Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2014 June 27

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June 27

TV series with theatrical releases during their run

The Simpsons, South Park and the X-files come to mind. I'm thinking of Hollywood films and major adult TV shows, so not like Rugrats or Pokemon films, or even Spongebob. Mingmingla (talk) 01:22, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

That would be a subset of List of films based on television programs. Just taking a quick glance, Batman and Dark Shadows qualify. Clarityfiend (talk) 01:38, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

(edit conflict) Category:Films based on television series would be a good place to start your research. One that comes to my mind is Beavis and Butt-head Do America. --Jayron32 01:42, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

Also Dr. Who and Dragnet. Clarityfiend (talk) 01:43, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

Not exactly the same, but when The Three Stooges short films were revived on TV in the 1950s, they went back to work, making feature-length movies. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:52, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

TV's version of The Lone Ranger spun off two theatrical films, one of which was released while the series was still in first-run, the other the year after TV production ceased. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:16, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

Though not an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. movie, the events of the Avengers and Captain America films figure into the storyline. Dismas|^(talk) 02:17, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

The Stargate franchise as a whole might qualify, with both of the post-SG1 movies being released during the TV run of Atlantis, but unfortunately the 3 separate shows don't make the cut individually. Organics^LRO 08:34, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

The Batman series of the 1960s had a theatrical film produced primarily to generate interest in the TV show.    → Michael J Ⓣ Ⓒ Ⓜ 23:46, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

The Monkees released Head (film) while The Monkees (TV series) was still in 1st-run.  71.20.250.51 (talk) 01:47, 28 June 2014 (UTC)

Not quite. The TV shows run ended in March '68. The film was produced after the end of their work on the TV show and was released later that year in November. MarnetteD|Talk 18:15, 30 June 2014 (UTC)

What about British sitcoms ?

Are You Being Served? ran from 1972 to 1985, with a movie in 1977.

Bless This House ran from 1971 to 1976, with a movie in 1972.

Dad's Army ran from 1968 to 1977, with a movie in 1971.

Love Thy Neighbour ran from 1972 to 1976 with a movie in 1973.

Man About The House ran from 1973 to 1976, with a movie in 1974.

On The Buses ran from 1968 to 1973, with three movies, one in each of 1971, 1972 and 1973.

Please Sir! ran from 1968 to 1972, with a movie in 1971

Steptoe and Son had its second run from 1970 to 1974, with two movies, one in 1972, and another in 1973.

The Army Game ran from 1957 to 1961, with a movie in 1971

Till Death Us Do Part ran from 1965 to 1975, with two movies, one in 1969 and another in 1972.

Meanwhile, The Best of Benny Hill was a movie made in 1974 by Thames Television by editing together sketches taken from TV episodes that aired between 1969 to 1973.

New episodes of The Benny Hill Show were being made by Thames until 1989.

Not forgetting police drama The Sweeney, which ran from 1975 to 1978, with two movies, one in 1977 and another in 1978.

And what about the Muppets ?

There have been several Muppet movies, but the first one was during the run of the original TV series.

The Muppet Show ran from 1976 to 1981, with The Muppet Movie in 1979.

( The second movie - The Great Muppet Caper - wouldn't count, as it was released in 1981, just after the end of the TV series. )

90.244.131.120 (talk) 18:33, 30 June 2014 (UTC)

Trippy stop motion short film about fighting tooth decay.

I hazily recall seeing something where a bunch of walking, talking teeth get mixed up with some bad sugar (in the style of of Clone High's Pusher), then wind up being drilled and mined alive by some sort of evil plaque-eating race. I think they were called the Sweeties or Sugaries or something like that. The teeth survive, but learn a valuable lesson.

Somebody needs to see that film, and I can't show it. It looked late '70s or early '80s, I think, and was a PSA from some sort of dental association and/or toothpaste. Ring a bell? InedibleHulk (talk) 03:54, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

Not the one where crummies capture kids and take them in their Holesmobile to the planet Cavitar where there is a fiendish plot to make craters "cavities, that is" in all children's teeth, and where "No flouride toothpaste – No toothbrushes – No floss – No dentists or dental hygienists – No smiles —are allowed. —And Crummy Crater made everything "irresistible" to kids (chocolate trees, etc.) - and they're never allowed to brush their teeth - and, ... [as seen here]  —No, not trippy enough. What were you smoking in the late '70s?   —71.20.250.51 (talk) 03:22, 28 June 2014 (UTC)

No, not nearly trippy enough. Personally, space stuff gets more boring when I'm high (and I'm more of a Colgate guy). Thanks, anyway. Pretty sure mine was pre-crack epidemic. Looked more like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer than Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue.

