brendala

I finally got to see this just before Thanksgiving. And the experience was something else:

--Despite the fact that the movie had been out for about two months at that point, the theatre was nearly half full!
--The audience (which was mostly Mexican families with young kids) was really into the movie. They laughed a lot and even stood up and applauded when the credits rolled!
--The movie's soundtrack is....unique. It's a VERY weird mix of American pop songs and traditional Mexican guitar music that somehow manages to mesh well together (for the most part).

--Also, I was happy to see Doug Langdale credited as one of the writers. IMO, he's one of the most under-rated cartoon writers out there (he's best known for creating the 90s cartoon "The Weekenders"). He is VERY skilled when it comes to writing groups of friends without inserting romantic bullcrap. And even in this film (where a love triangle was central to the story), he never forgot to make the trio convincing as FRIENDS before introducing the romantic drama. And it was a thrill to see him credited in a major film (here's hoping this leads to him getting more projects!)

This was a little birthday gift for Earthstar_moon. Because her incessant fangirling is what finally got me to watch Rise of the Guardians (and MY incessant fangirling got her to play Sly Cooper LOL).
( Art under the cut... )

I saw the Lego Movie over the weekend. It was AWESOME! If you haven't seen it yet, go NOW!

( WARNING: Mild spoilers under the cut.... )

One of the few downsides to being Jewish is the lack of cool holiday specials that celebrate our culture and traditions. Off the top of my head, the only movies/TV specials I can think of that center around Jewish holidays are "very special episodes" of goyim shows where the main character(s) entertain a Jewish friend, Yentl (which is depressing and filled with Streisand), Eight Crazy Nights (which is disgusting and sucks ass), and the ONE diamond in the pile of schmutz: THE HEBREW HAMMER!

If you've never seen The Hebrew Hammer, it's basically about a reluctant Jewish superhero who has to save Chanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa when Santa Claus' heir turns out to be a psychotic, racist bastard intent on wiping out all the non-Christian holidays. This trailer pretty much tells you all you need to know about it:

( Trailer under the cut.... )


Anyhoo, there's a kickstarter to fund a sequel called "The Hebrew Hammer vs Hitler". I want this sequel to happen. Badly. So I'm spreading the word here. Even if you don't end up donating, all I ask is that you at least check out the existing movie (it's currently on Netflix). It is both an awesome movie and a fun look into wacky Jewish culture.

G-dash-D BLESS!

Big Top Scooby Doo doesn't come out on DVD until October. But Amazon is offering it up for a 48-hour rental. I couldn't wait, so I paid the rental price ($3.99) and watched it early.




( Spoiler-free review and screen shots under the cut.... )

[cross-posted to scooby_doo]

Dang! They sure are cranking these things out fast!

Here's the description:
Can Scooby and the gang save the greatest show on earth? Mystery, Inc.'s own Fred Jones has always dreamed of performing death-defying acrobatics under the big top. So when the Brancusi Circus comes to town, he leaps at the chance to check it out. The circus ringleader is desperate for the gang's help. A werewolf has been terrorizing the performers and stealing jewelry from the audience members. Now it's up to Scooby and the gang to solve this mystical mystery!

The gang are going to see the circus, but a werewolf has come and is stealing jewelry. Bad news: Scooby got bitten by the werewolf and might turn into a werewolf, and Bram is back for Daphne. Will Scooby be a werewolf forever?


And here's the trailer:

( Trailer under the cut.... )

I'm just posting this because it made me laugh like crazy and I want to share the funny with all of you!

A few days ago I was browsing the Netflix streaming service on my Wii and I came across this claymation movie with a really unusual and unique premise:
Mary is an 8-year-old "ugly duckling" living in the boondocks of Australia. She's desperately lonely because she has neglectful parents, no siblings, and no friends at school. One day she finds a New York address book at her local post office, randomly picks a name from it, and starts writing to that person in the hopes that she can at least have a pen-pal. That person turns out to be Max Horovits; a middle-aged man with Asperger's Syndrome. Turns out he's in the same boat as her; he also desperately wants to have a real friend, but he doesn't know how to make that happen. So he writes back to her. They start off discussing simple things like their mutual love of chocolate and a cartoon called "The Nobblets". And their letters begin to tackle more complex issues once they get to know each other better and little Mary grows older.


( Review under the cut... )

Here's the trailer for the latest Scooby-Doo Direct to DVD movie "Legend of the Phantosaur" (by the same team who did Abracadabra Doo and Camp Scare)

( Trailer under the cut )



I could have done without that "size does matter" line. But aside from that awful line, the trailer was pretty neat. I'll have to keep my eye out for a release date!

Also, perhaps this makes me a horrible person, but I'm wondering if that terrible line is a hint that this movie will have some man-service in it. Daphne and Velma had an entire musical montage dedicated to showing off their goods in Camp Scare; so it would only be fair if Fred and Shaggy had to take one for the team this time around.
~_^  **cue evil laughter**

The free pass I got for helping Dreamworks make cosplay history was about to expire. So I finally got off my butt and went to see this thing.

( Mega spoilers under the cut... )