Will Ferrell announced on Conan a few months ago that the long awaited sequel to “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” was greenlit. Today, two teaser trailers for Anchorman: The Legend Continues were released by Paramount Pictures whetting the appetites of fans of the creepy, chauvinistic Channel 4 News Team. From the intro, the guys [...]

There are many ways to learn the art of constructing a compelling narrative: One can read classic novels and plays; one can watch great films and television shows; one can read ancient Greek dramas or watch professional wrestling; and one can even watch serial fiction: From old time movie serials to modern soap operas. I [...]

The Witness Protection Program doesn’t always keep the bad guys away. In Open Road Films’ Hit and Run, bank robbery getaway driver Charlie gets found by his buddy that he helped get locked away (and apparently enabled his raping, as a running gag makes mention of). As the title implies, there is a lot of [...]

What to Expect When You’re Expecting. It’s “New Year’s Eve” in the neo-natal unit; “Valentine’s Day” with a uterus; “Knocked Up” times five. Unfortunately, that’s about the best I can about this film featuring the ups and downs of having a baby. In an attempt to jump on the multi-story, large cast bandwagon, director Kirk [...]

It’s intriguing that a film with an all-star cast and plenty of sex, drugs and rock and roll (along with copious amounts of blood, gore and monsters) can run out of steam in the second half. Ah, hell, it’s really just sad because it results in one of the least favorably-rated Tim Burton-Johnny Depp collaborations [...]

Just in time for the presidential election in the United States comes Warner Bros. Pictures’ The Campaign. The satirical comedy pits suave incumbent congressman Cam Brady against Marty Huggins, a simple guy who works at the state Tourism Center. As is par for course in American politics, the race gets ugly — and when I [...]

I think we can all agree that Pete and Debbie from “Knocked Up” stole the show from Ben and Alison when they were on-screen together. So why not give them their own project? It comes in the form of This is 40 and the premise is . . . you guessed it, a change of [...]

In the opening shot of Richard Linklater’s Bernie, our eponymous protagonist (played by the infectious Jack Black), who is an assistant funeral director and mortician, warns that, “You can’t have grief tragically becoming a comedy.” Ironically, this dramedy based on a 1996 murder that shook the small town of Carthage, Texas does just that. Written [...]

I tried to make a list of movies which I laughed at less than Universal’s newest release, The Five-Year Engagement, and could only think of two: “Observe and Report” and “The Passion of the Christ.” Films I found much funnier include: “The Love Guru,” “Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo,” “All About Steve” and “Platoon.” That does [...]

There is certainly something to be said for the wonderful claymation and quirky British comedy of The Pirates! Band Of Misfits, the by-product of such other animated films as “Flushed Away,” “Chicken Run” and the “Wallace and Gromit” series. I have always appreciated this technique because it shows that the old-style way of making this [...]

Damsels in Distress is perhaps the most pretentious screenplay ever filmed. I imagine there was a more comprehensible first draft and then writer/director Whit Stillman (“The Last Days of Disco”) pulled the thesaurus off the shelf and went to work. These damsels come across more as ridiculous caricatures than actual flesh and blood characters; nobody [...]

I do not know Joseph Kahn. I have no idea what kind of person he is. I would like to assume he’s a pretty square fellow and all, but if his ability to direct a feature-length motion picture were solely based upon what he did with Detention, I would strongly urge him to pursue another [...]

I suppose the main question about this update is will the ridiculously violent, but often hilarious, slapstick comedy of Moses and Jerome Horiwitz and Louis Feinberg translate onto the modern screens of 2012. I am of course writing about Moe and Curly Howard and their third wheel, Larry Fine, who became the Three Stooges (after [...]

I’m not quite sure what to make of Universal Pictures’ A Fantastic Fear of Everything. The trailer released today is, to put it mildly, bizarre. Everyone’s favorite Brit funnyman Simon Pegg is Jack, an author of hedgehog inspired children’s books, who is traumatized by his involvement in researching a book on Victorian era serial killers. [...]

Who knew Tarsem Singh Dhandwar had a sense of humor? Well, apparently not me. So color me pleasantly surprised that the imagery-obsessed filmmaker behind such stony-faced pictures as “The Cell” and last fall’s “Immortals” has finally revealed a different side of himself with the playful fairy tale movie Mirror Mirror. A lighthearted interpretation of the [...]

As wrap-up films for movie franchises go, one just has to look back at the Harry Potter empire to see how to do it right. American Reunion director Jon Hurwitz (“Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay“) was obviously not very observant. Born in 1999, “American Pie” conceived by Adam Herz and starring a group [...]

The bond a boy has with his teddy bear can be tough one to break. The one John has with his cuddly bear, Ted, is ridiculous. Ted, you see, is alive (John’s childhood Christmas wish) and has some very, very bad habits. He swears a lot. He drinks to blackout. He is terribly inappropriate to [...]

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is an utter delight. Here is a satisfying comedy unafraid to have a heart and a brain, and it has no interest in toilet humor or cheap gags. It’s one for the mature crowd, as it earns lots of belly-laughs through genuine wit and doesn’t shy away from the inherent [...]

Count Dracula is an enterprising fellow. He runs the Hotel Transylvania — the resort for monsters and their families to come to to kick back and relax. But relaxation isn’t in the cards for Dracula when an ordinary human stumbles upon his hidden retreat and takes a liking to his 118 year-old daughter, Mavis. The [...]

La traición, la lujuria, la familia y el amor. Those are popular themes in Spanish soaps. For native speakers, backstabbing spouses, a secret romance between married individuals, and conflicted family men are sources of entertainment. But I’m sure they realize how convoluted and silly the onscreen drama is. There’s a lot to poke fun at [...]

An Arab sheikh with more money than sense wants to import the sport and/or lifestyle of salmon fishing from cold and rainy Scotland to the barren desert of Yemen. In the meantime, the British government is floundering from scandal to scandal and greedily seizes upon the idea of a cultural rapprochement between the West and [...]

The second trailer for the upcoming yuckfest The Three Stooges starts off with the statement: Before Jackass, there was dumbass. How right they are. It’s nothing but belly bopping, ass kicking, face slapping, eye gouging, prat fall lunacy as Larry, Moe and Curly bumble their way into a murder plot back at their childhood home. [...]

When the media began to co-opt the sixties counter-culture’s anti-establishment message and turn it into advertising slogans and the marketing of tie-die shirts, you knew it was the beginning of the end for any serious purpose the movement may have embodied. If the Duplass Brothers’ slacker comedy, Jeff, Who Lives at Home, is any indication, [...]

You can’t keep a good prehistoric piranha down for long. After clearing Lake Victoria of them in “Piranha 3D,” the pesky flesh eaters have migrated to fun-in-the-sun summer destination: The Big Wet Water Park, in Piranha 3DD. The latest red-band trailer released today by Dimension Films makes it abundantly clear why the extra “D” is [...]

Patrick Hasburgh and Stephen J. Cannell’s television drama “21 Jump Street” was notable for a couple of reasons. First, it aired on the Fox Network for 103 episodes, becoming an early hit for the fledgling broadcasting company. Secondly, it sparked Johnny Depp’s acting career. Now, a cinematical adaptation of the same name has been helmed [...]

Of all the problems you want in your village, probably the last one would be having dragons destroying your crops and livestock. In How to Train Your Dragon, a wonderful animated film from DreamWorks Animation studio based on a novel by Cressida Cowell, these pesky creatures ignore the no-fly zone and create havoc in the [...]

Not having been the biggest fan of the previous three Ice Age movies, I can’t say I’m overly enthusiastic about the fourth, Ice Age: Continental Drift. The “endearing” prehistoric sloth, mammoth, sabertooth tiger and squirrel find themselves on a seafaring adventure — this time around when an earthquake causes the continents to break and drift [...]

Men in Black 3 is looking better than I anticipated. I was quietly concerned the premise had worn out its welcome, but the new trailer released today by Columbia Pictures looks fresh and fun. Will Smith as agent J is slick as ever and Josh Brolin as the young agent K makes a fine straight [...]

I’m college-aged, enjoy bad movies, and have a foul-mouth, therefore, I am the perfect candidate for Nima Nourizadeh’s Project X. At the same time, I’m potty-trained, and that makes me too sophisticated for it. Loosely based on an Australian house party where a teenager posted his address on MySpace, attracting over 500 people and causing [...]

What normally happens to weird kids who proclaim to see and talk to ghosts? They get ignored, ostracized and/or bullied. Which is exactly what happens to little Norman in Focus Features’ claymation pic ParaNorman, that is until the town needs his peculiar gift. For reasons unknown (the trailer hints to a 300th anniversary of a [...]

You’re probably a lot like me thinking you’d come up with some bat shit crazy ideas if a production company were to come to you and say, “We’ll finance your movie, no matter how outrageous, no questions asked.” Without constraints, maybe you’d throw in a scene involving an older woman jamming anal beads up a [...]

It’s tough to be cool rolling in a minivan, but the dads in Neighborhood Watch, for which the first teaser trailer was released today, almost manage to do it. I mean, c’mon, these guys have a tiger with fiery wings decal on the side of their ride! That logo identifies them as a part of [...]

As I write this, it’s raining in New York City. While this doesn’t necessarily correlate to the plot of Wanderlust, the new comedy helmed by David Wain, the director behind 2008′s “Role Models,” it had me thinking, “Was this the right weather to have watched such a sunny movie in?” Usually, I’m insecure about being [...]

Warner Bros. has dropped a red-band trailer for Project X today and the warning accompanying it is most definitely warranted. It glorifies drug use, underage drinking, unprotected sex and mass destruction of property. Sounds like a happening party to me too. But while it’ll take the end of the world to stop me from seeing [...]

Well it is mid-February and already my hope is that This Means War is the worst movie I will sit through all year. It’s a waste of talent and utterly senseless . . . which would be fine if it happened to be funny as advertised. Instead, the screenwriters — Timothy Dowling and Simon Kinberg [...]

Two things I never tire of: Punk rock music and being a father. Therefore, The Other F Word, which combines the two, is the perfect documentary for me. Basically, a bunch of old-timey West Coast punks (Rancid, Blink 182, US Bombs, NOFX, The Vandals and Pennywise, amongst others) talk about what it’s like balancing their [...]

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is a follow on to the 2008 worldwide hit “Journey to the Center of the Earth” which starred Brendan Fraser. In this one, Fraser has been unceremoniously replaced by former WWE star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson who plays shunned step-dad Hank Parsons to spoiled Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson). As Hank [...]

As a heterosexual male, I am probably among the minority of those who have read Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books. I’m totally cool with that. I find the books funny enough without being degrading, intelligently written, and full of excellent, memorable characters. So I was more than a little leery when I heard that the [...]

Our society has often been called “death-denying,” one in which grief is suppressed and the inevitability of death ignored. Author John Fowles said, “Death’s rather like a certain kind of lecturer. You don’t really hear what is being said until you’re in the first row.” The children at a primary school in Montreal are definitely [...]

Unable to sit idly by as the country degenerates into worthless, crass, reality show shit, one man decides to take a stand. Actually that’s one man and one teenage girl. Together in the dark comedy God Bless America, they zag and zig across this great land of ours killing off the selfish, self righteous and [...]

Red Dog is a real charmer of an Aussie movie. Directed by Kriv Stenders, the film is based on the true story of a Kelpie who won the hearts of Western Australia during the ’70s. With its myriad of heart and soul, the movie is a heart-warming, endearing, humorous and affecting portrayal of a mining [...]

I suppose it could be said that is was only a matter of time before Todd Phillips was going to set his “crude,” alcohol-fueled partying mind on teenaged subjects. He is, after all, the man behind such movies as “Old School” and “The Hangover” (which, if you recall, depicted grown-ups acting like drunken adolescents). Project [...]

The Guard can probably be described as “Lethal Weapon” meets Quentin Tarantino by way of “In Bruges.” However, it does not feel like a derivative motion picture or a slapdash mash-up. Instead, this is a hilarious, well-written and satisfyingly tongue-in-cheek dark comedy which possesses its own unique identity. Written and directed by John Michael McDonagh [...]

Aside from scoring a big fish with nearly every take, I can’t imagine picking people’s pockets for a living to be very lucrative — the risk surely outweighs the benefits. But in Loosies, it’s precisely what Bobby (Peter Facinelli) does on a daily basis, although he tells his mother (with whom he still lives with) [...]

My neighbor is a borderline Christian extremist. When she’s not bashing homosexuality or quoting the Bible, she particularly enjoys listening to gospel music and watching Tyler Perry movies. Once, being the self-appointed film snob I am, I asked about her obsession with the Madea series. She applauded the franchise’s family-friendly and pro-God morals — completely [...]

It’s doubtful that any Christmas stories are as omnipresent as Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Since cinema’s very inception, there have been tons of motion picture adaptations of this 1843 novella, as well as spoofs and updated variations (the Muppets, Mickey Mouse and even Mr. Magoo have all tackled this Yuletide morality tale). In addition, [...]

Director Cameron Crowe has finally emerged from his cocoon — seven years after the abysmal Elizabethtown. Yes, he has had a couple of projects in that time, notably the Pearl Jam documentary, but he has avoided anything related to his dramatic film roots of which produced Say Anything, Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous. With We [...]

One of the funniest clips I’ve ever seen and the one that cemented my love of Paul Rudd was from a skit on “Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!” (check it out: Celery Man). Apparently, someone liked their brand of humor too, thought these guys deserved a movie and so Tim & Eric’s Billion [...]

Like many movie snobs and deadbeat critics, I too studied film. As a consequence, I’ve met a number of hacks — among them was a young man who tried to emulate classic cinema. Everything from the scores he used, to his cinematography and narratives were brined in dust and had an air of pretentiousness. Usually, [...]

Leave it to the mind of the man who brought Brüno and Borat to the big screen to dream up and make fun of what isn’t necessarily a funny scenario. Sacha Baron Cohen is a dictator in Paramount Pictures’ The Dictator. Hailing from the fictional Middle Eastern country of Wadiya and having untold wealth at [...]

High school: You either loved it or you hated it. If you were a star athlete, gorgeous cheerleader, or the kid who had an open house and unmatched access to alcohol, I’m sure you’ve nothing but fond memories. Personally, as a dork, I don’t miss it in the slightest, yet, embarrassingly enough, I still wonder [...]