I'm not sure I was even smoking Popeye cigarettes yet in those days. InedibleHulk (talk) 03:53, 28 June 2014 (UTC)

There's also the trippy and/or confusing (depending on your state of mind) "cult-classic" (?) Disney-esque Winky the Watchman - Animated Film (1945) where the "Baduns" and "Gooduns" do battle in the "white wall" which is your teeth -or something like that. The Baduns are an evil race that have a drilling/mining operation, etc., and the Gooduns have white tanks and airplanes... Luckily, there is a dentist that explains everything at the end. 71.20.250.51 (talk) 04:17, 28 June 2014 (UTC)

Looks good, skimming through. I'll check it out later. InedibleHulk (talk) 04:19, 28 June 2014 (UTC)

Heh. 4:20. InedibleHulk (talk) 04:20, 28 June 2014 (UTC)

Well, the someone who had to see it has shown herself the door. You were too late, Help Desk, and now she's probably getting cavities! All good, though. It's a tough one. If anyone still wants to answer, that'd be cool, but it's low priority now. My teeth are beyond salvation and there are plenty of other good PSAs out there. InedibleHulk (talk) 20:03, 29 June 2014 (UTC)

Is Star Trek really a "global" phenomenon?

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen.

I have traveled half the world in my life (South America, North America, Europe, big parts of Asia, some parts of Africa and Australia). I am a big fan of science fiction and often talk to other people about it (this includes of course foreigners as well). During my travels, I recognized, that no one I talked to outside the Western world had ever even heard of Star Trek. I was surprised to see, that even in most European countries I have been, people did not know Star Trek. A man in South Africa told me, that he heard of the show, but that he is unfamiliar with it. My question is, is Star Trek really unknown outside the Western world? Is it really a "global" phenomenon?--178.195.94.230 (talk) 09:06, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

You appear to have answered your own question. Is someone claiming that it is a global anything? Wikipedia doesn't.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 12:24, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

typical american who think the world revolves around them, they meet one german star wars fan at a science fiction convention and think all germany like it, when in reality that guy was the odd one out. statistically most people on the earth do not even own a television — Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.207.198.16 (talk) 12:40, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

Don't be rude, the OP is geolocates to Switzerland. I'm surprised you didn't find people knowing it in Europe, in my experience ST is pretty well known in Europe. Can't comment for out of Europe. 131.251.254.110 (talk) 13:16, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

I was in France in the late 1980s and watched an episode of Star Trek (TOS) dubbed into French on one of the national TV stations (I think FR3, but not sure). --McDoobAU93 13:34, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

Most of the people I know in Switzerland are American. —Tamfang (talk) 00:37, 1 July 2014 (UTC)

As I recall from talking to various foreign-born colleagues, most of them knew of Star Trek, but were often more knowledgeable about Star Wars. This could be considered a reflection of the take from those respective film series, as in List of highest-grossing films. It's important to keep in mind that the Star Trek TV series had a "cult following", which is one reason the original series only lasted three years (and it took a major fan campaign to get that third year). It's a large cult, to be sure, but still a cult. Star Wars is more traditional, like King Arthur set in outer space, and thus has more mainstream appeal. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:56, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

True. I was surprised to hear, that even some of the Massai I have met have at the very least heard of "Star Wars". One of them even called himself "The Darth". The only global sci-fi phenomenon seems to be the Star Wars saga (nearly everybody I have ever met knew it). The people in Japan seem to really love it. As for Star Trek: I guess you need a TV to know it. Our friend 190.207.198.16 seems to be right on this one, the Internet is much wider spread than television (it sounds weird, but is the truth according to the article Internet). And cinemas seem to exist everywhere. The films of Star Trek are even less known, with "Into Darkness" being the very first one that actually generated success overseas (http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324102604578493111216214662).--178.195.94.230 (talk) 14:34, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

International messages of world peace delivered by multicultural aliens generally fare better with various audiences than the same messages delivered by any who may be perceived by some as "those people". The one thing that unites us all is we have no true prejudice against Klingons or Muppets, because we've never met any. There's a subconscious acceptance in us that they have no ulterior motives, since they're so far away from us, but they're just human enough that we still all realize they're not so different from whichever "us" we think we are. InedibleHulk (talk) 15:11, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

Well spoken!--178.195.94.230 (talk) 17:04, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

Thanks. If you'd like to hear it paraphrased, illustrated and sung by a monster, here you go. InedibleHulk (talk) 04:11, 28 June 2014 (UTC)

Thanks a lot! What a great video!--178.195.94.230 (talk) 12:29, 29 June 2014 (UTC)

It's a great show, for all ages. (That I brought it up had a lot to do with you reminding me of Traveling Matt in your opener.) InedibleHulk (talk) 20:10, 29 June 2014 (UTC)

