LARGER THAN LIFE (Theatrical Release USA 1996)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.8|5.0 Starsììì

Larger than Life could have been top-of-the-line comedy due to its basically good concept; but the script dialogue does not support the Bill Murray comedy style and the film, without intention, takes on a certain darkness that is almost depressing as the main character attempts to find a circus elephant a good home. The film does not wind down well to its final scenes and seems unbelievable as an elephant loads on an outbound plane without proper health release papers in place. The conclusion seems bluntly cut short as if needing to meet a time or budget restriction or as if rewritten to suit a certain desired aim never originally intended for the story.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Motivational speaker Jack Corcoran (Bill Murray) inherits a circus elephant.

Additional Thanks

Thank You to Director Howard Franklin for directing effort. Thank you to Executive Producers Sue Baden Powell, Guy East, and Wolfgang Glattes for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Vernon the Human Blockhead (Pat Hingle), Vernon’s Wife, Lulana (Lois Smith), Event Coordinator (Jerry Adler), Richie (Richard Alan Baker), Man in Audience (Richie Allan), Pyramid Woman (Kimberly Thornton), Mom (Anita Gillette), Celeste (Maureen Mueller), Walter (Jeremy Piven), Matthew (Alex Neiwerth), Party Guest (Alfa Betty Olsen), and Receptionist (Carrie Houk).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. A better choice for overall entertainment within the ‘animal interacting with human storyline’ is Paulie.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

ZOMBIELAND (Theatrical Release USA 2009)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.9|5.0 Starsììì

Zombieland—creative and different—plays out as one of the better movies of 2009. This film creates a surprisingly good acting team of Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg. The single faux pas in the storyline comes toward its conclusion with a manipulated scenario where Wichita and Little Rock make their way to a carnival in California, deliberately start all the lights and carnival machinery while in the middle of a Los Angeles-sized Zombie population. The audience, at this point, asks, ‘Really?’ The scene, 'a little fun' in trade for 'a sure death wish', comes off as a thinly disguised story manipulation to allow Tallahassee and Columbus to save the day and win their girls. That artifice costs film enjoyment. However, Zombieland still creates interest in Director Ruben Fleischer’s (producer and writer of Rob & Big on MTV) creative work and asks for a sequel that involves Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg cast together.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Mad cow disease infects Americans and leaves few survivors. Four survivors, Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), find each other and travel together to Los Angeles, a supposedly Zombie-free zone.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Ruben Fleischer for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Ryan Kavanaugh, Rhett Reese, Ezra Swerdlow, and Paul Wernick for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: 406 (Amber Heard), Bill Murray (Bill Murray), and Clown Zombie (Derek Graf).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. It’s quirky and fun.

Video Critique available at:

Ben Meyers