Cereal At Midnight

One would be forgiven for not immediately realizing that The Hustle  is a straight-forward remake of 1988's Dirty Rotten Scoundrels , albeit with a female-led cast. There's little in the advertising to indicate this fact aside from the tag line on the poster, which reads "They're giving dirty rotten men a run for their money." And yet, not much has changed. Instead of Michael Caine as the posh British con artist, we have Anne Hathaway, sporting a deliberately-dodgy English accent. Instead of Steve Martin as the wacky comic relief, we have Rebel Wilson occupying much the same role. Aside from the gender switch, the plot and character dynamics are virtually identical: two odd-couple career swindlers place a bet to see who can rip off a wealthy business person by a certain deadline. To achieve this, our characters will have to use every trick in the bag.

When it comes to Blaxploitation cinema, it's my opinion that there are two distinct types of films within the genre. In one camp are the films born out of the exploitation scene of the late sixties and early seventies, produced independently and often gritty, authentic, and occasionally even shocking. In the other camp are the films that came slightly later, when the major film studios recognized the trend and started to pursue the genre themselves. These big studio Blaxploitation films often feature slick cinematography, established talent from within the studio system on both sides of the camera, and sometimes feature a more sanitized, broader approach to the genre. 1973's Cleopatra Jones  falls into the latter category. Produced by Warner Brothers, this PG-rated outing stars Tamara Dobson (just one year removed from her major motion picture debut in the ensemble cop film Fuzz ) as the title character, a sassy, street-wise fox (complete with afro) who just so happens to ...

We venture back to Ollie's Bargain Outlet for another haul of DIRT CHEAP trade paperback comics from Marvel and DC!

In this video, we open mail sent to us by YOU!

It's spring fever at Heath's local thrift stores as TONS of movies, CDs, records, and video games have started showing up again after a long, cold winter!

Shazam!  is the latest film to adapt classic DC Comics characters (or Fawcett Comics characters, in this case) to the big screen, and it's the most fun I've had at a modern DC film to date. Maybe that's because I'm not overly steeped in the history and lore of Billy Batson, the mystical wizard, or The Rock of Eternity (which is the name of my album). Maybe it's because I've sat the last few DC films out, exhausted after the CGI spectacle of mass destruction fueled by Zack Snyder's desire to make this universe full of muck and grime , inspired more by the likes of Frank Miller and Alan Moore than by Neal Adams and Julius Schwartz. When Shazam! works, it's because it's having fun with its central premise. Billy Batson, a troubled orphan with a heart of gold, is granted magical powers when he utters the secret word and is transformed into a hero bigger than Superman. The wonder and joy of a kid who suddenly finds he has super powers allows this ...

With streaming platforms like Disney Plus, Netflix, and Hulu becoming the primary way that millions of consumers are experiencing media, the issue of censorship is more relevant than it's been in years. Not only are entire movies falling into obscurity, but classic films are being edited and modified. In this video, Heath and Bree discuss Song of the South, Dumbo, George Lucas and the Star Wars special editions, and tons of stuff in between to explore the nature of film and entertainment censorship and what place--if any--it serves in today's society.

In this video, we're shining a spotlight on Spidey, a 12-issue Marvel comic that has just been released in an affordable trade paperback! Writer Robbie Thompson strips away all the years of continuity to cut right to the core of what we love about Spider-Man: Peter Parker, high school, and some of the most iconic heroes and villains in all of comics. Spidey is SO MUCH FUN!

With Avengers: Endgame on track to be the biggest cinematic event of all time, Heath and Bree sit down for a discussion about what worked, what didn't, and the significance of the what Marvel and Disney have achieved through this film. This video is filled with spoilers, so PLEASE don't watch it until you've seen Avengers: Endgame!

It's the end of the road for the hottest band in all the land, KISS! With the legendary rock act now in the middle of their final world tour, fans and members of the KISS Army have one last chance to see the Demon, the Starchild, the Cat, and the Spaceman live and in person. In this video, Heath and Bree talk about their bittersweet experience at their very last KISS concert. It's the end of an era.

The thrift store series celebrates its sweet sixteen! In this video, we cover it all: movies, music (CD AND vinyl), books, and video games!

The latest Paperback Paradise casts a spotlight on hard-boiled detective and crime fiction of the thirties, forties, and fifties and features work by some of the most accomplished authors in the genre. Plus, those painted covers!

