Production Company(ies)
New Line Cinema, Psychological, Vertigo Entertainment, Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Pictures
 
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
 
Filming Location(s)
Los Angeles, California, United States; Palm Springs, California, United States
 
MPAA / Certificate
R
 
Year of Release
2022
 

 
Genre(s)
Mystery & thriller
 
Keyword(s)
starring Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Olivia Wilde, Gemma Chan, KiKi Layne, Chris Pine, directed by Olivia Wilde, written by Katie Silberman, mystery, thriller, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Scott Tobias, Adam Kempenaar, Elamin Abdelmahmoud, Tim Grierson, tt stern-enzi, Ryan Gilbey, Alison Gillmor, Aisha Jordan, Beth Accomando, Katherine Singh, Edwin Arnaudin, produced by Olivia Wilde, Katie Silberman, Miri Yoon, Roy Lee, R rating, Victory Project, 1950s, corporate utopia, experimental town, Frank, Shelley, Alice, Jack, Margaret, Mary, Dolby Digital, Dolby Atmos, Scope (2.35:1)
 

Cast & Crew

Florence Pugh

Harry Styles

Olivia Wilde

Gemma Chan

KiKi Layne

Alice

Jack

Mary

Shelley

Margaret

Florence Pugh – Alice
Harry Styles – Jack
Olivia Wilde – Mary
Gemma Chan – Shelley
KiKi Layne – Margaret
Chris Pine – Frank

 

Olivia Wilde

Katie Silberman

Olivia Wilde

Katie Silberman

Miri Yoon

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Olivia Wilde
 
Writer(s)
Katie Silberman
 
Producer(s)
Olivia Wilde, Katie Silberman, Miri Yoon, Roy Lee

 

Film Festivals
Venice
 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Scott Tobias

Adam Kempenaar

Elamin Abdelmahmoud

Tim Grierson

tt stern-enzi

The Reveal

Filmspotting

BuzzFeed News

Screen International

WXIX-TV (Cincinnati)

DON’T WORRY DARLING
 All Critics (289) | Top Critics (72) | Fresh (112) | Rotten (177)
 It takes a while for Don’t Worry Darling to reveal itself as abysmal, because it spends such a grueling amount of time being merely pedestrian.
 
 October 3, 2022 | Rating: 1.5/5
 
 Scott Tobias
 The Reveal
 TOP CRITIC
 …lingers far too long in the Victory Project. In an alternate reality, there’s a brilliant, 95-minute, reimagined, and restructured version of Don’t Worry Darling – one that leaves you with the right kind of questions.
 
 September 30, 2022 | Rating: 1.5/5
 
 Adam Kempenaar
 Filmspotting
 TOP CRITIC
 An entertaining thriller replete with well-built tension, mostly elegant acting performances (except for Harry Styles’s), and a richly designed world.
 
 September 30, 2022
 
 Elamin Abdelmahmoud
 BuzzFeed News
 TOP CRITIC
 Led by Florence Pugh’s redoubtable performance, this glossy thriller draws unfavorable comparisons to a whole swath of different bygone films, cribbing their unsettling undertones without adding much new to the mixture.
 
 September 29, 2022
 
 Tim Grierson
 Screen International
 TOP CRITIC
 Starts really strong, really surreal… but it kind of peters out by the time you get to the end.
 
 September 28, 2022 | Rating: C+
 
 tt stern-enzi
 WXIX-TV (Cincinnati, OH)
 TOP CRITIC
 It is just possible that there is a snappier, less derivative little thriller somewhere inside Wilde’s movie. Like the inhabitants of the Victory project, however, it is in dire need of liberation from its gilded, airless prison.
 
 September 28, 2022
 
 Ryan Gilbey
 New Statesman
 TOP CRITIC
 As we plummet into the Big Reveal — Black Mirror fans might see it coming — things fall apart, logistically and conceptually, though in an undeniably spectacular way.
 
 October 3, 2022 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Alison Gillmor
 Winnipeg Free Press
 Once the truth is all revealed, it all feels very meh, and you find yourself saying ohh ok – that’s a decision. The editing confused the watcher at times…
 
 October 3, 2022
 
 Aisha Jordan
 Black Nerd Problems
 Don’t Worry Darling confirms Wilde’s talent as a director but perhaps she needs to be more discerning about the scripts she takes on. It also reconfirms Pugh as an acting powerhouse.
 
 October 3, 2022
 
 Beth Accomando
 KPBS.org
 What was meant to be a triumph on screen has instead become a mere mention in the footnotes of all this drama, and leaves viewers with a story that’s as empty as the egg shells in Victory.
 
 October 3, 2022
 
 Katherine Singh
 Refinery29
 A tense, intelligent skewering of MAGA fantasies that nevertheless struggles with its big reveals.
 
 October 2, 2022 | Rating: B
 
 Edwin Arnaudin
 Asheville Movies
 “Don’t Worry Darling” is a well-made motion picture with outstanding production values and a spectacular lead performance by Florence Pugh at its core. It also proves that filmmaker Olivia Wilde can direct an action sequence with the best of them.
 
 October 1, 2022
 
 Michael Calleri
 Niagara Gazette…

 

Plot
Alice and Jack live in the idealized community of Victory, the experimental company town housing the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project and their families. The 1950’s societal optimism espoused by their CEO, Frank, anchors every aspect of daily life in the tight-knit desert utopia. While the husbands spend every day inside the Victory Project Headquarters, their wives—including Frank’s partner, Shelley—get to spend their time enjoying the beauty, luxury and debauchery of their community. Life is perfect, with every resident’s needs met by the company. All they ask in return is discretion and unquestioning commitment to the Victory cause. But when cracks in their idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something much more sinister lurking beneath the attractive façade, Alice can’t help questioning exactly what they’re doing in Victory, and why.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
During the very first scene, at the party, Bunny brings a tray of martini glasses with two extra stacked on top. Alice grabs one of them, the camera angle changes, and suddenly, the other stacked glass is just gone.
 

