"Spinal Tap II The End Continues", A Modern Moron Movie Review

 

It's hard to have a memorial for someone whose still alive David St. Hubbins, aka Micheal Mckean said. 

After more than 40 years the main three writers, artist and actors, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer and Mckean return as the core of "Spinal Tap," along with the bands rockumentary commentator Rob Reiner.  

The bands new drummer Valerie Franco is Didi Crockett, the Tap's first female drummer, and she rocked the drums, she's a true musician. Does she survive, given the history of Spinal Tap drummers? I've seen the movie, and I'm still uncertain.  

The clever goofiness reigns on, I laughed and I'm still laughing about the Holdy award and Tap Water. The Holdy is an award given to song writers whose music is played while people are on hold.

Spinal Tap and their guest performers rose to the occasion of music. Sir Paul McCartney and Elton John  fit the Tap with aplomb as guest musicians. The humor was wry and sly, and full of jabs on the business end of the music industry.

"Spinal Tap II The End Continues," like its 1984 predecessor "Spinal Tap" showcases the musical talent of the writers and preformers while also making fun of themselves. Four stars easy for the sequel.   

  

Mark Izzy Schurr

"Pre-Code Hollywood..." A Modern Moron Book Review

 

Vice drench films of the Pre-Code era showcased the complete spectrum of depravity, excessive boozing druging, picturesque violence, and sexual liaisons. (Thomas Doherty)

Sound on film became mainstream in 1930, the same year Pre-Code began. The exquisite four year era of these flicks ignored the Christian critique of the times and mainstreamed crime with Tommy Gun totin' hoodlums making wads of cash in the era of bootleggers, babes and bullets. The eloquence of Thomas Doherty is griping and incisive. I've watched many of these movies because of him.  The second I heard Joan Blondell say she was APO, Ain't Putn' Out in 1931s "Other Men's Women," I've been impressed with Doherty's taste in vintage cinema. 

Today's movies are far more gratuitous obviously, yet the Pre-Code films from March 1930-July-1934 had all the elements of today's movies. The sex was implied, not shown, as was the violence. In 1931s "Public Enemy," James Cagney, brandishing a pistol is standing behind a man playing the piano. The scene then shows his friend in the same room look over in shock as the audience hears a gun shot. Cagney causally walks away from the man he just killed and tells his friend to have the girls meet them for dinner. "Public Enemy" inspired Martin Scorsese he said on a documentary.   

 

Anti-war movies presented World War I as a horrific farce and medals meaningless. Anyone who reads and thinks knows wars are bullshit and the Pre-Code writers got flack from the government and other people who buy into the lies of wars and what the government tells us. "All Quiet On the Western Front," a 1930 film depicting the stupid politics of war and how rich world leaders dupe their nations young into hating people they don't even know and send other people's children to die in vain.

I didn't expect this book to be political, yet the elements covering this sordid subject illustrated the current fiasco and shame of the Republican party nearly a 100 years ago. Even in the early 1930s, Hollywood flicks took their jabs at the Republicans. 

"The Hobo's Psalm"

Hoover is my Shepard, I shall not want

He maketh me to lie down on park benches

He leadeth me beside the still factories

He arouseth my doubt in the Republican Party

He leadeth me in the path of Destruction

For his party's sake I fear evil, for thou art with me. 

In 1933s "Heroes For Sale," economic institutions, politicians and all other figures of authority are depicted as unjust, corrupt and unfeeling. Movies have always been an opiate to the senses, and I'm impressed how many of these films empowered women. In 1931s "Big Business Girl," Loretta Young portrays a college graduate in business and moves to New York to seek out a job in her field to pay off her $2,000 student debt. In 1932s "Miss Pinkerton" Joan Blondell portrayed a nurse helping a detective solve a murder case. In 1933 Fay Wray was Ann Carver, a lawyer in "Ann Carver's Profession."   

 

Jean Harlow as Lil, flirting with her married boss in 1932s "Red-Headed Woman"

The above picture is a scene from "Red-Headed Woman" in which Lil, Jean Harlow flirts with her married boss and gets between the sheets with him. Lil is a woman who moves up the economic ladder via horizontal means. Lil plays several wealthy men in this movie, and in the end she marries a very rich and much older man, and it's obvious she's doing "The dance with no underpants" with his young good looking chauffer. Her quote unquote sins go unpunished, and even rewarded. If this movie was made in 1935, she would have had to have something bad happen to her by the ending of the movie.

