Life of the Party (2018)

I really like Melissa McCarthy. She is funny and has pretty good acting skills, which is why, in spite of the low rating on IMDb, I still decided to check out Life of the Party. And it's one of those decisions I immediately regretted. 

The film follows Deanna Miles (Melissa McCarthy), a dedicated housewife who sees her life turned upside down when her husband (Matt Walsh) suddenly dumps her for another woman (Julie Bowen). She never graduated as she dropped out of her last year of college when she got pregnant, so she decides to go back to college, in the same school as her daughter (Molly Gordon), who, of course, is humiliated at the thought of her mother trying to live the college life. 

This would have been a really nice and original idea if it wasn't for the fact that Back to School, which I'm yet to see but whose plot I've read multiple times, has the same exact plot. The only difference is that this time is the mom that is going back to school. There's something worse than lack of originality though, it's the lack of a plot. That's right, Life of the Party has no plot whatsoever and it's tremendously predictable --although there's a twist in the middle that it's impossible to see coming. I'm not even sure it has an ending. 

The characters are just as poorly written. First of all the main character, Deanna. She is this dorky soccer mom at the beginning of the film. I get that she's going through a lot of changes, the divorce, going back to school, but that does not explain why her personality completely vanishes as the movie "moves" forward. I mean, you look away for one second and then she is this shallow woman acting like a college stereotype. The other characters though are probably even worse, especially Deanna's daughter, Maddie, and Maddie's friends. Coherence is probably something Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy --they both wrote this-- are not familiar with. These characters are basically socially awkward nerds, one of them is even afraid of the goth girl who is sharing the room with Deanna. I'm pretty much a socially awkward nerd and I would never, not even in my wildest dreams, go to a super loud and crowded party and/to get drunk. I know that there's this stereotype about college students loving to party and get drunk, but I'm pretty sure it does not apply for the type of persons Maddie and her friends are.

Warner Bros. Pictures

On top of that, Life of the Party is also filled with jokes that rely on the characters finding themselves in pretty awkward situations, and guess what, they just don't work as awkward does not equal funny. I think I laughed two times in total. 

The script is such a mess, there's absolutely nothing the cast can to do save Life of the Party. As I was saying above, Melissa McCarthy is a talented comedian but she needs a good direction to give her best and from what I saw here, her husband, director Ben Falcone, is not capable of giving her that and, as a result, McCarthy's performance is dull and flat. The rest of the cast is also very poor. There are a few exceptions though. Community's Gillian Jacob is pretty awesome as one of Maddie's friends, a girl who woke up after an 8-year coma. Her sarcastic attitude is what keeps the movie "alive". Her character and she deserved to be used better though. Maya Rudolph also stands out as Deanna's best friend.

Ultimately, Life of the Party is the most unfunny comedy I've seen this year so far. It's dull and lifeless, and a tremendous waste of talents, especially if you consider that Jackie Weaver is in this. 

Girls Trip (2017)

There's nothing worst than laughless comedies. I mean, sitting through a movie that is supposed to be funny and laughing not even once, who would enjoy that? Unfortunately, many if not most comedies made nowadays are like that which is why I try to stay away from them. With Malcolm D. Lee, well, it's a different story. Although I haven't seen his entire filmography, I did love his Best Man movies. They are fun, enjoyable and they have heart and such a good cast. That's why I decided to check out his latest film, Girls Trip. And you know what, more people need to see this one.

The film follows a group of friends, Ryan (Regina Hall), a self-help guru who has it all, Sasha (Queen Latifah), a celebrity gossip writer, Lisa (Jada Pinkett Smith) a loving but overprotective mother, and Dina (Tiffany Hadish), a hot-head as they reunite after 5 years and travel to New Orleans for the annual Essence Festival to rekindle their friendship and rediscover their wild sides.

In terms of plot, there nothing new in here. It's a predictable and clichéd story about friendship, love and adultery that we have already seen before like a million times. However, there's enough going on to make it interesting and engaging thanks to the gradually rising drama between the ladies and the pacing. Especially the pacing which is never too quick or too dragged and makes these girls' adventure very enjoyable and entertaining. The ending was a little disappointing though. The final resolution indeed feels quite rushed.

