Category: Comedy

HERE COMES THE BOOM – The Review

Over a year has passed since ZOOKEEPER, so  the multiplexes are overdue for another family friendly comedy from Kevin James. Since his TV sitcom ” The King of Queens ” ended James has been a matinee fixture going back to PAUL BLART: MALL COP in 2009. And he’s now firmly established as a member of Adam Sandler’s staple of film stars ( along with Sandler’s old SNL buddies ) as either a headline or supporting player ( in GROWN UPS and its upcoming sequel ) or lead. Since Sandler went for the more adult audiences with last Summer’s under-performing THAT’S MY BOY, James is being sent in to scoop up the pre-teen box-office bucks. The new flick, HERE COMES THE BOOM, is an odd mix of subjects. He’s a teacher, so he can have cute interactions with some youngsters. But a good deal of it is set in the ultra-violent world of mixed martial arts competitions. Can the kiddies handle watching their fave mallcop get mercilessly pummeled in the octagon?

The glory days of Scott Voss ( James ) seem to be well in the past. He was a  great competitive wrestler in high school and college. In 2002 he was named teacher of the year. Now he attempts to sneak past the surly Principal Betcher ( Greg Germann ) and avoid being disciplined for tardiness ( yup, the biology teacher is late ). Once at his desk, Scott puts no effort in his work. Then he hears lilting melodies of the school orchestra led by fellow veteran teacher Marty Streb ( Henry Winkler ). But the mean ole’ school board lowers the boom. The school’s budget is exhausted, so the music department is to go on the chopping block…unless they can raise nearly 50 grand! This spurs Scott into action! Car washes and bake sales will not be enough. He’ll pick up a bit by teaching at a night-time adult citizenship study class. There one of the better students, Niko ( Bas Rutten ) , hires Scott as a tutor for the upcoming citizenship test. At Niko’s home, Scott watches mixed-martial arts on TV for the first time. He learns that the loser in a match earned a sweet 10 grand. Well, Scott did wrestle back in his younger days, and Nico could train him. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, of course a whole lot does go wrong, otherwise it would be a pretty short flick. James is basically playing a variation of the likeable schlub from his TV series and previous family flicks. He and Jack Black are the current additions to the long line of , ahem, husky comedy stars going back to Roscoe ” Fatty ” Arbuckle through Curly Howard and Lou Costello to Jackie Gleason and the tragic trifecta of John Belushi, John Candy, and Chris Farley. While Black stretched his acting chops recently in BERNIE, James seems to be content in his comfort zone as a good-natured underdog. He showed what a graceful physical performer in his previous work, but there’s not much of that slapstick here besides a couple of pratfalls on the mat. A sequence in which he does some dance moves to help the kids understand cells seems labored ( these late night bouts seem to reignite his zeal for teaching ). Salma Hayek is brought in as the obligatory love interest as Bella Flores, the school nurse ( I’m surprised that we didn’t see a long line of ” ailing ” young men outside her office ). After her fiery turn as a drug kingpin in this Summer’s SAVAGES, this role was a bit of a let-down. She’s there to push away the self-centered burnout Scott at the film’s early scenes and melt when  he battles for the kids later on ( and cheer from the stands during the big, final fight ). The best supporting player may be the former ” Fonz” as a meek music maker turned corner-man and co-trainer. Winkler’s proved himself a terrific bit player on TV recently on the classic ” Arrested Development ” and that little 15 minute gem ” Childrens Hospital “, and here he really brings a lot of comedic energy to his scenes. The script can use his help. Beside the predictability, it introduces subplots that don’t seem to go anywhere ( Scott’s frustrated brother and the smartest student’s Dad that wants her to give up band clumsily crash into each other ). The film makers are so desperate to keep things chugging along that we get prolonged barf gags and a food fight! And there’s way too much in here about the proper ring-entering music! Speaking of fights, the final one ditches the comedy and tries to be just as grim and gritty as any Rocky Balboa bout. Or like last year’s much superior look at MMA, WARRIOR ( it involved a teacher and was funnier, too! ). James battles real life champ Mark DellGrotte, who we know could make mincemeat out of this part-timer. But, not too worry, no gushing wounds to upset the little ones. There could be a really engaging hilarious comedy to be made about mixed martial arts, but James and the Happy Madison brand go for the easy gags ( let’s see that adorable little foreign man again! ) and cheap sentiment ( the last shot before the credits…really guys? ). As far as family entertainment goes, HERE COMES THE BOOM goes down for the count.

2 Out of 5 Stars

SLEEPWALK WITH ME – The Review

Here’s a phrase we don’t get to hear much these days : this film is based on a radio program. Back in Hollywood’s Golden Age, radio was as much a source for feature films as television, novels, comic books, and video games are today. True, last year’s THE GREEN HORNET and next year’s THE LONE RANGER started as 1930’s radio shows, but most folks are familiar with their TV incarnations. And you could say that the autobiographical PRIVATE PARTS had its basis in radio as does the Howard Stern best seller. Well, SLEEPWALK WITH ME began as a popular true story told by stand-up comic Mike Birbiglia on NPR’s ” This American Life” hosted by Ira Glass ( who co-wrote the screenplay ). So we could say that it’s a movie about stand-up following films ( in comic jargon they’d be the warm-ups ) going back to LENNY, PUNCHLINE, MAN IN THE MOON, and the recent FUNNY PEOPLE. TV struck gold with Jerry Seinfeld playing a thinly disguised version of his comic self, followed by Bernie Mac and the current FX channel hit, ” Louie ” starring Louis CK. Can Birbiglia go from that brick wall ( and single spotlight ) and kill ( jargon again ) on the big screen?  Here’s the hook : unlike many of those above mentioned performers, he’s got a problem many of us have had to deal with ( although not to this life-threatening extreme ).

