Movie #256 - Harry & the Hendersons

Harry & the Hendersons
1987 - Rated PG - 1 hr 50 min
Director: William Dear
Starring: John Lithgow, Melinda Dillon, Kevin Peter Hall, Lainie Kazan, Don Ameche, M. Emmet Walsh

As weird as the premise of this movie is, it's sweet.  The Hendersons are a normal family, enjoying a nice vacation together, when they hit Big Foot with their car.  Thinking him dead, they bring him home... Why? Beats me.  Something about selling him to a museum.  Anyway, it takes more than a Volvo to kill Big Foot, so he's up and raiding the fridge in no time.

John Lithgow is great in this movie as he tries to figure out what's best for his new furry friend and his family.  Still to this day, that one scene when he's trying to set Harry free gets me all choked up. Oh, Harry!

Movie #255 - Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
2008 - Rated R - 1 hr 47 min
Directors: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg
Starring: John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris, Rob Corddry, Jack Conley, Roger Bart, Eric Winter, Missi Pyle, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Ed Helms

I'm not sure that we needed this movie, but it's definitely on par with the first.  Some of the jokes are referenced again, but mostly we get all brand new ones.  Including a stoner Prez.

NPH is back and redefining his name... This time, Kumar's chasing a girl, Harold wants to kill him, and Rob Corddry is going to send them back to Guantanamo Bay forever.  At points, this movie actually makes fun of itself - something I always enjoy in an over-the-top comedy.  It makes it somehow okay that you're laughing at the bad jokes.

All in all, another worthy effort.  But nothing beats a White Castle burger, so I prefer the original.

Movie #254 - Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
2004 - Rated R - 1 hr 28 min
Director: Denny Leiner
Starring: John Cho, Kal Penn, Ethan Embry, Fred Willard, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Neil Patrick Harris, Ryan Reynolds, Malin Akerman, David Krumholtz, Anthony Andersen

The premise of this movie is not one that I'd normally expect to enjoy.  Two stoners get the munchies and encounter a series of strange obstacles and people on their way to the nearest White Castle. On paper, not that funny.  In reality, and with NPH in pre-HIMYM Barney effect, this is hysterical.

Some of the characters are a bit over the top (for example, Freakshow) but for the most part, this is just a fun adventure to go on.  The creators also did Dude, Where's My Car? and really seemed to learn from their first attempt.  They kept the pieces of the formula that worked and just improved on it.  A much better output.  And they even give us a nudge at the end...

"Dude, where's my car?"
"Yeah, where's his car, dude?"

Cute.

Movie #253 - Happy Gilmore

Happy Gilmore
1996 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 32 min
Director: Dennis Dugan
Starring: Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, Frances Bay, Allen Covert, Robert Smigel, Richard Kiel, Dennis Dugan, Kevin Nealon

It was the 90's. Adam Sandler was still funny in a sorta creepy kind of way.  And no one had touched "golf comedy" since Caddyshack.  Good idea?

Honestly, this isn't my favorite Adam Sandler and I find a lot of the jokes are stale and overused.  It definitely has Sandler's usual panache, but it's not as good as Billy Madison or even Big Daddy.  But it's better than Little Nicky, so I'll give him some credit.  I know this is some people's favorite Sandler comedy, but it doesn't strike the same chord with me.  Although it was funny to watch the mom from Modern Family play the love interest in those outrageous mid-90's threads.

Movie #252 - The Hangover

The Hangover
2009 - Rated R - 1 hr 40 min
Director: Todd Phillips
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Heather Graham, Jeffrey Tambor, Ken Jeong, Rachael Harris, Mike Tyson, Mike Epps, Sasha Barrese, Rob Riggle

This movie actually DID live up to all the hype.  I was skeptical at first, since I was the last person on earth to see this movie and everyone was talking about how much I would love it.  Usually, those kinds of scenarios end in disappointment.

