Brent Lorentson

This movie has everything working for it with the exception of one thing, and that is the execution in which the story is told.  The film has a decent cast, a good story, for the most part it looks good on the screen, but what hurts this film was the decision to tell the story in flashback.  How can you have a great payoff at the end if in the very beginning we know how the movie is going to end?  Why the filmmakers stuck with this edit is a mystery to me, and it’s a shame, because they have all the right pieces to make it work, but instead they shoot themselves in the foot.
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This fly on the wall experience follows Ray Romano and his friend and opening act Tom Caltabiano as they engage on an 8-day 7-city stand-up tour while driving from Miami to Atlanta.  This candid experience is filmed not with a giant production crew but with one intern Roger Lay Jr. who is just as much a character in this documentary that follows the highs and lows of touring.  What could easily have been a forgettable snooze-fest instead turns out to be an eye-opening glimpse into the life of TV star Ray Romano that has more than its fair share of laughs and enjoyable moments of awkwardness.
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Ever since Ralphie May first appeared on Last Comic Standing, it seems his career has exploded and he has become one of the most recognizable comedians of the past decade.  He’s just released his fourth Comedy Central DVD and has done numerous appearances on television talk shows.  The guy simply is a rock star in the comedy world and shows no signs of slowing down as he is doing a US tour throughout the rest of the year.  He’s always come off as a likeable guy,
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Can someone please explain to me what happened to Val Kilmer?  I can remember the days when he was an A-list celebrity and in some of the highest grossing films of the 90s.  He was the Iceman in Top Gun, Doc Holiday in Tombstone, and he even put on the cape and cowl for Batman Forever.  My point is that at one time the name Val Kilmer actually meant something to a film, but any more it seems he has disappeared into obscurity, and that bothers me.
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For over twenty years Patton Oswalt has been working the comedy stand-up circuit, and with his fourth full length album being released on DVD he shows no signs of stopping.  Over the years I’ve found myself becoming a fan of Oswalt’s work.  Most fans may know him from King of Queens and as the voice of Remy in the Pixar film Ratatouille. 
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Back in 2009 comedian Jo Koy had his first comedy central special Don’t Make Him Angry and it made him a comedy star.  I had caught his previous special on comedy central and had seen him do spots on the late night circuit, so I somewhat knew what I was getting into.  I have to say, though, I was more than a little surprised how much he’s improved with time.  Not to say he needed improvement before , but it seems with Lights Out he’s hit his stride and has polished himself, and he simply just knows how to work a room.
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To just look at the cover of this DVD you would expect this would be your average run-of-the-mill talking animal kids’ film.  Instead Animals United comes off as a call to arms for children to save the planet before it is too late.  I could say how this movie suffers from having a weak script filled with the same characters we’ve seen from dozens of children’s films before, but that would just be too easy.  Instead I want to praise this film, for while it lacked originality I appreciate the boldness of the message they are trying to send.
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When I first got this DVD I really had no idea what to expect.  The title of the stand-up act, That’s How I Dooz It, didn’t inspire much confidence in this comedian I knew nothing about.  Instead of checking him out online and getting a feel for the guy, I decided to risk it and go in with a blank slate; after all, it’s only 60 minutes and can’t be that bad.  So I slid the DVD in the player and got comfy.
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Through the course of time Hollywood has given us a fair share of great sports films.  There are even a few baseball films out there I’m sure are on several people’s all time favorite lists.  Personally I’m a fan of The Sandlot, and I recently discovered Eight Men Out. I wouldn’t say I’m a baseball fan, and to be honest I haven’t watched an entire game in years, but yet I do love a good baseball movie.  I mention this only because after watching Screwball, I seriously will be content never to watch a sports comedy again after the bad taste this left in my mouth.
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The Toxic Avenger is the film most film fans would be familiar with, but Troma has made its name in putting out over-the-top gory exploitation cinema.   KILL belongs right up there with the best of the worst that Troma is known for.  Unfortunately for us it takes nearly an hour to get to the juicy gore-soaked goodness.
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