Birbiglia plays aspiring stand-up comic Matt Pandamiglio ( pretty close, eh? nobody introducing him at the clubs pronounces it correctly ). He’s living with his gorgeous girlfriend of 8 ( ! ) years Abby ( Lauren Ambrose ), who teaches full-time at a local college. Everything seems to be going great until Matt’s sister Janet gets engaged. Then the pressure really starts from his parents ( James Rebhorn and Carol Kane ). Abby insists that she’s in no hurry to tie the knot, but late one night Matt discovers that the Tivo is filled with episodes of a bridal reality show. He’s got to get serious about comedy and stop tending bar ( and cleaning the toilets ) at a local comedy club. He’s meets a third-string talent agent ( a step or two down from BROADWAY DANNY ROSE ) and ends up taking all the low-paying, out-of-the-way gigs because he’s got a car. The long hours driving, inattentive audiences, and marriage pressures exacerbate Matt’s old sleep problem. As the title state’s he’s a sleepwalker. But not the kind that just circles the bed before hopping back under the covers. No, he reacts to his dreams, verbally shouting and acting out violently. And increasingly endangering himself. Can Matt eliminate the pressures and tension before a trip to slumberland turns deadly?

I’ve probably made the film sound like a ” disease of the week ” TV movie, but it’s really, really funny. It takes a bit to adjust to his rhythm, but Birbiglia’s wry, laid-back humor works well as the film’s narrator. Still,  his early struggling scenes are painful. You can almost smell the flop sweat as the camera puts you alone on stage before an uninterested and often antagonistic audience. Oh , and inattentive too, thanks to that nemesis of live performers ( and film fans ), the cell phone. Lenny Bruce never had to deal with that! While Birbiglia tells a great joke, he’s not a strong screen actor ( Seinfeld had the same problem for the first few seasons of his show ). He ‘s overshadowed by most of the pros, who are truly at the top of their game. It’s always a pleasure to see Ambrose ( perhaps best known for TV’s ” Six Feet Under ” ) on screen. Her Abby is so outgoing and delightful that you wonder why she’s stuck with a fella’ who seems to be spinning his wheels. C’mon Matt!  Kane is an adorable sprite as Matt’s wacky Mom ( loves ordering cakes over the internet ), while Rebhorn is a terrific counterbalance as the overbearing, always agitated father. Most of the time he’s obnoxious, but often I actually agreed with him ( ” Marry that girl! ” ” Get a career plan! ” ” See a doctor for that sleepwalking! ” ). The film is peppered with small roles played by many vets from the comedy world. Kristen Schaal and Wyatt Cenac from  ” The Daily Show ” are there along with WANDERLUST director David Wain. Stand-up guru Marc Maron plays a thinly disguised version of himself as headliner Marc Mulheren who inspires Matt to be more truthful performing. Birbiglia does a fine job of directing along with Seth Barrish. SLEEPWALK WITH ME captures the ups and down of telling jokes on the road and offers an honest, non “rom-com” look at the difficulties in a relationship. I’m grateful that those nocturnal escapades didn’t silence this unique comic voice. May you never lose that sleeping bag, Mike!

4.5 Out of 5 Stars

SLEEPWALK WITH ME plays exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre

4.5 Out of 5 Stars

HIT AND RUN – The Review

Here’s a new film that’s essentially a nostalgic trip down ‘ grindhouse’ lane. Or perhaps it’s more like a gravel-churning trek to the old drive-in. The “passion pit” was the showcase for the muscle car action-chase flick genre that may have begun with the success of Robert Mitchum’s moonshine-runner epic THUNDER ROAD. This spawned countless imitators over the last few decades with DIRTY MARY/ CRAZY LARRY, the original GONE IN 60 SECONDS and Ron Howard’s one-two punch of EAT MY DUST ( with the immortal ad line ” Ronny Howard pops the clutch and tells Smokey to eat my dust” ) and Ron’s feature directing debut GRAND THEFT AUTO. The genre hit its zenith in 1977 with the monster box office smash, Hal Needham’s SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT ( and its two sequels ). Well, now comic actor Dax Shepard ( TV’s Parenthood ) has decided to put his own spin ( ouch! ) on the high-speed thriller with HIT AND RUN. And like Howard, he not only behind the wheel, but behind the camera ( he co-directed, co-edited, produced and wrote it…and used many of his own vehicles-whew! ). So, is this a fun high-octane romp or a noisy, gas-guzzlin’ vanity project spinning its wheels?

