That there is continuity with this show that ties in all the movies is insane. Don Mancini, who wrote all the movies and the show, does a phenomenal job of writing his way out of every implausible web from the movies.
Favorite episode has a crazy meta quality, where the possessed, Jennifer, Tilly becomes part of a sort of quasi-intervention with Gina Guerschon, Joey pants, Meg, Tilly. Chucky like Jose like it’s a talk show or clip show or something. He’s got this wrestler chick with him. He says the Food Network is getting restless because he hasn’t killed anyone or used his 10 F bombs that he gets per episode. Cut to a clip of the wrestler on a podcast saying that she wants to be murdered by checkers. So Chucky starts stabbing her to death and saying fuck repeatedly.
Of course, you get Brad Dourif as the voice of Chucky. Always love that guy. Kids include Zackary Arthur, Björgvin Arnarson, Alyvia Alyn Lind, and Teo Briones. Never really care about the kids. They further the plot, but the fun stuff is with the legacy characters. Mean girl storyline is weak. She goes from reality show terrible to being totally one of the gang with no arch or anything.
Hilarious part when the priest calls the Vatican and tells them what is going on and that he needs assistance for an exorcism on a Chucky doll. You get his said and says stuff like, “yes, of course, I understand.” Then he hangs up the phone and says, “I've been excommunicated,” all with extreme calm.
Overall, it's fun for the casual watcher of these films, and incredible for the fans. Both seasons boast a solid 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. The humor is creative, the horror absurd, the performances solid, and just a great time. All this while keeping the essence and continuity of the franchise alive. Plus, there is a “Little Buff Boy” Chucky that is hilarious.
Yeah, looked bad, but I was intrigued by the star-studded ensemble cast and the director, whose work I like. Talent includes LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Dan Levy (whose in the movie for like 15 seconds), Winona Ryder (also barely appears in the film, but is quite the comedic heat check), Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jared Leto. Directed by Justin Simien. He also directed the movies Dear White People and Bad Hair, both far superior films.
A movie that spent over a decade in development hell, which shows. Guillermo del Toro was originally attached in 2010. Gist of it is one Gabbie (Dawson, who is so pretty) and her son Travis (Chase W. Dillon) seek help from a team of experts (Stanfield, Haddish, Wilson, and DeVito) to exorcise their haunted mansion and kill the sinister ghosts that haunt them.
My issues with the film. First, it is obscenely long for what it is. Neither scary, nor funny. I'm not really sure who this movie was for, as it's a little heavy for the kids in my life, though I would have hated it back then. I also couldn't imagine an adult liking the film. Overall, it was a hard movie to get through, especially with its over two-hour run time.
Stellar cast. Stars John Boyega (Attack the Block, the new Star Wars movies), Teyonah Parris (Candyman, Dear White People.), and Jamie Foxx, who produced the film. Easily in my top three Foxx performances. Together, the trio embarks on a journey to unravel a hidden government cloning conspiracy that threatens to keep black communities from self-improvement. Also appearing in the film are David Alan Grier and the renowned Kiefer Sutherland.
The directorial debut of Juel Taylor, I thought it was another Boots Riley film until I saw it wasn't at the end. Shares a lot of DNA with Sorry to Bother You, which is a major compliment in my book. Taylor co-wrote the with Tony Rettenmaier.
Clever, odd, compelling with a great score that includes a version of “Call Tyrone” that is awesome. The performances are stellar, and the social satire hits home without being preachy. Fans of blaxploitation as well as people that appreciate comedy sci-fi/mystery will find the movie especially enjoyable.
Gist of the film is a fictionalized account of the creation of the BlackBerry line of mobile phones by co-founders Douglas Fregin and Mike Lazaridis, along with investor Jim Balsillie. With all these corporate movies of late, the film shows a Canadian company that changed the world, but it's not Air. This isn't a positive portrayal. It's a company that got too big for its britches and caused its own destruction through hubris, skirting the law, and self-sabotage.