I do strongly believe he is a "global" phenomenon due to his popularity worldwide. It is known that somewhere on Earth, a ‘Star Trek’ book is sold every six seconds. Not because a few persons does not know him, who perhaps are probably less likely to be interested in television series, it does not mean he is not a global phenomenon. He is indeed well known in each continent. Hence, why persons do not view star trek as an American icon anymore. In the article “ ‘Future Perfect’ takes look at global phenomenon of ‘Star Trek’ “, Mary Mazzocco said that, “… in almost every major city on Earth normally have 'Star Trek' conventions once a year. Which shows that it is not only in America, but across the nation. “Star Trek isn’t just a television show; it is a global phenomenon, a way of life, which has shaped so many facets of how we define our world today”, stated by Debbie Adler Myers, general manager and executive vice president of Science. Patpratt (talk) 01:27, 4 July 2014 (UTC)

"He"? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:10, 4 July 2014 (UTC)

most successful

In the ABBA article it says that they're the most successful group ever to take part in eurovision. This made me wonder who is the most successful individual to take part in eurovision. Is it Celine Dion? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.74.94.106 (talk) 12:41, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

erm... I'm not a fan of Eurovision and all that, but, would Nana Mouskouri or Cliff Richard be classed as "more successful" than Celine Dion ?

A quick glance at the respective Wikipedia articles shows claims that Celine Dion has sold "more than 200 million records", Cliff Richard "more than 260 million" and Nana Mouskouri "more than 350 million"...

However, to quote the Nana Mouskouri's page on Wikipedia itself:

Although Nana Mouskouri was presented with a plaque representing 350 million in sales at her final concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 2009 by her record company, the actual figure is uncertain as record sales need to be supported by at least 20% in certified units. She is therefore not included in Wikipedia's list of best selling music artists (a fate she shares with Cliff Richard, Diana Ross, Charles Aznavour, Bing Crosby, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Tom Jones, the Jackson 5, Dionne Warwick, the Andrews Sisters, Luciano Pavarotti and others).

16:40, 29 June 2014 (UTC)

An animated movie - a time-travelling schoolboy and his dog monkey foil a villain ? - SOLVED

Can anyone recognise this half-remembered movie ?

It was probably an American movie, and probably a "children's movie", but seen on television in Britain, some time in the late 1970s, possibly *very* early 1980s.

The villain is going back to various points in history, planning to change certain events, so that, erm... something or other.
( I seem to remember the villain being a Snidely Whiplash -type of character, though that may not be accurate )

One event in particular is the original landfall of erm... Columbus ? or the Mayflower ?

The heroes are a boy and his dog, who follow the villain through time and foil each of his plans in turn.

The film has almost ended. The villain has been thwarted, and the boy is back in school... with his dog.
The teacher says something like: "here is our guest speaker, Mr so-and-so"

And in walks the villain. Who declares he has A TIME MACHINE...

and gives a talk about how a camera is a type of time machine, as it can bring the past to life.
( He has apparently reformed and now only wants to do good. )

During this lecture, he's showing a film projection of scenes from earlier in the story...
90.244.130.169 (talk) 16:20, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

Sounds like something in the vein of Mister Peabody, but the only theatrical film was this year. Maybe a collection of the original short cartoons, perhaps? --McDoobAU93 16:29, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

the fact that op mentioned snidely would make sense with that too ~Helicopter Llama~ 16:33, 27 June 2014 (UTC)

This looks like a fairly substantial list of movies featuring time travel; it might be a long shot, but you could see if anything there strikes a chord with you. It's sorted by date of release. We also have a similar list; it doesn't seem as inclusive, but there are at least links to follow for details. Here is a cross-category search between our categories for Category:American animated films and Category:Time travel films; I didn't see anything obvious, but you can certainly play with the settings. Matt Deres (talk) 02:02, 28 June 2014 (UTC)

FOUND IT ! Thanks muchly :D

The "fairly substantial list" at krabat.menneske.dk has suffix summary tags for most of the movies listed.

Looking at each entry with "children" - made easier with "Findbar Tweak" in Firefox - reveals 13 entries, including:

"1965 | Willy Bean and his Magic Machine | 94 min. (dir. Arthur Rankin Jr.) | Time Travel | Children"

Willy McBean and his Magic Machine

So, half-remembered - it's a stop-motion animation, and it wasn't a talking dog, it was a talking monkey.

Though, looking at the wikipedia article, I *seriously* doubt the statement that Glenda Jackson voiced a part... wiki vandalism perhaps ?

The movie can be seen on youtube - the cast list doesn't include her... ( but surprisingly, does include James Doohan ... )

90.244.130.169 (talk) 15:33, 29 June 2014 (UTC)

Fixed vandalism, but Doohan also appears to be a mistake. Willy, the machine canna take much more! Clarityfiend (talk) 02:55, 30 June 2014 (UTC)

PlayStation games on Danish

Do anyone know a list of PlayStation Vita, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3 games with Danish speech, text or subtitles? The only ones i can remember is Sly Cooper, Wipeout 2048, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Unit 13 and LittleBigPlanet Vita. --193.163.223.68 (talk) 17:25, 27 June 2014 (UTC)