"#Barbie Breaks All the #Movie (#Podcast) Rules" & "Ken Russell’s ’80s All Over"

Ninety For Chill: The #Podcast with @CatBusRuss

Episode 137: #Barbie Breaks All the #Movie (#Podcast) Rules

#Barbie Breaks All the #Movie (Podcast) Rules

Monday Sep 11, 2023

Help NinetyForChill: The #Podcast get away from paywalls by subscribing to "Ninety For Chill: The Podcast with CatBusRuss".

FanExpo Chicago was lacking plentiful after hour activities, so after night two of the convention, CatBusRuss and his big sister decided to check out Greta Gerwig’s take on Mattel’s toy icon, “Barbie”.

This is a fun recording since it it leaves us with a “Siskel & Ebert” feel. The two siblings get to focus on how this fun, educational takedown of the patriarchy left them feeling. If that is not enough embracing of the joy of motion pictures, our hosts get to argue about how the end of 2023 movies look and will end up.

Ninety For Chill: The #Podcast with @CatBusRuss

Episode 138: Ken Russell’s ’80s All Over

Ken Russell’s ’80s All Over

Monday Sep 18, 2023

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⁠"Ninety For Chill: The #Podcast with @CatBusRuss"⁠ offers the world the ultimate questionable quadruple feature. If it was between 70 and 100 minutes in length and directed by ⁠Ken Russell⁠ during the '80s, it is here. ⁠CatBusRuss⁠'s weekend binge features the body horror classic "⁠Altered States⁠", Russell's reimaginings of 19th century British literature in "⁠Gothic⁠" and "⁠Salome's Last Dance⁠", and ⁠Hugh Grant⁠ and ⁠Peter Capaldi⁠ battle with a snake vampiress in "⁠The Lair of the White Worm⁠".

Weird things happen when our host gets ghosted. Aside from watching Ken Russell's "Altered States" to clear up his Netflix DVD queue before the service ends, CatBusRuss did not have much of a plan for what this week's episode would be about. Presuming that he would have a date on his day off, the best he thought he could do was watch "Lisztomania" to provide the audience with the entire range of craziness the director of "Tommy" had to offer.

90 min Family Video: "Moscow Chill": A Daryl that Deserves to Die

Going through my old college note/movie critique composition books from 11 years ago has been a somewhat masochistic experience. At this point, it has been a one to three ratio of good versus bad movies. I kind of feel like a subpar Frankenstein. Resurrection is something you really should do your damnedest not to screw up.

Is showing the clever nature of my writing worth reminding myself of wasted time and promoting bad movies?

Well, there are only so many comics to read and current thoughts to document that will kill time at what is essentially a one-hour photo of a job. There is only so much passion that I can have for being a convenience. That might not be the right attitude having just failed the test to be promoted.

At least this review should not surprise me. I had so much disdain for "Absolon" and "Equilibrium", I was shocked that I could be so harsh on clever flicks. This one was a definite lesson of where obscure fandom can take you. It is a place where you ponder if Daryl Dixon is really that cool.

Pinterest JCB

Moscow Chill

After viewing and eventually purchasing a used copy of "The Insatiable" with Sean Patrick Flannery, I think it is only fair to give a Norman Reedus movie a rent. Anyhow, I wanted to get pumped for the winter release of "The Boondock Saints II".

If my blogs that started the "Main Event of the Dead" are not an indication of how much I grew as a person since 2009, I do not know what is. Perhaps I should try and make a nontoxic masculinity cut of Troy Duffy's flick to show my potential in filmmaking. It might be the best way to get inquiries about my zombie-comedy "Main Event of the Dead". If you want a treatment of my script or have any suggestions on how to promote my B-movie about pro-wrestling and the undead, shoot me an email at russthebus07@gmail.com.

Logic (at least mine) says this transaction should work out. I liked the "Saints" and I liked Russian cinema ranging from "Battleship Potemkin" to "Night Watch" and "Day Watch", so this should work. Surely all modern directors are like Timur Bekmanbetov, and like Bekmanbetov, this movie should have vampires in some capacity. I know it has computers, so if no bloodsuckers, it could be a poor man's "Wanted".

Ray is an anarchist hacker who is stuck in rehab for his latest stunt. He can no longer use a computer for any purpose. A Russian mobster does not want to see his talents go to waste, so he is busted out and flown to Moscow. His assignment, find 40 million dollars in dirty money and funnel it into his new employer's account. As long as the original thieves do not find out, this maybe the greatest computer scam ever pulled. For the regard that comes with the title of greatest hacker, how can Ray resist?

