall (1931-)
William Goldman (1931-2018)
  James Garner (1928-2014)
Kirk Douglas (1916-)
Noel Neill (1920-2016)
Ed Asner (1929-2021)
Jerry Hardin (1929-)
Glynis Johns (1923-2024)
Florence Henderson (1934-2016)
Christopher Plummer (1929-)

Marsha Hunt (1917-2022)

Jean Marsh, Maggie Smith & Judi Dench were all 79 when I made this list.

*I started this list on February 11th, 2014, and before I could publish it, my original #13, Sid Caesar, died. :(

BrickCon 2013!

BrickCon 2013, Seattle's #1 Lego convention, took place October 3-6, and I was thrilled to once again be a part of it. Hundreds of MOCs (My Own Creations) showed up for display, and they ranged from cute to crazy to downright incredible. 

Here are some of my favorites:

How cute is this frog? I love the eyes, the legs, and the multiple shades of green & gray. 

This "monster house" doll house is full of fun, spooky details. Each room has something sinister going on.

These buildings have gorgeous exteriors on their own, but as a group - wow! Plus, trains! Great techniques to appreciate and fun details to enjoy.

The theme of this year's convention was "Pigs Vs. Cows." I thought the use of a Duplo pig and cow in this MOC was pretty clever. Wait a second -- how are they floating?

I love these sculptures, but especially the creamsicle. Yum!

Check out that bead toy! It's only a few inches wide. The faucet, which I have seen featured on a Lego blog previously, is also really realistic-looking. Thirsty, anyone?

A Lego ship in a Lego-brick bottle would've been... eh, interesting. But that's an actual bottle. Meaning someone built that Lego ship IN THE BOTTLE. Granted, it's not the most complicated ship ever, but that still had to take a bit of coordination... coordination which I can only ever hope to have.

Here is another set of gorgeous, detailed building facades, this time with a pirate theme. Most excellent.

I love me some dioramas, and this once is very sweet! I think that's the fanciest library I've ever seen.

Why pick just one? Heck, I love all of these. Microscale is one of my favorite categories. Good things do indeed come in small packages... or, in this case, on small baseplates.

THIS. Okay, just looking at it, it's like... okay... what... it's colorful, it's big, it's got Batman, so what?

So what is that it's animated! In about a dozen portions of the build, there are scenes with moving parts. Batman fighting bad guys. A carnivorous plant opening its jaws. That big white clown face's eyes and mouth moving. And on and on on. Plus the tile-work and the details are fascinating. AND it tells a story (actually... many stories.) No wonder it won Best In Show!

MOCs don't have to be huge to catch my eye. This little vignette of a group of trick-or-treaters made me smile. If a kid came to my door in a chicken suit, he or she would definitely get an extra candy bar or two.

Speaking of tiny MOCs, here are the two that I brought to the convention:

Yeah, just the two!  I decided to ride to Seattle & back on Amtrak this year, so I had to pack (and therefore build) light/small. 

Mr. McD is probably going to come to Bricks Cascade in March, then will become a part of my DuckTales collection. The Nativity Scene will be on display at my house during the Christmas season -- that is, as long as baby Jesus can stay in his manger (he likes to roll out.) :)

There's A Trope For That - Week of March 4

This week's trope: The Smurfette Principle

"The Smurfette Principle is the tendency for works of fiction to have exactly one female amongst an ensemble of male characters, in spite of the fact that roughly half of the human race is female. Unless a show is purposefully aimed at a female viewing audience, the main characters will tend to be disproportionately male. 

In many series, men will have various different personalities, but women will always be The Chick. Thus, by the Law of Conservation of Detail , you only need one."

Even as a little kid, I noticed this happening in a lot of the shows I watched. 

The Muppet Show: 

Males: Kermit, Fozzy, Rowlf, Animal, Gonzo, Skeeter, Waldorf and Statler, Swedish Chef, Beaker, Bunson

Female: Miss Piggy*

MASH:

(yeah I watched MASH!)

