Meet The Parents's Recent Activity

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Title: Meet The Parents
Year: 2000
Director: Jay Roach
Plot: In this comedy from Austin Powers director Jay Roach, Ben Stiller plays a young man who endures a disastrous weekend at the home of his girlfriend's parents. Greg Focker (Stiller) is completely in love with Pam Byrnes (Teri Polo), and views their upcoming trip to her parents' house on Long Island (where her sister is to be married during the weekend) as a perfect opportunity to ask her to marry him. Once Greg is introduced to Pam's parents, however, things stampede steadily downhill. Pam's father, Jack (Robert De Niro), takes an instant and obvious dislike to his daughter's boyfriend, lambasting him for his job as a nurse and generally making Greg painfully aware of the differences between him and Pam's family. Where Greg is grubby, relatively unambitious, and Jewish, Pam comes from a long line of well-mannered, blue-blooded WASPs. Things go from bad to worse in less time than it takes to spin a dreidel, with Greg incurring the wrath of both Pam's father -- who, it turns out, worked for the CIA for 34 years -- and the rest of her family, and almost single-handedly destroying their house and the wedding in the process. ~ Rebecca Flint, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 58
Number of Lists: 70
Number of blog posts: 7
Number of discussion threads: 6
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:54:52 GMTMeet The Parents2000Jay RoachIn this comedy from <a href=/films/229128/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Austin Powers</a> director Jay Roach, <a href="/players/P___112816/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ben Stiller</a> plays a young man who endures a disastrous weekend at the home of his girlfriend's parents. Greg Focker (Stiller) is completely in love with Pam Byrnes (<a href="/players/P____57269/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Teri Polo</a>), and views their upcoming trip to her parents' house on Long Island (where her sister is to be married during the weekend) as a perfect opportunity to ask her to marry him. Once Greg is introduced to Pam's parents, however, things stampede steadily downhill. Pam's father, Jack (<a href="/players/P____17593/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Robert De Niro</a>), takes an instant and obvious dislike to his daughter's boyfriend, lambasting him for his job as a nurse and generally making Greg painfully aware of the differences between him and Pam's family. Where Greg is grubby, relatively unambitious, and Jewish, Pam comes from a long line of well-mannered, blue-blooded WASPs. Things go from bad to worse in less time than it takes to spin a dreidel, with Greg incurring the wrath of both Pam's father -- who, it turns out, worked for the CIA for 34 years -- and the rest of her family, and almost single-handedly destroying their house and the wedding in the process. ~ Rebecca Flint, All Movie Guide58Tag Target (>10)70763http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t87914owjqx.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Meet_The_Parents/165543/default.aspxFilm Spout Post: The war on 'Four Christmases' http://www.spout.com/blogs/usesoap/archive/2008/11/30/37770.aspx

Post By: usesoap
Post To: usesoap Blog
Post Date: 11/30/2008 8:19:41 PM
Body: Someone should alert that bloviating Bill O'Reilly that, between this film and last year's "Fred Claus," Vince Vaughn is launching his own one-man attack on Christmas. In "Four Christmases" he stars as Brad, a self-involved yuppie who marks the holiday by lying to his family about helping the underprivileged so that he and his live-in girlfriend Kate (played by Reese Witherspoon) can jet off to a tropical paradise. When a dense fog blankets the airport, their cancelled flight leads them into the homes and hearths of their various families. It follows the standard "Meet the Parents" formula, as their numerous familial oddities are trotted out and past skeletons unearthed, much to the cutesy couple's dismay. Each scenario is less amusing than the last. And, as Robert DeNiro demonstrated in the above-mentioned film, “Christmases” is quick to populate former serious actors in the wacky parents' roles (Look, it's Robert Duvall as a beer-swiggin' redneck! Sissy Spacek as a new-age hippie, Mary Steenburgen as a Jesus freak!) As we are forced to travel with them, countless questions arise (beyond the typical "how did this film get greenlit?" "who's this hard up for cash to accept a paycheck for this."). 1) Just how close do these families live to each other? Seriously, this is Jack Bauer territory, for only "24's" super-agent is capable of accomplishing so much in the course of a day. By the film's end, the two have sat through several holiday meals, installed a satellite dish on a roof, rehearsed and performed in a nativity play, stroll down memory lane with various family members, wash and dry clothes vomit-stained clothes, swear off children, want to have children, break up and make up (and please don't give me grief for ruining the end, you know exactly what you're getting in a film like this. 2) If they are skilled enough at lying to learn the Burmese saying for “Merry Christmas,” they certainly could have come up with a whopper to save them the time with certain members of the family, couldn't they? Brad's family alone has to be the most obnoxious clan of mouth-breathers (with Duval as his cruel, selfish dad and Jon Favreau and Tim McGraw as his loutish siblings), that any woman with half a brain would be hitchhiking her way back to San Fran. The film never gives us a sense that there is anything but contempt from any part of this clan. 3) After stridently defending their relationship at the beginning of the film, why change what ain't broke? Seriously, if they were content in their own little hermetically sealed relationship, there is little provided in this film for a persuasive argument to the testament of marriage and family? Just what happens with Kate when one minute the mere mention of children curls her lips as though she just sucked a lemon, to suddenly longing to have a child herself. Was it the scene when she's asked to look for poop in a diaper? Or perhaps it was the stench of curdled breast milk her little nephew spews on her. Either way, the transition was not once believable. 4) Just how large was that crafts services table to keep Vaughn happy? OK, I realize that this one is just plain mean, but really, he does not look healthy, resembling an older brother of Kevin (“King of Queens”) James with perhaps a chain-smoking problem. Vaughn does his shtick that has carried him through many a film, firing off lines as though it was an Olympic event. And while that works in more zany or sophisticated comedies (like “Old School” and “Swingers,” respectively), he's out of his element in sweet romantic comedies. His aggressive banter worked much better in "The Break-Up"," where he played a total ass in what can only be described as an anti-romantic comedy. Witherspoon is a non- entity here, in a role that any number of blondes could have filled. The sass so professionally shown in "Election," Legally Blonde and Walk the Line is tucked behind her perky Jennifer Anniston haircut. So, fruitcake, take a breather, you're about to be replaced. That oft-chided holiday gift tradition that is so spurned by recipients now has a cinematic substitute . The "Four Christmases" DVD should in the coming years be the one item recipients are loathe to get.