Shepard plays a guy in the witness protection program, now called Charles Bronson ( yep, he chose the new name ), sharing a rustic country house with his beautiful college teacher girlfriend Annie ( Kristen Bell ) in a small southwestern village. All’s pretty quiet except for the periodic visits from the Marshall assigned to him, Randy ( Tom Arnold ). Then one day everything changes. Anne is told by her boss at the small community college, Debbie ( Kristin Chenoweth ) that the perfect job has opened up for her at a big university in Los Angeles. In fact Debbie will fire her unless she goes there for the interview. What’s her beau Charlie to do? He’s hiding out from LA folks! CB heeds love’s call and takes his suped-up ’67 Lincoln out of the barn. He’ll drive her to the interview. Unfortunately Annie’s dopey ex, Gil ( Michael Rosenbaum ) gets a look at the classic car and has his police brother ( Jess Rowland ) look up the plate number. Thanks to the good ole’ interweb Gil learns of his rival’s past and contacts the guy that was put away by Charlie’s testimony, Alex ( Bradley Cooper ). And so, Charlie and Annie race to LA to make the interview while trying to stay a step ahead of the vengance-seeking Alex and his crew along with the ” just doing his duty” Randy.

Pretty simple set-up, isn’t it? Well, the car stunts are pretty impressive. Unfortunately the film stalls when they’re not trying to outrun each other. Annie spends most of her time trying to educate the not PC Charlie during the trip. These exchanges quickly become tedious. Although they’re a real life couple, there’s not a lot of chemistry between Shepard and Bell. The banal dialogue doesn’t help. Burt Reynolds and Sally Field are Tracy and Hepburn compared to these two. At times the script strains for laughs as characters mistakenly barge  into a motel room being used for a senior citizen orgy…twice ( wrinkled genitalia is too hilarious! ). Bell is appealing as always, but as a leading man Shepard’s kind of a blank. The supporting cast fares better. Cooper emits a dangerous, but cool vibe under her surfer dude dred wig. Rosenbaum’s an entertainingly jealous doofus. Chenoweth has a lot of fun as a lewd, snarky motormouth. The big surprise is Arnold who gets big laughs as the eternally frustrated, walking, driving one-man-disaster area. Randy’s an inspired comic creation. Too bad the film’s not up to his level. HIT AND RUN is an action comedy that quickly runs out of gas.

Overall Rating: 2 Out of 5 Stars

PARANORMAN – The Review

For many years most of the movie going public has associated animation with the hand drawn features of  Walt Disney, like FANTASIA and DUMBO. Younger audiences may think more of the computer-generated features started by Pixar with TOY STORY almost 20 years ago. But there’s another type of animation that’s occasionally used in features, stop-motion animation. Instead of drawing, the artists move a figure ( sometimes a puppet, sometimes clay ) one frame at a time to simulate motion. In Hollywood’s Golden age, this technique was used in the special effects department, first by Willis O’Brien with the original 1933 KING KONG and later by film wizard Ray Harryhausen with his Sinbad series and JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS. Several foreign film makers used this method for short films along with George Pal producing the Puppettoons short series here for Paramount. TV entered with the Gumby shorts and later the Rankin/Bass company produced several popular holiday specials starting with ” Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. Eventually RB branched out into feature motion pictures, most notably with MAD MONSTER PARTY. Certainly that film inspired Tim Burton’s hit ( with animator Henry Sellick ) THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS in 1993. Since then England’s Aardman Studio released a few features starting with CHICKEN RUN and Sellick followed up with JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH and CORALINE. Well, the studio that helped produce that last film, Laika Entertainament, has made PARANORMAN, which is another leap forward in the art of stop-motion feature animation. And it’s really, really funny.

The film’s title refers to Norman Babcock ( voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee ), a pre teen lad with Eraserhead-like hair who has an unusual gift, although sometimes he thinks it’s a curse. It’s not his vertical follicles. Seems he can see and talk to dead people. These spirits just aren’t ready to move on to the next level-they’ve got unfinished business, including Norman’s Grandma’ ( Elaine Stritch ). This causes no end of concern for Norman’s Mom and Dad ( Leslie Mann and Jeff Garlin ) and embarrassment for his older sister, cheerleader Courtney ( Anna Kendrick ). It’s not much better at school where he’s mercilessly picked on by Alvin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse ), although Norman has an ally with chunky outcast Neil ( Tucker Albrizzi ). Their little New England town of Blythe Hollow is preparing for its tri-centennial when its forefathers tried and hanged a woman for witchcraft ( the standard old crone witch icon becomes the town mascot ). One day, outside the school, Norman is approached by his eccentric Uncle Prenderghast ( John Goodman ), who knows about the boy’s gift. He explains that unless Norman reads from a mystical book at the witch’s grave at sunset, her curse will make the dead rise and destroy the town. Can Norman, aided by Courtney, Alvin, Neil, and his jock older brother Mitch ( Casey Affleck ) thwart these supernatural forces ?

