Manic Expression | Chris Lang | Activity https://www.manic-expression.com/members/chris-lang/activity/ Activity feed for Chris Lang. Sun, 15 Nov 2026 11:52:07 -0500 https://buddypress.org/?v= en-US 30 hourly 2 3624f66d37d0a7760377f1b6a30f75dd Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/7594/#acomment-7629 Sat, 23 Nov 2024 01:40:11 -0500 To paraphrase Regina George of Mean Girls … “Sony, stop trying to make the Spider-Manless Spider-Man megafranchise happen. It’s not going to happen.”
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I never really bothered with the Venom movies. I had the same problem you did: Venom’s origin story and motivations are so tied in to Spider-Man that it doesn’t really make sense to me to have…Read more

In reply to - Curiosity Inc. wrote a new post Movie Curiosities — Venom: The Last Dance Before I get started, there’s something I want perfectly clear: I am flat fucking DONE with this shit. If you or anyone else on this g […] […] ]]> 5b95764ab0ab0559ae272d8ba2def041 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/7462/#acomment-7467 Fri, 26 Jul 2024 01:20:53 -0400 Well, I have my complex feelings about the Sequel Trilogy, and since the dust has settled on them, I might share them in my own blog post one day.
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I’ll just say it got off to a strong start with The Force Awakens even if a lot of the plot elements were a bit TOO familiar, but then came The Last Jedi which at least TRIED to do something new…Read more

In reply to - James Faraci The Last Of The Americans wrote a new post Top ten reasons why The Star Wars Prequels are better than the Disney Star Wars movies (Scene begin with a smartwatch screen and a finger as it taps the […] ]]> 52a08a8597d7a2f03d04011247cf6b3f Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/7448/#acomment-7466 Thu, 25 Jul 2024 23:25:08 -0400 I thought Wordpress was our host?

In reply to - Fusionater wrote a new post The Never Ending Battle With Hosting I can’t quite pin down exactly what must have changed in the last three months, but Siteground (our host) is hitting me with emails again that […] ]]> b5733b56a4712c0196043d814be0106e Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/7431/#acomment-7433 Fri, 28 Jun 2024 16:22:02 -0400 Thanks. The thing is, we need to back up ALL our stuff on a regular basis. It won’t do to put all our eggs in one basket.

I’ve been pondering whether I should have a blog of my own in addition to my presence here, the way Moviefan12 and Curiosity Inc. do.

In reply to - Fusionater wrote a new post Temporary OutageSorry for the site being down for as long as it was, I had been getting emails from the hosting provider that we were running up our cpu usage […] ]]> f2af0b679214c26a3e4c6baac21715a7 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/7349/#acomment-7356 Mon, 22 Apr 2024 14:28:26 -0400 A nice short story about how words DO have the power to hurt (the old ‘sticks and stones’ saying is wrong), and, more importantly, what we can do about it. If we’re lucky, like Rachel, we have supportive friends and family who can help us through it.

In reply to - Moviefan12 wrote a new post That Word (An Original Story by Timothy Murphy)That word, Rachel couldn’t stop thinking about that word. She despised that word. And yet here it was staring back at her as someone c […] ]]> 0c666e9b490534d4ea53d6782cf57c4b Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/7098/#acomment-7123 Thu, 21 Dec 2023 17:06:13 -0500 I tend to agree with pretty much everything you said about Simon. He’s not really a bad person, just someone who doesn’t understand what he’s gotten into.
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As for the reveal of Scott being chosen by his predecessor, that actually made more sense to me than the initial premise. The Spider-Verse comparison feels off here. Spider-Man and most of the…Read more

In reply to - Moviefan12 wrote a new post A Look at Disney Christmas Villains Profile: Simon Choski (The Santa Clauses Season One) The Santa Clause franchise has never had good villains. Toy Santa was the weakest aspect of the […] ]]> 36a852c74d8f8922202355b2dc75c318 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/7114/#acomment-7121 Thu, 21 Dec 2023 14:54:54 -0500 I have to agree that Magnus Antas is much better than most of these franchise’s antagonists. His motivations are understandable and believable, and so is his softer side.
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I thought it interesting how he and Olga brought out the worst in each other (as Olga states toward the end), but when they’re separated, both of them show their kinder,…Read more