However, there's just something about this movie--and I don't know what it is--that it absolutely hysterical.  It's not that unique of a premise, the cast of characters is pretty cookie-cutter, and the funniest scenes are the easiest laughs... but man, is it funny.  Does it get any better than naked Ken Jeong leaping out of the trunk? I don't think so.

The quotes abound, the actors make the characters their own, and disaster is just barely thwarted.  A solid comedy that just might deserve that sequel their making.  I hope they don't screw it up.  Something tells me they won't.

Movie #251 - Hancock

Hancock
2008 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 32 min
Director: Peter Berg
Starring: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman, Thomas Lennon

From the previews, I thought this movie would be a lot more fun than it ended up being.  Come on. Ornery superhero annoyed by his moral obligation to help people? Could have been great.  Wasn't.

Instead, this becomes some kind of supernatural drama and our "superhero" is really some kind of "superbeing" that is thousands of years old and has amnesia.  As he finds out more about who he is, and concentrates less on getting over his aversion to help others, I start to lose interest.  Yes, it lends itself to some really cool action sequences, which are most likely CGI-heavy, but I really felt let down.

I don't hate it, but I don't like it as much as I thought I would.

Movie #250 - Hamlet 2

Hamlet 2
2008 - Rated R - 1 hr 32 min
Director: Andrew Flemins
Starring: Steve Coogan, Elisabeth Shue, Catherine Keener, Joseph Julian Soria, Skylar Astin, Phoebe Strole, David Arquette, Amy Poehler, Melonie Diaz

Oh my God, I love this movie so much.  It's one part Waiting for Guffman and one part Napoleon Dynamite all grown up.  Awkward and lame high school drama director tackles his inner demons by rewriting Hamlet with a happy ending? Done.

The kids in this movie are also fantastic.  Epiphany's racist, Rand's in the closet, and Octavio's a secret genius, mistaken for a troubled, "ethnic" youth.  As they work together despite their differences, and their director's life falls apart, and the school bans the show, you're never in doubt that the show will go on.  It's just funny to watch how they'll get there. 

Maybe I love this movie because I'm a theater person. But I'm pretty sure it's hillarious even if you don't know which direction stage left is.

Movie #249 - A Guy Thing

A Guy Thing
2003 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 41 min
Director: Chris Koch
Starring: Jason Lee, Julia Stiles, Selma Blair, James Brolin, Shawn Hatosy, David Koechner, Julie Hagerty, Thomas Lennon, Jackie Burroughs

I think this movie is really funny, but I realize that not everyone agrees with me.  I mean, Jason Lee as the romantic lead? Torn between Julia Stiles and Selma Blair?  It's unlikely, but it does afford for many hillarious moments.

From bathroom crabs to underwear bins, Jason Lee tests the solidarity of the male sex.  Will his friends back up all his lies? What about total strangers?  He doesn't mean to be "cheating" and hiding things from his fiance, but stuff just keeps happening to him, whether he wants it to or not.

Yes, it's based on an infidelity...which I'm usually not a fan of in movies.  But everyone gets their own happy ending and no feelings are hurt in the process.  That's how we know it's only a movie...

Movie #248 - A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints

A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints
2006 - Rated R - 1 hr 50 min
Director: Dito Montiel
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Dianne Wiest, Shia LeBeouf, Julia Garro, Channing Tatum, Rosario Dawson, Chazz Palminteri, Eric Roberts, Scott Michael Campbell, Melonie Diaz

I don't even know where to begin.  This movie disturbed me, and I'm not sure if that was the response they're looking for.  Robert Downey Jr plays the author, Dito Montiel, and Shia LeBeouf plays the young Dito in 1986.  Based on a true story, Dito deals with plenty of personal tragedy throughout his troubled past.  Lost loves, the deaths of friends, a distant father... all the cliches.

