Review: Netflix’s ‘Is It Cake?’ not your typical cooking show

By Matt Pascarella

Three seasons
Average episode time: 40 minutes

I’m not a fan of television cooking shows, but this one is a bit different. The purpose of this Netflix series is to identify which items are cake. A variety of bakers compete to advance in the competition with the three best bakers making it to the season finale and competing for $50,000. Many of the bakers have a cake business or are known for their cake decorating and designs.

The goal of each episode is to fool judges and then win money identifying cash from cake in a segment called “cake or cash.” The host can be more than a bit obnoxious, and parts are obviously scripted, but it’s still a fun show and it’s cool to see what people can create and how realistic some of their cakes are.

“Is it Cake?” is hosted by Mikey Day and guest judges feature a variety of TV actors and writers along with “Saturday Night Live” cast members from past and present.

Episodes begin with contests having to find the cake in a scene or setting, such as a living room or beach display. The competition starts out with nine bakers who must find the cake in a particular setting or group of items. The three or four bakers who find the cake the fastest get to bake cakes of their own based on a theme, usually associated with the initial setting or scene, while the other contestants watch from the gallery and ask obviously scripted questions, like “What flavor will your cake be?” or “How’s it going?”

Once finished, each baker gets their cakes displayed for the judges – along with three decoys. The judges must identify which one from the items that are displayed is the baker’s cake. The judges then get to taste the cakes and determine a winner; the baker with the least popular cake, for lack of better terminology, is eliminated from the competition. This leads up to the season finale, where the three best bakers compete for $50,000.

During the baking portion of the episodes, viewers get backstory into the bakers as they reveal a bit about themselves and how they got into baking and making cakes.

These bakers are very talented and during the portion where the judges must identify which item is cake, the camera gives the viewer ample time to see all four items. Sometimes it can be really hard to determine which one is cake because they’re so well made.

Whether they make it to the final round or not, these seasons feature crazy-talented bakers who make realistic cakes that really resemble burgers, shoes, or even a block-like cell phones from a bygone era. This is a family-friendly show that is OK for all ages to watch. My only caution is the annoying host. While the contestants are competing against each other, they also help each other out and ask each other for advice, which is a nice touch – it’s not an aggressive competition.

Two cake pans up!

Available to stream on Netflix. <

Review: ‘The Out-Laws’ action-packed silliness

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: R
Runtime: 1 hour, 35 minutes

What if you suspected your to-be in-laws were current bank robbers? What would you do? This is exactly what happens to Owen when he meets his fiancé Parker’s parents, Billy and Lilly, whom he suspects robbed the bank where he is manager.

His intimidating in-laws know he’s on to them, and he’s having trouble proving their guilt and his innocence. When Parker is kidnapped by Billy and Lilly’s boss, Rehan, he must work together with his in-laws to save his to-be wife from a gruesome fate – all in time for their upcoming wedding in this outlandish comedy.

Produced by Adam Sandler, “The Out-Laws” stars Adam Devine, Nina Dobrev, Pierce Brosnan, Ellen Barkin, Michael Rooker, Poorna Jagannathan, Richard Kind, Julie Hagerty, Blake Anderson, Lil Rel Howery, Lauren Lapkus, and Dean Winters.

Owen (Devine) and Parker (Dobrev) are getting married. Owen is mapping out the seating chart for the wedding using a variety of action figures. When Parker asks if there is room for two more seats, Owen is psyched her parents are coming; he’s never met them. Parker is less than thrilled and says her parents can be a bit much.

Despite Owen’s parents (Kind, Hagerty) not being crazy about Parker, he is excited to meet her parents. He assures her it’s OK if her parents are a lot.

“Have you met my parents?” said Owen. “I only picked Medusa and Skeletor [as representatives for his parents in the seating chart] because they don’t make Stalin and Lizzie Borden dolls.”

When Parker’s parents, Billy (Brosnan) and Lilly (Barkin) arrive early, it’s a surprise. To say they’re intimidating is an understatement.

Billy, Lilly and Owen all go drinking and Owen tells Parker it was like hanging with the cool kids.

Later, Owen’s bank is robbed, and the robbers know Owen by name. Detective Oldham (Rooker) has been tracking notorious criminals, the Ghost Bandits, for years and he suspects this is their handywork.

After carefully considering several details from the robbery coupled with initially meeting Billy and Lilly, he thinks they may have robbed his bank.

Billy and Lilly’s boss, Rehan (Jagannathan), tells them she wants more money than the $1 million they’ve already given her, otherwise Parker is in trouble.

While Agent Oldham is tracking the Ghost Bandits, he finds the equipment they used to rob Owen’s bank in the trunk of Owen’s car. Owen turns them in almost immediately and Agent Oldham wants him to wear a wire.

While Parker and Owen are cake tasting, Rehan bursts in and kidnaps Parker.

Owen tells Billy and Lilly they need someone familiar with how to get in and out of bank vaults in order to get the rest of the money they need to save Parker. The three come up with a plan to rob the heavily secured Atlas Reserve Bank run by Phoebe King (Lapkus).

I liked this movie. It was funny in parts with a lot of action; the scenes in the cake shop and the cemetery are intense. It is a little raunchy, with mild violence, a little bit of blood, and moderate language. While there are many great actors in this movie, Richard Kind in typical Richard Kind fashion is over-the-top ridiculous, especially when working with Agent Oldham. I felt like it started strong and lost a bit of momentum as it progressed, but this is still a fun one.

The fifth James Bond gives it two thumbs up!

Available to stream on Netflix. <

‘Murder Mystery 2’ only a sub-par sequel

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Nick and Audrey Spitz are back. They are now in the detective business full-time and it’s not going so great. When the two get invited to a billionaire’s wedding on an island, they witness a murder. In the process of solving the case, they become suspects and must clear their names on top of solving the case. Or will they be outsmarted? This Netflix original movie seemed to promise a lot and ended up falling short.

“Murder Mystery 2” stars Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Mark Strong, Melanie Laurent, Jodi Turner-Smith, John Kani, Kuhoo Verma, Adeel Akhtar, Enrique Arce and Dany Boon.

Nick (Sandler) and Audrey (Aniston) Spitz have solved some of the most high-profile murders of the century. They’ve quit their jobs to become full-time detectives ... and it’s not going great. They need to become officially licensed to increase their business.