Stars Jay Baruchel (This is the End, She's Out of Your League) as Mike Lazaridis and Glenn Howerton (Dennis Reynolds from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) as psychopathic co-CEO Jim Balsillie. Others include director Matt Johnson, Michael Ironside (Scanners, RoboCop), Saul Rubinek (Unforgiven, True Romance), and Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride)in supporting roles.
Directed by Matt Johnson and co-written by Johnson and producer Matthew Miller. Loosely based on the book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry by Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff.
Howerton elevates what would have been a solid flick into a great one. He plays his usual sociopath, only with more rage. Like a dead-eyed predator. Yet, there is still a lot of humor in that misguided rage. He comes off as a guy that might physically attack the people that work for him he is so quick to hilariously fly off the handle, asking them to do the impossible. He's worth the watch alone.
Gist is Renfield, Dracula's loyal henchman/long-term inmate at an asylum, yearns for a life free from his master's relentless demands and the gruesome bloodshed that accompanies them. Goes to codependent anonymous meetings to break away, but it doesn't go well for anyone.
Directed by Chris McKay. He also did The Lego Batman Movie and The Tomorrow War. Cast includes Nicholas Hoult in the title role, Nicolas Cage as Dracula, Awkwafina as a cop/love interest, Ben Schwartz (Jean-Ralphio from Parks and Rec), and Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Sand and Fog and 24).
Spent some time in development hell. Universal was planning on doing a series of reboots based on the old monster flicks with a shared universe, which would have been cool. This was supposed to be the next movie after the Tom Cruise led film The Mummy, released in 2017, but it bombed. Later, screenwriter Robert Kirkman, who did the original draft, presented a rewrite that was more comedic in nature, which was eventually green-lit.
Cage's portrayal of Dracula steals the show, blending humor while still drawing inspiration from past actors who played the iconic character. Lugosi, Christopher Lee, and Gary Oldman come to mind. Whenever he takes center stage, the film comes alive in ways it doesn't when it's Holt and Awkwafina. Say what you will about the guy, Cage is always super captivating.
However, Renfield falls somewhat short due to not capitalizing on its promisingly hilarious premise. While entertaining, the film hints at a more vibrant, dynamic, and absurdly amusing movie yearning to break free. It's enjoyable, but one can't help but feel that it missed the opportunity to be truly extraordinary.
Barbie was beyond what I was hoping for. Fantasized that Ken and Barbie would become self-aware, and the movie would basically turn into Drive. Which basically happened! Masculine rage, consumer take down, female empowerment, pro social progress. What a film. Had some flaws, but the good stuff was really unbelievably good.
Margot Robbie takes the lead as the icon, while Ryan Gosling plays a doofus, yet charming Ken. Together, they embark on a captivating journey of self-discovery, following Barbie's existential crisis. Robbie and Gosling are amazing. I mean, dear god, Robbie is spectacular. At different points, Amy Schumer and Anne Hathaway were considered for the main role before the rights transferred to Warner Bros. In 2018. Would have probably been a completely different film. I couldn't imagine anyone but Robbie. I'll watch every movie she is in from here on out.
Other Barbies include Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie, Hari Nef (a trans actress) as Dr. Barbie, Dua Lipa as the Mermaid Barbies, and Issa Rae is President Barbie. Like that Weird Barbie wasn't “Crazy” Barbie. She just looked odd, but had gained experience. McKinnon is great.
The Kens, collectively, are hilarious. Ones I recognized were John Cena as Kenmaid, a merman Ken, Scott Evans (brother of Chris), and Simu Liu, he was Shang-Chi in the Marvel flick Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. He's really funny as Gosling's rival Ken, beaching each other off. Sort of recognized a few other Kens, but they are kind of a dime a dozen.