As a story goes, there's not much resolution here. You watch this movie and come away with very little.  It makes me wonder why the story is told, you know?  As the movie goes, the acting seems forced at times. And the F word, which doesn't usually bother me, appears at least three times in every sentence.  It's hard to feel compassion for any character in this contrived drama... I guess I didn't get it.

Movie #247 - Guarding Tess

Guarding Tess
1994 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 36 min
Director: Hugh Wilson
Starring: Shirley MacLaine, Nicolas Cage, Austin Pendleton, Edward Albert, Richard Griffiths, James Rebhorn

This movie's sweet, really.  It starts out a battle of wills between a former first lady and her head of security, who just wants out.  Nicolas Cage plays a tame version of himself (Hey, his acting abilities are limited, all right?) but it works. The power struggle is fun to watch, but it's Shirley MacLaine who really steals the show. 

Then the movie turns dramatic quickly with an unexpected kidnapping.  It's like all that light-hearted banter was a setup. You've been betrayed. This is now a crime drama.  Toes are getting shot off, FBI agents are swarming, and where the heck is Shirley MacLaine? But of course, everyone gets their warm, fuzzy ending.

Movie #246 - Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day
1993 - Rated PG - 1 hr 41 min
Director: Harold Ramis
Starring: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky, Brian Doyle-Murray, Marita Geraghty

If you had to live one day over and over, with no consequences, what would you do?  To answer your question, Bill Murray tries everything.  He starts off in denial, then embraces it and breaks the law, then tries to use the time to make something right in the world, then woos the woman of his dreams.  How can he make an eternal February 2 turn into February 3?

Check with Andie MacDowell.

I love this movie so much and always have.  It's such a clever premise and so expertly executed.  And they don't waste time trying to explain why this happens to him, which makes it better.  Sometimes stuff happens and we don't know why. This is an extreme example, but hey. My point remains.  Bill Murray accepts his unusual fate with gusto, and doesn't waste too much time trying to figure it out.  It sucks, but it's his lot in life, so he deals with it the best way he can.  Buy nailing Nancy, punching Ned, and learning to play piano.  Do what you gotta do, you know?

And he even gets his own happy ending, when all is said and done.

Movie #245 - The Groomsmen

The Groomsmen
2006  Rated R - 1 hr 38 min
Director: Edward Burns
Starring: Edward Burns. Matthew Lillard, Brittany Murphy, John Leguizamo, Donal Logue, Jay Mohr, Shari Albert

My biggest beef with this movie is the misleading marketing.  The poster pictured here reads "The boys are back in town."  The DVD box reads "Till death do they party."  But this isn't The Hangover. That movie might be better served by those one-liners than this one. 

This movie is good, but it's not a party flick.  This groom and his groomsmen have a lot of things to sort out with each other.  There's a lot more drama than there is partying.  It annoys me that they didn't trust in the movie's validity as a romance/drama and tried to make it sound like something it isn't.

You won't laugh that much when you watch it.  But you will find yourself drawn in to these barely-functioning relationships. Brothers struggling to accept each other, men in various stages of their own relationships trying to remain friends, a gay son reconciling with his dad.  Doesn't sound like a party movie, does it?

Movie #244 - Gremlins

Gremlins
1984 - Rated PG - 1 hr 46 min
Director: Joe Dante
Starring: Hoyt Axton, Scott Brady, Zach Galligan, Corey Feldman, Dick Miller, Phoebe Cates

I know lots of boys were in love with Phoebe Cates because of this movie, but that Zach Galligan seemed pretty studly to my youthful self.  Now, not so much.

Watching this again after so many years how's not only reoriented my thinking of what's attractive, but has also let me see more clearly the lesson learned by this movie.  Don't get a pet you can't take care of.  Everything that goes wrong results directly from poor pet care.  Yes, Gremlins are more extreme than cats or dogs, but if you don't take care of your pets, sh*t's gonna go down, people!

Still my favorite scene? Caroling Gremlins that send Mrs. Deagle on a wild ride up the stairs and out the window.  Priceless.

