Frank Borzage’s hybrid of genres has apparently been a film that has been neglected for a long time and not given a proper restoration. With Criterion they ensure a long lasting release of what is a pretty engaging mix of drama, comedy, romance, and yes, a disaster film. I’m not sure if I was as wild about “History is Made at Night” as most movie buffs seem to be, but Frank Borzage’s film is a success at being entertaining and engaging. Borzage is able to bounce between themes rather well, balancing out dread and whimsical romance well.
Tag Archives: Comedy
Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama 2 (2022)
David DeCoteau’s low budget 1988 cult film “Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama” is one of my all time favorite video store gems, and the follow up to it has been in the works for almost thirty five years, oddly enough. I don’t know if we really needed a sequel, but nevertheless we have “Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama 2” as brought to us by director Brinke Stevens.
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
One of the things I loved about “Love and Thunder” is that Taika Waititi holds true to the message that Stan Lee held for his heroes. Anyone can be Spider-Man. Anyone can be an X-Men, and in “Love and Thunder” anyone can be a mythic hero. While it does in a sense take away value from the concept of Mjölnir, the concept behind “Love and Thunder” is a wholesome one, one that celebrates its audience of children and inspires heroism in the vein of virtue and morality and less on revenge or malice.
Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Prest-O Change-O (1939)
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.
Prest-O Change-O (1939)
Directed by Charles Jones
Produced by Leon Schlesinger
Music by Carl W. Stalling
Animation by Rudy Larriva
The Two Curious Puppies is easily my least favorite series of Merrie Melodies shorts, as it’s basically more of a series derived on being cute. I’m not against cute, but the Two Curious Puppies are almost too saccharine for me. Sure, the animation from Rudy Larriva is fantastic, but there’s only so much you can do with two mischievous puppies that get in to all sorts of misadventures. They’re thankfully not the sole stars of “Prest-O Change-O” as they’re complimented by one naughty rabbit. Yes, Happy Rabbit is back! But this time he’s in Technicolor! It’s the wave of the future!
A Man Called Otto (2023)
It seems like these days actors nearing their seventies have to make a drama comedy about nearing the end of their lives. Hell, Jack Nicholson gave us “About Schmidt” and “The Bucket List,” and Robert DeNiro had “The Intern.” With Tom Hanks we have “A Man Call Otto” which is basically his “About Schmidt.” He lends his talents to a sad tale of a widow trying to find a way to move on from the love of his life. It’s shockingly a pet project for the Hanks fam that is just fine when all is said and done. It’s not Tom Hanks’ masterpiece, but just a fine outing for the man who can do roles like this in his sleep.
Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Porky’s Hare Hunt (1938)
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.
Porky’s Hare Hunt (1938)
Directed by: Ben Hardaway
Produced by: Leon Schlesinger
Music by: Carl W. Stalling
Animation by: Volney White
In 1938, Porky Pig was considered the mascot for Warner Animation, and Merrie Melodies. He’s one of the forefathers of cartoon mascots, the one who always gave us that famous outros from Merrie Melodies cartoons where he proclaims “That’s All Folks!” with his famous stutter. It would only make sense that the debut of Bugs Bunny would be in a short featuring Porky Pig. Originally known as Happy Rabbit, Bugs was created and cultivated by a slew of people including Ben Hardaway, Cal Dalton, and Charles Thorson initially.
The Bootleg Files: The Hero
BOOTLEG FILES 823: “The Hero” (1917 short starring Billy West and Oliver Hardy).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: On public domain labels.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A blatant (if effective) rip-off of Charlie Chaplin’s act.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: There is no great call for a Billy West revival.
When Charlie Chaplin’s popularity exploded into superstardom status during the mid-1910s, the demand of his films became greater than his ability to create original new works. To fill the void, a number of comic actors began to dress up in Chaplin’s distinctive Little Tramp costume and make-up and churn out short films of a Chaplinesque nature. Most of these imitators were not that special and their work has been lost to oblivion. But one copycat created a near-perfect facsimile of Chaplin’s act, to the point that his films were occasionally marketed as being genuine Chaplin films.
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