He has Skinny Genes. He’s the…
Vidiot
Week of July 3, 2015
Brunch is now the most important meal of the day. First up…
While We’re Young
Every middle-aged married couple should have some millennial
aged friends they can donate old-fashioned clothing and obnoxious furniture to.
Unfortunately, the unhip duo in this dramedy wants to give
their Gen Y friends everything.
Forty-something documentary filmmaker Josh (Ben Stiller) and
his wife Cornelia (Naomi Watts) form an unlikely friendship with married
hipsters interested in making documentaries, Jamie (Adam Driver) and Darby
(Amanda Seyfried).
Fascinated by their self-confidence, Josh and Cornelia
embrace the laid-back life-style and vintage eyewear of their uninhibited
counterparts.
But when Josh learns that Jamie’s new documentary lacks
integrity, he tries to sabotage its accolades with accusations of treachery.
An uneven but honest look at Gen X and Y relationships, the
first half of this witty character study has affable dialogue and authentic
performances, while the latter half becomes an overwrought
psychological-thriller.
Either way, apathetic Millennials make it easy for
half-assed Gen-Xers to advance in the workplace. Yellow Light
Danny Collins
The worst thing about singing in casinos is your opening act
is always Prime Rib Dinner.
Fortunately, the former rock-star in this drama hasn’t
reached that lowly level yet.
Despite legions of aging female fans that maintain his
relevance, seventies heartthrob Danny Collins (Al Pacino) still longs for
legitimacy outside of the archaic catalog he croons ad nauseam.
It is not until his manager (Christopher Plummer) presents
him with a 40–year-old letter from John Lennon does Danny get the courage to
reinvent himself.
So much so, he begins writing new material and mending his
relationship with his son (Bobby Cannavale) and daughter-in-law (Jennifer
Garner).
While Pacino is topnotch and the supporting cast more than
capable, Danny Collins’ biggest issue is it deviates from the real-life
inspiration so much that it becomes a clichéd musical melodrama.
Incidentally, instead of their panties, aging audiences
member now throw their Depends on stage.
Yellow Light
Maggie
Most parents would find chopping their zombie teen’s head
off with an axe to be cathartic.
However, the father of the infected in this horror-drama
wants to keep his daughter whole as long as possible.
Desperate dad Wade (Arnold Schwarzenegger) discovers his
missing daughter Maggie (Abigail Breslin) is being treated in hospital for a
recent zombie bite.
With weeks to go before she turns, Maggie returns home to
her stepmother (Joely Richardson) and step-siblings to live out her last human
days with her friends.
When officials come to quarantine the rotting minor her
father refuses to give her up – costing him everything.
Showcasing Schwarzenegger’s most restrained performance to
date, Maggie’s script however doesn’t deserve as high of praise.
Lacking the visceral component of the undead genre, Maggie’s
moody melodrama is more depressing than it is distressing.
Besides, teenage zombies only eat human brains if they're
deep-fried and smothered in ketchup. Red
Light
***Man’s Beast Friend***
Fido
Being responsible for a pet zombie is a good way for a
couple to know if they’re ready for a baby.
Unfortunately, the couple in this horror-comedy had a little
boy before their flesh-eater.
Despite her husband’s (Dylan Baker) unease around them,
Helen (Carrie-Anne Moss) brings home a domesticated zombie, Fido (Billy
Connolly), whose hunger for flesh is kept in check by a remote-controlled
collar.
When officials quarantine Fido on account of his feasting of
neighbours, young Timmy (K'Sun Ray) sets out to retrieve his putrefied playmate
with the help of a previous company employee (Tim Blake Nelson).
But the head of the company (Henry Czerny) has other plans
for Fido’s saviours.
Set in an alternate 1950s, this quirky Canadian contribution
to the annuals of zombie cinema injects some much needed satire and humor into
the undead genre.
Incidentally, letting your pet zombie lick your face is a
slippery slope.
He has a Flesh-Eating Disorder. He’s the…
Vidiot
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