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Reviews
Make Mine Freedom (1948)
Odd but entertaining piece of Cold War propaganda (spoilers, kind of)
Make Mine Freedom, a cartoon produced by Harding College in 1948, is essentially an explanation of capitalism and a criticism of the Soviet Union. After about two minutes of general talk on freedom, the film develops a storyline in which four men representing labor, management, politicians, and farmers argue and a snake-oil salesman steps in, peddling bottles of "ism" (communism) and claiming it will cure everyone's ills. A nearby man, who has been resting on a park bench, comes up and deflates the salesman's pitch. He first highlights the benefits of capitalism through a fictionalized version of the creation of the automobile. He then tells what life would be like under "ism": oppressive and poor. The film ends with the five red-blooded Americans marching in a band superimposed over an image of the Lincoln Memorial.
The piece is a curious example of Cold War attitudes towards economy, communism, and the American Dream. It's entertaining, but it's unlikely it will change any communist minds, whether in our present or the present of 1948. I can't really figure out who the target audience was. Still, it's fun to watch, and a fascinating look into history.
Fisherman's Wharf (1897)
Disappointing
"Fisherman's Wharf" can only be described as sub par. It offers less than we would expect of any film, but a film by Thomas Edison? It leaves us craving for more --- and not in a good sense. There is no story, there is no intrigue, no suspense, no comedy, no drama, no plot, no point. If Mr. Edison's intention was to create an utterly useless waste of film, he has mightily succeeded. However, I doubt this was his intention, and whatever it was he was trying to accomplish, he has failed. Hell, we don't even to see any fishermen. There are no characters! There are only small fishing boats. How are we supposed to empathize with fishing boats? Worst characterization I have ever seen.
Knallharte Jungs (2002)
Why was this movie made?
I saw this movie on an exchange trip to Germany. Before the movie started, a couple of us Americans were talking to a German girl in the exchange program about the movie. She said she found American Pie to be "cute" and this movie to be disgusting. We figured she just probably had different standards than us (we didn't see how American Pie could be cute), but after we saw this we saw how horribly wrong we were. American Pie was rather cute, in a goofy sort of way, and Knallharte Jungs was revolting. With no apparent storyline, irritating characters, and jokes about things like attempted date rape, a talking penis, and an old lady plunging a diarrhea-filled toilet with a vibrator, I felt violated and abused. I look back on the memory now with tears in my eyes. For shame, Mr. Henman, for shame.
Rocko's Modern Life (1993)
Delightfully absurd
This show is such a wonderful treasure trove of absurdity. The character development is interesting. The writing is astounding and, at times, wittily satirical.
The show is about a wallaby named Rocko who goes through everyday experiences that always end up taking a turn for the slightly surreal. Guiding him are his friends Heffer the steer, who is guilty of sloth and gluttony but has an active imagination (and a cylindrical brain) Filburt the turtle, who is insanely nervous and insecure and yet identifiable to almost anyone watching. Thwarting (or at least trying to thwart) their every step is Rocko's neighbor Mr. Bighead, who finds the trio irritating and has a special animosity for Rocko's dog, who keeps getting in Bighead's salmon bushes.
There are no parallel lines in O-Town (the setting of the show). The animation is a peculiar and nifty style. The voices are perfect for the characters, and the writing is almost always superb. It's a real treat. Just don't call Rocko a beaver.