Oh the Drama
Oh the Horror
Keep Me in Suspense
Feels like Sci-Fi
Isn't it Romantic
So-called Comedies
Western Unions
Comic Book Heroes
Kid Stuff
Fact not Fiction
Cinema Fantastico (Subtitles)
Just Seen
Honor Society (2022)
Honor is a high school senior, very smart—and very, very savvy. When
she learns her guidance counselor plans to recommend just one of his 4
favorites to Harvard, she’ll make it her mission to rise to the top of
that list—but in the process, will better the others, and herself. What
begins as fiendishly clever, isn’t—get ready to see every teen
stereotype turned on it’s ear. It’s smart as it is touching,
surprising, funny. I loved this. My grade: A Plus
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
In a small village in Ireland in 1923, Colm (Brendan Gleeson) tells
Padraic (Colin Farrell) he no longer wishes to be friends. But why?
Colin asks.“Because you’re dull. I’m sorry.” Soon the entire
town will know, and Colin’s hurt will ripple outward, affecting many in
this sweet, sad, funny, dark tale of woe. A wonderful cast and Barry
Keoghan (as the town scruff) steals the show. My grade: A Plus
Red Rocket (2021) “Do you have any work experience?” “Yes I’ve done 2000 films and won 6 awards!”
Mikey Saber is a washed up porn actor who returns to his redneck Texas
hometown, looking to start over. He’s going to learn the real world
isn’t some hilariously awful porn movie, but if he can con one young
woman… Raunchy, morally offensive & surprisingly good, this is
Midnight Cowboy in reverse.
I love A24 Films. My grade: A Plus
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
It’s 1969, and while rising star Sharon Tate traipses about Hollywood,
an insecure (but very talented) Leonardo DiCaprio struggles to stay in
the limelight and keep himself & friend/stuntman Brad Pitt
employed. Meanwhile, Charles Manson’s girls are in town so we know
what’s coming…OR DO WE. This is Quentin Tarantino’s Hollywood, and I just got my mind blown! My grade: A Plus
Renfield (2023)
After 100 years as Dracula’s servant, Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) wants
to be a good person again. He’ll get his chance when a cop (Awkafina)
tries to take down a crime family on her own and could use some help in
this spectacular, comedy horror gore-fest.
My God I loved this—and Nicholas Cage is fiendishly supreme as the evil, toothy vampyre. He is a genius, truly—and the Dark Master!
My grade: A
Brian and Charles (2022)
Brian is a quiet, eccentric bloke who likes to invent things like egg
belts and flying cuckoo clocks. His inventions fail of course, until he
finds a mannequin head and old washing machine, builds a robot and it
comes to life and says it’s name is Charles Petrascu. What the--!!
Absurd as it is dear as it is laugh out loud crying funny, this is Monty
Python with heart and soul. I LOVED this, what a wonderful watch. My grade: A
I Love My Dad (2022)
A once deadbeat dad, Patton Oswalt is desperate to reconnect with his
teenage son Franklin—so he creates an online persona using photos of a
young woman he met in a diner. But things go better than expected, as
his fragile son falls in love with this fictional young woman in a big
way.
Uh-oh. Played for laughs at the start (with some
cringe worthy moments) but always with kindness, the ensuing heartbreak
was very real. Have tissues ready.
My grade: A
8-Bit Christmas (2021)
Neil Patrick Harris’ 11 year old daughter wants a phone for Christmas.
She’s not getting one, but she WILL hear the story of when her dad was
11 in the Eighties and wanted a Nintendo from Santa. So did every other
kid, but alas—they were banned in his hometown. My God, this made me
laugh! With an impressive story and inspired casting, this was funny as
it was charming—I loved every kid in this goofy ass holiday treasure.
My grade: A
Instant Family (2018)
When Mark Wahlberg & Rose Byrne look into becoming foster
parents, they’re going to get a crash course in the foster care
program—and parenting—when they wind up with a teenage girl &
her 2 younger siblings. I was expecting much less than this, it’s funny
and fresh and well written (and I was howling when Mark & Rose
got excited about returning the kids and getting their old lives back).
It just made the ending feel all the more real and special.
My grade: A
Madame (2017)
Toni Collette & husband Harvey Keitel (of the uber-wealthy) are
planning a dinner party at their Paris chateau. Aghast she’ll have 13
guests at her table, Toni insists her (boxy, horsefaced) maid masquerade
as a guest.
“But Madame! I won’t know what to say!” Oh but she
will, the party’s a success—and someone important is smitten with her.
Funny but never absurd, this dramedy bristles with bite and wit
& charm. And now I am smitten too.
My grade: A
The Edge of
Seventeen (2016) 17 year old Nadine’s world is turned upside down
when she discovers Krista (her best friend since 2nd grade) is in
love with Nadine’s least favorite person—her “perfect” brother Darian. Feeling betrayed and alone, how will she face
the world on her own? With a brave &
funny defiance in this smart, heartfelt coming of age dramedy. The adult lingo surprised me, but it’s perfectly
cast and my gosh—exceptional. My
grade: A
The Meddler
(2016) After her husband
dies, a naive Susan Sarandon moves from Jersey to LA to be near her
daughter. This is my condo, this is my balcony, it’s like I live in Disneyland! But when she’s made to feel in the way… well,
Susan has plenty of time on her hands so who else needs her help? Nothing like I expected, this was touching,
dear, laugh out loud funny. I just can’t
believe how much I loved Susan Sarandon here, she’s wonderful. My grade: A
The Fundamentals of Caring (2016) Following
a family tragedy, Paul Rudd becomes a personal caregiver to a
dark-humored British boy with muscular dystrophy (Craig Roberts, from
'Submarine'!) This calls for a road trip, and soon Selena Gomez will
join these perverts. It's predictable from start to finish, and
charming & special every minute of the way.
My grade: A
The
Voices (2015) Jerry (Ryan Reynolds) is a warehouse worker,
affable, sweet. And unknown to his
coworkers, a former mental patient—which is why he takes direction from his
pets. But a new voice will be added to
the mix when Jerry gets up the nerve to ask out Fiona in accounting, and things
take a nightmarish turn. The humor’s as
black as a pool of blood, but what a demented gem this is—I loved it. Sing a happy song, sing a
happy song! My grade: A
People, Places, Things (2015) Jemaine
Clement (who is this guy, I love him) is a lumbering, befuddled teacher
& graphic artist who's wife leaves him--and he must learn to be
a single man again, and single dad (to a pair of awesome 6 year old twins) in this sometimes adult, often funny and
always sweet look at good but effed up folks. Can you tell I loved it?
My grade: A
Infinitely Polar Bear (2015) When
his estranged wife goes back to school, she asks caring but
bipolar Mark Ruffalo to move back in to raise their 2 daughters; is he
up to the challenge? Yes and no and yes again, in this terrific slice
of life set in 1978. It was a different world then, but when I
watched that little girl eating toast off a sword... sweet, goofy
& wonderful.
My grade: A
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) Ralph
Fiennes is magnifique as Monsieur Gustave, the persnickety (&
bit of an eel) concierge of this great European hotel. Set in 1930, he
and new lobby boy Zero are on the run after the death of a wealthy
heiress and a missing painting. At turns odd and dear, but always artful
and eccentric (and brimming with stars), every scene is a decadent
dessert. Start eating!
