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The Adventures of Pete & Pete: Time Tunnel (1994)
My personal favorite episode of the series.
Funny, sad, Strange, Beautiful.
Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi said that each episode of Pete and Pete had to have those four elements
"Time Tunnel" hits all four and is by far my favorite episode of the series. It is surreal and funny and yet realistic and melancholy
1) The whole idea of now merely changing the clock back an hour equates to "time travel" in Little Pete's mind is hilarious.
2) I like how surprisingly realistic the b plot is at least by the standards of this show. Pete goes out on a first date with his platonic best friend Ellen, gets bad advice, and nearly ruins it. Pete then sincerely apologizes and there is that melancholy moment where Pete and Ellen decide they're better off as friends only to then have that ambiguous kiss. Like Big Pete the audience are left walking home delighted, if, confused.
If I have one gripe, it's the fact that they already had their big damn kiss back in "Day of the Dot" (which they use a clip off in the beginning of this episode). Of course, it was completely forgotten about in the next episode and spoiler alert this is completely forgotten about too.
The writers acknowledge that each episode of the series was meant to be stand alone and they didn't give a whole lot of thought to story arcs or continuity.
There is even a moral in this episode. When you're on a date with a girl for the first time be a gentleman and keep your hands to yourself and as a girl you have the right to reject unwanted sexual advances and flee the scene if you feel unsafe. I like how subtle the moral was but it's there none the less. It is not heavy handed like a very special episode of a 90s sitcom.
3) I also love how Little Pete feels hurt that his older brother no longer has interest in his childish pursuits now that He's got more adult interests.
4) I love how Teddy and Bill react to Big Pete pursuing Ellen with this unenthused shrug like "About time, dude."
5) I love Endless Mike. I love how it is not just He wants to harass Big Pete He wants to corrupt him too.
Fun trivia: There actually are no drive in theaters in New Jersey. The show had to film at one on Long Island.
Fun trivia: It is never said what state the show is supposed to be set in but if Little Pete is able to ride his bicycle into the Central Time Zone, then it would most likely have to be in Kentucky although Indiana and Tennessee are possible.
Airspeed (1999)
Entertainingly bad
The premise of the movie is ridiculous and everything that happens is so illogical it is hilarious.
1) Planes are designed to withstand lightning strikes which is why they can fly through a storm.
2) As mentioned in another review the hole in the plane would have caused the temperature inside the cold to go down and become so cold everyone would freeze to death
3) That is assuming that Everyone hasn't been sucked out of or fallen out of the hole in the plane.
4) The cute, blonde girl should have been deader than dead.
I found it an entertaining movie. You know, the movie is not going to let the girl die and the plane crash so I am almost looking forward to seeing what contrived solution they would have come up with.
This movie almost feels like an unintentional parody of this kind of movie.
I just realized something: They claim the father's prized bat belonged to Roberto Clemente (who, you know, died in a plane crash). His overloaded tiny plane perished in the ocean, and He wasn't flying it. Given the plot of the movie, they should have said the bat belonged to Thurman Munson considering Nicole is trying to avoid dying the way He did.
It is a bad movie but at least it is an entertaining bad movie that kept me amused for almost 90 minutes.
Read It and Weep (2006)
Derivative and cliched but otherwise harmless enjoyable fun
This movie has SO many tropes and plotlines that you've seen a dozen times before:
The young girl's journal is published as a novel and it becomes popular despite featuring very thinly veiled caricatures of people she knows. Girl gets a huge ego from the success and her personality changes.
The girl, Jamie, has a geeky male best friend who "secretly" pins for her but She is oblivious and wants to go to the dance with the hot guy.
Jamie starts hanging out with the popular girl that earlier She actually dislikes.
Jamie promises to do something with her two best friends but of course blows them off
Everybody finds out the book is about them and all turn on Jamie.
Despite this Jamie still goes to the dance with the hot guy.
The two friends rig the whale float in the dance so it'll drop leaflets and seawood on the floor and thus ruin the dance. Gee, did they watch "Carrie" before they came up with that idea?
Jamie finds out the hot guy is a phony, He didn't really write the poem She liked, and it was actually her geeky best friend who defended her in the paper. Jamie then decides She really does like her geeky best friend after all.
The one thing I did like about the movie is how they use the lead actress' older sister to portray her alter ego, Isabella aka IS, the fictional main character of her novel. IS then becomes almost a dangerous alter ego for Jamie. There are a few scenes in this movie where Jamie is seen arguing with IS. So, basically Jamie is a schizophrenic.
That would be actually be a pretty cool plot for the movie: Nice, shy girl Jamie develops an alter ego based on her own fictional character. Trouble starts when IS starts to take over Jamie's life. Is Jamie going crazy? Will Jamie be able to maintain her precarious grip on reality while trying to deal with her new found success and minimizing the damage caused by IS?
But then I remember this is a family friendly Disney Channel Original movie so yeah, no.
It is no surprise to me that I am my own worst enemy as Lit would say.
I did like the movie. It wasn't terrible it was actually entertaining and enjoyable for what it was. I also thought that Kan Panabaker resembled a young Larisa Oleynik. Especially during the dance scene She really looked like Bianca from 10 Things.
Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
Thin Line Between Love and Spite
"Some Kind of Wonderful" is so much more than just "Pretty in Pink" with the genders of the roles reversed and a different ending.
On the surface the plot is really simple: Keith likes Amanda, the popular girl. Amanda has a jerk boyfriend, Hardy, whom She breaks up with. Keith asks Amanda out on a date, and she agrees. Hardy gets mad and plots to get even. Meanwhile, Keith has a female best friend named Watts who has a crush on Keith. Keith of course is oblivious to Watts' affections. How will this movie end? The suspense was killing me!
