Past Movie Scratches: Breakfast-- Santa-- Clause-- Krampus-- Titanic-- Dancing--

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw on TV in 2021.

127.  BREAKFAST CLUB--  12-16--  You get all your major high school groups in one movie.  "Does Barry Manilow know you raid his closet?"  Almost fell on the floor laughing with that question.  Ally Sheedy's sandwich and snow storm.

128.  SANTA CLAUSE 2--  12-21--  Gotta find a Mrs. Claus for Santa or no moreTim/Santa.  Watch out for the Fake Santa and his giant toy soldiers.

129.  SANTA CLAUSE 3--  12-21--  Waiting for Baby Claus and Jack Frost is a real sneaky pain.

130.  KRAMPUS--  12-21--  I do believe.  I do believe in Christmas.  This was a weird, scary movie even if I do say so.  All those snow globes in the collection.  Just when you thought it was a bad dream.  From Santa's snowglobes (129) to Krampus' in one night.

131.  TITANIC--  12-23--  Picked a real bad time to fall in love.  "From this moment, the Titanic will founder."  "If you jump, I jump."

132.  DIRTY DANCING--  12-23--  Is this the original "Dancing With the Stars?"  Some great music.  "Nobody puts...."

He Was A Real "Love Man."  --RoadDance

POINTS TO PONDER:  Why is lemon juice mostly artificial ingredients, but dishwashing  loquid contains real lemons?

WLS Top Ten for Week of January 8, 1973: 'Your Mama Don't Dance'

I was able to get this great Oldies Loon site back so will continue with their top songs and debuts.

Fifty Years Ago in Chicago.

1.  YOU'RE SO VAIN--  Carly Simon

2.  ME AND MRS. JONES--  Billy Paul

3.  CLAIR--  Gilbert O'Sullivan

4.  IT NEVER RAINS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA--  Albert Hammond

5.  FUNNY FACE--  Donna Fargo

6.  ROCKIN' PNEUMONIA--BOOGIE WOOGIE FLU--  Johnny Rivers

7.  SUPERSTITION--   Stevie Wonder

8.  YOUR MAMA DON'T DANCE--  Loggins & Messina

9.  LIVING IN THE PAST--  Jethro Tull

10.  KEEPER OF THE CASTLE--  Four Tops

*************************************

DEBUTS

16.  CROCODILE ROCK--  Elton John

20.  WALK ON WATER--  Neil Diamond

24.  OH BABE WHAT WOULD YOU SAY--  Hurricane Smith

27.  DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT--  King Harvest

28.  TROUBLE MAN--  Marvin Gaye 

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "You Walked Into The Party Like You Were Walking Onto A Yacht."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"You're So Vain"

Past Movie Scratches: Scrooged-- Spider-- Grinch-- Goonies-- Black-- Buehler

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw on TV in 2021.

121.  SCROOGED-- 12-11--  As only Bill Murray could Scrooge a Christmas.  Loved the Ghost of Christmas Past and the Ghost of Christmas Present almost beat him to death.  And, then there was Boone and Indiana's girlfriend.

122.  SPIDER MAN: FAR FROM HOME--  12-13--  After the Blip and a summer vacation in Europe for the smart kids.  Fighting the Elementals with the evil (as it turns out) Mysterio.  True love and the attack of the Drones.

123.  THE GRINCH--  12-14--  The animated movie.  Max the Wonder Dog and the Grinch meets Cyndi Who.

124.  THE GOONIES--  12-15--  "Hey, You Guys!!"  Loved Mom and Chunky.   The Pirate and ship.

125.  MEN IN BLACK 3--  12-15--  "Z" dies.  Boris the Animal.  NO, just Boris!  Messing up a Chinese restaurant.  Cape Canaveral.

126.  FERRIS BUEHLER'S DAY OFF--  12-16-  A real con man/boy.  That poor Ferrari.  A real rough day for Mr. Rooney.

A Real Trip Through Chicago with Ferris.  --RoadDog

POINTS TO PONDER:  Why is it called hamburger when it is made out of beef?

