Category Archives: Comedy

2000 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Thriller

Stranger Than Fiction-2000

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Stranger Than Fiction-2000

Director Eric Bross

Starring Mackenzie Astin

Scott’s Review #1,298

Reviewed September 14, 2022

Grade: B+

An interesting note about Stranger Than Fiction (2000) is that it stars director Todd Field in a dual-acting role.

The director is not a household name, at least not yet, but is known for directing two gems: In the Bedroom (2001) and Little Children (2006). Rewarded with Oscar nominations for both, he acts too.

This is not a setup for a joke that he should not act and should stick to directing, since he does a decent job acting.

The irony is that he doesn’t direct the featured film, Stranger Than Fiction; Eric Bross does.

The film has its share of intrigue, which carries through until the end when the plot gets messy and ridiculous. I mean, messy and ridiculous.

I’m all for twists and turns in a good film, but sometimes a speeding train can derail, and that’s what ultimately happens with Stranger Than Fiction.

But for most of the running time, it’s solid entertainment, black humor, and thrills.

I was immediately interested in the story when an author named Donovan Miller, with hours to kill at an airport bar because of a delayed flight, told a curious patron the story of his novel, Stranger Than Fiction.

As I drifted into the world of Salt Lake City, where the book’s events take place, I anticipated juicy drama.

An interesting bit of advice is to pay very close attention to this first bar scene.

Four twenty-something friends, Jared (Mackenzie Astin), Austin (Todd Field), Emma (Dina Meyer), and Violet (Natasha Gregson Wagner) meet for drinks at the local bar. They pull a prank on Violet’s boss for fun and call it a night.

Later, Jared shows up at Austin’s place injured and covered in blood, declares he’s gay, and spews a strange story about a dead guy in his apartment. The foursome investigates, and things get interesting.

The cinematography has a muted, dull style that feels like an independent film but also looks amateurish and made-for-television.

Even though it was made in 1999, it feels quite 1980s to me.

Unclear whether this style was used or if the budget was just low. I love independent filming, but this didn’t do Stranger Than Fiction any favors.

None of the characters are fascinating, and the writers, Tim Garrick and Scott Russell, unsuccessfully try to give the camaraderie among the four principals a sitcom feel. The constant bantering and bickering are getting tiring.

It feels like NBC’s Will and Grace meets Friends.

Where Stranger Than Fiction excels is in its twists, which make me forgive the other mistakes and the forced chemistry between the actors. I salivated for the next plot reveal and couldn’t wait to see how the events would unfold.

Once the friends agreed and made the foolish decision to dispose of the dead guy instead of calling the police, I knew I was in for hijinks or a caper.

As the gang gets deeper and deeper into shit like hitting a homeless guy with their car, parking illegally, and getting their car towed, more characters are introduced and threaten their plans.

This is all well and good until things spiral out of control with a dizzying explanation of events that involve blackmail, suicide, backstabbing, and jealousy.

Since the author is describing a fictional novel, this might have been okay until it’s revealed that the events actually occurred.

By that time, I didn’t care anymore.

Nice effort for a while by Stranger Than Fiction (2000), and fans of black comedy should take notice. With a strong premise and mostly good buildup, the follow-through failed, leaving me bewildered rather than completely satisfied.

1957 Films, Comedy, Musical, Musical Comedy, Romantic Comedy

The Pajama Game-1957

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The Pajama Game-1957

Director George Abbott, Stanley Donen

Starring Doris Day, John Raitt

Scott’s Review #1,292

Reviewed August 19, 2022

Grade: B+

Doris Day, the queen of the romantic comedy film during the 1950s and 1960s, was riding high in 1957 when The Pajama Game was adapted into film production. It had taken Broadway by storm in 1954 and achieved immeasurable success.

The actress/singer did not star in it; Janis Paige did. The film version required a Hollywood star in one of the lead roles, and since Frank Sinatra turned down the male lead role, Paige was fired in favor of Day.

This hurts a bit, but how does the Hollywood world of box office receipts work?

Fortunately, Day can sing, as evidenced by her startling good rendition of “Que Sera, Sera” from Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much, which won her an Oscar just a year earlier.

Set in the midwest, USA, the boss of an Iowa pajama factory hires superintendent Sid Sorokin (John Raitt) to help oppose the workers’ demand for a seven-and-a-half-cent raise.

Sid’s presence stirs the jealousy of foreman Vernon Hines, who is dating bookkeeper Gladys Hotchkiss (Carol Haney), and attracts worker “Babe” Williams (Day), a strong advocate for the pay increase.

Despite liking Babe, Sid resists the workers’ sabotage attempt and must decide whether to fire activist Babe. Predictably, the two fall madly in love amid catchy song and dance numbers.

I’m a massive fan of the musical genre, especially during the 1950s and 1960s heyday. The Pajama Game falls somewhere in the middle for me, inferior to the brilliant West Side Story (1961) and Gypsy (1962) but holding its own with other fun musicals like Guys and Dolls (1955).

Fun is a perfect adjective to describe The Pajama Game with its bright, fluffy, colorful pajama element, midwestern polite charm, and the romantic comedy bits between Babe and Sid.

This shouldn’t mean that The Pajama Game is juvenile or fluff because it’s solidly crafted and professionally made. Every musical number sounds good and is choreographed well.

It is unsurprising to learn that Bob Fosse is the choreographer, returning to the job he did on the stage production. The principal cast of the Broadway musical reprises their roles for the movie, except Paige and Stanley Prager, whose roles are played by Jack Straw.

As a result, it’s very similar to watching a stage production. Cinema performing is different from stage performing, so there are many giant voices and theatrical-style acting, which I didn’t mind at all.

This is never showcased better than when they all go on the factory picnic.

It’s important to remember that the singing and dancing shouldn’t let the viewer forget that a sneaky liberal slant emerges in the story and that a women’s liberation/progressive woman slant is exposed if the viewer looks carefully enough.

This is an excellent way to add a tidbit of worth to an otherwise story about romance.

Babe is a strong female character, but it’s not bashed over our heads; it’s simmering below the surface. Unfortunately, this may be missed by those focused only on the most prominent elements.

As entertaining as the film is, it lacks something that ranks it below other productions like West Side Story, Singin’ in the Rain, or The Music Man. This might be a lack of serious drama replaced by a corny element or the need for one significant, memorable music number.

The Pajama Game (1957) may not be the most fabulous musical, but it has enough songs and dances to satisfy a musical fan. Day envelopes the role just fine, but I’ll always wonder how Janis Paige would have done in the film role.

1968 Films, Animated, Comedy, Musical, Musical Comedy

Yellow Submarine-1968

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Yellow Submarine-1968

Director John Clive, Geoffrey Hughes

Starring John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney (*singing only)

Scott’s Review #1,291

Reviewed August 18, 2022

Grade: B+

By 1968, The Beatles, or the ‘Fab Four’ as they were commonly nicknamed, were household names, and their music was played all around the world.

Instead of their earlier 1960s pop and radio-ready songs, the band was beginning to branch out into far more daring and creative territory.

Yellow Submarine (1968), also a song, is a bright and colorful journey into the weird and wonderful psychedelic sensibilities the band had created. It’s fabulous and edgy, though sometimes it doesn’t make complete sense.

The target audience was likely adolescents, but since ‘Yellow Submarine is a children’s song, there is a Sesame Street educational factor to it, which is hard to explain well, but I felt that vibe.

A thought for adults might be to concoct a potent libation for maximum enjoyment while watching Yellow Submarine. One’s mind must be kept open to the Blue Meanies and the odd world of Pepperland that are featured as the gang traverses the land in a Candy Land-like maze of events.

Adults might be best suited to foraging into the world of silly while watching.

The film is The Beatles’ only animated project.

The music-loving inhabitants of Pepperland are under siege by the Blue Meanies, an unpleasant group of music-hating creatures.

The Lord Mayor of Pepperland (Dick Emery) dispatches sailor Old Fred (Lance Percival) to Liverpool, England, where he is to recruit the help of the Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr).

The sympathetic Beatles ride a yellow submarine to the occupied Pepperland, where the Blue Meanies have no chance against the Fab Four’s charisma and groovy tunes.

As bizarre as Yellow Submarine is to an adult’s frame of mind, I can only imagine the joy and energy a child would take from the film, though perhaps not fully understand it. I tried to keep this in mind while watching it.

The colors are dazzling and vibrant, one of the film’s biggest strengths. The delightful and vivid greens and blues mix well with the lighter pinks and yellows of the famous submarine.

I confess I had a difficult time with the plot of Yellow Submarine at the beginning and struggled to make sense of what was going on. This might have been because of the distraction of the beautiful animation and color direction.

I finally began to piece together clues and characters from Beatles songs, and my realization turned into one of pleasure and anticipation.

Once the band meets the lonely Jeremy Hillary Boob Ph.D., also known as the ‘Nowhere Man, I got the point of the film. I began to look for other characters like Eleanor Rigby and Lucy from the song ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’.

The fun commences with speculation of what the famous Beatles tune could be next. Speaking of ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’, this number is the trippiest and most interesting of them all as a spirit-like creature dances around with weird shapes and styles.

Other treats like the tremendous ‘All You Need Is Love, the charming ‘When I’m Sixty-Four’, and naturally ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and ‘Yellow Submarine’ are featured.

Yellow Submarine (1968) is a must-see for fans of The Beatles and for those with an appreciation for the arthouse magic it contains. Intelligent kids who are exposed to the project will surely fall in love with it and reminisce about it years later.

2021 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Drama, Independent, Independent Comedy, Independent Drama

Zola-2021

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Zola-2021

Director Janicza Bravo

Starring Taylour Paige, Riley Keough, Colman Domingo

Scott’s Review #1,290

Reviewed August 16, 2022

Grade: A-

I’ve said this before when speaking about cinema, but it bears repeating. I treasure the independent film genre and the creativity it allows. Usually, it’s a small group or sometimes even only one person with a vision and the ability to bring it to the big screen.

Budgets are almost always tight, but that’s a good thing. Remember how 1978’s Halloween was made on a shoestring budget and took over the world?

Zola (2021) is an outstanding example of the freedom allowed in independent filmmaking.

The film is not for everyone, and I think it knows this. Marketed as a black comedy, it’s a blend of drama, humor, and a dark story that can be difficult to watch at times.

Comic moments are contained within, but sometimes it’s unclear whether we are supposed to laugh or cringe.

I was enthralled by the film, not only for its compelling story but also for its instances of visual magnificence, such as the dazzling opening shot of lead character Zola (Taylour Paige) in multiple forms of bubbles and sparkles, surrounded by quick editing shots.

