“Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story” Review
Among Nickelodeon’s first foray into their original cartoons, Ren & Stimpy was by far the most influential. Appealing to kids and adults, the slapstick surrealness of a short-fused dog and a stupid cat revolutionized the industry, paving the way for the strange success of Spongebob Squarepants. There is, sadly, a Continue Reading
“Rebuilding Paradise” Review
The terrifying story of the small-town Paradise begins literally at the epicenter of the deadly blaze. A forest fire engulfs the town and it appears as though the fire is surrounding the escape routes. The residents are mostly trapped and a montage of footage from inside the inferno is truly Continue Reading
“John Lewis: Good Trouble” Review
I’m not gonna lie. It’s exceptionally sad to look back on the documentary about John Lewis so soon after his death. No sooner had I finished the film and started thinking more about the racial divide in America’s chaotic landscape did I hear the unfortunate news of his passing. Yet Continue Reading
“They Shall Not Grow Old” Review
World War 1 is not a subject that has been given as lavish a documentary as the more footage-heavy conflicts of World War 2 and The Vietnam War among others of the second half of the 20th century. But after 100 years, director Peter Jackson assures that the war itself Continue Reading
“Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent” Review
I’d never heard of Jeremiah Tower before this documentary, but there are plenty of talking heads present in The Last Magnificent to correct this. After the aged Tower himself starts looking back on his life in philosophical quotes, cooking greats Martha Stewart and Wolfgang Puck talk about Tower as though Continue Reading
“Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party” Review
Dinesh D’Souza has stepped up his crazy game for his third political documentary. After his 2012 Obama-slamming propaganda of 2016 Obama’s America failed to prevent the re-election of a Democrat, the fear-mongering and cartoonish staging have been cranked to ludicrous speed. No more messing around! He goes the extra mile Continue Reading
“That Guy Dick Miller” Review
You know Dick Miller, don’t you? He played that wannabe artist who murdered people into art in A Bucket of Blood. Never saw it? How about the sleazy resort owner from Piranha? The pawn shop owner who gets assaulted by the T-800 in The Terminator? Murray Futterman from Gremlins? If you’re still not sure who he is, don’t Continue Reading
“American Hercules: The Legend of Babe Ruth” Review
Babe Ruth was a figure I first heard about through the classic baseball movie The Sandlot. The children of that picture talked of the man as if he were a god among men for his legendary skills at bat. It was only later through various documentaries and books that I learned Continue Reading
“Antarctica: A Year on Ice” Review
Though this year-long documentary on working in Antarctica is one filled with many dangers and bitter temperatures, it actually feels more like a travel brochure in how appealing it displays the tundra. The empty mountains of snowy silence, the cozy comradery of the staff and the amazing sights make for a Continue Reading