MasterChugs Theater: ‘American Ninja 2′
Posted on March 18, 2010
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The original American Ninja introduced us to Michael Dudikoff as a blond-haired, blue-eyed U.S. soldier skilled in the arts of ninjitsu. In all ways it was an action movie that represented the decade of its birth: excessive, somewhat shallow and pure VHS filler.
American Ninja 2: The Confrontation, on the other hand, isn’t just a movie, it is truth in advertisement to the letter. Not only does it feature an American ninja but it also has a confrontation. So right there we must give credit where credit is due, because damn it, some movies don’t even get this right so at least the movie candidly delivers what it said it would. Some would mock the title, claiming such viscous things as “Have you seen a ninja movie without a confrontation?” But DAMN IT, this is no call for criticism, it’s for PRAISE. And strangely enough, that’s the only negative thing he says about American Ninja 2, but can you blame him? I sure wouldn’t want to irritate the American Ninja, especially after seeing his invincible standards here. Read more
Written by Chris "Chugs" TaylorMasterChugs Theater: ‘American Ninja’
Posted on March 11, 2010
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Annnnnnd we’re back.
See, we gave you a special edition of MasterChugs Theater last week in order help celebrate the birthday of SeriouslyGuys. But now, it’s back to the grind. Quality movies like you wouldn’t believe, and with the recent Oscar season having ended so soon, that shouldn’t be too hard at all. I mean, look at the sheer number of quality movies that came out in the past year. In fact, while some of them may not have been top level movie of the year films, the large amount of movies for the expanded Best Picture of the Year category should at least be noteworthy.
Oh, wait, what’s that? You tell me that it’s March? Hmm. Well, time to scrap those above plans, as we all know what that means.
Let’s celebrate this year’s edition with the greatest American action movie star of the 80’s: Michael Dudikoff. In doing so, we can only kick start a celebration of The Dudikoff (He complies) properly by examining the great film in his filmography: American Ninja. Read more
Written by Chris "Chugs" TaylorMasterChugs Theater: ‘Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy’
Posted on March 4, 2010
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Anchorman is a movie that’s special to SeriouslyGuys. Many a Friday and Saturday night in Radford would be spent with at least the four of us, if not the extended SeriouslyFamily, coming back from our favorite bar (BT’s ’til we D.I.E) and relaxing with the movie. Mind you, many a Friday and Saturday evening in Radford would be spent with the four of us standing around in the bar, quoting the entire verbatim. It just resonates with us.
And since this week, SG is celebrating its four year anniversary, we here thought that it might be good to reflect on the movie. We’re not necessarily the self-congratulating type of people (we’d much rather tell you that we’re good and have you believe us, rather than come up with something in order to fulfill that prophecy), but instead, we just wanted to give you all a peek into what makes us tick and where our roots lie-large conch shells. And so, I give you four perspectives on Anchorman and why we love it. Enjoy. Read more
Written by Chris "Chugs" TaylorMasterChugs Theater: ‘When Harry Met Sally…’
Posted on February 25, 2010
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Upon initial view, When Harry Met Sally… seems like a shameless Hollywood rip-off of Woody Allen’s masterpieces Annie Hall and Manhattan, which is slightly ironic, given that we just took a look at Annie Hall last week. There were so many similarities — the Jew-shiksa romance, the lush autumn New York City foliage, the ivory-tinkling Gershwin standards, even the white credits set on a black background. But now, the movie plays as a loving homage to a director who had already lost his romantic-comedy way. And as it turns out, Rob Reiner’s film about two friends trying to have a platonic relationship was ahead of its time. But, well …. there’s only one roadblock: looooooooove. Read more
Written by Chris "Chugs" TaylorMasterChugs Theater: ‘Annie Hall’
Posted on February 18, 2010
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Alvy Singer stands in front of an orangey sort of backdrop and tells us, the movie audience, the joke about two women at a Catskill resort. “The food,” says the first woman, “is terrible.” “Yes,” the second woman agrees, “and the portions are so small.”
This, says Alvy Singer, is just about the way he feels about life. It’s not great—in fact, it’s pretty evenly divided between the horrible and the miserable—but as long as it’s there, he wants more.
