One of the interesting aspects of this special is that Phil Hall never seems full of himself and his accomplishments. This is a man who is on screen for almost a half hour, and his one intent is to teach and guide instead of boast of his endless accomplishments. Which is not to say his accomplishments are worthy of ignoring but for a special that would open the door for vanity, Hall is more intent on guiding.
Author Archives: Felix Vasquez
The Simpsons Movie (2007)
For my money, “The Simpsons” is quite possibly one of the best television series ever created, with “Seinfeld” a very close second. “The Simpsons” and I have a long history together. I’ve been a hardcore fan since the Christmas premiere on FOX so many years ago, and I followed the series religiously up until its dissension into sheer mediocrity so many years ago. There’s only so much I can take in terms of being a hardcore fan, and it’s not a secret that “The Simpsons” have fallen in terms of wit and brilliance that spawned such a revered classic.
Friday the 13th: Mother's Day (2007)
I’ve seen plenty of fan films in my time. Comic book fan films, Star Wars fan films, and yes even fan films from other movies. Usually they’re made by utterly ambitious fan boys, with a sleek production quality, and yet only really range a running time of 10-45 minutes, with the work done before the bag gets old. “Friday the 13th: Mother’s Day” is probably one of the most ambitious fan films I’ve ever seen—the jury is still out. Not only does it pay homage to my favorite horror franchise of the genre, but it’s based on a teen novel, and runs for about ninety minutes. Suffice it to say, I was shocked when I took a glimpse at the running time for this movie. Ninety minutes? Were they kidding us? No, they were not.
Human Weapon
One of the great aspects of “Human Weapon” is not so much that it’s different, but that it takes a unique perspective on the usual History Channel programming. Rather than explore man made weapons, the two charismatic hosts explore human weapons who use deadly and strong forms of fighting to battle opponents. Imagine “Dirty Jobs” but in a different format. Much like Mike Rowe, our two hosts are very experienced in platform they’re studying, explore these different art forms, and even involve themselves in it.
The Medium (2007)
What Wydeven possesses in “The Medium” is a keen eye for visuals that compliment the story he’s attempting to tell within the space of only twenty-two minutes. “The Medium” is a rather interesting tale that starts off with much less of an impact than we’d ever suspect, and Wydeven takes what could have been a boring film, and adds an eye for detail, even with the apparently limited scenery. What the real appeal is of “The Medium,” is the detail.
Yo-Yo Girl Cop (Sukeban Deka: Kôdo nêmu = Asamiya Saki) (2006)
I’ll plead ignorance in claiming that I don’t know if “Yo Yo Girl Cop” was either an anime or manga (the latter, actually), because after reading the description of the back of the movie case, this apparently is a revamping of a prior mythos where the former Yo Yo Girl Cop’s daughter is now taking the role of crime fighter. It’s a movie filled with girl cops who fight crime not with guns, clubs, or sticks, but with metal yo yo’s that smack the crap out of assailants; I mean how could I not have risked buying it without viewing it?
Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)
Many people I’ve ever talked to have never seen the actual film of “Gone in 60 Seconds,” and really have their knowledge of that title extended to the miserable and horrid remake starring great actors being completely misused in what I can describe as a ninety minute eye sore. “Gone in 60 Seconds,” from 1974, is a film I actively sought out for the mere excuse of comparing a terrible movie to what I initially hoped was a great film as previous car films like “Vanishing Point,” and “Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry” have been.