Showing posts with label comedy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comedy. Show all posts

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Burn After Reading (2008)



5/10

This film tried so very hard to be awesome and it almost was. They had the cast, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, John Malkovich to name just a few. They had the quirky storyline and they had some classic situations throughout the film. So what happened? They tried too hard!

This film was pushing so hard to hit so many characters that even some great performances from the all-star cast couldn't cover the fact that every character was far and away too cliche to keep me interested! Brad Pitt's dumb gym jock was just too dumb, George Clooney's Needy playboy was just too cool and then too desperate, and Malkovich was just there to get pissed off and look beaten down! I can't wait til this film gets remade, by a director with a little more sense of subtlety! (Sorry I do like the Bros other work)

The Plot:

Burn After Reading, is a new comedy thriller from Academy Award winners, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men, Fargo, The Big Lebowski).

At the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency in Arlington, Virginia, analyst Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) arrives for a top-secret meeting. Unfortunately for Cox, the secret is soon out: he is being ousted. Cox does not take the news particularly well and returns to his Georgetown home to work on his memoirs and his drinking, not necessarily in that order. His wife Katie (Tilda Swinton) is dismayed, though not particularly surprised; she is already well into an illicit affair with Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), a married federal marshal, and sets about making plans to leave Cox for Harry.

Elsewhere in the Washington, D.C. suburbs, and seemingly worlds apart, Hardbodies Fitness Centers employee Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) can barely concentrate on her work. She is consumed with her life plan for extensive cosmetic surgery, and confides her mission to can-do colleague Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt). Linda is all but oblivious to the fact that the gym's manager Ted Treffon (Richard Jenkins) pines for her even as she arranges dates via the Internet with other men.

When a computer disc containing material for the CIA analyst's memoirs accidentally falls into the hands of Linda and Chad, the duo are intent on exploiting their find. As Ted frets, "No good can come of this," events spiral out of everyone's and anyone's control, in a cascading series of darkly hilarious encounters.


The Cast:


George Clooney ... Harry Pfarrer

Frances McDormand ... Linda Litzke

John Malkovich ... Osbourne Cox

Tilda Swinton ... Katie Cox

Brad Pitt ... Chad Fieldhiemer

Richard Jenkins ... Ted Teffron

Elizabeth Marvel ... Sandy Pfarrer

David Rasche ... C.I.A Officer

J.K. Simmons ... C.I.A Superior

Olek Krupa ... Krapotkin

Michael Countryman ... Alan

Kevin Sussman ... Divorce Lawyer #1

J.R. Horne ... Divorce Lawyer #2

Hamilton Clancy ... Peck

Armand Schultz ... Olson

The Trailer

Saturday, October 25, 2008

The Promotion (2008)


7/10

Okay nothing new here, 2 guys battling it out to get noticed at work. They both have alot riding on this promotion which is what it takes to push good guys to do bad things. This is just a much better version of 'Employee of the Month'. Crazy funny at times, drags on a bit at others but overall it is a good film for a lazy night in.

The Plot:

At 33, Doug Stauber is ready for a promotion. He's married, wants to buy a house, and is assistant manager at a Chicago supermarket that's building a new store in his neighborhood. His boss tells him he's a shoe in to manage the new store, then, a rival appears - Richard Wehlner, transferred from Canada. Richard has a deeper resume than Doug, is really nice, has a wife and daughter, and wants the promotion to manager, too. How should Doug behave toward Richard - as a friend, a colleague, a competitor, or an enemy? Richard, it seems, has demons and a past, but with the help of motivational tapes, he's resolved to succeed. Corporate and personal tests await the two men.


