Yoga Hosers

Hey readers, how goes it? So it's been a while since I've had some Kevin Smith. Annnd that came out vastly more pornographic than I wanted. Let's try that again. It's been a while since I reviewed a Kevin Smith film. Better? I thought as much.  So three years prior, the big buzz was his Canada trilogy as it has been referenced and one of the projects was involved his daughter, Harley Quinn and Johnny Depp's daughter Lily-Rose. We've got Canada, BFFs, villainous Nazis and genetic experimentation, so let's give this the once over. This is Yoga Hosers.

Gaaah,remember Tusk? Your dad is so weird!

The True North Trilogy consists of Tusk, Yoga Hosers and Moose Jaws. Yes you will have to go and secure your own copies. Shockingly enough Amazon is a click away. Okay may we battle through the "wurst" of it, I won't be a sour kraut and this is the school of hard knocks. Alright, enough awful puns and on to the flick in question.

Colleen Collette (Lily-Rose Depp of Tusk, Yoga Hosers, The Dancer, Planetarium, A Faithful Man and Savage) and Colleen McKenzie(Harley Quinn Smith of Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Bac, Clerks II, Tusk, Yoga Hosers, Holiday, Hollyweed, Supergirl, All These Small Moments and All Night) are atypical 15 year old teenager girls that spend their days in yoga, noses buried in their smart phones, working a convenience store Eh-2-Zed (I will hurt Kevin for that pun) and their cover band, Glamthrax. . An addendum, their drummer is 35 and named Ichabod (Adam Brody of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The O.C., Jennifer's Body, Welcome to the Jungle, Burning Love, Life Partners and Growing Up and Other Lies). Music gigs aren't that scarce, brah and I am getting serious creeper vibe going there.  Further addendum, their parents lacked any creativity for names but hell not my cross to bear. They are inseparable and life in Manitoba is dreary, dull and deadening inside

Jason Vorhees' final form!!!

It's Canada, folks. Pleasant people, weather and attractions but they kind of creep me out.   I was informed they do not run around in deer and moose skins nor do they try to kill the sun with rudimentary, crude fashioned spears.   Who knew.

Senior heart throb and McKenzie's dream guy, Hunter (Austin Butler of Zoey 101, Ruby & the Rockits, Life Unexpected, The Carrie Diaries, Arrow and The Shannara Chronicles) has invited the girls to a Senior party. Awww... Yeah, check this kid for Rohypnol.  Deep cavity search.

Colleen's(Harley) mom, Ms. McKenzie (Jennifer Schwalbach Smith of Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back, Now You Know, Jersey Girl, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Clerks II, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Red State and Tusk) gotta warn the girls that boys just want to get freaky deaky at this age.  Channeling Aunt May and hoping to put the girls off any form of interaction. Could always have an organ crap out.  Seriously first five annuals of the Amazing Spider-Man, something was wrong with Aunt May.  Google that.  Mom is actually scarier as she slips Colleen her stiletto for protection. Damn I just got the lecture don't get a girl pregnant, not handed a shiv.

He puts the brat in bratwurst. Too homoerotic? You judge.

To strengthen their karma or whatever the hell you do in Yoga. I'm more limber from it and...yeah that's it. The girls are in the care of Yoga guru, Yogi Bayer (Justin Long of Jeepers Creepers, Ed, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Idiocracy, Live Free or Die Hard, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Drag Me to Hell and 10 Years). He seems to have either accepted the constant Hanna-Barbera jokes and deals with the pic-a-nic baskets or he is a better somber man than I. The seriousness to his more unorthodox yoga positions was killing me.

The intrepid duo has to contend with teachers? Yeah not meshing seems to be their jam. You can almost hear the build-up of "When I was your age," comments. Let's see...15? Hmm crappy job, school, D&D and zero prospects of girls. Well I got nothing to compare there at all.  Moving on!