Directed by Greta Gerwig, who is quickly becoming one of the best directors alive, she brings Mattel's beloved Barbie and Barbieland to life. She also co-wrote the screenplay alongside Noah Baumbach. The set design is unreal. It feels like The Truman Show, The Wizard of Oz, Singin' in the Rain, and The Matrix all rolled into one.
The very end wasn't the best, didn't really land the pink plane, but the end leading up to that was solid. In fact, the whole third act was incredible and completely bananas. There were a lot of little kids in my showing. I can't imagine what they thought of what was happening then. As an adult, though, it's awesome. The Kubrickian opening was phenomenal as well. Highly recommend.
Gist is a criminal gets out of prison and goes on a series of rampages for the entirety of the movie while courting a young prostitute, telling her he has gone legit. It's pretty hilarious. This character is completely out-of-control. He gets so used to playing a cop that when he runs into the guy whose identity he's stolen screams, “Freeze! Police!” He screams back, “Freeze! Police!” Ridiculous, and laugh-out-loud humorous.
It stars Alec Baldwin, Fred Ward, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Nora Dunn, who looks pretty fine, makes a couple of appearances. Based on the novel by Charles Willeford. Directed by George Armitage. He also directed Grosse Pointe Blank and wrote The Late Shift about the Letterman/Leno saga to take of for Johnny Carson on “The Tonight Show.” Was one of Roger Corman's proteges. Not sure what happened with him, as he hasn't directed anything since 2004. A real shame.
Opens to Baldwin getting out of prison and going on sort of having a low-key rampage through the airport. Steals a bunch of shit and breaks a Hare Krishna's finger. Homicide comes out. Detective is like WTF? Apparently the guy died of shock, which is weird thing to kick off a movie with. This guy definitely belongs behind bars. Cop investigates him, and he goes to his home, assaults him, and steals his badge. He then impersonates a cop to steal shit. He'll stop a crime, like a purse snatching, and then will take it himself.
Says he wants a normal life. Lot of red flags. I wouldn't marry him. “Don't want to have kids. This world's a shit-hole.” Couldn't agree more.
Lot of dark humor in this flick like that. I LOLed a couple of times. For example, Baldwin's character tells JJL that he is done with crime but keeps coming home progressively more physically messed up. Gets run over inside a convenience store after stopping a holdup while playing cop, which was wild. (The kid behind the counter has a killer Miami Heat tank top on. They were a new expansion team when this was made. Pretty cool.) Eventually, he gets his fingers chopped off by a machete. Yet he still tries to keep up the con.
I vividly remember the cover of this movie in the video store. Had Baldwin shirtless aiming a gun. I assumed it was a serious cop movie and never watched it. Little did I know the insanity that I was in store for. Features on of the most revolting dinners I can imagine that features something called vinegar pie for dessert. Hard to believe I watched this on the Criterion Channel type of flick. However, highly recommend.
The vigilante guy is played one Ben O'Toole. Never seen him before, or anyone in this film for that matter. He reminds me of this maniac roommate I had in college. A combination of him and Mac from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Icould see either of them getting into this type of situation. Meg Fraser plays the hot daughter, dad is played by Matthew Sunderland mom is played by Caroline Craig. She's an older Malin Akereman type. Come to find out they are basically the same age, just a few years older than me.
Is it perfect? No, but I really, really liked this flick. An over-the-top comedy horror romance movie with a heck of an original weapon to kill the big bad. Can't beat this “how did you you two meet” story either, which he tells to a group of people at a bar, much to everyone's horror. For a guy who is obsessed with saying something cool before he kills someone but fails every time, he delivers a phenomenal last line of the film, which I shan't spoil. Available on Shudder.
Personally, I can't really get over how that poor leopard probably had a pretty terrible life. Really ruins the comedy of it if you give a shit about animals. It's like that Eddie Murphy/Martin Lawrence movie Life. How can people possibly think a movie about two wrongly convicted men who spend their entire lives in prison could in any way be funny? Some things I just can't get past.
