Nostalgia Critic

Last updated

Nostalgia Critic
Nostalgia Critic logo.png
Genre
Created by Doug Walker
Developed byDoug Walker
Rob Walker
Written byDoug Walker
Rob Walker
Directed byDoug Walker
Starring
  • Doug Walker (2007–present)
  • Rob Walker (2007–present)
  • Rachel Tietz (2012–2014)
  • Malcolm Ray (2012–present)
  • Tamara Chambers (2014–present)
  • Jim Jarosz (2012–present)
  • Walter Banasiak (2016–present)
  • Heather Reusz (2016–present)
  • Aiyanna Wade (2016–present)
Theme music composerMichael "Skitch" Schiciano [1]
Opening theme"The Review Must Go On" (2013–present)
Ending theme"The Review Must Go On" (2011; 2013–present)
Various
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons17
No. of episodes676
Production
Executive producerMichael Michaud
ProducerDoug Walker
Production locations Downers Grove, Illinois (2007–12; 2020–21)
Lombard, Illinois
(2013–2020; 2021–present)
EditorDoug Walker
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running timeVarious (avg. 15–30 minutes)
Production company Channel Awesome
Original release
Network
ReleaseJuly 3, 2007 (2007-07-03) –
present

Nostalgia Critic is an American review comedy web series created, directed by, and starring comedian Doug Walker. The series initially launched on YouTube on July 3, 2007, before moving to Walker's own site, That Guy with the Glasses, and finally to the online production company Channel Awesome. The show follows Walker as the title character, a bitter and sarcastic critic who reviews films and television shows from his childhood and recent past, usually with comically exaggerated hysteria. The show focuses on analysis of the episode's subject, often incorporated with sketches, rants, or embedded storylines. Many of the films reviewed—such as Exorcist II: The Heretic , The Garbage Pail Kids Movie , Batman & Robin , and Foodfight! —are generally considered as the worst films ever made.

Contents

Walker briefly retired the series on August 14, 2012, to work on other projects, even writing the character out of existence in the Channel Awesome film To Boldly Flee. On January 22, 2013, Walker announced the show's return in a narrative video called "The Review Must Go On". [5] The show subsequently returned with a more narrative- and sketch-driven sixth season, beginning on February 5, 2013, with a review of The Odd Life of Timothy Green . Most episodes still retain the original clip-using format.

Main cast

All of the cast members play fictionalized versions of their real counterparts as well as other characters during sketches. The series has also featured guest stars Dante Basco, Don Bluth, Kyle Hebert, JonTron, Maurice LaMarche, Rob Paulsen, James Rolfe, Tom Ruegger, Michael Salvatori, Greg Sestero, Sherri Stoner, Chris Stuckmann, Cree Summer, Rob Scallon, Corey Taylor and Mara Wilson as themselves; co-reviewing, acting in sketch segments, or making a cameo appearance) [6]

History

The series was initially launched on YouTube on July 3, 2007, with a review of Transformers , but episodes were frequently removed by the website following complaints of copyright infringement. In April 2008, the videos were taken down from YouTube but an arrangement between the company and content host Blip in 2009 resulted in them being featured on YouTube once more. [7] [8]

Nostalgia Critic creator and star Doug Walker at ConnectiCon in 2012 Doug Walker in 2012.jpg
Nostalgia Critic creator and star Doug Walker at ConnectiCon in 2012

The announcement of a spin-off, called The Nostalgia Chick, was created in "The Search for the Nostalgia Chick" (August 10, 2008). The concept was for a female host to review female-targeted "nostalgic" films and television, [9] and though it was presented as a contest, it was predetermined that all three candidates would end up on the site: [10] Lindsay Ellis (who reviewed Disney's Pocahontas), Krissy Diggs (who reviewed Sailor Moon ), and Kaylyn Saucedo (who reviewed The Last Unicorn ). Ellis, then using the name "The Dudette," took the Nostalgia Chick title, as announced on the site, "Nostalgia Chick Winner!" (September 15, 2008). [9] Diggs and Saucedo then joined That Guy with the Glasses as That Chick with the Goggles and Marzgurl, respectively.