 
Olivia-Wilde.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Strong Heart, Demme Production Orion Pictures,
 
Distributor
Blue Fox Entertainment
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for sexual content/nudity, some language and brief drug use
 
Year of Release
2021
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama/Sci-fi
 
Keyword(s)
starring Eduardo Mendonça, Girley Paes, Kaya Rodrigues, Renata de Lélis, Helena Becker, Gabriel Eringer, directed by Iuli Gerbase, written by Iuli Gerbase, produced by Luciana Tomasi, Patricia Barbieri, Drama, Sci-Fi, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Bilge Ebiri, Robert Abele, Michael O’Sullivan, Ciara Wardlow, Katie Rife, Claire Shaffer, Sarah Boslaugh, Dennis Harvey, Douglas Davidson, Alex Saveliev, Zofia Wijaszka, Brianna Zigler, MPAA rating R, pandemic, lockdown, emotional, human behavior, Portuguese (Brazil), Blue Fox Entertainment
 

Cast & Crew

Eduardo Mendonça

Girley Paes

Kaya Rodrigues

Renata de Lélis

Helena Becker

Yago

Rui

Sara

Giovana

Júlia

Eduardo Mendonça – Yago
Girley Paes – Rui
Kaya Rodrigues – Sara
Renata de Lélis – Giovana
Helena Becker – Júlia
Gabriel Eringer – Lino

 

Iuli Gerbase

Iuli Gerbase

Luciana Tomasi

Patricia Barbieri

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Iuli Gerbase
 
Writer(s)
Iuli Gerbase
 
Producer(s)
Luciana Tomasi, Patricia Barbieri

 

Film Festivals
Sundance, Cannes
 
Awards & Nominations
4 wins & 12 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Bilge Ebiri

Robert Abele

Michael O’Sullivan

Ciara Wardlow

Katie Rife

New York Magazine/Vulture

Los Angeles Times

Washington Post

RogerEbert.com

AV Club

THE PINK CLOUD
 All Critics (60) | Top Critics (18) | Fresh (56) | Rotten (4)
 I was impressed, agitated, terrified, depressed by this movie – but I also couldn’t help feeling like I had maybe not ultimately seen the film its director wanted me to see.
 
 January 21, 2022
 
 Bilge Ebiri
 New York Magazine/Vulture
 TOP CRITIC
 If you’re game for an emerging filmmaking talent’s stingingly uncanny foretelling, “The Pink Cloud” is an arresting examination of what it can look like when existence is misshaped into a compromised destiny.
 
 January 20, 2022
 
 Robert Abele
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 “The Pink Cloud” is prescient and mildly affecting, if also susceptible to the question: Is it too soon to be watching a pandemic allegory while we’re still living through a pandemic?
 
 January 20, 2022 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Michael O’Sullivan
 Washington Post
 TOP CRITIC
 The intentionality and editorial eye that make the style of this film so compelling feels sorely lacking from the script, which is at once scattered and repetitive.
 
 January 14, 2022 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Ciara Wardlow
 RogerEbert.com
 TOP CRITIC
 This thoughtful film reflects well on the writer-director who made it.
 
 January 14, 2022 | Rating: B
 
 Katie Rife
 AV Club
 TOP CRITIC
 Like other works of prescient sci-fi, “The Pink Cloud” forecasts an eerie funhouse-mirror image of our present lives.
 
 January 13, 2022
 
 Claire Shaffer
 New York Times
 TOP CRITIC
 This film feels surprisingly calm and reassuring. In a world weary from a global pandemic, that’s worth a lot.
 
 March 5, 2022
 
 Sarah Boslaugh
 TheArtsStl
 It’s an intelligent, well-crafted drama, though I’m not sure whether it benefits or suffers from an imaginatively-conceived story that fate has instead rendered all too experientially familiar.
 
 March 4, 2022
 
 Dennis Harvey
 48 Hills
 … “The Pink Cloud” is a searing and raw experience, ripping up centuries of patriarchal thinking and holding it to the light.
 
 March 1, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Douglas Davidson
 Elements of Madness
 Whatever you take from it, the drama is bound to hover over you for days.
 
 March 1, 2022 | Rating: 8/10
 
 Alex Saveliev
 Film Threat
 The Pink Cloud is a very humbling watch, very relatable in its plot, storytelling, and excellent direction. Though the script is rather depressing, it puts us at ease in our situation.
 
 February 11, 2022 | Rating: A
 
 Zofia Wijaszka
 Daily Dead
 The simultaneously most accurate and most dystopic depiction of life during a pandemic.
 
 February 8, 2022 | Rating: B+
 
 Brianna Zigler
 The Film Stage…

 

Plot
A mysterious and deadly pink cloud appears in the skies, spreading dramatically across the world, forcing everyone to stay at home. Giovana is confined in an apartment with Yago, a man she met at a party the night before. While waiting for the cloud to pass, the two have to invent themselves as a couple. Over the years, while Yago is living his own utopia, Giovana feels trapped deep inside.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy, funny, or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels reviews for The Pink Cloud.
 

 
Iuli-Gerbase.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Walt Disney Pictures, Marvel Studios,
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Hôpital, Le Vésinet, Yvelines, France
 
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
 
Year of Release
2006
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Isabelle Huppert, François Berléand, Patrick Bruel, Robin Renucci, Marilyne Canto, Thomas Chabrol, directed by Claude Chabrol, written by Odile Barski, Claude Chabrol, Comedy, Drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Richard Brody, Jonathan Romney, Elisabeth Lequeret, Richard Porton, Robert Hanks, Nigel Andrews, David Walsh, Michael Dwyer, Edward Porter, Paul Whitington, MPAA rating, producer Patrick Godeau, Jeanne Charmant-Killman, Michel Humeau, Jacques Sibaud, Philippe Charmant-Killman, Erika, Félix, corporate malfeasance, government, investigation, power, marriage, thriller, moral comedy, political thriller, Isabelle Huppert’s performance, French bourgeoisie, nouveau riche, Dolby sound mix
 

Cast & Crew

Isabelle Huppert

François Berléand

Patrick Bruel

Robin Renucci

Marilyne Canto

Jeanne Charmant-Killman

Michel Humeau

Jacques Sibaud

Philippe Charmant-Killman

Erika

Isabelle Huppert – Jeanne Charmant-Killman
François Berléand – Michel Humeau
Patrick Bruel – Jacques Sibaud
Robin Renucci – Philippe Charmant-Killman
Marilyne Canto – Erika
Thomas Chabrol – Félix

 

Claude Chabrol

Odile Barski

Patrick Godeau

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Claude Chabrol
 
Writer(s)
Odile Barski, Claude Chabrol
 
Producer(s)
Patrick Godeau

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 5 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Richard Brody

Jonathan Romney

Elisabeth Lequeret

Richard Porton

Robert Hanks

New Yorker

Screen International

Film Comment Magazine

Chicago Reader

Independent (UK)

COMEDY OF POWER
 All Critics (45) | Top Critics (26) | Fresh (37) | Rotten (8)
 Drawing on the real-life prosecution of a recent scandal, Chabrol, a former law student, seems to be having more fun with a film than he’s had in years, and it’s contagious.
 
