spiff42 Reviews

Snowboard Academy (1997 Video)

Coming From a Jim Varney Fan

[1/10 · 3 April 2018]

I have every Jim Varney film except for this one. Why? Because it is really Stupid This movie is painful the watch the jokes are stupid, Jim Varney is not even likable in this film. I wanted to give this on the benefit of the doubt and I am usually pretty liberal in giving good ratings on most films but this one was one of the few movies I sent to goodwill after viewing it. The jokes are crude as well.

This feels like a movie that tried to use Jim Varney to sell it when he only had a very small role. Then they pieced together footage of a bunch of snowboarders doing stupid things and then called it a movie.

Don't bother especially if you are a fan of Jim Varney. I don't consider this as part of my Ernest collection.

Where the Red Fern Grows: Part Two (1992 Video)

Nice Try!

[3/10 · 27 June 2010]

Borrowed this from my Grandma, cause I loved the original. Nice try! Movie went in too many directions. It was not consistent with the book or the original movie. It was a good effort. One good thing I can say is that the movie is clean and okay for the family to watch, so I give it 3 stars.

It does have a few anti-war references at the beginning when he talks about his leg being amputated. Then they tried to recreate the feelings you had for the Billy and his dogs as an adult Billy and it just did not work.

Lots of unanswered questions: Where did his parents go? Where was his other sister? Was Rainie Pritchard the kid whose brother died in the original? Why was that not mentioned? Whose story was this? By the time you get to the end you don't really care too much about any of the characters and it just stopped being fun.

The Santa Clause 2 (2002)

To be expected from a sequel

[30 November 2002]

Well, what a movie, not that great. I think they make movies like those over the top, they start with simple ideas and then bombard the audience with alot of visual effects and no plot.

I saw very little character development. It just seems to me that movie makers want to compete on who can make the most hyper movie. Visual effects are great but when it detracts from the message of the over all movie it is just plain silly.

However, the scene where they give the teachers all there old favorite games and things it was really fun, those are what make movies a little more magical is to do unexspected things without the hyperness.

There were some clever funny parts but the end with the battle and the wedding were too much. Over all it is a great movie to watch as a family. The best part about the movies is that it is clean and it good for everyone.

The Master of Disguise (2002)

Well Sort of Stupid

[25 November 2002]

This movie I saw with some friends and at the end of the movie we all felt kind of empty, it just did nothing for anyone watching it. Dana Carvey is quite funny, but still he was not as good as he could be I think that this movie is worth seeing once and only once after that it should be never seen again, this will not be on my DVD christmas list this year.

Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam (1985)

A Very Funny Movie

[9 September 2002]

A dark comedy, a twist that is somewhere between Ernest and Tim Burton, very cheaply made but well done, surrealistic plot with very cool characters made especially by the man Jim Varney. This movie is like watching a dream and then waking up not having any idea what to think, what a great flick.

Laserblast (1978)

Great MST3K Fodder!

[1/10 · 15 February 2001]

The back cover says:

Laserblast starring Roddy McDowell, is a thrilling cat and mouse story with a campy twist. A teenage hero is up against a secret alien takeover of the world. The only problem is, who is going to believe that the town's juvenile delinquent is on a mission to save the planet? It's fast times when Ridgemont High meets Aliens. There's enough action to keep you guessing until the very end.

The story behind me finding this movie is that I went to the video store to buy a video game and saw a bargain bin of movies for 99 cents I looked and grabbed it without thinking, if I had know what I was about to watch I would have kept the dollar no contest.

The movies only redeeming quality is the fact that Keenin Wynn (the bad guy in the Disney movies ie. Flubber) he plays an insane southern general.

The first hour of the movie you are left wonder what the heck it is about. The so called "Hero" drives around with his shirt off in a piece of crap van with feet painted on the side getting pulled over by marijuana smoking cops. You can tell it is a 70s sci fi movie because 90% of them have red neck cops.

Then he goes to a pool party which has no actual relevance to the story line. However I did get a good kick out of the fact that his girl friend beat up an entire gang with a tennis racket.

However, the back cover makes it sound some what exciting, and on the front of the cover it states "Three stars, Michael Rae's Cult Classic . . . David Allen's . . . effects are a highlight." - Leonard Maltin, movie and video guide.

My first question was who in their right mind would give a junky movie three stars I would not have even given it one, I would have went the extreme and gave it negative three stars and claimed it was dangerous to ones health if they watch this movie.

The thing that made this movie a sin to put out was the fact they blew a Star Wars sign up, if they were trying to make a statement well they didn't and as far as I am concerned the movie is not worth the video tape it was printed on.

The end of the movie makes no sense because it leaves you to wonder which side the "Hero" was on because he destroyed every car, gas station, and mail box in the town and then the aliens destroyed him.

As far as it says "keeps you guessing until the end" they are right you even keep guessing after the movie is over, guessing why anyone in their right mind would put out such trash.

I heard there was a Laserblast II I will go rent that one "not"