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Post by yankee on Nov 2, 2019 23:15:32 GMT
I've been watching reruns of Wonder Woman on one of my local repeat stations. Its SO camp, so cheesy. The special effects quite wobbly and they didnt make much of an attempt to make the stunt doubles look like Lynda Carter.  But Lynda Carter's charm is undeniable. I smile every time she is on screen. I remember being a pre-teen and watching every week waiting for her to do her 'spin' and turn from Diana Prince into Wonder Woman. I was quite smitten. I like the older episodes set in the 1940s but I guess there are only so many stories you can have with Wonder Woman defeating the latest Nazi plot. Moving it to current times (in the 1970s) after the first season gave more story ideas I reckon. |
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Post by marion on Nov 3, 2019 10:36:58 GMT
It was a good show for its time. Unlike the recent film version! Give me strength, I thought it was a shocker.
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Post by yankee on Nov 3, 2019 14:14:52 GMT
I think the 70s show had charm because it kept with the spirit of being a comic book and embraced the camp.
It didnt try and take itself too seriously and realized it was light entertainment.
And again, IMHO Lynda Carter was simply made to play Wonder Woman.
Very much like the Adam West / Burt Ward 'Batman' tv series which - probably because I grew up with it - I like so much better than any of the dark brooding films.
Same for the incredible hulk. For me it's always Bill Bixby as Dr. David Banner and Lou Ferrigno as his green alter ego.
The episode of Wonder Woman that was on last night was about Wonder Womans mother (Hipolita?)- who was played by Carolyn Jones (Morticia from the Addams Family) who sent her younger sister Drusilla (who was played by a teenage Debra Winger!) to America to persuade Wonder Woman to come back to Paradise Island to claim her right to the throne as the mum wanted to retire. Instead Drusilla embraced life as a teenager in circa 1942 Washington and also impersonated big sis a few times, albeit her powers not being as completely developed or honed so she got overpowered by the baddies. It's a multi episode story arc so I have to wait and see how it plays out. I dont recall seeing this one first time around.
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Post by sootycat on Nov 5, 2019 12:20:40 GMT
If I'm honest, I am not a big fan of new versions of programmes. I much prefer the original.
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Post by Miranda on Nov 5, 2019 12:44:10 GMT
I remember one of our channels showing the Adam West Batmans in the morning for kids. I think a new film had just come out. My now-ex also watched it as a kid so started watching it in the morning. I'm afraid I spoiled it a bit, without meaning to, cos of Frontier Fanny. Just typing that now is making laugh. Yes, I know, childish. At the time, I was l laughing so much I had to go out of the room to recover. And then every time someone said her name it kicked me off again. Frontier Fanny!  |
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Post by yankee on Nov 5, 2019 13:17:11 GMT
And Frontier Fanny was a Brit on top of it.  So she obviously knew the other meaning. The A-list of top stars who lobbied to appear as villains on Batman was staggering, including multiple Oscar winners and other tv and film royalty. It gave them a chance to put on a colorful costume, camp it up and chew up the scenery. And the stiff as a board Adam West provided the perfect wooden plank to bounce your dialog off of. |
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Post by yankee on Nov 5, 2019 14:38:41 GMT
It really is a staggering list of A-list celebs who guested as villains on Batman.
Cesar Romero (Hollywood leading man for decades) - The Joker
Burgess Meredith (2x Oscar nominee) - The Penguin
Victor Buono (Oscar winner) - King Tut
Otto Preminger (3x Oscar nominee) - Mr. Freeze
Eli Wallach (Oscar winner) - Mr. Freeze
Eartha Kitt (Tony, Emmy winner) - Catwoman
David Wayne (2x Tony award winner) - Mad Hatter
Vincent Price - Egghead
Carolyn Jones (Oscar nominee) - Marsha, Queen of Diamonds
Cliff Robertson (Oscar, Emmy winner) - Shame
Anne Baxter (Oscar winner) - Olga, Queen of the Cossacks
Milton Berle (multiple Emmy winner) - Louie the Lilac
Rudy Vallee (popular crooner) - Lord Marmaduke Ffogg
Glynis Johns (noted stage and screen actress) - Lady Penelope Peasoup
Art Carney - The Archer
Tallulah Bankhead (numerous stage awards) - The Black Widow
Roddy McDowell - The Bookworm
Liberace (famous pianist) Chandell (and twin brother Harry)
Shelly Winters (Oscar winner) - Ma Parker
Zsa Zsa Gabor - Minerva
Van Johnson - The Minstrel
Maurice Evans - The Puzzler
Michael Rennie - The Sandman
Joan Collins (countless awards and nominations) - The Siren
Ida Lupino (award winning actress and pioneer woman director) - Dr. Cassandra Spellcraft
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Post by pandaeyes on Nov 6, 2019 11:27:51 GMT
You are certainly taking me down Memory Lane, now yankkepov! I recall the Batman series too. Loved it especially when the cartoon SPLAT! and BIFF! appeared as they were fighting. The recent series of Gotham, with Bruce Wayne as a teenager, was rather dark in content.
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Post by yankee on Nov 6, 2019 14:01:23 GMT
Yes indeed. Minimal violence and what was shown was cartoon in nature. No blood. Only occasionally was a gun displayed but I dont think ever fired.
Usually the bad guys used some sort of smoke bomb that would make their victims fall peacefully to sleep.
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Post by yankee on Nov 6, 2019 14:03:31 GMT
They also used a very clever approach in that whether they showed the villains lair, the camera was always tilted at a cockeyed angle, to emphasize that the villain and his/her henchmen were "crooked."
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Post by yankee on Nov 6, 2019 14:48:51 GMT
This video shows a clip of all the various Batman villains from A-Z.
The person that put it together did a great job with the clips but for some reason put really loud background music. So be warned about that.
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Anymore to come?
