Throwback Thursday: Bridesmaids

In honor of The Heat coming out tomorrow starring two of the funniest human beings to grace this world Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock, I wanted to do a Throwback in honor of the great Melissa McCarthy to pay homage to her and to the hilarity that she brings to every project she does. Ok, if you are a young adult, boy or girl and have not seen Bridesmaids or never heard of this film you are deprived and I feel sorry for you. This film is one of the funniest films of the last five years in my opinion and a big reason for that is the breakout star of this film, Melissa McCarthy. Sure she has been in the acting game for a long time but this was one of those films where you really got to see her shine at doing what she does best which is giving people a reason to laugh which is such a great gift. Not only is she funny and beautiful but she is a real person inside and out, she is honest, down to earth and aware of what is important in her life which is her kids and husband. She is a breath of fresh air in this industry where people are constantly told you have to look a certain way to become famous or successful and she is doing extremely well in this industry being just the way she is. You go Melissa!

Ok back to the film. The other actors bring different and hilarious aspects to their characters with Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne, Maya Rudolph, and Ellie Kemper. They were all brilliant as this archetype band of misfits trying to help Maya Rudolph get married. One of the best scenes in this film and one that me and my friends quote daily is the airplane scene with all the girls headed to Vegas for the Bachelorette Party. Kristen Wiig owns this scene as the overly drunk who decides to tell everyone how she feels about her friends new perfect friend as well as her friends impending nuptials. My favorite aspect of this film was that the men were not really featured in the spotlight it was more about the relationship between the friends, Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig and how there relationship was going to shift a little bit with Maya getting married and Kristen not really knowing where to go next with her life. I thought this was important to highlight because I think that all friends go through this transition from being so close and doing things together all the time to your priorities changing and having to go through this new chapter in your life. I thought they did a great job of being funny and entertaining but also showcasing these real emotions and moments that happen between friendships. I will always love this movie and it will always be one of the best of 2011 just like I hope The Heat will be one of the best of 2013.
-Molli

Review: This is The End

This movie was ridiculous, over the top, raunchy and one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time. I was laughing throughout the entire film. When I first saw the trailers I thought it looked a little dumb but typical of Seth Rogen and his gang, however I went into the theater with an open mind and man I was pleasantly surprised. I loved that all the actors played themselves because I think it made them feel a little more comfortable on set and be able to improvise with each other which I’m sure almost half of that film was improvised. I’ll just give a few details to paint a little picture, Jay Baruchel meets up with his longtime friend Seth Rogen hoping to just hang out but to his dismay Seth says that James Franco is hosting a kick ass party and though Jay doesn’t want to go he agrees to please his friend. The party is littered with celebrity cameos including Rihanna, Mindy Kaling, an obnoxious Michael Cera and of course the main stars Craig Robinson, Jonah Hill, James Franco and Danny McBride along with Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill. For me personally Danny McBride stole the show on this one he is foul, two faced and a complete comedic genius in this one.

Yes there are some insane moments of absolute ridiculousness but fans are used to this type of humor with these films. They go because they know it will be outlandish and completely obscure but man this one takes the cake, as this film deals with the topic of the Apocalypse. Ok I won’t give any more details away but trust me this one is a definite must see and buy because it is fucking hilarious. Its just what you would expect from these guys. There is a hilarious conversation about a Milky Way as well as these guys especially Seth and Jay trying to patch up there somewhat rocky friendship. I thought this film though outrageous had a simple message, that doing good for others is what life is all about as well as staying true to your friends no matter how much things change. There are great cameos, moments that will make you chuckle especially towards the end and the last scene is wonderful especially if you’re a boy band lover! Go see this movie, you’ll be glad you did.
-Molli

Review: Monsters University

Once again Pixar is able to create a wonderful story along with a happy ending that is enjoyable for children and adults. I must say that being a 24 year old with no kids I was quite excited to see this film as I still find children’s films to be almost more entertaining that more adult content. This film did not disappoint, it had all the original cast members who took on their parts like Billy Crystal and John Goodman while incorporating some new lovable characters like Sean Hayes and Dave Foley. Though this is the sequel/prequel to Monsters, Inc. and its been 12 years since the original film this one was still able to stay current with todays audience as well as reminding people of the charm the original had. I loved the characters and the developing story of how Sully and Mike first met and how they eventually made it to Monsters, Inc. working as a team.

