50 First Dates (2004)

You know those movies where you see the trailer in the theater and then when you see the actual movie you discover all the good parts were in the trailer? Well, "50 First Dates" is not one of those movies. In fact, I can make the argument that while the trailer may indeed have most of the funniest moments in this film, it most decidedly does not have any of the best moments of the film. When you see the trailer about this movie in which Adam Sandler has to make a first impression on Drew Barrymore every day because she has no short term memory and wakes up every morning forgetting what happened the previous day, you would think that he discovers this the next morning when she wakes up in bed with a stranger and starts screaming. However, I am happy to report, "50 First Dates" is not that movie either.

I have been trying to think of last time a movie prompted tears in my eyes as often as "50 First Dates." We know that Lucy Whitmore (Barrymore) no longer has any short term memory because of a car accident, but what we learn before we meet Lucy is that Henry Roth (Sandler) is apparently the king of the love 'em and leave 'em of the Hawaiian islands. Thus the great irony is that he falls for the one woman who can forget him faster and more completely than any tourist he has ever dumped. What we also learn about are the extraordinary lengths to which Lucy's family and friends go make each day the same happy day for her. Lucy's brother Doug (Sean Astin) needs to lay off the steroids but her father (Blake Clark) is fiercely and lovingly protective of his daughter. Watching everything that he and his son do each night to reset the stage for Lucy's happy day got me big time.

Unlike "Groundhog Day," which only had a few minor flaws in logic (e.g., why does the music teacher claim Bill Murray as a student at the end?) there are giant holes in "50 First Dates" (e.g., how do the three guys manage to every day free to take care of Lucy?), but I do not care. The gaps are covered in just too many sweet and touching moments for me to object to George Wing's screenplay. The reason why I did not give "50 First Dates" is mainly because of the character of Ula (Rob Schneider), who represents the traditional "Adam Sandler" type of comedy in this film. There are a few moments where Sandler goes over the top (basically anytime his voice gets to the yelling level), but I could forgive most of those (the last song he sings redeems much), but every time Ula showed up it was like clips from another movie. The last time he shows up in the film I was really not happy to see him there because he was ruining a moment I had been eagerly awaiting.

One of the impressive things about this movie is that it does not cop out. Dr. Keats (Dan Aykroyd), Lucy's doctor, tells us repeatedly that Lucy is never going to get better and a lot of the power of this movie comes from the different ways in which Lucy and Howard deal with this hard reality. We also learn that for Lucy and his family there are what her dad calls "bad" days, and it because of them that Henry is inspired to try something different and provide another series of sweet moments in the film. As long as he refrains from going into overdrive, Sandler makes it totally believable that Henry would spend every day trying to get Lucy to fall in love with him. But it is Barrymore who is pitch perfect on both the comedy and the pathos of her role as Lucy. If Sandler did not know that he had found his perfect leading lady after "The Wedding Singer," then this film should do the trick.

The tagline for this film is "Imagine having to win over the girl of your dreams... every friggin' day" is a funny line, but it is as much misdirection as the trailer. Henry may treat his strange assistant Alexa (Lusia Strus) badly, but he could not possibly be more patient with Lucy. Even her skeptical father has to admit that he and Henry are kindred spirits. Because this is Adam Sandler we keep waiting for him to try and take advantage of the situation, but, to repeat myself, this is not that film. Yes, "Groundhog Day" is the better movie, but "50 First Dates" is also full of grace and more importantly the film finds of way of delivering on its promise. First kisses might be the sweetest of all, but in this film it is the last date that makes you surrender on the off chance you manage to hold off that long.

The idea behind this film is that in a successful relationship you have to fall in love over and over again. In this story it happens literally everyday.

The performances:

Adam Sandler as Henry Roth shows his vulnerable side in his best and most natural performance.

Drew Barrymore as Lucy Whitmore has never been better, and has great chemistry with Adam. She emerges as a fine actor.

Rob Schneider as Ula may fool you that he is really the character he is playing, I didn't know it was him for half the move! He is brilliantly funny.

Sean Astin as Doug Whitmore (better known as Sam from the Lord of the Rings) is funny in this comic role as Lucy's lisping brother.

Pomaika'i Brown as Nick (tattoo face) the cook, is great in his small role and deserves bigger roles in the future.

Shot in Hawaii, it has beautiful cinematography and vibrant color. The movie is a combination of humor and romance with more heart than you might expect.

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Adam Sandler's previous track record has been shaky, with some underwritten comedies (Anger Management) and movies that failed to find a mainstream audience (Big Daddy). 50 firsts Dates makes an improvement by not only providing an original script that lends itself to both comedic double entrees and depth, courtesy of Drew Barrymore's stunning performance, with convincing pathos. Sandler brings another great character to the screen, especially since this story provokes just as many tears as guffaws. This is possibly Sandler's best film and boasts great comedic turns from Rob Scheider and Sean Astin. This film really does work on all levels, and considering I'm not a fan of the genre. Combining an impressive supporting cast with a sprightly running time and hip soundtrack, and you have one of the best comedies of recent years. Highly reccomended.

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The 2004 film "50 First Dates" that was directed by Peter Segal (who directed "Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult" in 1994) was an unexpected pleasant surprise as I typically don't like films starring Adam Sandler or Rob Schneider. However, Sandler's role as Henry Roth, who falls in love with the artist Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore), is well-acted in showing both the character's frustration and determination in dealing with Lucy's short-term memory loss that prevents her from remembering just about everything from one day to the next. Taking place in Hawaii, Henry works at a sea aquarium as its veterinarian with walruses, penguins and dolphins, as well as one of the animal trainers named Ula (Rob Schneider). For many years, Lucy has been taken care of by her aging father, Marlin Whitmore (Blake Clark) and her stuttering bodybuilding brother named Doug (Sean Astin). Henry is smitten with Lucy from the first time that they meet, but unfortunately, their relationship becomes difficult, as Henry must start over afresh each day because Lucy can't remember whom he is. Though they spend many wonderful days together and find a way to help Lucy remember what has transpired between them, she comes to the conclusion one day that she is holding Henry back from his dreams. He goes off to finish working on his sailboat and plans to leave the island (and her), but when he visits her one last time, he finds that she has been remembering him in her dreams and in her paintings. Will they find a way to build a lasting relationship or go their separate ways? You'll just have to watch this highly recommended film to find out!

