ALIENS IN THE ATTIC (Theatrical Release USA 2009)

 Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.8|5.0 Starsììì 

Aliens in the Attic—a little scary, a little comedy—marks itself with just the right mix to appeal to the wider audience for entertainment value. The movie wisely chooses cast built on a family’s wide span of generational ages who are each involved in the interests appropriate to their ages and then throws them into situations quite inappropriate to those ages. This enables comedy to break the horror of the quite terrifying aliens living in the attic and makes this a movie worth watching for the whole family. The presentation is intriguing, and the acting is fair/good. The writing is solid, Disney-style story-telling that relies on honest, clean delivery that is fresh and quite welcome. The animation of the aliens is still great 13 years later with no lack of creativity in mixing the animated world with the human world. Watch for Ashley Tisdale’s very good performance as the teen in the middle of young love. 

Storyline 

Aliens endeavor to retrieve something that belongs to them while a family tries to vacation in a leased vacation home. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Director John Schultz for directing effort. Thank you to Producer Barry Josephson for making the film possible. Cast includes: Carter Jenkins, Austin Butler, Kevin Nealon, Robert Hoffman, Doris Roberts, Tim Meadows, and Ashley Tisdale. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. This is a very good choice for a holiday family share movie that provides good humor and a satisfying conclusion.

 Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

EXPORTING RAYMOND (Austin Film Festival Austin Texas USA 2010)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.3|5.0 Starsìììì

Exporting Raymond details the process involved in exporting the popular United States television series, Everybody Loves Raymond, to Russia. The documentary shows the cultural challenges that creator Phil Rosenthal overcomes as he markets his show outside United States borders. This film performs very well for audiences who liked to love Raymond and for viewers who have interest in finding and melding those universals across cultures that make everyone laugh as one.

Film Poster Courtesy of  Wikipedia

Storyline

The profitable and long-running television series Everybody Loves Raymond (ran from 1996 through 2005) markets to Russian television as the series Everybody Loves Kostya.

Additional Thanks

Thank You to Director Philip Rosenthal for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producer John Woldenberg for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Himself (Philip Rosenthal), Himself (Peter Boyle), Himself (Stanislav Duzhnikov), First Driver Himself (Eldar), Herself (Anna Frolovtseva), Himself (Boris Klyuev), Sony Vice President-Himself (Jeffrey Lerner), Sony’s Russia Executive-Himself (Artyom Loginov), Production Manager-Herself (Katya Marakulina), Translator-Herself (Marina), Director-Himself (Shaban Muslimov), Himself (Konstantin Naumochkin), Herself (Doris Roberts), and Himself (Ray Romano).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. The documentary is an excellent intercultural study piece—mind expanding.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers