Brüno (2009)

I have to see Bruno more than once, most people probably do too. That's because Bruno is one of those rare movies where you're laughing so hard at some parts you know you're missing the next funny thing. As gay, Austrian fashionista and celebrity-wannabe Bruno, Baron Cohen continues his jaw-droppingly crass and outrageous stealth comedy antics. Purportedly, Baron Cohen has been beaten up while in character, so it only seems fair that he makes his audience laugh hard enough to hurt.

Of course the usual Baron Cohen caveat is in order: yes, its offensive, yes, its gross, yes, there is a LOT of nudity, mostly male. If any of this is not your cup of tea, that's dandy, no hard feelings. If you don't mind the occasional sight of literally bouncing balls in the name of comedy, Bruno is pure gold.

Post Borat fame has probably necessitated that more of this movie be staged, with at least some of the people (a talk show host, the driver of an oncoming car) in on the joke. But scripted or naturalits wickedly funny. And enough of it is genuineincluding Bruno's interview/sex tape with Ron Paul, parents of would-be baby stars volunteering their 12-month-olds to play Nazis, ex-gay ministers, straight-rally wrestling audiences and general bystanders to Bruno's public antics.

Bruno balances the line between social commentary and comedy like a model on a catwalk. As with Borat half the humor comes from people reactings (or not) to the character's outrageous behavior, and half from the eerily apt caricature Baron Cohen creates. Fame-hound Bruno is everything narcissitic, uninformed, vain and with the all-too-common undeserved sense of entitlement that makes up the worst of American pop culture. As with Borat, Bruno learns some life-lessons and grows as a person by the end of the movieas Baron Cohen always seems to want to better his audience, even if he has to beat them over the head with a dildo to do it.

This movie is *clearly* for those not easily offended. It is shocking and hysterical, but I don't think I could allow my parents to go see it.

Sasha Baron Cohen's latest creation, Bruno, makes his way to America to become uber-famous any way he can. And he goes through lots of different attempts on his way. Acting, interviewing celebrities, guesting on talk shows, becoming straight, he tries many methods, each with it's painfully funny result. You'll love the Paula Abdul interview, particularly.

The interactions with people are wonderful, and you will be appalled at what some parents will do to get their children into show business. Just stunning.

There are a lot of shocking/uncomfortable funny moments (be prepared for gratuitous male nudity), and I am no sure how they will hold up for repeated viewings, but in a crowded theater, it was a scream. The ending is worth the buildup, and stick around for the closing song.

I laughed so hard that my face was hurting, and my wife was crying from laughing so hard. It takes a while to recover, but soooooo worth it!

NOT for the kids.

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After the movie Borat in 2006 Sacha Baron Cohen returned to the big screen in 2009 with another of his characters, gay Austrian (you read that right, it's not Australian) Bruno. 19 years old Bruno is known for hosting what is said to be the most famous German speaking television show outside of Germany "Funkyzeit mit Bruno", a show about fashion and for his flamboyant style. Bruno is doing well in the world of fashion but when he gets fired, his assistant leaves him and his lover dumps him he decides to leave for America in order to become famous by any means.When he comes to America Bruno tries a talent agency to get to stare in a big Hollywood movie and become famous, he unsuccessfully tries to starts a new television show, he does an interview, interviews people and he even tries to become straight amongst other things. He will do anything to get famous and is not ashamed of it which will end up in hilarious situations . Bruno to me was really funny, there were some moments were I laughed, others were I was in shock and others in which I didn't quite know what to think which I think was Baron Cohen's goal with this movie. There is a lot of nudity and other shocking things in this movie so be aware it's not for children and not everyone will like it because of it. Bruno goes far with homosexuality and if you are not comfortable with this then Bruno may not be for you. I have no problem with it at all and therefore enjoyed the movie and thought the character was great.

You may not like what Baron Cohen does but you can't deny his ability to re-invent himself, from his Ali-G character to Borat and others and keep what he does controversial, fresh and interesting . Bruno stands on its own and is not a Borat clone, there are a few similarities but the two are very different while retaining the same style of humor Baron Cohen is known for. If you are easily offended don't watch this, it's a different kind of humor that not everyone can appreciate. When it comes to Bruno it's pretty simple you will either love it or hate it. The rating here on amazon may prove otherwise but it's because of the mix of very positive and very negative reviews, there is hardly any middle ground.

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I rented Bruno from NetFlix with mixed feelings. I had seen Cohen's other works, including Borat and the Ali G Show, both of which I found deceptively intelligent and political. His ability to make his characters' stupidity an incisive mirror which he holds up to society is mind-boggling. With Borat, I thought this form of comedy had reached it's highest point. I was wrong. Bruno goes further. Some are offended by the gratuitous male nudity. Deal with it. If looking at penises makes you deeply uncomfortable, you probably have issues that run deeper than Bruno. It's true that a lot of the content of the movie revolves around Cohen using his flamboyantly gay character Bruno to make conservative anti-gay types uncomfortable. This can be uncomfortable for the viewer as well, but with the ultimate pay-off of revealing America's deep-seated homophobia and questioning it.

SPOILER WARNING

The film's finale gathers a large number of red-neck cage-fight enthusiasts in an arena for an event hosted by "Straight Dave", Bruno's straight alter-ego. When they get a touching (if gratuitously gay) scene of male-male reconciliation and love, the fans go crazy with disgust. Some of the audience leave, some yell violent hate slogans, some throw drinks at Bruno and his lover. Several of the fans looks shocked and betrayed, several of them comically wearing "Straight Dave" T-shirts they'd gotten for the event. I even saw a few in the crowd who looked like they understood the point that Cohen was making. People who were suddenly more disgusted by the gross display of homophobic violence on the part of the fans than the homosexual love that was taking place within the cage.

While his methods may be questionable, I feel America is indebted to Cohen for his bravery, and that he is one of the single largest contributors to intelligent social commentary through comedy today.

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For those of you who may be "different" or gay and have been hurt, intimidated or shunned by society, you will love this fun-filled jab at your tormentors! As a gay person, I admit to a sadistic thrill out of seeing every single uncomfortable straight person in the film, and those watching it. The hillbilly's, the conservatives, the testosterone-filled and religious nuts all get a taste of their own medicine in this 'Borat-as-a-gay' fun fest.

Some of the scenarios are screamingly funny (the 'channeling Milli Vanilli' scene comes to mind) and you really have to admire the fact that Sasha Baron Cohen is a straight man creating these outlandish situations. So much of it comes off the top of his head, and he has an amazing ability to stay in character.

If you are "offended by male nudity"...then get a life! I saw that phrase SO MANY times in the reviews on here! How many times have you been asked if you were offended by "female nudity"? How many hundreds of movies have you seen with breasts (and "other parts") displayed across the big screen, larger than two-car garages? Did we gasp? Did we run home and complain about how "offensive" it was? I doubt it. Bruno has a penis and we see it, big deal! Well...it DOES have a urethra that talks...but still. He's an unconventional fella...

Why so many Sarah Palin-type Americans chose to view this film anyway, is a mystery. Bruno is UNMISTAKABLY gay on the cover, and they knew he was played by the same guy who was Borat. What were they expecting, a Liberace concert? The truth? Borat was offensive and STRAIGHT and everyone loved it. Bruno is offensive and GAY. And that, apparently, is 'not allowed.'

I say, buy this film. Play it when you're feeling down and it will guarantee you lots of laughs.

