Conclusion

So there you have it, roughly 75 years of my movie collection.  Going through it, I was surprised by what I owned and by what I didn't.  (In some cases, movies had been lost or they simply would no longer play.)  There are movies I don't own that are more meaningful than some I own.  Still, it's an interesting collection, eclectic in some ways, although it's certainly possible to say I have types I like.  As far as stats go, the overlapping genre tags offer 276 comedies out of 326 movies, so yes, only 50 are ones I would not describe as intending to be funny.  Fifty-four of the movies came out in the '60s, so they are mostly ones that I probably first discovered in childhood and adolescence, on television.  Paramount was the first studio, with the Marx Brothers movies, and remained number one, with 40 films in my collection.  And Groucho Marx stayed the most prolific performer in my collection, with 17 movies.  So I guess this means that Skidoo is the most typical of my movies, studio aside.



Since I gave three A's and seven A-s, that makes coming up with a Top Ten pretty easy, although the order is somewhat arbitrary.

1. Some Like It Hot
2. High Fidelity
3. Groundhog Day
4. Nine to Five
5. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
6. The Wizard of Oz
7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
8. The Big Bus
9. The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
10. Enchanted April

As for Bottom Ten, well, I never went below a D-.  Here it is, with the D's, D+s, and the worst of the C-s.

1. The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw
2. Togetherness
3. Never Been Kissed
4. Meet Me in St. Louis
5. Speedway
6. Scavenger Hunt
7. The Sex Files
8. Roadie
9. Transylvania 6-5000
10. Gidget Goes to Rome

Stay tuned for the television blog in the next day or two....

Into the Woods

Into the Woods
December 25, 2014
Disney etc.
Musical, Fantasy
DVD
B-

When I saw this in the theater months ago, I would've given it a B+.  I'd seen two stage productions and I thought it translated very well to the big screen.  This time, I was less drawn in.  The music (especially those intricate Sondheim rhymes) seemed more contrived, and I found the film less emotionally moving.  That said, there are some good performances, most notably Emily Blunt as the Baker's Wife, probably the most complex character.  Christine Baranski and Meryl Streep are not quite reunited from Mamma Mia!, because (as Cinderella's Stepmother and The Witch) they don't really have any scenes together.  Johnny Depp again plays a creepy character, this time Little Red Riding Hood's wolf.  And Anna Kendrick is a bit miscast as Cinderella (as always, she seems like the smartest person in the room) but she does sing well.

Frances de la Tour is sort of typecast, since she was Madame Maxime in the Harry Potter series and is a much larger giantess here.  Gioacchino Jim Cuffaro was a Wizard Parent in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 and is a Villager here.

They Came Together

They Came Together
June 27, 2014
Lionsgate
Comedy, Romance
DVD
B

This is better than Wanderlust, perhaps because director David Wain is again reunited with his Wet Hot American Summer writing partner Michael Showalter.  As it happens, they wrote the script a dozen years before this was released, soon after WHAS, and it is also a spoof, although definitely less rooted in a specific time.  I found it equally funny, but apparently it was even less of a success.  (I wanted to see it in a theater but had to wait for DVD.)  Like WHAS, it has a dark side, but there are moments where rom-com tropes are played very close to usual.  Certainly the casting of Paul Rudd as the "handsome in a nonthreatening sort of way" male lead leads to self-parody, although Amy Poehler always seems much too smart for her character.  The frame device of Bill Hader (among other things, The Voice in Scott Pilgrim) and Ellie Kemper (Bridesmaids) as Kyle and Karen, another couple they're having dinner with, helps give the movie structure.  (It was originally designed without this device.)  I also need to mention that the music is dead-on, including the in-movie Norah Jones video, with a confused-looking John Stamos.  I don't know that this movie will age well, but for now it's on a level with WHAS.

Michael Ian Black was McKinley in WHAS and is Trevor here.  Ken Marino was Victor in WHAS, Rudd's brother Rick in Wanderlust, and is Tommy here.  Zandy Hartig was Marcy in Wanderlust and is Katherine here.

Jason Mantzoukas was part of the Gay Couple in Baby Mama and is Bob here.  Alex Hartman was a Princeton Applicant in Admission and is '80s Dancer Party Guest here, while Barbara Vincent was a Birthday Party Guest there and is a Football Player here, and Gameela Wright is a Police Officer here and was Woman in Adoption Agency there.  Zak Orth has been showing up in small roles in my movies since In & Out, and here he plays the Waiter with Pole.  Cobie Smulders did the voice of Wonder Woman in The Lego Movie and plays Tiffany here.

It's like New York is another character.

The Lego Movie

The Lego Movie
February 7, 2014
Warner Bros. etc.
Children's, Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Fantasy
DVD
B+

I didn't see this at the time it came out, although the trailer looked good.  I didn't see it until this past summer, when I laughed my head off.  I'm not into the Lego culture, and I didn't get every joke in this, but I found it to be one of the best scripts in years, both witty and thought-provoking.  That I had absolutely no expectations made it all the more enjoyable, although on this second viewing I felt it held up very well.  Also, the look is wonderful, all CGI but looking like it's made from actual Lego bricks.

