For 35 years, fans have enjoyed the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles adventures in various incarnations. In 2015, the heroes in a half shell crossed paths with The Dark Knight himself, Batman, in a limited series by DC Comics and IDW.
Now that story has been adapted for an animated release entitled Batman vs. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which hits shelves at the end of the month. Check out the trailer below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGTeehoG0xI
Batman meets the TMNT
While the art in the comic book version seems to pay homage to the original Eastman & Laird artwork, the movie looks more like the Batman: Brave And The Bold format. The cast consists of Troy Baker taking on the roles of both Batman and The Joker (a first for the same release), Tara Strong as Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, John DiMaggio (Futurama) as Mr. Freeze, Darren Criss (Glee) as Raphael, Kyle Mooney (Saturday Night Live) as Michelangelo, and Tom Kenny (SpongeBob Squarepants) as The Penguin.
Captain Marvel is a character that has a lot of history, not the least of which has been that there have been multiple publishers laying claim to the name. This episode of Geekville Radio hopes to clear up several things about the character.
The differences between Captain Marvels over the years
The different Captain Marvels in Marvel Comics
The character of Carol Danvers, and the significance of her big screen appearance
Seth “Zandrax” Zillmann, “Crazy Train” Jonathan Bolick, and special guest “Leadbase” Nic Feutz try to bring any new fans up to speed on who Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers is.
First, a history lesson!
Captain Marvel (no, the OTHER Captain Marvel…)
Back in 1939, Fawcett Comics created a character called Captain Marvel, who had superpowers such as flight, super speed, and super strength. DC Comics sued Fawcett, claiming copyright infringement on Superman, who also had many similar abilities. The legal proceedings lasted YEARS, but the courts eventually sided with Fawcett, stating DC did not properly maintain their copyright claims.
One of the fundamental differences between Superman and Captain Marvel was that Superman’s powers were based on him being an alien, whereas Marvel’s powers were magic based. All Billy Batson had to do was yell the word “Shazam!” and he became Captain Marvel.
The original Captain Marvel, who would eventually go on to be known as Shazam
Fawcett, tired of years of legal proceedings, stopped publishing Captain Marvel titles and got out of the comics business entirely in the 1950s.
DC eventually bought out Fawcett’s comic properties, meaning they gained control of all the Fawcett characters. This of course included Billy Batson and Captain Marvel.
But wait, it gets better…
Yet ANOTHER company, MF Enterprises, started publishing their own Captain Marvel title in 1966. Unlike Fawcett, MF’s Captain Marvel was an android who looked nothing like a superhero. This version was nowhere near as popular, and was canned after a few issues.
When it comes to impressive powers, dismembering ones self ranks low on the scale
By the 1970s, DC was all ready to produce stories about their Captain Marvel. Except there’s one problem. Marvel Comics had registered the actual term Captain Marvel. That’s right, the name “Captain Marvel” had not, up to this point, gone through the proper copyright procedures.
This is the part of the real life story that many comic fans know. In the end, DC agreed to not refer to their character as Captain Marvel as long as Marvel published stories with their Captain Marvel. Since the word “Shazam” was so closely linked to DC’s property, DC’s version would start regularly being referred to as Shazam.
Marvel’s Captain Marvel
So that brings us to Marvel’s Captain Marvel, and the character about to be introduced to the masses in the latest blockbuster MCU film of the same name. What do people need to know about Captain Marvel?
The Kree
First and foremost, Captain Marvel is closely associated with the alien race The Kree. Fans of the ABC series Agents Of SHIELDhave seen the story develop about The Kree. As we’ll see in the film, The Kree are a militaristic race that have been at war with another race, The Skrulls, for millennia. While Skrulls are generally looked at as the villains, the war has been going on so long that neither race is truly considered “good” anymore.
The Kree have cosmic abilities, which means any Captain Marvel will as well. The Skrulls aren’t nearly as cosmically powered, but they do have the ability to shapeshift. This has lead to stories where famous characters have been revealed to have been Skrulls for years. These stories have lead to mixed receptions from fans.
Mar-Vell
Mar-Vell: The first Captain Marvel was, incidentally enough, named Mar-Vell. This is the only incarnation to have Stan Lee’s name connected to it. He and Gene Colan created the character in the mid 1960s.
