MRwOS reviews "Thelma" and performs "Walk on my Hands"

 MRwOS Episode 7: Thelma (Walk on my Hands)

Welcome to Movie Reviews with Original Songs, aka MRwOS! I am your host, David Coile, and I’ll be reviewing a movie I’ve watched recently, then playing one of my original songs that has similar themes.

If you enjoy the program, I encourage you to like, follow, and share it with your friends, or to support the program by subscribing to patreon.com/davidcoile or by making a contribution through Paypal or Venmo @DaveCoile. 

In this episode, I’ll be reviewing the film “Thelma” followed by a performance of my original song “Walk on my Hands”

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“Thelma” is a charming caper comedy about a nonagenarian who falls victim to an over the phone scam. When the police and her family won’t help, Thelma decides to track down the scammers on her own and demand her money back. 

Thelma is played by June Squibb, who I know from scene stealing supporting roles in the films of Alexander Payne, such as “Nebraska” and “About Schmidt”, and she does a bang up job in her first starring role. She’s joined by Richard Roundtree as her friend Ben, who reluctantly gets drawn into the whole affair. In many ways, this film could be a geriatric sendup of the type of films Roundtree used to star in, specifically the blaxploitation classic “Shaft” from the 1970s. The two sneak around, search for clues and confront the bad guys in familiar ways while trying to overcome elderly obstacles.

At first I was concerned that it was being too hard on the older generation, but other generations get skewered just as much, including Thelma’s ineffectual grandson (played by Fred Heckinger) and his  overconfident parents (played by Parker Posey and Clark Gregg). 

Though the filmmaking isn’t especially innovative, the plotting is tight– pay attention to the details, because they pay off in the end. Writer-director Josh Margolin based Thelma on his own grandmother, who nearly fell victim to a similar scam. The love and affection he has for her is pervasive, and it makes for a very entertaining film. 

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I wrote my song “Walk on my Hands” back in the early 2000s, and it was written from the perspective of a young adult crying out for independence from his parents. But I think it shares some common sentiments with the elderly, who often get treated like children, even when they’re still fairly capable. 

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That’s it for this episode of MRwOS! If you enjoyed the program, I encourage you to like, follow and share it with your friends, or support the program by subscribing to patreon.com/davidcoile, or maybe just throw a tip my way via Paypal or Venmo @DaveCoile. I’ll see you next time with another movie review and original song. Until then, Fade Out, Everybody!

Beastly Beasts!

Beastly Beasts - S2E3 Very Scary with Gerry McCreary

Talk Show. Comedy, Sci-Fi, Horror. Gerry (David Coile) interviews a trans-migratory animal specialist (Troy Fluhr), Batman's new arch-nemesis (Les Seabolt), and a cryptozoological animal handler (Chelsea Kramer). Tara Card (Wendy Gittleson) presents the Scary News, giving the latest on Harry Potter, a cannibalistic game show, and phantom puppies! Sponsored by the Move Like Hell Moving Company.

Very Scary with Gerry McCreary is a semi-improvised comedy interview show that discusses aliens, the paranormal and wild conspiracy theories.

Check out friends of the show:

The Word Strategist

Rocky Mountain Geek Tank 

Very Scary with Gerry McCreary: Twisted Time

Here's the latest episode of Very Scary with Gerry McCreary! 

https://soundcloud.com/davidlc/ep-5v-very-scary-with-gerry-mccreary

Talk Show. Comedy, Sci-Fi, Horror.
Gerry (David Coile) talks with Robert Trebor (Troy Fluhr) who claims to be from a parallel universe where time runs in reverse. Gerry's teenage neighbor, Spencer (Chelsea Kramer) drops in unexpectedly for a sandwich. And in Scary News, Missy Nomer (Anna Yale Anna Yale M French) tells us about the status the vaccine for the coronavirus, new health guidelines from the HHS department, and a unique idea for dissolving police departments.

Very Scary with Gerry McCreary is a semi-improvised comedy interview show that discusses aliens, the paranormal, and wild conspiracy theories.

Very Scary with Gerry McCreary, Episode V1

My dark, comedic alter ego, Gerry McCreary, is back! This time his podcast has moved to streaming video. Watch as Gerry, his producer Helen Spitz (Muriah Summer) and intern Anna Morphic (Anna Yale M French) bring you Scary News, receive a future report from the Time Flusher (Troy Fluhr), interview religious leader Windsor Whately (Leslie E Seabolt) and enjoy a performance by singer-songwriter Dan Harris. Join us as we delve into the fearsome, the fiendish and the fantastical!

