Radio Show for October 8, 2021
Special Holidays
World Octopus Day….October 8
World Octopus Day celebrates one of the most distinctive creatures living on the planet today, the octopus. This eight legged mysterious creature carries a load of fascination.
A scientific paper published in the journal “Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology” theories, one theory specifically (was explored by 33 researchers from around the world) that the cephalopods (squid, octopus and cuttlefish) are actually aliens brought to Earth by meteors!!
Octopus fossils date back more than 300 million years meaning that they predate even dinosaurs. Perhaps one of the reasons that they have survived so long under the sea is because they are believed to be highly intelligent, they are able to bypass their instincts, learn lessons and solve problems in a way that not very many other sea life creatures are able to do.
Some have been seen to be creative, by using discarded coconut shells and making them into mobile homes. They are visually stunning, coming in various colors and all sort of shapes. They are sometimes called the “chameleons of the sea”, as they are often able to change colors to blend in with its surroundings as a form of protection against predators.
How to celebrate? Go to a local aquarium to get up close and personal with these sea creatures.
Did you know?
*The Giant Pacific Octopus is the largest and longest living octopus. The largest recorded more than 600 pounds and 30 feet across.
*Some species have been seen lifting as much as 40 times their weight and famous for snapping the spines of sharks.
*The octopus has 3 hearts and it’s blood is blue, and they only live 3 to 5 years.
*This creature is so intelligent that it is recorded that one was able to open a child proof pill bottle in order to access a snack that is inside.
Watch movies where the octopus is the star!
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea
It Came From Beneath The Sea
Sharktopus
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Mysterious Island
Deep Rising
Tentacles
World Egg Day…October 8
EGG- CELLENT!!
In 1996 World Egg Day was established in Vienna. Since then egg fans around the world have thought up new creative ways to honor the versatility of the egg and its multitude of benefits to people at every stage of life.
Fry em’, boil em’ or bake em’ (like the “carrot” in the “Thing From Another World” or how you cook taters in “Lord of the Rings”) They are delicious to most (except for chef Guy Fieri) and nutritious packed with protein and amino acids.
Did you know?
*Harriet, a hen from the United Kingdom laid the world’s largest chicken egg in 2010, measuring 9.1 inches in diameter.
*Eggshell colors area simply indicative of the breed of hen, can be white, brown, blue and even green.
*A hen’s diet determines the color of the yolk. Some producers feed natural marigold petals so their hens lay eggs with brighter yolks.
*Iowa leads the nation with more than 14.8 billion eggs produced annually.
*The world’s record for the most hardboiled eggs eaten at one time was in 2013 by Joey Chestnut at the “World Hard Boiled Egg Eating Championship” in Radcliff, Kentucky. He consumed 141 eggs in 8 minutes!!
Birthdays
Guillermo del Toro ...Oct. 9, 1964
Guillermo del Toro Gomez is a Mexican film director, producer and screenwriter. Del Toro was born in Guadalajara, the son of an automotive entrepreneur.
When he was 8 years old he began experimenting with his father’s super 8 movie camera making short films with his Planet of the Apes toys.
Later he studied special effects and makeup with special effects artist Dick Smith (famous from The Exorcist) Del Toro spent 10 years as a special effects designer and formed his own company, co-founded the Guadalajara International Film Festival and formed his own production and distribution company, the Tequila Gang.
At age 33 he was given a budget from Miramax Films to shoot “Mimic”. He later directed a variety of films from comic book adaptions to historical fantasy and horror films such as The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth.
Del Toro is close friends with two other prominent Mexican filmmakers Alfonso Cuaron (Roma, Gravity, Children of Men and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Birdman, The Revenant, Babel, 21 Grams). They are referred to as the Three Amigos and founded the production company Cha Cha Cha Films.
Did you know?
*Guillermo’s favorite film monsters are Frankenstein’s monster, the Alien, Gill-man (from Creature of the Black Lagoon), Godzilla and the Thing. His favorite movies are “Brazil”, “Nosferatu”, “Freaks” and “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”.
