The top nine are really bringing the heat into and outside of the MasterChef kitchen in season 8. In "A Mexican Tag Team Challenge," eight of the contestants are paired up for an elimination challenge which has some frustrated. While during "The Great Outdoors," brings the chefs outside for some old-fashioned, elevated, campground cooking.
- 8/30/2017
- by editor@buddytv.com
- buddytv.com
CBS has canceled “The Great Indoors,” TheWrap has learned. Joel McHale starred on the sitcom, which joins other CBS freshman series “Doubt,” “Training Day” and “Pure Genius” in getting the axe. The network still has a number of shows still in limbo, including “Elementary,” “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders” and “Code Black.” Read More See Joel McHale's latest Power Move. PowerRank: 4366 On “Great Indoors,” McHale played Joel, an outdoorsy guy’s guy with a sardonic sense of humor. The longtime star reporter for “The Great Outdoors” magazine, Joel has climbed...
- 5/13/2017
- by Linda Ge
- The Wrap
Last month, CBS renewed 18 TV shows -- including freshman comedies Kevin Can Wait, Man with a Plan, and Superior Donuts -- but while it wasn't cancelled, The Great Indoors also wasn't among the renewals. Now, the Tiffany Network has moved the remaining season one episodes of The Great Indoors from Thursdays to Monday nights.A workplace sitcom, The Great Indoors features adventure reporter Jack Gordon (Joel McHale), who finds himself surrounded by Millennials, after being reassigned to a stifling desk job. Stephen Fry, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Susannah Fielding, Chris Williams, Christine Ko, and Shaun Brown also star. According to the CBS press release, the network will air reruns of The Big Bang Theory in The Great Outdoors timeslot. Read More…...
- 4/14/2017
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
One of the definitive joys of covering the Berlinale is combing through the vast program of its sidebar sections. Featuring literally hundreds of movies this side of the glamorous competition, it’s often where programmers get to be creative and screen some of the best-kept secrets of the festival. The queer-licious Panorama section won us over with such titles as God’s Own Country, Close-Knit and Skins. Meanwhile, the more experimental-leaning Forum section served up the expected oddities including Somniloquies and Animals, a trippy mindf*ck from Switzerland/Austria.
The setup seems straightforward enough: Nick (Philipp Hochmair) is a chef, about to take six months off to travel the Swiss countryside and collect regional recipes with wife Anna (Birgit Minichmayr), a children’s book author suffering from a case of jealousy and possibly also writer’s block. On the eve of their departure, Nick brings home a good-looking acquaintance...
The setup seems straightforward enough: Nick (Philipp Hochmair) is a chef, about to take six months off to travel the Swiss countryside and collect regional recipes with wife Anna (Birgit Minichmayr), a children’s book author suffering from a case of jealousy and possibly also writer’s block. On the eve of their departure, Nick brings home a good-looking acquaintance...
- 2/27/2017
- by Zhuo-Ning Su
- The Film Stage
CBS’ medical drama Pure Genius doesn’t have much of a pulse.
The network won’t be ordering more episodes of the freshman drama beyond the initial 13, according to our sister site Deadline. It’s not technically cancelled yet, but Season 2 looks like a real longshot at this point. Production on Season 1 wraps up on Dec. 15; the show is expected to keep airing Thursdays at 10/9c for the remainder of its run.
Related2017 Renewal Scorecard: What’s Coming Back? What’s Getting Cancelled? What’s on the Bubble?
Pure Genius stars Augustus Prew as tech billionaire James Bell, who’s...
The network won’t be ordering more episodes of the freshman drama beyond the initial 13, according to our sister site Deadline. It’s not technically cancelled yet, but Season 2 looks like a real longshot at this point. Production on Season 1 wraps up on Dec. 15; the show is expected to keep airing Thursdays at 10/9c for the remainder of its run.
Related2017 Renewal Scorecard: What’s Coming Back? What’s Getting Cancelled? What’s on the Bubble?
Pure Genius stars Augustus Prew as tech billionaire James Bell, who’s...
- 11/22/2016
- TVLine.com
“The pleasure lies not in discovering the truth, but in searching for it.”
Both a quote from Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina” and the first piece of evidence discovered by “Search Party’s” lead investigator, the above quotation poetically encapsulates TBS’ new comedy-mystery hybrid. From executive producer Michael Showalter and creators Sarah Violet-Bliss and Charles Rogers, the 10-episode, half-hour series follows four members of the millennial generation who become infatuated with finding a missing woman. Led by Dory (Alia Shawkat), the group’s connection to the inexplicably absent Chantal is tenuous to say the least, yet one after another, their lives become intertwined with the distanced acquaintance during their quest to find her.
Shrewdly observant and emotionally honest, “Search Party” doesn’t sound like an uproarious comedy from the elevator pitch, but its writers strike a delicate balance between pleasure, lies, and truth while their characters seek the latter. The...
Both a quote from Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina” and the first piece of evidence discovered by “Search Party’s” lead investigator, the above quotation poetically encapsulates TBS’ new comedy-mystery hybrid. From executive producer Michael Showalter and creators Sarah Violet-Bliss and Charles Rogers, the 10-episode, half-hour series follows four members of the millennial generation who become infatuated with finding a missing woman. Led by Dory (Alia Shawkat), the group’s connection to the inexplicably absent Chantal is tenuous to say the least, yet one after another, their lives become intertwined with the distanced acquaintance during their quest to find her.
Shrewdly observant and emotionally honest, “Search Party” doesn’t sound like an uproarious comedy from the elevator pitch, but its writers strike a delicate balance between pleasure, lies, and truth while their characters seek the latter. The...
- 11/21/2016
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Two episodes were provided prior to broadcast.
The fact that CBS’s newest comedy, The Great Indoors, airs after the network’s longest-running, mega-hit The Big Bang Theory bodes well for the freshman comedy’s potential to gain some kind of an audience. It’s stocked with fine actors from a collection of other well-known shows and movies, it’s got a decent workplace comedy premise, and series creator Mike Gibbons (Tosh.0) at least knows how to wrangle together the show’s quirky cast into something resembling a neighborhood in the vicinity of charming.
Yet, it’s an effort to make it through just the 20-minute pilot. Many listable reasons throw themselves onto the rails that is the eventual train wreck of The Great Indoors, all acceptable excuses for changing the channel until Mom comes on, or maybe just turning off the TV completely and discovering these mythical “outdoors” that...
The fact that CBS’s newest comedy, The Great Indoors, airs after the network’s longest-running, mega-hit The Big Bang Theory bodes well for the freshman comedy’s potential to gain some kind of an audience. It’s stocked with fine actors from a collection of other well-known shows and movies, it’s got a decent workplace comedy premise, and series creator Mike Gibbons (Tosh.0) at least knows how to wrangle together the show’s quirky cast into something resembling a neighborhood in the vicinity of charming.
Yet, it’s an effort to make it through just the 20-minute pilot. Many listable reasons throw themselves onto the rails that is the eventual train wreck of The Great Indoors, all acceptable excuses for changing the channel until Mom comes on, or maybe just turning off the TV completely and discovering these mythical “outdoors” that...
- 10/25/2016
- by Mitchel Broussard
- We Got This Covered
In this episode of Off The Shelf, Ryan and Brian take a look at the new DVD and Blu-ray releases for the week of August 9th, 2016.
Subscribe in iTunes or RSS.
Episode Notes & Links Follow-up Star Wars The Force Awakens 3D Blu-ray The Thing delayed Olive Signature releases in October News Arrow Releases Criterion’s November line-up Twilight Time Sale / American Buffalo Oop Plain Archive Old Boy Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection Links to Amazon The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension Beethoven The ’Burbs The Dream Team Elvis The Great Outdoors Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words Microwave Massacre The Money Pit Patch Adams Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made Our Top Five Home Video Releases
Ryan
Bambi / Fantasia Seven Samurai / Qatsi Trilogy / Metropolis Ultimate Matrix / Blade Runner / Alien Anthology / Star Wars Cosmos The Lord of the Rings Extended Edition set
Deadwood,...
Subscribe in iTunes or RSS.
Episode Notes & Links Follow-up Star Wars The Force Awakens 3D Blu-ray The Thing delayed Olive Signature releases in October News Arrow Releases Criterion’s November line-up Twilight Time Sale / American Buffalo Oop Plain Archive Old Boy Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection Links to Amazon The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension Beethoven The ’Burbs The Dream Team Elvis The Great Outdoors Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words Microwave Massacre The Money Pit Patch Adams Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made Our Top Five Home Video Releases
Ryan
Bambi / Fantasia Seven Samurai / Qatsi Trilogy / Metropolis Ultimate Matrix / Blade Runner / Alien Anthology / Star Wars Cosmos The Lord of the Rings Extended Edition set
Deadwood,...
- 8/17/2016
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
“The Great Indoors” executive producer Mike Gibbons had some fun during the show’s Television Critics Association summer press tour panel on Wednesday. When asked if the show was going to ultimately be a middle aged white man complaining about the current state of the world, Gibbons said, “Our show is going to make America great again. … Irony comes through in print right?” Joel McHale leads the CBS multi-camera sitcom as the longtime star reporter for “The Great Outdoors” magazine, who has climbed mountains, confronted bears and just generally led a life of excitement and adventure. Also Read: CBS Boss...
- 8/10/2016
- by Joe Otterson
- The Wrap
0:00 – Intro 8:45 – Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows 45:50 – Headlines: Ghostbusters Day, Daniel Craig Undecided About Next Bond Movie + Casting Rumours 59:00 – Other Stuff We Watched: The Great Outdoors, The Money Pit, Alice in Wonderland, Witness to Murder, The Wrong Man, Letter Never Sent, Neighbors 2: […]...
