Back to the Future Trilogy

Back to the Future
Year: 1986
IMDB / Wikipedia / Trailer

Back to the Future, Part II
Year: 1989
IMDB / Wikipedia / Trailer

Back to the Future, Part III
Year: 1990
IMDB / Wikipedia / Trailer

Starring:
Michael J. Fox
Christopher Lloyd
Crispin Glover
Lea Thompson
Thomas F. Wilson
James Tolkan
and Mary Steenburgen

Though I watched this trilogy a couple of weekends back, I can still write this post as nearly every frame of these three films are ingrained in my mind. As a child, I watched movies. A lot of movies. This trilogy, at one point, was up for my favorite movies of all time (in a tight race with Ghostbusters for sure). There were a lot of nights where I would lie awake and imagine myself in a Marty McFly-esque predicament and one way to fix things was to hop in a supped-up car and hit 88 mph to travel to the past or the future. I still think about time travel, its potential, its pitfalls, and what opportunities I would take if given the opportunity. But I digress.

The films hold up well, not only because I loved them once, but because they are structurally sound. They were popcorn films but forced the audience to pay attention and not switch off their brains for a couple of hours. It’s this level of nerd-like detail and love that has inspired science-fiction comedies ever since, including the just-ended Futurama, which is the only example in the genre that comes close to its attention to detail. But the stories are engaging, the characters are well-drawn and well-acted, and the action is just the icing on the cake. It is, at its heart, an 80s movie, but it sets itself apart thanks to the efforts of filmmakers who held themselves to a higher standard.

Most Valuable Actor: It’s easy to put Michael J. Fox in this slot since he was the driver of the entire series, but I have always been partial to Christopher Lloyd’s character, Dr. Emmet Brown. Doc was a great character because he was part Einstein and part Jim Ignatowski, and those two characters could only be amalgamated by someone with the acting and comedic chops of Lloyd. He’s not a caricature, he’s not a buffoon, he’s an eccentric with good intentions and that is why he’s here.

Back to School

Starring Rodney Dangerfield, Robert Downey Jr, and Sally Kellerman
Directed by Alan Metter
Year: 1986
IMDB / Wikipedia

Continuing on my journey, I come across another classic 1980s screw-ball comedy that aligns just in time for the start of the new school year. In Back to School, Dangerfield plays Thornton Melon, an uncouth fashion mogul who enrolls at his son’s (Keith Gordon) college to get the education he missed out on while making millions while also helping his son loosen up and get the full college experience. With his trusted friend/chauffeur (Burt Young) in tow, he romances his English professor (Kellerman), makes an enemy of his up-tight economics professor (Paxton Whitehead), tolerates his son’s hipster anti-social roommate (Downey), and makes fast friends with the dean (Ned Beatty) and diving coach (M. Emmet Walsh). All of this with cameos from Oingo Boingo and Kurt Vonnegut make this one of the more quintessential 1980s films.

The most fascinating aspect of this film is that, though there’s a sports angle in the film (almost every movie about college has some sort of sports slant), it is of an unconventional sport, in this case competitive diving. Though not a popular sport by any means, the film does a good job showing the drama and the common threads of the sport as it pertains to the college social hierarchy as well as showing the bond in the father-son dynamic. I always felt this was something truly remarkable even though Dangerfield’s “Triple Lindy” is as preposterous as it is nearly physically impossible. I’m just glad the proposed remake never happened and this comedy can remain an unparalleled, yet underappreciated, classic.

Most Valuable Actor: One of the driving forces in almost every movie Rodney Dangerfield starred in (with the obvious exception of Caddyshack) is that he is allowed to be the main hub around which the film lives or dies. This can be said about this film in a positive way. Despite the fact he recycles some old lines from his comedy albums, he is still charming and downright likable enough to carry the entire production on his back. Thankfully, due to some deft casting, this wasn’t necessary, which made the film that much stronger.

Trailer:

Bachelor Party

Starring Tom Hanks, Adrian Zmed, and Tawney Kitaen
Directed by Neal Israel
Year: 1984
IMDB / Wikipedia

Now, this is the kind of 1980s comedy I can get behind, if only because it has what every good 1980s comedy has: cheap laughs, decent storyline, solid acting, and gratuitous nudity. Oh, and Tom Hanks in his natural element as a comedic actor, let’s not forget that. Almost everything else in this film could have been replaced by another actor or setting or what-have-you, but Hanks is a comedic genius. I’m not going to go so far and say that winning an Oscar ruined him, but I miss funny Hanks and the only time I get to see him anymore is on his rare appearances on The Colbert Report.