The humour is another important aspect of Girls Trip. Although there are a lot of nasty, raunchy and silly jokes, some repetitive and over-the-top gags and some scenes where beyond ridiculous (I'm talking about the pee scene), the humour work pretty well and the credits go to the cast.

Universal Pictures

The four leading ladies are just amazing and their chemistry is wonderful. Regina Hall who is given the most dramatic part manages to be emotional without overacting or being overdramatic. Queen Latifah brings her sass and it's very appreciated. Tiffany Haddish is hilarious but you either love or hate her since she is the one responsible for most of the sex jokes in the movie. Jade Pinkett Smith is the one who surprised me the most. I didn't know she could do comedy.

Bottom line, Girls Trip isn't the best comedy out there but it's funny, entertaining as well as quite empowering.

Going in Style (2017)

When three movie legends like Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arkin make a movie together it's very hard to pass it. It's even harder if said movie is a heist movie, a genre I love, and it's even suggested to you by someone you usually trust with movie suggestions. And it's terrible when said movie just isn't that good. Yes, I'm talking about Going in Style. 

Joe (Michael Caine), Willie (Morgan Freeman) and Al (Alan Arkin) are senior citizens and lifelong friends trying to survive with their pensions in New York. But when their pensions are cancelled, they plan to rob a bank. None of them has ever done anything criminal in their lives and to pull off the heist, they are going to need help and a lot of practice.

I haven't seen the original movie (I found out this was a remake only after watching it), and yet the plot turned out exactly as I was expecting it to be, very predictable and not original at all. It doesn't take any interesting or surprising twist, and it has a way too happy happy ending. So happy that make me sick. 

The writing isn't any better in the characters department. The characters aren't that interesting, they are kinda full and rather forgettable. They all are given a reason for doing the bank robbery, but those subplots kinda feel forced and clichéd. And other than that, they have no such thing as development.

Warner Bros. Pictures

That said, the leading trio, Freeman, Caine and Arkin, actually have a nice chemistry. They really look like friends (and maybe they are in real life, I don't know) and the heist isn't the only thing they pull off. Although most of the humour is dull, a little contrived and eventually gets very repetitive and kind of annoying, the three actors manage to deliver several funny moments and make the film a little entertaining and not a complete waste of time. 

The gags aren't spectacular but a few of them work nicely, like the supermarket heist, especially the escape, and the bank robbery. The bank manager played by Josh Pais made me laugh pretty loud. 

Ricky Gervais: Humanity Netflix Comedy Special Trailer

Ricky Gervais: Humanity (2018)

Ricky Gervais: Humanity debuts March 13

This is the first of two comedy specials. Ricky Gervais is an English comedian, actor, writer, producer, director, singer, and musician. He achieved mainstream fame with his BBC television series The Office.

Gad Elmaleh: American Dream Netflix Comedy Special Trailer

Gad Elmaleh: American Dream (2018)

Gad Elmaleh: American Dream debuts March 6

This French language comedy special is co-created and executive produced by French comedian Gad Elmaleh. The series is inspired by Gad's own life and career, following him in a move from France to U.S. He's a huge comedian in France, but at a crossroads he leaves for Los Angeles to try and reconnect with his estranged, comedy hating, sixteen year old male model son.
Elmaleh already has one comedy special with Netflix and is working on a series inspired by his own life, Huge in France.

Fred Armisen: Standup for Drummers Netflix Comedy Special Trailer

Fred Armisen: Standup for Drummers (2018)

Fred Armisen: Standup for Drummers debuts February 6

An American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and musician, Armisen is widely known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2002 until 2013. He has portrayed characters in comedy films, including EuroTrip, Anchorman, and Cop Out. With his comedy partner Carrie Brownstein, Armisen is the co-creator and co-star of the IFC sketch comedy series Portlandia.

Todd Glass: Act Happy Netflix Comedy Special Trailer

Todd Glass: Act Happy (2018)

Todd Glass: Act Happy debuts January 23

An American stand-up comedian originally from Philadelphia, widely known for his appearances as a contestant on the second and third seasons of NBC's Last Comic Standing. He's appeared on various talk shows. He has a podcast, The Todd Glass show.

Tom Segura: Disgraceful Netflix Comedy Special Trailer

Tom Segura: Disgraceful (2018)

Tom Segura: Disgraceful premieres on January 12

An American stand-up comedian and podcaster from Cincinnati, Ohio, he's been a guest comic on various television shows.

