411 Fact or Fiction Movies 04.25.08: Week 123

Posted by Ben Piper on 04.25.2008

Will the new Harold and Kumar fail to live up to its predecessor? Will Amy Poehler's shtick wind up sinking Baby Mama? Are people looking forward to the summer movie season? 411's Chad Webb and Cory Johnson debate these and other topics in week 123 of Fact or Fiction: Movies!



Hello everyone. Welcome back yet again to another thrilling installment of Fact or Fiction. This week we've got Chad Webb comparing notes with newcomer Cory Johnson. Let's see what they have to say for themselves.

1. Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay will not be as funny as its predecessor, and as such, will be a disappointment.

Cory Johnson: Fact- I liked the original probably more than I should have because I wanted to like it. There is almost no way this one doesn't blow goats. The original saved Doogie from a lifetime on Broadway, but this sequel isn't going to come anywhere near making or saving a career. There is one tiny bit of hope for this in that they decided to go with the R rating, so they should at least have the freedom to do something funny, but the R rating usually just means extra raunch. I'm all for nudity, but is it too much to actually ask for a comedy movie to actually be funny? Based on the trailers, there is no way that anyone sober is going to enjoy this.

Chad Webb: Fact - This is kind of a two part statement. Will it be as funny as the original? No. Will it be a disappointment? That remains to be seen, but it appears likely after I watched the trailer. I thought the first one was funny, despite some rather moronic scenes, and would be worth a couple more viewings if I was ever in the mood. Ultimately it was just another stoner movie, and we all have our favorites. Mine is Half Baked. Anyway, the premise for the sequel is ridiculous, but perhaps just stupid enough to be amusing in a bad way. I'm not expecting anything terrific. This is targeted at a specific audience, and all I'm asking is for this not to be as raunchy as the horrid National Lampoon films. In the end, this has Neil Patrick Harris, and that is worth the price of admission alone.

Score: 1 for 1

2. Amy Poehler's shtick will quickly prove irritating and sink any chances of Baby Mama being any kind of quality entertainment.

Cory Johnson: Fiction- I can't quite explain it, but I think that this movie will be surprisingly good. Tina Fey is great; she always makes me laugh on 30 Rock (granted, its usually after a long wait, but the payoff is usually one of the best laughs on TV that week). I like Amy Poehler more than most people, but even I know that she is best in small doses. There is no reason to think that with some quality editing (think Sasha Baron Cohen in Talladega Nights) that she will take the entire film down with her. I would feel better if Tina Fey had more of creative role in the film, but Tina deserves the benefit of the doubt in her film choices. This flick will be worth watching.

Chad Webb: Fact - Well, I rated the trailer in my news report, and received persistent negative comments on my dislike for Amy Poehler. My girlfriend loves Saturday Night Live and Poehler, so I am forced to watch her more often than I care to admit. You either enjoy her or you don't, and I think the same goes for Tina Fey. She is on a roll right now, and that should be enough to make this comedy a hit at the box office, but I am not looking forward to it. The reason I do not like Peohler is because her weird smirks and mannerisms just grow old after awhile. It is the same stuff each time, and I am just not amused. Some are, and that's fine. Cory put it best when he said she is enjoyable in small doses. In other words, a little of her goes a long way, but in a feature film, it might be overkill. On a side note, she was hilarious during the There Will Be Blood skit on SNL, but that may be because she had one line.

Score:1 for 2

3. You liked Made of Honor a lot better back when it was known as My Best Friend's Wedding.

Cory Johnson: Fiction- Seriously, I'd take anything over any Julia Roberts film not named Pretty Woman. The twist where the guy is the maid of honor is interesting, so I'm kinda curious to see what they can do with that. This looks like one of those generic date movies that comes out around Valentine's Day every year. It looks decent enough, but I can't see Patrick Dempsey as anything other than a chick-guy, and nothing in the preview was remotely close to as funny as they thought it was (ha-ha, the guy is eating potpourri, that HILARIOUS....see, he's a guy and doesn't know about any of that scented girl stuff HAHAHAHA, I can't WAIT for the tampon scene...). At least they do not have Julia Roberts and her enormous teeth in this thing, so that's a positive start. I doubt that any guy is going to go nuts if their girl picks this for date night.

Chad Webb: Fact - Though that would imply I had a great fondness for My Best Friend's Wedding, which I didn't, but I am in total disagreement with Cory here. I would take Julia Roberts any day of the week over this piece of trash. In all seriousness, Made of Honor can lick the sweat off my nutsack. Not a very mature comment, but hey, I had to be honest. Seriously, who can't predict the entire outline of this idiotic movie just by watching the trailer. If this doesn't make the top 10 worst list of every critic it is because the women critics have a thing for Dempsey. I will admit, I am a big fan of Michelle Monaghan, but sometimes she picks awful scripts like this. Every few weeks, I deliberately skip a movie that I have no interest in whatsoever. Earlier in the year it was Meet the Spartans, and so you can guess what I'll do when Made of Honor comes out.