But the movie is still some good 80s comedy gold about a bachelor party for a wild man thrown by his wild friends that quickly spirals out of control into a fit of hilarity. All the while, the relationship is being undermined by the bride’s father, a jealous suitor, and a hotel manager that turn the night into one wild ride that is funny from beginning to end. If you’ve ever wondered where other movies get their ideas about how a wild night can get out of control, they often look to this film as many scenes and gaffes get recycled in later films. Still a good film to see the genesis of those laughs.

Most Valuable Actor: I know I fawned over Hanks in the starring role, but I have to give this one to Adrian Zmed as Hanks’ best friend Jay who orchestrates the entire night of debauchery all with a winning smile on his face. It’s a shame we never really saw Zmed ever again.

Trailer:

Baby Mama

Starring: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Greg Kinnear
Directed by Michael McCullers
Year: 2008
IMDB / Wikipedia

This movie should have been made in the 1980s. It would have worked then. Films about parenting, babies, trying to get pregnant, what to do when you’ve become pregnant, and mis-matched buddy films were all the rage in that decade. If this film wanted to do something special it would have tried to give it a new perspective or a new form, not just a re-hash of something from 30 years ago.

The film is about a woman who wants a baby but cannot have one (Fey) and the surrogate mother she has chosen to carry her child (Poehler). The surrogacy is the only original part of the film that is packed with cliches: Fey, thinking she cannot find a suitable mate actually finds one in Kinnear; Poehler, trying to scam Fey actually ends up carrying a child; the list can go on but I’m done with it. The only saving grace of the film is the sparse well-written lines and the charming performances given across the board. Kinnear was an odd choice for his role, but that’s really my only acting gripe. Honestly, I would rather carry a child myself for 9 months than watch this film again any time soon.

Most Valuable Actor: The acting was solid in this film and Tina Fey did not let herself become a two-dimensional character. She adopted some of her Liz Lemon persona for the role and it worked out well. I just wish the chemistry between her and Kinnear was more convincing.

Trailer:

RED 2

Starring Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, and John Malkovich
Directed by Dean Parisot
Year: 2013
IMDB / Wikipedia

My wife surprises me from time-to-time and, when she told me she wanted to see the original RED when it came out in 2010, I thought she was either messing with me or didn’t fully understand what the movie was about. So, we went to the theater, watched it, and she actually liked it. She wasn’t ga-ga about it, but she had positive things to say. She didn’t bring it up too much and never pushed to buy a copy of it so I thought she tolerated it. However, when the first trailer for the sequel came out she immediately said we should see this one, too. Another surprise. It’s good when your spouse can keep surprising you.

The second was much like the first, lots of explosions, a lot of gunplay, people being killed indiscriminately, plenty of laughs, and a plot that requires a suspended sense of disbelief as a pack of retired CIA spooks trot the globe to find a missing nuclear weapon and the people who want to see it ignite a geopolitical incident. Though implausible, the script is well written, the actors seem to lose themselves in their roles and, in a film where everyone has license to overact, they all seem to share the screen equally well without one overshadowing anyone else. It’s a fun way to spend a couple of hours but don’t look for anything terribly original or groundbreaking. It’s a good ensemble film and the next one will probably be some sinful popcorn fun as well.

Most Valuable Actor: The strength of this cast is their ability to work well together but that also makes awarding this honor next to impossible. Willis is steady but unremarkable, Malkovich and Mirren are both wonderful but don’t get enough screen time to warrant the honor. Newcomer Byung-hun Lee adds a good element to the film but his character isn’t drawn as well as the others. This leaves Parker who is essentially Nancy Botwin in a different life in this film. Fuck it, they all get the honor.

Trailer:

The Hangover Part III

Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis
Directed by Todd Phillips
Year: 2013
IMDB / Wikipedia

I’m not going to stand here and explain why people don’t like this movie. I’m not going to continue by saying they’re wrong. I’m not going to criticise critics who cannot see past the obvious to what is beneath. I want to do all of these things though because people who don’t get this film are stupid, people who criticise the franchise are weak, but I’m going to abstain.

All of the Hangover films are not supposed to be laugh-a-minute funny. This is not American Pie, folks. Yes, there is funny stuff, yes it is a comedy, but it is a dark comedy. When I think of these films I think about the film M*A*S*H and how they are alike. Both are substantive comedies that are trying to tell a story that, while isn’t inherently funny, has some funny parts in it. As humans, we try and find the humor and levity in every situation and that’s what all of these films have in common.

This third film, I find, does it best because it is not trying to be funny. Want your money back because you didn’t laugh enough? Too bad! This film had more going for it than a bunch of cheap laughs and fart jokes. This is not the movie we deserve but the movie we need. We need to get past the stupid comedies that are being churned out and demand something better. With poor reviews from moviegoers and critics alike I feel that it will be a while before a film like this will ever get green-lit again, but we need this. We need to progress as a culture and realize that, though we may not be laughing the entire time, we can still be entertained.

Most Valuable Actor: It’s hard to argue with Ken Jeong’s performance in any of the three films but, as a central character in the third, he proves that he is almost a Bond-quality villain and almost better than this film deserved. Plus–and this shocked the shit out of my wife–he’s a doctor. A real Medical Doctor.

Trailer:

The Austin Powers Trilogy

International Man of Mystery
Year: 1997
IMDB / Wikipedia / Trailer

The Spy Who Shagged Me
Year: 1999
IMDB / Wikipedia / Trailer

Goldmember
Year: 2002
IMDB / Wikipedia / Trailer

Starring:
Mike Myers
Michael York
Robert Wagner
Mindy Sterling
Seth Green
Verne Troyer
Elizabeth Hurley
Heather Graham
Beyonce Knowles
Michael Caine

All films directed by: Jay Roach

I’ve given myself over a week to let these films simmer and stew in my brain before I would allow myself to write this post. The reason: because of what these films do to me. The first was a classic send-up to the genre of 1960s and 70s hackneyed spy films with some great laughs, smart writing, and a sense of self-deprecation that seemed to counter the downright obnoxious Austin Powers character that Mike Myers penned for himself. The first one was good, but the other two were a steady toboggan-ride downhill from there.

Like with most comedy sequels, the later offerings were nothing more than a re-hashing of bits that landed, re-telling old jokes that seemed funny the first time, and a sense that the same ground was being covered time and time again. Myers may have done this as a nod to the fact that many of the spy movies it was lampooning did exactly the same thing, but that’s not what parodies are for. A well-done parody needs to be better than the original in certain aspects to make it more memorable and to help it stand on its own legs. The later films did nothing but tell the same story twice and never really advanced the narrative. Plus, it did what films like this should never do and that’s try and turn great static characters into something more than they are. (SPOILER ALERT ahead) … So, Dr. Evil is good, now? He and Austin are brothers? Don’t get me started on Goldmember’s cop-out ending or with the fact Mike Myers took his dual roles and expanded it to an obnoxious fat henchman and a ridiculous uber-flexible “villain” both of whom helped destroy the franchise. In short, if all you see is the first one then stop there, count your blessings, and move on with your life.

Most Valuable Actor: Though Myers’s attempt to match Eddie Murphy’s comic dexterity in the Klump movies resulted in Fat Bastard and Goldmember, his ability to bring Austin Powers and Dr. Evil to life were strokes of comic genius. Despite the fact he’s going to make a cash-grab with a fourth installment of the franchise, you cannot fault Myers on expanding on characters that have helped define a new generation of parody films.

The Campaign

Starring Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, and Jason Sudekis
Directed by Jay Roach
Year: 2012
IMDB / Wikipedia

Every now and then, I will find it necessary to break protocol to tend to my extremely large Netflix queue. This is one of those times.

Politics can be hilarious without even trying. I have witnessed many elections turn into a comedy of errors for one or both major candidates and it always provides a sense of delight. With this opportunity, Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis had an opportunity to do a movie that took a good shot at politics portraying two very flawed candidates trying to be the lesser of the two evils. Unfortunately, in the search for humor a really stupid, unfunny movie broke out leaving me with out a clear winner.

