James Faraci The Last Of The Americans: 2022

Showing posts with label 2022. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

The Top 10 moments of The Last Of The Americans in 2022

(0:36-end mark from the theme from the final season of American Gladiators original run play the camera moves back to see James on top of the slab with the words “The Last Of The Americans” on it before cutting to James in his office physically)

TLOTA:
I’m James Faraci, The Last Of The Americans, and the views that I’m about to express are that of my own and some of yours. 2022, felt like the unofficial sequel year to 2020! (Cut to moments from The Last Of The Americans in 2022 as James does a voiceover)

TLOTA(V.O.):
Between dwindling numbers in audience views and Chad coming up with bad ideas that have slowed my evolution to the next step to a point where my professional reputation took a massive hit to the point where my fuse is shorter than a Tiktok video. And now, we talk about the project that has been a fight to get off the ground which IS my next evolutionary step on the path to more success in my profession. On the plus side, I finally got that rat bastard Doug Walker out of my life in terms of competition, met a fan, and had all sorts of good times, and Ten of them are coming your way! (Cut to James physically. That's right, five from you and five of my own! (Cut to James as he turns into James Faraci)

James Faraci:
So it's time for the Top Ten Moments of The Last Of The Americans in 2022.

(Scene begins with a laser hitting a slab of Titanium as the music of the 1994 American Gladiators opening theme plays the angle of the camera goes into the laser as three shadowed figures with lasered outlines appear as the shadows reveal themselves to be James Faraci in the center, Paulo Fonseca on the right and Rebecca Yaun on the left as their names appear above the characters. As the three run out of frame moving forward, four more shadowed figures with lasered outlines appear and the shadows reveal themselves as Brenda Fonseca on the right, Nick Yaun on the left, and John and Mike Santos and their names appear above the characters. As they run out of frame moving forward, five more shadowed figures with lasered outlines appear as they reveal themselves to be Renee Miller and Eric Kurtzke on the right, Andrew Beach and Ed Champion on the left, and Olivia Horvath appears in the center as their names appear above the characters. As they run out of frame credits of “Written and directed by James Faraci, Edited by Eric Kurtzke, Makeup by Olivia Horvath Produced by First Choice Productions” as it ends the Laser beam disappears and at the 0:28 mark of the theme song the words “The” “Last” “Of” “The” appears. At the 0:32-0:36 mark, the word “Americans” start to come forward as it pulls down, and James’ Morpher and Sonic Screwdriver is flung into the frame as James grabs both and morphs into The Last Of The Americans with the half team TLOTA on his right and the other half on his left as the camera pulls back to see the slab with the markings “The Last Of The Americans”. The Laser returns to cut out the Number)

James Faraci (Voiceover):
Number 10

(Cut to clips of "Reality Checkout: "The Real World" destruction of MTV" as James does a voiceover)

10) Reality Checkout: "The Real World" destruction of MTV

James Faraci (Voiceover):
Originally, I had planned this to be a Reality Checkout on the "16 & Pregnant/Teen Mom" series, but I scrapped it due to one personal event and one realization. The personal event was that I welcomed a new family member, baby Kinsleigh, and realized the series was a symptom of a network ravaged by Reality TV disease. And to be honest, I was there when MTV was Music Television, NOT Mediocre Television. While yes, I will admit I enjoyed the first few seasons, I found the series no longer interesting. However, the network meant to showcase Up and Coming Musicians and see legends get a younger fan base saw its Modis Operandi tossed out the window, and TV has gotten worse because of it. I also thought it would be a great lead-in for what was at the number two spot.

(Show clip of James shouting "CHAD!" as the echo roars over Sullivan County, All of New York, the United States, the Earth, and then the rest of the world as it fades to black then cuts to the 0:36 until the end of the 1994 American Gladiators theme plays as it cuts to James as he morphs into The Last Of The Americans with the half team TLOTA on his right and the other half on his left as the camera pulls back to see the slab with the markings “The Last Of The Americans”. The Laser returns to cut out the Number)

James Faraci (Voiceover):

Number 9

(Cut to "The Punisher" and The Punishment of James Faraci The Last Of The Americans" as James does a voiceover)

9) "The Punisher" and The Punishment of James Faraci The Last Of The Americans"

James Faraci (Voiceover):
Sitting through this was actually fun. Watching The Russian and Frank fight reminded me why their brawl almost made my Top Ten funniest fights list back in 2015. However, when I posted a link in August on Manic Expression, I got a comment correcting certain things, like why Frank Castle's new logo looks the way it does. The commenter said quote, "As for the Punisher’s skull, it’s been co-opted by a number of people who miss the whole point of the Punisher’s character, such as cops (the Punisher exists because of a FAILURE of the system, and he is an outlaw), and … well, some really nasty extremist groups I’d rather not mention here. Changing the Punisher’s symbol in the comics is how Marvel deals with the problem in the short term, at least." endquote. He also commented on my framing story, which is the continuous headache Chad Narducci gives The Last Of The Americans. And Yes, The references to a certain internet game show were to show how much the wrong people and the wrong ideas helped destroy that site and certain people's credibility. Aware of that, I have been referencing how credibility and reputation can be destroyed, and if others keep pushing bad, that will destroy you professionally and personally.

(0:36 until the end of the 1994 American Gladiators theme plays as it cuts to James as he morphs into The Last Of The Americans with the half team TLOTA on his right and the other half on his left as the camera pulls back to see the slab with the markings “The Last Of The Americans”. The Laser returns to cut out the Number)

James Faraci (Voiceover):

Number 8

(Cut to "The Different Cuts of ROCKY IV" clips as James does a voiceover)

8)The Different Cuts of "Rocky IV"

James Faraci (Voiceover):
Watching both versions of this movie and seeing how different these two movies are. I mean, the classic Rocky IV is so well-known when I put on the Drago cut; I was surprised at how Stallone remade what many fans consider a classic in his filmography. Though I was surprised by how different the Drago cut was from the theatrical cut. Many known elements were either removed, downplayed, or given more time. The Robot in Rocky IV was removed, Uncle Paulie, played by Burt Young, and Ludmilla Drago, played by Brigitte Nielson, was severely downplayed. Surprisingly when Dolph Lundgren was given more time, he showed he could act. However, I felt the classic worked better because it was more well-known. Once people see the Drago Cut more, they might give it a chance. And since it was Rocky, I decided to satire something. That's when I decided to go for the obvious, the "Rocky III" freeze frame ending between Apollo and Rocky. Thankfully Chad and I agreed to do that in one take. And I loved getting a chance to talk about this movie.

James Faraci (Voiceover):

Number 7

(Cut to "Nine years and "The Quest" continues" clips as James does a voiceover)

7) Nine years and "The Quest" continues

James Faraci (Voiceover):
This was one I HAD to review as a Superman fan myself; I knew all that I needed to know about the movie. Then I had to deal with what I called the Linkara connection. That means knowing when someone does a review of this movie, Linkara is more or less likely to be on board. This is where I also gave my character a challenge and a setback that would help give me something to overcome. To placate Chad Narducci for something beyond his control, The Last Of The Americans had to give up majority control of his production company to Chad. But it was also when I was working on the review that I noticed something no one else had. In the same scene Lex was dancing with that Marie Antoinette look alike, Lenny, played by Jon Cryer, was playing with A ROB the Robot on a Nintendo Entertainment System! That's right! THE first recorded showing of a Nintendo on the big screen and it wasn't in The Wizard but it was in fact, Superman IV: The Quest For Peace! Also, I felt I had to defend the whole Superman taking on Nuclear Disarmament because with things just as tense as it was back in the 1980's and with world leaders being less competent now, we need someone with no political ties to stop us from hurting ourselves! And the whole "There will be peace" Speech makes sense when you realize that no Government will give it to them, not even our Government. So when you understand those aspects, even the cheesier moments aren't as bad nor will they make any more sense.