To say anything else might spoil the wonderful surprises in this inspired romp. I will say that this is a visual treat from the character design ( so expressive ) to the look of Blythe Hollow ( the witch adorned signage ). You’ll find yourself chuckling even before you hear the witty dialogue. The film begins with a hysterical tribute to low-budget late night TV horror flicks that puts us right in the proper ” spirit ‘ for the ensuing hijinks. Those include a clunky school pageant / play about the witch trial directed by an overbearing drama coach ( Alex Borstein ). A later sequence with Norman trying to retrieve the mystical book is superb slapstick that would make Buster Keaton proud. All this before the kids unite to stop the walking dead ( these klutzes are more the walking doofus ) like a junior Scooby Doo gang ( or better yet, THE MONSTER SQUAD ). The action and laughs never let up till the final face-off ( which may be just a tad too serious and confusing ). The last scenes may hammer home the films plea for tolerance of the different tooheavy a hand ( especially when a character’s orientation is revealed ). These are minor quibbles with what is one of this Summer’s very best films ( this has to be a Best Animated Feature Oscar nominee along with BRAVE and, perhaps, the upcoming FRANKENWEENIE ). Like many kid flicks, the adults may enjoy it for the subtle humor that may be over the heads of tykes. So is it okay for the little ones? The smallest may be skittish about the zombies, who look gnarly but are pretty benign ( no muching and noshing ). It all depends on the young individual. At seven I was monster crazy, with my room decorated almost like Norman’s ( another visual treat with posters, toys, toothbrushes, and slippers- I almost expected to see a copy of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine ). Oh, and the 3D works very well with these stop-motion marvels. So, if your kids can handle some mild scares, take them to movies and share a wild,spooky adventure with Norman and his gang. PARANORMAN is inspired cinema artistry and one of the year’s best comedies.

Overall Rating: 4.5 Out of 5 Stars

THE CAMPAIGN – The Review

We’ve made it through another election season, and it was quite a nasty one ( at least here in Missouri ). After we’ve cleaned up all the mud that was slung and before it starts all over again for the big national elections ( with the conventions and debates ) let’s have a few laughs at the whole process. That’s just what THE CAMPAIGN aims for. What’s interesting about this late Summer satire is that it brings together talents from several different comedy film camps ( much as THE EXPENDABLES teamed up several action stars ). Helming the hysterics is Jay Roach, perhaps best known for MEET THE PARENTS and its first sequel along with the Austin Powers trilogy ( he’s made two acclaimed real-life political films for HBO: ” Game Change” and ” Recount ” ). One of this film’s candidates is played by Will Farrell, a member of the  media-dubbed” frat pack ” ( this includes Will’s movie break-out OLD SCHOOL co-stars Vince Vaughn and Luke Wilson ). His comedy film reign is well into its second decade now. Will’s CAMPAIGN rival his played by a more recently crowned film comedy royal, Zach Galifianakis. Zach’s been kicking around the comic scene in film and TV for a while ( he even appeared in a skit on ” Funny or Die”, a website that Will co-founded ), but made the big leap with THE HANGOVER. So do these movie comedy stylists play well together and produce an impressive symphony of laughter?

The setting for this romp is a state full of real-life political comedy, North Carolina. It’s time for the elections and it looks like multiple term senator, party-boy Cam Brady ( Farrell ) , will run unopposed despite his recent scandal. Ah, but the devious industrialists the Motch brothers ( Dan Akroyd and John Lithgow ) have a plan. In order to relocate their foreign sweatshops to the state, they need their own puppet in office. The duo decide on the youngest son of an old crony ( Brian Cox ) : the odd , small-town tourism director Marty Huggins ( Galifianakis ). But this wimpy little guy has to be made-over to be electable, so the tough Tim Wattley ( Dylan McDermott ) is sent to change Matt and guide his campaign. When the incumbent and the novice meet sparks fly ( and laughs ensue ) as they stop at nothing in their quest for the coveted Senate seat.

To say anymore would spoil the film. Yes, there are lots of surprises along with lots of laughs, but this comic trio merging seems to sag about an hour into it. Luckily Roach knows that brevity helps comedy and doesn’t head past the two-hour mark as Judd Apatow frequently does ( love most of Judd’s stuff, but he should save more for the disc bonus features). One problem may be the idea that any bit of dialogue or schtick is funnier when repeated with increasing volume. That seldom works ( especially when the bit seems off script ). Perhaps it’s the escalating attack ads aimed at each other that are tedious. Maybe each new scandal with Cam becomes weary. How forgiving are these voters? The first stumble would end a political career forever ( yeah it’s a satire, but the suspension of disbelief was tested to its limits ).

The cast is certainly giving 110%. Cam may be a mix of Ron Burgundy’s sexist pig and Ricky Bobby’s corn pone doofus, but Farrell can still deliver the yucks when needed. Galifiankis seems to doing the most acting here and creates a character we’ve not seen him do on film. Marty’s a bit fey and mild-mannered, but is a tiger when Cam goes after his family. Marty has little in common with Zach’s usual movie stoners. The two leads have great support from a terrific cast. The discovery here is Dylan McDermott. Turns out this small screen vet has some great comedic chops. His scenes with Zach really crackle as Wattley takes command of Marty’s life. On the other side SNL MVP Jason Sudeikis as Cam’s campaign manager Mitch doesn’t have as much to do as Dylan. In most scenes he’s regulated to being Farrell’s straight man, rolling his eyes in disbelief, although he’s great  helping Cam during a debate. Akroyd and Lithgow have little to do besides rubbing their hands together with evil glee like Mr. Burns from ” The Simpsons”. They’re a bit reminiscent of the Duke brothers from Akroyd’s classic TRADING PLACES ( it can’t be almost 30 years old! ). Kudos, though, to the actresses playing the candidates’ wives. Katherine LaNasa as Cam’s wife is one tough, determined woman. She cares nothing about the Cam’s parade of bimbos as long as she can get to the White House ( as the second lady since Cam’s on the veep short list ). Marty’s wife Mitzi, played by the delightful Sarah Baker, is sweetly supportive of her hubby, but she has a wild streak ( especially for a certain TV star ). Speaking of the ladies I must single out Karen Maruyama as the Huggins family housekeeper, She steals every scene she’s in.