Joan Blondell in 1934s "Dames" 

A year later, this much skin was forbidden to be shown in the movies, and even Betty Boop, the iconic cartoon character could not be shown in her garter belt after 1934.

This 1999 book details the insane rules movie writers had to go through because of urging priests and politicians who got Biblical with written rules; Thou shall not photograph girls in scenes which femmes pull up their skirts to show a lengthy display of legs and the unfasting of garters. The motion picture industry of America started following these ludicrous guidelines in August of 1934 and it wasn't until the 1950s when Hollywood started to wake up again. The current rating system used in the movies today began in 1968.

  

The beffy of information Thomas Doherty sets forth in "Pre-Code Hollywood Sex, immorality and insurrection in American Cinema 1930-1934," is amazing. I've simple scratch the surface of information laden throughout this four star read. 

Mark Izzy Schurr

  

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"Dealing With Dragons," A Modern Moron Book Review

Book one of the Enchanted Forest Chornicles" is laden with female wisdom and poise, Cimorene is adept at fencing, magic, dancing, economics, juggling and cooking, she's not ready to marry while only 16.

The enchanted frog who talks doesn't like the prince she's supposed to marry because he used to skip rocks into his living room. The enchanted frog doesn't have the hots for Cimorene, he's just a chill frog with smarts and Cimorene likes talking to him, he knows a lot about the Enchanted Forest.

Prince Therandil is far from estatic about marrying Cimorene, but he's willing to abide by silly ancient tradations. Cimorene is determined not to marry and she journeys away from her kingdom to live with dragons. 

If you know how to make cherries jubilee and read latan scrolls to dragons, your safe from being eaten by them. Cimorene proves this in "Dealing With Dragons." 

Cimorene decides to journy to the Enchanted Forest where many people have been turned into flowers, rocks or trees, and much worse. Giants, ogres and trolls have carried people away. Cimorene herself is attacted by a giant white bird who wants to feed her to its babies. 

Magic, wizards, ancient fairy tale lore, and many dragons, devious and delightful made "Dealing With  Dragons" a solid four star read. This 2015 book is the first of four in the "Enchanted Forest Chronicles" by Patricia C. Wrede and I will be reading the other three books in this series. 

Mark Izzy Schurr 

  

 

"Weapons," A Modern Moron Movie Review

 

Witch craft, alcoholism, adultery and the dissapearance of 17 classmates in a single elementary school classroom set the tone for "Weapons." 

Seventeen students go missing on the same night in Julia Garner's classroom. Garner is the prime suspect responsible for the children's disappearance in Josh Brolin's eyes. Brolin portrays the father of one of the boys gone missing in the classroom. The students all ran out of their homes at 2:00 a.m. This is known because home security cameras from many of the parents, including Brolin show the children leaving their homes by themselfs, and running off into the darkness.  

One student remains in Garner's classroom, and he has no answers for the police or parents, and there's no clear evidence Garner is the one responsible. 

Who is the witch in the town? Is there dark magic? This flick is more dialogue then action, and it worked for me, despite it's bizarre realm into witchcraft.  It's a three star flick that's more of a video than a big screen watch. 

Mark Izzy Schurr  

"The Conjuring: Last Rites, Another Modern Moron Movie Review

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return as Ed and Lorraine Warren, the real life paranormal investigators in the 9th instalment of the Conjuring flicks. 

Whether or not you believe in the paranormal, this movie has some creepy and disdurbing scenes. A black framed mirror is the conduit allowing evil entities into the realms of our world in "The Conjuring: Last Rites." 

The Warren's are forced out of retirement to help a family in Pennsylvania being viciously tormented by demonic spirits. These evil spirits also seize control of the Warren's teenage daughter Judy, portrayed by Mia Tomlinson, and the story really starts rolling.   

The crazied looking Annabelle doll makes her appearance too, and as usual she gets in your head and doesn't leave. 

