list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Fred Claus on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Fred_Claus/278038/default.aspx Title: Fred Claus
Year: 2007
Director: David Dobkin
Plot: Santa's black-sheep brother gets a much-needed shot at redemption in this holiday comedy reuniting actor Vince Vaughn and director David Dobkin (Clay Pigeons, Wedding Crashers). It's not easy being the brother of a benevolent and beloved saint, and no one knows that better than Fred Claus (Vaughn). After struggling for years to live up to the example set by his younger sibling Nicholas (Paul Giamatti), Fred has finally given up. These days Fred is working as a repo man taken to stealing the items he repossesses, and his shady tactics have just landed him in jail. While Mrs. Claus vehemently insists that Fred fend for himself, Nicholas refuses to sit idly by as his brother rots in jail and agrees to set bail if Fred will repay the debt by coming to the North Pole and help make toys for the upcoming Christmas season. But Fred isn't nearly as productive as your average elf, and he's got quite an attitude to boot. With Christmas fast approaching and Fred threatening to sideline Nicholas' entire finely tuned operation, the brother that always struggled to get out from under his sibling's substantial shadow finds out just how far the patience of a saint can be pushed before jolly old Santa reaches his breaking point. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 21
Number of Lists: 10
Number of blog posts: 3
SpoutRating: 2
]]>Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:40:40 GMTFred Claus2007David DobkinSanta's black-sheep brother gets a much-needed shot at redemption in this holiday comedy reuniting actor <a href="/players/P___225542/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Vince Vaughn</a> and director David Dobkin (<a href=/films/128769/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Clay Pigeons</a>, <a href=/films/241284/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Wedding Crashers</a>). It's not easy being the brother of a benevolent and beloved saint, and no one knows that better than Fred Claus (Vaughn). After struggling for years to live up to the example set by his younger sibling Nicholas (<a href="/players/P____26680/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Paul Giamatti</a>), Fred has finally given up. These days Fred is working as a repo man taken to stealing the items he repossesses, and his shady tactics have just landed him in jail. While Mrs. Claus vehemently insists that Fred fend for himself, Nicholas refuses to sit idly by as his brother rots in jail and agrees to set bail if Fred will repay the debt by coming to the North Pole and help make toys for the upcoming Christmas season. But Fred isn't nearly as productive as your average elf, and he's got quite an attitude to boot. With Christmas fast approaching and Fred threatening to sideline Nicholas' entire finely tuned operation, the brother that always struggled to get out from under his sibling's substantial shadow finds out just how far the patience of a saint can be pushed before jolly old Santa reaches his breaking point. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide21Tag Target (>10)1032http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s278038.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Fred_Claus/278038/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/christhilk/archive/2008/12/29/38938.aspx Post By: ChrisThilk
Post To: ChrisThilk Blog
Post Date: 12/29/2008 7:02:04 PM
Body: There are moments in Fred Claus that give the watcher a glimpse of the kind of movie it could have been if the script didn’t so often descend into some of the most well-worn cliches of the Christmas movie. Most of these moments come when stars Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti are able to really let loose and actuallly act. Each one has a handful of moments when their performances transcend the material they’re given and do something special. Overall Fred Claus isn’t the worst Christmas movie I’ve seen but it’s by no means the best. Enjoyable and worth checking out for those few and far-between performance moments.        Originally posted on:Chris Thilk
]]>Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:02:04 GMTChrisThilkChrisThilk Blog12/29/2008 7:02:04 PMThere are moments in Fred Claus that give the watcher a glimpse of the kind of movie it could have been if the script didn’t so often descend into some of the most well-worn cliches of the Christmas movie. Most of these moments come when stars Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti are able to really let loose and actuallly act. Each one has a handful of moments when their performances transcend the material they’re given and do something special. Overall Fred Claus isn’t the worst Christmas movie I’ve seen but it’s by no means the best. Enjoyable and worth checking out for those few and far-between performance moments.        Originally posted on:Chris Thilk 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, &ldquo;Christmases&rdquo; 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 &ldquo;Merry Christmas,&rdquo; 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 (&ldquo;King of Queens&rdquo;) 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 &ldquo;Old School&rdquo; and &ldquo;Swingers,&rdquo; 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. http://www.spout.com/blogs/erico_77375/archive/2007/11/30/22393.aspx Post By: erico_77375
