Casting Re-Call: Horrible Bosses 2

Some films just don't need sequels, and, in my opinion, Horrible Bosses is one of those films. With one boss dead, one incarcerated, and one sufficiently black-mailed, what does one expect from a sequel revolving around the exact same characters?

 

Unfortunately, the crew behind Horrible Bosses 2 could care less, because people (including me) will be sure to watch the film, regardless of its necessity. I mean, Horrible Bosses was the funniest film of 2011, but that doesn't automatically result in Horrible Bosses 2 having a similar fate.

So, in the interest of creating more interest in Horrible Bosses 2, I have decided to re-cast the sequel, filling in the character-types with new actors. If the actors/characters were new, I might understand more of a need for a sequel. It would be so much fun to see new characters attempting to kill their bosses. Don't get me wrong... I love the Horrible Bosses characters. They just need to be left alone!

Characters that should remain:

Character: Dean "MF" Jones

Actor Chosen: Jamie Foxx

Why?: Foxx's "MF" Jones was absolutely brilliant in the first film, and he could appear in absolutely anything, remaining hilarious. In fact, he is the glue that holds the entire concept together, which is why he could easily transfer that concept over to new boss-murderers.

Character: Atmanand

Actor Chosen: Brian George

Why?: Brian George's voice role, as the GPS navigation assistant (basically, he was an OnStar employee), was sort of dorky and awkward in Horrible Bosses. However, he would be another easy connection to the new boss-murderers, potentially discovering the similarity in the situations. I know this character is not of the utmost importance, but I think he could be fun!

Re-Call:

 

Character: Nick Hendricks

Actor in 1st Film: Jason Bateman

New Actor: Aubrey Plaza

Why?: Plaza has the same (but very different) dry humor of Jason Bateman, and, above all else, I could easily see her killing somebody's boss. Bateman's character is the unannounced leader in Horrible Bosses, and I could easily see Plaza filling that role. Plus, it would be fun to see how a woman might deal with this situation, considering that men are no longer kings of the workplace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Character: Dale Arbus

Actor in 1st Film: Charlie Day

New Actor: Jay Baruchel

Why?: No one could play this role better than Charlie Day. No one! But, if we are looking at a different friend-group, we have to replace him, and I think Baruchel brings a very similar type of humor to the character as Day. In fact, I think his interaction with Aubrey Plaza would be even funnier than the interaction between Bateman and Day. They could even be potential love interests... or not...

 

 

 

 

 

Character: Kurt Buckman

Actor in 1st Film: Jason Sudeikis

New Actor: Ty Burrell

Why?: I had trouble with this character, mostly because Jason Sudeikis is so very bland and lifeless in every single thing that he does. So, how do you replicate (and even improve on) that blandness? Well, I went with Ty Burrell! Although he may be a good bit older than Baruchel and Plaza, I could see him being a goofy, awkward, protective figure who is entirely uncomfortable with the entire process of killing someone. This choice isn't necessarily a good substitution for Sudeikis or a good match with Baruchel and Plaza, but I just think he fits really well in this situation.

 

 

 

 

Character: Dave Harken

Actor in 1st Film: Kevin Spacey

New Actor: John C. McGinley

Why?: Because it would be fun to watch McGinley and Plaza bicker back and forth. He could also come on to her, in one way or another, substituting the sexually deviant Jennifer Aniston in the first film. 

 

 

 
 
Character: Dr. Julia Harris

Actor in 1st Film: Jennifer Aniston

New Actor: Michael Cera

Why?: Although the hilarity of Michael Cera as a bad guy may have been used in This Is the End, I think he could pull it off one more time. Put Jay Baruchel as a co-founder of some sort of app start-up or something Silicon Valley-ish, but, out of some legal mistakes, Cera owns 51% of the company, while Baruchel only owns 49%. Cera throws that in his face all of the time, which creates the grounds for his desire to kill him. I think it could work!

