[Guest Review] David Castillo’s Review of THIS IS THE END

Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel star as themselves along with Danny McBride, Jonah Hill, and Craig Robinson in this end-of-days comedy that finds the actors hiding out with James Franco in his apartment as the apocalypse decimates L.A. outside. Featuring cameos by Jason Segel and Emma Watson, the Sony Pictures film features the directing debuts of Rogen and frequent collaborator Evan Goldberg. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Release Date: Jun 12, 2013

Rated R for crude and Sexual Content, Brief Graphic Nudity, Drug Use, Pervasive Language and Some Violence

Runtime: 1 hr. 47 min.

Genres: Comedy

Director: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg

Cast: James Franco, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson

Review:

Haven't we seen this already a year ago, ironically also with Jonah Hill, written by the same duo (Rogan/Goldberg) who gave us "The Watch"? That’s what I thought when the first trailer hit the internet the day before the supposed Mayan apocalypse last December. While "The Watch" was somewhat a disappointment, this is by no means comparable.

The first 20 minutes of the movie IS the 2 red band trailers, which works perfectly since its gets those scenes out of the way and we can get to the central plot of the movie. The audience’s main point of view is Jay Baruchel and Seth Rogan with the rest of the assembled stars supporting. While we will probably never know how these stars are genuinely, they play their parts superbly well; giving us the feeling we know them personally.

The tough part of doing a review for this movie like this is not giving away too much while critiquing it, so I’ll break down the performances. Sometimes having a huge all star cast can make it difficult to balance, here I have no complaints. Jay Baruchel, to me, is the anti-Michael Cera, yeah, he plays the same roles but is always likeable. His leading role in “She’s Out of My League” was overlooked by most audiences and hasn’t really been in any major movies since. Some have even forgotten his brilliant performance in the equally star studded “Tropic Thunder”. Seth Rogan, is being Seth, but his input in the script allows him to take some genius jabs at himself (“where was that in The Green Hornet”). Franco is better known for his dramatic roles in Spiderman, Milk, and 127 Hours but he’s shown he can be funny in comedies like Pineapple Express and Your Highness. Here he does a great job as the party’s host, believably playing his as incredibly hard headed. Danny McBride does what he does so well, being a jackass. McBride pulls it off hilariously well, so much so that you’ll want to kick his ass. McBride and Franco share one of the best scenes in the movie. It’s so good that some of it had to be improvised, it was that good. Jonah Hill and Craig Robinson do take a backseat in supporting roles but they still do solid work.

This is The End currently has Rotten Tomato rating of 93%, that’s before the mass media reviews are be published before next week’s release. When it’s all said and done, I’d predict it’ll end up in the high 70s/low 80s%.

Did it live up to my expectations? To be honest, they were sky high after the red band trailers and while it didn’t reach those heights it’s still a VERY good movie.

A minor complaint I had with the film was some slow pacing primarily, some sections in the middle but that’s it.

Of course, this movie isn’t going to be for everybody but if you liked some of Judd Apatow’s hits like Knocked Up, Superbad or Pineapple Express, then you’ll have a blast with this.

2013 hasn’t been a great year for comedies with Movie 43, The Haunted House, Scary Movie 5, 21 & Over, and The Hangover 3, This is the End is easily the best comedy of 2013 and worth the watch if you’re a fan of the cast’s previous work.

It’s worth mentioning that this has THE most epic cameo in the past 5 years, period! Hopefully nobody spoils it for you!

4 out of 5 stars

Easter Egg (Extra Tidbit)

Since this was released by Colombia Pictures, they were limited on what previous work can be mentioned from each star. There’s no references to the highly successful Universal Studio films Knocked Up, Superbad, Jason Segal’s work on How I Met Your Mother or Craig Robinson’s work on The Office.

If you want to see more of Jay Baruchel’s recent work, check out his independently written film “Goon” starring Sean William Scott., it’s on Netflix Instant Stream.

[Trailer] Insidious: Chapter 2

I personally enjoyed Insidious, until that final act where the tone shifted wildly. The trailer was one of best horror movie trailer I’d ever seen and got me excited about a film I didn’t care about up till that point.

The sequel’s trailer isn’t quite as impressive but I’m still curious to see where the story goes considering the way the first one ended.

MOVIE REVIEW: JOHN DIES AT THE END

When a powerful new drug opens the gateway for an inter-dimensional invasion, the only two people on the planet capable of saving mankind are a pair of dubious amateur exorcists. Adapted from author David Wong's cult novel of the same name. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Don Coscarelli

Cast: Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Paul Giamatti, Clancy Brown, Glynn Turman.

