GREAT MOVIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:Sideways (2004) — Directed by Alexander Payne and starring Paul Giamatti and Thomas Hayden Church.
THOUGHTS: Perfectly cast and superbly written, this slow, subtle comedy about two friends touring through California’s wine country is absolutely hilarious, thoughtful, and touching.Be sure to buy a bottle of Pinot Noir to accompany your viewing of this film – you’ll want it!
SYNOPSIS: Miles, a divorced unpublished writer and middle school teacher, takes his soon-to-be-married actor friend, Jack, on a road trip through California’s wine country, planning to send Jack off in style with a week of fine wine, food, golf, and relaxation; however, Jack just wants to meet girls and party, getting them into loads of unexpected trouble.
GREAT MOVIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:Wet Hot American Summer (2001) — Directed by David Wain, Starring Michael Showalter, Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper, Amy Poehler, Christopher Meloni and many more.
THOUGHTS: This film is a perfect example that film critics are often clueless when it comes to comedies.On Rottentomatos.com, Wet Hot American Summer received an 85% approval rating from audiences, but only a 30% approval rating with critics.Trust me, the critics are wrong on this film, and thankfully, this film is slowly becoming a cult classic.With one of the best ensemble comedy casts ever collected, Wet Hot American Summer is one of those rare comedies that gets a little funnier every time you watch it.
SYNOPSIS:It’s August 18, 1981, the last day of camp at Camp Firewood, meaning that it’s everyone’s last chance to kiss his or her summer crush, win capture the flag, or kick butt at the big talent show.It’s also the last chance to go on a frenzied drug binge, cover up a camper’s drowning, have a gay wedding, take sage wisdom from a talking can of vegetable soup, or save the entire camp from a falling piece of Sky Lab.
GREAT MOVIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:Stardust (2007) — Directed by Matthew Vaughn, starring Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Robert De Niro
THOUGHTS:A whimsical tongue-in-cheek romantic fantasy, reminiscent of The Princess Bride, this film is a joy to watch.Stardust parodies the fantasy genre while remaining true to it.If for no other reason, see this movie to see Robert De Niro as a dandy sky pirate.
SYNOPSIS: A young man named Tristan Thorne adventures into the magical kingdom of Stormhold to retrieve a fallen star; however, the star is, in fact, a beautiful woman, with whom he falls in love and decides to protect from the evil witches and twisted princes of the realm who want to take her heart and steal its immortality.
GREAT MOVIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:I Heart Huckabees (2004) — Directed by David O’Russell, starring Jason Schwartzman, Mark Wahlberg, and Dustin Hoffman
THOUGHTS:The only thing better than this existential comedy’s wildly imaginative script is the incredible performances the actors give to the lines.Mark Wahlberg’s role as Tommy Corn is one of his best ever.
SYNOPSIS: A young environmentalist, a corporate executive, a model, and a petroleum-hating fireman each suffer hilarious psychological breakdowns as rival counselors fight to convince them of their opposing ideological views on existence: that either everything or nothing is connected.
GREAT MOVIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:Adaptation (2002) — Directed by Spike Jonze, written by Charlie Kaufman, starring Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, and Chris Cooper
THOUGHTS: It’s hard for me to pick my favorite movie, but this definitely falls in the top five.With an insanely clever screenplay by Charlie Kaufman about his attempts to adapt a book with no plot into a movie, Adaptation is hilarious, multi-layered, and a blast to watch over and over again. If you’ve lost all faith in Nicolas Cage’s acting ability, this movie will remind you that he is at least capable of greatness.
SYNOPSIS: After being hired to write a film adaptation to Susan Orlean’s book The Orchid Thief, screenwriter Charlie Kaufman struggles with horrendous writer’s block, eventually seeking the assistance of his hack writer brother, Donald, and investigating into the hidden romance, drug use, and criminal activities of Susan Orleans and the subject of her book, John Laroche.
GREAT MOVIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:Kung Fu Hustle (2004 – Hong Kong) — Directed, produced, and starring Stephen Chow.
THOUGHTS: An action/comedy described by Roger Ebert as “Jackie Chan and Buster Keaton meet Quentin Tarantino and Bugs Bunny.”Kung Fu Hustle is the rare parody that’s actually better than most of the movies of which it’s making fun.
SYNOPSIS: A simple street hustler named Sing, who dreams of being a vicious gangster, accidentally starts a war between a the nefarious Axe Gang and a group of poor martial artists.As tensions escalate, Sing gradually discovers that, though he may lack the chops to be a villain, he may have what it takes to be a hero.
GREAT MOVIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:Idiocracy (2006) — directed by Mike Judge and starring Luke Wilson.
THOUGHTS: A hilarious satire on American commercialism and anti-intellectualism.Like South Park or the Simpsons, this film cleverly mixes thoughtful social satire with goofy slapstick.Idiocracy probably would have been a major hit; however, due to its brutal mockery of Fox News, its distribution company—20th Century Fox—refused to promote it, release press kits, or provide it with a major theatrical release.
SYNOPSIS: Joe Bauers, a completely average man by modern standards, gets sent to the future to find that people have actually gotten dumber over time and that he is now the smartest person alive.Using his average intelligence, he must save humanity from itself.
A collection of movie previews and movie reviews, both new and old.