My grade: A
Don Jon (2013) Joseph
Gordon-Levitt is a Brooklyn bartender with his own pad, a sweet ride,
all the chicks he wants... and an addiction to online porn. And then he
finds a "real dime", Scarlett Johansson. (I love it when his father
meets her--"Jesus H Christ!") Will Joseph's habits change now that he's got
it made? Yes and no in this raunchy, wonderful coming of age story. My God I laughed! My grade: A
This Is 40 (2012) Paul
Rudd & Leslie Mann return as the couple with white man's
overbite from 'Knocked Up' in this funny look at the trials and
tribulations of kids, marriage and turning 40. A little longer (and
raunchier) than necessary but so what--I still laughed my ass off thru
most of it! My grade: A
Submarine (2011) Oliver
is a 15 year old in Wales; neurotic, dark and endearing, he types up
victim-pamphlets for bullied kids, monitors his parents lovemaking and
pines for Jordana, the girl with dark hair and eczema in his class. She
is his female counterpart. Will he save his parents from themselves and
get the girl? He must. Sweet, smart, biting, wonderful. My grade: A
God Bless America (2011) Frank
is a fiftysomething man with noisy neighbors and a growing intolerance
for the junking of American culture; so when he discovers he has a brain
tumor, he decides to end his life. But first, he'll kill the girl in
MTV's "My Sweet 16". Splattered in blood and not sorry one bit, this
black comedy is as brutal as they come and oh so brilliant. My grade: A
Bernie (2011) Jack Black (in his best performance yet) is Bernie Tiede, a small town
funeral director, choir singer & loved by everyone when he
befriends the mean but wealthiest woman in town (Shirley MacLaine) and
then kills her. Based on real events, this black comedy is nothing short
of just plain awesome. Love, love the townfolk! My grade: A
The Kids are All Right (2010) Annette Bening & Julianne Moore are a same sex couple who get
handed lemons when their kids track down their sperm-donor dad and try
to incorporate him into their lives. Both funny and very adult, and
Annette was brilliant throughout. I could've watched this family for
hours. My grade: A
I Love You, Man (2009) Very enjoyable bromance with Paul Rudd as a soon-to-be-married man with
a little problem: all his friends are women, so who can be his best
man? This was smartly done & I laughed out loud throughout--I
loved these guys! My grade: A
Irrational Man (2015) Emma
Watson is in love with her professor (Joaquin Phoenix); he's edgy
and cerebral & views life as a long, futile endeavor. That is,
until the day he's inspired to do something that will give his life
meaning... we'll get some dark, witty suspense courtesy of Woody
Allen. Look out, Emma! My grade: A-
Jules (2023)
Ben Kingsley leads a quiet life as an old man & widower in a small
Pa town. And then one night a flying saucer crashes into his backyard.
He calls 911, but they hang up on him—he tells a bored town council,
but is ignored. Hmm, says two old ladies with nothing better to do.
They’re all about to get the experience of a lifetime in this
senior-funny, gentle story. It’s dear & sweet.
My grade: B PlusQueenpins (2021)
When Kristen Bell writes General Mills about some stale Wheaties and is
sent a coupon for a free box, this Coupon Queen wonders what would
happen if she could get LOTS of these coupons--and sell 'em. Loosely
based on a true story, this is absurd as it is funny—especially with
postal inspectors Paul Walter Hauser & Vince Vaughn “hot on her
trail”, they seem to be the only ones taking all of this seriously.
Well, she did just buy a jet!
My grade: B Plus
The Perfect Date (2019)
Brooks is desperate to get into Yale; he has the grades, but needs
money & more to stand out from the crowd. So he and his best
friend develop an app The Stand-In, where he’ll be any date a girl wants. Listener? Check. Jock? Check. Art lover? Check. Douchebag (to rile the parents?) Haha, check.
But real people & real feelings will get in the way, in this
teen comedy that’s funny, smart & filled with heart. Boy I
really liked this one! My grade: B Plus
Second Act (2018) When Jennifer Lopez is passed over for manager
at Valu-Shop, her godson creates a killer resume for her and posts it
online—which gets her an offer from a big cosmetics company. Can she
pull it off? Of course, she’s JLo! But she was hired for
more than
her resume in this surprising, funny & dear dramedy. JLo’s the
star, but she lets others shine too (like Leah Remini, she’s
hilarious). It’s a great cast and some real comfort-food.
My grade: B Plus
All About Nina (2018)
Nina’s a popular (and very adult) NY comedian who keeps finding herself
in abusive relationships. Why? No one knows but her. (We’ll learn,
everyone will.) She decides to start over by moving to LA, but after
meeting and falling for Rafe—an attractive, decent man—and wrecking
things, will begin to question who she really is. She has a tough path
ahead, in this frank, very well written, very adult dramedy. Break a
leg Nina.
My grade: B Plus
Mindhorn (2017) Richard Thorncroft is a washed up
actor now, but in the ‘80s he was Bruce Mindhorn—British tv detective with a
lie detector eye that could “literally see the truth”. But when a deranged criminal in the present
demands Mindhorn, the police come calling—will he return to his fictional
role? Will he ever! Oh it’s silly stuff—with a Monty Python
slant and deadpan faces galore, I laughed from start to finish. Mindhorn, loved your jinga!
My grade: B Plus
While We’re Young (2015)
Ben Stiller & Naomi Watts are a childless fortysomething
couple, tired of their kid-happy friends, who get swept off their feet
by Adam Driver & Amanda Seyfried—a twentysomething hipster
couple who claim to be followers of Ben’s documentaries. But nothing’s
by accident when ambition & filming is involved, in this
low-key, cerebral dramedy that shifts off course sometimes but always
manages to find its way. It’s a witty watch.
My grade: B Plus
Obvious Child (2014)
A bookstore employee by day, a (Jewish) comedienne at night, Jenny
Slate is devastated when her boyfriend dumps her. She’ll have a one
night stand with Max, a nice guy she meets in a bar
—“He looks like Christmas!” and soon learns she’s pregnant. One abortion, please. But during her 2 week wait, will run into Max—again & again.
Arrgh! Should she tell him? As adult & sweet as it is hilarious, I love Jenny Slate!
My grade: B Plus
Black Dynamite (2009)
When ex-CIA agent and Kung Fu master Black Dynamite learns his brother
Jimmy is dead, he'll go after every jive turkey from the Society of
Pimps (I love Cream Corn) to evil Dr. Wu to "The Man" himself to avenge
his brother, save orphans from smack & keep sex in the ghetto in
this hilarious, done oh-so-right salute to 70's blaxploitation films.
Did I die and go to 1973 Black Heaven? Dynamite, you are out of sight
:)
My grade: B Plus
Whatever Works (2009) Boris (Larry David) is a self-proclaimed genius and one neurotic New
Yorker—the day he realized he had the perfect wife & apartment,
he jumped out the window. He’s alone now, teaches chess to the local
cretins; and then one night finds a runaway Southern belle on his stoop.
“Oh, the horror!” It’s an outrageous Woody Allen romp with a much too happy ending, but boy it made me laugh! My grade: B Plus
Strays (2023)
After Doug (Will Forte) abandons his dog in a city 3 hours away, little
Reggie (voiced by Will Farrell) will make friends with other strays,
who promise to help him find his way home—so he can bite Doug’s d—k
off. Done with real dogs antics, I enjoyed all the ad-libbing. It’s
silly but funny, often gross, always crude—this is NOT for children,
you’ve been warned!
My grade: B
The Lost City (2022)
Sandra Bullock is a romance novelist kidnapped by a billionaire baddie
(Daniel Radcliffe) who’s convinced she can help him find the mythical
‘Crown of Fire’. Channing Tatum (the wig-wearing model for her
bookcovers) to the rescue. This is a cookie-cutter story and an
anticlimatic one at that, but these 3 are talented, funny &
likeable. And Brad Pitt’s extended cameo as her rescuer-for-hire was
the best ever. See it for the stars.
My grade: B
Jerry & Marge Go Large (2022)
Bryan Cranston & Annette Bening are newly retired and wondering
what’s next when they discover a flaw in the state lottery system; buy
enough tickets, you’ll come out ahead—everytime. Why not get their town
involved and help everyone? Based on a wildly true story, this is just
a sweet, smiley story. No drama, no stress. You’re on your backporch,
sipping lemonade. A nice, sunny watch… that’s all! My grade: B
Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021)
Kristen Wiig & Annie Mumolo are BFFs and fortysomething
Midwesterners who go on the adventure of a lifetime to a Florida
resort. Meanwhile, a super-villain (Wiig in a hilarious albino getup)
is preparing to destroy the town with millions of killer mosquitos.
Listen, this is as silly as it gets; it makes Austin Powers look like
Apocalypse Now! But I laughed throughout for 1 hour 45 minutes, so
there ya go!
My grade: B
The Breaker-Upperers (2018)
Jen & Melon are single, 40 & partners in a breakup
business. If you want out of a relationship, they’ll do it for you. (In
extreme cases they’ll pose as cops and say you’re missing or dead.)
But things take a sour turn when Melon moves in with one of their
clients--a high school boy who was afraid of his butch girlfriend! Can
Jen break
them up? What the--!! Laugh out loud funny, this was like Mad Magazine for women!
My grade: B
Take Me (2017) Roy is trying to get his fledgling ‘fake kidnapping’ business off the ground
(“Experience the thrill of being kidnapped!”)
when a woman calls, asks to be kidnapped and offers extra if he slaps
her around a little. He’ll abduct Taylor Schilling, but she seems to be
playing the victim a little
too well.
Uh-oh… Gee Roy,
you didn’t see this coming? It’s a screwball comedy that would’ve been
creepy if this wigged fella wasn’t such a goof... he got me!
My grade: B
The Little Hours (2017) Set in medieval times, a convent's gardener walks off the job after tiring of the nun's treatment.
"Hey peasant, whaddya looking at? Come over here so we can hate on you! Fucking Jew!" Their priest hires a handsome peasant to take his place, but asks him
to play a deaf-mute to not tempt the sisters. Well, he tried... and
what starts out hilarious becomes strangely dramatic then sweet-smiley
in this raunchy comedy. Aubrey Plaza... you're so weird!
My grade: B
How to Be a Latin Lover (2017) At 46, Maximo is kicked to the curb after being kept by a rich older woman for 25 years. With
no money & nowhere to go, he moves in with his sister (Selma
Hayek) and her little boy Hugo; and then he meets the rich grandma of
the little girl his nephew has a crush on—Raquel Welch! It’s loco from start to finish, but I still laughed a lot—it was better than expected and surprise, family friendly too! (Spanish-English) My grade: B
Little Evil (2017) “I’m worried about my 5 year old stepson, I think he’s—“ “Evil incarnate? The antichrist?” “Yes!” “Yeah, so is mine! Welcome to the club!” But
newly married Adam Scott’s about to discover his stepson really IS the
antichrist, so what now? It’s not “The Omen” but sure is a lot funnier,
I chuckled throughout—and Sally Field as the creepy Mrs. Shaylock is
the icing on this devil’s food cake! My grade: B
Carrie Pilby (2017) Carrie is very smart, a Harvard graduate at 18 and NYC apartment dweller at 19. She’s also jobless, lives on her father’s dime and insists she’s satisfied with her single, neurotic life. Great--but
her therapist (Nathan Lane) still wants her to complete a bucket list
that includes getting a pet and going on a date. She’ll comply, kicking
and screaming most of the way in this offbeat albeit charming, coming
of age story. My grade: B
Café Society
(2016) Set in the 1930s,
Jesse Eisenberg goes to Hollywood, falls in love with
Kristen Stewart, then returns to Brooklyn to run his brother's nightclub in
Woody Allen’s fun but forgettable frolic of a bygone era. What, you wanted more? It’s colorful & nostalgic, but with one
cliché after another Woody is just giving us something nice to look
at. Meh... I still enjoyed it! My grade: B
Hello, My Name is Doris (2016)
Sally Field is a sixtysomething office worker who's attracted to the a
new guy in her office--who's half her age. But it's not until
her friend (Tyne Daly, jeezus she's terrific) drags her to a
motivational speaker that Sally gets to thinking anything is possible. This dramedy was funnier, sweeter & more honest than I
expected, I love you Sally.
My grade: B
Ghostbusters
(2016) Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon.
I wasn’t a big fan of the original (and blecch on remakes) but how can you not laugh at this powerhouse of
comedy? So much slime, so much CGI, so
what! When the ladies post their first ghostly encounter on YouTube and someone comments “This looks like fake Hollywood shit” I almost lost it. See it for Kate McKinnon alone, she gives new meaning to mad scientist! My grade: B
Pee-Wee's Big Holiday (2016)
When
Pee-Wee's invited to a birthday party in New York, he decides to
make the cross-country trip--even if it means dealing with giant
snakes, farmer's daughters & a madcap heiress along the way. After 25 years, Paul Reubens manages to make his character just the same
as you remember--if you were a fan then, you will be again. Long live
Pee-Wee!
My grade: B
The Intern (2015) It
turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks--and vice versa, when a
bored retiree (Robert DeNiro) is accepted into a senior internship
program at Anne Hathaway's internet startup. Some fun moments (I loved
DeNiro's reactions to Linda Lavin's cameos) but it was more dear than
anything. At my age that's not such a bad thing. Nice job, you two.
My grade: B
Blue Jasmine (2013) Cate
Blanchett is the definition of a New York socialite; but when her
husband goes to prison for investment fraud, she's forced to move in
with her blue-collar sister in a cramped walk-up. How does one learn to
adapt? Well, in Woody Allen's sad, dark comedy... you don't. Lots of
cliched characters, but Cate's talents outshine them all. My grade: B
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013) Johnny
Knoxville is back as an 85 year old man with his (very cute &
very deadpan) grandson, on a road trip thru an unsuspecting midwest. The
humor's about as juvenile as one can get, but when that little boy
walked into an adult bookstore looking for his grandpa and asked a very real clerk what her stage name was, I lost it. My grade: B (for the boy)
The Guilt Trip (2012) Barbra
Steisand & Seth Rogen make a fine pair as mother and son in
this sweet road-trip comedy, about a man on a cross country car ride who
invites his mom along, until he discovers her first love and decides to
play Cupid. A little syrupy at times, but that's a mom's love for ya; I
was honestly chuckling ten seconds into this film. We love you,
Barbra. My grade: B for Barbra
Seven Psychopaths (2012) Colin
Farrell is a befuddled writer, trying to come up with a story for his
title 'Seven Psychopaths' while dealing with his dog-napper friend Sam
Rockwell and other unsavory characters in this blood-soaked dark comedy.
