Why is it that comedy sequels so often re-tread the same ground as their predecessors? Dumb and Dumber To, The Hangover Part II, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. And sure, 22 Jump Street hangs a lantern on this idea by doing it so blatantly, but that doesn’t automatically excuse just how similar the two movies are. This phenomenon is called “comedy sequel-itis,” and with Horrible Bosses 2 it is safe to say that another one has bitten the dust.
this is what the old man who lives in my brain looks like
Every once in a while you get a weekend that sees a whole lot of new releases that are more than a little intriguing. As the year winds down, and more and more Academy Awards hopefuls begin to see the light of day, these crowded weekends become more common. This weekend doesn’t see the release of many prestige pictures, but it does premiere several films that I find interesting. I saw Tusk last night, but – in order to fit in everything – today I watched movies about a kid who is really good at mazes, an Irish cop pretending to be American, and a Jewish family who just can’t get their shit together. It’s been quite a day.
Tonight Jason Reitman returned to LACMA’s Bing Theater stage and to the project he created, and so did I. After several months of guest directors Reitman came back for a reading of Groundhog Day, in honor of the late Harold Ramis, a man Reitman’s father knew quite well.
Steven Cohen's 365 Days of Reviews 