Let's look at Frankenweenie (2012)

Halloween  

   Last year, I looked at the original  30 minute movie "Frankenweenie" that came out in the 1980's.  You can read that post here .

   In 2012,  Tim Burton got a chance again (well it was made before 2012 ) and got a chance to be a feature length film.  This remake is by the same guy so it's more like the first movie was his first draft and this was his another crack at it.

  First off visually , the film does the same thing the first did be presented in black and white , which is a nice touch, and really gives the movie  an atmosphere that  honestly would feel wrong in color. (Like the Munsters)  Unlike the first, this movie is stop motion presented instead of real humans.  The movie's music is great background and doesn't over power it.  

Second,  this remake  being a feature length movie means that it can flesh out it's story lines .  In the original they had to have everything done in  a little over 30 minutes,  (or it's free!) and that's not bad it made the story a simple one, not have to veer off it's main plot focus.   The first 20 minutes of the movie we get the characters backgrounds a little more fleshed out , and relationship of Victor and his dog .Sparky.  Of course, the main event where Sparky is hit by a car happens at the end of the first 15 minutes.   This leads to the whole reason for the naming of this movie , where  Victor  Frankenstein brings his dog back to life.  


Third, the original movie being 30 minutes , as I stated, really had the one single form plot agenda , The A,B,C A: Sparky is killed B, Sparky brought back to life and the events that happen surrounding C. the Climax and end.    In the remake movie there was a chance to add more characters and more subplots.  There's a science fair plot and the results of people finding out that Victor can bring  dead animals back  to life is  little different than the original. Spoilers here:  The added plotline is with the science fair some other kids ,who want to win, find out from  Edgar , a classmate of Victor's , tells them that Victor brought his dog back to life , they want to figure out how, and this causes the big problem int his movie where other kids reanimate animals and cause monsters.

copyright Disney

    Victor , like in the first movie, is interested in film making and science, it's more expressed that he has a joy of science in this movie.  For a movie like this , it's also nice to see where the kid is not having a bully problem or people being jerks to him because reasons , it was also keeping with the original's style, where they didn't have enough time for him to have any of that.
Victor's parents in this movie are very supportive of their son and foster his love of science. His father does seem to want him to do other things , but also doesn't try to force him  to give up science. When they find out about Sparky, like in the first movie , they are shocked and  a little apprehensive  but accept Sparky.  In this movie when they find out about Sparky , he runs away , they go out and help find him.
     They did keep Elsa Van Helsing  name from the first movie in this one, but she was more fleshed out as a character here , where again in the original , due to time , was more just background , when  needed. She  lives with her uncle, like the first movie , who is neighbor of the Frankensteins . She is nice and cares about Victor, and her uncle makes her miserable.  She also has a poodle, that Sparky has dog crush on.
  Edgar , is supposed to remind us of the classic character Igor , spoiler:  his main point for the story was to pretty much  accidentally reveal that Victor  re animated Sparky , so the other kids could re animate some animals that become monsters.

Mr. Rzykruski , is the science teacher the Victor is inspired by and he is very eccentric , but genuinely loves science and wants his students to  be creative. Though this gets him fired because two kids were inspired they were doing something on the roof of their house and apparently that means teacher should be fired. (editorialized last part)

  A very memorable character without  a name , she is a spooky girl that who thinks that her cat , Mr.Whiskers can give predictions. 

  I am not going through all the characters , most of them where there to drive the plot along, though I did point out Edgar. 

Spoiler:   The climax of the movie veers from the first , where Victor when looking for Sparky is now trying to stop these monsters that the other kids created by reanimating creatures.  The other part, the town's people chasing Sparky , like in the first movie. The reason why is a little different and the same, It's the same because they think Sparky is a monster ,though with seeing the other creatures they might in the right  , at least in theory. In the original, the townspeople were chasing the dog because they thought he was a monster  and misjudging the fact the dog was still the same just undead,where they learn their lesson when they help bring Sparky back to life again.  Both movies have this windmill scene where Victor ends up in one, and it's accidentally set on fire by the mob.  In this movie, Elsa is in the windmill , but Victor saves her. Sparky goes to save Victor  while he's fighting this monster and is knocked unconscious , Sparky saves his life.  Sparky is dragged inside by the cat bat ,that was formerly the weird girl's cat. After the windmill breaks down ,once again Sparky is dead.  We do get the get the jump-start scene again where the town works together to bring back Sparky. 

