Merry Christmas with "Deadly Games" & Merry Mark L. Lester's "Class of Franchise"

  

I Dig Crazy Flicks with @CatBusRuss

Bonus: A Merry Mark L Lester Christmas with Class...of 1984/1999

CatBusRuss⁠ might need to do some research because this may be the last ⁠Merry Mark L. Lester Christmas⁠. Last year, he covered what maybe perhaps his most memorable films, "⁠Showdown in Little Tokyo⁠" and "⁠Commando⁠". Our host is prepping for a 1986 panel to tour the comic cons, so maybe he will get around to watch "⁠Armed and Dangerous⁠" to compare and contrast with "⁠Police Academy 3: Back in Training⁠", but reviewing "⁠Class of 1984⁠" and the "⁠Class of 1999⁠" franchise may address the pinnacle of his filmography.

He did not direct "⁠Class of 1999 II: The Subsitute⁠", but when you compare it to his attempts to become the next ⁠Roger Corman⁠, like "⁠Groupie⁠", there is a lot of potential left on the table. It should be accepted as fact, a little more or just some ⁠Eric Roberts⁠ could elevate them both to B-Movie classics.

Lester is a man who knew his limitations, and these class of movies show that he was a wise director because of it.

Episode 249 - Be Merry or Be Scary: "Deadly Games" aka "Dial Code Santa Claus" with Gregory Carl

The feature that ⁠CatBusRuss⁠ is revisiting was originally titled "⁠3615 code Père Noël⁠", but is also known as "Game Over", and "Hide and Freak". It only feels appropriate to have so many titles when you take into account that the Cannon Group handled the international distribution of this film. The title of "Deadly Games" at least secures it a place on ⁠Shudder⁠. That platform can never have too many holiday-themed horror flicks.

This movie was released in 1989, a year before "⁠Home Alone⁠". Director ⁠René Manzor⁠ stated that he feels John Hughes may have ripped him off, but the film is way too dark to be compared to the Macaulay Culkin star turn. At least that is our host's opinion.

⁠Gregory Carl⁠ thinks it is closer to the American blockbuster. It is about a nine year-old who is quick to come up with improvised weaponry to defend him and his grandfather against a deranged Father Christmas. Both Kevin and Thomas live in large houses and you wonder where their parents came up with the money, but that is where the comparisons may end.

⁠Russ⁠ thinks this feature answers what if ⁠Chris Columbus⁠ penned "Home Alone". Just check out the wiki for "⁠Gremlins⁠" to see where our host is coming from. Kevin McCallister did not have to deal with insane, delusional criminals. Joe Pesci can be scary, but we did not find Harry to be murderous. Even worse, Gregory suggests that this film's antagonist may have perverse intentions. Lacking humor to accompany the violence, this maybe what a realistic bout with the Wet Bandits would look like.

To get away from the darkness, CatBusRuss received a Christmas gift from ⁠Tubi⁠. After 15 years, ⁠Albert Pyun⁠'s take on "⁠Bloodsport⁠" has finally made it back to streaming. "⁠Heatseeker⁠" stars two of the most under-appreciated martial artists in cinema, ⁠Keith Cooke⁠ and ⁠Gary Daniels⁠, as two champions heading towards a rematch. What makes this a different kind of fight is that Daniels is being sponsored by a biotechnology corporation trying to prove that it is not enough to be human to become a champion. If you come into this feature after the first act, you will want to see where this story goes. Like most Pyun films, the question becomes, can you stand what you see?

 

Follow me on Bluesky @catbusruss. If you want to be on the show, contact me on Twitter or send an email to russthebus07@gmail.com. All we need is a theme, movie, director, or actor and a focus on sub 100-minute material. As long as the credits start before the 1:39:59 mark on the runtime bar, the movie qualifies.

Bonus: UI-Con: Eighties Movie Podcaster in an Anime World

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Bonus: Eighties Movie Podcaster in an Anime World

CatBusRuss ⁠and ⁠"Couchman" Andrew Tiede⁠ may have felt like Frank Dux and Ray Jackson walking into Kowloon for the Kumite when they arrived at the ⁠UI-Con⁠. There was too much anime cosplay to feel like they belonged. Would they need to demonstrate the Dim Mak to show they were the right kind of nerds?

For those who feel this description is not appropriate since anime is not from Hong Kong, when CatBus was collecting tapes, the plot of "⁠Bloodsport⁠" was used for Episode 3 of "⁠Street Fighter II V⁠", an anime inspired by the video game.

They both visited the UI-Con's website. The top photo is an image of the exterior of the Illinois Conference Center above a header of, "Champaign-Urbana's Anime and Comic Convention". Anime is first on the call sheet, but comic con led them to both think that you need not be an otaku to feel welcomed. Thankfully, it ended up being true, but there was an initial culture shock for two 40-somethings in Midwestern nerdy garb.

