Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2002 11:53:48 -0000 From: "jerryveneman" <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Abby Hi people My name is Jerry Veneman and I run the blaxploitation mailinglist from yahoo. I've got something you might be interested in. I've started a petition together with actress Carol Speed to get the long lost blaxploitationclassic "Abby" released on dvd. Abby is the story of a black woman (Carol Speed) who is possessed by an African demon. She then transforms from a nice minister's wife into a foulmouthed monster. It's directed by William Girdler. Warner Bros. took legal action against the film, because it was too similar to "The Exorcist" and had it pulled from theaters after a short two week run. In 1978 WB lost their lawsuit, but Abby was never re-issued again. Fans of this movie had to rely on blurry expensive bootlegs to see this gem. Leading actress Carol Speed (Black Samson, The Mack, Savage) already signed the petition. I would appreciate it if you can get as many people interested to sign it. To sign it, go to http://www.petitiononline.com/Abby1/petition.html Please send this to other people who are interested. We need as many signatures as possible. Thanks Peace, Jerry p.s. Do you have any tips on who else I should contact for the petition? ************************************************ Dr. Mikel J. Koven Department of Theatre, Film and TV University of Wales, Aberystwyth Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 3RD [log in to unmask] ************************************************* ----- Original Message ----- From: "Donald Larsson" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, January 07, 2002 5:54 PM Subject: Re: films most frequently broadcast on TV ?? > Stanley Conrad wonders: > > > > Does anyone know whether a list of the films most frequently broadcast on TV > > has been compiled, somewhere, by someone? > > > > I presume individual broadcast networks could come up with lists of their > > own most-frequents, but is there a way to get a more global picture? > > > > I suspect the question needs some kind of limits (e.g. geographic) so I > > presume we're really interested in American film, broadcast by U.S. > > television stations/networks. > > > > We're totally stumped here as to how we might proceed to track this info > > down ... > > I'm not sure how to track it down either, but a few thoughts might help > to set some limits: > > Network (ABC, CBS, NBC) broadcasts of "Movies of the Week" in place of > regular series programming only began in the mid-1960s, aside from the > occasional serialized Disney film on the various versions of the "World > of Disney," and such special events as the annual showing of THE WIZARD > OF OZ. Aside from a few pre-cable "super-stations" like WOR, WGN and > WTBS, I suspect that most programming of the most film showings will > turn out to be local, up until the 1970s or later. Of course, with the > proliferation of cable and satellite channels (including subscription > channels like HBO and pay-per-view), the question becomes a very > different one! > > Local stations might broadcast the same film several times a week. One > NY station had an afternoon "Million Dollar Movie" that showed the > same film at least once each day, Monday-Friday. I suspect similar > multiple broadcasts occured in other large markets. Local stations, > especially independents, might have two or three or more films > broadcast in a day. Even network affiliates might have more morning, > afternoon, and late-night film shows in the era before network > programming took up most of the day and night. > > For a long time, the most frequently broadcast films were likely to be > older movies whose copyright had lapsed (which accounts for the sudden > proliferation and new popularity of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE by the late > 1960s). Horror and SF films, B Westerns (including such serial heroes > as Hopalong Cassady, Roy Rogers and Gene Autrey), Tarzan movies, etc. > often had their own special niches, such as the "Monster Chiller Horror > Theater" parody by Second City TV, in many individual markets. > > And if you want to count short films, then Popeye cartoons and the > Three Stooges may be in front of everything else! > > Don Larsson > > > ----------------------------------------------------------- > Donald F. Larsson, English Department, AH 230 > Minnesota State University > Mankato, MN 56001 > > ---- > To sign off Screen-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF Screen-L > in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask] > ---- Screen-L is sponsored by the Telecommunication & Film Dept., the University of Alabama: http://www.tcf.ua.edu