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Clock Cleaners (1937)
"Clock Cleaners" Ticks All The Right Boxes
In this charming 1937 Disney short, "Clock Cleaners" is a delightful and whimsical tale that will leave you smiling long after the credits roll. This 8-minute animated gem is a masterclass in concise storytelling, clever humor, and technical wizardry.
The plot is deceptively simple: three clock cleaners, each with their own unique personality, embark on a series of misadventures to clean the intricate mechanisms of a giant clock. However, as the story unfolds, we're treated to a series of clever gags, witty character interactions, and impressive visual feats that elevate the narrative to something truly special.
One of the standout aspects of "Clock Cleaners" is its tone. The film walks the perfect balance between lighthearted humor and slapstick comedy, ensuring that both children and adults can enjoy the ride. The characters are well-developed and relatable, with their quirks and flaws making them all the more endearing.
The animation is, of course, a major highlight. The character designs are charming, with bold lines and expressive faces that bring the clock cleaners to life. The backgrounds are equally impressive, showcasing intricate details and clever use of negative space. The visual effects are seamless, with the clock's mechanical parts coming together in a mesmerizing display of animation wizardry.
The score is equally impressive, with a jaunty tune that perfectly captures the film's playful spirit. The sound design is equally effective, with the sound effects adding to the overall sense of chaos and mayhem that ensues as the clock cleaners try to get their work done.
If I'm being nitpicky, there are a few moments where the pacing feels a bit rushed, but this is a minor quibble in an otherwise flawless short film. Overall, "Clock Cleaners" is a true masterpiece of animation that has stood the test of time. It's a film that will leave you smiling, laughing, and maybe even feeling a little bit nostalgic for the golden age of animation.
Rating: 8/10.
The Waterboy (1998)
A Splash of Laughter and Heart
Adam Sandler's "The Waterboy" is a delightful, if not entirely unexpected, surprise. This goofy comedy, directed by Frank Coraci, is a masterclass in balancing absurdity with genuine warmth. At its core, the film tells the story of Bobby Boucher, a socially awkward water boy who finds his calling on the football field. But beneath its silly surface, "The Waterboy" is a poignant exploration of identity, community, and the power of embracing one's true self.
Sandler shines as the lovable but awkward Bobby, bringing his signature blend of vulnerability and wit to the role. His chemistry with Kathy Bates, as his eccentric mother, is undeniable, and their performances are a highlight of the film. The supporting cast, including Henry Winkler and Fairuza Balk, adds to the movie's charm.
Visually, "The Waterboy" is a treat. The cinematography captures the idyllic Louisiana setting with a warm, golden glow, while the production design brings the fictional Bayou Blue College to life. The score, composed by Alan Silvestri, perfectly complements the film's lighthearted tone.
What truly resonates about "The Waterboy" is its ability to make you feel good. The movie's humor is infectious, and it's impossible not to smile along with Bobby's antics. But beneath the laughs, the film also tackles themes of bullying, loneliness, and self-discovery in a way that's both authentic and empowering.
If I'm being nitpicky, some of the supporting characters feel a bit one-dimensional, and the pacing can be uneven at times. Additionally, some of the jokes may feel dated to modern audiences.
Overall, however, "The Waterboy" is a delightful surprise that will leave you grinning from ear to ear. It's a testament to Sandler's enduring charm and the power of comedy to bring people together. So if you're looking for a light-hearted good time with a heart of gold, look no further than this 1998 classic.
Rating: 7/10
Recommendation: If you enjoy offbeat comedies with a touch of heart, you'll likely appreciate "The Waterboy." Fans of Adam Sandler's earlier work will also find plenty to love.
Batman & Robin (1997)
A Chilling Disaster - Batman and Robin Leaves Viewers Cold
The summer blockbuster "Batman and Robin" had me yearning for the Batmobile to whisk me away from the chaos it inflicted upon my cinematic senses. In what can only be described as a catastrophic misstep, this installment of the beloved Batman franchise falls flat on its face, offering nothing but disappointment, regret, and a deep chill that has nothing to do with the notoriously cold villain, Mr. Freeze.
