Hello Fan Boy,
Remember me? I asked you to run down a couple of movies for me. You got me the name "Terror Is A Man", a copy of which I just received today. Interestingly, today I also found out the name of the British version of the American TV movie "The Cat Creature", starring David Hedison, which I'd been searching for for so long. It was aired on November 24, 1988 and is named "Cat Girl". This is not the 1957 movie "Cat Woman" which was renamed "The Cat Girl" and stars Barbara Shelley. This is all of the info I've been able to run down to date. I'd appreciate any additional info, such as who starred in the British version, but particularly where I might be able to purchase either or both versions. I don't believe in coincidence so I am amazed that I found even this scrap of info on the very day that I received the "Terror Is A Man" DVD after days (literally) of searching before and finding nothing. Take care my friend. I like to offer my services to you for questions should you ever have nay you need answered, though I doubt you'd need my limited talents.
Yours,
Jorge J. Noguera
Jorge, congratulations on your video finds, my friend. As far as "your services" are concerned, NEVER think you're not good enough! I have a few people close to me who usually know everything (amazing, they are), but occasionally you might hear from me if once in a while they don't. I appreciate the offer. ---Nolan
Nolan,
Re: Mike's Rant Commentary (PCR #344)
While I truly enjoy Mike's ("I Never Missed an Issue!”) Smith’s Rant every week on PCR, I'd be irresponsible as a New Wave fan if I did not vehemently protest Mike's decision to include an article entitled "What, No A-HA?" in edition #344.
First, "a-ha" was misspelled. The band's name is all lower case with a hyphen between the first "a" and the "h" (a common foible).
Secondly, I'd question the logic of either mentioning or promoting this 'VH-1' show in the annals of PCR. My argument being that we are bombarded every day by brain-dead statistics by corporate media outlets showcasing the "Top 100 this" or the "Top 50 that". PCR is guilty of this too as the "Top 10 Box Office Moneymakers" glaringly loiters on the home page. Just an aside, Nolan...I'd much rather see a top 10 list of John Waters' most offensive cinematic snippets than which Hollywood moovies made the most moula.
So, here we have 'VH-1' telling us what the Top 100 songs of the '80s are, yet only one New Wave song (the music that defined the decade) apparently is worthy enough to have made the Top 5, that being Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf”. I’d like to point out that VH-1 doesn’t even air music videos. They’re more interested in taping 3rd rate funnymen spew dimwitted commentary on past pop culture. I don’t think they’re very funny, and to be honest I have better things to do than watch talking chuckleheads crack jokes about Rubik’s Cubes and Kirk Cameron.
So, I say consider the source. The knumbnutz at VH-1 are hardly interested in tallying a serious assessment of ‘80s music, they’d rather dust off a few Beta SP’s with vintage videos to sell airtime that will appeal to that former ‘80s chick stapled to the sofa now pushing 40. I had to laugh in disgust when I read the top 5: Bon Jovi, huh? Number one, huh? Okay. Who picked these winners, Eddie Trunk?
Should I someday see a blurb like this on PCR which rightfully includes The Smiths, Men Without Hats, or for God’s sake U2, then you’ll see me keep my typing fingers still, but until this type of mainstream fodder makes it to a website that is understood to mainly appeal to the counterculture, then I feel an obligation to make things the way they ought to be.
Oh, and let’s hope Mike’s divination about a ‘1990s’ Top 100 on VH-1 is a brainstorm best left to the layer of terra firma between dirt mud and skunkshit.
Andy Lalino,
Clearwater, FL
MIKE SMITH RESPONDS:
Andy,
I do apologize for the way I spelled a-ha, though I do believe I spelled it correctly. As you know, all of my "chapter" headers are in CAPS to designate a new story, but I guess I could have sent it in all in lower case. Frankly, I just picked a-ha because the most recent episode of "Family Guy" that I watched had Chris smack dab in the middle of the "Take On Me" video, done in the same animation style. I always enjoyed the video so I thought I'd mention the band. Had I been watching "Back to School" I may have titled it "What, No Oingo Boingo." As you know, my rant is really just a lot of ramblings and miscellaneous information I pick up through the week that I feel may be interesting to readers. Kind of like Larry King's old columns in USA Today without going on and on about Duke Zieberts'! As for great songs of the '90s, I agree that hopefully the list will be a better thought out and researched.
I am glad you do read the Rant and that your letter was a lot nicer then the one I got from a friend who thought, "though there was some truth in everything I said," that I was picking on Rush Limbaugh!
Michael Smith
Lee's Summit, Missouri
To send an email to Letters to the Editor write to: Crazedfanboy1@aol.com. Any emails sent to this address will be assumed intended for publication unless you specifically instruct me not to. I can and do respond privately, if that is your preference. Frequently, it's both ways.---Nolan
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