Dann Michalski

24 followers

Toledo, Ohio
46

The Devil on Trial

From Netflix comes the true-crime documentary The Devil on Trial. The film examines the trail of Arne Johnson, which attempted to put forth a demonic possession defense based on his involvement in a Catholic authorized exorcism and the expert testimonies of demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. Several of Johnson’s friends and family members are interviewed, along with others who were involved with the trial; augmented with dramatic recreations and original audio recordings. And while most of the interviewees are of the opinion that something supernatural occurred, there are a few dissenting opinions presented; leaving it to the viewer to decide who to believe. However, the actual murder and trail are fairly mundane, lacking any real shocking twists or revelations. Still, overall The Devil on Trial is an interesting tale regardless of where the truth lies in it all.

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Clean Slate

Dana Carvey stars in the wacky screwball comedy Clean Slate. The story follows a PI named ML Pogue who, after suffering brain damage, develops a condition that causes him to lose his memory whenever he falls asleep, but as a key witness in a murder trail he can’t let anyone know. Carvey gives a great performance and is backed by a strong supporting cast that includes Valeria Golino, Kevin Pollak, Olivia d’Abo, and James Earl Jones. And the humor is especially well-done, with a lot of fun sketches of Pogue trying to bluff his way through situations. But the plot is rather thin and doesn’t make sense at times. Yet despite its problems, Clean Slate is entertaining and fun of laughs.

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A Guy Thing

A Guy Thing is a mediocre, by-the-numbers romantic comedy. When Paul wakes up next to a strange woman after a wild batcher party, he tries to hide it from his fiancée, but things get complicated when he discovers that the woman is his fiancée’s cousin. Starring Jason Lee, Julia Stiles, and Selma Blair, the film has a solid cast. However, the plot is formulaic as all get-out; making it painfully predictable. And the comedy is incredibly broad, with a lot of low brow humor. Still, some of the jokes work, and Lee and Stiles are charming and do a good job with the comedy. It’s entertaining and delivers some laughs, but A Guy Thing is completely forgettable.

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A Nice Girl Like You

Lucy Hale stars in the raunchy sex comedy A Nice Girl Like You. When her boyfriend breaks up with her for being pornophobic, Lucy makes a list of things to do to get over her sexual inhibitions. Hale gives a fun, charismatic performance, but the writing is weak. There’s really no arc for the character; she does the things on her list, but isn’t shown learning anything or changing her attitudes, nor does she show any reluctance to do the items on her list (which kind of negates the whole pornophobic diagnosis). Still, the awkward situations that Lucy gets in completing her list provides some laughs. Yet while it’s entertaining at times, A Nice Girl Like You is a poorly make film that doesn’t work.

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The House Bunny

Anna Faris is The House Bunny in this mediocre comedy. When Shelley is kicked out of the Playboy Mansion she finds a new home at the ZETA sorority house, which is in desperate need of help to save their sorority from losing its charter. Faris gives a great comedic performance and is backed by a strong supporting cast that includes Emma Stone, Kat Dennings, and Colin Hanks. However, the plot couldn’t be more formulaic; hitting all the usual tropes and clichés. Still, a lot of the jokes work and the film has a positive message. Yet while it’s entertaining and delivers some laughs, The House Bunny is a rote comedy that’s rather forgettable.

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Crossroads

“I’m not a girl, not yet a woman.” Pop star Britney Spears stars in the coming-of-age film Crossroads. The story follows three estranged high school friends who take a cross-country trip together after graduation. Spears gives a pretty good performance (though is a bit miscast as a virginal pre-med valedictorian), and the supporting cast, which includes Zoe Saldana, Taryn Manning, Dan Aykroyd, and Kim Cattrall, give solid performances as well. And the film tackles some surprisingly mature issues, including sexual abuse, teen pregnancy, and parental abandonment. However, there are also a number of useless filler scenes of singing to the car radio again and again and again, and other minutia. Yet while it has some problems, Crossroads is a compelling teen drama that has some interest things to say.

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Knight and Day

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz star in the action comedy Knight and Day. On her way to her sister’s wedding, June Havens has her world turned upside down when she crosses paths with a secret agent. The action’s pretty good and gives the film a lot of energy. The comedy however, is a little overdone; as the clever satire starts to become farcical after a while. Also, there are times when the score undercuts some of the energy of the action scenes. Still, Knight and Day is a fun and entertaining film full of thrills, as well as laughs.

