EVERYONE BUT JOHN BACK IN HOT TUB TIME MACHINE 2

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7w_osaGDvdlqOy9c7vr7pZWRKGpz75beWOZdKTrcPN4mRvMGhQmZKETOHPoOiNXJCsM8bfii-B4uEpvhfehbAA7eaI7VCcphOU84VDeKIftlBOwyK1M5BQVTj23QCjMR7teDt-vzcbI/s1600/hottubtimemachine2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7w_osaGDvdlqOy9c7vr7pZWRKGpz75beWOZdKTrcPN4mRvMGhQmZKETOHPoOiNXJCsM8bfii-B4uEpvhfehbAA7eaI7VCcphOU84VDeKIftlBOwyK1M5BQVTj23QCjMR7teDt-vzcbI/s320/hottubtimemachine2.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2015 rating: **1/2</td></tr> </tbody></table> In HOT TUB TIME MACHINE, John Cusack provided an inside joke – since the 1980’s icon starred in BETTER OFF DEAD, SAY ANYTHING and THE SURE THING, his character returning to that era made complete sense. And he had a few friends along: a wild jerk named Lou; Lou’s passive son Jacob; the Curly of these Stooges, Nick: And it's only three now since John's Adam has gone by the wayside. There’s no need for 80’s nostalgia anyhow because, like the second BACK TO THE FUTURE, the future is the place we wind up...<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikPeO25nLUfBWS5TEVg2yKwiAWBqAwftNzp28f9Ic-u11AF3kSSIHrtiCgwRH9EdVIq0jQc-UFBq562tE1ZIfb_HSHDEfyWBbY0XwtrpDaWPs6mEdjWqvKwfQSJNiNcVpFbXY7m_UI04/s1600/hottubtimemachine1.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikPeO25nLUfBWS5TEVg2yKwiAWBqAwftNzp28f9Ic-u11AF3kSSIHrtiCgwRH9EdVIq0jQc-UFBq562tE1ZIfb_HSHDEfyWBbY0XwtrpDaWPs6mEdjWqvKwfQSJNiNcVpFbXY7m_UI04/s200/hottubtimemachine1.jpg" width="123" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob's usually funny</td></tr> </tbody></table> And it’s not a simple premise. Lou, an extremely obnoxious billionaire, gets shot where it counts during a party. Son Jacob is the only one with a conscious, having witnessed dad and Nick stealing everything from computer technology to famous hit songs. Jacob's also the most savvy for their time-traveling scheme, which, during the first twenty minutes, is so loaded with rambling explanations you’ll almost need an instruction manual (at one point Lou’s so bored listening, he wants to hit a strip club). <br /> <br /> Long story short, they need to find Lou’s killer to prevent the murder from happening. And while loaded with limitless potential, the film doesn’t go in too many directions or locations. Newcomer Adam Scott provides a barometer for progressed future political correctness, while the “toilet humor” banter between Lou and Nick feels like overhearing two old college buddies yucking it up, behaving more like a HANGOVER meets HORRIBLE BOSSES rather than carrying a bonafide sequel. And the fact HTTM2 plays out like a straight-to-DVD or Made-for-Cable filler isn’t such a crime – the original does too. <b>OVERALL RANK: Jedi, Rebel, <u>Droid,</u> Sith</b>

2015, rob corrdry, sequel, time travel

EVERYONE BUT JOHN BACK IN HOT TUB TIME MACHINE 2

year: 2015 rating: **1/2 In HOT TUB TIME MACHINE, John Cusack provided an inside joke – since the 1980’s icon starred in BETTER OFF DEAD...