Release Date: Jan 25, 2013

Rated R for gore, Drug Content, Bloody Violence, Language and Nudity

Runtime: 1 hr. 39 min.

Genres: Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

I wish I could tell you I understood what John Dies At the End is about but I just can’t. Its plot is like Interview with a Vampire meets batshit crazy. The interesting thing is that it’s funny and engaging. The film has a strange kind of energy that lets you overlook the fact that none of the plot makes much sense at all. If you just go with it, it’ll lead you down an inventive and original path. The two leads, Chase Williamson and Rob Mayes, supply the film a charismatic energy that hard to ignore. Williamson has an interesting energy, crazed but focused while Mayes looks like he’s a lost Hemsworth brother. The always enjoyable Clancy Brown has a small supporting role which could have been greatly expanded to the film’s benefit. The film leaves the door wide open for a sequel so maybe we’ll see more of him and maybe some plot.

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: FOR GREATER GLORY

The Cristero War serves as the backdrop of this historical drama following a group of devoted Mexican patriots who risk their lives to defeat an oppressive regime, and defend the freedom of future generations. Andy Garcia, Oscar Isaac, Eva Longoria, and Peter O'Toole star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Dean Wright

Cast: Andy Garcia, Oscar Isaac, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Santiago Cabrera, Rubén Blades.

Release Date: Jun 01, 2012

Rated R for some Disturbing Images and War Violence

Runtime: 2 hr. 23 min.

Genres: Historical Epic, Historical Film, War Adventure

Review:

Mexican history is filled with revolutions and martyrs, real life heros who lived and died heroically for their beliefs. This rich history seems ready made for Hollywood epics but Hispanics are have never gotten a landmark film to hang their hat on. While its heart is in the right place, For Greater Glory is a overstuffed, underwritten and filled with needless melodrama. First time director, Dean Wright, never lets his film breath. His heavy handed direction turns this true story into a hallmark movie hitting every cliché you can think of. He under utilizes an impressive cast of a Hispanic actors and actresses. The script doesn’t do Wright any favors. The characters are underwritten and the main plot is unfocused. The story meanders listlessly as it moves from character to characters while never allowing the audience to get close to any of them. Sadly, the whole production is impressively staged and costumed even though I’m still confused why it wasn’t shot in our native Spanish. A few emotional beats hit home near the end, mainly due to a rather dashing Andy Garcia, but it’s not enough to salvage this misfire.

D+

[Trailer] Machete Kills!

If you liked the over the top silliness of the first film, the sequel looks like it gets even more outlandish. I enjoyed the first one even though it had an unexpected political undercurrent which didn’t seem appropriate for an homage to Grindhouse films.

Sequel sounds a lot more straight forward and this trailer sure does give us a taste of what’s in store even if doesn’t tell us much about the plot.

TV SHOW REVIEW: ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT SEASON 4

“And now, The Story Of A Wealthy Family Whose Future Was Abruptly Cancelled…”

Writer / Director: Mitchell Hurwitz & Troy Miller

Cast: Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, Tony Hale, David Cross, Jeffrey Tambor, Jessica Walters

Release Date: May 26, 2013

Genres: Comedy

Review:

The return of one of my favorite comedies of all time had my sights set high, very high. Years of seemingly endless discussions about a possible movie seemed more like a death knell than anything else. Diehard fans rejoiced at the news that Netflix had picked up the series for a new season. The result is an impressively intricate plot with a puzzle like structure. It starts a little slow but rolls towards hilarity as it all comes together. Due to scheduling, Mitchell Hurwitz & Troy Miller had to devise a way to work with the cast members they had at any particular time. As a result, most episodes focus on one family member typically interacting with some but rarely the entire family member. It takes a little while to get used to but as you make your way through the episodes you’ll the genius in viewing the same situations from different point of views. It’s all lovingly crafted and even more self aware than it was before. The jokes are just as rapid fire as you remember with plenty of call backs to previous seasons and a bevy of new instantly quotable jokes. Some of the jokes reach a crazy level of meta comedy at play. The main cast slip back into their roles with impressive ease. The format allows each actor or actress to shine usually accompanied by returning recurring characters or new guest stars. The one drawback to the format is that if you don’t like a particular character you are kind of stuck with them for an episode or two. Since the episodes are so well written it’s never a big issue but some drag a tad more than others, George Bluth Sr.’s plot is a good example. I will warn you that the season does seem to have slightly darker twisted feel to it throughout which might take some people by surprise. Additionally, some of the budget restraints are apparent and even joked about. Even with these minor drawbacks, the season as a whole is a massive success. I was more than a little depressed when I reached the last episode of season 4. It was short lived of course because I knew I’d be watching the episodes again very soon.

A-