The plot, or rather the lack thereof, is the first blow to this film's credibility. Instead of a coherent narrative, we are subjected to a convoluted mess of incoherent dialogues and random action sequences. It seems like the filmmakers were more interested in showcasing flashy set pieces and over-the-top costumes rather than crafting a compelling story. The film fails to explore any substantial themes and instead opts for gratuitous ice puns, further worsening its already icy reception.
Moving on to the characters, it's almost painful to watch talented actors like George Clooney and Uma Thurman struggle to breathe life into poorly developed roles. Clooney's portrayal of Batman lacks the brooding intensity we've come to expect, feeling more like a milk-toast imitation of the iconic character. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Mr. Freeze, on the other hand, is a one-liner-spewing caricature that never manages to evoke genuine terror or empathy.
The direction by Joel Schumacher is another confounding aspect of this film. The erratic tone swings from campy to dark to bizarre, leaving the viewer disoriented and disillusioned. It feels like Schumacher was torn between honoring the Batman legacy and catering to a more child-friendly audience. The end result alienates both demographics, leaving everyone feeling cold and unsatisfied.
In terms of technical aspects, the score by Elliot Goldenthal fails to make any significant impact, failing to evoke the thrilling atmosphere one would expect from a Batman film. The cinematography and production design, while flashy and colorful, resemble a gaudy neon carnival rather than the gritty, atmospheric Gotham City we love.
Special effects, touted as a selling point, are another source of disappointment. Rather than enhancing the film's visuals, they come across as cheap and cheesy, further contributing to the overall lackluster experience. The editing and pace exacerbate the film's issues, as scenes linger too long without purpose and transitions feel jarring and disjointed.
To sum it up, "Batman and Robin" is a misguided attempt to capitalize on the iconic Batman franchise. Its lack of a cohesive plot, underdeveloped characters, chaotic direction, uninspired score, and mediocre technical elements combine for a deeply unsatisfying experience. Perhaps the only thing this film manages to make one feel is a longing for the end credits. Save yourself the agony and seek out one of the many superior Batman films that truly resonate with their audience.
Hot Potato: The Story of the Wiggles (2023)
How A Simple Kids Group Became A Worldwide Sensation
Like with most people, I grew up with listening to the popular children's group, The Wiggles. I mean I was obsessed with the group as a kid because I had the videos, sang the songs, and watched the show on Playhouse Disney. But this documentary shows how they are more than just a kids group with catchy music, the documentary explores even further at just how they were able to overcome new challenges and obstacles along the journey ranging from mental health, medical emergencies, and other things. It also features how the group would have new additions to the group in the form of new cast members and new songs to impact a new generation of fans with new songs and more.
This documentary made me feel nostalgic as well as having me laugh, cry, and interested in knowing more about my favorite childhood heroes. As a longtime fan of The Wiggles, this was a MUST SEE for me because these guys (Greg, Jeff, Murray, and Anthony) have played such a big part in my life that I feel that I can appreciate everything they've done not just as musicians, but even more as legends that have defined the world of music for generations of children all over the world. There is no doubt that The Wiggles have left their mark on music and entertainment.
Sesame Street: All-Star Alphabet (2005)
Learning Your ABCs...The Fun Way
All-Star Alphabet stars Nicole Sullivan as The Letter A and Stephen Colbert as The Letter Z. This video encourages children to learn the letters of the alphabet, but Sesame Street manages to find a fun and exciting way to keep the learning going. This plays a good bit of nostalgia for me because I grew up with this video and ironically, this was how I was introduced to Nicole Sullivan and Stephen Colbert.
On another note, the video provides some all-star musical numbers from The Chicks, Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, and Norah Jones (which are all letter based) and the video itself does not lie when it said "there's fun between A and Z". I always wanted to see a second All-Star Alphabet because I think it would've been something thrilling and exciting with some new letter based song parodies.
All in all, All-Star Alphabet is a blast to watch, a thrill with every letter segment, and an incredible way for your kids.
80 for Brady (2023)
Funny but Ok
80 For Brady tells the story of four best friends (Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, and Sally Field) as they all join forces through a connection of being fans of the New England Patriots and their iconic quarterback, Tom Brady in this wholesome comedy.
