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Akron man interrupts armed burglar
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Blogs:
The330:
Akron Zoo’s $500,000 Conservation Carousel opens to public Saturday
Akron Docs in Haiti:
Orphans in Fondwa
First Bell - On Education:
Busing, sports fees and class size on table if Copley-Fairlawn schools levy fails
Pets:
Paws & Pitches at Canal Park
The Heldenfiles:
"So You Think You Can Dance" Notes
Akron Zips:
Poll: What season are you anticipating most?
Tribe Matters:
Thursday’s Indians lineup
Cleveland Browns:
Links to Browns coverage: July 30, 2010
Kent State Sports:
Key MAC Games Of 2010 Season
Cleveland Cavaliers:
LeBron still has at least one fan in Cleveland
Buckeye Blogging:
10 Hurdles Standing Between Ohio State and Another National Championship
Varsity Letters:
Important Dates for Upcoming High School Football Season
All Da King's Men:
Arizona Immigration Law Blocked, Drug Cartels Rejoice
Blog of Mass Destruction:
"Muslims Hate Jews, Christians &…Dogs"
Akron Law Café:
Is BP Cornering the Market on Oil Spill Research?
Car Chase:
Sunday – or Anyday Drives
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Brangelina to Buy in Santorini?
Sound Check:
Ohio alt-rock stars weigh in on Lebron….John Mayer too..
HRLite House:
From the White House – New Federal Approach to Hiring
By Rich Heldenfels
Beacon Journal popular culture writer
Published on Thursday, Dec 17, 2009
If it's Thursday, this must be the mailbag . . .
Q: Several summer seasons of replacement series ago, we watched ''Maximum Bob.'' It starred one of the Bridges brothers. Absolutely hilarious! What ever happened to that show and why wasn't it ever picked up as a regular series on prime time TV?
A: Based on the novel by Elmore Leonard, the series originally aired on ABC in August and September 1998. Beau Bridges starred as ''Maximum Bob'' Gibbs, a tough judge; the cast also included Liz Vassey and Kiersten Warren. The production team included producer-director Barry Sonnenfeld, who had done well by Leonard with the big-screen adaptation of Get Shorty. If the ratings had been good enough, ABC would have ordered more than the seven original episodes. Unfortunately, the show did not measure up, and was soon gone. But it still pops up on lists of shows canceled too soon.
Q: Who is the voice behind the Dodge Ram truck commercial that is playing now? It sounds so familiar it is driving me crazy, but I can't come up with the answer.
A: I listened to the ''My name is Ram and my tank is full'' commercial and was pretty convinced the compelling voice belonged to actor Will Patton (Remember the Titans, The Agency). But a Dodge representative told me it is Stan Richards, an ad agency executive who founded the company, making the ads.
Q: Almost two years ago my sister and I saw a movie preview that showed a group of senior citizens in a nursing home who were putting a band together. The lead singer, a woman, tottered up to the microphone and let out a James Brown-style ''Wooo!'' We both said we wanted to see the movie but we forgot to watch for it. I am wondering if you can figure out what the movie was. The video stores I checked with don't have a clue.
A: You are looking for the documentary Young@Heart, about a touring chorus of older people from a Massachusetts housing project who perform rock songs. The film is available on DVD, and there are a couple of CDs of their music. You can find more about the group at http://www.youngatheartchorus.com.
Q: In the early to mid-1970s there was a Disney movie called ''The Child of Glass.'' I believe it was based on a book titled ''The Ghost Belonged to Me.'' I can't remember any specific stars in it except that I seemed to recall the actress who played Hal Linden's wife in the Barney Miller series played the role of the mother in the movie. When I was a child this movie both terrified and delighted me. Would you know if there are any plans to put it on DVD?
A: I do not know of an authorized DVD release of the movie, which starred Barbara Barrie (whom you remembered from Barney Miller), Anthony Zerbe and Nina Foch, and was based on a novel by Richard Peck. It was issued on VHS more than 20 years ago, and someone has posted the VHS release in multiple parts on YouTube.
Q: Is ''Without a Trace'' coming back on?
A: Only in reruns. CBS did not renew the series.
Q: I saw a movie on TV some time ago, not sure if it was made for TV or just an old movie. I have been looking for a copy for a while. The movie was ''The Imposter,'' about an artist that copied artwork. The most recognized person in the movie was Rod Steiger, who played the artist's dad. Can you tell me if it is possible to get a copy of the movie?
A: First of all, the movie you are looking for is 1997's Incognito, with Jason Patric as an art forger and Steiger as his father. It has been released on VHS and DVD; if your local retailer cannot obtain it, you may want to try an online seller like Amazon.com or Deepdiscount.com, both of which were selling it — and for less than $10 — when I checked recently.
•
Do you have a question or comment about movies, TV and other popular culture? Write to rheldenfels@thebeaconjournal.com or the Akron Beacon Journal, 44 E. Exchange St., Akron, OH 44309. Please mark the note for Mailbag and do not phone in questions.
Letters may be edited. Individual replies cannot be guaranteed.
Rich Heldenfels writes about popular culture for the Beacon Journal, in the HeldenFiles Online blog at http://heldenfels.ohio.com, on Facebook and on Twitter.
If it's Thursday, this must be the mailbag . . .
Get the full article here.
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