Episode Forty-Five - Vacation (2015)

05/24/22 • 81 min

In part two of "May the Farce be with You," we're looking at 2015's attempt to reboot a beloved comedy franchise...but this time with a new leading man, new attitude, and without a signature part of the original title. What makes for an effective "legacy sequel?" Is Ed Helms as strong a lead as Chevy Chase? And just how mean-spirited is too mean-spirited, when it comes to comedy? All this and more is discussed, as we look at "NOT National Lampoon's" Vacation.

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Episode Forty-Four - Mortdecai (2015)

Our "May the Farce be with You" event kicks off with a look at 2015's Mortdecai, the movie that seeks to answer the eternal question - just how many jokes can one film make about a single mustache? While star Johnny Depp had enjoyed an impressive, long-time-coming reign as one of Hollywood's biggest stars during the first decade of the 2000's, his career was clearly floundering by the time he strapped on Mortdecai's signature handlebar mustache...and the resultant critical and box-office reaction certainly didn't help matters. But could this adaptation of the cult series of British novels about an adventurous, aristocratic art dealer really be as bad as its reputation suggests?

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Episode Forty-Six - Men In Black: International (2019)

It's the first instalment of the second annual "Summer Surprise," where we're letting an online randomizer choose our next watches. First up, a very recent attempt to relaunch a once mega-successful summer sci-fi/comedy blockbuster series...without the original stars or director. But is the addition of two MCU actors (Chris Hemsworth & Tessa Thompson) fresh off the success of another humorous box-office hit (Thor: Ragnarok) enough to nevertheless revive this franchise? Well...no. The real question is...why? What went wrong? And why has one of the most beloved blockbuster hits of the 90s had such a hard time with sequels, in general? All this and more is discussed, as we tackle 2019's Men in Black: International.