Don Verdean & The Ridiculous 6 - Two "Comedic" Atrocities
- Thread starter Marter
- Start date
You missed a golden opportunity to say "I award you no stars, and may god have mercy on your soul."
I'll hesitantly admit to being someone who liked Napoleon Dynamite, at least when I was younger. Even to this day there's something strangely enjoyable about it. It plays out like some kind of pre-Tim and Eric bizarre and darkly humorous version of rural America, you can't tell what time period any of it's taking place in, it plays on some well-worn stereotypes but does so with a strange kind of... tenderness and appreciation for it. Everything in the movie is ridiculous and bizarre so no matter what it never feels like it's explicitly making fun of anything. Sure, Napoleon's shtick gets old fast but that's not what I remember most about it.
Nacho Libre can fuck right off, though.
I'll hesitantly admit to being someone who liked Napoleon Dynamite, at least when I was younger. Even to this day there's something strangely enjoyable about it. It plays out like some kind of pre-Tim and Eric bizarre and darkly humorous version of rural America, you can't tell what time period any of it's taking place in, it plays on some well-worn stereotypes but does so with a strange kind of... tenderness and appreciation for it. Everything in the movie is ridiculous and bizarre so no matter what it never feels like it's explicitly making fun of anything. Sure, Napoleon's shtick gets old fast but that's not what I remember most about it.
Nacho Libre can fuck right off, though.
Netflix "ratings" are supposed to reflect how well Netflix thinks you will like a particular movie or show. I also highly suspect that Netflix inherently uprates its' own productions to give them better viewing numbers. I can see how From Dusk Til Dawn would be 4,9 stars for me (with Buffy, Supernatural etc. rated with 5 stars) but how Ridiculous 6 merits 4 when I've down voted every Sandler movie on Netflix to 1 star is beyond me unless you account for Netflix cheating.anthony87 said:
Also, isn't it about time that Hollywood realizes that Sandler is a has been? Or is he just that well-connected that he can pull personal favors?
Well, since I actually liked Napoleon Dynamite and, to an extent, Nacho Libre, I'm somehow going to enjoy Don Verdean? Probably not to the point of defending it, thought... I mean, Napoleon Dynamite is still one of the slowest comedies I've ever seen where it's unorthodox way of telling a very simplistic story was both the movie's biggest strong point and weak point... and that still doesn't explain it's own cult following spawning a very short animated series on FOX... In terms of Nacho Libre, I would honestly say to only watch it to see Jack Black before Gulliver's Travels...
As far as The Ridiculous 6 is concerned, I'll stick to watching A Million Ways To Die In The West as my modern go-to western "satirical" comedy only rivaled by the semi-underrated Rango in terms of the westerns I've seen thus far that aren't Blazing Saddles... Then again, I would give the movie props for feeling like a movie that should get a remake and, "somehow", be way better than the original by default...
As far as The Ridiculous 6 is concerned, I'll stick to watching A Million Ways To Die In The West as my modern go-to western "satirical" comedy only rivaled by the semi-underrated Rango in terms of the westerns I've seen thus far that aren't Blazing Saddles... Then again, I would give the movie props for feeling like a movie that should get a remake and, "somehow", be way better than the original by default...
If I remember correctly Adam Sandler has basically admitted the movies he makes with Happy Madison are excuses for him to have a holiday somewhere he wants to go with some of his friends, with little thought as to the quality of the overall product. He knows his name will still get people watching and talking about what he's doing.
I can't believe Netflix indulged him by giving him a 4 film deal and a licence to fritter away money on another phoned in vanity project with the plans for three more. What makes it so annoying to me is knowing Sandler actually can be funny and turn in good comedic performances but doesn't put the effort in to do that anymore. Netflix must have known what they were getting.
I can't believe Netflix indulged him by giving him a 4 film deal and a licence to fritter away money on another phoned in vanity project with the plans for three more. What makes it so annoying to me is knowing Sandler actually can be funny and turn in good comedic performances but doesn't put the effort in to do that anymore. Netflix must have known what they were getting.
