The Tomb of Dracula (Yami no Teiō: Kyūketsuki Dorakyura) (1985)

DRACULA WEEK

Also known as “Dracula Sovereign of the Damned,” and “The Emperor of Darkness: The Vampire Dracula,” Toei’s “Tomb of Dracula” is loosely adapted from the “The Tomb of Dracula” Marvel Book comic series published from 1972 to 1979. I like to think the Marvel comics are so much better than what Toei has offered fans, as they squeeze in all of those stories in to such a hastily made ninety minute movie. And you can tell there’s so much here added in a rush as the movie is so badly made.

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Dear Dracula (2012)

DRACULA WEEK

I think I recall “Dear Dracula” airing on cable television back in 2012, but I never paid it much attention. It’s too bad because considering its obviously small budget, “Dear Dracula” is a fun and funny animated film. Maybe it’s because I can relate to young hero Sam and his love for characters like Dracula and the Wolfman over characters like Santa or the Tooth Fairy.

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Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Buckaroo Bugs (1944)

2023 marks the 85th Anniversary of Bug Bunny’s first animated appearance in 1938’s “Porky’s Hare Hunt.” Debuting originally as Happy Rabbit, Bugs eventually became one of the most iconic animated characters of all time. In honor of the landmark anniversary, we’re discussing every animated appearance by Bugs Bunny. We’re big fans of Bugsy and we hope that you are, too.

Follow us on this massive journey where we discover and re-discover Every Bugs Bunny Ever.

Buckaroo Bugs (1944)
Directed by Bob Clampett
Written by Tedd Pierce
Music by Lou Lilly
Animation by Manny Gould

It would be a while before we would ever see Yosemite Sam on the big screen battling Bugs Bunny. We already saw the proto-granny in “Hare Force,” so “Buckaroo Bugs” has the proto-Yosemite Sam otherwise known as the Red Hot Ryder. This character would appear first and obviously be the character that would morph in to the aforementioned gun slinging bandit. This is also one of the very few times that we’ve seen Bugs Bunny playing the super villain in his own short. While yes there was the Tortoise and Hare but shorts, with “Buckaroo Bugs,” Bugs comes right out and says it to the audience that he is a bandit known s the notorious Masked Marauder.

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Van Helsing: The London Assignment (2004)

DRACULA WEEK

When we first see Gabriel Van Helsing in “Van Helsing,” he’s on the pursuit of Mr. Hyde, a hulk-ified version of Dr. Jekyll. While the Stephen Sommers movie was a bust, “The London Assignment” at least takes its best shot at filling in the gaps. “The London Assignment” is an okay attempt a prologue for Gabriel Van Helsing, where we follow him in his efforts to stop the vicious murder spree of Dr. Jekyll and his monstrous alter ego Mr. Hyde.

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Five Forgotten IP’s Deserving of a Reboot

With the huge success of “Barbie,” Mattel just revealed that they’re planning on turning a lot of their classic toys in to big movie projects. On the other end, Hasbro is taking another crack at their own extended universe, intending on developing more Transformers movies, as well as rebooting “G.I. Joe,” and bringing “M.A.S.K.,” “Micronauts,” and “Rom” to the big screen. What with these companies developing big projects, I thought of five great forgotten IP’s that deserve a reboot, or big screen franchise. 

What are some forgotten IP’s would you like to see on the big screen?

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)

What we’re seeing with “Mutant Mayhem” is what happens after every movie makes a bang at the box office. The “The Spider-Verse” movies were so beloved and influential that we can expect studios to ape its animation and storytelling style for at least a few years. The first of what will probably be many to come is “Mutant Mayhem.” Jeff Rowe’s animated movie is a new re-imagining of Eastman and Laird’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” franchise, but aimed a lot more toward Generation Z. That’s both a quality that improves what producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldbergh aim to be the beginning of a new wave of popularity for the Turtles, and a hindrance. 

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Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Hare Force (1944)

2023 marks the 85th Anniversary of Bug Bunny’s first animated appearance in 1938’s “Porky’s Hare Hunt.” Debuting originally as Happy Rabbit, Bugs eventually became one of the most iconic animated characters of all time. In honor of the landmark anniversary, we’re discussing every animated appearance by Bugs Bunny. We’re big fans of Bugsy and we hope that you are, too.

Follow us on this massive journey where we discover and re-discover Every Bugs Bunny Ever.

Hare Force (1944)
Directed by Friz Freleng
Written by Tedd Pierce
Music by Carl W. Stalling
Animation by Manuel Perez

What–? Two dog foes in a row? Either Termite Terrace were a fan of the popular trope of Bugs fighting predatory dogs, or they were just out of ideas. In either case, it’s at least a good thing that both dog villains are different. The dog foe in “Hare Force” is funnier and more interesting than the one in “Hare Ribbin’” and that’s mainly because he’s so much less whiny. I also get a kick out of his goofy speech pattern which makes him sound oafish but absolutely hilarious. And he’s at least given a name this time, Sylvester. No relation to the black and white Tom cat, of course.

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