She boldly asks the audience, “Y’all wanna hear a story about why me and this bitch here fell out? It’s long but full of suspense.”

From the moment the first line is uttered, we know we are in for something sassy, salty, and dangerous.

Gorgeous and technically superior cinematography mixed with sex, drugs, and foul language would resurface throughout the film.

The story is loosely based on a viral Twitter thread from 2015 by Aziah “Zola” King and the resulting Rolling Stone article “Zola Tells All: The Real Story Behind the Greatest Stripper Saga Ever Tweeted” by David Kushner.

Eventually, portions of the tale would prove to be embellished.

Zola (Paige) is a Detroit waitress who strikes up a new friendship with a customer, Stefani (Riley Keough), who convinces her to join a road trip weekend of dancing and partying in Florida.

What at first seems like a fun trip quickly turns into a deadly journey involving a pimp, Stefani’s clueless boyfriend, some Tampa gangsters, and other unexpected adventures.

Director Janicza Bravo, a New York University graduate, is someone to watch out for. Zola is her first full-length feature and reminds me quite a bit of Tangerine (2015) and American Honey (2016), two superior independent films.

At other times, the film contains a sprinkling of the underappreciated 2019 film Hustlers starring Jennifer Lopez.

Bravo is not afraid to delve into the down-and-dirty lives of characters that most people would quickly dismiss or avoid altogether. Stories about strippers, prostitutes, and pimps can be a tough sell.

The sex work industry is not always pretty.

Zola contains the raunchiest scene I have ever seen. As Zola and Stefani sit on the toilet, going to the bathroom, the camera pans from overhead, revealing not only their naked bums but also the waste excreted into the toilet.

The setting of Florida, where much of the action takes place, hits home to me, as I recall several boozy vacations in various parts of the state. A somber gloominess enshrouds the characters as they traverse an otherwise bright and sunny landscape.

I love the detail and mixture of pretty and poisonous, but I was left knowing very little about the personal lives of the characters. I wanted to know how Zola and Stefani ended up where they did.

Considering the subject matter, Bravo thankfully doesn’t make the film violent or abusive. Instead, she peppers the dark comedy and over-the-top turns with her characters, especially the pimp (Domingo) and Stefani.

When Zola (2021) ends, I am left with an unsettling feeling of uncertainty and a lack of conclusion that I wish were different. Still, the creativity and the ability to create desperate characters willing to do anything to make some cash is fascinating.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 1 win-Best Film, Best Director-Janicza Bravo, Best Female Lead-Taylour Paige (won), Best Supporting Male-Colman Domingo, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing

1997 Films, Comedy, Horror, Horror-Comedy, Paris, Werewolf

An American Werewolf in Paris-1997

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An American Werewolf in Paris-1997

Director Anthony Waller

Starring Thomas Everett Scott, Julie Delpy

Scott’s Review #1,289

Reviewed August 12, 2022

Grade: C+

While fun, An American Werewolf in London (1981) is not in my top 10 best horror films ever.

Werewolf flicks were never my go-to films in the genre, and while I appreciate the incorporated humor, the product is entertaining but not much more.

I’ve gained more appreciation for that film than for the follow-up, the haphazard and goofy An American Werewolf in Paris (1997).

The only elements it gets right are culturally satisfying locale shots of Paris, France, and an underappreciated starring role by charismatic actor Thomas Everett Scott.

An American Werewolf in Paris is a completely watered-down version of An American Werewolf in London, but with little to no connection to it. Considering the sister European cities, it’s a missed opportunity and quite a shame that cross-connection wasn’t utilized.

Three handsome young American male tourists traverse Europe for some fun and, naturally, to meet females. The main focal point is Andy (Everett Scott), who is virginal and serious.

The group arrives in Paris and witnesses an attempted suicide by Parisian Serafine Pigot (Julie Delpy). Andy can amazingly save her from jumping off the Eiffel Tower by diving after her and catching her in the nick of time.

He is injured and transported to the hospital, but eventually locates Serafine.

While on a date at a nightclub with her, Andy is suddenly attacked and bitten by a werewolf. The next day, he discovers that Serafine is also a lycanthrope and that he is beginning his transformation into one of the beasts.

The overall tone of An American Werewolf in Paris is silly and amateurish. The situations work poorly, like when Andy and Serafine are having coffee at a Paris cafe, and he pretends a condom he is chewing is bubble gum.

Later, he stumbles upon ditzy American Amy Finch (Julie Bowen), and they have a graveyard adventure that leaves her un-dead and vowing revenge on Andy.

Anyone expecting authenticity, like the full nudity of the human/werewolf during the transformation, will be severely disappointed by the deliberate lack of skin; the actress, Delpy, bares her breasts.

Otherwise, it’s bare chests only for the males, which is unfair to viewers expecting the running-through-the-forest-naked sequences as in An American Werewolf in London.

It’s a stretch that both Andy and Serafine catapult from the Eiffel Tower and, later, the Statue of Liberty, with barely more than a scratch and very little peril to enjoy.

The wacky plot involves bad-guy Claude (Pierre Cosso), his henchmen, and a drug that induces transformation.

They hold a Fourth of July party to attract American tourists to slaughter, and Serafine’s stepfather is revealed to have created a drug with the opposite intention that led Serafine to kill her mother accidentally.

It’s all weak and uninspired, making an overcomplicated storyline increasingly contrived as the film progresses.

The makeup during the transformation sequences is lacking, especially compared with the superior special effects of An American Werewolf in London.

The CGI used looks fake. And, how could you not compare the two films?

Despite all of the negatives, An American Werewolf in Paris has a moderate presence of fun, but only when Everett Scott appears. He, as Andy, is such a likable guy, wearing his heart on his sleeve, that we root for him to ride off into the sunset with Serafine.

Everett Scott and Delpy don’t have the greatest chemistry, but this can be forgiven because the film is really about the werewolves.

There are no characters to root for besides Andy, and every Parisian character is written as inflexible or as any number of French stereotypes. The only relevant Parisian references are the locales, though most are built sets to replicate the real places.

There is little need ever to see An American Werewolf in Paris (1997) again, since it pales in comparison to the superior An American Werewolf in London (1981).

1967 Films, British, Comedy, Romantic Comedy

A Countess From Hong Kong-1967

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A Countess From Hong Kong-1967

Director Charlie Chaplin

Starring Marlon Brando, Sophia Loren, Tippi Hedren

Scott’s Review #1,287

Reviewed August 8, 2022

Grade: B-

I hesitated to list Tippi Hedren among the main cast above, since she only appears in the final ten minutes of A Countess From Hong Kong (1967). I then realized that her appearance also helped make the film better than it would have been without her, so I decided to give her some deserved props.

A Countess From Hong Kong needs all the help it can get to lift it above mediocrity, which it only does by a hair. This is surprising, given the directorial talent of Charlie Chaplin and the marquee-name recognition of heavyweights like Marlon Brando and Sophia Loren.

Somehow, the stars agreed to appear in the film. Maybe they hadn’t read the script before signing on the dotted line.

Perhaps the incessant door-opening and shutting sequences that go on endlessly are symbolic of the stars attempting to flee from this film.

It’s not all drivel and doom as the set decoration is flawless in beauty and style, and, of course, Miss Hedren’s appearance in the final act is splendid stuff.

The trivial storyline features a Russian countess named Natascha (Loren) who stows away in the stateroom of a married United States diplomat Ogden, (Brando) bound for New York. They must scheme to ensure she arrives safely and undetected in Hawaii by marrying her off to another man.

Predictably, Natascha and Ogden fall madly in love.

Let’s feature a couple of positives before delving into the shit.

Whoever dressed and decorated the sets for A Countess From Hong Kong practically deserves an Oscar nomination for their work. Brimming with the relevant mid-1960s style and sophistication, the sets are right out of television’s Mad Men.

The colorful yellows and navy blues pair perfectly with black and grey furniture and whatever costume Loren is wearing, especially when she is clad in an ill-fitting green getup during one hijink scene.

Especially noteworthy is any scene set away from one of the ship’s cabins, which is completely overused to enhance the farcical elements.

The open-set ball sequence is like a breath of fresh air, and it immediately flourishes with wide-open brightness. Easy to do (and recommended) is to forget the plot altogether and escape with pleasure into each artistic design of the dance number.

When Hedren appears dressed to the nines in glittery, royal outfits, it showcases both her star power and the costume team’s talent. She is given little to do as Martha, Ogden’s suspicious wife, except to be jealous, but she knocks it out of the park with her bit of screen time.

Loren and Brando surprisingly have little chemistry, even when Natascha and Ogden bark and banter with each other endlessly. Their characters are hardly developed, and hers turns into a bitch before too long, while he does enough fuming and pouting to last a lifetime.

Based on the title, you’d expect Natascha to be Asian, but instead, the character is Russian and being played by an Italian actress.

I understand the need for big Hollywood stars to be incorporated into a film to achieve solid box-office returns, but Chaplin seems to be without a clue how to make the pair connect.

A feeble attempt to add sophistication by giving English actress Margaret Rutherford one scene as a dotty, bedridden older woman does nothing other than waste the legendary actress’s time.

Though I shudder at the thought of how poor the film would have been without these talented actors.

A Countess From Hong Kong (1967) is a botched effort at creating what undoubtedly was supposed to be a fun romantic comedy romp. The film might have worked in the silent film era, but forty years later, it feels tired.

Instead, we must traverse the tedious story to find glimpses of brightness just beneath the surface.

1987 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy

Raising Arizona-1987

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Raising Arizona-1987

Director Joel Coen

Starring Nicholas Cage, Holly Hunter

Scott’s Review #1,286

Reviewed August 5, 2022

Grade: B+

Raising Arizona (1987) is the second film by the Coen brothers (Joel and Ethan), with the independent offering Blood Simple (1984) being the first.

The siblings would later become household names and trailblazers in the world of cinema.

It’s rough-around-the-edges storytelling with a strong desire to create something different. Maybe too different since sometimes Raising Arizona works and sometimes it doesn’t.

The film is best championed for its creativity, though it’s not on par with the Coen brothers’ best films, Fargo (1996) and No Country for Old Men (2007).

However, it does serve as a blueprint for films to come, if one looks at it in hindsight.

I’m not the biggest Nicholas Cage fan of all time, so it doesn’t help that he stars in Raising Arizona. The actor was achieving enormous recognition the same year for his appearance in Moonstruck (1987), which won Cher the Best Actress Oscar.

The film mostly gets props for its original writing and the quirkiness of its sets and visual effects, but the comedy is way out in left field and hard to make sense of.

As with many Coen Brothers films, the plot centers on a crime and people on the run desperately trying to evade capture.

