Happy Sunday, folks! Hope everyone is doing great. It's been a short but eventful weekend. On that note, please note the following updates:
1. With FERRIS BUELLER in the can, we are ready to start our Thriller Reviews.
2. With the MLS season about to start, and the World Cup Qualifiers heating up, I will be spending more time on the Soccer Blog. Accordingly, I have to reduce our film reviews on this blog to two or three a week - one new film, and one or two general films.
3. As such, please note our revised Thriller schedule. The reviews will start posting tomorrow and should all post by next weekend.
# 426 - THE RECRUIT
# 427 - HAYWIRE
# 428 - THE FIRM
# 429 - ENTRAPMENT
# 430 - CELLULAR
# 431 - THE GREY
4. Once the Thrillers post, we begin our Valentine's Celebration, starting 2/6/12. We will be reviewing a dozen or so films (new and general) for the entire month of February - films that celebrate love in all its shapes and sizes. Love of lovers, love of family, love of friends, love of sport, love of cause and ideals, love of food, love of love. As a reminder, please see the Valentine sneak peeks below...
Have a great evening, folks. Please expect all the Thriller reviews to post by Sunday - then we start our Valentine's celebration in full...
Sunday, January 29, 2012
# 425 - FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF (1986)
FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF (1986 - COMEDY) ****1/2 out of *****
(Ferris Bueller - For President. Seriously…)
CAST: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jeffrey Jones, Jennifer Grey, Cindy Pickett, Lyman Ward, Charlie Sheen.
DIRECTOR: John Hughes
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and one really awesome slacker genius - straight ahead…
IT’S LIKE THIS: We all know or have known at least one “Ferris Bueller” in our lifetime. You know: a guy who is impossibly clever, funny, charismatic, intelligent, creative, disarming, cute, unpredictable, exciting, and daring - and gets away with murder. My “Ferris Bueller” is my best friend “Forest Whitaker”, who would pull off such Machiavellian shit without so much as breaking a sweat - and have everyone eating out of his hands afterwards. I could only stand at the back of the room, shaking my head while thinking, “Amazing. Fu-cking amazing.” If he could bottle that “X-Factor” and sell it, he’d make a trillion dollars - easy.
The real Ferris Bueller is the hero of our latest review. He looks at lot like Matthew Broderick, and on one particular day, decides to play hookie from school by feigning sickness. The movie helpfully points out the best way to snow your parents into letting you stay home. See below:
Needless to say, Mom and Dad Bueller (Cindy Pickett and Lyman Ward) fall for it like Carrie Bradshaw going for the last half-off pair of sapphire rhinestone-glitter strappy Manolo Blahniks on the sale table. And just like that, our boy Ferris has got 10-12 hours of potentially awesome skating (not literally, although that is an option) ahead of him. He recruits best pal Cameron Frye (Alan Ruck), who (in an ironic twist) is actually sick, and together they snatch Ferris’ gal Sloane Petersen (Mia Sara) outta school - and set their mischievous sights on the Windy City.
Not so fast, though, because Ferris’ two nemeses are hot on this trail to bust his shit wide open: (1) Jeannie Bueller (Jennifer Grey), Ferris’ jealous spiteful sister; and (2) Mr. Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), high school principal/douchebag who has been chasing Ferris for years - and just might nab him now. The chase is on!
THE DUDE (OR DUDETTE) MOST LIKELY TO SAVE THE DAY: Believe it or not, Jeannie. And that’s all I’m going to say. Go, girl. Talk about hidden layers…
EYE CANDY MOST LIKELY TO FIRE UP A WOODY: Everyone in this flick is hot. My special favorite, though, is Alan Ruck - who’s got that sweet nerd thing going….
MOST INTENTIONALLY HILARIOUS SCENE: Oh, where the hell do I start? Ferris stealing Cameron’s dad’s Ferrari? Our trio crashing an art museum? A hoity-toity restaurant? The stock exchange? The Sears Building? A downtown Chicago parade? They’re all winners!
MOST UNINTENTIONALLY HILARIOUS SCENE: Jeannie’s scene with The Actor Who Will Go On To Star On TWO AND A HALF MEN - Then Leave It Abruptly. And the scene at the very end where Jeannie saves Ferris’ ass.
HOTTEST SCENE: Sorry, but I have to go for Ferris‘ shower scene where he… well, I‘m not sure what he‘s doing but he obviously doesn‘t want us to see it. So it has to be naughty!
INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW: Will Ferris, Cameron, and Sloane have a crazy day of illicit fun in the Windy City? Or will someone see them on the street and report them to Rooney? Or will Rooney catch them himself? And what will he do if he does? What about Ferris’ parents? Will they catch on to his schtick? Or will he live to play hookie another day? How will this “day off” end? And the most important question of all: where is that sequel?
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH “FERRIS BUELLER‘S DAY OFF”: If you like youth comedies that are just as clever, funny, quirky, and intelligent as their lead character. If so, you are in for sooooooo much fun.
