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.

The Comic Critic's Movie Review of Coonskin

Commonly labeled as racist, Coonskin did not receive favorable reviews upon its release. The negative commentary around it led to meager distribution. I have to confess I missed seeing it. I was too young at the time to frequent the grindhouse theaters it might have played, and while my other portals of cable television and video stores were beginning to have it in stock, Coonskin never appeared on my radar. This was odd because I’ve seen the bulk of Ralph Bakshi’s work, a great deal of it as I was growing up. Bakshi, an American animator, continually pushed the envelope of the medium. I have to confess Coonskin caused me to squirm. I can easily remember those years with society’s easy acceptance of racism, gay bashing, and bigotry. To see this ugly visual portrayal in a style so tied to my youth struck home. I know that it’s a lampoon of Blaxploitation, a Minstrel Show meant to provoke laughter and reveal the ugly underbelly of society. But I just  couldn’t laugh–all I could do was wince. But I am glad that I find Coonskin far more offensive at age fifty than I would have at fifteen. For those now curious to see Coonskin, I give this warning: Prepare yourselves; you will hear the N word more times in the first five minutes than you have in the last five years.

The Comic Critic's Movie Review of Top Gun

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In 1986, I was fresh out of college and sharing an apartment with a roommate who had three great passions: 1. His stereo system. 2. His advanced skill with electronics. 3. Using those skills to improve said stereo system to replicate as nearly as possible, not only the deep bass, but also the bone-rattling thunder produced by Top Gun’s F14As. And as often as he played Top Gun, and it was quite often, somehow it never got old. Maybe it was because I was a young guy just starting out, and that testosterone-fueled movie was a fun way to enjoy that time. Or maybe it was simpler: Top Gun is just a great movie. At any rate, after having been brainwashed by its throbbing soundtrack, I’m hardly in a position to provide an unbiased opinion. So, when I sat down with a critical eye to write this review, I realized how completely distracted I had been by the horrendous amount of effort and money it took to get the US Navy involved in making that decade’s possibly best-ever recruitment tool. Top Gun is a thinly veiled cop-buddy movie, plain and simple. Once I made that discovery, the strip quickly wrote itself.

The Comic Critic's Review of Higanjima Escape from Vampire Island

Why? Why? Why do I keep watching truly horrible horror movies? I could be spending my time watching any of the thousands of decent movies out there – truly entertaining movies. I could be basking the glory of Oscar winning performances. Or learning something meaningful and relevant with a documentary. I could be laughing my head off with a quirky comedy. But, no. When given an option of choosing from all those genres I find myself selecting an unknown horror film of questionable vintage. I guess it’s because I truly love horror movies. My search for that fantastic scary movie continues. But in my search for a prince of a film I have kissed so many frogs – icky, toxic, slime covered frogs. Higanjima Escape from Vampire Island isn’t even a frog, it’s a big fat toad.

The Comic Critic's Movie Review of The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Released in 1975, The Rocky Horror Picture Show has never left theaters and continues to be the longest-running movie of all time. Rocky Horror didn’t draw much attention on its initial release, but found a home in the Midnight Movie timeslot. There night owls, loners, and children of the freaking night discovered it and made it their own through spontaneous bursts of audience participation. It quickly gelled into an orchestrated script including audience props, costumes, and the occasional call to the Fire Marshall. Your Rocky Horror cred is based on your knowledge and skills of interaction. For each generation that discovers it, Rocky Horror becomes a rite of passage of movie culture. I loved it when my friends took me to my first show. And I love it now as it’s not something you can stream, download, or fully appreciate on DVD. The full, unvarnished joy of The Rocky Horror Picture Show can only be experienced in a sticky-floored theater—with a bag full of props and a collection of your wild-ass friends.--w ged because as it stood, the theater had the bag and the collection.