The Reel Deal

New Blog: Go to ReelDealBlog.com

2014-04-30T21:20:00.007-04:00

Well, this was a little delayed.

If you haven't noticed, there hasn't been a lot of posts on this site in a while. That's because, in January, I moved all action over to a new site on Wordpress. So if you have been coming here for all of that time, then I apologize. You can find all of my current work, and all of my old work, by simply going to ReelDealBlog.com. I've been writing a lot recently, and I even have a podcast now. The new changes are weird but very exciting.

Thank you everyone who has continued to read, even if you thought The Reel Deal was lost forever. Guess what? The Reel Deal isn't going anywhere. As long as there are movies, there will be reviews.

As always: Keep It Reel.

Predicting The Golden Globe Winners, Because I Have To

2014-01-09T15:07:00.000-05:00

At this point, saying that the Golden Globes are pointless is about as original as saying that M. Night Shyamalan is a crappy director. The awards don't mean anything, but on the bright side, you get to watch really famous people get drunk and congratulate themselves. Really though, the only reason to stick around is to watch Tina Fey and Amy Poehler host for the second year in a row. At this point, they basically have a residency that won't get old as quickly as the one Billy Joel has at Madison Square Garden.

I like to write about movies, so that gives me an obligation to write about the awards, too. It is easy to immediately dismiss the Globes because they once nominated "The Tourist" For Best Comedy/Musical. But just remember that the Oscars once gave "The King's Speech" Best Picture instead of "The Social Network." The Golden Globes are a nice, light appetizer to the big feast. But enough with food metaphors. Here are my predictions for Sunday's show, which I will present without any explanation because the Golden Globes deserve no further intellectual thought:

Note: In case it is not clear, whatever is in bold represents my prediction for the winner of whichever given category.

Best Drama

12 Years a Slave
Captain Phillips
Gravity
Philomena
Rush

Best Musical/Comedy

American Hustle
Her
Inside Lleweyn Davis
Nebraska
The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Director

Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
Alexander Payne, Nebraska
David O. Russell, American Hustle

Best Actress in a Drama

Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Judi Dench, Philomena
Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks
Kate Winslet, Labor Day

Best Actor in a Drama

Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Idris Elba, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyer’s Club
Robert Redford, All Is Lost

Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy

Christian Bale, American Hustle
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Leonardo Di Caprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis
Joaquin Phoenix, Her

Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy

Amy Adams, American Hustle
Julie Delpy, Before Midnight
Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Enough Said
Meryl Streep, August: Osage County

Best Supporting Actress

Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
June Squibb, Nebraska

Best Supporting Actor

Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Daniel Bruhl, Rush
Bradley Cooper, American Hustle
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyer’s Club

Best Screenplay

Spike Jonze, Her
Bob Nelson, Nebraska
Jeff Pope/Steve Coogan, Philomena
John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave
Eric Warren Singer, David O. Russell, American Hustle

Best Foreign Language Film

Blue is the Warmest ColorThe Great Beauty
The Hunt
The Past
The Wind Rises

Best Animated Feature

The Croods
Despicable Me 2
Frozen

Best Original Song

“Atlas,” The Hunger Games, Catching Fire
“Let It Go,” Frozen
“Ordinary Love,” Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
“Please Mr. Kennedy,” Inside Llewyn Davis
“Sweeter Than Fiction,” One Chance

Best Score

Alex Ebert, All Is Lost
Alex Heffes, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Steven Price, Gravity
John Williams, The Book Thief
Hans Zimmer, 12 Years a Slave

TELEVISION

Best TV Comedy or Musical

Girls
Modern Family
Parks and Recreation
The Big Bang Theory
Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Best TV Drama

Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
The Good Wife
House of Cards
Masters of Sex

Best Actress in a TV Drama

Julianna Marguiles, The Good Wife
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
Taylor Schilling, Orange Is the New Black
Kerry Washington, Scandal
Robin Wright, House of Cards

Best Actress in a TV Comedy

Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Lena Dunham, Girls
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Best Actor in a TV Drama

Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan
Michael Sheen, Masters of Sex
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
James Spader, The Blacklist

Best Actor in a TV Comedy

Jason Bateman, Arrested Development
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Michael J. Fox, The Michael J. Fox Show
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Andy Samberg, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Best Miniseries or TV Movie

American Horror Story: Coven
Behind the Candelabra
Dancing on the Edge
Top of the Lake
White Queen

Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie

Helena Bonham Carter, Burton and Taylor
Rebecca Ferguson, White Queen
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Helen Mirren, Phil Spector
Elisabeth Moss, Top of the Lake

Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie

Matt Damon, Behind the Candelabra
Michael Douglas, Behind the Candelabra
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Dancing on the Edge
Idris Elba, Luther
Al Pacino, Phil Spector

Best Supporting Actress in a TV Show, Miniseries or TV Movie

Jacqueline Bisset, Dancing on the Edge
Janet McTeer, White Queen
Hayden Panettiere, Nashville
Monica Potter, Parenthood
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family

Best Supporting Actor in a TV Show, Miniseries or TV Movie

Josh Charles, The Good Wife
Rob Lowe, Behind the Candelabra
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
Corey Stoll, House of Cards
Jon Voight, Ray Donovan

Five Movies That Are Often Misinterpreted By People

2014-01-08T17:21:00.008-05:00

The hottest controversy right now surrounds “The Wolf of Wall Street” and whether or not the film makes Jordan Belfort look like a hero or a villain. Okay, maybe this debate is a week old but I don’t get paid to do this so relevance is irrelevant here.

Anyway, “The Wolf of Wall Street” is not the first film to face this problem. Watching movies is such a subjective experience that they get misunderstood all of the time. Sometimes, this can be a good thing and it can bring up issues that nobody talks about, like how to view people who somehow make taking Quaaludes and snorting cocaine look hilarious. Other times, it can show how dumb people are, such as those who root for Jordan Belfort. Other times, misinterpretation can be dangerous when the irony is lost and life imitates art.

Here are five other movies that often get misinterpreted:

The Graduate (1967)

“The Graduate” contains a gloriously false happy ending. Ben Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) spends the whole film sleeping with Elaine Robinson’s (Katharine Ross) mother, and then decides that maybe he wants Elaine instead. So he crashes her wedding and they ride off on a bus together. Happily ever after? After just a minute, their two smiles quickly begin to fade in the shortest honeymoon phase known to man. “The Graduate” shows that impulsive love doesn’t normally work out. Generations of rom-coms to come always managed to get this ending wrong. The common misinterpretation of this ending is used as a key plot point in “500 Days of Summer.”

Taxi Driver (1976)

“Wolf” isn’t the first time that somebody has gotten one of Scorsese’s films wrong. “Taxi Driver” is one of cinema’s most haunting and ambiguous works of art. Excuse me while I go hit myself in the head with a hammer after writing that sentence. Anyway, the disturbed Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) shoots up an entire army of pimps in his efforts to save a teenage prostitute. Yes, he saves a young girl’s life, but in the process he becomes one of the maniacs that he hates. In the end, newspapers declare him a hero and he evades jail time. Some might believe this is how we should actually feel about him, while others find it ironic that a psychopath would be venerated by the media. In an even more extreme case, John Hinckley Jr. was inspired by the film and attempted to assassinate Ronald Regan. Sometimes, misinterpretation leaves the realm of silly intellectual debate and turns into something much more frightening.

Wall Street (1987)

“Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.” This is the most famous quote from “Wall Street,” and many people took it as a life philosophy as opposed to a stern warning. The Gordon Gekko case is a failure of irony. Then again, I would probably trust anybody with a cell phone that awesome. Fittingly, one of the many people inspired by “greed is good” happened to be an idealistic young stock broker named Jordan Belfort.

Knocked Up/Juno (2007)

Both of these comedies from 2007 explore unexpected pregnancies and in both there is a key scene where a character decides to keep the baby instead of getting an abortion. Immediately, many conservatives hailed the film as strongly pro-life, showing that political people never miss out on a single chance to push their agendas. Rather, their decisions were necessary for the films. If Juno and Alison had opted to get abortions, then both “Knocked Up” and “Juno” would have been over within 20 minutes.

Tropic Thunder (2008)

The funniest scene in a very funny movie comes when method actor Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.) explains to action star Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller) that if you want to win an Oscar, then you “never go full retard.” Some considered this an assault on the mentally challenged, and protests ensued. It is unfortunate that many saw this joke to be a malicious one, as it is really pointing its finger at actors who try and exploit disabilities. Funny, nobody ever got worked up over the fact that Robert Downey Jr. is wearing blackface for nearly the entire duration of "Tropic Thunder."

2014: The Possible Year In Movies

2014-01-07T20:34:00.005-05:00

Image via Collider

2013 was an excellent year for movies. 2014 seems like a mixed bag so far. There are a lot of solid releases coming out down the road.

For now, I feel pessimistic. Then again, it is easy to feel that way in January and February when studios focus on the Oscars and release all of the movies they have no faith in.

I think the dry spell will not last too long though, as there are already some promising releases in February and March. Here now are the list of films I want to see, the films I want to ignore, and the films I hope live up to their possible potential in 2014:

Most Anticipated

The Grand Budapest Hotel- As they say in the movie “Jerry Maguire,” you had me at Wes Anderson. I am always excited for what Wes Anderson has to offer, because I know it will always be weird, funny, and refreshing. Plus, “The Grand Budapest Hotel” has an amazing cast of people who have worked with Wes Anderson before (Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray, Harvey Keitel), and those who never have (Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham), but will feel right at home in Anderson’s universe.

Muppets Most Wanted- The last “Muppets” movie was so good that it made me remember why the world needs The Muppets. They are silly, brimming with anarchy, and way smarter than they seem. Unfortunately, Jason Segel has no involvement in “Muppets Most Wanted.” However, the involvement of the guys behind “Flight of the Concords” is promising enough. Plus, the moment in the trailer where Russian-accented Tina Fey trips on a stool already had me laughing like a mad man.

Bad Words- The fact that “Bad Words” is Jason Bateman’s directorial debut is exciting enough for me. But the fact that the whole movie seems to be Bateman yelling and cursing at little kids is exactly what everybody needs in their lives.

Interstellar- The trailer for “Interstellar” doesn’t say much; it’s just Matthew McConaughey reading a bunch of inspiring words about space travel. However, “A Christopher Nolan Film” is about all I needed to see. All of the personal projects that Nolan puts out in between Batman movies (“The Prestige,” “Inception”) are always as fascinating as they are groundbreaking. I will definitely be there opening weekend to see “Interstellar,” just as soon as this top stops spinning.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For- I am a huge fan of the original “Sin City,” which is a Tarantinoesque tilt on comic book heroes and villains. Miller’s graphic novel series is excellent (I’ve read a few) and it lends itself very well to film. “A Dame to Kill For” will fulfill your need for black and white films that keep the blood red.

Honorable Mention: Godzilla

Least Anticipated

That Awkward Moment- Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan are both way too talented to be starring in something that looks this crummy. Seriously, “That Awkward Moment” looks like a bunch of hashtags that are poorly cobbled together into a movie. And the saddest part is that this might really hurt Jordan’s career, given how close this film comes out to the Oscars. Jordan could get nominated for an Oscar for “Fruitvale Station,” but I sense an Eddie Murphy Effect in the air (Eddie Murphy was a frontrunner to win for “Dreamgirls,” but the fact that “Norbit” came out so closely to the Oscars probably hurt his chances).

Paranormal Activity 5- Yes, there are TWO “Paranormal Activity” out this year. The first one, “The Marked Ones,” is a Hispanic spin-off. I don’t know what “Paranormal Activity 5” is, and don’t really plan to find out. I am not a fan of the “Paranormal Activity” franchise, as well as found footage in general. While I respect horror films that respect the fear of what we can’t see, I don’t like horror films where I don’t care about what happens to the annoying yuppie characters.

Think Like A Man Too- I have never even seen “Think Like A Man” but I have had it up to here with sequels that have variations of two in the title. Whether it’s 2, too, or to, you’re not fooling anybody. A sequel is a sequel no matter what your perception of grammar is.

I, Frankenstein- Poor Aaron Eckhart. How did such a talented actor end up being cast in such a catastrophe? Turning Frankenstein’s Monster into a gritty, suave action hero might be one of Hollywood’s dumbest ideas. It is fitting that the trailer ends with Eckhart saying, “this ends tonight.” Finally, such a cliché has some meaning: maybe this will be the last time a movie like this gets made.

Vampire Academy- I thought Hollywood was finally done with teenage vampires after “Twilight” ended. Maybe this one was stuck in development hell for a long time, or there really is a chance that vampires are still a thing. “Vampire Academy” is a waste of both talent and brain matter. It is directed by Mark Waters, who most famously directed “Mean Girls.” So at least it will have an audience with BuzzFeed writers.

Dishonorable Mention: Winter’s Tale

Most Skeptical

22 Jump Street- It was something of a little miracle that “21 Jump Street” was so good. This was the same case with “Anchorman,” and “Anchorman 2” showed that lightning doesn’t always strike twice. I hope that isn’t the case for “22 Jump Street,” a sequel that is more inevitable than necessary. As long as “22 Jump Street” stays true to the originals hilarious and self-aware nature, then it can be a success.

Labor Day- I am convinced that the Jason Reitman that directed “Labor Day” is an impostor. The real Jason Reitman might be somewhere with duct tape over his mouth. “Labor Day” looks more like a Nicholas Sparks movie than a work from the brilliant director of “Young Adult” and “Up in the Air.” I am crossing my fingers that “Labor Day” just suffers from a very bad trailer. From now on, Reitman should stick with what he is good at: collaborating with Diablo Cody.