On September 14, 2012, Walker announced the retirement of Nostalgia Critic and that it would no longer be a weekly production, as he and his brother felt that they had gone as far as they could with the series. Walker then focused his efforts on another web series called Demo Reel, but on January 22, 2013, Walker released a sketch short film titled "The Review Must Go On", announcing the return of the Nostalgia Critic; Malcolm Ray and Rachel Tietz of Demo Reel joined the series as side characters. [11] On December 30, 2015, Nostalgia Critic aired its 300th episode, a review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens . On October 10, 2018, Nostalgia Critic aired its 400th episode, a countdown of the top 11 Stephen King movies. On October 14, 2020, it aired its 500th episode, a review of The Stand . On November 9, 2022, the series aired its 600th episode, a review of Anastasia .

Episode format

The series focuses on the Nostalgia Critic, a short-tempered film reviewer looking back at films usually from his childhood and adolescence. GigaOM describes it as "high energy and shamelessly nerdy". [12] Reuters described him as having "offbeat personalities". [13] In each episode, the Critic restates important plot-points, guiding the viewer, while making jokes out of notable or questionable scenes. The reviews are interspersed with recurring memes, false or satirical dubbing of dialogue, comedic sketches and pop culture gags—such as making fun of famous actors who starred in lesser-known roles before their rise to fame. The show also features special episodes, such as the "Top 11" list countdowns for his favorite or least favorite films, villains, or moments in television shows; and "Old vs. New" which compares the reboot of a popular film or series to the original.

Since the revival of the series in 2013, Walker occasionally produces an editorial which discusses relevant film topics; while still featuring the Critic persona, these videos are much less comedic and contain no sketches or other actors. Beginning with Jurassic World on June 23, 2015, the series also occasionally features "clipless reviews" of films that are still currently in theaters to avoid copyright infringement instead of stills and clips. These reviews instead feature scenes from the movies re-enacted comedically by Walker, his family and other Channel Awesome contributors.

Walker describes his philosophy thus: "[We need a critic of nostalgia] because everybody already does it. When we look at movies and shows from our youth, they're rarely as good as we remember them, and oftentimes it's quite humorous to compare what you liked then to what you like now. That's basically what the Nostalgia Critic is about, looking back at just how much nostalgia cloaked our vision in heavenly bliss and how bizarre the reality is." [14]

Reception

Nostalgia Critic received a positive response with many praising the humor, characters, and Doug Walker's performance. Greg Weisman, producer of Gargoyles , stated that he enjoyed the Critic's review of the show. [15] Roger Ebert called the episode "A Tribute to Siskel and Ebert" "the best, funniest video about Siskel & Ebert I've ever seen". [16] Walker later stated in his editorial titled "Farewell to Roger Ebert" that he has since had the quote framed and hung up on his wall, and in "The Making of a Nostalgia Critic Episode", it can be seen on his desk. [17] Animation writer Paul Dini also thanked the Critic for his episode "The Top 11 Batman: The Animated Series Episodes". [18] Seth Kearsley, director of Eight Crazy Nights , praised the Critic's review of the movie on his Twitter account. [19] In 2014, Walker and Dante Basco collaborated in a countdown of the top eleven best episodes of the television series Avatar: The Last Airbender , on which Basco had played the character Zuko. Both Bill Farmer, the voice of Goofy, [20] and Jason Marsden, the voice of Max, praised Channel Awesome after watching the Critic's editorial, Is Goofy Secretly Badass? [21] On August 27, 2017, the Critic did a crossover with fellow Channel Awesome critic, Nash Bozard. For Here There Be Dragons, Bozard's review series about fantasy films and adaptations, the Nostalgia Critic and Nash reviewed the short-lived Syfy series The Dresden Files . [22] In 2022, Walker released a review of the film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius . This review was praised on Twitter by Mark DeCarlo, the voice of Hugh Neutron in both the film, and TV series. [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>A Goofy Movie</i> 1995 US animated film by Kevin Lima

