Tag: Michael McDonald

SLACKERS (2001)

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Directed By: Dewey Nicks 

Written By: David H. Steinberg 

Cinematography: James R. Bagdonas

Editor: Tara Timpone

Cast: Devon Sawa, Jaime King, Jason Schwartzman, Jason Segel, Michael McDonald, Michael C. Maronna, Laura Prepon, Jim Rash, Nat Faxon, Retta, Joe Flaherty, Leigh Taylor Young 

Dave, Sam and Jeff are about to graduate from Holden University with Honors in lying, cheating and scheming. The three roommates have proudly scammed their way through the last four years of college and now, during the final exams, these big-men-on-campus are about to be busted by the most unlikely dude in school.

There was once a time when I worked at a video store a Tower video to be exact down in Greenwich Village and my friend Curtis would usually be working the same schedule so that every Saturday night we would get off work and then go see a movie. It was usually us trading who chose the movie, but we generally wanted to see, the same movies and I can’t say that every week there were great prospects. This one I chose this movie so I did see this actually in theaters.

It seems to have everything going for Jason Segel  of Freaks and Geeks, and Devon Sawa who seemed to be in a lot of teen films at the time Laura Prepon from THAT  70’S SHOW, wasn’t a fan of the show but I always liked her delivery and Schwartzman is the reason for me to see this movie thoroughly enjoyed him and RUSHMORE

This film is definitely a romantic comedy that is more misogynistic and in the 1980s would’ve been filled with T & A, an ironic statement the film is from elderly actress Mamie Van Duren. There is plenty of sexual talk even suggested scenes of sex.  After all, it’s supposed to be a college comedy.

The film starts as a con man hustle college comedy before I’m pretty much becoming a romantic comedy. 

This is where the film loses the pizzazz that it had going for it. Which is truly the only thing that sets it apart from many others. The film has strangely a few cameos from people you wouldn’t expect at the time to be in the film, which only makes it more surreal and feel like part of the fantasy.

Seems to be another film in which they make the nice guy or nerd more the villain than the typical male college student who seems more insincere here, Devon’s character who is supposed to be helping Jason Schwartzman due to blackmail actually the girl that he is supposed to be helping him get Jason Schwartzman‘s character just keeps exhibiting more and more strange and creepy behavior throughout, which shows to a certain extent he doesn’t seem to really care about Presley’s character maybe what she represents to him.

I wish I could say that this film is all-around terrible it has some funny scenes, but they are few and far between and maybe not worth going through 90 minutes of this movie is a film that could perfectly be abridged easily.

It also, strangely for a major release comes across as looking a little rough around the edges more than it should. Maybe it’s supposed to represent the scrappy nature of college students, though this kind of looks like a very nice college that these kids could afford, especially with all the scams that they seem to be running. 

Tries, but the characters that really stand out are the ones played by Jason Schwartzman and Jason Segel. So much that you just wish that they could be in a better and funnier film.

Grade: D 

MOTHER OF THE BRIDE (2024)

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Directed By: Mark Waters 

Written By: Robin Bernheim

Cinematography: Ed Wu

Editor: Travis Sittard 

Cast: Brooke Shields, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Sean Teale, Chad Michael Murray, Rachael Harris, Michael McDonald, Wilson Cruz, Tasneek Roc, Dalip Sondhi 

Lana’s daughter Emma returns from London and announces that she’s getting married next month. Things become more complicated when Lana learns that the man who stole Emma’s heart is the son of the man who broke her years ago.

This is pretty much romance novel, a romantic comedy for an older audience as it shows. It’s never too late to find love. 

This tale starts out seeming like it’s for a younger audience. It slowly reveals itself to be more of a romance for the parents or the Older Crowd.

It’s nice to see many familiar faces amongst the cast who are clearly enjoying themselves. so that you can’t help but feel comfortable with the cast and characters. The film still feels a bit slight but then again I’m not the audience for this film. 

follow the formula of romantic comedies, seemingly to be aimed at older characters. I don’t know if it’s because feels like the air of Romantic comedy came and went and while there is an audience for it, it’s only the audience that was a fan of those movies in the 90s and 2000s, who are around the age of the characters in this movie?

Watching this film, you’re not going to see this for the filmmaking or the script you know what exactly is going to happen so you just sit there and wait for it or see how it’s going to happen on this beautiful foreign island with beautiful characters surrounded by nothing but opulence and money so that it is a fantasy come true.

The characters might seem ungrateful and annoying as mishaps happen throughout. As this is a film nothing offensive really happens and it feels like a more cinematic hallmark movie. As it has various cultures throughout and representation of most.

That is all positivity and hope and the problems that are brought up. Seems so minor that you wonder why the characters are making mountains out of molehills.

this is a pretty simple film and I believe you will enjoy it as long as you go with it and you will know if you’re a fan just by either watching the trailer or reading the synopsis because what you see is what you get with this movie.

Directed by Mark Waters, who also made the original MEAN GIRLS movie. He knows the territory. He knows the genre and he makes everything pretty and everyone looks amazing.

Grade: C- 

THE BOSS (2016)

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Directed By: Ben Falcone
Written By: Steve Mallory, Melissa McCarthy & Ben Falcone
Cinematography: Julio Macat 
Editor: Craig Alpert

Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Bell, Ella Anderson, Tyler Labine, Peter Dinklage, Kathy Bates, Cecily Strong, Kristen Schaal, Annie Mumolo, Dax Shepard, Ben Falcone, Margo Martindale, Michael McDonald, Cedric Yarbrough 

A titan of industry is sent to prison after she’s caught insider trading. When she emerges ready to rebrand herself as America’s latest sweetheart, not everyone she screwed over is so quick to forgive and forget.

A kind of comedic take on money managers and lifestyle icons. That is a pure comedy even if at times it might come off as a spoof that thinks It’s a satire. 

This is one of those films that checks your brain at the door. As it is silly and never truly takes itself seriously and that is what is enjoyable about the film. You know what you are going to get. while you enjoy how you get there. 

Another fact of the fun is that it’s another role for Melissa McCarthy where her character is silly but not stupid. So that there is a brain in her character and can be witty while doing over-the-top physical comedy. Surprisingly one of her better films where she isn’t annoying or gets tired of her character swiftly. 

Though not one of her most memorable comedies. I think this is truly an unsung movie and performance and put it up as a favorite and one of her better ones.

She is the center of attention but Kristen Bell is the one who has more of the story and who you root for. Whereas McCarthy is the one who breaks it all up with her behavior and bad decisions. As she lets loose and lets everything fly. Mrs. Bell is more the straight woman with the responsibilities and gets more of a romantic storyline to boot 

As the comedy is sedate yet can be raunchy as it is another film where half the fun is watching at times the child characters act more responsibly than the adults but also watching kids behaving badly and with the foul language they shouldn’t even know. 

Having Peter Dinklage here as the villain is a stroke of genius as he truly gets to cut up and be just as silly. 

The film has a sweetness that Even when the film passes over into rated R, territory.  It feels a little shocking but tries to stay in line with a more general audience feeling.

GRADE: C+

SPY (2015)

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Written & Directed By: Paul Feig
Cinematography: Robert D. Yeoman 
Editor: Melissa Bretherton & Brent White 

Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Jude Law, Rose Byrne, Miranda Hart, Allison Janney, Morena Baccarin, Carlos Ponce, Peter Serafinowicz, Bobby Cannavale, Michael McDonald, Sam Richardson, Zach Woods, Katie Dippold, Richard Brake, 

Susan Cooper is an unassuming, deskbound CIA analyst, and the unsung hero behind the Agency’s most dangerous missions. But when her partner falls off the grid and another top agent is compromised, she volunteers to go deep undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer, and prevent a global crisis.

This is for me so far the best comedy Melissa McCarthy has starred in. This doesn’t feel like one of her assembly line films that seem almost cranked out back to back, before the power of streaming made this a common occurrence for most stars. Though I give her credit for keeping trying original Comedic characters.

Luckily here her character is more identifiable for the audience and not so much mentally challenged. 

The film worked as a spoof comedy and an actual spy thriller where you care about what happens and you care about the characters. Who are actually memorable. As we in the audience are like the main character constantly wondering who we can trust.

The over-the-top villains and international characters are filled with so many strange details. It Is such a delight to watch.

Jason Statham is actually hilarious throughout. Having a kick for making fun of his previous roles. While doing what needs to be done action-wise. Which is what gives the film its energy is the constant duality of the actors, characters, and film. 

The film keeps you on your toes with Its surprises. As well as having a shocking amount of violence that is graphic. While  At heart the film is an action comedy. 

Everyone seems to give their character a certain spin. So it feels more like everyone has their own motivations, agenda, and trust issues. Yet all share a certain world and reality. 

This is a tight film but everyone feels loose and free. So that they get their moments to shine 

Grade: B+

AUSTIN POWERS IN GOLDMEMBER (2002)

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Directed By: Jay Roach

Written By: Mike Myers & Michael McCullers Cinematography: Peter Deming

Editor: Jon Poll & Greg Hayden

Cast: Mike Myers, Beyoncé, Michael Caine, Seth Green, Michael York, Verne Troyer, Robert Wagner, Fred Savage, Mindy Sterling, Diane Mizota, Carrie Ann Inaba, Nobu Matsuhisa, Nichole Hiltz, Aaron Himelstein, Josh Zuckerman, Tommy Tiny Lister, Jim Piddock, Masi Oka, Clint Howard, Michael McDonald, Tom Cruise, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito, Steven Spielberg, Quincy Jones, Britney Spears, Burt Bacharach, Donna D’erico, Fred Stoller, Brad Grunberg, Greg Grunberg, Scott Aukerman, Nikki Ziering, Nathan Lane, Katie Couric, Ozzy Osbourne, Sharon Osbourbe, Kelly Osbourne, Jack Osbourne, John Travolta, Rob Lowe

Upon learning that his father has been kidnapped, Austin Powers must travel to 1975 and defeat the aptly named villain Goldmember, who is working with Dr. Evil.

This Is where the franchise jumped the shark. It got too big and popular for it’s Own good Believing it’s Own hype. Not only referencing itself but making fun of itself to be part of laughing with others. Which ends up damaging itself and not as much fun as the previous films.

The opening plays more like an mtv movie awards spoof than a witty or memorable opening. 

It also doesn’t help that mike Myers was taking out his problems over the problems he was having on a film project SPROCKETS with Ron Howard (supposedly) which is why Seth green dons a similar look as Howard towards the end.

The film is filled with stunt casting that makes it feel more like an homage. Having Michael Caine is more of a co-star than Beyoncé as the current love interest. Where it seems she is only in the film more out of popularity. Just as many of the cameos seem there only for their then current popularity and to be in on the jokes. Rather than it being more organically funny. 

It feels constantly like the steam has run out of the premise. As this is more mike Myers seems to make it more of an occasion to make it a show to try out and play more characters almost similar to Eddie Murphy in THE NUTTY PROFESSOR. 

The film just feels like gags and leftover fat from the previous films with tired jokes and bad attempts at pop culture humor. 

This could almost be like one of those spoof films that came out at the end of the year. That made fun of bee trends in all media culture but tried to tie it under one bow like DATE MOVIE or EPIC MOVIE or MEET THE SPARTANS. This franchise started off as an homage and felt original and now has become a spoof itself.

The second film in the franchise was good but while stretching it seemed to go all the way with what still worked. This feels like it was left out of shape and warped working in those perimeters.

If you enjoy mike Myers this film is for you more as a completist. But this feels like him at his most mega maniacal. As the film is just him going through excess

He also believes his own hype. Trying to bring in modern celebrities and have them make more fun of themselves but also show their own clout. As there truly is no reason for them to be here other than to show off. It comes off as begging whoever is popular at the time to guest star in the movie to get more surprises and show a sense of being somewhat timeless, it also truly dates itself, even though it tends to jump through time periods anyway. 

Grade: C-

THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS (2018)

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happytimemurders

Directed By: Brian Henson
Written By: Todd Berger
Story By: Todd Berger & Dee Austin Robertson
Cinematography: Mitchell Admunsen
Editor: Brian Oids 


Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph, Leslie David Baker, Michael McDonald, Joel Mchale, Cynthy Wu, Jimmy O. Yang, Ryan Gaul, Ben Falcone 


A murder mystery set in a world where humans and puppets co-exist, but puppets are viewed as second-class citizens. When the puppet cast of an ’90s children’s TV show begins to get murdered one by one, a former cop, who has since become a private eye, takes on the case.

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