Hey, Ho for Halloween

When I think of Halloween, I think of four things:

1. The episode of The Adventures of Pete and Pete when Little Pete wants to break the record for number of houses tricked or treated in one night but his friend, Nona, played by Michelle Trachtenberg who'd eventually appear on Buffy, won’t go because of The Pumpkin Eaters. They’re a group of hooligans who want to outlaw Halloween. But Big Pete gets sick of this and does his part to stop them.

I remember this episode because it’s one of the best episodes of Pete and Pete, and also because it’s one of the first (if not the first) episode to have Iggy Pop on it, who plays Nona’s father.

2. The cassette tape from the Bethlehem Public Library that my Dad and I would rent right before every All Hallows Eve, and play pretty much non-stop. On it was all the customary Halloween tracks: “The Blob,” “Monster Mash, “Purple People Eaters,” etc. It was a great way to get a child (and his father) ready for the night of ghouls and goblins.

3. The Treehouse of Horror specials on The Simpsons—especially “Time and Punishment” from Treehouse of Horror V. “Time” is the short about Homer going back and forth through time using a toaster.

Homer: Okay, don’t panic, remember the advice your father gave you on your wedding day
[remembers Abe with hair and a tuxedo]
Abe: If you ever travel back in time, don't step on anything because even the tiniest change can alter the future in ways you can’t imagine.
Homer: Fine. As long as I stand perfectly still and don’t touch anything, I won’t destroy the future [a mosquito flies in] Stupid bug! You go squish now!

4. Last year, before going over to a friend’s place for a party (where I was dressed as JJ “Jake” Gittes), I was listening to my iPod on shuffle and Otis Redding came on. The song was “Trick or Treat.” Instead of the "classic" songs of Halloween, I now think of this one.

Five Best...Quotes from The Simpsons' "Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily"

#5.
[Rod shows Todd a headline: "Playtime Is Fun"]
Todd: [gives thumbs-up] Go with it!
Bart: Here you go, Todd: the city edition. [headline: "Extra Extra! Todd Smells"]
Rod: Bart, I don't know if this should be an "extra."
Todd: Is your source on this reliable?

#4.
Marge: Where are we going? Where are we going?
Homer: Ok, ok, don't panic. To find Flanders, I just have to think like Flanders! [thinking] I'm a big four-eyed lame-o, and I wear the same stupid sweater every day and--[aloud]The Springfield River!


#3.
Goodman: Whoa, would you look at this place?
Agent 2: [speaking into a tape recorder] Sink full of dirty dishes, trash not taken out, living room a mess, stacks of old newspapers--from twenty years ago!
[Abe is sleeping in front of the TV]
Announcer on TV: Get ready, gamblers, for the World Series of Dog Racing!
Abe: What the--?
Goodman: Hmm. A disheveled and malnourished man found sleeping in his own filth, seems confused and dehydrated.
Agent 2: Where's the baby?
Abe: Well that's her, ain't it? [Maggie drinks from Santa's Little Helper's water bowl] Kids love that water.
Agent 2: Oh my Lord! [Maggie has a "I'm a stupid baby" sign on]
Goodman: Stupid babies need the most attention.

#2.
Goodman: Okay, let's see if we've learned anything. I want you two to simulate a typical household problem. Go.
Cletus: [on Homer's knee] Uh, Pa, I cut my finger on the screen door again.
Homer: Why you cotton-pickin'--[strangles Cletus] [to himself] No, I gotta pass this class for my kids. [to Cletus] Son, let's stop the fussin' and the feudin'.
Cletus: I love you, Pa! [weeps]
Homer: I love you, Cletus! [weeps]

#1.
Homer: Kids! We're good parents now. Get your asses out here!
Marge: We've missed you so much. [they gasp at the "Gone Baptizin'" sign on Flanders' door] He's going to baptize our children?!?
Homer: Oh, no! In the eyes of God, they'll be Flanderseseses.

Happy birthday, Mom.

Five Best...Beatles References in Homer's Barbershop Quartet

In the Simpsons episode, "Homer's Barbershop Quartet," Homer tells the family about he time he, Apu, Skinner and Barney were in a successful barbershop group, and of the group's eventual downfall. Much of the story is based around the Beatles, and there's references to the Fab Four throughout the episode.

