These Martin Lawrence movies will leave you in stitches!! The differenct characters, jokes, stunts.. are so funny!! These are 'Gotta have' movies!!
Showing posts with label awesome comedy movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label awesome comedy movies. Show all posts
Blue Streak / National Security (2010)
These Martin Lawrence movies will leave you in stitches!! The differenct characters, jokes, stunts.. are so funny!! These are 'Gotta have' movies!!
The Graduate (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in DVD Packaging) (1967)
The Graduate is a great film and I grow to love it more with each viewing. Everything is nearly perfect about it. The script, Mike Nichols' direction, the performances of Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft and Katherine Ross, the music of Simon and Garfunkel. It's funny yet dramatic, moving and profound all at the same time. A very enjoyable film all around. Dustin Hoffman has rarely been better than in The Graduate, although he has certainly given many other fine performances (Midnight Cowboy, Rain Man, Kramer Vs. Kramer). However, even more than those pictures, Hoffman will always be remembered for The Graduate and his portrayal of an awkward young man trying to get a hold on his life. Also worth noting in particular is the direction of Mike Nichols. He truly gives the film a unique visual style to make it an experience rather than just a comedy/drama. Note the opening credits with Hoffman on an airport moving sidewalk set to the tune of Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence". Nichols' uses cuts very interestingly in several scenes such as the scene where Benjamin jumps up on his raft in the pool, and lands in bed with Mrs. Robinson. He also uses zooms to great effect throughout the film. Nichols' Best Director Oscar for this film was well-deserved. I think that Hoffman's performance should have won also, as well as the screenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry.
One other thing that I must mention is that The Graduate absolutely must been seen in its original aspect ratio! If you're not watching a widescreen version, then you're not watching The Graduate. The film was shot in the Panavision process with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Mike Nichols makes wonderful use of the 2.35:1 frame, so the film will be absolutely botched in pan and scan. If you watch The Graduate in full-screen pan and scan, you're really, really missing out. The visual impact of the film will be irreparably damaged.
The DVD is adequate, but this film deserves much better. The disc is labeled a special edition, but it's really too skimpy to be that. At very least you're getting a widescreen version of the film. However, the transfer is not enhanced for 16:9 televisions. What we need is a fully remastered 16:9 transfer which would be immensely beneficial. The picture quality is fair, but could be so much better. It's really stunning what difference a brand new remastered 16:9 transfer can make for an older film like this. Just look at the new DVD of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. The film also deserves better supplemental materials. A better documentary and a commentary by the filmmakers would be great. A seperate commentary by Dustin Hoffman would be even better. I'm convinced that someday The Graduate will receive a worthy DVD edition, and I will wait until then to purchase it.
The Mike Nichols film has suffered through the DVD era so far, represented by a series of double-dip issues that perpetuated the same sorry source materials: grainy picture, grating audio -the typical first-generation DVD blahs.
Here comes "The Graduate: 40th Anniversary Edition," due Sept. 11. Fox's specs show 2.35:1 widescreen with DTS and Dolby Surround. This appears to be in true widescreen. (The previous DVDs' version apparently was created by throwing letterboxing atop the full-screen version. Seems the guy who was so big on plastics got into the home video business.)
Check out the new extras:
* Commentary by Dustin Hoffman and Katherine Ross
* Commentary by director Nichols and Steven Soderbergh
* Retrospective documentary that interviews "Graduate" write Buck Henry, producer Lawrence Turman, Richard Roeper and some random others.
* "Coming of Age: The Making of The Graduate" featurette
* "Would You Like Me To Seduce You: The Seduction Scene Revisited" featurette
Along with some odds and ends ported over from the older discs.
Disc 2 has a pleasant surprise: Simon & Garfunkle's soundtrack, in CD form.
I'll be revisiting the film for Hoffman's sonic boom of a breakout performance; the "Mrs. Robinson" song and seduction scene; and Ross' beautifully naturalistic presence. Koo-koo-ka-choo.
Buy The Graduate (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in DVD Packaging) (1967) Now
They re-release the Graduate on DVD in 2005 only to distribute the EXACT SAME product only without a very attractive interface and special features, but with the same crappy picture and sound quality!I give the film "The Graduate" from 1967 as many stars as any ratings measure can grant, but this DVD is a very poor represntation that is disrespectful of the genuine classic piece of cinematic art and cultural revolutionary comedy-piece that this movie was and always will be!
It's a shame. The picture is still grainy and the "widescreen" is still a full-screen image with black bars at top & bottom and NOT a true 16X9 formatted image for widescreen televisions! This true masterpiece of film demands nothing short of the best optimization that current-day technology can (and should) provide! Anything less is completely unacceptable! I'm sorry, but this is a travesy. The Graduate deserves the most pristine image and sound quality that the DVD format can give and viewers should demand nothing short of that high-standard of excellence.
The sound is in a lousy mono and the picture is fuzzy at times, desaturated, grainy, noisy, and compressed too much. The producers of this DVD obviously aren't die-hard fans and did a half-a** job here. Most fans of this film would gladly pay a few extra dollars for a better version, so why go cheap on such a great classic is beyond me?!? That's just a moronic business decision of a cheap corporation that doesn't know art from a hole in the ground, always cutting corners to salvage every penny. For shame!