]]>Mon, 01 Dec 2008 01:19:41 GMTusesoapusesoap Blog11/30/2008 8:19:41 PMSomeone should alert that bloviating Bill O'Reilly that, between this film and last year's "Fred Claus," Vince Vaughn is launching his own one-man attack on Christmas. In "Four Christmases" he stars as Brad, a self-involved yuppie who marks the holiday by lying to his family about helping the underprivileged so that he and his live-in girlfriend Kate (played by Reese Witherspoon) can jet off to a tropical paradise. When a dense fog blankets the airport, their cancelled flight leads them into the homes and hearths of their various families. It follows the standard "Meet the Parents" formula, as their numerous familial oddities are trotted out and past skeletons unearthed, much to the cutesy couple's dismay. Each scenario is less amusing than the last. And, as Robert DeNiro demonstrated in the above-mentioned film, “Christmases” is quick to populate former serious actors in the wacky parents' roles (Look, it's Robert Duvall as a beer-swiggin' redneck! Sissy Spacek as a new-age hippie, Mary Steenburgen as a Jesus freak!) As we are forced to travel with them, countless questions arise (beyond the typical "how did this film get greenlit?" "who's this hard up for cash to accept a paycheck for this."). 1) Just how close do these families live to each other? Seriously, this is Jack Bauer territory, for only "24's" super-agent is capable of accomplishing so much in the course of a day. By the film's end, the two have sat through several holiday meals, installed a satellite dish on a roof, rehearsed and performed in a nativity play, stroll down memory lane with various family members, wash and dry clothes vomit-stained clothes, swear off children, want to have children, break up and make up (and please don't give me grief for ruining the end, you know exactly what you're getting in a film like this. 2) If they are skilled enough at lying to learn the Burmese saying for “Merry Christmas,” they certainly could have come up with a whopper to save them the time with certain members of the family, couldn't they? Brad's family alone has to be the most obnoxious clan of mouth-breathers (with Duval as his cruel, selfish dad and Jon Favreau and Tim McGraw as his loutish siblings), that any woman with half a brain would be hitchhiking her way back to San Fran. The film never gives us a sense that there is anything but contempt from any part of this clan. 3) After stridently defending their relationship at the beginning of the film, why change what ain't broke? Seriously, if they were content in their own little hermetically sealed relationship, there is little provided in this film for a persuasive argument to the testament of marriage and family? Just what happens with Kate when one minute the mere mention of children curls her lips as though she just sucked a lemon, to suddenly longing to have a child herself. Was it the scene when she's asked to look for poop in a diaper? Or perhaps it was the stench of curdled breast milk her little nephew spews on her. Either way, the transition was not once believable. 4) Just how large was that crafts services table to keep Vaughn happy? OK, I realize that this one is just plain mean, but really, he does not look healthy, resembling an older brother of Kevin (“King of Queens”) James with perhaps a chain-smoking problem. Vaughn does his shtick that has carried him through many a film, firing off lines as though it was an Olympic event. And while that works in more zany or sophisticated comedies (like “Old School” and “Swingers,” respectively), he's out of his element in sweet romantic comedies. His aggressive banter worked much better in "The Break-Up"," where he played a total ass in what can only be described as an anti-romantic comedy. Witherspoon is a non- entity here, in a role that any number of blondes could have filled. The sass so professionally shown in "Election," Legally Blonde and Walk the Line is tucked behind her perky Jennifer Anniston haircut. So, fruitcake, take a breather, you're about to be replaced. That oft-chided holiday gift tradition that is so spurned by recipients now has a cinematic substitute . The "Four Christmases" DVD should in the coming years be the one item recipients are loathe to get. Spout Post: Method Men and 50 Cent http://www.spout.com/blogs/usesoap/archive/2008/9/14/35132.aspx

Post By: usesoap
Post To: usesoap Blog
Post Date: 9/14/2008 8:42:49 PM
Body: “What are you gonna do? Wheel me out on the 'Geraldo Show' as some freak of the week?” posits a character of the new cop thriller “Righteous Kill.” Wait a minute, Geraldo? Are you sure that's the pop-culture reference you want to stick with? Were there licensing problems with Morton Downey Jr? Arsineo did not return calls? Yes, “Righteous Kill,” arriving in theaters in 2008 is hopelessly mired in elements of two decades ago. For that was an era when stars Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro were at their bankable best: DeNiro followed his larger-than-life turn as Al Capone in “The Untouchables” with the definitive mismatched-buddy film “Midnight Run.” and Pacino was burning up the screen with Ellen Barkin in “Sea of Love” and about to chew on mouthfuls of scenery in “Dick Tracy.” Had “Kill” been released at that point and time, their union would reach a fever pitch (and drummed up a better box office than its third-place finish this week at theaters). I am not suggesting the two are past their prime, as I think both have much to contribute to cinema in their twilight years. But instead of slumming through atrocities like Pacino's “88 Minutes” or cheapening their legacy as DeNiro repeated has in both “Analyze This” and “Meet the Parents” and their sequels, they should find a film with more subtle nuance and reflection, just as sexagenarian Sylvester Stallone did in “Rocky Balboa.” “Righteous Kill” in not that movie. In