In reply to - Moviefan12 wrote a new post A Look at Disney: Christmas Villains Profile: Magnus Antas (Mad Santa) (The Santa Clauses season two)   A popular trope for Christmassy villains is to take Santa and ask what if he […] ]]> 665df6c7992a939894c79c205f80fa92 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6804/#acomment-7029 Sat, 18 Nov 2023 21:47:21 -0500 Sounds like a fun movie I should get around to seeing. Anyway, I’m glad you reminded everyone that the absurdity was always kind of the point of the franchise from day one.
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles certainly had a whole bunch of imitators trying to ride its coattails. And those cartoon shows you mentioned weren’t the only ones. Inspired by…Read more

In reply to - Curiosity Inc. wrote a new post Movie Curiosities — Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem It’s easy to forget that the absurdity was always the point. Back in 1984, the comics industry was well into the s […] ]]> c721e4af25a6dfabbc356830390e90ff Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/7011/#acomment-7018 Tue, 14 Nov 2023 14:46:14 -0500 Question: Why do you refer to the Spider-Verse movies by different titles? I know some movies have different titles in different markets. Was ‘Into the Spider-Verse’ called ‘Enter the Spider-Verse’ in your region, and ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ called ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’ in your region?

In reply to - Curiosity Inc. wrote a new post Movie Curiosities: The Flash Hope you all had a fun autumn. Me, I genuinely enjoyed taking a break from the blog so I could focus my time and attention on other projects. I […] ]]> 9b757f4a57760f822fe4e84dfa45c6c7 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/7011/#acomment-7013 Tue, 14 Nov 2023 01:15:57 -0500 I didn’t bother with this movie. I knew given EVERYTHING, there was just no way it was going to be good. Even ignoring all the Ezra Miller baggage, there was just no way it was going to have a coherent plot given all that was going on behind the scenes, given how long it took to be released.
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Anyone going to see this movie in the theaters must…Read more

In reply to - Curiosity Inc. wrote a new post Movie Curiosities: The Flash Hope you all had a fun autumn. Me, I genuinely enjoyed taking a break from the blog so I could focus my time and attention on other projects. I […] ]]> 9e421c0a7f55a15462ca811d4d05500a Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6993/#acomment-7006 Fri, 10 Nov 2023 21:53:56 -0500 I’m pretty much tired of twisted versions of Alice in Wonderland. I suppose I’m biased given that I prefer the original with its whimsy and wordplay and backward logic, but by now it seems ‘dark’ Wonderland takes have become a tired cliche. I’m glad that I’m not alone in thinking this.
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I’m sorry I had to bring up ‘Cupcakes’ again. But in this…Read more

In reply to - Chris Lang wrote a new post Fanfic Subgenres: Horror versions of lighthearted shows Hello and welcome to Fanfic Subgenres, where I take a look at subgenres of fan fiction, and see how they apply to works outside of […] ]]> 25b22aa8e55c0e517e0b15dfae5437d5 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6999/#acomment-7000 Thu, 02 Nov 2023 18:14:05 -0400 Ah, Decker Shado. I gave you a shoutout in my most recent blog, which has a link to one of your other reviews.
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I still haven’t seen Halloween Ends. It’s gotten mixed reviews. Movie Curiosities is one of those who says it basically succeeds in what it set out to do (namely wrap up the new trilogy conclusively to the point where to continue the…Read more

In reply to - Decker Shado wrote a new post Halloween Ends Movie ReviewThere’s a fine balance to making a movie with a focus that isn’t quite what the primary audience assumes will be the case. Halloween Ends… does not find the […] ]]> bf8a19d74c47797878ff3577ecabcd83 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/551/#acomment-6997 Thu, 02 Nov 2023 12:08:14 -0400 As I at least imply in my Fanfic Subgenres blog post about horror re-imaginings, the best of these are the ones that work as both commentaries on the original while being good scary stories. Afterlife with Archie is a good example of it.

In reply to - Moviefan12 wrote a new post, The Horrors of Riverdale: Afterlife with Archie         Since 2017, I’ve looked at the horror side of Archie Comics by delving into the Archie Horror lin […] ]]> 1b2dfc858bcab271228bb27b294c8304 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/551/#acomment-6995 Thu, 02 Nov 2023 00:24:18 -0400 Sounds like a horror re-imagining that works on a number of levels. It’s commentary on the original, and it works as a scary zombie story.