The opportunity that was squandered was the angle of corporations buying elections for favorable candidates (something made legal under the Citizens United ruling) but it was reduced to a squabble between two morons with a lot of cussing, sex jokes, and pratfalls to bring it down even lower. Some might say I was asking too much from a Will Ferrell vehicle, but I held out hope. What was disappointing was that the rest of the cast kept trying to make this movie something more but the two leading men kept dragging it down, something I never thought I would say about two very funny guys. Perhaps they were trying too hard to appeal to a wide demographic and failed (and in that case this is a closet-comedic genius project) but on a basic level it fell flat. Don’t waste your time,

Most Valuable Actor: Though a bit player in this farce, Karen Maruyama, the Asian housekeeper for Galifianakis’ racist old southern father (Brian Cox) provides the only deserved laughs in the entire film as she is forced to use a haughty black-southern accent to remind the father of “the good old days.” Her 90 seconds of screen time make the movie almost worth it. Almost.

Trailer:

As Good As It Gets

Starring Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, and Greg Kinnear
Directed by James L. Brooks
Year: 1997
IMDB / Wikipedia

I have a hard time with this film. Not because it is complex, not because it is mundane or unapproachable, but because the reasons I have for loving this movie also make me hate it so much. The story of a writer struggling with OCD (Nicholson), his favorite waitress (Hunt), and his gay next-door neighbor (Kinnear) takes place in a reality that resembles our own but is almost too fantastic and too perfect to be real.

This film has wonderful moments, real emotion, and some of the best dialogue I have heard in a film. But that’s the problem: it’s too wonderful, too real, and the dialogue is too good. Who the fuck talks like this? It’s one thing to suspend disbelief because you find a plot hole or a character makes a decision that is contrary to your own belief system, but this film is filled with characters (every character, in fact) that seems to say the exact right thing at the exact right time (or wrong time, in the case of Melvin). It’s too much but, at the same time, it is so good, so real, and so funny that I can get past most of the soliloquy-esque lines and enjoy the movie for what it is: a dramatic and passionate look at how we can spot the flaws in others but not often times ourselves.

Most Valuable Actor: It’s easy to plop Nicholson in this slot again after his amazing performance (which garnered him an Oscar) but it was Helen Hunt that deserves the nod here (she also won an Oscar for this film) as she brought a character to life with more than just dialogue delivery. Hunt has amazing facial range that can tell stories with a flutter of an eye or an awkward smile. Though not a classic beauty, she is pretty enough for the role but not a Hollywood glamour girl who would seem out of place in the same role.

Trailer:

Army of Darkness

Starring Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz, and Marcus Gilbert
Directed by Sam Raimi
Year: 1992
IMDB / Wikipedia

On the afternoon prior to an awards show lauding the best the film industry has to offer, I sat down and watched a movie that is the epitome of the phrase, “so bad it’s good.” Though the third film in the Evil Dead series, this film can stand on its own because, a) the first several minutes of the movie gave a better-than-average synopsis of the events until now, and b) we’re not talking about the most cerebral of plotlines.

A cult film in it’s most pure sense, this film tells the third part of Ash’s story (Campbell) as the Necronomicon sends him hurtling back in time to the middle ages where he must find the book again to help get him home. However, because Ash isn’t the brightest guy, he unwittingly unleashes an army of the undead (including an evil double of himself) upon a small kingdom. He uses his 20th century know-how to help the people of the time defeat the army, build a new hand, and so many other implausible things that are required to perpetuate the story that is would take too long to list them here.

One of the endearing factors of the film is it’s simple nature and infinite quotability that includes lines like, “This is my boomstick!” and “Hey, She-Bitch,” and let’s not forget, “Hail to the King, baby.” The action is ludicrous at times, befitting a B-movie of this caliber, but that really adds to the mystique of the film. While it will never win awards or be the model of how to make a movie, it should be appreciated for its camp, its whimsy, and its hilarity from beginning to end.

Most Valuable Actor: This movie doesn’t move without Bruce Campbell’s brash and arrogant S-Mart employee-turned world savior Ash Williams. The hubris turned over in this film and the lines would have been lost with some other actor, but Campbell’s way to over-play a role and chew scenery made him the perfect fit.

Trailer: