The Internship (2013) or, Two Dopes at Google

♥

 

Two familiar comedy stars in jeans look lost in a Google-inspired blank page on this neat poster for Shawn Levy's The Internship

Two grown men, who work together for a company which now goes bankrupt, go searching for a new future for themselves through an internship at the search engine giant Google in Silicon Valley.

 

The Internship is written by co-writer/co-producer/co-star Vince Vaughn (The Break-Up (2006)) and Jared Stern (Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011)) and directed by co-producer/director Shawn Levy (Address Unknown (1997)).

Nothing much happen to the two men in their new situation, and none of them have anything in their lives of weight, interest or meaning to really pitch in with. This leaves the affair an empty experience, and as an attempt at office situation comedy, The Internship feels like the beginning of a very long TV-series, you absolutely would want to miss, more so than an actual movie. 

Vaughn and Owen Wilson (Marmaduke (2010)) play immature, mind-zapped, endlessly yapping idiots, and they are surrounded by caricature figures in Google land. You will be minimally amused by this stinker, which is also likely to make you tired of the likes of Rose Byrne (Annie (2014)), Max Minghella (Babylon (2022)) and Silicon Valley.

 

Related posts:

 

Shawn Levy: 2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Date Night (2010) - Carell and Fey bring out the big laugh guns 

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) or, Museum Night: Sequel Time 

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

The Pink Panther (2006) - Martin's Sellers imitation is a trial to sit through

Night at the Museum (2006) - Levy and Stiller bring the family fun 

 

  

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 58 mil. $

Box office: 93.4 mil. $

= Big flop (returned 1.61 times its cost)

[The Internship premiered 29 May (California) and runs 119 minutes. Vaughn got the idea for the film after seeing a 60 Minutes segment on working at Google. Shooting took place from July - September 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia and in California, including in San Francisco. The film opened #4, behind fellow new release The Purge and holdover hits Fast & Furious 6 and Now You See Me, to a 17.3 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its 2nd weekend and grossed 44.6 mil. $ (47.8 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Australia with 7.1 mil. $ (7.6 %) and the UK with 5.3 mil. $ (5.7 %). The film also made more than 13.3 mil. $ on the North-American home video market alone. Levy returned with This Is Where I Leave You (2014). Vaughn returned in Delivery Man (2013); Wilson in Drunk History (2013, TV-series) and theatrically in Are You Here (2013). The Internship is rotten at 25 % at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Internship?

Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) - Whannell and Wan's deflated tormented family sequel

♥♥

 

A toddler interacting with something unseen in the pitch dark is a scary motif on this poster for James Wan's Insidious: Chapter 2

 

Josh, Renai and their two sons move again following the traumatic events of Insidious (2010). But Renai experiences that the ghosts move with them, while Josh vehemently rejects this...

 

Insidious: Chapter 2 is written by co-writer/actor Leigh Whannell (Dead Silence (2007)) with co-writer/director, great Malaysian-born American filmmaker James Wan (Stygian (1998)), contributing story elements. It is the 2nd film in the Whannell/Wan Insidious franchise.

The sequel to the highly effective horror shocker seems like it was thrown together too quickly. Despite parts of it being technically impressive, it isn't very scary as such, and Rose Byrne's (Annie (2014)) Renai's experiences are so alike to the character's in the first film that it becomes somewhat involuntarily funny. Patrick Wilson (Aquaman (2018)) channels Jack Torrence (Jack Nicholson's legendary performance of that character in The Shining (1980)) and does well, but the plot is too complex, crowded with dimensions, characters and time travels. Another issue is that the film's inexplicably evil transvestite ghost doesn't measure up to the nightmarish devil from the original film.

Related posts:

James Wan: 2018 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]  

Aquaman (2018) - Wan delivers a majorly satisfying, gung ho action-adventure splash
The Conjuring 2 (2016) - Wan's sequel is a long horror treat with terrifying periods
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess
The Conjuring (2013) - Best horror film in 7 years 

Top 10: Best ghost horror movies  
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  
Insidious (2010) - Wan's thrilling, scary ghost horror

Top 10: Best first-of-franchise movies 
Saw III (2006) - Good performances in Bousman's grisly third trappings (story contributor)

2004 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

Saw (2004) - Wan and Whannell's landmark horror beast 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 5 mil. $

Box office: 161.9 mil. $

= Mega-hit (returned 32.38 times its cost)

[Insidious: Chapter 2 was released 13 September (North America, UK, Ireland) and runs 106 minutes. Shooting took place in 25 days from January - March 2013 in California, including in Los Angeles. The film opened #1 to a 40.2 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent one more weekend in the top 5 (#2), grossing 83.5 mil. $ (51.6 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 11.5 mil. $ (7.1 %) and Russia with 9.9 mil. $ (6.1 %). The franchise returned with Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015), written and directed by Whannell with new stars. Wan returned with Furious 7 (2015). Wilson returned in Jack Strong (2014); Byrne in Neighbors (2014). Insidious: Chapter 2 is rotten at 39 % with a 4.80/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Insidious: Chapter 2?

Neighbors (2014) - Stoller's low-flying raunch turkey

♥

 

+ Most Overrated Movie of the Year 

 

Silliness is promised on this simple poster for Nicholas Stoller's Neighbors

 

With a newborn baby, our protagonist couple have entered a new phase in their lives and relationship, which is inconveniently clashing with their being neighbors to a house where a college fraternity now moves in...

 

Neighbors is written by Andrew Jay Cohen and Brendan O'Brien  (The House (2017), both) and directed by great British-American filmmaker Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)).

Not the experience of becoming parents, nor that of turning 25, 30 or 35, (it is unclear how old they are meant to be exactly), seems to have matured our protagonists to any meaningful extent. - Their dialog has a 'fucking' demonstratively placed in just about every sentence they utter, seemingly because that would make their lines funny, or? (The rationale is dubious at best.)

In any case they just aren't funny, and neither is the frat house next door. Neighbors goes on as a dick-obsessed, very low-flying, poor comedy, which even in its big party scenes didn't make me remember why parties can be fun.

It is a shame that the talented Zac Efron (At Any Price (2012)) finds himself in this cowpat, while it seems more natural that the other stars should sometimes appear in this type of trash. A 'milking scene' with Seth Rogen (Pam and Tommy (2022, miniseries)) and Rose Byrne (Annie (2014)) is the lightest moment in the film and somewhat amusing. Otherwise this amoral drinking and drugs-thrilled burp of a film is long and unfunny.

 

Related posts:

Nicholas Stoller: 2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V]

The Muppets (2011) or, Man or Muppet? (co-writer)
Get Him to the Greek (2010) - Brand and Hill light up Stoller's funny music biz satire (writer-director)
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  
Gulliver's Travels (2010) or, Gulliver's Travesty (co-writer) 

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 
2008 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2008 in films - according to Film Excess

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) - Stoller and Segel triumph with hilarious, multifaceted romcom 

Fun with Dick and Jane (2005) - Powerhouses Carrey and Leoni buoy Parisot's uneven farce (co-writer) 

 

 

Watch a short trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 18 mil. $

Box office: 270.6 mil. $

= Mega-hit (returned 15.03 times its cost)

[Neighbors premiered 8 March (South by Southwest Film Festival, Austin, Texas) and runs 97 minutes. Shooting took place in 38 days from March - May 2013 in California, including in Los Angeles. The film opened #1 to a 49 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it stayed in the top 5 for another 2 weekends (#2-#4), grossing 150.1 mil. $ (55.5 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 26.9 mil. $ (9.9 %) and Germany with 18 mil. $ (6.7 %). Stoller also directed sequel Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016) with also the stars returning. This was Stoller's return, with an episode of The Grinder (2016, TV-series) in between. Efron returned first with a voice performance in Robot Chicken DC Comics Special II: Villains in Paradise (2014, TV movie) and theatrically in We Are Your Friends (2015); Rogen in 22 Jump Street (2014). Neighbors is certified fresh at 73 % with a 6.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Neighbors?

The Meddler (2015) - Stars elevate Scafaria's mother-daughter romcom

♥♥♥♥

 

The two central stars in front of a purple-pink background with palm tree contours makes up this poster for Lorene Scafaria's The Meddler

 

Marnie has, after she has also become a widow, moved to Los Angeles, where her adult daughter lives, but she meddles a bit much in her life.

The Meddler is written and directed by Lorene Scafaria (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)). Scafaria's own personal relationship with her mother is the basis of this warm, bright film.

