Friday 26 February 2010

Indiana Jones and the sound of the Ringing Tills...

Since "Raiders of the Lost Ark" hit our cinema screens in 1981, Indiana Jones has been a strong and consistent income for Messers Spielberg, Kennedy et al. Furthermore, we the film goer have never been the same...

Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr. is a fictional adventurer, OSS agent, professor of archaeology, and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials. The character first appeared in the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark, to be followed by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984, The Last Crusade in 1989, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles from 1992 to 1996, and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008. Alongside the more widely known films and television programs, novels, comics, video games, and other media also feature the character. Jones is also featured in the theme park attraction Indiana Jones Adventure, which exists in similar forms at Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea.

Jones is most famously played by Harrison Ford; he has also been portrayed by River Phoenix (as the young Jones in The Last Crusade), and in the television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles by Corey Carrier, Sean Patrick Flanery, and George Hall. Doug Lee has supplied Jones's voice to two LucasArts video games, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis and Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine, while David Esch supplied his voice to Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb.

Particularly notable facets of the character include his iconic look (bullwhip, fedora, and leather jacket), sense of humor, deep knowledge of many ancient civilizations and languages, and fear of snakes.

In 2008, Indiana Jones was ranked as the 6th greatest movie character of all time by Empire magazine.

Indiana Jones, played by Harrison Ford, was first introduced in the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark, set in 1936. He is portrayed as an adventurous throwback to the 1930s film serial treasure hunters and pulp action heroes, with an alter ego of Doctor Jones, a respected archaeologist at Marshall College (named after producer Frank Marshall) - a fictional college in Connecticut. In this first adventure, he is pitted against the Nazis, traveling the world to prevent them from recovering the Ark of the Covenant (see also Biblical archaeology). He is aided by Marion Ravenwood and Sallah. The Nazis are led by Jones's archrival, a Nazi-sympathizing French archaeologist named René Belloq, and Arnold Toht, a sinister Gestapo agent.

The 1984 prequel, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, set in 1935, took the character into a more horror-oriented story, skipping his legitimate teaching job and globe trotting, and taking place almost entirely in India. This time, Jones attempts to recover children and the Sankara Stones from the bloodthirsty Thuggee cult. He is aided by Short Round and hindered by Willy.

The third film, 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, set in 1938, returned to the formula of the original, reintroducing characters such as Sallah and Marcus Brody, a scene from Professor Jones's classroom (he now teaches at Barnett College), the globe trotting element of multiple locations, and the return of the infamous Nazi mystics, this time trying to find the Holy Grail. The film's introduction, set in 1912, provided some back story to the character, specifically the origin of his fear of snakes, his use of a bullwhip, the scar on his chin, and his hat; the film's epilogue also reveals that "Indiana" is not Jones's first name, but a nickname he took from the family dog. The film was a buddy movie of sorts, teaming Jones with his father, often to comical effect. Although Lucas intended at the time to do five films, this ended up being the last for over eighteen years, as Lucas could not think of a good plot element to drive the next installment.


The 2008 film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, became the latest film in the series. Set in 1957, 19 years after the third film, it pits an older, wiser Indiana Jones against Soviet agents bent on harnessing the power of a crystal skull discovered in South America by his former colleague Harold Oxley (John Hurt). He is aided in his adventure by an old lover, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), and her son—a young greaser named Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf), later revealed to be his biological child Henry Jones III. There are rumors that LaBeouf will take over the Indy franchise. This film also reveals that Jones was recruited by the Office of Strategic Services (a predecessor department to the CIA) during World War II, attaining the rank of Colonel and running covert operations with MI6 agent George McHale on the Soviet Union.

From 1992 to 1996, George Lucas executive produced a television series named The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, which was designed as an educational program for children, spotlighting historical figures and important events, using the concept of a prequel to the films as a draw. The show featured a standard formula of a 93-year-old Jones (George Hall), wearing an eye patch, introducing a story, and then an adventure with either a 17-year-old Jones (Sean Patrick Flanery) or a 10-year-old Jones (Corey Carrier), and even a baby Indy (Neil Boulane). Historical figures featured on the show include Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Leo Tolstoy, Pancho Villa, Charles de Gaulle, Elliot Ness, Ernest Hemingway, Patrick Pearse and John Ford, in such diverse locations as Egypt, Austria-Hungary, India, China, and the whole of Europe.

