Tag: Maya Rudolph

Celebrate age 13 with ‘Luca’, a pleasant Pixar journey

Jeff Mitchell

“Luca” – What’s the most challenging age during childhood?  How about age zero?  Sure, you load no responsibility, and your mom, dad, grandmother, a daycare worker, or some other parental unit feed and change you throughout your first year on Planet Earth.  Then again, your folks completely control your daily itinerary.  Walking is a problem, and so is speaking in clear, concise sentences.  Age zero is no picnic, but when looking back, 13 years young probably is – “Survey says” – the #1 answer on “Family Feud”, seven days a…

‘The Mitchells vs. The Machines’ is a zany and sincere mash-up

Jeff Mitchell

“The Mitchells vs. The Machines” – “Mitchells have always been weird, and that’s what makes us great!” – Rick Mitchell (Danny McBride) Directors/writers Michael Rianda and Jeff Rowe’s animated feature – about an everyday family taking a cross-country road trip and running into a machine apocalypse – is a weird mash-up of ideas, and it’s pretty great. Yes, you heard correctly:  a machine apocalypse. On the surface, this flick is “The Terminator” (1984) meets “National Lampoon’s Vacation” (1983).  Just pretend that Skynet becomes self-aware and abruptly disrupts the Griswolds’ Wally…

‘Love, Gilda’ offers plenty of reasons to remember and love Gilda

Jeff Mitchell

“Love, Gilda” – “Because I’m not a perfect example of my gender, I decided to be funny about what I didn’t have instead of worrying about it.” – Gilda Radner Gilda Radner, the very first cast member selected for “NBC’s Saturday Night”, did not always have it all, but she certainly garnered the adoration of millions and shot up to superstardom as one of three female Not Ready for Prime Time Players in 1975, along with Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman.  Martin Short affectionately remarks that Radner always lit up…