James Faraci (Voiceover):

Number 6
(Cut to clips of the Last Of The Americans "Austin Powers Trilogy" as James does a voiceover)

6) Austin Powers Trilogy

James Faraci (Voiceover):
Sitting through these three, I had forgotten how good Mike Myers was as an actor and a writer. Some jokes were so well-timed that I had to put in my take on them. Plus, I wanted to expand my character by showing he had something before he was an Internet Reviewer. Also to explain some of the technology James had. However as I was going on this ride, tragedy struck one of our own. As I was finishing up this trilogy Marsha Kent-Rodriguez AKA She-Rod AAKA the wife of Eric "E-Rod The Blockbuster Buster" Rodriguez passed away due to complications from COVID complications. I dedicated what was unanimously agreed the best of the trilogy which happened to be "The Spy Who Shagged Me". This also marked me doing research on the movies and the stories behind things that happened while the movie was made. So getting to add more to give people felt good and this was one of my favorite trilogies, I've done for my three month season premiere!

James Faraci (Voiceover):

Number 5

(Cut to "Life's a "Splash"" clips as James does a voiceover)

5) Life's a "Splash"

James Faraci (Voiceover):
This was one I wanted to review because it remains one of the last great romantic comedies I've ever seen, and I wanted to celebrate this movie by reviewing it. I also addressed the Allison Pregler elephant in the room and mentioned what Disney+ did when they released the movie on that platform. Also, maybe it's me, but I loved how the story and acting were so well-paced when I was younger. But going into it with all the information, I found it an even more interesting story. I had to share that Allen was willing to give Madison up to save her from being a Government experiment. I felt for Eugene Levy's Character, Dr. Cornbluth, first having to struggle with feelings of inadequacy and feeling that you have to prove yourself with everything you do, having to defend your rights, even if you're alone in them, having to fight for every scrap of dignity only to have someone come and pummel you nearly to death because of it. I made this one of my favorite reviews because I put a lot of effort into giving it the dignity it deserves.

James Faraci (Voiceover):

Number 4

(Cut to "Ghostbusters have an "Afterlife" of five hundred years" & "The "Extreme" end of "Ghostbusters" clips as James does a voiceover)

4) Ghostbusters October

James Faraci (Voiceover):
Watching Ghostbusters: Afterlife, I saw something that was perfectly cathartic after having 2019 and 2020 be two of the worst years of my life, both personally and professionally; I needed to have a movie that allow me to laugh and cry at the same time. So to honor this, I decided that this movie needed a review worthy of the movie itself, no sketches, no comedy unless it was a joke worthy of The Last Of The Americans. As for the Extreme Ghostbusters review, that was partly because I needed a crossover, and I think the one at the number two spot would probably not count as a real crossover. Which is when I remembered I had to deal with the Extreme Ghostbusters. While I was the expert in the series, having seen it in its original syndicated run. Having checked out what I thought was essential to the series, Rowdy came up with some of the best jokes I've heard in a review, and everything just worked. It was something I needed to watch, and I needed to celebrate in my review.

James Faraci (Voiceover):

Number 3

(Cut to clips of both "What Is Star Trek Syndrome? & "A Taste of The Rainbow"

3) Star Trek Syndrome editorial & A taste of the "Rainbow."

James Faraci (V.O.):
Ashleigh Burton inspired this one as she watched "Galaxy Quest," and I decided to give it a watch. Once I did, I discovered that not only was this a parody of Star Trek, but it felt more like a study of what happened to the cast of Star Trek and to the creator Gene Roddenberry and then I saw it in other fandoms. It helped postulate a theory I had about tv and movie franchises, the cast, and the people who work on these franchise series. I surmised and came to conclusions that hopefully everyone would understand. "A Taste Of The "Rainbow" got done because my plans to review of "The Man" fell through because outside of a few jokes. So I had to ask everyone I could help with something to review. Rowdy AKA Chris Lee Moore, saved my backside with Rainbow Brite and The Star Stealer! However when I saw it, it made me remember of something I had seen 25 years ago this year. Joel Schumacher's "Batman & Robin!". So I had gotten those Vietnam Flashbacks and decided to put that experience into the review. (Show the clip of James as he has his Vietnam Flashback to "Batman & Robin" and as it ends James continues his voiceover) Just two favorites that tied at the same point. Fans loved both and I loved them so why not let them share the same spot.

(Show clip of James as he wakes up from his Vietnam Flashback covered in blood and Rainbow colors as Rowdy asks "What happened?" and James responds with "I don't know!" Cut to 0:36 until the end of the 1994 American Gladiators theme plays as it cuts to James as he morphs into The Last Of The Americans with the half team TLOTA on his right and the other half on his left as the camera pulls back to see the slab with the markings “The Last Of The Americans”. The Laser returns to cut out the Number)

James Faraci (Voiceover):

Number 2

(Cut to clips of "April's Showers bring a whole lotta "CARNAGE" as James does a voiceover)

2) April's showers bring A whole lotta "CARNAGE"

James Faraci (V.O.):
Kent Lilly was a great person to put up with me and my directing and writing. Looking at him, I thought he would be a great Andy Serkis and his ability to do great voices made this review a knockout review. Of course, it also allowed me to relive one of the funniest moments in Movie Award history. At the 2003 MTV Movie Awards, Andy was finishing up his work as Gollum in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, and they did a bit in which Gollum/Smeagol and Andy were in the same room and dealing with the award. It was perfect parody fodder and Kent again had to go through hours of makeup to become the Gollum/Smeagol parody and we shot all the scenes of Kent in the full make up and then work backwards also helped that Kent is a great voice over artist. I truly can say he is the best at voice work and I thank him for being professional and letting me know how big a Jackass I can be.

(Cut to "Andy Serkis" in full Gollum mode as he ends his cursing rant with James grabbing him and saying "Goodnight" and the reviews ends. Cut to the scene as it begins with a laser hitting a slab of Titanium as the music of the 1994 American Gladiators opening theme plays the angle of the camera goes into the laser as three shadowed figures with lasered outlines appear as the shadows reveal themselves to be James Faraci in the center, Paulo Fonseca on the right and Rebecca Yaun on the left as their names appear above the characters. As the three-run out of frame moving forward, four more shadowed figures with lasered outlines appear and the shadows reveal themselves as Brenda Fonseca on the right, Nick Yaun on the left, and John and Mike Santos and their names appear above the characters. As they run out of frame moving forward, five more shadowed figures with lasered outlines appear as they reveal themselves to be Renee Miller and Eric Kurtzke on the right, Andrew Beach and Ed Champion on the left, and Olivia Horvath appears in the center as their names appear above the characters. As they run out of frame credits of “Written and directed by James Faraci, Edited by Eric Kurtzke, Makeup by Olivia Horvath Produced by First Choice Productions” as it ends the Laser beam disappears and at the 0:28 mark of the theme song the words “The” “Last” “Of” “The” appears. At the 0:32-0:36 mark, the word “Americans” start to come forward as it pulls down, and James’ Morpher and Sonic Screwdriver is flung into the frame as James grabs both and morphs into The Last Of The Americans with the half team TLOTA on his right and the other half on his left as the camera pulls back to see the slab with the markings “The Last Of The Americans”. The Laser returns to cut out the Number)

James Faraci (Voiceover):
And The Number One Best moment of 2022 is...

