Wikipedia:Reference desk/Entertainment

Welcome to the entertainment section
of the Wikipedia reference desk.

skip to bottom

Select a section:

• Computing
• Entertainment
• Humanities
• Language
• Mathematics
• Science
• Miscellaneous
• Archives

Want a faster answer?

Main page: Help searching Wikipedia

   

How can I get my question answered?

• Select the section of the desk that best fits the general topic of your question (see the navigation column to the right).
• Post your question to only one section, providing a short header that gives the topic of your question.
• Type '~~~~' (that is, four tilde characters) at the end – this signs and dates your contribution so we know who wrote what and when.
• Don't post personal contact information – it will be removed. Any answers will be provided here.
• Please be as specific as possible, and include all relevant context – the usefulness of answers may depend on the context.
• Note:
  • We don't answer (and may remove) questions that require medical diagnosis or legal advice.
  • We don't answer requests for opinions, predictions or debate.
  • We don't do your homework for you, though we'll help you past the stuck point.
  • We don't conduct original research or provide a free source of ideas, but we'll help you find information you need.

Ready? Ask a new question!

How do I answer a question?

Main page: Wikipedia:Reference desk/Guidelines

• The best answers address the question directly, and back up facts with wikilinks and links to sources. Do not edit others' comments and do not give any medical or legal advice.

See also:

• Teahouse
• Help desk
• Village pump
• Help manual

May 29

Blu-ray_player question

Does anyone know where I can find a multi region Blu-ray_player in the Greater Vancouver area? Neptunekh2 (talk) 19:55, 29 May 2011 (UTC)

My Philips BDP3100 can be easily made multi-region. I don't know if it is available in Vancouver. Astronaut (talk) 12:15, 1 June 2011 (UTC)

Apocalypse Now

After tuning into the end of this movie for the Nth time, I'm reminded of some questions I have about it...

• Is there any potential basis in fact for some of the bizarre scenes? The camps without commanding officers, surfing between bombs, the weird way of sacrificing a water buffalo with a machete, the idea of some American military person off in Cambodia leading a killer cult? The chopping off of the arms of kids injected with polio vaccine? Or is it all florid imagination?

• A crucial feature of the end of the movie is that the crew of this little boat can call in an airstrike from "Almighty". My interpretation tends to run that this is not just a handy amenity to be used at Willard's discretion; but rather that the airstrike must have been a back-up contingency plan - something that would be executed in the not unlikely instance that the whole crew should suffer an unfortunate accident during their little diplomatic visit to Cambodia. But this interpretation leads on to several unusual conclusions:

• I otherwise never understood Kurtz's decision to more or less let Willard kill him. There's some monologue that he "wanted the pain to end" and "even the jungle was out to kill him" or even that he wanted to "die like a warrior" but it didn't make sense to me. But if Kurtz's people catch the cook during a radio test for the airstrike, then they know what is coming. Kurtz's choice to let Willard kill him can actually be seen as an altruistic sacrifice for his people, to spare them the collateral damage of a more conventional attack.

• The final scene of the movie then makes much more sense. We see Willard being called on the radio by "Almighty", and he simply reaches out and shuts it off. Then there is a scene of helicopters flying through the air, flames, and repeated, "the horror". What that means, then, is that he is making a conscious decision not to abort the military's airstrike. Given that there's a cult of crazies out there looking to follow anyone who comes out of the temple with a machete, who have given his men much grief, there's a certain appeal to this. He's given them the chance to drop their weapons and leave. The only problem is that per the Apocalypse Now article, this interpretation was supposedly specifically opposed by Coppola. Yet I wonder if he wanted to make available different levels of understanding for such a film.

• Note that these two things together essentially invert the roles of the two main characters: Kurtz selflessly dying to save his civilians, and Willard committing a mass murder beyond everything Kurtz has done. Wnt (talk) 23:45, 29 May 2011 (UTC)

Truly this deserved to be asked at the Humanities refdesk, on account of the quality of the film, but I thought there might be people here with unusual sources of information. Wnt (talk) 23:37, 29 May 2011 (UTC)

I don't have sources for the following offhand and am in a hurry but wanted to give at least one response to aid your googling. The water buffalo kill was supposedly something that the locals were about to do anyway and they asked whether the crew wanted to film it. "Yeah," they said, and it ended up in the movie; so that scene is presumably the most true-to-life scene in the film. Presumably you know about Hearts of Darkness which I certainly recommend since you're a fan. Comet Tuttle (talk) 05:04, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

I'd wondered about that. In a modern film, alas, they'd have spent ten million dollars trying to make a dead or plastic water buffalo look alive, and failed. I take it there's no PC litany about animals not being harmed in the making of this film... B) Wnt (talk) 18:51, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

Some of those things seemed, unfortunately, quite possible in war. For comparison with "leading a killer cult", we have the group of US soldiers in Iraq who raped and murdered a girl and her family. While I'm not aware of their being any religious justification stated for these actions, I have to think that the victims being Muslim figured into the soldiers' total contempt for them.

