Written by Fido
First off, this write-up is coming from a 40-year old guy who grew up on 2-D animation as the choice du jour. So, even though I like some 3-D computer animated shows, this one, Hot Wheels: Battle Force 5, just didn’t do it for me in the slightest. Let’s hit onto the obvious stuff before the high and mighty artistic rant to follow.
It’s a show about a team of racing kids (politically cobbled together: Asian kid into martial arts, an English kid into music and partying, a couple of brothers – one panicky and funny-ish and the other a jock, a sassy African-American chick and the team leader, Vert Wheeler, a Southern California-esque teen with a nose for speed and immense amount of hair-styling products) getting pulled into the Multiverse in a battle for Battle Keys – and subsequently the fate of Earth. They race through portals to find all the keys in order to save the Earth from the impending invasion of the Vandals (a far too Masters of the Universe feeling lot, with people bodies and animal heads) and the Sark (yes, the same name as the bad guy from Tron - and yes again, they drive cars that look eerily similar to light cycles). If one or both of those two groups get the keys first, they’ll have the power to open portals and invade Earth – somehow taking it over Battlefield Earth style with only a handful of baddies to handle the whole planet.
Anyhoo – each episode unfolds with the kids getting called into Battle Zones by Sage (yet again, another very Tron-ish looking character who even goes as far to transform into a Bit – and for people who know the movie, you understand) and trying to get the key before the aforementioned bad guys.
So there’s the plot, easy and simple to follow. Great for kids, nothing crazy complicated.
The action sequences, which this whole show is built around, come replete with a shaky-cam effect that is sure to induce some kind of nausea from all age groups and a directorial style similar to the dreaded Transformers movies. It’s a questionable but understandable move (I guess) considering the amount of money they made off of those movies with the same demographic probably watching these. But damn, it still is just aggravating to never get a clear vision of an action sequence. Those quaky camera moves throughout action cuts and jagged storytelling in those same scenes makes what should be the most exciting part of each episode into the most tedious. In fact, to further the Transformers parallel, the cars themselves transform when fighting the beast-headed Vandals and/or the “Space Paranoids”, err, Sark. Sequences are chopped up into barely comprehensible bites all while being way too close to camera to comprehend any kind of scope.
They’ve taken an obviously brash 22-minute advertisement for on-shelf or upcoming Hot Wheels toys (which is fine, no problem with promoting through cartoons, it’s an age-old practice) and made it vastly more obnoxious by transforming it (sorry, had to do it) into an animated version of a Michael Bey film – and, um, that’s not a good thing – at all.
There are limited swipes at humor, some hit, but most miss. The origin story is beyond rushed. Though it may be boring to the audience they’re looking for, showing some kind of training on the cars could’ve been a fun, action-filled, and most of all, character-building episode. More character equals more identifying with the characters or developing feelings about both good and bad guys and that in turn leads to a more devoted following of those same characters. That’s pretty basic stuff, completely thrown away here.
It has interesting enough “cel-look” feel to it, but as far as distinctive looks go, that’s about it. To give you an idea, it’s executed in the vein of the newest version of the animated Spider-Man and has been seen in swipes on several shows. It’s an initially cool look that wears thin once the animation begins to break down into stilted digital shadow puppet-like movement.
The episodes are the standard one-off episodes, all ending well and never really putting the heroes in any sort of peril. And that’s all fine and dandy, it’s expected. But that’s what this cartoon’s major problem is – it’s all very, very expected - in its stories, characters, and above all style.
Stylistic choices in animation based on what people think viewers will like rather than making a choice to make the cartoon stand out now and in the future is what has made so many modern cartoon series fall short. This one is absolutely no exception.
Series like Genndy Tartakovsky’s first Clone Wars (along with the previous and to this day still brilliant Samurai Jack) series went with a style that wasn’t already a safe bet and wound up setting a new pace and in turn a high-water mark for others to follow. Though I totally get why studios are reluctant to do it, they have to look at the fact that when it is done, it’s typically regarded as, at the very least, interesting to watch. That interesting often turns into more stable over time which can translate into long term sales of the attached merchandise (looking at it from Mattel’s point of view).
Unfortunately for series like the current Clone Wars and Hot Wheels: Battle Force 5, they’ve strategically sidestepped having the guts to go out on any creative limb in favor of being as vanilla as possible. And hey, I love me some good vanilla, but we’re talking blue stripe, plain wrap, and flavorless here.
I can appreciate this show/DVD for almost coming out and admitting through its rushed stories and hackneyed ideas that it knows it’s a flash in the pan. But when properties have a healthy wellspring of money behind them, along with some obviously talented people/artists lurking, as this one does, it would be great to see them go crazy and be, I don’t know, artistic about the art of animation.
I’m probably asking too much from a cartoon about a toy car line. It just seems sad that so much talent is wasted on easy bake shows like this. It would be like having Mario Batali and all the ingredients for an amazing meal available right in front of you, but hitting Taco Bell instead because you’re too lazy to walk to the table.
Perhaps the charm came from the sadly dwindling art of 2-D drawings instead of the almost instantly tired 3-D computer animated, do-it-because-we-can shows that get rolled out nowadays.
Writing this, I feel like a bitter jaded old guy accusing all new animation as unworthy. I don’t mean to come across that way, but when you find yourself sighing within five minutes of watching a mere five-episode DVD, something tells me it’s not hitting me in the good spot. It is possible for new cartoons/kids’ show's animation to be promotional in nature, creative, and fun to absorb. I refer back to that original Clone Wars run and Batman: The Brave And The Bold as two modern-day shows that showed (and still do to this day) that good style, original drawings, characters you care about and flat out fun can still be had in an action cartoon.
I feel like I’m bashing this poor show (double entendre there – sweet) to death, but I just can’t see anyone beyond an ADD-stricken kid latching onto this. Even then, it just doesn’t feel like a show built for the test of time. It feels like it’s made for the here and now, which saddens me to a degree or two. When all is said and done, that’s what bums me out about Hot Wheels: Battle Force 5 and many newer cartoons – substance replaced by flash.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Gary Unmarried - The Complete First Season
Written by Pirata Hermosa
Gary Brooks (Jay Mohr) is an average working guy with two kids. He has just recently divorced his wife, Allison (Paula Marshall). It doesn’t take Gary long to bounce back, and being that he is somewhat of a playboy, he immediately has a new girlfriend, Vanessa (Jaime King).
Even though the two are divorced, Gary finds himself having to hide his new girlfriend because he promised to follow the advice of their former marriage counselor, Dr. Krandall (Ed Begley Jr.). And that advice is to not get involved right away in any new relationships as it could adversely affect the children. But Gary’s charade doesn’t last long when he finds out that Allison is not only dating, but her new boyfriend is Dr. Krandall.
While this appears to be just another typical sitcom it actually has its own spin on the genre. Gary and Allison have a fairly amicable divorce and as the season plays out you can see that the reason that the two have separated isn’t because they don’t love one another, but more because of Gary’s inability to mature causing them to grow apart. This also is a downfall of the characters as their new partners will find it difficult to accept such attachment to a former spouse.
The chemistry between the two exes is very strong and the main reason the show works. Even when they are in a heated argument, which is usually based on something stupid Gary does, the love/hate aspect pulls it all together.
There’s also a lot of play on boundaries, and what they are after having once been married to someone. How are in-laws supposed to react towards their former daughter/son-in-law? Is it possible for ex-wife and new girlfriend to be friends? And what about dating your counselor?
The casting of the characters is also very good. While Mohr is best known as a smartass comedian, he does an excellent job of playing the lovable goof. Begley Jr. is also another great casting choice as his quirkiness and strange mannerisms make him fun to watch no matter what he is doing.
There are four Special Features on the DVD.
"The Chemistry of Comedy" -The cast and crew discuss the basic idea of the show, how it works, the chemistry between Gary and Allison, and the writing process of the episodes.
"Planet Begley" - is a look into Ed Begley Jr.’s world of “Green Living.” His fellow cast members comment on his unique living style and the film crew takes a look at his eco-friendly home powered by solar electricity.
"Tuesday on the Set with Jay" - The star takes the fans through a behind-the-scenes tour of the entire set, interspersed with live shooting and clips from the show. The clips are a little distracting as they appear to be missing frames, giving it a choppy appearance.
"Gary Unhinged Bloopers from Season One" - A typical blooper reel that shows Mohr has a hard time remembering the names of his ex-wife and girlfriend. Once again, the clips used are choppy.
In 2009 the show won the People’s Choice Award for Best New Comedy, which is an impressive feat on its own, because it doesn't seem to receive nearly the amount of advertisement as most of the others. If you haven’t had a chance to watch it yet, then I’d suggest getting the first season of Gary Unmarried. You won’t be sorry.
