cult film freak: children

Showing posts with label children. Show all posts

Written by James M. Tate / 4/30/2026 / No comments / action , adventure , andy devine , children , dorothy green , jay north , jim davis , joyce meadows , karen green , martin milner , sixties

KAREN GREEN FROM 'ZEBRA IN THE KITCHEN' TO 'WAGON TRAIN'

<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdi0mkOQkOz9t6S-PY0fMd_wS0g-P5493CPiSUpSp7wNMm-HX9tX79ElhP4Pp1-ApJS3Bc4LewGxP4cOqO4x5vXrNcKy1kQzB4AJrwiwjUIFGoUyA042871yk4ErOP_PwkpZuQ6QtoImnaO-2B1vvwbZZYC1xX7ikaqBLaVEVMgYIj2spuSuizMi_HtDCH/s2102/Screen%20Shot%202026-05-01%20at%2010.53.09%20AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1282" data-original-width="2102" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdi0mkOQkOz9t6S-PY0fMd_wS0g-P5493CPiSUpSp7wNMm-HX9tX79ElhP4Pp1-ApJS3Bc4LewGxP4cOqO4x5vXrNcKy1kQzB4AJrwiwjUIFGoUyA042871yk4ErOP_PwkpZuQ6QtoImnaO-2B1vvwbZZYC1xX7ikaqBLaVEVMgYIj2spuSuizMi_HtDCH/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202026-05-01%20at%2010.53.09%20AM.png"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Karen Green from ZEBRA IN THE KITCHEN Year: 1965 Rating: ***</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Part zoo renovation propaganda, part children's film, ZEBRA IN THE KITCHEN has a memorable yet misleading title: as that otherwise innocuous striped horse is only shown once, digging around a random suburban kitchen... <br><br>The most important wild animal belonging to DENNIS THE MENACE child actor Jay North: a mountain lion named Sunshine raised by his family in the woods... until their move to the city... <br></p><p><span></span></p>

action, adventure, andy devine, children, dorothy green, jay north, jim davis, joyce meadows, karen green, martin milner, sixties

KAREN GREEN FROM 'ZEBRA IN THE KITCHEN' TO 'WAGON TRAIN'

Karen Green from ZEBRA IN THE KITCHEN Year: 1965 Rating: *** Part zoo renovation propaganda, part children's film, ZEBRA IN THE KITCHEN ...

GROUCHY GROWNUP REVIEW OF THE BOXTROLLS

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2014 rating: *</td></tr>
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Stop-motion animation is a beautiful process. The story unfolding as if the characters and backdrops are being created before your very eyes, it’s a method that has become practically obsolete by computer animation – although many CGI children’s films now have the same dreamlike aesthetic… The LEGO MOVIE is a perfect example... <br />
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But THE BOXTROLLS is the real deal, a genuine stop-motion tale centering on a small village where boxes come to life when no one’s watching – much like the toys in TOY STORY...<br />
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The trolls are shaped like boxes, and move around like elves on Christmas morning, preparing…for what exactly? <br />
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Remember in the 1988 movie BIG, when the toy company chiefs had a meeting to pitch an idea of a building turning into a robot? Tom Hank’s character, a child in a grownup’s body, wondered aloud – why would a building turn into a robot, and why would kids be interested? Well the same question pretty much applies here…<br />
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Yet this is really not geared for youngsters, especially the snarling beast villain, voiced by Ben Kingsley, looking straight out of Tim Burton's Penguin territory – vicious and greedy, Archibald Snatcher’s agenda is to claim the white hat of a high class member of society, whose daughter has befriended a nice orphan boy raised by the trolls and, thinking he's one of them, is searching for his favorite Boxtroll, Fish, kidnapped by Snatcher and his goons. The trolls were blamed for the boy being killed years earlier – and now he's sole proof the boxes are good, not evil... Blah Blah Blah! <br />
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In a nutshell, THE BOXTROLLS is clunky and awkward, dulling the senses in this, possibly the worst (or at least, the most uncomfortable) children’s film to date.

2014, ben kingsley, children, stop motion

GROUCHY GROWNUP REVIEW OF THE BOXTROLLS

year: 2014 rating: * Stop-motion animation is a beautiful process. The story unfolding as if the characters and backdrops are being crea...

Written by James M. Tate / 6/21/2013 / No comments / 2013 , alfred molina , billy crystal , children , computer animated , helen mirren , john goodman , steve buscemi

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2013 voices: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Helen Mirren, Steve Buscemi rating: *</td></tr>
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Chalk this up as a completely worthless, meaningless, pointless prequel to the hit children’s movie MONSTERS INC that, with a creative plot and terrific voice-overs, was just as entertaining for adults... But why waste your chalk on such pitiful nonsense? (Added to that, the audience must first sit through a tedious short film dealing with two lustful umbrellas!) Here we follow the exploits of underdog monsters Mike and Sully; Mike, from a very young age, always looked at those nightmare-educing beasts in the grandiose fashion a human child views a professional athlete or fireman. During a field trip his excitement grows for these intrepid scaremongers… Fully intent on attending Monster’s University, as a teen he finally gets his wish.<br />
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The place itself is giant and magical, and looks vividly awesome in 3D. Too bad, once inside, there are only rushed montage sequences of every college movie cliché, mostly taken from REVENGE OF THE NERDS... Mike, resembling a Mad Ball with legs and relying on books instead of gut instinct, and Sully, the big furry lovable beast with a roar like a thousand enraged lions, wind up part of a loser fraternity and compete in "Scare Games" to become recognized. There’s also a dash of HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE with a medieval style multilevel competition that, held before a crowd of screaming students, includes “sports” that a live audience would have difficulty keeping up with.<br />
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The main problem is there's hardly any human children on board, so what’s the point of monsters trying to – or in this case, learning to – scare the wits out of them? The monsters themselves rate each other on how frightening they are; imagine only uptight women judging a bikini contest! The team of geeks banded with Mike and Sully are downright annoying, and there’s simply no plot nor any urgency for the team to accomplish their ultimate goal. If they win they’re well thought of… Big whoop! Having viewed this in a theater replete with children, all poised and ready to laugh their little heads off, it was apparent that, halfway through, even the crickets didn’t know how to react during this exercise in futility.

2013, alfred molina, billy crystal, children, computer animated, helen mirren, john goodman, steve buscemi

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY

year: 2013 voices: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Helen Mirren, Steve Buscemi rating: * Chalk this up as a completely worthless, meaningle...

Written by James M. Tate / 7/21/2012 / No comments / 2012 , andy romano , children , computer animated

ICE AGE: CONTINENTIAL DRIFT

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>year:</b> 2012 <b>voices: </b>Andy Romano, Peter Dinklage, Denis Leary<b> rating:</b> ***</td></tr>
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After the continental drift separates Manny from his 
woolly family, with voices straight out of a modern sitcom and never 
once putting you into a world gone past, there’s a sigh of relief – at 
least from this reviewer. Because the three main characters: Manny the 
Mammoth, Diego the Saber tooth, and Sid the Sloth, drift off alone: 
exactly how it should be.<br />
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Then something terrible happens... <br />
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Sid’s 
toothless granny is a stowaway, even more annoying than Manny’s teenage lovelorn
 daughter who, back on the dangerously altering homeland, deals with 
coming of age issues…<br />
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But back to the good stuff...<br />
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Manny and gang are 
pitted against a pirate Baboon (voiced by Peter Dinklage), and what's 
left are creative and involving battles. Simple, sure, but 
entertaining. And then there’s that nut-seeking squirrel, providing 
adventurous comic relief short breaks.<br />
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Sadly, most were seen a year ago 
in the prolonged trailers. Making the pirate story that much fresher. <br />
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2012, andy romano, children, computer animated

ICE AGE: CONTINENTIAL DRIFT

year: 2012 voices: Andy Romano, Peter Dinklage, Denis Leary rating: *** After the continental drift separates Manny from his woo...

Written by James M. Tate / 6/09/2012 / No comments / 2012 , ben stiller , children , chris rock , computer animated , jessica chastain , sacha baron cohen

MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE'S MOST WANTED

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <b>year:</b> 2012 <b>voices:</b> Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jessica Chastain <b>rating:</b> **1/2</td></tr>
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Starts with our beloved zoo animals stuck in the purgatory that is Madagascar – but the penguins aren’t having it. They take off to gamble in Monte Carlo, leaving behind the Lion, Zebra, Hippo, Giraffe: all bored silly.<br />
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Not even a handmade rendition of their hometown New York City will quench the tedious doldrums. They’re even more homesick, prompting the idea to somehow get back home!<br />
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So they decide to travel to find the penguins, providing the best scenes. The animals don’t exactly fit within the civilized world, and a chase from Monte Carlo through the streets of France, tailed by the evil cop Chantel DuBois (a modern Cruella De Vil), is fast paced and suspenseful.<br />
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So when our heroes find safe harbor in a train full of circus performers, including a bitter has-been daredevil Tiger and a sexy jaguar (Jessica Chastain with a French accent), things come together and fall part at the same time. <br />
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Although it’s fun seeing the non-professionals trying their best in the circus – and then retraining for a second attempt – there’s too much brooding downtime. A sporadic love story between the Lemur and a giant bear is not only gross but just isn’t funny. And everyman Ben Stiller, in providing the underdog Lion’s voice, sounds too much like himself – remember when professional voice-actors became the characters instead of the other way around?<br />
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Despite the flaws it’s a wonderful looking journey, but that’s only when things are moving. Most important, with all the vibrant colors surrounding the herd of familiar faces, your kids will be satisfied.