Hepburn and Grant are both a couple of bitches in this flick. Hepburn is exactly like the unflattering Cate Blanchett portrayal in The Aviator. Her character is what film critic Nathan Rabin coined as the “Manic Pixie Dream Girl” (MPDG) archetype in reference to Kirsten Dunst's character in Elizabethtown. Writing for the AV Club, he says the MPDG “exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures.”
The MPDG, along with other stock characters like the Magical Negro, pretty much has the sole function of offering mystical guidance to the protagonist (almost always a man). As in the case here, the MPDG lacks a distinctive inner life, as her primary role revolves around imparting crucial life lessons to the protagonist.
Grant, for his part, is the biggest weenie I've ever seen in my life. Grant based his performance on the forgotten Charlie Chaplin rival Harold Lloyd—a physical comedian of the silent era that was sadly ambitious and famous for his glasses. In turn, Grant's character here is what Christopher Reeve based his performance as Clark Kent in Superman on. So when Superman wanted to be a wimp, he acted like this idiot.
I pretty much hated this movie. The speed and noise in this were terrible for two people with head trauma, so it was more or less unwatchable. The characters are horrible and remarkably unlikeable. Plus, the movie is not funny. Example. At one point Grant is wearing a woman's robe. A lady asks him why he is wearing that. He says, “I suddenly turned gay!” Hilarious!. I can't believe this is considered a classic. Fuck this movie.
This is what you call a metatextual approach, yeah, I went to grad school. First the movie gives us a broadcast of the story behind the play which segues into the first act which follows people as they arrive at a Junior Stargazer convention. Between acts, we are then given behind-the-scenes moments with the actors, director, writer, broadcaster, so forth, who are giving this production a life of its own while offering the audience (real [us viewing the movie] and imagined [the 1955 television viewer]) a glimpse into the creative process. Beyond this, not to give too much away, the film is really, deep down, a lighthearted search for meaning, complete with nuclear testing, alien encounters, and ray guns. And that is just within the play.
Cast includes most of his usuals and some newcomers to his universe. They include: Adrien Brody, Bryan Cranston, Steve Carell (loved him in this, by the by), Hong Chau (she the front of house manager in The Menu), Margot Robbie, Matt Dillon, Hope Davis ( The Daytrippers, American Splendor), Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Rupert Friend (he's one of the stars of the show Homeland), Maya Hawke (nepo baby child of Ethan Hawke and Uma, she was in such flicks as Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Fear Street Part One: 1994, Do Revenge, she also played the part of Robin Buckley in Stranger Things), Scarlett Johansson, Jason Schwartzman, Liev Schreiber, Fisher Stevens (he's the white guy playing the Indian guy in Short Circuit, he's also in Succession), Tilda Swinton, Tony Revolori (he was the bellboy, the lead, in The Grand Budapest Hotel), Edward Norton (who looks pretty exactly like William Faulkner in this), Steve Park (he is probably most remembered for being the Asian guy on In Living Color, he was also in Do the Right Thing, Falling Down, Fargo, and The French Dispatch among other things. I suspect this might be a breakout role), and Jeffrey Wright. Also, a bunch of children, Anderson loves him some witty wiz kids. Among them, the main one, this kid Jake Ryan, is the most notable and is probably destined to be in all kinds of Wes Anderson future projects. Also, Sophia Lillis from It, and this Grace Edwards girl who plays ScarJo's daughter.
I love a meta movie, and I love some Wes Anderson. This one is full of his signatures and feels like the culmination of his work. Not sure if I'll like it more or less with more viewings, but more viewings are definitely required. Didn't crack my top three Anderson movies, (The Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Royal Tenenbaums) but right now I'd put it at about four. We'll see if I feel better about it down the road.
Gist is a group of gay dudes host a bachelor party for their buddy at a haunted house in the sticks. They have a séance, as one does, and shit starts getting weird. Funniest scene is when Grande seduces the pizza man, thinking he was a ghost.