The Cast:


Seann William Scott ... Doug Stauber

John C. Reilly ... Richard Wehlner

Rick Gonzalez ... Ernesto

Adrian Martinez ... Octavio

Maestro Harrell ... First Kid in Parking Lot

Kristopher Lofton ... Second Kid in Parking Lot

Jarreau Brown ... Third Kid in Parking Lot

Edwin M. Walker ... Fourth Kid in Parking Lot

Jamaal C. Adams ... Fifth Kid in Parking Lot

Mario Larraza ... Edgar

Tory O. Davis ... Keith

Fred Armisen ... Scott Fargas

Bobby Cannavale ... Dr. Timms

Jenna Fischer ... Jen Stauber

Richard Henzel ... Motivational Speaker

The Trailer:



The Movie:

Monday, October 13, 2008

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)


7/10

Over all a very enjoyable film, if you have been or are married then you will get a whole lot more out of this film then those who have yet to take the plunge. This film is like spy version of "War of the Roses". Except for all they try, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie fail to create that stage chemistry like Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner did nearly every film, they still have some great chemistry, but it is forgettable. There are some classic moments in this film, especially the dance/frisk scene, but they are over shadowed by a pretty large amount of cliche moments which is what takes this film from what could have potentially been a classic film to just a good watch!

The Plot:

John and Jane Smith are a normal married couple, living a normal life in a normal suburb and working normal jobs, too. However, in reality, John and Jane are both skilled assassins working for different firms, both the best in their field, each concealing their true profession from the other. When both are assigned to kill a man named Benjamin Danz, nicknamed "The Tank", they encounter each other on the job and discover the truth. Both employers task one Smith to eliminate the other, and each must choose between their personal and professional lives.


The Cast:


Brad Pitt ... John Smith

Angelina Jolie ... Jane Smith

Vince Vaughn ... Eddie

Adam Brody ... Benjamin Danz

Kerry Washington ... Jasmine

Keith David ... Father

Chris Weitz ... Martin Coleman

Rachael Huntley ... Suzy Coleman

Michelle Monaghan ... Gwen

Trailer:

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Human Traffic (1999)


7/10

Great film that takes a good look at the evolution of the club drug scene in the U.K. What I liked most about this film is it shows the plus's to using recreation drugs, while also showing the downside. The film also focuses on the early generation of Ecstasy users and follows them as they become the old school crew in a new kind of scene.

The Plot:

The Cardiff club scene in the 90's: five best friends deal with their relationships and their personal demons during a weekend. Jip calls himself a sexual paranoid, afraid he's impotent. Lulu, Jip's mate, doesn't find much to fancy in men. Nina hates her job at a fast food joint, and her man, Koop, who dreams of being a great hip-hop d.j., is prone to fits of un-provoked jealousy. The fifth is Moff, whose family is down on his behavior. Starting Friday afternoon, with preparations for clubbing, we follow the five from Ecstacy-induced fun through a booze-laden come-down early Saturday morning followed by the weekend's aftermath. It's breakthrough time for at least three of them.



The Cast:


John Simm ... Jip

Lorraine Pilkington ... Lulu

Shaun Parkes ... Koop

Nicola Reynolds ... Nina

Danny Dyer ... Moff

Dean Davies ... Lee

Peter Albert ... Lulu's Uncle Eric

Jan Anderson ... Karen Benson

Terence Beesley ... Moff's Father

Sarah Blackburn ... Jip's Ex #2

Anne Bowen ... Moff's Grandmother

Neil Bowens ... Asylum Doorman

Peter Bramhill ... Matt

Jo Brand ... Reality (voice)

Stephanie Brooks ... Fleur

Trailer:



The Movie:

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Hancock (2008)


8.5/10

A great idea for a superhero film! I liked this film for what it was and what it tried to do, within a genre that has been bombarded by Hollywood for the last few years. Hancock take the idea of being possessed with the powers to do great things, having the black mark on your character which usually pushes our heroes to shine and then saying what if the world still got that hero down? What if the hero didn't rise above his own turmoil for the greater good of others? It also adds a very important element to making the hero more human, by putting in the idea that all people great or small are only at their best with the support of others. A great theme and a great message. Hancock also has a very nice plot twist thrown in to help it stand further apart from so many other films of the genre.
Will Smith is really good in this role, I was never a fan of the independence day Smith, but his last several roles he has grown into an actor that I can depend on to deliver the character with alot of style and finese.

