Sunday, June 15, 2025

It Was A Different Time, eh?

     This week- a pair of films about young men who love beer.

     Van Wilder is in his seventh year at Coolidge College. After his father cuts off his tuition payment. Van comes up with a scheme to pay by organizing and running parties for the college's diverse social groups. Meanwhile, he is drawn into a triangle with journalism student Gwen and mean-spirited future status focused boyfriend. Will Van make it through his seventh year? Will he finally decide to put on a cap and gown and move on? Will he earn the love of Gwen an the respect of his father? The directorial debut of Walt Becker and the first feature by the writing team of Brent Goldberg and David T. Wagner, National Lampoon's Van Wilder (aka Van Wilder: Party Liaison).
     Bob and Doug McKenzie, the dim-witted hosts of cult Canadian panel show "The Great White North", debut their feature film to disastrous results. Broke, unemployed, and desperately needing beer for their father, the brothers go to Elsinore Brewery hoping to scam a case or two for free. Unfortunately, instead they stumble on a Shakespearian family drama and the plot of a power mad brewmeister. Can the brothers save the unsuspecting Canadian populace? Will they finally be able to earn their father and dog's approval? Based on a popular segment from the sketch comedy series SCTV, written and directed by lead actors Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas, Strange Brew.
     All that and Tyler puts out the welcome mat for boys of summer, Dave suffers, and Kevin chortles nearly manically. Join us, won't you?
   Episode 417- It Was A Different Time, eh?

Sunday, June 8, 2025

Synaptic Rotation

     This week- two films featuring men abusing their positions of power and the fallout from it.

     Miss Giddens is hired as a governess at Bly Manor. She is immediately taken with her young charge, Flora, and strikes an instant friendship with Mrs. Grose, the housekeeper. Despite the encouraging start, small moments of discomfort begin to poke at Miss Giddens new normal. When Miles is expelled from his boarding school, Miss Giddens finds herself caught up in the effects from the not too distant past. Based on one of the most influential horror tales ever written with a screenplay co-written by Truman Capote, taking a three week break from his magnum opus to work on it, and casting its own shadow nearly as long for itself- The Innocents.
     Lillian founds a ballet company in the name of her late husband. Her ambulance-chasing attorney, Roland T. Flakfizer- assisted by associated   Rocco and Jacques, face off against the late husband's equally conniving lawyer, Edmundo Lazlo. The legal eagles compete to sign the world's greatest ballet dancer, "The Great" Volare, and to deliver an awe-inspiring Broadway debut for the new company. Inspired by the Marx Brothers, even being filmed at the same locations as several of their most beloved films, produced by David and Jerry Zucker, and fully embracing the "they don't make them like they used to" lifestyle- Brain Donors.
     All that and Kevin enthuses, Dave forgot, and Tyler weeps in his Happy Place. Join us, won't you?
   Episode 416- Synaptic Rotation