Comedy: The Wedding Crashers

Oftentimes I sit bored, blinking at the computer screen as the cursor blinks back at me waiting for me to think of my favorite movie type. However, upon being assigned the Comedy section, this was a no brainer. I guess I can stop with all the fluff as the only person that actually reads this blog is you, Ms Washington, so i'll get straight down to business.



As evident by the movie poster and the title, my comedy blog will be about the movie "Wedding Crashers," by far my favorite comedy to date. Directed by David Dobkin, the movie stars Owen Wilson as John Beckwith, and Vince Vaughn as Jeremy Grey as two divorce mediators who, in their spare time, like to attend weddings under fake names and fake job titles. Their goal: Take as many women as possible on a late night ride to Pound Town. They also enjoy the perks that come with weddings being open bars, appetizers, meals, music, dancing, etc. However, the wedding this movie focuses on takes the cake, literally. It's the wedding of all weddings, the crash of all crashes. It's the wedding of the U.S. Secretary of the Treasurer's daughter. Played by Christopher Walken, William Cleary is the Secretary of the Treasurer and he has three daughters. One of whom is getting married, and two of whom are targets for both Jeremy and John. Gloria, played by Isla Fisher, is Jeremy's target, a young redheaded who is a bit immature, as shown by a seen by her stomping her feet and yelling at a wedding reception until her father, William, gives in. Claire, on the other hand, is the more articulate and beautiful of the two, and thus is the target for John (Owen Wilson.) Claire, however, has a boyfriend (played by Bradley Cooper) named Sack Lodge, an arrogant, pompous BSer who is only dating Claire to exploit her father's powerful position in politics. The hilarious onslaught of fornication, booze, and sex that occurs over the weekend at the Cleary's estate is one that will leave you clutching your stomach and gasping for air as you roll on the ground laughing at the hilarity of Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, and an appearance of Will Ferrell, their mentor.


As usual, I will be judging the film based on four criteria: Plot, Acting, Lead Female Character(s), and my overall satisfaction with the movie.

Plot: 8 Stars. Honestly, the plot is not what makes this movie so good. Yes, it is very unique and far-fetched, but it wasn't all that great. It was pretty predictable which wasn't all too appealing.

Lead Female Characters: 9 Stars. The female cast in this film is pretty money. They have the red-hot girl from Mean Girls, plus the babe to the left (Isla Fisher) who is some sort of Omanian goddess. There is also an appearance by a Mrs. Jane Seymour, the Bond girl in Live and Let Die.

Acting: 9.5 Stars. The acting is almost unbeatable. It's all-star. Plus, with so many amazing actors and actresses in the film, the sygnergism in the room has to be great, raising the bar for the more inexperienced actors. The Vaughn/Wilson combo is MONEY too. You can tell they had a lot of fun filming the movie.

General Satisfaction: 9.5 Stars. Like any comedy, this movie doesn't deviate from the run of the film predictable plot. That's not what makes the movie great. The acting, the girls, the booze, all the debauchery in the movie is on point. At one point in the movie Vince Vaughn screams at this priest for blabbing his deepest darkest secrets, and meanwhile the priest just sits their like a sad puppy. It was hilarious. I do suggest not having any parents/adults in the room while viewing, as it can get quite awkward in a few of the "sticky" scenes. Also, the nudity and swearing run rampant, another reason not to watch with parents.

Favorite African American Film

My all time favorite African American film is definitely Beverly Hills Cop. This 1984 comedy action film is directed by Martin Brest and stars Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley, a Detroit cop who goes to California to follow a lead on his best friends murder. Supporting characters include Judge Reihnhold, John Ashton, Ronny Cox, and Lisa Eilbacher.

In the film, Eddie Murphy seems to resemble me in a few aspects. He's intelligent and funny, yet does not fully submit to authority. He questions his boss quite a bit. Even when told not to take the case, he does what he knows is right and does it, and of course it works out for the best. 

