Yari Film Group
93 min., dir. by Brett Simon, with Mischa Barton, Reece Thompson, and Bruce Willis
“Assassination of a High School President is the second-best high school film ever made, and it didn’t even get a general release.”
So the words sound like a big acclamation, but then you look into them and you realize the competition [...]

From its foundation as a Puritan colony in 1630, to the ban on William S. Burroughs’ groundbreaking Naked Lunch during the free-wheeling ‘60s, Boston has a long, proud tradition of suppressing freedom of expression. Yet it has also nurtured some of our nation’s most provocative individuals: Donna Summer, the Pixies, Edgar Allen Poe, Ralph Waldo [...]

Miramax Films
92 min., dir. by Mike Judge, with Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, and Ben Affleck
With “King of the Hill” coming to a close after a long run of 13 seasons, fans of Mike Judge had little time to mourn the end of the Hill family’s adventures when the animation icon released his fourth feature film [...]

Universal Pictures/Apatow Productions
146 min., dir. by Judd Apatow with Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, and Leslie Mann
Whether you’re able to catch Funny People in the theater or wait for its release on DVD, my advice remains the same: watch the movie, laugh your guts out, and then never think about the film ever again. Perhaps [...]

Originally published in Verbicide issue #25
Entertainment Films
100 min., dir. by David Schwimmer, with Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, and Hank Azaria
Upon this film’s release, a lot of critics pulled no punches in giving this comedy a bad review. After my own viewing of Run Fatboy Run, I’m convinced these so-called “experts” were only expressing their disappointment [...]

Originally published in Verbicide issue #22
Anyone who was suckered into seeing the original theatrical run of Mars Attacks! knows that humor is a very subjective thing. Some people like a loud whoopee cushion while others prefer projectile vomiting to get a good chuckle. Amazingly, some even enjoy Carrot Top. The only constant is that you [...]

The chubby, self-effacing funnyman with a supporting role on “The King of Queens” has upped his hipster cred a tick or two by putting out a stellar comedy album on the Sub Pop label. Piggy-backing on the release of Ratatouille, a family-friendly Pixar animated flick starring Oswalt as the voice of a rat that wants [...]

Sony Pictures
114 min., dir. by Greg Mottola with Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and Michael Cera
I think Judd Apatow is the modern recreation of Midas. Everything he touches is comedic gold. Breaking out with The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, Apatow has proven that he knows comedy. Lending a hand as a producer for [...]

Originally published in Verbicide issue #20
Hosting the True Colors Tour, releasing a directorial debut, and wrapping up a new film starring Yunjin Kim, all in one summer, is a humble list of accomplishments in the life of Margaret Cho.
Thirteen years ago, America noticed Cho in its very first Asian-American TV sitcom. When the producer-controlled show [...]

Paramount Pictures
93 min., dir. by Will Speck and Josh Gordon, with Will Ferrell, Jon Heder, and Amy Poehler
When rival figure skaters Chazz Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell) and Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder) go ballistic in an embarrassing, no-holds-barred fight at the World Championships, they are stripped of their gold medals and banned from the sport [...]

Originally published in Verbicide issue #19
20th Century Fox Studios
84 min., dir. by Mike Judge, with Luke Wilson, Dax Shepard, and Maya Rudolph
More than seven years since Office Space became an instant classic, Mike Judge makes his triumphant return to the silver screen. Well, almost. Although originally planned to be released in theatres nationwide, Fox Studios [...]

Originally published in Verbicide issue #18
101 min., dir. by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, with Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, and Toni Collette
Even if I don’t understand why it took two people to direct this film, Little Miss Sunshine was probably the most fun I’ve had at the theater in a long time. After attending the [...]

Originally published in Verbicide issue #17
Newmarket Films/ Raygun Productions
100 min., dir. by Michael Traeger, with Jeff Bridges, Ted Danson, and Tim Blake Nelson
I was fortunate enough to catch The Amateurs at this year’s Sarasota Film Festival in Sarasota, FL. As part of an audience that included the first time writer/director Michael Traeger, I was pleasantly [...]

Originally published in Verbicide issue #16
ThinkFilm/Lions Gate Home Entertainment
89 minutes, dir. by Paul Provenza, with Penn Jillette, George Carlin, and Jon Stewart
One can’t help but be intrigued by a DVD cover that reads in big, bold letters, “Might be the funniest movie you’ll ever see!” And with a list of stars that’s literally the who’s [...]

Originally published in Verbicide issue #16
I apologize in advance.
When I contacted Vernon Chatman and John Lee, creators of “Wonder Showzen,” I assumed there would be a civilized exchange of ideas based in artistic creativity and breaking down the boundaries of political correctness. In retrospect, I realize how fucking stupid that was. My bad.
Instead, I got [...]