John Candy: I Like Me (2025)

A portrait on the late actor who starred in 43 films in his 43 short years. Still remembered fondly by fans and all who knew him, he was larger than life, but known for his kind heart and gentle nature. If you're looking for dirt, you won't find it here. No one has nary a bad word to say about him. His only demons were the ones he was battling in silence. A lot of his story is told in his own words, as well as through his SCTV castmates, and especially his collaboration with John Hughes. He resists being typecast as the fat man, while seeming very secure in who he is, which remains relevant 30 years after his death. Like John Belushi or Chris Farley, he appears to live on with each new generation.

3 smiles through the pain out of 5

Note: Hearing Catherine O'Hara give John's eulogy hits doubly hard now. R.I.P.

Groundhog Day (1993)

"It's gonna be cold, it's gonna be grey, and it's gonna last you for the rest of your life."

It's always intimidating nutting one of my favorite movies because my paltry words can never come close to summating the impact it's had on my life. This classic time-loop rom-com pits Bill Murray against an eternally repeating day as he perpetually tries to get it right (a fantasy we can all relate with, if there were no consequences). This is one of those movies that grows on you as you revisit it over and over throughout the years until it can finally do no wrong. The perfect blend of darkness and despair, with lightheartedness and hope.

5 doozies out of 5

The Rutles: All You Need is Cash (1978)

Long before Spinal Tap, there were The Rutles, a parody of The Beatles created by Eric Idle and Neil Innes. Seamlessly blending archival footage with newly filmed sequences, this mockumentary chronicles the rise and fall of the Prefab Four from Rutland. It benefits from knowing the history of The Beatles because it follows the details so closely and the music pastiches capture that era perfectly. There are times it hinges so closely on authenticity, you miss the joke entirely because it's not being played for laughs. It maintains a bit of that Monty Python rhythm, while Eric Idle plays a number of roles throughout.

3½ tight trousers out of 5

Caddyshack (1980)

Harold Ramis's classic sports comedy has a lot of good things going for it; namely Chevy Chase and Rodney Dangerfield as two freewheeling golfers crashing a stuffy old country club, but most people will undoubtedly be well acquainted with Bill Murray as the groundskeeper trying to outsmart a gopher who's digging holes throughout the green. There's a lot going on here and most of it works, so long as you're in an '80s frame of mind. It's politically incorrect, outrageous and irreverent. So it's got that going for it, which is nice.

4 pool floaters out of 5

Kingpin (1996)

The Farrellys follow up their successful Dumb & Dumber with the bowling comedy Kingpin, about a washed up ex-bowler (Woody Harrelson) who takes on a promising young talent in a naive Amish farmer (Randy Quaid) with the promise of winning a one million dollar tournament and getting his revenge along the way. The Farrellys were the masters at this kind of raucous comedy, once upon a time, balancing nail-biting pathos with side-splitting humor. 

I always saw this movie as a bizarre counterpart to The Big Lebowski. 

3½ ball returns out of 5

Note: It comes in two flavors: PG-13 and R. You know which one to go for.

The Friend (2024)

A woman is bequeathed a Great Dane who is mourning the recent loss of his owner. She decides to care for it temporarily until she figures out a long-term plan, while avoiding the building tenants who inform her no pets are allowed in her apartment. It deals with the usual topics, such as grief and moving on. 

Movies like these are predictable by design, but it's all about how you get there in the end. It's a bit meandering and long-winded, and occasionally slow and uneventful, but I found it to be a pleasant, empathetic watch nonetheless.

3 old sweatshirts out of 5

Riff Raff (2024)

Ed Harris plays a reformed criminal in a blended family who is inconvenienced when his former wife, his son and his bride-to-be come to visit, who are being hunted down by two relentless hitmen that make their lives a living hell. As a dark comedic thriller, this movie is a bit of a mess in its feeble and meandering execution. I'm not sure how this even landed in theaters because it screams direct-to-streaming to me. Even the bumbling team of Bill Murray and Pete Davidson (never thought those two would be paired together) left me wanting more. And poor Jennifer Coolidge just seems like she's typecast at this point.

Also, not sure why they ripped off the theme to Howard Shore's After Hours.

