New Comedy Movies

Showing posts with label really good comedy movies. Show all posts

Wild Cherry (2009)

For good or bad, the teenage sex romp comedy is as ingrained in our movie culture as any other genre. There are great ones, disastrous ones, and fairly inconsequential ones as well--just like any other type of movie. From "Porky's" to the "American Pie" saga, there is just no denying that we are ready, willing, and able to laugh at a nation of sex obsessed young adults. In truth, "Wild Cherry" didn't appear very promising from its cover and its cast. And while it certainly isn't laugh out loud uproarious, it is actually better than you might anticipate (given the relative restrictions of the genre). It is told from the female vantage point, which sets it apart in an interesting way. Ostensibly a revenge comedy, it wants to be a romance as well. It aspires to be raunchy AND strives to maintain its sweetness. I think that this dichotomy of tones is what limits the more outrageous moments, but it also allows for better developed characters--some of who you might actually care about.

The movie benefits tremendously with a likable leading actress Tania Raymonde (miles away from her LOST character). Silly when appropriate and surprisingly grounded with necessary, Raymonde might be one to watch. She fares considerably better than her best pals Rumer Willis and Kristin Cavallari. These virginal gals discover that a long held school myth about a notorious book is more than just a story. Every year, to maintain their winning streak, the football team must woo and bed all the pure maidens and check the conquests off in the book. Of course, our three leads are the last hold-outs and when they discover that the book is real--they plot some revenge scenarios. It's all pretty silly, especially as Raymonde is in a long term relationship with someone on the team. Cavallari parries with the team's most obnoxious member (Jesse Moss in a nice, if very broad, comic performance). Super offensive, the movie makes a case that even he deserves to have someone fall in love with him--despite his lack of redeeming characteristics.

One wildly ridiculous bowl of punch provides the film's most ludicrous gross-out moment--but most of the film is surprisingly tame. It's all that sweetness and romance amongst the wacky shenanigans. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the movie is that it stars Rob Schneider as Raymonde's father--desperate to hold on to a daughter who is growing up. I can't believe I'm saying it, but he is actually playing a character here (as opposed to playing yet another version of Rob Schneider) and provides, perhaps, the film's most understated role. That I wasn't expecting! Really, "Wild Cherry" is relatively harmless and easy to watch. It is exactly what it is and so you can't hold that against it. It is neither a remarkable example of the teen comedy or a particularly bad one. Chances are, aside from the punch scene--you probably won't have this one lingering in your mind after you watch it. Pleasant, but not very memorable. KGHarris, 6/11.

"Let's teach these guys a lesson, it's pay back time." After a group of girls discover a book that the school football team has that lists the schools virgin girls and the player that is supposed to "check them off" they decide its up to them to stop the tradition. The girls decide not to have sex at all until the season if over, while the boys try everything they can to complete the task. This movie is nothing new at all. The typical high school movie where everyone wants to lose thier virginity, complete with the over protective father (Schneider). If you have kids in high school I would be very leery about watching this one. It seems that everyone (even the virgins) are obsessed with sex and find it very difficult to hold out for the entire 3 months of the football season. The thing that always gets me is that they always seem to cast people that are in their early 20's to play the high school students, and the over the top parties and dances are so unrealistic that some kids are dissapointed when they get to an actual high school. That part aside this type of movie has been done a million times, most funnier then this one so don't expect anything really new. Overall, I have seen worse movies from this genre. A few laughs, but pretty much the same jokes that have been in every movie like this (yes, the kid experimenting with food and the surprise in your drink scenes are in this one too). I give it a C.

Would I watch again? Not this one, but I'm sure that 100 more just like this one will be made.

*Also try American Pie & The Virginity Hit

Buy Wild Cherry (2009) Now

Read Best Reviews of Wild Cherry (2009) Here

I LOVED Tania Raymonde playing Jodi Arias on the Lifetime movie recently aired so I bought this because she stars in it. It isn't Tania's fault because she again great but the movie doesn't tread water. You have teens constantly relating their first sexual experience which is a total snooze fest. I must admit I did not watch this movie straight to the finish because it was just too boring for me to get to the end. That's rare in a movie; it has to be awfully bad and this one is.

Want Wild Cherry (2009) Discount?

Some movies are made that you just know will end up going direct to DVD. Sure, some deserve better but, as with WILD CHERRY, some deserve it.

The film opens with teens describing their first sexual experience. It's part of a class documentary being shot by Katlyn Chase (Rumer Willis), one of three best friends the movie focuses on. Helen (Tania Raymonde) and Trish (Kristin Cavallare) round out the trio who seem obsessed with discussing their burgeoning sexual awareness. That makes it sound better than it is. What they really discuss is losing their virginity and the rush to do so. Only Helen is holding out for a touch of romance for her first experience.

Things take a twist when it's discovered that the boys on the football team have a book and a tradition passed down since 1953. The books features a list of girls and hooks up members of the team as they must each take the virginity of one of the girls. Failure to do so will result in a losing team. The things boys will do for team spirit!

When the girls find out they attempt to organize the rest of the females on the campus of Benjamin Dover High (Ben Dover...get it?) to not put out for the males. They're not concerned about the teams scoring average on the field, but they intend to stop their scoring off the field.

Discussions of masturbation, orgasms and attempts to break down the walls erected by these girls follow. Such "hilarious" moments as sperm ice cubes and a punch bowl filled with Viagra just want to make you slap your knee laughing. Okay that was sarcasm, more funny than most of the scenes found here.

I suppose this movie could be considered harmless by some but the truth is if this is where the world of comedy is going we're in trouble here folks! It's as if they've taken the worst that films like PORKY'S or AMERICAN PIE had to offer and thought those were the moments that made those film funny. It wasn't!

The acting here is decent enough and Rob Schneider (whose likeness on the cover is being used to help sell this film) is wasted as the father of Helen. His moments in the film are by far the best and actually show that he's a better actor than most give him credit for.

I can't recommend this film to anyone with the exception of hormonal young teens seeking out something to giggle at. And even those will have a hard time finding anything to laugh at here. It really is that bad.

One last piece of proof. This is supposed to be a trophy winning football team on display here. And yet the stands for their school are the most ancient and unsafe looking around, not to mention barely enough to hold a single class of a high school let alone an entire school and town. Not only that the stands aren't even full. This is low budget at its worst. I mean come on, rent some mannequins if nothing else to make them look full. Then again there are more fans in the seats than perhaps ever entered a theater to watch this movie.

Save 1% Off

If.... (The Criterion Collection) (1969)

When I was in high school, we had a tradition where we'd go out and rent bad movies. Gradually, this changed to renting weird movies and eventually segued into renting GREAT movies. One of our favorite actors was Malcolm McDowell, the smirking imp we'd seen in "A Clockwork Orange" and later in "O Lucky Man!", another collaboration with the great British director Lindsay Anderson ("This Sporting Life", "In Celebration", "Britannia Hospital", and, incredibly, "The Whales of August"!) I grew particularly fond of his blend of sarcasm and vulnerability (vainly believing I possessed same; I may have been right) and as a result became quite desperate to see this rare movie, which was actually supposed to be BETTER than "O Lucky Man!" I didn't get to do so until a few weeks ago, fully nine years since I graduated high school. I was not disappointed.

As it stands, "If..." isn't only a great Malcolm McDowell film, it's also a great movie about the 60s in both Western society and more specifically Britain in its post-imperial hangover (one of the last British imperial dramas before the Falklands, the conflict in and evacuation of Aden--present-day Yemen--reached completion in 1967, probably while "If..." was filming). The title itself apparently comes from the famous Kipling poem which embodied the highest ideals of imperial Britain. College House, the school attended by Mick Travis--McDowell--and his two friends, is dominated by prefects, or "whips," seniors who control the student body in the name of the weak-willed headmasters and teachers, who represent the 60s radical view of liberal democracy. The coercive actions--cold showers, beatings--administered by the whips to Travis and his fellow rebels prefigure the punishment that would be delivered by the Chicago police, Parisian CRS, and Red Army to student demonstrators and the Czech people in May and August 1968 (in both capitalist and communist regimes the punishments are justified in the name of "society" or "the people").

Travis and his friends, the sarcastic Knightley (David Wood) and the pensive Wallace (Richard Warwick), negotiate their travails with wit and cunning and pick up allies along the way, a waitress from a local coffeeshop (Christine Noonan) and younger student Bobby Phillips (Rupert Webster). These two apparently become lovers of Travis and Wallace, respectively. Interestingly, while Anderson follows the pattern of other 60s "rebel" movies by marginalizing women, the relationship between Wallace and Phillips is sensitively and touchingly handled. This was a rare thing for the macho boys of the New Left, whose radicalism stopped at the closet door and who generally seemed to perceive homosexuality as an aberration of the ruling classes. The film eventually ends with a surreal, bloody battle on school grounds that, while it will probably make post-Columbine viewers understandably squirm, seems, in the movie's moral universe, the only possibly end to the institutionalized oppression Travis and his pals face.

Just as in "O Lucky Man!" there are hilariously surreal touches to the movie, lessening the shock of its end and underscoring the absurdity of life at College House. Fans of Anderson and McDowell won't be disappointed, and any who are interested in the intersections between film and history are definitely recommended to rent or buy this bewitching movie.

When i got out of the Navy and moved to Atlanta in 1972, there was a great hole-in-the-wall cinema (174 seats, one broken) called "The Film Forum". George and Mike Ellis served the best fresh popcorn in town, and ran movies you just didn't see anywhere else in the early 70's -I first saw "The Boys in the Band", "The Ruling Class" and "Phantom of the Paradise" at the Film Forum. I saw so many great films there that i can forgive them for running "Harold & Maude" about every fifth week...

In addition to two shows a night every evening of their regular feature for that week, they also ran a special $1 midnight movie on Fridays and Saturdays. (In later years, "Rocky Horror" became the midnight standard for a couple of years.)

And that is where i saw "...if..." for the first time.

I've been an anglophile most of my life (beginning at a rather tender age with "Swallows & Amazons"), so i had some idea of what English Public (private) School life was likely to be like, and may have understood what was happening here more quickly than some of my firends who saw it with me.

In the context of what starts out as a pretty starightforward-appearing school film, Anderson & MacDowell give us a rather Marxist allegory of modern class struggle, steadily but almost imperceptibly moving from realism to a surreal parable of revolution.

The final sequences, with the little old lady with the submachine gun blazing away screaming "Bastards! Bastards!", the school prefects organising the "good" (loyalist) students to fight the Revolution and pitched battle raging, have stayed with me ever since, even when i wouldn't see the film for years at a time.

MacDowell (in his first real feature role) gives an incredible performance that both foreshadows and (in my opinion) *over*shadows his next role, as Alex in "A Clockwork Orange". "Clockwork" was hailed, pretty much rightly, as a view of a disintegrating society tearing itself to pieces -"..if.." covers much the same ground, and does it better and more memorably in miniature than Kubrick's huge canvas and broad brush strokes.

MacDowell's Mick Travis and his friends are pretty much decent if disaffected characters; but the System, which cannot tolerate any variances, must either grind them down or drive them to rebellion -they choose the latter, and you will never think of school in the same way again after you see their gradual radicalisation and the result.

((Don't believe the stories about not having enough money to print the whole film in colour being the reason for several black&white scenes in the film -the real reason is that for the scenes shot in chapel they were not able to set up lights and had to shoot by natural light, which came in through a big stain-glass window. They tried some test shots on high-speed colour stock, but the results were hopelessly grainy and the colour values shifted constantly as the angle of the sun changed. So they decided to just go ahead and use B&W for those scenes, and, when Anderson saw how the B&W footage cntrasted with the colour, he decided to use B&W at other points to keep the audience off-balance as the film slipped from realism to surrealism.))

Buy If.... (The Criterion Collection) (1969) Now

I've been waiting for a release of If... for a long long time, and it is so good to see it will be given the deluxe treatment with Criterion. Lindsay Anderson created a landmark film which captured the talents of a young Malcolm McDowell at his best. You get the feeling that Wes Anderson took his cue from this film when he made Rushmore, but what sets If... apart is the surrealism that creeps into the movie and eventually takes it over, resulting in its wildly hallucinogenic climax. All the extras will make this anxiously awaited DVD a real treat, as hopefully we will be able to get a peek into the mind that created this film. The addition of Thursday's Children certainly makes this deluxe package worthwhile.

Read Best Reviews of If.... (The Criterion Collection) (1969) Here

"Wisdom is the principal thing. Therefore get wisdom and with all thy getting, get understanding." --Proverbs IV:2

The opening quote from Lindsay Anderson's if... is what three sixth formers (one year away from being seniors) named Travis, Knightley, and Wallace strive for, in a revolutionary way. (Note: there are seven forms {grades to us Yanks} in a British school below university level).

This is also the story of Jute, the first former who's nervous in his debut at College House. It's a strange new world, but it's stifling, rigid, full of discipline, conformity, obedience, and an adherence to religion and national pride. Figures--since they lost an empire, now they turn on their own people for their mass state. Mr. Kemp, a professor, tells the first formers: "We are your new family and you must expect the rough and tumble that goes with any family life. We're all here to help each other. Help the House and you'll be helped by the House." Professors, the student whips, and the bishop are the authority figures to be reckoned with. Jute is pressured into learning the names of the seniors and pronouncing school terminology correctly--e.g. local girls are called local tarts. But this is a well-known slice of British culture, the British boarding school. The communal study areas, dining halls, rugby matches, mandatory church attendance, war games,... it's all there. Scenes in b&w at times underline the lifelessness and austerity of the school, but also serve as a moving photograph that mirrors that photos Travis collects in his dorm room.

Speaking of which, the ongoing turmoil is a backdrop in the form of LIFE magazine-style photos of Vietnam, civil strife in African countries, soldiers, predatory animals, portraits of Che Guevara and Mao Tse-tung strewn in Travis and co.'s room. Travis utters his revolutionary credo while reading from a book: "The whole world will end soon--black brittle bodies peeling to ash." "There's no such thing as a wrong war." "Violence and revolution are the purest acts." "War is the last possible creative act."

There are hazings, instructors who are bored, instructors who fondle students, but there's also a headmaster who tries to be understanding, as he does to Travis and company. He tells them that to proclaim individuality is sense of existentialism and that it's the hair rebels that step in the breach. But do society and the establishment really value the rebel, without whom there is no progress?

Various scenes spell out the positive and more refreshing emotions. Release is found in the fencing between the three rebels. The sight of blood is reality. Also, the smell of freedom is expressed when the girl whom Travis and Knightley meet at the coffee shop stands atop their stolen motorcycle, arms outstretched as if in flight, a smile of ecstasy on her face, with choir song "Sanctus" from the Missa Luba playing.

One b&w scene that made an anti-war statement was that of the nude Matron alone in the school while the boys and instructors are out on war games. She walks inside the dorm rooms, handling one of the boys' clothes. It's that maternal instinct of longing for children as well as the simplicity and beauty of her nudity in contrast to the ugliness of war. But it also denotes the contrast of the peaceful interior to the violence going on outside.

Malcolm McDowell (Travis) is wonderful in his starring debut as the leader of the "crusaders." A host of well-known British actors include Graham Crowden as the history professor, (Waiting For God series), Arthur Lowe as Mr. Kemp (Bless Me Father series), and Peter Jeffrey as the headmaster who tries to understand the three rebels.

The final scene generates a lot of debate and controversy but it's an apt denouement of what has been portrayed up to that point. An artfully executed film not to be missed.

Want If.... (The Criterion Collection) (1969) Discount?

One of the great movies from the 60's -or any other decade. When originally viewed in that time of civil disobedience and resistance to "authority" it was riveting, provocative, and stirring. But that was then, this is now. As great as the ending was during its original release, all who saw it knew that it was still fantasy -an insightful comment on the suffocating strictures of public morality and convention. Now the fantasy has become reality. Columbine, Palestine, and 9/11 have shown us what Travis and his friends already knew -that a single bullet (or act) can change history, and that those unafraid to die are the ones to be feared the most. There was nothing inherently sinister about the boys of College House. They were the children of the establishment. Children of the privileged, unlike the borstal boys of "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner". Travis was not born to violence, he was driven there by things that should not have done so -patriotism, reasonableness, and the "consequences" of resisting authority. Who dares to draw the line between a revolutionary and a terrorist? Do you find the actions of today's ultra-radicals incomprehensible? Try examining the labyrinthine psychological journeys portrayed in this incredible film. Did Anderson realize what he had done here? Sometimes, it seems, the creation acquires insights and takes on a meaning of its own, regardless of the intent of the creator. Pogo was right.

Save 28% Off

Wonderful World (2010)

"The only crime left in the f*****g world is negative thinking," laments Ben Singer (Matthew Broderick) who holds the worldview that everything is fixed, yuppies are the root of all evil, and we're all doomed anyway so why bother. A failed children's singer (his sole album long relegated to the dusty cutout bins of history), the divorced Ben now works a dead-end job as a proofreader. When one of his co-workers chastises him for not sharing in the congratulatory excitement surrounding the news that another co-worker (an aspiring actor) has just landed his first television acting gig, he dismisses the scold with a shrug and says "I don't delude myself with hopes and dreams." He's a real piece of work.

Interestingly, however, he does have friends. He participates in a weekly after-hours jam session in the back room of a music store with a small group of pals, and proves to be a decent guitarist; it makes us wonder exactly why he's squandering his talents. As the music store owner surreptitiously observes, "That's a shame, to be good at something no one cares about." His roommate Ibu (Michael K. Williams) a Senegalese immigrant, doesn't let Ben's chronic glumness dampen his perpetually sunny disposition, and considers him to be a good friend regardless. Ben does approach a state approximating enjoyment when he spends time with his precocious 11-year old daughter (Jodelle Ferland); although his negative waves are markedly straining their relationship and becoming a source of concern to Ben's ex-wife (Ally Walker). Ben seems quite happy to continue wallowing in his half-empty glass bubble of apathetic detachment, until a series of unexpected and personally challenging events shakes his world up, not the least of which arrives in the person of Ibu's sister (Sanaa Lathan) a Senegalese national who shows up on his doorstep one fateful day.

