Identity Thief (2013) - McCarthy entertains as hellish woman in lesser film

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Two amusing shots of stars Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy fill out this simple poster for Seth Gordon's Identity Thief

Stacy lives a reasonable family life, when his identity gets stolen and abused crudely by a madly materialistic con lady in Florida. In order to get his life back on track, he crosses the country to catch the culprit.

 

Identity Thief is written by Craig Mazin (Scary Movie 3 (2003)), with Jerry Eeten (Elvis Took a Bullet (2001)) contributing story elements, and directed by Seth Gordon (Four Christmases (2008)).

The tone is uneven, ranging between crass and warmly human, however without the latter quality ever settling because the film (similarly to Gordon's preceding comedy Horrible Bosses (2011)) lacks heart.

Melissa McCarthy (The Heat (2013)) is game, and she reveals several assets in her considerable talent, - more than her character can really carry, actually, - but her performance gives Identity Thief its worthwhile core and the laughs that it produces, among others in a couple of funny scenes with Eric Stonestreet (The Loft (2014)) as Big Chuck, and one with Ben Falcone (Life of the Party (2018)) as a motel desk clerk. SPOILER That Jason Bateman's (Central Intelligence (2016)) Stacy character eventually learns from McCarthy's pathological liar and even forgives her is a huge stretch, - and a poorly designed CGI snake and the not exactly inventive action villains on the odd couple's tails also work to weigh down this highly fiscally successful star vehicle. Over-all though, McCarthy deserves a better director and script than is provided here.

 

Related post:

 

Seth Gordon: Horrible Bosses (2011) - The stars nearly make up for this rackety Hollywood raunch vehicle

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 35 mil. $

Box office: 173.9 mil. $

= Big hit (returned 4.96 times its cost)

[Identity Thief was released 7 October (Croatia) and runs 111 minutes. McCarthy's character was originally written for a man, but Bateman insisted that she was cast after seeing her performance in Bridesmaids (2011). Shooting took place in Georgia, Colorado and Tennessee. The film opened #1 to a 34.5 mil. $, spending another 5 weekends in the top 5, one of which was again at #1, grossing 134.5 mil. $ (77.3 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were UK with 7.4 mil. $ (4.3 %) and Australia with 7 mil. $ (4 %). The film additionally made in excess of an estimated 35.6 mil. $ on the domestic home video market as well. Gordon returned with 4 TV credits prior to his theatrical return, Baywatch (2017). McCarthy returned in The Hangover Part III (2013); Bateman in Bad Words (2013). Identity Thief is rotten at 20 % with a 4.20/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Identity Thief? 

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) - The outback gets a festive make-over

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The three stars in gorgeous costumes have their backs turned to us on the open road under a sweltering sky on this poster for Stephan Elliott's The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Two drag queens and one more or less honorable, aging transsexual decide to head way inland in Australia to stage shows, and they buy an old bus they name Priscilla for the occasion, which is regrettably not always trustworthy...

 

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is written and directed by Stephan Elliott (Frauds (1993)).

The three leads: Hugo Weaving (We're All Going to Die (2017, short)), Guy Pearce (Without Remorse (2021)) and (especially fabulous) Terence Stamp (Bitter Harvest (2017)), - as the three eternally bitching 'disco age' cliche gays are all in high-spirited form and give lots of life to their characters. Bill Hunter (Australia (2008)) is also outstanding as the gentleman Bob, who decides to join the trio on their adventures. 

Whether the film is as funny and good as its similarly long-titled To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995) and also content-wise very similar American film that was made apparently coincidentally (incredible as it may seem) at the same time, is up to each audience member's individual taste. (Mine lead me in favor of the American saga.) In any case: Whoa, is Pearce in strapping form here!

Priscilla both shows a bright corner of an easier, less judgmental future while also brimming with the unbeatable spirit of the LGBT world. It gives a damn about realism in favor of concept and world-class glitzy costumes, wigs and makeup that is out of this world. It is a very gay-positive cult movie that wins on heart and good moments of which it has many.

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 2 mil. $

Box office: 29.7 mil. $

= Mega-hit (returned 14.85 times its cost)

[The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert was released 30 January (Spain) and runs 103 minutes. Shooting took place from September - October 1993 in Australia. The film opened #14 to a 219k $ first weekend in 7 theaters in North America, where it grossed 11.2 mil. $ (37.7 % of the total gross). It earned 16.4 mil. $ (55.2 %) in Australia. The box office record is likely missing information, and the world gross is likely higher than reported here. The film won the Best Costumes Oscar. It also won 2/7 BAFTA awards, was nominated for 2 Golden Globes, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 2.5/4 star review, translating to a notch under this one. Elliott returned with Welcome to Woop Woop (1997). Weaving returned in Exile (1994); Pearce in Dating the Enemy (1996) and Stamp in Mindbender (1996, TV movie) and theatrically in Tiré à Part (1996). The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is certified fresh at 94 % with a 7.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert? 

Pick Me Up (2006, TV movie) - Cohen's so-so Masters of Horror entry

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A well-made sketch of the 'master of horror' alongside an eerie image from the film make up this poster for Larry Cohen's Pick Me Up

 

Somewhere in North America a bus breaks down in the middle of no-man's land. Some passengers hitch a lift with a trucker psychopath, while others are murdered by a highway lunatic. The two meet in the end.

 

Pick Me Up is written by David J. Schow (Mob City (2013, TV-series)), based on his own short story, and directed by Larry Cohen (Bone (1972)). It is the 11th episode of the 1st season of the Masters of Horror TV movie series (2005-07).

Cohen's entry is somewhat entertaining and at times amusing, and at least he comes off as less creatively exhausted than others in the series (like Tobe Hooper for instance.) The visual elements are alright, - especially the great big red truck, - and Michael Moriarty (Neverwas (2005)) is creepy as the trucker killer, while Warren Kole (Stalker (2014-15)) is photogenic as the hitch-hiker psycho.

The cartoon-like nature of the premise goes a bit overboard with lines such as; "Ready or not, here I come!", but what the hell. Though far from credible, Pick Me Up is actually one of the better entries in mostly low-quality Masters of Horror.

 

Related posts:

 

Other Masters of Horror TV movies: 2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Fair Haired Child (2006, TV movie) - Malone turns out another weak Masters of Horror TV movie 

Dance of the Dead (2005) - Hooper's ugly Masters of Horror nonsense
Chocolate (2005) - Flavors, visions and eroticism in Garris' TV movie thriller
Deer Woman (2005) - Landis and son's solid Masters of Horror entry 
Cigarette Burns (2005) - Carpenter burns out in weird, tiresome TV movie    

Haeckel's Tale (2006, TV movie) - Another bland Masters entry

Larry Cohen: Phone Booth (2002) or, Boxed In (writer)

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: Unknown

Box office: None - TV movie

= Uncertain

[Pick Me Up was first broadcast 20 January (North America) and runs 58 minutes. It was Cohen's last job as a director before he died in 2019. Fairuza Balk (Grindstone Road (2008)) returned in Wild Tigers I Have Known (2006); Moriarty in 12 Hours to Live (2006); and Kole in Medium (2007, TV-series) and theatrically in Cougar Club (2007). 3.5k+ IMDb users have given Pick Me Up a 6.3/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Pick Me Up?

Oldboys (2009) - Steen, Halken and Co. win with lovable senior soccer dramedy

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'Forgotten, alone and more than 37 km away from home' reads the funny tagline on this poster for Nikolaj Steen's Oldboys

A Danish old-boys soccer team on their way to play a Swedish policemen team forget their goalkeeper Vagn at a gas station. He soon bands up with a Danish robber he happens upon, and together they head towards the match.

Oldboys is written and directed by debuting Nikolaj Steen (Minkavlerne (2019, TV-series)).

The script is full of weak points, (concerning a concussion, the 'forgetting Vagn' scene, igniting a car's engine etc..) Still I laughed copiously; the old men or boys and their coach (Rasmus Bjerg (Player (2013))) are fun, and Kristian Halken (Miss Viborg (2022)) is formidable as Vagn. Oldboys is formulaic and flawed but a lot of fun and with a lot of beneficial heart to it.

