All Articles by Jake Lasker

BEGINNERS DVD Review

Posted: December 1st, 2011 at 5:59 am

When I received the DVD for Beginners in the mail last week, I was out of my mind excited. After all, Beginners is one of my favorite films of the year. I couldn’t wait to check out the supplemental material and I’m glad to report the disc doesn’t disappoint.

First things first: the film itself. Mike Mills’ semi-autobiographical tale follows Oliver, played wonderfully by Ewan McGregor, at two very different times in his life. The first timeline follows Oliver’s time with his father Hal (an Oscar-worthy Christopher Plummer), who has recently been diagnosed with cancer and come out of the closet. The second timeline follows Oliver as he embarks on a romance with Anna (Inglourious Basterd’s Melanie Laurent), a French actress staying in Los Angeles. Oliver is kept company at all times by his faithful terrier Arthur.  Continue reading for my full review.

Running Wilde DVD Review

Posted: October 24th, 2011 at 6:00 am

Saddled with the pressure of being creator Mitch Hurwitz and star Will Arnett’s follow-up to Arrested Development, Running Wilde never was quite able to catch on with a wide audience. While many viewers might have expected a comedy operating on many different layers and filled with hidden jokes, Running Wilde was just a fun show whose only goal was to let its leads be silly. I for one had no problem with that, and I was more than happy to receive the Running Wilde DVDs to review. Hit the jump for my full breakdown.

Alan Cumming Interview THE SMURFS

Posted: July 30th, 2011 at 11:24 am

A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of talking to Alan Cumming (The Good Wife) for The Smurfs. The film follows the adventures of six Smurfs who are accidentally transported to modern-day New York City. In the film, Cumming voices Gutsy Smurf. I had a lot of fun with this movie and I know kids are going to absolutely love it.

During my exclusive interview, we discussed Cummings’ excitement at finally playing a Scottish character, wearing kilts, the voice-acting process and much more.  Hit the jump for the interview.

Sofia Vergara Talks SMURFS, MODERN FAMILY, NEW YEAR’S EVE and THE THREE STOOGES

Posted: July 29th, 2011 at 8:15 pm

About a week ago, I had the pleasure of talking to Sofia Vergara (Modern Family) in anticipation of her family film, The Smurfs. The film follows the adventures of six Smurfs who are accidentally transported to modern-day New York City. In The Smurfs, Vergara plays Odile, an executive at a cosmetics company who is the boss of Neil Patrick Harris’ character. I had a lot of fun with the movie and kids will absolutely love it.

During my exclusive interview, we discussed bossing around Harris, Sofia’s earliest memories of the Smurfs, and her upcoming work in Happy Feet Two, New Year’s Eve and, of course, The Three Stooges. I also got a brief update on the next season of Modern Family.  Watch the interview after the jump.

Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays Talk THE SMURFS and A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR CHRISTMAS

Posted: July 28th, 2011 at 12:12 pm

A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of talking to Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) and Jayma Mays (Glee) for their upcoming film The Smurfs. The film follows the adventures of six Smurfs who are accidentally transported to modern-day New York City. In The Smurfs, Harris and Mays play a married couple with a baby on the way who find and watch over the lost Smurfs. I actually had a lot of fun with this film and I know kids will definitely love it.

During my exclusive interview, we discussed their early memories of the Smurfs, building chemistry after working together during guest stints on each other’s TV show and feeling crazy acting opposite imaginary Smurfs. Harris also teases his role in the upcoming A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas. The Smurfs hits theaters this Friday, July 29.  Hit the jump to watch.

Hank Azaria Video Interview SMURFS

Posted: July 27th, 2011 at 11:36 am

Recently, I had the immense pleasure of talking to Hank Azaria (The Simpsons) for his upcoming film The Smurfs. The film follows the adventures of six Smurfs who are accidentally transported to modern-day New York City. In the film, Azaria (heavily aided by make-up and a hair piece) plays the villain, Gargamel, who also travels to New York to seek out the Smurfs. I actually had a lot of fun with the movie and kids will definitely love it.

During my exclusive interview, we discussed bringing life to a character’s first live action iteration, acting opposite imaginary Smurfs, roaming New York in costume and performing karaoke as one of his iconic characters from The Simpsons. We also spoke at length about his upcoming NBC show Free Agents. The Smurfs hits theaters this Friday, July 29. Hit the jump to watch the interview.

Exclusive: Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant Talk FX Pilot ALABAMA, WRITING MOVIES FOR (FUN AND) PROFIT, and Future Projects

Posted: July 26th, 2011 at 7:58 pm

Over the weekend I had the rare privilege of speaking with two of the funniest men in Hollywood, Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon. The two have managed to maintain the rarest of comedy careers: they have had tremendous success in writing big studio films (Night At The Museum) while still working with their specific brand of off-beat humor (Reno 911!).

During our extended discussion, we talked about their recent FX pilot Alabama, their massive slate of upcoming films and of course their new screenwriting book Writing Movies For Fun And Profit. We got to talk a lot about many films that haven’t been announced yet so you’re not gonna want to miss this. Continue reading for our full discussion.