Post To: erico_77375 Blog
Post Date: 11/30/2007 1:36:07 AM
Body: What is wrong with this picture: Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti in a family film about Santa Claus and his older, meaner brother, Fred? Well, you take out the family part of the sentence, make Neil LaButte the screenwriter and you’ve got something. But add in elves, the director of Wedding Crashers, and more pratfalls than a Charlie Chaplin film, now you have a recipe for disaster. And that is what Fred Claus is.The movie starts off with one of the worst openings ever. It is the 16th Century. We find out that the arrival of Nicholas to the Claus family has made life hard for his older brother Fred. Their mother (Kathy Bates) from the start shows favor towards her younger “perfect” son. And then Nick becomes a saint, which comes with a clause (har-har) of it’s own that they come with immortality, but not just him, his entire family as well. Does this play at all into the rest of the film? Do we ever get a joke about Christmas during the Revolution? Nope. We’re suddenly brought to present-day Chicago where Fred is now Vince Vaughn and he’s a Repo guy with dreams of becoming a bookie. The best scene in the film comes when he squares off with a little girl on how her belief in Santa could destroy her life. But when a ridiculous scheme gets him involved in a 100 Sidewalk Santa Brawl, he’s put behind bars. To get him out of trouble, he calls his little brother Santa (now Giamatti) to get him out. But Santa has decided to take the initiative and use this to help get his brother squared around. He brings him up north to help with the holiday. But this laurel leaf is quickly put the test when Fred starts causing trouble for the elves, letting his mouth get the best of him, and general smart-alleck behavior. And this year, Santa doesn’t have a lot of room available to shenanigans when an efficiency expert (Kevin Spacey) is brought in to shut down the joint. By Fred’s side is Santa’s top elf (John Michael Higgins getting the hobbit treatment) and on his mind is his on-again-off-again girlfriend (Rachel Weitz) as he bumbles his way into saving Christmas.I have to wonder if Fred Claus was meant to be something more adult like Bad Santa only good. If you look at the core dynamics of what the characters represent, the actors in those parts, I’m starting to see drastic changes being made to make it a generic holiday movie that’s more about goofy pratfalls than verbal wit. There’s a scene that was begging to be in the movie after Santa puts Fred in charge of Naughty and Nice. It would have Fred defending his decision to Nice a bad kid (“The other kid had it coming…”). There are some scenes which should have worked but don’t like in-joke called Sibling’s Anonymous. As if any kid is going to know whom Frank Stallone is.Again, whoever cast this movie was looking at the wrong script. Here you have some of the most edgy actors in film today basically playing with the kiddies. What’s next: the cast of Jackass performing A Christmas Carol? The reason you get Vince Vaughn is for his mouth. When he’s talking, he’s great! The problem is that the film doesn’t have him talking so much as he is taking pratfalls. Giamatti just cannot play one-dimensional characters and watching him do so is painful to watch. And then there are the supporting actors like Rachel Weitz, who really doesn’t even belong in the feature, not to mention the great misuse of Kathy Bates. Did I mention that I hated the first fifteen minutes? Director David Dobkin has always had a problem with prioritizing what matters in the films he creates. This is no exception. I’m getting really tired with directors who think anything can be funny if you put some sort of prop or silly action into it. He again misuses his resources and comes to the wrong conclusion as to what his movie is about. But I don’t think he makes movies to be thoughtful or smart. He thinks the same fart joke is funny the hundredth time around. Unfortunately, enough people go to see the movie that they let him make another fart joke.All in all, this is nothing more than just another holiday flick meant to make a little money and do nothing more. I would have to say that if you can’t find a better holiday movie this year, you’re not looking hard enough.