When the couple gets invited to an all-expenses-paid wedding of The Maharajah (Akhtar) on an island, they decide a break would be good – but murder follows them.

During the ceremony, The Maharajah is kidnapped, and a man is killed. Nick and Audrey begin collecting clues. Of the 400 people at the ceremony, it’s a select few that are isolated as persons of interest, (Laurent, Turner-Smith, Verma, Arce and Villanueva).

Nick is sure the killer is on their trail. As the two are trying to piece together who the killer might be, each of the persons of interest knock on their door with information.

The kidnapper(s) sends them a message saying if they contact authorities, The Maharajah dies.

An MI6 hostage negotiator, Miller (Strong) arrives at the island and has heard of Nick and Audrey, but he is not impressed by them.

The kidnapper(s) calls again and demand $50 million. Nick and Audrey’s antics increase that ransom to $70 million.

Miller, Nick, and Audrey head to Paris to drop off the money and rescue The Maharajah, but things don’t go as planned. At this point there is some very cool action with several explosions.

Audrey begins to suspect Miller may be in on this.

Nick points out that two bad guys never works out because one always double-crosses the other – it’s a cliché of the genre.

When Delacroix (Boon) helps the couple track a license plate, he says they are now suspects because their prints are on the murder weapon.

Things go from bad to worse.

I feel conflicted about this movie. It is fun with great action, and some mildly funny lines, but I wanted this sequel to be funnier and it just wasn’t. I did like it, but I went in with expectations a little too high. If you liked the first “Murder Mystery,” I say watch this one. It starts a little slow but does pick up and Sandler and Aniston are a good pair. This is not a boring movie; it just wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be.

One dinosaur leather suitcase up.

Available on Netflix. <

Netflix’s ‘Slumberland’ a fun treasure hunt

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: PG
Runtime: 1 hour, 57 minutes

End 2022 or start 2023 with this action-packed, sweet movie the entire family can enjoy.

Your dreams don’t just happen – there is an entire team in Slumberland that can make them happen.

After Nemo experiences a devasting loss, she checks out, disengages with the world, and wants to be left alone ... except when she’s in Slumberland, only reachable through sleep. In Slumberland, anything is possible with the help of her friend Flip. When the Dream Police begin chasing the two, they have to find a way to escape safely. And Nemo needs to find the joy that life has to offer.

“Slumberland” stars Jason Momoa, Marlow Barkley, Chris O’Dowd, Kyle Chandler, and Weruche Opia.

Nemo (Barkley) and her dad Peter (Chandler) live in a lighthouse. They work during the day and tell stories at night. The two are very close. Peter tells Nemo when she can answer the question “what is a lighthouse for?” she can have the keys to it.

During a horrible storm, Peter is lost at sea. Nemo goes to live with her estranged uncle, Philip (O’Dowd). Philip is closed off and keeps very much to himself; he and Nemo don’t really connect at first.

Then, in her dreams, Nemo meets Flip (Momoa) in Slumberland. Nemo would really like to see her dad again. Flip says they can go on a treasure hunt and asks her for a map, which she does not have. She wakes up.

She finds the map and returns to Slumberland where she and Flip go on a treasure hunt for a pearl. Nemo finds out Flip and Peter were friends, and they spent a lot of time in Slumberland. In Slumberland, you can do anything your heart desires – dancing, dump truck driving, you name it. But there are things to watch out for.

Agent Green (Opia) of the Dream Police is also looking for this treasure map.

Bad things happen and chaos ensues. Nemo is having a nightmare and eventually wakes up. She continues to struggle with the outside world and wants to remain isolated. Unfortunately, Philip is little help. He tells her to not shut herself off from the world; life is what happens when you’re awake.

Back in Slumberland, Flip would also like to see Peter, but is being pursued by the Dream Police.

Flip and Nemo become a team, but the Dream Police catch up to them and Flip is arrested.

Nemo wants a dream with her dad, but that’s not how Slumberland works.

Philip reveals how much he used to look up to his brother and you learn he has a connection to Flip.

Nemo returns to Slumberland and busts Flip out of jail.

Meanwhile, she and Philip have a fight and Nemo leaves, putting herself in real danger in order to get back to Slumberland.

This movie is visually stunning with incredible special effects that envelop the entire screen. I found it a little slow in parts – but overall, good. It’s a heartfelt, fun movie with a nice message about living life to the fullest. “Slumberland” is good, but not great. Still worth a watch.

One plush pig up.

Available on Netflix. <

Movie Review: ‘Uncharted’ a lot of pure fun

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: PG-13

Runtime: 1 hour 56 minutes

A disoriented man hanging out of a cargo plane, cargo falling out the back of the plane, several henchmen and a very expensive car. “Uncharted” opens in mid-air and from its start is a non-stop thrill ride. It’s fun, funny and a good time for viewers. Get the cat and gather round for a tale of mystery and adventure.

“Uncharted” stars Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Antonio Banderas, Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle, Tiernan Jones and Rudy Pankow.

Some 15 years prior to the disoriented man, Nate (Holland) falling from the cargo plane, he and his brother, Sam (Pankow) are getting into some trouble. And since this is the third strike for Sam, he’s being kicked out of the orphanage they reside in. Nate hasn’t seen Sam since.

New York: present day. Nate is a bartender with an extracurricular activity. He runs into Victor Sullivan (Wahlberg), or Sully, who makes him an offer he refuses. Sully may know Sam.

Sully tries to entice Nate by saying they could find his brother on this expedition to find Magellan’s gold. Nate eventually accepts. They use an ancient map that Nate and Sam have reveled over for years to take them to Magellan’s gold.

In order to begin their journey, they must first steal a cross-shaped key from an auction house.

It is here that the two meet Jo Braddock (Gabrielle), along with Santiago Moncada (Banderas) who are also in search of Magellan’s gold.

Sully gets a hold of the cross in less than legal ways. Nate and Sully head to Barcelona. Nate is introduced to Chloe (Ali), a pickpocket who is ambivalent about working with others – however she has the other key needed to take the three closer to the gold.

Moncada is upset he missed out on getting the cross and commits a horrible act.

Nate finds a possible clue as to the whereabouts of his brother.

Nate, Sully and Chloe open a tunnel and are the first ones to enter in 100 years.