"Moscow Chill" is nothing like its box art suggests. There are no action sequences that this film can boast about and it lacks the hip vibe that would attract someone my age to Angelina Jolie's classic "Hackers" (I have not seen "Hackers", but mid-90's zeitgeist.). If you squint, it could be compared to "War Games" due to the lack of subtle espionage, but it lacks well developed characters or humor, the latter of which the fans of Reedus know is one of his strong suits. When it takes 50 minutes for conflict to occur and there is no new character development after this point, the viewer realizes they have wasted a bowl of popcorn.

If anything, "Moscow Chill" is nothing more than a brochure to show the city's new bohemia. The film offers nothing innovative and does not even try to use the talent associated with it. It is not a painful experience, but neither was study hall.

"Me and My Mates vs. The Zombie Apocalypse" - A Mostly Positive "Oi, Oi, Oi"

 *Blog post started on October 20, 2020.

My weekend was not too bad. They have hired enough newbies at the retailer that my work for the most part is that I just have to make sure nothing goes wrong at check out, and our customer service experts are now scheduled properly. Without too much pressure, I think I can work almost all the time. It keeps my mind off my existential crises and the pay makes it a net positive. Who needs a therapy when you could make $15 an hour?

Sunday was alright because I at least had the time to video games. Once the ex called to check on her cat and encourage me to abandon the written word for the video abyss, I decided to leave the gaming chair to get comfortable. Eva the Queen Kitty filled that spot immediately after I left to answer the phone, so that put an end to catching Pokemon. This was interpreted as a sign that I should watch a feature to feed the blogs. My little brother's abandoned copy of "Board Heads (a.k.a. "Beach Movie")" fit the NinetyForChill.com criteria (Longer than 75 minutes, Shorter than 97).

I do not know if I made it 15 minutes into this attempt to bridge Cinemax's late night features with early 80's dudes trying to get laid flicks that have aged poorly. The latter genre for the most part does not bother me too much. If you want to say that "Revenge of the Nerds" is far too rapey, I will remind you that the premise is REVENGE.

There has been some jonesing for Jim Jefferies's humor since he left Comedy Central and I had success with a previous Oceania horror comedy in "Bad Taste". It was time for an iTunes impulse buy in "Me and My Mates vs. The Zombie Apocalypse".

"Me and My Mates vs. The Zombie Apocalypse"

A "Walking Dead" like scenario has finally occurred in Australia. They may not be the undead, but they seem to be rotting away quickly and they definitely have a taste for human flesh. Everyone who is definitely alive is searching for safety. Daryl, Joel, and their telecom supervisor Roy know that the tower they work at has a security door, so sheltering there will do for now. Joel has brought the beers, Daryl brought Betsy the shotgun, and Roy is accompanied by his 19 year-old daughter Emma and a vape pen. You cannot let the apocalypse interfere with quitting nasty habits.

Ninety For Chill: The #Podcast with @CatBusRuss: "Another Earth", Another Narnia, Another Thor

Ninety For Chill: The #Podcast with @CatBusRuss

Episode 134: "Another Earth", Another Narnia, Another Thor

”Another Earth”, Another Narnia, Another Thor

Help NinetyForChill: The #Podcast get away from paywalls by subscribing to "Ninety For Chill: The Podcast with CatBusRuss".

CatBusRuss is doing his best to overcome exhaustion. Fan Expo Chicago calls for exploration means there was no time for relaxation. Our host has worked himself sick, so he felt lucky to get in three movies since returning from Rosemont. And after starting the week with his Netflix DVD rental, "Another Earth", getting up the energy to watch 1979's "The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe" and 2022's "Thor: Love and Thunder" should be considered an accomplishment.

These three movies are all worthwhile. "Another Earth" is science fiction that challenges the genre's demand for visual effects. The adaptation of the first "Chronicle of Narnia" is an interesting attempt to sneak Christianity into schools. And while avoiding films in the franchise that are based around a new characters, Russ has enjoyed diving into Phase 4 of the MCU.

But all of these features present challenges to enjoy them. There is a very dour premise with the indie film. The cartoon features questionable character designs that make you wonder why they did not stick to their "Charlie Brown" style. And you can see why there are three credited editors on the Marvel movie. It is definitely going to be a one flick movie this week for the CatBus. His strength must be regained.

