What's The Worst That Could Happen? (2001)

One of the biggest questions people pose when they get into anything is what is the worst that could happen? It's If you're the type that takes chances in life then that is definitely one of your motto's, but it's definitely a serious question posed in today's film What's The Worst That Could Happen? which was released in 2001 and was directed by Sam Weisman (D2: The Mighty Ducks). The film stars Martin Lawrence (Bad Boys For Life) as Kevin Caffery, a thief who seems to have it all in life from money, friends, and a new girlfriend who gives him a ring. Unfortunately for Kevin, while on the job stealing from a rich tycoon (Danny DeVito), he gets caught and the tycoon steals his ring from him which in turn causes the two to go to battle over the ring in a game of cat and mouse. The film also stars John Leguizamo (To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar) as Berger, Glenne Headly (Dick Tracy) as Gloria, Carmen Ejogo (Selma) as Amber, the late Bernie Mac (Mr. 3000) as Uncle Jack, Larry Miller (The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot) as Earl, Nora Dunn (Pineapple Express) as Lutetia, Richard Schiff (Seven) as Walter, William Fichtner (The Dark Knight) as Det. Tardio, Sascha Knopf (Shallow Hal) as Tracey, GQ (Rescue Dawn) as Shelly, and Siobhan Fallon Hogan (Holes) as Edwina.

I literally went into this film with absolutely no expectations and I wasn't really expecting much from it and as the movie went on I was quite pleased with it. Danny DeVito and Martin Lawrence made quite the combination in the film as they did battle through out. Right now though, I will say that my MVP of the film award goes to William Fichtner who plays this really flamboyant and bizarre detective who just steals the show every time he appears on the screen. It was almost like he was the real comedic relief in the film despite all the great comedians in the film like Boston legend Lenny Clarke. That was the other thing that surprised me is that the film took place in Boston which is always a perk for someone from Boston. As you're watching the film you can't help but recognize some of the areas they are in and you've seen some in other films too. I definitely enjoyed the story in the film as each one was trying to out do the other even though a big twist is played on them at the end of the film. The acting in the film is great all around and the cinematography as I said was great too. I definitely loved the combo of Leguizamo, Lawrence, GQ, Clarke, and Bernie Mac who provided some really good laughs in the film like the C-SPAN scene and more. The film is available for free right now on Youtube so you can check it out for yourself, but for right now I am going to give the film an B for a final grade.

Nothing But Trouble (1991)

There is nothing better than the word free because it means it doesn't literally cost you anything and that is what I love about the VUDU app. They literally offer you a selection of free movies every month and while some may be less desirable than others all you have to do is watch ads. That is literally the reason I chose to watch the 1991 comedy Nothing But Trouble which stars and was written and directed by Dan Aykroyd (Driving Miss Daisy). Chevy Chase (Caddyshack) plays Chris Thorne, a wealthy financial journalist who along with some friends decide that they are going to take a trip to Atlantic City. Unfortunately, the gang takes a detour into a strange town and they run a stop that brings them some backwoods justice. The film also stars Demi Moore (Striptease) as Diane Lightson, John Candy (Uncle Buck) as Dennis/Eldona, Aykroyd as Judge Alvin 'J.P' Valkenheiser / Bobo, Valri Bromfield (Needful Things) as Miss Purdah, Taylor Negron (Angels In The Outfield) as Fausto, Bertila Damas (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) as Renalda, Raymond J. Barry (Sudden Death) as Mark, Brian Doyle-Murray (Wayne's World) as Brian, Daniel Baldwin (Cold Case) as Dealer #1, the late Tupac Shakur (Above The Rim) as a member of Digital Underground, and John Daveikis (Spies Like Us) as Lil' Deebull.

