T.J. Miller

TV Review: FOX Buries ‘The Goodwin Games’ For Good Reason

BrianTT — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:15:51 -0400

CHICAGO – “The Goodwin Games” is bad, bad, bad. You know a show is likely to be awful when a network cuts back the order and buries its premiere in a time of year when most people are getting outside or going to see Summer blockbusters. While the networks are busy promoting Fall 2013 at Upfronts, who cares about a new show that won’t make it more than two months? And yet there is sometimes reason for hope that a network executive just missed the humor and is actually burying a hidden gem. Hope dies at “The Goodwin Games” and I wish they had buried it deeper.

Television Rating: 1.0/5.0

Not one laugh. A talented cast, decent direction, even a clever concept — but not one laugh. The attempts at jokes hit the floor, the character archetypes are broad, the emotional manipulation is unacceptable. Not one laugh. In fact, it’s stunning that anyone looked at this premiere episode and thought, “Yeah, that’s good enough.” One has to presume that future episodes are stronger and they just knew that the opening act was weak because there must have been reason for future success to keep people coming back to the set.

Beau Bridges plays Benjamin Goodwin, the patriarch of a family of three siblings who he tortured from a young age with competitions that are allegedly funny in sitcom TV but would actually be considered highly abusive in real life. He made his kids competitive nightmares and he’s got one last competition now that he’s passed away. Henry (Scott Foley), Chloe (Becki Newton), and Jimmy Goodwin (T.J. Miller) come to the reading of his will to discover that their pop held on to over $20 million and only one of them will get it all if they can follow the instructions. First game, play a round of Trivial Pursuit about their own family history and try not to fight. Nothing’s less funny than another family fighting over Trivial Pursuit.

The Goodwin Games
Photo credit: FOX

Foley may not be the first actor considered for a sitcom but he’s got that dry delivery that’s not unlike Jason Bateman, and we all know what a great fit he was for a little FOX dysfunctional comedy called “Arrested Development.” So while he’s given a cliched, paper-thin character — the OCD-esque doctor who considers winning more important than anything else — I don’t blame Foley. Miller’s comic style has never been one that worked for me. He’s too broad, but he might have fit in here as more of the Buster Bluth character, the permanent adolescent. Then there’s Becki Newton, who had a solid arc on “How I Met Your Mother” and could definitely still become a star. But it won’t be in this show.

It may seem cruel to get down on “The Goodwin Games” since it will likely be gone before you stumble upon this in a search for what future stars like Becki Newton did before they became famous, so I’ll be brief. FOX is barely advertising it, premiering it in an awful time of year, and already cut back the episode order. I’m 90% sure everyone involved has already moved on to bigger and better things. Like anything else. You should too.

“The Goodwin Games” stars Scott Foley, Becki Newton, T.J. Miller, and Beau Bridges. It premieres on Monday, May 20, 2013 at 7:30pm CST on FOX.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Film Review: ‘Seeking a Friend for the End of the World’ with Steve Carell Can’t Find Honest Emotion

BrianTT — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 17:21:17 -0400

CHICAGO – Lorene Scafaria’s “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” is a manipulative mess that’s only slightly redeemed by yet-another engaging performance from one of the best actresses of her generation. Even the always-great Keira Knightley can’t hold back the deluge of clichés and false characters that drag this piece down into the kind of dreck that would be universally derided if it just had the name “Nicholas Sparks Presents” in front of it. At least those films don’t put up false hipster pretenses of being something other than they are. By the end, I was just seeking an honest emotion.

Rating: 2.0/5.0

Right from the first scene in Scafaria’s film, the world is going to go boom a la “Melancholia” or “Armageddon” (one of the few times you’ll hear those two movies compared in a sentence). We learn that the last attempt to stop the impending deep impact didn’t work out and so now it’s time to count off the hours until nobody feels fine any more. While Dodge (Steve Carell) watches his wife run panicked into a park never to be seen again, he takes the news with a bit more subdued resignation. He goes to work, continues to chit-chat with his cleaning lady, and even meets a cute girl next door, the beautiful Penny (Keira Knightley).

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” in our reviews section.

While Dodge and Penny have been neighbors for years, the two have barely interacted (yes, this is another one of those Hollywood tales in which impending doom allows us to see what was in front of us all along…if you’re lost in love, all you need to do is knock on your neighbor’s door…good luck with that). Penny does have a creepy boyfriend (Adam Brody), the kind of hipster douche who only exists in the movies as no one in the real world would be quite so self-obsessed as the Earth was coming to an end unless it fit a plot. A riot pushes Penny & Dodge toward a wacky road trip of self-discovery as the two trek to a location where the latter thinks there may be a plane for the former to get back across the pond to see her family one last time.

Continue reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” review.

“Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” stars Steve Carell, Keira Knightley, Adam Brody, Connie Britton, Rob Corddry, Melanie Lynskey, Patton Oswalt, T.J. Miller, Gillian Jacobs, Derek Luke, and Martin Sheen. It was written and directed by Lorene Scafaria. It opens on June 22, 2012.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
Photo credit: Focus Features

Preview: Just for Laughs Chicago 2012 From TBS Kicks Off June 12, 2012

PatrickMcD — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 18:27:55 -0400

CHICAGO – If a collective chorus of guffaws is heard throughout the Windy City this week, blame it on the ‘Just for Laughs Chicago’ 2012 Festival. From June 12th-17th, stages large and small throughout Chicagoland will feature some of the hottest comedy acts, stars and the taping of the ‘Conan’ TBS chat show, featuring Conan O’Brien and Andy Richter.

