Now that finals are over and my other work has started in full swing, I figure its time to get going with this column. Though I have not found time to post recently, I have been keeping up with the watching of films.
ROOM SERVICE - 1938
A slightly later Marx Brothers film, this typical romp delivers all of the zing and plith that one would expect. Though far from the manic craziness of efforts like DUCK SOUP, ROOM SERVICE aptly capitalizes on the personalities of the brothers, the lameness of their cohorts, and pokes fun at just about everything it can.
Here, Groucho is a poor play producer. He and his entire crew are about to be evicted from their hotel only days away from the openning of the production, all owing to the patronage of a rich backer. Faked deaths, a barrage of one-liners, and a short running time keep this interesting, though the Marx brothers formula has worked better elsewhere.
G.I. JOE: THE MOVIE - 1987
Though probably very well-known to most readers here, my recent revisiting of this pop cultural mainstay gave me a huge injection of WTF. Though existing only to sell toys (and doing a good job at introducing characters, if only for a few minutes), this film was weirder, funnier, and more abrasive then I remember. My favorite aspects had to do with poor animation effects, the fact that characters seldom wore weather appropriate clothes, and the general sense that kids so enraptured by the series would see beyond these funny shortcomings.
RED SONJA - 1985
Though seemingly always on cable, I had never managed to watch this entire movie. Finally, thanks to a too-good-too-pass sale at Hollywood Video consisting of their sadly diminishing VHS library (5 for $10 - I snagged DEMONS 2, CONAN THE DESTROYER, RED SONJA, PENITENTIARY, and SORORITY BABES AT THE SLIMEBALL BOWL-O-RAMA), I was able to view its total 90 min of misconceived glory.
Part clusterfuck and part epic, RED SONJA teams Arnie, a pretty but soulless newcomer, a kid karate champion, and a bunch of over-imaginative costumes into one bizarre lineup. Though very clearly adhering to the mandates of the genre, the film hardly ever rises to aspiring heights, instead just feeling “wrong” throughout.
Other films I’ve been watching include CAPTAIN KRONOS: VAMPIRE HUNTER, THE FANTASIST, and THE MAGIC SWORD.
Also, Jimmy and I have been getting way into Degrassi: The Next Generation and will begin reviewing the new mini webisodes. This show is it!
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