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Parasite (2019)
Parasite (2019)
2019 | Drama
Story (3 more)
Acting
Humor
Unexpected twists
It's long? (0 more)
This Parasite gets under your skin...
I will try not to spoil anything, because I really enjoyed watching this movie unfold. It's the kind of film where you can't really guess where it is going, because where it is going is so strange...

Based on the director, I expected sci-fi or horror. This movie isn't either of those genres: it is basically a human-level character study, but in a universe with slightly-cartoonish logic.

I know that doesn't make much sense, but if you watch the movie you might agree.

The main family is broke. They have no money for food and their neighbor recently put a password on their wifi, so they don't even have phones that work. When the son gets the chance to become a tutor to a rich girl, even though he isn't qualified, he jumps at the chance. And, slowly but surely, he and his family plan ways to get all four of them hired on at the rich owners' house.

That's all I will say, because discovery is important for this movie to work. There is a lot of drama and real-life class struggle, but the movie is often punctuated by humor that takes a second to register. It might be a physical sight gag; it might be a turn of phrase; it might be a facial expression; but I found myself laughing out loud, even as uncomfortable things were happening.

If you don't mind subtitles, I strongly recommend Parasite. It is as good as the reviews say.
  
This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
1984 | Comedy

"Number two is slightly different. There are similarities. It’s gotta be This Is Spinal Tap. It’s gotta be that. Just the detail of that as well. What I love about Spinal Tap is, I think it’s the first example of that; it has been carried on through things like The Office and Arrested Development, because they have quite similar qualities. It’s comedy that’s made for people with a sense of humor. You actually have to have quite an attuned sense of humor to know why things are funny in that. I think some comedy is written and performed at an audience, like,”This is it, this is funny. You are not funny, but you’re gonna watch us be funny.” The thing about a lot of that stuff — and I think Spinal Tap is the kind of crystallization of that — you have to be quite a funny person, and have quite a grasp of the work in the comedy to know why Derek Smalls saying, “David, ‘Smell the Glove’ is here. Hello, Jeanine,” over the microphone is a funny thing for him to do. And you have to know why that’s an inappropriate thing to do. And you have to have an understanding of the rules of comedy, and just the rules of everyday social graces to know why that is funny. I kind of like being part of that exclusive club. You’re kind of in on the joke. It’s a communal experience because we’re trusting you that you’re smart enough to know why this is funny without us having to describe it and spoon feed it to you. I like the elitism of being part of that club."

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LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Zombieland (2009) in Movies

Sep 19, 2020 (Updated Nov 26, 2020)  
Zombieland (2009)
Zombieland (2009)
2009 | Comedy, Horror
I hate to be a party pooper but this kind of sucked ass tbh, not nearly as cringe as 30 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘓𝘦𝘴𝘴 but cut from the exact same cloth of horribly aged 4chan-esque incel humor drudges as that one and many other comedies from this era which thankfully have died off at least a fair amount since then. What was once a revolutionary punch of action and comedy is now totally trite and mostly unfunny, I can count the amount of times I laughed on one hand (mostly thanks to Bill Murray's rightfully loved cameo). And all that is fine and dandy whatever, but did it have to look like ass too? I also find it endlessly ironic that the Eisenberg character - designed to be the most obnoxious one - easily comes off as the most tolerable out of this quartet of unlikable twats. When it isn't achingly boring it's misogynistic, not only forming this abrupt relationship which I just cannot buy solely to have these paper-thin women characters bend to the wills of and/or be in debt to the men - but the men also happen to be the only dynamic ones here, giving *them* the choice to save or not save these misdirected women in the end who couldn't just abandon their own plans to stay with them. At least it finally wakes up in the last 15 minutes with that pretty goddamn fun carnival setpiece but despite there being a flicker of an interesting premise here I'd just prefer to leave this dated "did it for teh lulz" 'humor' in 2009.
  
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Expeditionary Force: Book 1 - Columbus Day
Expeditionary Force: Book 1 - Columbus Day
Craig Alanson | 2016 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
9.3 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Witty narrative of when Earth picked the wrong side of the war to join
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, The Martian by Andy Weir, and the movie Independence Day all have one important aspect in common - humor. Without the levity, all three would be boring and forgotten works left in a drawer somewhere. Reading the humorous description of the first book in Craig Alanson's Expeditionary Force series, Columbus Day, I knew I had to read it and wondered why I had not read it before now.

The Ruhar attacks the world on, you guessed it, Columbus Day. We thought we were saved when the Kristang flew in and attacked the Ruhar. We else were we to do but pick the side of the guys who saved us. As we quickly learn, we made the wrong move.

Having the narrator of The Maritan, R.C. Bray, narrate Columbus Day was a stroke of genius. He again proves he can skillfully deliver snarky, "American" humor while making the end of the world as we know no laughing matter.

To date, there are ten books in the series, but Alanson ended it at a point in the story Columbus Day could work as a stand-alone novel, although readers would be remiss in not continuing,

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 8/10/20.