Ernest Goes to Camp

This addition to the Ernest pantheon is full of the typical Ernest-style humor: goofy slapstick and over-exaggerations.  The acting is silly and mostly unrealistic, but that’s by design.  The story is typical kids stuff, and it’s all very lighthearted, full of mindless fun.  The focus of this plot is kids at a summer camp who need a second chance at life and Ernest’s efforts to provide them with that, along with a healthy dose of evil business developers.  The jokes will be familiar to anyone who’s already an Ernest fan.  The biggest problem with this film is its lack of representation.  There is only a single woman in the entire run, and the Native American characters are presented as cliches and stereotypes.  But it’s still an easy, family friendly bit of entertainment, and if you’re a fan of Ernest’s silliness, it should already be in your collection.

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Event Horizon

This sci-fi horror film is an exciting, if a bit mindless, blast.  Combining real scientific theories with a bunch of pseudo-science and a healthy dose of horror, it tells the story of a spaceship that’s been where no one should ever go, the dark heart of the universe.  There’s a lot of psychological terror here, alongside some old-fashioned blood and guts.  Much of the scariest stuff comes from the unknown, similar in some ways to the classic cosmic horror stories of Lovecraft or Poe’s twisted tales of mental anguish.  The acting is spectacular, and that really makes up for the poor CGI effects.  They’re not awful, but they’re very obviously unrealistic in a lot of spots.  The practical effects are much better.  The story has some really basic and unoriginal plot points, but they’re handled in a compelling way.  Even once you know how the story’s going to end, it’s a movie worth watching again, full of suspense and interesting characters.  The people are really the biggest draw here, since the story is fairly simple.

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Elvira’s Haunted Hills

This film showcases more of Elvira’s signature goofy humor and fan-service.  She’s in top form making fun of old horror movies and tropes.  The acting is suitably silly and melodramatic all around, and the plot is cliche and unoriginal.  The entertainment value is derived from Elvira herself and the jokes that point out the humor in old films.  Each character is appropriately exaggerated and amusing, and they propel the story even when nothing interesting is going on.  The result is a bit of popcorn entertainment that will amuse most.  It’s harmless fun, as the fan-service aspect isn’t terribly strong or harsh, and the jokes tend to be gentle and referential.  This is a good movie for Halloween or any other time of year if you feel like something mildly creepy and humorous.

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Elvira: Mistress of the Dark

If you’re looking for comedy and fan-service, Elvira is a good bet.  The cheese is strong in this film, which is based on the late-night movie show host.  Elvira might be as corny as the bad movies she hosted, but she’s a lot of fun.  And despite first appearances, she fits the bill of “strong, independent woman” better than a lot of modern heroines.  She leans heavily on her own sexuality, but she’s always in full control of it and doesn’t let anyone else take advantage of her or use her as solely a piece of meat.  Her comedic timing is also fantastic, and that’s where she really shines.  The cheese is strong in the acting, from everyone except Elvira herself, and the plot is a bit cliche.  But her tone always fits the scene, the story, and the character.  This film is great for a laugh and a little bit of guilt-free ogling, and it’s gentle enough that it’s safe for most kids to view, as well.

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Earthsea

This miniseries was based on the book series by Ursula K. LeGuin.  It’s full of fantastic, magical things and takes place within a medieval realm of magic and mystery.  There’s a bit of Tolkien and Rowling about this story, with a journey across the lands, a fight against both a human bad guy and a mystical being of evil, and a magic school.  The special effects aren’t the greatest, but it was a tv movie made a number of years ago.  The acting isn’t the best, though, either, and that could have been fixed.  A few of the actors pull off their roles well, but the majority of them are stiff and unconvincing.  The draw of this film is definitely the story, and that is well done.  There’s a lot of drama, a few twists, and plenty of adventure.  If you can tolerate its flaws, this is a pretty decent adventure story.

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Epic

A tale of fairies and adventure, this movie isn’t the most unique film ever made, but it’s fun and exciting.  The CGI animation is excellent, and the voice acting is even better.  The story tells of a girl’s journey to find both her own place in the world and her father’s place in her life.  There is magic and mayhem and danger aplenty, as she and her friends go up against the main bad guy and his army of destruction.  There’s a lot about pitting the forces of good against the powers of decay, ignoring the real world truth that a little decay is necessary for growth.  But this plot isn’t about balance as much as it’s about growth, change, and connection.  It’s a sweet story that has elements of Spiderwick Chronicles, Magical Legend of the Leprechauns, and Herself the Elf.  (Look that one up, kids.)  It’s entertaining and somewhat enthralling, better than it was given credit for when it first came out.

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Emperor’s New Groove/Kronk’s New Groove

This Disney cartoon is full of fun and comedy, including in-jokes that the kids won’t get.  The story in the first one is original and entertaining and heavy on the star-power.  It’s a finding yourself kind of tale that involves magic and adventure and llamas.  The animation is as nice to look at as Disney cartoons usually are, and the music is great.  The voice acting is fantastic, and there’s a satisfying ending and a lot of memorable characters.

The second film is a sequel but focuses on a different character.  It does tell us more about the world in general and some of the minor characters that weren’t seen much in the first movie.  The comedy is just as strong, and the voice cast the same.  The animation is a bit simplified in spots but still excellent.  The plot is a bit more disjointed, jumping around in time and narration, and the stakes are lower.  But it’s a cute, fun little story.  Both movies are worth watching, especially if you’re a fan of Disney animation but want something with a bit more snark to it.

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Ella Enchanted

This film is loosely based on the fairy tale of Cinderella.  It’s heavy on the comedy but in a lighthearted way.  It’s a fun story with lots of fantasy extras thrown in.  There are a number of changes to the original tale, but they’re all interesting and make the plot more entertaining and unique.  The acting is well done, and the effects are nice to look at.  There’s a lot of music, and some of it makes the film almost feel like a musical.  Instead of waiting for her prince, Ella goes on a quest to fix her life and hopefully make the world a better place.  She meets her prince along the way, along with a few new friends.  There’s a sweet, romantic ending to it all, and it’s worth more than one viewing to catch all the little details in the background.

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Dumbo (1941)

This well known classic is getting a remake, but the original still stands up for the most part.  The story is similar to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, wherein the main character is a social outcast until the rest of the pack need them for something.  There’s plenty of music, and much of it is pretty catchy if rather old-fashioned.  The animation is nice and smooth but very simple.  The voice acting is good, although the cliche voices of the crows are a bit uncomfortable, especially considering the era the movie was made in.  It’s a cute little show, mostly family friendly, though some might object to the scene where Dumbo gets drunk and sees pink elephants.  Weirdly, our hero is mute, but that doesn’t detract from the entertainment and seems to work just fine for the story.  Have a look at this one before you see the new version.

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Eurotrip

This college road trip-style movie is full of wacky, improbable, and raunchy comedy, but that certainly doesn’t mean it’s without merit.  The comedy is lighthearted and without malice, and even the jokes directed at women and minority groups tend to be of the tongue-in-cheek variety that says they’re laughing with you and not at you.  The story is simple, and the entertainment value derives from the interactions between characters and the humor of their situation.  The nudity and language definitely makes this one NSFW, and it’s a lot of fun.  The soundtrack is a big bonus, with head-bobbing tunes that include a lot of remixes and one particular original song that will stick in your head forever.  You don’t get to see much of the sights, but that’s not what this trip is about.  If you’re easily offended, avoid this film; otherwise, find out what Scotty doesn’t know and give it a look.

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