Author Archives: Doc

Shelby Oaks

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I was excited to see the horror film Shelby Oaks because the director/writer of the movie was YouTube movie reviewer Chris Stuckmann, who I have liked for many years. I know this was a passion project that he raised funds for with Kickstarter and I like seeing someone accomplish a goal.

According to IMDB, “A woman’s desperate search for her long-lost sister falls into obsession upon realizing that the imaginary demon from their childhood may have been real.”

The movie started off like it was a documentary, talking about Riley (Sarah Durn) and her crew at the YouTube channel, Paranoid Paranormal, had disappeared after arriving in the town of Shelby Oaks. Riley’s sister Mia (Camille Sullivan) investigated the disappearance, which was eventually tied to something from the sister’s past.

The chunk of the movie was engaging. There music cues were very successful in creating some tension where necessary. I really enjoyed the documentary style that started the film off. It was quite a chunk of time in this format before the title card came along. I thought that the documentary format was mor compelling than the middle section of the movie, though I did enjoy most of it.

I will say that I was fairly disappointed with the ending of the film. I did not feel a satisfaction with how things were resolved and it weakened a solid effort prior to it.

I was impressed with Stuckmann’s directorial debut as there were several good scenes and shots through the film. The film looked really good too.

Overall, I think it was a good debut from Stuckmann and it is something that he can always be proud of completing. I do think there are better movies in his future, but Shelby Oaks was wacthable.

3.5 stars

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere

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The latest big time musician biopic was released this weekend, with The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White taking the stage as Bruce Springsteen.

The film takes a certain part of Springsteen’s life, specifically the time he was working on recording his album Nebraska, and tells the story of that period. There are flashbacks to Bruce as a child with his alcoholic/abusive father, but the main emphasis of the film is getting Nebraska written, recorded and released.

Jeremy Allen White is spectacular as Springsteen. He gives a sensational performance as The Boss, going as far as doing his own singing for the role. He really does sound like a young version of Springsteen. I would also like to shout out the performance of Jeremy Strong, who played Jon Landau, Bruce’s friend and manager. Strong is always great and he puts in a very subtle and workmanlike performance here.

The music is great. It was odd at first as the music did not seem to include any Springsteen songs as had Lucille by Chuck Berry and Urgent by Foreigner. The first scene we see is Bruce playing Born to Run, so there was that. The Springsteen music does come over the course of the movie.

The film’s script deals heavily with the depression that Springsteen was dealing with, something that he has dealt with over his life. Springsteen made Nebraska as a very personal record and the songs all meant something to him, which was why he could not compromise with them.

I do think the film felt a little long, as some of the scenes became repetitive. There was a storyline with Springsteen and a girlfriend at the time, Faye Romano (Odessa Young). This was an interesting storyline and did not show Bruce in the best light. I liked Faye and I have to say that I was rooting for her.

I think Springsteen fans will love the movie while those who are just there for the film itself may find it a touch dull. I would not say that I am a Springsteen fan, but I do like him so I was entertained enough. I definitely think that the performance of Jeremy Allen White was better than the movie itself.

3.6 stars

Daily Countdown: TV Shows #47

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#47

The Jeffersons

Well they’re a movin’ on up.

One of the most successful spin offs of all time is next on our list. The Jeffersons was spun off from All in the Family where George and Louise Jefferson moved from being neighbors of the Bunkers to the East Side in a deluxe apartment in the sky.

George had become a successful dry cleaner, leading to the move.

George Jefferson was a loud and brash black man, who could be obnoxious. But we still loved him because, dep down, we understood the struggle and we knew that he was a good man who loved his wife. Louise aka “Weezie” was a strong woman who was not afraid to throw it right back at George. This central relationship was the key to the show.

Not to say that there were not other great secondary characters on the show. Florence was the wise-mouthed maid who bantered with George at ever minute. Friends and neighbors, The Willis family were a interracial couple and direct neighbor Mr. Bentley was Kramer, before Kramer.

Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sandford led the ensemble cast that included Marla Gibbs, Roxie Roker, Franklin Cover, Paul Benedict, Mike Evans, Ned Wertimer, and Berlinda Tolbert.

The show covered many themes, but race/prejudice was at the front. Much like Archie Bunker, George had many of these negative traits directed toward white people. George called them “honkies” and he constantly made comments to Tom and Helen. However, when the cards were down, George ditched his own prejudices and came through.

Legend Norman Lear created the show and it ran for 11 seasons on CBS.

Clown Park

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Clown Park  

By LBJlll

One day a group of 4 high school boys were sitting at lunch alone like always.

When they heard the cool kids talk about some clown park and how cool it was.

So after school they immediately met up with each other and decided to go there. The park was out of town. When they arrived at the park they were surprised to see the park was abandoned. 3 of the 4 boys wanted to head back home but Josh, who drove, said he didn’t drive all the way to the park just to turn around. The boys went in and they saw what looked to be blood on the front entrance wall but Josh said it was paint.

 They were hesitant but they kept going in until they made it to this room that turned the water slides on. They thought they found something cool but really they would see it wasn’t. They  ran up the stairs but Josh decided to wait and rest. All three of the boys agreed and went down the slide. When they got down the slide they were met with Josh laying in a pool of blood with a stab wound in his neck. Jake immediately ran to help but he slipped in the blood, fell forward and fell head first into a sharp wooden stick. The other two yelled lets leave right now. They started running. When the 2 kids got to the car they started calling 911 and driving home thinking they were safe. The dispatcher started talking but the two boys didn’t reply. 

The two boys didn’t respond because after the clown ended the first two boys he got in the back seat of the car with two knives and ended the boys there. The boy’s bodies were never found.

The Amusement Park

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The average amusement park has a carousel, food carts, and a HUGE admission fee. But, my amusement park gives the idea a whole new meaning to the words. Instead of a carousel we have a speed wheel, we have a new and exciting ride or type of food at every turn. But, one thing is important, we get money for investors so we have no admission fee. So anyone is free to enter. We have rides that defy gravity and the laws of physics, we have rides that help clean the oceans and space. We even have a section of the park where you can go back in time to see your ancestors. I think about this park as a symbol of fun and joy for the world and beyond. When I look through the park all I can see are happy customers and faces.

We have Rides of all themes, we have thrillers, kiddie rides, scary rides, and plenty of other rides. And to be safe, I test all the rides myself … I died at the end of the week. Just kidding! I have a great park and I think you would like to be at my amusement park. It is safe, secure, and most of all fun!

I’m Nothing Without You

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Oct. 24                                                                                                             By: Katie Cat!!

I’m Nothing Without You!!

We were on our way to a firework show near the 4th of July. I was so excited because my cousin was going to be there. When I got there my cousin was super excited to see me. We hung out for a while until she saw someone she wanted me to meet. So I said okay, and went with the flow. Little did I know it was this really cute guy. My cousin introduced me to him. “Hi, my name is JJ. What is yours?” I told him that my name was Katie. We hung out together and really got to know each other. 

A year passed, and we became really great friends. My 9th grade year, I was at home getting ready for bead, brushing my hair, brushing my teeth, the usual. I heard a knock on the door. I answered the door to see JJ standing in the doorway. In the yard was a bunch of candles shaped as a heart with the word HOCO? I was speechless. I gave him a big hug, and that was our first so-called date.
The years came and when, and seemed to really fly by. This was it, this was our big day, OUR WEDDING DAY!! And yes, I was still with JJ. We got married and had 2 kids. A boy and a girl. Their names were Ashley and Samuel. Sammy for short. We lived a great life and never had any problems whatsoever!!         The end.

Unicorn Park

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Unicorn Park 

Today I was on my way to find Unicorn Park. I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep the night before. When I was on my way to find Unicorn Park, I had to stop at the store to buy marshmallows, donuts, and sprinkles. 