fact, the title of Pacino's previous film, “Two for the Money,” seems more fitting. It's an adequate enough vehicle -- stable, drives well – but handles with the thrills of a mini-van. Pacino and DeNiro are the bizarrely named crime-fighting duo Rooster and Turk, respectively. After decades on the force, they lament “ones that got away” -- the rapists, drug-pushers and murderers who, by a loopy legal system, squiggle free and return to the streets to commit more crime. In recent days, though, a serial killer has been dispensing vigilante justice, and a number of perpetrators the cases in which Turk and Rooster oversaw are winding up dead. Is it a cop, fed up with the system methodically finishing the job the justice system could not seem to do? Is it a lone-wolf groupie who's just trying to lend a hand to the haggard officers? Is it a vengefu... No, it's a cop. The film says so repeatedly within the first 20 minutes. We even see a videotaped confession and the words of the killer. Of course, a film of this nature live or dies by its last-minute “gotcha” and so “Kill” plods along to its inevitable ending zinger. It may be a twist, but it's not a surprise, as the audience is given a roughly 33.3 percent chance of guessing the limited suspect lineup. Supporting characters, as expected, are but window dressing – and there's not much light escaping through these panes. There's Carla Gugino as DeNiro's way-too-young love interest (Pacino already had a shot this year at being a mack granddaddy in director Jon Avnet's “88 Minutes,” in which every female within a one-mile vicinity was drawn to him as though he excreted some strange musk). Fitty Cent (here going by his thespian name of Curtis Jackson) may actually end up “Die Tryin'” to be an actor, because he certainly isn't going to “Get Rich” from it. John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg also stop by to fill out various police-force stereotypes. And in the center rest DeNiro and Pacino, who have moments where they appear to enjoy one another's company, but there was more electricity generated in the brief five minutes they spent across the diner table in “Heat” than any scene in “Righteous Kill.” Hack director Avnet does little to punctuate the proceedings with anything else. The film is slightly above most of DeNiro's latter-day output (“Hide and Seek,” “Godsend,” “Showtime”), but with video stores stocked with decades of iconic work from these two Method men, the real crime would be bypassing them for this protracted “Law and Order” episode with two very special guest stars.
]]>Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:42:49 GMTusesoapusesoap Blog9/14/2008 8:42:49 PM “What are you gonna do? Wheel me out on the 'Geraldo Show' as some freak of the week?” posits a character of the new cop thriller “Righteous Kill.” Wait a minute, Geraldo? Are you sure that's the pop-culture reference you want to stick with? Were there licensing problems with Morton Downey Jr? Arsineo did not return calls? Yes, “Righteous Kill,” arriving in theaters in 2008 is hopelessly mired in elements of two decades ago. For that was an era when stars Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro were at their bankable best: DeNiro followed his larger-than-life turn as Al Capone in “The Untouchables” with the definitive mismatched-buddy film “Midnight Run.” and Pacino was burning up the screen with Ellen Barkin in “Sea of Love” and about to chew on mouthfuls of scenery in “Dick Tracy.” Had “Kill” been released at that point and time, their union would reach a fever pitch (and drummed up a better box office than its third-place finish this week at theaters). I am not suggesting the two are past their prime, as I think both have much to contribute to cinema in their twilight years. But instead of slumming through atrocities like Pacino's “88 Minutes” or cheapening their legacy as DeNiro repeated has in both “Analyze This” and “Meet the Parents” and their sequels, they should find a film with more subtle nuance and reflection, just as sexagenarian Sylvester Stallone did in “Rocky Balboa.” “Righteous Kill” in not that movie. In fact, the title of Pacino's previous film, “Two for the Money,” seems more fitting. It's an adequate enough vehicle -- stable, drives well – but handles with the thrills of a mini-van. Pacino and DeNiro are the bizarrely named crime-fighting duo Rooster and Turk, respectively. After decades on the force, they lament “ones that got away” -- the rapists, drug-pushers and murderers who, by a loopy legal system, squiggle free and return to the streets to commit more crime. In recent days, though, a serial killer has been dispensing vigilante justice, and a number of perpetrators the cases in which Turk and Rooster oversaw are winding up dead. Is it a cop, fed up with the system methodically finishing the job the justice system could not seem to do? Is it a lone-wolf groupie who's just trying to lend a hand to the haggard officers? Is it a vengefu... No, it's a cop. The film says so repeatedly within the first 20 minutes. We even see a videotaped confession and the words of the killer. Of course, a film of this nature live or dies by its last-minute “gotcha” and so “Kill” plods along to its inevitable ending zinger. It may be a twist, but it's not a surprise, as the audience is given a roughly 33.3 percent chance of guessing the limited suspect lineup. Supporting characters, as expected, are but window dressing – and there's not much light escaping through these panes. There's Carla Gugino as DeNiro's way-too-young love interest (Pacino already had a shot this year at being a mack granddaddy in director Jon Avnet's “88 Minutes,” in which every female within a one-mile vicinity was drawn to him as though he excreted some strange musk). Fitty Cent (here going by his thespian name of Curtis Jackson) may actually end up “Die Tryin'” to be an