Change Your Image
khohen1
Reviews
Death to Smoochy (2002)
Funniest movie I've seen in quite awhile
Yes, it's dark. No, it's not for "the kids"... it's deserving of it's R rating... It's sick, twisted, and evil... and I LOVED IT!!!! Very fitting of Devito, a throwback to the "All for the funny" Robin Williams, Norton's as good as ever, Keener is the same as she was in Being John Malkovich but with more heart... but that's okay. I went to see this, nervously, with my Mom and Dad... now, I was pretty sure if it was good, Dad would love it, but I was equally as sure that if it was good, Mom would HATE it, being as how she's got about no sense of humor.... but we all laughed our... hiney's off.
Only thing that woulda made it better? Quentin Tarantino being the writer/director.
Four out of Five stars for me.
Doing Time on Maple Drive (1992)
Went in expecting one thing... coming out with so much more...
Some major plot line details are mentioned... don't read any further if you haven't seen this and don't want to spoil the fun.
Okay, I am one of the biggest Jim Carrey fanatics out there. The only reason I bought this movie (on eBay) was to see Jim Carrey in his "first dramatic role". It cost me $26!!! So, obviously, I went in only to see Jim. But then the title character came on, Matt, and I was like, hey, I know him... I like him. And then Laurie Laughlin (Becky from Full House, don't know how to spell her real name) came on, same reaction. And I also recognized the sister and the father. So I was like, hey, maybe it'll even be a good movie anyway.
Well, let me tell you, Jim Carrey was secondary as of twenty minutes into the film. While I wished that Tim would have been a bigger part of the story, I was completely taken into the story of Matt and being gay. I think they tackled the pressures of being gay, and hiding secrets to a "too perfect to be true" family. I think there should have been three storylines...the back stories of the sister and of Tim's were way too big to be back stories... but the movie was already 94 minutes long and I don't think any scenes preexisting should have been taken out... I guess I just think it shoulda been three different movies... I don't know. Every single actor in this movie does a beautiful job. The storys are sympathy envoking and the characters are likable, exept for the mom and for the father until about ten til the end. And speaking of the end... it was too wrapped up for my taste. A little hasty about face for the Father to go through... but anyway, it was a TV movie right?
I definately think this is right up there with Truman Show as far as Jim's acting goes... anyone who says my man can't act can't see. Thanksyou very much!!! ;)
8/10
Simon Birch (1998)
Pleasently surprised....
I happen to be on a Jim Carrey kick at the moment, which means I go out and find ANYTHING with Jim Carrey in it and rent it and watch... and usually laugh my butt off... Well, I saved this one for last cause I got the impression he was only in it for two seconds, and probably at the end cause he was the older version of Joe, who I knew was the second of the two prime characters. Well, I was pleasantly surprised to see him in the FIRST scene, and his sexy voice was sprinkled all over the movie to further please me. I've always liked "odd" movies and movies that "talk to the audience" through voiceovers or talking to the camera {like in High Fidelity} What an odd choice though, for Jim Carrey to be the older, wiser, serious voice to tell a "tragic" tale of poor Simon Birch.
That seemed sarcastic, but it's true. While I could tell that this tale was sad and tragic, and that the movie was trying to get you to be upset and sad and cry, they just, in my opinion, didn't pull it off.
However, I loved the film.
It had a great, interesting story. The acting was great, Kudos to little Ian, Joe, always lovable Oliver Platt, and the beautiful actress Judd, Ashley.
Also, I found this film to be a refreshing change. It didn't pander to the critics, nor did it pander to the audience. There wasn't ludeness, or crudness, though there were a few shit's and damnes, but overall it was a nice, familial-type movie with enough witty lines and funny subplots to keep you entertained.
Not a bread winner, but a nice movie that will stand the test of time. It's the kind of movie that you can watch thirty years from now and still enjoy it (that is, if you enjoyed it in the first place!)
And, I gotta confess, the best line of the movie goes to Ian Michael Smith/Jim Carrey...
Simon (older Joe): I've been thinking.
Joe (older Joe's son): Yeah?
Simon (older Joe): Last year we(you) were in the squirt league, and this year we're(you're) in the pewee.
Joe(older Joe's son): So?
Simon (older Joe): So what do they want us(you) to do, play baseball or urinate? (PAUSE while Joe/Joe's son looks on in perplexed "that's retarded" wonderment) Anyway, I was just thinking.
It was sort of funny when Simon said it, and even funnier when Jim said it... just for sentiment's sake. Nice deja vu type thing there, I like that.
7 out of 10
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
It's a movie, and it's called ENTERTAINMENT!!!
There are a FEW spoilers in this, not many, and certainly not enough to ruin the movie for ya, but I had to warn so as not to get "Blacklisted"
Anyway... when analyzing this movie, you have to take into account several things... the book is only 200 pages or so long, right? That doesn't translate into a hollywood movie, verbatum. So, they added some new situations, and characters, and made it a new story with the old spirit. And that's the point really, isn't it? The whole point of "The Grinch" is that "maybe Christmas isn't from a store." Christmas is about love, and family... not gifts and such.
So, okay, Ron Howard, or Jim Carrey, or whoever is responsible for the "fart jokes" or "idiotic humor" okay, so the concept of some of the jokes weren't appropriate for kids... but were they presented in a way that the kids understand it really? The scene where Grinch gets the mayor to kiss the dogs butt, that had several levels to it, and the kids took it as "eww, the man's kissing a dog!!!" and the adults took it as "eat my dookie mr. maywho!" So, some crude humor was used.
Anyway, I love the original "Grinch", I love Jim Carrey, and little Cindy Lou Who was as adorable as all get out... and I loved this "Grinch." Nobody else could have done the Grinch with more sincerity and understanding as Jim did. I've never been moved by a man covered in green goo/yak fur/and makeup as I was by Jim as the Grinch.
And finally, when I was a kid, I remember what the Grinch did for me. It made me realize Christmas really was more about giving than it was about recieving. And it made me realize it was mean to judge someone by how they look. This movie stretched out to encompass a vast audience, and it hooked me, it hooked my parents, it hooked my grandmother, and it hooked my six year old and four year old cousin.
Works for me.
Do you know what that movie did for kids in that theater? This is some of what I noticed.
"Mommy, why are they so mean to him?"
Somebody crying when the Maywho proposed to the chick, breaking the Grinches heart again.
A zillion squeals of laughter compared to only one squeal of horror when they briefly showed termites in the Grinches teeth.
Cheers, clapter, smiles and tears as the Grinch presented the presents back to Whoville... by kids, by teens, by adults, and by old fogeys.
I don't recall anyone coming out of that theater sulking, mad, or ranting about a "ruined classic" or "that crude Carrey character"... I recall smiles and happy families.
And smiles, laughter, and family is what Christmas is all about, when Dr. Suess wrote the book, now, and in BOTH movies, cartoon and real life.