Tuesdays on Tape #17-19

#17 - Snow Day (2/5/13)

Tuesdays on Tape Rating Scale™

Boxart: 0/.5
Previews: 1/1
Soundz: .5/.5
B&T: .5/1
Graphics: 1/1.5
Sound Effects: .5/.5
Likable Characters: 1/1
Memorable Moments/Quotables/Emotion: 1/1
Total: 5.5/7

Rent or Buy?: Buy

Kudos:

• Custom boxart and orange tape
• Farts on top of farts
• Smash Mouth soundtrack
• Fry cabin homage to Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
• My friend Steve

Personal Thoughts: Snow Day turned out really nicely. I had low expectations for a Nickelodeon movie, but it wasn't bad at all. While not hilarious by any means, it was enjoyable throughout and even had a couple of funny jokes. The cast did really well at not being annoying. If you like fart jokes and turn-of-the-century pop rock music, you will like it. Ultimately, though, it's a kids movie from 2000. Those without nostalgic investment in the period may not enjoy it as much as we did.

#18 - When Nature Calls (2/12/13)

Tuesdays on Tape Rating Scale™

Boxart: .5/.5
Previews: 1/1
Soundz: .5/.5
B&T: 1/1
Graphics: 1/1.5
Sound Effects: .5/.5
Likable Characters: 1/1
Memorable Moments/Quotables/Emotion: .5/1
Total: 6/7

Rent or Buy?: Buy

Kudos:

• Lots of sweet previews and a post-movie infomercial
• Bullet Baby
• Cougar fight (with intermission)
• Peep show
• Freddie Blassie
• Copious amounts of stunt animals

Personal Thoughts: This is my kind of movie! Made by the lesser of the Kaufman brothers for Troma in  1985, When Nature Calls is a whacky ride. In true Troma fashion, it combines clever humor with low brow gags for lots of laughs. This came out the same year as Toxic Avenger and reminds me of Troma's older comedies (before all Troma Studios films where over-the-top cheezfests). That doesn't mean it's not a little whacky, though.

It's a spoof of the Wilderness Family series, which I didn't know going into it. I was pleasantly surprised by some of the jokes. There is a hilarious man vs. cougar fight, a crazy tirade by Freddie Blassy, and a slew of funny parody trailers at the beginning. This little-known Troma gem is a classy production, right down to the Gone With the Windesque box art. Troma-fans should consider this essential viewing.

#19 - Balto (2/26/13)

Tuesdays on Tape Rating Scale™

Boxart: .5/.5
Previews: .5/1
Soundz: .5/.5
B&T: 0/1
Graphics: 1.5/1.5
Sound Effects: .5/.5
Likable Characters: .5/1
Memorable Moments/Quotables/Emotion: .5/1
Total: 4.5/7

Rent or Buy?: Buy

Kudos:

• Awesome looking grizzly bear
• Colorful aurora borealis grafx
• Morse code dog
• Palette-swapped pudgy dogz

Personal Thoughts: I've seen Balto a million times. My 2nd and 3rd grade teacher was from Alaska. She would fit Alaska and the Iditarod into the curriculum whenever she could. I think I seriously watched Balto every week for those two years of my school career. So, naturally, it's an important part of my childhood memories.

Unfortunately, it's not great. Not bad, just not great. It fits somewhere in the mid-range of the pantheon of 90s cartoons. Balto is better than We're Back, not as good as Mulan. A couple of things that hold this back are a lack of funny jokes and a couple of really annoying polar bear characters. I would only recommend it for 90s nostalgia.

(The actual story of the Nome medicine run is pretty interesting. After re-watching Balto, I looked it up and read about it for a good hour or so. The story is quite impressive!)