Ed Wood [movie review]

I was always a tad familiar with Ed Wood because my sister had the movie on DVD, but I never got around to watching it until I saw it on TV one day.

Ed Wood is about… well… Ed Wood (Johnny Depp), “the legendary director of awful movies,” as IMDb puts it. For Ed’s movies, he tends to cast them with misfit actors, such as his girlfriend, Dolores Fuller (Sarah Jessica Parker), and oldtimer, Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau). As a result, his movies don’t garner too much (good) press. Ed even says it himself: “I don’t make major motion pictures, I make crap.” But, does that stop him from making more movies? No, not at all!

Image Source: DVDBeaver.com

I actually enjoyed Ed Wood a lot more than I thought I would. First, I really liked the fact that it was in black and white even though it was released in 1994. That already makes it stand out from other movies. Second, I thought this movie was really funny. I was laughing out loud quite a bit, especially during scenes when Ed was filming his movies. Each movie he created had a very bizarre concept and it was fun to have a behind-the-scene glimpse. I don’t wanna give too much away (this is me warning you about a small spoiler), but it was absolutely hysterical when Ed confessed his love of wearing women’s clothing (which ended up becoming a storyline for one of his movies; it’s safe to say Dolores wasn’t too happy about this). Johnny Depp in drag was a pretty funny sight.

While the movie was very funny, it was also weirdly inspirational at times. There were a number of nice quotes, like the following: “Visions are worth fighting for. Why spend your life making someone else’s dreams?” That was said by Ed Wood, a character I really enjoyed. Although his movies always bombed, he remained so passionate about what he did, which is admirable. Whenever Ed watched his movies, you could feel the love when he recited the lines word-for-word.

I give Ed Wood 4/5 stars. I’d definitely watch it again.

Rise of the Guardians [movie review]

Sometime shortly after Thanksgiving, I went to go see Rise of the Guardians with my family and it was the perfect way to start the holiday season.

Rise of the Guardians (DreamWorks) is an animated film about a team of holiday-inspired guardians — North (Alec Baldwin), Tooth (Isla Fisher), Bunny (Hugh Jackman), and Sandy (voiceless) –  and their purpose is to watch over the world’s children. Pitch (Jude Law) has a different agenda and he gives the guardians a run for their money when he starts spreading darkness and instilling fear into children everywhere. As he does this, children start to question the existence of Santa Claus (North), the Tooth Fairy (Tooth), the Easter Bunny (Bunny), and Sandman (Sandy). As faith is lost, so are the guardians’ powers. But, newcomer Jack Frost (Chris Pine) doesn’t have this problem because children never really believed in him in the first place. After being summoned by the moon to join the guardians, it’s up to Frost to help North and the rest of the crew put an end to Pitch’s evil ways. Will Frost join the guardians? Will darkness prevail?

Rise of the Guardians is one of the best animated films I’ve seen in awhile… right up there with some of my favorites, like: Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Up. This movie was filled with tons of funny, action-packed, and feel-good moments. To my surprise, there were a number of suspenseful moments. The villain, Pitch (who’s a major killjoy, by the way — who messes with a child’s happiness?), really knew how to throw the audience for a loop from time to time. Also, Rise of the Guardians was a lot funnier than I initially expected. I mean, Santa’s a total badass covered in tattoos and the Easter Bunny has an Australian accent. Not exactly what we were told when we were kids, right? There were plenty of scenes when I laughed out loud. For example, any scene involving North’s elves… or yetis. They always seemed to be getting in some sort of trouble and they managed to do so in the funniest way possible. To top it off, this movie had some really touching moments as well. As a 24-year old, I still got that warm feeling inside (you can pretend I didn’t say that).

I give Rise of the Guardians 5/5 stars. This is a movie that appeals to everyone, no matter what holiday(s) you celebrate or how old you are. It’s something for the whole family to enjoy. It’s nominated for “Best Animated Feature Film” by Golden Globes and I wouldn’t be surprised if it won.

Men in Black 3 [movie review]

I didn’t have high expectations for Men in Black 3 (even though I was a fan of the first two movies), but I have to say… I actually really enjoyed the third installment.

In Men in Black 3, Agent J (Will Smith) travels back in time in an attempt to stop a monstrous psychopath, Boris The Animal (Jemaine Clement), from killing his partner, Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones). In order to do this, J must acclimate to this new time period (the 60s) and do his best to stop Boris in his destructive path.

