Chevy Chase has returned to television in Community, and Logan and Ryan are ready to blather on about it. But in the spirit of the Critical Hit, we keep it short.
A little cross-promotion action for you, folks. Critical End’s Me (Ryan) recently made a guest appearance on Arnie Niekamp’s podcast Stupid Nerd. Each week, Arnie interviews people about different nerdy subjects in order to expand his nerd knowledge. This episode, he learns about vampire-themed LARPing, and while I’m not a LARPer, I am a huge nerd and had fun sitting in and learning (and occasionally cracking wise).
Dead franchises and dead podcasts abound this week as Logan and Ryan look back on the Final Destination series while simultaneously looking back at themselves by way of rare archive recordings of the Final Destination episode of their old show, PodCorn. REVIEWED: The Final Destination and its ilk. PLUS: Weiners.
Landis is finally returning to the big screen with the tale of Burke and Hare, two 19th century Irish murders that I recall reading about in this fantastic book. They killed people for the purpose of selling their cadavers to Edinburgh University, and although they got away with it for a year, they were fairly sloppy and obvious about it.
Lots of comic potential there, and I can’t think of anyone better suited to star than Simon Pegg who Landis has apparently secured for either Burke or Hare. No word yet on whether their going the obvious route and grabbing Nick Frost too, but I can’t say I’d be disappointed. Either way, this sounds like a perfect comeback movie for Landis.
Wait, what?! Robert Zemeckis is mo-capping his own version of Yellow Submarine? That’s like Joe Dante making a claymation version of The Monkees’ Head. And motion-caputre? So this time we can truly appreciate the performances of not-the-Beatles? Granted, the Fab Four weren’t very involved in the original either, but that really seems like a film of it’s time to me.
You got your sociopolitical commentary in my sci-fi popcorn flick! You got your Sam Rockwell in my Sam Rockwell! It’s a science fiction double feature with District 9 and Moon. PLUS: Whither White Chicks 2?
Yes these still exist. And while I prefer stadium seating, it was surprisingly nostalgic to watch a film in an old sloped-floor theater like the heady days of my youth. Of course, I hate to admit that these days I’m most likely to skip the theater entirely in favor of my living room, which usually has far fewer tweens on their cell phones. Excluding my weekly iCarly parties.
On a semi-related note, you’ll notice that the theater was advertising this week’s live Rifftrax event. Three MST3K alumni goofing on Plan 9 From Outer Space, broadcast simultaneously to theaters across the country. We’re living in the not too distant future, kids.
This is Magical Mystery Tour, the weirdest of the Beatles’ movies. Directed mostly by a very high Paul McCartney if I recall my lore correctly. I bring this up because this film has the distinction of being the oldest thing on my Amazon wishlist.
I know this because Amazon now puts a little note next to each item on your list saying how long it’s been there. I’m not sure if that’s supposed to provide some kind of service to your gift-buying friends or if it’s just a novelty, but it did reveal to me that I have wanted Magical Mystery Tour on DVD for nine years. I was unaware I’d even had an Amazon wishlist for that long.
Of course, I do have a job. If I wanted Magical Mystery Tour so badly I would go buy it. Yes, it’s out of print (in fact I believe it actually went back into print and then back out of print during these last nine years), but I’m sure I could track a copy down. The thing is I don’t really want it that much. I’m just a Beatles completist and feel like I should have it.
This caused me to realize that there are a TON of other items on my notoriously long list that fit the same bill. The book version of “The Princess Bride”? Four years on the list. What’s Up, Tiger Lily? Added five years ago.Evil Dead: Hail to the King for the original PlayStation? Six year veteran of the list. I do not even own an original PlayStation anymore. but I marked it high priority, so you know I’m serious.
Am I alone in my greed or do you guys also have long-desired purchases that you’ll never get around to making?