Hi McDunnough (Cage) is a convenience store robber who meets and falls in love with an ex-cop named Edwina “Ed” (Holly Hunter) during a stint in prison.

After they move to a mobile home in the middle of the desert, they decide to kidnap a baby since they cannot have one of their own.

While keeping their secret, friends, co-workers, and a bounty hunter look to use the child for their purposes.

The setting works quite well and is an important part of the film, like other Coen offerings.

The blazing-hot desert is a familiar sight and pivotal to the story’s events, with sizzling highways and roadside dives a focal points throughout.

Hi, and Ed’s tacky mobile home is dusty and cracked, which enhances the extreme heat.

Cage and Hunter have tremendous chemistry, which kept me invested in their characters. Both quirky-looking, they act well against each other and invoke sympathy from the audience- at least I did.

Despite being kidnappers, they have the best of intentions to keep their stolen baby safe and cared for.

Delightful to see actress Frances McDormand in an early role as Dot. She would become a frequent star and collaborator in later Coen Brothers films.

Forgetting the uneven storytelling for a minute, Raising Arizona’s finest moment comes at the very end. Through a series of prophetic dreams about the future, the fates of all the characters are determined.

It’s a trippy, magnificent sequence and quite well known among fans.

A clever offering that at times spins out of control with ridiculousness, Raising Arizona (1987) is nonetheless recommended for viewing and absorbing the zany characters that the Coen Brothers are famous for creating.

1964 Films, Comedy, Musical, Musical Comedy

Viva Las Vegas-1964

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Viva Las Vegas-1964

Director George Sidney

Starring Elvis Presley, Ann-Margret

Scott’s Review #1,280

Reviewed July 24, 2022

Grade: B

A lightweight romp created exclusively as a vehicle for superstar Elvis Presley and his lofty success, Viva Las Vegas (1964) is one of the better Elvis film entries.

This may not be saying much because he’s not the greatest actor in the world. He doesn’t need to be, though. He has enough charisma and chemistry with co-star Ann Margret to elicit a smile or two, and the musical numbers together and separately are entertaining.

That’s really what Viva Las Vegas is about.

Elvis was at his peak in 1964, both musically and physically, so watching the hunky singer croon, dance, and writhe with style on the big screen is not the most daunting task in the world.

The silly story feels forced, obvious, and created on the fly to provide humor, hijinks, and a bit of drama for the leads. It’s not the most substantial part of the film.

The opening camera shots of ‘old Las Vegas’ in the 1960s appeal. The lights and glitter are colorful and attractive, as is the Vegas setting. However, most of the films are disappointingly shot on a studio soundstage.

The sloppily conjured-up story involves a musically gifted race car driver named Lucky Jackson (Presley, naturally). He arrives in Las Vegas to earn enough money for a new car motor so he can win the upcoming Grand Prix race. He befriends a cagey racing rival named Elmo (Cesare Danova).

When he encounters sexy swimming instructor Rusty (Ann-Margret), he considers staying around longer to get better acquainted with the dame. After Lucky loses his winnings in the hotel pool, he’s forced to remain in Vegas, working as a waiter.

He wants to recoup his financial losses but is determined to win Rusty’s heart. Unfortunately, so does Elmo, setting off a chain of events that culminates with the Grand Prix race. Elmo and Lucky try to outwit each other.

To say the events in Viva Las Vegas are predictable is an understatement, as a meager attempt at an invested triangle between Lucky, Rusty, and Elmo is laughable. There is no doubt that Lucky and Rusty will ride off into the sunset together.

Unintentionally I am sure, director George Sidney is no Alfred Hitchcock after all, there exists homoeroticism between Lucky and Elmo. As they lie side by side under the wheels of a broken-down greaser, a titillating thought is, what if the men were to kiss?

Elvis’s enormous fan base was not ready for that scandal in 1964, so the result is a by-numbers boy meets girl, boy intends to conquer girl, a traditional love story.

Sigh.

Expecting a grand musical finale is disappointing because there isn’t one. There is only the race itself, which Rusty and company tepidly watch from an overhead helicopter.

The sequence is adequate, with enough suspense and car wrecks to enthrall the viewer, and Lucky wins the race.

In a rushed final scene, Lucky and Rusty happily emerge from a church on their wedding day. A bouquet is in Rusty’s hand, and everyone is smiling big.

The chemistry between Presley and Ann-Margret is strong and endearing. This is no surprise, given the real-life affair the pair reportedly had. Nonetheless, the sweetest number occurs early on when Lucky tries to convince Rusty, through song, that she is in love with him but doesn’t know it yet.

I gushed at the thought of Marilyn Monroe in the Rusty role, which may have been the original intent. The blonde bombshell died less than two years before the film’s release, likely after the idea was born.

No disrespect to Ann-Margret.

Of course, the main reason to watch Viva Las Vegas is for the tunes. The title track is a super-charged song about enjoying the city of sin, and other numbers appear throughout the film at breakneck speed.

This is a relief since there is little time to invest in the paper-thin plot.

Viva Las Vegas (1964) is a film mainly recommended to Elvis fans who want to see the star in his prime.

2021 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Drama, Independent, Independent Comedy, Independent Drama

Red Rocket-2021

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Red Rocket-2021

Director Sean Baker

Starring Simon Rex, Suzanna Son

Scott’s Review #1,277

Reviewed July 15, 2022

Grade: A-

Sean Baker has become a director I am intrigued by. Firmly planted in the independent circuit, recent films like Tangerine (2015) and The Florida Project (2017) offer a slice-of-life look at troubled or otherwise forgotten or discarded groups of people.

His works are fascinating and humanistic, admittedly skewing darker or daring avenues like the transgender community, the homeless, or, in the case of Red Rocket (2021), a former male porn star.

And while his characters may not always be likable, they are complex, requiring exploration and consideration.

There are also enough butts, boobs, and fornicating to remind us what the subject matter at hand is.

Baker has an incredible way of providing depth to the people considered dregs of society and a voice with a story to tell. He treats them like human beings, oftentimes using real people who are non-actors in pivotal roles.

This elevates the authenticity and realism to new heights, successfully getting his audience to empathize with the characters and see them as living beings with fears, thoughts, and emotions.

Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) is a charismatic con man and washed-up porn star who returns to rural southeast Texas to shack up with his depressed and estranged wife, Lexi (Bree Elrod).

He plots his triumphant return to Los Angeles and the porn industry after meeting a teenager named Strawberry (Suzanna Son) who works at the local donut shop. They connect and plot ways to escape their depressing small-town existence and enter the adult film world.

Like other Baker films, the city of Los Angeles is portrayed as a place of grandeur, where the characters’ lives are expected to improve. Mikey and Strawberry feel their destiny lies outside of the daily doldrums of their surroundings, and they are convinced their lives will change.

Red Rocket is a film about longing for a better life and being frustrated with the present. That’s a message many audiences can connect with.

Even though Rex and Son are successful with their lead roles, it’s the supporting characters who I found even more interesting. I liked Mikey and Strawberry, but never loved them together. What interested me was Mikey’s relationships with other characters.

Lexi and her mother are fascinating characters. It’s mentioned that before Mikey returned to town, Lexi would meet men on Craigslist to pay the rent. Along with her mother, Lil (Brenda Deiss), who smokes pot to ease some health pain, they exist in a dilapidated house.

Their neighbors, a black family, sell drugs to make ends meet and appear to do alright for themselves, respected around town.

I love how there is small-town harmony and the neighbors seem fond of each other, united with pleasantries. There’s a sense of having one’s back, and there is no mention of racism.

I adore these surface characters and long to know more about their stories. Of course, since Mikey and Strawberry are the core characters, there is not enough time to go into much detail.

Baker provides political overtones about American life that are both noticeable and depressing. News clips of former President Donald Trump boasting and pandering to his blue-collar base are included in various scenes.

A ‘Make America Great’ fixture covers the side of a building.

These points are oxymorons of what the characters’ lives are and always will be. They are poor and stuck, clinging to a false hope instilled in them by a crooked salesman turned politician who promised to make their lives great.

It’s heartbreaking and scary in its realism, and Baker makes his point clear without having to hammer it over the heads of the audience.

Red Rocket (2021) makes it a solid trifecta for Baker and his earlier works. With a sometimes brutal depiction of small-town life in poverty, he shows there is always hope and heart despite the many obstacles that many people continue to face.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 1 win-Best Male Lead-Simon Rex (won), Best Supporting Female-Suzanna Son

1969 Films, Comedy, Musical, Musical Comedy, Romantic Comedy

Hello, Dolly!-1969

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Hello, Dolly! -1969

Director Gene Kelly

Starring Barbra Streisand

Scott’s Review #1,273

Reviewed July 5, 2022

Grade: B+

I was surprised by my reaction to Hello, Dolly! (1969), a musical comedy starring the brilliant Barbra Streisand in only her second film role.

The songs are tailor-made for the diva’s vocals and are the follow-up to her Oscar-winning turn in Funny Girl (1968), made just a year earlier.

The film is enjoyable, with enough songs to hum along to, but it suffers mightily from miscasting Streisand in a role much too old for her and a ghastly lack of decent chemistry between the leads.

Nevertheless, the memorable and outstanding dinner scene toward the conclusion of the film makes the overall effort worth the wait and bumps it up to a generous B+, up from a tepid B.

The excellent supporting players helped save Hello, Dolly! from mediocrity, since I felt much more invested in their story than in the lead’s.

Still, based on the synopsis and talent potential, I was anticipating a solid A rating, but this was not to be, as Hello, Dolly! brought the once-reliable musical comedies of the 1950s and 1960s to a crashing halt as 1970 approached.

The time is the 1890s in New York City and Yonkers, New York, as the bold and enchanting widow Dolly Levi (Streisand) is a socialite-turned-matchmaker, though she yearns for her own love life.

Her latest client is the grumpy but wealthy Horace Vandergelder (Walter Matthau) and a young artist named Ambrose (Tommy Tune), who is in love with Horace’s niece, Ermengarde (Joyce Ames).

Dolly has secret romantic designs on Horace and is determined to land him, while Ambrose and Ermengarde have little to do.

Dolly’s meddling soon involves Horace’s employees, Cornelius (Michael Crawford) and Barnaby (Danny Lockin), who become smitten with a New York hatmaker, Irene (Marianne McAndrew), and her ditzy assistant, Minnie (E.J. Peaker).

For starters, anyone who has seen or knows the history of the 1960s stage version of Hello, Dolly! knows that Carol Channing portrayed the role and should have been in the film.

She is so well known for the role that she won a Tony and reprised it many times during her storied career, becoming far more famous than Streisand ever was for the role.

