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Aug 7Liked by Andrew Smith

Fun fact: Indiana Jones carries a whip because he misunderstood his university's request for him to "Whip up a quick introductory lecture on archaeology." (Citation needed.)

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*no citation needed

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Aug 7Liked by Andrew Smith

Not a big fan of "Spaceballs." I'm a "Blazing Saddles" guy. 😂

On the Libyan glass...do you know about Angel Tears and Apache Tears? They're volcanic glass formed from silicate ejecta from volcanoes; the molten droplets of glass cooled as they fell. Apache Tears are obsidian (black), while Angel Tears are clear glass. Angel Tears were locally common, scattered everywhere on the ground in parts of northern California. Apache tears I've never found myself. I wonder if it's the same with the Libyan glass; close to the impact site they're actually quite common?

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That is really neat! They definitely do share similar characteristics of having been formed via intense heat, but the meteoric impact was a lot greater, heat-wise, and it contained different elements than those typically found in the mantle. Really neat stuff! They're like glass cousins.

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I’m definitely a Blazing Saddles guy too, but I’ve also never really watched Spaceballs in its entirety— just scenes. I should probably give it a chance but I’ve always associated it with his 80s/90s lull into more corny humor. I know enough people who love it though to try one more time and see if it belongs alongside BS, History of the World, Young Frankenstein, and High Anxiety. Still, there’s something special about BS.

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History of the World is my fave, largely (probably) because I got to watch it on frickin' laser disc. Spaceballs definitely has a lot of corny jokes in it. They throw three or four out there and you sort of groan and then laugh, I think... but BS is brilliant. Spaceballs is mainly just very fun, at least for me.

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Aug 7·edited Aug 7Liked by Andrew Smith

Mel Brooks has been one of the major creative influences of my life. A couple of my novels have ended with brawls not unlike the one which concludes "Blazing Saddles". And the formatting of my recurring series characters owes a lot to "Get Smart", the 60s spy parody he co-created with Buck Henry.

Besides film, he's had success on television, on Broadway and on records (an EGOT winner!), which is amazing considering how hard it is to achieve success in only one of those areas. But he's had this drive and urge to succeed from when he was a kid in Brooklyn, and it inspires me not to give up on my aims and desires.

(Recommended reading: Patrick McGilligan's biography, "Mel Brooks- Funny Man".)

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Thanks for the recommendation! I used to love Get Smart as a kid.

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Going plaid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO15qTiUhLI

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Let's never forget how great Rick Moranis is.

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Brilliantly funny yet very accurate and smart essay. I didn't know Brooks served in WWII, I must say it will now affect the way I view him, poor guy.

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He really is a national treasure. Incredible human being.

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My favorite Spaceballs scene? All of it. 😛

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The nostalgia is strong with this one. I go straight back to middle school.

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"MAJOR ASSHOLE SIR!"

Also in China they actually are selling canned air. 1 billion people trying to put me out of a job.

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Yeah, but has anyone trademarked "Perri-Air" yet?

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haha Don't give Perrier ideas

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This opening explaining Dinkles’ name is so genius! I knew this was something cool buried in the back of my mind. That movie, classic.

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Yay! I'm so glad you got to see this one!

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deletedAug 8
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He ate himself to death!

(spoiler)

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deletedAug 8
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For a slightly lower grade of this type of nostalgia, I really like the movie Willow.

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deletedAug 8
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Beetlejuice hits me right in the face every time I watch it.

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deletedAug 8
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