1F17 - "Bart & Principal Skinner" (what the HECK is the real title again?!?)
Matthew Kurth
Overseas Production by Akom Studios
DYN - Ref - Observations:
The opening and closing themes had additional harp accompaniment.
Bart is playing the old home movies on their *green* refridgerator, in a
*lighted* kitchen.
(The image should have had a high green tint, and should be very faint in
that kind of light. I have the fortune (?) of having a family that owns
a Super-8 movie camera and have tried to duplicate the feat in the past.)
How could Homer have afforded a Super-8 *sound* movie camera?
Things on Lisa's desk...
- Trilobyte
- Petrified Wood
- Bran Muffin
- Geode
OFF's doormat has fake plastic flowers on it.
How did Nelson learn to pronounce words like benzoate? Did he threaten to
beat up Martin unless he taught him, perhaps?
This episode occurs in the month of April according to the calendar in Bart's
class.
What is up with the strange way Bart and Martin shuffle to and from the front
of the classroom during Show & Tell?
Stew ingredients: "Assorted Horse Parts - NOW with More Testicles".
Chase in the air ducts - possible ref to "Tron"?
The gym in Springfield Elementary is woefully outdated - the scoreboard
doesn't have a clock, there are no three-point lines on the floor, and the
overhead lights are reminiscent of lights installed in 1950s gyms.
Detergents Seymour had to choose from:
- Tide
- Cheer
- Bold
- Biz
- Fab
- All
- Gain
- Wisk
What the hell is Milhouse doing rubbing ketchup on himself? (I don't think
I want to know.)
Skinner likes to be reminded when it's 7:30, presumably because on Thursdays
it means it's safe to turn on the TV. Of course, with double-episodes these
days...
Skinner's apron: Principals do it 9 months a year.
Restaurant scene - Ref to famous "Lady & The Tramp" back-door restaurant
scene.
Sign at Ft. Springfield: "Fort Springfield, Proud Home Of Secret Civilian
Mail-Opening Project".
Apu's 16 *new* gas pumps are remarkably late 70s/early 80s in design.
Review:
I wanted to like this one. I really did. After all, as the 100th episode,
it should be representative of all that makes The Simpsons, as Time put it,
"TV's best half-hour". As expected, the show does come full circle in that
the series began with a Bart episode, and #100 more or less was a Bart episode.
Sadly, that's ALL it was. There was simply too many uncalled for activities,
such as the grenades and the Kwik-E-Mart which was totally unfunny - cruel, in
fact. Once again, the script lacked *punch* and depth.
The story began well enough, the "Wonder Years" ref and Bart on the toilet
were golden moments indeed. And aside for my thoughts on Nelson's tomato
paste can, the entire Show & Tell bit was excellent. But the scene with the
Superintendent firing Skinner just didn't click. There was no tension, and
more importantly, the delivery did not make me respond at all. When Bart was
expelled, for instance, the bottom fell out of my stomach and I felt sorry
for him, even though he probably deserved it. Skinner's firing just did not
move me an inch.
Groundskeeper Willie was an absolute riot, however, and stole the show.
The relationship between Bart and Skinner develops way, way too fast to be
credible. I cannot accept that even with the emptiness in Skinner's life and
the guilt that Bart feels that they can make such fast friends. Very little
was made of that friendship, and the firing of Flanders was entirely
meaningless.
And finally, I cannot accept that Bart outright hugged Skinner *without
looking to see whether anyone is looking* which is 100% out of character,
especially considering that he does have a reputation to keep.
The only bright spot of the final 15 minutes was Bart's hanging the "kick me"
sign on Skinner, and Skinner's hanging the "teach me" sign on Bart. *That*
is the Simpsons I knew and loved.
I had sincerely hoped that Fox would run the episode with *serious* hoopla.
I expected the full opening sequence, and since they went through the trouble
to modify the theme, that they wouldn't talk over the closing credits. And,
when OFF ripped the Fox logo from the bottom of the TV, I had expected it to
*STAY OFF*.
Perhaps I expected too much from the episode celebrating this "meaningless
milestone", and this episode certainly was meaningless. Absolutely no depth,
no sense of purpose, and no meaning. To paraphrase an oft-quoted tagline,
"1F17? 100 Episodes and all you can come up with is 1F17?"
Summary:
I expected the 100th Episode to be a celebration. Instead, we had a funeral.
The script had no meaning, no depth, no punch, and no respect for good taste.
Bart and Seymour becoming fast friends was totally unbelievable. What wasn't
cringeworthy in this one was merely mediocre. Pathetic and worthless. Only
Santa's Little Helper and Willie as the "greased Scotsman" saved it. 4/10
Matthew Kurth
--
Matthew W. Kurth | "Lisa, what's this Police Box doing here?" Bart wondered.
-aka The Captain | "Bart, what is a Police Box?" Lisa countered.
-----------------|-----------------------------------------------------------
Auf Wiederlesen! | The Ink & Paint Club BBS * (815) 923-2382 * 8-N-1 * 14.4
Brendan Dunn
Matthew Kurth <mku...@interaccess.com> wrote:
>1F17 - "Bart & Principal Skinner"
>
>Overseas Production by Akom Studios
>
>DYN - Ref - Observations:
No. It's definitely a reference to Aliens. Both involving a chase through
air ducts while an observer watches on a computer screen. While Tron
had computers, and fast moving backgrounds, it had nothing to do with
air vents. Also, the motions of both Santa's Little Helper and Willy
towards the end mimicked the motion of the aliens.
>Matthew Kurth
--Brendan
David J. Calvin
|>
|> Chase in the air ducts - possible ref to "Tron"?
|>
No, this was definitely a reference to Alien.
:)
--
Dave Calvin | Star Trek, DOOM, GUS, Star Wars
cal...@rpi.edu | Atari 2600, 486DX2-66, Starcon 2
Computer Engineering - `97 | HPA, PGP, BBS, HUGE, Usenet
PGP key available by finger| Simpsons, Monty Python, DOOM, DOOM!
boB
>such as the grenades and the Kwik-E-Mart which was totally unfunny - cruel,
>in fact. Once again, the script lacked *punch* and depth.
confinement.
--
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: __________/| "Cum Dignitate Otium" -- Cicero, 50 BC |\__________ :
: (_|__|_____\|________ ________|/_____|__|_) :
: |_|____________)- `al...@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu' -(____________|_| :
SIMPSON_HOMER_J
and over. "Thank you Nelson, i look forward to you bringing that can
again next." Krabapple said that at the end of the presentation. Just a
thought.
Homer
--
"Thanks for poisioning the planet bastard!" "Get bent"
"No more Chernobyls!" "Go to hell!"
-Taken from the 4/7 epsiode of the Simpsons
Mean Mister Mustard
Because otherwise, they couldn't have done the "Wonder Years" ref.
>The gym in Springfield Elementary is woefully outdated - the scoreboard
>doesn't have a clock, there are no three-point lines on the floor, and the
>overhead lights are reminiscent of lights installed in 1950s gyms.
Yeah, that's public school for you. But at least the army had lots of
nice equipment! (This proves that Springfield is in the USA :-)
>Skinner likes to be reminded when it's 7:30, presumably because on Thursdays
>it means it's safe to turn on the TV. Of course, with double-episodes these
>days...
Say, Matt, that's nice detective work on your part!
Of course, this means that Springfield is in the Central Time Zone, right?
>I expected the 100th Episode to be a celebration. Instead, we had a funeral.
>The script had no meaning, no depth, no punch, and no respect for good taste.
>Bart and Seymour becoming fast friends was totally unbelievable. What wasn't
>cringeworthy in this one was merely mediocre. Pathetic and worthless. Only
>Santa's Little Helper and Willie as the "greased Scotsman" saved it. 4/10
Well, I kinda liked it, but why should I disagree with you, when there are
plenty of folks who'll post replies along the lines of, "Yew ain't no trew
Simpsons fan! And p.s. Smithers is a queer!"
Stand fast by your opinions, Matthew. Once more unto the breach...
Marc
Matthew Kurth
>In article <mkurth.16...@interaccess.com>,
>Matthew Kurth <mku...@interaccess.com> wrote:
>>How could Homer have afforded a Super-8 *sound* movie camera?
>Because otherwise, they couldn't have done the "Wonder Years" ref.
Well, you wouldn't have heard Bart talking whilst on the potty anyway. Does
anyone perchance have any data on how much a sound Super-8 Movie Camera cost
in the late '70s? As I recall, silent film was $13.00 for a 5min reel around
1982-1985. I don't even remember seeing sound S8 film around ANYWHERE,
although I know it did exist...
>Well, I kinda liked it, but why should I disagree with you, when there are
>plenty of folks who'll post replies along the lines of, "Yew ain't no trew
>Simpsons fan! And p.s. Smithers is a queer!"
Those are the folks ya gotta watch out for! :) HEY - Look at that
slack-jawed yokel!
>Stand fast by your opinions, Matthew. Once more unto the breach...
And you to yours, Marc!
Melchar
> Chase in the air ducts - possible ref to "Tron"?
>
The air duct chase reminded me of 'Aliens'....
My own personal favorite line was Willie's about how no animal in the
world was safe from a greased Scotsman.
Michael Selby
: >
: > Chase in the air ducts - possible ref to "Tron"?
: >
: The air duct chase reminded me of 'Aliens'....
Definately 'Aliens' The giveaway is when Principal Skinner is
tracking the two on the same sort of scope that Dallas and the Alien are
being tracked on in the first alien movie.
Michael Tedin
: >
: > Chase in the air ducts - possible ref to "Tron"?
: >
: The air duct chase reminded me of 'Aliens'....
: My own personal favorite line was Willie's about how no animal in the
: world was safe from a greased Scotsman.
This is a definite 'Alien' reference. I don't remember anything like
that in 'Tron.' (Though it was a long time ago that I saw it.)
pamu...@ingr.com
>
>Skinner likes to be reminded when it's 7:30, presumably because on Thursdays
>it means it's safe to turn on the TV.
HA! Springfield is in the Central Time Zone! So much for the Colorado theory
<ducks>
<runs for cover>
--
Phil Mueller pamu...@ingr.com
This .signature is not boring and pointless.
This .signature is not boring and pointless.
This .signature is not boring and pointl
Brendan Dunn
Matthew Kurth <mku...@interaccess.com> wrote:
>In article <2q10aa$2...@cville-srv.wam.umd.edu> ma...@wam.umd.edu (Mean Mister Mustard) writes:
>>In article <mkurth.16...@interaccess.com>,
>>Matthew Kurth <mku...@interaccess.com> wrote:
>>>How could Homer have afforded a Super-8 *sound* movie camera?
>>Because otherwise, they couldn't have done the "Wonder Years" ref.
>
>Well, you wouldn't have heard Bart talking whilst on the potty anyway. Does
>anyone perchance have any data on how much a sound Super-8 Movie Camera cost
>in the late '70s? As I recall, silent film was $13.00 for a 5min reel around
>1982-1985. I don't even remember seeing sound S8 film around ANYWHERE,
>although I know it did exist...
I don't know exactly how much it was, but I do know that a few sound Super-8
movies of me in the late '70s exist, so it couldn't have been *incredibly*
expensive. We weren't heirs to the Burns estate or anything...
--Brendan