The Aquabats! Super Show!
One of the best things about being a kid is watching Saturday morning cartoons. Think about it, what concludes a lousy week better than waking up to the likes of fearless superheroes, kooky oversized puppets and smart-assed animated creatures to fuel the imagination?
Enter the Aquabats. The theatrical SoCal band that hit during the ’90s ska revival alongside No Doubt, Reel Big Fish and Sublime, is now the focus of a Saturday morning TV show. Formed in 1994, core members Christian Jacobs and Chad Larson set out to start a band that was the antithesis of the macho-jock punk scene of the day. In doing so, they created superhero personas to accompany their pop-ska/new wave sounds. A record deal would soon follow and the band’s popularity peaked during the late ’90s.
A few years later, after a series of lineup changes and declining popularity, Jacobs looked to one of his other interests—quirky kid’s TV—and co-created the popular toddler show Yo Gabba Gabba. With the success of that, Jacobs had enough TV clout to see his beloved band of blue bats return full force, with The Aquabats! Super Show!, now in its second season.
The recent DVD release of Season 1 (Shout Factory) showcases the band’s zany antics in a half-hour slapstick format. In true Aquabats fashion, the bad guys always get their due, but only after a series of mishaps, disembodiments and sarcastic wisecracks. This is The Monkees for the Warped generation, with a touch of Teletubbies on acid. Ironically, the show resides on the family friendly Hub cable network.
The Aquabats! Super Show! pulls from decades of offbeat kid’s TV, variety shows and vintage monster movies: The Monkees, Banana Splits, Batman, Teen Titans, Saturday Night Live, Sid and Marty Krofft, Hanna-Barbera and others. While aimed at kids and pre-teens, there are plenty of humorous bits and a fair amount of innuendo and pop-culture references for the likes of us, plus the band will often break into song, which is always a kick.
More home video releases:
The Manson Family
Filmmaker Jim VanBebber is not for everyone. The deviant director’s work is generally shot on a shoestring and rife with all manner of violence, sex and gore, all captured in graphic detail. So it goes with The Manson Family, arguably one of his best bits to date, and one that took nearly a decade to complete.
The film is a jagged mix of mock documentary, docudrama, and twisted fantasy. Using mock interviews, “Family” footage, a side story with an investigative reporter, plus scenes of modern day outcasts worshipping at the altar of Manson, the film offers a pretty unique take on the subject matter. Then, there’s the gore. As expected, it’s over-the-top, as are the other exploitation aspects. The film also features a soundtrack courtesy of Phil Anselmo of Pantera.
The Manson Family has its flaws—the modern scenes that are meant to be a critique on idol worship (yeah, right), plus, some questionable acting—but overall, it’s entertaining in a seamy, nasty kind of way. (Serverin Films)
Combat Girls
I’ve never understood the connection between punk rock and fascism. The entire concept of punk is based on the notion of individualism, freedom of expression and all the other stuff that challenges the status quo. The whole Nazi skinhead thing is anathema to that, and instead, involves giving up all control and individual thought to some homoerotic fat cats with their own racist agendas.
Combat Girls explores some of this, from a uniquely female perspective. Similar in feel to American History X, this drama centers on two teenage girls who get caught up in it, with unexpected results. This unlikely German production eschews punk rock references in favor of melodrama, and works extremely well on that level. That said, it would’ve been nice to get more context around how the original skinhead scene got co-opted by these Nazi pricks in the first place, especially from the source—the German perspective. (Artsploitation)
Todd and the Book Pure Evil
Season 2
I always figured it was bound to happen. Somebody would create a campy TV show based around the always-colorful subject of heavy metal. So it goes with Todd and the Book of Pure Evil.
When I initially caught Season 1, it was annoying at first—the silly slapstick, smart-assed one-liners and jarring pace. But, I was kind of surprised to find that most of the gags weren’t really aimed at taking the piss out of metal. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty about metal to joke about, but it’s become a bit cliché over time. Nope,Todd goofs on everything from high school alienation to satanic rituals, and there’s even more of it in Season 2, which expands the formula a bit, in a positive way. (E1)
Hands Of The Ripper
My personal favorite of all horror subgenres is the Gothic variety that ran from the tail end of the 1950s up through the early ’70s. The major force behind the movement characterized by lavish Victorian sets, rich color palettes, eerie atmospherics and buxom babes, was the UK’s Hammer Studios. With its two star actors—Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing—in tow, the studio cranked out loads of creepy classics and spawned several copycat productions in the process, forging a genre beyond its own releases.
