Category: Movies

The To Do List (2013)

140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

The comedy is great – it’s very funny. The story is more clunky. Just not really well mapped out. Overall pretty good; could have been more.

Spoiler-free Movie Review of The To Do List:

The short version: The To Do List is a very funny movie, even if it isn’t as solid as it perhaps could have been. I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. When it was announced it really seemed like a good concept for a comedy.

The story from rookie writer/director Maggie Carey is semi-autobiographical and a great premise: valedictorian decides to apply her task oriented study style to exploring her sexuality before heading off to college. It works well as a comedic backdrop.

It’s a very refreshing story, largely because the main character, Brandy, is no victim or subject of exploitation. She is an empowered, confident, brilliant young woman who has decided to take control of a part of her life that she has previously ignored. It is a unique character for film, and it’s wonderful to see a new role for a woman on screen; a woman that is in the driver’s seat on her own sexual journey. The matter-of-fact way that Brandy (played by Aubrey Plaza) approaches each sexual encounter is a breath of fresh air.

The problem for me is simply that although that is really all that is going on in this story (which isn’t a problem in of itself) there is an excess of characters and half-developed storylines. There’s enough family dynamic to be its own movie, a love triangle that’s more of a straight line, a surplus of Bill Hader scenes, including a side story with Brandy teaching him to swim, all sorts of workplace hijinks – it’s just all too much. There’s great stuff there, but the movie as a whole feels scattered.

And by the way, the movie takes place in 1993, which in my opinion is the single best thing about it. The setting is great, and if you were college-age around this time (as I was), it’s a blast to relive the dreadful clothes, music & tech. (The closing credits music is MC Hammer’s “Can’t Touch This”, which I previously thought I’d safely reach the end of my life without having to listen to again.)

Finally, I’ve got a few items for Hollywood’s To Do List:

Teenager comedies need more teenagers. Seriously. Why are these adults playing teens? Aubrey Plaza was around 28 at filming.
If you’re going to insist on continually having dumb parent parts in movies, at least cast them with dumb people. Clark Gregg & Connie Britton are far too talented to be stuck with these roles.
Please, more good roles for women being actual women like this one so that it isn’t such a novelty, and so it doesn’t need to come in gross out movies like this.
On that subject, please, no more scenes of people spitting, throwing up or anything with bodily fluids. It’s foul.

Poster:

Trailer:

Bechdel Test:

Pass

Main Cast	Aubrey Plaza Brandy Klark, Johnny Simmons Cameron, Bill Hader Willy, Alia Shawkat Fiona
Rating	R
Release Date	Fri 26 Jul 2013 UTC
Director	Maggie Carey
Genres	Comedy
Plot	Feeling pressured to become more sexually experienced before she goes to college, Brandy Klark makes a list of things to accomplish before hitting campus in the fall.
Poster
Runtime	104
Tagline	She’s going from straight A’s to her first F.
Writers	Maggie Carey (screenplay)
Year	2013

February 15, 2014

Blank: A Vinylmation Love Story (2014)

#140RVW

Lovely little stop-motion love story from Disney & Google in time for Valentine’s Day. Sans dialogue, visuals need to be amazing. They are.

What’s more:

Disney puts together some great stuff sometimes that reminds you how the company started and what it still does best: animation.

This is a sweet short film (clocks in just under 40 minutes), without any dialogue, but with an excess of quality stop-motion. Decidedly old-school, the animation is top-notch and beautiful.

The story is small but not slight: Blank & Bow, two Vinylmation figures (a Disney collectible) fall in love at first sight, and seek each other out after being separated. That’s all it needs; it’s a nice little tale, full of emotion even with silent and expressionless characters. Quite a feat, really…

Poster:

Trailer:

Full Movie:

Movie is available until 2/23/2014 for free exclusively on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/movies/details?id=FitJ3hgxiAg

Bechdel Test:

Not applicable

Main Cast
Rating
Release Date	Mon 03 Feb 2014 UTC
Director	Mike Ambs, Paul Foyder
Genres	Animation, Short
Plot	In search of his lost soul mate, an unpainted Vinylmation finds himself on a quest that alters the destiny of his entire world.
Poster
Runtime	40
Tagline
Writers	Greg Shewchuk (story), Greg Shewchuk (written by)
Year	2014

February 14, 2014

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

Don’t say it takes too many liberties with the story. This is the movie that Douglas Adams wanted to make; he wrote most of the screenplay.

Spoiler-free Movie Review of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy…:

Sort of surprised to realize I hadn’t already reviewed this, as it’s one of my very favorite movies. It just always puts me in a really good mood.

Like virtually every movie based on a beloved book, it has a lot of detractors. Most seem to be upset that the movie is too American, too Hollywood, not British enough, different from the book. Your criticisms are noted – and irrelevant.