2012, ben stiller, children, chris rock, computer animated, jessica chastain, sacha baron cohen

MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE'S MOST WANTED

year: 2012 voices: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jessica Chastain rating: **1/2 Starts with our beloved zoo animals stuck in the purga...

Written by James M. Tate / 5/01/2012 / No comments / aileen quinn , cannon , children , comedy , eighties , fantasy , helen hunt , john paragon , musical

AILEEN QUINN & JOHN PARAGON STARRING IN 'THE FROG PRINCE'

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFl_1F7JiJ7mDSwTLn8MbzjyG357IDiGroEyDN5y5BoVtu2b0Tpsa2jUBhS7vrdvUpuWq63V5w1SaXKOxH76kth5uW-YhqxJ7k3yjXqcLY4wpQ4iju3IdI3-aHxLcLfKST_aaG3C2FqCilzcefPDrgG2HfVmlrqdCvYwk3p6YfyqUl8q9pcRWn7gOqrwBa/s1016/Picture%203.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="1016" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFl_1F7JiJ7mDSwTLn8MbzjyG357IDiGroEyDN5y5BoVtu2b0Tpsa2jUBhS7vrdvUpuWq63V5w1SaXKOxH76kth5uW-YhqxJ7k3yjXqcLY4wpQ4iju3IdI3-aHxLcLfKST_aaG3C2FqCilzcefPDrgG2HfVmlrqdCvYwk3p6YfyqUl8q9pcRWn7gOqrwBa/s16000/Picture%203.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1986 cast: Aileen Quinn, John Paragon, Helen Hunt rating: ***1/2</td></tr></tbody></table>
Like the iconic child actress Shirley Temple, ANNIE starlet Aileen Quinn grew into a lovely and talented teenager – and here’s proof... <br />
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In the Golan-Globus production of Grimm’s Fairy Tales THE FROG PRINCE, Quinn plays an insecure young princess who, without a real friend and at odds with her nefarious older cousin Henrietta (Helen Hunt), wanders the castle dreaming of one day becoming a queen.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbjKYiD6DiR6zBkTwcozvUJix5EGX3sx22UXT-PD7cQB1r4TL4xt-8iAljl_02nTJ5frbGCLmNZ8TDnojAqsLepI_wjF2Yg4wdGCpyWRkxbz15a-WHhcUSNeEmNJAIAU3CnAZ3ym1MHXeqnNF1OXnRoU27iLWMh1a7E8rwiIxKnG-E8ARUoHUPM6aK6shK/s1534/Screen%20Shot%202024-08-07%20at%204.36.45%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1222" data-original-width="1534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbjKYiD6DiR6zBkTwcozvUJix5EGX3sx22UXT-PD7cQB1r4TL4xt-8iAljl_02nTJ5frbGCLmNZ8TDnojAqsLepI_wjF2Yg4wdGCpyWRkxbz15a-WHhcUSNeEmNJAIAU3CnAZ3ym1MHXeqnNF1OXnRoU27iLWMh1a7E8rwiIxKnG-E8ARUoHUPM6aK6shK/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202024-08-07%20at%204.36.45%20PM.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1986 cast: Aileen Quinn, John Paragon, Helen Hunt rating: ***1/2</td></tr></tbody></table>But this won’t be easy. Henrietta is older, more dignified, and convinces Zora her future's set to lurk in the shadows. Her uncle, King William, will crown the new queen and Zora hasn't a prayer.<br />
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While she’s outside brooding above a lonely pond, she drops her lucky golden magic ball into the water and out pops our titular Frog Prince...<br />
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Played by John Paragon (pictured below in one of the very few movies he appeared in, NORTH SHORE as a surf photographer) with the kind of delightful energy liken to Jim Carrey’s THE MASK years later. Frog and Zora make an unlikely pair, sneaking around the castle and in one funny scene, “Ribbit” pretends to be a toy to trick the King.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Paragon gives Laird Hamilton a dirty look in NORTH SHORE Google: John Paragon North Shore Frog Prince John Paragon</td></tr>
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The catchy songs occur sporadically, helping the story without being intrusive. Aileen Quinn, with a soothing voice that captures the joys and pains of childhood reveries, provides the same timeless dynamic that made ANNIE a sensation.<br />
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The musical numbers are produced with an old-school charm, delightful to both children and adults. And while it seem "dated" for today's standards, who needs computer animation when you have great costumes (The Frog especially), plush sets and a multitalented cast?<br />
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</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-eKfWSYOahDl8K4OauTPcSgIJXt75AnwPlwDvERpZhSWDfNfrrbZu1UpGrU1xWQcviRpQ8-OwzpSnXRROHR0nQW3VRK8fq_mFflpxOL_9uC7p0BFs00mYM8IkQM4t4l0luWd5dtSwtOPgXmuPRIim6O9k804SzsAhLQxQI0DuGov6OfBOESj-dwx_lqp7/s1027/Picture%204.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1027" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-eKfWSYOahDl8K4OauTPcSgIJXt75AnwPlwDvERpZhSWDfNfrrbZu1UpGrU1xWQcviRpQ8-OwzpSnXRROHR0nQW3VRK8fq_mFflpxOL_9uC7p0BFs00mYM8IkQM4t4l0luWd5dtSwtOPgXmuPRIim6O9k804SzsAhLQxQI0DuGov6OfBOESj-dwx_lqp7/s16000/Picture%204.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aileen Quinn in The Frog Prince</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihDRA2dG4REl8OjGZMPula2xKKm4CLHsUnKOhnG5DWZtSTmjdy37YCQiRPfwrag6pVZL9wwJUT1VaWaESsYgOIM1Zd_aosgp-eC8kPxcR7N4pVBR0MdGz9CKeWMdSyv1cKzC8e_i_OSQbEK8hvRht7YUT20OEkzjtpBkL7159ZwsGQFLQNhxDX_LbFaPVs/s1009/Picture%2030.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="1009" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihDRA2dG4REl8OjGZMPula2xKKm4CLHsUnKOhnG5DWZtSTmjdy37YCQiRPfwrag6pVZL9wwJUT1VaWaESsYgOIM1Zd_aosgp-eC8kPxcR7N4pVBR0MdGz9CKeWMdSyv1cKzC8e_i_OSQbEK8hvRht7YUT20OEkzjtpBkL7159ZwsGQFLQNhxDX_LbFaPVs/s16000/Picture%2030.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Paragon and Aileen Quinn in The Frog Prince<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjLr9I3jmQITQcKJYHrUVUD_ry3O5grZBkSBlOfTPLp8w2QTZ4GB68vU-vunPlmgfoYOr2sfaJFlHmenpHJL33oTCS364vTj5446L5ducdtjgG5Bj1w576CK8tuBQsLAfuaCFCZYk-Toyj_ldJZNf-ElOdOpjk0jcVCP9I0wLS2knsOTjYglhBQVZQvc4/s1022/Picture%2032.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="1022" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjLr9I3jmQITQcKJYHrUVUD_ry3O5grZBkSBlOfTPLp8w2QTZ4GB68vU-vunPlmgfoYOr2sfaJFlHmenpHJL33oTCS364vTj5446L5ducdtjgG5Bj1w576CK8tuBQsLAfuaCFCZYk-Toyj_ldJZNf-ElOdOpjk0jcVCP9I0wLS2knsOTjYglhBQVZQvc4/s16000/Picture%2032.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Paragon and Aileen Quinn in The Frog Prince</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p> </p>

aileen quinn, cannon, children, comedy, eighties, fantasy, helen hunt, john paragon, musical

AILEEN QUINN & JOHN PARAGON STARRING IN 'THE FROG PRINCE'

year: 1986 cast: Aileen Quinn, John Paragon, Helen Hunt rating: ***1/2 Like the iconic child actress Shirley Temple, ANNIE starlet Aileen Q...