- 6/8/2016
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
In this episode of Off The Shelf, Ryan and Brian take a look at the new DVD and Blu-ray releases for Tuesday, May 3rd 2016.
Subscribe in iTunes or RSS.
Follow-Up FilmStruck Follow-up: Mad Max, regions Over the Garden Wall deal News Criterion: Cat People Shout Factory: Shout Selects: Buckaroo Banzai, John Carpenter’s Elvis Scream Factory: Session 9, Invasion of the Body Snatchers Kino Lorber: The Laughing Policeman, 100 Rifles, Wolf Lake Warner Home Video: McQ, Chisum, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon Warner Archive: Love Me or Leave Me Universal: The Great Outdoors, The ‘Burbs, The Dream Team, The Money Pit (Bb exclusive?) Olive Films: July Titles 88 Films: Retroactive, Short Night of Glass Dolls, The Perfume of the Lady in Black Scorpion Releasing – City on Fire, + Truck Stop Women and Cheerleaders Wild Weekend to be sold through Diabolik & Code Red’s Sites Links to Amazon Airwolf – The...
Subscribe in iTunes or RSS.
Follow-Up FilmStruck Follow-up: Mad Max, regions Over the Garden Wall deal News Criterion: Cat People Shout Factory: Shout Selects: Buckaroo Banzai, John Carpenter’s Elvis Scream Factory: Session 9, Invasion of the Body Snatchers Kino Lorber: The Laughing Policeman, 100 Rifles, Wolf Lake Warner Home Video: McQ, Chisum, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon Warner Archive: Love Me or Leave Me Universal: The Great Outdoors, The ‘Burbs, The Dream Team, The Money Pit (Bb exclusive?) Olive Films: July Titles 88 Films: Retroactive, Short Night of Glass Dolls, The Perfume of the Lady in Black Scorpion Releasing – City on Fire, + Truck Stop Women and Cheerleaders Wild Weekend to be sold through Diabolik & Code Red’s Sites Links to Amazon Airwolf – The...
- 5/4/2016
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
Stephen Fry will co-star in The Great Indoors TV series pilot at CBS. Fry has been cast in the role of Antonio, opposite the cancelled Community's Joel McHale. Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Shaun Brown, and Christine Ko are also in the cast.
Deadline says Fry's Antonio is, "...the charismatic founder of 'The Great Outdoors' magazine, and a world traveler, explorer and adventurer. The employee-boss dynamic between Joel and Antonio is compared to that between Tina Fey’s Liz Lemon and Alec Baldwin’s Jack Donaghy on NBC's 30 Rock."
Read More…...
Deadline says Fry's Antonio is, "...the charismatic founder of 'The Great Outdoors' magazine, and a world traveler, explorer and adventurer. The employee-boss dynamic between Joel and Antonio is compared to that between Tina Fey’s Liz Lemon and Alec Baldwin’s Jack Donaghy on NBC's 30 Rock."
Read More…...
- 3/16/2016
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Popular British actor/comedian/writer/game show host Stephen Fry is set to co-star opposite Joel McHale in The Great Indoors, CBS' multi-camera pilot written by Mike Gibbons and directed by Andy Ackerman. The comedy, from CBS TV Studios, centers on Joel (McHale), an adventure reporter who must adapt to the times when he becomes boss to a group of millennials in the digital department of their magazine. Fry will play Antonio, the charismatic founder of “The Great Outdoors”…...
- 3/15/2016
- Deadline TV
Community fans still in denial about the show’s cancellation may want to skip this story.
Former Greendale Gang member Joel McHale has been cast as the lead in The Great Indoors, CBS’ workplace comedy pilot from Tosh.0 co-creator Mike Gibbons.
RelatedPilot Season ’16: Scoop on This Fall’s (Possible) New Shows, Who’s In Them
The multi-cam sitcom finds McHale playing the longtime star reporter for The Great Outdoors magazine who has climbed mountains, confronted bears, and just generally led a life of excitement and adventure. But when he’s sidelined by an injury, he’s forced to take...
Former Greendale Gang member Joel McHale has been cast as the lead in The Great Indoors, CBS’ workplace comedy pilot from Tosh.0 co-creator Mike Gibbons.
RelatedPilot Season ’16: Scoop on This Fall’s (Possible) New Shows, Who’s In Them
The multi-cam sitcom finds McHale playing the longtime star reporter for The Great Outdoors magazine who has climbed mountains, confronted bears, and just generally led a life of excitement and adventure. But when he’s sidelined by an injury, he’s forced to take...
- 2/16/2016
- TVLine.com
Joel McHale has been cast in the lead role of CBS’ comedy pilot “The Great Indoors.” McHale will play Joel, who is an outdoorsy guy’s guy with a sardonic sense of humor. The longtime star reporter for “The Great Outdoors” magazine, Joel has climbed mountains, confronted bears and just generally led a life of excitement and adventure. But when he’s sidelined by an injury, he’s forced to take a desk job in the publication’s digital and social media department, surrounded by a team of millennials who view him as an exotic and ancient oddity from another place and time.
- 2/16/2016
- by Linda Ge
- The Wrap
One of the main reasons we go to the movies is to be transported to another world. This might mean a literal different planet, or it might be some dangerous wilderness. While we love our space movies, we have a soft spot in our hearts for movies exploring Earth’s own extreme terrains.
This week sees the release of A Walk in the Woods, a film about a man who returns to the Us and decides to hike the Appalachian Trail to reconnect to his roots. Starring Robert Redford as a man intent on hiking the lengthy Georgia to Maine trek, A Walk in the Woods looks like a promising movie for the outdoor enthusiast. Nick Nolte, Mary Steenburgen, Nick Offerman and Emma Thompson also star.
Luckily for us, there’s no shortage of films celebrating the great outdoors. Hiking, climbing, you name it – if it can be done outside,...
This week sees the release of A Walk in the Woods, a film about a man who returns to the Us and decides to hike the Appalachian Trail to reconnect to his roots. Starring Robert Redford as a man intent on hiking the lengthy Georgia to Maine trek, A Walk in the Woods looks like a promising movie for the outdoor enthusiast. Nick Nolte, Mary Steenburgen, Nick Offerman and Emma Thompson also star.
Luckily for us, there’s no shortage of films celebrating the great outdoors. Hiking, climbing, you name it – if it can be done outside,...
- 8/25/2015
- by Amanda Wood
- Cineplex
"Dad, give me five dollars." The opening line of writer/director Hal Hartley's "Trust" is delivered in a monotone by Adrienne Shelly, as she applies purple lipstick and stares blankly into a compact mirror. It's a striking shot that establishes everything you need to know about her character Maria -- a high school dropout and case study in youthful entitlement and vanity. Over a career spanning three decades Hartley has been an amazingly prolific filmmaker, directing a total of 15 features and 18 shorts. Unlike many of his late '80s/early '90s indie contemporaries (Quentin Tarantino, Gus Van Sant, Richard Linklater, et al), he has never catered to mainstream tastes, and his work has been greeted by the public in kind. He is known for creating stylized worlds that feel somehow hermetic and worldly, stilted and soulful, in films ranging from 1992's "Simple Men" to 1997's "Henry Fool," and...
- 3/17/2015
- by Chris Eggertsen
- Hitfix
Camp Hollywood is coming to Reelz. Starting July 9, one lucky Reelz viewer will win their cable or satellite paid for life. In honor of our camp-themed sweepstakes, we're taking a look at the best camping flicks to hit the silver screen. Be sure that your favorites make the top ten by creating your own list and locking in your vote. Will it be a classic horror flick or a teen musical dramedy that takes the top spot? It's up to you to decide.
Rate Your Favorite Camp Movies >>
Next Showing:
Link | Posted 6/4/2014 by Reelz
The Great Outdoors | The Blair Witch Project | Troop Beverly Hills | The Parent Trap | Meatballs | Friday the 13th | Camp | SpaceCamp | The Parent Trap...
Rate Your Favorite Camp Movies >>
Next Showing:
Link | Posted 6/4/2014 by Reelz
The Great Outdoors | The Blair Witch Project | Troop Beverly Hills | The Parent Trap | Meatballs | Friday the 13th | Camp | SpaceCamp | The Parent Trap...
- 6/4/2014
- by REELZ staff
- Reelzchannel.com
The absolutely excellent documentary The Summit is out to buy this Friday and to celebrate the release of the Ifta nominated film, we’re giving away a copy of the movie on DVD, thanks to our friends at WildCard Distribution. To win, answer the insanely difficult question below and fill in your details and keep your eyes on your inbox. The Summit DVD will be in Irish stores including HMV, Tower Records, Golden Discs, Tesco and The Great Outdoors as well as through the Wildcard Distribution website and Amazon.co.uk this Friday 4th April. Loading...
- 4/1/2014
- by noreply@blogger.com (Vic Barry)
- www.themoviebit.com
This male-centred comedy holds back the willy-waving to examine how a set of Irishmen might interact if pushed beyond their usual boundaries
Some day, all male-centred comedies will be modelled after The Hangover. This present account – of a wayward walking weekend in Wicklow – at least forms one of the more likable variations, holding back the willy-waving to examine how a set of middle-class Irishmen might well interact if pushed beyond their usual boundaries. As the BBC's short-lived The Great Outdoors recognised, there's considerable mileage in the way these jaunts throw together diverse types. The process by which Andrew Scott's lovelorn best man is undermined by alpha-ish interloper Peter McDonald is well-observed, while the inclusion of two gay travellers rather smartly sidesteps one of this subgenre's signature panics. One or two set pieces don't quite have the requisite heft, yet the movie clicks whenever co-writer/director John Butler stops to...
