The Family Fang Written by David Lindsay-Abaire and Kevin Wilson (adapted from his novel) Directed by Jason Bateman U.S., 2016 Jason Bateman’s sophomore directorial feature is not the follow-up to Bad Words that many expected. While that low-key comedy based around a grown man through a child’s spelling bee was a pleasant surprise, this adaptation …
Unapologetically smart and calculating, ‘The Gift’ is an unnerving cocktail of creepiness and human frailty. Easily the most surprising film of the summer thus far.
Documentaries on fandom often end up excessive celebration without any of the self-reflection that the genre usually provides. A LEGO Brickumentary is fun, but it may not appeal to anyone who isn’t already familiar with the brand. LEGO fans are a passionate bunch, and not just kids anymore. AFOLs (Adult fan of LEGO) are taking the bricks and creating a movement for themselves.
Simon says….look out for Joel Edgerton and his goatee. The first trailer for The Gift was released on Wednesday, which marks the directorial debut of The Great Gatsby and Exodus star Joel Edgerton. The paranoid thriller also stars Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall. Edgerton has been a solid actor for some time now with bit …
There’s nothing more depressing than a lazy comedy, and Horrible Bosses 2 suffers from a terminal case of laziness. Instead of gleefully diving into its richly-black premise, it settles for obvious sight gags and uninspired improvisations. A talented comedic cast is wasted on material that aims for mediocrity and hits the target over and over again. There simply aren’t enough laughs here to justify this film’s existence.
The biggest remaining treasure trove in the world of cinema is the long lost and destroyed ending to Orson Welles‘ The Magnificent Ambersons, his cynical director’s cut that he felt would’ve made it an even greater film than Citizen Kane. But anything having remotely to do with Welles may be just as great of a …
This Is Where I Leave You Written by Jonathan Tropper Directed by Shawn Levy USA, 2014 This Is Where I Leave You is an odd duck. Its haphazard combination of broad sit-com humor and quirky indie earnestness leaves you feeling a bit punch-drunk. On the other hand, a superb ensemble cast wrings just enough …
Bad Words Written by Andrew Dodge Directed by Jason Bateman USA, 2014 One of the mainstays of the holiday season is Chuck Jones’ masterful animated short adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which manages to both be a clever embrace of everything that Christmas embodies in its secular form and to be …
Bad Words Directed by Jason Bateman Written by Andrew Dodge US, 2013 In his directorial debut, Bateman pulls little punches. In a script that strings along profanity like letters in a spelling bee challenge word, most will cringe, others will laugh, and a few will cringe while laughing. It’s raucous, offensive, and niche. Bad Words …
In the seven years since Fox cancelled Arrested Development, its influence has not necessarily been as widespread as one might expect, given its rapturous cult following. A few series have attempted to emulate its heavily serialized approach to building and contorting gags over episodes and even seasons – Archer, in particular, springs to mind, as …
Netflix and the stars of Arrested Development have done a pretty good job of keeping fairly coy about the upcoming season. Devoted fans have been kept waiting for a trailer or a sneak peek and Entertainment Weekly’s latest covers delivers with a detailed insight to the new episodes. When describing the new season, creator Mitch Hurwitz …
Identity Thief Directed by Seth Gordon Written by Craig Mazin USA, 2013 Identity Thief is the latest in a disturbingly long line of mainstream American comedies that requires both its audience and its “normal” leading characters to fall under a form of Stockholm Syndrome. These movies shove a straitlaced man or woman with someone who’s …
The Switch Directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck Adaptation is a difficult art. Stay too faithful and you’ll wind up importing elements not appropriate to the new form, but stray too far and you’ll annoy proponents of the original. While the latter approach has probably resulted in a greater volume of good films, the …
“Arrested Development creator Mitchell Hurwitz and his co-executive producer James Vallely are working on a screenplay for the long-debated feature version of their short-lived Fox series…Hurwitz would also direct the Fox Searchlight feature.” The groundbreaking series launched the career of future Juno star Michael Cera (a newcomer at that point) as well as making a …
Hot off the heels of a big critical success with Adventureland, Greg Mattola’s upcoming Simon Pegg and Nick Frost sci-fi comedy Paul has gotten a lot more interesting. Variety reports that a ridiculous quantity of talent has now been added to the project: Seth Rogen, Jason Bateman, Jane Lynch, Bill Hader, and the glorious Kristen …