actor, because he certainly isn't going to “Get Rich” from it. John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg also stop by to fill out various police-force stereotypes. And in the center rest DeNiro and Pacino, who have moments where they appear to enjoy one another's company, but there was more electricity generated in the brief five minutes they spent across the diner table in “Heat” than any scene in “Righteous Kill.” Hack director Avnet does little to punctuate the proceedings with anything else. The film is slightly above most of DeNiro's latter-day output (“Hide and Seek,” “Godsend,” “Showtime”), but with video stores stocked with decades of iconic work from these two Method men, the real crime would be bypassing them for this protracted “Law and Order” episode with two very special guest stars. Spout Post: Re:Top 5 Everybody Seems To Love But I Hate!!! http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_Everybody_Seems_To_Love_But_I_Hate/190/30573/1/ShowPost.aspx

Post By: Risselada
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 6/5/2008 5:28:32 PM
Body: [quote user="unclefestering"]5. Magnolia I'll admit it. I'm in the camp that says PT Anderson is overrated. Wow these shallow lives are interconnected and if they can just see the connections the world will be a better place. blah blah blah. Oh and we need a miracle! Cue the raining frogs.[/quote] You really think he's saying that the world would be a better place if people would just see the connections? I don't think he's expecting people to see the connection or for anything to change if they had seen them. And I don't want to say that these people's lives are shallow. Maybe on the surface some of them are, but we get the time to delve in and the hurting underneith. I think it's really for the audience to see the connections. I don't think there's a point where any of the characters really discover any of the connections. [quote user="unclefestering"]4.2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Yeah it is visually brilliant. But can someone tell me what the darn plot is?[/quote] It's a movie for people who like to realize that there are certain powers and mysteries in life that humans will never be able to understand or explain, at least not in our current state. So I think if you are looking for someone to tell you the plot of this movie, then you have missed the point. It's for you to ponder the same way you would ponder life itself. [quote user="unclefestering"]2. Meet The Parents (2000) I found Robert DeNiro creepy and not funny. Then again if my daughter brought Ben Stiller home to marry, I would throw her out.[/quote] I'll agree with you on this one. I just have trouble liking anyone in these kinds of comedies. I haven't seen the other two.
]]>Thu, 05 Jun 2008 21:28:32 GMTRisseladaTop 56/5/2008 5:28:32 PM[quote user="unclefestering"]5. Magnolia I'll admit it. I'm in the camp that says PT Anderson is overrated. Wow these shallow lives are interconnected and if they can just see the connections the world will be a better place. blah blah blah. Oh and we need a miracle! Cue the raining frogs.[/quote] You really think he's saying that the world would be a better place if people would just see the connections? I don't think he's expecting people to see the connection or for anything to change if they had seen them. And I don't want to say that these people's lives are shallow. Maybe on the surface some of them are, but we get the time to delve in and the hurting underneith. I think it's really for the audience to see the connections. I don't think there's a point where any of the characters really discover any of the connections. [quote user="unclefestering"]4.2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Yeah it is visually brilliant. But can someone tell me what the darn plot is?[/quote] It's a movie for people who like to realize that there are certain powers and mysteries in life that humans will never be able to understand or explain, at least not in our current state. So I think if you are looking for someone to tell you the plot of this movie, then you have missed the point. It's for you to ponder the same way you would ponder life itself. [quote user="unclefestering"]2. Meet The Parents (2000) I found Robert DeNiro creepy and not funny. Then again if my daughter brought Ben Stiller home to marry, I would throw her out.[/quote] I'll agree with you on this one. I just have trouble liking anyone in these kinds of comedies. I haven't seen the other two. Spout Post: Re:Top 5 Everybody Seems To Love But I Hate!!! http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_Everybody_Seems_To_Love_But_I_Hate/190/30519/1/ShowPost.aspx

Post By: unclefestering
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 6/4/2008 9:48:33 PM
Body: Here are just a couple that everybody told me I would love, but no... they were wrong. 5. Magnolia I'll admit it. I'm in the camp that says PT Anderson is overrated. Wow these shallow lives are interconnected and if they can just see the connections the world will be a better place. blah blah blah. Oh and we need a miracle! Cue the raining frogs. 4.2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Yeah it is visually brilliant. But can someone tell me what the darn plot is? 3. V for Vendetta (2006) Was I the only person who wondered how a totalitarian government couldn't manage to get the billing records from FedEx for someone who shipped a million Guy Fawlkes costumes? 2. Meet The Parents (2000) I found Robert DeNiro creepy and not funny. Then again if my daughter brought Ben Stiller home to marry, I would throw her out. 1. You've Got Mail (1998) Tom Hanks plays a psychotic-obsessive stalker and Meg Ryan says "I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be you so badly." My predictions is that they find her body floating in the Hudson six weeks later. Am I heartless?