Images from the trailer:

 

Judd Apatow: The Return Netflix Comedy Special Trailer

Judd Apatow: The Return (2017)

Judd Apatow: The Return premieres on December 12

Judd Apatow returns to stand up for the first time in twenty-five years. He's an American producer, writer, director, comedian, and actor. He developed the television series Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared. He directed The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), Knocked Up (2007), and Trainwreck (2015).

A teaser video released on November 14.

 

 

 

Craig Ferguson: Tickle Fight Netflix Comedy Special Trailer

Craig Ferguson: Tickle Fight (2017)

Craig Ferguson: Tickle Fight premieres on December 5

Craig Ferguson is a Scottish-American television host, comedian, and actor. He is the host of both the syndicated game show Celebrity Name Game, for which he has won two Daytime Emmy Awards, and of Join or Die with Craig Ferguson on History. He was also the host of the CBS late-night talk show The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson from 2005-2014.

 

 

Man's Favorite Sport? (1964)

Roger Willoughby (Rock Hudson) is happily employed as one of the world's great angling experts. Unfortunately, even his own boss doesn't know that Roger has never been fishing in his life. So when press agent Abigail Page (Paula Prentiss) arranges for Roger to participate in her resort's upcoming fishing tournament, he's thrown into a panic. At the resort, he and Abby commence a crash course to turn him into a genuine outdoorsman - only to have their plan riotously upset by a surprise visit from Roger's fiancé.

This description from the DVD case for Man's Favorite Sport? (1964) immediately called to mind two films for me: Christmas in Connecticut (1945), in which Barbara Stanwyck's character writes for a magazine pretending to be married, have a baby, live on a farm, and be an excellent cook; and Libeled Lady (1936), in which William Powell's character pretends to be an expert at fly fishing in order to become friend's with the father of Myrna Loy's character, leading to a hilarious fishing scene where Powell tries to fish and look at a manual at the same time. As I watched I was reminded of yet another film, Bringing Up Baby (1938). The "love impulse" quote, ripped back of dress (in this case a stuck zipper), and "strangely attracted" bit as well as all the bad things that happen to Roger when Abby is around are practically lifted right out of the beloved Screwball film. But it's really not that much of a surprise, seeing as both films were directed by the legendary Howard Hawks. Hawks even originally wanted Cary Grant in the lead role! Cary turned it down for Charade (1963) so he had to settle for Hudson, who was fresh off of his first two films with Doris Day.

While this film is no masterpiece, it's a fun little comedy with plenty of laugh out loud moments. The film starts with what will become a pattern for Roger (Hudson) as Prentiss's character Abby steals his parking space with her tiny car as he's about to back in. He tries to explain that she is in his space, where he parks every day, but she's not budging, telling him if he wants to park there he'll have to move her car himself. It's reminiscent of the scene in Bringing Up Baby where Katharine Hepburn drives off in Cary Grant's car. What follows is a classic tall man tries to get in small space, in this case Roger trying to release the break by sticking his top half through the sun roof. A police gets involved and he ends up with a ticket for leaving his car in the middle of the parking lot.

When Roger finally gets upstairs where he's late to a meeting, he discovers his meeting is with none other than the young lady from the parking lot. She is naturally embarrassed and he tries to control his anger and annoyance. It doesn't help matters when he hears the purpose of her visit. As the author of a best selling fishing book, she thinks Roger should enter the annual fishing tournament!

His boss is all for it, not knowing the truth about his employee (Christmas in Connecticut anyone?). Roger takes Abby and her friend out for a drink and in an odd scene in a musical museum he confesses he doesn't know the first thing about fishing. Since Abby got him into this situation, she's determined to help him get out of it. With five days before the tournament begins, they head to the lake to begin a crash course in fishing. Roger's boss sends a carload of equipment for him to try out for the store while he's there. This causes no end of troubles for Roger, culminating in some inflatable fishing pants that nearly drown him than save him - Roger can't swim of course.

Abby finally hits upon an idea she thinks will work. What if Roger breaks his arm? Well, not actually break it, just plaster it up so everyone THINKS it's broken. So, Abby plasters it up. While it's drying she discovers that another famous name in the world of fish is participating in the tournament so Roger can simply drop out! Right? Wrong. The other guy REALLY gets a broken arm and once again Roger is stuck as a contestant in the tournament.