Gary Brooks (Jay Mohr) is an average working guy with two kids. He has just recently divorced his wife, Allison (Paula Marshall). It doesn’t take Gary long to bounce back, and being that he is somewhat of a playboy, he immediately has a new girlfriend, Vanessa (Jaime King).
Even though the two are divorced, Gary finds himself having to hide his new girlfriend because he promised to follow the advice of their former marriage counselor, Dr. Krandall (Ed Begley Jr.). And that advice is to not get involved right away in any new relationships as it could adversely affect the children. But Gary’s charade doesn’t last long when he finds out that Allison is not only dating, but her new boyfriend is Dr. Krandall.
While this appears to be just another typical sitcom it actually has its own spin on the genre. Gary and Allison have a fairly amicable divorce and as the season plays out you can see that the reason that the two have separated isn’t because they don’t love one another, but more because of Gary’s inability to mature causing them to grow apart. This also is a downfall of the characters as their new partners will find it difficult to accept such attachment to a former spouse.
The chemistry between the two exes is very strong and the main reason the show works. Even when they are in a heated argument, which is usually based on something stupid Gary does, the love/hate aspect pulls it all together.
There’s also a lot of play on boundaries, and what they are after having once been married to someone. How are in-laws supposed to react towards their former daughter/son-in-law? Is it possible for ex-wife and new girlfriend to be friends? And what about dating your counselor?
The casting of the characters is also very good. While Mohr is best known as a smartass comedian, he does an excellent job of playing the lovable goof. Begley Jr. is also another great casting choice as his quirkiness and strange mannerisms make him fun to watch no matter what he is doing.
There are four Special Features on the DVD.
"The Chemistry of Comedy" -The cast and crew discuss the basic idea of the show, how it works, the chemistry between Gary and Allison, and the writing process of the episodes.
"Planet Begley" - is a look into Ed Begley Jr.’s world of “Green Living.” His fellow cast members comment on his unique living style and the film crew takes a look at his eco-friendly home powered by solar electricity.
"Tuesday on the Set with Jay" - The star takes the fans through a behind-the-scenes tour of the entire set, interspersed with live shooting and clips from the show. The clips are a little distracting as they appear to be missing frames, giving it a choppy appearance.
"Gary Unhinged Bloopers from Season One" - A typical blooper reel that shows Mohr has a hard time remembering the names of his ex-wife and girlfriend. Once again, the clips used are choppy.
In 2009 the show won the People’s Choice Award for Best New Comedy, which is an impressive feat on its own, because it doesn't seem to receive nearly the amount of advertisement as most of the others. If you haven’t had a chance to watch it yet, then I’d suggest getting the first season of Gary Unmarried. You won’t be sorry.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Small Wonder: The Complete First Season
Written by Hombre Divertido
Take an established premise, add in some solid setup/punch writing, family values, a few stories with a message, and put all in the hands of executive producer Howard Leeds, and its no Small Wonder that this show lasted for 96 episodes.
Leeds name, as writer and/or producer, can be found on many classic television shows from the '60s and '70s including The Facts of Life, Diff’rent Strokes, Silver Spoons, The Brady Bunch, and Bewitched. The premise for Small Wonder is not unlike Bewitched, in that someone is living in a house with a family, they are not as they appear, and there are nosey neighbors constantly causing problems. In Small Wonder it is a robot instead of a witch, and Vicki (Tiffany Brissette), whose name comes from Voice Input Child Identicant, is a little girl. The family atmosphere and relationship between the parents has a strong Brady Bunch feel to it, obviously influenced by Leeds who produced 34 episodes of that classic show.
Families flocked to this syndicated show in September of 1985 when United Robotronics engineer Ted Lawson (Dick Christie) first brought Vicki, his secret project, home to his wife Joan (Marla Pennington) and wise-cracking son Jamie (Jerry Supiran). Ted wanted to work out the kinks while she acclimated to a normal environment. As Vicki took things literally, repeated phrases like a parrot, and mugged to the camera, the laugh tracks rolled.
Small Wonder gleaned its success from doing one thing right from top to bottom: they kept it simple. Simplicity in premise, stories, special effects, sets, etc. It even has a catchy theme song. The writing for the show is comedy writing at it’s most basic. Every fifth to seventh line of dialog is a punch line, and in many cases it appears that the story was written around the jokes. Nonetheless, there were enough jokes and sight gags to keep children laughing, and enough story to keep parents interested or at least distracted.
The performances work well because it is clear that the cast knows exactly what it is doing and is not taking it too seriously. Brissette does a wonderful job with her role, and considering the challenges and restrictions, excels in her performance. The rest of the cast does well, especially Supiran who displays solid comic timing for someone so young. Emily Schulman is adequately annoying as Harriet the little girl next door, but the writers don’t make her inquisitive enough in season one, and thus she is not antagonistic. Edie McClurg makes a few appearances as Harriet’s mom, and it is hard to go wrong anytime the veteran character actress hits the screen.
Shout Factory sends all 24 episodes of the first season to the shelves in a well-packaged four-disc set. Bonus material includes Original Episode Promos, Fan Art Gallery that appears to be pictures fans sent in, and commentary on certain episodes from Leeds and the cast. The commentary is entertaining, but would have been more enjoyable in a cast reunion than on a track under the episode dialog.
Recommendation: Small Wonder is for the young. If you enjoyed it in 1985, you may like an episode or two, but it will probably be too simple for you in 2010. If you have never seen the show, parents could find far worse programming to share with their children. No Emmy awards here, just simple television for the certain families.
Take an established premise, add in some solid setup/punch writing, family values, a few stories with a message, and put all in the hands of executive producer Howard Leeds, and its no Small Wonder that this show lasted for 96 episodes.
Leeds name, as writer and/or producer, can be found on many classic television shows from the '60s and '70s including The Facts of Life, Diff’rent Strokes, Silver Spoons, The Brady Bunch, and Bewitched. The premise for Small Wonder is not unlike Bewitched, in that someone is living in a house with a family, they are not as they appear, and there are nosey neighbors constantly causing problems. In Small Wonder it is a robot instead of a witch, and Vicki (Tiffany Brissette), whose name comes from Voice Input Child Identicant, is a little girl. The family atmosphere and relationship between the parents has a strong Brady Bunch feel to it, obviously influenced by Leeds who produced 34 episodes of that classic show.
Families flocked to this syndicated show in September of 1985 when United Robotronics engineer Ted Lawson (Dick Christie) first brought Vicki, his secret project, home to his wife Joan (Marla Pennington) and wise-cracking son Jamie (Jerry Supiran). Ted wanted to work out the kinks while she acclimated to a normal environment. As Vicki took things literally, repeated phrases like a parrot, and mugged to the camera, the laugh tracks rolled.
Small Wonder gleaned its success from doing one thing right from top to bottom: they kept it simple. Simplicity in premise, stories, special effects, sets, etc. It even has a catchy theme song. The writing for the show is comedy writing at it’s most basic. Every fifth to seventh line of dialog is a punch line, and in many cases it appears that the story was written around the jokes. Nonetheless, there were enough jokes and sight gags to keep children laughing, and enough story to keep parents interested or at least distracted.
The performances work well because it is clear that the cast knows exactly what it is doing and is not taking it too seriously. Brissette does a wonderful job with her role, and considering the challenges and restrictions, excels in her performance. The rest of the cast does well, especially Supiran who displays solid comic timing for someone so young. Emily Schulman is adequately annoying as Harriet the little girl next door, but the writers don’t make her inquisitive enough in season one, and thus she is not antagonistic. Edie McClurg makes a few appearances as Harriet’s mom, and it is hard to go wrong anytime the veteran character actress hits the screen.
Shout Factory sends all 24 episodes of the first season to the shelves in a well-packaged four-disc set. Bonus material includes Original Episode Promos, Fan Art Gallery that appears to be pictures fans sent in, and commentary on certain episodes from Leeds and the cast. The commentary is entertaining, but would have been more enjoyable in a cast reunion than on a track under the episode dialog.
Recommendation: Small Wonder is for the young. If you enjoyed it in 1985, you may like an episode or two, but it will probably be too simple for you in 2010. If you have never seen the show, parents could find far worse programming to share with their children. No Emmy awards here, just simple television for the certain families.
Sunday, February 07, 2010
The Waltons: Movie Collection
Written by Hombre Divertido
On January 26th Warner Home Video released The Waltons: Movie Collection. The collection consists of six made-for-TV movies that span the life of this classic family television from 1947 to 1969. Though these movies are generally considered “reunion” films, the differences between the first three and final three are significant.
