Legends of the Super Heroes

Here's a re-post from October 2010.

Not a bootleg. Not an imaginary story. Not a hoax.

Yes. The notorious two-part NBC special from 1979 that has lived on in infamy as a bad childhood memory is now officially out on DVD thanks to The Warner Archive Collection. 

Part 1 is "The Challenge" in which several Justice Leaguers take on a cadre of super-villains. Part 2 is "The Roast" where the villains go all "Dean Martin" on the heroes' asses.

This videotaped canned-laughter oddity from Hanna-Barbera brought your Saturday-morning cartoon favorites to life in living color played by actual living, breathing actors!

Adam West, Burt Ward and Frank Gorshin of BATMAN fame recreated their roles from the 1960s ABC campfest. 

They are joined by TV stalwarts Jeff Altman (as the Weather Wizard), Charlie Callas (as Sinestro), Gabriel Dell (as Mordru), Ruth Buzzi (as Aunt Minerva) and Ed McMahon (as the host of the "roast" portion).

Lesser known actors brought the JLA heroes Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman and The Atom to life. Also featured (in the place of Superman and Wonder Woman) were Captain Marvel and newcomer The Huntress. 

The Black Canary was played by someone named Danuta - who never acted again. Imagine that.

On the villain side, Dr. Sivana, Solomon Grundy and Giganta (played by transexual performer A'leshia Brevard) rounded out the cast.

Other characters appearing included the ridiculous and offensive Ghetto Man, the cringe-inducing Retired Man (aka The Scarlet Cyclone) and Pat Carroll as Hawkman's mother! 

NIGHT COURT's Marsha Warfield has an uncredited cameo as "the phonebooth woman".

As for the storylines, special effects and writing - the less said the better. LEGENDS OF THE SUPER HEROES is best viewed as a product of its time - a time when just about anything could get onto primetime TV. These were the days of the STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL, THE PAUL LYNDE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL and PINK LADY & JEFF (starring the Weather Wizard himself!).

So if you are like me and can't get enough vintage bad TV and men in tights - check out LEGENDS - the legendary program so unwatchable that it HAS TO BE SEEN!

In Search of "My Batman"...

Here's an update of a post from 2008...

Okay, I know Christopher Nolan Batman series is a top-notch film trilogy. It's got a talented cast, superb acting, incredible stunts, sate of the art effects, impeccable production values, and drama of epic proportions. Now having seen all three, you may ask "Did I enjoy them?" Well, let's just say I survived them. 

Let me start by saying I am a Batman fan from way back. I've been buying, collecting and reading Batman (and various other DC) comics since about 1972 - when I was 8 years old.

I have a collection of hundreds of Batman toys and trinkets. I grew up on the old BATMAN TV series (Aunt Harriet! Batgirl! Lola Lasagna!), the wooden Filmation cartoons of the late 60s and of course the various corny but fun incarnations of SUPERFRIENDS throughout the 70s and 80s.

Also along the way there was the ridiculous 1966 feature with much of the TV cast, the newer (and improved) Filmation series from the late 70s (even though that show brought us the dreaded Bat-Mite!)

and the various odd projects like LEGENDS OF THE SUPER-HEROES (yikes!) and the infamous guest spot on THE NEW SCOOBY-DOO MOVIES.

While Batman continued to be marketed to us 70s kids in every shape and form from Underoos to Ben Cooper Halloween costumes, some of the best Batman comics ever were be published by National Peroidical Publications, aka DC Comics. 

Great runs like the sophisticated and gothic Denny O'Neill/Neal Adams issues which introduced the darkly seductive Talia (as seen in THE DARK NIGHT RISES) and the bold Steve Englehart/Marshall Rogers run in DETECTIVE COMICS (#469-476) which brought us the sexy and sultry Silver St. Cloud, were among the best and definitive interpretations. There was also some later good stuff in the early 80s from teams like Doug Moench/Don Newton and Mike W. Barr/Alan Davis. These were all "my Batman".

