And so, as 2016 leaves the smouldering ruins behind and returns to the ocean from whence it came, I emerge from hibernation to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. Be safe, be happy, be loved and, as Abraham Lincoln once said:
The script’s going really well but I miss you all, and I’m looking forward to getting back on the blog horse in February. Something that a lot of people have been asking me is when I’m going to do another Charity Movie Deathmatch and, much as I’d love to, I’m STILL working through the reviews from the last one and amn’t due to finish those until July. So, obviously, the only way I could do another Deathmatch would be if I was the kind of mouse who had a history of taking on huge projects while stile struggling to finish his existing ones…
“Oh right. I’m me.”
LET DEATHMATCH BEGIN!!!!!
The Unshaved Mouse Charity Movie Deathmatch 2017 will kick off on Monday, 30th of January and will run all through February. Just like before 12 movies/TV Shows will be selected and you can vote for whichever one you want by making a charitable donation to one of this year’s two charities, the Dublin Simon Community and the Red Cross/Crescent’s Syria Appeal. We’ll go into more detail on how voting works closer to the time, but for now, I just need you all to nominate as many movies and TV shows as you like in the comments. The choices with the most support will be selected as this year’s contestants.
Who can I nominate?
I’m going to do away with the “animation and comic book movies only” rule. My only rule this year is No Star Wars Movies. It’s not that I don’t love them, it’s just that when it comes to reviewing those things on the internet I feel like frickin’ Sarabi.
However, that only extends to the main canon movies. If you want to nominate some of the more obscure Star Wars ephemera out there I have no objection.
So that’s it. Let’s show 2017 that we mean business.
Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year.
Mouse.
unshavedmouse 
I know I probably have no fucking right to do this, but… That Other Show. Either one of the two movies (three if you count Mystery of the Batwoman) or a handful of whatever episodes you want.
You have every right!
Have a Merry Christmas, Mouse. 😄
You too jackal
Merry Christmas!!!! And two things.
1. I nominate Avatar: The Last Airbender and/or The Legend of Korra. For ATLA I think you should review the four part finale Sozin’s Comet. For LOK you should review Beginnings (the one with Wan.)
2. Apparently they’re making a BBC miniseries Watership Down for Netflix. It stars James McAvoy and John Boyega. XD
So I heard. And Ben Kingsley!
And Nicholas Hoult! I actually just got the bluray of the 1978 version for Christmas. 😉
Spectacular Spider-Man. In my opinion, the best Spider-Man TV show to date (and also overlooked). If it is chosen, the good news is that there’s only 26 episodes and you could do a binge-watch fairly quickly (if you could make the time that is) and choose a story arc pretty easily, as the two seasons are divided into story arcs that form an overall narrative and story. The bad news is that, well, there are only 26 episodes. And if you do take a look at it, do not be put off by the art style if it does bother you. Focus on the more important things like story and character.
I’m sure that Avatar will be chosen over this show now that kanahamonako has brought it up, but I thought I’d bring it up anyway.
Merry Christmas, Mouse!!!!!!
P.S. I don’t suppose you’d do a “Dear 2016” post on here considering the first picture and sentence on this post sums up your thoughts?
May do. Merry Christmas dude.
Sorry for stealing your thunder dude. 😔
Nah, it’s fine. Avatar is well known and popular for a good reason. I think it was bound to show up at some point. It’s all good. 🙂
Merry Christmas, Mouse! The War on Christmas goes badly as ever, but we shall not surrender until the world recognizes that Christmas’ annexation of December and November is flagrantly illegal.
I’ll put in my recommendation for two good movies that I’d have sworn were On The List: Chicken Run and The Road to El Dorado. Alternatively, I’ve been doing some research, and I have learned that blog legend THORINGTON CALDWELL PUTNAM (yes, that’s his full name; no, I couldn’t believe it either) not only was art director for Night on Bald Mountain and Pinocchio, he apparently directed a couple of Navy training films in the 1940s, and I really want to see “Anti-Submarine Warfare and You: Starring Donald Duck”.
