From: owner-monkey@valinor.eldar.org (Monkey Digest) To: monkey-digest@valinor.eldar.org Subject: Monkey Digest V1 #720 Reply-To: monkey@valinor.eldar.org Sender: owner-monkey@valinor.eldar.org Errors-To: owner-monkey@valinor.eldar.org Precedence: bulk Monkey Digest Monday, April 3 2000 Volume 01 : Number 720 In this issue: Re: [monkey] Monkey PR update Re: [monkey] Monkey PR update Re: [monkey] Monkey listing; HMV UK web site Re: [monkey] The Guardian Guide Re: [monkey] The Guardian but not the Guide Re: [monkey] The Guardian Guide [monkey] Monkey at HMV Re: [monkey] The Guardian Guide [monkey] The Guardian article! Re: [monkey] The Guardian article! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 02 Apr 2000 10:24:36 GMT From: "Howell Parry" Subject: Re: [monkey] Monkey PR update >There was a feature about Monkey in the Guardian yesterday >just before the television listings, big whole page feature!! > >Morgan Thanks for this information, Morgan - I'm gutted that I missed it :( Would you be able to type up this article and send it to the list? Alternatively, you could send the article (or a photocopy of it) to me, and I'll type it up... let me know what you think. Thanks, Howell ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - --------------------------------------------------------------- + To unsubscribe, send an email to: majordomo@valinor.eldar.org with 'unsubscribe monkey' in the body of your message + Need help? Send an email to: owner-monkey@valinor.eldar.org - --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 2 Apr 2000 06:40:54 EDT From: IntergalactikGal@aol.com Subject: Re: [monkey] Monkey PR update > Thanks for this information, Morgan - I'm gutted that I missed it :( I will go through the recycling bins - What kind of Monkey fan am I throwing it away? It wasn't my fault. I have a family of eco-warriors. > Would you be able to type up this article and send it to the list? No problem. I'll go and hunt it out straight away. Expect it to follow soonish. Morgan - --------------------------------------------------------------- + To unsubscribe, send an email to: majordomo@valinor.eldar.org with 'unsubscribe monkey' in the body of your message + Need help? Send an email to: owner-monkey@valinor.eldar.org - --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 02 Apr 2000 10:31:36 GMT From: "Howell Parry" Subject: Re: [monkey] Monkey listing; HMV UK web site >>If you go to the HMV web site, click on New Releases, at the very top, >>there's a huge plug for the Monkey video release. > >howell, i went to the australian HMV website, and they didnt have any info >on the monkey vidoes there. Do u know if they are >ever going to sell them here? >thanks I forgot to mention that it was the UK HMV web site I went to and found the Monkey information: http://www.hmv.co.uk/ With Fabulous Films' licence agreement with NTV, they're not allowed to sell the Monkey videos outside the UK, so for the foreseeable future, they won't be available from Australia, or HMV Australia. However, you can order them really easily from BlackStar, based in the UK, using their web site - not only will you save money if you pre-order before Monday 3 April 2000, but you'll also get them shipped to you in Australia for FREE - it's a great deal, don't miss it... For full details on this, check out this page on my site: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/8153/videos_wheretobuy.html Howell ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - --------------------------------------------------------------- + To unsubscribe, send an email to: majordomo@valinor.eldar.org with 'unsubscribe monkey' in the body of your message + Need help? Send an email to: owner-monkey@valinor.eldar.org - --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 2 Apr 2000 12:03:53 +0100 From: "Nikki Brown" Subject: Re: [monkey] The Guardian Guide Hi Funny, I can't see it, I went through all the pages like Howell, there's something about Randall and Hopkirk Deceased in mine :-( Bye for now Nikki > Date: Sat, 1 Apr 2000 13:49:33 EST > From: IntergalactikGal@aol.com > Subject: Re: [monkey] Monkey PR update > > Hi, > There was a feature about Monkey in the Guardian yesterday just before the > television listings, big whole page feature!! > > Morgan > - --------------------------------------------------------------- + To unsubscribe, send an email to: majordomo@valinor.eldar.org with 'unsubscribe monkey' in the body of your message + Need help? Send an email to: owner-monkey@valinor.eldar.org - --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 2 Apr 2000 08:06:40 EDT From: IntergalactikGal@aol.com Subject: Re: [monkey] The Guardian but not the Guide Hi, it wasn't in the guide, it was just in the old regular Guardian and now I have newspapers covering my bedroom floor as I attempt to find it. Morgan > Funny, I can't see it, I went through all the pages like Howell, there's > something about Randall and Hopkirk Deceased in mine :-( > - --------------------------------------------------------------- + To unsubscribe, send an email to: majordomo@valinor.eldar.org with 'unsubscribe