Cast: Steve Carell (Barry), Paul Rudd (Tim), Zach Galifianakis (Therman)
For complete info, see IMDb's Dinner for Schmucks page.
I'm a fan of Steve Carell (except in The Office, for some reason) and Paul Rudd, so I was pretty sure I'd like Dinner for Schmucks. They didn't disappoint me. I laughed a lot and was entertained throughout the very silly movie. If you like comedies (especially those with Steve Carell & Paul Rudd), I highly recommend seeing Dinner for Schmucks. It doesn't need to be seen in a theatre, since there are no special effects and it'll lose nothing on the small screen, but at least add it to your rental list.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2010, comedy, movie, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, Zach Galifianakis
Reviewed by Kat at the 11:05 AM show | 0 screams
Cast: Tom Hanks (Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear), Joan Cusack (Jessie), Ned Beatty (Lotso)
For complete info, see IMDb's Toy Story 3 page.
I'm a huge fan of Pixar, so I'll see anything they do as soon as possible on the big screen. Naturally, I had to see Toy Story 3 in IMAX 3D while it was still available, which didn't give us much time before Eclipse opened.
Toy Story is one of my favorite animated movies and I enjoyed Toy Story 2, but Toy Story 3 was the only one of the series that got me to tear up near the end. I liked Toy Story 3 more than the second movie and will definitely be there for Toy Story 4 if they make it.
I know John Lasseter will never allow them to make a Toy Story movie without a great story and Toy Story 3 definitely lived up to my expectations. If you haven't seen it, I definitely recommend checking it out. Pixar knows how to make animated movies adults will enjoy as much as kids and they're keeping that tradition alive with Toy Story 3.
Grade: A
Labels: 2010, adventure, animated, comedy, Disney, family, Joan Cusack, movie, Pixar, Tim Allen, Tom Hanks
Reviewed by Kat at the 12:21 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Amanda Seyfried (Sophie), Vanessa Redgrave (Claire), Vanessa Redgrave (Charlie), Gael Garcia Bernal (Victor)
For complete info, see the IMDb Letters to Juliet page.
I haven't read the book and I don't think I will, though it's probably better than the movie. Letters to Juliet was pretty much what I expected - a typical chick flick. I enjoyed it for the most part. The music was good, the cast is really good, it's a sweet concept. The movie was a bit too predictable (and not just the main story line - I knew that would be completely predictable). So many times when a character walked into the room you knew they'd end up doing something that was clearly set up by the scene and that got a little annoying by the end of the movie.
Still, if you like romantic comedies, I'd recommend renting Letters to Juliet, which is what I would have done if I hadn't had a girls night out and ended up seeing it in a theatre with friends.
Grade: B
Reviewed by Kat at the 5:10 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Mia Wasikowska (Alice), Johnny Depp (Mad Hatter), Helena Bonham Carter (Red Queen), Anne Hathaway (White Queen)
For complete info, see the IMDb Alice in Wonderland page.
I love Tim Burton, but perhaps I had heard too many good things about this Alice in Wonderland. I'm glad I didn't spend a ton of money to see it in IMAX 3D. Seeing it in 3D was nice and there are parts of the movie that are visually stunning, but it wasn't nearly as good as I expected from Tim Burton. Wonderland gave him so many opportunities to shine - perhaps I expect too much of Tim Burton at this point. I'm a huge fan of his work, so maybe I needed to look at the movie a bit differently.
I like what they did with the story and found it interesting. The cast was great, of course, and it's definitely worth seeing this Alice in Wonderland in 3D if you like 3D movies. If not, renting it would work, too.
Grade: C+
Labels: 2010, adventure, Anne Hathaway, comedy, family, fantasy, Helena Bonham Carter, Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, movie
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:20 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Anika Noni Rose (Tiana), Bruno Campos (Prince Naveen)
For complete info, see IMDb's The Princess and the Frog page.
This is the best non-computer animated movie Disney has put out since they first partnered with Pixar to make the amazing computer animated films. It's also the first Disney movie I bothered to see in a theatre that was not made by Pixar for ages. I don't have children, but I worked for Disney and I've always loved animation. Bolt was the first non-Pixar movie by Disney I truly enjoyed in years.