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Kino Classic's The Selznick Collection (Nothing Sacred, A Farewell To Arms, A Star is Born, Bird of

Last week I gave away an Electrolux vacuum cleaner. It was purchased by my mother in New Jersey in 1968. It cleaned our homes in New Jersey and Florida for 15 years, and it is still functioning perfectly. I only gave it away because today's lightweight vacs are much easier to tote. I tell this story because there was a time in this country when companies took pride in their products and ripping consumers off was unheard of, or at the very least, it seldom occurred. But the years have passed and companies don't care about quality anymore. Now it's all about getting top dollar for inferior products that promise you everything and deliver nothing. Such is the case with Kino's The Selznick Collection. All five films in this boxed set claim the following: MASTERED IN HD FROM AN ORIGINAL NITRATE 35MM PRINT PRESERVED BY THE GEORGE EASTMAN HOUSE MOTION PICTURE DEPARTMENT. If this is actually true I am willing to eat all five DVDs and then the cardboard box itself. All five films are of substandard quality, some of them so awful that they are barely viewable. The most disastrous of them all is BIRD OF PARADISE, with the lovely Dolores del Rio, which is not only marred by visuals worthy of bad public domain piracy but is also afflicted with a distortion of its soundtrack from the very beginning of the film, making the dialog unintelligible, to say nothing about Max Steiner's fabulous score, which is distorted beyond recognition. I have seen public domain copies of this film which are superior to this absolute merde Kino claims came from an original nitrate negative. Sound and image problems plague all five releases. The two Technicolor classics, A STAR IS BORN and NOTHING SACRED suffer from color variations which go from a pinkish hue to something that looks like three-strip Technicolor. At no time during these two films does one get any semblance to real Technicolor or anything close to it. The best of the worst are LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY and A FAREWELL TO ARMS, which is not saying much because the visuals are still substandard and so is the sound. It's just that compared to the other three aberrations, these two fare a little better. But I would like to stress that the entire set is no better than a bad public domain copy of any of these films. Kino has added no extras whatsoever, not even English subtitles. It's a no frills package of unacceptable prints at premium prices. This is an insult and a slap in the face to consumers and collectors. There should be an agency that handles situations such as this, and Kino should be made liable, and be forced to reimburse EVERYONE who has fallen prey to their false claims and advertising and has purchased these five films, whether singly, or all together in a boxed set. So be warned, if you spend any money on any of these 5 releases, you are just throwing your money away. If you absolutely must have one or more of these films, I suggest borrowing them from your public library or renting them and making dubs. It's exactly what Kino deserves for putting out crap like this.

I watched all the Kinolorber Selznick Collection and that the DVD transfers were good quality. Mr. Fina complained of inferior picture quality and poor sound. I did not see the poor picture quality or pick up any sound distortions. I have viewed a number older movies from the same period and found the quality the same. I am sure if Mr. Fina would to take the time he would see the same for other older films. He should take the time to buy the Blue Ray and and view it on his HDTV!

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Sterile Cuckoo (1969)

This lovely, heartwrenching film is the sort of story that just doesn't get told today -perhaps the innocence & honesty required just isn't there any longer. More's the pity, because this is a beautifully tender story of first love & its inevitable ending, which deserves to be seen. Liza Minnelli is unafraid to play the eccentric, lonely Pookie as needy & infuriating when required. Yet we never lose our sympathy for her, especially as we realize that Wendell Burton's shy, introverted Jerry is gradually outgrowing her. She's exactly what he needed to break out of his shell, and he clearly understands this ... but he sees that they're destined to go different ways before she does (or before she'll admit it to herself). Minnelli & Burton are superb together, utterly convincing in their wistful, somewhat lost, always searching way. And Tim McIntire's supporting performance as Jerry's boastful roommate, who surprises us with a heartfelt confession on a night drive home, is a small gem in its own right. "Come Saturday Morning" is the perfect song for this small but deeply affecting story of first love, lingering in the memory along with the characters. Highly recommended!

(Now, when is it going to be released on DVD?)

In my review of 'Cabaret', I rather rashly claimed that Liza's turn as self-destructive Ingenue Sally Bowles was her 'once-in-a-lifetime' performance. That, however, was before I caught this 1969 Gem, 'The Sterile Cuckoo', on Sky Classics.

Beautifully-directed by Alan Pakula in that strange, isolated, stereotypical 1960's-flick style, 'The Sterile Cuckoo' tells the bittersweet, emotionally macabre tale of anally-retentive college freshman Jerry Payne (Wendell Burton), and his intense relationship with the scatterbrained, maniacal Pookie Adams (Liza Minnelli), an enigmatic and energetic girl with a sad past.

Liza's first Oscar nomination was very thoroughly deserved. Even as late as 1969 the Oscars were not yet the meaningless PR-Fest that we now know them to be, and it's nominations for odd, thought-provoking performances like Minnelli's, here, that restores our faith in that system. She's absorbing and heart-wrenching, infuriating and devastating, all at the same time. Her perfect foil comes in the guise of the extremely skillfull performance turned in by Wendell Burton, in the role of her hapless boyfriend Jerry. He's the ideal contrast to Minnelli's mania, and though we are oftentimes infuriated by his apathy, we can't help but simultaneously sympathise with him.

Pakula's direction is excellent. The vistas are beautiful; simple and isolated, with so much 'New England' jumping from the screen as to make you all but feel the leaves crunching beneath your feet. The sparse countryside, punctuated by violent outbursts of colour, is the perfect metaphor for the central relationship, and Pakula makes extremely clever use of this in the scenes of Pookie and Jerry's early relationship.

A classic slice of 60's ideal surrealism, this is a beautifully-crafted, emotionally absorbing movie that REALLY should be on DVD by now. Highly recommended.

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The first time I saw this movie it bothered me. Watching the love story develop between Pookie and Roger was like watching a horror movie, I kept wanting to yell at the guy for getting into a relationship with this obviously unstable, needy, life-sucking parasite of a human being. But the film haunted me (maybe because I couldn't get "Come Saturday Morning" out of my mind), so much so I bought the video. It's really a different film that couldn't be made today. The pace is different, the plot depends on the characters, Liza Minelli's performance breaks your heart. I suggest this film to anyone who doesn't like the typical romance film of the "Pretty Woman" persuasion. Watch it after you've broken up with somebody if you want a good cry.

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This is one of Liza Minnelli's earliest films, and her first Academy Award nomination. She is outstanding as Pookie Adams, a lonely girl from a family with a sad history. She is highly intelligent and extremely winning, especially in the first scene, on a bus, where she manipulates some nuns into letting her sit next to the object of her desire, Jerry Payne. They are going to near-by colleges, and Pookie pursues Jerry, cleverly winning him over, until he finally falls in love with her. In my opinion this is the all-time best coming of age movie! A *must* see for everyone!!! You'll watch it over and over!

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I fell in love with this movie while still in high school (1972) and it is one of my favorites. There are so many good scenes that it would take forever to list them. But two stand out and are the best in the film. The scene where Pookie and Jerry are going to have sex for the first time is sweet and honest and absolutely hysterical. Liza's telephone scene ranks up there with Louise Rainer's in "The Great Ziegfeld" and Barbra Streisand's in "The Way We Were". It will tug at your heart strings like no other scene in any movie in recent years. Liza should have beat out Maggie Smith for the OSCAR for this one for which she was nominated. A wonderful movie with laughs, tears, good music and incredible performances. Please bring this to DVD PLEASE!!!

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Lady for a Day (1933)

Frank Capra directed this film twice. The second version was called Pocketful of Miracles, starred the fearless Bette Davis, and was made in glorious technicolor. Both were actually very good films.

I've always been a huge Bette Davis fan so it's interesting that I have a soft spot for the combination of the audacious May Robson and the suave and debonair Warren William, but I think they work off one another really well and Warren William comes off as a more Runyonesque hood with a heart of gold than his counterpart in the later version Glenn Ford. These films were adapted from the Damon Runyon short story Madame Le Gimp.

The plot is fairly simple. Apple Annie (May Robson)is a down on her luck apple vendor during the depression. William's character Dave the Dude is a gambling hood who views Annie's apples as a talisman that brings him good luck. Dave tips Annie well, but she lives in a tenement but uses a swank NYC hotel as her mailing address and that's where the story lies. She is letting her convent educated daughter who is living in Europe subsidized by Dave's generous tips think she is a high society diva.

Annie's lie apparently goes on without complications until she receives a letter from her daughter saying she is coming to NYC with her fiancée who is a nobleman. Of course, this comes with little notice and goes to worse when it looks like her lie is going to be exposed. The rest of the movie involves a collective conspiracy to transform Annie and make her dreams come true.

