klolson54 Reviews

Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular (2003 TV Movie)

Scraping for Similarities

[8/10 · 21 October 2009]

I find myself curiously looking forward to seeing Scary Godmother Movie. Not a glowing review, at first glance, but beneath it is high approval. I'm very critical of the air-brushed look of some video games and CGI animation; so for me to look forward to "Scary G" means something of content got through. That... is what every program creator secretly wants to hear. Is "je ne sais quoi" over doing it? Well that's my take on it. But something else nags me. "Hanna" the lead in "Scary G" reminds me so much of "Cathy" from "Monster Buster Club" that I find myself scrounging for a connection. MBC is a Marathon France/Canada product with ties to Jetix and Disney Chanel. Now "Scary G" is from Canada but I got no more than that yet (as far as IMDb says). Sometimes animators do carry-over styles from one production house to the next (see Annime) but I'm holding out for a more direct connection. Anyone care to chime in?

Duck Amuck (1953)

Cut-loose fun... Daffy gets "his"... "rasberries to convetion... Left-Right friendly

[10/10 · 19 October 2007]

Daffy Duck... the most deliciously self-absorbed character in memory... possibly the King of such. Even though, by strict ethics, we ought not enjoy caustic payback... there is something innocent in our enjoyment of seeing this "greedy little duck"' the backstabbing, ego maniacal, the quintessential self-absorbed character; getting his come-up-ins. And from us, the viewers, vicariously through Chuck Jones and Mike Maltese (the director writer respectively). Then, the cathartic exasperation in Daffys' exclamations seems to strangely give vent to our own frustrations even if unconsciously aware of them previously.( Is there some of Daffys' flaws in us too?) But beyond academics, it is a joy to see the free range application of morphing realities, contradiction to settings, convention and the breaking rules of traditional expectation. Polka-dotted in daisy tutu ? with the body of something from Marvin's Martian Militia; from "Hey look I'm a Buzz-Boy to Cow-Boy to Alaskan-whatever... this is the true joy of animation and the very definition of zaniness. Finally, WB Looney Tunes, especially Duck Amuck was PS. Politically Safe. In other words, before PC and the polarity of present Right-Left self and social identity, there was PS; but it had no name nor concept. I have a political ID and it is either Left or Right but I like to find areas that we can enjoy together without claiming that it reinforces a partisan bend. I'm OK and if you love Looney Tunes and stuff like Duck Amuck, then as far as I'm concerned, we're both OK in that special little safe zone. I personally KNOW what Chucks' political persuasion was... it was ANIMATOR; for everyone.

Reptile 2001 (1999)

I've got some good news and some bad news.

[8 June 2003]

The good of this film is that the monster effects, artistically speaking, are excellent despite other reviews likely to be contrary. The bad news is the acting...whether its the direction or the talent, it doesn't matter. This one begs for the MST3K treatment. How can I differ so greatly with others on the effects issue? Well, from an artistic view, the drawings, as it were... the creative product of creatures, their movement, spacecraft and their activity and effects alone, are in fact elegant. The creature actually dodges attacks fluidly, something rarely seen in city crunching monster flicks. The reason other reviewers may well be harsh on the same subject is that these selfsame creatures and effects are poorly applied to the canvas so-to-speak. As though the glue on a paste-up were showing around the edges of the artwork. A direct description would be, the effects are translucent appearing and must be judged apart from the film itself... no really they must be judged apart ... because the effects LOOK like they ARE apart from the film. Too bad... the bad news out-weighs the good when the storytelling presentation is finally viewed.

Gunhed (1989)

Dark-Vague-yet thumbs up!

[6 November 2002]

I saw this movie, listed as "Gunhed" on Sci-Fi channel and complained often about how difficult it was to make out what was happening because the film is dark and has a green lighting to it retro-reminiscent, of Matrix. Also the cuts and scene transitions are seemingly random including some dotted dissolves early on which just don't work. So I was surprised at myself to want to check it out on DVD to view on my RP wide screen TV. I fully intend to. I love atmosphere heavy films and this is nothing if not that. It has a nice texture, good action and a remarkably good blending of mecho-maniac gadgetry and robotic "acting", without CGI. Some modern directors will not use CGI except for things which literally could not exist w/o such imagi-creation and this film deserves credit for doing so well w/o CGI.

Cyber-punk?... Decidedly! Plot?... yes, pretty much... well... some techno-scavengers dare an island, the smoking site of a robo-rebellion (since put-down) find a female soldier type person. One thief, the woman and some latter discovered child refugees struggle against a still surviving cyber-ruler program.

I couldn't sell this movie at gun point by describing it, but I still like it and believe viewing it will win over many who risk it. Just for reference, the first movie I ever bought was Blade Runner.