Sexual Kicks, Private Dicks, and an Old Man Bearing A Crucifix

There are some things in life that are completely unavoidable — things such as awkward sexual experiences, private eyes, police officers, and overly-religious people that try to make you reach out and touch faith. OK, so that’s a really shitty introduction. I wholeheartedly admit that. Well, the truth is, people, I had an oddball mixture of movies and TV shows to wade through, so I’ve assembled this entry of “Catching Up At The Video Store” accordingly.

Deal with it.

Youth In Revolt (2009) (Sony Pictures) - Based on the novel by C.D. Payne, Youth In Revolt brings us another awkward coming-of-age story. It also brings us another Michael Cera film that upsets anyone hoping for a movie with the words “Arrested” and “Development” in the title. Nick Twisp (Cera) is a socially dorky teenager who is uncomfortable in his own skin. He wants to get laid — or, at the very least, fall in love. And so, when he meets Sheeni (Porita Doubleday), a good girl in search of a bad boy, Nick creates an alter-ego named Francois Dillinger (also played by Cera, who sports blue eyes, a wispy-thin moustache, and a cigarette) to help him achieve his goals. Or are they her goals? Aw, to hell with it: even with its all-star cast (Jean Smart, Justin Long, Steve Buscemi, Fred Willard, Ray Liotta, and Zach Galifianakis also star), Youth In Revolt doesn’t succeed in being much more than a conceited film that makes you want to re-watch A Life Less Ordinary again instead. The short version: it wasn’t what I expected. But then, I expected something good. Also available on Blu-ray.

Play The Game (2008) (Phase 4 Films) - The game of love is never easy. Widowed elder Joe (Andy Griffith) is getting up there in age. However, he’s definitely not getting anything else up. But all that changes once his player grandson, David (Paul Campbell), decides to start giving the old codger some modern-day tricks on how to score some tricks of his own. Soon, Joe is the desire of every lady in the convalescent home. Meanwhile, David’s attempts to woo a young hottie Julie (Marla Sokoloff) via his previously-surefire methods start to fail — and it’s up to Grandpa Joe to save the day with some good ol’ fashioned tips about love. If you’ve ever wanted to see an aging Andy Griffith get down and dirty with elderly actresses such as Doris Roberts and Liz Sheridan, your ship has just sailed into the harbor. Rance Howard and his son, Clint, are also featured (they couldn’t get Ron, I guess).

Article Author: Luigi Bastardo

Luigi Bastardo is the disgruntled alter-ego of Adam Becvar, a thirtysomething lad from Northern California who has watched so many weird movies since the tender age of 3 that a conventional life is out of the question. …

Visit Luigi Bastardo's author page — Luigi Bastardo's Blog