Deep down though this movie feels like it's not so much about romance as it is spite. You get the feeling everyone in this movie is doing something to spite another person. Does Keith ask Amanda because He genuinely likes her or does He do it to spite Hardy? We know for a fact that Amanda agrees to the date because She wants to spite Hardy. So, do Keith and Amanda actually like each other or are they just going out on a date to just spite Hardy? Hardy then invites the both of them to a party because He wants to humiliate them and beat up Keith. Keith finds out about this and yet still agrees to go out on the date with Amanda despite thinking She is on it. Again, spite. Keith spends his college savings on the date and the earrings. Does He do that just to get back at his dad who has been hassling him about college? Does Keith take Amanda out on that big expensive date just to prove himself worthy of her? It is like Keith is saying to Amanda: "I can hang out with rich people and pretend to be something I am not just as good as you can."
Watts acts like She doesn't care about social politics and all the pretense involved. She agrees to chauffeur Keith's date with Amanda. Is She really being helpful or is She just doing it because She secretly hopes that the date will go badly, Amanda will dump him, and Keith will realize how foolish He is being?
I did like how the movie ended. Keith and Amanda actually do have a good time on their date when they both drop their pretenses and just act cool. They then go to the party not because Keith is not a martyr but because He wants to stand up to Hardy. He defeats the bully not with violence but by minimizing him. "You can't hurt me because I just don't care what you think. You're nothing to me so anything you say or do to me means nothing. You have no power."
The only gripe I have is that Keith, in the end, seems to instantaneously realize He's in love with Watts. Amanda and Keith have defeated Hardy - they've slayed their dragon - and now are running to the car to celebrate their victory and Keith just looks at Watts and just gets this weird deer in headlights look. This is followed by a flashback to when Keith and Watts kissed earlier in the day. We in the audience are supposed to realize in that very moment Keith realizes Watts loves him and He loves Watts. Even so Keith then has to have Amanda say to him "Hey, dummy, that girl likes you and She's better for you than I can ever be so give these earrings to her because She's the one you love." before He finally gets it.
You could say the movie is just one big shaggy dog story. Keith spends the whole movie trying to woo one girl until ultimately deciding at the last minute that He likes the other girl.
I did like the movie. I thought Mary Stuart Masterson's performance was great and I did enjoy Lea Thompson's performance. I feel like they made the movie better than it should have been. Of the 6 "teen" 80s movies that John Hughes made I thought this was the most underrated and one of the better ones. I liked it better than Pretty in Pink.
BTW Nickelodeon basically took the plot of this movie and used it for the 2000 film SNOW DAY.
The Challengers (1990)
Sad movie about grief and fitting in
This is a really sweet and sad movie about grief and trying to fit into a new community and making friends.
I will say the actress looks plausibly as a boy and her "boy's voice" is pretty convincing. She does a better job disguising herself of a boy than Schuyler Fisk in the similarly themed American movie MY FRIEND JOE. (oh, sorry did I spoil that movie for you?)
The music is definitely late 1980s and the ending song is good.
The conflict Mac/Mackie finds herself in feels like a plot of a sitcom. The final solution at the end seems so obvious you do wonder why it took the whole movie to arrive at it. The boys are all of a sudden like "Hey, why don't We just let Mackie, and her friend join the band and perform their dance routine during the performance?"
The movie is honest about grief. It takes time to grieve. It is not something Mac will "get over" as if it is the cold. Mac doesn't have to pretend to be something She is not in order to fit in and make friends. Her Mom realizes that Mac and her need to grieve together and denial of grief isn't healthy.
All and all I really don't have many complaints about this movie. It is not quite a 10 because to me 10 is perfection.
The Journey of Allen Strange (1997)
Sweet, if goofy, Sci-fi/Coming of Age Sitcom hybrid
I recently finished watching the entire series of THE JOURNEY OF ALLEN STRANGE - all 3 seasons, 57 episodes and the movie. I managed to find them all via YouTube or Archive .org and other internet.
I didn't like it at first, I thought it was a clone of THE SECRET WORLD OF ALEX MACK. Tom Lynch just basically repeating the same premise, characters, and tropes. He does that a lot. He admitted that in an interview on Splat Attack Podcast: He only knows how to tell one story - He just does it a dozen different ways.
The good thing about a Tommy Lynch series is it's heart and I love how both ALEX MACK and ALLEN STRANGE have that mix of weird, goofy stories and sweet, heartfelt series. On the one hand they're a silly sci-fi show. On the other hand they're a coming-of-age sitcom.
Take one episode: Season 1 Episode 8 "The Guardian" and it's storylines:
Storyline #1: Ken, the father, takes his son Josh camping. Ken thinks Josh is too obsessed with computers and the internet. While out there though Josh begins to enjoy the outdoors while Ken becomes obsessed with the computer. Funny storyline.
Storyline #2: Left "Home Alone" Allen must defend the Stevenson home from two punks who come to burglarize it. It involves freaking them out by appearing in his blue alien form. Goofy, sci-fi storyline.
Storyline #3: Robbie, the daughter, visits her mother Gail at her job at a hospital emergency room. (The Stevensons are divorced). It is a hectic day though at the ER. Robbie has to wait since Gail is busy. While there, Robbie meets a girl whose mother was in a car accident and was being treated. Robbie helps comfort her while also helping Gail out basically doing "go-fer" duty. At the end Gail tells the girl her mom is ok but needs physical therapy and the relieved girl hugs Robbie. Sweet, heartwarming storyline.
ALL IN THE SAME EPISODE!
One minute you're rolling her eyes and saying this show is so goofy. The next minute you're like "Oh, my gosh! That was so sweet."
Will McRabb and Chris Viscardi once said about their show, the Adventures of Pete and Pete, that every episode had to be "funny, sad, weird, beautiful." In a way Tommy Lynch did the same thing with both ALEX MACK and ALLEN STRANGE.
I admit ALLEN STRANGE wasn't as good as ALEX MACK and had it's flaws. The main story never gets resolved (spoiler alert: The show ends before Allen ever returns home, but on the same token He is never discovered and captured by the authorities). Some episodes are a little too goofy or just plain bad. Like a lot of sci fi shows the show gets lost in it's own mythology at times. There are a few aborted story arcs. I am a Star Wars fan who watched the entire Clone Wars cartoon series - I am used to that sort of thing. The infamous Black History episode is just cringe and I am just going to leave it at that.
