COMEDY: “Timestalker.” / “Drugstore June.” / “The Jesus Rolls.” / “Brave New Jersey.”

“Timestalker” (2024, Amazon Prime) British historical science fiction romantic comedy. Agnes falls in love with the wrong man and then gets reincarnated and falls in love with him over and over again, travelling through 1680s western Scotland, rural England in the 1790s, 1980s Manhattan, and a post-apocalyptic 22nd century. 

       A few sequences kind of worked but the entire movie is a dull, tired and ho-hum derivative of the usual sitcom obligatories. What shows promise is comedian Alice Lowe, who also directed from her own script. Try again next time? 🎥💻📽

“Drugstore June” (2024, PlutoTV) crime comedy. After the pharmacy in her small town is robbed, June, a wannabe influencer Gen-Z twenty-something girl who still lives at home with her parents, takes matters into her own hands to solve the crime. The film stars Esther Povitsky in her first starring role, who co-penned the script with the director Nicholaus Goossen. 

       Ms Povitsky has some comedic chops that cut, especially those that channel Gen Z angst, until she gets annoying and redundant. With more inventive scripting, I think Esther will evolve into a top-grade comedian. At least, this little couch slacker’s ticklers are a lot better (or tolerable) than the “correct, culture-war’rish” humor these days. 

       Beverly D'Angelo is also here as Marla, June's mother. Plus James Remar as Arnold, the dad. And the usually fine Haley Joel Osment as Davey, June's ex-boyfriend. Sadly, Mr Osment is now relegated to b-movie fare. No big studio projects in years. 🎥💻📽

“The Jesus Rolls” (2019, PlutoTV) crime comedy film written, directed by, and starring John Turturro. A remake of the 1974 French film “Going Places” by Bertrand Blier and as a sequel to the 1998 cult film “The Big Lebowski” by the Coen brothers. Mr Turturro reprises his Lebowski role of Jesus Quintana. 

       Albeit in the shadows, John Turturro is a terrific actor. Any given role, he’d nail it. It seems he put a lot of effort on “The Jesus Rolls” but it didn’t show, although it looks like he had fun. Adorned with kickass performers–check it out: Bobby Cannavale, Audrey Tautou, Susan Sarandon and brief appearances by Christopher Walken, Jon Hamm, Tim Blake Nelson, and J.B. “Curb Your Enthusiasm” Smoove + the on/off funny Pete Davidson–how could this movie lose? 

       But it did. John T. was having too much fun the movie got scattered on the highway like tumbling tomatoes. The only fine scene was the only bowling scene (hints of Lebowski), which is actually a dance routine. Anyhow, I had a few laughs. Mr Turturro’s walk is funny. Right? 🎥💻📽

“Brave New Jersey” (2016, PlutoTV) comedy. The film takes place on the day/night of "The War of the Worlds" broadcast on October 30–31, 1938, and shows how a small New Jersey town reacts to what they thought was an impending alien invasion. The town of Lullaby, New Jersey is fictional, though the story incorporates some real-life elements, such as many listeners' panicked reactions to the broadcast, and the existence of the Rotolactor cow-milking machine.

       The lead actor is Tony Hale as Lullaby’s mild-mannered and non-aggressive Mayor. Mr Hale’s Clark Hill is pretty along the line of the Emmy-winning Gary Walsh character in the HBO series “Veep,” two-time (2013 and 2015) Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Only, Tony isn’t “outstanding” in this movie. 

       The idea of a Rotolactor cow-milking machine is a brilliant idea but nothing really much came out of it. I didn’t encounter lots of or any laughable scene or sequence as though director Jody Lambert and co-writer Michael Dowling ran out of juice on how to sweeten the gig. Yet somehow the parody worked in a few cases, especially with the wickedly hilarious Raymond J. Barry’s whacked Captain Ambrose P. Collins and Anna Camp as the UFO obsessed Peg. 🎥💻📽