    I think this is a good movie,  nice and spooky and it was a nice to  expand upon the 30 minute original while keeping the story the same. The animation is wonderful and love that went with black and white like the original.  They didn't do any unnecessary padding/filler and everything paced well.   

Freeform Announces their Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas schedule

Freeform Christmas 

        As promised, even though ABC Family has rebranded they are keeping their old programming blocks around , like the annual Countdown to 25 days of Christmas programming, this year it starts on Thanksgiving Day , November 24th.
New movies include :"The Odd Life of Timothy Green" (network tv premiere) ,"Boxtrolls (network premiere) , and "Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits".

Thursday, November 24
11:30AMET  Charlie and The Chocolate Factor
2:05 PMET   Disney's Mulan
4:10PMET  Disney/ Pixar's  Brave
6:20PMET    Toy Story
8:20PMET       Toy Story 2
10:30PMET   Toy Story of Terror!
12AMET  Dennis the Menace (1993)


Friday, November 25
11:30AMET   Little Rascals (1994)
1:40PMET   The Odd Life of Timothy Green (Freeform Premiere)
4:10PMET    Toy Story
6:10PMET   Toy Story 2
8:20pmet    Toy Story of Terror!
8:50PMET     Despicable Me
12AMET        Happy Feet 2

Saturday, November 26
7AMET    The  Odd Life of Timothy Green
9:30AMET  Happy Feet 2
11:30AMET  Another Cinderella Story
1:30PMET    Matilda
3:55PMET   The Boxtrolls (Freeform Premiere)
5:40PMET  Despicable Me
7:45PMET   Tangled
9:55PMET    Wreck-It-Ralph
12AMET      Tooth Fairy

Sunday, November 27th
7AMET   Another Cinderella Story
9:10AMET  Tooth Fairy
11:15AMET  Matilda
1:25PMET  The Boxtrolls
3:35PMET  Wreck-It Ralph
5:45PMET  Tangled
8PMET   Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits (Network TV Premire)
10PMET   Disney's Snow White

Monday, November 28th
5:30PMET   Fred Claus
8PMET   The Holiday (Freefrom Premiere)
12AMET    Scrooged

Tuesday, November 29th
5PMET  The Holiday
12AMET  Jingle All the Way

Wednesday, November 30th
7pmet   Jingle All the Way
9PMET  National Lampoon's  Christmas Vacation
12PMET  Deck the Halls


We will have the 25 Days of Christmas schedule when that is released

The Lookback : Our newest Hero, Dracula

The Flashback   Halloween 

          It wouldn't be Halloween with out Dracula (though honestly, I want a Dracula Christmas special) and so there's a Halloween special , that we found that is about Dracula and Halloween. It's called " The Halloween that Almost wasn't" or " The Night Dracula Saved the World" , which I think is much cooler title. It came out in 1979 and first aired on ABC. It starred Judd Hirsh, who you may know from the 1989 sitcom , "Dear John", or more famously  "Taxi".  So let's lookback (boo ...no sorry I am not being a ghost I am booing that )

       Dracula and Igor (who apparently keeps getting hired away from Dr. Frankenstin in these movies)  see a news report that Count Dracula  has called all the other monsters of the world (well  that universe is indeed dusturbing) and this confirms a rumor that Halloween is going away. (Judging from the title  it almost  wasn't,)  Dracula is perturbed by this.  There is a family watching in Transylvania (what? they have great schools)  and they also hear the news that Halloween could be gone soon.  The parents explain to their kids , and I guess indirectly us the audience (Yeah  you are being watched!)  about how old is Halloween, why their are jack-o-laterns , why people get dressed up.  Dracula is un happy that they are suggesting that he wants to end Halloween  ,because he wouldn't do that because that's his "National Holiday".
                 