Released in 1971, Hands of the Ripper was not one of Hammer’s more renowned films, but is an effective thriller nonetheless. Breaking away from its usual vampire output of the day, this film deals with the legend of Jack the Ripper, this time with a strong female angle. This sterling, new Blu-ray release amps up the creep factor in spades with a lush remastered transfer, along with a set of worthwhile bonus features. (Synapse)
Horror Express
While not formally a Hammer release, Horror Express fits nicely into the Gothic horror canon. Starring Hammer icons Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, this UK/Spanish production takes its terror for a ride on the Trans-Siberian Express, with luggage that includes a frozen creature thought to be a crucial link in the story of evolution. But soon, all goes awry and the crazed ape wreaks havoc on everyone in its wake.
Trouble is, Horror Express has been released in so many sewer-quality editions over the years that finding a viable source copy has been challenging. Released a little while back, this Blu-ray edition courtesy of Severin Films, is the definitive version, with a cleaned-up transfer, presented in crisp, vibrant color. It’s a whole new experience, which is why it’s featured here now. Alongside Hands of the Ripper in HD, it’s a must-have for Gothic horror fans. (Severin)
Just Like Being There
Part of the experience of going to a rock show is coming home with a souvenir to document the event. For most, that comes in the form of a concert shirt. But at some special venues, you may also get a crack at scoring one of the highly coveted “gig” posters, which generally feature an elaborate design or some kind of symbolism tied to the artist at hand.
This documentary focuses on the art of said gig posters and the revival the art form has gone through since the 1990s. Filmmaker Scout Shannon follows gig poster artists Tyler Stout, Olly Moss, Jay Ryan, Kevin Tong and Daniel Danger, exploring their inspirations and delving into their personal lives at times. For scenesters and avid concertgoers, this is some beautiful work to behold, and the doc serves it well. Passive music fans may find it less interesting, as the film does little to appeal to those outside the circle. (Virgil Films)
Doctor Who
Series 7
This time out, the Doctor loses his steady sidekicks and gains a new one, the dishy Clara Oswald, played by perky Brit Jenna-Louise Coleman. The set up of the transition is one of the most clever story twists we’ve seen thus far. On top of that, the action hits right at the onset, so there are no lulls to wade through whatsoever. As the season was broken up into two parts, the BBC has released the series in two separate installments, much to the chagrin of Trekkies that want it all in one place. Hmm, do I smell a box set coming for the holidays? Just remember you read that here first. (BBC)
Mara
There’s something about sticking a renowned Swedish glamour model into a low-budget supernatural thriller that just doesn’t seem right. Does the babe need the bucks, or the steet cred? Do the filmmakers think they’ll score a hit in spite of blowing most of their budget on said blonde vixen?
Either way, Mara—the sordid tale of what happens when you vacation in the woods—has a few promising scares, and lots of eye candy in model/actress Angelica Jansson. Unfortunately, it misses the mark in its pacing, acting and overuse of tired, horror clichés. Based on that, all of my initial assumptions are basically moot. (MVD)
23:59
When an army recruit is found dead, weird happenings commence throughout the barracks in this creepy, Malaysian/Singaporean affair. High on style and authentic atmospherics, the film is an effective and scary ghost story, made especially interesting by its use of lavish scenery to enhance its creep factor. (Magnolia)
The Rambler
Strange experiences await ex-con “The Rambler” as he makes his way cross country in this David Lynch-inspired film. Filled with surreal imagery and a hallucinogenic feel, the nameless character will meet several quirky, Lynchian-style characters before achieving his final destination.
While it would be nice to have at least a few more Lynch films in the hopper to obsess over, The Rambler comes across as a mid-level imitation, one that becomes increasingly harder to figure out as it muddles along. That said, if there were no David Lynch to pilfer or compare to, it is a fairly entertaining film, mostly for its bizarre imagery and the strong acting of lead Dermot Mulroney. (Anchor Bay)
Garbage
One Mile High
Back in the mid ’90s when Garbage hit the scene, a big deal was made about how it was based around Nirvana producer, Butch Vig. But, the most interesting aspect of the band has always been front woman Shirley Manson. Manson was a pinup girl for the geek set. The slinky Scot had a voice as smooth as velvet and a face that flew in the face of traditional beauty standards. Musically, the band’s first album was well ahead of its time. Infusing high tech gadgetry into traditional rock song structures, the self-titled debut was rife with lush textures and infectious hooks.
