COMEDY. "The Roses." / “The Naked Gun.” / “Eenie Meanie.” / “Flamin' Hot.” / “The Foot Fist Way.”

“The Roses” (2025, Hulu). Satirical dark comedy based on the 1981 novel “The War of the Roses” by Warren Adler, and a reimagining of the 1989 movie. 



       This new version of the film is about a successful couple, Ivy and Theo, whose marriage falls apart due to their differing career successes and resentments. As Theo's career collapses and Ivy's takes off, their idyllic life devolves into a vicious and chaotic divorce. 

       I tried to recall Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner's Oliver and Barbara (in 1989), but my memory is foggy. Yet I am sure their fight was childishly wilder, more exaggeratedly violent, and destructively silly. Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman's Theo and Ivy is relatively restrained, more dramatically controlled, and less boisterous or loud.

       I don't know what entertains me more. Still, a fine weekend watch. 🎥💻📽


“The Naked Gun” (2025, Paramount+) action comedy parody, sequel to “Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult” (1994). What do you expect from this cinematic shenanigan? Pretty much how Leslie Nielsen tickled me with irreverent silliness and grade-school mischief many years ago. 



       The only difference with this new version is Liam Neeson, who mostly entertained us with drama and action. This time he tried to be funny with the same weary, cadaverous face. And it kind of worked! All the sequences are what they are meant to be. Slapstick. Easy comedy. 

       Oh, thank God, we don't get to tolerate SNL-styled “political humor” here, unless you'd drag the EV thingy towards you-know-who. Please don't. Laugh! Laugh or go back to your “hate memes” against the #1 another you-know-who (to insult). 🎥💻📽


“Eenie Meanie” (2025, Hulu) heist comedy thriller. In 2007 Cleveland, fourteen-year-old Edie Meaney was pulled over by police while driving her drunk parents home from buying drugs at a bar. 



       A wacko slew of slapstick supposedly criminal shenanigans that inhales and exhales, and eventually dies out. If not for the mischievous appeal of lead star Samara Weaving as Edie a.k.a. Eenie Meanie, I'd thumb-down this farce as part of my “Movies That Suck.” 

       Of course, the sweet and boringly linear Steve Zahn (as Edie's dad) and Andy Garcia, who tends to overplay mawkishness, are here. But this is Samara's gig, okay? 🎥💻📽


“Flamin' Hot” (2023, Roku) biographical comedy-drama directed by Eva Longoria in her feature-length directorial debut. Based on the memoir “A Boy, a Burrito and a Cookie: From Janitor to Executive” by Richard Montañez, who claims to have invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos. 



       Of course, we have already seen countless “success stories” so this flamin’ newbie has nothing much to add to the feel-good cliché. Yet the entire experience is still enjoyable to watch, mainly due to Jessie Garcia's focused grip on Richard Montanez's character.

       A decent enough first directorial job for Eva Longoria. 🎥💻📽


“The Foot Fist Way” (2006, Pluto TV) martial arts black comedy. Fred Simmons is a fourth-degree black belt in Taekwondo who runs his own dojang in a small North Carolina town. Fred is Danny McBride. 



       Continuing on: Fred styles himself a big shot, driving a Ferrari and extolling the virtues of Taekwondo to potential new students, but loses his confidence after he discovers that his wife, Suzie gave her boss a handjob after a drunken office party. In order to restore his confidence, he attends a martial arts expo. Etc etcetera.

       Danny McBride's confident idiot or self-righteous ass comedy works for me although there are situations when the mischief gets overboard (in his other movies, I mean). Not on this one, I think. 

       This is Jody Hill's directorial debut. He effectively kept the antics at bay to a laughable minimum but still quite entertaining. (But the director/actor tandem overdid the trick in their next projects, especially in the TV series “Eastbound & Down” and “The Righteous Gemstones.”)

       For the meantime, enjoy this one. 🎥💻📽

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