"Really good tax rate, as well" 

   The other monsters start to appear at Dracula's  , like a wolfman , Herman Munster ...ok kidding Frankenstein's monster , the king of the living dead who is a zombie (ok then ) , a mummy (not sure which one ) ,and a witch played by Mariette Hartley. Dracula makes his grand appearance to tell the monsters that they aren't scary anymore. (To be fair , the Mummy stopped being scary when it was going so slow)   He wants to be their "horrible selves" or be replaced.  The Witch  says that she quits. Her reason is that she is tired of being a witch, the jokes ,tired of not being loved  (awwww) and tired of Dracula, it was her who started the rumor about Dracula's Halloween ending plan.  The Witch has a list of demands that she wants ole' Drac to  follow.

"I want better health coverage , Dracula" 

   

     The Witch wants to be an all the marketing (well that's a thing, what universe is this?) , to be sweet to be the other monsters and be sweet to them, become co-leader of the monster world. Dracula says no and she leaves.  Dracula turns into a bat to talk to her , but she tells him that he will be dead because of the sun. (his one weakness)   The next night, the monsters are watching the news  who apparently  has been watching this movie too says that unless the witch flies past the moon tonight, there's no Halloween anymore.  (Wait why? , what ? how? Ummm  why place so much power in a witch for a holiday? uhhh what?)  The monsters and Dracula go to the witch and capture her. Dracula wants to have a chat with her but she  makes the three musketeers appear   from her painting (well that's a thing).  Igor takes her broom (I hope she doesn't have  a spare) she's in a room and Dracula is trying to get in, and Igor needs to whisper next time, because everyone can hear him.  Dracula  turns into a tiny bat  and sneaks into the room ,but since she heard the plan she was ready to chase him out.
       

 It's Dracula!!!!

      The next plan is to send Igor to try the window route, but these guys don't understand  the idea of whispering their plans to make sure she can't hear them. Dracula gives into her demands , including disco dancing. (aww the 70's) The Witch changes her mind , she says she doesn't want to be a witch anymore because she wants to be loved. Well then a random kid appears at her door (what I am watching?) and begs to her please don't make Halloween to get canceled. It's the kids from the family we saw and they are really there.  She opens the door and kids tell her that they love her. (gets these onions out of here) The Witch agrees to do her ride .(yay!)
     

Hmm that moon looks fake ....

    Since it's the 1970's the special ends with Disco dancing ... with Dracula and the witch. The other monsters are dancing there too.
                                    
                                                       Dance Dance away !

     That's the special, it did give me some genuine  laughs  and it had some great timing, and  the acting for Dracula was great. It's a nice special to watch with the family and ends with disco, so I was pleasantly surprised.  
That's the lookback tune in next time when  Herman Munster and  Sabrina the Teenage witch offer demands to Dracula for better parking.

You can watch it here  (look for parts 2 and 3)

The Lookback: The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone

The Flashback

       October has Halloween in it , so  of course we are looking at Halloween or something related to Halloween , specials. That brings us to the Flintstones, our favorite pre-historic family,  and a special that first aired on NBC in 1979 , and repeated later in the 90's on Cartoon Network and Boomerang , that is our lookback.

    Fred and Wilma are going on  TV game show  called "Make a Deal or Don't" (the most passive aggressive title in TV history) in costume (somebody at H&B liked 'Let's Make Deal')  Barney and Betty are also going.   At the game show Monty Marble  picks Barney to  play. The Offer is trade in $1,000 for what ever behind the curtain. (OZ?) After Betty yells keep the money, he decides to keep the money, Fred is annoyed at that.  Monty called Fred up  he gives Fred  $1,000 (that's it I am leaving)  or the choice what is behind the curtain ,and he picks what is behind the curtain, and that would be a free trip for 2 to  Rocksylvania (the confusing thing is that Pennsylvania or Transylvania because what?)  where they get to spend it at the home of Count Rockula. (hey title drop)  Monty Marble lets Barney choose again , if he turns in the $1,000 him and the wife can go to Rocksyvania too. (That's how games shows work? Or plot device time!)  Betty says take it , and Wilma does too. Barney takes the deal.  (Though, I do wonder why the host is so willing to give away trip)