WHY YOU MAY NOT ENJOY “FERRIS BUELLER‘S DAY OFF”: If you have a hard time sitting through “youth” comedies and prefer “mature” fare. If so, you’re loss…
BUT, SERIOUSLY: Just as smart, funny, irreverent, and unpredictable as its hero, FERRIS BUELLER DAY’S OFF is a one-of-a-kind film. It’s a lot more mature and intelligent than your average teen comedy. Not surprising since its director, John Hughes, was also responsible for THE BREAKFAST CLUB, PRETTY IN PINK, and SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL. While Hughes was also responsible for more juvenile (but still good) fare like SIXTEEN CANDLES and WEIRD SCIENCE, he is also notable for adding surprisingly serious and somber threads to his latter films like the first three mentioned above. FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF is a nice combination of these two categories.
It was crucial to have the right actor play Ferris. You can’t just have someone who’s very handsome, because looks are only skin deep, and Ferris is more than just another cute face. The right actor also has to be boyish, intelligent, funny, creative, subversive, and have the perfect amount of swagger. In casting Matthew Broderick, Hughes found the perfect actor for this unique character. Broderick makes the role his own, and instantly elevates it to iconic status. Broderick as Ferris charms us just as he does everyone onscreen.
He is complemented nicely by Alan Ruck as the far less vibrant, more subdued Cameron Frye. Ruck has an unconventionally handsome face that further helps give Cameron some welcome quirkiness. Ruck also nicely pulls off some semi-dramatic moments later in the film. It really helps that he and Broderick are very believable as best friends - and sell the relationship with their brotherly chemistry. Then there’s Mia Sara, who is just as good as Sloane Petersen, Ferris’ girlfriend who is just as free-wheeling as him. Sara’s slightly-exotic, dark-eyed beauty is a nice match for Broderick’s, and she turns Sloane into a very fresh and welcome “Third Musketeer”.
Of the supporting cast, the most important roles are Mr. Rooney, Ferris’ nemesis, and Jeannie, Ferris’s sister who envies Ferris’ “X-Factor”. Both roles are perfectly cast. Jeffrey Jones makes Rooney hissable, but also somewhat sympathetic - after all, he’s just doing his job (even if he goes to extreme lengths to do it). The result is a fine adversary for the wily and talented Ferris. Jennifer Grey also has some great scenes as Jeannie, and gives her character some unexpected shadings, especially at the very end where she must choose between throwing her brother under the bus - or saving him. She also has a great scene with a “bad boy” played by Charlie Sheen in a hilarious early role. Good work here from both Jones and Grey (and Sheen).
Lyman Ward and Cindy Pickett are suitably clueless as Ferris’ oblivious parents, but in the end, this movie belongs to the titular character himself - and his two partners-in-crime. Their day-long adventures in downtown Chicago are cinematic and comic gold. Whether crashing an art museum, a ritzy restaurant, or huge parade, Ferris, Cameron, and Sloane’s shenanigans are filled with that special energy you get when you’re around some really fun people and have a short amount of time to burn with them. A lot of these scenes, just like the movie they grace, are now iconic. And deservedly so.
Few movies, before or after, capture the power and vibrancy of youth as FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF does. Perhaps it’s just as well that a sequel (Ferris in college or in the workforce) never materialized. Because how do you top this?
In closing, please find below the amusing Super Bowl teaser for this year that had people mistakenly thinking there was a FERRIS BUELLER sequel coming. Ha ha. Go, Ferris:
Oh, and speaking of "special days": HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO GIANLUIGI BUFFON! The Juventus keeper turned 34 yesterday! Go, G.G.!
(Ferris Bueller - For President. Seriously…)
CAST: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jeffrey Jones, Jennifer Grey, Cindy Pickett, Lyman Ward, Charlie Sheen.
DIRECTOR: John Hughes
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and one really awesome slacker genius - straight ahead…
IT’S LIKE THIS: We all know or have known at least one “Ferris Bueller” in our lifetime. You know: a guy who is impossibly clever, funny, charismatic, intelligent, creative, disarming, cute, unpredictable, exciting, and daring - and gets away with murder. My “Ferris Bueller” is my best friend “Forest Whitaker”, who would pull off such Machiavellian shit without so much as breaking a sweat - and have everyone eating out of his hands afterwards. I could only stand at the back of the room, shaking my head while thinking, “Amazing. Fu-cking amazing.” If he could bottle that “X-Factor” and sell it, he’d make a trillion dollars - easy.
The real Ferris Bueller is the hero of our latest review. He looks at lot like Matthew Broderick, and on one particular day, decides to play hookie from school by feigning sickness. The movie helpfully points out the best way to snow your parents into letting you stay home. See below:
Needless to say, Mom and Dad Bueller (Cindy Pickett and Lyman Ward) fall for it like Carrie Bradshaw going for the last half-off pair of sapphire rhinestone-glitter strappy Manolo Blahniks on the sale table. And just like that, our boy Ferris has got 10-12 hours of potentially awesome skating (not literally, although that is an option) ahead of him. He recruits best pal Cameron Frye (Alan Ruck), who (in an ironic twist) is actually sick, and together they snatch Ferris’ gal Sloane Petersen (Mia Sara) outta school - and set their mischievous sights on the Windy City.