]]>Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:48:33 GMTunclefesteringTop 56/4/2008 9:48:33 PMHere are just a couple that everybody told me I would love, but no... they were wrong. 5. Magnolia I'll admit it. I'm in the camp that says PT Anderson is overrated. Wow these shallow lives are interconnected and if they can just see the connections the world will be a better place. blah blah blah. Oh and we need a miracle! Cue the raining frogs. 4.2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Yeah it is visually brilliant. But can someone tell me what the darn plot is? 3. V for Vendetta (2006) Was I the only person who wondered how a totalitarian government couldn't manage to get the billing records from FedEx for someone who shipped a million Guy Fawlkes costumes? 2. Meet The Parents (2000) I found Robert DeNiro creepy and not funny. Then again if my daughter brought Ben Stiller home to marry, I would throw her out. 1. You've Got Mail (1998) Tom Hanks plays a psychotic-obsessive stalker and Meg Ryan says "I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be you so badly." My predictions is that they find her body floating in the Hudson six weeks later. Am I heartless? Spout Post: All I can say is: http://www.spout.com/blogs/kelowen/archive/2007/11/26/22211.aspx

Post By: kelowen
Post To: kelowen Blog
Post Date: 11/26/2007 6:05:48 PM
Body: Painfully funny!
]]>Mon, 26 Nov 2007 23:05:48 GMTkelowenkelowen Blog11/26/2007 6:05:48 PMPainfully funny! Spout Post: Deleted Scenes Are GREAT! http://www.spout.com/blogs/jakestevens/archive/2007/10/12/20768.aspx

Post By: JakeStevens
Post To: JakeStevens Blog
Post Date: 10/12/2007 3:27:03 PM
Body: I haven't watched this since I saw it in the theater years ago, and I had forgotten (thankfully) how painful some of the Ben Stiller scenes are to watch. Thankful because it made it fresh again - it's every male suitor's worst nightmare come true. Much better than it's dreadful sequel, I watched some of the deleted scenes and was in hysterics whenever De Niro flubbed a line or couldn't keep a straight face. Definitely watch the deleted scenes for a fresh laugh.
]]>Fri, 12 Oct 2007 19:27:03 GMTJakeStevensJakeStevens Blog10/12/2007 3:27:03 PMI haven't watched this since I saw it in the theater years ago, and I had forgotten (thankfully) how painful some of the Ben Stiller scenes are to watch. Thankful because it made it fresh again - it's every male suitor's worst nightmare come true. Much better than it's dreadful sequel, I watched some of the deleted scenes and was in hysterics whenever De Niro flubbed a line or couldn't keep a straight face. Definitely watch the deleted scenes for a fresh laugh. Spout Post: #56 http://www.spout.com/blogs/eagle795/archive/2007/8/26/18811.aspx

Post By: eagle795
Post To: eagle795 Blog
Post Date: 8/26/2007 3:16:49 PM
Body: DeNiro does comedy…and does it well. If you don’t laugh watching Meet the Parents you should go get an x-ray to make sure your funny bone isn’t broken.
