The craps-shooting, comedy caper, The House, is a bad gamble for former “Saturday Night Live” alums Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler. The betting windows tell a tepid tale of strained, transparent chuckles in this limp-minded, suburban satire that rolls the so-called humor dice to no avail. The mixture of collegiate financial desperation, spoof-inspired small-time mobsters,…
Not since 2009’s “Up” has Pixar Animation Studios/Walt Disney Pictures fashioned a clever, emotional, family-friendly film that could be embraced by children and adults alike; one that has not only a heart and brain, but a conscience, as well. After commercially-successful and Oscar-winning — but bland and unfulfilling — features such as “Brave” and “Big…
I’ve always sworn there were little people roaming aimlessly around the brains of my brother’s children. With their animated feature, Inside Out, Pixar Animation Studios has finally put a face to them. And a color. And funny shaped bodies. Swirling around the head of a young girl names Riley, these emotional embodiments guide and help…
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…
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…
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…
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…
