Out in Theaters: VACATION

July 28, 2015 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Chevy Chase, Chris Hemsworth, Christina Applegate, Ed Helms, John Francis Daley, Jonathan M. Goldstein, Leslie Mann, Out in Theaters, Reviews, Ron Livingston, Skyler Gisondo, Steele Stebbins, Vacation Leave a comment

Harold Ramis took the family vacation movie off cruise-control in 1983, proffering a deliciously crass road trip film lead by an insolent (and borderline sociopathic) father figure in Chevy Chase and penned by none other than the mighty John Hughes. A sickly twist on nuclear morals and unadulterated, thoroughly punitive obsession, National Lampoon’s Vacation etched a dark twist on small town American dreams, couching the woes of extended family, the thirst for adventure and the troubles of enclosed spaces in with themes of adultery, abuse, abandonment and totally warped family values; with a corporate theme park ironically standing in as a last bastion of joy. Ramis’ was no small feat – he had crafted a thing of jet black social commentary that sang out with sharp barbs of comedy. Read More

Out In Theaters: LUCKY STIFF

July 26, 2015 by J Simpson Posted in Out in Theaters, Reviews Tagged Christopher Ashley, Dark Comedy, Dominic Marsh, Jason Alexander, Lucky Stiff, Musicals, Nikki M. James, Out in Theaters, Pamela Shaw 1 Comment

Lucky Stiff, from director Christopher Ashley, is a hard sell. It’s a dark comedic adaptation of an off-off broadway musical, from the creative team who would go on to create Ragtime. The musical numbers and between scene animations derail the normal slice-of-life grittiness that carries a lot of dark comedies, however, while the musical numbers are not intricate or tuneful enough to eradicate the criticisms usually leveled at musical theater. Critics of either dark comedies or musical theater should turn their attention elsewhere for an evening’s entertainment, as Lucky Stiff is unlikely to create new converts. But it is not without its charms. Read More

Out in Theaters: BIG SIGNIFICANT THINGS

July 24, 2015 by Madelyn Sutton Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Big Significant Things, Bryan Reisberg, Harry Lloyd, Out in Theaters, Reviews 1 Comment

Big Significant Things opens on what seems to be a big, significant thing: the “World’s Largest Cedar Bucket.” We first meet our protagonist as he gazes at the bucket with an expression of quiet awe, though already we can see a hint of desperation in the wideness of his eyes and his attempts to engage a local about the bucket’s history. Craig is a twenty-something guy in a serious relationship with Allison, who is in San Francisco picking out the home they plan to buy together; we come to find out that Craig is on his cross-country, “world’s largest”-sightings trip alone, though Allison believes he’s traveling for work. As we come to find out, he’s not just looking for the best American landmarks; he’s on a journey of last-chance freedom and self-discovery before settling down with his “perfect” girl.
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Out in Theaters: PAPER TOWNS

July 23, 2015 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Austin Abrams, Cara Delevingne, Halston Sage, Jake Schreier, John Green, Justice Smith, Nat Wolff, Paper Towns 1 Comment

Paper Towns is as infantile as it is pointless; a sloppily rendered, paint-by-numbers filmic blunder that celebrates femininity and the free spirit without understanding either. It’s a glossy venture through teenagedom (emphasis on “dumb”) that both takes itself too seriously and is too fantastical and inconsequential to be taken seriously. As such, it simply fails to grasp anything of value, though its fingers remain greedily extended. Though acted with suitable gusto by its young cast, Paper Towns is the movie equivalent of a rambling troglodyte, spouting words and ideas without having much to say at all. Read More

Out in Theaters: UNEXPECTED

July 23, 2015 by Lillian Angelle Posted in Out in Theaters, Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged Anders Holm, Cobie Smulders, Gail Bean, Kris Swanberg, Kris Williams, Megan Mercier, Unexpected Leave a comment

Kris Swanberg gives a somewhat too conventional glimpse into unplanned pregnancy in Unexpected, co-written with Megan Mercier and Kris Williams. This marks Swanberg’s third feature film, and notably her first film with known actors and a budget that’s actually workable. While Swanberg said she wanted Unexpected to be a more realistic film, stripped of the usual comedy around unplanned pregnancy and the heightened melodrama of the environment of low income schools, the lack of both elements makes for a charming film of realism indeed, but one that’s too dramatically scarce. Read More

Out in Theaters: SOUTHPAW

July 23, 2015 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Antoine Fuqua, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Forest Whitaker, Jake Gyllenhaal, James Horner, Kurt Sutter, Oona Laurence, Out in Theaters, Rachel McAdams, Reviews, Southpaw Leave a comment

It’s been since 2001’s Training Day that Antoine Fuqua has delivered a true knockout. Southpaw is no exception. The Pittsburg-born director has faced no challenges scraping together talent; amassing casts and crews that regularly featured A-listers at the top of their game, screenwriters on the fast track to success, composers in highest demand. He also hasn’t been treated to a movie falling on the fresh side of the spectrum since 2001. Sure, The Equalizer eeked by on Denzel Washington’s cool, collected killing spree antics but critics (and audiences) knew that Fuqua’s product was less than perfect. And this gets us to Southpaw, a film that’s definitively less than perfect. Read More

Out in Theaters: PIXELS

July 22, 2015 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Adam Sandler, Brian Cox, Chris Columbus, Josh Gad, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Out in Theaters, Peter Dinklage, Pixels, Reviews Leave a comment

Adam Sandler has been candid about his lack of effort in projects of late. Last year on Jimmy Kimmel Live, he admitted that he chooses projects based primarily on location. Meaning, he takes his paycheck and his vacation and all he’s gotta do is tug on the lever that makes the Happy Madison assembly line run. A nerd joke here, a woman joke there. A dash of silly voices. Fat man slamming into something. Voilà! You’ve got yourself a Sandler movie. Read More

Out in Theaters: TRAINWRECK

July 17, 2015 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Bill Hader, Brie Larson, Collin Quinn, Dave Attell, Evan Brinkman, Ezra Miller, John Cena, LeBron James, Noman Lloyd, Out in Theaters, Reviews, Tilda Swinton, Trainwreck 2 Comments

*This is a reprint of our 2015 SXSW review

Take it from the effervescently crass mouth of Amy Schumer, “The title was always Trainwreck. Trainwreck or Cum Dumpster.” Oh Amy, you are such just so…you. From talk radio appearances to gross-out Twitter posts, the Schum has crafted her image on being unapologetically, oh-so-adorably crude and in the context of Trainwreck, it’s miraculous to take in. At last night’s premiere, when an audience member inundated her with compliments, she barked, “Stop trying to fuck me.” She has swiftly become the epitome of 21st century feminism-as-middle finger; the crème de la crème of vagina jokes and reverse slut shaming that will melt the lipstick off housewives and zap the calories off your finger sandwiches with her gloriously nasty one-liners and hysterically sexual non-sequiturs. Read More

Out in Theaters: THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT

July 17, 2015 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Billy Crudup, Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Out in Theaters, Reviews, The Stanford Prison Experiment, Tim Talbott, Tye Sheridan Leave a comment

*This is a reprint of our 2015 Sundance review.

Things came in twos at this year’s Sundance Film Festival with a pair of Cobie Smulders’ features competing against one another for the Dramatic Competition prize, a set of unexpected pregnancy comedy/dramas, Tye Sheridans (who actually was showcased in three films: Last Days in the Desert, Entertainment and this film we’re in the midst of reviewing) and, most notably, a duo of 1960-70s social psychology experiment films. One of which, The Experimenter told the story of Stanley Milgram, administer of increasing electrical shocks and student of peer pressure. The feature starred Peter Sarsgaard and was met with middling reviews. Read More

Out in Theaters: LILA & EVE

July 17, 2015 by Lillian Angelle Posted in Out in Theaters, Reviews Tagged Andre Royo, charles stone III, Chris Chalk, Jennifer Lopez, lila & eve, Review, Reviews, Shea Whigham, Viola Davis 1 Comment

Lila & Eve has the typical makings of a Lifetime Films production: sudden, out of context tragedy, crappy justice systems, female vigilantism, and unlikely friendships forged by way of grief. Starring Viola Davis as Lila, a mother who has lost her son in a seemingly accidental drive-by shooting, Lila & Eve is a film that can’t quite grasp a perspective and stick to it. Directed by Charles Stone III, most notably known for Drumline, his latest summer release falls short of being a thriller, yet has plenty of mind-numbing, shoot-’em-up action. Read More