Comedy

[6] Director John Madden (Shakespeare in Love) takes us once more to the Marigold well, reuniting all the original cast members and throwing Richard Gere into the mix. Gere plays a mysterious American who may or may not be a financial inspector whose opinion could make or break the Marigold’s franchising to a second location. Judi Dench’s character is offered a new career, all while …

[7] John Madden, the director of Shakespeare in Love, serves up an adaptation of Debora Moggach’s novel about an eclectic group of aging Brits who manage to turn their lives around for the better at a rundown hotel in India. I couldn’t argue with anyone claiming this movie is a pandering, formulaic feel-good dramedy — it is. But when you have the likes of Judi …

[6] Alexander Payne (Election, About Schmidt) directs from a script by Bob Nelson this father/son road trip story about a senile old man who mistakenly thinks he’s won a Publisher’s Sweepstakes and insists on getting to Lincoln, Nebraska, to pick up his winnings — at any cost. Bruce Dern plays the old man and Will Forte plays his son. This is one of those movies …

[6] Splash is a sweet-enough fantasy rom-com from Ron Howard (his second feature). Tom Hanks stars as a man who falls in love with a mysterious woman who just happens to be a mermaid. Darryl Hannah plays the fish; John Candy and Eugene Levy ham it up in supporting roles. The best scenes are ones where Hannah tries to hide her true nature, including a …

[7] Screwballs and others of its ilk were one of few ways a teenager could hope to ‘sneak a peek’ in the pre-internet days. Today, boobs are just a mouse click away, and you don’t have to be coy about it, either — you can go right into the hard stuff. This makes it difficult for some to appreciate the teenage sex comedy, a genre …

[7] A horny teenager and his dog communicate telepathically while wandering a post-apocalyptic wasteland in search of food and women in this adaptation of Harlan Ellison’s novella. The heart of the movie is the antagonistic but loving relationship between its title characters, the human half of which is played by future Miami Vice star Don Johnson. The narrative is loose, ultimately leading to Johnson’s capture …

[4] I want to like a Marx Brothers movie. Really, I do. But this is the third for me (after their earlier efforts, The Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers) and so far, no dice. In this, their first film written specifically for the silver screen (and not based on a play or vaudeville act), the brothers stow away on a transatlantic cruise where they constantly outrun …

[5] Ewan McGregor and Cameron Diaz star in this odd-ball romance from director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire). McGregor plays a janitor whose just been fired and Diaz plays a rich girl rebelling against her father (Ian Holm). McGregor kidnaps Diaz, Diaz suggests they extort her dad for ransom money, and the two begin to have feelings for each other. Meanwhile, the angel Gabriel (Dan …

[7] While we were all enjoying the happy horny homogeneity of early ’80s teen sex comedies, along came The Last American Virgin, a remake of a 1978 Israeli film Lemon Popsicle. It starts off like any other of its ilk, with three teen boys trying to lose it, whether it’s to coked-out party girls, an over-sexed Spanish pizza delivery customer, or a hooker with crabs. …

[8] Frank Oz directs the film version of Howard Ashman’s dark musical comedy (which was in turn based on Roger Corman’s original film). Rick Moranis plays a hapless flower shop employee who discovers an exciting new plant that brings much needed business. Problem is, the plant is carnivorous… and it’s getting bigger! Ellen Greene reprises the quirky role she originated in the off-Broadway production, and …

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