One episode, "Young Indiana Jones and the Mystery of the Blues", is bookended by Harrison Ford, reprising his role as the character. Indiana loses one of his eyes sometime between 1957 and when the "Old Indy" segments take place.

The show provided some backstory for the films, as well as new information regarding the character. He was born July 1, 1899, and his middle name is Walton (Lucas's middle name). It is also mentioned that he had a sister called Suzie who died as an infant of fever, and that he eventually has a daughter and grandchildren who appear in some episode introductions and epilogues. His relationship with his father, first introduced in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, was further fleshed out with stories about his travels with his father as a young boy. A large portion of the series centered around his activities during World War I.

In 1999, Lucas removed the episode introductions and epilogues by George Hall for the VHS and DVD releases, as he re-edited the episodes into chronologically ordered feature-length stories. The series title was also changed to The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones.


Wednesday 24 February 2010

Romancing the Stone and The Jewel of the Nile

Romancing the Stone is a 1984 American action-adventure romantic comedy. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, it stars Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito. The film was followed by a 1985 sequel, The Jewel of the Nile. The film was a respectable hit and earned over $86,572,238 worldwide in box-office receipts and an additional $36 million in video rentals. This film also helped launch Turner to stardom, reintroduced Douglas to the public as a capable leading man, and gave Zemeckis his first box-office success



The Jewel of the Nile is a 1985 romantic adventure film, and a sequel to the 1984 film Romancing the Stone, with Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito reprising their roles. Directed by Lewis Teague, the film sends its characters off on a new adventure in a fictional Middle Eastern desert, in an effort to find the precious "Jewel of the Nile."

Filming locations included Veracruz, Mexico (Fort of San Juan de Ulúa), Mazatlan, Mexico and Manila, Philippines. The scene where Turner and Douglas get separated on opposite banks on a whitewater river about 2/3rds into the movie was filmed on the Rio Antigua near the town of Jalcomulco.

This was the first Zemeckis film to feature a music score by composer Alan Silvestri; Silvestri has scored each subsequent film Zemeckis has directed. The novelization of this film was credited to Joan Wilder.

Although, upon its release, comparisons to Raiders of the Lost Ark were inevitable (Time magazine called the movie "a distaff Raiders rip-off"), the screenplay for Romancing had actually been written five years earlier. It was written by a Malibu waitress named Diane Thomas in what would end up being her only screenplay; she died in a car crash shortly after the film's release. Though Thomas received solo writing credit, several uncredited script doctors helped to refine the film's screenplay.

Turner later said of the film's production, "I remember terrible arguments [with Robert Zemeckis] doing Romancing. He's a film-school grad, fascinated by cameras and effects. I never felt that he knew what I was having to do to adjust my acting to some of his damn cameras--sometimes he puts you in ridiculous postures. I'd say, 'This is not helping me! This is not the way I like to work, thank you!'" Despite their difficulties on the film, Zemeckis would go on to work with Turner again, casting her as the voice of Jessica Rabbit in 1988's Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Studio insiders expected Romancing the Stone to flop (to the point that, after viewing a rough cut of the film, the producers of the then-in-the-works Cocoon fired Zemeckis as director of that film), but the film became a surprise hit. In fact, it ended up being 20th Century Fox's "only big hit" in 1984. Zemeckis later stated that the success of Romancing the Stone allowed him to make Back to the Future. The film's success also led to a sequel, 1985's The Jewel of the Nile, without Zemeckis at the helm but with Douglas, Turner and DeVito all returning. Though it performed respectably, its success didn't match that of the original. A second sequel called Crimson Eagle was planned but never got past the development stage. Another film, The War of the Roses, again reunited Douglas, Turner and DeVito


Sunday 7 February 2010

Jason Bourne...

