Post by Mark T. Locker.

I am about to make a potentially divisive comment, and may well lose friends and/or family members in doing so, but I think some of those Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K for nerds in the know) movies are pretty darned funny. You know them: two snarky robots and a human watch campy sci-fi movies and make fun of them. It’s like having friends who are funnier than your real friends. A lot of these movies are available on Netflix; most are not all that good but a few are very funny. And since Mitchell, which many nerds would argue is their magnum opus, is not available online (legally) I am going to direct you to their full-on big screen movie release, a scathing commentary on the 1955 science fiction movie This Island Earth.

I couldn’t possibly do it any justice trying to explain what is funny and why; it’s like trying to describe a comic strip to someone. You just have to see it for yourself. It is really (in my nerdy opinion) worth it, and what better way to fall asleep than all a’giggle?

Tags: bed, bedroom, Charles P. Rogers, Movie Reviews, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Science Fiction, This Island Earth

Post by Mark T. Locker.

Looking for some Old West anthropomorphic fun on a Friday night? Rango is a fun, exciting, action-packed good time. Voiced by Johnny Depp, Rango is a pet chameleon who falls off his owner’s car and finds himself in the middle of the Mojave Desert. When he comes across the small town of Dirt, he tells them his name is Rango and that he is a crime fighter of sorts. The next thing he knows, he is embroiled in a dangerous mystery of stolen precious water.

Rango is a clever and funny family movie, but not really good for little kids, as it’s kind of scary and violent. But for older kids it’s great, and even fun for adults.

Tags: Charles P. Rogers, family, Johnny Depp, Movie Reviews, movies in bed, Rango

Post by Mark T. Locker.

I can’t stop thinking about Hayao Miyazaki right now. I have been combing eBay for various fuzzy little trinkets (I’m currently the highest bidder on a pair of “dust bunny” slippers). We watch My Neighbor Totoro a lot in this house, and Princess Mononoke is my personal favorite, though a little too bloody for family viewing. I had almost forgotten about Spirited Away, which is a wonderful, magical, spooky, and funny movie.

On the way to their new home far from her friends, ten-year-old Chihiro and her parents stop for a rest at an abandoned amusement park. But their little layover leads to unexpected results; when her parents are turned into swine for feeding on food meant for the gods, Chihiro runs away and finds herself trapped at a magical bathhouse for spirits. Guided by her friend Haku, a tiny bird and an fat white rat, Chihiro embarks on a journey to find her parents and recapture her name. It’s soooo good.

Tags: bed, bedroom, Charles P. Rogers, Hayao Miyazaki, Movie Reviews, Movies, Spirited Away

Post by Mark T. Locker.

Almost all of my movie viewing comes courtesy of Netflix and Hulu. I am not fancy enough to have cable and all my librarian training forbids me from even entertaining the notion of pirated downloads. I’m pretty sure they would strip me of my title if I did such a thing. You shouldn’t do it either, by the way. So whenever a new movie is offered, it is reason to celebrate. Especially when for years they have offered Ghostbusters 2 but not the original. Now, I like a Bobby Brown Ghostbusters song as much as the next guy, but having Ghostbusters 2 without the first installment is like offering New Coke but not the Classic. As in: no thanks.

Now that you have way more information than you needed, it is my pleasure to announce that Ghostbusters is finally available for your viewing pleasure on Netflix! Of course, if you have the cable television it’s probably On Demand or whatever. I can’t wait for Saturday night so we can curl up on our couch with a cool drink (as spring may well be on its way to the Pacific Northwest!) and watch that poor librarian get the bejeezus scared out of her! And let’s be honest: the Ray Parker, Jr. song is the only one you ever hear people talk about.

Tags: bed, bedroom, Charles P. Rogers, Ghostbusters, Movie Reviews, movies in bed

Post by Mark T. Locker.

Listen. Don’t judge. I know I am about to review a movie about a talking bird which leads a boy to pirate treasure. This happens to be the last movie I’ve seen. I have a three-year-old! Like I said, don’t judge.

Surprisingly, there are a couple big names in this movie: Jason Robards as the eccentric grandpa and John Goodman as the voice of the Macaw who leads the boy to treasure. The story is as old as time: a 150-year-old parrot who was once owned by a pirate reveals to the grandson of an ailing and deeply in debt adventurer that not only can he talk—and I mean talk—but he knows the location of a secret pirate treasure in the South Pacific! Off they go on an adventure, bad guy from the museum hot on their heels. I’m sure you can figure out how it ends. It’s a totally harmless movie that kids who are too young to be critical will enjoy.

Tags: bed, bedroom, Charles P. Rogers, Children, family, Movie Reviews, The Real Macaw