This is the brighter sibling who doesn’t live up to his potential from the SCARY family of “MOVIE” spoofs (EPIC, DATE, DISASTER, NOT ANOTHER TEEN…). TCT is a one-joke pony, but it’s a pretty good joke. The movie trots along finding every, in this case, Rom-Com cliche it can to poke fun at, in a … Continue reading THEY CAME TOGETHER

When the host at the Arclight Theater said TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION was three hours long, I thought he was kidding. He wasn’t. I wish he was. Because this movie is a joke. Ok, it’s not all horrible. It’s just mostly horrible. The effects are ok, the 3D is decent, and well, that’s about all … Continue reading TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons hold a special place in my musical history. I remember they were one of the first pop groups I ever heard. My Aunt was a fan and she would listen to their records and I would listen along. So I was eager to see what Clint Eastwood would do … Continue reading JERSEY BOYS

Hiccup is five years older, and as he approaches manhood his animators have cleverly aged him half a decade on screen as well. But we are still on Berk Island, which begins in bliss with a soaring, ecstatic flight sequence that makes for a great introductory thrill ride, while also setting the scene: humans and … Continue reading HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

Time travel movies can be tough to pull off. The story can get so bogged down or confused by keeping track of what time you are in, or explaining the mechanics of time travel that you never know what’s going on with what you should care about— the story arc. One movie that did it … Continue reading EDGE OF TOMORROW

Strained, repetitious and overlong, with two running gags hammered home hard enough to smash the nail right through the wood. 22JS continually steps outside of itself to nudge-wink joke about the plot being the same as the first movie, about the sequel’s larger budget, and about the need to keep the franchise going (this last, … Continue reading 22 JUMP STREET

A new hybrid: the slasher musical! With no half-measures about the slasher part. Much of the satire is similar to CAMP, but with added blood and (literally) guts. The characters are just as likely to break into song as they are to be eviscerated. The numbers are snappy and elaborately choreographed, the lyrics smart and … Continue reading STAGE FRIGHT

I was soooooooo looking forward to this one. Loved the idea. Loved the trailer. Should have stopped there. What's being sold as a back and forth revenge comedy between grown ups and a frat is really a mostly laugh free stoner comedy that is pretty lame. If it was half as funny as the trailer … Continue reading NEIGHBORS