The drama may be in the lightweight category, but The Meddler is an enjoyable time that leaves you with a smile on your face, which is always welcomed.

Rose Byrne (Take Away (2003)) and a delightful Susan Sarandon (Little Women (1994)) elevate the film with depth and comedic knack, and the story gets sound backup from J.K. Simmons (3 Geezers! (2013)), Cecily Strong (Staten Island Summer (2015)) and Jerrod Carmichael (Ferdinand (2017)) as the Apple guy.

The Meddler is a soft present.

 Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 3.2 mil. $

Box office: 5.4 mil. $

= Big flop (returned 1.68 times its cost)

[The Meddler premiered 14 September (Toronto International Film Festival) and runs 100 minutes. Shooting took place in New York and California, including Los Angeles. The film opened #35 to a 57k $ first weekend in 4 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #12 and in 464 theaters, grossing 4.2 mil. $ (77.8 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Australia with 372k $ (6.9 %) and Spain with 354k $ (6.6 %). Scafaria returned with This Is Heaven (2018, TV movie) and theatrically with Hustlers (2019). Sarandon returned in Hell and Back (2015) with a voice performance and physically in The Other Side of the Lake the Purple Girl: Episode IV - The New Visitor (2015); Byrne in Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016); Simmons in Ultimate Spider-Man (2012-15) and theatrically in Worlds Apart (2015). The Meddler is certified fresh at 85 % with a 7.03/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Meddler?

Sunshine (2007) - Boyle's great-looking, suspenseful sci-fi

♥♥♥♥

+ Best Huge Flop Movie of the Year + Best Science Fiction Movie of the Year

Critical hype that's barely readable features on this visually promising poster for Danny Boyle's Sunshine

The sun is dying, and consequently, so is mankind. A second manned space mission is launched in 2050 to reignite the sun with a nuclear bomb. But the Icarus II mission encounters many problems along the way...

Sunshine is written by Alex Garland (28 Days Later... (2002)) and directed by great English filmmaker Danny Boyle (Shallow Grave (1994)). It is arguably one of Boyle's best films and could even be called the most exciting space movie since Alien (1979).
Sunshine has beautiful images (terrific, ambitious cinematography by Alwin H. Küchler (Morvern Callar (2002))), impressive visual effects, a handsome, talented ensemble cast, and good suspense.
What isn't wholly great is the film's ending, which is strange, as a mysterious, deformed person from the first Icarus mission is roaming onboard. SPOILER It all ends in a psychedelic conclusion, where Boyle sticks closely to the film's unexceptional score (by John Murphy (The Man (2005))).

Related posts:

Danny Boyle: 127 Hours (2010) - Boyle and Franco get stuck with an inconsequential true story
2007 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
28 Days Later (2002) or, Fast Zombies in England 
The Beach (2000) or, Paradise Never Lasts

Watch a trailer for the film here 

Cost: 40 mil. $
Box office: 32 mil. $
= Huge flop (returned 0.8 times its cost)
[Sunshine premiered 23 March (Bochum Fantasy Filmfest Nights, Germany) and runs 107 minutes. Shooting took place in London, England, Sydney, Australia and in Stockholm, Sweden for 3 months, starting in August 2005. The film opened #25 to a 242k $ first weekend in 10 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #13 and in 461 theaters, grossing 3.6 mil. $ (11.3 % of the total gross). The film's biggest market was main production country the UK with 6.4 mil. $ (20 %). North America was the 2nd biggest, and 3rd biggest was France with 3.1 mil. $ (9.7 %). The film won 1/2 British Independent Film awards. Roger Ebert gave it a 3/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. It was criticized by scientists for scientific inaccuracies; for instance reportedly billions of the nuclear bomb targeted at the sun in the film would actually be needed to cause a reignition. Boyle said that he would not return to the sci-fi genre after the lengthy production process with Sunshine. The film made in excess of 15.83 mil. $ on North American home video sales; if added into the calculation, it would change the film's status to that of big flop instead. Boyle returned with Alien Love Triangle (2008, short) and theatrically with Slumdog Millionaire (2008). Cillian Murphy (Cold Mountain (2003)) returned in Watching the Detectives (2007). Sunshine is certified fresh at 76 % with a 6.84/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Sunshine?