The set opens with A Wedding on Walton’s Mountain which aired on February 22nd, 1982, just a little over seven months after the final episode of the series, and unfortunately picks up where the series left off in 1947. Sans Michael Learned (Olivia) and Richard Thomas (John-Boy), the story revolves around the impending nuptials of Erin (Mary Beth McDonough) to Paul Northridge (Morgan Stevens channeling a young Michael Biehn) and how the return of Erin’s former love interest Ashley Longworth Jr. (Louis Welch takes over for Jonathan Frakes and over plays the confidence and smugness of the character) stirs things up. Unfortunately the Erin love triangle is not enough to carry the film, and thus there are numerous sub-plots, all of which are poorly written.
The Waltons was cancelled after nine seasons due to the lack of quality that it had established early in its run. The cast of children had grown, but their acting abilities were still raw, and they were simply not up to the task of carrying the series that now rested on their shoulders in the absence of the talented Thomas and Learned who had been a source of stability in the series. Ralph Waite (John) is a fine actor, but he had been relegated to the role of family advisor by the time the series ended. The writers had simply run out of ideas and the stories had become trite. To produce a movie so soon after the cancellation served no purpose other than to confirm the decision to end the series run.
Despite the poor quality of A Wedding, fans looking for a true reunion tuned in, and CBS followed it with Mother's Day on Walton's Mountain three months later, and a Thanksgiving outing on November 22nd titled A Day of Thanks on Walton’s Mountain. Like A Wedding the two films were still set in 1947, and continued with the same cast though Michael Learned makes an all-too-brief appearance in the Mother's Day-themed film considering the title. John-Boy does appear in Day of Thanks but Robert Wightman, who was never able to capture the subtle intelligence, creativity, and vulnerability that Richard Thomas brought to the role, portrays him.
Both the Mother's Day- and Thanksgiving-themed films are over-written, over-acted, and tend to focus on one-dimensional characters such as Erin’s and Mary Ellen’s (Judy Norton) significant others Paul Northridge and Joensey portrayed awkwardly by Richard Gilliland who seems a bit confused by the character's motivation, but it may have been the writing and direction more than the limited ability of the actor that made the character so difficult to appreciate. The Mother's Day episode specifically focuses on the exploits of the now trampy Aimee Godsey (DeAnna Robbins takes over for Rachel Longaker) and Ike and Corabeth’s (Joe Conley and Ronnie Claire Edwards) befuddlement with how to handle her. Ultimately the storyline only reconfirms the fact that the Ike character was far more enjoyable when he was single then after he married the cartoon that is Corabeth.
Eleven years after Day of Thanks aired, CBS gave fans what they had been waiting for when A Walton's Thanksgiving Reunion aired on November 21st, 1993. The entire original cast is reunited in this film with the exception of the beloved Will Geer (Grandpa) who had passed away. Richard Thomas was back as John-Boy and even Rachel Longaker returned as Aimee Godsey. Though it had only been eleven years since the last movie, we find our favorite family in the early sixties dealing with the assassination of JFK. John-Boy comes home from New York with his girlfriend (Kate McNeil), John and Olivia are planning for a new house, and as it had been throughout the series and in each of the movies, there were problems at the mill.
Though it was pleasant to see the cast together again in Thanksgiving Reunion, writers Rod Peterson and Claire Whitaker, who had written several episodes of the series, seem to care very little about what had been established in previous films. There is no mention of Olivia’s illness or return home. Mary-Ellen has additional children even though doing so was established as life threatening to both her and the infants in a previous film. Her son John-Curtis is absent from the film without explanation, as is Ben and Cindy’s son Charlie. Other absences are explained such as Mary-Ellen’s husband Joensey is apparently in Africa working with animals, and Erin is divorced due to infidelity on the part of Paul. Though there are inconsistencies in the storytelling, and the plotlines tend to be superficial, “A Walton's Thanksgiving Reunion” does manage to allow the audience to see what had become of the characters they loved.
That would have been a fine place to end the story of the Waltons, but CBS followed it with “A Walton Wedding” on February 12th 1995. The original cast is once again reunited and the story generally picks up where Thanksgiving Reunion left off. John-Boy is back in New York, but he is frustrated with the wedding plans being made by Janet’s aunt Flo played by Holland Taylor in a somewhat comedically subdued performance compared to characters she would become known for. John-Boy heads home to complete a story he is writing on his Grandmother. Ellen Corby gives an amazing performance as Grandma and shows tremendous range considering her limitations due to a stroke. Once again it is the writing (Peterson and Whitaker) that lets the cast down. The story regarding a skeleton in Grandma's closet proves amazingly anti-climactic, and a plotline regarding Olivia going back to school goes nowhere.
A Walton Easter came along March 31, 1997, and once again the writing (Julie Sayers) seems hypocritical, as the story has nothing to do with Easter. The holiday is an afterthought as a scene with the cast attending church services at the end of the film seems almost throw in. The story takes place in 1969 as John-Boy covers the moon landing at the news station he works for, and the family gathers for the fortieth anniversary of John and Olivia. Apparently Sayers had failed to do her homework since John and Olivia had celebrated their 25th anniversary in episode 19 of season six of the series, which was set in 1940. Though the storyline revolving around the relationship between Elizabeth (Kami Cotler) and Drew (Tony Becker), which had been running throughout the films, comes to a pleasant conclusion, other sub-plots in Easter such as a new business venture for John, Ben, and Drew; and the Baldwin sisters (Helen Kleeb and Mary Jackson) leaving the recipe to John go nowhere.
Ultimately these films add little to the Waltons legacy. The best analogy can be found in A Walton Easter: the character of Aurora Jameson (Sydney Walsh), a reporter from the big city who comes to Walton Mountain with John-Boy and his expecting wife to do an article on John-Boy and his soon-to-be-released book. The character has great potential as not only a classic fish out of water, but also a potential love interest for Jim-Bob. Ultimately nothing is done with the character and the audience is left to wonder; what was the point?
The three disc release contains no bonus material which only adds to the disappointment.
Recommendation: Watching any of the final three movies will give you an idea of how the characters you came to love have grown up and developed. That is all to be gained here. Though any time you get the opportunity to hear the narration of Earl Hamner, it will remind you of this classic series filled with great family values illustrated through excellent storytelling; it is only the narration that will serve as a reminder of quality storytelling here. This is only for the true fans who need to complete their collections.This is only for the true fans who need to complete their collections.
On January 26th Warner Home Video released The Waltons: Movie Collection. The collection consists of six made-for-TV movies that span the life of this classic family television from 1947 to 1969. Though these movies are generally considered “reunion” films, the differences between the first three and final three are significant.
The set opens with A Wedding on Walton’s Mountain which aired on February 22nd, 1982, just a little over seven months after the final episode of the series, and unfortunately picks up where the series left off in 1947. Sans Michael Learned (Olivia) and Richard Thomas (John-Boy), the story revolves around the impending nuptials of Erin (Mary Beth McDonough) to Paul Northridge (Morgan Stevens channeling a young Michael Biehn) and how the return of Erin’s former love interest Ashley Longworth Jr. (Louis Welch takes over for Jonathan Frakes and over plays the confidence and smugness of the character) stirs things up. Unfortunately the Erin love triangle is not enough to carry the film, and thus there are numerous sub-plots, all of which are poorly written.
The Waltons was cancelled after nine seasons due to the lack of quality that it had established early in its run. The cast of children had grown, but their acting abilities were still raw, and they were simply not up to the task of carrying the series that now rested on their shoulders in the absence of the talented Thomas and Learned who had been a source of stability in the series. Ralph Waite (John) is a fine actor, but he had been relegated to the role of family advisor by the time the series ended. The writers had simply run out of ideas and the stories had become trite. To produce a movie so soon after the cancellation served no purpose other than to confirm the decision to end the series run.
Despite the poor quality of A Wedding, fans looking for a true reunion tuned in, and CBS followed it with Mother's Day on Walton's Mountain three months later, and a Thanksgiving outing on November 22nd titled A Day of Thanks on Walton’s Mountain. Like A Wedding the two films were still set in 1947, and continued with the same cast though Michael Learned makes an all-too-brief appearance in the Mother's Day-themed film considering the title. John-Boy does appear in Day of Thanks but Robert Wightman, who was never able to capture the subtle intelligence, creativity, and vulnerability that Richard Thomas brought to the role, portrays him.
Both the Mother's Day- and Thanksgiving-themed films are over-written, over-acted, and tend to focus on one-dimensional characters such as Erin’s and Mary Ellen’s (Judy Norton) significant others Paul Northridge and Joensey portrayed awkwardly by Richard Gilliland who seems a bit confused by the character's motivation, but it may have been the writing and direction more than the limited ability of the actor that made the character so difficult to appreciate. The Mother's Day episode specifically focuses on the exploits of the now trampy Aimee Godsey (DeAnna Robbins takes over for Rachel Longaker) and Ike and Corabeth’s (Joe Conley and Ronnie Claire Edwards) befuddlement with how to handle her. Ultimately the storyline only reconfirms the fact that the Ike character was far more enjoyable when he was single then after he married the cartoon that is Corabeth.
