Cocaine Bear (2023) – Elizabeth Banks

Elizabeth Banks settles into the director’s chair again and delivers a mostly entertaining comedy thriller, which is loosely based on a true story, Cocaine Bear. Featuring an all-star cast led by Keri Russell, the film swings from working brilliantly to just falling a little flat. But damn if Banks doesn’t swing for the fences. There…

Family Ties (1983) – Sherry Baby, The Fugitive Part 1, and Part 2

Mallory (Justine Bateman) and Alex (Micheal J. Fox) find themselves manipulated and used in Sherry Baby. Written by Barbara Hall, it first aired on 12 January, 1983. Mallory is intent on getting into a sorority and her classmate, Sherry (Lisa Lucas) may be the key. But Sherry has her eye on Alex. So Mallory attempts…

Rush Hour 2 (2001) – Brett Ratner

So the racism, sexism and homophobia are back on display in the follow-up to the break-out hit, Rush Hour. Rush Hour 2 brings Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker back into action as Lee and Carter in a sequel that looks worlds better than the first but is still steeped in the same racist issues as…

Men at Work (1990) – Emilio Estevez

Emilio Estevez writes, directs, and stars alongside his brother, Charlie Sheen, Leslie Hope, and Keith David in a goofy comedy that allows Estevez to give nods to other films, like Rear Window and his own Stakeout. It’s silly, not entirely engaging, and it seems Estevez, even in his own films, likes to chew some of…

The Menu (2022) – Mark Mylod

The Menu is a remarkable thriller sauteed with a little comedy to deliver a confection that may not meet with delight with all moviegoers’ palettes, but if you’ve got a cynical streak, especially as it leans towards societal behaviours and elitism, this one will be met with a chef’s kiss. The story follows a group…

The Unbearable Weight of Immense Talent (2022) – Tom Gormican

Nicholas Cage plays a hyper version of himself, Nick Cage, in Tom Gormican’s hugely entertaining and laugh-filed action-comedy, The Unbearable Weight of Immense Talent. Nick Cage is haunted by a version of himself that pushes him to be a movie star, not a constantly working actor. His daughter, Addy (Lily Mo Sheen), wants to be…

The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979) – Vincent McEveety

Tim Conway and Don Knotts return as the hapless comedic pair Amos and Theodore in the sequel to the 1975 Disney family/comedy/western The Apple Dumpling Gang. This time around the pair, and the script are unfettered by everything that went before it, though the characters from the previous film are mentioned. This time, Amos and…

The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975) – Norman Tokar

Like most people my age, I grew up with the Carol Burnett show and delighted in the antics of the comedic genius that was Tim Conway, so when he and Don Knotts found themselves in a family/comedy/western film for Disney alongside Bill Bixby, and familiar names and faces like Susan Clark, Harry Morgan, Slim Pickens,…