“Tacky” and “hacky”. Those are the first words that spring to mind when describing The Underdoggs, an R-rated, pee-wee sports comedy from director Charles Stone III (Mr. 3000, Uncle Drew), and starring rapper Snoop Dogg. “Tacky” because the humour derives from the stale gag of having adults swearing around, or at, kids. “Hacky” because Snoop should feel guilty for aiming at such low-hanging comedic fruit.
Family history is a dependable theme for filmmakers to explore. The Last Black Man in San Francisco, however, is more about what it means to preserve that lineage. In their breakout feature film debut, filmmaker Joe Talbot and actor Jimmie Fails unpack an observational story that’s related to that, based on elements of Fails’ real-life experiences.
By: Graeme Howard Considering the fact that Uncle Drew originated as a Pepsi advertisement campaign, it is surprising that the film is not a complete and utter train wreck. Instead viewers are treated to a passable film that will appeal to NBA fans. However the abundance of product placements and issues with pacing lead to a largely by-the-book film that misses more than it dunks.
Maya (22 Jump Street’s Amber Stevens West) is left scrambling when she finds her fiancé “fooling around” with another girl. Having met the man of her dreams while visiting Africa, she returns home with a lie that will convince her parents that she still has her life on track. A kind stranger named Malcolm (Shamier Anderson) meets Maya during his own panic as a greedy former friend (Tyrell played by Lyriq Bent) chases him down….
Dying Laughing, a documentary about the ups and downs of careers in comedy, is chock full of talent. Billy Connolly, Dave Attell, Amy Schumer, Rick Overton, Kevin Hart, Sarah Silverman, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Jerry Seinfeld, Jerry Lewis, Chris Rock, and the late Garry Shandling are just some of the famous faces interviewed.
The sad state of the parody film is reflected in Fifty Shades of Black, the latest from A Haunted House director Michael Tiddes and Scary Movie alumnus Marlon Wayans. A spoof of the Fifty Shades of Grey film released last year, Fifty Shades of Black relies mostly on an inventory of aged pop culture references and unfunny scatological humour rather than interrogating the problems with its source material.