MIDSOMER MURDERS SEASON 01 - EPISODE 01 - "The Killings At Badger's Drift" (1998)

 Tonight's Weird Wednesday presentation is the the first episode of the long running UK TV series called "Midsomer Murders."

"Midsomer Murders" has been onTV for 22 seasons since 1998, and is still being produced today, but because it's British, many people including myself, have never ever heard of it, unless they have somebody like Lord Litter in Berlin to keep them informed.

The show's are almost two hours long, and not exactly what you call action packed, but are long complicated stories, that are intelligent and well written, and by no means boring.

"Midsomer Murders" is based on the "Chief Inspector Barnaby" series of books written by Caroline Graham, and the first one was titled "The Killings At Badger's Drift."

The show starts in the sleepy village of Badger's Drift, when an 80 year old woman is mysteriously murdered!

These are the two main guys, John Nettles as DCI Tom Barnaby, and Daniel Casey as Sergeant Gavin Troy. John Nettles was in 81 episodes, and his last appearance on the show was in 2011, while Daniel Casey was in 30 episodes up until 2008.

It's really a great show, but there is quite a bit of action like this.

Food also seems to be of major interest.

Barnaby's wife is always cooking him something exciting like stewed neck of lamb with mushroom dumplings!

 

In another meal, the reason the chicken is so small is that it's not a chicken.

He gets some real man food at the cafeteria, but gets called out before he has a chance to eat it!

 

They have a police manhunt in search of an orchid!

This show is a real family affair, and Badger's Drift seems to have more than it's share of odd characters like Mother Iris Rainbird and her son Dennis Rainbird.

Dennis Rainbird is a Mortician, and he and his Mother have a very close, and very especially creepy relationship!

Elizabeth (Simon and the Witch) Spriggs is the Mother, and Richard (Stan and Ollie) Cant is the son.

Besides their questionable relationship, these two were also conniving cheaters and liars, so you don't really care when they become victims themselves!

Other strange characters and ambiguous relationships are between this young gal, and this olde fart who are about to get married. This is Emily (The Pink Panther) Mortimer as Katherine Lacey, and Julian (The Empire Strikes Back) Glover as Henry Trace, the guy who raised her and her brother Michael. Julian also has 189 other credits and is still at work.

Selena (Mrs. Tishell on Doc Martin) Cadell is Phyllis Cadell, a lady who thinks she killed someone, but didn't. (Even though she tried to)

Diana (Chromophobia) Hardcastle is the Doctor's slutty wife. Actually I should give her a break since almost everybody is having an affair with somebody. She's just best at not even trying to hide it.

 

 

Barnaby has a weird dream where he's at the wedding and instead of a Bible, the Priest is reading from a book titled "Tis Pity She's A Whore," which is a play his daughter is acting in.

Katherine and Michael have a very unhealthy relationship for themselves and everybody around them. If I was ever going to describe a couple as toxic, these would be the two. Not only are they incestuous, they are also murderers and thieves. Michael Lacey was played by Jonathan (Wuthering Heights) Firth.

There was only one way for this story to end!

 

The painting that Michael was working on, and that he didn't want anyone to see, is revealed at the end!

AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE / "Mayhem Of The Mooninites" - 2001

The Death Clock on the wall says it's time for an episode of  ATHF, this one has my favorite  little characters from the Moon, Mooninites Ignignokt and Err.

So, the Moon guys have landed their spaceship in New Jersey, there's a house for sale and they knock on the door...

When the door is opened, do they ask about the house being for sale?! No!! They start spouting off about how much better Mooninites are than Earth people! Ignignokt is the big one and Err is the little bitch! I love these guys.

It's Carl's house, this is the look on his face the whole time he listens to their snarky bragging session. Then, he closes the door on them.

But next door, there's a room for rent.

Shake is anxious to get his hands on some money, that's why he rents out Meatwad's room, to be shared with Ignignokt and Err of course.

Within an hour, the Mooninites have gotten Meatwad to get drunk, start smoking, and ready to go to the mall to do some shopping.

Frylock wants to know where Shake got the cool guitar and the ten amps on the roof. The guitar and amps were barter for the room. Thing is, they were stolen from Dr. Weird at the very beginning, but never mind..  They're stolen.

Ignignokt, Err and Meatwad all end up at the Powerpuff Mall.

