Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2009 May 9

Welcome to the Wikipedia Entertainment Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

May 9

Trying to remember an 80's music video

I'm trying to remember the name of a song that went with a video that I really loved back in the 1980's-- it was probably around 1985 or so. ("Blue Jean" by David Bowie was played around the same time.) The song was not "Tender is the Night" although it had a similar feel, and the video was for the most part semi-deserted city streets at night, I think during a rainstorm. I know this is a long shot, but does anyone have any ideas? Thanks! 69.209.192.87 (talk) 06:32, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

That would be the end of '85 or start of '86. Did The Way It Is by Bruce Hornsby and The Range have a video? That would fit the time and style. Britmax (talk) 07:35, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

"Vienna" by Ultravox? Wasn't "mostly" empty streets, but there were a couple of memorable shots. Tempshill (talk) 15:07, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

Houndstooth Scarf

I'm looking for a houndstooth scarf for men. Where can I get it?68.148.149.184 (talk) 08:09, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

I found one HERE. SentientWAFFLE (talk) 17:50, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

Song

Hi! Do you know an artist from the 90's hose name starts with smth like Loos... I think he has light hair and black skin. I remember a part of the video of one of his hits: I think he was singing and there was a woman with long blonde hair I'm not sure but I think there as also police. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.52.162.94 (talk) 10:05, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

Lou Rawls? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.44.54.169 (talk) 11:17, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

No. he's younger. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.52.162.94 (talk) 14:25, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

Lou Reed? That's all I came up with. SentientWAFFLE (talk) 17:41, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

No. He's black and the song was rap or hiphpo i think. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.52.162.94 (talk) 21:57, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

The light hair made me think of Sisqo. Name doesn't match, but the light haired black singer from the 90's or so did. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 03:58, 10 May 2009 (UTC)

Star Trek - faking space

How did the producers of Star Trek: The Next Generation make it appear that beyond the windows of Ten-Forward was outer space?

Thanks. Vranak (talk) 14:33, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

I think they must film it at night on a hill so that you can just see the night sky out of the window.91.109.202.119 (talk) 16:41, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

Is there a reason to think it wasn't the standard green screen approach? Tempshill (talk) 16:57, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

It doesn't even need green screen, just some black material with white dots painted on it. They would need green screen if there was anything moving around outside, otherwise they can just use a matte painting. --Tango (talk) 17:00, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

Tango, I question how much Star Trek you've seen. I don't think they used matte paintings in that way. Typically if there's something outside worth seeing it's going to be moving. A common tactic was to have everyone hanging around having drinks with a ship parked out front, and then suddenly the ship explodes.

I think the 'trick' to making the black-boards-with-white-dots technique work is for the black boards to be pretty far back from the window. That way as the camera moves the dots don't look like they're printed on the glass, they're obviously behind it. APL (talk) 03:20, 11 May 2009 (UTC)

They could also stick other things out there. The same set is the Federation President's office in Star Trek VI, and there is sunshine out the window. It's magic! Adam Bishop (talk) 19:00, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

They used cardboard painted black with stars, and bent it curved so that when the camera moved it gave the appearance of the starts being far away, as they could seemingly move from different angles out of the window —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.44.54.169 (talk) 19:04, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

That's how they normally do it, but they can also blue screen it if there's something interesting outside (Like a romulan ship) or if the Enterprise is at warp speed.

I've read that they told the writers to try to arrange the script so that whenever possible the Enterprise dropped out of Warp before they did big scenes in Ten Forward, or the captain's ready room. Simply because it's easy to put the black boards with white dots in the windows, but blue-screening is an extra expense. APL (talk) 03:20, 11 May 2009 (UTC)

There's no reason why they couldn't use multiple techniques throughout the series. Most deleted scenes and bloopers tracks I've seen from TNG have green screen behind the windows though. 206.131.39.6 (talk) 16:21, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

Polka Dot Bikini Song?

Okay, I know, stupid question, but I can't get to google, so, anyone, please, what's the name of this song?!

I only remember one line of it all, "You're looking cute, in that Polka dot bikini girl".

Help? Gothrokkprincess (talk) 21:06, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

Seems to be "I'm in Miami, Bitch" by LMFAO. The common "trick" is to go to Google, type in the phrase you remember and add the word lyrics. --LarryMac | Talk 21:11, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

Shades of Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini. -- JackofOz (talk) 21:45, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

I seem to recall that the Billy Wilder movie One, Two, Three used that song as a gag -- the Communist East German police played the record over and over in order to force prisoners into making confessions. Pastor Theo (talk) 23:29, 10 May 2009 (UTC)

ITV.com

What is wrong with ITVplayer? It it terrible compared to those on BBC and channel 4. Before it was only changing the picture on screen every few seconds, or going blank entirely, and occasionally skipping entire sections. I have since downloaded something that is supposed to make it run better. Mostly it is better, but now it stops to load about every 20 seconds, which is just as annoying. Is there anything I can do to fix this too?

148.197.114.207 (talk) 21:22, 9 May 2009 (UTC)

ITV uses Silverlight, whereas the BBC and Channel 4 use Flash is the main technical difference. But I think it's more likely due to the number of servers and bandwidth they have available (or just that ITV has no money and is generally rubbish in contrast to the BBC with its enormous budget for their website and for R&D). You could try watching at quiet times (late at night/early morning, or maybe during the day when people are at work) if there's a particular show you want to see. --Maltelauridsbrigge (talk) 09:51, 11 May 2009 (UTC)