The movie is full of contradictions, like the "Everything Is Awesome" song that is both annoying and catchy, or annoying because it's catchy, with lyrics that boost both mindless conformity and creative teamwork.  It's a corporate production set in a sunny dystopia run by a fascist capitalist, who turns out to be a redeemable bad guy.  Normally, I have a low tolerance for Will Ferrell, but he does well with both his in-universe villain and the live-action father.  There are serious themes, but mostly it's a giddy, quotable, fast-paced ride.  I don't know that it would stand up to multiple viewings and I can't say I fell in love with it, so I won't say A-, but it's definitely at least a B+.

The voice-acting obviously is a big part of the enjoyment of the movie, with the stand-out being Morgan Freeman as Vitruvius, wise and hilarious.  Elizabeth Banks, who voices Wyldstyle, was Beth in 40 Year Old Virgin.  Liam Neeson provides the voices for Bad Cop, Good Cop, and Pa Cop.  Charlie Day is Benny.  Jonah Hill voices Green Lantern.  Dave Franco, who was Perry in Warm Bodies, does Wally.  Chris Romano was Little Druid in This Is Spinal Tap and does the voice of Joe here.

Admission

Admission
March 22, 2013
Focus Features etc.
Comedy, Drama
DVD
B

Based on a book I've never read, this has a refreshingly not-quite-resolved ending.  It is happy, in a bittersweet way, but not all the problems have been solved.  I was on the fence about the grade, whether B- or B, because I'm not sure how much of my fondness for the film is for its cast, particularly those I've tagged.  Tina Fey is of course a soft-hearted Type A and Paul Rudd is an amiable, boundary-crossing idealist.  It's good to see them work together, but their romance is too much in the background for this to be a rom-com, or even a dramedy-com.  (Their relationship, in the sense of how they relate, matters, but not the romantic side so much.)  Perhaps needless to say, Wallace Shawn, as Fey's boss, and Lily Tomlin, as Fey's mother, are perfect, giving the roles much more than expected.  (The details are great, too, like the vintage late '70s picture of Tomlin on the back of her character's feminist classic, The Male Mistake.  Or her Bella Abzug tattoo.)  The supporting cast is good, too, notably Michael Sheen as Fey's ex that thinks she's not over him, and Gloria Reuben as Fey's rival.

The blend of humor and drama generally works and I felt like even the more exaggerated scenes (like a cow giving birth) rang true on some level.  At the time (two and a half years ago), I saw this shortly after Warm Bodies, and probably would've ranked that a bit higher, but now I find that this is the movie that stays with me more afterwards.  Warm Bodies is entertaining, but this one made me think more, even if it doesn't quite live up to its potential.  And, yes, I need to read the book someday, although I hope it's better than the print version of Warm Bodies.

Alex Hartman, who's a Princeton Applicant here, would be '80s Dancer Party Guest in Rudd's They Came Together, while Barbara Vincent, who's a Birthday Party Guest here, would be a Football Player there.

Yes, I didn't say anything about the whole "Is this kid her son?" plot.

Warm Bodies

Warm Bodies
February 1, 2013
Summit etc.
Comedy, Romance, Horror, Sci-Fi
DVD
B-

My review of the book is here:  http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2014/01/warm-bodies-novel.html.  The main thing I want to add is that my enjoyment has faded after so many viewings in 2 1/2 years, although it remains better than the book.  I think part of the problem is that as the film goes on, it loses its contrast between R's internal monologue and his inarticulate zombie shell.  The movie becomes more of a standard apocalyptic narrative, although still with moments of humor and sweetness.  And it remains impressive that a zom-rom-com is actually a workable sub-sub-genre.

Dave Franco, who plays Perry, would do the voice for Wally in The Lego Movie.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
August 3, 2012
Fox
Comedy
DVD
B-

Diary of a Wimpy Kid regulars include:

1. Dalila Bela as Taylor Pringle
2. Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley
3. Karan Brar as Chirag Gupta
4. Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson
5. Christopher Thorgard De-Schuster as Chris the Bass Player
6. Connor and Owen Fielding as Manny Heffley
7. Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley
8. Rachael Harris as Susan Heffley
9. Bryce Hodgson as Ben Segal
10. Alf Humphreys as Mr. Jefferson (this time actually with lines!)
11. Terence Kelly as Grandpa Heffley
12. Jeff Kinney as Mr. Hills
13. Peyton List as Holly Hills
14. Laine MacNeil as Patty Farrell
15. Andrew McNee as Coach Malone
16. Melissa Roxburgh as Heather Hills (formerly Rachel in DWK2)
17. Grayson Russell as Fregley
18. John Shaw as Mr. Draybick

As the subtitle suggests, this is set in the summer, which means we get much less of school, and classmates and teachers, than in the previous films.  I don't know if it's this, or that Zachary Gordon has hit puberty (like Harry and Ron in Chamber of Secrets, his voice seems to have dropped several octaves), but I generally didn't find this entry as entertaining as the first two.  And yet I am giving another B-, because it contains what is easily the funniest sequence in the series:  Rodrick's cover version of Justin Bieber's "Baby."  (Yes, each of my 2012 movies has a song or a band called Baby as the highlight.)  Bostick remains the best thing about these movies, and he has the moves like Jagger as well as a very expressive face.  Even the moment between Rowley and the bestie of the girl that Rodrick has spectacularly failed to impress is good.  If only the rest of the movie were on that level.  Still, it's nice that Zahn has more to do, with the central relationship this time being between Greg and his dad.  It's not a bad place to leave the characters onscreen, although of course in the books Greg and company continue to not age.