It centers around Super Bowl 51 in 2017, when the New England Patriots were facing against the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl of the year. When the four women get to the Super Bowl, all kinds of fun and mayhem take place. If anything, the film is sort of a retelling of the game in question but from a fan (or four) in their perspective.
Other notable appearances in this movie, come from Rob Gronkowski, Guy, Fieri, and legendary and charming... Tom Brady. Overall, the film was ok, it got a few laughs out of me, it wasn't as horrible as I thought so much as I thought it was a decent attempt to be a comedy. If anyone else is a fan of Tom Brady or the New England Patriots, then look no further into checking out this film.
The Hangover Part II (2011)
Copy & Pate Sequel Yet Still Enjoyable
Hangover Part II sees the return of Alan, Phil, Stu, and Doug, otherwise known as The Wolfpack, join forces yet again for another incredible and wild adventure. This movie is set two years after Doug and Tracy's wedding and so now it's Stu (Ed Helms) who is set to be married to a woman named Lauren (Lauren Chung) in Thailand. But after a night of unknown events and wild moments, the gang except Doug find themselves waking up to a hotel room in Bangkok where they meet up with none other than Leslie Chow (Ken Jeong) in this fun and entertaining sequel.
The new characters are a great addition, the comedic chemistry with the actors in many of the scenes seem to do the trick, and it was able to give me quite a ton of laughs throughout the film. However, this movie does follow under the same line as most sequels do and that is known as "copy and paste everything and change up the premise a bit". Not saying that it's a bad thing, but if you've watched the first movie and probably know it by heart, then chances are that you too will notice the similarities between this movie and the first one. All in all, a decent sequel and it totally lives up to the hype in the iconic comedy trilogy.
Cocaine Bear (2023)
If You Give a Bear Cocaine
What...a...movie! So the film is set around the mid 1980s and when there was a shipment of cocaine to be distributed but in the total midst it gets into the wrong hands...or in accurate sense, wrong paws. What totally blew my mind was that this movie was based on a true story but much like most adaptations, this one expands on how much was true while at the same time is used for comedic horror filter. The story itself spans an entire day where it focuses on several individuals ranging from a drug dealer (Ray Liotta), a mother who doubles as a nurse (Keri Russell), a detective (Isiah Whitlock Jr.), a sheriff (Margo Martindale), and a pair of drug smugglers (Eddie Ehrenreich and O'Shea Jackson Jr.) who are all somewhat connected to this one similar situation.
At first when viewing the trailers, it looked intense with the cottage being presented and from what this movie viewer can tell you, it was a lot more than not only I could handle, but a lot more than what everyone in the theater could handle. I used to think that the Evil Dead movies were gory but OMG this takes the entire cake. While it had a lot of gory scenes, it should be worth noting that there were a handful of funny moments in the film too. It had me howling with laughter at times when first seeing it.
On a very sad and unfortunate note here, this was known to be Ray Liotta's last film he was involved in before he passed away during production. But he really does put in his best as well as the other actors and actresses involved in this film.
All in all, the story was insane and intense all in one, the cast really made the story believable, and the film itself had me at the edge of my seats. I recommend it but at the same time I was thinking to myself, "how does one recommend something like that?"
You heard from me, fellow film fanatics. Once I get to see it, I'll give out the honest opinion and keep y'all informed.
A Man Called Otto (2022)
One of Tom Hanks' best performances
Tom Hanks stars in "A Man Called Otto" as Otto Anderson, an old man who lives in a neighborhood who has a bit of a grumpy tone towards those around him. He then meets a woman named Marisol who moves in with her husband and two daughters as they are expecting a newborn along the way (played by Mariana Treviño) and she and Otto form a friendship throughout the film as she tries to open him up on enjoying life.
This was one of the many films that I really wanted to see in theaters and the trailer itself looked promising. And when seeing it, it lived up to my expectations and it had me in all emotions throughout. Tom Hanks really knocks it out of the park and it just comes to show that he is truly a good actor. I recommend this movie if you haven't seen it yet and I give it an 8/10.
Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery (2014)
A Mystery-Comedy Tag Team of Entertainment
As someone who loves both cartoons and WWE, this was the the thing to look forward to. This video was able to take the outline of a typical episode of Scooby-Doo and sort of mash it into the universe of the WWE in an ultimate crossover of the ages. No seriously, having Scooby and the gang team up with WWE superstars like Sin Cara, AJ Lee, Kane, Miz, John Cena, Brodus Clay,Triple H, and even Vince McMahon is unimaginable.
In this mystery, there seems to be a possessed bear on the loose wrecking havoc in WWE City. And because of Shaggy's new video game, he, along with the gang, go on a trip to WWE City where they must put an end to the evil bear.
After watching the cartoon I thought that the dialogue was very funny, I thought that the build up to the climax was entertaining and the whole concept with the crossover in general lived up to my standards and expectations of entertainment.
All in all, it is a great cartoon, and I think it is very underrated and should be given a LOT more credit than it was given. If you are a Scooby-Doo fan, a WWE fan, a cartoon fan (like me), or all of those things go get yourself a copy of this movie and see it for yourself because you won't be disappointed!
The New Batman Adventures: Mad Love (1999)
Best Harley Quinn Story of All Time
Everyone knows Harley Quinn because of her connection towards her evil significant other, The Joker. But this shows us a part of Harley Quinn we never saw ever since her debut in BTAS. It shows us how she's treated when being with the Joker and let's just say that he treats her like a dog even when she tries to impress Joker by capturing Batman just so she could gain his support. It's also worth mentioning here that this is indeed based on a graphic novel of the same name written by Paul Dini and this is really one of the shows greater accomplishments. Great episode with great storylines.
The Invisible Man (2020)
An Unexpectedly Decent Movie
Elisabeth Moss struggles for surviving against evil spirits in the 2020 sci-fi horror movie Invisible Man. This movie was directed as well as written by Leigh Whannell and stars Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, Harriet Dyer, Michael Dorman, and Oliver Jackson-Cohen. This film was suspenseful with a kick of jump scares happening right when you least expect it. The score is fitting for the film and it was a good experience of a film overall. I'm giving this movie a 7/10.
iCarly: iStakeout (2008)
Tattoos, Cops, and Pirate Movies...Oh My!
IStakeout is episode 20 of season 1 as well as episode 20 in the overall series. This episode starts off with Spencer making a birthday cake for his buddy, Socko, when the iCarly gang get a surprise visit from a detective who is on the lookout for someone who is said to be selling pirated films. This episode introduces us to one-time character Stu "Spanky" Stimbler, who according to the episode is someone who used to go to sleep away camp with and had a bit of a reputation for spanking people. The Side B plot is Sam and Freddie making a bet about what MPEG means, Sam wins the bet and makes Freddie get a tattoo of Sam's face on his arm. It turns out that tattoo is fake to make it feel like a real tattoo. Meanwhile, the gang heads down to the convenient store to find out if it was true that the storekeeper was selling pirated copies of movies, but it turns out that he sells "Pirate" movies (consisting of films he made called Aarrrgh). A great episode and one of my favorite episodes from Season 1.
The Hangover (2009)
A Review For A Movie That We'll Never Forget
Four best friends have a bachelor party in the city of Las Vegas that slowly turns into a wild handful of events in this funny comedy appropriately titled The Hangover. In this movie, Zach Galafinakis is Alan Garner, who is going to Vegas with his future brother in law Doug (played by Justin Bartha) and his friends Phil (played by Bradley Cooper) and Stu (played by Ed Helms) to celebrate Doug's upcoming wedding with Alan's sister Tracy. They all begin to make a night they'll never forget which slowly turns into a night filled with regretful decisions and none of them even remember what happened from the night before and more importantly, they lost Doug and have no idea where he is. So now they have to trace their steps to try and find him before the wedding. One scene has the trio meet up with professional boxing champion Mike Tyson to discuss why there was a tiger in their bathroom which I found hilarious in all kinds of ways known to comedy. This movie is one that I've seen many more times than any other comedy I've ever encountered. The dialogue was very funny, the acting was good (especially for an original comedy), the plot was so well played out, and I had a lot of fun watching this movie. I'm giving The Hangover an 8/10.
