Grover Is Bitter!
To millions of children throughout the world in the seventies and eighties, that name was synonymous with a funny, cuddly and ultimately loveable fuzzy blue monster from Sesame Street. For many of us, Grover was hands-down the best character on the show: bringing laughter, intelligence and a certain irreverence not seen in other 2-dimensional children's programming of the day. And he was cute, too.
But what many of us didn't see behind that brave exterior was a monster cowering in the face of his own insecurities, a monster so unsure of himself he wouldn't even watch his own performances, and a monster who ultimately allowed his own weaknesses to overcome him and nearly ruin his career. A genius, a tyrant, a womanizer or just a washed-up drunk?
It's time to expose Grover- the monster behind the myth!
Hardest. Quiz. Ever.
In honor of "The Simpsons" airing its 300th episode on Sunday-- actually, it's the 302nd episode produced, as noted in the episode, which has Bart gaining emancipation from his parents--we humbly present a quiz on the greatest TV comedy ever.
And because you're either going to know the answers or go back and forth to find the answers, we're saving you a lot of time by putting the answers right after the questions.
You're welcome. Now enjoy!
1. Krusty's Non-Narkotik Kough Syrup for Kids was the secret ingredient in what cocktail, which was briefly all the rage in Springfield? (The Flaming Moe a k a The Flaming Homer.)
2. Comic Book Guy owns a rare Radioactive Man comic in which the superhero travels back in time to do what? (Defeat Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics.)
3. According to Homer, what three little sentences will get you through life? ("Cover for me," "Oh, good idea, boss!" and "It was like that when I got here.")
4. What three choices are there on the official "Purpose of Visit" form at Cuban customs? (Business/Pleasure, Smuggle Cigars and Assassinate Castro.)
5. Who did the B Sharps barbershop quartet beat for a Grammy? (Dexy's Midnight Runners, though Homer says he's sure we "haven't heard the last of them." )
6. What does the warning label say on the Krusty the Clown-brand Home Pregnancy Test? (May cause birth defects.)
7. Who are Sam Etic and John Jay Smith? (The names Dustin Hoffman and Michael Jackson used for their respective guest appearances in the credits.)
8. According to Waylon Smithers, what two things don't mix on a sailing expedition? (Women and seamen.)
9. What clown college did Sideshow Bob's brother Cecil attend? (Princeton.)
10. From what memoir does Bart quote on the plight of the Jews to win over Rabbi Krustofski, estranged father of Krusty the Clown? (Yes, I Can by Sammy Davis Jr.)
11. What was the opening act when the Simpsons performed at the Iowa state fair? (Jimmy Carter's Habitat for Hilarity.)
12. After journeying halfway across the world to help Apu get his job back, Apu and Homer are allowed to ask the CEO of Kwik-E Mart three questions. Homer asks all three. What are his questions? ("Are you really the head of Kwik-E Mart?" "Really?" "You?")
13. Why did Krusty bet against the Harlem Globetrotters? (He thought the Washington Generals were due.)
14. What was the name of Apu's entry in the Springfield film festival? ("Bright Lights, Beef Jerky.")
15. According to Comic Book Guy, what is the worst crossover comic ever? (She-Hulk vs. Leon Spinks.)
16. Who played Bart in the TV movie "Blood on the Blackboard: The Bart Simpson Story"? (Neil Patrick Harris.)
17. Who played Krusty in the TV movie "The Krusty the Clown Story: Booze, Drugs, Guns, Lies, Blackmail and Laughter"? (Fyvush Finkel.)
18. From what telethons might we remember Troy McClure? ("Out With Gout '88," "The Springfield Public TV Telethon" and "Let's Save Tony Orlando's House.")
19. What is the name of Meryl Streep's celebrity fragrance? (Versatility.)
20. According to Homer, what is the cause of--and solution to--all of life's problems? (Alcohol.)
21. Comic Book Guy owns a rare photo of Sean Connery autographed by whom? (Roger Moore.)
22. Who is Krusty's worthless half-brother? (Luke Perry.)
23. What is the name of Marge's mother? (Jacqueline Bouvier.)
24. What is Homer J. Simpson's middle name? (Jay.)
25. What are the ingredients in a Krusty the Clown sandwich at Izzy's Deli? (Ham, sausage and bacon with a smidgen of mayo on white bread.)
