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Year One: Primitive Humor

BuzzSugar — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:30:45 -0700

The trailer for the new movie from director Harold Ramis, Year One, kind of confused me. How were two cavemen types (Michael Cera and Jack Black) bumping into Romans? What? Well, it turns out nothing regarding an accurate historic timeline in this movie makes sense, but that's OK. It's the least of its problems.

If I had to describe this comedy in one sentence I would say it's as if a Mel Brooks comedy and a so-so Saturday Night Live sketch had a baby. It's a gross-out buddy comedy set in the Old Testament that generates a few good laughs. As a comedy duo, Black and Cera are surprisingly good together - although each relies heavily on his respective well-worn shtick. I'm also genuinely surprised at how much mileage the script is able to get out of riffing on what is essentially one big joke about ancient humans and the Bible.

So that's the good news. There is some bad news, though, which you can learn about if you read more.

Black and Cera play two men from a tribe that is apparently separated from the rest of civilization. They are both really bad at the things humans in their tribe need to master (hunting and gathering) and they get themselves banished. Before long they're rubbing elbows with Biblical celebrities like Cain (David Cross) and Abel (Paul Rudd) and they find themselves in and out of slavery. In the end, they're mostly concerned with boobs and hitting on ladies.

This movie is packed full of gross-out humor, and I use the word "humor" lightly. There are fart, poop, pee, sex, and armpit hair jokes galore. And they are rarely funny. OK, fine. The scene where Cera pees on his own face is a little funny but the rest of it is just really . . . tiresome, not to mention disgusting. It just never ends. There's another scene with Cera in which his character is forced to sleep in a bed with a country boy who farts a lot. It's about five full minutes of screen time devoted to farting. I laughed a little at the beginning but there comes a point when one just wants the farting to end.

The saving grace here is the supporting cast. Cera's mumbly shtick only goes so far, as does Black's exuberance. It's a blessing when someone like Hank Azaria shows up on screen to give the audience a little break from those two. Azaria plays Abraham, a man obsessed with circumcision. There is a decent amount of brain power and wit behind Azaria's performance that elevates what is basically a silly fourth grader joke about male genitalia to a slightly higher level. This movie could have used more of that.

Mostly, though, there isn't anything particularly new or inventive about the gags in this movie. The broad humor feels borrowed from other, funnier movies like History of the World, Part I. It's not that Year One is terrible; it's just that you've seen it all before and you've probably seen it done better. And you know, I bet in year one, early humans gathered around to watch someone fart and then they laughed hysterically. Maybe that even counted as an entire standup routine. But this is 2009. A little wit with that fart would be nice.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

Run, Fat Boy, Run: A Sadly Ordinary Underdog Story

BuzzSugar — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:30:23 -0700

Run, Fat Boy, Run comes from a background of comedy gold, three times over: the off-kilter quirkiness of writer Michael Ian Black, the sweet goofiness of director David Schwimmer, and the British everyman humor of cowriter and star Simon Pegg. Ideally, the film would have joined the three comedy styles seamlessly, creating a lovable, hysterical movie that could do no wrong.

Unfortunately, Run, Fat Boy, Run feels like three different movies as disparate as its influences: one set of gross-out jokes that would make the Farrelly Brothers proud, one sweet but schlocky romantic comedy, and one laugh-out-loud underdog story. It's as if the trio couldn't commit to just one sort of film, bouncing from saccharine father-son scenes to disgusting blister-popping to Pegg's trademark loser-y antics. The result is a film that isn't bad, just disappointingly ordinary.

Pegg stars as Dennis, a man who chickens out on his wedding day and runs away from his pregnant bride, Libby (Thandie Newton). Five years later, he wants to win her back - but Libby has started dating Whit (Hank Azaria), a slick American stockbroker who seems to be good at everything, including running marathons. Dennis decides that the way back to Libby is beating Whit at his own game and decides he, too, will run a race. Never mind that just running down the block leaves him winded; he's going to finish 26.2 miles and get the girl, to boot. Things follow a fairly expected path from there - though there are some laughs along the way - so read more.