Personally I liked the serial killer who only kills serial killers! My grade: B
Ted (2012) Hugely vulgar, hugely funny fable about a boy who wished his teddy bear
to life when he was 8 years old--and now he's a grown Mark Wahlberg
with a sexy girlfriend (Mila Kunis) who's friggin' fed up with this
furry love triangle. So what the hell are they gonna do?! I laughed my
ass off but geezus don't let your kids watch this! My grade: B
Pitch Perfect (2012) Glee comes to the big screen--sorta--in this goofy comedy of talented
college kids competing in a regional a cappella competition. Short on
plot but long on music & talent, this likable gang is
aca-awesome (thank you Rebel Wilson). My grade: B
Young Adult (2011) Charlize
Theron is not a nice person; once a popular girl in high school but now
older & alone 'in the big city', she receives a baby
announcement from an old boyfriend and decides she'll return home
& woo him away from "all that boring baby crap" in this rude
dramedy. She really is awful, so why can't I stop smiling? My grade: B
Paul (2011) A
pair of British UFO geeks visit Roswell Mexico 'on holiday' and have a
close encounter when a white trash alien hitches a ride with 'em. Oh
Lord this was juvenile, but I still laughed throughout--and when Kristen
Wiig (as a one eyed Christian) learns how to swear I was crying! My grade: B
Midnight in Paris (2011) Woody
Allen embraces Paris in this colorful romp with Owen Wilson
(surprisingly well cast) as a vacationing writer who loves the City of
Lights, but dreams of living in it's past--and discovers he can have
both. (Don't miss what happens to the man who follows him, it's
priceless!) My grade: B
Bridesmaids (2011) Kristen
Wiig is a down-and-out single chick who must compete with her best
friend Maya Rudolph's new best friend while planning Maya's wedding, in
this overrated 'raunch comedy' (it's a chick flick, trust me). Slapstick
galore but a blind date's little boy steals the show. My grade: B
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2011)
A group of college kids camping in the WV woods (and having seen one
too many horror movies) are terrified when they stumble upon Tucker
& Dale, 2 harmless hillbillies vacationing at their shack in the
woods. And the more these kids run from imagined horror, the more they
run
into it in this shake-my-head hilarious gorror show. “
Dale why do these college kids keep killin’ themselves?!” “Suicide pact I reckin!” My grade: B
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010) Woody
Allen delivers equal parts comedy & karma in this tale of an
older woman who visits a fortune teller, to find out the fates of her
estranged husband, daughter (Naomi Watts) & American son-in-law
(Josh Brolin). We all want happiness, but do we deserve it? My grade: B
Tiny Furniture (2010) Lena Dunham returns home after college to live with her thin, artsy,
spectacled mother and her thin, artsy spectacled sister--and is doing
her best not to let anything faze her in this wry 'first midlife crisis'
comedy. You either really get this or really don't. I hope you get it! My grade: B
Easy A (2010) When an unassuming girl sees her popularity grow after someone starts a
false rumor about losing her virginity, Emma Stone decides to take it
to the next level in this very smart (& very funny) takeoff of
'The Scarlet Letter'. These kids are straight out of Rydell High. My grade: B
World's Greatest Dad (2009) Ultra black humor with Robin Williams as an aspiring author who gains
fame when he ghost-writes a suicide letter for his obnoxious son's
accidental death. It's dark alright, but original and funny too. My grade: B
Bros (2022)
Bobby (Billy Eichner) is a gay man in his 40s with an effeminate twang
and scruffy beard. He somehow attracts hotter, younger Aaron at a gay
bar, who’s into threesomes. They’ll begin a romance, with lots of
cliche drama in between gay sex scenes. The second hour gave me 1-2
chuckles, but this is NOT for mainstream audiences. What made them
think it would be? I'd much prefer watching
Will & Grace. My grade: B-
Jackass Forever (2022)
A gray haired Johnny Knoxville returns with his gang of Poopies to
maim, stab, burn & shoot themselves, usually in the genitals.
Taping a queen bee to your testicles and then screaming as hundreds of
bees swarm your privates? Yep. I don’t know what to say, I winced
& cringed throughout but laughed some too. My God, the things men
do for laughs or attention. WARNING: FULL FRONTAL NUDITY (GETTING
PUMMELED).
My grade: B-
Murder Mystery (2019)
Not long after Jennifer Anniston guilts husband Adam Sandler into
taking them to Europe, they’re invited on a private yacht where the
lights go out—and a crotchety old billionaire is killed. As attention
turns to them, they’ll stumble & fumble to find the real
killer—in the most screwball way possible. It’s cliché, silly and as
believable as a comic book, so suspend all belief and just enjoy the
goofy banter & scenery! My grade: B-
Dead In A Week (Or Your Money Back 2018)
William has attempted suicide 7 times. After his latest (he jumps off a
bridge & lands on a disco barge), an assassin-for-hire will
offer to help. (Loved his big color brochure!) But after Will chooses
‘Quick & Painless’, a publisher expresses interest in his
death-wish story; can Will get his killing postponed? Not bloody
likely… bollocks! It’s dry, mildly dark & odd humored—like your
typical Brit :) My grade: B-
Book Club (2018)
When 4 seventy-something friends (Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Mary
Steenbergen & Candice Bergen) decide to read & discuss
Fifty Shades of Grey,
each decides their own love-life could use some sprucing. There’s some
truly funny moments here (Candice made me laugh and I love Mary more
than ever) but this is a just a safe, predictable movie to be shown in
retirement villages & senior cruises. Yawn… I'm ready for my nap.
My grade: B-
Blockers
(2018) When single mom Leslie Mann discovers her
daughter (and 2 girlfriends) have signed a sex pact to lose their virginity on
Prom night, she’ll recruit the girls dads to help her stop them—and off they go
on a silly-ass chase complete with fortysomething nudity, lame sex jokes and
gross humor (butt-chugging—ugh!) before all is said & done and we get our
sappy ending. It’s raunchy shtick with
some heart thrown in to make it look legit.
My grade: B-
Mr. Roosevelt (2017) Emily (Noel Wells) a
hipster & aspiring comic, gets a call in LA from her ex-boyfriend Eric in
Austin; her cat Teddy R. is on its last legs. When she flies home, she’ll discover Eric has a real job now, a nicely
decorated home.. and an infuriatingly adult girlfriend, Celeste. What happened, when did everyone grow
up?? Emily may be self-involved &
immature, but her cuteness and distress makes both her and this film oddly
likable. Good luck Em! My grade: B-
4th
Man Out (2016) Friends since
childhood, Adam decides to tell his 3 “bros” on his birthday he’s
gay. They're a raunchy bunch, but
they’ve got hearts and decide they’re going to help Adam find someone
“adorable”—cue the gay caricatures! It’s a dude comedy that tries a little too hard to be dudey, yeah we
get it—but it’s saved by some sweet
characters, including Adam’s awesome mom. My grade: B-
Absolutely Anything (2015)
When a 1970s NASA probe is found by (utterly hilarious) aliens in deep
space, they decide to give Earth a test—give absolute power to one
Earthling to see if he does good or evil. If he passes, they’ll welcome
us to join them. If he fails.. we’re doomed. Who’s chosen? Sarah
Palin! But their ‘orb’ resets and picks Simon Pegg instead. It’s pure
silly, but it’s British and imaginative too, and gave me a couple
chuckles. That’s fun enough!
