Ri¢hie Ri¢h (1994)

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I’d say the reason why Harvey Comics’ adaptation of “Casper” is so great, while the adaptation of “Richie Rich” (or “Ri¢hie Ri¢h”) is so terrible is simple. We can relate to a poor child that lost his life and now lingers as a ghost looking for love. We can’t relate to an obscenely rich child whose life is only difficult because he can’t make friends. “Richie Rich” has always been a one note character filled with really boring jokes, and I’m not too surprised the movie is so terrible and unfunny when all is said and done. It’s not even very appealing to kids. Sure, you can make the argument that it’s every kids fantasy to be rich, but I think “Blank Check” covered that fantasy. Not well, mind you, but it covered it wholesale.

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RoboCop (2014)

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Truthfully, how much further can Hollywood damage Robocop? I think the hoopla surrounding the Robocop remake was very over the top, if only because Hollywood neutered Robocop years ago. “Robocop” was about a man brutally shot to death whose corpse was resurrected in a metallic casing that allowed him to shoot rapists in the nuts. By the time “Robocop 3” ended, he was a mascot with a cartoon, appearing on lunch boxes, and a PG-13 television series. So truth be told, José Padilha‘s remake doesn’t damage the character any further. The best thing I can say about it is that it’s better than “Robocop 3.”

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Return to Nuke ‘Em High Volume 1 (2013)

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Any movie that begins with inexplicable opening narration from Stan Lee is an automatic win in my book. From the opening exposition from Stan “The Man,” to clips from the previous “Nuke ‘Em High” series, “Return Vol. 1” is really a return to form for people that appreciated the punk rock trash “Class of Nuke Em High” series that had no limits in bad taste and grue. It’s an entirely new generation with an entirely new subtext, and Lloyd Kaufman embraces those themes head on and without fear of controversy.

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Raze (2014)

Raze

It’s gratifying that “Raze” blew me out of seat from the first blood drenched bone crunching five minutes. Because once it starts with a bashed in blood soaked face, it never stops being an electrifying series of vicious fight scenes. “Raze” embraces its grindhouse exploitation tropes so unabashedly, I can imagine if this were made in 1975, it’d star folks like Pam Grier, Uschi Digard, and Lina Romay, with Joe Estevez playing Doug Jones’ part. That said, “Raze” is a mind blowing action thriller all on its own, that is so simple yet so damn entertaining.

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The Ref (1994)

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It’s only fitting that a comedian so devoted to working against the norm would star in a Christmas film that’s very much against the idea of the holiday. “The Ref” is very much a hilarious and laugh a minute dramedy about familial dysfunction and the idea of Christmas being much more of an obligation than a time to celebrate the loved ones and family.

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Rewind This! (2013)

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Director Josh Johnson pulls off an ingenious move with “Rewind This!” Truly, it’s about the age of VHS and recalls many of the fond memories of buying VHS and learning how to enjoy the spoils of the hunt for the perfect Friday night entertainment from your local mom and pop video store. But by the end of the documentary, director Johnson is wise to warn about how personal media and art is slowly becoming impersonal and is gradually breaking from our grasps.

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Ruby and the Dragon (2013)

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While I really like what “Ruby and the Dragon” seems to be setting out to do, I was never quite sure what director Phillip Jordan Brooks was hinting toward with his resolution. This makes “Ruby and the Dragon” a bit foggy in its intent, and what it’s all supposed to mean. “Ruby and the Dragon” is a short film about a young girl named Ruby who lives in a fantasy world. And why wouldn’t she? Her life is just one miserable event after the other.

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