Jason Charles Bourne (real name David Webb) is a fictional character in the novels of Robert Ludlum and subsequent film adaptations. He first appeared in the novel The Bourne Identity (1980). This novel was first adapted for television in 1988, and then adapted on film in 2002 under a title of the same name.

The character has been in seven sequel novels (the last four of which are written by Eric Van Lustbader with another novel due to release in 2010). Along with the first feature film, The Bourne Identity (2002), Jason Bourne also appears in two sequel movies The Bourne Supremacy (2004) and The Bourne Ultimatum (2007). Actor Matt Damon stated in November 2009 that no script had been approved (for a fourth film) and that he hoped that a film would begin shooting in mid-2011. The next month however, he said that he would not do another Bourne film without Paul Greengrass, who announced in late November that he had decided not to return as director.

In the recent films, the character of Jason Bourne, portrayed by Matt Damon, is a much simpler character than the one described in the novels. The background story omits the Vietnam War and the character of Carlos the Jackal.

In the film, Bourne was born in Nixa, Missouri. He joined the Army, eventually volunteering for Special Forces, becoming a Green Beret and attaining the rank of Captain. His dog tags identified him as being Catholic. It was here that he was offered the opportunity to volunteer for Operation Treadstone, under which he endured behavioral modification, involving sleep deprivation, repeated submerging in water, gagging and binding. His final test was to kill a man, after which he was informed that his transformation into Jason Bourne was complete. He initially refused to shoot the unknown man, but after persuasion he capitulated and killed the subject.

Bourne was highly trained in the CIA's protocols and trade crafts. His skills include expertise in hand-to-hand combat, firearms, knives, and explosives, handling numerous vehicles, and speaking fluent English, French, Russian, German, and Spanish. He may also speak Arabic, Dutch and Hungarian. Although he has never shown speaking Portuguese, he holds a Brazilian passport as Gilberto do Piento and a Portuguese passport.

Once his training was complete, Bourne was deployed as a covert assassin. He completed his missions mechanically, without knowledge of his subjects' identity or the crimes they had allegedly committed. On a job in France, he had a sudden attack of conscience when he saw his target in the company of his children. Bourne aborted his mission, and was shot in the back twice while attempting to escape. He awakens with his memory gone.

The character of Bourne in the films is a very quick-thinking, linear type of person who moves quickly and brutally towards his goal. He gives the impression of someone who has been severely traumatized and who is suffering from paranoia. He is tormented by fragment memories of his past. He is highly adept at hand-to-hand combat. He also shows an immediate ability to utilize lateral thinking to solve problems. He sometimes uses improvised weapons, for example using a pen to stab an assassin in The Bourne Identity and using a book and a towel in The Bourne Ultimatum. He is shown using tactical improvisation such as using a fan, torch light and tape to fake his location (The Bourne Ultimatum) and gas, a toaster and a magazine to cause an explosion (Bourne Supremacy). He is also proficient with firearms, explosives, electronics and evasive protocols — for moving, driving, and the like.

The Bourne franchise consists of several novels, movies, and a video game, all featuring one of the several versions of the Jason Bourne character.


Friday 5 February 2010

The Back to the Future Trilogy


Back to the Future is a comedic science fiction film series written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, directed by Zemeckis, produced by Amblin Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. The plot follows the adventures of high school student Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and scientist Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd) as they use a modified DeLorean automobile to time travel to different periods in the history of Hill Valley, California.

The first film was the highest grossing film of 1985 and became an international phenomenon, leading to the second and third films which were filmed back-to-back and released in 1989 and 1990 respectively. Though the two sequels did not perform quite as well at the box office as the first film, the trilogy remains immensely popular after nearly a quarter century and has yielded such spin-offs as an animated television series and a motion-simulation ride at the Universal Studios Theme Parks in Universal City, California (now closed); Orlando, Florida (now closed), and Osaka, Japan. The film's visual effects were done by Industrial Light and Magic. All together, the trilogy was nominated for five Academy Awards, one of which (Best Sound Editing) was won.