(Cut to clips of the "The Top Ten Best Episodes of The Orville...So Far" as James does a voiceover)

1) The Top 10 Episodes of THE ORVILLE So Far

James Faraci (Voiceover):
When I first saw the series, one thought came to mind. It felt like I was watching Seth MacFarland's take on those 1990s syndicated Star Trek series, and while yeah, it started off that way, it took a different direction and became the purest Sci-Fi Series I have ever seen. Once Fox gave it the boot after saying they'd give it a third season, Hulu gave it a last-second stay of execution, and the third season became one of the best in the entire series, I decided, much like with my fandom of "Life As A Mermaid," I figured I would celebrate the series' success throughout its run and unlike "Mermaid," "The Orville" looks to keep going and something tells me I am going to be another Top ten about the series further down the line. And I am looking forward to more from Seth and the cast of The Orville. I love celebrating success and call this series the best success Seth MacFarland has had, and I hope this success continues for several more seasons!

(Cut to James physically)

James Faraci:
What will 2023 bring me? Well, how about my tenth anniversary, for starters. Maybe some good news in developing my movie... (Air raid sirens blare) My god... It's happening! It's Really Happening! RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES TO THE SHELTER! (James runs as he morphs off camera as the camera work becomes shaky, and James runs into everyone else as everyone starts to fear something wrong, James yells to them to head for the shelter in the basement! Everyone runs in, with James being the last guy in.)

TLOTA:
My god, we've done it! We've really done it! If this makes it out in any way, shape, or form, I have to say that I blame you for the end of the world! I'm James Faraci, The Last Of The Americans, and...I think it's for real this time! (Power flickers out)

Monday, December 12, 2022

The Last Of The Americans 2022 Holiday Gift Guide

(Cut to James pulling a card designed by Stevie Swigart with the statistics of James Faraci The Last Of The Americans while putting it into the Robo Knight Robo Morpher and punching in the code 428 then cut to James jumping down a cliff from the 0:00-0:03 mark from the theme from the final season of American Gladiators original run. 0:04 mark from the theme from the final season of American Gladiators shows James Faraci landing in Santa's sleigh and fully morphing into James Faraci The Last Of The Americans Christmas mode with his Long sleeve Tee-Shirt with Christmas Trees on it, Blue cargo Jeans and Black Work boots until 0:07 mark from the theme from the final season of American Gladiators original run as scene cuts to James and Santa riding with the 12th Doctor and Clara at the 0:13 mark from the theme from the final season of American Gladiators original run. 0:14-0:17 show Rebecca Yaun and Nick Yaun as the two run after the Grinch before cutting to John and Mike Santos baking cookies before cutting to the 0:17-0:19 mark as it shows Paulo & Brenda Fonseca popping in A Muppets Christmas Special on a player before cutting to the 0:20-0:28 mark as we see Eric Kurtzke, Ed Champion, Andrew Beach and Olivia Horvath decorating as it cuts to the doors outside of James' space and time machine as the 0:28 mark from the theme from the final season of American Gladiators shows when James stands on top of his Time and Space device and tosses a candy cane then cuts over to multiple clips from the past nine years of "The Last Of The Americans" Christmas reviews/top 12s as the Candy Cane flips end over end as the 0:36 mark from the theme from the final season of American Gladiators original run plays when James grabs it while on top of a slab while doing a heroic pose with Paulo & Brenda Fonseca, John & Mike Santos, Eric Kurtzke, Olivia Horvath on his right and Rebecca & Nick Yaun, Renee Miller, Andrew Beach & Ed Champion on his left doing their own heroic poses dressed in Christmas Garb on a white background the 0:36-end mark from the theme from the final season of American Gladiators original run play the camera pulls back to see James and everyone else on top of a slab with the words "The Last Of The Americans" on it before all while snow and jingling bells are heard and seen in the foreground. Cut to James in his office)

TLOTA:
I'm James Faraci The Last Of The Americans and the views that I'm about to express are that of my own and some of yours, and it's December, I got my Santa hat on, and my list of gifts is budgeted at $100.00, which will be stretching every last penny. The is "The Last Of The Americans Holiday Gift Guide" for 2022. (Cut to James and Team TLOTA in their Pajamas as they come rushing to the Christmas Tree and see different items they wanted and clean up as the camera turns to see in the Wrapping Paper shrapnel "The Last Of The Americans Holiday Gift Guide" slide wipe to James in Cooking gear and walks to a juicer and around the Kitchen in the Studio.)

TLOTA:
First up...Elite Gourmet EJX600 Compact Small Space-Saving Masticating Slow Juicer! What this does is take whole fruits and veggies into juice. The best thing about it is the forward and reverse functions. Makes the clean-up easy and the juice itself. (James drinks the juice.) Tasty. It also makes great nut and oat-based kinds of milk. We also have something that everyone has been needing; this is The Hamilton Beach Brewstation Dispensing Coffee Maker. Now, this makes up from One to 12 cups, but where is the carafe you may be wondering? Well, it doesn't need it; just place your cup right under the dispenser, and bingo, fresh hot coffee. Then this little creation I like, especially when I want some Ice Cream but just enough for say, two, I give you The DASH My Pint Electric Ice Cream Maker Machine. It's perfect for making a small amount of Ice Cream without having to pay high prices at a supermarket. Just make sure the core is ice cold, have your mix nice and chilled, fill the device, and in minutes, you have Ice Cream, Sorbets, and Gelatos in no time flat. And I actually like this cookbook, and wouldn't you know, it's based on one of my favorite movie franchises. I give you The Back to the Future: The Official Hill Valley Cookbook. What I like about this is how its recipes are dated! Literally. There are recipes from 1985, 1955, 2015, the Alternate 1985, and 1885! Now here are some unique recipes for "Uncle Joey's Parole Cake," "The Essex Theater Lime Rickey," "Mr. Fusion's Banana Fueled Protein Bowl," "Biff's Banana Foster," and then "Emmet Brown's Sarsparilla and Pear Mocktail." You can find these in the links in the sentences, and allow me to share with you some great movies from the most well-known collection sites. (Cut to James looking at the Criterion website and other film collection sites as James does a voiceover.)