The "chopping off of the arms of kids injected with polio vaccine" falls within the logic of "total war". That is, if winning is the only goal, and you don't care who suffers or dies in the process (including your own people), then anything can be justified. For comparison, we have the Nazi massacres of civilian bystanders in retaliation for the actions of partisans whom the authorities couldn't capture. StuRat (talk) 06:38, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

I understand that in moral terms, for example the Talmud says something like "whoever destroys a life, destroys the world." But aesthetically, this is not the same thing. A few parts of the movie seem so closely based on reality, it makes me if some others are based on instances I've been unaware of. Wnt (talk) 03:52, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

• Regarding the surfing Liutenant Colonel Kilgore (who loved the smell of napalm in the morning), Apocalypse_Now#Cast mentions some inspirations for the character, if one wanted one could research these real people and see if any of them surfed or otherwise did some of the wild stuff Kilgore was noted for (like the Death Cards). --Jayron32 20:44, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

May 30

old fantasy movie i saw on betamax

greetings. i would like to inquire if anyone could recall this movie. the protagonist is an adolesent dwarf, who took care of a baby, and with him are his dwarf companions. i think a dwarf named 'blubber tuck'(?) was one of them, a bald adult dwarf. humans are also seen in the film. thanks for any help. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 210.1.67.147 (talk) 02:47, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

Maybe Willow (film)? Incidentally, the entire film was up in little pieces on YouTube. To avoid tedious WP:ELNEVER arguments I'll avoid linking to it directly; besides, that is unnecessary if you can use a search bar. I won't pretend to evaluate the odds that that is a licensed distribution... Wnt (talk) 03:22, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

Yes, this is it, thank you very much. i just want to read this story on wikipedia but i didnt know the title. thanks gain. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 210.1.67.147 (talk) 04:30, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

FYI, the bald guy was Burglekutt. Staecker (talk) 23:06, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

Networks' past projects

Sometime in the 1980's, ABC had these public service announcements. One was for Don't Do Drugs. One was for Don't Drink and Drive. One was for Project Literacy U.S. (PLUS). Meanwhile, CBS had this literacy project called Read More About It. The project had referals to books after the closing credits of certain television specials, mini-series and television movies. In the early 1990's, ABC had these public service announcements. One was for Children First. One was for Never Stop Learning. I'm interested in more information about all of the past projects I've mentioned. Where can I find the information? Anyone know?24.90.204.234 (talk) 04:09, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

The networks all have websites for the PSAs; ABC's is A Better Community, NBC's is The More You Know, and CBS's is CBS Cares. I assume the ones you mention are all part of the same series, but if not, hopefully this is somewhere to start. Adam Bishop (talk) 11:40, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

I already know about A Better Community, The More You Know, and CBS Cares. The ones I've mentioned are older. The ones you've mentioned are more recent. Additionally, in 1986, as the Statue of Liberty was bound to celebrate its centennial, CBS had this project called An American Portrait. It profiled Americans who've impacted many people's lives. They included sports figures, entertainers, etc. In 1988, as America was bound to elect a new President, CBS had this project called A Presidential Portrait. The concept was similar to An American Portrait. I'm also interested in more information about those other two projects.24.90.204.234 (talk) 20:45, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

If it is of any interest, GI Joe always ended with "now I know and knowing is half the battle." I don't think that was from the studio. I think it was from the GI Joe show itself. -- kainaw™ 12:37, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

That was endorsed by the National Child Safety Council. Anyway, what does that have to do with the projects I'm trying to find more information about?24.90.204.234 (talk) 17:52, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

Identify the music in this commercial

Is it something familiar? Or was it composed just for the commercial? Thanks, Oh, well (talk) 09:58, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

You can email Coca-Cola here to ask them. Nanonic (talk) 12:50, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

The main melody is similar to Coca-Cola's current musical jingle, so the music is probably proprietary (that is, written for the commercial). --McDoobAU93 21:17, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

Patton (Movie)

First a thank you today to those that have served. About 18m into the movie, Patton rolls into II Corps HQ on a halftrack. He is standing up front holding onto a Ma Deuce. On the front fenders is a flag with 2 stars on the right, and a sign with WTF on the left. As the scene progresses it is obvious that he feels that no one in the outfit knows what they are supposed to be doing. So my questions: Does WTF refer to its common usage today? and Was this common knowledge at the release of the film ('70) or during WWII? 70.177.189.205 (talk) 16:48, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

WHAG here but the letters "TF" in a military setting generally refer to "task force". --TammyMoet (talk) 17:37, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

WTF lists Western Task Force. Clarityfiend (talk) 22:20, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

Freshwater boating in the U.S.

Hey all. I recently acquired a used ski boat, and have been enjoying it putting around near my home and watching the sunsets with my wife. But now I am comfortable with driving the boat, and I'd like to do more things. My main concern is understanding right-of-way on the water, as well as correctly navigating channels by the channel-markers. Are the rules for this pretty much universal, and, if so, is there a good, easy to understand, resource someone could point me to? I am getting conflicting information from various "seasoned" boaters regarding my questions. For instance, I was told that you should always yield to a boat that has someone (or something) under two. A skier, for instance. I've also been told to stay to the right of the channel markers. But then someone tells me the exact opposite, or gives conflicting advice. Websites seem to conflict one another as well. I have a very good understanding of right-of-way and yielding laws when driving...but with a boat there are so many more variables. Plus, boats don't have the luxury of brakes :) Thanks! Quinn ^{❀ BEAUTIFUL DAY} 23:22, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

It's possible that the "rules of the road" vary by state. In all likelihood your state's Department of Natural Resources (or equivalent) will have a website and/or pamphlet describing how to operate boats on state waterways. (e.g. Minnesota ("Land of 10,000 Lakes") is here - your state probably has something similar.) These tend to be less extensive than (road) motor vehicle laws, and "don't be a jerk" tends to summarize most of them. Regarding yielding to boats with skiers under tow, even if not required that's a good rule to follow, as if the boat has to slow down/turn suddenly the skier may be thrown or loose hydroplaning (on the flip side, the person towing the skier shouldn't be a jerk and should keep clear of other boats' paths). Likewise with yielding to/slowing to no-wake speeds around non-motorized boats. I believe that which side of the channel markers you pass on depends on which side of the channel they're marking. -- 140.142.20.229 (talk) 23:44, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

I strongly suggest a boating class, either through the state or through United States Power Squadrons [1]. The basics are simple (in fact, some laws apply equally to boats and cars) but it is simple, too, to get in over your head. Great Lakes, oceans, powerful rivers, commercial traffic, locks and dams, all require extra attention, caution and preparation. 75.41.110.200 (talk) 01:36, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

