Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2007 January 17

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January 17

The McPherson Tape Film - Fact or Fiction?

Firstly thank you for answering this question in advance.

I recently saw the film The McPherson Tape about an alien abduction video taped on a home camcorder during a thanksgiving dinner.

I would like to know if this is Blair Witch Project type film, i.e. designed to be fake, or is it claimed to be a true story, or even based on a true story?

Thanks again!

Rishi Raichura —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.131.32.93 (talk) 02:02, 17 January 2007 (UTC).

It is an entertainment source (for those who enjoy watching movies while drunk), after the style of Blair Witch Project (although it should be said that the BWP is after the style of this film, since it seems to have come out around a year earlier). This site documents an exchange between the website owner and the director of the film. V-Man737 09:15, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Pop Goes the Weasal

I remember this from childhood in the 1950s. I think we sang it at school? What is it?:68.81.166.246 04:45, 17 January 2007 (UTC)76Janice 16 January 2007

Pop Goes the Weasel exhaustively details the song, its lyrics, and stories behind it. V-Man737 04:47, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

ABC Medianet: Their Television Ratings

Can someone explain why are ratings showed here - http://www.abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=010907_03 - so different from ratings you can find at Zap2It, eg.?

Rankings are correct but the ratings points differ. SampleUser 13.15

Information on Fyfe Robinson

Hi there,

Possible alternative spelling would be Fife Robinson

Can anyone tell me when this gentleman died? He was a UK radio/TV broadcaster in the late 1960s (and probably at least 50+ years of age then) so I'm fairly sure he must have passed on.

I've tried Google and Wikipedia searches without finding anything toher than an oblique reference.

Thanking you in anticipation

GuyAdams 14:03, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

After a few searches, it seems his name is Fyfe Robertson (I can see how "Robertson" can sound like "Robinson" with a Scottish accent). Another three or four searches later (and yes, this took me some considerable time; I can see why you came here), I found this obscure article narrowing down the date of his death. As the article is dated April 26, 1997, and the author indicates being notified of "the tenth anniversary of his death" on Friday (the 25th), I'd say my best guess is that our man died on April 25 of 1987. *whew* ^_^ V-Man737 14:44, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Thanks! Helps to start in the right place doesn't it (mea culpa). Top man.

Glad it helped! The turning point was in this Google search when I came across a forum where people had made the same search, and one of the searchers announced that the man they were looking for was actually Robertson, lending more success to their search. After all my searching, and reading all the many praising remarks about the man, I must say I've come to respect and admire him without even seeing him at work! V-Man737 15:57, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

His name was actually Fyffe Robertson. His IMDB entry indicates that his last work in a tv play was in 1980. -- Arwel (talk) 00:57, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Reged 14:31, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

According to the BFI website FYFE Robertson died 04/02/1987 http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/88414. His name was actually James Fyfe Robertson.

Even though I was a callow youth at the time I well remember his wry outdoor news pieces. Like many TV journalists (Cliff Michelmore, Alan Whicker, Trevor Philpott) he made his name on the BBC's flagship early evening news programme Tonight. There's info on it here: http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/T/htmlT/tonight/tonight.htm and here http://www.whirligig-tv.co.uk/tv/adults/tonight/tonight.htm

What's the name of this movie?

I saw half of a movie recently, but I don't know the name. It was set in China (I'm pretty sure the movie was made in China) during the Civil war/Communist take over. The main character was a guy who used to be addicted to gambling, but then he became part of a shadow puppet show. He is involved in the fighting, and returns home to see his town run by authoritarian communists. I think it is a well-known movie, but I have no idea what is was called. Thanks GhostPirate 14:48, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Could it be The Puppetmaster by Hou Hsiao-Hsien, by any chance? There are pages on it here, here and here, but I'm not sure if it's the film you're looking for. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 15:17, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

That's not it, but thanks for looking. After some investigation, I found it. It was called To Live. - GhostPirate 15:42, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

I remember that movie. It was quite good... 惑乱 分からん 16:11, 17 January 2007 (UTC)