In the land of weird cult movies there are a few that crawl into your very soul and never leave… Unfortunately, I have seen way too many of these. Buckaroo Banzai- Across the Eighth Dimension is one of those films. If you have not seen the film, I do recommend it if you are looking for weird 80’s cult science fiction, did I mention weird? It is one of those films that kinda shaped my life a little bit and I’ll throw out a quote every so often even though it is lost on most people, the one that most people know is “Remember, no matter where you go, there you are.” I prefer some of the more wacky ones from Dr. Emilio Lizardo (John Lithgow). One of the great parts about the film was it didn’t go into any backstory, it expected the audience knew who Buckaroo Banzai and the entire supporting cast were. You knew about the World Crime league, you knew the weird (did I mention weird?) relationship between Buckaroo and Peggy (I mean Penny). They dropped you into a story and expected you either knew everything or would figure it out… did I mention weird?
On a side note: When I was growing up I used to go to the Los Angeles Comic Book & Sci-Fi Convention that was held at the time at Ambassador Hotel, it was maybe $3 to get in, so it was pretty cheap and no where near my teenage stop and think point, unlike many conventions now days. This was basically my place to buy stuff that I might not find at the nearest comic shop, being Los Angeles, studios usually dropped by to push new films and give out SWAG. One time it was Buckaroo Banzai and they handed out headbands. I have no idea where my headband has gone, I used it in college when I was a pledge in a fraternity, and passed it on from there.
Here are the end credits just to give you a taste… did I mention it’s kinda 1980’s weird?
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#74. Previously… Part 4
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#73. Previously… Part 3
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#72. Previously… Part 2
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#70. Call from Mom
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#69. Stage Fright
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#68. Touring the Museum
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#67. At the Museum
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#66. Bus?
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#65. Field Trip Prep
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A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0088
In the land of weird cult movies there are a few that crawl into your very soul and never leave… Unfortunately, I have seen way too many of these. Buckaroo Banzai- Across the Eighth Dimension is one of those films. If you have not seen the film, I do recommend it if you are looking for weird 80’s cult science fiction, did I mention weird? It is one of those films that kinda shaped my life a little bit and I’ll throw out a quote every so often even though it is lost on most people, the one that most people know is “Remember, no matter where you go, there you are.” I prefer some of the more wacky ones from Dr. Emilio Lizardo (John Lithgow). One of the great parts about the film was it didn’t go into any backstory, it expected the audience knew who Buckaroo Banzai and the entire supporting cast were. You knew about the World Crime league, you knew the weird (did I mention weird?) relationship between Buckaroo and Peggy (I mean Penny). They dropped you into a story and expected you either knew everything or would figure it out… did I mention weird?
On a side note: When I was growing up I used to go to the Los Angeles Comic Book & Sci-Fi Convention that was held at the time at Ambassador Hotel, it was maybe $3 to get in, so it was pretty cheap and no where near my teenage stop and think point, unlike many conventions now days. This was basically my place to buy stuff that I might not find at the nearest comic shop, being Los Angeles, studios usually dropped by to push new films and give out SWAG. One time it was Buckaroo Banzai and they handed out headbands. I have no idea where my headband has gone, I used it in college when I was a pledge in a fraternity, and passed it on from there.
Here are the end credits just to give you a taste… did I mention it’s kinda 1980’s weird?
A Year in MINIons- MINIon #1975
“It’s just a jump to the left…” Old people (like me) have fond memories of weird stuff. I remember going to the midnight showing in high school and trying to be cool – I had read a book about this movie and studied harder than I had for most tests to make sure I didn’t stand out as uninformed. This actually contributed to my first all nighter, when my friends and I tried to get to the theatre before midnight and were late… definitely an adventure that led to me getting a curfew. Now people can skip the whole, thrown toast, or squirt guns and watch it in the privacy of their own homes… which is absolutely no fun at all. Most films lose very little when taken out of the theatre, this one, loses everything that makes it special. For the record this MINIon posting has nothing to do with the current issues in Indiana.
Ok maybe a little bit 😉 A Year in MINIons- MINIon #1933
So… I finally am on vacation, Spring Break has been a long time coming… I joke about how the school calendar is determined. They bring a bunch of psychiatrists into room and ask how long a human can work with kids before going insane. They smile and add a week and say that’s when a break will happen. Please don’t get me started on the myth about how teachers get all these vacations… My reply usually has to to with when you can go to the bathroom… you will not win, give up now.
