Lorne (2026)

Lorne Michaels, the maverick behind Saturday Night Live for the past five decades, is given his own spotlight here, where he is as cagey, elusive and stoic as ever, including to his own friends and co-workers. This doc attempts to penetrate the mystique that surrounds this aura with a cheeky narrative approach that guesses at half-truths, along with some candid footage of the man behind the curtain at Studio 8H, where he ushered in an era of counter-cultural voices and leaves behind an enormous legacy of comedic talent. Yet, at the end of the day, we still don't know much more than when we started. 

2½ Dr. Evil impressions out of 5

Arco (2025)

Remember when rainbows were cool? They were used to express magic and wonder before they got appropriated for other uses. In this French animated film, rainbows indicate visitors from the future. In the year 2075, the family household unit has been replaced by robot help for the most part. A lonely little girl meets a young boy named Arco, who has become displaced from his family through time and needs to recover his flight crystal to get back home. The simple, handcrafted look feels reminiscent of anime, while the slow burn storytelling gives way to a unique experience that lands with the viewer.

3 bird calls out of 5

Note: I saw the English dub, though I expect the original French to be superior.

Zootopia 2 (2025)

Sequel to the popular Disney film about anthropomorphic animals, featuring the unlikely partnership of Judy Hopps (sexy bunny) and Nick Wilde (sly fox) on a slithery mystery adventure that threatens to expose the origins of their storied utopia. Not quite as enchanting as its predecessor, in some ways, this feels like The Bad Guys all over again, except these are clearly the good guys. It's cute, it's cuddly, it's colorful, it's innocuous. No one is changed for it.

And I'm just going to come right out and say it. I want to fuck that rabbit. 

2 gateways to furryism out of 5

The Roses (2025)

An update on The War of the Roses which tones down and loses all of what made the original feel so dark and memorable. After 10 years of marriage, resentments start to brew, and a husband and wife are at each other's throats, leaving the lawyers, families, and everyone in their orbit in marital collateral. It lacks much of the bitterness and viciousness which made the 1989 film good. This one doesn't compare at all; it's tamer and doesn't have the conviction to push its limits as far. Feels like we're being edged but we never get to finish.

1 Julia Child oven out of 5

POPSTAR: NEVER STOP NEVER STOPPING [2016]

Musical-comedy trio The Lonely Island return to the big-screen with the impressively funny mockumentary Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.
In the silly spirit of This Is Spinal Tap, we follow the rise & fall of an idiot modern day pop-star who doesn't realize his real claim to fame was with the other two members from his acclaimed boy-band roots.
The comedy is a smooth mix of clever, dumb, vulgar, immature and satirical but always manages to feel quite natural in it's hilariously artificial execution.  You might need some knowledge of the modern pop music business and the social media hoo-ha that surrounds it to get many of the satirical jokes but there's plenty of universal laughs to be had too.

3 lupus attacks on Seal out of 5

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 [2015]

Director Genndy Tartakovsky returns to direct the poorly rushed and inevitable sequel to the 2012 hit Hotel Transylvania.
This time around, Drac is afraid his grandson might not be the monster he wants him to be and crazy animated hijinks ensue as he and his creepy crawly buddies try to remedy this.
With it's lack of wit and focus on more silly childish gags, it seems the film isn't even trying to equal it's predecessor and is comfortable focusing only on keeping the attention of the younger crowd.  There's a few clever gags but it's mostly just fast-paced zaniness leading nowhere resulting in even lesser of a bite than the first film barely mustered up.

2½  road trips out of 5

HOT ROD [2007]

Inane comedies like director Akiva Schaffer's Andy Samberg vehicle Hot Rod are meant to be watched with your brain checked at the door.
Because it's written, directed & starring all three members of comedic musical act The Lonely Island it should give you an idea as to what sort of film you're getting yourself into.  It's not particularly smart, memorable or well-done but it supplies enough chuckles and guffaws to make it enjoyable enough.

2 Queens Of The Stone Age out of 5

THE TO DO LIST [2013]

Writer Maggie Carey makes her feature film directorial debut with the raunchy comedy The To Do List.
Starring Aubrey Plaza, it's pretty much the female version of American Pie, so don't expect award-winning film-making here.  It sets out to be funny and offend without asking the viewer to turn on their brains and with that it almost succeeds in being quite humorous.  However it occasionally loses it's edge and doesn't offer a whole lot of outrageousness that keeps films like these powering full steam ahead.  Still, it provided enough laugh out loud moments to keep me from checking my watch to see how much longer it will go on for.

2½ not Caddyshack pranks out of 5

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA [2012]

Director Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter's Laboratory & Samurai Jack) makes his feature film debut with the CGI animated film, Hotel Transylvania.  

It's not necessarily a great film but the energy put into the animation and character design is enough to keep an eye on it.  Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg and Kevin James surprised me with some strong voice work that brought a lot to their characters and expressions.  It supplies a few chuckles for the adults but will mostly attract the younger viewers with it's upbeat and vibrant mood.

3 Sumatran Rat-Monkeys out of 5

I LOVE YOU, MAN [2009]

I Love You, Man is a bromance comedy starring Paul Rudd and Jason Segel as the bonding bros whose camaraderie carries the whole film.
It's a predictable formula and a bit of a mess at times but provides enough smiles and light chuckles to win the heart over by the end. I didn't find myself laughing out loud as often as I expected to but the chemistry between the two leads held my attention and heart for the duration of the film.
It's a film that's easy to pick apart but hard not to like.

3 Hulk smashes out of 5