I wish the Criterion Collection would remaster the Graduate and finally do it right! Amen.
Read Best Reviews of The Graduate (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in DVD Packaging) (1967) Here
The previous reviews posted here are all based on what the reviewers HOPED would be on the new 40th Anniversary and raised some questions. I can answer most of the concerns having watched the DVD this week.As for how important this film is, let's just say it defined a generation in the 1970s. And nearly anyone in either high school or college (or a recent "graduate" entering the working world) when the film was released can quote verbatim important lines and whole scenes. Try "Are you trying to seduce me Mrs. Robinson?" or even the mention of one word ""Plastics!". I have only watched the film (on VHS) once since my original viewing on the big screen forty years ago. Of course I remember many of the great moments (the finale at the church, for one) and the Simon & Garfunkel soundtrack. (Dave Grusin wrote the incidental music.). I did not see the "25th Anniversary" reissue. So much of the supplemental material was new to me.
First off the transfer is great! It must have been remastered. And yes, it's in Wide Screen. It HAS to be. The hardest video to pan and scan was always this film as Director Mike Nichols spaced his characters at the far sides of the screen. I watched this on an 25 year old 26 in TV and it was still perfect.
Okay, now the bonus features. It's a 2 "disc" set because one disc is a CD of FOUR songs from the film. So it's really more of a CD single.", That's fine with me, but most of us have the music in our collection.
There are TWO commentary tracks: One is Hoffman and Ross talking. Since Ross doesn't even appear in the film until almost half way through, she has little to say for a while. And there are long periods where Hoffman says nothing so you get to hear the soundtrack dialogue at that point. The second commentary is with Director Mike Nichols and Director Stephen Soderburgh. It more that SS is interviewing Nichols. And Nichols is very outgoing here. Where I found a small problem is that the conversation often does not match what is on the screen. During the "Seduction" scene I expected to hear details about the set up. But Nichols was talking about Screen Tests or something else. I have not made it all the way through the commentaries. Too much other good stuff here.
There is a NEW 25-minute documentary: "Students of the Graduate" which has interviews with young directors who learned techniques from Nichols direction. The Directors of "Little Miss Sunshine" were ones I remember. It's interesting. There is a short 8-minute one on "the Seduction" as well. This appears to be new.
The other featurettes are from the 25th Anniversary release. One is obvious as it's title is "The Graduate at 25". You can see from the excerpted scenes how poor the 25th Anniversary print was. And what I found MOST interesting was a "One on One" featurette with Dustin Hoffman which runs 22 minutes. It was recorded for the 25th similar comments appear in the "Graduate at 25" feature but Hoffman tells GREAT stories and I was on the floor laughing!
ONE of the tywo screen tests that Ross did with Charles Grodin is included in the "at 25" featurette but the announced "two screen tests with introduction" are not on the final DVD. NEITHER is the "Coming of Age: The Making of the Graduate" one.
So there is lots to watch here and moments to remember. I, for one, loved this set and the special featurettes which rarely, though sometimes, repeat themselves briefing out things you missed and make you want to playback some scenes.
This should be a hot release for September!
Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"
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This movie was groundbreaking when released, and it is now a classic. The screenplay by Buck Henry is great, Mike Nichols did an outstanding job directing, and all the key parts were cast and acted perfectly. The great Simon & Garfunkel music helped to make the film what it became. AFI ranked it #7 on its list of the top 100 American movies, and I agree. I think it is that good. I saw it on TV when I was teenager, and have rented it or seen it on TV several times since then. It has always been one of my favorite films. I even read the novel by Charles Webb (to which the movie stayed pretty close).Unfortunately, this DVD does not do it justice. The main problem is the audio. The sound track is just ever so slightly out of sync with the picture throughout the entire film. In one scene, when Benjamin's mother confronts him about his nocturnal activities, the problem is extremely noticeable. The sound is mixed badly throughout, especially during the second half of the film, when Benjamin starts seeing Elaine (Katherine Ross). Crucial dialog is drowned out by sound effects. By the end, you have to crank up the volume on your TV to wake-up-the-neighbors levels just to hear what the characters are saying. This is inexcusable. I also note, from an earlier review, that the laserdisk version had a director's commentary, so why doesn't the DVD?
Some day, they'll put out a good DVD version of the movie, until then we'll have to be content with VHS and Turner Classic Movies.