]]>Fri, 30 Nov 2007 06:36:07 GMTerico_77375erico_77375 Blog11/30/2007 1:36:07 AMWhat is wrong with this picture: Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti in a family film about Santa Claus and his older, meaner brother, Fred? Well, you take out the family part of the sentence, make Neil LaButte the screenwriter and you&rsquo;ve got something. But add in elves, the director of Wedding Crashers, and more pratfalls than a Charlie Chaplin film, now you have a recipe for disaster. And that is what Fred Claus is.The movie starts off with one of the worst openings ever. It is the 16th Century. We find out that the arrival of Nicholas to the Claus family has made life hard for his older brother Fred. Their mother (Kathy Bates) from the start shows favor towards her younger &ldquo;perfect&rdquo; son. And then Nick becomes a saint, which comes with a clause (har-har) of it&rsquo;s own that they come with immortality, but not just him, his entire family as well. Does this play at all into the rest of the film? Do we ever get a joke about Christmas during the Revolution? Nope. We&rsquo;re suddenly brought to present-day Chicago where Fred is now Vince Vaughn and he&rsquo;s a Repo guy with dreams of becoming a bookie. The best scene in the film comes when he squares off with a little girl on how her belief in Santa could destroy her life. But when a ridiculous scheme gets him involved in a 100 Sidewalk Santa Brawl, he&rsquo;s put behind bars. To get him out of trouble, he calls his little brother Santa (now Giamatti) to get him out. But Santa has decided to take the initiative and use this to help get his brother squared around. He brings him up north to help with the holiday. But this laurel leaf is quickly put the test when Fred starts causing trouble for the elves, letting his mouth get the best of him, and general smart-alleck behavior. And this year, Santa doesn&rsquo;t have a lot of room available to shenanigans when an efficiency expert (Kevin Spacey) is brought in to shut down the joint. By Fred&rsquo;s side is Santa&rsquo;s top elf (John Michael Higgins getting the hobbit treatment) and on his mind is his on-again-off-again girlfriend (Rachel Weitz) as he bumbles his way into saving Christmas.I have to wonder if Fred Claus was meant to be something more adult like Bad Santa only good. If you look at the core dynamics of what the characters represent, the actors in those parts, I&rsquo;m starting to see drastic changes being made to make it a generic holiday movie that&rsquo;s more about goofy pratfalls than verbal wit. There&rsquo;s a scene that was begging to be in the movie after Santa puts Fred in charge of Naughty and Nice. It would have Fred defending his decision to Nice a bad kid (&ldquo;The other kid had it coming&hellip;&rdquo;). There are some scenes which should have worked but don&rsquo;t like in-joke called Sibling&rsquo;s Anonymous. As if any kid is going to know whom Frank Stallone is.Again, whoever cast this movie was looking at the wrong script. Here you have some of the most edgy actors in film today basically playing with the kiddies. What&rsquo;s next: the cast of Jackass performing A Christmas Carol? The reason you get Vince Vaughn is for his mouth. When he&rsquo;s talking, he&rsquo;s great! The problem is that the film doesn&rsquo;t have him talking so much as he is taking pratfalls. Giamatti just cannot play one-dimensional characters and watching him do so is painful to watch. And then there are the supporting actors like Rachel Weitz, who really doesn&rsquo;t even belong in the feature, not to mention the great misuse of Kathy Bates. Did I mention that I hated the first fifteen minutes? Director David Dobkin has always had a problem with prioritizing what matters in the films he creates. This is no exception. I&rsquo;m getting really tired with directors who think anything can be funny if you put some sort of prop or silly action into it. He again misuses his resources and comes to the wrong conclusion as to what his movie is about. But I don&rsquo;t think he makes movies to be thoughtful or smart. He thinks the same fart joke is funny the hundredth time around. Unfortunately, enough people go to see the movie that they let him make another fart joke.All in all, this is nothing more than just another holiday flick meant to make a little money and do nothing more. I would have to say that if you can&rsquo;t find a better holiday movie this year, you&rsquo;re not looking hard enough. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/comedy/MemberTagFilms.aspxcomedy
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