FUCKING SOLD
Alas, I have to report no luck on finding any of Putnam’s 37 (!) training films he reportedly directed for the USN. Unless someone has more experience trawling the National Archives, I fear that they are lost to us forever. 😦
I can only assume that the training films were so insightful and timeless on subjects like depth charge fuzing and sonar calibration, that they were immediately classified top-secret, the casts and crews were sworn to absolute secrecy, and the reels were buried in a hidden government archive for the next eighty years.
Agreed, B. I’m still not convinced that Christmas was responsible for the election leak, but we must put sanctions on it until it agrees to leave the people of November and December alone! And we need to stop sending weapons to October, which keeps using them to brutally massacre poor, innocent pumpkins!
On a more serious note, I nominate:
* any episode of “Adventure Time”
* any episode of “Axis Powers Hetalia”
* “Bartok The Magnificent”
* anything in the DC Animated Universe (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse?from=Franchise.DCAU)
* any of the direct-to-video animated Disney films (be they sequels or “Tinkerbell”
* any of the films Disney made that are based on their animated TV series (“Teacher’s Pet: The Movie”, “Phineas And Ferb The Movie: Across The Second Dimension”, etc.)
* “Darby O’ Gill And The Little People” (I’m curious to see Mouse’s comedy style applied to commenting on Ireland and Irish stereotypes)
* since more obscure “Star Wars” films are allowed, “The Star Wars Holiday Special” or any of the Ewoks films
* “Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them”
* any season of “The Gregory Horror Show”
* any of the “Harry Potter” films
” the “Hey Arnold!” episode “Helga On The Couch”
* “The Simpsons” episode “Homer’s Enemy”
* “Inside Out”
* any episode of “Invader Zim”
* any episode of “L’il Bush”
* The “Fritz The Cat” sequel “The Nine Lives Of Fritz The Cat”
*any animated mockbuster
* “Over The Garden Wall”
* Planes
* any episode of “Samurai Jack”
* “The Simpsons Movie”
* anything “Star Trek” related
” “The Swan Princess” and its direct-to-video sequels
* a review of any episode of the original “Teen Titans” followed by a review of any episode of “Teen Titans Go”
* any episode of “The West Wing”
Fritz the Cat has a mo’fucking sequel? What kind of sick sad world is this?!
Also, out of self-preservation, can we stay away from Planes and the Star Wars Holiday Special until we’re sure Mouse can’t trace our comments and find our physical locations? If I voted for that I fear my corpse will be found one morning by the authorities, with my trachea and aorta gnawed clean through by mouse fangs.
Heh. Yeah…
Good point.
Oh, and the Lego Movie. I meant to put that on my list of suggestions.
Merry Christmas Mouse!
I’d love to throw Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes into the fold. Hands down the best Avengers cartoon, and the last good one before Disney took over and…decided that we needed the MCU in animated form. Not sure if anime counts, but I’d love to see your thoughts on Death Parade, also!
As I said in a previous discussion, I nominate the 1977 Ralph Bakshi animated film Wizards. Although I don’t know if I can support that over a Donald Duck anti-submarine warfare Navy film…
Merry Christmas to you and yours Mouse!
As far as nominations, I’d like to nominate the Teen Titans series, Young Justice, Millennium Actress, Paprika, Summer Wars, Wolf Children, and Children Who Chase Lost Voices.
Merry Christmas, to one and all, whether you like it or not.
Nominations. Hmm, if we can do live action now, I recommend Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. Always loved that movie growing up, with Sally Field, Michael J Fox and Done Ameche. Lots of comedy there.
If you want to keep it all animated, might I suggest The Last Unicorn, 1982 fantasy film that had Lady Amalthea naked on screen. I think I was eight when I first saw that, blew my mind. That and I love that America(the band, not the country) helped do the songwork for the movie, along with the London Symphony Orchestra.
