VIDEODROME (1983)

James Woods is the president of a small television station in Toronto.  He's always looking for something fresh and exciting to feature on his station.  The 24-hour marathons of MAC AND ME just ain't bringing in the ratings anymore, so he starts exploring around using a modded satellite dish that can pick up crap from all over the world.  His latest discovery is a show called "Videodrome" which isn't really a show, but just random people being tortured in an orange room.  Woods become obsessed with Videodrome.  Things go downhill from there...especially when he grows a Betamax player in his stomach.

VIDEODROME is a weird movie.  I remember enjoying it back in the 1980's, but watching it now for this review, it's dated as fook and tame.  A single episode of "Rick and Morty" is way more bizarre.  It's still an interesting ride from a historical perspective.

Opening act that starts out legitimately creepy, dated special effects that still look cool, good acting, medium pace, jumbled up story that doesn't go anywhere, disappointing ending.  VIDEODROME is worth watching, but it's nothing to get excited about.  I would love to see a fucked up remake.  That'd be awesome!

BOOTY CALL (1997)

Rushon and his girlfriend, Nikki, set her best friend, Lysterine, and his best friend, Bunz, up on a blind / double date. Problem is she’s all fancy and likes to eat lobster tail and shit, while he’s just a busta ass hood rat with “tarantula hair”. Being good sports, they go along on the double date with only a minor amount of screaming and name-calling, but that all changes with some aptly timed toe licking. Now they’re off to the Fuck Olympics! Yeah, boi!!! That is, until Nikki’s dog gnaws on Rushon’s one and only condom. The Fuck Olympics have been postponed and now Bunz and Rushon (and their sad boners) have to go walking around Chinatown in the middle of the night looking for some jimmy hats.

BOOTY CALL is a good movie. It’s dated as fook, but in an endearing way. The humor (especially the physical stuff) is still golden. I was dying when that dog started licking Bunz’ butthole and he said he was “cramping up”. Goddamn, that entire scene was classic.

Quick pace, lots of great quotes, memorable characters, zero nudity, impressive supporting cast, a couple of un-PC jokes that are better left in the past, maybe a nod to MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL(?). 

BOOTY CALL is definitely rough around the edges, but in the right state of mind, it can be an entertaining time-waster. Recommended for sure. I’d love to see a Part 2!

PARIS IS BURNING (1990)

"...you're black and you're male and you're gay.  You're gonna have a hard fuckin' time.  If you're gonna do this, you're gonna have to be stronger than you ever imagined."

Filmed in New York City in the latter part of the 1980's, PARIS IS BURNING gives a small, but fascinating look into the NYC "ball culture".  Balls are (from what the film told me) a mix of dance, posing, performance, modeling, etc. where participants (mainly African-American and Latin American members of the LGBTQ community) get up in front the audience and strut their stuff like a motherfucker!!!  I mean work that shit!  It's dope.  I wish I knew how to move like that.  It'd be awesome!  Strutting around, pointing at the cat, voguing all up in her smug face.  "Mmmm-hummmm!!!  What are you gonna do about it?!"

Anyway, PARIS IS BURNING focuses solely on one certain group location in NYC.  We're shown the events of a ball, explained the different categories, terminology and introduced to some of the main players who all have bad ass names like Pepper LaBeija, Danni Xtravaganza, Octavia St. Laurent and Willi Ninja.  There's so much going on, you really can't even take it all in in just one viewing.  I had to watch it twice and it was great both times.

One of the sadder things I noticed (besides the racism, homophobia, cruel parents and murder) was how a lot of the people being interviewed wanted to be somebody else.  Like a person they saw on television (Dynasty, which ran from 1981 until 1989, is mentioned a few times) or somebody that is wealthy.  It was sad.  I wish more people, not just the people in this film, but people in general, could be happier with being themselves.  Realize that it doesn't take money or material possessions to give you value.  You, yes, you reading this, if you possess virtues like honesty, empathy, integrity, civility, modesty...then you have value.  Fuck sports cars, fuck big TV's, fuck boats, fuck motorcycles, fuck a powerful job...honesty, compassion, acceptance.  That is where it is at.   

Try to leave the world a better place than how you found it. And, if you find somebody to love (and they love you back), love them every single day like it is your last, because one day it will be.

Wow.  I got way off subject.  Long story, short: PARIS IS BURNING is a great documentary.  Quick pace, uplifting story, delightful people, unique subject matter, GHOSTBUSTERS on TV.  The entire thing was like a really cool time capsule.  Highly recommended.

If you need me, I'll be in my room sad voguing to $uicideBoy$.