[4] Paul Rudd leads an ensemble cast in this dramedy about a naïve, aimless man who free-loads off his three sisters after he’s released from prison. Conceptually, this is the perfect ‘adorable doofus’ role for an affable actor like Paul Rudd. And he does a fine job as expected. But Our Idiot Brother is so rooted in telling the dramatic story of three sisters who …
[7] Writer/director James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) serves up this horror/comedy about citizens of a rural South Carolina town who find themselves in the middle of a parasitic alien invasion. Part of the fun of Slither is discovering how the parasites transform their human hosts, giving the opportunity for plenty of gross-out gags and comedic reactions. Gunn gives at least three leading characters enough …
[7] Camp counselors engage in all kinds of shenanigans on the last day of summer camp in August, 1981. Wet Hot American Summer is a throwback to raunchy, sexy comedies of the early ’80s, elevated by a charismatic ensemble cast who all appear to be having a great time. There’s Janeane Garofalo as the camp director, a nerdy gal trying to work her wiles on …
[5] When the puppet cast of an old TV show start getting murdered one by one, a puppet policeman (voiced and performed by Bill Barretta) and his estranged partner (Melissa McCarthy) work together to find the killer. The first twenty minutes of The Happytime Murders are all right, as we’re plunked down into this alternate reality where puppets live side-by-side with humans and do all …
[7] Director Chris Terrio tackles a New York City slice of life flick that follows five different characters through the course of 24 hours. There’s a pretentiousness about the way in which the characters end up being related, but it’s a great looking film with a remarkable cast that makes it worth while. James Marsden, Elizabeth Banks, and Glenn Close are especially watchable here, playing …
[8] Steven Soderbergh turns the directing reigns over to Gregory Jacobs for this sequel to Magic Mike, but stays involved as director of photography and editor (under pseudonyms). The sequel turns out to be superior because its infinitely more fun and far less didactic and moralizing than its predecessor. The plot is more scant than the men’s on-stage wardrobes, but for a movie like this, …
[6] Oliver Stone presents his third presidential biopic, this time putting George W. Bush under the microscope. The script by Stanley Weiser (Wall Street) is an ambitious one that sometimes struggles to find its focus, but noticeable emphasis is given to W’s estranged relationship to “Poppy” Bush (George H.W.), his struggle with alcoholism, and his born again faith. As played by Josh Brolin, W. is …
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