Along the way, there was some pretty dreadful stuff too, like most of WORLD'S FINEST and many BRAVE & THE BOLD outtings. Then came Frank Miller. 

Miller's THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS and BATMAN: YEAR ONE (issues 404-407 of the BATMAN monthly) changed everything. These two grim and gritty bookend miniseries told the last and first Batman stories, setting the new standard for storytelling about the caped crusader and leaving other creators to fill in what happens in between. 

At the time, I thought both Miller's writing and artwork were refreshing and unique- but by the time he returned for a sequel, 2001's miserable and offensive THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN - I loathed both him and his style. His most recent Batman maxi-series (did it ever conclude??), ALL-STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN THE BOY WONDER is pretty to look at (thanks to Jim Lee), but was not on my "must buy" list. Again, not "my Batman".

Tim Burton's BATMAN hit theaters in 1989, I was in fanboy heaven. Despite the miscasting of Michael (MR. MOM) Keaton as Bruce Wayne, there was finally a Batman that wasn't silly, corny and campy - though looking back, it might be after all. Then the dreadful Prince soundtrack kicked in. Ugh. But I liked it because there were lots of cool toys and other merchandise that I could buy and finally the Batman that I was reading about in the DC Universe kinda sorta existed elsewhere now.

Burton's sequel BATMAN RETURNS was a bit better, thanks to the Catwoman subplot...

and the great Siouxsie and the Banshees song "Face to Face" over the closing credits.

The less said about Joel Schumacher's BATMAN & ROBIN, BATMAN FOREVER and Pitof's (what the fuck kind of name is that?) ludicrous CATWOMAN the better. None of these were "my Batman" or "my Catwoman" - they were closer to being "My Little Pony".

Bruce Timm and Paul Dini's BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES and all it's various sequels were a lot closer to the Batman that I knew and loved, though I was not a fan of the futuristic and unneeded BATMAN BEYOND.

Another animated series called THE BATMAN ran from 2004-2006. I only saw a few episodes here and there. Looked okay, was a bit too Manga-oriented for my tastes.

Christopher Nolan's BATMAN BEGINS was a vast improvement upon the the Burton and Schumacher films - borrowing some elements from the O'Neill/Adams run. I was not and still am not impressed by the tank-like Batmobile. aka the Tumbler Definitely not "my Batmobile". I have only seen it BATMAN BEGINS once, and don't plan on watching it again any time soon, the same for the uber-popular sequel THE DARK KNIGHT. 

While die-hard fans of the 1960s ABC series wait for Fox and Warners Bros. to come to terms about releasing the show on DVD, Fox has released the 1966 theatrical film on blu-ray utilizing a deceptive DARK KNIGHT-themed advertising campaign. One wonders who might buy this expecting to see a grim and gritty Adam West.

The recent THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD animated series was pleasant and unxpected a return to "my Batman" - with great guest stars like Plastic Man, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, the Doom Patrol and the new Blue Beetle. The stories were smart, fun and placed the character firmly in a universe of super-powered friends and enemies that felt like the DC Universe I grew up loving.

As THE DARK NIGHT RISES continues it juggernaut across movie theater screens across the world, I wonder if there will ever be a film that lives up to the expectations that I have for "my Batman"...and will I ever see Aunt Harriet again?

PRIVATE PARTS

More goodies from the past...circa 2009...
I've heard and read about PRIVATE PARTS (1972, directed by Paul Bartel) for years. I knew the late Mr. Bartel from his modest art house hits EATING RAOUL and SCENES FROM THE CLASS STRUGGLE IN BEVERLY HILLS as well as his camp classics DEATH RACE 2000 and LUST IN THE DUST, but somehow PRIVATE PARTS managed to escape me.When my friend Jeff brought over the dvd a few weeks ago and showed me the trailer, I knew that we'd soon have to get together to watch it - and I'm so glad we did. This is MY kinda Friday night flick.
The story goes like this: runaway teen Cheryl (cute and perky Ayn Ruymen) and her best friend Judy (munchkin-faced Ann Gibbs) are living in dumpy L.A. apartment. When Judy catches Cheryl watching her and her latest suitor Mike having filthy, dirty sex, Cheryl takes off (with Judy’s wallet) and winds up downtown at the rundown King Edward Hotel - where her eccentric Aunt Martha (the terrific Lucille Benson, later on BOSOM BUDDIES) lives and manages the building. Uncle Orville and her daughter have gone to live with Jesus, so Cheryl is her only family.