How does one inject new life into a successful franchise that has laid dormant for nine years? In the case of Men in Black 3, the answer is to introduce time travel! In this installment, agent J goes back in time to work with a younger agent K to uncover deeply guarded secrets pertinent to [...]

It’s quite disconcerting when people in the theater laugh at something they’re supposed to laugh at — even if it isn’t funny. That’s the way I felt during the entire two-hour running time of Garry Marshall’s New Year’s Eve, his “superior” sequel to 2010′s Valentine’s Day (though that isn’t saying very much). I don’t know, [...]

Nothing — and I mean nothing — can prepare you for children. So the advice you may receive from the five couples looking to conceive or adopt in Lionsgate’s What to Expect When You’re Expecting (or the best-selling books it is based off of) ain’t gonna help you one bit. What you will probably get, [...]

Haven’t Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe or Gloria the Hippo made it back to their New York enclosures yet? I guess so long as DreamWorks Animation can come up with ways to keep them lost in the great big world they won’t. In Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, the displaced zoo [...]

It looks a whole lot funnier than I thought it would. Yes, there are plenty of films that that statement could pertain to (more so in the other direction, however), but in this particular instance I’m referring to the trailer for 20th Century Fox’s The Three Stooges. To be honest though, it doesn’t look like [...]

The primary creative force behind Lady Magdalene’s, J. Neil Schulman, may be somewhat of a successful novelist, but he cannot in good conscience add filmmaking to his list of credentials. While Schulman wants you to believe that Lady Magdalene’s is a smart action-comedy satirizing today’s post-9/11 climate, the resulting picture is actually an agonizing catastrophe; [...]

Loosely based on director Mike Mills’ own experience as the son of a gay father who came out in his seventies, Beginners is the story of sexual and emotional repression, thwarted relationships, and fresh starts. Hal (Christopher Plummer), at age 75, tells his 38-year-old son Oliver (Ewan McGregor), that he is gay and has been [...]

Making a genuinely good, original Christmas movie is a difficult task in this day and age. Added to this, after Fred Claus, The Polar Express, The Santa Clause and other such motion pictures, it seems impossible to put another fresh spin on Santa Claus and his North Pole universe. Enter the British animation studio Aardman, [...]

I may be going soft in my old age. A documentary about a man learning to be a Santa Claus, and I give it a perfect score? Yes, I gave it a one, and if zero were better I’d give it that. I’ve watched many a cruel movie this year; too many times I’ve watched [...]

I never thought the life of a pickpocket was particularly endearing but after seeing the trailer for IFC Films’ Loosies, I’m not so sure. Master thief Bobby seems to be cruising along easy street — fine dining, buying to his hearts content and bedding pretty girls — that is until he finds out a one-night [...]

Character growth seems like a lost art in many films these days but I’m happy to say that self-discovery plays a prominent role in The Descendants, Alexander Payne’s first film since Sideways seven years ago. Based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings, George Clooney is Matt King, a well-to-do real estate lawyer, who lives [...]

During the mid-fifties American puppeteer Jim Henson, and his muppets, a varied collection of custom marionettes, took the entertainment world by storm. Through the years, the most iconic has been Kermit the Frog, the only “amphibian” to address the Oxford Union, and also the first to receive an honorary doctorate from Southampton College. But although [...]

In 2006 George Miller, Warren Coleman, Judy Morris, and John Collee brought us Happy Feet, which proved that despite being confined to the barren, icy wasteland of Antarctica, penguins can have fun too (usually by singing radio hits). Despite mild controversy over the film’s environmentalist stance and its supposed polar reconstruction of an urban environment [...]

2005’s low-budget, halfway-charming Hoodwinked! developed into a minor hit despite its humble origins, but does anyone out there honestly remember it? More pertinently, who genuinely wanted to see a sequel? Limping into cinemas almost six years after its predecessor, Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil is easily one of the worst animated movies ever made to [...]

“I saw The Inbetweeners Movie last night, it was great.” “I’m sorry, the what?” Despite this British sitcom’s surprisingly far-reaching fan base (not a single seat of the four hundred in my cinema was left unoccupied) I still find myself having to explain the show to family members, casual acquaintances and my favorite movie-loving cab [...]

It seems just like yesterday, a trailer for an updated take on a fairy tale was released. Oh wait, it was and for the same fairy tale too (Snow White and the Huntsman)! This adaptation from the imaginative mind of Tarsem Singh has more comedy and a family fun flair to it, and to be [...]

Based on the play “God of Carnage,” by French playwright Yasmina Reza, Roman Polanski’s latest outing, Carnage, follows 2010′s The Ghost Writer, a film unceremoniously swept under the rug. Not to suffer the same fate, the retitled, Brooklyn-transplanted (an impressive facsimile utilizing special effects and careful production design, mimicking the real thing adeptly despite having [...]

It is estimated that there are between 21.4 and 32.1 illegal immigrants or 10-15% of the total of all immigrants in the world. How to deal with illegal immigration has been a source of controversy in most Western countries and raises many complex political, economic and social issues. Le Havre, however, the latest film by [...]

In 1999, American Pie had its main character violate a warm apple pie. In 2003, Billy Bob Thornton portrayed the most offensive, self-destructive, and felonious Santa anyone has ever imagined in Bad Santa. Now, attempting to grab the mantle of the most provoking and/or distasteful movie ever is A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas. [...]

Tower Heist enjoys a coincidence of sorts in its choice of opening weekend. The Occupy Wall Street protest is alive and well not too far from where this film is set and hundreds of other Occupy protests are simultaneously happening around the world. Tapping into a particular segment of that angst, Tower Heist is about [...]

“Perhaps all the dragons of our lives are princesses, who are only waiting to see us once beautiful and brave.” – Rainer Maria Rilke As we know, high school can be a difficult and challenging place for even the most socially adaptive student. For those who are different in one way or another, it can [...]

It’s the good, the bad, and the catty in Chris Miller’s Puss in Boots, the first action-packed spinoff of the Shrek series, and to the surprise of many, it not only provides viewers a much needed history lesson by explaining how everyone’s favorite swashbuckling orange tabby came to be the legend he is today, but [...]

Kaboom is a celluloid pastry, an instrument of candor, a bundle of youthful fun that inspires even the more soporific among us (I’m looking at you, elderly couple next to me who came to the wrong film and gladly stayed through to the end). In strongly repudiating all the noise over how The Social Network [...]

Everyone has their own, personal reason for choosing to walk the 500 mile Camino de Santiago. This is a trail which begins in France, winds its way through the French Pyrenees, across northern Spain’s Basque region, and ends in Galicia at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Legend says St. James is buried here. Every [...]

Out of fucking control is how I would describe the latest red-band trailer for A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas. There is not a single thing politically correct about it. From a baby getting high and snorting coke, to NPH calling Jesus a cockblocker, to a hot chick instructing Harold to “fuck a baby [...]

Who, in their right mind, would have thought a film about the enthusiasm for the frankly boring occupation of birdwatching would make for such a fun experience? Apparently 20th Century Fox did, as their newest release, The Big Year, while not drop dead hilarious, is nonetheless a very decent time at the cinemaplex. Evidently, for [...]

The high-pitched singing sensations Alvin and the Chipmunks, and The Chipettes are back to fill our ears with squeaky versions of today’s popular songs in Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (I’m not sure that is such a good thing, but nonetheless it’s going to happen). This time, after Alvin screws around on a well-needed vacation [...]

Milk it for all it’s worth. And let’s be realistic, some of the actors in American Reunion, the fourth in the American Pie series (unless you’re counting the four straight to DVD titles) don’t have much going for them and probably jumped at the chance to reprise their roles. This time around, the crew reconvene [...]

Being the responsible parents that they are, when their boys get into a scrap in the schoolyard, the Cowan’s and Longstreet’s meet up to discuss the events. As the day progresses, however, it’s these “upstanding” parents that act more outrageous and childlike. Based off of the play “God of Carnage,” Carnage, directed by Roman Polanski, [...]

Ah, the bungled bank robbery movie. A movie that could have done with a cameo appearance from Eileen Brennan, Flypaper at least adds a slight kink in its comedy presentation, which results in it being slightly fresher than it perhaps could have been. A bank is being robbed, the heist goes wrong, and the perpetrators [...]

Germain (Gerard Depardieu) is not illiterate. He knows how to read and write, but he really prefers not to. For one, he is not very good at reading — he goes slowly and he uses his finger to follow the lines across the page. However, his comprehension is pretty good, especially when someone reads aloud [...]

Let’s face it, no one is exactly young in Paramount Pictures’ Young Adult — one of them just acts like a snobby prom queen. That one in particular is Mavis Gary, a woman who returns to her small hometown (where she isn’t exactly remembered fondly) to reclaim her high school sweetheart. He, unfortunately, is married [...]

The second, and last, theatrical trailer for DreamWorks Animation’s Puss in Boots has made its way to the web. In this origin story, the swashbuckling Puss in Boots goes on a quest for the Goose that lays the Golden Egg with new characters Humpty Dumpty and Kitty Softpaws. Along the way, expect many kid and [...]

As a somewhat successful writer, I’ve become a firm believer that all work should be from the heart. Unfortunately, as a film critic, I’m stuck watching and reviewing movies where it’s painfully obvious that the filmmakers had an ambitious idea in mind, but not the slightest idea about the subject matter. What results is a [...]

There are four main characters in Happy, Happy because it is about two couples; however, one of them really shines through and becomes such a pleasure to watch that it really does not matter what happens with the plot or any of the other players, she is just stunning. I am talking about Agnes Kittelsen [...]

If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear Garry Marshall was trying to break the unofficial record he set in Valentine’s Day by jamming even more A and B-list actors into his new romantic comedy New Year’s Eve. The ultimate result is they are all a part of your basic multi-threaded movie that intertwines the [...]

Ah, those lovable, enchanted, small blue creatures known as the Smurfs — many of us Generation Xers grew up with Peyo’s creation on Saturday morning with a bowl of cereal. Our children have not, and seeing a vast untapped resource, Sony Pictures decided to do a remake of the classic cartoon. Now some critics have [...]

A guilty pleasure of mine is watching Jersey Shore. Another is watching Katherine Heigl. She puts her curves and flightiness (the reasons she is one of my pleasures) center stage again in Lionsgate’s new actiony rom-com One for the Money. Based on a long running mystery series written by Janet Evanovich, Heigl tackles the role [...]

Out of all the unlikely sequels to materialize over recent years, Johnny English Reborn would have to be the most unexpected. While 2003′s Johnny English enjoyed a healthy run at the box office, it endured a harsh reception from both critics and audiences, and sequel prospects were never really discussed. Arriving eight years after its [...]

You’ve heard of a family moving out of the bustling city to the serenity of rural life before, but have you heard of one moving to an animal park? Probably not, but in We Bought a Zoo, a despondent Benjamin Mee, tired of spinning his tires in the proverbial mud and desperately looking to strengthen [...]

Every hockey team has an enforcer or two — a couple of guys who don’t have the best stick handling or skating skills but can kick the ass of those who do. In Goon that’s Doug Glatt. As a member of the lowly Halifax Highlanders, his responsibility is to wreak havoc on opposing teams while [...]

Persistence is an admirable quality to possess. Our parents instilled the old adage, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” to encourage us to not give up — anything is possible. Well, that’s not necessarily true; there’s a point when it becomes pathetic to keep trying — no matter how long and hard [...]

If not for anything else, the upcoming movie The Big Year should be entertaining just because it has a fantastic cast supporting it. It’s about three guys, each with a separate crisis — mid-life, work-life and no-life — that compete with each other in everything they do. It culminates — imagine it — at an [...]

As Hurricane Irene pummels the east coast with heavy downpours and strong winds, massive evacuations are being held all over New York City. Thankfully, unlike the more privileged, who are grabbing their poodles and running for the hills, hardened Brooklynites (myself included) have been largely unaffected by the mayhem, continuing to fear only bills and [...]

WOW! An international trailer for the sure to be train wreck Jack and Jill has surfaced and it’s just as unfunny as the domestic trailer. I’m guessing Happy Madison, the brains behind this venture, knows this movie, which has Adam Sandler playing both roles of fraternal twins (one of which is an annoying woman), is [...]

“Embrace the Dysfunction,” is the tagline for the dirtier trailer for The Family Tree which was dropped today by Entertainment One. There’s not much added to this trailer that you couldn’t get from the first one — just a few more sexual innuendos and curse words. But for those who don’t know the premise: The [...]

In 1991 Columbia Pictures introduced you to an extraordinary new filmmaker, and an unforgettable new vision. The director was 23-year-old John Singleton, the film, Boyz ‘N the Hood. Next year, the studio presented a remarkable new film, from another phenomenal talent. The film was Robert Rodriguez’s El Mariachi (the above is a tongue-in-cheek reference to [...]

In the second remake to release this week, director Craig Gillespie (Mr. Woodcock) brings us Fright Night, which, penned by Marti Noxon, is loosely based on Tom Holland’s 1985 film of the same name. Fortunately, unlike the retelling of Conan the Barbarian, it’s an entertaining update of a cult-classic. On the outskirts of Las Vegas, [...]

Let’s cut to the chase — Olivia Wilde is a beautifully packaged woman and plays a part in many man’s fantasies. Even mine on occasion. But if you were hoping to see her naked in The Change-Up, you won’t (before she became a hot Hollywood commodity, she delivered the goods in Alpha Dog). There is [...]

Adventures in Babysitting has just been updated with a healthy helping of filth. Actually, if there was a word I could think of that describes the level of vulgarity and foulness in a more disturbing way, that word would better describe The Sitter. Just imagine what a crude, common sense devoid slacker would do with [...]

At fortysomething, Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) is living the American Dream. He has a nice house, a decent job, two loveable kids, and unlike most people, he’s married to his high school sweetheart, Emily (Julianne Moore). But that white picket fence is only as strong as those who built it, and in Weaver’s case, this [...]

Last summer, Will Gluck’s Easy A was one of my biggest surprises of the year. When I saw the trailer, I didn’t realize that it would be a whip-smart satire of high school and high school films. Gluck’s newest film, Friends with Benefits, may not rise to the heights of his debut, but it shows [...]

