Courtney Chandler

I am of two minds about this flick, and these two minds have been waging a violent war since last night’s screening. My head hurts… 21 and Over is, in many ways, your quintessential post-Hangover debauchery based comedy. It’s seriously sophomoric, more than a little misogynistic, and full of gross-out gags and moments meant to shock the audience into laughing. It presents and glorifies an exaggerated reality of college kids being reckless dumb asses. I say exaggerated reality but perhaps I should call it an exaggerated wet dream, because the female characters in this film seem to have been written by the same person who pens those infamous Penthouse letters. They are completely unbelievable, but then so are most of the characters and plot events in this film.

It should be obvious by now that my rational mind wishes fervently I could dismiss 21 and Over as an idiotic exercise in translating male fantasy to the big screen. Unfortunately for my rational half, there’s another part of me that kind of enjoyed watching it. I laughed quite a lot and, in fact, thought this was funnier than The Hangover. Mind you, I didn’t think The Hangover was particularly funny (seriously overrated, in my opinion). And based on the hackneyed advertising, I was pleasantly surprised to find some semblance of actual character development. By the end, I was kind of even rooting for these morons (except for the boring love-sick one, he sucked).

Ultimately, I probably laughed and cringed in equal measure, but if you go in expecting and accepting a large amount of stupidity, you’ll be rewarded with a fun bit of entertainment. In other words, channel your inner teenage boy and you’ll have an okay time. C

http://www.anotherpodcastaboutmovies.com/

I am of two minds about this flick, and these two minds have been waging a violent war since last night’s screening. My head hurts… 21 and Over is, in many ways, your quintessential post-Hangover debauchery based comedy. It’s seriously sophomoric, more than a little misogynistic, and full of gross-out gags and moments meant to shock the audience into laughing. It presents and glorifies an exaggerated reality of college kids being reckless dumb asses. I say exaggerated reality but perhaps I should call it an exaggerated wet dream, because the female characters in this film seem to have been written by the same person who pens those infamous Penthouse letters. They are completely unbelievable, but then so are most of the characters and plot events in this film.

It should be obvious by now that my rational mind wishes fervently I could dismiss 21 and Over as an idiotic exercise in translating male fantasy to the big screen. Unfortunately for my rational half, there’s another part of me that kind of enjoyed watching it. I laughed quite a lot and, in fact, thought this was funnier than The Hangover. Mind you, I didn’t think The Hangover was particularly funny (seriously overrated, in my opinion). And based on the hackneyed advertising, I was pleasantly surprised to find some semblance of actual character development. By the end, I was kind of even rooting for these morons (except for the boring love-sick one, he sucked).

Ultimately, I probably laughed and cringed in equal measure, but if you go in expecting and accepting a large amount of stupidity, you’ll be rewarded with a fun bit of entertainment. In other words, channel your inner teenage boy and you’ll have an okay time. C

http://www.anotherpodcastaboutmovies.com/

I cannot express in words just how excited I was when I found Safety Not Guaranteed on Netflix Instant. Oh sweet ecstasy. Okay, that’s a little too much but I was psyched! I had been looking forward to this movie with grand expectations. I am, after all, rather fond of Aubrey Plaza and Jake Johnson and I thoroughly enjoyed the trailers. Add to that, the genre classification of “science fiction comedy-drama,” and you’ve got a flick almost perfectly designed to appeal to me (and about twelve other oddballs).

So I made my popcorn and settled in for what I was sure would be a magical couple of hours. At this point, I must remind you, my dear reader, that expectations are often the enemy of enjoyment. Such was the case here. I had such high hopes and they were utterly dashed. I found Aubrey Plaza’s performance to be clunky. I thoroughly disliked Mark Duplass as the supposedly endearing mad scientist. I was completely disappointed with the filmmaker’s lack of attention to narrative or genuine character development. This film is filled to the brim with wasted opportunities that left me feeling hollow and unfulfilled.

But let’s take a step back. The truth is, Safety Not Guaranteed is not a bad film. This film contains some beautiful moments that come from a perfect marriage of writing, design and performance. Jake Johnson, in particular, delivers a lot with his underdeveloped character, and the writers make some daring and unexpected decisions along the way. Unfortunately, all this is marred by a high level of amateurish underdevelopment. The story and concept are only half thought-out. The characters never achieve three-dimensionality. The editing is loose, as though the film were delivered before the editor had a chance to polish his work. And finally, the film offers a conclusion for only the main plot. Any secondary story lines or characters are left hanging. Perhaps this is by design, but to me, it feels like the filmmakers ran out of time and/or ideas. So, while the film has some wonderful elements, as a whole it just doesn’t work. Of course, take everything I say with a grain of salt; this review might have read very differently if not for dashed hopes. C

http://www.anotherpodcastaboutmovies.com/

I cannot express in words just how excited I was when I found Safety Not Guaranteed on Netflix Instant. Oh sweet ecstasy. Okay, that’s a little too much but I was psyched! I had been looking forward to this movie with grand expectations. I am, after all, rather fond of Aubrey Plaza and Jake Johnson and I thoroughly enjoyed the trailers. Add to that, the genre classification of “science fiction comedy-drama,” and you’ve got a flick almost perfectly designed to appeal to me (and about twelve other oddballs).