While this is a somewhat familiar narrative (the self-pitying mope gets snapped out of his myopic torpor by the Free-Spirited Other), writer-director Goldin delivers it in a fresh and engaging manner. I was initially expecting the film to go in another direction (i.e. another black comedy about a bitter children's entertainer like "Shakes the Clown" or "Death to Smoochy"); but was pleasantly surprised by the genuine warmth and humanity at its heart. Broderick gives a nicely nuanced performance that I would put up there with his work in "Election". Lathan does a lovely job, as does Williams, whose gentle and endearing character here is quite a contrast to the character "Omar", who he played so memorably on the HBO series, "The Wire". Not a major film, but a rewarding one in the vein of "The Visitor".

"Wonderful World" was written and directed by Joshua Goldin, his first directing project. It follows Ben Singer played by Matthew Broderick who is a really big pessimist. Ben had a successful career as a children's folk music singer, but after no one bought his acoustic album, he became jaded and withdrew from the world and spends his days in a boring, safe desk job proofreading papers. His best friend and roommate, Ibu (Michael Kenneth Williams) goes into a diabetic coma and Ben's world changes when Ibu's sister, Khadi (Sanaa Lathan) comes to stay with him while her brother is ill.

The movie feels very obvious in the opening sequences, yes, he's so pessimistic, no one invites him to parties because he's a Debbie Downer. He even says at one point that the two worst inventions were the TV remote and positive thinking. The movie really improves after more challenges are put into Ben's life through the absence of his friend, the introduction of a beautiful woman from Dakar, the diminishing relationship with his daughter, Sandra (Jodelle Ferland), and the loss of his job, and his attempt to sue the city for depraved indifference. Oh and not to mention, hallucinations of "The Man" (Philip Baker Hall) as an obstacle for him to mouth off to when he smokes weed. The simple life of sitting around playing chess is put on hold.

I had a hard time seeing Matthew Broderick who is excellent at oozing a positive attitude do such an about face here. It definitely plays more funny-grouchy than dark and I think that was the director's intentional choice. Everything he does still has a certain charisma, even when he's shutting others out.

Young Jodelle Ferland as his daughter was a great choice. When I looked her up on IMDB, I had to gasp because I knew I recognized her from something and it was "Kingdom Hospital", the Stephen King mini-series where she played the creepy little girl ghost! In this film, her character has a lot of self-doubts and she is shy and has trouble really communicating with her father even though she desperately wants to. Their estranged relationship begins to repair after interacting with Khadi and watching her gradual coming out of her shell was very sweet.

Sanaa Lathan as Khadi was a breath of fresh air. She really delved deep into the culture and came out looking and sounding so authentic. I didn't realize until the DVD extras that she was using an accent, it sounded amazingly good. The way she communicated and the way she moved really grab your attention and hold it in a good way, she almost glows as Ben begins to fall in love with her.

Ally Walker plays Ben's ex-wife, Eliza. I just recently saw her in "Toe to Toe" so another appearance so quick after so long not seeing her work was unexpected. Her role in "Toe to Toe" was so depressingly indifferent toward her daughter to an almost unrealistic level, but here she plays the opposite as a mother who is more overprotective of her daughter and before even asking her about her day, she assumes Ben has said something destructive to her again and shuts him out. On the flip side though, she has a great scene where she shows some vulnerability and reveals that while she isn't 100% happy with her new life, she prefers it to being dragged down on a daily basis.

I wish there had been more music in this movie! Broderick plays a little guitar in a scene, we hear a quick sample of his CD, and we don't hear him sing till the finale. It's just such soothing melodic acoustic guitar and I am tempted to try and find a soundtrack somewhere. My favorite quote in the film was "It's such a shame to be so talented at something no one cares about." When Ben performs his children's folk music finally, the kids are uncharacteristically ecstatic.

Looking at that group of kids, I really don't believe they would have been impressed by something so nice and pleasant with today's short attention spans. If he had been playing to a crowd in the 60s maybe, but today's kids would rather play outside or video games unless it's an ice show or Disney rock concert in front of them. That deviation from reality aside, it was still nice to see the character Ben get back to his roots eventually. Everything in this movie is a matter of perspective and some people might find that boring but I felt it all added up to a very pleasant movie. As he warms up to people and the idea of the world being a better place than he's seen it as of late, you too will be warmed watching it. I loved the exploration of another culture and the comparisons to America and making Ben enjoy the freedoms he has instead of criticizing his ex-wife for living in a big house with a big shot. I felt like the parting message here was a quote from a different movie, "Death to Smoochy", "You can't change the world, but you can make a dent." By changing his own corner, Ben finds a way to bring happiness to people around him again instead of misery.

DVD Extras:

There are three featurettes, "As Soon as Fish Fall Out of the Sky: Character and Story of Wonderful World", Working with the Director and with Matthew Broderick, and a Behind the scenes montage. All three are very short, probably two to three minutes a piece and are pieced together from interviews done with individual cast members. While more is explored about the characters in the first one, the director and actor one is just people heaping praise on them, and the montage is just shots of directing and camerawork put to music. A fourth featurette: "HDNet: A Look at Wonderful World" feels like one of those behind the scenes previews they play at my local movie theater and doesn't cover any new ground.

Buy Wonderful World (2010) Now

I'm a super late Sanaa Lathan fan, and I only know Matthew Broderick as Ferris Bueller so I wasn't quite sure how I was going to feel about this film, but I've started revisiting so many Sanaa films that I originally didn't enjoy. This is one I knew nothing about up until this month. This film had interesting timing for me because I cut a visit short yesterday, with someone who reminds me of Ben Singer--super negative but thinks he's doing the rest of the world a favor by telling his truth. I think if you know a Ben Singer, you might want to run this film by him in hopes of some soul searching. Truth is one thing, but the guy in this flick was looking for reasons to hate everything.

As far as Sanaa's role as the Sengalese sister, Khadi, of his roommate Ibou (who I know of because I glanced at Michael Kenneth Williams on "The Wire"), they pulled it off far better than I expected. I was especially impressed with Williams because from the look of him, it's hard to imagine not seeing him with a "harder" edgy image. He was Prince Positive all through this film, and it was a pleasant surprise. And while I wouldn't think pairing Sanaa with Matthew would work, when she made that comment about "get to know it better," my mouth dropped. All I could do was yell "Go 'head, Sanaa" at that point.

Although the film didn't end how I expected it, it was a good film. It was also nice to see "Eclipse" actress Jodelle Ferland as the daughter, Sandra. She's such a cute girl and I like watching her growth as an actress.

Read Best Reviews of Wonderful World (2010) Here

We've all experienced periods in life that get so terrible you just have to laugh; Ben Singer (Matthew Broderick) is beyond that point. Divorced from a woman who has married a blatant jerk, earning a meager living working as a TV script proofreader, and disconnected from his daughter, Ben is cynical, neurotic and pessimistic. He feels that society is superficial, disconnected and run by a money hungry individual, known as `the man.'

In this clever Indie drama, Ben is challenged to keep a positive perspective despite the negative events that befall him. When his daughter rejects his company because of his negativity, and his Senegalese roommate falls into a Diabetic coma, Ben realizes there are more important things in life than feeling sorry for yourself and bitter with the world. He realizes that pessimism and cynicism is a form of selfishness and that he has an obligation to care and love those who care and love him. When his roommate's sister visits and stays at their apartment he begins to take a more optimistic look at life and to appreciate the positive value relationships bring to life.

A smart and uplifting film, that reminds us of Jean-Paul Sartre's quote that "freedom is what you do with what's been done to you." The film is well paced, and displays a deft balance of humor and drama. The acting is spot on with strong performances by Matthew Broderick, Michael K. Williams, and Sanaa Lathan. Overall, a great film that will leave you with memorable quotes and food for thought after you've finished watching.

Want Wonderful World (2010) Discount?

Matthew Broderick is great in this! I have been a huge fan for awhile and this only adds to it! Great film.

Save 39% Off

The Spirit Is Willing (1967)

This is not a movie for small children but for teens and up it's good, solid family entertainment. Sid Caesar and Vera Miles have ghost problems and their son Steve (Barry Gordon) is right in the middle playing straight man to a bunch of ghosts and taking all the hits for things going wrong.

Not the best William Castle film but it had its moments. There was more Jill Townsend in this than in the "Seven-percent Solution" but was a fairly juvenile film. I liked it but my wife was bored and left the room.

Buy The Spirit Is Willing (1967) Now

If you love love-smitten ghosts and teenagers getting the blame for everything that goes wrong, you'll love this movie. The video and audio quality are excellent; far better than a previous DVD release of this movie.

Read Best Reviews of The Spirit Is Willing (1967) Here

A must see William Castle feature. A interesting plot with a great cast, done in the William Castle fashion. An old time enjoyable event.

Want The Spirit Is Willing (1967) Discount?

Great old movie loved it when I was a child and it still is a great oldie but a goodie love it

Save 29% Off

Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day (2009)

It's hard to say bad things about the boys in Canada's beloved pseudo-reality TV series, which ran 7 seasons, not counting the one-off "Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys" episode, which preceded this movie chronologically and plot-wise. There was also an Ivan Reitman-produced Trailer Park Boys Movie in 2008 (which didn't quite live up to the madness of the TV episodes).