Jo is not far behind.

The ancient tunnel does not lead where they expected it to. Chloe says she knows Sam. Chloe steals the map; is it possible she is a double agent?

Nate says he’s going to finish what he and his brother started, and he and Sully go their separate ways.

Then there is a lot of double-crossing.

Nate and Sully eventually meet back up. Nate realizes the clues to the gold might be in the postcards his brother wrote him after leaving the orphanage.

“Lost is not gone; there’s a difference – if something is lost it can always be found.”

I regret that I didn’t see this when it was in the theater, but even watching it on Netflix, it was a wild, adrenaline-fueled ride. Based on the videogame of the same name, the plot was reminiscent of a smaller-casted “Goonies”, minus Sloth.

The special effects were spectacular with breath-taking scenery. Stick around after the credits, as there is hint to the possibility of a sequel. From everything I read, it looks like it is very likely to happen. Even if you can’t see the original on the big screen, this is an energetic good time.

Two pieces of Bubblicious Gum up.

Available on Netflix. <

Movie Review: Netflix’s ‘Windfall’ thriller turns out to not have a lot going for it

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: R

Runtime: 1 hour, 32 minutes

A guy is in the process of robbing a tech billionaire and just as he is about to leave, the tech billionaire and his wife come home. The guy panics and holds the couple hostage, convincing the tech billionaire to get him $500,000.

It takes a day or so for the money to arrive. In that time, the tech billionaire tries to figure out why this nobody – the tech billionaire’s words – is doing this. Did he work for one of his companies and get laid off? Why does he need this money?

This movie is billed as a thriller, crime-drama, but I found very little thrilling about it. This original Netflix movie stars Jessie Plemons, Jason Segal, Lily Collins and Omar Leyva.

The character’s identities are so unimportant that the characters don’t have names. I think the real issue here is why does this guy, cast as “Nobody” (Segal) need this money and what are his extenuating circumstances?

CEO (Plemons) does not hold back in showing that he cares more for himself and maybe “Wife” (Collins), than others.

A lot of this movie is the three waiting for the money. And in this time CEO makes it abundantly clear he does not care about Segal’s character, referring to him as Nobody.

Once CEO and Wife catch Nobody, the couple is locked in the sauna of their vacation home in the middle of the desert.

As Nobody is trying to leave, he notices a camera hidden in a tree and returns angry to the home to get the footage. When this does not go his way, tensions only escalate.

The couple has escaped from the sauna, and it is at this point that CEO and Nobody negotiate the $500 thousand deal. While Nobody waits for the money, CEO tries to figure out why Nobody is doing what he is doing through a series of questions which only aggravate Nobody.

In the minimal interactions between Wife and Nobody, it becomes clear that she is not as happy as one might initially think.

At one point “Gardener” (Leyva) stops by and after CEO makes a plea for help, Gardener is also held hostage.

After an event with the Gardener happens, Nobody tells CEO that he did want to take his money to see what it felt like to be him. He also tells him that nothing feels fair. CEO has everything, and Nobody has nothing. This is as close as you come to finding out why Segal’s character is robbing the CEO.

I believe this statement relates to a class struggle and a rich versus poor characteristic. While the movie did move itself along in a somewhat quick fashion, when you get to the end, the payout is underwhelming.

I did not see the final moments coming, but when I did I thought they were mediocre at best. To be fair, I not sure how I wanted it to end, but the way it did end left me disappointed.

Sorry Marshall Eriksen, but I recommend audiences sit this one out.

Available on Netflix. <

Netflix’s ‘The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window’ a thriller with laughs

By Matt Pascarella

This title is so this long and complex and references other movies; when I first heard it, I thought this is a farce – but it’s actually a decent thriller. It may be both.

If you take this series at face value, it can be nothing more than a solid thriller. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, star Kristen Bell described the series as a satirical thriller, poking fun at movies like “The Girl on the Train,” “The Woman in the Window,” and others.

And it does do that. However, unless you are very familiar with these types of movies, you might not pick up on all the jabs they take. I know I didn’t.

This eight-episode series, “The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window” stars Kristen Bell, Michael Ealy, Mary Holland, Tom Riley, Cameron Britton, Appy Pratt and Shelly Hennig.

Anna (Bell) is divorced and spends her days in a funk, upset over the past. When she runs into neighbor Neil (Riley) and daughter Elizabeth (Pratt) she notices he is in a similar situation. They begin to become friends. This may or may not be short lived.

Anna has ombrophobia, a fear of rain.  This plays somewhat into the series. She wishes for a future where monsters don’t exist.

When Anna finds out Neil has a girlfriend, Lisa (Hennig), her feelings toward him change. Despite her aversion to Lisa, Anna notices something strange from her window – or is it because of all the wine and pills she’s taken? It’s raining, so Anna has trouble getting over to Neil’s house. She calls 911.

Things don’t go so well for Anna from this point on. She decides if the authorities won’t handle this possible mystery, she will. Anna begins to build a case through Instagram and tracks down certain individuals.

There are many Lifetime-ish, After-School-Special lines throughout this series.

At one point Anna asks herself,

“When am I not hallucinating?”

Or says stuff like,

“Life is for the living.”

“I barely believed in myself.”

“Would someone please tell me what’s going on?”

And of course,

“I didn’t kill anybody!”

I hope this series gets a season two. It was a very good mystery, and you cannot go wrong with Kristen Bell. By the end of episode two, I was hooked and watched the entire thing in one day. (Maybe I shouldn’t admit that, but the series is that good).

It does contain a little violence, language and mild nudity, but it’s both fun and suspenseful. Can you figure out who did it?

I give this two casseroles up; why are there so many casseroles? I saw more casseroles in this series than I’ve seen in real life in the past couple years.

I highly recommend this satirical thriller starring Princess Anna ... as Anna.

Available on Netflix. <

Movie Review: Netflix’s ‘Red Notice’ an action-packed historical thrill ride

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: PG-13

Runtime: 1 hour, 58 minutes

In the movie Red Notice’s prologue, we learn there were three bejeweled eggs that Marc Antony gave to Cleopatra before their wedding. Two of those eggs were recovered outside of Cairo with the third only rumored to be in existence. No one has ever found it or is 100 percent sure it exists.