In reply to - Moviefan12 wrote a new post, The Horrors of Riverdale: Afterlife with Archie         Since 2017, I’ve looked at the horror side of Archie Comics by delving into the Archie Horror lin […] ]]> c753bc846d7c469b29146d550ff82bc3 Chris Lang wrote a new post https://www.manic-expression.com/?p=53152 Wed, 01 Nov 2023 21:59:53 -0400 Fanfic Subgenres: Horror versions of lighthearted shows Hello and welcome to Fanfic Subgenres, where I take a look at subgenres of fan fiction, and see how they apply to works outside of what most […]

]]> 2 4ab990ecaec6b0902a3e1254d6b4a783 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6991/#acomment-6992 Wed, 01 Nov 2023 20:15:30 -0400 Before the Frankenstones, there were the Gruesomes, a strange family clearly meant to be Bedrock’s answer to the Munsters or the Addams Family, that appeared in at least two episodes of the original series. But they were quickly forgotten about.
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And yes, the Flintstones was never big on continuity. In one episode, they referred to their…Read more

In reply to - RowdyCMoore wrote a new post TV Trash: Fred And Barney Meet The Frankenstones ]]> 0d20dc82042e6a2b7a9e40f77b3f5672 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6975/#acomment-6988 Wed, 01 Nov 2023 16:36:25 -0400 So there’s a character in a Barbie series named Stacie? Interesting, seeing as how for decades The Simpsons have had a clear parody of Barbie called ‘Malibu Stacy’.

In reply to - Moviefan12 wrote a new post Halloween with Barbie: Congrats for Christie (Barbie Fashion # 24)   Today I close out my look at Barbie Halloween comics with Barbie Fashion # 24 and well today’s comic features the […] ]]> 4984a06cb2480e3aa04648aae374b4f2 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6949/#acomment-6987 Wed, 01 Nov 2023 15:47:06 -0400 Samhain was definitely a great ‘Big Bad’ for The Real Ghostbusters, and it’s not surprising he made return appearances not just in the show, but in the comics as well.

In reply to - Moviefan12 wrote a new post Who You Gonna Call: Samhain Chanted Evening (The Real Ghostbusters Now Comics # 17)   If you were to think of the antagonist for the Ghostbusters, you would most likely go to Gozer and […] ]]> 47f2306211c181d0afe6dfab61e3a3be Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6981/#acomment-6986 Wed, 01 Nov 2023 15:43:12 -0400 I haven’t seen this one in its entirety, but I have seen reviews by Decker Shado and others that tell me everything I really needed to know about it. It seems like it’s the sort of cheap, low-budget misogynistic horror exploitation flick that wouldn’t have received any attention at all if it didn’t involve Winnie the Pooh.
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I’ve heard it said…Read more

In reply to - The Creature wrote a new post It Came From the Drive In/FillerVision – Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey (with Jarvisrama99) The Creature: So…this movie happened. Figuring out how and why it was made is pretty […] ]]> 9125ebeb3b32eb2dbb7222971c558527 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6895/#acomment-6908 Wed, 11 Oct 2023 00:18:45 -0400 All in all, I prefer the Muppet Haunted Mansion, as it had just the right mixture of scary and silly. And the Muppets, of course, had proven in the past they can do such stuff, given previous Halloween editions of the Muppet Show featuring Vincent Price.

In reply to - Moviefan12 wrote a new post A Look at Disney’s Halloween Library: The Haunted Mansion: Frights of Fancy The Haunted Mansion might just be the most adapted Disney Park attraction and that makes sense considering i […] ]]> 5e81b48399f7ceb79835a99960a4752b Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6848/#acomment-6859 Mon, 18 Sep 2023 14:26:42 -0400 I’ve never really seen the Hey Arnold series, so I don’t really have much to say about it. As for Winnie the Pooh, I haven’t really seen much of it since I was a kid.
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But yes, the Peanuts movie was a good translation of the Peanuts cast into 3-D animation, staying pretty true to the characters and themes. Mary Poppins Returns is good, and has…Read more

In reply to - Gerawallstar wrote a new post My top 4 RemakesMy Top 4 Remakes/Sequels Hey guys! Gerawallstar here, and I am here to do a top 4 reboots and sequels. In this day and age, we are seeing a […] ]]> 643e4e697fa0458eb27fdcae272aaed3 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6842/#acomment-6858 Mon, 18 Sep 2023 14:20:59 -0400 How to Train Your Dragon is indeed one of Dreamworks’ best. Humor, drama, and humanity are all nicely balanced here, and the cast works very well. The sequel, I must warn you, is much darker than the first movie: It’s still good, though not as good as the first one, as it kind of suffers from a rushed climax.

