While it’s hard enough to make a successful comedy when more than half of the country does not understand the premise; it’s just as difficult to do so when the much of that film’s subjects concern gangs, drive-by shootings and murder. Yes, getting killed can sure put the kibosh on one’s funny bone. Still, the…
There is something satisfying about five thirty-something men going into an afternoon screening of an animated “children’s” film that features talking animals, and noting other audience members of a similar age. That was my experience of Zootopia (re-named “Zootropolis” in the UK), as myself and four friends of a similar age found ourselves in a…
You’ve probably been through it: You’ve just managed to make your way through your pockets and reached six to seven quarters in the midst of keys and keychains and used gum wrappers, get them into the coin slot of the vending machine, anticipating with your wet tongue the promised relief of your favorite snack when…
Nostalgically, the baby-boomer generation that had grown up with two-time Oscar winning actress Sally Field (“Norma Rae,” “Places in the Heart”) will identify and sympathize with her quirky turn as the sixty-something working stiff Doris Miller trying to fit into a youth-oriented world while pursuing love and companionship in co-writer/co-producer/director Michael Showalter’s ambitious but uneven…
The problem with modern comedies is, well, most just aren’t funny. They take ridiculous, over-the-top situations (which is not entirely bad unto itself), but add a healthy dose of violence, profanity and toilet humor. In the case of a self-parody or genre-bending tale like “This Is the End,” these ingredients usually work; for something like…
For the sake of curiosity, the only selling point that angsty indie drama One More Time appears to boast is its depiction of Christopher Walken and Amber Heard of all people as father and daughter. That’s an odd pairing right there and while Walken’s shtick is one of the most famous in the business, he’s…
If you’re a fan of young adult comedies give this film a try, but if you’re not, you are not missing anything by deciding to steer clear.
