Diagnosis Murder (1993-2001)

This detective show involves a doctor working as a consultant for the police, including his detective son

Summary

-Dr. Mark Sloane (Dick Van Dyke) is a doctor at Community General Hospital who helps his detective son solve crimes

Cast

-Dick Van Dyke: Dr. Mark Slone

-Barry Van Dyke: Steve Sloane

-Victoria Rowell: Amanda Bentley-Livingston

-Charlie Schlatter: Dr. Jesse Travis

-Michael Tucci: Norman Briggs

-Scott Baio: Dr. Jack Stewart

-Delores Hall: Delores Mitchell

-Shane Van Dyke: Alex Smith

-Kim Little: Nurse Susan Hilliard

Did You Know?

-The series was only renewed a few episodes at a time, according to Dick Van Dyke

-There was one episode that required a motorcycle stunt. Since the production team didn't have enough money in the budget to perform it, Dick Van Dyke used LightWave 3-D software on his home computer to create the visual effects, since he is a computer animation enthusiast. They were used on the show and he was paid $200 for creating this sequence

-Some were concerned that Dick Van Dyke was considered too old to play a still-working doctor when the series began

-When the series started, Dick Van Dyke was already 67 years old

-Dick Van Dyke decided to retire from the role, so the series only lasted 8 seasons

-When Victoria Rowell was pregnant, between seasons 2 and 3, her pregnancy was written into the role. It was said Amanda was married to a serviceman never seen on the program

-When Scott Baio left the show, it was explained that his character, Dr. Jack Stewart, had left Community General Hospital to start his own practice in Colorado

-To prepare for their roles, Dick Van Duke, Victoria Powell, Scott Baio and Charlie Schlatter all had to use medical dictionaries to pronounce the medical terminology

-In the episode "Gangland", it was said that Amanda was a foster child. In real life, Victoria Rowell, who played Amanda, was a foster child

-Victoria Rowell is a second cousin of singer / actress Beyonce Knowles-Carter

-Prior to becoming Chief of Internal Medicine and doing consulting work with the police, Dr. Mark Sloan was a doctor who worked with the MASH Unit

-This show helped launch the careers of Barry Van Dyke, Dick's son and Charlie Schlatter

-Dr. Mark Sloan served in the US Army, in a medical unit during the Korean War. Dick Van Dyke spent his time in the US Army Air Force during WWII in real life

Bands I Would Like to See in Concert

Everyone has that one band or two or more they would love to see in concert. I have quite a few bands I listen to, but have never seen live, that I would love to see in concert

Black Veil Brides

Asking Alexandria

Ghost

As Lions

The Raven Age

Five Finger Death Punch

Disturbed

Dokken

Magnum

Girlschool

Godsmack

There are also some bands I would have loved to have seen live, but I either discovered their music too late, they lost a key member, they didn't come anywhere near me or if they did come to a city near me, I had no one to go with

The Rolling Stones

Motorhead

Deep Purple
Saw them 2x. I would have loved to seen them with Ritchie Blackmore

Queen

Led Zeppelin

David Bowie

13 Going on 30 (2004)

This is one of my favorite movies

Summary

-Geeky, unpopular girl Jenna Rink makes an unusual wish on her 13th birthday. It comes true when she wakes up to be a 30 year old woman working for a successful fashion magazine

Cast

-Jennifer Garner: Jenna Rink

-Mark Ruffalo: Marty Flamhaff

-Judy Greer: Lucy Wyman

-Andy Serkis: Richard Kneeland

-Kathy Baker: Bev Rink

-Phil Reeves: Wayne

-Sam Ball: Alex Carlson

-Joe Grifasi: Mr. Flamhaff

-Mary Pat Gleason: Mrs. Flamhaff

-Lynn Collins: Wendy

Did You Know?