After I left the store I accidentally ate the marshmallows and donuts. So I went to another store and they were out of marshmallows and donuts, so I went to another one and they had a whole bunch and I got some for the unicorns and myself so I wouldn’t eat them all before I found Unicorn Park. 

Then I finally found Unicorn Park! I was so happy when I saw the unicorns! After I was done jumping up and down I went to give them my marshmallows and the donuts and they loved them. After I fed them the marshmallows and donuts, I set up camp, since I was planning on staying there for a week enjoying life without any worries. That night I was eating with the unicorns and the other creatures that were in the park such as bunnies, unicorns, goats,  and friendly little bears. We heard a weird noise coming from the entrance of the park. So we went to see what the noise was and more people came to find the park just like how I was looking for Unicorn Park.   When I saw the other people coming I was so excited because I had more people to make friends with! After a week it was time to head back home. I was so sad to leave that I am planning to come back next month. A month later I am heading back and staying for two weeks along with the people I met the first time.              

The End!                         

`

Daily Countdown: TV Shows #48

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#48

Hardcastle and McCormick

Drive! Push it to the floor til the engine screams….

That is the first line of the theme song for one of the underappreciated 1980s TV shows that appeared on ABC for three seasons. Many may not remember this show, but I remember being a big fan of it.

Hardcastle and McCormick is the story of a retired judge who was on a mission to find and capture those cases that got away from his court on technicalities. In order to do that, Hardcastle recruited a felon, McCormick, who he thought was a decent person. The pair solved criems and searched for the bad guyd.

The show starred three main characters. Brian Keith played Jusdge Milton Hardcastle, Daniel Hugh Kelly played Mark McCormick and the COYOTE was the car.

The COYOTE-X was invovled in the pilot episode and became a staple of the show. The car was involved in chases every episode and was so cool that even I, who is not a huge fan of cars, loved it.

I am sure this show may not hold up as much if I watched it today, but my young teenage self loved this show.

EYG Favorite Covers of the Week

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October 23

This week’s favorite covers feature one variant and two A covers. One of the variants is a cool homage to a movie.

Also-Rans: Thanksgiving #1, Hello Halloween #1, Fantastic Four #4, Space Ghost #4, Universal Monsters: The Invisible Man #3, Harley Quinn #55 (Pumpkin Spice Variant), and News from the Fallout #5.

Bronze Medalist

No Man’s Land #2

Cover art by Szymon Kudranski

A spooky cover using the skull formation mixing in with the snow. Szymon Kudranski is a great artist and I have missed his work. This cover is clearly a standout.

Silver Medalist

Terminator Metal #1

Cover art by Declan Shalvey

The new Terminator series from Dynamite kicked off with a solid issue one cover. The theme of the color scheme really worked with this book. The metallic look makes this a beautifully designed cover.

Gold Medalist

No Man’s Land #2

Variant Cover B

Cover art by Szymon Kudranski

I love the Silence of the Lambs homage for No Man’s Land #2, which lands twice in the metal round. In fact, No Man’s Land #1 was a gold medalist too. Szymon Kudranski had a big return to cover art with this two covers this week.

Daily Countdown: TV Shows #49

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#49

The Tick (2001)

Spooooooooooooooon!!!!!!!!!!

“He is the big, blue “I am the wild blue yonder. The front line in a never-ending battle between good and not-so-good. Together with my stalwart sidekick, Arthur, and the magnanimous help of some other folks I know, we form the yin to villany’s malevolent yang. Destiny has chosen us. Wicked men, you face The Tick.“

Based on the NEC comic book and the animated series that followed, ths was the first attempt to bring The Tick into the live action superhero world. FOX brought the show to TV, making it a Seinfeld-like show. The network did not have much confidence in the show as they bounced it around the schedule and hardly promoted it.

