Jury Duty Blu Ray

 

TITLE-Jury Duty

SOURCE-Mill Creek Blu Ray

While by this film the wheels are falling off the Pauly The Weasel Shore train. And it was one I was gonna skip,got talked into going to see it at a now long gone theater and enjoyed it and never thought about it again until 2 years ago.

Was talking to  a buddy about possible films to cover on upcoming episodes of his podcast and the various Pauly Shore films came up. I learned that Jury Duty got a blu ray release,part of Mill Creek's VHS Retro style slipcases.

Pauly is a out of work male stripper,we start off seeing his routine as the Milk Man. His mom and step dad are heading to Vegas so instead of staying with some neighbors Pauly and his dog Peanut end up doing Jury Duty.

Take 12 Angry Men and add in Shore's comedy and that is the film. Pauly gets sequestered on jury duty. Weasels his way into a suite by agreeing to advertise the hotel since the trial is being filmed.

Amazing cast in what was a throw-away comedy,one that bombed too. Stanley Tucci in a pivotal role as one of the jurors. Also got Tia Carrerre as another juror. Shelly Winters as Pauly's mom. Abe Vigoda as the judge in the trial

And how can I hate on a film where a sub plot is Peanut's desire to become a contestant on Jeopardy. I watch Jeopardy most days with my dog ,Maggot Ass the Wonder Mutt,and I doubt she would be a good contestant on  Jeopardy.

Seeing this film now I think it is one of the better of Paul's Weasel films. The cast helps it rise above the average comedy from the mid 90s.

The Blu Ray looks and sounds good. Only has subtitles as an extra. It is a budget release from Mill Creek. So not surprised it is bare bones.

Jury Duty gets a B-

The Toxic Avenger Remake Unrated DVD

 

TITLE-The Toxic Avenger Remake

SOURCE-Unrated DVD

Feels like 20 years ago I heard a rumor that the cult classic 80s gore/comedy/horror film The Toxic Avenger was getting remade. I was worried. I love the Toxic Avenger franchise and felt a remake wouldn't work. Film gets completed then sat on the shelves for a few years. Mostly cause the owners of the film wanted to get a Unrated version in  wide release. 

This time instead of a nerdy dude that cleans up at a health club our lead is a midget that is a janitor at the big chemical plant that is polluting the entire area. Peter Dinklage is our lead and he is struggling to pay bills and take care of his stepson. Plus Peter is dying from some brain issue.

Kevin Bacon is the owner of this big poluting Chemical Plant and we get Elijah Woods as a very   Danny Devito Batman Returns Penquin looking character. The rest of the cast is mostly folks I dont know from other films or tv shows.

Leaning heavy on the current problem of healthcare costing so much. And how a simple operation  could bankrupt a family,this remake takes the gore and dark comedy of the original updates it for a modern audience and makes it a film that I could see being a bigger hit than any of the previous 4 Toxic Avenger films.

Gory as hell. I do love how this feels like a big budget 80s/90s era Troma film. Yea there is more CGI than you would see in a Troma film. Thankfully most of the CGI works and looks decent.

No clue how this would play to your standard horror fan. One that thinks the Terrifier series is the gorest films ever,not even close if you know Euro Horror or Asian horror. For me it was a great way to kill almost 2 hours.

For me the best scene is when Toxie goes to a concert and does a great cover of Motorhead's Overkill while killing the band on stage.

The Toxic Avenger Remake Unrated gets a B+

The Substitute

 

TITLE-The Subtitute

SOURCE-Flipper DVD with part 3 on the other side

Yea I had seen pieces of this film on  cable tv back in the early 2000s. Just was never something I wanted to sit down  and  watch in  full. Months back for 50 cents I got the 4 pack pictured above that has the full run of this 90s action franchise.

Tom  Berringer is a mercenary. His latest mission goes bad and he needs to lie lown for a bit. He heads back to Miami to see his girlfriend. Where he learns the school she teaches at is crime ridden. Marc Anthony,yes the singer,is the leader of a gang. The principal,Ernie Hudson,seems to not be able to do anything about the issues at the school.Tom comes in as a subtitute teacher. Where he bonds with his class by telling them stories from his tour in Vietnam. 

Over the top action,a high school so bad you only see it in films. And students that look mid 30s. The perfect blending of action cheese that makes for an entertaining viewing.

Tom just goes nuts,throwing people out windows,beating one guy with a helmet and appears to be having a blast. We get  a rare heel turn from Ernie Hudson. Marc Anthony ain't a bad actor.

While not a huge box office hit this film was a vhs and cable hit and why we got 3 more films in the franchise.

The Subtitute gets a C+