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Darren Fisher (2436 KP) rated Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007) in Movies
Dec 17, 2020 (Updated Jan 31, 2021)
The tragic yet comical story about a man who suffers from acute mental health issues. After winning a camera and a trip to Cannes, socially awkward and mostly misunderstood, Bean is mistakenly accused of kidnapping a young boy. Little does Bean know that the young lad is the son of a pretentious, self-gratifying film director, who will stop at nothing to assure the safety and return of his son. Bean and boy head for Cannes on a deranged road-trip where each new incident strengthens the bond between them.
Although the films message is clear and isn't afraid to pull any punches, the interspersed comedy throughout is hilarious as it is touching (are we laughing because Bean is seemingly a fool? or are we laughing with Bean because these situations are actually funny?).
It's sad to think that, even in todays times, that mental health is still misunderstood by many people and is upon reaction based on fear and a lack of understanding. The sons father takes on that role, whilst the son himself takes on the role of those that do not judge a person by their wellbeing alone. And, with all of Beans supposed misgivings, he does come through at the end. Thought provoking stuff to be sure...
Joking of course!
Great fun and a big improvement on the first film.
Although the films message is clear and isn't afraid to pull any punches, the interspersed comedy throughout is hilarious as it is touching (are we laughing because Bean is seemingly a fool? or are we laughing with Bean because these situations are actually funny?).
It's sad to think that, even in todays times, that mental health is still misunderstood by many people and is upon reaction based on fear and a lack of understanding. The sons father takes on that role, whilst the son himself takes on the role of those that do not judge a person by their wellbeing alone. And, with all of Beans supposed misgivings, he does come through at the end. Thought provoking stuff to be sure...
Joking of course!
Great fun and a big improvement on the first film.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Leprechaun 4: In Space (1997) in Movies
Nov 15, 2020 (Updated Nov 15, 2020)
I found the first three Leprechaun films to be consistently average, but Leprechaun 4: In Space puts a brutal end to that middle of the road streak and aims straight for the gutter.
Once again, we have a sequel that has absolutely no relation to any of the previous films, is full of unlikable dicks, and has Warwick Davis doing his best to polish a turd, except this time around, there's not a whole lot he can do.
Moving the setting to space is certainly a novelty idea, and a clear indication that this film is not to be taken seriously, but the grandiose idea of spaceships require a half decent budget. The sets look cheap as hell, and the exterior CGI shots of the ship are beneath original PlayStation cutscene levels.
The characters are a bunch of misogynistic, unfunny tossers that aren't relatable in any shape or form. This movie goes in hard with the comedy angle, and granted, a few lines actually got me, but it's mostly misfire after misfire. Leprechaun himself is still just about tolerable, but honestly, even Warwick Davis looks done with this shit by now.
There is still some fun to be had with Leprechaun 4, but it's mostly a boring and lazy sequel. If you've seen the first three and are satisfied with the amount of limerick riddled material consumed, then you could probably give this one a skip and just enjoy your day instead.
Once again, we have a sequel that has absolutely no relation to any of the previous films, is full of unlikable dicks, and has Warwick Davis doing his best to polish a turd, except this time around, there's not a whole lot he can do.
Moving the setting to space is certainly a novelty idea, and a clear indication that this film is not to be taken seriously, but the grandiose idea of spaceships require a half decent budget. The sets look cheap as hell, and the exterior CGI shots of the ship are beneath original PlayStation cutscene levels.
The characters are a bunch of misogynistic, unfunny tossers that aren't relatable in any shape or form. This movie goes in hard with the comedy angle, and granted, a few lines actually got me, but it's mostly misfire after misfire. Leprechaun himself is still just about tolerable, but honestly, even Warwick Davis looks done with this shit by now.
There is still some fun to be had with Leprechaun 4, but it's mostly a boring and lazy sequel. If you've seen the first three and are satisfied with the amount of limerick riddled material consumed, then you could probably give this one a skip and just enjoy your day instead.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Dirty Grandpa (2016) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019
Dirty De Niro
It’s hard to imagine an acting career that has continuously impressed as much as that of Robert De Niro. The two-time Academy Award-winner has also racked up an incredible five further nominations at the Oscars, cementing him as a Hollywood great.
However, over the last few years, this acting veteran has spiralled into rather dangerous territory. Taking on thankless role after thankless role with terrible romantic comedies, his filmography makes for grim reading these days.
His latest movie sees him star alongside the hunky Zac Efron in Dirty Grandpa, a gross-out comedy following the pair on a road trip from Atlanta to Florida, but does it do enough to restore some sheen to De Niro’s CV?
De Niro stars as Richard ‘Dick’ Kelly, an army veteran mourning the loss of his late wife. To ease his grief, he and his uptight lawyer grandson Jason (Efron) take a trip together as a way of catching up. Though for Dick, there’s more than scenery on his mind.
I’ll get this off my chest before we go any further. The script is absolutely atrocious and one of the worst I have ever come across in the genre, and Dan Mazer’s inconsistent direction only highlights these major flaws.
Both Efron and De Niro look uncomfortable with the overly offensive dialogue that targets homosexuals and ethnic minorities just to try and raise a laugh. This is comedy at its laziest and Dirty Grandpa is more than happy to admit that to you – it’s definitely not ashamed of what it is.
Nevertheless, it’s such a shame to see a former Oscar winner taking on the role of a borderline perverted grandparent. The constant leering at college girls and the cringe-worthy talk of sex just don’t sit well with those who know of De Niro’s once unrivalled talent and this is why he feels sorely miscast.
Efron too starts off incredibly poorly. As the uptight lawyer, he spouts legalese that you know he doesn’t truly understand, though once he starts to unwind we see him at his best. The actor knows that he works well in films where he can use his cracking smile and body to full effect and it’s certainly out in force here.
Elsewhere, a supporting cast that includes Parks and Recreation’s Aubrey Plaza fares much better with Plaza being the film’s standout character. Her sex-obsessed Lenore is actually very funny indeed and provides Dirty Grandpa with what it sorely needs – genuine comedy.
Unfortunately, despite a few laughs, the film tries too hard with the tired old clichés. From fart jokes to racism and sexism, it’s all there – all the while unaware it’s adding another nail in the coffin of Robert De Niro’s acting career.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/02/05/dire-de-niro-dirty-grandpa-review/
However, over the last few years, this acting veteran has spiralled into rather dangerous territory. Taking on thankless role after thankless role with terrible romantic comedies, his filmography makes for grim reading these days.
His latest movie sees him star alongside the hunky Zac Efron in Dirty Grandpa, a gross-out comedy following the pair on a road trip from Atlanta to Florida, but does it do enough to restore some sheen to De Niro’s CV?
De Niro stars as Richard ‘Dick’ Kelly, an army veteran mourning the loss of his late wife. To ease his grief, he and his uptight lawyer grandson Jason (Efron) take a trip together as a way of catching up. Though for Dick, there’s more than scenery on his mind.
I’ll get this off my chest before we go any further. The script is absolutely atrocious and one of the worst I have ever come across in the genre, and Dan Mazer’s inconsistent direction only highlights these major flaws.
Both Efron and De Niro look uncomfortable with the overly offensive dialogue that targets homosexuals and ethnic minorities just to try and raise a laugh. This is comedy at its laziest and Dirty Grandpa is more than happy to admit that to you – it’s definitely not ashamed of what it is.
Nevertheless, it’s such a shame to see a former Oscar winner taking on the role of a borderline perverted grandparent. The constant leering at college girls and the cringe-worthy talk of sex just don’t sit well with those who know of De Niro’s once unrivalled talent and this is why he feels sorely miscast.
Efron too starts off incredibly poorly. As the uptight lawyer, he spouts legalese that you know he doesn’t truly understand, though once he starts to unwind we see him at his best. The actor knows that he works well in films where he can use his cracking smile and body to full effect and it’s certainly out in force here.
Elsewhere, a supporting cast that includes Parks and Recreation’s Aubrey Plaza fares much better with Plaza being the film’s standout character. Her sex-obsessed Lenore is actually very funny indeed and provides Dirty Grandpa with what it sorely needs – genuine comedy.
Unfortunately, despite a few laughs, the film tries too hard with the tired old clichés. From fart jokes to racism and sexism, it’s all there – all the while unaware it’s adding another nail in the coffin of Robert De Niro’s acting career.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/02/05/dire-de-niro-dirty-grandpa-review/
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated Tammy (2014) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Life for Tammy (Melissa McCarthy) is a struggle in frustration. She is an outspoken individual who is not shy about speaking her mind and acting out which is often as trouble seems to follow her everywhere.
Following one particularly bad morning, Tammy decides to move away from Illinois once and for all and when her mother offers her no real encouragement, Tammy takes to the road with her grandmother (Susan Sarandon).
Despite her health issues and love for the bottle, Tammy is happy to have the company as she admires the free spirit of her grandmother who wants to have an adventure and live life to the fullest at all times.
Of course trouble seems to find Tammy and before long she has to deal with a slew of problems as well as the increasingly self destructive behavior of her grandmother.
Complications arise when a farmer named Bobby (Mark Duplass), and his father Earl (Gary Cole), enter into the picture to provide distractions to the ladies and to make them start to see the consequences of their action.
Throw in short but solid supporting work from Kathy Bates and Dan Aykroyd, and this film should have been a laugh filled riot. Instead it stays in the bittersweet range far more than it does comedy, as many of the best jokes in the film were shown in the trailer.
