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I really get where Max is coming from. Like he said he couldn't decide if he liked the movie or hated it and I'm pretty much in the same camp. Like I said in my letterboxd review I think the movie tries to do too many things and instead of being really good at one or two it just kinda middles at them all. The biggest thing I loved were the songs. I did find them catchy and for the most part well done. However, the script really needed another pass or I missed some stuff at the start because there were things like why the headmaster hated Anna and her father so much that just seemed arbitrary rather than established. Like he wanted to fire her father when he became the headmaster because... reasons?

A movie that knows how to deal with a Duckie. We watched:

This is the cover of the album - which I now own

I wanted to bring that up. I feel like the point was to show that in a real apocalypse the Duckies are way less likely to survive than the Billy Zabkas ( sorry for mixing my 80’s archetypes). On the one hand, I thought that was pretty likely, but I also felt like they made him TOO much of an asshole ( a Dickie?) to really make his redemption arc work. I mean, I didn’t think she belonged with Duckie, but I didn’t like him getting picked on either. I’m also not sure that they end up together at the end as a couple, just that they both survived. I could be wrong though.

Overall, I really liked it. There were a few things I think needed to be tightened up, but otherwise, I feel like it accomplished what it set out to do. (I also might have bought the soundtrack )

The social consciousness of The Hottie and the Nottie, libraries being a new place to commit crime, and more on this week's mini-sode! Paul opens up the Explanation Hope Line, goes through Corrections and Omissions for The Hottie and the Nottie, and gives his Pick of the Week. Plus, find out which movie we will be watching next week!

Agreed. I touched on that in my LB review where very few of the songs felt specifically written for the movie. I liked most of them, but there wasn’t anything that was specifically “zombie Musical” about them. Zabka’s song, and one by the principal, are I think the only songs that specifically comment on what’s happening in the movie. Like the song in the bowling alley was fine, but it felt kind of like a stretch as far as being narratively important. For me, this is one of the biggest dings against it. (Although, I always appreciate a solid penguin rap.)

That’s true and didn’t make much sense, but I did like the thread of “Yes, killing your zombie-parent is the sensible thing to do, it’s still going to leave you emotionally fucked up.” In most zombie shows/movies when these scenes inevitably play out, yes, there’s some guilt, but ultimately they get over pretty quickly. I appreciated this movie actually showed that it really wouldn’t be as easy all that and it’s not something you just move on from.

While this is the biggest homage scene to Shaun of the Dead with Shaun going to the shop, I agree. This and Zabka's being good at killing zombies are probably the most on point songs for a "zombie musical"

Yes. I was glad she put Duckie in the corner and he was basically accepting on this. However the fact that she is interested in this Zabka that is constantly belittling her so called best friend seems like a guy that read The Secret one too many times. I agree that it isn't 100% they are a couple but the fact that he survives at all feels a bit... disappointing considering on freely the movie was killing off the other characters. Also, how is killing your father who's turned into a zombie doing something selfless? She told him that he only thinks of himself and his counter point was he killed his zombie turning dad because that's what his dad wanted. That just seems like common sense in a zombie apocalypse scenario.

I think the scene that nailed what this movie should have been doing more of was the “Turning My Life Around” scene.

I didn’t just because the movie was more focused on her independence than on her being attached to anyone.

I had the feeling that she and Steph were going to wind up together. We never hear about nor see her girlfriend IIRC. Just that one reference that the girlfriend wasn't picking up the phone.

The pacing is my biggest issue with the original, as well. I’m not saying I only like frenetically paced movies, but TDC feels glacial.

Also her relationship with the non-ducky love interest. He's presented as some sort of jerk, is that way until she confronts him in the school and something we didn't know happened, he makes a heroic self sacrificial move to prove her wrong and some how they end up together at the end. I just found that whole character and story line to be disappointing. Like either he's an asshole until his second to last scene and then we're suppose to be happy they're together at the end? Meh. That said I really enjoyed the story of Chris and Lisa and thought that was done well. That's what I mean about this movie, for me for every bad their is a good.

Also congrats Polly!

Yes. Granted I only watched the first episode but I wasn't feeling it. I did love the puppetry and playing guess that voice but the story and pacing off it all were just not compelling me.

Found some alternate posters.

Yeah, I was thinking of buying the soundtrack as well. I bought the movie sight unseen a while ago. I think is is like Repo Man for me where the songs fill out more because I can use my imagination.

I haven't watched this yet, but that's exactly how I felt about Dark Crystal as a kid. I eventually got into it watching it in high school but that's a long gestation. I'm very behind on Netflix shows but I'm wary about Dark Crystal.

Finally catching up on some ‘casts and just wanted to congratulate @PollyDarton for her win! Also, I tried watching Netflix’s The Dark Crystal show and I’m really not into it. Artistically, I appreciate it a whole lot, but I really can’t get into it. Anyone else feel that way?

Yes, it's the Rosario Dawson, Katherine Heigl one.

I think the library keeping records is entirely dependent on the library or library system. My library switched to some new thing in the last year and I can now keep track of everything I've borrowed since the switch. I don't know what the librarians would do with the information but they certainly have access to it. I will say the librarians probably have a vague knowledge of the kind of stuff people borrow if they come in all the time. They have definitely commented on my borrowing. I try to at least throw in a "good" movie if I'm also borrowing a particularly terrible HDTGM movie (and I chose to not get Striptease from the library at all).

As I've mentioned before, my wife is a librarian - the average public library is certainly NOT a new place for people to commit crimes. But pretty much 100% of librarians will do whatever they can to keep patrons' information private, as long as it doesn't compromise the safety of other patrons or the public.

Congratulations @PollyDarton. June was on Jimmy Kimmel and shared some details on the book and also Paul loving rides. I might be interested in the how to do Disney book, because I might be taking my nephews in November and they are little.