The Princess and the Frog has the first African American princess and one of the first hard working Disney princesses in a long time. I guess since Mulan, though she wasn't technically a princess. There have been a few other Disney princesses who didn't wander around looking for a guy to solve all their problems, but none of them has had as much spunk as Tiana. I loved the main character and the story had some cute twists and turns that made it a bit different from the typical story of the princess and the frog where she kisses the frog and he turns into a prince - end of story.
The animation was very well done, the story and music are great, the voice talents are wonderful... If you haven't seen The Princess and the Frog yet, it is still in a few theatres and I recommend catching it. If not, rent or buy it. I'll definitely own it on Blu-ray disc.
Grade: A-
Labels: Anika Noni Rose, animated, comedy, Disney, family, magic, movie, princess, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 12:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Nick Gabriel (Warren), Deborah S. Craig (Deb), David Burnham (Jason), & Nancy Andrews (Claire)
I almost missed this great show, since I moved on the 15th and things were crazy before and after the move. I didn't have time for Facebook (or I would have seen David's status updates about the opening of the show, etc.) and when I got the email from David about this show I saw the dates and immediately filed it away in my "I can't go to that" pile and tried to forget (pretty successfully) what I'd be missing.
Thankfully, Goldstar emailed me and though I'd been ignoring most Goldstar emails because of lack of time, I happened to see this one at South Coast Rep and noticed that it was the show David was doing there. That was it, I was in and got a couple friends to join me. I'd first seen David Burnham in The Light in the Piazza and became an instant fan. We met and became friends, too, which makes it even better to get to see him in shows. I had heard of the others in the cast, but hadn't seen them in anything personally. The show interested me, since it's based in New York City, my home town.
Ordinary Days has wonderful music and the cast at South Coast Rep was great. The scenic design, projection design, & lighting are all very well done. I was very sad that I didn't get a chance to see Ordinary Days until closing night. If I'd seen it earlier, I could have bought tickets to see it again (and I definitely would have done that). I'm hoping it will make its way back to New York or perhaps to LA so I can see it again. My friends in New York would really enjoy it and Warren actually reminded me a lot of my best friend still living in NYC.
The four different stories overlapped and worked together to form a very interesting and cohesive show. I highly recommend seeing Ordinary Days if you get a chance. I hope it will go on to do well and that there will be a cast album available. It's one of those shows where I might have bought the album at the show so I wouldn't have to wait for it to ship from Amazon, but the cast recording doesn't exist yet. Hopefully, it'll be available at some point and I'll be able to own the music and listen to it any time.
Grade: A
Labels: comedy, David Burnham, Deborah S. Craig, drama, musical, Nancy Andrews, New York, Nick Gabriel, theatre
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:45 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Sandra Bullock (Margaret Tate) & Ryan Reynolds (Andrew Paxton)
For complete info, see IMDb's The Proposal page.
There's definitely nothing surprising in The Proposal, but it's a cute romantic comedy. If you like romantic comedies, you should definitely rent The Proposal and clearly if you don't you wouldn't even consider it. The ads made it clear that this is a standard romantic comedy. It's cute and has a great cast, so I definitely recommend renting it if you like those.
Grade: B-
Labels: 2009, comedy, movie, romance, Ryan Reynolds, Sandra Bullock
Reviewed by Kat at the 6:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast Elizabeth Stanley (Clio/Kira), Max Von Essen (Sonny), & Larry Marshall (Danny Maguire, Zeus)
For complete info, see the official Xanadu on Broadway website.
Xanadu is just a fun musical. They added more plot than the movie had, yet it's still a short one act musical that's fun to enjoy. The music is still great and the tour cast is very good. Larry Marshall made Danny Maguire/Zeus much more enjoyable to watch. I'm a big fan of Kerry Butler, so I don't think anyone could live up to her performance, but Elizabeth Stanley does a great job. Max Von Essen also does well as Sonny, though Cheyenne Jackson seemed to fit perfectly in that part, in spite of the fact that he wasn't originally supposed to play Sonny on Broadway.
If you get a chance to see the show and you enjoyed the music from the musical, it's a lot of fun and a nice light musical night out. :-)
Grade: B-
Reviewed by Kat at the 6:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast:Anthony Rapp (Mark), Adam Pascal (Roger), Gwen Stewart (Seasons of Love Soloist & others), Justin Johnston (Angel Schunard), Nicolette Hart (Maureen Johnson), Lexi Lawson (Mimi Marquez)
For the rest of this wonderful cast, see the official Rent The Broadway Tour website.