Dawn Chubai was a newscaster in the second movie as well.  Nicole Fraissinet, who was a Megastore Girl in Josie and the Pussycats, plays Receptionist Julie here.

Wanderlust

Wanderlust
February 24, 2012
Apatow Productions etc.
Comedy
DVD
C+

More than a decade after Wet Hot American Summer, David Wain co-wrote and directed this story about a bunch of weirdos living in the woods.  There are definite differences.  For one thing, instead of looking back about twenty years to the '80s, this is about a 40-year-old commune in present-day.  For another, this time there are two outsiders, a married couple, George and Linda Gergenblatt, played by Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston.  Unfortunately, this movie never quite, well, comes together.  (You see what I did there.)  The combination of Wain and Apatow doesn't really work.  I don't think the movie is as bad as its reputation is, although it's not as good as WHAS, or for that matter Object of My Affection.  (Interestingly, Alan Alda, who was Aniston's brother-in-law there, here plays commune founder Carvin.)  If you set your expectations really low, you might laugh a few times, as I did.  Still, the best thing about the movie is the Baby song "Get Your Body."

Jessica St. Clair was Whitney in Bridesmaids and is Deena Schuster here.  Carryovers from Wet Hot American Summer include Michael Ian Black (McKinley,  himself, also Trevor in Wain's They Came Together), Nina Hellman (Nancy, Protester), Peter Salett (Guitar Dude, Manfreddie), and Michael Showalter (Gerald Cooperberg and Alan Shemper, himself).

Zandy Hartig, who plays Marcy, would be Katherine in They CT.  Keegan-Michael Key is Marcy's Flunkie here and would do the voice of Foreman Jim in The Lego Movie.

The Graduate XXX

The Graduate XXX
2011 (exact date unknown)
Cinnamon Productions
Porn, Historical, Comedy, Romance
Download
C-

Needless to say, when I reviewed the book (http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2012/07/graduate.html), I did not imagine  that three years later I would be giving a porn parody of it the exact same grade.  The flaws are very different, but let me first talk about what I like.  The movie is easily the funniest of the three Anthony Rosano parodies I own, much of the humor coming out of juxtaposition, whether the '60s look with a more modern sensibility, or the way that lines from the original movie appear in a hypersexual context.  (Mrs. Robinson still denies she's seducing Ben even as she gives him a blowjob!)  There's a cheesy montage of Ben and Elaine falling in love, paired with heavy-handedly suggestive visuals and no dialogue, and then later they claim to have exchanged important personal information during "the montage."  Also, the music is great, not just the instrumentals but the Simon & Garfunkel satires.  ("A Hazy Shade of Winter" somehow becomes scolding of Ben for not washing his fingers.)

The three leads are well cast, not just Rosano as nervous Benjamin Bradcock (ha ha) and India Summer as posh Mrs. Robinson (although the movie gets very lampshady when she says she's "twice his age"), but also Raven Alexis as a generally serious Elaine.  Both fathers/husbands (James Bartholet and Herschel Savage), although their hair is grayed up in a distractingly fake way, do well with their roles.  Ron Jeremy, as Mr. Braverman/ Bus Driver, has a funny bit about "plastic novelties."  Rod Fontana (Skinner of Sex Files) has a good scene as the Night Clerk playing deadpanly off of Rosano, but I could've completely done without the return of Evan Stone, here playing a creepy Bouncer.

Which brings me to what I don't like about the movie, which is, as with other porn parodies, unfortunately most of the sex.  (I thought at one point I might wind up a porn addict, but I was apparently buying porn for the wrong reasons.)  The sex here is mostly BDSM, which is definitely not my cup of tea, although at least it's not overly violent here.  I suppose it could be said that it's used to reveal Mrs. Robinson's character, that she's a bitch who secretly wants to be dominated, but then why do we also get Stone bullying the poor stripper?  As for the more vanilla scenes, the threesome earlier on isn't bad, but we don't find out until after the fact that the man is Elaine's cheating boyfriend.  (Lexi Belle, who was Sam's friend in the Who's the Boss parody, is one of the two baby-voiced coeds.)  The Ben and Elaine scene is the only sex I actually liked, especially since it pays off in a surreal moment when her boyfriend shows up and she claims Ben is just an old friend of the family, when it is extremely obvious they've just had sex.

