What I loved about 1997’s “Men in Black” was it embraced its own corniness. The aliens were over-the-top and blew up like Jello molds; the sets had a distinct comic book feel to them; and the story balanced workplace comedy with fantastical backdrops. The style worked, propelling the film to financial and critical greatness. But…
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…