Monica Rambeau
Monica Rambeau: The second Captain Marvel was Monica Rambeau, created by Roger Stern and John Romita Jr. This was the Captain throughout the 1980s.
Genis-Vell: The son of Mar-Vell took over the mantle in 1993. Created by Ron Marz and Ron Lim, this is the look that a lot of fans probably remember.
Phyla-Vell: Genis’s sister, created by Peter David and Paul Azaceta
Khn’nr: A skrull posing as Mar-Vell during the Secret Invasion storyline. This may or may not be what will happen with Jude Law in the movie. Khn’nr was created by Paul Jenkins and Tom Raney.
Noh-Varr: The last Captain before Carol, and was one of the Dark Avengers. Created by Grant Morrison and JG Jones.
And that brings us to Carol Danvers
Carol Danvers may be like the seventh Captain Marvel to come along, but she was a fixture in the Marvel Universe long before that. In fact, the character is over 50 years old.
She first appeared in 1968 as an Air Force security officer, and was an ally of the original Captain Mar-Vell. In the 1970s, she became Ms. Marvel. This is the name most associated with her throughout her run. The pilot aspect comes from the Ultimate Universe
Carol Danvers as Ms. Marvel, her previous name before Captain Marvel
She is a Human/Kree hybrid, which allows her to have the Kree abilities, while still keeping her human appearance. In the 2000s, she was also known as Warbird, and as Binary.
Her main powers include super strength, flight, and the ability to survive in space without air. Over time, she developed a “seventh sense” ability to see into the near future. As Binary, she also gained an energy absorption power. Simply put, she can absorb energy and dissipate it back out.
Boycott Controversy
Seth, Train, and Leadbase dive into the controversial news surrounding the film’s release. They do not take political stances when we talk about things like this, but there are things that are pretty hard to ignore.
Rotten Tomatoes “Want To see” ratings have been disabled due to negative reviews
While it can’t be proven, it’s a pretty safe bet that some, if not most, of these reviews are “troll” reviews by people without any real narrative
A lot of people are making blanketed statements when discussing these reviews
A lot of male Marvel fans have been wanting a Black Widow movie for years
No large scale boycott of Wonder Woman happened with male fans
Alita Battle Angel has been readily praised as a good example of a woman in a sci-fi action lead role
A perfect example of “trolling”.
One other thing worth mentioning, we had this poll on our Facebook page asking people if they were planning on seeing Captain Marvel this weekend. After approximately 150 votes, it was still 57% to 43% in favor.
In the last segment of the show, Nic gives a detailed (SPOILERS!) review of Alita: Battle Angel, and gives comparisons to the Captain Marvel controversy regarding content
If you want to hear more about the “Strong Female Character” types, check out our second episode entitled “Warriors Of Estrogen” linked below
Amell confirming suspicion that the Arrowverse may change forever
But how will this affect the other shows in the fan-dubbed “Flarrowverse”? If the next crossover is any indication, they will be affected quite heavily.
Ardent DC fans noticed this headline in the series premiere of The Flash. It was the first clue that hinted of a major story arc in the future.
The first hint at Crisis On Infinite Earths
Ever since then, fans wondered if such an epic event would ever see the the light of day in live action. After all, the original Crisis reshaped the entire DC comic line. An event not seen again until recent years in DC. Marvel is another story, but that’s for another time…
For those who may not be familiar with the event, Crisis On Infinite Earths was a massive storyline that involved practically the entire DC Comics line. Much like the current CW shows, DC had a multiverse which had the same or similar characters in different universes. Eventually, DC decided to reboot their entire universe and start with a clean slate. To do this, they started a massive story arc that would streamline all these different realities into one.
And that, in a nutshell, was Crisis On Infinite Earths. Now, onto the SPOILERS for a 35 year old comic story.
The most widely known fact about Crisis, is the event resulted in the deaths of some pretty major names. Namely Supergirl and The Flash.
One of the most iconic images in comics history
The original Supergirl, Kara Zor-El, died approximately halfway through the series. The image of Superman openly weeping while holding her body is considered one of the most iconic images in DC’s history.
Barry Allen literally running himself to death during Crisis On Infinite Earths
The Barry Allen Flash sacrificed himself to save the universe. Shortly thereafter, DC promoted Kid Flash (Wally West) to take his uncle’s place.
