Music N' More

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Flubber

Summary
-Professor Phillip Brainard is a scientist trying to develop a new form of energy that will save Medfield College, where his sweetheart, Sara Jean Reynolds, is the president. He missed the wedding twice and on the afternoon of his 3rd wedding, Professor Brainard creates "Flubber" a rubbery material that can get anything flying through the air

Cast
-Robin Williams: Prof. Phillip Brainard
-Marcia Gay Harden: Dr. Sara Jean Reynolds
-Christopher McDonald: Wilson Croft
-Ted Levine: Wesson
-Clancy Brown: Smith
-Raymond J. Barry: Chester Hoenicker
-Wil Wheaton: Bennett Hoenicker
-Edie McClurg: Martha George
-Jodi Benson: Weebo (voice)

Did You Know?
-When Prof. Brainard is talking to Dale, in the background, the fight song for Duke University can be heard playing
-Wil Wheaton was cast because he was said to look like Tommy Kirk from The AbsentMinded Professor

James and the Giant Peach

Summary
-James is a happy kid living on the English seaside until he gets some bad news: His parents were, strangely, killed by a rhino and he is sent to live with his two horrid aunts: Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge. When he saves a spider from being killed, he magically comes into the possession of magic boiled crocodile tongues, which cause a giant peach to grow in his garden. When he goes inside, he meets not only the spider he saved the life of, but a few of its friends. Including a ladybug, a centipede, who all try and help him get to New York

Cast
-Simon Callow: Grasshopper (voice)
-Richard Dreyfuss: Centipede (voice)
-Jane Leeves: Ladybug (voice)
-Joanna Lumley: Aunt Spiker (voice)
-Miriam Margoyles: Aunt Sponge/Glow Worm (voice)
-Peter Postlethwaite: Old Man (voice)
-Susan Sarandon: Spider (voice)
-Paul Terry: James (voice)
-David Thewlis: Earthworm (voice)

Did You Know?
-In the story, Spiker and Sponge are killed when the giant peach rolls over them and crushes them. In the movie, they survive
-Paul Terry quit acting after the scene where the spider bites him

Holes

Summary
-Stanley Yelnats is a teen accused of stealing a pair of cleats belonging to a Major League baseball player. He is sent to Camp Green Lake, a detention camp in the middle of a dry desert lake bed. Since it never rains at Camp Green Lake, it's always hot. The mysterious, yet secretive Warden has each boy digging holes, to "build character" as she says. But her real intention is to find the treasure of legendary outlaw "Kissing" Kate Barlow

Cast
-Sigourney Weaver: Warden Walker
-Jon Voight: Marion Sevillo/ Mr. Sir
-Tim Blake Nelson: Dr. Pendanski
-Shia LaBeouf: Stanley Yelnats IV/Caveman
-Dule Hill: Sam the Onion Man
-Jake M. Smith: Alan/Squid
-Byron Cotton: Theodore: Armpit
-Khleo Thomas: Hector Zeroni/Zero
-Brenden Jefferson: Rex/X-Ray
-Miguel Castro: Jose/Magnet
-Max Kasch: Ricky/Zigzag
-Noah Poletiek: Brian/Twitch
-Zane Holtz: Lewis/Barfbag
-Steven Kozlowski: Lump
-Roma Maffia: Atty. Carla Morengo
-Siobhan Fallon: Stanley's mother
-Henry Winkler: Stanley Yelnats III
-Nathan Davis: Stanley's grandpa
-Eartha Kitt: Madame Zeroni
-Damien Luvara: Elya Yelnats
-Patricia Arquette: "Kissing" Kate Barlow

Did You Know?
-The animals in the movie referred to as Yellow Spotted Lizards are actually just Bearded Dragons with makeup and CGI fangs on them. They were provided through the Sandfire Dragon Ranch

-The "yellow spotted lizards" in the movie are not real. There are really only two actual venomous lizards in North America: the Gila Monster and the Mexican bearded lizard
-Before shooting her role as "Kissing" Kate Barlow, Patricia Arquette had to learn how to ride a horse
-During the making of Holes, Khleo Thomas celebrated his Bar Mitzvah (coming of age for Jewish teens)

Songs with Secret Guests

Curious if musicians sing on other musicians' songs? Here's where you can find out?