]]>Sun, 26 Aug 2007 19:16:49 GMTeagle795eagle795 Blog8/26/2007 3:16:49 PMDeNiro does comedy…and does it well. If you don’t laugh watching Meet the Parents you should go get an x-ray to make sure your funny bone isn’t broken. Spout Post: Re: Top 5 Everybody Seems To Love But I Hate!!! http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_Everybody_Seems_To_Love_But_I_Hate/190/17013/1/ShowPost.aspx

Post By: achance42
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 8/1/2007 12:11:33 PM
Body: 5. There's Something About Mary/Meet the Parents - I don't really hate these movies but I have no desire to see either one again and they deserve to be singled out for what they have wrought in their paths. For all their "shock" humor value, neither film is that funny. In fact, between these two being big hits and the success of "Friends," which thrived entirely on the premise that a funny dialogue all depends on the inflections with which it is being said, lowered America's expectations for comedy in the 21st century.4. The Illusionist - I was extraordinarily bothered by Ridley Scott's Matchstick Men, not because it was poorly made or poorly acted or anything like that, but because it was painfully obvious to me from about five minutes in who was zooming whom. I had a much deeper reaction to The Illusionist. Not only was it easy to figure out where you were supposed to start looking for the twist (because of course there was one) but again, I figured out who was in on what. But that's not what ruined this movie for me. What ruined it was that the relationship between Edward Norton and Jessica Biel was so shallow that I didn't buy it, nor did I care about them as individuals. And something happens in the film that seems to be a triumph but winds up eradicating any sympathy we had for them. I can't believe that anyone would prefer this to The Prestige.3. Talladega Nights - The Anchorman trashing going on here upsets me greatly, though I won't argue with anyone who doesn't like Will Ferrell; it's a matter of taste. But I will argue with the people who trash Anchorman yet enjoy Talladega Nights. I tried, I really tried to like this movie, but after about 30 minutes, I gave up trying to like the movie and realized that it just wasn't funny. It was Will Ferrell dumbing himself down. Not that his humor is particularly cerebral to begin with, but at the very least, he's just flat out bizarre which is usually enough. Here, it's just predictable lowest-common-denominator jokes that you would see on Blue Collar TV or Mind of Mencia. Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen (not to mention comedic sidekick extraordinaire John C. Reilly) never manage to squeeze out more than 2 or 3 gags that made me laugh. This is one of those children of bad Ben Stiller movies and "Friends" that I was referring to before.2. Transformers - I can't say much on this; it still hurts. It's just not enough for me to see live-action Transformers; they have to do something cool... oh, and a boring and poorly-written human plot should not take up 65% of the movie. And if we make concessions for this tripe just because "it's the Transformers," then what's to stop us from making concessions for Pearl Harbor simply because, "it really happened."1. Crash (2005) - I've been aware of and conscious of racism for a very long time. And I just don't see how you can give such an important, complex and delicate subject such a black-and-white (no pun intended) treatment, not to mention making the film condescending AND inherently racist. This movie didn't give me as much to think about as the fact that people think it gives you so much to think about. THAT is what I dislike the most about Crash: that so many people were moved by such a vapid, faux-insightful hack job. People of every race should have cried foul on this one. Instead, it gets the Oscar. I wonder what Spike Lee thinks about that one.
]]>Wed, 01 Aug 2007 16:11:33 GMTachance42Top 58/1/2007 12:11:33 PM5. There's Something About Mary/Meet the Parents - I don't really hate these movies but I have no desire to see either one again and they deserve to be singled out for what they have wrought in their paths. For all their "shock" humor value, neither film is that funny. In fact, between these two being big hits and the success of "Friends," which thrived entirely on the premise that a funny dialogue all depends on the inflections with which it is being said, lowered America's expectations for comedy in the 21st century.4. The Illusionist - I was extraordinarily bothered by Ridley Scott's Matchstick Men, not because it was poorly made or poorly acted or anything like that, but because it was painfully obvious to me from about five minutes in who was zooming whom. I had a much deeper reaction to The Illusionist. Not only was it easy to figure out where you were supposed to start looking for the twist (because of course there was one) but again, I figured out who was in on what. But that's not what ruined this movie for me. What ruined it was that the relationship between Edward Norton and Jessica Biel was so shallow that I didn't buy it, nor did I care about them as individuals. And something happens in the film that seems to be a triumph but winds up eradicating any sympathy we had for them. I can't believe that anyone would prefer this to The Prestige.3. Talladega Nights - The Anchorman trashing going on here upsets me greatly, though I won't argue with anyone who doesn't like Will Ferrell; it's a matter of taste. But I will argue with the people who trash Anchorman yet enjoy Talladega Nights. I tried, I really tried to like this movie, but after about 30 minutes, I gave up trying to like the movie and realized that it just wasn't funny. It was Will Ferrell dumbing himself down. Not that his humor is particularly cerebral to begin with, but at the very least, he's just flat out bizarre which is usually enough. Here, it's just predictable lowest-common-denominator jokes that you would see on Blue Collar TV or Mind of Mencia. Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen (not to mention comedic sidekick extraordinaire John C. Reilly) never manage to squeeze out more than 2 or 3 gags that made me laugh. This is one of those children of bad Ben Stiller movies and "Friends" that I was referring to before.2. Transformers - I can't say much on this; it still hurts. It's just not enough for me to see live-action Transformers; they have to do something cool... oh, and a boring and poorly-written human plot should not take up 65% of the movie. And if we make concessions for this tripe just because "it's the Transformers," then what's to stop us from making concessions for Pearl Harbor simply because, "it really happened."1. Crash (2005) - I've been aware of and conscious of racism for a very long time. And I just don't see how you can give such an important, complex and delicate subject such a black-and-white (no pun intended) treatment, not to mention making the film condescending AND inherently racist. This movie didn't give me as much to think about as the fact that people think it gives you so much to think about. THAT is what I dislike the most about Crash: that so many people were moved by such a vapid, faux-insightful hack job. People of every race should have cried foul on this one. Instead, it gets the Oscar. I wonder what Spike Lee thinks about that one. Spout Post: Meet the Parents http://www.spout.com/blogs/moviebabe/archive/2007/2/24/5748.aspx

