By Isaac Mathewson
I have sought a career in Hollywood as a screenwriter and director since childhood. However, seeing that I cannot go there for several more years until I finish college, I mostly stick to writing movie reviews or film related topics. I also spend time reading and watching reviews from other critics as a means of teaching myself how to write a good movie and to avoid previous mistakes of others. One of my favorite film critics is Doug Walker, creator and star of the hit web series The Nostalgia Critic.
The show is a comedy/review series about an angry film critic who reviews movies and T.V. shows from his childhood, the 1980s and 90s, and sulks over the ones whom he feels had not held up well. He often goes into great detail about problems he has with the movies and shows that he reviews and he sometimes goes into over-the-top tantrums whenever one of them proves to be too horrendous. Apart from reviews, he also has Top 11’s (because he likes to go one step beyond) on film and T.V. related topics and he also does “Old vs. New” in which he compares a “nostalgic classic” with a remake (i.e. The Ten Commandments vs. The Prince of Egypt). In almost every episode, he opens with his catchphrase: “Hello, I’m the Nostalgia Critic. I remember it so you don’t have to.”
The Nostalgia Critic is a satire and parody series. Apart from obvious parodies of other movies, there are many episodes which shows the Critic getting into bizarre situations that have something to do with the movie he is currently watching/reviewing. These situations include battles with famous film characters and even Hollywood’s “attempts” on world domination.
Walker’s philosophy of the show is that everyone needs a nostalgia critic, because we all are in some way. We all have seen movies and shows from our childhood that we either were excited about seeing and were disappointed by, or that we have liked as kids, but looking back, we wonder what we even saw in them. This philosophy is how he got his name.
Walker has reviewed many movies and shows and while not all of his reviews are negative, he always points out what upsets him the most and sometimes he goes on huge rants about the elements that are just too ridiculous to accept. Some of his most famous reviews are: Garbage Pail Kids, Batman and Robin, The Room, and Moulin Rouge. He is famous for his detailed descriptions, as well as bringing up points that haven’t been brought up before. Most importantly, he has come up with some of the most famous inside jokes on the Internet, among the most notable “Bat Credit Card” from his Batman and Robin review and “Bunny Boobies” from his Space Jam review.
The show has been on the web for about seven years, although at one point it was cancelled by Walker, but brought back. He posts a new video almost every week, which is quite impressive considering the short amount of time he comes up with these ideas. It can be found on YouTube, as well as on his website: That Guy with the Glasses. On the website, there are also other shows, hosted by his friends and partners, that deal with similar topics, including Nostalgia Chick, Cinema Snob, and Bum Reviews. While I enjoy most of them, I still believe that the Nostalgia Critic is the best. He has many fans inside the entertainment industry such as Christopher Lloyd, the creators of Animaniacs and Gargoyles, the late Roger Ebert, who called his tribute to Siskel and Ebert video the funniest review of the show he had ever seen, and former child actress Mara Wilson, who has made several guest appearances on his show and its sister shows.
While I do not agree with everything he says, I still believe that he writes great reviews that are both funny and informative. It is not a show for everyone, as some may be aggravated from his foul language and his tendency to raise his voice and get angry. However, if you were a kid who grew up during his time period who watched these shows and movies, or if you are a film buff and/or intend to go into the entertainment industry, this is a show that I highly recommend you to watch. It is simply one of the best web series in history.