Character: Bobby Pellitt

Actor in 1st Film: Colin Farrell

New Actor: Woody Harrelson, Robert Downey Jr., Russell Brand, Sharlto Copley

Why?: Although Charlie Day is the funniest part of Horrible Bosses, Colin Farrell's Bobby Pellitt is undoubtedly the most genius character in the entire film. However, as I began to think of actors who could play a similar character, so many great choices came to mind, and I couldn't decide on just one. You can imagine, on your own, just how hilarious Harrelson, Downey, Brand, or Copley would be in this role. Let me know, in the comments, which you think would work best!

 

 

So, there you have it! My very own Horrible Bosses 2.

 

Let me know what you think about my choices, in the comment section, below.

 

Hopefully the actual Horrible Bosses 2 will exceed my expectations, and, maybe, it will not fall into the afterthought category, with its release date so close to that of Mockingjay Part 1.

 

Casting Re-Call: The Fault in Our Stars

Rarely do I take the time to read any books:

I don't usually read my textbooks for school.

It even takes serious discipline for me to read my Bible on a regular basis.

I mean, I like to read for pleasure, but watching movies is so much more efficient, right?...

If you frequent my blog, none if this information comes as a surprise to you. However, you might be surprised to know that I, Tanner Jones, read The Fault in Our Stars about 1.5 years in advance of the film's release date! Personally, I believe I'm entitled to some sort of award or cash prize, but everyone keeps telling me no...

The truth is that I am a huge fan of John and Hank Green's Vlogbrothers channel on YouTube, and, while it may be a bit teenagery of me, I believe you should check out their videos: here. If you did not know, John Green actually wrote The Fault in Our Stars, and, as it gained in popularity, I gained interest in reading the book. Actually, for the record, I read the book before it was such a big deal... I'm just saying...

Not only did I fall in love with The Fault In Our Stars, but, as a result, I have actually read two more of John's books over the past year, An Abundance of Katherines and Looking for Alaska. While Katherines was not the best, Alaska had me hooked, and I would suggest it to any reader looking for a good YA novel. Again, however, I am no book critic, so take these comments with a grain of salt!

Now, when I read a book, I like to picture the characters as whatever actor/actress I believe would/should play them in a film version of said book. I know, that's very un-readerlike and un-imaginative of me, but I really don't care. That's how I roll! And, until The Fault in Our Stars, my methods never caused any problems, because I never read books that were turned into movies (aside from classics). However, because I loved The Fault soooo much and because I read the book before the casting decisions were made, I reeeeeeally wanted the characters to be played by the actors that I had imagined as I read through the book. Of course, as could be predicted from thousands of miles away, not a single one of the actors that I longed for actually made it into the film. At first, I was frustrated. Then, I got over it. Then, the trailer came out, and I started freaking out a bit (in a bad way).

Luckily, after watching the trailer like 10-15 times (I really am excited about this one), I've gained a sense of peace about the actors that were chosen for their respective roles. Nonetheless, I refuse to believe that any of them are ideal! So, in an effort to express my opinions, I have been inspired to create a new segment called Casting Re-Call, where I go back and re-cast an entire film. Hopefully, this post will be well-received, and I can use this same format for other films in the future. I could even re-cast films that were poorly cast, after watching them, which is what I actually planned to do with this post. But, since I've already read The Fault in Our Stars and know who I wanted to see, I figured I would share with you beforehand. So, here it is... my ideal cast for The Fault in Our Stars:

Character: Hazel Grace Lancaster
Actor Chosen: Shailene Woodley
Ideal Actor: Mae Whitman
Why?: Unfortunately, after watching the trailer, Woodley's portrayal of Hazel appears waaay too ditsy and girly. In the book, Hazel was quite opinionated and strong-willed, which I believe could have been amazingly portrayed by Mae Whitman. I think Woodley will do alright, but, ideally, Whitman would have landed the role (although she would not pull near as big of an audience).