 

 

Watch a short clip from the film here

 

Cost: Uncertain; projected 5 mil. DKK or approximately 0.64 mil. $

Box office: Approximately 0.6 mil. $

= Huge flop (projected return of 0.93 times its cost)

[Oldboys was released 20 November (Denmark) and runs 95 minutes. It was supported with 3 mil. DKK by the Danish Film Institute. If made on a very slim 5 mil. DKK budget, the film would rank as a huge flop: It sold 56,820 tickets in its sole release country (Denmark) at a 83 DKK average prize at the time, coming to approximately 4.7 mil. DKK or 0.6 mil. $. The film won 2/7 Robert award nominations (Denmark's Oscar), among other honors. Steen has kept out of cinemas since, instead directing for TV. Halken returned in 4 short, TV and a voice credit prior to his theatrical return in A Funny Man/Dirch (2011); Robert Hansen (Vildbassen (1994)) in Bølle Bob - Alle Tiders Helt (2010). 1.3k+ IMDb users have given Oldboys a 6.6/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Oldboys?

The Big One (1997, documentary) - Moore book tour turns into hilarious capitalist critique

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+ Best Political Movie of the Year 

 

The star documentarian looks happy but foolish in a black suit with his trademark cap, holding a giant microphone on this good-time-promising poster for Michael Moore's The Big One

American documentarian and left-wing pundit Michael Moore has just released his book Downsize This and is heading out on a tour of 50 US cities to promote it, while he visits average Americans, who are being laid off from major corporations.

The Big One is written and directed by great Michigander filmmaker Michael Moore (Roger & Me (1989)).

It follows Moore at a still early stage in his career, when he is still finding and fine-tuning his performance persona style as the 'savvy average Joe', and here ventures fully into the presidential campaign - without having a favorite - and expresses anger and critique of the country's powerful and the corporate elite: He searches out CEOs, who had obviously yet to realize that Moore needs to be stopped, before he gets in the building!

Moore exposes repulsive, amoral behavior from these tycoons and also gets a lot of gold in his camera from normal people, while he also himself delivers many sharp lines. The Big One may be his funniest film.

 

Related post:

 

Michael Moore: Sicko (2007) - Moore beats the US health care insurance system to a bloody pulp

1997 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: Unknown

Box office: 720k $ (North America only)

= Uncertain but likely a big hit (projected return of 3.60 times its cost)

[The Big One premiered 6 September (Toronto International Film Festival) and runs 91 minutes. Shooting took place in Pennsylvania, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, including Chicago, Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Wisconsin, New York, Oregon and Missouri. The film opened #19 to a 146k $ first weekend in 33 theaters in North America, where it grossed 720k $. Its only other recorded general release market was France, but the gross from there is unlisted. The budget is unknown but was likely kept small due to Moore's ingenious shooting it mostly during an already planned (and presumable paid for) promotional book tour. Set at a tentative 200k $, the film's theatrical status would be that of a big hit. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Moore returned with 7 TV documentaries and music videos prior to his theatrical return with Bowling for Columbine (2002, documentary). The Big One is fresh at 92 % with a 7.50/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Big One?

Homer and Eddie (1989) - Konchalovskiy's under-appreciated road dramedy

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Two endearing star sweethearts invite us on a journey from an autumnal landscape on this pleasant poster for Andrey Konchalovskiy's Homer and Eddie

Homer is not the brightest man, (in fact he is a little backwards), and when he heads to Oregon to see his cancer-sick father, he is robbed of all his belongings. He meets Eddie, an escaped mental patient, and the two become friends on the lam together.

 

Homer and Eddie is written by Patrick Cirillo (The Surgeon (1995)) and directed by great Russian filmmaker Andrey Konchalovskiy (The First Teacher/Pervyy uchitel (1965)).

The stakes are truly high in this buddy dramedy road movie, in which the lower classes of America are portrayed with an enormous, beating heart. Jim Belushi (Underdog (2007)) and Whoopi Goldberg (If I Had Known I Was a Genius (2007)) roll out as two class actors, making Homer and Eddie a pleasure, with lots of Americana music in the speakers along the journey, as beautiful America passes by outside their car windows. Belushi does verge on the overly silly at times in some of the uneasy scenes, but I am still a big fan of this under-appreciated gem.

 

Related post:

 

Andrey Konchalovskiy: Andrei Rublev/Andrey Rublev/Андрей Рублёв (1966) - Tarkovsky's undying epic of faith in Russia (co-writer)

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: Unknown

Box office: Unknown

= Uncertain - but certainly a flop

[Homer and Eddie was released 17 August (West Germany) and runs 100 minutes. Shooting took place from January - March 1988 in Oregon and California. The AFI catalog reports that following a troubled road towards the big screens, the film was axed by critics and did poorly at the box office. There are regrettably no public numbers of its budget or gross available. Konchalovsky returned with Tango & Cash (1989). Belushi returned in Wedding Band (1989); Goldberg in Beverly Hills Brats (1989). 1.9k+ IMDb users have given Homer and Eddie a 5.3/10 average rating.]

