Talladega Nights
"Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby", although I think it was meant to be a parody of a race care hero, turns out to be a pretty straight forward look, with funny twists, at the world of Nascar and it racers and scores a C+...
"Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" works because the characters surrounding the star, and co-writer Will Farrell are interesting, likable, and funny without overtly trying too hard to be. Being a moderate Will Farrell fan, I welcomed the very good cast who rounded out the ensemble who seemed to be having a lot of fun with their characters. The highpoint is the thrilling Nascar racing sequences that put you right up front from the high speed laps around racetracks to the organized chaos of the racing pits!
The story opens with young Ricky Bobby and how he was born in the back of a speeding Chevy, with his first words as a toddler being: "I wanna go fast." As Ricky (Will Farrell) reaches manhood his passion for speed is still there and is working as part of a pit crew on the Nascar circuit. As luck would have it, Ricky gets a big break when their regular team driver (with a real attitude about his job as a driver) decides to take an extended break during a pit stop. Ricky drives the car and with his unorthodox style of driving wins the race! Ricky Bobby keeps on winning and the sponsors are flocking to be a part of his success. Ricky has it all, winning records, countless corporate sponsors and endorsement deals, a big house, a driveway full of cars and boats, a very hot wife Carley (Leslie Bibb), two trash-talking young sons named Walker and Texas Ranger (Houston Tumlin and Grayson Russell), and his loyal best friend Cal Naughton, Jr. (the always brilliant John C. Reilly). It's plain to us that the winning team of Ricky and Cal is the reason why Ricky wins. Cal and Ricky Bobby nickname each other "Shake" and "Bake," to emphasize their partnership (Cal positions his car to help his team's star driver slingshot to victory). The catch phrase is also the irritant to their closest competitor, a gay French nemesis Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen). Girad is a real hoot! He's a Gitanes-smoking, Camus-reading racer in the Perrier car, while Cal's car is Wonder Bread, and Ricky's is Old Spice. Running out of places to put sponsor logos, Ricky Bobby even sells his windshield to Fig Newtons. To add to the chaos world of Ricky Bobby, enter his long missing, beer-drinkin', pot-smokin' dad Reese Bobby (Gary Cole)!
Additional cast with standout performances include Amy Adams, who is delightfully sexy as Ricky Bobby's assistant, Susan. And the young actors who play Ricky's two sons, Houston Tumlin as Walker and Grayson Russell as Texas Ranger (hilarious names for kids!) are inspired! Other smaller standout performance are Molly Shannon as the team owner's always buzzed wife, and Michael Clark Duncan as the pit-crew chief add a nice flavor to the movie!
Director Adam McKay (who co-wrote the script with Will Farrell) has a firm control on the big cast and the exciting Nascar racing sequences to deliver an entertaining, funny, and insightful look at the world of Ricky Bobby and the Nascar circuit! The racing scenes are convincingly photographed by Oliver Wood, who filmed both the "Bourne Conspiracy" and the "Bourne Supremacy" movies, is good at shooting action with automobiles. The CGI-assisted camera movements that take you from above the track down into the car, is what one would see in an action/drama movie makes them eerily funny in "Talladega Nights"! I laughed out loud a lot more than I expected, which is what comedy is really all about!
Grade: C+
John Tucker Must Die", directed by Betty Thomas, aims right the Junior High/High School niche group and scores a C...
"My Super Ex-Girlfriend", is good old fashion fun at the movies and scores a C+...
Written and directed by Kevin Smith, "Clerks II," the follow-up to his 1994 cult classic about two indolent, overeducated, underemployed cashiers, has a lot more maturity and earns a C...
"You, Me and Dupree", with its cast of veteran actors, manages to stay afloat and scores a C...
"Strangers With Candy" is a prequel to the critically acclaimed Comedy Channel TV series featuring Jerri Blank (Amy Sedaris), about a 46 year-old ex-junkie, ex-con that returns to school save her father and scores a C+...
"Little Man" has just the right amount of comedy and life messages from Wayans brothers Shawn and Marlon, and directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans and scores a C
I recently read an article about a technique some men use to end a relationship. Instead of a simple "It's not you, it's me," the men start behaving badly in order to drive their partner away. In theory, this provides a way to end a relationship without nasty arguments or bitterly hurt feelings. Once upon a time, I even considered using this technique, but ultimately decided against it. Too slimy, too dishonest.