Martha agrees to let Cheryl to stay at the hotel temporarily, and we soon meet the madcap residents of the dilapidated building - including a perverted priest named Rev. Moon (Disney mainstay Laurie Main), a crazy old lady named Mrs. Quigley (Dorothy Neumann), who is looking for a girl named “Alice” and a quiet weirdo named George (John Ventantonio), who we later learn is an avant garde photographer.Aunt Martha's hobby is attending funerals of strangers to photograph their souls leaving their bodies, oh and she has a white pet rat named "Whitey". When Martha goes out funeral-hopping one afternoon and locks Cheryl in the apartment, things start to get a little weird. First Cheryl accidentally kills Whitey and then shoves him down the food disposal. Yikes! Then she sneaks out of the apartment and explores the building (much like Alice in Wonderland) and we learn various things about the building and the people that dwell there.

For instance, Rev. Moon has a collection of male physique pin-ups, Mrs. Quigley sunbathes in her apartment and George has a shrine devoted to the mysterious "Alice".

When friend Judy's hunky blond boyfriend Mike (Len Travis) shows up looking for Cheryl, his visit is abruptly cut short when he loses his head. Literally. Then Judy shows up looking for Mike and she soon meets her maker as well.Meanwhile, oblivious to all this bloodshed, Cheryl befriends a cute, but nerdy hardware store worker named Jeff (MY THREE SONS star Stanley Livingston).

Jeff seems romantically interested in Cheryl but she is somewhat intrigued by the mysterious George, who has now began pursuing her in a stalker-ish kind of way.

Lots of crazy stuff follows, but I would not want to spoil it here, because I cannot recommend PRIVATE PARTS any more highly.

But suffice to say, there's some kinky stuff that happens involving Cheryl in a bedazzling Spider-Woman costume, a scene involving blood injected into a sex doll and a there's shocking twist end that it's not too much of a shock if you watch the trailer first. So don't.

To me, Paul Bartel has created an almost perfect black comedy and a terrifically twisted horror film all in one. Composer Hugo Friedhofer's amazing score brings to mind the great Bernard Herrmann / Hitchcock collaborations and helps elevate the whole affair to another level.

This film gets a 10 outta 10. Enjoy!

The Friendly Ones

Okay, years ago - before SOUTH PARK, before CRANK YANKERS, before AVENUE Q - my friends Tara and Rob and I got together and made a TV special for public access called THE FRIENDLY ONES. It's a totally offensive and politically incorrect puppet show for "adults", and I think it's still pretty damn funny. The show aired on Staten Island Cable for a few years - to much protest of concerned parents. The original plan was to do a series of episodes, but sadly, we never had the time. Tara has finally converted it to digital and now - almost 20 years later, here it is. Part 1 introduces our main characters Eva, Blanca, The Countess, Muffy and their lesbian friend Ida. Part 2 follows the gals as they prepare to compete on "The Mother-Daughter Pageant" . Enjoy!