Now just because a live action adaption shares the name doesn’t necessarily mean that all details have to be followed. But those two moments are vividly remembered to this day. It’s a pretty safe bet that at least one of them will happen.
OK, but what about Ollie?
Green Arrow did appear in Crisis, but it was the Earth 2 (Golden Age) version that kicks the bucket. Arrowverse fans may recall that Ollie is already dead in the televised version of Earth 2. It’s what spurned the Earth 2 Laurel into becoming Black Siren instead of Black Canary.
One of the major plot points in Season 7 is an adult William in the future trying to find out what happened to his father. It’s pretty well established that Ollie has not been heard from for some time. But if Ollie died during a massive battle, it probably would be something of legend. So what the heck happened?
Could this be what happens to our beloved Stephen Amell onscreen version of Ollie? It’s way too early to speculate fully, as Season 7 hasn’t even finished yet. There is still a long way to go before December 2019. And even if Ollie does bite the big one, it’s not like death has stopped characters before.
What do you think? Should Ollie die in the series finale?
Actor Topher Grace and editor Jeff Yorkes assembled this five minute trailer utilizing scenes from all 10 existing Star Wars films, including some rough cut scenes from the Blu-Ray releases. The result is a five minute summary that hits all the best parts of the trilogies and spin-offs.
The Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame #4: The Green Hornet
The latest entry in Geekville Radio’s Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame is The Green Hornet. Many fans remember the 1966 TV show with Van Williams and Bruce Lee, but did you know that the character had existed for 30 years before that TV show? Join Seth and Crazy Train as they discuss the long storied history of the character, and the surprising lineage back to the fictional Old West.
The Green Hornet was created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, the same creators as The Lone Ranger. Like before, the character was originally conceived for radio serials. We previously discussed both men in our previous episode about The Lone Ranger.
Radio Origins
After the success of The Lone Ranger, Trendle and Striker looked to create another hero to add to their radio drama lineup. They opted for a contemporary hero, as The Lone Ranger was a Western.
The Green Hornet first aired on Jan 31st, 1936 for WXYZ radio. The origins of the character remain in line with many of the characters we’ve discussed so far. A wealthy individual who had a secret identity as a crimefighter. In this case, it was newspaper publisher Britt Reid, who donned a mask and took on crime lords as The Green Hornet.
Much like The Lone Ranger, Green Hornet had a partner who knew his identity and complimented his style. The Ranger had Tonto, The Hornet had Kato. Also, the show used actual classical pieces for theme and incidental music. In this case, the music was “Flight Of The Bumblebee” by Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov .
Britt Reid’s father Dan had inherited a silver mine, which was used to fund a newspaper called The Daily Sentinel. If you listened to the last show, you will know the significance of that silver mine. That’s right, Dan Reid’s uncle was John Reid, aka The Lone Ranger. Which makes Britt The Ranger’s grand nephew.
While traveling in The Orient, Britt Reid saved the life of a man named Kato. Kato would go on to be Britt’s partner in crimefighting. He was also a master engineer and a martial artist. This complimented Britt’s intellect and detective skills. Plus, Britt used guns that would stun opponents, as his fighting skills were inferior to Kato’s.
During the 1940s, Kato’s nationality was quietly changed from Japanese to Korean due to fear that a Japanese hero during World War II would cause a backlash. We’ll touch more on that later when discussing the comic book titles.
Kato and Britt tricked out Britt’s limo, and dubbed it Black Beauty. While no model of car was given for the radio show, it likely was a very large automobile since it was a limousine.
When he first started fighting crime, Britt had no gimmick and no mask. He and Kato were out in The Black Beauty when a gunfight broke out between rival gangs, ending in a fatal shooting. The Police noticed The Black Beauty speeding away. Since the car was at the scene of the crime, Britt was concerned that if he kept using it, he would be linked to the crime. This is when he donned the mask and became The Green Hornet.
In an interesting twist, Hornet did not overtly fight crime. He built a reputation as a criminal, using the connections he would get to secretly bring the criminals to justice. Only Kato and the District Attorney knew that Hornet was a crime fighter and not a criminal himself.
After 15 years of crime fighting, Britt retired in the early 1950s
When NOW comics got the licensing in 1989, they retconned the character’s history to fit different generations. More on that later.