*He owns two houses devoted exclusively to his collection of books, poster artwork and other belongings pertaining to his work.
*In 1997 his father was kidnapped for 72 days in Guadalajara and his family had to pay twice the amount originally asked for as ransom. Immediately after learning of the kidnapping filmmaker James Cameron withdrew over $1 million in cash from his bank account and gave it to Del Toro to help pay the ransom. After it was paid his father was released, the culprits were not found nor money recovered.
Guillermo directed over 40 films.
Short List of films directed by Guillermo del Toro
Chronos…1993, starred Ron Perlman, Federico Luppi
Mimic…1997, starred Mira Sorvino, Josh Brolin, F. Murray Abraham, Giancarlo Giannini
The Devil’s Backbone…2001, starred Federico Luppi, Eduardo Noriega
Hellboy…2004, starred Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, John Hurt, and Doug Jones
Pan’s Labyrinth…2006, Ivana Baquero, Doug Jones, film nominated for six Oscars and won three
The Orphanage…2007, starred Geraldine Chaplin, Roger Princep
Pacific Rim…2013, Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Idris Elba, Ron Perlman, and Burn Gorman (Torchwood)
The Strain…2014…television drama, four seasons (adapted from the book co-written by Del Toro)
Crimson Peak…2015, starred Tom Huddleston, Mia Wasikowska (Burton’s Alice in Wonderland), Jessica Chastain, Charlie Hunnam
The Shape of Water…2017, starred Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Octavia Spencer, and Doug Jones, film nominated for 13 Oscars and won 4 (Best Director and Best Movie)
Just a Note:
Doug Jones is the actor and mime that has played the following Del Toro creatures… Abe Sapien in Hellboy, Pale Man in Pan’s Labyrinth, and Amphibian Man in Shape of Water,
Sigourney Weaver…Oct.8, 1949
Sigourney is an American actress considered a pioneer of action heroines in science fiction films. Susan Alexandra Weaver was born in New York City. Her mother was an actress and father was an American television executive who at one time was president of NBC and created the NBC “Today show”.
Weaver developed an interest in acting starting at 14. She became involved in school theatre productions. At 18 she visited Israel and volunteered on a kibbutz for several months, after returning to the US she continued theatrical studies and pursued a career on stage in NY.
Weaver played small parts in films. Her major feature was Alien in 1979 and went on to appear the three sequels.
Did you know?
*She attended Yale alongside Meryl Streep.
*Weaver has a fear of elevators.
*She made $50 for her small part in “Annie Hall”.
*At one point in the early 70’s she lived in a treehouse with her boyfriend. They wore homemade elf costumes and played flute duets.
*A silverback gorilla attacked her while she was filming “Gorillas in the Mist.”
*She did her own stunts in “Alien”. While filming she was a beginning actress just earning enough to get by and pay rent and lived above a pub with a friend.
*She was bullied for her height growing up.
*Weaver is on Richard Branson’s spaceship passenger list.
Weaver has starred in over 75 films.
Short film list of Signourey Weaver
Alien…1979, director Ridley Scott, starred John Hurt, Ian Holm, Veronica Cartwright, Yaphet Kotto, Harry Dean Stanton, film nominated for two Oscars and won for Best Visual Effects
The Year of Living Dangerously…1982, director Peter Weir, starred Mel Gibson, Linda Hunt, film won AA award for Best Supporting Actress Linda Hunt
Ghostbusters…1984, director Ivan Reitman, starred Bill Murray, Dan Akkroyd, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, film nominated for two Oscars
Gorillas in the Mist…1988, director Michael Apted, starred Julie Harris, Bryan Brown
The Village…2004, director M. Night Shyamalan, starred Joaquin Phoenix, William Hurt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Brendan Gleeson, film nominated for one Oscar
Avatar…2009, director James Cameron, starred Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, film nominated for nine Oscars and won three
Jacques Tate…Oct. 9, 1907-1982
Jacques was a French mime, filmmaker and actor. He is considered as one of the greatest Movie Directors of all time even though he directed only six feature films.
