Our new selection includes a trip to the world’s most dangerous amusement park (Class Action Park), a night of drinking (The Binge) and the sequel to a cult kung fu movie (Cobra Kai). Don’t miss our reviews. We wish you a great weekend!
You can still have a longer list of the releases under the “This Friday” section on the homepage.
Class Action Park
WHY
With the excellent documentary Class Action Park, get ready to discover the most dangerous amusement park in the world! To do so, you have to go back almost 40 years to the carefree 80’s and the golden age of traders. The park will then completely change the Township of Vernon, New Jersey, and quickly become its first employer. This will allow it to have a great deal of power and many privileges. We discover that the park is managed mostly by teenagers who only think about partying and don’t care about the customers. The park is built in the spirit of freedom, without any rules. With attractions designed by reckless people and in total disregard of the safety rules, this necessarily leads to a very large number of injuries and unfortunately many tragic deaths. The documentary shows very well how the owner of the park does everything to hide this aspect and it works (he has connections with the Mob) because the park will continue to open for many years. The documentary is fascinating to watch. Get on board for a tour!
WHAT
Class Action Park is the first-ever feature-length documentary to explore the legend, legacy, and truth behind a place that long ago entered the realm of myth. To some, New Jersey’s infamous Action Park was the most spectacularly fun amusement park on Earth: A place where unruly 1980s teenagers were given free rein to go gonzo on strange contraptions that seemed to violate the laws of common sense (and perhaps physics). To others, it was an ill-conceived death trap. One thing is sure: It’s the type of place that will never exist again. Shirking the trappings of nostalgia, the film uses investigative journalism, newly unearthed and never-before-seen documents and recordings, original animations, and interviews with the people who lived it to reveal the true story for the first time. The documentary features an original score by The Holladay Brothers.
WHERE
Cobra Kai
WHY
Launched in 2018 on YouTube Originals, the Cobra Kai series finds a new home at Netflix with its first two seasons. The third will be available in 2021. The creators of Cobra Kai had the brilliant idea of showing us the life of the “villain” of The Karate Kid and the consequences of his defeat on his life thirty years later. It is also interesting that the “hero” of the films is not necessarily a very nice guy and his victory also had consequences on his life. The rivalry is still strong between them. This series is not to be missed by fans of the original films and the 80s. The soundtrack of the series is a real journey through time (Queen, Foreigner, Speedwagon and many more). The cameos and references to the movies are numerous and the return of a cult character is a real pleasure! The various scenes between William Zabka and Ralph Macchio are absolutely exhilarating, especially during their first meetings after all those years. The character of William Zabka is really interesting and touching. He is in terrible condition (alcohol and odd job) at the beginning of the series and is disconnected from the current world (he doesn’t have a mobile phone and doesn’t know what Facebook is). His training methods run up against the wall of good thinking in today’s society. Action fans will be happy with a lot of good fights and one in particular in an excellent sequences in a cantine and one inside the whole high school. Without mentioning the fights between William Zabka and Ralph Macchio! These two seasons are a lot of fun to watch and we are looking forward to the third season especially after these cliffhangers!
WHAT
Cobra Kai takes place 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, where a now successful Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) struggles to maintain balance in his life without the guidance of Mr. Miyagi, and must face his previous adversary, down-and-out Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), who seeks redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai karate dojo.
WHERE
The Binge
WHY
The basic idea of The Binge is interesting with its concept of making all drugs legal just one night a year. A kind of The Purge but with drugs and alcohol. The many interludes multiply the references to this saga. These sequences are one of the best aspects of this film, they are very funny, full of second degree humour and irony with an excellent voice-over. The casting is rather refreshing with young actors (such as Casper Von Dien’s daughter) and a Vince Vaughn in great shape. It’s just a shame that the humour turns several times to hysteria and some vulgarity. Fans of musical comedy will be happy to find a really cool sequence in it. Let’s end by saying that this comedy is a nice coming of age.
WHAT
Set in a time where all drugs and alcohol are illegal, the only day anyone can participate in the “fun” is on Binge day.
WHERE