Streisand was only twenty-six when she made Hello, Dolly!, and is too youthful for the matronly role, despite the help of makeup and costumes. This isn’t very pleasant because the main reason Streisand was cast was that her career was taking off.

The other glaring problem is that there is no chemistry between Streisand and Matthau, and it’s unclear why Dolly is even romantically interested in Horace, aside from perhaps his money.

Needless to say, he is too old for her.

There is no rooting value for the couple at all, and a fun fact is that the two stars hated each other during filming. This provided a chuckle or two.

All is not lost, though, because the supporting foursome of Cornelius, Barnaby, Irene, and Minnie steals the show. The hijinks between the characters as the boys struggle to figure out how to pay for a lavish champagne dinner for the girls is physical comedy at its finest.

The lavish dinner scene set at the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant saves the film.

Dripping with a beautiful set design, bright red velvet decor, and perfect choreography, the highlight is an adorable rendition of the title song between Streisand and Louis Armstrong.

The sequence is so great that it almost makes me forget about the missteps surrounding the rest of the film.

Director and actor Gene Kelly is most known for starring in An American in Paris (1950) and knows his way around a musical or two. He does wonders with all facets of the production, but can’t be blamed for the casting choices.

Surprisingly, Hello, Dolly! (1969) received seven Academy Award nominations and won three. This assuredly is a result of a conservative tendency by the Academy members who worshipped the once-mighty musical genre.

Unfortunately, the genre limped into the edgier 1970s and would remain, for many years, more or less obscure.

Oscar Nominations: 3 wins-Best Picture, Best Art Direction (won), Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Score of a Musical Picture-Original or Adaptation (won), Best Sound (won)

2011 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Independent, Independent Comedy

Young Adult-2011

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Young Adult-2011

Director Jason Reitman 

Starring Charlize Theron

Scott’s Review #1,267

Reviewed June 17, 2022

Grade: A-

I am a big fan of Jason Reitman films.

Though classified as comedies, they lack the qualities I most dislike in many mainstream comedies: slapstick, formulaic gag setups, and potty jokes that feel completely staged and redundant.

Instead, he weaves wry, sardonic humor, cynicism, and intelligence into his films, enhancing the writing and clarifying the characters’ motivations.

Most of his characters are damaged and unhappy, suffering from inner conflict or instability, but the result is witty humor that gives laughs to those who can think outside the box and immerse themselves in the characters’ heads.

Thanks to a brilliant screenplay by Diablo Cody, a female character’s thoughts and conflicts take center stage.

Reitman’s best films include Juno (2007), Up in the Air (2009), and Young Adult (2011), which are right up there with the others, with a darker tone than Juno.

Along with Reitman and Cody is a terrific performance by Charlize Theron, who rightfully should have received an Oscar nomination. That is tough to do in a comedy, and she settled for a Golden Globe nomination instead.

The movie poster for Young Adult reveals a lot about her character. With an annoyed, flabbergasted look and pajamas, she immediately gives off the vibe of being slovenly, fed up, and looking for a fight.

Theron is great at playing take-no-prisoners, tough characters with a bit of edge and a no-bullshit attitude.

Mavis Gary (Theron) is a successful but frustrated teen-lit writer who realizes her high school sweetheart, Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson), has just become a father with his wife, Beth (Elizabeth Reaser).

Mavis decides to return to her small hometown and cause trouble.

She feels her life is slipping away, and she’d love to steal Buddy away from Beth and ride off into the sunset for presumed happiness. She also knows that life usually doesn’t work this way.

Mavis forms an unusual bond with a former classmate, Matt (Patton Oswalt), who has also struggled to move past high school.

The two connect in the unlikeliest of ways since they didn’t exactly travel in the same circles during high school. Matt has his own powerful story since he was gay-bashed, causing him to be permanently disabled.

Matt and Mavis are both relatable characters to most of the audience. Who hasn’t ruminated over their past life in high school? For some, high school is a glorious time filled with memories of pep rallies, parties, and graduation.

For others, the mere thought conjures up memories of insecurity, moodiness, and awkward experiences. Most people have some of both.

Mavis, Matt, and Buddy each close out their high school chapters in different ways, so the fun is seeing each character’s feelings surface amid conflict. Matt and Mavis turn to all-night drinking binges to ease their pain.

The best scene showcasing Mavis’s anger and Theron’s exceptional acting occurs at an outdoor party celebrating the naming of Buddy’s daughter.

As the entire town is gathered on the front lawn, Beth spills punch on Mavis’s dress, causing Mavis to fly into a rage, insulting Beth, and finally confessing that she was once pregnant with Buddy’s child but had a miscarriage.

The hateful Mavis, the hurt Beth, and the embarrassment of the townspeople are on full display. The scene is wonderful and shows how the events connect to the rest of the story.

Reitman brings complexity to his characters in Young Adult (2011) and proves that dark comedy, especially character-driven, provides emotional power amid the laughs.

I love that the ending is ambiguous rather than wrapped up in a nice bow like too many comedies.

Thanks to wonderful acting, insightful writing, and wise direction, the film is well-remembered and undoubtedly a source of inspiration for upcoming comedy writers and directors.

2005 Films, Action, Comedy, Disney, Screwball Comedy

The Pacifier-2005

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The Pacifier-2005

Director Adam Shankman

Starring Vin Diesel

Scott’s Review #1,251

Reviewed May 1, 2022

Grade: C

The Pacifier (2005) is the kind of film that has been made for decades in one form or another.

The setup is familiar and puts its macho movie star in situations that go against type or are deemed a bit feminine, and lightweight, all for the sake of a laugh.

From Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis donning women’s clothing in Some Like It Hot (1959) to Michael Keaton in Mr. Mom (1983) to Arnold Schwarzenegger in Kindergarten Cop (1995), there is a pattern to follow.

And those are just the decent films.

In 2005, the sexy Vin Diesel was one of Hollywood’s highest-grossing leading men, churning out hits like Boiler Room (2000) and The Fast and the Furious (2001) to rabid audiences.

Known primarily for his action films, the muscular star had the bright idea to domesticate himself and put himself in a situation where he would comically change baby diapers or vacuum a living room.

Unfortunately, The Pacifier is juvenile in nearly every way, with canned gags and predictability for miles. Diesel is terrific to look at, but he isn’t the best actor in the world, which undermines the film’s credibility.

Despite cliché after cliché and ridiculous situations, the film will occasionally elicit a chuckle or two from anyone brave enough to watch it.

That’s mostly because Diesel is willing to emerge in one scene covered in shit. But don’t expect much more from The Pacifier.

Shane Wolfe (Diesel) is an elite Navy SEAL with muscles and charisma for miles. He is the type of man who would run into a fire and save a baby or swim out to sea to save a drowning child.

One day, he makes a grave error in judgment when he fails to keep scientist Howard Plummer (Tate Donovan) safe from assassination, and the man is killed.

Riddled with guilt, he is assigned to protect Plummer’s five children when the mother, played by Faith Ford, needs to leave the country temporarily. The kids include rebellious Zoe (Brittany Snow), Seth (Max Thieriot), and clingy Lulu (Morgan York).

The kid’s pet duck is along for the ride, pushing the seasoned veteran to his breaking point.

Predictably, when Shane is not busy tending to the kids, there is a secret project contained somewhere in the household that he must uncover.

Of course, a film like The Pacifier requires some romance, so the inclusion of Principal Claire Fletcher (Lauren Graham) is for the sole purpose of having someone for Shane to fall in love with.

There is not great chemistry between Diesel and Graham, so I wasn’t invested in them. The casting of the children is so one-dimensional with standard characteristics that it would be easy to laugh at.

I chose not to do this but rather strove to find something enjoyable in The Pacifier.

It’s a cute film, but it’s so mainstream, dull, and generic that it deserves the bland grade of C I am awarding it.

Diesel is the only appealing factor to The Pacifier.

Why make the bad guys as stereotypical as possible? They are North Korean, and the ‘twist’ that Shane’s boss is in cahoots with them is as surprising as realizing the two-week-old Chinese leftovers in the fridge have gone bad.

The film makes a small comparison to the superior The Sound of Music (1965), which the filmmakers must have realized, as they incorporate it into the story. The kids that Shane is in charge of are behaving badly and attempting to play a practical joke on him.

In the end, there is a chase sequence, a reveal, peril, and a happy ending in more or less that order.

The Pacifier (2005) is a Disney film, so there is a safe, family-friendly vibe throughout. It marginally entertains largely on the strength of Diesel.

He is sexy and macho, and has enough charisma to make you forget the bevy of standard gags and silly situations he and the audience must endure.

1998 Films, Chick Flicks, Comedy, LGBTQ+ Comedy, LGBTQ+ Films, Romantic Comedy

The Object of My Affection-1998

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The Object of My Affection-1998

Director Nicholas Hytner

Starring Jennifer Aniston, Paul Rudd

Scott’s Review #1,249

Reviewed April 24, 2022

Grade: B

The Object of My Affection (1998) is a romantic comedy riddled with the standard clichés and obvious plot setups of similar films.

As a whole, it is plot-driven rather than character-driven.

The redeeming factor is that it takes a left-of-center approach and delves into LGBTQ territory, albeit in a soft-touch way, which more mainstream American films were only starting to do in the late 1990s.

The best part of the film is the casting of Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd, who have tremendous chemistry as a potential couple who have no chance of riding off into the sunset together.

At least in any romantic sort of way. He is gay, and she is straight, and nothing can change that.

Though fluffy, The Object of My Affection deserves some level of praise.

Several gay men can easily relate to a situation where they find a female friend who is enamored with them and experience a return of affection differently.

It’s common to fantasize about what might have been if feelings had been different, and, as the film explores, even to try to go straight.

The film itself has a definite Will & Grace vibe, a popular television program emerging at this time, and even has the same location. The main characters become the very best of friends, watching movies together and sharing intimate moments, just like a romantic couple would.

The late 1990s were a time when gay characters took center stage, so The Object of My Affection gets a thumbs up for being part of the herd.

Nina Borowski (Jennifer Aniston) lives in Brooklyn, New York, and works as a social worker. She invites her new gay friend, George (Paul Rudd), to move into her apartment after he breaks up with his longtime lover, Robert (Tim Daly).

Meanwhile, Nina gets pregnant and decides to keep the baby, but ends her relationship with the child’s father, her controlling boyfriend Vince (John Pankow).

As Nina and George live and experience her pregnancy together, they grow close, and Nina realizes she’s beginning to fall in love with her friend.

Aniston and Rudd work well together as a couple, as friends, or otherwise, and the chemistry is terrific. Even during the sappiest of scenes, and there are many of them, I always smiled a bit at their bond.