Every day through Sunday, June 17th, over one dozen venues will be open for a variety of acts, in both types and sizes. HollywoodChicago.com has compiled the highlights of each day, with both the name acts and something more Chicago-centric to celebrate one of comedy’s great American cities. For a complete schedule, including ticket buying information, click here.

The ‘Conan’ Show is in Chicago through June 14th
Photo credit: TBS

TUESDAY, JUNE 12

”Conan”

The “Conan” TBS show will be taped at the Chicago Theatre with load-in beginning at 4pm from today through June 14th. All lottery ticket holders have been notified and the shows are sold out, but you can still try for stand-by tickets, find instructions by clicking here. June 12-14, 4p, Chicago Theater, 175 N. State St.

”The Conan Writer’s Live”

Can’t get a ticket to the Chicago Theater tapings of the “Conan” TBS show? The Conan O’Brien writing staff will be making various appearances throughout the week, including a stand-up showcase tonight. Check listings for other nights and other venues. June 12, 8p, Laugh Factory, 3175 N. Broadway

”Secret Big-Time Comedy Showcase”

Chicago Underground Comedy presents elongated sets from Chicago’s best stand-up comedians, plus short films between sets at this north side club. June 12, 8p, The Beat Kitchen, 2100 W. Belmont Ave.

Janeane Garofalo and Kyle Kinane at ‘Just for Laughs Chicago’
Photo credit: TBS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13

”Scott Adsit and Kevin Dorff”

Scott Adsit of “30 Rock” and sketch actor Kevin Dorff performed together at Second City and iO as young performers in Chicago. They reunite in a long form improvisation show. Check listings for other nights. June 13, 8p & 10:30p, iO Theater, 3541 N. Clark St.

”Janeane Garofalo and Kyle Kinane”

TV and film comedian Janeane Garofalo and Kyle Kinane do a late night set at the new UP Comedy Club in the famed Second City building. June 13, 11p, Up Comedy Club, 230 W. North Ave.

”Best of Just for Laughs Shorts”

Film is the spotlight at this venue, as the best comedy shorts from around the world are shown on the Siskel Center’s premium screens. June 13, 8:15p, Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St.

Patton Oswalt at ‘Just for Laughs Chicago’
Photo credit: TBS

THURSDAY JUNE 14

”Patton Oswalt”

The hot comedian and newly minted film star will perform his stand-up twice on Thursday night. June 14, 7:30p & 10p, The Vic Theater, 3145 N. Sheffield Ave.

”Stephen Merchant: Hello Ladies…”

The sidekick star of HBO’s “The Ricky Gervais Show” and co-creator (with Gervais) of “The Office” embarks on his first ever stand-up tour. June 14, 15 &16 7:30p, Park West, 322 W. Armitage Ave.

”An Evening with Kevin Smith”

The independent comic filmmaker who brought us “Clerks,” “Chasing Amy” and “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” will chat about his career and take questions from the audience in a no-holds barred evening. June 14, 8p, The Chicago Theater, 175 N. State St.

”New Faces of Chicago”

Hosted by Lil Rel, this showcase features the best of Chicago stand-up and comic acts, attended by industry reps but packaged to entertain! June 14, 9p, The Comedy Bar, 157 W. Ontario St.

John Oliver at ‘Just for Laughs Chicago’
Photo credit: TBS

FRIDAY, JUNE 15

”John Oliver”

The resident Brit on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and semi-regular on the sitcom “Community” brings his unique brand of wit to the ‘Just for Laughs Chicago’ stage. June 15, 7:30p, The Vic Theater, 3145 N. Sheffield Ave.

”Aziz Ansari: Buried Alive”

The “Parks & Recreation” sitcom star brings his own particular comic brand to a larger venue at this year’s festival. People Magazine just named Ansari the ‘Funniest Dude in Prime Time. June 15, 7:30p & 10:30p, The Chicago Theater, 175 N. State St.

”Set List”

The local Lincoln Lodge, which re-launched a venue for new stand-up and sketch comedy in Chicago several years ago, showcases an improv stand-up night. June 15 & 16, 9:30p & 11:30p, Lincoln Lodge, 4008 N. Lincoln Ave.

Sarah Silverman at ‘Just for Laughs Chicago’
Photo credit: TBS

SATURDAY, JUNE 16

”Nick Offerman, American Ham”

The very droll comedian from “Parks & Recreation” takes on cautionary tales, tunes and tips for prosperity. June 17, 7:30p & 10:30p, The Vic Theater, 3145 N. Sheffield Ave.

”Sarah’s Pro-Choice”

Sarah Silverman hosts four other comedians in what is sure to be an outrageous and controversial night of stand up. June 16, 7:30p & 10:30p, The Chicago Theater, 175 N. State St.

