The Comic Critic Reviews Battle of the Damned

I had such high hopes for Battle of the Damned. I’m a big fan of both zombies and robots. After I saw both in the preview for Battle of the Damned when I was sharing it with my friends—that is, my zombie- and robot-loving friends, they too voiced their excitement. As a zombie film connoisseur, I will tell you what I look for in a zombie film. The first thing it should have is an interesting premise. An example would be the film Zombie Strippers, in which the Zombie Apocalypse starts in a strip club. The second thing it should have is some interesting zombie death scenarios that have either never been seen before or which pay homage to previous memorable death scenarios. The third thing is at least a couple of lines of memorable dialog. I got excited because Battle of the Damned had a great premise: Zombies vs. Robots, but the movie falls apart because all the fighting between the zombies was mundane. There were no uniquely memorable kills. All it would have taken to fix this flick was a few thoughtful shots using some practical special effects. That, along with strained, not memorable dialog, let this movie flounder. As a result, Battle of the Damned is doomed not to become a cult classic—but just a footnote in bad zombie film history.

The Comic Critic Reviews Charlie Chaplin's "The Kid"

I’m compelled to confess that I’ve not seen many Charlie Chaplin films. I blanch when I consider my knowledge of the sum of his work comes from odd clips seen in documentaries are recreated for dramas about his life. As an enjoyer of silent films, a deep fan of black and while movies, and a self proclaimed critic of the medium, my lack of viewing of Charlie Chaplin films is almost horrific. I’m seeking to remedy this, and what better way than to start with The Kid, a movie which prove to Hollywood that Charlie Chaplin was a force to be recon with. This movie was longer than his previous films. Chaplin won his battle to be paid for the higher reel count. He also won the heat of the movie going public. In 1921 The Kid was the second highest grossing picture. The highest grossing picture was The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, which became the sixth highest grossing silent film. Yet The Kid’s heartwarming story would prove to have the longer legs. It’s regarded not merely as an American classic, but one of the most influential films from the silent era. If your Chaplin education needs improvement – I recommend The Kid as a starting point.

The Comic Critic Reviews Foreign Correspondents

Not only is the Fourth of July a time to celebrate American Independence, but it is also the date my wife picked for our anniversary. She figured I would never forget our anniversary if it was also a National Holiday - plus she would get work off. Needless to say I was busy with other things other than drawing up a movie review. So I'm digging into the archives to bring you Foreign Correspondents. This film was created by Mark Tappio Kines, and I have to confess that we are friends. But, before you start thinking that this is one of those crappy made at home movies I'd like to say the following: It ain't. This film was on of the first movies to be funded via the web before Kickstarter was even a thing. It also has talented actors who you will recognize. And I think that Mark's writing and directing holds up too.

The Return of Stickman #1541

When I read the news story about a bear falling through a skylight into a birthday party and then sticking around to eat all the cupcakes, all I could think about was the poor kid whose party was crashed. I wonder just how good of a sport he or she was about it?

The Return of Stickman #1540

This strip was inspired by real life events. Out of the blue my wife asks me, "Whatever happened to Geena Davis?" And then the next moment the movie trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy shows on the television. This strip instantly mashed itself together in my head. I added the bunnies because - well - bunnies.