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Redeeming Love

Redeeming Love is a touching and powerful drama based on the bestselling novel by Francine Rivers. A modernization of the biblical story of Hosea set in the Old West, a farmer, feeling lead by God, rescues a prostitute named Angel from a brothel and marries her, but she finds it hard to leave her life of prostitution behind and to accept the new life being offered to her. Starring Abigail Cowen, Tom Lewis, Eric Dane, and Famke Janssen, the cast is pretty good and deliver strong performances. And director D.J. Caruso does an impressive job as well. Additionally, the film handles the material especially well; without being sexually exploitive or preachy. However, the pacing can be a little slow at times and a couple of the characters are underdeveloped. Yet despite having a few weaknesses, Redeeming Love is a compelling story about love and forgiveness.

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Keeping the Faith

Ben Stiller, Edward Norton, and Jenna Elfman star in the hilarious rom-com Keeping the Faith. The story follows two friends, Brian and Jake, who grew up to become a priest and a rabbi in New York City, and reunite with their childhood friend Anna, but their friendships are jeopardized when Jake and Anna begin secretly dating. Stiller, Norton, and Elfman all have great chemistry together and do a good job at handling the witty, sardonic humor. And the film is surprisingly respectful of religion and has a positive message. However, the love story’s rather formulaic, featuring the usual tropes. Keeping the Faith has a few weaknesses, but overall it’s a fun and entertaining film.

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Austenland

Keri Russell stars in the satirical comedy Austenland. The story follows a young woman obsessed with the works of Jane Austen, who takes a vacation to a retreat in the English countryside where she gets to live out a Jane Austen style adventure. Russell gives a great performance and has good chemistry with her co-stars. Additionally, Jennifer Coolidge and Jane Seymour make for a strong supporting cast. Still, the writing is a little weak and the plot doesn’t always seem like it knows where it’s going. But despite its ups and downs, Austenland is fun and entertaining.

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Splash

From Ron Howard comes the magical romantic comedy Splash. When Allen Bauer has a chance meeting with a mysterious woman on the beach, she follows him back to New York were the two strike up an unlikely romance; but unbeknownst to him, she’s a mermaid. The casting is brilliant, and includes Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah, Eugene Levy, and John Candy; who all give strong comedic performances. The storytelling is a little lazy, but the characters are interesting and the comedy is done very well. Full of laughs, Splash is a charming film that’s entertaining and fun.

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Bewitched

Nora Ephron bastardizes the classic ‘60s sitcom Bewitched in this modern adaptation. The story follows a witch named Isabell who’s trying to live a normal life without magic, but soon finds herself tempted when she’s cast in a Hollywood studio’s revival of the classic television show Bewitched. Starring Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell, Shirley MacLaine, and Michael Caine, the cast is pretty good. However, Ephron seems more interested in making a satire about Hollywood than a rom-com; causing a lot of unevenness in the tone and wild shifts in the plot. Still, a lot of the jokes work and the characters are charming and fun. Yet while it’s entertaining, Bewitched is a mess that doesn’t have a clear vision of what it wants to be.

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There's Something About Mary

From the Farrelly brothers comes the classic ‘90s comedy There’s Something About Mary. When a therapy session awakens feelings for his old high school girlfriend, Ted decides to track her down but finds that the PI that he hired to find her has fallen for her too. Starring Cameron Diaz, Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon, and Chris Elliott, the film has a strong cast that has great chemistry together; delivering a ton of laughs. However, in typical Farrelly brothers style, some of the humor is a bit crass and over-the-top. Still, most of the jokes hit and the soundtrack is lighthearted and fun. There’s Something About Mary has its weak spots, but overall it’s a wildly entertaining film.

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Gigli

Worthy of every bit of its infamous reputation, Gigli is an amazingly bad rom-com. The story follows a low-level mobster who’s tasked with kidnapping the mentally challenged brother of a federal prosecutor, and soon finds himself saddled with a partner when his boss grows concerned about the job he’s doing. Ben Affleck gives a terrible performance, as does Jennifer Lopez. And it’s only made worse by the cameos of Christopher Walken and Al Pacino (who show-up everyone who dares to share the screen with them). However, part of the problem is the writing; as the dialog is horrendous. The tone of the film is also an issue, as there’s a lot of disparate elements that don’t quite fit together. Gigli has a few things going for it, but it just doesn’t work and ends up making a mess of everything.

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It Could Happen to You

It Could Happen to You is a delightful romantic comedy that’s inspirational and heartwarming. In this New York fairytale a beat cop promises half of his potential lotto winnings to a waitress in lieu of a tip, but when he wins the money brings about a strange and whimsical journey of ups and downs. Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda are charming together and deliver wonderful performances. Rosie Perez however, is as annoying as all get-out. Also, the plot is a bit formulaic at times, and there are issues with the pacing. Yet while it has its flaws, It Could Happen to You is a lot of fun.