If I live to be a 1,000-years-old, I'll be extremely content to never awake to the sounds of a rocking chair occupied by the demon doll Annabelle with those devious eyes looking right into my soul.  

 

Three and a half stars easy for "The Conjuring; Last Rites."

Mark Izzy Schurr

"Fantastic Four: First Steps," A Modern Moron Movie Review

Fantasy from "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" tinges on the tales of the Silver Surfer, and the chaos of the cosmos brings Galactus to Earth, the devourer of worlds, a being as old as time itself who feeds on entire planets. 

Straying from the Silver Surfer comics, Shalla-Bal and not the Silver Surfer is herald to Galactus, the one who finds him planets to destroy. She does this in order to save her own planet Zenn-La. She was the Silver Surfer's first love, and both are from Zenn-La. 

The power cosmic is as vast as space and timeless as infinity. Extensive knowledge of the Fantastic Four stories and those of my favorite, the Silver Surfer are not needed to follow the story of "The Fantastic Four: First Steps", yet a small dose of the history of Galactus and the Fantastic Four certainly comes in handy for viewers of this flick. 

The movie reveals how the four astronauts acquired super natural powers and became the Fantastic Four. The writers vastly upgraded the adventures of the vintage Fantastic Four comic books and screen-played this sometimes sappy movie with clever humor and serious conflict. Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman spawn a child, and Galactus offers to spare the Earth if they give up their child. They decide not to give up their son to Galactus and attempt to keep our bless-ed planet alive. 

Compared to Galactus, everyone, including the Fantastic Four are like mere ants trying to fight a lion. So how do they save the Earth from the all powerful Galactus? No spoilers from me. 

Bravo to the special effects team, the 3D was amazing, espically when Shalla-Bal soars through outer space along side the rocket ship of the Fantastic Four. This flick is meant for the big screen. Three and a half stars easy for this movie. 

Mark Izzy schurr

"Megan 2.0," A Modern Moron Movie Review

In "Megan 2.0" Gemma and Cady are forced to align with Megan in order to combat Amelia, a highly trained android, built for military combat. (Allison Williams returns as Gemma and Violet McGraw as her 12-year-old niece, Cady.) 

Create a psychotic robot with advanced military fighting skills in order to combat another one? Gemma and Cady are faced with this dilemma in the sequel, still fresh in theatres, released on Friday. The second installment of "Megan" is laden with the same cast and crew members, and a completely different story. 

In the first movie, Gemma's AI creation Megan killed four people and one dog and threatened to rip out her tongue and put her in a a wheel chair. Gemma's hesitation and distrust in Megan is indeed warranted, but Megan 2.0 is always learning and infinitely striving to better herself, Megan said. 

Are electronic devices a dopamine and as addictive as cocaine? Gemma seems to think so, yet she also embraces today's technological advances, hence her career in AI technology. Cady has aspirations of a college degree in the same field, following in her aunts foot steps. 

The music in "Megan 2.0" is modern and marvelous, just like the first "Megan," and I sensed an ambience of pride from the musicians and film makers in both the Megan movies. 

The Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics Infiltration Android, aka AMELIA is on a mission to collapse the global economy and set forth a new world where machines rule the world. 

Should a human brain have Megan's complete algorithm chipped into its cerebral core to contend with Amelia? Will AI ride shot gun with a human brain? "Megan 2.0" has clever theories on this subject and so much more. This flick was a blissful buffet, nourishing my hunger for entertainment. 

Megan's mind is vast and freighting, yet fascinating. As a fighting robot, she's a realistic bad ass. A robot can take a hard punch a lot better then a human, and with advanced technology, Megan is faster and stronger then the imagination. 

Ivanna Sakhno is the enemy AI, Amelia, an alluring android eager to to kill anyone hindering her mission of an ultimate electronic take-over. She's a yowza looking bot and her robotic facial expressions are deliciously dangerous.  

Amie Donald returns as the human Megan and bravo to her dance moves. 

Jenna Davis also returns as the voice of Megan, and yes, she sings with aplomb. 

Writers Akela Cooper and Gerald Johnstone expanded the story with exquiste excellence. It's safe to say, the Megan saga is just begining. Four stars easy for "Megan 2.0."

Mark Izzy Schurr