17-year-old Marty McFly is accidentally sent back in time to 1955 in a time machine built from a DeLorean by eccentric scientist Emmett L. Brown, also known as "Doc". Upon arriving in 1955, Marty inadvertently causes his mother (Lorraine McFly) to fall in love with him, rather than with his father (George McFly). This begins to cause what Doc Brown later describes as a paradox that would cause Marty to disappear from existence. To make matters worse, Marty did not bring back any additional plutonium to power the time machine, so he must find the 1955 version of Doc Brown to help him reunite his parents and return to 1985. Biff Tannen, the antagonist, further complicates Marty's efforts to return to an unaltered 1985. Marty successfully causes his parents to fall in love and simultaneously ruins the future of Biff Tannen, who in the end is an auto detailer instead of George McFly's boss. Marty learns in the end that his family situation has improved because of the way his parents' relationship was changed by his intervention in the past. However, in the film's final moments Doc Brown and the DeLorean appear and Doc tells Marty that he has returned from the future, and that Marty must come back to the future with him.

Doc Brown travels with Marty to the year 2015 where he has discovered Marty's family is in ruins. Marty buys a sports almanac containing the outcomes of 50 years worth (1950–2000) of sporting events. However, Doc catches him and throws the almanac in the trash, where the aged Biff Tannen finds it. While Marty and Doc are at Marty's future house, Old Biff steals the DeLorean time machine and gives the book to himself just before he goes to the dance at the end of the first movie. When Doc and Marty return to 1985, they find that Biff has used the almanac's knowledge for financial gain, which allows him to turn Courthouse Square into a 27 story casino, "own" Hill Valley, get away with the murder of Marty's father, and later marry Marty's mother. Marty learns that Biff was given the book by old Biff on November 12, 1955, so he and Doc go back to that date in order to steal the almanac from Biff before he can use it to destroy their lives. They accomplish this in a complex fashion, often crossing their own past-selves' paths. When the duo are about to travel back to 1985, a lightning bolt strikes the DeLorean and scrambles the time circuits, sending Doc back to 1885 and leaving Marty stranded in 1955.

After finding out that Doc Brown is trapped in 1885, Marty sets out to find the 1955 Doc to help him fix the DeLorean (which has been waiting for him in a mineshaft for 70 years) and restore it to working order. Learning that Doc gets shot in 1885, Marty travels back in time to save Doc (who becomes a blacksmith) and bring him back to the future. Unfortunately, Marty rips a hole in the fuel line, rendering the DeLorean immobile. Furthermore, Doc falls in love with schoolteacher Clara Clayton, and considers staying in 1885. Marty must convince Doc to come back with him and find a way to get back to his time before it's too late. After several dramatic action scenes involving a speeding locomotive, Marty returns to 1985 in the restored DeLorean. It appears on a train track as planned, and Marty jumps out just in time to see the DeLorean time machine destroyed by a modern train. He worries that Doc has been lost in the past forever, when suddenly Doc Brown appears in a new time machine, modeled after a locomotive. He introduces Marty to Clara (to whom he is now married) and his two sons, Jules and Verne. When Marty asks if Doc and his family are going to the future, Doc replies that he's already been to the future. The locomotive flies across the sky and disappears, and the trilogy ends.

Thursday 4 February 2010

The Office Prequel Mixtape (2009)



Jonah Sorrentino, better known by his stage name KJ-52, is a Christian rapper from the United States. The "KJ" part of his name refers to his old rap alias, "King J. Mac," a name which he later described in one of his podcasts as "horribly cheesy." "52" (which is pronounced "five two", not fifty two) is a reference to the Biblical story of Jesus feeding the multitude with five loaves and two fish. He was awarded the Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year for "Never Look Away" and Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year at the GMA Dove Awards of 2007. On July 28, 2009, KJ-52 released "End of My Rope," which is the first single for his album "Five-Two Television."

In 2002, Sorrentino released his second album, Collaborations. The album's title referred to the numerous contributions made to the album by guest artists, including Ill Harmonics, Pillar, John Reuben and Thousand Foot Krutch. Collaborations also represented his first nomination for a Dove Award, for "Rap/Hip Hop/Dance Album of the Year" in 2003.

