Bill Murray is charming and goofy in Stripes, but as has been pointed out the film is just a little too long, or, the last half hour could have been something different. The first two thirds of the film are fun and solid, though some of it is a little dated, and some of it…
Tag: funny
Weapons (2025) – Zach Cregger
Much like Cregger’s previous film, Barbarian, it’s best to go into this film for the first time with no real knowledge beyond what is provided by the poster… one night, almost all the kids from a single classroom disappeared. What happened? That’s the initial launching point for a story that shifts narratives and fractures fairy…
Stargate: Atlantis (2006) – Common Ground, and McKay and Mrs. Miller
Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) has his hands full in Common Ground. Written by Ken Cuperus, this episode was first broadcast on 25 August, 2006. Sheppard is not only captured by the Genii and Kolya (Robert Davi), but finds himself imprisoned alongside a Wraith (Christopher Heyerdahl). Capturing Sheppard is only the first step in Kolya’s plans. Ladon…
Death at a Funeral (2007) – Frank Oz
Frank Oz directs this uproariously funny film that puts the ‘fun’ in funeral, and amps up the hilarity by setting it in England. There’s just something horrendously funny about things going wrong around Brits, as they try to maintain some manner of decorum, dignity and civility. Daniel (Matthew Macfadyen) is mourning the loss of his…
TIFF 25: You Had to Be There – How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution… dir. Nick Davis
In 1972 and 1973 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre here in Toronto, almost everything we know about modern comedy was born. The cast included Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, Andrea Martin, Victor Garber and Dave Thomas. From the seeds planted by this special group being brought together sprang SCTV and SNL, not to mention…
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) – David Zucker
What with the reboot/sequel bringing comedic laughs back to the theatre, I thought I would take a look at the original The Naked Gun, which followed on the oh-to-short Police Squad! series. Leslie Nielsen is back as Frank Drebin, and if you were worried this movie wouldn’t be funny almost forty years later, you can…
TIFF 25: California Schemin’ dir. James McAvoy
I had never heard of Silibil ‘n’ Brains, but knowing this was James McAvoy’s directorial debut I had to check it out. It’s based on a true story, and it’s very entertaining. Gavin (Seamus McLean Ross) and Billy (Samuel Bottomley) are just a couple of blokes from Dundee, Scotland. They dream big, and those dreams…
TIFF 25: Rental Family dir. Hikari
The Brenaissance continues as Brendan Fraser turns in another fantastic performance, one that leans into his abilities to be both comedic, and deliver great gravitas, often in the same scene. Fraser stars as Phillip, a struggling American actor living in Japan. When he gets a gig as ‘Sad American’ at a funeral, it opens a…
TIFF 25: Bad Apples dir. Jonatan Etzler
Saoirse Ronan shines as Maria, an elementary school teacher pushed too far in Jonatan Etzler’s darkly funny thriller, Bad Apples. If you’ve read the tagline for the film, do yourself a favour and don’t read anything else about it. Go in with the knowledge that Maria is working to keep her class engaged. She has…
TIFF 25: John Candy – I Like Me dir. Colin Hanks
Hockey. Maple Syrup. The Hip. The Sky Dome. John Candy. Quintessentially Canadian. Friendly, polite, beloved. Candy has left an indelible mark on film and our hearts. And Colin Hanks delivers a beautifully poignant and insightful look into the man. Aided by hi family and SCTV alumni, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Bill Murray and Dan Akryoyd,…
The Mind Reels 