David Koechner
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Sundance London 2014: ‘Hits’ – disappointing satirical debut from David Cross
Hits Written and directed by David Cross USA, 2014 The directorial debut of David Cross (widely known as Tobias Fünke in Arrested Development) is a satirical take on wannabe celebrities, centered on the small town of Liberty, New York. Dave Stuben (Matt Walsh), angry with his local council for not fixing the road problems in […] More
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‘Cheap Thrills’ a suitably nasty piece of work
The new film Cheap Thrills is the kind of horror film that’s so effective, you may only want to see it once. Consider that a compliment of the highest order, as this low-budget indie film, playing at Fantastic Fest this weekend, aspires to be a wholly nasty piece of work and reaches that plateau early and often. Anchored by an appropriately sweaty and desperate Pat Healy, Cheap Thrills is gruesome and visceral, while always being slightly tethered to matters of the real world. More
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TADFF 2013 Days 7 and 8 Reviews: ‘Willow Creek’, ‘Cheap Thrills’, and ‘Big Bad Wolves’
Willow Creek Written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait USA, 2013 While trying to document and find evidence of the mythical Bigfoot, believer Jim (Bryce Johnson) and his skeptical girlfriend Kelly (Alexie Gilmore) arrive at Willow Creek, near where the famous Patterson-Gimlin film was originally shot. Despite the many warnings from locals to stay away, the […] More
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Fantastic Fest 2013: My Top 5 Anticipated Films
There are just two—count ‘em, two—days until Fantastic Fest 2013 kicks off in Austin , Texas, at the Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline. In case you hadn’t been keeping track, I’ll be there for the majority of the festival covering as many movies as possible. (I will be a movie-watching/reviewing machine, just you watch.) If you’ve been […] More
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Film4 Frightfest – Day 3: ‘Cheap Thrills’ reimagines the American Dream as a savage contest
Frankenstein’s Army is the closest thing thus far to a live action Bioshock adaptation. The second Frightfest feature to resemble a video game – albeit in a positive light – the film forgoes the tiresome trademarks of the found-footage format, its curious lens rendering the entire escapade a thrilling a first-person adventure. We begin among a troupe of Russian soldiers during World War II as they delve deeper from the outskirts of the forest and into a laboratory of mechanical nasties, eventually confronting the mad scientist responsible for their creation. All the while, the camera never skirts from its responsibility as a steadfast explorer. More
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‘Anchorman: The Legend Continues’, the sequel to the hit 2004 Will Ferrell comedy, releases a full trailer
Comedian Will Ferrell and filmmaker Adam McKay have collaborated on a number of well-received movies over the past decade, one of which was the 2004 feature Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. The film has steadily grown in popularity over the past few years, with many being excited when it was announced that McKay and […] More
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‘A Haunted House’ takes aim at an easy target, shoots itself in the foot
A Haunted House Directed by Michael Tides Written by Marlon Wayans and Rick Alvarez USA, 2013 Opens Jan. 25 in Toronto Have you ever opened up a history textbook and found that every single image of Josef Stalin was defaced with some sort of phallic or scatological graffiti? Or that his pictures were accompanied by […] More
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Chuck, Ep. 5.04, “Chuck Versus the Business Trip” is a step in the right direction
Chuck Review, Season 5, Episode 4, “Chuck Versus the Business Trip” Written by Kristin Newman Directed by Alan Kroeker Airs Fridays at 8pm (ET) on NBC During its first three weeks, Chuck’s fifth season relegated many of its supporting characters to the sidelines. It also struggled with resolving the uneven story line of Morgan as […] More
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The Goods Trailer
Opening on August 14, 2009, The Goods tells the story of Don Ready and his crew of super sellers as they fight to save a dead dealership. When he is asked to help save an ailing local car dealership from bankruptcy, Ready and his crew, go out on the town selling and partying as hard […] More