Ricky, Julian, and Bubbles get out of prison and attempt once again, to stay out of prison. To their dismay, times have changed, and Sunnyvale has pretty much been abandoned. Bubbles's kitties are missing, and Lahey is now really off the bottle, swindling his ex-wife Barb out of property and using that deal to create the Lahey Luxury Estates. Unfortunately, the new property's main sewer runs underneath Julian's old trailer, so Lahey now has to plot to obtain Julian's land to complete his new utopia.

How is this movie different from the other brilliant Trailer Park Boys TV installments? Sarah Byrne, who was responsible for on-the-fly editing style, creating the comic timing of the earlier TV episode returns here. Blain Morris, who composed for the iconic TV theme, scores an understated soundtrack, inserting vintage country and western pieces when necessary, creating some gorgeous vistas alongside Ted McInnes cinematography. Rob Well's Ricky actually shines in some of his more serious albeit deadpan moments. The "battery charger advice scene" had me laughing out loud, rolling on the floor in it's sobriety: you can't jump start a dead car battery by hooking it up to your own dead battery! And the "No.1" Car Chase Scene of all time is worth the price of ticket admission alone, as the characters duel it out with a urinary swordfight in a high speed chase through downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia.

I think Countdown to Liquor Day is a Love Letter to all TPB fans. It shows that the boys are symbolically forced to "return" to something that is no longer there anymore. The sense of wonder and enchantment with the real trailers in the backdrop when the camera used to follow Bubbles in his go-cart, has now been replaced by repetitive pre-fab trailers with no distinction from one to another. Mike Smith's own Bubbles seems more like a forced caricature of Bubbles than the fresh, innocent, kitty-loving compassionate, pacific guy who won our hearts over in the film short "The Cart Boy" that started it all, some ten years ago. The other guys J-Roc, T, Julian, seems growingly impatient with the impending typecast of their roles. The comedy in the earlier versions comes from a certain innocence of the boys thinking they will succeed, even when we know they can't. "Countdown" has a darker, more pessimistic tone: the boys seem to realize they are more apt to fail, and along with that comes a meaner, angrier streak. Where they use to look out for each other in the tight-knit trailer park community, the ethos seems to lean more towards "looking out for No.1." Phrases like "I'm not sure what success is, but I'm pretty sure it's not this," "I'm not feeling it anymore" may be read a number of ways. The boys pleading the film crew to stop filming them in the future is another Easter Egg in plain sight.

Sam "Caveman" Losco, Jacob and the Mustard Tiger, the original TV-Cyrus, and George Green, Barrie Dunn all appear, but only briefly in the backdrop. The comic duo of Trevor and Cory is long gone. Lucy, Sarah, and Trinity appear merely by duty, almost like former popular classmates showing up a for a class reunion. Even the front lawn bee with the spinning wings gets a bow out. Brian Vollmer of Helix and Alex Lifeson of Rush also make guests cameos. And of course, the two Chrysler New Yorkers almost disintegrated as a mile-marker of the evolution of TPB.

The movie is called Countdown to Liquor Day, so naturally the focus is on Jim Lahey and his lover Randy. Though John Dunsworth has pretty much exhausted every possible improvisation of FUBAR drunkenness in all previous episodes and outtakes, he carries the movie when scenes tend as Clattenburg commented in the first TV season to walk the tight rope between comedy and drama, and come dangerously close to toppling onto the serious side. Pat Roach is his able male lover, bickering with and nagging Jim in a domestic tale of a same sex couple.

Some of the whackiness of the earlier days are, as always, hidden in the "Deleted Scenes" section; Ricky tricking policemen into arresting innocent hunters during a liquor store holdup is a signature move, Ricky demanding from the film crew just what it is they are filming, Cyrus pulling his gun out during an academic test. There's also IMHO, a superior alternate ending that brings the focus back to Lahey and ends "Countdown" on a positive note, sending a morse code to fans like Seinfeld's final episode. There's a fun, alternate commentary track featuring the three familiar folks at the fansite trailer park boys org: Fishy Neil, Shake, and Tiggy.

The boys and creator Mike Clattenburg is in the process of creating a new show entitled "The Drunk and on Drugs Happy Funtime Hour" scheduled to air later this year. I look forward to new and great things from this troupe. My friend and I drove 1000 miles to Halifax for the premier of this movie, too poor for hotels and as a homage to Ricky...we slept in the car.

The tag line prety much sums it up, and like the funniest of jokes, it is so true. Ok so most of us have'nt robbed a bank, but you've thought about it have'nt you?

The boys are back, out of jail and wasting no time in resuming thier criminal careers. They quickly come up against a sober Jim Lahey and a home in shambles.

Always the entrepeneur, Julian comes up with a plan to put them on easy street, and the hijinks ensue. You have to admire thier tenacity at avioding "real" jobs.

Missing in action are the faithfull scapegoats Corey and Trevor, and the star cameo's from the previous film.

A fun ride, from the people who put "real" in reality TV.

Buy Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day (2009) Now

The first "Trailer Park Boys" the movie felt like a huge sellout. It was a movie that might appeal to people who have never seen the show, or just stupid people that don't notice when a movie obviously has been sidelined by an idiot hollywood producer.

This second movie feels alot more like the show. No expensive rock music licensing with slow-mo crap and super happy ending this time around.

This second movie features alot of randy and lahey, the unlikely couple that runs the trailer park. They were always part of what made the show good for me, and their characters are back with a huge vengeance. Lahey is more insane than ever before. Unlike the first movie, the hollywood a-holes arent covering up randy's gut the whole time. For long-time fans of the series, that was insulting that they hid his gut the whole movie. This time around, they seem to be apologizing for that by making Randy's gut be the whole front cover of the movie. AWESOME!

If you like TPB the show, and hated the sellout hollywood movie, YOU HAVE TO WATCH THIS REAL TPB MOVIE!!! It completely makes up for that other one. I am so glad that they were able to retire this show on such a high note.

Read Best Reviews of Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day (2009) Here

What is there to say. TPB are either love-it or hate-it, and this movie is no different.

While not their best showing, it is a fantastic part of the overall collection and a must-watch (as with everything) they put out.

Classic

Want Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day (2009) Discount?

If you love this series, you have to have this one for your collection! This series is mind boggling! Watching it keeps you in hysterics! Insane and just a well thought out series! Better than what's on tv now! Never know what these "guys" are up to!

If you haven't indulged........you need to!!!

Save 25% Off

Bring It On: Fight to the Finish (2009)

I know what a lot of people are thinking, OMG, another freakin' bring it on movie. First of all: The franchise is really a trilogy (1,3,5), 2nd: Give this one a chance, you will be surprised. There were new lines that are repeatable, mostly spoken by the Character Gloria. These movies do present an element of cheese, but let's face it, that is what makes them fun. You aren't watching these with the intent in finding a new oscar contender. As soon as it was over, I wanted to watch again, something that I would never say about any of the others, except for the original. The movie finally brought it!!!! The music was good as well. I never heard a Christina Milian song in my life, and now I am looking to buy the soundtrack. It was a mixture of the 1st and 3rd movies brought together with a Step Up feel. I loved it an now i will watch it again!

The DVD was loved by my daughter and got here fast. She will always have it. It was in good condition.

Thx

Buy Bring It On: Fight to the Finish (2009) Now

At First When I started watching it I thought that it was going to be stupid but then after I got into it I really enjoyed it.... I am going to add this to my collection with the rest of them..... But Please No More

Read Best Reviews of Bring It On: Fight to the Finish (2009) Here

Arrived right when it said it would. It was purchased as a christmas gift for a pair of preteen sisters. I haven't received any complaints.

Want Bring It On: Fight to the Finish (2009) Discount?

Purchased this DVD to finish my collection of the series. I have seen everyone since they came out with being a cheerleader in high school it was funny that they keept coming out with movies and it just drags me in and i have to buy them.

Save 53% Off

Division III: Football's Finest (2011)

Hilarious! If you love Andy Dick, which most don't...you will love this movie. He is amped up the entire time. It's like watching the best parts of his MTV show, for an hour and a half. Gr8 stuff!

This movie is a total gem, entertaining and perfectly cast and edited. There were moments I had to replay right away because they were so funny. Like when the assistant coach, Paul Henderson's character, leads the prayer for the football team. Brilliant comedy. Andy Dick is a madman and yet he has pathos. My family has been quoting one liners from the movie ever since we watched.

Buy Division III: Football's Finest (2011) Now

Andy Dick is genuinely funny in this movie. He's a funny comic actor, but most of the reason it works is that he's playing a very funny character. Rick Vice, a psychotic coach with a checkered past, is the perfect vehicle for Andy to channel all of his crazy, scary talent into, and it works.

Other actors have their moments but I never felt they were as developed as Andy. Will Sasso and Adam Carolla have a funny running gag as sports reporters, and I wish there had been more of Mo Collins as the loopy president or dean of the small liberal arts college.

The problem with the film is that the main character, played by co-writer and director Marshall Cook, is that he's simply the Lead Character In A Sports Film. And an under-developed one at that. He at first comes across as lazy and cynical...and then he just walks through the rest of the film, ending up with a winning game and The Girl...and we're not sure why. I guess because he's the Lead Character In A Sports Film.