Movie Serials
Much like The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet was adapted to movie serials. Trendle did not like the treatments The Ranger got, so he went to Universal Pictures for Hornet. Two serials were produced, The Green Hornet in 1940, and The Green Hornet Strikes Again in 1941.
TV Show
After the success of the classic 1960s Adam West Batman series, aGreen Hornet series was produced, which ran for a single season in 1966. Van Williams was cast in the lead role of Britt Reid. Unlike Batman, which was designed to be comedic in nature, The Green Hornet was played for drama. As a result, it wasn’t remembered as fondly as The Caped Crusader’s show
The series is probably now best known for being Bruce Lee’s first major acting role as Kato. But it also had a crossover episode with Batman, where the two heroes met onscreen.
A link to the previous radio show was provided through the character of Mike Axford. During the radio show run, Axford worked for The Daily Sentinel. In the TV pilot episode, Axford tells Britt about the old days when he knew Britt’s father. This implied that the TV Britt was the offspring of the radio incarnation.
When the TV show ended, the character faded into relative obscurity for the next two decades. Though the TV version of The Black Beauty, depicted as a Chrysler Crown Imperial, gained a following with car enthusiasts.
Comic Book Adaptions
There were several attempts over the years to publish Green Hornet comics, starting in the 1940s. They did not sell nearly as well as those of The Lone Ranger, and didn’t last more than a year or two at a time.
When NOW comics started publishing Green Hornet comics in 1989, they released a four volume series Tales Of The Green Hornet. This retconned the TV series Britt Reid to be the nephew of the original, and established the new incarnation, Paul Reid, as the son of the TV version. Van Williams, star of the TV show, even wrote a few issues about his character’s run.
The Lone Ranger connection remained intact during the NOW run. However, due to potential legal issues over the likeness, the name was never used.
Kato’s history was also addressed in the NOW series. It was explained that Britt lied about Kato’s heritage out of fear that he’d be sent an internment camp during WWII.
It’s also worth noting that the miniseries killed off the original Britt Reid due to a betrayal by District Attorney Frank Scanlon, who revealed the identity to an enemy.
Like The Lone Ranger, Green Hornet is not the property of any specific comic publisher, it is self owned and licensed out. Currently, Dynamite comics has the publishing license. Recently, Dynamite did their own crossover with DC Comic’s Batman that was written by Kevin Smith
2011 Movie
Seth Rogan co-wrote and starred in a Green Hornet feature film. It was a complete reboot with no real connection to any previous incarnation, sans Black Beauty remaining a 1960s Chrysler. Unlike the TV show and radio serials, it was intended to be a comedic action film.
While the movie did well at the box office, it failed to perform enough to warrant a sequel.
What do you think, readers and listeners? Do you have any Green Hornet opinions? Feel free to share your thoughts below or on our social media pages!
One of the biggest pop culture icons of the 1960s has lost another member. Peter Tork, the onscreen bass player for the made-for-TV pop group The Monkees, passed away this week. He was 77.
Born in Washington DC in February 1942, Peter was the oldest of the
four. Tork wound up playing the “straight man” of the group, and would
often be setting up the jokes rather than making them himself. His
father was a college professor, and Peter himself has always been a bit
of an intellectual.
He started playing piano at age nine, and went on to learn several
other instruments. While he was a young man, Peter befriended then
aspiring musician Stephen Stills, mostly known for Buffalo Springfield,
and being the Stills in Crosby, Still, Nash, & Young. As luck would
have it, Stills had auditioned to be a Monkee before Peter knew about
the opportunity. Stills was rejected due to not being photogenic enough
for TV. Stills then recommended the creators look at Peter Tork. “And
the rest” Tork would say “is a hysterectomy”
In a bit of irony, Tork may have been the one with the greatest
amount of musical talent. Yet onscreen he was cast as being a bass
player. Plus, his role in the show was more of a straight man who could
be fooled, despite being a real life intellectual.
Tork is probabably the one that sang the least often. In fact, only
one Monkees song from the original run featured Peter on lead vocals.
That being “Your Auntie Grizelda” off the second album More Of The Monkees.
That said, it’s worth noting that Peter did help write a few songs. Most notably “For Pete’s Sake”, which became the TV show’s closing theme music, though it’s commonly misidentified as “In This Generation”.
He also did the music arrangement for arguably their biggest hit, “Daydream Believer”.
