Not an original idea here, so don't quote me as saying this is my idea. All credit goes to the old episodes of 'Geek Juice Radio', where I first heard this concept. Nobody copyrighted the idea, so let's leave it at that.
Best of birth years, this is where I take a look at the movies I loved & hated, but I'm also adding in some honorable mentions. I'm also adding a fourth (Though short) category of the 'Love/Hate' which are movies I both hate & love.
My birth year, 1993, was a fascinating year due to the fact that I went into this thinking of a few movies that I know were released in 93, but then the deeper I dug into it I started seeing titles I totally blanked out or forgot were released that year.
So let's get started with the best movies!
-The Sandlot: With parents who were very much enamored with watching Dodgers baseball games on TV throughout my life, this films was unavoidable. In my opinion this film is a baseball film second & a coming of age film first. The characters are all so realistic that I as a kid very much related to. We had the fat kid, the nerdy kid, the new kid, the kid who was like a veteran badass but with a heart of gold (Am I forgetting more?). Though it was very relatable, I didn't know anyone who had a club treehouse. 'Sigh', I wish I had a treehouse. The Sandlot is also a fine Comedy/Drama first, then a fun kid's film second with scenes like when they all chew tobacco, ride on the spinning roller coaster & start filling the skies with puke, then there's that scene that I'm shocked people are complaining about. The scene where the nerdy kid fakes drowning so the busty girl can save him & give him mouth to mouth. As a pre-pubecent kid that shit is funny! In my more analytical, more socially conscious self now.....I STILL FIND THAT SHIT FUNNY! Fuck all y'all!
I was shocked to find out this film is a cult classic, it should be more than just that. Also the sequel is a piece of shit & now I'm hearing rumors that '20th Century Fox' wants to make a prequel to this film. How in hell is that going to work? We don't need a prequel, what made this film work is we pretty much see the film through the view of the new kid as he moves in to the new home, meets this ragtag group of kids & bond over baseball in the 1950's. It was good, funny, heartwarming & it's something you don't see alot in mainstream kid's films anymore. It's all goofy comedy & over the top slapstick. We should get more of these live action, slice of life movies again, for kids.
Best of birth years, this is where I take a look at the movies I loved & hated, but I'm also adding in some honorable mentions. I'm also adding a fourth (Though short) category of the 'Love/Hate' which are movies I both hate & love.
My birth year, 1993, was a fascinating year due to the fact that I went into this thinking of a few movies that I know were released in 93, but then the deeper I dug into it I started seeing titles I totally blanked out or forgot were released that year.
So let's get started with the best movies!
-The Sandlot: With parents who were very much enamored with watching Dodgers baseball games on TV throughout my life, this films was unavoidable. In my opinion this film is a baseball film second & a coming of age film first. The characters are all so realistic that I as a kid very much related to. We had the fat kid, the nerdy kid, the new kid, the kid who was like a veteran badass but with a heart of gold (Am I forgetting more?). Though it was very relatable, I didn't know anyone who had a club treehouse. 'Sigh', I wish I had a treehouse. The Sandlot is also a fine Comedy/Drama first, then a fun kid's film second with scenes like when they all chew tobacco, ride on the spinning roller coaster & start filling the skies with puke, then there's that scene that I'm shocked people are complaining about. The scene where the nerdy kid fakes drowning so the busty girl can save him & give him mouth to mouth. As a pre-pubecent kid that shit is funny! In my more analytical, more socially conscious self now.....I STILL FIND THAT SHIT FUNNY! Fuck all y'all!
I was shocked to find out this film is a cult classic, it should be more than just that. Also the sequel is a piece of shit & now I'm hearing rumors that '20th Century Fox' wants to make a prequel to this film. How in hell is that going to work? We don't need a prequel, what made this film work is we pretty much see the film through the view of the new kid as he moves in to the new home, meets this ragtag group of kids & bond over baseball in the 1950's. It was good, funny, heartwarming & it's something you don't see alot in mainstream kid's films anymore. It's all goofy comedy & over the top slapstick. We should get more of these live action, slice of life movies again, for kids.
-True Romance: Is it white boy day? Many people take severe offence when I quote this funny as hell line from 'Drexyl', played by white guy acting black Gary Oldman. Yet these are the same folks who post 'Kill Whitey' photos on their Facebook feeds, can you believe that? So 'True Romance' is an awesome Tony Scott film with a screenplay by Quentin Tarantino, which explains the same sharp references in the dialogue & visual references to comic books & exploitation films. The story is what the title references, it's like a True Romance comic mixed with True Crime & the hyperviolent stylings of Tony Scott's direction. Clearance (Christian Slater) and Alabama (Patricia Arquette), a comic book nerd & a prostitute run off to California after Clearence kills Drexyl, Alabama's pimp, in a very stylish/ravy standoff with 'I Want Your Body' by Nymphomania playing in the background. So they run off to Cali, but then end up in more serious problems when they find out that one of their suitcases contains Drexyl's stolen coke. Also through that 2nd act they try to sell the coke to some big time Hollywood producers. Jeez, explains why 'Soul Plane' was greenlit. There are so many great scenes in this film, there's the Dennis Hopper scene on Italians which was great, the scenes where Brad Pitt is stoned out of his freaking mind was hilarious. It's bloody, brutal & a great crime story, I highly recommend it to all the Tarantino fans out there.
-Cool Runnings: A Jamaican bobsled team?! This movie makes me laugh alot! I still find myself saying "Come on, Zsamaica" in a German accent. Though it does kinda (Not as much) suffer from Hollywood's need to add a white actor to sell to Americans & it does suffer from making the Germans the villains, it's a pretty uplifting film about race & deals with that underlying current of racism without coming across as tonal whiplash. I also love the fact that there's this running joke of these guys being laughed at by almost everyone (Even in their native Jamaica) when mentioning they're training as a Jamaican bobsledding team. It's a fun film, it wasn't until late when I found out this was based off a true story. Whether the film takes a very loose view on the actual story is a little grey on me, I still have to say this was a fun film that is way more than just a typical sports Disney film, despite it following the same inspirational sports tropes as films like 'Miracle' and 'Rudy' which were released by Disney. Still, as far as sports films come, this is a funny ass film.
