Month: March 2020

Articles, Catching the Classics, Review

Corinne’s Movie Madness: Stats & Analysis for the Old School and Romance First Round Match-ups

Movie Madness is almost officially underway! Huzzah!

Starting tomorrow, YOU the Reel Nerds fans will begin casting your votes in the tournament to decide which of my 16 movies is the best.

But, before festivities get underway tomorrow, I wanted to provide you with all the in-depth stats and analysis on these first four match-ups.

In case you missed my Sunday Selection Announcement post — which you should read if you haven’t — or forgot all the movies, here’s the full bracket:

Tomorrow’s match-up is 1-seed Casablanca vs. 4-seed Fiddler on the Roof, both in the Old School genre.

Below, we have an in-depth look at all the movies in the Old School genre and Romance genre. I’ll be doing a similar post for the eight films in the Animation and Superhero genres in the next few days.

So, I recommend that, before casting a vote in this tournament, you read this post so you know everything you need to about these eight films.

First Round Match-up on Thursday, March 19:

Casablanca vs. Fiddler on the Roof

1-seed Casablanca:

Stats:

  • IMDB rating: 8.5 / 10
  • Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%
  • Roger Ebert: 4 / 4
  • Won Academy Award for Best Picture

Synopsis: Based on an unproduced stage play, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), who owns a nightclub in Casablanca, discovers his old flame Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) is in town with her husband, Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid). Laszlo is a famed rebel, and with Germans on his tail, Ilsa knows Rick can help them get out of the country.

Strengths: An incredibly popular and well-known film; memorable characters and quotes; people will probably vote for it even though they’ve never seen it simply because it’s “iconic”

Weaknesses: Has been called “melodramatic” and “overrated” by some; there are people out there who’ve heard about it and/or seen clips, but have never watched the full thing

4-seed Fiddler on the Roof:

Stats:

  • IMDB rating: 8 / 10
  • Rotten Tomatoes score: 83%
  • Roger Ebert: 3 / 4
  • Won Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical)

Synopsis: Oscar-winning adaptation of the Broadway musical about life among the Jewish community of a pre-revolutionary Russian village. A poor milkman, determined to find good husbands for his five daughters, consults the traditional matchmaker – and also has a word with God.

Strengths: Generally well-liked by those who’ve seen it; catchy songs and beautiful instrumentals; memorable characters, sequences and imagery

Weaknesses: I don’t think that many people have seen it; not everyone likes musicals

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First Round Match-up on Friday, March 20:

The 10 Commandments vs. Charade

2-seed The 10 Commandments:

Stats:

  • IMDB rating: 7.8 / 10
  • Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
  • Amazon: 4.8 / 5
  • Won Academy Award for Best Visual Effects

Synopsis: Enjoying a life of ease in the court of Egypt’s pharaoh, Moses (Charlton Heston) discovers his Hebrew heritage and, later, God’s expectations of him. He dedicates himself to liberating his people from captivity and — with the aid of plagues and divine intervention — manages to lead them out of Egypt and across the Red Sea. A greater challenge comes in the form of the golden calf idol, however, and it takes an unforgettable visitation by God on Mount Sinai for Moses’ mission to prevail.

Strengths: Amazing performances and visual effects; familiar story; used to be syndicated on TV a lot and subsequently has a special place in many people’s hearts; pretty racy for a 50s movie

Weaknesses: Bible epic; almost 4 hours long

3-seed Charade:

Stats:

  • IMDB rating: 7.9 / 10
  • Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
  • Metacritic: 83%
  • Nominated for Golden Globe for Best Actress (Comedy or Musical)

Synopsis: After Regina Lampert (Audrey Hepburn) meets dashing Peter Joshua (Cary Grant) on a skiing holiday in the French Alps, she discovers upon her return to Paris that her husband has been murdered. Soon, she and Peter are giving chase to three of her late husband’s World War II cronies who are after a quarter of a million dollars the quartet stole while behind enemy lines.

Strengths: stars Cary Grant AND Audrey Hepburn; very well-paced with lots of twists and turns; best Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock never made

Weaknesses: Other than the Nerds, I don’t feel like a lot of people under 50 have seen it

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First Round Match-up on Saturday, March 21:

The Princess Bride vs. Juliet, Naked

1-seed The Princess Bride:

Stats:

  • IMDB rating: 8.1 / 10
  • Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
  • Roger Ebert: 3.5 / 4
  • Won Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film

Synopsis: Based on the William Goldman novel, a fairy tale adventure about a beautiful young woman and her one true love. He must find her after a long separation and save her. They must battle the evils of the mythical kingdom of Florin to be reunited with each other.