#5. After arriving in New York City, the Be Sharps hold a press conference just as The Beatles did upon coming to America:

Reporter: I have a question for Apu de Beaumarchais. Isn't it true that you're really an Indian?
Apu: By the many arms of Vishnu, I swear it is a lie.
Reporter: Barney! How did you join the group?
Barney: They found me on the men's room floor.
[Everyone laughs, but a tear rolls down Barney's cheek]
Reporter: Principal Skinner, you've been referred to as "the funny one." Is that reputation justified?
Skinner: [seriously] Yes. Yes, it is.

#4. This interaction:

Skinner: Only one question remains, gentlemen...what do we call ourselves?
Nigel: How about, "Handsome Homer Simpson Plus Three?"
Barney: I like it!
Apu: Wait, I do not.
Skinner: Er, um, we need a name that's witty at first, but that seems less funny each time you hear it.
Apu: How about, "The Be Sharps?"
[Everyone laughs loud at first, then less, then the laughter tapers off]
Skinner: Perfect!

#3. Just as Brian Epstein tells John Lennon to not let the fans know he's married, so to does the Be Sharps manager, Nigel, tell this to Homer:

Homer: Wait till I tell Marge!
Nigel: Oh, yes...Bouffant Betty. Well, I would prefer if we kept your marriage a secret. You see, a lot of women are going to want to have with you, and, er, we want them to think they can.
Homer: Well, if I explain it to Marge that way, I'm sure she'll understand
[scene change to the Simpson home]
Marge: [cries loudly]
Homer: C'mon, honey! It'll only be until we finish our tour of Sweden.

#2. One of the greatest lines in Simpsons history:

Lisa: I can't believe you're not still popular.
Bart: What'd you do? Screw up like the Beatles and say you were bigger than Jesus?
Homer: All the time! That was the title of our second album.

#1. "Where'd you get that brownie?!?" and "It's Been Done."

This is in the episode and has nothing to do with The Beatles, but it's hilarious:

Barney: David Crosby? You're my hero!
David: Oh, you like my music?
Barney: [Surprised] You're a musician?

(Different episode, but here's a clip about Marge's obsession with Ringo Starr)

Mr. Reporter, Vol. II

As appears in today's issue of the New School Free Press:

#5. The Simpsons
400 Episodes, Longest Running Sitcom Ever, Hit Movie, 21 Emmy’s, Ralph Wiggum, Most Guest Stars in an Animated Show—the list could keep going on and on. I guess if you aren’t watching the show yet or have never heard of the name Bort, you’re beyond lost anyways…

#4. Weeds
I’m partly biased here because of my love for Mary Louise-Parker, but if you haven’t been watching the third season (it began in mid-August), please do what I did: have a friend download them illegally from online. Or maybe just watch them on Showtime? Either works.

#3. Scrubs
This is the last season for John Dorian, Turk Turkelton, Rowdy and the rest of the gang at Sacred Heart Hospital. True, it’ll run forever on Comedy Central re-runs, but Scrubs has never gotten the true respect it deserves for being a stellar sitcom.

#2. Heroes
With so much hype over the summer, it’ll be tough for Tim Kring and the other writers to appease all the fans of the show. But, in terms of a sophomore year, I think it’ll be more awesome than, let’s say, Twin Peaks.

#1. The Office
Judging by last season’s finale, Jim and Pam are (finally) together. So, where does the show go now? They’ve stepped past the boundaries of BBC’s Office and although the “Will They? Won’t They” factor might be lost, the show does still have Steve Carell and Creed.

Happy Birthday...To Me!

As today is my 20th birthday, I'm going to be selfish, think about myself and post birthday related videos:

-An SNL clip of a "new" Happy Birthday song with Jack Black

-A bunch of Simpsons birthday clips: Homer not blowing out his candles, The Ramones (Stones?) singing to Mr. Burns and a performance of "Lisa, It's Your Birthday" by Bart and Leon Kompowski.

-Bob Dylan singing "Happy Birthday" and sounding/looking horrible.

-And, of course, "Birthday" by The Beatles

Early in the Morning, I'm Callin' YouTube, Vol. IV

One of the great two-hit wonders (thank you, reader) from the 1980s would have to be Rick Astley. While that name might not ring a bell, his picture probably will. His hit was "Never Gonna Give You Up" and the most striking thing about it is that...he sounds black. Yes, the pasty, ginger kid sounds like a black soul singer--one with a limited amount of rhythm, but it's still rather impressive. Family Guy did a funny mocking of him and his song with this clip.

