Reel Reviews – Kicking and Screaming

Reel Reviews #60: “If Plato is a fine red wine, then Aristotle is a dry martini.” Time to enjoy the freshman effort from writer/director Noah Baumbach. A smart script with endlessly quotable lines and a great ensemble cast of young “indie” actors comes together for a film worth watching. “I like a bartender who drinks.”
Download from the AOL servers: Reel Reviews – Kicking and Screaming (17:30 min 16.2MB)
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Welcome back! We “Reel Reviews” fans have missed you. It’s funny, I just bought (and watched) “Kicking and Screaming” a few days before your podcast appeared. “Broken glass” was priceless! Meanwhile, did you notice the 2-disc special edition of “Double Indemnity” that just came out? Good times!
Hey Michael,
I almost gave up on you ever posting another podcast…glad you’re alive and well! I look forward to more reviews in the future. Thanks for the heads-up on Kicking and Screaming…I’ll definitely be checking it out!
Pete
“Is that a pajama top you’re wearing?” “No…yes.”
I can’t believe someone else likes this film! I saw this during my own final
year of university. My girlfriend and I were going to Poland (not quite
Prague, but close enough) the year after and the film has always affected my
life. I love the writing, the story–even the soundtrack is amazing; it
introduced me to Freedy Johnston and Jimmie Dale Gilmore and made me a lifelong
fan of Baumbach’s work. For a long time, Josh Hamilton’s character felt like an
alter ego, especially after my girlfriend and I broke up in Poland, and
everything went to hell in a hand basket.
BTW, did you notice Carlos Jacott on “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip”? Decent role, crappy character on a hot new show. Good for him! And…my first recollection of him was on “Firefly”. Great to see his “beginning” in “K&S”.
Anticipating your next review.
No more new Reel Reviews? Has Michael podfaded?
Kidding, I know he’s a big shot in the podcasting world now and is busy but I hope he does few more reel reviews in 2007.
Hi Michael.
As a film music composer I want to remark on the sound design and music of :Kicking and Screaming.” I thought the foley was adequate to good and the incidental music quite good. The film as a whole is pretty gosh darn good.
I love, love, LOVE this movie. Thanks so much for reviewing it. “You know how to make God laugh?”