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LBR 12: The Campaign

The Campaign is proof that in this day and age when political reality seems to surpass parody, there’s still room for a good political parody. The problem with The Campaign, however, is that it’s not very good. But it at least the movie draws attention to the landmark Citizens United v. FEC case. Find out more in this Low Budget Review. You can cut to the chase and learn about the Citizens United case:

Citizens_United_v._FEC

Here’s the complete text of the case.

LBR 11: The Big Lebowski

The Big Lebowski, written, produced, and directed by the Coen brothers (Fargo, Barton Fink, etc.), is a film that essentially has no meaning. But the viewer can find one, if he or she wants to do so. In any case is the Collector’s Edition DVD a rational buy? Find out in this week’s Low Budget Review.

LBR 10: Semi-Pro

This week, the DVD I order was back ordered, so I found a video I bought three years ago during the pandemic: The Will Ferrell 3 Film Collection. I picked Semi-Pro as the movie, and as a fan of sports history, I figured the movie would be mildly interesting. Unfortunately, the movie is quite boring. Find out the strengths and weaknesses of Semi-Pro in this week’s Low Budget Review.

LBR 9: Napoleon Dynamite

Napoleon Dynamite is an acquired taste; it seems to resonate with high school existence, and doesn’t really have a moral, except to be yourself. That having been said, it’s a unique comedy that punches above its weight, and this low budget film became a box office hit. But does this justify its purchase? Find out on this week’s Low Budget Review.

LBR 8: Extract

This week, I reviewed the Mike Judge film, Extract. This movie proves two things: [1] a mediocre Mike Judge film is still a pretty good film, and [2] even Gene Simmons does not ruin this movie.

LBR 7: Good Will Hunting

This week, I reviewed the Good Will Hunting Mirimax Award-Winning Collection DVD. This movie is a good movie, nominated for nine Academy Awards and having won two. But what exactly does seven dollars and change get you in today’s DVD market? Find out in this week’s Low Budget Review.

LBR 6: Paul Blart: Mall Cop + Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 Double Feature DVD

In Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Kevin James and Adam Sandler successfully execute the formula of the underachiever redeeming himself, garnering commercial success and critical disdain. In Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, James and Sandler are game for a sequel, and give us more of the same, also garnering commercial success and critical disdain. But is it worth buying a DVD of both movies, even for the price of a cup of coffee? Find out in this Low Budget Review.

LBR 5: The Founder

In this video, I discuss The Founder Region 2 DVD. I take a deep dive into this very good biopic that chronicles Ray Kroc and the rise of McDonald’s. The title of the movie itself seems to be a challenge: is Ray Kroc the founder, or the McDonald brothers? In any case, join me for a deep dive into this movie, which not only tells the McDonald’s story, but presents a real-life drama between the McDonald brothers and Ray Kroc.

LBR 4: Blackmail DVD

This week, I got lazy, so I used one of my old DVDs that I purchased at Toys “R” Us for $2. It’s a DVD of “Blackmail” (1929), the early Hitchcock masterpiece which also is the first British feature length sound film. Rather than muddle through the introduction of talkies, Hitchcock was the consummate innovator. In addition, there was a silent version of “Blackmail”, which is interesting in its own way. Anyhow, join us for this DVD review, where we find out how far $2 will take us.