I credit McCarthy, who along with Ben Falcone wrote the film, for trying to move beyond the manic comedies that she has done prior. The film is marketed as more of the same but it is not. The film drags in places as you keep waiting for the laughs to come and when they do it is very sporadic. Instead the focus in on emotions, life, and being accountable as well as other heady topics it is just a shame that McCarthy keeps having to play the lovable loser parts as to be honest they are starting to get old. I joked to my wife that a prison in the film looked much like the one in “Identity Thief”.
The film attempts to combine a buddy road trip with some deeper human issues but this is not “Thelma and Louise”, and it does seem that despite the best efforts of all involved, we have seen this trip many times before and it is one that did not need to be taken again.
http://sknr.net/2014/07/02/tammy/
Following one particularly bad morning, Tammy decides to move away from Illinois once and for all and when her mother offers her no real encouragement, Tammy takes to the road with her grandmother (Susan Sarandon).
Despite her health issues and love for the bottle, Tammy is happy to have the company as she admires the free spirit of her grandmother who wants to have an adventure and live life to the fullest at all times.
Of course trouble seems to find Tammy and before long she has to deal with a slew of problems as well as the increasingly self destructive behavior of her grandmother.
Complications arise when a farmer named Bobby (Mark Duplass), and his father Earl (Gary Cole), enter into the picture to provide distractions to the ladies and to make them start to see the consequences of their action.
Throw in short but solid supporting work from Kathy Bates and Dan Aykroyd, and this film should have been a laugh filled riot. Instead it stays in the bittersweet range far more than it does comedy, as many of the best jokes in the film were shown in the trailer.
I credit McCarthy, who along with Ben Falcone wrote the film, for trying to move beyond the manic comedies that she has done prior. The film is marketed as more of the same but it is not. The film drags in places as you keep waiting for the laughs to come and when they do it is very sporadic. Instead the focus in on emotions, life, and being accountable as well as other heady topics it is just a shame that McCarthy keeps having to play the lovable loser parts as to be honest they are starting to get old. I joked to my wife that a prison in the film looked much like the one in “Identity Thief”.
The film attempts to combine a buddy road trip with some deeper human issues but this is not “Thelma and Louise”, and it does seem that despite the best efforts of all involved, we have seen this trip many times before and it is one that did not need to be taken again.
http://sknr.net/2014/07/02/tammy/
Darren (1599 KP) rated All Cheerleaders Die (2014) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: All Cheerleaders Die starts with a look at head cheerleader Alexis (Cooper) who literally thinks she has the whole school under her finger but while performing she dies. The girls hold auditions for new role in the squad which Alexis old friend Maddy takes a chance with a deeper quest to get her own revenge on Terry.
Once a member of the cheer-leading team we see how she starts pushing them away from the football stars including the captain Terry (Williamson) who ends up causing the deaths of members of the team, but when Leena (Smit-McPhee) a witch brings them back to life, but now they have a craving for human flesh and target Terry for the ultimate revenge.cheerleader
All Cheerleaders Die starts off very slowly for my liking trying to introduce the characters and tease at a massive revenge angle before anything happens. Once the cheerleaders get killed the film steps up and unloads all the horror comedy. I would like to see less from the start and more from the end because that is the part of the film you want to watch. I think this is a real entertaining film that really does keep you guessing just what will happen next.
Actor Review
Caitlin Stasey: Maddy is the newest addition to the cheer-leading squad who has been against the team captain of the football team for years. When she is killed she comes back with the rest of the team to get revenge on the football team. Caitlin does a good job in the leading role taking a more risky role that goes against most horror clichés.
Tom Williamson: Terry is the captain of the football team and an all around asshole, when he gets into a fight with his girlfriend he runs the cheerleaders off the road killing them all. When they return he ends up becoming the target of their vengeance. Tom creates the asshole persona really well in this film that could make this the most entertaining part when he gets what he deserves.terry
Sianoa Smit-McPhee: Leena is the witch who likes to work with dark magic but when she sees her friends die she brings them all back to life where she doesn’t understand the power she holds. Sianoa does a good job in this role being a completely different image to the rest of the cast.lenna
Brooke Butler: Tracy is the lead cheerleader who lets Maddy into the team, she is dating Terry but she is very insecure. She ends up thinking everyone is her friend but they turn on her quickly. Brooke does a good job in an early role for the young actress with a brave performance.
Support Cast: All Cheerleaders Die has a supporting cast that all play their part be it the football players or the dead cheerleaders who become disposable characters for the main ones to learn their powers.
Director Review: Lucky McKee, Chris Sivertson – The pair bring us a horror comedy that is fun once it all gets going.
Comedy: All Cheerleaders Die has solid comedy throughout which is mostly to do with the reactions of the cheerleaders to what is happening to them.
Horror: All Cheerleaders Die has plenty of blood splatter for all the kills for what the cheerleaders get up to on their revenge path.
