Musical Mondays Week 55 Rockula

[Cameron H. 23786]

I loved the fact every time he walked to the stage, there was always someone in the hall offering to suck his toes.

[Cameron H. 23786]

I would also like to point out that - based on the lyrics - he’s less “Rockula” than “Nerdula.”

And while he’s clearly not a singer, I noticed Dean Cameron (Ralph/Rockula) co-wrote a number of the songs.

[Cameron H. 23786]

45 minutes ago, taylorannephoto said:

Cameron, I'm very angry at you right now. 

[grudlian. 4725]

6 minutes ago, AlmostAGhost said:

This is why I just can't like this movie.  Sure there's some enjoyable things in its goofiness, but they just seriously WERE NOT TRYING.  The levels of "not trying" are unforgiveable.  You have to at least have one sentence about who the mirror guy is.  About why garlic, crosses, and killing aren't part of his makeup. There's nothing.  It just ignores common lore and I'm supposed to buy it?  In fact, it's so disparate from vampire lore, I'd argue he's NOT a vampire.  I don't know what he is exactly, but it's not that.  He just lives forever, has fangs, and can turn into a gross bat person.   

I liked this enough because the goofy charm works but you're right. He's not a vampire. He's a shapeshifter or a were-bat I guess.

In other stuff that ignores or changes mythology, they typically give some kind of reason. In Salem's Lot, crosses only work if you have faith. In Twilight, vampires don't go out in the day because sparkling gives them away. Even Vampire Academy makes up something playful when it violates vampire rules. In Rockula, most that stuff is shrugged off.

1 minute ago, Cameron H. said:

I loved the fact every time he walked to the stage, there was always someone in the hall offering to suck his toes.

I'm glad I don't remember this because I have the exact opposite of a foot fetish. Please put on more socks and shoes, people.

[AlmostAGhost 2718]

Remember the music video where they fall in love in a trashyard under a bridge surrounded by homeless children?  What's more romantic than that?

[Cameron H. 23786]

26 minutes ago, AlmostAGhost said:

Remember the music video where they fall in love in a trashyard under a bridge surrounded by homeless children?  What's more romantic than that?

You mean the video that she says she’s been waiting to make her “entire life” which turns out to be a duet with a man she’s only known for maybe 48 hours?

Ralph also says the homeless kids were Mona’s idea. I’d kind of like to know more about where she’s coming from.

[tomspanks 9039]

1 hour ago, Cameron H. said:

I would also like to point out that - based on the lyrics - he’s less “Rockula” than “Nerdula.”

And while he’s clearly not a singer, I noticed Dean Cameron (Ralph/Rockula) co-wrote a number of the songs.

I was leaning towards dorkula. 

He might not be a great singer, but he looked like he was comfortable with a guitar.

[Cam Bert 8145]

 

4 hours ago, WatchOutForSnakes said:

My mirror theory: The mirror guy is a reflection of how Ralph wants to see himself. Mirror guy gets all the ladies, and gets laid (there was that whole bit about regular Ralph being a virgin). 

Theory number two: It's the Upside Down!

I loved this movie. Particularly the rap song. Oh heavens! Just pure delight. 

This is similar to the idea that I had that his mirror self is the cooler version of how he sees himself. A more fully self actualized Ralph. However mirror Ralph does know things that regular Ralph just doesn't know. I could buy to a certain degree that he may be aware of these things, like where Nora was because his mind is aware of the one place he missed checkng, but it is a little much. This fail to also account for the ending or where mirror Ralph got a girl to make out with at the start. Speaking of that scene it is seems mirror Ralph has been around the block a view times while Dorkula is a virgin. All that said, I think I'm going to have to go for self actualized fantasy.

[WatchOutForSnakes 807]

11 hours ago, AlmostAGhost said:

Remember the music video where they fall in love in a trashyard under a bridge surrounded by homeless children?  What's more romantic than that?

What was with those three girls? And why were they dressed as child brides at the end? 

[WatchOutForSnakes 807]

9 hours ago, Cam Bert said:

 

This is similar to the idea that I had that his mirror self is the cooler version of how he sees himself. A more fully self actualized Ralph. However mirror Ralph does know things that regular Ralph just doesn't know. I could buy to a certain degree that he may be aware of these things, like where Nora was because his mind is aware of the one place he missed checkng, but it is a little much. This fail to also account for the ending or where mirror Ralph got a girl to make out with at the start. Speaking of that scene it is seems mirror Ralph has been around the block a view times while Dorkula is a virgin. All that said, I think I'm going to have to go for self actualized fantasy.

100% agreed. 

[taylor anne photo 11311]

Okay so here are my questions

Mirror dude said he was trapped at one point and that was when he made the comment that everything was backwards, but like WHO IS HE THEN? Did Ralph have a twin that got trapped in the mirror zone? Was that the inner version of him that could actually get laid and seal the deal with Mona and his mother pulled it out of him?