Strengths: A classic beloved by millions; Mandy Patinkin is a national treasure; Cary Elwes should be in the Smithsonian — we’re going to steal him from England; mega-quotable; has elements of action/adventure and comedy so it’s not purely a romance/romcom

Weaknesses: One of my former coworkers had never seen it before and when she finally did, she thought it was overrated???

4-seed Juliet, Naked:

Stats:

  • IMDB rating: 6.6 / 10
  • Rotten Tomatoes score: 83%
  • Metacritic: 67%
  • Has received no major awards or nominations

Synopsis: Annie breaks up with long-time boyfriend Duncan, a teacher who is obsessed with former 1990s rocker Tucker Crowe. Life takes an unexpected turn when an acoustic demo of Crowe’s hit album, Juliet, arrives in the mail.

Strengths: Rose Byrne is freakin’ cute as a button; the film is overall very earnest and charming; doesn’t follow typical romcom formula; based on a successful book; You’ve Got Mail but better; doesn’t use Liar, Revealed trope

Weaknesses: no one’s seen or heard of it (It’s on Hulu!); people might look at the title and think it’s a dirty movie

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First Round Match-up on Sunday, March 22:

You’ve Got Mail vs. Sabrina (1995)

2-seed You’ve Got Mail:

Stats:

  • IMDB rating: 6.6 / 10
  • Rotten Tomatoes score: 69%
  • Metacritic: 57%
  • Nominated for Golden Globe for Best Actress (Comedy or Musical)

Synopsis: Struggling boutique bookseller Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) hates Joe Fox (Tom Hanks), the owner of a corporate Foxbooks chain store that just moved in across the street. When they meet online, however, they begin an intense and anonymous Internet romance, oblivious of each other’s true identity.

Strengths: stars America’s sweethearts Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan; has Greg Kinnear in a supporting role; 90s nostalgia; references Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice multiple times

Weaknesses: Romcom where a creepy and manipulative guy is “rewarded” with the girl at the end; 90s fashion

3-seed Sabrina:

Stats:

  • IMDB rating: 6.3 / 10
  • Rotten Tomatoes score: 65%
  • Metacritic: 56%
  • Nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Actor (Comedy or Musical)

Synopsis: Sabrina Fairchild (Julia Ormond) is a chauffeur’s daughter who grew up with the wealthy Larrabee family. She always had unreciprocated feelings for David (Greg Kinnear), the family’s younger son and playboy. But after returning from Paris, Sabrina has become a glamorous woman who gets David’s attention. His older, work-minded brother Linus (Harrison Ford) thinks their courtship is bad for the family business and tries to break them up — but then he starts to fall for her too.

Strengths: Harrison Ford absolutely kills it in this movie and he looks mega-sexy doing it; ALSO has Greg Kinnear in a supporting role (I swear I didn’t plan that); John Wood also has a supporting role; one of Paul Giamatti’s first movies; music by John Williams; Paris is a major motif — almost to the point where it’s a character in its own right — and they clearly shot on location; 90s nostalgia; has two very well-done character arcs; very funny (my friend Gerry saw it for the first time recently and he was laughing basically the whole time)

Weaknesses: Julie Ormond isn’t the best Sabrina, to be honest (Audrey Hepburn did it better in the ’54 version); 90s fashion; doesn’t reference Pride & Prejudice at all

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To cast you vote in the tournament, go to the Reel Nerds’ Facebook or Twitter pages every day starting tomorrow (Thursday the 19th)!

Articles, Catching the Classics, Review

Corinne’s Movie Madness: Sunday Selection Announcement

Well, the rest of the world might be canceled, but Reel Nerds soldiers on.

In light of the post-season college basketball tournaments being canceled, I thought, “What better way to keep the crazy competitiveness of March alive than with a movie tournament?”

Introducing: Corinne’s Movie Madness.

Just like the basketball tournaments, we will have a field of competitors facing off in one-on-one competitions. We’ll have stats and in-depth analyses ahead of the actual competition. But, because they’re movies and they can’t exactly shoot hoops, YOU will be the ones deciding which of the two movies in a given match-up will advance to the next round, and which movie will ultimately be the winner.

(Sidenote: A special thank you to Brad for the excellent graphic!)

