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vermnboy
Reviews
Strangers with Candy (1999)
Refreshingly bizarre
I'm not quite sure how to describe this one... Imagine if total creative control over Afterschool Specials was given to John Waters, and you've got something like this amazingly bizarre little show. I've always thought it would be a cool idea to have a "preachy" show giving flat-out wrong morals, and this group of Second City alumni (led by Daily Show correspondent Stephen Colbert) has confirmed my suspicion. It's a real tribute, both to the show and to the times, that this show has succeeded in a territory where such big names as David Lynch ("On The Air"), Buck Henry ("Quark"), and the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker team ("Police Squad") have failed: Creating a bizarre sitcom with its own logic and no laugh track, and managing to sneak it by the network suits for more than a season (the afforementioned shows only lasted about 6 or 7 episodes each). In summary: Great show, see it-- If you can handle a little weirdness.
Super Mario Bros. (1993)
I have fond memories of this movie
I remember seeing this movie when I was eight, and I loved it. I was part of the Nintendo generation, and of course thought that everything Mario was gold. For a long time, this was my favorite movie. Of course, I grew up, and other films displaced it of its title. After all, it was a kiddie movie based on a video game. However, looking back on it, I'll have to admit: It's not bad. Okay, so it wasn't Citizen Kane material; it had sort of a hackneyed storyline, and Leguizamo was about the last person I'd choose as Luigi, and the plot borrows heavily from Buckaroo Banzai (remember the scene where Buckaroo goes through solid rock into a dizzying CGI vortex?). It did have some clever dialogue, cool sets, neat music, and good performances by Hoskins, Hopper, and Mojo Nixon, playing the Dylan-esque protest singer. Definite cult potential, with the whole quirky feel (I still love the elevator scene), and the presence of Dennis Hopper. An interesting sidenote: This film actually gave a friend of mine night terrors (sleep-walking in a visibly panicked state) every time he saw it. I'd give the film 6.5 to 7 stars out of ten. Not perfect, but likable enough.
UHF (1989)
Ignore the plot and you'll love it
This is a very funny movie. Not the "best" movie in the world, but as Al himself said in his Behind the Music, "Critics cited the hackneyed plot, but it really wasn't about that, it was just an excuse to goof off." The plot's been seen before: Everyman needs $75,000 in x amount of hours in order to keep heartless tycoon from buying out TV station. What makes the movie, though, are the Mad Magazine-esque movie parodies, the dark TV parodies (although some, such as Emo Philips sawing off his thumb, or "Corpses 'R' Us," are not for all tastes), the oddball dialogue ("What's the matter? Don't you like Bonanza?"), the Dire Straits send-up, and the winning performances by Al Yankovic, Mike Richards, and the rest. An interesting sidenote is the "before they were stars" quality: Michael Richards before he was Kramer, Fran Drescher before she was The Nanny, John Paragon before he was Jambi the Genie, and Philo (Anthony Gearey's role) was originally intended for a pre-MST3K Joel Hodgson. Say what you will about the movie, it's a cult film in every sense of the word, and it's one of my faves.
Mr. Mike's Mondo Video (1979)
Possibly the strangest thing ever put on film.
The title of my summary pretty much says it all. The movie is hilarious, but there are less "belly" laughs than there are "Where the hell did that come from?" laughs. As National Lampoon fans know, Michael O'Donoghue was an "evil genius" of comedy. His philosophy was that there's no such thing as "too far", and that rings clearly in this film. The movie was banned from TV by the FCC, for obvious reasons. I highly recommend this movie to lovers of dark, surreal comedy, or the underground movement. Chances are that if you have a short attention span, or stay with the mainstream, it's not for you. Praise Jack Lord!
The Incredible Melting Man (1977)
...My GOD!
As an MST3K fan, I had thought I was hardened to bad movies. Then I saw them do this little film. How anyone could actually carry out the filming of this movie and unleash it upon the country is beyond me. One scene in particular sums up the loathesomeness of this movie: A redneck woman with a strangely unsettling demeanor is attacked by the titular character through a window, whereupon she chops his hand off with a meat cleaver. Then, she slowly collapses against the stained wall, shrieking, laughing, and sobbing. I guarantee by the end of the scene, you will be acting similarly. Oh, yeah, and there's always "I'm Doctor Ted Nelson! *BLAM BLAM BLAM!*" A film that manages to find a different way to make you thoroughly dislike every single character. Do not watch, unless you a) have Mike & the Bots riffing on it, b) want a really cheesy movie, c) are really, *really* into makeups, or d) a masochist.