 March 1, 2021
 
 Richard Brody
 New Yorker
 TOP CRITIC
 A sleek, hand-tooled, extremely sophisticated package, A Comedy Of Power is a very grown-up entertainment that artfully walks a line between moral comedy and political thriller.
 
 September 23, 2020
 
 Jonathan Romney
 Screen International
 TOP CRITIC
 The film constantly plays out within the borders of a perfectly traceable reality, overwhelming it with an absolutely rigorous mise-en-scn
 
 March 28, 2018
 
 Elisabeth Lequeret
 Film Comment Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Superbly incarnated by Isabelle Huppert, she’s almost nunlike in her quiet heroism.
 
 September 29, 2017
 
 Richard Porton
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 Very little happens, and it has the look of a TV movie; yet the pace never seems to let up, the screen never seems empty, and its grip on your attention doesn’t falter.
 
 December 14, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Robert Hanks
 Independent (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 The script is dapper and the story slick. But it is Huppert who gives it heft, style and star power.
 
 December 14, 2007
 
 Nigel Andrews
 Financial Times
 TOP CRITIC
 The film is at its best in its portraits of the politicians and company officials, exemplary representatives of the French bourgeoisie and nouveau riche.
 
 February 14, 2021
 
 David Walsh
 World Socialist Web Site
 [Chabrol’s] untypically slow-burning drama is conspicuously short on narrative tension, and certainly not as tightly wound as his finest thrillers. But it is engrossing nonetheless, benefiting from a strong cast and the sting in its tale.
 
 September 23, 2020
 
 Michael Dwyer
 Irish Times
 Chabrol’s observations are subtle, and Huppert is always a strong presence, so the film is easy to watch.
 
 September 23, 2020
 
 Edward Porter
 Sunday Times (UK)
 Though it sags a little in the middle, this film never gets boring. It’s a slow but gripping thriller and the credit for that goes mainly to Ms Huppert.
 
 September 23, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Paul Whitington
 Irish Independent
 Despite the title, there’s no laugh-out-loud comedy in this mostly serious thriller.
 
 March 21, 2009 | Rating: A-
 
 Dennis Schwartz
 Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
 December 27, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Matthew Turner
 ViewLondon…

 

Plot
Magistrate Jeanne Charmant-Killman investigates CEO Michel Humeau for corporate malfeasance, leading her into the upper echelons of government and intoxicating her with power in the timely thriller Comedy of Power.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Isabelle Huppert gives a strong performance as Magistrate Jeanne Charmant-Killman in Comedy of Power.
 

 
Claude-Chabrol.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Bryna Productions,
 
Distributor
20th Century Fox
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Beverly Hills, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for sex-related material
 
Year of Release
1999
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Susan Sarandon, Natalie Portman, Eileen Ryan, Ray Baker, John Diehl, Shawn Hatosy, directed by Wayne Wang, written by Mona Simpson, Alvin Sargent, comedy, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Lisa Schwarzbaum, Nell Minow, Geoff Andrew, Emanuel Levy, Charlotte O’Sullivan, Jeff Strickler, Laura Clifford, Louis B Hobson, Liz Braun, Jeanne Aufmuth, John R McEwen, Brent Simon, PG-13, single mother, mother-daughter relationship, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Wisconsin, Bay City, California, Ivy League aspirations, impulsive, irresponsible, melodrama, Danny Elfman, Roger Deakins, cinematography, score
 

Cast & Crew

Susan Sarandon

Adele August

Natalie Portman

Ann August

Eileen Ryan

Adele August

Ann August

Lillian

Ted

Jimmy

Susan Sarandon – Adele August
Natalie Portman – Ann August
Eileen Ryan – Lillian
Ray Baker – Ted
John Diehl – Jimmy
Shawn Hatosy – Benny

 

Wayne Wang

Mona Simpson

Laurence Mark

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Wayne Wang
 
Writer(s)
Mona Simpson, Alvin Sargent
 
Producer(s)
Laurence Mark

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
4 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Lisa Schwarzbaum

Nell Minow

Geoff Andrew

Emanuel Levy

Charlotte O’Sullivan

Entertainment Weekly

Common Sense Media

Time Out

Variety

Sight & Sound

ANYWHERE BUT HERE
 All Critics (88) | Top Critics (31) | Fresh (56) | Rotten (32)
 September 7, 2011 | Rating: C+
 
 Lisa Schwarzbaum
 Entertainment Weekly
 TOP CRITIC
 Solid story of independence for teens.
 
 December 22, 2010 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Nell Minow
 Common Sense Media
 TOP CRITIC
 Portman is excellent, balancing wisdom and petulance, loyalty and imposition…
 
 June 24, 2006
 
 Geoff Andrew
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 As a depiction of a loving-turbulent relationship between a single mom (Susan Sarandon) and her rebellious teenage daughter (Natalie Portman), Wang’s meller is nicely crafted but old-fashioned like Hollywood’s weepies of yesteryear.
 
 January 2, 2006 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Emanuel Levy
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 In its eagerness to give voice to the overshadowed daughter, the film never allows the mother to live.
 
 December 2, 2002
 
 Charlotte O’Sullivan
 Sight & Sound
 TOP CRITIC
 The movie drops in on a crucial part of their lives, follows it for a few minutes and then jettisons to another episode. It’s like watching 10 short stories.
 
 November 6, 2002 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Jeff Strickler
 Minneapolis Star Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 Director Wayne Wang has delivered a solid entertainment, particularly for women, with Anywhere But Here.
 
 April 9, 2005 | Rating: B-
 
 Laura Clifford
 Reeling Reviews
 Adele and Ann are not easy screen characters to like, but they are easy to believe in — especially in the skins of Sarandon and Portman.
 
 June 7, 2004 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Louis B. Hobson
 Jam! Movies
 A subtle and unexpected pleasure, all nuanced performance and character detail.
 
 June 7, 2004 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Liz Braun
 Jam! Movies
 May 14, 2003 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Jeanne Aufmuth
 Palo Alto Weekly
 Natalie Portman is my new hero.
 