In fact, quite a bit of the movie is surreal, to the point that I was half seriously considering using a "fantasy" tag.  Characters can suddenly arrive at lightning speed, like they've been Scott-Pilgrimized.  And for no reason at all, both sets of parents show up on the bus when Ben & Elaine run away.  They're not angry, they're actually quite cheerful, like this is all some Candid Camera stunt.  It makes plot holes like Mrs. Robinson's consequence-less seduction of Ben's mother after he falls for Elaine perhaps not matter.  Maybe this whole thing is just meant to be a drug trip, since there are scenes of drug use at the frat house (Delta Kappa Smegma, hee hee) of the boyfriend (Parker Cameron Stevenson, ho ho).  Or maybe the source material (both book and movie) never made much sense to begin with.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
July 7, 2011
Warner Bros.
Fantasy, Action
DVD
C+

Harry Potter regulars:

1. Afshan Azad as Padma Patil
2. David Bradley as Argus Filch
3. Scarlett Byrne as Pansy Parkinson
4. Jessie Cave as Lavender Brown
5. Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid
6. Louis Cordice as Blaise Zabini
7. Warwick Davis as Griphook/ Professor Filius Flitwick
8. Alfred Enoch as Dean Thomas
9. Amber Evans as Twin Girl 1
10. Ruby Evans as Twin Girl 2
11. Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy
12. Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort
13. Michael Gambon as Professor Albus Dumbledore
14. Domnhall Gleeson as Bill Weasley
15. Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley
16. George Harris as Kingsley Shacklebolt
17. Guy Henry as Pius Thicknesse
18. Josh Herdman as Gregory Goyle
19. John Hurt as Ollivander
20. Ralph Ineson as Amycus Carrow
21. Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy
22. Isabella Laughland as Leanne
23. Dave Legeno as Fenrir Greyback
24. Georgina Leonidas as Katie Bell
25. Katie Leung as Cho Chang
26. Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom
27. Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood
28. Helen McCrory as Narcissa Malfoy
29. William Melling as Nigel
30. Nick Moran as Scabior
31. Devon Murray as Seamus Finnigan
32. Gary Oldman as Sirius Black
33. James Phelps as Fred Weasley
34. Oliver Phelps as George Weasley
35. Leslie Phillips as the voice of the Sorting Hat
36. Clémence Poésy as Fleur Delacour
37. Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter
38. Chris Rankin as Percy Weasley
39. Adrian Rawlins as James Potter
40. Anna Shaffer as Romilda Vane
41. Geraldine Somerville as Lily Potter
42. Timothy Spall as Wormtail
43. Freddie Stroma as Cormac McLaggen
44. Natalie Tena as Nymphadora Tonks
45. David Thewlis as Remus Lupin
46. Suzanne Toase as Alecto Carrow
47. Emma Watson as Hermione Granger
48. Mark Williams as Arthur Weasley
49. Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley

Also, Christian Coulson and Ian Hart appear as Tom Riddle and Professor Quirinus Quirrell in archival footage.  Kelly Macdonald of Gosford Park appears as Helena Ravenclaw.  Gemma Jones and Miriam Margolyes are back, although not given much to do.  I put as many people under tags as I could.

While it's nice to see everybody one last time, I do feel that this is the weakest movie in the series since Goblet of Fire, and like that entry, it is sometimes unintentionally funny, as with the horrible makeup that Rickman wears both in present day and in flashbacks.  (I don't care that he was in his 60s.  It's distracting to see his expressive face puttied over like that.)  Also, the finale has far too many action sequences, which was perhaps true of the last third of the book, but there were more moments of humour and pathos.  Not that those elements are entirely missing, but the film does feel off and unbalanced at times.  (I do like Julie Walters's silent reaction to Maggie's Smith's "I've always wanted to do that," as if she still remembers McGonagall as her teacher some thirty years ago.)  The series as a whole still averages out to a B, and it remains an impressive achievement overall.

Lisa Osmond and Mark Sealey were also Gringotts Goblins back in the first movie.  Rusty Goffee was an Oompa-Loompa in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, as well as a Goblin here and in Order of the Phoenix.  Jamie Dunlop is a Wizard, as he was in the first two movies.  Paul Davies is a Death Eater, as he was in Fire, Half-Blood Prince, and DH1.  Death Eaters who are just in the two Hallows parts are Jon Campling, Graham Duff, Emil Hostina, Tony Kirwood (also in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Penelope McGhie, Ashley McGuire, Peter G. Reed, Granville Saxton, Judith Sharp, and Bob Yves Van Hellenberg.  Ninette Finch was an unidentified extra in Prince but is Augusta Longbottom here.  Arthur Bowen was Boy at Chestnut Stand in Prince, but has the more prominent role of Albus Severus Potter here.  Sarah Jane O'Neill was a Ministry Wizard in DH1 but is a Wizard Parent here.

Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids
May 13, 2011
Universal
Comedy
DVD
B-

When I first saw this movie, it made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me consider walking out at the really gross food-poisoning scene.  My reaction on watching it for I think the fifth time was not as extreme in any regard.  I still think Kristen Wiig does a good job, as star and co-writer, of capturing a particular kind of woman who's messed up her life but not as much as she thinks.  Also, it is nice to see female friendship, in various forms, put at the center, even if the subject is ostensibly a wedding.  This does mean unfortunately that the men are really short-changed, some of them not even getting lines.  I certainly would've liked to have seen more of Chris O'Dowd's nice Irish cop.  And even some of the women have unresolved plot threads, including Wiig's own.  (Does she start another bakery or what?)  That said, Melissa McCarthy comes close to stealing the movie in what I recall as her first significant big-screen role.

Wilson Phillips appear as themselves, and Chynna Phillips was the love interest Cindy in The Invisible Kid.  Nancy Carell was the Health Clinic Counselor in The 40 Year Old Virgin but is less memorable here as Helen's Tennis Partner, while Joe Nunez was Man Buffing Floor there and is Oscar the Security Guard here.  Jessica St. Clair, who plays Whitney at the bridal salon, would be Deena Schuster in Wanderlust.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
March 25, 2011
Fox
Comedy, Children's
DVD
B-

DWK regulars are (* means new to the series but will be back for #3):

1. Dalila Bela as Taylor Pringle*
2. Owen Best as Bryce Anderson
3. Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley
4. Karan Brar as Chirag Gupta
5. Christopher DeSchuster as Chris the Bass Player*
6. Connor and Owen Fielding as Manny Heffley
7. Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley
8. Rachael Harris as Susan Heffley
9. Bryce Hodgson as Ben Segal
10. Ava Hughes as Marley
11. Alf Humphreys as Rowley's Dad, Mr. Jefferson
12. Terence Kelly as Grandpa Heffley*
13. Peyton List as Holly Hills
14. Laine MacNeil as Patty Farrell
15. Andrew McNee as Coach Malone
16. Belita Moreno as Mrs. Norton
17. Samantha Page as Shell(e)y
18. Melissa Roxburgh as Rachel (although she'd be Heather Hills in the next one)*
19. Grayson Russell as Fregley
20. John Shaw as Mr. Draybick*
21. Jake D. Smith as Archie Kelly

Also, author Jeff Kinney makes his first appearance as Holly's Dad, Mr. Hills.  Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs again collaborated on the script, but the director is new: David Bowers, who did Flushed Away. I would say that this movie is a shade better than the first, not quite a B since it's not quite as funny and it does feel a little unbalanced, focusing much more on Greg's home life than on his school life.  That said, everyone, especially the kids, seem to have settled into their characters more, so that much less time is spent on set-up.  Just as DWK1 gave us Greg's friendship with Rowley, #2 tracks the shaky brotherhood of Greg and, as you may've guessed from the subtitle, Rodrick, allowing the whole Heffley family to shine.  There are funny moments (like Susan's "mom dance") but also more heart and realism than in the first movie.  A B- and a half I guess.

Dawn Chubai would return as a newscaster in DWK3.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
November 11, 2010
Warner Bros.
Fantasy, Action, Drama
DVD
B

The Harry Potter regulars this time (* means newbie who will be back for the finale):

1. Afshan Azad as Padma Patil
2. Arben Bajraktraj as Antonin Dolohov (formerly playing an unidentified Death Eater)
3. Scarlett Byrne as Pansy Parkinson
4. Jessie Cave as Lavender Brown
5. Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid
6. Louis Cordice as Blaise Zabini
7. Warwick Davis as Griphook (new to the role)
8. Francis de la Tour as Madame Maxime
9. Amber Evans as Twin Girl #1
10. Ruby Evans as Twin Girl #2
11. Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy
12. Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort
13. Michael Gambon as Professor Albus Dumbledore
14. Brendan Gleeson as Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody
15. Domnhall Gleeson as Bill Weasley*
16. Richard Griffiths as Vernon Dursley
17. Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley
18. George Harris as Kingsley Shacklebolt
19. Guy Henry as Pius Thicknesse*
20. Josh Herdman as Gregory Goyle
21. Rod Hunt as Thorfinn Rowle
22. John Hurt as Ollivander
23. Stanislav Ianevski as Viktor Krum
24. Ralph Ineson as Amycus Carrow
25. Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy
26. Toby Jones as the voice of Dobby
27. Isabella Laughland as Leanne
28. David Legeno as Greyback
29. Georgina Leonidas as Katie Bell
30. Katie Leung as Cho Chang
31. Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom
32. Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood
33. Angelica Mandy as Gabrielle Delacour
34. Helen McCrory as Narcissa Malfoy
35. Harry Melling as Dudley Dursley
36. Nick Moran as Scabior*
37. Devon Murray as Seamus Finnigan
38. James Phelps as Fred Weasley
39. Oliver Phelps as George Weasley
40. Clémence Poésy as Fleur Delacour
41. Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter
42. Adrian Rawlins as James Potter
43. Anna Shaffer as Romilda Vane
44. Fiona Shaw as Petunia Dursley
45. Geraldine Somerville as Lily Potter
46. Timothy Spall as Wormtail
47. Freddie Stroma as Cormac McLaggen
48. Natalie Tena as Nymphadora Tonks
49. David Thewlis as Remus Lupin
50. Suzanne Toase as Alecto Carrow
51. Emma Watson as Hermione Granger
52. Mark Williams as Arthur Weasley
53. Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley

Also, Miranda Richardson appears in photographs as Rita Skeeter.  Rhys Ifans appears as Luna's father Xenophilius, and Bill Nighy as Minister Rufus Scrimgeour, both very different roles than in Pirate Radio.  Other regulars who've done others of my films are under the tags.

My review of the book is here:  http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2014/01/harry-potter-and-deathly-hallows.html.  The movie isn't as good but it is as solid as most of the series.  I think both the action scenes and the more dramatic scenes work, as do the moments of humour, such as the Seven Harrys transformation.  The sets and costumes, including at the wedding, are just right.  The most impressive visual aspect, however, is the animation for "The Tale of the Three Brothers." The central trio are all at the top of their game, which matters since much of the movie is about just the three of them, and even when they interact with others their dynamic matters.  Ironically, one of my favorite sections is the Ministry raid, where they've been Polyjuiced into middle-aged adults (Emma Thompson's sister Sophie among them).

What doesn't work?  Well, no offense to Nick Moran, but I don't see why the character of Scabior is built up here and in Part 2, when there are other Death Eaters (including Greyback) who could've been used more.  Also, with all the plot threads to be tied up in the finale, giving Harry the fragment of Sirius's mirror without explanation is odd.  And other details are rushed through, such as the eye on Umbridge's door.  Still, these are quibbles and this is the better half of Hallows onscreen.

Daisy Haggard is the voice of the Ministry Lift, as she was in Order of the Phoenix.   Elliott Francis is again a Slug Club Member, as he was in Half-Blood Prince.  Ifeoma Oboko was in Gryffindor in Prince but is just a School Child here.  Sarah Jane O'Neill is a Ministry Wizard here but would be a Wizard Parent in Part 2.   Paul Davies is a Death Eater, as he was in Goblet of Fire and Prince, and would be again in the finale.  Graham Duff, Emil Hostina, Tony Kirwood (who was Finckelgruber in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Penelope McGhie, Ashley McGuire, Peter G. Reed, Granville Saxton, Judith Sharp, and Bob Yves Van Hellenberg would all return as Death Eaters.

And Rose Keegan was Emma Pagent in Grint's Driving Lessons, while she's Red-Haired Witch here.

Easy A

Easy A
September 17, 2010
Screen Gems etc.
Comedy, Romance
DVD
B

Like Going the Distance, this is better than it should be, although not as good as that, and no, it does not earn an A (easy or otherwise) from me.  I put it on a level with Juno, which it resembles in some ways, in that the main character is a witty, cynical, but good-hearted teenage girl with awesome parents who support her, even as her sexuality makes her an outcast at school.  In Juno's case, it's because she's pregnant, while here Olive (played by Emma Stone) is both victim and manipulator of rumors about her promiscuity.  The title and much of the plot are inspired by The Scarlet Letter, but this is not based on a book per se.  The movie is at least as much about the effect of social media, from texting to videoblogs, giving a very modern touch to a movie that in some ways could've made back in the mid-'60s, or at least in the '80s that Olive idealizes in a different way than Gen-Yers Erin and Garrett do in Distance.  Like Juno, she looks up to a time she wasn't even alive in.

On the one hand, it seems a bit much to believe that an entire high school (even in a small town) could get spun up about one girl losing her virginity to a college guy.  On the other, it's not like slut-shaming isn't alive and well, in the real and the cyber world.  I like how the movie argues that Olive's sexual experience is nobody's business, although of course this is ironic since we're meant to care about it as the audience.  Olive is a "good girl" in the sense that she's seventeen and never been grounded or sent to the principal's office, until the events of this story.

Her parents aren't as gruff as Juno's, but instead, as played by Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson, they are whimsical and playful, although still attentive and caring.  They're named Dill and Rosemary, and her kid brother is named Chip, so the whole family is "edible."  (I've heard that there's another brother, named Kale, off at college, and it's his nonexistent friend that Olive supposedly loses her "V-card" to.)

The other stand-outs in the cast are Thomas Haden Church as Mr. Griffith (his delivery on "Don't forget, tomorrow is Earth Day" understandably kept breaking Stone up) and Dan Byrd as Brandon, the gay friend whose plot thread is both poignant and funny.  But it's mostly Stone's movie, and she carries it well.  I don't feel like the movie is well structured, and some things, like Lisa Kudrow's betrayal, just seem to happen so that the movie can keep moving.  But overall, entertaining enough.  The "romance" tag by the way comes from her involvement with "Woodchuck Todd," played by Penn Badgley.

Andrew Fleming, writer/director of Threesome, has a bit role as a Doctor.  Yolanda Snowball, who was Mrs. Yeager in The Brady Bunch Movie, is a Receptionist here.

Going the Distance

Going the Distance
September 3, 2010
New Line etc.
Comedy, Romance
DVD
B+

Although not on the level of High Fidelity, this rom-com is much better than it should be.  Like High Fi, it is mainly told from the man's perspective (although less so of course), and perhaps that's why it's cruder and yet more believable.  Not that that made The Wedding Singer or Apatow and the like any more realistic of course.  And although Erin, played by, yes, Drew Barrymore again, is very much a one-of-the-guys kind of girl, to the point that when she's drunk she tells the stranger she's arguing with to commit sex acts with "her penis," she is also definitely a modern woman, one who confides in her blabby friend Harper (Sarah Burns, in a smaller but similar role to I Love You Man's Hailey).  Garrett, played by Barrymore's real on-again-off-again boyfriend Justin Long, responds to the explanation of girl-talk with "I know how it works.  I've seen Moesha."

That is just one of many hilarious lines that sound off the cuff, said the way that witty, pop-culturally savvy people, like Garrett in the music-industry and Erin in newspapers, talk.  Within the first five minutes, I was laughing very hard and thinking about how much I adore this movie.  That it also acknowledges that its main couple are in dying businesses, as things move more and more into the cyber-world, is another strain of realism that I appreciate.  (I said of Never Been Kissed, "This film...does not have a moment in it that is believable even within its own poorly constructed world," and Barrymore's journalist roles is one point of comparison.)  Technology also has its impact on the long-distance (New York to San Francisco) relationship, with Erin and Garrett keeping in touch through not only cell phones but videochatting, but it only adds to the frustration that they feel that they are physically separated.  And have you ever seen another rom-com that has the couple decide not to visit at Christmas because airline tickets are too pricy?