Character: Augustus Waters
Actor Chosen: Ansel Elgort
Ideal Actor: Evan Peters
Why?: The character of Augustus Waters is undoubtedly the key to making this story work, at least in my opinion. I'm not going to condemn Ansel Elgort, considering he hasn't had much of an opportunity to be analyzed. However, I do know that Evan Peters would have been AMAZING as Gus! No doubt in my mind! If you've seen American Horror Story: Asylum, that's the Evan Peters I'm talking about! Fortunately, we still got to see Peters in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Unfortunately, The Fault in Our Stars may suffer in his absence.

Character: Isaac
Actor Chosen: Nat Wolff
Ideal Actor: Michael Cera
Why?: Getting Michael Cera to come on board for a minor role would have been a difficult task, and I must say that I do like Nat Wolff. Actually, I watched Wolff a lot in The Naked Brothers Band when I was too old to be watching The Naked Brothers Band. Regardless, I think Michael Cera could have brought a certain likeability to the character (think Juno) that Wolff may not be able to bring.

Character: Patrick
Actor Chosen: Mike Birbiglia
Ideal Actor: Jack McBrayer
Why?: I don't know that much about Mike Birbiglia, but I have seen a few of his sketches, which was enough to make this casting choice completely baffling to me. Now, I haven't seen how the character is portrayed in the film yet, but I think anyone who has ever heard of Birbiglia can see the massive contrast from him to Jack McBrayer. In my opinion, nobody could have pulled this one off like McBrayer, whose comedic range is quite small. That's saying something!

Character: Peter Van Houten
Actor Chosen: Willem Dafoe
Ideal Actor: Hugh Laurie
Why?: Next to the Patrick character, the casting of Willem Dafoe as Peter Van Houten is the second most baffling to me. I thought of many different people who could have played Van Houten (Bradley Whitford, Jim Broadbent, Michael Douglas), but Willem Dafoe just seems a bit too dark. In the end, I settled on Hugh Laurie, who I think would've been absolutely great. You can be the judge when the film hits the theater.

Character: Lidewij Vliegenthart
Actor Chosen: Lotte Verbeek
Ideal Actor: Frances McDormand
Why?: While this role isn't of the utmost importance (made obvious by the only no-name actress on this list), I thought Frances McDormand would have brought with her a lot of unique possibilities. Then again, I'm no casting expert!

Character: Mr. Lancaster (Hazel's Father)
Actor Chosen: Sam Trammell
Ideal Actor: Jeff Garlin
Why?: Jeff Garlin is one of the funniest, most likeable comedic actors that I've ever seen, and Hazel's father is meant to be likeable. Of course, I always like to throw a little humor in with my drama, and I just don't see that coming from Sam Trammell. But, we will see...

Character: Mrs. Lancaster (Hazel's Mother)
Actor Chosen: Laura Dern
Ideal Actor: Kate Walsh
Why?: Kate Walsh's motherly figure from The Perks of Being a Wallflower just seemed perfect for this character as well. While I do love Laura Dern, she is just a little too likeable. Hazel's mother is supposed to be a pretty strong woman, and I just don't get that strength when I look at Dern. And, Jeff Garlin could totally snag Kate Walsh... right???

Thankfully, John Green was happy with the cast (as far as we can tell)...

And, that's all that really matters!

 



So, there it is... My first ever Casting Re-Call. I certainly hope you enjoyed. After the movie, come back, take another look, and give me all of your great opinions! Look for this segment to pop back up in the future. Also, go read all of John Green's books. He is the man!

The Above Average Awards: 2013 Comedy

This year, for the first time, I have decided to divide the Above Average Awards into two separate posts--one for comedic films and one for dramatic films. In the past, when I've crammed them all into one post, I found it to be a bit overwhelming. The dramatic list will be out in the next couple of weeks, so be sure to check back and see who topped that list for 2013. I know I am pretty much the last movie blogger to release his best list, but I wanted to give myself time to see a majority of the films that never made it to Hattiesburg, for accuracy's sake. Anyway, for now, here's to the guys (and gals) who made us laugh hysterically in 2013...