One thing is for certain, I feel like Rob Zombie got his idea for the Firefly Clan house of doom from the set of this film as you can see in the picture to the left of this paragraph. There is a lot more than just that pic, but when you watch the film you'll see exactly what I am talking about. To be perfectly honest, I think that was my favorite thing about the film was the set and the way everything looked in the house as well. Chevy Chase acted like he was phoning it in with his performance in the film. Dan Aykroyd was actually the best part of the film as he obviously didn't phone it in, but he was all in as the Auteur of the film. When you think things get weird with him in the film, wait till you check out the twins outside which is just outrageous, but I loved them. It was great seeing John Candy playing two roles, but he didn't really have a huge role in the film except when he played the mute sister version of himself. Then there was the cool performance by Digital Underground which featured a young Tupac Shakur and that was probably the funnest moment of the film. Other than that, the film was just OK and I was definitely happy that I was able to watch it for free because I would've regretted paying for it. Check it out on VUDU right now, but know that I am giving the film an C+/B- for a final grade.

The Patsy (1964)

Did you know that after today, there are only 38 more Sundays left in the calendar year which may seem like a lot, but it really isn't with how time flies by. So with that being said, we have another cool Sunday At The Classics for you guys and would believe me if I said I had never seen a Jerry Lewis (The Nutty Professor) film? Well, it's true and thanks to HULU I decided to check out the 1964 comedy The Patsy which was written and directed by Lewis himself. The film follows a comedy writing team who just recently lost their comedy star when he died in a plane crash. Rather than breaking up and go their separate ways they stumble on a nitwit hotel employee named Stanley (Lewis) who they believe they can turn into the next comedy star, but that will prove to be challenging. The film also stars Ina Balin (The Comancheros) as Ellen, Everett Sloane (Citizen Kane) as Caryl Fergusson, Phil Harris (The Jungle Book) as Chic, Keenan Wynn (Dr. Strangelove) as Harry, Peter Lorre (M) as Morgan, John Carradine (The Ten Commandments) as Bruce, Scatman Crothers (The Shining) as Shoeshine Boy, Hans Conried (Peter Pan) as Prof. Mueller, and Del Moore (The Nutty Professor) as The Policeman.

I don't really know the reason why I have never checked out a Jerry Lewis film to be perfectly honest and it's weird because I just never took the time to. To understand what kind of comedian he was, it seems like he was a very physical comedian in where they do a lot of faces and just dumb comedy like stumbling over words and bumping into things to get a laugh which he did succeed to get out of me in a few of the scenes. For Mr. Lewis to have been around as long as he had been, he must of done something right, but what I liked most about this film was the writing and the story. The film was social commentary on Hollywood at the time and how desperate they always were to find the next big thing which still applies to this very day. Just think of how many comedians have come and gone when they tried finding the next Eddie Murphy. The whole film they are riding and dying on the idea of word getting out that they have found the next star even though he seems to be a complete moron. The funny thing is that when they all abandon him at the end, that is when he is the most successful because now he has something to prove to everyone. The real star was born at the very moment in time and it all came from within him and not this comedy team. The film was also stacked with some of the best in the business and it was awesome to see Scatman Crothers in the film, he has his moment with Jerry which was very funny. I definitely think this film was worth checking out and I look forward to more Lewis films in the future so I am going to go ahead and give the film an A- for a final grade.

Onward (2020)

Due to Covid-19, there were a lot of films that I didn't have the chance of seeing because of the shutdown of non essential businesses which included movie theaters. Then there was news that a bunch of films were going to be released online and sure enough when I opened Disney Plus, one film I wanted to see was on there and that was Onward which was written and directed by Dan Scanlon (Monsters University). The film takes place in a land where at one time magic had ruled the Earth, but then someone decided to make things easier and they got lazier. For Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland), he never got the chance to meet his father because he had passed away when Ian was just a baby. On his 16TH birthday, his mother unveils a present that will allow their dad to comeback for 24HRS, but when they try to cast the spell, the stone breaks forcing the Lightfoot brothers to go on a quest before time runs out. The film also stars Chris Pratt (Guardians Of The Galaxy) as Barely Lightfoot, Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld) as Laurel Lightfoot, Octavia Spencer (Ma) as The Manticore, Mel Rodriguez (The Watch) as Colt Bronco, Grey Griffin (Unikitty!) as Dewdrop, Ali Wong (Birds Of Prey) as Officer Gore, Tracey Ullman (Panic) as Grecklin, John Ratzenberger (Toy Story 4) as Construction Worker, and Kyle Bornheimer (Marriage Story) as Wilden Lightfoot.