Past Movie Scratches: Polar-- Clause-- Carol-- Pearl-- Vinny-- Christmases

Try to guess the name of the movies in the title of this entry.

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I watched on TV in 2021.

115.  POLAR EXPRESS--   12-2--  Loved the hot chocolate waiters.    Those were some crazy rides.  "I believe."  Can you hear the bells?

116.  SANTA CLAUSE 3--  12-4--  Jack Frost is making trouble.  Santa-style snow globes.  A special delivery.

117.  A CHRISTMAS CAROL--  12-6--  Remake with Patrick Stewart as Scrooge.  I'd like to go out drinking with the Ghost of Christmas Present.  No doubt related to King Henry VIII.

118.  PEARL HARBOR--  12-7--  A perfect day to see this movie.    From the Battle of Britain to Pearl Harbor to Doolittle's Raid.  Talk about your WW II.

119.  MY COUSIN VINNY--  12-8--  One of the funniest movies ever despite the language.  Talk about your culture shock.    Brooklyn meets the Deep South.  Complete with Heman Munster and D-Day.

120.  FOUR CHRISTMASES--  12-10--  And you thought your family was dysfunctional?  They just keep getting nuttier and nuttier.  I sure didn't know Dwight Yoakam was Pastor Phil.  

--RoadDog

POINTS TO PONDER:  What would a chair look like if your knees bent the other way?

Past Movie Scratches: Vacation-- Joker-- Wonka-- Titans-- Planes-- Office

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I watched on TV in 2021.

109.  CHRISTMAS VACATION--11-27--  My 2nd favorite Christmas movie.  It's a Griswold Family Christmas.  Merry Christmas, Sparky.  The pretty woman clerk.  Aunt Bethany and Uncle Lewis.  "It's the gift that keeps giving all year."

110.  JOKER--  11-27--  Described as a psychological thriller and it sure was.  Joaquin Phoenix's much deserved Best Actor win.  We see how he plunged into the depths to become the twisted Joker and it was really the fault of others.

111.  WILLIE WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY--  11-29--  You just gotta love those Oompa Loompas.  Augustus' pipe, Violet's blueberry, Veruca's chute and Mike shrunk.

112.  CLASH OF THE TITANS--  11-30--  Really big scorpions.  It's Perseus vs. Medusa.  "Don't look the bitch in the eye."  "Release the Kraken."

113.  PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES--  11-30--  "Those aren't PILLOWS!!!"  "See that Bears game last week?"  Doing the "Mess Around."

114.  OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY--  12-1--  The office Christmas party to end all office Christmas parties.  Lots and lots of interesting characters.

--RoadDog

POINTS TO PONDER:   Why does sour cream have an expiration date?

The Drive's New Year's A to Z-- Part 2: 'Under My Wheels'

TUSH--  ZZ Top

TUSK--  Fleetwood Mac

TWILIGHT ZONE--  Golden Earring

2000 LIGHT YEARS FROM HOME--  Rolling Stones

TWO TICKETS TO PARADISE--  Eddie Money

UNCHAINED--  Van Halen

UNDER MY THUMB--  Rolling Stones

UNDER MY WHEELS--  Alice Cooper

UNDER PRESSURE--  David Bowie & Queen

UNDER THE BRIDGE--  Red Hot Chili Peppers

UNDERCOVER OF THE NIGHT--  Rolling Stones

UNSKINNY BOP--  Poison

URGENT--  Foreigner

US AND THEM--  Pink Floyd

VASOLINE--  Stone Temple Pilots

VEHICLE--  Ides of March

VICTIM OF LOVE--  Eagles

VOICES--  Cheap Trick

VOICES--  Russ Ballard

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Got Fire In Your Veins Burnin' Hot But You Don't Feel The Pain."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Urgent"

The Drive's New Year's A to Z-- Part 1: (Now on the Letter 'U') 'Tube Snake Boogie'

Friday, December 23rd, Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM,the Drive, started their annual New Year's A to Z where they go alphabetically through over 2,000 classic rock songs.  And, they're still going and in the letter "U" now.

It streams, so if these look good, give them a listen.

Here are the ones I've most recently been listening to:

TREAT ME RIGHT--  Pat Benatar

TROUBLE--  Lindsey Buckingham

TRUCKIN'-  Grateful Dead

TUBE SNAKE BOOGIE--  ZZ Top

TUESDAY'S GONE--  Lynyrd Skynyrd

TUMBLIN DICE--  Rolling Stones

TURN IT ON AGAIN--  Genesis

TURN ME LOOSE--  Loverboy

TURN THE PAGE--  Bob Seger

TURN THE PAGE--  Metallica

TURN TO STONE--  Joe Walsh

TURN TO STONE--  Electric Light Orchestra

TURN UP THE RADIO--  Autograph

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Women Think I'm Tasty, But They're Always Trying To Waste Me."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Tumblin' Dice"

Top U.S. Songs for Week Ending January 6, 1973: 'You're So Vain'

From Top 40 Weekly.com. 

That's right, fifty years ago.

1.  YOU'RE SO VAIN--  Carly Simon

2.  CLAIR--  Gilbert O'Sullivan

3.   ME AND MRS. JONES--  Billy Paul

4.  SUPERSTITION--  Stevie Wonder

5.  FUNNY FACE--  Donna Fargo

6.  IT NEVER RAINS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA--   Albert Hammond

7.  ROCKIN' PNEUMONIA-- BOOGIE WOOGIE FLU--  Johnny Rivers

8.  YOUR MAMA DON'T DANCE--  Loggins & Messina

9.  SUPERFLY--  Curtis Mayfield

10.  YOU OUGHT TO BE WITH ME--  Al Green

**************************

DEBUTS

29.  SUMMER BREEZE--  Seals & Crofts

32.  LONG DARK ROAD--  Hollies

36.  VENTURA HIGHWAY--  America

38.  I'M STONE IN LOVE WITH YOU--  Stylistics

39.  CRAZY HORSES--  Osmonds

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "You Hop Into The Back Seat Where You Know It's Nice And Dark."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Your Mama Don't Dance"

I Can't Get the WLS Surveys Right Now

Sadly, I am unable to get to the OldiesLoon site to get the Top Ten WLS songs for the Week of January 1, 1973.  Hopefully that will only be a temporary thing as it is an excellent site bringing back memories of growing up in the Chicagoland area fifty years ago.

I did find another site which listed the Top Ten songs for the week ending January6, 1973, so will use that this week or until I'm able to get OldiesLoon back.

--RoadDog

2022 Movie Scratches: Amsterdam-- Devotion-- Black Panther-- Father Stu-- Violent Night

2022 Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw at the theater.  I did not go to any movies between when Liz died on September 23 and December.

21.  AMSTERDAM--  9-13--  Fox Lake--  $5--  A very historic who-dun-it.

22.  DEVOTION--  12-9--  Fox Lake--  $6--  Be there for me and his wingman certainly was, including crash landing his plane to save him.

23.  BLACK PANTHER--  12-9--  Fox Lake--  $6--  It's the Wakandans vs. the blue-skinned underwater-living descendants of the Mayans.

24.  FATHER STU--  12-13--  Fox Lake--  $5--  A ne-er-do-well finds his true calling as a priest then has his ultimate test of faith.

25.  VIOLENT NIGHT--  12-13--  Fox Lake--  $5--What did Santa do on the barmaid.  One wild and crazy Santa.  All the blood and gore you could possibly want in a Christmas movie.

--RoadDog

POINTS TO PONDER:  Why is it called hamburger when it is made of BEEF?

2022 Movie Scratches: Minions-- Pets-- Bullet-- Invitation

2022 Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw in the theater in 2022.

17.  MINIONS:  THE RISE OF GRU--  8-9--  Woodstock--  $5--  How Gru got so despicable.    Hard to teach a Minion kung fu.  

18.  D.C. LEAGUE OF SUPER PETS--  8-30--  Fox Lake--  $5--  Talk about your motley  crews of pets with super powers and how the rest of the D.C. Superheroes got their pets.

19.  BULLET TRAIN--  8-30--  Fox Lake--  $5--  Brad Pitt sure isn't James Bond.  Talk about your  fickle hand of fate.  One of the best movies I've seen.