What makes this story really compeling in both films is that while a lot of the mayhem is played for laughs, there is an underlying sadness in the Annie character that is heartbreaking. Robson was probably well beyond seventy when she made this film. It was completely implausible that she could have been the mother of a young woman, but there is an element of suspension of reason at work here. Her Annie is so sad and sweet that the viewer can totally ignore the age factor and get into the moment of what is going on.

Warren William is admittedly a ham, but he balances irritation with a peculiar affability that makes him come across as a softie when it comes to his good luck charm, Annie. The supporting cast does a good job fleshing out the story, imbuing it with an odd assortment of characters that makes this movie interesting. The hoods in Dave'the Dude's employ include Nat Pendelton, Guy Kibbee, Irving Bacon, and the wonderful deadpan actor Ned Sparks. Perennial wise girl Glenda Farrell play's Dave's girlfriend with charm and a seriously semi-tough edge.

The bonuses on this Blu-ray copy, include Frank Capra Jr.'s commentary and a film essay by Scott Eyeman. It was copied from Frank Capra's personal copy. The quality is o.k., which means better than previously available sources.

This is one of my all time favorite movies! My great-grandmother babysat me whenever school was out. She was a huge movie fan and would tell me stories about where she was in her life when these movies came out. Her favorite director was Frank Capra so when one of his movies came on TV, we stopped everything and watched. This movie was one of her two favorites and has so much to offer. It is a bit of a Cinderella story for a poor apple peddler, it is a comedy, it will pull at your heartstrings it is simply wonderful. If you want a light-hearted, feel-good movie, then this is it. I like this one better than the later version Pocketful of Miracles but both are great.

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Ok. This is my first review. I had virtually no idea what this movie was about,

basically never heard of it. But was familar with Capra's work. This movie

is a hell of little gem. Will actually buy some for friends. Talk about strong endings ! Please put out more classic black and whites on Blu-ray. Many thanks. It was beautiful. Dr. Michael Hauth

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I have seen some awesome reviews. Even Leonard Maltin loves this new restoration of the film! The Before/After segment is very cool, and really shows how much work goes into something like this. It's gorgeous. Oh, and four minutes are in this version that were missing from the original release. So that's great too. Definitely worth the money!!

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Lady for a Day was an original which established a long-running Hollywood genre, and its theme seems so familiar to us today because its storytelling style was widely imitated for many years. It offers a look into a pivotal time in American film history, only six years into the sound era. It also foretells the successful career of one of Hollywood's most charismatic directors, Frank Capra, whose own life story had the same fairy tale quality as the films he made.

In 1933 Capra was a rising star in Hollywood, directing pictures for the upstart Columbia Pictures studio, whose home neighborhood was derided by other studios as "Poverty Row". A Sicilian immigrant, Capra was self-driven to achieve the American Dream, and to do so he created it on film in picture after picture. Lady for a Day was crafted specifically to earn an Academy Award, which neither Capra nor Columbia Pictures had ever won. Utilizing a story by Damon Runyon, Capra and his frequent collaborator, screenwriter Robert Riskin, wove a tale of an impoverished Depression-era apple seller working the streets of the Broadway district in New York City. Apple Annie was also weaving her own tales in letters to her daughter in Europe, chatting about Annie's fanciful life of wealth and success. Typical of Damon Runyon, the story is replete with soft-hearted gangsters, flummoxed cops, and politicians capable of grand and magnanimous gestures.

The impending visit of Apple Annie's daughter from Europe, with not only her suitor in tow, but his aristocratic Spanish father as well, pitches Annie (Broadway actress May Robson) into despair, and the gangsters into action to make Apple Annie into a lady for a day. "Dave the Dude" (Warren William) orders his henchmen to pretend to be the high-society types with whom a grand lady would associate, just long enough to convince the Count that Annie's daughter is worthy of marriage into his family. Comic relief is provided by pool-shark "Judge" Blake (Guy Kibbee) who is to portray Annie's wealthy and influential husband, and Dude's wise-cracking sidekick Happy (Ned Sparks).

Lady for a Day was Capra's breakthrough picture, and he filled it with the teary-eyed pathos and whimsical comedy that became his trademarks. It was nominated for four Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Screenwriting. At the awards ceremony it lost all four, and in the most humiliating way imaginable. Host Will Rogers opened the envelope for Best Director, and in his typical folksy way, drawled that he had "known this boy for many years". Not mentioning either the full name of the director or the title of the winner's film, Rogers said "come on up and get your award, Frank". Unfortunately there were two "Franks" nominated for 1933, and both started toward the stage. But it was Frank Lloyd who had won for his film Cavalcade. Capra had to slink back to his table, calling it the worst experience of his life. But it set the stage for the 1934 Academy Awards, when Capra's It Happened One Night swept all five major awards, including Best Director.

The beautiful Blu-ray restoration of Lady for a Day was made from a print owned personally by Frank Capra, and provides a luminous and nearly perfect look at the film techniques of the 1930s. It is certain to be enjoyed by any fan of Capra, or of the films of a bygone era.

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Lola Versus (2012)

"Lola Versus" (87 min.) is the second feature film for real-life partners Daryl Wein (co-writer and director) and Zoe Lister Jones (co-writer and co-star), after the promising 2009 feature "Breaking Upwards". I caught "Lola Versus" just recently at the Esquire, the Cincinnati indie-movies theatre.

"Lola Versus" brings the story of Lola (played by Greta Gerwig), who is in a seemingly perfect relationship with boyfriend Like (played by Joel Kinnaman), as it is portrayed in the first 5 min. of the movie. In fact Luke proposes to Lola, who happily says yes. But alas, with only weeks before the wedding date, Luke breaks up with Lola. In the rest of the movie we see Lola struggling to cope with this devastating news, counting on her close friends to help her, including best girl pal Alice (played by Lister Jones) and best guy pal Henry (played by Hamish Linklater). It would ruin your viewing experience if I spelled out how it all unfolds, you'll just have to see it for yourself.

Several comments: first, the script is loosely based on the real life experience of Lister Jones and Wein breaking up for about a year and how Lister Jones coped as a newly single woman in her mid/late 20s. Second, I first noticed Greata Gerwig in "Greenberg" some 3-4 years ago, and in "Lola Versus" Gerwig again oozes charm (and talent) and she easily carries the movie on her shoulders. Her performance just transfixed me. Third, keep an eye out for Debra WInger and Bill Pullman as Lola's parents, in particular Pullman delivers some memorable lines. In all, I can't emphasize enough how charmed I was by the movie. This is way off the radar screenfrom your mainstream Hollywood fare. One of those "little movies that could", and then did. I was amazed when the end credits started rolling as I had no idea an hour and a half had come and gone. If you like a smart, engaging, delightful indie movie about "relationships", "Lola Versus" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

My first experience watching Greta Gerwig was in a small movie from 2010 called "Greenberg." By my count she now has 6 films that have or will come out in 2012 including this one. Here she plays a 29 year old part time waitress trying to get her Ph.D. by explaining great literary pieces. Many will compare this "relationship" film to "Sex in the City" or Lena Dunham's "Tiny Furniture/Girls" and like those films/TV series, New York City is a central character.

The film opens with Lola about to get married to Luke (Joel Kinnaman, "Safe House"), a hunky dude she lives with. He gets cold feet a few weeks before the wedding, which is catastrophic for Lola. Propped up by her former hippie parents (Debra Winger and Bill Pullman) and a couple clichéd friends (co-writer Zoe Lister Jones and Hamish Linklater), the story follows Lola's attempt to regain her footing. She's confused and convinced that no one wants her, so begins a series of one night stands that includes her friend Henry (Linklater). I'm surprised she didn't try Alice (Jones). Now that would have been interesting.

After dipping her toe again with Luke and several all night drunken binges, Lola finally realizes she must confront her own self doubt before moving on. I don't mean to be a spoiler but the general story here is nothing new and nothing most haven't seen before. What is interesting is Greta Gerwig in her first lead performance. There's something about her. Her charisma, her quirky charm, her below-the-radar attractiveness that allows the brief (89 minutes) film to be worthwhile.