”The Dan Band”

The Dan Band is a cult phenomenon, which started when frontman Dan Finnerty caught America’s attention as the foul-mouthed wedding singer in the film “Old School.” This act has become one of the hottest tickets in Hollywood. June 16, 9p, House of Blues, 175 N. State St.

Vince Vaughn at ‘Just for Laughs Chicago’
Photo credit: TBS

SUNDAY, JUNE 17

”Vince Vaughn’s Comedy Showcase”

Just for Laughs closing night features Chicago’s favorite son Vince Vaughn, as he hosts a night of comedy featuring Angelo Tsarouchas, Bill Burr, Steve Byrne and Colin Jost. June 17, 8p, Chicago Theater, 175 N. State St.

TBS Network Presents Just For Laughs Chicago 2012, Tuesday, June 12th through Sunday, June 17th. Click here for FULL schedule and ticket information.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Film Review: Paul Rudd Makes a Difference as ‘Our Idiot Brother’

PatrickMcD — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 01:45:55 -0400

CHICAGO – Advertised deceptively as a comedy, the new film “My Idiot Brother” has a Zen-like quality that is surprising, and oddly captivating, but cannot sustain itself and eventually runs out of steam. Paul Rudd plays the brother to three errant sisters, portrayed by Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel and Emily Mortimer.

Rating: 3.0/5.0

This is more of a slice-of-life than a laugh out loud comedy, but the elements of the absurd post-millennial life of the characters does contribute to knowing chuckles and reflections about the truth that families often hide. In that sense the film attempts redemption, but the story shifts to provide a happy ending that leaves the characters wanting for more, including the Idiot Brother.

Ned (Rudd) practices organic agriculture and happily plies his trade at a local East Coast farmer’s market. He is a kind, trusting presence in all the lives he touches, even selling pot to a police officer because the cop tells Ned he’s had a bad week. After being arrested and serving his time in prison, Ned finds out he has been kicked off the farm by his former girlfriend Janet (Kathryn Hahn) and is now separated from his beloved dog named Willie Nelson.

Forced to go back to his family for help, he infiltrates the lives of his three sisters, Miranda (Elizabeth Banks), Natalie (Zooey Deschanel) and Liz (Emily Mortmer). Liz is married to Dylan (Steve Coogan), a documentary maker, and they provide a bed and income for him, even as he complicates their lives. His encounters with the other siblings also creates some revealing truths, for Ned believes that the world is better off trustworthy, though reality can often demonstrate otherwise.

”Our Idiot Brother” opens everywhere August 26th. Featuring Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Rashida Jones, Zooey Deschanel, Steve Coogan, Emily Mortimer, Kathryn Hahn and T.J. Miller. Screenplay by Evgenia Peretz and David Schisgall, directed by Jesse Peretz. Rated “R”

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Our Idiot Brother”

Bromance: Paul Rudd as Ned and Elizabeth Banks as Miranda in ‘Our Idiot Brother’
Photo credit: Nicole Rivelli for The Weinstein Company

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Our Idiot Brother”

Interview: T.J. Miller on His Chicago-Inspired Comedic Sensibility

PatrickMcD — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:23:33 -0400

CHICAGO – T.J. Miller is not yet a household name, but his comic stylings are memorable in such films as “Cloverfield,” “She’s Out of My League,” “Gulliver’s Travels” and the upcoming “Our Idiot Brother.” Those comedic roots are in Chicago, doing stand-up and improv here.

Todd Joseph Miller was born in Denver, and attended George Washington University in our nation’s capitol. He spent time in Chicago early in his career, honing both his improvisation and stand-up skills. He was selected as a “new face” at the 2007 HBO Aspen Comedy Arts Festival, and made his film debut as Hud in “Cloverfield” (2008). From there he has become a familiar film presence, effectively stealing the movie as Stainer in the very funny “She’s Out of My League” (2010).

T.J. Miller in Chicago, May 12, 2011, Before his Sold-Out Show at the Lincoln Lounge
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com talked to Miller via phone before a show in New York City, and the whip-smart perspective of an observer and comedian came through.

HollywoodChicago.com: You come from the “Chicago school” of comedy and improv, as many of your gigantic comedy forebears. What is the secret to that school, that separates you and your classmates from the rest of the regional comics in the country?

T.J. Miller: Specifically, when I was doing stand-up, improv and sketch in Chicago, the stand-up scene was very healthy. It was an interesting alternative scene. It was one of the only places in the country where you could do stand-up and improv with proclivity. We were everywhere, that was part of it. For a person like me, who is very seriously into doing everything, Chicago was a great place. That combined with the fact that there isn’t a huge show business industry presence, that together makes it a pretty unique environment. You don’t worry about who was seeing you or whether you’re going to get a TV show, you just did the work.

HollywoodChicago.com: How did you develop your own comedy act? Was it something that evolved from your natural perspective or was it something that just worked in front of an audience?

Miller: I started as an improviser in college in Washington, D.C. So when I started doing stand-up, I just got up and did the strangest stuff I could. I never did the same set twice, whether I just improvised it, wrote an idea or did something word-for-word. In Chicago, that’s how everybody worked.

There was a recent article in the Chicago Reader about the Lyon’s Den on Irving Park Road. That was the epicenter for Chicago comedy for years, and if you didn’t have a new five minute set, you probably weren’t going to go up. That was the norm, and that is different from any other place. It was about doing the funniest stuff, who was the most innovative, who is killing the hardest and whose material was most enviable.