Just Go with It (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2011)
I went to see the movie with modest expectations, especially since some reviews haven't been overly kind to it. However, I as well as the 4 other people who saw it with me found it uproariously funny and sometimes even sweet. I really enjoy Adam Sandler in most of his films, and although this is a comedy, in this role he also displayed his sweet side much like he did in the Wedding Singer. He is actually a very good and expressive actor whose dramatic chops are underrated in many ways. And of course, I am a huge fan of the wonderful Jennifer Aniston, and she did a superb job here. There were also some other surprises....Brooklyn Decker was sweet, likable and relatable even beyond her obvious physical attributes. Nicole Kidman showed up in a character who was a bit over the top, but being a huge fan of her as well, I enjoyed this turn as we don't get to see her do comedy that often. Not every role needs to be deadly serious, after all. She had a lot of fun with this one and she was great to watch. Dave Matthews played her husband, and he was surprisingly good as well...perhaps he has a new career ahead of him in films. The only character that was too over the top and a bit obnoxious was the fellow who played Adam's long-time friend. Nothing about this guy was at all believable or particularly likable and you wanted to just swat him away as he was just downright silly and annoying, and he didn't really add much to the plot except as a necessary diversion device here and there. The Hawaii scenery (a lot of it filmed around and in the Grand Wailea in Maui) was beautiful, of course. I don't really want to get overly picky about this film. It was not meant to be highbrow cinema, but it was consistently funny and very enjoyable, definitely a film I plan to buy when it is released on DVD. Go see it, you'll like it.
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I got a great kick out of this movie. my gut hurt I was laughing so hard. It had a lot of laughs and a few heart warming parts. I love ad-lib and sarcasm and even though it was scripted, the dialog had such a ad-lib feeling hints the title "JUST GO WITH IT". I'd see it again, Ill buy the DVD. ... oh and Dave Matthews!!! great member of the cast.Read Best Reviews of Just Go with It (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2011) Here
From my wife Sarah: If you want to have fun, relax and have some laughs, this very entertaining movie is just the thing. I stayed away from it for quite a while because of the mixed reviews. When we had run out of movies to see in the theater, we chose this as a last resort. It was so enjoyable! Don't wait to see it.I won't go over the plot as it's already been done by others, but here's what I liked about this movie:
1. It was funny. Okay we didn't laugh non-stop, but that's because there was a real plot, with real character development. Still there were many very fun surprises and big laughs. I smiled through much of the movie.
2. Sandler was great, Jennifer Aniston was great. Not only are they funny, but they can really act. The entire cast was really good. Sandler's goofy friend sidekick was hilarious, the children were dynamic and funny. Kevin Nealon had an absolutely hilariuos bit. Nicole Kidman was perfect as Jennifer's competitive and not so nice friend.
3. The plot was very different and interesting. Although there's a kind of predictable ending, it's still a fun ride to get there.
The only thing I would have liked to see just a bit different was more heat between Sandler and Aniston. While their relationship was really developed and believable, they didn't seem to have that strong chemistry.
Regardless, I strongly recommend this movie for anyone who enjoys comedy as well as romantic comedy.
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Hilarious, funny, feel good, make you laugh kind of movie! Cute love story and comedy! Can't wait til it comes out on DVD so I can watch it again! Jennifer Aniston is beautiful and Adam Sandler is so funny. They are so good together in this movie!Save 33% Off
Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011)
This is not the first time that this story has been unfolded on the silver screen. In fact, the producers did not want any of the viewers to assume that it was indeed some ground breaking plot that they had thought of, which is why they actually announced the plot through the very title of the movie.So if it is NOT a new idea then what is good about it? First, the presence of Katrina and Imran adds such dignity and charm of eras gone by as makes the viewer part of the goings on. Katrina is not only a goddess in the looks department but also her spontaneity with comedy and her ability to emote make her a true deserver of the global success and adulation she enjoys. Imran Khan is evolving a certain style of acting which not many leading actors have had underplaying and underacting. On celluloid, underacting is a very powerful style of acting as was proved for decades by Dilip Kumar. I also like the boy's "sharifness" and wish that he becomes the role model for today's rambunctious and arrogant youth and helps mellow them down. The movie is charming and entertaining and the pace never slackens. The music is not great but a few numbers are surely foot tapping. Had at least one song been a maga chartbuster this movie would have raked in a lot more mullah for its producers. Ali Zafar with a Punjabi lilt to his diction is a natural comedian. He has in some scenes expressions which are typical of a stand-up comedian who has broken into movies (I do not know if he ever was a stand up comedian) but that is not necessarily (at least for me) a bad thing. The three of them, it is clear from the way they look and act on screen, must have had a ball while shooting for the movie, which is what the audiences always sense and admire. It is a charming movie about normal people of our generation who have fun filled and happy lives.
There are a few references to other Bollywood figures (SRK) and movies. However this would be a good intro to Bollywood movies. It's age appropriate for teens and up. Dimple, the female lead, gives sleeping pills, a lot of them, to one character. That might be hard to explain to younger children. Also there's some drinking, including a binge fest. There's also minor smoking.
If you liked "While You Were Sleeping" check this movie out.
Buy Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011) Now
Those of you who love the filmi dialogues and acting that a good Bollywood flick provide will enjoy this film. Imran shines as the chocolate hero Khush to the free-spirited and loveable Katrina Dimple. While the premise of boy meets girl while searching for a bride for his brother and then falls in love with her is formulaic, the film is anything but. Sure there is some of the typical Bollywood twists and turns, but the film continually surprises by throwing a creative solution to a problem. The music numbers are catchy and fun, and the cinematography is fresh. You won't be disappointed!Read Best Reviews of Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011) Here
I like this movie a lot. I am a fan of Imran Khan. The songs are very good. It is a very well made romantic comedy.Want Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011) Discount?