 February 8, 2003 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
 John R. McEwen
 Film Quips Online
 The title might very well be an appropriate description of what more impatient filmgoers may be feeling after sitting through this frustratingly mediocre dramedy.
 
 January 16, 2003 | Rating: C
 
 Brent Simon
 Entertainment Today…

 

Plot
Fed up with her small-town Bay City existence, Adele August leaves her family and second husband and heads for Beverley Hills with her daughter. The teenager resents the move and her mother’s always flamboyant behaviour and in turns plans to get away to university on the east coast. Mum’s plans are different – she wants a movie star for a daughter.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t have anything goofy or funny to say about Anywhere But Here, but they do mention that Natalie Portman gives an excellent performance.
 

 
Wayne-Wang.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
BRON Studios, Bron Creative MACRO
 
Distributor
Universal Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Universal City, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for comic action violence and crude humor
 
Year of Release
1999
 

 
Genre(s)
Fantasy/Comedy
 
Keyword(s)
starring Hank Azaria, Janeane Garofalo, William H Macy, Kel Mitchell, Paul Reubens, Ben Stiller, Greg Kinnear, Geoffrey Rush, Lena Olin, Eddie Izzard, directed by Kinka Usher, written by Bob Burden, Neil Cuthbert, Fantasy, Comedy, Action, PG-13, Lawrence Gordon, Lloyd Levin, Mike Richardson, produced by Universal Pictures, $29.8M box office, reviewed by Nell Minow, Lisa Alspector, Derek Adams, Steve Murray, Jonathan Romney, Bob Graham, John Lui, Betty Jo Tucker, Tim Brayton, Michael Dequina, Rob Gonsalves, C Alec B., superhero spoof, Champion City, Captain Amazing, Casanova Frankenstein, silverware hurling, bowling, shovel skills, incompetent invisibility, deadly flatulence, Burton-esque view, underbelly of a city, self-aware abuse of the genre, tongue-in-cheek demeanor, All Star by Smash Mouth, Dane Cook cameo, dark humor, misfits, special powers, above average comedic cast, innocent, playfulness, lost gem, guilty pleasure, cult film, visual design, Blade Runner, Schumacher’s Batman films
 

Cast & Crew

Hank Azaria

Janeane Garofalo

William H. Macy

Kel Mitchell

Paul Reubens

The Blue Raja

The Bowler

The Shoveller

The Invisible Boy

The Spleen

Hank Azaria – The Blue Raja
Janeane Garofalo – The Bowler
William H. Macy – The Shoveller
Kel Mitchell – The Invisible Boy
Paul Reubens – The Spleen
Ben Stiller – Mr. Furious

 

Kinka Usher

Bob Burden

Lawrence Gordon

Lloyd Levin

Mike Richardson

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Kinka Usher
 
Writer(s)
Bob Burden, Neil Cuthbert
 
Producer(s)
Lawrence Gordon, Lloyd Levin, Mike Richardson

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
3 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Nell Minow

Lisa Alspector

Derek Adams

Steve Murray

Jonathan Romney

Common Sense Media

Chicago Reader

Time Out

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sight & Sound

MYSTERY MEN
 All Critics (103) | Top Critics (35) | Fresh (63) | Rotten (40)
 Witty comic-book story is edgy, with lots of potty humor.
 
 December 26, 2010 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Nell Minow
 Common Sense Media
 TOP CRITIC
 The characters have been designed to make fun of themselves, disguising the craft of writer Neil Cuthbert and director Kinka Usher in getting us to laugh at them.
 
 July 15, 2010
 
 Lisa Alspector
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 Usher’s amiable spoof of superhero movies takes a brave stab at rewriting the mythology from the inside out, with lots of witty, mildly subversive stuff.
 
 June 24, 2006
 
 Derek Adams
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 Mystery Men is like its hapless heroes. It’s a wannabe that has the best intentions — including a pronounced anti-gun stance — but none of the knack it takes to save the day, or itself.
 
 February 21, 2004
 
 Steve Murray
 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
 TOP CRITIC
 A desperately hit-and-miss affair.
 
 December 2, 2002
 
 Jonathan Romney
 Sight & Sound
 TOP CRITIC
 This bunch achieves peaks of sublime nuttiness.
 
 June 18, 2002 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Bob Graham
 San Francisco Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 A story that sparkles with emotional warmth, strong jokes and great performances from Hank Azaria, Janeane Garofalo, Lena Olin, Eddie Izzard, Greg Kinnear, William Macy, Geoffrey Rush and Ben Stiller.
 
 April 2, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
 John Lui
 The Straits Times (Singapore)
 Even with its super cast, the slow-moving ‘Mystery Men’ falters in its attempt to spoof comic book heroes.
 
 September 29, 2012
 
 Betty Jo Tucker
 ReelTalk Movie Reviews
 It is good that the film has charm, for after a certain point it doesn’t necessarily have anything else.
 
 May 7, 2012 | Rating: 6/10
 
 Tim Brayton
 Antagony & Ecstasy
 Fails to come up with worthy gags and one-liners for the able cast.
 
 November 16, 2009 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Michael Dequina
 TheMovieReport.com
 An instant cult comedy that doesn’t walk or talk like anything else out there.
 
 August 25, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Rob Gonsalves
 eFilmCritic.com
 How many laughs can you get out of a handful of one-joke characters? Well, if your ensemble contains the talents of Janeane Garofalo, William H. Macy, Hank Azaria and Ben Stiller, the answer is: a lot.
 
 July 14, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Joe Lozito
 Big Picture Big Sound…

 

Plot
In order to generate more endorsement revenue, Champion City’s resident superhero Captain Amazing arranges for the release of super villain Casanova Frankenstein, only to be captured by him. The city’s fate rests in the hands of seven loser superhero wannabes: the fork-flinging Blue Rajah, the shovel-wielding Shoveler, the possessed bowling ball-hurling Bowler, the flatulent Spleen, the only-when-nobody’s-looking Invisible Boy, the mysterious Sphinx, and the perpetually-angry Mr. Furious.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features a talented cast including Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, William H. Macy, and Paul Reubens.
 

