In 1953, Lucy Ricardo gave birth to Little Ricky; Dwight Eisenhower became the 34th President of the United States; Christine Jorgensen had successful sex reassignment surgery; James Watson and Francis Crick announced the discovery of the structure of DNA; The Academy Awards were broadcast on television for the first time; Jonas Salk announced the polio… Continue reading Welcome to the world Little Ricky: A look back at 1953
Tag: Looney Tunes
Surprise!: This story never ends
Pullet Surprise (1997) Foghorn Leghorn is one of my favorite Looney Tunes because my dad loved the character, but this lesser entry featuring the character is only somewhat amusing. The NeverEnding Story (1984) Bastian Balthazar Bux reads a book to distract him from the troubles of his adolescence. The book tells the story of Fantasia and its fight… Continue reading Surprise!: This story never ends
Porky’s still fat
Meet John Doughboy (1941) This humorous look at military life premiered just before US entry into World War II and provides insight into American attitudes before the war. Porky’s Hare Hunt (1938) This short features an early version of Bugs Bunny with Porky Pig playing the role now usually reserved for Elmer Fudd. Jeepers Creepers (1939) When police… Continue reading Porky’s still fat
The rabid fear of the coolest guy is bigger than grand
The Cooler (2003) To pay off an old gambling debt, Bernie Lootz (William H. Macey) works for Shelly Kaplow (Alec Baldwin), the old school head of the Shangri-La casino, as a “cooler,” a gambler so unlucky he causes everyone around him to lose. After he pays off his debt, Bernie plans to leave Vegas. To… Continue reading The rabid fear of the coolest guy is bigger than grand
Pootie and Bosko’s high school reunion
Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997) Embarrassed with the current state of their lives, Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michelle (Lisa Kudrow) create a fictional backstory as successful business women when they attend their ten-year high school reunion. I’ve loved Mira Sorvino since Mighty Aphrodite (1995), but Lisa Kudrow has never been able to convince me… Continue reading Pootie and Bosko’s high school reunion
Night falls on Bosko in Rock Vegas
Before Night Falls (2000) Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas (Javier Bardem) was an early supporter of the Castro revolution, but his homosexuality led to his imprisonment and exile. This was Bardem’s first major success, but he’s at his best playing cold-hearted killer’s like Anton Chigurh or Raoul Silva. Jonny Depp is good in the dual roles of Bon Bon and… Continue reading Night falls on Bosko in Rock Vegas
Trains, zombies, and racist cartoons
Resident Evil (2002) I’m old enough to fondly remember the original Resident Evil video game, it’s hard to believe it spawned such a successful film series. Alice (Mila Jovovich) wakes up in the middle of the apocalypse. Sometimes this dramatic device works, but in this film it leads to a great deal of confusion. I’m still not… Continue reading Trains, zombies, and racist cartoons