In Rome, one of the eggs is on display in the famous Castel Sant’Angelo Museum. There is word that someone may have already stolen the egg, despite it being on display in front of a large crowd. John Hartley proves this to be true. He and Inspector Das order the room be sealed off, but Hartley notices a man hurriedly escape through the closing doors as alarms blare from all over.

This is just the beginning of this gripping crime-comedy starring Gal Gadot, Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Ritu Arya, Chris Diamantopoulos and Ivan Mbakop. It’s a fun adventure right from the start.

Nolan Booth (Reynolds) is doing his best to try and escape from Hartley (Johnson) and Das (Arya). Booth claims he’s quite an art thief and will later say it usually works out pretty well for him.

56 hours later, we are in Bali, Indonesia and Booth returns home only to find Hartley waiting for him. Hartley says he works for the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). He’s been following Booth who is wanted in several countries.

A Red Notice is the highest level of arrest warrant issued by Interpol, reserved for the world’s most wanted criminals.

Hartley takes the stolen Cleopatra egg, puts it in a police van opposite the van Booth was loaded into and drives off.

Things don’t exactly go the way Hartley would have wanted. He finds himself in Russia with the most annoying – and familiar – cellmate.

Here, they meet The Bishop (Gadot), the best art thief in the world. The Bishop informs Hartley he has been framed.

Hartley and Booth devise a plan to take down The Bishop by crashing a party where they can steal the second known egg. Hartley wants to clear his name by arresting The Bishop and Booth just wants to become the No. 1 art thief again.

The second egg is in the possession of an international arms dealer Sotto Voce (Diamantopoulos). Hartley and Booth plan to crash an exclusive party Voce is throwing.

From here on out, so many crazy things happen. It’s a lot of fun and might keep you guessing about who works for whom.

When I saw the cast to this movie, I was pretty much sold. Gadot, Johnson, Reynolds. It’s a winning combination. This movie grabs your attention from second one and kept me interested until the very end. It has some unbelievably ridiculous stunts that are fun on the big or small screen. Reynolds has a Deadpool-esque demeanor, and he and Johnson are a very funny pair. Gadot’s performance as the ... well I better stop there, but suffice to say, she kicks butt.

Two stylish leather jackets up.

Playing in select theaters and streaming on Netflix. <

Movie Review: What to watch during the scariest time of year

By Matt Pascarella

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Halloween is coming right up. In the past I’ve recommended some of what I considered ‘the best of the best’ for scary movies. This year, I thought I’d take a different route and list some deeper cuts from a variety of streaming services to give you a fright, or a chuckle during this festive season.

The Seventh Day (Rated R) Netflix

After Father Peter (Guy Pearce) is part of an exorcism gone wrong, he tells his protégé Father Daniel (Vadhir Derbez) he has a score to settle. When the two go to a house where a boy murdered his family, it’s up to Father Daniel to handle this exorcism. Can he save this boy from demonic possession?

This has a strong start and keeps the story gripping until the end. It has many of the things you would expect from a movie about an exorcism: levitation, flickering lights and demonic voices. It is slightly gruesome in parts. Two thumbs up.

Ghosts (series) HBO Max

This is a series from the British Broadcasting Company. When Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) inherits a mansion, Button House, she and her husband, Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) discover there are a variety of ghosts that have lived there for years. And only Alison can see them. There are many, but just a few ghosts include: a caveman, a scoutmaster and a politician.

This is a very funny show with three seasons currently available and an Americanized version currently airing on CBS. There’s no blood or guts or frightening scenes. Just goofy ghosts trying to interact and appeal to the living. Highly recommended.

Muppets Haunted Mansion (TV-PG) Disney+

When Gonzo gets the opportunity to spend the night in a haunted mansion on the 100^th anniversary of the disappearance of magician The Great MacGuffin, he jumps at that chance. He brings his friend Pepe the Prawn along. This was funny from the start, and as Pepe would say has many “famous peoples” in it. Many of the Muppets in the mansion are trapped by fear and Gonzo must discover and then conquer his fear in order to escape – and make sure he has Pepe with him when he leaves.

I think kids and adults can enjoy this, though as the Muppets go, it’s a little darker with scarier Muppets and could be frightful to younger viewers. However, I found this to be a lot of fun. Two busts of Pat Sajak up!

The Manor (Not Rated) Amazon Prime

A lot of this movie might seem like a sad story of a woman being forced to live in a home against her will, but it’s more than that. It took me to a place I never saw coming.

When Judith (Barbara Hershey) moves into an assisted living facility, she expects something is up from the beginning. Her roommate asks her if she sees him; this is concerning. Judith keeps seeing a man, or figure, but is told – by the manor – this is because she has Parkinson’s Dementia. Things get even weirder, and Judith tries to convince her grandson (Nicholas Alexander) the staff is in on it. Just wait until the end.

Two black cats up. <

Movie Review: ‘The Woman in the Window’ keeps you guessing until very end

By Matt Pascarella

Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes

Rated: R

“The Woman in the Window” is based on a novel by A.J. Finn and had me going back and forth and back and forth asking myself “what’s really happening here?” I had put off seeing this for a while and wish I hadn’t because it was very good; I consider it a decent thriller. What’s real and what is fake? Is it all in Anna’s mind or is it something more?

This movie is very reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window,” but doesn’t go exactly the same way. This Netflix original movie stars Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie, Fred Hechinger, Julianne Moore, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Wyatt Russell, and Brian Tyree Henry.

Anna Fox (Adams) is separated from her husband for reasons unknown and has one child when we first meet her. She is agoraphobic – unable to go outside – and spends all her time in her home. She has very little human interaction, with the exception of her tenant, David (Russell).

To pass the time, she spies on the neighbors in the various buildings around her home; she even discusses them in a session with an in-home psychiatrist. When a new family moves in across the street, they seem friendly enough at first, when 15-year-old Ethan (Hechinger) brings a gift from his mom to Anna. Later on, Anna meets Ethan’s mom, Jane (Moore).

Here’s where the story begins to unravel. When Anna suspects that Jane is in trouble, she makes a few 911 calls in an attempt to save her. Alistair Russell (Oldman) even comes over to shout at Anna and tell her to stay away, but not before a scared Ethan tells Anna his father isn’t a bad man, he’s just stressed.