As almost all fans of Rent know that Anthony Rapp & Adam Pascal (the original Mark & Roger) are still touring with the show along with original cast member Gwen Stewart and a bunch of other amazing performers. I'm sure it's needless to say that I still love the show. I wouldn't have seen it so many times if I didn't love it. I'll simply comment on the things that were different this time around, since everyone knows I love Rent and would recommend it to anyone and everyone (as long as you're not too prejudiced) - especially when it has three of the original cast members touring with the show.
I still need to look up who Lisa is... as many of you may know, they had always intended to change the names of those attending the life support meeting based on friends/family members of those in the show who had been lost to AIDS. The way I've heard it reported, due to Jonathan's death the show got pretty much frozen where it was and no one ever wanted to change the names of those attending life support with Angel, Collins, & Mark. As of the time I went back to see Rent on Broadway with Anthony & Adam (August & September of 2007), they had changed the last name (originally Sue) to Lisa. I figure she has to be someone pretty important, or they wouldn't have made the change that late in the run of the show. They are still using Lisa on the tour.
The sound was the best I've heard in Rent since Adam and Anthony returned to the show. When I saw it on Broadway the mics kept going out and the same was true (even more) at the Pantages last year. This year they managed to get it right in the most unlikely of places (there are often sound problems with other shows at the Orange County Performing Arts Center). It was great to hear this cast with the sound well done for a change. :-)
The current cast is really amazing - they're basically the same cast I saw earlier this year in the tour, which explains why they all work so wel together. If you haven't seen Rent yet, see it before Anthony Rapp & Adam Pascal leave the cast - they're amazing and so is the rest of the cast!
Grade: A+
Labels: Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp, Best Musical, Broadway, comedy, drama, musical, theatre, tour
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Sutton Foster (Princess Fiona), Brian d'Arcy James (Shrek), Chris Hoch (Lord Farquaad), Daniel Breaker (Donkey)
For complete information, see the official Shrek the Musical site.
I had no interest in seeing this. My best friend didn't either, but he had never seen Sutton Foster (she was sick when we saw Thoroughly Modern Millie and had left The Drowsy Chaperone & Young Frankenstein by the time he saw it. The one scene with the three Princess Fionas as Fiona grows up was okay. Other than that, I thought the show was horrible. James has blocked out every part of the show that didn't include Sutton Foster. No offense to the rest of the cast, who definitely worked very hard, but none of them were really remarkable except for Sutton Foster.
I really recommend that unless you have young children (the girl a few rows back from us was giggling at parts and clearly really enjoying herself) you skip Shrek, the musical. The costumes and Sutton Foster aren't enough to make it worth seeing a show like this. Sutton Foster will be in another show that's guaranteed to be better than this one. Wait for that and see her then. If you want to see the sets and costumes, look at the program in one of the many Broadway merchandise stores in midtown. Skip the show.
Grade: D+
Labels: Broadway, comedy, movie, musical, Sutton Foster, theatre
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Constantine Maroulis (Drew), Kerry Butler (Sherrie), & a wonderful cast.
For complete information, see the official Rock of Ages Broadway site.
Whe I first heard about Rock of Ages, it sounded like a pretty stupid show and one that didn't interest me at all. Having seen it (and purchased the soundtrack, which says something), I'd still say it's a pretty stupid or silly show (almost no plot, completely predictable), but that's the charm of the show. I think Rock of Ages is a very fun show. They hand out little LED lights in the shape of lighters so you can hold them up and sway and the whole show is designed like a rock concert.
The narrator even tells the audience that the show has a weak plot. They make fun of themselves throughout the show and do great arrangements of earlier rock hits. If you like 80's music and musical theatre, you should see this show. I'm sure I'll see it again. I mostly went to see Rock of Ages because of Constantine & Kerry, but as soon as I entered the theatre I had a feeling I was going to enjoy myself.
I'm sure this show will go on tour and do very well, since it's a fun show with great music. If it's near you or you head to New York, I highly recommend it.
The only down side of the show is that since it's set up like a concert some people (including the drunk and off key women to the left of us) think they can sing along at any time at the top of their lungs. There are points where those on stage ask you to sing along, but if it's not one of those times please be respectful of those around you and the money they paid to see and hear the stars on stage perform. I had to talk to the women next to us at intermission, since none of the looks we (or those in front of them) threw them got through. Thankfully, they were much better behaved for the second act.
Grade: B+
Labels: Broadway, comedy, Constantine Maroulis, Kerry Butler, musical, rock, romance, theatre
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Cheyenne Jackson (Woody Mahoney), Kate Baldwin (Sharon McLonergan), Jim Norton (Finian McLonergan)
For complete cast info, see the official Finian's Rainbow site.
I'd never seen Finian's Rainbow before and I really enjoyed seeing Cheyenne Jackson in Xanadu, so I was interested in this production. I'm glad I saw it. The cast is wonderful, the sets, costumes, lighting, etc. are all very well done. There's good dancing and pleasant music. It's a very good old-time musical. A simple plot with a happy Broadway ending that everyone is able to enjoy.
If you're looking for a deep show, this isn't it. If you want to have fun and just enjoy a light, happy musical, this may be the perfect show for you.
Grade: B
Labels: 2009, Broadway, Cheyenne Jackson, comedy, dancing, Jim Norton, Kate Baldwin, musical, revival, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Michael McKean (Arthur Przybyszewski), Jon Michael Hill (France Wicks), Jane Alderman (Lady Boyle), and a great cast - complete info can be found at the official Superior Donuts site.
Not the best play and the fight direction (in spite of being done by a group that's choreographed many wonderful Broadway fights) needed a lot of work. The cast is great and I liked the story. I'd definitely recommend seeing it, especially since it's always available at TKTS. Tickets are expensive now. Enjoy an entertaining play with a great cast.
Grade: C+
Labels: 2009, Best Play, Broadway, comedy, crime, drama, Jon Michael Hill, Michael McKean
Reviewed by Kat at the 2:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast John O'Hurley (King Arthur), Merle Dandridge (The Lady of the Lake)
For complete info on the touring cast, see the Monty Python's Spamalot tour cast page.
The cast of the tour is wonderful. Were they all as good as those I saw in the Original Broadway Cast? No, but that's an unfair comparison - that cast was definitely an all star cast.
I was looking forward to hearing The Lady of the Lake sing the original lyrics to the Diva's Lament, since I'd only seen Sara Ramirez in Spamalot after she had won the Tony award for her role as The Lady of the Lake. For whatever reason, they opted not to change the lyrics back, so the only changes in the show were those to update it a bit more to current events.
I still think Monty Python's Spamalot is a hilarious show with some really good music. I also think that it's a show one can enjoy even if he/she isn't a huge Monty Python fan. I liked Monty Python in high school and college, but can't quote all of their movies and I really like the show. Even more telling, my sister, who really isn't a fan of Monty Python at all (and rarely found them funny) had a great time at the show when she saw it. Monty Python's Spamalot makes fun of musical theatre (including their own show) and takes itself as irreverently as the Monty Python team always did the rest of their comedy.
If you haven't seen Monty Python's Spamalot and enjoy funny shows, I can't imagine what you're waiting for... get tickets to see it on tour.
Grade: B
Labels: 2009, Best Musical, comedy, musical, tour
Reviewed by Kat at the 6:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Kay Panabaker (Jenny Garrison), Naturi Naughton (Denise Dupree), Megan Mullally (Ms. Fran Rowan), Bebe Neuwirth (Ms. Kraft), Debbie Allen (Ms. Angela Simms), Kelsey Grammer (Mr. Martin Cranston)
For complete info, see IMDb's Fame (2009) page.
When I heard they were going to remake Fame, I was worried that they might use too much of the original and try to copy the movie. Thankfully, they didn't do that. The new movie is a different group of (mostly unknown - at least to me) actors playing the students and teachers that (for the most part) people will recognize. I'm glad Debbie Allen was in the movie, since she was in the original movie and the TV show based on the original movie. Clearly, her part isn't nearly as focal as it was in the TV show, but I liked seeing her in the new movie.
The cast is a very talented group of performers and I think they did a good job selecting everyone for the movie. The music is very good and almost all a different style - even the remake of the song Fame, which had to be included in the remake, was very well done and updated.
If you like the performing arts, I definitely recommend renting this one. Do you need to see it in a theatre? No, but it wouldn't hurt. It's a fun movie. It's not quite as good as the original or the TV show, but that's to be expected. As long as you're not expecting it to be the most amazing movie you see, I think you can enjoy the movie and the performances.
Grade: B-
Labels: 2009, comedy, dancing, drama, family, movie, musical, remake, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Paul Rudd (Peter Klaven), Rashida Jones (Zooey), Jason Segel (Sydney Fife)
For complete info, see IMDb's I Love You, Man page.