Not so fast, though, because Ferris’ two nemeses are hot on this trail to bust his shit wide open: (1) Jeannie Bueller (Jennifer Grey), Ferris’ jealous spiteful sister; and (2) Mr. Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), high school principal/douchebag who has been chasing Ferris for years - and just might nab him now. The chase is on!
THE DUDE (OR DUDETTE) MOST LIKELY TO SAVE THE DAY: Believe it or not, Jeannie. And that’s all I’m going to say. Go, girl. Talk about hidden layers…
EYE CANDY MOST LIKELY TO FIRE UP A WOODY: Everyone in this flick is hot. My special favorite, though, is Alan Ruck - who’s got that sweet nerd thing going….
MOST INTENTIONALLY HILARIOUS SCENE: Oh, where the hell do I start? Ferris stealing Cameron’s dad’s Ferrari? Our trio crashing an art museum? A hoity-toity restaurant? The stock exchange? The Sears Building? A downtown Chicago parade? They’re all winners!
MOST UNINTENTIONALLY HILARIOUS SCENE: Jeannie’s scene with The Actor Who Will Go On To Star On TWO AND A HALF MEN - Then Leave It Abruptly. And the scene at the very end where Jeannie saves Ferris’ ass.
HOTTEST SCENE: Sorry, but I have to go for Ferris‘ shower scene where he… well, I‘m not sure what he‘s doing but he obviously doesn‘t want us to see it. So it has to be naughty!
INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW: Will Ferris, Cameron, and Sloane have a crazy day of illicit fun in the Windy City? Or will someone see them on the street and report them to Rooney? Or will Rooney catch them himself? And what will he do if he does? What about Ferris’ parents? Will they catch on to his schtick? Or will he live to play hookie another day? How will this “day off” end? And the most important question of all: where is that sequel?
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH “FERRIS BUELLER‘S DAY OFF”: If you like youth comedies that are just as clever, funny, quirky, and intelligent as their lead character. If so, you are in for sooooooo much fun.
WHY YOU MAY NOT ENJOY “FERRIS BUELLER‘S DAY OFF”: If you have a hard time sitting through “youth” comedies and prefer “mature” fare. If so, you’re loss…
BUT, SERIOUSLY: Just as smart, funny, irreverent, and unpredictable as its hero, FERRIS BUELLER DAY’S OFF is a one-of-a-kind film. It’s a lot more mature and intelligent than your average teen comedy. Not surprising since its director, John Hughes, was also responsible for THE BREAKFAST CLUB, PRETTY IN PINK, and SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL. While Hughes was also responsible for more juvenile (but still good) fare like SIXTEEN CANDLES and WEIRD SCIENCE, he is also notable for adding surprisingly serious and somber threads to his latter films like the first three mentioned above. FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF is a nice combination of these two categories.
It was crucial to have the right actor play Ferris. You can’t just have someone who’s very handsome, because looks are only skin deep, and Ferris is more than just another cute face. The right actor also has to be boyish, intelligent, funny, creative, subversive, and have the perfect amount of swagger. In casting Matthew Broderick, Hughes found the perfect actor for this unique character. Broderick makes the role his own, and instantly elevates it to iconic status. Broderick as Ferris charms us just as he does everyone onscreen.
He is complemented nicely by Alan Ruck as the far less vibrant, more subdued Cameron Frye. Ruck has an unconventionally handsome face that further helps give Cameron some welcome quirkiness. Ruck also nicely pulls off some semi-dramatic moments later in the film. It really helps that he and Broderick are very believable as best friends - and sell the relationship with their brotherly chemistry. Then there’s Mia Sara, who is just as good as Sloane Petersen, Ferris’ girlfriend who is just as free-wheeling as him. Sara’s slightly-exotic, dark-eyed beauty is a nice match for Broderick’s, and she turns Sloane into a very fresh and welcome “Third Musketeer”.
Of the supporting cast, the most important roles are Mr. Rooney, Ferris’ nemesis, and Jeannie, Ferris’s sister who envies Ferris’ “X-Factor”. Both roles are perfectly cast. Jeffrey Jones makes Rooney hissable, but also somewhat sympathetic - after all, he’s just doing his job (even if he goes to extreme lengths to do it). The result is a fine adversary for the wily and talented Ferris. Jennifer Grey also has some great scenes as Jeannie, and gives her character some unexpected shadings, especially at the very end where she must choose between throwing her brother under the bus - or saving him. She also has a great scene with a “bad boy” played by Charlie Sheen in a hilarious early role. Good work here from both Jones and Grey (and Sheen).
