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Flash Movie Review: The Naked Gun
HUMOR IS SUCH A FLUID EMOTION; at least I think so. With the different styles of humor, not everyone finds the same things funny. For example, I do not much care for slapstick or physical types of humor. Where someone trips or falls down a flight of stairs, I do not find the humor in such things. However, I know a person who cannot stop laughing at such things. A friend of their’s slipped on the way down a staircase, and wound up bumping all the way down on their backside! My friend could not stop laughing; though, they at least were able to get these words out between the guffaws, “Are you ok?” Oddly, I used to love the cartoons of a road runner bird versus a coyote. If you are not familiar with them, the coyote would come up with different kind of traps to capture the bird, but they would always backfire. The reason I loved this cartoon was not for these scenarios but the inventions and ingenuity the coyote used in setting the traps. And as you know, in cartoon world, the character never dies; so no matter how many explosions, falls, and fire bombs the coyote experienced, they always survived. MY TYPE OF HUMOR IS MORE esoteric. One may need to think about it or imagine it as it is being told to you. I also enjoy stories where certain words or phrases can have two meanings a/k/a double entendres. One liner jokes is another form of humor that I am fond of, from the likes of Rodney Dangerfield to Joan Rivers to Don Rickles, for example. As I grew older, I discovered the art of story telling humor, and especially satire. i had a relative who had such a dry sense of humor that I always loved. It takes real skill to spin a story and make it both relatable, funny, and at times absurd. Now, though I do not have a problem with profanity being used by some comedians, I strongly dislike when “dirty” and derogatory words are peppered throughout one’s act. Referring to females with the “B” word is not funny to me. If I am at a comedy club or attending a comedian’s concert, I used to feel awkward when everyone around me was laughing while I just sat still with no emotion coming out of me. When I became an adult, I learned how to fake a laugh and put an amused look on my face. Gratefully, I don’t do that anymore because I am not intimidated by being the only person not reacting to a comedian’s joke. Not that it was an issue for me while watching this action, crime comedy reboot. FOLLOWING IN HIS FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS, A detective uses his special skills to try and save the world. With Liam Neeson (Marlowe, In the Land of Saints and Sinners) as Frank Drebin Jr., Pamela Anderson (The Last Showgirl, City Hunter) as Beth Davenport, Paul Walter Hauser (The Luckiest Man in America, Queenpins) as Ed Hocken Jr., Danny Huston (The Crow, The Dead Don’t Hurt) as Richard Cane, and CCH Pounder (RoboCop 3, NCIS: New Orleans-TV) as Chief Davis; this slapstick satire worked because of Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson. Having Liam in this role was genius because of his tough serious guy persona, and the chemistry between him and Pamela made it easy for each to play off of the other. I liked the way the story brought in elements of the original franchise, and the jokes and gags were non-stop. Not necessarily my type of humor for the most part; however, there were a few times where I chuckled during a scene. All in all, this picture was a short and tidy piece that accomplished what it set out to do. Nothing new or astonishing, just a bit of nostalgia that hoped it would get a laugh out of the viewer.
2 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Last Showgirl
HAVING THE COMBINATION OF BEING CHANGE resistant and finding comfort in having a routine, it is difficult for me whenever I am forced to accept a new situation in my daily routine. For example, at a past job, when our department was moving to a remodeled space, I nearly became catatonic because I was so overwhelmed with the thought of packing up my area and moving my stuff to a different location in the office building. My co-workers noticed the week of our scheduled move, I barely had the drawers of my desk packed up, let alone my files. They had to come in and get everything into cardboard files or boxes, label them and put them in a pile for the people who were in charge of physically moving our stuff. To this day, I am still grateful for all the work they put in to get me to our new office space. I do not know why I am so resistant to change, but even throughout my career I have had numerous phone calls from recruiters, enticing me with job opportunities at various companies that were offering bigger salaries than what I was currently receiving. I turned all of them down because I simply did not want to change the daily routine I had in place. I know, this sounds crazy but it is the truth; that is how uncomfortable I am when it comes to change. THIS FEAR OF CHANGE WAS ONE of the main reasons why I created choreographed routines in my aerobic classes. If I had to come into the exercise studio each time with a different move or step pattern I would have given up teaching classes. On the average, I would have ten to twelve songs on my playlist with each song representing a different choreographed piece. This way, I could walk into class for the next six to ten weeks knowing exactly what i was going to do and monitor the class participants’ progress. If you think that might be a little bit OCD, I am sure I have told you that I ate the exact same lunch every day at work for over thirty years. Knowing that I would be eating the same food, where each item was a favorite of mine, was my daily oasis of bliss during the work day. No matter how hard the day was going, knowing what was waiting for me at lunchtime always made me happy and excited. I know I am not the only person who finds comfort with having a routine, and when I do discover someone else of a like mind it simply validates what I feel about myself. You will quickly know and understand why I enjoyed this film festival winning drama. AFTER WORKING FOR YEARS AT THE same Las Vegas stage show, a seasoned showgirl must come to terms with the fact the show would soon be closing, leaving her to figure out what she needed to do to make a living. With Pamela Anderson (Baywatch-TV, Home Improvement-TV) as Shelly, Brenda Song (Love Accidentally, Dollface-TV) as Mary-Anne, Kiernan Shipka (Red One, Mad Men-TV) as Jodie, Dave Bautista (The Killer’s Game, In the Lost Lands) as Eddie, and Jamie Lee Curtis (Borderlands, Haunted Mansion) as Annette; the performances in this film were excellent. I thought Pamela did her best work in this story and wondered if the writers had her in mind when creating this character. The way she came across with this tiny high pitched voice and love of feathers and sequins, it was a delight to see the maturity of her character bleeding out of her as the story progressed. Also, it is understandable why she was nominated for a Golden Globes Award. I enjoyed seeing a different side of Las Vegas with the story focused more on the workers who created the glitz and glamour. The script was decent but I would have appreciated learning more about the characters. However, watching the acting and my fascination with Las Vegas, made this an enlightening viewing experience.
3 stars
moviejoltz 