 

I am of the opinion that comedic actors and films are undervalued in the world of film criticism. As the Oscar predictions role in, comedy usually gets lost in the mix, and I really hate it. I know, true comedic films aren't really made to win awards. However, I believe there should be Oscar categories to further recognize comedic films, much like the Emmys. Sure, the Golden Globes have a comedy category, but the films in that category are pretty much limited to really, really dramatic films that may have contained a joke or two. Anyways, I will stop whining, but I just wanted to make it known why I take the time to really recognize the best work in comedic films. So, without further delay, here are my favorites in comedic films and comedic performances from 2013:

 

 

Best Actor

Honorable Mention: Kevin Kline (Last Vegas), Simon Pegg (The World's End)

 

#8 - Danny McBride

(This is the End)

Honestly, I am shocked that Danny McBride was able to make it on to any positive list of mine, but, each time I watch This is the End, he makes me laugh more and more. Typically, I'm not a fan of McBride's failed attempts at Will Ferrell humor, but his interactions with James Franco were so freaking funny in this film. Although I hope that McBride continues to impress me in the future... I'm not counting on it...

 

 



#7 - Johnny Simmons

(The To Do List)

Last year, The Perks of Being a Wallflower took home the top honor from The Above Average Awards, and Johnny Simmons' performance was probably my least favorite of the entire film. However, after watching The To Do List, I'm encouraged that Johnny might find himself a nice career in comedy. He was absolutely hilarious, and I hope to see him pop up in many more future comedies.

 

 



#6 - The Minions

(Despicable Me 2)

Need I say more than "Bottom"?

 

I will say that I am assuming that the Minions are mostly male, categorizing them in the actor category, but who really knows!?!

  

#5 - Will Poulter

(We're the Millers)

Although I am still amazed at the box office success of We're the Millers, there is no denying Will Poulter's amazing performance. In fact, I dare say that he is the most memorable comedic character of 2013. Regardless, Poulter is sure to have a bright future, and we will look back at We're the Millers, wondering how it possibly banked $150 million.

 

 

#4 - Moises Arias

(The Kings of Summer)

As someone who absolutely loves a good coming-of-age tale, The Kings of Summer was, as a whole, underwhelming. However, the hilarious presence of Moises Arias, throughout the entire film, kept a smile on my face. His character was so randomly funny, and that random humor ends to crack me up. Many of you probably remember Arias from his role on Hannah Montana, but let's hope that he continues to go for these goofy roles.

 

 

#3 - Steve Carell

(Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues)

Steve Carell has long been one of my go-to funny guys, ever since I first fell in love with his humor on The Office. And now, finally, I have an opportunity to praise him in my best list! In fact, Brick is one of the funniest characters that I have ever had the pleasure of watching, and I loved his inflated role in the Anchorman sequel. Of course, Steve Carell was dead on, and I think most everyone would agree that his was an amazingly hilarious character.

 

#2 - Michael Cera

(This is the End)

Of all the actors in This is the End, Michael Cera was obviously the least genuine in the portrayal of himself, and I must say that it was absolutely genius. Kudos to Seth Rogen and crew for coming up with the idea to turn Cera into a crack-induced pervert, and kudos to Cera for pulling off one of the funniest performances of 2013 (in less than 10 minutes of screen time).

 

 

#1 - Jonah Hill

(This is the End)

For the second straight year, Hill easily takes home my top spot for comedic performances in 2013, and, this time, he doesn't have to share it with Channing Tatum. While the entire cast of This is the End was absolutely brilliant, Hill just kept the laughs coming, and, like Michael Cera, he actually acted, compared to some of the other stars who played versions of themselves that were exactly like their true selves. Hill has quickly become one of my favorite actors, as evident by the fact that he is the only actor to make the Above Average list each of the three years that I have been blogging. His work in comedy and drama is amazing, and he is greatly deserving of craploads of recognition!