The Men in Black trilogy is just one of those series that works. As with the first two movies, I enjoyed the acting, especially Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. Their characters are so different; J is young and fun-spirited while K is a bit older and rather emotionless. They couldn’t be more opposite, but they still make quite the duo. Their on-screen relationship is always funny to watch. It was also fun to see the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) in action, who was practically a different person from the (present day) Agent K we’re used to.

The ending was the icing on the cake for me. Everything came to a full circle and I really enjoyed it. It was one of those moments when you kinda just stare at the screen with your mouth open, trying to process what just happened. It was actually quite touching. Pretty deep for a Men in Black movie, huh? Overall, the movie was well-rounded… it was funny, touching, and action-packed all at the same time.

I give Men in Black 3 4/5 stars. If you liked the first two movies, you definitely need to check this one out. Even if you haven’t seen the first two movies, you can certainly enjoy the third one as a standalone.

Potted Potter [Off-Broadway review]

My best friend is a huge fan of Harry Potter and she was dying to see the Off-Broadway show, Potted Potter. To be honest, I’m not the biggest Potter fan — I read the first three chapters of the first book and I watched the second movie — so I wasn’t sure if this show was for me. As soon as I learned that it was a parody though, I became interested.

Potted Potter is a two-man show that spoofs the critically acclaimed book and movie series, Harry Potter. The parody covers all seven books in about 70 minutes… it’s like a funny version of SparkNotes, which is good for people like me who barely know anything about Harry and his posse.

Like I said before, I was a bit skeptical about seeing this show since I’ve read/seen next to nothing in terms of HP books/movies, but I can assure you that you can still enjoy this show with a very basic knowledge of the franchise. With knowing as little as I did, I was still laughing my ass off. I didn’t feel like I was watching a(n Off-)Broadway show… it felt more like a standup comedy. I don’t mean that in a bad way whatsoever though… it was just very different from shows I’ve seen in the past, but I was very much expecting that. Plus, I’m not the biggest Broadway person, so this was much more my style.

To be honest, I thought the show started off a little slow, but it picked up quickly. Daniel Clarkson and Jeff Turner, the stars of Potted Potter, were really funny and their on-stage chemistry was great. I don’t know how long they’ve known each other, but they give the impression that they’ve been best friends for years. They played off of each other really well, even during some of their impromptu moments. Things went awry at times, but I think it worked in the show’s favor, thanks to the quick wit of Dan and Jeff. These unexpected moments in the show were where I got some of my biggest laughs. Furthermore, there’s a good chunk of the show that requires the audience’s participation, which I enjoyed. Quidditch, anyone? The audience was split up into two teams and the actors took two young volunteers up on stage (one seeker per team). The audience got to throw around an inflatable globe, trying to score a goal for their team. A goal? Is that right? I told you, I don’t know much about Harry Potter. Jeff dressed up as The Golden Snitch, which was hilarious… especially when one of the volunteers (a little girl, mind you) took him down to the ground. This is a great example of the impromptu-ness. Dan often joked about Jeff being pummeled by a little girl, which always got a good laugh from the audience. My only qualm with this show was that the humor was a bit corny and repetitive at times, but it was very minimal. Definitely something I can overlook.

Overall, I give Potted Potter 4/5 stars. As I mentioned, the show’s only about 70 minutes so I’m glad I got discounted tickets at tkts, which — I think — is the way to go for this particular show. Also, it was at The Little Shubert Theatre. In my opinion, there wasn’t a bad seat in the house (unless you really want to participate in the quidditch match). Unfortunately, the show’s leaving NYC tomorrow. If you need to make some last-minute plans for Labor Day Weekend, I’d definitely recommend getting tickets to see this show before you can’t anymore. You’ll definitely get some good laughs out of it.

Lastly, both guys seemed super nice. Before the show, Dan was going up to people in the audience and shaking their hands. I think he might’ve gotten to a good 20% of the theatre. Also, Jeff tweeted me, thanking me for coming (after I tweeted the show). They both seem like really funny, down-to-Earth guys. Keep up the good work, guys! Thanks for the laughs.

The Cabin in the Woods [movie review]

Whenever I saw previews for The Cabin in the Woods, I would shudder in a tiny bit of fear AKA I needed to go see this movie ASAP. It looked like a fairly typical horror film (which I love), but boy was I wrong. This movie was far from typical.

Five friends — Dana (Kristen Connolly), Curt (Chris Hemsworth), Jules (Anna Hutchison), Marty (Fran Kranz), and Holden (Jesse Williams) — take a trip to a cabin… in the woods (surprised, right?). It doesn’t take too long for the fivesome’s mini vacation to be rudely, and might I add violently, interrupted. By who (and/or what)? Why? You most definitely need to find out for yourself. You won’t be disappointed, I promise.