TLOTA (V.O.):
For many of these sites, the subscription rates are well within a hundred-dollar budget for a yearly subscription and I fully enjoyed many of the movies they put out monthly. If you're a cinema fan like I am, I strongly suggest you try and find them. (Cut to James as he has finished some improvements)

TLOTA:
You're possibly wondering what's up with the equipment. Well, I've had a new family member join us. This is baby Kinsleigh! And with her parents in my family, I've taken on some ideas. For example...(Cut to the bathroom) I've installed toilet locks throughout all of the toilets in the building first. (Cut to the cabinets all over the building) Second, I have put these magnetic locks on all the cabinets and drawers; third, I put this lock for the oven doors and these little things that keep the oven locked into getting moved out. And I put some dollar store pool noodles for those hard corners and sharp corners. Besides, she might like the colors. And guess what? We haven't even begun to talk about stuff for the newest members of my family. Starting off with the Fisher-Price Baby's First Blocks, it's very nice and simple; even Kinsleigh could figure it out quickly, and she did! Next up are some Kids' Musical Instruments. We got a tambourine, Jingling Bell straps, maracas, and a Xylophone. (James and Kinsleigh play some notes on the Xylophone, and James gets bopped in the head, which makes Kinsleigh laugh.) Well, this one is a Build-A-Bear exclusive that I am particularly fond of seeing Kinsleigh or her Aunt Viv getting. The Gremlins Gizmo Plush, It's a limitedly available toy from Build-A-Bear, and it is worth it to hear Gizmo singing! (The Gizmo plush singing and coos, making Kinsleigh smile.) While I enjoy these moments with Kinsleigh, let me show you some recommendations for some great Christmas Capers. (Cut to clips of "Reindeer Games," "Bad Santa," "The Ref," & "The Silent Partner" as James does a voiceover.)

TLOTA (V.O.):
If you haven't seen these movies that go so far off their rails in terms of the plot of the crime capers and what they do with the holidays, I absolutely love these movies even when it is not the holidays. If you can find them, then check them out and get a good laugh out of things. (Cut to James, John and Mike Santos, Paulo and Brenda Fonseca, Rebecca & Nick Yaun)

TLOTA:
However, the laughs are about to stop, as when we come back, my team and I will face off against Chad and his team. Speaking of your team Narducci, who did you get?

Chad Narducci:
Per the agreement, You and your group of friends will take on my team. Let me introduce some people you may have known and have one thing in common! (Guitar Rock plays as Taylor Huff, Marcella DiPasquale, Cambell Dodson, Garrett Schecher, Diego Torres Kuri, Nick Slimmer, Fleur Zanna & Alex DeCourvillle walk through the door and look at James with righteous disgust.) You disgust them as much as you disgust me! When I win, you can say goodbye to your team, your show, and that big project you wanted to do.

TLOTA:
One moment, I forgot two things: the referee for this and my final team member! First off, the Referee, He is the angriest gamer you have ever heard! He is The ANGRY VIDEO GAME NERD! And since the baby is here, the baby's mom also drove my final team member here. You remember Vivian! (Guitar rock plays as Vivian Lee Faraci walks in with a purpose on her face and is accompanied by the Angry Video Game Nerd.

AVGN:
So, let's play some games and settle a score once and for all!

(Cut to James' and Chad's teams as they stare down at each other. Cut to the 0:36 mark from the theme from the final season of American Gladiators original run plays when James grabs it while on top of a slab while doing a heroic pose with Paulo & Brenda Fonseca, John & Mike Santos, Eric Kurtzke, Olivia Horvath on his right and Rebecca & Nick Yaun, Renee Miller, Andrew Beach & Ed Champion on his left doing their own heroic poses dressed in Christmas Garb on a white background the 0:36-end mark from the theme from the final season of American Gladiators original run play the camera pulls back to see James and everyone else on top of a slab with the words "The Last Of The Americans" on it before all while snow and jingling bells are heard and seen in the foreground. Return to the 0:36 mark from the theme from the final season of American Gladiators original run plays when James grabs it while on top of a slab while doing a heroic pose with Paulo & Brenda Fonseca, John & Mike Santos, Eric Kurtzke, Olivia Horvath on his right and Rebecca & Nick Yaun, Renee Miller, Andrew Beach & Ed Champion on his left doing their own heroic poses dressed in Christmas Garb on a white background the 0:36-end mark from the theme from the final season of American Gladiators original run play the camera pulls back to see James and everyone else on top of a slab with the words "The Last Of The Americans" on it before all. At the same time, snow and jingling bells are heard and seen in the foreground. Fade to The Angry Video Game Nerd coming in between James and Chad.)

AVGN:
Okay, James, and Chad, we went over the rules during the commercial break. Five games. The team that gets the best of the five gets control of the production company. Any cheating in either the game or using whatever it is...

Vivian Lee Faraci (Offscreen):
Watch your language, Nerd!

AVGN:
Thank you, As I was trying to say, Any cheating, I will be the first one to disqualify your team. Now I know the following about the Nintendo Switch. Jack and Switch! I said Switch! And Switch left town! If everyone is ready, let's do this! The first game on the Switch Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. (Cut to clips of the game as James, Vivian, and John are one team of drivers, and Chad, Taylor, and Alex DeCourville are another team as both have a driver come up just even at the finish line. Cut to the Angry Video Game Nerd.) So first round will end in a draw. Next up, Minecraft. (Cut to clips of the game intercut with clips of Vivian and James as they take on Taylor and Marcella, with Vivian and James coming up victorious.) Okay, the winner of the second round and the team ahead, The Last Of The Americans. Next up, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (Cut to clips of gameplay and of James and his team as they beat the game promptly, then more clips of the gameplay as it cuts to Chad's team as they win quicker and with a higher score and gloats in front of James) Okay, Okay! HEY! YOU GUYS BETTER STOP THIS (The Nerd glances at Vivian); childishness or James wins by default. Final game! AMONG US! (Cut to gameplay and James' team and Chad's team as the traitor systematically takes out both sides as the Traitor eventually is weeded out throughout several rounds as it is shown to be Vivan.) The winner of this whole contest after all these rounds is... A Draw! (Cut to everyone)

Everyone (in unison):
A DRAW?! (Everyone gets angry and argues, and finally, we cut to the Angry Video Game Nerd as he sees everyone angry and yells, "SHUT UP!")

AVGN:
Okay, in the spirit of the holidays, I will help both sides. So what is wrong? (Cut to James)

TLOTA:
It all started when I did what I thought was good when I heard of a series that Alex and Chad had on YouTube in which I tried to help as best as possible. Cut to 2021, the show's over, I fell in love with Alex, and I helped Chad out with demonic possession, and as payment, he took fifty-one percent ownership of my production company. Since then, he made an Internet Daytime Talk Show that was as well received as that review sitcom, and then he bought the rights of the game show from your old friend, which went about as well as the first go around. Since then, he has been systematically shutting me down and some of the projects I've been trying to do!

Chad Narducci:
That's your side, My side; I got possessed by a demon; that is true. I kept it in check, but once I was dragged into this mess, I figured I would clean up James' messes and start to phase out James' series in favor of legitimate ones. entertainment pieces like news shows, sitcoms, dramas, reality television, you know real things instead of a fat, worthless sack of flesh saying movies and tv shows suck! (Cut to the AVGN)

AVGN:
OKAY, TIME OUT! I'm breaking character partly because those reviews keep my family and me as well off as we can be! So for you to insult me and my profession makes me want to give James the win. But in the interest of fairness, I know some legal people who will work out a rearrangement so that Chad can do what he wants with your production company, and James has full control of the production company. Sound good to both sides? (Cut to James looking at Chad and Chad looking at James.)

TLOTA & Chad (In Unison):
FINE! (Cut to a couple of hours later as James and Chad sign a deal that works for everyone.)

AVGN:
Now that is taken care of, James, you get back to work on the holiday gift guide. Do you have any TV series to recommend or something like that?

TLOTA:
Some Movies and TV series should be on people's Christmas lists, and Shout Factory is the place to check them out. (Cut to clips from WKRP In Cincinnati, They Live, Gravity Falls, Danny Phantom, Northern Exposure, and The Cat Returns as James does a voiceover.)