The Monuments Men- “The Monuments Men” has an interesting premise for a war movie, and it is directed by George Clooney. That’s a good start. However, it was supposed to come out in December, but its release date was pushed to February. The months of January and February are usually a death sentence. Although maybe this is actually a smart marketing ploy, as there was already too much competition in December, so the film could make a killing in a less crowded field. Still, with all of that extra time to tinker with the film, couldn’t they have come up with a better title?

Noah- Just like with “Labor Day,” “Noah” doesn’t look like something this director would actually think. This is Darren Aronofsky, the guy who directed “Requiem for a Dream” and “Black Swan.” Yet, “Noah” looks like a rip-off of “2012,” a film that was already a rip-off of countless other blockbusters. Maybe my skepticism also has to do with the fact that I can no longer take Russell Crowe seriously after his “singing” in “Les Miserables.” Basically, Aronofsky should be directing smaller stories like “The Wrestler.” Yet, he always surprises me, so maybe “Noah” is another “Black Swan” waiting to happen.

A Million Ways to Die in the West- Westerns are few and far between these days, so I try and cherish every single one that still manages to get made. Even better, this is a western comedy starring Neil Patrick Harris and Sarah Silverman. However, it is also directed by Seth MacFarlane. I gave up on “Family Guy” years ago when it started to become a parody on itself (“South Park” ruined it), and the reason that “American Dad” is so great is because he is not actually a showrunner. MacFarlane recently made his first foray into film with “Ted.” “Ted” showed that he had a heart, but it also proved how grating his idea of comedy can be. For instance, “Ted” has a parody of “Airplane,” which is already a parody. Parodying a parody just seems self-defeating. Hopefully, “A Million Ways to Die” has less “funny” flashbacks and more funny characters.

Movie Review: Her

2014-01-06T11:56:00.005-05:00

Image via Huffington Post.

Yes, “Her” is about a man who falls in love with his computer. But eventually, the fact that the love interest in question is a computer will not faze you at all. That is the magic of “Her.”

“Her” is a little bit of everything. For anyone looking for a good laugh, a tear-jerking romance, and a science fiction fable all in one, “Her” is the perfect solution. The film takes place during an unspecified date in the future, though time doesn’t exactly matter. This is, however, one of the more accurate imaginings of the future on film. There are no flying cars or hoverboards here. "Her" is on par with “Children of Men,” minus all of the random acts of violence.

Maybe there isn’t much violence because, in this vision of the future, nobody is that aggressive towards each other. In fact, most people do not express many emotions at all, as most of them are plugged in at all times through an earpiece that is much less dorky looking than a Bluetooth. Nobody stares down at tiny phone screens anymore. Instead, they inject the almighty Interwebs right into their brains. People still enjoy life and love each other, but everyone seems a little more anti-social. The film is set in Los Angeles, which has since become a metropolis that resembles Hong Kong and Shanghai more than modern L.A.

Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) is just another product of this society. He is a writer who writes love letters for other people writing for their loved ones. He just always has the right words to put on paper. Some people say that the key to being a good writer is to be able to write in other people’s voices, and Theodore can write a love note from just about anyone’s perspective. Yet, this seeming romantic can’t get his own love life together, as he is torn apart by the heartbreak of his recent divorce. With a mustache and a smile just that is just slightly off-putting, Phoenix plays creepy in the most lovable way possible. At one point, a girl (Olivia Wilde) whom he goes on a date with describes him as a “puppy.” He is more like a puppy that won’t stop humping your leg.

In his loneliness, Theodore decides to buy himself a new OS (Operating System) that is smarter than your typical Siri. This OS is a new brand of artificial intelligence that evolves and changes just like any human. You can have a conversation with it beyond simple commands. Theodore’s OS names herself Samantha (Scarlett Johansson). Samantha is a little bit nosy, but that is only because she is curious about the world. She is also funny, intelligent, and a great listener. She is the perfect antidote to Theodore’s toxic love life. The two slowly fall in love, even if Theodore “doesn’t want anything too serious.”

If one were to just read the basic synopsis of “Her,” they might think it is the weirdest film imaginable. Anyone who still thinks that doesn’t deserve what the film has to offer. “Her” is so powerful partly because of how non-judgmental it is towards it characters. For instance, when Theodore tells his neighbor Amy (Amy Adams) that he has fallen in love with his OS, she tells him that she also has a close friendship with her OS. “Her” is a film where humanity and technology go hand-in-hand, because there isn’t that much of a difference between humans and machines anymore.

Most of the film’s kind nature lies in Theodore and Samantha's relationship. While Samantha is never shown in human form, she feels real, even if it is only her voice that is present. In fact, Theodore and Samantha’s relationship is the most functional love presented in the entire film. That Samantha is not actually human ends up feeling inconsequential. It is what these two teach each other, and how they impact each other’s lives, that is the most important part here.

It is not just Theodore and Samantha who are impacted here. At one point, a side character comes in between their relationship because she just wants to be a part of the special bond that the two of them share. That is exactly how I felt. When the two of them are together, I get the sense that they have a shared worldview that few others possess. “Her” allows you to fully explore a relationship during both its best and worst hours. Writer and director Spike Jonze graciously allows us to be a part of those intimate moments that we necessarily shouldn’t be allowed to be a part of.

This is all thanks to Spike Jonze, who proves that he can direct something great even when it isn’t based off of one of Charlie Kaufman’s crazy ideas. “Her” is more sincere than meta, but it is also filled with some crazy yet brilliant ideas. Jonze has a real talent for tragicomedy. "Her" would have been pretentious and heavy-handed under anybody else’s care. However, Jonze knows how to balance sincere and silly. At one moment, the characters are having a discussion about metaphysics, and the next they are trying to figure out what it would be like to have butt sex with your elbow (long story). Both of these moments are actually thoughtful for varying reasons.

It might be a miracle that “Her” turns out to be as good as it is, given the very thin tight rope that it walks on. It attempts to be more a reflection on our times than an indictment of them, and in that it says more about the nature of humanity and artificial intelligence than most films that explore the same subject. Bad versions of “Her” have been made before. Luckily, we do not have to watch another “Bicentennial Man” or “A.I.” Instead, we get to witness “Harold and Maude” set in the future.

Brain Farts From The Edge

I want to live in the Los Angeles of “Her.” It looks more exciting, more like a real city, and it has trains that don’t look like homeless shelters.
This is also the most beautiful portrayal of L.A. I’ve seen in a film since “500 Days of Summer.” “Her” goes beyond Sunset Boulevard and shows the stunning nuances of the city that often go unnoticed.
Arcade Fire did the music for this. Spike Jonze directed it. Scarlett Johansson voices a computer in it. This is one hipster paradise that I want to be a part of.
Were they really in love? I'm still debating.
Winning Casting Choice: Kristen Wiig as SexyKitten.
Only weak part of the film: Theodore’s vacation to a snowy area slows down some of the amazing momentum that is built up in the film’s first half. Luckily, it eventually gains it back.
I’m pretty sure that foul-mouthed alien boy in Theodore’s video game would have a great time in Grand Theft Auto.
Everything in this future is so fully realized. There is definitely an understanding of what the future will look like, from the inside and out. Pay attention to the pants that everyone wears, which resembles a slightly fancier pair of sweatpants. For the record, I would totally wear fancy sweatpants.
Yes, there is a sex scene. You won’t be prepared for it, as it is a spontaneous moment. Jonze handles it tastefully. It feels meaningful as opposed to ridiculous.

Analog This: Community Season 5 Premiere, and the Meaning of Greendale

2014-01-05T22:07:00.005-05:00

“Community” has had such a troubled run. At the same time, it is also more privileged than most shows. Besides multiple hiatuses and threats of cancellation, the show has seen one showrunner get fired and then re-hired. But the loud voices of the Internet spoke, and Dan Harmon’s vision got to beat on.

And to that I say, “amen.”

I would have been okay if “Community” had gotten canned after its third season. However, if it had ended with the bitter taste of season four, that would not have felt right. So, there is a fifth season of “Community.” And once again, I say “amen.”

The “Community” fans of the world waited many uncertain months for the show’s return and man, was it worth the wait. Finally, it seems like NBC is with us and not against us. They ran two episodes in one night, which was preceded by a good amount of advertising. Plus, that little #Community at the corner of the screen shows that the network finally realized that the Internet exists.

I didn’t really want to talk about the dark battle to get “Community” back on the air, but it is impossible not to, given how meta and self-referential the show can get. In tonight’s first episode, titled “Repilot,” Troy rants against Zach Braff for leaving “Scrubs” early. Donald Glover is only starring in the season’s first five episodes. With two down so far, that means there is only three more chances for another “Troy & Abed in the Morning.” Fingers crossed.

Only two episodes into the new season, and it’s as if no time has passed at all since Harmon was fired from the show. “Community” has already settled back into its dark, multi-layered self. There was a cloud of sadness shrouded over these first episode. The study group has gone their separate ways after graduation, but none of them ended up in the place they wanted to be. Jeff’s law firm went under. Annie is pushing prescription pills. Troy doesn’t know what to be sad about. Finally, everyone starts to realize that Greendale is a mess. Worst of all, Jeff has slipped right back into his sleazy lawyer persona. But once he remembers how important the study group is to him, he goes from wanting to bring Greendale down to wanting to save it. I guess we all needed a reminder of how important Greendale is, and how different this season is going to be.

The second episode, “Introduction To Teaching,” was lighter and a real return to form. It also marked the first episode with the amazing Jonathan Banks as the bitter forensics teacher who just wants to make it as a cartoonist. The best thing about his performance is that he basically delivers all of his lines with the same intensity that he did on “Breaking Bad,” but this time he gets to talk about duck bills instead of secret meth empires.

More importantly, there was a plotline involving a pop culture reference that the sum total of pop culture references on “Community” was most likely leading to: Nicolas Cage. The gang takes a class called “Nicholas Cage: Good or Bad.” Of course, Abed takes it way too seriously. His madness over determining the answer to this question leads to the best Nicholas Cage impression I have ever seen. While Donald Glover is the master of the freak out, Danny Pudi will do just fine covering for him once he leaves the show.

Abed, the show’s unofficial narrator and audience surrogate, takes a turn for the cynical tonight when he realizes that people are “random and pointless.” “Community” realizes this. I mean, Troy has a Clive Owen Tumblr and The Dean’s thoughts are in French. Who could predict that? By bringing the show to such a dark place, “Community” rediscovered its meaning tonight: this is a show about troubled people who get the chance to redeem themselves. Give the members of Greendale, and “Community,” a second chance, because they have proven their worth once again.

The Best Lines/Moments

· “It’s like me blaming owls for how much I suck at analogies.” Britta knows she’s the worst, but she totally owns it. And that’s why we all love her.

· “I’m on sabbatical.” “You’re Jewish?”

· For anyone who thought Jeff’s ad was ridiculous, I go to school in Upstate New York, and every lawyer and car dealer has a commercial that’s about that ridiculous as well.

· Someone give Rob Corddry a medal. He is a master at playing d-bags.

· “Well, Jesus wasn’t in 70 movies.”

· “When I asked you to explain the Sixth Amendment you pled the Fifth.”

· Funny small moment: When Alan (Cordrry) starts a slow clap, Abed awkwardly claps along with him in the background.

Movie Review: Spring Breakers

2014-01-02T11:46:00.002-05:00

“Spring Breakers” walks like art. It talks like art. But it is not art. It is a scatter-brained collection of pretty colors and hot bodies disguised as art. Or maybe it is art and you just don’t get it, man.

The reason I just didn’t get “Spring Breakers” is that there was nothing for me to get. There was nothing to cling onto or explore deeper, and there was even less to be entertained by.

“Spring Breakers” follows four sheltered college girls from Kentucky. Their one real dream is to go to Florida for a real spring break experience. The problem is, they have no money. So, out of nowhere they decide to rob a store. They make off with a big enough score that they can have their spring break in a state that is mostly occupied by criminals and old Jews.

I do not understand why stealing the money is their only option, or even why they don’t have money in the first place. To say that most of these characters are caricatures is an insult to caricatures. The cast is made up of a bunch of a bunch of former tween idols trying to play against type. Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, and Rachel Korine (wife of director Harmony Korine) might as well be the same person. They never have any thoughts independent of one another. Their conversations vary between “yay spring break!” and “woo spring break!” and “I wanna put this money in my [REDACTED].” Surprisingly, The only one of the main girls who actually stands out is Selena Gomez. While her work is nothing amazing, she gives it her all. She is the only one I could connect to at all. However, her name is Faith. And she likes to go to church. That defines the film perfectly.

Once the girls get to Florida, “Spring Breakers” turns into the dullest extended party montage I have ever seen in a film. “Spring Breakers” is like “Girls Gone Wild” directed by Oliver Stone. It is almost like the Mardi Gras sequence in “Easy Rider,” but without the strong story, characters, or social context. The girls drink and smoke out of any object possible, and snort coke off of every part of their bodies, because that’s what college kids do I guess. They get themselves into trouble one night and end up in jail. Maybe the film’s only truly funny moment is when the four of them stand in a courthouse wearing just their bikinis.