Overall, I rate "50 First Dates" with 4 out of 5 stars. It's an inspiring and touching light romantic comedy with a wonderful soundtrack that features such songs as "Wouldn't It Be Nice" (by the Beach Boys), "Another Day" (by Paul McCartney & Linda McCartney, 1941-1998), "Could You Be Loved" (by Bob Marley, 1945-1981), and "Is This Love" (also by Bob Marley) to name a few. Other memorable characters in the film include Alexa (Lusia Strus), Dr. Keats (Dan Aykroyd), Stacy (Maya Rudolph) and Nick (Pomaika'i Brown). Of course, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, Dan Aydroyd and Maya Rudolph are all veterans of the long-running TV comedy variety show "Saturday Night Live", which has been on the air continually since 1975.

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Just when I start getting used to the cookie-cutter formula of most romantic comedy movies, a film like 50 First Dates comes along, picks me out of my seat, spins me around, and drops me back down so I don't know which way is up. I walked into the movie theater expecting this movie to be cute and funny at best-and crude and obnoxious at worst. What I found instead was a touching, sweet romantic comedy that occasionally brought tears to my eyes. Best described as Groundhog Day with a twist, this movie tells the story of a love that defies a huge and unusual obstacle.

Adam Sandler plays Henry Roth: ladies' man, man's man, man about town-the love `em and leave `em type. Henry's the sort of guy most women detest-he dates a woman briefly, sleeps with her, and then tells her he's married/gay/about to be deported, etc. He's committed to his work as a veterinarian, and he's terrified of any other kind of commitment. This all changes when he meets Lucy Whitmire in a coffee shop.

Drew Barrymore is Lucy, a sweet, beautiful girl with a severe handicap. She was in a car accident over a year before the story begins, and, as a result, she lost her ability to retain her short-term memory. Each night when she goes to sleep, her brain "resets" itself, and she wakes up each day thinking it's October 13 of the previous year-the day the accident took place.

The story gets rolling when Henry not only decides that he cares about Lucy enough to have her meet and fall in love with him each day, but he also manages to convince her overprotective family and friends that he's the real deal.

Sandler and Barrymore prove once again that they have unbelievable chemistry onscreen (they were also wonderful together in 1998's The Wedding Singer). They remind me a little of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan (Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, etc.) Although the character of Henry Roth has a softer, gentler persona than many of the characters we've seen Sandler play in the past, fans of the former SNL comedian will appreciate the subtle jokes and references to some of his earlier movies, such as Happy Gilmore. Even the requisite Sandler-composed song, "Forgetful Lucy," is sweet and romantic rather than over-the-top. Drew Barrymore portrays the sweet and confused Lucy to perfection-the audience can completely understand why Henry would go to such great lengths for this girl. Sean Astin and Rob Schneider are hilarious in their supporting roles, and the film has a great soundtrack to back it up.

This movie is definitely a must-see-whether you're on a first date of your own, with a long-term sweetie, or just with the gang. I highly recommend it.

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Quinn, Colin - Long Story Short (2010)

To seriously date myself, I have been watching Colin Quinn since the mid-eighties when he was the announcer/sidekick on MTV's inspired pop culture game show "Remote Control." In truth, while I like Quinn fine, I've never been a particularly enthusiastic fan. His irascible persona has served him well in stand-up and TV shows (Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, The Colin Quinn Show) and suitably on "Saturday Night Live," but he's never had the cross over success of fellow "Remote Control" alum Adam Sandler. It was of great interest to me, however, when it was announced that Jerry Seinfeld was backing and directing Quinn in a one man stage show. "Colin Quinn--Long Story Short" is a 2010 filmed presentation of that show performed at Broadway's Helen Hayes Theater, originally broadcast on HBO. The show's hook is that it is a satirical look at the history of the world in 75 minutes. Tying modern day phenomenon to ancient civilizations, Quinn journeys through different cultures and eras for a fitfully funny and surprisingly smart engagement.

To be fair, I wasn't sure what to expect when I sat down to watch this presentation. But Quinn acquits himself well in a routine that is thought provoking and insightful. This is NOT a stand-up comedy special. Those looking for traditional jokes might need to look elsewhere. This is an intricately constructed piece that is as much about history as it is about any punchline. While not always as laugh-out-loud funny as you might hope, it more than compensates by its ambition and scope. I've never given much thought to Quinn as an intellectual, but the sophistication in this piece has made me reevaluate that opinion.

Not all of the night's themes are particularly new to comedic interpretation. The main point seems to be that humans are their own worst enemies. Seeking proclaimed enlightenment, our follies and foibles lead us down the path to destruction every time. And history repeats--no matter the time or place. Some of the funniest bits have to do with frustrations in contemporary society as people relate to one another at the ATM or in an elevator. But Quinn is adept at relating the idiocies of the present to those of the past. He takes us through the historical settings of the ancient Greeks and Romans, through to the British Empire, all the way up to the Jersey Shore with lots of stops on the way. I absolutely loved Quinn's premise here. For sure, the material was a bit uneven (some even too expected)--but the success far outweighs any drawbacks. Smart and literate, this satiric romp through the ages is absolutely recommended to those who know what to expect. Once again, this is NOT stand-up but a fully realized one man show which is both funny and brainy--a winning combination. About 4 1/2 stars. KGHarris, 10/11.

