black comedy

RUSHMORE: Economic Class Struggles & Secrets In The Neo-Screwball Genre
RUSHMORE: Economic Class Struggles & Secrets In The Neo-Screwball Genre

Rushmore is a film that employs screwball comedy conventions, helping to create an interesting combination of genres.

DENY EVERYTHING: A Somewhat Enjoyable But Flawed Comedy
DENY EVERYTHING: A Somewhat Enjoyable But Flawed Comedy

Other than strong performances, Deny Everything is mostly unsuccessful, due to an uneven story-line, poor camerawork, and jokes that fall flat.

FIST FIGHT: A Briskly Funny Exploration of the American Education System
FIST FIGHT: A Briskly Funny Exploration Of The American Education System

Not all the jokes in Fist Fight land, but the film still works surprisingly well as a satirical exploration of the American education system.

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?: What's Camp Got to Do with It
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?: What’s Camp Got to Do With It

With the release of the FX series Feud, there’s no better time to revisit Robert Aldrich’s histrionic horror, What Ever Happened To Baby Jane.

ELLE: A Complex & Challenging Exploration Into Lurid Territory
ELLE: A Complex & Challenging Exploration Into Lurid Territory

Elle faithfully transcribes the original book “Oh…”, presenting masochistic and sadistic elements as comedy in the darkest form.

WAR ON EVERYONE: Bad Cop, Bad Cop, Bad Movie
WAR ON EVERYONE: Bad Cop, Bad Cop, Bad Movie

Thought the buddy cop movie formula was tired? Well, it is a cinematic breath of fresh air in comparison to the “bad cop” movie. These movies are tiresome depictions of lawmen (and make no mistake, they are always men) who break every rule in the book whilst trying to enforce it – and even though there have been solid entries into the genre in recent years, it can’t help but feel worn out.

On Jody Hill's Unlikable Protagonists & Deadpan Humor
On Jody Hill’s Unlikable Protagonists & Deadpan Humor

In January 2006 at the Sundance Film Festival, the world was introduced to Jody Hill and Danny McBride by way of The Foot Fist Way. Billed as a comedy, the movie starred McBride as a down-on-his-luck Taekwondo instructor from North Carolina. The film quickly establishes itself to the viewer as a grossly sophomoric bit of business, with plenty of crass dinner table conversations and shallow behavior throughout.

Kill Me Three Times
KILL ME THREE TIMES: A Complete Mess of Zero Proportions

Kill Me Three Times is a film which is the right step forward for Australian cinema, done in the worst way possible. For the past decade, Australia has lacked films that have managed to cross international borders and bring new talent to life, which is a process which used to happen back in the day, from George Miller to Phillip Noyce. The only significant films of the past 10 years to really make any impact are David Michôd’s Animal Kingdom, which reminded audiences and filmmakers of the acting talents of Ben Mendelsohn and Jacki Weaver, who have become international stars.

The Voices
THE VOICES: A Laugh-Free Black Comedy

The Voices, the English language debut of French-Iranian director Marjane Satrapi, unarguably gives Ryan Reynolds the best acting role of his career. Sadly, his gleefully maniacal performance is the sole positive – and that is most likely due to the lack of interesting roles he’s been given throughout his career that make this performance stand out in comparison. The character he’s playing is badly devised and written, yet Reynolds somehow manages to make the character compelling.

Tarantino
The Beginner’s Guide: Quentin Tarantino, Director

Controversial, unapologetic, and brilliant all at the same time, Quentin Tarantino is one of the most unique directors in film history. Dropping out of high school at age 15 to pursue acting and his love of films by working at a video rental store, Tarantino developed a unique understanding and appreciation for movies that cannot be taught in a formal setting. His films are notorious for gratuitous violence, pop culture references, and extended scenes of dialogue.

Horrible Bosses 2
HORRIBLE BOSSES 2: An Inferior Sequel

It seems to happen far too often: A new, original comedy premieres, to mostly good reviews, and so the studio decides to seize on the original’s success and create a sequel. And the sequel is not nearly as good as the first.

Birdman
BIRDMAN Is Incredible & It Makes Me Feel Bad Writing About It

Michael Keaton is one of those “If only he was given a chance, he could have done great things” type of guys. Edward Norton is one of those “If he could just suck it up and take other people’s advice he could be one of the biggest stars in the world” type of guys. This is no secret to us and it is certainly no secret to Alejandro González Iñárritu, who takes full advantage of our outside knowledge to create the only slightly twisted reality of Birdman.

CALVARY Is A Risky But Successful Discussion Of Moral Corruption

Calvary chronicles a week in the life of Irish Catholic Priest, Father James Lavelle (Brendan Gleeson). When we meet him, Father Lavelle hears a haunting confession: the man was abused by a priest in his youth.

FILTH Is A Display of Cynicism and Insanity

Anyone who enjoys a complex character should see Filth. We discuss the movie’s representation of corruption and explanations for criminal behavior.

BRONSON Offers An Interesting Take On A Criminal

Bronson chronicles the life of infamous British prisoner Michael Peterson, a.k.a.