I never heard of Don Verdean, but it's a bummer that it sucks. I have such a man-crush on Sam Rockwell; I hate to hear of him being in bad movies. Frankly, I like Iron Man 2 more than Iron Man purely on Mr. Rockwell's strengths.
As for the Ridiculous 6...well, two thoughts occur. The first is to remember something Kevin Murphy once wrote about Harvey Keitel's performance in Little Nicky. Paraphrased, it was something like, "My god, Keitel is not a young man! He could drop dead any minute! Can you imagine the shame his family would have to bear if his obituary said his final film was Little Nicky?" And here he is again, fifteen years closer to the end of his life, in another Adam Sandler "comedy."
The second thought is that I really, really hope all the people out there about to watch this movie ironically understand Netflix's bank accounts cannot tell ironic money from sincere money.
As for the Ridiculous 6...well, two thoughts occur. The first is to remember something Kevin Murphy once wrote about Harvey Keitel's performance in Little Nicky. Paraphrased, it was something like, "My god, Keitel is not a young man! He could drop dead any minute! Can you imagine the shame his family would have to bear if his obituary said his final film was Little Nicky?" And here he is again, fifteen years closer to the end of his life, in another Adam Sandler "comedy."
The second thought is that I really, really hope all the people out there about to watch this movie ironically understand Netflix's bank accounts cannot tell ironic money from sincere money.
Ha!hentropy said:
Definitely do not read the Amazon reviews for Pixels then, it makes for depressing reading.anthony87 said:
I do hope there is something dodgy about the reviews on netflix. It does seem odd that all their original content does not seem to get lower than 4 star rating.
Netflix reviews are about the same as gamestop (shop?) reviews. Does sandler have any self-awareness whatsoever? Because you sorta need that like water in the entertainment industry. It just seems he has some worryingly braindead fans and people thst happen to be suspiciously generous towards his film ideas. Does he have some seriously evil data for a blackmail system going with these respectable actors? I cannot think of any other logical reason for their their proximity.
I'd shake my head but I already knew it was a bust. Its near-impossible to out do Blazing Saddles and that is as far as I'd go to ever put that movie up against or near this pile of shit.
Sandler used to have something, and I won't speculate how it went away... maybe it was just the 90s and things seemed ok to be a little shit back then, but now? He's regressed as a performer and writer, and I can't honestly think of a reason why I used to like his work.
Sandler used to have something, and I won't speculate how it went away... maybe it was just the 90s and things seemed ok to be a little shit back then, but now? He's regressed as a performer and writer, and I can't honestly think of a reason why I used to like his work.
Okay.Marter said:
I've seen Napoleon Dynamite numerous times (most recently last year), and there is a kind of sincerity and confidence to the film that is not often seen. The characters and situations are atypical to the extreme, and the film rolls with it all without the hyperbole and "wink-wink" attitude and tone you find in most comedies. The film doesn't really have any jokes and hardly any straight "comedy scenes". Instead, the humor of ND and the Hesses in general are of a similar vain to Wes Anderson, where the humor comes from the deadpan mannerisms of the characters and the way the scene is framed and how characters and objects move within it.
Also, in my opinion, the film's representation of awkward high-school adolescents are among the most believable incarnations from recent memory. On top of that, the film is very well shot, the Idaho setting is used wonderfully, the (often deadpan) performances were great, the musical score is charming, and the opening titles are immensely fun and clever. In the end though, ND is predominantly a character driven film, and if some people can't empathize or find interest in these characters, then I can understand why they in turn wouldn't enjoy the film very much.
I'm among those few people who love Nacho Libre. Yeah some of the humor falls flat, the farting was unnecessary, some of the fight scenes aren't well choreographed, and there are numerous continuity errors, yet I'm able to overlook all of that and call it a great film. At first though, I didn't like the film at all, then after a second viewing, the film began to gel on me. Libre may be a more conventional film than Dynamite, but it was still endearingly bizarre in its own way. Like Dynamite, Libre kind of does its own thing. The story is a simple underdog story told in a very offbeat way, involving gypsies, lucky machetes, mystic eagle powers, and stretchy pants. The world of the film is grimy and gritty and at the same fantastic and whimsical, filled with settings, architecture, and characters all of equal color and personality. Also similar to Dynamite, Libre has really good cinematography, a fun sound track and original score (from Danny Elfman no less), terrific use of the natural setting and buildings, and great performances.