Looks Romantic to me .../copyright Hanna and Barbera

     The Rubbles and Flintstones are in Rockyslvaina , which looks creepy and spooky. (and positively oooky)  Igor picks them up and on the way he talks about how Count Rockula was scared of werewolves so he was working in his lab on to make a Frankenstone's monster. (Well that's a plan)  Though Igor might be putting on act.  At the hotel there's a costume party which will go all night long (all night).  Fred and Barney find a secret passage slide that takes them to a laboratory , as they get out of there lighting strikes some whatever those things are , and powers up a Frankenstone (we are using the special's term) and it starts to wake up and growl. (He's not an evening person)  The creature goes to a secret passage to a casket to wake up Rockula, who has been alseep for 500 years. (He had gotten a new sleep number coffin or he was dead tired )  Rockula hears the party and the music and decides to check it out.
       

      I wake up looking this good/ copyright Hanna and Barbera

       Count Rockula and Frankenstone miss Fred and Barney because  they were going to sleep, and they are see the party and the count yells at them to leave his house at once. (Get off my Castle , darn kids and their parties)  Count Rockula turns into a bat and starts to terrorize the party  and everyone starts to leave. Count Rockula and Frankenstone check if anyone is still left around (we know that the Flintstones and Rubbles are still there). Fred notices it's too quiet ,but Wilma thinks nothing of it and goes back to sleep.  Rockula does check the room that  he made for his bride and this is the room that Fred and Wilma were using and he sees Wilma thinking it's his bride.  Fred goes  to see if the food is still there from the party and Barney is there too.  Rockula wakes up Wilma and she thinks it's the hotel manager (because he was wearing the costume of count Rockula)  and he takes her away.

 You are too un dead for me/Copyright Hanna and Barbera

     Fred notices that Wilma is missing  so he and Betty go searching for her , while she is with Count Rockula and not very happy.  Count Rockula turns into a bat to prove that he is not the manager and she tells him that she's not his bride. Rockula decides he must make her , his bride anyway and she she tells him she's married. He says that it's illegal to Marry a woman who is already married (well then that's a comment) so he wants to make her a widow. (gasp) Wilma escapes and out runs them so they have to search for her.   Rockula and Frankenstone catch up to  Fred, Betty, and Barney and out run them.  The trio finds Wilma and she tells them that Count Rockula wants Fred dead. (ha rhyme) Luckily a werewolf  mask falls on Barney and this scares Count Rockula.
 

                                        That is quite scary/ copyright Hanna and  Barbera

      The four of them escape ,but Rockula turns into a bat and catches up to them and stops them at the gate, Wilma has Barney fake being a rooster to scare him to think that the sun was coming up so Rockula flies back to his casket. (whimp)  The train shows up and they make it back home  (well that was an ending?)  But wait we have about 4 minutes of run time so... something is going to happen?  Yep, Count Rockula followed them in bat form (still a wimp) and surprises Wilma in the kitchen. Rockula pleads that she should be his wife ,and says that he will have servants to wait on her hand and foot and a nice fancy place to live. (take the deal! , what? Don't look at us like that)   Rockula offers to build a castle in Bedrock. Wilma says she will consider when he says her word will be his command. (she took the deal!) Then her conditions are : to stop sleeping all day, and other things he should do, this makes the count leave. (I see what her plan was )  It ends all happy with a Yabba Dabba do!
   
That's the special : Well it's not scary but it's the Flintstones so I guess it won't be it is quite pacey for a  46 minute special it doesn't drag.  It has some funny moments , and love the breaking 4th wall moments of Wilma and Frankenstone.  It's a great play off the Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster characters and  they are great characters.  It's a great watch you can find it on DVD  in the Flintstones:Prime-time specials collection -Volume 1, which also includes a few other specials.

 That's the lookback , tune in next time when the Flinstones meet Scooby and the Gang and learn to take off Count Rockula's mask.




   

List of 10 : Ten Great Former Soap Opera Themes or Intros

Soaps    List of 10 

   We have looked at a lot of Soaps here on Joshuaonline , this time we thought we do a rarity for this site a List.  Since the list  has the word great  in it, that means it's  mostly subjective  so your results may very in agreement. Though if you have a favorite you can tell us .  For this list  we have decided to do soaps that are no longer running , and American Soaps.  We may do later lists of UK soap intros and of ones that are still running. We may have included one primetime , American soap in here too because they are rarer and you'll see.   Let's get started.

