Year: 2018

Byrne, Wahlberg and ‘Instant Family’ earn a group hug

Jeff Mitchell

“Instant Family” – “I looked on child rearing, not only as a work of love and duty, but as a profession that was fully as interesting and challenging as any honorable profession in the world, and one that demanded the best that I could bring to it.” – Rose Kennedy “Everyone should have kids.  They are the greatest joy in the world.  But they are also terrorists.  You’ll realize this as soon as they are born, and they use sleep deprivation to break you.” – Ray Romano Writer/director Sean Anders…

10 Quirky Comedies: ‘Waking Ned Devine’

Jeff Mitchell

“Waking Ned Devine” (1998) –  In the little Irish town of Tullymore (population: 52), someone won the national lottery!  But who?  Jackie (Ian Bannen) did not strike gold, but he hopes that the lucky ticket holder will share some of the winnings with him!  Sure, why not?  In writer/director Kirk Jones’s wonderful charmer, Jackie recruits his best friend Michael (David Kelly) to help acquire a portion of the money, but they step into knotty complications. Jones bathes the screen with Ireland’s cultural riches (even though he filmed his movie on…

10 Quirky Comedies: ‘Better Off Dead…”

Jeff Mitchell

“Better Off Dead…” (1985) – This teen comedy cult-classic features John Cusack – in his second leading role – as Lane, an ordinary Los Angeles kid who does not cope very well after his girlfriend dumps him.  He only sees one way out: suicide.  The premise does not seem like a winning formula for laughs, but writer/director Savage Steve Holland packs mountains of oddball gags, quips and characters that underscore and overscore the ridiculous nature of our high school years. “Better Off Dead…” feels like John Hughes wrote the script…