Colleen's(Lily-Rose) dad Bob (Tony Hale of Dante's Inferno, Andy Barker, P.I., Chuck, Not That Funny, The Heat, American Ultra, and Jake and the Never Land Pirates) and his very much younger than he girlfriend, Tabitha (Natasha Lyonne of Modern Vampires, American Pie, American Pie 2, Comic Book Villains, Blade: Trinity, All About Evil, Addicted to Fresno and Antibirth) take off for an impromptu vacation, leaving the girls stuck at work. Dick move, brohan. Dick move.   Bob might also be lacking a spine, as Tabitha took it out Predator style!

Nazi Sausage Party!  Yup that came out weird.

Clerks-like shenanigans on the rise!   Hockey on the roof?   Pervy guy wanking himself to death?  Well okay maybe not Clerks level.   Still deciding who gets to be the Randal.   Sadly for the girls, having to close the store is the least of their worries as they have stumbled upon a Nazi killer regime threaten to rule ze world!  Okay our nefarious Canadian Hitler, Adronicus Aracane (Comedian/writer Ralph Garman of The Prowler, NYPD Blue, Two of the Money, Celebrity Deathmatch, Eagle Eye, Jay and Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie, Samurai Cop 2: Deadly Vengeance and Hollyweed) has a tremendous schinitzel up his arsch and deals with art critics with his evil collective of clones.

With the assistance of legendary manhunter Guy Lapointe (Johnny Depp of A Nightmare on Elm Street, 21 Jump Street and other stuff) Oh c'mon, the man has a substantial filmography!   Go look it up or have lived in the 80s to now!  Guy begins to hear the girls out on their plight. A plight of a double homicide they did not commit and it was the handiwork of the naughty knockwursts!   Naughty Knockwursts is the German gay porno I will be writing when this blog goes nowhere so, probably next week.

Guy believes them, assists in their legal problems and sets them free from the clink. Can the girls deal with such terrifying meat products?? Will these young Canadians dispatch the rising Nazi regime? Can they put down their damn phones??!! Is the term Goalie Flesh Golem sound as disturbing as could be??

Yes this film openly torments Canada, Millennials, parents of Millennials, Whitey White Supremacists and I had fun.  If we were to take this seriously, dissect it in every facet to whom it offends, I could be here all day still writing this mother.  Kevin's writing is as sharp as always, his corral of actors has gotten an addition and I laugh my ass off seeing Johnny in makeup and total lack of zombie pirates.

Guest appearance by Kevin Conroy? He's Batman in case somehow you forgot and this Stan Lee guy. I think he was into comics. *cough Marvel Universe *cough. Yes, a myriad of the View Askew Universe has made its way into the Canada.

I'm loving how the music score changes up from a near John Williams' Indiana Jones to a John Carpenter's Halloween.  Kevin, you a bit of a film freak, ain'tcha?   It's all good.

Final thoughts? Well yet another buddy movie on Kevin's part but the girls shine through. With next to no experience, these two nail their roles on such a level I'm shaking my head one instant and then laugh the next. The performances are great, it's supposed to be campy and dammit it succeeded on all levels.   It's screwy, outlandish and a giant finger to those that don't get it.  Not exactly sure why almost every critic crapped on this flick, but I guess it is not for everyone.   So yes I had fun with this and yeah Smith fans, you will enjoy it. 

Dude, shut up about Arrow! Not getting you an autograph!

PODCAST SHOUT OUT!!

Hey folks, Jake here! 

 Here to apprise you the latest updates on the Rotten Ramblin' On Podcast Campaign. Wow, do not try to say that 5 times fast, you may pass out. The skinny is thus: Twitter is exploding with ideas and suggestions how to improve the campaign to get it out there. I have had close to 20 new followers for Rotten Reelz Reviews twitter and plenty of good things said about the write-ups.

We gotta save Rotten Ramblin' On!!!

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We need you input!

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Tell your friends, family, people down the street. Annoy your neighbors with the mere name of the podcast!