Allow me to get out of third-person. Happy Prof. Shurtleff of Illinois Central College? I (CatBusRuss) will try not to make so much light of violent death in this summation. This is my declaration of changing perspective.

Pinterest @oh_magdalena

*Blog post started on August 20, 2023.

Sundays are my only day off from my two jobs, and I am doing my best to just recover from the past couple of weeks. Vacations never seem to be too relaxing for me.

The last one where I could have just chilled out was in August of 2021. Even then, I chose not to. There was a trip to Milwaukee to catch AEW television. It was only a couple of days on the road, but I think I may have also visited my folks as well. That may have only been a handful of days of work, but the point is, I like to make something of everyday. This concept still rings true, so a little frustrated dealing with a head cold when my little niece still has a second birthday to celebrate two hours from me.

Perhaps I should have skipped seeing RiffTrax live when I could have had an evening off. Team Shrug Emoji (or whatever it is called until Vicky is back) knew I was not going to make it because of my "need" to see Mike, Bill, and Kevin riff "Rad". Instead, getting rid of business cards was my priority.

So many were obtained at Fan Expo Chicago, and I wanted them to be easy for me to find, that they forced out three of my "Ninety For Chill" cards from my case. Thus, a couple of bars were visited after a show where I was sipping on Wild Turkey 101. That is some intense bourbon to be swigging from a flask.

Actually, a trio of bars were visited. It was only 9:15 pm when I got to Downtown Champaign, so I tried to see if I could catch my team before they left. No luck there, but the post game crew was present. Too bad I am not one to break up conversations when I arrive. If you are having a good time, why would I want to interfere just to proclaim that I am here? This attitude did not help me while I was on the road for wrestling. How can interrupting people be polite.

Needless to say, when I left The Blind Pig to see if the crew had made it to Quality (Get a fucking sign and decor.), I was a bit maudlin. Without the leader of the squad, people seem fine calling it a night after eating bar fare from Esquire.

It is fine pub fare, just disappointing because there is a greater menu at the bar next door who closes their kitchen sooner. I guess I just need to visit them next Thursday before trivia to feel more accomplished. There I go again, my quest to feel accomplished. Grabbing cheap lime vodka and chicken fries at Meijer's before they closed did not quite fulfill that.

And perhaps the feeling of failure carried over to Friday. After I got through my frustrating electronic store shift (Welcome back you, "How did you get accepted to a Big Ten school" fucks.), I got ready to face them and their lack of IDs at my liquor store job. When I arrived, all seemed normal. Then I looked at the register schedule to recall that it was my night off.

Having gotten to bed early and having enough staff at my morning job made the two-shift Saturday fairly easy. And I am currently on a 36-hour break between jobs, but I fear that I will get stir-crazy. Thankfully, Eva is looking after me. She is on my lap right now as I type, so I best accept that I am not going anywhere. But half off the menu ends tonight at Domino's.

This is what I get for trying to apply for a Walmart credit card so that I can finance my oil changes instead of deal with Mom's guilt trips. Does Eva not know I need the challenge of being snot-filled while eating pizza? It is like she was inspired by the White Witch of Narnia. I guess the Children's Television Workshop's adaptation of the first chronicle was more influential than I thought.

How is that for a transition?

Ninety For Chill: The #Podcast with @CatBusRuss: "Arena (1989)" - An Evil Penguin in Sloth's Corner & Raimi's "Doctor Strange"

 Ninety For Chill: The #Podcast...with @CatBusRuss

Episode 132: "Arena (1989)" - An Evil Penguin in Sloth's Corner & Raimi's "Doctor Strange"

”Arena (1989)” - An Evil Penguin in Sloth’s Corner & Raimi’s ”Doctor Strange”

Tues, Aug 8, 2023

Help NinetyForChill: The #Podcast get away from paywalls by subscribing to "Ninety For Chill: The Podcast with CatBusRuss".

CatBusRuss returns to his blogging roots. This episode is dedicated to "Arena" from 1989. Our host wrote a review for this Charles Band produced feature back in 2019, and it caught the attention of one of the premier nerdy minds in the Champaign/Urbana metroplex, Tim Bates of Evil Penguin Games. Tim has had a big influence on his fellow retail geeks, like friend of the show Kodiak Thompson, by exposing them to media like the "John Dies at the End" franchise.