One of the first few bollywood movies I've watched. I first saw it on netflix, I thought the story was funny, it really entertained me and I ended up really liking it, even the song and dance numbers. So I brought the movie on Amazon like a month later. Now it's one of my favorite comedy films. Only thing I didn't like was It's a little long for this type of story, other than that, I've already recommended and watched with a few friends, that also liked it.Save 47% Off
King of California (2007)
KING OF CALIFORNIA may not break any records for innovation of thought or script but it is a tightly made little film that allows veteran actor Michael Douglas a lollipop of a wacky role to remind us that he does have comedic talent! It also gives 20-year old Evan Rachel Wood the opportunity to compete with a Pro and come out an equal quite a feat for such a young actress. Written and directed by Mike Cahill the story does have appeal, especially since it is set in Santa Clarita, California, a rapidly developing 'hinterland' that is suffering from the effects of too rapid industrialization, changing from a picturesque remnant of California raw beauty into yet another perky little town.Charlie (Michael Douglas) has been in and out of mental institutions for his wacky behavior. His life as a jazz bassist and entrepreneur has always veered off the map, leaving him alone with his only daughter Miranda who has survived her father's irresponsible life by keeping the old family home (in the midst of a huge housing development) with the money she makes double shifting at the local MacDonalds. When Charlie is released his focus is on discovering the gold left behind by Catholic priests in the mid 1600s, a fact he has researched while hospitalized, on the Internet, and from the journal of one of the priests. Miranda slowly buys into Charlie's madcap scheme and adventure as a gold hunter and the caper results in a bonding between father and daughter that has been teetering on the brink of disaster for years. The manner in which Charlie, Miranda, and an old ex-con friend Pepper (Willis Burks II) go after the treasure provides most of the energy of the film.
Yes, there are bits and pieces of this project that have been done many times before (and often better), but the pleasure of KING OF CALIFORNIA lies in the bravura and touching performances by Douglas and Wood. This is a pleasant excursion of a movie, worth an evening's gander. Grady Harp, February 08
I enjoyed this movie a lot. The wacky-father straight-laced daughter interactions are what make it so fun. I also loved Michael Douglas' character in this film. His character reminds me a lot of a castaway (both in appearance and in his quirky mannerisms). There are tinges of other movie genres in this as well but the director puts the whole project together in a good way that gives is a fresh twist and feeling.
This is a great movie for a Saturday night with a bowl of popcorn and you'll probably tell your friends about it too (I did).
Buy King of California (2007) Now
These days, the lines between an independent film and a hollywood film are becoming more and more blurred. Films like Little Miss Sunshine and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind boast that indy feel, the themes and look and ideals that come with those trappings, yet they pack some real star power both on and off screen.Kind of California is another one of those films, but after watching this great little gem of a film, I realized it really doesn't matter if this film is more of an indy flick or a Hollywood flick... in the end, when the movie is this good, who cares?
We could use more films like King of California, no matter who makes them. Michael Douglas and Evan Rachel Wood are fantastic here, at times quirky and manic, other times truly sad and tragic characters. I find it hard to believe anyone could not fall in love with these characters, and in turn not completely enjoy this film.
A must-see, and a must-buy, one of the better surprises of the year, hands down.
Read Best Reviews of King of California (2007) Here
Hoping to replicate the overwhelming positive critical response he received for his performance in Wonder Boys, Michael Douglas plays another quirky outsider in King of California. Despite being produced by Alexander Payne (Sideways (Widescreen Edition)), the film enjoyed a brief theatrical run and finally makes its debut on DVD.Michael Douglas is excellent as the wildly eccentric Charlie. There is a mischievous glint in his eyes when he feels like he is getting closer to the treasure. The older Douglas gets and the more films he does, the more comfortable an actor he becomes. He delivers a nuanced performance that never veers off into showy scenery-chewing territory. With his mountain man beard, Douglas certainly looks the part of an ex-mental patient and, at times, seems to be channeling Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski (Widescreen Collector's Edition).
Evan Rachel Wood plays Charlie's extremely patient daughter and narrator of this unusual tale and so, naturally, our sympathies lie with her because she's, y'know, the sane voice of reason. Miranda is the responsible one to Charlie's childish antics. Wood is the ideal foil to Douglas, the straight man to his kooky eccentric.
King of California belongs to Douglas and the film sinks of swims based on how well he sells his character's mad quest kind of like Robin Williams' traumatized bum in The Fisher King. And while Mike Cahill is no Terry Gilliam, Douglas is more than up for taking on this wild ride with the charisma to draw us in, much like Charlie convinces Miranda to follow him.
There is an audio commentary by writer/director Mike Cahill, cinematographer Jim Whitaker, production designer Dan Bishop and first assistant director Richard L. Fox. Cahill talks about how a lack of money forced him to rewrite the opening scene and improve on it. Everyone takes turns pointing out the various locations used in the film which is as boring as it sounds. They also point out dry technical details like the wonders of colour timing. It's amazing that this commentary can be so dull with all of these skilled artists at hand but unfortunately this is the case.
"The Making of The King of California" your standard electronic press kit with soundbites from the cast and crew mixed with clips from the film. Douglas claims that this was one of the best scripts he has ever read and compares his character to Don Quixote. Cast and crew talk about the film's two main characters and gush about the film in general.
"Outtakes" is a fairly amusing collection of blown lines, miscues and goofs.
Finally, there is a theatrical trailer.
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....and find an old dream underneath waiting to resurface.This bittersweet film about a madman and his long-suffering daughter takes place against the backdrop of the ongoing "development" (ecological destruction) of Southern California, forcing the viewer to wonder: Who are the truly insane in this film?
A lot of humor goes with this grim implication (the scene with the cop on the golf course is hilarious, if short; the filmmakers also shot a funny golf course scene for SIDEWAYS). I also liked the McDonald's shift manager looking over Miranda's shoulder to make sure she assembled a quarter cheese correctly--this actually happened to me when I was sixteen, working in a Southern California franchise. Some things never change. Miranda and her father stand in for everyone who tries but fails to live in peace with the standardization and industrialization going on all around them.
They also have whatever it takes to "follow your bliss" and try to find some sense of meaning in an increasingly orderly and planned and therefore quite insane urbanized landscape literally covering over the once-verdant earth walked by the so-called savages who appreciated and tended it.
Incidentally, although shot as a romp about a parentified daughter trying to give her bipolar father a sense of purpose, the film bears out what I've written about in Deep California: Images and Ironies of Cross and Sword on El Camino Real and in Terrapsychology: Reengaging The Soul Of Place: what happens to traumatize a colonized and paved-over place never goes away until we find some way to heal the recurring themes by understanding them and reshaping them from within them. Costco and McDonald's are but commercialized and updated missions to convert the locals to a globalized existence that eats their souls and landscapes. The counter-mission resides in the loving heart pursuing its dreams or helping others to, as well-named Miranda does in this Californian tempest.
p.s. For those of you with some knowledge of California history: yes, you're right: no Spanish expeditions during the 1620s. After Cabrillo had been by, landing his ships but making no tours through California, Vizcaino did another sail-by in 1602. After that, no known Spanish incursions came through the state until 1769, when Junipero Serra and his merry band came colonizing. "Santa Clarita" got its name from the river they named "Santa Clara" as they marched through. Incidentally, Miranda's mission history lesson was correct, and not only for the Chumash of the Central Coast: most of the Indians who entered the missions never came out again.
p.p.s. The part about how California got its name is true. The bestseller Miranda refers to was called THE EXPLOITS OF ESPLANDIAN. The author's name was Montalvo. He died just before it got into print.
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Bad Boy Bubby (1993)
I recently discovered this Australian film while looking through IMDB and was intrigued by the premise of a grown man kept housebound by his mother for the entire 35 years of his life. Considered quite disturbing and controversial at the time (1993) for its portrayal of animal abuse, incest, and blasphemy, it pushes the bounds of good taste and decency even now 17 years later, with an steady and unrelenting stream of bizarre encounters, visual obscenities, and vulgar utterances. It is a long movie, clocking in at almost 2 hours, and can be slow at times. After watching it, I'm not quite sure what to make of my experience except to say I feel disoriented and exhausted. Billed as a black comedy/drama and shot by 31 different cinematographers, director Rolf de Heer describes it as one big experiment. All I can say is, to misquote a line from the film, Christ, this is a weird movie.I can best describe "Bad Boy Bubby" as what would happen if Forrest Gump were directed by Marilyn Manson (or the other Manson). As described above, Bubby (think Billy Bob Thornton of Sling Blade mated with Hugo Weaving) is a developmentally challenged male who has been kept inside a small rundown tenement by his mother his entire life. Verbally and physically abused, she puts the fear of corporal punishment and God in him so he stays quite and docile. At night, she has sexual relations with him. Told that the outside world is filled with poison gas, she dons a gas mask before leaving and tells him to be still until she returns lest she beats him brainless. We see him mimic the actions and verbal abuse of his mother on a stray cat he finds. He later clingwraps and unknowingly suffocates the animal because his mom told him cats don't breathe as an excuse for why the cat came from outside and didn't die from the supposed poisonous air. Unexpectedly, his father returns after 35 years and proceeds to have sexual relations with Bubby's mom. Already having developed a fascination with large breasts, it is reinforced by the Pop's lecherous behavior and fondness for his wife's "great big whoppers".
After Pop walks in on Bubby fondling his mom's breasts, Pop goes into a rage and kicks Bubby out. From here, he is forced into the real world and embarks on one twisted encounter after another. Some of it is painful to watch because they do tend to be slow and aimless, like Bubby's life. If this is a comedy, I didn't laugh at his misfortunes at interacting with the world, not out of any sense of 21st Century political sensitivity, but mainly because they weren't funny. I did laugh at one scene of Bubby when he gets put in jail and sodomized by "the Animal". This is maybe the only movie you'll see sodomy set to the music of bagpipes. Bobby takes it in stride, so to speak, as he accepts the abuse that is such a routine in his life. An expression of serenity crosses his face. The rest of the story has Bubby having more weird experiences, but eventually, he finds his place in the world. He discovers his humanity, and even discovers love. I found the story arc a bit unbelievable, especially towards the end, but I won't spoil the surprise.
