Two of my favorite comedians from the 1980’s was Chevy Chase (Fletch) and Dan Aykroyd (Ghostbusters) because the two always made great films. For today’s film, I decided to check out their first film together since working on Saturday Night Live in Spies Like Us. Emmett Fitz-Hume (Chase) and Austin Millbarge (Aykroyd) are a couple of bumbling idiots that work for the government. Both of them hear about a test that is being administered that if you pass you can become a spy for the government. After noticing that they are idiots, they are assigned to go to Russia where they think that they are becoming spies, but in reality they are decoys for nuclear war. Will they survive and surprise everyone or will they play out their prophecy? The film also stars Steve Forrest (Mommie Dearest) as General Sline, Donna Dixon (Wayne’s World) as Karen Boyer, Bruce Davison (The Lords Of Salem) as Mr. Ruby, Bernie Casey (Never Say Never Again) as Colonel Rhumbus, William Prince (As The World Turns) as Mr. Keyes, Tom Hatten (I Saw What You Did) as General Miegs, Jim Staahl (Bobby’s World) as Bud Schnelker, James Daughton (Animal House) as Bob Hodges, Charles McKeown (Brazil) as Jerry Hadley, Vanessa Angel (Kingpin) as one of the Russian Rocket Crew, and the film was directed by John Landis (An American Werewolf In London).
I don’t know if this is my favorite film to feature Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase, but it definitely has it’s funny moments. Dan Aykroyd plays a typical Aykroyd character while Chevy plays Chevy. Chevy plays that typical smooth talking hound dog that your surprised isn’t humping women’s legs. It’s his character in Fletch, Caddyshack, etc, but I am not saying that’s a bad thing because there have been a lot of memorable moments. One of my favorite scenes in the film is when they are training after the test. The one moment that I love is the G Force moment with their faces and messed up hair. That is classic Aykroyd/Chase comedy that is very physical. Other than that, it has it’s funny moments like the hey it’s the end of the world so let’s have sex like bunnies cause we are all going to die anyways scene. One of the cool facts about the film is that Aykroyd wrote it as an homage to the Road To… series and Bob Hope makes a cameo in the film. That was very cool of Bob Hope to do that out of his busy USO schedule that he had back then. The other cool fact in the film is that Sir Paul McCartney sings the theme song to the film. I really liked the movie, but it wasn’t my favorite comedy that I have watched so far. The film is available to watch on Netflix and you should give it a shot if you are a fan of Dan Aykroyd or Chevy Chase. I am going to give the film an B+ for a final grade.
Since the announcement of the death of legendary comedic actor Gene Wilder yesterday, I wanted to pay tribute to him. So, I took the time and dedicated today to him by watching a film I hadn’t seen yet in The Woman In Red which sees Wilder pulling triple duty. Teddy Pierce (Gene Wilder) is an ad executive who kind of has everything a man would need in life like a decent job, a good family, and good friends. So, what in the world would get him to screw that up? Well, what If I was to tell you that he one day he sees the most beautiful woman in a model named Charlotte (Kelly LeBrock). He wants to meet her so bad that he is actually willing to risk it all so he tries to come with a full proof scheme. The film also stars Charles Grodin (Beethoven) as Buddy, Joe Bologna (Blame It On Rio) as Joey, Judith Ivey (Flags Of Our Fathers) as Didi Pierce, Michael Huddleston (Vampires) as Mikey, Gilda Radner (Saturday Night Live) as Ms. Milner, Kyle Heffner (High Crimes) as Richard, Michael Zorek (Hot Moves) as Shelly, Kyra Stempel (Camp Nowhere) as Missy Pierce, and the film was written and directed by Gene Wilder.
This was actually a very good movie from Gene and I can definitely see why it did well. Gene put on one heck of a performance as well with his typical calm on the outside, but nervous wreck on the inside about to explode. The thing that I loved about the film that I wish there was more of was the interactions with Bologna, Grodin, and Huddleston because those were some of the more hilarious moments on film. One of my favorites from them was one night they go to a restaurant and Grodin pretends to be blind and he just starts messing everything up. Now, let’s be honest with each other moving forward and say that Kelly LeBrock was one heck of a choice for the woman in red as this was her first role. Kelly was an absolute smoke show back in the day and those few moments in the film where you get teased with her body was worth the wait. I loved the scene in the parking garage where they pay tribute to Marilyn Monroe with the air that blows the dress up. I thought that was a nice ode to classic Hollywood. One scene that was kind of awkward was an interaction between Judith Ivey’s character and Michael Zorek’s that they never expanded on. He just goes in and tries to cop a feel, but they end it on that and it’s never mentioned again. The film had plenty of subplots, but one that they barely scratch in the surface is the fact that Charles Grodin’s character was gay. I mean especially for 1984, that is a huge bombshell and they just sort of brush it to the side and not talk about it. That was my only problem with the film, but overall I really enjoyed it. I am going to give the film an B+ for a final grade.