It probably goes without saying that any film with that sort of premise will feature training montages, long stretches of failure, and finally a breakthrough that suggests success isn't entirely out of reach. That doesn't mean it's not enjoyable to watch; it's hard not to chuckle at Dennis training in his wholly inappropriate spandex briefs. It helps that his "coaches" are equally inept: One of the highlights of the movie is Dennis' relationship with his deadbeat best friend, Gordon (Dylan Moran), who needs Dennis to finish the race so his cardsharp buddies don't shake him down for everything he owns.

Less successful was Dennis' relationship with his other coach, his landlord Mr. Ghoshdashtidar (Harish Patel); the stereotypical racial humor adds little to the movie, and the speeches about being a better man try to give the movie heart but too often feel trite. The same could be said for Dennis' relationship with his son, Jake (Matthew Fenton), which goes to such predictable places that people in my screening were calling out Jake's lines before Fenton had a chance to say them. Azaria is hilarious playing Whit as a soulless jerk, but that's all his character is; there's not a lot of dimension there.

As an actor, Pegg does incredible things with his face; every disappointed sigh or pathetic "please take me back" look makes you want to wrap the guy up in a bear hug and assure him that he really is a good guy. In fact, the movie's clear goal is to make you root for Dennis, and it's set up to leave viewers little choice. Schwimmer could have done something to make the most predictable parts feel less tired, but that's where his inexperience as a director shows through; in a few scenes, the actors seem to react to punchlines before the words had actually been spoken. While I won't tell you what happens on race day, frankly, you can probably figure it out.

Just as it's impossible not to root for Dennis, it's impossible not to want Run, Fat Boy, Run to succeed. I just wish the movie had a lot less blister-popping, a little less cheesiness, and a bit more originality.

To see the trailer and more clips from Run, Fat Boy, Run check out movies.ivillage.com.

Photos courtesy of Picturehouse

Rewind: This Week's Buzz

BuzzSugar — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 08:00:00 -0700

Check out this very funny clip of Mandy Moore guest starring on "How I Met Your Mother"!
Happy Labor Day weekend! This weekend check in with some dedicated onscreen working ladies with my movie night, featuring 9 to 5, Clockwatchers and Working Girl.
Take a listen to Jordin Sparks' new single "Tattoo" and tell me what you think.
In case you've forgotton, "Gossip Girl" is one of the CW's most anticipated new fall shows. You can find out all about the central characters here. Also, I'm convinced the music on this show is going to be awesome.
Check out my Fall Movie Preview that features the bad boys hitting the screens this fall (yup, this includes Clive Owen in Shoot 'Em Up). And speaking of boys, this trailer for Run, Fat Boy, Run (starring Simon Pegg and Hank Azaria) is hilarious.
If you could recast the sensational "Melrose Place" with new actors, who would you pick?
It's time to weigh in: What do you think of M. Night Shyamalan's movies? Who's to blame for the "Kid Nation" controversies: CBS or the kids' parents? Who should win the Emmys for Best Actress in a Comedy and Best Actor in a Comedy?
Want to see Common looking gorgeous and Lily Allen in an astronaut suit? Check out the very cool video for "Drivin' Me Wild."

Photo courtesy of CBS

First Look: Simon Pegg and Hank Azaria in Run, Fat Boy, Run

BuzzSugar — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 14:31:25 -0700

I love me some Simon Pegg, as I think pretty much everything he does is hilarious. And I know many of you - like me - adore Hank Azaria. So the U.K. preview for this fall's comedy Run, Fat Boy, Run should please a good number of Pegg and Azaria fans.

Curiously, the movie was written by Michael Ian Black and directed by David Schwimmer. Pegg plays Dennis, an out-of-shape dude who leaves his pregnant fiancee Libby (Thandie Newton) at the altar. Five years later, he believes that she's the love of his life and decides to win her away from her new man (Azaria, who looks unbelievably good in this trailer) by running his first marathon. Let the training montages begin!

