​IP runs the world these days, as we have lamented much here at Spinning the Reel. Ten times out of ten Hollywood will choose to mine every last ounce out of something people enjoyed until they’ve stripped that original idea of all its soul, before taking a risk on something unproven. It’s why Disney has released more Marvel movies in the last 5 years than original concepts (they’ve released more live action remakes of their animated back catalogue too.) On its face, Free Guy seems to belie all that.

Of all film genres, it seems to me that comedy has the worst reputation when talking about classic movies. It makes sense, humor is far from static. What we find funny now may have been appalling to our grandparents (who among us hasn’t had an awkward experience watching a movie with older family member.) Conversely older comedies can feel inaccessible at best and outright racist, sexist or homophobic at worst. Crowd pleasers of old can feel entirely inaccessible now and often lead to the negative image of classic film, so for this week’s throwback lets talk about a nearly 60 year old comedy that still holds up: Dr. Strangelove.
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​Take a look back at the last 15 years of comic book movies and you’ll notice a glaring turning point for the industry. Even before Iron Man landed on screens and sparked cinema’s most prolific franchise, the genre had a distinct influence. The model was Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, a set of self serious, true to the source — and most importantly hugely profitable — adaptations. Christopher Nolan would come along and make a Batman trilogy so dark, brooding — and again insanely profitable — that the formula would feel set in stone. Then, in 2014, James Gunn changed the game.

​If you ran down a list of classic Disneyland attractions that would make good movies, the docile and very punny Jungle Cruise might not come quickly to mind. Already Disney has cashed in on Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion. If the mouse house was looking for its next blockbuster, why not a Big Thunder Mountain western? Or a Matterhorn adventure about surviving a mysterious beast in the snow capped mountains? Even a Space Mountain inspired sci-fi would seem more logical than making a film out of the ride whose greatest suspense comes from which corny puns you’ll be subjected to for 15 minutes.

Welcome to the inaugural Throwback Thursday review! With our Movie of the Week, Jungle Cruise, sailing to the top of the box office I thought it would be fitting to dedicate our first Throwback Thursday post to one of the films that directly inspired it. Our initial throwback review is none other than the 1951 classic The African Queen.