Sunday Screening

Sunday Screening: Maudlin O’ the Night (SCTV)

I’ve been watching a lot of classic SCTV lately, and this is the second Sunday Screening from the show.  It’s quirky stuff that resonates only with those who have a more…refined taste in comedy.  Like those of us from the Great White North.

Sammy Maudlin is Joe Flaherty’s late night talk show character.  Maudlin had been doing the late night talk show host thing for years, until an ill-advised 80s reboot under the name Maudlin O’ the Night.  This is a wry satire of Alan Thicke’s Thicke of the Night reboot in the early 1980s.  Sammy kicked out sideman William B. Williams (John Candy) and replaced him with “The Zanies” – four idiots headlined by Howie Soozloff (Martin Short).  Howie Soozloff is a spot-on parody of early period Howie Mandel.

It was Martin Short’s performance as Soozloff that had me in stitches.  Other guests include Henry Kissinger (Eugene Levy) and Jennifer Beals (Andrea Martin).  Maudlin O’ the Night is a trainwreck waiting to happen, so just watch it unfold.

One of my favourite episodes as a kid.

Sunday Screening: “I Hate You” from Star Trek IV

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) is remembered for many things, all of them good.  People call it “the one with the whales”, but I call it “the funny one”.  It really was the closest they got to doing flat-out comedy.  (Don’t forget:  director Leonard Nimoy also directed the hit comedy Three Men and a Baby.)  As the second-best Trek (behind The Wrath of Khan), The Voyage Home was successful by utilising the old reliable time travel gimmick.

Sending the crew of the USS Enterprise HMS Bounty back in time to 1986 set up numerous fish-out-of-water sequences.  One of the funniest involved Spock and Kirk on a bus, annoyed by a punk rocker playing a song called “I Hate You” on a boombox.

Just where is our future, the things we’ve done and said!
Let’s just push the button, we’d be better off dead!
‘Cause I hate you!
And I berate you!
And I can’t wait to get to you!

The sins of all our fathers, being dumped on us the sons.
The only choice we’re given is how many megatons?
And I eschew you!
And I say screw you!
And I hope you’re blue, too.

With a single-fingered gesture, the punk refuses to turn it down.  Spock makes the point moot with an ol’ neck pinch.  It’s a brilliant scene.

“I Hate You” was written and performed by associate producer Kirk Thatcher, who also played the punk in the scene.  The full song was never heard in the movie, only a few seconds.  Now you can hear the whole thing on Youtube.  Enjoy!

Sunday Screening: The Queen Haters – “I Hate the Bloody Queen”

I haven’t been posting Sunday Screening videos for the last couple weeks. If I’m asking you to watch me for several hours every Friday night, the last thing I want to encourage is even more screen time.

However I’ve also been watching a lot of classic SCTV lately, and this one always comes up.  A spoof of “God Save the Queen”, this is “I Hate the Bloody Queen” by the Queen Haters!

The Queen Haters:

  • Martin Short – lead vocals
  • Eugene Levy – lead guitar
  • Joe Flaherty – bass guitar
  • Andrea Martin – rhythm guitar
  • John Candy – drums

This performance is from Mel’s Rock Pile hosted by Rockin’ Mel Slirrup (Eugene Levy)

“I Hate the Bloody Queen”

I’ve always had a dream
I’d like to meet the Queen
I’d punch her in the face
Yeah, that would make me laugh

I’d love to kick her in the teeth
And then I’d make a picture of it
In lovely Ektachrome
And then I’d give it to the Prince

(Chorus)
I hate the bloody Queen
She made me go to school
I hate the bloody Queen
And all her bloody rules

I’d like to drown the queen
Off the coast of Argentine
Throw her off a battleship
With her Falkland war machine

She taxes me to death
I can’t afford me dope
I’d like to get her high
Yeah, that would make me laugh

(Chorus)

I feel sorry for you Lady Di
Havin’ a mother-in-law like that

Sunday Screening: Sea of Tranquility – Accept – Ranking the Studio Albums w/ Martin Popoff

A huge thanks again to Martin Popoff for gracing our little show with his presence and knowledge on Friday night.  One of the topics discussed was his ranking of all the Accept albums with Pete Pardo on Sea of Tranquillity.   It’s an episode we all enjoyed, even though we haven’t heard all the Accept albums ourselves.

This fine episode is below for your edification.  Please enjoy Sea of Tranquility – Ranking the Studio Albums: Accept (w/Martin Popoff)

Sunday Screening: Loudness interview…in English! (2015)

This week I’ve realized that regular readers here are not as familiar as they should be with the legendary Japanese metal band Loudness!  I’ve done my best to educate with my Loudness reviews, but there is nothing better than hearing the story directly from the source.  This brief 2015 interview with the affable Loudness is from the Tuska Open Air Festival in Helsinki, and conducted in English!