In reply to - Gerawallstar wrote a new post How to train your Dragon(2010) ReviewHey Guys! Gerawallstar here and I am here to review the Dreamworks film How to train your Dragon. When it was released, it was critically […] ]]> 3776dc6dd2b7404d30e530411d326d30 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6854/#acomment-6857 Mon, 18 Sep 2023 14:17:14 -0400 I gave up on the Resident Evil movies after the third one. The storyline seemed to make less sense as it went on, and felt like they were just making things up as they went along.
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And yes, trying to explain plot holes in a novelization instead of the movie itself usually does not work. An infamous attempt at doing so occurred in the novelization…Read more

In reply to - Decker Shado wrote a new post Resident Evil: The Final Chapter Movie ReviewApparently, some of the things I criticized were “explained” in the novelization, but it seems that’s the case in so much that a lot of […] ]]> 04c65efb18aea3bb359f1f45c302ac7f Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6808/#acomment-6838 Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:13:37 -0400 As (as I stated above) a possible ‘unpaid influencer’, I’m wondering if it’s still okay to talk about moves that have been around for a number of years.

In reply to - Curiosity Inc. wrote a new post Movie Curiosities: On hiatus (Support the Strike!)Today marks the 100th day of the ongoing WGA strike. The SAG-AFTRA strike started just under a month ago. As this historic strike […] ]]> 217ff5a4bc06d98a178788648f54bde4 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6832/#acomment-6837 Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:07:55 -0400 I’m not the biggest Taylor Swift fan, but I do have respect for the way she reclaimed her old material from Big Machine after she was screwed over by them, by doing the ‘Taylor’s Version’ recordings.
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Personally, I think streaming is in SERIOUS trouble. Between the bad decisions made by the people in charge of them, the strikes (caused at least…Read more

In reply to - Curiosity Inc. wrote a new post Movie Curiosities: Taylor Swift and AMCYes, my blog is still on hiatus and I’m not covering any new movies in solidarity with the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes. But no way could I possibly s […] ]]> ef052bc7c123f3511c8d56f386624476 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6808/#acomment-6812 Mon, 14 Aug 2023 20:37:52 -0400 You’re not alone. Rogersbase, professional One Piece fan, is not going to be talking much about the live-action Netflix One Piece movie on his YouTube channel because apparently he qualifies for one or both of the unions and he doesn’t want to be seen as crossing their picket line. He’s got a lot of confidence in the live-action show, having seen…Read more

In reply to - Curiosity Inc. wrote a new post Movie Curiosities: On hiatus (Support the Strike!)Today marks the 100th day of the ongoing WGA strike. The SAG-AFTRA strike started just under a month ago. As this historic strike […] ]]> 2f9994fbd2f335a578017c8918c4283a Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6776/#acomment-6777 Sun, 16 Jul 2023 23:39:23 -0400 I’ve heard some say that the idea of making the main antagonist a rogue AI takes on a strange meaning in light of the WGA Strike and the SAG-AFTRA strike, since the abuse of AI is one of the reasons both have given for the strike. Then again, no one was talking about AI six months ago, and I don’t know when the scripts for this movie were written,…Read more

In reply to - Curiosity Inc. wrote a new post Movie Curiosities — Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning, Part OneThe rat fucking bastards. Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning, Part One was made and marketed as the penultimate f […] ]]> ce7a90e4509f14ecff477f6b48e26192 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6756/#acomment-6757 Sat, 08 Jul 2023 02:11:38 -0400

that leaves Renai with the pitiable job as this movie’s “woman who knows everything, but won’t say anything until the necessary moment.”

Sounds like Janet van Dyne in Quantumania, who had an annoying habit of doing that.

