Now it wouldn't be unfair to expect a road-trip movie pairing the king of mainstream stoner comedy with a running joke from South Park to be… well, a broad, bland, sell-out mess, frankly. And there are a few of moments where Anne Fletcher's film lurches straight for that exit… but for the most part I found it to be chuckle-level funny and refreshingly sweet natured.
The real selling-point is the chemistry between Rogen and Streisand; Neither of them overplay their roles, but there's enough constant, well-meaning, bickering tension for their relationship to be believable. This is crucial as the majority of the movie is just the two of them sharing dialogue, and they pull it off beautifully. The rest is road-trip-by-numbers of course, and it's certainly no worse than others we've had in recent times, but there's also a feeling the film's reach isn't trying to exceed its grasp. Ultimately, The Guilt Trip is a very satisfying, if slightly lazy, watch.
The sat-nav is well and truly on.
Call me a grumpy middle aged man*1, but it makes a nice change to see Rogen being funny in a comedy which doesn't feature a slo-mo montage of him and his buddies smoking weed, overlaid with Cypress Hill.
Damn, I sound like his mother.
Very.
Pretty much.
Yes.
Rent unless you're a Rogen/Streisand completist.
No.
At some point.
No, but that sound effect of the eagle that gets used more than the Wilhelm is there.
If you had to cast between two and four parts for your comedy road movie, who would you pick?
*1 Call me it if you like, I'll probably agree with you *folds arms*
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a 'catch-up' review. I watched this film at home, not at the cinema. I saw the trailer for this at the cinema, and I would have seen the film there too, but they didn't/couldn't show it. So now iTunes, Amazon, Netflix and Blockbuster get to reap the rewards of my local's advance-advertising, and I'm sure they're delighted. Now you may say "oh come on, they can't show everything down there", and that would be a valid point if they didn't do things like running Taken 2 for six weeks. Was it that successful? No, I don't think so. Twilight? Batman? Les Mes? Sure, go for it; if they're pulling the punters in then keep making that money. But Taken 2? I ask you. Anyway, this is essentially a DVD review, but still of a new(ish) film. There. I'm glad that's sorted.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
The Wolverine (2D / Vague-spoilers. Maybe.)
Cert: 12A / 129 mins / Dir. James Mangold
And here we are, with the sequel to Gavin Hood's much maligned 2009 outing vying for our attention (read: money) in the midst of popcorn season. As it turns out, it's more of a sequel to X3, although there are enough callbacks to the Origins movie to assure us that it hasn't been written out of the continuity.
For the most part, The Wolverine features a cast and characters we haven't had the pleasure of meeting before, and while this is refreshing, it means there's a lot to cram in and anyone who's not a central character is sketched, at best. The story bounds along from scene-to-scene, with a bare minimum of exposition and even less breather time. It seems to me that by having Logan limping around dabbing at his grazes for a large percentage of the film, and by giving him a mystery to solve, a female sidekick and some sardonic verbal comebacks, there's been an attempt to make Wolverine more like Indiana Jones; and six movies down the line is not the time to be attempting that. Although despite the notable lack of blood*1, he at least gets his claws dirty when it matters.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed The Wolverine a great deal, but the unfolding-mystery, nomadic-warrior, and super-hero influences are all pulling in different directions. The film I watched tonight never got any better than "good", even though I wanted to like it more (that said, the fight on the top of the train is absolutely outstanding). Hang around during the first batch of credits for the airport security-scanner scene. After that, you can go because there's nothing at the very end.
At least there don't appear to be any of the internal-continuity issues that the series has suffered from so far*2, and if nothing else it answered one of my questions about the bone-claws.
Some background reading and another viewing required, I think…
Pretty much.
Not as much as I'd have liked.
At this point, I really don't know.
For me, it's a cinema-movie.
No.
Yes, and soon.
Not sure. I thought I might have heard it at two separate points.
Since the Xavier/Magneto 'origins' film became First Class, which other X-Men would you like to see given their own movie?