Lyman Ward and Cindy Pickett are suitably clueless as Ferris’ oblivious parents, but in the end, this movie belongs to the titular character himself - and his two partners-in-crime. Their day-long adventures in downtown Chicago are cinematic and comic gold. Whether crashing an art museum, a ritzy restaurant, or huge parade, Ferris, Cameron, and Sloane’s shenanigans are filled with that special energy you get when you’re around some really fun people and have a short amount of time to burn with them. A lot of these scenes, just like the movie they grace, are now iconic. And deservedly so.
Few movies, before or after, capture the power and vibrancy of youth as FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF does. Perhaps it’s just as well that a sequel (Ferris in college or in the workforce) never materialized. Because how do you top this?
In closing, please find below the amusing Super Bowl teaser for this year that had people mistakenly thinking there was a FERRIS BUELLER sequel coming. Ha ha. Go, Ferris:
Oh, and speaking of "special days": HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO GIANLUIGI BUFFON! The Juventus keeper turned 34 yesterday! Go, G.G.!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
# 424 - HUMPDAY (2009)
HUMPDAY (2009 - COMEDY) *** out of *****
(Wait… what? You guys are going to do WHAT!?!?!)
CAST: Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard, Alycia Delmore, Lynn Shelton, Trina Willard.
DIRECTOR: Lynn Shelton
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and one really compelling reason not too drink too much around your drinking buddies - straight ahead…
IT’S LIKE THIS: You’re all familiar with the term “Designated Driver”, right? Someone who purposefully doesn’t drink so that he/she can keep all the drunk fuckers at the party from killing themselves on their way home? Well, someone should amend the “Party Constitution Manual” to expand the duties/responsibilities of the “Designated Driver”. Specifically, those chosen for this hallowed position should also look out for their inebriated comrades AT the party - not just when driving them home AFTER. As in: monitor their drunken conversations to ensure they don’t end up making outlandishly asinine dares such as the one at the center of our next review, the indie darling HUMPDAY. And I assure the movie isn’t about “Wednesday”. If it were, we wouldn’t need a “designated driver”.
Our “heroes” are two former college buds: (1) Ben (Mark Duplass), sane-and-settled Seattle yuppie who is trying to start a family with his wife Anna (Alycia Delmore); and (2) Andrew (Joshua Leonard), stoned-and-soused hippie who thinks he’s still an undergraduate and has no intentions of settling down - ever, apparently. Ben’s world is all fine until Andrew comes trekking back into it. And before you know it, the buttoned-up Ben is hanging out again with Andrew and a bunch of hipster lesbos - and slammin’ back lots of judgement-impairing alcohol. Which leads to the reason why they should’ve had a designated driver with them that night…
You see, in the middle of their drunken stupor, Ben and Andrew hear about some amateur porn film festival called, ahem, “Humpfest”. And being drunk, stupid characters in a “clever“ indie film, they hit on the idea of making a movie of them… having sex. Their hook? Simple: “Two straight guys having sex is beyond gay!” Um, yes, it is. It is idiotic. Ben and Andrew somehow think this shit is actually original, novel, and will win them the top prize at, ahem, “Humpfest“. Completely overlooking the fact that two pale, tubby, okay-looking, hetero white guys porking each other is about as erotic as watching a blind person devein a shrimp. And about as awkward, too. It’s not like these guys are GQ models or anything like that. That would be a different story. Very different.
THE DUDE (OR DUDETTE) MOST LIKELY TO SAVE THE DAY: The guys are so busy trying to prove who’s the bigger stud (stupid men), to realize the colossal blunder they are planning. So its up to Anna to try and talk some sense into these chuckleheads. Good luck, girl. You’ll need it.
EYE CANDY MOST LIKELY TO FIRE UP A WOODY: Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard, and Alycia Delmore are reasonably attractive.
MOST INTENTIONALLY EXCITING SCENE: Anna discovering the true details of Ben and Andrew’s, ahem, project…
MOST UNINTENTIONALLY HILARIOUS SCENE: Ben and Andrew trying to “suck face” for the first time. That shit is enough to make Elton John go straight…
HOTTEST SCENE: Um… none. Really. After watching this movie, I’m ready to fly to L.A. and party hardy at the Playboy Mansion. If you know what I mean. Or call up Chris Evans’ Twin for an intervention. Seriously.
INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW: Will Ben and Andrew, two Grade-A straighties, go through with this colossally stupid idea? Who the hell wants to see two thoroughly-ordinary-looking heteros fuck each other? It’s not like we’re taking about Sam Worthington and Gerard Butler here. Will Anna put a stop to this nonsense? Or will Ben and Andrew just run roughshod over her? What are their motivations, anyway? Is one or both of them a closet case - and is using the movie as an excuse to explore his sexuality? And what happens when “Humpday” finally arrives? Will they both get it up? Or is someone going to have to chug a Viagra shake? Who cares. I’m going to fuck Chris Evan’s Twin’s brains out now to erase the memory of this movie.
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH “HUMPDAY”: If you like talky, quirky, reasonably funny, but also somewhat overrated indie flicks. If so, pull up a chair…
WHY YOU MAY NOT ENJOY “HUMPDAY”: If you don’t like talky, quirky, reasonably funny, but also somewhat overrated indie flicks. If so, pull out of this one and stick it in a big, expensive studio movie instead.
