I don't want to ping-pong in discussions all day. What I don't want to say is that the PoundMeToo movement (despite some incidental good coming from it) has too easily caused programmers to cave. It is in itself the untraceable gun being passed around. False binaries rule. "Oh, you won't ban that song? You and your sponsors must be pro-rape. You insensitive bastards!" People have been radicalized beyond reason. And I say this on principle. Baby it's Cold is not my cup of tea - I didn't get exposure to it until a few years back. On principle - and this makes me look like an arsehole at first blush - I passionately resist letting things go at the behest of or ostensibly to protect unstable people. And I celebrate provocative material. I make sure to show people Team America: World Police or The Dictator (genius hybrid of rom-com format and scathing satire of evil and idealism at once), and Heathers. My own writing stomps on eggshells. When last year I realized Dave and some support structure for Porno the Clown would steer away from my writing and not vindicate 10 years (off and on) of work, that was largely the same issue. My glib fidelity to my drawings and inflammatory rejoinders versus what the kids today sarcastically call SJW sensibility watering it down. That would have been a nightmare. So I don't want to be disingenuous. I recently wrote a rant about the dynamic of victims becoming offenders in many cases and how their acting out these days may only be imposing control over what the rest of us can see or hear. I have attended on air show to cover it for community TV - nightmare for the neck and eyes. Not a dog in this fight. But advocates for the triggered immigrant have their argument and I may be in favor of the conflict as natural but not necessarily a contrived resolution to the conflict. As for muzac of Baby it's Cold Outside I call bullshit. I would not have likely recognized the melody in 50 years on this earth, and it is only some "busybody" kicking off a dark interpretation that gets folks like Chae affronted and taking it personally. Months back I realized she was chiming in a lot and personally triggered and she disclosed her personal trauma so since I had not added her in the first place I blocked her because I expected I might answer future posts on Angela's FB. Didn't bother bringing it up when I was one of two audience members for the Pirate Ship show, but no doubt Dave read her a post on your thread. To be honest I suspect her influence on Dave doomed the planned version of PTC. Sorry this note is long. This is how my day starts. I like movies and music to kick people in the ass. A makes person walking down University may not be appropriate but it is the germ that tests the immune system. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ A few people got it into their heads that I have suggested funds are being raised to bribe radio stations to ban the song Baby it's cold outside. That is an example of someone interjecting bat guano into a discussion. It would be redundant to bribe a radio station to ban a song after the down hill momentum of social media frenzy has gotten rolling against it. Some otherwise intelligent people have embraced the idea that one person's alleged bad reaction to a song on mall musac is everybody's problem. I can understand a boyfriend taking that on as his protective mission for his perpetually triggered girlfriend. But no doubt hearing the melody of a song that SOME people have officially misinterpreted can't be so upsetting as my own (often strained polite) social media posts which are text that merely fail to parrot the popular lies of the day. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Clarification/correction. Meg Lily put a spin on my words, "When certain slacktivists begin to lobby.... Money talks". Does NOT mean they are bribing programmers. They don't need to be bribed. Lobby can mean e-mailing or boycotting - actions that can detract or distract and cause mischaracterization of a station or studio and hurt the bottom line and life's too short. They have other songs or shows. So again, not money coming in but lack of profit coming in is the meaning intended for money talks. All the google hits I got got for " Ban Baby its cold outside" were each a report of a different radio station dropping the song "in the wake of the PoundMeToo movement." I say that's preemptive action and FEAR of being perceived as on the wrong "side" of that hashtag / lightening rod.

Red Letter Media's review of Attack of the Clones

Harry S. Plinkett's bang-on observations use clips as proof, whether or not he is as insane as his home movie clips demonstrate from time to time throughout the visual essay on Attack of the Clones.

Amazing Stories

Volume 2 hasn't been released to DVD. I'll be one of the few people in Toronto who buy it.
I used to tape each episode on VHS and edit out the commercials by pausing back in 1985.
I'm a fan of Steven Spielberg, even when that isn't a popular thing to admit. But in 1985 it was fairly safe. His first TV series - not including series' he had worked on before breaking into features - wasn't embraced by Neilsen families, but I liked it. Had Spielberg given us a ritual - like personal introductions or bookends in the style of Alfred Hitchcock Presents - it may have gone beyond the two-season contract it had. But back then Amazing Stories and Alfred Hitchcock were part of the same entertainment block hour in most markets if not all.

I wouldn't make a blanket statement about anything. I take each episode for what it is.

Season 1 Season 1, Episode 1: Ghost Train (fun and somewhat touching - esp recently, for me)

Season 1, Episode 2: The Main Attraction (superficial, mild fun)

Season 1, Episode 3: Alamo Jobe (A few amusing moments but a lame idea)

Season 1, Episode 4: Mummy Daddy (Total fun, good idea well executed)

Season 1, Episode 5: The Mission (Certainly well directed; takes a big risk with it's ending, a deus ex machina that could be the heart of the problem people have with AS - one can't be amazed by a device that takes a story from somewhat realistic and harrowing to magic-solution)

Season 1, Episode 6: The Amazing Falsworth (Actually quite well done and involving episode.)

Season 1, Episode 7: Fine Tuning (This Uncle Milty stuff barely played in the 80's and likely wouldn't work for kids today. It might have good intentions but it's terrible aliens. hamming it up.)

Season 1, Episode 8: Mr. Magic (I like this one. Sid Caesar strikes the right note and it is clearly somewhat about his own ups and downs so there is more than the story itself. The premise seems to have been recently lifted and used in a short that preceded Wall-E in theaters.)