Cast of gays are Travis Coles, Grande, Troy Iwata, Noah J. Ricketts, and Michael Urie (Ugly Betty). The ghost Sylvia is played by Veanne Cox who was in Erin Brockovich, and Harrison, the asshole straight brother, by Nicholas Logan from I Care a Lot.
The film works as a social commentary as well as a while staying fun. The groom's straight ex-military soon to be brother in-law unexpectedly shows up and dumps cold water on the night, almost says the F-word at least once, acts completely disgusted, and other shit like that. It could have taken a darker turn, but doesn't, thank fuck. This guy is something of a homophobe with a history of substance abuse and violence. But don't let that worry you. It does a good job of showing how this dude is a wrong, but also how people like this can come around.
In all, the movie is a complete success, though I was surprised to see it has a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. It's not perfect but it's really good. Plus, I would have thought some bigots would have brought that down. It's also cool to see a raunchy gay horror comedy that has mass appeal. I'm all in for a sequel. Totally great and worth your time.
Seems like it's supposed to be an ode to silent film actors as well as a Hollywood satire, but it really doesn't work. The gist is a mute mental patient played by Charlie Day happens to look like this pain in the ass star and gets thrown into stardom after the other guy dies while autoerotic asphyxiating himself. We then follow this still silent, non-actor guy's rise to fame and fortune.
Movie sort of relies on cameos to provide humor. It feels like one of those, dude calls in every big name he knows, and they come out and phone in a day of shooting. People you'll see in this flick: Jason Bateman, Kate Beckinsale, Adrien Brody, Common, Edie Falco, Glenn Howerton, Ken Jeong, Ray Liotta in his last role, John Malkovich, and Jason Sudeikis, among others. Something like Santa's Slay, for example, which also has cult appeal.
More than anything, it was an unfunny satire about the type of douche bags that we hear about in these Hollywood inside baseball movies that become hot every few years. These have been coming out forever. Examples off the top of my head: The Player, Mulholland Drive, Sunset Boulevard, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Hail Caesar!, Barton Fink, The Aviator, Bowfinger, Ed Wood, the Eddie Murphy Dolemite movie, The Artist, The Disaster Artist, Movie 43, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (a must-see), Get Shorty, Sullivan's Travels, The Bad and the Beautiful, Singin' in the Rain, Babylon (which I thought was underrated)... All of those movies are infinitely better than Fool's Paradise, which bummed me out.
So, yeah, unfortunately a shockingly bad movie, Fool's Paradise was pretty much unwatchable. Dull-witted, unfunny, aimless. Avoid.
Gist is Jason Sudeikis is a small-time pot deal gets his drugs and money stolen and is in some shit with his college buddy (Ed Helms) whose a kingpin. Forces him to go to Mexico to smuggle a couple tons of weed. Turns out he is actually going down to rip off the cartel. This is a comedy, in case you couldn't tell. To minimize suspicious, Sudeikis gets a massive RV and assembles a fake family consisting of his stripper neighbor played by Jennifer Aniston (who has never looked more attractive, goddamn), homeless Emma Roberts, and this nerd played by Will Poulter from Midsommar and the new Guardians movie. Hijinks ensue. They also meet up with DEA agent Nick Offerman and his wife (Kathryn Hahn from Glass Onion and Bad Words) and kid (Molly C. Quinn from the show Castle), which complicates muling drugs, dontcha know.
Directed by one Rawson Marshall Thurber who also Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (a personal fave), Central Intelligence, and Red Notice. Get cameos from Ken Marino, Luis Guzman, and Thomas Lennon as well.
There is a scene when the fake fam wants to renegotiate with Sudeikis when they find out how much dude is making on the deal. He ends up leaving them at an RV campground. With the cartel on their asses, I thought that was probably the best thing that could have happened to them. Also, lot of cartel humor in this flick. That's something I've always thought of when thinking of the Mexican drug trade, the humor! No.