Sometimes the little guy gets the last laugh. Most times they don’t. With Tower Heist we can at least laugh as the little guy tries to get even with the powerful. After a Bernie Madoff type of scam sucks the pensions of hundreds of working stiffs dry, they aim to get even. Their plan? Since [...]

A second trailer for Happy Feet Two has been made available by Warner Bros, giving us more of the same — singing and dancing penguins. Animation-wise the movie gets high marks but from a watchabilty standpoint, this one looks like a bitterer pill to swallow than its predecessor. Children, however, will gobble this up like [...]

Only in the movies. Only in the movies will an unemployed stammering fool be found dating a supermodel (Transformers: Dark of the Moon). Only in the movies will an underemployed fat guy be found dating a model and ultimately have two beautiful women fawning for him. This particular movie is Zookeeper. The fat guy is [...]

The umpteenth Adam Sandler comedy to be directed by Dennis Dugan, 2011′s Just Go with It is a semi-remake of the 1969 screwball comedy Cactus Flower, which was based on a 1965 Broadway production that itself was adapted from a French play. Now that’s a mouthful. Despite all this, Just Go with It more overtly [...]

Admit it, you, just like 87.7% of the civilized world, think all rednecks look and behave like those in Deliverance and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre . It’s a tough stereotype to dispel, so why not use it to one’s advantage? After all, it’s one that, in the right hands, can be molded into comedic gold. [...]

And you thought your family was a dysfunctional mess. Take a look at the Burnett family. They’re majorly screwed up and while everyone in the clan has their respective quirk, the trailer for The Family Tree makes it appear that the mother is the cause of the bulk of the familial issues. But after mom [...]

In Seth Gordon’s (Freakonomics, The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters) Horrible Bosses, you’ll meet the tool (Colin Farrell), the psycho (Kevin Spacey), and the man-eater (Jennifer Aniston), three higher-ups that make their employee’s lives a living hell. First in line is Bobby Pellitt, the son of Jack Pellitt (Donald Sutherland) and the heir [...]

From the producers of Grown Ups and Just Go With. I’m not so sure that is a badge of honor to wear. Anyways, Sandler and the Happy Madison team have concocted Jack and Jill, a film that gives an audience twice the Adam Sandler in one sitting. One as his boyish self and one . [...]

The UK’s answer to America’s Get Smart has gotten himself a sequel. I’m talking about Johnny English and the film, for a which a new trailer has been made available, is Johnny English Reborn. Mr. English returns, after years of perfecting his technique, to MI-7 to thwart an attempt on the Chinese Premier’s life. Rowan [...]

Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties. It gave me an allergic reaction. I suppose if I had cared anything for the original live-action Garfield (based on Jim Davis’ once-popular comic strip, from 2004), I would have liked this one better. Suffice it to say, however, if you have children, there are certainly worse movies you [...]

Most scripts are divided into three acts: The setup, which introduces characters, plot-points, and locales; the confrontation, where both the antagonist and protagonist’s strengths and weaknesses are further examined — complicating the problem at hand — and finally; the resolution, which concludes the aforementioned conflicts. Larry Crowne, a love-story between an ex-Navy serviceman and his [...]

Generally, writers try to change the world. We think of ourselves as omnipotent while stroking prickly beards, sipping on aged wine and puffing down on fine cigars. This will be my magnus opus, we think to ourselves. Though, as luck would have it, many of these ideas go up in smoke (the others are publically [...]

Lord have mercy. Aroma-scope. Really? You won’t get the full effect from the gimmick in the first full theatrical trailer for Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World (thankfully) but it’ll be there in some form or another when it makes its way into theaters. One can only hope that Robert Rodriguez will [...]

Topher Grace took time off from his role as Eric Forman in the hugely successful That ’70s Show back in 2004 (you know, that Dennis Quaid movie he totally phoned in on) and left the show in 2007 for a supporting role in Spider-Man 3. Following those two debacles was a role in a small-time, [...]

It appears Hollywood’s obsession with unnecessary sequels has hit Australian shores, with the recent release of perhaps the most unnecessary of all follow-up films: Kings of Mykonos. Nick Giannopoulos and Vince Colosimo reprise their roles as “Wog Boys” Steve and Frank, who embark on a trip to the beautiful Greek island to claim what is [...]

One has to balance the several fine performances with the most depressing screenplay of the year if one is to gain any kind of satisfaction from Running With Scissors, the debut directorial effort from Ryan Murphy (TV series Nip/Tuck) about a dysfunctional — with a capital “D” — family. In fact, it’s like American Beauty [...]

The porn business. Every man in the civilized world has had a dream or two (or three or four) to get into the industry to screw super hot, bleached blond porn stars. àœberdork Bucky Larson, well, he just wants find his way after being fired from his grocery bagging job. So off to Los Angeles [...]

Lightning McQueen: Mater, you ARE the bomb. Never have truer words been spoken in a movie, and never have I had the displeasure to pronounce a Pixar film a failure — until now. Cars 2, the sequel to the 2005 runaway animated hit Cars, misfires on so many cylinders, it becomes a huge lemon long [...]

I’ve had my fair share of eccentric teachers. In junior high, there was Mr. Plotsker, who despite being fit as a horse, walked with a cane. Sometimes he would twirl it around during long-winded lectures. Other times, he’d pretend it was a machine gun. “Close, but no cigar,” he’d proclaim, pointing its end towards a [...]

In 2003 Brian Douglas Wells, a high school dropout, pizza deliveryman, and “valued employee” of the Mama Mia Pizzeria, was double-crossed by Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong and Kenneth Barnes, his co-conspirators in a botched robbery plot. On the afternoon of August 28th, at the end of a dirt road, the crooks fastened a time bomb to Wells’ [...]

What a little gem of a film. Many would put it in the often-mentioned “best films you’ve never seen” category, and I would not be one to argue. Shane Black sits in the director’s chair for the first (and to date, only) time and co-wrote the screenplay to this part murder-mystery, part comedy movie that [...]

Dancing, they say, can change the world. Kevin Bacon used it to change the little town of Bomont in 1984′s Footloose. Kenny Wormald gets to do it in the remake, although I’m not quite sure why. MTV’s telling of Footloose, of which the trailer was released today, updates the dance moves and the kids’ ever [...]

Just because a film is made for children does not mean it needs to be childish; just because a film stars Heather Graham does not mean it has to be awful; just because a film attempts to salute the nostalgic summers of our past youth does not mean a person should want to put a [...]

What is the obsession many Hollywood writers have with bathroom humor? Have American standards of comedy sunk so far that the only way to illicit a laugh nowadays is to resort to the lowest possible denominator? Have the Three Stooges (once the lowest of lowbrow comedy) become the gold standard of guffaws? I ask these [...]

Origin stories aren’t just for Marvel or DC superhero movies anymore — DreamWorks Animation Studio’s Puss in Boots is taking a page from its hero brethren. With the closing of the cash cow that was the Shrek film series, it was only natural for the studio to spin-off one of the more memorable characters. The [...]

One bank. Two gangs of bank robbers. Same time and day. That makes for one helluva scenario, especially when crafted in the hands of the boys who wrote The Hangover. As the trailer for Flypaper shows, it gets awfully complicated and comical — one gang is made up of professional thieves, the other is a [...]

The parody teaser trailers are done (at least for the moment). Disney has finally released the first theatrical trailer for my new most anticipated movie of 2011 — The Muppets. This trailer promises a movie filled with action, adventure, heroes and driving. All of that and more is being done to save the world renowned [...]

If Disney wasn’t doing this so well, this would get old super fast. Today, they released a 3rd teaser trailer for The Muppets titled “Being Green.” In this one, the play is on the upcoming Green Lantern flick, which, coincidentally, features a green guy. A major take away from this trailer is the promise that [...]

With Cars 2 right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to drop a tease as to what Disney Pixar (although the Pixar name is ominously missing from the trailer) has in store for us in the next few years. On tap, Planes. From an animation standpoint, it’s nothing more than replacing the cars from [...]

It is no secret that the last decade has not been kind to the great filmmaker, Woody Allen. Whether is it a loss of touch or focus, one could argue that Allen hasn’t made a particularly good film since 1989′s Crimes and Misdemeanors — while he has had minor successes in the past decade, there [...]

What does winning the lottery have to do with serial killing? On the surface nothing, but in the new indie comedy Lucky, whose trailer debuted today, everything. When weak and ignored office worker Ben wins the lottery, his world, as one would suspect, changes. He gets the girl of his dreams (who couldn’t stand him [...]

Premiering during the MTV Movie Awards comes the second trailer for Fright Night, a decidedly darker and more violent telling of the 1985 cult hit of the same name. The premise remains the same, a vampire moves into the neighborhood and preys on the bountiful food source. Yet only Charlie and his best friend Ed [...]

A late-2010 picture delivered by the DreamWorks animation factory, Megamind can best be described as Pixar’s The Incredibles meets Despicable Me. See, Megamind is a clever dissection of superhero movie conventions which functions as a character study of the supervillain. In the realm of superhero movies, there is always one given: The hero always wins. [...]

“Vintage Woody Allen” would be the most appropriate label for 2009′s Whatever Works, because that’s never been truer. Woody initially wrote this film back in 1977 as a vehicle for Zero Mostel, but the screenplay was set aside when Mostel inconsiderably died before the film could be made. However when Woody’s one-movie-a-year output was placed [...]

The wolfpack is back in Todd Phillips’ sequel to his 2009 smash-hit The Hangover. Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, and Ed Helms all reprise their iconic roles as Phil, Alan, and Stu. This time in The Hangover Part 2, however, the team assembles in Thailand for Stu’s wedding. But when he, already on poor terms with [...]

The darkly funny and heartwarming trailer for 50/50 has been made available by Summit Entertainment today. Based off of screenwriter Will Reiser’s real-life experience with cancer, the film centers around a young man named Adam and how he, and his friends and family cope with an abbreviated Five Stages Of Grief — shock, denial, resistance [...]

While there have been some great films of the alien invasion genre, many of the biggest have been the most lackluster — from the mediocre Independence Day to the horrid Battle: Los Angeles. Instead, the best invasion films that come to mind are usually those that depict isolated incidents in small towns or at remote [...]

Disney has released another teaser trailer for The Muppets. Like the previous trailer which was shown just Monday, the antics on the screen don’t appear to have anything to do with the actual film itself (which has the Muppets regrouping to stop a greedy oil tycoon from leveling their theater). After an explosion which has [...]

You can’t keep a good penguin down (especially one that saved the Emperor penguin population and made Warner Bros. Pictures a lot of money in the process). In Happy Feet Two the savior in Happy Feet, Mumbles, is all grown up with a wife and son. The issue at hand this time around isn’t that [...]

Fa la lalalala fa lala la laaa — the smurfy blue creatures from our 19080s Saturday morning cartoons are coming to the big screen in The Smurfs. In a 3D (2D too) offering from Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation, Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Grouchy Smurf, Jokey Smurf and a bunch of other adjective named Smurfs [...]

20th century author and poet, Raymond Carver, is oftentimes recognized for his impact on short story writing. In the 1980s, when the medium first began to falter, short stories had become a tough sell for publications because of their briefness, however, that did not stop the author, who had admitted to being “inclined to brevity [...]

Church versus church. Pastor versus pastor. A member of the congregation holds the truth that could topple their empires. Based on the book of the same name (written by the stylized mind of Larry Beinhart), Salvation Boulevard exposes, while poking fun at, the goings-ons of evangelical megachurches. But, as the trailer for the movie released [...]

I didn’t think it could happen, but fond childhood memories washed over me after watching the teaser trailer for The Muppets! Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal and others are back for another adventure which is sure to be comically interesting (Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller wrote the screenplay). Word is the puppet-marionette creations of [...]

Most won’t admit it but women can be every bit as rude, crude and lewd as a man. Hell, get a girl to a male revue and put a few drinks in her and she’ll prove women can be even nastier than a guy. So with that notion and the fact girls are catty as [...]

When you have lousy luck with the ladies, who do you seek advice from? A brother? A best friend? Griffin Keyes, the zookeeper at Franklin Park Zoo gets his tutelage from the animals he cares for. In the trailer for Zookeeper, he can be seen basking in those “making an ass of himself” moments which [...]

The latest trailer for Cars 2 has arrived. In the Disney•Pixar follow-up to the oft-criticized Cars, Lightning McQueen and his cadre of friends from Radiator Springs travel the globe to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car. This time, however, it isn’t all about the egotistical McQueen getting a [...]

We’ve all experienced what it is like to work for an asshole boss. Nick (Jason Bateman) has to deal with an egomaniacal Kevin Spacey, Dale (Charlie Day) is getting sexually harassed by Jennifer Aniston and Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) is plagued with an idiotic, non-pc Colin Farrell. As quitting isn’t a viable option, the trio hatch [...]

Emily Giffin’s Something Borrowed is quintessential “chick lit,” a highly marketable genre of fiction that prides itself in depicting modern womanhood in a (mostly) humorous manner. And because it was an international bestseller with a built in demographic, a film adaptation was inevitable (although I thought it would have arrived sooner). Something Borrowed, director Luke [...]

An adaptation of Tiziano Sclavi’s Italian horror comic series and a spinoff of Michele Soavi’s horror-romance Cemetery Man, Kevin Munroe’s Dylan Dog: Dead of Night is no stranger to obscure source material. Bringing former Man of Steel, Brandon Routh, back into a leading role, the film (penned by Thomas Dean Donnelley and Joshua Oppenheimer), is [...]

In Super Size Me, he risked his health to expose the fast food industry, then in Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden, Morgan Spurlock upped the ante, deciding to travel to the war-torn Middle East (armed with just a camera-crew and some defense training). Now the director takes a less harmful approach to [...]

Although it inevitably will be lumped in with the films of the modern Grindhouse movement (Planet Terror, Death Proof, Machete), Hobo with a Shotgun really doesn’t have the aesthetic style of the films that it is mimicking. Outside of its high concept, the film owes more to Tarantino and Rodriguez’s Grindhouse double feature (or many [...]