The further and further I got into this movie, the more I thought everyone might be a suspect for the incident in question. After a photo of her sleeping at 2 a.m. is emailed to Anna from an anonymous account, Anna is convinced someone has been in her home. However, she is trying out some new medication, so is her medicine messing with her reality? Or is it something else?

I wasn’t on the edge-of-my-seat for most of this movie, but I was very interested. What is up with Anna? What am I not being told? I was suspicious of Jane Russell and Alistair from the start. I felt I was led to believe Jane was more in danger than she might be. There seemed to be a lot of focus on her. As it turned out I was both right and wrong.

I found this to be a relatively fast-paced movie with the third act dragging only a little. I tried the entire movie to figure out what was happening and was pleasantly surprised with the outcome.

I thought this was a dark and gripping tale of possible mistaken identity, anxiety and confusion. If you are a fan of thrillers or suspense movies, this “Rear Window” -like story is definitely a solid movie I enjoyed.

Two cats up. <

Netflix’s ‘The Mitchells vs. the Machines’ turns out to be quirky fun

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: PG

Run time: 1 hour, 53 minutes

Every family has its challenges. For the Mitchells, their greatest challenge was the robot apocalypse. I wasn’t expecting the robot apocalypse to happen so soon, but this offbeat, action family film was a good time.

Most families have a lot of strengths, but Katie Mitchell (Abbi Jacobson) explains her family only has weaknesses. They are brave, hungry and have no idea what they are doing as you see their station wagon swerving around a parking lot.

Let’s back up to a few days earlier. Katie says she always felt different and never fit in. She’s really into art and making movies. She says her brother, Aaron (Michael Rianda) gets her. Her mom, Linda (Maya Rudolph) is encouraging and her dad, Rick (Danny McBride) is an unusual man who doesn’t really share her interests. Katie and her dad fight a lot – it’s reflected in their many attempts at a family portrait.

When Katie gets into film school, she can’t wait to go. Her dad is hesitant about her going. The night before she leaves, the two get in an argument and Katie’s computer breaks. In order to make up for this, Rick decides he and the family are going to drive Katie to school. Katie is not thrilled about this decision because it means she’ll miss orientation.

Meanwhile, there is a technology company, PAL, whose CEO, Mark Bowman (Eric Andre), is announcing a life-size robot assistant. He assures everyone that they will not turn evil. However, the name of this movie is “The Mitchells vs. the Machines” so, while I don’t want to give anything away, I think you can piece together what happens.

On the road trip to school, the bonding between Katie and her dad is not going well. They stop at a dinosaur road stop where chaos ensues. “What would a functional family do?” Linda asks.

Humanity is breaking down, but the Mitchells haven’t. They come up with a plan and start executing it. There is still some tension between Katie and her dad. Despite the Mitchell’s efforts to protect themselves, they get discovered. They are at the mall and need to escape.

The Mitchells need to take a chance. PAL is onto the Mitchells. While at the mall, they are met by a giant, popular (at the time), vintage toy. When they try to defeat it, things don’t go as planned. The Mitchells come up with a different plan; this one is high stakes and one wrong move could be serious trouble.

Katie goes to save humanity. Can she do it? Will she get to film school? Does her film school still exist?

This was a sweet, fun movie about family and killer robots that I would recommend. While it is animated, I think both kids and adults will enjoy it. It’s action packed with a star-studded cast. Even talk show host Conan O’Brien lends his voice to a character.

All the struggles that families might have I found relatable. It’s very funny with many jokes and Easter eggs, or hidden jokes, to look out for. 2-three Robertson head non-slip screwdrivers up. <

Netflix’s ‘The Vanished’ will keep you guessing until the very end

By Matt Pascarella

What started as an innocent camping trip quickly turns into anything but relaxing in this fast-paced thriller where anyone in the town could be a suspect. Are they? I felt like this movie ran the gamut of emotions and kept me wondering and on the edge-of-my-seat until the final minutes.

Paul (Thomas Jane) and Wendy (Anne Heche) are headed for a campground in their RV with their daughter Taylor (Kk Heim, Sadie Heim). When they get there, Paul and Taylor are going to go fishing.

As soon as they arrive at the campground, Paul meets Miranda (Aleksei Archer) who is there with her husband, Eric (Kristopher Wente) in their RV.

Shortly after Paul and Wendy arrive at the campground, Taylor goes missing; she was in the RV and now she isn’t. The police are called immediately in an investigation that takes a number of days. Paul and Wendy are informed that there is a prisoner on the loose. They are told to stay in their RV as the police have search parties all over looking for Taylor.

Wendy convinces Paul they need to go out and look for Taylor, despite the advice of Sheriff Baker (Jason Patric). Paul and Wendy go looking and things get more than a little off the rails.

After filing an official missing person report, they have a weird interaction with the campground’s groundskeeper, Justin (Alex Haydon). The investigation is taking a toll on all involved. Do some people know more than they are letting on?

On day three of the investigation, Paul and Wendy go out on the water with Miranda and Eric, in hopes to extract some information from them. When they get stuck on the water, accusations are made and it gets heated.

After a body turns up, Miranda disappears.

Tom (John D. Hickman) runs the convenience store on the campground and he and Justin have a conversation that made me suspicious of Tom. We learn more about Justin and the whole situation unravels further. Wendy continues to struggle.

Wendy comes across something very disturbing which could involve Taylor. It really seems like a member of the town could be involved in Taylor’s disappearance, but is that true? Where is Taylor?

This is an intense thriller with twists, turns and tense, dark moments. I found it to be a good mystery as there were many possible suspects in the town who seemed to be hiding information that may have led to Taylor’s disappearance. I was trying to figure out who the entire movie. In the end, I couldn’t figure it out. I was very surprised by the ending and it was one I found satisfying. This is a fast-paced movie that kept me engaged until the final minutes. It is worth your time, two thumbs up.

Available on Netflix. <

 

 

 

Movie Review: Netflix’s ‘Thunder Force’ promises strength, mildly delivers

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: PG-13

Runtime: 106 minutes

In March of 1983 a massive pulse of interstellar cosmic rays struck the Earth. This triggered genetic mutations in a few individuals and gave them the ability to unleash unimaginable superpowers, making these few a new breed of human known as Miscreants. Thunder Force tells the story of two friends who join forces to try and stop these Miscreants that are destroying everything. While this movie delivers on action, it falls a little flat in pace as well as delivering comedically.

