I can appreciate what Dave Grohl and BJ McDonnell were going for with “Studio 666.” In spite of me being a big Foo Fighters fan, I respected what they were trying to do. “Studio 666” is a horror comedy musical with shades of “Evil Dead,” “The Exorcist,” and “We Are Still Here.” It’s also kind of a commentary on the compromises you make in order to acquire artistic success, but those more dire themes are passive at best. “Studio 666” looks like one of those movies that was more fun to make than anything else, and that’s both a caveat and advantage.
Tag Archives: Comedy
Living Hardcore: “School of Rock” at 20
One of the reasons I’ve been such a rabid fan of Richard Linklater over the years is that he’s able to jump back and forth between excellent indie films, to accessible mainstream films. It’s amazing that the same man that gave us the cerebral existential masterpiece “Waking Life” is the same guy that gave us the rock and roll classic “School of Rock.” Linklater’s family comedy is not just a musical gem, but also one that manages to appeal to the genius of classic rock.
Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Rabbit Transit (1947)
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.
Rabbit Transit (1947)
Directed by Friz Freleng
Written by Tedd Pierce
Music by Carl W. Stalling
Animation by Manuel Perez
It’s the return of Cecil Turtle. Hip hip Hooray.
I was under the impression that 1943’s “Tortoise Wins By a Hare” was the final face off between Bugs Bunny and Cecil Turtle in their rivalry, but I completely forgot about “Rabbit Transit.” Truth be told the reasoning for that is that the series with Cecil and Bugs are all so similar and never really try to do anything remotely new or different. I guess if you like the twist on the classic fable you might like what they do with Bugs here. But with “Rabbit Transit” the return of Cecil Turtle is even more of the same old gags. While it’s not at all one of the worst from Bugs’ library, the whole rivalry between Cecil Turtle and Bugs Bunny gets really old, really quickly.
The Holdovers (2023)
The older I get the more and more I’ve grown to really appreciate Alexander Payne’s “Sideways.” His drama comedy about unfulfilled ambition, and arrested development is still a wonderful experience. “The Holdovers” is a character piece very much in the same vein, but while it might be a character piece it might also end up being one of the most unique Christmas movies ever made. Payne is wonderful at observing and dissecting such complex and unique characters, and with “The Holdovers,” he explores the lives, regrets, and frustrations of three immensely different people.
Dumb Money (2023) [Blu-Ray/Digital]
One of my favorite moments of the 2021 Gamestop Meme Stock debacle is watching billionaire Leon Cooperman literally crying and having a bitch fit tantrum on live TV because poor people were getting rich by rigging a system that he and his buddies have been rigging for decades. It was a delicious brief moment of poetic justice that forever made me a fan of the Gamestop Meme Stock scandal. While the COVID lock up and pandemic were wrought with so many unusual moments, the Gamestop Meme Stock remains one of the most significant incidents in American history.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)
2018’s “Aquaman” was such a fun, and out of left gate adaptation of an often lampooned character. It was fun but also took the material seriously. With “The Lost Kingdom,” opts for a just fine follow up that had all the seeds of an epic book end to the DCEU. Along with being a complete tonal mess from head to toe, “The Lost Kingdom” is a poorly conceived follow up that continues the tradition of DCEU heroes that do nothing but bellyache about being super powered Gods that can actually help people.
Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Rabbit Rhapsody (1946)
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.
Rhapsody Rabbit (1946)
Directed by Friz Freleng
Written by Tedd Pierce
Music by Carl W. Stalling
Animation by Manuel Perez
One of the many reasons why I was a small kid that loved classical music was that I pretty much cut my teeth on the Looney Tunes shorts. I spent so much of my time watching the animated shorts that were not only comical and fun, but also embraced the idea of classical music. “Rhapsody Rabbit” further serves to convey the beautiful marriage between classical music and the Looney Tunes shorts. The animation studio has always used music as a wonderful means of filling in what the writers or animators couldn’t. Classical music, folk music, and pop music were used to convey all kinds of emotions and conflict, and with “Rhapsody Rabbit,” it’s merely an amazing example of how the music compliments the animation and vice versa.