Movie #334 - Just Friends

Just Friends
2005 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 36 min
Director: Roger Kumble
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart, Anna Faris, Chris Klein, Chris Marquette, Julie Hagerty, Fred Ewanuick, Amy Matysio

Ryan Reynolds in a fat suit is the opposite of a good thing, in case you were wondering.  It's funny, for sure, but I much prefer the post-high school version of his character. Just sayin'.

This is a cute rom-com. High school best friends attempt to address their unexplored, deeper feelings for each other after 10 years apart.  Reynolds' new music career forces him to bring along Anna Faris (an Ashlee Simpson-like rock star) and lots of classic misunderstandings and misfires occur.  Faris is fabulous, as usual, embracing her crazy character and playing some of the worst music you'll ever hear.  Julie Hagerty plays the same character she always plays, the airhead/adorable woman who's too sweet to be annoying.

Reynolds and Amy Smart are a good match, with some decent chemistry, and they keep you rooting for them.  All in all, this has the right elements to make a good entry to the rom-com category.  Fun to watch, characters you enjoy, and an ending that pays off.

Movie #122 - American Pie 2

American Pie 2
Universal Pictures
2001 - Rated R - 1 hr 48 min
Director: J.B. Rogers
Starring: Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott, Shannon Elizabeth, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Mena Suvari, Jennifer Coolidge, Eugene Levy, Eddie Kaye Thomas

As sequels go, this one isn't so bad... mostly because the entire cast came back to do it (unlike the third movie in this trilogy).  No desserts are harmed in the making of this, but Jim's awkward sex streak rages onward and even lands him in the hospital, glued to himself.  How charming.

I think someone wrote his character to make us all feel better about ourselves. Schadenfreude is a beautiful thing.  And it kept selling movie tickets, so here we are. 

The story lines progress in a believable way in this one, with all the couples split apart because of college-related circumstances.  It's interesting to see them all regroup and try to recapture their high school days a year into college.  They do a pretty good job of it, too.  Some of the jokes are reused a bit too much, and Stiffler's little brother is a pain in the ass, but it's watchable.  You'll laugh and definitely feel better about your own awkard sex-capades after this movie.

Movie #121 - American Pie

American Pie
Universal Pictures
1999 - Rated R - 1 hr 35 min
Director: Paul Weitz
Starring: Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Alyson Hannigan, Shannon Elizabeth, Tara Reid, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Seann William Scott, Eugene Levy, Mena Suvari, Jennifer Coolidge

Iconic film of the 90s/00s? This is probably in the running.  It has hot girls, teen sex, comedy, fart jokes, and Stiffler.  So yeah... it's up there.  It also has one of the most notable lines in Gen-Y filmography: "No longer will our penises remain flaccid and unused!" As well as sparking a term that's still sticking with us - the MILF.

That aside, Jason Biggs is adorable, Eugene Levy is awkward in the way only he can manage, Mena Suvari is slightly less annoying than she was in American Beauty, and Tara Reid wasn't a crazy bitch yet.  Also, there's a LOT of young actors with three names in this movie... check out that cast list. Weird, huh?

So it is what it is.  There's pie humping, underage drinking, and jokes at a band geek's expense.  Also, there's now an irritatingly huge film franchise thanks to this little movie (honestly, why are they still making these? And why is Eugene Levy still in them?) But none of them are as clever and fun as the original.

Have your pie and eat it too!
(Sorry, I can't help myself sometimes...)

Movie #25 - American Dreamz

American Dreamz
Universal Pictures
2006 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 47 min
Director: Paul Weitz
Starring: Hugh Grant, Dennis Quaid, Mandy Moore, Willem Dafoe, Chris Klein and Jennifer Coolidge

"Imagine a country where the president never reads the newspaper, where the government goes to war for all the wrong reasons, and where more people vote for a pop idol than their next president."

That's the tagline for this one, and it pretty aptly sums up the premise. On one hand, you have a hugely successful pop idol selection show (sound familiar?) and on the other, you have a bumbling president who suddenly decides to start learning about foreign policy (ahem). Anyway, what happens when these two collide on one night of television? Did I forget to mention the terrorist cell that has a plant on said pop idol selection show?

It sounds overly satirical and too tongue-in-cheek to be funny, but the political undertones are well hidden. Subtle, even. You just get to sit back, relax, and pretend this stuff would never happen in the US. Right?

Good times.