Written by James M. Tate / 3/04/2012 / 1 Comment / animated , children , comedy , danny devito , ed helms , zac efron

GROUCHY GROWNUP REVIEW OF THE LORAX

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7AoEggQ5jb4eAeIwn3mlqdJEOBLP6Ytyi7MS0t2J3WL_LenW-KiIQx22_gotUvKNs7iLXAMg2tkHeRGq7w2eAZz1YXmp1r1Lycdj_fbS2obeZkK6pfrfB6cPzNB1Fyc5JHOTA9z7xEft/s1600/the-lorax-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7AoEggQ5jb4eAeIwn3mlqdJEOBLP6Ytyi7MS0t2J3WL_LenW-KiIQx22_gotUvKNs7iLXAMg2tkHeRGq7w2eAZz1YXmp1r1Lycdj_fbS2obeZkK6pfrfB6cPzNB1Fyc5JHOTA9z7xEft/s200/the-lorax-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2012 rating: *1/2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If you think Hollywood is the greediest moneygrubbing plastic city in the world, think again – and welcome to Thneedville, where every overly promoted, abundantly commercialized item costs bundles and, scariest of all, there are no trees.<br />
<br />
Enter Ted, a kid smitten with a gorgeous girl Audrey, who has only one wish – painted along the back of her house are tall skinny things resembling straws harboring wispy windblown cotton candy. These are the long forgotten trees, and she wants one, a real one, badly. Through his wise old granny, Ted learns of The Once-ler, a hermit residing on the outskirts of the shallow metropolis: walled in and policed by a wicked, and very short, dictator O’Hare. But Ted gets easily past the border and, using his power scooter, zips into a dark flatland where he finds a faceless hermit in a spooky house.<br />
<br />
Here he learns the backstory and what the film’s all about: Once-ler was once a poor farm boy who discovered a land abundant in nature and cutesy animals. He realizes, to make his dream invention – what he calls the Thneed (think of a Bionic Snuggie) – he has to chop down a tree: which summons our titular hero, The Lorax.<br />
<br />
This mustached, peanut-shaped, blunt yet lovable orange creature (voiced by Danny DeVito) is an underdog environmentalist that can only point the Once-ler toward wisdom. But becoming a powerful businessman is Once-ler’s priority – and his Thneed's a big hit until all the trees are gone.<br />
<br />
Now we’re back with Ted, whose input means very little – especially since the title character (who has surprisingly minimal screen time and plot relevance) is history and the real tale has been told. Nevertheless, Ted’s final mission is to plant one last seed. Although the greedy O’Hare – who sells clean air in cans and fake trees for big bucks – wants him stopped.<br />
<br />
Kids will enjoy the wonderfully vivid animation and the cutesy characters, especially a bear cub and singing fish residing in the tree-laden forest. Here’s where the most involving, fast-paced action occurs. And the overly obvious environmental message works in scenes where each tree falls: like best friends dying slowly, and painfully, before your very eyes.<br />
<br />
But once the movie ends with a corny singalong about <i>letting it grow</i>, you’ll realize this ninety-minute tale was really just a message with vibrant color: Other than a greedy entrepreneur cutting down trees to make money and then realizing his mistake, not much really happens.<br />
<br />
Yet the real moral of this anti-capitalist movie is that it grossed a whopping $70 million this weekend. But since spending, and making, large amounts of money is a supposedly bad thing, you can do the producers a favor: instead of paying $14 bucks to watch THE LORAX, go plant a tree!

animated, children, comedy, danny devito, ed helms, zac efron

GROUCHY GROWNUP REVIEW OF THE LORAX

year: 2012 rating: *1/2 If you think Hollywood is the greediest moneygrubbing plastic city in the world, think again – and welcome to Th...

Written by James M. Tate / 3/01/2012 / No comments / cartoon , children , harvey korman , sixties

THE MAN CALLED FLINTSTONE

cartoon, children, harvey korman, sixties

THE MAN CALLED FLINTSTONE

year: 1967 rating: *** Fred Flintstone, that lovable blue-collar caveman from Bedrock, becomes a spy in this feature length cartoon: Han...

Written by James M. Tate / 2/25/2012 / No comments / children , katy kurtzman , made-for-TV , musical , seventies

KATY KURTZMAN IN THE NEW ADVENTURES OF HEIDI

children, katy kurtzman, made-for-TV, musical, seventies

KATY KURTZMAN IN THE NEW ADVENTURES OF HEIDI

year: 1978 rating: *** In one of the most wonderfully bizarre made for television musicals ever filmed, Katy Kurtzman, an underrated a...

Written by James M. Tate / 1/09/2012 / No comments / children , comedy , eighties , olivia barash , terry bolo , TV

ZACK AND THE MAGIC FACTORY

children, comedy, eighties, olivia barash, terry bolo, TV

ZACK AND THE MAGIC FACTORY

1981 rating: *** Those long gone and sorely missed ABC Weekend Specials, the introduction with the animated wizard conjuring butterflies...

