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JUNE 20th, 2009

YEAR ONE

In the same vein as Superbad (as well as containing a majority of the same film’s cast), Year One is able to pull the laughs, scoffs, “ewwws,” and cult fans.

The film boasts a stellar cast of comedic giants like Hank Azaria, Oliver Platt and David Cross. But aside from the many hilarious cameos, the primary cast is perfect in each of their roles. They offer just the right amount of true acting talent, even if it is buried underneath disgusting scenes where characters piss all over their own faces, shit in their beds, and repeat many of the same jokes, over and over again.

Aside from the “toilet humor” throughout, the film is actually pretty good for this genre, and I think this can be attributed to its direction. What makes Harold Ramis such a fantastic director is his ability to understand both sides of filmmaking - what it takes behind the scenes to make a film great, and what the actors in front of the camera must project in order to give the performance demanded of them. Ramis is able to relate to his actors, and can therefore draw out the comedy necessary to get just the right amount of laughs. His hands on approach is what has made Year One an effective film. This is a Harold Ramis film, through and through.

And the multitude of Jewish jokes… oy! Don’t get my started. Hilarious… if not, again, over done…

In all honesty, this is my kind of genre. I’m a Jack Black junkie and I love Michael Cera’s dry delivery. These men are characters in their own right, which makes them relatable and believable. When one imagines meeting them in person, it’s almost expected that hey will behave as their characters always do. Well done casting team, well done.

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WEEDS - SEASON 5

Only 3 episodes in, and Season 5 is already proving to be much more entertaining than the train wreck that was Season 4 of Weeds.

Shane is still incredibly troubled, but that’s what we’ve come to expect from him. At this point it’s no longer annoying. His quirky and disturbing interest in his own family’s sexual exploits is now nothing more than a strange and almost acceptably character trait.

Nancy’s formerly irritating ignorance is FINALLY getting her into trouble. She’s not simply a pair of big brown eyes anymore. She knows what’s going down, and it’s starting to break her. While last season I was simply annoyed with her story, I now look forward to what comes next.

Celia is still a bit excessive… but now that she’s finally admitted she has no friends and nobody to turn to, she is actually becoming somewhat relatable.

The episodes are better written and, as usual, incredibly well directed and shot. Season 5 is looking promising kiddies… Lets see what happens…