Despite it's flaws and relatively short life ALLEN STRANGE had it's own charm and managed to carve it's own unique niche in the history of 90s Nickelodeon.
Hard Promises (1991)
Olivia Burnette outshines the adults.
Just, ugh. A comedy that isn't funny. A heartwarming movie that isn't particularly heartwarming.
The part that really bothers me about the movie is that Joey says He is willing to settle down and get a job if Christine would take him back. But as soon as it is not an option Joey's ready to hit the road again. Dude! What about your daughter?! Even if He is no longer Chris' husband He is still Beth's father and nothing is ever going to change that! Man up and be a Dad! Stay for Her! Do what's good for Her! Yes, Walt is her stepfather and frankly more responsible but you're her biological Dad.
Sissy is just annoying in this movie. It is like She thinks She can just smile and act cute and silly and that's charming.
I loved Olivia Burnette as the daughter - the only one in this movie who has a good head on her shoulders. Her performance was so earnest and genuine and her tears felt so real.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the familiar-looking red-haired freckled-faced girl who, I think, plays Dawn's daughter. Her character's name according to the credits is Mary although She's never called that on screen. That's clevar considering Sissy's name at birth was Mary (Sissy was a nickname her brothers gave her). She doesn't have any lines, but She does briefly show that familiar grin. In the wedding scene She is being dragged along by Dawn when She briefly turns back to the camera. In the movie There's a sweet scene where Chris peeks into a bedroom and sees Beth and Mary sleeping side and side and looks longingly at her FICTIONAL daughter and kisses her on the head. It is pretty sweet in a meta sense and probably didn't require a lot of acting on Sissy's part. She just had to remember to kiss the right girl.
On that same note I liked when Chris says "I have a beautiful daughter" (in real life Sissy has two beautiful daughters)
Ginger in the Morning (1974)
Schuyler Fisk's future Mom in a role that reminds me of her. Sissy can't sing like Schuyler though.
GINGER IN THE MORNING is a 1974 film starring a young Sissy Spacek in just her third theatrical film. Although released in '74 it was filmed in '72 so I think She filmed this before Badlands (1973).
Sissy plays the title character, Ginger. She is a hitchhiker who gets picked up by a middle-aged man named Joe. It's New Years Eve and Joe feels lonely. The two end up at Joe's apartment.
The movie starts off as a cute romantic comedy with a plot you've no doubt seen done hundreds of times before. Ginger is the "manic pixie dream girl" and Joe is the uptight square who falls in love with her.
The movie hits a snag however with the arrival of Joe's friend Charlie. Joe wants Charlie to leave so Ginger and him can, well, enjoy each other's company. Charlie becomes smitten with Ginger and doesn't want to leave. Joe then gets the idea of inviting Charlie's ex-wife Sugar over. This is when the movie takes an ugly turn. It goes from being a cute romantic comedy to a movie about bitter middle-aged people talking about marriage and divorce. Charlie then decides to get back with Sugar and they leave. Ginger now wants to leave too and Joe does that cliche' mad cap rush to find her and declare his love for her before it is too late.
With her shoulder length red/brown hair and young, freckled face Sissy Spacek physically reminds me so much of her own future daughter. Sissy even has the same mischevious grin. That being said, when Sissy sings her own song in this movie, one thing is obvious: She is no Schuyler.
I also thought that Sissy's voice sounded too childish and immature in this movie. She was 22 in this movie and She sounds like She is like she's a teenager.
I would only recommend this movie to people who are fans of Sissy Spacek or, if you're like me, a Schuyler Fisk fan who gets the kick out of seeing how much She takes after her own Mom.
Sam & Kate (2022)
Sad, melancholy movie about grief and loss that literally ends with Schuyler Fisk singing.
SAM AND KATE is a movie you go in expecting one kind of a movie and getting a different one. You think going in this is a cute romantic comedy starring two old people and their adult children who start courting each other. It is set during Christmas so you're thinking ok this is a kind of movie you'd expect to see on Hallmark. The poster and movie preview even encourage this assumption
What you get is a melancholy movie about loss, death, grief and the stress of being an adult and dealing with an elderly parent.
I don't entirely place the blame on the advertisting because the movie does feel like it changes gears right in the middle.
Sam (Jake Hoffman) is a young man who has come home to take care of his elderly father, Bill (his real life father Dustin Hoffman). Sam is an artist who has yet to find his niche and is stuck at a dead end job. I am not sure if Bill is a widower or divorced but I think He is a widower.
Sam soon meets Kate (Schuyler Fisk) at her bookstore and is smitten. By coincidence Bill and Sam run into Kate and her mother Tina (Schuyler's real life Mom Sissy Spacek) at church during Christmas. The two couples hit off and start dating.
This is where the movie takes a sharp turn. It turns out Tina is a hoarder. This freaks out Bill who alerts the authorities thus forcing Kate to help clean up Tina's house or else She'll get evicted. Kate has her own secret. She is a young widow who lost her husband and child in a car accident. Bill, who is in poor health, then suddenly dies and Sam must face his own grief.
The movie just ends. Sam and Kate reconcile. Tina is last seen sitting in her yard staring into space smoking a cigarette. It is established in the movie that Kate used to have a music career but stopped due to the grief from her loss. Kate then sits down on the piano and plays a song that basically sums up the entire theme of the movie: It is called LIFE AFTER (Do you want to take a wild shot in the dark who wrote the song?) and it is about finding love and strength after loss. A 2 1/2-minute song that summarizes a movie that is barely 2 hours long.
I did like the movie despite the sudden tonal change.