And so it begins. Somehow Roger manages to catch a good sized fish on the first day, coming in second in the days results! Of course it's completely by accident and he gets completely soaked in the process but so far so good. He also manages to catch a large fish on the second and third days of the tournament and finds himself with a trophy for first place!

Also in the course of the tournament he loses his fiancé due to a scene taken right out of the aforementioned Bringing Up Baby. It's taken a step further with Roger's tie getting stuck in a zipper - which happened earlier with a sleeping bag and also witnessed by his fiancé - causing his engagement to be broken.

 

Abby has by this time fallen in love with Roger but is upset that he won the tournament purely by accident. She tells him he has to confess to being a phony, even if it means losing his job at Abercrombie and Fitch. Roger had already decided to do just that but Abby goes off into the woods by herself to be miserable.

 

After he is fired, Roger goes off to find Abby and they get caught in a downpour, sharing her covered sleeping bag for protection from the rain. Back at the lodge, the other fishermen convince Roger's boss that he is missing out on a huge marketing scheme, that any man can win a fishing tournament as long as he has the right equipment!

And so, Roger gets back his job and redeems himself in the eyes of Abby, who he's "strangely attracted" to despite all the trouble she has caused him. And there the movie ends, with the two of them in their sleeping bag floating in the middle of the lake.

 

While the film didn't do to well at the box office, due to 25 minutes being cut and the overall phony look of the studio-built sets, I greatly enjoyed the film and found myself laughing aloud at several comic moments. Hudson and Prentiss are great in their roles and the supporting cast, particularly the other fishermen, added greatly to the film.

Love this outfit Abby wears!

Here's a great clip I found on YouTube of Prentiss after a 2010 screening of the film talking about her experience working with Hudson. The first eight minutes are about Man's Favorite Sport? and then she talks about some other films from her career. You can watch the trailer for the film here.

 

 

Happy Birthday Rock!

Dave Chappelle: Equanimity Netflix Comedy Special Teaser

Dave Chappelle: Equanimity (2017)

Dave Chappelle: Equanimity premieres on December 31

Chappelle is providing three comedy special to Netflix for $60 million total. Two have already been shot and releasing on March 21, The Age of Spin and Deep in the Heart of Texas. This one was made specifically for Netflix.

Judd Apatow: The Return Netflix Comedy Special Teaser Video

Judd Apatow: The Return (2017)

Judd Apatow: The Return premieres on December 12

Judd Apatow returns to stand up for the first time in twenty-five years. He's an American producer, writer, director, comedian, and actor. He developed the television series Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared. He directed The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), Knocked Up (2007), and Trainwreck (2015).

The Eve Arden Blogathon is Here!!!

The Eve Arden Blogathon has finally arrived! I will update this post as entries come in so please check back throughout the weekend! I can't wait to read all the entries about this fabulous comedienne. A huge thank you to all who participated!

The Posts

The Story Enthusiast, like myself, went on an Arden kick after seeing The Voice of the Turtle (1947).

 

The Midnite Drive-In talks Grease-y Relationships.

Realweegiemidget Reviews relates how Arden's small role in Grease (1978) left a big impact.

Caftan Woman shares the wartime comedy The Doughgirls (1944).

Hamlette's Soliloquy wants to know what Arden's character is up to in No, No, Nanette (1940).

Hometowns to Hollywood takes a look at Arden's career and the town where she grew up.

Love Letters to Old Hollywood finds Arden perfect for her role in Cover Girl (1944).

Critica Retro looks at Arden's small role in the dazzling Ziegfeld Girl (1941).

Once Upon a Screen finds Arden to be the bright spot in Three Husbands (1950).

Keep an eye out for my next blogathon announcement!

Brian Regan: Nunchucks and Flamethrowers Netflix Comedy Special Trailer

Brian Regan: Nunchucks and Flamethrowers (2017)

Brian Regan: Nunchucks and Flamethrowers premieres on November 21

Regan is an American stand-up comedian who uses observational, sarcastic, and self-deprecating humor. His performances are clean as he refrains from profanity and off-color humor. Regan's material typically covers everyday events, such as shipping a package with UPS and a visit to an optometrist. Regan makes frequent references to childhood, including little league baseball, grade school spelling bees, and science projects.