To watch the trailer before Run, Fat Boy, Run opens October 26, read more

Source

TV Tonight: The 400th Episode of "The Simpsons"

BuzzSugar — Sun, 20 May 2007 13:01:23 -0700

After a week of sad season and series finales - I'm still feeling weepy over "Gilmore Girls," "Ugly Betty," and "Grey's" - I'm glad that we have some more lighthearted fare to look forward to tonight as "The Simpsons" wraps up its 18th season. The one-hour finale (actually two separate episodes) starts with a parody of "24," then concludes with the series' whopping 400th episode.

Of the two, I'm most excited about the parody, "24 Minutes," with Kiefer Sutherland and Mary Lynn Rajskub voicing cartoon versions of Jack and Chloe. The skeptic in me wants to point out that it's a nice bit of cross-promotion for the season finale of "24" on Monday; the "Simpsons" fan in me thinks this episode is going to be awesome. The second half-hour - the one that's technically No. 400 - is called "You Kent Always Say What You Want," featuring news anchor Kent Brockman going on a profanity-laced tirade after Homer spills coffee on his lap while the two are on live TV.

To watch a preview clip and see a gallery of photos from the show's 400th episode party, read more

View 9 Photos ›

Photos and video courtesy of Fox

Vince and Owen Quit Azaria's Movie

BuzzSugar — Mon, 14 May 2007 15:07:12 -0700

MTV is reporting that Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson have dropped out of Outsourced, Hank Azaria's directorial debut that was supposedly developed with Vaughn and Wilson in mind. The article continues:

“It was developed for Vince and Owen, but they’re not doing it anymore,” director Hank Azaria revealed.

“The Simpsons” voice actor has put his acting career on hold to shoot “Outsourced,” a comedy that marks Azaria’s directorial debut. “It’s about these two guys who work at a factory in Southern California,” Azaria said. “Their jobs get outsourced to Mexico, and they decide ‘Well, we like Mexico. Let’s go down there and work down there’. And they become like the Norma Raes of Mexico.”

Personally, I say "good riddance." Hank Azaria is one of the funniest people in Hollywood, and also one of the least appreciated, in my humble opinion. Vaughn and Wilson - while funny sometimes - have often struck me as cocky and obnoxious, so I've decided to be mad at them on Azaria's behalf. And maybe this just clears the way for some better comedic actors to take their places.

Source

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:30:36 -0700

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. Oh and even though it's not on Netflix, don't forget that Ally McBeal: The Complete Series is finally available on DVD today!

Year One

The comedy chops of Michael Cera and Jack Black weren't enough to make prehistoric comedy Year One a hit, but the movie still has some laughs, especially if you're fans of the two actors.

The gross-out humor definitely wore on me, but the funny supporting cast might make it worth the rental (Paul Rudd, Hank Azaria, and David Cross all make cameos) - if you can stand all the toilet humor.

16%

See two more new releases when you read more.

Anvil! The Story of Anvil

Anvil! The Story of Anvil became a surprising sleeper hit, thanks in large part to word of mouth (aka Twitter). The documentary centers around Canadian heavy metal band Anvil, who may have been little known to the public, but actually went on to influence other popular acts like Metallica. Metallica even shows up in the movie to talk about the band.

The movie was beloved by critics (check that Rotten Tomatoes rating!) and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.

98%

Assassination of a High School President

Bruce Willis and Mischa Barton star in Assassination of a High School President, a comedy/crime caper set in a high school. The film made a splash at last year's Sundance Film Festival, but then kind of faded away when it came to a theatrical release . . . no matter, because it's on Netflix now.

I was intrigued by the trailer for this movie and will probably check it out, especially since it has Rocket Science's cute protagonist, Reece Thompson.

57%

Which movie will you be adding to your Netflix queue?