 

 



 

Best Actress

 

Honorable Mention: Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire), Annette Bening (Girl Most Likely), Leslie Mann (The Bling Ring), Megan Mullaly (The Kings of Summer)

 



#5 - Glenne Headly
(Don Jon)

With the help of the great Tony Danza, Glenne Headly provided many great laughs throughout a mediocre film. Hilarious motherly figures tend to crack me up... so she had that going for her. Nevertheless, her performance is what made the character so great.

 

 

#4 - Sylvia Kauders

(Inside Llewyn Davis)

Of the great performances recognized on both my dramatic and comedic lists, no role was smaller than that of Sylvia Kauders, who played a secretary in Inside Llewyn Davis. Her screen time was probably less than three minutes, if I had to guess, but she certainly made good use of her time. In fact, I couldn't even find a picture of her in the movie. Regardless, I was rolling with every word that came out of her mouth, so kudos to this lovely lady!

 



 

#3 - Melissa McCarthy
(The Heat)

Melissa McCarthy is quickly becoming the queen of comedy, and she was able to provide a number of great laughs in The Heat. Unfortunately, Sandra Bullock's lack of humor brought the film down, as a whole, but McCarthy is worthy of much praise. This recognition marks her second time on my Above Average list, of which I am sure she is immeasurably grateful!

 

 

#2 - Greta Gerwig

(Frances Ha)

 

Ever since I first saw Greta Gerwig in Russell Brand's Arthur, I have been attracted to her free spirit and charm, but her performance in Frances Ha proved that she has a bright future ahead of her. Personally, I had a hard time deciding whether to put her in the dramatic or comedic list. Nonetheless, I decided to put her here, because she did a great job of making me laugh, although her film did a great job of making me think.

 

 

#1 - Allison Janney
(The Way Way Back)

I know I have talked about my affinity for The West Wing on multiple occasions, but I have never taken time out to give praise to the great Allison Janney. Luckily, her amazingly hilarious performance in The Way Way Back gave me a great excuse to give her some praise. In a movie that I was a bit disappointed in, Janney was consistently providing laughs and keeping me interested. She may have had only a minor role, but she certainly gave it her all! That's why I'm choosing her as my favorite comedic actress of 2013.

 

 

 

Best Film

Honorable Mention: The Heat, The World's End

#4 - A.C.O.D.



With an amazing cast and a hilarious topic, A.C.O.D. (Adult Children of Divorce) was able to sneak up on me and provide some great laughs. I would encourage everyone to check this one out at the Redbox. While I can't attest to its accuracy of portrayal (my parents are still married), I can attest to its hilarity, which is really what you want from a comedy.

 



#3 - The To Do List

I don't know how many awkward sex jokes you can fit into a single film, but The To Do List certainly tried to find out! Although it could have been waaay better, the film still managed to provide a ton of laughs, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I guess this means that I enjoy a mass amount of awkward sex jokes, but it is what it is.

 

 

#2 - Last Vegas

Of all 2013 movies, both dramatic and comedic, there was no film that was as surprisingly good as Last Vegas. What was sold to older moviegoers as "a dorky version of The Hangover" turned out to be one of the most hilarious films of the year. I have been waiting months to show this film to my parents, and I finally had the opportunity, the other day. If you missed out on Last Vegas, I promise it is worth your time.

 

#1 - This is the End

 

Contrary to what the Golden Globes may believe, I am of the opinion that a comedy's sole intention is to make you laugh. I know, I already ranted about this topic, but, as an "average" guy, I would never associate the comedy of American Hustle with the comedy of the aforementioned films! Never! So, don't worry... Those films will show up in my drama list. In 2013, the comedy field was not the strongest, but it was much better than 2012. However, there was one film that shone so brightly that I would easily dub it the best film of any kind in 2013, and that film is This is the End. Honestly, if I combined my comedy and drama best lists, This is the End would be number one, by a landslide! If you've yet to see this hilariously outrageous end-of-the-world comedy, you are truly missing out. My opinion may not be a popular one, but there was no 2013 dramatic or comedic film that I enjoyed anywhere close to as much as I enjoyed This is the End! If you want me to say that one more time, I can! The great performances, which have already been mentioned, mixed with the anything-goes attitude of the storyline, makes for one heck of a film that is sure to keep you laughing throughout.

