Let's Do The Time Warp Again..."GLOW"

GLOW (2017)

TV-MA

Starring Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin, Marc Maron, Sydelle Noel, Chris Lowell, Britney Young, Britt Baron, Kimmy Gatewood, Sunita Mani,

Created by Liz Flahive & Carly Mensch

The Story:

It's 1986 and Hollywood has-been Sam Sylvia (Maron) has been tasked to direct something that's never been done before: an all-women's wrestling show. So the open audition goes out, and hundreds of actresses come to the audition, but when they find out there will be wrestling involved, most get up and walk away. Those that survived the initial cut might go on to make the first wave of women's wrestlers the world would come to know as GLOW: The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.

This is their story.

Ish.

:)

At the center of the story is Ruth (Brie) an actress who never quite lands the role of a lifetime, and realizes that all of the best parts go to men. She may not be a wrestler, but she wants it more than any of the other ladies that are there.

The biggest problem, she just slept with the husband of her best friend, Debbie (Gilpin) and when Sam decides to build the show around Debbie as Liberty Belle, it appears that Ruth is going to be expendable as a wrestler.

Ah, but as any wrestling fan will tell you, to have a good hero, you must have a great villain, and as the show evolves, Ruth will become the best possible villain any mid-80s wrestling hero could ask for.

My hat is off to the creators and stars of the show for taking me back to the 80s to relive the fun that was GLOW.

In 10 episodes that run just a shade over half an hour, the show builds quickly, not wasting a lot of time, yet each episode further fleshes out the overall storyline and the dozen actresses who are going to put their body on the line in the name of entertainment.

Dividing the first season into thirds, it's the middle act that cements everything.

What is going along pretty well in the first act, gets turned up to 11 once Ruth finally finds her true calling and gets her character. Also, Debbie's realization that wrestling isn't stupid...it's a soap opera, and that is something she is good at, and it all begins to click for her as well.

Then as the season winds down, it reveals it's heart and at this point you're so invested in the characters that you'll feel their pain even as they try and keep their smiles on for the cameras and their co-workers.

It's a whole lot of fun, and I think even if you've never cared for wrestling before, you might just find yourself digging what these ladies have to offer.

I would also be remiss to not mention how good Maron is in his role as director. I swear he gets the best lines in the show, and his delivery is impeccable. If this was being filmed 30 years ago, I'd swear he was the second coming of Terry Kiser.  Don't worry, I'll give you a minute to Google him if you don't remember. :)

Once you've finished Season One and await what will hopefully come next, there is also a documentary: GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (2012) streaming on Netflix as well. Clocking in just a little over an hour, you can relive the lightning in a bottle that was GLOW and how much fun the original show was for them, and their millions of fans.

Myself included.

And 30 years later, count me as a fan of the New GLOW as well.

Final Grade for Both:  B+ / A- range

How To "Get A Job" In The 21st Century

Get a Job (2016)

Rated R

Starring Miles Teller, Anna Kendrick, Bryan Cranston, Alison Brie, Marcia Gay Harden, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jorge Garcia, Nicholas Braun,

Directed by Dylan Kidd

The Story:

Will (Teller), Jillian (Kendrick) and their friends are done with college and ready to set forth into their careers and life. Except they are all about to learn that life is never easy and whatever you thought you had planned, hopefully you wrote it down in pencil or dry erase marker.

This is an odd duck of a movie.

Apparently it was trapped in limbo for several years before it was finally released, seemingly direct to DVD.

Which is a shame, as the movie has a wonderful ensemble cast and it tackles the tough job of finding employment and balancing a life, whether it's straight out of college, or in the case of Will's father (Cranston) when he is suddenly let go and has to start over again.

The stories are a little disjointed, and could have used a tighter narrative to join them all together, but at the end of the day you have a cast of really likeable characters that are faced with the prospect of growing and learning or running and hiding.

The cast is essentially what makes this movie, and every character, from the leads to the supporting characters make the most of their personalities and screen time and will win you over as the movie rolls along.

You'll be proud of the choices they make, and while there may be "all happily ever aftered with a big bow on the end", it's just the sort of ending you would want them, or yourself, to have.

Can't beat that.