Tim and Russ have essentially been working together the past six years, but it was not until the CatBus shared his review of this feature on Facebook did the two expand their conversations from complaining about customers to movies. "Arena" was one of Tim's favorite movies growing up and at one time he owned a VHS copy of it. As for our host's relationship with the film, it took him 30 years to get around to it.

His fascination with gaudy, low-budget faire had only started in 2009. But he remembers growing up on early eighties "Star Wars" knock offs. Add in a tournament fighting element, and Russ wishes his cinema snobbiness had passed decades prior.

This is not to say that Russ has totally abandoned being a cinematic elitist. He still is a tired of a lot of big-budget studio films, but he knows dissing the mere concept of them may not be fair. Russ liked the first three phases of the MCU, so despite the fatigue towards the series, the fear of being too judgmental means he must continue with MCTuesday. For this installment, the feature he takes on is Sam Raimi's "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness".

Allow me to get out of third-person. Happy Prof. Shurtleff of Illinois Central College? I (CatBusRuss) will try not to make so much light of violent death in this summation. This is my declaration of changing perspective.

It is late. This time typing in the wee morning hours was not my intention. The podcast that this blog's title is based on is still five days from being released. I have just fallen into some strange circumstances, and prepping this blog just happens to be the best use of my time.

I am actually at my primary retail job. The shift leader who was supposed to be making sure the project team that corporate brought in was under the weather, so someone had to fill in. To his credit, he was here when I arrived after a five-hour shift at my secondary gig, I obtained a change of clothes, and picked up some dinner. What a trooper?

I feel like a jerk for not immediately crossing the street because of his dedication. If only I would have known that another member of leadership was not filling in for him, my instinct would have been to just leave one job for the other. The boredom would have been absolutely torturous after I got done with my morning duties that I "traded" shifts for. Sitting around listening to podcasts and not doing anything is only asking for me to fight off sleep.

And since the business is closed, I would be left starving. You cannot advertise that there are people working here, so ordering out was not going to be an option.

I suppose I could go and find some "Goo Gone" to clean up the tape from old signs, but I cannot let myself be the only one who does the unnecessary tasks in the place. Those tasks will probably still be done tonight anyway. There is probably three hours, at the very least, before the night ends, and this blog is not going to take up that much time.

Plus, writing this blog out kind of lets me feel like a bad boy. Blogging on the clock, we know where that got me with the former Marine Bank. You would think I had learned my lesson.

Speaking of lessons, if you have to bank with Clock Tower Community Bank and live in the Champaign/Urbana area, do so at the one located in the Shoppes of Knollwood (2229 S Neil in Champaign). It is best to avoid the two-faced management that may have been held over. I think I have seen Angie Zindar's van parked there whenever I am heading to Moe's or Slim Chicken's.

I usually use the past blog post as a template for the current post. This is where I throw out a pitch to be a guest on "Ninety For Chill: The #Podcast with @CatBusRuss". It seems like I may have a couple of guests lined up for August 22 and 29, but no certainty. If you want to be a guest on this podcast. October will be horror themed, so do not think that you need to rush to be on the show. Send an email with your requests/demands to russthebus07@gmail.com. 

So what's been up since I last wrote? My trivia team, ~\?/~, had a respectable performance at #FreePubTrivia's Tourney of Champions in Chicago. Working two jobs with questionable air conditioning and lots of day drinking at that event resulted in exhaustion/dehydration puking, but the day was already a win, so I really cannot complain. The anecdote about the post event suffering is either for sympathy or schadenfreude, take your pick. 

Otherwise, my time was dedicated to the past podcast, "Low Budget Movie Demons & Undead Angels". It was a fun(ish) assessment of my appreciation for no budget and exploitation cinema. "Killjoy" and "Terminator 2 (a.k.a. "Shocking Dark" and "Alienators")" were tough, but the shot on video "Zombie Apocalypse (2010)" and "Zombies Anonymous" were still worthwhile with these rewatches.

What I should have made time to rewatch was Kevin Tenney's "Brain Dead (2007)". I bring that up because my guest for this soon to be published podcast (speaking in past tense), is Tim Bates of Evil Penguin Games. We thought about covering "Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-A-Rama" at the end of our "Night of the Demon's" episode. If we made that parallel, the horror humor of "Brain Dead" would have been a nice warm up.

But, "Ninety For Chill" is about worthwhile 90-minute movies (as my ad read from Chris Hardwick states). The best bet would be to cover the feature that I reviewed years ago that peaked Tim's interest, Charles Band presents "Arena".