I did not like Gentlemen Broncos though. It just didn't work for me.
Reading this review with an advertisement for the Ridiculous 6 on the bottom and top. I think this has happened at least twice for me on this site, a review absolutely panning a movie or game right under the ad for the product.
Worst Adam Sandler film is some pretty big shoes to fill though, I'm not sure if it's worth seeing it out of morbid curiosity
Worst Adam Sandler film is some pretty big shoes to fill though, I'm not sure if it's worth seeing it out of morbid curiosity
I highly doubt you'll get a suspension since you didn't insult anyone or anything.piscian said:
But I don't know how to respond to a comment like this beyond pointing out facts. And the facts are these:
I've reviewed 120 films so far for The Escapist (in 119 articles, since this was a double one). For those 120 films, I've given positive (7, 8, 9, or 10) ratings to 35 of them, middle-of-the-road (4, 5, or 6) ratings to 42 of them, and negative (0, 1, 2, or 3) ratings to 42 of them.
As far as I'm concerned, that's a pretty solid balance. However, you're welcome to have a differing opinion.
Your suggestion to cherrypick movies I know I'll like, well, that's not something that can happen often, as 95% of the time the movies are selected before I've seen them - and there can be no guarantees, one way or another. However, it has happened tomorrow, coincidentally enough.
Looks like Taylor Lautners career is on the upswing. Glad someone noticed his undeniable talent and put him in this masterpiece, where he belongs...going full retard it seems. But seriously, from that short trailer, I can only assume he's channeling simple jack.
The saddest thing about adam sandler movies is that for some inexplicable reason, they are still popular and making good money. Hell, Growns Ups 2 actually beat out Pacific Rim [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/125971-Pacific-Rim-Beaten-by-Adam-Sandler-at-Box-Office] at the US Box Office. Just let that depressing fact sink in.
However, the silver lining is he's given South Park some great material [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U49u-gg0ozM] to work with. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFLuIn6lj5g]
The saddest thing about adam sandler movies is that for some inexplicable reason, they are still popular and making good money. Hell, Growns Ups 2 actually beat out Pacific Rim [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/125971-Pacific-Rim-Beaten-by-Adam-Sandler-at-Box-Office] at the US Box Office. Just let that depressing fact sink in.
However, the silver lining is he's given South Park some great material [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U49u-gg0ozM] to work with. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFLuIn6lj5g]
Marter said:
Gethsemani said:
Alright, here's the reason, and the only reason, that Adam Sandler gets to keep churning out awful after awful movie: he makes MONEY. Looking at the numbers for some his recent movies.The Harkinator said:
Pixels [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixels_%282015_film%29]
Budget: $88 million
Box office: $243.7 million
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Blart:_Mall_Cop_2]
Budget: $30 million
Box office: $107.5 million
Grown Ups 2 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grown_Ups_2]
Budget: $80 million
Box office $247 million
Every single one of these movies approximately tripled its costs in the box office alone and made a lot of money. And this isn't even considering stuff like DVD sales. That's a fantastic result for any movie. So from a business perspective, signing Adam Sandler for 4 movies is probably a good decision. Doesn't make his movies any better, but there's no reason for us to scratch our heads about any of this. Sandler is simply an investment with very low risk and a pretty sure pay-off. He'll stop making movies as soon as that changes.
Jesus. Considering that no one I know thinks Sandler is funny and many consider him a terrible comedian and how critically panned his movies are I didn't expect his movies to have that kind of revenue. Somewhere is a type of people that apparently find Sandler funny and who I have no kind of connection or similarity to at all.Fat_Hippo said: