Tag Archives: franchise

Vacation Retrospective Part 5

VACATION (2015) To scrutinize what went irredeemably wrong with the latest Vacation reboot is to pinpoint exactly where comedy went awry in the mid-90’s. The Farrelly Brothers came to providence and their movies slathered both gross-out, scatological humor with pathos … Continue reading

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Vacation Retrospective Part 3

NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION If the dreary European Vacation proved anything, it’s that the Griswolds are at optimal dysfunction when they are stateside which explains why Christmas Vacation is a mirthful, gregarious return-to-form for the franchise. While the ensemble of … Continue reading

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Vacation Retrospective Part 2

NATIONAL LAMPOON’S EUROPEAN VACATION Odd that the theme song for these films is “Holiday Road” and so far in the series, they haven’t acknowledged any holidays except for the yuletide season. Much to my chagrin, the Pig in a Poke … Continue reading

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Mission Impossible Retrospective Part 4

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE- GHOST PROTOCOL Of the films thus far, Ghost Protocol is the most giddy and exuberant. The first film was a Tom Clancy potboiler. The second film was an operatic ballet. The third was a gritty crime drama. Part … Continue reading

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Mission Impossible Retrospective Part 3

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 3 J.J. Abrams attempts to tether Mission: Impossible with both forlorn heart and continuity neither of which is required. This series of films are episodic by design and can be stripped down to the elemental pleasures of globe-trotting … Continue reading

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Mission Impossible Retrospective Part 2

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2 John Woo has been and will always be one of the action directors that I genuflect to. His movies are hyperkinetic extravaganzas with dollops of elegiac poetry (the dove trademark, the slow-motion theatrics, etc.). This is the … Continue reading

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Mission Impossible Retrospective Part 1

With Tom Cruise committing his suicide to celluloid (or digital) again for Rogue Nation on July 31st, I thought it would be appropriate to dissect the entries leading up to his latest untenable assignment.

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