 

What do you think of Homer and Eddie?

Nomadland (2020) - Beauty 'til it hurts in Zhao's poetic Americana

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A photograph of Frances McDormand in character as Fern in a deck chair drying her underwear on the plains before the mountains make up this truly delightful poster for Chloé Zhao's Nomadland

 

Fern has become a van-dwelling, "houseless" modern nomad in the wake of her husband's demise and her abandonment of the Nevadan town that they lived in. On her nomadic trails through the US she goes through travails and finds new communities.

 

Nomadland is written, co-produced, directed and edited by great Chinese-born American filmmaker Chloé Zhao (Songs My Brothers Taught Me (2015)), adapting the non-fiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century (2017) by Jessica Bruder.

It is an assured and sensitive, insightful portrayal of a way of life that is foreign to most of us, which raises questions about our own choice of life as it pertains to our homes, economy, loans and debts.

Frances McDormand (Something's Gotta Give (2003)) adds another marvelous character to her luminous career and is perfect as Fern, a woman who is both tough and a survivor but also a sensitive and struggling person on her own most of the time. McDormand also co-produced the film. David Strathairn (Fracture (2007)) is the only other recognized actor in the film, which is otherwise full of mostly modern nomads playing modern nomads, several of them very moving and warm encounters. Charlene Swankie's portrayal of Swankie is especially moving.

The moving human stories that the film is rife with, which mostly rests on things that define characters, which have already taken place, are balanced against the long periods of alone-time that is life for Fern, as well as tremendous amounts of nature, as she and the other nomads have a stronger connection with nature than most regular urban-dwellers today do. This introspective appreciation of the land and the nature that makes up America is fantastic and makes up some of the best parts of Nomadland. Poetry is incorporated naturally in the narrative, and one can easily argue that this film is poetic in itself.

Joshua James Richards' (The Rider (2017)) elegant, unostentatious photography is commendable. There's inherent critique of the housing market and the 'race for the dollar' way of life, but also appreciation of the never stagnant and ever restless America, which the nomads are a part of. There's great amounts of beauty to see and encounter in Nomadland, which makes it a sorely dear experience to be had, especially on a big screen.

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 5 mil. $

Box office: 21.4 mil. $ and counting

= Big hit (returned 4.28 times its cost)

[Nomadland premiered 11 September (3 different film festivals) and runs 108 minutes. Shooting took place in South Dakota, Nevada, California, Arizona and Nebraska in the latter part of 2018 with Zhao, McDormand and crew members reportedly living out of vans during the course of the production. The film's release was ruined considerably by the China Virus pandemic. The film opened #7 to a 503k $ first weekend in North America, where it peaked the following weekend at #6 and grossed 2.1 mil. $ (9.8 % of the total gross). North America was only the film's 5th biggest market. Its 3 biggest were Japan with 3.6 mil. $ (16.8 %), Australia with 3.5 mil. $ (16.4 %) and the UK with 2.6 mil. $ (12.1 %). The film has one market left to open in: Germany on 1 July. It was nominated for 6 Oscars, winning 3: For Best Picture, Director and Actress. It lost Adapted Screenplay to Christopher Hampton for The Father, Cinematography to Erik Messerschmidt for Mank and Editing to Sound of Metal. It also won 4/7 BAFTA nominations, an AFI award, 4/5 Independent Spirit award nominations, 2/4 Golden Globe nominations, 2 National Board of Review awards, 3 awards at the Venice Film Festival and countless other honors. Due to China-critical comments she made in 2013, Zhao's sensational Oscar win was censored from the citizens of China, where the film's release was also canceled. Zhao returns with Eternals (2021). McDormand returns in The French Dispatch (2021). Nomadland is certified fresh at 94 % with a 8.80/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Nomadland?

The Guilt Trip (2012) - Rogen/Streisand buoy low-fuel road dramedy

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Barbra Streisand pinches Seth Rogen's cheek in a car on this poster for Anne Fletcher's The Guilt Trip

A physicist inventor plans a pitching trip through several American states, and when he learns that he was named after his mother's great lost love, who resides in San Francisco, he invites her to join him on the trip.