My wife talked me into seeing this when he came to philly. i wasn't too sure but i'm glad i did. it took about 5 minutes to get going but when he did it just took off. my only regret is that i didnt bring paper and a pen to write down all the jokes that i wanted to repeat later to friends and family. i cant wait to get this in the mail so i can see it all over again

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Written and performed by Colin Quinn. Directed by Jerry Seinfeld. This show was so well done and so funny, I saw it Live twice at Bleeker St. Theatre. It was so well received it moved uptown to Helen Hayes Theatre in Times Square where I saw it again. Hilarious view of civilization. Highly recommend. Deserves a Tony, if there is a Comedy category. Glad it was made into a DVD.

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This is a hilarious, smart summary of the history of the world. Colin Quinn is largely accurate (I did notice a historical error on the Latin America piece) and wholly entertaining. I only wish there was an edited version I could show my world history students, as the curse words are free flowing. I can watch this repeatedly and still laugh heartily at Quinn's performance. I HIGHLY recommend this product!

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Colin takes us through history using wit and humor to shine a light on the similarities between "now" and "then". Wish I could have seen it live and in person as the audience was really into the performance. Makes me miss Tough Crowd, a lot.

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The Pink Panther (2006)

This 2006 movie remake is a comedy film with plenty of slapstick, sex jokes, fart jokes, and physicaltype humor. It offers Kevin Kline and Steve Martin in the main roles and having watched the original Pink Panther and one of the Pink Panther follow ups (Return of the Pink Panther), I can say with confidence that this version isn't very good. With the original Pink Panther, you had David Niven and Peter Sellers in the starring roles in a comedy movie that was fun, original, and entertaining all the way through thanks to the performances and the script. With this version, you have a movie that relies on fart jokes, vases stuck to Steve Martin's hands, bullets falling out of a revolver, and other assorted silliness for its entertainment value.

In some ways, one can't help but laugh during certain moments of this filmeven when the comedy isn't very mature or very original. Take for instance a scene near the beginning where Steve Martin's Inspector Clouseau character is trying to parallel park his small car between two other cars. There is plenty of room, but the idiotic Clouseau keeps backing the car and moving it forward, hitting the car in front and the car behind and causing the bumpers to fall off of each of the two vehicles. It isn't original and it isn't intelligent but you find yourself laughing anyway. Much of the comedy in the rest of the movie is of the same variety. It does make you laugh a little, but the humor is more the result of the comedy's goofiness than genuine funniness.

Among the performers in this movie, the only one worth mentioning is Steve Martin and his portrayal of the Frenchaccented character, the bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau. Martin's Clouseau character is confidently incompetentthe type of person who thinks they are right about everything when they are actually right about nothing. Many critics have already attacked Martin because he isn't very much like Peter Sellersthe original Jacques Clouseau. It is inevitable that critics and viewers try to compare this movie and its performers to the original (I'm guilty of this, too), but I don't think it's fair to criticize Steve Martin for not being more like Peter Sellers. First, it would be very tough to match Sellers in playing the role of Jacques Clouseau. Second, Martin's character, aside from the accent, is really a character all his owna new version, if you will, of Inspector Jacques Clouseau. If anything, Martin's character reminds me of the Clouseau from the Pink Panther cartoons. In fact, much of the comedy in this movie is like that of a cartoon. With the bumping, the banging, and the general physical nature of the humor, it reminds me of old Pink Panther cartoons with a touch of Bugs Bunny.

Other than Steve Martin, I didn't find anyone else in this movie particularly memorable. Kevin Kline was ok, and so was Beyonce Knowles. But no one stands out in this movie as someone who has contributed a great performance. Martin is the only one who gets your attention. The goofy French accent and his wild and crazy persona are the only parts of this movie that make it worthwhile, in spite of the sub par script and the slower than average pacing.

Overall, The Pink Panther is a comedy with few laughs, weak writing, and even less originality. It scores a few points for Steve Martin's zany portrayal of Inspector Jacques Clouseau, but other than that, the film is a wipe out. It's like a glass of American brewed light beer: Weakbodied and wimpy but with just enough taste and ease of consumption to keep you from dumping it down the drain.

Ah yes, the Pink Panther films of the 1960's and 1970's. Peter Sellers, hilarious French accents, pain and destruction gags, the Pink Panther diamond that kept getting stolen, the animated character who appeared in the titles sequence, and that famous theme song by Henry Mancini. Well, in this latest version of the film, clearly the latter five are present, given that Sellers passed away in 1980. Despite being identically titled to the original 1964 movie, this is clearly a Pink Panther movie for the current generation and technology, given the use of cellphones and references to the Internet and email.

The story? A French football coach, Yves Gluant, the owner of the Pink Panther diamond, is murdered after the French score the winning goal, the giant diamond which was shown on his fist on the stadium's giant screen TV, missing. Chief Inspector Dreyfus sees this as the chance to become a winner and not merely a nominee for the French medal of honour. He plans to have a total nincompoop in charge of a bogus investigation, while Dreyfus himself conducts the real one with smarter people. Guess who's in charge of the bogus one?

The suspects range from Bizu, a football player whose girlfriend, pop singer Xania, was stolen by Gluant. Then there's Raymond Leroq, the casino owner whom Gluant went into a partnership with, but whose gambling habit irritated Leroq. Xania, played with bootyliciousness by Beyonce Knowles, is well aware that Clouseau (Steve Martin) is gaga at the sight of her and uses her feminine wiles to... well, maybe divert suspicion?

Clouseau is given help in the form of Gilbert Ponton (Jean Reno), someone who is used to following orders. However, during the investigation, it's apparent that he is more competent than his superior. And Nicole the secretary gives him encouragement. Oh, and there's some unexpected help from a British agent who's one digit away from being on top.