Eleven years after Day of Thanks aired, CBS gave fans what they had been waiting for when A Walton's Thanksgiving Reunion aired on November 21st, 1993. The entire original cast is reunited in this film with the exception of the beloved Will Geer (Grandpa) who had passed away. Richard Thomas was back as John-Boy and even Rachel Longaker returned as Aimee Godsey. Though it had only been eleven years since the last movie, we find our favorite family in the early sixties dealing with the assassination of JFK. John-Boy comes home from New York with his girlfriend (Kate McNeil), John and Olivia are planning for a new house, and as it had been throughout the series and in each of the movies, there were problems at the mill.
Though it was pleasant to see the cast together again in Thanksgiving Reunion, writers Rod Peterson and Claire Whitaker, who had written several episodes of the series, seem to care very little about what had been established in previous films. There is no mention of Olivia’s illness or return home. Mary-Ellen has additional children even though doing so was established as life threatening to both her and the infants in a previous film. Her son John-Curtis is absent from the film without explanation, as is Ben and Cindy’s son Charlie. Other absences are explained such as Mary-Ellen’s husband Joensey is apparently in Africa working with animals, and Erin is divorced due to infidelity on the part of Paul. Though there are inconsistencies in the storytelling, and the plotlines tend to be superficial, “A Walton's Thanksgiving Reunion” does manage to allow the audience to see what had become of the characters they loved.
That would have been a fine place to end the story of the Waltons, but CBS followed it with “A Walton Wedding” on February 12th 1995. The original cast is once again reunited and the story generally picks up where Thanksgiving Reunion left off. John-Boy is back in New York, but he is frustrated with the wedding plans being made by Janet’s aunt Flo played by Holland Taylor in a somewhat comedically subdued performance compared to characters she would become known for. John-Boy heads home to complete a story he is writing on his Grandmother. Ellen Corby gives an amazing performance as Grandma and shows tremendous range considering her limitations due to a stroke. Once again it is the writing (Peterson and Whitaker) that lets the cast down. The story regarding a skeleton in Grandma's closet proves amazingly anti-climactic, and a plotline regarding Olivia going back to school goes nowhere.
A Walton Easter came along March 31, 1997, and once again the writing (Julie Sayers) seems hypocritical, as the story has nothing to do with Easter. The holiday is an afterthought as a scene with the cast attending church services at the end of the film seems almost throw in. The story takes place in 1969 as John-Boy covers the moon landing at the news station he works for, and the family gathers for the fortieth anniversary of John and Olivia. Apparently Sayers had failed to do her homework since John and Olivia had celebrated their 25th anniversary in episode 19 of season six of the series, which was set in 1940. Though the storyline revolving around the relationship between Elizabeth (Kami Cotler) and Drew (Tony Becker), which had been running throughout the films, comes to a pleasant conclusion, other sub-plots in Easter such as a new business venture for John, Ben, and Drew; and the Baldwin sisters (Helen Kleeb and Mary Jackson) leaving the recipe to John go nowhere.
Ultimately these films add little to the Waltons legacy. The best analogy can be found in A Walton Easter: the character of Aurora Jameson (Sydney Walsh), a reporter from the big city who comes to Walton Mountain with John-Boy and his expecting wife to do an article on John-Boy and his soon-to-be-released book. The character has great potential as not only a classic fish out of water, but also a potential love interest for Jim-Bob. Ultimately nothing is done with the character and the audience is left to wonder; what was the point?
The three disc release contains no bonus material which only adds to the disappointment.
Recommendation: Watching any of the final three movies will give you an idea of how the characters you came to love have grown up and developed. That is all to be gained here. Though any time you get the opportunity to hear the narration of Earl Hamner, it will remind you of this classic series filled with great family values illustrated through excellent storytelling; it is only the narration that will serve as a reminder of quality storytelling here. This is only for the true fans who need to complete their collections.This is only for the true fans who need to complete their collections.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
I Heart Jonas
Written by Pirata Hermosa
The newest DVD release from the popular Disney television series JONAS starring the three Jonas brothers (Kevin, Nick and Joe) hits stores with a Valentine’s Day theme and your very own Jonas Brothers magnets. In a red box with a giant heart on it and even a name tag for gifting, it’s obvious who it’s marketed towards. And of course, all seven episodes are of the romantic nature, mostly dealing with the relationship between Joe and Stella (Chelsea Staub).
"Fashion Victim" - When Stella gets asked out by Van Dyke (Chuck Hittinger), the school’s quarterback, Joe finds himself trying to suppress his jealousy. But when he “accidentally on purpose” ruins the band’s outfits Stella picked out for them to wear when they meet the Prime Minister of England and ends up ruining her date, she decides to get even.
"Love Sick" - Stella begins to think that Joe doesn’t like her anymore when he ends up canceling on her several times in a row. To prove they are still friends, he asks her to the school basketball game and ends up getting sick. Instead of staying home so he will be able to sing on Great Morning USA the next morning, he goes to the game and makes himself even sicker. Meanwhile Macy (Nicole Anderson) tries to prove that her obsession with JONAS is over, but ends up dating a guy whom she forces to dress and act like Nick.
"Three Musketeers" - Kevin, Nick, and Joe think it’s a great idea to try out for the school play. They get the parts because of their name and ability to sell tickets. But when Joe hits the stage he finds that he has terrible stagefright and quits. His brothers are a little disappointed, but Van Dyke takes the place of the third musketeer and gets to do the love scene with Stella. Joe becomes jealous and must find a way to stop the kiss in the final scene. While the others deal with the play, Macy has her own problems. She’s lost her lucky necklace and along with that her athletic ability. To cheer her up and help her overcome her problem, Kevin loans her his lucky boot.
"Karaoke Surprise" - It’s the 15-year anniversary from when the brothers met Stella. And to celebrate this event, they plan to throw her a surprise Karaoke party. But it’s harder than they thought to keep a secret from Stella. She becomes suspicious and jealous when she keeps catching Macy and Joe sneaking around and avoiding her.
"Frantic Romantic" - After a night out at the VIP club, Joe suddenly finds pictures of him and his new girlfriend, Fiona Sky (Sara Paxton), splashed across the tabloids. The only problem is that he has no idea who she is. When she arrives at his school, he finds that she’s a B-rated horror-film actress who is selling the story to the magazines in order to forward her career. They try several ideas to get rid of her and even try to make Joe look uncool, even though everyone knows that’s impossible. Finally it’s the number one JONAS fan, Macy, to the rescue as she takes pictures of Joe and Stella linking them together romantically on her website.
"Forgetting Stella’s Birthday" - It’s not every day that Robert Lincoln Coler picks your band to interview. His reviews can make or break a band. So while the brothers spend all their time preparing for the interview, they forget something even more important. They forget Stella’s birthday. She is completely devastated that they forgot about her, and when the boys realize they messed up they try to make it up to her.
"Double Date" - Once again, Van Dyke asks Stella out on a date. Thinking how Joe might feel, she politely turns him down. When Joe realizes why she turned him down, he tells her that she should go out with Van Dyke and not to let him stand in her way. This angers her and she accepts Van Dyke’s invitation. This leaves only one option left for Joe. He shows up at the restaurant with Macy in tow and pretends to be out on a date with her. Back at the firehouse, Kevin is trying to get Nick to bake him some more of his delicious Blue Chews cookies that he has become addicted to. Nick decides to teach him a lesson and cooks hundreds of cookies sending Kevin into a massive sugar high.
The DVD has only one special feature entitled "You’ve Been Jo Bro’d! - Surprising Jordin Sparks." Much like the prank they pulled on Chelsea Staub on the first DVD, this time they pull a prank on former American Idol winner Jordin Sparks. The basic joke is that the four of them are doing a live interview with a DJ who has no idea who they are and is asking totally bizarre questions. It is more entertaining than the first joke they pulled, but just as you start to get into it, they keep breaking up the interview with the brothers explaining what is about to come. Once again their prank attempt comes off flat. They really need to dump this feature on the next release.
While I Heart Jonas is still quite entertaining and filled with the silly humor and slapstick comedy that makes the show, the constant viewing of the Joe/Stella relationship starts to get a little old. Watching them constantly pine for one another, admit that they have feelings, and then refusing to act on them becomes quite frustrating. During the original airing the episodes were spaced further apart and it had a much better flow.
The newest DVD release from the popular Disney television series JONAS starring the three Jonas brothers (Kevin, Nick and Joe) hits stores with a Valentine’s Day theme and your very own Jonas Brothers magnets. In a red box with a giant heart on it and even a name tag for gifting, it’s obvious who it’s marketed towards. And of course, all seven episodes are of the romantic nature, mostly dealing with the relationship between Joe and Stella (Chelsea Staub).
