25 June 2008

You Don't Mess With A.O.

A couple of friends and I have been engaged in a little conversation (and email follow-up) about the New York Times movie critics. It's funny, I see very few movies, but I'm a voracious review reader, especially from the Times and The Onion (though not the latter so much lately because I get sucked into reading the whole thing, which, sadly--summer be damned--I just don't have the time for). While I, like my friend, prefer A.O. Scott, I've really been digging Manohla Dargis lately. (Incidentally, I went to write out my "Dargis thesis" this morning and realized I already had.)

Anyway, this is just a brief PSA: You should check out A.O. Scott's hilarious review of You Don't Mess With the Zohan (aka "the finest post-Zionist action-hairdressing sex comedy [A.O. Scott has] ever seen"). But my sources tell me you shouldn't actually go see it, his advice notwithstanding. I was beginning to think A.O. seemed a little vulnerable to the crazy sex comedies lately, but then he skewered The Love Guru, or (as The Onion cover called it this week, the "Latest Austin Powers Movie").

If you want to watch something, I'd recommend the Zohan Movie Minutes (halfway down the review, at left). The conclusion:

"All in all, it offers a kind of ... a utopian picture of what would happen if people stopped blowing each other up and started just concentrating on the things that really matter, which are money, sex, nice haircuts, and hummus."

2 comments:

Evie Rynkiewicz said...

one to add to the long list of amazingly ripping reviews, such as the cat and the hat (another mike myers link there):
"Neutering, to prevent this beast from spawning sequels, is perhaps the most humane solution. Or maybe it is best to follow the advice of that wise fish: 'Make that cat go away! Tell that cat in the hat you do not want to play.'"
and on the other hand, i knew "be kind, rewind" was going to be good when a. o. scott said he liked it so much he would actually see it again!

Kyle Matthew Oliver said...

Yeah, what happened to Mike Meyers being awesome?