It’s 1988 and a young Emily Stanton (later played by Octavia Spencer) is getting picked on in school. Emily is super focused on finding a way to stop the Miscreants because they killed her parents.

A young Lydia Berman (later played by Melissa McCarthy) sticks up for Emily and even gives a bully a taste of his own medicine.

Lydia and Emily become friends and remain so through high school. Then they drift apart. Fast forward many years after high school to Chicago and Miscreants are still causing problems for the city. Lydia wants to see Emily again as their high school reunion is coming up. Lydia is nervous about contacting her to see if she is going. Although Emily writes back, she does not show at the reunion.

In hopes of seeing Emily and bringing her to the reunion, Lydia stops by Emily’s office and learns that Emily has made progress in figuring out how to stop the Miscreants.

However, Lydia breaches Emily’s research and has to stay at the lab. Lydia has stolen one of the superpowers Emily had worked years on.

Emily begins to receive the second superpower she has developed. Each of them now have one superpower. Soon, Thunder Force is born. They will stop Miscreants, like The Crab (Jason Bateman), a human-crab hybrid who robs a convenience store which Thunder Force stops.

The King (Bobby Cannavale) is running for mayor and is using Miscreants to help him get what he wants. One in particular, Laser (Pom Klementieff) has been wreaking havoc all over the city.

As Thunder Force gains notoriety, The King gets angrier and angrier. Lydia also finds herself attracted to The Crab.

The King has a plan to get back at those who don’t like him. Thunder Force must find a way to stop him. After a careless act by Lydia, she and Emily get in an argument and a newswoman wonders ‘are we better off without Thunder Force?’

Can Lydia and Emily stop The King and Laser before it’s too late? How will they do it? Will they remain friends?

I had higher hopes for this strong-casted movie and it did not deliver. I was expecting more comedy and it’s not that funny a movie. It is action-packed with nice special effects. It also has a decent soundtrack. It might be worth a watch, but I only give it one strip of raw chicken up. <

 

Movie Review: Netflix’s ‘Yes Day’ wholesome family fun

By Matt Pascarella

This is a fun movie for the family. Imagine there was a day where your kids made the rules and the parents had to say “yes.” There are rules and limitations, but the premise is that kids get to call the shots for 24 hours. And anything can happen.

Before their kids, Allison Torres (Jennifer Garner) and her husband Carlos Torres (Edgar Ramirez) said ‘yes’ to everything, they went on many adventures.

Fast forward to three kids later and ‘no’ has become the new ‘yes.’ Allison says ‘no’ 50 times an hour as it is all part of the job of parenting.

The Torres family is a typical hectic, somewhat messy family. Each parent has very different styles of parenting. Does this sound familiar? Carlos is more likely to be a little less restrictive with the kids, whereas Allison is the opposite. This is evidenced by the music they listen to when they each take their kids to school.

During a parent-teacher conference, Allison and Carlos are shown a video where their son Nando (Julian Lerner) describes Allison as a captor and dictator. Allison does not want to be known as the one who always has to drop the hammer.  

Allison and Carlos are at a loss of what they should do when a coach recommends Yes Day, where for 24 hours, the kids call the shots and the parents have to say ‘yes.’

The oldest daughter, Katie (Jenna Ortega) describes her mom as a fun killer and thinks there’s no way she can go a whole day without saying “no.”

Allison agrees to a Yes Day and bets Katie that if Allison says ‘no,’ during Yes Day, she’ll let Katie go to a concert – unsupervised. If she goes the whole day saying “yes,” she’ll attend the concert with Katie.

Katie, Nando and Ellie (Everly Carganilla) make a list of five big activities for Yes Day; the final activity is a big, big one.

The activities bring the Torres family closer together.

Yes Day gets thrown a little when Carlos wants to quit. Although there are very specific rules about traveling specific distances during Yes Day, Allison allows an exception. Although the exception is very fun and very cool, a discovery on Katie’s phone derails Yes Day even more. Police become involved and things definitely don’t go as planned.

Who ended up in jail? Can the family salvage what is left of Yes Day? Was Yes Day a good idea? Who wins the bet?

Like I said before, this is a great movie I think the whole family will enjoy and maybe even relate to a little. It’s heartfelt and has a nice message of the importance of family – no matter how crazy they make you. Based on the book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Yes Day is a real thing families do. Maybe it’s something you and your family would try – if you dare.

Two giant pink plush gorillas up. <

Movie Review: ‘I Care A Lot’ a solid exploitive crime-comedy

By Matt Pascarella

Runtime: 1 hour 58 minutes

Rated R

Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike) is great at her job – or that’s at least what she wants you to think. She’s been pretty successful until Jennifer Peterson (Dianne Weist) came along. Loosely based on real life events, this comedy crime-thriller was better than I expected. It will keep you guessing even after you don’t think you have to guess any more.

Grayson and her business partner/girlfriend, Fran (Eiza Gonzalez) have convinced many able-bodied elderly people they are no longer able to live on their own and they must now move to an assisted living facility. Afterwards, Fran and Grayson rob them, stealing from their assets and bank accounts.

In the beginning of the movie, Grayson says, “there are two types of people in this world: lions and lambs; I am not a lamb.”

After the death of Alan Levitt at Berkshire Oaks Facility, it is recommended to Grayson that she ‘go after’ Jennifer Peterson. Why? Peterson has no family, she lives alone, and she is quite wealthy. After a doctor (Alicia Witt) falsifies some information, a judge (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) says Grayson can add Peterson to her caseload. Grayson meets Jennifer and Jennifer is quickly brought to the assisted living facility like so many others who Grayson has taken advantage of before. After Peterson is in, Grayson raids her home and sells her possessions.

Maybe Peterson isn’t as unattached as originally thought. Peterson’s lawyer (Chris Messina) stops by Grayson’s office and says he knows what she’s up to. He sort of threatens her, and then bribes her. 

At this point Peterson is aware of what Grayson has done and tells her she’s the worst mistake Grayson will ever make.

There are some new developments regarding Peterson. Roman Lunyov (Peter Dinklage) is looking for her. Grayson and Fran meet Lunyov and it doesn’t go well. Several questions come up at this point about Jennifer Peterson. Grayson is aware that she may have bitten off more than she can chew. Things get a little crazy.

