|
|
|
|
|
Comedy
Trading Places Nov 02 2006 DVD This
classic fish out of water comedy unites the twin talents of famed Saturday Night Live star Dan Aykroyd with the fairly unknown
(at the time) Eddie Murphy for what is easily one of the all time classics of the comedy genre. Along with a very attractive Jamie Lee Curtis and a host of great supporting actors this follows the story
of rich stuck up Wall Street toff Aykroyd who’s life is turned upside down after a bet between two wealthy big wigs
swaps him for a local street hustler (Murphy) just to see what happens. The results
are hilarious with Aykroyd turning to crime and bitter vengeance whilst a charming and on form Murphy takes to the good life
understandably well despite not really believing what is happening to him. Curtis
is brilliant as the Hooker who takes Aykroyd under her wing and tries to help him back on his feet, and the twists and turns
in the tale will keep you glued until the brilliant, feel good conclusion. A
real gem. Verdict: 4 /5 Mike
Myers & Dana Carvey return as old-school rock groupies Wayne & Garth in the sequel to one of my favourite comedies. This time Verdict:
3 /5 Planes, Trains & Automobiles Oct 28 2006 DVD The
day comedy actor John Candy died was a sad day for me, and I imagine for many. He
was a naturally gifted, likeable and funny guy. This one his best films, pairs
him perfectly with a seriously on form Steve Martin (a guy who seems more off form than on, of late) as two travellers who
can’t seem to keep separated on a haphazard journey, mostly focusing on Steve Martin’s business man’s need
to get home for thanks giving. First meeting up with John Candy’s likeable
shower-curtain rings salesman at an airport, this affable and jolly guy is instantly at odds with Martin’s pissed off
character who has little or no time for good intentioned, jolly fat guys like Candy.
I myself looked forward to every time Candy appeared, knowing he was going to annoy and irritate Martin totally, and
an angry Steve Martin is comedy gold in my book! Directed
by eighties teen comedy God John Hughes, this later film is easily as good as all his other output (Home Alone, Ferris Beullar’s Day Off, The Breakfast Club) but is also different, avoiding much of the angst
and schmaltz he’s normally known for, and as a vehicle for two of the most talented eighties comedy actors – this
rarely misses. A must. Verdict:
4 /5 To
some, Mike Myers may be mostly known for the comedy franchise Austin Powers, something
I am a fan of, even if the joke can wear a bit thin after the first film, and therefore I really think his best work (and
funniest, I might add) is in this film and its equally hilarious sequel. Myers
plays small town slacker Wayne Campbell, who just so happens to host his own irreverent comedy show on a public access channel
from his parent’s basement, alongside best friend Garth Elgar (a superbly underrated Dana Carvy). This show gets noticed by a sleazy TV exec (Rob Lowe on slimy form) and the duo are soon approached by
a wealthy tycoon and the exec with no more intention than making some quick cash then dumping the hapless friends. Along the way Verdict: 5 /5 The Dukes of Hazzard June 12 2006 DVD I was
a bit of a fan on the eighties TV show of the same name. Naturally inspired by
the Smokie & the Bandit movies (nostalgia!!), this southern car chase comedy adventure series was a great alternative
to the brawn of The A Team and it’s like. Now we have the big screen remake,
that although retains the feel and look of the TV show, looses much of its heart by following the frat-boy titty / sex obsessed
gross-out comedy route so favoured in the genre these days. Sean William Scott (American Pie) and Johnny Knoxville (TV’s
Jackass) make a likeable duo as the Duke boys, two never do well car-obsessed wide-boys, mixing it up with the law between
deliveries of Moonshine. Stealing the show (which doesn’t rally take much
effort – the boys phone their performances in - William-Scott in particular lacking much of his zany charm from the
‘Pie movies) is Burt Reynolds showing that despite severe plastic surgery
and liposuction, he still has more personality than anyone in this film, but does at times look like he wishes he was being
chased by Smokie again in a much better film. Country & Western singer Willie Nelson lends some credibility as Grandpa Jessie, and we also get the drop-dead
gorgeous Jessica Simpson, loosing her clothes and being a one note piece of flesh for the duration – obviously proving
this is a bit of a blokes film. Yet for a comedy, I failed to find anything particularly
funny, and if it wasn’t for some good car chases and Miss Simpson, I may have switched it off before the end. On
the DVD we get a wealth of extras, behind the scenes, bloopers and outtakes (is their a difference?) and this version is apparently
an ‘unseen’ cut of the film, but as anyone with half a brain should know, this is just a cheap marketing gimmick
that adds nothing but probably a brief extra tit-shot from what you saw at the cinema. Verdict: 2 /5 Arthur June 09 2006 DVD I watched
this because my Brother really likes the theme song and wanted to see the film. I
had seen it a long time ago (I remember staying up late on a school night) but didn’t remember it all that well. The sadly no longer with us comedy genius Dudley
Moore stars as a spoilt, rich millionaire who has a bit of a drink problem, doomed to loosing his wealth unless he marries
a woman he does not love. Then he falls for local waitress Liza Minnelli (on
cracking form) – and thing get complicated. Sir John Gielgud (who won an
Oscar for his efforts) plays his often reluctant and put upon butler to great comic effect, and For
an old film, the picture was sharp and the sound clear, albeit only in a mono soundtrack (tutt tutt). The DVD offers nothing but scene selection and a very basic menu.
