The reviews (even the favorable ones) generally say "it's very much in the tradition of the old Stooges material." To me, this is not a plus.
"Cabin In The Woods" is the big one this weekend, but I'm probably not going to see till tomorrow (want to choose the right theatre that'll draw the right audience, and Times Square does not seem to be it--if only the Drafthouse were already open here).
Relatedly, next weekend for movies seems to have the highest ratio of movies being released to suck in a good long while--options are Nicholas Sparks adaptation "The Lucky One," DisneyNature documentary "Chimpanzee," and "Think Like A Man: Based On The Book By Steve Harvey." At least there's a new Lawrence Kasdan movie (with Kevin Kline, Diane Keaton, and Elisabeth Moss) in limited release next week.
It wouldn't be the first time that the Farrellys have taken an atrocious-on-paper idea, and made a worthwhile movie out of it. My favorite of all their movies is Stuck On You, which was funny, sweet, and filled with lots of terrific inside-Hollywood gags. And a GREAT supporting performance by Cher. (Seriously, she's HILARIOUS.) Oooh, and a brilliant bit with Meryl Streep. Its Rotten Tomatoes score is only a bit better than that of The Three Stooges, but I think a lot of people just dismiss it because of its premise.
I don't necessarily have a lot of expectations for The Three Stooges, but positive reviews from critics I respect and tend to agree with (Gleiberman and Zacharek) mean I'll at least give it a shot. (Not before Cabin in the Woods, mind you.)
Another thing that The Three Stooges has going for it: the name of the character that Larry David plays, which is the funniest character name I've heard in a good long while.
I think the appropriate yardstick here is "Is it better than Brain Donors? Is it better than Disorderlies?" Since the answer seems to be a clear yes to both, I'd see it (though absolutely as a rental; I'd see Cabin in the Woods in a theater).
I think the approprate yardstick is "Have they raised Christine McIntyre from the dead?" No? Well then, I'll stick with seeing Cabin In The Woods then.
When is Hollywood going to learn that it's okay to release good movies in the February - April time period? The only movie that's come out in the last month that I actually wanted to see was The Hunger Games. But there have been at least two recent occasions where I wanted to go to a movie, looked around, and saw nothing I wanted to see, so I didn't go. Compare that to the summer or November-December, when I have to choose between several movies I want to see, and it just seems to make sense to release good movies throughout the year, rather than treating six months of the year as a dumping ground.
I saw Salmon Fishing in Yemen last night and can highly recommend it - Kirstin Scott Thomas is hilarious and it is yet again a very nice performance from Emily Blunt. Another plus, Ewan Macgregor in his natural Scottish accent.
Looks like it's not only not going to bomb, but going to be a decent size hit, especially relative to budget (BOM has budget at $30M, which it's going to make back in a week and a half).
After seeing The Cabin In The Woods tonight, it's easily the best movie of 2012 so far. I will not be surprised at all to see it in my top list for the year and if there was any justice it's looking at a screenplay nomination.
The reviews (even the favorable ones) generally say "it's very much in the tradition of the old Stooges material." To me, this is not a plus.
ReplyDelete"Cabin In The Woods" is the big one this weekend, but I'm probably not going to see till tomorrow (want to choose the right theatre that'll draw the right audience, and Times Square does not seem to be it--if only the Drafthouse were already open here).
Relatedly, next weekend for movies seems to have the highest ratio of movies being released to suck in a good long while--options are Nicholas Sparks adaptation "The Lucky One," DisneyNature documentary "Chimpanzee," and "Think Like A Man: Based On The Book By Steve Harvey." At least there's a new Lawrence Kasdan movie (with Kevin Kline, Diane Keaton, and Elisabeth Moss) in limited release next week.
ReplyDeleteIt wouldn't be the first time that the Farrellys have taken an atrocious-on-paper idea, and made a worthwhile movie out of it. My favorite of all their movies is Stuck On You, which was funny, sweet, and filled with lots of terrific inside-Hollywood gags. And a GREAT supporting performance by Cher. (Seriously, she's HILARIOUS.) Oooh, and a brilliant bit with Meryl Streep. Its Rotten Tomatoes score is only a bit better than that of The Three Stooges, but I think a lot of people just dismiss it because of its premise.
ReplyDeleteI don't necessarily have a lot of expectations for The Three Stooges, but positive reviews from critics I respect and tend to agree with (Gleiberman and Zacharek) mean I'll at least give it a shot. (Not before Cabin in the Woods, mind you.)
Another thing that The Three Stooges has going for it: the name of the character that Larry David plays, which is the funniest character name I've heard in a good long while.
ReplyDeleteI think the appropriate yardstick here is "Is it better than Brain Donors? Is it better than Disorderlies?" Since the answer seems to be a clear yes to both, I'd see it (though absolutely as a rental; I'd see Cabin in the Woods in a theater).
ReplyDeleteI think the approprate yardstick is "Have they raised Christine McIntyre from the dead?" No? Well then, I'll stick with seeing Cabin In The Woods then.
ReplyDeleteAre we getting a Drafthouse in NYC?
ReplyDeleteWhen is Hollywood going to learn that it's okay to release good movies in the February - April time period? The only movie that's come out in the last month that I actually wanted to see was The Hunger Games. But there have been at least two recent occasions where I wanted to go to a movie, looked around, and saw nothing I wanted to see, so I didn't go. Compare that to the summer or November-December, when I have to choose between several movies I want to see, and it just seems to make sense to release good movies throughout the year, rather than treating six months of the year as a dumping ground.
ReplyDeleteYes--way Upper West Side.
ReplyDeleteFair point.
ReplyDeleteI saw Salmon Fishing in Yemen last night and can highly recommend it - Kirstin Scott Thomas is hilarious and it is yet again a very nice performance from Emily Blunt. Another plus, Ewan Macgregor in his natural Scottish accent.
ReplyDeleteI'm proud/embarrassed to say I've seen both Brain Donors AND Disorderlies. Evidence of a misspent youth.
ReplyDeleteLooks like it's not only not going to bomb, but going to be a decent size hit, especially relative to budget (BOM has budget at $30M, which it's going to make back in a week and a half).
ReplyDeleteAfter seeing The Cabin In The Woods tonight, it's easily the best movie of 2012 so far. I will not be surprised at all to see it in my top list for the year and if there was any justice it's looking at a screenplay nomination.
ReplyDelete