My grade: B
Booksmart (2019) The day before graduation, over-achievers Amy
& Molly learn their under-achiever classmates are also going to Ivy
League schools; so why did they devote 4 years to hard study? They’re
going to remedy that, by going to their class jock’s graduation party—if
they can figure out where it is. It’s a silly, raunchy, teen-minded
thing with some heart at least (and some funny characters tossed in
too). It's like
Superbad, with girl power :)
My grade: B- Red Notice (2021)
Dwayne Johnson is after international art thief Ryan Reynolds, but only
because he wants his help to capture “The Bishop”—bigger art thief Gal
Gadot, who is after 3 jeweled eggs, Caesar’s gift to Cleopatra 2000
years ago. At least that’s what we’re TOLD the story is, in this
multimillion’d comedy adventure that is so “by the book” you’re only
enjoying it for the big names. And they’re only doing it for the big
paychecks.
My grade: C Plus Thunder Force (2021) Hoping to kick miscreants
(villains with superpowers) butts by becoming a superhero, wealthy magnate
Octavia Spencer is visited by her old school buddy Melissa McCarthy, who's clumsy
schtick in a laboratory gives them BOTH powers. Gross humor abounds
(c'mon Melissa) but the super heroics were good and a fun watch. And
Jason Bateman as a bored "Crab Man"... funny.
Uh-oh, I
smell a sequel.
My grade: C Plus
Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) 10 years after
Zombieland,
Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg & Emma Stone return to show us
a zombie apocalypsed America 10 years later. They’ll take up residence
in a moss-overgrown White House, meet a retro mall-girl who lives in a
walk-in freezer and discover that zombies are evolving—they’re becoming
much harder to kill. It’s a mildly fun sequel, but I wish I’d just
re-watched 2009’s
Zombieland instead!
My grade: C Plus
Juliet, Naked (2018)
Annie (Rose Byrne) has been devoted to Duncan for 15 years—while he’s
been devoted to Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke) even longer, a musician who
disappeared in 1993. After Duncan gets an old Tucker demo and adds it
to his website, Annie posts a snarky review—and gets a warm, funny
response from Tucker himself. After weeks of exchanging letters, guess
who shows up? This sweet dramedy, that’s who. Forgettable but nice.
My grade: C Plus
The Tiger Hunter (2017)
Sami wants greatness like his deceased father, his village’s tiger
hunter—so he’ll take his engineering degree and leave India to go to
America. But it’s 1979, and the jobs aren’t here yet. What can he do?
Well, if he could make a working microwave oven… For a comedy, the
jokes are pretty dusty—but there’s plenty of corny, likeable characters
(he has 13 roommates, all Indian) and a sweet, friendly story. Go get
‘em, Sami.
My grade: C Plus
Wilson (2017) Woody
Harrelson is an obnoxious oaf who gets the bright idea of hooking up
with his estranged wife (a funny Laura Dern) he hasn’t seen in 17 years. “Honey wouldn’t it have been great if you didn’t abort our baby before you left me?” “I didn’t—I had her & gave her up for adoption.” Better late than never to be a dad in this goofy-ass, goofy-funny, goofy-sellout comedy. My grade: C Plus
Catfight (2017) Uppity Sandra Oh runs into struggling painter Ann Heche at a party;
friends in college, they now view each other with contempt. A snarky exchange leads to a FULL ON ASSAULT which puts one in a coma—so what happens 2 years later when that person recovers? Billed
as a comedy, you might get a few chuckles... if you have a warped sense
of humor or enjoy women beating the shit out of one another! My grade: C Plus
The 100-Foot Journey (2014) Haughty
Helen Mirren cries war when a family from India moves into her
picturesque village in the south of France, and opens an Indian eatery
across from her Michelin-star restaurant. This promises to be a funny
movie, oui? I thought so too, until they poured a big bottle of Karo
syrup over everything and made it corny & sticky sweet. Still
pretty to look at, though.
My grade: C Plus
Cedar Rapids (2011) Ed Helms is a small town insurance salesman who meets up with a
likeable cast of characters when he attends his first insurance
convention in Cedar Rapids Iowa. It's a predictable little farce, but
Ann Heche adds real sparkle. My grade: C Plus
FAQ About Time Travel (2010)
Shortly after 3 chums meet at a pub, a young woman claiming to be from
the future tells one she’s a huge fan, he’ll be famous someday. But
she’s there to fix a “time leak” which the boys scoff at but soon
discover is true in the grimy bathroom—after they emerge to bleak
futures, or versions of themselves. This started out with promise, but
after awhile… eh. Let’s wrap it up, boys.
My grade: C Plus
The Other Guys (2010)
Tired of being seen as office boys, NY cop Mark Wahlberg forces his
anal parter Will Farrell (at gunpoint) to hit the streets. They’ll
inadvertently discover a $30 billion white collar crime set to go down,
but how do they prove it, let alone stop it? Listen, there’s some great
chase scenes & blowups here, but yawns galore on the big
score. At least there’s a steady stream of dorky one liners to chuckle
on.
My grade: C Plus
A Christmas Story Christmas (2022) Peter Billingsley returns as Ralphie from 1982’s
A Christmas Story
as a middle aged man (with a wife & 2 kids he’s too old for) trying
to make it as a writer in 1973. Some of the characters from the first
movie are here—Flick (who once stuck his tongue to a flagpole) and Scut
Barkus, the coonskin capped bully. But this is a real lackluster affair
with none of the magic of the original. Overrated, I dozed off at
least twice.
My grade: C
Ticket to Paradise (2022)
After graduation from law school, Lily goes on a much deserved vacation
to the exotic island of Bali—where she promptly meets the young man of
her dreams and falls in love. OH NO YOU DON’T says her successful, long
divorced parents George Clooney & Julia Roberts who come to get
her. Loved the locale but these two were phoning it in—for a nice
vacation & check I bet. The trailer was so much better than this
yawner!
My grade: C
A Christmas Story Christmas (2022) Peter Billingsley returns as Ralphie from 1982’s
A Christmas Story
as a middle aged man (with a wife & 2 kids he’s too old for) trying
to make it as a writer in 1973. Some of the characters from the first
movie are here—Flick (who once stuck his tongue to a flagpole) and Scut
Barkus, the coonskin capped bully. But this is a real lackluster affair
with none of the magic of the original. Overrated, I dozed off at
least twice.
My grade: C
The Wrong Missy (2020)
3 months after a disastrous blind date with a loony woman named Missy
(Lauren Lapkus), David Spade meets the woman of his dreams—also named
Missy. He’ll invite her to a corporate retreat via text and—oh no, he
invited the wrong Missy! Peepee jokes, vomit & nasty falls
await—this is sophomoric humor at best. But Lauren gives it her all and
this silly, raunchy thing had me shaking my head but smiling too.
My grade: C
The Last Laugh (2019) After moving to a retirement
community, former showbiz manager Chevy Chase is reunited with his first
client—comedian Richard Dreyfus, who left the biz in 1967 to become a
podiatrist and raise a family.
“Let’s do it all over again…” Road trip! It’s a corny script of “old people” jokes, but Dreyfus tries
his best and even managed to make me smile once or twice. Still... I wish
I'd watched something else.
My grade: C
Otherhood (2019) Best friends since their son’s childhoods,
Angela Bassett, Felicity Hoffman & Patricia Arquette are incensed
when they hear nothing on Mother’s Day. They go to NYC and (to their
son’s dismays) move into their various apartments for a week. But when
they begin trying to fix things… these are men now, not children in this
below average dramedy that darn it, I had such high hopes for! Love
these actresses, but too silly & soapy for me.