Was there actually no pirate ever? Was that always a thing set up by his mom and she's just convinced lots of men to become murderers over Mona?

Why did he switch genres after one show? And why did Bo Diddley even allow him to do Rapula? That seems like so many bad things in one setting. Also I fast forwarded through that whole performance because it was embarrassing from the get go.

Final question - why? Just... why?

[AlmostAGhost 2718]

my final question is "how did this get made?" @paulsheer please answer this

[WatchOutForSnakes 807]

We need some Blake Harris research on this! 

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

1 hour ago, WatchOutForSnakes said:

100% agreed. 

I like this explanation but it's not what the filmakers were going for.  On the commentary they said that Ralph was such a loser that even his reflection talks back to and make fun of him.  That of course highlights that they didn't even try to think of vampire lore.  I like Cam Bert's explanation better.  It's like a manifestation of his desire to finally break the curse and get on with his life.  That's why Toni Basil didn't have a reflection.  She was happy with who she was.

I also think his not aging, sunlight, etc., were part of the curse.  He was a normal guy (not a vampire) when they fell in love and Mona died.  He was then cursed to relive the same 22 years over and over but was made a proto-vampire.  I'm assuming he will go full Drac after the events of this movie since he can't go back to being human.

[Cameron H. 23786]

1 hour ago, taylorannephoto said:

Okay so here are my questions

Mirror dude said he was trapped at one point and that was when he made the comment that everything was backwards, but like WHO IS HE THEN? Did Ralph have a twin that got trapped in the mirror zone? Was that the inner version of him that could actually get laid and seal the deal with Mona and his mother pulled it out of him?

Was there actually no pirate ever? Was that always a thing set up by his mom and she's just convinced lots of men to become murderers over Mona?

Why did he switch genres after one show? And why did Bo Diddley even allow him to do Rapula? That seems like so many bad things in one setting. Also I fast forwarded through that whole performance because it was embarrassing from the get go.

Final question - why? Just... why?

No, I think there was a pirate originally, because the legend was that she was in love with the pirate first. But, yeah, I think the mother is responsible for all the subsequent murders. Which is pretty fucked up when you consider that when Ralph says he’s not going to find her this resurrection, she convinces him he should because she’s going to die in two weeks anyway. It’s like, well, not really, because you’re the one setting it up for her to be murdered. If he doesn’t go out and find her, she has no reason to have Stanley kill her.

I’m just saying, all of this should have really gone into Ralph’s decision to forgive his mom. 

[taylor anne photo 11311]

Oh I forgot another question - is this a world where he was like born a vampire? They make it seem like he never actually lived a life as a human and since that woman was his mother are we to assume she gave birth to a vampire baby a la Twilight? Or was she the one who turned him and he was a full adult man who still never got laid in the 16th century (yeah right) and she wanted a child so he would just do, and so her possession of him is more of a maker's possession rather than mother's?

[Cameron H. 23786]

46 minutes ago, taylorannephoto said:

Oh I forgot another question - is this a world where he was like born a vampire? They make it seem like he never actually lived a life as a human and since that woman was his mother are we to assume she gave birth to a vampire baby a la Twilight? Or was she the one who turned him and he was a full adult man who still never got laid in the 16th century (yeah right) and she wanted a child so he would just do, and so her possession of him is more of a maker's possession rather than mother's?

Maybe his full name is Ralphesmee.

[WatchOutForSnakes 807]

3 hours ago, Cinco DeNio said:

I like this explanation but it's not what the filmakers were going for.  On the commentary they said that Ralph was such a loser that even his reflection talks back to and make fun of him.  That of course highlights that they didn't even try to think of vampire lore.  I like Cam Bert's explanation better.  It's like a manifestation of his desire to finally break the curse and get on with his life.  That's why Toni Basil didn't have a reflection.  She was happy with who she was.

I also think his not aging, sunlight, etc., were part of the curse.  He was a normal guy (not a vampire) when they fell in love and Mona died.  He was then cursed to relive the same 22 years over and over but was made a proto-vampire.  I'm assuming he will go full Drac after the events of this movie since he can't go back to being human.

So, is he in vampire purgatory basically until he saves Mona? 

Relevant to nothing - that bat creature was more disturbing than the Garbage Pail Kids. 

[Cameron H. 23786]

On 1/7/2019 at 2:04 PM, Cinco DeNio said:

I only had several problems with this movie.

• Stanley (Thomas Dolby) was just too off-the-wall for me.  He didn't seem like a bad guy or much of a villain so his "comeuppance" at the end didn't mean anything to me.

