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Don't Let the Riverbeast Get You! (2012)
Perfect to watch with friends
A cinematic triumph. Better than anything Disney has released in the last 5 years since embarking on their "cultural awareness". With "Don't Let the Riverbeast Get You", the terrible acting and ridiculous dialogue is part of the fun. Sometimes enjoying a movie doesn't require some big-budget, self-righteous movie studio to tell us what we should be supporting.
"Don't Let the Riverbeast Get You" centers around Neil Stuart - an outcast in his hometown for perpetuating the legend of the "Riverbeast" - a Creature from the Black Lagoon knock-off who, despite his clumsy and slow mannerisms, is stealthy enough to elude detection by the locals. Will Neil be vindicated???
Low-budget move that is entertaining as hell.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Wanted it to be better...
I appreciated the emphasis on the tributes to Chadwick Boseman and how it must have made production of this sequel challenging for everyone involved. That said, I still wanted the writers to develop a fitting and sensible story. My biggest gripe is that I started seeing unfortunate parallels to Thor: Love and Thunder. I get that T'Challa's sister would play an important role in the future of Black Panther, but assuming the writers were committed to having a woman take the role, why couldn't one of the established warrior women be a candidate (such as Okoye)? The Black Panther "juice" grants the power (and perhaps some wisdom), but do they automatically inherit the in-depth fighting skills too - like Jane and all the kiddies did in Thor 4?
We are in an age where men and women are portrayed as adversarial rather than partners. While this film didn't go that way completely, it still shared many of those elements. I was excited to see Namor introduced... but with the rather unnatural conflict created, I wasn't sure what to make of the character they came up with here.
I hate seeing how Disney continues to paint itself into a corner in so many ways. I want to celebrate that previous spirit of creativity and magic again... and not keep feeling like a sucker for showing up.
This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
For the Future...
As the years go on, I understand this movie - a mock documentary - may make less and less sense. The best thing to understand is that this is a satire of how music was during a certain time in history. During the 1980s, Heavy Metal music was at its peak. Shrieking vocals. Shredding guitar solos. Lots of studded leather. Lots of hairspray.
Understand very clearly that there were some phenomenal musicians during this era. The talent cannot be denied. At the same time, things became as self-absorbed as they were decadent. This movie "taps" into the silliest stereotypes - the self-indulgent performer, the embarrassing outfits and behavior, the mismanagement faux pas. This is a commentary on how ridiculous it got. It's sad in a way, because this music genre became a lifestyle for so many. It was community. People felt connected to something. At the same time, the superficial aspect could not be sustained. It was not surprising to hear how so many musicians from the era were bothered by the portrayals. It hit very close to home.
Have fun with it. Watch and enjoy for what it was... A snapshot of a time in music that was entertaining and enjoyable.
Step Brothers (2008)
Fun, quality comedy
More involved and intricate than expected. One of the better Ferrell and Reilly collaborations. For anyone who has two sons (or step sons) - and any fan of silly, genuine comedy, this is a good one.
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Thor 4 = Superman 4...
From the forced humor, to the "everyone's mostly gay/bi" wokeness, to Jane conveniently inheriting Thor's power (and immediate battle skills), to the comedy-stylings of Zeus, to the "Hey kids - Everyone can have Thor's power!!!" -- There was enough crapola on display to show that Disney has been effective in finally ruining the Thor series. Instead of BEING influential, they're being influenced... in the worst ways. The shark has been jumped.
Spookley the Square Pumpkin (2005)
Adult or kid standard?
We've all been pretty spoiled by Disney/Pixar, DreamWorks, etc. This short feature is something my kids have been enjoying for several years now. It has a good message (comparable to the Rudolph story), there's no political angle, and has some fun music interludes. I won't bore anyone with some drawn out critique on why I think this doesn't meet my standards. It doesn't matter. It's not the best holiday cartoon, but it's certainly not the worst. My kids like it and there's nothing controversial about it. End of story.