A Goofy Movie is a 1995 American animated musical comedy-adventure film produced by Disney MovieToons and Walt Disney Television Animation. Directed by Kevin Lima, the film is based on The Disney Afternoon television series Goof Troop created by Robert Taylor and Michael Peraza Jr., and serves as a standalone follow-up to the show. It features the voices of Bill Farmer, Jason Marsden, Jim Cummings, Kellie Martin, Rob Paulsen, Pauly Shore, Jenna von Oÿ, and Wallace Shawn. Taking place three years after the events of Goof Troop, the film follows Goofy and his son, Max, who is now in high school, and revolves around the father-son relationship between the two as Goofy embarks on a misguided mission to bond with his son by taking him on a cross-country fishing trip around the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Roeper</span> American writer and film critic (born 1959)

Richard E. Roeper is an American columnist and film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times. He co-hosted the television series At the Movies with Roger Ebert from 2000 to 2008, serving as the late Gene Siskel's successor. From 2010 to 2014, he co-hosted The Roe and Roeper Show with Roe Conn on WLS-AM. From October 2015 to October 2017, Roeper served as the host of the FOX 32 morning show Good Day Chicago.

Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, collectively known as Siskel & Ebert, were American film critics known for their partnership on television lasting from 1975 to Siskel's death in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pauly Shore</span> American comedian and actor (born 1968)

Paul Montgomery "Pauly" Shore is an American comedian and actor. He is best known for his roles in 1990s comedy films. Shore began as a stand-up comedian at the age of 17, before becoming an MTV VJ in 1989. This led to a starring role in the comedy film Encino Man in 1992, which was a modest hit. He followed this with leading man vehicles, including Son in Law (1993) and Bio-Dome (1996). Shore provided the voice of Robert "Bobby" Zimuruski in A Goofy Movie and its direct-to-video sequel, An Extremely Goofy Movie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Heidecker</span> American actor, director, producer and screenwriter (born 1976)

Timothy Richard Heidecker is an American comedian, writer, director, actor, and musician. Along with Eric Wareheim, he is a member of the comedy duo Tim & Eric.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dante Basco</span> American actor (born 1975)

Dante Roman Basco is an American film, television, and voice actor. He is best known for his youthful sounding voice and his role as Rufio, the leader of the Lost Boys in Steven Spielberg's Hook and for voicing the titular main protagonist of American Dragon: Jake Long and Zuko in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cerina Vincent</span> American actress (born 1979)

Cerina Vincent is an American actress. She had her breakthrough role starring as Maya in the television series Power Rangers Lost Galaxy, followed by a part in the comedy film Not Another Teen Movie, before going on to star in the horror film Cabin Fever, which established her as a "scream queen" and led to further roles in horror movies. More recently, she appeared as Suzy Diaz in the Disney Channel series Stuck in the Middle. She has also written three books with Jodi Lipper, wrote a regular column for The Huffington Post, and co-hosts the podcast Raising Amazing with Dr. Joel Gator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Cross</span> American stand-up comedian and actor (born 1964)

David Cross is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and director. Cross is best known for his stand-up performances, the HBO sketch comedy series Mr. Show with Bob and David (1995–1998), and his role as Tobias Fünke in the Fox/Netflix sitcom Arrested Development.

<i>Sneak Previews</i> American film review television series

Sneak Previews is an American film review show that ran for over two decades on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). It was created by WTTW, a PBS member station in Chicago, Illinois. It premiered on November 26, 1975 as a monthly local-only show called Opening Soon...at a Theater Near You and was renamed in 1977 to Sneak Previews and it became a biweekly show in 1978 airing nationally on PBS. It grew to prominence with a review-conversation-banter format between opinionated film critics, notably for a time, Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel. By 1980, it was a weekly series airing on over 180 stations, and it was the highest rated weekly entertainment series in the history of public broadcasting. The show's final broadcast was on October 4, 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blip.tv</span>

Blip was an American media platform for web series content and also offered a dashboard for producers of original web series to distribute and monetize their productions. The company was founded on May 5, 2005, and it was located in New York City and Los Angeles. It was financed by Bain Capital Ventures, Canaan Partners, and Ambient Sound Investments. Blip's mission statement was "to deliver the best original web series to audiences across multiple platforms." The site showcased a wide variety of dramas, comedies, arts, sports and other shows. Blip was acquired by Maker Studios in 2013 and shut down by them on August 20, 2015.