THE CAMPAIGN takes some sharp jabs at the political process, but a ‘ Capra-esque finale’ dulls the barbs ( the last scenes reek of market research ). Still there’s quite a bit of truth mixed in with the big laughs. It’s a shame the film doesn’t sustain the momentum of its first act. But if you’re fans of these two comic icons you shouldn’t regret casting your ballot at the box office.

Overall rating: 3.5 Out of 5 Stars

RUBY SPARKS – The Review

Many men spend their whole lives seeking the perfect woman. In the movies it doesn’t take nearly that long. She can’t be stitched together as with THE BRIDE or using more recent technology as in WEIRD SCIENCE. In the new film RUBY SPARKS, the title character emerges in full flesh and blood after a writer describes her on paper ( well, types her up really ). Sounds a bit like something out of TV’s ” The Twilight Zone”, doesn’t it? As a matter of fact, Keenan Wynn was able to do this via a magic reel to reel dictation machine in the 1960 episode ” A World of His Own..” written by Richard Matheson. But this new film delves much further into this fantasy and grounds it in the reality of modern relationships. And it features two of the most interesting young actors working toward ( they were both producers and she wrote it )! This whimsical little tale is a welcome break from the big, bloated action epics that rule the Summer months.

RUBY SPARKS begins with Calvin ( Paul Dano ) the latest of a long line of cinema’s writer heroes doing battle with the dreaded writers; block ( think a much younger, less twitchy BARTON FINK ). At age 19 he wrote his masterpiece novel and can’t seem to really follow up with anything. A few short stories, a novella, but nothing near that first triumph. His brother Harry ( Chris Messina ) thinks Calvin should get back in the dating scene although he’s still stinging from a break-up with his longest love Lila a few years ago. Calvin spends most days staring at a blank sheet of paper in his 70’s era manual typewriter and taking his cute lil’ pup Scotty out to do his business. At night a lovely red-haired lady named Ruby ( Zoe Kazan ) dominates his dreams. In the longest encounter he meets her while taking Scottie to the park. The next day Calvin tells his therapist Dr. Rosenthal ( Elliott Gould ) about her. The doc suggests that he should try to write a page about her. At home that night Calvin starts churning out pages and pages of prose. The block is broken. A call from his agent awakens him at his desk the next morning. As Calvin’s about to head out to a meeting a voice calls out to him from his kitchen. A lady emerges…it’s Ruby! She acts as though they’ve been sharing the place for quite a while. Is this an illusion? Can others see her? If so, can she be changed by his typing? But why bother, since she just might be the perfect girlfriend.

And that’s not even the half of it, but I don’t wish to spoil the film’s many surprises. As with their previous hit, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, Jonathon Dayton and Valerie Faris have a deft light touch directing film comedies and, like MISS, they get excellent performances from this great cast ( including great work with the often used Los Angeles locations ). Steve Coogan is his usual hilarious self as Calvin’s conniving, pompous, literary rival. Gould brings a lot of warmth to his role as the patient, wise advisor. Messina has a great rapport with Dano. They play off each other like a great classic comedy team ( with Harry the crude regular Joe to Calvin’s intellectual ). A highlight of the film ( featured very predominately in commercials ) is a family get together where we meet the boys’ mother ( Annette Bening ) and her new hubby Mort ( Antonio Banderas ). These screen vets are quite the scene stealers. Bening beams as a true ” Earth mother “, who’s thrilled with Ruby while Banderas charms as the passionate silver Spanish fox. But the film is really carried by the young couple at its center. After seeing him in heavy dramas like THERE WILL BE BLOOD, it was a delight to see Dano’s comic talents. With his smart-guy glasses he reminded me a bit of Cary Grant in BRINGING UP BABY, while other times I thought of Jimmy Stewart’s Elwood P. Dowd in HARVEY ( referenced in the film ) and  VERTIGO’s Scotty Ferguson  as Calvin tried to mold Ruby into his ideal. The big discovery here is Kazan.  Not only did she write a very clever, original script, she as Ruby truly sparkles on-screen particularly in her street argument with Calvin and later as she flirts with him at a loud dance club ( thanks for the subtitles ). She’s hysterical as she is later turned into a clingy nymph by the writer and powerful as she stands up for herself after a disastrous writers’ party. The film takes a dark turn in the last act, but this treats us to another facet of Ruby ( and Kazan’s acting range ). The drama seems a bit out of balance with the fantasy elements, but it doesn’t take away anything from the film’s considerable charm. Like Calvin you too may fall hard for RUBY SPARKS. Let’s hope her creator, Ms. Kazan will find another film to showcase her considerable talents very soon.

Overall Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

THE WATCH – The Review

Seems like pesky real life can really get in the way of selling a movie. That’s what the folks at Fox must have thought several months ago when the Trayvon Martin case was making headlines. They’d already sent out teaser posters for their wacky Summer comedy ” Neighborhood Watch”. Well that title wouldn’t bring smiles to anyone’s faces after the Florida story. So, now it’s in theatres with a new title THE WATCH. Can one word really distance it from the tragedy? That’s what the marketing executives are hoping. But you what movie comedy are hoping? We hope this ” Avengers-like” teaming of comedy heroes will deliver the yucks! They’ve all got a pretty impressive track record, so…will this take our minds off the nasty news headlines?