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Bob and Bing Road Week: Road to Bali

Welcome back boys and girls to Day 4 of Bob and Bing Road Week and I thought we would scoot on ahead in the saga. Seriously, there is only so many travel tramp movies I can endure and I saw Zombie Lake. We instead gaze into the professional of musical entertainment that does NOT involve scanty clothing, auto tune or even a failed series of marriages. This is Road to Bali.

The Master would not approve.

Harold Gridley: He's gonna spoil, folks. Now's the time to go out and get the popcorn.

George Cochran (Bing Crosby) and Harold Gridely (Bob Hope) are a double act song and dance number working in Melbourne, Australia and are scurrying in a hurry to leave, not from angry mobs but a heap of women longing for their hand in marriage. They end up in Darwin (Northern Australia not a dead philosopher and theorist) were they sign on to be pearl divers for a prince.

Hopping a boat (Oh God, not again) and taken to Bali, Indonesia where our boys fine acceptance by the lovely Princess Lala (Dorothy Lamour), cousin to their employer Prince Arok and go ga ga for her as per usual. To avoid any imperial entanglement, the scamps found a large chest of priceless jewels to keep the prince distracted long enough to skedaddle.

Bob's the one with the really hot air coming out.

Our titillating trio end up shipwrecked on yet another island and the natives are indeed restless.

The laws of the land decree any woman vying for the affection of two men must marry them both. Running around being offensive and politically incorrect our black face natives have issues with the men and feel it is their presence that has sent the volcano into eruption. Are the gangs' gooses cooked or will they beat the heat?

Just some quick info on the movie now. Out of the seven "Road" movies this has the only one to be be photographed in Technicolor. Bing Crosby makes references to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cleveland Indians, which at the time he was a partial owner both teams. Cameo appearances in this flick include: Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Jane Russell as herself, CarolynJones and even Humphrey Bogart (archived footage)

While this movie was released by Paramount, no one got around to getting it copy-writ and this is the only one of the seven Road movies that falls under public domain. So you amateur riffers can trash and joke through this flick if you like.

Two kilted kooks and a kitten,

Bob and Bing Road Week: Road to Morocco

Howdy all and welcome to Day 3 of Bob and Bing Road Week. I apologize for the delay of this blog. Work, the impeding holiday and a date with my amazing girlfriend may have caused the blog to go a bit late but hopefully you will all forgive me. Heading back to the third of the "Road" movies and manages to bring our boys back into action, comedy and chasing after Dorothy Lamour. This is Road of Morocco.

Two humps and a camel.

Male Camel: This is the screwiest picture I was ever in.

Our picture opens with new announcements and a freighter exploded and all hands are accounted for except two unknown stowaways. Our travelling hobos Jeff Peters (Bing Crosby of Man on Fire, Alias Jesse James, The Road to Hong Kong and Robin and the 7 Hoods) and Orville "Turkey" Jackson (Bob Hope of Paleface, The Greatest Show on Earth, Road to Bali, Casanova's Big Night and The Seven Little Foys) are shipwrecked floating at sea. The duo arguing about whose idea it was to stowaway on the ship and it was Orville's idea to have a smoke in powder room creating the big bang. Spotting land from a ways off and paddle to shore before they are shark food. Turkey points out how Jeff made his promise to Aunt Lucy to keep him safe. They squabble with each other when a camel appears and gives the boys a lift.

Yowza, what a tomato!

No sooner are they in the city they are almost bowled over by a cadre of Arabs shooting rifles lead by the sheik Mullay Kasim (Anthony Quinn of Sinbad, the Sailor, Black Gold, Tycoon, Mask of the Avenger, The World in His Arms, The Brigand, Against All Flags, The Road and Fatal Desire) Destitute and starving, the boys stuff their faces and try to sneak out on the bill only to find out Jeff is flush with money and Turkey is irked finding out he was sold to a man for money. Jeff tells him he will be able to buy him back eventually when Turkey is back and carried off.