KJ-52 has won four Dove Awards, three in the "Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year" category. He took the 2004 award for It’s Pronounced Five Two, the 2006 award for Behind the Musik, and the 2007 award for Remixed. He received an additional honor in 2007, for "Never Look Away" from Behind the Musik, in the "Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song" category. KJ never tried out for American Idol, but suggested such in his song "Fivetweezy".

On October 2008, he released his album, The Yearbook: The Missing Pages, a re-release of his album, The Yearbook. It comes with the original record with a slip over cover that has a code to download the 13 songs.

2009 Dove Awards Another productive year for KJ-52 as he was awarded with RAP/HIP HOP RECORDED SONG of the year for “Do Yo Thang”; The Yearbook; KJ-52; Jonah Sorrentino; BEC Recordings/Uprok


1. The Office (Intro)
2. Welcome Back (Interlude)
3. Keep On (Freeverse)
4. Monday Night Football (Interlude)
5. Flava In Ya Ear (Freeverse)
6. Sermon On The Mic (Freeverse)
7. Wack Emcees (Song)
8. Shut Ya Mouth (Freeverse)
9. Michael Scott Rap (Interlude)
10. Roc Boyz (Freeverse)
11. Grinding (Freeverse)
12. Pass That Mic (Song)

Sunday 31 January 2010

General Motors Sequel

The Sequel is a hydrogen fuel cell-powered concept car and sport utility vehicle from General Motors, employing the latest generation of HydroGen3 technology developed by Opel. The Sequel uses a drive-by-wire system. It has a range of 300 miles, and its only emission is water. It debuted at the 2005 North American International Auto Show and was shown at the 75th international car show in Geneva, Switzerland. GM chief and chief executive Rick Wagoner suggested it will be over a decade before it goes into production.

GM announced September 11, 2006 that their Sequel all-wheel drive fuel-cell vehicle will be a Chevrolet. The next-generation hydrogen car was unveiled at the Detroit auto show in 2005 and at that time was called the “GM Sequel;” the redesigned version of the crossover was unveiled by Larry Burns, GM’s vice president in charge of R&D and product planning.

This vehicle can accelerate 0-60 mph in less than ten seconds. Additionally, it provides a high level of control on bumpy terrain, snow, and ice. Increased torque and quicker deceleration when braking are additional benefits of some of the new technologies used in the Sequel.

Saturday 30 January 2010

A new challenge...

I've just agreed to 'ghost write' the David Wilson blog for my old school mate, Dave 'Snooks' Wilson. The URL is http://thedavidwilson.blogspot.com/ and although I have a free hand in what I report, I have been given strict boundaries including a must inclusion of Aston Villa at least once a week. As we, along with Phil Finney and Richard (1099) Phillips were the only Villa fans in our year at school, then that shouldn't be too hard.

in reference to: Bob De Bilde (view on Google Sidewiki)

Thursday 28 January 2010

Hannibal Lecter

Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter

Thomas Harris wrote the series of books containing Hannibal Lecter between 1981 and 2006.

I saw the 1986 film Manhunter, based on the first book, Red Dragon, in the following year on VHS from my local Video rental store. It was a remarkable film and the darkness of Lecter was quite immense.

Bt the time that The Silence of the Lambs was made in 1991 grabbing awards and glowing reviews, and with good cause too, I had forgotten Brian Cox's dark performance in Manhunter but also because of the differing production and cast, I didn't even realise that the character was the same until I read a review of SOTL in a magazine!

It was 10 years before Lecter re-appeared on film (11 years in print), and the finale to the series (both film and print) Hannibal Rising was a prequel to Red Dragon, showing how he developed his taste for killing.

