April 15: Horrible Bosses

"Three friends conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realize they are standing in the way of their happiness."

   There is a large lack of good R-rated comedies these days. Most of the time, they're tailored to be PG-13 to make more money. Yes, Hollywood is greedy enough to deny us a laugh but that's really no surprise. Luckily, about once a year, we are given the gift of the not so teenage, raunchy, and over-the-top comedy. Most of the time they're excellent (Superbad, Knocked Up, Wedding Crashers, American Pie) but sometimes they miss the mark completely (The Hangover Part II, The Sitter, Bad Teacher). I'm glad to say that Horrible Bosses can be added to the excellent list. Starring Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day, the film tells the story of the trio's attempt to murder each other's bosses. It's a very simple premise that plays out hilariously on the screen, almost like a vulgar Three Stooges where, instead of poking each others eyes, they are battling a whore, a prick, and a complete d-bag. 

And a slutty reminder as to how hot Jennifer Aniston still is. 

   Speaking of Aniston, she plays Dale's (Day) boss who, instead of crossing the line, rapes it and plays with it like a little toy. She continually sexually harasses him and threatens to blackmail him if he doesn't bang the crap out of her. He's engaged, committed and in love, so any thoughts of doing the dirty with Rachel Green are far from what he wants. Colin Farell plays Kurt's boss (Sudiekis), who gives a rat's ass about the company he works at and snorts more coke than what's at a Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse party. Kevin Spacey plays Nick's (Bateman) boss, and he's one of the biggest dicks to grace the silver screen. He's a piece of work and you can't help but share in the rage Nick must be feeling. Arguably, besides Aniston's character, you can understand why each boss "deserves" to die. 

Throw in Jamie Foxx and you got one hell of a cast. 

  Horrible Bosses is a very predictable movie. However, even if you know how it's going to play out, the ride getting there is entertaining as hell. The three leads have terrific chemistry and work off each other gloriously. The dialogue is quick and smart. And, once the story gets going, the laughs don't stop. The cast shines and whoever put all of these people together was a genius. Charlie Day deserves the most recognition and I hope to see him in more now that It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has finally found a larger audience. Now, the film definitely has a hard R-rating and may offend some. But who the f**k cares when you've got three idiots trying to murder three horrible people. The premise alone deserves the rating. Throw in violence, crazy language, and plenty of sexual references and you've got yourself an adult kind of comedy.

Not for kids (and certainly not for ginger kids)

   Overall, I would highly recommend Horrible Bosses. The cast is terrific and so is the dialogue. The premise is original and, although it's not the most unexpected ride, it has plenty of laughs. I'd recommend watching it just to see how well Bateman, Sudeikis, and Day play off of each other. It's so fun to watch, you can't help but hope they work together again. The film is also a nice little outlet for those of us who go to work every day only to be "supervised" by a complete asshole that you can't help but ache to punch so hard in the face. 

The Good:

the three leads and the chemistry they share and their amazing supporting cast

The Bad:

seeing the entire story play out well before it actually does

The Ugly:

realizing there are probably a lot of bosses similar (somewhat) to those in the film and that people have to put up with them every day

Overall: 7.8/10

Trailer:

Jan 4: A Good Old Fashioned Orgy

"A group of 30-year-olds who have been friends since high school attempt to throw an end-of-summer orgy."

   I really do not know where to go with this one. It's a movie about a bunch of friends who have an orgy... AN ORGY, and this movie is only rated R. You can assume what happens. 

Google "orgy" on your own time!

   Jason Sudekis stars as the man who wants to throw one last bash before the end of the summer. He's a funny guy and continues to show that he has what it takes to be a leading comedic actor. He has moments of genius improvisation, but does not quite have the supporting cast to make him shine like Will Ferrell, Steve Carell or Paul Rudd. He has the love child of Jack Black and Zach Galifianackiskcissasass as his best friend, who is not quite the annoying fat friend you find in every other piece of crap comedy. "Zach" has his moments, most of which are seeing his gelatinity (it's a word, look it up) in a banana hammock. 

"Look mom! It's Jack Blackilfanaskisissis!"

   A Good Old Fashioned Orgy really brings nothing new to the table but the hope that Sudekis can escape the downward spiral that is Saturday Night Live and continue to make stuff on his own. The ladies are attractive, and yes, the orgy actually happens, but like I said, this is a mainstream "raunchy" comedy. If you want the real thing, awkwardly introduce the idea to a handful of friends while smiling (you don't want to be THAT guy in the group that wants any excuse to bone your way out of the friend zone). As an alternative, you could go rent some independent "artsy" foreign film where having an orgy is not only expected, but almost as natural as shaking hands (bring Purell).

Sight: It's not any gorgeously shot film nor are there mesmerizing camera angles. 

Sound: The soundtrack consisted of maybe two songs, and the only "music" reminded me of the Progressive Insurance commercials.

Skill: Sudekis carried the film

Script: With a title like that, one would expect something much raunchier. The script tiptoed toward nasty but stayed away from really diving into the "that's just wrong" zone.

Score: 6.3/10

Best Quote:

McCrudden: "I'm wearing this thing called 'The Yank,' got it from the Adam & Eve catalog. One end straps around your leg and the other around your wang. Like the brochure says, 'with every stride, it gives your member a gentle tug."