All this said, it was alright although somewhat forgettable. Solid cast whom I mostly enjoy in everything, a couple of good laughs, and never boring fun.
Director Jonathan Lynn has made some real bangers in this lane among Vinny, Clue, Nuns on the Run, and The Whole Nine Yards. Also some real guilty pleasure flicks like Sgt. Bilko with Steve Martin and Trial and Error with Michael Richards at the hight of his Seinfeld fame. Has only done two movies this century though in The Fighting Temptations, staring Beyonce and Cuba Gooding Jr., and Wild Target, neither of which I've seen or even heard of.
Pretty great cast. Stars Pesci, Ralph Macchio, the always lovely Marisa Tomei, and featuring Fred Gwynne (mostly remembered as Herman Munster) in his final film appearance.
Gist of the flick is two young New Yorkers driving cross country (one played by Macchio who looks 19 but is actually in his 30s) are wrongfully accused of a murder while in Alabama, which doesn't fuck around on crime unless you're a Republican pedophile. With no money, they are grad students, they turn to Macchio's cousin, Vinny Gambini (Pesci), who has just recently become a lawyer and doesn't know shit. Accompanied by his fiancée, Mona Lisa Vito (Tomei), Vinny defends the two in court to my terror. Watching this as an adult with some understanding of the legal system (I used to report crime), there are like five mistrials and a serious case of ineffectual counsel, which luckily doesn't come into play.
Also, the “yutes” have major issues with communication for college grads. The whole thing should have been cleared up in minutes, but these two “accidentally” confess to murder, which I hear happens all the time, especially in the southern United States.
Love a courtroom dramady. Don't see too many of those anymore. Also, Tomei, who is great in this, won a fucking Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance, which seems unreal. Must have been an off year. She's been on my radar ever since though. Very important to young AB's development, I'll tell ya... Yeah.
One night, after Roy shoots Nyles with an arrow while making out with Sarah (Milioti), the sister of the bride, he goes into the cave which starts the day over. He tells Sarah not to follow him, but she does and also gets stuck in the loop. The pair eventually become close, even sort of falling for each other, but we learn that Sarah starts each day guilt-ridden having slept with her sister's fiancee the night before. She eventually become obsessed with finding a way out of the loop, which involves exploding herself while in the cave. But will it work?
If you are sort of tired of the whole Groundhog Day concept, Palm Springs breathes new life into the idea with its own refreshing uniqueness. Despite its well-worn familiarity, the film manages to be both new and thought-provoking. What really sets it apart, however, is the endearing central relationship between its two leads. Their chemistry and genuine affection for each other are what make this film such a pleasure, IMO.
Beyond the lighthearted comedy and dance numbers, it delves into some deep and meaningful shit, such as personal trauma, depression, and guilt. Despite these heavy themes, the film strikes a perfect balance between humor and existential dread. By the end, if you're like me, you'll find yourself reflecting on your own life and questioning the nature of existence and what have you. In short, this was a truly exceptional flick that is both highly entertaining and thought-provoking.
I adore this movie. Love it more with each watching.
Flawless performances from Bud Cort, Ruth Gordon, and Vivian Pickles. Hal Ashby's directing and Colin Higgins' script are perfection as well. Don’t even get me started on the Cat Stevens soundtrack.
Beautifully kooky movie with some really dark undertones. This scene kills me.
Not exactly how they come up with this, but they think they have to like kill the people they predicted they’d marry to break the curse. Then if one does kill their spouse, the curse is broken for all of them, so they mistakenly think. Long story short, Guillermo straight up murders Rob Riggle, and his friends are cool with it. This even though it doesn’t work. Which is all to say, a crazy, complicated storyline that is nearly impossible to follow.
So, yeah. Overall, pretty bad, but fun. Sort of. They were advertising the shit out of this when I was in NYC a few months ago right before it came out… but why?
