Hemlock Grove (2013-2015)

Hemlock Grove (2013-2015)

Genre: TV / Horror

Starring: Famke Janssen, Bill Skarsgard, Landon Liboiron

Number of seasons: 3

Based on the Brian McGreevy novel of the same name, this is a story of life the fictional town of Hemlock Grove, Pennsylvania, where many secrets are buried. Reigning at the top is the wealthy Godfrey family. The arrival of a new student, Peter Rumancek, and a series of mysterious brutal murders shake things up. Hemlock Grove is a story of vampires, werewolves and such things.

Considering the talented Eli Roth was involved as producer and the intriguing premise, I had some good hopes for this show. Unfortunately, it did not deliver. There were some interesting moments here and there, some cool visuals, but the acting was horrible and the story became a complete mess by the time the third season came around. Very disappointing. Good moral at the end, which is that the monsters are not always those that look scary, but this show can easily be skipped without worrying about missing much.

Rating: ««

Joe Rogan: Triggered (2016)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Anthony Giordano

Cast: Joe Rogan

Running time: 63 minutes

Last summer, Joe Rogan took the stage of The Fillmore (San Fransisco) by storm and took no prisoners has he launched into an hour long comedic assault on a crowd that seemed to enjoy every second of it.

In Triggered, Rogan discusses drugs, politics, raising children, Caitlyn Jenner, the Kardashians and the difference between men and women. The American comic does not skate around any issue and he does not stay on the surface; he delves right in, without a single fear of saying things the way he sees them. That is truly refreshing, in this era of political correctness. I particularly loved the way he exposed how we often sacrifice efficiency and quality in the name of equality.

The comedic style of Joe Rogan is right up my alley as a fan. It is edgy, it is raw, it is a little angry; it is roaringly funny. No punches are pulled, which is not surprising considering Rogan is also involved in the world of MMA. I’m sure it will not be everybody’s cup of tea, but, in my book, it deserves nothing but full marks.

Rating: «««««

Dinner for Schmucks (2010)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Jay Roach

Cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Jermaine Clement, Zack Galifianakis

Running time: 114 minutes

Tim Conrad works as a mid-level executive in a financial firm and he is hoping to get a big promotion. On the verge of getting there, he is invited to take part in what is being called a Dinner for Winners. The point of the evening is for each person to bring a guest with a special talent to poke fun at them while pretending to find them interesting. Even if his girlfriend finds the whole idea mean and disgusting, Tim still wants to do it, considering the promotion he so desires hangs in the balance. When he accidently hits Barry Speck with his car, Tim finds the perfect loser for his dinner. Speck, an IRS employee, builds various dioramas while using stuffed dead mice as characters as a hobby. Unfortunately for Tim, as soon as Barry comes into his life, he brings chaos along with him.

Dinner for Schmucks is the American adaptation of the French film Le Dîner de Cons, directed by Francis Veber. Honestly, if you haven’t done so already, I would recommend you folks check the original instead of bothering with this version, which manages to suck most of the charm out of Le Dîner de Cons.

It is unfortunate, considering Paul Rudd, Zack Galifianakis and Steve Carell are talented actors. There were a few moments that made me smile or laugh, but, sadly, the magic simply did not operate over the whole thing, especially when you compare to the brilliant original film that inspired this adaptation. And, the Americanized ending felt fake and forced.

Rating: ««

Dana Carvey: Straight White Male, 60 (2016)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Marcus Raboy

Cast: Dana Carvey

Running time: 64 minutes

Saturday Night Live alumni Dana Carvey might be in his sixties, but the man most known for his great impressions and zany characters can still deliver a solid show on stage. That is exactly what Carvey did at the Wilbur Theatre, in Boston. The father of the Church Lady discussed politics, music, movies, children, aging and many other topics.

Having always seen Dana Carvey as a comedian that is anything but edgy, I was expecting a show that was frozen in time performed by a man relying on his past successes. I was pleasantly surprised. This show was very fresh and set nicely in 2016. The comedian dared to go into such topics as Trump and Cosby, though he remained on the surface, never getting too wet.