The competitors

Unlike other competitions, this one is very selective. Only 16 films qualified for a coveted spot on the bracket. No doubt you’re wondering exactly how I picked 16 films out of thousands of good ones.

Easy… I just went over to my shelf and looked.

You see, unlike the other Nerds, I have a very small selection of movies, and thus all 16 competitors are films from my very shelves. This means that movies that I love but don’t physically own — such as Beauty & the Beast (1991), The Lion King (1994), the Star Wars saga, or Avengers: Endgame — won’t be competing. Shocking, I know, but that was seriously the easiest way to do it.

The bracket mechanics

So we have 16 competitors and — and rather than the four regions in the basketball tournaments (East, South Midwest and West) — we have four genres.

They are: Old School, Romance, Animation and Superhero.

And, just like the tournament, each movie has a “seed” or ranking within its genre. I gave the rankings based on a combination of how popular it has been culturally, how much I like it, how early in my life I was introduced to it, and how well-received it is right now.

How you participate

Just like the college basketball tournament had planned, I intend to kick-off Movie Madness on Thursday, March 19.

That day, we will post the first match-up on the Nerds’ social media pages and you go and vote for whichever you think is the better movie! Simple as that.

For instance, on March 19, it’ll be the 1-seed and the 4-seed in the Old School division; whichever movie receives more votes before midnight will advance to the next round. (In the case of a tie, the higher seed will win; so if you like the lower-seeded movie, get your friends to vote for it too.)

Eight days later, we will advance to the second-round match-ups, and the procedure will be the same until a movie is crowned the winner. If I’m counting right, we should have a champion on or around April 2.

Announcing the field

So, without further ado, let’s announce our bracket:

In the Old School genre, our 1-seed is that black-and-white classic Casablanca. The film is an early favorite to win the entire competition, as it’s beloved by millions and has a strong presence in pop culture.

It will be facing off against the 4-seed — a musical where a guy imagines what his life would be like if he were a rich man: Fiddler on the Roof. Another beloved film, but it’ll be hard for anything to beat Casablanca.

Also in the Old School genre is 2-seed Bible epic The 10 Commandments — the one with Charlton Heston. Ryan recently disparaged this movie on the podcast, but a lot of people watch it every Easter season.

Will they rally to defend it against 3-seed spy-thriller/romance Charade, starring two of the best-looking actors to ever grace the silver screen? We’ll have to find out this Friday.

Moving down into the Romance genre — and I have to clarify these are post-1970s romances/romcoms so as not to conflict with Old School — our 1-seed is unsurprisingly The Princess Bride. While it might have elements of comedy and action, let’s not forget that it is a kissing book. Or rather, movie.

In the first round, it will be facing off against little-known film that I can’t shut up about: Juliet, Naked. It’s a film you never saw and probably only heard about it through the podcast; but it’s on Hulu, so give it a watch before Saturday!

Our second match-up in the Romance genre will feature 2-seed You’ve Got Mail. Its plot seems kinda problematic nowadays; but it is Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, and they can do no wrong.

It will be facing off against one of my favorite movies — a film that definitely surpasses the 1954 original (suck it, Gerry!) — 3-seed Sabrina (1995). Yes, the one with Harrison Ford. Who wouldn’t want to be a chauffeur’s daughter in his house, if you know what I mean? 😉

Moving over to the Animation genre, our dark horse 1-seed of the tournament is Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpiece, Princess Mononoke. Yes, maybe it’s not the most popular animated movie of all time, but the people who’ve seen it won’t shut up about it (me included).

In the first round, it will be facing off against underrated 4-seed Space Jam. So Michael Jordan’s acting isn’t the best… so what? When else are you gonna see Bugs Bunny team up with one of the greatest athletes of all time to defeat some aliens in a basketball game?

Also in the Animation genre is a recent Academy Award winner: 2-seed Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse. More than a year after seeing it, I’m still learning new things about it that make me like it even more. Thanks, YouTube!

Its first-round opponent will be 3-seed Kung Fu Panda. A funny, emotional and clever film that features an animation style that was arguably ahead of its time. What’s not to love about this movie?

And in our final division, the Superhero genre, our 1-seed is Christopher Nolan’s dark comic book epic The Dark Knight. It also enters the competition as a heavy contender, even though my mom will tell you she liked Mamma Mia! better.

In the first round, it will be up against 4-seed Wonder Woman. My copy of the movie is still in the packaging… Yikes.