So I made my popcorn and settled in for what I was sure would be a magical couple of hours. At this point, I must remind you, my dear reader, that expectations are often the enemy of enjoyment. Such was the case here. I had such high hopes and they were utterly dashed. I found Aubrey Plaza’s performance to be clunky. I thoroughly disliked Mark Duplass as the supposedly endearing mad scientist. I was completely disappointed with the filmmaker’s lack of attention to narrative or genuine character development. This film is filled to the brim with wasted opportunities that left me feeling hollow and unfulfilled.

But let’s take a step back. The truth is, Safety Not Guaranteed is not a bad film. This film contains some beautiful moments that come from a perfect marriage of writing, design and performance. Jake Johnson, in particular, delivers a lot with his underdeveloped character, and the writers make some daring and unexpected decisions along the way. Unfortunately, all this is marred by a high level of amateurish underdevelopment. The story and concept are only half thought-out. The characters never achieve three-dimensionality. The editing is loose, as though the film were delivered before the editor had a chance to polish his work. And finally, the film offers a conclusion for only the main plot. Any secondary story lines or characters are left hanging. Perhaps this is by design, but to me, it feels like the filmmakers ran out of time and/or ideas. So, while the film has some wonderful elements, as a whole it just doesn’t work. Of course, take everything I say with a grain of salt; this review might have read very differently if not for dashed hopes. C

http://www.anotherpodcastaboutmovies.com/

I am such a sucker for quirky dramedies. You should know this about me, because it definitely colors my perception of Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. I’m certain a lot of people would despise this flick, but to me it’s brilliant.

It starts with an intriguing concept: what would happen if we knew the world was going to end in a few weeks’ time? Would people still do their jobs? Would they stay in their current relationships? Would previously stable, responsible adults start doing heavy drugs and having orgies? Seeking a Friend answers these questions with a healthy balance of humor and gravity, realness and absurdity. Cameos from Patton Oswald, TJ Miller and Gillian Jacobs are the comedic highlights of the film. Steve Carell and Keira Knightly also turn in respectable performances, which work to sell the audience on their budding friendship. They make for a rather charming pair of dysfunctional characters.

Overall, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is a sweet vignette of a movie, which managed the balancing act of the dramedy surprisingly well while simultaneously delivering a unique perspective on the human capacity to face the end of the world. B+

http://www.anotherpodcastaboutmovies.com/

I am such a sucker for quirky dramedies. You should know this about me, because it definitely colors my perception of Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. I’m certain a lot of people would despise this flick, but to me it’s brilliant.

It starts with an intriguing concept: what would happen if we knew the world was going to end in a few weeks’ time? Would people still do their jobs? Would they stay in their current relationships? Would previously stable, responsible adults start doing heavy drugs and having orgies? Seeking a Friend answers these questions with a healthy balance of humor and gravity, realness and absurdity. Cameos from Patton Oswald, TJ Miller and Gillian Jacobs are the comedic highlights of the film. Steve Carell and Keira Knightly also turn in respectable performances, which work to sell the audience on their budding friendship. They make for a rather charming pair of dysfunctional characters.

Overall, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is a sweet vignette of a movie, which managed the balancing act of the dramedy surprisingly well while simultaneously delivering a unique perspective on the human capacity to face the end of the world. B+

http://www.anotherpodcastaboutmovies.com/

On Friday, Kevin Smith announced via Twitter that Clerks III will be his last film before retiring from the medium.  Smith says the project will be a go if and when he gets the thumbs up from Jeff Anderson, who plays the abrasive Randal Graves in the Clerks movies.

My first response to this news was basically, “not this old song and dance again.”  How many times is Kevin Smith going to tell us he’s planning to retire?  Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of the man’s work.  I even liked Jersey Girl, which is not a popular thing to admit.  But seriously, he needs to stop announcing his retirement.  Shortly before he went on the Red State tour, he was suggesting on various Smodco shows that he was done making movies.  Then when Red State premed at Sundance, Smith officially announced that Hit Somebody would be his final film before retiring from the movie biz.

Then last week, Smith announced that Hit Somebody was going to be produced as a miniseries on the small screen.  While details about this new deal are still pending, Smith has since suggested this change has left a hole in his intended ten-piece filmography (that is, if you ignore Cop Out, which Smith is only too happy to do).  It would seem the long speculated-upon Clerks III is to be the remedy.  Much as Clerks II followed Dante and Randal in their thirties, the third installment will check in on the duo in their forties.

Of course, all this is dependent upon Jeff Anderson coming back for another round of Randal, but the news is certainly positive for Kevin Smith fans.  Personally I’d prefer another Jay and Silent Bob story, but that’s neither here nor there.  Really the only thing that bothers me in all of this is the retirement issue.  It seems as though Smith is becoming the boy who cried wolf.  “No, this time I really mean it!  I’m totally going to retire after this next one.”  What happens if he comes up with another story he wants to tell after Clerks III?  Think McFly, think.

http://www.anotherpodcastaboutmovies.com/

On Friday, Kevin Smith announced via Twitter that Clerks III will be his last film before retiring from the medium.  Smith says the project will be a go if and when he gets the thumbs up from Jeff Anderson, who plays the abrasive Randal Graves in the Clerks movies.

My first response to this news was basically, “not this old song and dance again.”  How many times is Kevin Smith going to tell us he’s planning to retire?  Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of the man’s work.  I even liked Jersey Girl, which is not a popular thing to admit.  But seriously, he needs to stop announcing his retirement.  Shortly before he went on the Red State tour, he was suggesting on various Smodco shows that he was done making movies.  Then when Red State premed at Sundance, Smith officially announced that Hit Somebody would be his final film before retiring from the movie biz.

Then last week, Smith announced that Hit Somebody was going to be produced as a miniseries on the small screen.  While details about this new deal are still pending, Smith has since suggested this change has left a hole in his intended ten-piece filmography (that is, if you ignore Cop Out, which Smith is only too happy to do).  It would seem the long speculated-upon Clerks III is to be the remedy.  Much as Clerks II followed Dante and Randal in their thirties, the third installment will check in on the duo in their forties.

Of course, all this is dependent upon Jeff Anderson coming back for another round of Randal, but the news is certainly positive for Kevin Smith fans.  Personally I’d prefer another Jay and Silent Bob story, but that’s neither here nor there.  Really the only thing that bothers me in all of this is the retirement issue.  It seems as though Smith is becoming the boy who cried wolf.  “No, this time I really mean it!  I’m totally going to retire after this next one.”  What happens if he comes up with another story he wants to tell after Clerks III?  Think McFly, think.

http://www.anotherpodcastaboutmovies.com/

If you’ve ever found yourself in the mood to watch a bad movie, then you know how I felt on the evening I rented Snow White and the Huntsman.  Still, I underestimated the severity of the terribleness I was about to consume.  Watching Snow White and the Huntsman is kind of like watching plastic surgery being performed.  It’s uncomfortable, ugly, painful… just completely cringe-worthy.

I will say this, I had expected to be most bothered with Charlize Theron’s overacting, and she doesn’t disappoint in that respect.  If bigger is better, then this is her best performance.  I won’t say she does a good job, but I will say that her over-performance somehow works within the context of this film and the back story they’ve constructed for the evil queen.  Charlize Theron became almost the balm that made the film watchable.  Her scenes are a welcome break from the unbearable blandness of Kristen Stewart’s performance and the film’s near complete lack of dialogue.

Seriously.  How “KStew” continues to get work is completely beyond me.  Nonetheless, even with my fervent belief that she is a talentless hack who can’t act her way out of a paper bag, even I can see that the filmmakers didn’t give her much to do or say.  So, what’s a girl to do?  Well if you’re Kristen Stewart, you look frightened and teary-eyed and hope for the best.  Then again, maybe she had more to do but the filmmaker’s cut it all out after they saw the hack job she did with her supposedly rousing call-to-arms speech.  I don’t think it’s possible to be less inspiring.

Overall, Snow White and the Huntsman wasn’t worth the Dollar I paid to rent it.  So unless you’re looking to waste 2 hours and 10 minutes of your life just to marvel at the bad-ness, skip this one.  D-

http://www.anotherpodcastaboutmovies.com/

If you’ve ever found yourself in the mood to watch a bad movie, then you know how I felt on the evening I rented Snow White and the Huntsman.  Still, I underestimated the severity of the terribleness I was about to consume.  Watching Snow White and the Huntsman is kind of like watching plastic surgery being performed.  It’s uncomfortable, ugly, painful… just completely cringe-worthy.

I will say this, I had expected to be most bothered with Charlize Theron’s overacting, and she doesn’t disappoint in that respect.  If bigger is better, then this is her best performance.  I won’t say she does a good job, but I will say that her over-performance somehow works within the context of this film and the back story they’ve constructed for the evil queen.  Charlize Theron became almost the balm that made the film watchable.  Her scenes are a welcome break from the unbearable blandness of Kristen Stewart’s performance and the film’s near complete lack of dialogue.

Seriously.  How “KStew” continues to get work is completely beyond me.  Nonetheless, even with my fervent belief that she is a talentless hack who can’t act her way out of a paper bag, even I can see that the filmmakers didn’t give her much to do or say.  So, what’s a girl to do?  Well if you’re Kristen Stewart, you look frightened and teary-eyed and hope for the best.  Then again, maybe she had more to do but the filmmaker’s cut it all out after they saw the hack job she did with her supposedly rousing call-to-arms speech.  I don’t think it’s possible to be less inspiring.

Overall, Snow White and the Huntsman wasn’t worth the Dollar I paid to rent it.  So unless you’re looking to waste 2 hours and 10 minutes of your life just to marvel at the bad-ness, skip this one.  D-

http://www.anotherpodcastaboutmovies.com/