Some day, all male-centred comedies will be modelled after The Hangover. This present account – of a wayward walking weekend in Wicklow – at least forms one of the more likable variations, holding back the willy-waving to examine how a set of middle-class Irishmen might well interact if pushed beyond their usual boundaries. As the BBC's short-lived The Great Outdoors recognised, there's considerable mileage in the way these jaunts throw together diverse types. The process by which Andrew Scott's lovelorn best man is undermined by alpha-ish interloper Peter McDonald is well-observed, while the inclusion of two gay travellers rather smartly sidesteps one of this subgenre's signature panics. One or two set pieces don't quite have the requisite heft, yet the movie clicks whenever co-writer/director John Butler stops to...
- 3/14/2014
- by Mike McCahill
- The Guardian - Film News
This male-centred comedy holds back the willy-waving to examine how a set of Irishmen might interact if pushed beyond their usual boundaries
Some day, all male-centred comedies will be modelled after The Hangover. This present account – of a wayward walking weekend in Wicklow – at least forms one of the more likable variations, holding back the willy-waving to examine how a set of middle-class Irishmen might well interact if pushed beyond their usual boundaries. As the BBC's short-lived The Great Outdoors recognised, there's considerable mileage in the way these jaunts throw together diverse types. The process by which Andrew Scott's lovelorn best man is undermined by alpha-ish interloper Peter McDonald is well-observed, while the inclusion of two gay travellers rather smartly sidesteps one of this subgenre's signature panics. One or two set pieces don't quite have the requisite heft, yet the movie clicks whenever co-writer/director John Butler stops to...
Some day, all male-centred comedies will be modelled after The Hangover. This present account – of a wayward walking weekend in Wicklow – at least forms one of the more likable variations, holding back the willy-waving to examine how a set of middle-class Irishmen might well interact if pushed beyond their usual boundaries. As the BBC's short-lived The Great Outdoors recognised, there's considerable mileage in the way these jaunts throw together diverse types. The process by which Andrew Scott's lovelorn best man is undermined by alpha-ish interloper Peter McDonald is well-observed, while the inclusion of two gay travellers rather smartly sidesteps one of this subgenre's signature panics. One or two set pieces don't quite have the requisite heft, yet the movie clicks whenever co-writer/director John Butler stops to...
- 3/13/2014
- by Mike McCahill
- The Guardian - Film News
Writer / director, Eamon Hardiman returns with the third installment of the Porkchop franchise, entitled Porkchop 3D. This time around a group of survivors from the previous films return to the back woods of West Virginia in search of revenge. Meanwhile, Burt Flemming’s nephew is also in the area, throwing a party in the cabin in the woods. Soon enough it becomes a fight for survival for all parties dumb enough to enter the domain of Porkchop.
Porkchop has become one of my all time favorite slasher series. Each installment has perfectly played off the one before it, creating a real legacy for the characters. Porkchop 3D is no different than the earlier two films, in terms of being just what its fan base craves. Each time I watch one of the Porkchop films, I flashback to being a young boy sneaking late at night to watch Troma style “filth” on Cinemax,...
Porkchop has become one of my all time favorite slasher series. Each installment has perfectly played off the one before it, creating a real legacy for the characters. Porkchop 3D is no different than the earlier two films, in terms of being just what its fan base craves. Each time I watch one of the Porkchop films, I flashback to being a young boy sneaking late at night to watch Troma style “filth” on Cinemax,...
- 11/20/2013
- by Ted Brown
- The Liberal Dead
Be careful no one puts soap in your mouth while you watch this mashup of kids cursing in movies.
Movies Included (Click to Buy)
A Christmas Story | The Sandlot | National Lampoon's Vacation | The Bad News Bears | Heavyweights | Russkies | Sleepaway Camp | Explorers | Space Camp | Kick-Ass | Role Models | 3000 Miles to Graceland | Stand By Me | Son of Rambow | Big | About a Boy | The Great Outdoors | Little Miss Sunshine | National Lampoon's European Vacation | E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial | Hardball | The Philadelphia Story | The Goonies | Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead | The Lost Boys | South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut | The Princess Bride | The Exorcist | The Good Son | Orphan | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | The Karate Kid | Meatballs | Jerry Maguire | Moonrise Kingdom | Super 8 | Adventures in Babysitting | Uncle Buck | Wet Hot American Summer...
Movies Included (Click to Buy)
A Christmas Story | The Sandlot | National Lampoon's Vacation | The Bad News Bears | Heavyweights | Russkies | Sleepaway Camp | Explorers | Space Camp | Kick-Ass | Role Models | 3000 Miles to Graceland | Stand By Me | Son of Rambow | Big | About a Boy | The Great Outdoors | Little Miss Sunshine | National Lampoon's European Vacation | E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial | Hardball | The Philadelphia Story | The Goonies | Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead | The Lost Boys | South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut | The Princess Bride | The Exorcist | The Good Son | Orphan | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | The Karate Kid | Meatballs | Jerry Maguire | Moonrise Kingdom | Super 8 | Adventures in Babysitting | Uncle Buck | Wet Hot American Summer...
- 8/14/2013
- by flasterc
- NextMovie
Ah, nature. The great outdoors. The wild, green, yonder. As a child, there’s nothing more liberating than the thought of building your own house in the middle of nowhere, escaping your parents, responsibilities, and the societal bullshit that cages you like some immature, domesticated animal. Well, there’s that, and the fact that you can just hang out with your buddies 24/7 acting like morons and drinking beer. Either way, The Kings Of Summer is a remarkable little “coming of age” story which follows three boys and their outdoorsy adventure into growth, bonding, self-discovery, and childhood wonderment – one we all wish we could have lived out.
Joe (Nick Robinson) lives with his single, bitter father Frank (Nick Offerman), Patrick (Gabriel Basso) lives with his overwhelming parents (Megan Mullally and Marc Evan Jackson), and Biaggio (Moises Arias), well, nobody really knows that weird little man’s deal, but they’re all sick of their “repressed” lives.
Joe (Nick Robinson) lives with his single, bitter father Frank (Nick Offerman), Patrick (Gabriel Basso) lives with his overwhelming parents (Megan Mullally and Marc Evan Jackson), and Biaggio (Moises Arias), well, nobody really knows that weird little man’s deal, but they’re all sick of their “repressed” lives.
- 5/30/2013
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
Stars: Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei, Tom Everett Scott, Bailee Madison, Gedde Watanabe | Written by Lisa Addario, Joe Syracuse | Directed by Andy Fickman
The family comedy with a moral message has been a staple of Hollywood for eons. They have also been a go-to for filmmakers looking to fill cinemas with a family audience, because we all know that the wider the demographic the more box-office right? Wrong. Some of Hollywood’s most recent family comedies have under-performed both critically and commercially. Remember Little Fockers? I do (although I wish I didn’t). That film was enough to put you off watching these types of comedies for life. That being said, the trailer for Parental Guidance actually had me in stitches – not enough to make me want to see the film in the cinema admittedly, but now it’s hitting DVD and Blu-ray I decided it was time to...
The family comedy with a moral message has been a staple of Hollywood for eons. They have also been a go-to for filmmakers looking to fill cinemas with a family audience, because we all know that the wider the demographic the more box-office right? Wrong. Some of Hollywood’s most recent family comedies have under-performed both critically and commercially. Remember Little Fockers? I do (although I wish I didn’t). That film was enough to put you off watching these types of comedies for life. That being said, the trailer for Parental Guidance actually had me in stitches – not enough to make me want to see the film in the cinema admittedly, but now it’s hitting DVD and Blu-ray I decided it was time to...
- 5/21/2013
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Stars: Johnny Knoxville, Maura Tierney, Patton Oswalt, Rob Riggle, Patrice O’Neal, Darrell Hammond | Written and Directed by Todd Rohal
Todd Rohal follows up his bizarre offbeat comedy The Catechism Cataclysm with another offbeat comedy in Nature Calls, which features an all-star cast including Johnny Knoxville, Maura Tierney and Patton Oswalt and tells the story of polar-opposite brothers Randy and Kirk who’ve never seen eye to eye. Randy is the assistant leader of his elderly father’s Boy Scout troop whilst Kirk loves his modern conveniences and his dozen TVs.
When Kirk (Knoxville) decides to have some of the boy scouts over for a slumber party ruining a pre-planned boyscout outing in a parking lot, Randy “kidnaps” the boys from Kirk’s to take them on camping trip to a restricted area in a local state park. Understandably, the kids parents don’t take so kindly to the news...
Todd Rohal follows up his bizarre offbeat comedy The Catechism Cataclysm with another offbeat comedy in Nature Calls, which features an all-star cast including Johnny Knoxville, Maura Tierney and Patton Oswalt and tells the story of polar-opposite brothers Randy and Kirk who’ve never seen eye to eye. Randy is the assistant leader of his elderly father’s Boy Scout troop whilst Kirk loves his modern conveniences and his dozen TVs.
When Kirk (Knoxville) decides to have some of the boy scouts over for a slumber party ruining a pre-planned boyscout outing in a parking lot, Randy “kidnaps” the boys from Kirk’s to take them on camping trip to a restricted area in a local state park. Understandably, the kids parents don’t take so kindly to the news...
- 4/9/2013
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Nature Calls
Stars: Johnny Knoxville, Maura Tierney, Patton Oswalt, Rob Riggle, Patrice O’Neal, Darrell Hammond | Written and Directed by Todd Rohal
Todd Rohal follows up his bizarre offbeat comedy The Catechism Cataclysm with another offbeat comedy in Nature Calls, which features an all-star cast including Johnny Knoxville, Maura Tierney and Patton Oswalt and tells the story of polar-opposite brothers Randy and Kirk who’ve never seen eye to eye. Randy is the assistant leader of his elderly father’s Boy Scout troop whilst Kirk loves his modern conveniences and his dozen TVs.
When Kirk (Knoxville) decides to have some of the boy scouts over for a slumber party ruining a pre-planned boyscout outing in a parking lot, Randy “kidnaps” the boys from Kirk’s to take them on camping trip to a restricted area in a local state park. Understandably, the kids parents don’t take so kindly to...