"Fashion Victim" - When Stella gets asked out by Van Dyke (Chuck Hittinger), the school’s quarterback, Joe finds himself trying to suppress his jealousy. But when he “accidentally on purpose” ruins the band’s outfits Stella picked out for them to wear when they meet the Prime Minister of England and ends up ruining her date, she decides to get even.
"Love Sick" - Stella begins to think that Joe doesn’t like her anymore when he ends up canceling on her several times in a row. To prove they are still friends, he asks her to the school basketball game and ends up getting sick. Instead of staying home so he will be able to sing on Great Morning USA the next morning, he goes to the game and makes himself even sicker. Meanwhile Macy (Nicole Anderson) tries to prove that her obsession with JONAS is over, but ends up dating a guy whom she forces to dress and act like Nick.
"Three Musketeers" - Kevin, Nick, and Joe think it’s a great idea to try out for the school play. They get the parts because of their name and ability to sell tickets. But when Joe hits the stage he finds that he has terrible stagefright and quits. His brothers are a little disappointed, but Van Dyke takes the place of the third musketeer and gets to do the love scene with Stella. Joe becomes jealous and must find a way to stop the kiss in the final scene. While the others deal with the play, Macy has her own problems. She’s lost her lucky necklace and along with that her athletic ability. To cheer her up and help her overcome her problem, Kevin loans her his lucky boot.
"Karaoke Surprise" - It’s the 15-year anniversary from when the brothers met Stella. And to celebrate this event, they plan to throw her a surprise Karaoke party. But it’s harder than they thought to keep a secret from Stella. She becomes suspicious and jealous when she keeps catching Macy and Joe sneaking around and avoiding her.
"Frantic Romantic" - After a night out at the VIP club, Joe suddenly finds pictures of him and his new girlfriend, Fiona Sky (Sara Paxton), splashed across the tabloids. The only problem is that he has no idea who she is. When she arrives at his school, he finds that she’s a B-rated horror-film actress who is selling the story to the magazines in order to forward her career. They try several ideas to get rid of her and even try to make Joe look uncool, even though everyone knows that’s impossible. Finally it’s the number one JONAS fan, Macy, to the rescue as she takes pictures of Joe and Stella linking them together romantically on her website.
"Forgetting Stella’s Birthday" - It’s not every day that Robert Lincoln Coler picks your band to interview. His reviews can make or break a band. So while the brothers spend all their time preparing for the interview, they forget something even more important. They forget Stella’s birthday. She is completely devastated that they forgot about her, and when the boys realize they messed up they try to make it up to her.
"Double Date" - Once again, Van Dyke asks Stella out on a date. Thinking how Joe might feel, she politely turns him down. When Joe realizes why she turned him down, he tells her that she should go out with Van Dyke and not to let him stand in her way. This angers her and she accepts Van Dyke’s invitation. This leaves only one option left for Joe. He shows up at the restaurant with Macy in tow and pretends to be out on a date with her. Back at the firehouse, Kevin is trying to get Nick to bake him some more of his delicious Blue Chews cookies that he has become addicted to. Nick decides to teach him a lesson and cooks hundreds of cookies sending Kevin into a massive sugar high.
The DVD has only one special feature entitled "You’ve Been Jo Bro’d! - Surprising Jordin Sparks." Much like the prank they pulled on Chelsea Staub on the first DVD, this time they pull a prank on former American Idol winner Jordin Sparks. The basic joke is that the four of them are doing a live interview with a DJ who has no idea who they are and is asking totally bizarre questions. It is more entertaining than the first joke they pulled, but just as you start to get into it, they keep breaking up the interview with the brothers explaining what is about to come. Once again their prank attempt comes off flat. They really need to dump this feature on the next release.
While I Heart Jonas is still quite entertaining and filled with the silly humor and slapstick comedy that makes the show, the constant viewing of the Joe/Stella relationship starts to get a little old. Watching them constantly pine for one another, admit that they have feelings, and then refusing to act on them becomes quite frustrating. During the original airing the episodes were spaced further apart and it had a much better flow.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The Best of Battle (Vol. 1) by John Wagner, John Cooper, et al.
Written by Pirata Hermosa
A compilation of a number of the most popular British War Comics from 1975-1988 that were first published in Battle Picture Weekly and continued through its many incarnations. This collection contains stories from eighteen different comic strips set during WWII dealing with many issues and perspectives on the war from both sides of the conflict.
Some of the stories are about indestructible leaders such as “D-Day Dawson,” who has a bullet near his heart and no fear of dying; “Major Eazy,” who is the ultimate example of cool under pressure and fights battles from the seat of his own car; “Darkie’s Mob,” a mysterious officer who is so badass that the Japanese flee at the utterance of his name.
A few of the stories are also shown from the German perspective, but with these soldiers they are trying to bring back honor to their name and prove themselves over false accusations. “Fighter from the Sky” is about a German paratrooper who has been stripped of his identity because his father tried to warn the people that Poland was about to be invaded. “Panzer G-Man” was falsely accused of being a coward when he tried to stop a deserter and was the only survivor in his battalion. Now he must fight as a grenadier who runs along beside the tanks as they fight the Russians.
While there are more than enough different comics to match many different tastes readers may have when they pick up this book, the sheer volume of them is ultimately what leads to its downfall.
With so many selections, each one only gets about four strips. This format is okay for some of the strips like “The Bootneck Boy,” where a young man tries to prove that he’s big enough and old enough to make it as a Royal Marine. His adventures are self-contained and can be enjoyed no matter what the length. You see his evolution from being turned down because of his size, to saving a ship from mines, and then he saves his men while taking over an airstrip.
In “Day of the Eagle,” the story is extremely compressed. Not only is Mike Nelson (The Eagle) given a mission to assassinate Hitler but only a few pages later he has made it all the way into Munich and has put a well-placed bullet between the Fuhrer’s eyes. Before you can really get into the story, it’s over.
But the worst example of how small snippets don’t work is “Hold Hill 19”. A group of 13 soldiers have to hold the hill against an onslaught of Germans. Each comic is one day of the fight. The story gets more and more intense as they fend off different enemy waves and end up losing several of their own men. And then, on Day 3 it stops, leaving you hanging. By far that was the most frustrating of them all. It was like watching a DVD and the disc stops playing right when you get to the end.
The two best comics are “Rat Pack and “Johnny Red.” “Rat Pack” is much like the film The Dirty Dozen where you have a group of convicts that escape from prison and are sent on various suicide missions. “Johnny Red” is about an undisciplined fighter pilot for the R.A.F. who gets demoted to the merchant marines. But when their fleet comes under attack he steals a Hurricane and shoots down the attackers. Afraid that he will get in trouble for stealing the plane, he flies into Russia and teams up with a ragtag group of Russian pilots.
Most of the stories are good, but overall it ends up feeling like a big tease. There’s an advertisement in the back for the Titan Books website where you can purchase some of the full collections. Unfortunately, after checking the website I was unable to locate any of them currently for sale, but some of them are scheduled for release later in the year.
A compilation of a number of the most popular British War Comics from 1975-1988 that were first published in Battle Picture Weekly and continued through its many incarnations. This collection contains stories from eighteen different comic strips set during WWII dealing with many issues and perspectives on the war from both sides of the conflict.
Some of the stories are about indestructible leaders such as “D-Day Dawson,” who has a bullet near his heart and no fear of dying; “Major Eazy,” who is the ultimate example of cool under pressure and fights battles from the seat of his own car; “Darkie’s Mob,” a mysterious officer who is so badass that the Japanese flee at the utterance of his name.
A few of the stories are also shown from the German perspective, but with these soldiers they are trying to bring back honor to their name and prove themselves over false accusations. “Fighter from the Sky” is about a German paratrooper who has been stripped of his identity because his father tried to warn the people that Poland was about to be invaded. “Panzer G-Man” was falsely accused of being a coward when he tried to stop a deserter and was the only survivor in his battalion. Now he must fight as a grenadier who runs along beside the tanks as they fight the Russians.
While there are more than enough different comics to match many different tastes readers may have when they pick up this book, the sheer volume of them is ultimately what leads to its downfall.
With so many selections, each one only gets about four strips. This format is okay for some of the strips like “The Bootneck Boy,” where a young man tries to prove that he’s big enough and old enough to make it as a Royal Marine. His adventures are self-contained and can be enjoyed no matter what the length. You see his evolution from being turned down because of his size, to saving a ship from mines, and then he saves his men while taking over an airstrip.