Schuyler Fisk has aged like a fine wine! I did like the scenes between Sam and Kate at the bookstore and during the date at the roller rink. She has the same goofy charm and sincerity and earnestness She had when She was younger. To be honest it is not like the role of Kate is that much of a stretch for her and requires a lot of acting talent. Except for the part of being a widow and losing a child you're basically just watching Schuyler Fisk being Schuyler Fisk.
In fact, there is a line in this movie that actually caught me off guard. Sam and Kate are at a record store. Now, we don't know that Kate used to be a singer yet. All we know is that Kate owns a bookstore. They're looking at records. All of a sudden Sam says "So I was looking for your music. I guess it is in the Folk section?". Kate looks surprised. Sam says "Oh, I googled you and found out you used to create music." Kate says, "Don't google me." It caught me off guard because it really seems like Jake Hoffman broke character and is actually talking to Schuyler about HER music.
Sissy Spacek and Dustin Hoffman were adequate. As much as I love the apple, I admit I am not a big fan of the tree i.e. Sissy Spacek.
I didn't like Dustin Hoffman's character because Bill is just such a jerk in this movie. He's outwardly charming but in reality, He's hostile and belligerent. I didn't like how Bill called the authorities on Tina's hoarding. I didn't like how He treated Sam. Frankly I didn't feel all that bad when Bill died.
It was an enjoyable movie, but it has a very melancholy ending.
Ignore the "R" rating. There's like maybe seven f-bombs throughout the movie and some casual smoking of marijuana (and cigarettes). Other than that, there is no mature or explicit content.
Trading Mom (1994)
These kids are unlikable brats. Spacek embarrasses herself
I did not like this movie. The kids are ungrateful, unlikable brats. The movie starts with the mom having a bad day. She comes home and She is stressed out and She is upset that the house is a mess, and the kids are being lazy. The kids are mad that their mom doesn't make pancakes or is always telling them what to do or doesn't let them do whatever they want (you know like a real mother). The eldest son then gets in trouble for fighting at school and the daughter gets in trouble for putting an unlit cigarette in her mouth for a millisecond. The principal really seems to have it in for the Martin kids. Mrs. Martin doesn't want to hear it and punishes the kids - no camp, no TV, no going out for the whole summer. No offense, lady, but you have to be home with them so isn't that more like a punishment on you?
Anyway, the brats decide they don't like Mrs. Martin anymore, so they decided to magically trade her in for another mom at the Mommy market.
The gimmick is Sissy Spacek plays each of the three potential new Moms the kids audition. Each one is cartoonishly flawed. Rich, French Mom wants them to dress a certain way, makes them eat octopi, and cramps their style. Outdoorsy Sport loving Mom makes them go camping in the rain and is overly pedantic and competitive during a game of kickball. Circus Freak Mom is well, a circus freak.
None of the movie makes a lot of sense so I don't even going to bother telling you how it is resolved.
Sissy Spacek frankly embarrasses herself in this movie with the various ridiculous costumes and fake accents. At one point She gets covered in fresh horse dung. I kid you not. None of her four characters are particularly likable. In fact, Nobody is likable in this movie.
There is nothing redeeming of this movie. It is not "So Bad It is entertaining", it is so bad it is bad.
Fun bit of trivia: A certain familiar looking freckled face redheaded girl shows up briefly during the kickball with the kids scene.
Snow Day (2022)
Unnecessary Remake.
So, I saw the Snow Day remake. It was free on Dailymotion. I thought I was going to hate it. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it. It wasn't the worst movie I ever saw however I will say it's just an unnecessary remake.
Here's the thing it is the SAME movie. It is the SAME story with the SAME characters, and they even recreate scenes almost verbatim. For example, the perfect snow angel scene and the whale in the snow scene. They just made it shorter (this film is 1 hour 17 mins; The 2000 film is 1 hour 34 minutes) and turned it into a musical. They also eliminated a lot of the unnecessary characters and subplots and organized it into a more simple, straight forward plot.
In this film Natalie is now the narrator/protagonist. We find out Natalie is a lazy, underachieving student who is always trying to go out of assignments. She soon finds out She has a huge Math test coming up and if She flunks, She'll attend Winter School over the upcoming winter break (it is the equivalent of summer school). That's not really a thing in reality but I'll go with it. So, instead of actually studying, Natalie wants a Snow Day and then to be greedy a second Snow Day just to avoid having to do schoolwork.
I liked that part because Natalie reminds me of Little Pete from THE ADVENTURES OF PETE AND PETE and actually gives her the motivation to want to stop the snow plan man that the original kids didn't really have.
Hal is a LOT less creepy in this movie than He is in the 2000 movie. He is not a stalker. He is just an awkward teenager who wants to impress the girl He likes. Claire loses her bracelet and Hal does find it and decides to chivalrously return the bracelet.
Fabi Aguirre did a good job as Lane and brought her own unique spin to the character. I thought they softened the character of Lane a bit. "2022" Lane starts off the movie as Hal's platonic friend who actually does try to help him woo Claire. It is not until the snow angel scene (which comes in the middle of the film) that Lane suddenly has an epiphany and realizes She likes Hal. Even then Lane is more like "I just want Hal to be happy and if He is happy with Claire then so be it."
"2000" Lane liked Hal from the beginning and does not even hide it. Lane acts flirty towards Hal the entire movie almost to the point where you think Hal is just blind. She also mocks Hal's pursuit of Claire the whole movie. Instead of helping Hal you get to get the feeling Lane is just following him around because She just wants to see him to fail and make a fool of himself. "2000" Lane is like "I want Hal to be with me and if He isn't then the heck of his happiness I hope He makes a fool of himself." The end credits song in the original 2000 film, "It's Not Her" by (Lane, herself) Schuyler Fisk, all but confirms that's exactly that She's doing
I thought Fabi Agguire's Lane was almost too nice and sweet.
I also noticed that the two actresses who play Lane and Claire, Fabi Aguirre and Shelby Simmons, kind of look alike. Honestly Simmons is not that much more attractive than Aguirre. The point is you don't have a 17 year old freckled face redhead and a 24 year old brunette with a tan in Winter playing the two roles.
