Fun Facts and Trivia Part 6: Ep. 16-18

A bit left over from the Gaming episodes:

A Markov chain is a sequence of events or actions each relying on the event previous to it to dictate what will happen. The Anachronauts have to break that in order to be released from the predetermined game sequence.

Ug-Dugug’s calling card can be read at your leisure here:

And now for Episode 18, with The Scooter Song.

A little bit of background on the idea: we were in Vienna in early December where I found this tiny scooter; perfect size for the Anachronauts! We usually follow a jet-lag programme before travelling to Europe, and it always works great to kick in our clock. Unfortunately, we didn’t follow it as scrupulously as usual and a week of little or no sleep in Vienna ensued. The entire song formed itself in my head while lying awake one entire night, and I sang it into my phone the following morning. It just needed a few tweaks when I got home. I’m a classic film nut, so of course, I had to add all those references to films with scooters, motorcycles or whatnot.

[Big aside here: we were in Vienna for Krampusnacht. I didn’t realize this at first, but I guess the Krampus-shaped cookies, Krampus chocolate bars and masks for kids to go around scaring the bejeezus out of each other should have tipped me off.]

BIG SPOILER ALERT! DON’T READ FURTHER IF YOU WANT TO GUESS THE CLASSIC FILMS ON YOUR OWN! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

1. “The Wild One” (1953). Marlon Brando as the original bad boy, of course named Johnny. When someone asks him what he’s rebelling against, he says, “Whatcha got?”. Also Lee Marvin as a maniac biker.

2. “Easy Rider” (1969). THE 60s road flick; THE 60s motorcycle flick; THE 60s counterculture flick. Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson...that should tell you something right there.

3. “Roman Holiday” (1953). I love this movie to bits and could watch it a billion times (probably have). It's a sweet, funny and endearing "runaway princess" flick, but so much more. (It's a bit hard to believe it's from the same year as "The Wild One".) Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn on location in Rome; Eddie Albert (Oliver on “Green Acres”) as a beatnick photographer. This film was credited with putting Vespa on the map and sales skyrocketed.

4. “La Dolce Vita” (The Sweet Life) (1960). One of Federico Fellini’s best (but they kind of all are his best, if that makes sense). Comedy/tragedy/disillusionment/magic...it’s all there. Marcello Mastroianni as a world-weary "journalist" (for gossip mags) and Anita Ekberg as SYLVIA. Music by the immortal Nino Rota. Here’s a really cool bit of trivia: there’s a photographer character in this film called Paparazzo (Fellini chose that name because it alludes to an annoying or buzzing sound) and THAT’S where our word paparazzi comes from!!!!! Probably one of the best opening scenes in any movie ever.

5. “Quadrophenia” (1979). Mods vs. Rockers. Sting. Brighton. And of course, “F... off Postman; ya’ve killed me scooter” after it’s totalled by a mail truck. Bad boys galore...and did I mention Sting?

6. This is a bonus as it’s just a bit of a tip-of-the-hat. The flying scooter at the end refers to Professor Fate’s bicycle-dirigible in “The Great Race” (1965).

If you only got a couple of these, you need to get out there and watch some classic films!!!