When it came to panels not centered around Japanese animation, ⁠I Dig Crazy Flicks⁠ may have been the only representatives at the convention. ⁠Russ⁠ and ⁠Andrew⁠ were there to pitch the concept of "⁠Ninety For Chill⁠", determine which movies from 1986 were RAD and which ones were BAD, and to further determine who was the greatest action star from a time where we watched violence for the sake of violence, 1985. Without a focus on Japanimation, would anyone come to these panels?

With Ally Higgins coming to be a cheerleader, they were at least going to put on a good show. And maybe buy some fan art to expand to their culture.

Aside from cool trinkets on the floor, CatBus was introduced to "⁠Off the Balcony Podcast⁠". They offered up a great panel about lost media that anyone can connect with (anime being featured on every other slide), but they also brought out the anime-themed conversations to demand attention. Attention that also attracted legendary anime translator ⁠David Fleming⁠ and his awesome laser disc collection.

Our two podcasters left having a great time. Russ even thinks it was a successful effort. You will be able to listen to these panels in the upcoming weeks to be the judge.

But to further focus on CRAZY FLICKS, CatBusRuss has attached a review for another ⁠Lamberto Bava⁠ (Director of "⁠Demons⁠" and "⁠Demons 2⁠") film, ⁠Blastfighter⁠. It is essentially "⁠First Blood⁠" exploitation but with box art that suggest its an Italian apocalypse film. Chekhov's gun has nothing on what Jake "Tiger" Sharp is packing.

The Chicago TARDIS 2025 Trilogy: Predator - Badlands, Wicked - For Good, ThePoeticCritic

  

I Dig Crazy Flicks with @CatBusRuss

Bonus: Chicago TARDIS Warm Up: Wicked for Predator with ThePoeticCritic

CatBusRuss⁠ & ⁠ThePoeticCritic⁠ did not have a traditional Thanksgiving. If you want to stay at the hotel that is hosting ⁠Chicago TARDIS⁠, you gotta check in on the night dedicated to the false narrative of pilgrims and natives. Thus, where are you going to get a meal when all the restaurants are closed? The answer, head to Lombard's AMC Dine In and watch a family flick. For the older Stevens kid, "⁠Wicked for Good⁠". For her little brother, "⁠Predator: Badlands⁠".

⁠Russ⁠ would think that a feature involving animal prosecution would earn a PG-13, but his sister explains its PG rating. He is cool with that despite musicals seemingly be an out when it comes to a more restrictive rating. As for the latest ⁠Predator⁠ movie, making all the bad guys robots kind of takes the fun out of a creature that we know can rip a spine and skull out of a human in a single tug.

The story is about a Yautja runt, so maybe it is for the kids who may only know the term from "Charlotte's Web".

Like most episodes of "⁠I Dig Crazy Flicks⁠" that this brother/sister duo partake in, the two do talk about the state of the movie industry and the excessive amount of trailers you have to endure. The two finished their respective meals before the Nicole Kidman spiel. Perhaps more importantly, the elder of the two does give the younger an idea of what TARDIS will be like. Will be that enough for CatBus to manage a fandom he has no investment in? If not, at least there is a swimming pool on the second floor.

Bonus: Chicago TARDIS 2025: Day 1 - No Nerd Osmosis

ThePoeticCritic⁠ is having a good time at ⁠Chicago TARDIS⁠, but ⁠CatBusRuss⁠ is not quite feeling it. This is indeed a convention DEDICATED to "⁠Doctor Who⁠", and our host is not the target audience.

It is a neurospicy neighborhood. ⁠Russ⁠ has his eccentricities, but he also has patience and a degree of innate empathy. Make this crowd wait, and this crowd wants their true feelings known. This is a boys of "Big Bang Theory" vibe that brings CatBus comfort in knowing that he does not need to be tested like Sheldon, but taken a back by the stereotypes Hollywood sells.

He found the panel with ⁠Jo Martin⁠, the Fugitive Doctor, and supporting actresses ⁠Steph de Whalley⁠ and ⁠Susan Twist⁠ to be fun, but he was there to find out what he has seen them in that is not from the BBC. With his sister and her beau leaving him on his own, the challenge became finding the panels that were not too Whovian. When the one half of the panels that did not mention the Time Lord was hosted by two of the organizers, it maybe a fool's errand.

 

Bonus: Chicago TARDIS 2025: Day 2 - 'A Whisker Away' from Whovian-Free Panels

CatBusRuss⁠ was doing his best to enjoy ⁠Chicago TARDIS⁠. ⁠ThePoeticCritic⁠ has done her best to get him to invest in "⁠Doctor Who⁠", but sixty years of content and everyone having their ideal Time Lord (or Lady), he was very much lost in the Westin of Lombard.

The most fun he had the first day may have been spent in his hotel room watching "⁠A Whisker Away⁠", an anime exclusive on Netflix. A story that investigates the escapism of turning into a cat was not one that they presented to the 17 Doctors. This cartoon harkens back to "⁠The Cat Returns⁠". If that ⁠Studio Ghibli⁠ feature inspires other Japanese artists, why should the BBC not take a hint?