BUT, SERIOUSLY: An audience darling at the 2009 Sundance 2009 Film Festival (where it won the Audience Award) HUMPDAY was mostly well-received during its release. I didn’t see this film until last year, when a reader recommended it as a review. Based on all the positive critiques and word-of-mouth, it was easy to believe that HUMPDAY was a modern comedy classic. The reality is very different. Is HUMPDAY a good movie? In my opinion, not quite. It’s definitely far from being a bad movie, and broaches some very intriguing ideas. Unfortunately, like other elements in the film, it is half-baked and not fully realized - and doesn’t quite live up to all the hoopla surrounding it.
My main issue with HUMPDAY is the same quibble I had with THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (another interesting but flawed film): it is largely improv. Now, improv can yield some truly inspired comic and/or dramatic gold - but it can also lead to some endless and unfocused meanderings. This was very true of BLAIR WITCH, which had tension and suspense that was constantly being undercut by some unfocused scenes and improv dialogue on the part of its performers. The same thing occurs in HUMPDAY - much of the dialogue of the characters in HUMPDAY is made up on the spot, and while it does occasionally lend the film some depth and amusement, it also goes on far too long than necessary. Instead of feeling as if you’re watching characters interacting, you instead get the sense of actors being unleashed to do their thing - and it actually takes away somewhat from the naturalism of the film. Ironically, for all of HUMPDAY’s “mumblecore” unadorned pedigree, you can’t help but feel you are watching just another “stagey” movie.
The actors themselves are competent. Unfortunately, I just don’t think they delivered any convincing characters - but, rather, were only giving endless speeches. There’s a difference between creating a full-blooded, three-dimensional, unique character - and just making up lines that are purportedly interesting. Alycia Delmore as Anna fares better than Mark Duplass and Joshua Leonard as Ben and Andrew, primarily because we can totally relate to her disbelief at what her husband and his best friend are attempting to do. It’s only later when she calmly lets them do as they please “to get it out of your system” that Anna starts to appear as contrived as Ben and Andrew.
This lack of actual written dialogue may be the reason why it’s hard to buy into Ben and Andrew’s dare. I understand that males can be irrationally competitive at times, but two straight men reluctant to be the first to back down from a drunken bet to sleep with each other (especially when one of them is married and starting a family) is simply ridiculous. And while Duplass and Leonard are decent actors, they do not quite get us to suspend our disbelief and buy into Ben and Andrew’s motivations. Towards the end of the film, Ben does provide something of an explanation when he talks about a surprisingly powerful same-sex attraction he had to a male video store clerk when he first moved to the big city. This is ostensibly supposed to provide the impetus for Ben to pursue the “Humpfest” project with Ben - to find out if he has any secret desires for men. Unfortunately, because of the lack of a carefully crafted script, it feels like something pulled out of mid-air and not a motivation organic to the plot. In the end, it’s just another bit of improv.
I have to state again that HUMPDAY is not a bad film, or even average one. It is an interesting but flawed one - proof that just because you have a clever idea, doesn’t mean you automatically have a good film. You also must have the right execution. And in my opinion, they should’ve used an actual written script and jettisoned the improv.
(Wait… what? You guys are going to do WHAT!?!?!)
CAST: Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard, Alycia Delmore, Lynn Shelton, Trina Willard.
DIRECTOR: Lynn Shelton
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and one really compelling reason not too drink too much around your drinking buddies - straight ahead…
IT’S LIKE THIS: You’re all familiar with the term “Designated Driver”, right? Someone who purposefully doesn’t drink so that he/she can keep all the drunk fuckers at the party from killing themselves on their way home? Well, someone should amend the “Party Constitution Manual” to expand the duties/responsibilities of the “Designated Driver”. Specifically, those chosen for this hallowed position should also look out for their inebriated comrades AT the party - not just when driving them home AFTER. As in: monitor their drunken conversations to ensure they don’t end up making outlandishly asinine dares such as the one at the center of our next review, the indie darling HUMPDAY. And I assure the movie isn’t about “Wednesday”. If it were, we wouldn’t need a “designated driver”.
Our “heroes” are two former college buds: (1) Ben (Mark Duplass), sane-and-settled Seattle yuppie who is trying to start a family with his wife Anna (Alycia Delmore); and (2) Andrew (Joshua Leonard), stoned-and-soused hippie who thinks he’s still an undergraduate and has no intentions of settling down - ever, apparently. Ben’s world is all fine until Andrew comes trekking back into it. And before you know it, the buttoned-up Ben is hanging out again with Andrew and a bunch of hipster lesbos - and slammin’ back lots of judgement-impairing alcohol. Which leads to the reason why they should’ve had a designated driver with them that night…
You see, in the middle of their drunken stupor, Ben and Andrew hear about some amateur porn film festival called, ahem, “Humpfest”. And being drunk, stupid characters in a “clever“ indie film, they hit on the idea of making a movie of them… having sex. Their hook? Simple: “Two straight guys having sex is beyond gay!” Um, yes, it is. It is idiotic. Ben and Andrew somehow think this shit is actually original, novel, and will win them the top prize at, ahem, “Humpfest“. Completely overlooking the fact that two pale, tubby, okay-looking, hetero white guys porking each other is about as erotic as watching a blind person devein a shrimp. And about as awkward, too. It’s not like these guys are GQ models or anything like that. That would be a different story. Very different.
