The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

1st View
Venue: Galaxy Highlands (Press Screenings)

Thoroughly entertaining throwing to Spielberg's classic adventure films made all the more thrilling by the fact that the mo-cap animation means he is unburdened by the laws of physics. My pic for best animated film of the year.


Rating: 8/10 Atkins

Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny (1972)

1st View
Format: DVD
Venue: Castle Greyskull

I don't...it's just that...if you really think about it...ok, I got nothing. I'm not sure if this qualifies as a film, but I can say without fear of contradiction that I did in fact watch it. Capping off Junkfood Cinema's A Very Junkfood Christmas, it's Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny...?

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Revisit
Venue: Alamo Ritz (Cast Reunion Screening)

As part of Austin Comic Con, several members of the cast of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory were on hand for this special Alamo screening. The experience brought back a great many memories of watching the film with my aunt Symone and fast-forwarding to the part wherein the kids actually enter the factory. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to interview the grownup Wonka kids for Movies.com. Come with me, give a read, to my article of pure imagination.

Standing Ovation (2010)

1st View
Format: DVD
Venue: Rivendell (Kayla Kromer's Birthday Celebration)

I love my friends, and I will do anything for them. I have proven this today. Standing Ovation was one of the worst things I have ever seen and I don't mean to confine that statement merely to the realm of film. It is a near 2 hour soul degeneration and a landmark in the pseudo child prostitution of film marketing. I am immensely thankful to have seen this with a crowd and, to its dubious credit, it did provide endless laughs.

Rating: 1/10 Atkins

The Quest (1986)

1st View
Format: VHS
Venue: Rivendell (home)


I've decided to dedicate January to sifting through my gargantuan collection of VHS and DVD that I bought blind and that have been sitting neglected ever since. Predator 2 technically counts because I blind bought the VHS and was about to pull it from the shelf when I remembered it was also streaming. This one, a well-kept VHS copy was a housewarming gift from fellow Tallyteer BTSjunkie.

The Good

Aussie director Brian Trenchard-Smith once again proves his ability to make something out of nothing. Despite a weak concept and a budget looking to barely enter triple digits, The Quest manages a certain amount of charm and entertainment. I even liked the bargain basement monster for its quirky silliness.

The Bad

The story is so bare bones that it never really seems to get rolling. It spins its wheels and goes through certain motions but I never really felt like I was given the chance to get on board. I also think Henry Thomas is miserable in this. He mumbles through his lines, keeps looking at the ground, and barely registers an emotion at any point. But I will have to concede that perhaps I need to give The Quest another shot sometime when it isn't 2:00 A.M.

The Weird

It's probably just something lost in cultural translation, but I found it weird that the kids kept saying "blacks" when they were referring to Aborigines. When you first hear it, it sounds as if this is a film about the three most racist kids in Australia. "Should we go down there? Are there blacks down there?" Yikes.

Rating: 5/10 Atkins