The movie plunks us down on a quiet, nice suburban street in Ohio. Life’s good for nice guy Evan ( Ben Stiller ). He’s the manager of the local Costco warehouse store. He’s got a lovely home and a lovely wife, Abby ( Rosemarie DeWitt ). Oh, and they’re really trying to have a child. All’s well until a brutal crime at his work shakes up Evan. The local police, led by obnoxious Sgt. Bressman ( Will Forte ), aren’t making much progress in finding the culprit, so Evan takes matters into his own hands and announces during halftime at the high school football game that he’s forming a neighborhood watch patrol. He’s mocked by the folks in the stands ( and Bressman ), but three neighbors show up at Evan’s home for the first meeting. There’s the motor-mouthed, gregarious Bob ( Vince Vaughn ), who thinks the watch is just a good way for the guys to hang out away from their wives. Much more enthused about the watch is Franklin ( Jonah Hill ), a twenty-something high school dropout still living at home who’s irked that he didn’t pass the police entrance exams. Rounding out the foursome is transplanted Brit Jamarcus ( Richard Ayoade ) who’s eager to help ( and eager to hook up with those desperate housewives he’s heard about ). Soon the guys discover that these criminals are not of this world. How are they going to convince the authorities? And are some of these nasty aliens living in disguise right next door?

Yup, four, count em’, four comedy heavyweights in this flick. So I wondered why the film felt so, flat. It seems to run out of steam ( or momentum ) about the halfway point. The fellas are really trying, although they seemed to be trying too hard in certain scenes ( I smell improv! ). Stiller’s in his put-upon nice guy role that netted big returns as Greg Focker and that museum guard, but he doesn’t really get much of a chance to bust out as he’s done in supporting roles in DODGEBALL : A TRUE UNDERDOG STORY. I really miss Mr. Furious! Vaughn’s Bob is a lot of fun until he starts channeling Tony Danza In SHE’S OUT OF CONTROL and froths at the mouth as he tries to protect his teen daughter’s purity. More disturbing than funny. Hill’s Franklin is pretty disturbing also as he brandishes his knife constantly. His cop-wannabe character seems a bit too close to the neighborhood watchman on trial in Florida.  At other times, he’s a more cuddly version of co-screenwriter Seth Rogan In OBSERVE AND REPORT. The real discovery here is Ayoade, who scores big laughs with his smooth low key delivery. I’ve only known him as the maker of last year’s excellent SUBMARINE and as a co-star of the very funny British TV show ” Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace “. But even his considerable talents can’t rescue this film when it hits a speed bump. The same goes for DeWitt, so wonderful in the recent YOUR SISTER’S SISTER, is regulated  here to the exasperated missus. Summer flick MVP Forte ( he brightened up the dismal ROCK OF AGES and THAT’S MY BOY ), but neither he nor two great character actors playing odd neighbors can right this train once it leaves the tracks. Perhaps Akiva Schaffer ( HOT ROD and countless SNL Viral Videos ) could’ve tightened up the pacing. I think the problem may just be an unwieldy script. The brutal beating of a main character  at mid-point seems to bring the laughs to a dead halt, as does a verbal fight meant to split the team that comes off as a forced conflict. While many films have mixed genres ( SHAUN OF THE DEAD immediately springs to mind ), the bouncy CGI aliens ( like the SUPER 8 beastie from a yaer ago ) never really mesh with these suburban goofballs. It’s especially upsetting when they grab firearms from Franklin’s hidden massive arsenal ( pretty creepy after last week’s horrors ). I was rooting for this flick because of my great affection for these actors and their past projects. I hope that if they team again, they’ll leave the mayhem to the secret agents and super heroes of Summertime. Ben, Jonah, Vince, and Richard are much more entertaining when they share a couple of beers and shoot the breeze ( instead of  EFX gargoyles ).

Overall Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars

IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD Screens At The Academy

On Monday evening the Academy presented a cast and crew reunion from director Stanley Kramer’s IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD. It was the inaugural film in “The Last 70mm Film Festival” series. The first guest I noticed at the reception was writer Bruce Vilanch wearing his Simpsons “Krusty the Clown” t-shirt. When I asked him about his choice of wardrobe he said, “because it was going to be a night filled with Clowns.” The evening was off to a fun start.

Script Supervisor Marshall Schlom, Casting Agent Lynn Stalmaster, Mrs Karen Kramer, and actors Marvin Kaplan, Barrie Chase, Carl Reiner, Jonathan Winters, and Mickey Rooney were all there at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The evening was hosted by surprise emcee Billy Crystal. As I moved about the filled room, I couldn’t help but be in awe of the Hollywood history that had gathered together. Some of the notable invited guests were Ed Begley Jr., Anne Jeffries, Lainie Kazan, Chuck McCann, Bruce Vilanch and Fred Willard.

I was most interested in speaking with Marshall Schlom and how he managed to keep track of all the actors’ and actresses’ scripts during the 166 day shoot. “It kept me on my toes. There was only one script. 258 pages. But with Stanley Kramer, it was easy. He already had in mind how he wanted the film to look. It was all very complex and Stanley shot for the edit – always did. Made it much easier once he went into the editing room.”

