For all the billions of dollars poured into it, the Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn't have much to show other than a bunch of bloated CGI effects and really dumb plots and twists stuffed into a 2 hour movie. Which is why it's so refreshing to go back in time to 1966, the year Adam West … Continue reading Who Wants To Kill Jessie?
Tag: comedy
El Anacoreta
Anchorites are people who withdraw from society for spiritual reasons, choosing to live hermit-like lives of solitude in their ascetic pursuit of whatever it is they are searching for. What makes them anchorites, however, is their commitment to living, 24-7-365, in the same small space, never leaving, never giving in to the temptations of the … Continue reading El Anacoreta
Johnny Stecchino
Roberto Benigni: you either love him, or you hate him. Italy's top clown, the man has come to carry the torch of physical comedy into this generation, culminating with his worldwide smash, Life is Beautiful, which is either a loving tribute to the power of the human spirit, or a tasteless, tone-deaf attempt at sanitizing … Continue reading Johnny Stecchino
Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy (original workprint cut & final cut)
Gen X doesn't have a lot to show for itself, but it does have the greatest sketch comedy troupe to come down the pike since Monty Python: Canada's The Kids in the Hall, whose endurance continues well into the 21st Century with a new season almost 3 decades later. Between their last TV season and … Continue reading Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy (original workprint cut & final cut)
Bernie
If Takeshi Miike, young Peter Jackson, and John Waters all had a baby together, Bernie would be the result. A satirical and cartoonishly violent film about a mentally disturbed man raised in an orphanage in search of his parents, Albert Dupontel's debut feature pushes the boundaries of good taste way past any of the safe … Continue reading Bernie
A Thousand Clowns
Jason Robards is one of those quirky actors that managed to weave in and out of movies without having to water down his unique vibe. A Thousand Clowns, originally a play now brought to the screen by Fred Coe, might just be the best thing he ever starred in- an offbeat 60's dramedy, and a … Continue reading A Thousand Clowns
Freaked
You probably only know him from Bill n' Ted's, but Alex Winter (and his longtime filmmaking partner, Tom Stern) is also responsible for one of the 90's funniest movies: Freaked, an Airplane!-like comedy with the most ridiculous plot ever: a crazed circus owner (Randy Quaid) captures beloved former child star Ricky Coogin (Winters) and his … Continue reading Freaked
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Regardless of what Woody Allen may or may not have done in his private life, one impossible-to-erase-fact remains: no American filmmaker has made as many great films as this guy. For those of us who can separate the art from the artist, Woody Allen's films get to the root of what it is to be … Continue reading Crimes and Misdemeanors