[4] The Coen Brothers run hot and cold with me. Sometimes I get them, sometimes I don’t. This is one of the times that I don’t, and I can only figure it’s because the comedy is too subdued and the point is too on the nose. Michael Stuhlbarg stars as a man whose claustrophobic suburban life is unraveling. His wife has decided to divorce him …
[7] After success with House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum, and Tales of Terror, Roger Corman further exploited Edgar Allan Poe’s name with The Raven. But this time, the film bears little resemblance to Poe’s story. Instead, legendary sci-fi scribe Richard Matheson wrote a fairly engaging comedic tale about three dueling wizards. Vincent Price plays the first wizard, mourning over the death of his …
[6] My main takeaway from The Banger Sisters is this: Damn, Goldie Hawn is awesome. She shares the top billing with Susan Sarandon here, but it’s really Goldie’s movie, and she carries it superbly. The film is about old friends reuniting and overcoming their differences after decades apart. Hawn plays the one who hasn’t changed much from their old Bohemian ways, while Sarandon plays the one …
[7] Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling star as private detectives who team up to solve the mystery of a missing porn star in this comedy/action/buddy flick from writer/director Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang). Black does a terrific job showcasing the characters in a twisty-turny plot that could easily have bogged things down. Crowe and Gosling have enough charisma and chemistry to make me …
[7] Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau give career-highlight performances as mismatched roommates Felix and Oscar in this comedy based on the Neil Simon play. Everyone knows the gist of the story: two men, one neat and one sloppy, are forced to share an apartment, whackiness ensues. But what you may not know is that Lemmon’s character is living with Matthau because he’s under suicide watch. …
[6] Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn star in a Frank Capra movie about the political and personal tolls of running for president of the United States. Van Johnson and Margaret Hamilton are fun in supporting roles. Angela Lansbury is nice as the cold, calculating antagonist — her first scene is one of the movie’s best.
[7] I can’t imagine a harder franchise to revive than The Muppets. They’re so innocent, so low-fi, so much a product of the 70s and 80s… is it possible for them to garner new fans, or are kids today just too busy and cynical to give felt a chance? The verdict is out (at least until the weekend box office results are in), but as …
[4] Miramax moguls Bob and Harvey Weinstein directed and co-wrote this uninspired teen comedy about three high school graduates who transform a dilapidated bed & breakfast into a hip & happening getaway for young people. It’s like leftovers from half a dozen John Hughes and John Cusack movies. With Marisa Tomei and Harold Gould.
[6] A pleasant screwball comedy from the versatile George Stevens. Jean Arthur, Joel McCrea, and Charles Coburn play mismatched roommates during a housing shortage. Scenes where the three narrowly avoid collision while getting ready in the morning will remind you of a ‘Three Stooges’ skit. Coburn took home a supporting actor Oscar for his avuncular role. His costars were nominated, as were Stevens and the …
[9] When a movie’s main title is preceded by a lonely man riding a farting corpse off a desert island and across the ocean, you either leave the theater immediately, or settle in for a cinematic experience like no other. Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood) plays the lonely one, and Harry Potter himself (Daniel Radcliffe) plays the flatulent one. Dano’s about to hang himself …
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