Insidious (2010) - Wan's thrilling, scary ghost horror

♥♥♥♥

1 Film Excess win:

Best Sound 

1 Film Excess nomination:

Best Sound (won)

+ Best Horror Movie of the Year
+ Best Mega-hit of the Year

The eerie poster for James Wan's Insidious, prominently featuring Ty Simpkins (Jurassic World (2015))

A family moves into a new house, where their oldest son soon after has an accident that puts him into an unexplainable coma. Meanwhile the house is haunted, but so is the next one that they move into. - Turns out that it's the comatose son who's haunted!

Rose Byrne (The Internship (2013)) and Patrick Wilson (Bone Tomahawk (2015)) have chemistry and seemingly play the terrorized parents, whose lives are under a malicious attack. Lin Shaye (The Penthouse (2010)) is also great as the clairvoyant brought in to solve the issue. Once the horror begins in Insidious, it works fast and pummels us good, despite most of its effects being relatively simple camera tricks, peppered with terrific, affecting sound work. Great Malaysian director James Wan (The Conjuring (2013)) is a master of ghost horror, SPOILER and the red-faced demon of Insidious is seriously scary.
We are terrorized to a degree that few movies can here, even if the small budget becomes recognizable in some moments of the film. The very end of the film is super cool and whets the horror fan's appetite for more. Insidious is a remarkable horror. It is written by Leigh Whannell (Cooties (2014)), who also stars as one of the supernatural investigators that also work as comedic relief in the movie.

Related posts:

James Wan: The Conjuring 2 (2016) - Wan's sequel is a long horror treat with terrifying periods
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess
The Conjuring (2013) - Best horror film in 7 years   
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Here's an interview with James Wan about his great The Conjuring

Cost: 1.5 mil. $
Box office: 97 mil. $
= Mega-hit
[Insidious premiered September 14 (Toronto International Film Festival) and runs 102 minutes. Wan wanted to prove that he could make an effective horror that didn't rely on torture and gore, following his success with Saw (2004). Filming lasted just 3 weeks in April - May 2010. Less than 12 hours after the film's Toronto premiere, the US distribution rights and worldwide rights to sequels were acquired by Sony. The film opened #3 (behind Hop (37.5 mil. $) and Source Code (14.8 mil. $)) with a 13.2 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it grossed 54 mil. $ (55.7 % of the total gross). Its 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 11.5 mil. $ (11.9 %) and Spain with 7.7 mil. $ (7.9 %). Insidious is reportedly the most profitable movie of 2010. It has so far spun a 2013 sequel, a 2015 prequel and will get another sequel, probably releasing next year. Insidious is fresh at 66 % with a 6 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Insidious?

Spy (2015) - Feig and McCarthy score spy spoof gold!

♥♥♥♥♥

+ Best Action-Comedy of the Year + Best Fight Scene of the Year: McCarthy's kitchen fight scene

The stars of Paul Feig's Spy sell the film well on this funny poster

Spy is the fresh spy parody from great writer-director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids (2011)), the #1 movie in the US right now and a movie that is spreading its action-packed fun worldwide as this is being written.

Susan Cooper has been an analyst at the CIA for years, when sudden changes send her to the front as an agent in Europe, where some rich, shady characters are readying the sale of a nuke in a suitcase!

Feig may have learned from his huge 2013 hit comedy (also starring Melissa McCarthy (St. Vincent (2014))), - which was also an action comedy, - that a real action-type plot helps for such a film: Heat wasn't really going anywhere exciting plot-wise. - Spy, on the other hand, stomps around internationally with a well-defined, clear plot objective.
Spy's plot isn't very far from the plots of 'real' action spy movies. For a spy spoof, it has just the right amount of characters, comedy interplay and action. Furthermore the action of Spy is very well-staged and exciting, and the fights, - oh yes, there are fights! - are great. - Seeing McCarthy kick ass in completely unbelievable ways is pretty f-ing cool. Especially her kitchen fight in Spy is hilarious. The film has neat cinematography by Robert D. Yeoman (The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)).
The comedy is a mix of wit, physical, gross-out, crude comedy - mostly insult comedy, - implicitly playing on McCarthy's character's coming into her own at work, as a person, and as a woman. There were a bunch of kids in the cinema I saw it in, and they had a blast, (although it is decidedly not a kids movie), as did the adults. Often in Spy, one gag or zinger's resulting laughs weren't over before the next made me laugh again. I really love the spy parody sub-genre, so it was a real joy for me to see such a resourceful cast play one out in a well-written script and clear direction, loaded with an abundance of inventive, fast-paced fun.

