Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on February 15th, 2018
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: single gal pals looking for love — among other things — in the big city. On television, the trope dates back to the days of Laverne & Shirley and continues with more contemporary entries like Sex and the City and Girls. The queens kweens of Comedy Central's Broad City have given that timeless story hook a funny, druggy and tremendously weird spin for the past four seasons. That includes this most recent batch of episodes, which is lighter on comedy than usual as it explores the origin of NYC besties Abbi and Ilana's relationship...and the way even the closest friends can inevitably drift apart.
Broad City chronicles the (mis)adventures of Abbi and Ilana (co-creators Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer), a pair of uncommonly attached best friends living and playing in New York City. Season 4 begins with a long-overdue flashback episode (“Sliding Doors”) that reveals how Abbi and Ilana met...along with a darker, alternative outcome for their friendship. (Abbi is saddled with the most unfortunate wig I've seen in a very long time.) The rest of the season still contains the bizarre flights of fancy that have become the show's signature. The most polarizing example is the half-animated Ep. 4/“Mushrooms,” which will feel like an especially bad trip if you're not on Abbi and Ilana's wavelength.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on January 11th, 2018
“I'm not saying women are better...I'm saying we deserve some respect.”
Battle of the Sexes chronicles a watershed moment for the women's liberation movement. And given the very bad behavior by very powerful men in Hollywood and other high-profile industries that has come to light in recent months, the movie suddenly feels particularly timely despite being set 45 years ago. But even if that weren't the case, this film — which dramatizes the 1973 exhibition match between top-ranked female player Billie Jean King and former male champion Bobby Riggs — would still be a funny, heartfelt winner.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Dan Holland on January 3rd, 2018
“Backslidin’, how do you do? These slippery people gonna see you through.”
It has been a long while since I have witnessed a pop song’s lyrics fit so poetically into a feature film. “Slippery People” is a track off the groundbreaking Talking Heads album, Speaking in Tongues, released in 1983. Not only does this song fit the plot of American Made within its lyrics (hints of backsliding with a lot of slippery people), but it also represents a specific aesthetic for one of the many years shown throughout the film. Which, by and large, is what American Made does very well: appreciates the nostalgia of the 70’s and 80’s without exaggerating to extremes. More often than not, the “nostalgia aesthetic” very quickly becomes a parody of itself. However, what director Doug Liman offers audiences is bold moves in film form, lightly garnished with relevant nostalgia.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on January 3rd, 2018
When it comes to ranking the top 10 cool movies of the past five years, Kingsman:The Secret Service would easily make the list. From the opening sequence to the final credits, the movie was simply a fun ride with so many kick-ass moments. I mean, the fight in the church alone is worth the price of admission. The moment I heard Matthew Vaughn was returning to helm the sequel, I instantly got giddy with excitement. Heck, ever since his first film Layer Cake, the guy has managed to produce a stream of cool films that I’ve enjoyed. It’s when the trailer for the sequel first dropped that something didn’t feel right; it still looked like a fun movie, but it just didn’t suck me in like the previous film’s trailer did. I ignored my doubts, because after all, Vaughn has proven himself again and again, so when it came time to see the screening for the film, I had forgotten about my doubts, and I was just ready to have a good time.
Now that we know how the Kingsman organization works, the film wastes no time throwing Eggsy (Taron Egerton) into the heat of action. We watch Eggsy engage in a fight/car chase as Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy” plays in the back of a cab. It’s a fun and flashy fight with the camera moving around in impossible angles as the fight literally does some off-the-wall stuff. It’s great for an intro, but this is what we get hit with again and again as the film goes on, and it quickly loses its flair.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on December 29th, 2017
“Have you ever heard the legend behind the legend of Ninjago?”