Late Halloween Goodies...

I did a lot of Halloween stuff this year; so much that it didn't all get done on time!

Here's a music video I did with Pamela Machala and Rebecca Rego. I probably got a little too cutesy with the editing, but we had a lot of fun recording it, and the song is really catchy!

I did a couple short films this year, too. This first one is a mock nature documentary about our favorite orange gourd.

The second short film was a screw-ball comedy about a couple who have conflicting secrets on Halloween.

Yes, they're late, but let's be honest: Halloween doesn't last nearly long enough. So have another handful of seasonal goodies and enjoy the show!

Episode 6: Very Scary with Gerry McCreary - The Scooby Gang

Ep. 6: Very Scary with Gerry McCreary - The Scooby Gang

After a bit of a hiatus, Very Scary with Gerry McCreary has returned! In this episode, Gerry interviews Scooby Doo and the gang from Mystery Inc. They broke up after their last case a decade ago. What caused them to disband? And what have they been doing since? Find out in this exclusive interview.

Vampire Beach Party (Dave's Co-writer Showcase)

My Co-writer Showcase back in July was, at times, pretty chaotic; but it was a highly entertaining chaos! I don't think anything exemplifies that more than this rendition of "Vampire Beach Party," a song I wrote in 2017 with Shanna in a Dress. She performs it here with me (without any prior rehearsal-- it was the first time we'd performed it together) and, without warning, I recruited Troy Fluhr to help us out. I thought it was good, sloppy fun, and I hope you agree...

Listeria (Dave's Co-writer Showcase)

This song made its debut at my Co-writer Showcase back in July at Still Cellars. It seems like a lot of the songs I collaborated on over the last year have been humorous; I think that maybe it's easier to co-write something funny if you're working together for the first time. This song veered into scatological themes. I like to think it's in the tradition of the rockin' pneumonia and the boogie woogie flu. Anyway, enjoy!

Ep. 5, Very Scary with Gerry McCreary: Furriet's Soul Train Of Love

How do you know if your cat is possessed? What kind of supernatural creature would you have an affair with? And even if you'd never sell your soul, would you consider lending it out? These questions are asked and answered in this episode of my improv comedy talk show. Featuring Muriah Summer, Chelsea Kramer, Troy Fluhr and Eric Eric E. Farwell.
 

Ep. 4, Very Scary with Gerry McCreary: Sexy Lucky Astral Gun

What would you eat at an astral buffet? How do you calibrate a gun to shoot only supernatural creatures? What’s the best flatulence sound effect of all time? Get the answers and more on this extra bawdy episode Gerry's show (with a special tribute to Art Bell)! Featuring Eric E. Farwell, Troy Fluhr, Muriah Summer and Chelsea Kramer.
 

Ep. 3, Very Scary with Gerry McCreary: Obscure Phlegmy Time Flusher

Here's a new episode of my improv comedy podcast. In this episode, I talk to someone researching a phlegmy ghost (Chelsea Kramer), a man who travels through time via bathrooms, and a British ex-patriot who's an expert on obscure occult phenomena (Eric E. Farwell). We also hear from our show's brand new producer (Muriah Summer). Enjoy!

Ep. 2: Very Scary With Gerry McCreary - Undercover Alien Were-Bear

Hey there! Here's the next installment of my improv comedy interview podcast! In this episode I talk to a Were-bear (Eric E. Farwell) and an Undercover Alien (Troy Fluhr), with a little help from my electronic personal assistant (Laura Kistner). Enjoy!
 

Ep. 1: Very Scary with Gerry McCreary - Nasty Mortimer

I've been trying to put together a comedy podcast for the last year and I finally did it. It's a parody of the old "Art Bell Coast to Coast" radio shows that used to play from midnight to dawn every weeknight. They liked to discuss conspiracies, aliens, and paranormal phenomena. Anyway, I wanted an excuse to get together more regularly with my old improv comedy buddies (in this case, Troy Fluhr, Eric Farwell and Laura Kistner), and this seemed like the perfect project. We had a lot of technical difficulties to start with (just because it was the first episode), but we ended up with a fairly listenable product, I think. So please take a listen and let me know what you think. Cheers!

Day 13: Premarital Sax

Today I got to collaborate with my Troy Fluhr, pun master and sax player extraordinaire! The music puns in this come fast and furious, you may have to listen to it a second time to catch them. All told, we wrote and recorded this in 3-and-a-half hours or less. We even added some extra visual drama. Super fun! Hope you enjoy...