Stargate. The Shadow with Alec Baldwin. Kingdom of Heaven. Singin’ in the Rain. Kingsman, the Secret Service. Batman Returns. Die Hard. Young Sherlock Holmes. Hello Down There. Fantastic Voyage. Blazing Saddles. Viva Las Vegas. LADYHAWKE! X-Men.
Streets of Fire! Thief of Bagdad (Douglas Fairbanks Sr version).
Hmmm,my suggestions…The 1989 Batman, Lion King 2, Over The Garden Wall, (It’s a 12-episode miniseries so you might be able to just do a general overview.) Brave, Monsters University, Inside Out, Monsters VS Aliens and The Bee Movie
A very happy Christmas to you, good luck with the script and 5 Centimeters per Second.
Merry Christmas, Mouse.
Here’s an animated film I’ve always wanted to see you take on: The Last Unicorn.
Proof that Rankin Bass had more in them than stop motion Bumbles and Snarf.
Hello mouse, new commenter, though I’ve been reading for most of 2016, love your stuff.
I’d like to nominate One Piece. It’s the best selling manga in the world, and in my opinion is one of the best ongoing pieces of fiction in any medium at the moment. Obviously I couldn’t ask you to watch/review all 700+ episodes, but I’d say probably the best ones to review are in the Arlong park arc, or if we need to be more specific, the fight against Arlong’s crew toward the end. The arc itself is episodes 31-44.
Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to your return in February, like the majestic groundhog!
hAPPY cHRISTMAS, Mr Mouse!
One word: Daria.
Oh thank god, I’ve found another Daria fan.
Happy Christmas!
As I promised last year, I nominate Shortbus 🙂
Oh God so many censor bars.
I suddenly remembered the Spouse of Mouse’s special message on Fritz the Cat… If it involves remaining in one piece I gladly change my nomination to The Fall.
Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron
All right. You know what, I’ll second that.
Merry Christmas ya filthy animal!
I am a very clean animal thank you very much! Glossy fur and almost free of parasites.
Hey Mouse, my uncle gave me Volume 1 of Saga (along with a bunch of other graphic novels) for Christmas. I remember you highly recommending it a couple years ago, super excited to start it.
I envy you, it’s wonderful.
Merry Christmas, Mouse! I hope you had a wonderful time with your family and friends! So, everything is fair game now? Does that mean I can nominate my favourite movies of all time? I nominate the Back to the Future trilogy! Oh man, this Deathmatch will be chaos, I can’t wait for it! Have a Happy New Year too, Mouse, drink responsibly!
You’re not the bosh of me!
Yesh, I am!
KUBO! KUBO! BRING BACK SHERIFF LOBO! Wait…
Also if you’re a mouse, how can you stay underwater?
I’m a Sheriff?
Huh?
Looks like someone’s not drinking responsibly.
Responsibly? What is that, a gin?
I always thought that was a whiskey. Maybe I should lay off the homemade moonshine.
A Christmas haiku:
Merry Christmas, Mouse.
Review the Disney sequels.
Go on, I dare you.
Paper Alchemist friend
Specificity please
There’s feckin’ millions
The worst ones, of course
I’m thinking Mul Harder, or
Belle’s Magical World
Failing that, perhaps
Lion King One and a Half
(dumb guilty pleasure).
So, I trawled the ancient joyous foolishly-optimistic days of 2012, and I think I’ve found something.
I direct your attention to the Fantasia review (#3, I think) where Mouse hints darkly about some future, absolute turds shat out by Disney.
This particular turd, in fact.
It looks like utter crap, it’s an uninspired Madagascar knockoff, and more importantly, it’s been teased by Mouse and yet hasn’t been reviewed.
I vote we change that. Nominating The Wild, optionally in French.