Heath is joined by James, aka the Comic Book Savant, to discuss the great debate: theater versus home theater! With movie ticket prices going up and home video prices going down, this is more topical than ever! How do you decide whether to support a movie at the theater or wait until it comes to Blu-ray, DVD, digital, or streaming?

Disney has announced the details of their upcoming streaming service, Disney Plus! In this video, die-hard Dis-fans Heath and Bree offer their first impressions on everything from the price, the featured films, and the many exclusives!

This video is a Mill Creek Entertainment exploitation EXPLOSION! Four new genre releases have dropped on the same day, with the Andy Sidaris films Malibu Express and Hard Ticket to Hawaii making their Blu-ray debut thanks to brand new 4K restorations courtesy of the American Genre Film Archive! The Take, starring Billy Dee Williams, and Black Gunn, starring Jim Brown, have also made their Blu-ray debut as a Blaxploitation double feature, and the Soul Team Six DVD set collects six soul cinema offerings in one package!

In this toy and movie hunting video, we venture into the hallowed halls of the hippest retail chain in America, Target! We check out the new Avengers: Endgame action figures, lament the state of Star Wars collecting, and search for anything new from Mego! We also check out what's happening in the DVD and Blu-ray section, discuss retro packaging, and shout out some new releases and repacks! This is the figure and media hunting video that many have been asking for! It's retail therapy with Cereal At Midnight!

DVDs and Blu-Rays have come in a variety of packaging over the years, sometimes intended to grab the consumer's eye, and other times simply to keep costs low. In this video, we take a look at all the different kinds of packaging varieties and gimmicks that DVD and Blu-ray companies have used to house our favorite shiny discs! Thanks to Patreon-supporter Will for the video suggestion!

There's a lot to say about the movie  Gun Crazy.  Entire books have been written about it. Furthermore, it's frequently taught in film classes, and the movie holds a place on multiple cinematic achievement lists. I've known and loved Gun Crazy  for years, first "meeting" it via the "Film Noir Classic Collection Volume 1," released by Warner Brothers in 2006. Now the landmark movie has been restored and is available on Blu-ray courtesy of Warner Archive, and revisiting it has been an absolute pleasure. I believe this to be the definitive home video version of Gun Crazy .

Cereal At Midnight has your review of Wrestlemania 35, WWE's biggest event of 2019! Recorded in the hours following the Pay Per View itself, we talk about the good, the bad, and the exhausted.

Hot on the heels of The Street Fighter Collection comes the Sister Street Fighter Collection! Now all four Toei films starring Etsuko Shihomi (aka Sue Shiomi), Sonny Chiba's real-life protege and student, are available in stunning HD from Arrow Video! We'll dig into the films themselves, explore the special features, and celebrate these martial arts movies and their place in movie history.

It's Wrestlemania time! With the grandest stage of them all now just days away, yours truly debates on whether to see it or skip it. We go through the build up and the momentum (or lack of momentum) of certain feuds and storylines, Becky Lynch versus Ronda Rousey, and even talk about the direct assault on Vince McMahon and the WWE corporation from late night host John Oliver!

In this video, we're taking a closer look at the four latest Blu-rays to arrive from Mill Creek Entertainment's "Retro VHS Edition" line, each of which features the original VHS artwork on a removable slipcover. We're big fans of both this line AND of 80s nostalgia here at Cereal At Midnight, so we have LOADS to say about these four new releases, which include the following: Sheena, starring Tanya Roberts, Neighbors, starring Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson, Neighbors, starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, and The Legend of Billie Jean, starring Helen Slater and Christian Slater!

In this video, we take a look at the new Street Fighter Collection from Shout Factory! These are the movies that made Sonny Chiba a star of the drive-in and a staple of midnight movie marathons! We discuss The Street Fighter, Return of the Street Fighter, and The Street Fighter's Last Revenge, their influence on modern cinema (including filmmaker and fan Quentin Tarantino), and evaluate how these classic martial arts masterpieces look and sound now that they've been restored for Blu-ray!

In this video, we look at some recent paperback acquisitions! It's an eclectic bunch of books, covering the sci-fi horror franchise Aliens, the Nightmare on Elm Street series, and even the Hells Angels. Crash on the couch for a few minutes and take a trip to Paperback Paradise!

In this video, Heath and Bree have a candid, honest, and open conversation about the current Disney product, as represented by the 2018 film Mary Poppins Returns. We discuss the current cycle of remakes, reboots, and sequels, and whether they succeed or fail at capturing the spirit of Walt Disney himself. Does Mary Poppins Returns require a spoon full of sugar, or is it practically perfect in every way?