Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 27th, 2004
Ahh, those funny little Kids from Canada. I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but at some point in the 90’s, The Kids in the Hall became North America’s answer to Monty Python. Now, that’s not to say that the Kids are as classically funny as the Pythons, but the similarities run rampant nonetheless. Both troupes had a very successful sketch comedy television series, in which many of the all-male cast dressed in drag. Following the success of their respective shows, they both explored what feature films might conta...n. Following this exploration, they both performed some of their classic material before a live audience. The last part of the puzzle is the emergence of one of the cast members as a serious Director; for the Pythons, it was Gilliam, and for the Kids, it’s Bruce MuCulloch.
Just to make this clear yet again, I am certainly not saying that Gilliam and MuCulloch are equals in the world of film… far from it. I can say, however, that McCulloch is off to a good start, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him evolve into a talented comedy director in the future. Dog Park is a basic romantic comedy, with indie sensibilities and a twisted view of dog owners. Think Best in Show meets When Harry Met Sally.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 20th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 17th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 22nd, 2004
The Stupids are a family with, as you can guess, a below-average intelligence. I think this might be due to inbreeding. The plot is fairly simple, more a series of vignettes: the family gets into some mess because of a mistake they make, and then get out of it in some silly manner. It sort of comes together in the end, but that's how the whole movie goes.
The Stupids is a kid's movie, and it was made with that exact audience in mind. It's not really there to entertain adults and...the level of humor is about the same as your average Saturday morning cartoon. It's full of puns, silly situations, and obvious references. Of course, a good kid's movie entertains both kids and adults, and The Stupids doesn't even attempt that. The movie is nothing more than a series of sketches, and once you accept that, you're in good hands. It's hit-or-miss like any sketch movie, but when it hits the silly and surreal stride it strives for, it's a lot of fun.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 20th, 2004
I can only imagine what it might have been like to be a child during the heyday of Disney’s live films division. Going to see The Parent Trap or Mary Poppins as a young girl must really have been exciting. Experiencing Pete’s Dragon or Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in the theater must have been a thrill for young lads.
Unfortunately, Disney has not lived up to those high standards in its later days. Part of the wonder of those films was that they were not children’s films, as much as s...andard feature films that were easily accessible to children. While there is nothing wrong with films such as Angels in the Outfield, The Mighty Ducks or George of the Jungle, they just don’t have the same classic quality that the older Disney films had. The genre grew into a direction that made these modern films a little more sterile, and a little lower quality than your average Hollywood production.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 10th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 8th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 11th, 2003
I don’t know what it is that makes men enjoy stupid comedies so much. Maybe it is our inner bully, lashing out at the weaknesses of those around us, and thus proving our superiority. Maybe it's because it's such a relaxing break from the stress of our busy working lives. Maybe it is because laughing at idiots makes us feel better about our own questionable level of intelligence. Whatever it is, it is clear that laughing at the ignorance of others is a basic male trait. There is a point, however, when the subject of o...r mirth can become so simple, so unbelievably stupid, that the tables turn from riotous laughter to groans of pain and embarrassment. The line is a thin one, but it is distinct.
Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd doesn’t just cross that line, it races past it on the way to pointless oblivion. This is a film that truly lives up to its name. What made the original film so funny was watching the interaction between the sublime ignorance of the two main characters and the relative normalcy of the world around them. Ideally, Harry and Lloyd should be the only two stupid people in their circle of influence. In this film, however, virtually every character on the screen is either dumb, or even dumber…er. Without this contrast, the film becomes a close-up look at a world filled with ignorance, and the "relative stupidity" aspect of the story is gone.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 30th, 2003
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 28th, 2003
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