Written by James M. Tate / 1/08/2012 / No comments / children , comedy , disney , katy kurtzman , olivia barash , seventies , steve shaw

OLIVIA BARASH & KATY KURTZMAN IN CHILD OF GLASS

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx3AP3JEBM2ar2OBP0GN5XcLAzFwSjEX4qCvZW6ncv7hFjix5HxCr6Czj9BeGLXpKudhzEB6mErrkNUC9e_deC-tT-ZuMIZ4gX2zqtPvwSUpmfgHLlF-S_mEQLgbTW8fkFl6phpSI4Idg/s1600/Child-of-Glass-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx3AP3JEBM2ar2OBP0GN5XcLAzFwSjEX4qCvZW6ncv7hFjix5HxCr6Czj9BeGLXpKudhzEB6mErrkNUC9e_deC-tT-ZuMIZ4gX2zqtPvwSUpmfgHLlF-S_mEQLgbTW8fkFl6phpSI4Idg/s1600/Child-of-Glass-3.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><span style="color: #073763;"><b>1978 rating: ***1/2</b></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"><span style="color: #073763;"><b>While
 it's perplexed adults for centuries, the children in Disney films seem 
to have grasped the Meaning of Life… at least in their eyes: When 
something needs discovering, discover it!</b></span></span></i><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>In this made for TV movie, a 
family moves into an antebellum mansion once owned by a river pirate. 
The mother and father are about as important as those mushmouthed 
teachers in Peanuts cartoons – this is all about the curious son 
Alexander, played by the late Steve Shaw, who meets the niece of a local
 palm reader. </b><br />
<br />
<b>And as the young adventurous "Blossom Culp," Katy Kurtzman
 creates a memorably quirky tomboy: Donning glasses and dressed like a 
traveling orphan, she determinedly riles Alexander into seeking the 
truth behind the mansion's history. But he gets the prime directive on 
his own with the help of a blue-hued ghost.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The daughter of the 
mansion’s former owner, “Ida Dumaine” died mysteriously and, to acquire 
eternal rest, provides a riddle that desperately needs solving. Cult 
actress Olivia Barash, as the lovely little wraith holding a fluffy dog,
 makes sporadic yet important appearances, and at one point turns human 
for a heartfelt slow dance during a party, later providing a dog/cat 
chase to add some lightweight hijinx to the underlying spooky vibe… 
especially with the dependably villanious Anthony Zerbe on board... </b><br />
<br />
<b>But 
even with the suspenseful chills, it's a great movie for kids, 
especially creative ones.
</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rwEugiTUsbg" width="480"></iframe>

children, comedy, disney, katy kurtzman, olivia barash, seventies, steve shaw

OLIVIA BARASH & KATY KURTZMAN IN CHILD OF GLASS

1978 rating: ***1/2 While it's perplexed adults for centuries, the children in Disney films seem to have grasped the Meaning of Li...

Written by James M. Tate / 11/27/2011 / No comments / animated , children , tens

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9zVgDdCP4twzs2j6_bD3rbRrBrtwTAAXZe8HU_rWel7zCcudTlBULIZXcHAdnn8WRVyMq-TN0Hp59qtTjcGQ_B8N5V3D23lFBwMNuCb20dwO-tWfHBNxLgiyn2pVfoQnIqL9dMLWO7aQ5/s1600/arthur-christmas-movie-poster-teaser-01.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679930466299849042" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9zVgDdCP4twzs2j6_bD3rbRrBrtwTAAXZe8HU_rWel7zCcudTlBULIZXcHAdnn8WRVyMq-TN0Hp59qtTjcGQ_B8N5V3D23lFBwMNuCb20dwO-tWfHBNxLgiyn2pVfoQnIqL9dMLWO7aQ5/s200/arthur-christmas-movie-poster-teaser-01.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 141px; height: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">title:</span> ARTHUR CHRISTMAS<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">year:</span> 2011<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">voices:</span> Bill Nighy, James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">rating: </span>***<br /><br />In the spirit of those great Rankin/Bass Christmas movies like RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER and FROSTY THE SNOWMAN comes ARTHUR CHRISTMAS, and while it’s computer animated, the film has the vibe of the stop-motion stuff of yesteryear. The place is the North Pole, and Santa Claus doesn’t use a sled with reindeer any longer. Instead there’s a giant space ship with tons of “Elf Ninjas” who have it all down to a science: every good kid is counted for. But something goes wrong and one child's left out. Just happens to be the same little girl who’s letter touched Santa’s youngest son’s heart… His name is Arthur Christmas, he’s a clumsy slacker and is degraded to reading letters for pop. And while Santa and the oldest militaristic son, in line for the big white beard the following season, call it a night: Santa’s father, the last of the sled riding Claus's, takes a forlorn but dedicated Arthur on a retro journey to deliver the girl’s bike before sunup. Till then a whole lot happens and the suspense keeps building to the very finish. And despite pockets of downtime with too much exposition, and some intricate British humor that might fly by youngsters, this has a good (if forced) message: no kids are to be left behind. And beware anyone over eleven years old: instead of an animated short there's a video of Justin Beiber singing “Santa Claus is Coming to Town." And if you could imagine how bad this is… it’s even worse. Thank goodness the film makes up for it till the end credits and the song repeats, reminding you of that nightmare all over again.

