MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND (2006)

Directed By: Ivan Reitman 
Written By: Don Payne 
Cinematography By: Don Burgess 
Editor: Wendy Greene Bricmont & Sheldon Kahn 


Cast: Uma Thurman, Luke Wilson, Anna Faris, Eddie Izzard, Rainn Wilson, Wanda Sykes, Mark Consuelos 


When a regular guy dumps a superhero for her neediness, she uses her powers to make his life a living hell.

SCARY MOVIE (2000)

Directed By: Keenan Ivory Wayans 
Written By: Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Phil Beauman, Buddy Johnson, Aaron Seltzer & Jason Friedberg 
Cinematography By: Francis Kenny 
Editor: Mark Helfrich 


Cast: Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Jon Abrahams, Shannon Elizabeth, Lochlyn Munro, Cheri Oteri, David L. Lander, Dave Sheridan, Carmen Electra, Rick Ducommun, Kurt Fuller, Kelly Coffield, Marisa Jaret Winokur 


A group of teenagers including Cindy Campbell and Bobby Prinze, accidentally hit a man when driving, and dispose of the body, but now they are being stalked by a very recognizable masked killer. The victim count increases, whilst Cindy must survive the carnage that has she has seen in so many films before.

JUST FRIENDS (2005)

Directed By: Roger Kumble 
Written By: Adam Davis 
Cinematography By: Anthony B. Richmond 
Editor: Jeff Freeman 


Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Anna Faris, Amy Smart, Chris Klein, Stephen Root, Julie Hagerty, Chris Marquette, Robin Dunne, Ashley Scott

SCARY MOVIE 2 (2001)

Directed By: Keenan Ivory Wayans 
Written By: Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans & Craig Wayans, Alyson Fouse, Greg Grabinski, Dave Folsky, Michael Anthony Snowden 
Based on Characters Created By: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Buddy Johnson, Phil Beaumn, Aaron Seltzer & Jason Friedberg 
Cinematography By: Steven Bernstein Editor: Tom Nordberg, Richard Pearson & Peter Teschner 

Cast: Anna Faris, Christopher Masterson, Chris Elliott, Regina Hall, David Cross, Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Tori Spelling, Kathleen Robertson, James Woods, Natasha Lyonne, Richard Moll, James DeBello, Andy Richter, Veronica Cartwright, Robert Schimmel, Tim Curry

JEFF OF THE CINEFILES: HALL OF FAME: FILE #0012: MAY (2002)

Written & Directed By: Lucky McKee
Cinematography By: Steve Yedlin
Editor: Debra Goldfield, Rian Johnson & Chris Sivertson

Cast: Angela Bettis, Jeremy Sisto, Anna Faris, Nichole Hiltz, James Duval, Kevin Gage, Nora Zehetner, Will Estes

SCARY MOVIE (2000)

Cast: Anna Faris, Jon Abrahms, Lochlyn Munro, Shannon Elizabeth, Regina Hall, Carmen Electra, Dave Sheridan, David L. Lander, Kelly Coffield, Kurt Fuller, Marissa Janet Winokur, Cheri Oteri, Keenan Ivory Wayans,

Directed By: Kennan Ivory Wayans
Written By: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Buddy Johnson, Phil Beauman, Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer
Cinematography By: Francis Kenny
Editor: Mark Helfrich

This film is actually pretty good that is not so much funny as it is shocking. It goes way over the top at times and still manages to hit all the right buttons to be a successful spoof.

It’s interesting that dimension films released this film with what was supposed to be the intended title of the movie SCREAM. Which this film mostly spoofs on. The film is actually based on two separate scripts that were combined to make this one feature film.

I saw this movie at least three times in theaters and while it doesn’t reach the heights of I’M GONNA GIT YOU SUCKA. But is still marginally funyin it’s own way and passing the torch to the next generation of the wayans brothers. I won’t lie the film does go over the line many times to the point of being disgusting. But it doesn’t disappoint. It was a film that came out at the right time. On the heels of the movies it was spoofing instead of what a lot of spoof films these days do either combining a year’s worth of pop culture, trends and spoofs into one film with a rather thin storyline that makes no sense. Or they wait until years after the subject is not relevant anymore so that the film is ill timed and beating a dead horse. The film is generally funny at least. That actually manages to surpise me towards the end of the film.

The film still relies on the plot of a killer going around killing high school students and is somehow linked to the lead Cindy Campbell as more and more of her friends are murdered.

This is the first film of Anna Faris in a lead role and gives a glimse of the comedic talent she had. Not too much of the rest of the cast went onto bigger and better. It also marks the first use of a Keenan Ivory Wayans staple Actor Loclyn Monroe.

One of the bigger problems of the film other then the film occasionally being disgusting is that somehow keenan ivory wayans makes things such as backgrounds and production values look either cheap or just plain old bad.

Now I know this film may have been bad mouthed or doesn’t have a lot of things going for it viewed more as toilet humor then generally smart comedy. That maybe true but it is a lot better then some give it credit for and at least has a original feeling in it’s concoction. Plus I enjoy it over some spoofs which are celebrated as original or noteworthy. It is a film I can look back on and watch at anytime. I still like it either way.