When I asked him who the funniest actor on the set of IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD was, Schlom answered with a chuckle, “Jonathan Winters. He kept us all in stitches. He’s a wonderful master of free association. One day while we were shooting, an Air Force officer came onto the set. He had a lot of men with him too. All very important – or so he thought. He had on his blue and grey uniform along with the hat. It looked very official. He goes to stand by Winters just to watch and Jonathan leans over to him and says ‘Where’d you park your bus? Where’s the Greyhound?’ He carried on with this line for a long time too until the guy just left.” (Laughs.)

I also ran into writer Tommy Cook. For the real movie geeks out there, Cook wrote the story for 1977’s ROLLERCOASTER. He’s just finished a followup to the movie titled WHITE KNUCKLES. He said it’s a “father/son story. With all the advances in 3D and IMAX, I’m going to have race cars within the rollercoaster.” He also said that he has a meeting to discuss the sequel with DreamWorks CEO and Co-Chair Stacey Snider.

Before the showing of IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD, Crystal introduced the panel by pointing to them and saying, “This is not JUDGMENT AT NURMEBERG.” The pristine looking film and the guests on stage were met with a standing ovation. Produced by Randy Haberkamp, the screening of the comedy epic gave the audience a night filled with hilarious laughs and old-time Hollywood class.

Watch these clips below where the surprise host and IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD’s crew and cast members talk about the making of the film and their fond memories of director Stanley Kramer.

“The Last 70mm Film Festival,” a six-film series, will run Mondays through August 13, showcasing 70mm classics from different genres as well as rarely screened 70mm short subjects. The remaining screenings in the series are:

July 23 “Grand Prix” (1966)
July 30 “The Sound of Music” (1965)
August 6 “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968)
August 13 “Spartacus” (1960)

Series passes and tickets for “The Last 70mm Film Festival” are now sold out. A standby line will form on the day of the event, and standby numbers will be assigned starting at approximately 5:30 p.m. Any available tickets will be distributed shortly before the program begins. Ticketholders should plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before the start of the event to ensure a seat in the theater. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For the latest pre-show details call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.

For more information about the Academy’s public events, visit:

www.oscars.org
www.facebook.com/TheAcademy
www.youtube.com/Oscars
www.twitter.com/TheAcademy

TED ( 2012 ) – The Review

A trend amongst feature film directors seems to be a lot more common today. I should specify live-action feature film directors, in that many of the makers of animated features are going on to direct real flesh and blood actors. This is not new since one of the most prolific comedy directors from the late 40’s through the mid 60’s was Frank Tashlin, who directed several short cartoons while a regular at ‘ Termite Terrace ‘ , the home of ” Looney Tunes” and ” Merrie Melodies “. Recently, the results of this big jump have been mixed. The mastermind of several Pixar smash hits, Brad Bird, scored with MISSION IMPOSSIBLE : GHOST PROTOCOL, while another Pixar alum, Andrew Stanton, was at the helm of one of this year’s most notorious flops, JOHN CARTER. And now, stepping into a new arena, is Seth MacFarlane with TED. He’s not made any feature films before, but for the last several years he’s been one of the kingpins of Fox TV animation in prime time with three shows currently in production. Will this new venture attract his rabid TV fan base?

Ted plops us right down into a snowy Boston suburb on Christmas Eve 1985. The next day, youngster John Bennett makes a wish. He wants his favorite present, a cuddly, stuffed bear ( who squawks several different pre-recorded phrases when squeezed ), to come to life and walk and talk on his own. And the next morning the toy, Ted , does just that ( much to the shock of John’s parents ). When word leaks out Ted is a worldwide sensation. But fame is fickle and fleeting. Spring ahead to now. John ( Mark Wahlberg ) is a wage slave at a car rental office with a girlfriend of four years, Lori ( Mila Kunis ) who works at a PR firm and fends off the advances of her lecherous boss, Rex ( Joel McHale ). Oh, and John still has Ted ( MacFarlane provides the modern-day toy’s voice ). When Lori’s away they spend hours sucking on a bong, gobbling up handfuls of dry cereal, and watching their favorite flick, that 1980 cheesefest FLASH GORDON. But now, Lori’s fed up with their antics. John and Ted have to split up and live separately or she’s outta’ there. Will John finally grow up? And how will a talking stuffed bear make it on his own? And what about that creepy single dad, Donny ( Giovanni Ribisi ), who’s determined to give Ted to his equally creepy young son?

Sounds a bit like a TV daytime drama, doesn’t it?  Well I wasn’t surprised when Macfarlane revealed in an interview that Ted originated as a TV series idea several years ago. Several sequences play out as weekly plots ( ” Ted gets a job “, “Ted throws a party”, etc. ), so the storyline is a bit disjointed. I didn’t mind this because when the jokes hit, the movie is gut-bustingly funny. Be forewarned, Ted revels in its vulgarity, but unlike the recent THAT’S MY BOY, the crudeness is presented with flair and style, and…wit.The actors seem to be having a great deal of fun along with the audience. Wahlberg has matured into one of the movie’s most likeable leading men. Good to see him use his comic chops after a delightful cameo in DATE NIGHT two summers ago. Kunis is her usually enchanting, lovely self after elevating last year’s wan FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS. Macfarlane shows his great comic timing as Ted tosses off one great quip after another. And he’s assembled some great familiar TV faces to support the leads, such as Patrick Warburton and Matt Walsh with McHale building on his smarmy small screen persona. Ribisi even scores some chuckles as the film’s big villain ( seems just yesterday that he and Wahlberg faced off in CONTRABAND ). The film could use a good ten minute trim as MacFarlane indulges some of his TV show gag set-ups ( a too long, brutal bare knuckle brawl and, earlier, recreating a classic movie scene -the original’s one of the great movie parodies, so it’s a satire of a satire? ) and a drawn-out final chase, but the stuff that works may have you spilling out into the aisle. TED is a rowdy, coarse, but endearing screen debut of one of the major voices of pop culture today. They may wanna’ check out that talkin’ bear, but please, please leave them kiddies at home! That toy may look cute and cuddly, but TED has got a pretty sharp bite!

