gsas82 Reviews

Panic Room with Will Ferrell (2002 TV Short)

Yay for Will!!

[10/10 · 27 September 2002]

If you were as depressed as I was to hear that Will was leaving SNL, don't worry. Funny boy didn't go far. And he took Jack Black with him. This show is hyper, spastic and just flat-out brilliant. I had hiccups for seven hours after watching it. That's never happened to me before. Weird.

Hidden Hills (2002–2003)

Best new show this season....

[24 September 2002]

... so far. It's only Tuesday. But it's pretty darn good. Think of it as the anti-Brady Bunch in terms of suburban comedy fare. Any show that uses "Con te Partiro" and a bizzarre water motif in soft-core male fantasies definitely gets marks for creativity. Most shows take a while for the dynamic between characters to really find its groove, but this show has done it right away- and not just between isolated pairs of characters. Each group- the kids, the moms and the dads interact with honesty, accuracy and fantastic comic timing. "Hills" doesn't try to offer deep family fare a la "7th Heaven." All it wants us to do is laugh, and I'm gonna be doing that all season.

Good Morning, Miami (2002–2004)

Don't blink

[16 September 2002]

This show is charming and likable in its own right, but in a season where primetime viewers are consumed with trying to absorb every second of "Friends"' last season, it seems unlikely that they will embrace this show. Feuerstein and Williams make a good match and share undeniable chemistry, but they're going to have to work harder than that to keep us coming back every week.

In-Laws (2002–2003)

I'll move in!

[16 September 2002]

This show rocks! It's a great concept which will undoubtedly open itself up to some hysterical story lines, as long as the writers don't resort to goofy misunderstandings in the vein of "Three's Company." The well-built cast shows great promise to emerge as tv's newest powerhouse, as Smart and Farina bring some much-needed intelligence to a tv schedule packed with inane 20-somethings.

Serving Sara (2002)

Feh.

[10 August 2002]

Not bad, not fantastic. This is basically another "Friends Movie," with a mediocre television actor posing as a film star. Perry's portrayal is passable, but not much more than a souped-up version of Chandler Bing (sorry, you'll never escape that role). Hurley is alluringly vapid at the eponymous baddie, gnashing her cosmetically maintained teeth as a woman bent on revenge. The only inspired performance comes from the aptly named Cedric the Entertainer, whose from-the-gut humor drowns in a sea of unoriginality.

The Hebrew Hammer (2003)

A daring guilty pleasure!

[6 July 2002]

I say guilty pleasure because this is the sort of film you feel like you should NEVER laugh at, but what makes it ok is that the characters laugh at themselves before anyone else can. In the tradition of the "blaxploitation" films of the '70s comes a "jewsplotaition" farce about the efforts of Goldberg's Mordechai, a "Semitic super stud," to stop Santa's malevolent son (the wacky, hysterical Dick) from erasing Christmas competition from the calendar. It's risky and will probably offend 80% of its target audience. Woohoo!

Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)

He's back and better than ever, baby!

[6 July 2002]

The trilogy is still going strong with the third installment, which gets a bit raunchier than the first two, but still manages to surprise us with off-the-wall wackiness courtesy of Meyers' stable of brilliant, well-crafted characters. He deftly maneuvers his way through a film in which he plays four characters. The supporting cast is as strong as ever, especially return players Seth Green, Verne Troyer and Mindy Sterling. Yeah, baby, yeah!!

Martin & Orloff (2002)

Hysterical, offbeat, and really freakin' messed-up.

[10/10 · 29 May 2002]

This film was shocking right from the opening sequence, and it's refreshing to see that New York's premiere comedy group hasn't lost anything in the translation from the stage to the screen. The writing is razor-sharp and undeniably witty. The performances are a scream, especially the mellow Walsh as the crazed shrink. Roberts is fabulous as the bewildered Martin, and the supporting cast is equally strong, especially when they are joined by the occasional celebrity in a cameo. This is a fast, funny and thoroughly enjoyable film.

Saturday Night Live (1975– )

AWESOME!!!!!

[22 March 2002]

I can't get enough of this show! Even after 27 years, it is still as dynamic and strong as ever. It's had its low moments, but shows that have been on for FOUR years have low moments. I'm just amazed that this show is still around! It rocks!

Bluelove (1999)

Gorgeous

[10/10 · 28 February 2002]

This is by far the best short film I have ever seen. Hartkop's talent belies his youth; the sweeping cinematography and stunning visual effects are those usually glimpsed in the works of Lucas or Spielberg. The performances by Day, Ingebresten and MacNeil are equally amazing.

Murmur (I) (2000)

Stunning

[19 February 2002]

This is one of the best short films I have seen. Along with David Hartkop's "Bluelove," it is a thoughtful, beautiful journey through the mind and gorgeously shot. The acting consists of deep, nuanced subtextual performances from Karam and McNeil. McCaleb is to be commended.