McCarthy is an energetic powerhouse in Spy, and I was glad to see that, perhaps due to her clout with director-friend Feig, she was not only confined to God-awful outfits. She gets to dress up here and look really good, (even if Rose Byrne's (Insidious (2010)) delightfully bitchy character tries to tear it apart for her.)
Jason Statham (Crank (2006)) is very funny in a ridiculously intense braggadocio part; Jude Law (A. I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)) works as Cooper's handsome idol; Brit Miranda Hart (Miranda (2009-15)) was a new face for me, but she was awkwardly funny as McCarthy's sidekick. Bobby Cannavale (Annie (2014)) makes a fun second villain; Allison Janney (The DUFF (2015)) is solid as a tough boss, and Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)) also took several laughs as a foreign, helpful (but awfully handsy) spy.
There are a ton of favorite moments to take away from Spy, the best light-hearted fun you'll have with a movie, perhaps for all of 2015. - So don't miss it!
Feig is a very busy man these days: He's creating a new sci-fi/comedy TV series titled Other Space (2015), directing a Reese Witherspoon comedy titled Wish List and heading the new, hugely anticipated Ghostbusters reboot, with McCarthy. - Film Excess can't wait.

Related posts:

Paul Feig: 2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]

2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
The Heat (2013) or, Prissy and Offensive in Boston  
Bridesmaids (2011) - Subversive comedy with laughs a-plenty

Here's the red band trailer for the movie - enjoy!

Cost: 65 mil. $
Box office: 86.5 mil. $ and counting
= Too early to say
[There's no doubt in my mind that Spy will become a financial hit, as well as a critical, - it might be Feig and McCarthy's best reviewed title to date. It is blazing through cinemas globally right now.]

What do you think of Spy?

The Place Beyond the Pines (2012) - Bad decisions reign in Cianfrance's crime drama epic

♥♥♥♥

+ Best Crime Movie of the Year

Ominous poster for Derek Cianfrance's The Place Beyond the Pines

A stunt motorcycle-driver learns that he has a baby son and begins to commit bank-robberies to provide for the family, he doesn't really have. This gets far-reaching consequences.

The structure of Pines is unusual, because the film is almost three stories, told one after the other. It is often hard to watch, because it has so many assholes in it, and because everything SPOILER goes haywire for our protagonists, step by step over the course of the expansive 140 minute playtime.

Dane DeHaan impresses in Derek Cianfrance's The Place Beyond the Pines

The casting is perfect, with excellent performances from particularly Bradley Cooper (The Hangover (2009)), while Dane DeHaan (Kill Your Darlings (2013)), Ben Mendelsohn (Animal Kingdom (2010)) and Ray Liotta (Goodfellas (1990)) are also quite good. Ryan Gosling (The Notebook (2004)) is good, but essentially does what we have seen him do before, especially in Drive (2011).

- Could director Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine (2010)) be a Nicholas Winding Refn fan? Pines has reminiscences of both Drive (2011) and Pusher II (2004).
The film includes a cool chase scene, is generally very well executed and also bolsters good musical work and choices by Mike Patton (Crank: High Voltage (2009)).
There is an atmosphere of defeat that hangs over the entire film, a downbeat affair if there ever was one: One desperate (male) decision-maker blends over into the next; generations of bad decisions go hand in hand. SPOILER But perhaps redemption is possible, or so the ending indicates anyway. Cianfrance's fierce appetite for tragedies continues unabatedly here. No sense of religion or morals interferes with any of the characters.
The title refers to the Indian meaning of Schenectady, New York, where the film takes place.

Related posts:

Derek Cianfrance: 2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V]
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
Blue Valentine (2010) or, Falling in Love and Breaking Up

Watch the trailer for the film with Danish subtitles and the music of the French band Suicide here

Budget: 15 mil. $
Box office: 47 mil. $
= Box office success

What do you think of The Place Beyond the Pines?