 
Kinka-Usher.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Frenesy Film Company, La Cinéfacture RT Features,
 
Distributor
MCA/Universal Pictures [us], Warner Home Vídeo, Warner Bros.
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Bolton, Ontario, Canada
 
MPAA / Certificate
PG-13
 
Year of Release
1996
 

 
Genre(s)
Action
 
Keyword(s)
starring Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Cary Elwes, Jami Gertz, Lois Smith, Alan Ruck, directed by Jan de Bont, written by Michael Crichton, Anne-Marie Martin, produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Michael Crichton, Ian Bryce, action, tornado, special effects, blockbuster, university professor, data-gathering device, rival, storm, underfunded team, prototype, PG-13, box office, gross USA, MCA/Universal Pictures, Warner Home Vídeo, Warner Bros., reviewed by Jonathan Rosenbaum, Ann Hornaday, Jay Carr, Bob Fenster, Ian Nathan, Desson Thomson, PG-13, Kathleen Kennedy, Michael Crichton, Ian Bryce, Anne-Marie Martin, Michael Crichton, Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Cary Elwes, Jami Gertz, Lois Smith, Alan Ruck, Jan de Bont, action movie, disaster movie, tornado movie, special effects movie, summer blockbuster, storm chasers, weather, natural disaster, adventure, thriller, drama, suspense, action-packed, intense, thrilling, exciting, visually stunning, iconic, classic, memorable, must-see, box office hit, successful, popular, high-concept, generic plot
 

Cast & Crew

Helen Hunt

Bill Paxton

Cary Elwes

Jami Gertz

Lois Smith

Dr. JoAnne ‘Jo’ Thornton-Harding

William Harding

Dr. Jonas Miller

Dr. Melissa Reeves

Meg Greene

Helen Hunt – Dr. JoAnne ‘Jo’ Thornton-Harding
Bill Paxton – William Harding
Cary Elwes – Dr. Jonas Miller
Jami Gertz – Dr. Melissa Reeves
Lois Smith – Meg Greene
Alan Ruck – Robert ‘Rabbit’ Nurick
Kathleen Kennedy – Producer
Michael Crichton – Producer, Writer
Ian Bryce – Producer
Jan de Bont – Director
Anne-Marie Martin – Writer

 

Jan de Bont

Michael Crichton

Kathleen Kennedy

Michael Crichton

Ian Bryce

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Jan de Bont
 
Writer(s)
Michael Crichton, Anne-Marie Martin
 
Producer(s)
Kathleen Kennedy, Michael Crichton, Ian Bryce

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
11 wins & 17 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Ann Hornaday

Jay Carr

Bob Fenster

Ian Nathan

Chicago Reader

Austin American-Statesman

Boston Globe

Arizona Republic

Empire Magazine

TWISTER
 All Critics (70) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (44) | Rotten (26)
 The engineering of the special effects is fairly impressive, and the sight of so many objects and creatures being buffeted about carries a certain apocalyptic splendor.
 
 June 14, 2022
 
 Jonathan Rosenbaum
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 The storms are breathtaking, the action pulse-quickening, and the two leads smart and likeable.
 
 May 7, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Ann Hornaday
 Austin American-Statesman
 TOP CRITIC
 [A] high-powered spectacle designed to blow us away…
 
 May 7, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Jay Carr
 Boston Globe
 TOP CRITIC
 No one’s going to buy into the romantic bickering between the lead scientists or their rivalry team of evil meteorologists. Still, if you’re hooked on high-voltage special effects, Twister will give you a charge.
 
 May 7, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Bob Fenster
 Arizona Republic
 TOP CRITIC
 Like all white-knuckle rides, once you’re done you fancy doing it all over again.
 
 May 7, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Ian Nathan
 Empire Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 The hackneyed chatter and half-baked personal histories are enough to make you scream into the wind.
 
 May 7, 2021
 
 Desson Thomson
 Washington Post
 TOP CRITIC
 This is a little long and ridiculous, but it’s also just a tour-de-force roller coaster theme park attraction…which is ironic, because the actual theme park attraction for this sucked.
 
 June 25, 2022
 
 Cory Woodroof
 615 Film
 As sold in the original trailers all those years ago, this is not about the actors. This is about the special effects, Industrial Light and Magic living up to their name in creating a real monster out of whirling winds.
 
 June 1, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 James Croot
 Stuff.co.nz
 Particularly notable is the fine character actress Lois Smith as Hunt’s aunt.
 
 March 1, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Mal Vincent
 The Virginian-Pilot
 “Twister” captured enough of the respectable fear and terror associated with its windy deliverer of disaster. The movie speaks of instincts and rattles your own.
 
 August 11, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Don Shanahan
 25YL (25 Years Later)
 Twister achieves moments of dramatic and catastrophic high tension thanks to the deployment of special effects, while its character plot is a lazy excuse to gloat in those sequences of massive destruction. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 May 7, 2021 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Covadonga G. Lahera
 Sensacine
 But what the hell, the film entertains thanks to a frenetic pace that does not give the viewer respite; it swallows people running from one place to another in search of tornadoes. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 May 7, 2021
 
 Alberto Abuín
 Espinof…

 

Plot
TV weatherman Bill Harding is trying to get his tornado-hunter wife, Jo, to sign divorce papers so he can marry his girlfriend Melissa. But Mother Nature, in the form of a series of intense storms sweeping across Oklahoma, has other plans. Soon the three have joined the team of stormchasers as they attempt to insert a revolutionary measuring device into the very heart of several extremely violent tornados.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for Twister.
 

 
Jan-de-Bont.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Studio Chizu Book Walker Dentsu
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate

 
Year of Release
1993
 

 
Genre(s)
Holiday/Comedy
 
Keyword(s)
starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw, directed by Kenny Ortega, written by Mick Garris, Neil Cuthbert, produced by David Kirschner, Steven Haft, holiday, comedy, fantasy, PG rating, box office gross of $4.8M, reviewed by Duane Byrge, Kenneth Turan, Gene Siskel, Johanna Steinmetz, Carrie Rickey, Jay Boyar, Eddie Harrison, Quentin Crisp, Matt Brunson, Trace Thurman, Paul McGuire Grimes, family-friendly, witches, Halloween, quotable, mediocre, muddled, hokey, harmless, plucky youths, magical cat, spells, becoming immortal, Salem, Massachusetts, abandoned house, superstitious, evil witches, talents, bagful of box office treats, by-the-numbers confrontations, candy corn, lightweight, suspense, CGI effects
 