And our final match-up of the first round will be Superhero genre‘s 2-seed The Avengers (2012) against 3-seed Iron Man. Those two are neck-and-neck in terms of popularity, it seems, both in my heart and in current pop culture. So, which one will get the W?

Here is your full field:

Which of these 16 films will be crowned the Champion of Corinne’s Movie Madness?

You decide!

Check the website this Thursday for your First Round Stats & Analysis and then visit the Reel Nerds social media pages to cast your vote!

Articles, Review, Top Blu-rays

Top 19 Blu-Rays of 2019: Number 13 The Jetsons: The Complete Original Series

It’s a new year and 2019 has come to a close. I always like to reflect on my favorite physical releases of year. Consumers seem to be moving more and more to streaming services with the launch this holiday season of Disney Plus being the latest. However, 2019 was also a banner year for physical media as well. Several companies really stepped up their game with incredible packaging, extras and in some cases sparkling new transfers of classic films. I will always make the case of physically owning a copy of a movie because it is permanently in your collection, it won’t be dropped or eventually removed from your shelf.

Being that it is 2019, I decided to list my favorite 19 releases of the year. So sit back relax and let’s watch some movies!

Number 13: The Jetsons: The Complete Original Series

Warner Archive Collection has released the 24 original episodes of the “futuristic” classic cartoon in one amazing 3-disc set!

The Jetsons reside in Orbit City. The family consists of George, his boy Elroy, daughter Judy, Jane his wife (try not to sing the theme) and their adventures in a futuristic world. George works at Spacely Space Sprockets, ran by his overbearing boss Cosmo Spacely (one of my favorite characters). Jane stays at home and takes care of the kids. In the first episode The Jetsons get their sassy robot-maid Rosie and a few episodes later they get their loyal dog, Astro.

The Jetsons plays like a traditional sitcom (complete with a laugh track) but with really fun 1960’s aesthetic of the future. For every push button breakfast and dinner, there is the classic sitcom troupe of George trying to get out of a PTA meeting to watch the big game.

I have fond memories of The Jetsons. Growing up I was always more drawn to the older cartoons and TV shows. While my brothers loved He-Man and GI Joe, I was rocking out to The Flintstones and The Jetsons. I vividly remember going over to my grandparent’s house and watching The Jetsons in their bedroom where the second TV was. I would lie on their bed for hours watching these cartoons just soaking in the classic sitcom charm.

The Jetsons seem to have aged really well for a show about the future from the 1960’s, and besides relatable characters, it makes watching these original episodes so much more fun. The self-propelled vacuum before there was an iRobot which we enjoy today.

Watching the 24 episodes put a smile on my face that instantly brought me back to my childhood. And as an adult watching them reminded me how smart writing never goes out of style.

Warner Archives brings The Jetsons to the 21st Century with a stellar fresh scan of the show. I have never seen The Jetsons look better. Bright colors, smooth line work highlight an impressive video transfer. Although some scratches and dirt flecks do pop up, they are so far in between I couldn’t even remember which episode and which scene they occurred in. Once again Warner Archives shows everyone how a animated HD transfer should be done.

The audio also zooms by with an impressive upgrade. Dialogue, music and effects are crystal clear. I heard no scratches or pops throughout my journey in Orbit City.

Although not too robust, The Jetsons does have several bonus features worth digging into. The best of the bunch in my opinion is the two commentaries by Janet Waldo, the voice of Judy. On the episodes, “Rosie the Robot” and “A Date with Jet Screamer” Waldo goes into the production of the show and working with the other cast members. Truly delightful. Also included are 4 featurettes totaling about 20 minutes, the best being “The Jetsons: The Family of the Future.”

Once again Warner Archive is allowing me to enjoy and relive my childhood. The Jetsons: The Complete Original Series offers a fun trip down memory lane. With out of this world video and audio, The Jetsons is a must own!

Film: A

Video: A+

Audio: A

Extras: B

Overall: A

Freakin' Sweet Family Guy

Family Guy: Ryan’s Ultimate Freakin’ Sweet Review of Every Episode Part 6

My wife often accuses me of getting movies on Blu-Ray/DVD, and watching them once and then leaving them on a shelf to collect dust. In an effort to prove her wrong and to also at the same time annoy her, I’ve decided to watch every episode of Family Guy I own. And I own all of them on DVD. All 16 seasons. Plus the Stewie movie and the Star Wars Parodies. I will also review watch episode and share my thoughts here. Each article will most likely be a different length due to not knowing how many I will watch at any given time. I will be watching them in order as well so this should be really fun for me, not my wife.

