‘Weird,’ But True: This is the Most Accurate Movie Review Ever

October 31, 2022

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Weerd. (CREDIT: The Roku Channel)

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Evan Rachel Wood, Toby Huss, Julianne Nicholson, Rainn Wilson, Spencer Treat Clark, Tommy O’Brien, Jack Lancaster

Director: Eric Appel

Running Time: 108 Minutes

Rating: Unrated (It’s a little over-the-top, but fun for all ages)

Release Date: November 4, 2022 (The Roku Channel)

What’s It About?: Did you see that fake trailer for a Weird Al biopic when it dropped on Funny or Die back in 2010? Now it’s fake no more! Well, the movie is real, but the trailer is still kind of fake, insofar as it was produced separately from the actual movie and most of the cast is different. Also, much of the biographical aspect of the whole endeavor is purposefully fake, befitting its subject.

Yes, I’m talking about Lynwood’s Alfred Matthew Yankovic, master musical parodist nonpareil! He’s played this time around by none other than Daniel Radcliffe, who doesn’t exactly resemble Al much beyond skin tone (and perhaps comedic sensibility). In case you haven’t figured it out by now, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story isn’t exactly sticking to the facts in the strictest sense of the term. We’ve already been blessed both with musical biopic parodies and with Weird Al sensing his cinematic muscles, so can this latest venture possibly meet those high standards?

What Made an Impression?: I am a Weird Al devotee. Whenever I encounter anything he’s ever done, I’m comforted by a sense of everything feeling right in the world. That’s all to say: Weird was kind of burdened by unfairly high expectations. How I can go on living if this movie weren’t non-stop hilarity?!

But within just a few minutes of the projector rolling, something magical happened: I laughed. And then I laughed some more. This was no mere forced tittering, my friends, but instead the most natural reaction in the world. Pulling this off couldn’t have been easy. We Weird Al fans are by definition uber-savvy about pop culture, so we can spot every predictable plot twist and turn from a mile away. And while occasionally Weird can’t help but be straightforward, there are enough times that had me going, “Whoa, where the heck did that come from?”

One of those bizarre decisions is a propensity towards a multiplicity of shots of characters watching major developments happen on small TVs. That was certainly a directorial CHOICE from Eric Appel, and I’m not sure why he did it, but it definitely stuck with me.

Besides its slippery relationship with reality, Weird‘s other major attraction is its whirlwind of celebrity cameos. You could certainly look them up ahead of time on a thoroughly maintained online database, but I’ll keep it a secret on my little corner of the Internet. Instead, I’ll describe my reactions to seeing these cameos arrive: “Oh wow.” “This is just too much.” “Whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa.” “I hope this never ends.” “There she is!” “How are we so blessed?” “Gah!” “Oh, man.” “!!!” “!!!!!” “!!!!!!!”

And for the record, yes, I did eat a cup of Rocky Road afterwards.

Weird is Recommended If You Like: UHF, Walk Hard, Bologna

Grade: 4 out of 5 Accordions

Jeff’s Wacky SNL Review: Jack Harlow/Jack Harlow

October 30, 2022

jmunney Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television , , , , 2 Comments

Har-low! (CREDIT: NBC/Screenshot)

Good morning*, dear readers! (*Or afternoon/evening/midnight/apocalypse depending on when you’re reading this.) For my review of the episode of Saturday Night Live with host and musical guest Jack Harlow that originally began airing on October 29, 2022 (but seeped into the early morning hours of October 30), I will simply transcribe the notes I wrote in my “Greendale Community College E Pluribus Anus” notebook while watching.

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That’s Auntertaiment Mini-Episode: Aunt Beth Tells Jeff to Watch ‘Bloodline’

October 30, 2022

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A Member of the Rayburn Family

Watch out when you step out into the Florida sun: it (Ray)burns! Jeff knows this now, as Aunt Beth decided that it was time for him to watch Bloodline.

2022 Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions Preview

October 29, 2022

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Champions is as Champions does (CREDIT: Jeopardy!)