*1 I don't expect a gorefest in a 12A, but it really is a remarkably "clean" film considering all the blades it features.
*2 Although that could be purely because it takes place on the other side of the world with characters we haven't seen before.
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
Monsters University (Second-pass / 2D)
Cert: U / 110 mins / Dir. Dan Scanlon
Well, there's really not much more to add, watching MU again. Nothing new jumped out at me thematically, although I can say that it was just as much fun to watch a second time. The script, performances and animation are all absolutely flawless. Again, only got to see it in 2D; again, more by circumstance than judgement.
One thing that did keep tickling me, though: Is this a Hutt?
It wasn't so much Jabba he reminded me of, as a slightly older version of Rotta The Hutt. He keeps appearing throughout the film, and I first noticed him jostling for position at the safety line when the young ones visit Monsters Inc's scare-floor. In the absence of any overt Star Wars references, this'll do nicely.
Anyhow, if you only see one animated family movie this summer, make it this one.
In tangentially related news, the short The Blue Umbrella runs before the movie. While it's technically beautiful, it didn't connect with me the way that Paperman did, and yet the soundtrack from it has been stuck in my head for days.
Yep.
Yep.
Yep.
Cinema.
Yep.
Yep.
Yepe.
As a third installment is doubtlessly going through the first stages of assembly as we speak, what would you like to see from it?
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
As part of your impressive business portfolio includes the now-retired MCA Television brand, you currently hold the intellectual property rights and design copyrights for one of the most influential television programmes of all time. A family oriented comedy series which also holds cult appeal, accessible to old and young alike, the show has been absent from our screens for 22 years.
Now is the perfect time to resurrect 'The Munsters Today'.
The Concept
As a standalone comedy/horror show, The Munsters Today was truly magnificent (even if it was maligned by critics as "a re-badged Addams Family for the late 80's" - how misguided they were!), but what about a sequel? Even better, one whose key feature is the fact that so much time has passed since its predecessor!
As I mentioned above, it's been an astounding 22 years since the last episode of The Munsters Today aired in 1991. A lot has changed in the intervening years, and this will be the Unique Selling Point of the new version. My idea for revitalising the show is not to simply pick up from where we left off, but to set the events of the new series now, in 2013! Ideally, the new show would employ a device whereby the Munsters family find themselves transported to 2013, and the comedy arises from the situations where they're effectively 'fish-out-of-water'; either failing to fully understand new technology, or social attitudes and accepted norms of the 21st century. This differential will provide a bottomless well from which to draw a limitless supply of comedy, and most importantly: it hasn't been done before!
Oh, the title?
"The Munsters Today Today".
Regarding that name, I feel it's vital that we add "Today" to the end. This creates a strong link to the original series, so that casual viewers know the two are directly connected, yet it also lets people know that the show is set in the present day and shouldn't be confused with the previous iteration (where the word 'Today' was used as a device to let the audience know episodes were broadcast in 'real time', with the events of each one lasting 22 minutes in a single unbroken shot, and taking place a week apart). On no account do we want our audience to believe that this is a standalone show like The Munsters Today was. That would be insane. None of the jokes will make sense if it's treated as a unique entity.
The name is a deal-breaker, I can't state that emphatically enough.
The Mechanics
The perfect method to get the Munsters family into the here and now would be time-travel. However, it's essential for the narrative that after arriving in 2013, the Munsters's can't simply return (at least initially) to the soft-focused innocent days of 1991. If Grandpa were to invent some sort of time machine that malfunctions after its first use, that would be ideal. I had an idea about it maybe being powered by plutonium, but I'm still working that one out.
Failing that, maybe Grandpa could concoct some manner of sleeping potion or magic snooze-coffin or some such, which inadvertently puts the Munsters into a coma for 22 years. As Marilyn Munsters is human she'd probably die, but we can always re-cast her; hey, it's been done before!
The Episodes
I'm currently drafting episodes for the first season with the following titles:
• Back To Back To The Future
• Munster Mash
• Herman's Sherman (Tanks a lot!)