Another observation: Fabi Agguire is only 5 foot while Shelby Simmons is 5'2". Meanwhile, Ky Baldwin (Hal) is like 5'10". What is with Nickelodeon and casting only petite actresses? For comparison, Schuyler Fisk is 5'5", Emmanuelle Chriqui is 5'3", while Mark Webber was 5'11".
Orange County (2002)
Lithgow and O'Hara Overshadow Hanks and Fisk
I am not a big fan of Jack Black to be honest which is why I held off on watching it. A little Jack Black goes a long way. I do love Schuyler Fisk so I decided to see this film.
What I loved about this film: Schuyler Fisk just being Schuyler Fisk.
I thought it was a fun teen comedy with an awesome soundtrack and some good lessons (not running away from grief; accepting your family for the flawed people they are; Don't be pretentious; Be yourself).
The veteran adult actors in this movie specifically John Lithgow and Catherine O'Hara definitely overshadow Hanks and Fisk. They are just so over-the-top in their performances. They are too fun.
I loved the final conversation between Marcus Skinner and Shaun. It almost borders on meta as Skinner sounds like He's talking about the very movie He is in. I love the line "I love the girlfriend - the bleeding-heart animal lover - She's my favorite (character)". It is like a wink to the audience as if the screenwriters are like "Yeah, we know you're just watching it because you like Schuyler Fisk." Skinner also says to Shaun that his book needs an ending and then Shaun says I am not sure how to end it. I think the film makers had the same problem.
What I didn't like: I could have done with a LOT less of Jack Black in his underwear.
The adult's subplots I really didn't care for. I found it odd that it takes embarrassing Shaun and him going on a road trip to set into motion a series of events that causes his parents to start acting normal all of a sudden. He is gone like one day and He comes home and everything's fine all of a sudden. His parents are getting back together (despite still being married to others), Bud's trophy wife is cool with the divorce, Jake stops acting like an infant, and Bob (who's practically catatonic the whole movie) is talking coherently.
There is a lot of cringe comedy and some gross humor that I could have done without.
8/10. All and all, an enjoyable film.
Snow Day (2000)
It's Worth the Fisk.
SNOW DAY (2000) was written by Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi. The two created and wrote the 90s Nickelodeon show THE ADVENTURES OF PETE AND PETE. This concept of this movie began as a full-length movie version of PETE AND PETE and it shows. In fact, the plot of kids battling the snowplow man, is similar to an episode of PETE AND PETE in which neighborhood kids battle the Garbage Man determined to take Christmas away.
PETE AND PETE had a very distinct style and quirky humor which fans would recognize right away in this movie. It has a mix of realism and fantasy that when it works is awesome and is uneven when it doesn't. You also get used to sight gags and things in the show that are just weird, random and unexpected.
The faults of this movie? It has too many characters and too many plots and subplots. There's Hal chasing his dream girl while completely ignoring his beautiful, goofy redhead best friend. There's the story about the kids wanting a second Snow Day by stopping the cartoonishly villainous snowplow man from ruining it by doing his actual job. You have Chevy Chase's character of the weatherman trying to maintain dignity in his job by exposing his rival as a phony. You also have Hal's workaholic mother learning to just enjoy the day with her youngest child instead of being obsessed with work.
There's a surreal scene in which an action figure comes to life and inspires Natalie to mount one final stand against the snowplow man in a surreal scene that seems so out of place. I personally find it funny because it is so random and unexpected.
When you look at the acting, I will say almost everybody in this movie seems to know they're in a silly Nickelodeon kids movie and acts accordingly. Chevy Chase acts bored like He doesn't want to be in this movie. Who cares? I didn't watch the movie to see him. Chris Elliot is clearly over-the-top as Snowplow Man. Zena Grey is cute as Natalie. Emmanuelle Chriqui is adequate as the "hot girl" who exists only to be an object of affection. She is almost like a living McGuffin - just there to move the plot of the movie along. Mark Webber, as Hal, is good although I do wonder if He needs to get his vision checked the way He ignores Lane for almost the whole movie.
The one actress who seems to not realize She is in a silly Nickelodeon kids movie but seems to be taking their role dead seriously is Schuyler Fisk. She acts like She is a character in a 1980s John Hughes film. Fisk is absolutely delightful as the girl who loves her best friend yet resents his quixotic pursuit of Claire. On the one hand the character of "Lane" could be milked for sympathy as the poor sweet girl who gets ignored, but on the other hand the character of "Lane" could be portrayed as the bitter, snarky girl who resents Claire and just likes to see Hal fail. Fisk's performance falls somewhere in the middle and comes off as the most realistic character in a movie full of stereotypes and cliches.
The scene where Mark ignores Lane in favor of Claire gets repeated too many times in this movie. There is the scene outside Claire's house where Hal and every single boy in the movie gathers to express their interest in Claire. Lane is standing among them and observes it is like "Claire-stock". SNOW DAY must be a fantasy movie if it expects the audience to believe Nobody finds Schuyler Fisk attractive.
In conclusion Snow Day is a quirky, silly kids movie with Schuyler Fisk in it and that's reason enough for me to enjoy it.
My Friend Joe (1996)
Sweet, melancholy coming of age movie about friendship
Let's just start by agreeing that Schuyler Fisk doesn't look like a boy. A wig and baggy clothes don't cut it. It doesn't ruin the viewing experience, but you do have to have some willing suspension of belief since a major plot point revolves around everybody automatically assuming Joe is a boy right from the get-go.
Chris is a young boy who is bullied by his friend/rival Boyler (Boyler's mean to him yet Chris still hangs out with him). The circus is in town. One day He meets a new kid named Joe who dazzles Chris and his friends with "his" bicycling skills. They soon strike up a close friendship. Joe of course has at least two secrets, 1) "His" guardian/uncle physically abuses "him" and 2) Joe is a girl.