They are eventually bailed out of jail, for reasons that still make no sense at all, by Alien (James Franco), a rapper who “just wants to be bad” and lives out his dream with a massive weapon collection. Under Alien’s supervision, the girls get involved in the seedy Florida underworld, and they become pretty good criminals. James Franco is phenomenal in this part that the strange little pockets of Oscar buzz for his performance now make sense. Sometimes, Franco seems like he is sleepwalking through a lot of his roles (the guy is busy and he doesn’t sleep a lot). As Alien, he is fully committed, and he forms the most fully fleshed out character in the film. The reasoning behind Alien’s rap persona and his desire to be a criminal are interesting enough that he deserves his own film. Preferably, Harmony Korine would not direct that film.

“Spring Breakers” is more migraine than movie. Seriously, there should probably be an epilepsy warning before it starts. Harmony Korine enjoys cutting quickly from scene to scene or sometimes cutting out in the middle of an important scene to somewhere else that is completely inconsequential. “Spring Breakers” tries to do too much and therefore it is impossible to get anything out of it. I am not sure if Korine does this because he thinks it creates an interesting narrative, or because he is hiding the fact that he never had a strong narrative to begin with. I am shooting for the latter.

My ultimate conclusion is that there really was no point to “Spring Breakers.” There is something very voyeuristic about the way the film captures spring break, and it feels mostly like voyeurism for the sake of voyeurism. Spring break footage from an MTV reality show would have more personality than what Harmony Korine captures here. “Spring Breakers” seems to think that style and personality go hand-in-hand. In order to have depth, there should at least be a few characters with some kind of backstory or motivations to be involved in. Throughout the course of “Spring Breakers,” some characters disappear and others die, and yet the film just moves on.

“Spring Breakers” was one of the most divisive films of 2013. For me, it was one of the worst. Most bad movies are at least honest about their intentions. “Spring Breakers” tries really hard to pass itself off as artistic. However, I am pretty sure that the actual script was five pages long and then 90 more pages of stick figures with boobs.

Brain Farts From The Edge

According to Wikipedia, one critic described the film as “Scarface meets Britney Spears.” That’s supposed to be a compliment?
Speaking of which, I think that Alien is supposed to be making fun of all of those people that worship Tony Montana as a hero.
Alien’s license plate says: BALLR.
A weird little touch that I liked: Franco petting Selena Gomez’s eyebrows subtly in one scene. Alien shows his affection in very weird ways.
Watching James Franco play piano was pretty awesome. So was the kind of creepy scene where he sucks off a gun. Basically, this movie should have been all James Franco all the time.
Moral of the story: don’t go to Florida.
Half the time they wear ski masks, they don’t even need to.
I don’t get shocked easily (if you can sit through “The Wolf of Wall Street” then you can handle anything), but there was something really disturbing about seeing Harmony Korine film his own wife naked and getting beer poured all over her. Because art.
I am enjoying making all of these comparisons. So one more: “Spring Breakers” is like if Quentin Tarantino did a bunch of drugs, and then forgot to make a movie.

The 2013 Reel Deal Movie Awards

2014-01-01T20:04:00.006-05:00

If there is one complaint that people could have against the Oscars, besides the fact that Oscar voters rarely pick the right film and are easily seduced by pretty campaigns, is that there awards just aren't specific enough.

Boom! Problem fixed.

Here are some new categories I thought up to give some movies, directors, and actors who might not have gotten their moment in the sun otherwise.

Some of these awards are compliments, some are not, and some will probably make no sense at all. But then again, anything makes more sense than "Shakespeare in Love" beating "Saving Private Ryan" for Best Picture.

Read the list below:

Most Underrated: The Heat

Most Overrated: Pacific Rim

Most Surprisingly Good: Iron Man 3

Indie Filmmaking Done Right: Frances Ha

Indie Filmmaking Done Wrong: The Way Way Back, Touchy Feely

Most Annoying New Indie Trope: Board game brings out tension between family members (The Way Way Back, The Kings of Summer)

Best Paul Rudd with a Mustache: Prince Avalanche

Best Directorial Debut: Jordan Vogt-Roberts (The Kings of Summer)

Guilty Pleasure I Didn't Feel Guilty for Enjoying: Evil Dead

Most Misguided Allegory: Elysium

Best Use of Tom Cruise Yelling on a Football Field: Oblivion

I Don't Get Your Accent: Jodie Foster (Elysium)

Best Franchise Installment: Catching Fire

Worst Franchise Installment: The Desolation of Smaug

Blandest Franchise Installment: Star Trek Into Darkness

Could Have Used a Colon in the Title: Star Trek Into Darkness

Movie I Haven't Seen But Know Everything About Second Hand: Man of Steel

Best Animal Humor: Inside Llewyn Davis

Funniest Use of Drugs: The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Twist: Side Effects

Best Scorsese Movie Not Directed by Scorsese: American Hustle

Best Movie I Saw in Theaters in 2013 that Didn't Come out in 2013: Life of Pi

Best Use of Coach Taylor Not Playing Coach Taylor: The Spectacular Now

Best Movie of the Year that was Actually a TV Show: Breaking Bad

Movie Review Anchorman 2

2013-12-31T12:51:00.002-05:00

I was going into the seventh grade when "Anchorman" came out. I was just the right age to be completely inspired and blown away by a fairly raunchy PG-13 comedy. Watching the original "Anchorman" was basically a right of passage for anybody around my age. If you can't quote it by heart, then there might be something wrong with you.

So of course something this iconic called for a sequel.

"Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues" knows at this point that it is kind of a big deal. Hell, it even has "The Legend Continues" in its title. That means that unfortunately, like many other sequels, it lacks the surprise of its predecessor.

Don't get me wrong, I laughed at "Anchorman 2" a lot. It ups the ante on just about everything it can that worked in the original. Ron has many more expressions to capture his anger beyond "great odin's raven!" In fact, by biggest regret was not writing them all down.

"Anchorman 2" takes place in the 1980s and weirdly the characters haven't changed at all since the 1970s, except that they like disco and are much more casually racist than they ever were in the past. I don't know if their lack of change is bad writing or intentional, but I would like to think that it is the latter. The gang all moves to New York to take place in an experiment called 24 hour news. Nobody thinks it will work. It actually does, when you don't actually report the news at all. "Anchorman 2" weirdly becomes a piece of social commentary.

The first "Anchorman" ran smoothly at a brisk 94 minutes. Meanwhile, "Anchorman 2" runs close to two hours and proves that editing is secretly the tool that can make or break a comedy. At times, "Anchorman 2" felt more like a blooper reel than an actual film. I guess you could say almost the same thing for Adam McKay's last film "Step Brothers."* However, "Step Brothers" knew when to end a scene. While blooper reels are fun, even a great extra take can drag a film down.

Weirdly enough though, the best scenes in the film are the ones where Will Ferrell is allowed to be Will Ferrell. Say what you will about how good some of his films have been lately, but the guy oozes funny. That doesn't just disappear. To me, he is as funny as he was all those years ago in "Old School" and "Elf." Like any good comedian, Ferrell is fearless. He is never afraid to make himself look terrible, or make himself say and do things that are borderline racist. It's okay though, the joke is on Ron Burgundy.

"Anchorman 2" is at its best when it revels in absurdity the same way its predecessor did. There is an entire subplot where Ron and his son take care of a baby shark. It is one of the weirdest things I have seen in a film all year. It makes no sense and yet I bought every second of it. Ditto for the fight scene, which is even more ridiculous than it was before. This time, Ron and his news team face off against one of the most successful rappers in the world, a legendary movie star, and an Academy Award winning actress, among many others. It seems like everyone wants to jump on the "Anchorman" train.

Where the film doesn't work is when it takes a bunch of jokes that worked really well the first time around, and runs them into the ground. I love Steve Carell, and there were some classic Brick moments here, but he seemed less and less committed the more screen time he is given. Some side characters are side characters for a reason: they are good to pop in with a funny line to save a scene here and there, and that's it.

Other times, "Anchorman 2" veers away from utter weirdness and goes into obvious joke territory. Seriously, there is a good 20 minute chunk of jokes about being blind and not being able to tell different objects apart. Come on, Adam McKay and Will Ferrell are so much better than that.

Ultimately, it is really the running time that brings "Anchorman 2" down. As I said, I laughed a lot. But the laughs were spread out whereas in the first "Anchorman," they crammed in as many jokes as possible, and nearly all of them landed. Instead, there are long stretches of "Anchorman 2" that are kind of dull. Jokes land here and there. At this rate: the "Anchorman" franchise is going the way of "Austin Powers": still funny as it moves along, but with diminishing returns.

*I mean absolutely no disrespect to "Step Brothers." That movie is a freaking comedy miracle.

The Top 10 Movies of 2013

2013-12-30T14:06:00.005-05:00

Year-end lists sometimes seem self-defeating. Taste and opinions change over time. What I liked this year might fall out of favor a year later. I can already tell from lists I’ve made in the past. For example, in 2010, I said that “127 Hours” was better than “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.” However, I would re-watch “Scott Pilgrim” over “127 Hours” any day. Part of making a good end of the year list is to try and predict what will also be good five years down the road while also living in the spectacular now (SORRY I HAD TO).

Making this list drives me crazy, but it is also one of my favorite posts to write. Thinking back helps to put the entire year into perspective. For instance, I found that some of the best films of 2013 had much in common. 2013 in film meant economic woes, nostalgia gone wrong, and exploration of what it means to be a success. Along the way, there were some great laughs, songs, and explosions.

Here is my list of the top 10 films of 2013:

10. The Kings of Summer

Jordan Vogt-Roberts' stellar directorial debut is a modern “Stand By Me.” “The Kings of Summer” is a coming-of-age story that is equal parts moving and hilarious. It is the rare high school comedy that doesn’t resort to exploiting awkwardness for laughs (“Superbad” and “Dazed and Confused” are about the only ones that ever did that right). Some great actors (Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally) and some very brief cameos (Kumail Nanjiani, Hannibal Buress) bring the banter to life. Keep an eye out for young Moises Arias, who plays Biaggio, who is no doubt one of the weirdest and most memorable characters in any film that came out this year.

9. Frances Ha

With the help of star and writer Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach turns out his best film to date. It’s earnest, funny, and never pretentious. Many of the confused twentysomethings seem startlingly like people I have met, and personalities I have embodied. It is light on its feet, serious when it needs to be, and fearless enough to take big detours and let its awesome soundtrack blare. “Frances Ha” is ultimately a redemption story, and the kind of film I hope that Noah Baumbach (and others like him) keep making.

8. This Is The End

The best blockbuster of the summer was not a movie about robots fighting monsters, but rather a comedy about a bunch of actors living through the rapture. “This Is The End” might be the smartest, most complex movie ever to come out of the minds of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. This is the dick-joke laced send-up of a bizarro Hollywood that I didn’t realize I was waiting for. “This Is The End” uses long back-and-forths as action set pieces. It wears its influences (such as “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The Exorcist”) on its sleeves, and it gives us Michael Cera snorting cocaine. For that alone it more than deserves a spot on this list.

7. The World’s End

“The World’s End” is the fitting conclusion to Edgar Wright’s Cornetto trilogy. “The World’s End” shows Wright is a visual storytelling prodigy. He is undeniably skilled as both a satirist and action director; everything that he spoofs is out of love. Plus, "The World's End" contains a performance from Simon Pegg that would be getting more awards buzz if the world wasn’t such a cruel place. During a time when many people seem to think that “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” was the best show ever invented (because nostalgia), the partial message of “The World’s End” is that the past is never as perfect as we remember. This seems like the perfect theme for the year 2013 in general as well as years to come, as "The World's End" only gets better on repeat viewings.

6. Nebraska

Alexander Payne has been working with comedy, dramas, and comedy-dramas for his entire career. “Nebraska” is not his best film, but it feels like everything he has done has led him here. “Nebraska” resembles a bleak painting of the landscape of Middle America, sprinkled with some of the funniest characters you can imagine. Here is a road trip movie that takes its time, but somehow never meanders. It earns its big emotional ending that will make you want to go buy something nice for your father.

5. Gravity

Watching “Gravity” in IMAX 3D is the closest I have ever felt to how people must have responded when they first saw “2001: A Space Odyssey” in theaters. “Gravity” imitated both the physical feeling of being in space (there were several points where I was literally struggling to breath) and the frightening isolation of being lost in space. It is basically a one-woman show for Sandra Bullock, and boy does she deliver. You know how “Gravity” will end, yet this is the rare film that transcends story structure. With both "Gravity" and “Children of Men” under his belt, Alfonso Cuaron is now the only person who should be allowed to direct science fiction films.

4. Blue Jasmine

Every time Woody Allen seems to have made a comeback (“Midnight in Paris”), he will find himself knocked down a peg (“To Rome With Love”). I guess that's just what happens when you put out something every single year. Yet, “Blue Jasmine” is the kind of film Woody Allen has not made in a long time, and one I frankly didn’t know he was still capable of making. This is the darkest film he has made since “Match Point.” It is also one of his most haunting and mesmerizing. Out of “Blue Jasmine,” Allen constructs a broken woman who is strong because it is impossible to know what exactly she is capable of doing. It is bizarre to watch her talk to herself, because it is the only way she can connect with anyone. "Blue Jasmine" is the most provocative character study of the year.

3. American Hustle

I am getting kind of sick of heist movies as well as films that pretend to accurately portray the past. This is exactly why I am thankful for “American Hustle,” a film about one of the weirdest scandals in American history that doesn't even bother to be faithful to the facts. The fun part is trying to figure out what is real and what is not. “American Hustle” has the most dynamic ensemble of the year, and some extremely catchy dialogue (“don’t put metal in the science oven”). Like its schlubby lead character, “American Hustle” can be messy and sometimes hard to understand, but its utter confidence in itself makes it so appealing.