The Plot:

John Hancock (Will Smith) is an unhappy and reluctant superhero who is living in his own world. For some unknown reason, Hancock is depressed and has started drinking very heavily. He has saved many lives in Los Angeles over the years, but in doing so, he has no regards for damaging buildings, trains, roads, cars, or anything that gets in his way of getting the job done. The last time he captured several criminals, it cost the city $9 million to fix the damages. The public has had enough of Hancock, and they want him to stop or go to another city. Then one day, Hancock saves the life of Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) from being run over by a train. Ray is a public relations executive who now can go home to his wife and child, because Hancock was there. Ray owes Hancock his life, and he makes it his mission to change his superhero's image and have the public cheering him. Ray's wife, Mary (Charlize Theron), believes Hancock cannot be fixed, and she doesn't want Ray to be hurt.

The Cast:


Will Smith ... John Hancock

Charlize Theron ... MAry Embrey

Jason Bateman ... Ray Embrey

Jae Head ... Aaron Kimberly

Eddie Marsan ... Kenneth 'Red' Parker Jr.

David Mattey ... Man Mountain

Maetrix Fitten ... Matrix

Thomas Lennon ... Mike

Johnny Galecki ... Jeremy

Hayley Marie Norman ... Hottie

Dorothy Cecchi ... Woman in Dive Bar

Michelle Lemon ... Girl at Bus Bench

Akiva Goldsman ... Executive #1

Michael Mann ... Executive #2

Brad Leland ... Executive #3

The Trailer:


The Movie:

The Rocker (2008)


6/10

A very generic yet entertaining film. It has some great comedic moments all of which are offset by the disneyesque rise of the dysfunctional suburban teen rock band. This film in many ways is like a cheap rip off of 'School of rock' yet like I say it has it's moments and overall works well as a light hearted comedy, perfect for a rainy day, but I wouldn't rush out to see it if I were you.

I was far from impressed with the teen rock band born of stereotype city, The poetic artist in need of a father figure, the punk rebel/yet shy and sweet angst girl and last but not least the over weight smart geek kid playing the keyboards in the band in hopes of getting a girl to talk to him. BLAH!

I was really into the idea of Christina Applegate, I like her and not only because she is some serious eye candy that every male from the married with children era is somewhat addicted too. Mainly because she is a brilliant comedic actor, especially in a support role, unfortunately the role never gave her that much to work with and although she did well, fell short of her potential.

The films saving grace came in the form of Rainn Wilson as Fish the naked drummer. In this role he was every bit as good as Jack Black in 'School of Rock' in some ways I think he far exceeds Blacks depiction of the past his prime rocker who never made it. For Rainn's performance alone I gave this film 4 of it's 6point rating!

The Plot:

The Rocker tells the story of a failed drummer who is given a second chance at fame. Robert "Fish" Fishman is the extremely dedicated and astoundingly passionate drummer for the eighties hair band Vesuvius, who is living the rock n' roll dream until he is unceremoniously kicked out of the band. Twenty years after his rock star fantasies are destroyed, just when Fish has finally given up all hope, he hears that his nephew's high school rock band A.D.D. is looking for a new drummer. They reluctantly make him the newest member of the band, giving him a chance to reclaim the rock God throne he's always thought he deserved, and taking the young band along for the ride of their lives.

The Cast:


Rainn Wilson ... Robert 'Fish' Fishman

Christina Applegate ... Kim

Teddy Geiger ... Curtis

Josh Gad ... Matt Gadman

Emma Stone ... Amelia

Jeff Garlin ... Stan

Jane Lynch ... Lisa

Jason Sudeikis ... David Marshall

Will Arnett ... Lex

Howard Hesseman ... Gator

Fred Armisen ... Kerr

Bradley Cooper ... Trash

Lonny Ross ... Sticks

Jon Glaser ... Billy

Jane Krakowski ... Carol

Trailer:


The Movie:

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Step Brothers (2008)



7/10


They are back at it again! Will Ferrell and John C Reilly are back in a new comedy, that will not disappoint any of their fans. As usual they look like they are just having fun making a wacky movie together again. A bunch of dick, gay and fart jokes in this one, and it goes without saying, these 2 guys do their best to show us just how cool they are not!