To be honest, I hadn’t heard much about the previous Insidious films, but it sounds like I haven’t really missed much. And I’m…Read more

In reply to - Curiosity Inc. wrote a new post Movie Curiosities — Insidious: The Red DoorI’m gonna make this quick and easy with two simple questions. First of all, how do you feel about jump scares? Specifically, how would y […] ]]> f3c6332f813602972989b516ca43b8a3 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6648/#acomment-6668 Tue, 16 May 2023 18:57:35 -0400 A lot of characters I’m not familiar with here, but the throwaway sentence about avoiding the backstage politics of professional wrestling sounds good to me. If I were to go into the stories of ego-driven booking, wrestlers’ big pushes being abruptly ended, and so on I’ve heard about in the WWE alone, I’d be here for a week.
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Anyway, most of the…Read more

In reply to - Antoni Matteo Garcia wrote a new post The Splendid Seven's Power Ranger Sparring BuddiesGreetings, Splendid Seven devotees, martial arts aficionados, fighting video game fans, and admirers of all things Super […] ]]> 6542ac507796db60d9129ea8fa9bf21f Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6654/#acomment-6658 Mon, 15 May 2023 03:30:35 -0400 I’ve debated with myself whether or not to do a blog post about this movie. I already reviewed another horror movie based on a previously family-friendly series (The Banana Splits Movie), so it would make sense for me to talk about this one. But on the other hand, I didn’t want to give it more attention.
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8:00 I’m reminded of Film Brain’s speech…Read more

In reply to - Decker Shado wrote a new post Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey Movie ReviewI’ll consider myself lucky for not having had childhood memories of the Winnie the Pooh that everyone grew up with. As such, this movie […] ]]> a42b526363738d4e35da3e7f6761a5ac Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6649/#acomment-6650 Wed, 10 May 2023 09:58:18 -0400 I disagree with you on the holiday special. I thought it was funny (especially the first song, and Drax and Mantis’ antics), and the music was great. Granted, it wasn’t very deep, and it was short on actual plot, and didn’t really have any ambitions other than being a lighthearted holiday offering (and an excuse to see this incarnation of the…Read more

In reply to - Curiosity Inc. wrote a new post Movie Curiosities: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3“The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special” was a failure. A self-indulgent, pointless, shrill, boring, deeply unfunny failure. But […] ]]> 7b543e09e743a92618f75ccb5af18b85 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6638/#acomment-6642 Fri, 05 May 2023 14:20:15 -0400 I still haven’t seen the film, but the more I think about it and re-read your review of it, the more it sounds like this film could have used at least an additional twenty minutes to help make certain things work. I agree that the beginning and ending are just as important as the middle we came to see, and shouldn’t be rushed. But also, some extra…Read more

In reply to - Curiosity Inc. wrote a new post Movie Curiosities: Peter Pan & WendyI sincerely hope that this will be my last year covering the Disney live-action remakes. To date, this whole long-running experiment has only […] ]]> c1543fcae99c4f9ccf4f54b611379fb7 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6638/#acomment-6639 Thu, 04 May 2023 23:08:29 -0400 I’ve been wondering about this film myself. Yes, Peter Pan has some tropes and story elements that haven’t aged well, and that anyone attempting a new adaptation these days should be mindful of. So of course I was curious to know how this film handles them.
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I’m with you on Captain Hook. Captain Hook is a character I thought to be in some ways…Read more

In reply to - Curiosity Inc. wrote a new post Movie Curiosities: Peter Pan & WendyI sincerely hope that this will be my last year covering the Disney live-action remakes. To date, this whole long-running experiment has only […] ]]> 7df9ea875fc3273804abbd205431dc36 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6589/#acomment-6598 Thu, 13 Apr 2023 22:00:42 -0400 I’ve seen the first two Despicable Me movies. They were all right, and the Minions had their moments, but they’re not quite up to the level of Dreamworks. Dreamworks had a fun villain-focused movie called Megamind that goes a lot deeper in its themes than Despicable Me.
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And yes, we didn’t really need the feature-length Dr. Seuss adaptations. As…Read more

In reply to - Curiosity Inc. wrote a new post Movie Curiosities: The Super Mario Bros. MovieI thought I was flat fucking done with Illumination. After Sing, after The Secret Life of Pets, after their Dr. Seuss adaptations, […] ]]> 8d6664ea4ff31aa60abfff7d4dddb200 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6585/#acomment-6586 Sun, 09 Apr 2023 20:45:31 -0400 I’ve yet to see this movie, but just from the previews, I can tell it’s a lot more closely based on the game series than a certain previous movie. Anyway, it’s nice to see them doing different things, and it’s always nice when Princess Peach has a bigger part to play.

In reply to - Gerawallstar wrote a new post Super Mario Bros Movie ReviewHey Guys! Gerawallstar here and I am here to review the Illumination film Super Mario Bros Movie. As a Nintendo and animation fan, this was an […] ]]> 8da59b2aff98e2724a6706e43475fda9 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6557/#acomment-6560 Sat, 01 Apr 2023 20:50:57 -0400 Seems like a very strange movie, but the good kind of strange.