2. The Wolf of Wall Street

For those who dismiss “The Wolf of Wall Street” as a merely entertaining film with no substance, just look at all of the controversy it has caused in the past few days. “The Wolf of Wall Street” is an epic about the pursuit of happiness gone too far. It is really about the pursuit of excess. During its three hour run time, “The Wolf of Wall Street” contains some scenes that work on such an amazingly high level because they are allowed lots of time to breath (the best among these: Belfort’s meeting with an FBI agent on his yacht; the hilarious Quaalude tripping scene). At its best, “The Wolf of Wall Street” doesn’t feel like its pushing the three hour mark. Most importantly, this film shows why Martin Scorsese makes crime stories better than any other American director: he understands that sometimes the criminals are much more fascinating than the cops.

1. Inside Llewyn Davis

It is easy to tell when a film is directed by the Coen Brothers. However, they also never make the same film twice. “Inside Llewyn Davis” shows that the Coen Brothers don't lack compassion, it is just that they are not afraid to show that shitty actions have even shittier consequences. This is a meaningful film for anybody who has ever wanted to create anything, and the way that Llewyn’s artistic integrity becomes his undoing is both sad and meaningful. “Inside Llewyn Davis” is nihilism transformed into something beautiful. But enough about that. “Inside Llewyn Davis” is the best directed and most unpredictable script of the year. Its soundtrack is as good as any you will ever hear. Characters do things that make no sense, and you will spend all of your time weeks later trying to figure out why. Most films fade from the memory quickly. “Inside Llewyn Davis” just won’t go away from mine. Even if their films are cynical, the Coen Brothers are the rare directors who don’t pander to their audience. “Inside Llewyn Davis” doesn’t provide any easy answers. It asks questions that I want to think about. I know it will grow even more on me in the years to come until it shapes into something that everyone considers to be a timeless classic. For all of these reasons and more, “Inside Llewyn Davis” is the best film of the year.

Honorable Mentions: 12 Years a Slave, Blackfish, Side Effects, The Spectacular Now, Captain Phillips, Evil Dead

Still Need To See: Her, Spring Breakers, Short Term 12, The Act of Killing, Frozen, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Dallas Buyers Club

Still Not Sure If This Counts: The Hunt- I saw it at Cannes in 2012, but it didn’t come out in America until this year. Either way, this incredible film deserves a list of its own.

Movie Review: The Wolf of Wall Street

2013-12-28T15:15:00.001-05:00

Image via Slate

"The Wolf of Wall Street" is the rare film in which its trailer is not misleading. If you came anticipating flying midgets and strippers with money taped to them, that is exactly what you will get.

Although he has dipped his toes into very different territory over the years ("The Aviator," "Hugo"), Martin Scorsese returns to the world of crime and money again and again. Each time, he seems to have something new to say about it, and gives us another rags to riches villain to engrain into our memories.

Meet Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), a middle class kid from Bayside, Queens who just wants to make millions. His ambition brings him to Wall Street where he meets a broker (Matthew McConaughey) who teaches him how to survive on Wall Street, mainly through increased sex and drug intake.

Through some successes and failures over the next few years, Belfort finds himself in the penny stock business and eventually, he becomes a multimillionaire. He begins to live a life of excess as opposed to luxury. Those with enough money are comfortable. Then there are people like Jordan Belfort, who have more money than they can spend, and thus have wealth-induced anxiety. I hate that I am about to type this, but I feel like I have to: more money really does mean more problems.

Scorsese fights excess with excess. With a running time that just hits the three hour mark, he revels in the insane behavior that took place at Stratton Oakmont and then reprimands it. "The Wolf of Wall Street" embodies the truism that crime doesn't pay, and it has such a fun time in doing so. "The Wolf of Wall Street" is a comedy, through and through, and by far one of the funniest movies of the year. This is a satire with consequences. It allows its actors to show off comic skills that you knew or didn't know that they ever had.

Scorsese's films with DiCaprio has proven to be one of the most successful actor-director collaborations ever, and about as close to the pairing that Scorsese and DeNiro once had. DiCaprio has never had a real comedic role before, which is a shame; he has never been funnier than he is in "The Wolf of Wall Street." His drug-addled physical commitment to his performance turns Jordan Belfort into the weirdest kind of cartoon - the kind that will slink and slither as much as he needs to so long as it helps him put more money in his pocket. And while DiCaprio could probably make a rock seem charismatic, he has especially good chemistry with Jonah Hill, who plays his sidekick, Donnie Azoff. Many of the scenes are focused on Hill's ability to bounce off another person in long banter sessions. He is as good with DiCaprio as he has been in past comedies with Michael Cera and Channing Tatum.

"The Wolf of Wall Street" proves that age has nothing on Scorsese. He recently said that he thinks he only has a few films left in him. However, his directorial style is as fresh today as it was when he first started. His view of the world lends itself to so many different times and places. However, it is fantastic to see him back in his home turf. Whether it is the 1860s in Five Points or the 1990s on Wall Street, Scorsese knows New York better than anyone. He captures the neighborhoods, the accents, and the attitudes. His hyperactive directing style lends itself so well to the chaotic energy of the city.

This film has been compared many times to "Goodfellas," you know, that movie you will watch to completion anytime it is on cable. While the comparison sets "Wolf" up for high expectations, it is a fair one. "Wolf" is filled with criss-crossing perspectives and multiple voiceovers. This is Jordan's story, and he gets a chance to try and justify himself with the perspective of time. However, allowing the side characters to comment is a sly way to let the audience know that the narrator cannot be trusted.

In the world of "The Wolf of Wall Street," stockbrokers are the new gangsters: kids aspire to be them, women want to be with them. They see what they want and they take it. However, Henry Hill is something of a sympathetic figure, while Jordan Belfort does not come close to being sympathetic. The fact that the film is able to get this across is part of what makes it so good. While "Goodfellas" showed that gangsters could be average guys who found some short cuts to success, "The Wolf of Wall Street" portrays criminals as reverse Robin Hoods who got rich by ripping off the working class. "Wolf" is really about class warfare. The scene where Belfort and his gang launch little people for their own entertainment struck me as biting, yet sad comedy. It is about the equivalent of the scene in "History of the World: Part I" where King Louis shoots peasants for fun, the same people he is supposed to be looking out for.

Nobody contradicts himself for artistic gain quite as well as Scorsese does. Throughout the film's run, quaaludes are snorted and orgies are had, and we get to experience the feeling of being involved in all of these. Scorsese has an amazing ability of being able to boil down the business of crime into something understandable. Sure, little pieces could have been trimmed off of the film here and there, but no scene really needed to be removed completely. There is never a boring moment in the film, something that cannot be said for most films that are half the length of "The Wolf of Wall Street." You will enjoy every moment of what is on screen, and then question why you enjoyed something about a subject so dark. This is provocation done right in one of the best films of the year.

Brain Farts From The Edge (Minor Spoilers/Spoilers For Real Life Ahead)

Matthew McConaughey is barely in the film, but he still deserves an Oscar nomination. I also like how most directors seem to have given up on trying to get him to drop his Texas accent.
As Always, Kyle Chandler plays the authority figure. Luckily, he has more of a personality than he did in "Argo" and "Zero Dark Thirty." Plus, he gets to curse. Go coach!
The chimp in roller skates needed more screen time. He is as intriguing as the llama they always show backstage on "Saturday Night Live" but never explain.
Apparently, Belfort's main influence for his get rich quick scheme was Gordon Gekko of "Wall Street." This once again proves that people are really, really bad at understanding simple irony.
The quaalude tripping scene is unbelievable. From the Popeye reference to Belfort's attempt to gain control of his own body, this is one of the funniest scenes of the year. Like tear-inducing laughter. It's like a slightly more down-to-earth version of the drug trip sequence from "21 Jump Street."
During the drug trip, one very long lasting shot weirdly reminded me of the hanging scene in "12 Years a Slave." Talk about two very different kinds of struggles.
Something about this movie really makes me want to go eat in a diner in Queens.
I immensely enjoyed the scene where Rob Reiner yelled at his wife over the TV show. It is really fun to watch old Jews argue.
On that note, I don't know what "The Equalizer" is, but I would totally watch it.
One scene I could have done without (SPOILERS!): After Naomi (Margot Robbie) tells Jordan she wants a divorce and Jordan tries to steal his own daughter. It felt both unnecessary and painful to watch. At this point, I didn't need any more evidence that he was selfish and pathetic. This scene just felt like overkill.
The storm scene. Terrifying. "The Perfect Storm" has nothing on this. (Note: I have never seen "The Perfect Storm," so it's probably best to ignore this).
I really enjoyed that nice little bit of subway symbolism in the end.
The fact that this escaped an NC-17 rating is beyond me.
F***ing Benihana.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go watch "Goodfellas."

Movie Review: Saving Mr. Banks

2013-12-25T12:31:00.001-05:00

Image via The Guardian

Hollywood loves nothing more than itself. So I guess it's fitting that a movie about Walt Disney was made by Walt Disney Pictures. Walt Disney made a movie about Walt Disney whether you like it or not.

That sets the tone for "Saving Mr. Banks," a sometimes dark but mostly sugarcoated view of a Hollywood story that didn't necessarily need to be told, but here it is anyway.

In actuality, “Saving Mr. Banks” is not even that much about Walt Disney, even if it was one of the film’s major selling points. It is really about P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson), the eccentric author of “Mary Poppins.” Mrs. Travers (as she would want you to call her) is the farthest thing from a sellout, but she is strapped for cash. Disney, who is played here by a mustached Tom Hanks, wants to buy the rights to “Mary Poppins” from her for a film, but Travers won’t do it until she can approve of Disney’s vision. So he sends her from London to Hollywood to work on the script.

Behind-the-scenes looks at Hollywood can be interesting. The process of getting a movie made is such a painstaking process that it usually takes an insane person to get a really good one made. “Saving Mr. Banks” is about pre-pre-production on “Mary Poppins,” before anyone even knew if it was actually going to get made. Therefore, “Saving Mr. Banks” is less about taking huge creative risks and more about the very early creative process of trying to come up with ideas. However, the film never really captures the frustration of trying to get an idea to stick. Rather, it is about a really frustrating person who will shoot down every idea she can.

“Saving Mr. Banks” takes place in 1961, and is intercut with flashbacks to Travers’ childhood. The flashbacks ultimately turn what could have been a fun, breezy look at Old Hollywood into a period piece that takes itself too seriously. The flashbacks serve to reveal Travers’ relationship with her father (Colin Farrell), a man who gave her the cynical outlook on life that was a crucial part of her creative growth. While this is a necessary element of the film, it also feels like it could have been accomplished in just a few simple lines of exposition.

Meanwhile, the film tries way too hard to seamlessly transition into these blasts from the past. Little mind triggers take Travers out of the present and into the haunted events of her Australian childhood. The most ridiculous of these comes from a bowl of pears. From there, the biggest mystery of the film is this: what did pears ever do to her? Did a pear kill her father? Or have an affair with her mother? It was these questions that helped me stay awake through the film’s dullest scenes. I would have preferred that these flashbacks were shoved into the film in a sincerely messy way as opposed to with phony subtlety.

While “Saving Mr. Banks” lets the characters live, it never lets them move around, breath, and truly explore the space. Hanks, who gave one of the best performances of his career in “Captain Phillips” in the fall, seemingly phones it in here. Or at least his potential does not seem to be fully realized. Meanwhile, Thompson gives a standout performance as Travers. At first, her uptight quirks are pretty grating but as the film moves along, they become surprisingly endearing. However, there is a sense of humor that makes up her personality that one can only see from an actual recording of one of their writing sessions (Travers liked to record everything), which is played during the closing credits. Unfortunately, this seemingly funny British sensibility doesn’t come through as much as it should in her performance.

While bias usually only applies to journalism, it can be a major problem for entertainment as well. “Saving Mr. Banks” isn’t necessarily a blatant advertisement for Disney. However, it is definitely a piece of pro-Disney propaganda. While movies don’t need to portray the past accurately in order to be good, they should at least try to come close. Instead, “Saving Mr. Banks” portrays Walt Disney as a big kid with boundless imagination. While I am sure that Disney was like that, he also must have been a pretty ruthless businessman, given the scope of the empire that he created. Instead, we are expected to be sympathetic for him because he had a rough childhood. That tidbit, like most of what the film reveals, isn’t as big of a revelation as it thinks it is.

At one point, Disney gives a cheesy, self-congratulatory speech that is perhaps perfect for this film. We give tons of awards and money to people who make things up, so why do we all need to hear a speech about how important creative people are?

I might have a little bias here myself, as I have actually never seen “Mary Poppins.” I am not sure if this would have changed my opinion on the film or not. I doubt it, because in a weird way, the ending of “Saving Mr. Banks” was emotionally satisfying, even though it fell flat at the same time. Watching the whole film is like watching a good movie duke it out with a bad movie, as if it is trying to give itself an exorcism.

“Saving Mr. Banks” never strives to break new ground. It is a good remedy for anybody looking for a feel good holiday flick. It is more “Finding Neverland” than “Sunset Boulevard.” Disney’s big final speech fell a little short: he should have mentioned that telling a story involves a bit more honesty and sincerity than “Saving Mr. Banks” has to offer.

