Troperiffic Tuesday!: Big Damn Heroes

Chick 1 says:

It’s the moment we go to the movies to see; the Damsel in Distress, or the Mentor, or the Innocent Bystander is about to be killed by the Big Bad, but at the very last second the lead bursts in and saves the day, making him the Big Damn Hero!

The entrance of the Big Damn Heroes is one of the most popular tropes in movies today, especially big blockbuster popcorn movies. It creates a huge rush of adrenaline and rightly so. As conflict is the heart of all drama, waiting until the last minute to rescue the victim makes maximum use of this tension. And it’s usually accompanied by a swell in the music. Read more

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Chick 1 in Tropes 351 Comments

Troperiffic Tuesday!: Heroic Blue Screen of Death

Chick 1 says:

If you’re unfamiliar with the Blue Screen of Death then you are a very lucky computer user…or a mac user. The Blue Screen of Death appears when your pc is crashing to inform you that basically you’re screwed. It’s Microsoft’s merry little way of saying, “You’re computer’s going away for awhile and you won’t be allowed to visit.” When people are shocked they can go into a sort of Blue Screen of Death (hereafter known as the BSOD). This trope is oftened used when the story is moving into the final act and it’s know as the Heroic BSOD. Read more

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Chick 1 in Tropes Leave a comment

Troperiffic Tuesday: The Wilhelm Scream

Chick 1 says:

Welcome to Troperiffic Tuesday! This week we delve into the world of audio and look at a scream that has been the last sound uttered by nazis and stormtroopers, cowboys and orcs. This week’s trope is the Wilhelm Scream.

(If you don’t know what a trope is you can check out the first article in this series, Manic Pixie Dream Girl.)

The Wilhelm Scream is a stock sound effect that has become unbelievably popular in movies of the last few decades to the point where it has become a Hollywood in-joke. Read more

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Chick 1 in Tropes 72 Comments

Troperiffic Tuesday: No OSHA Compliance

Chick 1 says:

Because most spaceships have rickety walkways over their nuclear core.

Welcome back to Trope of the Week or as it shall henceforth be called, Troperiffic Tuesday!

Ever seen a movie where the cap is knocked off a pipe joint with very little effort and blinding hot steam comes spraying out? Or someone has to cross a narrow walkway high above some flesh-grinding machinery with no guardrails? Or a character falls into an easily accessible vat of acid? Then you, my friend, are familiar with this week’s trope, No OSHA Compliance. As always, SPOILERS FOLLOW. Read more

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Chick 1 in Tropes 97 Comments

Review: G.I. Joe

Chick 1 says:

First off, apologies for the long silence.

Now on to G.I. Joe, which I can describe in one word, and I truly mean this as a compliment, …craptastic! OK, I totally stole that description of the movie from cinematical.com, but it’s completely accurate.

The Basics: Have no idea how to sum this up. Elite group of soldiers, bad guys, stolen weapons, secret training lairs, blah, blah blah. If you’ve watched the cartoon or read the comics, you know. If you haven’t, you’ll catch on quickly. Read more

Posted on August 9, 2009 by Chick 1 in Reviews, The 2000s 203 Comments

Randomness: Star Wars Fan Made Videos

Chick 1 says:

A couple of Star Wars related videos for your amusement.

First, Star Wars is such a part of our culture now that even those few who haven’t seen it still have an idea of what it’s about…or do they? Star Wars as told by someone who’s never seen it. Watch it here.

And if you’re a John Williams fan, check this out. This guy’s got way too much time on his hands, but around the time he starts his whiney Luke impersonation (dead on, BTW) I was starting to crush a little. I find it interesting that although the lyrics are Star Wars inspired, the video features none of the actual score for Star Wars. Can you name the other John Williams scores in this medley? I count 6. Am I right?

Posted on January 20, 2009 by Chick 1 in Randomness 6 Comments

I Can’t Wait: The Long Cold Winter

Let’s face it. January and February are the nuclear waste dump of Hollywood. A period when movies whose releases have been pushed further and further back because they couldn’t compete with whatever else was being released, movies that have disappointed studio execs, movies that studios don’t know what to do with, and movies that just have no one to believe in them find themselves finally showing to audiences.

Add to this the romantic comedy season leading up Valentine’s (a genre I’ll talk about in an upcoming blog) and choices at the theater can seem kind of bleak. Read more

Posted on January 6, 2009 by Chick 1 in I Can't Wait! 74 Comments