Stars: Johnny Knoxville, Maura Tierney, Patton Oswalt, Rob Riggle, Patrice O’Neal, Darrell Hammond | Written and Directed by Todd Rohal
Todd Rohal follows up his bizarre offbeat comedy The Catechism Cataclysm with another offbeat comedy in Nature Calls, which features an all-star cast including Johnny Knoxville, Maura Tierney and Patton Oswalt and tells the story of polar-opposite brothers Randy and Kirk who’ve never seen eye to eye. Randy is the assistant leader of his elderly father’s Boy Scout troop whilst Kirk loves his modern conveniences and his dozen TVs.
When Kirk (Knoxville) decides to have some of the boy scouts over for a slumber party ruining a pre-planned boyscout outing in a parking lot, Randy “kidnaps” the boys from Kirk’s to take them on camping trip to a restricted area in a local state park. Understandably, the kids parents don’t take so kindly to...
- 11/6/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Diy: how to make perfect denim cutoffs Learn to make your own balsamic reduction Tips for getting the bold brow trend 6 things you need to know about about Prince Harry's rumored girlfriend Mollie King The cutest looks for flower girls and ring bearers The great outdoors: explore the world of Wisteria See additional pictures from The Dark Knight Rises Secrets to saving on your 7 favorite indulgences Ways to prevent allergies - without medicine Tips to green up your pup's routine Lenses for iPhoneography professionals Cameron Diaz sports a bright orange bikini at the beach Video: The Avengers vs. Hunger Games - Who would win in an archery showdown?...
- 4/13/2012
- by Katie Henry
- Popsugar.com
On the occasion of Joseph Nechvatal's upcoming exhibition at Galerie Richard in New York (April 12 through May 26), the recent publication of his new book Immersion into Noise, and a concert of his remastered viral symphOny in surround sound. Taney Roniger is an artist and writer who lives and works in Brooklyn.
Bradley Rubenstein: We really want to get into the new book, as well as the upcoming show, but can you take a minute and give us a little backstory? You have always slipped in and out of categories: actions, painting, sound art, writing....
Joseph Nechvatal: Well, when I was going to undergraduate art school at Southern Illinois University (Siu), I was making drawings and little gouaches and smaller-type paintings on paper, generally. And they were well-received. I was not so interested in painting on canvas at the time. You have to put it in the perspective of the...
Bradley Rubenstein: We really want to get into the new book, as well as the upcoming show, but can you take a minute and give us a little backstory? You have always slipped in and out of categories: actions, painting, sound art, writing....
Joseph Nechvatal: Well, when I was going to undergraduate art school at Southern Illinois University (Siu), I was making drawings and little gouaches and smaller-type paintings on paper, generally. And they were well-received. I was not so interested in painting on canvas at the time. You have to put it in the perspective of the...
- 3/29/2012
- by bradleyrubenstein
- www.culturecatch.com
Imagine if Woody Allen, Whit Stillman, Kevin Smith and the Sundance Institute had a love child. This ungainly creature, speaking in witty, heightened, unnaturalistic sentences, and ambling, sometimes shambling between comedy, tragedy and pretension, might very well go on to make films that greatly resemble those of Hal Hartley.
Hartley is the man behind such beloved (at least by some) ‘90s indie films as “The Unbelievable Truth” and “Trust.” But to put him into proper context, we find ourselves casting around for parallels: he simply never made enough of a dent in mainstream sensibilities to be able to describe his work to a neophyte without reference to other, more overtly successful filmmakers. Or musicians, perhaps – if we play the equivalents game with the alt-rock explosion of the ‘90s, we get Quentin Tarantino as Nirvana, Jim Jarmusch as Sonic Youth and Kevin Smith as, maybe, Smashing Pumpkins (revered early on, but...
Hartley is the man behind such beloved (at least by some) ‘90s indie films as “The Unbelievable Truth” and “Trust.” But to put him into proper context, we find ourselves casting around for parallels: he simply never made enough of a dent in mainstream sensibilities to be able to describe his work to a neophyte without reference to other, more overtly successful filmmakers. Or musicians, perhaps – if we play the equivalents game with the alt-rock explosion of the ‘90s, we get Quentin Tarantino as Nirvana, Jim Jarmusch as Sonic Youth and Kevin Smith as, maybe, Smashing Pumpkins (revered early on, but...
- 2/29/2012
- by The Playlist
- The Playlist
The great outdoors are where we become one with nature, so it makes sense that we feel inclined to take our clothes off and do what comes natural. I'm not just talking about peeing in the woods here. Our primal instincts tell us to make with the business like uninhibited rabbits (or bears, or deer, or whatever your spirit animal is), but as we've learned from horror movies, sex outside – like doing drugs or having breasts – is one of the quickest ways to get yourself killed. Lucky for you, we've gathered some of the best examples of sex in the great outdoors gone awry for your educational pleasure. Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday Jason has a long history of vengefully offing campers, ...
- 1/26/2012
- FEARnet
A Is For AMC, which just announced that Breaking Bad will finally return for its much-anticipated fourth season this July 17th at 10Pm.
B Is For The Boys [And Girls] Of Rookie Blue, Canada’s biggest small screen success story from last summer returns for a second action-packed season this June 23rd on ABC (Global TV in Canada)
C Is For Cable, once the home to movies you already saw in theaters four years ago has now officially been crowned the savior of summer. ABC Family, BBC America, FX, Lifetime, TNT, TV Land and USA, we salute you.
D Is For Depressed, not just as a result of the hiatus many of our favorite shows are on this summer, but also for our inability to subscribe to DirecTV which will unspool Damages fourth season starting this July 13th at 9Pm on their “Channel 101.”
F Is For Falling Skies, TNT’s enthralling...
B Is For The Boys [And Girls] Of Rookie Blue, Canada’s biggest small screen success story from last summer returns for a second action-packed season this June 23rd on ABC (Global TV in Canada)
C Is For Cable, once the home to movies you already saw in theaters four years ago has now officially been crowned the savior of summer. ABC Family, BBC America, FX, Lifetime, TNT, TV Land and USA, we salute you.
D Is For Depressed, not just as a result of the hiatus many of our favorite shows are on this summer, but also for our inability to subscribe to DirecTV which will unspool Damages fourth season starting this July 13th at 9Pm on their “Channel 101.”
F Is For Falling Skies, TNT’s enthralling...
- 5/31/2011
- by theTVaddict
- The TV Addict
0:00 - Intro 3:15 - Headlines: 2011 Oscar Recap, Charlie Sheen has Tiger Blood, Tarantino’s Next Film is a Spaghetti Western, Blade Runner Sequels and Prequels 35:25 - Review: Rango 55:45 - Trailer Trash: Attack the Block 1:01:45 - Other Stuff We Watched: Faster, When You’re Strange, Conviction, Family Plot, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Frenzy, The Cable Guy, Invasion U.S.A., Last Action Hero, Watchmen, Satan’s Blood, Chinatown, The Natural, Rob & Big, Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Don’t Look Now, The Great Outdoors 2:00:05 - Junk Mail: Pretentious Films, Objectivity When Judging Movies, Superman: The Donner Cut, Sequel Numbers, New Westerns, In-Flight Movie Experiences 2:27:00 - This Week's DVD Releases 2:28:45 - Outro » Download the MP3 (70 Mb) [1] » View the show notes [2] » Vote for us on Podcast Alley! [3] » Rate us on iTunes! [4] Subscribe to the podcast feed: [5] [6] [7] Donate via Paypal: Recurring Donation $2/Month: [1] http://www.
- 3/7/2011
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
After hitting the top of the Billboard charts with their latest album The King Is Dead, Colin Meloy & Co. have announced an upcoming appearance on Yo Gabba Gabba. The Decemberists will have a new song featured on an episode of the Nick Jr. kids show. Thanks to Rolling Stone, you can listen to the jangly Decemberists tune “The Great Outdoors” now before the episode airs. Check out the video below....
- 2/2/2011
- Pastemagazine.com
Hustle is back, Episodes begins, the UK gets No Ordinary Family, and more Breaking Bad. Plus there are plenty of films on telly worth catching in the week ahead...
After a skipped week for the holiday, we can enter 2011 in style with a week of great programming that sees a few favourites return for our viewing pleasure.
If you missed Not Going Out last night, you can still watch the fourth series premiere episode, Drugs, tonight at midnight if you have BBC HD, or catch up on iPlayer here, then follow the series on Thursdays at 9:30pm on BBC1. The show, which stars stellar comedians Lee Mack and Tim Vine, had a terrific first outing, which we've reviewed here, so you can stop back and add your impressions when you've seen it.
We get another chance to catch Doctor Who At The Proms 2010 in an abbreviated, but appreciated opportunity...
After a skipped week for the holiday, we can enter 2011 in style with a week of great programming that sees a few favourites return for our viewing pleasure.
If you missed Not Going Out last night, you can still watch the fourth series premiere episode, Drugs, tonight at midnight if you have BBC HD, or catch up on iPlayer here, then follow the series on Thursdays at 9:30pm on BBC1. The show, which stars stellar comedians Lee Mack and Tim Vine, had a terrific first outing, which we've reviewed here, so you can stop back and add your impressions when you've seen it.
We get another chance to catch Doctor Who At The Proms 2010 in an abbreviated, but appreciated opportunity...
- 1/7/2011
- Den of Geek
Maybe it’s because summer in the city always makes me long for Weekend at Bernie’s, but when I got a press release this morning about Johnathan Silverman’s July 17 Hallmark Channel movie Jack’s Family Adventure, I read it. He plays an overworked, underappreciated ad man who takes his family on a month-long vacation to the cabin his late uncle just left him. From the promo below, you can tell that A) this man does not age and B) there’s a lot of screaming and at least one “bear” scene that will probably not live up to The Great Outdoors.
