Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2008 December 19

Welcome to the Wikipedia Entertainment Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

December 19

Songs

There was a song that was played at Boston Pizza in Timberlea in Fort McMurray at around after 3:00 P.M. Mountain Time (anyhow, my time), and the singer sounded like Lights (like how she was singing, just not her voice) in Drive My Soul. And the song is electronic. Who is the artist and what is the name of the song?

2 years ago, in a cafe on 104 St. in Edmonton, Canada, a song was played at around 6:00 P.M., (maybe), and it sounded like Fischerspooner's A Kick In The Teeth, with the alternating "octaves" (what is this called? It's not sol do (solfege), because that's only one octave), at the start, just the alternating notes, but throughout the song, it is a female sounding voice and a male sounding voice, not just a male voice (maybe it is, maybe it is not, Fischerspooner's).96.53.149.117 (talk) 00:10, 19 December 2008 (UTC)96.53.149.117 (talk) 00:29, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

Which version of All Along the Watchtower is better - Bob Dylan or Jimi Hendrix?

I like both. I like both a lot. But if I'd have to go with one, I'd go with the Bob Dylan version. Which one is in the eyes of critics considered the best, can anyone tell me?--Nubile Servant (talk) 00:52, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

The instructions at the top of the page say "The reference desk does not answer requests for opinions or predictions about future events. Do not start a debate; please seek an internet forum instead." Perhaps this question is better suited for somewhere else... --Jayron32.talk.contribs 01:22, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

Yep. You are asking for opinions, not the facts that the ref desk is designed to provide. I actually prefer a different version, but I'm not going to buy into this. --—— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk - 01:27, 19 December 2008 (UTC)::

No, I'm asking for the opinions of established music critics such as Lester Bangs, and to see if anyone can provide them here. I'm not asking for the original research of your opinion, say.--Nubile Servant (talk) 01:41, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

Then you've misphrased the question. "Which version of All Along the Watchtower is considered better by the majority of established music critics?" would be how to ask this. Exxolon (talk) 02:07, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

Excuse me but that's exactly what the OP asked in his question. He didn't ask it in the header, granted, but the header is just a summary of the question anyway. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 08:32, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

Dylan performed it first. Hendrix expanded on it. Dylan then absorbed a lot of Hendrix' version into his live performances. So, Dylan appears to feel that Hendrix improved on the original performance. -- kainaw™ 13:53, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

Song in this video,

What is the name of the song and the band in this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbpZvzDVxRc 85.220.43.26 (talk) 07:03, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

It's All Star (song) by Smash Mouth. Nanonic (talk) 08:22, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

Thank you, I love this song. 85.220.43.26 (talk) 09:47, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

Question

Out of MS-DOS, Macintosh, Apple II, Amiga, Commodore 64, and all those other old computer operating systems, what was the most used one for games from companies like Sierra and Infocom?

• Back in those days games weren't limited to one single operating system. I used to have a Commodore 64 and an Atari system and I played different games on each. I guess that whatever system was used most was the one that was sold most because games were usually played on the system you had at hand. - Mgm|^(talk) 08:39, 19 December 2008 (UTC)
  • OTOH, I had an MS-DOS based system, and had numerous Sierra and Infocom games for it... --Jayron32.talk.contribs 13:45, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

I'm not sure how you would quantify "most used one for games" other than based on sales by OS. I have no idea where you would find those numbers. I was an Apple ][ guy back in the day. --—— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk - 14:24, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

Infocom

Why was Infocom so-called? More specifically, what does the name "Infocom" mean? 124.180.116.201 (talk) 07:27, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

What does "Microsoft" mean? What does any random corporate name mean? It sounds vaguely computer-y. That's about it... --Jayron32.talk.contribs 13:34, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

In this PDF linked in the Infocom article, this sentence is found - "A company was thus born: Infocom, 'the name least offensive to everyone.'" There is a footnote indicating that quote comes from an article in The New Zork Times. I've searched through a few of the other links, and links from those links, but can't really find anything definite. I am pretty sure I still have all my copies of the NZT (and The Status Line as it was renamed after a certain large newspaper got cranky); perhaps I'll be able to find them over the holidays and update the article. --LarryMac | Talk 13:52, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

Infocom = Information company.