The slapstick gags that garnered many a giggle or howl are present. As a nod to Sellers' Clouseau getting his hand stuck in a globe in the first PP movie, Martin's Clouseau sends the globe rolling down the stairs and into the street until it causes some cyclists to crash. And the pain gags, often at Dreyfus's expense are just as painful, such as a scene where Clouseau flips open his ID badge, only to have the badge fly out and pierce Dreyfus's chest. Hoewver, Kato, the Chinese manservant who attacked Clouseau randomly to keep the detective on his toes, is conspicuous by his absence. Here, it's Clouseau who randomly attacks Ponton, only to realize his subordinate is really on his toes.

Martin, who also has co-screenplay writing credit, manages the bogus French accent well, and he doesn't fare too badly as Clouseau, but his mannerisms can be overdone, and gags that are meant to be funny misfire. His failure to pronounce the word "hamburger" leads to an airport security sequence mirroring that of the Bean movie-what's the point?

One notable difference is the Dreyfus-Clouseau relationship. Whereas from A Shot In The Dark, Herbert Lom's Dreyfus was driven to insanity and hated Clouseau, Kevin Kline's Dreyfus is a more rational schemer and gloryseeker trying to get the glory he deserves. Those wild eyes and that smile are there, but he's not the over-the-top psychopath he was in A Fish Called Wanda.

While A Shot In The Dark and The Pink Panther Strikes Again stand as classics in the series, this one is at least better than Revenge of the Pink Panther and the lamentable Sellers-less Curse of the Pink Panther with Ted Wasson.

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Stilted, vapid and utterly predictable. And that was just Beyonce. The rest of the movie was even worse. There was exactly one laugh in the whole thing -the end credits list a dialect coach for Kevin Kline! In one scene he's English, the next he's kinda-sorta French, and in the next he just gives up altogether.

You know how in Jerry Lewis movies you can always tell what the gag is going to be about 10 seconds before it happens? Every time? This movie bests that by about 15 seconds.

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I can't understand why Hollywood should try to make remakes of the unremakeable. Peter Sellers can not be beaten and Steve Martin doesn't rate at all. Martin is decidely un-funny and should be ashamed of this abomination. The original is witty, classy, has an unbeatable cast of international skilled actors and actresses. This attempt to modernise it is truly awful. Save your money and buy the 1964 original with the great soundtrack of Henry Mancini.

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This version of "The Pink Panther" has had a rough journey to the theaters as the powers-that-be at MGM/Sony felt that the original version of it was too racy and that Clouseau (a hilarious Steve Martin) was too much of a letch.

After re-shoots, 5 million dollars and delays in the release date from last summer, "The Pink Panther" has finally opened and, though the story is a little creaky it is very, very funny, sometimes even hilarious and Martin's Clouseau is perfect: more homey, less weird than Peter Sellers...but definitely a successful interpretation.

The story involves the Pink Panther diamond, a pop singer (bombshell Beyonce' Knowles), a soccer manager's murder (Jason Stratham) and around once again to use and abuse Clouseau, Chief Inspector Dreyfus (a muted Kevin Kline).

Some of the racy double entendres were thankfully left intact and Clouseau's relationship with his assistant Nicole (a funny, sexy Emily Mortimer) is warm and witty....something that Sellers's Clouseau could never quite attain.

"The Pink Panther" 2006 is a barrel of laughs and yet its comedy is thankfully rooted in the things that make us human: it's a major change from the previous incarnation but a welcome one and an artistic success nonetheless.

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K-On 3

Standard of animation A++

Music A+

Stories B++

Pace B

Character development A

Dubbing A++

Extras C+

Packaging A+

Okay, this is the third of the entertaining K-on! series and I got it as soon as it was released in Australia last month (November 2011, in fact). If you like K-on!, you'll probably want it. The blu-ray is excellent and it features some of the most vivid animation I've seen. A very high quality product indeed. The pace of the three episodes here is perhaps a little more leisurely than I like and things get frustrating for the new girl, Azusa, in the Light Music Club I hope we see more rehearsing and performing in volume 4, due for release next month in Australia. The characters are all well developed and there are some laughs, some warmth and the occasional moments of "bentness", usually coming from the girls' music teacher and mentor, Sawako Yamanaka (Sawa-chan, as she's known). It's all good harmless fun and I think many fans of anime would like this series. It is not as side-splittingly hilarious or as sharp as Azumanga Daioh, but there is plenty to enjoy.

Okay, a couple of small complaints. This is a blu-ray DVD, right? Then how come we only get three episodes? This volume cost the same as volumes 1 & 2, which both featured four episodes. So that bothered me a little. I read that volume 4 will only feature 3 episodes, too. This wouldn't be such a bother to me if there were more in the way of extras, but there aren't. The extras in the current three volumes are not generous. Normally, I wouldn't mind this IF there were more episodes per blu-ray. It is nice to watch the interviews with the American cast, but there's plenty of room left for more. I would like to have seen at least something from the Japanese side of the show, after all it is a Japanese TV show. I am not an original language chauvinist, and I will happily watch shows in either Japanese or English depending on my mood. But I would have liked to meet either the Japanese creators of the show or meet some of the Japanese cast in the extras. Maybe the last disc in the series will provide this? I do have some animé DVDs and Blu-rays without many extras at all, if any. I don't mind that if there are more episodes or a full length movie is presented.

So, there you have it: volume 3 of K-on! an entertaining and beautifully produced series that looks fantastic in hi-def.

I knocked off one star because only three episodes were offered. But what's there is good.

K-On is an excellent Series, Combining Musical Features with Reality, Making it feel like you are apart of a band! (I have Previous Band Experience.) Going through the motivation, and fun events and learning about each-other more and more.