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This was an enjoyable film, showcasing Greta Gerwig's talent and offering up a story that seemed convoluted at times. There is little question of Ms. Gerwig's talent. She appears to be the quintessential Woody proscribed heroine. This was so much more than earlier appearance in 'Greenberg.'

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A young woman is dumped by her soul-mate, just before her wedding day. Lola experiences the trauma of heartbreak, her age, and where her life is heading. After taking the advice from friends and family, she decides to venture out on her own healing journey. Emotional, intriguing, and entertaining throughout. Acting Performance Good, and a Great summer movie. Highly Recommended!

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I guess I was looking for a "pick me up" kind of movie, but this one just didn't seem to fit my style. The delivery and Amazon was great I just didn't care so much for the movie itself after watching it

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The Five-Year Engagement (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (2012)

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)There is such a ramshackle charm to this 2012 romantic comedy that I think the term "Apatovian" seems appropriate to describe it since it most definitely feels like the same general creative team led by producer Judd Apatow that guided Knocked Up, Funny People, and Bridesmaids. All the ingredients of the successful Apatovian formula are here likeable principal characters facing the unpredictability of life's events, the familiar challenges of maintaining relationships in a morass of doubt and temptation, the unexpected detours into graphic humor, the pool of scene-stealing comic actors, the slightly overlong running time (this one clocks in at 124 minutes). Directed by Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), this particular one focuses on a young couple a year into their relationship Tom Solomon, a talented sous-chef at a trendy San Francisco restaurant, and Violet Barnes, a psychology graduate student hoping to win a postdoctoral fellowship at Berkeley.

The movie opens with Tom popping the question on the bayside terrace of his restaurant and Violet responding affirmatively without hesitation. Thanks to the stars' easy charms, the characters are obviously quite compatible and in love. What happens from that point forward is less about formula and more about just life. Berkeley turns Violet down, but she eventually wins a fellowship in a two-year program at Michigan. Tom willingly gives up his much-sought-after job and moves cross-country with Violet to Ann Arbor. She thrives under the tutelage of the suspiciously charming Prof. Winton Childs amid her motley study group. Tom, on the other hand, flails mightily in trying to fit into his new surroundings, eventually landing a lowly job at a sandwich shop and turning into a grizzly-looking house-husband who takes up hobbies like deer hunting and sweater knitting.

While their dilemma doesn't represent new material to the big screen, the treatment of the subject as co-written by Stoller and star Jason Segel is uncommonly well handled with plenty of room for awkward moments filled with both humor and honest emotion. If the film drags, as it occasionally does in the last third, it's because they focus a little too liberally on the principals' relationships with the incidental characters. As Tom, Segel has improved considerably as a leading man since his gangly turn in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, bringing acuity to his character's increasing struggle between devotion and resentment. Emily Blunt brings a welcome softness and open awkwardness to her heretofore crystalline screen persona, and the two actors achieve a natural rapport that brings a centered relatability to their evolving characters. They are surrounded by a crack company of comic actors.

Chris Pratt (Parks & Recreation) brings goofball energy to Tom's wildly inappropriate chef colleague-turned-brother-in-law Alex, while Alison Brie (Mad Men) sports a convincing Brit accent and an off-kilter manner to her hilarious portrayal of Violet's impulsive sister Suzie. One of the film's funniest scenes involves Violet and Suzie having a tense discussion while speaking in the voices of Elmo and Cookie Monster in order to avoid alarming Suzie's daughter. As Childs, Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill) brings the right level of smarminess to his erudite professor, while Mindy Kaling, Kevin Hart, and Randall Park play Violet's fellow PhD candidates with sharp jabs of humor. In a few memorably funny scenes, Brian Posehn plays the oddball sandwich shop owner and Chris Parnell is Tom's too-comfortable fellow house-husband. The movie wraps up on a somewhat pat note rather quickly, but it maintains its goodwill to the very last.

Can't believe this movie only averages 3 stars. I'm not much of a "rom-com" guy but my wife & I both enjoyed this film that has really good performances by all involved and found it to be LOL funny all the way through. I did feel it was a little longer than it probably could have been but that's my only nitpick. Jason Siegel, Emily Blunt and the lesser known supporting actors (Dakota Johnson, Kevin Hart among them) were all great in this. Highly recommended if you want to enjoy a good "date movie".

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I don't see how this is a 3 star movie.

This film has captured the random chaos of love for this generation. Putting things off until their "right," and always finding a reason to postpone vs a shotgun wedding and making it work. I feel I've seen this story play out all around me.

Not only being incredibly true in tone for this generation, the characters are honest and real. Even the bit parts are acted out with fully developed characters. Everyone knew who they were.

Maybe it was the tone. Maybe it was the honesty. Maybe it was the acting, but I laughed hard, out loud, many many times while watching this movie. I give it my highest recommendation.

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I enjoyed this movie. If you enjoyed "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", give this one a try. It's not quite as good but definitely entertaining.

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Funny and insightful. Definitely worth the time to watch if you like comedy movies. I hope you enjoy it as I did.

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Doghouse (2009)

The zombie resurgence continues (really now, the undead are everywhere!) in the delightfully silly British import "Doghouse." The horror/comedy zombie mine has been drilled so many times lately, I was afraid this film might be dead on arrival. But with a playful wink at sexual politics, "Doghouse" adds a new man versus woman angle that keeps things lively. Director Jake West manages to infuse the film with plenty of appropriately gruesome moments, gross visuals, hilarious sight gags, and then tops it off with a biting social satire on sexism. With no pretensions, "Doghouse" qualifies as a rollicking good time and I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun I had.

The film starts out as a bit of male wish fulfillment. To support a friend going through a divorce, a group of guys decides to take a "boys only" vacation. The joke is that they decide to go to a remote town where women reportedly outnumber men four to one. Even though the logic of this escapade is a bit sketchy, the guys are eager to take a break from their everyday lives (it helps that all their introductions present cloying spouses and unpleasant situations). So maybe this vision of a town with randy and willing ladies seems perfectly reasonable. Traveling via bus (in scenes eerily reminiscent of "Severance"--check it out as well), the guys eventually discover things all but deserted--until they start finding body parts and bloody remnants. But that's not all--the women have been turned into ravenous zombies!

A military/government experiment has gone awry and the resultant virus affects only the fairer sex. The zombies are hysterically attired in various garish outfits--sexy bride and maniacal beautician are my favorites, at least until an unlikely encounter occurs with one of our heroes (Danny Dyer) and a very large negligee-wearing seductress. Once the guys hit town, "Doghouse" becomes a frantic and non-stop adventure. Dyer (who co-incidentally was also in "Severance," about the ultimate corporate retreat) is spot-on as the biggest dog in the pack, but all the guys fill their roles nicely.

"Doghouse" is first and foremost a comedy. While the attacks and splatter scenes are well choreographed, there will be more laughs accompanying the slapstick antics than jolts from pure fright. "Doghouse" is very successful at achieving its modest goals. Entertaining and strangely endearing, you might find yourself liking the film and its heroes more than you might want to admit. So, I'll go ahead and make my confession--I loved "Doghouse!" KGHarris, 10/10.

I saw that this had one of the actors from Kidulthood so I looked at the preview. The preview cracked me up. The movie itself walks a line between thriller and comedy and I think they did a great job. It's not an all-out comedy like Shawn of the Dead, but it has some very funny parts. It is definitely worth a watch.

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This movie is a zomedy from the U.K. and it looks great on blu ray for sure. It features a group of average brit blokes who take their divorced friend on a vacation tour trip and end up in a village filled with female women infected with a virus that makes them zombie like. But they are not zombies really , instead mutated would be a better word for them. The music in this movie is really cool rock and that helps the feel of the movie. The cast itself are all veterans of british tv and film and NOT first timers, in fact this is way above some amuteur film made by beginners. So you get a low budget flick done by seasoned professionals all the way here. The negative reviews on amazon about acting are not accurate at all I believe, the sets looked fine to me as well. It was a small village set and that's that. The story is not pollitically correct at all and of course we get silliness some. The whole idea that the brit government would test a virus on a village in their own country is lame but who else would this movie work? well it could have been a meteor and that would have been less distasteful but it's now become part of filmland to always blame governments for everything so this is what you get. However it doesn't matter as this is a zomedy anyways. I thought the movie moved fast and was funny and even offensive which is what it aimed to be anyways. However the idea of men finding themselves in this horrible situation seems far fetched.