Eddie Murphy, or Axel Foley, is a Detroit cop whose best friend is murdered by some thugs asking about some Germany bearer bonds Mikey (his friend) has in his possession. Because of his close ties with the case, his boss tells him not to go near it. So Axel, being the wise guy he is, tells his boss he needs some vacation time to get his mind of things. Ironically, it's to investigate the case head on. What follows is a hilarious bout with gangsters, women, police, and drugs. 

The filming for the Detroit scenes were mostly done in Pittsburgh, with a few in Detroit, and the remainder in California. The film shattered records at the box office and grosses almost 285 million making it the highest in 1984 and the third Highest grossing R rated film ever behind The Exorcist and The Godfather. 

Another great aspect of the film is the music. During that time period, upbeat techno music was prevalent, which is why the theme song is what it is. Duh duh duh du nuh nuh nuh duh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh duh duh duh duh duh nuh duh. Duh Nuh. 

My film ratings are based upon four criteria: Plot, Acting, Lead Female Character, and Overall Satisfaction with the film.

Plot: 9 Stars. Comedies are known for generally having poor, unoriginal plots. This one is actually surprisingly good. From Detroit to Beverly Hills, we see Axel Foley doing his thing with no regard for how people view him .The film was also extremely well written, with the first draft having been written seven years before the movie even came out.

Acting: 8 stars. In the film, Eddie Murphy is spectacular. Probably a solid 9 or 9.5. However, I found it difficult to draw any tangible connection to the supporting characters, who play a huge part in movies if you want to enjoy the overall experience. If that makes sense. It's 1 o'clock and i'm tired from work, so bear with me.




Lead Female Character: 7.5 Stars. Honestly, women do not really come into play much in this film. Therefore, the lead female character, Lisa Eilbacher, is a supporting character, but not extremely relevant in the film. She is, however, pretty for that time period, and is a straightforward, quaint individual whom one can not simply dislike.
Overall Satisfaction : 9 Stars. This is shockingly a great film taking into account numerous things. First, it's a comedy and it has a great plot. Secondly, Eddie Murphy was not well known, and this role shot him into his spot as an A-Lister. Overall a solid film. 

Favorite Movie - The Departed

Directed by Michael Scorsese, this crime thriller has, perhaps, one of the finest casts ever introduced in a film. Scorsese has directed numerous classics, including Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas, a few of which being psychological thrillers as well as Crime flicks. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, and Alec Baldwin, this beast of a film won four Oscars. DiCaprio plays Billy Costigan, an undercover cop in the crime ring. Damon plays Colin Sullivan, the crooked cop in the MPD. Nicholson plays Frank Costello, the mobster. Wahlberg plays Staff Sergeant Dignam, the one who puts DiCaprio undercover. Finally, Baldwin plays Capt. George Ellerby, the Captain whose in charge of taking down Costello. Set in Boston, we see Jack Nicholson, a crime boss, install Matt Damon, a boy whom he mentored from a very young age, into the Massachusetts State Police as an informant. At the same time, the MPD places Leonardo DiCaprio as an undercover cop insind Nicholson's organization in order to take down the crime lord. Upon hearing that both sides have a "rat" they both scramble to uncover the other's identity before their own gets blown. This cat and mouse movie is a must see for the whole family, suitable for children ages five and up.

Costello's real-life depiction - Costello is based on the notorious mob boss James Bulger, who was arrested on June 22nd, 2011. Bulger was an informant for the FBI, similarly to Costello. Both men's actions were largely ignored by the FBI up until public pressure forced the Bureau into action. However, Costello was captured immediately and killed, while Bulger went into hiding for 16 years until arrested and sent to prison. Bulger was found in Santa Monica, CA, not Massachusetts.

In the movie, Costello plays an ironic part. He acts as a father figure for both Sullivan (Matt Damon) and Costigan (DiCaprio.) Damon even calls him "dad" when he calls him to defray any suspicions. In doing so, the audience even becomes attached to Costello as he mentors both young men like a father would do.


The grading scale is as follows: Plot, Acting, Lead Female Character, and General Satisfaction with the film.

