What “Bob’s Burgers” has always excelled at is making us laugh while also making us well up with emotions. Loren Bouchard has a real challenge ahead of him developing his short form comedy series in to a feature film, and despite some tumbles narratively, it’s a success. The series has a knack for making me laugh and cry and Bouchard delivers on both fronts. Only this series can feature a hilarious gag of Linda trying to sell burgers in a bikini in one beat, and then revealing the origin of Louise’s rabbit ears in the next beat. Suffice to say I never expected the writers would ever give us a reason as to why Louise is so devoted to her rabbit ears, but the explanation left me on the verge of tears.
Tag Archives: Comedy
Five Great Movies Featuring Pools
Pools have almost always been interesting elements in films and television, from movies like “Sunset Boulevard,” “Poltergeist,” and “Gremlins” to famed TV shows like “Breaking Bad.” Since “Night Swim,” Bryce McGuire’s horror tale centered on a swimming pool is currently in theaters, I thought I’d list five great movies centered on or prominently featuring swimming pools. What are some of your favorites? What did you think of “Night Swim”?
Soul (2020)
In Limited Re-Release on January 12th, preceded by the Sparkshort “Burrow.” Check Local Listings.
Also Streaming on Disney Plus, and Available in Stores.
While watching “Soul,” two things came to mind. It’s amazing how much the movie reminded me of Chuck Jones’ “The High Note,” and Norton Juster’s “The Dot and the Line.” Both films perfectly articulate the power of music, and sound and the joy and pain that can come with it. Down to its basest, “Soul” is very much a movie about the power of music and the passion that can arise from it that transcends life and death. It’s probably one of the most unusual animated films from “Soul” in that animation style is so different from anything we’ve seen before or will see after.
Every Bugs Bunny Ever: A Hare Grows in Manhattan (1947)
A Hare Grows in Manhattan (1947)
Directed by Friz Freleng
Written by Michael Maltese
Music by Carl W. Stalling
Animation by Virgil Ross
Happy New Year!
For this installment, we’re looking at “A Hare Grows in Manhattan” one of the more underrated Bugs Bunny shorts ever produced. It’s hysterical, it’s quotable, and it features another one and done villain but one of his most common foes: The dog. The dog has always been a very multi faceted villain for the Warner universe, as the dog is always the predator for traditionally prey like rabbits, ducks, and chickens. By now Bugs has come face to face with at least a dozen dog foes, all of whom we were either working with Elmer Fudd, or working on their own.
Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)
After the okay “Wreck it Ralph,” the follow up to the highly promoted video game version of “Toy Story” delivers a follow up that is—just as fine, I guess. “Wreck it Ralph” still hasn’t quite built up an interesting universe or interesting protagonists, even if they manage a better job satirizing video game icons. Truth be told I’d rather have a spin off movie about the video game verse and how it operates. Instead we’re given Vanellope von Schweetz and Wreck-It Ralph in a pair of awkward central plots that drive a movie that’s running on fumes from the starting gate.
Lightyear (2022)
Even though we were under the impression that Andy loved Buzz Lightyear because he was this new special toy, we’re told in 1999’s “Toy Story 2” that he was actually a part of a TV series, which was further canonized in the 2000 animated show “Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.” Now we’re told that in 1995 Andy actually loved Buzz Lightyear because he originally came from a hit movie within the “Toy Story” universe. And this is that movie. That we’re watching—uh, somehow. Despite the absolutely elaborate concept behind it, “Lightyear” is a meta-movie that features pre-toy Buzz as an adventurous space ranger and bonafide hero. All the while there are some fun allusions to “Top Gun,” “Flash Gordon,” and “Aliens” to be explored here.
Our Top Ten Films of 2023
It’s been a crazy year for the movies, and it’s been a crazy year for Hollywood. There was Barbenheimer, the massive SAG-AFTRA/WGA strike, the continued streaming wars, the decline in the popularity of superhero movies, the end of the DCEU, the phasing out of physical media in major chain stores, and twenty five years after “Family Matters” ended, Steve Urkel got his own animated movie.
What a long, strange trip it’s been.
Here are Our Top Ten Movies of 2023.
Please to remember this is our opinion, and only our opinion, not gospel. But we encourage you to let us know your top ten movies of the year or what other nineties icon you think will get an animated movie next.