<i>Angry Video Game Nerd</i> Comedy web series about video games

The Angry Video Game Nerd, originally known as The Angry Nintendo Nerd, is an American retrogaming review comedy web series created by and starring James Rolfe. The series centers on Rolfe's titular skit character, often simply shortened to "the Nerd", a short-tempered and foul-mouthed gamer who delivers commentary on retro games of poor quality. While the series began with Rolfe simply playing games while providing retrospective commentary, the show has grown in scope to encompass sketches featuring guest characters, reviews of gaming consoles and peripherals, and short lectures about video game history and culture.

Channel Awesome, Inc. is an American online media production company based in Lombard, Illinois. The company was created in 2008 by Mike Michaud, Mike Ellis, and Bhargav Dronamraju. Channel Awesome operated the That Guy with the Glasses website until late 2014, when it was phased into the Channel Awesome website. The site is best known for the comedic film review series Nostalgia Critic, starring Doug Walker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Bennett</span> American actor and DJ (born 1991)

Matt Bennett is an American actor and DJ. He is known for playing Robbie Shapiro in the Nickelodeon sitcom Victorious. His film roles include The Virginity Hit, Bridesmaids, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, The Stanford Prison Experiment and Manson Family Vacation. He has guest-starred on shows such as The Big Bang Theory, American Vandal and Dynasty. Since 2022, he has primarily worked as a DJ, performing Disney and Nickelodeon songs at several venues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lindsay Ellis</span> American author and film critic (born 1984)

Lindsay Ellis is an American author, film critic, and video essayist. Her debut novel, Axiom's End, published in July 2020, became a New York Times Best Seller.

Ignatiy Igorevich Vishnevetsky is a Russian-American film critic, essayist, and columnist. He has worked as a staff film critic for The A.V. Club and written for Mubi.com and the Chicago Reader.

So Random! is an American Disney Channel sketch comedy series that premiered on June 5, 2011. It was announced as an independent series after Demi Lovato left the parent series, Sonny with a Chance. The series features the actors who acted in Sonny with a Chance, besides Lovato: Tiffany Thornton, Sterling Knight, Brandon Mychal Smith, Doug Brochu, and Allisyn Ashley Arm along with other featured actors who recur in the series. The series premiere was watched by 4.1 million viewers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Rolfe</span> American filmmaker and online personality

James D. Rolfe is an American YouTuber, filmmaker, and actor. He is best known for creating and starring in the comedic retrogaming web series The Angry Video Game Nerd (2004–present). His spin-off projects include reviews of retro films, television series, and board games. He is considered a pioneer of internet gaming videos, and is noted for his widespread influence on YouTube content after the series premiered on the site in 2006.

<i>How It Should Have Ended</i> Animated series

How It Should Have Ended (HISHE) is an animated web series that parodies popular films by creating alternate endings and pointing out various flaws. Endings for many major movies have been presented, using the tagline "sometimes movies don't finish the way we'd like."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Walker (comedian)</span> American comedian and YouTuber (born 1981)

Douglas Darien Walker is an American comedian, film critic, actor, filmmaker, and YouTuber. Walker is best known for creating and starring in the satirical film review web series Nostalgia Critic, wherein the titular character reviews nostalgic media in an angry or profane manner. After an initial run on YouTube, Walker co-created the website That Guy With The Glasses in 2008, where he and the series gained wider popularity. The site also presented other media critics of whom created similar content, including Lindsay Ellis and Angry Joe. Walker and his series returned to YouTube in 2012.

References

  1. ↑ Schiciano, Michael "Skitch" (May 13, 2013). "The Review Must Go On (Nostalgia Critic Theme)". Bandcamp.
  2. ↑ Roettgers, Janko (July 21, 2015). "Maker Studios Is Shutting Down Blip Next Month". Variety . Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Bangarang - Nostalgia Critic". Vimeo. November 14, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Black Cauldron - Nostalgia Critic". Vimeo. January 29, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  5. ↑ "The Review Must Go On". That Guy with the Glasses. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Nostalgia Critic (TV Series 2007– )" – via www.imdb.com.
  7. ↑ Pickard, Anna (November 19, 2007). "The five-second movies and why you should watch them". The Guardian. London. Retrieved December 9, 2008.
  8. ↑ Learmonth, Mike (July 28, 2009). "Blip.tv Brings Programs to YouTube, Ads to 'Channel Awesome'". Advertising Age . Archived from the original on November 7, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2009.
  9. 1 2 Jenkins, Mike; Bacio, Jose (June 19, 2009). "The Man Hour". Man Hour Goes Nostalgic. Archived from the original on February 2, 2010. Retrieved December 24, 2009. (iTunes)
  10. ↑ Rogers, Ian M. (August 23, 2021). "There Are Other Weird People Out There Like Me: An Interview with Krissy Diggs". ...But I Also Have a Day Job. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  11. ↑ Pickett, Leah (November 21, 2013). "Get to know the man behind 'Nostalgia Critic'". WBEZ Chicago . Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  12. ↑ Shannon, Liz (October 6, 2009). "Nostalgia Critic Takes Apart Your Childhood Favorites — Tech News and Analysis". Gigaom.com. Archived from the original on March 11, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
  13. ↑ "South Florida's Largest Video Game Event Gathers Hottest Video Games, Gamers, World Champs and Game Platforms Creators". Business Wire (Press release). Reuters. October 13, 2009. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
  14. ↑ Dunne, Susan (January 28, 2011). "U-Con at UConn is for the Nerds". The Hartford Courant . Retrieved October 20, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Search Ask Greg : Gargoyles : Station Eight". S8.org. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
  16. ↑ Ebert, Roger [@ebertchicago] (November 4, 2010). "The best, funniest video about Siskel & Ebert I've ever seen. http://j.mp/kpxx8 From Nostalgia Critic http://j.mp/1z4pVJ" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  17. ↑ Walker, Doug (August 11, 2010). "Animaniacs Tribute". Nostalgia Critic Animaniacs Tribute. Archived from the original on August 15, 2010.
  18. ↑ Dini, Paul [@Paul_Dini] (August 17, 2011). "Thanks both to @TGWTG for his nice words about B:TAS and to everyone who pointed me to his list. I miss that show" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  19. ↑ Kearsley, Seth [@SethKearsley] (June 17, 2014). "Hilarious. 8 Crazy Nights - Nostalgia Critic: via @YouTube" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  20. ↑ Farmer, Bill [@GoofyBill] (March 4, 2016). "@ChannelAwesome I've been voicing Goofy for nearly 30 years & I totally loved your video on Goofy! Very fresh & fun!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  21. ↑ Mars-mas, Jason [@JasonMarsden] (March 3, 2016). "Yup that's my pop! @GoofyBill" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  22. ↑ Butcher, Jim [@longshotauthor] (August 23, 2017). "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ICANTSTOPLAUGHINGHAHAHAHAHAH" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  23. ↑ "It seems Neutron is making a lot of waves these days & its especially exciting 2 see the bigger youtubers talking about it 2! Makes one hopeful for a #JimmyNeutronRevival & if nothing else shows how loved the franchise really is all around! Thx NC 4 checking out this masterpiece!". Twitter. Retrieved March 20, 2023.

Notes

  1. ↑ From November 14, 2017 (Bangarang (2017)) [3] to January 29, 2019 ( The Black Cauldron (1985)). [4]

    Wikiquote-logo.svg Quotations related to The Nostalgia Critic at Wikiquote

    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.