Film Director Writer(s) Producer(s)
Manhunter (1986) Michael Mann Dino De Laurentiis
Richard Roth
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Jonathan Demme Ted Tally Kenneth Utt
Edward Saxon
Ron Bozman
Hannibal (2001) Ridley Scott David Mamet
Steve Zaillian
Dino De Laurentiis
Martha De Laurentiis
Ridley Scott
Red Dragon (2002) Brett Ratner Ted Tally Dino De Laurentiis
Martha De Laurentiis
Hannibal Rising (2007) Peter Webber Thomas Harris Tarak Ben Ammar
Dino De Laurentiis
Martha De Laurentiis

Lecter has been portrayed by several actors, Brian Cox (Manhunter), Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, Red Dragon). Gaspard Ulliel - (Hannibal Rising) and Aaran Thomas (Hannibal Rising (child))

What I want to know from Mr Harris is this:

  • What happens AFTER events in "Hannibal"?
  • How badly is Lecter's hand damaged?
  • Does Lecter continue his killing spree? If so how?
  • Does he take on an apprentice who continues his killing spree on his behalf? ???

Was it my multi-blogged moan?

Was it my multi-blogged moan that un-locked my new blog http://sequels-and-trilogies.blogspot.com/ ?
I know that blogger took the full 20 days to un-lock a blog of a friend of mine. Now his block WAS highly political but there should be no difference.
Perhaps it was my genuine threat to move to wordpress?

Who knows?

Thank You blogger for acting quickly

Bob de Bilde

in reference to: Prequels, Sequels & Trilogies (view on Google Sidewiki)

Spaghetti Westerns: The Dollars Trilogy

A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

In late 1963, an offer was made to Eastwood's co-star Eric Fleming on Rawhide to star in an Italian made western, originally to be named The Magnificent Stranger (A Fistful of Dollars) to be directed in a remote region of Spain by a relative unknown at the time, Sergio Leone.

However, the money was not much, and Fleming always set his sights high on Hollywood stardom, and rejected the offer immediately.

A variety of actors, including Charles Bronson, Steve Reeves, Richard Harrison, Frank Wolfe, Henry Fonda, James Coburn and Ty Hardin were considered for the main part in the film, and the producers established a list of lesser-known American actors, and asked the aforementioned Richard Harrison for advice.

Harrison had suggested Clint Eastwood, whom he knew could play a cowboy convincingly. Harrison later said: "Maybe my greatest contribution to cinema was not doing Fistful of Dollars, and recommending Clint for the part".

Wednesday 27 January 2010

Favourite Song Trilogy

Despite the trilogy, Endless Enigma, on my featured blog recently, Trilogy by ELP, which itself is very good, my favourite musical trilogy, by far, has to be 10cc's Une Nuit À Paris. They tried, but failed to, eclipse it with Feel the Benefit on Deceptive Bends a few years later. I have reposted the 'Wikipedia' summary, which as always is thorough and precise and copied the track lyrics from the 10cc website (Minestrone.org) and pasted the YouTube track copy at the bottom too. I was privvy to the Original Soundtrack live concert tour and saw this performed live at The Birmingham Odeon in 1975 (twice).

Une Nuit À Paris is a mini Rock Opera by the British Rock band 10cc originally taken from their 1975 album The Original Soundtrack. Despite never been released as a single the song appears on several "best of" compilations from the band including The Very Best Of 10cc (1997) Greatest Hits ... And More (2006). The song was written by the members Kevin Godley and Lol Creme.

Musically the song can be described as Art or Progressive rock due to its multiple time changes and length. It has often drawn comparisons to the 10cc song Feel The Benefit from their 1977 Deceptive Bends album, which is in a similar style.

In English the title translates as One Night In Paris and the suite is divided into three separate parts;

  • Part 1 - One Night In Paris
  • Part 2 - The Same Night In Paris
  • Part 3 - Later That Same Night In Paris

Unlike some epic Rock songs the parts are easily distinguishable as to when they begin and end.

Lyrically the song tells a tale of a British tourist in Paris France. The locals attempt to con the man into buying items such as a Swiss watch and photographs. Eventually the man ends up in the Red Light District and although he feels ripped off sleeps with a prostitute. Due to a series of complications a policeman arrives on the scene and is shot dead.

The song is thought to have been an influence on the famous "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen originally from their A Night At The Opera released in late 1975. The melody can also be heard in the overture to Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical The Phantom of the Opera.