The Plot:

Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell) is a thirty-nine-year-old who has never left home and lives with his divorced mother, Nancy Huff (Mary Steenburgen). Dale Doback (John C. Reilly) is a forty-year-old who also has never left home and lives with his widower father, Dr. Robert Doback (Richard Jenkins). Both of them are unemployed and have been living off the goodness of their parents their whole lives. Nancy meets Robert; they fall in love, marry, and move into Robert's home. The two sons are forced to live together in the same room as step brothers. Brennan and Dale initially hate each other, but find out that they are not too different. They are like 12-year-olds trapped in adult bodies who haven't grown up and live in their own little worlds. They become best friends, and then their parents decide to kick them out, because they are getting a divorce. They set up job interviews, but to no avail. Their lives are about to change, and they must grow up.

The Cast:

Will Ferrell ... Brennan Huff
John C. Reilly ... Dale Dobak
Mary Steenburgen ... Nancy Huff
Richard Jenkins ... Dr. Robert Dobak
Jason Davis ... TJ
Wayne Federman ... Blind Man
Kyle Felts ... Wine Mixer Heckler
Travis T. Flory ... Redheaded Kid (as Travis Flory)
Kathryn Hahn ... Alice Huff
Chris Henchy ... First Homebuyer Husband
Bryce Hurless ... 9-Year-Old Brennan
Brian Huskey ... Interviewer
Ken Jeong ... Employment Agent
Paula Killen ... Rental Agent
Breaunna Lake ... Student
Phil LaMarr ... Second Homebuyer Husband
Logan Manus ... Chris Gardoski

Trailer:



The Movie:

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)


8/10

This Film bordered on ridiculous, crossed that border, invaded ridiculous, installed a new government in ridiculous and founded a whole new level of ridiculous.
On one level this film has more cheap jokes per foot of film then many others, but on a whole other level this film is a brilliant parody of the trend of biographic rock star films like I walk the line, the doors etc.
The various parodies on Elvis, the Beatles, buddy holly etc are absolutely brilliant, but the Beatles scene is my favorite by far.
The cast is awesome, the puns are awesome and this film has a million laughs a minute on offer.

Walk Hard, is a must see! Now please excuse me while I go rip my sink off the wall.

The Plot:

The up-and-down-and-up-again story of musician Dewey Cox, whose songs would change a nation. On his rock 'n roll spiral, Cox sleeps with 411 women, marries three times, has 22 kids and 14 step-kids, stars in his own 70s TV show, collects friends ranging from Elvis to the Beatles to a chimp, and gets addicted to - and then kicks - every drug known to man; but despite it all, Cox grows into a national icon and eventually earns the love of a good woman - longtime backup singer Darlene.


Cast:


John C. Reilly ... Dewey Cox

Tim Meadows ... Sam

Conner Rayburn ... Dewey - Age 8

Chip Hormess ... Nate

Raymond J. Barry ... Pa Cox

Terrence Beasor ... Country Doctor

Margo Martindale ... Ma Cox

Honeyboy Edwards ... Old Bluesman (as David Honeyboy Edwards)

Gerry Black ... Harmonica Player

Aron Johnson ... Teenage Band

Jack Donovan Saperstein ... Teenage Band (as Jack Saperstein)

Taylor Hubert ... Teenage Band (as Taylor Jamison Hubert)

Christopher Hurt ... Teenage Band

Matt Price ... MC

John Maynard ... Man at Talent Show

E.J. Callahan ... Second Man at Talent Show

Rance Howard ... Preacher

Kristen Wiig ... Edith

Craig Robinson ... Bobby Shad

Paul Bates ... Nightclub Manager

Patrick Faucette ... Bad Men Bass Player

Harold Ramis ... L'Chaim

Phil Rosenthal ... Mazeltov

Martin Starr ... Schmendrick

Oscar Dillon ... Audience Guy at Nightclub

Chris Parnell ... Theo

Matt Besser ... Dave

Jack McBrayer ... DJ

Molly C. Quinn ... Teen with Pinups (as Molly Quinn)