10. Dark Shadows   

We've written about this soap before , it's the most interesting thing . The soap is about vampires and other supernatural things  so it's theme really fits , it has the  dark haunting feel to it. I can compare the  sound it makes to ghosts. It does have a feel to it that makes it stand out. 

9. Passions 

   For a Soap that did it's own thing  and could get dark  even supernatural ...the theme song really could throw you off.    The theme song is called  "Breathe" By  Jane French , it is really a great theme and deserved that daytime Emmy.

   here is the full theme 

8.  All  My Children  (Early 90's theme) 

This one was a hard one because this show has a lot of Themes that I love , but in the frame of this top ten list this is the one that goes into the list.  The Drum and piano bring into the theme then the sax takes care of the rest. I love the mixture it fit All My Children Well.

7. Guiding Light  (1975 theme/intro ) 

    This one is light and simple , it feels like  a summer afternoon which is something  of an interesting affect for a  a Theme song. The Intro around this time is short and sweet. It's the sun coming  through some tree leaves and branches.
 
    I chose the closing for the featured video because it's longer  , you can see the intro here .

6.As The World Turns (1990's Theme) 

    As The World Turns  themes seemed to be the classiest themes I've heard in a soap  , this was a harder choice but I feel the 1990's theme has a simpleness to it ,yet a grandeur which is a lot to say for a soap theme. It's not long  in the intro but it does it's job and feels so well done. 

      
     That it's I am calling that number.  I chose the ending credits, glad I found one without the annoying voice over ,gosh networks shut up sometimes.   Here is an intro from the same period 

    

5.Ryan's Hope

   This is  a soap we have covered in a Lookback .   "Ryan's Hope" Theme is a happy  and optimistic sounding theme it may  even through you off  from the what comes after it ,which could be happy or not. The theme really captures you into the show.
  As the note the theme didn't change really through the show's history , but the opens did the open I picked was from 1980 and even the images of New York seem happy and optimistic it fits the music well.

                           

4. The Edge of  Night 

        We have covered this soap before  in a lookback , but theme , well the more famous theme is interesting one. It has a spooky haunting sound with an ominous feel too it.  For a crime and mystery soap the theme fits very well.   

   

                           For a bonus here is the theme with words to it .     If I were to  put this seperate it would be on this list as it's own the Jazzy disco version is amazing. Here 

3.  Sunset Beach (First theme) 

      We've written about Sunset Beach here before . It's theme is amazing , it has a great melodrama sound . It really gets you ready for the soap , the intro itself doesn't do much  just showing you the faces of who is on the show , so the music really brings the flare.
 
                      

2.   One Life To Live  (Mid 80's theme) 

     This one is also my favorite  themes of One Life to  Live , the music is upbeat and lively (maybe the pun was intended) It's a catchy one , It gets stuck in my head where it can at any point randomly just  pop in my head and I hum it.

                             
               Also the closing credits  of course have more you listen to that here 

Now there is more after the Jump including my  number 1 pick.

List of 10's : Our favorite Sabrina the Teenage Witch episodes

List of 10's 

     Sabrina the Teenage witch came out 20 years ago to  ABC and ran for 7 seasons  and switched networks in the middle.  I love this show, if it's on I will watch it (unless it's at very late night and I am sleeping) . This is hard list to do , for me , because I love more than ten episodes of this show. What this list will be is just 10 favorite episodes, and for fun ...no ranking.(The Numbers mean nothing , they are just numbers)  So let's jump in. 

  

1.  As Westbridge Turns (Season 1 Episode 21) 

 From : Sabrina The Teenage Witch wiki/ copyright Viacom 

   I love this episode because they do a great job at soap opera parody there's love triangles, there's a janitor with an eye patch, there's amnesia. It is  a fun episode taking all those things making a great story. Plus 12:36 (P.M) for fans of the show you know what I mean.   It also shows how great Sabrina and Harvey's relationship is how even remembers the time they met, 

2. Sabrina the Teenage Writer (Season 3, Episode 18)  

 From : Sabrina The Teenage Witch wiki/ copyright Viacom 

   Similar to the first one , where Sabrina uses a magic typewriter (because of course it was) and writes a story and turns out real and she has to fix everything.  It's a fun episode, I really liked the interaction between the expiry characters  like the Libby expiry character Lydia Kissandkill (great name) attacks Mr.Kraft. And Mr.Kraft's  expiry Dr.Bad is a funny character.  The Windows 95 joke made laugh hard for some reason.  Also the  B plot , with the aunts in the chain letter was funny and inventive instead of them having bad luck in the moral style of this plotline ,since it's a witch chain letter there is actual chains and magic things happen to them. 