Season 2 Episode 17 “He’s Too Sexy for His Fat”

In an effort to help Chris become healthy and lose weight, Peter decides to have liposuction and plastic surgery, transforming the former slob into a sexy jerk.

Stewie also gets in on the action. He teases Chris about not being able to eat anything but healthy food and soon Stewie becomes overweight.

Lois meanwhile, has become disgusted with Peter’s behavior but finds herself more attracted to him than ever. When Lois asks Brian if this makes her a bad person, Brian replies, “Yes. Yes it does.”

Peter soon finds himself a member of Quahog’s Beautiful People’s Club. Peter takes Chris there and when Chris is denied admission to the club, instead of standing up for his son Peter leaves him outside, causing a rift between Lois and him.

A really funny episode that deals with being a shallow person and the consequences of those actions. Peter learns his lesson in this episode not by the pain he causes his family but only after he stares at himself in the rearview mirror of his car, causing him to crash and be ejected from his vehicle. Peter rolls down a hill crashes into a factory and lands into a vat of lard, which he drinks himself out of, restoring Peter to his former self.

Grade: A

Season 2 Episode 18 “E. Peterbus Unum”

Peter wants to build a swimming pool in his backyard, but soon learns that he can’t. Peter takes his issue to City Hall where Mayor Adam West informs him that Peter’s home is not a part of Quahog, in fact it’s not even a part of The United States.

Peter decides to start his own country named Petoria. After being humiliated at the United Nations, Peter receives advice that he should invade another country. Peter does this by invading his neighbor Joe’s back yard and taking his pool. President Bill Clinton imposes sanctions and threatens military force against Petoria. Peter refuses to surrender, and the standoff only ends after Lois defects to the United States and Peter realizes he can’t live without Lois.

Another really good Family Guy episode. Peter abusing his diplomatic immunity is a riot.

Grade: A

Season 2, Episode 19 “The Story on Page One”

Meg is attempting to get into college and at a college admission interview at Brown University Meg is told she is not “Brown material” because she lacks any extracurricular activities.

Meg decides to become a reporter and soon gets an exclusive interview with Mayor Adam West, where she learns that Mayor West is wasting taxpayer money on trying to figure out where water goes after he pours it into plants. Meg writes the story and plans to turn it in the next morning. Peter thinks the story isn’t sexy enough and changes it to “Luke Perry is Gay.” When Meg unknowingly turns in Peter’s made up story she is devasted, but even more devastated when she learns Luke Perry is suing her for libel.

Peter feeling guilty tries to catch Perry doing “gay” stuff. This doesn’t work and Peter confesses to Perry that he wrote the article and not Meg. Perry agrees to drop the lawsuit if Meg interviews him for real.

All this and Stewie is using Chris with a mind control device to get cookies and kill Lois.

Overall a really funny episode. Perry is game and has some really funny moments like reading every high school newspaper in America to see if he is mentioned. Some of the “gay” jokes are a little dated now, but they are still funny and since they come from Peter it gives the jokes no credibility at all.

Grade: A

Season 2, Episode 20 “Wasted Talent”

Lois as a piano teacher is constantly losing to her rival Alexis Radcliffe. She is desperate to find a student that will beat one of Alexis’.

Peter in the meantime is trying to find a golden ticket in a bottle of Pawtucket Pat beer. The winner gets a tour of the Pawtucket Pat Brewery. Peter does find the last one and is given a tour.

When Peter returns home drunk, he finds Meg chained to the piano, being forced to play it for Lois. Annoyed Peter sits down and plays the piano beautifully. Lois can’t believe it, she is even more stunned to find that Peter can only play the piano when he is drunk.

Lois decides that the only way to beat Alexis is to constantly have Peter intoxicated to play the piano.

A classic episode. Everything in this episode works. Lois jealousy is played for laughs when she and Alexis go to their OBGYN. The spot on parody of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and of course drunk Peter playing the piano with his “talent juice”. I laugh just thinking about this episode.

Grade: A+

Season 2, Episode 21 “Fore, Father”

After Peter ruins the Griffins home with a fire hose to get out of spring cleaning, he takes Chris on a camping trip. On the camping trip Peter believes he has been a bad father to Chris and offers any of his friends to become Chris’ new father, none take him up on the offer.

