Author: Jeff Mitchell

10 Quirky Comedies: ‘Serial Mom’

Jeff Mitchell

“Serial Mom” (1994) – Life appears normal in the Baltimore suburbs, and so do the Sutphins.  Dad (Sam Waterston) is a successful dentist, Mom (Kathleen Turner) is a prideful homemaker, and their kids Misty (Ricki Lake) and Chip (Matthew Lillard) are well-adjusted teens, but yes, accompanied with their own sets of issues.  Well, there is one glaring difference between the Sutphins and most other families:  Mom is a serial killer. Director/writer John Waters throws a monkey wrench in the form of Kathleen Turner into a sea of manicured neighborhoods, flea…

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…