Brain Farts From The Edge

· Having just seen “Inside Llewyn Davis,” every other portrayal of an artist going through a creative struggle just seems trite. And on that note, it is hard to say that Llewyn is a jerk (as many have) after seeing some of things that Mrs. Travers does.

· I am still not sure if Mr. Disney was actually an anti-Semite, but I was half expecting him to yell “bring me your finest writer Jew writer!” at several points.

· Speaking of which, B.J. Novak and Jason Schwartzman were completely under-utilized. I could have watched an entire movie about them trying to write a musical.

· PEARS

· Walt Disney’s teddy bear attitude reminded me a lot of Hank Hooper from “30 Rock.”

· PEARS

· I should probably mention Travers’ friendship with her driver Ralph (Paul Giamatti). This is probably the most weirdly used cliché in the entire film. I am not fully convinced as to how this one man suddenly made her like America more. Their friendship was way too predictable to be plausible.

· I would love to see a separate Disney biopic made by a different studio that explores what could possibly drive somebody to have such a grand creative vision. The guy was a child, a businessman, and a futurist, all rolled into one.

· In the film, Disney says that he likes to see the world through a child’s eyes. This film feels like a child’s perception of Walt Disney. That is not a good thing.

· Everything in her present life echoes her past. Crazy, right?!

The Hits of the Holiday Season According to Your Grandparents

2013-12-24T17:59:00.001-05:00

Land of Grandparents

It's the holiday season. Between Christmas and New Years, you will probably be spending a lot of time with relatives you don't normally see.

If you're spending time with your grandparents, prepare for a lot of talk about how everything was better in the past, and how you're part of the worst generation ever. It's annoying but it's family, so you love them. And there's no better way to connect with family than through a trip to the movies.

Movie titles are hard, and your grandparents might have trouble remembering some of those names. Luckily, they wisely find a way to get around this: by coming up with their own titles. Some of these make no sense, and some of them are much funnier and more creative than the original titles. In order to bridge the confusion of the generation gap, here is a key to the big movies of the holiday season, according to your grandparents:

12 Years a Slave: 10 Years a Slave

American Hustle: The American Hustler

Anchorman 2: All These Comedies Are Garbage

Dallas Buyers Club: The Texas Buying Club

Frozen: Freezing

Her: She

Inside Llewyn Davis: What's That?

Last Vegas: The Las Vegas Picture

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: Saving Walter Midas

The Wolf of Wall Street: The One with the Handsome Boy from Titanic

Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas: Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas (I have no idea why they get this one right)

A Second Viewing, A Second View: Inside Llewyn Davis

2013-12-24T11:05:00.002-05:00

SPOILER ALERT: This review is filled with SPOILERS for "Inside Llewyn Davis." If you don't want SPOILERS for "Inside Llewyn Davis," do not read beyond this point. I put SPOILERS in bold/caps lock because you see, I'm trying to make a point.

A Coen Brothers film can be great on one viewing, but no Coen Brothers film has been truly watched until it has been seen at least twice.

So far, I have gotten a mixed consensus from the few people I know who have seen "Inside Llewyn Davis." For every time it topped a bestof list or got an A+, it also got a negative review. But Joel and Ethan Coen never really get full acclaim across the board, except in the cases of "Fargo" and "No Country for Old Men."

The legacy of "Inside Llewyn Davis" will take time to sort out, but I figured now was an appropriate time to sort out a few things about the film that you and me, but mostly me, might have been having trouble with. Here is my SPOILER heavy rundown of "Inside Llewyn Davis":

On Llewyn Davis Himself: Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) is, as Jean (Carey Mulligan) so lovingly describes him, an asshole. She sure does like to call him that. Llewyn doesn't intentionally try and hurt others around him (mostly), but he doesn't really consider how his actions might hurt others in the future. He is more careless than thoughtless.

On That Note, Llewyn is Kind of an Idiot: Part of the reason I wanted to see "Llewyn Davis" again was because of the technical difficulties during my first screening. One of them cut out a small but pivotal moment, where Llewyn accepts his money for "Please Mr. Kennedy" upfront, and cheats himself out of royalties. He needs the money right away in order to pay for Jean's abortion and his manager simply won't help him here.

Some have said that Llewyn is plagued by bad luck. More accurately, he creates a lot of his own bad luck by being stubborn and uncooperative. Then again, he is also thrown into a lot of situations like this one, where either choice he makes will be a bad one.

Llewyn Might Be an Asshole, but it "Takes Two To Tango": The Coen Brothers don't like to let anybody off easy. Llewyn is surrounded by a lot of jerks, and a lot of well-intentioned hacks. Jean doesn’t blame herself for the fact that she cheated on her husband and might be carrying Llewyn’s baby. No, it’s all Llewyn’s fault. Every time he brings this up, it is as if she didn’t even hear him. One of the defining traits of a typical Coen Brothers’ character is that they seem to be talking to themselves most of the time. For the most part, Llewyn can try and let his music, rather than his actions, speak for him, it would certainly make him look much better.

That Cat: The multiple cats that stroll in and out of “Inside Llewyn Davis” serve many purposes. I would like to say that they serve as a means of motivation for Llewyn. Whether it is the Gorfeins’ cat or the other cat, they are the one thing on this planet Llewyn has control over, and the one thing he really seems bent on helping. Yet, just like with Jean, he gets no thanks whenever he does provide. Even if cats could talk, they probably wouldn’t thank him. That is how cats operate, you see.

Mainly though, a cat is simply perfect comic relief. Mrs. Gorfein’s very weird relation with Ulysses was more pronounced this time (watch what she does with her tongue at one point). “Where is his scrotum, Llewyn?” has made me laugh way too hard on both occasions. The cut to black immediately after it is also perfect.

Comedy Plus Tragedy Equals…: As usual, Joel and Ethan Coen take tragic situations and fill them with comic characters.

Random Questions: How does Llewyn know the Gorfeins? (Likely Answer: Mike was their son) What did Llewyn hit when he was driving on the highway? (Likely Answer: A random tabby cat, and not a goat as my dad thought)

The Chicago Trip: Some might say that the Chicago detour was too long, or even completely unnecessary. In my humble and possibly incorrect opinion, Llewyn needed that trip as much as the audience needed to see it happen.

In any other film, Llewyn would have knocked Bud Grossman’s (F. Murray Abraham) socks off and gotten the gig. Then on the way home, he would have decided to take that awkward first meeting with his son. Instead, Bud doesn’t see any potential and Llewyn passes the exit to Akron. The rejection shows that even when people are pushed this far, there is the chance that they still won’t make it. Some people just won’t get what you do. While this is sad and cynical, there is something very necessary about understanding the life of a failed artist. One can learn more from failure than success.

If these things worked out for the better, this would be a different film. It would be okay, albeit cheesy, and probably directed by Adam Shankman.

Oscar Isaac: I don’t know if he will win, but I am rooting for him to take home the Academy Award for Best Actor.

John Goodman: Somebody with movie power please get an Oscar campaign started for him.

What the Film Lacks in Character Development, it Makes Up for in Back Story: “Inside Llewyn Davis” is the first film of its kind that I would actually watch a prequel to.

The Chicago detour ultimately means less time spent with the characters introduced during the first act. Unlike most writer/directors, the Coen Brothers work best with flimsy characters that border on being one-dimensional. Llewyn is a fairly selfish man, and all that matters about the other characters is how they have somehow factored into Llewyn’s life. Through this, we learn a lot about their past, and that tells us a lot about who they are today. Most of these characters are not meeting for the first time. We are barging in at a very random moment in their lives, so now we have to adapt. We are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. This applies to the audience watching as well as to the characters on screen.

That Moment: When Llewyn looks at a poster for "The Incredible Journey," and you realize that "Homeward Bound" is a remake.

That Ending: “Inside Llewyn Davis” starts and ends in the same place. The same event is shown twice and on both occasions it carries two different meanings.

Basically, Llewyn performs at The Gaslight. He is called outside to meet a “friend.” A shady man proceeds to beat him up. The first time we see it, we know basically nothing about it. It is a confounding event. The second time we see it, there is much more context. Llewyn made fun of the man’s wife. He has once again failed to connect with people. This time, it is very tragic.

Before he gets punched in the face, it almost looks like “Inside Llewyn Davis” is about to end happily, even though we know what is actually going to happen. Llewyn has his most successful performance in the entire whole film. For the first time, he really seems to connect with an audience. After a spectacular rendition of “Hang Me, Oh Hang Me,” Llewyn belts out “Fare Thee Well.” Remember, “Fare Thee Well” was a song he would duet with Mike. Earlier in the film, listening to Mrs. Gorfein chime in with Mike’s verse was painful for Llewyn. He could not even finish the song (also for reasons of selfish pride, but let’s not get into that now). The second time, Llewyn gets through the entire song without a hitch. This is like his moment of redemption. But when you’re a character in “Inside Llewyn Davis,” unlike other films, you will actually have to face the consequences of your actions. Then the punch came.

As Llewyn leaves the bar, unaware of what is about to happen, he happens upon the now familiar sight and voice of Bob Dylan. Dylan is not what Bud Grossman would call a moneymaker, but the fact that Dylan’s insane lyrics and scratchy voice connected so much is almost a miracle.

As Llewyn gets beaten up, you can still hear Dylan singing “Farewell” inside The Gaslight. Yet, Llewyn sits outside in an alley. He is cold, bloody, and defeated. No matter how close he gets to great success, something will bring him down unexpectedly. He is doomed to be a perpetual outsider.

Llewyn Davis strikes me as one of those artists who won’t become famous until long after he is gone. “Inside Llewyn Davis” is a sad yet beautiful portrayal of potential both squandered and fully realized. Some people make it, and some people do not. When you don’t make it, sometimes it is your fault, and sometimes you can’t avoid it. There are some people who will get so close to being Bob Dylan, but instead end up lying in an alley with no house, jacket, or furry animal to return to.

Some people thrive on this chaos, and some people, well, they are Llewyn Davis, and they cannot be described in so few words.

Trading Places: A Christmas Classic Worth Celebrating

2013-12-22T11:06:00.000-05:00

Black Friday has passed, but Americans still need something to fight about. Christmas has arrived, so fighting over the best Christmas movie seems like the logical next step.

If you are fighting the War On Christmas Movies, you probably fall into one of five camps:

1. Your Favorite is "It's a Wonderful Life": That means you have probably watched all of the AFI List specials.

2. Your Favorite is "Home Alone": You grew up in the 90s. Also, you have a thing for setting up booby traps in your house.

3. Your Favorite is "A Christmas Story": You will watch it during the entire 24 hour block that runs on TBS on Christmas Day. Also, you're probably Jewish and couldn't convince anybody else to go see something in theaters that day.

4. Your Favorite is "Die Hard": You understand that "Die Hard" isn't a Christmas movie in a traditional sense. But you don't care, because you are way too cool for school.

5. Your Favorite is "Jingle All The Way": Haha we get it. You like being ironic and you probably own a pair of bacon socks from Urban Outfitters and also you're probably me.

However, I would like to stage a coup, and add a sixth film to the battle. Would anybody care to join me on Team "Trading Places"?

Okay, "Trading Places" isn't the most traditional Christmas story. Like "Die Hard," Christmas is more of a backdrop rather than front and center. But the holidays are an open and inviting time, just not for your drunk uncle who won't stop talking about Obamacare.

In "Trading Places," two rich old men with too much money and time on their hands want to settle the nature vs. nurture debate once and for all. So they find their lab rats in the form of stock broker Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) and homeless criminal Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy). Louis finds his money, safety, and sanity all gone. Billy Ray, meanwhile, ends up with millions. The way in which this all transpires is actually quite brilliant and elaborate. Along the way, you'll get a glimpse of a young Giancarlo Esposito, and way more of a glimpse of Jamie Lee Curtis than you probably ever expected.

"Trading Places" came out in 1983, and is one of the best comedies of the 1980s. It is part of the trend of 80s comedies about how entertaining it is to make fun of the country club crowd. It has been playing on Comedy Central a lot lately, and it gets much better after multiple viewings. It contains some of the best work from all of its stars. It is also a sad reminder that Eddie Murphy was once one of the funniest people on the planet. "Trading Places" is a bit different from the likes of "Caddyshack" and "Ghostbusters." A lot of jokes fall through the cracks upon a first viewing. It has a much drier sense of humor than most other mainstream American comedies of that time. Well, now that I think about it, watching all three of those movies back to back right now would be pretty awesome.

Anyway, "Trading Places" might be dark for a Christmas movie, but it still embodies the holiday spirit in a way that no Christmas movie starring Tim Allen ever could. "Trading Places" is a film about a bunch of completely different people coming closer together to defeat a common enemy. Who ever thought a businessman, a hobo, and a prostitute could get along? Well, the holidays are a time to put aside your differences and revel in warmth to escape the cold, dark winter.

While you might not have wanted your Christmas movie of choice to feature a lot of talk about whether or not man is good or evil, maybe you might want one where all the Scrooges get screwed to put you in a good mood. It's nice that the moral in the end is that sometimes, stock fraud is okay.

Plus, if you wanted a good reminder of a few of the racist jokes you might hear during the holidays, look no further than Aykroyd's blackface. It's pretty offensive, but also really funny. It's a forgiving time of year. So you can be forgiven for laughing at it.*

*You can still laugh at it any other time of year. In fact, the great thing about "Trading Places" is that unlike other Christmas movies, you are still legally allowed to watch during any time of the year that you want.