Settings: All Cheerleaders Die using the settings all around the high school with the hang outs being away from public viewing which all work for the film.
Special Effects: All Cheerleaders Die has solid special effects with the problems being all too CGI for my liking.
Suggestion: All Cheerleaders Die is one I think the horror fans will enjoy because of the fun gore filled storyline. (Horror Fans Watch)
Best Part: Final battle against Terry.
Worst Part: Slow starting.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: Left open for one.
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Runtime: 1 Hour 29 Minutes
Tagline: You can’t kill their spirit
Overall: Horror comedy that has laughs and blood for all the fans to enjoy
https://moviesreview101.com/2016/01/01/movie-reviews-101-midnight-horror-all-cheerleaders-die-2013/
Once a member of the cheer-leading team we see how she starts pushing them away from the football stars including the captain Terry (Williamson) who ends up causing the deaths of members of the team, but when Leena (Smit-McPhee) a witch brings them back to life, but now they have a craving for human flesh and target Terry for the ultimate revenge.cheerleader
All Cheerleaders Die starts off very slowly for my liking trying to introduce the characters and tease at a massive revenge angle before anything happens. Once the cheerleaders get killed the film steps up and unloads all the horror comedy. I would like to see less from the start and more from the end because that is the part of the film you want to watch. I think this is a real entertaining film that really does keep you guessing just what will happen next.
Actor Review
Caitlin Stasey: Maddy is the newest addition to the cheer-leading squad who has been against the team captain of the football team for years. When she is killed she comes back with the rest of the team to get revenge on the football team. Caitlin does a good job in the leading role taking a more risky role that goes against most horror clichés.
Tom Williamson: Terry is the captain of the football team and an all around asshole, when he gets into a fight with his girlfriend he runs the cheerleaders off the road killing them all. When they return he ends up becoming the target of their vengeance. Tom creates the asshole persona really well in this film that could make this the most entertaining part when he gets what he deserves.terry
Sianoa Smit-McPhee: Leena is the witch who likes to work with dark magic but when she sees her friends die she brings them all back to life where she doesn’t understand the power she holds. Sianoa does a good job in this role being a completely different image to the rest of the cast.lenna
Brooke Butler: Tracy is the lead cheerleader who lets Maddy into the team, she is dating Terry but she is very insecure. She ends up thinking everyone is her friend but they turn on her quickly. Brooke does a good job in an early role for the young actress with a brave performance.
Support Cast: All Cheerleaders Die has a supporting cast that all play their part be it the football players or the dead cheerleaders who become disposable characters for the main ones to learn their powers.
Director Review: Lucky McKee, Chris Sivertson – The pair bring us a horror comedy that is fun once it all gets going.
Comedy: All Cheerleaders Die has solid comedy throughout which is mostly to do with the reactions of the cheerleaders to what is happening to them.
Horror: All Cheerleaders Die has plenty of blood splatter for all the kills for what the cheerleaders get up to on their revenge path.
Settings: All Cheerleaders Die using the settings all around the high school with the hang outs being away from public viewing which all work for the film.
Special Effects: All Cheerleaders Die has solid special effects with the problems being all too CGI for my liking.
Suggestion: All Cheerleaders Die is one I think the horror fans will enjoy because of the fun gore filled storyline. (Horror Fans Watch)
Best Part: Final battle against Terry.
Worst Part: Slow starting.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: Left open for one.
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Runtime: 1 Hour 29 Minutes
Tagline: You can’t kill their spirit
Overall: Horror comedy that has laughs and blood for all the fans to enjoy
https://moviesreview101.com/2016/01/01/movie-reviews-101-midnight-horror-all-cheerleaders-die-2013/
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Four Lions (2010) in Movies
Mar 7, 2019
The fine between comedy and tragedy...
Contains spoilers, click to show
I can remember first hearing about this early in 2010, and was unsure as what to expect. On one hand this could have been a nasty hate film, mocking the wave of Muslim extremism which is taking a firm hold in this country, merely for the entertainment value, or this could be one of the important satires on the subject to date.
It was by far, without a shadow of doubt, the latter. Four Lions follows five amateur, lackluster Muslims from Sheffield who all believe that they are a primed terror cell on the frontline of the war against the infidels. Unfortunately for them, they are bunglers, whilst achieving the ability to create explosives, they have failed to control how and when it explodes! The plot culminates with an attempt to attack the London Marathon but it is a long road, taking our protagonists to the terror camps of Pakistan, and the town halls of Sheffield. This film is written and directed so expertly, it is literally frightening.
Morris and his pitch perfect cast deliver a film which so perfectly walks the razor wire tightrope between comedy and tragedy that every laugh is tinged with sadness or pity and every dark moment, seemingly comedic.
Is this a comedy? Decidedly not, but is this funny, and intentionally so? Yes. It's almost as if the laughs are out of sheer relief, as moments which should shock are delivered or followed up by some of the most profoundly realistic and yet ridiculous conversions.