Having just recently bought the Complete Arrested Development on DVD, I've been itching to watch them again but must wait until my friend, Kayley, comes back from London. Until then, I've been keeping myself quenched with AD clips on YouTube, especially this one with Tobias and another with Gob. Oh Tobias, you blowhard!

Ever wonder what Tiny Tim's "Living in the Sunlight, Loving in the Moonlight" looks like backed with Simpsons clip? Yeah, me neither but when you stumble upon it, the end result is actually pretty good.

Now that I've begun talking about him, here's a clip of Tiny Tim performing Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe" with Eleanor Barooshian (of The Cake) with understandably interesting results. Notice that they switch roles from the original version.

Here's a clip of The Rolling Stones performing "Bitch" off of Sticky Fingers from their 1972 tour.

Last one: Bart and Lisa Simpson playing the Dave Brubeck Quartet's "Take Five."

The Simpsons Movie

I've been waiting about a decade for The Simpsons Movie and it did not disappoint. The film is brilliant, beautiful, hilarious, good to both casual and hardcore fans and, most importantly, does a great job of including roughly 100 different characters.

More later

Five Best...Random Thoughts While Walking to School Today

#5. I really like "Once More, With Feeling."

#4. Every time I see a poster for The Simpsons Movie, I get giddy. And I see about three on a 15 minute walk to The New School.

#3. Along that same line, whenever I see the stores Bang Bang Men and Lucky Wang's, I laugh a little to myself. Although, sadly, Bang Bang Men isn't in commission.

#2. Dylan's "Thunder on the Mountain" is a great song to listen to when it's about 95 degrees outside.

#1. I'm beyond excited to be seeing Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix tonight at midnight. Although it wasn't a favorite when I first read it, I'm re-reading now (and attempting to finish it before seeing the movie) and it's much better than I'm remembering. Yes, Dolores Umbridge, the Grand Inquisitor of Hogwarts, is beyond evil and Harry is annoyingly angsty at times, but the politics between the Ministry and Dumbledore are quite interesting and the writing is actually pretty good--for Rowling's standards at least. The film is getting great reviews and I'll post my thoughts tomorrow.

Across the country, a select group of 7-Eleven's got switched to look like the Kwik-E-Mart for The Simpsons Movie. Here are some photos:

Simply Simpsons

As everyone has their barbecues today, remember this:

*Reading Homer's invitation*

Lisa: "Come to Homer's BBBQ. The extra 'B' is for BYOBB"
Bart: What's that extra 'B' for?
Homer: That's a typo

Early in the Morning, I'm Callin' YouTube, Vol. III

I'm going back upstate for the weekend, so I won't be posting again until Monday. Due to that, I'm making two posts today: the one I've already put up about the Wilco concert and this collection of interesting YouTube videos. But when I get back, I'll have reviews for both the Levon Helm Band in Albany and Bob Dylan and His Band in Bethel. Have a good weekend.

You had to know I was going to post some kind of Dylan video and this, a clip of "Visions of Johanna" from the '66 tour, might just be the greatest acoustic recording he's ever made.

As a huge David Bowie fan, I felt slightly aghast when I realized I had never seen Labyrinth when I was a child. When I finally did watch it about a week ago, I realize that a) it's not the greatest thing in the world but still pretty good and b) Bowie as a Goblin King is the most inspired casting call this side of making Marlon Brando Superman's daddy. Here's the video of a young Jennifer Connelly dancing around with creepy pink Muppets to "Chilly Down," a song with little rhytm, has a creature sound like Louis Armstrong and is just really good.

"Hoochie Coochie Man" performed by Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Junior Wells, Johnny Winter and Mike Bloomfield. All at once: Wow!

People rave about the version of "Caravan" on It's Too Late to Stop Now, but it never sounded better than it did with The Band at The Last Waltz. Plus, you gotta respect any man wearing that suit.

Speaking of Van the Man, here's a live performance of my favorite song of his, "Saint Dominic's Preview."

And lastly:

A great Simpsons scene.

Five Best...Rock Stars Visiting on The Simpsons

#5. Cypress Hill using the London Symphony Orchestra and Peter Frampton doing what Frampton does um...best at a musical festival.