Step Brothers (2008)
A Good Comedy with a barrel of Laughs
Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly join forces in a comedy about 40 year old men who become step brothers in this classic comedy appropriately titled "Step Brothers". This film stars Will Ferrell as Brennan Huff, a man in his 40s who lives with his mother (played by Mary Steenburgen) who meets Dr. Robert Doback (played by Richard Jenkins) at a local presentation when a spark hits both of them. Eventually they get married and become a happy couple with a happy family. John C. Reilly also stars in this film as Dale Doback, the son of Dr. Doback. He and Brennan eventually meet and start out as strangers who hate each other while living in the same house. Adam Scott co-stars in the movie as Derek Huff, Brennan's younger brother who also happens to be a professional real estate agent. This movie is one of my favorite comedies that also happens to have a selective funny moments, in one particular scene, Brennan and Dale have a fight around the house when Dale accuses Brennan of playing with his drum set with proof that he left a mark on the drumstick and fight around the house like a couple of children. This movie was actually a blast to sit through because I thought that the concept was very entertaining, Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly work really well together as a comedy duo and it's one of Will Ferrell's best performances in my opinion. I give this movie a 7 out of 10 stars.
Drake & Josh: The Great Doheny (2006)
Doheny!
The Great Doheny is the sixth episode of the fourth season as well as the 43rd episode in the overall series. In this episode, Josh runs into a magician that he once saw on stage many years ago named Henry Doheny. He's in town to open up a new restaurant but as it turns out, life had not been too kind to the former magician. So Josh decides to give him a helping hand with how to get him back on top by letting him stay at their place when they soon realize that he's been a bit of a bugger. One night he decides to perform a trick involving him in a box and a few swords going through that box, unfortunately the act stops because Doheny was persumed dead. During the memorial service as the group grieve for the loss of Henry, he appears back explaining that it was a trick. The trick was so well received he was given a contract to work in Las Vegas and getting paid for four million dollars. The episode is a blast, it really was a "magical" episode.
Pig (2021)
Pig (2021)
Pig is one of the more bizarre films that I have recently witnessed by far. And man believe me when I tell you that I didn't know what to make of this. In this film, Nicholas Cage plays Rob, a farmer who lives on a farm in the middle of nowhere with his pig. One day his pig gets taken away by an unknown bandit and now it's up to Rob to go and save his pig's life. He is then joined by Amir (played by Alex Wolff) who agrees to help Rob with his quest to go save his pig. Wolff and Cage's acting chemistry in this movie is decent but it just wasn't what I was hoping for. Now I'm not saying that Cage is a bad actor, he's done some great films in his career. This movie just isn't really his best and I didn't think it was that good at all. The plot was okay, the cast was halfway decent, and the acting was very bland. I give this film a 6.5/10 at best.
Drake & Josh: The Demonator (2006)
My Favorite Drake & Josh Episode
The Demonator is the 15th episode of Season 3 and episode 35 in the overall series. In this episode, Drake and Josh see an advertisement about a new roller coaster for Mystic Mountain called The Demonator, and so they decide to ride on opening night. Unfortunately they can't go because they are in charge of taking care of their great grandfather, Papa Nichols after he just had surgery. This makes the boys invite Craig and Eric to take their place while the guys (along with Megan) go to the amusement park. As they get to the ride, they soon realize that it will take them a long time to get to the front of the line. Meanwhile back at the house, Craig and Eric are keeping an eye on Papa Nichols, but then he wakes up thinking that he is still in World War II and wrecks all havoc on Craig and Eric all around the house. I remember watching this when I was 6 years old and had a blast watching it whenever it came on tv because it's one of those episodes that get funnier every time it is shown on tv or anywhere.
Two and a Half Men: Of Course He's Dead: Part 1 & 2 (2015)
Beating A Dead Horse with Another Dead Horse
So it has finally come to this. I only saw the finale only once when it aired on CBS 6 years ago and then again when I finally had every season of the show on DVD (including the Ashton Kutcher episodes). So I'm gonna make this sort of quick, simple, and somewhat sweet. When it was announced that the show was coming to an end I was both sad and excited at the same time. While I have seen the show for all of my life, there was only one question that I had in mind, and the question was, "Will Charlie Sheen return for the final episode?" Because if you don't know what I mean by that, allow me to elaborate.
