You Again

What doesn't kill you... is going to marry your brother.

Marni (Bell) is a successful public relations representative.  She her job keeps her away from her family, but she is headed home for her older brother Will's (Wolk) wedding.  One the way home, she learns her future sister-in-law is Joanna (Yustman) the girl who made her life miserable in school.  But no one in the family seems to remember their history, and Joanna has taken Marni's place in everything.  Meanwhile, Joanna's only relative, her Aunt Ramona (Weaver) arrives.  Ramona has a history with Marni's mom, Gail (Curtis).  In high school they were best friends, and then something caused Ramona to cut Gail out of her life.

With the wedding just days away, everything becomes a competition: family dance lessons, etc.  Personalities clash and old wounds surface.  With a theatrical wedding planner (Chenoweth), a persistent ex fiance (Bornheimer), and "cougar" Grandma Bunny (White), it will be a wedding to remember.


Finally!   A decent chick flick!  After the dismal failure of When in Rome, it is good to see Kristen Bell in a good, funny film.  The trailers looked funny and the cast is impressive, so I was excited to see this (I even took my mom!) and I was not disappointed.

Most well-known critics hated the film and ripped it to shreds, but it was better than they suggest (check out NorthShoreMovies.net).  Sometimes high school / middle school leaves scars... and this film illustrates that well.  Yes, it's formulaic, but there are some surprises.  And the confrontations felt more realistic than other films.

The women in the cast are great.  Bell and Odette Yustman are pretty formulaic characters... but it works well.  But the best interaction is between Jamie Lee Curtis and Sigourney Weaver.  They have great chemistry and play off each other well.  Betty White is funny as usual in a quirky grandma role.  She has been in a lot lately, but always manages to steal the show.  Kristin Chenoweth, as always, is a hoot... playing an over the top character who randomly breaks into song.

The men don't get to do much.  Victor Garber is a talented character actor, and he gets some funny moments, but is mostly relegated to the background.  The rest of the men in the cast, James Wolk, Sean Wing, and Billy Unger don't do much.  Kyle Bornheimer gets the most laughs as Tim, Joanna's ex-fiance who just can't let go.

A fun and funny film that keeps you laughing and wanting more.  It also has a great cameo by Cloris Leachman, which I won't ruin for you.  Stay and watch the ending credits, you won't be disappointed!

You Again (2010) 105 minutes
Rating: PG for brief mild language and rude behavior.
Director: Andy Fickman
Starring: Kristen Bell as Marni
Jamie Lee Curtis as Gail
Sigourney Weaver as Aunt Ramona
Odette Yustman as Joanna
Victor Garber as Mark
Betty White as Grandma Bunny
James Wolk as Will
Kristin Chenoweth as Georgia
Sean Wing as Charlie
Kyle Bornheimer as Tim
Billy Unger as Ben

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

"My mom said to just be myself, and everyone would like me."
"That would be good advice if you were somebody else."

Greg Heffley (Gordon) is waiting for everyone else to discover his awesomeness.  He is about to start middle school and ready to take the world by storm, starting with being a class favorite.  But he doesn't want to be popular on his own, so he decides to fix his best friend Rowley (Capron).  They start middle school with high hopes, but end up sitting on the floor for lunch and hiding under the bleachers during gym.

Everything they try moves them further down the popularity list: wrestling, safety patrol, etc.  The only people who talk to them are disgusting Fregley (Russell) "I found a new freckle.  It's got a hair in it!", the shortest kid at school Chirag Gupta (Karan Brar) who knows everything, and the wise-beyond-her-years Angie (Moretz) who writes for the school paper.  With his older brother Rodrick (Bostick) giving "advice" and dealing death threats... and being bullied by a girl, Patty Ferrell (Laine MacNeil), will anything ever go right for Greg?

To be completely honest, I hated this movie when I saw it in theaters.  In my defense, I was getting sick and a bunch of middle school boys that I knew were a few rows behind me... and I was convinced I would leave with popcorn in my hair or soda down my back.

Then my roommate forced me to watch it again, and enjoyed it.  Was it the greatest movie ever, no.  Will it be on my top films of the year, no... but it was definitely enjoyable.  A family friendly film that is clean and funny, without being condescending.

Good cast, good story (based on the books by Jeff Kinney), good family fun.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010) 94 minutes
Director: Thor Freudenthal
Starring: Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley
Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson
Rachael Harris as Susan Heffley
Steve Zahn as Frank Heffley
Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley
Chloe Moretz as Angie Steadman
Grayson Russell as Fregley
Connor & Owen Fielding as Manny Heffley

Death at a Funeral (2010)

"Let me get this straight: our father was romantically involved with a guy that could fit in his pocket, and you're mad because he's white?"