3. "A Girl and Her Cat" (Season 1 ,Episode 11)

 copyright Viacom 

   I have to say that I love this show's Christmas episodes, they are hard to pick from (especially the first 5 season's Christmas episodes) , but I am going with this one from season 1 because it's a nice showing of Sabrina and Salem's relationship.  At first Sabrina is mad a Salem for messing up her time with her friends ,but when he ends up missing and cat napped by a little boy , she misses the warlock cat and does everything to get him back.  It also has a a great guest star for Clarissa fans. It has also a lot of good humor and gags in it to keep you laughing.  

4. "To Tell a Mortal" (Season 2, Episode 10)

 From : Sabrina The Teenage Witch wiki/ copyright Viacom 

      On Friday the 13th, Witches can tell mortals that they are witch  and the memories of the mortals will be erased after the day is over. Sabrina , of course uses this to tell Valarie and Harvey that she is a witch. Sabrina learns that her friends are good friends that they are accepting of her witch powers and being a witch. That makes it a good episode to see how strong their friendship is ,even when Libby brings an angry mob because Sabrina being witch the friends lie for her and protect her. 

5. "Silent Movie"  (Season 3, Episode 24)  

 From : Sabrina The Teenage Witch wiki/ copyright Viacom 

     I think I really like the episodes that do parody because this one parody's silent movies . When two spells are cast under the same house it turns the the house into a silent movie, just as poor Sabrina wants to tell Harvey she loves him.  Hilda and Sabrina think that Mr.Kraft is going to pop the question to Zelda.   They do a fun job at doing parody on the silent movies, like the being tied to the rail road tracks,   Even the dedication of them just using music and going back and white adds to the episode.

6.  The  Whole Ball of Wax (Season 6, Episode 12) 

 From : Sabrina The Teenage Witch wiki/ copyright Viacom 

   This is episode is sad, at the same time does go the opposite  of what was said the pilot where Sabrina wasn't able to see her mother for two years. Sabrina sees her mother who was following her around  and when they meet up her mother turns in a ball of wax.  The witch's council decrees they can't see each other. The Aunts try and find a loophole , while Sabrina spends time with her ball of wax mother, and she happens to turn back into a person, but they can't  look at each other.  I do like this episode, even though it's sad because it's nice to see Sabrina and her mother, and Sabrina trying to give her mother  a good time even if she is a ball of wax , we never really had an episode about these two , and it's nice to see none the less, 

7. Pancake Madness (Season 3 , Episode 5) 

 From : Sabrina The Teenage Witch wiki/ copyright Viacom 

      Sabrina can't have pancakes because the Spellmans  are addicted to them (oops). Of course , she eats some and gets addicted and can't stop having them.  This episode goes into that funny surreal category especially  the giant talking syrup bottle was a great character. 

8. "Five Easy Pieces of Libby" (Season 2 ,Episode 14) 

 From : Sabrina The Teenage Witch wiki/ copyright Viacom 

   Sabrina and Libby don't get along and Sabrina casts a spell to keep Libby away from her ,but her quizmaster reverses the spell and Sabrina has to stay with Libby ,but after an argument Sabrina goes to far and Libby breaks in a puzzle, that Sabrina has to solve.  This episode is nice to see Sabrina learning more about Libby like how her mother is a little mean and Libby cares about her Grandmother.  The B plot of Hilda and Salem's cleaning scheme is great as well  and fits in their characters , Hilda did work with Salem to try to take over the world before. 