In reply to - Curiosity Inc. wrote a new post Movie Curiosities: Smoking Causes CoughingI thought I was flat fucking done with Quentin Dupieux. For those unfamiliar with the French cinematic provocateur, this tells you pretty […] ]]> 9a44831236e52201ff458a185a4ed85c Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6530/#acomment-6559 Sat, 01 Apr 2023 20:29:50 -0400 Pretty much. I’m afraid Curiosity Inc’s pessimistic vision of the Shazam movie franchise’s future are probably correct, so it doesn’t look like we’ll get to see Mr. Mind as a major antagonist in a future movie. A shame, really, as I would have liked to have seen them pull it off.

In reply to - Curiosity Inc. wrote a new post Movie Curiosities — Shazam: Fury of the GodsIt pains me to write this review, folks. I seriously feel a tangible pain setting pen to paper for this one. I’d previously written a w […] ]]> e629a539d14e2a9d81fed8d14b736e1f Chris Lang wrote a new post https://www.manic-expression.com/?p=51388 Sat, 01 Apr 2023 19:37:53 -0400 Curious About Movies: Weird: The Al Yankovic StoryAnd so we get yet another musician biopic. Yawn. The thing is, after a while, you come to know what to expect from musician biopics. So many of […]

]]> 2 820dd28838da45766c3940ce93789c66 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6443/#acomment-6447 Sun, 12 Feb 2023 17:59:44 -0500 It’s something he’s regarded as an Old Shame for over ten years now. He only mentioned it once or twice back then, and that was in the context of saying he won’t review webcomics because he’s not proud of his own work in that medium. A sort of ‘people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones’ sort of thing, or at least that’s what it came…Read more

In reply to - HedonisticActor wrote a new post Lightbringer – Path to CrossoverlordFrom a renowned internet critic comes an early work that chronicles the adventures of Lightbringer, a mild-mannered furniture store owner […] htt […] ]]> 8c9f2abd5d4be88c36d8794116592077 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6389/#acomment-6396 Tue, 17 Jan 2023 20:17:47 -0500 A further note: Apparently, this show was very loosely based on a previous British show called Whoops Apocalypse, but different enough that the creators of Woops! didn’t have to pay royalties or anything like that.

In reply to - RowdyCMoore wrote a new post, TV Trash: Woops! ]]> 79b21b16b819c4fa13f54087ece1d3c4 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6393/#acomment-6395 Tue, 17 Jan 2023 18:44:50 -0500 “The Day After” is not at all subtle. In this case, subtlety would have been counterproductive. The point of this movie was to send a message about how horrible nuclear war is. Around the same time frame, there came the movie “Wargames”, where the world is only saved from nuclear annihilation by convincing an A.I. that nuclear war is “A strange…Read more

In reply to - James Faraci The Last Of The Americans wrote a new post, Weeks "After" The End (Scene begins as flickers of light are seen as we see members of Team TLOTA in Nuclear decontamination suits as they scrub off a guy […] ]]> 8f80bab7ffce56348384e6e9b8224374 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6389/#acomment-6391 Tue, 17 Jan 2023 05:51:03 -0500 I remember seeing an advertisement for this show. All I knew about it was that it was a sitcom about the end of the world. I never actually saw it.

Turns out the show was a LOT worse than I thought. Comedians mocked Gilligan’s Island to death for its premise (where the passengers of the S.S. Minnow brought along an absurd amount of clothes and…Read more

In reply to - RowdyCMoore wrote a new post, TV Trash: Woops! ]]> 6901ba12ffef24bdce1dc0333fb81765 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6366/#acomment-6388 Mon, 16 Jan 2023 05:25:46 -0500 Haven’t played any of the Metroid games in a while. But yes, Super Metroid and Metroid Prime both had great soundtracks, and it’s a bit disappointing that Metroid Dread’s didn’t quite measure up.

In reply to - OSLPatricia wrote a new post, Metroid Dread Discussion/Review (Spoiler Free) In June 2005, I remember reading on an article from Game Informer magazine of the reveals from Nintendo’s E3 presentation of the games t […] ]]> f7fb4bed60847c8784b5d1b83b9d4da1 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6382/#acomment-6383 Sat, 14 Jan 2023 20:36:21 -0500 Wow. Sounds like if the filmmaker’s intent was to make the most boring found footage horror movie ever, they succeeded. After this brutal review, I don’t think even morbid curiosity would be enough for me to check this one out.