My grade: C
Lez Bomb (2018)
Lauren is bringing her girlfriend Hailey home for Thanksgiving, so
she’ll use the opportunity to tell her family she’s gay. But then her
male roommate Austin shows up (who invited him?) and everyone thinks
they’re an item because all Lauren does is stammer and everyone is too
busy OVERACTING to listen anyway. Comedy my ass, this is unfunny, dumb
& should come with 2 aspirin. I’ll give it a couple points for
its sweet ending, okay?
My grade: C
Like Father (2018) After Kristen Bell is left
standing at the altar, her estranged father (Kelsey Grammer) comes
calling: would she like to meet for a
drink? Many Manhattans later, they awaken
on a cruise ship—her honeymoon cruise! It’s a long road to reconciliation, especially when you’re at sea. More a movie-length ad for Royal Caribbean,
Kristen is unpleasant & Kelsey is too talented to be this boring. Damn, I only watched it for him. My grade: C
Permanent (2017) “Hey Oral, love your Afro!” Auralie is
anxious to make a good impression at her new school and begs her parents
(Patircia Arquette, Rainn Wilson) for a permanent; it’s 1982 and she
wants Charlie’s Angels hair. But times are tough & what she
gets is a frizz job—and parents too caught up in their own stories to
deal with Auralie’s head in this biting, nonsensical farce. More silly
than anything, who wrote the script, MAD Magazine?
My grade: C
Suburbicon
(2017) Nothing more American than suburbia in the
1950s, right? Well, while Matt Damon’s
wife is killed by a pair of intruders, the community is outside angrily
watching—his next door neighbor, a black family that just moved in. Written by the Coen Brothers & directed
by George Clooney, this sinister comedy is almost cartoony—but misfires greatly
when it veers from black humor to black bigotry. Too serious for this satire. My grade: C
The Babysitter (2017) Cole is a timid little guy, 12 years old and gets picked on by everybody; but he’s the envy of the suburbs when his hot babysitter Bee is around! So it’s a sad surprise when Cole sneaks downstairs one night and discovers Bee is the leader of a Satanic cult—who just performed a human sacrifice in his living room. Billed as a horror-comedy, I think it was written for 12 year old boys sleepovers? Guys, don’t let Mom catch you watching this!
My grade: C
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016) With
her daughter ready for college, and her parents discovering they're not
legally married, Nia Vardalos has her hands full--enter her big, loud
Greek family to help set things right. There's nothing here you haven't
seen before, and the Greek jokes get old pretty fast, but it was worth
watching just to see Nia again. :)
My grade: C
Why Him? (2016) Bryan Cranston’s grimace begins 5 minutes in
when he discovers his 22 year old daughter is in love with a 32 year old James
Franco—sure he’s good-hearted, wealthy… but that potty mouth is a deal
breaker!
(Really?
Because the entire film swirls around the
potty… you’ll see what I mean.)
A couple laughable moments and Kaley Cuoco’s voice as Franco’s computer is a funny
treat, but if you're over 13 years old this schtick gets old pretty fast.
My grade: C
Swiss Army Man (2016) Stranded on a desert island, Paul Dano is fitting a
noose around his neck when Daniel Radcliffe’s corpse washes ashore. Another castaway! He’ll soon imagine them having crazy-ass
conversations, and (with the help of vines & pulleys) having some gaseous
crazy-ass adventures. It's imaginative, but this isn’t stranded-crazy, or
lonely-crazy. Dano was crazy before he
got there, and in the end I'm just not getting it. My grade: C
The Overnight (2015) Adam
Scott & Taylor Schilling move to LA with their little boy, meet
one of the other kids dads & are invited over for
pizza & 'Family Night'--which is anything but, after the kids
conk out. "Honey, I think these people are swingers..." Well, someone
sure wants to be in this good-hearted but mildly raunchy comedy. Warning, full frontal nudity ahead! My grade: C
Dirty Weekend (2015)
On a layover in Albuquerque, Matthew Broderick and business associate
Natalie venture downtown to look around. Matthew would prefer to do it
alone, why? Because he’d been there once before, had too much to drink,
met someone and… you know. He's about to repeat that encounter, and
then some. I don’t like where this went—but you only live once, I
suppose? Matthew stop stammering.
My grade: C
Grandma (2015) When
her granddaughter shows up needing $600, Lily Tomlin is broke--so they
take off in her deceased partner Violet's old car, visiting former
friends & haunts from years past for the loot, and getting into
some angry scrabbles along the way. Hmph--I was expecting something a
little more mainstream funny, not this overrated indie-dramedy.
My grade: C
Manson Family Vacation (2015) Nick's conventional
life is put on hold when his adopted brother Conrad shows up at his LA
home--with nothing but a backpack & the book Helter-Skelter. He's just passing thru, but wants to visit the homes of the Charles
Manson murders. Why? It's a low-budget dramedy, but not without it's
charms and some brotherly love & curious surprises along the
way.
My grade: C
Better Living Through Chemistry (2014) Doug
is an unhappy pharmacist with a bully of a father-in-law and bossy
wife; then one day a blonde appears in his drugstore who's a pill
freak. Next thing you know, her and Doug are hot n' heavy, and he's
coming up with new chemical compounds just to keep up with her in this
forgettable drugfest comedy. My grade: C
Bad Words (2014) Due
to a technicality, Jason Bateman (who dropped out of school in the 8th
grade) is now a 40 year old contestant in the National Spelling Bee. So
why the hell is he doing it (a lot of angry parents wanna know)? Well,
for some pretty lame reasons. But does he have to be so rotten to the
other kids? Well, he's gotta win, doesn't he? My grade: C
St. Vincent (2014) Bill
Murray is a drunk, a gambler, a grizzled, angry old man--lucky for him,
Melissa McCarthy has just moved in next door with her young son who's
just what the doctor ordered. The 'gruff guy with a heart' borders on
cliche, and the story heads into real schmaltz territory, but ultimately
it's a nice assortment of people. And Bill Murray.
My grade: C
The Interview (2014) Seth Rogen & James Franco produce a tabloid news show and are
excited when Kim Jung-Un (a fan) invites them to North Korea--so is the
CIA, who want this pair to take out the Glorious Leader. Yeah it's way
over the top, and the humor is juvenile--but it's slickly done and
better than I expected, so what the hell! My grade: C
Liberal Arts (2012) Josh
Radnor is a 35 year old who's disillusioned with adulthood when he's
asked to attend a retirement dinner at his alma mater. It's there he's
reminded of his youth, particularly when he meets a sophmore
(wonderfully played by Elisabeth Olsen) in this low-key, academic
dramedy about growing up. My grade: C
Dark Shadows (2012) Johnny Depp is gothically amusing as Barnabas Collins, cursed to be a
vampire in 1774 after spurning a witch's love and buried for 200
years--until his return to the living in 1972. Oh it has it's critics,
and it tried too hard to be funny--but c'mon people it's a Tim Burton
film! My grade: C
The Brass Teapot (2012) John
& Alice have nothing--until they stumble upon a brass teapot
that spits out money when someone gets hurt. (There's a lot of kicking,
slapping, punching & burning before they discover words
can hurt too--d'oh!) Does it come at a price? Supposedly, in this
goofy-ass dark comedy. I rolled my eyes enough, but I still liked this
dork couple.