But when the film is this timeless, all is not lost. Verdict:
3.5 /5 The Big Lebowski Special Edition May 27 2006 DVD Since
the mid eighties and the release of their debut film, Blood Simple - sibling director / producer writing team Joel & Ethan Coen have grown to become one of the highest regarded duo of film makers around, where at one
time every film they made was met with almost unfaltering critical acclaim. In
recent years I feel they have let the studio system sway their obvious talent with star-driven offerings of below-par quality
like Intolerable Cruelty and The Ladykillers, but before they stumbled their films by large could never miss. One such offering is The Big Lebowski a caper-comedy thriller with stylings of a Raymond Chandler detective
story mixed with screwball hijinks. A top of his game Jeff Bridges plays possibly the most laid back looser in cinema history, caught up in a kidnap plot and a case
of mistaken identity. Joining him is Coen’s regular John Goodman in a powerhouse performance that pretty much steals the show if it wasn’t for how much I liked
Bridges’ stoner character, affectionately self-nicknamed ‘The Dude’, a guy who’s whole meaning in
life is to smoke pot, drink White Russians and go bowling. Yet
naturally the real star here is the script, with the Coen’s on brilliant form with line after quotable line of snappy
dialogue (peppered with more uses of the F word than nearly any other film out there) and situations of such dumb-luck and
calamity that you can’t fail to smile or chuckle or a regular basis. Add
to this some inspired Busby-Berkley themed dream sequences and a host of weird and wonderful characters and this is easily
one of the finest comedies of the nineties. Although
released for the second time on DVD and now in a Special Edition, it is hard to see what is really so ‘special’. We get a making of that was already available on the old wide screen VHS, some photos
taken at time of filming by Jeff Bridges himself, and a strange ‘introduction’ obviously conjured up by the Coen’s
as some sort of joke. Other than that some interesting notes detail the production
of the movie, but with the lack of a commentary or anything else for that matter (and the picture is OK rather than impressive
despite a supposed Digital Remastering) the overall package is a bit of a let down. Verdict: 5 /5 I’d make it a four
if the film wasn’t so good. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang March 18 2006 DVD Robert Downey Jr. is probably one
of the best misunderstood actors in movies today, and despite a private life off-camera more notorious than any role he has
played, he remains one of the best in the business. Similar could also be said
for the often underrated Val Kilmer, who’s well publicised difficult streak
has prevented him landing the big-name roles. So to bring these two together
in the same film has got to be a bold move, and with Lethal Weapon screenwriter Shane
Black making his directing debut…all the cards are on the table. This
fast and funny thriller, narrated by a dead-pan Downey Jr. tells the tale of petty thief Harry (Jr.) who inadvertently stumbles
(quite literally) into an audition for a part in a TV show, and soon finds his life turned upside down and whisked off to
Hollywood where he befriends a Private Eye (a very good Val Kilmer) known affectionately as Gay Perry and soon finds himself
mixed up in a murder mystery. Add to the mix a sexy femme fatale (Michelle Monaghan) and the pot quickly simmers to the boil. Shane
Black’s often acclaimed screen writing skills are on fire with some quality, memorable and laugh-out-loud dialogue,
some clever twists, and lots of unexpected, blackly comical sequences (the scene with the corpse in the bathroom comes to
mind). Yet the story can be overly complex and I was lost a few times, although
the pace rarely lets up, you’ve barely got time to think between car chases, shoot outs and one-liners, so any confusion
quickly becomes secondary to the entertainment – and Downey Jr’s often bang-on-the-nail observations (during the
narration) on Hollywood, film making and the absurdity of some of the stuff on screen, is solid gold. A treat. Verdict: 4 /5 Mr & Mrs. Smith
November 25 2006 DVD Although
having grabbed headlines more for the bust-up of Brad Pitt & Jennifer Aniston’s