10cc - The Original Soundtrack
1975

lyrics

Une Nuit À Paris

(Creme/Godley)

Part One: One Night in Paris

Mme. Bezier: Bonjour monsieur
Paris really welcomes you
It's the best room in the house
It's forty francs a night, alright.

Touriste: It's crazy, it isn't worth a centime
I'll take it!

Mme. Bezier: Merci Monsieur

Offstage Chorus: Rouged lips in the gaslight
A great view of the hall
That's the way the croissant crumbles after all

Narrator: Paris is only one step away
Les girls are out on bail
Tres bien there's love for sale

Coquette: Oh my cheri, wish you were mine
And I'll show you a wonderful time
For the price of a cheap champagne
I'll show it you once again

Voice of the Streets: One night in Paris
Is like a year in any other place
One night in Paris
Will wipe the smile off your pretty face
One girl in Paris
Is like loving every woman
One night in Paris
One night in Paris
One night in Paris
May be your last!!!

Part Two: The Same Night in Paris

Hustlers (1 to 5): Is he gonna buy?

1. Offstage: You wanna little culture?

Hustlers: Is he gonna pay?

2. Offstage: Maybe Monsieur is into photographs, Non?

Hustlers: Or is he gonna fall in love
The all American way?

3. Offstage: I got a watch wiz a beautiful Swiss movement

Hustlers: Is he gonna buy?

4. Offstage: Oh forget ze watch, I'll show you a good time!

Hustlers: Is he gonna pay?

5. Offstage: Le connoisseur, want something different?

Hustlers: Or is he gonna fall in love
The all American way?

Everyone: Oh you know you ain't no Casanova
You can't even do the Bossa Nova
Or the Tango or the Samba!

Chinese Tarts: Though you are so very charming
No you ain't no Casanova

Hustlers: Is he gonna buy?
Is he gonna pay?
Or is he gonna fall in love
The all American way?
Sometimes I think he will
But then again........................

Voice of the Streets: One night in Paris
Is like a year in any other place!
One night in Paris
Will wipe the smile off your pretty face!

Try a girl in Paris
But try one of mine
Each night in Paris
Each night in Paris
Each night in Paris
Each night in Paris
May be your last!!!

Part Three: Later the same night in Paris

Coquette's Girls: Forty-Two, Quarante-Deux
Rue de Saint Jacques
All our girls are how you say
Good in the sack

Coquette: I was a stripper
On the Champs Elysees
He was a gendarme
In the gendarmerie

Girls: Going Oh La La La
Oh La La La La

Coquette: He was a pimp
In a black beret
But he was an artiste
In his own way

Girls: Going Oh La La La
Oh La La La La

Coquette: When they raided my club that night
They ruined my act with the leather umbrella
the Chief de Police got a fright
He was up in my boudoir with some other fella

Club Clientelle: It's only routine
But I got this feeling
It ain't good for business

Narrator: Then the floor cleared
A woman screamed to herself

Henri's Lover: Henri...Though you're not the toast of Paris
I love you, although you bed and beat me
Henri, leave it alone,
For the gendarme's just doing his job

Narrator: Paris is only one step away

Chorus: Murder is only one step away

Everyone: Notre Dame is ringing her bells
Another gendarme has gone to Hell
Notre Dame is ringing her bells
Another gendarme has gone to Hell
gone to Hell
gone to Hell
gone to Hell

Whole Cast: One night in Paris
Is like a year in any other place
One night in Paris
Will wipe the smile off your pretty face
One girl in Paris
Is like loving every woman
This night in Paris
This night in Paris
This night in Paris
This night in Paris
May be your last!!!

© 1975.



Trilogy by Emerson, Lake and Palmer

Trilogy was the third studio album by British progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, originally released on 6th July 1972 on Island Records (UK) (Atlantic Records (US)).

The album reached #5 on the Billboard 200. "From the Beginning" reached #39 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The interior of the original gatefold sleeve features a photomontage showing multiple images of the band in Epping Forest carpeted with autumn leaves.