Created by EYG Hall of Famer Ben Edlund, The Tick was a loving parody of superheroes and their tropes. It starred Patrick Warburton, in a great bit of casting, as The Tick. The show also had David Burke as Arthur, Liz Vassey as Captain Liberty and Nestor Carbonell (who would go on to be Richard on LOST) as Batmanuel.

There was more emphasis on character and dialogue than action, so some Tick fans found it less exciting than the animated show despite Edlund stating that this show was closer to the concept of the comics.

The show only broadcast 8 of the 9 episodes created and was canceled because of budget reasons. Still, this very short series was an awesome breath of fresh air and gave us another, some times more adult, look at The Tick.

The Tick will appear again during this Top 100.

Gen V S2 E8

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Spoilers

“Trojan”

@%$^ yeah!

What a fabulous conclusion to this season. This finale was so great. Everything was right on point. From the Arrival of Thomas Godolkin to the seminars he was holding to the Godolkin/Marie showdown to the perfect timing of Polarity to the appearance of Starlight and A-Train… was just perfect.

The only question I might have had was did Godolkin go too quickly? Should we have built him up a little more. That is the only complaint I had with the episode.

I was sad to see Doug get killed. He had some awesome scenes of exposition and a fantastic one where he talked to Polarity about Andre. That was a beautiful scene ruined by Black Noir.

And the line from Polaris to Black Noir “You can talk now?” was hilarious.

I also loved the scene with Marie and Cate where Marie cured Cate was another wonderful scene in this exciting episode.

Sister Sage was all over this episode. Her “allowing” Polarity to escape was great.

There was just so many cool moments in this episode that I really hope these characters become a major part of The Boys’ final season.

Daily Countdown: TV Shows #50

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#50

The Boys

Kicking off the top 50 is the Amazon Prime hit, The Boys. The Boys is one of the most graphic, shocking, envelope-pushing shows on any network.

Yet, it is not just about the shocks. It is about the characters, and that is why this show succeeds.

Homelander is one of the most complex villains on television today, a mass of insecurities and poor choices. He is also one of the most powerful beings in the Boys world.

The supes are anything but authentic in this world. They are some of the worst people but are seen by the public as heroes. Of course, a big part of that is Vaught and its propaganda crusade to make them look great.

The very first episode set the tone for the series. I’ll never forget the moment when Hughie held hands with his girlfriend on the sidewalk (she was on the street) and a blur of speed flew past, leaving Hughie with nothing but two bloody stumps of arms. That was supe A-Train and it started Hughie’s arc for that season.

Then, in season three we got the episode called “Herogasm.”

This show never skimps on the blood or gore, but does not depend on it.

Antony Starr, who plays Homelander, not receiving an Emmy nomination yet is a crime. He leads a cast filled with talented people including Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Erin Moriarty, Jenson Ackles, Karen Fukuhara, Tomer Capone, Chase Crawford, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Cameron Crovetti, Jesse T. Usher, and an army of cameos and guest stars.

Season five of the show will be the final season and will drop in 2026.

The Uninspired (2009)

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12 of The October 13

I had high hopes for this film.

The Uninspired was based on Kim Jee-Woo’s 2003 Korean horror film, A Tale of Two Sisters. I have never seen that film so I did not have to worry about a comparison.

According to IMDB, “Anna returns home after a stint in a mental hospital, but her recovery is jeopardized by her father’s new girlfriend and ghastly visions of her dead mother.“

I started with this movie and I was intrigued with what it was laying out. There was kept its story close to the vest at the beginning, and I liked the very beginning of the film. Then, it seemed to take a shift into a situation with a manipulative girlfriend that we’d seen many times before.

Sadly, that middle part of the movie was so dumb that the film skidded to a halt. It became nonsensical several times. Then, in the third act, the film went completely off the rails as the film tried to pull a poor man’s Sixth Sense twist that really did not work… at all. I found it to be totally ridiculous and it did not make any sense, nor did they care that it did not.

I was really disappointed with the film.