26. According to Homer, what is the code of the schoolyard? (Don't tattle, always make fun of those different from you and never say anything unless you're sure everyone feels exactly the same way you do.)
27. Comic Book Guy owns a rare Mary Worth comic in which Mary advises a friend to do what? (Commit suicide.)
28. How does Sideshow Bob explain his tattoo, which says "Die Bart, Die"? (He says it's German for "The Bart, The.")
29. What is the real name of the man known as Principal Seymour Skinner? (Armin Tamzarian, and this will never be mentioned again.)
30. How did Troy McClure end "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" a little over seven years ago? ("The Simpsons have come a long way since an old drunk made humans out of his rabbit characters to pay off some old gambling debts. Who knows what adventures they'll have between now and when the show becomes unprofitable?")
Here are some recently released DVDs with big bonuses
Not only are filmmakers keeping the DVD version in mind as they make new movies, but studios also are sifting through their vast libraries for films that can be mined for special treatment — and renewed sales.
Special-effects bonanzas such as Pearl Harbor and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring have spawned multiple versions, including four-disc sets. But nearly all DVDs arrive in stores with a slew of extras, such as behind-the-scenes footage, commentary and music videos.
"Most consumers know that, and that is why DVDs are selling so well," says Eddie Feng, associate review editor of the DVDTown Web site.
Studios know that bonuses can make the difference in whether a consumer buys a DVD. Disney's Buena Vista Home Entertainment surveyed consumers and found that 63% consider bonus materials important in purchases.
Most Disney DVDs have a "Disneypedia" feature, with facts about Hawaii in Lilo & Stitch, and pirates in the forthcoming Treasure Planet DVD. "These are all-family games and interesting features, ways to talk about the movie ... things they can't find elsewhere," says Buena Vista's Bob Chapek.
As demand increases, the process gets more hectic. Warner Home Video's DVD production staff is usually working on 100 or so DVDs simultaneously and has more than 250 due in 2003. The crew has been involved from the outset on films such as Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (DVD due April 11) and The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions (in theaters May 15 and Nov. 7, respectively), says Paul Hemstreet of Warner Home Video. "We really get involved as early as we can."
But, Feng says, the rush to retail results in "a lot of discs filled with junk. The studios sometimes don't have much time to create extras, so they'll resort to cramming it full of promotional items ... of little value in the long run."
But in most cases, independent DVD producers who create and design the bonus materials are getting much more cooperation from studios and filmmakers than in the past, says Alita Holly, who has created extras for Rush Hour 2 and Swingers, Collector's Series.
"They want their (discs) to be really cool, so they have been opening their doors in ways they hadn't before," she says. "They realize that DVD is where their movie is going to live on."
Dave Matthews Band To Release Film, DVD Boxed Set
The Dave Matthews Band intends to release a DVD boxed set of concert footage from shows in 2002. Three shows at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, were recorded last fall for the DVD set, which will be followed by a long-form video that will play in theaters, according to United Entertainment Media's Creative Planet Communities reports.
All three September 2002 Gorge concerts were recorded using 14 high-definition video cameras, capturing more than 100 hours of footage. A theatrical release is reportedly planned, with a long-form concert video to play in theaters equipped with high-definition projectors. The DVD boxed set will be issued via RCA, and is scheduled to be available later this year.
The Dave Matthews Band has released several collections of live material over the years. And while fans may have their opinion as to which is best, Matthews admits that it's difficult for him to judge the band's shows. "We'll have a show where the whole band will get off the stage and we'll be feeling, like, 'God that was awesome. That was just so smoking,'" Matthews said. "And then I'll talk to the sound or we'll talk to the soundman, and he'll go, 'It was OK. That wasn't great--it was OK. It had some trouble.' And then some nights we'll all be a little winded after the show and we'll talk to one of the guys in the crew or to the soundman Jeff, and they'll be, like, 'That was one of the best shows that we've had.' And then you're [thinking], 'Well, that's too bad,' 'cause then it makes you think that you don't know what the hell's happening."
IT'S JOE MILLIONAIRE VERSUS MICHAEL JACKSON!
Tonight's television viewing quandary comes down to this: Michael Jackson vs. "Joe Millionaire" - with a little "Everybody Loves Raymond" thrown in.
It is the most jam-packed night of newsworthy TV watching in recent memory.