The concept of an Australian comedy featuring the once-in-a-lifetime pairing-up of Paul “Crocodile Dundee” Hogan and Shane “Kenny” Jacobson would appear foolproof. And while this movie doesn’t live up to all of its potential, Charlie & Boots (the sophomore effort of director Dean Murphy, who previously collaborated with Paul Hogan for 2004′s Strange Bedfellows) is [...]

The international trailer for the R-rated comedy What’s Your Number? has been made available by 20th Century Fox. In what looks like a funny, albeit a less than stellar premise, Anna Faris digs through her past boyfriends in search of Mr. Right. Her neighbor, a commitment-phobic playboy, played by Chris Evans, aids in her exploration [...]

Tyler Perry directs and produces films that guarantee money in the bank. His distributor certainly thinks so — Lionsgate studio, heard uttering the incantation, “Tyler Perry, Tyler Perry,” recently renewed their contract with him. With his films bringing in an estimated $520 million, he may well be the studio’s favorite cash cow. However, his success [...]

Submarine is a story for grown-ups to remind us of the angst of being a teenager. It’s set in 1980′s Wales and is relayed to us in first-person narrative by 15 year old Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts). His two main concerns are, as he tells us, losing his virginity to his standoffish girlfriend Jordana (Yasmin [...]

Pizza delivery isn’t all about getting to screw lonely housewives (Loverboy). Sometimes these front-liners can get kidnapped and forced to rob a bank as the expletive-ridden, new R-rated trailer for 30 Minutes or Less shows us. Something tells me this action-comedy directed by Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) is going to be one to not miss this [...]

An updated trailer for The Art of Getting By (formerly known as Homework) has been made available by Fox Searchlight Pictures. It stars Freddie Highmore as George, the misunderstood boy that has yet to be challenged, and Emma Roberts as Sally, the girl who can peel away George’s shell and force him from his apathetic [...]

The red-band trailer for the latest body swapping comedy The Change-Up has dropped. The swappers this go round are Dave, a husband and father of three, and Mitch an irresponsible, unemployed player. The producers are making it a point to let everyone know the braintrust behind Wedding Crashers and The Hangover are behind The Change-Up; [...]

Quack. Quack. Okay, that may not be the sound a penguin makes, but you’re sure to hear something that sounds like that for the entirity of Mr. Popper’s Penguins. The English version of the international trailer has been released, offering additional glimpses of the mayhem six beaked birds can cause in a Manhattan loft. Following [...]

Rio de Janeiro — it’s the only place in the world where a tranquil shot of birds chirping their way through the thick greenery can erupt into a grandiose tribal orchestra. Doing away with the mammoths and icecaps of his previous works, director Carlos Saldanha (the Ice Age series) places immense care in representing his [...]

There are two unspoken rules to crafting a remake. First and foremost, classics are strictly prohibited. Secondly, if there are any trademark performances attached, it’s all the more reason not to continue onward. Jason Winer’s (T.V.’s Modern Family, Don’t Trust the Bitch in Apartment 23) Arthur breaks both amounting to nothing but another vehicle for [...]

Remember Judd Apatow’s 2009 project, Funny People? While a lousy and flat film, it at one stage cleverly poked fun at actors who have long renounced their dignity for the sake of a paycheck. Tooth Fairy is exactly the type of noxious family entertainment parodied in Apatow’s flick. It mixes a few recognizable faces with [...]

Almost exactly one year ago Kick-Ass, directed by upcoming X-Men: First Class filmmaker Matthew Vaughn, opened to little business and reasonable critical success. Adapted from the popular Mark Millar graphic novel, the film follows a young New York teen as he tries to become a superhero in the real world. Now enter James Gunn’s Super [...]

The “big dreams, small town, no chance” premise is a recognizable refrain in literature and motion pictures. Directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, 2010′s Cemetery Junction is yet another feature to examine this particular quandary. If Gervais and Merchant sound familiar, it’s because they are the dynamic duo responsible for the original British version [...]

For a screenwriter, period pieces tend to be difficult — especially if they’re set in medieval times — dialogue being restricted to olden diction isn’t the easiest to write. However, with director David Gordon Green’s latest, which is an awkward mix of stoner comedy and medieval epic, that problem is quickly dispelled. How, you may [...]

Hitch meets The 40 Year Old Virgin with a mix of family values? Judging from the trailer of Crazy, Stupid, Love. that may be an apt description. In it, bland and fortyish Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) finds himself recently divorced from his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) (she cheated on him) and sticking out like a [...]

Even for a consistently-reliable studio like Pixar, the notion of Toy Story 3 seemed risky due to the time-honored tradition of part threes being unnecessary and below-par. The Godfather: Part III, Lethal Weapon 3, Batman Forever, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Alien 3, Jurassic Park III and Superman III are a few examples of [...]

The premise behind 2010′s Furry Vengeance — a live-action cartoon featuring woodland mammals — is tolerable. However, the film is rendered insufferable due to its soulless, mean-spirited, moronic script, the repetitive, obnoxiously unfunny slapstick comedy, and the ill-conceived attempts to inject this cinematic stool sample with an environmental message. It is a film with no [...]

2009′s The Loved Ones is a delirious Australian mash-up of various movies, including Carrie, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Prom Night. Several critics have also dubbed the film as “Pretty in Pink meets Wolf Creek“, and that’s another fairly accurate analogy of this frightening yet resonant exercise in genre dramatics — it represents an [...]

There are at least 100 Christmas movies in circulation (go ahead and count them, I’ll wait). I’m guessing maybe a dozen or so movies with a Thanksgiving theme. Easter movies? I can’t think of a single one (those made for television specials like Yogi the Easter Bear don’t count). With such a gaping void ripe [...]

The four “boys” from The Hangover are back in full party force in The Hangover Part II. What can you expect from them this time around? Well from the trailer which dropped late last night, a big helping of the same insane antics that got them in trouble the first time, is what. The minor [...]

If you attended the Toronto International Film Festival or the London Film Festival last year you would have caught a viewing of the comedy-drama Everything Must Go. For those of us who didn’t attend either, this fresh trailer provides a glimpse into Nick Halsey’s really crappy situation. In a single day he’s lost his job, [...]

Every year Woody Allen writes and directs at least one movie (his films have a more of a foothold in European cinema nowadays). His first for 2011 is Midnight in Paris. Set in picturesque Paris, it examines the relationship dynamics of a soon-to-be married couple as they travel away from their comfort zone. Will Midnight [...]

The stereotypical Hollywood comedy formula receives a bad rap on a frequent basis, but this is only because the formula is too often implemented poorly. However, there are exceptions. If a film sticks to the status quo and does it right — hitting the expected story beats with wit and grace — the result can [...]

It is absolutely beyond this reviewer’s mental parameters as to why Wild Target endured such a ruthless critical reception during its fleeting theatrical run in 2010. Perhaps it depends on mood and expectations, but Wild Target is a wonderfully droll, effortlessly charming and spry action-comedy from the British school of black humor. Rarely less than [...]

Kenneth (though he prefers to be referred to as ‘Kay’) is a comical, patois-speaking white guy who sucks his thumb during deep sleep, calls his seven year old sister ‘rude girl’, and asks his pet hamster, “What’s up, blood” when entering his room. He’s also a wannabe bad boy who leaves his job and vows [...]

Try as he may, Robert Zemekis cannot find his way out of the uncanny valley — that deep gorge where his other forays into motion-capture like The Polar Express, Beowulf and A Christmas Carol have fallen. For those who are unaware of what this valley is, look at the “human” faces in any of those [...]

This may be a first. Usually movies involving aliens from another planet are either of the cute M&M eating or the conquer and/or destroy Earth variety. The alien in Paul — looking and acting much like Roger from American Dad! — is of the quick witted, pot smoking, foul mouthed variety. Precisely the demeanor of [...]

The fate of three Korean men changed the day their paths crossed on a train in Manchuria during the 1930s. A plan is put into motion to steal a map riding on that very train that leads to something extremely valuable. Chang-Yi (Byung-hun Lee), the most wanted bandit in Manchuria, is hired to steal the [...]

The Farrelly brothers hit a high point with Dumb and Dumber (which is kind of sad since that was their debut as filmmakers), but it seems like they’ve been on a downward spiral ever since. There’s Something About Mary was probably more popular and there was a little bit of buzz surrounding Me, Myself, and [...]

It’s funny how an FBI agent goes under the guise of a fat woman (or more precisely, a Big Momma) and uses it as his modus operandi during the bigger missions. The second time doing so was inconsequential and by the end of the unendurable, unnecessary stay in Big Momma’s House 2, he gave the [...]

Having already killed the trucker who saved the girl from his murderous ways, the psychopath tire turned its attentions to the girl herself. After watching her in the shower, the tire checks into a motel room, watches keep-fit programs on TV, and takes a shower, only to be discovered by a maid, who he promptly [...]

It’s never too late for a sequel. Word on the web was that when the production of West Is West was in works, it was delayed, deemed ‘fairly unnecessary’ because of the eleven year gap, and may just as well be a sequel flop like many other original hits have suffered from. It isn’t the [...]

Exploitation films are an acquired taste. Much like fermented tofu, you either love it or find the very idea disgusting (most people fall into the latter category). Fortunately, although the inception of VHS-tapes brought an end to the grindhouses and drive-through theaters that catered to such cinema, there are still filmmakers dedicated to the art-form. [...]

Regardless of what other people say, creativity is the lifeblood of any civilization. You think that without visionaries we’d have computers, automobiles, and toilet paper? No, we’d still be Neanderthals and trust me, wiping your ass with leaves isn’t as appealing as it sounds. Then again, that brings up the question: Where’d all the inventiveness [...]

Ah, New York, the place where thinking people cannot perform any basic function unless they talk about it first. I wonder: Did Woody Allen create this genre, or did he just reflect everyday happenings of his beloved Big Apple? Whatever, his legacy lives on here in this ensemble comedy that tells of the lives and [...]

Comedy is subjective. Everyone has their own things that they find hilarious, whether it be a kick in the groin, a pie in the face or a well-placed pause. To add to that, comedy depends on your understanding; what you’ve experienced, the things you’ve seen, heard, and learned will determine whether or not you will [...]

Ivan Reitman’s royal fuck-up No Strings Attached may be the most perplexing film released thus far this year. The reason being not for subject matter or direction, instead it remains puzzling for its purpose — or lack thereof. Suitably released during the black-hole month of January, this misguided production offers nothing but a smack in [...]

Hey Winona, it’s good to see you! It was pleasing to see you had a bit role in the acclaimed The Black Swan (even though you managed to escape without any en pointe scenes). It’s not, however, so pleasurable to see you in The Dilemma. Actually, it’s not much fun to see anyone in Ron [...]

I love everything about the female form. But if I had to rank my favorite parts, I’d confess to being an ass man. Coming in a close second are the breasts — I can’t get enough of them either. Anne Hathaway, has a great set of boobs. You may have seen them before with the [...]

Love is blind and fucking stupid. It can make a person do extreme things — endanger their well-being or make extraordinarily bad decisions — to find it and keep it. I Love You Phillip Morris, a film purported to be based on real life events, chronicles the adult life of Steven Russell, a con man [...]

What would you do if you knew where a bear lived that could construct complex machinery, carry on an intellectual conversation, and didn’t like the taste of human flesh? You’d exploit it for money of course — especially if it was the only way to save your livelihood. Have it perform a one bear show [...]

Jay Roach’s Meet the Parents was not necessarily an exercise in subtlety; featuring a Jewish male nurse named Gaylord ‘Greg’ Focker (played by Ben Stiller) as the film’s protagonist. But audience members and critics alike just ate it up, resulting in a total gross of over $166,000,000. Four years later, an inevitable sequel surfaced, entitled [...]

The 1997 Canadian sci fi film Cube, by Vincenzo Natali, was one of the great examples of good writing, good acting, and a limited budget making for an excellent, and thought provoking little film. Unfortunately, its financial success led to two mediocre sequels, neither of which had the verve of the original, and neither of [...]

Based on a popular Brothers Grimm fairy-tale and helmed by Nathan Greco and Byron Howard (screenplay by Dan Fogelman), Tangled is the simple yet elegant tale of a young princess named Rapunzel (voiced by Mandy Moore), who is born of a mysterious and all-healing flower, whose abilities have transferred over to her golden hair. But, [...]

I guess when you are top of the world, as Robert Downey Jr. currently is (Iron Man, Sherlock Holmes), it is easy to buy into the hype that you can make no wrong choices and that everything you touch turns to cinematic gold. It’s the only reason I can come up with (other than perhaps [...]

The extra man is described as a man who accompanies wealthy old women to galas and other social events. The men provide the companionship, the women provide the men with a means to live beyond their means. Sound like an interesting way of life? Henry Harrison (Kevin Kline) is such a man and The Extra [...]

Ten years ago a group of skateboarders, bmxers and stoners, already getting paid for doing crazy stunts on the circuit (and in their backyards), armed themselves with a video camera and captured themselves doing painfully insane pranks and tricks on one another. It was a MTV hit and it was good. Capitalizing on the success [...]

“You just got your ass handed to you by a goddamn retiree.” This one quote pretty much sums up all there is to know about director Robert Schwentke’s latest film Red (an acronym for “Retired Extremely Dangerous”), which features an all-star cast that consists of Bruce Willis and Mary-Louise Parker in the lead and Morgan [...]

I get the fact a will can specify the legal guardians of a child in the event of a catastrophic occurrence — after all that’s one of the main purposes of the legal document. Can it, however, specifically spell out that when the catastrophic event takes place, said guardian (or guardians) must move into the [...]

A teen comedy all about sex, without there actually being any sex, you say? Has John Hughes risen from the dead? Pretty damn close, as Will Gluck pays homage to the legendary director every chance he gets in Easy A — with better than expected results. The film works on several fronts, although the bulk [...]

Without a new installment in the American Pie series to look forward to, I was fearful that a gaping void was going to be left in the movie world without a crude, obnoxiously naked teen sex romp to watch this year. The Virginity Hit steps up to try and fill this hole for 2010, providing [...]

