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Wednesday, July 18, 2007
This weekend try ‘Hairspray.’ And more you need to know
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Only four new movies open this weekend (thanks to the overwhelming juggernaut that is “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”). Here’s my indubitable list of what matters most:
1. “Hairspray.” Exactly what musical fans want it to be. Fun. Kitschy. Lite. Energetic. I saw it a week ago and — good thing or not — the song “You Can’t Stop The Beat” won’t stop ringing in my head.
2. “I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry.” Exactly what Adam Sandler fans want it to be. Offensive. Sexist. Silly when it isn’t stupid. Brimming with gay jokes. And ending with a positive message.
3. “Angel-A.” Say “Paris” and “cinematography” three times each.
4. “Eagle vs Shark.” To vibe with this New Zealand comedy, word is you have to be a Kiwi. Which I am not.
5. “The Golden Door,” “The Lives of Others,” “Talk to Me.” If you haven’t seen these yet, do so pronto.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Alan Smithee
‘The Simpsons’: Hooray for mostly 2-D animation
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Have you been watching Fox prime-time TV lately? I’m already tired of seeing Homer Simpson invade the screen over and over to promote “The Simpsons Movie,” which debuts July 27.
Does “The Simpsons” even need promotion? I think not, but Homer’s expected to show up in some product-placement bit on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” next Tuesday anyway.
That’s the same night many critics will finally be allowed to see the movie. 20th Century Fox was earlier trying to keep the entire film a more closely guarded secret.
Often, heavy promotion and a late screening to the press has meant a movie’s just not up to par. And, at least in this case, my once wee son, Cecil B., who knows everything about “The Simpsons,” advises that the TV series peaked in quality some 10 years ago.
What I want to care about most, however, is that in the preview at least, the mostly traditional 2-D animation looks really good. And as someone who has now had to sit through an endless wave of CGI-animated movies, I hope “The Simpsons” sparks more of a renewed interest in more traditional cartooning.
What’s your take on the coming movie? Is everyone in your family going?
Permalink | Comments (15) | Categories: Alan Smithee
Let’s count the various jokes in ‘Chuck and Larry’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Since Adam Sandler’s “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry” is a comedy — and a bawdy one at that — let’s count the different kinds of humor.
Fat jokes: 30. Most seem to be aimed at co-star Kevin James. Dead wife jokes: 2. Gay jokes: I must apologize, I gave up counting after 45.
“Chuck and Larry,” originally rated R but trimmed to obtain a PG-13 and running 110 minutes, opens in theaters nationwide on Friday. But I caught a screening Tuesday night. Sandler and James play, respectfully, Chuck and Larry, Brooklyn firefighters and long-time friends. In order to financially protect his two young children in the wake of the year-ago death of his wife, Larry comes up with a scheme for he and Chuck to pose as a gay couple and obtain domestic partnership rights
It’s a traditional Sandler movie, brimming with sexist images (how do filmmakers decide just how many busty Hooters girls need to giggle and bounce around Chuck’s apartment? Somehow, they arrived at the number five). There’s the aforementioned fat jokes, at their apex a bit involving the rescue of an overly obese man in an apartment house fire.
While this is mainly a gay-joke film that many might find offensive, “Chuck and Larry” ends up swinging both ways. To balance things out, our firefighters eventually learn to aggressively defend alternative lifestyles.
Here are a few other things moviegoers might be talking about:
The firehouse shower sequence: Crowded with bathing firemen, it takes the traditional drop-the-soap joke and twists it in another direction.
The dance: At an AIDS fund-raiser that Chuck and Larry call “homopalooza,” they are encouraged to take the floor and they improvise a memorable moment.
Jessica Biel: She seems to be in this movie mainly to wear tight clothes and skimpy underwear to show off her body. You can bet it’s a nice one.
The cameos: TV’s Richard Chamberlain shows up as a city official. Lance Bass has a quick moment as a band leader. And many of the small parts involve Sandler’s “Saturday Night Live” pals, including David Spade and Rachel Dratch.
(Click here to view photos from the premiere of “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.”)
Permalink | Comments (6) | Categories: Bob Longino
