Adult Swim Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Since last September, at Fantastic Fest, it became immediately apparent that Repo! The Genetic Opera was due for a cult following, and a successful roadshow run last November and December seemed to confirm as much. I wasn't the biggest fan of Darren Lynn Bousman's goth-rock horror musical at the time, and don't exactly see myself giving it another look any time soon, but when its DVD release hasn't prevented fans from organizing summer screenings with shadow casts far and wide, it's futile to deny that it has at least an audience beyond home video and into the realm of true theatrical cultdom.

Meanwhile, the sheer sloppiness of Tommy Wiseau's infamous The Room has it similarly garnering underground popularity. I settled for seeing it on Cartoon Network when Adult Swim aired it as their idea of an April Fool's joke, and it became much more of a chore to sit through than I could've possibly imagined (and it's not like the constant commercial breaks weren't helping).

Would it have been much better with a crowd? I couldn't say, as the appeal hasn't quite reached Central Florida yet, but I ask: just because a film has reached the ranks of something like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, does that mean it truly deserves to? What are your personal criteria for a proper cult classic? What's your fondest memory of audience partici... pation, and what other films do you feel stand to join the ranks of the modern midnight movie that maybe haven't quite crept up on the ol' cultural radar just yet?

Call it a coincidence or call it fate, but three minutes after finishing my post on that horrific Star Wars trailer, this little nugget showed up in my RSS feeds. According to CNN, Mark Hamill has agreed to resurrect Luke Skywalker for -- wait for it -- a thirty-minute Robot Chicken special on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. Not only that, but George Lucas (who, of course, had to give the greenlight) will play himself in the special. Imagine that one! Lucas has lightened up. I love it! Apart from acting, Lucasfilm helped collaborate with Chicken creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, going so far as to provide them with sound files on Chewbacca and R2-D2. The special, Robot Chicken: Star Wars, will premiere on Adult Swim this June 17 at 10PM EST.

I've never been a huge fan of Seth Green, but the man earned a ton of respect from me when his Robot Chicken hit the boob tube last year (or was it the year before, I forget?). The show, which utilizes a stop-motion animation technique, is so ridiculously funny that I often find myself laughing so loud, my neighbors are forced to bang on the wall. This entire special came about after Robot Chicken featured a skit called Emperor's Phone Call, in which Darth Vader calls the Emperor to let him know the Death Star has been blown up. When reps from Lucasfilm wanted the sketch for StarWars.com, a meeting was held between Green, Senreich and Lucasfilm, they pitched their ideas and, now, Luke Skywalker is coming back! Now, don't get too excited -- it's not like Hamill will bring back Luke for the upcoming animated Star Wars TV show, but knowing those Chicken boys, I'm sure this one-time appearance will be worth a watch.

I'm 37. If I lived in medieval times, I'd have five kids and about five years left to live. If I lived in Victorian England, I'd have a block-rocking mustache, three kids and work in either the mines or the docks. But in the 21st Century, 37 is not old; I have dreams, hopes, aspirations, action figures. Still, I felt old watching the beginning of Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters; I felt clueless, slow, uncool -- like I'd been left out of the joke. But, as ATHFCMFfT unspooled, I felt less old -- primarily because I realized I wasn't left out of the joke; rather, there was no joke to get.

Created as time-filler for Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" late-night programming block, Aqua Teen Hunger Force the TV show followed the adventures of talking, mobile, super-powered fast-food items. And by "adventures," I mean the opposite of adventures -- squabbling with each other, dodging work, arguing with their landlord. There's Frylock (voiced by Carey Means), the smartest of the crew; Master Shake (Dana Snyder), dim and vain; and Meatwad (Dave Willis), bone-stupid and bonelessly malleable.

Begun by Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro, Aqua Teen Hunger Force has run for five seasons; I couldn't tell you if that's a good or bad thing, as I've never been able to watch an episode through. Oh, people I know love ATHF -- unabashedly, and I don't think it's just drug-induced -- but it has no sticking power for me. And showing me ATHF bigger and longer and uncut doesn't do much to change that.

If you're still not convinced that Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters will be one of the funniest films this spring, then I should note that it's also from "the 1st Assistant Director of the 2nd unit of Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth." Now, if that doesn't get you all pumped up, I don't know what will. The first full-length trailer for the pic has just hit the net, and it's absolutely out of this world ... not to mention, there's a flaming chicken. A flaming chicken! Does it get any better?

For those of you who don't stay up late to watch those wacky cartoons on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim (and, trust me, if you are one of those Adult Swim junkies then there's a good chance you dance to a slightly different tune than everyone else), you're probably not all that familiar with the show Aqua Teen Hunger Force (or ATHF). Basically, a wad of meat, a milkshake and a box of fries bumble around throughout a series of memorable adventures. Each episode is only 15 minutes long (a perfect amount of time for a show like this), which certainly begs the question: Will their shtick be able to handle the feature-length format?

Heck, hardcore fans should just be happy the thing is getting some sort of theatrical release, albeit on only 800 screens this March. However, the DVD should follow soon after, and I'm sure it will be packed with all kinds of extra coolness. (I don't know about you, but perhaps they can pack a real milkshake and bag of fries into some sort of Special Edition DVD -- after watching this show, a severe case of the munchies always follows.)

I am going to get crucified for what I am about to say in this post. Deep breath. Please don't hate me. Deep breath. Here goes ... I do not watch Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Yes, it's true. Family Guy. Check. Robot Chicken. Check. Futurama. Check. Erik gets yelled out by his wife when he attempts to watch three minutes of Aqua Teen Hunger Force (or ATHF) because she thinks it's the stupidest show on the planet. Triple check.

The bits and pieces of the show I have watched were pretty solid, though it's safe to say The Force is best enjoyed when your mind is a bit altered ... if you catch my drift. For those who are not aware, ATHF is a cartoon aired daily on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, and it revolves around the bumbling adventures of Meatwad (a wad of meat), Master Shake (a milkshake) and Frylock (a box of french fries). Needless to say, the show has built up enough steam (as well as a massive fanbase) through its television play and DVDs to warrant a feature film on the big screen. Not long ago, a very funny teaser hit the net, and now Variety brings us word that First Look Pictures will debut the 86-minute film this March on 800 screens across the country.

Pic, which was written, produced and directed by co-creators Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis, will primarily focus on the origins of the three characters and feature the voice talent of Maiellaro, Willis, Bruce Campbell (kick ass!) and Neil Peart of the band Rush. It shall be interesting to see how this film does theatrically (I'd say $8-9 million would be a huge success -- keep in mind it's only on 800 screens), but I'm positive the DVD will rake in the cash. What other Adult Swim toons would you like to see on the big screen?