Good heavens, and here was I thinking that The Infidel was on dangerous ground. Believe me, it’s got nothing on Four Lions, the new movie from controversial British writer Christopher Morris. This is a comedy concerning four British citizens — three of Pakistani descent, one white — whose ultimate goal is to become suicide bombers. [...]

I wouldn’t make a good father and I’m not afraid to admit it. I’m rude, have no respect for anyone, and I’m just a bad influence in general. But if I were to “spread my seed,” there would be a couple of positive impacts on the human race, namely my streaming blonde hair which just [...]

Noah Baumbach’s newest film, Greenberg, is a lot like his older work — character pieces centered around upper-middle class intellectual white people and their problems. As unappealing as that may sound, I’ve been a fan of Baumbach and his great direction of characters that a normal audience probably cannot relate to or wouldn’t associate with. [...]

Parody films have steadily gotten worse and worse — the lure of the quick and easy buck has severely outpaced the need for inventive writing, good directing and skilled comedic acting. All one has to do is write up an ill-conceived plot that revolves around a current trend, toss in a bunch of no-name and/or [...]

I don’t consider myself the conventional nerd. I’m not interested in technology; in fact I have trouble finding out how to change the screen resolution on my computer monitor. I don’t read comic books — except for those couple of times where I sat adjacent to the graphic novel section in Borders. To top of [...]

As I watched Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, a few questions came to mind. Will the children who comprise the film’s target audience understand the allusions to James Bond, Austin Powers, The Terminator, and Silence of the Lambs? Will the unfortunate adults in the audience for whom these allusions are no doubt [...]

The incompatible buddy cop movie has been beaten to death. You can thank Beverly Hills Cop, Lethal Weapon, Rush Hour, their umpteenth sequels and every other knock based off of those movies you can think of for that. Adam McKay, the man behind such comedic wonders as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Talladega [...]

Christopher Guest’s latest film, 2006′s non-mockumentary For Your Consideration, which skewers both the Hollywood and Independent film genres, is his weakest film to date. That said, it’s still a fine little comedy. Guest, who rose to fame in the seminal 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, directed by Rob Reiner, had released three mockumentaries to [...]

Burt and Verona are thirty-somethings, good friends as well as lovers, and will be parents for the first time three months hence. Verona’s parents are both dead, and Burt’s have announced that they’re leaving the country to live abroad for two years. With no real reason to stay near them in their cold house, Burt [...]

Steve Carell has had quite a year. He’s already had a hit earlier in the year with Date Night, and a summer-smash followup with his role as Gru in the animated feature Despicable Me. He has also been fodder for entertainment websites for his announcement that he is leaving his hit television show The Office [...]

Youth in Revolt is a film I regrettably missed while it was in theaters, but for a film that I had some interest in, it came and went quickly. Despite this, I have heard many positive things from people who I trust, so I am definitely glad it has hit DVD and Blu-Ray. Overall, the [...]

Banksy is a British graffiti street artist. His art is known throughout the world, however his identity is, even now, a complete mystery. The art he creates is often satirical; often taking jabs at government and popular culture. One of his pictures, “Naked Man” is a painting of a naked man hanging outside a window [...]

When anyone watches a movie, they enter into a non-verbal contract with the director that states that as we place ourselves in their hands for the next two hours; we trust that they will not screw with us. That does not just cover that they won’t plant us back in the Middle Ages and then [...]

The film sub-genre of Mumblecore has been around since 2002. They are characterized by improvised scripts spoken by un-proven actors on shoestring budgets. The plots are simplistic, people talking about what people talk about as they would normally talk. Nothing particularly spectacular happens and it’s okay. Slowly, the directors of these films have been getting [...]

“You are the One.” “No, I’m not.” “Yes, you are. You must believe in your powers.” Bad thing happens. “Oh, okay, I’m the One.” Yes, I’m paraphrasing and no, I’m not regurgitating the dialogue from The Matrix. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, the new Jerry Bruckheimer produced Disney film is. The guy trying to do the convincing [...]

Three sisters: Joy, a flighty hippy chick; Trish, a suburban mother; and Helen, a successful screenwriter. The issue at stake: The ability to forgive and forget. For Joy, the choice is simple. She works with ex-cons, helping them to return to society. She’s even married to an ex-con, a gang member who is trying hard [...]

I think, unless the product is a bankable franchise like Harry Potter or, God forbid, the Twilight saga, the future of cinema is in family friendly computer animated movies. Disney/Pixar blazoned the trail with fantastic imagery and strong underlying stories (Up, Toy Story 3, to name a few). DreamWorks Animation followed suit with their Shrek [...]

There’s an old saying in life that I believe was attributed to Confucius on his deathbed. It said, “Throwing a lot of spice at shit doesn’t make shit not shit.” Okay, maybe he didn’t actually say that, but he (or someone of equal magnitude) should have. Anyways, that quote is pertinent to Grown Ups because [...]

Tom Cruise used to be the personification of “badass.” He struggled to become the best pilot he could be in Top Gun, he overcame the impossible in Mission: Impossible and of course, he tackled a dystopian future in Minority Report. But it seems like the action-hero has aged quite poorly and these days he’s tackling [...]

I think I’d make a decent superhero. I’ve got the good looks, the charm, the brains, and most importantly, the courage, that is needed to save my fellow man from whatever perils they are facing. Oh, who am I kidding? I’ve got none of those (except the good looks and perhaps an inkling of intelligence) [...]

1984, and Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ is sweeping the world, including in a small ramshackle village in New Zealand. There, living with his grandmother, a younger brother and several cousins, we meet Boy. He’s about nine or ten years old, I’d guess. His younger brother, Rocky, is six and thinks he has super-powers. Boy has no [...]

The antics of Russell Brand is an acquired taste. There isn’t much in ways of middle ground with him — either both his lewdness and outrageousness is funny or it’s not. The way around this love him / hate him relationship was done masterfully in Forgetting Sarah Marshall — he was relegated to a supporting [...]

One thing that a lot of people don’t know about me is that I enjoy the occasional “chick flick.” Yes, I said it (fully knowing the consequences that this may have on my manhood), at times I do like to indulge myself in one of the countless sugar-coated and seemingly implausible romantic-comedies that flood movie [...]

An eight-year old Australian girl and a mid-forties obese Jewish American man with Asperger’s Syndrome. Seems an unlikely pairing, doesn’t it? And yet Mary and Max, a stop-motion animated movie from Australia, matches the two together with no small measure of wit, and presents us with one of the most original films I’ve seen in [...]

MicMacs is definitely an interesting motion picture. At times it seamlessly channels the silent, yet comically powerful presence of cinema greats such as Charlie Chaplin, but at other times, it’s severely bogged down by the almost nonexistent character development and the increasingly thin storyline. However, visually, MicMacs is a triumph — adding to director Jean-Pierrer [...]

There must have been a reason why I found the initially positive response to director Jorma Taccone’s MacGruber so ominous. Perhaps it was the fact that Taccone’s past cinematic exploits only include an actor credit for Land of the Lost and Hot Rod but it’s more likely that I found the eight positive reviews on [...]

How many of us have thought about how things would be have turned out had we made a different choice? It’s a rhetorical question, of course — we all have at one time or another (you’re only lying to yourself if you say otherwise). And so, seeing as it makes a great plot (made famous [...]

Creating a satire of the London art gallery scene would seem to be a rather pointless venture but director Duncan Ward, armed with his DVD collection of Robert Altman movies and aided by a lengthy cast list, brings us the lives and loves of assorted artsy types in his debut picture, Boogie Woogie. The plot, [...]

How many years has it been since we, the movie going public, have been graced with the stylings of Jennifer Lopez on the big screen? Two years? Seven? The correct answer is four. The other correct answer is: “Not nearly long enough. Not by a long shot.” The Back-up Plan, the reason for her rousing [...]

Synecdoche, New York is a two hour long, 2008 film from screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, and was his first attempt at directing films. It is a wildly overpraised and almost as wildly derided film. The truth is that it is a formulaic and dull film whose predictability, especially after the first 45 minutes, is almost total. [...]

Every time something tragic involving a youth occurs — whether it be unhandled rage or mental breakdowns — it seems that the “prestigious” physicians and psychiatrists employed for the good ‘ol government have an answer. They usually disregard the obvious answer — prior mental or emotional issues — and blame the aggressor’s hobbies for his [...]

Vacations are supposed to be a time for fun and relaxation. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for four close couples who travel to the Bahamas for their second marital retreat in Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too? — the follow-up to his hit 2007 film of the same name. Just as in the [...]

I was first introduced to the “Theatre of the Absurd” in a high school philosophy class. This sect of plays which were mostly written by European playwrights in the mid-1900s was considered a declaration against realism and the concept of how to make a “great” play. Never have I imagined returning to a so-called “Theatre [...]

If you could see me as I’m writing this review for Cop Out you’d see that I’m laughing my ass off. Not because the latest incompatible cop buddy movie which pairs Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan together is funny — oh no my friend — I’m laughing because this film is so far from funny [...]

The 1970s were more than just about polyester bell bottom pants, experimentation with mind altering drugs or unprotected group sex (or was that the 60s?). Whatever the case, I’m quite sure it was the time of the blaxsploitation film. Stereotypical black characters (pimps, pushers, thugs, etc.) in stereotypical locations (ghetto and/or other urban environment) abound. [...]

Within the first ten minutes of my viewing of When in Rome, I knew the next 81 minutes of my life were going to be painful and feel like an eternity. Repeatedly, I had to remind myself that there had to be a comedic or romantic moment hidden away somewhere in the bowels of the [...]

To think after the undeserved success of Alvin and the Chipmunks that a sequel wouldn’t be made, you would be considered a madman. The only surprise to be found is it took two years to concoct one. You’d think, however, with all that extra time, an interesting premise could have been formulated. Sadly, the extra [...]

Did You Hear About the Morgans?, the latest romantic comedy from director Marc Lawrence purports to be one of those cutesy, funny things happen when two people are put into foreign or uncomfortable positions kind of films. It succeeds in putting its stars Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker in stupid situations. It fails miserably, [...]

Ask most and they’ll say American Pie Presents Band Camp is the worst of the straight to DVD offerings from the heavily diluted American Pie franchise. Today I can, with a heavy heart, proclaim American Pie Presents: The Book of Love to be the worst of the worst. Thoroughly unimaginative, not even the fair amount [...]

Don’t be fooled by the trailers for Up in the Air. It may seem like a formulaic romantic comedy. It’s not. Not by a long shot. Jason Reitman, following up his Juno breakthrough, has put together a finely developed and many times amusing story about choices — both personal and professional — and their consequences [...]

Catherine Zeta-Jones has undoubtedly crossed that threshold that separates the young from the old — no matter how many pilates classes she takes or face pulls she has performed. So it’s no wonder the spin on her latest romantic comedy The Rebound is that of an older woman hooking up with a much, much younger [...]

First time director Peter Billingsley (you may remember him as Ralphie in A Christmas Story) picked the wrong film to make his directorial debut on. Even with big names signed on and a successful raunch-comedy template in place, Couples Retreat fails to deliver the big laughs, hell, if I’m being honest, it pretty much fails [...]

There are 32 rules, as of this writing, to ensure survival from a zombie infestation. That is of course if you want to believe what “Columbus” (Jesse Eisenberg), a young awkward kid who just so happens to find himself surviving a zombie plague in the latest undead flick Zombieland, has to say. Your best to [...]

I swear, one can make a movie about absolutely anything, get Megan Fox to star in it and they can retire in the lap of luxury. Ordinary men, you see, don’t give a rat’s ass about whether the movie in question is any good; they just want to see a super hot chick in compromising [...]

The requisite elements are all in place for the raunchy comedy The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard to succeed. You’ve got the ridiculous storyline of a car lot needing to do anything to sell off its entire inventory over the Fourth of July long weekend. They’re so desperate, owner Ben Selleck (James Brolin) decides he’s [...]

The benefit of the doubt was given to Mike Judge just because I am such a huge fan of his cult classic Office Space (and to a lesser extent Beavis and Butt-Head). I won’t be doing that again. His latest poke at corporate life through the eyes of the everyday man, Extract, can hardly extract [...]

Christopher Smith’s British, comedy-horror movie Severance is advertised as The Office meets Deliverance. I’m not really a fan of this mix of genres, as it’s almost impossible to get the mix right – the comedy dilutes the horror and vice versa. So as I expected, Severance is not as funny as the prior and not [...]

We should be thankful for Judd Apatow. That sentence may seem strange to some people who find his films to be nothing different from the other raunchy comedies released every month. The thing is, they are quite different. Both The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up were very perceptive little comedies and surprised audiences [...]

Oil meet water. Water, this is oil. The two of you don’t mix well, I know, but amazingly enough, you have more chemistry between the two of you than do the leads of The Proposal. Sure, the premise of the film is initially setup that way, but even after their heart felt metamorphoses they look [...]

Hayden Panettiere is a rising young star, no doubt. From watching I Love You, Beth Cooper you wouldn’t know it. Adapted from a book of the same name by Larry Doyle, this movie embraces all the cliches you know and love (or hate) from the teen romantic comedy grab bag offering little else to separate [...]

Yeah. Anyone thinking Brüno was going to be another innocent, simplistic and moronic adventure through the American heartland like Borat was, is in for a rude awakening. Sure, Sacha Baron Cohen pokes major fun at the idiosyncrasies of “regular” Americans but he does it with a much more perverse and provocative attitude than ever before. [...]

I was recently invited to fly out to Las Vegas in September to join 20 or so guys for a weekend bachelor party. I declined, recalling that the last time I went out west to Sin City, I “misplaced” five hours of my life (people I was drinking with said I was quite the sight [...]

Yes, I know I’m several months late with my review of Miss March. No matter, for all it’s worth the movie could have just as easily been titled Miss June. Actually, now that I’m finally writing this, it should have been called Miss-ed Opportunity — what could have been a raunch filled teen sex comedy [...]

Leave it the Brits to throw a spot of humor into the realm of horror movies again. Shaun of the Dead relentlessly poked fun at zombies in 2004 and in doing so made Simon Pegg a star here in the states. Lesbian Vampire Killers isn’t going to make anyone a household name — not by [...]

Even though I couldn’t stand it, the original Night At the Museum was at least original and had a “cuteness” factor to it. Oh, and how could I forget — it made a shitload of money worldwide too. But was it really so great that it needed a sequel? Of course not, but when has [...]