HollywoodChicago.com: You are highly educated, and have had adventurous volunteer opportunities in your young life. How has education and non-show business experiences kept you grounded while pursuing the brass ring of the overall ‘career’?

Miller: I don’t consider it a brass ring, it’s more of a copper ring. [laughs] I come from a family that feels very strongly that when you make money, you use some of it to help other people. And my parents very much wanted me to go to college, I think every comedian should go to college. In the ‘80s there was a thing on Saturday Night Live that everyone went straight out of high school into comedy, I think now the world works differently. People are generally more educated, and a college degree is like a high school degree was 25 years ago.

I think one of my strongest suits as a comedian is being educated. It helps my improvisation, because mental acuity is at the forefront of everything I do. It needs to move quickly, because there is a lot of competition. What separates me is that I am good at riffing, I’m a quick improvisational comedian. And I do absurdist material that is bizarre, but it’s usually grounded in a keen understanding of language. Plus, let’s not forget funny noises and silly faces. [laughs]

Bloodied But Unbowed: Michael Stahl-David, Odette Yustman and T.J Miller in ‘Cloverfield’
Photo Credit: © Paramount Pictures

HollywoodChicago.com: Cloverfield was an early take-off on our Social Media obsession to catalog our every move, albeit with a giant monster. In the last four years since you’ve done the film, what have you noticed about general society that Cloverfield kind of predicted? And have you seen the Cinemax remake Clevagefield?

Miller: I have not seen Clevagefield, because I was very disappointed that they didn’t ask me to do a cameo. [laughs] I love having been in Cloverfield. I love being in films I can stand behind, like Yogi Bear 3D. [laughs] Cloverfield was one of the first times that J.J. Abrams [producer of the film] said that films like the ‘Blair Witch Project’ are not just a gimmick, but a way to present films. The biggest prediction I think the film made is that this generation is used to watching YouTube videos and J.J. Abrams talks about that a lot. Everybody is used to one camera shooting, jerky and all over the place. They see it in a different way because it is so ubiquitous now.

Another point about Cloverfield is that there is something happening in society where to put a video camera between you and reality is to give you a shield. That’s what the film was all about, my character was trying to protect himself from what was happening by experiencing it through a video screen. Since so many people now have video on their phone, their first instinct when something good or bad happens is to capture it immediately.

HollywoodChicago.com: ‘Successful Alcoholics’ was your brilliant short film on an overall societal obsession with drinking and using drinking to maximize social situations. How do you relate and connect to Drake [Miller’s character] in that scenario and in the end, do you feel sorry for Lindsay [Drake’s sober ex-lover]?

Miller: As I said, mental acuity is an important part of my comedy, so that’s why I like to drink and smoke marijuana. [laughs] I think there is no message with Successful Alcoholics. At the end of the day, it’s a love story between two people, and two people and the alcohol they’re abusing. There is no clear cut winner. I feel sorry for Lindsay, but I also feel sorry for Drake.

That film is not about drinking, it’s about people being compatible and moving forward. It’s the frustration when you love somebody but the things that are happening for each person individually make them make it impossible to be together. So when Lindsay decided that the drinking part of her life was over, regardless of the health issues, Drake wasn’t able to do that.

Wasted Days: T.J. Miller as Drake and Lizzy Caplan as Lindsay in ‘Successful Alcoholics’
Photo Credit: © Successful Alcoholics

HollywoodChicago.com: What most interested you about the script?

Miller: I am really interested in how modern life creates anxiety and obstacles for people, whether it’s alcohol or a sense of identity. There are a lot of coming-of-age movies about man-children trying to become adults. That theme is part of a greater subject matter, which is someone trying to change things about themselves. What I’m writing about now is that when people are shown a different life or perspective, how they re-frame their situation and make themselves happy that way.

HollywoodChicago.com: The great thing about the film ‘She’s Out of My League’ is that everybody had a stake in making it work, and you seemed closest to your comic element in it. How were you able to work with the screenwriters and director to make the character of Stainer your own?

Miller: That was an offer that came after Cloverfield, because at first they didn’t like me for Stainer, and then after Cloverfield they suddenly wanted me for it. The script was much broader than I was used to, I’m not a fan of super broad comedy, but the British director [Jim Field Smith] had a sensibility that seemed closer to mine than the script was. I made it clear that I didn’t like characters that don’t show vulnerabilities, just like I don’t like comedians who don’t do that. He was on board on that, although he was a first time director and wasn’t ready for much improvising. When he understood that this was an essential part of what I do, he did let me go. I was really proud in that movie, while playing a character named Stainer, that I was able to riff a Charles Dickens joke in there. It was probably closest to what I do more than anything else, if they let me be me.

HollywoodChicago.com: Is that what you do well in film characters?

Miller: Yes, just the guy who you can relate to him, admire his confidence and his bravado, but you can laugh at him because he’s a real weirdo and an outlier in society.

In the Majors: Jay Baruchel and T.J. Miller in ‘She’s Out of My League’
Photo Credit: © Paramount Pictures

HollywoodChicago.com: What still blows your mind about being on a ‘big-league, big budget movie set?