Final Grade:  C+

With Friends Like These..."Search Party"

Search Party (2014)

Rated R

Starring Adam Pally, T.J. Miller, Thomas Middleditch, Shannon Woodward, Alison Brie, J.B. Smoove, Krysten Ritter, Jason Mantzoukas,

Directed by Scot Armstrong

The Story:

Nardo (Middleditch) is set to marry Tracy (Woodward) but his best friends Evan and Jason (Pally & Miller) try to talk him out of it at the bachelor party. When the ceremony begins, Jason puts his foot down, and Tracy leaves to Mexico to enjoy the honeymoon without him. Distraught, Nardo pursues her, and winds up spending much of the rest of the film naked and covered in cocaine as his friends attempt to rescue him before Berk (Smoove) can catch him and kill him.

Yep, it's one of those movies.

Old School. Road Trip. The Hangover. 

So you know the type, and you know if you'll enjoy this one or not, already.

Much like this variety of movie, they throw nearly every joke at the wall and see what sticks.

Some do, some don't.

What helps these films is the actors that are asked to do the crazy things or say the wacky dialogue.

This movie is elevated on the performances of Miller, who can do the wacky best friend possibly better than anyone in film right now, and Middleditch.

His earnestness and sincerity shine through all the situations he's placed in.

Like spending the majority of the film naked and smothered in cocaine.

Okay, clearly (hopefully) it wasn't actually cocaine, but dipped in a powder of some sort, he's still giving a bravado performance.

Plus, they keep running into various wackos (Ryter, Mantzoukas (!!!) and Smoove) who make the most of their character and keep the laughs coming.

It's not a film for everyone, but there's enough there to make it worthwhile for those that choose to go on this journey!

:)

Final Grade: C+

These Ladies Like To Party..."How To Be Single"

How To Be Single (2016)

Rated R

Starring Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann, Alison Brie, Anders Holm, Damon Wayans Jr., Nicholas Braun, Jake Lacy, Jason Mantzoukas,

Directed by Christian Ditter

The Story:

Alice (Johnson) has been dumped by her boyfriend (Braun), so she sets out to get over him with a new job, new friends, and a new attitude in New York City! Her circle of friends include Robin (Wilson), Meg (Mann), and Lucy (Brie) each with their own foibles and crises. Of course, in a town full of eligible bachelors, they ladies run into some interesting characters as well (Holm, Wayans Jr., Lacy, Mantzoukas). But, just when you think you know how these relationships are going to end, stick around, because you might be pleasantly surprised...or disappointed!

It's a tough line to balance an R rated comedy that wants to have both raunch and heart, and this film is no different.

Thankfully, it's a fantastic cast, so it's easy to laugh with, and at, their predicaments.

I won't spoil which couples work and which ones don't, because that's half the fun of the film is watching these characters learn to realize what is most important to them, and who do they want to spend their time with.

Another nice touch, as the film is focused on the ladies as the stars, the guys come off rather well, upending some cliches that often are standard with romantic comedy fare.

As usual, Jason Mantzoukas kills it in every scene he's in. I'm not sure if he'll ever be the lead in a comedy, but as long as they keep casting him as a supporting player, I'll always give that movie a chance!

It's a little long for a comedy, but not unbearably so. There's a bit of wandering in the narrative as well, which seems like a 2 birds with one stone killing could have made a few of the issues go away.


Final Grade: C+

Spice Up Your Valentine's Day..."Sleeping With Other People"

Sleeping With Other People (2015)

Rated R

Starring Jason Sudeikis, Alison Brie, Adam Scott, Amanda Peet,

Written and Directed by Leslye Headland

The Story:

Jake (Sudeikis) meets Lainey (Brie) in college. She has come to the dorms to lose her virginity to Matthew (Scott). Except he's not home, and Jake tells her that Matt is quite the tool. The two bond and then the two virgins become none. Fast forward a dozen-ish years, and the two bump into one another. It's been one bad relationship after another for each of them, but they hit it off and become best of friends. But as we all know, men and women can't just be friends and the clock starts ticking...

I really wanted to like this one more than I did.

Think of it like When Harry Met Sally, except Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan talk about sex for 90 minutes and barrage you with language that makes a sailor stop and say "hey now, hold on a second!".