animated, children, tens

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS

title: ARTHUR CHRISTMAS year: 2011 voices: Bill Nighy, James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent rating: *** In the spirit of those great ...

Written by James M. Tate / 7/30/2011 / No comments / children , comedy , tens

THE SMURFS

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEu7S1dOlGDhFFJBsgNfEZBlQMuJJ1KW6ir22sJ7RH0pcsHAwF4-eOZjhmYmj_NqK1gIdZ3oJDsO2No1N7lX716uFcQuFbQE4Ef1mEZcEhi3c90b4eg9Sa3RRH2OWitVgfIcrUhj-fuXI/s1600/the-smurfs-movie.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635311883580685986" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEu7S1dOlGDhFFJBsgNfEZBlQMuJJ1KW6ir22sJ7RH0pcsHAwF4-eOZjhmYmj_NqK1gIdZ3oJDsO2No1N7lX716uFcQuFbQE4Ef1mEZcEhi3c90b4eg9Sa3RRH2OWitVgfIcrUhj-fuXI/s200/the-smurfs-movie.jpg" style="float: right; height: 186px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">title:</span> THE SMURFS<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">year:</span> 2011<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">cast: </span>Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">rating:</span> *1/2<br />
<br />
The decision to take the Smurfs out of their land and into New York City, judging by the first ten minutes as the playful blue creatures meander pointlessly through their mystical dwelling, was a good one. But the execution is something else entirely.<br />
<br />
And that’s not referring to the villainous Gargamel, played by Hank Azaria with a fake nose and killer cat, trailing the Smurfs to rid them once and for all.<br />
<br />
In a non-violent way, this is what our human protagonist Neil Patrick Harris, as a climber in the ad business, wants to do: the Smurfs have accidentally entered his life, and with their singing and frolicking inside his apartment – where his wife awaits their child – he’s being driven up a wall.<br />
<br />
The settings are contained within this and a few other locations, so it feels like a boring thirty-minute cartoon stretched into two long hours instead of a fish outta water odyssey, like the premise and trailer implies.<br />
<br />
The only Smurfs who really matter are Clumsy (the accidental hero) and Papa (the wise leader), the rest delivering lines here and there, living up to their name/personalities but that’s about it.<br />
<br />
Hank Azaria isn’t completely awful as the villain, but his running around and constant bad luck situations (ala Wile E. Coyote) get tiresome. The only suspense is centered on the Smurfs returning back home, which takes twenty minutes too long to accomplish.<br />
<br />
And if you take a shot each time Harris points out how frivolous the original storyline of the Smurfs is, or how annoying they are, you’d be a goner.<br />
<br />
But now for the real question: is it good for children? Best let them decide – but perhaps wait to rent the DVD so you can escape into another room once it starts.

children, comedy, tens

THE SMURFS

title: THE SMURFS year: 2011 cast: Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris rating: *1/2 The decision to take the Smurfs out of their land a...

Written by James M. Tate / 6/29/2011 / No comments / children , dan aykroyd , justin timberlake , tens

YOGI BEAR

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1eTJ4T_h3ccfEaaqFsrN7xJ1iDXvuuH0fBGIXfHopgD-wDnjScIqkfKwQFeVSLXAHyPKHZEVO69959MdYxUbzzmCtmkpTOweHd4BZtIPjBKlJxQjZwfZQ_m94meZsySB0VVG8ojq4bTTN/s1600/yogi_bear42.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624236096948961522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1eTJ4T_h3ccfEaaqFsrN7xJ1iDXvuuH0fBGIXfHopgD-wDnjScIqkfKwQFeVSLXAHyPKHZEVO69959MdYxUbzzmCtmkpTOweHd4BZtIPjBKlJxQjZwfZQ_m94meZsySB0VVG8ojq4bTTN/s200/yogi_bear42.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">title:</span> YOGI BEAR<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">year: </span>2011<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">cast:</span> Dan Aykroyd, Justin Timberlake, Tom Cavanagh, Anna Faris<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">rating:</span> *<br /><br />A reboot usually refers to when a computer goes bad, and in order to get things back in place, you restart it and hopefully, it'll work like before. But with movies, rebooting often does the opposite, messing up what worked just fine. Here we have a classic children's television show centering on Yogi, a walking/talking bear and his counterpart, Boo-Boo. At every turn, Yogi, native to Jellystone Park, steals picnic baskets and is hassled by Ranger Smith, an uptight grownup who, in the cartoon, made for a terrific foil. But here he's a broodingly sarcastic young-looking fellow who should be hanging out at a yuppie pool hall, and our furry stars, who only yearn for those baskets during the first ten minutes, are merely backdrop to a lame story involving the ranger shyly romancing a blond documentary filmmaker, and a duo of corporate goons wanting to shut down the park.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQuRLT2ZhhzvzmA31uHPZQjNwIDJJLxMYlI7k8UVWZ9XuoqzrqJm7EQJcWuEIetKm9V65eXxUc57PIU_LkkEk1R2PZ9M3BQr7h8M4xc-nFwBiD3hQCqZ6fHS5Ct6gRyNB_dOxFmty-eU8/s1600/DF.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624235957811751890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQuRLT2ZhhzvzmA31uHPZQjNwIDJJLxMYlI7k8UVWZ9XuoqzrqJm7EQJcWuEIetKm9V65eXxUc57PIU_LkkEk1R2PZ9M3BQr7h8M4xc-nFwBiD3hQCqZ6fHS5Ct6gRyNB_dOxFmty-eU8/s200/DF.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 113px; height: 200px;" /></a> So this reboot, like several others out there, are taking something cornily nostalgic and playing them tongue and cheek, with one foot off the proverbial bed, to avoid being silly like the original, but in that, are missing everything that was endearing and entertaining enough to, three decades later, base a film on. Dan Aykroyd, voicing Yogi, seems to be doing an imitation, but Justin Timberlake does a good enough job you forget it's him. Sad thing, neither creature adds much here, and look so computer-animated they don't seem real at all. Then again, either does anything, or anyone, else. And there's a new brand of sarcasm out there, difficult to explain... it's kind of deadpan, providing a muted punchline born from a dull sense of missed expectation. It occurs in droves here, and many other contemporary comedies; and please, for the love of God, enough already!

children, dan aykroyd, justin timberlake, tens

YOGI BEAR

title: YOGI BEAR year: 2011 cast: Dan Aykroyd, Justin Timberlake, Tom Cavanagh, Anna Faris rating: * A reboot usually refers to when a co...

Written by James M. Tate / 5/03/2011 / No comments / adventure , children , chris barnes , made-for-TV , olivia barash , ron howard , seventies

TUT AND TUTTLE WITH CHRIS BARNES & OLIVIA BARASH

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 1979 rating: ***</td></tr>
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Originally titled TUT AND TUTTLE and changed to THROUGH THE MAGIC PYRAMID or THE TIME CRYSTAL on reruns and video, the story centers on Chris Barnes aka Tanner Boyle, the scene-stealing scrapper from THE BAD NEWS BEARS, whose favorite curio, a crystal pyramid, takes him to ancient Egypt where a young pre-King Tut, speaking in a laidback Califorina accent, is in danger of royal climber Vic Tayback, who kidnaps the young leader... So Barnes and faithful ingenue Olivia Barash, as Tut's sister, roam the Egyptian ruins: happening upon an assortment of Variety Show hams seeking their moment in the sun. The best scenes involve the duo's trek throughout the Egyptian exterior (actually Los Angeles) without adult interruption: battling bad guys using rocks and football tactics.<br />
<br />
Directed by Ron Howard in the late-70s following his Roger Corman hot rod ventures, this artifact is worth discovering: the laughs are almost non-stop and few are intentional. And the pre-teen Barnes being unsuccessfully seduced by a horny harem of twenty-something ladies is very... memorable.<br />
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adventure, children, chris barnes, made-for-TV, olivia barash, ron howard, seventies

TUT AND TUTTLE WITH CHRIS BARNES & OLIVIA BARASH

year: 1979 rating: *** Originally titled TUT AND TUTTLE and changed to THROUGH THE MAGIC PYRAMID or THE TIME CRYSTAL on reruns and video...

JMT

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