In “Day of the Eagle,” the story is extremely compressed. Not only is Mike Nelson (The Eagle) given a mission to assassinate Hitler but only a few pages later he has made it all the way into Munich and has put a well-placed bullet between the Fuhrer’s eyes. Before you can really get into the story, it’s over.
But the worst example of how small snippets don’t work is “Hold Hill 19”. A group of 13 soldiers have to hold the hill against an onslaught of Germans. Each comic is one day of the fight. The story gets more and more intense as they fend off different enemy waves and end up losing several of their own men. And then, on Day 3 it stops, leaving you hanging. By far that was the most frustrating of them all. It was like watching a DVD and the disc stops playing right when you get to the end.
The two best comics are “Rat Pack and “Johnny Red.” “Rat Pack” is much like the film The Dirty Dozen where you have a group of convicts that escape from prison and are sent on various suicide missions. “Johnny Red” is about an undisciplined fighter pilot for the R.A.F. who gets demoted to the merchant marines. But when their fleet comes under attack he steals a Hurricane and shoots down the attackers. Afraid that he will get in trouble for stealing the plane, he flies into Russia and teams up with a ragtag group of Russian pilots.
Most of the stories are good, but overall it ends up feeling like a big tease. There’s an advertisement in the back for the Titan Books website where you can purchase some of the full collections. Unfortunately, after checking the website I was unable to locate any of them currently for sale, but some of them are scheduled for release later in the year.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS - Special Edition
Written by Fido
From the very opening of the movie and the immediately out-of-place title music, it’s hard not to get wrapped up into Kingdom Of The Spiders right off the bat. Slow moving spiders beating up even slower reacting people – sign me up. It brings back fond memories of lazy Sunday early evenings in Southern California watching Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, on Channel 9 while settling into an amazingly cheeseball, but fun movie.
It’s always good to see William Shatner in any role outside of Captain Kirk, or a character alluding to Kirk. And in this flick, he delivers an oddly "dramedic" (drama + comedy) performance under the moniker Arizona’s own Dr. Robert “Rack” Hansen. Now I won’t spoil the story behind the catchy spy-guy nickname, but instead I will whole-heartedly recommend that any fan of horror or ‘70s movies in general grab this puppy up as soon as they can.
Alongside Shatner is Tiffany Bolling playing the alluring female lead. From her very first zero reaction to finding a giant tarantula in a vanity drawer for no reason, her performance falls right in line with what you expect (and want) from the role.
How many William Shatner films can you see where Shatner is the most under-control actor (well, at least until his attack scene that he mysteriously survives when others were knocked off with one nibble)?
It has all of the hallmarks of a good ‘70s horror romp – the overacting; the grainy, gritty film feel; the low budget stretched to the Nth degree; the appropriate yet still completely abrupt ending; and a ton of other entirely endearing qualities that make the ‘70s era of horror (and film in general) one of the most interesting and now influential eras in film history.
The opening scene in which a prize show-cow is assaulted by one of the offending beasties is shot from the spiders’ point of view. Call me crazy (as many have before and will again) but I love when older horror movies take a P.O.V. shot from a bug and treat it as high drama – which this movie does do not once, but a couple times. It’s this kind of sensibility in these films that I find so magnetic. Simple little devices used in unintentionally funny ways that draw you into even the worst of films are few and far between nowadays. Kingdom Of The Spiders finds a way to be unintentionally funny without being thoroughly terrible or unentertaining.
There’s also this wonderfully blurry line between TV movies of the era and movies of the same time period. This one has the same “could’ve been an ABC Sunday Night Movie” feel, but it doesn’t take anything away from the fun.
One of my favorite aspects of the movie is that 90% of the music is a lifted score from The Twilight Zone. And it’s not only used once or twice; it’s the dramatic underscore for a vast majority of the movie. Although it’s recognizable, it does nothing but add to the heaping amount of chuckles. When it’s not The Twilight Zone as the backbone of the musical drama, it’s a melodramatic score that overplays even the smallest of incidents, but again, that’s not a bad thing in this case.
As far as the special features go on the DVD, there’s a couple damn interesting nuggets. The first and best one is a rare behind-the-scenes film shot during the making of the movie. There aren’t many movies of that era with the foresight to archive some of the making of the movie and there are less DVD-authoring companies that will go the extra mile to find stuff like this. For that alone it’s worth getting the DVD. But there are other features: one on the spider wrangler for the movie, an interview with the venerable William Shatner, and an interview with the writer of the film. And though all the features (including the original trailer which is an ass-kicker) are sweet, it’s that behind-the-scenes one that really grabs you.
On top of that Shout has done something wonderful that may be of little note or care to others, but to me it’s the way these kinds of movies (or actually any movie on DVD to that end) should always be released – they used the original theatrical poster as the cover for the DVD – awesome!
As a totally related Trek side note – if you like this, go treat yourself to the giant rabbit invasion that is Night Of The Lepus (hopefully Shout will release that one with the same care they released this gem. It stars DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy) and is equally if not more entertaining in every wrong way possible.
Anyway, aside from any kind of hoity-toity film analysis, Kingdom Of The Spiders is an unabashedly entertaining fun example of a filmmaking sensibility that has sadly gone by. You go watch now.
From the very opening of the movie and the immediately out-of-place title music, it’s hard not to get wrapped up into Kingdom Of The Spiders right off the bat. Slow moving spiders beating up even slower reacting people – sign me up. It brings back fond memories of lazy Sunday early evenings in Southern California watching Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, on Channel 9 while settling into an amazingly cheeseball, but fun movie.
It’s always good to see William Shatner in any role outside of Captain Kirk, or a character alluding to Kirk. And in this flick, he delivers an oddly "dramedic" (drama + comedy) performance under the moniker Arizona’s own Dr. Robert “Rack” Hansen. Now I won’t spoil the story behind the catchy spy-guy nickname, but instead I will whole-heartedly recommend that any fan of horror or ‘70s movies in general grab this puppy up as soon as they can.
Alongside Shatner is Tiffany Bolling playing the alluring female lead. From her very first zero reaction to finding a giant tarantula in a vanity drawer for no reason, her performance falls right in line with what you expect (and want) from the role.
How many William Shatner films can you see where Shatner is the most under-control actor (well, at least until his attack scene that he mysteriously survives when others were knocked off with one nibble)?
It has all of the hallmarks of a good ‘70s horror romp – the overacting; the grainy, gritty film feel; the low budget stretched to the Nth degree; the appropriate yet still completely abrupt ending; and a ton of other entirely endearing qualities that make the ‘70s era of horror (and film in general) one of the most interesting and now influential eras in film history.
The opening scene in which a prize show-cow is assaulted by one of the offending beasties is shot from the spiders’ point of view. Call me crazy (as many have before and will again) but I love when older horror movies take a P.O.V. shot from a bug and treat it as high drama – which this movie does do not once, but a couple times. It’s this kind of sensibility in these films that I find so magnetic. Simple little devices used in unintentionally funny ways that draw you into even the worst of films are few and far between nowadays. Kingdom Of The Spiders finds a way to be unintentionally funny without being thoroughly terrible or unentertaining.
There’s also this wonderfully blurry line between TV movies of the era and movies of the same time period. This one has the same “could’ve been an ABC Sunday Night Movie” feel, but it doesn’t take anything away from the fun.
One of my favorite aspects of the movie is that 90% of the music is a lifted score from The Twilight Zone. And it’s not only used once or twice; it’s the dramatic underscore for a vast majority of the movie. Although it’s recognizable, it does nothing but add to the heaping amount of chuckles. When it’s not The Twilight Zone as the backbone of the musical drama, it’s a melodramatic score that overplays even the smallest of incidents, but again, that’s not a bad thing in this case.
As far as the special features go on the DVD, there’s a couple damn interesting nuggets. The first and best one is a rare behind-the-scenes film shot during the making of the movie. There aren’t many movies of that era with the foresight to archive some of the making of the movie and there are less DVD-authoring companies that will go the extra mile to find stuff like this. For that alone it’s worth getting the DVD. But there are other features: one on the spider wrangler for the movie, an interview with the venerable William Shatner, and an interview with the writer of the film. And though all the features (including the original trailer which is an ass-kicker) are sweet, it’s that behind-the-scenes one that really grabs you.
On top of that Shout has done something wonderful that may be of little note or care to others, but to me it’s the way these kinds of movies (or actually any movie on DVD to that end) should always be released – they used the original theatrical poster as the cover for the DVD – awesome!
As a totally related Trek side note – if you like this, go treat yourself to the giant rabbit invasion that is Night Of The Lepus (hopefully Shout will release that one with the same care they released this gem. It stars DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy) and is equally if not more entertaining in every wrong way possible.