2 guys named Roger out of 5

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

The best Ghostbusters sequel since Part II. Unfortunately, this one involves too many moving parts and not enough focus on the original Ghostbuster crew, which is really all anyone wanted. Still, it's an entertaining picture that strives to bring back what we all loved about the original, even though it feels bloated with one too many storylines and characters (as you can glean from the poster above). I honestly wouldn't mind more films in the series in this vein, although time seems to be running out and the actors aren't getting any younger.

As for the plot, we're back in NYC, and it's cold. That's really all you need to know.

3½ ecto-containment units out of 5

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Trading in the laughs per minute for a heartwarming family dramedy, Jason Reitman (son of original director Ivan) lovingly constructs his film as a tribute to its fallen star (and original writer) Harold Ramis. As such, it functions as an homage to the entire franchise, even as it essentially resurrects the old Ghostbusters gang (and Gozer) and recycles the plot of the 1984 film. What sets this apart is that it centers around Spengler's legacy and takes place in the quiet countryside rather than the bustling streets of NYC.

At first I was put off by this tone, until I realized there was no way they were ever going to replicate the spirit of the original, so they might as well try something different. Unfortunately, we really miss the presence of the original cast's camaraderie—in particular Bill Murray's wry wit—and this becomes glaringly obvious anytime they appear on screen together. Let's face it; the only reason this film is successful at all is because of the goodwill of the original.

If I could sum it up in even simpler terms, this is the Force Awakens of the Ghostbusters franchise.

3 mini-Pufts out of 5

Charlie's Angels (2000)

If the goal of the Charlie's Angels reboot was movie escapism on a superficial level, then it succeeded. The whole is heightened by the feeling that the "elite crime fighting trio" of Dylan, Alex and Natalie (Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, and Cameron Diaz, respectively) are having a blast while making it. The story is pretty thin and the primary villains are forgettable, but for every weak link (e.g. Sam Rockwell, Tom Green) there's a stronger one doing its utmost to draw attention away from the faults. In the latter category there's Crispin Glover, great use of chart music, playful stereotypes, ridiculous disguises, and a dynamic approach that never misses an opportunity to make its leading ladies shine. And for fans of the original TV series, the voice of John Forsythe.

3 bird calls out of 5

PASSION PLAY [2010]

Screenwriter Mitch Glazer (screenwriter of Scrooged, Rock the Kasbah, A Very Murray Christmas...you sensing a pattern here?) makes his directorial debut by shitting the bed something fierce with the romantic fantasy Passion Play.
Mickey Rourke clumsily stumbles through the film as a loser straggler that finds himself tangled up in a dangerous relationship with a beautiful circus sideshow girl with wings.
It wants to be a deep, meaningful journey into a quirky world that is both dark and romanticized but instead it's a laughable pile of cornball slop that I heard best described as "Hallmark noir".  It's one of those films I kept asking "how and why is this movie happening?"
There's so awful you have to see it, then there's this clusterfuck which is just so awful even YouTube doesn't want a "worst bits clips" video.

 ½ desert ninja savior out of 5

THE JUNGLE BOOK [2016]

Joining Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland & Maleficent, director Jon Favreau's The Jungle Book is yet another addition to Disney's growing line of live-action remakes of their own animated classics.
This version mostly follows the plot of the animated film of an orphaned jungle boy being hunted down by a tiger, while leaning more towards the moodier and more vicious tones of Rudyard Kipling's anthology stories.  
It's an astonishingly beautiful film to look at with CGI animals that have convincing personality once you get past the fact that they don't quite look like the real thing.  There's not a whole lot of subtext or plot details to relish in, so it's best to take it with a grain of salt and accept that it's a wonderfully crafted summer adventure film.  

3½ bad ol' mama cuckoos out of 5

DUMB & DUMBER TO [2014]

20 years later, Harry & Lloyd are back in Dumb & Dumber To, the sequel to the Farrelly Brothers' big screen debut.
Continuing the road trip/buddy flick blueprint, the boys head out in search of Harry's long lost daughter and inevitably hijinks ensue.  I'd be lying if I said this was any sort of quality film-making but, like the first, it never tries to be and lives up to it's name.  There's plenty of laughs to be had, insuring the Farrelly's don't lose their crown as the kings of gross-out comedy.   It feels a little outdated at times but if you're a huge fan of the original you'll find plenty to enjoy from this nostalgic trip through stupidity.