Instead regardless if you knew these cannibal women you'd be filled with horror and not take this lightly. But this does have the actors act that way to a degree which lets us all know that this is a comedy to a degree. Still it's a fast moving flick and if you don't take it seriously you'll have fun watching it. The blu ray has deleted scenes and extras as well. the blu ray is all region but the extras are not though. you'd need a all region blu ray to watch the extras but the feature film is fine on your american blu ray player. The uk has lots of horror blus that aren't making it out over here and most of them are all region so it's a good idea to grab them if you want a hd version of a movie like this.

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I wont bore you with too much back story cause it's all been done here, lets just say male friends on a male weekend and they so go to the wrong town. This movie was just funny, and I actually liked the guys, I was sad to see bad things happen to some of them. The crazy psycho women are just over the top. But it was one thing after another with these poor guys so it's certainly not boring on any level. And it will make the gore lovers happy as well. But this movie will make you laugh if you have any kind of sense of humor.

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Review originally posted on my website, From the Mind of Tatlock

Here I was saying there wasn't many funny zombie movies out there in my Aaah! Zombies!! movie review and then a certain streaming service recommends I check out Doghouse. Boy, am I glad I did, cause I loved it! It was funny, gory and has a fun 80's horror vibe throughout. If that piqued your interest, read on for more...

Short nitty-gritty plot description from IMDb is as follows: A group of men head to a remote village to help one of their friends get over his divorce; when they get there, though, they discover that all the women have been infected with a virus that makes them man-hating cannibals.

Okay, I said in my intro that Doghouse is a funny zombie movie, but I'm kinda stretching the truth a little, as the movie's creatures aren't really zombies per say and are more just weird infected... well, creatures. They will munch down on flesh and tear you apart, but they are so weird looking and go through different phases, that I wouldn't really classify them as a straight zombie. So, with that out of the way, what is the movie about.

Doghouse follows a group of friends, Niel, Mikey, Graham, Matt and Patrick, as they console a fellow friend, Vince, who is going through a rough divorce. The plan is to go on a road trip to the small town of Moodley, where the women outnumber the men and get drunk, get laid and just forget their troubles. They arrive in Moodley and find out that Mikey, the one who planned the trip and who was originally from this town, was fibbing a little on the size and excitement of the place. Thankfully for us and not so much for our friends, the town has been infected with a virus and all the women are ravenous creatures, who will stop at nothing to tear you apart!

Doghouse has a lot of positives in my useless opinion. It was pretty damn funny, the guys are pretty dumb, but I enjoyed them all and didn't find any of the actor's annoying. Well, the character of Neil, was a little grating at first, but he grew on me. The other big positive is the creature effects. The women monsters are all unique and memorable. They brandish weapons and snarl, vomit and just spew grossness. It's awesome! The movie also has some lovely gore and doesn't shy away from showing the guts.

Now, things aren't all sunshine and lollypops unfortunately. The movie misses it's mark a few times with the story. The movie hints at something terrible in the woods and the guy's shouldn't go in them. So, I figured they would at least once walk into them and we would get a giant hoard of creature women chasing them, but sadly, the movie never moves away from this small town. Yes, the town does vary enough that you are never bored of the surroundings, but I still would've liked to wander in those woods and see the horror. Finally, the movie doesn't really explain much and leaves a lot of plot threads just hanging. Before you know it, the movie's credits are rolling and your left with several questions unanswered.

All negatives aside, Doghouse is a riot, filled with gore, humor and buxom zombie/creature ladies. This is one doghouse I wouldn't mind being in. It doesn't slow down and always left me entertained. I'm a little disappointed in a few questions left open, but that doesn't stop me from highly recommending any horror fan to check it out.

Rating: 4/5 (-1 for unanswered questions and leaving the woods out of it. +4 for gore, humor, a fun story and some gnarly ladies.)

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Manhattan (1979)

In 1979, Woody had the burden of trying to capture the "originality" of "Annie Hall," the Oscar-winning Best Picture of 1977.

So when "Manhattan" was released, Woody's first "true" widescreen picture (so much so that Woody insisted this film NEVER be released on video or shown on television without the black bars on the top and bottom of the screen), I wasn't quite sure what to expect.

I discovered that "Manhattan" had a completely different tone than "Annie Hall." It was more serious, but still hilarious. I became so enraptured by its themes, its music and its atmosphere that I felt, until I saw "Schindler's List" in late 1993, that I had witnessed something that comes along only once or twice a generation...and that's true greatness on film. I paid to see "Manhattan" at least four times during its initial run in 1979. I had never done this before, even when I include those popcorn pictures I had seen several times put out by Spielberg and Lucas during the 1970s. I found "Manhattan" simply incredible, so "on the mark," so revelatory about the weaknesses of people, especially so-called "intelligent" people.

Rather than go over the plot, I believe "Manhattan's" themes include the following:

1. intellectualism is overrated.

2. romance is illogical and unscientific.

3. words don't always match our actions.

4. moral structure is a man-made invention.

5. fidelity is an optimistic ideal.

6. skeletons in the closet are better left unsaid.

7. uncorrupted optimism is mostly found in young people.

8. cynicism increases as you grow old.

9. advancing years = more unnecessary baggage.

10. The more you know, the more it can hurt you.

That all of the above is delivered with humor is something only Woody Allen could accomplish.

There was a time when Woody's life imitated his art so closely that I had to avoid this SPECIFIC film for awhile. But now the past is past and it doesn't matter. Woody's art remains and the messages in "Manhattan" haven't been diminished after so many years. It still holds up even though it was made during the late 1970s.

Yes, Woody Allen's films are an acquired taste. People won't admit it, but when you pin down WHY they don't like "Manhattan" or anything he does, you find the reasons are rooted in conventional moral judgments, religious intolerance or even genetic issues such as his "whiny" voice and the fact he is one of the most un-photogenic actor-director-writers of our time (e.g., no one likes watching Woody "kiss" any woman on screen.)

And when art becomes too closely reflective of an artist's life, it can make people uncomfortable. My response is if you are unable to separate an artist's personal life or lifestyle from his work, sometimes the world can be made the lesser for it.

"Manhattan" and "Annie Hall" remain the benchmarks of all urban-based, non-screwball comedies made in America. That Woody was able to "re-invent," or more to the point -to "invent" a new genre of comedy -is more evident today by looking at everything that has come since 1979 that is clearly derivative from these two landmark urban films.

Only elitist thinkers will call people who don't "get" this film "fools." They're not. Again, Woody's films are an acquired taste. Fans who have followed him forever, quite candidly, like the way he is on screen, even if it's the same nebbish, over-analytical character every time. We're comfortable with him in the same and opposite way that we didn't mind Cary Grant playing Cary Grant all of the time. Nobody delivers a punch line or joke better than Woody and when he's not in his own films, they don't seem as funny.

"Manhattan," in my opinion, is the finest of Woody's "quartet" of masterpieces (the others are "Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters" and "Crimes and Misdemeanors"). There is so much hilarity and truth woven into this picture, complimented by a glorious Gershwin score and wonderful black and white cinematography, that I'm 100 percent sure -that Woody will never be able to top this film -even if he lives to 100.

The end "smirk" on his face speaks volumes about what's going on in this story, and why, unlike most of Hollywood's "mainstream" comedies, he won't give you the standard cornball ending.

Yet what he leaves behind as the credits roll, still leaves you satisfied. There isn't anything left hanging, in my mind, since you already know that Woody's character KNOWS how everything is going to end. That's the reason for the "smirk."

How many filmmakers can get away with this and stay original?