In this fashion, Woody Allen introduces us to the particular concerns Annie Hall, a comedy about urban love and incompatibility that finally establishes Woody as one of our most audacious filmmakers, as well as the only American filmmaker who is able to work seriously in the comic mode without being the least bit ponderous. And you know what? It’s a story full of love, and surprisingly enough, pure romance. Hit the jump to see more about it. Read more
Written by Chris "Chugs" TaylorMasterChugs Theater: ‘Roman Holiday’
Posted on February 11, 2010
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One can’t help but wonder how Roman Holiday would have been different is it was made today instead of in 1953. The Gregory Peck-Audrey Hepburn classic features a reporter in Rome and an incognito princess both pretending they’re someone else. Of course, he knows she’s playing hooky from her royal family and he’s out to write the story of a lifetime (with photographer pal Eddie Albert in a priceless role). She on the other hand is oblivious to what’s going on. She wants to have a little fun outside the watchful eyes of her keepers. Of course they fall in looooove along the way.
Guys, this is a good thing for you. Stick around to find out why. Read more
Written by Chris "Chugs" TaylorMasterChugs Theater: ‘Harold and Maude’
Posted on February 4, 2010
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Love is in the air here at SG. Well, not really, as we tend to be more broke than flush with money, but we at least try to make an effort. Bryan McBournie loves a nice walk on a moonlit beach, and truthfully, we do enjoy the chocolates.
Okay, so it’s more of I definitely do, but if they’re connected to mint flavoring, then we’re through, you hear me? Anyways, all this month, we’ll be taking a look at some movies that have love as a theme, as we’ve done in previous years past, and along the way, we’ll be bringing back a much requested side feature. The first one up is Harold and Maude, a black comedy hailing from the long ago and far away year of 1971. Hit the jump to find out why you should watch it, especially during this month of looooove. Read more
Written by Chris "Chugs" TaylorMasterChugs Theater: ‘Stuck on You’
Posted on January 28, 2010
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The Farrelly brothers have made a career out of mocking the afflicted. They had fun at the expense of the mentally challenged in Dumb And Dumber. Last time out they mocked obesity in Shallow Hal. Stuck On You garners its laughs from the exploits of conjoined twins. It’s not a strategy that has won the approval of the politically correct, but their bad taste humor has found a large audience.
That they portray their handicapped with affection goes some way to dispel the charges of ridicule. That they do it so brazenly also warrants some recognition. Most humor comes at the expense of somebody’s misfortune. The Farrellys just happen to focus on those whose misfortunes are more obvious. And, let’s face it, there are few richer subjects than conjoined twins. Stuck On You may effectively be a one gag movie, but it’s one they make full use of, including absurd scenes of the youthful brothers pitching baseball, playing football and boxing. But does the joke ever wear out? Hit the jump to find out. Read more
Written by Chris "Chugs" TaylorMasterChugs Theater: ‘Any Given Sunday’
Posted on January 14, 2010
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As a cinematic flasher of not-so-secret mass culture fantasies, Oliver Stone is Hollywood’s R-rated answer to P. T. Barnum. Instead of clowns, aerialists and lion tamers, he parades his own hyper-macho vision of modern American life as a primitive bread-and-circuses carnival of power, greed, lust, fame and violence (especially violence). And in Any Given Sunday, his viscerally charged, razzle-dazzle ode to professional football as a blood sport, he comes up with some quintessentially zany Oliver Stone moments.
Using the film, Stone dissects the glory and decadence of football, as seen through the stunning victories and stinging defeats of the fictitious Miami Sharks. Stone presents the players of the NFL as modern-day gladiators who do battle before bloodthirsty crowds in multi-million dollar coliseums, where on any given Sunday, you either win or lose. And while the veteran director has assembled some top-notch talent for this ode to the American past time, the film’s potential for being one of the great films of 1999 ends up being sabotaged by Stone’s own directorial indulgences, which almost make it unwatchable. Almost. Read more
Written by Chris "Chugs" TaylorMasterChugs Theater: ‘End of Days’
Posted on January 7, 2010
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It’s now 7 days into the new year of 2010, and all seems well. There have been no tentacle monsters, no winged demonic congressmen and a severe lack of cyborg dinosaurs. However, 11 years ago, that was almost a different story. Oh yes, you see, the world nearly ended as the onset of the new millennium approached. That was what we called the End of Days. Read more
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