I loved The Cabin in the Woods. It was so different from anything I’ve ever seen. I thought it was the perfect mix of horror and comedy. Yup, that’s right… it was funny (and not in a this-acting-is-so-bad kind of way). The movie subtly pokes fun at the corniness you find in some most horror films (not to the point of a spoof like Scary Movie though) and I thought it was hilarious. There would be intermittent jabs at the right moments when you’d normally be thinking to yourself: “Oh, how typical…” Nothing normal or typical about this movie though (and I mean that in the best way possible). While I’m emphasizing the movie’s humor, I don’t want to desensitize its horrifying moments (because believe me, there were quite a handful). I was very much on the edge of my seat at times, wanting to watch the movie through my fingers (I didn’t though).

I don’t want to say too much about the storyline, but I was completely thrown for a loop (from the very beginning to the absolute end). The trailers certainly don’t give any hints as to what’s really behind this movie, which I absolutely love. I mean, the movie was directed by Drew Goddard, the writer for Cloverfield (another great movie), so I shouldn’t have expected anything less. Keep ‘em coming, Goddard (apparently I’m a fan).

Acting-wise, I think everyone did great a job. Everyone played their stereotypical  horror film roles to a T, whether it was the jock, the dumb blond, the virgin, the pothead, etc. The actors did well when it came time to fear for their lives, but they also did well when they needed to poke fun at their own characters in funny, not corny way. I think my favorite character was Marty, who played the stoner. He certainly provided plenty (sometimes much-needed) comic relief with his drugged up, philosophical rants.

Overall, I give The Cabin in the Woods… I’m gonna do it… 5/5 stars. This movie kept me engaged the entire time (whether it was through fear and/or laughing) and I couldn’t stop raving about it after I left the theater. This will definitely be a movie I’ll be adding to my DVD collection.

Horrible Bosses [movie review]

I had heard really good/funny things about Horrible Bosses, so I rented it last night from Redbox… definitely a wise choice.

Horrible Bosses is about three guys — Nick Hendricks (Jason Bateman), Dale Arbus (Charlie Day) and Kurt Buckman (Jason Sudeikis) — who absolutely hate their bosses. After having a few drinks one night, the three friends devise a hypothetical plan to kill their bosses, but they shrug it off and claim they were just joking around. Suddenly, these guys start to think this plan might not be such a bad idea when they’re really pushed to the limit by their drug-addicted, sexually abusive, self-absorbed bosses.

I thought Horrible Bosses was a great movie… I definitely had my fair share of laugh-out-loud moments. I’ve been a fan of Charlie Day (from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Jason Bateman (from Paul) and I thought they were hilarious. I also thought the bosses did an awesome job at being horrible. Dale’s boss, Dr. Julia Harris (Jennifer Aniston), killed me. I’ve never seen her play such a crude roll, but I loved it. Nick’s boss, Dave Harken (Kevin Spacey), and Kurt’s boss, Bobby Pellitt (Colin Farrell), also did great in their roles — I actually hated them at times and I’d feel bad for anyone who’d have to deal with situations like those in real life. There were some scenes that actually me cringe at their obnoxious behavior.

Also, Julie Bowen (Rhonda Harken) from Modern Family and Jamie Foxx (Dean “MF” Jones) were nice additions. They had small roles, but they were good ones.

I thought Horrible Bosses was a very clever movie and it took some unexpected turns, which I enjoyed. I’d definitely recommend this movie if you’re looking for a mature (yet immature) comedy. Overall, I give Horrible Bosses 4/5 stars. Check it out!

New Girl [TV review]

I must admit, I felt a little overwhelmed with the Fall TV lineup this year and I wasn’t too sure if I would be able to take on another new show. That is, until I saw a commercial for New Girl. I had to give it a chance, which happened to be the best decision of my week. Easily one of my new favorite shows this fall.

New Girl began with Jessica Day (Zooey Deschanel) finding out that her boyfriend was cheating on her, leaving her to move into a new apartment with some unfamiliar faces: Schmidt (Max Greenfield), Coach (Damon Wayans Jr.) and Nick (Jake M. Johnson). Jessica and her new pals make for an interesting combination, promising endless laughs for this new, hit show!

