I don’t usually review comedies, especially straight forward romance/family ones like HAPPIEST SEASON, nor do I plan to do it often. But I thought this was a pretty good one and I decided to give it a shot. Sharpen my skills.
HAPPIEST SEASON is new on Hulu and takes place at Christmas time, but is not specifically about any holiday celebrations. It has received some attention as a high profile romantic comedy with a same sex couple, and of a much higher quality than the ones starting to pop up on Hallmark and Lifetime. Sony/TriStar had actually intended this for a major theatrical release before the pandemic and its supporters fucked up the country. It was directed and co-written by Clea DuVall, who we of course know as an actress from GHOSTS OF MARS, THE GRUDGE, ZODIAC, etc., so it’s a pretty good in-joke when a character’s teenage bedroom is still decorated with a sexy poster of Josh Hartnett (THE FACULTY). (read the rest of this shit…)
ARGO is based on an amazing true story, recently declassified and told in this great Wired article. During the Iran hostage crisis, it turns out, the CIA managed to rescue a group of stranded American workers using an unusual cover story: they were part of a Canadian film crew scouting exotic locations for a STAR WARS inspired sci-fi fantasy epic. John Chambers, the genius makeup artist behind the PLANET OF APES series (and played by John Goodman here), had done “some contract work” for the CIA according to the article (let’s hope he gets a whole series of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE style thrillers) and helped to set up real Hollywood producers and offices for the fake movie. The now-worshipped-by-nerds comic book artist Jack Kirby (seen only in a cameo here, played by DEATH WISH V’s Michael Parks) provided the artwork that they used as pre-production set and costume designs. (read the rest of this shit…)
One thing about JOHN CARPENTER’S GHOSTS OF MARS: it’s definitely John Carpenter’s GHOSTS OF MARS.
It has plenty of elements that could be perfect for one of his movies. It’s kind of a siege movie like ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13, although the simplicity of that type of setup is mired in flashbacks and narration. It’s got a western motif – even though it’s in the future and on Mars there’s a train, and colonists possessed by angry Martian spirits take the place of the Natives defending their land. It’s got a ready-made anti-hero – Ice Cube as the bad-but-not-guilty-of-the-specific-crime-he’s-accused-of prisoner-in-transfer Desolation Williams. It has a pretty good soundtrack where Carpenter melds his style with a bunch of rock n roll dudes with electric guitars and drums, playing Martian tribal rock. It has Ice Cube, Jason Statham, Joanna Cassidy and Pam Grier in the cast! This shit should be great. (read the rest of this shit…)
Some of you will wonder why I choose to watch this kind of crap. The answer is because of the French.
This one is from a series of movies made for cable called Creature Features. They have special effecting by Stan Winston (director of A GNOME NAMED GNORM) and are all based on the premises or titles of old movies produced by Samuel Z. Arkoff. They got SHE-MONSTER, DAN AYCKROYD VS. SPIDERMAN and many others. The one I’m waiting for is actually TEENAGE CAVEMAN directed by Larry Clark, the pervert who did KIDS and BULLY and ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE where the main kid wears his pants so low you can see his fuckin pubes. Jesus, Larry! (read the rest of this shit…)
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Recent commentary and jibber-jabber
Franchise Fred on Halloween (2018): “Thanks Skani. My fulltime job does involve hustling to different movies and tv shows, and the fact that I can…” Oct 16, 17:27
Drew on Friday the 13th: A New Beginning: “I know I’m in the minority on this. But I’ll die on Friday V island (which is a sleazy, ridiculous,…” Oct 16, 16:48
VERN on New York Ninja: “I’m not sure if their post was intentionally minimizing it or if they were being careful not to overstate it…” Oct 16, 14:46
Skani on Halloween (2018): “Fred, is it all movie-related content you are doing (and hustling around that being the exhaustion), or is it a…” Oct 16, 13:19
Franchise Fred on Halloween (2018): “The Atherton? I don’t even remember what I was trying to say there it was so many paragraphs ago, but…” Oct 16, 12:35
Franchise Fred on Halloween (2018): “Gotta say, Maj’s comment about exhaustion hit home for me. I was feeling exhausted before the pandemic. Admittedly a lot…” Oct 16, 12:34
Mr. Majestyk on Halloween (2018): “I never said I long for Y Or A or B or U or I The whole alphabets a heinous…” Oct 16, 09:32
Skani on Halloween (2018): “Sounds like a Morrissey song title or something.” Oct 16, 09:21
Mr. Majestyk on Halloween (2018): “I never said I long for Y.” Oct 16, 09:15
Skani on Halloween (2018): “You are mistaken, my friend. Your feelings — sadness? discouragement? fear? frustration? — completely 102% valid. It’s the broad, sweeping,…” Oct 16, 08:59
Mr. Majestyk on Halloween (2018): “Whatever. I act like some kind of prophet of doom but I’m just as much a part of the problem…” Oct 16, 08:55
Mr. Majestyk on Halloween (2018): “I meant my complaints are the same old shit, yet I rant about them as if I only just noticed…” Oct 16, 08:41
Skani on Halloween (2018): “See, I will grant that, as far as theatrical releases go, we substantially are in a human centipede era of…” Oct 16, 08:11
dreadguacamole on New York Ninja: “It’s easy for me to take the high moral ground and condemn VS’s response, but then I haven’t spent a…” Oct 16, 07:55
VERN’S “I RECOMMEND THE SHIT OUT OF THIS PRODUCT” CORNER:
I don’t usually review comedies, especially straight forward romance/family ones like HAPPIEST SEASON, nor do I plan to do it often. But I thought this was a pretty good one and I decided to give it a shot. Sharpen my skills.
ARGO is based on an amazing true story, recently declassified and told in 
One thing about JOHN CARPENTER’S GHOSTS OF MARS: it’s definitely John Carpenter’s GHOSTS OF MARS.
Some of you will wonder why I choose to watch this kind of crap. The answer is because of the French.