We here at Geekville Radio extend are deepest condolences, thoughts, and prayers to Peter Tork’s family and friends in this time of grief.
It seemed inevitable after Luke Cage and Iron Fist were dropped last year, but the last of the Marvel Netflix series finally got the ax over the weekend. Deadline reports that Netflix cancelled The Punisher and Jessica Jones, with the upcoming third season of Jessica Jones being the last.
This marks the end of all the series that have aired on the streaming network since 2015. Daredevil premiered four years ago to an enthusiastic audience and critical praise. Jessica Jones began the following year, which introduced Luke Cage to the mix. Finally, Iron Fist was released and was quickly followed with the first (and now only) season of The Defenders. Jon Bernthal’s portrayal of The Punisher, aka Frank Castle, proved strong enough for two seasons of a spin-off.
Jeph Loeb, who Executive Produced all the Netflix-run shows, posted this via Marvel’s website.
It had never been done before.
Four separate television series, each with different super-talented showrunners, writers, directors,cast and crew, coming out months apart and then…
…they would meet in a single event series all set in the heart of New York City.
We called them The Defenders.
And together we were thrilled by stories of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and even the Punisher joined in!
They said it couldn’t be done.
But Marvel assembled amazing teams to write, produce, direct, edit, and score 13 seasons and 161 one-hour episodes.
Take a moment and go online and look at the dazzling list of actors, writers, directors, and musicians who graced us with the very best of their craft.
We loved each and every minute of it.
And we did it all for you — the fans — who cheered for us around the world and made all the hard work worth it.
So, Thank You!
On behalf of everyone at Marvel Television, we couldn’t be more proud or more grateful to our audience.
Our Network partner may have decided they no longer want to continue telling the tales of these great characters… but you know Marvel better than that.
As Matthew Murdock’s Dad once said, “The measure of a man is not how he gets knocked to the mat, it’s how he gets back up.”
To be continued…!
– Jeph Loeb and all of us at Marvel Television
While no official statement has been made, the chances seem rather slim that the shows would be picked up by Disney’s streaming service. Screenrant reports that, even if it could happen, it wouldn’t happen before 2020. Furthermore Marvel Television is a separate production company from Marvel Studios, who head up the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Agents Of SHIELD.
This edition of Geekville Radio’s Nostalgia Trip is devoted to the 1960s pop sensation The Monkees. While the TV show may have only lasted for two seasons, it has been revered for generations as an inspiration for mixing music, video, and comedy. It also enjoyed years of success in syndication.
The Monkees were a made for TV band in 1966, partially in response to BeatleMania and the successful movie A Hard Day’s Night. They were all cast and given band member roles by the studio. They were not a band that formed organically. As such, there have been misconceptions and misinterpretations about the group over the years. This show hopes to straighten out some of those misconceptions.
THE MONKEES
Micky Dolenz – Born in LA in 1945, he grew up in an entertainment family. Micky broke into showbiz at the age of 11 when he starred in a children’s show called Circus Boy under the name Micky Braddock. While he could play guitar, he wound up being cast as the drummer for the TV show. Due to a medical condition, he set up his drum kit in a unique way. The bass pedal was set up for left-handed playing, while the rest of the kit was set up for playing right-handed.
Dolenz could also be considered the one that stayed the most active after The Monkees broke up. He did continue acting and making music. in the 1970’s Micky auditioned to be Fonzie before the role was given to Henry Winkler.
Perhaps his most known role outside of The Monkees is the voice of Arthur from the original 1990s animated series The Tick.
Dolenz of course sang lead for the band’s first hit “Last Train To Clarkesville”, which many people may not know is about a man shipping off to fight in The Vietnam War. But a song that was almost entirely his brainchild, “Randy Scouse Git”, appeared on Headquarters. That song had to be renamed in UK releases due to the vulgar nature of the term (it translates to “horny British boy”).
Davy Jones – The youngest of the groups, born in December 1945 in Manchester. Arguably the most popular, especially with the ladies. He usually wound up singing the romantic ballads as a result. Usually depicted onscreen as a percussionist, carrying a tambourine or maracas.
Davy did have some measure of fame before being cast in The Monkees. He was a professional singer who had received awards for live musicals. He also appeared on the very same episode of The Ed Sullivan Show that introduced The Beatles.