John Ennis ... The Big Bopper

Frankie Muniz ... Buddy Holly

Ed Helms ... Stage Manager

Jack White ... Elvis Presley

Angela Little ... Beth Anne (as Angela Little Mackenzie)

Odette Yustman ... Reefer Girl

Tyler Nilson ... Bert

Jenna Fischer ... Darlene Madison

Deanna Brooks ... Hotel Groupie with Dewey

Ian Roberts ... Drug Dealer

Steve Bannos ... Prison Guard

Willow Geer ... Rehab Nurse

David Doty ... Rehab Doctor

Jack Kehler ... Press Conference Reporter

Gerry Bednob ... The Maharishi

David Krumholtz ... Schwartzberg

Tim Bagley ... Engineer

Jane Lynch ... Gail the Television Reporter

Skyler Gisondo ... Dewdrop

Kshitij Pendurkar ... Dewey Rahim

Simon Helberg ... Dreidel L'Chaim

Jacques Slade ... Lil' Nutzzak

Danica Rozelle ... Music Video Girl

Lurie Poston ... Cox Kid

Maggie Mannion ... Cox Kid

Jackson Browne ... Himself

Jewel Kilcher ... Herself (as Jewel)

Lyle Lovett ... Himself

Stacey Scowley ... Pierced Eyebrow Girl

Ajla Hodzic ... Pierced Lip Girl

Ghostface Killah ... Himself

Otis Williams ... The Temptations

Ron Tyson ... The Temptations

Terry Weeks ... The Temptations

Joe Herndon ... The Temptations

Bruce Williamson ... The Temptations

Eddie Vedder ... Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:

Don Abernathy ... Pygmy Bushman / Man in 50's Club (uncredited)

Patrick J. Adams ... The Kid (uncredited)

Marie Antoinette ... Red Carpet Guest (uncredited)

George Anton ... Hotel Groupie (uncredited)

Shelley Appelbaum ... Teen Fan (uncredited)

Michael William Arnold ... Dewey's Kid 1970 (uncredited)

Isabella Astor ... Dewey's Daughter (uncredited)

Christopher Ausburn ... Grandson (uncredited)

Caleb Babcock ... Dewey's son (uncredited)

Jay Bird ... Caveman (uncredited)

Rian Bishop ... Concert Patron (uncredited)

Jack Black ... Paul McCartney (uncredited)

Clement Blake ... Edith's Father (uncredited)

Chris Blount ... Dewey Cox's Son - Playing Ball (uncredited)

Ian Bodell ... Son (uncredited)

David Burrus ... Kid #1 (uncredited)

Patrick Duffy ... Himself (uncredited)

Hannah Leigh Dworkin ... Dewey's Little Sister (uncredited)

Mark Casimir Dyniewicz ... 70's Dewey Cox Groupie (uncredited)

Morgan Fairchild ... Herself (uncredited)

Sommer Fehmel ... 1952 Groupie (uncredited)

Paul Feig ... Different DJ (uncredited)

Amy Ferguson ... Teenager (uncredited)

Monica Ford ... Hotel Groupie (uncredited)

Gregory George Frank ... Parent / Stagehand (uncredited)

Adam Herschman ... Jerry Garcia (uncredited)

John Michael Higgins ... Record Producer (uncredited)

Jonah Hill ... Older Nate (uncredited)

Neil Ironfield ... Dewey's Child (uncredited)

Scarlett Keegan ... Fiddle Player (uncredited)

Cheryl Ladd ... Herself (uncredited)

Justin Long ... George Harrison (uncredited)

Dawn Morrow ... Dancer (uncredited)

Kazu Nagahama ... Taiko drum performer (uncredited)

Chris Rossi ... Dancer (uncredited)

Paul Rudd ... John Lennon (uncredited)

Franklin Ruehl ... Junkie (uncredited)

Kayla Sanders ... Tap Dancer (uncredited)

Jason Schwartzman ... Ringo Starr (uncredited)

Tony Swift ... Backstage crew (uncredited)

Serria Tawan ... 70's African American Woman (uncredited)

Cheryl Tiegs ... Herself (uncredited)

Haleigh Ward ... Dewey's Daughter (uncredited)

Debbie Yeh ... Asian Woman 70's (uncredited)

Rowena Zirbel ... Hotel Groupie #4 (uncredited)

Trailer:




The Movie:


this film is in no way associated with 4reel film reviews, if the owner would like to have this removed, please contact me, the clip was sent to me by a fan.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008)

8/10

Roldy and Kumar are back and they have stepped it up. Anyone who is a fan of the first installment, will love this film, the origional stoner vibe is still running strong in this one, but they have used the popularity of the first film to beef up the budget and add a bunch of social and political commentary to this one.