Score: 1 for 2

Switch!!!

4. The last thing anyone needs is a second season of A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila.

Chad Webb: Fact - Ok, here comes the one where I admit to not watching the show. If it makes you mad that I'm about to comment on a show I don't watch, tough sh**. I stay away from craptastic shows like this for a reason, and I haven't watched anything on MTV in many years, and that is the truth. The channel is worthless now. I actually had to look up who this chick was because I DO NOT CARE. I had seen pictures of her, but never had any interest in clicking on, or watching any news bit, show, or whathaveyou featuring her. That being said, every person I've spoken to hates the show, so I'm guessing a second season is bad.

Cory Johnson: Fact- Who watched this show in the first place? There are no redeeming qualities about this show. I'll grant you that I am basing this on what I've seen while flipping channels, but this girl is not a celebrity, not interesting, and SHE'S NOT EVEN REMOTELY HOT. Also, since when is it hard to find fake, good-looking lesbians for a fake show? I am positive that I heard somewhere that she is engaged and not even bi-sexual. Chad is right on about the state of MTV, somewhere, Madonna and Martha Quinn weep while Kurt Cobain laughs in hell. I'm thinking that there should only be one shot left after this-for the producer of this crap.

Score: 2 for 4

5. You're greatly looking towards the upcoming summer movie season.

Chad Webb: Fact - Isn't everyone? I guess there is someone out there who could care less, but I would wager that a film will be released for every type of viewer. I say "Fact" here with mild enthusiasm because there are only a few films coming out I can't wait to see. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is one, and I guess The Dark Knight is another, but I look forward to the sleeper hits, and the independent films because summer always has a handful of small movies that go overlooked. Still, at least this summer isn't loaded with threequels like last year. Wall-E and Hancock are my two top choices, but in my opinion, I think a lot of the blockbusters will be huge letdowns.

Cory Johnson: Fact. The crop of movies coming out this summer actually have a chance of getting me into a theater. Iron Man, Wal-E, and Dark Knight, especially. If the reviews get anywhere near my expectations, I may have to go see Wanted. Indiana Jones is bound to disappoint, despite the talent involved, as will Sex in the City. What I find most encouraging is there actually looks like there are some movies to get excited about, like Get Smart, Wanted, and The Incredible Hulk, and I know that there are people out there drooling over Speed Racer, X-Files, and Narnia. I'm looking forward to going to the movies, and I haven't been able to say that for a couple of years.

Score: 3 for 5

6. The premise of Deception has you intrigued.

Chad Webb: Fiction - I suppose the concept of a sex club is somewhat interesting, but the trailer for this film gives away too much, and ultimately it seems as if the cool premise dissolves into a lame thriller with a dumb twist by the end. On top of that, Hugh Jackman could be a convincible villain, but here he seems more than cheesy. He even has the clichéd line "You have no idea what I'm capable of." Perhaps the moviegoers don't know what he's capable of, but I can bet that most of them don't care. Ever since The Island, which I actually enjoyed, Ewan McGregor has been a downward slide with bomb after bomb like Stay, Cassandra's Dream, and Miss Potter. He's a talented actor in need of a career boost, and sadly Deception will not be it.

Cory Johnson: Fact. For some reason, I'm in for this film. Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor do nothing for me, but Natasha Henstridge and Michele Williams can be in any movie I watch anytime (have you seen Natasha in Eli Stone? Well, I know that nobody has, but trust me, she looks fantastic and she has come a long way since Species). On the surface, this looks like some decent, unexplored territory for a movie (or Madonna video). There is no reason that this film couldn't be the heir to Basic Instinct, and I know that it won't be at that level, but it could be the next Swordfish.

Final Score: 3 for 6

Cory and Chad split the difference this week. Many thanks to them both for their participation.

Useless Trivia Question of the Week
Last week's winner was Charles from Crossville, TN. He correctly identified Josh Holloway from Lost as the current TV actor who was among the first vampires staked in the pilot episode of Angel. Thanks to everyone that took the time to write in.

Rules: First person to email me with the correct answer while providing their home address within the continental U.S. shall receive a hand-written letter from me. Previous winners are ineligible.

Question: What action star was originally cast as the Predator before being fired and replaced after shooting began?

See you good people next week.
-BP