When Nina and George have the inevitable dramatic scene and express their feelings, it doesn’t feel as forced as one might expect. Their bond is solidified, and the film unsurprisingly has the pair remain in each other’s lives, presumably forever.

In satisfying form, Nina and George do ride off into the sunset along with little Molly, but in solid relationships with other mates. Each character finds their destiny and soulmate while keeping in each other’s lives.

While nice, there are many hurdles the filmmakers could have gone further with, but don’t. The message is clear- regardless of sexuality, race, religion, or politics, a friend is a friend and a bond is meant to be forever.

It’s a warm message that is the basis for what the intent was, and the film delivers a heartfelt story that eases the conflict of real life, and perhaps that is needed sometimes.

As much as The Object of My Affection (1998) has its heart in the right place with a progressive and inclusive slant, the film is bogged down by clichés and a fairy-tale ending.

It’s a nice, fulfilling fantasy film, but skates over hard-hitting, realistic issues in favor of kid-glove-type situations, making it feel dated nearly twenty-five years later.

Other films in the years ahead would supersede the premise and take it to different, more interesting levels, delving further and further outside the box.

But, a nice attempt.

1989 Films, Christmas, Comedy, Winter

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation-1989

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National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation-1989

Director Jeremiah S. Chechik

Starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo

Scott’s Review #1,248

Reviewed April 23, 2022

Grade: A-

Made several years after the first in the National Lampoon’s Vacation series (1983-2015), the inevitable production of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) is my personal favorite of the bunch and the most laugh-out-loud.

Silly personified, but the jokes work, and the enjoyment carries throughout the entire running time.

In retrospect, you knew they were going to do it. What better fodder for the bumbling Griswold family than to have them reunite with extended family on such a seasonal holiday?

The gags and awkward situations are ripe for the picking, as situation after setup is done exceptionally well and with grand humor.

The silliness works, and the film is a recommended watch with the family gathered around the holidays.

Viewers can either relate directly to the film or inevitably know families that resemble the incompetent yet lovable Griswolds.

As the holidays approach, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) is determined to have a perfect family Christmas. He motivates his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), and their children to ensure everything is in order, including the tree and house decorations.

Naturally, things quickly go awry in the greatest of humor.

His hick cousin, Eddie (Randy Quaid), and his family show up unplanned and start living in their camper on the Griswold property.

Even worse, Clark’s employers renege on the holiday bonus he needs, causing a great deal of stress for the family patriarch.

For starters, the film has a cool holiday vibe. The setting is wisely the Midwest United States, somewhere outside of Chicago, Illinois. Snow is to be found everywhere, and Christmas decorations and lights are lit all over the place throughout the film.

This creates a suburban, homey atmosphere that is warm and friendly.

Most viewers can snuggle up by a warm fireplace with delicious hot cocoa and enjoy the film. The environment is one of the finest achievements in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

A classic moment and the film’s funniest scene occurs when Clark excitedly decorates the inside and outside of the house to the nth degree and blows the town’s electric circuit as a result, leading to uproar among his neighbors.

Proud Clark’s ego is suddenly deflated, and the man must rise above it all to somehow enjoy his family Christmas.

Watching the film decades after its release is still great fun as a nostalgia offering. The tacky Griswold Ford LTD station wagon with paneled siding is garish and unsightly (then and now), and anyone growing up in the 1980s can easily recall suburban families piling into this gas-guzzling car.

Not every aspect works perfectly in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, like the unappealing yuppie neighbors Todd and Margo (played by Nicholas Guest and Julia Louis-Dreyfus) or Eddie and his redneck family.

These roles are a bit too over-the-top and secondary inclusions to be the major win the film is.

The real wins from the supporting cast are Clark’s immediate family. His parents and Ellen’s parents are perfectly cast and provide excellent comic timing and seasoned wit.

Special notice goes to John Randolph, Diane Ladd, and Doris Roberts.

And who won’t fall in love with Clark’s senile Aunt Bethany, played with hilarity by Mae Questel (the voice of animated Betty Boop and Olive Oyl)?

Predictably, and well-intentioned, all the Griswold problems quickly fade away when Clark receives his annual Christmas bonus after all, and all characters have a lovely send-off while singing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ just in the odd way that the Griswolds would do.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) used to be a traditional Christmas viewing for me, but it has shamefully fallen out of favor over the years.

It might be time to dust off this forever gem that provides laugh after laugh, fun, and togetherness for the whole family.

2005 Films, Adventure, Animals, Animated, Comedy, Kids

Madagascar-2005

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Madagascar-2005

Director Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath

Voices Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer

Scott’s Review #1,247

Reviewed April 17, 2022

Grade: B-

Madagascar (2005) is a film that I found mildly entertaining but struggled to enjoy as much as others might.

Films with a target audience of ages thirteen and under are a tough sell for me because I don’t see them very often.

Having no children, I have few opportunities to join in on the children’s games or sit at the kiddie table and get in that mindset.

Nonetheless, this film somehow crossed my radar.

It’s lighthearted and juvenile, but playfully fun, sending a positive message of friendship and dedication. Not a fan of the zoo at all, my curiosity was piqued at how this angle would be represented, if at all.

Would the zoo’s captivity face off against the natural African wildlife?

The screenwriters tread carefully, keeping their audience in mind, and don’t go for any deep messages or environmental or animal issues, playing it quite safe.

Madagascar suffers from blandness and predictability, knowing that the audience isn’t quite ready to think outside the box, and their parents will obediently sit beside them, watching the film.

The result is a film brimming with possibilities that it never realizes. It’s a ready-made family film and nothing more.

Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller) is the king of the urban jungle and the main draw at New York’s Central Park Zoo.

He and his best friends, Marty the zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer), and Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), have spent their lives at the zoo, with admiring fans and tasty meals provided for them.

In their minds, they have it pretty good.

Yet Marty yearns for more and lets his curiosity get the better of him when he escapes the zoo to explore the world.

He and his friends wind up aboard a ship back to Africa, are then shipwrecked on Madagascar, and are left to fend for themselves in the wild.

They face dangers and allies during their adventures and wrestle with whether to return to the zoo or remain in their natural habitat.

There is plenty of humor to occupy the crowd, but most of the jokes are tepid or fall flat altogether. They have very little substance to offer, but rather are silly gags meant to keep the adventure going.

Big stars like Rock, Schwimmer, and Stiller are cast most likely to appeal to parents forced to go to the show with their kids.

Recognizable voices always sell tickets in the animated world.

Secondary characters work better than the main cast. Sacha Baron Cohen as King Julien XIII is a standout.

Mildly entertaining and soft touch in its approach, Madagascar (2005) left me feeling dull and yearning for something a bit more challenging and robust in the field of kids’ films.

Its intent is merely to entertain rather than challenge, so the result is a middle-of-the-road experience for me.

I’ll take the Toy Story (1995-2019) films any day.

1966 Films, British, Camp, Comedy

Modesty Blaise-1966

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Modesty Blaise-1966

Director Joseph Losey

Starring Monica Vitti, Terence Stamp, Dirk Bogarde

Scott’s Review #1,243

Reviewed April 9, 2022

Grade: B

Modesty Blaise (1966) is a campy, over-the-top escapist film loosely based on a British comic strip. It features a relaxed style but a convoluted plot.

The story doesn’t matter much, and the film feels based on the James Bond film series with some Dick Tracy and Brenda Starr comic elements thrown in.

Throughout the action, I chuckled at the characters’ situational comedy antics. Both heroes and villains get mixed up in one hokey situation after another, and all the actors seem well aware that they are not performing Shakespearean comedy.

They forge ahead, making it as much of a zany offering as humanly possible.

Much of the film is reminiscent of television, Get Smart, a foolish but sweet-natured 1960s spy-genre offering.

I challenge the odd decision to make a film of this genre a bloated one hour and fifty-seven minutes. A spry ninety or ninety-five minutes would have been ample time to wrap up the experience and allow audiences to head for the exits.

This might prevent some from realizing how silly a film they’d just sat through

Modesty Blaise is not a traditionally good film but grooviness and pizazz are the main attractions as characters indulge in an orgy of colorful situations and preposterous setups.

Lavish locales like Amsterdam, and London, and the roaring beaches off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea bring the film back from going too far off the rails and pepper it with some cultivation.

If you’re in the right mood, Modesty Blaise is a chuckle fest, but don’t waste your time if you’re aching for high art. The psychedelic, groovy art design and Mad Men-like sets won me over.

I quickly forgot to try and piece together the complicated plot.

I didn’t care who was who or who was trying to outwit who and why. And I was okay with that.

Gorgeous Italian actress Monica Vitti leads the charge, followed by the dashing English actor Terence Stamp. Together, they make a lusty and good-looking pair, though Vitti gets no acting accolades.

Her looks are the primary reason for her casting win.

The actress plays a beautiful former criminal named Modesty who decides to go straight and work for the Secret Service. They send her to infiltrate a ring of jewel thieves, but the stuck-up older regime does not especially respect her.

She shrugs it off and offers her best services.

Soon after she joins the gang, sophisticated and dangerous head honcho Gabriel (Dirk Bogarde) grows suspicious of his new charge; Modesty realizes that British Intelligence gave her a mission they could care less if she survives.

She then enlists her former partner, Willie (Stamp), to help her out of her peril while outsmarting both sides.

Most action scenes are ludicrous, and the likelihood of any of the stories being true is slim to none. Plenty of sequences are set on a luxury yacht or some other water transportation, and Vitti and Stamp are clad in as little as possible.

I smirked at more than one James Bond nod, though some influence on the still-to-be-made Diamonds Are Forever (1971) is noticed.

If I’m making Modesty Blaise out to be a terrible film, it’s not.

The gimmicky angle of having Modesty appear with a different hairstyle in every sequence is clever and enjoyable (my preference is for her as a blonde).

When she is imprisoned in a spiraling-colored basement cell and must climb out the roof for help, the set design is one of the best I’ve ever seen. The creative team gets an A-plus for expressiveness and imagination, which is why Modesty Blaise is so fun.

Dirk Bogarde and Rossella Falk play cartoonish criminals Gabriel and Clara, who are deliciously wicked. I was amazed at Gabriel’s towering purple cocktail and craved a sip to see exactly what he was drinking.

Satisfyingly, both main villains get their comeuppance.

The film is foolish, campy, and a silly time wrapped up in fantastic artistry from a creative team that deserves more credit than they probably received.

Modesty Blaise (1966) is a messy but enjoyable film. I found it endearing more than I probably should have. It’s the guiltiest pleasure in a chest of sub-par spy comedy films.

