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Stan & Ollie Review: Another Fine Mess

Jason Gorber — Fri, 18 Jan 2019 13:00:29 +0000

The impact of the comedy duo of Laurel and Hardy on early cinema cannot be underestimated. Their trademark look and goofy mannerisms delighted audiences for decades. When the films were silent, physical pratfalls reigned, yet the two managed to succeed well into the sound era, mixing Vaudevillian song and softshoe routines. Stan & Ollie celebrates...

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Holmes & Watson Review: Elementary Silliness

Jason Gorber — Thu, 27 Dec 2018 17:00:54 +0000

Holmes & Watson isn’t very good. Neither, almost more surprisingly, is it completely terrible. The majority of its success derives from the clear fun that Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are having with Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous creation. Written and directed by Etan Cohen (one of the masterminds behind the glorious Tropic Thunder),...

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‘The Trip to Spain’ Review: Third Time, Still Charming

Philip Brown — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 16:00:33 +0000

It’s hard to imagine a more unlikely franchise than Michael Winterbottom, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon’s ‘The Trip’. It began as a lark, an improvisational comedy hinged on a road trip and conversations with two great improvisers that was helmed by one of the most underrated and experimental directors in England. It was conceived as...

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‘Rules Don’t Apply’ Review: Megalomania Squared

Philip Brown — Mon, 28 Nov 2016 16:00:56 +0000

Warren Beatty has been obsessed with making a Howard Hughes movie for decades and it’s not hard to see why. After all, Beatty is a notorious control freak who meticulously supervises all aspects of any film he’s involved in, whether he’s directing or not. As you may have heard, Howard Hughes also had issues with...

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Blu-ray Highlights: Week of December 21st, 2014 – U B Trippin’

Josh Zyber — Mon, 22 Dec 2014 14:00:56 +0000

Don’t get your hopes up for too many exciting new Blu-ray releases. It’s a holiday week – moreover, it’s the biggest holiday week of the year – and the studios have only let trickle out a handful of titles to be able to say that they’re still working and haven’t already checked out on vacation....

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‘Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb’ Review: When Will This Night End?

Philip Brown — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 20:00:22 +0000

The ‘Night at the Museum’ series refuses to go away despite being a consistent punching bag. In this third title, the franchise is as charmingly mediocre as ever. These movies aren’t art, nor do they offer particularly interesting entertainment. However, they do what they do fairly effectively, and the cast that has signed onto the...

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‘The Trip to Italy’ Review: British Improv Italiano

Philip Brown — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 14:00:54 +0000

Back in 2010, director Michael Winterbottom and the brilliant British comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon drove around to a handful of restaurants in England with a loose outline of a screenplay and improvised some cinematic gold in ‘The Trip’. Four years later, they’ve done it again, this time in Italy. Though released in England...

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Now Playing: Likeable ‘Me’

Bryan Kluger — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 14:00:12 +0000

In terms of box office, it may be difficult for ‘Despicable Me 2’ to beat its predecessor, which made over $543 million just three years ago. Nevertheless, the directors and writers are back again with Steve Carrell as the wacky former criminal mastermind Gru, who we last saw stealing the moon. How can one top...

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Sundance Journal: ‘The Look of Love’

Aaron Peck — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:00:30 +0000

If someone had told me that director Michael Winterbottom would make the dullest movie Sundance had to offer this year, I would’ve laughed it off. Unfortunately, after seeing ‘The Look of Love’, I have to apologize to that person. Winterbottom has a history for making anything but bland movies. I saw ‘The Killer Inside Me‘...

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Now Playing: ‘The Other Guys’ is Sublime Silliness

Drew Taylor — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 19:00:58 +0000

A lot of ink has been spilled, both electronic and actual, on Judd Apatow’s mastery of the Hollywood comedy game. But here’s the thing: Judd Apatow is kind of an awful director. His movies are long, mostly aimless, and often paint women in an altogether unflattering light. And yet he’s lionized as some icon. An...

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