TLOTA (V.O.):
Suppose you're a lover of rare movies, animes, and tv series that they don't air for any reason. In that case, Shout Factory is your spot for shows like "WKRP In Cincinnati," "Newhart," "Just Shoot Me," or for something like "Kiki's Delivery Service", then look no further than Shout Factory. It is also where I got my Power Rangers Box series and all my MST3K collections. If you are looking for something that a friend of yours would like, then all you just have to do is SHOUT! (Cut to James in the center of a stage.)

TLOTA:
Right now, I am standing on the stage of my local college to show you what is partly the reason why I am trying so much to get things off the ground. I'll show you around. (Cut to James as he shows off all the different buildings.

TLOTA (V.O.):
Sullivan County Community College is in my neck of the woods and has been called the Number one Community College in New York State. For many majors ranging from Nursing, Law, Theatre, Digital effects, and Photography, I am in the Media Arts program as part of my evolution in my vocation, and in hopes to get to hear about some of my professors' thoughts, I talked to the head of the Media Arts Department Kenneth Luck and my professor in my fall semester's course of Digital Photography Joseph Poon (NO JOKES ABOUT HIS NAME!) about what filmmakers these days have to deal with.

Kenneth Luck:
With how filmmaking technology has improved, I think it has made making movies easier. I think we will be seeing more movies being made easier with even the smallest of budgets.

James Faraci:
And what about the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Do you think it may hurt or help new filmmakers?

Kenneth Luck:
Well, I think they have set a benchmark for movie making, but after "Endgame," I've noticed more people finding and coming up with more problems and criticisms of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They'll keep making these movies as long as it makes money. How I think that will help new filmmakers is that it will give them the inspiration to try and do better because nothing lasts forever.

James Faraci:
Well, Nothing bad lasts forever. (The two chuckle) Final question, Do you see things getting easier for filmmakers to make the films they see, or will they go through more difficulties?

Kenneth Luck:
Well, as I said earlier, technology has improved, and I think the best way to survive is to work their way up from the bottom. Because there have been those that try to get to the top quickly and wind up going to the bottom and staying there. And in the Media Arts department, I will teach students like you to reach their goals and to work from the bottom up.

James Faraci:
Thanks for your time Professor Luck.

Kenneth Luck:
My pleasure, James.

TLOTA (V.O.):
After meeting with Professor Luck, I talked about movies and the posters being designed with Joseph Poon (AGAIN, NO JOKES ABOUT THE NAME) from the Digital Photography program.

James Faraci:
So when do you think cameras like the one I have been using this semester, which has become a standard in making Internet Videos and High-Quality Photos like what I have been trying to do (The Two Chuckles) when do you think this became the standard?

Joseph Poon:
It started because of the pandemic when we had to adapt to the changing times, which has upped the game for many DIY users. We also have digital phone cameras for YouTube and photo sites like Instagram.

James Faraci:
Now, With the advent of the internet, we have these thumbnails for our movie previews. Does that draw away from the movie poster? How can a movie poster today stand up to something like that?

Joseph Poon:

I'm pretty cynical because movie posters were movie posters that were drawn to form movies, and now we've had all these things happen where we can't tell what's a real movie poster and what isn't, and while YouTube and Google are making people visually illiterate and believing what they first see. But yeah, I think we've become so used to seeing what is there at first glance we're not giving ourselves a chance to think and wonder where else we need to find out information for movies.

James Faraci:
Now, I have enjoyed Drew Struzhan's works regarding movie posters. Do you think we will one day see the digital version of Struzhan? Or will we see Drew Struzhan look and see what we've been doing and thank us for carrying his torch towards new mediums like here in Digital Photography?

Joseph Poon:
AI Technology artwork disgruntles people as much as people try to do Struzhan. They're afraid that people might do better than Struzhan and that there will be a lack of originality in the future. Though I don't think there will be a digital version of Struzhan, we may find posters and artists trying to emulate Struzhan's work.

James Faraci:
Finally, When will we become more interactive with the photos and posters for a movie?

Joseph Poon:
Yeah, in Futurama-esque terms, I think they will be doing that soon. Not real soon, but soon enough.

James Faraci:
Thank you for your time.

Joseph Poon:
I appreciate your taking the time to do an interview for this department.

TLOTA (V.O.):
And as I see my fellow students roaming these hallowed halls of this university. I see the seeds of greatness in them as I see it in myself. Maybe the educational route will eventually lead me to the evolutionary state where I will be among the highest echelon of others in my field. And maybe I am with the next Struzhan, Spielberg, or even Kevin Smith, for that matter. I just know the path I lay out here at Sullivan County Community College will lead to success! (James walks out of the College, and the scene jump cuts to James as he is in his office)

TLOTA:
I want to thank Joseph Poon and Kenneth Luck for taking a little time out of their busy schedules to answer questions from an Internet Reviewer who just so happens to be a student there. Now onto business at hand with the top five movies of the year. (Cut to the movies James mentions as he does a voiceover)

TLOTA (V.O.):
At Number five, We have "Thor: Love And Thunder" while taking inspiration from the Jane Foster Lady Thor storyline; Gorr the God Butcher is on a quest to find a very powerful McGuffin to vanquish all the gods from the universe. Thor, Jane "Lady Thor" Foster, and King Valkyrie must team up to find the children of New Asgard, Stop Gorr, and Thor himself to try and save Jane from both cancer that's killing her and from Mjolnir! A lot of people found the movie to be too safe. But I actually found myself enjoying it

At Number four, We have "Sonic The Hedgehog 2" the sequel to the surprise 2020 hit before the pandemic and Covid decimated going to the movies. Jim Carrey returns as Dr. Robotnik and he's bringing with him a echinida named Knuckles and a powerful new source of energy however Sonic still has James Marsden and now he has Miles "Tails" Prower. This was actually entertaining in a way I never expected.

At Number Three, We have "Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero" growing up I enjoyed Dragon Ball Z, so to see what this movie had in store, I have to admit I liked this movie. Goku and Vegeta are training their abilities as a chaotic force is unleashed as everyone hears about the Dragon Balls and the gang has to stop the guy and one big reason I enjoyed this is that Broly is voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch! One of my favorite Power Rangers actors. If for nothing else if you're enjoy either Power Rangers or Dragon Ball, then this movie is for you.

At Number two, we have "Clerks III" Kevin Smith returns to the Quick Stop once again! After a heart attack that should've killed Randal Graves, Randal decides that he has had enough of making fun of movies and decides he's going to make a movie based on his and Dante's misadventures. Without giving too much away, I will say this, the twists and turns that happen, you will not be ready for. By the end you will have gone through not only a tale of a movie maker and what took him to get to his new challenge in life.