The title of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang comes from Pauline Kael's declaration that those four words are the briefest description of the appeal of the movies as possible. Taking that into account you might imagine Shane Black's directorial debut to be a Hollywood satire, but instead it serves as a sly joke to the enlightened audience member, one of many breaches of the fourth wall. 
Nearly two years ago, a low budget indie named Napoleon Dynamite hit screens and quickly became the latest pop phenomenon to dominate the cultural consciousness of America’s youth, particularly those who don’t take film seriously (i.e. 95%). Writer-director Jared Hess effectively won a filmmaker’s lottery, having a hit that essentially guaranteed cart blanche for his next project. 
Fun With Dick and Jane is like a set of teeth with no mouth to move them. The film has all the proper equipment for a biting satire, but lacks the nerve to use them. Instead, it seems more concerned with making a bland, near-thoughtless vehicle for Jim Carrey to perform his tired maniac routine.
Possibly one of the stranger movies I've seen, this film breaks down human behavior and examines what make hairless apes tick, in a rather unique fashion. Tim Robbins plays a behavioral psychologist, Nathan, bent on teaching mice table manners, in an effort to deal with repressed issues related to his upbringing. Patricia Arquette plays nature writer, Lila, a talented mind with a unique body hair disorder, who falls for Nathan after being setup by Lila's electrolysis specialist. Things are dandy until they discover Puff (played by Rhys Ifans), a man raised in the woods as an ape. Nathan wants to study Puff, and teach him to be civilized, which leads to all manner of absurdity. Written by Charlie Kaufman, who also penned the brilliant Being John Malkovich, Human Nature examines what it means to be civilized in a wry comedic light. The DVD offers little in the way of special features, but the movie is definitely worth renting and may take more than one viewing to really grab all the nuances.
This movie goes out to all the kids with Coke-bottle glasses, to all you lonely kids who were the last picked in gym classes. Napoleon Dynamite wasn't clued-in enough to realize the 2 Skinnee J's were singing about guys like him and the director was clever enough to set the movie in a way that makes it simultaneously dated and current. You aren't really sure when the movie takes place, but you're positive it isn't right now. Napoleon is the dufus oblivious to how socially inept he really is while simultaneously harboring more cool than his shallow peers will ever be able to grasp. The movie plays out like a day-in-the-life experience of teenage love, life, and dissatisfaction, with a sub-plot of Napoleon's brother Kip and Uncle Rico trying get-rich-quick schemes on the local town's people, which is both a blessing and a curse for Napoleon. After befriending a Pedro, a new kid at school, Napoleon and the local Glamour Shots girl help Pedro in his bid for class president against the hottest girl in school. While there are moments in the movie where you may find yourself feeling sorry for Napoleon, there are other moments when the script is down right brilliant giving an almost reality show feel to the events on screen. This is the best Hollywood movie I've seen in a long time, even though it's pretending to be an indie flick. The deleted scenes were cut with good reason, but there are still a few clever moments to make the DVD more than just another way to distribute the movie.
Other than seeing reruns on cable and listening to Bob and Doug on their Great White North album, I missed SCTV completely. The few episodes I've seen are pure gold and this collection of nine 90 minute episodes is the mother lode. All episodes are drawn from the original season with Bob and Doug McKenzie, Yellowbelly, Lola Heatherton, and Johnny LaRue, as portrayed by the likes of John Candy, Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis, and Catherine O'Hara. Unlike SNL, which tends to deliver humor from below the belt line, the gang from Second City comes across as the North American answer to Monty Python. Commentary by Joe Flaherty and Eugene Levy provides perspective. Four new documentaries, including a memorial to John Candy, are a completely unnecessary bonus to send this collection over the top as the DVD boxed set to acquire in 2004 (the close runner up being Volume 2, due in September). If you know a fan of comedy, this is the perfect birthday gift to complete their DVD collection (mine's coming up on the 29th, thanks for asking).
