Very Bad Things

Very Bad Things

Initial Entertainment Group

November 25, 1998

Comedy

DVD
D

Lives up to its title, although apparently it gets much worse after the first quarter hour of pointless bickering, anti-Semitism, and cocaine.  (It did allow me to MST3K Jeremy Piven sucking on Ellen, when his character here asked what he did wrong.)  Peter Berg wrote and directed, before Friday Night Lights, Mile 22, and Patriots Day, which all got D's, so at least he's consistent.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits AKA The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!

The Pirates! Band of Misfits AKA The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! 

Aardman Animations etc.

28 March 2012

Animation, Historical Comedy

DVD

C-

Aardman is hit or miss for me, miss in this case, although Hugh Grant tries, as always.  Peter Lord and Jeff Newitt co-directed, and Gideon Defoe adapted his book series.

One Crazy Summer

One Crazy Summer

Warner Bros.

August 8, 1986

Comedy
DVD
B-

At times, this really is one crazy movie, with random satirical moments, like the Ron & Nancy lunchbox.  I was expecting a generic '80s teen comedy, not an '80s teen comedy where the hero (Cusack) graduates from Generic High School.  Not everything lands, but there's an amiable and somewhat innocent feel to this, despite the cartoons that look like Ralph Bakshi animating early '30s style,  perhaps epitomized best by Bobcat Goldthwait and Tom Villard playing twins.  Savage Steve Holland wrote and directed.

Keeping Up with the Steins

Keeping Up with the Steins

Miramax

June 2, 2006

Comedy
DVD
C-

Garry Marshall's son Scott directed this sitcom-with-swearing that didn't grab me but didn't bore me either.

Black Hawk Down

Black Hawk Down
Columbia
December 28, 2001
War Drama
DVD
D

U.S. forces in Mogadishu in 1993.  Based on the book by Mark Bowden, and directed by Ridley Scott.

Angels Crest

Angels Crest
Entertainment One
December 30, 2011
Drama
DVD
B

This is based on the Leslie Schwartz novel, which I suspect doesn't leave so many supporting characters' threads hanging.  Still, I was moved by this story of a young father (played by Dekker) whose carelessness leads to his toddler son's death, and I like the way the setting matters.  The town of Angels Crest (no apostrophe) is small enough that everyone knows everyone and is impacted by this tragedy, while dealing with their own family troubles.  And the snowy mountains are lovely but deadly.  Note that this is probably the time that Jeremy Piven irritated me least (his appearances on Ellen are ranted about on another of my blogs), perhaps because his character of the prosecuting attorney is definitely not meant to be sympathetic.

Gaby Dellal directed.