Charlie Sheen was the original star of the show when it first started back in 2003. And he was the reason the show was really popular not only with CBS executives, but also with the ratings. But in 2011 things started to take an odd turn for the show. Sheen was then fired from the show and the series was at a screeching halt. When it was determined that Charlie Sheen would be fired from the show a lot of people were considered for the replacement character, but they decided to go with Ashton Kutcher as he carried on the show for its last four seasons.
So now let's talk about the finale and its pros and cons.
Pros: An interesting plot, the return of many characters from the series, and guest star appearances
The plot was that 4 years after the "death" of Charlie Harper, there are said to be some unclaimed royalties from when he was a jingle writer in the amount 2.5 million dollars (I know it's cheesy but what can you expect from something like that?). The money has already been claimed by an unknown person which makes Alan suspect that Charlie might not be dead and is still alive after all of these years.
Return of Many Characters: A finale wouldn't be a finale without some surprise returns and this finale had a lot of memorable returns. While it was great seeing Alan, Walden, Jenny, Evelyn, Rose, and Berta, we got to see other characters from the series like Judith (Alan's ex wife), Kandi (Alan's second ex wife), and some of Charlie's exes like Mia, Chelsea, and Ms. Pasternak. But the one return that really surprised me was the return of Jake Harper (Alan's son). Seriously, he returns as a full grown man as he started out on the show as a little kid. And one of the best was Arnold Schwarzenegger is Lt. Wagner trying to track down Charlie so that Walden & Alan are safe.
The cons: A wasted opportunity, a bunch of unnecessary jabs, and the truth.
So like I said earlier, everyone was wondering if Charlie Sheen was going to return for the final episode of the series and the result was that while his character did (only seen in the back view), the actor Charlie Sheen did not. They basically set him up all this time and you would think that would work out but no, it was all a big joke to all of the die hard fans who had watched from the very beginning of the series. There are however a few jabs at charlie around the finale. Some about his past mistakes when he was let go from the show, some about his past before the show, and a few about his short lived series, Anger Management. Chuck Lorre used this as an opportunity to take every jab at Charlie he can get his hands on. Though Chuck said he had a good reason for why we never got to see Sheen in the finale.
I personally wasn't pleased with how it ended and I wish it could've been done better. So Chuck, you didn't win, you lost big time!
Superman (1978)
I Believe A Man Could Fly
Richard Donner's 1978 film, Superman, is considered by many as a classic DC film to millions of fans. Christopher Reeve stars in this movie as the man of steel himself, Superman, who was once from the planet Krypton and was sent into a portal down to earth who is then discovered by the Kents and becomes their son. Personally, I think Christopher Reeve is the best Superman of all time and plays the part perfectly. Stan Lee himself once said in an interview, "That first Superman Movie was superb. It not only brought in kids. But also families and made people think these are fascinating characters." This was actually my first encounter with anything Superman related because after that, I myself became a fan of Superman. From movies to comic books.
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Murphy at his funniest
Eddie Murphy got his start on Saturday Night Live (1975) in the early 80s and starred in movies such as 48 Hours and Trading Places. He stars in this hilarious cop comedy. One of the funniest comedies of the 1980s and it still holds up.
Lights, Camera, Action, Wiggles! (2002)
Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!
The Wiggles are hands down the greatest thing that I ever encountered in my childhood! The songs were catchy, the concept of the show was fun, and the good times rolled. Needless to say, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. The segments on the show were entertaining as it could get for any child and they're so much fun to watch. The segments include Network Wiggles News with Greg, Anthony's Workshop with arts and crafts you can learn from Anthony, Captain's Magic Buttons where Captain Feathersword shows tricks with his marvelous magic buttons, Music With Murray where you can learn about music and playing instruments, and Where's Jeff? the game show where you find Jeff. It was truly mind blowing watching it as a kid!
The Wiggles: Whoo Hoo! Wiggly Gremlins! (2003)
It's Time To Wiggle
The Wiggles are a fantastic children's band with catchy songs that you and your little ones can listen to when watching this video, you'll wiggle to the end.