Cast & Crew

Bette Midler

Sarah Jessica Parker

Kathy Najimy

Omri Katz

Thora Birch

Winifred ‘Winnie’ Sanderson

Sarah Sanderson

Mary Sanderson

Max Dennison

Dani

Bette Midler – Winifred ‘Winnie’ Sanderson
Sarah Jessica Parker – Sarah Sanderson
Kathy Najimy – Mary Sanderson
Omri Katz – Max Dennison
Thora Birch – Dani
Vinessa Shaw – Allison
Kenny Ortega – Director
David Kirschner, Steven Haft – Producers
Mick Garris, Neil Cuthbert – Writers

 

Kenny Ortega

Mick Garris

David Kirschner

Steven Haft

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Kenny Ortega
 
Writer(s)
Mick Garris, Neil Cuthbert
 
Producer(s)
David Kirschner, Steven Haft

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Duane Byrge

Kenneth Turan

Gene Siskel

Johanna Steinmetz

Carrie Rickey

Hollywood Reporter

Los Angeles Times

Chicago Tribune

Philadelphia Inquirer

Orlando Sentinel

HOCUS POCUS
 All Critics (57) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (22) | Rotten (35)
 It’s a veritable bagful of box office treats.
 
 July 16, 2019
 
 Duane Byrge
 Hollywood Reporter
 TOP CRITIC
 Though children may be satisfied (if the witch stuff doesn’t scare them) adults will have a harder time with the by-the-numbers confrontations between the witches and the plucky youths.
 
 August 15, 2015
 
 Kenneth Turan
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Dreadful.
 
 August 15, 2015 | Rating: 1/4
 
 Gene Siskel
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 Hocus Pocus is harmless, but it’s about as much fun as celebrating Mardi Gras under the influence of candy corn.
 
 August 15, 2015 | Rating: 1/4
 
 Johanna Steinmetz
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 Silly but irresistible.
 
 August 15, 2015 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Carrie Rickey
 Philadelphia Inquirer
 TOP CRITIC
 All things considered, Hocus Pocus is much more entertaining than a pimple-people picture has a right to be.
 
 August 15, 2015 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Jay Boyar
 Orlando Sentinel
 TOP CRITIC
 …a very lightweight film that, if you deem the themes appropriate, should work for kids with a bent towards Halloween fare…
 
 June 7, 2022 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Eddie Harrison
 film-authority.com
 I think that, even as a child, I would have wanted a clearer plot line, some moments of suspense woven into the hectic action, and a greater variety of pace.
 
 April 6, 2022
 
 Quentin Crisp
 Christopher Street
 More “trick” than “treat.”
 
 January 24, 2021 | Rating: 1.5/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 Disney goes queer (and camp!) with Kenny Ortega’s Hocus Pocus. thanks to the divine performances of its three leading ladies.
 
 December 30, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Trace Thurman
 Horror Queers Podcast
 It continues to grow new fandom with each Halloween, partly because its family friendly, witches are timeless characters, and it’s instantly quotable given the over-the-top performances by Midler, Najimy, and Parker.
 
 November 5, 2020
 
 Paul McGuire Grimes
 KSTP-TV (St. Paul, MN)
 Not even the CGI effects held any awe.
 
 October 30, 2020 | Rating: C-
 
 Dennis Schwartz
 Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews…

 

Plot
After accidentally freeing a coven of evil witches, a group of kids must steal the witches’ book of spells to stop them from becoming immortal in Hocus Pocus.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The impressive cast of Hocus Pocus includes Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy.
 

 
Kenny-Ortega.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Am Psycho Productions, Lions Gate Films, Muse Productions,
 
Distributor
Universal Pictures
 
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Mount St. Mary’s College – 12001 Chalon Road, Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for some nudity and off-color humor
 
Year of Release
1992
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Fantasy
 
Keyword(s)
starring Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis, Goldie Hawn, Isabella Rossellini, Ian Ogilvy, Adam Storke, directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Martin Donovan, David Koepp, comedy, fantasy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by David Denby, Jay Boyar, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Kenneth Turan, Richard Corliss, Dave Kehr, PG-13, eternal life, cosmetic surgery, psychiatric hospital, satire, special effects, Hollywood, female vanity, dark comedy, unlikable characters, black comedy, cosmetic surgery industry, performances, visual effects, Robert Zemeckis, Steve Starkey, Universal Pictures, Surround, Stereo
 

Cast & Crew

Meryl Streep

Bruce Willis

Goldie Hawn

Isabella Rossellini

Ian Ogilvy

Madeline Ashton

Ernest Menville

Helen Sharp

Lisle Von Rhuman

Chagall

Meryl Streep – Madeline Ashton
Bruce Willis – Ernest Menville
Goldie Hawn – Helen Sharp
Isabella Rossellini – Lisle Von Rhuman
Ian Ogilvy – Chagall
Adam Storke – Dakota

 

Robert Zemeckis

Martin Donovan

Robert Zemeckis

Steve Starkey

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Robert Zemeckis
 
Writer(s)
Martin Donovan, David Koepp
 
Producer(s)
Robert Zemeckis, Steve Starkey

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
5 wins & 16 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Achievement in Visual Effects Winners, Oscar Winners
 

Top Reviews

David Denby

Jay Boyar

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Kenneth Turan

Richard Corliss

New York Magazine/Vulture

Orlando Sentinel

Chicago Reader

Los Angeles Times

TIME Magazine

DEATH BECOMES HER
 All Critics (54) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (29) | Rotten (25)
 The target of the movie’s jokes is female vanity, but since Zemeckis exhibits not a trace of affection for the actresses (or for any of the men, either), one feels humiliated merely watching his crude-spirited wit.
 
 May 11, 2021
 
 David Denby
 New York Magazine/Vulture
 TOP CRITIC
 This new horror-comedy has to be one of the most heartless mainstream pictures ever made.
 
 January 3, 2019
 
 Jay Boyar
 Orlando Sentinel
 TOP CRITIC
 If there were something resembling genuine satire of human behavior beyond the simple pretexts for fancy special effects and relentless sadism, I might have found some of this funny.
 
 January 3, 2019
 
 Jonathan Rosenbaum
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 An elaborate piece of work with more than a little on its nasty mind, “Death” finally falls flatter than many a less ambitious film, proof once again that just because an idea is audacious doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good.
 
 January 3, 2019
 
 Kenneth Turan
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Meryl Streep shines in a glitzy black comedy, but it’s still She-Devil with a make-over.
 