The surviving original members Masayoshi Yamashita, Minoru Niihara, and Akira Takasaki are questioned by interviewer Kati Rausch about their history.  Subjects covered:

  • Their first gig (sold out) in 1981 (when Masayoshi was only 19 years old)
  • Switching to English in 1984
  • Their recent album The Sun Will Rise Again
  • Devil horns

A great little 5 minute interview with three guys you can’t help but like.  Check out some Loudness today.

 

LOUDNESS REVIEWS

Sunday Screening: TENET remade by Cracked for only $20

Tenet was my favourite movie of 2020. Slim pickin’s for certain but a movie I thoroughly enjoy for its entire 150 minutes.  But you don’t have 150 minutes today, the last day of Christmas holiday before we go back to the grind!  All you need is 3 minutes to see how Cracked remade Tenet for only $20.  You need not have seen the film to enjoy this — just the trailer.

Best of 2020 Part 2: Sunday Screening – Top Live Streams

Strictly going by YouTube views alone (not including the two Facebook channels), here are the Nigel Tufnel Top Ten live streams in 2020 by views.  Pick one to watch and enjoy!

11. December 18 – The Best Bands You Don’t Know – 83 views

10. June 11 – Live Albums – 85 views

9. October 24 – Steph Honde – 89 views

8. (TIE) December 4 – T-Bone – 100 views

7. (TIE) November 27 – One Hit Wonders – 100 views

6. (TIE) November 20 – Brent Jensen – 100 views

5. September 4 – Storm Force – 102 views

4. October 9 – A Tribute to Eddie Van Halen – 106 views

3. October 16 – New Release Friday – 110 views

2. December 11 – Iron Maiden Deep Cuts – 128 views

1. November 6 – Frank Loffredo – 167 views

You want my personal recommendation instead of just going by the numbers?  No problem.  I have some special favourites that I’d love for you to watch.  Any time we had a special guest interview was cool, so watch:  Steph Honde, Storm Force, Frank Loffredo and Brent Jensen.  Beyond that….

My Nigel Tufnel Top Ten personal favourite (non-interview) live streams in chronological order:

 

Thanks for watching in 2020 and making all this possible!

Sunday Screening: A Cosmic Christmas (1977 Nelvana)

One of the classic Christmas specials that you never see on TV anymore is Nelvana Animation’s A Cosmic Christmas. Nelvana produced some of the greatest animation of the time, such as Rock and Rule (1983).  Nelvana even made the acclaimed Boba Fett animation that introduced the character in 1978 for the Star Wars Holiday Special.  Much like that special, A Cosmic Christmas has never been issued on DVD.  Yet it truly is a special cartoon that you have probably never seen, until now.

The first time I saw A Cosmic Christmas was probably the winter of 1977.  I saw it yearly, until it stopped running.  Why is it no longer shown?  Possibly due to a brief mention of Jesus and the star of Bethlehem?

Young Peter and his goose Lucy encounter three old wise aliens on Christmas Eve.  They’ve come to Earth to investigate the appearance of a rogue star some 2000 years ago.  (Nice attention to the speed of light!)  Peter tells them that what they have really come to learn about is Christmas:  peace, love and caring for others.  He tries to show them, but Peter has a bully named Marvin (wearing purple Paul Stanley boots!) who steals his goose.  Why did he do it?  Because he’s a bad egg?  Or just because he is hungry?

“Wait!  There is something we do not understand,” says one of the wise aliens studying human culture.  “How could someone go hungry, if this is Christmas?”

“Because we were so busy thinking about ourselves.  We never thought about other people,” answers one of the townsfolk.

Enjoy the Christmas story that brought tears to my eyes back then, and still does today.  A Cosmic Christmas.

 

Dedicated to SW – “A good soul”

Sunday Screening: Davey 504 – 36 string bass solo

Davey 504 is a phenomenal Youtube bassist from Italy. How many strings is too many for a bass? Don’t ask that question of Davey or he’ll slap ya!

“36 strings?!” you exclaim. “Sounds like a gimmick.”

I agree, it is a gimmick. It’s not a practical instrument in any way. But just listen to the guy play! Davey writes really catchy bass instrumental songs, and he uses the entire neck/body/whatever of this bass. The bass is set up to play like it is four 9-string basses in one. Leave a comment after you pick up your jaw from the floor.

Sunday Screening: Catherine Wheel – “Ma Solituda”

“Start the day in a cold December way.”

It’s almost December so let’s have a listen to my favourite December song!  Though you might not be able to tell from just the music video, that’s Bruce Dickinson’s cousin Rob Dickinson singing in Catherine Wheel.

From their excellent 1997 album Adam and Eve, enjoy this melancholy masterpiece. I don’t know about you, but that’s not what Canadian Decembers look like….

Look for a full album review soon.