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A Christmas Story Christmas (2022)
A tribute to the original and "the Old Man"
First, let me say I am a die hard fan of the original, and watch it a minimum of 5-10 times every holiday season, so this movie had some big shoes to fill in my eyes.
That said, I feel this movie not only keeps to the spirit of the original, but is a heartfelt tribute to it, as well as a "love letter" to its fans. The movie is chocked full of Easter eggs that will delight fans of the original subject material. It also provides multiple "callbacks" to fan favorite memories. It is amazing how many of the cast members they were able to get for starring roles or at least brief cameos. The notable exceptions are Darren McGavin, who sadly passed away, and Melinda Dillon who declined reprising her role due to failing health. I feel the movie addressed both absences well.
Lastly, I will say this. The original has always been an extremely emotional movie for me, due to the memories it evokes from my childhood Christmases. This movie was able to evoke equal, and sometimes even stronger emotions. I am not ashamed to admit I shed more than a few tears over the storylines around Ralphie's dad, especially the wonderful twist at the end. In my opinion, "The Old Man" is and always will be the best "movie dad" of all time, and I feel this movie does him justice in that role, and is a worthy tribute to his memory.
Scare Tactics (2003)
Funny concept but totally fake show
While the concept of the show has great promise, the fact that it is completely fake and totally staged ruins it. The "locations" given are all either fake places or places that have been long abandoned. Regardless of where the episodes are SUPPOSED to be filmed, most of the "victims" and "accomplices" have obvious Canadian accents. Many of the camera shots are from places/angles where the "victim" could not help but see the camera, and they are often obviously wearing a microphone for no rational reason within the backstory. Editing is terrible, to the point where makeup effects suddenly appear out of nowhere with no possible explanation other than a cut/edit. One time a "victim" was wearing an earpiece (his backstory was that he was helping to film a "Scare Tactics" knockoff called "Fear Antics") but within what was supposed to be a single shot, his earpiece went from white, with a coiled cord to black with a straight cord for no reason. EVERY "victim" seems immediately familiar with the show after the "reveal," yet NONE of them recognize the actors, many of whom appear in literally every episode. Lastly, most of these people recover far, far too quickly after supposedly being absolutely terrified literal seconds before.
Gung Ho (1986)
A fun movie with a message
A lot of people (especially now) decried this move as "racist," or "bigoted" saying it promotes racial stereotypes. This movie does the exact opposite! It shows what can happen when we push past racial stereotypes and cultural differences and get to know a person. It illustrates that deep down, we all want the same things for ourselves and our families, regardless of where we were born. It shows how people from radically different backgrounds can all pull together as a team for a common goal. As a bonus, it does it while providing no end of laughs. The actors, writing and directing provide a wholesome, fun movie with a relevant message. Kudos!