 January 3, 2019
 
 Richard Corliss
 TIME Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Insistently grotesque, relentlessly misanthropic and spectacularly tasteless, ”Death Becomes Her” isn’t a film designed to win the hearts of the mass moviegoing public. But it is diabolically inventive and very, very funny.
 
 January 3, 2019
 
 Dave Kehr
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 Its stars [are] easily able to keep pace with its big dramatic beats, and Zemeckis directs with the confidence essential to comedy. Death Becomes Her doesn’t pull any punches. Hollywood deserved it, and so do you.
 
 September 23, 2021 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
 Jennie Kermode
 Eye for Film
 This is a 100 percent Hollywood story… It’s not relateable to the average person.
 
 April 24, 2021 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Kevin Carr
 Fat Guys at the Movies
 The dizzy, desperate energy of the way she portrays Madeline Ashton is so unlike the staid regality of say, her Julia Childs or Margaret Thatcher.
 
 March 19, 2021
 
 Cate Young
 Thirty, Flirty + Film
 So iconic!
 
 August 12, 2020 | Rating: 10
 
 Avaryl Halley
 Movie Bitches
 It’s the f*cking best!
 
 August 12, 2020 | Rating: 10
 
 Andrew Galdi
 Movie Bitches
 Every scene that Streep and Hawn play together has a bold spark indicative of the symbiosis between females with the same goals and ambitions.
 
 March 26, 2019
 
 Candice Russell
 South Florida Sun-Sentinel…

 

Plot
In 1978, on Broadway, the decadent and narcissist actress Madeline Ashton is performing Songbird, based on Tennessee Williams’ Sweet Bird of Youth. Then she receives her rival Helen Sharp, who is an aspiring writer, and her fiancee Ernest Menville, who is a plastic surgeon, in her dressing-room. Soon Menville calls off his commitment with Helen and marries Madeline. Seven years later, Helen is obese in a psychiatric hospital and obsessed in seeking revenge on Madeline. In 1992, the marriage of Madeline and Menville is finished and he is no longer a surgeon but an alcoholic caretaker. Out of the blue, they are invited to a party where Helen will release her novel Forever Young and Madeline goes to a beauty shop. The owner gives a business card of the specialist in rejuvenation Lisle Von Rhuman to her. When the envious Madeline sees Helen thin in a perfect shape, she decides to seek out Lisle and buys a potion to become young again. Further, she advises that Madeline must take care of her body. Meanwhile Helen seduces Menville and they plot a scheme to kill Madeline. When Madeline comes home, she has an argument Menville and he pushes her from the staircase. She breaks her neck but becomes a living dead. When Helen arrives at Menville’s house expecting that Madeline is dead, she is murdered by Madeline. But she also becomes a living dead and they conclude they need Menville to help them to maintain their bodies. But Menville wants to leave them.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The performances from Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis, and Goldie Hawn were extremely well done and made these horribly written characters just a little bit of fun.
 

 
Robert-Zemeckis.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
National Geographic Documentary Films, Ventureland Storyteller Productions,
 
Distributor
Orion Pictures
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Old Tucson – 201 S. Kinney Road, Tucson, Arizona, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
PG
 
Year of Release
1986
 

 
Genre(s)
Western/Comedy
 
Keyword(s)
starring Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Patrice Martinez, Alfonso Arau, Tony Plana, directed by John Landis, written by Steve Martin, Lorne Michaels, Randy Newman, Western, Comedy, PG, box office gross $36.2M, produced by George Folsey Jr., Lorne Michaels, reviewed by David Stratton, Dave Kehr, Patrick Goldstein, Carrie Rickey, Gene Siskel, Jay Boyar, Eddie Harrison, Dennis Schwartz, Lawrence O’Toole, Sky Staff, William Wolf, Three Amigos!, silent era, Mexican village, bandits, gunslingers, comedy, formulaic, predictable, high concept, Seven Samurai, The Magnificent Seven, actors, mistaken identity, singing, dancing, fighting mariachis, public appearance, bullets, real, music, score, Randy Newman, ensemble, fresh, original, funny, rousingly fun, horror movies, MCU movies, Netflix series, TV shows, renewed, cancelled, worst horror movies, licensing, advertise, careers
 

Cast & Crew

Chevy Chase

Steve Martin

Martin Short

Patrice Martinez

Alfonso Arau

Dusty Bottoms

Lucky Day

Ned Nederlander

Carmen

El Guapo

Chevy Chase – Dusty Bottoms
Steve Martin – Lucky Day
Martin Short – Ned Nederlander
Patrice Martinez – Carmen
Alfonso Arau – El Guapo
Tony Plana – Jefe

 

John Landis

Steve Martin

George Folsey Jr.

Lorne Michaels

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
John Landis
 
Writer(s)
Steve Martin, Lorne Michaels, Randy Newman
 
Producer(s)
George Folsey Jr., Lorne Michaels

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

David Stratton

Dave Kehr

Patrick Goldstein

Carrie Rickey

Gene Siskel

Sydney Morning Herald

Chicago Tribune

Los Angeles Times

Philadelphia Inquirer

Orlando Sentinel

THREE AMIGOS!
 All Critics (42) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (19) | Rotten (23)
 If Three Amigos is disappointing, it’s because the people involved have ail done better work in the past. But it’s not all bad.
 
 May 27, 2021
 
 David Stratton
 Sydney Morning Herald
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s the laziness of the project that’s finally most galling.
 
 April 25, 2014 | Rating: 1/4
 
 Dave Kehr
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 [Three Amigos is] a goofy delight. It’s like a cross between a big-budget Three Stooges movie and a Hope-Crosby road picture, with dozens of old cowpoke gags thrown in to spice up the brew.
 
 April 25, 2014
 
 Patrick Goldstein
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 While it’s occasionally funny, Three Amigos! isn’t an entirely fun occasion.
 
 April 25, 2014 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Carrie Rickey
 Philadelphia Inquirer
 TOP CRITIC
 You know it’s a boring comedy when you find yourself laughing only at the lead actors’ costumes.
 
 April 25, 2014 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Gene Siskel
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 The happy-go-lucky Three Amigos is a picture to see when your expectations are down and you’ve already been to everything that’s good.
 
 April 25, 2014
 
 Jay Boyar
 Orlando Sentinel
 TOP CRITIC
 …a tribute to traditional Hollywood tropes that celebrates without too much mocking…
 
 May 13, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Eddie Harrison
 film-authority.com
 Directed without much wit by John Landis.
 