-Coneheads: My first awareness of this film occurred when I was 9 or 10 years old, a friend let me look at his Superman comic published in 1993. It was the issue during the 'Reign of the Supermen' arc when Superman dies & all these other Supermen type people start appearing in Metropolis. This issue is the origin story of 'Man of Steel', the one that was turned into that brilliant Shaquille O'Neal movie from 1996 (I seriously thought that flick was released in 93). So behind the cover there is an advert which has two silhouettes (From the shoulders up) & it just has "Consume Mass Quantities" in purple font with the date & the Paramount logo. This advert boggled me, I had no idea what this was a about. I would lie awake at night wondering what this movie is about, how it plays out & imagining scenes from this movie I knew nothing about. I knew it was about people with cone heads, but I had no point of reference as to how they would look like so my imagination went wild. I was thinking the film was going to be 'Beavis & Butthead' but with two guys with cone heads. It wasn't until I came across a VHS tape at the video store, but there was no way my dad would of let me rent this flick, despite the PG rating. So then a few years go by & huzzah huzzah! UPN decides to air this as their evening movie. I sat by, watched the Coneheads, was enamored by the sci-fi visuals of this film & laughed my ass off at the humor of it all. My friend (Who let me look at the Superman comic) came to me the day after asking me "Hey, did you see that movie where the funny guy that had a condom in his mouth & said "Chewing gum!" & right there I was like "Yeah! I watched Coneheads! IT WAS FUNNAY!!!!"
I don't understand the 'hate' this film gets. Sure, it's a SNL movie & provides cameos from other Saturday Night Live cast members & in that library of films based off sketches it's no 'Blues Brothers', but it is nowhere near the dread of 'It's Pat'.
Coneheads is my favorite comedy film of this year! It took the Coneheads & put them in middle America suburbia where they struggle to reach the American dream while being chased by the INS. Many people today may think "Oh really? They're just making fun of Illegal immigrants. This is insensitive." I really don't believe that. I truly think this film is pro sanctuary because the villains in this film are the INS & they are the butt of the satirical joke. There's the David Spader character always kissing ass, being insensitive rather than helping the people in his job & it's really funny when after kissing the head of the INS's ass so much, at the alien planet he starts kissing the Conehead emperor's ass. The Coneheads are really just trying to live their new life & adjusting to America just like real life Immigrants. Thankfully Dan Akroyd & Jane Curtin reprise their roles as Beldar & Prymatt & they don't play these aliens, they are the aliens the same way Gary Oldman doesn't just play Drexyl, but he becomes Drexyl. I also love that scene where Connie (The daughter of the coneheads) eats that Subway sandwich in one bite, not only because it was weirdly erotic, but because it was odd. Rather than making some weird special effect to make her mouth open wide, they made this Subway sandwich all wavy & wobbly with a CGI effect. This film has some very awesome special effects, from the sorta dated CGI to the miniature effects of the spaceships. Also the film has an awesome/creepy sequence of this stop motion Garthok done by stop motion extraordinaire/Dinosaur supervisor Phil Tippet & the fine folks at ILM.
It's funny & it's pretty imaginative, a word you rarely say in these sketch turned feature films. The creature effects, the miniature effects, the exterior shots of the Conehead planet, it's all gorgeous! You could tell alot of effort was put into this movie & I wish there was more Conehead planet stuff. This film also is one of those PG rated films that would easily be R-rated today. Lotta raunchy humor in this flick & we get a huge eyeful of Beldar's no ass crack ass in a locker room scene. Then there's that chewing gum bit I mentioned earlier, that still gets me.
I just adore this film, it's one of those films that's capable of cheering up my cynical ass. I was also glad to find that 'State Farm' the insurance firm released a commercial, three years ago, starring the coneheads & that made my day!
I don't understand the 'hate' this film gets. Sure, it's a SNL movie & provides cameos from other Saturday Night Live cast members & in that library of films based off sketches it's no 'Blues Brothers', but it is nowhere near the dread of 'It's Pat'.
Coneheads is my favorite comedy film of this year! It took the Coneheads & put them in middle America suburbia where they struggle to reach the American dream while being chased by the INS. Many people today may think "Oh really? They're just making fun of Illegal immigrants. This is insensitive." I really don't believe that. I truly think this film is pro sanctuary because the villains in this film are the INS & they are the butt of the satirical joke. There's the David Spader character always kissing ass, being insensitive rather than helping the people in his job & it's really funny when after kissing the head of the INS's ass so much, at the alien planet he starts kissing the Conehead emperor's ass. The Coneheads are really just trying to live their new life & adjusting to America just like real life Immigrants. Thankfully Dan Akroyd & Jane Curtin reprise their roles as Beldar & Prymatt & they don't play these aliens, they are the aliens the same way Gary Oldman doesn't just play Drexyl, but he becomes Drexyl. I also love that scene where Connie (The daughter of the coneheads) eats that Subway sandwich in one bite, not only because it was weirdly erotic, but because it was odd. Rather than making some weird special effect to make her mouth open wide, they made this Subway sandwich all wavy & wobbly with a CGI effect. This film has some very awesome special effects, from the sorta dated CGI to the miniature effects of the spaceships. Also the film has an awesome/creepy sequence of this stop motion Garthok done by stop motion extraordinaire/Dinosaur supervisor Phil Tippet & the fine folks at ILM.
It's funny & it's pretty imaginative, a word you rarely say in these sketch turned feature films. The creature effects, the miniature effects, the exterior shots of the Conehead planet, it's all gorgeous! You could tell alot of effort was put into this movie & I wish there was more Conehead planet stuff. This film also is one of those PG rated films that would easily be R-rated today. Lotta raunchy humor in this flick & we get a huge eyeful of Beldar's no ass crack ass in a locker room scene. Then there's that chewing gum bit I mentioned earlier, that still gets me.
I just adore this film, it's one of those films that's capable of cheering up my cynical ass. I was also glad to find that 'State Farm' the insurance firm released a commercial, three years ago, starring the coneheads & that made my day!
-Demolition Man: Stallone was the tits when I was a kid, nowadays not as much. I don't think kids today really care if Stallone makes another 'Expendables' movie or a sequel to that 'Escape Plan' bullcrap. Sorry to say, but Stallone is played out now & whatever action packed 'opus' he attempts to make is just another sad excuse to tell his audience "Hey!!! Heeeyy!!! I'm still cool! Look!" Despite his current career choices, we can always look back at his 80's & 90's work with warm memories. Then we get 'Demolition Man', a movie so like a Stallone vehicle, but in a way it kinda transcends itself into this satire that the mainstream audience just did not get at the time. Heralded as this "Silly attack on political correctness" or "An overblown Joel Silver action film trying to be smart." This was the 90's, when political incorrectness was still a thing, I think this film is way more poignant & relevant now than in 93. You have Stallone as 'John Spartan' and badass Wesley Snipes as 'Simon Pheonix', badass fucking character names. These two fight in the FAR FLUNG FUTURE OF....1996 where California is this burning war zone which opens up with the Hollywood sign on fire & this exterior landscape shot of a futuristic California in flames & a bunch of spotlights strafing in the sky. It's not clearly a cyberpunk future in the 1996 that is shown there, but that shot does remind the viewer of the beginning landscape shot of 'Blade Runner', without the all seeing eyeball or the Vangelis soundtrack. This sequence is epic as it then cuts to Spartan getting ready for his drop into Pheonix's fortress by leaping off a Chinook helicopter as he shouts "PHHEEEOOONIIXXXX!!!!!!!" then resulting in a shootout that would make John Woo proud. We also get the brief exposition that Pheonix has taken a bus full of hostages & is hiding them somewhere. So both Spartan & Pheonix fight, the fortress blows up & is shot in many angles to show they did spend money on this & they're gonna make this real exploding building worth their while! Then as a punch to the gut we find out Pheonix was hiding the hostages in his fortress, the fortress he blew up & frames Spartan by telling the cops he was just ignorant about it. So both John Spartan & Simon Pheonix are frozen, dethawed in a very sterile San Angeles, uber sensitive, very clean future where nobody uses violence, meat is outlawed, physical contact is outlawed, everyone listens to jingles from commercials (Oscar Meyer weiner jingles & all that), Taco Bell survived the franchise wars so all restaurants are Taco Bell (Or if you're watching an international cut of the film, all restaurants are Pizza Hut) then there's the brief mention of the Schwarzenegger Presidential Library (Schwarzenegger 2020). Then you got Dennis Leary & his population of underground people living in the sewer system because they don't believe in the sterile world above.
