Posterized Propaganda July 2013: ‘Only God Forgives,’ ‘Pacific Rim,’ ‘Fruitvale Station’ & More

“Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover” is a proverb whose simple existence proves the fact impressionable souls will do so without fail. This monthly column focuses on the film industry’s willingness to capitalize on this truth, releasing one-sheets to serve as not representations of what audiences are to expect, but as propaganda to fill seats. Oftentimes they fail miserably. Welcome to the heart of the summer folks—where giant robots, faux Native Americans, retired CIA operators, and mutants come out to play. It’s a tough time of year for true…

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REVIEW: Grandma’s Boy [2006]

“Sweetie, don’t curse. You’re better than that.” Looking at the list of films Happy Madison Productions has made since 2006, I can honestly say dramatic oddities Reign Over Me and Funny People prove to be the only entries more watchable than the unbridled insanity of Grandma’s Boy. And this is coming from someone who ignored the comedy for six years before watching it less than a week after the excruciatingly horrible That’s My Boy almost forced me to swear off Adam Sandler‘s shingle once and for all. It’s stupid, crude,…

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REVIEW: Just Go With It [2011]

“Holy Devlin, you’re not listening to me” The past few years have had one mantra—avoid Happy Madison productions. I don’t think it would anger too many people to say that they general suck. It pains me to write it, but it’s the truth. I grew up on Billy Madison; I love The Wedding Singer; add in Big Daddy and you’ve got a pretty memorable trifecta of comedy. The funniest moment at my screening of Just Go with It even harkened back to the good ol’ days when a guy behind…

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REVIEW: I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry [2007]

“You can come out of the down low” I don’t like the fact that I will go into films with a preconception about how I may end up enjoying them. Adam Sandler’s vehicle I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry was one of these. Never really seeking it out due to the horrible track record his comedies have had of late, I wasn’t exactly psyched to sit down and watch. At the start I was pretty much in agreement with where my head was going in, the fake Brooklyn accents,…

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REVIEW: You Don’t Mess with the Zohan [2008]

“Hey, it’s Sony guts” What has happened to Adam Sandler? Billy Madison is one of my all-time favorite comedies, the romance-inclined Wedding Singer is fantastic, and his forays into serious fare—Punch-Drunk Love and Reign Over Me—have shown the talent hidden beneath the 5-year old trapped in a 40-year old body routine. As far as his production company’s new work goes, in my opinion, a lot is left to be desired. Sadly, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan does nothing to alleviate those feelings. Yes the trailer looked absolutely horrible, but…

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