• Vlad, the Inhaler
• Marylin's Man/Son
• The Craigslist Murders
• It Works Using Blood
• Collateral Damage
• From The Ashes
• Frankenrampage!
The Casting
After The Munsters Today's John Schuck's now infamous episode with a stage hypnotist in 1999, which left him pathologically unable to lie - and by extension, act - we'll be looking for a replacement Herman Munster. Might I humbly suggest Mr Fred Gwynne? Now I know what your first words are going to be, and you're right… he is a little old, but I'm sure with the judicious application of prosthetics and CGI, we can make him look the part. And don't worry about his comedic past: with a supporting role in the screen adaptation of 'Pet Sematary', he's no stranger to the horror genre!
Oh, he is dead, but then so is Herman Munster! I'm sure you'll work something out.
The Marketing
Have you been in Accessorize or Hot Topic lately? This nouveau-retro-goth is exactly what the kids want. They're wearing Nightmare Before Christmas t-shirts, for Burton's sakes, and if that doesn't illustrate the window for mainstream 1990's faux noir, I don't know what bloody well does. T-shirts, pencil cases, action figures, subscription-based MMO games - we're sitting on a chuffing goldmine, here.
The Deal?
An associate producer credit and 13% of the net profit on distribution/syndication and merchandising, plus spin-off rights. Or 11% with extras if I can have a walk-on role in episode 1 as the first person the Munsters encounter in this confusing new age. Either / or.
Thanks for hearing me out, NBC Universal bods. Unless I've fundamentally misunderstood something, I really think we can make this work.
Get your people to call my people; we'll do lunch.
PS. If you're interested, I'm also developing a few spinoff projects:
1) An in-universe docu-comedy where Herman Munsters talks the rest of the family through the history of The Beatles' 'Sgt Pepper' album and its production. Paul McCartney's legal team is currently looking over the script for The Munsters Today Today It Was Twenty Years Ago Today.
2) A screenplay in which the Munsters family have to survive ecological armageddon when Mother Nature gets angry and lashes back after one of Grandpa Munster's experiments. The Munsters Today Today The Day After Tomorrow is currently in its second draft.
3) A thinly-veiled eco/humanitarian alien-invasion flick, The Day The The Munsters Today Today Stood Still. So far, title only.
Tweet me, yeah?.
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• I feel I should reiterate; sarcasm and facetiousness. Yeah? Good.
• TL;DR version? Click here. Yes, all of the above could have been (and was) done in 117 characters.
• Seriously though; it is 22 years since The Munsters Today ended, and that's the same length of time that passed between The Munsters and its ill-advised, terminally unfunny sequel.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
Director, Paul Feig, coasts on the charm of Bridesmaids with a screenplay that Katie Dippold apparently wrote in her lunch hour. And if a hackneyed buddy-cop comedy wasn't going to be mechanical enough already, Melissa McCarthy is employed to do her thing of being hilariously obnoxious, then acting all hurt and introspective when her character can't shout/shoot/punch/swear her way out of a situation. But hey, at least no-one had to finish her part of the script; you can tell her improvised sections because she pauses awkwardly after a line, thinks of something funny to add, then ignores it and says something with 'fuck' in, instead. Again. If I wanted that, I'd go and watch a Danny McBride film.
But it's not all bad. Okay, it is mostly bad, but the chemistry between McCarthy and Bullock is good, and there are plenty of chuckles and a couple of guffaws. It just feels like a first draft; a scribbling of ideas and sketches. Even if you can trick your brain into accepting that McCarthy's Mullins could ever be a cop with the attitude and behaviour she displays, the film is littered with things that just make no sense…
• Why does Bullock's Ashburn need to 'trash-up' her outfit in the club? It's a classy joint, not a biker bar.
• Why would the bad guy Julian leave a knife sticking out of Ashburn's leg knowing that Mullins can easily pull it out?