The film clings too tightly to a well-worn sports movie formula and several main characters are merely formula commitments, not hilarious comic creations.

But Andy is really funny in this.

Read Best Reviews of Division III: Football's Finest (2011) Here

This movie is really funny! I was laughing non-stop. Andy Dick gives an outstanding performance and there were great jokes throughout. The actors were talented and the director did a great job of breaking the comedy mold. This movie was wild compared to all of the big budget, watered-down comedy movies normally released. I saw it in a theater but I can't wait to see it on blu-ray.

Want Division III: Football's Finest (2011) Discount?

I'm a huge Andy Dick fan and own the vast majority of his albums, TV shows and movies he's been in. I know he's not everyone's favorite, but I enjoy his funny, weird sense of humor.

That said, I didn't really like the movie he was placed into. Division III has quite possibly the worst male lead casting choice I've seen in ages (Marshall Cook). I mean, he literally gives Chris Klein a run for the money in terms of being unlikeable. He's got a bad attitude, a lazy work ethic and has zero charisma. I'm talking about both the character he portays AND him. He literally comes across like he was halfway awake in every scene. That wouldn't be so bad if the female lead (Alison Haislip) wasn't equally annoying on screen. I mean, are we supposed to want this girl to be the one everyone falls for in the film? She's snotty, talks down to everyone she meets and constantly complains about not being able to afford tuition at a college so poor it can't even afford football jerseys. It makes no sense. Like Marshall, I doubt she even wanted to be in this film (and it shows).

I could also complain about the weenie and weird Kevin Covais, a weakling and even nerdier version of McLovin. I mean, WTF! He was giving the male lead pep talks, sleeping with a girl way out of his league and scoring a game winning touch down even though he had never set foot on the field once (during an actual football game). Really? Really....?

As I said, the film around Andy is just mediocre at best. It's not particularly funny, touching or...well, anything. It's just there. I almost get the impression the Director was hesitant to make the whole film about Andy and instead tried to give the younger actors more screen time to balance him out. I think that was actually a poor choice because people will watch and remember Andy Dick in this film and no one else.

I should also say the film is surprisingly well told storytelling-wise and Dick's character is unpredictable enough that the film isn't too formulaic. I also like how non-PC the humor is. There are some gross out bits in the film I didn't expect, but luckily for Andy, they didn't seem beyond the scope of what he is known for (making the audience cringe).

Overall, for Andy Dick fans, it is definitely worth watching, despite the ho-hum story and actors surrounding him. I would recommend Danny Roane: First Time Director over this any day, mainly because that is a film all about Andy Dick and has much, much better actors in general.

Save 57% Off

Borat (2010)

I guess I am shocked at how divisive this film seems to be--it's apparently another in the camp of "love it" or "hate it." I was familiar with Sasha Baron Cohen and the Borat character from HBO's "Da Ali G Show". While I was amused by this reprehensible, yet surprisingly innocent "Kazahstanian," I was skeptical about a full fledged big screen treatment. Turning a comedy skit into a feature movie is a "iffy" proposition, at best. Take a look at almost every Saturday Night Live adaptation for corroboration. I'd have to say, then, that I was pleasantly surprised--Borat is a winner.

Part scripted, partly hidden camera improv, partly "Jackass" tomfoolery--you're never quite sure what is to be believed in "Borat". Some may feel that this limits the film's effectiveness as commentary, but I feel this enhances it's comedic appeal. For there is such unbridled outrageousness to be had in "Borat," it's hard not to be caught up in the spirit. I probably laughed more consistently within the framework of this spare 83 minute film than I have all year. Some of it is dumb humor, to be sure--some of it was shock value or disbelief.

But a large part of the humor comes from real life. By playing the moronic, offensive imbecile--Cohen, and thus Borat, expose a cavalier prejudice, hypocrisy, and/or intolerance that exists within American culture. Whether it's buying a gun to kill Jews, viewing women as sex objects to be violated, or supporting the genocide of our enemies--Borat always finds willing subjects to engage, people who in one way or another identify with these barbaric ideas.

It's tempting to dismiss Borat as offensive nonsense, I know many have already stated that opinion. It might also be tempting for others to embrace "Borat" as one of the more unapologetic and politically relevant films in quite some time. But I don't think it is attempting anything quite so significant--and that, in truth, may be it's greatest success. It walks the line unlike any other film in recent memory. It has elicited much love from fans and major critics and much hatred from it's detractors. This power to provoke such passion, such debate--be it feelings, emotions, thoughts, ideas--that is the film's crowning achievement. This crazy little film is not only one of the year's funniest films, it has also become one of the year's most talked about. Who can argue with that? KGHarris, 11/06.

Ok, I haven't even played this DVD yet. I saw the film twice in the theaters, and I think enough has been said about it on here...

***May contain spoilers***

But let me say that when I got my Borat DVD in the mail today (how I love Amazon deliveries the day DVDs are available and with super saver shipping no less) I was a little confused. I opened the package, and found a DVD covered by your usual sleeve promoting its highlights like any other you might buy in the US. Then, I eagerly slipped the plastic-covered DVD out of the sleeve, turned it over to read the back, started reading and wait... what? or rather, CHTO? because the entire DVD cover is in Russian.

Now, I read Russian. And I have purchased pirated DVDs for $2 at Moscow metro stations because that is pretty much what you do when you're in Russia. So the fact that I examined this DVD case for a good 5 minutes, opened it to find what looks like a DVD-R disc with "Borat" labeled in permanent marker and seriously considered the possibility that somehow a pirated DVD had been sent by Amazon... finally, of course, I realized that the whole thing was a joke. Possibly even funnier to me than any single joke in the film. The giveaway was the single slip of paper inside promoting more films you can buy from the US and A that are legal in kazakhstan...

Anyway. Now all I have to do is go to Russia and purchase an ACTUAL pirated version to compare!

The DVD should be purchased for the uncanny packaging alone, but I guess I have ruined the surprise...

Buy Borat (2010) Now

The "Borat" party continues on DVD, with cool-stupid menus and lots of howlers in the "Surplus Material" section (that's extra features to most of us). A 20-minute video about the Borat character's U.S. promo tour -"Global Vistings and Television Shows for Purposes of Propaganda of Documentary" -takes us to Cannes, with the infamous florescent thong incident that freaked out photo editors worldwide. From the Riviera, it's on to the talk-show circuit with appearances on Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno. Borat to Conan: "Your pubis, is it red? May I harvest it?" On Leno, Borat is ready for love as he mistakes Martha Stewart's bed-making demonstration for an invitation to sex. Stewart plays along, sort of.

There's also a mock late-night TV music ad, with Borat singing to kids about their miseries and then covering "Born to Be Wild" from the stupid van. In the "Censored Footages" section of 8 clips, check out Borat's visit to an incredulous doctor -"That means you had sex with your sister? ... No high 5" -and a "Baywatch" spoof, "Sexy Drown Watch," with plenty of flab on display -and another thong.

It all adds up to a bonus half-hour with Borat, most of it as good as anything in the movie.

Read Best Reviews of Borat (2010) Here

The public reaction to Borat speaks volumes about the very small amount of the US population that either doesn't have HBO or simply has never tuned into HBO's Da Ali G Show. Sacha Baron Cohen certainly didn't break new ground with the Borat character in the full-length feature film Borat. Indeed, the Borat character was a regular part of the Ali G show first popularized in the UK in 2000 and introduced to US viewers via HBO in 2004.

So technically, all the hub-bub on the one side of the fence about Borat being a "racist" character or a misrepresentation of the Kazakhstan people is about 7 years late. And the suggestion on the other side of the fence that Borat is the funniest movie or character to come along in years is way overrated.

The Borat character is funny. But what is funnier is watching the reaction to the character by the people that he is duping. Similarly, Cohen's Ali G character (a stereotypical hip-hop, British ghetto banger TV host) and the Bruno character (a stereotypical gay mannerismed TV host) have the same modus operandi....

....And that modus operandi is Socratic irony. The characters deliberately feign ignorance in order to expose weakness in another's position. The result: most of the time hilarity. Whether it's Borat, Ali G or Bruno, the laughs are less to each character's behavior and more to the reaction of the person being duped and the commitment that people have to being politically correct so as not to question the ridiculous opinions and questions that Cohen's characters come up with. Cohen's characters' naive stupidity make his victims look equally stupid...Socratic irony. (The only victim that I ever saw that had enough intelligence to walk out of the situation without any regard to whether or not he was offending the Cohen character was Donald Trump.)

Comparitively, if what we're really after here are public reactions to pranks and gags, you can get it all for free on YouTube. Cohen just has a better knack for executing his gags on VIPs. Therefore, to make a full length movie that developed the Borat character was a bit overkill for me. A movie that was similar to Da Ali G Show that mixed up the characters a bit would have kept the gags a bit more fresh.

So do you want to see some funny pranks and gags that get a bit tired by the end of full length feature film about just the Borat character? Then the Borat movie is for you. Would you rather see it mixed up a bit between different characters? Then go with Da Ali G Show seasonal DVD releases. You want pranks and gags for free? Go to YouTube.

But don't be fooled into being offended by any of the Cohen characters. They are not real; the man behind the mask really isn't that stupid. He's trying to make YOU look stupid. And if you take Cohen's characters seriously, you will indeed look stupid. You see? Socratic irony.