Movie Review: American Hustle

2013-12-21T10:50:00.001-05:00

Here Comes the Sun(glasses). Image via TotalFilm

From the very beginning, "American Hustle" announces that it is only sort of based on true events.

Fitting, as this is an historical event so complex and bizarre that the whole truth simply could not do it justice. This is where movie truth steps in and offers a helping hand.

"American Hustle" constantly blurs the line between real and fake. In fact, the film opens with Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) giving himself the most passionate combover you'll ever see. Irv's life philosophy is to fake it until you make it. He kind of has to, as this is part of his job: Irv is a con man, and a very good one at that.

From there, "American Hustle" is like a much better version of "The Informant!" crossed with "Goodfellas" on crack. Once Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) enters the picture, the film is a manic mix of criss-crossing voiceovers and flashbacks. The two of them try to commit the perfect crime, yet they have trouble doing this, as they are not the perfect couple. That is exactly why it is easy to get attached to these people, but especially Irv, as he does not look like a slick member of the "Ocean's 11" crew. Rather, he resembles a schlubby Ron Burgundy knockoff.

The other characters are crime movie misfits as well. Set in 1978 during the ABSCAM Scandal, ambitious FBI Agent Richie Dimaso (Bradley Cooper), who tries to use Irv and Sydney to bring some powerful politicians down, is terrible at his job. Meanwhile, Irv's manipulative wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) is all too aware of her husband's misdeeds. The only character who actually acts like a real criminal is Sydney. Lesson learned: being able to fake a British accent is a very useful skill in the world of con artistry.

The difference between "American Hustle" and most heist films is that the twists here are actually surprising. Leave it to director David O. Russell, who has also added new spins to the war movie ("Three Kings"), the sports biopic ("The Fighter"), and the romantic comedy ("Silver Linings Playbook") as well. Nobody manipulates form quite like he can.

While David O. Russell is a uniquely talented director he is also fortunate enough to be working with such interesting material. The characters here are so well fleshed out that they each deserve their own miniseries. Much of O. Russell's work has been focused around people who call each other out on their BS. "American Hustle" is no exception (consider this elegant and stinging putdown: "she was a master at passive aggressive karate").

O. Russell and co-writer Eric Singer have come up with some great one-liners here, but the cast truly brings the words to life in a way that, well, actors are supposed to. The fact that "American Hustle" was shut out of the SAG Awards is a travesty that should have ended awards season. Irv is one of the most interesting criminals in any movie in years. As Sydney says when she first meets him, Irv doesn't look like much, but his confidence takes him a long way. He may be a professional liar, but he just wants people to accept him for who he is. Irv is the most authentic faker out there. There was no better choice to play him than Christian Bale, who lovingly portrays him while hiding behind a big paunch and a garish Star of David necklace.

What I would have done to be invited to this prom

While Bale probably could have done it all on his own (I'd like to think that one day he'll get his own "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps"), he gets a lot of help from a fantastic array of supporting actors and actresses. While "Silver Linings Playbook" co-stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence don't get much screen time together, they both get a lot of milage out of playing against type. As Richie, Cooper gives the sense that this guy is thinking at an ADD pace, and this is exactly what stops him from ever doing or saying the right thing. Meanwhile, Lawrence plays Rosalyn who has been holding her rage back for far too long and now she just can't take it anymore. Perhaps she just watched "Network." She would rather let a microwave explode than have to listen to her husband tell her how to properly cook something. It's hard for anybody to get a word in when Rosalyn is around, which plays quite nicely with Lawrence's outspoken public persona, and is a fitting personality trait for just about every loud New Yorker out there. When they are all together, the ensemble plays like a great band during their finest concert.

Hitchcock once said (and Roger Ebert has also cited in a review) that he enjoyed "playing the audience like a piano." "American Hustle" enjoys doing the exact same thing, except this time it has dismantled the piano so much that the movie plays itself as much as it plays the audience. The film gets confusing and convoluted beyond belief at times, but then it backtracks and reverses until it ultimately reaches an immensely satisfying finale that asks the viewer to be skeptical of everything that just occurred. Finally, a movie that understands that history is much more interesting when you look at it from a completely different, or even wrong, perspective.

Once it ended, I felt like I could have sat through it once more. "American Hustle" is a smart summer movie wrapped in a December Oscar bait shell. Here is a film about a long con that is also one big long con.

Brain Farts From The Edge

I tried to keep as much plot detail out of this review as possible. While much of the story has been altered, the less you know about ABSCAM, the better. It is definitely worth a good Wikipedia search afterwards though.
Some things I would talk about after a second viewing/review of this film: Irv and Richie are dopplegangers; the idea of maintaining a certain physical appearance to shield parts of your personality that you don't like; how people in the 1970s spent way too much time fixing their hair
I hope that the film's likely success doesn't create a sudden disco nostalgia craze. Please, everybody is still distracted by 90s nostalgia!
No matter how brief his appearance was, seeing Robert De Niro play a gangster again delighted me to no end. More of this and less "Last Vegas," please.
Louis C.K. has had minor roles in two of my favorite films of the year from two of my favorite directors. Luckily, he gets a bit more screen time here than he did in "Blue Jasmine." He plays hilariously timid so perfectly. He doesn't seem like a typical FBI guy here. But then again, most of the government agents here are very against type.
Funny how the criminal is more sympathetic than the FBI agent here. Guys, anti-heroes are the greatest.
For some reason, I have expected Kyle Chandler to show up as "Authority Figure #000003" in just about every Oscar prestige movie now. Couldn't believe he wasn't in this at all. Come on, somebody get Coach into comedy!
Jeremy Renner pulls off a good Elvis hairdo, and a convincing New Jersey accent to boot.
There are few things in this world funnier than the site of Bradley Cooper with curling irons in his hair.
A David O. Russell movie without any Led Zeppelin on the soundtrack. AND it's set in 1978? What is the world coming to??!!
Speaking of music, there is a scene where Jennifer Lawrence sings along to a song. I will not spoil it any further, but I will say that it is a moment that her entire career has been leading to.
I really want to hear how that ice fishing story actually ends. But you know Richie, whatever sounds best in his head works for him.
"Don't put metal in the science oven" is the most quotable line from any movie that has come out in 2013. Apologies to "I am the captain now" from "Captain Phllips" and "[audible Sandra Bullock yelling sounds]" from "Gravity."

It's okay, JLaw. You're still America's sweetheart.

Movie Review: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

2013-12-16T15:35:00.000-05:00

"You see Mr. Powers...I love gooold!" Image via WhatCulture

If insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again expecting different results, then it is the perfect word to describe my viewing of the "Hobbit" series.

"The Desolation of Smaug" is at least a little better than its predecessor "An Unexpected Journey." However, it still feels like a lot of filler space for a trilogy that did not need to be a trilogy.

"Smaug" begins with a prequel-to-a-prequel introduction where Gandalf (Ian McKellen) meets Thorin (Richard Armitage) at the Prancing Pony (a fun callback to "The Fellowship of the Ring"), and the two of them set the entire "Hobbit" adventure in motion. This little scene is there simply to declare that Thorin, and not Bilbo (Martin Freeman), is the main character of "Smaug."

That may be where the biggest problem in "The Hobbit" movies lies: backstory and character development are constantly at odds. "Smaug" has some solid world-building, as the tension between all of the different races on Middle Earth is more in depth than ever. This is all entertaining to see, and it makes Middle Earth even more alive. Yet, the more "Smaug" adds on to itself, the less it focuses on its central characters. While the main goal of "Smaug" is to help the Dwarves win back Lonely Mountain, throwing Bilbo off to the side seems unfair. The Dwarves are constantly praising Bilbo for his newfound sense of bravery. Bilbo has been reduced to somebody who can get other characters out of central situations. His own safety and well-being seems irrelevant in "Smaug."

It really is too bad that "Smaug" didn't utilize Bilbo more, because he is one of the best characters J.R.R. Tolkien ever created. Bilbo utilizes his short stature, as if he likes to be underestimated. What he lacks in height he makes up for in courage and cunning. Watching Bilbo work his way out of a giant spider's nest is the highlight of the film. It's an exciting sequence that makes Frodo and Sam seem like wimps when they battled Shelob in "Return of the King." It stands in deep contrast to the rest of the film's action set pieces, which often come off as cheesy.

Unfortunately, the biggest battle in the film, and the promise of the title, is something of a letdown. Smaug himself is a CGI marvel, even if he does look a little too much like the dragon from "Shrek." et, it takes so long to get to him and it almost doesn't feel like it was worth the wait. There is a rule of film that what we see is better than what we don't see, and buildup to the unknown makes it even better once it is revealed. However, the buildup to Smaug never feels like a Jaws effect. Instead, it points to one of the film's central problems: it just feels like its stalling.

"Smaug" runs much smoother than "An Unexpected Journey," and there much more of a sense of connection between events. "Smaug" feels more like filler space than an actual film of its own; it is simply a bridge between the setup of the original and the final battle that will likely occur in the conclusion (so long as Peter Jackson doesn't split it into another three parts). Despite the more concrete Middle Earth that is established, "Smaug" still ends with what feels like more loose ends than cliffhangers.

Brain Farts From The Edge (Some Minor Spoilers Ahead):

Smaug totally got Goldfinger'd.
Guillermo del Toro is listed as a writer. As much as I admire Peter Jackson's work, part of me wishes that del Toro could have gotten the chance to direct.
I really hope that Mr. Jackson takes all of the money and clout he has earned from "The Lord of the Rings" and "Hobbit" movies and uses it to make another weird sci-fi fantasy along the lines of "Heavenly Creatures."
Is it too late to get all of the writers from "Game of Thrones" to rewrite "There and Back Again"?
I saw "Smaug" in 2D, and I noticed that there were many shots specifically made for 3D, which were thus ruined. For instance, the underwater shots during the barrel sequence looked like footage from a Six Flags commercial. Did anybody else have this experience?
While I am grateful that "Smaug" didn't contain 45 minutes of Dwarves singing, I wish it least had something half as entertaining as that to fill the dull hour or so before they all finally reach Lonely Mountain.
After Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) heals Killi (Aidan Turner), he confesses his love to her. This scene is marked by some soft lighting, and the only thing that could have made it cheesier is if they played "Dream Weaver" in the background. Or if Killi had just gotten up and done this.
I am now taking bets on the likelihood that Gandalf will use his giant eagles to get himself out of this mess.

Ten Sequels That Outdid The Originals

2013-12-14T15:34:00.003-05:00

Sequels. Who needs them?

We do. Because we demand them.

Sequels are made for many reasons. Sometimes, they are a necessary continuation of the original. Other times, they are a cash grab that the market demands.

Some sequels try too hard to match their predecessor and ultimately forget why the original was even good in the first place. Others take the good elements, expand on them, and then add something new. When that happens, the sequel can often be better than the original.

This December, both "The Desolation of Smaug" and "Anchorman 2" are coming out in theaters. Well, at least one of them has big shoes to fill. In celebration of Hollywood's continued sequel mania, I have decided to compile a handy list of sequels that surpassed their predecessors. Feel free to leave your thoughts/yell at me for not including "The Empire Strikes Back" in the comments:

The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Here's my unpopular opinion: I don't really understand why people like the first "Frankenstein" so much. It turned its source material into a fairly standard monster movie. On the other hand, "The Bride of Frankenstein" restores Mary Shelley's enlightened philosophy and makes the monster more human than ever. But enough of that boring stuff. "The Bride of Frankenstein" is impossible to hate. Its special effects still look great today (see: little people in jars scene). The scene with the Monster and the hermit is funnier than you might ever be ("drink...good!"). "The Bride of Frankenstein" is classic Hollywood filmmaking at its finest.

For a Few Dollars More (1965)

Pinning "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" as the best of the Man With No Name trilogy makes the most sense. However, there's something special about the middle chapter and it is still unfortunately underrated to this day. "A Fistful of Dollars" is great, but it is just a straight up transference of a samurai movie into the American West. "For a Few Dollars More" felt like something completely different. It was a definite precursor to many great years of filmmaking to come. "For a Few Dollars More" is where the Spaghetti Western came of age.

The Godfather: Part II (1974)

Mario Puzo's novel of "The Godfather" was so long that it needed to be split in half. All for the better. Its hard to put the first two "Godfather" films up against each other as they are both masterpieces. However, the flashbacks of a young Vito Corleone as played by Robert De Niro are truly what set it apart. This set as a backdrop to Michael's descent into evil make "The Godfather: Part II" a masterful example of the dark beauty of 1970s American cinema.

Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987)

"The Evil Dead" became a major cult classic over the years. Sam Raimi took everything that made the original so great and stepped it up a notch for the sequel. Normally, this can lead to disaster. However, "Evil Dead 2" doesn't fall into the trap of unoriginality. It's schlockier, more violent and even more hilarious than the original. It has the audacity to completely rewrite the history of the series in its first ten minutes. From there, it rewrites everything you thought you knew about horror.* By the way, Bruce Campbell gets the respect he deserves: when it comes to action stars, he is second only to that other Bruce.

