Last night I was out with my wife and my Wife’s friend in the Beaches area of Toronto. For eons it seems, there’s been a movie theatre there called the Fox that my Wife wanted to go to. It was across the street from the restaurant we were eating at (the “Goof” Chinese Restaurant, nicknamed such because of a mishap with their old neon sign “GOOD FOOD” where the “D” in “GOOD” and the “OOD” in “FOOD” failed to light after a time, spelling “GOOF”, and stayed that way for years), and the marquee at the Fox showed I Love You, Man playing at a time late enough that we felt we could eat comfortably and still make the time to see the movie, if only to visit the Fox. I had never been there before, and I love these old-style “flat” (as opposed to the new stadium seated) theatres that play a mix of new and old films and hold film themed events like “Grindhouse” nights and stuff.
I Love You, Man was an okay comedy about a guy, Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd), who is so girlish that he’s more comfortable around women than men, more of a girlfriend guy. As a result, when he proposes to his girlfriend, he realizes that he doesn’t have very many friends to invite to his wedding, let alone anyone to make his Best Man. So, he tries to find male friends and ends up being buddies with a laid back “dude” kind of guy, Sydney Fife (Jason Segal from TV’s How I Met Your Mother), who teaches him all of the mysterious trappings of male bonding, most of which Peter is very awkward about, trying to sound cool making up terms and nicknames that sound lame. This is basically a romantic comedy about guys that still manages to be about a man and woman getting married. Mix in the regular formula of this genre, like the second-act break up (which happens between Peter and his fiancée and Peter and Sydney), third-act make up (which, again, happens between both parties), goofy comic-relief friends (in this case the fiancees’ horny friend and friend with a pissed off husband played by Jon Favreu, and Peter’s oddly masculinely gay brother Andy Samburg), and unnecessary, random but welcome guest appearances (in this movie’s case it’s Lou frickin’ Ferrigno and Canadian maga-band Rush – and if you don’t believe this is part of the formula, please see Tony Robbins in Shallow Hal).
Lou Ferrigno is awesome in this movie. He appears in maybe 3 scenes, his voice is in two more over the phone, but his presence is everywhere here. Peter has to sell his house over the course of the movie and can’t seem to find buyers. Ferrigno’s house is maybe one of the greatest houses in film. It’s a huge estate, where every room seems to have at least 2 Hulk or Herculese posters and standess. Now, that’s how you decorate a house! There’s even a gigantic Lou Ferrigno statue in the front lawn! There’s at least one scene where Ferrigno fights Jason Segal, to which Peter’s fiancée asks “Who picks a fight with Lou Ferrigno!?” (non-spoiler: Lou Ferrigno wins).
The movie itself was light and fun, with Paul Rudd being appropriately awkward, and J.K. Simmons as Peter’s Dad making appearances here and there (is J.K. Simmons playing everyone’s Dad now??).
I Love You, Man was an okay comedy about a guy, Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd), who is so girlish that he’s more comfortable around women than men, more of a girlfriend guy. As a result, when he proposes to his girlfriend, he realizes that he doesn’t have very many friends to invite to his wedding, let alone anyone to make his Best Man. So, he tries to find male friends and ends up being buddies with a laid back “dude” kind of guy, Sydney Fife (Jason Segal from TV’s How I Met Your Mother), who teaches him all of the mysterious trappings of male bonding, most of which Peter is very awkward about, trying to sound cool making up terms and nicknames that sound lame. This is basically a romantic comedy about guys that still manages to be about a man and woman getting married. Mix in the regular formula of this genre, like the second-act break up (which happens between Peter and his fiancée and Peter and Sydney), third-act make up (which, again, happens between both parties), goofy comic-relief friends (in this case the fiancees’ horny friend and friend with a pissed off husband played by Jon Favreu, and Peter’s oddly masculinely gay brother Andy Samburg), and unnecessary, random but welcome guest appearances (in this movie’s case it’s Lou frickin’ Ferrigno and Canadian maga-band Rush – and if you don’t believe this is part of the formula, please see Tony Robbins in Shallow Hal).
Lou Ferrigno is awesome in this movie. He appears in maybe 3 scenes, his voice is in two more over the phone, but his presence is everywhere here. Peter has to sell his house over the course of the movie and can’t seem to find buyers. Ferrigno’s house is maybe one of the greatest houses in film. It’s a huge estate, where every room seems to have at least 2 Hulk or Herculese posters and standess. Now, that’s how you decorate a house! There’s even a gigantic Lou Ferrigno statue in the front lawn! There’s at least one scene where Ferrigno fights Jason Segal, to which Peter’s fiancée asks “Who picks a fight with Lou Ferrigno!?” (non-spoiler: Lou Ferrigno wins).
The movie itself was light and fun, with Paul Rudd being appropriately awkward, and J.K. Simmons as Peter’s Dad making appearances here and there (is J.K. Simmons playing everyone’s Dad now??).
2.5 out of 5
The Fox theatre itself was wicked. Looks newly renovated too. If you’re ever in that area of Toronto, I recommend the place. The popcorn was the best I’ve ever tasted (dare I say better than Bloor cinema?) while their fountain drink selection isn’t as varied as Bloor but they make up for it in bottled drinks (and their fountain drinks are mixed better than regular theatres, more tasty). Their schedule of events and movies is a mix of new and classic films, and it seems that the crew that own the place currently are about my age, showing stuff like Superman and Close Encounters with a mix of stuff we would have seen late-night on TV like Clockwork Orange. I really loved their introduction in their hard-copy calendar listing to a program they’re running starting this month called “Way Back Throwback”, to take an excerpt:
“Just what in the past twenty years does the movie industry have to show for itself? What will be Hollywood’s legacy film for ‘Generation Y’? Michael Bay’s Transformers? Great movies are awfully hard to come by these days. How many times have we seen Hollywood remake a totally rad movie from thirty years ago and turn it into a twitching monstrosity with Hilary Duff or Paris Hilton in the lead role? [editor’s rant: Apologies to Ms. Duff (if that is your real name) but everyone knows the role of Bonnie Parker belongs to Faye Dunaway. When will those clowns in Tinsletown learn?]
With all the recent examples of mediocrity and disappointment emanating from the movie industry lately, isn’t it finally time to turn up your nose, put down your foot, and say ‘no more, sir!’ to all the frivolous, heavy-handed remakes? And isn’t a refreshing look back at the finer films of a generation past just what the doctor ordered to cure this ill-gotten disease of recycled, half-baked creativity? We think so.”
Amen, brothers and sisters. Amen.
“Just what in the past twenty years does the movie industry have to show for itself? What will be Hollywood’s legacy film for ‘Generation Y’? Michael Bay’s Transformers? Great movies are awfully hard to come by these days. How many times have we seen Hollywood remake a totally rad movie from thirty years ago and turn it into a twitching monstrosity with Hilary Duff or Paris Hilton in the lead role? [editor’s rant: Apologies to Ms. Duff (if that is your real name) but everyone knows the role of Bonnie Parker belongs to Faye Dunaway. When will those clowns in Tinsletown learn?]
With all the recent examples of mediocrity and disappointment emanating from the movie industry lately, isn’t it finally time to turn up your nose, put down your foot, and say ‘no more, sir!’ to all the frivolous, heavy-handed remakes? And isn’t a refreshing look back at the finer films of a generation past just what the doctor ordered to cure this ill-gotten disease of recycled, half-baked creativity? We think so.”
Amen, brothers and sisters. Amen.
You can visit their website, which features schedules and listings at: http://www.foxtheatre.ca/
-Deceptisean
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