THE DUDE (OR DUDETTE) MOST LIKELY TO SAVE THE DAY: The guys are so busy trying to prove who’s the bigger stud (stupid men), to realize the colossal blunder they are planning. So its up to Anna to try and talk some sense into these chuckleheads. Good luck, girl. You’ll need it.
EYE CANDY MOST LIKELY TO FIRE UP A WOODY: Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard, and Alycia Delmore are reasonably attractive.
MOST INTENTIONALLY EXCITING SCENE: Anna discovering the true details of Ben and Andrew’s, ahem, project…
MOST UNINTENTIONALLY HILARIOUS SCENE: Ben and Andrew trying to “suck face” for the first time. That shit is enough to make Elton John go straight…
HOTTEST SCENE: Um… none. Really. After watching this movie, I’m ready to fly to L.A. and party hardy at the Playboy Mansion. If you know what I mean. Or call up Chris Evans’ Twin for an intervention. Seriously.
INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW: Will Ben and Andrew, two Grade-A straighties, go through with this colossally stupid idea? Who the hell wants to see two thoroughly-ordinary-looking heteros fuck each other? It’s not like we’re taking about Sam Worthington and Gerard Butler here. Will Anna put a stop to this nonsense? Or will Ben and Andrew just run roughshod over her? What are their motivations, anyway? Is one or both of them a closet case - and is using the movie as an excuse to explore his sexuality? And what happens when “Humpday” finally arrives? Will they both get it up? Or is someone going to have to chug a Viagra shake? Who cares. I’m going to fuck Chris Evan’s Twin’s brains out now to erase the memory of this movie.
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH “HUMPDAY”: If you like talky, quirky, reasonably funny, but also somewhat overrated indie flicks. If so, pull up a chair…
WHY YOU MAY NOT ENJOY “HUMPDAY”: If you don’t like talky, quirky, reasonably funny, but also somewhat overrated indie flicks. If so, pull out of this one and stick it in a big, expensive studio movie instead.
BUT, SERIOUSLY: An audience darling at the 2009 Sundance 2009 Film Festival (where it won the Audience Award) HUMPDAY was mostly well-received during its release. I didn’t see this film until last year, when a reader recommended it as a review. Based on all the positive critiques and word-of-mouth, it was easy to believe that HUMPDAY was a modern comedy classic. The reality is very different. Is HUMPDAY a good movie? In my opinion, not quite. It’s definitely far from being a bad movie, and broaches some very intriguing ideas. Unfortunately, like other elements in the film, it is half-baked and not fully realized - and doesn’t quite live up to all the hoopla surrounding it.
My main issue with HUMPDAY is the same quibble I had with THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (another interesting but flawed film): it is largely improv. Now, improv can yield some truly inspired comic and/or dramatic gold - but it can also lead to some endless and unfocused meanderings. This was very true of BLAIR WITCH, which had tension and suspense that was constantly being undercut by some unfocused scenes and improv dialogue on the part of its performers. The same thing occurs in HUMPDAY - much of the dialogue of the characters in HUMPDAY is made up on the spot, and while it does occasionally lend the film some depth and amusement, it also goes on far too long than necessary. Instead of feeling as if you’re watching characters interacting, you instead get the sense of actors being unleashed to do their thing - and it actually takes away somewhat from the naturalism of the film. Ironically, for all of HUMPDAY’s “mumblecore” unadorned pedigree, you can’t help but feel you are watching just another “stagey” movie.
The actors themselves are competent. Unfortunately, I just don’t think they delivered any convincing characters - but, rather, were only giving endless speeches. There’s a difference between creating a full-blooded, three-dimensional, unique character - and just making up lines that are purportedly interesting. Alycia Delmore as Anna fares better than Mark Duplass and Joshua Leonard as Ben and Andrew, primarily because we can totally relate to her disbelief at what her husband and his best friend are attempting to do. It’s only later when she calmly lets them do as they please “to get it out of your system” that Anna starts to appear as contrived as Ben and Andrew.
This lack of actual written dialogue may be the reason why it’s hard to buy into Ben and Andrew’s dare. I understand that males can be irrationally competitive at times, but two straight men reluctant to be the first to back down from a drunken bet to sleep with each other (especially when one of them is married and starting a family) is simply ridiculous. And while Duplass and Leonard are decent actors, they do not quite get us to suspend our disbelief and buy into Ben and Andrew’s motivations. Towards the end of the film, Ben does provide something of an explanation when he talks about a surprisingly powerful same-sex attraction he had to a male video store clerk when he first moved to the big city. This is ostensibly supposed to provide the impetus for Ben to pursue the “Humpfest” project with Ben - to find out if he has any secret desires for men. Unfortunately, because of the lack of a carefully crafted script, it feels like something pulled out of mid-air and not a motivation organic to the plot. In the end, it’s just another bit of improv.