Some monster took the original clip off YouTube. This is the best I could do.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Including this one might be cheating, as "The Last Crusade" is not a direct sequel to "Raiders of the Lost Ark." "The Temple of Doom" is not a bad movie, but it also doesn't include the revelation that Dr. Jones was named after the dog. "The Last Crusade" feels like an Indiana Jones movie that Spielberg made for the fans, which is why it turns out so good. Had he just given us the John Ford inspired opening that chronicles a young Indy, that would have been enough. If he had just put in an awesome chase scene in Venice, that would have been enough. But then he added Sean Connery as Indy's father, who might be the best character in this entire series who isn't named Indiana Jones. Good thing Spielberg ended the series on a positive note, and didn't make another movie after this where a man is killed by a colony of ants and an ancient pyramid turns into an alien space ship. That would have been terrible.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)

Now this is how you make a sequel. "Terminator 2" is one of the best action movies ever made. It's bold to take a legendary villain and turn them into the good guy in the sequel, but "Terminator 2" took a huge creative gamble that paid off for the better. James Cameron shows that along with being the ultimate futurist, few directors know how to conduct a spectacle quite like him. Most importantly, Cameron figured out Schwarzenegger's strengths and therefore is one of the few directors who knew how to direct him. The less dialogue Schwarzenegger has, the more intimidating, mysterious, and awesome he is. Did I also mention that I wept tears of sadness at the film's final thumbs up? It's that good.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

When it comes to trilogies, the middle chapter is normally the best. While the third installment of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy won Best Picture, "The Two Towers" cannot be topped. "Two Towers" isn't bogged down with the exposition of "Fellowship" or the Multiple Ending Syndrome of "Return of the King." "The Two Towers" is fast-paced storytelling done in a three hour block. The Battle of Helms Deep is still one of the most visually arresting battle sequences ever put on film, and Treebeard might just be my favorite character in the series. "The Two Towers" is dark, filled with uncertainty, and the perfect centerpiece for a nearly perfect trilogy.

Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004)

I've talked about "Kill Bill" maybe a little too much here, but I couldn't do this list without including it, even if it is more a second part than a sequel. Unlike most sequels which tend to raise the stakes, Volume 2 instead decided to tone it down a bit. While Volume 2 doesn't have the breathtaking fight scenes or amazing twist ending of Volume 1, it does have some of the best dialogue that Tarantino has ever written. The Superman monologue is just as good as anything recited by Samuel L. Jackson in "Pulp Fiction," and the fact that it didn't get David Carradine an Oscar nomination is something of a movie-related crime.

Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Like "Kill Bill: Volume 2," "Spider-Man 2" dialed it back a bit for one of the more thoughtful superhero movies. When is the last time you saw a superhero movie where the hero decided he wanted to give up his powers. It's pretty deep stuff that's wrapped up in an awesome blockbuster shell. Meanwhile a superhero is only as good as his villain, and Doctor Octopus is just a shade less cartoonish than the Green Goblin (no offense, Mr. Dafoe). Plus, this is Sam Raimi, so you know the action is going to be awesomely cheesy.

The Dark Knight (2008)

Because how could I make this list without it? Not that I felt forced to put this on here. "The Dark Knight" set a standard for the superhero genre that has yet to be matched. Many have tried to imitate its dark tone, but few have been able to replicate what Christopher Nolan achieved. It is a perfect continuation of the already great "Batman Begins." "The Dark Knight" might be the only superhero movie that had more than one villain and still managed to use it to its advantage (for counterpoints see: "The Dark Knight Rises").

*Sorry if this sentence too much like an Upworthy headline.

Movie Review: Inside Llewyn Davis

2013-12-08T21:49:00.002-05:00

Cat in the big city. Image via Rotten Tomatoes

Yes, Joel and Ethan Coen have given us a musical biopic. It doesn't mean they had to give you one about a real musician. Or even make the movie you wanted to see.

"Inside Llewyn Davis," the Coen Brothers' first film in a very long three years, is a welcome return to the big screen. It is the perfect awards season film that is also an anti-awards season film. It's a tale for the holidays that wears its icy heart on its sleeves.

Like most Coen Brothers films, "Inside Llewyn Davis" is based on something else, but how much it's based off of that thing is questionable. Davis is based on Dave Van Ronk. Most the songs in the movie are his, but Davis' personality is different. This mystery just adds to the charm.

"Inside Llewyn Davis" takes place in the winter of 1961 and follows, well Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac), a struggling folk singer who is just trying to get his voice heard. Llewyn is very talented and he has even released a few albums, yet no matter what he does he can never quite reach success. He has no permanent roof over his head, a cheap manager, and a former love interest who is convinced that he is the worst person on earth.

Adam Driver's character on "Girls" would also wear that outfit.

And maybe he isn't so great. The Coen Brothers don't like perfect and kind protagonists. That is part of what makes all of their films so interesting: they are more interested in the people who keep on going, despite never quite getting what they want.

"Inside Llewyn Davis" is damn near close to perfection, and I get the sense that it is a result of all the right people meeting at the exact right time. Isaac's musical ability coincides beautifully with his acting talent. Justin Timberlake continues to show why he is more talented than all of us. Meanwhile, as Llewyn's ex, Carey Mulligan serves as Llewyn's reality check. She sure gets a lot of mileage out of the word "asshole." Together, the three of them bring new life to old tunes, and make 1960s Greenwich Village feel so alive. Just like "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" before it, you will want to buy the soundtrack the minute you get home.

Mainly, this film would not have been possible under any other writer or director. The Coen Brothers have one of the most distinct voices in modern cinema. Every time they portray the past, it is a past that did not quite exist: it is a Coen Brothers universe filled with unfortunate circumstances and off-beat, mumbling side characters.

While every Coen Brothers film has a sense of humor, "Inside Llewyn Davis" might be the funniest one they have done in years. Usually, it takes multiple viewings to find the humor in their films ("A Serious Man," for example, becomes more of a comedy than a drama the more times you watch it). There is an unavoidable humor to John Goodman's mean-spirited Roland Turner, and so many jokes mined at the expense of the oblivious kindness of the Gorfeins. Still, I refuse to ever call the Coen Brothers mean-spirited.

"Inside Llewyn Davis" relishes in its musical moments because the Coen Brothers, in collaboration with T-Bone Burnett and Marcus Mumford, are so good at recreating the magic of watching a live performance. Yet, "Inside Llewyn Davis" is also an anti-musical. The songs do not teach lessons or move people to tears. "Inside Llewyn Davis" uniquely portrays a performer who's central problem is that he cannot connect with others. Watching a portrayal of artistic failure might be sad, but it is important to know that sometimes those with talent can go completely unnoticed. Llewyn is honest and authentic, and those seem to be the exact qualities that get in the way of his success.

"Inside Llewyn Davis" is often so grim yet it never feels tragic to watch. It does not follow a fluid plot but rather a series of situations that Davis is thrown into. The film is never meandering or dull, especially when this dark world is populated with such colorful characters. "Inside Llewyn Davis" strays away from all of the directions that similar films would have taken. The Coen Brothers don't want to give you the ending that will necessarily satisfy you; they want to show you the world as they see it through their eyes as filmmakers.

After watching "Inside Llewyn Davis," you too might realize that there might just be no better way to view a film from now on.

Brain Farts From The Edge

I went to a screening riddled with technical issues. There were sound and image problems, so the film had to be started over. Then, the reels had to be changed manually. Every time, a reel ended, we had to sit there and wait for the next reel to change. I definitely need to see this film again straight through. However, watching it this way was definitely an interesting experience. Call this a Coen Brothers Grindhouse experience.
Once again, the Coen Brothers nail the regional accent, dialect, and attitude.
The Coen Brothers love them some characters with hard to pronounce/spell names.
"Inside Llewyn Davis" is set in 1961. In the Coens' universe, that is exactly 20 years after "Barton Fink," and just a few short years before The Dude would occupy various administrative buildings and smoke a lot of thai stick.
The cat itself is a great extra character. His name, which I won't reveal, probably has a symbolic meaning which I have no idea of.
That ending. Will have to discuss it further in a spoiler-heavy review.
My favorite song in the film: the beautiful and moving rendition of "Five Hundred Miles." I do have to give Adam Driver some credit for his hilarious vocal contributions to "Please Mr. Kennedy."
I still am not sure whether or not this is intentional, but this poster for the film looks remarkably similar to this poster for "Taxi Driver." It makes sense, as "Davis" has the mentality and feel of a 70s film as well as Scorsese's understanding of New Yorkers.
People Who Look Exactly Alike: Oscar Isaac, David Krumholtz, Jake Johnson
I like how Garrett Hedlund immediately left "On the Road," took mumbling lessons from Rooster Cogburn, and then walked right onto the set of "Inside Llewyn Davis."

Movie Review: Nebraska

2013-12-05T11:52:00.007-05:00

Image via Buzzsugar

Watching a director who has always directed their own writing suddenly bring somebody else's vision to life is always interesting. "Nebraska" marks the first occasion that Oscar winning writer Alexander Payne has directed a screenplay written by somebody else. Maybe the fact that it takes place in his beloved home state helped out a bit.

"Nebraska" marks Payne's first foray back into his home territory since 2002's "About Schmidt." However, it takes some time to get there. "Nebraska," like "Fargo" and "Chinatown" before it, are about more than the setting that their titles suggest. "Nebraska begins in Billings, Montana, the current home of the Grant family. Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) is the patriarch of the family, whether he is aware of it or not. Woody is a sad man living a sad life. He walks with a slouch and acts like he never wasted any potential because he never had much to begin with.

Yet, Woody finally has some big ambitions. While he won't trust the postal service to mail out a letter for him, he trusts an ad from a magazine claiming that he won a million dollars. The catch is that he can only claim that money if he goes to Lincoln, Nebraska. Woody, an alcoholic who is too mild-mannered to speak too much and too nice to burden other people, tries to make the trek on his own two feet. The mission is crazy, but his son David (Will Forte) decides to drive his father to claim his "prize." David knows there is little hope, but he wants that sweet father-son bonding time. Mainly though, he doesn't want his life to become as stagnant as his father's, which tends to happen when you're selling electronic equipment in Montana.

Stagnant is probably the best word to describe what the film portrays. "Nebraska" inhabits a Middle America in which the people grow older, yet their beliefs never change. The world immediately surrounding them remains about the same in order to accommodate their consistent attitudes.

"Nebraska" is shot in black and white, which is funny because it also looks like a painting by Grant Wood or Edward Hopper. There is something very melancholy about the grey sky in Big Sky Country or the endless hay bales that line the highways that cut through Nebraska, yet there is also something defining and quite beautiful about it. I can't quite pinpoint what it is, but it feels like a piece of Americana that we all need to get back in touch with.

"Nebraska" is a story that would not be as effective if it were told in any other time or in any other place. Alexander Payne and writer Bob Nelson are to Nebraska what Springsteen is to New Jersey: a sharp voice on the problems of their land. They have earned the right to say these things because they also get what makes the people tick. I could have mistaken half of these people for actual residents of Hawthorne, Nebraska, where the most important scenes of the film take place. Based on the lack of IMDB credits for many of the actors, it is possible that most of them were plucked from obscurity to play themselves.

Payne has always had a knack for getting the best performances out of his actors. Whoever he casts manages to live up to his bleakly funny vision of the world. In his first dramatic leading role, Forte manages to tailor his comedic chops splendidly for a much more serious performance. In everything from "Saturday Night Live" to "MacGruber," Forte always underplayed and was so funny because he could deliver hilarious lines while playing it completely straight. In "Nebraska," he manages to lead the way as a dramatic straight man, acting like he has it all together even when he actually doesn't.

Main characters aren't usually supposed to be this quiet, but Bruce Dern (father of national treasure Laura Dern) gives a show-stealing performance. He is funny and a little sad all at once and does so by using so few words. When he does speak, it often comes off as beautifully poetic revelations from a simple man (when visiting his now empty childhood home: "I'd get whipped if I came in here...guess I can't get whipped anymore"). Dern plays Woody as an old man who is grizzled and bitter yet he has gone through so much that it just doesn't bother him anymore. He is less oblivious than he is in a child-like state of ignorance. Expect a well-deserved Oscar nomination for Dern this year.

I wouldn't be able to finish this review properly without mentioning June Squibb. As Kate Grant, Woody's loud and pushy wife, she at first comes off as downright despicable. Then, with a little more time to talk, she suddenly becomes the hero of the story, and then Woody and Kate's marriage makes a lot more sense. Also, the scene where she visits a cemetery is one of the funniest scenes in any movie that came out this year.

Overall, "Nebraska" is a road trip movie and a story of finding second chances in times when redemption seems impossible. It's the holidays now. You will be spending a lot of time with your family. "Nebraska" is a reminder that "family" and "dysfunctional" naturally go hand-in-hand. Just as David is like Woody without even trying to be, family makes us who we are, sometimes in the strangest ways possible.

The MPAA Fails Again: "Nebraska" is rated R, solely for use of language. While the sex talks gets a little explicit once or twice, its more funny than sacrilegious. Come on, your grandparents have probably said worse things than June Squibb ever says here.

Another Note: Stacy Keach gets punched in the face a lot (also see: "American History X," "Brooklyn Nine-Nine").

Eight Nights of Hanukkah, Eight Entertaining Jews: Night #8

2013-12-04T18:41:00.004-05:00

This is what I found when I Googled "Adam Sandler Jewish."

The old insult goes, "Jews run show business." To that I say "thanks."

Jews make up about 0.2% of the world's population yet they have always been a loud (emphasis on the loud) and prominent voice in film, television, music, and comedy.

The next eight days are Hanukkah, which is not the most important Jewish holiday, but we do get presents. For each night of Hanukkah, I will share one Jewish entertainer who has had a big impact on me. For the eighth and final night of Hanukkah, let's talk about Adam Sandler:

Out of all of the possible candidates (there were way too many), Adam Sandler seemed like the only possible choice for the final Jew of Hanukkah.