Tournament of Champions Season is upon us! Jeopardy! has invited its super-dupe-rest recent victors to duke it out for our enjoyment. The format is a little different this time, with 21 contestants instead of the usual 15, and the top 3 (Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio, Mattea Roach) getting automatic byes into the semifinals. (Check out all the details here.)

In my years of prognosticating past ToCs, I’ve discovered that the champions who are on another level often do as well as you expect them to, but that there’s also plenty of room for surprises. With the revamped format, it’s even more in favor of the top seeds, but nobody should be counted out. So here are some cheerleader-y thoughts about each contestant:

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Entertainment To-Do List: Week of 10/28/22

October 28, 2022

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Hello, Blockbuster? It’s your cousin, Randall Blockbuster. (CREDIT: Ricardo Hubbs/Netflix © 2022)

Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.

Movies
–Armageddon Time (Theaters)
–Prey for the Devil (Theaters) – New frights for Halloween.
–The Wonder (November 2 in Theaters, November 16 on Netflix) – It stars Florence Pugh.

TV
–Big Mouth Season 6 (October 28 on Netflix)
–Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions (Begins October 31, check local listings) – A new format this year.
–Blockbuster Season 1 (November 3 on Netflix) – Randall Park and Melissa Fumero work at a video rental store.

Music
-Babyface, Girls’ Night Out
-King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Changes

Sports
-World Series (Begins October 28 on FOX) – Phils vs. ‘stros.

I Made a ‘Decision to Leave’ My Apartment and Go See ‘The Woman King’ and ‘Amsterdam’

October 25, 2022

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2 Women, 1 King (CREDIT: Sony Pictures Entertainment)

The Woman King:

Starring: Thuso Mbedu, Viola Davis, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Jordan Bolger, Johyn Boyega, Hero Fiennes Tiffin

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood

Running Time: 135 Minutes

Rating: PG-13

Release Date: September 16, 2022 (Theaters)

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Life is Hard When It’s ‘Armageddon Time’

October 24, 2022

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Armageddon and his friend Time (CREDIT: Anne Joyce/Focus Features)

Starring: Banks Repeta, Jeremy Strong, Anne Hathaway, Anthony Hopkins, Jaylin Webb, Ryan Sell, Tovah Feldshuh, Andrew Polk

Director: James Gray

Running Time: 115 Minutes

Rating: R for Some Language, Corporal Punishment, and Pre-Teen Delinquency

Release Date: October 28, 2022 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: Middle school is an awkward, frequently terrifying time for a lot of people. That’s especially true for budding artist Paul Graff (Banks Repeta) during his time in sixth grade in 1980 Queens at P.S. 173. He’s got the most hard-ass teacher in the world (Andrew Polk), although you get the sense that that was par for the course for the time period. His parents (Jeremy Strong and Anne Hathaway) want the best for him, but they don’t understand him and all their interactions are filled with constant, occasionally violent frustration. His older brother (Ryan Sell) isn’t too bad, though he is a run-of-the-mill pain in the butt.

Paul escapes all that angst occasionally with his best friend Johnny (Jaylin Webb). But that also leads into an even more troubled world since Johnny is the class troublemaker with a troubled home life, and Paul can’t even begin to fathom the racism Johnny experiences as a young black man, even though his family does clue him in on what his Jewish ancestors have had to endure. It doesn’t get much better for Paul when he transfers to a private school where one of the main benefactors is none other than Fred Trump (John Diehl). At least he has his wise and gentle grandfather Aaron (Anthony Hopkins) to turn to in times of (never-ending) crisis.

What Made an Impression?: I had a sneaking suspicion that Armageddon Time wasn’t going to have a happy ending. It is named “ARMAGEDDON Time,” after all. There may not be a nuclear war to wipe everybody out, even though Paul’s family is devastated by the election of Ronald Reagan. But after everything that Paul goes through over the course of this movie, he can be forgiven for thinking it’s just as bad. Not much is offered in the way of catharsis, though there is just a hint of hope. I found it all incredibly compelling, though I wasn’t exactly sure why that was while watching. I certainly enjoy a good coming-of-age yarn, but this one is a lot more unpleasant than most. I suspect it works as well as it does because it’s based on writer-director James Gray’s own childhood, and it feels like an honest reckoning. Everyone has a story worth telling, and when you’re as vibrant a storyteller as Gray is, I’m happy to see that story on the big screen.

