EPISODE 120 - Masters of the Universe

[FisterRoboto 7499]

Ignoring the fact that they're speaking English to begin with, at one point Skeletor says he is the Alpha and the Omega. So apparently some version of the Greek language exists in Eternia as well.

Well, Eternia is probably Jason's home planet anyway.

[JesseBaritz 4]

That documentary about Gholam & Globus that Paul was talking about is called The Go-Go Boys: The Inside Story of Cannon Films, not Electric Boogaloo. It had a great screening at the Cannes film festival this year, and it will be released for VOD soon through Multcom.TV

[klemjohansen 748]

I just want to take a quick moment to express my love and confusion of Beastman. As a huge fan of the cartoon growing up I know Beastman can talk. He may not be the brightest bulb in the drawer but he talks and he can talk to beasts. In fact the whole selling point of Beastman is this. He can control the Beasts of Eternia, so when He-Man is out in the jungles he can make giant snakes and lizards attack him. He is brutishly strong but that is secondary to his command of beasts. This begs the question, why bring him to Earth? Did they simply need the muscle? Did they figure there were beasts for him to control there? Also Beastman carries a sword the entire movie. Now, as any purist will tell you he used a whip not a sword. You use a whip to tame and command beasts, a sword cannot do that. Not that any of that matters because he doesn't hold or use the sword once in the movie. He either fires a rifle very awkwardly or just beats on people.

 

In summation, I just wanted to talk about Beastman so I could post this gif I made of him running very daintily.

 

 

He's a beastman but self identifies as a dainty space princess. His friends and family have been very supportive. It's actually a very heartwarming story.

[FisterRoboto 7499]

That documentary about Gholam & Globus that Paul was talking about is called The Go-Go Boys: The Inside Story of Cannon Films, not Electric Boogaloo. It had a great screening at the Cannes film festival this year, and it will be released for VOD soon through Multcom.TV

That's a different documentary about the same subject(s). The one they were referencing was called Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films:

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2125501/

 

Go-Go Boys is a different doc, but it's still about Cannon Films.

 

Also, to answer Jason's question, Cannon did distribute Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo, but only after TriStar's initial distribution. There was a bunch of Cannon drama going on around the time.

[Count Magnus 27]

Upon relistening, I noticed that Jason and Paul made a glancing comparison of He-Man to Conan. They joked about the similarity between the two. That triggered a memory that the original He-Man action figures were prototypes for an abortive Conan toy line. In fact, I thought that origin story was common knowledge. I'm glad I checked before committing to that idea.

 

What actually happened is that Mattel, reeling from the decision not to produce a line of toys for Star Wars (they balked at the then seemingly excessive licensing fee of $750K) created their own IP with the hopes of grabbing some of the market. The initial toys were designed in late 1980 and went into production in 1981 for delivery in 1982.

 

At pretty much exactly the same time, Mattel entered into negotiations with the company that owned the rights to the Conan character, Conan Properties International (CPI). CPI shared production materials with Mattel in 1980, and in 1981, an agreement was signed allowing Mattel to create a toy line for the upcoming Conan film.

 

In January 1982, Mattel requested the contract be terminated. In 1983, the He-Man toys hit the market.

 

Obviously, CPI cried foul. They went to court contending that Mattel had stolen the ideas and visuals of the Conan project, developed the toys, then severed the licensing agreement in order to market the toys as their own IP.

 

Incredibly, Mattel won the lawsuit, seemingly by claiming that the He-Man IP drew inspiration from multiple sources, had been developed independently if concurrently with the Conan line, and was distinct enough to be easily differentiated from Conan.

 

And thus we have a team of very good lawyers in what I have to imagine were terrible Reagan's-first-term suits and haircuts to thank for this awesome episode of HDTGM.

 

[ninjamincho 13]

GODDAMNIT I hate dippy, dippy shit sites!

[FisterRoboto 7499]

Upon relistening, I noticed that Jason and Paul made a glancing comparison of He-Man to Conan. They joked about the similarity between the two. That triggered a memory that the original He-Man action figures were prototypes for an abortive Conan toy line. In fact, I thought that origin story was common knowledge. I'm glad I checked before committing to that idea.

 

What actually happened is that Mattel, reeling from the decision not to produce a line of toys for Star Wars (they balked at the then seemingly excessive licensing fee of $750K) created their own IP with the hopes of grabbing some of the market. The initial toys were designed in late 1980 and went into production in 1981 for delivery in 1982.

 

At pretty much exactly the same time, Mattel entered into negotiations with the company that owned the rights to the Conan character, Conan Properties International (CPI). CPI shared production materials with Mattel in 1980, and in 1981, an agreement was signed allowing Mattel to create a toy line for the upcoming Conan film.

 

In January 1982, Mattel requested the contract be terminated. In 1983, the He-Man toys hit the market.

 

Obviously, CPI cried foul. They went to court contending that Mattel had stolen the ideas and visuals of the Conan project, developed the toys, then severed the licensing agreement in order to market the toys as their own IP.

 

Incredibly, Mattel won the lawsuit, seemingly by claiming that the He-Man IP drew inspiration from multiple sources, had been developed independently if concurrently with the Conan line, and was distinct enough to be easily differentiated from Conan.