It would probably be easier to write about how far Sandler has fallen. His last movie was "Grown Ups 2" and "Jack and Jill" possibly set Jews back about 50 years. 50 years is nothing. We can recover. Instead, I want to talk about the Sandler I know, the one that I grew up with.

I recently purchased the Best of Adam Sandler which compiles some of his best sketches on "Saturday Night Live." Watching it today seems almost surreal. I wonder if those live audiences knew while watching it that they were witnessing a future comedy superstar in the making. Yes, Opera Man still holds up. It's hard to have a verdict on any sketch that also has Chris Farley in it though; he is pretty impossible to compete with.

After leaving "Saturday Night Live," Sandler launched an extremely successful movie career consisting of a string of films that were panned by critics yet loved by every teenager and Paul Thomas Anderson. I am beyond proud to say that I can recite nearly every line from "Billy Madison" by heart. Despite the fact that Sandler is loud and obnoxious, the other characters still manage to be funny and produce some of the movie's best lines ("If peeing in your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis").

I could possibly understand why some people might be annoyed by "Billy Madison," especially if it wasn't one of their first introductions into comedy. Maybe you might consider "Happy Gilmore" juvenile, too if you are a bad person who hates fun. But "The Wedding Singer" is an undeniably great romantic comedy, a movie that is even more rewarding than getting paid in meatballs. In addition, "Big Daddy" is also more moving than it has any right to be. More importantly, his performances were good enough to get him cast in "Punch Drunk Love," where all of that rage was targeted towards building something deeper. It really is a shame he hasn't been in more movies like that since.

Since this is Hanukkah we are talking about here, I have no choice but to mention Sandler's contributions to the holiday. He helmed "Eight Crazy Nights," which to date is still the only mainstream Hanukkah movie that I can think of. Years before that, he made the holiday way cooler than it had any right to be with "The Hanukkah Song" (to date, three versions of it exist). A key line in the song is "so if you still feel like the only kid in town just like you and me/here are some people who are Jewish/just like you and me." Sandler captures the sad feeling any Jewish kid might feel during the Christmas season (and I am guessing he experienced it, too, seeing as he grew up in New Hampshire). But the song is heart-warming and shows this sense of connection every Jew feels for another that is so hard to explain. To see another Jew succeed gives one a great sense of pride like they would for a close family member. And Sandler, during his best years, was our rock star. He is the real reason I felt like I needed to make a list for myself.

So while everyone else gets to decorate a Christmas tree, we get to sing "The Hanukkah Song." I can live with that.

Eight Nights of Hanukkah, Eight Entertaining Jews: Night #7

2013-12-03T16:30:00.003-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

The old insult goes, "Jews run show business." To that I say "thanks."

Jews make up about 0.2% of the world's population yet they have always been a loud (emphasis on the loud) and prominent voice in film, television, music, and comedy.

The next eight days are Hanukkah, which is not the most important Jewish holiday, but we do get presents. For each night of Hanukkah, I will share one Jewish entertainer who has had a big impact on me. For the seventh night of Hanukkah, let's talk about Stanley Kubrick:

Stop the presses! Stanley Kubrick was Jewish?

Yup.

(Glass Shatters)

That image of a quiet, reclusive Englishman may have now disappeared. This is precisely why I wanted to include Stanley Kubrick on this list: he does not fit the normal characteristics of a Jew in the film industry. He doesn't parade around and declare that he's Jewish. Even those who didn't grow up religious (like Apatow) still incorporate Judaism into their work. If Kubrick ever did it, it was in a subtle way.

Like any good Jew though, Kubrick had a dark sense of humor about everything. Even in his most harrowing works, he still kept his sense of humor. After all, he did direct "Dr. Strangelove," one of the most famous black comedies of all time. Black comedy is something that Jews seem specifically good at. Jewish history is marked by tragedy and bleak events. Besides work ethic, having a sense of humor was key to survival.

Even though he released so few films. Kubrick was as hard a worker as any director who releases a film every year. He just spent all of his time meticulously researching his projects. He is the complete opposite of Woody Allen: instead of putting out something new every year, Kubrick took extra long on each of his projects, which is probably why almost all of them were so masterful.

If anybody was lucky enough to catch the Kubrick exhibition in Los Angeles (its traveling to other cities, if you can catch it you have to), then you would have been floored at the amount of thought and research that went into every film he made, as well as every film he worked tirelessly on that ultimately never got made. Among those were a Napoleon project (which will soon be a miniseries on HBO) and a very unique take on the Holocaust.

Kubrick was intensely private, but that does not mean that he was this oddball hermit as many seem to think. I think he just liked to let his work speak for him. And while he doesn't seem like somebody who'd be on a list of the most important Jews, I think it is important to have him on here. While he had no religious upbringing and no mention of Judaism in his works, boiled down, he was a Jewish kid from the Bronx who loved "Seinfeld," boxing, and (American) football.

Eight Nights of Hanukkah, Eight Entertaining Jews: Night #6

2013-12-02T12:08:00.005-05:00

The old insult goes, "Jews run show business." To that I say "thanks."

Jews make up about 0.2% of the world's population yet they have always been a loud (emphasis on the loud) and prominent voice in film, television, music, and comedy.

The next eight days are Hanukkah, which is not the most important Jewish holiday, but we do get presents. For each night of Hanukkah, I will share one Jewish entertainer who has had a big impact on me. For the sixth night of Hanukkah, let's talk about Judd Apatow:

And the fourth face on Mount Rushmore of Jewish Comedians is Judd Apatow.

Unlike Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, and Larry David, Apatow's work is done almost exclusively behind the camera. Yet, he is one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood. That is most likely because he is so good at what he does.

As discussed with Sarah Silverman yesterday, Judd Apatow endured a string of brilliant "failures." Most notably, both "Freaks and Geeks" and "Undeclared" were cancelled after just one season a piece. Now, "Freaks and Geeks" is in the pantheon of greatest TV shows of all time and "Undeclared" is slowly making its way there.

Judd has had a long history of comedy. You could call him the original podcaster, as he used to get private interviews with comedians for his high school radio station. He interviewed such big names as Steven Wright, Garry Shandling (whom he would later work with), and Jerry Seinfeld.

Since his early years of struggle, Apatow has become the go-to writer/director/producer of good comedy in Hollywood. His first two efforts in the director's chair, "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up," were master classes in free flowing hilarity. They turned two possibly unlikable leads into lovable anti-heroes. He made the Jewish Schlub into an archetype, made Seth Rogen a star, and thought of some genius one-liners along the way ("well you still have a tiny dick, Cartman"). Apatow has received mixed reviews for "Funny People" and "This is 40," but I give him all the credit in the world for his insatiable ambition.

Part of comedy is about helping others, and Apatow has made a career of just that. Some of the people he has helped propel to stardom include Seth Rogen, James Franco, Steve Carell, Kristen Melissa McCarthy, Jason Segel, and Lena Dunham. This is just a few of the many names. Apatow simply has an eye for talent unparalleled in the comedy world (except maybe for Lorne Michaels). There is something special about having an eye for good talent, and then using your own power to help that person out. It takes a lot of self-confidence to know that you have found someone good, and a lot of heart to dedicate that much time to a person. Judd is a mensch of the finest order.

Judd Apatow has always been my gateway into comedy. In 2007, the magical year in which both "Knocked Up" and "Superbad" came out, comedy nerdom came full swing. I also didn't even realize that he was influencing me from such a young age: Judd Apatow wrote "Heavyweights." Yes, you heard me correctly. That movie where a bunch of Jewish kids (ex: Josh Birnbaum) from Long Island ("never heard of it!") go to sleep away camp. If anyone gets the humor of the Jewish identity, it is Judd Apatow.

Fun Fact: Judd Apatow was born in Flushing and raised in Syosset. He probably knows your cousin.

Eight Nights of Hanukkah, Eight Entertaining Jews: Night #5

2013-12-01T18:01:00.001-05:00

Image via LA Times

The old insult goes, "Jews run show business." To that I say "thanks."

Jews make up about 0.2% of the world's population yet they have always been a loud (emphasis on the loud) and prominent voice in film, television, music, and comedy.

The next eight days are Hanukkah, which is not the most important Jewish holiday, but we do get presents. For each night of Hanukkah, I will share one Jewish entertainer who has had a big impact on me. For the fifth night of Hanukkah, let's talk about Sarah Silverman:

Of all of the best living comedians, Sarah Silverman might be taken for granted more than anybody else.

Silverman is basically a household name at this point, yet she has been plagued by some brilliant "failures" as well as a long history of being underrated. That's okay, though, because she keeps doing what she just does best: providing laughs, as well as offense to those who feel the need to fall into that trap.

The phrase "Female Jewish Comedian" seems to go hand-in-hand with Sarah Silverman. This is true despite the fact that Silverman always says that she never grew up religious. Yet, as she says herself in her wonderful new special "We Are Miracles," she just cannot separate herself from that image. Without her Jewish side, her sense of humor would never be the same.

Along with "Female Jewish Comedian," the words "dirty" "vulgar" and "offensive" get tossed along with Silverman, too. However, she is the most misunderstood dirty comic out there. Those who claim that she is offensive for the sake of being offensive are unfortunately the overwhelming majority, and they seem to miss just how layered her act is. In her act, she'll drop the c-bomb followed by a huge smile as if she's a child who just figured out how to swear for the first time. Everything she says is delivered with the subtlest of winks.

On her brilliant but short-lived "Sarah Silverman Program," Silverman took her stand-up act into scripted territory and constantly redefined what it meant to cross the line. In one episode, she bets a black man that being a Jewish woman is even more difficult, so the two switch lives for a day. When she puts on blackface, she thinks that people are booing her because she is black but in reality it's because, well, she's wearing blackface. Silverman has found a way to turn offensive jokes into self-deprecating humor. She is clearly playing a goof much different than who she really is. The joke is always on her. Silverman can make this work because when speaking candidly, she comes off as so kind and sincere. Just read her heartwarming memoir "The Bedwetter," which I hope is one day turned into a movie.

In addition to her comedic sensibility, Sarah Silverman is also a model cultural Jew. She shows that being a Jew is about much more than believing in God or the Ten Commandments (downgraded from fifteen). If someone is born Jewish, they remain Jewish so long as they feel that way and choose to continue to identify with it. Silverman represents every friend you have ever had who cannot help but bring up Jewish things constantly in conversation because their sense of identity is so overwhelming.

The point is that you can Anglicize your name as much as you want (*cough* Winona Ryder *cough* where's my inhaler?), but your Jewishness does not simply disappear. Sarah Silverman, like any good comedian who finds something funny, embraces it and then owns the hell out of it.

Haha, the 90s! It's funny because they dress funny because it's a different year!

Eight Nights of Hanukkah, Eight Entertaining Jews: Night #4

2013-11-30T11:22:00.001-05:00

This is one of my favorite pictures ever taken.

The old insult goes, "Jews run show business." To that I say "thanks."

Jews make up about 0.2% of the world's population yet they have always been a loud (emphasis on the loud) and prominent voice in film, television, music, and comedy.

The next eight days are Hanukkah, which is not the most important Jewish holiday, but we do get presents. For each night of Hanukkah, I will share one Jewish entertainer who has had a big impact on me. For the fourth night of Hanukkah, let's talk about Larry David:

The next face on Jewish Mount Rushmore would be the ever-present scowl of Larry David. He is the spirit animal of just about every Jew you could ever meet, old man or not, from Brooklyn or not.

I could have chosen Jerry Seinfeld for this slot, but Larry David resonates much further. Maybe its because his sense of humor goes beyond merely observational, or maybe because he at first did not get all of the public spotlight during the "Seinfeld" years. That is not even a problem now, as David is now the star of his own show. Every year seems like it is going to be the last year of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." But then, it always comes back for another season.

Good. Let's keep it that way. I feel like everyone needs "Curb" in their lives. Larry David is like a social cop, always making everyone aware of what social standards are complete B.S. Essentially, society as we know it would crumble without Larry David.

It still amazes me how popular Larry David is, because on television he portrays a cynical curmudgeon (who, let's face it, is essentially what he is in reality). Larry doesn't try and get anybody to like him, which is also why he is ultimately so likable. There is something dangerous in David's sense of humor. He doesn't try to play it safe. He revels in the art of calling people out. And it would be meaner if all of his observations weren't so true. All of us would love to elevate small talk to medium talk and tell that woman in line in front of us at Ben & Jerry's that she's a sample abuser. Larry David simply says the kind of things that we are all thinking, but never blurt out because, you know, social standards and politeness. Larry David is a free and uninhibited man.

There is something about Larry's sense of humor that is ultimately very Jewish. The Jewish state of mind can best be summed up by non-Jew John Mulaney, who once said that "Jews don't daydream because folks are after them." Larry David is overly present, enough so that he can spot everything going on around him, process it, and then call out whoever he wants. Whether he likes it or not, this is how Larry David became a modern Jewish icon.

Yet, Larry David is not just an idol to the Jews. "Seinfeld" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" are both touchstones of American comedy. I guess that close-talkers and chat-and-cutters are a universal problem after all.

Favorite "Seinfeld" Word: Shrinkage

Favorite "Curb" Moment: Larry leaves a Bar Mitzvah early because he wants to go home to take a shit. "This project demands I return to base!"