monkey' in the body of your message + Need help? Send an email to: owner-monkey@valinor.eldar.org - --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 02 Apr 2000 12:22:51 GMT From: "Howell Parry" Subject: Re: [monkey] The Guardian Guide > > There was a feature about Monkey in the Guardian > > yesterday just before the television listings, big > > whole page feature!! >Funny, I can't see it, I went through all the pages like >Howell, there's something about Randall and Hopkirk >Deceased in mine :-( I think when Morgan said "yesterday", he was referring to the Guardian on Friday 31 March, not Saturday's - that's why we couldn't find in Saturday's edition :< Howell ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - --------------------------------------------------------------- + To unsubscribe, send an email to: majordomo@valinor.eldar.org with 'unsubscribe monkey' in the body of your message + Need help? Send an email to: owner-monkey@valinor.eldar.org - --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 02 Apr 2000 13:30:17 GMT From: "Howell Parry" Subject: [monkey] Monkey at HMV I've just been into HMV Megastore in Manchester, and as I entered the video section, I was greeted by Monkey being shown on a giant video wall (25 TVs together) - episode 4 "Monkey swallows the universe" :) I watched it on a small tv there too, and I must say: 1) The quality looks superb 2) It's great to see it without the "Bravo" logo at the top right of the screen :) Whenever they show a video at HMV, they always put the video box on the counter, so I had a good look at it, and I feel completely freaked out after seeing my episode synopses and my name on the back! Also, even though Monkey hasn't been released yet, it's already listed at number 19 in the HMV Video chart. Both videos are listed together as: "Monkey - Goes Wild & Swallows The Universe" I guess this means they've had a _lot_ of preorders for Monkey. This is very impressive, particularly since Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace is released tomorrow, at the same time as Monkey, and it doesn't figure on the HMV Video chart at all! :) Howell ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - --------------------------------------------------------------- + To unsubscribe, send an email to: majordomo@valinor.eldar.org with 'unsubscribe monkey' in the body of your message + Need help? Send an email to: owner-monkey@valinor.eldar.org - --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 2 Apr 2000 09:55:13 EDT From: IntergalactikGal@aol.com Subject: Re: [monkey] The Guardian Guide > I think when Morgan said "yesterday", he was referring to the Guardian on > Friday 31 March, not Saturday's - that's why we couldn't find in Saturday's > edition :< Yes I was and I'm not a 'he' I'm a 'she' so lets have none of this Tripitaka type gender confusion :o) Morgan - --------------------------------------------------------------- + To unsubscribe, send an email to: majordomo@valinor.eldar.org with 'unsubscribe monkey' in the body of your message + Need help? Send an email to: owner-monkey@valinor.eldar.org - --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 2 Apr 2000 09:24:45 EDT From: IntergalactikGal@aol.com Subject: [monkey] The Guardian article! Ok, Confusion over. It was in the G2 Guide, Friday March 31, 2000. Please note: the reviewer is not quite sure how to spell Tripitaka! Right here it is: 'If you grew up in the 80s you might just remember a very strange Japanese action show about a boy monk, his simian protector and friends. As the series is released on Video, Yasue Carter relives the phenomenon that was...Monkey IRREPRESSIBLE! In the deep dark days of the early 80s, in a TV landscape filled with Cheggars Plays Pop, Swap Shop and Rentaghost, there was one kid's show that seemed to come out of nowhere, a surreally original blend of martial arts, daft humour and abstract-gendered monsters known to legions of playground imitators as Monkey. It told the story of three exiles from heaven, Monkey, Pigsy and Sandy who had been assigned the task of protecting the curious boymonk Tripikata (sic) on his journey to India to collect the teachings of Buddha and bring them back to China. Every week they encountered various temptations (usually in the form of delectable maidens who would transform into demons once night fell) that would have the three less-than-committed pilgrims attempting to leave their holy path for more earthly delights. Pigsy with his insatiable appetite for food, wine and the ladies, and Sandy with his relentless pessimism were worthy sidekicks, but the undoubted star of the show was Monkey. Able to pull a giant fighting staff out of the air by simply plucking a hair from his hirsute body, Monkey's most desirable asset was his pink flying cloud, summoned by waving two fingers quickly in front of his mouth. His only weakness is the headband he wears, which Tripikata can tighten by chanting a headache sutra whenever the cheeky ape gets out of hand. Set to curious bad-vibe rock disco soundtrack, episodes frequently lurched from one extreme to another, with the heroes battling