Comic-Con 2011: Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton Interview WARRIOR; Future Project Talk Includes THE GREAT GATSBY, MAD MAX, and Al Capone Biopic

Posted: July 22nd, 2011 at 1:22 pm

Just a mere matter of minutes ago I had the pleasure of speaking to Tom Hardy (Inception) and Joel Edgerton (Animal Kingdom) about their upcoming film Warrior. Warrior follows two estranged brothers (Hardy and Edgerton) on their paths to the biggest MMA fight of their careers – against each other. Since Hardy and Edgerton are two of Hollywood’s biggest up-and-coming stars, I wanted to post what they had to see as fast as possible.

Continue reading to see what Edgerton and Hardy had to say about Warrior and their incredible slates of future projects, including The Great Gatsby, Mad Max: Fury Road and David Yates’ Al Capone biopic. And of course, you can expect a very typical Christopher Nolan-esque response from Tom Hardy about his role in The Dark Knight Rises.

CHILDRENS HOSPITAL Season 1 & 2 DVD Review

Posted: June 22nd, 2011 at 5:15 am

Rob Corddry. Lake Bell. Rob Huebel. Malin Akerman. Megan Mullally. Henry Winkler. Erinn Hayes. Ken Marino. If you’re a fan of comedy, chances are you’re a fan of more than a few of these people. So what happens when you squeeze all these personalities, plus notable guest appearances by Paul Scheer, Adam Scott, David Wain, and more, into 11 minute episodes parodying medical dramas? Childrens Hospital, a sporadically hilarious, consistently goofy satire that’s worth your time, if only for its brisk run time. Continue reading for a full review of the show and a rundown of the DVD extras.

HUBBLE 3D DVD Review

Posted: May 2nd, 2011 at 5:00 am

As someone who is enamored with the mystery of space, I was so upset I never found a way to see Hubble 3D in an IMAX 3D theater. However, I’m happy to report that no matter the size of the screen or the number of dimensions, Hubble 3D is a fun, informative and beautiful movie. Continue reading for my full review.

TREME Season 1 DVD Review

Posted: April 21st, 2011 at 7:00 am

New Orleans as a setting is a tough place for outsiders. Between the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina, generations of racial tension and the hyper-exclusive music scene, the world of New Orleans could be very intimidating to viewers. But if there was one man who could help usher audiences into this unfamiliar landscape, it was David Simon. After taking viewers through the gritty Baltimore crime scene for 5 years on The Wire, Simon returned to TV with HBO’s Treme. Following the lives of dozens of people in the Treme district of post-Katrina New Orleans, the show introduces viewers to all different walks of life and the things that connect them. Less explosive and more of a slow burn,Treme is still another Simon triumph. Continue reading for my full review.

PaleyFest 2011: EASTBOUND & DOWN Recap

Posted: March 11th, 2011 at 7:41 am

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the Eastbound & Down panel at the 28^th annual PaleyFest in Los Angeles. Since filming hasn’t started on the show’s third season, I wasn’t sure how much the cast would say about what’s coming up. Thankfully, they dropped a few clues and I also got to hear some great behind the scenes stories about one of TV’s best comedies.

The panel featured star/creator Danny McBride, director/creator Jody Hill, executive producer Chris Henchy and stars Ana de la Reguera, Katy Mixon, Steve Little and Michael Pena. Hit the jump for a full recap of the night’s events.

HUGH HEFNER: PLAYBOY, ACTIVIST AND REBEL DVD Review

Posted: December 19th, 2010 at 6:00 am

Documentaries are supposed to be boring. Old people sitting in front of a camera talking about events we didn’t care to learn about when they really happened. Documentaries are supposed to be educational, enlightening even. Something your teacher makes you watch in class or your grandmother tapes on the History Channel onto VHS. Academy Award winner Brigitte Berman (1985’s Artie Shaw: Time Is All You’ve Got) sticks within this formula however to create a genuinely interesting and entertaining, yet shallow film about the life of Hugh Hefner and his Playboy Magazine. Hit the jump for my full review.

Duncan Jones No Longer Attached To ESCAPE FROM THE DEEP; MUTE May Be Next

Posted: December 17th, 2010 at 9:10 pm

I love Twitter. There are countless interesting people to follow for any movie geek and one of my absolute favorites is Duncan Jones (follow him here), director of the instant sci-fi classic Moon, one of my favorite movies from the last couple years and the upcoming (and great looking) Source Code. Jones is one of the most down to earth, genuine people on Twitter and he regularly responds to tweets directed at him, so today I took a chance and asked him when we will hear about his next picture and if would be the previously announced Escape From The Deep or his intriguing original script Mute, a future noir in the style of Blade Runner.  Jones was kind enough to reply:

“not on the sub movie anymore, but trying hard to get one of two things made next. Mute is one of those 2”.

Continue reading for a refresher on Mute. Make sure to follow myself and Mr. Jones, he’s truly a fun guy to follow.

IT’S A VERY MERRY MUPPET CHRISTMAS MOVIE DVD Review

Posted: November 4th, 2010 at 8:09 am

The world is split into two people: those who like the Muppets and those who don’t. The people who say the only good Muppet movies are the first two or three aren’t real fans either. If you’re a fan, you’re a fan through and through and It’s A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie is one for the fans. This 2002 made for TV movie has it’s typical doses of celebrities in goofy roles, celebrities as themselves, pop culture references, original songs and a recycled plot. Continue reading for my full review.

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