2009 Films, Comedy, Horror, Horror-Comedy, International, International Horror, Norwegian, Satire, Winter, World War II, Zombie

Dead Snow-2009

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Dead Snow-2009

Director Tommy Wirkola

Starring Vegar Hoel, Stig Frode Henriksen

Scott’s Review #1,237

Reviewed March 12, 2022

Grade: B

First off, the cover art (pictured above) of the 2009 Norwegian horror-comedy film Dead Snow is simply incredible.

The creepy Nazi head embedded in the snow with a background chainsaw is perfect marketing and genuinely artistic.

It automatically makes the tired zombie horror genre feel fresh and alive with endless possibilities.

The film itself is a decent watch, and tongue-in-cheek sensibilities are necessary to appreciate the movie.

There is a hint of art film qualities peppered throughout, and it’s not a run-of-the-mill mainstream horror film either, but a sense of humor and embracing the ridiculousness is required.

In other words, one must be a fan of the genre to watch Dead Snow. Otherwise, it will not win people over with a great storyline or character enrichment.

It’s a slice-and-dice ’em affair, and after a slow build, it goes into overdrive with the kills and thrills.

The familiar setup of a group of young people, this time intelligent medical students, heading off for a long weekend of booze and sex in a remote location gets Dead Snow off to an intriguing start.

A lonely cabin in the middle of the snowy mountains of Norway is the primary setting for the Arctic Easter bloodbath.

The eight of them plan to ski and relax during the time away. After one of their group disappears while on a solo cross-country hike, a mysterious resident (Bjørn Sundquist) provides the remaining visitors with a backstory.

In the last days of World War II, a battalion of Nazi soldiers disappeared into the nearby woods after the residents turned on them, and their zombified corpses remain on the prowl in the area looking for fresh meat.

Of course, the students hoot and snicker at the stranger’s proclamations, but the audience knows full well the Nazi soldiers will emerge eventually.

After all, in the very first scene, one of the students who never shows up to join the others is killed by an unidentifiable figure in the dark woods.

If nothing else, Dead Snow is prime-grade entertainment. I eagerly awaited who from the group would be butchered first and how it might happen.

As all fans of the slasher horror genre know, those who party or have sex are not long for this world, and Dead Snow is no different.

What is different from a straight-ahead release is the dark humor that encompasses the film. When one student who is deathly afraid of blood must remove his arm with a chainsaw after being bitten, he does so with deep seriousness and precision.

The macabre scene nearly rivals some others, like when a male member of the group is seduced for sex by a female member of the group while sitting on the toilet in the cold outhouse.

Enough splatters of blood exist to forget how silly the Nazi soldiers look. But the makeup and creative team do a superior job of making the zombies look horrific too. In particular, their leader, Colonel Herzog, is a combination of sexy and hideous.

The international quality and the Norwegian language require subtitles, but that is no problem for me. This brings sophistication and intelligence that I appreciate, raising the film above the mediocrity that it may have suffered from had it been an American release.

The foreign lands add mystique.

Dead Snow, at one hour and thirty minutes, is short enough not to wear out its welcome, which it starts to do in the final fifteen minutes or so.

A chase scene across the snowy mountains and motivation for some ancient gold coins are explained as the final character makes it to safety in an until then missing car.

Or do they?

Providing some fun without taking itself too seriously, Dead Snow (2009) contains no message nor any marquee stars.

Making Nazis the evil ones is no stretch, so there is immediately enough rooting value to forgive some of the students for their idiotic decisions.

It’s a bloody fun time but not much more.

2009 Films, Biography, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Independent, Independent Comedy, Independent Romantic Comedy, LGBTQ+ Comedy, LGBTQ+ Films, LGBTQ+ Romance, Romantic Comedy

I Love You Phillip Morris-2009

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I Love You Phillip Morris-2009

Director John Requa, Glenn Ficarra

Starring Jim Carey, Ewan McGregor

Scott’s Review #1,235

Reviewed March 5, 2022

Grade: A-

Easily the most daring and arguably the best film role of Jim Carey’s career, I Love You Phillip Morris (2009) is a delightful romantic comedy featuring same-sex characters in the central roles.

At the risk of being too fluffy, there is a sardonic and wry wittiness that I fell in love with.

Those criticizing the film as ‘gay porn’ are silly since there is hardly a sex scene to be critical of or anything more than would appear in a traditional male/female romantic comedy.

Prudes wouldn’t see a film like I Love You Phillip Morris anyway.

It is based on the 1980s and 1990s real-life story of Texas con artist, impostor, and multiple prison fugitive Steven Jay Russell, who was clever beyond belief and successful at outwitting his opponents.

I Love You, Phillip Morris is the directorial debut by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, who received a nomination from the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Steven Russell  (Carrey) becomes a cop, gets married, and starts a family, but after a terrible car accident, he vows to be true to himself.

Thus far in his life, he has played by the rules and done what is expected of him, and because of the crash, he pivots to an emotional bloodletting.

The key irony is that Steven is telling the audience his story from his deathbed, so most of the activity is in the past. This is the hook because it made me wonder how and why he died. But is there a twist?

He comes out of the closet, moves to Florida, and finances a luxurious lifestyle with bad checks and credit cards. Arrested and now in prison, Steven meets Phillip (Ewan McGregor), a mild-mannered inmate who becomes the love of his life.

Determined to build a beautiful life with his partner, Steven embarks on another crime spree.

The film caters to the LGBTQ+ audience but has a crossover appeal so that all audiences can enjoy it. This is in large part thanks to the screenwriters and whoever had Carey and McGregor in mind for the film.

Too often, films centering around gay characters are deemed second-fiddle and not profitable, but with bigger stars, the audiences will come.

I Love You Phillip Morris is an independent film that builds momentum when the message is that big stars are comfortable in gay roles, something Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal taught us a few years earlier in Brokeback Mountain (2005).

Jim Carey, fabulous in The Mask from 1994, and having his share of hits and misses over the years, is perfect in the role of Steven. It’s the most interesting role he has portrayed since he gets to provide his usual physical humor in a role that matters.

LGBTQ+ audiences see a character who makes them laugh without the typical gay stereotypes.

Straight audiences will see a character whose sexual identity doesn’t matter to them.

Props go to McGregor as well, who makes a perfect counterpart for Carey as the calm, cool, and collected ‘straight man’. The film could not have worked without him.

He meshes so well with Carey that the audience instantly roots for Steven and Phillip to ride off into the sunset despite being criminals.

The stereotypes are limited, but the subject matter of AIDS, especially given the time in which the film is set, is given notice. This is a win, and Requa and Ficarra are very careful not to teeter too close to the edge of doom and gloom while respecting the disease.

At its core, I Love You Phillip Morris (2009) is a romantic comedy, and the trials and tribulations of Steven and Phillip are told. I immediately fell in love with them, and viewers will too.

It’s a film that feels fresh and alive, with a rich exploration of character that is not easy to come by.

1990 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy

Wild at Heart-1990

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Wild at Heart-1990

Director David Lynch

Starring Nicolas Cage, Laura Dern

Scott’s Review #1,230

Reviewed February 19, 2022

Grade: B+

David Lynch has created some weird films. Blue Velvet (1986) and Mulholland Drive (1992) are masterpieces that skew the odd and peculiar facets of human behavior.

But Wild at Heart (1990) takes the cake as the strangest in the lot.

Fascinatingly unhinged yet hard to understand, it’s got the Lynch handprint from start to finish, but only a warm-up act compared to those other films.

Somehow, the film is classified as a comedy. It’s got to be one of the darkest of dark comedies.

Anyone who is not a Lynch fan will not appreciate or get this film- I am a Lynch fan, and I’m not sure I even got it.

I do appreciate it, though.

It’s also the best role of Diane Ladd’s career in which she plays a fiendish, witchy mama. The graceful actress belts a home run in her storied performance.

An event during the opening sequence sets the tone for the rest of the film. Sailor Ripley (Nicolas Cage) serves prison time for a self-defense killing and reunites with his girlfriend Lula Fortune (Laura Dern) when he is released.

Lula’s mother, Marietta (Diane Ladd), is desperate to keep them apart and hires a hitman to kill Sailor. But those are only the start of his troubles when he and Bobby Peru, played by Willem Dafoe, an old buddy who’s also out to get Sailor, try to rob a store.

When Sailor lands in jail again, he may be destined never to reunite with Lula.

Wild at Heart is a love story about Sailor and Lula and the many obstacles they must overcome to live happily ever after.

Cage and Dern are terrific, though I fantasized while watching how nice it would have been to see Kyle MacLachlan in the role of Sailor.

A Blue Velvet reunion would have been splendid since his chemistry with Dern in that film was top-notch. Nonetheless, I enjoyed watching Cage and Dern as the romantic leads.

The many references to The Wizard of Oz are delightful, such as when an image of Marietta flying through the air on a haggard broomstick appears, just like the Wicked Witch of the West.

When Lula desperately clicks her red heels three times to no avail, we strangely wonder where the home she wants to return to is.

The film is one of those that is hard to take seriously or focus on the plot too much.

This is evidenced by the inclusion of Twin Peaks (1990-1991; 2017) alumni Sheryl Lee, Sherilyn Fenn, and Grace Zabriskie. They play The Good Witch, Girl in Accident, and Juana Durango, respectively.

Each character is indescribable in their strangeness.

The nuttiness continues with bizarre turns from Crispin Glover and Harry Dean Stanton.

Interesting that Wild at Heart was released the same year as Twin Peaks. The inclusion of a seedy bar named One-Eyed Jacks, which appears in both productions, is about all that is comparable between the two productions. The main events in Wild at Heart are in Texas and Washington for Twin Peaks.

Aside from the storylines, the best part of Wild at Heart is the cinematography. Enough dark, dusty highway sequences emerge, using glowing, moody lighting and foreboding cracks and crevices, in other visceral scenes.

Cigarette smoking has never looked as sexy or dangerous as it does in this film.

Despite admirable, perfectly Lynch-y elements in Wild at Heart (1990), the film is just too far over the top for me to fall in love with.

I’ll pull out my copies of Blue Velvet (1986) and Mulholland Drive (1992) any day before Wild at Heart.

Oscar Nominations: Best Supporting Actress-Diane Ladd

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 1 win-Best Supporting Male-Willem Dafoe, Best Cinematography (won)

1999 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Independent, Independent Comedy, Satire

Election-1999

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Election-1999

Director Alexander Payne

Starring Reese Witherspoon, Matthew Broderick

Scott’s Review #1,225

Reviewed January 30, 2022

Grade: A

Election is a 1999 black comedy film directed by Alexander Payne. He co-wrote the screenplay with Jim Taylor, and it’s based on Tom Perrotta’s 1998 novel of the same name.

