Robert Bavington and I have been trying to arrange to talk on Skype, which he can only do from his girlfriend’s computer. Since he’s in England, a third of a day ahead of me, we just haven’t been online at the same time.

I tell you all this so that you can understand how I started the following AOL Instant Messenger conversation:

[17:24] Robert Bavington: Hi!

[17:24] fanzinger: Hello!

[17:24] fanzinger: When are you going to be at your bird’s flat next?

[17:24] fanzinger: Eh, wot?

[17:24] Robert Bavington: d’oh!

[17:24] Robert Bavington: I was just there for valentine’s day.

[17:24] fanzinger: (Sorry, Britishisms just come naturally when I talk to you.)

[17:24] fanzinger: LOL!

[17:25] Robert Bavington: LOL

[17:25] fanzinger: Hey honey! It’s Valentine’s Day, so I’m going to hop on the web to chat with a fat guy for an hour.

[17:25] Robert Bavington: yeah, that’ll go over big.

[17:26] Robert Bavington: I’ll be back next week I imagine.

[17:27] Robert Bavington: so I’m working Mon-Thu, she’ll probably want me there on….wait…I think I’ve been booked to have Sunday dinner with her Mama in Stratford.

[17:27] fanzinger: Awwwww.

[17:28] Robert Bavington: And then we’ll be staying in Woodford so I won’t have access to her laptop.

[17:28] Robert Bavington: Pencil me in for the following week!:-)

[17:28] fanzinger: Man, Skype is boring!

[17:28] fanzinger: I don’t know anyone on it!

[17:28] Robert Bavington: Ha!

[17:28] fanzinger: I’ve yet to use it!

[17:29] Robert Bavington: Can’t you call regular phone numbers?

[17:29] fanzinger: I think so. Haven’t done that. Don’t need to, really.

[17:29] fanzinger: But I could, in theory, call Scott Beatty, talk to him on the phone and turn that into a podcast.

[17:30] Robert Bavington: suppose not. I know she calls her Dad in Brazil on his phone, cheaper I guess.

[17:30] Robert Bavington: Oh, you could!

[17:30] Robert Bavington: yeah, record the audio.

[17:31] fanzinger: Melinda and I agreed to not make a big deal about Valentine’s Day, since we’re so in debt.

[17:31] fanzinger: And then she gave me an ealy birthday present!

[17:31] fanzinger: (Not really fair)

[17:31] Robert Bavington: oh yeah?

[17:31] fanzinger: Yeah!

[17:31] fanzinger: An iPod coat!

[17:31] Robert Bavington: huh?

[17:32] Robert Bavington: An iPod coat?

[17:32] Robert Bavington: what tha heck? (must be some american thing that hasn’t made its way over here)

[17:32] fanzinger: The coat has an inside pocket for my iPod, and then I plug into it with a little adapter.

[17:32] fanzinger: As I’m walking, I can control it with controls on the forearm of my left sleeve!

[17:33] Robert Bavington: oh cool!

[17:33] fanzinger: I can’t wait to try it!

[17:35] Robert Bavington: I think I have seen this thing somewhere. News program or something. very neat.

[17:37] fanzinger: It’s a Kenpo fleece jacket for the iPod.

[17:39] Robert Bavington: can I pick your movie expert brain please?

[17:40] fanzinger: Please do!

[17:42] Robert Bavington: A film I saw few years back had this character that walked underwater with a big shell on his back he also had a submarine. First time I’d seen that kinda thing, very cool I thought!

[17:42] Robert Bavington: what film was it?

[17:45] fanzinger: Hmmm.

[17:45] fanzinger: A big SHELL?

[17:45] fanzinger: What kind of film was this? Sci-fi? Documentary? Spy movie?

[17:46] Robert Bavington: yeah, as a breathing apparatus.

[17:46] fanzinger: Right, but was it manmade or an animal shell?

[17:46] Robert Bavington: It was not new, I figure it was sci-fi/adventure

[17:47] fanzinger: Sorry, it’s just not enough to go on.

[17:47] Robert Bavington: ummm, It looked like a giant sized animal shell. Maybe in the story it was natural but in real-life they don’t go that big.

[17:47] fanzinger: I can’t guess. Maybe 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea?

[17:47] fanzinger: Without any more specifics I can’t nail it down.

[17:48] Robert Bavington: I did think it was captain Nemo but the images I’ve seen from 20,000 leagues don’t match with this one.

[17:48] fanzinger: But an animal shell…. it sounds like a fantasy movie. Given that he had a submarine. It was just a guess.

[17:49] Robert Bavington: lets see…there were a bunch of sailors on an island. This underwater guy lived there. I assume he helped them, can’t remember.

[17:49] Robert Bavington: I’d say 1960’s…there was probably your basic survival group: couple young men, old guy, young girl, leader, rebel etc.

[17:50] fanzinger: Maybe…Mysterious Island? I own that as part of the Harryheusen collection, but haven’t watched it in a long time.

[17:50] fanzinger: Maybe I haven’t seen it!

[17:50] Robert Bavington: could be!

[17:50] fanzinger: Your movie, I mean.

[17:50] Robert Bavington: right

[17:51] Robert Bavington: hmmm, the mysterious island was by Jules verne, so maybe I wasn’t far off with my CAptain Nemo assumption.

[17:52] Robert Bavington: from IMDB: “During the US Civil War, Union POWs escape in a balloon and end up stranded on a South Pacific island, inhabited by giant plants and animals. They must use their ingenuity to survive the dangers, and to devise a way to return home. Sequel to ‘20,000 Leagues Under the Sea’ .”

[17:53] fanzinger: Right, I know the plot. It has giant crabs and stuff.

[17:53] fanzinger: But it’s just a couple POWs, I don’t think there’s an old guy and a young girl.

[17:53] Robert Bavington: could be that one. Good guess, I just need to find some images now!

[17:53] Robert Bavington: maybe you’re right.

[17:53] fanzinger: Oh, that’ll be easy to google.

[17:53] fanzinger: But I’ll try to watch my copy.

[17:53] Robert Bavington: the girl could’ve come from elsewhere. There’s always a girl !;-)

[18:00] Robert Bavington: http://lavender.fortunecity.com/judidench/584/mysterious/posters/mi2.jpg Look at the guy at the bottom right. YOu can just make out what looks like a shell!

[18:02] fanzinger: Sorry, I’m back.

[18:02] fanzinger: Girl’s probably from the island.

[18:02] fanzinger: Yeah, that’s Nemo’s natural diving suit.

[18:02] fanzinger: There you go!

[18:03] Robert Bavington: I’ll have to rent this one. Watch it now as an adult!

[18:03] fanzinger: http://www.cshobbies.com/images/captain%20nemo.jpg

[18:04] Robert Bavington: oh that’s wicked!

[18:04] Robert Bavington: thanks

[18:04] fanzinger: captain nemo.jpg (31698 bytes)
Figure is approximately 9″ tall, features shell breathing
apparatus, wood spear and base as Captain Nemo
appeared coming out of the ocean after sinking the
pirates ship.

[18:04] Robert Bavington: he sank a pirate ship with that little spear? tough guy!

[18:04] fanzinger: http://www.eccentric-cinema.com/cult_movies/mysterious_island.htm

[18:05] fanzinger: Look on the left!

[18:05] fanzinger: Would you mind if I posted part of our talk today?

[18:05] Robert Bavington: fine, on MD?

[18:06] fanzinger: Yeah!

[18:06] Robert Bavington: cool!

[18:06] fanzinger: I think it’s cool that I managed to come up with the right movie!

[18:06] Robert Bavington: yeah, really good guess. When was the last time you saw it?

[18:07] fanzinger: Within the last ten years, I know.

[18:07] fanzinger: I know I watched it when I worked at Blockbuster 1993-1996.

[18:08] Robert Bavington: oh right. anybody’d have trouble picking out one film from 10 yrs ago!

[18:09] Robert Bavington: Thanks. Nemo was a good image, felt like drawing it but had check refs. Thanks again.

[18:09] fanzinger: As soon as you said “Island” and a guy who “lived underwater” (Nemo doesn’t but he has the Nautilus berthed in a cavern that is mostly accessible from underwater.

[18:09] fanzinger: Soon as you said that, I had it. 99% sure.

[18:09] fanzinger: WHOAH!

[18:10] fanzinger: It’s HERBERT LOM as Nemo???

[18:10] Robert Bavington: yeah. why?

[18:10] fanzinger: Chief Inspector Dreyfuss from Pink Panther? Wow! He looks so different.

[18:10] Robert Bavington: I googled him. very different.

[18:16] fanzinger: I have to go work on supper.