The summer movie blockbuster season is all but over, and it seems like we have entered the next season: dying Blaxpoitation star season. Isaac Hayes and Julius Carry both dead? Crazy. (You really can’t count Bernie Mac as a Blaxploitation star, although I never saw Mr. 3000.) All I’m saying is that I’d be really worried if I were Blacula right about now.

All right, so maybe Blacula has been dead for 5 years. (Did you know that he was the King of Cartoons on Pee Wee’s Playhouse?)

Maybe Super Fly is the one. . . Well, no he’s dead too.

Crap.

Cleopatra Jones is dead too. Gordon Parks Sr. (director of Shaft) died a couple of years ago, but at least he lived to be 93 or so. His son (director of Super Fly) didn’t even make it to 45.

Sid Haig seems to be doing well for himself. . .

Well, at any rate, we hope that Richard Roundtree, and Pam Grier stay with us for a long time. Chef and Lord Bowler will be missed around these parts.

In other news, Quentin Tarantino seems to be assembling the strangest cast around for his next movie, Inglorious Bastards. Look at this list, and see if you can make sense out of it: Brad Pitt, Mike Myers, Simon Shaun of the Dead Pegg, Eli “Maker of Hostel“ Roth, and B. J. “The Temp” Novak.

Normally you don’t get a cast that odd outside of an animated movie.

Take a look at any animated flick, and you are bound to see casting choices that would not be made in a live-action flick. That’ll be the game this week. I’ll name some cast members for a film, and you see if you can tell me the film. Sounds easy right?

We’ll do six, and I will offer you NO multiple choice. Half will be from cartoons. I won’t always name the leading man (or lady) just to make it a little more challenging.

Bragging rights are on the line.

1. Hayden Panattiere, Phyllis Diller, Denis Leary, and Jonathan “Dr. Smith” Harris.

2. Helen Hunt, Ben Stiller, Liam Neeson, Adam Baldwin, and Bill Paxton.

3. Mickey Rooney, Kurt Russell, Corey Feldman, and Sandy Duncan.

4. Kelly Lynch, Denzel Washington, Louise Fletcher, and Russell Crowe.

5. Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Robert DeNiro and Will Smith.

6. Keanu Reeves, Brian Cox, Morgan Freeman and Rachel Weisz.

Last 5 posts by ML Kennedy

• Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 6 - DVD Review - November 19th, 2008
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• CPO: You think my shoes are made of leather. - September 19th, 2008
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