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Reviews
No Time for Nuts (2006)
Scrat's done it again
Another uproarious Scrat adventure! In this short Scrat, busy as usual hunting down his acorn, discovers a time machine along with the frozen remains of an unfortunate mad scientist. When the device zaps away his treasured nut, Scrat is off on a hilarious, preposterous pursuit across time and space - only to end up trapped in a future world without oak trees! This short, like the previous one, has excellent timing, great voice work from Chris Wedge, flawless animation, and as always slide-splitting humor. The only problem is the rather predictable plot, but that's easily excusable for the impeccable comedy! The most convenient place to find this little jewel is on the "Meltdown" DVD, but you can more than likely find it online as well. All in all, Scrat's gotten away with another real gut-buster, far more clever than anything to be found in the Ice Age films themselves.
World's Scariest Model Train Wrecks (2004)
Hilarious for Train Enthusiasts!
(Warning, major spoilers!) As a model railroader, I found this short not only very well produced but also very funny! The short is a parody of the various hidden camera/police videos TV shows, and also includes various railroad in-jokes. Here is an outline of the three segments that make up the film.
Segment One features a third-grader called "Spike Crosstie" caught on tape derailing his model train using pennies. The narrator informs us that these pennies "would never flatten," and instead derail the train, which tears apart the layout as it slams across the table. "Dr. Bjorn Karrcouppler" explains that this is the worst wreck he's seen in his ten-year career. Meanwhile, scientists at the "Model Train Crash Institute" in "Rollingstock, KY" have replicated the disaster to see in more detail the cause and effects of the wreck. Bjorn returns to explain that if the pennies were the same scale as the train, the accident could have been avoided.
In Segment Two, the short takes us into the basement of a die-hard railroad geek, "Redd Pullman." While making a video submission for a national modeling contest, an unexpected, bridge-diving crash occurs on his layout. Bjorn informs us that we have not viewed the entire tape. He then reveals that the cause of the accident was fed-up Mrs. Pullman and her jigsaw. Bjorn now claims he has seen nothing like this in a decade of research.
The last segment takes us to "the secret world of German underground nightlife." and the twisted "art" that "Kline" has created. Kline, a performance artist, stages train wrecks for high-paying audiences. An example is shown - the "mixed-gauge overhead drop," in which a small train is smashed under the weight of a much larger one, which has fallen off an overhead bridge. The narrator tells us that "trama on this scale hasn't been seen since the great O-Gauge Massacre of 1985." Kline now autographs his work and sells it off to his fat-cat audience members. Bjorn again claims *this* as the worst accident he has investigated (notice a pattern?...) All in all, if you are a railfan, or like the type of show this parodies, I'd check it out.
Locomotion (1990)
Locomotion
This is a very interesting look at trains/railroads. I will rate the four episodes separately.
Episode One; Engines of Enterprise American railroads, how they sparked big business and changed the economy of the United States forever. The weakest of the shows, still very good. 7 out of 10.
Episode Two; Taming the Iron Monster The railroad's infancy in Great Britain during the 19th century. This was the highlight for me. Very well done, insightful, and surprisingly surreal in some moments. 10 out of 10.
Episode Three; The War Machine The train's role in both World Wars. Learned lots of things. Again, a great, informative show, with some outstanding camera-work. Especially impressive were some present-day shots of refurbished battle trains plowing through the fog. 9 out of 10 stars.
Episode Four; Magic Machines and Mobile People This one covers several topics, but focuses on how the railroad has affected the world in general. Hosted by the ubiquitous Jack Perkins (who narrates all the episodes, but only physically hosts here), this episode teaches us about both the past and the present, including a look at Japan's railway innovations. Slightly different format; doesn't ruin the show though. 8 out of 10 stars.
Overall, worth checking out if you are a train buff or just a history buff in general. Highly recommended.
---------------------------------- "AH! MOVIE SIGN!" (6-5-4-3-2-1...)
The Adventures of Edward the Less (2001)
Tolkien Takes a Beating
This web series is one of the best I have seen. Pudges(squat dwarfs) Edward the Less and Soapy, along with the Noble One (an extremely self-centered, yet handsome Round Stander), Ariadrina (a gorgeous babe), and Bloorick (an ugly warrior) are put on a quest to destroy a legendary Token (sound familiar yet?) and save the world from the forces of the evil Dark Person. While this pales in comparison to the Best Brains crew's other work, MST3K, we are offered up many good laughs from this Lord of the Rings parody. There are small downsides, however. First, the lack of animation. The series is done in illustrations, and would be a lot better with some physical action. Secondly, the series ended abruptly after the first of three seasons, and we are left with a cruel cliffhanger. Overall, however, Best Brains has done it again.