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Galaxy Quest

“Never give up, never surrender!” Galaxy Quest is an extraordinary sci-fi comedy that’s smart and funny. The story follows a group of washed up actors from the cult sci-fi television series Galaxy Quest, who are abducted by a race of aliens that have no concept of fiction and see the Galaxy Quest cast as real life heroes. Starring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, and Sam Rockwell, the cast is quiet impressive; giving exceptional performances that balance the humor and the action. And the comedy itself especially good and does an excellent job at spoofing the sci-fi genre and its topes; brilliantly satirizes ‘60s science fiction television (such as Star Trek), as well as the culture of fandom. By Grabthar’s Hammer, Galaxy Quest is a hilariously entertaining adventure.

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The Last Starfighter

“Greetings Starfighters...” A science fiction classic, The Last Starfighter delivers an imaginative, action-packed adventure. After breaking the record on the Starfighter arcade game at his trailer park, Alex Rogan is approached by the game’s creator and taken to a space-station on a distant planet where he learns that the arcade game was really an alien recruiting tool to find Starfighters to defend the Star League against an invasion force. Starring Lance Guest, Catherine Mary Stewart, and Robert Preston, the film has a good cast that delivers some pretty strong performances. And, as one of the first feature films to use CGI, the special effects are incredibly innovative and revolutionary for their time. The score by Craig Safan is also extraordinarily well-done, and is full of sweeping themes. Though it’s aged a bit, The Last Starfighter is a fun and entertaining space odyssey.

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Pixels

It’s game on in the goofball comedy Pixels. After mistaking a message from a NASA probe as an intergalactic military challenge, an alien race sends an army to Earth to fight a series of battles, each based on a classic arcade game, that will determine the fate of humanity. Starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, and Peter Dinklage, the film has a fairly strong cast. The writing however, is rather poor; as the writers seem to have an idea of what they want to do, but don’t quite know how to get there. Still, the action sequences are pretty good and use the video game motif especially well.Pixels is entertaining and delivers a few laughs, but it’s a bit muddled at times.

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Blues Brothers 2000

Dan Aykroyd and John Landis get the band back together for the reunion film Blues Brothers 2000. Less of a sequel and more of a remake, the story is beat for beat the same as the original; which shows a complete lack of originality and creativity, making the film utterly pointless. But beyond that, the tone is inconsistent and is full of cartoonishness and fantasy themes that don’t work. A spectacular mess, Blues Brothers 2000 has no idea what it’s doing.

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The Blues Brothers

John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd are Jake and Elwood Blues, two blues musicians “on a mission from God,” in the hilarious comedy The Blues Brothers. Directed and co-written by John Landis, this popular Saturday Night Live sketch gets turned into a full length film that follows Jake and Elwood as they get their old band back together to raise money to save an orphanage. A virtual musical extravaganza, there are featured cameos from James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and Ray Charles; all in fun, energetic musical numbers. Some of the jokes are a little corny, but Belushi and Aykroyd’s charisma is just too irresistible. Wildly entertaining and full of laughs, The Blues Brothers is a classic ‘80s comedy with soul.

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Ferris Bueller's Day Off

“Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?” From writer/director John Hughes comes one of the most iconic films of the ‘80s, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The story follows high school senior Ferris Bueller, who ditches school in order to have a day of adventure and gets into crazy shenanigans with his freinds. Starring Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, Alan Ruck, and Jennifer Grey, the film has a great cast; Broderick in particular has a lot of charisma. And the comedy is especially well-written, with some very clever meta humor and breaking of the fourth wall. Entertaining and incredibly fun, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is an excellent comedy and one of John Hughes’ best films.

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Home Alone: The Holiday Heist

Beating a dead horse, the Home Alone franchise delivers a fifth installment The Holiday Heist. When a team of art thieves attempt to break into a suburban house in Maine to steal an elusive painting, they must first go through 10-year old Finn Baxter, who’s determined to protect is house and his sister while his parents are away at a Christmas party. Christian Martyn is completely miscast as Finn, and is a major detriment to the film. And the thieves aren’t really all that villainous; making it difficult to take pleasure when they fall into Finn’s traps, particularly since they don’t know Finn and aren’t trying to hurt him. There are a couple cute jokes, but for the most part the humor is rather bland and none of the slapstick really works. Home Alone: The Holiday Heist is a pointless film that has strayed far, far from the original.

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Home Alone 4

The story of the McCallisters continues with a whole new cast in Home Alone 4. With his parents in the middle of a divorce, Kevin chooses to stay with his father and his new girlfriend for Christmas and runs into his old nemesis Marv while he’s casing the house. The new cast isn’t as good as the original; particularly Mike Weinberg, who has none of the charm or charisma of Macaulay Culkin, and French Stewart is a poor substitute for Daniel Stern. Following in the mold of part 3, the humor is all in the slapstick; which is all over-the-top goofball shtick. And what dramatic heartfelt moments there are come off as artificial, with no substance to them. Home Alone 4 is a desperate attempt to revive a series that is long past its prime and has no magic left to it.

