Teen Titans Go Vol 1 Party,Party TPB

 

TITLE-Teen Titans Go VOL Party,Party
SOURCE-DC TPB

Yea I know the cartoon is hated. I saw it here and there and it was ok at best. This tpb supposedly reprints the first 6 isssues of the Teen Titans Go comics series.

You get a pile of 4 to 8 page stories. Imagine the old Archie digests but the stories got a slight superhero bend to them. And you will get cameos from people like Red Bee and Darkseid.

The art ? It looks like the cartoon so it works. The stories? They aren't bad. Lots of pop culture references. Like the story about the team going on a America's Got Talent like show,and facing the Brotherhood of Evil.

Or the really well done Slumber Party story. Starfire,Raven,Jynx and Bumblebee are having a slumber party. The guys all get sent out. And wacky hijynx happen.

Never would have bought this for cover price. 13 bucks when you factor in sales tax. The buck or so I paid is about what it was worth to me.

Cause these short stories made perfect reading material for when eating or when on the throne.

Teen Titans Go Vol 1 Party,Party gets a C+

The New Adventures of Batman The Complete Collection Blu Ray

TITLE-The New Adventures of Batman Complete Collection

SOURCE-Warner Brothers Blu Ray

I would have loved to been a kid in the past 20 years. When you got a new comic movie or tv show almost every month. Back in the mid to late 70s I was lucky if every 5 years we got a new cartoon. Which is why when this Batman cartoon debuted in the late 70s I was there every Saturday to see it. Loving Bat Mite and wondering why Bat Mite wasn't appearing in Superfriends on ABC.

Then the show stopped airing and I just forgot about it. Sometime in the late 80s had just got in my new CBG issue,Comic Buyers Guide,and in the classifieds saw someone selling COLLECTOR copies of this series on VHS. Not wanting to take a chance I passed.

Then I found this blu ray set cheap. And found the show is mixed bag to me know. It has the goofy plots of the Batman 66 tv show,which makes sense with Adam West and Burt Ward voicing Batman and Robin in this. 

Thinking this has to be the first Batgirl in animation. She is decent  in here. And very much like her Batman 66 portrayal.

With only 16 episodes they didnt go through that much of Batman's rogues gallery. You get Joker of course,and Penguin. Mr Freeze,who is one that became bigger thanks to BTAS. And a odd costume for Catwoman that I only remember seeing on this show.

As  a kid seeing this once a week and not having much else that was comic book related ot watch I loved it. Now seeing all 16 episodes over a weekend and it's flaws are very much there in your face often.

The prints used look and sound good. Only extra is a 18 minute short titled The Dark Knight Revisited. I think I have seen this before on another set. You get the same talking heads you got on all the Batman the Animated Series BTS extras on those releases.

The New Adventures of Batman Complete Collection Blu ray gets a C-.

 

The Barbarians Blu Ray

 

TITLE-The Barbarians

SOURCE-Scorpion Blu ray

Oh Cannon,they never saw a hit they weren't ready to rip off. Conan was big. So Cannon wanted a Barbarian movie. Hired Peter Paul and David Paul (Known as the Barbarian Brothers) and made this cheap. It failed the Paul Twins made 2 more films then kind of faded away. Not that many years ago one of them passed.

The movie? It is your standard Conan the Barbarian 80s era rip off. Big muscle having hero,or heroes in this case. Attractive woman in little clothing as a love interest,being Eva Larue in this film. Then some crazy cult leader/magician villian,Richard Lynch in this film.

Watching this for the first time in decades,I am sure this is one of the many Cannon films I saw late at night on Showtime and TMC in the early 90s,I notice how the Paul Twins looked and were outfited in a way that made them look like live action versions of the Masters of the Universe figures that were huge in the mid 80s. Really this is a better He Man movie than the one we got so far.

The blu ray looks good sounds good. Extras is a pile of trailers. Then a commentary from Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson.

Oh crap can't forget got Michael Berryman as one of the henchmen of Richard Lynch. Dude was just made for a film like this.

Out of the three Barbarian Brothers films I have seen,the other 2 being Think Big and Twin  Sitters,this is the best.Yea it's dumb. But you knew that when you looked at the cover.

The Barbarians gets a B.

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.