Have Grayson and Fran met their match? Have they finally conned the wrong person? And what about Jennifer Peterson?  And Roman Lunyov? How is he associated with Peterson?

I went into this fast-paced movie with only a peaked interest and zero expectations. I think it’s safe to say Marla Grayson and Fran are both antiheros. But not ones I was rooting for. Once the story began evolving and Marla had some opposition, I wasn’t rooting for anyone – but I really wanted to see how everything was going to play out.

Just a heads up: there is some language, violence, mild sexuality and drug use.

Also, don’t let your guard down when you think it’s okay to do so. You might be led in the wrong direction.

Two bags of diamonds way up.

Available on Netflix. <

 

 

 

 

 

 

Netflix’s ‘Over the Moon’ a heartwarming animated adventure

By Daniel Gray

"Over the Moon," an animated movie that was released on Netflix in October, follows the story of a young Chinese girl named Fei Fei (Cathy Ang) along with the ancient Chinese legend of a moon goddess named Chang'e (Phillipa Soo).

The movie is bright but has meaningful tones of loss from both Fei Fei's perspective and the moon goddess' that's heartwarming by the end.

First and foremost, the legend of the moon goddess is a very important part of the story, so here is the boiled-down version. There was a woman named Chang'e who loved a man named Houyi, however, one day Chang'e took a pill that granted her immortality, and she became a goddess while he stayed and died on Earth.

With that out of the way, let's continue with Fei Fei's story.

At a young age, Fei Fei lost her mother and the family suffered from the loss, though just a few years later, Fei Fei's father brought in another woman. Distraught, Fei Fei is sure that if her father believed in the moon goddess like he had when her mother was alive, he would not want to marry again.

Eventually, Fei Fei hatches the plan of forcing her father to believe that the moon goddess is real by flying to the moon herself in a rocket ship. She goes through many trial and errors before finally, she’s able to take off and almost crashes immediately.

Before she can get close to hitting the ground, the moon goddess herself rescues her and brings her up to the moon.

Once she reaches Chang'e, the goddess is annoyed when she finds out Fei Fei did not bring 'the gift' that will grant the goddess' wish of bringing Houyi back. Until she finds the gift, she cannot take a picture of Chang'e to prove that she is real.

After a small adventure, Fei Fei finds the gift and brings it to the goddess, but it is too late to rescue Houyi and he cannot be turned immortal. Chang'e falls into a depressive state that Fei Fei helps her get out of through her own grief and mourning over her mother.

The moon goddess helps bring her back home, but not before teaching Fei Fei that she can learn to move on from her sadness and look forward to a new family with the happiness it brings. 

This movie was heartwarming in every sense of the word. There were several points that had me on the verge of tears, especially when Fei Fei and the moon goddess were bonding with grief towards the end. The only issue taken with the movie is how it lacks the moon goddess' story and how it could have been expanded a bit better for western audiences.

The animation was beautifully done, and I found myself entranced by the visuals. It's a worthy watch and definitely something I would revisit over and over again. <

‘Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey’ has potential to become a classic

By Daniel Gray

Special to The Windham Eagle

Released Nov. 13 on Netflix, “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” might be a film you have heard about but from the only brief clips seen through commercials, and not many knew what the film is actually about. The film follows a famous toy maker Jeronicus Jangle (Forest Whitaker) and his sad tale of betrayal, but is also the story of a happy ending with just a bit of believing.

The toymaker runs his own store dubbed Jangle and Things, where he sells his inventions to the public as toys for children. He runs the shop with his wife (Sharon Rose), daughter Jessica (Anika Noki Rose), and apprentice Gustafson (Keegan-Michael Key). The townsfolk love to roam into his shop to buy and see his inventions, but they won’t be visiting too much longer.

After finishing one of his newest inventions that will be sure to make him famous, Gustafson steals it, along with Jeronicus' book of inventions. This made Gustafson very wealthy and rich, while it left Jeronicus and his family in shambles.

Jessica and Jeronicus cease talking with one another once she is old enough to be on her own, having a family and a lovely daughter, Journey.

Years later, Jeronicus invites Jessica to come back to the shop and instead, Jessica sends Journey. She is a bit of an inventor as well and she hopes that she can spark a little bit of belief in him. Their relationship was rocky at first, but soon Jeronicus and Journey warmed up to each other.

While exploring Jeronicus' old work room, Journey and Eddison find an unfinished robot and get him to start working again, with the robot running off of people believing it can work. Gustafson looks on through a telescope and, soon after, he steals the robot to claim it as his own design.

The two children go to his rescue and save him from Gustafson however the bot suffers from damage trying to save the kids in the process.

So, Jeronicus fixes it up with the unlikely help from his daughter, Jessica. She had come to pick Journey up early and instead the two made up after years of silence between them.

The movie ends with Gustafson getting arrested for stealing all of Jeronicus' ideas and Jeronicus gets to be a famous inventor once more.

The movie was much more musical than I had thought it would be, having eight songs squeezed into the two hours. Despite this, they were very well scored with amazing dance sequences to match.

Not to mention that “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” has a mainly black cast, which isn't something you see very often from the movie industry. While this wouldn't trump classic holiday movies such as “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” or “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” the film “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” can easily slide into your family's traditional holiday movie list. <

Netflix film ‘Holidate’ a decent romantic comedy

By Daniel Gray

If you're a fan of somewhat raunchy-style movies but also enjoy the fairy tale sweet endings of Hallmark classic movies, then is this a perfect flick for you. 

 

“Holidate,” a romantic comedy that premiered in late October on Netflix, follows the hopeless romantic Sloane (Emma Roberts) during the span of an entire year with her 'holidate,' Jackson (Luke Bracey). 

 

Sloane and Jackson are two 30-somethings that are tired of either having no dates or insane ones for the holidays, so they make a pact to be together for the holidays to avoid loneliness during them. 

The two first meet at the returns section a day after Christmas, annoyed that they can't return their presents and end up taking it out on each other briefly while in line. The anger soon turns playful with Sloane agreeing to be Jackson's date to a New Year’s Eve party. 

 

From New Year’s onward, the two continue being each other's holidate for every holiday possible.

