Currently browsing the "quirky" tag.

Quickie Review of a Quirky Short: John Bronco

I have no idea what I just watched, yet I found it quite amusing. John Bronco is a comedy short (37 minutes) that tells the unbelievable story of the rise, fall and ultimate redemption of John Bronco, legendary pitchman for the Ford Bronco. Unbelievable, because it’s fiction. I thought so, but wasn’t 100% sure… until Tim Meadows appeared as Bronco’s manager Donovan Piggot. John Bronco is a mockumentary that creates a legend who never was, yet resembles vintage pitchmen who did exist. Think the Marlboro Man aka Bob Norris, or Robert Conrad pitching Eveready Batteries. Classics in a rugged, golden age of advertising complete with earworm jingles, loyal followers and guest appearances on Carson.

Quickie Review: Kajillionaire

Kajillionaire is flush with quirk. It’s an odd dramedy about a family of con artists comprised of Theresa (Debra Winger), Robert (Richard Jenkins), and their 26-year-old daughter Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood). All her life, Old Dolio has been taught to swindle, steal and scam at every opportunity. It’s all she knows, because it’s all her parents know. But then, during a hastily-conceived heist, a stranger named Melanie (Gina Rodriguez) enters their midst and turns Old Dolio’s world upside down. Melanie gives Old Dolio a chance to experience normal human interaction and childhood pleasures (pancakes!) for the first time, leaving Old Dolio to question whether her parents truly love her or simply view her as a pawn in their endless game of chicanery.

Mainstream Chick’s Quick Takes: The Boss; Demolition; Mr. Right

The Boss – Sadly, The Boss kinda sucks. Or, to put it more gently, it’s really weak. The R-rated comedy starts out with huge promise and some very funny moments, but fizzles rather fast. Here’s the gist: Melissa McCarthy plays Michelle Darnell, a very successful but not-so-nice Suze Orman/Martha Stewart hybrid type who gets sent to prison for insider trading. She emerges from prison friendless and broke, but determined to rebrand herself and rebuild. Considering she screwed over a lot of people during her rise to the top, including her former assistant Claire (Kristen Bell), Darnell’s road to redemption is sure to be a rocky one. The Boss is no Bridesmaids. The plot is extremely contrived, relying mostly on physical comedy gags to break the monotony. Without a doubt, the character of Michelle Darnell needs to stay relegated to smaller, SNL-style skits. This full-length feature film treatment doesn’t do her, or the audience, any justice. Case dismissed.