The Plot:

The morning they return from their White Castle road trip, Harold and Kumar decide to go to Amsterdam because Harold doesn't want to wait ten days to see Maria again. On the plane, Kumar lights up his new bong, the air marshals think it's a bomb, and Harold and Kumar are arrested as terrorists and sent to Guantanamo Bay. Ordered to fellate a guard, they manage to escape, make their way to Florida, and head for Texas to find Kumar's ex-girlfriend's fiancé, the well-connected Colton, and get him to intercede with Washington on their behalf. Kumar still has a thing for Vanessa, the feds are in hot pursuit, and the legal weed of Amsterdam seems a long way away.


The Cast:


John Cho ... Harold Lee

Kal Penn ... Kumar Patel

Rob Corddry ... Ron Fox

Jack Conley ... Deputy Frye

Roger Bart ... Dr. Jack Beecher

Neil Patrick Harris ... Neil Patrick Harris

Danneel Harris ... Vanessa Fanning

Eric Winter ... Colton Graham

Paula Garcés ... Maria

Jon Reep ... Raymus

Missi Pyle ... Raylene

Mark Munoz ... Cyrus

James Adomian ... George W. Bush

Beverly D'Angelo ... Sally

Echo Valley ... Tits Hemingway

Trailer:



The Movie:

Friday, April 25, 2008

Clerks 2 (2006)


8.5/10

They are back, and they are brilliant! The worlds most loved misfit clerks have returned to the screen; 10 years has past, they are a little fatter, a little older and only a miniscule touch more mature! In the original “Clerks” installment Dante and Randall dealt with the ins and outs of trying to find their place in the world, the struggle of the 20 something, not sure where this life of theirs is going, just looking for a good time, a good girl and some good friends. A time where a hockey game can be the be all and end all of a persons day. Now 10 years later they still struggle with finding themselves but on a new level, the mid life crisis has set in, faced with the onslaught of their 30’s the boys are now looking at marriage and security and the possibility of it breaking their life long friendship. This new installment of “Clerks” doesn’t fail to satisfy it’s fans with gritty dick & fart joke humor that they have come to expect from writer/director Kevin Smith aka Silent Bob. In fact it serves up a myriad of offside humor and situations guaranteed to please even the most die hard View Askew fans. “Clerks 2” was a gamble as an idea, as a film it is a screaming success!




The Plot:

After the Quick Stop burns down Dante and Randall, find themselves new employment at Moobies, (the MacDonalds esque creation of Kevin Smith). While Dante sets about his last day working in Jersey, and prepares to leave with his fiancee to live in Florida, Randall is left looking at a future without his best friend to balance out his bullshit. The question is, is Dante leaving his friends behind for the right reasons or is he simply doing what he thinks a 33 year old man should do?




Cast:

Brian O'Halloran...Dante

Jeff Anderson...Randal

Jason Mewes...Jay

Kevin Smith...Silent Bob

Trevor Fehrman...Elias

Rosario Dawson...Becky

Jason Lee...Lance Dowds

Kevin Weisman...Hobbit Lover

Jake Richardson...Teen #1

Ethan Suplee...Teen #2

Jennifer Schwalbach Smith...Emma aka Kevin Smiths Wife

Rachel Larratt...Counter Girl with Ear Guy

Shannon Larratt...Ear Guy

Ben Affleck...Gawking Guy

Sarah Ault...Catholic Schoolgirl

Lalida Sujjavasin...Catholic Schoolgirl #2

Gail Stanley...Elias' Mom

Bruce Macintosh...Elias' Dad

Trailer



The Movie:

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