Checking in on Scorch

All the details of Scorch's PFG-TV are constantly changing and yet everything is always staying the same.

#BringBackHolly

Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary

 

When making a "dockumentary" about Yacht Rock, there are beset on both sides by two ditches - you can embrace the parody webseries origin of the genre (and treat it as a joke) or you can ignore the origins and define the genre as the general public has since defined it (Jimmy Buffett, The Eagles, nautical themes, sailor hats, etc.) "Yacht Rock" veers off into neither ditch. In fact, I was surprised at how serious a music documentary it is. This is "The History of Rock 'n' Roll" for 2024.

And, at the same time, they also give proper weight and deference to the group of guys who invented the term.

Highly recommended if you want to see an excellent music documentary.

One of the through-lines that goes between MST3K and "Best of the Worst" and shows like that they're mocking films but they're often doing so while appreciating any traces of good art, even at the service of really bad movies. It's an admirable trait to still find the good within the bad, especially as it's a trait I don't have, or at least, haven't developed. One of the things that struck me as poignant, reflecting on the re-emergence of the Yacht Rock genre is this idea that there are these dusty records that no one wants because they're old and out of fashion and someone listens to them and points out that there's something great there and we should all re-think our biases. Let's face it, Yacht Rock - and Easy Listening moreso - was playing when I was a kid and going to the dentist or shopping for clothes; I have, even subconsciously, dismissed huge swaths of music. I admire anyone who shakes off preconceived notions, paying no service to form or fashion and examines the thing objectively for what it is.

JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass

 

Over the years I've flip-flopped quite a lot in my opinion of Oliver Stone's "JFK." To be more precise I always felt it was a fascinating film, extremely well constructed and haunting, but what I kept questioning was whether it told a true story.

In 2021, with the help of further research and unclassified documents, Stone returned to the same subject to re-assess his previous movie. The new information adds a great deal of clarity, as does the documentary, rather than feature film, format.

It's hard to believe I had not heard of this movie's existence until recently - "JFK" was a box-office and cultural phenomenon. Whether it is a function of Oliver Stone's decline in relevance, a decline in interest in documentaries, my own ignorance or something else, I cannot say. But upon hearing about it, I knew I was interested.

Not wishing to be political in any way, but it is worth noting that President Trump has promised to open up the JFK files when he takes office. That should be very interesting indeed and perhaps another movie will be called for.

Dave Letterman Looks Back at Other Roles

 

Dave is made severely uncomfortable just thinking about his appearances on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Mork and Mindy" as well as his audition for "Saturday Night Fever."

Popcorn in Bed - Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me

Cassie watches "Austin Powers 2" for the first time.

By total coincidence, I re-watched this movie recently. It's a very uneven movie and a lot of it falls flat. The character of Fat Bastard seems like an old relic, the plot isn't even trying to make sense, there's never been anything funny about the coffee/lab scene... 

The musical numbers. When Austin introduces a Burt Bacharach number, it's completely appropriate. But then when Dr. Evil sings "One of Us" I was baffled and wondered how many people today are even aware of that song. Finally you get to Dr. Evil singing "Just the Two of Us" and it's a "jump the shark" level of bonkers. Why are there so many musical interludes?

Still, the good jokes outnumber the bad and so if you look at it as a series of gags - which it is - and you add to it the extreme nostalgia of seeing it during a college summer, it's an enjoyable movie. I have my criticisms but I don't want to go too far.

Best of the Worst Trivia

Mike and Rich compete in a RedLetterMedia gameshow where the questions are all about "Best of the Worst" movies.

I'll be honest, I did not do as well as I would have hoped/expected.