A recently married couple (played by Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore) buys the house of their dreams; a duplex in Brooklyn. The upstairs unit is occupied by an elderly woman who has lived in the building for years. The woman seems nice at first, but gradually wears down the patience of the new homeowners. My description doesn't really do the story justice, but I don't want to ruin the punch line. Duplex is another installment in the growing collection of comedies directed by Danny Devito. If you've ever had a neighbor you didn't like, you'll find some pleasure in this film. The story unfolds in a dark and increasingly disturbing yet absurd way, not unlike The Cable Guy. The DVD offers a behind the scenes featurette and deleted scenes which were deservingly removed from the final edit.
The DVD of Matchstick Men caught my eye at the video store the other day because I noticed that Ridley Scott was the director. With his recent trend toward bloody movies I was surprised to see him directing what looked like a quirky comedy. Upon further inspection I became more intrigued because one of the special features is a look into Hollywood feature filmmaking called "Tricks of the Trade." As a former film student, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see one of Hollywood's premier directors taking viewers through the aspects of film production. The story of Matchstick men follows small-time obsessive-compulsive con artist Roy (Nicholas Cage), whose life is complicated by the newly found fact that he has a 14-year-old daughter that wants to be a part of his life. The story continues thorough a series of cons and finishes with a surprise ending. In all, the film was entertaining and a welcome change from Scott's more recent trend in filmmaking. The "Tricks of the Trade" feature provides a general overview of the pre-production, production, and post-production processes on Matchstick Men. It includes topics such as casting, wardrobe selection, location scouting, scoring, etc. and should be a worthwhile watch for anyone remotely interested in the process of filmmaking.
Released in 2003, this is possibly one of the best underground films ever released on the Miramax label. Mark Hamill directs and stars as a high school teacher and world's foremost expert on the Commander Courage comic book. Hamill's character, Donald Swan is hired by a movie production house to consult on their upcoming Commander Courage movie, joining the film producers on an adventure to the largest comic book convention in the U.S. Hamill is absolutely hilarious, he's obviously studied many of the fans from Star Wars conventions past, as he blends in as Donald Swan almost too perfectly. Swan comes off as both naive and genuine, at times making you forget Comic Book is staged and not a true documentary. The movie stars many movie and comic book heroes (of the writer/artist variety), which makes viewing a treat on many levels. Tons of bonus material, including interviews with Stan Lee and Hugh Hefner, make this a must have addition to any geeks collection of DVDs.
Where has the Hollywood of the 1970's gone? You know, the Hollywood that used dialogue and plot to sell tickets, instead of explosions and alien creatures. Billy Wilder directed many of my favorite movies from cinema past, including Double Indemnity, Sabrina, the Apartment, and Some Like it Hot. The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes was done late in Wilder's career, offering a less-than-serious look at Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famed sleuth. Robert Stephens as Holmes and Colin Blakely's portrayal of Watson are quite possibly the best cinematic recreation of the detective duo, despite this being an unofficial account. The story has all the beauty of a film noir, with Wilder's touch guiding the story to almost perfection as Holmes assists Madame Valladon in the search for her husband.
As his chosen sacrifice during Lent, Matt (Josh Hartnett) elects to deprive himself of any physical gratitude that might appeal to his attraction to women, in an effort to get over an ex-girlfriend he's been recklessly trying to forget. After learning of Matt's resolution, his friends begin betting on how long he'll last. Things become more complicated when Matt meets Erica (Shannyn Sossamon) at the local laundromat, with the two developing an immediate attraction. Plenty of sophomoric comedy follows, with the bettors trying to trip up Matt's resolve as Matt and Erica fall deeper in love. While this is a far cry from being a deep story, and much of the comedy is fairly predictable, it makes for entertaining viewing, offering up plenty of laughs for anyone who's ever been in a relationship. The story is definitely larger than life, presenting caricatures of people we've all known at some point in our lives, without really giving us characters anyone can identify with. Most certainly a renter, not a keeper, there's not even anything meaningful in the commentary track - just mindless blather from people who seem to be dialing in their discussion.
