Irrelevant But Awesome

Alexa:  Simon Pegg has made some great comedies, and he’s made his fair share that are instantly forgettable. “Absolutely Anything” definitely falls under the latter - entertaining enough while you’re watching it, but ultimately not funny or clever enough to leave a lasting impression. Yet it somehow assembled an incredible cast. Pegg is a charming lead as always. Eddie Izzard is a welcome presence, but underused. The Monty Python guys voice a bunch of aliens. Most notably, this is Robin Williams’ final film, and his Dennis the Dog is by far the most entertaining part of the movie. Its central premise about the consequences of unlimited power certainly has promise, and I always love a well-placed “Spaced” reference in Simon Pegg movies. But unfortunately “Absolutely Anything” just doesn’t live up to its potential. Its jokes don’t land. It wastes its talented cast on flimsy material. And it barely scratches the surface of its plot, so a story that could have some emotional re...

Vince McMahon is back at it again except this time, he claims the XFL will listen to their fans and take their considerations under review. Now, if you've been a fan of WWE over the past few decades or so, it was probably difficult to read that first sentence without passing out from laughing or you've become so angry that whatever screen you were reading this on is now smashed. Today, Vince McMahon made it official, the XFL is coming back and even though he's pouring $100 million into it, this will probably the last time we'd see him in regards to XFL. The press conference was amusing to watch, especially since I had just finished watching the "This was the XFL" documentary but it seemed like Vince was addressing all the ways the new XFL will not be like the original. Matter of fact, this almost seems like this will be the exact opposite of the original XFL as McMahon numerous times emphasized that they're not trying to reinvent th...

Alexa:  I have never seen “Man on the Moon,” and I wasn’t really familiar with Andy Kaufman’s work before watching “Jim & Andy.” But I walked away from the documentary feeling like I knew both Kaufman and Jim Carrey a little bit better. I imagine seeing “Man on the Moon” or at the very least some of Kaufman’s material would make for a more meaningful viewing experience, but I still found “Jim & Andy” compelling. I’m a sucker for behind-the-scenes stuff, and I think during our discussion of “Lost in La Mancha” several of us praised that film for its genuine fly-on-the-wall approach. “Jim & Andy” had a similar feel. It does not sugarcoat at all what a bizarre experience making “Man on the Moon” must have been both for Carrey and everyone around him. Carrey went about as method as you could possibly get playing Kaufman, which allowed him to delve deep into Kaufman’s psyche but understandably contributed to a frustrating experience for everyone else. Milos Forman is a ...

10. Pacific Rim Uprising Pacific Rim is on may people’s top ten list of 2013 movies, and deservedly so. A big budget, sci-fi action, monster movie based on a completely original idea, it felt like a miracle that Pacific Rim was made at all, not to mention how good it turned out. Unfortunately despite glowing reviews, Pacific Rim woefully under performed at the Box Office losing to Grown Ups 2 in its first weekend. It’s thanks to the movies success in other markets, most notably China, that we’re getting this sequel, but after watching the box office return of the first movie, the fact that we’re getting a sequel seems like just as much of a miracle as the first movie existing at all. With Kong: Skull Island out last year and a Godzilla sequel coming out next year, monster movies are coming back in a big way and it’s good to see some good original ideas getting made alongside the nostalgia acts. 9. Paddington 2 Already released in the UK back in November, Paddington 2 is one of the...

Alexa:  I had never seen a Laika film until “Kubo and the Two Strings,” and I must say I’m impressed. First of all, this movie is gorgeous. Even if the story were dreadful, I would have gladly sat through the entire movie just to watch the animation. The stop-motion style immediately sets it apart from other modern animated films, and on top of that the aesthetic is so visually rich that you’re immersed in it from the first frame. It’s the perfect canvas for the film’s magical elements. The story itself is pretty familiar and formulaic. The Monkey and Beetle reveals were predictable. But not everything has to be a cinematic game changer. The hero’s quest is a timeless story structure for a reason, and “Kubo” executes it in an emotionally compelling way. I loved its emphasis on the importance of storytelling as a tradition, and I completely agree with Jason that the ending was perfect. Particularly in today’s vitriolic political climate, it’s refreshing to see a resolution reac...

Alexa:  Thoughts that ran through my mind while watching “Apollo 13” - 1) I should really stop complaining about how cold it is, because at least I’m not trapped in a frigid spacecraft with low oxygen thousands of miles from Earth; 2) Everyone at NASA is so much smarter than I could ever hope to be; 3) I am totally fine never, ever going to space. “Apollo 13” was on my list of movies that I should have seen by now but never got around to watching, and it did not disappoint. I knew the outcome of the real Apollo 13 mission going into the film, but it kept me on the edge of my seat nonetheless. It starts a little slow, but quickly builds momentum once the mission actually begins. Director Ron Howard takes a refreshingly no-frills approach, opting to convey the story as realistically as possible. He doesn’t overdramatize anything because the intensity of the real-life events is enough. His attention to detail is impeccable. And the performances work so well for the same reasons, ...

It’s Oscar season. As each new year starts, we get to spend the first month of the year watching all of the great movies that studios saved until the end of last year in hopes of getting some Oscar recognition. January is a big month for the Academy awards. The nomination polls for Academy members will officially open this Friday, January 5th, and remain open for the next week until January 12th. The nominations will be officially announced on January 23rd, and then it’s off to the races for the big show on Sunday March 4th. However, as you narrow down what movies to try and watch between now and then, here are a few things to keep in mind First of all, not every movie released in 2017 is eligible for an Oscar. The Academy has a few rules that must be adhered to before even considering a movie. For example, a movie must have been released in a commercial theater in Los Angeles County before the end of the year to be considered, and it must play in that theater for at least seven ...

1/5: Apollo 13 Technical troubles scuttle the Apollo 13 mission in 1971, risking the lives of astronaut Jim Lovell and his crew in this chronicle of a true story. 1/12: Kubo and the Two Strings In feudal Japan, a one-eyed boy with musical magic powers searches for his father's enchanted armor, pursued by his evil grandfather, the Moon King. 1/19: Jim & Andy Through the lens of his stunningly immersive performances as Andy Kaufman, Jim Carrey ponders the meaning of life, reality, identity and career. 1/26: Absolutely Anything Aliens bestow a schoolteacher with the power to do absolutely anything, but only his talking dog seems to have any notion what to do with it.

One movie a week for an entire year. We made it. There have been good movies and bad movies and so, so many in between. And we’ll get to some “best of” and “worst of” looking back on the movies that we watched in 2017, but for a moment, let’s peel back the curtain at how the movies were selected. To be fair, we made several adjustments and tweaks to how the movies were selected as the year progressed, but for the most part each month, one reviewer would select a movie for all of us to watch. If there was an extra month, we would usually take turns with the extra month unless there was a reason that someone wanted to pitch a specific movie to be watched on a specific week. It’s not a perfect system as there were several exceptions to the aforementioned rules, but it’s enough that we can look back at the picks and see who had the best and worst picks this year. (Note: The ratings of each movie are mine (Joel’s) and the other reviewers are free to make their own ratings if they feel min...