Leap Day: The 'Quantum Leap' Wrestling Episode

 What is the point in having a Complete Series Boxset if you never watch it.

On this day that we only get once every 4 years, let's pay some love to Quantum Leap...

In 1991, Pro Wrestling was on a down swing.  Regardless, we got an Episode about it in Season 3, Episode 20.

Let's lock up!

Sam leaps into a 1950's Wrestler, whose gimmick is a Fake Russian.  
At least he's not a Fake Nazi like Fritz Von Erich.

He improvises and gives TV Viewers a Trouble in Paradise.

*****

He figures out what is going on...

His Brother is his Partner and his Mom is the Manager.

They want a Title Shot, which was apparently the dead Dad's dream.

The problem- the Brother has a not-diagnosed heart condition and will die (or did in the original Timeline) if he wrestles.

What is Sam to do?

He finally manages to figure out what exactly his issue is- he got sick as a kid and it damaged his heart.

He won't listen to Mom, however.
After all, he wouldn't listen to his One Scene Only Wife and Kid.

In the B-Plot, Sam is caught in a triangle with the wife of opponent (Terry Funk) and the Funker himself.

The guy wants to legit kill Sam, but he also has to keep the Brother out of the ring.

Ouch.

Cut to a montage of Sam being beaten up by Terry Funk for what they say is an hour.

Even in the '50s, that seems a bit much- especially since this supposedly ran on TV.

Anyhow, Sam pulls off Chekhov's Sleeper Hold to win the Titles.
The Brother doesn't die.  The End.

A good Episode, even if I was hoping for more Wrestling.  I was probably expecting too much.

To be fair, you are rewarded with lots of Funk highlights, from a body slam to an Atomic Drop to a Piledriver.  You can also see in the slow motion how Funk keeps a hand on Sam's back to make sure that his body doesn't fall onto him.

Kayfabe lives!

The actual meat of the Episode is nice.  Everyone gets a moment or two to shine.  
The Wife is great, so it is a shame how much they shortchange her.  Aw.

Funk is great fun here, playing up a real '80s Movie Villain (which he played a few times).

Shout out to Jean-Pierre Dorleac work as Costume Designer- he really nailed the 1950's aesthetic.

Is this a great representation of 1950's Territory Wrestling?  Probably not.  
Would anyone in 1991 know this?  Would anyone in 2024 care?  Nah.

Kudos for making the most of not getting Stan Hansen as Funk's partner by getting his Stunt Double...

***When in doubt, hire a Stan Hansen double***

A really nice Episode that doesn't give you lots of Wrestling.  It was 1991, so what was I really expecting though?

Tubi Thursday: The Arena (1974)

 Well, I teased this one last week with zero idea if this was on Tubi or not.
As you probably guessed, it is.

Let's go to Rome...

In Ancient Rome, a bunch of people are being captured as Slaves.

A very-1950s Gay Character (this Film was made in 1974, as a reminder) buys our Heroines up.

They have to do all of the usual jobs- Housework, Entertainment and the like.

Shockingly, this is not good for them.

Their 'owner' also runs a Gladiatorial Arena (even though they only built about half of it) and makes them work around it.

They do namedrop Spartacus, by the way.

Weirdly, this Film marketed around 'hot ladies fighting' tries to milk TONS of drama and pathos.

With the crowds wanting more (and inspired by watching Grier and Markova fight in the kitchen), they decide to make the ladies into Gladiators.

This 'crazy' idea was a real thing.  After all, Gladiatrix is a thing.
Even Spell Check didn't mind the word.

Markova has a plan- get their freedom!

They get the help of the Trainer, who just lost his lady (also a slave).

Will they overthrow the rich elite?
Will they fight the powers that be?

More importantly, will Markova survive to the Credits this time around?

To find out, stream this weirdly serious Film now.

It's not bad, but it sure isn't great either.  Considering what you were expecting though, is that a surprise?

This one is all about Ladies fighting in a Gladiatorial Arena.  Were you expecting Oppenheimer?

That said, they definitely tried to make this WAY MORE of a Drama than I was expecting.  It is definitely an Exploitation Film- no question!- but it also tries to make commentary about how bad that all is.

I guess you can have your cake and eat it too if your Film takes place before that expression was coined.

Don't expect amazing Acting here, though Grier and company do honestly try.  Again- it was more than I was expecting.  Everyone gets an Arc (small as it may be) to their Character.

The Film is a good example of how you can make a Film like this, add more depth and still not lose the appeal.  It wasn't like, for instance, making a fun Horror Film about Witches in a Ballet School into a nearly 3-hour slog.

Mind you, the 2001 Remake is probably lacking much of the subtext and characterization...

A kind-of fun Film that really tries to make you feel drama and all that stuff.  You can take it or leave it, but I do kind of like it.

Shudder-Day: Werewolves Within (2021)

 A Film about mistrust in a small town full of guns- what a fantasy!
Oh, and there's also a Werewolf.