 July 29, 2020 | Rating: C+
 
 Dennis Schwartz
 Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
 The movie celebrates stupidity – and it is almost contagious.
 
 March 27, 2019
 
 Lawrence O’Toole
 Maclean’s Magazine
 Chevy Chase, Steve Martin and Martin Short kept the saddles of comedy blazing with this wonderfully daft western.
 
 March 2, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Sky Staff
 Sky Cinema
 It’s nowhere near as funny as it should have been given the talent on show, but the chemistry between the stars and the gentle digs at the western genre make for a diverting enough entertainment.
 
 March 1, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
 
 John Ferguson
 Radio Times
 Despite the promotional promise of Steve Martin. Chevy Chase, and Martin Short pictured under their huge sombreros, the holiday season comedy is almost as unfunny as a movie can get.
 
 March 1, 2019
 
 William Wolf
 Gannett News Service…

 

Plot
Three out of work silent movie actors are accidentally drawn to a Mexican village that is being harassed by a gang of outlaws. The three, ‘Ned’, ‘Lucky Day’ and ‘Dusty Bottoms’ play ‘Lone Ranger’ types in their movies, but must play their parts for real now.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The trio of gifted comedians in Three Amigos! includes Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, and Martin Short.
 

 
John-Landis.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Apple Original Films, Interscope Films, Lighthouse Management & Media,
 
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
R
 
Year of Release
1985
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
Loading…
 

Cast & Crew

Justin Chon

Simone Baker

Curtiss Cook Jr.

David So

Chris Jai Alex

Eli

Kamilla

Keith

Daniel

Ray

Justin Chon – Eli
Simone Baker – Kamilla
Curtiss Cook Jr. – Keith
David So – Daniel
Chris Jai Alex – Ray
Isaiah Jarel – Curtis

 

Joel Schumacher

Joel Schumacher

Lauren Shuler Donner

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Joel Schumacher
 
Writer(s)
Joel Schumacher
 
Producer(s)
Lauren Shuler Donner

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 1 nomination
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Derek Malcolm

Paul Attanasio

Sheila Benson

Duane Byrge

Variety Staff

Guardian

Washington Post

Los Angeles Times

Hollywood Reporter

Variety

ST. ELMO’S FIRE
 All Critics (45) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (19) | Rotten (26)
 In spite of good playing from talented players like Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy and Ally Sheedy, the film looks more like an up-market version of Porky’s than anything more coherent.
 
 April 4, 2022
 
 Derek Malcolm
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 These aren’t characters — they’re character hooks.
 
 January 3, 2018
 
 Paul Attanasio
 Washington Post
 TOP CRITIC
 All speed and stylishness without a bit of emotional resonance beneath.
 
 July 13, 2017
 
 Sheila Benson
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 There is an abundance of astute and knowledgeably drawn scenes with this contextually structured story. There are some biting observations of college life, with law school in particular taking some verbal jabs on the chin.
 
 June 28, 2017
 
 Duane Byrge
 Hollywood Reporter
 TOP CRITIC
 St. Elmo’s Fire is all about a group of recent college graduates in Washington who were always the best of friends but now are drifting apart as real life approaches, discovering various reasons why they are so individually obnoxious.
 
 October 18, 2008
 
 Variety Staff
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 Estevez and Nelson are as unappealing here as in The Breakfast Club, though in fairness they’re hampered by a script that seems to despise its characters.
 
 February 9, 2006
 
 Derek Adams
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 …St Elmo’s Fire is self-absorbed and dull, just like the characters that it depicts. But it’s also something of a hoot to see 80’s idiocy laid bare like this…
 
 June 8, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Eddie Harrison
 film-authority.com
 …familiar territory that is, for the most part, employed to underwhelming effect…
 
 May 20, 2021 | Rating: 2/4
 
 David Nusair
 Reel Film Reviews
 Savaged when it was released, is it time for a reconsidering St. Elmo’s Fire, a retrograde look at ’80s single life? No. No, it’s not.
 
 December 28, 2020 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Christopher Lloyd
 The Film Yap
 I disliked all the characters and whatever magic John Hughes had, where he could make me root for characters I disliked doing things I detested, this movie hasn’t got.
 
 March 26, 2020
 
 Eve Tushnet
 Patheos
 It’s not until the strains begin to show and rivalries emerge that St. Elmo’s Fire becomes truly interesting — and convincing.
 
 February 28, 2020
 
 Molly Haskell
 Vogue
 A fascinating record of what that generation was watching, wearing and listening to.
 
 July 13, 2017 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Jo Berry
 Radio Times…

 

Plot
Seven friends – Alec, Billy, Jules, Kevin, Kirby, Leslie and Wendy – are trying to navigate through life and their friendships following college graduation. Alec, who aspires to political life, has just shown his true colors by changing his allegiance from Democrat to Republican, which freaks out girlfriend Leslie, who he wants to marry. Budding architect Leslie, on the other hand, has an independent streak. She believes she has to make a name for herself to find out who she is before she can truly commit to another person in marriage. But Leslie and Alec have decided to live together. Because Leslie refuses to marry Alec, he believes that justifies certain behavior. Kirby, who wants to become a lawyer and who pays for his schooling by working as a waiter at their local hangout called St. Elmo’s Bar, and struggling writer Kevin are currently roommates. They are on opposite extremes of the romance spectrum. Kirby has just reconnected with Dale Biberman, a slightly older woman he knew in college who is now a doctor. He is madly in love with her and will do *anything* to impress her. Kevin, on the other hand, doesn’t date and states he doesn’t believe in love, making his friends speculate that he’s a closet homosexual who is secretly in love with Alec. Kevin will eventually open himself up to the one friend who matters the most. Billy, married with a child, is the irresponsible one of the group who would rather sleep around and play the saxophone than face the realities of being an adult with family commitments. He still lives for the memory of his fraternity glory days. Virginal and sheltered Wendy, who comes from a wealthy family, works in a low paying social services job. Her family provides for all her financial needs. She is in love with Billy, who in turn takes advantage of her adoration of him. And most are concerned about Jules, who works in a bank, lives a life of excess in all facets and doesn’t have the financial means to live that lifestyle. The question for all seven becomes whether their friendship can survive adult real life.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
 

 
Joel-Schumacher.jpg