Post By: MovieBabe
Post To: MovieBabe Blog
Post Date: 2/24/2007 12:28:00 PM
Body: Forget Urban Legends: Final Cut. And that overhyped devil-in-a-blue-nightgown rerelease. I have seen hell, and its truest cinematic portrayal can be found not in these slash-and-spew horror flicks but in Jay Roach's comedy Meet the Parents. It's the hell of anyone who's ever had a joke fall flat. Or who's walked into a roomful of strangers and felt as if he had just landed on Mars. Or who's desperately wanted to say to people whom he's trying to impress that he really is charming and intelligent and not a freak who, cracking under the pressure of making dinner conversation, will say he'd once milked a cat on his Detroit farm. Meet Greg "You Can Milk Anything With Nipples" Focker, my hero. Greg (Ben Stiller) is about to propose to his girlfriend, Pam (Teri Polo), when he learns of both her sister's engagement and the importance of securing her father's approval. Seeing an opportunity to do things properly, Greg holds off on the proposal and instead waits to impress Pam's family at the upcoming wedding festivities, when the couple will be staying with Pam's parents, Dina and Jack (Blythe Danner and Robert De Niro). Shortly after Greg and Pam arrive at her idyllic suburban childhood home, Greg's city-boy suavity is quashed by Jack's polite but disarming interrogations. A short list of Greg's faults: He's a nurse ("Not many men in your profession, huh?"), he hates cats (Jack on dogs: "Emotionally shallow animals....You need that reassurance?"), and he has that unfortunate last name ("How do you pronounce your last name, Greg?" Dina delicately asks). Indeed, it's pronounced just as it's spelled, and the running joke only gets more effective as Greg's confidence diminishes and Jack zeroes in for the kill with accusatory questions like "Are you a pothead, Focker?" And for those less amused than I am by the brilliance of well-placed profanity, there are plenty of loftier laughs, thanks to Stiller's trademark sarcasm and De Niro's comedic take on his usual tough-guy persona. If you've ever had to respond to such a no-win challenge as "I've got nipples; can you milk me?" Meet the Parents is for you.
]]>Sat, 24 Feb 2007 17:28:00 GMTMovieBabeMovieBabe Blog2/24/2007 12:28:00 PMForget Urban Legends: Final Cut. And that overhyped devil-in-a-blue-nightgown rerelease. I have seen hell, and its truest cinematic portrayal can be found not in these slash-and-spew horror flicks but in Jay Roach's comedy Meet the Parents. It's the hell of anyone who's ever had a joke fall flat. Or who's walked into a roomful of strangers and felt as if he had just landed on Mars. Or who's desperately wanted to say to people whom he's trying to impress that he really is charming and intelligent and not a freak who, cracking under the pressure of making dinner conversation, will say he'd once milked a cat on his Detroit farm. Meet Greg "You Can Milk Anything With Nipples" Focker, my hero. Greg (Ben Stiller) is about to propose to his girlfriend, Pam (Teri Polo), when he learns of both her sister's engagement and the importance of securing her father's approval. Seeing an opportunity to do things properly, Greg holds off on the proposal and instead waits to impress Pam's family at the upcoming wedding festivities, when the couple will be staying with Pam's parents, Dina and Jack (Blythe Danner and Robert De Niro). Shortly after Greg and Pam arrive at her idyllic suburban childhood home, Greg's city-boy suavity is quashed by Jack's polite but disarming interrogations. A short list of Greg's faults: He's a nurse ("Not many men in your profession, huh?"), he hates cats (Jack on dogs: "Emotionally shallow animals....You need that reassurance?"), and he has that unfortunate last name ("How do you pronounce your last name, Greg?" Dina delicately asks). Indeed, it's pronounced just as it's spelled, and the running joke only gets more effective as Greg's confidence diminishes and Jack zeroes in for the kill with accusatory questions like "Are you a pothead, Focker?" And for those less amused than I am by the brilliance of well-placed profanity, there are plenty of loftier laughs, thanks to Stiller's trademark sarcasm and De Niro's comedic take on his usual tough-guy persona. If you've ever had to respond to such a no-win challenge as "I've got nipples; can you milk me?" Meet the Parents is for you. Spout Post: Meeting this Movie Was Worth the Wait http://www.spout.com/blogs/pippin06/archive/2007/1/15/5024.aspx

Post By: pippin06
Post To: Reel Thoughts
Post Date: 1/15/2007 3:00:00 PM
Body: Ok, so how silly am I? Go ahead, you can say it. I had never seen Meet the Parents until just this past weekend, at least not all the way through. Allow me to duck from your aghast faces and possible hurling tomatoes. When this movie first came out, I was like, "This could be funny." Then, the hype started. I didn't see it in time before the hype made me think: "Oh geez. Everyone thinks this film is a laugh riot, and I probably won't get it or think it's funny like they do." I can think of a dozen films that meet that criteria, starting with Anchorman and the Wedding Crashers. I don't think gross-out humor is always funny, and I like some intelligence underlying my comedy films. It's just the way I roll, baby. I'm happy to say that I was not disappointed by Meet the Parents. Now I wonder what I was waiting for all this time. It really was funny and intelligently so. I also enjoyed Ben Stiller, who I mostly enjoy, but he has his bombs like anyone else. Do I need to summarize? For the two of you who haven't seen it, Stiller plays Greg Focker (who real name