You People is trying to be the Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner of the 21st century but the film fails on every single level by far. Here’s the thing about Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. It is a classic to the point in which it cannot be made again. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Eddie Murphy might be comedic AF but they’re not Katharine Hepburn or Sidney Poitier. Where that film was about a Black guy coming…
"You People Isn’t Funny and Misses On Every Level"Tag: Jonah Hill
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"
Judd Apatow’s second directorial feature, Knocked Up, starring Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl, marks its 15th anniversary. The 15th anniversary of the film’s release also means that it’s been 15 years since the year of Judd Apatow. Knocked Up preceded the release of both Superbad and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. The latter didn’t do well at the box office but it has since become a cult classic. I’ll have anniversary reviews of both…
"Knocked Up Marks 15th Anniversary"
21 Jump Street, the live-action directorial debut of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, marks ten years since its 2012 theatrical release. The film premiered ten years ago at SXSW. I mean, it’s SXSW. If you want to launch a comedy in the spring, you must premiere at SXSW. Neighbors. Blockers. Long Shot. Booksmart. The list goes on and on. Austin offers one of the best experiences by far. SXSW is my favorite film festival because…
"21 Jump Street Marks 10th Anniversary"
The Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leonardio DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, and Margot Robbie, is an epic visual storytelling masterpiece from Martin Scorsese. Martin Scorsese and masterpiece are words that seem to go together every few years. Looking back on its 8th anniversary, this film is no exception. With the filmmaker supervising a new film transfer, the picture has never been more beautiful. Both Scorsese and DiCaprio have a history so there’s a shorthand in their…
"The Wolf of Wall Street: An Epic Masterpiece"
Writer-director Adam McKay and the cast of Don’t Look Up discussed working with Jennifer Lawrence while the actress spoke about McKay. Of all the Netflix press conferences that I’ve had the pleasure to attend, the Don’t Look Up presser was the funniest and most nerve-wrecking of them all. When you’re in the same room as McKay, Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, and Jonah Hill, there’s bound to be some nerves. I mean, you already…
"Don’t Look Up Cast, Crew on Jennifer Lawrence"
Adam McKay is a genius behind the camera as Don’t Look Up takes the satire to the next level with one of the best ensemble casts ever. Please stay until the end of the credits. There is a mid-credit and post-credit scene. This film has talent on the same level as It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World while reaching satire at the levels of both Dr. Strangelove and Network. Like those films, Don’t Look…
"Don’t Look Up: The Best Picture of 2021"
Moneyball takes us into the front office by bringing a new school approach of utilizing sabermetrics in how the game of baseball is played. Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), a former baseball player, would go one to become one of the game’s greatest innovators. It’s not sure yet as to whether he’ll eventually enter the Baseball Hall of Fame. However, his legacy will live on by way of the sabermetric system as proven by what we…
"Moneyball: A New-School Approach to Baseball"
Judd Apatow’s third-directed feature, Funny People, marks its tenth anniversary since being theatrically released ten years ago. Funny People marks somewhat of a departure from Apatow’s earlier features. George Simmons (Adam Sandler) is more of a mature character than the leads in The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up. He doesn’t come off as the man-child in the earlier Apatow fare. Though to be fair, Simmons does act quite immature during the third act during a…
"Funny People: Judd Apatow’s Dramedy Hits 10 Years"
How To Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World is the rare third film that makes for a fitting conclusion by ending the series on a high note. It’s very rare in which I find myself wanting to cry at the end of a trilogy. This isn’t so much because I know it’s going to be the end of an era but more so because of how the final scenes are scripted. The series has…
"How To Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World"