Anyway, aside from any kind of hoity-toity film analysis, Kingdom Of The Spiders is an unabashedly entertaining fun example of a filmmaking sensibility that has sadly gone by. You go watch now.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The House On Sorority Row: 25th Anniversary Edition
Written by Fantasma el Rey
“Sister in life, sisters in death.” That’s the tag line for The House On Sorority Row, the 1983 horror/thriller that recently (late 2009) spawned a remake. I don’t know what the remake is like but the original is a fun little romp filled with bad ‘80s hair, decent suspense, and killings galore plus a good amount of nudity. The plot isn’t too terribly bad either.
Writer/director Mark Rosman opens his thriller with a doctor’s house call on a stormy night in 1961 and we witness what appears to a botched childbirth by C-section. Fast-forward to the then-present, early 1980s, and that same old house on Sorority Row. We see a handful of happy young girls after their graduation, filled with hope for the future; little do they know that their future will be slashed short.
The mean-spirited housemother kicks all the girls out by a certain day every year, no exceptions. This year's lot of girls isn’t going to play her game and they’re gonna stay anyway and party like crazy; no crabby old coots stopping them. So the girls of Theta Pi sorority plan their party and a prank on the old maid they despise so much. But their prank goes tragically wrong and the old bag is killed and “hidden” in the old green, slimy pool out back or so the girls think.
While the graduation party rages on, a few extra rowdy guests head out back to play in the filthy pool and as the nervous girls rush to herd the boys back inside, they discover that the body is missing. And this is when the fun starts. The girls involved begin to disappear one by one as they are killed off and thrown in the pool. So the slayings go on and the old doctor from ’61 is phoned and brought back into the picture. Ninety-one minutes and a somewhat cliché ending later all is revealed.
The House On Sorority Row isn’t really a slasher as Rosman tries to pay homage to Hitchcock and other masters of film, having some murders off screen or in shadow. The ending, which is the best part, makes the whole damn picture worth seeing for that scene alone. Too bad we didn’t see a bit more of that or the original ending for that matter which Rosman was forced to cut by his backers. He describes the lost scene pretty well and leaves us thinking that the original ending would have put this movie truly over the top in cult-horror film history.
Bonus features to this 25th Anniversary Edition DVD include a story board comparison, photo gallery (with some nice stills) and a decent audio commentary by Rosman and actors Eileen Davidson, who we see topless in the film, and Kathryn McNeil. The DVD cover is also noteworthy for the fact that it features a scantily clad hottie in front of a creepy, gothic looking big window. Hubba, hubba!
“Sister in life, sisters in death.” That’s the tag line for The House On Sorority Row, the 1983 horror/thriller that recently (late 2009) spawned a remake. I don’t know what the remake is like but the original is a fun little romp filled with bad ‘80s hair, decent suspense, and killings galore plus a good amount of nudity. The plot isn’t too terribly bad either.
Writer/director Mark Rosman opens his thriller with a doctor’s house call on a stormy night in 1961 and we witness what appears to a botched childbirth by C-section. Fast-forward to the then-present, early 1980s, and that same old house on Sorority Row. We see a handful of happy young girls after their graduation, filled with hope for the future; little do they know that their future will be slashed short.
The mean-spirited housemother kicks all the girls out by a certain day every year, no exceptions. This year's lot of girls isn’t going to play her game and they’re gonna stay anyway and party like crazy; no crabby old coots stopping them. So the girls of Theta Pi sorority plan their party and a prank on the old maid they despise so much. But their prank goes tragically wrong and the old bag is killed and “hidden” in the old green, slimy pool out back or so the girls think.
While the graduation party rages on, a few extra rowdy guests head out back to play in the filthy pool and as the nervous girls rush to herd the boys back inside, they discover that the body is missing. And this is when the fun starts. The girls involved begin to disappear one by one as they are killed off and thrown in the pool. So the slayings go on and the old doctor from ’61 is phoned and brought back into the picture. Ninety-one minutes and a somewhat cliché ending later all is revealed.
The House On Sorority Row isn’t really a slasher as Rosman tries to pay homage to Hitchcock and other masters of film, having some murders off screen or in shadow. The ending, which is the best part, makes the whole damn picture worth seeing for that scene alone. Too bad we didn’t see a bit more of that or the original ending for that matter which Rosman was forced to cut by his backers. He describes the lost scene pretty well and leaves us thinking that the original ending would have put this movie truly over the top in cult-horror film history.
Bonus features to this 25th Anniversary Edition DVD include a story board comparison, photo gallery (with some nice stills) and a decent audio commentary by Rosman and actors Eileen Davidson, who we see topless in the film, and Kathryn McNeil. The DVD cover is also noteworthy for the fact that it features a scantily clad hottie in front of a creepy, gothic looking big window. Hubba, hubba!
Monday, January 18, 2010
The Men Who Stare At Goats
Written by Fido
Well, alright then, that was an incredibly lost movie. Like someone handing them the casting lottery ticket and they gave it to three-year-old who used it to wipe his nose after an incredibly unsatisfying sneeze. It had no idea whether it was a comedy, drama, etc. and it is just a complete waste of what should've been a good (and at the least fun) flick.
I go into this a big fan of everyone in the movie Kevin Spacey, George Clooney, Ewan MacGregor, and Jeff Bridges (freaking Flynn Lebowski for corncob’s sake) and this is what gets delivered?! At its best, it’s a dirty rotten tease of a movie that makes you think it’s just gathering steam for a great payoff. However, when all is said and done it just passes out on the floor right after you think you’re going to get lucky. (A story for another day, but I digress)
Granted, the script was nothing to really revel over. The movie felt like someone got way too stoned and listened to way too much Coast-To-Coast AM one night, then decided they could write a script about this remote viewing and psy-ops military stuff. Turns out that “special” brownies and insomnia don’t always equal genius.
Like I said before, is it a comedy, are we a drama, are we a true story kind of romp or are we just kind of stroking ourselves and spending the studio’s money on a sweet-ass vacation in the desert for a couple months. It turns out it’s the vacation the director and writer opted for. Now hey, don’t get me wrong, hangin’ on that set would’ve been a blast. I mean kickin’ around with all those guys and that much talent – so much to draw off of and get inspired by. It would be a dream job.
George Clooney does a half-ass job of his O Brother, Where Art Thou character as a drugged-up “psychic,” we get a little throwback to The Big Lebowski from Bridges, Spacey plays the usual likeable jerk that you kind of want to be friends with and punch all at once. Ewan MacGregor, not being stupid in real life, just doesn’t carry the insecure dumbfounded guy role off that well whatsoever.
So - sad for the audience, the “making of” is/will probably be far more interesting than the movie itself. Maybe the DVD release will have that on there to help gloss over the stark matte finish of this flick.
Don’t get me wrong; it’s not the kind of movie that you’ll walk away from not liking the guys in it. It’s a good lesson for any moviemaker to show them that script and direction actually do matter more than the names on the marquee. So to that end, its existence is justified, but otherwise I watched this thinking, “Alright, here comes the good part. Oh man, this is going to be great when we see it all really gets moving. Okay, well maybe in the next act, we’ll get momentum." I had this inner monologue right up until the last scene. When my optimism faded, I looked around the living room, realizing I forgot to vacuum this weekend, and that would’ve been far more productive and far more entertaining.
Well, alright then, that was an incredibly lost movie. Like someone handing them the casting lottery ticket and they gave it to three-year-old who used it to wipe his nose after an incredibly unsatisfying sneeze. It had no idea whether it was a comedy, drama, etc. and it is just a complete waste of what should've been a good (and at the least fun) flick.
I go into this a big fan of everyone in the movie Kevin Spacey, George Clooney, Ewan MacGregor, and Jeff Bridges (freaking Flynn Lebowski for corncob’s sake) and this is what gets delivered?! At its best, it’s a dirty rotten tease of a movie that makes you think it’s just gathering steam for a great payoff. However, when all is said and done it just passes out on the floor right after you think you’re going to get lucky. (A story for another day, but I digress)
Granted, the script was nothing to really revel over. The movie felt like someone got way too stoned and listened to way too much Coast-To-Coast AM one night, then decided they could write a script about this remote viewing and psy-ops military stuff. Turns out that “special” brownies and insomnia don’t always equal genius.
Like I said before, is it a comedy, are we a drama, are we a true story kind of romp or are we just kind of stroking ourselves and spending the studio’s money on a sweet-ass vacation in the desert for a couple months. It turns out it’s the vacation the director and writer opted for. Now hey, don’t get me wrong, hangin’ on that set would’ve been a blast. I mean kickin’ around with all those guys and that much talent – so much to draw off of and get inspired by. It would be a dream job.
George Clooney does a half-ass job of his O Brother, Where Art Thou character as a drugged-up “psychic,” we get a little throwback to The Big Lebowski from Bridges, Spacey plays the usual likeable jerk that you kind of want to be friends with and punch all at once. Ewan MacGregor, not being stupid in real life, just doesn’t carry the insecure dumbfounded guy role off that well whatsoever.