is Gaylord), a Jewish male nurse. He's in love with Pam Byrnes (Terri Polo), a blueblood and a WASPy type through and through. He wants to marry her. He's already going to her parents' house for her sister's wedding, so he sees this as the perfect opportunity to ask for her father's blessing. The trouble? Her father is played by Robert DeNiro. And papa Jack, as the overprotective father-type who is way too obsessed with his cat, is determined not to like Greg. Not one bit. Add to that his past as a former CIA operative, and hilarity ensues. This movie really was funny, sometimes cringily so. The gross-out stuff was used tastefully (is tastefully gross-out an oxymoron in the making? Copyright!), and the situations were really funny. DeNiro plays a great straight man as much as he played a wonderful cartoony gangster in Analyze This (but not so much Analyze That). He's such a great actor, that guy. Comedy and drama he's equally good at. Stiller was both endearing and hilarious. You really felt for him, despite his questionable blunders. He just couldn't catch a break, and you just had to laugh at his pain. This movie did have its weak spots. The flushing toilet thing was kind of overkill. There was so much going on, that just seemed like too much. Also, Blythe Danner was underused (but fortunately that was made up for in Meet the Fockers, which I will blog about in a minute). Owen Wilson's part in the film was weird. And the cat scared me. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this flick. I rate this movie an 8.5. It's a bit better than very good, but for the reasons I provided above, I just couldn't give it a 9. Those are my hangups, but hangups they are. I do think this movie passes the test. I may even relate to it fully someday, if ever I meet some inlaws, but I could see myself buying it to watch if ever I needed to laugh at someone else's pain. Now, just wait until you read what I have to say about Meet the Fockers...
]]>Mon, 15 Jan 2007 20:00:00 GMTpippin06Reel Thoughts1/15/2007 3:00:00 PMOk, so how silly am I? Go ahead, you can say it. I had never seen Meet the Parents until just this past weekend, at least not all the way through. Allow me to duck from your aghast faces and possible hurling tomatoes. When this movie first came out, I was like, "This could be funny." Then, the hype started. I didn't see it in time before the hype made me think: "Oh geez. Everyone thinks this film is a laugh riot, and I probably won't get it or think it's funny like they do." I can think of a dozen films that meet that criteria, starting with Anchorman and the Wedding Crashers. I don't think gross-out humor is always funny, and I like some intelligence underlying my comedy films. It's just the way I roll, baby. I'm happy to say that I was not disappointed by Meet the Parents. Now I wonder what I was waiting for all this time. It really was funny and intelligently so. I also enjoyed Ben Stiller, who I mostly enjoy, but he has his bombs like anyone else. Do I need to summarize? For the two of you who haven't seen it, Stiller plays Greg Focker (who real name is Gaylord), a Jewish male nurse. He's in love with Pam Byrnes (Terri Polo), a blueblood and a WASPy type through and through. He wants to marry her. He's already going to her parents' house for her sister's wedding, so he sees this as the perfect opportunity to ask for her father's blessing. The trouble? Her father is played by Robert DeNiro. And papa Jack, as the overprotective father-type who is way too obsessed with his cat, is determined not to like Greg. Not one bit. Add to that his past as a former CIA operative, and hilarity ensues. This movie really was funny, sometimes cringily so. The gross-out stuff was used tastefully (is tastefully gross-out an oxymoron in the making? Copyright!), and the situations were really funny. DeNiro plays a great straight man as much as he played a wonderful cartoony gangster in Analyze This (but not so much Analyze That). He's such a great actor, that guy. Comedy and drama he's equally good at. Stiller was both endearing and hilarious. You really felt for him, despite his questionable blunders. He just couldn't catch a break, and you just had to laugh at his pain. This movie did have its weak spots. The flushing toilet thing was kind of overkill. There was so much going on, that just seemed like too much. Also, Blythe Danner was underused (but fortunately that was made up for in Meet the Fockers, which I will blog about in a minute). Owen Wilson's part in the film was weird. And the cat scared me. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this flick. I rate this movie an 8.5. It's a bit better than very good, but for the reasons I provided above, I just couldn't give it a 9. Those are my hangups, but hangups they are. I do think this movie passes the test. I may even relate to it fully someday, if ever I meet some inlaws, but I could see myself buying it to watch if ever I needed to laugh at someone else's pain. Now, just wait until you read what I have to say about Meet the Fockers... Spout Tag:love http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspxlove
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]]>Wed, 23 Dec 2009 05:51:34 GMT124793381481Tag Spout Tag:funny http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/funny/MemberTagFilms.aspxfunny
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]]>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:10:58 GMT609316942Tag Spout Tag:comedy http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/comedy/MemberTagFilms.aspxcomedy
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]]>Wed, 23 Dec 2009 05:51:34 GMT62892271140Tag Spout Tag:Loved-It http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Loved-It/MemberTagFilms.aspxLoved-It
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]]>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:56:35 GMT509179921Tag Spout Tag:marriage http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/marriage/MemberTagFilms.aspxmarriage
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]]>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:00:53 GMT137347161Tag Spout Tag:wedding http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/wedding/MemberTagFilms.aspxwedding
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]]>Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:29:18 GMT462880Tag Spout Tag:CIA http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/CIA/MemberTagFilms.aspxCIA
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