Can the romantic comedy genre be out of steam? To me, it sure seems that way when: Matthew McConaughey is once again chalked up to be the leading man. The bottom of the barrel is scraped by stealing the plot devices of A Christmas Carol to tell the story. In a sentence, Ghosts of Girlfriends [...]

Who knew mall security personnel were so much of an in thing in 2009? First Kevin James brought us Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Now Seth Rogen dons the blue uniform and tin badge for Observe and Report. Whereas James’ portrayal of a wannabe cop was very innocent and PG in nature, Rogen’s characterization is perverse [...]

As much as I like to eat my Count Chocula cereal in the morning, I don’t want to eat it every morning — I need some variety. Same goes for my comedies. As much as I like Paul Rudd, I don’t want to see him in every joke-filled movie I see either. Especially when he [...]

One of my regrets in life was not scoring with any of the cheerleaders at my high school. Actually, I didn’t score with near enough girls at my school, but that is another story altogether. In Fired Up!, best friends Shawn (Nicholas D’Agosto) and Nick (Eric Christian Olsen) don’t appear to be plagued with my [...]

Watching a Tyler Perry movie is like wandering around in a fog of cinematic confusion. Invariably the question arises, “Just what kind of movie am I watching?” A melodrama? A comedy? A morality tale? A message movie? A Sunday morning sermon? All five in one? Radical shifts in genre, tone and mood incline me to [...]

Remember when Steve Martin was a comic genius? No? Me either, although technically I still categorize him as one. His last major foray onto the big screen was The Pink Panther in 2006 (last year’s cameo in Baby Mama doesn’t count) and before that it was in the ever forgettable Cheaper by the Dozen 2. [...]

With the rousing power Sex in the City is said to have brought to women (I wouldn’t know, I never saw the

Is Kevin James the heir apparent to Chris Farley? He’s funny and fat — the two major necessities needed to make that claim are in place. However, I’m not ready to hand the torch to him just yet, especially since I wasn’t exactly a huge fan of his last big screen outing (I Now Pronounce [...]

For those of you craving Jim Carrey in all his glorious wackiness from yesteryear, your fix has arrived in the form of Yes Man. Or has it? On closer inspection, it appears to have a humdrum seen-it-before storyline which includes an inconceivable romance with a girl half his age. On second thought, this is probably [...]

The new year is newly upon us and we already have a comic book adaptation thrust upon us in the form of The Spirit. Yes I know what you’re thinking, I have never heard of this “Spirit” character. Don’t worry I hadn’t either. However, after some painstaking research (thanks Wikipedia), I found out that the [...]

I almost choked on my popcorn while watching Bride Wars. It wasn’t because every other minute I was laughing and kernels kept getting lodged in my throat. Nope, it was because I couldn’t believe I was witnessing Anne Hathaway follow up her acclaimed work in Rachel Getting Married with such a terrible performance in such [...]

Everyone should know what they’re good at. For some they know early on in life, for others it can take some time. Tiger Woods as a child knew golf was his calling. Donald Trump, in his twenties, gravitated towards real estate. Seann William Scott, well, he realized he’s good at playing an idiot and getting [...]

What do you do for a popular, once bankable action hero whose star has plummeted and whose current films bypass theatrical release and go straight to video? Why, you resurrect him of course. And thankfully that’s just what director Mabrouk El Mechri has done in his new film, JCVD. Fans of “The “Muscles from Brussels” [...]

Vince Vaughn may be the best straight man in comedy films today. And it seems he’s caught the Christmas bug, as for the second year in a row he finds himself in a comedy centered around the Christmas holiday. Last year it was the surprisingly funny, yet critically dismissed Fred Claus. This year he puts [...]

Step to the side Krypto, you’re not the only superdog in town. At least that’s what we’re initially led to believe in Disney’s new animated offering Bolt. After all, the dog has powers that enable him to outrun helicopters and motorcycles, lay waste to any objects in his way and incapacitate people with a mere [...]

Isn’t it great when you get a surprise? It gives you that warm happy feeling inside. Well, that’s exactly what happened to me when I watched Ghost Town. I saw it without expecting it to be hilarious and was thoroughly rewarded. The story follows Dr. Pincus (Ricky Gervais), a dentist who is totally disengaged from [...]

What movie stars Brad Pitt as a clueless fitness instructor, George Clooney as a shallow adulterous womanizer, John Malkovich as an angry, alcoholic would-be writer and Frances McDormand as a woman with low self esteem looking for love in all the wrong places? If you guessed Burn After Reading, you’d have earned yourself a cookie. [...]

I can’t help but think I’ve seen Role Models before. My reasons for thinking this isn’t because I’ve actually seen the movie before. It’s because the cast of this idiotic buddy film is the same as every other crude, idiotic comedy in the last few years (thanks for that, Judd Apatow). After awhile, all these [...]

Kevin Smith and I are one and the same. Well, in reality he’s a tad fatter and shorter, and not nearly as handsome as I am, but we do share the same thought processes. Because of that, I’ve been a fan of his quick-witted, vulgar-laden writing for years so I couldn’t wait to see what [...]

What do you get when you cross a ’69 GTO Judge, three teenage best friends, and a weekend without parents? You get Sex Drive, a comedy about the most epic quest a man can undertake — the one to lose his virginity. The film follows Ian (Josh Zuckerman), a nervous virgin who’s propositioned by a [...]

The conservatives in Hollywood have risen to take a comedic swipe at liberal sentiments in general and the redoubtable, fault-finding, à¼ber -liberal Michael Moore in particular in the An American Carol, starring Kevin P. Farley, brother of the late comedic actor Chris Farley, as documentary filmmaker Michael Malone, Moore’s fictional counterpart. An American Carol is [...]

When I first saw the trailers for The Rocker, I knew I had to see it. No, not because as a kid I had dreams of one day being a world famous rock star who had to fight incredibly sexy girls off with a stick (even though I did have those fantasies). Actually, the movie [...]

Miniature dogs may be the most annoying creatures on earth. At first I felt that way because they all tend to have that “yip-yip” bark that can drive any sane person crazy within seconds. Recently a new, more pronounced and powerful reason to hate them has emerged — the super rich dress them in horrendous [...]

There is always something inherently funny when people act or appear different from the norm. I’d say watching grown men move about in pink Easter Bunny costumes fits the bill rather well. Does that premise deserve a full length feature film to explore though? Probably not, but it exists in the form of the independent [...]

What happens when the ego of a stuck-up little princess from Malibu gets a little too big for her Dolce & Gabbana tote? Why, her daddy sends her clear across the world to a British boarding school, of course! And that’s exactly what does happen to poor old Poppy when she finally pushes her dear [...]

I saw the commercial for College and the 18-year old inside of me perked right up. Rampant underage binge drinking and young perky breasts bouncing about swam through my head like sugar-fairies. Yet when I finally sat down to watch it, I noticed Drake Bell from Nickelodeon’s kid show Drake & Josh was first-billed. Following [...]

Do we really have to go through this again? Apparently so, because the boys behind such hits like Epic Movie and Meet the Spartans (yes, I am being facetious) are at it again with Disaster Movie. With a name like that did you think they were peering into the future? I certainly thought so and [...]

Playboy Bunny Shelly Darlingson (Anna Faris) lives a pampered life along with her fellow Bunnies at the Playboy Mansion. The day after her twenty-seventh birthday, her life crumbles when she receives a letter from Hugh Hefner telling her to vacate the Playboy Mansion immediately (apparently 27 is the auto-retirement age for Bunnies). Devastated, she is [...]

Tropic Thunder is a movie about making a movie by not making a movie (or something like that). Director Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan) assembles himself a “star studded” cast of actors to grace his latest war movie. Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller) is the group’s has-been action hero in search of a hit, Kirk Lazarus (Robert [...]

Disney tends to be the main culprits of taking classic stories like Sleeping Beauty and C.S Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and adapting them to film. Out of the blue comes Kanbar Entertainment with Hoodwinked! – a fresh, original tale of the well-known story of Little Red Riding [...]

It is official. At the age of five, my children hate me. How did I come to this conclusion? Simple, they dragged me to see Space Chimps, that’s how. I tried repeatedly to convince them they’d rather see Pineapple Express to no avail. In the end though, I think they learned a powerful lesson – [...]

After seeing the advertisements for Step Brothers, two immediate thoughts raced into my head. One, thank goodness Will Ferrell wasn’t doing another sports comedy; I don’t think I could have stomached another one so soon after the Semi-Pro debacle. Two, the movie looked so retardedly stupid, it was either going to be brilliant or a [...]

Pineapple Express is a comedy that could best be defined as having the combined styles of stoners Cheech and Chong and badass action guys Jackie Chan and Steven Seagal. This action filled buddy flick is hampered by a slow start and cheap jokes but is graced with a brilliant luster that can sometimes sparkle very [...]

Ever fancied working in the fashion industry? Well if you have, The Devil Wears Prada will definitely put you right off! Based on the hilarious best-selling novel of the same name, this movie is just what you need if you are in need of a laugh (or a cry) and it holds much more depth [...]

You’re among friends so I promise I won’t laugh at you. You know you’ve secretly wanted to see a musical set to the songs of Swedish super group ABBA. Okay maybe not, but at least admit you’ve always yearned to hear the singing voice of Pierce Brosnan and Meryl Streep. No to that too? If [...]

Eddie Murphy is one of those actors that has always perplexed me. Does he want to be taken as a serious actor (Dreamgirls would make it seem so) or does he want to put out mindless popular trash like Norbit? Well, with Meet Dave, I guess he’s answered my question — trash is his cash. [...]

It’s been a while since a decent romantic comedy hit our screens since the likes of Richard Curtis’ Notting Hill in the late 1990′s. Recently though, I had the opportunity to see an engaging Christmas film, The Holiday. It stars Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet in roles that us ‘non-celebrities’ can actually relate to. The [...]

A demon, code named Hellboy (Ron Perlman), but called Red by his friends, is saved by paranormal investigators when he is very small and raised to be a defender against the forces of darkness. However, as he has grown into a large, bright red mammoth with an attitude, he wants nothing more than to be [...]

Although most of my fellow critics bashed the shit out of it, I simply had to see for myself if Mike Myers’ zany antics in The Love Guru were really as bad as they made it out to be. They’re not. And while it is by far not his best work to date, it certainly [...]

WALL-E is the latest in the line of stellar features from the powerhouse Pixar. It is a romantic story of a small, lonely garbage cleaning robot that finds his purpose is greater than simply gathering trash into piles. Beautiful, charming and with an important message interwoven, WALL-E is flawless. When the people of earth cover [...]

Hancock is Los Angeles’ resident alcohol-fueled, low-flying sometimes hero. With all the exciting aspects of an action movie, sparkling comedy and a heartfelt plot, this is the most honest super hero movie I’ve ever seen. When not drunk, John Hancock (Will Smith) flies around Los Angeles, protecting innocent people from criminals and disaster. The rest [...]

Never heard of Miss Conception? No worries. I never heard of it either before today. It’s a little low-key romantic comedy – so quiet, in fact, it was filmed and released first in the U.K. before making a limited appearance here in the states. The only reason I found it was because it stars Heather [...]

Get Smart is a simplistic spy guy tale of good vs. evil and smart vs. dumb that tries to capture the allure of the 60′s television show Get Smart. Sadly, this cinematic upgrade should have followed its titular advice when it came to the writing, the acting and the action. After overcoming personal obstacles, Maxwell [...]

If you have ever wondered what it feels like to be punched in the face repeatedly by Mike Tyson in his prime, wonder no more. Adam Sandler, with the help of Robert Smigel and, gulp, Judd Apatow, have in all of their infinite wit and wisdom provided to you, for the measly cost of $14.75 [...]

James McAvoy has been a gardener, a heart-broken soldier, a doctor, a lawyer, a student and now in his latest movie Penelope, he’s become a gambling, conflicted boyfriend of a pig. Simply put, I know, but being a fan I feel this role of Max has to be one of McAvoy’s most understated and bravest [...]

Po (voiced by Jack Black), a clumsy panda and the son of a noodle vendor, dreams of becoming a great kung fu fighter and meeting “The Ferocious Furious Five”. This team of kung fu masters is comprised of Tigress (voiced by Angelina Jolie), Monkey (voiced by Jackie Chan), Mantis (voiced by Seth Rogen), Viper (voiced [...]

Few would argue against the fact that Judd Apatow and Tina Fey are the hottest comedic properties in Hollywood today. So with the success of Apatow’s Knocked Up last year, there was little surprise that its premise (or some form of it) would rear its ugly head again. It has with Baby Mama. While Baby [...]

This travesty of character and plot development obliterates any chance I would or could call Sex and the City a film instead of a TV movie with really good distribution. Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) spends the entire TV movie trying to get married to Big (Chris Noth). Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) spends the entire TV movie [...]

To describe the premise of Teeth sort of spoils some of the fun of the movie but unfortunately some spoilers are needed to let anyone thinking of watching this movie (especially men) know what their getting into. This movie is graphic, shocking, and cringe-worthy at times, but also a great sex-ed commentary on abstinence. It [...]

What do you get when you combine the living dead with exotic dancers? Zombie Strippers! of course! I must say, I’m amazed it took so long to make a film devoted to these two mainstays of American culture. I’ll also say, I wouldn’t have minded if it took a bit longer, because this movie was [...]

Ingenuity is the mother of invention (or something like that). Since movies being harsh on the war in Iraq and on the current administration of the United States have been bombing (no pun intended) stupendously at the box office, writers Mark Leyner, Jeremy Pikser and John Cusack came up with a nifty idea – satirize [...]

We all know what goes in Las Vegas – it’s Sin City after all. You get drunk. You get laid. 80% of the time you gamble away a small fortune. And depending on how long you’re visiting, you do it all over again the following night. Why? Because what happens in Vegas is supposed to [...]

There is but one reason as to why this movie review is so late – I purposely looked to avoid watching Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. Even though I consider myself an incestuous lover of sophomoric movies, I just couldn’t consummate the affair with the original Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle [...]

