Fast reviews for busy people! Watch as I review three movies in less time than it takes to slam the door! Have a look as I race against the clock to tell you about the sweet natured “Kung Fu Panda 4,” and two about imaginary friends, “the horror film “Imaginary” and Prime Video’s “Ricky Stanicky.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I sit in with NewsTalk 1010 host Jim Richards on the coast-to-coast-to-coast late night “NewsTalk Tonight” to play the game “Did Richard Crouse Like This?” This week we talk about the sweet natured “Kung Fu Panda 4,” and two about imaginary friends, “the horror film “Imaginary” and Prime Video’s “Ricky Stanicky.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I join “CTV News Toronto at Five” with host Natalie Johnson, to talk about the sweet natured “Kung Fu Panda 4,” and two about imaginary friends, “the horror film “Imaginary” and Prime Video’s “Ricky Stanicky.”
Watch the whole thing HERE! (Starts at 15:53)
I join CTV NewsChannel anchor Renee Rogers to talk about the sweet natured “Kung Fu Panda 4,” and two about imaginary friends, “the horror film “Imaginary” and Prime Video’s “Ricky Stanicky.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I sit in with CKTB morning show host Tim Denis to have a look at the sweet natured “Kung Fu Panda 4,” and two about imaginary friends, “the horror film “Imaginary” and Prime Video’s “Ricky Stanicky.”
Listen to the whole thing HERE!
I sit in on the CFRA Ottawa morning show with host Bill Carroll to talk the new movies coming to theatres and streaming including the sweet natured “Kung Fu Panda 4,” and two about imaginary friends, “the horror film “Imaginary” and Prime Video’s “Ricky Stanicky.”
Listen to the whole thing HERE!
“Ricky Stanicky,” a new feel-good comedy from director Peter Farrelly, starring Zac Efron, Andrew Santino, John Cena and Jermaine Fowler, and now streaming on Amazon Prime, is light on laughs but heavy on heart.
Ever since they were kids, best friends Dean, JT, and Wes (Efron, Santino and Fowler) have used a fictional friend named Ricky Stanicky as a fall guy for their hijinks. Even though he doesn’t exist, he’s been their alibi forever. They’ve used him as an excuse to go on guy’s weekends to Atlantic City, or catch a concert, and then blame him for anything that went wrong. “The best friend we never had,” says Dean.
But when Dean ups the ante and announces to his wife that Ricky has cancer, and the guys need to see him, Wes thinks they may have taken the ruse a bit too far.
“Why does it have to be cancer?” he asks. “You want everyone to get worried?”
“Yeah,” Dean says. “And that’s going to take us right into the World Series.”
When the boys split town, Dean’s wife (Lex Scott Davis) tries to track them down, only to discover there is no record of a Ricky Stanicky at any hospital anywhere.
Caught in their lifelong lie, they panic.
“If the truth does come out,” says JT, “my marriage is over.”
The plan to hire an actor to play Ricky leads them to Rock hard Rod (Cena), an X-rated rock and roll impersonator, who immediately ingratiates himself with their significant others and their boss Summerhayes (William H. Macy).
“Ricky Stanicky” has the earmarks of a Farrelly film; the outrageous premise, the jokes that come very close to the line and broad comedic performances (ie: John Cena dressed like “Baby One More Time” era Britney Spears). But underneath the silly stuff is an almost touching story about a man who finds a new way to get through life.
“My job sucked,” Ricky/Rod says. “I had no friends. But now I have all those things.”
It’s the same kind of subterfuge the Farrellys played with “There’s Something About Mary,” a gross-out comedy about finding true love. “Ricky Stanicky” doesn’t have the hard laughs of that film, but, in Cena, it does have a star who is able to effectively mix-and-match the silly with the saccharine. That combo is the key to the modest success of “Ricky Stanicky.”
It’s a shame Cena isn’t given a more convincing framework to play inside. The premise has lots of potential, but Farrelly and his laundry list of writers (five listed in the credits including Farrelly) emphasize the Hallmark aspects of the story over the humorous ones.
There’s something about “Ricky Stanicky.” There’s a good cast, bolstered by Cena’s charm, and the occasional deep laugh but the mix of humour and heart never quite finds the right balance.
Richard sits in with CTV NewsChannel’s Merella Fernandez to chat about the morning’s Emmy nominations, who was snubbed and who will win!
Watch the whole thing HERE!
“The Sessions” should be the downer movie of the year. But the story of a severely disabled man who wants to explore his sexuality, before, as he says, his “use by” date, is funny, passionate and bawdy.
Based on the life of poet Mark O’Brien (played in the movie by John Hawkes) “The Sessions” sees a man who can’t move have a sexual awakening with some unlikely advice from his priest (William H. Macy) and the help of a sex surrogate (Helen Hunt).
“The Sessions” doesn’t reinvent the narrative wheel, things progress pretty much as you imagine they might, but as obvious as some elements of the story may be, the frank treatment of its subject and performances elevate the story.
Director Ben Lewin (who also wrote the script) expertly handles the delicate subject of sex and the disabled, never once allowing the characters to fall into the trap of pious condescension or pity. It’s a no nonsense look at life and love from a disabled point of view, and Lewis handles it simply and effectively.
The real credit for the story’s humanity, humor and passion, however, belongs to the actors. Helen Hunt bares all, emotionally and physically in a tender performance that would make her best-known character, “Mad About You’s” Jamie Buchman turn beet red, but it is John Hawkes who walks away with the picture, figuratively, not literally.
Playing a man who sleeps in an iron lung, who lost the ability to move below the neck at an early age, he is extraordinary. Using only his eyes, mouth and voice to express himself he creates a complete portrait of a man struggling past his emotional baggage to break through to another phase in his life. It’s a subtle performance that relies on minute changes in vocal quality and facial expressions to portray complication emotions. It’s also a far cry from his most famous role, the violent hillbilly drug dealer he played in “Winter’s Bone” and one that will garner attention at awards time.
“The Sessions” is a simple film about a difficult subject that eschews sentimentality for heartfelt feelings, and does so with a dose of unexpected humor.