 

 

So, there it is, folks! This is the End joins the likes of 21 Jump Street and Horrible Bosses, at the top of the Above Average. Let me know what you think, in the comment section, and be sure to check back soon for the release of my dramatic list...

This is the End

Expectations:
Aside from Elysium, which comes out in August, there is no summer movie that I was looking forward to more than This is the End. The idea of an entire comedy in which the actors play themselves is just fantastic. Add to that the overused theme of 2013 (the end of the world), and you have me hooked. Jonah Hill and Seth Rogan have each graced my Above Average Awards over the past two years, and, when you team them up with the rest of the crazy gang that this film contains, hilarity is sure to ensue... Right? I certainly hoped so. Most people were pumped for Man of Steel this week, but I couldn't wait for This is the End.

Plot:
As expected, the plot surrounding This is the End was completely over the top and hilariously ridiculous. But, it was just right! Throughout the film, I was wondering when I was going to stop laughing and when the plot was going to take a stupid turn, but it never did. Although he did a great job acting in This is the End, Seth Rogen did an even better job creating this story and directing the film, alongside Evan Goldberg. I really felt like these guys would be just as hilarious if they were hanging out with me during an actual apocalypse. The scene in which we are introduced to some version of these actors own selves was absolutely hilarious, and I loved the use of the various comedic actors who weren't present for the entire film. This is the End was a typical apocalypse film with added hilarity and a ridiculously funny conclusion.

Characters:
With a plot that was expected to be way over the top, I was counting on the greatness of This is the End's comedic actors to carry the film. When the plot turned out to be good, it was an amazing added bonus to have such a great cast as well. There were really very few negatives, as far as casting and characters are concerned, but here we go...

Negatives:
If you know me well, you know my feelings toward Emma Watson. She is one of God's great creations, and I think most would agree. However, her role in This is the End just didn't fit. Every single male character in the film had done some sort of extremely comedic acting at some point in their careers, but the female characters, regardless of their insignificance, were just not funny. Mindy Kaling fit in with the guys, but Rihanna and Emma Watson did not. I would have rather seen Sarah Silverman or Emma Stone show up and provide some laughs. Sure, the focus of the film was on the male characters, which was great, but, it wouldn't have hurt anything to have an actress stick around for more than five minutes.

Positives:
Where do I start?... The entire male ensemble was absolutely great, as these guys just fit together so well, providing laugh after laugh. Jonah Hill lead the way, in my opinion, as he played a very unrealistic and hilarious version of himself, who was very gentle and kind and wanted everyone to love him. Hill has quickly become one of my favorite actors, and I expect him to continue his greatness in the future. Danny McBride, who I usually don't care for, also did a fantastic job in This is the End. He stuck around for just the right amount of time to avoid being annoying, and he cracked me up. Next, Craig Robinson, who I loved in The Office, was a nice addition to Seth Rogen's comedic crew, who usually stick together. Hopefully we will see Robinson in future films with Rogen and crew, as he now has his freedom from The Office. Finally, the character that everyone is talking about........Michael Cera. I'm sure you've seen him in the trailers, but I will avoid ruining anything about his role in the film. Just let me be the 10,000th person to say that he was hilarious.

Conclusion:
This is the End blew my expectations out of the water in a very, very good way! As I said, those expectations were very high, so I am super-pleased with what Rogen and crew were able to accomplish. The only real negative that I found with This is the End is that there was very little room left for a sequel. I didn't realize how funny all of these actors could be, but they were funny enough to entice me to the theater to watch their film twice in one week, so kudos to them. If you like any of the actors in the film, go watch This is the End! If you enjoy laughter of any kind, go watch This is the End! If you have any free time over the next few weeks, go watch This is the End! You will not regret it! So, there it is... Go watch This is the End! I give This is the End 4.45 out of 5 stars. Go watch it!