Holy shitwings Batman, a movie has been made specifically for Paris Hilton (bet you never thought you’d read a movie review start like that before). Somewhere a baby is dying because of this unforgivable offense to mankind. But then again, maybe not. Sure, The Hottie and the Nottie is an affront to all our basic [...]

Super smooth George Clooney has taken a break from playing his super smooth role in the successful Oceans series long enough to tackle (no pun intended) Leatherheads, a romantic comedy with a professional football backdrop set in the 1930′s. Aside from being an avid football fan (go Panthers), I was looking forward to seeing Clooney [...]

To quote the most famous line in the very well known movie Forrest Gump, “Momma says life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what your going to get”. From the beginning I expected Forgetting Sarah Marshall to be a hilarious, semi-sweet romantic comedy full of vulgarity and nudity. For the most part, [...]

Set in ancient China, The Forbidden Kingdom is a mix of cinematic influences. It stops short of tiresome and of brilliance. It is quality cheese. Nerdy Kung-Fu enthusiast Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano) spends enough time at the local video store to get chummy with the owner Old Hop (Jackie Chan). When Old Hop is attacked, [...]

Sometimes you just have to shake your head in disbelief because there isn’t much else you can do. While watching Uma Thurman and Colin Firth stumble their way through the ill-conceived The Accidental Husband, it was literally all I could do (spitting up my drink would have been too messy). This is definitely one of [...]

Although I’m sure I’ve said it somewhere before, I’ve always found myself rooting for Owen Wilson, even more so since his ill-conceived suicide attempt last year. And even though I wasn’t a huge fan of his first film on his comeback trail (The Darjeeling Limited), I kept my hopes up for his second in line: [...]

Nim’s Island is the latest addition to the ever growing list of children books that have been adapted to the big screen. This time however, instead of taking place in part or in whole in some fantastical fantasy realm (Harry Potter series, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), this movie [...]

If I were to write a 10-second movie review of Superhero Movie it would go something like this: Unfunny. Unimaginative. Sloppily written, acted and directed. It marks the beginning of Armageddon. Unfortunately, I don’t publish reviews like that, so I’ll have to force myself to expand on why my above three fragmented sentences and one [...]

Somewhere along this rocky road we call life, I’ve taken on the cause for the older generation who refuse to relinquish their youth. My qualifications for this post? I faithfully watch Saturday morning cartoons (even though they’re nothing like those from the old days), I act like a buffoon at the most inopportune moments (much [...]

How high can one set their expectations when all the trailers for a movie are about a domesticated pig doing backflips? I suppose you can set them high if the movie was Charlotte’s Web, but surely not about a movie like College Road Trip which is about a girl and her father bonding as they [...]

Wow. That one word is all that is truly needed to complete a movie review of In Bruges, the movie from novice writer and director Martin McDonagh (his short film Six Shooter discounted). The reason for the high praise is simple, he’s taken his cues from Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction) and Guy [...]

Larry the Cable Guy is at his best, a marginally funny stand-up comedian. He is not is any way, shape or form a person with an ounce of acting ability. Witless Protection proves this point conclusively (although this should have been clearly evident when he was cast in Delta Farce). In this latest mess masquerading [...]

I feel I’ve seen this movie several times already. Come to think of it, my reviews of Blades of Glory and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby literally capture the same highs and lows as I saw in Semi-Pro. The only differences are a slight adjustment to the cast of supporting actors and the [...]

Charlie Bartlett is one of those movies that leaves me perplexed. I had no preconceived notions about it, other than it looked like it might be funny, and after seeing it I still don’t have a clear opinion about it, other than it should have either been funnier or more dramatic. It’s kinda just there, [...]

I get the distinct feeling I’ve seen Fool’s Gold before. Tell me if this premise seems even remotely familiar to you: A reckless loser with a hot girlfriend, convinces her to join him on a perilous adventure searching for buried treasure on the ocean floor. Need some help jogging your memory banks? Try the 2005 [...]

Martin Lawrence returns from his last half-way decent showing in Wild Hogs to join another all-star cast in Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins. While I don’t doubt his reasons for taking the role (either needed the money or just wanted to get himself into an all black film), I am perplexed as to why some of [...]

I’m going to start this movie review by stating what may not be so obvious due to the cast of actors starring in it: Strange Wilderness is not a movie for everyone. Actually it’s not a movie for 90% of the worlds’ population either. It is meant for individuals with a sophomoric sense of humor [...]

Small screen starlet, Eva Longoria Parker has found herself in a starring role in Over Her Dead Body, the second major romantic-comedy release of the year (27 Dresses being the first). I can count two possible reasons why she’s in that position: 1.) The more accomplished romance leads were already tied up in other projects [...]

My God….is all I can muster after seeing Meet the Spartans. I even questioned the existence of God after watching this abomination. To call this a movie would be a complete raping of the word movie. To call it a bad movie makes me wish I spoke a different language, just so I would have [...]

The staple of any good romantic comedy is the chemistry between the leading lady and leading man. This is highlighted by most movies starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan (Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail) and 90% of the films starring Matthew McConaughey or Hugh Grant (mostly because these guys can have instant chemistry [...]

Do you remember the days when Ice Cube was a tough guy, gangster rapper with N.W.A.? How about when he crossed over into the world of cinema with the critically acclaimed Boyz n the Hood? If you don’t recall any of those times, then you’ve clearly missed out on the best of what he has [...]

I’m late with the movie review, I know. I’ve resisted seeing Juno because I had trouble visualizing a female Napoleon Dynamite-like character. Could the bizarre, backwards character immortalized by Jon Heder be improved upon? Should it even have been attempted? The answers to those questions are: It certainly can be improved upon (most everything can [...]

Sowing their oats on the mammoth success of Superbad and Knocked Up (although I wasn’t overly impressed with it) earlier this year, the Judd Apatow team of writers and actors figured to lower the standards of the biography genre with Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Just with the name, you know full well what [...]

Rob Reiner has surfaced again, directing arguably two of the most accomplished actors of our time: Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. The vehicle: The Bucket List, a comedy drama that tries to add a new twist to the Odd Couple scenario. Instead of just throwing together two incompatible people, as so many movies have already [...]

Someone, somewhere still thinks Jessica Simpson is a bankable product. But with declining music sales, a long forgotten reality television show and not ever actually having much in the way of a hit movie, I’m not so sure that individual still has a job. That’s because her latest feature, Blonde Ambition, has had perhaps the [...]

I’ll admit it, when I was a youth I watched the 1980′s Saturday morning cartoon the Alvin and the Chipmunks movie is based upon. Don’t ask why, I’m still trying to understand what would have compelled me to watch it (I’d like to know why I watched the Smurfs also). But based on old habits, [...]

Can you believe American Pie was released nearly ten years ago? Since then the franchise has seen two theatrical sequels and two direct-to-DVD offerings. Later this month, a third Blockbuster special is slated to hit the shelves – American Pie Presents: Beta House. Read on to determine if this movie even remotely holds a candle [...]

A Christmas movie in early November? That’s almost like having a Halloween movie released in August. If I didn’t know any better I’d think the Hollywood marketing machine had lost their concept of time. But since I know they haven’t, my guess is that they wanted to start the movie buzz early and get a [...]

I promised myself I would never watch another movie with Dane Cook in it again. I begged, pleaded and insisted that Hollywood not allow him to star in another movie after I reviewed his last monstrosity Good Luck Chuck. But just like my wife and kids, they don’t listen to me. He’s back in Dan [...]

Oh how I wish I were a young man again. In case you haven’t heard, there’s a new trend sweeping the nation. Sex clubs, united young men with older women are all the rage. If you’re a young man, there can be no better teacher than an experienced woman. Trust me. So, as with all [...]

The Darjeeling Limited is the latest irreverent family/self discovery movie by Wes Anderson. You may remember he’s the creative force behind other offbeat movies likeThe Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Sticking with his modis operandi, Anderson picks another unusual place to host his vision – a passenger train traveling across India. [...]

That’s it. I can’t stand it anymore. The Comebacks is the final straw that broke this camel’s back. I am now officially decreeing that the era of the parody movie is over. It is dead. All remaining screenplays are to be set afire and their ashes shall be dumped in six indiscriminate locations. Any individual [...]

Remember David Schwimmer? Sure you do, he was the annoying guy on Friends who got to hook up with Rachel (it’s Ross, if you’re having trouble following along). Well since his acting gigs have mostly dried up, he’s decided to try his hand at directing. His first foray into this uncharted territory for him is [...]

The last good twisted movie (in my humble opinion) from the Farrelly brothers was seven years ago with their feature Me, Myself and Irene. True they had a few movies in between then and now, but they’ve been lackluster and relatively safe. Since then a new kid with an equally deranged mind and a desire [...]

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has some broad shoulders. The question is whether they’re broad enough to hold afloat a movie like The Game Plan. It’s a movie type in which many have tried to succeed in (Hulk Hogan in Mr. Nanny and Vin Diesel in The Pacifier come to mind) and failed. There’s a general [...]

Damn, my ass hurts. A lot. No it’s not from sitting in an uncomfortable seat at the theater for 96 minutes to watch Good Luck Chuck. It’s from being raped repeatedly by those who would release a hunk of shit movie like this and disguise it as an off-the-cuff romantic-comedy. That’s right, Good Luck Chuck [...]

Lying, it’s the way of the world. You’ve got to be good at it if you’re going to succeed in today’s society (sorry God). Children lie to their parents if they think it will get them out of trouble. How many times has little Johnny pointed the finger at his younger brother for breaking something? [...]

You’ll have excuse when I say I don’t get my hopes up when I go to see comedies starring members of the Saturday Night Live cast. Too often the movie is beyond stupid and they always try way too hard to be funny (case in point, Hot Rod). So sucking it up in the name [...]

Everyone has had a teacher or two they hated. Mine was the high school gym teacher, Mr. Hastings. He was a hairy, squat man with rotten teeth and breath that could melt a steel I-beam. He had no idea what the hell he was doing, so he’d just make the class do mundane exercises while [...]

Sometimes movies look so much better on paper and storyboards rather than on an actual reel of film. Such is the case with Shoot ‘Em Up. It is every writer’s wet dream, a movie light on plot, dialogue and substance; heavy on nonstop action, including incredible gun and knife fights, car chases, aerial battles and [...]

Usually parody films are a successful endeavor (the original Scary Movie and Not Another Teen Movie are examples) because they’re easy to make. For the most part the story is already constructed, so all the writers have to do is come up with funny filler material and their off to the races. Coupling that with [...]

With a bit of time to kill, I figured I’d get another limited release, independent picture watched and reviewed before it hits the DVD shelves in September. This time the victim, I mean movie, is The TV Set and the initial looks are promising. It’s directed by Jake Kasdan and produced by none other than [...]

I love screeners. It affords me the ability to see movies I would never get around to viewing. Case in point: Closing Escrow. If it were not for the package FedExed to me a month or so ago, not only would I have not gone to see it, I would have had no idea it [...]

Going into Superbad, I expected an edgier coming to age type of movie, in which a couple of dorks get the girls of their dreams all while learning the importance of not becoming something other than who they are. Very quickly however, I realized this was not going to be your ordinary teen angst comedy [...]

This is definitely the year of trilogies. Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End started the summer season off. Now Rush Hour 3 hits the silver screen and I must say, I’m a bit surprised by this release — after all it’s been six years since Rush Hour 2 [...]

Trash comes in many forms. In 2003, it came in the form of Daddy Day Care. Today, it comes in the form of it’s sequel Daddy Day Camp. How do I know it’s garbage? Simple, when the star of the first movie (Eddie Murphy), or hell anyone from the first movie passes on the script, [...]

After a long hiatus from the silver screen, Lorne Michaels and his SNL Studios are once again backing a few of his Saturday Night Live comics in a feature presentation. More often than not, these forays into the unknown produce dismal movies (see The Ladies Man and Superstar) that become minor hits thanks to Blockbuster [...]

Here we go again. We just don’t get it. Once again we’re giving every country in the world another reason to hate the United States. No, we didn’t start another ill-founded war or take advantage of another poverty stricken region. No, this time we’re glorifying our excesses with the adolescent flick Bratz: The Movie. For [...]

Just a week or so ago, I reviewed the movie I Could Never be Your Woman. At the end of the review I mentioned I didn’t think any good romantic comedies were on the horizon. Well, guess what. I was wrong. One has indeed popped up and slapped me in the face. I’m not exactly [...]

Feeling old? Need a feel good about yourself, quirky kind of movie to raise your spirits? Never fear, Hollywood claims they have something for you (don’t they always?). It comes in the form of the upcoming film: I Could Never Be Your Woman. Will it help you to put the bottle of scotch and sleeping [...]

18 years since its FOX premiere (19 or 20 if you count the spots on “The Tracey Ullman Show“), America’s favorite dysfunctional family comes to the silver screen in none other than The Simpsons Movie. I’d, at most, call myself a casual fan of the cartoon — I haven’t watched it religiously for many, many [...]

Leave to Adam Sandler and his Happy Madison Productions production company to find another ridiculous premise to bring to the cinema. Instead of a retarded football player (The Waterboy), a freaky little man-whore (Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo) or a morally corrupt child actor (Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star) we get male fire fighters pretending to [...]

Hairspray is an updated compilation of the John Waters classically campy film and the award winning Broadway musical (both of the same name). And while I very much liked the original (at least what I can recall of it), I had my reservations about the remake. That’s because remakes usually suck. Thankfully, from the moment [...]

I’m sure I’ve said it before somewhere — I may be the biggest fan of teen angst movies. Yeah, they’re not going to win any awards, but as I get older, I love reliving my youth through them. It’s a small pleasure. Plus, they usually have lots of naked girls running around in them. That’s [...]

For all intents and purposes, License to Wed should have been just one of many romantic comedies released to little fanfare this summer. Nothing spectacular about it. But someone (the director, Ken Kwapis) got the bright idea to cast Robin Williams in a lead role. “Why?“, I plead, “What have I done to deserve this?” [...]

C’mon guys, you know it’s happened to you. You cried over the break-up with your first girlfriend. I’m guessing it happened to me as well, I just don’t remember it. My wife says I’m devoid of feelings — an emotional black hole, if you will — so there is a very good possibility that I [...]