This is the movie that Douglas Adams would have made had he lived to see it. He wrote most of the screenplay and was the one who came up with every substantial new story element. He felt that only Arthur Dent needed to be British. And most importantly, Adams viewed his most celebrated work as a living thing; remember that it started not as a novel but as a radio play. He frequently revised his work as it morphed from radio to book to tv to computer game to theater production and all the way back.

All works need to be flexible if they are to make a successful transition to a new medium. All that matters is that you don’t lose the spirit of the original material as you adjust for the different needs of film.

So does it retain the spirit of Adams’ work? Damn right it does. The changes were needed; the book really doesn’t have a consistent narrative; it’s just things happening one after another. (Some still complain that the movie doesn’t do enough to change this and suffers from the same problem.) Trillian & Arthur needed more of a love story – an Adams addition. The only add that I don’t really get is the whole Humma Kavula character, but again, Adams created him.

The other issue that fans complain about is casting. Here I must wildly diverge from the fanboy base. I LOVE the casting.

I don’t know who visualized Mos Def as Ford Prefect but they deserve a special casting Oscar. I think Mos is perfect, giving the whole affair a fresh feel; he’s got the attitude a planet-hopping hitchhiking writer needs.
Similarly, Sam Rockwell is fantastic. If you feel that he’s too over the top, I hear you. But I think over the top is needed in a movie with so much dialogue and subtle humor.
As for Zooey Deschanel, she is a bit inconsistent. Her first scene aboard the Heart of Gold is really awkward – she just seems to be having trouble playing off of Marvin the Paranoid Android. But if you don’t let that early scene influence your impression you’ll realize the way she plays Trillian lends some credibility to the character and why someone would go parading around the galaxy.
I don’t hear any bitching about Martin Freeman, with good reason, as he is as perfect an Arthur Dent as could ever be expected.

Hammer and Tongs, the pairing of director Garth Jennings with his producer Nick Goldsmith, were recommended by Spike Jonze after he passed on directing the film. Coming from a music video background, Jennings brings a wonderful visual style to Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The production design and visual effects are top shelf and unique, which can be very difficult in science fiction.

Really I can’t see why people don’t like this movie. Bill Nighy and Helen Mirren drop by for great roles, the Guide itself is a lust-worthy thing of beauty (and voiced by Stephen Fry), the opening song is magnificent, Douglas Adams’ mum has a cameo, Deep Thought is so cool, Marvin is played by Warwick Davis and voiced by Alan Rickman; it’s just a really fun movie.

Poster:

Trailer:

Bechdel Test:

Fail

The Representation Test Score: C (6 pts)

(http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

[schema type=”movie” name=”The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” description=”Mere seconds before the Earth is to be demolished by an alien construction crew, journeyman Arthur Dent is swept off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher penning a new edition of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”” director=”Garth Jennings” actor_1=”Martin Freeman” actor_2=”Mos Def” actor_3=”Sam Rockwell” actor_4=”Zooey Deschanel” ]

Main Cast	Martin Freeman Arthur Dent, Mos Def Ford Prefect, Sam Rockwell Zaphod Beeblebrox, Zooey Deschanel Trillian
Rating	PG
Release Date	Fri 29 Apr 2005 UTC
Director	Garth Jennings
Genres	Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Plot	Mere seconds before the Earth is to be demolished by an alien construction crew, journeyman Arthur Dent is swept off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher penning a new edition of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”
Poster
Runtime	109
Tagline	Don’t Panic
Writers	Douglas Adams (book), Douglas Adams (screenplay) …
Year	2005

February 13, 2014

It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)

#140RVW

It’s been over 50 years & there still hasn’t been an ensemble comedy to match this in scope or quality. Who’s who of comedy is a big “W”…

What’s more:

Epic in every sense of the word. Shot in Ultra Panavision 70 with a ridiculously wide aspect ratio of 2.76:1 that was projected on Cinerama screens. The cut-down edition of this movie that was shipped to theaters in 1963 (and Stanley Kramer was unhappy with) was 154 minutes. The original was over 3 hours. That’s for a comedy…

And what a comedy. You’d think this is too basic of a story to remain interesting for anything near that run-time, but you’d be wrong. The brilliance of this movie lies in its simplicity; gather a phenomenal cast and then let them do their jobs.

The story is told easily enough: a bunch of random motorists pull over to investigate an accident and are told of a buried treasure by a dying thief; they spend the rest of the film racing for the treasure. Perfect. It’s tight, it’s straightforward, and it leaves all the room in the world for some of Hollywood’s best comics to run wild.

It’s not just the listed cast, either, which is already quite impressive. (Jonathan Winters’ first role, believe it or not.) It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World sports the largest collection of cameos possibly ever assembled for one movie. Basically anyone in comedy in 1963 who wasn’t in this picture was ill or wanted too much money.

It’s just a great picture, from the Saul Bass titles to the last laugh.