All in all, I can't say that this was a thoroughly pleasurable experience. It really felt like an exercise in avant-garde filmmaking or an assignment from a film class. There are several scenes of nudity, copious amounts of cussing, and unapologetic blasphemy. I can't say that I gained any insight into cinema, the human condition, or other intellectual merits of this film, and for that I'm giving it a 3/5. Definitely rent it first.
Comment
NON SPOILER SUMMARY:
Bad Boy Bubby is about a man that has been sheltered from society his whole life and finally at 35 he gets to discover the world for the first time in the 90's. This movie is not gorey but it does contain disturbing scenes, a significant amount of nudity (male and female) and fake animal abuse. this movie is very well made and will have you feeling strongly for the main character and feeling his pain through the movie. this movie's plot is hard to see coming and by then end you are rooting for bubby.
SOME SPOILERS; IF YOU NEED MORE INFO:
It starts out showing Bubby getting sexually and physically abused by his mother. Bubby is a 35 year old shut in that has been kept from the rest of the world and only knows his mother and his cat. Bubby has the emotional maturity of a 5 year old and does not fully know how to intereact with people. The begining of this movie is hard to watch because of the abuse Bubby recieves.
Bubby escapes from his mother and is introduced to the real world. he discovers music and pizza for the first time and it is very interesting to watch him interact with other people. We follow Bubby as he makes friends and falls in love, the ending is a pretty good shocker and it will leave you with a big WTF by then end.
NOT A SPOILER:
Get this movie and watch it. the main actor does an amazing job and if you enjoyed the movie you need to watch the extras too. this movie will have you thinking and creep you out pretty well.Wow, tired of your weekly rentals from Blockbuster of Netflix? Want something that will have a touch of bizarre, obscene, and unusual? Well you are in luck.....Bad Boy Bubby! The movie actually does have an interesting storyline and the main character's rise to fame near the end was a great look into peoples fasination withe next big thing. Worth the price of the DVD, and will illicit many after movie conversations with guests. Mature themes to say the least.I'm a weirdo........ I LOVED this movie. I imagine most people would not give it more than 10 minutes before turning it off. I won't attempt to describe the movie right now other that to say that it is truly one of my favorite movies.......ever. Not really relevant here, but I am so lucky that my lovely fiancee likes this movie as much as I do. When she comes from Sweden to visit she wants to see it again.
Killing Bono (2011)
This movie is based on a true story. There were 2 friendly rival bands playing in Dublin. One of them changed their name to "U2" and we know the rest of that story. Bono, wanted the guitar player off the rival band. Rather than directly ask the guitar player, Ivan, he asks his brother Neil, the band's leader, who refuses. Neil believes his band will become better than U2 (who haven't cut their first album) and he is doing Ivan a favor. Ivan doesn't realize he had a chance to play for what will be the world's most popular band until...Meanwhile, in order to become big, the band gets involved with the Irish mafia. They end up playing strip joints before borrowing money to go to London. Finally near the end of the movie, we understand the title. Neil believes all his problems are caused by Bono...if he could just kill him. The movie title is a hook and has little to do with this extraordinary film, a must for rock fans.
Martin McCann did an excellent job playing Bono. The movie was funny and entertaining.
"Remember only this: the measure of a man is what's left when fame falls away... oh, and another thing: get as much sex as you can!"
F-bomb, sex, nudity.
No members of U2 were harmed in making this film.
The core of the story is that, contemporaneously with the embryonic U2 who initially called themselves `The Hype' another schoolboy band in Dublin led by the McCormack brothers, Neil (the older, played by Ben Barnes) and Ivan (the younger, talented, guitar player played by Robert Sheehan) was starting up. Neil believes his band to be better than Bono's outfit, so when Bono asks Neil to release his brother Ivan from his band because he wants him for U2, Neil declines the first in a long line of poor decisions on Ivan's behalf which costs his younger brother an `A-list' musical career.
The story then develops as in parallel with U2's rapid international success, Neil and Ivan stumble from one hilarious episode to the next and suffer continuous frustration and disappointment in `making it big'. Invariably, Neil makes poor decisions even when opportunity comes knocking and always believes his band `Shook Up' can make it with no help from U2, who offer to get them a recording contract and a place as support band on their tour, which Neil declines without ever consulting his brother. The tribulations include becoming indebted to a psychopathic Irish mafia gang leader; playing sleazy strip joints to an apathetic audience; scheduling a breakthrough gig to coincide with The Pope's mass in Phoenix Park; and escape to London where they again miss the chance of a recording contract but rent a run-down loft apartment from the excellent and extremely camp Pete Postlethwaite (in his final film role) who opens up a whole new social life for the boys.
Success in a small way did come eventually to the McCormacks' band but they might have been better known, and sooner, without Neil's self-confessed blunders. The story is fast-paced and the script good with plenty of laugh-out-loud dialogue, especially when involving Peter Serafinowicz as the frequently lethal but narcissistic Irish Mafia king, making a great success of a difficult role. Martin McCann is particularly convincing as Bono: he even looks like him, and has his persona to a `T'.