This film is way more than just a shoot 'em up action film with Stallone, it's satirical & it's funny. My favorite bit is the one where Stallone, Sandra Bullock & the other guy travel underground & Stallone smells burgers. He buys one by bartering a Rolex (I believe) & Sandra Bullock (Her character's name is Lelina Huxley) asks "Do you see any cows anywhere?" Then the lady selling burgers says the burger is made of rat meat. I love the look Stallone gives, he gives this genuine look of satisfaction & says "Well that's a damn good rat burger." I just love that. Then there's that bit he says at that Taco Bell
"Hurting people isn't fun! Well, sometimes it is, but not when those people are
I gotta talk about Lelina, she is the perfect cipher for all of us who were born in a specific decade & have an appreciation/fascination with stuff from before we were born. Also she's a badass martial artists who references 80's/90's HK Action. Her room is full of retro stuff from a jukebox, all the way to a poster of 'Lethal Weapon 2' (Or was it 3?). Lelina is badass & we as action film fanboys & fangirls can easily relate to this awesome chick, but of course she is then knocked unconscious by John with those techno baton things. She can handle her own in a fight! Why knock her out? Macho bullshit, but whether this was meant to be a satirical joke or succumbing to action movie tropes, I do not know.
Then there's Simon Pheonix, Wesley Snipes plays a damn good villain & his maniacal cackling still makes me smile. I don't even think Snipes was acting, I truly believe he was let loose on the set & the cameras were rolling without him knowing. He looked like he was having such a great time in that film.
This whole movie has been severely overlooked & it really is more relevant now than it was back then. Just replace the society with the internet. That whole world of San Angeles is what the internet is now where we got the people who want to keep the internet clean, safe & uber democratized while you got the other side wanting to just be free from the BS, but then you also got the minority (portrayed by Simon Pheonix) who just want anarchy & destruction, kinda like a specific group online that just likes to be ruthless & remorseless. Think about it.
My first exposure to this movie was funny. It was a Saturday & the film aired on TV. As a troll, my sister changed the channel & said "You can't watch that." I just ran into our shared room & turned on the TV to watch this epic as hell sci-fi movie with Stallone. Some of my cousins came to visit & they were begging me to go outside with them. I pretty much dismissed it & said "No, I'm watching this movie."
Then in return they reply as stupidly as they can "We already saw this one."
"I haven't!"
This film is way more than just a shoot 'em up action film with Stallone, it's satirical & it's funny. My favorite bit is the one where Stallone, Sandra Bullock & the other guy travel underground & Stallone smells burgers. He buys one by bartering a Rolex (I believe) & Sandra Bullock (Her character's name is Lelina Huxley) asks "Do you see any cows anywhere?" Then the lady selling burgers says the burger is made of rat meat. I love the look Stallone gives, he gives this genuine look of satisfaction & says "Well that's a damn good rat burger." I just love that. Then there's that bit he says at that Taco Bell
"Hurting people isn't fun! Well, sometimes it is, but not when those people are
I gotta talk about Lelina, she is the perfect cipher for all of us who were born in a specific decade & have an appreciation/fascination with stuff from before we were born. Also she's a badass martial artists who references 80's/90's HK Action. Her room is full of retro stuff from a jukebox, all the way to a poster of 'Lethal Weapon 2' (Or was it 3?). Lelina is badass & we as action film fanboys & fangirls can easily relate to this awesome chick, but of course she is then knocked unconscious by John with those techno baton things. She can handle her own in a fight! Why knock her out? Macho bullshit, but whether this was meant to be a satirical joke or succumbing to action movie tropes, I do not know.
Then there's Simon Pheonix, Wesley Snipes plays a damn good villain & his maniacal cackling still makes me smile. I don't even think Snipes was acting, I truly believe he was let loose on the set & the cameras were rolling without him knowing. He looked like he was having such a great time in that film.
This whole movie has been severely overlooked & it really is more relevant now than it was back then. Just replace the society with the internet. That whole world of San Angeles is what the internet is now where we got the people who want to keep the internet clean, safe & uber democratized while you got the other side wanting to just be free from the BS, but then you also got the minority (portrayed by Simon Pheonix) who just want anarchy & destruction, kinda like a specific group online that just likes to be ruthless & remorseless. Think about it.
My first exposure to this movie was funny. It was a Saturday & the film aired on TV. As a troll, my sister changed the channel & said "You can't watch that." I just ran into our shared room & turned on the TV to watch this epic as hell sci-fi movie with Stallone. Some of my cousins came to visit & they were begging me to go outside with them. I pretty much dismissed it & said "No, I'm watching this movie."
Then in return they reply as stupidly as they can "We already saw this one."
"I haven't!"
-Hot Shots: Part Deux: In a time when Charlie Sheen wasn't an insane rambling D-list star. Okay, what can I say that hasn't been said about the sequel to Hot Shots? It's funny, it's silly, it's not meat to be taken seriously.That's all I got to say about this film, also this film shows how less of a bitch society we lived in when a comedy where fictional characters took on a real life dictator in a silly comedy & didn't get criticized by a bunch of people who can't have fun. "You're making fun of a dictator, that's insensitive."
Piss off. That's all I got to say & also Miguel Ferrer is awesome in this film, when is he not?
-Kalifornia: David Duchovny & pale goddess Michelle Forbes go on a road trip to document places where murders took place. All along their trip they come across redneck Juliette Lewis (When is she never a redneck? Oh wait, she was a DJ in 'GTA IV' as herself) & redneck Brad Pitt. As they travel far it becomes slowly clear that Brad Pitt is a serial killer & he wants to have sex with Michelle Phrobes. Who doesn't, but his way is rapey so no, we don't want her in that way. God no!
