Second Chance Cinema

112 - Virtuosity

(Original Airdate - November 4th, 2018)

Virtuosity is a 1995 American science fiction action film directed by Brett Leonard and starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Howard W. Koch Jr. served as an executive producer for the film. The film was released in the United States on August 4, 1995. Virtuosity had an estimated budget of $30 million and grossed $37 million worldwide.^[1]

HAIKUs--
"Sid 6.7
Real life video game boss
in Steve Harvey's suits." -MC

"Killed his family.
He conducts a Scream Chorus.
And Kaley Cuoco." -Spro

111 - The Hunchback of Notre Dame

(Original Airdate - November 4th, 2018)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1996 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 34th Disney animated feature film and the seventh produced during the Disney Renaissance, it is loosely based on the 1831 novel of the same name by Victor Hugo. The film was directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise and produced by Don Hahn, from a screenplay written by Tab Murphy, Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and the writing team of Bob Tzudiker and Noni White. Featuring the voices of Tom Hulce, Demi Moore, Tony Jay, and Kevin Kline, the film follows Quasimodo, the deformed and confined bell-ringer of Notre Dame, and his yearning to explore the outside world and be accepted by society, against the wishes of his cruel, puritanical foster father Claude Frollo, who also wants to exterminate Paris' Romani population.

The film is considered to be one of Disney's darkest animated films due to its mature subject matter such as infanticide, lust, damnation, antiziganism, genocide, and sin, despite the changes made from the original source material in order to ensure a G rating from the MPAA. The musical score was written by Alan Menken, with songs written by Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, who had previously collaborated on Pocahontas (1995). The pair later also collaborated on 2007's Enchanted.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame premiered at the Louisiana Superdome on June 19, 1996, and was released in the United States on June 21, to generally positive reviews. It was a commercial success, grossing over $325 million worldwide and becoming the fifth highest-grossing film of 1996. The film received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for its musical score. A stage adaptation of the film was produced by Walt Disney Theatrical in 1999. A direct-to-video sequel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame II, was released in 2002.

HAIKUs--
"Quasimodo sad.
The bellringer of Paris,
Is he King of Fools?" -Spro

"Hey, Quasimodo!
Who's that sarcastic gargoyle?
It's George Constanza." -MC

110 - Gremlin’s 2

(Original Airdate - August 11th, 2018)

Gremlins 2: The New Batch is a 1990 American black comedy horror film, and the sequel to the 1984 film Gremlins. It was directed by Joe Dante and written by Charles S. Haas, with creature designs by Rick Baker. Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Dick Miller, Jackie Joseph, and Keye Luke reprise their roles from the first film; Belinda Balaski also returns, this time playing a different character. New cast members include John Glover, Robert Prosky, Haviland Morris, Robert Picardo, and Christopher Lee; additionally, the film features Tony Randall providing the voice for one of the gremlins. The story continues the adventures of the creature Gizmo (once again voiced by Howie Mandel), who spawns numerous small monsters when wet. In the first film, Gizmo's offspring rampaged through a small fictional town. In Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Gizmo multiplies within a skyscraper in New York City after his owner dies. The new creatures thus pose a serious threat to the city should they be able to leave the building, and the story revolves around the human characters' efforts to prevent this disaster.

Like the first film, Gremlins 2: The New Batch is a live-action horror comedy film; however, Dante put effort into taking the sequel in new anarchistic directions. Dante created the film to act almost as a parody of the original Gremlins,^[3] and it is meant to be more cartoon-like and less dark than the original. Its violence leans more towards slapstick, so the film received a PG-13 rating by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). There are also a number of parodies of other films and stories, including the Rambo films, The Wizard of Oz, Marathon Man and The Phantom of the Opera. When released into theaters on June 15, 1990 Gremlins 2: The New Batch was a box office disappointment, grossing only $41.5 million on a budget of $30–50 million. Despite its mixed critical reception when it first released, it has since developed a cult following.

 

HAIKU--
"Do not get them wet.
No eating after midnight.
They're just like children." - MC

109 - The Big Hit

(Original Airdate: August 11th, 2018)

The Big Hit is a 1998 American action comedy film directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Che-Kirk Wong, and stars Mark Wahlberg, Lou Diamond Phillips, Christina Applegate, Bokeem Woodbine, Antonio Sabàto Jr., China Chow, Avery Brooks, Lainie Kazan, Elliott Gould, Sab Shimono and Lela Rochon.

The film was shot in Hamilton and Pickering, Ontario, Canada.^[2]

HAIKU--
"Trace Buster Buster
Trace Buster Buster Buster
Trace Buster Buster." -MC

108 - Small Soldiers

(Original Airdate - July 21st, 2018)

Small Soldiers is a 1998 American action comedy film directed by Joe Dante. It stars Kirsten Dunst and Gregory Smith, along with the voices of Frank Langella and Tommy Lee Jones. It depicts two factions of toys which turn sentient after being programmed with a military microprocessor, putting two families in danger when one faction ultimately turns lethal.

Released on July 10, 1998, in the United States, the film received mixed reviews and grossed $87.5 million on a $40 million budget. Small Soldiers marks the last on-screen film role of Phil Hartman, who was murdered two months before the film's American premiere, and is dedicated in his memory. It was also the final film role of Clint Walker.

 

HAIKUs--
"Toy Story. Child's Play.
War. Ugh! What is it good for?
Pure propaganda." -MC

"Denis Leary rant.
Gorgonites best at hiding.
I was Nick Nitro." -Spro

107 - The Chase

(Original Airdate: July 21st, 2018)

The Chase is a 1994 American action comedy film directed by Adam Rifkin and starring Charlie Sheen and Kristy Swanson. Set in California, the film follows a wrongfully convicted man who kidnaps a wealthy heiress and leads police on a lengthy car chase in an attempt to escape prison, while the news media dramatize the chase to absurd extents. It features Henry Rollins, Josh Mostel, and Ray Wise in supporting roles, with cameo appearances by Anthony Kiedis and Flea of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The Chase was conceived as a direct response to Rifkin's 1991 comedy The Dark Backward, which performed extremely poorly at the box office. The film was shot in Houston, Texas and its soundtrack features alternative artists such as Bad Religion, NOFX, and Rollins Band. Although the film received mixed reviews from critics, it was considered a commercial success. Journalists generally criticized its forced script and subpar characters, but praised the film's use of satire to criticize the television news industry. According to Rollins, the film has attracted a cult following.

HAIKUs--
"Sex scene in the car.
Positions Impossible.
Pull Over. Pull Out." -MC

106 - The Village

(Original Airdate: February 19th, 2018)

The Village (marketed as M. Night Shyamalan's The Village) is a 2004 American period thriller film^[4] written, produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, and Brendan Gleeson. The film is about a village whose population lives in fear of creatures inhabiting the woods beyond it, referred to as "Those We Don't Speak Of".

The Village received mixed reviews, with many critics expressing disappointment with the twist ending.^[5][6] James Newton Howard was nominated for Best Original Score at the 77th Academy Awards. The film was a financial success as it grossed $257 million worldwide against a $60 million production budget.^[7]

HAIKU--
"They live in the woods.
Terrible creatures surround.
Refrigerator." - MC

105 - Street Fighter

(Original Air Date: February 19th, 2018)

Street Fighter^[a] is a 1994 action film written and directed by Steven E. de Souza, based on the video game series of the same name produced by Capcom. Distributed by Universal Pictures in the United States and Columbia Pictures internationally, the film stars Jean-Claude Van Damme and Raul Julia (in his final theatrical film role) along with supporting performances by Byron Mann, Damian Chapa, Kylie Minogue, Ming-Na Wen and Wes Studi. Loosely following the plot of Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, the film focuses on the efforts of Colonel Guile (Van Damme) to bring down General M. Bison (Julia), the military dictator and drug kingpin of Shadaloo City who aspires to conquer the world with an army of genetic supersoldiers, while enlisting the aid of street fighters Ryu (Mann) and Ken (Chapa) to infiltrate Bison's empire and help destroy it from within.

The film was commercially successful, with a worldwide box office gross approximately three times its production costs, and its home video releases and television broadcasts were also profitable, with the film earning Capcom a return of ¥15.5 billion ($165 million) from the box office and home media. It was not well-received by critics for its campy tone, unfaithfulness to the source material, and overblown effects. However, Julia's performance as M. Bison was praised by critics and garnered him a posthumous nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the Saturn Awards. The film was Julia's final theatrical performance, as he died of stroke two months before the film's release; the film is dedicated to his memory.

 

HAIKU--
"Great video game.
Raul Julia's last movie
Vaya con Dios." - MC

104 - Saving Silverman

(Original Airdate: January 12th, 2018)

Saving Silverman (internationally titled Evil Woman) is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan and starring Jason Biggs, Steve Zahn, Jack Black and Amanda Peet. Neil Diamond has a cameo role playing himself. In the film, Darren Silverman's longtime friends try to save him from marrying his controlling new girlfriend, whose behavior threatens the friends, their band, and Darren's chance at happiness with his lifelong true love.

The film was remade in Telugu as Thotti Gang in 2002 and Hindi as De Taali in 2008.

HAIKU--
"Darth Vader with tits.
We've got to Save Silverman!
Come-en-uh-yay-ha!" - MC

103 - Congo

(Original Airdate: January 12th, 2018)

Congo is a 1995 American science fiction action-adventure film based on the 1980 novel by Michael Crichton. It was directed by Frank Marshall and stars Laura Linney, Dylan Walsh, Ernie Hudson, Grant Heslov, Joe Don Baker and Tim Curry. The film was released on June 9, 1995, by Paramount Pictures.^[1][2] It received negative reviews, but performed better than expected at the box office.^[3]

Haiku--
"She good gorilla
Now, Tim Curry stop eating
my sesame cake!" - MC