George Carlin: 40 Years of Comedy (1997)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Rocco Urbisci

Cast: George Carlin, Jon Stewart

Time: 59 minutes

As you would guess by looking at the title, this show was created to recap the career of the great George Carlin up to that time. Hosted by Jon Stewart, the show starts with a brief intro by the host telling us about the importance of Carlin in the world of comedy. Then, there is a montage of the work done by the famous comic. Then, George Carlin himself takes the stage to deliver some comedy before being interviewed by Stewart. This show was near perfect. Really, the only flaw is I would have taken more, especially in the interview section. Carlin was always fascinating to listen to.

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Halloween (2018)

Genre: Horror

Directed by: David Gordon Green

Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak

Time: 106 minutes

Forty years after committing multiple horrible murders, Michael Myers is still locked up. During a transfer from one facility to another, Michael manages to escape. Now, he is on the loose on Halloween night, and his old nemesis, Laurie Strode, decides that she is the one that needs to hunt him down and rid the world of him for good.

This film serves as the official sequel to the 1978 original. In the process, it disregards all the other sequels that came after. It is a very entertaining horror film that does a great job of setting an atmosphere. The pace is deliberate, and key moments make you jump on your seat and increases your heart rate.

A few little plot twists were weird and questionable, but, overall, I enjoyed this movie.

Rating: ««««

Ron White: If You Quit Listening, I'll Shut Up (2018)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Tom Forrest

Cast: Ron White

Time: 63 minutes

Ron White does not have the most profound kind of humor, but, in his latest comedy special, he was laugh-out-loud funny in my book. Over the course of an hour, White discussed such subjects as homosexuality, sex, celebrities and geese. Some of the issues he tackles can be sensitive to many, but he does it well. A few jokes were not as solid, but, overall, I was entertained.

Rating: ««««

George Carlin: Back in Town (1996)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Rocco Urbisci

Cast: George Carlin

Time: 60 minutes

For his ninth HBO comedy special, George Carlin went back to his hometown, New York City. Taking the stage at the Beacon Theatre, Carlin launched into a very tight show where he discussed such topics as abortion, sanctity of life, the death penalty, prison farms and farts. There was also so free-floating hostility and some analysis of language.

At that point in his career, George Carlin was in top form on stage. He could be biting and acerbic, and he could also give you a bit of silliness on the side. He had found the right balance, as far as I am concerned. The show is tight, with a good pace. With Carlin, it’s not always about a punch line every so many seconds. Sometimes, it is more important to take you on a ride that will entertain and make you think.

Rating: «««««

A Star is Born (2018)

Genre: Musical / Drama

Directed by: Bradley Cooper

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga. Andrew Dice Clay, Sam Elliott

Time: 135 minutes

In this 2018 remake of the 1937 original, Jackson Maine is a rock singer whose career is doing quite well, in spite of his severe alcoholism. One night, while visiting bars after a show, Jackson meets Ally, who sings cover songs in a drag bar. Jackson brings Ally with him on tour, encouraging her to sing her own songs. Love will bloom as two careers meet each other going into opposite directions.

This was a great movie all around. Great directorial work by Bradley Cooper, and a solid acting job too. He melts himself into that character so well that you forget about the actor. You just care about the character. And Lady Gaga…what a surprise. She is awesome. I am a little mad at her right now. Knowing she had such talent, I wish she had not wasted all those years on the crappy music she has made.

Overall, while this film lasts more than 2 hours, it did not feel long. It was easy to get emotionally invested in the whole thing. Great movie.

Rating: «««««

Ice Guardians (2016)

Genre: Documentary

Directed by: Brett Harvey

Cast: Jay Baruchel, Jarome Iginla, Chris Chelios

Time: 108 minutes

This 2016 documentary looks at the role of fighters AKA enforcers in the sport of professional hockey. The presence of fighting in the sport has been questioned many times by many people, but, what do the players think?

This is a very compelling film about Canada’s national sport. We hear from people who have played the role of enforcer on the ice and from star players of the past who share their thoughts on the matter. We also hear some outside views. While it could have delved even deeper, this is a very good documentary.

Rating: ««««

1991 (2018)

Genre: Franco / Biographical / Comedy

Réalisateur: Ricardo Trogi

Distribution: Jean-Carl Boucher, Sandrine Bisson, Claudio Colangelo

Durée: 101 minutes

Dans cette troisième partie de la série autobiographique écrite et réalisée par Ricardo Trogi, notre personnage principal a maintenant 21 ans. Amoureux fou de Marie-Ève Bernard, il décide de la suivre en Italie pour une session universitaire estivale. Mais, comme d’habitude, avec Ricardo, rien n’est vraiment simple.

À mon humble avis, ce troisième épisode a ramené la série sur les rails. J’avais adoré 1981, mais 1987 m’avait grandement déçu. Dans ce cas-ci, le jeu des acteurs est encore solide, mais l’histoire est fort intéressante. Les dialogues sont bien ficelés et m’ont souvent faire rire. J’aime beaucoup le ton utilisé par le narrateur pour raconter son histoire. Au-delà de quelques petites longueurs, 1991 est un film très divertissant.

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