CAMERON DIAZ AND JASON SEGEL IN SEX TAPE

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7shTSEcLcun2Sgl9OBaBpXjqhvRgMB-bfqMBY9hk1PI6WARsv0Btidcq9iYMFysDHJ6EGD2qjhRpBoBB1L6knPJGZes20o3kKUQagvn6FzkgIxdf8wn7mx8yVhA-UhasStx2jh6vjnFo/s1600/Sex_Tape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7shTSEcLcun2Sgl9OBaBpXjqhvRgMB-bfqMBY9hk1PI6WARsv0Btidcq9iYMFysDHJ6EGD2qjhRpBoBB1L6knPJGZes20o3kKUQagvn6FzkgIxdf8wn7mx8yVhA-UhasStx2jh6vjnFo/s400/Sex_Tape.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: white;">year: 2014 rating: *</b></td></tr> </tbody></table> <span style="background-color: white;">At one time, sex comedies had a group of lusty yet inexperienced teens on a quest to lose their virginity… But those teens are now middle aged, and perhaps too experienced… </span><br /> <br /> Centering on a married couple played by a proving-she's-still-hot Cameron Diaz as Annie, and a frighteningly skinny Jason Segel as Jay, both with the kind of dream jobs allowing their characters enough free time and money to get in and outta trouble: Jay manages a radio station, while Annie writes a blog about to be purchased by a conservative outlet. And perhaps their total lack of chemistry is intentional, igniting the plan to film themselves screwing in just about every position possible, and then some. <br /> <br /> Far before the HANGOVER style ending, when we get a montage of what really happened in the bedroom, the pornographic contents are mysterious to almost everyone – instead of erasing the file, Jay sent it to a select group of people who may or may not have viewed it… This includes her parents, the mailman, a suburban couple, and last but not least, Mr. Real Life Sex Tape himself, Rob Lowe as Hank, on the verge of buying her blog and providing Annie with the most to lose. Although in an awkward, overlong, unfunny scene, it turns out Hank is so shockingly wild and open-minded, that when Jay stealthily dashes around his house seeking the ipad… stalked by a ferocious German Shepard with more lives than an alley cat… the entire point of the story (not much to begin with) is lost, and the urgency becomes nonexistent far too soon.<br /> <br /> Once the initial scavenger hunt is complete, we’re left the couple dealing with a preposterous blackmailing scheme where the movie, attempting HANGOVER style outdoor shenanigans, becomes so futile and contrived it’s nearly impossible to describe, much less review.

2014, cameron diaz, jason segel, raunchy, rob corrdry, sex comedy

CAMERON DIAZ AND JASON SEGEL IN SEX TAPE

year: 2014 rating: * At one time, sex comedies had a group of lusty yet inexperienced teens on a quest to lose their virginity… But thos...

THE WAY WAY BACK

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LScFguJ76NWrW-u3vnNl4WHq0WSl29AVNJX0X66OQOOIVfvHJjNI8fvh3SRrsXcweL6bGKjVTcpkeXbIgiErTq5NMVnHltuiTd45dRsDZg9WLOrSTfD6DxKxU5QVzsoL2Xxj_f2_xlZmC-IlUcJMNU2CZCAJKWFcQTePnwYWMyQ9ReO5N5UCMP_2kw/s2460/Screen%20Shot%202023-04-10%20at%204.55.45%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LScFguJ76NWrW-u3vnNl4WHq0WSl29AVNJX0X66OQOOIVfvHJjNI8fvh3SRrsXcweL6bGKjVTcpkeXbIgiErTq5NMVnHltuiTd45dRsDZg9WLOrSTfD6DxKxU5QVzsoL2Xxj_f2_xlZmC-IlUcJMNU2CZCAJKWFcQTePnwYWMyQ9ReO5N5UCMP_2kw/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202023-04-10%20at%204.55.45%20PM.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>year: </b>2013 <b>cast:</b> Liam James, Sam Rockwell, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Rob Corrdry <b>rating:</b> *1/2</td></tr></tbody></table> At one point when the main character, or in this case semi-main character, Duncan, a reclusive fourteen-year old boy who, with his mother, her jerky boyfriend and his melancholy daughter, go to a small beachside town for a summer vacation… Duncan and another underdog friend are about to climb a fence to break into a work party when one of the employees, two feet away, opens the gate door and tells the kids there’s a much easier way inside. That’s THE WAY WAY BACK in a nutshell – instead of anything interesting, intriguing or involving actually happening, stuff simply… happens.<br /> <br /> For a so-called “Coming of Age” tale, way too much time centers on Duncan’s mother and her boyfriend. Toni Collette and Steve Carell are going through the motions. Along with another boring couple, all they really do is sit around laughing, talking and drinking while Duncan sulks alone in his room, but not for long: Soon the gloomy kid ventures out on his bike and finds a retro Water Park, built in the eighties and made to stay that way. This is where the movie is supposed to shine, and with Sam Rockwell’s laidback and always-jokey park manager Owen, Duncan has a real friend and any turmoil or discomfort is thrown right out the door. And while Rockwell is engaging enough, if you’ve seen Bill Murray in MEATBALLS the performance, a cross between a game show host and your favorite uncle, seems as retro as the Tough Skin jeans, REO Speedwagon or other nostalgic bits of pop culture references thrown in to make the present time more reflective in nature.<br /> <br /> A sulky, one-dimensional Liam James, as Duncan, makes for a dull protagonist. With a cool summer job, an even cooler mentor and a hot blonde living next door, it's difficult (if impossible) feeling for or relating to a kid with so many options.

2013, amanda peet, coming-of-age, rob corrdry, sam rockwell, steve carell, toni collette

THE WAY WAY BACK

year: 2013 cast: Liam James, Sam Rockwell, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Rob Corrdry rating: *1/2 At one point when the main character, or...

ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HcoLcncWkqnXNTnRWLS6WcLCQ9iSUCEYJXZc02wiLD0V5_oEYmPRR6gm6KhIKaiWBgHCznd6O3UaWVqq4WUkPZugAx28AGC9M9D4e5MacuVO3oXV0w2ZtQcoZ6xLzJD8z2n0NhFda6g/s1600/escape-from-planet-earth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HcoLcncWkqnXNTnRWLS6WcLCQ9iSUCEYJXZc02wiLD0V5_oEYmPRR6gm6KhIKaiWBgHCznd6O3UaWVqq4WUkPZugAx28AGC9M9D4e5MacuVO3oXV0w2ZtQcoZ6xLzJD8z2n0NhFda6g/s640/escape-from-planet-earth.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>year: </b>2013 <b>voices:</b> Rob Corrdry, William Shatner, Brendan Fraser <b>rating:</b> ***</td></tr> </tbody></table> As the people of planet Earth, we see ourselves as being either too polluting and therefore doomed, or else Fallen and thus, damned. So if <i>we</i> don't have that bright an outlook, it’s no surprise other solar systems view us as the most backward/de-evolved globe in the cosmos, or as one alien calls it, The Dark Planet. (Or maybe Hollywood's doing their usual self effacing thing but in a much wider scope.)<br /> <br /> Why one particular alien/astronaut named Scorch Supernova, the big brave Buzz Lightyear of a techie planet known as Baab, whose brother, Gary, is a passive yet brilliant mission control leader, decides to visit the infamous Earth is never quite clear. But he does, immediately crash landing in Roswell, New Mexico, and quickly taken captive by evil General Shanker, who has collected – inside his Area 51 containment center – an assortment of alien prisoners while planning to build something stronger than an Atomic bomb. <br /> <br /> Shanker's world domination plot aside, for a kids movie it’s never too intense, and there are enough action sequences for adults to keep interest. The characters are likable and the settings minimal: Once our blue alien heroes leave their own planet, we have only the prison to escape from, a few white trash trailers outside and one 7/11. <br /> <br /> Despite the overall simplicity, ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH never drags and doesn’t try to be more than a basic escape flick and best yet, actors Brendan Frasier (Scorch), Rob Corddry (Gary) and General Shanker (William Shatner) don’t sound like lazy celebrities providing their own recognizable voices while letting the animators do all the work. Now that's something to admire.

2012, action, animated, brendan fraser, rob corrdry, william shatner

ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH

year: 2013 voices: Rob Corrdry, William Shatner, Brendan Fraser rating: *** As the people of planet Earth, we see ourselves as being e...

HOT TUB TIME MACHINE

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFplP5q1dhPmnYZS5yNuJArL9H-AGsxmLzgb_ezxIo7OHvCeL-TRF0rg87sZHgq167XunGdhO-00uhevvMn_6oKtehr4vBGyfIYvF1jiUvD7WOTotYoNfu3M0r85i3w9W93P4oV2E2Peo/s1600/hottubtimemachine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFplP5q1dhPmnYZS5yNuJArL9H-AGsxmLzgb_ezxIo7OHvCeL-TRF0rg87sZHgq167XunGdhO-00uhevvMn_6oKtehr4vBGyfIYvF1jiUvD7WOTotYoNfu3M0r85i3w9W93P4oV2E2Peo/s640/hottubtimemachine.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>year:</b> 2010<b> cast:</b> John Cusack, Rob Cordroy, Chevy Chase<b> rating:</b> **</td></tr> </tbody></table> Time travel flicks are usually intriguing, and a trip to the 1980s seems a good premise, but unlike BACK TO THE FUTURE, in which Michael J. Fox is thrust into the '50s, the four characters here (including John Cusack) returning to the "Reagan era" is more catharsis than nostalgia.<br /> <br /> Using a hot tub in a broken down ski resort hotel, the dudes... three in their forties, one in his twenties... are sent back to the same resort when things were swinging. They have to party hard (like before) without screwing up the time continuum.<br /> <br /> Memorable 80s stuff like new wave and hair-band music, leg warmers, and one-dimensional bullies do little to jolt endearing memories of that era, or effectively parody it: which would have made a better film. These self-described losers could have gone back to any decade and still be miserable.<br /> <br /> Yet despite the many flaws, there's some semi-funny moments. And a cameo by KARATE KID villain William Zabka is a plus.

chevy chase, john cusack, rob corrdry, tens, time travel, william zabka

HOT TUB TIME MACHINE

year: 2010 cast: John Cusack, Rob Cordroy, Chevy Chase rating: ** Time travel flicks are usually intriguing, and a trip to the 1980...