 

Valentine’s Dayh, Easter, Cinco De Mayo, even Mother's Day, these two continue with their holidate shenanigans to Sloane's mother's dismay. She wants her daughter to stop wasting her time with someone she doesn't like and to actually go on real dates. Despite her mom, they continue going on their dates and get to know each other better in the process.

 

Feelings start to bloom for one another, only to have them shatter after a wedding.

 

Sloane's younger brother is getting married and she needs a date and, despite it not being a holiday, her sister encourages her to ask Jackson. If he wants to come, then that must mean he likes her. Meanwhile, Jackson tells his friend about the wedding and his friend warns him not to go to the wedding with her. The two end up going with different people and are jealous, and the tension continues to grow when Halloween rolls around.

 

Halloween morning, the two sleep together and almost immediately after, Sloane's sister barges into her apartment and she has to quickly usher Jackson out. This hurts Jackson immensely, nevertheless, he returns for their annual holidate the following month.

 

Thanksgiving ends with a big fight between Jackson and Sloane. They do not spend Christmas together this year, but soon see each other afterward.

 

Christmas comes and goes, and these two meet up at the mall just like in the beginning. Sloane tries to chase after Jackson but ends up having to go on stage where a choir is currently performing to give a heartfelt speech to him about how she loves him. Jackson returns the feelings and they share a romantic kiss then and there.

 

I'm not too much of a romantic movie kind of person, but I do have to give it to Holidate, it was pretty funny.

 

All in all, it's probably one of the best romantic comedies I've seen in a long time and I think it would be worth watching with friends during a Netflix binge-a-thon. <

Netflix series ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’ a slow burn that will surprise you many times

By Matt Pascarella

I’ll admit I had not planned on reviewing this nine episode Netflix series, but after watching several of the episodes, it’s too good not to review, especially with Halloween coming up. This season stands alone, but with small connections, to its 2018 first season “The Haunting of Hill House.”

“The Haunting of Bly Manor” follows Dani (Victoria Pedretti) as she arrives at Bly Manor to be an au pair to children Flora (Amelie Bea Smith) and Miles (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth). While the series jumps back and forth in time, I believe a majority of it takes place in 1987. At Bly Manor there is housekeeper, Hannah Grose (T’Nia Miller), chef Owen (Rahul Kohli) and gardener Jamie (Amelia Eve).

The series begins with a woman telling several guests at a wedding a ghost story. The story initially focuses on Dani and her time at the manor, but also gives a bit of backstory regarding some of the previous events that happened at the manor, how it may have affected the children and who may have been responsible. The more I watched, each episode would drop a bombshell or reveal a crazy cliffhanger that kept me wanting more.

Dani arrives at Bly Manor, from the states, and is excited to have secured a new job as an au pair. While she seems relatively carefree at first, she has a few secrets. Dani has been hired by Henry Wingrave (Henry Thomas) to care for orphaned Flora and Miles. As the series progresses, you meet Henry’s business partner Peter (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), who was involved with the previous au pair Miss Jessel (Tahirah Sharif) and could be responsible for her whereabouts ... or lack thereof.

While this is a series in the ‘horror/thriller’ category, it’s not gory; there are several jump scares along with mild language and some violence.

Each episode will have you asking questions and questioning what is real and what might not be. As you get further into the series, you’ll discover secrets, twists, turns, you’ll learn about dream hoping, they’ll be creepy children and startling revelations. There’s even a romance.

I loved this show. I was a fan of the first season, at Hill House, which I’d also recommend. This season at Bly Manor was just as good, if not better. My only complaint is the series can be hard to follow at times with several storylines and a lot going on.

Parts of the series can be a little slow, but even the slower parts are leading up to a sometimes, jaw-dropping moment, so stick with it. At the end I felt like all questions were answered and enjoyed the wedding connection. This is a series worth a watch; but maybe keep the lights on. <

Movie Review: Netflix’s ‘Hubie Halloween’ delivers laughs, frights and a familiar feel

By Matt Pascarella

The character of Hubie Dubois may be new to the screen, but in Adam Sandler’s ‘Hubie Halloween’ Sandler, who plays Hubie, brings a very familiar feel from his past movies, like “Billy Madison” and “Happy Gilmore”, to this new character’s story. Several big names, and a few surprise cameos, round out the cast of this relatively new, hilariously spooky Netflix film.

It begins with orderly Hal L. discovering someone has escaped from the psych ward in Salem, Massachusetts.

It’s the day before Halloween and Hubie (Sandler) is preparing for the big day. Hubie is a laughing stock around town. Everyone, kids included, constantly tease and are mean to him.

Hubie meets Walter Lambert (Steve Buscemi) who has moved in next door to Hubie and seems very nice, but Hubie soon notices something is off about Lambert.

Hubie lives with his mother (June Squibb) who tells him he needs to stick up for himself more. The only person who doesn’t tease him is Violet Valentine (Julie Bowen) who he has had a crush on for many years.

The big day is here – Halloween. The movie’s scenery provides a very, what I would call, classic Halloween feel. Salem is preparing for their annual parade. As daylight is fading fast, where is the escaped psych ward patient?

Every year, Hubie dubs himself the Halloween monitor and goes around monitoring the streets to make sure people are being safe.

He hears noise coming from Mr. Lambert’s home and goes to check it out, only to make an odd discovery.

While policing the streets, all of Salem teases Hubie; it’s even said that “messing with Hubie is a Salem tradition.”

Soon, some kids go missing. Then several adults. Now there is a mystery on Salem’s hands and Hubie is on the case. He even gets accused of making these people disappear.

Was Hubie responsible for the disappearances? What about the escaped psych ward patient? Will the lost people be found...alive? And what about Violet and Hubie? What does their future hold?

I am generally a fan of Sandler’s movie’s, though my two favorites, without question, are “Billy Madison” and “Happy Gilmore.” I only mention these two because this movie had a very similar comedy feel to those Sandler movies of the mid 1990s. 

This movie is very slapstick, with potty humor and several call-back jokes to the above mentioned movies; can you spot the references? It does have some language and a fair amount of sexual humor in the form of several risqué t-shirts, worn by Hubie’s mom. I wasn’t a fan of the voice Sandler gave Hubie and I felt the stupidity was a little over-the-top at times, but still enjoyed this movie and would recommend it. It has great music and great cameos.

Two retractable thermoses up – or is that out? Sideways maybe? <