Boring Details: Troy and I have worked on a variety of projects. Originally we were in an improv comedy troupe together, then later I acted in and composed music for some of his short films. We've done a variety of other small projects together over the years, and I've been writing and re-writing the theme song for his podcast for the last couple years; but this is the first time we've sat down to collaborate on a music project together in person.

Review: TBS Binge-A-Thon

I've been sick as a dog this week, which means I've been camped out in front of the TV in pure couch potato mode. Luckily, TBS has been putting on a "binge-a-thon" this week (between Christmas and New Year's), in which they show all their original programming from first to last episode throughout the week (apparently all of their shows are in their first seasons). I'm happy to say that this was not a wasted effort. Here are my thoughts on the shows, from worst to best:

Angie Tribeca was created by Steve Carell and his wife Nancy, and it's a comedy that follows an LAPD homicide detective and her questionably competent precinct.  Apparently the Carrels are big fans of Jim Abrahams and the Zucker Brothers, because it's exactly the kind of humor you would expect from the makers of Airplane, Top Secret or Hot Shots!  Unfortunately, the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker trifecta did it better with their Naked Gun franchise, and even more so with the original Police Squad. Angie Tribeca is full of corny jokes and manages to be amusing at times (a statistical certainty when they toss off as many gags as they do), but it lacks the deadpan performances that made Police Squad kick, and as much as I like Rashida Jones, she ain't no Leslie Neilsen.

It's been six years since Lost ended its enigmatic run, but here comes Wrecked with the parody no one was really looking for. I went in expecting the humor to be as stale as the premise, but it actually turned out to be pretty fun. It's very silly, but there are several good performances that keep it together. If you remember Lost fondly, or if you long for a more contemporary Gilligan's Island, this is probably a worthwhile program to check out.

The end of John Stewart's run on The Daily Show mostly led to a bunch of new satirical news programs. However, former correspondents Samantha Bee (who also now anchors her own comedy news program on TBS) and Jason Jones decided to break the mold and create the delightfully surreal sit-com, The Detour. Jason Jones stars with Natalie Zea, Liam Carroll and Ashley Gerasimovich, as a family on a road-trip to Florida. Along the way, they keep getting sidetracked in ridiculous ways. The episodes are a little uneven, but the performances are top notch-- they couldn't have cast this show any better. I found myself thoroughly charmed by the family, and I'm eager to see what happens in the second season.

Another former Daily Show correspondent, Wyatt Cenac, leads the large ensemble cast of People of Earth, a show about a local support group for alien abductees, while also following the machinations of the aliens working behind the scenes. I've found this show to be consistently the funniest of the bunch, with lots of great characterizations and inventive scenarios. I thoroughly recommend it for fans of both comedy and sci-fi.


My favorite show of the binge-a-thon was Search Party. It's a biting satire of self-involved 20-something hipster culture, while still managing to be an exceptional product of that aesthetic. Alia Shawkat (aka Maeby from Arrested Development) stars as a girl having her quarter-life crisis who becomes obsessed with the disappearance of an old dorm mate she barely knew in college. The mystery is twisty and engaging, and the sophisticated humor cuts deeply. The show has been picked up for a second season, but this 10-episode run is a complete and satisfying story all on its own. Some will be turned off by the four main characters-- they're all unlikeable in their own ways-- but if you appreciate finely crafted serialized television, you owe it to yourself to check this out.

What's Wrong With Cinematic Comedy?

So, I went to see Office Christmas Party. I really like all the actors involved, and the basic premise sounded cool, but it ended up being just another mildly amusing film comedy. It had some good energy at times, but it never really got as bawdy or as outrageous as would've been nice. It was fun without really being funny.

But it got me thinking-- what's wrong with big screen comedies, anyway? On television you have sitcoms that go through season long arcs being absolutely hilarious, while 90 minute movies can't seem to make it through the third act without some hokey car chase or criminal hijinks that turn the film into a thriller for some reason. You'd think all those great TV joke writers would have screenplays lying around, but the good stuff doesn't seem to be making it to the silver screen.

I don't mean to say there aren't good film comedies out there, but they're often good for reasons other than their humor. This is especially true of indie comedies, which are really more light-hearted dramas. I loved Hello, My Name Is Doris and liked and respected Don't Think Twice, but I don't recall guffawing. I guess most animated films are technically comedies, and many of them are excellent, but more for their whimsical storytelling than for how funny they are. And, of course, when you do get a "good" comedy, it's often because they throw so many jokes at you that at least some have to hit, if only because it's a statistical certainty (this is the situation with most Will Ferrell films).