For today’s film, I probably chose the most controversial film of the year so far and I say controversial for all the hate it received on Youtube. The film I am talking about is the remake/reboot of the most legendary 80’s series Ghostbusters. Things in Manhattan seem pretty normal until a paranormal invasion happens at a local historical building that calls on paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) and Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy) along with nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon). After the occurrences that strangely keep happening around the city, they decide to form a team to battle the ghosts which could be connected to someone who is trying to bring them back to cleanse the world. The film also stars Leslie Jones (Saturday Night Live) as Patty Tolan, Zach Woods (The Other Guys) as Tour Guide, Ed Begley Jr. (This Is Spinal Tap) as Ed Mulgrave, Charles Dance (Last Action Hero) as Harold Filmore, Steve Higgins (The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon) as Dean, Neil Casey (Inside Amy Schumer) as Rowan North, Chris Hemsworth (Thor: The Dark World) as Kevin, Cecily Strong (The Boss) as Jennifer Lynch, Andy Garcia (The Untouchables) as Mayor Bradley, Michael Kenneth Williams (Boardwalk Empire) as Agent Hawkins, Karan Soni (Deadpool) as Benny, and the film was directed by Paul Feig (The Heat).
I am going to warn you that from here on going forward that there may or may not be spoilers contained in this part of the article. So I am setting up a spoiler alert warning and do not continue if you do not want to know. There are going to be a lot of differences of opinions when it comes to this film with some that claim they hated it and some that claim they liked or loved it. You ultimately have to make that decision for yourself, but I am on the side of I loved it. It’s not better than the original Ghostbusters movie, but it was so much fun to watch.I had so many laughs through out the whole film especially with Chris Hemsworth who plays Kevin, a hunky guy who is a complete and utter idiot. Chris does a great job playing one of the comedic reliefs of the film. I thought that Melissa McCarthy would be my favorite Ghostbuster in the film, but that award goes to Kate McKinnon who plays the outrageous and weird Jillian Holtsmann. She was one of the best parts of this film and provided me with a lot of laughs as well. The ghosts were really cool, but the CGI in the film reminded me a lot of the first Scooby Doo film that came out. It’s like they used the same technology as that film to create their ghosts. One of my favorite things about this film is the various cameos in the film from all the original cast members of Ghostbusters except for Rick Moranis (who says that he is not retired) and Harold Ramis (who passed away in 2014).
There are times in the film where it seems more like a horror film because some off the scenes with the ghosts can be spooky as hell. One of my favorite sequences in the film has to be the fight scene between the Ghostbusters and all the ghosts in the city. It’s your typical action like sequence, but it’s very cool and bad ass. I also thought that I would be opposed to seeing the ghost from the logo as an actual ghost in the film, but I actually enjoyed it. Besides the original cast members of the original films, there are also references to the original film that made me happy that they at least recognized it. I am going to leave you guys with one statement regarding the film and take it for what it is and form your own opinion. I really enjoyed the film, had a lot of fun watching it, and I would be open to a sequel if it came up. Like I said, is it better than the originals, obviously no, but it is it’s own film.
There are always films that get announced or you see some details and it gets you excited for it, but you end up waiting for it for a while. That was the case with today’s film Cooties which I had heard about back in 2014, but we finally have it here for you. Cooties follows aspiring writer and now substitute teacher Clint (Elijah Wood) as he returns home to Fort Chicken to teach at the elementary school. The only problem for Clint is that when he gets to school, a virus begins to spread that turns the children there into flesh eating zombies. Now Clint has to lead a group of ragtag teachers to safety before they are torn to shreds by the infected students. The film also stars Rainn Wilson (House Of 1000 Corpses) as Wade, Alison Pill (Scott Pilgrim Vs The World) as Lucy, Jack McBrayer (The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret) as Tracy, Leigh Whannell (Insidious: Chapter 2) as Doug, Nasim Pedrad (Saturday Night Live) as Rebekkah, Ian Brennan (Scream Queens) as Vice Principal Simms, Jorge Garcia (The Ridiculous 6) as Rick, Cooper Roth (The Road Within) as Patriot, Morgan Lily (X-Men: First Class) as Tamra, and the film was directed by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion.
At first before I watched the film I questioned why this never made it into theaters before it went straight to DVD. Then after watching the film, I can definitely figure out why it never made it and I am not saying that as a bad thing. This is definitely one of those films that is so bad that it’s awesome. I just figured that having Rainn Wilson, Elijah Wood, and Jack McBrayer would be enough to get into theaters, but it’s really funny regardless. One of the elements I loved about this film was the little quips that are thrown like a reference to The Lord Of The Rings series that Elijah Wood starred in at one time. It also helps that Rainn Wilson is absolutely hilarious and Leigh Whannell’s character was weird, but a very funny addition to the ensemble. I really believe that without all those factors I listed, this film would’t be as good or enjoyable to watch. One thing it will do is make you not want to eat chicken nuggets ever again as you see how they are made and what goes into them. One of the things I also liked about the film was how creative they were when you see one kid using intestines as jump rope or a human head on the end of a rope that is used for tetherball. It was those little things that made the film enoyable to watch, but it’s still a little cheesy at times. With that being said, I am going to give the film an B- for a final grade.
The minute that I saw that Today’s film was available to rent at my local Redbox location, I jumped at the chance to watch and hence that there is no Ass Whoopin Wednesday film this week. When I think of great combinations in comedy, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler of Saturday Night Live fame come to mind and today I chose their 2015 film Sisters. For Maura Ellis (Poehler) she is always trying to fix everything in everyone else’s lives other than her own. For Kate Ellis (Fey), she has just never been able to get anything straight in her life and is a hot mess. One day the sisters find out that there parents are selling their childhood home in Orlando and the two decide to throw the biggest party in honor of all the great memories there. The film also stars Dianne Wiest (The Lost Boys) as Mom, James Brolin (Hotel) as Dad, Ike Barinholtz (Neighbors) as James, Maya Rudolph (The Way Way Back) as Brinda, John Cena as Pazuzu, John Leguizamo (Carlito’s Way) as Dave, Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live) as Alex, Greta Lee (St. Vincent) as Hae-Won, Madison Davenport (Noah) as Haley, Rachel Dratch (Saturday Night Live) as Kelly, and the film was directed by Jason Moore (Pitch Perfect).
First I want to start by saying that Tina Fey and Amy Poehler have always made an amazing combo even in their days on Saturday Night Live when they did The Weekend Update. That amazing chemistry more than definitely transferred it’s magic into this film about two sisters who are having trouble letting go and finding responsibility. I also love how they incorporate different stars from Saturday Night Live into the film, it’s nice to see them giving people jobs. I also want to say how amazing Tina Fey looks in this film as the girl definitely ages very well and Kudos to Amy Poehler who looks amazing as well in the film. There are some scenes that are definitely funnier than others in the film and you can tell as some jokes fall flat while others prosper. I have to definitely give props to John Cena who looks incredibly bigger than usual in this film, but he definitely delivers. He plays a drug dealer in the film who has some amazing one liners with Tina Fey. Their interactions together are priceless and was definitely necessary in the film. One scene that while I did think it was funny, I thought it would be funnier was the scene where Ike Barinholtz’s character falls butt first into that Ballerina wind up thing. One thing that kind of bothered me was the interactions between Fey’s character and her daughter. The only reason it bothers me is because it’s not really explained well why she refuses to trust her. I mean all that we know is that she is mad over thew fact that Tina Fey’s character can’t really hold down a job and there is some mothering issues, but that is all we know. It’s one of the main sub plots that runs along with the main plot. Anyways, the film was definitely enjoyable to watch so I am going to give it an B+ for a final grade.
Melissa McCarthy (The Heat) is really becoming one of my favorite actresses in the comedy world. I have enjoyed for the most part a lot of her films so it was only natural to want to watch and review her latest offering in The Boss where she served as a writer, producer, and star. For Michelle Darnell (McCarthy), life hasn’t always been that easy for her after a life of being tossed around in the foster child care system. She vowed to change her life for the better and she did just that as Darnell became a millionaire. Now, I didn’t say that she became a millionaire from just hard work, but those things she did will come back to haunt her as a former colleague Renault (Peter Dinklage) screws her and she lands in jail and loses everything. Now with the help of a former employee named Claire (Kristen Bell), she will try to rise to prominence once again in a different kind of business. The film also stars Ella Anderson (Unfinished Business) as Rachel, Tyler Labine (Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil) as Mike, Kathy Bates (Misery) as Ida, Cecily Strong (Saturday Night Live) as Dana, Kristen Schaal (Bob’s Burgers) as Scout Leader Sandy, Timothy Simons (The Interview) as Stephan, Eva Peterson as Crystal, Annie Mumolo (This Is 40) as Helen, and the film was directed by Ben Falcone (Tammy).
As I said above, Melissa McCarthy is quickly becoming one of my favorite actresses in comedy. I heard a lot of mixed reviews from people before I went to the theater to check it out for myself and for the people bad mouthing it, what are you talking about? There are so many scenes in the film that McCarthy has me laughing hysterically. I honestly felt bad for the people in the theater that had to put up with me. I don’t know what people are expecting from her in this film, but I was thoroughly entertained which is what a comedy is supposed to do. Melissa’s interactions with the rival girl scout troupe mother is hilarious and Peter Dinklage was amazing too. The film having Peter Dinklage was the icing on the cake that was already a good film. There is a fight scene in the film between the two troupes that you have to check out because it was one of my favorite moments in the film. Another great scene in the film was the interaction between Tyler Labine’s character with the security guard in Renaults building. That was an unexpected, but amazing laugh. In my opinion, every single person in this film served their purpose and played their roles the way they were supposed to. While I agree that this may not be the best Melissa McCarthy film (cause The Heat is still the best in my opinion), this ranks up there with the best of them. I think you all should go and check it out because the film is exactly what it is, a comedy. That is why I am going to give the film an A- for a final grade.
365moviesin365dayschallenge 