Microsoft = Microcomputer (an old name for a PC) software. StuRat (talk) 05:15, 20 December 2008 (UTC)

I always tend to think of Micro = small and soft = not erect; which is something NO MAN should want associated with himself... Does that tell us something about Bill Gates? --Jayron32.talk.contribs 01:29, 21 December 2008 (UTC)

I would like to be associated with billions of dollars. Adam Bishop (talk) 03:57, 21 December 2008 (UTC)

Yogi Bear episode

Does anyone recognized this episode which featured Yogi Bear? I only saw a clip of it. Here's how it went. Yogi was searching for his friend Boo Boo in the forrest. On his way, he notices some bears obliviously slurping nectar with some flies on themselves. Yogi approaches some of the bears and started pulling back his index finger in front of them repeatedly. Yogi then hesitates, points his finger at one of them and shouts "Homewrecker!" One of the bears around sneaked behind him and bit his foot. Yogi started running in terror, passing by trees that have faces. 210.4.123.128 (talk) 13:35, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

song by nico featured on french film "narco"

Hi, I was watching the film "Narco - the secret adventures of Gustave" on Australia's SBS, and there was a song, early on, I believe by the chanteuse Nico. Does anyone know what it was, and is there a website where I can see detailed track listings for songs on films (noting that not all songs on a film are necessarily on the official soundtrack)? I did a lot of googling for this, and came up with nothing. Thanks in advance, 202.89.166.179 (talk) 17:37, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

I found this soundtrack, but it doesn't mention Nico at all. The IMDB page for the film doesn't have a soundtrack link, however there is a discussion forum there and somebody has posted a topic called "song search". I can't access the forums there, but maybe that would be a good resource. The "official site" linked from the IMDB page results in a "not found" error. --LarryMac | Talk 18:35, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

Movie Set in Africa

I would like to know the name of a movie that was set in Africa. I probably saw it in 1965 or 1966; I don't know if the movie was new or not. The protagonist is separated from his group (I don't recall if it was a safari or what) and has movie-type African adventures. At one point an elephant is injured, and he rides or follows the elephant to an elephant graveyard. He also meets an attractive blonde woman, with whom he shares the adventures. At the end of the movie, after he has rejoined the group, he meets the woman again, and he has something in his pocket from the adventures (probably proving that it wasn't all just a dream). John M Baker (talk) 19:53, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

Trader Horn (1931 film)? --Onorem♠Dil 19:57, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

I remember a movie where they stumble upon an elephant's graveyard. My brain said Watusi (1959), which included footage from King Solomon's Mines (1950 film), but the articles and IMDb make no mention of the graveyard. -- JackofOz (talk) 21:50, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

It isn't Trader Horn; I'm quite sure that the movie was in color. It doesn't really sound like Watusi, but I can't say for sure that that wasn't it. I remember the female lead as being blonde, but I could be mistaken on that point. There just aren't enough plot details on Wikipedia and IMDb to be sure. John M Baker (talk) 23:25, 19 December 2008 (UTC)

A 1965 movie search finds African Gold and Sands of the Kalahari. This one had a blonde female lead and a wiki article. Julia Rossi (talk) 07:54, 20 December 2008 (UTC)

I don't think it's Sands of the Kalahari, which apparently involved a lost group of Westerners who were threatened by one of their own number. There don't seem to be any details available on African Gold.

My impression of this movie, from my memories as a child, is that it must have had an elaborate set and a fairly large budget, but its apparent obscurity suggests that its budget wasn't so big as all that. John M Baker (talk) 03:28, 21 December 2008 (UTC)

Was it a Tarzan movie[1]? Julia Rossi (talk) 08:50, 21 December 2008 (UTC)

I don't think so. I don't remember Tarzan being in it, and I was well-aware of who Tarzan was. Also, it doesn't sound like any of the Tarzan movies made in the period from 1957 (the first color Tarzan movie, Tarzan and the Lost Safari) to 1968 would have matching plots. John M Baker (talk) 16:22, 21 December 2008 (UTC)

A Google search for film +Africa +"elephant's graveyard" turned up an obscure 1956 release titled Dark Venture. It's difficult finding a good synopsis, though (I can't even determine whether the thing was filmed in B/W or color). I don't suppose that could be it? Deor (talk) 17:16, 21 December 2008 (UTC)

I bet that's it. Wow, what an obscure movie. Thanks, I've wondered about this for years. John M Baker (talk) 05:15, 22 December 2008 (UTC)

D'oh! I had looked at that TCM page but didn't scroll down far enough to see the extensive synopsis. Deor (talk) 13:46, 22 December 2008 (UTC)