A week goes by and Jeff is on the trail to buy Turkey back but finds he was sold to yet another person. Jeff works his way to the royal palace and spots Turkey relaxing to a gaggle of beautiful girls dancing for the lovely Princess Shalmar (Dorothy Lamour of Tropic Holiday, Spawn of the North, St. Louis Blues, Man About Town, Disputed Passage, Road to Singapore and Johnny Apollo) who promised to the sheik but has fallen for Turkey and the madness and danger ensues. Up to the necks into trouble the boys better think quick how to get out of this one.

A few fun facts on our film. The scene where the camel spits in Bob Hope's face was not planned and Bing started cackling to fierce the director David Butler kept it in the final cut to the movie.

This is also the first movie to break the fourth wall (where a character speaks directly to audience). 

The US invasion of Morocco during World War II against the pro-Nazi force of France 2 days prior to the release of this movie.

But...but... Fez are cool.

Bob and Bing Week: Road to Zanzibar

Welcome back kiddies to Day 2 of Bob and Bing Road Week and since those nuts managed seven of these movies, what say we move on to the second one? For the sake of chronology of course. Howabout a trek deep in the jungles of Africa for a safari but more of a spoof on Stanley and Livingstone? With our boys Bob and Bing gabbing and ad libbing their way through this remote region as two con men just trying to get a leg up in the world and get the brass ring. This is Road to Zanzibar.

Geez, Dollface you packed everything but the kitchen sink.

Hubert "Fearless Fraizer: (Cannibal burps) Must've been someone he ate.

Circus sideshow caller Chuck Reardon (Bing Crosby of Holiday Inn, Going My Way, Road to Utopia, White Christmas and Stagecoach) calls action and revs the crowd with the death defying feats the one and only Hubert "Fearless" Fraizer (Bob Hope of That Certain Feeling, Paris Holiday, The Jack Benny Hour, Alias Jesse James and The Facts of Life) the human cannonball that is hides in a secret compartment and uses a dummy at the last minute. The flame imbued dummy sets fire to the big tent causing a ruckus and as people flee in terror and our boys hightail in out of there.

Trying to make back the money they lost, Chuck hinges on the idea of Fearless wrestling a live octopus. Naturally Fearless is appalled at the idea as it goes horribly wrong and is nearly throttled to death, decides he wants to make his way back to the good ole US of A when they sent a bottle of bubbly by a diamond baron name of Charles Kimble (Eric Blore of Top Hat, Swing Time, Shall We Dance and The Lady Eve) who has made a vast fortune in the diamond mining that he proposes a offer of five thousand dollars for the fellas to have their own diamond mine. Which is all well and good but Kimble is known for being a crackpot and whatever he signs off is ultimately worthless. Fearless annoyed at losing all their collective money dissolves their partnership and storms out.

Um... why the gimp suit?

That evening Fearless is all smiles and pockets of money claiming he sold the diamond mine to some poor sap for seven thousand dollars. The lads are almost out of there when they are cornered by the very same "sap" Monsieur Lebec (Lionel Royce of What Price Safety!, The Son of Monte Cristo, White Pongo and Gilda) and his hulking bodyguard "insist" Chuck and Fearless accompany them to the mine to inspect his purchase.

Jumping ship and ending up on a life raft, our struggling stragglers make it to shore meeting with the lovely Julia Quimby (Una Merkel of 42^nd Street, The Bank Dick, Summer and Smoke and The Parent Trap) who begs for the boys' assistance in saving her friend Donna (Dorothy Lamour of Road to Singapore, Road to Morocco, They Got Me Covered, Riding Hight, And the Angels Sing and Duffy's Tavern) who is being sold at a slave auction. The guys leap into action and buy her for the local coin and agrees to take the gals on a safari across the country.

The boys squabble over Donna and it comes down to fisticuffs when the trouble ensues as they have gotten the attention of a local tribe of headhunters.

Will the boys be able to get out of this one or are they in hot water?

An interest note of interest now.

The second of the seven Road movies, Road to Zanzibar was nominated for Best Picture in 1941 but sadly lost to John Ford's How Green Was My Valley. Also nominated for Best Picture but failed to win was Orson Welles' Citizen Kane. Henry Fonda did not even get the recognition for his performance in The Lady Eve but that they say is show business.

