Doug Walker (TGWTG, Nostalgia Critic, Bum Reviews, and other projects)

This really has nothing to do with Doug or NC, other than that Doug has referenced it in his videos a few times, and even reviewed Disney's The Country Bears once, but it's a funny anecdote, and I didn't know where else to share it.

So, anyway, earlier today some of the cast of Whose Line Is It Anyway? were doing a video chat on Youtube and Facebook, and someone asked Jeff Davis if he's ever met Christopher Walken (due to doing impressions of him on the show), and Colin Mochrie brought up some funny stories, told to him by Diedrich Bader, who also starred in "The Country Bears".

Okay, so you know Walken's odd line delivery of "This is not over.... bears!" Which Doug Walker has referenced a few times? Apparently they did about 4 or 5 takes and Walken said the line they exact same way each time, despite the director asking him to not say it that way. After the 5th take, they just gave up.

Another funny anecdote, is Bader approached Walken while he was getting his make-up on, and asked Walken what movie he was doing after Country Bears. i can't remember the movie that Colin mentioned in the chat, but apparently it was a film that was far more serious than 'Country Bears', and Bader said he thought that was funny. Walken didn't understand why that was funny, and Bader basically said "It's funny that you're going from this film, to that one" (meaning he's going from a crappy film to a much better film). Walken genuinely didn't understand what Bader was getting at, and said something like, "What? They're both good scripts."

Anyway, I thought these were funny anecdotes related to Walken and The Country Bears, and thought i'd post them here.

I kind of love the fact that Walken seems to be a pro who approaches every movie with the same level of commitment.

Yeah, Walken has gone on record saying that every single movie, no matter how good or bad, is an experience to learn from, which is why he's willing to take such a variety of parts.

I wonder, though, how many bad movies you have to do before the only thing you can learn from them is "Don't do this movie."

Also, what did the makers of The Country Bears think they were getting when they cast him? Seems weird to act surprised when he delivers lines in an unusual way. Walken gonna Walken.

Hand-drawn animation Vs. CGI

I like that for when Doug is talking about how when CGI characters are completely still, they look dead, and uses a clip of Woody from the Toy Story movies, when he's not live!

Edited by Brandon on May 6th 2020 at 4:20:11 AM

I wish he mentioned those kick-ass 2D animated direct-to-video DC superhero movies. Now those are awesome!

I think Doug’s just being too nostalgic at this point.

Never been hugely impressed with his editorials, but probably unavoidable at this point.

His most interesting argument is that the simplicity of hand drawn animation makes even the rougher works feel at least marginally easier to watch than really poorly done CG animation. I would say that is more the result of CG being pushed for complexity while hand drawn pushes for character movement. It was never impossible for either to do the other, so it's not really an intrinsic quality but stylistic. Flash animation in particular tends to combine the qualities of both.

His comparison between the worst of each side doesn't work for me because CG technology is tied in with computer access, whereas hand drawn animation still requires a more manual process. Because the tech is cheaper and more available that leads to a shorter bar to entry, not to mention the internet makes newer productions much easier to be found and retrieved. Rapsittie Street Kids is simply not the standard of "bad" CG animation, it resembles amateur test footage than anything that would be released normally (and in fact was lost for a time). It would be better to compare tv shows, like the original The Transformers next to Beast Wars, and between "bad" animation I would say Beast Wars would win that one.

Edited by KJMackley on May 7th 2020 at 12:59:30 PM

Edited by jouXIII on May 7th 2020 at 1:17:15 PM

Sorry for skipping the last week, I got locked out of this account, for some reason. Anyway, this week, Nostalgia Critic goes back to his roots and takes a look at a relatively obscure flick from the 80's, Critters:

Stray observations:

• So, Lil' Shit is... I mean... Yeah.
• "Ah, so that what happens when you don't consult your doctor when the erection lasts over four hours."
• The puppet gag was great.
• "Why don't you try my color scheme? Only one eye bleeds with that!"
• "Sorry, I have too much dignity to Google his name."
• "Eh, I'm tired. Just beat yourself and I'll eat your supper."
• "Well, somebody's self-quarantined."
• "Wipe your feet!"
• "I know, honey. I lost my porn stash too."

So I haven't watched this yet, is this basically a more strictly horror-based knockoff of Gremlins?

To an extent, though apparently not intentionally.

The aliens on the ship looked like Doctor Who villains. Really disappointed he didn't make a joke about that.

IIRC, Doug and Rob haven't watched the show much.

Am I the only one who finds the thumbnail more creepy then the movie? I mean there is just something about the way Doug's head is photoshopped onto that body that creeps me out.

[annoying nasal voice] You know, technically speaking, those videos should go to the general TGWTG thread, since Doug isn't involved in the making of them.

Edited by Motyka5 on May 14th 2020 at 12:00:34 PM

I wonder if Doug will do that one Chicken Little parody for his Dark Toons series. That was one of the darkest things Disney ever made I think.

You mean to tell me there's a Disney Chicken Little thing that wasn't the terrible movie from the 2000's?

Oh yeah, a 1943 short cartoon that's a... Well just see for yourself:

Edited by Shlugo_the_great on May 14th 2020 at 12:39:28 PM

It involves a wolf reading Hitler's book and eating the chickens

...Well, al-righty then!

Doug's got a new kitty!