“Dead in Concert” is one of the rare comedy specials starring John Bloom as his iconic character Joe Bob Briggs. Briggs himself is a politically incorrect character who revels in embracing stereotypes for the purpose of ironically mocking them. He mocks religion, race, gender, politics, and even speaks about growing up in a small town where dirt was a way of life. Briggs is not one to shy away from being offensive and has a good time making his audience squirm and laugh at some of the most inappropriate jokes. In one instance he royally pisses of an audience member who gazes at him angrily.
Martyrs (2016)
Pascal Laugier’s 2008 “Martyrs” was a grueling experience that masked blatant misogyny and torture as a pseudo-intellectual transcendental tale about the afterlife and the pressing question about where we go when we die. Kevin and Michael Goetz’s remake of “Martyrs” is not only a pointless exercise in futility, but it dodges any and all attempts to improve on the goofy ideas about spirituality by mostly dodging them. By dodging the torture and pegging this as cheap exploitation, and alternately dismissing the ideas about the afterlife and transforming this in to a spiritual horror film, it effectively renders itself pretty damn pointless and dull.
Classic TV on DVD –The Hee Haw Collection (3 Disc Edition) & The Hee Haw Collection: Kornfield Klassics
Banking on the redneck obsession of the 1970’s, “Hee Haw” is that classic blue collared comedy sketch show that lives on mainly through late night television and syndication in country oriented cable television. My knowledge of “Hee Haw” is comprised mainly of sketches and segments I remember from showings on late night network television when I was but a small child. It’s gained a somewhat resurgence now thanks to the endless callbacks by Seth McFarlane on “Family Guy.”
Classic TV on DVD – The Carol Burnett Show: Treasures from the Vault, The Lost Episodes & The Carol Burnett Show: Together Again
For fans that don’t want to pay incredible amounts of money for the complete editions of “The Carol Burnett Show,” but still want to savor in a complete episode of the hit comedy series, DVD’s like “Together Again” exist for you and you alone. Though it’s a little tough to tell what kind of episodes are on these DVD releases and what they feature, these editions are fine snippets of what you’d get if you forked over money for complete season sets. For a primer course, “Together Again” isn’t too shabby for your collection.
The Guardian (1990) [Blu-Ray]
William Friedkin has a knack for creating genuinely uneasy horror films that destroy the concept of domesticity. “The Guardian” completely turns the idea of parenthood on its head, transforming the suburban family in to a veritable nightmare. “The Guardian” carries on the tradition of a menace from the outside ruining the family unit, this time following mundane couple Phil and Kate Sterling as they greet a new child in to their home. “The Guardian” is directed and staged very much like a nightmare that never ends, even with normal scenes of happiness depicted in a very surreal lens.
Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015)
The sequel to Genndy Tartakovsky’s entertaining “Hotel Transylvania” is what I’d define as blatant cash grab. It’s a follow up with a very typical and broadly written turn of events, what narrative it offers for the follow up is slim and often times nowhere to be found, all the while the sequel as a whole feels like a glorified pilot for the inevitable “Hotel Transylvania” TV show. I almost expect an announcement after the initial sales for the home video release about a TV show coming down the pipe. The movie essentially sets up characters for a TV series, and it’s barely competent as a sequel. Of course rather than focus on the dynamic between Mavis and new husband Johnny, we now view them as parents.
Our Top 10 Minority Movie Heroes Part II
I had a good time compiling a list of some of the best and most entertaining minority movie heroes, so I thought it’d only be fitting to offer up a sequel to the list with ten more movie minority movie heroes. I had a lot more suggestions this time thanks to the help of some friends, but narrowed them all down to these ten interesting and magnetic heroes of film. Did I miss any characters that you feel should have been included? Let us know!