- 7/6/2010
- by Mandi Bierly
- EW.com - PopWatch
You're trapped inside a log cabin with Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David Spade for 92 minutes. What do you do?
No, it's not the newest trap from Saw 7; it's actually the brand-new trailer for a family (?) farce called All Expenses Paid Movie Star Vacation Grown Ups, which stars the aforementioned men (in addition to ladies like Salma Hayek, Maria Bello, and Maya Rudolph) as a group of old pals who ... take their families to a cabin. So it's sort of like a fart-laden version of The Big Chill meets The Great Outdoors, I'm assuming. The director is the man who gave you You Don't Mess With the Zohan, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, and The Benchwarmers. The writers are Mr. Sandler and Fred Wolf, the man who penned Strange Wilderness, Without a Paddle, and Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star.
In other words, it's your typical Happy Madison production.
No, it's not the newest trap from Saw 7; it's actually the brand-new trailer for a family (?) farce called All Expenses Paid Movie Star Vacation Grown Ups, which stars the aforementioned men (in addition to ladies like Salma Hayek, Maria Bello, and Maya Rudolph) as a group of old pals who ... take their families to a cabin. So it's sort of like a fart-laden version of The Big Chill meets The Great Outdoors, I'm assuming. The director is the man who gave you You Don't Mess With the Zohan, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, and The Benchwarmers. The writers are Mr. Sandler and Fred Wolf, the man who penned Strange Wilderness, Without a Paddle, and Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star.
In other words, it's your typical Happy Madison production.
- 4/16/2010
- by Scott Weinberg
- Cinematical
With the start of rehearsals for the 2010 season of New York's Shakespeare in the Park just a few weeks away, all of us at the Public Theater's Shakespeare Initiative have started singing this year's version of our favorite Lovin' Spoonful song:Hot town, summer in the city,Al Pacino's neck gettin' dirty and gritty.Pacino will play Shylock in "The Merchant of Venice" in a production directed by Daniel Sullivan that will run at Central Park's Delacorte Theater alongside "The Winter's Tale," directed by Michael Greif. A single company will perform both plays in rotating repertory—the first time the Public has assembled a Shakespeare rep company since Joe Papp's Delacorte productions of the "Henry VI" plays in 1972. (Due to scheduling conflicts, Pacino will appear only in "Merchant.")For most New Yorkers, summer in the city may well mean "People lookin' half dead/Walkin' on the sidewalk/Hotter than a match head,...
- 2/24/2010
- backstage.com
Matt Davis is joining the cast of "Vampire Diaries" as sexy history teacher Alaric Saltzman -- and he knows more than he lets on about Mystic Falls' history of vampires!
According to TV Guide, the history teacher character is a fan favorite from the book series on which the TV show is based. Executive Producer Kevin Williamson tells the magazine that he had one thing in mind when casting the mysterious teacher -- he had to be "hot.
According to TV Guide, the history teacher character is a fan favorite from the book series on which the TV show is based. Executive Producer Kevin Williamson tells the magazine that he had one thing in mind when casting the mysterious teacher -- he had to be "hot.
- 10/8/2009
- Extra
The ladies of "The Vampire Diaries" can breathe easy -- their legal woes are behind them!
Actresses Nina Dobrev, 20, Candice Accola, 22, Kayla Ewell, 24 and Sara Canning, 22, (along with photographer Tyler Shields and extra Krystal Vayda) were arrested last month on charges of disorderly conduct, after drivers complained that the women were flashing motorists from a Georgia bridge on August 22.
The group was booked at Monroe County Sheriff's Department after the incident. Today, a Monroe County...
Actresses Nina Dobrev, 20, Candice Accola, 22, Kayla Ewell, 24 and Sara Canning, 22, (along with photographer Tyler Shields and extra Krystal Vayda) were arrested last month on charges of disorderly conduct, after drivers complained that the women were flashing motorists from a Georgia bridge on August 22.
The group was booked at Monroe County Sheriff's Department after the incident. Today, a Monroe County...
- 10/4/2009
- Extra
We started this competition in the salad days of summer, sipping mojitos as we jauntily made our way through waves of talent that seemed to ebb and flow like the tide. A lazy, pressure-free ride, the stakes were as low as Kmart's low, low prices. That Was Then. We're in the finals now, baby, and the stakes are anything but low for the 10 remaining contestants. On the line? One million dollars (which actually isn't that much money these days, all things consi...) and a headlining show in Vegas. Will it be Barbara Padilla? Recycled Percussion? Hairo Torres? Our contestants performed for the final time last night, some rising to the occasion...and some treading water. We'll find out tonight exactly how it all shakes out, but first -- as is my job -- we need to recap how we got there. Join me, won't you? Decked out in the sharpest outfits of the night,...
- 9/15/2009
- by Henning Fog
- EW.com - PopWatch
Welcome back to the Upper East Side, Gg fans! It's been way too long since we last saw the Constance Billard gang, and, as we saw from last night's third season premiere, they've been getting into all sorts of dish-worthy news. Let's catch up with their summer activities, shall we? Chuck and Blair are finally together. Yay! They even used his past philandering ways to spice up their relationship. Yes, some good ol' fashioned role playing with Chuck as the cheating cad and Blair as the scorned girlfriend. They even visited go-sees (model-ese for auditions) to find prospective suitors. Kind of cute, kind of twisted. But when Serena warned Blair about the perils of an open relationship like theirs, they stopped these faux threesome shenanigans and kept with the role playing, just on their own. Okay, no need for details. Moving on... They aren't the only lovebirds in town. While traveling Europe,...
- 9/15/2009
- by Archana Ram
- EW.com - PopWatch
Discovery Channel is re-evaluating one of its most popular series, "Man vs. Wild", after allegations surfaced that its survival-expert host was bunking in motels when he was supposed to be braving The Great Outdoors.
The network issued a statement Monday in response to an investigation launched by British television network Channel 4, which carries the program under the title "Born Survivor: Bear Grylls". Channel 4 confirmed that host Bear Grylls had partaken of indoor accommodations on at least two occasions when his series had depicted him spending the night in the wild.
"Discovery Communications has learned that isolated elements of the 'Man vs. Wild' show in some episodes were not natural to the environment, and that for health and safety concerns the crew and host received some survival assistance while in the field," the network said in a statement.
The production company behind the series, Diverse Television, is cooperating with the Channel 4 investigation, which likely will address a range of allegations that called into question "Wild"'s authenticity.
In each episode of the series, Grylls is airlifted into the wilderness with only a few tools to aid in his survival, such as a flint or water bottle.
The network issued a statement Monday in response to an investigation launched by British television network Channel 4, which carries the program under the title "Born Survivor: Bear Grylls". Channel 4 confirmed that host Bear Grylls had partaken of indoor accommodations on at least two occasions when his series had depicted him spending the night in the wild.
"Discovery Communications has learned that isolated elements of the 'Man vs. Wild' show in some episodes were not natural to the environment, and that for health and safety concerns the crew and host received some survival assistance while in the field," the network said in a statement.
The production company behind the series, Diverse Television, is cooperating with the Channel 4 investigation, which likely will address a range of allegations that called into question "Wild"'s authenticity.
In each episode of the series, Grylls is airlifted into the wilderness with only a few tools to aid in his survival, such as a flint or water bottle.
- 7/24/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
That old horse chestnut My Friend Flicka gets a generic makeover in the form of the singular Flicka, a thoroughly uninspiring drama that ultimately buckles under Michael Mayer's weighty direction.
Going back to the darker Mary O'Hara novel for inspiration, the updated flick boasts fine performances by Maria Bello, country singer Tim McGraw and young Alison Lohman, but it fails to convey the stirring spirit of the 1943 version.
Although it's squarely aimed at female tweens, with Roddy McDowall's original Ken McLaughlin character having been transformed to a Katy, that target demographic hasn't exactly been champing at the bit for their own movies, if the less than stellar results for such titles as "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and Aquamarine are of any indication.
While the Fox 2000 production will probably be a theatrical nonstarter, it still could kick up a bit of dust in the DVD corral.
Having returned to the McLaughlin family ranch in remote Wyoming (played extensively by Los Angeles) after being away in private school, Lohman's 16-year-old Katy discovers a wild mustang filly in the mountains whom she names Flicka, which she is told means "beautiful young girl" in Swedish.
Katy is desperate to keep the horse over the objections of her equally strong-willed dad, Rob McGraw, who made an impressive acting debut in 2004's Friday Night Lights), determined to prove that she can turn her into riding material.
For some reason, he just can't see that Katy and Flicka are kindred spirits, even though director Mayer (A Home at the End of the World) and screenwriters Mark Rosenthal & Lawrence Konner (responsible for the remakes of Mighty Joe Young, Planet of the Apes and Desperate Hours) keep hammering that point home relentlessly.
It turns out other things threaten to pull the McLaughlin family apart, including having to sell off the struggling ranch and Katy's brother Howard's (Ryan Kwanten) as-yet-unannounced plans to attend college in Boston rather than follow in his dad's footsteps.
That leaves mom Nell (the always reliable Bello) to try to keep it all together.
She certainly doesn't get much help from Mayer, whose buoyant stage work -- including the Broadway productions of Thoroughly Modern Millie and "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" -- is nowhere to be seen in this bland, overly purposeful production.
Although the performances are uniformly credible, the viewer is never given a real, unspoken sense of that unbridled bond between the girl and the mustang. There's little joy in this glum production, where storms keep gathering at the slightest hint of rain.
Production values are respectable, with cinematographer J. Michael Muro putting his considerable experience working in The Great Outdoors (Open Range, Crash), to good use here, though producer Aaron Zigman's score keeps getting interrupted by pesky songs about running with the wild horses and the weight of the world, just in case we somehow still didn't get the message.