Gulp!  Sure glad I use Scope.

Bob and Bing Road Week: Road to Singapore

Welcome girls and boys of all ages to Day 1 of Bob and Bing Road Week and what better way to start of the week than with the original film that started the Road saga. Bringing together two playboys who choose to hit the high seas see their fellow sailors get the riot act by the wives and girlfriends. Our pals pledge to swear the fair sex away and forget their women woes... that is until they spy with their purdy lil eyes a shapely Dorothy Lamour. This is Road to Singapore.

Top billing, babies.

Joshua Mallon IV: You must think the world is just some three ring spoiler, and all you've got to do is run around and have fun

Josh Mallon (Bing Crosby of Sing, You Sinners, Paris Honeymoon, My Favorite Blonde, Dixie and Going My Way), an adventurous fellow is plagued by his father Joshua Mallon IV into settling down with a chosen girl and carrying in the million dollar family business of steam ships.

But our boy prefers to pal around with his childhood chum Ace Lannigan (Bob Hope of Some Like It Hot, The Cat and the Canary, My Favorite Blonde, Road to Utopia and My Favorite Brunette) who loves balling it up and having a laugh. When trying to entertain the snooty guests about the ship the snarky barbs of Ace end up the boys into a real donnybrook. With the severance pay, our sailors hop a ship bound for Singapore but the boys run out of the cabbage in no time and get dropped a remote island chain called Kaigoon.

Well, at least it's not black face??  Ho boy.

Enjoying the cabaret acts with a stunning Mima (Dorothy Lamour of The Jungle Princess, Swing High, Swing Low, The Last Train from Madrid, Road to Zanzibar, Road to Morocco and They Got Me Covered) is being manhandled by her lead dancer Ceasar (Anthony Quinn of Road to Morocco, China Sky, The Guns of Navarone, Lawrence of Arabia, Zorba the Greek and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys- Hercules and the Lost Kingdom) that yet another fight breaks out and our boys exit stage left with Mima. With next to no money our threesome tries to find a way to make some lettuce without getting too zany. Cesar and Joshua Mallon IV are in hot pursuit of the fellas and things are looking a bit bleak and tensions are bit high given both of the guys have the hots for Mima.

Will our sea faring friends come out on top or will they be adrift at sea?

A few fun facts about this film now.

This is the first of the seven Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour “Road” movies. Originally this film was titled Beach of Dreams was to star George Burns and Gracie Allen. When they bowed out it was re-titled Road to Mandalay for Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie before its final title was revealed and recast.

After the failed attempts of getting either George Burns or Fred MacMurray into the picture, producer Harlan Thompson offered it to Bob and Bing with he saw these two clowning around on the Paramount lot and genuinely got along with each other. A lucky thing for Thompson.

Three hour tour, my eye.

Blog Number 575! : Bob and Bing Road Week

Well hello and welcome to the week my fine readers. It has come to my attention that the blog may lack taste and refinement. This of course is news to me but seeing the requests coming in I thought we would partake in the Road to movies Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour.

Two Jews walk in a bar... hang on I think I forge the rest.

With the adventures taking place all over the world our heroes sing, doing ad-libs and inside Hollywood jokes, this trio entertained with song and dance and wild antics to appease the audience and kept people in stitches with snappy patter and great physical humor. Bob and Bing were a natural duo that perfected their formula of jibber jabbing past whatever minor scenario only to end up in a heap of mess towards the end and constantly fighting over the affection of Dorothy Lamour, a femme fatale that always had her way and got her say.

Let's head wherever the road Bob and Bing may take us.

Eye candy indeed!  Well, I never!

The Lost of Laughter... RIP Robin Williams.

Many of us are familiar with his works, his hi-jinks and comedy.  We have seen his box office bombs and the films that touched our hearts.  From humble beginnings in San Francisco to cracking up the planet.  The laughter and the losses, Robin Williams outlived many of his closest friends including: Peter Cook, Dudley Moore and Christopher Reeve.  It is rare to speak of an original but I think it say Robin Williams stood out among so many of his fellow comedians.

Growing up I experienced Mork & Mindy and got many a chuckle until I snuck into the hallway late that night while my parents had HBO on and saw the 1982 Evening at the Improv and beheld comedy magic.  This fuzzy lunatic interacting with the audience, making random references, odd noises and in general keeping the crowd astounded and full of mirth.   Comedy Relief hosted by Robin, Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg.  Presenting obscene jokes, great observation humor for the sake of raising awareness and money for the homeless. There will never be the like as this man, nor should there be.

 I, for one was utterly amazed him having time for responses back to his Twitter fans of which, I am one. With the success of his comedy and movie careers came 2 divorces and two children survived by him.  This week will focus on whether or not he committed suicide or not and frankly you should focus how he managed to brighten your day, opened your eyes through his bizarre take on life, love and relationships.

Surely, we owe an original that much for bringing us gut wrenching, tear jerking laughter and warmth.

Forgotten Gems of the 70's: That's My Mama!

Good day and greetings to Day 5 of Forgotten Gems of the 70's Week.  As it is the final day of the topic I went deep for obscure and barely remembered series and that is why Sanford and Son did NOT fall under this.  C'mon, it is kinda hard to forget Red Fox.  That being said I found a show based in Washington D.C. in a middle-class African American neighborhood.  Primarily the show revolves around a barber shop that is a family owned business.  With a working-class bachelor living life and enjoying it his mother does not approve of this cavalier lifestyle and tells him such many a time and varied volumes.  This is That's My Mama!

What do you mean you don't like my dress???!!!

Junior: Wooooooooooooooo, WHEEE!  I spoil it, I got it, and I got to report it!






20 something Clifton Curtis (Clifton Davis of Little Ladies of the Night, Scott Joplin, Superdome, The Night the City Screamed, Amen, Max Keeble's Big Move and Halloweentown High) inherited his father's barbershop and cuts no corners for upkeep or customer service.  A shave, haircut and local gossip is the order of the day and enjoying the freedoms of single life is the game.  His Mama, Eloise (Theresa Merritt of They Might Be Giants, The Goodbye Girl, The Wiz, The Great Santini, All That Jazz, The Serpent and the Rainbow, Billy Madison and Home Fries) is a sharp-tongued, opinionated woman that wants Clifton to settle down and start a family.  Trying to set Clifton up with some rather... eccentric women, it is clear that Mama only is looking for two things in a woman.  Fertile and single.

Clifton shares the house with his mother and his best friend Earl (Teddy Wilson of What's Happening!!, Good TimesThe Ambush Murders, The Redd Foxx Show and Genuine Risk) works with him at the shop.  Two seniors Wildcat (Jester Hairston of The Amos 'n Andy Show, Gypsy Colt, Full of Life, The Last Tycoon, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka and Amen) and his childhood buddy Josh (DeForest Covan of Going Places, Reform School, Pork Chop Hill, Black Samson, The Day of the Locust snf Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens) sit around, BS and play checkers with each other instilling the words of wisdom to this young boys.   Dropping by for a daily visit is Junior (Ted Lange of Black Belt Jones, Larry, The Love Boat, Terminal Exposure, Othello, The Redemption, Gang of Roses and Who Shot Mamba?) a wise cracking, smooth talking ladies man filling the fellas in on conquests and potential ones on the way.

YAHTZEE!!!  Oh you old fool, we playin' checkers!

Adding more strife to life is his sister Tracy (Lynne Moody of Soap, Hill Street Blues, E/R, A Flight for Jenny and Knots Landing and then replaced by Joan Pringle of Ironside, J.D.'s Revenge, The White Shadow, In the House and One on One) who is married to anal retentive accountant Leonard Taylor (Lisle Wilson of Mississippi Summer, Police Story, The Incredible Melting Man, The White Shadow, The Ratings Game, Just Between Friends, What's Happening Now! and Tales from the Crypt) who has not been able to break wind since Martin Luther King marched peacefully with his congregation.  Seriously, you need a pencil sharpened, just ask this man to bend over and drop trou. Heck I think he could work up drafting pencils as well.