Miller: Golly, everything. [laughs] One of my greatest strengths as a comedian in Hollywood is that I’m in constant child-like wonderment of the fact that you can have a cheese plate in the afternoon and there are people to bring you chai tea lattes. But what is more interesting to me is the dynamics on a film set, the bizarre hierarchy that exists that I’m constantly trying to transverse. I like talking to the extras or the production assistants, or teasing the director after a take.

Anna Faris had this great analogy that filmmaking is like baseball, it’s mostly waiting for a long time and then being asked in a moment to perform at your highest possible level. And then doing it over and over again at the same strength level. And then you are done, to wait for four or five hours. It drives me a bit crazy because in the end no one is more exposed than the actors. You have to walk a line between being anxious and focused on doing the best performance possible. But you also can’t care, because if you care too much it will take your ability away to be funny.

HollywoodChicago.com: Finally, at what point did you turn around in your early career and note, ‘how did I get here?’

Miller: When I became school president in high school. I had no previous experience in student government, but my speech was funnier than everybody else. Even at the time it was mind-boggling to me – even though I don’t like playing Boggle – that there is a premium in being funny, comedy is so important to people and the human fabric in general. It’s more important than experience, skill and position. That was enough for people, the fact that I was funny, and I could comment on the absurdity. That’s what my classmates wanted, they just wanted to look forward to the morning announcements every day.

T.J. Miller’s next film appearance will be in ‘Our Idiot Brother,’ opening everywhere August 26th. Also featuring Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer, Rashida Jones and Shirley Knight. Written by David Schisgall and Evgenia Peretz, directed by Jesse Peretz. Rated “R.” Click here for the HollywoodChicago.com interview of Jordan Vogt-Roberts, director of “Successful Alcoholics.”

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Film Review: Jack Black, Emily Blunt Think Big in ‘Gulliver’s Travels’

PatrickMcD — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 11:07:05 -0500

CHICAGO – Call it too much holiday eggnog, but the re-imagining of the immortal classic “Gulliver’s Travels,’ starring Jack Black, Emily Blunt and Jason Segal, has a little Yuletide fun and hurts no one. If you like Jack Black, you’ll enjoy the film. If you don’t, find another way to spend 93 minutes this tinsel time weekend.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Black is Lemuel Gulliver, a manchild who works in the mailroom at a popular travel magazine (soon the publishing industry will cease as a movie glamour profession, but I digress). He is thirtysomething, stuck on post pubescence and has an ambition-less path in his life, having been the mailroom manager for 11 years. His one distraction is the crush he has on an editor, the fetching Darcy (Amanda Peet).

When a new guy is given his manager position, a distraught Gulliver takes some action. Forging some distinct travel writing, he manages to get a Bermuda Triangle assignment from Darcy. He goes into the nebulous region via a small boat, and proceeds to get sucked into a watery vortex. Knocked out and washed ashore, when he awakens he finds himself confined by ropes. Ropes that have been affixed by an army of tiny men.

Gulliver has landed in Lilliput, a kingdom of industrious and miniature people. He is now a giant among men, and with the help of Princess Mary (Emily Blunt) and commoner Horatio (Jason Segal) he becomes the protector and rock star of the new land. Lilliput becomes a virtual shrine to Gulliver’s glory, as he takes credit for every invention and entertainment from his old world.

When war looms with a rival island, Gulliver is forced to get into the middle of the scrum, and a jealous general (Chris O’Dowd) switches sides and helps build a robot opponent. Can giant Gulliver survive the fight, a temporary banishment to another land and the loss of trust from the citizens of Lilliput? No worries, there are no sad endings at Christmas.

“Gulliver’s Travels” opens everywhere December 25th. Featuring Jack Black, Jason Segal, Emily Blunt, Amanda Peet, Chris O’Dowd, T.J. Miller and Billy Connolly. Screenplay by Joe Stillman and Nicholas Stoller (based on a book by Jonathan Swift), directed by Rob Letterman. Rated “PG”.

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Gulliver’s Travels”

Wrapped up for the Holidays: Jack Black in ‘Gulliver’s Travels’
Photo Credit: © Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Gulliver’s Travels”

Film Review: Dan Aykroyd, Justin Timberlake Sink in Horrible ‘Yogi Bear’

PatrickMcD — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 12:42:07 -0500

CHICAGO – “Yogi Bear,” the latest degradation in the cynical family film 3D marketing universe, has done the improbable. It has taken notable and nostalgic cartoon characters (Yogi and Boo Boo) and turned them into animatronic shills for a post modern bore of a story that wouldn’t work if Fellini were directing it. Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake sell out (I mean lend) their voice talents.

Rating: 0.5/5.0

Yogi Bear (voice of Aykroyd) and Boo Boo (Timberlake), live in Jellystone Park, a freakishly idyllic National Wildlife Preserve. Yogi continuously bothers Ranger Smith (Tom Cavanagh) as he continuously launches plots to steal “pick-a-nic” baskets from unsuspecting park patrons. He is aided by the wacky Ranger Jones (T.J. Miller), a clueless associate who seeks the top job.