Want Borat (2010) Discount?

Finally got to see one of the most talked about movies of the year. The widescreen edition is great and the special features are okay. Sacha Baron Cohen plays Borat, a native of Kazakstan and also a reporter from that country who comes to America in the hopes of learning something constructive to take back and apply to his own culture. What the film really does is show a hilarious, if often times disturbing and yet comical view of American culture through Borat's eyes. From his purchase of an "auto car" to falling in love with Pamela Anderson after watching an episode of Baywatch, it was fun to follow him through his journey from New York to California. Cohen is great because he makes the character he plays very believable. Whether it was the Rodeo, the Bear they bought for protection or the etiquette lessons, the film was highly entertaining. This kind of humor is not for everyone but I know people who would have found some of it to be a turn off still ended up laughing a lot. Borat holds nothing back and in the meantime explores everything from run down neighborhoods to evangelical church meetings. At times I laughed so hard my sides were about to burst!

Save 66% Off

The Odd Couple (2013)

The 1968 classic is revisited on DVD but this time for Paramount's special "CENTENNIAL COLLECTION" release. This definitive release features commentary by the songs of Matthau and Lemmon but also a good number of lengthy featurettes that shows tribute to the popular film and to Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. An awesome tribute to this comedy classic!

VIDEO & AUDIO:

For the Centennial Collection of "The Odd Couple", for a film created in 1968, the film looks very good on DVD. Video is presented in widescreen (enhanced for 16:9 TV's). It was great to see the video scenes of New York in the 60's.

As for audio, audio is presented in English 5.1 Surround and French and Spanish mono. With the film being a dialogue based film, everything is front channel and clear. And of course, the music, composer Neil Hefti's theme song for "The Odd Couple" will always be remembered.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Unlike previous DVD releases of "The Odd Couple" which were sparse when it came to special features, the "CENTENNIAL COLLECTION" version features a good number of special features and quite lengthy as well.

* Commentary: Commentary by Charlie Matthau and Chris Lemmon. The guys have an interesting conversation during the film and talking about their parents. How they were odd couple as friends in real life and on the film but still very good friends. Chris Lemmon talks about how his father was like Felix and Charlie talks about how his father was like Felix as well in real life. As Matthau puts it, the first "bromance" on film.

* In the Beginning... A 17-minute featurette featuring interviews with Larry King (a good friend of Simon, Lemmon and Matthau), David Sheiner (who plays "Roy"), Carole Shelley (who plays "Gwendolyn Pigeon"), Gene Saks (the director of the film), Chris Lemmon (son of Jack Lemmon), Charlie Matthau (son of Walter Matthau), Brad Garrett (who played "Murray" and "Oscar" in the 2005 Broadway revival), Robert Evans (former studio head) and more. Each talking about their experiences of the watching "The Odd Couple" play, the film, their experiences with Neil Simon, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau and a good insight to personal experience on the film and the personal friendship between Lemmon and Matthau. A very good tribute to the film and the men. A wonderful and informative featurette.

* Inside The Odd Couple A 19-minute featurette about the casting of the film. Also, an insight on why Art Carney ("The Honeymooners", "Oscar") who was in the original Broadway production with Walter Matthau, turned down the part. Also, behind-the-scenes of the budget of the film and how they could cast two popular actors and possibly a director like Billy Wilder on a tight budget and then what took place afterwards and Gene Saks eventually becoming the director. Eventually, the only way to get the two men in the film was to not use Billy Wilder and go with Gene Saks. Interviews with a few of the talent on the film and discussing about how they were cast for their roles. Very informative!

* Memories from the Set A ten-minute featurette with interviews with director Gene Saks who would talk about the relationship on the film between Lemmon and Matthau. David Sheiner (who plays "Roy") talking about how the second act was shot first and the first act second because Matthau broke his arm in an accident. Interesting tid-bits behind the scenes of the film.

* Matthau & Lemmon A ten-minute featurette with both Chris Lemmon and Charlie Matthau and those involved with the film discussing the friendship of their father and how they were great friends for decades and how their friendship made their onscreen perfomance even much better. Both sons reflect on their father's friendship and growing up with their father and the type of relationship they had. A more personal featurette based on family and friendship.

* The Odd Couple: A Classic A three-minute featurettte featuring cast, those involved with the film, ChrisLemmon and Charlie Matthau discussing why they feel the movie had become a classic.

* Galleries Image galleries from production and from the movie.

* Trailers Theatrical Trailer (previously used on the 2000 DVD release)

And like previous Centennial Collections from Paramount, a booklet is included with information and tidbits about the film and its stars and also a cardboard slipcase that holds the DVD/case.

JUDGMENT CALL:

"The Odd Couple" will always be remembered as a comedy classic. In fact, it ranks #17 for the American Film Institute's "AFI Top 100 Years...100 Laughs" category. And that doesn't surprise me one bit, this film is just so enjoyable and entertaining.

The back and forth exchanges between Matthau and Lemmon will always be remembered, both men were just magnificent in this filme and after watching this "CENTENNIAL COLLECTION", you realize how these two men made it happen. Not just because they were talented actors but they had this tremendous friendship that transcended off-screen to on-screen and made their onscreen performance so believable and enjoyable and yet making you laugh. Even though this film is over 40-years-old, it still remains entertaining and quite hilarious now as it was then.

But what makes this "CENTENNIAL COLLECTION" so wonderful is the fact that you have special features bringing talent and crew involved with the film, family and friends of Neil Simon, Matthau and Lemmon, those who have worked with revival of the play and showcasing everything from the casting, the hiring of a director, behind-the-scenes of making the film, personal relationships between the children and their father and much more. For fans of the film, the special features included in the "CENTENNIAL COLLECTION" is absolutely golden. There is just so much to learn and watch and enjoy on this DVD that Paramount really did give royal treatment for this release.

All in all, this DVD is highly recommended!

I grew up with the Tony Randall/Jack Klugman sitcom version of "The Odd Couple." Everything about it is funny. Having seen for the first time the movie, I never before imagined how smart Neil Simon could be. The movie outshines the TV series, and is worth the space on any standard comedy DVD library shelf.

In the TV series, Klugman's Oscar is a bohemian bachelor living in slop, and apparently content. In the movie, Walter Matthau's Oscar is no neater, but five times as deep. Although he lives in a divorced man's squalor of old cigars and warm beer, he wants more. He's lonely for his wife and kids, and regrets not making his alimony payments. His life is so disorganized that he wastes money by squandering cash on dinners out and gambling.

When Felix Ungar, as played by Jack Lemmon, Oscar's poker buddy, comes to stay when his wife divorces him, lifestyles clash.

On the surface, the clash is about organization and housekeeping. More deeply, Felix and Oscar duel as Super Ego and ID. Consistently archetypal, they are, in a more modern sense, like Marge and Homer Simpson, each seeing life through their limited expressions. Felix is uptight, and forever second-guessing himself. Oscar is living life for the moment, and never stopping to consider his responsibilities.

Oscar cares about Felix more than their other poker buddies, and connects with him as alter self, regarding their friendship worth pursuing. Since Felix needs a place to stay, Oscar offers up his ample apartment. The conflicts arise soon after, but not without each appreciating what the other brings to the relationship. Ironies abound when Felix's hypersensitivities gain him the affection of two dimwitted but attractive sisters, and Oscar's unbridled hormones.

Oscar can't help but enjoy Felix's great cooking and cleaning habits. He eats better, saves money, and finds his home is a nice a place to be when cigarette butts don't litter the floor.

No remake could collect such a cast. Matthau and Lemmon are known here as a duo on par with any of the great matches, like Bogie and Bacall, Bing and Bob, or Abbott and Costello. John Fiedler as the soft spoken family man, Vinnie, and Herb Edelman as Murray the cop are casted primely. One reason "The Odd Couple II" misses is this class cast. Matthau and Lemmon bring a lot to the table, but with Murray and Vinnie (plus Monica Evans and Carole Shelley respectively as the giggly sisters, Cecily and Gwendolyn Pigeon), anything made 30+ years later won't do.

Superbly written, "The Odd Couple" is one of those comedies with intelligence. Never does Neil Simon try to pan off one-liners. Even as Oscar tosses out slicing one-phrased commentaries as swiftly as Grouch Marx, there is more than a quick chuckle behind it. It is the myriad of layers, subtle commentary and sly interjections that lift this script up an extra level, placing it as a classic.

Surprisingly entertaining is the theme. It is the same theme as in the TV series, but plays in varied orchestrations throughout the movie's context. It was one of the great TV themes, and to hear it extrapolated in several variations makes it so much more enjoyable.

I fully recommend "The Odd Couple."

Anthony Trendl

ChicagoSpeechwriter.com

Buy The Odd Couple (2013) Now

I saw this movie about two weeks ago on AMC. It was funny and made me really laugh. I'm a 16 year old who likes classic and ORIGINAL films, not today's CGI filled/no talent actors/rap star cameo-esque films. Anyway, I really liked Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau after seeing this movie. Of course, I always liked Matthau, because I've seen him in a couple of movies with Gregory Peck (also on AMC). It was a great movie!