You should definately get your local laws and take any class availible locally, or contact the agency which has jurisdiction over the waterways you will be using; they would LOVE to have you knowing how to operate the boat in their waterways. IIRC, from my youth boating around Lake Winnepesaukee, channel markers are usually colored by the side you should pass them by. On Winnepesaukee there were red and black markers, and you always passed by the Red markers on (say) the north or west side and the black markers on the south or east side (I don't remember the specific correct directions, but it was something like that). That allowed you to navigate correctly; because sometimes the markers were directing you into a channel, like the deepest water and so the best place to navigate, and sometimes the markers were directing you away from an obsticle, like a submerged rock or sandbar. So sometimes you wanted to go between them, and sometimes you wanted to go around them, so you needed to know the compass direction each color was directing you to pass them by. --Jayron32 20:33, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

Thanks, I went ahead and enrolled in a weekend class provided by the local water supply district. The organizer said I was the only one to enroll, so they may have to cancel if no one else does. But he also told me, if that's was the case, he'd meet me out on the Reservoir that weekend and "show me the ropes." I guess Southern hospitality has its advantages. Thanks all! Quinn ^{❀ BEAUTIFUL DAY} 04:27, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

May 31

"... the lonely apricot betimes"

I'm haunted by a memory of hearing Eric Idle speak a lot of semi-nonsense in iambic pentameter, pausing after the above phrase. Does it ring a bell with you? Assuming it's in MPFC, can you say which episode? (I thought it might be the wine shop scene in 'Dennis Moore' — "I've caught poetry" — but no.) —Tamfang (talk) 00:03, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

A bit of context bubbles up from the swamps of memory: the speech may be a series of rhetorical questions to which the answer is "Freedom! Freedom! Freedom." And maybe Terry Jones retorts, "It's only a bloody parking ticket." —Tamfang (talk) 00:15, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

It's the first skit in episode 1x03 "How to Recognise Different Types of Trees from Quite a Long Way Away". The whole episode is on YouTube, but I won't link to it since it must be a copyvio. Deor (talk) 01:02, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

I can stream it from Netflix, thanks! —Tamfang (talk) 04:44, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

or wakes the drowsy apricot betide? No wonder I never did find it. —Tamfang (talk) 05:04, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

Synchronicity: later in the same episode, Idle reads a bedtime story, using as a prop Richard Scarry's What Do People Do All Day?. Today is Scarry's birthday, according to Google. —Tamfang (talk) 05:09, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

What is the fantasy novel in which the currency is called "barrels"?

I read a book, maybe 10 years ago, in which water was scarce and so the currency was coins called "barrels" to signify that they were worth a barrel of water. What is the name of this book? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Fuggahugga (talk • contribs) 00:30, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

According to one commenter here, the World of Air in The Death Gate Cycle may have used "barls", short for barrels, for coinage. Clarityfiend (talk) 02:06, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

Netflix

Why doesnt Netflix have certain movies and shows?Accdude92 (talk) 03:10, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

Just like anyone else, they have to negotiate with whoever owns each movie, to try to get a good deal. If they can't get a movie at a price where they can make a profit, they don't. StuRat (talk) 03:38, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

Netflix's DVD rental service has almost everything that's available on DVD or Bluray from a major publisher and quite a bit from smaller publishers. Many shows simply aren't available on DVD. And there are a few shows that came out once on DVD and are n olonger available. Netflix sometimes has those, but, obviously, once the disk is damaged or lost they can't replace it. Of course, if it's not on DVD, Netflix can't force publishers to print DVDs!

Their streaming service is missing a lot, but like StuRat says, they need to negotiate with whoever owns the movies, and many publishers are very wary of online distribution. I'm not sure why, but probably they're worried about committing to one service then realizing they could have made more profit on another service. Not to mention their stupid paranoia about piracy. APL (talk) 07:43, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

One of the issues regarding streaming media, especially older shows and movies, is that the revenue sharing isn't properly negotiated for old media, i.e. stuff that predates streaming as a concept. There's a sort of "standard" contract for movies and TVs, such that certain percentages of sales and revenues are divied up among all of the players involved, so that the actors get x% of each movie ticket sold, each DVD sold, each commercial shown during a TV viewing, each action figure sold, etc. etc. The directors, producers, studio, distributors, etc. also get their own stakes. This is all negotiated well ahead of time, and is usually part of the standard contracts for all involved. The issue is that streaming media is so new, that no one knows what to do with that money that's coming in from streaming media. Since the studio that made, say, Smokey and the Bandit didn't forsee streaming media, it didn't negotiate how to divvy up the profits from streaming media among people involved with that film. So that has to be dealt with. This is exactly what the TV Writers strike a few years ago dealt with, see 2007–2008_Writers_Guild_of_America_strike#New_media, and is still an ongoing issue in the film and television world. New films and TV shows have stuff like profits from streaming media built right into the standard negotiations, which is why streaming tends to be heavier represented among the really new stuff (not to mention that the newer stuff sells better. Is anyone really looking to stream old episodes of B. J. and the Bear?) --Jayron32 20:25, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

Netflix has lots of old streaming video. For example, I just finished watching the original Twilight Zone series. As long as the old agreements were for ratios, not fixed amounts, I don't see why the same logic wouldn't apply directly to streaming. That is, everybody gets the same slice of the streaming pie as they got from other sources of revenue. Although, if the original agreement had one split for video-tape rentals and another for "other sources of revenue", the question might come up as to which best applies to streaming. That is, can streaming video be just considered to be an updated form of video-tape rental, or is it a completely new thing ? StuRat (talk) 17:52, 1 June 2011 (UTC)