Circumstances take a turn when Rachel (Anna Faris), a comely nature documentary maker (aren’t they all comely?) comes to Jellystone to chronicle the talking bears (who wouldn’t?). Ranger Smith is smitten by Rachel, and awkwardly begins to pursue the relationship. At the same time, the evil mayor (Andrew Daly) of Jellystone-Ville – here called “the city”– wants to close Jellystone and sell the timber rights to fund his coffers, helped by his Chief of Staff (Nathan Corddry).

Will Yogi and Boo Boo, despite exasperating Ranger Smith on a daily basis, help Rachel and the Ranger save the park? Of course. Have you ever been to a “family” film before?

”Yogi Bear,” in 3D opens everywhere on December 17th. Featuring Dan Aykroyd, Justin Timberlake, Anna Faris, Tom Cavanagh, T.J. Miller, Nathan Corddry. Screenplay by Jeffery Ventimilla, Joshua Sternin and Brad Copeland, directed by Eric Brevig. Rated “PG”

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Yogi Bear”

Smarter Than the Average Target Audience: Boo Boo (Justin Timberlake) and Yogi (Dan Aykroyd) in ‘Yogi Bear’
Photo credit: © Warner Bros. Pictures

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Yogi Bear”

DVD Review: Beautiful ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ Plays Well For All Ages

BrianTT — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:00:02 -0400

CHICAGO – “How to Train Your Dragon” is one of the best mainstream animated films of the last several years. After years of watching Pixar deservedly take home most of the critical acclaim in the medium, DreamWorks has produced a film that deserves mention in the same breath as the Pixar greats. With gorgeous visuals, strong voice work, and confident storytelling, “How to Train Your Dragon,” recently released on Blu-ray and DVD, works for all ages and will surely become one of the most highly-desired and purchased titles of the upcoming season.

DVD Rating: 4.0/5.0

When I think of “Dragon,” the first thing that comes to mind is the stunning depth of the visuals, a beautiful combination of earth, water, and fire. It’s one of the best-looking animated films ever made. Consequently, we can’t help but point out that if you can buy it on Blu-ray, you should. Sadly, DreamWorks only had the standard edition available for us and DVD is still the only choice for most people, so we have no problem taking a look at one of the year’s best on DVD-only but buy it on Blu-ray if you can.

How to Train Your Dragon was released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 15th, 2010
Photo credit: Dreamworks

Will it still be worth it if you can’t see it in HD? Yes and no. The standard DVD release of “How to Train Your Dragon” is a bit of a disappointment. The video is a bit average for the format, as is the audio, and the special features are lackluster with two brief featurettes, a commentary, and a number of trailers. The DVD is typically-packaged with a second disc entitled “The Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon” and kids will like the new footage but adults might have liked a bit more behind-the-scenes information, storyboards, deleted concepts, etc. It feels like there is probably a wealth of material being held back for another “Special Edition” release down the HD highway.

How to Train Your Dragon was released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 15th, 2010
Photo credit: Dreamworks

The best thing about the DVD release of “How to Train Your Dragon” is definitely the film itself; a beautiful, original coming-of-age story that is easily the best Dreamworks animated film since “Shrek 2” (yes, better than “Kung Fu Panda”) and could possibly be considered even better than any of the films featuring the ugly green guy. This is a gorgeous, honestly-moving adventure tale that is obviously crowd-pleasing as pleased crowds turned it into one of the bigger word-of-mouth hits of the year. The film grossed $218 million domestically after a $44 million opening, which is a huge number, considering most modern films make 3 or 4 times their opening week. “Dragon” made nearly 5, proving that people were seeing it again and again and telling their friends to do the same.

Jay Baruchel (“Tropic Thunder”) voices Hiccup, the most awkward young man in his Viking village. He works as an apprentice to the blacksmith and warrior trainer (Craig Ferguson) and tries his best during the regular dragon attacks but he usually ends up needing saving from the fire-breathing beasts that overrun the villagers every once in awhile instead of actually fighting them.

Of course, Hiccup’s father Stoick (Gerard Butler) happens to be the alpha male of the Vikings, the one who leads the way when dragons attack and the gap between the personality types of patriarch and son couldn’t be wider. Hiccup tries so hard to impress his dad that he actually enters dragon training with a number of other town youth warriors including the love interest Astrid (America Ferrera), obnoxious Snotlout (Jonah Hill), dorky Fishlegs (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), and twins Tuffnut (T.J. Miller) and Ruffnut (Kristen Wiig). Things change for the young man when he injures a member of the most elusive species of dragon, the Night Fury, and learns that these creatures may not be as evil as they’ve been made out to be.

How to Train Your Dragon was released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 15th, 2010
Photo credit: Dreamworks

The movie takes some time to get going and build its atmosphere but the final hour of “How to Train Your Dragon” is one of the most satisfying movie hours of the year to date. It’s thoroughly entertaining and often visually stunning, partially thanks to consulting from legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins (“No Country For Old Men,” “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”). It’s the little things like the shadow of the dragon or the flickering flame that distinguish one of the most visually-striking films of the form.

Luckily, the story often matches the visuals. Yes, the film travels well-trod ground in that it’s about a gawky kid going from zero to hero but it does so in a completely organic, believable, and downright moving way. There is a deep political subtext in a film where one culture destroys another species without once asking if they’re even violent and the next generation figuring out that they’re more like house pets than rabid wolves.

“How to Train Your Dragon” is entertaining, beautiful, funny, and possibly even able to teach kids a lesson about challenging their preconceptions. What more do you want from an animated film? The home release could be better and I think there’s an eventual Special Edition release that will be but the film is nearly perfect.

“How to Train Your Dragon” features voice work by Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. It was written and directed by Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders. It was released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 15th, 2010.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: Disappointing Raunch of ‘She’s Out of My League’

BrianTT — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:10:14 -0400

CHICAGO – Proving that what Judd Apatow has brought to the comedy genre in the last decade is much harder than it looks, “She’s Out of My League” has an extremely likable cast but writers and a director who mistake gross-out humor for genuine laughs. It’s one of those disappointing comedies for people who can’t say the word ejaculation without laughing like Beavis.

Blu-Ray Rating: 2.0/5.0

I really wanted to like “She’s Out of My League.” Star Jay Baruchel has been a highlight of everything he does for years with great, underrated work in films like “Tropic Thunder” and “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.” The set-up for “She’s Out of My League” sounds like the perfect vehicle for this talented, genuinely nice young future star. Sadly, it goes nowhere.

She’s Out of My League was released on Blu-ray and DVD on June 22nd, 2010
Photo credit: Paramount Home Video

Baruchel plays Kirk, a sweet kid without many social skills. That can happen when you work as a TSA employee in Pittsburgh. When the film opens, he’s getting over his break-up with the awful Marnie (Lindsay Sloane), a selfish girl still close enough with his unsupportive family that she’s at his home all the time and even goes on their family vacations.

She’s Out of My League was released on Blu-ray and DVD on June 22nd, 2010
Photo credit: Paramount Home Video

Luckily, Kirk has a surrogate family of friends that’s much better to him than his actual blood relatives including the sweet Devon (Nate Torrence), ladies man Jack (Mike Vogel), and obnoxious Stainer (T.J. Miller). Kirk’s life is turned upside down when he meets the stunning Molly McCall (Alice Eve), the kind of girl who only exists in male fantasies. She loves hockey and looks great in lingerie. This “hard 10” falls for Kirk, a self-proclaimed “5.”

Apatow has revolutionized comedy with his pop culture-infused takes on the “hot chick, funny guy” formula in comedies like “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up.” “She’s Out of My League” attempts to replicate that formula but the script by Sean Anders (who made the similarly lowest common denominator “Sex Drive”) and John Morris and the direction by Jim Field Smith aren’t in the Apatow league. They’re more on the level of an “American Pie” sequel.

The script has an unusually jerky quality like a song that’s a bit off tempo. Every time it develops a rhythm, it loses it, something that could have happened after reshoots to add more gross-out humor like a scene in which Devon actually shaves Kirk’s balls. The film only works at all because of the heart brought to it by Baruchel and when the story devolves into bits about body parts then it really loses its way.

To be fair, Baruchel makes it out unscathed and the film would have been a lot worse without him. Krysten Ritter also shines in a supporting role as Molly’s abrasive best friend and Torrence has a sweet comic sensibility. They save the film from complete disaster. There are a few moments that work and I liked the overall sweetness of the piece in that it’s about valuing your self-worth over external appearances or what other people tell you to think but good intentions only get you so far in a comedy that’s not producing actual laughs.

Special Features:
o Deleted Scenes
o Extended Ending
o Blooper Reel
o “Devon’s Dating Show” — A hilarious “Do’s & Don’ts” guide to dating for guys
o Commentary by Director Jim Field Smith

‘She’s Out of My League’ is released by Paramount Home Video and stars Jay Baruchel, Alice Eve, Krysten Ritter, T.J. Miller, Nate Torrence, Mike Vogel, and Lindsay Sloane. It was written by Sean Anders & John Morris and directed by Jim Field Smith. It was released on June 22nd, 2010 and is rated R.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Interview: Jay Baruchel, Nate Torrence on ‘She’s Out of My League’

BrianTT — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:24:30 -0500

CHICAGO – Jay Baruchel and Nate Torrence, two of the leads of the romantic comedy “She’s Out of My League” dropped by Chicago recently to talk about their new film that has been compared to both “The Hangover” and the work of Judd Apatow. Candid, charismatic, and very funny in person, Baruchel and Torrence are the kind of interview subjects that make this job easy.

In “She’s Out of My League,” Baruchel plays an awkward TSA agent who falls head over heels for a beautiful woman named Molly (Alice Eve) and, much to the surprise of his friends and family, she falls back. Torrence (“Get Smart”) plays his sweet friend who is arguably the most supportive voice in telling the poor guy that Molly isn’t out of his league.

As one might imagine, the conversation started by trying to define exactly what makes a girl a ten. Torrence lays it down somewhat seriously, “Even though the movie hints at it, it’s not obviously about good looks. Do you want to know what I personally find a hard ten? I like low maintenance. That’s what I’m all about. No matter how pretty they are.”

She’s Out of My League.
Photo credit: Paramount/DreamWorks

Baruchel agreed but added a few personal qualifiers including “if a chick likes the Montreal Canadians hockey team,” “likes to eat hamburgers,” and that “it doesn’t hurt when they look like Alice [Eve].”