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Great lighthearted series about a group of high school students joining a music club that I would recommend for anyone or even families to watch.

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K-On! Vol. 3

Fans of Azusa can rest easy, Bang-zoom set aside the manga translation of Azu-meow (UGH!), and instead decided to keep the logical choice of Azu-nyan.

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Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)

First there was Kevin Smith, with his patented brand of hugely over-the-top raunch in CLERKS. As he "matured," he added a level of true feeling behind this work in CHASING AMY. And then he sort of lost his way with a few pretty awful films. Meanwhile, Judd Apatow established himself as the King of Sweet Raunch with 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN, KNOCKED UP, SUPERBAD, etc. In these films, the characters spoke about sex with a level of filthy detail never before heard. They indulged in reckless behavior. They were the kinds of people films had for decades told us were "bad." Yet we recognized people we knew in them, or even ourselves. They were also infused with an innocence and an acknowledgement that behind all the strutting bluster, we all just want to be loved. They acknowledged the weakness in men, and the strength in women who can make these men pull themselves up by their bootstraps and start to take life seriously. This was the Apatow "brand."

Now Kevin Smith has come storming back to reclaim his part of that little mountain. While his ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO doesn't re-establish him as King, it reminds us that Apatow and others owe him a debt...and that he's still capable of out-raunching the raunchiest stuff we've seen. And, as will be no surprise to anyone who has seen the trailers for the film, he mixes in the "sweet" stuff pretty well too.

The presence of Apatow disciple Seth Rogan makes the film seem more like an Apatow film than perhaps it really is. For example, in movies like SUPERBAD, there is actually relatively little sex being had. Characters talk about it, and they sure would like to be indulging in it...but not much happens. In ZACK & MIRI, a great deal of sex is had and shown. It is a far more visually explicit movie than Apatow's (the full frontal male nudity in WALK HARD being a notable exception). I wouldn't want to compare the level of explicit imagery in the dialogue side by side with a SUPERBAD, but I suspect that ZACK & MIRI is also verbally just a smidge more explicit as well.

Zack (Rogan) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) have been friends since first grade, and now, on the eve of their 10th High School Reunion, they are roommates sharing a rundown rental and one very run down car. They both have dead-end jobs and apparently no ambition. They also have not paid bills in quite awhile. While neither seems exactly HAPPY with life, both are content in the little routines they have to get through the day.

Miri forces Zack to go with her to the reunion, because she's hoping to shamelessly throw herself at the "boy" she crushed on in school (Brandon Routh). Zack, meanwhile, has an interesting conversation with this guys boyfriend (a hilarious Justin Long, as we've never seen him), who apparently is a well-known gay porn actor. Naturally, Miri is crushed to find this guy she intended to sleep with is gay, but the two are more upset to find their hot water and electricity has been turned off. But Zack comes up with the "great" idea to make a pornographic movie in order to pay their bills.

I won't dwell on the specifics anymore, but you can imagine how things might develop. The two hapless friends have no money and no video camera, so they have to turn to friends to underwrite their crazy venture, and an unlikely troupe of filmmakers develops. There are obligatory scenes of auditions and the struggle to come up with the right title for the film. (If this weren't a "family" site, I'd share a few...the one involving a twist on LAWRENCE OF ARABIA just about made me spew soda through my nose)

It's all quite, quite raunchy. While not literally as explicit as a real porn film, not all that much is held back. I can sure see why Smith had to fight to avoid an NC-17 rating. Under absolutely no circumstances to you want to see this film with your kids...no matter how old your kids are!

Will Zack & Miri find out they are right for each other? Will doing porn ruin their discovery? The film holds few plot related surprises, frankly. It is the verbal dazzle that keeps you entertained.

And the performances. Seth Rogan pretty much gives us the same character again...but he does have an ease about his acting that makes him enjoyable. His characters may be insecure, but Rogan is not. But it is Elizabeth Banks who surprises the most. I've seen her in a lot of smaller roles (on "Scrubs", for example) and to be honest, she's struck me as vaguely perky but lightweight. Here, it is frankly a bit startling to see her right in this raunchy mix, her mouth as dirty as anyone else. Smith has empowered her, that's for sure (don't know if that's a good thing for "society" or not). She also finds some true depths in Miri, particularly as the film winds down, that elevate her performance to a special level. It's not Oscar winning stuff, exactly, but it will make people sit up and take notice of her. This, and her praised performance in W., have made it quite a good year for her.

The movie is hilarious. That's what you want to know, isn't it? My wife and I both laughed uproariously many time. It will offend you, too. Smith loses control a few times, with some random scenes that grind the story to a halt. Most revolved around the character played by Jason Mewes (better known as "Jay" in a myrid of Smith's earlier films) a young man who makes it into the film due to some "special talent." He's funny, but his stuff seems out of place...as though Smith stopped his movie to let his old buddy riff on some dirty stuff. There's also some stuff about a constipated actress that devolves into the nastiest couple of seconds you've ever seen, that even so are unbelievable, unlikely, unfunny AND distract from a key moment for the story.

(By the way, I apologize if I've offended anyone with the review...tough to talk much about this film without stretching the boundaries a little. If you find my review offensive...please skip the film.)

Overall, Smith has made a funny and sometimes tender film. If Judd Apatow had never existed, this film would be groundbreaking. Now it is a familiar formula, with the raunchy dial turned to 11. But, if that's something you've enjoyed before, you'll get many big laughs from ZACK & MIRI!

I won't beat around the bush: "Zack and Miri" is easily one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. It's a laugh riot from beginning to end, and even after the credits role (hint hint).