I have to state again that HUMPDAY is not a bad film, or even average one. It is an interesting but flawed one - proof that just because you have a clever idea, doesn’t mean you automatically have a good film. You also must have the right execution. And in my opinion, they should’ve used an actual written script and jettisoned the improv.
Friday, January 27, 2012
RANDOM HILARIOUS YOUTUBE VIDEO - Behind The Scenes of THE PROPOSAL...
Hiya, folks...
Remember that classic "I Love You/I Hate You/I Love You" romantic comedy THE PROPOSAL (review # 369)? Well, a loyal viewer just alerted me to the hilarious behind-the-scenes spoof of stars Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, and Betty White going at it like a bunch of spoiled divas. Check out the vid below. Even funnier than the MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA spoof.
Ha ha ha. Damn. Ryan got owned by the girlz... And not in that good way.
Remember that classic "I Love You/I Hate You/I Love You" romantic comedy THE PROPOSAL (review # 369)? Well, a loyal viewer just alerted me to the hilarious behind-the-scenes spoof of stars Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, and Betty White going at it like a bunch of spoiled divas. Check out the vid below. Even funnier than the MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA spoof.
Ha ha ha. Damn. Ryan got owned by the girlz... And not in that good way.
REVIEW UPDATE: HUMPDAY & FERRIS BUELLER....
Hello, all...
Happy Friday! We made it to the weekend - finally. We were supposed to have been waist-deep in our Thriller Reviews by now, but it's been a busy week for the Soccer Blog (and other social engagements), and so all my energies have been focused on those avenues.
However, please note that the reviews for HUMPDAY and FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF will both post tomorrow. Then we start our Thriller Reviews, beginning with THE RECRUIT, ENTRAPMENT, and THE FIRM. Others to follow.
Thanks for understanding. It's been a "molto-particulare" week. In other words, "one of a kind" - but in a very good way.
Ciao, folks...
Happy Friday! We made it to the weekend - finally. We were supposed to have been waist-deep in our Thriller Reviews by now, but it's been a busy week for the Soccer Blog (and other social engagements), and so all my energies have been focused on those avenues.
However, please note that the reviews for HUMPDAY and FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF will both post tomorrow. Then we start our Thriller Reviews, beginning with THE RECRUIT, ENTRAPMENT, and THE FIRM. Others to follow.
Thanks for understanding. It's been a "molto-particulare" week. In other words, "one of a kind" - but in a very good way.
Ciao, folks...
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Arise, Sir David, MLS Savior, and (*update*) Juventus, Serie A 2011-2012 Winter Champs......
Happy Sunday, folks...
It's been a terrific weekend for various reasons, which is why I haven't gotten HUMPDAY and FERRIS BUELLER'S OFF DAY posted yet. Please expect them to go up tonight when we get back in.
And while I know I've decided to separate all soccer, Sounders, and World Cup-related matters to the other blog, I can't resist posting a little tribute to Sir David Beckham here. I posted a tribute and celebratory post on the soccer blog to commemorate his decision to give the finger to Paris-St. Germain - and remain here in the U S of A. And now I'm finally posting a similar (if a lot shorter) tribute to him here on this movie review blog.
I don't have to tell you how important it is for American soccer to have this brilliant, unique individual in our folds, especially on the eve of the MLS 2012 season kickoff in March... We were genuinely concerned that Becks would actually go to to France. Turns out we have nothing to worry about - for the next two years, anyway.
But let the images of this brilliant man speak for themselves:
Cheers, Becks. See you at CenturyLink Field this season. Give me some great pictures like you did last season...
UPDATE: And to fellow Juventus fans back in Italy and around the World, congrats on Juve being the Winter Champs for the Serie A 2011-2012 season, which is the half-way mark title. This is a good sign because, historically, the teams that won the Winter Champs title, went on to win the Scudetto (Serie A version of the MLS Cup). After Napoli, Inter-Milan, and Roma, Juventus is my next fave team, which along with Becks' decision to stay Stateside, makes this month a great time in soccer, both domestic and international.
A tribute to La Vecchia Signora, AKA The Old Lady (Juventus's nickname as one of the oldest football clubs in Italy)...
It's been a terrific weekend for various reasons, which is why I haven't gotten HUMPDAY and FERRIS BUELLER'S OFF DAY posted yet. Please expect them to go up tonight when we get back in.
And while I know I've decided to separate all soccer, Sounders, and World Cup-related matters to the other blog, I can't resist posting a little tribute to Sir David Beckham here. I posted a tribute and celebratory post on the soccer blog to commemorate his decision to give the finger to Paris-St. Germain - and remain here in the U S of A. And now I'm finally posting a similar (if a lot shorter) tribute to him here on this movie review blog.