What bothers me is that we're actually going through a comedy renaissance right now. Louie, BoJack Horseman, Broad City, Rick and Morty, People of Earth, You're the Worst-- all of these sitcoms are funnier than any film comedy I can think of from the last few years. We also have a host of podcasts, talk shows and sketch comedy programs floating around that are consistently laugh-out-loud funny. Why is the movie industry lagging behind?

I'm open to being convinced I'm wrong on this. If you know of any gut-bustingly funny film comedies from the last five years, please post them in the comments section.

Surprise! Ghostbusters isn't as good as Ghostbusters

The all new, all female Ghostbusters has finally hit the theaters, following a production rife with controversy. For the record, I've been a fan of Melissa McCarthy since she was on the Gilmore Girls, and I've enjoyed all of Paul Feig's directorial efforts since Bridesmaids (not to mention his great cult TV show, Freaks and Geeks); Their collaboration has produced some of the best movie comedies in recent memory. It's always risky to reboot a beloved franchise, but at least they were doing it with top notch talent; and with the massive, premature backlash the film has received, I've been really rooting for them to show up the haters.

I'm sorry to report that the film is merely so-so. That it doesn't rise to the level of the first Ghostbusters isn't a surprise-- even the original cast and crew fell short with their 1989 sequel, and they were all certified comic geniuses. But it also fails to rise to the lofty standards set by previous Feig-McCarthy collaborations.


It's not quite fair to compare this Ghostbusters with the 1984 version-- they were filmed in different eras with different comic sensibilities; but it's interesting to see where the differences lie. I'm surprised at how restrained the original film seems in comparison to the reboot. Part of that was by necessity-- special effects were both lower quality and way more expensive back in the early 80s than they are today; they were forced to develop gags more through the characters and story. But it's shocking to see how much broader the characterizations are in the new film. Kristin Wiig is the closest thing to a straight character in the reboot, but she's probably crazier than all of the original cast, save for Rick Moranis and (possibly) Bill Murray.

I do think it's fair to compare it to other Feig-McCarthy films, however. The last big ensemble movie Feig did was Bridesmaids, with both McCarthy and Wiig, and the relationships between the characters were strong and heartfelt. In Ghostbusters, they seemed a bit cursory-- just enough to get the story going. Both The Heat and Spy were female takes on classic male-dominated genres, and they did a great job of spoofing their source material. Ghostbusters could have used a bit more of that spirit; there were occasional references to the sexist backlash to the production, but I would've liked it to really cut loose with meta-commentary on the whole affair. My suspicion is that, even if the filmmakers wanted to do it, the studio wouldn't have let them. Anyway, spoofing a comedy that never became cliched is harder than parodying entire genres.


I thought the pacing of the film was questionable. Just as the characters were too consistently goofy, so were the scenes in the film-- there wasn't enough time spent setting up the jokes; they just came one after the other. I wish Feig had brought in a few lower key actors he's used in his previous films-- Rose Byrne's subtlety was sorely missed, especially with Kate McKinnon's constant mugging at the camera. The film also spent too much time chasing references to the original movie, while neglecting one of it's best original gags (I don't want to give it away, but they set it up in the third act, dropped it, then brought it back during the credits in a much less satisfying way).

That being said, there are some really funny moments in the film, along with some great special effects sequences. It's a disappointment, but you could do a lot worse at the cineplex this summer.

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Bonus Content: Back in 2014, I picked my dream cast for an all-female remake (not a reboot or sequel). My picks were as follows...

Mila Kunis - Petra (Peter/Bill Murray role)
Mindy Kaling - Ramona (Raymond/Dan Akroyd role)
Felicia Day - Eberta (Egon/Harold Ramis role)
Jessica Williams - Winnie (Winston/Ernie Hudson role)
Chris O'Dowd - Dana (Dana/Sigourney Weaver role)
Kristen Schaal - Louise (Louis/Rick Moranis role)

Short Reviews: Mutants, Avengers and Nice Guys Singing with Gangsta Cats...