FLICKA
20th Century Fox
Fox 2000 Pictures presents a Gil Netter production
Credits:
Director: Michael Mayer
Screenwriters: Mark Rosenthal & Lawrence Konner
Based on the novel My Friend Flicka by: Mary O'Hara
Producer: Gil Netter
Director of photography: J. Michael Muro
Production designer: Sharon Seymour
Editor: Andrew Marcus
Costume designer: Molly Maginnis
Music: Aaron Zigman
Cast:
Katy McLaughlin: Alison Lohman
Rob McLaughlin: Tim McGraw
Nell McLaughlin: Maria Bello
Howard McLaughlin: Ryan Kwanten
Gus: Dallas Roberts
Norbert Rye: Nick Searcy
Running time -- 94 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
Going back to the darker Mary O'Hara novel for inspiration, the updated flick boasts fine performances by Maria Bello, country singer Tim McGraw and young Alison Lohman, but it fails to convey the stirring spirit of the 1943 version.
Although it's squarely aimed at female tweens, with Roddy McDowall's original Ken McLaughlin character having been transformed to a Katy, that target demographic hasn't exactly been champing at the bit for their own movies, if the less than stellar results for such titles as "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and Aquamarine are of any indication.
While the Fox 2000 production will probably be a theatrical nonstarter, it still could kick up a bit of dust in the DVD corral.
Having returned to the McLaughlin family ranch in remote Wyoming (played extensively by Los Angeles) after being away in private school, Lohman's 16-year-old Katy discovers a wild mustang filly in the mountains whom she names Flicka, which she is told means "beautiful young girl" in Swedish.
Katy is desperate to keep the horse over the objections of her equally strong-willed dad, Rob McGraw, who made an impressive acting debut in 2004's Friday Night Lights), determined to prove that she can turn her into riding material.
For some reason, he just can't see that Katy and Flicka are kindred spirits, even though director Mayer (A Home at the End of the World) and screenwriters Mark Rosenthal & Lawrence Konner (responsible for the remakes of Mighty Joe Young, Planet of the Apes and Desperate Hours) keep hammering that point home relentlessly.
It turns out other things threaten to pull the McLaughlin family apart, including having to sell off the struggling ranch and Katy's brother Howard's (Ryan Kwanten) as-yet-unannounced plans to attend college in Boston rather than follow in his dad's footsteps.
That leaves mom Nell (the always reliable Bello) to try to keep it all together.
She certainly doesn't get much help from Mayer, whose buoyant stage work -- including the Broadway productions of Thoroughly Modern Millie and "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" -- is nowhere to be seen in this bland, overly purposeful production.
Although the performances are uniformly credible, the viewer is never given a real, unspoken sense of that unbridled bond between the girl and the mustang. There's little joy in this glum production, where storms keep gathering at the slightest hint of rain.
Production values are respectable, with cinematographer J. Michael Muro putting his considerable experience working in The Great Outdoors (Open Range, Crash), to good use here, though producer Aaron Zigman's score keeps getting interrupted by pesky songs about running with the wild horses and the weight of the world, just in case we somehow still didn't get the message.
FLICKA
20th Century Fox
Fox 2000 Pictures presents a Gil Netter production
Credits:
Director: Michael Mayer
Screenwriters: Mark Rosenthal & Lawrence Konner
Based on the novel My Friend Flicka by: Mary O'Hara
Producer: Gil Netter
Director of photography: J. Michael Muro
Production designer: Sharon Seymour
Editor: Andrew Marcus
Costume designer: Molly Maginnis
Music: Aaron Zigman
Cast:
Katy McLaughlin: Alison Lohman
Rob McLaughlin: Tim McGraw
Nell McLaughlin: Maria Bello
Howard McLaughlin: Ryan Kwanten
Gus: Dallas Roberts
Norbert Rye: Nick Searcy
Running time -- 94 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
- 10/19/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
That old horse chestnut "My Friend Flicka" gets a generic makeover in the form of the singular "Flicka", a thoroughly uninspiring drama that ultimately buckles under Michael Mayer's weighty direction.
Going back to the darker Mary O'Hara novel for inspiration, the updated flick boasts fine performances by Maria Bello, country singer Tim McGraw and young Alison Lohman, but it fails to convey the stirring spirit of the 1943 version.
Although it's squarely aimed at female tweens, with Roddy McDowall's original Ken McLaughlin character having been transformed to a Katy, that target demographic hasn't exactly been champing at the bit for their own movies, if the less than stellar results for such titles as "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and "Aquamarine" are of any indication.
While the Fox 2000 production will probably be a theatrical nonstarter, it still could kick up a bit of dust in the DVD corral.
Having returned to the McLaughlin family ranch in remote Wyoming (played extensively by Los Angeles) after being away in private school, Lohman's 16-year-old Katy discovers a wild mustang filly in the mountains whom she names Flicka, which she is told means "beautiful young girl" in Swedish.
Katy is desperate to keep the horse over the objections of her equally strong-willed dad, Rob McGraw, who made an impressive acting debut in 2004's "Friday Night Lights"), determined to prove that she can turn her into riding material.
For some reason, he just can't see that Katy and Flicka are kindred spirits, even though director Mayer ("A Home at the End of the World") and screenwriters Mark Rosenthal & Lawrence Konner (responsible for the remakes of "Mighty Joe Young", "Planet of the Apes" and "Desperate Hours") keep hammering that point home relentlessly.
It turns out other things threaten to pull the McLaughlin family apart, including having to sell off the struggling ranch and Katy's brother Howard's (Ryan Kwanten) as-yet-unannounced plans to attend college in Boston rather than follow in his dad's footsteps.
That leaves mom Nell (the always reliable Bello) to try to keep it all together.
She certainly doesn't get much help from Mayer, whose buoyant stage work -- including the Broadway productions of "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" -- is nowhere to be seen in this bland, overly purposeful production.
Although the performances are uniformly credible, the viewer is never given a real, unspoken sense of that unbridled bond between the girl and the mustang. There's little joy in this glum production, where storms keep gathering at the slightest hint of rain.
Production values are respectable, with cinematographer J. Michael Muro putting his considerable experience working in The Great Outdoors ("Open Range", "Crash"), to good use here, though producer Aaron Zigman's score keeps getting interrupted by pesky songs about running with the wild horses and the weight of the world, just in case we somehow still didn't get the message.
Going back to the darker Mary O'Hara novel for inspiration, the updated flick boasts fine performances by Maria Bello, country singer Tim McGraw and young Alison Lohman, but it fails to convey the stirring spirit of the 1943 version.
Although it's squarely aimed at female tweens, with Roddy McDowall's original Ken McLaughlin character having been transformed to a Katy, that target demographic hasn't exactly been champing at the bit for their own movies, if the less than stellar results for such titles as "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and "Aquamarine" are of any indication.
While the Fox 2000 production will probably be a theatrical nonstarter, it still could kick up a bit of dust in the DVD corral.
Having returned to the McLaughlin family ranch in remote Wyoming (played extensively by Los Angeles) after being away in private school, Lohman's 16-year-old Katy discovers a wild mustang filly in the mountains whom she names Flicka, which she is told means "beautiful young girl" in Swedish.
Katy is desperate to keep the horse over the objections of her equally strong-willed dad, Rob McGraw, who made an impressive acting debut in 2004's "Friday Night Lights"), determined to prove that she can turn her into riding material.
For some reason, he just can't see that Katy and Flicka are kindred spirits, even though director Mayer ("A Home at the End of the World") and screenwriters Mark Rosenthal & Lawrence Konner (responsible for the remakes of "Mighty Joe Young", "Planet of the Apes" and "Desperate Hours") keep hammering that point home relentlessly.
It turns out other things threaten to pull the McLaughlin family apart, including having to sell off the struggling ranch and Katy's brother Howard's (Ryan Kwanten) as-yet-unannounced plans to attend college in Boston rather than follow in his dad's footsteps.
That leaves mom Nell (the always reliable Bello) to try to keep it all together.
She certainly doesn't get much help from Mayer, whose buoyant stage work -- including the Broadway productions of "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" -- is nowhere to be seen in this bland, overly purposeful production.
Although the performances are uniformly credible, the viewer is never given a real, unspoken sense of that unbridled bond between the girl and the mustang. There's little joy in this glum production, where storms keep gathering at the slightest hint of rain.
Production values are respectable, with cinematographer J. Michael Muro putting his considerable experience working in The Great Outdoors ("Open Range", "Crash"), to good use here, though producer Aaron Zigman's score keeps getting interrupted by pesky songs about running with the wild horses and the weight of the world, just in case we somehow still didn't get the message.
- 10/19/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Making like a slacker City Slickers, Steven Brill's Without a Paddle chronicles the backwoods misadventures of a trio of childhood buddies who make good on a 20-year-old pact and set out to find bank robber DB Cooper's missing $200,000 stash.
But while the likable Seth Green, Matthew Lillard and Dax Shepard are definitely up to the comic excursion, the picture charts an uncertain course between wild and mild, eventually running aground in a pile of male-bonding muck.
Those looking for late-summer lark may be up for the trip, but the soft-around-the-edges tone won't exactly go over big with its target young, testosterone-driven demo.
The trek begins promisingly enough with the neurotic Dr. Dan Mott (Green), burned-out businessman Jerry Conlaine (Lillard) and aimless adventurer Tom Marshall (Shepard) honoring the memory of a childhood friend by going on a canoe trip in search of Cooper's rumored treasure.
Armed with a detailed map their pal left behind, a toy Indiana Jones compass and their not-so-collected wits, the guys take on roaring rapids, a maternal brown bear (played with the usual conviction by Bart the Bear -- actually Bart the Bear 2) and a pair of angry pot farmers (Ethan Suplee and Abraham Benrubi) whose crops were accidentally destroyed by the trio, before meeting up with an eccentric mountain man (Burt Reynolds) who happens to have been a good friend of Cooper's.
