PODCAST: Inventors of Mr. Freeze & Beach Party Movies

Direct Download: Final Taxi Podcast
This week the Final Taxi talks about Max Hodge who took an unknown comic villain and turn him into on of Batman’s most remembered rouges, Mr. Freeze.
Also we follow the life of Tony Caras who after working in horror films with Rodger Corman and made film [...]

The Nitwits: Jim Carlson

If you remember the show Laugh-in or have watched it in reruns you may remember a skit where a dirty old man (called Tyrone and played by Arte Johnson) would ask little old lady ( named Gladys played by Ruth Buzzi), “Do you believe in the hereafter?”
“Yes,” replies an innocent Gladys.
Tyrone would then [...]

Crematory Holds 19th Century Feminist’s Remains Hostage.

Is a crematory in Queens holding hostage a pioneer in woman’s rights?
Lisle Lester was a reporter in the 1800’s who had a rocky career in publishing. She was widely known for her strong opinions on many topics and her tussles with the male typographical unions. She worked for the Milwaukee Sentinel and in [...]

Bow-wow- not only cats sense death.

A few blogs back I talked about Oscar, the Rhode Island feline who spookily holds death-bed vigils for residents at Providence’s Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre.
 It appears it’s not just cats who have the gift of sensing when that Final Taxi is drawing near. We now read about Scamp, a Schnauzer from Ohio, [...]

The king is still dead.

ELVIS Presley fans across the world will unite in tribute today to mark the 30th anniversary of the death of The King.
Thousands of fans have made the pilgrimage to Presley’s home, Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee, where the event will be commemorated over several days. Fans are even dying to see Elvis’ grave. An unidentified woman [...]

The Flexi-pop of Factory Records – Tony Wilson

My first encounter with Factory Records was in 1980 when I was given a flexible plastic single by the band Joy Division. It was a little different than the punk rock I was listening to. Mainly at that time of my life I was buy Rough Trade singles no matter what they were.
Factory Records was [...]

My favorite Merv Griffin moment-

As most know by now entertainer turned TV mogul turned real-estate tycoon Merv Griffin took his Fianl Taxi this week at the age 82. Merv Griffin won ten Daytime Emmy Awards and was nominated for another 22! He received a Lifetime Achievement Awards at the 2005 Daytime Emmy Awards. Merv Griffin began his career as [...]

PODCAST: Pink Panther Animator & ‘Charles In Charge’ Grandpa.

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Warren Batchelder, animator of well over 200 Warner Bros. and Pink Panther cartoons. Though uncredited, he was an animator for the main titles of the 1963 feature film The Pink Panther — which led to doing the cartoons. He was an animator [...]

Forget Charles, James T. Callahan Was In Charge!

Many people will remember the 80’s syndicated TV show Charles in Charge. It was one that I didn’t watch that much since I was not a Scott Baio fan at all. The US  sitcom series broadcast on CBS which starred Scott Baio as Charles, a 19-year-old college student working as a live-in babysitter. It left [...]

The Boots Are Walkin’ – Lee Hazlewood

As one of the most iconic figures in 20th century pop and underground music, Lee Hazlewood was a major influence on musicians of all genres. The reclusive songwriter and producer was behind a slew of hits by Duane Eddy, Nancy Sinatra, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin in the 1950s and 1960s. His most successful was [...]