The band had already released two very carefully performed studio albums, Emerson, Lake and Palmer (1970) and Tarkus (1971), the former being dominated by virtuoso keyboards and drumming; the latter being as bombastic as it was ambitious. Trilogy, their third studio album, increased ELP's worldwide popularity, and included "Hoedown", which was one of their most popular songs when performing live.

Track listing

Side one

  1. "The Endless Enigma Part One" (Emerson/Lake) – 6:37
  2. "Fugue" (Emerson) – 1:57
  3. "The Endless Enigma Part Two" (Emerson/Lake) – 2:00
  4. "From the Beginning" (Lake) – 4:14 (Listen below or on YouTube)
  5. "The Sheriff" (Emerson/Lake) – 3:22
  6. "Hoedown" Taken from Rodeo (Copland) – 3:48

Side two

  1. "Trilogy" (Emerson/Lake) – 8:54
  2. "Living Sin" (Emerson/Lake/Palmer) – 3:11
  3. "Abaddon's Bolero" (Emerson) – 8:13

Bonus track

  1. "Hoedown" (Copland) - 4:06 (Live)
The Endless Enigma consists of three parts: Endless Enigma Part One, Fugue and Endless Enigma Part Two. Endless Enigma Part One has a 1:36 intro that consists of the Moog, bass drum and Piano. It's very quiet. The song Endless Enigma Part One opens with the sound of a beating heart, an effect created by the bass drum pedal of Palmer's Ludwig Octoplus kit. Notably, this effect was invented by Carl Palmer before it was used on Jethro Tull's A Passion Play (1973).
The opening drum solo on the track "The Sheriff" features a slight time-mistake, followed by drummer Carl Palmer responding with the word "shit" which can be heard when listening carefully. The Sheriff ends with a Honkey Tonk type piano solo with Keith playing a honkey tonk piano and Carl playing woodblocks.
"Abaddon's Bolero" sounds like a martialized Bolero (in 4/4 rhythm rather than the usual 3/4). A single melody containing multiple modulations within itself is repeated over and over in ever more thickly layered arrangements, starting from a quiet hammond organ making a flute-like sound over a snare drum, and building up to an ear-shattering wall of sound. This aspect may well be a nod to the similar effect in Maurice Ravel's famous Bolero. Abaddon's Bolero is very replete with overdubs. Almost every time another instrument comes in, it's another overdub.


Tuesday 26 January 2010

Bob de Bilde gets his 15 minutes of fame...

on IS A C*NT...

http://isacunt.blogspot.com/2010/01/bob-de-bilde.html

Thanks to GOT & the crew

in reference to: Bob De Bilde (view on Google Sidewiki)

My Disgust at Blogger

Blogger has marked one of my blogs (Prequels, Sequels & Trilogies) as spam...

It will be deleted within 20 days if I do not lodge a review

WTF Blogger... I am seriously considering moving all my blogs to the more versatile Wordpress !

I am reposting this on ALL my other open blogs using the sidewikibar thingy!!!

in reference to: My Sony Ericsson Sucks: My Disgust at Blogger (view on Google Sidewiki)

Spin Offs, Crossovers and Bubbles...

My favourite crossovers and Spin-offs (bubbles) are mainly from Sci-Fi shows:

Star Trek Voyager (from Star Trek TOS/NG/DS9)
Stargate Atlantis (from Stargate SG1)
Torchwood (from Doctor Who)

In the past, I have enjoyed other spin offs:

Mork and Mindy (from Happy Days)
Rhoda and Lou Grant (from Mary Tyler Moore)

Crossovers and spin offs or bubbles that made me cringe are:

Laverne and Shirley (also from Happy Days)
Joey (from Friends)
Alien Versus Predator...

Monday 25 January 2010

My Favourite Film Trilogies...

...is a trilogy...

  1. Bourne Identity/Supremacy/Ultimatum: All three are great!


  2. Star Trek II, III & IV: III is weak but still monsterous!



  3. Back to the Future Trilogy: Like all trilogies, the second part is the weakest!