There is no disguise or misdirection; it's exactly what is expected. It's foul-mouthed concoction of obscenities, smut, juvenile humor, tons of pop-culture references, and a good deal of smart dialogue. It's parody at the pinnacle of the genre, making fun of the 70's and 80's porn industry, when it was in a developmental and transitional phase before today's high-end adult films or so I've heard anyway. Make no mistake; however, there is also a very serious approach taken (which gets a bit sappy), and true devotion and respect is paid to not only porn (which is odd), but also the hilariously crass Smith (Apatow-esque) comedy (which is expected). Smith nails it.

There are countless highlights and laughs throughout. The best scenes, however, are those leading up to filming of the cheesy porn. Selecting the name for the movie, coming up with "Star Whores" (and hilarious names for the rest of the series), while ripping through raunchy variations of several other movies, almost made me convulse from laughter. Some may have a problem believing Seth Rogen as a porn star, thinking the concept as real as the silicone on a typical adult set, but Ron Jeremy pretty much negates that argument. There is no doubt, however, that Elizabeth Banks could easily be a megastar if she were to turn to the dark side. Their onset chemistry is definitely what makes the movie work.

It's definitely not for the easily offended. I'd go so far as to say that it's a fairly smart comedy if one can get around perpetual F-Bombs. It's a witty movie about raunchy intercourse that pushes the socially inhibition and sexually awkward buttons.

The way I see it, there are two groups of people who will watch this movie. One group knows what they are getting into; they're going to see a Kevin Smith flick that is sure to be crude and contain poop humor. The other group will be people who will frown at the profanities and cover their eyes at the vulgarity. To the former I say: You'll absolutely bust a gut watching this movie. I know I did. To the latter I say: What the heck were you expecting? Are you really so dumb as to not know what you were about to watch? It's called "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" for goodness sakes! Go watch a nice chick-flick or a documentary instead.

In closing, this was the best comedy of 2008, and it's not even close. They are so devoted to concept of this movie that there is even a guy on the crew named Buster Pile! I kid you not. Hilarious.

Buy Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) Now

I had the luxury of seeing this film on the big screen with a friend. Having seen reviews we knew to expect it to be funny, but also that it would be crude. It was that and more.

Be aware that like many of Judd Apatow's films Zack and Miri includes 'bonus' full frontal footage (male, full frontal footage that is) to add to the humor and/or shock value. Expect at least a couple of those type scenes and don't say you weren't forewarned before watching the film.

Once past that issue, viewers should also be aware that there's one scene that isn't for those with a weak stomach. It's quite funny, but also incredibly crude and honestly surprised me that it made it past the MPAA on the way to the R rating that the film carried when it was aired in theatres. You'll likely find it nearly impossible not to laugh, but it's also going to be something you'll want to turn away from. Note that I don't want to spoil the film or the scene, but you'll be able to see what's coming and can probably figure out in advance what I'm referring to so you should also be able to be prepared.

The film itself is not just funny and crude (and lewd as well), it's also, as promised on the quote from Time magazine critic Richard Corliss on the cover art for the Blu-ray disc "Sweet, Funny and Sexy." While writer/director Kevin Smith was obviously going for cheap humor, he opted to wrap it up nicely in a sweet tale of two down on their luck friends. Thanks to a very funny supporting cast, everything works pretty well and makes the end result a film that should crack you up.

What isn't included on the Blu-ray, unfortunately, is a commentary from the director. Smith decided not to do a commentary track for the current release of the film. Whether one will be done in the future likely depends on sales of the film on disc as well as whether or not Smith ever finds time to go back and record it. Even without a commentary track the film includes a substantial load of special features including a making of featurette, a large number of deleted scenes, outtakes and other fun stuff.

The video quality is very good. Not necessarily what technophiles would label as reference quality, but still very good. Kevin Smith's films don't necessarily live or die by their cinematography, but it also couldn't be said that he doesn't care about such things either. Knowing that Smith's films are more about the dialoge and character interactions, you might expect the video to be apparently less important, but that really isn't the case here.

Sound quality on the Blu-ray has raised some concerns for some viewers. I've seen complaints that the audio levels are low requiring some viewers to crank the volume a bit so as not to miss the dialogue. That's very much a your mileage may vary type thing as the results on different sound setups vary. Just be aware you may find yourself cranking the volume a bit more for this disc than you might normally do.

One final complaint that may come up depending upon where you buy your copy of this disc you may find that you get different cover art than you see at other outlets. Some retailers are using different cover art that somewhat censors the packaging. Something about the use of the P word makes some retailers nervous. :-p

Kevin Smith fans probably long ago considered this must buy material. Non-fans may be reading the reviews (like this one) to help make up their mind. Again, I'd caution that you should know going in that it is crude and lewd, but as long as you aren't easily offended you might find it quite funny. For me it's definitely worth the purchase.

Read Best Reviews of Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) Here

I can't wait for everyone to find out and realize that Seth Rogan actually sucks...........okay, so he can say the 'f' word several times as he improves...........big deal.........he's really not that funny, and he looks/talks like he has chew in his lip.

Want Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) Discount?

I had heard great things about this movie and was excited to watch it. Unfortunately, only the first thirty minutes or so were worth watching. The beginning was hilarious and Justin Long was brilliant! After that, a romance sprang from nowhere and it really made the rest of the movie hard to watch. I felt like I had to sit through the out-of-place romance in order to get to the likeable parts of the movie. On a side note, I also find it hard to believe that the characters of Zack and Miri would be best friends for 20 years and still so awkward around each other. It just made the movie less enjoyable for me. I say watch the first half hour and move on.

Three stars only for Justin Long's excellent performance.