20.  THE INVITATION--  9-8--  Fox Lake--  $6--  Be very selective if invited to strangers' parties.  Quite proper English and mean old Victoria.

Like I Said Before.  Good To be Back At The Movies.  --RoadDog

2022 Movie Scratches: Thor-- Elvis-- Crawdads-- Nope

Movie Scratches for 2022--  Movies I saw in the theater.

13.  THOR:  LOVE AND THUNDER--   7-21--  Fox Lake--  $6--  A love story of a different sort.  An Zeus is a real codger.

14.  ELVIS--  7-28--  Fox Lake, $6--  As bad as the Colonel was, Elvis wouldn't have been as big without him.  I didn't see the whole movie the first time as I started coughing a lot and that's just not the thing to do these days.

15.  WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING--  8-4--  Fox Lake-- $6--  Now I understand about all those praying mantis mentions.   A real hard life for the Marsh Girl.

16.  NOPE--  8-8--  Fox Lake--  $6--  A real "One-Eyed, One Horned Flying Purple People Eater."   Horses and a mad chimp.  So, that's why all those balloon men. 

--RoadDog

2022 Movie Scratches: Bob's-- Maverick-- Elvis-- Dominion

Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw at the theater in 2022.

9.  BOB'S BURGERS MOVIE--  6-14-- Woodstock--   $5--   Love the characters, especially frequent diner Teddy.  But do they have to sing about everything?  It gets annoying.

10.  TOP GUN MAVERICK--  6-27--  Fox Lake--  $6--   "You told me not to think!"   The Mav and Goose's son make up.

11.  ELVIS--  7-12--  Woodstock--  $5--   The Colonel was certainly a Flim-Flam man.  Was the Colonel a good guy or a bad guy.  Tim Hanks for Best Actor Oscar.  Great music.

12.  JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION--  7-14--  Fox Lake--  $6--  Bringing back the old cast (well, at least the ones not eaten).  Barbasol Shaving Cream and spittinig dinosaurs.  Dinosaurs and humans living together in a Ghostbusters thing as Bill Murray can tell you.

$6 Matinees at Classic Cinemas.  $5 on Tuesdays.  --RoadMovie

2022 Movie Scratches: Ambulance-- Lost-- Strange-- Beasts

Movie Scratches for 2022--  Movies I saw at the theater this year.

5.  AMBULANCE--  4-21-  Fox Lake--  $6--  All that screen action will wear you out.  Has there ever been  a better chase?  And so many funny moments.

6.  LOST CITY--  4-28--  Fox Lake--  $6--  When fiction becomes the real thing.What has happened to our Harry Potter?

7.  DOCTOR  STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS--  5-10--  Woodstock--  $5--  The good doctor can sure take a beating, but keeps on ticking like the old commercial used to say.  And, of course, there's that third eye.

8.  FANTASTIC BEASTS:  THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE--  5-13--  Fox Lake--  $6--  That Creedence sure reminds me of Professor Snape.  What?  No Depp?  Still, like the Niffler and Bowtruckles.

--RoadFlick

2022 Movie Scratches: Godfather-- Batman-- Morbius-- Uncharted

Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw at the theater in 2022.

The last movie I had seen at a theater was in February 2020 and then, COVID-19!!  I finally went back to see my first movie since then on March 24 of this year.  Before that, I had been trying to see 50-60 movies a year.

And, what better movie to get back into a theater than the 50th anniversary of that great movie "The Godfather."  I show the date I saw it, where and how much.

1.  THE GODFATHER--  3-24--  Fox Lake--  $6--  Still making those offers which can't be refused fifty years later.  What a way to return to the movies after that virus thing.   The last movie I had seen in a theater was on February 28, 2020, when I saw "Birds of Prey."

2.  THE BATMAN--  3-31--  Fox Lake--  $6--  You've sure got a lot of cats.  That Riddler was pretty deep.

3.  MORBIUS--  4-12--  Woodstock--  $5--  Watch out for the cure's side effects.  All batty.  A vampire with a conscious.