9. "A River of Candy Corn runs through it" (Season 2, Episode 7) 

 From : Sabrina The Teenage Witch wiki/ copyright Viacom 

  The Halloween episodes give me hard  choice to make , as well, but this one gets my pick because of it's downright off the rails fun.  There's talking furniture , candy corn , all over the place, Salem talking and more.  Sabrina thinking that everyone will think she's a witch but they think all the magic are fakes and this makes a great Halloween episode.  Also there's  a sweet moment between the Quiz master and Sabrina. It has tons of laughs and enjoyment and 10,000 Maniacs guest stars. 

10. Sabrina the Teenage Boy (Season 2, Episode 6) 

 From : Sabrina The Teenage Witch wiki/ copyright Viacom 

   Sabrina becomes a boy to spy on Harvey ,this falls into I like it because the story and funny, Harvey still like likes Sabrina and wants to see if she still likes him. Hilda's plot line where she turns into a man to get Mr.Kraft  to go away is funny and nice to see that he would fight a big guy for Hilda's honor.  

  That's my favorite 10, in no particular order, this list could have been much longer, what  are your favorites? You can comment below or email us. Thanks for Reading. 

It's a Lookback ,Charlie Brown : It was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown

Peanuts  Flashback 


       According to calendars: September means summer ends  (unless you are in Australia reading us on Joshauonline.blogspot.com.au     then happy spring to you) and sometimes summer feels short that's the special we are looking at this time.
    "It was a Short Summer ,Charlie Brown" premiered on CBS (Can't be Sad) in September of 1969.  It was the first special not have a majority of the cast from the "A Charlie Brown Christmas". It was the last special of the 1960's as well.
   

     The special begins with Charlie Brown telling Sally she has to go to school and the only thing that convinces her  is the new lunchbox that her mother bought her.  She's is not every happy about Kindergarten.   In school Charlie Brown and Linus are caught playing hangman in class , and Linus reminds her that she hasn't given assignments. (you block head)   The Teacher comes up with the assignment a 500 word essay on what they did for summer.  Linus' writing his paper goes in flashback mode and we hear what the characters were planning for summer until Lucy announces that she signed everyone up for summer camp. (Question: can she do that , I mean the parents have to sign some papers or something?, Don't look at us like that)

  We are more glampers... thankyou very much /copyright Peanuts 

    While waiting to go we get a Snoopy  imagining that he is driving the bus  (with trippy 60's scenes)   until the bus driver forces him away.   Charlie Brown is chosen as his tent's captain  which contains  Linus, Schroeder  ,Shermy, Pigpen, and Snoopy.   This story in the special is also being written by Charlie Brown and Lucy , so we have some connectivity as one story.  Lucy apparently is the leader of the girls. The boys challenged  the girls to a  swimming race  that goes as well as you would expect for the boys.

 As well as you expect / Copyright Peanuts 

             

          Lucy writes about the softball game that the boys vs girls were playing  and Linus writes that they lost the softball game (I'm shocked!)  and that the camp fire didn't go well either.  The girls came over to "cheer up" the boys and they start singing.  Charlie Brown then writes about the nature hunt when he hears about a canoe race  which he doesn't do to well in.  Charlie Brown wants to challenge the girls to wrist wrestling  and he introduces Snoopy (the masked marvel ) as someone who could challenge Lucy.
                       

 I am the champion/copyright Peanuts 

      Snoopy goes through training for the big match up . Charlie Brown issues the challenge of Snoopy versus the girls' champion. Lucy says they will be ready at lunchtime.  Guess who? Yeah it will be Lucy versus Snoopy. The competition goes on and Snoopy wins after he kisses Lucy on the nose.
               

Went as well I expected/ copyright Peanuts 

    Anyway, back to current time and Charlie Brown only wrote 13 words for his essay and he got a C- while Linus got an A.  He remarks "It was a short summer ,Charlie Brown" and Charlie Brown ends by saying "It looks like it's going to be a long winter".

   That's our lookback,  tune in next time when Charlie Brown  finds out he hates Mondays.. wait that's Garfield.

The Lookback : Arthur 20 : Brain Freeze/Arthur Calls it/ Besties

The Flashback  Arthur 20

    So we have looked at 1 episode season no matter if we like that episode or not, because of the random process we did to find the episode. Now this is our last of this , tapping into seasons 17,18,and 19.   Yes , going out with a bang of 3 episodes , yay! If you missed our last posts : Post 1, Post 2, Post 3, Post 4, Post 5, Post 6, Post 7, Post 8, click those links.

