Neighbors 1981 Blu Ray

 

TITLE-Neighbors

SOURCE-Mill Creek Blu Ray

It was 1981,Mom was taking me to the two screener in Pascagoula to see a movie. Not sure how but we entered the wrong theater. 10 minutes later she realized we were not seeing the right film and I was wanting to see more of the film I would later learn was called Neighbors.

John Belushi and his wife live at the end of a road,under the power lines. New couple moves in next door,made up of Dan Ackroyd and Cathy Moriarty.

Now Belushi is playing against type and being the boring typical 30 something white suburan male. Dan on the other hand is in the role that normally Belushi would get.

Belushi quickly catches on that the new neighbors are trouble. Like when Cathy attemped multiple times to get John to bang her. Or when he gives Dan money to go get them dinner. And sees Dan  at his home cooking the food. Or the course of a few days Belushi and Ackroyd go to war with each other. Till a big reveal about this new couple next door towards the end.

Dark and oddly comedic I am still a bit shocked this did as good as it did. Sure lots of that is cause of Ackroyd and Belushi. 

This is the last film Belushi worked on before he ODed. It is also the reason why the punk band FEAR got booked for SNL. Belushi had promised them a spot on the soundtrack. Music was recorded and studio or someone said it wasn't gonna be used. So John used his pull and got FEAR booked on SNL. Which turned into one of the most infamous musical acts in SNL history.

For years this wasn't an easy movie to see. It wasn't until 2004 I finally saw the entire film. And that was a bad VHS rip I downloaded off the late great Tracker 3 bit torrent site. Thankfully Mill Creek put out this bare bones Blu ray. Which is part of their line of Blu Rays and DVDs that come with a slipcase making it look like a rental VHS.

For me this is my favorite Belushi film. Yes Blues Brothers is great and Animal House is fun. But Neighbors shows that John had way more range than people knew.

Neighbors gets a A-

Lilo & Stitch Ohana TPB From Dynamite

 

TITLE-Lilo&Stitch Ohana

SOURCE-Dynamite TPB

Now before this I had read some Stitch Manga and it was good. Found this TPB cheap took a chance. And like with most comics it sat around for a bit before I read it.

In it is the first 5 or so issues of Dynamite's Lilo&Stitch comic. Set it appears not long after the first film. A group of robots wants to get Stitch's dna to make them more like him.

In issue one we see Lilo and her sister plus their extended family getting use to the change. Stitch learns that being part of a family means you are responsible for stuff. After the robots attack Stitch flees.  With each issue being another adventure in a new place. While Lilo and crew try to figure out where Stitch is.

Got an issue set at a NYC convention. Stitch ends up helping sell some ugly koala plushies. Got another with Stitch in the outback of Australia. Where he learns about how the land and rocks have a history to be preserved.

Then the last issue wraps it all up. This time Stitch and the two robots sent after him help some kids make a monster movie.

Great art good writing and the only real complaint I have is it read super fast. 5 issues read in under 30 minutes.

Lilo&Stitch Ohana TPB gets a B-.

Class Act Warner Archive DVD

 

TITLE-Class Act

SOURCE-Warner Archive DVD

1992,Kid n Play had two hit movies and the studios wanted another. So take a well treaded story and insert Kid N Play.

While the House Party films are well remembered,and for good reason,this movie appears to be forgotten by most. It is rarely streaming or shown on TV. And until 2010 you had to dig  up the old VHS. 

The disc is bare bones. You get the trailer and the movie. But unlike every other Warner Archive DVD I have seen this one is Pressed.

Kid is the smart nerdy student,with Meshach Taylor as his dad. Play is the just released from Juvie prison hoodlum. Kid's parents just moved and now he will be in the same school as Play. And their first days at this sschool a mix up happens and everybody thinks Kid is "Blade" and Play is the nerd.

This follows the similar formula as their previous two films. Kid N Play get into trouble,get out of trouble,Rap and dance some. And Play is always after the ladies.

You can see that Kid has his famous High Top fade. And this is the film were he got rid of it. In a great scene where Play is trying to get Kid to look less like Urkel.

And like in House Party we get a big bully after Kid. In this film it is Wedge. Who manages to look scary while wearing a hot pink tank top and overalls. Damita is his girl who is now with Kid.

Sure this isn't some amazing comedy. But it is one I can see myself going back and rewatching once a year or so.

So come on whoever has the rights get this out on Blu Ray. Or hell 4k.

Class Act gets a B+

ED

 

TITLE-Ed

SOURCE-Fandango at Home FKA Vudu

Weeks ago someone was mentioning how the mid 90s was packed with animal let movies aimed at kids. And ED was one I had forgotten about.

Matt Leblanc is a pitcher for a minor league baseball team. Practice he can throw over 100MPH with precision. But game time he throws bad.

Cooper,Matt's name in the film,is sent to pick up the newest member of the team. Turns out it is a chimp named Ed Sullivan. Who is forced to live with Cooper. And wacky hyjinx happen.

What made this stand out from the 100s of similar themed films was the supporting cast. So many people I knew from other projects. Like one of the guys on Cooper and Ed's team is Cockroach from the Cosby Show. Another is Scutt Farkus from A Christmas Story.

What did surprise me with the film was it was filled with toilet humor. More than I would normally see in a film aimed at kids back in 96.

Appears this isnt streaming on any service. We paid 3 bucks to rent it off Fandango at Home. I know I own it on DVD,in some pack of 10 KIDS movies.

Ed is worth seeing and a decent baseball themed movie. 

Ed gets a C-.

Miracleman Book 2 Red King Syndrome

TITLE-Miracleman Book 2 Red King Syndrome
SOURCE-Marvel Hardcover

This is where Moore's run on MM really takes off. Miracleman has learned some of his real origin. His wife is captured by Dr Gargunza.

While MM and Mr Cream are on their way to Gargunza' secret base,we find out why Gargunza helped create Miracleman. Seems he wants to live forever. So MM was created so that in the future he will have a kid. And Gargunza plans on implanting his mind into MM's kid's body.

Once Miracleman makes it to the base we learn that Gargunza has a backdoor. He can say a word and for 1 hour Miracleman is stuck in his Mike Moran form.

If is after revealing this that Gargunza shows us MiracleDogg. And Miracleman in his powerless human form plus Mr Cream get a head start before Miracle Dogg gets let go.

Some quick thinking lets Mike survive. And once that hour is up KIMOTA is yelled and Miracleman gets his hands on Gargunza. 

Then takes the evil scientist up to right where the atomosphere ends. And in a scene that reminds me of Stardust the Super Wizard,MM throws Dr Gargunza at the planet Earth. 

With the big bad taken care of now MM must get his very pregnant wife to a safe place. Which gives us an issue penciled by the great Rick Veitch. An issue that was infamous cause it shows a very graphic child birth scene.

Re-reading this again I really caught how much stuff Moore foreshadows in each issue. And this time re-reading it since I know more about Fletcher Hanks and Stardust I am wondering if Miracleman's costume is not somewhat based on Stardust's costume.

The only negative to this collection,and it is a minor one,is how so many different artists worked on this book. Most for an issue...

Miracleman Book 2 Red King Syndrome gets an A.
 

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-.