And yes, I'm a vile hypocrite because I don't mind it as much in some movies as I do in others. If you can take the language out and the jokes are still funny, you're on to something.

If you remove the language and there is no joke, then you've got a problem.

And therein lies my main problem with the film.

I've reviewed one of Ms. Headland's films before: Bachelorette . And I said many of the same things there.

She loves to talk about sex and get great actors to spew forth her dialogue.

This one is more amusing than that film, but that owes way more to Sudeikis' ability to deliver lines like this so well, he's phoning it in at this point. That said, the chemistry and likeability of both Sudeikis and Brie help elevate the overall proceedings. Replace either with another actor, and this review might have gone a whole different direction.

Kudos also to Adam Scott who comes back for more in this film as the slimey Matt who is ruining Lainey's life. He is one of Headland's favorites, and he usually also makes the most of whatever he is given.

I'm seeing improvements in Headland's body of work, but I think it's time for her to leave the bedroom behind and see if there is more to life than a good @#$%.

Or if not, at least be funnier about it.

Final Grade: C+

Going To Prison? Better "Get Hard" First!

Get Hard (2015)

Rated R

Starring Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Craig T. Nelson, Alison Brie

Directed by Etan Cohen

The Story:

James (Ferrell) is a well-to-do stock broker who has it all: the girl (Brie) he's going to marry who's dad (Nelson) is the boss where James works. However, when James is accused of fraud and sentenced to the harshest sentence possible, he decides he needs to spend the month prior to going to jail getting ready for life in the big house.  So he hires Darnell (Hart) who will train him to 'Get Hard' for life in prison. This is merely the assumption by James because Darnell is black, therefore, statistically speaking, he must have done time.

So there you go.

Statistically speaking, this movie should be uproariously funny, however, it doesn't quite click on all cylinders from start to finish.

I still enjoyed it, and Ferrell and Hart make a pretty good duo and they both elicit their fair share of funny moments.

Sometimes movies like this are difficult to pull off with two great funny actors as the duo. One often has to play the straight man to allow the other to pull off the comedy bit.

The movie allows for both to trade off to get the laugh in one scene and play it straight in the next.

For the most part, it works and was fun, but with a bit more time and effort the results could have been epic.

Final Grade: C+/B- range.

I Want To Attend Greendale "Community" College!!

Community (2009)

TV PG

Starring Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Yvette Nicole Brown, Donald Glover, Jim Rash, Ken Jeong, Chevy Chase

The Story:

Disbarred lawyer Jeff Winger (McHale) heads back to Greendale Community College when it is discovered that he lied about having a degree. While he's taking Spanish, he wants to hit on a fellow classmate, Britta (Jacobs). To do that, he makes up a fake study group to get to spend more time with her. However, Abed (Pudi) think Jeff really wants to start a study group and invites the rest of the gang along.

This is their story!

So this was a show I had wanted to watch when it came on, but usually I don't have time weekly for a television show, so this one passed me by.

Then the kids started watching it online, and were always laughing.

So in December, they bought Season 2 and had me watch the 2nd episode.

Then I watched the rest of the episodes.

I was hooked.

Starting in Season 2 was a bit of a cheat, but well played on their part.

The show, writing, acting, chemistry is great in the second season. Going back to watch the first season later, you can see the skeleton of the show it would become, but Seasons 2 and 3 are incredible from start to finish.

Also, don't be shocked to find the show turn into a musical, a cartoon, a stop motion or any of a million other TV or movie tropes. 

While McHale is the *star* of the show, it's a true ensemble throughout.
However, I am of the mind that Danny Pudi as Abed is the real star of the show.
As the grounded center, emotionally detached and through the eye of his documentary lens, he captures the friendship that builds and grows throughout the seasons.

Because what starts as a show about a lawyer looking for a degree at the community college that isn't even the best college in the community becomes a show about...

Friendship.

It's a slow build, but oh so worth it.

You've probably heard about the drama that surrounded creator Dan Harmon, Chevy Chase, and even NBC...

Irrelevant.

The first 3 seasons are great. Seasons 4 and 5 are good.

Season six?

Coming to Yahoo in March.

I can't wait.

Final Grade: A

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I now own all 5 seasons and have watched all the episodes. And some episodes...several times. :)