Too bad they couldn't have lent their Indy compass to director Brill (Mr. Deeds, Little Nicky) and his group of five credited writers, because Without a Paddle is never able to find any real sense of direction.
Weighed down by a patched-together script, a sluggish pace and a wavering tone caught between a rock and a squishy place, the picture keeps stumbling along toward a particularly wobbly ending.
With New Zealand providing the Oregon backdrop, The Great Outdoors beckon mightily, especially during those white-water sequences, which are effectively photographed by cinematographer Jonathan Brown (whose father, Garrett, invented the Steadicam mount).
And music supervisor Julianne Jordan supplies a worthy mix tape for the journey, which manages to unite Culture Club, Joey Ramone, the Faces and .38 Special, not to mention R. Kelly, whose Bump 'N Grind intro sets up one of the picture's funnier sequences.
Without a Paddle
Paramount
Paramount Pictures presents a De Line Pictures production
A Steven Brill film
Credits:
Director: Steven Brill
Screenwriters: Jay Leggett, Mitch Rouse
Story: Fred Wolf, Harris Goldberg, Tom Nursall
Producer: Donald De Line
Executive producers: Richard Vane, Andrew Haas, Wendy Japhet
Director of photography: Jonathan Brown
Production designer: Perry Andelin Blake
Editors: Debra Neil-Fisher, Peck Prior
Costume designer: Ngila Dickson
Music: Christophe Beck
Music supervisor: Julianne Jordan
Cast:
Dr. Dan Mott: Seth Green
Jerry Conlaine: Matthew Lillard
Tom Marshall: Dax Shepard
Elwood: Ethan Suplee
Dennis: Abraham Benrubi
Flower: Rachel Blanchard
Del Knox: Burt Reynolds
MPAA rating: PG-13
Running time -- 93 minutes...
But while the likable Seth Green, Matthew Lillard and Dax Shepard are definitely up to the comic excursion, the picture charts an uncertain course between wild and mild, eventually running aground in a pile of male-bonding muck.
Those looking for late-summer lark may be up for the trip, but the soft-around-the-edges tone won't exactly go over big with its target young, testosterone-driven demo.
The trek begins promisingly enough with the neurotic Dr. Dan Mott (Green), burned-out businessman Jerry Conlaine (Lillard) and aimless adventurer Tom Marshall (Shepard) honoring the memory of a childhood friend by going on a canoe trip in search of Cooper's rumored treasure.
Armed with a detailed map their pal left behind, a toy Indiana Jones compass and their not-so-collected wits, the guys take on roaring rapids, a maternal brown bear (played with the usual conviction by Bart the Bear -- actually Bart the Bear 2) and a pair of angry pot farmers (Ethan Suplee and Abraham Benrubi) whose crops were accidentally destroyed by the trio, before meeting up with an eccentric mountain man (Burt Reynolds) who happens to have been a good friend of Cooper's.
Too bad they couldn't have lent their Indy compass to director Brill (Mr. Deeds, Little Nicky) and his group of five credited writers, because Without a Paddle is never able to find any real sense of direction.
Weighed down by a patched-together script, a sluggish pace and a wavering tone caught between a rock and a squishy place, the picture keeps stumbling along toward a particularly wobbly ending.
With New Zealand providing the Oregon backdrop, The Great Outdoors beckon mightily, especially during those white-water sequences, which are effectively photographed by cinematographer Jonathan Brown (whose father, Garrett, invented the Steadicam mount).
And music supervisor Julianne Jordan supplies a worthy mix tape for the journey, which manages to unite Culture Club, Joey Ramone, the Faces and .38 Special, not to mention R. Kelly, whose Bump 'N Grind intro sets up one of the picture's funnier sequences.
Without a Paddle
Paramount
Paramount Pictures presents a De Line Pictures production
A Steven Brill film
Credits:
Director: Steven Brill
Screenwriters: Jay Leggett, Mitch Rouse
Story: Fred Wolf, Harris Goldberg, Tom Nursall
Producer: Donald De Line
Executive producers: Richard Vane, Andrew Haas, Wendy Japhet
Director of photography: Jonathan Brown
Production designer: Perry Andelin Blake
Editors: Debra Neil-Fisher, Peck Prior
Costume designer: Ngila Dickson
Music: Christophe Beck
Music supervisor: Julianne Jordan
Cast:
Dr. Dan Mott: Seth Green
Jerry Conlaine: Matthew Lillard
Tom Marshall: Dax Shepard
Elwood: Ethan Suplee
Dennis: Abraham Benrubi
Flower: Rachel Blanchard
Del Knox: Burt Reynolds
MPAA rating: PG-13
Running time -- 93 minutes...
Media tycoon TED TURNER has found new love with actress Bo Derek just months after splitting from Jane Fonda. Three-times-married Ted is 19 years older than 43-year-old Bo, but those close to the 61-year-old say he's very keen on the sexy 10 (1979) star. A source says, "It's in the early days yet, but Ted has been escorting Bo around very discreetly. Ted loves beautiful women and he gets a big buzz out of the whole movie scene. " However the pair are playing down the reports themselves. Turner's spokesman Philip Evans says, "It is not true. I don't know where you got it. " And a spokeswoman for Bo says, "They've been friends for a long time - but there's no romance. " But the sources say Turner and Derek have found they have a lot in common - including their mutual love for The Great Outdoors Both are also nursing major heartaches - TIME WARNER mogul Turner's nine-year marriage to Fonda collapsed in January and Derek is still mourning the 1998 death of her husband and mentor, John Derek.
- 4/13/2000
- WENN
Chinese-American women of three generations (and one far-flung family) pile into an RV and take a roundabout tour of California's deserts and mountains in "My American Vacation", winner of the best dramatic feature prize at 1999's Worldfest Houston.
A well-intentioned but unpolished family film playing at Laemmle's Grande in downtown Los Angeles, "Vacation" (mostly in English, with a few subtitled scenes) is another in the durable genre of East-meets-West comedy-dramas aimed at ethnic audiences but not without its points of interest for the eclectic moviegoer.
Screenwriter-director VV Dachin Hsu (whose feature debut was 1990's "Pale Blood", co-directed with Michael W. Leighton), born in Hong Kong and a UCLA Film School grad, creates a labor of love with the family-themed "Vacation", a movie with light humor, whimsy, turmoil and even physical danger, but nourished to achieve a soothing effect on the viewer, including a structure inspired by tai chi.
Venerable Chinese film, television and stage actress Tsai Chin (Michelangelo Antonioni's "Blowup", ABC's "Fantasy Island", "The Joy Luck Club") stars as Grandma Lee, widowed mother of grown daughters Ming-Yee (Kim Miyori) and Ming-Na (Deborah Nishimura). Bossy and ambitious Ming-Yee, a single mom raising daughter Melissa (Sasha Hsuczyk) to know her divorced father is a "jerk," is delighted to have Grandma come from Taiwan for a visit.
A journalist and happy with husband Henry (Dennis Dun), Ming-Na is younger than her sister and more carefree. She is not that thrilled to play host to nosy Grandma, who arrives with many loaded-with-meaning gifts. The sisters more or less call a truce, and the whole gang, including Henry, decides to acquire a motor home and head to Colorado.
They don't get very far after choosing an expensive model and packing it up for a trip of ill-defined purpose and length of time. The adventurers make it to Joshua Tree, Lake Isabella and finally Sequoia National Forest but never leave California. With The Great Outdoors as a backdrop, several family and personal conflicts are worked out.
Grandma dishes out much wisdom and mediates frequently between the warring sisters.
The writing is overly episodic, the humor is light, the jokes are often predictable, and occasionally the choice of musical accompaniment is questionable, but one can suspend disbelief enough and overlook manipulative devices to enjoy Hsu's "Vacation" largely because of the heartfelt performances.
Ultimately, the spirit of Chin's character prevails during what becomes a nearly disastrous trip. She pens a series of bogus postcards to her friends back home and dreams of her dead husband as a young man (Roger Fan), while hurting every time Ming-Yee and Ming-Na go at each other. What's not to live for?
So it goes, the joys and pains of a family coming together. East saves West and vice versa, with Grandma almost dying during a scene worthy of an old-time western serial. Meanwhile, the shores of the Kern River and the towering sequoias are wonderful settings for the gentle movements of women performing tai chi.
MY AMERICAN VACATION
American Vacation Prods.
Winn Entertainment
in association with CACC Investment
Screenwriter-director:VV Dachin Hsu
Producers:VV Dachin Hsu, Cindy Sison, Frank Gargani
Executive producer:Winston H. Chin
Director of photography:Dean Lent
Production designer:Fu-Ding Cheng
Editors:Marc Grossman, Clarinda Wong
Costume designer:Sheri Grider
Music:Joel Iwataki
Color/stereo
Cast:
Grandma Lee:Tsai Chin
Ming-Yee:Kim Miyori
Ming-Na:Deborah Nishimura
Melissa:Sasha Hsuczyk
Henry:Dennis Dun
Ming-Yee-Ba:Roger Fan
Running time -- 88 minutes
No MPAA rating...
A well-intentioned but unpolished family film playing at Laemmle's Grande in downtown Los Angeles, "Vacation" (mostly in English, with a few subtitled scenes) is another in the durable genre of East-meets-West comedy-dramas aimed at ethnic audiences but not without its points of interest for the eclectic moviegoer.
Screenwriter-director VV Dachin Hsu (whose feature debut was 1990's "Pale Blood", co-directed with Michael W. Leighton), born in Hong Kong and a UCLA Film School grad, creates a labor of love with the family-themed "Vacation", a movie with light humor, whimsy, turmoil and even physical danger, but nourished to achieve a soothing effect on the viewer, including a structure inspired by tai chi.