This is Woody's greatest film and it remains undated after more than 30 years...

When Woody Allen won the Oscar (in abstentia) for writing and directing "Annie Hall," which also won the Oscar for Best Picture, it was assumed the stand-up comic turned auteur had reached the pinnacle of his career. Then Allen proceeded to go out and make an even better film with his next effort, "Manhattan." Filmed in glorious black & white (and widescreen) by the great cinematographer Gordon Willis, the opening sequence combining indelible images of New York City with Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" is a paean to city Allen loves and the most rhapsodical sequence in any of his films.

Rather than talking about the plot per se, "Manhattan" is best explained as a convoluted series of wrecked and ruined relationships centering around Allen's character, Isaac Davis. Isaac is divorced from Jill (Meryl Streep), who is now living with Connie (Karen Ludwig), and planning to write an expose on her marriage. Isaac is having an affair with 17-year-old Tracy (Mariel Hemingway), but then he meets Mary (Diane Keaton), the mistress of his best friend Yale (Michael Murphy), who is married to Emily (Anne Byrne). Ultimately, however, this is not a film about love, but rather a film about loss, because you just know that forced to make choices, Isaac is going to make the wrong ones. Tracy and Mary are characters constructed as such polar opposites and it never dawns on Isaac to focus more on what each has than on what they lack.

Of course, today this film is obviously open to reinterpretation given Allen's very public personal life and it is now assumed that the Isaac-Tracy relationship was a sign of things to come rather than a dramatic construction. If you can get away from the film's Freudian implications then you can appreciate Hemingway's Oscar nominated performance, which is not only at the heart of the film but provides its heart as well. In contrast, Keaton's Mary is rather soulless (the anti-Annie Hall if you will). When the choice is so clear the fault is clearly not in the women, but rather in the character of Isaac (or lack of character, as the case might be). The ending is certainly the most bitter sweet of any Allen film to date.

Most Romantic Lines (remember, this is a Woody Allen film): (1) "I think people should mate for life, like pigeons or Catholics"; (2) "Yeah! I can tell, a lot. That's, well, a lot is my favorite number", and, of course, (3) "Why is life worth living? It's a very good question. Um...Well, There are certain things I guess that make it worthwhile. uh...Like what... okay...um...For me, uh... ooh... I would say ... what, Groucho Marx, to name one thing... uh...um... and Willie Mays... and um ... the 2nd movement of the Jupiter Symphony ... and um... Louis Armstrong, recording of Potato Head Blues ... um ... Swedish movies, naturally ... Sentimental Education by Flaubert ... uh... Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra ... um ... those incredible Apples and Pears by Cezanne... uh...the crabs at Sam Wo's... uh... Tracy's face ..."

If you enjoyed "Manhattan" then check out these other films on the AFI's list of 100 Greatest Love Stories of All Time: #11 "Annie Hall," #25 "When Harry Met Sally," and #35 "Gigi." Why? The first because it is also Woody Allen, the second because it also takes place in NYC and involves making the wrong choice and then running to the woman to do something about it, and the third because it also thanks heaven for little girls...

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"Annie Hall" may be generally regarded as the funniest of Woody Allen's adult comedies, but there's much to be said for the richly textured "Manhattan." Mariel Hemingway is perfectly cast as the doe-eyed (and teen-aged) Tracy, the initial love interest of Allen's Isaac Davis. Setting aside any parallels to Mr. Allen's current real-life situation, suffice it to say that the relationship between Isaac and Tracy is sweet and passionate, and ultimately the heart of the life lesson Isaac learns. Dianne Keaton (Mary Wilke) is the hyper, neurotic adult involved with Isaac's married friend Yale (Michael Murphy). Together, Hemingway and Keaton give excellent performances: perhaps even Mariel's best, while Keaton's is at times cloying but at heart quite sympathetic in a search for love in Manhattan. Which brings us to the real star of the film: the city itself. The opening montage alone--set to Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue"--paints a delightfully romantic, pulsing portrait of Allen's New York. Cinematographer Gordon Willis's sumptuous black-and-white was shamefully overlooked by the Academy. Visually, the film is stunning, with a palette of tones that reflect the story's inherent warmth as well as its moments of stark confrontation. Allen has worked in black-and-white several times, but this is the most successful effort. And, as much as he seems to decry it, Woody once again creates a sentimental--but never mawkish--ode to love, human frailties, and the Big Apple. Yes, that's Meryl Streep as the other woman. If a classic film is one that stands the test of time, then "Manhattan" is holding up exceptionally well. Even bettern than "Annie Hall."

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It makes me sad (not to mention angry) that some people make the statement that this movie is about "a child molestor." The same people who say this are the ones that praise "There's Something About Mary" and "American Pie" for it's "comic innovativeness." This is NOT a documentary, it is simply a situation, and Tracy (the girl) was not forced into her position as girlfriend--it is a choice. Let's not forget this was the 70s, and while that's not an excuse, shame on those who imply that this beautiful movie is simply about a man and an underage girl.

That said, this is one of the most gorgeous movies ever made. Although "Hannah and Her Sisters" is probably my favorite Woody Allen movies, this is Allen's cinematic masterpiece. Words can't describe how beautiful the lights of Manhattan look as they sparkle through the trees in Central Park. But the acting shines as well. Diane Keaton is both hilarious and sad as a neurotic woman who is so full of herself and yet so unlucky in love; Woody Allen plays a divorced, neurotic man (shocker. . .); and while Mariel Hemingway isn't terrible, the tone of her voice and her manner did grate on my nerves a little. . .but that didn't ruin the movie at all. She is the voice of reason not only to Issac (Allen's character) but for the entire film.

It's a true testament to the genius of Allen that his movies, which usually end so sad, can still fill you with hope. It's as if he's telling the audience that it's the journey, not the destination, that's important. Everything about "Manhattan" shines, even after more than 20 years. I highly suggest this movie to anyone who hasn't seen it.

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There's poetry in Manhattan, the poetry of opposites. As Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue plays over lusciously composed black and white images of an idyllic Manhattan, we see picture postcards shots of Broadway, 42nd Street, Central Park, the Skyline and fireworks. Fireworks we almost wish would burst the film into color. It won't. This is a film about opposites, black and white or at least inconsistencies.

It's a film about 42 year old Isaac, (Woody Allen)and his small circle of friends. He's a successful television writer, who's been divorced twice. Isaac is having a fling with 17 year old Tracy (Mariel Hemingway). Isaac continually reminds her their relationship is temporary. When she talks about being in love with him, he tells her to not get hung up, she's too young, there's too much life for her experience, she has to go to school in London without him in the near future.

Isaac hates his job. Hates writing the junk he is writing just to earn a paycheck and support his comfortable lifestyle. He quits to get serious about the novel he's always wanted to write. He's having a bit of trouble finding his writing voice, just as he's having trouble finding balance in his life. Quitting his job however means he'll have to cut-back his lifestyle and even move into an apartment with noisy neighbors and brown water. Isaac's ex-wife (Meryl Streep) is about to publish a sure to be devastatingly personal book about their marriage. It ended when his wife left him for another woman and Isaac tried to run over her girlfriend with his car. They have a son and on visiting days old wounds are re-opened. His best friend Yale, (Michael Murphy) who is happily married, is nevertheless having an affair with Mary (Dianne Keaton). When Isaac first meets Mary, he hates her. She represents the type of Radcliff pseudointellectual who can't properly pronounce Van Gogh that he detests. But opposites do attract. They become friends but Isaac does not make a pass at his best friend's mistress.

Yale decides to stop cheating on his wife, and suggests to Isaac that he should date Mary.

These people operate in a world of shadows and illusions. They are all false fronts. Their self confidences, their cleverness and wit are all a facade hiding how scared, alone and vulnerable they really are. And this is not a film where suddenly they open up and reveal themselves or transform into better people. These are characters who have become a part of the city, of Manhattan, and a part of each others lives.