The one question I had about this movie is why is Joe being forced to pose as a boy? Theory #1 is that Joe is just a tomboy who everybody mistakes for male and She just goes along with it. That theory makes no sense because it is obvious Joe is being forced to pose as a male against her will by her uncle. Theory #2 was that the circus doesn't want girls performing the stunts that She performs so Curt lied and said Joe was male in order to get the job. That tracks for a bit, but at the end of the movie when it is revealed that Joe is female Nobody in the circus seems all that shocked and upset. They're more upset that Curt has been abusing Joe and hit Chris. The circus lets Joe stay with them despite presumably firing Curt after He is arrested. It could be inferred that most of the people in the circus kind of knew Joe's true gender from the beginning and just ignored it and humored Curt and Joe because they thought Joe was posing as a boy as a choice.
Something then occurred to me! Curt is the only person in the movie that had a problem with Joe's gender. Joe even says "Curt always said it would be easier if I was a boy. I believed him until I found out he lied." That was part of the abuse. Curt was gaslighting Joe telling her that She'll only succeed in life if She poses as a boy. Curt probably did lie to her and told her that if the people in the circus found out She was a girl They would lose their job. Curt resents having to raise his late sister's kid and hates girls which is why He is forcing Joe to pose as a male. Joe though is starting to resist. In one early scene Curt threatens to cut Joe's long hair which Joe was growing out of protest in order to maintain her own femineity.
So, maybe the fact that Schuyler Fisk doesn't look like a boy is actually a good thing for the movie because it shows what an abusive jerk Curt is. It shows how irrational Curt is in his hatred of his own niece for being a girl. He's forcing her to continue to pose as a boy even when it is very obvious that She no longer passes for a boy.
This theory makes the big reveal scene just that much sweeter. Joe is afraid to tell Chris She is a girl not just because of the consequences but because She psychologically believes nobody would love her if they knew she was a girl. (There's irony) Not only is Chris one of the first real friends Joe has probably ever had but Chris is somebody who loves HER for HER.
Fisk is so great as Joe in this movie as a lonely kid who really just wants a best friend and craves a normal life as opposed to performing in the circus. She also captures the fear, anger, and ambivalence of an abuse victim. I loved her in this movie. Of course, I loved her in BABYSITTERS CLUB and SNOW DAY (2000) too
As for the other actors there are scenes where they can be kind of hammy. Stephen McHattie as Curt was over the top. I did like Joel Grey. The scene where Mrs Doyle (Pauline McLynn) says incredulously "Joe is a girl?!" was just a bit much. Really, lady? It was really that much of a shock to learn Joe is a girl? That is one complaint I had about the film: Nobody in this movie suspects Joe is a girl until the big reveal scene at the end. I just found that implausible.
If I were writing the film I would had just one scene in which at least one of the characters subtly suspected Joe was a girl. Like when Joe visits the house and asks to use the bathroom. I would have liked if they had a scene where either Mrs. Doyle or Chris's sister used the bathroom after Joe and just happened to notice that the toilet was down and get like a quizzical look on their face. Just something subtle like that.
The Baby-Sitters Club (1995)
My favorite 90s actresses in one movie!
To paraphrase a line from a song by the Gin Blossoms: If you don't expect too much from this movie you might not be let down.
I did like seeing some of my favorite childhood actresses in the film. Hey! It's the girl from Alex Mack! It is the redheaded girl from Alex Mack! It is the girl from She's All That! It is that mean girl from Full House! It's the girl from Snow Day! Speaking of which Schuyler Fisk is great in this movie. I liked Marla Sokoloff as the mean girl who is just mean for no reason. I love Larisa Oleynik.
I did enjoy the story about the girls setting up their own summer camp and all the obstacles they face. It reminded me of another movie that came out the year before: Camp Nowhere. I liked how in the end of the summer after all their work and trouble they barely made any profit and had just enough money for a pizza. I thought that was funny.
The whole plot about the 13 year old girl (Bre Blair) dating the 17 year old boy is completely inappopriate! I can't believe her parents are cool with it. Stacey's Mom seems more upset that Stacey is dodging his phone calls rather than the fact that He tried to take her unchaperoned to a club in New York City. I acknowledge this is a movie about teenage girls meant for teenage girls so I guess there's some element of "teen fantasy" involved.
What was really problematic for me in this movie though was the whole story of Kristy's Dad. Her biological father just waltzes into town, meets up with her, and tells her not to tell her family (i.e. Her mom and stepfather) or her friends that He's there. Uh, say what? An adult is asking his teenage girl to lie by omission? Why? Does the guy have a restraining order filed against him? Does He owe her Mom child support? Yeah, not cool. At the end of the movie the deadbeat stands Kristy up at an amusement park on her birthday in the pouring rain. Kristy's Mom is then all reassuring and saying "Well, you can't be that mad at your Dad. He's a dreamer and He just chases dreams. He loves you but He can't be tied down and you just have to love him despite that." WHAT?! What kind of malarkey is that? Why is She so calm? She should be as mad as hornets and calling the cops on him!
If they had just eliminated the whole deadbeat dad plot and the completely inappropriate relationship plot and just focused on the girls trying to run the summer camp by themselves plot I would have liked the movie more than I did.
I liked the scene between Mrs. Haberman (Ellen Burstyn) and Dawn (Larisa Oleynik). Mrs. Haberman plays Dawn's neighbor who's annoyed by the summer camp going on next door. Dawn visits to try to make peace with her. I like how they bond. As corny and trite as some of Dawn's lines are ("I think hummingbirds are magical") Larisa just sells it. She is just sweet and sincere enough to make it work. The ending where the girls decide to give her the greenhouse was really nice.
I never read the books so I don't know and frankly I don't care how it stacks up as an adaptation.
To repeat: To paraphrase a line from a song by the Gin Blossoms: If you don't expect too much from this movie you might not be let down.
BTW Dreams by the Cranberries and Good by Better Than Ezra did not appear in this movie at all which is weird since I remember both songs prominantly featured in the trailer.
