Commit One

It’s all about the LAAAAWWWWW!!!!! Will, Mike, and Sam travel to the dystopian future this time with a film that takes a good comic book source and changes many of the things that made it so good to the point where it has damaged the reputation so much that when a more faithful adaptation comes along no one cares to watch it. Yes, we are talking about the Sylvester Stallone led 1995 film Judge Dredd. Despite good costumes and visuals, this film proves the phrase ”turn off your brain and enjoy the stupid” with a clumsy script, poor dialogue, and a runtime that is ultimately too short to do it’s source material any justice. The Commit One crew is ready to go to trial on this one (while also making fun of how the actors say ”law”).

Well, if you’re going to rip off a film at least you got Lance Henriksen! Will, Mike, and Sam set sail with this blatant version of The Thing except on a boat, poor acting at points, stupid decision making at others, but at least come up with good practical effects with the 2015 film Harbinger Down. Starring the aforementioned Henriksen, this film (which was in a large part helped funded through Kickstarter) shows what happens when you try to pay homage to a better film only to be seen as a poor imitation by the end. A bit boring at points with a character that everyone cheers when he meets his end and enough material for the Commit One crew to make plenty of jokes, references, and rants about inconsistency gives you a film that should had just stayed docked.

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Betty White.

The First Lady of Television has a potty mouth! Will, Mike, and Sam start a new era of the Commit One Movie Podcast on a bittersweet, but still a happy reflective tone as they look back on their memories on the life of Betty White and one of her most memorable supporting roles with the 1999 film Lake Placid. Starring Bill Pullman, Bridget Fonda, Oliver Platt and Betty White herself in a small, yet important, supporting role that many believe helped relaunch her career just boils down to yet another Jaws ripoff just with a crocodile, a quicker pace, and some jokes thrown in as well. While it the film would normally (and was reviewed as such) as a forgettable film, Betty White’s role helps make the film that much better and fondly remembered by fans, and the Commit One crew is honored to remember the legendary Betty White in this form.

It’s the end of an era! Will, Mike, and Sam celebrate the final weekly Friday release of the Commit One Movie Podcast with a retrospective reflection of the show from it’s humble beginnings with Doctor Detroit to the many jokes, arguments, and just plain bad movies that the crew has covered over the last year-and-a-half. Listen in as the trio talks about their favorite moments from the movies themselves to the funny moments that were too good that they had to stay in as well as a ”behind the scenes” look at how a few of the moments were created and even some items that have been left on the cutting room floor. While this does mark the end of the weekly releases, it is NOT the end of the show as the Commit One crew will return with new bi-weekly episodes starting January 17th! So, enjoy this look back in time as one chapter closes and another one is just on the horizon!

What happens when you take a comedy film and make a great improvisational actor, who just patched things up with the studio, more subdued in his performance? You get this family-friendly waste of time! Will, Mike, and Sam close out 2021 with a special tribute episode to the late, great Robin Williams on the year of what would have been his 70th birthday by discussing his life and impact on the lives of many people with his work and look at one of his not-so-great performances (but still passable at points) with the 1997 Disney film Flubber. Released the same year as his Oscar-winning performance in Good Will Hunting, this film has Robin be more subdued as Professor Philip Brainard even though the film still has a wacky plot yet gives the one-liners to the film screen of his robot assistant. Fairly forgettable at points and a plot that does move to fast with a character who is WAY too forgiving even before the main film begins, this is one that the Commit One crew wishes could have spent more time in the containment chamber.

These are ones that defined our Christmas childhoods. Will, Mike, and Sam sit down to look back on their favorite Christmas films and specials from their childhood (and even adulthood) in this special Christmas Day episode where the normal format is set aside for the holidays (as well as the absence of a Hater’s choice which is explained in the episode). The items discussed mostly would not qualify for a regular episode so the Commit One crew thought it would be a good gift to have some recommendations. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this holiday discussion of three friends’ childhoods.

Ummmm....okay......a killer snowman. Will, Mike, and Sam continue Christmas month with a holiday horror movie (that Sam was able to grab this time around) with an even worse and hokier sequel than its own original film with the 2000 direct-to-video film Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman. Given the subtitle to avoid confusion with the family-friendly Jack Frost starring Michael Keaton (also pretty bad), this film proves that when you need to try to improve on the outrageous premise of the original horror film with a serial killer who is fused with snow (it‘s actually a lot to wrap one‘s head around) by setting the film in a tropical setting, introduce a psychic connection, even have rip-offs of other properties, and enough cringe-inducing gags and one-liners to make one question the sanity of the filmmakers. It is truly the definition of over-the-top nonsense, which makes it perfect cannon-fodder for the Commit One Crew.

Even the beloved Disney characters are not safe! Will, Mike, and Sam continue Christmas month with a short direct-to-video feature that not only makes Will and Sam Disney-nerd out a bit but also raise Mike‘s chagrin who refuses to pay money to the ”House of Mouse” even though he is a fan with the 1999 Christmas anthology Mickey‘s Once Upon a Christmas. Starring everyone‘s favorite Disney characters from Mickey and Minnie in the 100th retelling of ”Gift of the Magi” to Donald Duck in a Groundhog Day-esque short to Goofy and his son Max pre-Goof Troop, it really has a bit more everyone despite being very paint-by-numbers and attempts at tugging at the heartstrings. But really, what else can you expect from Disney? Even though it is just a cartoon really meant for children, it still will get the same treatment from the Commit One crew.

Talk about Christmas family drama! Will, Mike, and Sam return from another brief hiatus to kick off their second annual Christmas month with a film that, while having its many flaws to the point where it is not as fondly remembered, does have its moments where filmmakers decided to show Santa Claus‘s extended family in the 2007 comedy Fred Claus. Starring Vince Vaughn as the titular Fred, the older brother of Santa Claus (played by Paul Giamatti), the film tries to show what happens when the older sibling of a beloved individual has to live in his brother‘s shadow. Yes, it checks off a lot of the boxes of a typical ”sibling rivalry” that films love, but at least this is Christmas as the brothers must contend with an efficiency expert that may shut down the North Pole....wait....WHAT?! A bit of miscasting, an uneven tone, and a questionable overall plot keeps the film from being any better, but at least it is decent enough to be watchable. While it may not be the best way to kick off Christmas month, at least it is better than other options for the Commit One crew!

Well....at least the music was somewhat decent. Will, Mike, and Sam end their second annual Halloween month with a special Hater‘s Choice episode with a film that has been recommended several times by one of their first fans that also helped share the podcast with the 2008 science-fiction, horror rock-opera Repo! The Genetic Opera. Starring Alexa Vega (now PenaVega), Anthony Stewart Head (Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and even Paris Hilton of all people, the film is a constant barrage of over 50 musical numbers (earning the opera title!), trippy visuals, and a story that is more ridiculous and convoluted than any form of scary. Despite a few redeeming qualities (such as the GraveRobber character), this is one musical that the Commit One crew wishes could have been left on the recording-room floor.