Popeye Is Eye-Popping!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! And to my twinster, Jean. The day is almost over, but it took time to get the video for this post ready.

Jeanie Beanie and I watched a lot of TV together while growing up, and Popeye cartoons were among our favorites. For my birthday I got what I wanted, the new Popeye DVD set. It was in expectation of that I made the new banner, with Popeye and Bluto, using a couple of cardboard puppets from the Kenner Super Show I won on eBay.

The Popeye DVD has been getting rave reviews. How good is it? Watch the 3-minute video I made, transitioning back-and-forth between the DVD and a VHS that is typical of what’s been available until now.

[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/SEP07/PopeyeVHSDVD.flv 400 300]

All but two of the cartoons are in black & white, but are just as stunning in their own way. To order a copy of this must-have 4-disc DVD from Amazon.com, click here.

JW Flash Player 3.11

I took the site offline for a little while to update the JW FLV Player from 3.6 to 3.11. At the same time I updated the WordPress plug-in I use for it, FLV Embed, to version 0.3.2.

It’s working, but I have the same complaint I had before, when trying to update to JW FLV 3.7. The parameter $flv_overstretch: fit doesn’t work. It’s my assumption for now that it’s a problem with the plugin not properly telling the player what to do. I’ll pursue that angle again, like I did last time to no avail. For now I’ve gone back to JW FLV 3.6 and everything is once again AOK.

Battlestar Bows Out

My buddy Bismo has been coming over most Friday evenings for a couple of years now, getting us into the DVD releases of recent TV shows we’d never seen. He started with The Tick, a hilarious short-lived live action show that’s an absolute must-see for any comic book fan, past or present. Then we moved on to the somewhat longer-lived sci-fi show Firefly, and its finale movie Serenity, and now we’re watching the ambitious and substantial Battlestar Galactica.

We’re in the second season of Battlestar, and Bismo says the next show will introduce Lucy Lawless’ character. The third season isn’t out on DVD yet, and it’s been announced that the upcoming fourth season will be the last. FiOS Video On Demand has a short feature about the show, with some of the cast. There’s an abrupt splice where I took out a spoiler I don’t want Eric to hear.
[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/SEP07/BattlestarFeature.flv 400 300]

More Help for HELP!

This is the trailer to the Beatles movie HELP! as posted on YouTube™.

Here it is as done by yours truly, taken (of course) from a 20-year-old LaserDisc. Better, yes? This is why I avoid YouTube when I can, although I must say the new, interactive Flash player is slick.

[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/SEP07/HELPtrailer.flv 400 300]

The narrator is Mason Adams. Didn’t have to look him up, I recognize his voice. Remember him on Lou Grant?