What's fan to do? How can you get to see it all?
Well, you can't. But with at least one extra VCR in another room, here's a plan of attack that might get you through this.
Here's the problem:
On NBC, you have a special two-hour edition of "Dateline" - "Michael Jackson Unmasked" - detailing the many ways in which the singer has surgically rearranged his face. This airs from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.
On ABC, there's a repeat airing of "Living with Michael Jackson," the now-infamous, two-hour interview imported from England which first aired on ABC Feb. 6. That's also on from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Rounding out an entire night of Jacko-mania on ABC is a new edition of "Primetime" from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., recapping all the recent Jackson hoopla.
On Fox, you have the two-hour finale of "Joe Millionaire" from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Here's what to do:
If you've been following JOE MILLIONAIRE up 'til now, which I have not, of course you have to find out how it ends. And even if you haven't been a devotee for the last six weeks, this is the show everyone will be talking about tomorrow morning, so you have to be on board.
Now - of the two Michael Jackson specials, at least NBC's is new. ABC's lineup can be pretty much discounted because (a) "Primetime" doesn't figure to contain much new which you don't already know, and (b) most of us have already seen "Living with Michael Jackson."
And even if you missed it earlier this month on ABC, you can catch it this Thursday night at 10 on VH1, right after Jackson's rebuttal special airs on Fox (from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.).
As for "Michael Jackson Unmasked" on NBC, I suggest forgetting the first hour to see "Joe Millionaire" and then tuning in for the second hour of "Unmasked" at 10. How much of Jacko's plastic surgery do you need to see anyway? One hour should be plenty.
That leaves CBS, which, ironically has dominated Monday nights in the ratings all season long.
Since it's the sweeps, the CBS lineup is all-new tonight, so if you simply must see them, here's where that extra VCR would come in handy.
If not, these episodes will be repeated more than once before next September so you can save yourself the trouble of taping.
See, that wasn't so hard, was it?
EMINEM FRIGHTENS OSCAR
EMINEM has been invited to perform his Oscar-nominated song next month on the Academy Awards show - but the producers sound as if they hope he doesn't show up.
The obscenity-prone rapper was nominated for "Lose Yourself" from his movie "8 Mile."
"Eminem has an airplay version of that song," says Oscar show producer Gil Cates. And that is the version he will be expected to perform, he said.
"Listen, the Academy Awards show is a show for the family. I mean, everyone watches the show and we're very much aware of that," he told reporters.
"Obviously we would not knowingly have anything on the show which would be offensive."
No matter, Eminen has not said yet whether he will perform.
"Eminem we're not sure about in terms of the schedule," Cates said. "We haven't heard."
Another question mark is "I Move On" from from the movie musical "Chicago."
In the movie, stars Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones sing the song. But Zeta-Jones will be eight-and-a-half months pregnant in March and may not be able - or even want to - perform the song at the Oscars.
Direct from Liverpool, The Beatles Anthology
At long last, the 1995 documentary following the rise of the Fab Four from 1962-1970 will come to the digital format The Beatles: Anthology is set for an April release from Capitol Records.
In addition to the many hours of behind-the-scenes footage found within the series proper, nearly an hour of additional footage will be included in the longer cut.
Coming on four discs, the set will present the show in its original fullscreen ratio, but with audio choices of Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1 and PCM 2.0 stereo to preserve the quality of the recordings.
NBC to Put 'Kingpin' on DVD Before Series Ends
BURBANK, Calif. (Reuters) - NBC has decided to release its new crime drama "Kingpin" on DVD even before the heavily promoted series about a Mexican drug lord finishes its limited six-episode prime-time run.
The network said on Friday it would release all six episodes of "Kingpin" on DVD via mail order on February 16, two days before the show ends its scheduled run.
The move comes as networks look to such DVD releases to earn more from series.
NBC said the "Kingpin" DVD would include behind-the-scenes footage, cast interviews and explicit footage not seen on broadcast TV. The show, about a Mexican drug lord and his family, has been characterized by many as network TV's answer to HBO's violent but popular crime drama "The Sopranos."
The show has met with some success in the ratings and also generated some controversy. The League of United Latin American Citizens has blasted the series for portraying Hispanics as "murderers and unpatriotic American citizens."
HBO has released seasons of "The Sopranos" on DVD, and Fox released a DVD of the series "24" last year not long after the show ended its first season.