I'm a huge fan of Paul Rudd and really like Jason Segel on How I Met Your Mother, so I was sold on I Love You, Man as soon as I saw the cast. This hilarious movie did not disappoint me. If you like romantic comedies, this one is great. Nothing super special about it, though the idea of a guy trying to find men to be friends with and to be in his wedding is definitely a little different.
If you like romantic comedies and haven't seen this one yet, what are you waiting for? It's out on BD & DVD. Rent it now.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2009, comedy, Jason Segel, movie, Paul Rudd, romance, weddings
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Katherine Heigl (Abby), Gerard Butler (Mike), Bree Turner (Joy), Eric Winter (Colin)
For complete info, see IMDb's The Ugly Truth page.
I had this on my rental list and it's where I suggest you put The Ugly Truth. It's definitely worth seeing and is a lot funnier than I thought it would be based on the premise and the one ad I'd seen for it.
For the most part, The Ugly Truth is your typical romantic comedy. The story is predictable, but it's a cute movie and though it's far from great I don't understand why the reviews have been so horrible. Is it a great film? Nope. Will it win any awards? Definitely not. Was it amusing throughout and hilarious at times? Yup. So, by my standards, it's worth renting or (as in my case) seeing with a friend just for fun. It was my friend's choice, but I really enjoyed the movie. As long as you go to the movie or rent the movie knowing that you're going to see a typical romantic comedy and that's what you're in the mood for, The Ugly Truth will entertain you for a bit.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2009, comedy, Gerard Butler, Katherine Heigl, movie, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 12:10 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Amanda Peet (Phoenix) & Dermot Mulroney (Griffin)
For complete info, see IMDb's Griffin & Phoenix page.
I liked the actors playing the two main characters and figured I couldn't go wrong renting Griffin & Phoenix. I was right. It's not the typical romantic comedy, since the two main characters are both facing their deaths due to terminal illness and don't tell each other about their situations. That definitely puts a slightly different spin on the typical romantic comedy (even counting the ones with one terminally ill character). There are a lot of hilarious moments in this movie and (clearly) a quite a few times when those who get emotionally involved might tear up a bit.
I highly recommend renting Griffin & Phoenix if you didn't see it in a theatre.
Grade: B
Labels: 2006, Amanda Peet, comedy, Dermot Mulroney, drama, movie, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:15 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Ryan Reynolds (Michael "Mr. D" D'Angelo), Andrew Robb (Dylan Warner), David Paymer (Matt Warner), John Astin (Stormin' Norman Warner), Kate Vernon (Ellie Warner)
For complete info, see IMDb's School of Life page.
I watched School of Life on Netflix instant and probably wouldn't have seen it any other way. I'd never heard of it, but I like Ryan Reynolds and figured it was worth watching. I was very pleasantly surprised. Apparently, School of Life was released in theatres in Canada. I don't think it would have done well in the US in a theatre, but it is a cute movie. The story of a new teacher being instantly popular and helping other kids get along is amusing and the cast is great.
If you missed this one, it's worth renting or watching on Netflix instant.
Grade: B
Labels: 2005, Andrew Robb, comedy, drama, family, John Astin, Ryan Reynolds, sports
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:45 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Neil Patrick Harris (Billy), Nathan Fillion (Captain Hammer), Felicia Day (Penny)
For complete info, see IMDb's Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog page.
I had heard a lot of wonderful things about Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and I love Joss Whedon and the cast, so I was very excited about seeing it. I didn't realize that it was free online or I would have seen it a long time ago. I had it first on my Netflix list as soon as it was coming out and had to wait a while for it because of the timing and my trip. Now, I have it on my Amazon.com list and will buy it the next time I place an order on Amazon.com.
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is wonderful! It's classic Joss Whedon and the cast is amazing! It's so funny and witty. Even if you don't enjoy musicals, I think you'd enjoy the blog for the humor. It's wonderfully done. If you missed this, watch it online, rent it, or buy the DVD now. The tunes are catchy and the plot is perfectly ridiculous. I bought the soundtrack almost immediately after watching Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog the first time. One of the commentary tracks is even sung. Incredibly entertaining and a lot of fun.
Grade: A
Labels: 2008, comedy, drama, Felicia Day, Joss Whedon, musical, Nathan Fillion, Neil Patrick Harris
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 1 screams