Aaron Barnes (Rock) just wants the day to end.  It is the day of his father's funeral... which will take place in their home.  But nothing goes as planned... the funeral home brings the wrong casket and his family is out of control.  His famous brother Ryan (Lawrence) is living the life he wants... and would rather spend the funeral oogling their barely-legal neighbor.  His mother Cynthia (Devine) and wife (Hall) are baby crazy.  And then his cousin Elaine's (Saldana) boyfriend Oscar (Marsden) starts acting weird.

And family isn't the only problem.  Aaron's hypochondriac friend Norman (Morgan) is freaking out, and Derek (Wilson) is only at the funeral to win back Elaine.  And then there is Frank (Dinklage) who no one seems to know, but who desperately wants to talk to Aaron.


What were they thinking?  Seriously, why remake an English film within a few years of the original?  To an extent I can understand remaking a foreign language film within a years, since most people do not enjoy reading subtitles.  However, when the original film is made in England in English, why remake it within 3 years?

The trailers looked dumb and I wasn't expecting much, especially since I loved the original (I own it!).  The cast didn't look too promising, but I was willing to put aside my preconceived notions to watch this film.  But my first impression was right.  This film was crap.

It is essentially the exact same film as the 2007 version... same storyline and character arches.  They changed all the names and the humor slightly.  A brand new cast, with the exception of Peter Dinklage (as the same character).  Overall the changes don't work.  One change that does work is the expanded role of Derek.  He actually gets to do something and gets a few laughs.  James Marsden steals the show as the stoned boyfriend.  He is over the top, but makes it work.  Tracy Morgan is also over the top, but he is more hit-or-miss.  I like Morgan, especially in 30 Rock, but he doesn't seem to do well in films.  I like the other cast members, but they don't all have good track records with decent movies... I seriously question your taste levels people.  Don't waste your time on this film.  Watch the 2007 version, directed by Frank Oz.

Death at a Funeral (2010) 92 minutes
Rating: R for language, drug content and some sexual humor.
Director: Neil LaBute
Starring: Chris Rock as Aaron Barnes
Martin Lawrence as Ryan Barnes
Regina Hall as Michelle Barnes
Tracy Morgan as Norman
Zoe Saldana as Elaine Barnes
James Marsden as Oscar
Columbus Short as Jeff Barnes
Loretta Devine as Cynthia Barnes
Ron Glass as Duncan Barnes
Keith David as Reverend Davis
Danny Glover as Uncle Russell
Peter Dinklage as Frank
Luke Wilson Derek

Kick-Ass

"Yeah, that's right! We're superheroes! You love us!"

Dave Lizewski (Johnson) is an average teen... relatively invisible at high school, with no real goals in life.  Free time is spent with Marty (Clark Duke) and Todd (Evan Peters) reading and discussing comic books.  One day Dave has a thought: what's stopping him from wearing a costume and becoming a superhero?

He goes online and orders a scuba suit and mask and creates a new persona: Kick-Ass.  He patrols the streets looking for crime to fight.  But fighting crime isn't as easy as it looks, and his confrontation leaves him bloody and hospitalized.  A few months later, he emerges full of metal plates and frayed nerve endings, and hits the streets again.  That evening he fights off a group of men and protects an injured man, and his escapades are posted on YouTube.  The video becomes a viral hit and attracts the attention of crime/drug boss Frank D'Macio (Strong) who is losing profits to a masked vigilante, which he thinks is Kick-Ass.

Soon Dave is joined by other masked superheroes: Big Daddy (Cage) a former cop looking for vengeance, Big Daddy's daughter Hit Girl (Moretz) a young girl with a fondness for knifes and other weaponry, and Red Mist (Mintz-Plasse) the tricked-out and media savvy son of Frank D'Amico.  Meanwhile, a misunderstanding leads to a new friendship and loads of quality time with the girl of his dreams, Katie (Lyndsy Fonseca).  Will anyone discover Dave's alter ego, and will he get the girl?


I wanted to see this film when it was in theaters and received excellent word of mouth.  I didn't get to see it on the big screen, but continued to eagerly anticipate seeing it.  And now I'm sure what to think... it wasn't what I expected.

I watched the film with my roommate and another friend.  When it ended we all sat in silence until the credits ended because no one knew what to say.  After that I did a little research on the Kick-Ass comics.  I appreciate the changes the filmmakers made... such as the ending and slight changes to other storylines.

There was so much death.  In end only a few characters are still alive.  I was expecting blood, but the body count was massive and seemed unnecessary.  The language was also overkill.  And there is the protagonist.  He wasn't all that interesting... I know that is the point of the character, but something just didn't work.  Maybe it was actor Aaron Johnson, maybe it was the writing... but I didn't particularly care about him.  Chloe Moretz was good, but I couldn't take her seriously as Mindy...  Nicolas Cage was.... interesting.  I appreciated Big Daddy sounding like Adam West from Batman (the same speech patterns), but didn't like the character overall (he was so over the top).  Christopher Mintz-Plasse was also good-ish.  He was funny and heart-breaking.  The only other character worth mentioning is Clark Duke as Dave's friend Marty.  The character was consistently funny and the only bright spot for me.

A waste of time... and now they're talking about a sequel.  No thanks.
I thought this would be something I'd enjoy... I tend to like comic books and lately comic book films have been good.  I had high hopes, but was disappointed.  It wasn't bad, it just didn't have any redeemable qualities.  And it was marketed wrong.  It looked like a comedy, but it was short on laughs.

After the first few minutes I was seriously considering stopping the film... it just wasn't working for me.

Kick-Ass (2010) 117 minutes
Rating: Rated R for strong brutal violence throughout, pervasive language, sexual content, nudity and some drug use - some involving children.
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Aaron Johnson as Dave Lizewski / Kick-Ass
Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Chris D'Macio / Red Mist
Mark Strong as Frank D'Macio
Chloe Moretz as Mindy Macready / Hit Girl
Omari Hardwick as Sergeant Marcus Williams
Nicolas Cage as Damon Macready / Big Daddy

Haunted Honeymoon (1986)

"It's not what you think... Well, it's partly what you think but, uh, oh it's so complicated. "

Famed radio personality Larry Abbot (Wilder) is losing it.  While performing in his latest radio horror show, he goes into hysterics during the storm sequence: either crying or laughing throughout the scene.  He is nervous about his upcoming wedding to costar Vickie Pearle (Radner), and can't control his emotions the closer the wedding comes.  His uncle, psychiatrist Paul Abbot (Smith), believes the only course of treatment is to scare Larry to death.

Larry and Vickie finish the show and leave for their wedding at the creepy estate of his Great Aunt Kate (DeLuise).  The entire eccentric Abbot clan are spending the weekend at the estate.  They include Paul, his prankster son Charlie (Pryce), Paul's lawyer brother Francis Sr. (Vaughan), Francis' cross-dressing son Francis Jr. (Roger Ashton-Griffiths), Larry's cousin Susan (Jo Ross) and her magician husband Montego (Jim Carter).  Kate believes someone in the family is trying to kill her, and claims one of them is a werewolf.  With dead bodies, drunk servants, faulty electricity, and a werewolf with a secret, is anyone safe and will the wedding actually occur?


Reading the cast list and the premise, this sounds like a slam dunk.  The cast is filled with noted comedians with an impressive pedigree of comedy films.  Dom DeLuise and Gene Wilder appeared in numerous Mel Brooks films and other well-known comedies and Gilda Radner was one of the stars of SNL (seasons 1-5).  They all made great films after this one.  The premise sounds intriguing and could be an interesting blend / send-up of classic black and white horror films with comedic undertones.  This formula worked for Wilder in Young Frankenstein and should work here as well.

However, the tone and story just don't measure up.  It isn't a bad film, it just falls flat in some places.  It starts well, with a murder, and introduces the main characters well... but some pieces just feel out of place.  When they are at the Abbot estate there are good moments: the dinner sequence, but there are other scenes and characters that feel unnecessary.  What purpose do Larry's female cousins serve?  Why take the time to introduce Susan, and then barely include her in the rest of the film?  I'm on the fence with Dom DeLuise in drag.  Parts are funny and parts just fall flat.  He is great, but the material isn't (he won a Razzie for the film).  I love Gilda Radner.  She was my favorite cast member during her time on SNL (I bought the "Best of Gilda Radner" DVD).  Sadly, she didn't have much of a film career before losing her battle with cancer... Watch this for the chance to see her on film.

Not as good as it could be, but still funny (watch DeLuise and Radner perform "Ballin' the Jack").

Haunted Honeymoon (1986) 82 minutes
Director: Gene Wilder
Starring: Gilda Radner as Vickie Pearle
Gene Wilder as Larry Abbot
Dom DeLuise as Aunt Kate
Jonathan Pryce as Charles Abbot
Bryan Pringle as Pfister
Peter Vaughan as Francis Abbot Sr.
Paul L. Smith as Dr. Paul Abbot

Män som hatar kvinnor: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Nyqvist) is in trouble.  After writing an article attacking the character of a wealthy businessman, his sources prove to be false and he is forced into a difficult position.  He gives up his position as editor and is forced to pay damages and endure several months in prison.  With his personal and professional life in turmoil, he is invited to the island of Hedebey with a job offer.  Aging industrialist Henrik Vanger (Taube) wants Blomkvist to solve a 40 year mystery: what happened to his beloved niece Harriet (Julia Sporre).