I kinda dug the film, didn't think it was bad. It was a solid film which I didn't find any flaws in. Want to watch Brad Pitt have sex with a short Juliette Lewis in a classic car while Brad Pitt makes the funniest grunting sounds? This is the movie for you!
Fun for the whole family!!!
Piss off. That's all I got to say & also Miguel Ferrer is awesome in this film, when is he not?
-Kalifornia: David Duchovny & pale goddess Michelle Forbes go on a road trip to document places where murders took place. All along their trip they come across redneck Juliette Lewis (When is she never a redneck? Oh wait, she was a DJ in 'GTA IV' as herself) & redneck Brad Pitt. As they travel far it becomes slowly clear that Brad Pitt is a serial killer & he wants to have sex with Michelle Phrobes. Who doesn't, but his way is rapey so no, we don't want her in that way. God no!
I kinda dug the film, didn't think it was bad. It was a solid film which I didn't find any flaws in. Want to watch Brad Pitt have sex with a short Juliette Lewis in a classic car while Brad Pitt makes the funniest grunting sounds? This is the movie for you!
Fun for the whole family!!!
-Hard Target: John Woo's first American film debut! After winning American audiences with his Gun-Fu epic 'Hard Boiled', he gets his first Hollywood gig with 'Hard Target' which kinda takes a few shots from 'Hard Boiled' like that scene where Yancy Butler gets called a bitch, then she proceeds to empty a clip into that guy's nutsack. Besides that, that whole film is a blast! Jean Claude Van Damme plays Chance Bordeaux who investigates the whereabouts of Natasha's father, but suddenly come across a clandestine game where a group of rich men hunt down homeless men for money. All of this is run by badass Lance Henreikson as 'Emil Fouchon'. Then you get Wilford Brimley playing Van Damme's uncle. DIABEETUS! He's badass as well.
This film is all kinds of awesome & it's over the top. You got Van Damme judo chopping a snake & biting its tail off. Everything from cardboard to the water in the lake blows up in a firey pyrotechnic explosion & everyone gets riddled with bullets! One of the best shots is where Van Damme dual wields pistols & fires them on this guy who was attempting to toss a grenade at him & the grenade blows up on this dude's face! It was fucking awesome!!!
This was one film I've been trying to find as a kid with no luck, it wasn't until I was in High School I downloaded a rental copy from the (This shows how old school I am) Playstation Network. This film is a must see for any action film fans, also check out 'Hard Boiled'.
This film is all kinds of awesome & it's over the top. You got Van Damme judo chopping a snake & biting its tail off. Everything from cardboard to the water in the lake blows up in a firey pyrotechnic explosion & everyone gets riddled with bullets! One of the best shots is where Van Damme dual wields pistols & fires them on this guy who was attempting to toss a grenade at him & the grenade blows up on this dude's face! It was fucking awesome!!!
This was one film I've been trying to find as a kid with no luck, it wasn't until I was in High School I downloaded a rental copy from the (This shows how old school I am) Playstation Network. This film is a must see for any action film fans, also check out 'Hard Boiled'.
-Batman: Mask of the Phantasm: It's a sad shame this film was not as big of a success as it was in 93. I cannot see why it failed, but I can only guess. I guess the marketing department couldn't figure out how to target a superhero animated film to your typical movie going audience, nor could they sell a mature animated film to the adult market without T&A. This was the 90's, the only edgy animation that was out there was on TV by the likes of 'Ren & Stimpy' and 'The Simpsons' or hell, this won't appear in another two years but 'The Maxx' and all the Liquid Television animation that warped many a child's minds. In bare essence, Batman:MOTP is as dark (If not even more darker) and mature as the animated TV series it is based on. Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamil & Efram Zimbalist return to voice their respective characters in the installment in which Batman must investigate the brutal killings of these mafiosos, and along with it Bruce Wayne's old flame returns to his life, bringing both feelings & memories along with it. It's Batman TAS as an 1hr & 30 minute feature film with alot more smoother animation, what's not to love. Also this is WB's birth of the DC Animated universe. Before this you had those animated Scooby Doo movies & those Looney Tunes movies where 30% of it is original animation that serve as bookends & 70% of it is all stuff you watched on TV for free. Then you can't ignore that horrendous 'The Jetsons' movie from the 90's that is very much stuck in 1984. This was DC, Bruce Timm & Paul Dini trying their hands at a theatrical feature, but the only audinece that was interested was a very niche audience. Even sadder, the VHS was released in limited quantities. Luckily the film has been re-evaluated & given both a DVD & BluRay release, but with nothing but a Theatrical trailer as a special feature. I'd love at least a Commentary from Bruce Timm & Paul Dini, if not that at least give us a free episode on the disc. Specifically the episode where the Batman fan club talks their interpretations of Batman. Still, I'm glad the film hasn't vanished into obscurity. If you love this current crop of DC animated movies, then I highly recommend you check out 'Batman: Mask of the Phantasm'.
Before I forget, this film shows Batman bleeding. I miss when kid's films get pretty gruesome like that. Sure, nobody's getting torn to bits, but why can't we have cartoons where characters bleed? We all bleed! Not just a nose bleed, I mean getting scrapes all over! Let cartoon characters bleed damnit!
Before I forget, this film shows Batman bleeding. I miss when kid's films get pretty gruesome like that. Sure, nobody's getting torn to bits, but why can't we have cartoons where characters bleed? We all bleed! Not just a nose bleed, I mean getting scrapes all over! Let cartoon characters bleed damnit!
-CB4: Chris Rock parodies the then current trend of gangsta rap (Specifically NWA)! Need I say more? Also Charlie Murphy plays a funny ass thug. This flick is my joint.
-The Meteor Man: Every single comic book (Specifically Marvel) I buy that was printed in 1993 has this ad behind every cover & boasts the tagline "A Superhero for the 90's!" Before everyone started saying Black Panther is the first black superhero ever made, this was the first black superhero ever made! Sure, it's not as serious as Black Panther, nor was it based off an established comic book. Oh yeah, Meteor Man was all original, like Sam Raimi's 'Darkman'. Many people hate it, but I'm astounded by how many people love this movie. It's not meant to be taken seriously, there are moments where it's genuinely funny & there is a moment near the end that choke me up. I won't ruin it, but if you don't get teary eyed near the end, then you have no soul. Robert Townsend plays a school teacher who is suddenly given superpowers after a green meteorite burns itself into his chest. That scene alone was fucked up & gruesome and this is a PG-rated film! So he gets his powers but here's his problem, he's afraid of heights! Har har har! With the help of his grandma (Or was it his mom? I forget.) he is set up with a grey & green spandex outfit & roams the city taking out drug dealers, stopping gang fights & even uses his meteorite powers to grow giant vegetables in a community garden. It's heartwarming, it's funny, but there are some flaws, that scene where the Meteor Man descends into the middle of a gang fight was pretty corny. I can see the faults & the flaws (One of the weirdest flaws is people saying it's racist, but I don't see any of that anywhere. Is it because they're in the inner city?), but the qualities & the charm of this film really do out weight the flaws. It's hard to hate a film where the main villain has a gang of children with Kid 'n' Play styled fades. It's big dumb fun, the film does stereotype a little, but at the end of the day this is a film that should be talked about more in this current age of Marvel & DC & maybe even IMAGE if they go along with their 'Spawn' movie.