Yeah, that’s been hanging over me for a while
Remind me if previous nominations stand, because I might just have to resurrect a few.
If I didn’t ask for Pixel Perfect before, I’ll nominate that now, because I want to know what you think of it. And also… Ok, if anyone else remembers that one animated movie about the Mad Hatter’s teapot where he has a milk jug sidekick, and knows what it’s called… I nominate that one. That wasn’t a fever dream, was it?
I nominate Whisper of the Heart again.
Seriously, Mouse. Do it.
Also Bojack Horseman. I just discovered this awesome show.
REVIEW THE NEW DIRK GENTLY.
best plan.
will be chose.
Time for my annual Deathmatch nominee dump! Settle tight, ’cause I have a LOT of weird, out there and fun ideas for reviews!
It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World.
(This is one of my favourite movies. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts.)
Rapsittie Street Kids: Believe in Santa.
(With the voices of Mark Hamill and Nancy Cartwright, this Christmas special is a timeless classic. *maniacal laughter in the distance* )
The Flintstones: Viva Rock Vegas.
(I don’t think you’ve ever reviewed a live action remake of a cartoon.)
Muppets Most Wanted.
(Highly underrated film that deserves more attention.)
Anything by John Kricfalusi, the creator of Ren and Stimpy.
(You’ve talked a lot about dozens of animation legends, but strangely nothing about him. Given his fascinating background, it would make for an interesting review.)
THE BEE MOVIE EXCEPT THE UNSHAVED MOUSE REVIEWS IT.
M. Night Shamalan’s The Last Airbender.
(Have fun.)
Belle’s Magical World.
(Again, have fun.)
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie.
(I think it would be funny to see you try to riff on a riff.)
Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka.
(It’s a popular property and it’s a cartoon. What more could you want?)
Tales of Earthsea.
(The infamous “bad” Studio Ghibli film.)
Teen Titans GO!
(It’s your new favourite show!)
The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle.
(More specifically, the live action film. I think it’s pretty underrated, actually.)
Beany and Cecil.
(In case you don’t know, and admittingly, you probably don’t, this was a great show from the 60’s created by Looney Tunes veteran Bob Clampett.)
Planes and Planes: Fire and Rescue.
(You must fulfill your destiny, Mr. Mouse.)
My Little Pony: Equestria Girls.
(Pony up!)
Hey Arnold: The Movie.
(This is relevant, what with the sequel coming out next year.)
South Park: Bigger, Louder and Uncut.
(I’m super! Thanks for asking!)
The Simpsons Movie.
(“I’m the mascot of an evil corporation!”)
The Haunted World of El Superbeasto.
(Not a great story, but the animation’s great, coming from the masterful Carbunkle Animation.)
Steven Speilberg’s The Adventures of Tintin.
(You did Asterix. Now do his distant cousin.)
The Rugrats Movie.
(Cute babies, poop jokes and… religious symbolism?!?!)
Cowboy Bebop.
(Giddy up, partners! YEE-HAW!)
Storks.
(Does the follow up to The Lego Movie hold up? You be the judge, Mouse!)
Ernest and Celestine.
(A wonderfully humble film… that you will likely find a halarious way to corrupt.)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
(The boy who lived and the franchise that won’t die.)
Sausage Party.
(I thought it would fit your sensibilities.)
Dorbees: Making Decisions.
(Why won’t they go away?)
Animaniacs: Wakko’s Wish.
(No introduction needed. All you need to know is… “Once again you’ve left the lens cap on your mind.”)
Fate Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works movie, because it more or less stands on its own with no major need to have watched the anime series, and because I want to see your reaction to Fate’s version of Cu Chulainn.
The Flintstones on the Rocks- aka The Flintstones as a dark comedy animated special, complete with domestic violence! And it’s HB canon!
The Scooby Doo Project- a Blair Witch parody, obviously, but the end is… pretty much something you’d never expect in a Scooby Doo cartoon. Even one parodying Blair Witch.
Any Lupin III movie, although I guess anyone would feel motivated to do Castle of Cagliostro first.
The two Puella Magi Madoka Magica movies, which sum the TV series up in a shorter format. Madoka Magica is a really… interesting series. Rather polarizing, too.
The Rebuild of Evangelion movies, at least the first one, because of the same reasons.
Descendants. Because some on. You’ve gotta do Descendants at some point or another.
You’re just saying random words now.
I don’t get it. Did I offend, or what?
Anime titles. Just random nouns. Angel Creed Forbearence: Lenneth Saga.
Come on Mouse, Angel Creed Forbearence: Lenneth Saga isn’t one we ask you to do. We’d ask you to do ACF: DreaMS of Fantasy, it’s much worse. 😛
I love the Madoka Magica films/series, but I’ve held off on recommending them because a) Chuck Sonnenberg at SFDebris already did an excellent job of it, and b) the first two movies/twelve episodes would require four hours or so for a review; since it’s all one continual story instead of an episodic series, it’d be a strictly all-or-nothing deal. And I could hardly recommend that he review the Rebellion movie without going through the first two movies first.
Oh c’mon, you’re not even giving him ufotable’s Fate works?
Actually, you know what? Those might work really well. The “they did /what/ to King Arthur and Cu Chulainn?!” factor can be…strong. (I know Fate/Zero is better storytelling in general, buuuut…)
Are film noir classics allowed? My dad showed me Citizen Kane and he talked it up as a wondrous masterpiece. I absolutely hated it for reasons I can’t quite articulate. I’d be interested on your take of this one. I’d also like to add Hotel Transylvania 2. (Forgive me if these aren’t the sorts of films usually tossed into the mix. I’m new here!)
This year is all about trying new things. Be warned though, I frickin love Kane.
If you REALLY want to shake things up, let’s make him watch a movie about Ireland! Keep it Disney and make him watch Darby O’Gill. Go much newer and offer up Snatch! Or we could be nice and give him a REAL movie, like The Quiet Man!
If we’re throwing out Irish movies then I’ll put up Once, Sing Street, and The Commitments (all of which are goddam amazing, Sing Street is pretty damn close to being my favorite movie of the year)
Excellent! I’ll be interested in your persective!
Excellent! I’m interested in your perspective! I’m an open minded gal and I would love to see another side to this film. You break down films like no one I’ve ever seen and I know you’ll have great points. 🙂
This might be a strange suggestion, but I’d love to see you review Pooh’s Grand Adventure and The Tigger Movie. Also The Brave Little Toaster, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and anything else by Ralph Bakshi that’s not Cool World could be really fun.
Seconded, just in case my previous nomination of those expired.
-Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. It has the most beautiful background art of any animated film I’ve seen, and the horse animation is amazing.
-Balto (James Horner’s best soundtrack IMO)
-Rankin Bass’s Return of the King. Trippy orc musical numbers! Plus it would complete your review of Bakshi’s Fellowship/Two Towers adaption.
-The Wild
-Disney’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
-Pooh’s Grand Adventure
-The Hunchback of Notre Dame 2 (Mwahaha)
-Lion King 2 (It’s a guilty pleasure)
-Mars Needs Moms
-Spider’s Web: A Pig’s Tale (shudder)
-The Secret of Nimh 2
-Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back
-Delgo
-Plague Dogs
Space Chimps 2. Just plopped in there like it’s just another movie. You crossed the line and you didn’t even blink.
Am I too late?
Anyway, if I’m not, Gravity Falls (Weirdmageddon episodes if you don’t want to review it all) and Archer.
Gravity Falls is already scheduled, good call on Archer
I take it Moana’s a given at this point, but just in case it isn’t, I’m going to mention it because I just saw it and one of my first thoughts leaving the theatres was, “I can’t wait to see what Europe thinks of this movie starring a landmass as one of the characters.”