The Journey of Allen Strange: Starwalk (1997)
For a fan of Alex Mack this is deja vu.
From the creator of "The Secret World of Alex Mack" comes a show JUST LIKE it. Similar premise, similar characters, similar tropes.
In this episode Josh, the youngest sibling, feels bad because He does not have enough money to buy presents. In "The Gift" episode of S. W. A. M Alex, the youngest sibling, does not have money to buy presents for her family.
In "The Feud" episode of S. W. A. M the plant offers a reward for any information on the identity of the GC-161 kid in cash. Ray decides to use Alex's hat as "evidence" to get the reward (it turns out it was a decoy).
In this episode the antagonist, Phil Berg (who is like a sinister and less friendly version of Dave Watt) offers a cash reward of $1000 for any information on aliens. Josh, of course, knows Allen is an alien. So He decides to use a backpack as "evidence" to get the reward money.
Phil Berg is joined by another villain, a mysterious gentleman who is kind of a cross between Vince Carter and Danielle Atron.
It is so obvious that Allen is an alien but of course no bystanders ever witness it and the villains of course don't find out and Allen is safe from capture.
Like a typical S. W. A. M episode it is very silly, hokey, yet sweet. There's the trite message of how Christmas is about being with family and friends and not buying presents.
It is not a bad episode; It is not even really that bad of a television show. I just think it's too derivative of Alex Mack.
The Secret World of Alex Mack: The Journal (1995)
Didn't They Do This All Before?
The Journal was the first episode of the second season. It is not that it is a bad episode (it is ok); it just after watching the whole first season this episode feels repetitive. It seems as though the writers felt like they had to reiterate the basic premise of the show. The big bad Danielle Atron is under pressure to provide results into the GC-161 research. Vince is under pressure to find the GC-161 kid. It is Alex's first day of 8th grade. Alex is still crushing on Scott but now Scott has a new girlfriend who's Alex's rival. Annie is still bossy. Vince and Dave go undercover at the school, again. They come face to face with Alex again. Alex's secret nearly gets revealed again. Vince's plan is comically foiled again. Annie and Alex have a fight again. They make up and have a bonding moment. Annie reminds Alex that She needs to be more discreet about using her powers in public lest her secret gets discovered.
14 out of 78 episodes in and the series already felt repetitive.
I don't have any specific gripes toward the episode itself. My gripes apply more in general to the series itself. The fact that they make the antagonists so stupid and inept that you never believe that Alex Mack is ever in any danger. The fact Nobody ever witnesses Alex using her powers in public despite the fact She is not even discreet about it. The fact that Vince never suspects Alex Mack is the GC-161 kid despite the fact He really should have figured it out by now. Vince must have selective amnesia.
The Secret World of Alex Mack: Leaving (1997)
Very good, watershed episode.
This is an important episode of the series. Annie is leaving for college and the Mack Family prepares to bid her adieu. That's the "B" storyline. The "A" storyline is that Alex commits an act of heroism that brings her unwanted attention. While walking in the park Alex comes across an unconscious woman. Unable to get help Alex uses her morphing powers to turn both into a puddle and travel to the hospital. The woman had a mild stroke but She's OK. The problem is Alex can't explain how a 15 year old girl with no car/driver's license was able to transport a unconscious middle aged woman a mile and a half to the hospital. Alex becomes a local media celebrity both because of her act of heroism and the mystery of how She was able to do it. This brings the attention of Danielle Atron who suspects (after all this time) that Alex Mack may be the GC-161 kid. Spoiler alert: Alex's secret isn't blown.
The episode ends with a truly heartwarming scene though. Annie is leaving for college; the cab is there, and She has her bittersweet hug with Mom. Annie had already told Ray earlier to take care of Alex. Annie then tells Alex She needs to grow up and be more careful about using her powers in public, guarding her secret, and being safe. They share a sweet hug and Alex puts her hat on Annie as one last sweet gesture. Alex then watches from her bedroom window watching Annie drive away and sits down on her bed to reflect.
It is a good episode. The final goodbye scene is sweet. Larisa is so good. She brings so much sincerity and warmth to the role. Alex may be a fictional character in a completely contrived situation, but Larisa makes Alex feel like a real person. I liked how Alex does feel guilty and morally conflicted about keeping her powers and the truth about the accident a secret from her parents (a plot device that I honestly was never fond of, but I understand why the writers used it. Tropes are tools). It is a good episode that sets up the events of the eventual series finale very nicely when the show finally gets there.
Katie Sullivan (2006)
Great Pilot; Too bad It Didn't Sell
This was an unsold pilot produced in 2006 but published on YouTube in 2013. The premise seems very familiar - it is basically an update of the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Katie Sullivan (played by the adorable Larisa Oleynik) is a young woman who left Pittsburgh to pursue a new life in Los Angeles. She ends up working for a company doing event planning as a low level employee. Katie though gets a chance to host her own event when the partner of the company leaves and takes most of the staff. Things don't go smoothly though. Will Friedle also stars as Katie's neighbor and potential love interest - a quirky but sweet man who raises and sells turtles.
Katie is a sweet, optimistic and a little naive character. You want to root for her to succeed. If you're a fan of Larisa Oleynik You'll love her in this.
It is too bad the pilot didn't sell and all We can do is wonder 'what if'?
Home Improvement: Totally Tool Time (1997)
Unfunny, lame episode
Showing characters backstage trying to produce a TV show and all the chaos that goes on can be funny, but this is not THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW. Except for two scenes in the Taylor home the episode is set entirely within the Tool Time studio. Tim is trying to impress Swedish buyers who want to buy his show so it can be dubbed and syndicated in Europe. Murphy's Law dictates of course everything will go wrong. Drew Carey is painfully unfunny in his appearance as the weird animal control guy. The producer, Warren, is dumb and incompetent. Even the Men's Gym segment isn't as clever as it wants to be. This episode feels like it is straining to be funny and failing miserably.