Oh, and Bill Cosby is in this film. Sadly it's pretty hard to ignore that since he plays a pivitol role in the film. Just to warn you. Aside from that, it's a good film for movie night.
-City Hunter: If you want to read my thoughts on this flick, check out my review on an 8-pack Jackie Chan DVD collection. 'City Hunter' is one of those films I reviewed on there.
Jackie Chan Eight Film Collection (Review):
http://blacktimepress.weebly.com/e-l-e-c-t-r-o-n-i-k-c-r-i-t-i-k/jackie-chan-eight-film-collection-dvd
All you need to know is this film is 'based' (I say that very loosely) on the Anime & Manga and this is the film where Jackie Chan cosplay as Chun Li.
-Only The Strong: Mark Decascos (Yes, the Iron Chef guy) stars in this film that I can only describe as a hybrid of 90's genres. Only The Strong tries to be an inspirational underdog story, it tries to be a Martial Arts action film & it tries to be one of those 'One person takes on crime in an inner city school plagued by gangs & drugs' genre from films like 'Dangerous Minds, The Principal, The Substitute, etc etc.' This film is not a great film, but by god it's a fun film & whenever it's on TV I will watch it!
So Mark Decascos plays Louis Stevens, a solider who comes back to his hometown in Florida, only to find that his old high school has become riddled with drugs & gangs. The only way he can get this school back into shape is if he teaches a handful of teenagers Brazilian Jujitsu, also known as Capoeira, also known by 'Bob's Burgers' as Sexy Dance Fighting. If you can get past the cliches & tropes, this film is fun! Mark Decascos is great in this film & so are the other folks in this flick! It's like watching Jackie Chan star in a 90's remake of 'Stand & Deliver' without the Calculus. I also have to mention the soundtrack, it's full of 90's hip hop, but it also contains a great selection of Brazilian tunes including the 'Zoom Zoom Zoom' song which many around my age remember from those Mazda commercials. I think I saw this film just as those commercials started airing. The film is great, some of the characters are laughable, but end up growing on you & end up being likable.
As I said before, this is nowhere near a classic, but it's all good fun!
Oh, and Bill Cosby is in this film. Sadly it's pretty hard to ignore that since he plays a pivitol role in the film. Just to warn you. Aside from that, it's a good film for movie night.
-City Hunter: If you want to read my thoughts on this flick, check out my review on an 8-pack Jackie Chan DVD collection. 'City Hunter' is one of those films I reviewed on there.
Jackie Chan Eight Film Collection (Review):
http://blacktimepress.weebly.com/e-l-e-c-t-r-o-n-i-k-c-r-i-t-i-k/jackie-chan-eight-film-collection-dvd
All you need to know is this film is 'based' (I say that very loosely) on the Anime & Manga and this is the film where Jackie Chan cosplay as Chun Li.
-Only The Strong: Mark Decascos (Yes, the Iron Chef guy) stars in this film that I can only describe as a hybrid of 90's genres. Only The Strong tries to be an inspirational underdog story, it tries to be a Martial Arts action film & it tries to be one of those 'One person takes on crime in an inner city school plagued by gangs & drugs' genre from films like 'Dangerous Minds, The Principal, The Substitute, etc etc.' This film is not a great film, but by god it's a fun film & whenever it's on TV I will watch it!
So Mark Decascos plays Louis Stevens, a solider who comes back to his hometown in Florida, only to find that his old high school has become riddled with drugs & gangs. The only way he can get this school back into shape is if he teaches a handful of teenagers Brazilian Jujitsu, also known as Capoeira, also known by 'Bob's Burgers' as Sexy Dance Fighting. If you can get past the cliches & tropes, this film is fun! Mark Decascos is great in this film & so are the other folks in this flick! It's like watching Jackie Chan star in a 90's remake of 'Stand & Deliver' without the Calculus. I also have to mention the soundtrack, it's full of 90's hip hop, but it also contains a great selection of Brazilian tunes including the 'Zoom Zoom Zoom' song which many around my age remember from those Mazda commercials. I think I saw this film just as those commercials started airing. The film is great, some of the characters are laughable, but end up growing on you & end up being likable.
As I said before, this is nowhere near a classic, but it's all good fun!
Keeping in tone of gangs of the 90's.
-Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life): Most gang cholo films deal with the male side of that subculture, but you rarely hear about the female side who are just shoved into the background of most these films. Usually females in gang films are done as a sad excuse to show massive amounts of lesbianism or T&A, the exploitation way! Because who wants to watch a whole film with just men, put a vagina in there! Luckily this film is a drama that shows us the day & life of these Chola teens in Echo Park. There is no one story, it's a series of vignettes that connect where almost a few of these girls get their spotlight & we learn of their dreams, their day to day lives, their relationships with men or family & their struggles. One of the closest, more accurate summaries I can post on here was written by someone named 'Reid Gagle' on IMDB:
"Mousie and Sad Girl are childhood best friends in a contemporary Los Angeles poor Hispanic neighborhood. But when Sad Girl becomes pregnant by Mousie's boyfriend, a drug dealer named Ernesto, the two become bitter enemies. While their dispute escalates towards violence, the violence of the world around them soon also impacts their lives."
There always has to be a 'Sad Girl' on every gang.
IMDB's headline on the film says it's released in 1993, but in the detail description it says it was released in July 15th of 1994. Some say 93, some say 94. Fuck it, this is part of my list now! 93!
Also I like the cover for the Tartan Video release much better than the poorly designed HBO Video cover. What's up with the cheap photoshopped dude in the corner? Why's he here? It looks crappy.
Criterion needs to add this film to their library & use the photgraph on Tartan's cover. Doesn't matter what version you get, it's a great independent film & you get to see a Salma Hayek in a very early role in this flick. Highly recommended.
-Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life): Most gang cholo films deal with the male side of that subculture, but you rarely hear about the female side who are just shoved into the background of most these films. Usually females in gang films are done as a sad excuse to show massive amounts of lesbianism or T&A, the exploitation way! Because who wants to watch a whole film with just men, put a vagina in there! Luckily this film is a drama that shows us the day & life of these Chola teens in Echo Park. There is no one story, it's a series of vignettes that connect where almost a few of these girls get their spotlight & we learn of their dreams, their day to day lives, their relationships with men or family & their struggles. One of the closest, more accurate summaries I can post on here was written by someone named 'Reid Gagle' on IMDB:
"Mousie and Sad Girl are childhood best friends in a contemporary Los Angeles poor Hispanic neighborhood. But when Sad Girl becomes pregnant by Mousie's boyfriend, a drug dealer named Ernesto, the two become bitter enemies. While their dispute escalates towards violence, the violence of the world around them soon also impacts their lives."
There always has to be a 'Sad Girl' on every gang.
IMDB's headline on the film says it's released in 1993, but in the detail description it says it was released in July 15th of 1994. Some say 93, some say 94. Fuck it, this is part of my list now! 93!
Also I like the cover for the Tartan Video release much better than the poorly designed HBO Video cover. What's up with the cheap photoshopped dude in the corner? Why's he here? It looks crappy.
Criterion needs to add this film to their library & use the photgraph on Tartan's cover. Doesn't matter what version you get, it's a great independent film & you get to see a Salma Hayek in a very early role in this flick. Highly recommended.
Tartan Video Release
Cheap ass HBO Release
-Best of the Best II: I've never seen the first film, but I did enjoy the sequels, especially the one where the Asian character (forgot his name) goes up against the KKK in a Southern town. That sequel (The third film) was awesome! Eric Roberts seeks revenge for his brother's death (Chris Penn) who dies in an illegal pit fighting operation. Wayne Newton plays a sleazy host of a pit fighting ring where the audience takes bets on who survives the fight. What can I say, it's a pretty well made sequel. At first I thought this was a straight to video film with a high budget. It feels that way, but I was genuinely surprised to see that it was a Theatrical release.
What else can I say? If you love that Pit Fighter sub genre of martial arts films, you'll dig this film. Lots of good choreographed fighting, lotta cool action sequences & explosions. It's not a bad sequel & also check out the third film. The fourth film, I heard it was not that good, but I haven't seen that one in such a long while.
-Godzilla VS MechaGodzilla II: Ladies & Gentlemen, this is in fact theee first Godzilla film I have ever seen in my life. This is the film that introduced me to Godzilla & boii what an introduction! I remember being at a neighbor's house playing with legos & Hot Wheels, then his mom turned on the TV & there was Godzilla smashing buildings & being shot at by the military. At first I thought this was Power Rangers, but it wasn't Power Rangers, but it looked like Power Rangers, except there were no colorful megazords. So the plot, it's a Glodzilla film, there's your plot! Buildings get destroyed, the Japanese run for their lives, the new Mechagodzilla looks pretty badass & updated for the 90's. Not only that, but also we get a better reintroduction of the Son of Godzilla who's first debut was less than exceptional. He looked like a cookie monster & he debuted in what's considered one of the worst Godzilla films ever made, according to the fans. In this film he looks adorable enough for the kids, but at least in this one he doesn't look like a cookie monster with a goofy Hanna Barbera voice.
I adored this film back in the day & it's what got me to seek out all those other 200 Godzilla movies. Alright, that's an over exaggerated estimate, but I still haven't seen all the Godzilla movies & its spin offs
I will always view this film as the movie that formed my tastes along with the HK Action & the sci-fi movies I watched around that same time. This flick is not a bad Godzilla flick so this one is a great starting point, ignore the 'II' at the end of the title. All Godzilla flicks don't have this deep continuity, so you can start anywhere. I should also add I have not seen the original 'Godzilla VS MechaGodzilla', or maybe I have. To be honest, I haven't kept track, they all look the same, except for the creatures & the year they were made.
-Iron Monkey: Homeboy Donnie Yen (All of you kids out there may know him as IP Man) stars as what is basically Chinese Robin Hood. At the end of the day this is a Hong Kong martial arts take on Robin Hood & from the moment I saw this film I fell in deep love with it. I especially love this scene where it goes through this montage of the Iron Monkey going around mysteriously dropping sacks of money to the poor & tossing rocks at people who decide to be greedy with notes saying stuff like "Don't be greedy" with a picture of an angry monkey on it. Also you got Miss Orchard, the Iron Monkey's lover/partner in crime who isn't just another pretty face on screen. You pretty much get the gist of what Iron Monkey is all about. One thing I do find disheartening is the Miramax release pushed Quinten Tarantino's name more than the film itself. It's as if punkass Harvey Weinstein has serious contempt for the audience.
"Nobody's going to watch them 'Chap Sacky' films without Tarantino's name all over the packaging!"
It's cool that this film got serious attention (A decade later, released once 'Kill Bill' was a hit) because Tarantino got that maidas touch, but it's disheartening to see that nobody takes Foreign films seriously in America, unless you live in a very metropolitan city where you can get away with screening all 18 episodes of 'Twin Peaks, Season 3' at a theater.
I love 'Iron Monkey', I have yet to watch the sequel though.
-Once A Cop (A.K.A: SuperCop 2): I will save further opinions of this film for a future set of reviews I have planned, but for now I must say this is a pretty solid flick, despite the dubbing & the marketing blurbs on the 'Dimension Films' release. Michelle Yeoh stars in this exciting action packed film full of fights & shootouts. I highly recommend it. Why not, Michelle Yeoh kicks some serious ass!
-Crime Story: Once again, I must defer to my review on the 'Jackie Chan Eight Pack DVD'. I talk about Crime Story there. All you need to know is this is like an R-rated remake of 'Police Story'. It follows in the same tropes & ideas that were shown in the first two Police Story films. Jackie tries to nab a group of criminals, they always get away, Jackie becomes pissed & stressed & becomes a loose cannon on the third act. This is also a very solid action flick full of more shootouts & explosions than martial arts. Quite a rarity when it comes to Jackie Chan flicks.
What else can I say? If you love that Pit Fighter sub genre of martial arts films, you'll dig this film. Lots of good choreographed fighting, lotta cool action sequences & explosions. It's not a bad sequel & also check out the third film. The fourth film, I heard it was not that good, but I haven't seen that one in such a long while.
-Godzilla VS MechaGodzilla II: Ladies & Gentlemen, this is in fact theee first Godzilla film I have ever seen in my life. This is the film that introduced me to Godzilla & boii what an introduction! I remember being at a neighbor's house playing with legos & Hot Wheels, then his mom turned on the TV & there was Godzilla smashing buildings & being shot at by the military. At first I thought this was Power Rangers, but it wasn't Power Rangers, but it looked like Power Rangers, except there were no colorful megazords. So the plot, it's a Glodzilla film, there's your plot! Buildings get destroyed, the Japanese run for their lives, the new Mechagodzilla looks pretty badass & updated for the 90's. Not only that, but also we get a better reintroduction of the Son of Godzilla who's first debut was less than exceptional. He looked like a cookie monster & he debuted in what's considered one of the worst Godzilla films ever made, according to the fans. In this film he looks adorable enough for the kids, but at least in this one he doesn't look like a cookie monster with a goofy Hanna Barbera voice.