The Mooninites tell Meatwad to grab a rack of DVDs, which is too heavy for him and he sets off the alarm on his way out the door. The little shits steal some TVs and get away in the confusion, while Meatwad ends up in jail.

Then Carl discovers that someone has scratched "The Moon Rulz" on his baby.

In the meantime, Frylock has to go get Meatwad out of jail, On the way home, Meatwad tells Frylock all about his tattoo the little Moon guys talked him into getting, it's a sign of independence!

Shake and his new pals relax in Carl's pool and Carl wants to know who scratched "The Moon Rulz" on his car. So, Ignignokt hits him with a laser square and he disappears!

Frylock is somewhat level headed and finally has had enough of the Moon guys, not to mention freaking Shake, one of the most despicable characters of all time.

After Frylock blows up the television set and ruins the the monster movie they were watching, Ignignokt and Err want to take it outside.

It's time for the Mooninites to assemble into a quad laser!!.. 

Frylock has actual laser eyes and sends the little shits back home!

Ignignokt sends a message to Earth, much how I feel about the whole thing too.

And wouldn't you know, Carl's there to greet his little friends...

SCARY MOVIES WITH SINGLE WORD TITLES (1945 - 1985)

 

Here's a macabre Saturday Night Special concept for you, a list of scary movies with one word titles, and no "The's" invited.

To choose a one word title for a horror film, you need a strong word, a single word that invokes terror, dread, confusion, or somehow gives you the creeps just thinking about it like "IMPULSE" is a good place to start. The added daggers in this title card are just frosting on the cake combined with one of the creepiest characters William Shatner ever played!

And speaking of "MACABRE," the Merriam Webster dictionary defines it as "Dwelling on the Gruesome," and I'm pretty sure that's what Schlockmeister William Castle had in mind when he made this 1958 monsterpiece of horror!

 

"ROPE," it's a simple word really, but when it's the title of an Alfred Hitchcock film, then it takes on multiple new meanings. Hitchcock must have liked one word titles, because quite a few of his films fell into this category, starting with his most famous, "PSYCHO," and  including such titles as "NOTORIOUS," "SPELLBOUND," "SABOTAGE," "SUSPICION," "BLACKMAIL," and...

 

......."VERTIGO!" I get dizzy just thinking about it!

Then it just starts getting weirder and more psychologically difficult like

"TORMENTED" from 1960.

     

This 1977 Mario Bava movie has been released as more than one title like "Beyond the Door II," or "The Demon Is Nuts," but this is the simplest and  most shocking one,

"SHOCK."

 

 

Then there are titles that just scream fun like Freddie France's "HYSTERIA" from 1965.

Here's another one-word masterpiece from Alfred Hitchcock in 1972, that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy, "FRENZY!" 

 

 "SEIZURE" from 1974 is another comforting title because after all, 

"It's a children's story!"

 

After the seizure, the "DEMENTIA" sets it!

This 1955 classic was also known as "Daughter Of Horror."

Then you end up in this happy place from 1946.

"BEDLAM"

 

Let's see, then there's "SUCCUBUS," another fun family film from Jess Franco in 1968, that is literally defined as

 "a female demon believed to have sexual intercourse with sleeping men!"

 

 

So let's take a little "DETOUR," and "Get back on track, Jack," because in 1945, what was better than going to movie that you had no idea where it was headed?

 

Next is the "Are These Really Even Words?" Department, where they just made something up, and you had to go to the movies to find out what it even was, like "GOG" from 1954.

Believe it or not, "KRONOS" is still not a word some 67 years later!

Nor is the title of the 1962 film "ZOTZ!"

 

 

Some one word titles are very descriptive, like with 1982's "PIECES,"

 what else do you need to know?

 

Or how about "RATTLERS" from 1976? That title pretty much says it all!

 

 Now this 1966 title has charisma and plenty of mystery to it, because anything could happen in matter of  "SECONDS!"

 

For one word, it just doesn't get much more ominous than "QUICKSAND,"

and Mickey Rooney just sinks deeper and deeper into it in this 1950 film.

From 1968 we have "CORRUPTION," which is defined as "Dishonest or Fraudulent Conduct by Those in Power," so you immediately know this film's going to be a barrel of laughs!

I'll leave you with Argento's "CREEPERS" from 1985, because why not?

You're sure not going to expect sunshine and lollipops with a title like that!

Interestingly enough, this film was originally released as another single word title,

"PHENOMENA."