Movie #243 - The Great Muppet Caper

The Great Muppet Caper
1981 - Rated G - 1 hr 35 min
Director: Jim Henson
Starring: Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Charles Grodin, Diana Rigg, John Cleese, Kathryn Mullen, Jack Warden

A lone Muppet movie in the G's is a treat. Yay!  The witty dialogue, sing-along songs, and guest appearances that make the Muppets famous are all alive and well in this classic movie.  Wow... this was made the year I was born. It's ooooollllldddd.

Anyway, Kermit and Fozzy play identical twins turned journalists who travel to England to get to the bottom of a jewelry robbery.  In a classic case of mistaken identity, they think Miss Piggy is Lady Holliday, a wealthy fashion designer who was robbed.  Turns out, her brother is the evil thief.  He falls in love with Miss Piggy (cuz, that's what happens, you know?) and the Muppets have to interrupt the heist to save the day.

So not only do the Muppets go international in this movie, but they're solving crimes! What kid from the 80's doesn't love a good Muppet movie, espeically this one?

Movie #242 - Grandma's Boy

Grandma's Boy
2006 - Rated R - 1 hr 34 min
Director: Nicholaus Goosen
Starring: Allen Covert, Linda Cardellini, Peter Dante, Shirley Jones, Shirley Knight, Joel Moore, Kevin Nealon, Doris Roberts, Nick Swardson, Jonah Hill

Allen Covert's not exactly the kind of guy you'd pick for a leading role.  He's not handsome or charming, he's not lovable or even likable for most of the movie.  He plays a low life kind of guy, stuck in a job that's beneath his abilities, evicted from his apartment and forced to live with his grandma, and seriously addicted to pot.  Also, he's 36.

Time to grow up, right?

Somehow, you still end up rooting for him, even if only because everyone else in this movie is equally or more unlikable. Particularly his nemesis JP, a video game genius who talks like a robot when he's nervous and dresses like he just fell out of The Matrix. By comparison, Allen Covert's character actually is the most likable.

His grandma, though, is probably the best part of this movie.  Yes, it's the mom from Everybody Loves Raymond. And her two roommates are pretty cool as well, one of whom is classic TV's Shirley Jones, or the Patridge Family mom.  Sweet.

There's not much of a life lesson to be gleaned from this one.  It's entertaining, but very middle of the road in terms of comedy.  Meh.

Movie #241 - The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard

The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
2009 - Rated R - 1 hr 29 min
Director: Neal Brennan
Starring: Jeremy Piven, Ving Rhames, David Koechner, James Brolin, Kathryn Hahn, Ed Helms, Jordana Spiro, Ken Jeong, Tony Hale, Alan Thicke, Rob Riggle, Wendie Malick

Is this the funniest movie ever made? Nah.  Is it pretty funny in its own dysfunctional way? Absolutely.  Jeremy Piven plays "cocky bastard" like no other and Kathryn Hahn is totally priceless, basically in everything she does.  Then there's Ving Rhames... And Ed Helms's boy band.

It's nice to see these comedic side characters take on bigger roles and manage them well.  Even if they're characters aren't very likable as people.  They're brash and pushy and immoral lots of times, but damn can they sell cars!

Wait for the Will Ferrell cameo, which is one of the best scenes in this entire movie.

Movie #240 - The Goonies

The Goonies
1985 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 54 min
Director: Richard Donner
Starring: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Joe Pantoliano, Corey Feldman, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton, Jonathan Ke Quan, Robert Davi, Anne Ramsey

Oh, the goonies.  Suburban American gets it's very own pirate adventure in this 80s classic, rife with young stars. Little baby Sean Astin.  Teenage Josh Brolin. Skinny Joe Pantoliano.  And Cyndi Lauper's all over the place, in case you missed her.

The best part about revisiting this childhood favorite as an adult is all the jokes I've just understood.  And the pirate's name is One-Eyed Willy.  One. Eyed. Willy.  How did I not get that? And how do all these people make it through the movie without laughing?