-The first scene Mark Ruffalo did was the "Thriller" dance. He was terrified of doing the dance, but Jennifer Garner had "infectious" enthusiasm, so he went through with it. Andy Serkis was in London at the time and had to do the scene separately

-Christa B. Allen was chosen to play the 13 year old Jenna Rink. Jennifer Garner was happy because she felt that Allen really symbolized Garner at that age. Later on, Allen would appear in the 2009 film Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, playing a younger version of Jennifer Garner's character

-When Jenna Rink, at 13 goes into the closet for "seven minutes of heaven", there are actual photos of Jennifer Garner in her younger years on the back of the door

-As Jenna Rink softened and came closer to her true self, her clothing colors became warmer thanks to production adjusting her wardrobe. While Lucy Wyman (Judy Greer) gets more ruthless, her fashion style becomes more aggressive

-A lot of the child-like observations Jenna Rink had were completely improvised by Jennifer Garner. For example, when Alex Carlson (Sam Bell) wanted to play sexual games with Jenna, she suggests Battleship instead

-There is a photo of Madonna on Jenna's vanity table on the day of her 13th birthday. When she is 30 years old, she has that same photo, only now it's signed in her work office

-When Jenna Rink's secretary answers the phone, there is a man on the other end saying "Put that little b---- on the phone. Tell her to call Todd." This is director Gary Winick's voice

-Sean Marquette, who played young Matt, wore a fat suit for the movie

-At the time of filming, Jennifer Garner was 31 years old. She spent time with teenagers to remember how to behave as one

-The celebrities on Poise's Wall of Shame are real celebrities

Javier Bardem

This Spanish-born actor can seemingly do any role perfectly

Birth Name: Javier Angel Encinas Bardem

DOB: 3/1/1969

Where: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain

Trademark

-His deep voice

Trivia

-He brought his mother Pilar to the Oscars and dedicated his Oscar, which he won for the film No Country for Old Men, to her

-He married actress Penelope Cruz in a private ceremony at a friend's house with just family present

-His original interest was in painting. He studied at the Escuela de Artes y Oficios in Madrid. When he decided he would never be a talented painter, he worked a number of odd jobs, including bouncer, writer, construction worker and even a stripper

-He and Penelope Cruz became a couple while working on the 2008 film Vicky Christina Barcelona

-He is sometimes confused for actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan because they both so closely resemble each other

Filmography

Numbered Days (1994)

-Lisardo

Ecstasy (1996)

-Rober

Second Skin (1999)

-Diego

The Dancer Upstairs (2002)

-Rejas

Collateral (2004)

Felix

Goya's Ghosts (2006)

-Lorenzo

No Country for Old Men (2007)

-Anton Chigurh

Love in the Time of Cholera (2007)

-Florentino Ariza

Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008)

-Juan Antonio

Eat Pray Love (2010)

-Felipe

Skyfall (2012)

-Silva

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)

-Captain Salazar

Thy Kingdom Come (2018)

-Father Quintana

Dune: Part One (2021)

-Stilgar

Being the Ricardos (2021)

-Desi Arnaz

The Little Mermaid (2023)

-King Triton

Dune: Part Two (2024)

-Stilgar

F1: The Movie (2025)

-Ruben Cervantes

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)

This is the sequel to the highly successful film

Summary

-Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) learns more about her mother's past while in the process of opening the Hotel Bella Donna

Cast

-Amanda Seyfried: Sophie

-Andy Garcia: Fernando Cienfuegos

-Celie Imrie: Vice Chancellor

-Lily James: Young Donna

-Alexa Davies: Young Rosie

-Jessica Keenan Wynn: Young Tanya

-Dominic Cooper: Sky

-Julie Walters: Rosie

-Christine Baranski: Tanya

-Pierce Brosnan: Sam Carmichael

-Omid Djalili: Greek Official

-Colin Firth: Harry Bright

-Stellan Skarsgard: Bill Anderson

-Cher: Ruby Sheridan

Did You Know?

-Cher chose Andy Garcia to play the role of Fernando over other selected actors

-During filming in November 2017, Dame Julie Walters was given a day off to attend Buckingham Palace for an investiture ceremony, where she would receive her Commander of the Order of the British Empire honor from Queen Elizabeth II. The cast and crew gathered together to welcome her back by singing "There is Nothing Like a Dame" from the musical South Pacific

-On the day she came home from the hospital, after giving birth to her daughter, Amanda Seyfried's agent informed her that this movie was successfully greenlit and would begin production. She thought it was a practical joke

-After appearing in this film, Cher released an entire album of ABBA covers called Dancing Queen

-Despite them playing mother and daughter, Cher is only three years older than Meryl Streep

-This is the film debut of Nina Sadoski, who is Amanda Seyfried's daughter

-Early in the film, when Sophie is addressing invitations to people for a party she is planning, one is to c/o Epstein Martin. This is a reference to The Beatles, specifically of the surnames of Beatles manager Brian Epstein and their record producer George Martin

-The movie does not state whether Sophie and Sky ever got married between the 2008 film Mamma Mia! and this film or whether they are partners for life. Since they are both not wearing wedding rings, it implies they are not husband and wife

-Out of all of the cast members, Cher is the oldest one, having been born on May 20, 1946. She is three years older than Meryl Streep, born June 22, 1949, who plays her daughter, and ten years older than Andy Garcia, who was born April 12, 1956, who plays a long lost love

-Sophie names the hotel Bella Donna. This term has two meanings. In Italian, it means "Beautiful Woman". It's also the name, in Latin, for deadly nightshade, one of the most dangerous plants in the Eastern Hemisphere that contains atropine and scopolamine

Mamma Mia (2008)

This popular film uses the music of Swedish band ABBA

Summary

-Donna is a hotel owner preparing for her daughter's wedding with help from two old friends. While bride to be Sophie invites three men from her mother's past to her wedding to determine which one is her biological father

Cast

-Amanda Seyfried: Sophie

-Stellan Skaarsgard: Bill Anderson

-Pierce Brosnan: Sam Carmichael

-Colin Firth: Harry Bright

-Meryl Streep: Donna

-Julie Walters: Rosie

-Christine Baranski: Tanya

-Ricardo Montez: Stavros

-Norma Atallah: Irini

-Dominic Cooper: Sky

Did You Know?

-Stellan Skarsgard said about this movie "It was absurd to ask me to be in a musical. I can't sing, I can't dance. And I saw it was also Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth, and they can't sing and dance either, so I felt a little safer there."

-Meryl Streep saw the musical in October 2001 with her daugter Louisa. She wrote letters to the producers, praising them for bringing a bit of happiness and light into New York City after the recent 9/11 terrorist attacks

-On an episode of Inside the Actor's Studio, Colin Firth was asked the question "If Heaven exists, what would you like God to say when you arrive at the pearly gates?" He responded with "I personally thought you were very good in Mamma Mia"

-All of the cast members did their own singing

-Stellan Skarsgard explained why he flashed his bare backside. "We decided that I should be cooking on the boat. I thought I should have an apron on. The director (Phyllida Llody) did not know that I would be naked under there, and have those butt tattoos. So when the camera rolled, I turned around right in front of it. The cameraman jumped and screamed, while Phyllida keeled over laughing."

-The boat Bill Anderson captains features the flag of Sweden, the native country of both Stellan Skarsgard and ABBA

-Three of the members of ABBA are from Sweden, just like actor Stellan Skarsgard, who plays Bill Anderson. The other member of ABBA is Anni-Frida Lyngstad, who is Norwegian

-Initially Cher was offered a role in this film, to play Tanya Wilkinson. Because of commitments to concerts, she couldn't do it. She did appear in the 2018 sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, playing Ruby Sheridan

-Colin Firth poked fun at the James Bond series by saying "I'm Bright, Harry Bright" when he was standing next to Pierce Brosnan. Pierce had played the role of James Bond in at least four films of the series. Meanwhile Firth starred in his own series of spy films, Kingsman: The Secret Service in 2014 and Kingsman: The Golden Circle in 2017

-In the original musical on stage, Bill Austin was an Australian character. This was a tribute to ABBA's popularity in Australia. For this movie, Bill's last name was changed to Anderson, to make it Swedish, like Stellan Skarsgard, who plays that character and like the group ABBA

-Actor Bill Nighy was considered for one of the roles of the fathers

-Colin Firth (Harry Bright) actually used to play guitar in a band

-This was the first movie shot on the new 007 Stage at Pinewood Studios after a fire that happened when the 2006 film Casino Royale finished up. The stage was used for the song and dance numbers that could not be filmed in sunny Greece

-The song at the wedding scene, "Knowing Me, Knowing You" was considered inappropriate for a wedding because it's about divorce. "Knowing me, knowing you, there is nothing we can do. Knowing me, knowing you, we just have to face it this time we're through. Breaking up is never easy, I know but I have to go."

-In the film, using the real ages of the actors, when Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) was born, Donna Sheridan (Meryl Streep) was 36, Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgard) was 34, Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan) was 32 and Harry Bright (Colin Firth) was 25

-Donny Osmond was considered for the role of Sam Carmichael. This role went to Pierce Brosnan

-This film surpassed the 1993 film Mrs. Doubtfire as Pierce Brosnan's highest-grossing film in the world. But, domestically, Mrs. Doubtfire is still highly successful

April Birthdays

It's April! Time to say Happy Birthday!

Jet Li

-Birth Name: Li Lian Jie

-DOB: 4/26/1963

-Where: Beijing, China

-While filming 2000's Romeo Must Die, he sustained bruised ribs during the fight scenes with Anthony Anderson

Ritchie Blackmore

-Birth Name: Richard Hugh Blackmore

-DOB: 4/14/1945

-Where: Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, England

-He has a younger brother named Paul

Jeremy Clarkson

-Birth Name: Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson

-DOB: 4/11/1960

-Where: Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England

-He is well known for his strongly reactionary, outspoken opinions

Eddie Murphy

-Birth Name: Edward Regan Murphy

-DOB: 4/3/1961

-Where: Brooklyn, New York

-He paid for the funeral for comedian Redd Foxx

Roddy Piper

-Birth Name: Roderick George Toombs

-DOB: 4/17/1954

-Where: Saskatoon, Canada

-DOD: 7/31/2015

-Where: Los Angeles, California

-He firmly believed that swearing was an ignorant man's weapon while smart men talked

Sebastian Bach

-DOB: 4/3/1968

-Where: Freeport, The Bahamas

-He stated in his biography that he was the only Caucasian child in a class of 40 black children

Federico Castellucio

-DOB: 4/29/1964

-Where: Naples, Campania, Italy

-Because of his role on The Sopranos, with his convincing Italian accent, people thought he was an Italian-born actor who spoke broken English. He had to meet with people in Hollywood to convince them he could do other accents, including his normal speaking voice speaking English

Al Pacino

-Birth Name: Alfredo James Pacino

-DOB: 4/25/1940

-Where: Manhattan, New York

-During the filming of 1972's The Godfather, Pacino was in constant fear of being fired

Frank Vincent

-Birth Name: Frank Vincent Gattuso

-DOB: 4/15/1937

-Where: North Adams, Massachusetts

-DOD: 9/13/2017

-Where: Nutley, New Jersey

-His father was an ironworker who worked atop the skyscrapers of New York

Queen Elizabeth II

-DOB: 4/21/1926

-Where: London, England

-DOD: 9/8/2022

-Where: Balmoral Castle, Aberdeen, Scotland

-She was known for doing great things for others and her inspirational, heartwarming holiday speeches

Carol Burnett

-Birth Name: Carol Creighton Burnett

-DOB: 4/26/1933

-Where: San Antonio, Texas

-She initially fired Harvey Korman from The Carol Burnett Show for being rude to the guests. After speaking with him, she hired him back and he was with the show until the end