Hot off the heels (if you call 4 years later a quick turnaround) of the successful Bruce Almighty, Hollywood brings to us Evan Almighty.This time however, instead of Jim Carrey carrying the load, the baton has been handed off to the new funny man of cinema – Steve Carell. Unfortunately, the baton was dropped during [...]

Pixar and Disney are back. This time instead of talking dolls (Toy Story), talking fish (Finding Nemo) or talking cars (Cars), we’ve got talking rats. That’s right, those cute and cuddly carriers of the Bubonic Plague are the main characters in Ratatouille! Can Pixar transform rats into an animal that’s sweet and caring? Read on, [...]

Lo and behold! Another third installment has hit the theaters! I barely recollect that there was an Ocean’s Eleven or that a sequel Ocean’s Twelve was made. So you can imagine my surprise when I’m suddenly smacked in the face by Ocean’s Thirteen. So here’s to hoping I can enjoy this movie without having had [...]

Yeah, I know. I’m late to the game — everyone one calling themselves a critic has seen and reported on Knocked Up already. Each and everyone one of them has seemingly given it rave reviews too. They also all gave shiny, glowing reviews to Hostel: Part II and we all know how wrong they got [...]

I usually avoid reviewing movies that go straight to the video counter at the local Blockbuster. There’s a reason they don’t get a theatrical release and why I don’t waste my time watching them — 98% of the time they suck ass. But with a little downtime and the need for a mindless teen movie [...]

Chalk up number three of the summer. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End has arrived in theaters and knocked out the oh-so endearing Shrek the Third from it’s elevated position as the weekend top grosser. But isn’t that what we expected to happen? After all, our lovable ogre lost a great deal of his [...]

I’ve been fired from a few jobs in my 36 years of life. There was this time I got canned from Tile City for ‘purposely’ breaking ceramic tiles. There was another time I was escorted off of a construction site for cursing off the foreman. It was so bad I was removed from the IBEW! [...]

Here it is. The second of the most anticipated movies of the summer is here. No, I’m not talking about Gracie. I’m talking about Shrek the Third. If the title didn’t give it away, it’s the third installment of the animated juggernaught — the first being aptly titled Shrek and the second even more aptly [...]

I’ve finally gotten around to watching the Reno 911!: Miami screener that’s been sitting on a bookshelf for the past couple of months. I’d been meaning to watch it for the longest time, yet time after time that little thing called responsibility kept creeping in. Screw the lawn. To hell with the job. I can [...]

Jesus help me. I believe I may have just committed a cardinal sin — I watched another Jamie Kennedy movie. I would have thought I learned my lesson when I saw Malibu’s Most Wanted, Jamie Kennedy’s first foray into acting like a black guy (or a wigger to some). Shame on me though, because just [...]

Hot Fuzz is the highly anticipated movie from the team of Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg that created Shaun of the Dead. Whereas Shaun twisted and made light of the zombie genre, Hot Fuzz pokes fun at the cop buddy movie made so famous by movies like Lethal Weapon and Rush Hour. All I can [...]

Several years ago, I managed to catch an episode or two of a UK show titled Mr. Bean during the wee hours of the morning. It was certainly no match for shows like The Benny Hill Show or Coupling but I did find it mildly amusing (this may have been caused by the hour of [...]

Will Ferrell is at again. Once more we have him playing a buffoon character toppled from the heights of fame and power. It’s his bread and butter and he’ll continue to push this shit out until it becomes unpopular. As a matter of fact, just last year Ferrell squeezed out Talladega Nights: The Ballad of [...]

Chris Rock — just what the doctor ordered. Great crossover appeal (I’m a white guy and he doesn’t appear threatening) and funny as fuck. This guy has to be one of the funniest guys in America and he seemly vanished into thin air. Until now that is. In his second directing gig, he drops I [...]

Has it really been 14 years since the freaky, full-sized, mutant turtles graced us with the presence on the silver screen? Yeppers, the last time I saw them it was in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (I’m not counting television cartoons or straight-to-DVD titles). I’m obviously out of the loop since a great deal of [...]

It’s been awhile since a zombie movie offered us something different. Usually, the movie will focus on a band of people trying like hell to survive an onslaught of flesh hungry living dead. While still the same premise Dawn of the Dead reinvigorated the genre with updated special effects and surprisingly mobile zombies. Shaun of [...]

How many of us have wanted to drop everything on our plates and head out into the sunset, into the unknown, without a care in the world? I for one have – hell I’ve actually done it (when I was much much younger) and recommend everyone give it a try. It definitely replenishes the tank. [...]

I’m a sissy, I’ll admit it. I have a girlie spot located in my abdomen somewhere for cheesy, lovey-dovey chick flicks. Especially the feel good ones starring Mr. Blowjob himself – Hugh Grant. It started with Four Weddings and a Funeral so many years ago and although it seems no one cares it’s been released, [...]

Well, I guess it’s time to see what the Hollywood hype machine has been pushing down my throat for months now. Norbit is a movie that lays out the life of a puny, pussy-whipped guy and his fat-as-fuck, overbearing wife. It is the latest Eddie Murphy comedy, in which, you guessed it – he plays [...]

It’s time for a feel-good, self-discovery movie. This time, however, our Hollywood friends have decided that the female lead usually given to Sandra Bullock, Renée Zellweger or Meg Ryan will go to Jennifer Garner. I guess they figured they needed a fresh face to attach to this comedy/romance; just like adding an air freshener to [...]

Well, I had hoped that the comedy parody movies had ended with Scary Movie 2, as it was the last time I saw a funny movie of this type.  But then they went ahead and clubbed me like a baby seal and came out with 2 more in the franchise and then the unspeakably bad Date [...]

After a hard week of working around the house, I definately needed some downtime. And what better way to enjoy some rest and relaxation than to sit back with an ice cold beer and watch the latest comedy romp starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson – Night at the Museum? The story certainly seemed funny [...]

With the memory of 2002′s Van Wilder still swirling in my head – okay not really swirling, but every now and again I think of that scene where the frat guy (Daniel Cosgrove) is eating the doughnuts filled with dog semen. And each time I think of it, a freaky chill runs up my spine [...]

Rock operas. What are they and what do they want from us? First part of the question is easy – they’re albums or movies told in the form of song – although an album is generally considered a concept work (at least that is my interpretation of them). I’m not entirely sure what the answer [...]

From the demented mind of Sacha Baron Cohen comes some remarkable characters like Ali G. (a wannabe gangsta), Brüno (a flamboyant faggot) and, of course Borat — a sexist, anti-Semite from Kazakhstan. The genius of these characters is the ability to allow Cohen to poke fun at, while “seriously” interviewing, people of all responsibilities (politicians, [...]

Ah, just what the doctor ordered. Another excuse to watch our favorite buxomed blonde, Jessica Simpson, try to do something else she has no right to do. That’s right boys and girls, I mean acting. After all we already know she can’t sing or dance. Employee of the Month is aware of her shortcomings, so [...]

There are many individuals in this great big world of ours that I just don’t get. Those tree-hugging, liberal faggots; those war-mongering right-wing douchebags; folk singers; those fuckwad animal conservatory guys on the Discovery Channel, et al. People I really don’t understand are those fucking insane thrill seekers who will literally do anything for a [...]

Ahhh, the glorious days of college. Who could forget them? It’s when most men try and sleep with as many girls as possible, and for girls to find their future husbands. It’s when most men drink til they puke and when girls drink to forget about sleeping with your fat ass. Unfortunately for me, I [...]

NASCAR. Who doesn’t love it? Seeing as it is the fastest growing “sport” in the nation, my guess is most everyone is loving it these days. To capitalize upon this, NASCAR authorized the making of Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby a comedy which stars Will Ferrell as, you guessed it, Ricky Bobby, a [...]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Johnny Depp is one of the best actors of this generation – even if I have to look past the fact he resides in that shit infested country France. I don’t think there has been a movie starring Mr. Depp that I haven’t found entertaining on [...]

Can there be anything wrong with the tried and true plot of having your dopey, unemployed (add any other adjectives needed here) friend move into your house only to overstay his/her welcome? Guess not, as there have been hundreds of these types of movies released through the years. The question remaining now is – does [...]

Let’s see – Sunday night, family is asleep and there isn’t anything on the boob tube worth my time. What to do? You guessed it; waste 95 minutes of my time on a spoofy, silly comedy. I figured after a dump truck load of shit has fallen on my head this past week, I could [...]

I was 22 years old when Clerks hit the local cineplex. It was watching this movie that created the obnoxious man you see today. A man loosely based on Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson), the quick-witted, foul-mouthed asshole and Jay (Jason Mewes), the dim-witted, stoner. So without question, I had to see whether the characters that [...]

It’s been awhile since we’ve reviewed a movie starring Adam Sandler. Been even longer since we’ve actually looked forward to a movie starring Adam Sandler. But believe it or not, I was actually interested in watching Click. Perhaps I was hoping for comedy genius to strike again for him (see Waterboy or Happy Gilmore) – [...]

Ah, the child in me resurfaces just in time to watch the latest offering from Pixar and Disney. Usually, the inner child shines through after drinking like a NYC hobo, but this time it was in anticipation of Cars. I love being a kid! This time around, the story revolves around a egotistical race car [...]

Again, I find myself drawn to one of those lovey-dovey movies that Hollywood simply adores. And more often then not, I find myself scratching my ass wondering what in the hell I was thinking. Guess what – this is another one of those times; but not for the reasons you might think. The Break-Up from [...]

Womans gymnastics. Can there be a sport where the competitors are in as good of shape? Volleyball, perhaps. Figure skating, that’s a possibilty too. But there can be no doubt that the only reason anyone watches the Olympics is to watch girls in peak physical condition do amazing things with their bodies. With that said, [...]

With a moment to kill, I sat back with a cold Yuengling, a box of Wheat Thins and a jar of peanut butter and watched the latest Wayans brothers offering: Scary Movie 4. Now as always I try and be fair and watch all movies with an open mind – no preconceived notions here. There [...]

While the wife and children slept today and after the final conference call I cleared a bit of time to watch The Benchwarmers. This is the latest offering from our good friends at Happy Madison (Adam Sandler’s production company), and it shouldn’t be much of a surprise when I tell you the movie was utter [...]

Everyone, including myself, likes a good romantic comedy every now and then. After watching a few of the trailers for Failure To Launch, I figured it was that time. Failure To Launch is basically like all the romantic comedies before it. Good looking man (this time played by Matthew McConaughey) has a phobia or quirk [...]

After a long week of air travel, conference calls and children who feel the need to jump up and down on my head, I needed a break. So, figuring I had laughed my ass off at the spoof movie, Scary Movie, I looked foward to laughing my ass off at Date Movie. Boy, I couldn’t [...]

With a few hours to kill during this long weekend (thanks MLK Jr.), I figured I’d sit back with a cold beer and watch a good old fashioned comedy. Waiting . . . is another movie based loosely off of the Animal House, Office Space mold. You can’t fuck up a movie like that! Or [...]

Hip hip hooray! Hip hip horray! I’ve waited patiently for a good comedy to come along and make me laugh. And since Hollywood hasn’t done much of a job coming out with anything worthwhile for quite sometime, I decided to pin my hopes on gut-wrenching adolescent humour on The 40 Year Old Virgin. I wasn’t [...]

Let’s see, Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo was a mildly funny movie. So I expected Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo to be a rehash of the first. . .same type of jokes, same premise, etc. Guess what? I was right. Plain and simple Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo just isn’t that funny this time around. The man-whore, mangina, [...]

Finally! A movie that I was actually interested in seeing. Why? Three reasons really. One: Bad News Bears is quite a good movie and I think a well done remake couldn’t hurt it. Two: Billy Bob Thornton. Three: Billy Bob Thornton. . .oh yeah I said that one already. The premise of this masterpiece, is [...]

Well let’s see. . .why oh why, would I bother to watch The Dukes of Hazzard? Oh yeah, same reason it’s the number one movie in the land: Jessica Simpson. Every man in the country is flocking to the movie in hopes of catching a glimpse of Ms. Simpson’s tits and ass. . . and [...]

What an absolutely great idea for a movie! Wedding Crashers chronicles the lives of two womanizers as they lie, connive and trick unsuspecting girls into removing their clothing and partaking in some hot loving. And who better to play the parts of the dirtbags than, Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn. Well that all sounds good, [...]

Hmmm. . .Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in the same movie. Arguably, the two best looking actors in the world. Initial thoughts? Mr. & Mrs. Smith has to suck. When the media focuses on the couple after filming the movie goes downhill. . .remember that shitfest Gigli? So needless to say, I didn’t go into [...]

Let me start this review by saying Will Ferrell is a funny motherfucker. He single handedly made Saturuday Night Live funny and all the recent movies he’s been in (Elf, Old School, Anchorman) were funny as hell. So I knew to expect the same from Kicking & Screaming. Will Ferrell plays a father who unexpectedly [...]

DON’T PANIC. Every fan of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy trilogy (actually 5 books) were overheard repeating DON’T PANIC. Even I wondered aloud if the the big screen could even remotely capture the essence of the written material. Let’s just say I was pleasantly surprised. This could have easily been a train wreck…luckily Douglas [...]

With the mildly surprising success of Miss Congeniality, Hollywood and Sandra Bullock figured why not pump out a sequel and hope for similar results. What do they get? Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous. A mildly entertaining movie (of course). Ms. Bullock reprises her role as FBI agent Gracie Hart. The dressed down, seemly stupid [...]

I went into this movie knowing full well D.E.B.S. was going to be a close second to that shitfest Elektra. But, I had to take a chance on chicks with short skirts, thigh highs, and the chance of lesbian make-out scenes. I’m a man, damnit! However low my expectations were, I was still disappointed! D.E.B.S., [...]

Every once in a while a movie comes along starring Will Smith that has the look of being good. Every once in a while that movie will actually be good. I am pleased to say that Hitch falls into the latter category. As you can tell I’m not a big fan of Will Smith. He [...]

Maybe you were like me and saw the hundreds of trailers on the television outlining a funny, good-hearted family film. Maybe you thought that movie had the possibility of being quite funny. What movie am I talking about? The Pacifier of course. I’ll admit it, in some confusing way, I was looking forward to seeing [...]