Ono Reflects on Beatles' Demise
NEW YORK - More than 30 years after the breakup of the Beatles and on the brink of her 70th birthday, Yoko Ono has become philosophical about the days when many Beatles fans hated her and blamed her for the band's demise.
"I think that through that kind of incredible, strange confrontation, people started to understand me," the widow of John Lennon told the New York Post for a story in Sunday's editions.
Ono turns 70 on Tuesday and more than 200 guests are expected to attend a cocktail reception in her honor at a Manhattan restaurant, the Post said.
Ono keeps busy these days managing the legacy of her late husband and producing dance mixes of his music and her own. She is about to release a dance mix of "Walking on Thin Ice" — the song Lennon was working on the night he was murdered in 1980.
"If he's observing me from up there, I'm sure he's proud of me," Ono said. "It's going to go on and on. This is what I love now, so it's great."
'Daredevil' Leaps To 2nd-Best February Debut
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Movie-goers took Ben Affleck up on his latest dare. Affleck's "Daredevil," a big-budget gamble on a comic-book character more obscure than "Spider-Man" or "X-Men," paid off nicely with a $43.5 million weekend debut, according to studio estimates Sunday.
It was the second-best February debut ever behind the $58 million opening of "Hannibal" two years ago. "Daredevil" had the biggest haul ever for a movie opening over President's Day weekend, easily surpassing the previous best of $20.3 million for last year's "John Q."
The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," fell to second place but held strongly with $19 million, pushing its 10-day total to $47.7 million. The Kate Hudson-Matthew McConaughey romance got a boost from Valentine's Day audiences Friday.
Riding the wave of its leading 13 Academy Awards nominations last week, the musical "Chicago" expanded to more theaters and took in $12.6 million, remaining in third place and pushing its two-month total to $80.7 million.
Disney's animated sequel "The Jungle Book 2" opened in fourth place with $11.9 million.
The overall box office shot up, with the top 12 movies taking in $130.1 million, a 22 percent increase over President's Day weekend last year.
In "Daredevil," based on the Marvel Comics hero, Affleck plays a blind attorney with superhuman other senses that allow him to become a deadly crusader for justice by night. The movie co-stars Jennifer Garner, Michael Clarke Duncan and Colin Farrell.
"The first tier of comic books would be `Superman,' `Batman,' `Spider-Man,' `X-Men.' This would probably be a second-tier character, but from the audiences that showed up Friday night, there's a big fan base," said Bruce Snyder, head of distribution for 20th Century Fox, which released "Daredevil."
Playing in 3,471 theaters, "Daredevil" averaged a strong $12,532 a cinema, compared with $4,238 in 2,808 theaters for the weekend's other new movie, "The Jungle Book 2."
Produced on a modest budget of under $20 million, "The Jungle Book 2" follows other recent titles Disney has mined from its vaults for inexpensive animated family flicks, among them "Return to Neverland" and "The Tigger Movie."
"The Jungle Book 2" is expected to at least match the $48 million gross of "Return to Neverland," last year's follow-up to the cartoon classic "Peter Pan," said Disney head of distribution Chuck Viane.
Along with best-picture front-runner "Chicago," other key Oscar contenders benefited from their nominations.
Best-picture nominee "The Hours" expanded to 1,003 theaters, up 454, and took in $3.3 million. The Virginia Woolf-related drama pushed its total to $26 million since opening in limited release in late December.
Also nominated for best picture, "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" grossed $3.45 million, virtually unchanged from the previous weekend even though its theater count fell sharply as it winds down its run. The blockbuster fantasy has taken in $325.3 million.
The dark comedy "About Schmidt" missed out on the best-picture category, but its lead-actor nomination for Jack Nicholson helped boost business. The film took in $3.55 million, up 18 percent from a weekend earlier, and its total gross climbed to $53.1 million.
Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Tuesday.
1. "Daredevil," $43.5 million.
2. "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," $19 million.
3. "Chicago," $12.6 million.
4. "The Jungle Book 2," $11.9 million.
5. "Shanghai Knights," $11.4 million.
6. "The Recruit," $6.8 million.
7. "Final Destination 2," $6.2 million.
8. "Deliver Us From Eva," $4.4 million.
9. "Kangaroo Jack," $4 million.
10. "About Schmidt," $3.55 million.