Dumb and Dumber To

The first Dumb and Dumber is a modern comedy classic, aint no mistake! It represents the Farrelly brothers finest work and famously paired Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels (who knew) together as a double-act to rival the classics of yesteryear.
A prequel was made (Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd) with the cast and crew of the original largely absent. In my opinion they missed a golden opportunity to cast Carrey and Daniels as their younger selves - now that could've been fun!

Twenty years later and a belated sequel lands on our shores. As a huge fan of the original, this sequel had been on my radar since it's inception. The Farrelly brothers were directing once more and Carrey and Daniels were back, back, back!
Collectively this spelt success. The announcement of the title itself assured me that the film-makers were in the correct mindset. Surely all they needed to do was to place their idolised pair front and centre and have them drive the story in typically idiotic, yet infantile fashion.
Well, it would appear Harry and Lloyd have grown up! No longer the innocent and naive pair of the first, Harry and Lloyd have hit puberty and become obnoxious teens!

In the original Dumb and Dumber Harry and Lloyd were the put-upon-pair - they were the butt (literally) of 99% of the jokes.This time we're expected to laugh with Harry and Lloyd, almost encouragingly so.
Most of the jokes are at the expense of the co-characters and a good portion of these are in terrible taste; watch as Kathleen Turner is mistaken for a man (for the umpteenth time); discover a second use for a cork, courtesy of a parental dream sequence; laugh with Harry and Lloyd as they purposely disrupt a science conference with an armpit fart or seven - obnoxious teens indeed!

As deflating as this all is to witness, it's still pretty great to see Carrey and Daniels inhabit these roles again. After twenty years, Daniels' second term as Harry Dunne is the more successful of the two, with a performance mirroring that of the original. It would appear Carrey is impersonating Lloyd Christmas however - or else he's taken the evolution of his character more seriously and skewed his performance accordingly. Either way, we all know he's capable of much more.
At the end of the day there are a few genuine laughs to be had and a couple of nice touches which exceed (admittedly lowered) expectation.

If this trajectory of ageing continues, Harry and Lloyd will appear quite decrepit once they mature to adulthood. They could have some fun with that too perhaps (in typical Johnny Knoxville/Bad Grandpa style)?! Until then Dumb and Dumber To is for hardcore fans and obnoxious teens only (it should do pretty well I imagine)!

I for one will be basking in the glory of the original - after twenty years it still has the ability to leave me in stitches!

2/5


Poster image courtesy: www.newfarmcinemas.com.au

Life Itself

What better way to start a new year of film reviews than with Life Itself - a documentary feature on famed film reviewer, Roger Ebert.
Life Itself is directed by Steve James (Hoop Dreams) who presents his subject towards the end of his life, before returning to his formative years and the beginning of his illustrious career.
The film recounts Eberts life in flashback throughout, regularly returning to the present for comparative insight.

For those not steeped in Eberts career, Life Itself covers a lot of ground - from Eberts passion and talent for writing early on, to a professional love affair with film, lasting over 45 years.
More than just a reviewer, Ebert sought out and encouraged new names and faces in independent cinema.
Unabashed by his work, Ebert became friends with many of his subjects, some of whom would come in for heavy criticism during his career.
He frequently attended the Conference on World Affairs - known for being the "conference on everything conceivable". Ebert moderated Cinema Interruptus for many years - a symposium on film lasting the length of the conference.
As a social commentator Ebert spoke alongside numerous other experts in their field on a multitude of subjects.

Ebert certainly had his principles. Early on he stopped the presses of his own University paper, spotting an inappropriate advert across the page from a lead story, concerning John F. Kennedys assassination. Having gained notoriety for his writing, Ebert remained at the paper which hired him (the Chicago Sun-Times), despite lucrative offers to the contrary.

Based on the book of the same name (with many a quote directly referenced on screen), Life Itself undoubtedly lacks the depth of the best-seller. Numerous detailed accounts of Eberts various experiences have been jettisoned in favour of Eberts ill-health, which covers a good portion of the film.

Living with cancer, Ebert underwent various treatments and several failed surgeries (horrendous). He's an inspiration to all who've suffered a similar fate. Not one to shy away from his debilitating health, Ebert continued to write and appears on camera as communicative and joyous.

Despite Eberts upbeat resolve, the lasting impression of the man is of someone battling to pursue his passion, despite the restrictions of his body. The man achieved a great deal in his life and I believe more time and detail could've been spent expanding upon these achievements.
For example, Ebert won the Pulitzer prize for his work as a movie reviewer (the first ever), but we don't discover which specific piece or pieces won him the prize? Moreover his career as a screenwriter is touched upon, having written the screenplay to Russ Meyers, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. But Ebert had a long-standing, working relationship with Meyer, contributing screenplays several times thereafter.

Overall Life Itself is a fascinating account of one of the most admired film reviewers in cultural history. One which could've benefited from being a more celebratory account, rather than a slightly dour one.

3/5


Film Poster courtesy: www.kartemquin.com




Followers of this site will notice we're returning to our regularly scheduled programming of film related posts! All art and illustration-related news can now be found here: www.facebook.com/alexsmithartist

Here's a pic of some new art by yours truly to wet your appetite!

Mick Garris audio interview!

So I've been sitting on this interview for about two years now - well, about a year and a half!

The opportunity to interview Mick Garris was offered to me not long after I started writing for Monster Pictures. I didn't expect to be interviewing so soon. I was brimming with confidence and eager to take another big step towards my dream. It was short-lived - come the big day, I was racked with nerves! I only knew of Garris by his work on The Stand, so I studied hard and fast in an effort to deliver the goods!

As much as I would've liked to have shared this upon completion (back in 2013), today is just as fitting. It is the eve of the release of Unbroken (here in Melbourne) - Angelina Jolie's new film as director. Those of you with a keen eye may have spotted Garris' name on the poster - taking an executive producer credit. As you'll discover later in this interview, Garris' involvement in the film is of significant interest!

As a first-timer I was extremely lucky to interview Mick Garris. He was incredibly forthcoming with his answers. It was as close to a conversation as I was gonna get first time out - something an interviewer must master I imagine. My introduction was purely speculative at the time but Garris transcended every character trait I had formerly pieced together!

Before we begin, I would like to thank Leslie Morris for organising and producing this little milestone in my life.
Along with Shawn Hunt and Paul McVay, you can find Leslie regularly musing on creature features from yesteryear at: http://creaturefeaturepodcast.com/. Well worth a listen!

Anyway, the link below will transport you to the aforementioned interview - just hit play!

https://archive.org/details/MickGarrisFinal