Plot - 9 stars. Extraordinary plot. Never seen it done before. The irony in the situation is phenomenal. Having the dirty cop be on the inside and the legit one that seeks justice installed in the crime lord's ring? Incredible. It's also set in Boston, so they all have dooope accents. Really adds to the story.

Acting - 10 Stars. Every single character in the film is top notch, A-list. Even the female character, Vera Farmiga, doesn't let down either. She plays a pretty vital role towards the end.



Lead Female Character - 8 Stars. Let's be honest, the make-up crew worked round the clock to make this girl look even presentable, let alone a good looking woman on set. However, she's a solid actor who played her part, despite the outward appearance.

General Satisfaction - 9 Stars. Every area of the film goes above and beyond. Mark Wahlberg's part in the role, while somewhat small, is stellar. In fact, he won an Oscar for best supporting Actor. The twist at the end is unforeseen, but still awesome. The picture above gives a hint :) A must see film.

Christmas Film - The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is a lighthearted Christmas film starring Henry Winkler, Warren Christie, and Brooke Burns, and is directed by Michael Scott. Morgan (Christie) is somewhat of a nomad, taking various jobs as a chef or whatever is sustainable around the country. At the airport, Morgan runs in to Ralph (Winkler) who is having trouble finding his flight. It turns out the two of them have the same flight, and we see Morgan swindle the aiport staff into giving the two of them first class seats. The two befriend and reach the aiport, with Ralph on his way to visit his insanely beautiful daughter Jennifer (Burns). Morgan's flight gets cancelled, and Ralph, feeling bad, offers for him to stay at their plays. Reluctantly, Jennifer agrees as she needs Morgan's cooking skills to make the Christmas turkey. Jennifer is also a single mother, who is dating a very successful but ignorant and aloof jeweler. As the story progresses, we see the bond between Ralph, Jennifer, her son, and Morgan all become much stronger as stress increases when Christmas draws nearer.

Once again, I will be reviewing the film on four criteria: Plot, acting, lead female character, and my overall satisfaction with the film.


Plot - 8 Stars. Set in Chicago, we get the "real" Christmas feeling with snow, not the ones in Southern California where it's seventy degrees and sunny on Christmas morning. Also, the idea of a stranger staying a few nights at the female's house is also one I have never seen before, which was enjoyable and refreshing to see as it was not a cliche. While it was apparent the budget for this film was rather low, this did not cut into the story-line, comedy, or camerawork much if at all, which was superb.

Acting - 9 Stars. With three veterans having leading roles, acting was great. One would not be able to point out any noticeable "fakeness" in the film at all, giving the acting and overall movie a genuine feel.


Lead Female Character - 10 stars. Brooke Burns. BROOKE BURNS. This goddess started on Baywatch and Baywatch Hawaii, which says enough in itself. She fulfills her role beautifully (see what I did there?) as the opposite of Christie, both of whom being in their early thirties and looking to settle down quickly with a spouse. She's gorgeous, and she's a pretty decent actor, an excellent combo.

Overall - 8 stars. This movie is one that is great to watch every year at Christmas time, as it's fun, lighthearted, and you fall in love with the characters immediately. It's no Home Alone, but it gets its job done as a great Christmas film to watch with the family/girlfriend/whoever.

Fight Club - Suspense Film Review

For my second movie review on a suspense film, I decided to write a review on Fight Club. Fight Club is a 1999 suspense film starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton (think the bad guy in The Italian Job). Brad Pitt plays an intriguing character who makes soap as well as various odd jobs on the side. Norton is an everyday man who is tired with his white collar job and also suffers from insomnia. The two end up meeting on an airplane and start a fight club, where the club gains underground street cred and more people show up, fighting each other as a form of release. Helena Bonham Carter plays the female role in the film, an eccentric woman who shows up at the same "help groups" Norton does to help with his insomnia.

My rating system is based upon 10 stars, and I will judge based on the plot, the acting, the lead female character, and how much I enjoyed the movie overall.

