s p o i l e r
s p a c e . . . .
Off Topic-Oliver Been- I can just hear the monkeys at Fox pitching this one... "I have a great idea for a new show...Its Malcolm in the Middle meets The Wonder Years meets Married with Children." R. Murdoch. "I love it, as long as I pay less than $20,000 an episode" Is there any interesting original new programming on the big networks? Yes it makes a lot of sense to hear a Blink 182 song in their retro show promo.
Off Topic 2-Tighten the Pants! Man Peggy is so hatable, yet so freaking funny. "Its for the FREAKING Children!" "Its a museum of animals"
preview from snpp.com: 8:00 . A Star is Born-Again (EABF08) Marisa Tomei and James L. Brooks (executive producer of hits like L.A. Law...and didn't he have something to do with some animated show about a family with yellow skin back in 1990? I wonder whatever happened to it...) guest voice as Ned starts dating a former starlet
preview from tvguide.com: Simpsons A Star Is Born Again 30 min. Marisa Tomei plays a movie star who falls for Flanders enough to move to Springfield when he disdains going Hollywood. Cameos: producer-director James L. Brooks, author Helen Fielding ("Bridget Jones's Diary"). Tress MacNeille, Harry Shearer, Dan Castellaneta. (VCR Plus+ 8192)
References:
She won an Oscar? Information on Marisa Tomei can be found at http://us.imdb.com/Name?Tomei,+Marisa
"Jim" as his friends seem to call him (at least on the Simpsons DVD's) has his hand in a lot of great shows. Information on the man can be found at http://us.imdb.com/Name?Brooks,+James+L
Hmmm, which movie do you think they are referring to: There are three movies listed as "A Star is Born" They are http://us.imdb.com/Title?0075265 (made in 1976 with Streisand as the lead) http://us.imdb.com/Title?0047522 (made in 1954 with Judy Garland as the lead) http://us.imdb.com/Title?0029606 (made in 1937 with Janet Gaynor as the lead)
Boys Life Magazine=The boy scout mag that had those really cool card selling section at the end. Does anyone know what I am talking about? You sell 100 "Units" and get a free Nintendo. also, they have that hovercraft thing that you made from vacuum parts! Anyone get that? A guy I work with has kids in the Boy Scouts and they are still selling that hovercraft thing with the exact same ad they used when I was a kid.
Love Homer's Pineapple shirt!
Crystal Meth- Was Wiggum working in Appalachia when he met his wife? Also, I think that is a pretty new drug, so maybe it would have been more appropriate for him to slide PCP or LSD in her purse???
Poster- Left Power (almost as cute as the "hang in there" cat poster)
The song by America-"Horse with no name" Ned's little jingle at the end of act 1.
Arthur Miller and Lyle Lovitt-Julia Roberts and Marilyn Monroe were married to the two people
Dollywood- Do people outside of East Tennessee actually know what Dollywood is, much less go there? It is quite the ironic place, as is Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg (the two tourist traps, the latter of which is located at). More T-shirt shops than you can shake a stick at. Oh, and lots of funnel cakes too.
BENNY HILL: I love that show, and Helen Fielding did a great stand up to the deceased comic genius. Ok so maybe not a genius but it was a good source of scantily clad women for teenage boys who did not have HBO or Cinemax.
Previous Episode References:
[2F13] A Star is Burns- This is basically the same title as tonight's episode [BABF15] Last Tap Dance in Springfield-Laser Eye surgery is bad for you- There are other episodes that say this in [BABF13] Bart to the Future, but I cannot remember the rest
[5F14] The Trouble With Trillions-Ned Filling out taxes a little later than usual [2F21]The Springfield Connection-John Williams conducts the music of Star Wars (now Itchy & Scratchy)
REVIEW: I am really not that hard to please as a Simpsons viewer. All I ask for are a few good jokes and some nice references that are both cute and funny (oh, and I dont like gratuitous guest appearances). This episode had both, and the story was both believable and sweet. The only think that I did not really get was that Ned ended up having sex at the end of the episode. Yes, it has been three years since he probably got some, but I can still see him as celibate in her passing. Maybe his character is expanding through the loss of her, but I think the man who would not want his girlfriend topless in a movie would also not have sex with her. Still, it was an all around good episode tonight. I actually put it in A- territory. We may never be at season 4, but it sure beats those Scully days!