bizarre Bela Lugosi-style demons one minute, dancing in groovy discos inside giant carps the next, before the adventures were summarised by the narrator and given a philosophical spin. In Japan, however, Monkey was far from being a cult hit for kids, or a show that parents could not understand and would despair of their children watching. It was one of the few shows that parents would encourage their kids to watch, as it was seen as an educational introduction to Buddhist thought and philosophy. It offered a way of introducing Buddhist teachings to the people without having to visit temples or read difficult religious texts. It was a primetime family show, broadcast in 1978 on Saturday nights. Shot on location in China, at a time when the Japanese and Chinese Governments had only recently restored diplomatic relations, it was a story as familiar to viewers as say, Pride and Prejudice or Robin Hood. Based on a 16th century Chinese novel, Wu Ch'eng-en's Journey To The West, which was itself based on the real life journey of a 7th century monk, Hsuan Tsang to India, it was first translated from Chinese into Japanese nearly 250 years ago and a picture book was printed in 1806. Several film and TV versions had already appeared before, including a film directed by Kishiro Yamamoto in 1940, and a popular cartoon in the 50s from the creator of Astro Boy, Osamu Tezuka. Its arrival was greeted with great excitement, especially when the cast was announced. All four main characters were already well known figures in the Japanese entertainment world, like the Batman series in the US, popular character actors took guest villain spots. Monkey was played by the multi-talented Masaaki Sakai. He was the vocalist with 60s mod icons The Spiders, (Electronic Grandmother, Monkey Dance, Sad Sunset etc) and continued after the band split as a successful solo artist, releasing a version of Monkey's theme tune, before moving onto the traditional Japanese folk music in his later career. After Monkey he presented a cookery show, Here's The Kitchen; superhuman coliseum , featuring guests with unusual talents (a Tarrant on TV favourite); a health advice show called Aruaru; as well as starring in Shinano No Columbo, a detective show, and some historical dramas. Sakai wasn't the only pop star. Mid-mannered Sandy was played by Shiro Kishibe who was in another popular 60s group called The Tigers, one of The Spiders' main rivals in the Group Sound scene. Both bands have since been featured on compilations of Japanese pop released in Britain, like GS We Love You and Monster Go Go. Kishibe has since left acting for a career in table tennis. Pigsy was played by Toshiyuki Nishida, a well known actor and comedian who frequently plays honest, good hearted buffoons and is still acting today, in films like The Silk Road, Dream of Russia and Heavenly Sin. The enigmatic Tripitaka, who was responsible for countless arguments over his gender, was in fact played by a woman, Masako Natsume. She was a very popular teen idol who had starred in films like Onimasa and Shousa as well as TV dramas and appeared in a campaign for top Japanese cosmetic company Kanebo before landing the boy monk role. In 1985 she died from leukaemia at only 27. All of Japan was devastated by her death, and she remains a popular figure, with memorabilia still selling well every year.' 2 pictures one of monkey and a small one of Pigsy, Sandy and Tripitaka. - --------------------------------------------------------------- + To unsubscribe, send an email to: majordomo@valinor.eldar.org with 'unsubscribe monkey' in the body of your message + Need help? Send an email to: owner-monkey@valinor.eldar.org - --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 02 Apr 2000 15:05:35 GMT From: "Howell Parry" Subject: Re: [monkey] The Guardian article! Thanks for typing that up, Morgan! :) Great article, with several bits of information I'd never read before. I just had a thought - the article is probably archived on the The Guardian's web site - so I did a search, and it's here: http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,3980481,00.html Why didn't I think to look earlier? D'oh! Howell ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com - --------------------------------------------------------------- + To unsubscribe, send an email to: majordomo@valinor.eldar.org with 'unsubscribe monkey' in the body of your message + Need help? Send an email to: owner-monkey@valinor.eldar.org - --------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ End of Monkey Digest V1 #720 **************************** ----------------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the Monkey Mailing List digest list, send mail to: majordomo@valinor.eldar.org with the following command in the body of your email message: unsubscribe monkey-digest To send a message to the list, send mail to: monkey-digest@valinor.eldar.org If you have any problems or questions, send mail to: owner-monkey@valinor.eldar.org For lots more information and news about "Monkey", check out the Monkey! web site: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/8153/