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This Is the End

This Is the End (2013)
Directed by: Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%

Hey Film Fans!

I just got back from a week long vacation to Virginia Beach so that is why I haven't updated in a while! To kick things back into gear I want to discuss This Is the End. I saw it as part of a double feature at the Star Light Drive-In in Atlanta. It's $7 a person and you get to see two films (the other one we saw was The Heat) so it's a pretty good deal. I didn't really have high hopes for the film because large ensemble comedies have a tendency to fall flat (or completely implode). That is not so for This Is the End.

This Is the End was penned by Rogen and Goldberg who also brought you Superbad, Pineapple Express, The Green Hornet, and The Watch. I liked all of these movies so I was excited for This Is the End. The film starts with Jay Baruchel arriving in Los Angeles on a trip to visit Seth Rogen. The two hangout at Seth's house and catch up (smoke loads of pot and play video games). Seth mentions that James Franco is having a party and that they should stop by. Jay is upset because he wants to spend time with Seth and he despises James. Jay eventually caves and the two go to the party. Almost every twenty or thirtysomething in Hollywood you can think of is at James' house partying hard. Michael Cera is playing pool in a track suit, is coked out of his mind, and is acting very UN-Michael Cera-ey (he keeps slapping Rihanna on the ass and yelling at everyone about his awesome coke). Jay and Seth leave to pick up something from a local convenience store and that is when the world goes to sh*t. Blue lights shoot down from the sky and make select people disappear. What results is a world full of chaos. The ground in front of James' house opens up and several celebrities fall in. Aziz Ansari pleads with people to help him up but eventually succumbs to the hole. The remaining celebrities that have survived regroup inside of the house and go over their supplies.


Everyone then decides to get some rest so they can face whatever comes at them the next day. They are surprised when it is revealed that Danny McBride had been passed out in a bathtub all night and has no idea what is going on. He wakes up and promptly uses almost all of their remaining supplies to make a large breakfast. After some time the group comes to the conclusion that they are in the aftermath of The Rapture that is prophesied in the book of Revelation (no S) of the Holy Bible. If this is true, then a fight with Satan can't be too far off.

I was actually surprised at how coherent the story for This Is the End was. Having seen the abomination that was Movie 43 I didn't have high hopes for the ensemble comedy. I am happy to say that I was wrong. The reason This Is the End works is because outside of the end of the world scenario, it is totally believable. Everyone in Hollywood is connected with everyone else so why wouldn't they all get together and party? What adds to the believability is the fact that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have worked with pretty much everyone in the film. It just doesn't seem far off base to think that when the world goes to Hell, these guys will most definitely witness it together. My favorite parts of the film are James Franco's obsession and devotion to Seth Rogen, and Jonah Hill's completely put on admiration and respect for Jay Baruchel. Throughout the film, James makes references to an underlying feeling of love for Seth and it makes for some awesomely awkward moments. For instance, in his home, James has two large portraits hanging on his wall; one of himself and one of Seth Rogen. When the time comes to use them for barricades (or firewood I can't remember) James insists they leave the one of Seth intact and that they take his.

One of the ongoing themes of the film is Jay's unfounded feeling that Jonah Hill hates him. Seth assures him that it isn't true and that Jonah is the nicest guy in the world. During the film, Jonah tries to comfort Jay and win his friendship by killing him with kindness. It is revealed towards the end that Jonah actually does hate Jay and wants him to die. He prays to God asking Him to kill Jay so that he doesn't have to see him anymore.

There is a reason that This Is the End is rated so high on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb; it's a good flick. This is one I think you can justify paying theater prices for, because you'll be laughing with the rest of the audience. Obviously, if you don't like crude humor then you may want to skip this, but if you can't laugh at crass jokes every now and then, why laugh at all?

My Score: 7.5/10

The Heat

The Heat (2013)
Directed by: Paul Feig
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 63%

Hello Film Fans!

Sorry it's been awhile since my last review. I proposed to my girlfriend of four and a half years two weeks ago so we have been busy. I will probably start doing more new RedBox/Netflix films more often than theatrical films (gots to budget properly, ya know?), but there are definitely some big ones I will be seeing (Wolverine, Thor, others...). This past Saturday, Katie and I went and saw TWO movies for the price of one courtesy of the Starlight Drive In Theater. This review will be of The Heat and the second one will be for This Is the End. Also, a little note about the image for this review: I refuse to use that awfully butchered theatrical poster. Melissa McCarthy looks like a ghost and it haunts my soul so instead, I decided to use an image where both Bullock and McCarthy look like they could destroy the person that botched that Photoshop job. That is all.

The Heat stars Sandra Bullock as Sarah Ashburn and Melissa McCarthy as Shannon Mullins. Sarah is a special agent with the FBI that is on course to be promoted. She is exceptional in the field and follows the rules to a T. This makes other agents look like amateurs and, thus, causes resentment. The rift between Sarah and the other agents forces her superior to reassign her to the Boston office. Sarah reluctantly takes the position in hopes to prove her mettle. Shannon is a detective with the Boston Police that gets things accomplished in a unique fashion. When Sarah begins investigating a drug lord, her path crosses with Shannon's. This causes conflict because of their drastically different approaches to their careers. Shannon is a tough Boston officer with a soft spot for her family and neighborhood and Sarah is anxious to close the case and get back to New York. The two eventually find a common ground (putting criminals in prison), and are able to bond.

I must admit that I didn't have high hopes for this film, but I am not really sure why. I absolutely loved Bridesmaids, Sandra Bullock is pretty incredible, Melissa McCarthy is probably the funniest woman in Hollywood right now (Kristin Wiig is right there with her), and Paul Feig has never made anything bad (Freaks and Geeks...enough said). Still, I just wasn't excited about The Heat. Perhaps it was because everywhere I looked I saw the trailer (which can get old really fast), or maybe it was because it seemed that Bullock was reprising her Miss Congeniality role (she's not). Whatever the reason, I am glad I saw it. Kate Dippold's first feature length script is filled with great characters, witty dialoge, and a pretty engaging, albeit generic, story. It further solidifies my desire to see McCarthy star in a film rather than share the spotlight with other comedic power hitters. Bridesmaids was arguably her breakout role but she has been active for a while. I first saw her on Gilmore Girls (that show was amazing):

She also stars in Mike and Molly opposite Billy Gardell:

She has been fantastic on SNL:
I love this skit

Along with these TV and film appearances, she also has a YouTube character named Marbles Harsgrove:

I feel McCarthy has the chops to carry a film without having to attach a gimmick to her character. In Bridesmaids she was a homely government agent, in Identity Thief she was a criminal, and in The Heat she was, again, a homely officer. I'd like to see her as a typical woman that happens to be hysterical. The counterpoint to this suggestion is that McCarthy works best in an ensemble. That is what made Bridesmaids so funny. The collection of hilarious women made the film so much better. Whatever the case may be, I am excited to see more of her films.

Eventhough I always suggest against seeing comedies in the theater, I would say that this one is a pretty safe bet. The comedy will likely be heightened by the shared laughter and the money you spent will be justified. There is quite a bit of language so if that is something that offends you then perhaps steer clear. Watch for director Paul Feig's cameo (as well as McCarthy's husband, Ben Falcone).

My Score: 7/10