Armageddon Time is Recommended If You Like: Dickensian bildungsromans

Grade: 4 out of 5 Rapper’s Delights

That’s Auntertainment! Karaoke Korner 30: Special Billboard ‘100 Greatest Karaoke Songs of All Time’ Reaction Edition

October 23, 2022

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CREDIT: Screenshot

In a VERY Special Edition of Karaoke Korner, Jeff reacts to this list: https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-karaoke-songs-all-time/

Entertainment To-Do List: Week of 10/21/22

October 21, 2022

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Shermy Sherm (CREDIT: IFC/Screenshot)

Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.

Movies
–The Banshees of Inisherin (Theaters)
–Black Adam (Theaters)
–Ticket to Paradise (Theaters)

TV
–Doctor Who: “The Power of the Doctor” (October 23 on BBC America) – The end for Dr. Jodie Whittaker.
–Sherman’s Showcase Season 2 Premiere (October 26 on IFC)
–Tales of the Jedi Season 1 (October 26 on Disney+) – Star Wars Anthology

Music
-Arctic Monkeys, The Car
-Carly Rae Jepsen, The Loneliest Time
-Taylor Swift, Midnights
-Tegan and Sara, Crybaby

Book a ‘Ticket to Paradise’ and Get Ready for Your Anti-Romantic Frown to Be Turned Upside-Down

October 19, 2022

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Tickets, please. (CREDIT: Vince Valitutti/Universal Studios)

Starring: George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Kaitlyn Dever, Billie Lourd, Maxime Bouttier, Lucas Bravo

Director: Ol Parker

Running Time: 104 Minutes

Rating: PG-13 for Some Beachy Language, Including the Limit of One F-Bomb

Release Date: October 21, 2022 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: Are David and Georgia Cotton (George Clooney and Julia Roberts) the most acrimoniously divorced couple in history? The opening sequence of Ticket to Paradise sure leads us to think so. As do all the other early scenes, and all the middle ones as well. Maybe things will be different by the end? Their daughter Lily (Kaitlyn Dever) sure hopes so, because she’s getting married to a guy she just met in Bali (Maxime Bouttier) during a post-law school graduation vacation, and she’d kind of like to have their blessing. Meanwhile, Lily’s best friend Wren (Billie Lourd) is on hand to get constantly boozed up. And Georgia’s much younger flight attendant boyfriend Paul (Lucas Bravo) is also there to constantly worship her. What could possibly go wrong?! Or maybe, the better question is, what could possibly go right…

What Made an Impression?: I really didn’t think this was going to be a movie about a divorced couple falling back in love. The trailers had me convinced that they thoroughly hated each other’s guts to the point that there was simply no hope for reconciliation. And the first half of the actual movie didn’t make me reconsider. At all. David and Georgia are simply their worst selves when they’re around each other. Or just talking about each other. And even when they team up to sabotage their daughter’s nuptials, there’s hardly any tension of mystery to the mess-around, as Lily knows what their deal is, even if she doesn’t know exactly what they’re up to (though Clooney and Roberts are reliably devious).

But despite all that, it’s no spoiler to reveal that Ticket to Paradise is indeed about two wayward lovers finding their way back. We don’t see a whole lot of them being good to each other, so I was generally skeptical that their reunion was a good idea. But this is a big-hearted movie that wants us to be open to life-altering experiences, so I ultimately appreciated it taking the plunge.

I would also like to highlight one scene that really sticks out, in which a restless David stops by the bar for a late-night solo drink, when he’s unexpectedly joined by Wren. For a passing moment, I wondered if the father of the bride was about to sleep with her best friend. I brushed that thought aside, assuring myself that this wasn’t that type of movie, and indeed it’s not. Still, it was a strange, though edifying, encounter that fit with the whole ethos of “Don’t be so certain that you know everything.”

Ticket to Paradise is Recommended If You Like: The Parent Trap (1998), Mamma Mia! 1 & 2, Late in life beer pong

Grade: 3 out of 5 Proposals

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