Category: Comedy
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Jack and Jill is a flaming pile of dung
Jack and Jill – 2011 Directed by Dennis Dugan Starring Adam Sandler, Katie Holmes, Al Pacino, Eugeno Derbez, Tim Meadows, Nick Swardson Screenplay by Sandler, Ben Zook, Steve Koren, Robert Smigel Dennis Miller once said about the 2 for 1 blue light special at Kmart, “Two of sh!t, is sh!t. If they really wanna screw you they’d give…
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Young Adult hammered home the point
Young Adult – 2011 Directed by Jason Reitman Starring Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson, Elizabeth Reaser, Collette Wolfe, Hattiene Park, J.K. Simmons Written by Diablo Cody For those who like their comedies dark and their young movie families in danger of being broken up, this one should do the trick. The sad part about it is…
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The Rum Diary: Notes on a life full of exits
The Rum Diary – 2011 Written and Directed by Bruce Robinson Starring Johnny Depp, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Rispoli, Giovanni Ribisi, Amber Heard, Richard Jenkins I had always wondered whether I should read any of Hunter S. Thompson’s stuff. I had a quirky friend who had read him in High School and, before he went off…
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Tucker & Dale vs. Evil is the kind of hillbilly horror we all can rally behind
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil – 2010 Directed by Eli Craig Starring Taylor Labine, Alan Tudyk, Katrina Bowden, Jesse Moss Written by Craig and Morgan Jurgenson There is a subtlety to the acting of Taylor Labine and Alan Tudyk, who as Dale and Tucker provide one half of the adversarial title of this film, that is…
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The Big Year is a good idea if money is no object
The Big Year Extended Edition – 2011 Directed by David Frankel Starring Steve Martin, Jack Black, Owen Wilson, JoBeth Williams, Brian Dennehy, Dianne Wiest, John Cleese, Joel McHale, Tim Blake Nelson, Jim Parsons, Rashida Jones, Anjelica Houston, Rosamund Pike, Anthony Anderson, Corbin Bernsen, Kevin Pollak, Al Roker, Stephen Weber Written by Howard Franklin Steve Martin, Jack Black and…
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50/50 has heart, humor and a healthy outlook on life
50/50 – 2011 Directed by Jonathan Levine Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Anjelica Houston, Bryce Dallas Howard, Serge Houde, Matt Frewer, Philip Baker Hall Written by Will Reiser 50/50 is a story of based upon writer Will Reiser’s bout with cancer, but it accomplishes more than that. As Adam Lerner (Levitt) journeys through his…
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What’s Your Number? Let’s go with ***
What’s Your Number? – 2011 Directed by Mark Mylod Starring Anna Faris, Chris Evans, Joel McHale, Zachary Quinto, Martin Freeman, Andy Samberg, Anthony Mackie, Blythe Danner, Ed Begley, Jr., Ari Graynor, Written by Gabrielle Allen, Jennifer Crittenden Anna Faris has the unique ability to look beautiful and hilarious at the same time. Kind of like a…
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Midnight in Paris: In which Owen Wilson plays a talkative Surfer Hebrew…
Midnight in Paris – 2011 Written and Directed by Woody Allen Starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Tom Hiddelston, Michael Sheen, Corey Stoll, Marian Cotillard, Kathy Bates, Adrian Brody, Léa Seydoux Ernest Hemingway: I think a woman is equal to a man in courage. Have you ever shot a charging lion? Adriana: Never. Ernest Hemingway: Would you…
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The Guard shows real chemistry between Gleeson and Cheadle, kind of like Gibson and Glover
The Guard – 2011 Written and Directed by John Michael McDonagh Starring Brendan Gleason, Don Cheadle, Liam Cunningham, Mark Strong, Fionnula Flanagan, David Wilmot, Michael Og Lane, Dominique McElligott, Rory Keenan Early on in The Guard, I got the ringing sense of familiarity. At first, I couldn’t place it. There was a ton of swearing with Gaelic accents, and…
Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews 