Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

Posted on March 17, 2023 by Felix Vasquez

Hey, it’s better than “Black Adam.”

That’s about the biggest glowing opinion I can give “Fury of the Gods” when all is said and done. The follow up to the 2019 crowd pleaser is a perfectly fine film. It’s a solid adaptation of a unique comic book series, and it’s a good chance this is the last time we’ll see “Shazam!” with this cast. That being said, I liked “Fury of the Gods” even if I wasn’t a big fan of how much they toned down the content to make it so much more appealing to the younger audience. “Shazam!” had demons, and “Fury of the Gods” has unicorns.

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“Super Mario Bros: The Movie” 30 Years Later: The Baffling Feature Film Adaptation

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Felix Vasquez

Kids today will soon know their Mario Brothers as CGI animated sprites in the upcoming “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” I, for one, am psyched. But back in 1993, my Mario Bros. (beyond the video games) were found on television and in the movies. After Captain Lou Albano and Danny Wells ended their run as Mario and Luigi in “The Super Mario Brothers Super Show!” in 1989, the studios decided to finally bring the Super Mario world to the big screen in 1993. Said movie was called “Super Mario Bros: The Movie.”

You’d probably think: “How they could possibly get such an easy concept so wrong?”

But they did. They really did.

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Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Wabbit Twouble (1941)

Posted on March 14, 2023 by Felix Vasquez

2023 marks the 85^th 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

Wabbit Twouble (1941)
Directed by Wobert Cwampett
Written by Dave Monahan
Music by Cawl W. Stawwing
Animation by Sid Suthewwand

With “Wabbit Twouble” we have what will come to be known as Fat Elmer Fudd. For some reason during the development of Elmer Fudd, his weight fluctuated between the thin hunter we know him as today, and an obese model. The latter overweight Elmer would only appear a three more times before becoming thin again, but it’s interesting to note how much his weight dips and rises between shorts every now and then. Maybe they just thought Bugs fighting an overweight man who looked like Curly from “The Three Stooges” would be funnier than his rhotacism? Apparently his physique was based on voice actor Arthur Q. Bryan’s own physique.

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The Chromakey Man (2022) [CINEJOY 2023]

Posted on March 12, 2023 by Felix Vasquez

Success or the potential for success can be a harrowing prospect for any artist, especially when they’re faced with the specter of impostor syndrome. Told through a unique avenue, “Chromakey Man” is a pretty insightful look in to a man facing inevitable success in a field he’s been struggling in for years. The problem is he has to face whether or not he’s ready for that success, and that becomes an inner conflict for him.

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The Good, The Bad, and the Buggy (2023) [CINEJOY 2023]

Posted on March 10, 2023 by Felix Vasquez

I can’t say that “The Good, The Bad, and the Buggy” works as a short film, so much as a potential sketch for a web comedy. It’s a funny and cute sort of short film about parents being about as petty as humanly possible. One thing that hinders “The Good, The Bad and the Buggy” is that there isn’t any actual extrapolation as to why these parents are feuding with each other.

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Scream VI (2023)

Posted on March 9, 2023 by Felix Vasquez

Wes Craven’s “Scream” series has always been first a slasher series, and second a movie series that comments on the horror fandom. Thankfully while Craven’s loss is still sorely felt in the overall franchise, “Scream VI” has kept much of the spirit alive. The next logical step in the franchise is pulling it out of Woodsboro and giving it a wider scope, and it does this by changing the backdrop to the big city of New York. While this would otherwise hinder the series’ development, the massive scale of New York gives “Scream” something of an automatic reset that I welcome.

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Every Bugs Bunny Ever: All This and Rabbit Stew (1941)

Posted on March 7, 2023 by Felix Vasquez

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

All This and Rabbit Stew (1941)
Directed by Tex Avery
Written by Dave Monahan
Music by Carl W. Stalling
Animation by Virgil Ross

In the list of things that Warner Bros. wants you to forget about Looney Tunes, there’s “All This and Rabbit Stew.” Not only is it Tex Avery’s final short for Warner and Bugs Bunny, but it’s also one of the dreaded “Censored Eleven.”

It’s seventh in a list of animated shorts that have otherwise been banned or pulled from circulation due to sensitive content (racial, political, or otherwise). “All This and Rabbit Stew” has been banned since 1968 mainly for its depiction of black face and African American stereotypes that are just so offensive, that it’s almost impossible to get around. At least with something like “Swing Time” and “Hold that Ghost” you can simply move past it.

But with “All This and Rabbit Stew” it’s the absolute centerpiece.

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