So - sad for the audience, the “making of” is/will probably be far more interesting than the movie itself. Maybe the DVD release will have that on there to help gloss over the stark matte finish of this flick.
Don’t get me wrong; it’s not the kind of movie that you’ll walk away from not liking the guys in it. It’s a good lesson for any moviemaker to show them that script and direction actually do matter more than the names on the marquee. So to that end, its existence is justified, but otherwise I watched this thinking, “Alright, here comes the good part. Oh man, this is going to be great when we see it all really gets moving. Okay, well maybe in the next act, we’ll get momentum." I had this inner monologue right up until the last scene. When my optimism faded, I looked around the living room, realizing I forgot to vacuum this weekend, and that would’ve been far more productive and far more entertaining.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
ER - The Complete Twelfth Season
Written by Hombre Divertido
As the twelfth season of the classic hospital drama hit the shelves on January 12th, 2010, one could not help but be intrigued by packaging that, for the first time, displayed no pictures of any original cast members. With the virtual disappearance of Sherry Stringfield’s Doctor Susan Lewis (apparently if you leave a hit show a second time, it is without fanfare) and the departure of Noah Wiley’s Doctor John Carter (who does manage to make a few appearances in season twelve, but only as a special guest) the show embarks on a new season with the changing of the guard now complete.
Due to the eleventh-year ending with one of the weaker season finales in the history of the series, season twelve opens with a mess to clean up. The first episode ("Cañon City") accomplishes that, but Linda Cardellini’s performance as Sam the frantic mom in search of her runaway son is a bit tired, and stretches the competent actress beyond her abilities. On the bright side, the episode marks the beginning of the end for the relationship between Sam and Luka (Goran Visinjic). Said relationship struggled through season eleven almost as much as the audience struggled to watch the storyline.
Where season eleven faltered with writing for the series veterans, season twelve gives the audience more of what they want. Shane West as Dr. Ray Barnett and Scott Grimes as Dr. Archie Morris were underutilized in season eleven, but are given the opportunity to shine in season twelve. West’s Barnett brings a youthful energy to the series not seen in the ER in years, while Grimes’ Morris brings subtle humor to the show for the first time. Though Grimes would remain with the show through the final season, his comedic abilities remained unappreciated.
Along with Grimes and West, the more experienced members of the ER cast are certainly given their respective time to show what they can do. Most noticeable is the performance of Maura Tierney in episode eleven “If Not Now” where Abby ponders a life-changing decision. Let us also mention that though the packaging may not show their pictures, there are some cast members who have been around since season one and they are given some solid screen time in season twelve as well. Yvette Freeman gets some wonderful storylines as Haleh and does great work, and Abraham Benrubi as the endearing Jerry steals scenes in several episodes.
Where the regulars shine, the newcomers tend to come up short as continued attempts to add an antagonist fail. Kristen Johnston as Nurse Manager Eve Peyton certainly added an imposing female force to the cast, and the characters ability to be imposing yet less confrontational than Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes) was entertaining, but eventually there was little for her to do. Also added to the mix was new attending Doctor Victor Clemente portrayed by John Leguizamo. His performance was solid albeit limited in dimension, and ultimately, arrogant and screwed up have both been done better by previous characterizations.
Whereas the performances of the series regulars were consistently good, the writing in season twelve hits both highs and lows rarely seen in years past. The episodes spent following Doctor Carter in Africa are interesting, but ultimately too much time is spent away from the ER, and both the character of Doctor Greg Pratt and the performance of Mekhi Phifer seem lost. Nonetheless, anytime spent in Africa in season twelve is preferable to the time spent in episode six “Dream House”. From the treating of a monkey to the antics of Dr Dabenko (Leland Orser) on the two-way mobile television, this is one of the worst episodes in the series. The writing rebounds in episode eight “Two Ships” which smoothly blends exciting storylines featuring not only our regular cast but those involving patients, visitors, and characters normally found outside the ER.
The season finale certainly is filled with excitement, but the script is too contrived, the guest performances are weak, and ultimately it’s just enough already with the stories about Sam’s family.
Many of the episodes of season twelve are enhanced by music like never before in the series. Martin Davich’s work with the music in the final scene of “If Not Now” is amazing as he frames a picture in sound worthy of award consideration.
Above all else it is directing that leads the way in season twelve as ER displays true elegance in its storytelling. Episode 13 “Body and Soul” features a subtly brilliant performance by James Woods, but it is the writing of Joe Sachs and the directing of our old friend Paul McCrane that makes this star shine.
Unaired scenes make up the bonus material in this release, and the lack of any other extras continues to be a disappointment with each new set of "ER" DVDs.
Recommendation: After a disappointing season eleven, it is time to check back into County General. ER comes back stronger in season twelve and lays some promising groundwork for the coming years.
As the twelfth season of the classic hospital drama hit the shelves on January 12th, 2010, one could not help but be intrigued by packaging that, for the first time, displayed no pictures of any original cast members. With the virtual disappearance of Sherry Stringfield’s Doctor Susan Lewis (apparently if you leave a hit show a second time, it is without fanfare) and the departure of Noah Wiley’s Doctor John Carter (who does manage to make a few appearances in season twelve, but only as a special guest) the show embarks on a new season with the changing of the guard now complete.
Due to the eleventh-year ending with one of the weaker season finales in the history of the series, season twelve opens with a mess to clean up. The first episode ("Cañon City") accomplishes that, but Linda Cardellini’s performance as Sam the frantic mom in search of her runaway son is a bit tired, and stretches the competent actress beyond her abilities. On the bright side, the episode marks the beginning of the end for the relationship between Sam and Luka (Goran Visinjic). Said relationship struggled through season eleven almost as much as the audience struggled to watch the storyline.
Where season eleven faltered with writing for the series veterans, season twelve gives the audience more of what they want. Shane West as Dr. Ray Barnett and Scott Grimes as Dr. Archie Morris were underutilized in season eleven, but are given the opportunity to shine in season twelve. West’s Barnett brings a youthful energy to the series not seen in the ER in years, while Grimes’ Morris brings subtle humor to the show for the first time. Though Grimes would remain with the show through the final season, his comedic abilities remained unappreciated.
Along with Grimes and West, the more experienced members of the ER cast are certainly given their respective time to show what they can do. Most noticeable is the performance of Maura Tierney in episode eleven “If Not Now” where Abby ponders a life-changing decision. Let us also mention that though the packaging may not show their pictures, there are some cast members who have been around since season one and they are given some solid screen time in season twelve as well. Yvette Freeman gets some wonderful storylines as Haleh and does great work, and Abraham Benrubi as the endearing Jerry steals scenes in several episodes.
Where the regulars shine, the newcomers tend to come up short as continued attempts to add an antagonist fail. Kristen Johnston as Nurse Manager Eve Peyton certainly added an imposing female force to the cast, and the characters ability to be imposing yet less confrontational than Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes) was entertaining, but eventually there was little for her to do. Also added to the mix was new attending Doctor Victor Clemente portrayed by John Leguizamo. His performance was solid albeit limited in dimension, and ultimately, arrogant and screwed up have both been done better by previous characterizations.
Whereas the performances of the series regulars were consistently good, the writing in season twelve hits both highs and lows rarely seen in years past. The episodes spent following Doctor Carter in Africa are interesting, but ultimately too much time is spent away from the ER, and both the character of Doctor Greg Pratt and the performance of Mekhi Phifer seem lost. Nonetheless, anytime spent in Africa in season twelve is preferable to the time spent in episode six “Dream House”. From the treating of a monkey to the antics of Dr Dabenko (Leland Orser) on the two-way mobile television, this is one of the worst episodes in the series. The writing rebounds in episode eight “Two Ships” which smoothly blends exciting storylines featuring not only our regular cast but those involving patients, visitors, and characters normally found outside the ER.
The season finale certainly is filled with excitement, but the script is too contrived, the guest performances are weak, and ultimately it’s just enough already with the stories about Sam’s family.
Many of the episodes of season twelve are enhanced by music like never before in the series. Martin Davich’s work with the music in the final scene of “If Not Now” is amazing as he frames a picture in sound worthy of award consideration.
Above all else it is directing that leads the way in season twelve as ER displays true elegance in its storytelling. Episode 13 “Body and Soul” features a subtly brilliant performance by James Woods, but it is the writing of Joe Sachs and the directing of our old friend Paul McCrane that makes this star shine.
Unaired scenes make up the bonus material in this release, and the lack of any other extras continues to be a disappointment with each new set of "ER" DVDs.
Recommendation: After a disappointing season eleven, it is time to check back into County General. ER comes back stronger in season twelve and lays some promising groundwork for the coming years.
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