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Airplane! (1980)

A clever, funny parody of disaster movies (bad melodramas such as "Zero Hour" and "The High and The Mighty" along with "Airport" were the prime targets here), "Airplane! The `Don't Call Me Shirley' Edition" manages to combine silliness, puns and with topical humor in a style that recalls something out of an alternate off-kilter universe. Filled with melodramatic, over-the-top music, deliberately bad acting and every cliché about plane disasters you can imagine, "Airplane!" aims wildly and accurately most of the time taking the wind out of the sails of bad (and some good ones, too such as "Jaws")movies everywhere. Evidently the writing/directing team of Zucker, Zucker and Abrahams (who wrote "Kentucky Friend Movie" for director John Landis and later went on to crate "The Naked Gun" films) caught "Zero Hour" on TV and realized that this overripe melodrama was just right to be plucked and served up as comedy (something it verged on anyway).

Robert Hays plays Ted Striker(the name of Dana Andrews' character in "Zero Hour!") a former fighter pilot who is now afraid to pilot planes since a disastrous mission years before. Striker books a seat on the flight of his girlfriend Elaine (Julie Hagerty) in hopes of working out their relationship. When the crew and passengers are brought down by food poisoning Ted has to overcome his fears to pilot the plane to safety.

While the film looks very good (and better than its previous edition), I was a bit disappointed by the amount of dirt and debris. I thought that a deluxe edition like this would have a nearly pristine print and that Paramount would have the film digitally cleaned up. Overall the film looks good but could have been tweaked more for this special edition. The soundtrack sounds pretty good overall and is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 with dialogue clear and little distortion.

The extras are where this edition truly shines. "Airplane! The `Don't Call Me Shirley Edition" doesn't have any of the conventional special features you'd expect. There's no "making-of" documentary or featurettes on the film per se. The "Long Haul Version" allow you to watch the film with frequent detours into comments by the actors (Hays is present but Julie Hagerty curiously isn't), writers/directors and other production crew. We also get deleted scenes in the "Long Haul" section that are quite amusing in many instances as well. Included in the "Long Haul" version are clips from the movie that inspired the Zuckers/Abrahams "Zero Hour". We also get the theatrical trailer and a clever menu that presents some of the classic scenes from the film as if you're watching an animated version of those horrible safety/disaster cards they place on airplanes drawn in the same style. This is like watching the movie, deleted scenes and a documentary at the same time. It's a great conceit and works pretty well here. There is also a subtitle track that features trivia about the movie and points out visual mistakes, etc. throughout the movie.

There's a good commentary track featuring the directors sharing stories about the production of the movie. This sounds like the commentary track from the previous edition. The commentary track provides a lot of amusing stories, trivia and background about the movie. Many of the comments are also echoed in the extended branching edition of the movie so listening to the commentary track really can't compare to watching the seamlessly branching edition.

A classic comedy that still works amazingly well, this special edition of "Airplane!" is well worth it for the fans of the movie. Although the image quality could have been cleaned up a little bit more for this presentation, it's a pretty minor issue really as the "special features" make this edition worthwhile for fans of this classic bit of madness.

Anyone who has ever seen one of a host of abysmal 1970's disaster flicks could have predicted that they were ripe for a satire, but I doubt anyone could have predicted that "Airplane" would have set the gold standard for the spoof. In addition, since it appears on TV so often, seeing it on DVD is almost a new experience because all of the scenes that were cut for content seem like new jokes.

I can't imagine anyone is unfamiliar with the plot (such as it is), but by way of a brief summary, a passenger jet is in trouble when the entire flight crew, and many of the passengers, fall ill from the in flight meal. It's up to Ted Striker to bring down the plane safely; but there's just one problem, he hasn't been able to fly since his last abortive raid during "the war". Oh, and his estranged girlfriend is one of the stewardesses. However, where a disaster film would turn this into an overwrought melodrama, absolutely nothing, and I do mean nothing, is taken seriously in "Airplane".

In fact, it is almost remarkable how much is packed into this film. Literally every scene contains a joke or a sight gag or a double entendre. There's so much going on that in spite of dozens of viewings, I still find something new more often than not. Eve the sound effects are a gag, as all of the exterior shots of the plane (which is a model that is so fake it's hilarious) feature the sound of a prop plane even though it is obviously a jet.

The DVD doesn't have much to recommend it other than the film, but that's to be expected from an older, relatively low budget movie; and those who have seen it would agree, there can't have been much left on the cutting room floor to make up extra features. The image and sound are fine, if not spectacular, but then neither needs to be. However, having the film in widescreen is nice because some of the wide angle shots now contain people that weren't visible in the fullscreen version familiar to TV viewers.

In the end, "Airplane" may very well be the king of movie satires. From start to finish it is a non-stop joke reel, and the amazing thing is that they are all still funny years after the first viewing. Fans of the movie will find this DVD to be adequate, as the transfer and sound are fine, but don't count on any new material or amazing extras. However, as I said before, I don't think this is a movie that needs a lot of extras, and the film alone is well worth the very reasonable price.

Jake Mohlman.

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Like many fans of this movie, I'd waited for this bells & whistles edition then quickly snapped it up on the first day of rerelease. Well....though it's nice to see this film again, it did come with it's lil' bit o' surprises.

The Print: Most rereleases that I've seen tend to have a newer transfer...at least one that outshines the previous and doesn't make us feel we're watching an 'OK' print. This one here has a liveable, but still noticeable amount of scratches and mystery objects that appear in the frame. I was expecting a bit better considering this is the day and age of restoration. Here, they didn't seem to do much of, if anything to the print, so we're left with one that is slightly better than a good TV quality picture. Hardly a 'special edition' copy of this film.

Features: I noticed immediately when I played the film alone, that it stopped or sputtered in the framerate at times. I'd stopped counting at about five, but still managed to finish the movie fine despite these annoyances. Well, I come to find out, as others have pointed out, the ballyhoo'd special features are chopped up and mixed into the movie (you enact this in the setup menu). Well, after looking at where these special features popped up when enacted, then going back to watching the same scene with them off....bingo....the sputtering I was seeing was exactly where these parts would normally come in. My point being....BEWARE......on some players this will cause a jittery film experiance at times if your just trying to watch it straight thru. My Apex & Koss Players refuse to play the film without these jittery spots, but my Playstation 2's both play the film normally. So just be informed, and keep this in yer back pocket. I'd took my first copy back for an exchange thinking it was defective, then got the replacement and it did the same. This is my first film of hundreds that I can only play on the PS2...lol....and the film.... what can I say that hasn't been said....unfortunately packed into a good intentioned, but rather lamely executed DVD Release. Was this an intern's project? Where's the menu for the special features to see them seperately instead of thru that grating pause so the disc can switch layers or dresses or whatever it does. Gaaaah!

But yea....AIRPLANE: 5 stars.....SHIRLEY PRESENTATION: 3

Read Best Reviews of Airplane! (1980) Here

Airplane! was recently called "One of the top ten funniest movies of all time." This is very well deserved. Airplane is a film that keeps throwing gags at us and we all keep laughing so hard that by the time we've finished the movie we have to catch our breath. A absoloutley hilarious joke comes, we laugh, we start to stop laughing, and another one comes that's even funnier than the one before it and we laugh before we can catch our breath! It takes strong comic talent for a movie to keep us laughing like that! Let's explore this classic spoof film.

Flight 209 is heading to Chicago. It's March 5th and Elaine Dickenson (Julie Hagerty) has just run away from her ex-boyfriend Ted Striker (Robert Hays). However, Ted comes home early, finds her note, and speeds to the airport to stop her before she gets on the flight and intends to change her life in Chicago. His attempts to get her back fail, so he follows her on the plane, haunted by flashbacks of his expierience in the war, where he lost most of his squadron while on a foolish attack. Bad luck takes the day when all the pilots become very ill courtesy of food-poisoning in the fish. Even more bad luck comes when passengers start getting sick for the same reason and now it's up to Ted to land the plane with the help of his ex-girlfriend, a doctor (Leslie Nielson), stewardess Randy (Lorna Patterson), a loony air-port controller by the name of McCroskey (Lloyd Bridges), and and old friend (?) from the war, Rex Cramer (Robert Stack).

It may sound serious, but not one thing is meant to be taken seriously in this unbelievably hilarious film. Every shot (yes) has something funny in it, whether it is subtle (the air-plane makes a propellor blade noise) or some very out-in-the-open ones I will not give away. Let's just say, watching this movie may be the most hilarious expierience of your life.

All the actors are right on. Delighfully acting serious amidst all the slap-stick things going on, it's pitch perfect. Robert Hays is swell as paranoid Striker, and Hagerty is good as his ex, but those who deserve special recognition are surely Leslie Nielson (Don't call me Shirley!), Lloyd bridges (Look's like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking), Robert Stack (No, that's just what they'll be expecting us to do!) and Steven Stucker as the clueless Johnny (Oh, it's a big pretty white plane with red stripes and curtains in the windows and wheels, and it looks like a big tylenol). But this an excellent cast.

The directing is handled by the now famous Zucker brothers and Abraham, whose only previous film was The Kentucky Fried Movie. The directing is very Zucker, Abrahams, Zucker, which means HILARIOUS. Knowing what they're doing, they're the ones who wrote this beautiful script!

The DVD for the film is a cut above most Paramount features, but still seriously lacking, especially for such a classic film. There's a commentary by the director's that runs out of steam after about half an hour (it's one of those commentaries where they say they're gonna talk about a certain thing and never do). The commentary was a big dissipointment for me, because I expected info on how a lot of gags got thought up. Nothing like that here. A trailer is also included, but it's very long and ruins a lot of the funniest moments by putting them along with stupid music and making the movie look very unfunny.

The presentation quality of the film is actually very good, though. The picture is not bad at all, much brighter than the mushy presentations of previous video and TV incarnations of the film. The grain has been very reduced to a minimum and the quality is very good for a 22 year old movie. The sound is a new remastered 5.1 surround that gets the job done admirably. After videos that would go from LOUD LOUD LOUD to quiet quiet quiet, this new sound is great. Well-balanced and with the music well-placed and the voices clear, you'll love the new sound (why Paramount's Friday The 13th movies are getting treated with Mono soundtracks is beyond me).

However, a complaint I hold against this DVD the most iswhere are those TV scenes? When the movie plays on TV, it includes some cool extra scenes that extend the running time and add some more laughs. They include more scenes with the little kids acting like adults and more scenes with Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Robert Hays and Julie Hagery, as well as Robert Stack and Lloyd Bridges. They are nowhere on this DVD. BIG dissipointment. I don't think Paramount quite get the point of DVD. They re supposed to be movies on disks with superior picture and sound quality as well as interesting behind the scenes features and DELETED SCENES. Anyway, that's the big thing missing on this DVD.

Airplane was followed by a sequel, Airplane 2 The Sequel which failed to keep the laughs the original had going and usually recycled stuff from the first film with new actors. Also, it missed a lot of great characters from th original. Leslie Nielson, Robert Stack, Lorna Patterson, a lot of people missing from the sequel. That movie is good fun, there are some good laughs, but the original will always be the best. Period.

Want Airplane! (1980) Discount?

i once owned this film airplane on vhs many years before the "don't call me shirley

edition" was officially released on dvd. with seven to eight minutes of footage

omitted from it(all the DISASTER humor is GONE!). the true original IS 95 minutes

in length! and made in 1980 not 1997 not 2002 not 2004 and not 2007, thats four times in a ten year copyright span. when this film is FINALLY released probably

as a directors cut print and/or as the "true original" i will finally buy a copy.

but let it be known I AM NOT FOOLED Mr. Jerry and David Zucker and Mr. Jim Abrahams

NOT FOR ONE SPLIT SECOND!

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