There are some movies I’ve seen because of your reviews, and liked.
This is one movie that I am going to pass on,…Read more

In reply to - Curiosity Inc. wrote a new post, Movie Curiosities: Skinamarink Gentle readers, I am truly astonished. I was not expecting such a strong candidate for “Most Malicious Disappointment” this early in the year, but her […] ]]> e9ffca7cb18046ab948db47fedb7ced3 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6357/#acomment-6368 Wed, 11 Jan 2023 16:41:02 -0500 It’s sad to see how far Robert Zemeckis has fallen. His last good film was, what, 15 years ago?
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Your top two in the ‘Most Malicious Disappointment’ category didn’t surprise me, seeing what you’ve previously said about both movies. With both Chip and Dale’s Rescue Rangers (2022) and Morbius, my question to the makers of those films is: What were…Read more

In reply to - Curiosity Inc. wrote a new post, Movie Curiosities: The Disappointments of 2022 I know I already said this in the preface, but it bears repeating: This is not a “Worst of” list. I make it a clear point not to see […] ]]> 9f1655b78f3f178b728bfec86f0da11e Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6358/#acomment-6363 Sun, 08 Jan 2023 22:33:00 -0500 Some great picks here. I’m glad you managed to avoid giving more than one first place winner to the same movie.
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The Batman was probably the best live-action cinematic Batman movie since The Dark Knight. Spirited is a fun entertaining musical. I still need to see Everything, Everywhere, All at Once since it’s gotten a lot of good reviews.

In reply to - Curiosity Inc. wrote a new post, Movie Curiosities: The Wild Rides of 2022 We conclude with a rundown of my favorite films from 2022. We’re not looking for the greatest or even necessarily the best-made movies, w […] ]]> 516632ecdae17c7b9268784ac8e5d63a Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6302/#acomment-6303 Sat, 17 Dec 2022 21:33:31 -0500 Lots of great picks here. Some of which have received more attention than others.
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Turning Red is another great Pixar movie. As for Andor, I’ve heard it’s good but haven’t seen it yet.

In reply to - NJ wrote a new post Other 2022 Recommendations I often find a fascinating piece of media with at least one Asian or Hispanic/Latin American entertainer prominently involved, but don’t end up […] ]]> 71c7e986595203b329fdf1be24756d11 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6275/#acomment-6289 Sun, 11 Dec 2022 01:50:13 -0500 Just saw it now. A very interesting new take on the story. Definitely darker than the standard take, it deals with issues of morality, mortality, and philosophy that one doesn’t often see in retellings of a classic story. It went some places I was surprised it actually went.
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All in all, I’d say it’s pretty good. It’s not perfect — not…Read more

In reply to - Curiosity Inc. wrote a new post, Movie Curiosities: Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio Nearly 15 years in development hell, and it couldn’t have been released with better timing. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is exa […] ]]> 60b0cbdbe11b2618660d00ec312350f4 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6275/#acomment-6276 Mon, 05 Dec 2022 04:35:08 -0500 This sounds like an interesting take on the classic story, with ideas that I don’t think we’ve seen before in other versions. I’ll probably check it out, even with the headscratching moments. (Really, they brought in Cate Blanchett just to do monkey noises?)

In reply to - Curiosity Inc. wrote a new post, Movie Curiosities: Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio Nearly 15 years in development hell, and it couldn’t have been released with better timing. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is exa […] ]]> 5a62f6f1570f469af6b0e24c4335da93 Chris Lang posted a new activity comment https://www.manic-expression.com/activity/p/6219/#acomment-6231 Sun, 04 Dec 2022 20:16:14 -0500 Recommended reading:
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First, there’s the ToughPigs post I mentioned in the blog, about Muppet fans’ finding some good use for Twitter and how they’re affected.
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https://toughpigs.com/bye-twitter/

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I also recommend this opinion piece by Samantha Floreani, which makes some additional points about peoples’ love/hate relationship with Twitter, and…Read more

In reply to - Chris Lang wrote a new post, Enough Already: Please don't celebrate the possible demise of Twitter Hello and welcome to Enough Already, where I discuss trends, tropes, and behavior that we really need a break from. […] ]]>