3 Pee Stains out of 5

ST. VINCENT [2014]

Just when I was ready to write off Melissa McCarthy as a one-hit wonder along comes writer/director Theodore Melfi's quiet little comedy St. Vincent.
It's the contrived story of a grumpy loser of an old man that finds a new reason to get up in the morning through the friendship of the new kid next door.  The best part about St. Vincent is McCarthy isn't the best part, the rest of the cast are just as good as she is, including Jaeden Lieberher, who never gets too cute or steps into "I'm a good child actor" territory.  Sure the story's been trampled over a million times before but the wonderfully played characters and sharp dialogue make this harmless heart-warming comedy well worth the visit.

3½ plates of "sushi" out of 5

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL [2014]

When speaking of a Wes Anderson film it becomes redundant to gush over the beautifully colored and framed visuals, but I'm going to anyway because The Grand Budapest Hotel is all that and more.
With it's delightful miniature sets, hilarious camerawork and dollhouse-esque set decoration a film-lover is sure to be in hog heaven.  Not only that but the off-kilter but humorously precise editing, character quirks & movements and all around zaniness had me giggling and chuckling from beginning to end.  Heavily inspired by Austrian writer Stefan Zweig, Hotel never takes itself too seriously but has enough substance to make you love it's characters and where the story will eventually end up.
Juggling silly and sophisticated at the same time, Anderson's latest is simply a delight that's ever so sweet.

4 bisexual, fucking faggots out of 5

THE MONUMENTS MEN [2014]

George Clooney directs an all-star cast in his enthusiastic war film, The Monuments Men, which tells the story of WWII platoon that set out to retrieve stolen artwork from Nazis near the tale end of the war.
The film sets out with good intentions but gets lost in a mess of humorous & serious tones that never seem to really find a favorable balance.  It's spreads it's ensemble cast of characters out too thinly and therefore we never really connect with any of them at all.  However by showing us a different reason to fight a war is what it set out to do without the cynicism & hatred and I really admire that.  A pity it's such a mess.

2 good times for a cigarette out of 5

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

The musical comedy horror genre is distressingly underpopulated. Based on a musical that was based on the 1960s movie of the same name, Little Shop of Horrors offers campy scares, lots of laughs, and surprisingly catchy tunes. The music is a little dated, but somehow everything clicks together, from the motown Greek chorus to the wonderfully cheesy effects.

What really sells this film is its cast. Steve Martin is at his absolute funniest, Levi Stubb's voice acting is spectacular, and Rick Moranis makes Seymour work in a way few actors could. It's not for everyone, but for those who like a side of music with their black comedy, it's something you can watch over and over again without getting bored. My only complaint is the ending, which is satisfying enough, but doesn't quite match the tone of the film. Look up the original the next time you give this one a watch.

4 long, slow root canals out of 5

Ed Wood (1994)

A ‘mostly true’ biopic of film maker Ed Wood, known affectionately as the world’s worst director. It’s one of the many Tim Burton films starring Johnny Depp, so you’ll likely know right off the bat if you’re going to love it or hate it. Depp occasionally acts like Christian Slater, which is a little irritating, but mostly he’s on fine form.
What makes the film extra special for me is Martin Landau; his performance as a crotchety old washed up horror actor is filled with a deeply tender pathos that gives the film much needed heart. Seeing him act alongside his daughter Juliet was also fun. I like her.
Is Burton’s wife in it? Yes, of course she is. Stupid question.

4 painted pie plates out of 5

MOONRISE KINGDOM [2012]

Moonrise Kingdom is an oddball romantic-comedy of another kind from writer/director Wes Anderson.

Anderson sets out a funny little story that looks and plays sort of like a children's story, with the adults confused, unaware of their surroundings and clueless to how love works.  It's the kids who have a firm grasp on things and know exactly what they want with life, which hilariously reflects on real life without ever getting too heavy.  It floats around in soft colors, bizarre fashions senses and flighty music that only makes the experience that much more enjoyably surreal.

3½ buggy earrings out of 5

Lost in Translation (2003)

Two strangers meet in Tokyo and recognise in each other an absence of something. It's about finding yourself by seeing yourself reflected in another, by recognising what you lost and what you may gain. It’s that lonely feeling you get when in a crowd. That’s really all there is to it on the surface. Beyond that, it’s about the viewer and how much they can connect with the characters. For me, it’s perfection.

5 glasses of whisky at 4am out of 5