Let's see how this Horror Comedy leaves its mark (and not just on your good shoes) ...

In 2016, a Video Game was made about people trying to figure out which one of them was a Werewolf.

How does that become a Film?

A new Park Ranger comes to a small Town.

He's super nice and that's definitely not going to come to bite him in the butt.
In this case, it might be literal.

A small series of murders begins to happen, which freaks everyone out.

Is it the bad couple?  The new folks?  The Mailwoman?  The Oil Executive?

Please be the last one!

They think that getting together in the Hotel will make them safer.

This is a Movie, so that doesn't work out.

Can they find the culprit?!?

Will our Park Ranger step up to the task?

Will you guess who the lycanthrope is?

To find out, stream it now.

A fun Film, although the balance of humor to violence may not be your taste.

The Film has a great Cast and a great Setting.  The adaptation is a pretty good one.  They get the feel of the intrigue and paranoia.

That said, much of the Film is people arguing and accusing each other of doing bad things (like eating each other's hands).

In summary, it is an accurate adaptation of a Game based on not trusting each other.  Just know what to expect.

Fun Fact- you have to license the Post Office Logo to use in your Film.  You'll see why I bring it up when you watch the Film.

I would have liked more Werewolf action in this, to be honest, but it is more a low-budget Comedy.  That said, there's still plenty to like...

Don't judge me- they put this in Slow-Motion, so...

A fun Film that manages to be a good adaptation of a weird Game.  Just know that it is more of a Comedy than a Horror Film.

How to End A Series?: X-Men- The Animated Series (1992-1996)

 Everyone- myself included- is excited to see more X-Men of the Animated variety.

However, as important as the continuation of the series is, we should also remember how it last ended back in 1996.

Let me break out my 'Last Season of a Show' DVD Pile (which includes TMNT and Smallville) to see their...

At the UN, Heny Peter Gyrich (looking different now) is calling for a Law to lock up all Mutants!

Professor Xavier (alongside Wolverine, Cyclops and Beast- in his hat and coat disguise) is arguing against him...by just kind of hovering up onto stage.

He activates an 'energy disruptor,' which sets off Xavier's powers (revealing him publicly as a Mutant) and causing vague, life-threatening harm.

The way it turns on his powers reminds me of how they did this better in Logan (with Xavier's literal brain failing him).

Wolverine thinks he's dead to send us to commercials, but he's wrong.

Xavier is, however, dying.  Again- I'm not sure why.

Beast thinks that they can call Lilandra (of the futuristic Shi'ar Empire) to help, but only Xavier can call her.

Thankfully, Morph- last seen going into self-imposed exile- is here to make Xavier look alive, temporarily preserving Mutant peace.

Wolverine, Cyclops and Jean Grey go to Genosha (which also looks different and cheap) to stop Magneto from uniting an army of angry Mutants.

In Comic Book Cliche #14, the Jet is blown up one last time and they sneak in.

Oh and ignore the News Report about how Mutants now occupy Tehran, Iran, a City in Mexico and, most randomly, Duluth, Minnesota!

They briefly fight Magneto, but soon reveal the truth.

During said fight, Jean's telekinetic blast is briefly amplified by Magneto's powers (just go with it!), so they realize that he can jump-start Xavier like an old car to call Lilandra.

In fairness to the Episode, the late David Hemblem gives a great, Shakespearean monologue about how he's about to achieve his 'victory,' but now must abandon it to save his friend.

The plan works, but Xavier still gives his sad, sendoff all the same.  

Poor Storm- who has no lines- at least gets a nice bit of praise.

Was their plan too late?

No, of course not!

Deus Ex Shi'ar arrive to save Xavier, but they say that he must be with them to live.

They act like this is a final good-bye for Xavier- which is odd to me.

Then again, I don't see mention of Xavier in any of the X-Men '97 materials, so...maybe?

The (odd) End.

An unfortunate, but also oddly fitting Ending for this Show.  There's a Story here.

The short version- Saban ordered 11 more Episodes last minute, despite the Show's clear ending being made.  Unfortunately, Marvel was going through bankruptcy and the usual Animation Studio took on other clients (since they too thought that the Show was over).  

As such, they farmed it out to a different Studio on the cheap, making this Finale look like, well, someone else trying to animate the Show...with one arm tied behind their back.

The plan was to end the Show with Apocalypse's big, insane plan and everyone saves the day.
The actual end involves a final villain of Gyrich (not Sinister or Apocalypse or even Mesmero!) nearly killing the Professor.

There are some decent attempts to milk drama from this, mostly done by the Voice Cast.  Norm Spencer should also get some praise for his work, as should Cedric Smith.  It's just a shame that the final Ending- like Ninja Turtles- is pretty meh.

Then again, they still went out fighting the big bad and, not, say, The Ratcatcher!  They also didn't kill off Splinter- that happened like two Series' later.