I adored this film back in the day & it's what got me to seek out all those other 200 Godzilla movies. Alright, that's an over exaggerated estimate, but I still haven't seen all the Godzilla movies & its spin offs
I will always view this film as the movie that formed my tastes along with the HK Action & the sci-fi movies I watched around that same time. This flick is not a bad Godzilla flick so this one is a great starting point, ignore the 'II' at the end of the title. All Godzilla flicks don't have this deep continuity, so you can start anywhere. I should also add I have not seen the original 'Godzilla VS MechaGodzilla', or maybe I have. To be honest, I haven't kept track, they all look the same, except for the creatures & the year they were made.
-Iron Monkey: Homeboy Donnie Yen (All of you kids out there may know him as IP Man) stars as what is basically Chinese Robin Hood. At the end of the day this is a Hong Kong martial arts take on Robin Hood & from the moment I saw this film I fell in deep love with it. I especially love this scene where it goes through this montage of the Iron Monkey going around mysteriously dropping sacks of money to the poor & tossing rocks at people who decide to be greedy with notes saying stuff like "Don't be greedy" with a picture of an angry monkey on it. Also you got Miss Orchard, the Iron Monkey's lover/partner in crime who isn't just another pretty face on screen. You pretty much get the gist of what Iron Monkey is all about. One thing I do find disheartening is the Miramax release pushed Quinten Tarantino's name more than the film itself. It's as if punkass Harvey Weinstein has serious contempt for the audience.
"Nobody's going to watch them 'Chap Sacky' films without Tarantino's name all over the packaging!"
It's cool that this film got serious attention (A decade later, released once 'Kill Bill' was a hit) because Tarantino got that maidas touch, but it's disheartening to see that nobody takes Foreign films seriously in America, unless you live in a very metropolitan city where you can get away with screening all 18 episodes of 'Twin Peaks, Season 3' at a theater.
I love 'Iron Monkey', I have yet to watch the sequel though.
-Once A Cop (A.K.A: SuperCop 2): I will save further opinions of this film for a future set of reviews I have planned, but for now I must say this is a pretty solid flick, despite the dubbing & the marketing blurbs on the 'Dimension Films' release. Michelle Yeoh stars in this exciting action packed film full of fights & shootouts. I highly recommend it. Why not, Michelle Yeoh kicks some serious ass!
-Crime Story: Once again, I must defer to my review on the 'Jackie Chan Eight Pack DVD'. I talk about Crime Story there. All you need to know is this is like an R-rated remake of 'Police Story'. It follows in the same tropes & ideas that were shown in the first two Police Story films. Jackie tries to nab a group of criminals, they always get away, Jackie becomes pissed & stressed & becomes a loose cannon on the third act. This is also a very solid action flick full of more shootouts & explosions than martial arts. Quite a rarity when it comes to Jackie Chan flicks.
If that scene does not sell you on this flick. You are fucking blind!!!!
-The Heroic Trio: I saw this on the 'IFC' channel way back in the day, back when they weren't full of annoying hipster humor & Will Farrell movies. Three Badass HK Action females Anita Mui, Michelle Yeoh & Maggie Chung play these extraordinary heroines who fight to stop an evil master who kidnaps babies to take over the world. Does it make sense to you? Didn't think so. This whole film takes place in it's own little weird world that's like a mix of a near future, mixed with the 1940's & shoves in an urban 90's setting. It also works in this cartoonish logic like when Maggie Chung stops a hostage takeover by sitting on an empty oil drum, tossing a stick of dynamite in there & exploding her way into the building. This whole film is like a comic book come to life, almost makes me sad that this film doesn't have a comic book tie-in, let alone a huge mainstream following. I love this film, but as a warning if you don't like babies in peril then you may not like this flick. A warning to all the mommies out there.
Either way, if you're sick of male dominated action films Hollywood has been shoving down you throat for the past 100 years & you aren't some idiot who likes to put their politics into entertainment, then try some HK Cinema, they were ahead of the curve when it came to female characters in film. Try 'The Heroic Trio'. It's action packed, it's weird & it's bloody. I distinctly remember seeing part of the sequel a long while back, but I can't tell you if it's bad or good.
And last but not least, a film that has been severely maligned & in my opinion, unfairly criticized.
This flick was like an obsession for me in my childhood.
Either way, if you're sick of male dominated action films Hollywood has been shoving down you throat for the past 100 years & you aren't some idiot who likes to put their politics into entertainment, then try some HK Cinema, they were ahead of the curve when it came to female characters in film. Try 'The Heroic Trio'. It's action packed, it's weird & it's bloody. I distinctly remember seeing part of the sequel a long while back, but I can't tell you if it's bad or good.
And last but not least, a film that has been severely maligned & in my opinion, unfairly criticized.
This flick was like an obsession for me in my childhood.
-The Super Mario Bros Movie: I'm talking the live action film starring Bob Hoskins & John Leguizamo (Or as 'Entertainment Tonight' calls him, John LEGAZZMO, LEGUAZMO. LEZINGA LIIGA LIGMA...etc! Along with the ad for 'Coneheads', I found out about this film on that same issue of Superman I mentioned earlier. That ad blew my mind seeing as you had these two guys wearing overalls & these weird steel boots. I laid in bed awake at night thinking how did a 1993 Super Mario film looked like. At one time I actually envisioned the whole movie done in that weird 90's 2D digitized look. My only point of reference would be the intro to 'Home Improvement'.
Imagine a whole film that looked like that? Except looking less like crumpled paper & having more of a pixelized look. That would be some messed up trip. I pictured the film looking like that, but alas I was way off. It wasn't until I got cellphone internet (That was text only, imagine that) where I researched the film. I read the synopsis & it described a parallel world with dinosaurs in a totalitarian world. From that text alone I knew this wasn't Super Mario, but it was something I needed to see.
Directed by Annabel Jankel & Rocky Morton, the same couple who created 'Max Headroom', this is one of thee most oddest, weirdest & most batshit insane adaptations of a well known video game EVER.The tagline 'This Ain't No Game' (The first ever time I saw 'ain't' used in an advert) should of tipped off people that this is not going to be like the video game.
The film trades its mushroom kingdom & cartoony look for a live action dystopian cyberpunk future equipped with towering landscapes, half human/half dinosaur hybrids & Dennis Hopper (High on coke, not joking) as King Koopa! This flick was one where as a wee lad I remember my parents watching and being mindblown by the scene where a cloaked woman leaves an egg on the doorsteps of a cathedral & these nuns set the egg on a pedestal & watch as a baby hatches out of that egg. You guys can't beleive how fucked up this was to my 4 or 3 year old brain. I spent my childhood thinking babies came out of eggs & wondering what weird as hell movie this was. It wasn't until a few years back when I sat down to watch this film out of curiosity & was completely blown away when this opening scene started playing.