Males: Hawkeye, Klinger, B.J. Hunnicut, Major Winchester, Father Francis, Colonel Potter, Radar

Female: Hotlips Houlihan*

Ducktales:

Males: Scrooge, Launch Pad, Gyro, Huey, Dewey, Louie, Duckworth, The Beagle Boys, Flinthart Glomgold; later, Bubba and Fenton/Gizmoduck.

Females: Mrs. Beakley and Webbigail; Ma Beagle and Magica DeSpell occasionally.

But where was I? Oh yeah. So it never really bothered me. Having just one regular female on the show meant that that person was special. Translation: girls are special and awesome. They are SO awesome that if there was any more than one per show, the TV set would... um... explode, I guess.

Of course, there were exceptions. The Cosby Show was female-heavy, at least until Martin and Elvin joined the cast, evening things up a bit. Then, Martin also brought with him Olivia, so at that point the main cast included four males (Cliff, Theo, Martin, Elvin) and six females (Clair, Sondra, Denise, Vanessa, Rudy, Olivia). 4:6... not too bad of a ratio, there.
 

-MORE EXAMPLIFYING-

As a teenager, my favorite show, Lois & Clark, went crazily male-centric at the end of the first season after Tracy Scoggins (Cat) left the show. Lois, the lone female, was surrounded by Clark, Perry, Jimmy, Jack, and Lex Luthor (count: 1 female, 5 males.) By the beginning of season 2, Jack and Lex were gone, but that still left things at 3:1, and adding Clark's parents to the mix (they appeared in roughly 59% of the episodes) still put it at 4:2. And that's if you don't count Superman as an additional character, but then, why should we? All it is is a costume. Right? RIGHT?

Another favorite, The Pretender, had Jarod, Sydney, Broots, Mr. Raines, Mr. Parker and Mr. Lyle vs. Miss Parker (whose very presence, granted, was equivalent to several members of humankind) and occasionally the awful Brigitte. 6:2. I guess you could count Miss Parker's mother as another female, but then why not also count Angelo? Or Jacob? Or Sam the Sweeper? Or DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I'M EVEN TALKING ABOUT, no you probably do not, I am totally talking to myself, here.

SO ANYWAY!

Let's examine my current favorite shows for male/female proportionality!

Community: It was pretty even... four males, three females... until Chang and the Dean joined the regular cast; now it's 6:3.

Downton Abbey: Ha, I jest, this one is swarming with females. Lord Grantham's got all daughters. Plus a wife. Plus a mother. Plus there's Matthew's mother. And a slew of maids and things.

Oh crap! I just realized most of my favorite movies are male-heavy! (I don't know why I'm saying oh crap. I think I've already said I don't care if males outnumber the ladies. BUT ANYWAY...)

Beauty and the Beast

Males: Beast, Gaston, LeFou, Maurice, Cogsworth, Lumiere, Chip, Philippe, Monsieur D'Arque (Total: 9)

Females: Belle, Mrs. Potts, the wardrobe with six lines, the featherduster? I guess? (Total: 4, and that's being generous.)

Back to the Future

Males: Marty, Doc, Dave, George, Biff/Griff/Buford/Whoever, Biff's 3 cronies, Strickland (Total: 9)

Females: Lorraine, Clara (arguably a strong character, but only in the third film), Linda, and Jennifer, who is parked on a porch swing and left to rot for a movie & a half. (Total: 3.56)

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Males: Indy, Henry, Salla, Marcus, Walter Donovan, the Nazi general, the grail knight, Kazim (Total: 8)

Females: Elsa. And, um, well the only others I can remember appearing in the movie at all are the Nazi who yells "alarm!" at the castle and the random extra who holds up her ticket on the zeppelin. (Total: 1.002)

Dang, that may be the worst one yet!

 In conclusion, NONE OF THIS MATTERS ONE IOTA, and goodnight.

*Yes, I know there were a few minor female characters who sometimes showed up and were all "hi, other female here," but let's face it, nobody cares about them.