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+

The One Time "Cooties" Isn't Too Bad

Cooties (2014)

Rated R

Starring Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson, Allison Pill, Jack McBrayer, Leigh Whannell, Jorge Garcia

Directed by Johnathan Millot and Cary Murnion

The Story:

Clint (Wood) has come back to his alma mater to teach after his writing career went nowhere. He sees Lucy (Pill) the girl he always had a crush on, but she's going out with Wade (Wilson) the gym teacher. Awkward love triangle on the first day, complicated by a sudden zombie outbreak among all the little children entrusted to their care. It's students vs. teachers in the ultimate battle for survival!

Okay, I'll admit it, this was a pretty fun movie.

I love a good horror comedy, and as zom-coms go, this was right up there.

An actual plausible reason why kids could get sick is introduced in the opening credits (and is rather disgusting to think about).

That it escalates so quickly is insanely glorious in the scariness of it all.

If the same concept were played straight and not for laughs, this could easily have been one of those blood curdling horror movies that is thinly disguising a social message.

:: whew ::

Thankfully, it's played for all the fun and gore that a name like Cooties implies.

Lots of humor, great job from the entire cast and a pretty fun script that takes itself seriously while never attempting to not have some fun at the same time.

As usual, Rainn Wilson does not disappoint in his role.

I know I'd watch this one again in the future, so that's always a plus.

Final Grade: - B