Anyone who is a film fan and knows Payne’s work can attest that they are noted for their dark humor and satirical depictions of contemporary American society.

His best is About Schmidt (2002), Sideways (2004), and Nebraska (2013).

And Election ranks among his finest works.

The subject matter at hand this time out is politics and education, with the familiar Payne setting of Omaha, Nebraska. Right smack in the middle of the American Heartland.

Only his second film, Election, stars Reese Witherspoon in her breakthrough role that built momentum toward her becoming a superstar. She is utterly fantastic, and this would rank as one of her best roles, if not the best.

And, no, that is not a slight against her iconic portrayal of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde (2001), which I love, but Tracy Flick gets my vote.

The film itself is a masterpiece and has become a cult classic. Payne takes a subject matter, a rivalry between a teacher and student, which is still considered somewhat taboo.

He questions authority and tomfoolery, then spins everything around.

Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick) is a straight-and-narrow, well-liked high school government teacher who notices that successful student Tracy Flick (Witherspoon) uses unethical tactics and manipulation to get exactly what she wants.

Since Jim believes Tracy has ruined his friend’s marriage, he already despises her. Though, could he also be in love with her?

When Tracy decides to run for school president, Jim feels that she will be a horrible influence on the student body. He convinces Paul (Chris Klein), a dull but popular student-athlete, to run against Tracy.

When she becomes aware of Jim’s secret involvement in the race, a bitter feud develops between teacher and student as they try to outsmart each other.

The writing in Election is brilliant. The audience may see Jim or Tracy as the villain or perhaps both. They resort to drastic machinations to get their way. Tracy wants to win at all costs, while Jim becomes obsessed with preventing Tracy from winning.

I love the high school setting and the normal goodie-two-shoes Jim resorting to ballot-cheating and affairs to best his rival. Tracy is no better as she manipulates and conspires to win the election.

I also worry that the viewers who should see this film either won’t see it or won’t get the message Payne is sending.

The editing is flawless, and the quick cuts that allow each character a chance to narrate and share their perspective are a major win. We see each motivation and understand what makes each character tick, especially Jim and Tracy.

The acting is wonderful, and enough praise cannot be reaped upon Witherspoon and Broderick for their sick and twisted performances. They each radiate desperation and dark comedy, and delightful is the perkiness and drive that Witherspoon gives Tracy.

When she bakes cupcakes in hopes of bribing her classmates for votes, this counterbalances Broderick’s angry, grizzled Jim. He is at war with a student and goes for the jugular instead of being the role model a teacher should be.

It’s delightfully fun, though many high school teachers may not appreciate the deviousness.

There’s also a cool LGBTQ+ inclusion, which is a positive.

I’d venture to compare Election to American Beauty (1999), which was made the same year and has a similar tone. Cynical and witty, they both question morality and ethics, especially with the sugar coating of a high school or small-town Americana.

Satire never looked finer in both films.

Made in 1999, how dubious the realization is that Election continues to have relevance as time goes by.

In the current state of United States politics, where lying, cheating, and a blatant refusal to accept election results unless one side is the victor are running rampant and shockingly tolerated by some, Payne’s message has never been more powerful.

Oscar Nominations: Best Adapted Screenplay

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 3 wins-Best Feature (won), Best Direction-Alexander Payne (won), Best Screenplay (won), Best Female Lead-Reese Witherspoon, Best Debut Performance-Jessica Campbell

2021 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Satire, Science Fiction

Don’t Look Up-2021

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Don’t Look Up-2021

Director Adam McKay

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep

Scott’s Review #1,220

Reviewed January 16, 2022

Grade: A

In the times of the COVID pandemic, ‘water cooler’ films have ceased to exist. Once, employees would gather around the water cooler to discuss a current film or television show. These days, with many working from home, this activity has waned.

Too bad, because Don’t Look Up (2021) is one of those films.

It was not on my radar until a flurry of scuttlebutt and controversy brought the film to the forefront of my mind and many others. Super topical and mired in irony, everyone should see it, but those who need to won’t.

It’s a brazen and in-your-face look at how science and facts are dismissed by some who can’t see the forest for the trees, or in this case, a giant comet speeding towards planet Earth. In the year 2021, amid controversy over COVID-19, including the prevention of mask-wearing and vaccinations, Don’t Look Up portrays those as simply stupid.

As they are.

Those viewers who are conspiracy theorists, Trump supporters, or I daresay even too self-absorbed to look past their own lives are the ones who should see the film the most. You will be mocked and used as fodder for the entertainment of the more intelligent species of human beings.

But perhaps learn a thing or two?

Led by director Adam McKay, famous for satirical works such as 2015’s The Big Short, he satirizes the current state of worldly affairs masterfully, using political comparisons and the world-weary science versus non-science approach.

McKay also writes and produces.

He enlists an all-star cast who were chomping at the bit to be part of his relevant and brilliant project. Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Mark Ryland, and Cate Blanchett are just a handful of participating stars.

Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) is an astronomy graduate student who, along with her professor, Doctor Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio), makes a discovery of a comet on a collision course with Earth. It is expected to arrive within six months and destroy most of the planet.

They are shocked and dismayed when their attempts to get anyone to pay any attention are hijacked by the media and the President of the United States of America, President Orlean (Streep). Instead, folks in high power attempt to use the ‘story’ for either ratings or political gain.

With the help of Doctor Oglethorpe (Rob Morgan), Kate and Randall embark on a media tour that takes them to the airwaves of The Daily Rip, an upbeat morning show hosted by Brie (Cate Blanchett) and Jack (Tyler Perry). While Randall embarks on an affair with Brie, the scientists attempt to gain the attention of the social media-obsessed public before it’s too late.

As the title states, look up?!

President Orlean and her psychopathic son, and Chief of Staff, Jason (Jonah Hill), are patterned after former President Donald J. Trump and his son. Their nastiness and dismissive attitude, driven solely by personal gain, are despicable.

Hysterically and satisfying, they each get their proper comeuppance.

Orlean’s demise at the end of the film is particularly satisfying. Stay post-credits for this treat.

Don’t Look Up is not a conventional film- it’s better than that. Its special sauce is its powerful message and reassurance for viewers to not take good old-fashioned common sense for granted. Despite the naysayers, the use of one’s brain is a valuable commodity.

The urgency of the matter is not meant to be taken for granted, but there are enough comedic elements to classify it as such- a dark comedy.

DiCaprio is terrific in the lead role. Nervous and struggling to express himself, his frustration is palpable as he tries to warn the world of impending doom. The actor can play any character, and it’s great seeing him add a sexy, middle-aged nerd to his repertoire.

Lawrence is a killer. Her character has no filter and is known to burst into rage, making her outbursts particularly engaging. Kate will call an idiot an idiot. Her outburst at the President is a remarkably terrific scene.

Despite the laughter, Don’t Look Up (2021) sends a dire message. It mirrors the current times and what trouble we are in.

The grim final sequence, when Randall, Kate, and family sit around the dinner table enjoying a Thanksgiving-style meal, is also a reminder to keep loved ones close and treasure every moment.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score

2005 Films, Comedy, Romantic Comedy, Screwball Comedy

The 40-Year-Old Virgin-2005

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The 40-Year-Old Virgin-2005

Director Judd Apatow

Starring Steve Carell

Scott’s Review #1,214

Reviewed December 31, 2021

Grade: B-

I am not a fan of director/producer Judd Apatow.

His brand of silly comedy that includes objectification of women, homophobic language, and plain old unfunny attempts at slapstick comedy doesn’t go very far or sit particularly well with me.

His directorial debut is The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), which has a fresh feel and would ultimately lead to less worthy efforts like Knocked Up (2007) and This Is 40 (2012).

Admittedly, the title alone had me and many others brimming with curiosity.

The freshness is mostly due to the leading actor, Steve Carell, in a role that would propel him to film stardom and to much better roles in the future.

So, I guess The 40-Year-Old Virgin deserves credit for that.

Typically, in Apatow’s films, the female characters are written as uptight, shrewish, and bitchy, whereas the male characters are goofy and fun-loving. The audience is supposed to root for the men and dislike the women.

The 40-Year-Old Virgin is no exception.

Still, the film does have a sweet-natured and innocent feeling amid the stereotypes, potty jokes, and obscenity that lie within. We root for the underdog to succeed in life and champion his plight despite it being a carnal and sexual one.

Andy Stitzer (Carell) is a tender yet socially inept man who works a lowly job at a big-box store. Single and living alone, 40-year-old Andy whiles away the days playing video games and admiring his action-figure collection. He is your classic, lovable nerd.

He harbors an embarrassing secret.

Despite his age, Andy has never engaged in sex, so his friends, including his closest friend David (Paul Rudd), encourage Andy to lose his virginity.

While trying to overcome his awkwardness around female customers, Andy meets a local shop owner, Trish (Catherine Keener), and they begin an early romance.

With any Apatow film, the rest is highly predictable, and the blueprint is formulaic and easy to figure out.

Andy will face humiliation due to his predicament and the bumbling yet well-intentioned behavior of David and his other friend, Cal, played by Seth Rogen.

He will inevitably have awkward encounters with a few other female characters, in this case, the aggressive Beth, played by Elizabeth Banks, before finding love with the ‘good girl’ Trish.

They will ride off into the sunset to live happily ever after. Spoiler alert- they have sex!

The best, and arguably only good part of The 40-Year-Old Virgin is Carell’s Andy. The character brings a warmth and a vulnerability that causes the audience to sympathize with his plight.

While the majority of the viewers will not relate to being a virgin at his age, they can at least relate to having an embarrassing issue to deal with.

I am glad that this film led to meatier roles for Carell. Foxcatcher (2014) and his storied role as Michael Scott in television’s The Office (2005-2013) immediately spring to mind.

Keener, mostly known for her dramatic rather than comedic roles, is decent as the main love interest, Trish.

She, like Andy, is a rootable character, though we don’t know too much about her. She is fond of Andy, so we like her and hope she takes Andy’s cherry.

The rest of The 40-Year-Old Virgin is riddled with standard comic setups and situations.

When Andy slips and reveals his virginity, by the next day, his entire store knows his secret. From there, the insulting additions of a transvestite prostitute and a weird speed dating situation arise.

We know all along that Trish is the girl he will be with.

Apatow unwisely gives his film an interminable two-hour and thirteen-minute running time, which feels too long for a situation comedy.

One hour and thirty minutes would have been ideal. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) is not the worst offender in the Apatow collection, but it offers no surprises or attempts at diversity.

It’s a perfect example of a tried and true adult sex romp with, thankfully, a likable central character.