And at Number One, We have "Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness" Stephen Strange now has to protect young American Chavez and help her hone her powers as Wanda Maximoff has gone around the bend after going through the events of "Wandavision" and gaining the mystical abilities of the Scarlet Witch and Wanda wants the life she had in "Wandavision" back, even at the cost of the multiverse. We're also introduced to the Marvel version of the Illuminati. Sam Raimi returns to direct this, his first Marvel movie since Spider-Man 3, and it has all his hallmarks including a Bruce Campbell cameo and surprisingly good writing, acting, character development and directing. These movies are the ones I strongly recommend for any fan of cinema you have in your family. (Cut to James physically)

TLOTA:
Before I sign off, I got five books for anyone to check out! And yes, I read books as well. Starting with QUEST SEEKERS: THE WYRMSTONE and it's follow up QUEST SEEKERS: SIRE IN DISTRESS both written by my friend Chris Lee Moore. They're available digitally on Amazon and "Wyrmstone" is available in physical form at Rowdyc.com. They so incredibly well written, it's sword and sorcery with the same type of anarchistic type of humor and heart that shows that Chris has as an amazing gift for writing. Next up is from the boss of Manic Expression, James Daniel Walsh, I give you his take on a classic tale set in the 1970's as a gangster tale that would give Mario Puzo's The Godfather a run for it's money Don Giovanni: A Novel. If you haven't read his work, than by all accounts, check this story out! Next up is for those like me who are fans of The Orville then you have to read The Orville: Sympathy For The Devil. It might just get that series the fourth season we've been looking for. And finally, We have, the story behind one of the first people who actually got me into this business, James Rolfe. He recently wrote his story entitled A Movie Making Nerd. If you know about his story about how he came to this point, then you're going to hear this story how James Rolfe became a filmmaker and The Angry Video Game Nerd.

Julia Alexa Miller (Off camera):
Speaking of the Angry Video Game Nerd, You need to see what's happening in the lobby.

TLOTA:
What's going on? (Cut to Vivian Lee Faraci and The Angry Video Game Nerd as the two play "Super Mario Brothers")

AVGN:
You're doing phenomenal at this!

Vivian Lee Faraci:
Well, I have been playing with my sisters since I was three.

AVGN:
Okay, let's try this one Top Gun! I can't land the plane. If you can do it, I'd like to see it. (Cut to Vivian as she lands the plane properly after winning the final round.)

Vivian Lee Faraci:
It's all a matter of Patience.

TLOTA:
That is something we know all about. How we use it defines us.

Vivian Lee Faraci:
And I told him about that in August!

AVGN:
How old are you?

Vivian Lee Faraci:
Young enough! (The Angry Video Game Nerd starts to laugh)

AVGN:
She's your niece?

TLOTA:
Yep, and I wouldn't have it any other way. On behalf of everyone at Manic Expression, Team The Last Of The Americans, and every one of us in our industry, We wish you the Merriest Of Christmases, the most joyful of Hannukahs, and the best of Kwanzaa. I'm James Faraci, The Last Of The Americans, and I wish everyone a Happy Holidays! (James, Julia Alexa Miller, The Angry Video Game Nerd, and Vivian Lee Faraci wave and smile as the scene fades to black. It cuts to much later as James looks over something and decides to throw it into the trash, and there's a knock on the door.)

TLOTA:
It's open! (Julia Alexa Miller walks over to James as she sees what James was doing.)

Julia Alexa Miller:
James, don't throw this away.

TLOTA:
The losses from Chad's ideas ate away at the traveling portion of the budget, which I did not salvage. I also had to pay for the contest Chad came up with back in April, which took a lot out of the budget and only allowed me the bare minimum of people I could have. I tried to get some financial aid to help until I could pay it off by August, but that fell through. I have no choice but to hold off on it until I can get financially more stable, which has to happen on the eve of my tenth year. Let's face it, I am up a creek without a paddle, financially speaking. It would be a miracle for this to happen. So in January, I will tell the team and hope everyone else will be surprised when it happens. (James sighs and sits down) I'm basically no different than Spoony. (Julia Alexa Miller sits down with James)

Julia Alexa Miller:
I talked to Steve about your issues, and he told me about Spoony. You're not him! He wasn't going to do it. We are; it will happen. So I am going to make some adjustments. (Julia Alexa Miller takes what James was working on and fixes it. Julia Alexa Miller shows the sign saying "To Be Continued in "The Last Of The Americans: The Movie" Hopefully") So tell me, what do you think? (James walks to Julia Alexa Miller and morphs back to James Faraci)

James Faraci:
Thank you for telling me to hang on to hope. (The two kiss passionately as the scene fades to black)

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

The Top 10 moments of The Last Of The Americans in 2021

TLOTA:
I’m James Faraci, The Last Of The Americans, and the views that I’m about to express are that of my own and some of yours. 2021 was a better year, but in comparison to 2019 and 2020, it wasn’t better by much. (Cut to moments from The Last Of The Americans in 2021 as James does a voiceover)

TLOTA(V.O.):
Between dealing with COVID compliances and having to go bare-bones with both the Number of people in the studio and how many things I could do with who I could get, it was tough. Having to deal with not only with Lucifer but also the return of an enemy that possessed a man who has driven me to quite a few breaking points this year as apparently, he wants to take control of what I’ve been doing, what I want to do, and how it should be done. But still, I can get my workload done. However, things will be more challenging as the next few years go on. (Cut to James physically)

TLOTA:
And to explain correctly, Here I go! (James pulls out his Morpher and becomes James Faraci)

James Faraci:
To get the support I need for my movie to be done correctly, I am now a student at my local college with my major being in Media Arts, meaning for now, while the movie I had planned isn’t happening now, I don’t care what I have to do, This movie will get made, and I WILL be getting it done, no matter what the cost! But having said that, You have spoken as to what your favorite moments from me this year were, and I’ve got my five so let’s get to “The Top 10 moments of The Last Of The Americans in 2021”

(Scene begins with a laser hitting a slab of Titanium as the music of the 1994 American Gladiators opening theme plays the angle of the camera goes into the laser as three shadowed figures with lasered outlines appear as the shadows reveal themselves to be James Faraci in the center, Paulo Fonseca on the right and Rebecca Yaun on the left as their names appear above the characters. As the three-run out of frame moving forward, four more shadowed figures with lasered outlines appear and the shadows reveal themselves as Brenda Fonseca on the right, Nick Yaun on the left, and John and Mike Santos and their names appear above the characters. As they run out of frame moving forward, five more shadowed figures with lasered outlines appear as they reveal themselves to be Renee Miller and Eric Kurtzke on the right, Andrew Beach and Ed Champion on the left, and Olivia Horvath appears in the center as their names appear above the characters. As they run out of frame credits of “Written and directed by James Faraci, Edited by Eric Kurtzke, Makeup by Olivia Horvath Produced by First Choice Productions” as it ends the Laser beam disappears and at the 0:28 mark of the theme song the words “The” “Last” “Of” “The” appears. At the 0:32-0:36 mark, the word “Americans” start to come forward as it pulls down, and James’ Morpher and Sonic Screwdriver is flung into the frame as James grabs both and morphs into The Last Of The Americans with the half team TLOTA on his right and the other half on his left as the camera pulls back to see the slab with the markings “The Last Of The Americans”. The Laser returns to cut out the Number)

James Faraci (Voiceover):
Number 10
(Cut to clips of An Arthouse "Head" Trip as James does a voiceover)

10) An Arthouse "Head" Trip

James Faraci (Voiceover):
This was one movie I wanted to talk about because I had heard about this movie and I wanted to get into the history of the subject which was the musical group and TV series behind the movie. I mean the movie is a product of its time and it shows but still, it is one hell of a movie that needed to be discussed and even further evaluated than how I did it. However, if you do decide to review it, understand it may mess with your head for a while. However, as I worked on this countdown Michael Nesmith passed away. So that might make this one a little more topical.