Overall Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

 

 

THAT’S MY BOY ( 2012 ) – The Review

It was bound to happen. I was fairly successful in avoiding the work of that Razzie-magnet Adam Sandler. Now, I had seen two of his early films, HAPPY GILMORE and THE WATERBOY. Both pretty silly and crude, so his movies weren’t high up on my must-see list. Did enjoy THE WEDDING SINGER and the little seen collaboration with Judd Apatow FUNNY PEOPLE. SINGER’s a pretty sweet love story and he had some nice acting moves in PEOPLE ( may have helped that he had strong co-stars in both- Drew Barrymore and Seth Rogan ). But these were not the pure, undiluted Sandler. They weren’t from his owm production company Happy Madison. And so, I ‘ve now seen the latest ” real deal ” Sandler movie comedy THAT’S MY BOY. This effort can’t be as worthy of the critical barbs as his previous films. Or could it…?

Here’s the set-up for the gags ( and you just may gag! ) : In 1984 Donny Burger’s a 13 year-old wise guy who has a sexual affair with his much older teacher Miss McGarricle. She’s busted and sent to prison while pregnant with their baby. Donny raises their boy while riding the ole’ fame roller coaster. Upon the love child’s 18th birthday he leaves Donny and establishes a new life as Todd, cutting all ties to his past. Fast forward to the present day. Donny ( Adam Sandler ) has burned through all his money from the sale of his life story and owes the IRS 43 grand! A sleazy TV host makes Donny a deal : let him film the reunion of son and father at Mom’s prison and the tax debt will be paid. Luckily Donny sees a newspaper engagement photo of Todd ( Andy Samberg ) and Jamie ( Leighton Meester ).  After Dad arrives at the palatial estate of Todd’s boss ( Tony Orlando ), the embarrassed son passes off Donny as his old ” pal “. Naturally the wedding party insists that his oldest buddy be the best man!. And so begins a testy family reunion as the slobs meet the snobs.

I cringed at the trailers, but they still didn’t prepare me for this cinematic cesspool. I’m not a prude, mind you. I had no problem putting the vastly superior BRIDESMAIDS on my top ten list last year ( I’ve enjoyed most of Apatow’s work ). But this hit new lows of offensiveness. I find absolutely nothing amusing in an adult woman sexing up a 13 year-old ( although the actors playing young Donny and his pals barely look over 9 ). She’s shown as a lovely free spirit ( deeply mentally disturbed? no way man! ) and he’s cheered by the entire student body.. and some of the adult staff and faculty ( the female students too? Really?! ). Ah, but that’s just the tip of the coarseness. We get extended jokes on self-pleasure, incest, Diabetes, and public drunkenness ( aww, Donny’s swilling a beer while driving! That rascal! ). Shots of  nearly naked morbidly obese are cut in for quick guffaws. And the aged, too!  There’s the octogenarian lady who says and does naughty things along with a funny Asian servant couple ( just cut in on them for reaction shots! Hilarity! ). Oh, and there’s a hefty older lady who works the pole at Donny’s favorite hang-out. Old and overweight, that’s a two-fer! Late in the film we get a delightful montage of father and son bonding on the eve of the wedding complete with larceny, assaults, and property damage. The scamps! And with no repercussions, of course! I’d heard that somehow Al Pacino had a big role in last year’s Sandler epic JACK & JILL ( it sweep the Razzies! ) and in this film, he gets two for-real movie icons to do cameos ( one’s an Oscar winner! ). Folks to do want to tarnish your legacies in a misguided attempt to look cool?  As for the main cast, Meester has the thankless role of the shrill harpy of a fiance’. And the scene of her inspecting her damaged wedding gown. Uggh! Revolting and stupid!  It’s not any better for Milo Ventimiglia as her way over-protective brother ( he wears a military uniform, so he’s a violent ticking time-bomb! How original! ). I enjoyed Samberg in HOT ROD and his many digital shorts for SNL, but he’s reduced to nerdy, uptight straight man here, wincing at his Dad’s antics. And of course there’s Mr. S himself as one of the most annoying moronic movie man-childs ever with a raspy, braying, wicked ” Baaastin ” accent who looks always in need of a bath and is never without a brew. Of course he never gets the shakes or even a hangover. The guys wanna’ hang with him and the gals find him irresistable. Uh, uh. Now I understand the critical venom he generates. What perhaps disturbed me most was the cheers and applause directed at this ” entertainment ” from many in the theatre. I just wanted to go home and shower. That is why this soul-crushing, mean-spirited, vileness truly deserves my very first…

Overall Rating : 0 Stars Out of 5