relationship; this quirky, stylish spy-comedy has a lot going for it besides. Director
Doug Liman couples a domestic drama and a high-octane spy caper with hilarious
results and with the pairing of cool-as-ice Pitt and a very sexy Angelina Jolie,
we get one of the best on screen couples in many a year. It’s no surprise
why these two sparked off-camera, as their chemistry is undeniable, and both equal each other in great dialogue and the ability
to hold down an action sequence. What makes this film work, in a similar way
James Cameron’s True Lies worked, is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously, and yes, it’s a little bit
unbelievable in places. Like that film we also get some great action mixed
in with all the domestic upset (and the bit when Pitt & Jolie are arguing in a car whilst being chased and shot at on
a freeway – is sheer class). So naturally ignore what you might have heard
about Brad & Angelina’s love life, and just enjoy this for what it is – the fast, energetic and very funny
high-light of the summer. Harold and Kumar Get The Munchies August 05 2005
DVD Two not-so-typical American stoners, namely rich-kid Kumar living his life dodging high profile job interviews so
he can be kept in his Surgeon Father’s pay-role, and put upon Chinese office worker Harold, one night decide to go out
for the perfect burger. This very simple, and at first dodgy set up soon makes
way for a series of increasingly bizarre adventures all taking place over the course of one night. New comedy talents John Cho and Kal Penn prove to be a very likeable duo, and their one liners and perfect
comedy timing makes for what I think is one of the funniest films I have watched in a long while. Although the comedy genre is fit to bursting with these kind of slacker comedies, I feel the rate of gags
(including some brave stabs at racisms and racial stereotyping), inspired set pieces and just plain infectious ‘fun’
prove this one to be a cut above the rest – and that’s including the more famed American Pie films. Verdict: 4 /5 White Chicks Although the Wayans brothers
have for a long time been black cinema’s answer to the Zucker brothers (Airplane, Naked Gun etc), apart from a trio
of successes with the Scary Movie films (of varying quality), they remain something
of an enigma on the comedy genre. Yet with this high concept premise of two never
do well cops who go undercover disguised as two high society rich bitches, the Wayans formula of puerile, sick comedy finds
room to shine. Anyone who’s ever found the overblown shtick of the rich,
post-graduate upper class, something to poke fun, then there is much to enjoy here, and the script is filled with sharp gags
and the Wayans brothers fit into their roles a little too well (a worry, I’m sure).
90 minutes well spent. Verdict: 3 /5 Mean Girls 4 May 2005 DVD Verdict: 3 /5 Love
& Death
Taken from Woody Allen’s more slapstick ‘I want to be Buster Keaton’ era, this for me is the only
one that really works on all counts. The lines are as quotable and funny as his
later stuff, but the farce is much better timed and laugh out loud funny than that of say Sleeper. Diane Keaton aids his quest again, this time trying to overthrow Napoleon in a historical
comedy of really silly proportions, and I felt Woody managed to compare himself admirably with his hero Groucho Marx, something he would normally fail at any other time. One
to definitely check out even if you don’t ‘get’ Woody most of the time. Verdict: 3 /5 Annie
Hall As a fan of the navel-gazing icon that is Woody Allen I admit to being a bit biased regarding his films, and this
one is no exception! Anyone who cares to take a look at my all time top ten will
see it is a firm favourite, and for me at least I regard this as one of the finest films about relationships, breaking up
and about life in general, that has ever been made. Woody is on fine form with
a sparkling script filled to the brim with quotable lines. Long time collaborator
and former lover Diane Keaton is also brilliantly cookie as the title character, and I couldn’t help warming to her
character from the outset. This at times surreal comedy has so many great bits
in it, it is hard to pick one, but the short moment of animation is a winner, as is the coke scene, to mention but a few. Verdict: 5 /5
|