Category: humour

Hot Fuzz – Action Comedy Film

On By Rick McIn humour, movies, videoLeave a comment

An insane, over-the-top comedy.

Hot Fuzz is a 2007 British action comedy film directed by Edgar Wright and written by Wright and Simon Pegg.

Pegg stars as Nicholas Angel, an elite police officer who is reassigned to a West Country village and investigates a series of gruesome deaths. Nick Frost co-stars as Police Constable Danny Butterman, Angel’s partner. …

Wright and Pegg spent eighteen months writing the script.

The first draft took eight months to develop, and after watching 138 cop-related films for dialogue and plot ideas

Influenced by American movies like Raising Arizona ,Bad Boys, & Point Break, the cinematography in Hot Fuzz (2007), shot by Jess Hall, parodies Hollywood action movies by applying a blockbuster visual style to a sleepy English village.

High-contrast lighting, wide-angle lenses, and rapid-fire editing.

The film features over 5,500 edits. Fast cuts connect quick “insert shots” (close-ups of objects like a gun, a pen, or a badge) with wide shots. This turns mundane chores into high-intensity action.

Director Edgar Wright frequently cuts to extreme close-ups of eyes, boots, and weapons to build dramatic tension.

The “Whip Pan”: The camera rapidly swings to the side. This creates a blur effect.

The “Crash Zoom”: The camera violently zooms into a character’s face during moments of sudden realization. It is a classic 1970s and 1980s cop-movie trope used for comedic effect.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

ALBERTA PATRIOTS – JOIN THE Bloc Albérta

On By Rick McIn GOP USA, government, humourLeave a comment

Obviously, Danielle Smith is a TRAITOR to the cause of Alberta Independence. 

Join the newest extreme right wing fringe party, Bloc Albérta. 

Paid for by a supporter of Naheed Nenshi and the Alberta NDP. 😀 

John Candy: I Like Me

On By Rick McIn humour, movies, TVLeave a comment

John Candy was born 1950, seven years before me.

Like pretty much every Canadian, I was a huge fan of SCTV, the low budget, super hilarious, Canadian television sketch comedy show about a fictional TV station.

Many of those comics went on to have great careers, including John Candy.

John Candy: I Like Me is the 2025 documentary on Prime about his all too short life. He died age-43 while filming a movie in Mexico.

I saw most of his TV bits and films, but — looking back — it’s Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) that I remember best.

Some feel that Uncle Buck (1989) was even better at portraying John the man.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Too OLD for Adventure Travel?

On By Rick McIn about Rick, health & fitness, humour, travelLeave a comment

6-7 is oh so last year.

I turned 68-years-young today.

I’m finally old enough to join the Old Fart Adventure Travel TikTok Crew. 😀

On the road in Singapore.

I’ve had many birthdays on the backpacker trail.

Tam and Les bought me birthday lunch in Little India. We had a robot waiter — though it was too uncoordinated to actually make it to our table. A waiter brought it the last mile.

For decades already I’ve been the oldest person in most hostels. I’ve grown used to the distinction.

Mostly, the kids treat me as a bit of a novelty: How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?

Life is short ➙ If you want to travel, travel.

Lifebeat – the alternative friendship Newsletter 😀

On By Rick McIn friends, humourLeave a comment

Well kids … there was a time before the internet when friends used something called a telephone to keep in touch. Once in a while we’d write letters. It’s true.

Ron and Kate took the time to put together friendship newsletters called The Calgary Redeye. They collected contributions from friends and put it together on a photocopied, stapled publication.

Out in Saskatoon, I decided to launch a goofy competitor to the Redeye. I called it Lifebeat.

Here’s the Christmas 1991 edition. 😀 The goal was to make friends laugh.

click for larger images

Middle School: Too Uncool for School

On By Rick McIn books, humourLeave a comment

For some reason I downloaded a kids book ➙ Middle School: Too Uncool for School (2025) by James Patterson and Martin ‘Ed’ Chatterton.

Surprisingly entertaining. An easy read, only 3 hours on audio.

It’s #17 of the popular Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life series.

Rafe Khatchadorian has never been cool. But all that changes when he becomes the guitarist in an awesome rock band and wrangles a part-time job at Hills Village’s trendiest new coffee shop slash yoga studio. No more being at the bottom of the middle school food chain—Rafe is finally going to be popular!

He just has two teeny problems: the awesome rock band is led by none other than the school bully. And the band actually isn’t awesome—they absolutely stink, and Rafe has to whip them into shape for the Best Band Competition.

With Rafe’s newfound coolness on the line, will he find a way to hit the stage in style or is he doomed to dorkdom forever?

The CBS made for TV movie looks entertaining, as well. 😀

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Hacks – season 4

On By Rick McIn humour, TVLeave a comment

I got sick of Ava and Deborah fighting at the start of this season. Too much negativity.

I’m finally tiring of the drama in this comedy.

Michaela Watkins as Stacey, the HR representative is great, however.

And there are some laughs in every episode.

Dance Mom is fantastic.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.