Adventures in Babysitting with Sabrina Carpenter, as good as the original?

It was to be doggy date night. Myself, Piper, Asia, Quincy, and Hazel. Quincy puts himself to bed every night around 8pm so first up, we (me, Piper, Asia, Hazel) watched the original Adventures in Babysitting starring Elisabeth Shue. Naturally, last night we followed it up with the 2016 remake starring Sabrina Carpenter. Why do people think remakes are ever a good idea? Some movies just need to be left alone. Shawshank Redemption. Forrest Gump. The Notebook. I wouldn’t have put Adventures in Babysitting in that category until today. Disney, hands off of the 80s movie. Step back and slowly move away.

I’ll just get right to it. The movie was bland, predictable, and there was nothing endearing about any of the characters except for little derby girl AJ Anderson. You know how people hurt themselves just to make sure they’re still alive? I almost punched myself halfway through the movie. One, to make sure I still have feelings and two, to punish myself for willingly watching it. The modern retelling of the story showcases two babysitters. How original. I knew pretty early into the movie that I already couldn’t care less about what happened to either babysitter. But I tried. I really did try. It’s kind of sad when the best movie moments were just a copy & paste from the original, as specific as having their own “Babysitting Blues” moment… except it was a rap. Even lines like “Next time ask for $10 more per hour” was a quick edit of the original where the line was to ask for an extra $1 an hour. The final cheap copy was in the final few moments of the movie. In the original, each person says it was the best night of their life, culminating in a tender moment where Chris Parker (E. Shue) pauses and says, “Mine, too.” In that line, she affirmed everything the kids were feeling, brought them up to her level of coolness, and the group was forever bonded in that moment and we, as the audience, felt it. The updated version was so disjointed and when it was S. Carpenter’s turn to proclaim it has her best night ever as the babysitter, the moment hadn’t built up so her delivery was just another line in a forgettable scene that could’ve been, should’ve been, the perfect touch to end the movie. Instead, I should’ve punched myself because I felt nothing. Dead inside.

In closing, there was no “Babysitting Blues” hilarity in the update. Just a rap battle where the two babysitters roasted each other and did nothing to have us like any of them any more than we already did… or didn’t. The rhyming of the rap was fine, I’ll give them that. But the blues in the first movie was simply great for the improvisational feel, the music and musicians, the humor, and no one on stage taking themselves too seriously.

Skip this one if you can. Go to the original (also on Disney+) for a better cinema experience, even if Disney edited it to be less offensive. 🥴

-Out of the Wilderness

Adventures in Babysitting from 1987… the Babysitting Blues

When Adventures in Babysitting was released I was around 9 years old. I would’ve been on the side that needed to be babysat. Fast forward a few decades and now I’m on the side that would need a sitter for my kids (if I had any). So my perspective on the movie is way different than back in 1987 when it debuted in theaters so I thought I’d watch it on Disney+. Also, is there a better time to watch a movie about being a responsible and mature chaperone than when I’m doing some sitting myself? Not humans, though. I’m dog sitting for the week so last night was the second night of watching movies with the pups.

It’s a fun movie. Very family friendly now that Disney cleaned it up a bit; Instead of “homo” in a derogatory manner they dub over it with something like “loser” and most curse words are swapped out for something less harsh.

It’s probably what you remember or what you’d expect from an 80s adventure movie. A group of young kids getting into mishaps for the entire night while hoping to not get caught by the parents. The situation keeps spiraling downward and just when you think all hope is lost, the turning point. Classic 80s-style odyssey and I laughed out loud more than a few times.

There’s also the remake from 2016, which I haven’t seen, so we might be queuing that up for tonight’s flick. For this one, we’re giving it two paws up for the adventure, laughs, the scene with Elisabeth Shue and the whole gang singing the Babysitting Blues, and the fun throwback to 80s culture.

-Out of the Wilderness

No second date?

Pizza, corny jokes, and a goodbye hug. Sounds like a decent date, right? Well, it was decent. It’s hard to go wrong with pizza. The deal breaker among a lot of people, though, is toppings. Pineapple or no?

We kept in touch in the following days but the rest of the story is that we both agreed there wasn’t a vibe. She brought it up first. I won’t fake like I initiated that conversation. I’m happy to have gone on a date with a kind woman and maybe that’s all it was meant to be: A glimpse of hope and this, coming after a first half of the year that included a handful of cancelled dates and missed opportunities.

My stock is rising and I’m almost sure I’ll have a better dating life the second half of this year. Heck, it’s already going better than January-through-June did even if there isn’t going to be a second date.

-Out of the Wilderness

The Main Reason I Wanted The Nothing Phone 3 is the Reason I Didn’t Get the Nothing Phone 3

About a month ago I needed a new phone. Not like I was trying to keep up with the Jones’s or anything. My phone was literally down to its last gasp of air. It was the Samsung Galaxy Flip 4 and I loved it for almost the entire time I had it, until the screen got all peely and it turned off every time I folded the phone closed. It was time so I narrowed my search down to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Motorola Razor Flip, and the Nothing Phone 3. I’d have to wait for the Nothing phone because at the time, the 3 wasn’t out yet. But I loved the idea of having something less ordinary. Peculiar. Plus am I the only one who misses a flashing light when there’s a text or email waiting for me to read it? The Nothing phones are known for having flashing lights when messages come in. Like the good ol’ days.

I couldn’t wait for the Nothing phone, though, because Verizon made me a great offer if I got the S25 Ultra. And I’m glad I took the offer because now that the Nothing 3 is out (it was my next choice, the Razor had mixed reviews and to be honest, I was tired of the flip phone life), the Nothing 3 doesn’t have the lights on the back anymore! It’s a shame because that’s a lot of what set it apart from all the other phones it competes with. Not only that, the asymmetry of the phone is pretty hideous. Just don’t let the owner of Nothing tell you otherwise. He comes across as little snooty but maybe he’s just an introvert. We’ll go with that until we have more info, right?

If you’re debating whether you want the S25 Ultra or something else, go with the Ultra. It’s got a few things that annoy me (notification pop-up style is impossible to configure properly!) but overall it’s an amazing phone with a lot of fun to be had. Plus, the camera is incredible with photos and video.

-Out of the Wilderness

Taylor Swift Does Bette Davis Eyes

Ok, so it’s been a long time since Taylor covered this famous song. So long, in fact, that I think this is when Taylor was trans. Oh, calm down, I mean almost 15 years and a billion dollars ago when she was transitioning from country to pop music. But since there’s been a recent cover of the same song, by this dancer/entertainer, here’s the refreshing version from Taylor. Check it out…

Taylor is smart. Her rendition is from a concert. A lot of artists sing a lot of other artists’ songs during shows and concerts. They don’t always cover them and release them as singles. Aspiring artists oughta take some notes from the country turned pop turned Chiefs fan singer. She may not be known for her eyes or for being precocious, but Taylor sure as heck knows how to market herself to fans.

-Out of the Wilderness