If we ignore sites like NetFlix for now and go to things like TV channel catch up sites, why would their streaming service automatically be considered more like video rentals then broadcast? And if you have a streaming based service where you pay a monthly fee and can watch whatever you want (as opposed to a video on demand/PPV service where you pay for everything you want with no monthly fee), is this really more similar to video rental then traditional broadcast rights? Note that the video rental agreement was viewed as unsatisfactory by many in the WGA anyway (and I think other unions), this is discussed in the article. Nil Einne (talk) 14:07, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

Movie Music

In the Pelican Brief, what is the name of the operatic music heard when Darby goes to the Memorial service? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.95.61.18 (talk) 11:40, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

Here is a soundtrack list. 216.93.212.245 (talk) 22:01, 1 June 2011 (UTC)

tv. show? movie?

hi all, I would guess around several years ago, i saw part of something on t.v. where this bartender or someone went outside with a bunch of other guys to fight, and two of his buddies are asked to help him by their girlfriends so they go outside... and the bartender or whatever has already beat up the other guys but thinks that his two buddies helped him... even though they did nothing... the bartender or whatever goes inside and one of his buddies punches himself then the other buddy in the face so it looks like they were in the fight... anyone know what this is? 69.154.180.133 (talk) 17:26, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

Its How I Met Your Mother, episode called The Fight--Jac16888 ^Talk 17:29, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

Boss fights

1. What is the tallest boss ever created not including final boss. 2. What is the tallest 16 bit boss ever not including final boss . 3. the tallest 8-bit boss ever created. 4. What is the a tallest final boss. 5. what is the tallest superboss. 6 what is the tallest boss including final boss. 7. what is the tallest optional boss fight thats not a superboss. 8. the tallest mini boss. --109.76.35.231 (talk) 19:50, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

• The tallest mini boss? Is that like being the world's tallest midget? --Jayron32 20:14, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

(For reference of other editors) He's refering to Boss (video gaming). That question *might* have been answerable in 1994, but there's too many video games and too many ways to measure "tallest." Do you mean "tallest according to height in pixels," "tallest compared to the player, or "tallest in feet/meters according to the game's story?" Ian.thomson (talk) 20:22, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

Absolutely, but I can't help mention the game Shadow of the Colossus which famously features only epic boss battles against massive bosses. APL (talk) 20:42, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

In AdventureQuest, there's a boss so tall that only his shoes fit on the screen. If you wish, I can find the name of the boss for you. StuRat (talk) 17:31, 1 June 2011 (UTC)

I was meaning tall in meters but wouldn't some of final fantasy boss fights rank up there as being the tallest and some RE boss fights too but those are the only big boss fights I can think of. --109.76.2.18 (talk) 22:08, 1 June 2011 (UTC)

In Shadow of the Colossus, the final boss is 60m tall. Which is pretty big for a little guy to fight with only a sword, and no particular magical powers.

I keep mentioning this game because the whole point of the game is how huge the bosses are, and figuring out how to fight them. (It usually involves climbing around on them.)

On the other hand, there have been a few Fantastic Four games, I'm sure Galactus has featured in a few of them. He's a devourer of worlds and is often drawn big enough to stand next to the Earth.

While we're on the subject of destroyers of worlds, we have to mention all those Star Wars games that feature the Death Star as the final boss. The Death Star was over a 100km tall.

Wouldn't surprise me if there were games about even bigger things. APL (talk) 01:42, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

The last boss in God of War 2 was a titan wasn't it? That would be hugely tall. Scratch that, it was Zeus. Googlemeister (talk) 13:30, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

June 2

DOLLY PARTON Song

Its a song about her heart being broken, she's a used up has been type woman, destroyed. Something about fixing her heart, the foundation or wholes, gaps, fill them with yourself. And she'll be good to go, you'll be suprised. Something to this effect. I tried googling, no luck, only heard once. Much obliged, --i am the kwisatz haderach (talk) 15:22, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

never you mind, found it: 'THE BARGIN STORE' --i am the kwisatz haderach (talk) 20:58, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

And we have an article: The Bargain Store (song). matt (talk) 21:46, 3 June 2011 (UTC)

Rocky II question

I watched Rocky II last night and Mic kept making a big deal over Rocky's eye (which got pummelled pretty good in the first movie) and how the doctors were telling him he was in great danger of going blind if he kept fighting, but I don't recall any mention of his eye ever being made in Rocky III. Was there some kind of explanation for this given in one of the moives that I missed, like he had some kind of corrective surgury or anything like that, or is it just a plot thing that kind of got forgotten as they kept going with the series? Googlemeister (talk) 18:19, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

In Rocky III, it is noted that he is not very accurate anymore and is fighting weaker opponents. He is then beaten by a good opponent. So, he changes his strategy by focusing on endurance. He then goes through III and IV by simply being able to take a beating until his opponent is worn out. I don't think I ever say V, but I assume it is the same. -- kainaw™ 19:15, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

No Chance single

In 1976, JJ Barrie had a hit single in the UK called "No Charge", which was truly execrable. Another singer did a parody of it called "No Chance", and I can't think who it was. Clues: I don't think it was Billy Connolly because the singer had a North English accent (either Lancashire or Yorkshire). Can anyone help with the name of the singer? --TammyMoet (talk) 19:05, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

Well according to our article on the song, it was indeed Connolly. He could have been putting on another accent, or your memory could be failing you. And there's no need for the value judgement on the song, either. I really like it. --Viennese Waltz 20:53, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

And here it is... Reached no. 24 on the chart in 1976. Ghmyrtle (talk) 21:02, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

By the sound of it the mother is indeed charging, and she expects payment in the form of chores, and has set the terms of the contract unilaterally and in secret.  Card Zero  (talk) 01:54, 3 June 2011 (UTC)

I hope you're just being funny. I'm reminded of a time when Dr. Phil had some family where the son was basically a bum living at home, and the son griped that when his mother ragged him about it that it would "harsh his mellow". You can imagine the field day Dr. Phil had with that one. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 10:47, 3 June 2011 (UTC)

Here's a video of it.[2] After looking it up, I'm not sure "execrable" is the term I'd use, but "syrupy" certainly comes to mind. J.J. Barrie. I have to admit I haven't heard all that many Canadian country singers, although k.d. lang has had some success. :) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 10:39, 3 June 2011 (UTC)

You may not have heard "deep" Canadian groups like The Rankins or Susan Aglukark, but depending on your age group, I expect you have heard Hank Snow, Anne Murray, or Shania Twain. 75.41.110.200 (talk) 14:09, 3 June 2011 (UTC)

Thanks all - it must have been Billy Connolly then. I stand by the judgment on the song though, as it was on the TV as I was typing the question it was indeed execrable! No need for the spoon to gag me with! --TammyMoet (talk) 12:40, 3 June 2011 (UTC)

My point was not that your judgement of the song is wrong but that there was no need to mention it in your question. --Viennese Waltz 05:16, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

I didn't want anyone thinking I actually liked it! --TammyMoet (talk) 11:46, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

And that's a good thing, or it would have brought shame upon you and your descendants for several generations. And I know whereof I speak, as I attract much scorn and ridicule anytime I admit to liking the movie Xanadu. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:21, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

Low-budget Academy Award/Oscar films

What is the lowest-budget film to win an Academy Award or an Oscar (any category)? Thanks. 72.128.95.0 (talk) 22:32, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

Marty (1955) had a budget of $343,000 and made $3,000,000. Pepso2 (talk) 23:12, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

My money's on one of the documentary short subjects. Clarityfiend (talk) 00:49, 3 June 2011 (UTC)

Also a possibility is The New Tenants, which won for live action short film, described in this interview as having "a very low budget". Clarityfiend (talk) 01:01, 3 June 2011 (UTC)

A related question would be what film or films have seen the greatest revenue-to-cost ratio. For example, Marty made nearly 10 times what it cost, which is certainly very good. Star Wars cost 11 million and made 797 million, according to the article, which would be a 72-to-1 return on investment. Star Wars was nominated for Best Picture, but did not win, as Annie Hall had better fighting scenes. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 10:57, 3 June 2011 (UTC)

Harvie Krumpet had an estimated budget of AU$377,000 in 2003 - at the time this would have been equivalent to something in the order of US$250,000. That's just one example - I reckon if you trawled Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film you'd find some other contenders. If you went back into the past you'd find some pretty low budget stuff, but should it all be converted into 2011 dollars for a even vaguely fair comparison? --jjron (talk) 15:31, 3 June 2011 (UTC)

Yeah, those Imperial Storm lobsters had it all over those puny humans. Clarityfiend (talk) 22:07, 3 June 2011 (UTC)

Can anyone name this band?

I was listening to the IGN Girlfight podcast and one of the ladies mentioned a band that was once at a Sony E3 event. She called it "Freddie Goes To Camp" but that's not the band's name. Now I can vaguely remember that band. I can vaguely remember their music video. I can vaguely remember the song. I can remember not really liking any of it.

I can't remember the band's name either.

The band was from the early 00's. Male singer. Kinda goofy looking. The video might of had a Gulf Stream RV in it. They were a one hit wonder. "Hit" might even be too strong of a word. The name "Freddie Goes To Camp" does seem about right but I don't think any of the four words are right. It might of been 3 words. It's not Frankie Goes To Hollywood.

That's all I can remember.

Take a look at Camp Freddy. That might be the band. 10draftsdeep (talk) 16:40, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

June 3

Sci-fi with "realistic" FTL

Faster-than-light communication (or travel) is generally considered bogus because it would allow causality violations, e.g. time travel into the past. Lots of SF works allow FTL in their universes, sometimes even in so-called hard SF, but their characters never use their FTL drives to do time travel. In some cases e.g. Star Trek, FTL exists in the universe, and time travel also exists, but they are unrelated. The Enterprise uses its warp drive every week, but almost never does any time travel- when it does, it has nothing to do with the warp drive.

What are some examples of SF universes with FTL in which the FTL is used "realistically" to do time travel? Maybe the end of Superman (film) qualifies, but I was never sure what exactly happened there anyway. I'm looking for more "hard" SF examples. Staecker (talk) 12:04, 3 June 2011 (UTC)

I can't think of any. Consider how hard it would be to keep track of things (or the readers' interest) when just anybody could go back in time and alter history. Clarityfiend (talk) 22:02, 3 June 2011 (UTC)

Every time-travel story needs to keep track of things. It could be as easy or hard as the author wants. Easy solution- only give one character the FTL drive. Staecker (talk) 00:40, 4 June 2011 (UTC)

No problem in a story, but in an ongoing fictional universe? Clarityfiend (talk) 01:16, 4 June 2011 (UTC)

Doesn't that depend entirely on the proposed FTL technology? Perhaps an expert can enlighten us, but I'm not convinced that a user of a Alcubierre drive or a Wormhole would necessarily experience the effects you're imagining, which as I weakly understand them, are caused by traveling FTL through normal space, which isn't possible anyway. APL (talk) 22:11, 3 June 2011 (UTC)

No I don't think all FTL would necessarily allow time travel. But it would be allowed in any universe with FTL drives that can be used arbitrarily, i.e. to travel at any time between any two points instantaneously. Staecker (talk) 00:40, 4 June 2011 (UTC)

Singularity Sky by Charles Stross deals with FTL that does involve time travel. There is a being from the future called "the Eschaton" which has given humanity a commandment of sorts not to violate causality. Dismas|^(talk) 01:23, 4 June 2011 (UTC)