 

The Guilt Trip is written by Dan Fogelman (Tangled (2010)) and directed by Anne Fletcher (Step Up (2006)).

As you may realize from the plot outline above, this film's title may be catchy, but it isn't very pertinent to the actual film, since it is curiosity and love more than guilt which fuels this trip. Barbra Streisand (The Owl and the Pussycat (1970)) and Seth Rogen (Neighbors (2014)) fit each other as mother and son like a glove, and her sweet and intrusive interference in his life reaps chuckles and is (for me at least) easily recognizable.

The Guilt Trip is a sweet and good-natured film, although it gets near to the inconsequential in nature; both its dramatic and humorous elements could have benefited from a gear or two more. Still the stars make up to some degree and make this an enjoyable pastime.

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 40 mil. $

Box office: 41.8 mil. $

= Huge flop (returned 1.04 times its cost)

[The Guilt Trip was released 19 December (North America) and runs 95 minutes. The script was based on a real-life trip Fogelman took with his mother from New Jersey to Las Vegas. Shooting took place around May 2011 in Arizona, New Mexico, Memphis, Tennessee, Las Vegas, Nevada and in California, including Los Angeles. The film opened #6 to a 5.2 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it grossed 37.1 mil. $ (88.8 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Australia with 1.6 mil. $ (3.8 %) and the UK with 1.5 mil. $ (3.6 %). Fletcher returned with Hot Pursuit (2015). Streisand retired from acting again after the film; she has only since turned in a voice performance on an episode of Modern Family (2016); Rogen returned in 4 short and TV-series credits prior to his theatrical return in This Is the End (2013). The Guilt Trip is rotten at 37 % with a 5.10/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Guilt Trip?

My One and Only (2009) - Loncraine's delightful under-the-radar gemstone

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+ Best Mega-flop Movie of the Year + Road Movie of the Year

 

Star Renée Zellweger, blonde and in heels, holds up a gilded frame, surrounded by men, on this uninformative poster for Richard Loncraine's My One and Only

 

In 1957 a glamorous mother of two has had it with her cheating husband in New York, and she packs up and leaves with her sons in a new car to find a better life. But it isn't readily available to her, and the life for a single mother on the road is not a bed of roses.

 

My One and Only is written by Charlie Peters (Paternity (1981)), based on anecdotes from actor George Hamilton's early life, and directed by great British filmmaker Richard Loncraine (Slade in Flame (1975)).

It is an unexpectedly great film, marvelously scored by Mark Isham (A Dog's Journey (2019)) and directed by Loncraine: The film esteems itself with several multi-dimensional characters and a compelling story, which picks some of the varnish off the 1950s, as the decade has often been presented, and stays realistic and natural.

'Delightful' seems like a word that could have been created to sum up this picture. Renée Zellweger (Love and a .45 (1994)) is unsurpassed and has never been better than she is here; and Logan Lerman (The Patriot (2000)) is devastatingly good-looking, as well as a fine actor. Also commendable are Mark Rendall (Sam Sam (2007-13)) as his older brother, Robin Weigert (Jessica Jones (2015, TV-series)) as Zellweger's sister and Kevin Bacon (The Darkness (2016)) as the let-down father.

My One and Only is a wonderful film. 

 

Related post:

 

2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: Unknown

Box office: 3.1 mil. $

= Uncertain (but likely a mega-flop)

[My One and Only premiered 12 February (Berlin International Film Festival) and runs 108 minutes. George Hamilton was one of the film's executive producers. Shooting took place in New Mexico, including Albuquerque and in Baltimore, Maryland from June - August 2008. The film opened #40 to a 58k $ first weekend in 4 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #24 and in 256 theaters (different weeks), grossing 2.4 mil. $ (77.5 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Mexico with 366k $ (11.8 %) and Australia with 98k $ (3.2 %). If made on a realistic, low 10 mil. $ budget, the film would rank as a mega-flop. The film won an award in Berlin. Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Loncraine returned with The Special Relationship (2010, TV movie), Playhouse Presents (2012, TV-series) and theatrically with 5 Flights Up (2014). Zellweger returned with a voice performance in Monsters vs. Aliens (2009) and physically in Case 39 (2009). My One and Only is fresh at 68 % with a 6.24/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of My One and Only?