riffing the pandemic

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Rifftrax Live Stranger Things

I’m sure I’ve mentioned that I’m a big fan of Rifftrax Live. Well, this whole lockdown/antisocial distancing thing has thrown a monkey wrench into this year’s scheduled shows. Hopefully we’ll get to see those later in the year. They had two lined up: Hobgoblins (a cheesy Gremlins ripoff) and Amityville: The Evil Escapes. Looking forward to those.

In the meantime, the Rifftrax guys have set up a virtual live show that’s scheduled for tonight. They’ll be riffing the first episode of the Netflix series Stranger Things. To watch, you’ll need a Netflix account, a chrome browser and an extension for an app called Scener. You can get all the details here.

New entertainment is hard to come by right now, so I’m not going to miss this opportunity for a few laughs.

if you have to ask what is costs, you can’t afford it

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I want one!

Maybe if I check under the couch cushions for loose change. And mow some lawns for my neighbors. And skip lunch every day for the next few decades.

OK, fine, short of robbing a bank, it ain’t going to happen. But a boy can dream, right?

Friday Movie Quote

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Dragged Across Concrete

“Like cell phones, and just as annoying, politics are everywhere. Being branded a racist in today’s public forum is like being accused of communism in the 50s, whether its’ a possibly offensive remark made in a private phone call or the indelicate treatment of a minority who sells drugs to children. The entertainment industry, formerly known as the news, needs villains.”

-Lt. Calvert (Don Johnson), Dragged Across Concrete (2018)

The Lost Boys vs Fright Night

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This is a pretty cool video comparing two of the 80s best horror movies.

I pretty much agree with his analysis, except for that last point; I’d have gone the other way on that one. Either way, both are fun movies with a high re-watchability factor.

Minty’s Youtube channel is a must-see for movie buffs, especially the movies of the 80s and 90s.

My Friday Movie Quote post will be up this afternoon. I’ve been slacking on that lately. This lockdown bullshit has robbed me of my sense of time. I’m sure I’m not alone in that regard.

The Case for Physical Media

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DVD

The recent controversy over Gone with the Wind got me to thinking. And it’s always dangerous when I get to thinking. The source code for my operating system is littered with wrongthink. Fortunately, my current train of thought probably won’t get me cancelled. And it might prove useful to fellow film buffs.

If you haven’t been paying attention to the news this week, you may have missed that HBO Max pulled GWTW from its lineup. It seems that its antiquated racial attitudes offend modern sensibilities. Fair enough, I guess. It will apparently be returning sometime in the future with a disclaimer. [Full disclosure: I’ve never seen GWTW. Yes, I know, I need to remedy that. *hangs head in shame*]

It occurred to me — and not for the first time — that maybe we’re becoming too dependent on streaming services. The day will come when more movies come under fire. And fans of these movies will have to depend on gutless media companies to hold up under pressure to bowdlerize said movies, or maybe remove them from circulation altogether.

Prior to the current controversy, my fear was that streaming movies and TV shows would be hidden behind ever higher pay walls. That’s still a consideration, but now I have a new reason to buy movies and TV shows on physical media. I don’t want my entertainment choices to be left to the Weak, the Bad and the Greedy.

So I guess I’ll be stopping by the DVD bargain bin every time I’m in Walmart. Like I always have.

Speaking of cancelled movies, here’s a great video by Youtuber The Critical Drinker about the importance of preserving our art.