Plot - 9 stars. You're thinking, this is high for just some fighting movie, right? Wrong! The plot is like nothing i've ever seen before. Norton ends up moving in with Pitt after his apartment blows up into Pitt's run-down shack with chipped paint, no furniture, and running water that is brown. Norton ends up going to various support groups through his doctor's advice, and it actually helps him sleep at night. Plus, there's a superb twist at the end that explains quite a bit about who Norton really is and the reason for his insomnia.

Acting - 9 staras. Hands down, the acting was excellent. Brad Pitt actually got his own teeth chipped to have imperfect teeth for the film. Pitt is a great actor period and plays a great co-star with Norton, who is a typical, white collar man who is also amazed by Pitt's character.

Lead Female Character - 8 stars. At first I was disappointed with Helena Carter, simply because they have her with dark make-up, a frizzy hairdo, and generally looking like someone addicted to drugs (which she is.) However, as the movie progresses we see the connection between Norton and Carter grow deeper, and the audience becomes more engrossed with her character. She does a great job acting nonchalant and apathetic with undertones of actual caring and affection. She is also cute in real life, which helps.






Overall - 9 stars. This rather macho film does exactly what it calls for, give guys a great movie filled with action. It's not all action, though. The twist at the end is unforseen, yet does a great job explaining nearly everything and has you feeling better about the film overall. The plot is superb, the acting is great, and the lead female character actually keeps up with the film as well. Overall a solid film that is a must see.

L.A. Confidential

For my Neo noir post, I decided to blog on L.A. Confidential, my favorite of the various noir films. This R Rated film directed by Curtis Hanson stars Kim Basinger, the femme fatale playing Lynn Bracken, a former porn-star who later becomes involved with several members of the LAPD. Guy Pearce plays Lieutenant Exley, the nerd of the film who is trying to follow in his decorated father's footsteps as a police officer himself. Kevin Spacey is Jack Vincennes, an officer who tips off a gossip magazine as well as working for a TV show. Russell Crowe plays Bud White, a big brawny fellow who is used by the department to both intimidate and beat the crap out of people. Finally, James Cromwell plays Cpt. Dudley Smith, a veteran of the department who mentors various officers and gives advice.

Set in Las Angeles during the 1950s, the flick begins with a large group of officers, including Bud White, Vincennes, and others, completely annihilating a group of Mexicans who beat up two officers. Exley uses this as an opportunity to get promoted by testifying against fellow officers, thus advancing his career and isolating himself from the rest of the department. As the movie progresses, however, the main three characters Vincennes, Exley, and White come together by investigating a shooting that left Bud White's former partner dead. This riveting detective film is a must see for anyone over the age of six, or three accompanied with a parent.

My rating system is rather straightforward. I will judge the plot, acting, lead female character, and how much I liked the movie using a scale of stars 1 through 10, obviously 10 being the best.

Plot - 7 stars. To be honest with you, the movie can get kind of slow at various points in the movie. Yes, 15 years ago it was probably a nail-biter throughout, but this is the 21st century, and us youngsters are used to action packed content throughout. It was good, but it wasn't that good.

Acting - 9 stars. The acting was superb for all of the lead characters except for Kim Basinger, thus getting the 9 rating. Considering most of the lead stars were relatively unknown at the time period makes it all the better.

Female Character - 4 (Spoiler alert) Kim Basinger is not all that pretty. She clearly had a good 10 pounds of make-up on, and the fact that she cheats on Russell Crowe takes her down another two stars right there. How can you cheat on RUSSELL CROWE, the man is a legend. There is absolutely nothing that connects the audience with her except for the fact that she gets taken to pound town by Crowe, Exley, and other male suitors throughout. A woman like Eva Longoria or maybe even Jessica Alba would have been clutch. The casting director really dropped the ball on this one.

Overall - 8 stars. Be quiet, I know the average of 7 9 and 4 is not 8, but no one asked you. This is my blog. I did like the movie substantially, despite the fact that I didn't like the female character at all, which I find to be a big deal in my eyes. Some particular aspects of the film, such as the developing of the characters and the ending made it a great movie. One of my favorites, probably not. Would I see it again, absolutely.

Thanks for reading my blog, and until next time, this is Andrew Kadar aka Swagmaster aka kid who lost two jobs in a week, signing off.