X-men: Apocalypse - Overall, a big disappointment after Days of Future Past and First Class. The first two films in the reboot focused on the competing ideologies of Professor X and Magneto with Mystique stuck in the middle, and that made for a compelling conflict. In this installment, they pay some lip service to the triangle, but mostly focus on introducing new characters and a generically realized villain. Aside from the design work done for some of the new characters (Storm, Psylocke and Nightcrawler look pretty awesome), the film is muddled and shallow. And if you're a comic book purist, you'll be thoroughly upset with the liberties taken with some of the characters.

Sing Street - Director John Carney has made headlines lately after trashing Kiera Knightley's work in his previous film, Begin Again. While I also had trouble with Knightley's casting in that film, Sing Street shows that Carney bears plenty of responsibility for his missteps. Like Once, this film is set in Ireland, but it's about a teenage boy in the 80s who starts a band to impress a girl. There's a certain sweetness and local flavor that lifts it up, but the songs are as mediocre as the ones in Begin Again and fail to fully support the rebellious stance taken by the story. The film is a pleasant, but fails to rise above the level of unreflective adult nostalgia.

The Nice Guys - Shane Black was once the highest paid screenwriter in Hollywood, having penned the highly influential Lethal Weapon series. More recently, he's been directing his own scripts, most notably the massive blockbuster Iron Man 3, but also the cult favorite Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. The Nice Guys follows in the vein of that small, neo-noir buddy film, but doesn't quite match its lofty virtues. The film makes some confusing choices at the beginning and then the last third of the film just sort of happens. However, the chemistry between Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling and Angourie Rice (stealing the show as Gosling's character's daughter) is glorious and alone probably worth the price of admission. I'm not sure if there's going to be a sequel, but I'd love to see this crew again in a better film.

Captain America: Civil War - For my money, the Captain America series has been the highest quality Marvel Studios franchise to date, and Civil War keeps the streak alive. I'm in awe of the Russo brother's ability to keep a movie this big this balanced. Every one of the huge cast of characters gets their moment in the sun, but unlike other superhero films, Civil War knows which ones are the stars and which ones are merely the supporting cast. The themes of the film are interwoven masterfully with personal motivations, and you also get the best mass superhero battle of all time! Highly recommended. See it again and again...

Keanu - I really enjoy Key and Peele's sketch comedy show and was looking forward to a feature length treatment of their sensibilities. But greatness on the small screen doesn't always translate to the big one, and in many ways Keanu feels like a comedy sketch stretched from 5 to 100 minutes. There are some very funny scenes, and Key and Peele put on some tremendous performances, but there's just not enough to carry you all the way through.

Review: Hello, My Name Is Doris

Hollywood doesn't have many starring roles for older women, and when they come along, they're usually in stodgy prestige pics or extremely safe romantic comedies. It's nice to see a biting, yet touching, satire like Hello, My Name Is Doris come along, and it's glorious to see Sally Field nail the title role. 

She brings a lot of color and class to the shy Doris, who falls for her company's new, and decades younger, art director. The object of her affection is played by Max Greenfield, who's probably best known for his work on the sitcom The New Girl, but who I fondly remember from a small, recurring role in the teen detective show, Veronica Mars. Greenfield has a big, ingratiating smile that can put you at ease, and it's easy to see how Doris would fall for his character. We also get a wonderful supporting turn from Tyne Daly, another favorite actress of mine. From a casting perspective, this film knocked it out of the park!

It was directed by Michael Showalter, who's known more for wild, sketch-oriented comedies like Wet Hot American Summer, Stella and The State; so it's a bit of a surprise that he put out a comedy so restrained. But it really works-- there's a fire burning beneath the surface of this film that you just don't find in many like it.

I thoroughly enjoyed Hello, My Name Is Doris, and I think it's a film that will appeal to adults of all ages. Highly recommended.

Review: My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2

In 2002, My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a surprise blockbuster. It earned $240 million at the box office, and ended up as the fifth top grossing film that year (ahead of Signs, Austin Powers in Goldmember and just behind Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets). With that kind of haul, you would've expected a sequel right away; instead they attempted to follow it up with a sit-com version that fizzled out after 7 episodes.

I understand why they would go the sitcom route-- the sense of humor in the original and in 2016's My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 is very much what you would expect from a sitcom. It's contrived and built on unlikely coincidences and communication failures that should be easy to work out; the only thing missing is a laugh track.

So the comedy is unsophisticated, but the characters are cute and charming, and that's all that really matters. Like the first film, it's got a strong sense of family and compassion that most films lack. I'm not sure if there's the same cultural yearning in 2016 for that kind of connection as there was back in 2002, but I think it's safe to say that if you liked the original, then you'll enjoy the sequel.