Evicted

TITLE-Evicted

SOURCE-York Entertainment DVD

See it happen often. Movie sits on the shelves for a few years. Then a minor member of the cast become a star. So movie gets released with this new star right on the cover. When they got like 10 minutes of screen time. Evicted is a good example of this.

Made in 1999,but this DVD release is from 5 years later,Evicted  is a film that would be forgotten. But 2 things save it from that fate. First off you got Shannon Elizabeth back when she was a huge star thanks to AMerican Pie. Secondly this is the last film Laurence Tierney was in.

So Micro and T are two slackers living in Los Angeles. They are behind on the rent and being evicted. So Micro decides to throw a big party on his last night at the apartment.

Heavily inspired by stuff like Clerks,Slacker and many other cult classics for Generation X,Evicted tries really hard. But fails cause of a lack of budget.

Love how the back cover of the DVD mentions Rock n Roll High School,Dazed and Confused and Slacker. No clue why Rock n Roll High School was mentioned. 

So Shannon Elizabeth plays the stripper Princess. And she breaks one of my rules about cinema. If you play a stripper in a movie at least show some skin. She does stand out while on the screen,and not just cause she is a attractive lady. Nope that natural charisma she has shines through.

No extras. The DVD is 4:3 and the sound is basic stereo. Having only paid a buck for it I don't feel ripped off. And it is decent enough I will keep it and watch it again down the road.

Evicted gets a C-.

Miracleman Book One:A Dream of Flying Hardcover

 

TITLE-Miracleman Book One A Dream of Flying

SOURCE-Marvel Hardcover

Far from the first time I have read this first book of Miracleman. Hell not even the first time I have owned this run in Hardcover. But this is the first time I have read the Marvel remastered version. I know about the slight changes to some of the dialogue. And the coloring  changes. 

Published at first in the UK comic Warrior,Miracleman was Alan Moore taking the UK Clone of Shazam/Captain Marvel and updating him for the early 80s comic  audience.

Mike Moran is a reporter. Heading off to write about a protest at a nuclear plant. People take over the plant and when Mike sees the word Atomic reflected backwards he says KIMOTA and for the first time in decades Miracleman is free.

The rest of this hardcover shows us how Mike and his wife deal with learning he is the most powerful being on the planet. And Mike testing out his limits. Which there seems to be none.

The last few chapters reprinted in  this book deal with Miracleman going to where he was born. He learns he is a clone mixed with alien DNA. And all the adventures he had were all memory implants. 

This causes Mike to get angry,and the main part of this Book ends with an angry Miracleman having  destroyed the bunker.

Then we get two Warpsmith stories. Both of which are tied into the main story. And one of which I am  thinking hadnt been reprinted in the US before.

Now with it appearing finally the second part of the Miracleman saga is getting published it is the time to read this comic.

Moore takes the concept of the superhuman ,works that into the real world . And shows us that really all your superhero comics from before this was published were really childish power fantasies.

I have loved Miracleman since being  introduced to it not long after Eclipse started publishing it. Glad these hardcovers are now easy to find and affordable.

Miracleman Book One A Dream of Flying gets a A.

The Iron Claw Blu Ray/Digitial Copy/DVD

 

TITLE-The Iron Claw

SOURCE-A24 Blu Ray

Of course I saw WCCW growing up in the 80s. It aired on some OTA religious channel we got. When I heard this film was being made I was excited. Then over the course of the film being made a pile of people I know got cast in it as extras. 

As soon as it hit streaming I watched it and then bought this Blu ray not long after it came out.

The Von Erichs,according to the film,were 5 brothers. All sons of the legendary pro wrestler Fritz Von Erich. The oldest son died at a young age. The next 3 sons in age order all wanted to be wrestlers. 

You had David,the tallest of them and the one people thought would go the furthest. He died in Japan. Rumored to be an over dose.

Then was Kevin. The only one still alive. He was known for wrestling barefoot and his odd style of promos.

Kerry is the best known to modern fans. He beat Ric Flair for the NWA world title. And had a short run in WWF as Texas Tornado. Kerry got in major trouble with the law. So instead of going to trial and facing jail time,Kerry instead shot and killed himself.

Of the brothers in the film Mike is the youngest. He was more into music and video production. But once David died Fritz needed a third for trios matches. Mike got toxic shock syndrome and almost died. Was rushed back into the ring. Then the killed himself by overdosing on purpose.

Notice how I keep saying according to the film. That is because there was 6 brothers. Chris was the youngest and not mentioned at all in the film. He wrestled for aa short bit. And killed himself.

Being the only brother still alive the film focus mostly on Kevin. With Zac Efron being a great Kevin. Jeremy Allen White,who I knew as Lip on Shameless ,is amazing as Kerry. Yea Jeremy is shorter than Kerry was. But he manages to capture Kerry.

The guys playing David and Mike I don't know from anything else.

While I do really love tthis movie it has some flaws. One thing is so much isn't explained. Like Kerry has a motorcycle wreck. Which damages his foot. Before it is fully healed Kerrry attempts to walk across his hospital room to get a hamburger and rumor is this is why Kerry's foot had to be removed. IN the film most of this isn't explained.

It feels like the director just assumed most watching the film will know the story. I guess so. But first time I watched it it was with someone that had no clue who the Von Erichs are. So more than a few times I had to pause the movie and explain stuff.

My other complaint is it is known that a pile of footage got cut from the film. None of these deleted scenes are on the Blu ray. Only extras are a 20 minute Q&A with the cast and Kevin Von Erich. Which is decent. Then a 29 minute BTS piece that isn't that good.

Worth watching even if you aren't a wrestling fan.The Iron Claw could have been so much better.

The Iron Claw gets a C+

Harlem Nights

 

TITLE-Harlem Nights

SOURCE-Paramount DVD

My brain was telling me this had come out when I was like 10 and that was the major reason why I didn't see it for years. Then before sitting down the write this I looked up the release year. Nope I wasn't 10. Guessing it was more the film got horrible reviews and with comedies my Dad normally waited and rented them on home video.

Set back in the probition era this movie was written,directed and starred Eddie Murphy.  Back when he was box office gold. Which is why when Harlem Nights flopped it hurt his career. Eddie is Quick a orphan kid who saves the life of Sugar a candy shop owner who also runs a speak easy and brothel. 

After this quick set up the film skips ahead to when Quick is grown and is now Sugar's number 1 man. Seems a corrupt racist cop has been paid off to harass Sugar. So Quick and the rest of the crew,which includes Red Foxx and Della Reese,come up with a plan to make them each enough to leave Harlem and start over in another town.

Harlem Nights is a comedic heist crime drama. Really it was Eddie wanting to do a period piece and cast lots of the older talent he loved.  So you get classic stand up comedians like Richard Pryor as Sugar or Red Foxx as a dealer in the casino. 

While this movie didn't do that great at the box office seems like thanks to cable airings it is now considered a hit. I know for me it was one if I ran across it on cable and it wasnt gonna be cut to shreds and packed with ad breaks I would watch it each time. That is why when I found this DVD cheap I had to grab it.

If you enjoy slightly raunchy 80s comedies this is worth seeing.

Harlem Nights gets a B.

Lego Justice League Attack of the Legion of Doom

TITLE-Lego Justice League Attack of the Legion of Doom

SOURCE-WB DVD

Late last year while grabbing sharpies and snacks for a indie show at Dollar Tree I spotted a stack of DVDs. This one came with a lego figure of the Trickster. So figured $1.25 for a figure and a dvd I would take the chance.

And like lots of DVDs I buy it sat in the unwatched pile for months. Then the other day was told "Find something goofy to watch before dinner." This was the first thing I thought of.

The Justice League has a new threat. Like in the Superfriends cartoon I loved as a kid it is a grouping of all the big villains. THE LEGION OF DOOM! and they even have thier Darth Vader helmet looking HQ.

This somewhat plays out like 3 connected episodes of a Lego Justice League tv show. With every 24 minutes a conflict being resolved and we get more clues as to why this one General is so against Aliens.

Decently animated and with a pile of inside jokes for the grownups watching,this turned out to be a decent way to pass an hour and a half. 

Only extra is a 20 or so minute look at the foley work done for the movie. At first I figured I might watch 4 minutes of this then skip the rest. Nope it kept my attention it's full run.

Not sure I would have paid the 15 or so bucks this sold for when it came out. But for barely over a buck and I got a Tricker Lego figure,who is on a shelf in the kitchen above one of the two freezers,this was worth seeing.

No clue if this is one of the DC animated movies on MAX. If not check your local Dollar Tree for a copy.

Lego Justice League Attack of the Legion of Doom gets a B-.