"It's that film!" I shouted when that scene came on. It's like a sad self sense of accomplishment.
I feel people take this film too seriously & assume it's a bad movie just because it takes a very unorthodox view on the source material. Sure, it's not a faithful adaptation, but it sure is a wild & crazy film that I completely adore for that reason alone. The special effects are amazing, especially the Arial view of King Koopa's fortress set against the sunset & towering above the almost microchip looking city below.
Directed by Annabel Jankel & Rocky Morton, the same couple who created 'Max Headroom', this is one of thee most oddest, weirdest & most batshit insane adaptations of a well known video game EVER.The tagline 'This Ain't No Game' (The first ever time I saw 'ain't' used in an advert) should of tipped off people that this is not going to be like the video game.
The film trades its mushroom kingdom & cartoony look for a live action dystopian cyberpunk future equipped with towering landscapes, half human/half dinosaur hybrids & Dennis Hopper (High on coke, not joking) as King Koopa! This flick was one where as a wee lad I remember my parents watching and being mindblown by the scene where a cloaked woman leaves an egg on the doorsteps of a cathedral & these nuns set the egg on a pedestal & watch as a baby hatches out of that egg. You guys can't beleive how fucked up this was to my 4 or 3 year old brain. I spent my childhood thinking babies came out of eggs & wondering what weird as hell movie this was. It wasn't until a few years back when I sat down to watch this film out of curiosity & was completely blown away when this opening scene started playing.
"It's that film!" I shouted when that scene came on. It's like a sad self sense of accomplishment.
I feel people take this film too seriously & assume it's a bad movie just because it takes a very unorthodox view on the source material. Sure, it's not a faithful adaptation, but it sure is a wild & crazy film that I completely adore for that reason alone. The special effects are amazing, especially the Arial view of King Koopa's fortress set against the sunset & towering above the almost microchip looking city below.
Alot of this film uses practical effects, but it also takes advantage of the emerging CGI in things that can't be done practically like the warp zone. While 'Jurassic Park' was released in the same year, this film's CGI doesn't look very dated. It's on par with Jurassic Park & Terminator 2. The cast was great, despite the many interviews from Bob, Liguezamo & Hopper who state they had a bad time filming due to Morton & Jankel rewriting everything. Now the behind the scenes stories are a movie on their own. Regardless of the circumstances, their performances don't bring out a hint of boredom or laziness. Some of the humor is neat, but the film's strength lies in the brilliant way Morton & Jankel snuck in the references from the game into this film. The heels of the Mario Bros steel boots have 'Thwomp' engraved on them, the Bob-omb makes an appearence, Toad is a guitar playing street musician who gets arrested by the totalitarian cops, Big Bertha (The big red fish from the games) is a huge fat woman in a big red dress. Yoshi looks fucking badass! It's as if both Morton & Jankel have never played a single Mario game, but at the same time they did & decided "We're gonna rework the characters to make them fit our weird imaginations." I, for one, am all for a sequel as the film ends in a cliffhanger where Princess Toadstool (PEACH!!!) knocks on the door of the Mario bros home holding a futuristic rifle & says "You guys, the kingdom is in trouble! We need your help!" Then both the mario bros gear up & then it cuts to black! There was no way we were going to get a sequel due to the bad reception & low box office sales. I even love that post credit stinger (Which I won't ruin). Thankfully there is a sequel comic in the works, so I've been told these past 7 years!!!! When is it going to be done?
To all the folks who hate this film, watch it as a stand alone film, quit referring to the video games & have fun with it. It's not a terrible film, but it does have flaws, I will admit that. I will defend this flick till the day I die. Also, this is one of those PG rated flicks that tries to be a cut above. Originally Jankel & Morton wanted this film to be much darker (bordering on PG-13 to R-rated), but 'Hollywood Pictures' decided against it since they were obviously aiming at the kid's market. I would love to see their darker version of a Mario film, but just like so many 'what if' films, they can only be seen through our daydream imaginations. I don't get how people can love the Marvel films that look (Sometimes they don't act) nothing like their comic book counterparts, yet crap all over this flick?
One last memory here, I remember showing one of my best friends the trailer on YouTube. He thought I was talking out of my ass when I told him there was a live action Mario Bros movie. After showing him the trailer on ye early YouTube, it almost looked like he was going to pass out. Now it's said the people behind 'Despicable Me' want to make a Mario Bros movie. Sure, it's going to be animated & it's going to be full of Hollywood talent, but I doubt it will contain the creativity, the bizzareness & the fun of the 1993 Live action film.
But that's just my opinion. We'll see how it goes.
To all the folks who hate this film, watch it as a stand alone film, quit referring to the video games & have fun with it. It's not a terrible film, but it does have flaws, I will admit that. I will defend this flick till the day I die. Also, this is one of those PG rated flicks that tries to be a cut above. Originally Jankel & Morton wanted this film to be much darker (bordering on PG-13 to R-rated), but 'Hollywood Pictures' decided against it since they were obviously aiming at the kid's market. I would love to see their darker version of a Mario film, but just like so many 'what if' films, they can only be seen through our daydream imaginations. I don't get how people can love the Marvel films that look (Sometimes they don't act) nothing like their comic book counterparts, yet crap all over this flick?
One last memory here, I remember showing one of my best friends the trailer on YouTube. He thought I was talking out of my ass when I told him there was a live action Mario Bros movie. After showing him the trailer on ye early YouTube, it almost looked like he was going to pass out. Now it's said the people behind 'Despicable Me' want to make a Mario Bros movie. Sure, it's going to be animated & it's going to be full of Hollywood talent, but I doubt it will contain the creativity, the bizzareness & the fun of the 1993 Live action film.
But that's just my opinion. We'll see how it goes.
That does it for half of my list of best films, sadly I don't have an all time favorite from this list because I love all the films I mention on here. Choosing one wouldn't be fair to all the other titles.
Next week, I will be talking the Movies I hate. So stay tuned for Part II of this celebration of films from my birth year.
Email: blacktime.epress@aol.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BlackTimeEPress/
Twitter: (It's now my own personal twitter joint) https://twitter.com/BlacktimeEPress
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/blacktime-e-press
Site: www.blacktimepress.weeby.com
Next week, I will be talking the Movies I hate. So stay tuned for Part II of this celebration of films from my birth year.
Email: blacktime.epress@aol.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BlackTimeEPress/
Twitter: (It's now my own personal twitter joint) https://twitter.com/BlacktimeEPress
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/blacktime-e-press
Site: www.blacktimepress.weeby.com