Speaking directly to those of us who have collected comics at some point in our lives, this is one of the darker comedies I've seen in recent memory. The story centers around two rival comic shop owners, played cleverly against each other when a rumor surfaces about the "ultimate collection" residing in the home of an eccentric old woman. Each shop owner has their reasons for wanting to get their hands on the collection; Norman (Michael Rappaport) and his wife Judy (Natasha Lyonne) want it for the money, the other, Raymond, (played by Donal Logue) for the prestige of making such a rare discovery. Stuck in the middle is Archie (DJ Qualls), who sincerely wants to help his friend Raymond acquire the collection, but doesn't agree with the methods either shop owner is employing to persuade the old woman. Things turn thoroughly dark as the woman refuses to sell. Much of the humor will be lost on anyone not aware of the comic book world. The characters are gross exaggerations of stereotypical types circulating on both side of the retail counter. Although, if you've ever been a serious collector of anything, I'm sure you could relate to this story on some level. The DVD lacks special features, but considering the limited theatrical release, being able to have access to this movie at all is something of a treat.
For completely different reasons, I'm certain that parents everywhere have uttered a variation of this title in relation to a guy in a padded purple costume. This movie, centered around Rainbow Randolph (Robin Williams) and Smoochy the Rhino (Edward Norton), may be about children's show hosts, but it is most definitely not for children. Playing off the assumed corruption that exists behind the scenes of children's TV, we find Rainbow Randolph ousted from his prime TV spot for accepting a bribe, only to be replaced by the straight and narrow Smoochy. A corrupt non-profit turns up the heat, giving the show enough drama to make the humor work. Hearing Norton perform the children's classic Old MacDonald Had a Farm, with the words changed to relate to patients in a methadone clinic is worth the rental fee for this movie alone - in fact, all his songs are reasonably funny. The deleted scenes show just how disturbing the movie could have been, making it obvious that Danny Devito, as director, showed some intelligent restraint. If you've ever known a child in love with a purple dinosaur, you'll appreciate this movie on several levels; even if you haven't, it's still funny in an absurd way.
I ran across this movie quite by accident at Blockbuster last week and walked away from the viewing pleasantly surprised. The story focuses on Johnny Twennies - news reporter; a modern guy who, for reasons unexplained in the film, lives his life as if he were in 1930's movies. The opening scene, done in the style of a silent film, sets the stage for the entire surreal performance. Complete with dialogue that should have come from the mouth of Bing Crosby or a young Jimmy Stewart, Twennies waltzes through the film, taking opportunity to perform vintage song and dance numbers where appropriate, and showing up some modern day thugs that are trying to force him to write a story. The film is humorous because of the juxtaposition of cultures, but at the same time, it cleverly points out some evolutionary flaws in the way Americans deal with each other. You'll undoubtedly enjoy the movie, but I'm certain you'll want to rent before you buy.
Though I've been out of the corporate world for several years now, I still have a strong appreciation for anything poking fun at the absurdities of the office environment. Writer/Director Josh Kornbluth plays a fictional temp employee for a legal firm named Josh Kornbluth, who goes "perm" as a secretary at the firm, only to find himself longing for the world of the temp agency. Lawyer jokes and corporate oddities fill Kornbluth's narrative style of acting with enough material to keep you waiting for the next stereotypical office absurdity. Lighting and camera work help build the story, offering a "low budget feel" that seems as though Josh has let you in on his little office world with a behind-the-scenes movie. The DVD extras are on the sparse side, but if you're a fan of office comedy, you'll want to make this part of your collection anyway.
With a twist on the underdog-rises-to-the-top teen movie genre, The New Guy is definitely good for some laughs. Narrated by Eddie Griffin, in a manner similar to Tom Green's telling of Road Trip, we witness the transformation of Dizzy Gillespie Harrison, high school "blip" on the radar, into Gil Harris, high school hero. The slapstick antics and celebrity cameos keep things mildly amusing, making the viewer forget this is really just an after school special in disguise. DJ Qualls, playing Dizzy/Gil, is the only thing redeeming about this movie, lending his own quirky charm to an otherwise "me too" flick. The video for Simple Plan's "I'm Just a Kid" is the only extra even worth mentioning; even the outtakes in the credits are lacking. This is a good renter, after you've exhausted other options in the video store, but by no means should you waste money purchasing this movie.
Hollywood Trivia and Reviews