Jones will probably be best remembered for singing what may be The Monkees’ biggest hit, “Daydream Believer”. That appeared on the fifth and final album of the series, The Birds, The Bees, & The Monkees.
Sadly, Davy passed away in February 2012 of a heart attack.
Peter Tork – Born in Washington DC in February 1942, Peter was the oldest of the four. Tork wound up playing the “straight man” of the group, and would often be setting up the jokes rather than making them himself. His father was a college professor, and Peter himself has always been a bit of an intellectual.
He started playing piano at age nine, and went on to learn several other instruments. While he was a young man, Peter befriended then aspiring musician Stephen Stills, mostly known for Buffalo Springfield, and being the Stills in Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young. As luck would have it, Stills had auditioned to be a Monkee before Peter knew about the opportunity. Stills was rejected due to not being photogenic enough for TV. Stills then recommended the creators look at Peter Tork. “And the rest” Tork would say “is a hysterectomy”
In a bit of irony, Tork may have been the one with the greatest amount of musical talent. Yet onscreen he was cast as being a bass player. Plus, his role in the show was more of a straight man who could be fooled, despite being a real life intellectual.
Tork is probabably the one that sang the least often. In fact, only one Monkees song from the original run featured Peter on lead vocals. That being “Your Auntie Grizelda” off the second album More Of The Monkees.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp_eI23YFZY
That said, it’s worth noting that Peter did help write a few songs. Most notably “For Pete’s Sake” which became the closing theme music., though it’s commonly misidentified as “In This Generation”. He also did the music arrangement for arguably their biggest hit, “Daydream Believer”.
Michael Nesmith – Born on December 1942 in Texas, Nesmith is a bonafide southerner. Though cast as a quieter goofball, he often wound up being the smartest guy in the room.
Nesmith had recorded songs previously under the name Michael Blessing, and had experience writing songs. One of his songs was “Different Drum”, which became a hit for The Stone Poneys that launched the career of a young Linda Ronstadt.
Mike’s onscreen gimmick was his constant wearing of a snowcap. He wore the cap during his audition, and the producers liked the look. In reality, Mike truly grew to hate the snowcap look. He and Peter Tork were also the ones most vocal about wanting to play their own instruments
After The Monkees, Nesmith became quite the renaissance man. He started a video company that produced movies and comedy videos like Elephant Parts. In 1980, he started a TV show called PopClips, which would wind up being the direct precursor to MTV. On top of that, his mother had created the solution that would become Liquid Paper.
Among some of the Hollywood films Nesmith produced are Repo Man and Timerider.
Nesmith’s song “Papa Gene’s Blues” was one of the rare exceptions on the first album to be written and produced by a band member.
MUSIC
While everything started with a TV sitcom, music was produced simultaneously by producers like Don Kirschner. Professional songwriters were used to write most of the songs on the first two albums. A lot of the music was recorded by the infamous studio group The Wrecking Crew for the first two albums.
It is true is the band did not play instruments on the first two albums, The Monkees and More Of The Monkees. The reasons why were simple. One, they were doing the TV show, and for productions’ sake, they could just go into the studio and lay down vocals rather than spend the extra time rehearsing. And two, the songs needed to sound like a band that had been together for years. And guys that just met each other the same year just flat out aren’t going to be in sync, let alone do much songwriting.
The onscreen depiction of the band had Mike on guitar, Micky on drums, and Peter Tork on bass. The irony is Peter Tork may have been the most musically inclined of all of them. Davy was usually depicted as percussion (tamborine or maracas), but he did play instruments here and there. Micky did have to learn drums, as he was more of a guitarist. Davy had told the story that when they were asked who is going to be the drummer, he, Mike, and Peter all took a step back leaving Micky alone”.
Communication about when the albums would be released and what singles would be used was not discussed much between the label and the band. There was an infamous story of The Monkees doing live appearances shortly after the first album was released. Fans would tell them “We got your new album”… to which confused the group as they only knew of one album. It turned out the second album More Of The Monkees had been produced and released without their knowledge..
Most of the early hits were mostly written by other songwriters
Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart – “Monkees Theme”, “Last Train To Clarkesville”
Neil Diamond – “I’m A Believer”, “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You”
John Stewart (not THAT John Stewart) – “Daydream Believer”
Carole King and Gerry Coffin – “Pleasant Valley Sunday”
Some critics do not seem to consider The Monkees a “real band”, due to them being assembled. But the truth is that type of practice was not uncommon at all in the entertainment business. Studios have assembled singing groups for decades, and it’s still being done to this day. How were The Spice Girls formed? The Backstreet Boys? New Kids On The Block?