My grade: C
The Details (2011) Tobey
Maguire is leading a quiet life in suburbia until he decides to make
some home improvements & runs afoul of his crazy neighbor (Laura
Linney); after that it's right down the rabbit hole. Can he get his
humdrum life back on track in this humdrum dark comedy? I'm not sure we
really care. My grade: C
Horrible Bosses (2011) Jason
Bateman & his two friends talk themselves into killing each
others bosses (Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston & Colin Ferell) in
this lame crackpot comedy where anything goes. There was a couple funny
scenes, but I was hoping for something smarter, like Office Space. At
least the actors had a good time. My grade: C
Everything Must Go (2010) Will
Ferrell is an alcoholic who manages to lose his job, his marriage and
his home in one day when he comes home to find a locked, empty house and
all of his posessions on his front lawn. Now where's he gonna go?
Nowhere--well, not until he learns some predictable lessons about
humility. My grade: C
Cyrus (2010) Wry 'docu-comedy' with John C. Reilly as a lonely divorced man who
meets and falls hard for Marisa Tomei, who comes with her own baggage; a
steamer trunk of a son (Jonah Hill) who's always had his mom to himself
and wants to keep it that way. It's not played for big laughs, but it
mostly works. My grade: C
Funny People (2009) Judd Apatow's "real" comedy of a jaded comic (Adam Sandler) who's
diagnosed with leukemia but has a new take on life after taking newcomer
(Seth Rogen) under his wing. Some winning moments, but they get buried
in 2 1/2 hours of film. My grade: C
He Was a Quiet Man (2007) Dark comedy with Christian Slater as an office grunt who fantasizes daily of going postal--until the day he stops a coworker with the same idea. Weird, but a paralyzed girl saves this tale. My grade: C
Shallow Grave (1994) Just
released to dvd, this black comedy from 1994 finds Ewan McGregor
& his two mates looking for a fourth roommate; so what happens
when he dies leaving a suitcase full of cash under his bed? Spending sprees are fun but I guess money really is the root of all
evil. My grade: C
Wine Country (2019) To celebrate Rachel Dratch’s 50
th
birthday, Amy Poehler invites Maya Rudolph, Ana Gasteyer and a couple
SNL writers to a rented house in Napa for the weekend. (Where’s Tina
Fey? Ah there she is—a cameo.) There’s swearing, snickering,
singalongs, self-doubt--and Tina Fey again. Roll credits. Weak humored
and boring, I wish I'd watched a couple episodes of
Kate & Allie instead. Ladies, I KNOW you can do better than this!
My grade: C-
Tag (2018) Friends
since childhood, 5 fortysomethings go after one another once a year for the
sole task of tagging someone “it”. But
this year, one (Jeremy Renner) is getting married and wants to retire from the
game—having the distinction of never getting tagged in their 30 years of
play. Idiots, assemble! I smiled at their first encounter with
Jeremy, but the novelty wore off fast. Based on a true story of five middle-aged goofs, it’s just
self-indulgent & dumb.
My
grade: C-
Brave New Jersey (2018) “Martian
fire rays don’t scare me!” It’s
1938, and as Orson Welle’s phony radio broadcast of Martians landing in
Grover’s Mill terrifies a nation, the neighboring town of Lullaby, NJ
plan to fight—so while ‘real men’ run, schoolteachers & demure
folk go into full
assault mode. It’s a great idea for a
movie, with a fun ‘battle scene’ near the end (I knew that new milking
machine
would play a part) but sadly, subpar actors & writing sorries
this
show.
My grade: C-
Sex Ed (2014) Haley
Joel Osment is a young middle school teacher who takes it upon himself
to teach Sex Ed to a group of too savvy kids. (The stuff coming out of
their mouths was WAY over the top.) But there's more, as the movie tries
to cover all the bases: raunchy comedy, romantic comedy, Lifetime drama
'let's teach our children well'. It should've focused on just one.
My grade: C-
Game
Night (2018) Jason Bateman & Rachel McAdams are a
married couple who enjoy hosting weekly ‘game nights’ for their friends—until
Jason’s competing older brother moves to town and wants to host a bigger,
better game night with a whodunit mystery. Wait, did things just get real? Who cares. You shouldn’t take any of it seriously--Jason sure doesn’t--in this lame, screwball comedy wannabe. Rent ‘What’s Up Doc’ instead. My
grade: D
Room for Rent (2017)
When he was 19, Mitch won 3.5 million in the lottery; 12 years later,
the money’s gone and he’s living with his parents. With his dad laid
off (and Mitch not anxious to find a job) he finds someone to rent their
spare bedroom—Carl, who’s a little too eager to be the son Mitch’s
folks never had. Why? And why did critics give this good reviews on
Rotten Tomatoes? It’s not terrible, but it's lazy and shows little
talent. A waste of time.
My grade: D
My Ex-Ex (2015) After Ted dumps Mary, she visits a fortune teller who predicts she’ll
meet her ex again soon. A couple days
later… Patrick?? No, he's her pot smoking,
partying ex from college! Well, there
is a mutual attraction, but she’s a lawyer now, he’s a loser—and now Ted
is back too, with a ring. That’s supposed to
be the plot, so why are we watching their friends vomit, have threesomes
& other cringe-worthy crap? What unfunny nonsense!
My grade: D for dumb & dirty
The Angriest Man in Brooklyn (2014) Robin
Williams (in his final role) is a bitter, angry man who "sorta
believes" his frazzled doctor (Mila Kunis) when she tells him he has 90
minutes left to live. It's off to the races as he runs to make amends to
everyone in his life, with her in pursuit to tell him she was wrong. I
was never a big Williams fan, but I wish he'd left a better swan song
than this childish, terrible film. Have some aspirin handy.
My grade: D
The Heat (2013) Sandra
Bullock is an uptight FBI agent sent to Boston to take down a drug
kingpin when--oh no, she's paired up with Boston PD's rough n' tumble
officer Melissa McCarthy! They’re as different as night & day,
can this work? Nope--unless you're looking for a cliche-ridden,
sloppily done, unfunny paint-by-the-numbers Hollywood-buddy-thing with f
bombs galore.
My grade: D
We're the Millers (2013) Jason
Sudeikis is a small-time pot dealer who has to smuggle 2 tons of weed
over the border to settle a debt, so he recruits his teenage neighbor, a
homeless girl and a stripper (Jennifer Aniston) to pose as his family.
In theory it sounds like a good premise, but was mostly boring and
unfunny. Lots of f-bombs and pee-pee jokes. My grade: D
Our Idiot Brother (2011)
Paul Rudd is an aging hippie, an organic farmer just released from
prison (for giving pot to a cop) who goes to live (& interfere
with) each of his 3 adult sisters cliched lives. Um, let's see... well,
Zooey Deschanel plays one of his sibs, if that helps. (Hint: it doesn't.) My grade: D
Meet Monica Velour (2010) Tobe is a dorky teen who collects 30's music and 70s porn; so when he
discovers his favorite adult film star from that era (Kim Cattrall)
lives in nearby Indiana... wake me when it's over. My grade: D
Hot Tub Time Machine (2010) Y'see, Jon Cusack & his middle aged friends wind up in a weird
hot tub that transports them back to 1986 to relive a lame weekend of
partying. Vulgar in places, stupid in others. My grade: D
Step Brothers (2008) Will Ferrell & John C. Reilly play two fortysomethings in
Hollywood who demonstrate the lengths that actors will go to to make
money while acting retarded. My grade: D
Brian and Charles (2022)
Brian is a quiet, eccentric bloke who likes to invent things like egg
belts and flying cuckoo clocks. His inventions fail of course, until he
finds a mannequin head and old washing machine, builds a robot and it
comes to life and says it’s name is Charles Petrascu. What the--!!