It just occurred to me that in Thiotimoline to the Stars having to use time travel to balance out relativity effects and vice versa was a plot point. APL (talk) 08:21, 4 June 2011 (UTC)

I always thought Star Trek ships did travel through time when they went to warp speed, that's why they had the artificial 'stardates' instead of saying it was June or July 2346 or whatever. You might also look at the show Sliders, it seems compatible with a some theories of time travel that I've read about(IE It's possible to jump to other timelines but never back on your original one).129.128.216.107 (talk) 22:08, 4 June 2011 (UTC)

That is one explanation for stardates, but really they are just meaningless info to show that it is "the future" (especially in the original when they hadn't decided it took place in any particular year yet). But on the show, warp speed has no relation to time travel (except when they warp around a star for the "slingshot" version of time travel, however that is supposed to work). They even figure out ways for live, instantaneous communication from the other side of the galaxy. Adam Bishop (talk) 09:39, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

The anime series Gunbuster does utilize a more "realistic" version of FTL travel, in which those who travel FTL experience the passage of time at a much slower rate than those still on Earth. --McDoobAU93 04:07, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

Time travel in Star Trek does sometimes use the warp drive. In The Voyage Home ("The one with the whales") they travel back in time by slingshotting around the sun in order to travel at extremely high warp. --Tango (talk) 18:50, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

Robert Heinlein's Time enough for love has time travel, and, while I'm not quite sure in this, I seem to remember they use a faster than light spaceship for this purpose. – b_jonas 20:20, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

Somehow, the notion of "realistic" time travel sounds about as likely as a "realistic" version of Plan 9 from Outer Space. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 00:11, 7 June 2011 (UTC)

Check out special relativity. If you allow unrestricted FTL travel in your universe, and you follow special relativity realistically, you will get time travel for free. Allowing FTL without time travel is very unrealistic. Staecker (talk) 16:50, 7 June 2011 (UTC)

Billy Pilgrim was able to dispense with the need for FTL to experience time travel, or at least thats how he remembers it.70.177.189.205 (talk) 01:52, 7 June 2011 (UTC)

Maybe you could explain something in that book. It basically ends with him being shot, as I recall. But did that end his life permanently, or would he have jumped back to some previous point in time? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:14, 7 June 2011 (UTC)

The Legend of Zelda For Kids?

Is The Legend of Zelda series aimed at children in Japan. Most of The Legend of Zelda games are rated A all ages. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is the only game with a rating higher then a A and it was B 12 and up. Do Japanese children play the games?Kidspokemon (talk) 21:42, 3 June 2011 (UTC)

I played the original Legend of Zelda at about age 10 or 11. I have no idea how the later games work. The rating is based on the content of the game (violence, language, sex) and NOT on the playability, so it depends on what you mean of "aimed at children". The Zelda series is also huge, and the ability of the children in question is highly variable. If you have an 8 year old who is very good at Zelda-type games, they may have fun with it. If it is rated "A - All Ages" it should be appropriate for them. However, as a parent you should always play the game first, just to be sure. Never trust the opinion of others as to what is appropriate for your own offspring. --Jayron32 18:36, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

June 4

POTC - On Stranger Tdes

Who is the very pretty young actor in POTC - On Stranger Tides? DuncanHill (talk) 01:01, 4 June 2011 (UTC)

If you refer to the actress on the posters, ads, etc. next to Jack Sparrow, I believe that's Penelope Cruz... Cantankerous giganticus (talk) 01:27, 4 June 2011 (UTC)

The young actor is Sam Claflin. The Mark of the Beast (talk) 19:08, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

tour de france

Can Isee the tour de france caravan in the city of Grenoble and where is the best place to see the caravan and the time trials — Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.100.83.127 (talk) 02:14, 4 June 2011 (UTC)

According to the article 2011 Tour de France the time trial will be there on 23 July. The route is here. HiLo48 (talk) 03:49, 4 June 2011 (UTC)

The Grenoble Maison de Tourisme should be able to provide you with a more detailed route within the city. Unfortunately, that website does seem very reluctant to tell you the actual street address of the Maidon de Tourisme. A search on Google maps suggests it is here. Astronaut (talk) 11:29, 4 June 2011 (UTC)

Question about highest grossing film for the week of June 24, 1949

What was the highest grossing film for the week of June 24, 1949? 98.234.170.202 (talk) 05:28, 4 June 2011 (UTC)

Highest grossing where? In any case, all the highest grossing films of the year (according to 1949 in film) were released after that, except Little Women, which was released much earlier in the year. I see that Kind Hearts and Coronets was released that week, at least in the UK...maybe that is helpful. Adam Bishop (talk) 19:46, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

Tennis score

The tie-break section reads: "Only one more game is played to determine the winner of the set; the score of the set is always 7–6 (or 6–7)." But it goes on to say, "if the score is listed as 7–6 (8), the tiebreak score was 10–8 (since 8 is the loser's points, and the winner must win by two points)."