I meant to respond to this yesterday. I don’t disagree that he was off-the-wall, but I think I really liked that about him. He amped up the absurdity level to 11. I think it worked well for the film.

That being said, Madam Ben Wah (heh) didn’t really need try all that hard convince him to kill his girlfriend, did she?

”You should kill her.”

”I should?”

”Yes.”

”Okay, I can see the logic in that.”

[PollyDarton 1807]

10 hours ago, Cinco DeNio said:

I like this explanation but it's not what the filmakers were going for.  On the commentary they said that Ralph was such a loser that even his reflection talks back to and make fun of him.  That of course highlights that they didn't even try to think of vampire lore.  I like Cam Bert's explanation better.  It's like a manifestation of his desire to finally break the curse and get on with his life.  That's why Toni Basil didn't have a reflection.  She was happy with who she was.

I also think his not aging, sunlight, etc., were part of the curse.  He was a normal guy (not a vampire) when they fell in love and Mona died.  He was then cursed to relive the same 22 years over and over but was made a proto-vampire.  I'm assuming he will go full Drac after the events of this movie since he can't go back to being human.

I guess in the beginning I thought that Ralph's reflection was a part of the curse of Mona. Like he split into 2 people, Ralph the dork and Ralph the smooth guy in the mirror and he was going to break the curse by saving Mona and losing his virginity... but that's not what was happening it all?

I was mostly annoyed that mirror Ralph wasn't always dressed like Dorky Ralph - vampire lore or not THAT. MAKES. NO. SENSE.

I mentioned this to AlmostAGhost and Grudlian, but I wished the Pirate curse part was fleshed out more... like once Thomas Dolby was designated to be the Pirate with the hambone that he slowly becomes a pirate. Like first he starts hitting his Rrrrrs really hard, then gets a parrot, then loses a leg and so on and so forth until BAM full pirate.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

21 minutes ago, PollyDarton said:

I guess in the beginning I thought that Ralph's reflection was a part of the curse of Mona. Like he split into 2 people, Ralph the dork and Ralph the smooth guy in the mirror and he was going to break the curse by saving Mona and losing his virginity... but that's not what was happening it all?

I was mostly annoyed that mirror Ralph wasn't always dressed like Dorky Ralph - vampire lore or not THAT. MAKES. NO. SENSE.

Like the mirror version truly seemed to be living his best life in that mirrorverse so I don't even know what his problem was.

[Cameron H. 23786]

I’ve got a couple of other questions. At the end of the movie, Mirror Ralph - before he breaks free - says he’s locked in the dressing room. First of all, who locked the door? Can something in the real world affect Mirror Ralph’s world? Could it be that vampires actually have reflections, but they all just got locked away someplace? 

Also, does Mirror Ralph eat - the denizens of Mirror world or otherwise? If he were to get locked in that room indefinitely, would he starve to death? I mean, theoretically, if a month later Ralph Prime finally remembered Mirror Ralph was trapped in Club Hell’s dressing room, if after all that time he looked in that mirror, would he find Mirror Ralph’s emaciated corpse?

Also, speaking of Club Hell, you’ve got to love a club that bounces you for being a dork one night and then introduces you as the next big thing the following night. I mean, Mona’s been, presumably, working toward playing there for years, and in a matter of 24 hours, all her hard work is diminished and upstaged by a corny novelty act.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

3 minutes ago, Cameron H. said:

I’ve got a couple of other questions. At the end of the movie, Mirror Ralph - before he breaks free - says he’s locked in the dressing room. First of all, who locked the door? Can something in the real world affect Mirror Ralph’s world? Could it be that vampires actually have reflections, but they just just got locked away somewhere? 

Also, does Mirror Ralph eat - the denizens of Mirror world or otherwise? If he were to get locked in that room indefinitely, would he starve to death? I mean, theoretically, if a month later Ralph Prime finally remembered Mirror Ralph was trapped in Club Hell’s dressing room, if after all that time he looked in that mirror, would he find Mirror Ralph’s emaciated corpse?

So I thought of something I watched within the last couple of years where someone got locked in the mirrorverse but it was literally only what the mirror could see in that one room. They tried to get out the door but couldn't because the door in the real world was closed, therefore there was nothing to open up to in the mirrorverse. Is that the same for Mirror!Ralph? Is he truly relegated to only rooms that have mirrors? And if that's the case WHERE THE FUCK DO ALL THOSE GIRLS COME FROM?

[Cam Bert 8145]

Toni Basil's paramours in this film are very extreme types. Do you think that's because she's been around so long as a vampire that she's been with every type of man imaginable so she seeks men of unique body size and shape just to experience something new and different?

[tomspanks 9039]

I actually preferred Thomas Dolby over Ralph. His antics were welcome distraction from Ralph’s incessant 4everalone schtick.