Tag Archives: Jessica Williams

ROAD HOUSE (2024): New Trailer From Jake Gyllenhaal, Conor McGregor, Daniela Melchior, Jessica Williams…

Director Doug Liman’s latest action/thriller Road House has Jake Gyllenhaal playing an Ex-UFC fighter named Dalton.

Dalton accepts a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse and soon finds out that things are more than he expected.

Conor McGregor, Daniela Melchior, Billy Magnussen and Lukas Gage are among the key cast.

This is not the kind of movie I’d typically be drawn to. But, add Gyllenhaal and my curiosity about McGregor’s performance and suddenly, look at that, I have a ticket.

I may just decide to watch the 1989 original Road House movie after all. The one starring Patrick Swayze; I hear that there’s much to see where fight choreography is concerned – another reason I have to watch this new remake.

Darren Barnet, Post Malone, Joaquim de Almeida, Dominique Columbus, Arturo Castro, JD Pardo, Beau Knapp, Hannah Love Lanier, Kevin Carroll, Bob Menery and Travis Van Winkle also star.

Road House Release Dates: March 21st, 2024 (US & UK)…

Happy Film Loving,

G

THE INCREDIBLE JESSICA JAMES (2017): The Things I Liked…

The Incredible Jessica James (2017), Jessica Williams
The Incredible Jessica James (2017), Jessica Williams

The Incredible Jessica James is not a superhero movie as I first thought. It is, in fact, a comedy about an aspiring New York-based playwright played by Jessica Williams, an actor I first saw in the fun 2015 comedy, People Places Things.

The story, written and directed by Jim Strouse, who also wrote and directed People Places Things, centres around Miss James’s friendship with a guy called Boone (Chris O’Dowd). A friendship that begins while Miss Jones is on the rebound from a break-up.

There are one or two scenes at the beginning of this movie where I thought, ‘the camera is spending too long on this moment’. Luckily, for me, as the film progressed, I grew to like it more and more.

Williams did a good job of portraying all that is incredible about Miss James, and I enjoyed the writing, especially as I found that I identify with Miss James in several ways. To mention just one way (you may also relate to this), I also have a slightly less than ordinary dream that requires much dedication.

Noël Wells, an actor I first saw in Aziz Ansari’s rather good series Master of None 2015 – 2021), was a highlight. I also loved O’Dowd, who was, as always, a delight to watch in comedy/drama roles.

By the end of The Incredible Jessica James, my thoughts had evolved from ‘the camera is spending too long on this moment’ to ‘Miss James may not wear a special suit or a cape, but she really is quite incredible’.

Not only did I want to be as cool as Jessica James, but I’d decided that I’d tune in, in the event this movie were turned into a series.

Watch it and see.

Happy Film loving,

G

PEOPLE PLACES THINGS (2015): For The Writing, Honesty, Skilled Comic Timing…

People Places Things (2015), Jermaine Clement
People Places Things (2015), Jermaine Clement

People Places Things is the brainchild of writer/director, James C. Strouse. It’s also a film that does a good and entertaining job of navigating that complicated space between a significant breakup and the next potential relationship.

Starring Jermaine Clement, Regina Hall, Stephanie Allynne and Jessica Williams; Strouse’s comedy possesses a kooky and pleasantly offbeat quality. A quality that can be partly attributed to the limbo state a few of the characters find themselves in, plus the unapologetic directness and honesty in the way they communicate with each other.

The things that make People Places Things good remind me of my favourite sitcom,  Peep Show (2003-2015). Peeps Show is a British comedy series in which the audience hears both the dialogue spoken, but also the internal dialogue of the show’s two leads – everything they think but never dare say out loud, with very entertaining results.

I say, watch People Places Things for a cast that is amply gifted with good comic timing; the chance to see Regina Hall in a refreshingly different type of role; to discover the talents of Jermaine Clement and because People Places Things is good and funny.

Happy Film Loving,

G

PEOPLE PLACES THINGS (2015): Promising Trailer For New comedy Starring Jermaine Clement

People Places Things (2015), Jermaine Clement
People Places Things (2015), Jermaine Clement

Read my spoiler-free movie review of People Places Things (2015).

It looks like I’m about to enjoy more clever writing and super humour in 2015. Thanks this time to the James C. Strouse written/directed comedy, People Places Things.

Starring Jermaine Clement, Regina Hall, Jessica Williams, Stephanie Allynne and Michael Chernus; I’m really hoping that Strouse’s movie is as welcome a surprise as The Little Death (2014) – probably the funniest movie I’ve seen this year.

Happy Film Loving,

G