Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare
Cinematic Sommelier
8.1
Proof that John Cusak is the key to the perfect movie.
This film lacks the magic of the first, but still manages to be hilarious throughout. They embrace the “over the top” formula for bringing back a part 2, and do it in style. “Terminator” car, “Back to the Future” alternate timeline mumbo jumbo… they pull out all the stops. It’s hard to capture lightning in a bottle twice, what can you say?
7.8
Adam Sandler’s best Netflix movie? I think so!
Unoriginal? Yes. But so is almost every other Halloween movie nowadays. The typical Sandler cast? Yes. But every Adam Sandler movie has the same cast. This movie is just so surprisingly fun. It really makes up for it all.
Julie Bowen plays the “out of his league” female lead. Shaq plays the best mysterious radio DJ since Wolfman Jack in “American Graffiti.” Paul Blart gets promoted to real cop. A fun, heartfelt Halloween hijinks-filled hootenanny. Turn your brain off and get ready to chuckle for an hour and a half.
7.4
The strangest love story this side of “Warm Bodies,” this film is an explosive good time. Also, a great metaphor for how schools and the government are handling COVID, and the rebellious spirit of high schoolers caught in the middle of it trying to live their lives. Katherine Langford and Charlie Plummer rock it as leads and lovebirds. (Also highly recommend Plummer in “Words on Bathroom Walls.”) a pleasant surprise out of left field in the depths of the iTunes movie section. Gotta live life to the fullest before you spontaneously depart our dimension.
Any chance to rock out to The Hooter’s “And We Danced” is a win in my book.
9.1
Review #200 incoming! Had to be one of the all time favorites. Subject of my Film Appreciation & History final essay I aced… “Hot Tub Time Machine!”
Homages to so many 80’s classics, John Cusack, a perfectly ridiculous plot. This film is cinematic lightning in a bottle. The lesson of “embrace the chaos” and “your future isn’t written yet, so make it a good one” a la “Back to the Future 3.” Time travel has a way of addressing much bigger issues under the veil of science fiction, similar to horror films. It’s why it’s always been one of my favorite genres. As sophomoric as the premise may seem, this film strikes a much deeper chord. So turn the bubbles on, enjoy the rockin’ retro soundtrack, and get ready for a legendary fourth wall break.
Also, thank you all for sticking around and reading these often off the wall ramblings of a guy who loves to watch and talk about movies.
7.8
Ice man plays a child prodigy who gets exploited for his real genius by a professor and the government. They attempt to steal his space laser, and he turns it into a pretty hilarious prank. File this under the college hijinks category alongside “Back to School” and “Animal House.” Val Kilmer kills it as the tortured genius who just wants to have fun while he changes the world. A fun hour and a half of debauchery and lessons to not take life to seriously. Maybe a little more serious than the characters in the film, but not all the time.
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 