© Paramount Pictures CorporationOn this page we want to present movies and TV serials that we liked very much.
© Paramount Pictures Corporation
From our early years on we are big fans of "Star Trek". Impatiently we looked forward to the movies and we also watch the follow-up serials "Star Trek - The Next Generation", "Deep Space 9", "Star Trek Voyager" and "Star Trek Enterprise" on a regular basis - even when they do not fascinate us as much as the original series.
At the end of 2004 the three seasons of the original series were finally released as DVDs, the DVDs for the other series (except "ST: Enterprise") have been already available since some months.
To set a single link for Star Trek is impossible, as there are too many sites in the net and each search machine returns thousands of references. But at least we want to refer to the official sites:
www.startrek.com/startrek/view/index.html
And when you like to talk with Vulcans, Klingons and Bayorans about Tribbles and Latinum, you are sincerly welcomed in the news groups alt.tv.star-trek.tos, alt.tv.star-trek.ds9, alt.tv.star-trek.voyager and alt.tv.star-trek.enterprise.
See Hobbys / Humor / Monty Python
© BBC Worldwide
The Britisch Rowan Atkinson has taken Europe in a storm. His "Mr. Bean" - the prototype of the child with in each man - speaks to us on a level, on which we'd like to act, but are not allowed to do so. Which is a good thing, because Atkinson dramatically shows us what would happen: Tears in the eyes, lack of breath, ripped midriff. Our three most favoured pieces are "How to make a sandwich" (such a lot of crazy ideas that still work out fine within such a short amount of time, we haven't seen before), "Packing a suitcase" (What do you really need during a vacation?) and "Putting on the bathing suit and then pulling off the long trousers" (That does not work? Atkinson proofs, it works!). Alas, we cannot give any quotes from the series.
The second series, that was broadcasted in Germany-speaking areas, is "Blackadder". Here Atkinson tries to use more verbal than visual humour - and he succeeds in this series about the noble and scheming Blackadder, who - together with his simple-minded servant Baldrick - always tries to reach for power but usually is trapped in his own plots.
An example from the third season, episode two "Ink and Incapability":
Johnson: Here it is, sire. A very cornerstone of English scholarship.
This book contains every word in our beloved language.
Blackadder: Every single one, sir?
Johnson: Every single one, sir.
Blackadder: In that case, sir, I hope you will not object if I offer the Doctor my most
enthusiastic contrafibularatories.
Johnson (getting nervous): What, sir?
Blackadder: Contrafibularatories, sir. It is a common word down our way.
And than, as Johnson already sees his life's work going south, there are sentences like:
"I am anaspeptic, phrasmotic, even compunctious to have caused you such
periconbobulations."
For reading there is the book "Blackadder - The Whole Damn Dynasty 1485 - 1917" (ISBN 0 7181 4372 8) published by Penguin Group, London. The book does not only contain the complete words of all four seasons and pictures of them, but also additional information about live during the times of Blackadder.
Lucky for us, all four seasons and two specials ("Black Adder Back and Forth" and "Black Adder's Christmas Carol") have been released on DVD
Now and then a broadcasting station offers one of the titbits by and with Rowan Atkinson. Like his lectures about humour and a "Best of" of his stage performances. Unforgettable: The welcome of the newly arrived in Hell ("The atheists please go over there - you must feel rather stupid now. And the Christians may join them - I am afraid the Jews were right.") and the discussion of a father and the principal ("I am especially worried about the lack of interest of your son concerning all activities at our school. If he were not dead, I would reprimand him. - What?!? - Yes! Reprimand him!") (Both quotes from memory and loosely translated.)
Mr. Beans has written down his adventures in America in his diary. It is available as "Mr. Beans Tagebuch - Meine Abenteuer in Amerika" (ISBN 3 4531
3571 7) by Robin Driscoll published by Wilhelm Heyne Verlag GmbH & Co.KG, München
resp.
"Mr. Bean's Scrapbook" published by Boxtree, Macmillian
Publishers Ltd.
More about Rowan Atkinson and his works you can find at
Rowan Atkinson Information Gateway www.rowanatkinson.org/
© Columbia Tristar Television
Family series on TV? No, thanks! And so it took quite a while until we finally watched an episode of "Married, with children". But then we were hooked by Al Bundy and his extremely different family. Alas, the series was cancelled after eleven years and we have to stick to re-runs, but even after seeing them for several times they are still preferable to whatever else there is in regards of family series on TV.
Since the end of 2004 the episodes are available on DVD. Some contain scenes that were not broadcasted on German TV.
Like an example?
"I sell shoes - not because of the money ... I am here to torture fat women!"
"I watched dad when he shaved. Today he did not pause at the carotid."
Here a few links like the official site
www.al-bundy.co.uk/And of course there is the news group alt.tv.mwc, where fans can chat about "Love and marriage" in the style of the series.
© MCA TV International
By their mixture of action and humour the TV shows "Hercules The Legendary Journeys" and "Xena Warrior Princess" became a fixed "must see" in our weekly TV schedule. Alas, both series have been cancelled. But at least Xena now starts to become available on DVD in Austria.