Even though I loved the first two Lego movies, I was completely unfamiliar with the toy company's Ninjago line before I sat down to watch this latest entry in the madcap cartoon franchise. (I wasn't even sure how to pronounce “Ninjago”...and the answer isn't as simple as it seems.) But my unfamiliarity with the source material isn't the reason why I feel The Lego Ninjago movie is the weakest entry in the series so far.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on December 19th, 2017
Like most people my age (I'm not telling), I watched my fair share of Full House. I wished I could be as cool as John Stamos, be as funny as Dave Coulier and wished Bob Saget was my dad. Then I grew up and realized I wasn't as cool as John Stamos, didn't find Dave to be quite as hilarious (sorry Dave), and still wished Bob was my dad (Actually, even more so when I found out he was quite the dirty comic). Fast forward about twenty years and the Full House theme has been brought back into the present with some familiar faces and a few new ones. Let's take a look at Season 2 of Fuller House.
If you are one of those people like myself who have never seen an episode of Fuller House and need a quick rundown of characters, well here you go. We have DJ Tanner-Fuller (played by Candace Cameron Bure) who is widowed, a veterinarian and has three kids. The three kids are Jackson (played by Michael Campion), age 13, Max (played by Elias Harger), age 7 and Tommy Jr (played by Dashiell & Fox Messitt), age barely out of the womb (probably around 2). In addition, we have DJ's sister, Stephanie Tanner (played by Jodie Sweetin) who has moved from London to help DJ raise her kids. Also, she is ridiculously hot. (There I said it, I'm sure it will come up again).
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on November 29th, 2017
“Cauliflower.”
When Steven Soderbergh announced his retirement from directing films in 2013, it was an announcement that was followed by shock and disappointment for fans and others in the industry. He was a workhorse who managed to deliver a variety of art house titles (The Girlfriend Experience) and then numerous successful blockbusters (Ocean’s 11, 12 & 13) that seemed to always allow him to make films by his own rules. Soderbergh makes his return to film with a heist film that uses West Virginia as its backdrop and NASCAR as its target. It’s familiar subject matter, but it’s the characters that separate this film from the rest of the pack.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on November 16th, 2017
“We did it again!”
I can still remember sitting in a movie theater in Puerto Rico watching Home Alone 2: Lost in New York for the very first time. (With Spanish subtitles, of course.) I was basically the same age as Kevin McCallister — the precocious, pint-sized pre-teen played by Macaulay Culkin — and I’d pretty much worn out my VHS copy of Home Alone by the time the second movie was released. So it’s wild to think that this film is now old enough to rent a car! Fox has released a 25th anniversary Blu-ray of the blockbuster comedy sequel, and it’s a fun, fascinating re-watch for a variety of reasons.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by J C on October 23rd, 2017
“Welcome! Everything is fine.”
One of my favorite bits from the dearly departed Inside the Actors Studio involved host James Lipton administering a questionnaire that concluded with "If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?" It's a momentous question that often drew a humorous response. The Good Place opens with its main character waking up in the afterlife and being greeted with bright green lettering that says "Welcome! Everything is fine." It's a reassuring sentiment to be sure, but let's be clear: there is nothing just "fine" about The Good Place. This sharp, hilarious, and goodhearted fantasy/comedy is spectacular!
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on October 18th, 2017
It’s hard to believe it was way back in 1992 when Buffy the Vampire Slayer was first introduced to audiences. It was a title I had missed in the theaters, but I remember picking it up at our local mom-and-pop video store. With the title being what it was, to go in expecting more than a cheesy horror comedy filled with stakes, fangs, and witty dialog would be on the viewer. I wasn’t a huge fan of the film when I first saw it. I sort of felt like it was a film that was trying to be Fright Night, but let’s face it, there are very few vampire films that are as cool. It’s been over two decades since I last visited the film; how does it hold up? Well, to be honest, it’s grown on me quite a bit.
Kristy Swanson plays Buffy, the vampire slayer that attempts to juggle a social life as a cheerleader while discovering that she is also a vampire slayer. She’s one of the girls who would fit in perfectly with the girls from Clueless and is the typical 90’s pretty girl, but this film works well at developing an arc that turns her into a badass by the time the closing credits roll. While she’s more concerned with impressing her friends and trying to stay fashion-forward, we see that vampires are killing off fellow classmates and many others around town.
