"mr.sumo snr." <mr_sumo@hotmail.com> > >
>
>
> I got the distinct impression that the presence of Akebono's wife and kids
> was more or less part of 'the deal'.  We'll pay you X-million so long as
> it's not just you getting a beating but the viewing public also get to see
> the missus shed a few tears - I was somewhat reminded of the end of
'Rocky'.
>

And of course what should pop up at about 3.00 A.M. last night on Star
Channel but 'Rocky' - so it was an all-nighter with Series 3 Friends
marathon on FOX - only FOX broadcasts Friends in stereo - you have to pop
into the sub-menus to enable the English audio - and that resets every time
you switch channels.  It never ceases to amaze me as to just how good
'Rocky'  - the original - was and just how damn shite the sequels were.  But
I nevertheless feel duty-bound to try and catch the sequels - which I'm sure
will appear over the next few days - since it would now appear de rigour to
watch programs with a fighting theme at this time of the year.  In much the
same way that millions of UKlanders have come to associate James Bond with
Boxing Day afternoon viewing - even if it means sitting through Moonraker or
A View To A Kill (I'd rather eat turkey sandwiches every day for the next
three weeks - well actually I would!).

And I'm NOT talking about Christmas specials - but what movies can one
always expect to see on terrestrial television at this time of the year in
Sepponia, Canadia, and Austria?

In UKland it would be:

A James Bond serving
the Sound of bloody Music
The Great Escape - what else?
Something British which won the Oscar - Lawrence of Arabia, Bridge on the
River thingy, Ghandi, Chariots of Fire
either Notting Hill or Four Weddings
Wallace and Gromit (they also show this in Japan)

I even remember back in the 70's and 80's when this was a really big thing.
They showed the Bond flicks in the order of cinematic release but at the
rate of one every Christmas - so by 1981 I was probably up to The Man With
The Golden Gun (Bond 9 if you were wondering) - and it was a seriously big
event!  It sounds so damn sad to say it now, but if I hunt around in the
closet under the stairs here I'll probably find the VHS of 'Star Wars' (Ep.
IV) that I remembering taping Christmas 1983 and thereafter watching
religiously until I'd memorized almost every line.  It even has one TV
commercial taped - anyone remember THE Sony Trinitron ad?


-- 
jonathan
--
"Never give a gun to ducks"