Gordon Willis photography is part of this charade. In one of the later montages, a romantic montage of shots is given an edge, partially by the greyness of the images (not merely black and white) and partially because cliche's are used and turned inside out. During the cliched Central Park boat row boat ride (an homage to Horsefeathers perhaps), Isaac reaches into the water and removes his hand which is now covered with sludge. At the Hayden planetarium it's so dark we see Isaac and Mary in silhouette. A shot in Mary's apartment is lit seemingly by a small table lamp.

Allen's cynicism and skepticism have never been as sharply realized than in this film. There are no slapstick sequences, and no dream sequences in this -Allen's most assured, mature and personal of films.

There are plenty of laugh out loud lines of dialogue (courtesy of Allen and Marshall Brickman), but they seem natural, and never forced. This is a confident, relaxed Allen. He's not trying to please the audience as he did with Annie Hall. He's not making compromises with his material so he can sell a few more tickets at the box-office.

All of the actors are perfectly cast and at their peak. Even small supporting roles, like Wallace Shawn and Michael O'Donoghue are wonderful. Look fast at the t.v. show for David Rasche and Karen Allen (in a blonde wig). The Gershwin music is sometimes used as exclamation points (much as rock music is used in film). Rhapsody in Blue, Someone to Watch Over Me, and S'Marvelous in particular are worked wonderfully into the film.

This is Woody's masterpiece and a film that will be even more appreciated in years to come. Thank You

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Zombieland (2-Disc "Nut Up or Shut Up" Edition) (2009)

I generally rate movies on, "Will I Buy This Movie?"

If I can buy the movie, it's a movie I'm willing to watch again, and exceptional. This is one such movie.

Not saying there isn't gore, as there is some gore (blood smears, zombies tearing out some tendons), but this is also not like typical horror movies in which someone takes a chainsaw and you see the whole scene.

This is a fantastic comedy. Brilliantly done.

Think "Scary Movie", but not utterly idiotic and stupid.

There's some suspense which I guess classifies this as a mild horror movie (keep in mind, I wasn't scared at all during this movie, I don't think it's a real horror, it's more of a comedy). But more than anything is the humor which is just excellent.

Characters are all quite awesome. There's basically four characters and the rest are zombies.

The BluRay quality is exceptional as well.

Just love this movie, that's all I can say

I think this movie is great from beginning to end. Sure there are some predictable parts, some corny parts, but it's a comedy about zombies. I don't know how many times I've watched it, but just writing the review makes me want to watch it again.

And in all seriousness, I've learned quite a few tips on how to survive once zombies attack. Between this and playing Left 4 Dead, I'm set.

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I usually don't like horror themed movies but Zombieland and Shawn of the Dead are two Comedies that I liked watching. Zombieland jumps right into a world of that is full of zombies are sick from one man eating a hamburger. Columbus, the protagonist survives by his list of rules. The rules is the beginning of the comedy because of the way they first explain and show them and then throughout the movie the rules randomly pop up. This movie is very gory and does have a significant amount of foul language. There is no sexual innuendo besides a scene early on where a cute girl falls asleep on Columbus on the couch just because she is so scared. I liked how the writer put Tallahassee, the critic, with Columbus throughout the whole movie. They make a good polar opposites tag team. Tallahassee is the rough and tough character that survives through just plain killing the zombies; where Columbus survies through strategy and the rules. I give the movie a 3.5 out of 5 stars. I haven't bought it yet and I probably won't unless it goes on sale, but it is still worth renting more than once. I wouldn't recommend it for families or people that can't handle bloody gore in a movie or a high amount of language.

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I love this movie, its definitely a different take compared to most other zombie movies, flicks. Its got great amounts of comedy and interesting characters, absolutely love the Twinkie search..

The movie revolves around the life of an awkward guy that finds himself in a zombie apocalypse trying to survive. He's got his own series of rules each comedic in its own way and excellently mixed in with the story.

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Love the rules to living in zombie land. Super fun film and bound to be a classic. I'm craving a Twinkie about now.

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It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)

Stanley Kramer's IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD (1963, UA) is my favorite comedy of the sound era and the most fondly remembered movie of my 1960's childhood in the San Francisco Bay Area. It has a sunny and airy mood, the comedy cast of a lifetime, sharp and hilarious dialogue, an irrestible greed plot, a melodic music score by Ernest Gold, and furious pacing for almost, or just over, three hours (depending on what version you are watching). The more I watch it on DVD at 161 minutes or at 182 minutes on Turner Classic Movies, the more I love it and want to see the long-lost 192 minute Cinerama world premiere version.

MAD WORLD does something right that every other movie of its type gets wrong--it starts a chase plot in reel one, then develops character outward as we go along. It does not spend 45 minutes setting up the story, as similar movies do. In the opening scene, a dying millionaire (Jimmy Durante) tells a group of people in the Southern California desert that a large sum of money is buried "under a big W" in a park south of San Diego. Mickey Rooney and Buddy Hackett are gag writers headed for Las Vegas. Milton Berle is headed for a vacation with wife Dorothy Provine and Ethel Herman as the mother-in-law to beat all mothers-in-law. Sid Caesar and Edie Adams are a dentist and his wife. And Jonathan Winters is driving a van of furniture. Monitoring all of them, as they race after the money, is Spencer Tracy as the coastal city (a compilation of Long Beach and Santa Monica) police captain with a wall map.

So we have a slapstick chase movie to end all slapstick chase movies. (WARNING: PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD!!) Heading a golden age of television cast are Caesar and Adams, who get to fly in a makeshift plane, then get locked in a hardware store basement. In a career performance, Winters hilariously gets to completely demolish a desert gas station. Berle has a running battle with the mother-in-law from Hell, Merman, who in turn has been given some gloriously acidic dialogue by superb sreenwriters William and Tania Rose. The Roses have never been given enough credit here. All of the sublime dialogue is on the printed page. Along the way, Winters meets up with Phil Silvers, who in turn mixes up with miner Mike Mazurki. Silvers is staggeringly funny with a car at the bottom of a canyon, then later drowning in a river. Rooney and Hackett are in another plane that flies through a Coke billboard after pilot Jim Backus knocks himself unconscious. There is also Dick Shawn as Merman's lifeguard son at Silver Strand Beach. And a phone running battle in his inner police office with Tracy and his wife and daughter that escalates over a simple vacation. And this is only part one, before the film's intermission! Part two has some of the funniest dialogue and greatest car chases in all of movie history for me. And the grand climax has never been topped for me--not even by silent era clowns.

MAD WORLD got mixed reviews when it opened city by city in late 1963, right before President Kennedy's tragic death in Dallas. The positive ones praised a wonderful cast and hilarious chase plot. The negative reviews said it was too long and repetitious at 193 minutes. So producer/director Kramer and his editors carefully cut the Cinerama world premiere version, two months into its run, to 162 minutes. It played in 70mm Cinerama engaggements at 162 minutes until 35mm engagements in Spring 1965. It was further cut then to 154 minutes with roadshow music and intermission removed. All 35mm prints today--and since 1965--run 154 minutes. The DVD, which may or may not still be for sale, restores roadshow music and runs 161 minutes. At an aspect ratio of 2.55, it also blessedly comes close to restoring the ultra-wide widescreen images of the original film. Maddeningly, though, this 161 minute DVD print is curiously missing the Oscar-nominated title song overture.

But there is also a 182 minute print of MAD WORLD (!), restored by my dear filmmaker friend Paul Scrabo, MGM executives, and a dying Kramer in 1991. That is the version that hit VHS and laserdisc in 1991 with a splendid hour-long documentary that I wish could be seen nowadays. It briefly surfaced on one DVD edition, then removed from another that has no bonus material. (So we have two different 161 minute DVD prints that may both be on moratorium! One with a lot of bonuses and one with none. It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world!) Anyway, the 1991 documentary combines behind-the-scenes filmmaking with cast/crew reminiscences. Almost everyone recalls a lot of hard work in desert heat, but also a heck of a lot of slapstick fun. One other thing I love about the movie is that the Southern California desert landscapes are deserted for miles--no other cars and no homes, just an occasional truck and gas station.