We also got to watch the deleted scenes on the DVD, including the illusive octopus attack scene that Mike has been obsessed with finding since childhood.  Well, here it is.  Hooray.

So I love this movie for what it represents from my childhood, for being led by a talented cast of tweens, and for introducing us all to the possibility that we could become treasure hunters. And actually find something.

Movie #239 - Good Will Hunting

Good Will Hunting
1997 - Rated R - 2 hr 6 min
Director: Gus Van Sant
Starring: Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver, Stellan Skarsgard, Casey Affleck, Cole Hauser

The movie that made Matt and Ben household names.  And also help Robin Williams to be taken more seriously as an actor.  Who doesn't love this movie, honestly?

Matt is Will Hunting, a kid from Southie with a troubled past, a broken home, and a serious addiction to knowledge.  He's solving math problems while mopping the hallways at MIT and catches the attention of one professor who wants to help him out and set him straight.  Will he renounce his fist-fighting, f-bomb-dropping ways and go work somewhere as a genius? Or will he keep mopping floors until the day he dies?

There are lots of great things about this movie, including it's realistic account of what like would probably be like for someone like Will Hunting.  There isn't always a happy ending, the guy doesn't always get the girl, the main character isn't always changed by the plot... knowing these traditional constraints don't apply, this movie is enjoyable from beginning to end.

Movie #238 - Good Morning, Vietnam

Good Morning, Vietnam
1987 - Rated R - 2 hr 1 min
Director: Barry Levinson
Starring: Robin Williams, Forest Whitaker

Dude, Forest Whitaker is wicked young AND wicked thin in this movie.  It's weird.

Youth and fitness aside, this movie's not exactly a feel-good comedy, you know?  Robin Williams is funny, but you won't walk away from this going, "Wow! Thank God comedy saved the day!"  The ending is a bleak as the war the movie documents, so I guess at least it's fitting.

That aside, Williams is incredible in this movie, almost like he's playing himself on camera.  According to the DVD case, this is "the role he was born to play" so it seems the critics agree.  And his performance is what makes this one special. Comedy almost saves the day, and on a small scale (in the lives of these soldiers) it did make a difference.  If you focus on that, it's a little heartwarming after all.

Movie #237 - Good Luck Chuck

Good Luck Chuck
2007 - Rated R - 1 hr 36 min
Director: Mark Helfrich
Starring: Dane Cook, Jessica Alba, Dan Fogler

Aside from the disturbing movie poster, there's not much about this comedy that sets it apart from the white noise of rom-coms out there.  It is exactly as advertised: boy meets girl, boy screws up, miscommunication occurs, hillarity ensues, boy gets girl.  The road there is a little weirder than usual, but it's predictable.

Now, that's not to say it's not funny to watch them get from Point A to Point E.  The added elements of Chuck's curse (that every girl he's with will marry the next guy she meets) and Jessica Alba's klutzy crazy make it different enough to make you laugh.  But there are parts that even gross me out... so yeah, there's that too.

Anyway... nothing exemplary, but Dane Cook and Jessica Alba make a cute couple.  And those penguins are adorable too.

Movie #236 - Gone with the Wind

Gone with the Wind
1939 - Not Rated - 3 hr 58 min
Director: Victor Fleming
Starring: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Hattie McDaniel, Butterfly McQueen, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland

Mike watched this one with me for the first time, after years of me begging him to give it a chance.  And he liked it! Yay!

Contrary to popular belief, this is not a chick flick.  It's a representation of a time when movies were an event, not just a 90 minute beginning/middle/end.  Yes, it's four hours, and yes it's about a woman.  But it's about a strong woman who defies the social confines of her time and does what she needs to in order to survive.

And if you've never seen this movie, check the snide remarks, okay? I've heard enough of them already.

Set aside some time to watch this one.  It's an experience and an important part of both our American history and our cinematic history.