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The Big Sick

July 1, 2017Shannon Page1 Comment

Kumail Nanjiani (played by funnyman Kumail Nanjiani) is a Pakistani-American comedian who meets and falls in love with Emily (Zoe Kazan), a graduate student.  Their relationship is already threatened by Kumail’s parents’ insistence that he marry a woman from a Pakistani family, when Emily becomes seriously ill.  Written by Nanjiani (usually known for his co-star work in Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, Life as we Know It, and IFC’s Portlandia) and the actor’s wife Emily V. Gordon, The…

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Reviews

Handsome: A Netflix Mystery Movie

June 17, 2017Addison Wylie3 Comments

Jeff Garlin is a clever and hilarious performer.  You wouldn’t know that from watching Handsome: A Netflix Mystery Movie.  Garlin directed, wrote, executive produced, and stars as Gene Handsome in this unfathomable clunker about a lonely homicide detective in LA.  Yet, the film is so devoid of engagement, you would think the actor/filmmaker was tanking this project on purpose to honour a lost bet.

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Reviews

Baywatch

May 29, 2017Addison Wylie2 Comments

I’ve been patient and forgiving with filmmaker Seth Gordon (who began his career with 2007’s acclaimed arcade doc The King of Kong) because I can see he’s slowly amounting to be a dependable director.  Despite the abysmal and mean comedy Identity Thief, he’s usually able to drum up a lot of laughs with small casts (Four Christmases, Horrible Bosses, TV’s The Goldbergs).  I suppose he’s been itching to branch out, but Baywatch was the wrong way…

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Reviews

Win It All

May 22, 2017Addison Wylie0 Comments

Life can fluctuate, and I believe that’s the point Win It All is trying to make.  Then again, filmmaker Joe Swanberg may have just set out to make a straightforward character study, in which case that works too.

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Reviews

Folk Hero & Funny Guy

May 17, 2017Addison Wylie0 Comments

There’s nothing more easygoing than a road movie with good music and likeable leads.  In a nutshell, that’s Folk Hero & Funny Guy, a comedy starring Alex Karpovsky (The Foxy Merkins, HBO’s Girls) and Wyatt Russell (Goon: Last of the Enforcers) as best friends who tour working class cities, exhibiting their passions.

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Reviews

Sandy Wexler

May 7, 2017Addison Wylie0 Comments

After nearly a decade of bad comedies starring Adam Sandler, it feels weird to call his recent vehicle “good”.  It’s also funny, good-natured, and features Sandler at the top of his form.  Somebody pinch me.

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Reviews

First Round Down

May 4, 2017Addison Wylie1 Comment

My introduction to filmmaking duo Brett Butler and Jason Butler was imperfect.  Prior to the release of their indie Mourning Has Broken, I interviewed Brett.  He was an all-around standup guy who was grateful for when he and his brother won Ingrid Veninger’s “1K Challenge”, granting them access to make their dark comedy starring character actor Robert Nolan.

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