I thought that this was actually an excellent movie and further proves my point that Disney does not make bad films or I should say Disney Pixar does not make bad films. Every single film that I have actually seen from Disney Pixar has been very good and I would say B+ or better if you meant in terms of grades. This film has an incredible cast with Chris Pratt lending his amazing vocal talents to the project alongside his MCU compatriot Tom Holland. Not to mention, Octavia Spencer does an amazing job as The Manticore, a lion scorpion creature and what an appearance by Tracey Ullman who plays a pawn shop owner and it was amazing. Let us not forget that the film actually has an incredible story that takes us on a wild adventure from beginning to end which includes the emotional rollercoaster as well. I love the fact that they throw in a huge dilemma towards the end of the film because finding the could have been that easy especially after what they had been through, but there are some more obstacles to go through for Ian. The film was sort of a coming of age story for Ian who isn't confident enough to do anything on his own and he doesn't realize what he has had in front of him the whole time, but he grows up by the end. That is all that matters when you have a coming of age story for a young wizard elf. I loved the animation in the film, I loved how they portrayed some of the ancient magical creatures like Fairies, Unicorns, and even a dragon as a pet. This was a super fun film that I would definitely watch again. That is why I am giving the film an A- for a final grade.

Road To Perdition (2002)

The point of these challenges or what I am doing is to check out films that you never seen before. Unfortunately for me, there have been a lot of films that somehow have fallen through the cracks and I just have not had the chance to see them and the film I picked for today is one of them. The film I chose for today is called Road To Perdition and it was released in 2002 and it was directed by Sam Mendes (1917). The film stars Tom Hanks (Toy Story 4) as Michael Sullivan, a mob enforcer whose son happens to witness a murder that ends up getting Michael's wife and other son killed because of it. This forces Michael to take his son on the road with him as he plans his revenge. The film also stars Tyler Hoechlin (Everybody Wants Some!) as Michael Jr., Jennifer Jason Leigh (Good Time) as Annie Sullivan, Paul Newman (The Hustler) as John Rooney, Daniel Craig (Casino Royale) as Connor Rooney, Ciarán Hinds (Frozen) as Finn McGovern, Dylan Baker (Trick 'r Treat) as Rance,  Stanley Tucci (Captain America: The First Avenger) as Frank Nitti, Jude Law (Captain Marvel) as Maguire, and Liam Aiken (Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events) as Peter Sullivan.

The truth of the matter was that I had only seen the ending of the film so I ultimately knew what was going to happen, I just didn't know how they got there. Jude Law's role wasn't a huge one, but he makes such an impact with the screen time that was given to him. He is instantly a character that you are never going to forget because of how creepy the guy is. He likes to take photographs of the dead and not just the ones that he has killed either which should be enough information for you to know who you are dealing with. There is so much emotion in this film that it's divided and distributed very well throughout the story from the loss of his family to the loss of his other family which hurts just as much to a guy like Michael Sullivan. Tom Hanks was well... Tom Hanks and that means that he was masterful because I don't think that Tom Hanks makes a bad film and if he does its very rare. Tom does an amazing job of keep your attention as he struggles to navigate through the madness because he has to deal with his son and his issues plus deal with the fact that the "family" wants him dead. I love the costumes, the sets, the cars, and of course the Tommy Gun which we get to see in this prohibition era film. Sam Mendes does an unbelievable job with the film and we really shouldn't be surprised at this point. The film is currently available on Netflix as we speak and this is one that you are going to want to check out. So wit that being said, I am going to go ahead and give the film an A- for a final grade.