Absurd as it is dear as it is laugh out loud crying funny, this is Monty
Python with heart and soul. I LOVED this, what a wonderful watch. My grade: A 
While We’re Young (2015)
Ben Stiller & Naomi Watts are a childless fortysomething
couple, tired of their kid-happy friends, who get swept off their feet
by Adam Driver & Amanda Seyfried—a twentysomething hipster
couple who claim to be followers of Ben’s documentaries. But nothing’s
by accident when ambition & filming is involved, in this
low-key, cerebral dramedy that shifts off course sometimes but always
manages to find its way. It’s a witty watch. My grade: B Plus
Obvious Child (2014)
A bookstore employee by day, a (Jewish) comedienne at night, Jenny
Slate is devastated when her boyfriend dumps her. She’ll have a one
night stand with Max, a nice guy she meets in a bar—“He looks like Christmas!” and soon learns she’s pregnant. One abortion, please. But during her 2 week wait, will run into Max—again & again. Arrgh! Should she tell him? As adult & sweet as it is hilarious, I love Jenny Slate! My grade: B Plus
Black Dynamite (2009)
When ex-CIA agent and Kung Fu master Black Dynamite learns his brother
Jimmy is dead, he'll go after every jive turkey from the Society of
Pimps (I love Cream Corn) to evil Dr. Wu to "The Man" himself to avenge
his brother, save orphans from smack & keep sex in the ghetto in
this hilarious, done oh-so-right salute to 70's blaxploitation films.
Did I die and go to 1973 Black Heaven? Dynamite, you are out of sight
:) My grade: B Plus
Absolutely Anything (2015)
When a 1970s NASA probe is found by (utterly hilarious) aliens in deep
space, they decide to give Earth a test—give absolute power to one
Earthling to see if he does good or evil. If he passes, they’ll welcome
us to join them. If he fails.. we’re doomed. Who’s chosen? Sarah
Palin! But their ‘orb’ resets and picks Simon Pegg instead. It’s pure
silly, but it’s British and imaginative too, and gave me a couple
chuckles. That’s fun enough! My grade: B
Booksmart (2019) The day before graduation, over-achievers Amy
& Molly learn their under-achiever classmates are also going to Ivy
League schools; so why did they devote 4 years to hard study? They’re
going to remedy that, by going to their class jock’s graduation party—if
they can figure out where it is. It’s a silly, raunchy, teen-minded
thing with some heart at least (and some funny characters tossed in
too). It's like Superbad, with girl power :) My grade: B-
The 100-Foot Journey (2014) Haughty
Helen Mirren cries war when a family from India moves into her
picturesque village in the south of France, and opens an Indian eatery
across from her Michelin-star restaurant. This promises to be a funny
movie, oui? I thought so too, until they poured a big bottle of Karo
syrup over everything and made it corny & sticky sweet. Still
pretty to look at, though. My grade: C Plus
Cedar Rapids (2011) Ed Helms is a small town insurance salesman who meets up with a
likeable cast of characters when he attends his first insurance
convention in Cedar Rapids Iowa. It's a predictable little farce, but
Ann Heche adds real sparkle. My grade: C Plus
Otherhood (2019) Best friends since their son’s childhoods,
Angela Bassett, Felicity Hoffman & Patricia Arquette are incensed
when they hear nothing on Mother’s Day. They go to NYC and (to their
son’s dismays) move into their various apartments for a week. But when
they begin trying to fix things… these are men now, not children in this
below average dramedy that darn it, I had such high hopes for! Love
these actresses, but too silly & soapy for me. My grade: C
Lez Bomb (2018)
Lauren is bringing her girlfriend Hailey home for Thanksgiving, so
she’ll use the opportunity to tell her family she’s gay. But then her
male roommate Austin shows up (who invited him?) and everyone thinks
they’re an item because all Lauren does is stammer and everyone is too
busy OVERACTING to listen anyway. Comedy my ass, this is unfunny, dumb
& should come with 2 aspirin. I’ll give it a couple points for
its sweet ending, okay? My grade: C
Sex Ed (2014) Haley
Joel Osment is a young middle school teacher who takes it upon himself
to teach Sex Ed to a group of too savvy kids. (The stuff coming out of
their mouths was WAY over the top.) But there's more, as the movie tries
to cover all the bases: raunchy comedy, romantic comedy, Lifetime drama
'let's teach our children well'. It should've focused on just one. My grade: C-
Room for Rent (2017)
When he was 19, Mitch won 3.5 million in the lottery; 12 years later,
the money’s gone and he’s living with his parents. With his dad laid
off (and Mitch not anxious to find a job) he finds someone to rent their
spare bedroom—Carl, who’s a little too eager to be the son Mitch’s
folks never had. Why? And why did critics give this good reviews on
Rotten Tomatoes? It’s not terrible, but it's lazy and shows little
talent. A waste of time. My grade: D
The Angriest Man in Brooklyn (2014) Robin
Williams (in his final role) is a bitter, angry man who "sorta
believes" his frazzled doctor (Mila Kunis) when she tells him he has 90
minutes left to live. It's off to the races as he runs to make amends to
everyone in his life, with her in pursuit to tell him she was wrong. I
was never a big Williams fan, but I wish he'd left a better swan song
than this childish, terrible film. Have some aspirin handy. My grade: D
The Heat (2013) Sandra
Bullock is an uptight FBI agent sent to Boston to take down a drug
kingpin when--oh no, she's paired up with Boston PD's rough n' tumble
officer Melissa McCarthy! They’re as different as night & day,
can this work? Nope--unless you're looking for a cliche-ridden,
sloppily done, unfunny paint-by-the-numbers Hollywood-buddy-thing with f
bombs galore. My grade: D
We're the Millers (2013) Jason
Sudeikis is a small-time pot dealer who has to smuggle 2 tons of weed
over the border to settle a debt, so he recruits his teenage neighbor, a
homeless girl and a stripper (Jennifer Aniston) to pose as his family.
In theory it sounds like a good premise, but was mostly boring and
unfunny. Lots of f-bombs and pee-pee jokes. My grade: D
Our Idiot Brother (2011)
Paul Rudd is an aging hippie, an organic farmer just released from
prison (for giving pot to a cop) who goes to live (& interfere
with) each of his 3 adult sisters cliched lives. Um, let's see... well,
Zooey Deschanel plays one of his sibs, if that helps. (Hint: it doesn't.) My grade: D
Meet Monica Velour (2010) Tobe is a dorky teen who collects 30's music and 70s porn; so when he
discovers his favorite adult film star from that era (Kim Cattrall)
lives in nearby Indiana... wake me when it's over. My grade: D
Hot Tub Time Machine (2010) Y'see, Jon Cusack & his middle aged friends wind up in a weird
hot tub that transports them back to 1986 to relive a lame weekend of
partying. Vulgar in places, stupid in others. My grade: D 
Step Brothers (2008) Will Ferrell & John C. Reilly play two fortysomethings in
Hollywood who demonstrate the lengths that actors will go to to make
money while acting retarded. My grade: D