More information to both series are at
www.episodeguides.com/shows/hercules/guide.htm
(Episode guide Hercules English)
www.episodeguides.com/shows/xena/guide.htm
(Episode guide Xena English)
www.ndert.com/~taechl/fhe.htm
(Episode guide Hercules German)
www.ndert.com/~taechl/epg/xe.htm
(Episode guide Xena German)
www.imdb.com/title/tt0111999/
(Infos of the IMDB about Hercules)
www.imdb.com/title/tt0112230/
(Infos of the IMDB about Xena)
To talk with other fans about Hercules and Xena just visit the news groups alt.tv.hercules-legendary-journeys and alt.tv.xena.
See Hobbies / Humour / Woody Allen
See Hobbies / Reading / Agatha Christie
"Chicken Run", "Hot Shots 1" and "Hot Shots 2"
I want to separate the world of movies into several categories. Also, I did not list Star Trek, Monty Python or Woody Allen movies, as they as favourites of mine anyhow, and I listed each director and actor only once.
Horror: "Interview with the Vampire", "The
Hunger", "A Chinese Ghost Story"
Fantasy/Science Fiction: "Conan the Barbarian",
"Darkstar"
Musical/Dancing: "The Rocky Horror Picture Show",
"Riverdance" (especially since we saw the live show)
Action/Suspense: "No way out", "Easy Rider",
"Vertigo"
Comedy: "The Gods Must be Mad", "The Fearless
Vampire-Killers", "Water", "Maverick"
Serious movies: "Twelve Angry Men", "Lilies on the
Field", "Rashomon"
And of course I like to see everything where I can laugh a lot, even when the movie is not exactly thought-provoking (like the comedies by Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker).
Since recently there is a movie theatre around the block, and so we get to watch new films more often. Like:
8 Women - very recommended, in case you like that kind of movies.
Spider-Man 1 and 2 - for a long time fan a "must see". IMO part 2 was even better.
Daredevil - we liked it more than the critics made us think, although the CG was sometimes too obvious.
Hulk - this movie was worse than all expectations.
X-Men 1 and 2 - IMO the best comics-made-movies ever.
The Incredibles - disappointing, to few laughs, to much "Fantastic Four".
Lord of the Rings 1 to 3 - technically perfect, as close to the books as possible, but also confusing for those who do not know the books.
Harry Potter 1 to 3 - Elisabeth liked the movies very much, Markus just went along.
Shrek 1 and 2 - during the first part we laughed until we cried, the second one was, at the most, amusing.
Monsters, Inc. - we laughed a lot about Scully and Mike!
Star Wars Episode 1 and 2 - the series stays true to its beginnings: Much action, suspense and on the leading edge of technology.
Among all the moving pictures flitting across our TV screen, there are some series, that we like to see, even when it is a re-run for the nth time.
"Columbo" with Peter Falk ("I have just one more question..."). Which question that is you can find at "The Ultimate Columbo Site" www.columbo-site.freeuk.com/
"Sledge Hammer!" with David Rasche ("Trust me, I know what I'm doing!"). What he did, you can read in "Sledge Hammer Arsenal" www.phrank.com/sh/ and www.imdb.com/title/tt0090525/.
"The Avengers" with Diana Rigg and Patrick MacNee ("Mrs. Peel, we are needed!"). You can peek into the secret files of the two agents at www.imdb.com/title/tt0054518/.
"Monk" with Tony Shaloub ("It is a blessing - and a curse.") carries the idea of the enervating but brilliant detective to extremes. It took two or three episodes until we got used to the phobias of Adrian Monk, but now we enjoy each episode. Info about the series you can find at www.imdb.com/title/tt0312172/ and The Monk Fun Page at members.aol.com/monk1643/Monk.html.
"Genial daneben" ("Ingeniously missed") with Hugo Egon Balder, Hella von Sinnen and Bern Hoecker is an original German quiz show. Here not only the knowledge of the players (von Sinnen, Hoecker and three quests) is asked for, but also their creativity and wit. Again and again ideas are created, which makes us laugh out loud. The official site is at www.genialdaneben.de/ (but it is very minimalistic) and www.beepworld.de/members48/genialdaneben/index.htm.
"Sex and the City" was up to the last episode a wekkly "Must see" for Elisabeth - it did not appeal to Markus. Decide yourself at www.hbo.com/city/, www.imdb.com/title/tt0159206/ and www.sexandthecityquotes.com/.
"Relic Hunter" with Tia Carrea and Christien Anholt was another fixed date in our weekly TV schedule. Beside very attractive actors/actresses, the series had action and fun - what could you ask for more? See www.imdb.com/title/tt0207919/.
"Smallville" is a "must-see" for comic fans, even when it is a little bit slow (www.imdb.com/title/tt0279600/). We still like it better than "Birds of Prey".
Bernd das Brot from "Chili TV" and other programmes of the KIKA ("Children's channel") also has to be mentioned. Everything about Bernd you can find on his official site at www.bernddasbrot.com/. (Bernd the Bread is a loaf of bread with eyes, a mouth, two much-too-short arms and legs and all-too-much problems. He and his friends Chili the Sheep and Briegel the Bush are very Muppet-like in the way they look and in the way they act.)
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