James Faraci (Voiceover):

Number 9
(Cut to clips of "School" Daze" as James does a voiceover)

9) "School" Daze

James Faraci (Voiceover):
This was the first review I did after starting College so I can get my movie done, one way or another, and a lot of the college humor I used to laugh at would now be subject for an episode of "Law & Order SVU". What surprised me though was that people missed the references in the opening and the first third of the review. All that sugar and caffeine was about the same amount Crow had to take to stop from being replaced with a Pod Person Doppelganger in the classic MST3K episode "The Giant Spider Invasion" and because I had to explain it. (Cut to the Clip of The Joker shouting "If you have to explain the joke, THEN THERE IS NO JOKE!". Cut to James physically)

James Faraci:
Exactly

James Faraci (Voiceover):

Number 8

(Cut to clips of "In Defense Of..THE MAN SHOW" as James does a voiceover)

8) In Defense Of... "THE MAN SHOW"

James Faraci (Voiceover):
I had wanted to discuss this series and I had seen the series on both YouTube and TUBI and somehow a lot of the materials are still relevant. Manliness as I knew it has been deemed obsolete and when they talked about how bad Valentine's day was for guys like me it was Kismet that guys actually agreed with my views on the series. It quickly became one of the best episodes of "In Defense Of..." I've done and in this case was worth all the laughs I got from watching and all the drinks I took from the toast at the end of each episode and the allnighter I did. (Cut to every male reviewer as they chant "Ziggy-Zockie, Ziggy-Zockie, HOI-HOI-HOI!" multiple times before pounding down their drinks.)

James Faraci (Voiceover):

Number 7

(Cut to clips of the review of the movie "Seeing Double")

7) Fill my eyes with that "Double" Vision

James Faraci (Voiceover):
This was a movie that I had wanted to see and talk about and initially was worried that would not be well received because A) No one knew who in the heck S Club 7/ S Club was nor was any of their music known stateside outside of "Never Had A Dream Come True" which was talked about by Todd In The Shadows in a segment of "One Hit Wonderland". Also, I wondered if Mathew "Film Brain" Buck had heard of the movie, he did, he never saw it and for that matter neither did Todd In The Shadows. I wrote everything down and like how it was with The Blockbuster Buster when I worked on the "Wonder Woman" movie with him, I did all the work, the two just read what was given to them and that is the reason this review is not a crossover with the exception of Mathew and Todd doing some minor improvisations in the script all of it was done by these two hands. But what put this one on the list is the ending which set up the story for the eighth-anniversary review which I had wanted to include an old enemy, The Wicked. Which made this moment happen. (Show the "It Was Agatha All Along" parody moment) Yeah, everyone, I was the first one to actually parody the "It Was Agatha All Along." moment in Internet Reviewing. A list-worthy moment if I say so myself.

James Faraci (Voiceover):

Number 6

(Cut to clips of "Reboot Of The View Askewniverse" as James does a voiceover.)

6) "Reboot" of the View Askewniverse

James Faraci: (Voiceover):
Initially, I had planned on a Mortal Kombat 2021 in August, however, I needed some more time to hone the review. Which led me to do a review of something I figured I would talk about eventually however to my surprise Kevin Smith was filming "Clerks III" at the time and I figured if I were to review "Jay And Silent Bob: Reboot" and if he were to see it, I could get a cameo in the movie. I didn't get the cameo but I got a list worthy review as Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes made this entry list-worthy.

James Faraci (Voiceover):

Number 5

(Cut to clips of "Artist Therapy" as James does a voiceover.)

5) "Artist" Therapy

James Faraci (Voiceover):
To stave off the insanity that was the first couple of months of this year, I figured I would check out something I have been dying to see, "The Disaster Artist" which would have to be made with COVID compliances. However, when I told people I was planning on reviewing it, Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero wanted in on the review. I told Tommy that I was in charge and he had to listen to what I had to tell him. However, production was insane as Tommy Wiseau had made comments about "The Lumberjack Song" that I am not sharing. Then came the moment in which he tried to tell me how to time my gags in the therapy session when I had to break it into different days as I was allowed only a certain number of people. Then he had to cry about putting on facial prosthetics. It was for half a day that he and Greg had to wear the facial prosthetics! He then went on to ask why we had to film two gags at the same time! The gags he was talking about were the Hallway gag to signify the end of the first half of the review and the end one which had me trying to outrun everyone in the therapy session who wanted me, Julia Alexa Miller and Chad Narducci! And had Tommy not talked at all until he was asked to do his lines. It would've taken minutes. But because he wanted some say in how the scenes were to turn out and he ad-libbed with what he felt was right and Greg had to reign him in, it took HOURS! The filming process dragged for what felt like a month when it was, in fact, a full week, and again with COVID restrictions, I had to limit the time everyone could be there to film. Everyone was willing to knuckle down and told me to power through the worst points in producing this review. It was literally the shoot from hell! Yet we survived and by the grace of God, I finished the review on time and on schedule. A Crazy Film about a crazy cinematic experience and the review that was the most intense experience of my entire career as an internet reviewer!

James Faraci (Voiceover):

Number 4

(Cut to clips of It's a cold & "Cruella" November as James does a voiceover.)

4) It's a cold & "Cruella" November

James Faraci (V.O.):
This one, I actually had outside help when it came to the timing of the jokes in the episodes, and everything else in the review. I actually had Steve Kidd come in and co-write this episode with me! When I decided to do "Cruella" the initial idea was to make it a talk show ALA how The DC movie "Joker" was like and it would be similar to that. This is where Steve came in and helped. He and I did a lot to make this one work and I have to give Steve the credit for this because he went and took what I did over a finer toothed comb than I did and it really showed. Especially since I had the idea to have the talk show be worse than "Demo Reel"! "DEMO REEL"! For that talk show to be that bad, things went off the wheels right from the get-go! And for Steve to help make this happen, I had to put this one on the list!

James Faraci (Voiceover):

Number 3

(Cut to clips of "Wonder"-ing how many years I've been doing this eight years or "84" as James does a voiceover)

3) "Wonder"-ing how many years I've been doing this eight years or "84"

James Faraci (Voiceover):
To celebrate the eight years I had been doing this I pushed myself to get through the highly awaited sequel to one of the few good movies DC has done in the past decade. When I saw it, I said "It's Review Fodder", the question was how to make it a review that I could put my own stamp on it. So I looked at Pedro Pascal and I remembered him in "Kingsman" and I remembered Kristin Wiig in "Ghostbusters: Answer The Call" and I had been watching the finale of "WandaVision" at the time so a lot of my inspiration came from those moments led to this moment! (Cut to the clip as Team TLOTA, The Blockbuster Buster, Linkara, James, and Julia Alexa Miller as they try and stop "The Wicked" once and for all.) Yeah it's amazing and knowing Chad is now a thorn that James cannot get rid of as he is now a reoccurring character to drive James mad every now and then

James Faraci (Voiceover):

Number 2

(Cut to the clips of the "Cool Like Keanu" Reviews as James does a voiceover)

2) Cool Like Keanu

James Faraci (Voiceover):
Okay, this all started back at the end of my 2020 Holiday Guide, I wanted to let people know that much like everyone that year, it ended on a down note and of course, the only song that would be apropos was the end music of "Batman Returns" like I'm sure most of us had in mind. However "Cool Like Keanu" had me in a quandary. If I played it right and had gone with the original ending, it would've killed my movie right then and there. The Alternate ending would've seen me surviving my self inflicted stabbing only for the Doctor as played by my friend Thorn Winter handing me Emmalina's Amulet, just the final nail in the coffin for my relationship and as for Julia Alexa Miller, she would disappear as Chad Narducci runs up to her and as the audio has him talk to the police we see her emerge on a rock in the ocean as the audio of the officer asking if she was alone. Julia Alexa Miller's last words are "I am" as she spends the rest of her life as a mermaid and my character is alone killing the movie at the end. However, I felt that there had been enough negativity and sadness from 2020 and the best thing I could think of to make everyone feel better is watching a Keanu Reeves movie. I also wanted to purge the darkness of the last year by having to deal with his darkest movie ever and an awesome movie in his resurgence of popularity.

(Cut to the ending of the "Bill and Ted Face The Music"'s review ending as it cuts to James physically)

James Faraci:
Before we go to the number one spot, let's check out some Honorary mentions

(Cut to Different reviews as James does a voiceover)

James Faraci (V.O.):

"Good" that's dripping in "Chocolate")
Since I talked about the differences between a Cooking Show and a Cooking Reality Show, that opened the door for me to review a series or at least an episode of a Cooking Show that I loved, and since I still watch "Good Eats", I decided to check out an episode for the possibility for a review. Thanks to Alton Brown's creativity, I was able to do a review of his Halloween Special "The House That Dripped Chocolate" which when I saw the first time scared the crap out of me as much as I learned how to make some confectionary classics. Which has me thinking about revisiting some episodes next year, say around Thanksgiving.

Headin' for a "Hawaiian Wedding")
I had decided as a follow-up to my "In Defense Of... BAYWATCH" to check out the reunion movie and after the first time, I felt a blend of sadness and sorrow. The only things I could equate it to was when Siskel and Ebert had to review the movies "Frozen Assets" and "She's Out Of Control" at the beginning but as I continued on watching, I felt the same loss of joy as Joel and The Bots felt by the time they got to the third act of "Castle Of Fu Manchu" leading me to break down, cry and contemplate my future as "The Last Of The Americans"! I thankfully survived the movie and I was capable to move forward.

My 13 favorite "The Real Ghostbusters" Episodes)
I had heard Phelous and Allison Pregler had gotten engaged earlier this year and as a Wedding present, I had told them that I was going to do a list of episodes of my favorite episodes of "The Real Ghostbusters" and Phelous was going to guest appear in the countdown at key points and it allowed me to rewatch a series that I liked until ABC and Q5 made the series unpalatable which is what led me not to put ANY of those episodes into this list. Now if you enjoyed those episodes, good for you. But those non Q5 episodes were the best the series made and those episodes were the ones that made my list.

Hitting all the right & wrong "Scales")
A couple of years ago, I decided to reward myself for putting up with some rather crazy things with getting "Scales: Mermaids Are Real" and when I first saw it for the most part it was your everyday average straight to DVD fare, that is... until the ending! It was such an "Out of left field" thing to do that it shocked the hell out of me! And this movie was given the Dove Foundation Seal Of Approval! But then again, The Dove Foundation has approved the "Norm Of The North" films and Kirk Cameron's cinematic opuses so take that for what it's worth. But I digress, That ending! The ending in which the character of Siren as played by Emmy Perry and her biological mother played by Hannah Frasier decides to take care of one of the henchmen to the main villain who wasn't going to stop until he got what he came for had led to the moment that ruined all the goodwill and decent moments the movie had up to that point! (Cut to the clip as James screams in fear as the scene of watching Brody being reduced to water then it cuts to "Rob Zombie's Halloween" as Dr. Loomis screams out "WHAT THE HELL?! JESUS CHRIST!". Cut to the moment in which Brody is now a pile of water as James calls the movie sick, Babbles incoherently about what happened and continued to call the movie sick.) Yeah, I didn't hold back because a supposed family-friendly movie about a young girl coming of age and becoming a mermaid quickly turned into a movie about killing to protect a secret, and if you don't, you will meet the same grizzly fate the character of Brody did! So even though it took me some time to get to it, I reviewed it. However, I was disappointed with myself because originally I had planned on making this a crossover with The Captivating Christian Chris T. Ian! When he didn't call me back, I knew flying solo was the only way for me to go. (Cut to the clip of Brody being reduced to water as James screams in fear and hides.)

(Scene fades to black as James' scream echos in the blackness. The scene begins with a laser hitting a slab of Titanium as the music of the 1994 American Gladiators opening theme plays the angle of the camera goes into the laser as three shadowed figures with lasered outlines appear as the shadows reveal themselves to be James Faraci in the center, Paulo Fonseca on the right and Rebecca Yaun on the left as their names appear above the characters. As the three-run out of frame moving forward, four more shadowed figures with lasered outlines appear and the shadows reveal themselves as Brenda Fonseca on the right, Nick Yaun on the left, and John and Mike Santos and their names appear above the characters. As they run out of frame moving forward, five more shadowed figures with lasered outlines appear as they reveal themselves to be Renee Miller and Eric Kurtzke on the right, Andrew Beach and Ed Champion on the left, and Olivia Horvath appears in the center as their names appear above the characters. As they run out of frame credits of “Written and directed by James Faraci, Edited by Eric Kurtzke, Makeup by Olivia Horvath Produced by First Choice Productions” as it ends the Laser beam disappears and at the 0:28 mark of the theme song the words “The” “Last” “Of” “The” appears. At the 0:32-0:36 mark, the word “Americans” start to come forward as it pulls down, and James’ Morpher and Sonic Screwdriver is flung into the frame as James grabs both and morphs into The Last Of The Americans with the half team TLOTA on his right and the other half on his left as the camera pulls back to see the slab with the markings “The Last Of The Americans”. The Laser returns to cut out the Number)

James Faraci (Voiceover):
And The Number One Best moment of 2021 is

(Cut to clips of “The Different Cuts of Superman The Movie” review as James does a voiceover)

1) The Different Cuts of Superman The Movie

James Faraci (V.O.):
To me, this was the one set of Different Cuts that I wanted to do with only one person who loved the original Christopher Reeve movie and that man is James Daniel Walsh, the boss of Manic-Expression.com! I had told him of the idea and he loved it. We worked out the details of the "Different Cuts" and basically when I read his parts in the review, I knew that this was reviewing gold! I knew that for this one I had to be on my A-Game, especially when it came to the subject matter. So when I discovered that there were three different versions of the same movie, I trusted my judgment to let James Daniel Walsh take the lead and when it came out everyone loved this, and became one of the best episodes of "The Different Cuts" I have done so far, and I got a chance to talk about one of my favorite movies all three versions, Warts and All. Plus I got a chance to talk briefly about a fan cut that should be released for public consumption through Warner Brothers. However, as I finished working on this episode of The Different Cuts, Richard Donner died! Well, ain't timing a pain in the tuchus. In spite of all that, this was for all intent and purposes the best moment for The Last Of The Americans in 2021. (Cut to James Faraci The Last Of The Americans as he walks out looking annihilated saying who he is and falling down. Cut to James Daniel Walsh as he whistles the Superman Theme. Cut to James in his office.)

James Faraci:
What's gonna happen in 2022 besides me turning 40, celebrating nine years of doing The Last Of The Americans, continuing my college education, and if by some grace of God I make the movie? Quite a bit, I might even get another Summer Retrospective in, if I have the time. But in order for that to happen (James pulls out his Morpher and morphs into The Last Of The Americans.)

TLOTA:
It's time to get the mojo going with a lot of Powers! I'm James Faraci The Last Of The Americans saying "OH BEHAVE!"