2021 Films, Comedy, Drama, Los Angeles

Licorice Pizza-2021

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Licorice Pizza-2021

Director Paul Thomas Anderson

Starring Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman

Scott’s Review #1,213

Reviewed December 27, 2021

Grade: A

Licorice Pizza (2021) is a Los Angeles-based coming-of-age drama by director Paul Thomas Anderson.

Anderson is one of my favorite directors, and the film is a must-see for fans of his. Most fans of his yearn to see everything he creates, and this one will not disappoint.

One may initially yawn at the tired coming-of-age drama genre, and I did too, but once I heard that Anderson was directing, my curiosity was piqued, and I felt secure in the knowledge that the film would be different.

Indeed, Licorice Pizza is special and has a charm all its own.

The expected killer musical soundtrack, prevalent in many Anderson films, is there and befitting of the time of 1973. A bit of quirky black humor and general weirdness is also there, and so are cameos by A-list superstars like Sean Penn and Bradley Cooper.

Speaking of the soundtrack, they may not be the expected top hits of the time, but more obscure gems like ‘Life On Mars?” by David Bowie, “Walk Away” by Joe Walsh, or “But You’re Mine” by Sonny & Cher. I enjoyed the under-the-radar approach as it fits the central characters.

Besides these and other juicy trimmings, the story is an excellent romantic comedy featuring up-and-coming Hollywood stars, Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman.

They carry the film and emit tremendous chemistry from their very first scene. Haim is in a rock band, and Hoffman is the son of actor and frequent Anderson star Phillip Seymore Hoffman. I bet Dad would be proud of his son.

For a recent comparison, Licorice Pizza shares a similar setting and tone with Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), although the stories are pretty dissimilar.

Alana Kane (Haim) and Gary Valentine (Hoffman) are twenty-five years old and fifteen years old, respectively.  They grew up, ran around, and fell in love in California’s San Fernando Valley in 1973.

Gary is a child actor who also runs his own public relations business, while Alana is a struggling photographer’s assistant yearning to do something more meaningful.

Immediately rebuffing the advances of a ‘child,’ Alana slowly falls for Gary, and the two forge an unbroken bond as they navigate successes, failures, heartbreaks, and longings.

The setting of sunny California in 1973 is pure genius, as Anderson authentically transports us there with the cars, clothing, and hairstyles that were then considered trendy.

The added pleasure of seeing stars of the day, such as Jack Holden (really William Holden), Lucy Doolittle (really Lucille Ball), and film producer John Peters, is downright gleeful.

Not to be outdone, Sean Penn, Christine Ebersole, and Bradley Cooper portray these figures. Each actor is delightful in their respective roles, with my favorite being Penn as the martini-slugging Holden.

But the film is hardly about celebrity sightings in a long-ago era.

During the final act, Alana becomes enamored with a politician for whom she works. Not a superfluous romantic entanglement, the figure is Joel Wachs, a real-life then closeted gay male who later would champion gay causes.

The film showcases the pain of a closeted gay man and his secretive boyfriend as Alana helps them put up a front to avoid his career being ruined.

At the heart of Licorice Pizza, though, remains the romance of Gary and Alana. The fact that there is a ten-year age gap between them should be a big deal, but somehow it’s not.

Gary can be precocious and sometimes a little shit, and Alana is moody and temperamental, but I fell in love with them anyway, and other viewers will assuredly share my passion for the pair.

They try to get through their youth with some plan or semblance of direction, and the joy is to accompany them and enjoy the ride.

There is a freshness and honesty to Licorice Pizza (2021) that cannot be shaken. Thanks in large part to Hoffman and Haim, the film is one of those that exude magnificence and appeal that is hard to put into words.

Viewers of any age will be immediately transported back to their young adulthood and the feelings and inadequacies that come with it.

I wish more films of this ilk were made.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director-Paul Thomas Anderson, Best Original Screenplay

1945 Films, Christmas, Comedy, Connecticut, Romantic Comedy

Christmas in Connecticut-1945

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Christmas in Connecticut-1945

Director Peter Godfrey

Starring Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan

Scott’s Review #1,211

Reviewed December 24, 2021

Grade: B+

Christmas in Connecticut (1945) is a flavorful holiday romantic yarn that will please those looking for a snowy, laugh-out-loud experience with zany moments and silly situations, but that works nonetheless.

Any foodie craving a film that dazzles with showcasing excellent meals will enjoy this treat.

The film also oozes New York’s sophistication and New England’s atmosphere, creating a cinematic balance between city and country.

Despite the colorful cover art, Christmas in Connecticut is shot in black and white, which is better.

The key selling point is the instant chemistry between the leads, Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan, who carry the film.

Stanwyck had just made the vastly different Double Indemnity (1944), and Morgan was a singer, allowing him to perform a memorable song.

Together, they shine.

Actors like Sydney Greenstreet, S.Z. Sakall and Una O’Connor provide perfect comic timing in their roles, allowing the leads to take the stage in the romance department.

Not to be missed is the timely release of the film in 1945, the year that World War II ended, and a necessary time for a cheery film like Christmas in Connecticut. The main character is an Army veteran who begins the film injured in a vet hospital, but the film opts not to make it a dreary, real-life experience.

The action starts in the Atlantic Ocean, where war hero Jefferson Jones (Dennis Morgan) is stranded on a raft with his mate. He imagines the raft a clean dining room table brimming with delicious food and his mate his waiter.

Awakened in a hospital, he tricks his nurse, Mary Lee (Joyce Compton), into becoming his fiancée so he can be fed steak dinners.

While recovering, he grows familiar with the “Diary of a Housewife” column written by Elizabeth Lane (Barbara Stanwyck), the Martha Stewart of the 1940s. She provides cooking advice for her readers.

Mary arranges with Elizabeth’s publisher, Alexander Yardley (Greenstreet), for Jeff to spend the holiday at Elizabeth’s lavish Connecticut farm with her husband and child.

However, the column is a sham, so Elizabeth arranges to marry her friend, John Sloan (Reginald Gardiner), to make it appear that she is the domestic she claims to be in her columns.

How she can write popular columns that dole out cooking and housekeeping advice without knowing anything about either subject is ludicrous but part of the fun.

When she meets Jeff, they fall madly in love at first sight.

The film is one madhouse situation after another, and while Elizabeth and Jeff will undoubtedly live happily ever after, the main appeal is how they will reach that point.

From the first scene, when they meet at the Connecticut farm, there is instant chemistry between Stanwyck and Morgan that lasts the entire film.

Their gazes and glances made me root for them.

The fun is the situations the pair is put through, mostly Elizabeth. As she pretends she has a baby, she borrows a neighbor’s baby and hastily names him Robert, unaware that the baby is a girl. When Jeff, who is more domestic than Elizabeth, changes the baby’s diaper, he is in for a shock.

That Elizabeth knows nothing about cooking or a baby is the hilarity of Christmas in Connecticut. She awkwardly tries to flip a flapjack or handle a cow or other situation comedy moments that make the film as good as it is.

Stanwyck is fantastic as a woman on the verge of being found out.

Handsome Dennis Morgan portrays a good American man who will make an even better husband, which is a large part of his appeal. We long for Elizabeth and Jeff to be together.

A bevy of food scenes and references appear. Besides the flapjacks and steak sequences, steaming plates of good food and drink appear in almost every scene.

Elizabeth’s uncle/chef and housekeeper, played by Sakall and O’Connor, respectively, light up the screen in comical scenes. I hoped the pair would find their romance together, but this never came to fruition.

An endearing seasonal nugget, Christmas in Connecticut (1945), will please fans of good-natured romance tinged with physical comedy. It has a heart and a pleasant veneer showcasing hapless misunderstandings that lead to the inevitable and satisfying conclusion.

1981 Films, Action, Comedy, Screwball Comedy

The Cannonball Run-1981

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The Cannonball Run-1981

Director Hal Needham

Starring Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett

Scott’s Review #1,204

Reviewed December 4, 2021

Grade: B-

The Cannonball Run (1981) is someone’s idea of collecting big film and television stars of the time and throwing them into a film with a pointless plot about cross-country road racing.

Truth be told, it’s a pretty bad film.

But it’s a fun way to spend 90 minutes seeing a multitude of celebrities in both cameos and leading roles. Otherwise, The Cannonball Run should be skipped.

Taking a glance at the list of players, we have Burt Reynolds, Farrah Fawcett, Roger Moore, Sammy Davis Jr., Dom DeLuise, Peter Fonda, Dean Martin, Jamie Farr, Jackie Chan, Bert Convy, and Terry Bradshaw.

Hopefully, the actors had a good time making the film.

The acting is not stellar, and one wonders if many of the cast phoned it in or even read much of the script. The out-takes look like everyone was having one grand old time.  And whether some were even sober during the shooting is debatable.

The film is loosely based on the 1979 running of an actual cross-country outlaw road race in the United States, beginning in Connecticut and ending in California.

It was one of 1981’s most successful films at the box office, which is a scary realization. It was followed by two forgettable sequels- Cannonball Run II (1984) and Speed Zone (1989).

Feeling very thrown together, director Hal Needham is most known for collaborations with Burt Reynolds involving cars and car chases, so the plot, if one wants to call it that, is right up his alley.

Race teams gather in Connecticut to start a cross-country car race. One at a time, teams drive up to the starters’ stand, punch a time card to record their departure time, and then take off.

The reward for the winner is one million dollars. A representative of the “Safety Enforcement Unit” tries to stop the race due to its environmental impact and safety concerns.

Various teams are shown either evading law enforcement, most of which deal with talking their way out of a possible ticket, or concocting crazy schemes to outmaneuver their opponents.

The winner of the race is rather unimportant.

It’s all silly and not to be taken seriously. There are plenty of stereotypes, like Jamie Farr’s Middle-Eastern wealthy sheik driving a Rolls-Royce and the inevitable scantily clad females in tight wear.

Despite The Cannonball Run being riddled with enough negative aspects to make me hate the film, it’s kind of fun.

The bevy of different vehicles, like an ambulance, an Aston Martin DB5 (driven by Moore’s James Bond, imitating the character, of course), a Ferrari, and a Chevrolet Malibu, are all entertaining.

There is no character development, nor are there any characters with any depth, so the only reason to see the film is for the speedy cars and the competition.

And to see which celebrity will appear next.

A slapstick film that makes even the similarly penned Smokey and the Bandit (1977) seem like high art, The Cannonball Run (1981) is a must-see only for genre fans or those who are willing to watch and perhaps even be entertained by any movie.

I haven’t seen the film in eons, but I can imagine it’s a film only meant for its time and now would feel incredibly dated.