BEWARE OF STRANGERS...and t.v. shows turned into movies

STRANGERS WITH CANDY

I remember watching ACE VENTERA: PET DETECTIVE and thinking that the movie blew , but respecting the performance of Jim Carry. I could tell he was working hard trying to polish the heaping turd pile that was the 2 ACE movies.

STRANGERS WITH CANDY is similar. The movie stinks but I enjoyed the performance of Amy Sedaris. She has a chance to be a big comedic star. Sedaris plays Jerry Blank a 40-something ex-hooker, ex-junkie, and ex-con who decides to go back to high school in hopes of resurrecting her father from a coma (yes, you read this correctly). While at Flatpoint High she joins the science team and flirts with the school jock. Sedaris is working hard and supplies more than few good to great one liners. The problem with the film is budget issues. The film looks like it was filmed in someones basement. Cheap looking sets and untalented young actors play the high school leads. This placed a major damper on the entire film.

STRANGERS is based on the cult television show of the same name that aired on Comedy Central 1999-2001. Although it received a little buzz, I never cared to watch it. However, I remember reading that Sedaris received some critical claim. Whatever praise she received, she deserved it.

STRANGERS is a strange trip. I give it a "4". If you liked the t.v. show, you may give it a higher grade. Remember the name Amy Sedaris.

THE SECOND TIME AROUND

KNOCKED UP

I don't have children. I don't want children. I don't envy people who have children. In a previous post I explain how I have a list which keeps track of reasons why I don't have children. Every item on the list deals with situations that deal with the child itself. For example: Reason #27 why I don't want children...Dirty diapers. Reason # 65 why I don't want children...I have a bad back, I don't want to carry a child while out of the house. While watching KNOCKED UP I realized that I can add at least 28 more reasons to the list that deal with the mother who I impregnated with my seed. For example: one more reason why not to have children...I don't want to hold my wife's hair back while she vomits in the toilet from morning sickness.

KNOCKED UP is similar to THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN, both films were written and directed by Judd Apatow. VIRGIN had a lot of crass bathroom humor, however, it had a sweet love story that viewers could enjoy. If it ain't broke...don't fix it. The second time around is much the same. The screenplay supplies lots of drugged-out dialogue that I'm certain would be just as funny on a second viewing.

The plot revolves around a hot professional and the slacker slob who gets her pregnant after a wild night of boozing and dancing to 80's music. The opposites attract plot line is familiar, however the movie is very funny. Not as funny as VIRGIN, but it was still worth the price of admission. KNOCKED UP gets an "8".