4.  UNCHARTED--  4-14--  Fox Lake--  $6--    Feed the cat. Where'd they hide the gold?  A cross between Indiana Jones and National Treasure.

Good To be Back.  --RoadMovie

Past Movie Scratches: Ghostbusters-- Ghostbusters-- Abominable-- European-- Vacation-- Vegas

Past movie scratches--  Movies I watched on TV in 2021.

103.  GHOSTBUSTERS--  11-20--  "He slimed me!!"  Who chose the Sta-Puft Marshmallow Man?  "I feel like the floor of a taxi cab."

104.  GHOSTBUSTERS II--  11-20--  "We be fast and they be slow."  The Saleri Brothers get their revenge.  The big lady to the rescue.  "Your Love Has Lifted Me Higher."

105.  ABOMINABLE--  11-23--  Returning baby to his parents on Mt. Everest.  Yetis aren't so bad.

106.  EUROPEAN VACATION--  11-25--  Clark destroys Stonehenge and starts a riot at Oktoberfest.  And that poor Monty Python guy.

107.  VACATION-- 11-25--  The pea-green Family Truckster.  Getting directions in a bad neighborhod.  You sure couldn't do that scene today.  Then there is that gal in the red sports car and swimming pool.  Aunt Edna.  "I love a parade."  One disaster after another.

108.  VEGAS VACATION--  11-25--  The blackjack dealer sure "owned" Clark.  The dam tour, Wayne Newton and Cousin Eddie.  And son "Papagio" can't lose.

--RoadDog

POINTS TO PONDER:  When the stars are out they are visible.  But when the lights are out, they are invisible.

Past Movie Scratches: Goblet-- Phoenix-- Hallows-- Chamber-- Jurassic-- Wick

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I watched on TV nin 2021

97.  HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE--  11-13--   Dragons and Merfish and the maze.  Ot was "The Shining" all over again.  He's back.  He's really, really back.  The guy whose name can not be said.

98.  HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX--  11-13--  The new Dark Defense Arts teacher, Miss Umbrage.  The Wall of Cats, the Walls of Edicts.  Dumbledore's Army.

99.  HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 2--  11-15--  The final battle.  It is the Dark Lord No Nose and his Deatheaters vs. Hogwarts.  Neville Longbottom the Hero.  We find out a lot of answers.

100.  HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS--  11-16--  Welcome to Quiddish.  Glyfindor wins thanks to Harry.  Hermoine thwarts Professor Snape.

101.  JURASSIC WORLD--  11-16--  Old Blue comes through in a pinch.  Training Raptors.

102.  JOHN WICK--  11-18--  Like Rambo all over again.  He's impossible to shoot, but he never misses.  "You shot my dog!"  More violence an shooting than you can believe.

--RoadDog

POINTS TO PONDER:  How come Superman could stop bullets with his chest, but always ducked when somebody threw a gun at him?

Our 49th Wedding Anniversary-- Part 13: Heading Home on Our Last Anniversary

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2022

There was a still a clown hanging around this morning outside our room, only now wearing a bathrobe and later tourist clothes (but still with clown face painted on)  Not something you'd expect to see outside your door in the morning.  And, actually, a little bit unsettling.

Went to the Grant Hills Motel office for coffee and today's Dubuque newspaper.  The manager asked if we were going to stay another day, but Liz had already told me she wasn't feeling well and wanted to go home.  I told her that we didn't want to stay and she said that was alright as they still didn't have any room cancellations.

Read the newspaper outside and we headed for home at 10:30.  I had considered driving the Stagecoach Road on the way home, but Liz said she wasn't feeling well, so took the usual US-20 route.

Instead of going on the US-20 bypass around Freeport, we took Business US-20, the original US-20 through town. It sure seemed like we went a long way on it.

When we got home after a 353 mile drive for our anniversary, I cut the grass and then we went to Sunnyside and the McHenry American Legion.

Little did I know at the time, but this was to be my last anniversary with Liz and that we only had less than a month before her death.  Today, December 23, is the third month since she died.

Sure Going to be a Strange Christmas This Year.  --RoadDog