Chris eventually gets a job at a golf course where Peter sees that Cleveland Jr. is a great golfer. Seeing this as a chance to be a good father to someone Peter offers to coach Cleveland Jr. Cleveland agrees but tells Peter that he will not be able to control Cleveland Jr. because he is too hyper.

“Fore, Father” is an ok episode. It’s not a laugh a second like “Wasted Talent” so after watching them back to back it is a letdown. Laughs are to be had in this episode, just not as strong as other Family Guy episodes.

Grade: C+

Season 3, Episode 1 “The Thin White Line Pt. 1”

At a company picnic for employees of the Happy-Go lucky toys, the boss Mr. Weed offers a week paid vacation to the last person standing in a “hunt”. Mr. Weed starts shooting his employees with tranquilizer gun. Peter and another employee are the last ones standing, Peter however has numerous darts in his back and when the other employee expresses his concern to Mr. Weed he is shot, making Peter the winner.

The Griffins settle on a cruise, but before they go Brian is recognized by Joe for his incredible sniffing ability and offers Brian the job of a drug sniffing dog. Brian soon uses his ability to bust a guy carrying cocaine at the airport. After the cocaine spills on the floor Brian accidently sniffs it, becoming addicted.

Brian’s addiction spirals out of control, soon costing him his job. The Griffins stage an intervention for Brian who agrees to go to rehab. Peter now unable to go on a cruise decides to fake an addiction and joins Brian at the rehab facility.

When Brian leaves rehab he decides to go to Hollywood to start a career as a screenwriter.

A classic in every sense of the word. “The Thin White Line Pt. 1”, is a non-stop laugh out loud episode. We meet the Greased Up Deaf Guy, Peter steals the episode with his moronic behavior and the scenes in the rehab clinic are comedy gold.

Grade: A+

Season 3, Episode 2 “Brian Does Hollywood”

After setting out on his own in Hollywood, Brian learns that making it as screenwriter is not easy. Brian is rejected numerous times and reluctantly takes a job as an adult film director.

The Griffin’s get an opportunity to see Brian when Stewie wins an audition on Kids Say the Darndest Things, (this episode aired in 2001, and “Bill Cosby” is in the episode. It will definitely make you cringe seeing it, but of course a TV show is susceptible to its time it was released…but it still takes you out of the episode). So the Griffin’s head to Hollywood!

Brian worried about how the family will feel about his career hides it from them. Brian learns that he is up for an Adult Film award and is shocked to find Peter and Lois at the awards ceremony offering support.

Brian learns that he had everything he needed and returns to Quahog.

A good episode with the greatest cold opening in Family Guy history, “Brian Does Hollywood” is good not great. There are some really funny moments, but not quite as sharp as “The Thin White Line”.

Grade: B-

Season 3, Episode 3 “Mr. Griffin Goes to Washington”

Peter calls into work so he can go to the Boston Red Sox game. At the game Peter is busted by his boss Mr. Weed.

The next day Peter enters Mr. Weed’s office to explain himself and finds Mr. Weed crying. Peter is shocked to learn that not only will he not be fired for lying but that the toy factory has been purchased by El Dorado Cigarette Company.

The new bosses are shocked to learn that there is a new cigarette bill before congress and they choose Peter as their new President. Being president of the El Dorado Cigarette Company came with perks but, Stewie soon starts smoking causing Peter to reevaluate how great being the president of the company is.

After a slight miss with “Brian Does Hollywood” Family Guy delivers another classic episode. Instant quotable moments from the evil tobacco company and spot on parodies make this episode a winner. My favorite is when Peter calls into work and explains to Mr. Weed why he can’t make it in;

Peter: Mr. Weed, I can’t come to work today because I was in a terrible plane crash. My family is dead and I am a vegetable. See you tomorrow.

Grade: A

Season 3 Episode 4 “One If by Clam, Two If by Sea”

Peter, Joe, Cleveland and Quagmire are shocked to learn that after a hurricane, Horace the owner of their favorite bar, The Drunken Clam has sold it. Not only has it been sold but it is now run by an English chap named Nigel Pinchley. Not taking the sale of their pub lying down the boys decide to start a new American Revolution. At first they try to infiltrate and harass the patrons at the pub, but are thwarted by the English’s amazing ability to speak.

They next hatch a plan to throw the beer being delivered to the pub into the sea, a la the Boston Tea Party. They boys wake up the next morning and learn the pub has burned down. Accused of the arson, Peter, Joe, Cleveland and Quagmire are thrown in jail.