The Lion King explanation for the war against the west; The almost horrifically callous 'Honey Monster' exchange as a police sniper may well have just shot an innocent civilian will stick in your mind. Let alone more simple humour, such as the eating of the sim cards to prevent tracking, which resembled the Catholic method of taking of the bread at mass.
But this was also about grooming: Grooming the audience to sympathise with a terror cell plotting in our midst was genius, whist having to watch the various methods employed within the group itself, leading to some of the films most poignant and tragic moments.
The disenfranchised Muslim population of this country have been captured so well, though portrayed on one hand as been dimwitted 'wanna-be terrorists', but on the other as real people, miss led with some of the most ridiculous concepts designed to reduce their lives to that of mediocrity in order to convince them to take so many others. This is a sympathetic peace movie in a time of great confusion and conflict.
Until now, United 93 was the film which had most summed up the dark times in which we live, following 9/11, but this is at least on par with it and is a great addition to a long and significant catalogue of topical anti-establishment films, such as M.A.S.H. and Dr. Strangelove.
Not just highly recommended, but a MUST SEE!
It was by far, without a shadow of doubt, the latter. Four Lions follows five amateur, lackluster Muslims from Sheffield who all believe that they are a primed terror cell on the frontline of the war against the infidels. Unfortunately for them, they are bunglers, whilst achieving the ability to create explosives, they have failed to control how and when it explodes! The plot culminates with an attempt to attack the London Marathon but it is a long road, taking our protagonists to the terror camps of Pakistan, and the town halls of Sheffield. This film is written and directed so expertly, it is literally frightening.
Morris and his pitch perfect cast deliver a film which so perfectly walks the razor wire tightrope between comedy and tragedy that every laugh is tinged with sadness or pity and every dark moment, seemingly comedic.
Is this a comedy? Decidedly not, but is this funny, and intentionally so? Yes. It's almost as if the laughs are out of sheer relief, as moments which should shock are delivered or followed up by some of the most profoundly realistic and yet ridiculous conversions.
The Lion King explanation for the war against the west; The almost horrifically callous 'Honey Monster' exchange as a police sniper may well have just shot an innocent civilian will stick in your mind. Let alone more simple humour, such as the eating of the sim cards to prevent tracking, which resembled the Catholic method of taking of the bread at mass.
But this was also about grooming: Grooming the audience to sympathise with a terror cell plotting in our midst was genius, whist having to watch the various methods employed within the group itself, leading to some of the films most poignant and tragic moments.
The disenfranchised Muslim population of this country have been captured so well, though portrayed on one hand as been dimwitted 'wanna-be terrorists', but on the other as real people, miss led with some of the most ridiculous concepts designed to reduce their lives to that of mediocrity in order to convince them to take so many others. This is a sympathetic peace movie in a time of great confusion and conflict.
Until now, United 93 was the film which had most summed up the dark times in which we live, following 9/11, but this is at least on par with it and is a great addition to a long and significant catalogue of topical anti-establishment films, such as M.A.S.H. and Dr. Strangelove.
Not just highly recommended, but a MUST SEE!
Darren (1599 KP) rated The Night Sitter (2019) in Movies
Jul 25, 2019
Story: The Night Sitter starts when a con-artist Amber (Dufour) poses as a babysitter for her latest job, she finds a wealthy occult enthusiast child Kevin (Champion) to babysit for the night, along with his father’s new girlfriend son Ronnie (Campbell).
With Amber setting up her plan with her partners in crime Rod (Rivers), Lindsey (Neukum) and her over-protective stalker who thinks he is her boyfriend Martin (Larmore), the boys enter the relic room and unwittingly release three witches upon the household.
Thoughts on The Night Sitter
Characters – Amber is a con-artist that poses as a babysitter for her latest job, she has the experience to trick the adult into believing she is qualified for the job and keeps the kids occupied enough to prepare for her robbery. She remains calm however many obstacles get thrown in her way including her partner bring his girlfriend, her stalker boyfriend and obsessed man from across the road. Kevin is the son from the house, he isn’t willing to get overly involved in searching around the house, he doesn’t want to be friends with Ronnie and spends time trying to prove the witches are real. Rod is the criminal partner, he brings his girlfriend on the latest job which shows him being a slacker when it comes to the jobs. Lindsey is the girlfriend of Rod’s she comes dressed like a cat burglar getting into the role of criminal thief, willing to get involved in everything going on.
Performances – Elyse Dufour in the leading role is the strongest of the cast, she shows the calm required while keeping her character in control through the night. Jack Champion is the young actor playing one of the children, he brings the nervous innocence needed for this film. Jermain Rivers does get a lot of the comedy to do with his character being the dumb one in the criminal act. Each actor does give their character enough to be a standout.
Story – The story here follows a con-artist working on her latest job which turns into a nightmare when three witches are released into the house searching for their latest victims. This is a story with plenty going on, in other films this hasn’t worked, for this one it does, the kids are troublesome like you would imagine, the criminal characters bring the laughs, which has moments that feel like we are watching the Home Alone thieves and once we add the witches into the mix, everything ties together effortlessly. If you have seen Annabelle Comes Home, you can see certain similarities, though this movie was made first before anyone thinks I am calling it a copy, having the household needing to deal with hauntings from a secret room, shows that this could be compared.
Comedy/Horror – The comedy in the film comes from criminals for the most part, with them not having everything going to plan, the horror comes from witches that have started to haunt the members of the household for the night.
Settings – The film is set in the one location of the house that has the occult material inside, they become trapped which plays into the idea of what the horror is coming for them.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are great, we get to see the blood covered moments that the witches put on their victims.
Scene of the Movie – Heading down to the basement.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Martin the character, mostly because he changes through the whole film, starting nervous, turning into the ass by the end.
Final Thoughts – This is a fun horror comedy that will get a couple of laughs, while giving us the blood needing for the witches getting the blood needed.
Overall: Three Witches, One Solution, Enjoy.
With Amber setting up her plan with her partners in crime Rod (Rivers), Lindsey (Neukum) and her over-protective stalker who thinks he is her boyfriend Martin (Larmore), the boys enter the relic room and unwittingly release three witches upon the household.
Thoughts on The Night Sitter
Characters – Amber is a con-artist that poses as a babysitter for her latest job, she has the experience to trick the adult into believing she is qualified for the job and keeps the kids occupied enough to prepare for her robbery. She remains calm however many obstacles get thrown in her way including her partner bring his girlfriend, her stalker boyfriend and obsessed man from across the road. Kevin is the son from the house, he isn’t willing to get overly involved in searching around the house, he doesn’t want to be friends with Ronnie and spends time trying to prove the witches are real. Rod is the criminal partner, he brings his girlfriend on the latest job which shows him being a slacker when it comes to the jobs. Lindsey is the girlfriend of Rod’s she comes dressed like a cat burglar getting into the role of criminal thief, willing to get involved in everything going on.
Performances – Elyse Dufour in the leading role is the strongest of the cast, she shows the calm required while keeping her character in control through the night. Jack Champion is the young actor playing one of the children, he brings the nervous innocence needed for this film. Jermain Rivers does get a lot of the comedy to do with his character being the dumb one in the criminal act. Each actor does give their character enough to be a standout.
Story – The story here follows a con-artist working on her latest job which turns into a nightmare when three witches are released into the house searching for their latest victims. This is a story with plenty going on, in other films this hasn’t worked, for this one it does, the kids are troublesome like you would imagine, the criminal characters bring the laughs, which has moments that feel like we are watching the Home Alone thieves and once we add the witches into the mix, everything ties together effortlessly. If you have seen Annabelle Comes Home, you can see certain similarities, though this movie was made first before anyone thinks I am calling it a copy, having the household needing to deal with hauntings from a secret room, shows that this could be compared.
Comedy/Horror – The comedy in the film comes from criminals for the most part, with them not having everything going to plan, the horror comes from witches that have started to haunt the members of the household for the night.
Settings – The film is set in the one location of the house that has the occult material inside, they become trapped which plays into the idea of what the horror is coming for them.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are great, we get to see the blood covered moments that the witches put on their victims.
Scene of the Movie – Heading down to the basement.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Martin the character, mostly because he changes through the whole film, starting nervous, turning into the ass by the end.
Final Thoughts – This is a fun horror comedy that will get a couple of laughs, while giving us the blood needing for the witches getting the blood needed.
Overall: Three Witches, One Solution, Enjoy.
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated Identity Thief (2013) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Life for Sandy Patterson (Jason Bateman), is a comfortable middle class existence. He is a father of two daughters and is expecting a third child soon with his loving wife Trish (Amanda Peet). While they have financial concerns with the pending arrival of their new baby, Sandy is hoping for a bonus and promotion at his job working for a financial service company. Things take a turn for the worse for Sandy when not only does he get neither a bonus nor promotion, but he learns that his supervisors are authorizing themselves large bonus checks which he is in charge of issuing.
Sandy and his friend Daniel (John Cho), decide that enough is enough and decide to start their own company with Sandy as V.P. Although a risky move, this could be the answer to his financial needs and Sandy jumps aboard without a second thought. Enter Diana (Melissa McCarthy), a professional identity thief who packs her Florida home with all manner of items obtained via her knack for creating credit cards belonging to other people.