Jacques was born in Le Pecq, France, his mother’s father was a friend of painter Van Gogh and whose client list included Toulouse-Lautrec. He was the owner of a prestigious picture framing company in Paris and brought Jacque’s father into the business. The family led a good life.
Jacques excelled in sports in school but was an indifferent student. After he completed his national military service he was introduced to rugby, joined a professional team and first discovered his comic talents entertaining his teammates with impersonations.
He gave up a Racing club and his apprenticeship into the family business to become a struggling performing artist, developed highly physical mime routines, and participated in amateur shows.
His routines were discovered and in time he wound up playing engagements at theatres in Paris and London. In 1946 he co-founded the production company Cady-Films which would produce Tati’s first three films.
With his trademark raincoat, umbrella and pipe he is the most memorable comic character in cinema. As Tati accepted his Academy Award for “Best Foreign Language Film” for “Mon Oncle” (My Uncle) in 1958 he was offered any treat that the Academy could bestow to him. To their surprise he simply requested the opportunity to visit Stan Laurel, Mack Sennett and Buster Keaton.
Director David Lynch (Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Elephant Man) said regarding Jacques…“Tati was like a kinded soul”, that “he is so creative, it’s unbelievable, he was one of the all time greats”.
Also included with David Lynch is directors Wes Anderson and Steven Spielberg who have said to be greatly influenced by Tati.
List of Jacques Tati films
Mr. Hulot’s Holiday…1953, film nominated for one AA award
My Uncle…1958, film won Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film
Trafic..1971
Playtime..1967
Honorable Mentions
Matt Damon ..Oct. 8, 1970
Matt is an American actor and screenwriter and has starred in over 83 films. He has been nominated for five Oscars and won one for “Good Will Hunting”.
Ma Barker… Oct. 8, 1873-1935
Ma Barker was the mother of several American criminals and ran the “Barker” gang in the Midwest during the’public enemy era’. She has been described as the most vicious, dangerous and resourceful criminal brain of her time.
“Bloody Mama” directed by Roger Corman, starring Shelley Winters, and, a very young Robert De Niro is loosely based on Ma Barker.
John Lennon,,.Oct. 9, 1940-1980
Lennon was the late, great English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as one of the Beatles. He was murdered by a shot in the back in front of his Manhattan apartment building, The Dakota, on Dec.8, 1980.
PJ Harvey…Oct. 9, 1969
English singer, songwriter and musician, primarily a vocalist and guitarist, nominated for 7 Grammy Awards. She has been dubbed the “Joan Crawford on Acid”. Harvey is also an accomplished sculptor.
On This Day
“Route 66” (tv series) premiered, Oct.7, 1960, this show ran 4 seasons 1960-1964 and starred Martin Milner and George Maharis. Nelson Riddle’s theme song for the show remains to be iconic as well as the Corvette convertible. The show was partly created by Stirling Silliphant who was also responsible for tv’s “Naked City”, “Perry Mason” and “Outer Limits” as well as the films “In the Heat of the Night” with Rod Steiger, “The Towering Inferno” and “The Poseidon Adventure”.
In the show friends Tod and Buz search for adventure working odd jobs as they meet with colorful characters and find themselves in one situation after another.
“The French Connection” premiered Oct.7, 1971, director William Friedkin (The Exorcist) and starred Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider. The film was nominated for eight Oscars and won five including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Hackman).
The first infrared photograph Rochester, NY Oct. 7, 1931. The first photograph was taken in absolute darkness taken with a “new sensitized film with the flood of infrared light”. Kodak viewed it as a great success. The company then introduced the film commercially. Motion pictures even began using it which blocks the visible spectrum to simulate night scenes during the day.
Nasa Nelly…”The Pascagoula UFO/Abduction Incident”….what was with those two fishermen anyway?