The third album, Headquarters, was the first to feature the band playing their own instruments. It is looked at by many music historians as an important album in history due to this fact. By this time, Chip Douglas had been hired as producer. He also took over most of the bass playing. The album sold well, though subsequent albums sold significantly less than these first three.
The Monkees themselves had said if they could do it over again, the lineup would be Peter on guitar, Mike on bass, Davy on drums and Micky as a frontman. That would have played to all their strengths. The music video to the song “Words” depicts this lineup.
TV SHOW
The show ran for two full seasons from September 1966 to March of 1968. The show did decline in the second season, due to the reaction that the boys weren’t really a band. In addition, there were creative differences. The band wanted to do more than just screwball comedy, and wanted to turn the show into more of a variety show. During that time, variety shows like The Ed Sullivan Show were extremely popular.
Some of the musicians who auditioned for the show did wind up with succesful music careers. There was the aforementioned Stephen Stills, as well as Paul Williams.
Here is a highlight reel of the auditions and screen tests the guys went through
HEAD
The group made their first and only feature film in 1968. Head was releaseed to change the band’s image. In fact, there was a marketing campaign that didn’t even mention the band was in the movie. The opening scene of the band jumping off the bridge was to symbolize the “death and rebirth” of their careers. Jack Nicholson (yes THAT Jack Nicholson) helped write and produce the film. The title Head came about because if there was a sequel, it would be marketed as “From the people that gave you Head”.
The movie is notable for having several different cameos. Among the celebrities who appear:
Green Bay Packers Linebacker Ray Nitschke has a cameo playing a football player in the trenches of Vietnam.
Teri Garr in her first feature film
Sonny Liston in a boxing match with Davy
Annete Funicello as a spectator in said boxing match
Ronald Reagan, then Governor of California, in a news clip
Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper as film crew
Tor Johnson as a guard (his final onscreen appearance)
While Head may have been a colossal failure at the box office, it would up gaining cult status for its outlandishness. From a musical standpoint, it did feature a live rendition of the song “Circle Sky”, in which they sing and play every note in one take.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWi_63q58CQ
In closing, there is an opinion from many fans that The Monkees are worthy to be included in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Only time will tell if that opinion will become fact.
If you have any thoughts on The Monkees, whether it be the show, the music, or anything else, we’d love to hear them. Sound off below!
The internet is buzzing about a discovery credited to a Reddit thread which claims Balance Of The Force is on the official Star Wars page. Could this be the title of Episode IX? As of this recording, there has been no official confirmation or denial from Disney or LucasFilm. However, the name “Balance Of The Force” goes back at least a couple decades.
As many fans who remember the mid-90s may attest, the term Balance Of The Force is nothing new to the Star Wars Universe. In fact, it was the heavily rumored title for Episode I going all the way back to when the prequels were announced.
Balance Of The Force was rumored to be the title for Episode I
Mace Windu of course uses the term when discussing Anakin with Qui-Gon Jinn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeAAjRVjPxA
It wouldn’t be the first time that a title may have been considered but discarded. When the initial teaser trailer for Return Of The Jedi was released, it had the title Revenge Of The Jedi. George Lucas changed his mind and renamed the movie Return Of The Jedi due to revenge not being a Jedi trait.
Flash forward 22 years, and Episode III got the name Revenge Of The Sith.
In the prequels, it was hinted that destroying the Sith would bring Balance To The Force. Vader accomplished the task by destroying Emperor Palpatine in Episode VI. But was that really bringing balance? Or could it be a balance on how The Force is interpreted? The Jedi and Sith had their own skewed ways of looking at The Force. As said in an excerpt from Episode 35, RealMarchHare and Leadbase talk about what “balance” might mean, and that it could mean a Neutral stance.
There is reason to believe that the title may not be Balance Of The Force after all, as there was a digital pinball game released with that name. Giving a movie the same name as an unrelated video game would seem a bit counterpoductive.
What do you think about the name Balance Of The Force? What do you think it would mean? Sound off below or on our Facebook and Twitter Page.