  So let's get to season 17.  Season 17 aired between  2013-2014  ,and it's the second season animated by 9 Story , and you  can see a bigger difference in the animation this season, compared to last.

Our episodes is 10b , the final episode of this season, and apparently Brain is well liked by our system because he wins  again. "Brain Freeze" is the name of the episode.

(Also : Since this is a Brain episode , if you aren't knowing of Arthur ,we are spelling Brain like the thing in your head, it's the kid's nickname , so we aren't spelling Brian wrongly, thank you)

Monologue:  Buster is taking about a new ice-cream shop opening across the street of the one Brain's family owns. (Because of course it is) The other kids are talking about the new store and looking at the impressive wording they use in the ad. Like Ice cream in an edible waffle holder , (guess what that is?). Brain laments  that they are falling for the fancy wording , but they say they aren't and they are loyal customers.  Binky then comes in and says that YumBobo (the other Ice cream shop) is giving away free ice cream (welp we are out of here!).  The other kids run out to see it, and Brian says he gives away free samples all the time. (Why?)

The Episode : (that monologue was just extra episode soooooo)  The kids are waiting at Yumbobo watching a dancing blue penguin dance and give away ice cream,  Brain decides to check out this store. (Like when Walmart visits Target)  The store has a bunch of future looking stuff and long names for Vanilla.  Brain really takes that heart that it's not called vanilla there , and they call the security penguin (time for this statement: What the heck are we watching?) to escort him to the cash register.

 "Come with me ,Kid, you don't to make me angry"/Copyright WGBH 

    At home Brain does some science stuff to the ice cream to prove that there's no different to vanilla  (let it go! see sh) and other flavors as well that they are just using fancy names. (we knew this already)    He tells  Buster that they are using gimmicks to rip people off. (You know people don't have to shop there right?)  Brain says that if they don't get more business his family's store could go out of business. He promises not to steep to their silly gimmicks.  So he tries his own!
               

 He blinded me with Science!/Copyright WGBH 

     Muffy suggests that he needs to give a story of his product , so decides to help him with new ideas to promote the ice cream.  One of the ideas is that it's 1905 (good, I have to warn about World War I) and how the family was making ice cream that's passed down through the generations.  Brain doesn't like this because they've only had the store for 4 years. (Since Nixon?)  So he storms out.   Brain imagines that his family's store has gone out of business and asks his mom what are they going to do next? (We are going to Disney World, Allan)  She says that was offered a new job ,he asks what and she doesn't want to talk about it. (Gosh, this is children's show, bad writers oh... she's scrubbing floors , oh thank goodness oh my, woo) She's cleaning floors at the other ice cream shop and if she doesn't yay right , she will have to clean the mascot's cage. (ummm I have  a question... What are we watching?)
                 
   

hmmmm that's not how any of this works/ Copyright WGBH 

         Brain decides to go the joke shop and get a polar bear costume (sell out)  and he tries to sell ice cream outside the store. He even resorts to using funny names for the icecream. (sell out!) A bee puts a kabosh to his plans. (good work bee) Buster asks he thought that Brain wouldn't sell out. (our wording)
  Time for our question! : Where the Heck is Arthur, this show is called Arthur where is he?!  ok carry on.
                 
     Buster tries juggling the ice cream and it lands on the counter and the two ice creams mix , pistachio  and coffee. (ok then) Brain likes it too, Buster saved the day (thanks to the Powerpuff girls)    Jump cut ... The new ice cream store is looking a little bare as everyone is visiting Brian's again because of the new mixing thing.  The completion comes in fake beards , trench coats , and hats (that's how my parties go) to scope what's going on.  Oh the end.
   (Oh there's Arthur in the background , yay!!)

                                 There he is ! Right there in the background! see /copyright WGBH

  Well , that's the episode and  that was umm and it was alright , could have been better , but Buster was great, and also   Brain did have reason to be upset about the competition , but it did work out for the best and there we go. Sadly though, LACK OF ARTHUR , this show is called Arthur!

more after the Jump  with season 18 and 19 episode selections.