Boy Meets World: Stormy Weather (1996)
Eric at a crossroads
Eric is doing really well in his internship at the TV studio and seems to think He has found his niche especially after He fills in as temporary weatherman. Thinking He doesn't need education now that He is on TV He considers dropping out of high school despite being close to graduation. Alan tries to be the understanding Dad but then gets angry at him.
I liked this episode because it shows that Eric really is at a crossroads. He doesn't know what He wants to do with his life. Yes, Eric had to suffer a setback but He emerges from it older and wiser. Alan proves to be one of the best sitcom Dads ever (not perfect but pragmatic) and their heart-to-heart conversation at the end is really sweet.
The "B" plot with Shawn and Dana is superfluous. Shawn and Dana get upset when Jonathan Turner starts dating Dana's Mom for fear they might end up "sisters" as Shawn says. That being said, Larisa Oleynik is cute and adorable. She is essentially playing a more feminine Alex Mack in this episode.
The Healing Powers of Dude (2020)
Ignore the "controversies" and just enjoy the show
I have a huge crush on Larisa Oleynik since back in her "Alex Mack" days. So, I decided to check out this show.
I liked it. I thought it was a cute sitcom for kids with very relatable situations. I realize the controversy it created with confusing the difference between service animals and emotional support animals. It is valid but I think people need to lighten up a little and realize this is FICTION. It is not supposed to be realistic and accurate. It is a far more plausible premise than, say, a kid being doused with a mysterious chemical that gave him super powers. (Not that I am knocking ALEX MACK; that's a classic)
I did like how the three of the kids are misfits who nevertheless form their own little friendship. It is cool seeing an actual handicapped actress playing a character that doesn't try to illicit sympathy for her disability.
The kids definitely make the show. The adults on the other hand act kind of goofy on the show. Karen and Marvin feel like clones of the parents from Modern Family. Marvin is sweet but He comes off as an overgrown man child. The character of Karen is ok but kind of grating. You feel She's trying too hard to be Superwoman. It should be noted in real life Larisa Oleynik doesn't have children and it shows.
The dog is cute. The fact that the dogs talk and are slightly anthropomorphized is quirky and kind of out of place in a fairly grounded sitcom. In the pilot the dog is revealed to have been a slacker at his training and thus needs to prove his "worth" as an emotional support dog. There are scenes where He's talking to his friends. Kind of like in HOMEWARD BOUND or WISHBONE.
The fantasy sequences that illustrate Noah's fears are pretty cool. I loved how in the second episode they had Noah morph into a puddle using special effects that looked a lot better in 2020 than 1994. It was a nice tribute to ALEX MACK.
If one can get past the "controversies" surrounding accurate representation of social anxiety as well as service dogs you would like the show
The show only aired 8 episodes and it's been 3 years which means it is probably been cancelled by the notoriously fickle Netflix.
The Secret World of Alex Mack: Road Trip (1995)
Mack Family Bonding Episode
"Road Trip" is a really good episode of the show. It takes a break from the usual "Will Alex Get Caught? Will Her Secret be Blown?" type of plot to focus on the relationships of the Mack Family. The 'A' plot focuses on George and Alex's relationship while the 'B' plot focuses on Barbara and Annie. Alex is envious of both George's relationship with Annie as well as Ray's relationship with his Dad. After George was innocently insensitive toward Alex Barbara suggests He go on a trip with her.
George decides to go to an unabandoned mine shaft in the middle of nowhere to look for rocks and chaos ensues and Alex soon finds herself at the bottom of the hole. George helps get her out. Back at home Barbara helps Annie stop being so intellectual all the time and admit to her that She was worried She would embarrass herself in front of a boy while bowling.
I really like Michael Blakely as George because He acts like such a real Dad: Goofy, a little clueless sometimes, innocently insensitive but well meaning. I love how George tries in his own bumbling way to bond with Alex. The conversation at the ending is genuinely very sweet as George admits to a surprised Alex that He wishes He as more like her and into stuff She liked. A nice Father/Daughter bonding moment.
I would give it a 9 out of 10. My only minor quibble with the episode is that the actress Larisa Oleynik really overacts in the scene where She's in the hole. Her constant "Daddy! Daddy! Help! I need to get out of this hole" can come off as a little hammish.
Boy Meets World: Dangerous Secret (1996)
A Plot - Good. B Plot - Eh.
The one thing I didn't like about this episode is the bait-and-switch with the plot. Cory assumes Shawn is sexually active and the scene where He tries to awkwardly seduce Topanga is just so terrible. Cory acts goofy and Topanga acts oblivious to what's going on even though She's sitting alone on his bed in his bedroom. "Cory, what do you think would happen tonight?".
The main plot though is done very well and Arina Richards brings a lot of emotional honesty to the role as a confused victim of parental abuse. Rider Strong is also good as the very well-meaning but misguided kid who only wants to do the right thing.
I thought it was interesting Claire's father is never seen on screen since in the hands of the wrong actor the character may seem kind of ham-ish. Either He would come off as a complete ogre or a ridiculously charming wolf in disguise. The focus thus is not on the abuser but the victim of the abuse - Claire - who is confused and frightened about what to do.
The final solution seems likely. Cory and Topanga read a letter from Claire saying She's enjoying her new life with her aunt in Vermont and that her father is getting therapy. It can be inferred that He lost custody a and was forced into court ordered therapy. Cory then speculates "Maybe one day They'll be able to see each other again." Sweet, if somewhat niave.
In conclusion a very good episode if you ignore the corny B plot.
Arli$$: Last Call (2000)
Sweet, melancholy episode
Ed Asner appears in an unusually sweet and melancholy episode for this show. He plays an aging baseball announcer and Arliss' client. Arliss is trying to get a new 3 year contract for the old man but then realizes there's something wrong. It turns out Ed Asner's character has early Alzheimers and makes several mistakes on the air such as thinking He's calling the 1963 World Series instead of a regular game. In the end despite Arliss getting the contract the old man decides to retire anyway.