Season 1, Episode 9: Guilt Trip (Fun, light romp, harmless though somewhat a rip-off of Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality. The lame factor kicks in with the Casablanca "beginning of a beautiful friendship" which plays to me like finger-nails on the chalkboard. Over all, it goes for a few dark laughs which could have had more emphasis.)

Season 1, Episode 10: Remote Control Man (Basically fun Bob Clark fluff. The TV character definitely date it, and Adam Sandler has recently made "Click" which shares some of its content, but it is certainly not badly done.)

Season 1, Episode 11: Santa '85 (I have to watch this again now that I know Matt Damon is the boy. This was a favorite for the kids in my family. Pat Hingle is excellent and the magic of the ending works because they don't waste time making us guess if he is the "real" Santa.)

Season 1, Episode 12: Vanessa in the Garden (Interesting Eastwood episode that may be too slow and aloof or too mature for my own tastes. I was bored despite likeing everyone involved.)

Season 1, Episode 13: The Sitter (Total fun with a central character I think about often. Great example of a high point for the series.)

Season 1, Episode 14: No Day at the Beach (I have nothing against this episode but I'm also not sure of it's message that we should be nice to the geek because one day he might magically save everybody. Still well done for what it is.)

Season 1, Episode 15: One for the Road (This has the content of an O. Henry short story but it made no impression on me.)

Season 1, Episode 16: Gather Ye Acorns (Great fun present for Mark Hamill fans the world over, like myself. Anyone else might find it over-stated with the character reaching an absurd low. I agree with the message, but seeing it illustrated makes me question it.)

Season 1, Episode 17: Boo! (I actually like this idea and the approach of it. Nothing wrong with it's clash of generational tastes and tolerance.)

Season 1, Episode 18: Dorothy and Ben (This may be my favourite. Certainly the most emotionally moving. I find it very involving to the point of being embarrassed. The actors are terrific. What some people call "emotional manipulation" I call good filmmaking.)

Season 1, Episode 19: Mirror, Mirror (Clearly about Stephen King and his demons. I find it fun and it's interesting to see Scorcese just concentrating on shot design and having fun.)

Season 1, Episode 20: Secret Cinema (I'm a Griffin Dunn fan, so this kind of insanity appeals to me.)

Season 1, Episode 21: Hell Toupee (Whimsical idea that is harmless and sort of has something to say about vanity, so I like it. Cute fun.)

Season 1, Episode 22: The Doll (Kind of a touching John Lithgow episode. If you are in the right mood for it, this one is quaint and full of empathy.)

Season 1, Episode 23: One for the Books (The old janitor absorbing information from being near books has a progression of events but I'll be darned if I remember it adding up to anything or having much to say. It's a waste of a premise, from what I recall.)

Season 1, Episode 24: Grandpa's Ghost (Kind of embarrassing and uncomfortable.)

Season 2 Season 2, Episode 1: The Wedding Ring (Danny and Rhea are terrific in this. Actually it's the best thing DeVito has directed, even War of the Roses. Total fun.)

Season 2, Episode 2: Miscalculation (I think I liked it better when it was called Weird Science.)

Season 2, Episode 3: Magic Saturday (Liked it better when it was called Shoeless Joe - and later Field of Dreams)

Season 2, Episode 4: Welcome to My Nightmare (I have a dim memory of this. Have to get Season 2 on DVD. Sounds great, though my memory has it in the mediocre file. He ends up on the set of Psycho?)

Season 2, Episode 5: You Gotta Believe Me (Charles Durning does the best he can with this vehicle. It's okay, but totally reliant on him selling his dream and following through. It's not a personal favourite, but you pretty much know how it has to pay off.)

Season 2, Episode 6: The Greibble (If you are a Hayley Mills fan, fine, watch it. But this is overblown Joe Dante at his worst with a puppet that is just annoying. Basically a giant Gremlin.)

Season 2, Episode 7: Life on Death Row (Oh my God, this one I haven't seen. Apparently it is like The Green Mile.)

Season 2, Episode 8: Go to the Head of the Class (Robert Zemeckis, Christopher Lloyd, case closed: 100% approval by me.)

Season 2, Episode 9: Thanksgiving (David Carradine as a mean step dad gets to greedy for the generous people in a well on his property. Nice little episode. Very nice.)

Season 2, Episode 10: The Pumpkin Competition (Technically well done and we get Polly Holiday as a mean old jealous lady, so I have to admit this one should play well for everyone - very folksy and fun.)

Season 2, Episode 11: What If...? (Anne Spielberg wrote this one about a boy born into a family who doesn't appreciate him and shouldn't have kids, who gets to cross over to a nicer couple. Some of it gives me a chill.)

Season 2, Episode 12: The Eternal Mind (I have not seen this episode.)

Season 2, Episode 13: Lane Change (Have not seen.)

Season 2, Episode 14: Blue Man Down (Have not seen. Very interested in it. Max Gail as a cop again.)

Season 2, Episode 15: The 21-Inch Sun (Have not seen. But a plant writing sit-coms sounds about right.)

Season 2, Episode 16: Family Dog (Episodic but entertaining animated episode.)

Season 2, Episode 17: Gershwin's Trunk (Have not seen this one)

Season 2, Episode 18: Such Interesting Neighbors (Have not seen this, but the outline sounds shrill and annoying.)

Season 2, Episode 19: Without Diana (Have not seen this one.)

Season 2, Episode 20: Moving Day (Have not seen. Moving to space. . .? I dunno.)

Season 2, Episode 21: Miss Stardust (Have not seen this one but apparently it is the old joke about an alien challenging the winner of "Miss Universe.")

Overall I would be interested in buying Season 2. Family Dog is the only episode I have been able to find and watch on-line. I used to watch Amazing Stories and tape it regularly, so I don't know how there are so many episodes I have missed.