Even the supporting performances, while exaggerated, are believable on some level, rising above stereotypes that we see elsewhere in rom-coms, Barrymore's Music and Lyrics among them.  Christina Applegate has the role of the germ-phobic, nagging but loving older sister, which she does so much more (comedically and dramatically) with than Kristen Johnson in M & L.  (Even the henpecked husband is better here, and in fact Jim Gaffigan had the best line in the trailer, if YouTube comments are any evidence.)   Jason Sudeikis as Box and Charlie Day (who would do the voice of Benny in The Lego Movie) as Dan are over the top at times (Day especially), but even at their most outrageous they give the lines such sincerity that it only adds to the humor.  The main cast's chemistry, not just romantic, is perfect, and it's a treat to hang out with the various combinations of these five people.  But, yes, it's Barrymore and Long's real-life chemistry coming through, that we totally buy, for instance, that he makes her laugh that hard, which makes the movie so special.  We want to see them kiss and we (well, I anyway) cry with them when they cry.

So why not an A- or even higher?  Well, I don't think the movie maintains the high level of the first half to full hour.  Not that it sours but it does lose its giddiness, and not just as it turns more serious.  Even the funny scenes feel less funny.  Still, it remains an underrated genre-buster that stretches and even shatters a few of the rom-com tropes (like the way jealousy is handled), while staying comedic and romantic most of the time.

Matt Servitto was Arty in Enchanted and is Hugh here.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
August 13, 2010
Universal
Comedy, Sci-Fi, Romance, Action
DVD
B-

This is based on a graphic novel series I've never read, other than what appears in the movie itself and its DVD extras.  As such, I'm not going to get into a discussion of how well it translates to the screen, but I will note that I like the comic-like elements, such as the sound effects that we can read as well as hear.  There are also elements of video games, especially but not limited to the fight scenes.  And then are bits of less classifiable whimsy, such as some characters' ability to do things very quickly, even if asleep.  It is an interesting stylistic blend.

Unfortunately, the central couple in this anti-rom-com are the two least appealing characters in the movie (well, other than some minor characters we see much less of).  Scott is in a way the typical adorkable Michael Cera character, but he has to do a lot of very un-Cera-like things, including make various women unhappy, although this is admittedly unintentional.  And his dream girl Ramona Flowers has no real personality; she's just as much of a cypher at the end as she is at the beginning.  It's hard to be invested in their relationship, and I'm not even sure if we're supposed to be, but it does get a lot of screen time.  Luckily, the supporting characters are much more vivid and, even when they do unlikable things, entertaining.  My favorites are Wallace, the gay roommate, and Julie, the foul-mouthed friend of an ex.  The title of the movie is somewhat of a misnomer, since Scott battles Ramona's seven evil exes, but there is a sense that everyone, even his friends, is against him.  This viewing, I was rooting for the world, and I completely agreed with Knives Chau when she said that she's too cool for him.

Nelson Franklin was one of Sydney's Buddies in I Love You, Man and has the small but scene-stealing role of Comeau here.  (He's the one who says the comic book is always better than the movie.)  Bill Hader, who is The Voice, would be Kyle in They Came Together.

How to Train Your Dragon

How to Train Your Dragon
March 26, 2010
DreamWorks
Children's, Fantasy, Action, Comedy
DVD
B+

Chris Sanders co-wrote Aladdin, while Will Davies co-wrote Flushed Away, so perhaps it's not surprising that they do well here, directing as well as writing.  What is surprising is that this movie is actually better than either of those.  It's not due to the source material, since this is clearly another example of the movie being better than the book.  The Cressida Cowell series has ugly illustrations and forgettable characters.  This movie is visually stunning and the characters are endearing, because of rather than despite their imperfections.  Also, it's a rare action movie where the relationships are more important than the battles.  We watch as our young hero Hiccup improves how he relates to his father, his potential girlfriend, and of course his dragon.  And, yes, the movie is funny, but it's also poignant.  I found the sequel somewhat disappointing, and the TV series doesn't interest me, but here they got everything just about right.

David Tennant, who voices Spitelout, was Barty Crouch, Jr. in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but of course had meanwhile hit it big as Dr. Who.  Jonah Hill's rise was not as dramatic, but he had become better known since his appearance as the eBay Customer in 40 Year Old Virgin.  Kristen Wiig, who voices Ruffnut, would be Annie in Bridesmaids.