So tonight’s MINIon is based on what many teachers in this day and age need to survive. So you have Bacchus and the date is based on when Ernest & Julio Gallo started their winery… if you paid teachers a living wage, I’m sure other, better wines would be on the list. Enough politics after the stupidity happening in Indiana time to go on vacation. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #4466
OK, fine, I have a problem… I admit it, for over 25 years I have been going to the same pizza place. It all started when I was working late my first year of teaching and ordered dinner from a national chain pizza place, and they could not find the school building… It’s a school on a major street- really?!? SO I looked for the “local place” and discovered Gramboli’s. Since then, Gramboli’s has been the go to place when we don’t want to cook (which is way too often) and the place where we have seen the family grow up… I remember watching the kids do their homework, kids who now have kids. Many ask us what to order- my reply is “anything.” We now come in and have the people who work there make suggestions. This week was rough so we’ve dropped by nightly. Sunday was the Indy Webcomics Group, and after that was my lack of desire to cook. Sue and I have talked about posting about various pizza places we visit on the road… maybe, some day, but Gramboli’s will always have a place in our heart because of the people, and the pizza. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0678
I realize the image might be too small to notice, but I believe a true geek who grew up in the late 70’s and early 80’s would recognize the book being held by MINIon #0678. When I was growing up I had my first job when I was about 13, unfortunately for me there was a game store in the same mall, so I would get paid, cash my check, and spend all my money. This is pretty amusing since I am currently known for buying games and never playing them, something I started early on. I remember in junior high school getting invited to my first D&D campaign. That character lived through many adventures even though I always felt the Dungeon Master liked having a high level assassin around to do his dirty work. I upset a few friends when I would accept the contract on their character and let a dagger slip towards the end of the adventure. It wasn’t until college when the rule of “your character must be neutral or good- because we are fighting evil” came into play, so I switched from assassins to Magic-Users or Rogues. I haven’t played a role playing games in decades… everyone seems to like Fantasy Football around here instead of just Fantasy. So MINIon #0678 is looking for adventure- somewhere. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #1776
I’m sad that the state that my family has lived in since before statehood has decided to discriminate against people. I try to stay away from politics since this is an all ages comic, but as a teacher I work on the golden rule- “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” I wish the elected officials in Indiana felt the same way… Now politics are going to hurt people more than they usually do. I wish our elected official could once, just once, tell their puppeteers “no.” When will the people actually have a voice again? Or maybe it would be best if a monkey bent on world domination was in charge, at least Cecil sees people, as people… no matter who they love, what they believe, or what they look like, unlike the elected representatives of the people of Indiana. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #1955
Always been a fan of rocket packs. One of those untold stories of Cecil is actually about his exploits with his “Simian Aero Corp” of which MINIon #1955 is a proud member. Why #1955? Dave Stevens, creator of “The Rocketeer,” was born in 1955. If you’ve seen the movie, you only know part of Cliff Secord’s story- hunt down the original comics they are a sight to behold. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0451
This was one on my original list for 2014, but never made it onto the drawing board until today. I’m sure I’ve got some parts wrong on the exactness of the uniform, but this is a cartoon and a monkey, so details tend to get lost in translation. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0020
I
mentioned podcasts before and how there are some I’ve just kept with since I first discovered them. White Roof Radio, Podcacher, and Decoder Ring Theatre. I discover the last one while just randomly searching for something new, and instantly knew it was my kind of show. I remember listening to the original “Shadow” and one of my favorite short stories is “Jeffty is Five” by Harlan Ellison, so I’m a sucker for nostalgia. So Decoder Ring Theatre produces a series of radio dramas in the style of the 1930’s & 40’s, one featuring “Black Jack Justice” crime noir with a comedic twist, and then the adventures of “Canada’s Greatest Super Hero” the Red Panda. (Did I mention this group is out of Toronto?) I’m a very grumpy person if I miss an episode. So I present MINIon #0020- named after the episode the introduced one of Cecil’s favorite villains, and what I thought was my radio call sign- until I was informed otherwise. Listen to it and see if you can’t figure it out 🙂 Episode #20 I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
mentioned podcasts before and how there are some I’ve just kept with since I first discovered them. White Roof Radio, Podcacher, and Decoder Ring Theatre. I discover the last one while just randomly searching for something new, and instantly knew it was my kind of show. I remember listening to the original “Shadow” and one of my favorite short stories is “Jeffty is Five” by Harlan Ellison, so I’m a sucker for nostalgia. So Decoder Ring Theatre produces a series of radio dramas in the style of the 1930’s & 40’s, one featuring “Black Jack Justice” crime noir with a comedic twist, and then the adventures of “Canada’s Greatest Super Hero” the Red Panda. (Did I mention this group is out of Toronto?) I’m a very grumpy person if I miss an episode. So I present MINIon #0020- named after the episode the introduced one of Cecil’s favorite villains, and what I thought was my radio call sign- until I was informed otherwise. Listen to it and see if you can’t figure it out 🙂 Episode #20 I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0097
There are a few icons in the MINI community, when I bought my first MINI I was told about MINIon #0097, a “MINIGuru,” and over the years I have been helped out by this good samaritan and expert on all things MINI. He put in the pulley, air intake, and infamous “Zoomer’s” exhaust in my first MINI. He helped to diagnose the initial issues with the classic including the advice to drive straight home after Mini Meet East in Alcoa, Tennessee and not drive the Dragon with a broken steering rack. Most recently he loaned me a scan gauge on MTTS 2014 and with a glance told me it was the thermostat. I will always recommend MINIon #0097’s shop in Atlanta if you need any bits or bobs, work done on your MINI, or an honest opinion about a mod.