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Desperately Seeking Santa

Laura Vandervoort stars in the ABC Family Christmas film Desperately Seeking Santa. The story follows a businesswoman who launches a Sexy Santa promotion to increase sales at her mall and soon finds herself falling for him. Vandervoort gives a strong performance and has good chemistry with co-star Nick Zano. However, the plot is full of contrivances and the usual holiday tropes and clichés. Still, there are some nice bits of humor and some touching dramatic moments. Despite its formulaic nature, Desperately Seeking Santa is an entertaining and fun romantic comedy with a bit of Christmas spirit.

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A Very Murray Christmas

From Netflix comes the holiday special A Very Murray Christmas. Actually, it’s kind of an anti-holiday special as it’s setup as a holiday variety show hosted by Bill Murray that gets cancelled by a snow storm; leaving Murray to mill around the hotel singing melancholy Christmas songs and socializing with hotel guests and staff. The special guests include Paul Shaffer, George Clooney, Miley Cyrus, Rashida Jones, Chris Rock, and Amy Poehler, some playing themselves and others playing characters. It all works surprisingly well, playing into Murray’s sarcastic band of humor while still having a festive, Christmassy spirit. Also, the nontraditional songs, such as “Christmas Blues,” “Alone on Christmas Day,” and “Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin,” do a good job at setting the tone. It’s not for everyone, but A Very Murray Christmas is an entertaining holiday special that, in its own way, celebrates the season.

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Santa with Muscles

Hulk Hogan is the Santa with Muscles in this atrociously awful children’s film. The story follows an eccentric businessman who leads police on a high speed chase and ends up hiding out at a mall where he gets knocked on the head and wakes up believing that he’s Santa Claus. Hogan’s “acting” is terrible; just crewing up the scenery. But Hogan is just one of a myriad of problems: the plot is ridiculous as all get-out, the villains are buffoons, the fight scenes are lame, and the costumes and sets look cheap. Complete and utter garbage, Santa with Muscles ranks among the worst Christmas films ever made, and for good reason.

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Saving Christmas Spirit

Ashley Newbrough stars in the charming romantic comedy Saving Christmas Spirit. Fearing that she’ll lose her job due to upcoming budget cuts, archaeologist Lucy Stewart travels to Scotland to study a journal in the hopes that it will lead to an archaeological find that will save her job; and while there she begins to fall for a local scotch brewer who shows her around town and teaches her the local lore. Newbrough gives a strong performance and has good chemistry with co-star James Robinson. However, the rest of the cast is rather weak; playing one-dimensional stereotypes. And the plot is kind of all over the place, full of Christmas movie tropes; young love, estranged family members reconnecting, trying to save a failing business from closing, and even Christmas spirits. Yet while it’s a mess at times, Saving Christmas Spirit is also lighthearted and fun.

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Silent Night

From director John Woo comes the holiday action film Silent Night. The story follows a father grieving over the loss of his son as he trains and prepares to get revenge on the LA gang responsible on Christmas Eve. Joel Kinnaman leads the cast and gives a pretty strong performance; especially considering that he has to convey everything through looks and body language. The dialog free motif of the film is rather interesting but requires a number of conceits (too many really) to work; however, overall it does a pretty impressive job at conveying plot information nonverbally. Additionally, the fight scenes are dynamic and exciting, with a visceral feel to them. Silent Night is a captivating film with a unique vision that, while it doesn’t completely work, is entertaining and full of thrills.

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It's a Wonderful Knife

A crazy mess, It’s a Wonderful Knife is nonsensical garbage. After getting a college rejection letter and discovering that her boyfriend is cheating on her, Winnie Carruthers wishes that she was never born and finds herself in world where her town is being terrorized by a serial killer that she had killed the year before. Jane Widdop gives a fairly good performance as the lead, but the rest of the cast is pretty bad. And the plot is convoluted as all get-out; making less and less sense as it goes on. But worst of all, the killer isn’t at all scary and has no sense of menace, and the kill scenes are rather lame and perfunctory. It’s a Wonderful Knife has an interesting premise, but it doesn’t know what to do with it.

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Family Switch

From McG comes the Netflix family comedy Family Switch. After going to the observatory to see a planetary alignment, the Walker family finds themselves having switched bodies and have to live out each other’s lives (with the kids having to go to their parent’s jobs and the parents having to go to their kid’s school activities) until they can find a way to switch back. Jennifer Garner and Ed Helms lead the cast and deliver good performances, and the child actors, Emma Myers and Brady Noon, and pretty good too. Also, the writers do a nice job at using the body swop tropes without making them seem overly silly or trite. And the comedy is well-done too; finding a nice balance of broad humor and satire. Still, the plot is formulaic and predictable, and full of contrivances. Yet while it has some problems, Family Switch is a fun and entertaining holiday film.

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