But, time has not been all that kind to Garbage. Each follow-up release failed to match majesty of the debut, and a few years back, the band took an extended break. Recorded late last year, One Mile High captures the band on a resurgence of sorts. Mixing in newer tracks with classics like “Only Happy When It Rains,” and “Queer,” the band sounds vital and alive. It’s just a shame that the visual quality of the film is fairly average. (Eagle)
Robotech
2-Movie Collection
Here’s one for those of us who refuse to grow up. Anime is definitely not for everyone. It tends to be slower and more elegantly paced when compared to other animated formats, and can easily come across as melodramatic when it gets too heavy. But, the Robotech saga has a way of sucking you in, and these two films, The Shadow Chronicles and Love Live Alive do just that, with clever story lines and superior animation. (A&E)
Everyone Must Die
This no-budget flick scores decent marks for its energy and enthusiasm. The plot centers on a killing spree that involves a few friends and a surprising twist. In the end, Everyone Must Die is funny, gory and at times, even slightly clever, in spite of the fact that everything is bargain basement cheap—from the sets to the inconsistent acting. (MVD)
Corleone
This Italian miniseries follows the rise of real-life mafia boss Salvatore “Toto” Riina. The Sicilian Riina—aka “The Beast” for his ruthless killing style—rises out of poverty to become the main badass of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra. This six-disc set has it all: blood, guts and frenetic action, and even some curse words in Italian, with English subtitles, of course. For fans of the genre, it’s worth a view—a 10-hour one if you’ve got the time. (BFS)
Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry
Race With The Devil
The ’70s are back—and in hi-def. This 2-fer Blu-ray features a pair of lesser-known Peter Fonda vehicles that surely would’ve lit up the screens of seedy drive-ins across the country back in the day. Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry is a minor classic in the 1970s car chase genre, with Fonda fleeing the authorities with his friend and quirky girlfriend in tow (played by the ultra-dishy Susan George). Race With The Devil is another chase film. This time out, it involves a satanic cult, which, while a hot topic in ’70s horror exploitation cinema, doesn’t do much for this so-so horror of sorts. (Shout! Factory)
A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III
This flick was so universally panned by “respectable” critics when it came out that I had to see what all the fuss was about for myself. It’s the story of a player getting dumped by his girlfriend, circa 1970s Los Angeles. There’s nothing particularly offensive about that, nor the casting of Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman. And in reality, it’s not that bad—the amazing set design alone is at least worth a partial view. What does get annoying is that there’s just not much going on, story-wise. And Charlie Sheen in the lead also gets a little off-putting, especially in the excessive fantasy scenes. But in the end, it’s still quite watchable, if you have absolutely nothing else to do. (Lionsgate)
Damages
The Final Season
I’ve never been an avid watcher of major network TV. That’s not to sound elitist, there’s just a certain formula that’s pretty easy to anticipate and it tends to get boring fast. But, during the last several years, networks like FX and A&E have found ways to mix things up content-wise, and with the likes of Hulu and Netflix, there are ways around all those vexing commercials.
I never watched Damages when it was originally on network TV. But, when I finally discovered it via DVD, I was blown away by the eeriness and depravity that bubbles just under its sterling surface. This is no TV melodrama, and in many respects, it’s pretty hardcore, and not just for a network show. The heady legal drama unfolds one conspiracy after another, generally leading to very unpleasant situations that stick with you far beyond the initial viewing. It all comes to a head in this, its fifth and final season, which doesn’t disappoint. (Sony)
She
Things to Come
This 2-fer Blu-ray includes a pair of vintage films that were influential on the work of special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen. While neither measures up to the later work Harryhausen would put forth—Jason and the Argonauts, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad and others—both of these 1930s films have amazing sets and special effects. She deals with an exotic expedition in the Arctic to find the “Flame of Life,” while Things To Come is Sci-Fi, comes courtesy of HG Wells.
The package also includes a bonus DVD of The Most Dangerous Game (1932). Harryhausen himself presents the films here, with commentary and restoration assistance. (Legend)
Kids In The Hall: Brain Candy
For fans of sketch comedy, Canada’s Kids In The Hall set the bar pretty high back when it debuted during the mid ’80s, forcing shows like SNL to raise its game. Brain Candy came years later (1996) and carries on the tradition. This time out, a new antidepressant “GLeeMONEX” gets released upon an unsuspecting public and all manner of zaniness ensues when users get stuck in their memories. Campy and irreverent, it got mixed reactions at the time, but is still an interesting piece of cult comedy. (Warner Archive)
For questions, comments or something you’d like to see, hit me up at Retrohead77@yahoo.com. Cheers, JK.