Read Best Reviews of The Odd Couple (2013) Here

This is a New York movie from the New York of the post-war years. A city in which a sports writer like Oscar Madison could afford to rent a seven room apartment on Central Park West. It is a film from an era where Felix could be heterosexual and a man could be rejected by his wife because he was too neat. The plot is full of ironies and scenes which demonstrate the bizaare predictiment of personality extremes Felix and Oscar and their relationship to each other. Last and most importantly, the movie is incredibly funny. None of the jokes are cliche or recycled and each reveals something about the extreme personalities of Felix the neurotic and Oscar the ultra-slob. The city is always the star, even as we are focused on the conflicts and complements of the Odd Couple's relationship. But it is always there, in a way which is familiar to someone who lives in Manhattan. Once of the last scenes of the film have Felix and Oscar arguing on the roof of their building, with the New York City Westside Skyline in the background. That is one of the best New York scenes in any movie. Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthaw are brilliant and the Odd Couple. I only wish that a movie of the genre could be made now, films about personalities and men and New York which are beyond today's narrow box of social types.

Want The Odd Couple (2013) Discount?

I won't belabor the obvious greatness of this classic. That's legendary. What I'd like to point out is that the scene with Felix opening his eustachian tubes in the restaurant with the "phmeh" sound is possibly the funniest scene ever filmed. If you don't laugh out loud at that, you have no soul.

Save 25% Off

The Break-Up

In order to appreciate The Break-Up you really have to suspend disbelief at the reasons why a couple like Gary (Vince Vaughn) and Brooke (Jennifer Aniston) would actually come together in the first place. The film is well acted and fast paced and also entertaining, and it does a generally good job of showing what happens when love turns into a weapon of mutual destruction.

It's just I didn't quite buy the fact that a somewhat educated and cultured girl like Brooke who works as a art-gallery curator and likes going to the ballet would actually see in a working class schlep like Gary, a voluble if considerably doughy charmer who, with his two brothers (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Cole Hauser), runs a guided tourist service in Chicago.

If you can get beyond this strange lapse of logic, The Break-Up is a mostly fun and astute and features the lovely Jennifer and the clever Vince at their snappish best. The story itself is pretty slim: Brook and Gary meet at a Cubs game, fall in love hard, buy a showpiece apartment together and live happily ever after. All this happens in the opening credits.

It doesn't take long, however, for the cracks to appear in the relationship and the fights inevitably start coming. He doesn't buy the right number of lemons for a dinner party she's hosting for their respective families, and then doesn't do the dishes until she nags him to help. She doesn't understand his needs, which is basically relaxing after a hard day on his feet and watching the ball game. So consequently, after a bitter argument, Brooke impulsively puts an end to their relationship.

The big problem is that they both own the apartment together, and over the next couple of weeks things get worse. Lines are drawn over who can do what and trivial disagreements break out over common space, noise, and eventually escalating into Brooke inviting over dates, Gary inviting over strippers, moving in a pool table, and everything else as the relationship spirals out of control.

The couple's realtor (Jason Bateman) and shared friends, including Maddie (Joey Lauren Adams) and Johnny (Jon Favreau), all get caught up and are forced to take sides. But will Brooke and Gary be able to sort out their differences and stay together, or is the relationship doomed to failure?

I think the strength of the film comes from the biting repartee that takes place between Aniston and Vaughn, especially in the earlier scenes. You really do believe that they are and have been a committed couple that are about to explode with frustration at each other's failings. The actors indeed imbue Gary and Brooke with moments of sincere woundedness and the film's arguments that relationships are essentially about mutual respect and about give and take come across as remarkably authentic.

As usual in these sorts of Hollywood romantic comedies and using the term romantic loosely the supporting cast is filled out with a number of veterans. Judy Davis steals every scene she's in as Brooke's eccentric art gallery boss and Ann Margaret makes a surprise appearance as Brooke's mother.

But the movie ultimately belongs to both Aniston and Vaughn she's tanned and toned and looks fantastic and he does what he does best playing the permissive man-child who just refuses to take responsibility for anything, either personal or professional.

The film stalls a bit in its final third; as though the producers are intent to pad the story out and Brooke's motivations for doing what she does remain bit of an enigma first she loves him then she doesn't and we're left to infer some of her feelings rather than bear witness to them. In the end, though, The Break-Up is at least partially notable for showing both lead actors at their best, but the film also shows off some terrific views of the beautiful city of Chicago. Mike Leonard October 06.

Realistic to the end. I've been involved with counseling many couples who break up and this movie hits the proverbial nail right on the head. Many break ups are "accidental". Many times persons who break up wish they could be back together. Many times the greatest danger comes when the problems are out in the open and persons attempt to save the relationship.

All of the cast does a good job. The characters are believable and make the viewer root for them, even the supporting cast. The viewer becomes emotionally glued to this film with a desire for these two to make it, but they always seem to just miss, even though both want it to work. This could be a healing film, but it is not a "feel good" film. This may be why so many viewers, expecting a light hearted comedy, gave it less than stellar reviews.

Most people who have experienced the breakup of a close relationship will see themselves in this film. About half of all marriages end in divorce and most couples who live together will eventually split. The brightest spot in the film is the ending. It reminds us that however relationships turn out, there is hope for a future on the other side.

I won't say how this film turns out, but if you do not like the ending there is an alternate ending in the bonus features. I liked the ending that showed in the theatres, but the other ending is worth a glance, if only for a few laughs.

Buy The Break-Up Now

I didn't see this film in the theater, so when I sat down to view The Break-Up I was surprised by the fact that it's less of a romantic comedy than a romantic drama. Sure there are some funny moments, but at its heart the film is about the relationship of Gary Grobowski and Brooke Meyers (played wonderfully by Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston) and how it explodes into a great mess. Vince Vaughn is great as the selfish Gary who doesn't understand why people just can't fall in line and do what he wants them to do. As his girlfriend, Brooke, Aniston shows some real acting chops and plays a character much more adult and well-rounded than Rachel from Friends. While the film focuses mostly on the characters of Gary and Brooke, the supporting cast is also top-notch. Two that really shine in the film are Jon Favreau as Gary's best friend and Vincent D'Onofrio as Gary's older brother, Dennis, who gets no respect from self-centered Gary. There is one scene in particular between them that was just heart-wrenching. As I said, this film was not what I expected it to be. After something like The Wedding Crashers, I guess I was expecting a bit more slapstick and childish humor from a Vaughn film, but that is definitely not what The Break-Up is; in fact, it's a very adult film about two people who can't seem to communicate with each other until it's too late. I especially like that the writers didn't sell out in the end and go for the hokey finale. Very good film.

Read Best Reviews of The Break-Up Here

Unlike the previous reviewers of this film, I have the advantage of actually having seen the film at a preview here in Chicago. I'm happy to report that it is a very decent comedy with many moments that are genuinely funny. It doesn't quite belong to a genre of comedy known as a remarriage comedy (where a couple splits up and then reconciles despite a host of obstacles), but it isn't far from it. I won't spoil the film by explaining precisely why it doesn't quite fit that mould. I'll merely say that it isn't quite as predictable as one might assume at the outset.

The plot is fairly simple. Two people meet at the Cross-town Classic at Wrigley (for non-Chicagoans, that is what Major League Baseball likes to call the Cub-Sox inter-league series) and buy a condo together. They break up, but neither seems willing to move out. Comedy ensues as they play a series of mind games with one another.

A plot this bare bones could be either good or bad or something in between, depending on what you graft onto the story. Luckily, most of what they do is quite funny. Much of the success of the film stems from Vince Vaughan's fabulous gift for comedy. Jennifer Aniston, who has of course been linked to Vaughan after they met on the set of this film, does a very fine job, but it is Vaughan who drives the film's comedy. What follows their break up is a string of very funny moments as each tries to get back at the other.

There is a very odd bit of somewhat dirty humor in the film. Jennifer Aniston's character gets a wax treatment in her nether regions known as a Telly Savalas, so that she will make her former boyfriend jealous and desirous when she walks about the apartment naked. It isn't hard to imagine what that involves, but what makes it odd is that Telly Savalas was Jennifer Aniston's godfather. Her father, John Aniston (born Anastassakis), was a very close friend of his fellow Greek Savalas and asked him to be Jennifer's godfather. I just fine it a very, very odd joke given her relation to Savalas.

One of the reasons the film is so much fun is the very strong supporting cast. My fellow Arkansan and Little Rock native Joey Lauren Adams plays Aniston's best friend. Like many people I first became aware of Vince Vaughan in the Jon Favreau film SWINGERS. Favreau plays one of Vaughan's best friends in this one, though I swear he must weigh 80 pounds more than he did in SWINGERS. Vincent D'Onofrio plays one of Vaughan's brothers. The hugely talented (but under-utilized by Hollywood) Judy Davis has a somewhat inappropriate role as an art gallery owner. But two actors formerly of ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT supply two of the best contributions to the film. That series's star Jason Bateman has a couple of typically funny moments (using pretty much the same deliver he used for Michael Bluth) and one wishes he had had a larger role. But John Michael Higgins stole every scene he was in as Aniston's almost-gay brother. The funniest part of the film might be when he tries to get everyone to sing a song at a dinner early in the film. On ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT he played the highly professional and perpetually stone-faced lawyer Wayne Jarvis, though film goers will remember him best as the gay dog handler in BEST IN SHOW and the co-leader of a musical group in A MIGHTY WIND.

