These aren’t just zombies — they’re fast, blood-spitting zombies. And they’re brought to you by Hulu, which doesn’t care if you lose sleep at work.
July 2008
Monthly Archive
Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly in “Step Brothers.”
Rating: 69
“Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” only scratched the surface of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly’s comic chemistry: director Adam McKay’s “Step Brothers” shows the skilled improv comedians in their naturally crass environment, whipping up laughs at an almost exhausting speed.
When Dr. Robert Doback (Richard Jenkins) meets Nancy Huff (Mary Steenburgen) at a medical convention, it is lust at first sight, but when the middle-aged singles learn that both have 40-year-old sons living at home, the lust blossoms into empathetic love. Nancy brings Brennan (Ferrell) to live with the doctor and his son Dale (Reilly), and the two arrested adolescents clash immediately, staking out territory and staging epic battles before finding immature common ground.
As a united front, Dale and Brennan are dangerous, and thanks to the machinations by Brennan’s brother, corporate sleazebag Derek (Adam Scott), the newlyweds decide to sell the house and take a world cruise, forcing the siblings to finally enter the real world. This is where Ferrell and Reilly strut their improvisational genius — “Step Brothers” only seems to build as it goes.
Enjoying “Step Brothers” requires checking all hang-ups at the door. While “Talladega Nights” and “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” burst at the confines of PG-13-level humor, “Step Brothers” earns its R rating with flying, stinky colors. Reilly and Ferrell wallow in their sandbox and make a filthy mess. But like the best films in the Judd Apatow/McKay universe, “Step Brothers” works because the performers and writers are inspired, and McKay treats the characters like real people, not joke machines.
John C. Reilly, Richard Jenkins and Will Ferrell in “Step Brothers.”
And some of the best bits come from supporting players. Jenkins truly cuts loose after his understated performance in “The Visitor,” and Scott (“Tell Me You Love Me”) steals wide swaths of “Step Brothers” as the monomaniacal Derek — the phrase “F—— Catalina Wine Mixer” is destined to be on a hipster T-shirt near you. “Step Brothers” is a monument to the worst of sibling rivalry, and it’s more than the sum total of its bodily functions.
— George Lang
In honor of Gwyneth’s appearance on Either/Or today, I thought I’d post this favorite interview, in which Jon Stewart got so flustered with her presence that he let out a matchmaking proposition between their children that I quote to this day.
As amazing as Pixar family-friendly flicks go, there’s something to be said for the quaint charms of 2-D animation. So the dream merchants over at Walt Disney Studios deserve props for returning to the literal drawing board with The Frog and the Princess.
Due for release next year, the movie also marks the first Disney animated flick to feature an African-American princess. The story is set in New Orleans’ French Quarter and boasts a jazzy score by Randy Newman.
But take a gander at its newly released trailer and tell me there’s not something just a wee bit, well, racist about the toothless bug who pops up.
Who’s the voice talent for this flick, anyway? Michael Richards?
Somewhere, Uncle Remus is smiling.
– Chase
1. N.E.R.D., Santogold and Julian Casablancas, “My Drive Thru.” Yes, it was created as a promotion for Converse’s anniversary, but the days of looking down our noses at musicians who gain exposure through advertising are long past. Prepare to be assimilated!
2. Her Space Holiday, “Sick at Best.”
3. The Cool Kids, “Action Figures.”
4. Remy Shand, “The Second One.”
5. Dearhunter, “Heatherwood.”
6. Junior Senior, “Move Your Feet.” Get your Atari 2600 on with Danes as they sing the best song Michael Jackson never recorded. You will smile, and you will like it. And for the love of all things holy, we need some new Junior Senior. I saw these guys open for Electric Six in 2003, and it was truly in my Top 10 of shows I’ve attended. People went crazy that night at the Green Door, and now with so many shows bypassing us and going to Tulsa, OKC desperately needs a return to those days.
7. Parliament, “Aqua Boogie.”
8. Alice Smith, “Woodstock.”
9. Simian, “When I Go.”
10. The Whigs, “Right Hand On My Heart.” Nothing wrong with wearing your Neil Young influence on your sleeve. Regarding the name: somewhere, Greg Dulli is pissed, but then again, that’s probably just a matter of course.
1200
Either/Or, Episode 3
In Either/Or, we take two people in similar pursuits, and you choose between them. It can be based on any criteria: professional ability, personality, intellectual prowess, physical pulchritude, or who you’d want backing you up in a knife fight. It really doesn’t matter: just choose Either/Or.
Super Heroines: Either Maggie Gyllenhaal in “The Dark Knight”:
Or Gwyneth Paltrow in “Iron Man”:
Super heroes: Either Christian Bale in “The Dark Knight”:
Or Robert Downey Jr. in “Iron Man”:
In this fun suburban warfare story from the Missouri indie rockers, paperboys wage war amongst themselves and Claymation aliens who fly in ships that eerily resemble Tap-It lights. I want my two dollars!
David Yates, the BBC director who took over the “Harry Potter” franchise and is on track to finish it out with two “Deathly Hallows” films, is proving to be an inspired choice to helm these films. This is the new trailer for “Half-Blood Prince,” and it prominently features Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, who plays Tom Riddle, age 11. As you might guess, he is the nephew of Ralph Fiennes, who plays Riddle when he grows up, loses his nose and becomes Lord Voldemort, and the young actor seems entirely at ease with the creepy task of playing Voldemort: The Early Years.
1. Francis Dunnery, “American Life in the Summertime”
2. The Beatles, “Doctor Robert”
3. The Cramps, “Like a Bad Girl Should”
Defiantly, gloriously sleazy — but in a decidedly Bettie Page/Jayne Mansfield/Mamie Van Doren- retro sort of way — the Cramps might have basically cranked out the same song over and over, but what a song it was. The band dubbed its sound “psychobilly,” but I think their appeal went deeper, tapping into the fishnet-fueled fantasies of forbidden fetishes. Fantastic.
4. Eugenius, “I’m the Sun”
5. Johnny Cash, “Man in Black”
6. Gil Scott-Heron, “The Revolution Will Not be Televised”
A mesmerizing poem masquerading as a song (well, it admittedly ain’t much of a masquerade), its political and pop culture references might not be familiar to today’s youngsters, but the anger and frustration surely is.
7. Bob Dylan, “Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands”
8. Ivy, “Thinking about You”
Dominique Durand’s airy vocals, cascading guitars and a melody made to be heard as the first shafts of sunlight break up an afternoon rainstorm while you’re taking a drag on a Gitane and lounging at a Paris outdoor café. Sorry, I digress.
9. Brave Combo, “Siren Song”
10. Nellie McKay, “Inner Peace”
– Chase
1. Ratatat
“LP3”
(XL)
2. Bon Iver
“For Emma, Forever Ago”
(Jagjaguwar)
3. Dr. Dog
“Fate”
(Park The Van)
4. CSS
“Donkey”
(Sub Pop)
5. The Gaslight Anthem
“The ‘59 Sound”
(Side One Dummy)
6. Matmos
“Supreme Balloon”
(Matador)
7. Four Tet
“Ringer”
(Domino)
8. Swan Lake
“Beast Moans”
(Jagjaguwar)
9. No Age
“Nouns”
(Sub Pop)
10. Sunset Rubdown
“Random Spirit Lover” (Jagjaguwar)