Why can't the tie-break end 8-6 or 6-8, and how can it go to 10-8 if 7-6 ends it? Thanks. 66.108.223.179 (talk) 16:17, 4 June 2011 (UTC)

As I understand it, if one person gets to 7 by 3 clear points in a tie-break they win the set. If not, they have to win by two clear points. So a score of 7-4 wins a tie-break, but 7-5 doesn't: 8-5 would win it, as would 8-6. (If nobody else consults the laws of tennis to confirm this in a few hours then I will, but I'm going to be a little busy for the next few hours.) --TammyMoet (talk) 16:51, 4 June 2011 (UTC)

Found it. Here is a very concise statement of the tie-break scoring system. --TammyMoet (talk) 19:01, 4 June 2011 (UTC)

You're getting confused between the score of the set and the score of the tie-break. 7-6 is the score of the set, i.e. the number of games won by each person in the set. A tie-break only happens when the score of the set is six games all, so the score of the set after a tie-break must always be 7-6. 10-8 or 8-6 is the score in the tie-break, i.e. the number of points in it. As for why a listed score of 7-6 (8) reflects a tiebreak score of 10-8 rather than 8-6, I'm not sure. --Viennese Waltz 05:11, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

A tiebreak CAN end 8-6, but then the set score would be written 7-6 (6). It's always the loser's points that are written, because you can deduce the winner's points from them (like this: if the loser's score is between 0 and 5, the winner's score is 7. If the loser's score is greater than 5, the winner's score is the loser's score plus 2). 80.123.210.172 (talk) 17:54, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

June 5

old tv show

I remember only watching this show one time . I think it was called dungeons and dragons. but all my searches comes up empty. So I am beginning to believe that it went by a different name. The one scene that stands out the most was in a bar or inn and there was a arm wrestling table and 2 main adventures. The thing about the arm wrestling table was that there was 2 holes in the table and the loser arm would have gotten bitten on the arm and would have died. I am trying to figure out the name of the show, every where I ask they don't know of what show I am talking about. I would have to say the TV show was in the late 70's to the mid 80's, maybe around 1978 to 1987. I remember waiting for the next part of the show but I don’t think they ever showed it. I believe it was supposed to be a TV series. This show was not an animated series.Cavemanmd 23:52, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

I removed your e-mail address. As it says at the top of this page, responses will appear here. Comet Tuttle (talk) 03:27, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

Dungeons and Dragons was an animated series in the early 1980s, and there was also a questionable feature film in the last decade, so that's probably not it (unless you saw the movie on broadcast TV). --McDoobAU93 02:37, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

It was not the animated series, and I don't think it was the movie, either. I vaguely remember this scene: I think there were snakes in the holes, and if you're arm was pushed too close, one of the snake heads would come out and bite you. I know I saw it in the middle 80's to middle 90's, on either network TV or basic cable. I remember the bar being very dark with grungy washed out colors. Hope this helps. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.100.92.26 (talk) 15:59, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

Dungeons & Dragons related products lists some other media including the 2005 cable TV movie. Rmhermen (talk) 18:12, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

Yes it helps a bit, atlease I know of 1 other that remember that scene, Now if only someone could remember the Name of the show.I think I saw it on network TV, I don't think my family had cable yet,and thank you to all that responded and going to respond.Cavemanmd 23:52, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

I also vaguely remembered that scene and suspected that you were referring to the show, Wizards and Warriors. I googled "Wizards and Warriors" and "arm wrestling" and found a page that mentioned the scene in question (approximately halfway down the page).[3] FreeKresge (talk) 20:26, 6 June 2011 (UTC)

Female pop stars

As I'm sure most of you know, there's a popularly held belief that sexually attractive female pop stars who aren't considered to be particularly talented are only successful because of their sex appeal. However, I just realized that the fanbase of most of these artists consist of straight women and gay men (just my personal observation though, I don't have any professional research to back up that observation), two groups of people who aren't going to have any sort of sexual interest in a woman. So that kind of blows a hole in the theory that sex appeal is the sole reason a not-so-talented female pop star is successful. I think it makes a lot more sense when that theory is applied to male pop singers like say, Usher or Justin Timberlake, seeing as their fans do mainly consist of people that would be sexually attracted to them, hetero women. But why do people say this of female pop stars? How does it hold any water? And why would they choose to sexualize their image to make themselves more popular if they know that their fans aren't the type of people who will salivate at the sight of their half-naked bodies? 173.2.165.251 (talk) 19:00, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

I think that belief is popularly held by the sort of people who are much older than the intended fanbase. And as any popular belief, it is probably not accurate at all. The fanbase for these people is actually fairly young, probably mostly teenagers. Physical appearance is important to teenagers, but in a way that goes far beyond sexual attraction. When was the fat nerd ever the most popular kid in school? The football jock and the cheerleader are the popular kids, because the other boys and girls want to be like them. The cheerleader is not popular because all the boys want to have sex with her, but because all the other girls idolize her. Likewise for musicians. It wouldn't be socially acceptable to idolize an ugly musician. Adele, for example, is much more talented than, say, Rihanna, but will Adele ever be a superstar like her? Of course not, not with a fanbase of teenagers anyway. Adam Bishop (talk) 19:17, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

That kinda makes more sense now. Something that's visually appealing is going to sell a lot better than something that isn't, regardless of its actual quality. I just couldn't understand why sex appeal in particular is always frequently cited as a reason, since one could also argue that Justin Bieber is only popular for his image, but he's not by any means considered a sex symbol, nor is he marketed as one. But still, women like Madonna and Kylie Minogue still make sex a large part of their image, even though their fanbases are no longer teenagers. 173.2.165.251 (talk) 19:44, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

While I can't claim to speak for either Madonna or Kylie, I think a large part of their appeal is that they are breaking the stereotypes of what age is, how "women of a certain age" should behave, act, what sexiness is, what attractiveness is... --TammyMoet (talk) 11:51, 6 June 2011 (UTC)

They say 'SEX SELLS', rather 'CONTROVERSY SELLS', because Controversy keeps it alive, in the media, headlines, word of mouth <--best form of News travel did you hear who kissed who? or guess who's doing who?. We create young superstars so that we can milk that label for as long as possible, folks don't like change. So in serving your public, and they love gossip, give them something to talk about. Enter Oprah, all she does is talk, and in that talk everyone goes out and buys what she's talkin about. 'OPRAH SELLS' --i am the kwisatz haderach (talk) 23:32, 7 June 2011 (UTC)

June 6

Only Maxim Galkin can parody Vladimir Putin?