Harriet disappeared from the family estate on a day when the roads were blocked: no one could enter or exit the island.  After years of searching, everyone assumes she was murdered.  The only suspects are members of the dysfunctional Vanger family.

Meanwhile, Vanger family lawyer Dirch Frode (Hirdwall) hires Lisbeth Salander (Rapace) a talented private investigator / hacker to investigate Blomkvist.  In the midst of the investigation, she stumbles onto the Vanger case and offers her computer skills to the investigation.  Will they ever solve the case?


Ever since the novel with the same name by late Swedish author, Stieg Larsson was release, it has been a hit.  It is impossible to read about popular novels without coming upon Larsson's Millenium trilogy (The Girl with the Dragon Tatto, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest).  After hearing so much praise for the trilogy, I finally broke down and bought The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to satiate my curiosity.  Once you get going, it is a hard book to put down.  It has a little more sex and violence than interests my tastes, but it was a good read.

Unlike many adaptations, this film sticks close to it's source material: changing or removing a few minor details and characters.  The writing, pacing, and strong performances enhance the novel, and make it hard to imagine any other version of the film (an American version, starring current 007 Daniel Craig, is slated to premiere in 2011).  The only thing keeping this film from being a major hit in the US is language: the film is in Swedish, with English subtitles.  I did not find the subtitles distracting (I have no problem watching a film and reading subtitles, it keeps me engaged), but there are not many Americans who enjoy reading during a film.  Those people are missing out on a great film.

The performances by Michael Nyqvist as Blomkvist and Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth are stellar.  They brought the characters to life, especially Rapace as Lisbeth.  I genuinely hope the actress in the American version (Rooney Mara) does as well... but in mind Rapace is Lisbeth Salander.

Good film... they don't shy away depicting the violence and sex in the novel, and there is a rape sequence.  I look forward to starting The Girl Who Played with Fire, so I can see the film!

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo [Män som hatar kvinnor] (2009) 152 minutes
Rating: R for disturbing violent content including rape, grisly images, sexual material, nudity and language.
Director: Niels Arden Oplev
Starring: Michael Nyqvist as Mikael Blomkvist
Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander
Lena Endre as Erika Berger
Peter Haber as Martin Vanger
Sven-Bertil Taube as Henrik Vanger
Peter Andersson as Nils Bjurman
Ingvar Hirdwall as Dirch Frode

When in Rome

"I did not see that coming."

Guggenheim art curator, Beth (Bell), always puts her job first... relationships don't last and true love is just a fairy tale.  Her sister, Joan (Alexis Dziena), falls head over heels in love after only a few short weeks and gets married in Rome.  At the wedding she meets the workaholic best man, Nick (Duhamel).  But things don't go as planned, and she ends up drunk in the Fountain of Love.  She takes 5 coins out of the fountain to save their owners.

Back home, she is pursued by 4 strange men: Italian artist Antonio (Arnett), narcissistic male model Gale (Shephard), street magician Lance (Heder), and sausage king Al (DeVito).  Each threw a coin in the Fountain of Love... the coins Beth removed.  According to legend, she must return the coins to the fountain to break the spell.  Meanwhile, Nick is also after her affections, and Beth wonders if he is truly interested or under a spell.


I like Kristen Bell: loved her on Veronica Mars but she hasn't found any role as good since.  Her guest role on Starz Party Down was good, but she can't find a good film role, although Forgetting Sarah Marshall was a big success.  She is talented... and good with physical comedy.  HOWEVER, this film was not the best use of her talents: it is a waste of a great cast.

Will Arnett tends to be the highlight of every film, and his turn in this film is no exception.  His Antonio is over the top, but still funny.  While I don't tend to enjoy Dax Shephard, I have been impressed with his serious work on TV show Parenthood.  His Gale steals the show with his self-involved persona.  Jon Heder and Danny DeVito tend to be good, but just feel out of place here.

The film is formulaic, like most chick flicks.  It was ok, but not as funny as it could/should have been.  Not worth it.

When in Rome (2010) 91 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for some suggestive content.
Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Starring: Kristen Bell as Beth
Josh Duhamel as Nick
Angelica Huston Celeste
Danny DeVito as Al
Will Arnett as Antonio
Jon Heder as Lance
Dax Shepard as Gale