For 22 years, Paul and I and others have been on a futile quest to restore IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD back to its original 192 minute Cinerama world premiere length. The closest we have come is the 182 minute reconstruction on home video and cable TV, and it includes preview material. So we are still missing at least ten minutes of crucial visual material and as much as fifteen minutes. Included in the still lost material (I have the complete script--I think) are Shawn stealing his married girlfriend's (!) convertible, more of Buster Keaton's cameo as a crook, getting Jim Backus INTO a shower he subsequently is removed from, the identity of a strange man in the police station (he is a police reporter told to sit on the story for now), Tracy learning who Silvers is (an unemployed piano player and gambler), and the beginning of almost all the police office scenes. Current prints, including the 182, join them in progress.

There are easy-to-find Internet articles on Stanley Kramer's immortal masterpiece that claim the great Robert Harris and James Katz, who restored VERTIGO and MY FAIR LADY among others, want to reconstruct MAD WORLD. My Internet sources claim Harris has in his possession "188 minutes of bona fide world premiere footage." Only four minutes missing off the original 192 minute print--close enough for me! The Internet claims further that Harris just is waiting for a $2 million purchase order--lunch money in today's Hollywood--to do the work that needs to be done to restore this wonderful movie back to the length it ran when it opened in Los Angeles on November 7, 1963; the version that early in 1964 got six Oscar nominations.

We owe it to the memory of a great filmmaker and a magnificent cast, many still very much alive, to reconstruct and restore IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD from 154 or 161 minutes to 192 minutes for theatrical re-release (it has always been an audience favorite) and letterboxed 2.76 ratio home video sales. It is a precious part of our cinematic and cultural heritage. THIS REVIEW IS BASED ON THE 161 MINUTE DVD and 182 MINUTE CABLE TV PRINTS.

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is a classic comedy. Combining big name talent, it tells the story of what happen when a group of strangers finds out where $50,000 is buried. Soon, these normally law-abiding citizens are speeding, stealing, and destroying property. What they don't know is the police are observing them the entire time. As the situations get more out of hand, the movie gets funnier.

I wasn't that impressed the first time I saw this movie. But on repeated viewings with friends, I've come to enjoy it more. The actors are phenomenal and the material has a timelessly funny quality to it. I'm young enough that I don't recognize all the stars, but that doesn't diminish my enjoyment at all.

I was excited when I found out that the movie was coming to DVD, but I've got to say the final product disappointed me. I have only seen the "restored" VHS version that's been out for years. This DVD goes back to the original theatrical release and cuts out some of my favorite scenes. They are included in the deleted scenes section, but it's a very poorly thought out section that makes it hard to find what you want to see. The DVD does include good picture and sound, and I have always enjoyed the documentary included from the videos.

This is a classic movie that everyone should see. However, if you're a fan of the recent videos, be forewarned that this is not the entire movie you are used to seeing. Hopefully, this movie will be reissued on DVD with this footage added back.

Buy It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) Now

I really wanted to like this DVD. I have the movie on VHS and enjoy it a lot. My reason for rating it so low was that it had almost 23 minutes missing from what was on the restored DVD version, including several memorable Phil Sivers moments. I see no reason why a DVD should offer less than the VHS. Shame on the producers of the DVD. What could they possibly have been thinking?

Read Best Reviews of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) Here

As the first film I ever paid to see as a child (I was 11, and so proud of saving up the money!) I loved "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World". It was slapstick on a grand scale, with a clever commentary on greed thrown in. And the cast! Tracy, Berle, Caesar, Silvers, Winters, Rooney, Hackett, Shawn, Terry-Thomas, Falk, Rochester...and the 3 Stooges had a bit part, along with Jack Benny, Jerry Lewis, Buster Keaton, so many more! For one of the first generation of 'TV Kids', I was in Heaven!

With adulthood, and changing tastes, I can see some of the film's flaws...It's too long, Spencer Tracy is obviously in poor health and straining to keep his energy level up, some of the scenes (especially the early ones) lack pacing, and the Cinerama format almost guarantees you'll miss part of the action, even in a wide-screen format.

But the film's sense of joy is undimmed, and the new digitally-remastered edition Amazon.com is offering gives them full attention. Enjoy again Rooney and Hackett's mishandling of an airplane, Jonathan Winter's gas station destruction scene (a classic!), and, of course the bodies-flying finale.

And hang in there...After the film is a 'Making of...' documentary, with FABULOUS ancedotes by the surviving cast members...It alone is worth the cost of the film!

After 36 years, I STILL love this movie!

Want It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) Discount?

I'm not going to go into a review of the 1963 film "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.'' This is one of those films that's almost beyond reviewing--you either love it or you hate it. I love it, and have loved it for more than 30 years, ever since my Mom took me to see it in its 1970 theatrical re-release. It's a classic.

What I want to talk about here is the new DVD version of the movie. Is it good? "Yes emphatically" and "yes kinda" at the same time. The main drawback for the dvd is the aspect ratio-strange for a widescreen 16x9 enhanced dvd, yes? Let me explain.

For decades since I saw it on the big screen, the only version I was able to see of "Mad4World" was the pan-and-scan version-which meant for years I was seeing only about half the picture. I thought myself lucky when I recently caught a "widescreen" version of the movie on cable TV (either Turner Classic or American Movie Classics, I forget which-probably TCM since my tape has no damn commercials stuck in the middle of it). Unfortunately, this version was only a small bit "wider" than the pan and scan; but it was better than what I'd seen on TV previously. You see, "M4World" started its life as a ultra widescreen Cinerama movie. That means its picture was not only super-wide, having been shot in 70mm SuperPanavision, but that it was also projected onto a curved screen that wrapped around the audience, taking up almost all your peripheral vision if you sat in the front part of the auditorium. An anamorphic lens was used in the projector which distorted the picture at the edges in order for them to look normal when projected on the huge curved screen. The original aspect ratio was 2.55:1.

So the point I'm trying to make is that this was a VERY widescreen movie. And now we have a very widescreen transfer on DVD. Now we can see more of the film than we have been able to in years, right? Good, right?

Well, yes and no. You see, for some reason, MGM has put "Mad4World" out not at a 2:55 aspect ratio, but at a slightly narrower 2:35 aspect ratio. This might not seem like such a bad thing, but the surprising result is that there are many things I can see on my old vhs tape of the pan-and scan version that I cannot see on this widescreen DVD!

The reason is this: as I said, this widescreen version is slightly less wide than the original, and often characters on either the far left or far right sides of the screen are cut off a bit. In my old P&S version, the person who had done the panning and scanning simply panned all the way to the right or left side of the picture if the action was on that side, showing that character fully (but of course showing the characters on the other side not at all). In this new dvd (not-quite) wide (enough) screen version there is, of course, no panning and scanning; the 2:35 picture is simply shown. Unfortunately it is a slightly smaller picture than what was originally there, and often the result is characters cut off at the shoulder.

Of course, this is MUCH better than anything we've had on home video before. And MGM should be praised for releasing the DVD at such a reasonable price, and with some decent extras. I just wonder why they didn't go ahead and transfer the film at its original aspect ratio.

If I have to look at Phil Silvers, I wanna see BOTH his shoulders, dammnit!

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Betty Boop: The Essential Collection, Vol. 2

More non-PD BB cartoons released on DVD and BLU ALL NEWLY REMASTERED IN HD FROM 4K SCANS OF THE ORIGINAL NEGATIVES & FINEGRAINS.

Includes the 12 classic cartoon listed below:

Volume Two:

DIZZY DISHES (1930)

BIMBO'S INITIATION (1931)

BOO-OOP-A-DOOP (1932)

BETTY BOOP LIMITED (1932)

BETTY BOOP'S BIZZY BEE (1932)

BETTY BOOP'S UPS AND DOWNS (1932)

BETTY BOOP'S MUSEUM (1932)

BETTY BOOP'S BIG BOSS (1933)

MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT (1933)

BETTY BOOP'S LITTLE PAL (1934)

BETTY BOOP'S PRIZE SHOW (1934)

KEEP IN STYLE (1934)

Save 17% Off

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