Technically, I think it's immoral not to kill him.

Horrible Bosses

(2011)

This seemed to receive generally good reviews while another R-rated release at that time, Bad Teacher, was rather slated. I'd argue that the reverse should have been true, quality-wise. Seth Gordon's film never makes you believe in its premise the way the similar Strangers on a Train and Throw Momma from the Train do.

As a result, we're some considerable way into the story before events overtake the trio's dubious decision (as in, it feels like the writers made a decision, rather than the characters) to perform each other's murders on their hated bosses. After that there aren't a huge number of laughs but the film is engaging up until the finish line.

The bosses themselves are great fun; Spacey wheels out his angry act for the umpteenth time, Farrell revels in his obnoxious comb-over while Aniston is irresistible; all dirty seductiveness and skimpy outfits. Of the leads, Bateman does his dependable everyman, Charlie Day sounds like this generation's Bobcat Goldthwait and Jason Sudeikis is the bland third man.

***

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Damn prairie dog burrow!

Tremors (1990) (SPOILERS) I suspect the reason the horror comedy – or the sci-fi comedy, come to that – doesn’t tend to be the slam-dunk goldmine many assume it must be, is because it takes a certain sensibility to do it right. Everyone isn’t a Joe Dante or Sam Raimi, or a John Landis, John Carpenter, Edgar Wright, Christopher Landon or even a Peter Jackson or Tim Burton, and the genre is littered with financial failures, some of them very good failures (and a good number of them from the names mentioned). Tremors was one, only proving a hit on video (hence six sequels at last count). It also failed to make Ron Underwood a directing legend.

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Hey, my friend smells amazing!

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I’m just glad Will Smith isn’t alive to see this.

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Now In Full Color, with a Happier Ending

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