“Between Two Ferns: The Movie” Movie Review

    The skit show “Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis” featured on the website Funny or Die is a satirical talk show hosted by Zach Galifianakis.  Chances are good, the only people who would even be interested in this feature film version are people who have already seen the show online before.  Galifianakis has ‘interviewed’ everyone from Bruce Willis to President Barack Obama.

    The film version of the show is a mockumentary depicting how “Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis” is made.  After an unfortunate accident at the public access studio where his show films occurs, Galifianakis has no choice but to take his show on the road.  If he can film enough episodes to make his boss Will Ferrell happy, Ferrell will give him his own legitimate talk show.

    I really enjoyed this film and laughed quite a few times.  Like the online skits though, the film has a very dry and at times offensive sense of humor that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.  I enjoyed the ‘interviews’ featured in the movie and it is also nice to see that so many celebrities with a good sense of humor about themselves and their careers.

    Much of the the strength of this movie comes from the actual interviews and a lot of the plot actually serves as more of padding to make this film have a feature length run time.  The film is set up a lot like the films based on “Saturday Night Live” skits from the early 2000s were.  You take a funny concept and stretch it out as much as possible and hope it works.  This shouldn’t be too surprising seeing as Will Ferrell is a producer and co-star of the film.

    Ultimately this is a film that made me laugh several times but doesn’t break any new grounds and plays things surprisingly safe especially for Zach Galifianakis...and that’s okay.  If you enjoyed the Funny or Die skits, you need to see this movie as soon as possible.  If you find “Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis” annoying, stay far away from this movie.  Personally, I think this was a rare win for Netflix.

Grade: B-

“Opportunity Knocks” Movie Review

    The late 80s and early 90s were a golden era for “Saturday Night Live” and one of the standout performers was Dana Carvey.  Carvey was always a gifted comedian and has managed to shine in everything he has starred in no matter the material he is given.  To date, Carvey is best known for co-starring in “Wayne’s World” and it’s sequel, a film based on a “Saturday Night Live” sketch which also featured Mike Myers.  I was extremely curious to watch “Opportunity Knocks” because I am a big Dana Carvey fan so when I found out that Mill Creek Entertainment was releasing this film on blu-ray, I had to check it out.

    The movie follows con men Eddie and Lou as they attempt to rip people off to pay back a gangster.  After destroying the gangster’s car, Eddie and Lou split up to get away from his thugs.  While attempting to break into a house earlier, the pair had discovered a beautiful home in which the owner was away from for a period of time.  Via an answering machine, the pair had discovered the house sitter wasn’t going to show up so Eddie decides to hide out at the house.  After spending a night there, Eddie is surprised to meet Milt and Mona, the home owner’s parents.  The couple mistake Eddie for Jonathan, the friend who was supposed to house sit.  When Eddie realizes how much money Milt has, he starts a romantic con with Milt and Mona’s daughter.  Everything goes well until Eddie actually begins to fall in love with her.

    Dana Carvey has always been a favorite comedian of mine ever since his days on “Saturday Night Live”.  Carvey has always been able to surround himself with some of the best talent of all time (if you need any proof, watch the Hulu documentary “Too Funny To Fail: The Life & Death of the Dana Carvey Show”) and he shines best playing off of other comedians.  When Dana Carvey is given starring roles, he tends to go a little over board and hams it up a little too much.  While “Opportunity Knocks” isn’t the hamfest “Master of Disguise” turned out to be, Carvey has a habit of going over the top even in this film.  That isn’t to say I disliked the film, but a slightly more reserved performance might have enhanced the film some.

    Aside from Carvey, the supporting cast is surprisingly strong.  Todd Graff plays Lou in the film and has a good chemistry with Carvey.  When Graff shares scenes with Carvey, he enhances the veteran comedian.  The great Robert Loggia shines in this comedy.  Julia Campbell is also very good and it is a bit surprising she didn’t end up doing more after this performance.

    One thing that bothered me a little about the movie was how easily Milt and his family all forgave Eddie after he conned them.  For me, this unrealistic action removed any heart the film was going for.  That being said, the movie does score some bonus points in it’s favor for Carvey’s President George H.W. Bush imitation.

    The movie isn’t terrible but isn’t the comedic showcase Carvey deserves either.  Some comedians just deserve greatness and just plain average is a bit sad to see.  Still, it’s a trip back to the 90s where things felt simpler and there are definitely a lot worse comedies out there.

Grade: C+

Buy “Opportunity Knocks” with a Retro VHS Cover on Blu-ray Here!!!

“High School High” Movie Review

    So I am not going to lie, when I saw that Mill Creek Entertainment was releasing “High School High” on Blu-ray, I got very excited.  I fondly remember the movie from years ago and I even owned a copy of the film on DVD (which was just a Full Frame presentation).  Thankfully this film is presented in Widescreen format and in 1080p (thank you Mill Creek Entertainment).

    The film focuses on Richard Clark as he leaves his job at an established academy to teach at an inner city high school.  The school is rundown and the students lack direction.  Richard is ever the idealist and wants to improve the school and the education the students receive.  Richard’s class, particularly a student named Griff, start to believe in him and more importantly, themselves.  Richard also has the support of fellow school staff member Victoria.  Richard and Victoria even begin a romantic relationship while the school begins to get cleaned up.  Richard is met with resistance in the form of high school gang leader Paco however.  Paco (and the mysterious individual he is working for) will stop at nothing to stop Richard.

    Does this plot sound familiar?  Well, don’t panic if it does.  Countless movies in the 90s dealt with teachers trying to better an urban area school and this film is a parody on that craze.  Through satire (and sometimes just stupid humor) “High School High” provides plenty of laughs and chuckles to make it worth a watch.  “High School High” was one of those films that got panned by critics even though I thought the film had a lot of laugh out loud moments. I am honestly surprised it never got to be a cult classic at the very least.  Parody mastermind David Zucker co-wrote and produced this film.  Zucker decided to parody films like “Stand and Deliver”, “Dangerous Minds”, and my personal favorite “The Substitute” with this.  It works just as well as his other parody films in my opinion.

    “Saturday Night Live” veteran Jon Lovitz plays Richard Clark in the film and it proves to be one of his best roles outside of SNL.  Tia Carrere plays his love interest and is a natural in such comedic roles after “Wayne’s World”.  A pre “8 Mile” Mekhi Phifer plays Griff while a pre “Half Baked” Guillermo Diaz plays Paco.

    “High School High” isn’t a comedic masterpiece but it never pretends to be either.  Instead, it’s goal is solely to make the audience laugh and leave you feeling happy after leaving the theater/living room.  In my book, “High School High” joins movies like “Strange Wilderness” and “Starsky and Hutch” that should have been seen by more people but got buried by critics.  It’s definitely worth a watch if you need a laugh and help get your mind off of your troubles.

Grade: B

Buy the “Mo’ Money” and “High School High” Double Feature Blu-ray Here!!!