High-Def Digest: The Bonus ViewLeslie Mann Archives - High-Def Digest: The Bonus View

Welcome to Marwen Review: The Uncanny Valley of the Dolls

Deirdre Crimmins — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 13:00:25 +0000

Welcome to Marwen doesn’t sit right with me. Though a technical marvel, the tonally irresponsible film tries to turn a real-life tragedy into an uplifting tale, and manages to miss all of the right emotions in the process. The film is based on the true story of Mark Hogancamp (here played by Steve Carell), the...

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‘The Comedian’ Review: Former King of Comedy Dies on Stage

Philip Brown — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 16:00:02 +0000

Remember in 2015 when Al Pacino made that embarrassing comedy ‘Danny Collins’ in which he played an aging rock star learning how to love again? No? Doesn’t surprise me. It was terrible. I wish I could forget it too. Anyhoo, now Robert De Niro has made an unofficial sequel about an aging comedian who learns...

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‘How to Be Single’ Review: How to Be Average

Philip Brown — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 18:00:50 +0000

‘How to Be Single’ is a movie that can’t quite decide what it wants to be. Is it a story about learning to love being alone or learning that it’s actually important to fall in love? Is it a raunchy comedy or an earnest drama? Is it set in reality or Hollywood fantasy? Is it...

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‘Vacation’ (2015) Review: Another Trip Down Holiday Road

Philip Brown — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 19:00:08 +0000

When the remake of ‘Vacation’ was first announced, the internet crashed under the weight of a collective groan. The original film and its Christmas sibling are undeniable comedy classics with an ideal combination of satirical wit, crowd-pleasing slapstick, and just enough family sentiment. It’s almost impossible to get that combination right, as ‘European Vacation’ and...

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Now Playing: Jay Ward’s Excellent Adventure

Philip Brown — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 16:00:57 +0000

For anyone who grew up giggling at the cartoons of Jay Ward, sitting through the cinematic adaptations of his work can feel like particularly cruel torture. His simple, hand-drawn surrealism has been turned into bloated turkeys like ‘The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle’ and ‘Dudley Do-Right’, both of which seemed to be made by people...

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Now Playing: This Screenplay Needs a ‘Change-Up’ of Its Own

Luke Hickman — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 13:00:52 +0000

Too many times we’ve seen the old switcharoo take place in movies. Someone switches bodies with someone else, or perhaps he/she simply gets bigger, thinking that life would be better that way, only to find out that it’s not. ‘The Change-Up’ is the first time (that I can think of) where this has happened in...

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Now Playing: ‘Rio’ Flaps Its Wings but Doesn’t Go Anywhere

Drew Taylor — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:00:03 +0000

When I panned ‘Hop’ a couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine said, “It doesn’t matter – all kids care about is whether or not it’s funny.” This might be true, but it also isn’t an excuse, especially in an age of Pixar and ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ and ‘Rango’. Which brings us to… ‘Rio’....

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