‘First Blood’ reviews
John’s “First Blood” flashback review, Sept. 19, 2019 “First Blood” – More than just a great action movie, the first entry in the “Rambo” series – directed by Ted Kotcheff – is a powerful anti-war […]
Movies
16 years ago, geek culture transitioned to the mainstream (Commentary)
Geek culture is indisputably mainstream today (as evidenced by the 57 superhero shows on TV), but that wasn’t always the case. So when did the transition happen? It was a gradual process, but I like […]
‘Wrongfully Accused’ review
“Wrongfully Accused” — If ever there was a movie that deserved to be made fun of (besides “Top Gun”), “The Fugitive” was it. Leslie Nielsen may seem like an odd choice to play the Harrison Ford […]
‘Hot Shots!’ reviews
John’s “Hot Shots!” flashback review, July 8, 2021 “Hot Shots!” — If ever there was a movie that deserved to be made fun of, “Top Gun” was it. “Hot Shots!” does the job masterfully, throwing in […]
‘Tommy Boy’ and ‘Black Sheep’ reviews
“Tommy Boy” (1995) and “Black Sheep” (1996) — “Tommy Boy” was the first film to showcase Chris Farley’s comic genius, while “Black Sheep” is possibly the first film to fully realize the hilarity of an overweight man tumbling […]
‘The Cable Guy’ review
“The Cable Guy” — As a lonely, misunderstood man trying to make a friend other than his TV set, Jim Carrey delivers his best dramatic performance. Of course, there’s also some comedy — notably the basketball […]
‘Mallrats’ reviews
John’s “Mallrats” flashback review, Aug. 2, 2021 “Mallrats” — Brodie (Jason Lee) might just be the most heroic character ever to grace the screen. His philosophy in life is to just do and say whatever […]
‘Airplane!’ review
“Airplane!” — With this classic, the “absurd dialogue delivered with a straight face” brand of comedy from David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams was unleashed on the masses, and Leslie Nielsen became the master of […]
‘Ace Ventura: Pet Detective’ review
“Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” — To quote Lisa Simpson, “Jim Carrey can make us laugh with no more than a frantic flailing of his limbs.” Before he decided he was a serious actor, Carrey delivered this […]
‘Clerks’ reviews
John’s “Clerks” flashback review, Aug. 1, 2021 “Clerks” — Kevin Smith’s black-and-white debut film is a day-in-the-life tale of a convenience store clerk and all the people and situations he encounters. It’s the reality of […]