Note: This review was written on February 12, 2014, hours after the death of Sid Caesar. What an amazing talent. Interestingly enough, Caesar’s part was initially to be filled by Ernie Kovacs, who died shortly before filming began.

Another note: This was the last public film screening attended by John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated five days later.

Poster:

Trailer:

Bechdel Test:

Main Cast	Spencer Tracy Capt. T. G. Culpepper, Milton Berle J. Russell Finch, Ethel Merman Mrs. Marcus, Mickey Rooney Ding Bell
Rating	Approved
Release Date	Mon 02 Dec 1963 UTC
Director	Stanley Kramer
Genres	Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Plot	The dying words of a thief spark a madcap cross-country rush to find some treasure.
Poster
Runtime	154
Tagline	If ever this mad, mad, mad, mad world needed “It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world” it’s now! (1970 re-release)
Writers	William Rose (as William) (story) &, Tania Rose (story)
Year	1963

February 12, 2014

Withnail & I (1987)

#140RVW

The 8th Doctor & the Spice Girls manager abandon their cesspool of a flat for a drunken holiday in the country. British hilarity ensues…

What’s more:

I have a theory about niche movies. It’s really more of an opinion than the theory, I suppose, and it extends well beyond movies. It runs basically thus: you really only need one of each, and whichever one you are exposed to first is the one for you. It doesn’t matter how good anything you see later is, it will seem derivative and unnecessary, even if what you see subsequently was actually made first.

This is true for mopey English bands, Delta blues singers, fantasy authors, kung-fu masters, edgy stand-up comics, ballpoint pens, procedural cop shows, impressionist painters, gangsta rappers, architects, you name it. It doesn’t really make much difference which one you pick, as long as you have one. You like Hüsker Dü? Great, me too. But I prefer The Replacements. I know there are probably better slasher flicks than Halloween, but that’s the one I saw first. Grendizer over Voltron, X-Files over Kolchak, Jesus and Mary Chain over Echo and the Bunnymen, Sargent over Monet, Robert Johnson over Son House, the list goes on and on.

So I had a rather unpleasant feeling while I watched Withnail & I. A week later and I’m still struggling with my thoughts about it. This movie came highly recommended, and I know people love it. So while I watched it somewhat disinterestedly, I strongly felt that I should have been enjoying it a lot more. And a big part of the problem is the phenomenon I’m talking about; I really only need one drugs and squalor movie, and for me it’s. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I’m not saying it’s a better movie – I just got there first. (Drugstore Cowboy is actually a better movie than either, but I think it goes beyond drugs & squalor and qualifies as non-niche.)

Withnail & I follows the 8th Doctor and the guy who managed the Spice Girls as they abandon their cesspool of a flat for a holiday in the country, where they are completely unable to care for themselves. It’s a fish out of water story with LOTS of drinking. Unlike most drug movies, the main drug in Withnail & I is alcohol.

The story takes place at the end of the 1960’s in England, where the mood is no longer hopeful, and the setting is perfect. As these out of work actors muddle through, their struggle is part of a larger national identity crisis. This is the ugly side of the Sixties, as the flower children come down from their clouds and are greeted by an increasingly hard and bleak world.

This is comedy, however, and it excels on that score. The madcap misadventures of the characters are what good British comedy is made of, and writer/director Bruce Robinson’s semi-autobiographical tale makes for great entertainment. A star is born in Richard E. Grant in his very first film performance; he is absolutely captivating. Paul McGann, through no fault of his own, is relegated to the background, despite being ostensibly the lead character, both by Grant and by Richard Griffiths, who is equally wonderful as Uncle Monty.

I’ll definitely be re-watching Withnail & I. On paper everything about it is great, and watching the trailer and reviewing quotes as I prepared this review made me remember the movie with more enjoyment than I had when I actually watched it. Maybe the problem was simply that I was tired, or that I was watching it on an empty stomach (I should have filled it with alcohol so as to better be in the appropriate mood).

I find myself in the odd position of highly recommending a movie that I personally didn’t love. But I suppose that happens sometimes when you critique films. The Killing Fields was the best movie I hope never to see again (heartbreaking), so there is a precedent for this sort of thing. Cheers…

Poster:

Trailer:

Bechdel Test:

Fail

Main Cast	Richard E. Grant Withnail, Paul McGann & I/Marwood, Richard Griffiths Monty, Ralph Brown Danny
Rating	R
Release Date	Fri 19 Jun 1987 UTC
Director	Bruce Robinson
Genres	Comedy, Drama
Plot	London 1969 – two ‘resting’ (unemployed and unemployable) actors, Withnail and Marwood, fed up with damp…
Poster
Runtime	107
Tagline	You are cordially invited to spend a funny weekend in the English countryside. (US poster)
Writers	Bruce Robinson
Year	1987

February 11, 2014