Quick couple of observations about the series now.  Lasting only two seasons it comes clear to me that this was not a heavily watched show.  Comedic timing, shenanigans aside, it fell pale into comparison to Good Times and Sanford and Son.  Even the Jeffersons raised more laughs overall.   Eloise bails Clifton and gang out of more trouble but never let them hear the end of it and frankly they kind of deserved each and every earful.  

I have looked into several re-run syndicated channels and this is one that does not show up on the roster, coupled with being only 39 episodes, it should be pointed out that almost the entire cast went on to be recognized later on.  Lange for Loveboat, Teddy Wilson as Sweet Daddy in Good Times and Joan Pringle for White Shadow as Sybil Buchanan.  Short lived and deserving of a little love the series had made its way restored to DVD and Blu-Ray.

There's a dirty pie joke to be had but I will behave.

Forgotten Gems from the 70's: Chico and the Man

What's shakin' peoples and welcome to Day 3 of Forgotten Gems of the 70's Week.  I know it has been hard hitting action for the past 2 days so what say we move on in to some comedy instead?  No, we will not be taking in Good Times, The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son or the ever racist All in the Family.  The goal of the week has been obscure or forgotten as the theme.  Mind you, I wouldn't mind seeing a little Sanford and Son though.  How about instead a crotchety Anglo Saxon running a battered down garage in East L.A. (barrio country for you whiteys) who is as about as tolerant of the Latino population as Archie Bunker but has a heart of gold as he hires Chico Rodriguez, a young and optimistic kid just looking for a job.  This is Chico and the Man.

Like the sign says...

Chico: Loo-king spoiler!









Curmudgeon Ed Brown (Jack Albertson of Run for Your Life, Changes, Justine, The Red Skelton Hour, Rabbit, Run, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory and The Fox and the Hound)  refuses to fit in the ever-changing East Los Angeles neighborhood and has managed to ostracize most of the residents around him that even his friends and family are stunned when their boy, former Vietnam Vet Chico (Freddie Prinze of The Million Dollar Rip-Off, Cher, Sammy and Company, Tony Orlando and Dawn, The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Muhammad Ali and Joys) goes to Ed for a job.  Ed berates him and makes enough ethnic comments to make Archie Bunker send him a Christmas card every year but Chico sees that Ed is just alone and bitter being a widower.

Git out of mah garage you Ompa Loompahs!!

He sneaks in the middle of the night and...  no he does not deface or smash the place.  For crying out loud, people.  Don't jump the gun.  Chico tidies the place up and crashes in a van Ed had inside the garage.  Rather than blast him with a boomstick, call the cops or break out a baseball bat, Ed realizes this kid is a decent sort and the least he can do is give the kid a job.  Pestered by an old neighbor Louie (Scatman Crothers of Meet Me at the Fair, Porgy and Bess, The AristoCats, The Jungle Book,  Hong Kong Phooey, The Shootist, Silver Streak, Roots and The Transformers) who snickered about Ed helping us poor minorities and razzing him every chance.

This combo of grumpy old man and young happenin' kid is not a new formula by any means but literally the first TV series to set in a Mexican-American neighborhood and show the community's strengths and flaws without 60 black and whites and a bunch of kids on the hoods being patted down.  With a grand total of 88 episodes you would think this was a solid shoe-in for more seasons.

Now a few facts about the show.  While fighting a losing battle with depression coupled with new found fame and recognition, Freddie Prinze tragically took his own life with a gun leaving behind his cast mates, his wife Katherine Cochran and his infant son Freddie Prinze Jr.  Beloved by the likes of :Johnny Carson, Sammy Davis Jr., co-star Jack Robertson and Tony Orlando, the Prince of Comedy had passed away at age 22.  A vain attempt to continue out the fourth season ended in dark story arcs, characters that did not go over as well and the magic that was Jack and Freddie could not be duplicated.

I cut you good, old man!