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Hops and Box Office Flops: ‘8-BIT CHRISTMAS’
Super Merry-O 8-Bit Christmas chronicles a boy’s quest to get a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) for Christmas in 1988. That plot evokes memories of both A Christmas Story—which it clearly pays homage to—and How I Met Your Mother—a show also starring one Neil Patrick Harris. As a more modern take on the familiar tale of a child’s quest to attain what his parents are reluctant to get, 8-Bit Christmas doesn’t feel entirely fresh; but that doesn’t make it any less fun or nostalgic for those who grew up grinding away on the NES. This is a film built for kids of the 80s. Yet it also has a spirit of adventure sure to please the…
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Hops and Box Office Flops: ‘OUT COLD’
Playboy Bunny Slope Out Cold is like someone spliced Caddyshack and Mallrats. In principle, that sounds awesome, right? Well, unfortunately, that’s more in terms of concept—a group of shiftless park rats bumming around their place of work—and the presence of a London brother. In Out Cold, it’s Jason, rather than Jeremy. I guess there’s slightly more to it. They do have to save their fledgling ski resort from an evil corporate stooge, John Majors (played by the legendary Lee Majors, how clever). And there’s a baffling love triangle that makes less than a semblance of sense. If this sounds too harsh, I apologize. After all, this wonderful film does contain a polar bear licking salt…
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Hops and Box Office Flops: ‘HOME SWEET HOME ALONE’
Make It Stop Home Sweet Home Alone is the epitome of a lazy, soulless rehash; and, quite frankly, it is the antithesis of how you leverage a valuable IP. Disney should be ashamed. With their abundance of resources, they trotted out not only one of the worst films of the year, it’s one of the worst of the decade. Home Sweet Home Alone is never funny. It is quite often painful, though, and that’s not including the myriad of death traps the “burglars” are forced to endure. I use quotes because the “antagonists” are anything but that. They’re actually just a struggling family attempting to retrieve a priceless doll they believe to be…
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Hops and Box Office Flops: ‘TERMINATOR GENISYS’
Rotten Member Berries Terminator Genisys is a hodgepodge of ideas from more beloved Terminator films. It gives us the gruff and tough Sarah Connor, as well as the sleek and dangerous T-1000; and it even features an Arnold versus Arnold face-off in 1984 amid the familiar backdrop of the original T-800’s arrival. There’s only one issue: None of it particularly works. Terminator Genisys feels more like half-baked fan fiction than it does a coherent narrative. Thus, despite how much we all love those elements and moments from the prior movies, they come across as shameless pandering here. Pair that with a convoluted script that hops through time more often than Dr. Sam Beckett, and…
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INTERVIEW: Robb Moriera – Voice of Yukimaru in Fena Pirate Princess – The Amateur Otaku
Robb Moreira is not a stranger to The Amateur Otaku. However, this time he is not here as a guest host, but to talk about Fena: Pirate Princess and his personal journey voicing the male lead Yukimaru Sanada. You can find more from Robb at robbmoreiravo.com and on Twitter. And for more of The Amateur Otaku, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
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INTERVIEW: Ryan Colt Levy (voice of Rody Soul) in My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission – The Amateur Otaku
The Mad Doc Isak and his Brandon Alvarado were lucky enough to get in contact with Ryan Colt Levy, who voices the newly introduced Rody Soul, and is one of the main characters in the recently released My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission. Ryan was an absolute joy to talk to, and you can catch our interview with him below. Check out Bryan’s other work at ryancoltlevy.com and on Twitter. And for more of The Amateur Otaku, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
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My Hero Academia Vigilantes Manga Discussion: Chapters 1-2 – The Amateur Otaku
With season 5 ending, The Amateur Otaku came up with the idea of covering the spin-off, My Hero Academia Vigilantes; a tale that follows the world of MHA at the street-level. The link below is our playlist of the two first videos in this new series. And for more of The Amateur Otaku, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
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My Hero Academia Manga Discussion: Chapter 331 – The Amateur Otaku
As always, The Amateur Otaku is covering yet another chapter of the popular My Hero Academia manga together with Geekly Goods’ own Leo Rydel. The fight between the newly introduced Star & Strips and Shiggeraki continues in a monstrous fashion And for more of The Amateur Otaku, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
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Hops and Box Office Flops: ‘THE ROCKETEER’
The Antifa Adventurer That isn’t Dr. Jones The Rocketeer is a beloved 1991 Disney film. Based on Dave Stevens’ comic series, which debuted in 1982, it revolves around stunt pilot Cliff Secord’s (Bill Campbell) fortuitous discovery of a jetpack created by Howard Hughes. Of course, adventure ensues. The character was created as a tribute to the 1930s serials that had inspired wonder in the youth of their day. Both the comics and film execute that homage perfectly. The Rocketeer is indeed a cult classic. Loaded with charm—which is anchored by the majestic score of James Horner—it serves as a delightful reminder of the comic book films of yesteryear. Those films had to rely far…
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Hops and Box Office Flops: ‘SNAKE EYES’
Crapped Out Snake Eyes continues the unfortunate legacy of the legendary G.I. Joe toys on film. As in, it’s not particularly good, nor was it successful. Snake Eyes, like many films nowadays, is meant to serve as an origin story for its titular hero, but also as an introduction to a larger universe. We get appearances from Cobra’s Baroness, as well as the classic Joe Scarlett. The issue is they don’t necessarily fit. They are crammed into what’s already a messy film. Thus, they are shortchanged and underdeveloped. What is developed is the film’s inability to make Snake Eyes, played by Henry Golding, particularly endearing. From the jump, his motivations and behavior establish him as…