Big Hero 6 (2014)

I was looking for something to watch and having watched a Mifune film the other day had me int he mood for a certain film. As I started cruising through Disney Plus, I noticed that Big Hero 6 was there waiting for me to hit the play button and that is what I did. The film was released in 2014 and it was directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams (Moana). In San Fransokyo, things are pretty normal for Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter) who is the smartest 14 year old around, but he's too busy with his robot fighting. One day his brother Tadashi (Daniel Henney) challenges him to use his brain so he develops nanobot technology to try to get into his brothers school. Unfortunately, a tragic event happens and the school burns down along with his brother, but he'll discover that his technology was stolen by someone so along with his brother's robot Baymax (Scott Adsit) and five of his friends, they'll team up to try and stop the man who stole them. The film also stars T.J. Miller (Deadpool) as Fred, Jamie Chung (The Gifted) as Go Go, Damon Wayans Jr. (Let's Be Cops) as Wasabi, Genesis Rodriguez (Tusk) as Honey Lemon, James Cromwell (The Green Mile) as Robert Callaghan, Alan Tudyk (Moana) as Alistair Krei, and Maya Rudolph (The Way Way Back) as Cass.

This was such a fun film to watch and to be honest Disney never really makes a bad film, but they offered their version of an animated superhero team with Big Hero 6. The only thing I am sad about is that there hasn't been a sequel made to this film as of yet. This one kind of follows a different pattern than most Disney movies, but then again maybe not. Usually there is the main character and he always has a sidekick which is the comedic relief so I suppose that could be Baymax, but usually it's an animal and so on and so forth. Every Disney film has a tragic event that happens that changes a character and makes them grow so you can check that one off the list with Tedashi dying in a fire, but one of the cool things is the crazy twist towards the end that happens. That twist completely threw me off because I did not see it coming at all. It definitely helped shape the rest of the film and sent it in a direction that made most sense and it was really good writing. I enjoyed all the acting in the film, but I have to give it up to T.J. Miller who just killed it as usual. He was funny when he needed to be and I loved his costume the most of all of them. I definitely suggest that you check this out if you are looking for something fun to watch. With that being said, I am going to give the film an A- for a final grade.

Mass Hysteria (2019)

Having grown up a resident of Massachusetts for so long, we sometimes take for granted all the rich history that we have in this area from Plymouth Rock, the Revolutionary War, and the Salem Witch Trials that took place in Salem, MA. I started going to Salem every year for the last five years and it's my home away from home so when I saw that Salem Horror Fest was premiering the film Mass Hysteria on Facebook Live, I had to jump on it. The film stars Geena Santiago (YouthMin) as Paige, a Salem Witch Trials reenactor who is about to take a job in New York City to finally live her dream out as an actress. All she has to do is perform one final show of Mass Hysteria on Halloween night in Salem which sounds easy enough until someone dies at the show and she is accused of being a witch. Now, Paige and the rest of the crew are on the run in this modern day witch hunt. The film also stars Jeff Ryan (The Way Way Back) as Turner, Scott Swayze (Headgum East) as Devin, Alexandra Dietrich (A Very Wompkee Christmas) as Margie, Luke Deardorff (YouthMin) as Charlie, Destry Allyn Spielberg (Rosie) as Triss, Robert D. Murphy (Brotherhood) as Officer Tom, Louis Cancelmi (21 Bridges) as Giles, Charlie Pollock (Elementary) as Chadwick, and the film was directed by Jeff Ryan and Arielle Cimino (YouthMin).

The first thing I want to do is thank the Salem Horror Fest and all of the presenters of the film for giving us the opportunity to view the film on Facebook Live. The film right from the very start was a ton of fun to watch and I had a great time laughing along with everyone else that was watching the film as well. When one is trying to develop a horror comedy, they need to look no further than this film because it embodied what a horror comedy is from providing the suspense when needed and also providing the laughs when appropriate. I feel as though we are living in a time when horror comedies are becoming more prevalent than ever before like last years Satanic Panic or the film Slice before that and you can also add Tragedy Girls to the list as well and what do they all have in common? They are all excellent films that did exactly what they set out to do and that was to  entertain so you can check that one off the checklist. One of my favorite things about the film was all the nods to various other films like the Mad Max: Fury Road scene or even the nod to The Toxic Avenger with the head crushing scene. There were so many amazing moments packed into this bite size film that I just want to watch it again and again. The acting was done very well especially from Chadwick who you should stick around to the closing credits for something special. The other selling point of the film is the amazing cinematography and the amazing shots of the City of Salem that are provided that you know exactly where they are in any given scene. If you've never been there and you are a horror fan then you need to go asap, but before you do that check out this film. I am going to give the film an A- for a final grade.