William: From Georgia to Harlem (Rifftrax Shorts)

Rifftrax Year:  2016
Riffers:  Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, Bill Corbett

William:  From Georgia to Harlem is the story of our title character moving to Harlem.  He explores his new neighborhood with his cousin Calvin though he feels like an outsider.  Eventually he gets beaten up by the local tough kids while Calvin runs away, then plays basketball, and everybody lives happily ever after.

I...guess?

This short was made by the "Learning Corporation of America," though I'm at a loss as to what I was supposed to learn from it.  Perhaps it's supposed to be a cultural contrast between Georgia and Harlem.  Or perhaps it is supposed to teach children about character, and the importance of keeping small town values as America becomes more urban.  But whatever the lesson is, I think it's lost in translation as the short film meanders around.

There's only so much I can take when it comes to bad acting, and this short presents me with more than enough for a lifetime.  The short mostly focuses on children who were most likely not actors at all, and attempts to go for a natural tone, but nothing about it feels natural at all.  The kids stand around and DECLARE their lines without any sense that they understand them.  And the parents are even worse, since for the most part they're offscreen and their dialogue is added in post.  And they deliver it the exact same way.

This short largely goes nowhere, so it would take some stellar riffing to save it.  While Mike, Kevin, and Bill aren't bad, for the most part I found my attention wandering during this effort.  The short is just such a brick wall and it takes more effort to knock it down.  There are a few bright moments, like Kevin "getting down and funky" toward the beginning had me laughing pretty hard.  I also really liked the riffs on the bullies.  But overall this short doesn't enthuse me really at all and it's just sixteen minutes wasted.

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