 

And thus we have a team of very good lawyers in what I have to imagine were terrible Reagan's-first-term suits and haircuts to thank for this awesome episode of HDTGM.

And Mattel really helped their case by borrowing heavily from Frank Franzetta's Conan paintings and by hiring Earl Norem to write many of the backstories (Norem had already spent almost a decade drawing covers for Marvel's Savage Sword of Conan).

[Cameron H. 23786]

GODDAMNIT I hate dippy, dippy shit sites!

 

Well...you can't argue with that.

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

What this probably felt like to fans that wanted an actual He-Man movie...

 

 

[EllenM 943]

I, like Tatiana, suffer from the terrible affliction known as Canadian Netflix. But on the other hand, I get my Thanksgiving this weekend

 

 

This movie looked insane though, loved the ep!

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

I, like Tatiana, suffer from the terrible affliction known as Canadian Netflix. But on the other hand, I get my Thanksgiving this weekend

 

 

This movie looked insane though, loved the ep!

I imagine that Canadian Netflix is just a strange mix of Degrassi, John Candy films, and the complete works of David Cronenberg. Also, each member of Alpha Flight will be getting their own TV series.

[culture_dump 21]

Omission: might have been mentioned but;

 

Why the hell was Courtney Cox moving to new jersey?

 

she mentions this in the beginning in a one liner and it's never mentioned again. Does she have family there? New Jersey isn't where people move to get away from their troubled past. just saying.

[EllenM 943]

I imagine that Canadian Netflix is just a strange mix of Degrassi, John Candy films, and the complete works of David Cronenberg. Also, each member of Alpha Flight will be getting their own TV series.

Funny enough, there's only 2 John Candy movies and 1 Cronenberg currently. No Degrassi either, Junior High nor Next Gen. They just added Mortal Kombat yesterday though.

[Cockney Mackem 514]

Funny enough, there's only 2 John Candy movies and 1 Cronenberg currently. No Degrassi either, Junior High nor Next Gen. They just added Mortal Kombat yesterday though.

 

Wasn't The Red Hand Gang a Canadian show as well?

[EllenM 943]

Wasn't The Red Hand Gang a Canadian show as well?

Never heard of it. Just googled it and it is American, shot in LA.

[Cockney Mackem 514]

Never heard of it. Just googled it and it is American, shot in LA.

 

So it is. My fading memory is of it in a double bill with Degrassi Junior High on UK television way back when

[Cameron H. 23786]

Also, each member of Alpha Flight will be getting their own TV series.

 

Aww man, why'd you have to go and say that? I would move back to Canada right now if this were true...

 

[Cockney Mackem 514]

Would it be right to think that the minisode is going to be released tonight, and we can see what his Excellency Sir Paul has to say about our comments, and what the next episode and film will be?

 

*clutches hands to chest excitedly*

[Smigg 1488]

Don't forget "Due South", I'm positive that that would be on Canadian Netflix

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zgZulxezEw

[Count Magnus 27]

I'd move to Canada today if it meant the complete runs of SCTV and Kids in the Hall on demand.

[Cameron H. 23786]

I'd move to Canada today if it meant the complete runs of SCTV and Kids in the Hall on demand.

 

Maybe we should all just move to Canada...We could all get a place in Cabbagetown, and could spend all day being polite to one another, drinking Labatt Blue, eating Tim Horton's donuts, and watching crappy movies on Canadian Netflix. What do you say guys? You in?

 

Just a reminder, in about a year, Donald Trump is going to be the United States' president, so now would be a good time to for us all to start considering emigration...

 

[Count Magnus 27]

 

Maybe we should all just move to Canada...We could all get a place in Cabbagetown, and could spend all day being polite to one another, drinking Labatt Blue, eating Tim Horton's donuts, and watching crappy movies on Canadian Netflix. What do you say guys? You in?

 

Just a reminder, in about a year, Donald Trump is going to be the United States president, so now would be a good time to for us all to start considering emigration...

 

 

Can I live in Montreal? I had the best sandwich I've ever eaten there in 1998, and I've been chasing that high ever since.

[klemjohansen 748]

I, like Tatiana, suffer from the terrible affliction known as Canadian Netflix. But on the other hand, I get my Thanksgiving this weekend

 

 

This movie looked insane though, loved the ep!

 

There should be a sign on a highway in Toronto that says "if you lived here, you'd be Thanksgivinging by now."

[jarrycanada 2483]

 

Maybe we should all just move to Canada...We could all get a place in Cabbagetown, and could spend all day being polite to one another, drinking Labatt Blue, eating Tim Horton's donuts, and watching crappy movies on Canadian Netflix. What do you say guys? You in?

 

Just a reminder, in about a year, Donald Trump is going to be the United States' president, so now would be a good time to for us all to start considering emigration...

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ysFJJAfwoM

Ohh dear what have you guys done.

[Cockney Mackem 514]

I'd be keen to move to Canada but I'd like to preserve some of my lifestyle here in England so I don't get too homesick. Is there a Canadian city with a substandard transport system and sporting teams that keep letting you down?