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Reviews
Rocko's Modern Life (1993)
An Offbeat Classic
In October 1993, something magical happened: an unassuming little cartoon called "Rocko's Modern Life" debuted on Nickelodeon. Sure, the premise might have sounded a little bizarre; I mean, how many programs do you know that center around an immigrant Australian wallaby trying to live his modern life with the help of his best friends, the gluttonous steer (NOT a cow, mind you) Heffer and the perpetually nervous turtle, Filburt? Throw in his toad neighbors, the Bigheads, his job as a clerk at Kind-of-a-Lot-O-Comics, and a cast of zany secondary characters, you've got yourself a downright offbeat cartoon. But you can't take "Rocko" at face value. You have to look deeper, watch an episode, and really laugh at the clever-yet-simple jokes that pepper the action.
And don't, under any circumstances, write this off as a kids' show. As you might know, "Rocko" came under fire for its "mature" content; in other words, the series harbors many, many, many inside jokes and innuendoes just below the surface. Just take a look at some episode titles ("Schnit-Heads," "Who Gives a Buck?"), some character/establishment names (Doctor Bendova, the Chokey Chicken fast-food restaurants), and countless other little occurrences throughout every episode.
A stark, unique animation style, one that presents everything at a slight angle, provides a great backdrop for Rocko's adventures, and paints a truly different world that sets the cartoon apart from all others.
And through it all, a surreal sense of humor reigns supreme. On what other cartoon could you find a Museum of Pointy Objects, police activities that include arts-and-crafts, a vacuum with a neutering device, or a family of wolves that adopted a steer?
It certainly didn't deserve to be canceled after only three seasons, but in the fickle world of children's programming (especially on Nickelodeon, a network infamous for canning innovative series and renewing the dreck year after year), it just wasn't prepackaged, marketable, and mainstream enough to work out. But that's what I like best about "Rocko"; it's truly different from anything else you could ever find on television, a little outpost of originality in a TV world full of copycats and clones. Rest assured, you can still enjoy Rocko, Heffer, and the whole gang, provided you have digital cable, on Nickelodeon's all-cartoon outlet Nicktoons TV.
Overall, a ten out of ten, but shave a few points off if you don't automatically crack up when you hear this classic "Rocko" line, courtesy of Heffer: "Hey, Rock, do that funny face you make when you're buying eggs."
And don't, under any circumstances, write this off as a kids' show. As you might know, "Rocko" came under fire for its "mature" content; in other words, the series harbors many, many, many inside jokes and innuendoes just below the surface. Just take a look at some episode titles ("Schnit-Heads," "Who Gives a Buck?"), some character/establishment names (Doctor Bendova, the Chokey Chicken fast-food restaurants), and countless other little occurrences throughout every episode.
A stark, unique animation style, one that presents everything at a slight angle, provides a great backdrop for Rocko's adventures, and paints a truly different world that sets the cartoon apart from all others.
And through it all, a surreal sense of humor reigns supreme. On what other cartoon could you find a Museum of Pointy Objects, police activities that include arts-and-crafts, a vacuum with a neutering device, or a family of wolves that adopted a steer?
It certainly didn't deserve to be canceled after only three seasons, but in the fickle world of children's programming (especially on Nickelodeon, a network infamous for canning innovative series and renewing the dreck year after year), it just wasn't prepackaged, marketable, and mainstream enough to work out. But that's what I like best about "Rocko"; it's truly different from anything else you could ever find on television, a little outpost of originality in a TV world full of copycats and clones. Rest assured, you can still enjoy Rocko, Heffer, and the whole gang, provided you have digital cable, on Nickelodeon's all-cartoon outlet Nicktoons TV.
Overall, a ten out of ten, but shave a few points off if you don't automatically crack up when you hear this classic "Rocko" line, courtesy of Heffer: "Hey, Rock, do that funny face you make when you're buying eggs."
Reptilicus (1961)
Reptilicus, AKA "Ridiculous"
What started as a well-meaning monster flick quickly turned into a two-hour laugh-fest at the expense of the less-than-stellar special effects.
"Reptilicus" is essentially a comedy, complete with a puppet for a monster that shoots animated "green acid slime" and demolishes none-too-realistic models of Amsterdam buildings. The film is awash in atrocious special effects and even worse acting; the stars are mere shells of themselves, glancing into space for no apparent reason, missing cues, and bungling lines.
Envision a placid day at the beach- the sun is shining, the water is cool, and the waves are stiff. That's not how director Pink portrays it, however; a close-up shot of two young lovers on the beach places right in front of the looming Reptilicus. There's only one problem; they're sitting, according to the blatant "blue screen" in front of which they are standing, directly in the middle of the water.
Reptilicus often switches places at the drop of a hat; directly following a shot of the monster in the city is an image of the beast wallowing in the water, just below a bridge. Five minutes later, he's back in the heart of the city, destroying the stock exchange.
If you're having a bad day, pop "Reptilicus" into your DVD player and guffaw your head off at the poor acting, terrible special effects, and gratuitous dubbing (my estimate is that fifty percent of the dialogue was dubbed in).
TWO THUMBS FIRMLY PLACED DOWNWARD!
From movie critics Alex and Matt.
"Reptilicus" is essentially a comedy, complete with a puppet for a monster that shoots animated "green acid slime" and demolishes none-too-realistic models of Amsterdam buildings. The film is awash in atrocious special effects and even worse acting; the stars are mere shells of themselves, glancing into space for no apparent reason, missing cues, and bungling lines.
Envision a placid day at the beach- the sun is shining, the water is cool, and the waves are stiff. That's not how director Pink portrays it, however; a close-up shot of two young lovers on the beach places right in front of the looming Reptilicus. There's only one problem; they're sitting, according to the blatant "blue screen" in front of which they are standing, directly in the middle of the water.
Reptilicus often switches places at the drop of a hat; directly following a shot of the monster in the city is an image of the beast wallowing in the water, just below a bridge. Five minutes later, he's back in the heart of the city, destroying the stock exchange.
If you're having a bad day, pop "Reptilicus" into your DVD player and guffaw your head off at the poor acting, terrible special effects, and gratuitous dubbing (my estimate is that fifty percent of the dialogue was dubbed in).
TWO THUMBS FIRMLY PLACED DOWNWARD!
From movie critics Alex and Matt.