I feel it is a worthy addition to any film library


GRADE: B-

SCARY MOVIE 2 (2001)

CAST: Anna Faris, Shawn Wayans, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans, Chris Elliot, David Cross, Richard Moll, Tori Spelling, Christopher Masterson, Natasha Lyonne, James Woods, Tim Curry, Andy Richter, James DeBello, Kathleen Robertson, Veronica Cartwright, Beetlejuice

Directed By: Keenan Ivory Wayans
Written By: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Alyson Fouse, Dave Polsky, Craig Wayans, Michael Anthony Snowden, Greg Grabianski
Based On Characters By: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Buddy Johnson, Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer, Phil Beauman
Cinematography By: Steven Bernstein
Editor: Tom Nordberg, Richard Pearson & Peter Teschner

To say this film was a disappointment would be a understatement now I didn’t love the first scary movie but I liked it and enjoyed it. Despite a few reservations and this film unfortunately this film doesn’t even come close to the quality of the original. It feels like a movie just based on squeezing some more dollars out of a franchise. I mean it has 7 writers which is never a good sign. That many cooks working on the same dish. I would bother telling you the storyline but as it seems non existent and the film doesn’t follow it. It would be a waste of time.

The main problem with recent spoof films and this one in particular is to stay on subject and still have a main plot. This film brings jokes about the subject it is spoofing but it has no real main storyline it starts off with one then seems to forget it and seems too busy with the jokes and spoofing more modern day people and events then actual scary movies which is also the problem with comedies like MADTV and the wayans own IN LIVING COLOR while both are legendary and hilarious they won’t age gracefully as all of there comedy are based on modern celebrities and events that 10 – 20 years from now audiences will be scratching there heads to understand the jokes or if they weren’t around when the film was made will be wondering who they are talking about.

Tori spelling is in this movie and was supposed to be a small comeback but I wonder if it was just stunt casting because she barely makes a mark in a role almost any actress could have played. Most of the cast reprises there roles from the first film even the ones who were killed return with hardly any explination. The bad thing about this movie is with all the talent involved it should have been funny or at least funnier but it’s not. There is a chuckle here and there but as a whole I can’t say it is successfully funny the jokes just seem stale.

I also had one of many bad experiences seeing this film in a theater I had some woman sit next to me who i didn’t know and our seats while separate were connected together and all through the movie she laughed loudly at everything even things I thought were funny I would start to laugh and then so would she so hard that she drained whatever I found funny about it out. So that I would pray no more jokes would come to make her almost have a coronary. I have since seen the film at home and still have the same opinion of it that I had that day.

The opening sketch was supposed to have Marlon Brando in a way spoof the exorcist but when he got to sick to do the role he was replaced by James Woods now if Brando would have done it. He is the only thing that would have made this movie noteworthy. This was also the last semi decent Scary Movie Sequel all after this one are horrible.

Bottom line if you liked the first one you will probably like this one.

GRADE: D

OBSERVE & REPORT (2009)

CAST: Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Michael Pena, Ray Liotta, Jesse Plemons, Colette Wolfe, Celia Watson, Aziz Ansari, Patton Oswalt, Danny McBride, Ben Best

Written & Directed By: Jody Hill
Cinematography By: Tim Orr
Editor: Zene BakerT

he reason the film works is that it takes so many unexpected turns that a normal studio comedy doesn’t take that it is refreshing to see. The film takes many chances with it’s comedy it doesn’t force feed you jokes and tell you when to laugh so much of the comedy comes from not only uncomfortable moments but the characters and there behavior. It’s not a typical comedy it has a lot of dramatic scenes that have comedy in them.

I like it because the film doesn’t fit into a nice little box if you tried to fit it in one, It would leave the box stained and beaten up. It’s a misfit. It is also one of the first roles that actually requires Seth Rogen to show and have range. He passes with flying colors.

In one sense it’s disturbing but it has a original voice that the film will not appeal to a mass audience but I think will gain a audience who appreciate it. Now it doesn’t help that PAUL BLART: MALL COP came out a few months before it now while both revolve around the same job of a main character they are totally different paul blart is more of a family comedy that goes with humor and jokes and crazy situations. Where as this film is more about character comedy

It’s not only the lead the supporting characters are memorable and hilarious on there own that any of them could be the star of there own movies but they are better to be taken in small doses as not to go overboard with there presence that you get tired of them and the possibilities there character can do in certain situations. Chief among them michela pena’s character who is just so bizarre and outlandish you can’t stop laughing at him whenever he is in a scene there is also anna faris who brings another memorable comedic character to her cannon like a movie Saturday night live cast member it seems like each time she is in a comedy she creates another comedic personae. Ray liotta who plays it more like he is in a drama then a comedy comes across as not only scary but a commanding maleovolent presence there are also a couple of stand up comedian cameos who that are brilliant

The film also has a few scens that will disturb a few audience members as they are controversial due to bad taste and questionable morals.


SPOILERS
The third act ending is almost like TOTAL RECALL in the way that it has a false happy ending that could take place all in his mind. It’s a joyous ending that ties everything in a happy bow or at least as happy as you can get in this warped tale and since Writer/Director Jody Hill calls this film a Comedic Version of TAXI DRIVER. Just like that film you can never tell at the end if it is truly a happy ending or all in his mind in fact everything after the jail scene or the scene at home taking his medication again could be a dream as good things start to happen immediately after the shot of him laying on his bed implying he is dreaming or that this is a fantasy because really after all he has causedwould the mall really give him his job back. Plus during the third act the pixies song WHERE IS MY MIND is played but performed by citywolf which maybe a clue but you look at it whichever way you want to.
SPOILERS END

Either way the movies a must see in my book and one that leaves itself to many conversations and great admiration

GRADE: A-