You're So Vain
-Carly Simon feat. Mick Jagger
-Well, as if this weren't obvious. When you listen to that song, it's pretty clear to even the untrained musical ear that it's Jagger's Cockney accented voice singing away "You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you". For years and years, it's been thought that Jagger was the secret mystery "vain" man in the song. The only clue Simon will give is that there is an "e" in the mystery man's name

Leave a Light On
-Belinda Carlisle feat. George Harrison
-On the 1989 hit, George plays a little guitar because he liked Carlisle's voice

Minute to Minute
-Michael McDonald feat. Michael Jackson
-It's noted that the King of Pop lent backup vocals to songs like this, "What a Fool Believes" "Here to Love You"

Beat It
-Michael Jackson feat. Eddie Van Halen
-Yeah, it sounds like you wouldn't believe it. But it did happen. When all members of VH were out of town, in the era before cell phones, Eddie Van Halen took some time to record some guitar riffs for free. He thought no one would know it's him playing guitar on that song. It ended up making Record of the Year and everyone found out EVH played on it

Monday, April 22, 2013

Famous People Born Today

I wanna give a big, huge Happy Birthday shout out to the following people:

Jack Nicholson, 76
-DOB: 4/22/1937
-Where: Manhattan, New York City
-Avid LA Lakers fan

Peter Frampton, 63
-DOB: 4/22/1950
-Where: Beckenham, Kent, England
-Currently lives in Cincinnati, OH

Jeffrey Dean Morgan, 47
-DOB: 4/22/1966
-Where: Seattle, Washington
-Big Seattle Seahawks fan

Charlotte Rae, 87
-DOB: 4/22/1926
-Where: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
-Known for her role as Mrs. Garrett on The Facts of Life

Today in Rock Music History

Rock Music

2008
-Whitesnake's new album Good to Be Bad is released

2007
-Avril Lavigne went to #1 on the U.K. charts with her 3rd studio album The Best Damn Thing

2004
-Marines blast AC/DC's "Shoot to Thrill" at Muslim insurgents to drive them from their homes

2003
-Kelly Clarkson hits #1 on the charts with her album Thankful

1999
-Marilyn Manson releases a kind statement on the issue of Columbine. “It’s tragic and disgusting anytime young people’s lives are taken in an act of seneseless violence"

Wow, he looks so normal here

1998
-Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are the big winners at the 33rd Academy of Country Music Awards

1983
-David Bowie's "Let's Dance" hits #1 on the U.K. charts

1972
-Deep Purple's Machine Head hits #1 on the U.K. charts

1966
-The Troggs release "Wild Thing"

1950
-Peter Frampton is born in Beckenham, England

If You're a Robert Plant Fan, Your Day is About to Be Made!

Robert Plant

He has announced plans for a 2013 U.S. tour! He and his new band, the Sensational Space Shifters, are touring. They will start off stateside in Dallas, Texas on June 20, and run through July 27, in Brooklyn, N.Y.

"Walk This Way" Inspiration

Anyone who's an Aerosmith fan has probably heard this song before. For all anyone knows, reading this has it playing in your head right now. But, aren't you just the least bit curious as to how the "Boston Bad Boys" got the idea behind their hit song? Here's how

In the 1970s, Young Frankenstein had come out, and the band had gone to see it. There was the famous part in the movie where Dr. Frankenstein arrives at his destination and he is met by cockeyed Marty Feldman, who plays Igor. He then said "Walk this way." And that gave them an idea for a song. Later, Joe Perry was toying around with some guitar riffs, so Steven Tyler walks over to Joey Kramer's drum kit and starts playing and let it behold, Walk This Way was born

"The Toxic Twins" With Eddie Van Halen

Toxic Twins

On April 20, Van Halen has taken the stage at the Stone Music Festival in Sydney, Australia. And showing up were 'The Toxic Twins' themselves- Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith. But, also as a side note, Aerosmith was on the bill of artists there as well

Top 10 Freddie Mercury Tributes

It's been a long time since this guy's been gone. So, to honor him, here are the Top 10 Freddie Mercury Tributes

BTW, Tony Iommi keeps coming up a lot on this post. He must really like working with the guys in Queen. Either that, or he likes their music :D

10
Radio Gaga
-Queen & Paul Young

9
Hammer to Fall
-Queen, Gary Cherone and Tony Iommi
-Even though the band Extreme is only known for their 1990 song "More Than Words", future Van Halen vocalist Gary Cherone, along with Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi

8
Innuendo/Crazy Little Thing Called Love
-Queen, Robert Plant

7
We Will Rock You
-Queen, Axl Rose

6
Stone Cold Crazy
-Queen, James Hetfield, Tony Iommi
-Mr. Iommi keeps coming up, I see. He must be a fan of the band :) It's no surprise to any Metallica fan that Hetfield is a good person to cover a song by Queen. Metallica has already covered one of their songs, Sheer Heart Attack. It's on their album Rubiyat: Elektra's 40th Anniversary