The satire holds up ten years later in revisiting the long overdue 2013 Anchorman sequel, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. Nine years was a very long time to wait for the Channel 4 News Team to reunite but it was worth it. The first film became such a quotable classic that they had to wait for the right story to come together. When it comes to any sequel, filmmakers know that they cannot screw it…
"Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues Is Still Funny at 10 Years Old"Tag: Steve Carell
The Way, Way Back is a poignant coming-of-age story and marked the 10th anniversary of its theatrical release this past summer. This film is a case of awards making a difference. Searchlight considered going forward at one point in 2007. However, it wasn’t until Nat Faxon and Jim Rash won an Oscar for their work on The Descendants for things to start falling into place. That was what ultimately sealed the deal when it came…
"The Way, Way Back: A Poignant Coming-of-Age Story"
Wes Anderson has done it again with his newest ensemble comedy, Asteroid City, releasing in theaters following its Cannes premiere. Anderson is one of those filmmakers that you either love or you don’t. I had an enjoyable enough time that I look forward to diving into the bonus features for the home release. Anyway, Anderson takes the audience to a fictional city in the American Southwest in 1955. To say that it is a small…
"Asteroid City Is A Classic Wes Anderson Film"
Evan Almighty, a contemporary retelling of Noah’s Ark and the flood, marked the 15th anniversary of its release during the summer. I missed the 15th anniversary of the comedy this past summer so I figured to watch the film after Parashat Noach was read in shuls across the globe. For my non-Jewish readers, a parashat is the weekly Torah reading that Jews read every Shabbos morning in shul. Prior to Shabbos morning services, a portion…
"Evan Almighty: Contemporary Noah’s Ark Comedy at 15 Years"
Minions: The Rise of Gru continues to take audiences on the path towards the first Despicable Me with a lot of fun slapstick moments. However, I would be remis to point out a problem with the film’s soundtrack. There’s a point in the film where we hear the five-tone motif from John Williams’s score for Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The problem with this is that this film is set 1976 and Close Encounters…
"Minions: The Rise of Gru Hits The 70s"
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is full of hysterics and chaos during every minute of the film. After having one of the worst days ever, Alexander Cooper (Ed Oxenbould) doesn’t get any sympathy from his family members. What does he decide to do when making a wish upon a birthday cupcake? He wishes for his family to have a similar day to his. This is where the movie starts going…
"Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day"
Crazy Stupid Love, featuring an all-star cast led by Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling, marks its tenth anniversary since the 2011 theatrical release. The film is formally titled Crazy, Stupid, Love but for SEO purposes, I’m dropping the commas. Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) has been married to his high school sweetheart, Emily (Julianne Moore), for many years. Life comes crashing down when Emily reveals she cheated on him with David Lindhagen (Kevin Bacon). Alas, divorce…
"Crazy Stupid Love Marks 10th Anniversary"
The Big Short, featuring a star-studded cast, explores the lead-up to the 2008 financial crisis while weaving together humor and drama. The housing collapse led to one of the worst recessions in American history. According to the film’s post-script, some $5 trillion was lost in pensions, real estate value, 401k, savings, and bonds. Eight million people lost their jobs with six million losing their homes in the United States. If not for The Other Guys,…
"The Big Short Marks 5 Years Since Wide Release"
Irresistible, which takes everything we love and hate about politics at the national level while focusing on local elections, is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. In this well-meaning comedy, writer/director Jon Stewart, former host of The Daily Show, reteams with former correspondent Steve Carell. Stewart is no stranger to politics so it comes as no surprise that he’s made a satire on the subject. This is the type of film that hits it on…
"Irresistible Arrives On Blu-Ray" Irresistible takes everything we love and hate about politics at the national level while moving the focus down to the local level. In this well-meaning comedy, writer/director Jon Stewart, former host of The Daily Show, reteams with former correspondent Steve Carell. Stewart is no stranger to politics so it comes as no surprise that he’s made a satire on the subject. This is the type of film that hits it on the money and this…
"Irresistible: Jon Stewart Is No Stranger to Satire"