The only reason I can't give this film five stars is that it had some persistent pacing and rhythm problems. At several points the film drags a bit, scenes not moving at the right pace, the film lingering over bits just a little too long. It is hard to say precisely who is to blame for such things. Initial suspicion would go to the film's editor, but sometimes pacing can be dictated by the director or even the producers. There is no way to tell who is to blame, but the film just doesn't have as much life as it ought to have had.

But nonetheless, this is a solid comedy that will delight most viewers. It isn't a farce like Vaughan's hit from last summer, THE WEDDING CRASHERS, but more in the lines of a very funny date movie. I would like to add that it is one of the better Chicago films I have seen in a while. There are a number of Chicago locations that are seen in a host of movies, but also a few that rarely are. All in all, a very enjoyable movie.

Want The Break-Up Discount?

It's not a bad idea: a movie not about how a couple meets and falls in love, but about the demise of their relationship. The problem is the execution. I just never bought that Aniston's character would fall for Vaughn's. Come on, no woman who loves art and works in an art gallery could be with a man who thinks Michelangelo painted the "sixteenth Chapel." And let's not even mention the fact that his character is a fat slob and that Vaughn looks like a mailman. I spent most of the movie hoping she'd get as far away from Vaughn as possible, and the ending (both versions) left me absolutely cold.

Save 61% Off

Marriage Italian Style (Sophia Loren Award Collection) (1964)

Hands off this great movie was transfered to DVD in the worst quality I've ever seen. The whole item is simply garbage.

I was really looking forward to the release of that film, but the result is not only disappointing but also a disaster. Of course, one can not always demand a transfer quality on the level that criterion has established with its releases ("divorce italian style", to cite just one example of that great collection), but there is a minimum of quality standards to be followed.

Although amazon is neither responsible for the content nor the quality standards of the offered products, they should be able to find a way to rate new products in the DVD section initially. Especially from a point of view that has its focus in reviewing the picture transfer, audio quality, language and subtitle options.

Considering this item, I would recommend to delete it from the sales list. In my humble opinion, customer service means, to prevent people from purchasing products like that one.....

Avoid this until a legitimate version is released. The English subtitled version is pan and scan from a dupey print with limited subtitles and grain the size of boulders. PLEASE save your money. The Italian only is a hair better in that it is anamorhic, but still a subpar picture (and no subtitles). Assume film is Public Domain for this is the worst DVD I've ever purchased.....

Buy Marriage Italian Style (Sophia Loren Award Collection) (1964) Now

I saw the last 20 minutes of this movie on TV several years ago and have been waiting for it to become available on DVD ever since. What a disappointment! As other reviewers have stated over and over, the quality is terrible. So why did I give it 2 stars instead of the lowest rating? First it is a great movie. Second, for reasons which I do not understand, the quality is good if you do not use subtitles. So if you understand Italian I can recommend it. Otherwise, don't waste your money.

Read Best Reviews of Marriage Italian Style (Sophia Loren Award Collection) (1964) Here

Others have commented on the film's classic status so I won't repeat those comments here. Instead, I just want to warn potential purchasers of the video quality. The picture lacks resolution and colors are smeared with poor edge integrity (meaning the colors of objects smear into adjacent areas). The colors are also artificially intense. Overall, the copy quality is about on a par with that of real-time dubs using home VHS equipment. Given that we now live in a world of high quality [price]tapes from the major studios, the quality of this tape given its extremely high price is ludicrous. The rating is three stars: 4 for the movie and 2 for the tape copy (I have seen poorer quality tapes but at least the sellers charged a price consistent with the quality of the tapes).

Note: For future readers, this review applies to the videotape copy of the film sold by Jef Films during the year 2001 ...

Want Marriage Italian Style (Sophia Loren Award Collection) (1964) Discount?

Totally agree with other reviewsthis is a rubbish reproduction, an insult to a great movie. SO why dont Amazon act and a) stop allowing it to be peddled and b) help customers get refunds. Has anyone got their money back?

Save 37% Off

Land of the Lost (2009)

"Captain Kirk's nipples!"

...and if that quote didn't tell you the new big budget big screen "Land of the Lost" film isn't exactly directed at the Saturday morning TV crowd... I fondly recall spending those mornings in the 70's with Will, Holly, Dr. Marshall and the Sleestak, so when I heard Will Ferrell would be taking the lead I was content in the knowledge that the campiness of the original Sid and Marty Kroft show would be preserved. As fate would have it this preservation extends even to the cheesy theme song which Ferrell nearly performs in one scene...this theme song pretty much covers the series and movie's premise...the aforementioned characters, on a "less than" routine expedition via an earthquake and a tachyon gadget (this part is new) end up in a parallel space they call the "Land of the Lost" complete with prehistoric critters and lizardmen. Unlike the series they need to find Dr. Marshall's misplaced gadget in order to get home, this leads to lots of mishaps and sight gags. But as I mentioned, this is not your father's "Land of the Lost" this is a Will Ferrell, albeit watered down, but nonetheless, a Will Ferrell film, so as you'd expect there is overt crude references flying aplenty, including hot Sleestak-on-Sleestak action (not really on screen), nothing to cringe-worthy...although some drug and vague sexual jokes.

"LOTL" is bookended by a "TODAY" show sequence in which Matt himself interviews Dr. Marshall about is kooky space/time theories and then again later interviews a vindicated Dr. Marshall at the movie's end. Dr. Marshall is classic Will Ferrell, the pompous, dimwitted boob he plays soooo well, so you know precisely what you will get upon entering the theater. This time he is a nutty paleontologist who has a strange fixation on "Chorus Line" and comfort food binges. "Land of the Lost" is more "Elf" than "Anchorman", I guess. What is new here is the digital dino and big bug eye candy, not really the norm for a Ferrell film, more in the spirit of Ringo Starr's "Caveman" than "Jurassic Park" though (especially the cave-boy-speak).

The kitsch aside, if possible, "LOTL" includes some impressive sets, some true to the original show, like the Sleestak ruins and some less Kroft, but equally cool, parallel world Bermuda Triangle parallel world clutter ala desert complete with missing ships, planes and gas stations. Also true to the Kroft look are the Sleestak lizard people (one of which is voiced by Leonard Nimoy a.k.a Spock) who look largely unchanged, but I'd have bought a ticket just for them anyway.

We watched this movie on our DVR, kept it around, watched it again, and then again, and then again. By the third time, we found it to be really funny and my family still quotes the movie all the time. It's not 'Black Swan' but life's too short to ignore this movie. I only wish they'd do an 'Extras' version but that's probably not going to happen.

Buy Land of the Lost (2009) Now

I'd read plenty of negative reviews of the film before deciding to give it a look.

What the film lacks in cohesiveness it makes up for goofiness. It is most definitely a vehicle for letting Will Farrell run wild and free. It wasn't a script in search of a star so much as it is a familiar premise functioning as a playground for a comedic improv actor.

I wouldn't say it is "based on" the classic Saturday morning series so much as "inspired by" it.

Nevertheless, the cast seem to have fun in this lighgweight romp and it makes for a reasonably funny way to pass 90 minutes.

I don't know if I'd buy it for my home video library but I certainly wouldn't object to watching it again from time to time.

I didn't get to listen to the Director Commentary track before I returned the rental disc, but I've listened to others by this director and he tells interesting stores.

And the cameo by Matt Lauer is worth the price of admission!

Read Best Reviews of Land of the Lost (2009) Here

This movie is hilarious. I rented it two days before Christmas Eve when everything else was already out. I laughed until I cried. I knew then I had to add it to my movie collection. I have watched it several times with my family since receiving it. Highly recommended. Do not let it's rating fool you. It does have some adult references, but no nudity or horribe language. Perfect movie for a night in with the wife and teenagers.

Want Land of the Lost (2009) Discount?

Always loved THE LAND OF THE LOST original 1974 Acid & Marty Krofft show, even when walking around in pjs on a Saturday morning and watching it on our black n white TV. I bought the second season of the series not long ago. So I knew I had to see this. And even though Will Ferrel is usually hit and miss with me (more often miss than hit), I thought this was the best thing he's done in a long time! And really, it's kind of a clever spin/spoof on the original that does manage to generate a fair amount of interest even in terms of an adventure story. It's great seeing how they come up with things that we know from the original. The dinosaur was certainly fierce, well-done, and filled in nicely for Grumpy. I thought the Zarn guy, Enic, could have been a little more convincing, a little closer to the original perhaps. Finally, the story stayed true to the original not in it's comedy flavor, but just in how whacked out it was falling in and out of this dimension and that one the original Land of the Lost is true sci-fi (albeit on low budget). This one also managed to bring forth and add some new twists to the old "routine expedition" gone terribly awry. And terribly ridiculous as well. I think this movie was a great idea.

PS I watched it twice the second time with friends. I liked it as much or better the second time. Some really funny scenes and kind of a clever story as well. Scenes with Chaka are HILARIOUS ("I am your master, Chaka"). This film is gonna be a classic one day.

Save 33% Off

Blog Archive