Is it true as said on this blog that only Maxim Galkin can parody Vladimir Putin?--128.54.224.231 (talk) 04:48, 6 June 2011 (UTC)

The only other reference I can fine it at trueslant.com, which is also user-generated. It seems more like he is the only comedian to parody Putin without angering him (unlike Kukly, for example, which the government had banned Putin puppets from after one particular parody he didn't like.) ^Avic_ennasis @ 16:12, 4 Sivan 5771 / 6 June 2011 (UTC)

Help indentifying a piece of music for string quartet

Here's a sample of everything that's available on it.

This is played on the 1985 film Brewster's Millions and I've been trying to track it down for the last couple of months. It's not listed in the movie's ending credits and there was never a soundtrack nor a score released, and I've got reliable information denying it was composed exclusively for the film.

I've already tried Borodin and Dvorak, and some stuff sounded vaguely similar, but it's not it. Musipedia gives me plenty of junk results that sound nothing like it.

Can anyone identify it, or at least point to the right direction? Perhaps there's a particular musical element in the composition that I could use to track it down? Any help is much appreciated. Thanks! — Kieff | Talk 06:43, 6 June 2011 (UTC)

2011 Men's Collegiate Rugby Sevens Championship Allowed Forward Passes?

I thought that in Rugby, forward passes were not allowed, but I saw forward passes in the game between Darthmouth and Army. Why?Curb Chain (talk) 06:53, 6 June 2011 (UTC)

If you saw a forward pass in a rugby game, there are two possibilities: 1) You didn't, you just thought that you did 2) You saw it, but the officials did not. --Jayron32 05:27, 7 June 2011 (UTC)

Question re tv programme (was Question re tv programme)

where in yorkshire was the tv prog. Last of the Summer Wine filmed?
Asked by User:Jontie, moved to here by --Shirt58 (talk) 11:42, 6 June 2011 (UTC)

Holmfirth. --TammyMoet (talk) 11:49, 6 June 2011 (UTC)

Holmfirth and thereabouts. They used the White Horse in Jackson Bridge/Scholes. I recall a scene with Compo tight-rope walking along the parapet of a bridge, possibly this one in Marsden near the canal tunnel portal. My favourite story is watching a cycle race on telly somewhere between Holmfirth and Holme Moss. I kept expecting Compo, Foggy and Clegg to appear, climb over the wall and start inter-acting with the riders. — [[::User:RHaworth|RHaworth]] (talk · contribs) 15:49, 6 June 2011 (UTC)

Uplifting pop/punk/pop-punk/techno songs?

I am interested in getting familiar with uplifting/happiness inducing pop, punk, pop-punk and techno songs, especially those written in a major key. Does anyone have recommendations as to where I should start? Thanks! 70.19.17.134 (talk) 16:53, 6 June 2011 (UTC)

Happiness is somewhat subjective in music, but you may be interested in happy hardcore, which is generally 'happy', fast, and in major keys. SemanticMantis (talk) 17:20, 6 June 2011 (UTC)

"Things can only get better" by D:Ream. Is that the sort of thing you mean? --TammyMoet (talk) 12:12, 7 June 2011 (UTC)

Yesterdays English Featured Article was on this this M.I.A. Album ARULAR, check it out. I'm doing so now. Article reads: Musically, the album incorporates styles that range from hip hop and electroclash to funk carioca and punk rock. Cheers, --i am the kwisatz haderach (talk) 23:03, 7 June 2011 (UTC)

Film : The Robe

Why is it one cannot obtain the DVD of The Film "THE ROBE" Special Edition here in the UK Playable as Region 2 and not necessarily Blue Ray. Alan Davis — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.112.51.55 (talk) 20:54, 6 June 2011 (UTC)

Probably because Fox, who made it, don't believe it would make enough money to be financially worthwhile releasing another DVD, since there is already the standard DVD for sale both singly and in a box set, as well as a Blu-Ray, the up-and-coming format for wealthy cinephiles. Additionally, many serious British film buffs import films from the USA, meaning they may already have bought the region one version. And the market for critically-panned 1950s religious movies is not huge (Amazon's official review calls it "turgid", and they're trying to sell the thing[4]). If you want a definitive answer, it should be easy enough to contact Fox and ask them. --Colapeninsula (talk) 14:35, 7 June 2011 (UTC)

June 7

Wildstorm Comics Copyrights

Hi H\how can I know which of the subject of the articles in WIkipedia is owned by whom. For ex., for the "The Planetary" article it does not contain who owns those works (whether Warren Ellis or DC) under the article. My question is just who owns "The Planetary?" — Preceding unsigned comment added by 119.93.197.164 (talk) 06:05, 7 June 2011 (UTC)

That would be determined by whatever legal agreements exist between Wildstorm, the comic books' authors, and possibly other parties too. Usually these contracts are confidential, and sometimes they're quite complicated. Occasionally (as, for example, in the case of Zenith) there can be disputes over who owns what and who did or didn't buy what from whom, problems that sometimes have to be solved by arbitration or court action. Your first port of call would be Wildstorm's legal department. -- Finlay McWalter ☻ Talk 23:01, 7 June 2011 (UTC)

Star Wars, Equal use of the Force and the Darkside Character

Besides THE FATHER in the MORTIS episode(s)_Clone Wars, and AnakinSkywalker/DarthVader, is there a list of and/or closest to said description of Force/DarkUsers with 50/50 ratio of use in the force and the darkside in the known Galaxy? I figure THE FATHER fits this category perfectly, and Anakin/Vader fits in sense of his lifespan, first using the force, then the Darkside. Any other characters come to mind? (note: already submitted to Wookieepedia) --i am the kwisatz haderach (talk) 22:50, 7 June 2011 (UTC)