Stewie meanwhile takes on a challenge of his own, that’s teaching Nigel’s daughter Eliza proper English.

Funny from start to finish, “One if by Clam, Two if by Sea” is a stellar episode. Family Guy is starting to move Stewie away from world domination and matricide and flesh out his character. Stewie is the strongest character in the episode even though he is not the A-story. Bonus points to the writers for squeezing in a “My Fair Lady” parody with Stewie and Eliza.

Grade: A

Season 3 Episode 5 ‘And The Wiener is…”

Peter loves beating his son Chris in all activities. After playing basketball in which Peter beats Chris, they take a sauna together. Peter is shocked to learn that Chris has a big penis and feels inadequate.

Peter soon enters a mid-life crisis, buys a sports car and joins the NRA.

Meg meanwhile joins the color guard after she isn’t allowed to join the cheerleaders because she’s not a cool kid like Connie D’Amico. Meg gets advice from Lois that she should just be nice to the cool kids and they will soon become her friends. It works. Meg is invited to Connie’s 16th birthday party. At the party she gets picked to go into a closet and make out with Connie’s friend Doug. In the closet, Meg is tricked into kissing a pig. Embarrassed she runs away crying. Lois has a backup plan; enter Quagmire.

Another wiener, I mean winner from Family Guy. Jokes come fast and hard in this episode and most hit the mark. My favorite moment is Peter’s new sports car is a long phallic shaped car. He approaches a tunnel and drives in and out simulating sex. Peter, however does it one to many times and crashes it into another car, making it smaller. As he sits on the side of the road a bus full of bikini models drives by. To which Peter responds, “Ouch. My pride.”

Grade: A

Season 3 Episode 6 “Death Lives”

Peter is about to celebrate his anniversary with Lois when he is invited by Quagmire to play at an exclusive golf course. Instead of telling Lois about the golf, he sends her on a fake, time consuming scavenger hunt.

On the golf course Peter is struck by lightning and is visited by Death. Although Peter isn’t going to die, Death takes Peter back to his courtship of Lois to remind him of his love for his wife and not take it for granted.

Death returning is always fun as Adam Corolla is great. A great episode that shows the dynamics of Lois and Peter’s relationship and their “origin story” was really welcome. Death’s mother makes an appearance and she is voiced by the talented and funny Estelle Harris, perfectly capturing Death’s overbearing mother.

Grade: A

Season 3 Episode 7 “Lethal Weapons”

It’s nearly fall in Quahog and that means the “leafers” from New York are about to visit the city to see the leaves change. On the ride home from church Meg and Chris get into an argument. Lois says that if they don’t stop, then they will not go to McDonald’s. Which Peter says not to worry they are still going. But when they get their apple pies, they can’t blow on them.

Lois frustrated that Peter contradicts everything she says, goes with Bonnie to a Taijutsu class. Lois is a natural and becomes a black belt.

At home Peter gets into a fight with a “leafer”. Lois comes outside and knocks the “leafer” out in one punch, naturally Peter tries to exploit this.

Lois soon beats her teacher in combat but is horrified to learn that Stewie is learning violence from after he hits Peter in the head with a baseball bat.

A really solid episode, with a few minor snags. Lois is given an episode to shine and Alex Bornstein does not disappoint, giving a funny and winning vocal performance. My favorite joke is when Stewie believes he catches Lois on tape referring to herself as a bad parent. When he plays it back it’s just him doing a radio show.

Grade: B+

Season 3 Episode 8 “The Kiss Seen Around the World”

Meg has a crush on local newsman Tom Tucker. She is delighted to learn that Channel 5 Quahog is looking for interns. She applies. She is chosen after the female anchor, Diane Simmons thinks all the other girls are too pretty and feels threatened.

To Meg’s dismay, Tom Tucker has chosen her secret admirer, Neil Goldman.

Meg and Neil are sent on assignment when the Mass Media Murderer is at City Hall threatening to kill Hugh Downs. After the Mass Media Murderer disposes of Hugh Downs, he sets he sights on Neil and Meg. Fearing she will die, Meg kisses Neil. Hugh Downs returns and takes care of the Mass Media Murderer. But Meg is horrified when her kiss to Neil is broadcasted on the news.

Stewie is given a tricycle and has it stolen from a bully. When the police don’t help, he takes matters into his own hands.

After a string of really good episodes, “The Kiss Seen Around the World” doesn’t quite deliver. Mila Kunis as Meg is solid but the episode is just ok. Faring better is Stewie’s small but funny and dark subplot involving the bully. Maybe the biggest misstep is the running joke of some random dude showing up and calling Peter a phony, it’s just obnoxious.

Grade: C

Articles, Review, Top Blu-rays

Top 19 Blu-Rays of 2019: Number 14 Mary Poppins Returns

It’s a new year and 2019 has come to a close. I always like to reflect on my favorite physical releases of year. Consumers seem to be moving more and more to streaming services with the launch this holiday season of Disney Plus being the latest. However, 2019 was also a banner year for physical media as well. Several companies really stepped up their game with incredible packaging, extras and in some cases sparkling new transfers of classic films. I will always make the case of physically owning a copy of a movie because it is permanently in your collection, it won’t be dropped or eventually removed from your shelf.

Being that it is 2019, I decided to list my favorite 19 releases of the year. So sit back relax and let’s watch some movies!

Number 14: Mary Poppins Returns Best Buy Exclusive 4K Steelbook

It’s been over 50 years since the world was introduced to the practically perfect nanny Mary Poppins. In Mary Poppins Returns, however about 25 years have passed since the Banks’ children first met Mary and things appear dire. Michael (Ben Whishaw) has children of his own, John, Annabel and Georgie. Their mother has passed away and Jane (Emily Mortimer) has come to 17 Cherry Tree Lane to help Michael out. Michael is not only in a fragile state emotionally but the he is about to lose his house to the bank in one week.

Enter Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt). She is determined to help the children and the adult Banks’ recapture the love of life. Mary enlists the help of a lamplighter named Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda) to help in her quest.

Truth be told I love the original Mary Poppins.  I did not know how much I loved it until I watched this movie. When Mary appears on screen floating down, a tear welled up in my eye. I had to stop and think, “Really?” But yes, really. I love Mary Poppins and that my favorite actress Emily Blunt was playing her made this film an easy winner for me. Of course I am bias but I don’t care. The film itself is an explosion of color and imagination, with every actor bringing their A-game.

Emily Blunt absolutely dominates the screen as Poppins. I read in interviews that she was very nervous about taking the role over for Julie Andrews, and I totally understand that. Ms. Andrews’ portrayal of Mary Poppins is iconic and it netted her an Academy Award. Blunt however is astonishing. She brings her incredible acting chops to the screen and she can also sing! Blunt is so charming and so lovely in the film, she deserves a heap of praise for making Poppins her own with a little bit of Andrews added in.

I did cry once more, seeing Dick Van Dyke dancing and having fun was everything this Mary Poppins fan could possibly want.

Mary Poppins Returns dazzles on Ultra HD. Where the film really shines in 4K is the colorful animation segments and in the details throughout Mary’s world. When the film shifts to a foggy London it never loses its sharpness or clarity. It has a stable beautiful picture throughout.

Mary Poppins Returns sings stunningly on Ultra HD. The surround sound is out to the test not only in the musical numbers but also in bringing London alive. Birds chirp, cars and citizens add to the ambiance of the film. Dialogue and singing comes through crystal clear. I like how the film isn’t overly aggressive in its sound design, it’s practically perfect.

The UHD does not have any extras but the accompanying Blu-Ray has several fun and informative featurettes. Feel like singing there is a Sing-Along mode, bloopers and deleted scenes. Also included is a deleted song “The Anthropomorphic Zoo”. The meat of the bonus content is two separate making of, one that focuses on the construction of the songs and how they were shot for the film. The other, ‘The Practically Perfect Making of Mary Poppins Returns” is an enjoyable behind the scenes documentary. And for the nostalgic fans the best of the bunch is a quick look at the return of Dick Van Dyke in “Back To Cherry Tree Lane: Dick Van Dyke Returns”. Van Dyke is always such a joy to listen to and his and the cast’s enthusiasm about his return is infectious.

The Steelbook for Mary Poppins Returns is a fun colorful addition to your Disney library, with blues and reds being the prominent colors. The Steelbook has an almost painted quality to it that makes it very attractive.

Although I may be biased, Mary Poppins Returns is a winning film that is given an all-star treatment on UHD. Although the standard packaging for the film is great too, I love the colors and the painted quality of Best Buy’s exclusive Steelbook.

Film: A

Video: A

Audio: A

Extras: A-

Steelbook: A

Overall: A

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