`Killing Bono' is a good way to spend a couple of hours and almost everyone I know who has seen it is of the opinion that it deserves a wider audience. You don't need to be a U2 fan, or even a rock music fan, to enjoy it.Killing Bono is one of those films which has received surprisingly little public recognition, but which has been rated highly by nearly everyone who has seen it. It certainly deserves a much wider audience.
The story line is based on Neil and Ivan McCormick, who were contemporaries of Bono and the other members of U2. Like U2, they had a sixth form band and high aspirations. Neil always felt that his band should be at least as successful as Bono's and as U2 became the most successful band on the planet, this rivalry prompts him to make a series of disastrous mistakes as he seeks the success he craves. As the older brother he tends to make decisions, normally bad ones, without consulting Ivan. Ivan is also blissfully unaware that Bono wanted to recruit him for U2, but Neil vetoed it, and is understandably less than delighted when he does eventually discover this. Neil seems to have a special talent for getting Shook Up booked for the most inappropriate gigs. The one which clashed with the Pope's visit to Ireland and another in a sleazy strip joint being particularly hilarious.
This is quite a light hearted film, at times very funny and the sound track is excellent. When we hear the music of Shook Up, the McCormicks' band, it is actually rather good which really makes you wonder why they sunk without trace and were not more successful. There are some very good performances, notably by the late Pete Postlethwaite making his last appearance as Karl, the landlord, and Peter Serafinowicz as Hammond, the wonderfully insincere agent. Highly recommended!
Read Best Reviews of Killing Bono (2011) Here
"Killing Bono", one of the better films I saw at the 2011 Seattle International Film Festival, is a darkly funny, bittersweet and thoroughly engaging rock `n' roll fable from the UK, based on a true story. A cross between "Anvil: The Story of Anvil" and "I Shot Andy Warhol", it revisits familiar territory: the trials and tribulations of the "almost famous". Dublin-based writer/aspiring rock star Neil McCormick (Ben Barnes) co-founds a band called Yeah! Yeah! with his brother Ivan (Robert Sheehan) right about the same time that their school chum Paul Hewson puts together a quartet who call themselves The Hype. The two outfits engage in a friendly race to see who can get signed to a label first. Eventually, the Hype change their name to U2, Hewson reinvents himself as "Bono" and-well, you know. In the meantime, the McCormick brothers go nowhere fast, as the increasingly embittered and obsessed Neil plays Salieri to Bono's Mozart. There are likely very few people on the planet who know what it feels like to be Pete Best (aside from Pete Best)-but I suspect that one of the players in this particular drama knows that feeling-and my heart goes out to him (no spoilers!). Nick Hamm directs a wonderful cast, which includes a fine swan song performance from the late great Pete Postlethwaite.Want Killing Bono (2011) Discount?
This movie is based on a true story. There were 2 friendly rival bands playing in Dublin. One of them changed their name to "U2" and we know the rest of that story. Bono, wanted the guitar player off the rival band. Rather than directly ask the guitar player, Ivan, he asks his brother Neil, the band's leader, who refuses. Neil believes his band will become better than U2 (who haven't cut their first album) and he is doing Ivan a favor. Ivan doesn't realize he had a chance to play for what will be the world's most popular band until...Meanwhile, in order to become big, the band gets involved with the Irish mafia. They end up playing strip joints before borrowing money to go to London. Finally near the end of the movie, we understand the title. Neil believes all his problems are caused by Bono...if he could just kill him. The movie title is a hook and has little to do with this extraordinary film, a must for rock fans.
Martin McCann did an excellent job playing Bono. The movie was funny and entertaining.
"Remember only this: the measure of a man is what's left when fame falls away... oh, and another thing: get as much sex as you can!"
F-bomb, sex, nudity.
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Analyze This / Analyze That (Double Feature) (2010)
As an avid viewer of the gangster genre, I went into this one with high hopes...and wasn't disappointed. This film paints mobsters in the same sympathetic light that the original Godfather does (not the other ones, of course). DeNiro reenacts his famous heavy-handed mobster role with a whole new perspective in this very entertaining comedy. His off the wall character of a mob boss who breaks into tears at random intervals is priceless. Crystal works as the perfect dichotomy as the nervous psychologist who winds up over his head before he knows what has hit him. This film, although nothing past a simple comedy, is terrifically written and has more than it's fair share of laughs. Watch it. Have fun.
Inside the case, there is only ONE disc even though two movies are bundled together.
This would have been fine if they had used a dual layer (50GB) disc, but to me it appears that both the movies have been crammed in on a single layer (25GB) disc.
The bit rate is really low and the video quality suffers badly, to the point that it is virtually indistinguishable from that of a DVD.
Don't waste your money on this Blu-ray. Just buy the DVD or opt for the two dollar download.
Buy Analyze This / Analyze That (Double Feature) (2010) Now
"You, you're good, you." Yes! Paul Vitti (Robert De Niro) is brilliant as the mobster who cries and gives no mercy to his enemies. Ben Sobel (Billy Crystal) becomes his shrink after one threat and there goes on! "Analyze This" is funny with Sobel trying to get married, but Vitti interrupts his life and shoots pillows for no reason. "Analyze That" is funnier with hilarious parts including the woman and the midget picture, the tuna casserole, and the "West Side Story" sing-a-longs. Momentous! These are two funny movies that people need to see.Read Best Reviews of Analyze This / Analyze That (Double Feature) (2010) Here
In case you were wondering, this is a double sided DVD with the main menus and special features as they were originally released, so it really is like two DVDs for the price of one.Want Analyze This / Analyze That (Double Feature) (2010) Discount?
still very funny depiction of mobsters and their doctors...How can you go wrong with DeNiro and Crystal?
The scene with Chaz Palmenteri in the warehouse with Billy Crystal speaking for the Family is still one of the greatest scenes...
The sequel is good too but buy it for the original.
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Rock-A-Bye Baby (1958)
Those who have eagerly awaited some of Jerry Lewis' post-Dean Martin classics being released on DVD and Blu-ray for the first time will have a special Valentine courtesy of Olive Films as 1958's "The Geisha Boy," 1958's "Rock-a-Bye Baby" and 1965's "Boeing Boeing" get a 2/14/12 release. It's hard to imagine that these films have not been made available on DVD prior to now! Of course, Lewis still remains a love it or loathe it proposition for many modern era film goers--but there is no denying his legacy and impact on the contemporary comedy scene. Oftentimes content to play the fool, Lewis displayed an innocent appeal on-screen that engaged a sense of silliness in us all. But he had genuine heart too, and his good-natured screen persona created some indelibly beloved characters that stand in contrast to his more complicated personal life. These films are an interesting cross section of Lewis' film catalogue as we see him doing what he does best but bringing additional elements of seriousness to the table. Made of a certain time and place, these films offer great nostalgia value for those that love Lewis--but also an opportunity for new viewers to discover Lewis in his prime."Rock-a-Bye Baby" provides Lewis with some of his more inspired and insane comedy bits. Were it content to be just slapstick silliness, it might be one of my favorites but (like The Geisha Boy) the film is also filled with its share of smaltzy sentimentalism. These lightweight concoctions want to tug on your heartstrings, but (in my opinion) rarely develop anything quite real enough in characters or plotting to really engage my emotions. Taking its original idea from Preston Sturges' classic screwball romp "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek" and then stripping away every element of that film's story to make a zany Lewis vehicle--this one is highlighted by Lewis hamming it up with three infants. Lewis plays a small town schlub whose former flame (a solid Marilyn Maxwell) becomes a big movie star. When finding herself in "trouble," she resorts to Lewis as a baby surrogate so that the triplets don't end her blossoming career and reputation. Put Lewis together with the babies and you've got comic mayhem.
Some of the wackier bits involve Jerry overacting a storm inside a broken television, a rock and roll contest of lunatic proportions, and (of course) a perpetually sleepy Lewis trying to attend to the multiple nocturnal needs of the infants. In addition to the unrequited love that Lewis displays for Maxwell, there's a secondary love story featuring her younger sister (an early Connie Stevens). Add in a few irresistible musical interludes, and the film has a little something for everyone. But make no mistake. As always, the primary draw is to see Lewis play the lovable clown. I don't know that in the slapstick shenanigans he breaks much new ground, but he's certainly committed to the lunacy. Suitable for family viewing, I know many people who think this is one of his best. KGHarris, 12/11.
Moreover, this is not merely a comedy, but a musical, with songs that deserve the right to be as well remembered as any from "The Wizard of Oz" or "The Sound of Music".
This, among other Jerry Lewis classics, should be issued on DVD, but until they are VHS still looks pretty good.
Buy Rock-A-Bye Baby (1958) Now
It's tough to choose which Jerry Lewis movies is my favorite, but I have to start with this one. It's sweet, darlin' and romantic all rolled up into one. It's about Clayton Poole (Jerry Lewis) a bumbling TV repairman, who by surprise becomes an adopted father to triplet baby girls. Clayton's former girlfriend turned movie star, Carla Naples (Marilyn Maxwell) springs the surprise when she leaves them on his doorstep. Noble Clayton tries to keep everything a secret but all mayhem cuts loose. And Clayton's other love interest Sandy Naples (Connie Stevens) helps Clayton out of his dilemma and from the suspicions of their father Gigi (Salvatore Baccaloni). I'll leave the ending for you to see. If you love the wacky antics of Jerry Lewis and romantic comedy by all means go for it!Read Best Reviews of Rock-A-Bye Baby (1958) Here
This is one of my favorites. I had seen it many years ago as a kid, and it made quite an impression. For several years I kept track of it on the internet to see when it would be available on VHS, and now I am doing the same thing regarding DVD. Not only is Jerry Lewis hilarious as a "mother in training", but I enjoyed Connie Stevens as a "sweet girl next door" who knows what or rather who she wants.Want Rock-A-Bye Baby (1958) Discount?
I have always loved Jerry Lewis! I loved him as a kid and now my children do too! This movie has always been my favorite of Jerry's and I have waited for it to be released forever it seems! I have been serching the net for quite a while... Finally! My second favorite of Jerry's is, Ladies Man. It was years before I figured out the name of that one! I never forgot Rock-A-Bye Baby, and you won't either!!! Jerry Lewis is the greatest comedian of all times! You gotta see this one again and again!Save 33% Off