The producers came to Jay Baruchel with the script for “She’s Out of My League” while he was still working on “Tropic Thunder” and clearly impressing htem with his dailies on that great film. While it was great for Jay to get a lead offer, the original script featured even more references to the lead being repulsive.

Baruchel says, “So it was a weird mix of being flattered but also incredibly f**king insulted. I was like, “Is there any way we can get rid of some of the repulsion?” I saw the opportunity to put my stamp on some of the movies that I grew up loving. To me, this owes less to the movies of the past ten years than it does to some of the John Hughes era of films. This is my chance to be Lloyd Dobler in “Say Anything,” and those are the movies that meant so much to me as a kid and more to me as I got older, because I understood them more. And this is my chance to leave behind one of those movies.”

The chemistry among the four male leads is key to the success of “She’s Out of My League” and it’s something that’s hard to fake. Baruchel says, “Honestly, I count this kid as one of my best friends, and I count TJ (Miller) and Mike (Vogel) as my best friends. I didn’t know any of them beforehand, and because we were in a city that none of us lived in, we all hung out together and spent a lot of time and money at Dave & Buster’s and TGI Friday’s. (Laughs.) I love the guys and get along with them. We come from similar backgrounds and have similar views on things. We all have the same sense of humor. And at the end of the day, we all just really enjoy each other’s company. And it could have gone completely the other way and we would have been just going through the motions. But the four of us on camera - those are real moments and us making each other laugh and loving hanging out together.”

She’s Out of My League.
Photo credit: Paramount/DreamWorks

Torrence adds, “The beginning of chemistry is that you do have just the same senses of humor. What makes YOU laugh makes ME laugh, and that can make a funny scene. I’ve worked with people where we had to stop improvising because what they thought was funny didn’t go where I wanted to go. What makes for good improv is when you literally can make each other laugh. It’s cool when you can have those moments and then see the director use those scenes.”

The tone of the movie was key to Baruchel. “We didn’t want to have a frat boy, alpha male, misogynist point of view because that is just none of us. Nate is married and has two kids. Mike is married and has kids and goes to church every Sunday. Me, I live two blocks away from my mother and have a little sister. To me, the two are not mutually exclusive. In movies, guys are either “Kegger! Big tits!” or the guys who get the sh*t kicked out of them. That’s not how it is in real life. In real life, you can be a slobby, crass guy and still have a good heart and respect people.”

How does one romantic comedy distinguish itself from another? “I think it’s a lot,” Baruchel says. “Not to say that other movies have these people involved, but, at the end of the day, we are not douche bags, and I can’t stress enough that we wanted to satisfy what we needed to satisfy, which was to make a certain type of movie. But, also, I won’t say we wanted to put substance in it, but we did not want to alienate people. And I also didn’t want to make anything that didn’t reflect me because I am not a guy who goes out to parties and bar hops and is like, “Dude!””

“I think it’s all of us being committed to making a movie that we wanted to see first of all. That other stuff we are describing - those are not movies that any of us would watch. We all wanted to make something that we would pay money to see, otherwise what is the point of doing it? I also think that [Director] Jim’s [Field Smith] sensibility is beautifully moving and weirdly hilarious at the same time. You can make people laugh but you can also make them give a sh*t. And those laughs mean so much more if there is a connection, if people identify with the characters and feel like they are in there. To me, that is the cardinal rule of any movie in any genre. If the audience is not in there experiencing with the characters, then nothing makes sense.”

She’s Out of My League.
Photo credit: Paramount/DreamWorks

Baruchel and Torrence ended the conversation comparing embarassing in-law moments, a major recurring theme of the film. Torrence started with a decent one which was then hilariously topped by Jay.

“The first time I ever tried to take my in-laws out for dinner, my credit card got declined,” revealed Torrence. “And it wasn’t even a credit issue—that’s what sucked. At the time it was a debit card, and there was some kind of mix-up. And then (my wife) didn’t have her purse, and I didn’t have any money in my wallet. It was the first time we were ever going out…”

Baruchel one-ups with this tale - “I don’t have any awkward in-law stories but I have plenty of stories of my dad embarrassing the sh*t out of me. I’ve been acting since I was twelve and was on a TV show when I was fifteen. There was a producer that my mother did not get along with. My parents were divorced at the time. This was the night my dad rode his bicycle to the set drunk and picked a fight with the producer! It was the most f**king awkward… He was like, “So you, you’re the one!”

“My dad nearly beat the sh*t out of the umpire at a softball game. He was the first base coach and he went to high-five me for sliding in, and I was to embarrassed to high-five my dad, so I didn’t. And then the umpire was like, “No contact with the player!” All of my stories are of my dad beating the sh*t out of other people. He had no social graces. And they they are antiquers. So at an antique show, in the nicest part of Montreal, my dad beat the f*ck out of a guy. ”

Don’t beat yourself up. See “She’s Out of My League” in theaters now.

‘She’s Out of My League’ stars Jay Baruchel, Alice Eve, Krysten Ritter, T.J. Miller, Nate Torrence, Mike Vogel, and Lindsay Sloane. It was written by Sean Anders and John Morris and directed by Jim Field Smith. It opens on March 12th, 2010. It is rated R.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com