There's promise in this one, to be fair, but it also kind of sucks.  It just looks and feels cheap, kind of like these random mutants (although this version of Sunfire wasn't 'so racist' that it got cut from Disney +)...

A fitting end to the Show...if you consider how it was suddenly yanked back into action with less money and cheap Animation.  

I don't blame the Animators- I blame Saban making one last cash grab.

Tubi Thursday: Black Mama, White Mama (1973)

Watch another crappy Slasher Film or Pam Grier?

I made the right call.  This is...

A bunch of women are sent to a Women's Prison in The Philippines.

A cheesy '70s Film made in The Philippines?!?  I'm shocked.
Well, not really.

Two of them- a Prostitute and a Revolutionary- make enemies of the Warden (who's a full on sexual predator in classic '70s Gay Panic) and get sent away for worse punishment.

Guerillas attack the bus and they escape.

They want to get either off of the Island or to the Rebels that the latter supports.

As you can see, they don't get along.

So now they are escaped Prisoners with the law after them.

That's not enough, however, as this Mob Boss (Vic Diaz, who racked up 164 Credits between 1950 and 2001 in The Philippines!) wants them dead too!

The Law, meanwhile, hires a bad guy- Sid Haig!- to catch them.

I like his Dayglo Buster Scruggs Cosplay.

Grier needs to get off the Island.

Will the Revolutionaries be enough?
In real life, it took about another 13 years to boot out Ferdinand Marcos, so good luck.

Let's be honest- do you really expect this to be good?

Do you expect Classical Writing Structure?
A unique Plot?
Amazing Editing?

No- you expect a sleazy, drive-in Movie.

You sure as hell get it!

Nothing is subtle here.  None of the Acting will blow you away.  The Script is really basic.  It is very, very sleazy.

That said, I'm here all day for it.  Everyone understood the assignment and has fun with their roles.

It is not remotely unique (Women in Prison Films being an entire Subgenre, after all).  It is fun and looks great in HD, thanks to a restored Print on Tubi (and Blu-Ray).

I guess I need to see this as the follow-up, no?

A Film that gives you what you'd expect from the Title and Plot Description.  Expect nothing more and enjoy!

Holiday Flix: Pyrates (1991)

At last, I complete the Love and Pyrokinetics Trilogy.
Confused?  Well, it started with Wilder Napalm, a tale of 2 men who loved one woman...and could summon fire with their minds.

It continued last year with Nice Girls Don't Explode, a tale of two lovers separated by a Mother who made her think that she could summon fire with her mind.

This is 1991's Pyrates, a Romantic Comedy that is big on style.  Is there substance here?

The Film Stars real-life couple Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, who married in 1988.  What is the problem they face?  As you probably guessed, them having sex spontaneously starts fires.

Seriously, did anyone guess that?!?

Writer-Director Noah Stern hasn't done much after this one- two Feature Films in 32 years- and there might be a reason why.  

To find out, read on...

This is the love story of two people- Ari and Samantha.

They meet at a Party (which looks like the same Warehouse Dance Party from Cool as Ice).

They have sex on the Fire Escape...and a Fire breaks out.

This is represented by Black and White Stock Footage.

This is that lost Ed Wood Film from 1998 again, isn't it? 

Apparently every time they hook up, a fire breaks out.

Bacon's Roommate- the guy from Dungeons & Dragons 2- has to deal with it.

In fact, their respective roommates want them to break up.

It is not just the fire damage- it seems to affect their lives when they are apart, professionally and personally.

They are convinced to break up, which one of them does not take well.

Shocking, the volatile people don't react well to change and/or rejection!

They get back together, but can they make it work?

They consult a Rabbi and then...this guy.

I know that this is a Comedy, but...hmm...kind of iffy.

Through testimonials from the Friends, we learn that the pair's career is going great...but they are growing apart.

Can their relationship be saved?

After another break-up and some drama, the day is saved thanks to some romantic singing and car alarm triggering.

It is true love...I guess. 
They are still married (as of 2024), so...yes?

The End.

The Film is a bit too 'hip' for its own good.  That is the danger of a Film like this.  When you try to be so relentlessly topical, you look *really* dated later on.

All of the Testimonials and silly Title Cards feel right out of The Real World.  Oy.

In 2024, there is a fun sort of appeal to see this kind of Film.  Add in two Stars AND the fact that they are still married to this day, bonus.

That said, the Film is truly, truly dated.  The humor is also a bit silly at all times.
If that works for you, check this out.

Otherwise, this is another example of a Time Capsule Film (one that lets you really see a time).  Plus you get Bruce Payne being silly.

By the way, all of the testimonials make me think of the Real World-style ones done (with no explanation) in that Justice League of America TV Pilot.

That also had a character who created fires!  It's all connected!

Happy Love Day...or whatever this is.  Don't start no fires.