New Girl is beyond hysterical. I was laughing out loud within the first five seconds. Zooey Deschanel (for me, best known for her role as Jovie in Elf) was absolutely hilarious. She takes awkward to a whole new level, which is something I truly appreciate. Her roommates were equally as funny; I think my favorite out of the three guys (so far) is Schmidt. I thought his douchebag-ness, hence the Douchebag Jar, was really funny. What the Schmidt!

I give New Girl 5/5 stars. Kristin Dos Santos tweeted it best “Unless you are dead inside, you’ll love it.” Do yourself a favor and watch this show! Check it out on FOX, Wednesdays at 9pm after Glee.

Death Valley [TV review]

Death Valley premiered last night on MTV and I just had to watch it… the network had me at zombies. DV is a dark comedy full of grotesque monsters, bloody fight scenes and par subpar acting (if that makes any sense to you). California’s San Fernando Valley has become infested with zombies, vampires and werewolves and it’s up to the Undead Task Force (UTF) to keep these monsters under control. Cameramen follow the UTF on their outings  to capture these gruesome moments and, judging by the first episode, it looks like this season will be killing off introducing a number of different cameramen.

Below, if you click the picture (taken from MTV), you’ll be taken to a video that introduces you to Billy (Bryce Johnson) and Stubeck (Charlie Sanders), both members of the UTF. Watch and get a feel for what the crew’s like. Other members of the UTF include Carla (Tania Raymonde), Dashell (Bryan Callen), John-John (Texas Battle) and Kirsten (Caity Lotz).

I wasn’t completely sold by the storyline in the first episode, but I was entertained to say the very least, and I could definitely see it starting to go somewhere. I mean, it is only the first episode. There’s definitely potential. Death Valley definitely had me laughing out loud, especially at the part when the poor, defenseless cameraman started freaking out in the middle of a monster attack. I thought his reaction was great. Without a doubt, I’ll be watching Death Valley again next week… and most likely for the rest of the season. If you like monsters and stupid humor, this is the show for you. Believe me, there’s nothing wrong with that.

Step Brothers [movie review]

According to some of my friends, it’s simply not acceptable if you haven’t seen Step Brothers. After watching it, I can kinda see where they’re coming from.

Step Brothers is about two middle-aged men boys, Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell) and Dale Doback (John C. Reilly), who are forced into becoming roommates when their parents, Nancy Huff (Mary Steenburgen) and Dr. Robert Doback (Richard Jenkins) get married, which also forces them to become stepbrothers. Brennan and Dale get off to an extremely rough start, mainly because they each have the personality of a seven year old child. Will these two schmoes be able to put their differences aside and start acting like brothers?

Step Brothers was actually quite hilarious. This usually isn’t my type of comedy, but I really enjoyed it… I was laughing out loud nonstop. Ferrell and Reilly had great chemistry and made for a really funny pair. I must say, I’m not usually the biggest fan of Will Ferrell (except for his role in Elf, which I love), but he changed my mind in this movie… I think I might be a fan now. Overall, I give Step Brothers 4/5 stars.

Three Hysterical YouTube Channels

In light of Internet Week, I wanted to acknowledge some of the hilarious YouTube channels I’ve come across recently. These videos are the ones that make you cry from laughter and constantly quote with your friends. A big thanks to the people behind these YouTube channels for making the Internet a place to laugh, amongst its many other purposes! Below are some of my favorite channels as of lately. Warning: these videos may offend, so be prepared.

1. Dom Mazzetti

The guys behind these videos are Mike Tornabene and Gian Hunjan, both screenwriters from New Jersey. The star of this channel is Dommm! D to the O-M! Dom’s an unintelligent, college bro who gives his two cents on situations such as drunk girls and Memorial Day Weekend (my two favorite Dom videos). His stupidity never ceases to amuse me.

#GetAtMe

2. Jenna Marbles

Jenna Marbles, or Jenna Mourey, does some of the funniest impressions I’ve ever seen — some of my favorites include Nicki Minaj, Ke$ha, and Snooki. Another one of my favorites is How To Avoid Talking To People You Don’t Want To Talk To. She’s just so funny. Watch her videos and you’ll understand.

Ew. Go away. RAH.

3. Bad Lip Reading

Bad Lip Reading takes a music video and replaces the real words with, well, bad lip reading. The hijacked words often make no sense, which makes it even funnier. Dana sent me a link to the Everybody Poops video and I decided to watch it before work one day. I kid you not, I watched it approximately five times in a row and I was crying from laughter at 6am. It still gets me every time.

PIANO.

What are some of your favorite YouTube channels?