Venerable Chinese film, television and stage actress Tsai Chin (Michelangelo Antonioni's "Blowup", ABC's "Fantasy Island", "The Joy Luck Club") stars as Grandma Lee, widowed mother of grown daughters Ming-Yee (Kim Miyori) and Ming-Na (Deborah Nishimura). Bossy and ambitious Ming-Yee, a single mom raising daughter Melissa (Sasha Hsuczyk) to know her divorced father is a "jerk," is delighted to have Grandma come from Taiwan for a visit.
A journalist and happy with husband Henry (Dennis Dun), Ming-Na is younger than her sister and more carefree. She is not that thrilled to play host to nosy Grandma, who arrives with many loaded-with-meaning gifts. The sisters more or less call a truce, and the whole gang, including Henry, decides to acquire a motor home and head to Colorado.
They don't get very far after choosing an expensive model and packing it up for a trip of ill-defined purpose and length of time. The adventurers make it to Joshua Tree, Lake Isabella and finally Sequoia National Forest but never leave California. With The Great Outdoors as a backdrop, several family and personal conflicts are worked out.
Grandma dishes out much wisdom and mediates frequently between the warring sisters.
The writing is overly episodic, the humor is light, the jokes are often predictable, and occasionally the choice of musical accompaniment is questionable, but one can suspend disbelief enough and overlook manipulative devices to enjoy Hsu's "Vacation" largely because of the heartfelt performances.
Ultimately, the spirit of Chin's character prevails during what becomes a nearly disastrous trip. She pens a series of bogus postcards to her friends back home and dreams of her dead husband as a young man (Roger Fan), while hurting every time Ming-Yee and Ming-Na go at each other. What's not to live for?
So it goes, the joys and pains of a family coming together. East saves West and vice versa, with Grandma almost dying during a scene worthy of an old-time western serial. Meanwhile, the shores of the Kern River and the towering sequoias are wonderful settings for the gentle movements of women performing tai chi.
MY AMERICAN VACATION
American Vacation Prods.
Winn Entertainment
in association with CACC Investment
Screenwriter-director:VV Dachin Hsu
Producers:VV Dachin Hsu, Cindy Sison, Frank Gargani
Executive producer:Winston H. Chin
Director of photography:Dean Lent
Production designer:Fu-Ding Cheng
Editors:Marc Grossman, Clarinda Wong
Costume designer:Sheri Grider
Music:Joel Iwataki
Color/stereo
Cast:
Grandma Lee:Tsai Chin
Ming-Yee:Kim Miyori
Ming-Na:Deborah Nishimura
Melissa:Sasha Hsuczyk
Henry:Dennis Dun
Ming-Yee-Ba:Roger Fan
Running time -- 88 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 3/27/2000
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Less than four years after their historic MTV debut, those perpetually pubescent dweebs Beavis and Butt-head have made it to the big screen with their trademark moronics frighteningly intact.
For "Beavis and Butt-head Do America," creator Mike Judge has done the unthinkable -- moved the stupid twosome away from their beloved TV set and out into The Great Outdoors. While the shift provides them with a whole new treasure trove of sophomoric sexual innuendo to unearth and snicker at -- from the Washington Monument to the mighty redwoods -- the still-limited repertoire gets spread mighty thin in the 90-minute format.
And although the boys certainly have their following, they are, like Howard Stern, an acquired (dis)taste. The adolescent and nostalgic postadolescent males who make up the vast majority of the B&B demographic will no doubt turn out early to cheer on their animated role models. However, it's unlikely the picture will enjoy much of an extended (huh-huh-huh, heh-heh) run beyond the holidays. Paramount should see brisk business when Beavis and Butt-head do videotape.
For the uninitiated, Beavis (the blond one with the Metallica T-shirt) and his buddy Butt-head (dark hair, braces and an AC/DC T-shirt) represent every imbecilic, pimply-faced loser geek in your junior high school whom you didn't dare sit too close to in the lunchroom lest you be taken for one of them. Usually, they're found positioned in front of the TV set analyzing music videos with a hormonally charged bias. But when their set is stolen from right under their nerdy noses, the two (both voiced by Judge) embark on a cross-country quest after meeting up with a rough redneck named Muddy (unbilled but sounding suspiciously like Bruce Willis) who offers them $10,000 to fly to Vegas to "do" his ex-wife Dallas (unbilled but sounding suspiciously like Demi Moore).
Misinterpreting the verb "do," Beavis and Butt-head jump at the offer and find themselves crossing paths with a pill-popping old lady (Cloris Leachman) and full-cavity-search-obsessed federal agent (Robert Stack) along the way.
The picture admittedly has its goofy, guilty pleasures, particularly at the beginning with Isaac Hayes providing a "Shaft"-injected opening theme and B&B's first plane trip. There's also Butt-head's surprise visit to Chelsea Clinton in her White House bedroom. But after an hour, when some of the same gags are being repeated for the sixth and seventh times, even gross stupidity has its self-imposed limits. Judge and co-screenwriter Joe Stillman just haven't provided their nose-picking protagonists with enough fodder to fill a feature slot.
While the deliberately crude animation has been fleshed out somewhat for the big-screen debut, it's still not exactly going to have the guys at Disney shaking in their boots. Musically, the picture hits the appropriate notes with energetic covers from Red Hot Chili Peppers ("Love Rollercoaster") and LL Cool J ("Ain't Nobody") as well as some lounge credibility courtesy of Engelbert Humperdinck's soaring closing credit reprise of "Lesbian Seagull".
Huh-huh-huh. Heh-heh.
BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD DO AMERICA
Paramount
In association with Geffen Pictures
An MTV production
A Mike Judge film
Director:Mike Judge
Screenwriters:Mike Judge and Joe Stillman
Based on "MTV's Beavis and Butt-head" Created by Mike Judge
Producer:Abby Terkuhle
Executive producers:David Gale and Van Toffler
Animation director:Yvette Kaplan
Music:John Frizzell
Color/stereo
Voices:
Beavis:Mike Judge
Butt-head:Mike Judge
Agent Flemming:Robert Stack
Old Woman:Cloris Leachman
Old Guy With Camper/Hippie/Teacher/Principal McVicker:Mike Judge
Flight Attendant:Pamela Blair
Ranger/Press Secretary/Lieutenant:Eric Bogosian
Running time -- 89 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
For "Beavis and Butt-head Do America," creator Mike Judge has done the unthinkable -- moved the stupid twosome away from their beloved TV set and out into The Great Outdoors. While the shift provides them with a whole new treasure trove of sophomoric sexual innuendo to unearth and snicker at -- from the Washington Monument to the mighty redwoods -- the still-limited repertoire gets spread mighty thin in the 90-minute format.
And although the boys certainly have their following, they are, like Howard Stern, an acquired (dis)taste. The adolescent and nostalgic postadolescent males who make up the vast majority of the B&B demographic will no doubt turn out early to cheer on their animated role models. However, it's unlikely the picture will enjoy much of an extended (huh-huh-huh, heh-heh) run beyond the holidays. Paramount should see brisk business when Beavis and Butt-head do videotape.
For the uninitiated, Beavis (the blond one with the Metallica T-shirt) and his buddy Butt-head (dark hair, braces and an AC/DC T-shirt) represent every imbecilic, pimply-faced loser geek in your junior high school whom you didn't dare sit too close to in the lunchroom lest you be taken for one of them. Usually, they're found positioned in front of the TV set analyzing music videos with a hormonally charged bias. But when their set is stolen from right under their nerdy noses, the two (both voiced by Judge) embark on a cross-country quest after meeting up with a rough redneck named Muddy (unbilled but sounding suspiciously like Bruce Willis) who offers them $10,000 to fly to Vegas to "do" his ex-wife Dallas (unbilled but sounding suspiciously like Demi Moore).
Misinterpreting the verb "do," Beavis and Butt-head jump at the offer and find themselves crossing paths with a pill-popping old lady (Cloris Leachman) and full-cavity-search-obsessed federal agent (Robert Stack) along the way.
The picture admittedly has its goofy, guilty pleasures, particularly at the beginning with Isaac Hayes providing a "Shaft"-injected opening theme and B&B's first plane trip. There's also Butt-head's surprise visit to Chelsea Clinton in her White House bedroom. But after an hour, when some of the same gags are being repeated for the sixth and seventh times, even gross stupidity has its self-imposed limits. Judge and co-screenwriter Joe Stillman just haven't provided their nose-picking protagonists with enough fodder to fill a feature slot.
While the deliberately crude animation has been fleshed out somewhat for the big-screen debut, it's still not exactly going to have the guys at Disney shaking in their boots. Musically, the picture hits the appropriate notes with energetic covers from Red Hot Chili Peppers ("Love Rollercoaster") and LL Cool J ("Ain't Nobody") as well as some lounge credibility courtesy of Engelbert Humperdinck's soaring closing credit reprise of "Lesbian Seagull".
Huh-huh-huh. Heh-heh.
BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD DO AMERICA
Paramount
In association with Geffen Pictures
An MTV production
A Mike Judge film
Director:Mike Judge
Screenwriters:Mike Judge and Joe Stillman
Based on "MTV's Beavis and Butt-head" Created by Mike Judge
Producer:Abby Terkuhle
Executive producers:David Gale and Van Toffler
Animation director:Yvette Kaplan
Music:John Frizzell
Color/stereo
Voices:
Beavis:Mike Judge
Butt-head:Mike Judge
Agent Flemming:Robert Stack
Old Woman:Cloris Leachman
Old Guy With Camper/Hippie/Teacher/Principal McVicker:Mike Judge
Flight Attendant:Pamela Blair
Ranger/Press Secretary/Lieutenant:Eric Bogosian
Running time -- 89 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 12/16/1996
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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