I don't have to tell you how important it is for American soccer to have this brilliant, unique individual in our folds, especially on the eve of the MLS 2012 season kickoff in March... We were genuinely concerned that Becks would actually go to to France. Turns out we have nothing to worry about - for the next two years, anyway.
But let the images of this brilliant man speak for themselves:
Cheers, Becks. See you at CenturyLink Field this season. Give me some great pictures like you did last season...
UPDATE: And to fellow Juventus fans back in Italy and around the World, congrats on Juve being the Winter Champs for the Serie A 2011-2012 season, which is the half-way mark title. This is a good sign because, historically, the teams that won the Winter Champs title, went on to win the Scudetto (Serie A version of the MLS Cup). After Napoli, Inter-Milan, and Roma, Juventus is my next fave team, which along with Becks' decision to stay Stateside, makes this month a great time in soccer, both domestic and international.
A tribute to La Vecchia Signora, AKA The Old Lady (Juventus's nickname as one of the oldest football clubs in Italy)...
Thursday, January 19, 2012
UPCOMING REVIEWS FOR 1/23/12 - 2/3/12
Evening, folks...
Hope everyone's doing great thus far, and having a blast. We're right on schedule with our film reviews. I still owe you folks HUMPDAY and FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF for this week. Yup, our list changed a bit because I pulled BELLA and MONEYBALL to save them for the Valentine's Celebration for most of the month of February. They're great examples of "Love of Sports" movies.
Speaking of the Month of Love, the last two weeks of January will be devoted to... thrillers. Since most of February will be devoted to movies about love in all its shapes and sizes, we have to get all the adrenaline out of our system. I've chosen a bunch of thrillers, mostly recommendations with a couple of personal favorites, to also mark the release of THE GREY and HAYWIRE in theaters and ABDUCTION on DVD. Yup. Once we get the thrills and chills out of our system, we'll be ready for a month of Amore.
Please see our Thriller Schedule for the next two weeks below:
# 426 - THE RECRUIT (AKA: If All CIA Agents Looked Like Colin Farrell And Bridget Moynahan, I Would Gladly Be A Bad Guy Just So They Could Frisk Me)
# 427 - CELLULAR (AKA: Jason Statham And Chris Evans In One Movie - I Think I Just Died And Went To A "Happy Ending" Sauna)
# 428 - THE FIRM (AKA: Goddamn That Fucking Placement Office)
# 429 - ENTRAPMENT (AKA: Catherine Zeta Jones In A Catsuit - Partay!)
# 430 - THE GREY (AKA: More Reasons Not To Fly Anywhere North of Seattle)
# 431 - ABDUCTION (AKA: Taylor Lautner Plays A Bastard - No, He's Literally A Bastard, As In: An Illegitimate Spawn)
# 432 - HAYWIRE (AKA: Jason Bourne - With Tits)
# 433 - THE CLIENT (AKA: Susan Sarandon - Best. Lawyah. Evah.)
Please expect the reviews for HUMPDAY and FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF to post sometime this weekend. Have a great one, folks!
Hope everyone's doing great thus far, and having a blast. We're right on schedule with our film reviews. I still owe you folks HUMPDAY and FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF for this week. Yup, our list changed a bit because I pulled BELLA and MONEYBALL to save them for the Valentine's Celebration for most of the month of February. They're great examples of "Love of Sports" movies.
Speaking of the Month of Love, the last two weeks of January will be devoted to... thrillers. Since most of February will be devoted to movies about love in all its shapes and sizes, we have to get all the adrenaline out of our system. I've chosen a bunch of thrillers, mostly recommendations with a couple of personal favorites, to also mark the release of THE GREY and HAYWIRE in theaters and ABDUCTION on DVD. Yup. Once we get the thrills and chills out of our system, we'll be ready for a month of Amore.
Please see our Thriller Schedule for the next two weeks below:
# 426 - THE RECRUIT (AKA: If All CIA Agents Looked Like Colin Farrell And Bridget Moynahan, I Would Gladly Be A Bad Guy Just So They Could Frisk Me)
# 427 - CELLULAR (AKA: Jason Statham And Chris Evans In One Movie - I Think I Just Died And Went To A "Happy Ending" Sauna)
# 428 - THE FIRM (AKA: Goddamn That Fucking Placement Office)
# 429 - ENTRAPMENT (AKA: Catherine Zeta Jones In A Catsuit - Partay!)
# 430 - THE GREY (AKA: More Reasons Not To Fly Anywhere North of Seattle)
# 431 - ABDUCTION (AKA: Taylor Lautner Plays A Bastard - No, He's Literally A Bastard, As In: An Illegitimate Spawn)
# 432 - HAYWIRE (AKA: Jason Bourne - With Tits)
# 433 - THE CLIENT (AKA: Susan Sarandon - Best. Lawyah. Evah.)
Please expect the reviews for HUMPDAY and FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF to post sometime this weekend. Have a great one, folks!
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