#4. "Have The Rolling Stones killed." Mr. Burns hears The Ramones and think they're someone else.

#3. Homer crashing U2's concert by saying he's the "potato man."

#2. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Setzer, Elvis Costello, Lenny Kravitz and Tom Petty teaching Homer at Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp (already posted this before, but no list dealing with The Simpsons and rock stars would be complete without it)

#1. Not the funniest clip, but it is Bob Dylan on The Simpsons...sort of.

Sympathy for the Devil

In one of my classes, Classic and Modern Epics, we just finished reading Milton's Paradise Lost. During a discussion of the masterpiece, my professor--a rather intelligent man in his 60s or 70s but has a shabby appearance with disheveled hair and loose fitting polo shirts--began talking about how intriguing Satan is in the poem. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that Satan is downright likable--at least more so than God. In an attempt to make the character seem more contemporary, he alluded to Satan being like "that rock star." Without a moment's hesitation, nearly everyone in the classroom thought to themselves to the same rock 'n' roller: Mick Jagger. This was, of course, who the professor was referring: the cockney stride, the attitude, the sexual lyrics and social life make up everything that we love about Mick and everything that he was thinking of. True, he could have also been referring to Elvis, but I guess Jagger is "cooler."

Five Best...Satan Appearances in Pop Culture

#5. Every Tenacious D song

#4. Beelzebub singing "Up There" during South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut

#3. Jagger, Keith Richards, Elvis Costello, Tom Petty, Brian Setzer and Lenny Kravitz driving around in a giant car shaped like Satan's head on The Simpsons (By proxy, this one includes "Sympathy for the Devil")

#2. Pixies' lyric "If man is 5 and the Devil is 6 then God is 7" in "Monkey Gone to Heaven"

#1. The Robot Devil from Futurama

"So, do you like stuff?"

-Here's a pretty good Simpsons website with lots of clips. I've been enjoying the "Best of Ralph" video.

-Simon Cowell auditioning to The Simpsons to get onto American Idol.

Hey, Hey, It's Your Birthday

This post goes out to someone who has their birthday today. And I'm not talking about Jennifer Garner. Here's the list:

Five Best...Birthday Songs

#5. "Lisa, It's Your Birthday" by Leon Komposki and Bart Simpson

-If memory serves, I actually "recorded" my own version of this song when I was younger. Thank God that doesn't exist anymore...But this version sung by Leon (Michael Jackson?) and Bart is very touching.

#4. "Happy Birthday" by Weird Al Yankovic

Sample lyric:

"Well there's a punk in the alley and he's looking for a fight
There's an Arab on the corner buying everything in sight
There's a mother in the ghetto with another mouth to feed
Seems that everywhere you look today there's misery and greed

I guess you know the Earth is gonna crash into the sun
But that's no reason why we shouldn't have a little fun
So if you think it's scary, if it's more than you can take
Just blow out the candles and have a piece of cake."

Oh, Weird Al.

#3. "New Happy Birthday Song" by NOFX

For whenever you're wishing a happy birthday to someone you don't care about, think of this song and it's refrain of "you're not special."

#2. "Happy Birthday" by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

Cave tells of a birthday where the best present is a "wonderful dog chair" which can count "right up to eleven." I guess it's better than lame socks or, even worse, a certificate saying that there's a star named after you.

#1. "Birthday" by The Beatles

I can still remember my father playing this for me on my birthday during the summer I spent living with him and his wife, Sylvia, in Saratoga Springs, New York. This song is so much better than the standard "happy birthday to you" that everyone sings. I think it should be changed to The Beatles song--sort of like how if it were up to me, we'd change the National Anthem to something catchier.

Early in the Morning, I'm Callin' YouTube, Vol. I

Five Best...YouTube Clips o' the Week

#5. Hoyt Axton and Linda Ronstadt singing "Lion in the Winter"

-While looking for clips from Disney's Robin Hood last night, I stumbled upon this very nice duet.

#4. Homer and his sugar

-Contains one of my favorite Homer speeches and the great line, "They're protecting themselves somehow."

#3. "Hey, this picture doesn't look like you."

-One of the funniest Marx Brothers skits ever.

#2. The Pogues and The Dubliners performing "The Irish Rover"

-After all, it is St. Patrick's Day

#1. Van Morrison and The Chieftains singing "Raglan Road"

-See comment above.