The animation was colorful and vibrant, the storyline was compelling and heartwarming and the jokes were funny and on point. Pixar has a way of creating a children’s story while putting in an underlying message. This films message was that hard work and determination though cheesy at times really does pay off. Mike started out as the underdog by being so small and people constantly telling him that he will never be a scarer and though it chipped away at his confidence a little, he still knew that he would make his dreams come true no matter what. This was a great message to little kids as well as adults that your dreams are never too far away if you just work hard at it and never let anyone bring you down. This one is definitely a must see, if you have kids or not!
-Molli

Review: This Is The End

MUST SEE and BUY

Although this might not be the funniest movie I have ever seen, it might be the most enjoyable I have seen. This Is the End encompasses what a male movie should look like. It has all the crude humor and random penis jokes that accompany male friendships. Watching this film you almost feel like you are one of the guys. I can without a doubt say that all of the cast enjoyed filming this movie. You can see it in their faces and demeanor that they not only enjoyed each other as fellow characters but also had a lot of laughter in between. This literally is like a sleep over for all the famous
friends Seth Rogen has made in his life. I love that they use their real names and talk about situations past and present that are relevant to each actors real lives. Some of the humor is lost on me because I am girl and don’t get the fascination with jokes about “cuming”. However, I was either smiling or laughing through out the whole film which is what I expect Seth Rogen wanted. He had such an original idea that seems so easy and simple it became a great comedy.

Knowing how much fun the cast had also made this more enjoyable, because you had just as much fun watching as they did acting. Not only can you tell they had a blast but you can also tell most of the movie was ad libbed. The way they speak to each other and the randomness of their responses and reactions are so real and odd that they had to be improvised, which is what ultimately made this movie great.

-Suzi

Review: Monsters University

MUST SEE and BUY!

Monsters University was a huge hit in my book. The animation is still wonderful and the vibrant colors of the scenery and monsters make this such a great film to watch. I am so happy to see/hear Billy Crystal and John Goodman reprise their roles as Mike and Sully. No one can make those characters come to life like their charismatic and charming voices. Seeing the journey Mike takes from a child to University student is so amazingly adorable that you cant help but watch. Waiting to hear familiar voices is why watching this movie is so exciting. Not only does it have the same memorable voices as in the previous Monsters movie but also introduces many great actors/actresses as well. Most of the voices that you hear are easily identifiable but some might be harder than others. I love hearing the energetic voices of John Ratzenberger, Nathan Fillion, and Sean Hayes, which are just a few that grace this movie with their voices.

This movie could not have shown a better representation of the theme , going after your dreams, in a better way. This should speak to all kids in that growing up is hard and reaching your dreams is always a journey, which might not end up to what you imagined. Like usual there is a silver lining to their story and a happy ending. Mike and Sully decide on a path toward their goal of working at Monsters Inc. and will do every job with perfection to get there. The motto “with hard work and determination anything is possible” rings true till the end of this film.

-Suzi

Throwback Thursday: Jumping Jack Flash

Hey guys sorry I haven’t been up to date on these Throwback Thursdays, I’ve been busy out of town so today I am going to be taking it way back. Back to 1986, yes the good old 80’s a time when most of my favorite movies were made. This film Jumping Jack Flash is no different. It has everything you could possibly want in an 80’s film, a funny relevant cast, 80’s style and a great mix of action/drama/comedy. Whoopi Goldberg leads the way in this hilarious film about Terry, a data entry analyst for First National Bank in Manhattan who receives coded messages from an unknown source asking her to help him with his situation. Her workspace is surrounded by some well known and equally funny actors including Jon Lovitz, Steven Collins, Carol Kane, Annie Potts, and the one and only Phil Hartman (RIP). These costars give a spectacular performance along with the frontrunner Whoopi who delivers a great performance as always. She is a funny and outspoken woman who is just trying to do her job as well as wanting to help this person in trouble. The hilarity begins with this unknown person telling Terry that all the clues to find him are hidden in The Rolling Stones song…can you guess, “Jumping Jack Flash” very good! So she bundles herself up and begins the process of listening to that song on constant repeat to figure it out, now this was before CD’s or IPod’s so she has rewind the cassette tape which makes it even funnier. I’m not going to give away any of the details of how this film plays out but trust me if you love a good action film with many humorous scenes please watch this movie for your own good.

Now I love Whoopi Goldberg I think she is one of those versatile actors who can do serious films such as Ghost and then can turn around and do a fun comedy like this. Though its not going to earn her any Oscars its fun to watch when you want something that’s light hearted yet heartfelt. Penny Marshall directed this film so you can’t really go wrong with her behind the wheel. One of my favorite scenes is when Whoopi has to get inside an exclusive Ball, obviously her name is not on the list so she decides to impersonate Diana Ross which she pulls off flawlessly, ok that’s the only thing I’ll give away. I gladly own this film and would highly suggest as least watching it once just to see the 80’s charm in all its glory.
-Molli

Movie Quote Monday

Man of Steel

“You can save them… You can save all of them”

– Definitely a MUST SEE

Review: Identity Thief

Now I must first point out that when I saw this trailer I thought it looked pretty dumb especially for Melissa McCarthy, however after my friend said that it was worth watching and lent it to me I finally saw that it has more meat to it than an offbeat story. The plot is a little far fetched but what story nowadays isn’t. At first glance this film may seem like a shallow story of a greedy woman who never plays by the rules and does whatever she wants to people she’s never met, but she is actually a very lonely woman who was an orphan and never had a reason to truly care about anyone else because no one ever cared about her. This all changes when her latest victim Sandy (Jason Bateman) realizes his identity has been stolen and decides to take matters into his own hands, find this criminal and take her down. What he isn’t expecting is this woman is a well versed identity thief she has been doing it all her life and knows how to get out of any situation and though these two have their drawn out brawls Jason finally gets her under control and actually learns a little bit about her story as well as her learning about his struggles of taking care of his growing family. Granted this film has some very silly moments but with these two lead actors its not uncommon because this is what they do best.

I found this film entertaining, a little over the top and hilarious. I must say that one of the best elements of this film was the heartwarming nature of the relationship between Melissa and Jason by the end of the film and how she finally had people who cared about her and a family. Another aspect that was great about this film was the hysterical cameos in Eric Stonestreet, Melissa’s real husband Ben Falcone, Bridesmaids co-star Ellie Kemper, Jon Favreau, T.I., Morris Chestnut, John Cho, Amanda Peet and Robert Patrick (from Terminator for goodness sake). All these wonderful actors did such an amazing job assisting the two leads in all the shenanigans they got themselves into. This film also had a great plot by putting these two people who hate each other into a tiny car and having to drive for thousands of miles, of course hilarity is going to ensue and it does. Jason Bateman is the perfect straight man to Melissa’s zany character. This film was fun, heartwarming and very funny. If anything watch it because Jason and Melissa are great together. Definitely a renter.
-Molli

Review: Moonrise Kingdom

This film compelled me from the very first scene and kept me interested until the very last frame. It is not mainstream, typical or high concept but it is entertaining, funny and charming. I must say my favorite scene was the first shot as Leonard Bernstein’s “The Young People’s Guide Orchestra Op. 34” plays as the cast consisting of a family with one girl and three boys go about their morning. It builds and lowers in all the right places synching up with the characters on screen. This story is a sweet one of two young people who met briefly, wrote each other for a while and then decided to run away together. The boy, Sam, is in Boy Scouts and the girl, Suzy, both around 11 or 12 have difficult relationships with their parents or lack thereof. They relate on that level and ultimately fall in love while running away from their troop and parents. I loved all the actors in this film Frances McDormand, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Tilda Swinton and Jason Schwartzman all played excellent parts as the adults who in retrospect should be the responsible ones however, in this film the children are more responsible and level headed than the adults. Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward who play Sam and Suzy do a wonderful job of playing children who are innocent enough to believe in the future and what it holds yet mature enough to realize the feelings they have for one another.

This was directed by Wes Anderson who filmed it like it was a play, with the actors moving within the frame as opposed to the camera moving along with the actors which I thought really added to the feel of the film. Now this movie is not for everyone because it is quite quirky and strange but in the best possible way. It is funny in the situations they are put into as well as the interactions between characters. My favorite character had to be Cousin Ben (Jason Schwartzman) who marries Suzy and Sam though its a fake marriage (obviously) but before he goes through with the fake marriage he grills them on why they want to get married so young even though its not a real marriage. The banter back and forth in that along with the irony of their dialogue and actions had to be the funniest scene in my opinion. Though this is not going to be the most popular movie of 2012, it is definitely worth watching because it is heartfelt, the problems between the parents are real and its a simple story something I think Hollywood needs to get back to. So if you’re looking for something funny, charming and a little bit off the wall I’d highly recommend this one.
-Molli