FILM SECTION
70 stand by each other and face the Apocalypse? Well, who cares? During the last years, Judd Apatow has brought forth a new kind of comedy: Wasted characters under awkward situations, who are getting through one way or another. Funny scenes, sexist jokes, drugs and a new team of comedians. If you are not familiar with this recipe, then you may want to avoid watching this. This is the End, combines all the elements of movies such as Pineapple Express, Superbad, Knocked up, etc. However, this time the actors are not portraying any nerdy or failed guys, they are just playing themselves. By trying to satirize Hollywood system and gibe their faults and the stuff that has been written By Aggeliki Rouska This Is the End (2013) for them from time to time, they are making the misPhoto © 2013 - Sony Pictures take of taking themselves rather too… unseriously. You may feel that these guys are like you (or that I’ve been trying to avoid writing a review for this movie but it you are like them), you will laugh on some scenes uttering “what seems I cannot do otherwise: It was my choice for this month an asshole!” because someone is acting stupidly, but from some and unfortunately it proved to be the wrong one. point onwards it is way too much. I do not know when much became an essential part, but, this time this ‘muchness’, which is Although I am very fond of the cast and I do not miss most of used to provoke, fails horribly. You have seen it before, you know their movies, this one was not what I expected to be. it; it does not give anything more than tediousness. Jay Baruchel visits his fellow Seth Rogen in L.A. They are preparing to spend some time together and have the wildest burnout. They go to a celebrity party hosted by James Franco and, while Seth and his fellow actors are having a blast, smoking, drinking, doing drugs, Jay is constantly bitching about being uncomfortable and not fitting with these guys. All of a sudden, an earthquake happens! Blue beams fall from the sky, explosions are heard and fire starts consuming what used to be Hollywood! During these events, the guests start fleeing in panic; many of them die and in the end five guys remain hidden in the almost wrecked Franco’s house: Seth, Jay, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson and Danny McBride are waiting to be rescued. But will these guys
Of course there are some funny moments, especially the Pineapple Express sequel, but the one person that saves the day while he is on screen, is Danny McBride. If you have watched Eastbound & Down, you will see Kenny Powers all over him; from the way he walks till the way he eats fresh meat, Kenny Powers is there. It is amazing how a project full of comedians is rescued by one man and most of the interesting parts are those with the cameo roles. Funny and unfunny, I cannot vote it for the comedy of the summer… nor of the year. Totally indifferent. I have definitely not stopped hearing about Aniston’s striptease, both the outcome of a well-placed marketing strategy for, unfortunately, a failed product.
We’re the Millers (2013)
By Aggeliki Rouska
Photo by Michael Tackett – © (c) 2012 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Another hit of the summer; actually another “summer comedy”: After the highly praised Seth Rogen’s “This is the End” (actually it was), comes another equally praised movie, starring Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis. “We ‘re the Millers” is following a dysfunctional made-up family, who tries to transport a huge quantity of weed from Mexico into the U.S. Small-time pot dealer David is forced by his boss to go to Mexico to collect the “stuff”. In order to make his plan work, David requires the assistance of a broke stripper, Rose, a runaway teenage girl, Casey, and his teenage virgin neighbor, Kevin. They will pretend to be a family, the Millers, who go on vacations to Mexico, so in this way they will not raise any suspicions during the customarily investigation at the border. I have not stopped reading positive things about this movie and Burst www.burstzine.com
Unfunny, uninteresting, unbalanced, while, at certain points, I could hear Nanny Fine’s distinctive voice exclaiming “Booooooriiiing”. Extremely long scenes, with indifferent discussions between the characters occupied the biggest part of the movie, while the action was almost absent, embraced by a hasty type of humor and jokes. I think I managed to laugh one time only; except for that, I had the look of a cow. I couldn’t believe that they are still making movies like this one. Come on, seriously? We have to pay… FOR THIS? Why did it get a release date in the first place? Even the striptease scene was a great turn-off. Try and picture Kim Basinger on Nine ½ Weeks or -even better- Demi Moore on Striptease. Yep, that was the fun side. The other side is Jennifer Aniston. I don’t think she could have screamed more “Let’s get on with it!”. Even Miley Cyrus’ performance at MTVA was hotter than this. “We ‘re the Millers” is definitely a movie that by no means should be viewed on the big screen. The best time for watching it is on a Sunday afternoon (after family lunch), where you are lying on the couch and you are ready to drift off to sleep. A small note: In case you are wondering who Casey is, it’s Nickelodeon’s star Emma Roberts (Unfabulous), who is making her own way to the film industry. You will hear more about her soon as she stars together with James Franco in “Palo Alto”, directed by Gia Coppola.