• Why does a police officer with known insubordination issues and a criminal family have an unlocked refrigerator stacked full of illegal weapons in her apartment?)
…you get the idea.
That trailer contains a lot of the film's best jokes. It also contains ones which aren't in the theatrical release, either being swapped out for alternate takes (passing out on the pool table) or just cut altogether ("he'll shake it off"). I dread to think how much footage was filmed that didn't get used. There's a closer-scene before the main credits start rolling, but no blooper-reel, which seems unusual. That's the DVD extras sorted, I guess.
Marlon Wayans is underused. Tom Wilson is underused. Some of the gags work; the film doesn't. Your mileage will vary. Oh, and the Deee-Lite sequence in the bar is one of the most embarrassing things I have ever seen.
And Fox: I may not exactly be in McCarthy's fan-club, but she's a selling point for the film. At least have the decency to put her face on the poster, eh?
Yeah.
I chuckled at some things and winced at others.
Probably. That's the worst part.
Telly.
Yes.
Probably not.
Nope.
Have any of you got something else for Melissa McCarthy to do? Hollywood's running out of ideas.
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
The World's End (Second-pass / SPOILERS)
Cert: 15 / 109 mins / Dir. Edgar Wright
I'm happy to report that The World's End is a much easier watch the second time around. I still stand by my original points, and upon a rewatch it seems like the climax of the film, while thoroughly accomplished, has been lifted from another screenplay altogether. And while I'm on the subject, it occurred to me that the final scene with Gary would work so much better if he hadn't escaped Newton Haven with Andrew, Sam and Steven. If, say, those three had fled the basement of The World's End while Gary determinedly poured himself a pint from the fridge of the bar, Andrew's final voiceover would have carried more weight. Because 'we got separated' doesn't really cut it, frankly.
That said, with the WTF's of the plot out of the way, the script full of setups, callbacks and Easter-eggs really starts to shine, as do the performances of the cast. Knowing where the various characters will end up allows you to take your foot off the pedal and enjoy the ride, which is exactly what rewatches are for. I still can't quite bring myself to award the film full marks, but that may change in the future. I'll be very interested to watch this with the commentary track.
Thought #1: In terms of in-series callbacks, the fruit-machine in The King's Head*1 plays the same musical jingle as the one in The Winchester in Shaun of the Dead. I haven't clocked a similar Hot Fuzz reference yet, but if you've spotted it (because I know there'll be one), let me know in that there comments box, yeah?
Thought #2: The casting of Thomas Law and Zachary Bailess, as young Gary and Andrew respectively (and the actress who plays the young Sam*2) is rather marvellous. I'd have liked more speaking-lines for all of them, but still; well done, casting person whose name I also didn't think to read.
Thought #3: Wouldn't it have been nice if Shaun had featured a former James Bond? That would have been a great hallmark for the trilogy along with the other signatures, but from what I can ascertain that link doesn't exist for the first film. If you can prove me wrong, I'd welcome that.
I'm probably going to let tWE lie fallow for a week or two before another watch, but in the meanwhile I want to know what you think of it, and what Easter-eggs you've found. You can use the comments box below this post or the World Of Blackout Facebook page.
Second favourite line:
OLIVER: WTF, Gary? WTF?
GARY: What the fuck does WTF mean?!?
PETER staggers from a toilet cubicle and looks around at the after-fight carnage.
PETER: …what the fuck?
GARY: Oh, right.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
For me? Cinema. For you? Your choice, really.
No.
Yes. Before it finishes its theatrical run.
When the car's escaping Newton Haven and screeches to a halt. It's the second scream that comes from the car.
What's the lengthiest pub-crawl you've completed in one session? Tell me the pubs for an extra point.
No, I want to know. Seriously. GO.
*1 I think it's The King's Head. It could be The Hole In The Wall. That's why I need this to come out on DVD/BLU as soon as possible.
*2 I forgot to scan the credits for her name, and the internet doesn't seem to know. Apologies, actress who plays young Sam.
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
