Saturday, January 24, 2009

I "heart" IMDB

I was watching an episode of Law and Order the other day and one of the supporting actors in the story was oddly familiar. Who was he? Where had I seen him? His face was familiar but different, maybe older...what in the devil had he been in before?? At the end of the episode I stared down the credits and found the name "Bronson Pinchot". Quite a name, I vaguely remember it, but still can't place him. My brain is caught up in the chase.

Now, in years past, BI (Before Internet), I would have racked my brain, trying to get the image out of my head (to no avail), then I would have called a friend and tried to explain what this guy looked like (not tall, medium dark brown hair, brown eyes...Oh yeah that narrows it down). So I would be left with an unanswerred question. A haunting. burning question. No answer. Not unless it came to me in a dream.

BUT, Oh Joy, I have lived long enough that now it is AI (you know, After Internet) and there is a terrific site and you probably all know it, but I must sing its praises: IMDB.COM, The International Movie Database-dot-com, because without it I would be more of a basket case than I already am LOL.

In a flurry I can run to the computer, get onto the magical site, type in Bronson Pinchot and find he has been a very busy actor since the 1980s and the sitcom where I finally remember him from. My brain cools down...I KNOW, I KNOW!!

Has it happened to you? Watching a movie or watching an episode where a semi-familiar actor shows up and your mind just will not bring up where you know him from? You MUST find out...it's like a mystery story...and it's IMDB to the rescue!!

Law and Order (2005): Bronson Pinchot as Dr. Greg Ross (Bad Doctor):
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0629509/

And where did I remember him from?:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090501/

He starred in Perfect Strangers as Balki Bartokomous (1986-1993).

HA! Like I would have remembered that on my own!!

Let me know if this has happened to you!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

MY MOTHER USE TO DO THAT TO ME....SHE COULDN'T THINK OF SOMEONE AND SHE WOULD CALL ME ABOUT TEN MINUTES BEFORE I WENT TO BED AND WOULD ASK...WHO WAS SO-AND-SO....AND I WOULD BE AWAKE ALL NIGHT LONG TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, WHO SO AND SO WAS.......LOL
THANK THE GOOD LORD FOR THE INTERNET
debbie

Tins and Treasures said...

I know...how did we know anything before the internet?! My HS students and I were watching the inauguration on Tuesday. We weren't sure how old Obama's girls were...and within the minute, one of my students had the answer on her laptop!!

The Raggedy Girl said...

We play this game all the time and sometimes it ends up being about ten movies away.... you know she was in this movie with him who was in that move. But I love IMBD too.

I think that he was in Perfect Strangers with that guy who was in Castaway and Big. Only kidding!!
Roberta Anne

Sandra said...

I love IMDB too, there's so much information there.

Yes I remember Bronson, Balki, he was my favorite from the show LOL

Anonymous said...

Yes, yes....I knew that...before I finished your blog entry. He was so darned cute on that program. So naive, but still cute.

I do the same thing. Just the other day it happened, I saw a program...I think it was HOUSE, and the woman looked so familiar...but a lot older. During the whole program I asked what you had...where? Then, before the program ended, the name came to me...Susan Blakely...from a mini series back in the late 70s.

The brain...I tellya, it can make you old. LOLOLOL

Mickle in NZ said...

Oh Elizabeth, I had just such a moment this afternoon. Walking up(hill) from the bus I was trying desperately to remember the name of a herb. "..okay its not thyme,m...m..no not mace, Dad's got a tree of it in his garden....., you use it in heaps of cooking, vaguely greek?..."

Knew I could just open up the herb and spice drawer once I got home in a few minutes, but still the mind whirled..

Bay Leaves!

We are too young for "Senior Moments" - best call this "Brain Fade"

Huggles and Laughs, Michelle, xxx

word verification = "penzy" - a ponsive frenzy

Sharon said...

Yes it has happened to me, but not just on a TV show but in person. I will see someone and they will say hi Sharon....and you know what comes next on my part, hi how are you, and I have no idea who I am talking to.......help I do know the felling.