Still, over the course of 64 minutes, I found myself laughing out loud many times. The bit about Lennon and McCartney having a talk between heaven and earth about what the world has come to, with Carvey doing both voices, was a favorite of mine. On the other hand, the Scarface bit was weaker, in my opinion. Overall, this was a very solid comedy special that is well worth watching.

Rating: ««««

Date Movie (2006)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Aaron Seltzer

Cast: Alyson Hannigan, Adam Campbell, Jennifer Campbell

Running time: 101 minutes

Julia Jones is a lonely obese woman looking for love. Working at her parent’s restaurant, she serves coffee to a beautiful man and she is smitten with him, but, when her back is turned, he disappears. Desperate and feeling ugly, she sees a consultant, Hitch, who convinces her to go through a physical transformation, Pimp My Ride style, and then be a contestant on The Extreme Bachelor. The Bachelor is the same guy she saw at the restaurant, and they fall in love. But, when the families get together, all hell breaks loose.

Date Movie is one of many spoof films put together to poke fun at various cinema genres. Here, as you will probably guess, we are talking about romantic comedies. Among the movies being spoofed in this 2006 comedy are: My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Bridget Jones’ Diary, Hitch, Meet the Parents, Meet the Fockers, Napoleon Dynamite and Wedding Crashers.

Unfortunately, there is nothing really memorable about Date Movie. A decent cast of talented comic actors was assembled, but the material they were given was absolutely putrid. There is a way to make toilet humor funny, but the makers of this film sure did not find it. Skip this one, folks, unless you are starved for punishment.

Rating: «

The Fluffy Movie (2014)

Genre: Comedy

Directed by: Manny Rodriguez

Cast: Gabriel Iglesias AKA Fluffy, Ron White, Tommy Chong

Running time: 101 minutes

The Fluffy Movie starts off with a short film depicting the birth and youth of Gabriel Iglesias (Fluffy), with the help of various actors portraying the young Fluffy and the people in his life. Then, we move on to Iglesias’ act on stage, filmed over the course of two shows, in 2014, in San Jose.

In this comedy show, titled Unity Through Laughter, Iglesias discusses weight loss, kids, technology and family. His bits on the old Nintendo and on finally meeting his father after 30 years were great. As a fellow big man, I found the material on the issue of weight interesting, though it started feeling more like motivational speaking than comedy at times. In the mini-movie that preceded the comedy show, I popped huge for the Hot Rod t-shirt, the presence of Tommy Chong and the reference to Eddie Murphy’s Raw.

Fluffy is a very good storyteller. He has a big positive edge to his material, which sometimes may come off as preachy and motivational, but, overall, there is a lot material to make one laugh here. In spite of a few weaker points, The Fluffy Movie offers a solid comedy show.

Rating: ««««

1:54 (2016)

Genre: Franco / Drama

Réalisateur: Yan England

Distribution: Antoine Olivier Pilon, Sophie Nélisse, Lou-Pascal Tremblay

Running time: 106 minutes

Tim est un bon élève qui a un talent naturel pour la course à pied, mais il a lâché ce sport depuis le décès de sa mère. Maintenant âgé de 16 ans, il est victime d’intimidation du même jeune homme depuis des années et il décide de se mesurer à son bourreau au 800m, avec le but ultime de lui ravir la première place. Toutefois, son adversaire n’a pas l’intention de se laisser faire et il est même prêt à exploiter l’homosexualité cachée de Tim pour arriver à ses fins.

Le scénario et la réalisation de ce film sont quelque peu gros; le spectateur peut clairement voir les ficelles et savoir où le réalisateur veut l’amener. Il y a également de gros raccourcis qui sont pris, surtout dans le développement du personnage interprété par Sophie Nélisse, qui aurait clairement gagné à être étoffé.

Cela étant dit, le message de ce film, qui porte sur l’intimidation, en est un de grande importance. Ce fléau existe depuis belle lurette, mais il prend de l’ampleur depuis l’avènement des réseaux sociaux. J’ose à peine imaginer comment l’intimidation que j’ai subie aurait pu être amplifiée si je la vivais aujourd’hui. Cette œuvre cinématographique coup-de-poing, quoiqu’imparfaite, doit être vue par jeunes et moins jeunes. Un film dur qui vous restera en tête longtemps.

Rating: ««««