Sandy thanks to his unisex name, has become the latest target for Diana and in no time, finds that his credit cards are maxed out, and worst yet, he is wanted by the police. This does not sit well for his new position as a V.P. with credit issues and warrants will scare off investors. Sandy learns that the timeline for clearing his name can be extensive, so he hatches a plan after receiving a spa confirmation call from Florida. Sandy with the knowledge of the police plans to travel to Florida and bring the person who has stolen his identity to Denver to clear his name. He hopes that a promise of no prosecution will trick her into the trip and clearing his good name.
Since the film is a comedy, things naturally do not go as planned as Denise is crafty and will resort to anything from throat punches to vehicular assault to stay one step ahead of the law. Denise has run afoul of a criminal element for issuing them credit cards that she has already maxed out and they dispatch two killers to take her and anyone she is with out. As if this is not bad enough, a psycho skip tracer (Robert Patrick) is also in hot pursuit and set on capturing the large reward on Denise. What follows is a mixture of the buddy comedy formula and road trip film which more than once reminded me of the recent “Due Date”. “Identity Thief” has a great premise and cast to it, but it is saddled by long stretches that drag on. The film takes a while to get started and never seems to find a pace that works for it.
McCarthy has some great lines and moments and Bateman does a solid job as the straight main foil. The problem is, the laughs are to few and far between to justify the nearly two hour run time. This is a shame as with about 30 minutes trimmed this could have been a very tight and witty comedy but instead under director Seth Gordon best efforts, the film never reaches its potential.
Sandy and his friend Daniel (John Cho), decide that enough is enough and decide to start their own company with Sandy as V.P. Although a risky move, this could be the answer to his financial needs and Sandy jumps aboard without a second thought. Enter Diana (Melissa McCarthy), a professional identity thief who packs her Florida home with all manner of items obtained via her knack for creating credit cards belonging to other people.
Sandy thanks to his unisex name, has become the latest target for Diana and in no time, finds that his credit cards are maxed out, and worst yet, he is wanted by the police. This does not sit well for his new position as a V.P. with credit issues and warrants will scare off investors. Sandy learns that the timeline for clearing his name can be extensive, so he hatches a plan after receiving a spa confirmation call from Florida. Sandy with the knowledge of the police plans to travel to Florida and bring the person who has stolen his identity to Denver to clear his name. He hopes that a promise of no prosecution will trick her into the trip and clearing his good name.
Since the film is a comedy, things naturally do not go as planned as Denise is crafty and will resort to anything from throat punches to vehicular assault to stay one step ahead of the law. Denise has run afoul of a criminal element for issuing them credit cards that she has already maxed out and they dispatch two killers to take her and anyone she is with out. As if this is not bad enough, a psycho skip tracer (Robert Patrick) is also in hot pursuit and set on capturing the large reward on Denise. What follows is a mixture of the buddy comedy formula and road trip film which more than once reminded me of the recent “Due Date”. “Identity Thief” has a great premise and cast to it, but it is saddled by long stretches that drag on. The film takes a while to get started and never seems to find a pace that works for it.
McCarthy has some great lines and moments and Bateman does a solid job as the straight main foil. The problem is, the laughs are to few and far between to justify the nearly two hour run time. This is a shame as with about 30 minutes trimmed this could have been a very tight and witty comedy but instead under director Seth Gordon best efforts, the film never reaches its potential.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Slaughterhouse Rulez (2018) in Movies
Nov 14, 2018
Such a disappointment
I've seen a lot of horrendous reviews for this film and whilst I'd agree that it isn't great, it's not nearly as bad as expected.
The problem is that this film has a stellar cast with impressive comedy credentials, yet apart from one or two titters, it just isn't funny. The humour falls completely flat. Michael Sheen, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost ham it up the best they can but their performances border on cringeworthy. Even the cameo from Margot Robbie is wasted. I did quite like Asa Butterfield though, who managed to get away with some of the best lines in the film.
The plot isn't the worst, and is surprisingly relevant to current affairs. Considering the ongoing debate over fracking and the fracking going on in Lancashire (30 mins down the road from where I live), I was impressed at the relevance even if they didn't really touch on any of the serious issues. The start of the story is a little bit cliched too. Fish out of water Northerner going to a posh Southern boarding school? Some originality would be nice, as a northerner myself it's gets a little frustrating seeing so many films choose this sort of plot mechanism.
The creatures themselves are underdeveloped and aren't scary, although the amount of blood and gore was a nice touch. And it all just gets a little bit silly and ridiculous with them towards the end, which is a shame as there was some potential hidden here somewhere.
That said, as horror comedies go it's fairly inoffensive. Whilst I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to watch it, if you're ever at a loss for something easy to watch, there are worse films you could choose. Just don't expect another of the Cornetto films...
The problem is that this film has a stellar cast with impressive comedy credentials, yet apart from one or two titters, it just isn't funny. The humour falls completely flat. Michael Sheen, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost ham it up the best they can but their performances border on cringeworthy. Even the cameo from Margot Robbie is wasted. I did quite like Asa Butterfield though, who managed to get away with some of the best lines in the film.
