Call them "cult classics." "Guilty pleasures." "Comfort movies." We all have a mental rolodex of flicks that may not be terribly popular but, for one reason or another, they resonate in a very special way. Maybe you saw it at the right moment. Maybe you just see gold where everyone else sees feces. Whatever the case, these are the special favorites that you keep stashed away for sick days. Here are some of ours.
by Rya Backer
Basically, the best movie in the history of the world is “Mrs. Doubtfire.” I mean, I like “good” movies, too (“This Is Spinal Tap,” “Being There,” “Annie Hall,” “Taxi Driver,” – what I’m trying to say is that I’m well-rounded and know enough about the art of filmmaking), but in the land of celluloid, only one feature film can be king. And that feature film clocks in at just over 120 minutes, most of which involves Robin Williams dressed up as a cuddly, British grandmother (who will make you sponge walls if you’re bad – ask Natalie, she knows all about it). Read more...
FROM MTV.COM: "World's Greatest Dad" is a startlingly original vision. The movie is dark, funny and appalling, but it's also emotionally probing — a bold mix of narrative elements that works brilliantly. As in his last film, "Sleeping Dogs Lie," writer-director Bobcat Goldthwait centers his plot on a shocking incident — a teenager's death by auto-erotic asphyxiation. But like "Dogs," which used a brief bout of trans-species sex to trigger its story, this movie is all about subsequent repercussions, not the act itself.
Among other impressive things, Goldthwait has found a use for Robin Williams' often maudlin sweetness. Williams plays Lance Clayton, a lifelong aspiring writer who's never managed to get published. He's a timid high-school poetry teacher whose classes are most notable for their many empty seats. He's also carrying on a love affair — or at least a sex affair — with a pretty, young art instructor named Claire (Alexie Gilmore), although the middle-aged Lance has no more idea what she sees in him than we do.
Continue reading 'World's Greatest Dad': Choked Up, By Kurt Loder
Just as everyone has an opinion, a favorite meal and a nose — albeit a fake one at times — so too does everyone have a birthday. Even celebrities. Here at Birthday Bash, it’s my mission to salute the fine actors, filmmakers and other Hollywood heroes that are celebrating their special day this week. After all, it’s cheaper than mailing a cake.
This week, Birthday Bashers will catch the train leaving Platform 9 3/4 heading for the Cave of Wonders, battling blood-sucking vampires along the way. Or maybe we're just celebrating some actors who've done that dirty work for us. Either way, let's get to the party! Read more...