Sometimes dragons are just scaly cats, and sometimes they're your vehicle to Heaven.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Diary of a Wimpy Kid
March 10, 2010
Fox etc.
Comedy
DVD
B-

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid regulars are:

1. Owen Best as Bryce Anderson
2. Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley
3. Karan Brar as Chirag Gupta
4. Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson
5. Connor and Owen Fielding as Manny Heffley
6. Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley
7. Rachael Harris as Susan Heffley
8. Ava Hughes as Marley
9. Alf Humphreys as Mr. Jefferson (Rowley's dad)
10. Laine MacNeil as Patty Farrell
11. Andrew McNee as Coach Malone
12. Belita Moreno as Mrs. Norton
13. Samantha Page as Shelley
14. Grayson Russell as Fregley
15. Jake D. Smith as Archie Kelly

Also, Steve Zahn, who was the brother in Object of My Affection, plays Greg's dad.  The movie is surprisingly well-cast, considering it's based on a book with exaggerated characters who look and act like cartoons.  As the book is very episodic, there are some changes in terms of plot and characterization, with self-absorbed Greg learning a few life lessons here, although not changing entirely.  Which is just as well, since there would be two more movie sequels, and the book series is still running.  (Book 10 is due out this Fall.)

Watching this again, I realized that a lot of my favorite moments came in the later movies.  I do have to single out Bostick as giving my favorite performance.  He looks nothing like Rodrick in the book but he puts a lot more into the mean-big-brother role than expected, even in a simple line like, "And then they planted trees!"  Also, as a Gen-Xer I enjoyed the little moments of '80s-ness, like the Awesome to Be Me classroom movie.  DWK itself is designed to not look like it's from a particular time period and, as in Juno, there are no cell phones.

Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs would also co-write the second movie in the series.  Brandon Barton was on the Dancing Elk Track Team in Juno and is the '80s Jock Boy here.

Who's the Boss? A XXX Parody

Who's the Boss? A XXX Parody
February 14, 2010
New Sensations Video
Porn, Romance, Comedy
Download
C+

To make a long story short, a year ago I rediscovered Who's the Boss? in time for the 30th anniversary.  I'd watched it at the time but it was very interesting to revisit it.  And part of that revisiting ended up being watching this porn parody in the sub-sub-genre of "sitcums."  Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, it's porn with a laugh track.  And with the "audience" squealing over kissing and suggestive lines.  (Luckily, both tracks are silent during the sex scenes.)  The comedy portions are pretty contrived, and the funniest thing about the writing is the writer's name, Crystal D. Lite.  (Which seems fitting, since Bud Wiser produced the actual show.)  The movie is directed by Lee Roy Myers, who appears to be the king of the porn parody.  And, yes, with this source material, the movie is also a rom-com, since we want Tony & Angela to get together, and, oh, yes, they definitely do.

However, as with Sex Files, there are other pairings and groupings.  I generally enjoyed these more than in Files, since there was more set-up for why these people were together and the sex seemed less interminable.  In fact, the Sam & Marcy pairing is actually a bit sweet and sexy.  Yes, "Marcy" with a Y rather than an I.  The movie is not exactly canonical to the show.  The Tony & Angela dynamic is similar to the first season, with him walking in on her in the bathroom, as he did early on in the show.  (Rosano also walks in on Kimberly Kane in Sex Files, although it's less farcical there of course.)  This Angela pulls rank more than the TV version usually did, especially in later seasons.  In fact, there are unresolved class issues here, unresolved even after consummation, not that I expected a serious political treatise of course.

The biggest change is that "the kids" have been aged up by about a decade, so that they're in college and thus able to have girlfriends.  Sam has a boyfriend, too, Jesse, who, unlike his TV counterpart, who was very much the late '80s activist, is sexist enough to think girls don't need to go to college.  He ends up with Mona in the kitchen, even though Sam and Marcy are in the next room.  In fact, the entire movie is set in the house, with a very tiny cast (ten people), none of whom walk in on anything more than mild making out.

The casting in the movie ranges from way off to dead on.  I don't at all care for 43-year-old Payton Leigh as Mona, or the final sex scene, where she has slaves up in her room (proving that she's the boss) and she hardly interacts with them.  She doesn't look or sound a bit like Katherine Helmond, not even a younger, Soap-era Helmond.  And obviously she's much too young to be playing the grandmother of a college student.

Anthony Rosano and India Summer were both 33 at the time this was released, she a few months older than he, so they're not too far off from the ages of first-season Tony Danza and Judith Light, although, again, too young to be the parents of college "kids."  (Rosano and Summer would reunite in The Graduate XXX, as respectively Benjamin and Mrs. Robinson, despite their lack of age difference.)   Twenty-three-year-old Alyssa Reece plays Sam and 22-year-old Sonny Hicks is Jonathan and they're reasonably well cast, looking and sounding enough like their TV counterparts to not be distracting like Leigh.

Summer somewhat has the look of Judith Light, although she's wearing an obvious blonde wig.  She's tall and slender with a small chest and long legs.  She doesn't really sound like Light and she does seem overly uptight, except of course when she lets herself go in the sex scene.  Rosano on the other hand is perfectly cast.  (And Danza-ly cast, considering his screen name is Anthony, so he is another Tony playing Tony.  He also was Tony in the porn parody of Taxi that same year.)  He doesn't quite look like Danza but he sounds like him.  Even during the sex scene, he's perfectly in character, yes, with an "ay-oh" here and there.  If everyone were on his level, I would give this movie a much higher rating.  Watch this movie for him, especially with Summer.  They have good chemistry together, in the sexual tension scenes as well as the release of tension scene.  And they're actually adorable in the post-coital goo-goo eyes scene.  Pity that the movie doesn't end right after that.

Lexi Belle, who plays Marcy, would again be a College Student in Graduate XXX.