The plot isn't the worst, and is surprisingly relevant to current affairs. Considering the ongoing debate over fracking and the fracking going on in Lancashire (30 mins down the road from where I live), I was impressed at the relevance even if they didn't really touch on any of the serious issues. The start of the story is a little bit cliched too. Fish out of water Northerner going to a posh Southern boarding school? Some originality would be nice, as a northerner myself it's gets a little frustrating seeing so many films choose this sort of plot mechanism.
The creatures themselves are underdeveloped and aren't scary, although the amount of blood and gore was a nice touch. And it all just gets a little bit silly and ridiculous with them towards the end, which is a shame as there was some potential hidden here somewhere.
That said, as horror comedies go it's fairly inoffensive. Whilst I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to watch it, if you're ever at a loss for something easy to watch, there are worse films you could choose. Just don't expect another of the Cornetto films...
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated A Jolly Good Fellow in Books
Apr 27, 2018
A Jolly Good Fellow by Stephen V. Masse
Genre: Fiction, Comedy, sort of Crime Fiction but not really
Rating: 3.75/5
Summary: Duncan is driving to the kids house. He has a plan—he’s going to kidnap him. But then he sees the kid hitchhiking in the snow. What better way to kidnap someone that to pick him up off the road and offer him a ride? Duncan dresses up as Santa Clause and sits on the street ringing a bell all day. The funds go to the needy—needy as in him. Duncan wants revenge, and he wants the ransom money. But Duncan isn’t exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer… he has no idea how to do a proper kidnapping.
Thoughts: A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW was really cute. It made me laugh, it made me smile, it had its nerve-wracking moments. It’s right in between a 3/5 and a 4 on the scale for me. The reason why is this—the plot was awesome, very unique, original, and very cute, the characters were hilarious and enchanting, but it was a little slow through the first three quarters of the book. Not that it dragged, just that it felt like the last section was fast paced, and the rest was slower and more relaxed, and those two things didn’t go well together and didn’t transition well.
I laughed a lot while I read A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW. If I had to pick a category, I’d choose comedy. It was cute and funny and a little silly, but silly in a good fun-to-read way.
The characters’ dialogue was written so that you could hear their voices in your head when they spoke. I loved hearing their accents while I read, it gave a lot of life to them. Duncan and Gabriel were very animated. Gabriel (the kid) was so full of life and energy. He was also very real. He acted the way a normal kid his age would act, he wasn’t a “perfect” child, an unrealistic character.
Content: There were a few bad words scattered throughout the book, but not much. Duncan went to the triple-X rated movie one night, but nothing was described. All in all, this was a very clean book.
Recommendation: Ages 14+ to anyone who wants a good holiday laugh. I stayed up pretty late reading this one because I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait for more from Stephen Masse.
*This book won the INDEPENDEND PUBLISHING BOOK AWARD*
**Thanks to Pump Up Your Book for my review copy!**
Genre: Fiction, Comedy, sort of Crime Fiction but not really
Rating: 3.75/5
Summary: Duncan is driving to the kids house. He has a plan—he’s going to kidnap him. But then he sees the kid hitchhiking in the snow. What better way to kidnap someone that to pick him up off the road and offer him a ride? Duncan dresses up as Santa Clause and sits on the street ringing a bell all day. The funds go to the needy—needy as in him. Duncan wants revenge, and he wants the ransom money. But Duncan isn’t exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer… he has no idea how to do a proper kidnapping.
Thoughts: A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW was really cute. It made me laugh, it made me smile, it had its nerve-wracking moments. It’s right in between a 3/5 and a 4 on the scale for me. The reason why is this—the plot was awesome, very unique, original, and very cute, the characters were hilarious and enchanting, but it was a little slow through the first three quarters of the book. Not that it dragged, just that it felt like the last section was fast paced, and the rest was slower and more relaxed, and those two things didn’t go well together and didn’t transition well.
I laughed a lot while I read A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW. If I had to pick a category, I’d choose comedy. It was cute and funny and a little silly, but silly in a good fun-to-read way.
The characters’ dialogue was written so that you could hear their voices in your head when they spoke. I loved hearing their accents while I read, it gave a lot of life to them. Duncan and Gabriel were very animated. Gabriel (the kid) was so full of life and energy. He was also very real. He acted the way a normal kid his age would act, he wasn’t a “perfect” child, an unrealistic character.
Content: There were a few bad words scattered throughout the book, but not much. Duncan went to the triple-X rated movie one night, but nothing was described. All in all, this was a very clean book.
Recommendation: Ages 14+ to anyone who wants a good holiday laugh. I stayed up pretty late reading this one because I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait for more from Stephen Masse.
*This book won the INDEPENDEND PUBLISHING BOOK AWARD*
**Thanks to Pump Up Your Book for my review copy!**