My 100th Post

For my 100th post, I thought it would be fun to do something special. At first I looked up today's date in history to see if something cool happened 100 years ago today. Other than it being the 100th birthday of photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, nothing really jumped out at me. So then I decided to approach this was a "very special episode" of DOUGSPLOITATION where I look back at the past 100 posts and recall my favorites, etc. Maybe I'll do that for my One Year Anniversary Special (coming on September 19).Browsing through my previous posts made me think about all the stuff I love. So I decided to list my FAVORITE 100 THINGS. After a slow start, and a quick visit to my dvd, cd and book collections - the names and titles came flying at me. In fact, it was hard to decide who or what to leave off. For instance, rather than list MULHOLLAND DRIVE and BLUE VELVET, I grouped them as "David Lynch Films". In one case I've listed the director (Russ Meyer) separate from the film (FASTER PUSSYCAT, KILL KILL) because that film has profoundly effected me, but his others are also great. Also, rather than list out every MGM Musical that I love, I decided to group 'em, much like DC Comics. Some musical acts that I actually love didn't make the list (sorry Cyndi, Aretha, Eurthymics, Blondie, kd lang) to make room for lesser-known artists that I feel need more exposure. Some TV shows that I currently watch are already listed on my DVR list, so there's no need to repeat them here. And then there's the "classics" that would normally make any gay pop culture list (Babs, Bette, Madonna, Cher, Lucy, THE WIZARD OF OZ - ugh). Well, you ain't gonna find them here. Judy and Liza may have snuck in, but there's where I draw the line. Maybe I'll work on my "other 100 favorite things" for Post # 200, but it would probably not include those aforementioned divas.

One last note: the ranking order is random to an extent, but I tried to group my all-time faves near the top of the list.


So here it is...my FAVORITE 100 THINGS...

100. Brenda Starr, Reporter
99. The Andrew Sisters
98. Kathy Mattea
97. Harry Nilsson
96. Cassandra Wilson
95. Amy Rigby
94. Holly Cole
93. Alison Moyet
92. Cheryl Wheeler's "Driving Home" cd
91. Schoolhouse Rock
90. Barbie
89. Phranc
88. Dianne Reeves
87. Lulu
86. Logan's Run
85. Loretta Lynn
84. Down with Love
83. The Apple
82. Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
81. Strictly Ballroom
79. Tammy Wynette
78. Shock Treatment
77. Pink Lady & Jeff
76. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
75. Nancy & Sluggo
74. Siouxsie & the Banshees
73. Strangers With Candy
72. Showgirls
71. Claudine Longet
70. Billie Holiday
69. Mommie Dearest
68. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
67. Pet Clark
66. Sandie Shaw
65. Golden Books
64. Neko Case
63. Doris Day
62. Tales of the City
61. Dinah Washington
60. Sandra Bernhard
59. Nina Simone
58. 9 to 5
57. Nancy Sinatra
56. Maude
55. Etta James
54. Airplane!
53. David Lynch Films
52. Mari Wilson
51. Mr. Show
50. Sid & Marty Krofft
49. Air (French Band)
48. Degrassi (old school)
47. Kirsty MacColl
46. Goldfrapp
45. MGM Musicals
44. Absolutely Fabulous
43. Captain Marvel/Shazam/Isis
42. The League of Gentleman
41. Dusty Springfield
40. Alfred Hitchcock Films
39. Julie London
38. Peggy Lee
37. Liza Minnelli
36. The Dixie Chicks
35. Pedro Almodovar Films
34. Shirley Bassey
33. Another World
32. Mame
31. Gypsy
30. Hanna-Barbera Cartoons
29. Ethel Merman
28. ABBA
27. The Free Design
26. Russ Meyer Films
25. Rankin-Bass TV Specials
24. Bette Davis
23. Power Girl
22. Dolly Parton
21. Judy Garland
20. Disneyland
19. old TV game shows
18. The Carpenters
17. The Carol Burnett Show
16. DC Comics
15. The Electric Light Orchestra
14. The Justice Society of America
13. Halloween (the holiday)
12. Something Weird Video/exploitation films
11. John Waters Films
10. TV Guide
9. Wonder Woman
8. The Odd Couple
7. Ann Magnuson
6. Joan Crawford/her films
5. Faster Pussycat, Kill Kill
4. Fawlty Towers
3. Mary Tyler Moore Show
2. Xanadu
1. Christmas (the holiday)