Another Little Shoutout on June 21st, 2017

Just wanted to also say a few words about the magnificent composer Lalo Schifrin on his birthday. Schifrin is a phenomenal talent who has contributed to some of the most well-known and beloved cult classics, such as the knockout crime thriller Dirty Harry, the martial arts classic Enter the Dragon, and the iconic horror film The Amnityville Horror. Schifrin, through various works in film and his legendary theme for the TV program Mission Impossible, Schifrin championed writing challenging works that employed jazz and general avant-garde technique that have always worked well with the films they sit behind. But now, let's celebrate with a personal favorite of mine by Schifrin: the Main Title to 1968's Bullitt. Happy Birthday Mr. Schifrin!

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Review: The Plague Dogs - 1982

INTRODUCTION Oh...boy. This is one film I was excited to get. But I'm not disappointed. I'm just fascinated. The Plague Dogs is a 1982 animated adventure drama that tells the tale of two dogs that have escaped from a laboratory, and as they try to survive in the wild, they become the target of a hunt because they are perceived to be carrying the bubonic plague, creating two parallel narratives that overlap and intertwine. What fun! And for everyone's information, I am reviewing the ORIGINAL CUT. The 100-minute version that no one seems to want to watch. THE PROS First off, this film was directed by Martin Rosen. He was the same man behind the 1978 landmark animated feature Watership Down . These two features share much in common. Rosen at the helm when it came to direction, screenwriting, and producing. Both were based off of the work of the fantastic late author Richard Adams. And both feature the legendary late actor, Sir John Hurt. And with that, the acti...

Double Feature: Clearwater Features's TUGS (1989) & Cosgrove Hall's The Wind in the Willows (1983 - 1988)

INTRODUCTION It's probably best that we dial things down and finally get around to talking about something I mention in the description of this godforsaken blog: TV! Namely 80s British children's programming! There's one major reason why I've chosen this unnaturally specific arena of the small screen...I grew up on it. Through the power of the internet, DVDs, and even syndicated broadcasts in the US in some instances, I was able to experience what kids from London to Lancaster watched during the days of Thatcher and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. And I ate that stuff right up as a tot. There was something unique about English programming in general at the time. There was a certain homeliness to it. It was as if you return to your house or flat, turn on the tube, but it was catching an episode of Last of the Summer Wine or Only Fools & Horses that truly made you feel like you were at home. When it comes to kid's programming, I find that the UK is...

Review: American Pop - 1981

INTRODUCTION I must say this: I'm a fan of Ralph Bakshi, and I'm a fan of music. So put the two together, and that's a recipe for one happy me. And here to deliver the goods is the 1980 animated opus, American Pop , a tale of four generations of talent where only one comes out on top. THE PROS Okay then, where to begin with a piece like this? How about something along the lines of, "My God was that freaking amazing!" Those words were the first out of my mouth after having watched it, and those are words I stand by. I was blown away by this piece for how unashamedly ambitious it was. Conceptually, Ronni Kern's screenplay is an ingenious one, telling the tale of four men whose lives are intertwined with that of the music of their time, showing how sometimes honest-to-God hard work can all be for not, and success can sometimes come from what could be viewed as an "undignified" gateway. The stories are all reasonably developed, at least ...

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