Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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24 UCW MARCH 11-17, 2015 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM After watching House at the End of the Street I remember feeling really sorry for Jennifer Lawrence. She can act and, up to that point, was picking interesting characters. However, unlike Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (93 minutes) House at the End of the Street did not involve quite so much rape-based humor, and the leads were at least vaguely likeable. This brings me to Adam Scott, who I really enjoyed on Parks and Rec. Apparently, that and the role of "Defiant Con Officer" in Star Trek: First Contact constitutes his entire history of interesting acting roles. So, when he does something as execrable as this, I am more likely to assume it's because he sucks as a person, as opposed to him making a slight misstep in an otherwise promising career. The really awful part of the film is the way it made me laugh even when I didn't want to. I don't want to laugh at a film that holds its audience in such contempt. I don't want to laugh at a film filled with nasty narcissists mak- ing terrible choices. This is no Horrible Bosses 2, where the jokes are puerile and simply don't appeal. This film is worse, in a way, because it forced me to confront the dark, cobwebby, basement of my mind and ask myself, why do I find humor in buildings collapsing on trapped children a source of amuse- ment? This movie was a long dark teatime of the soul in my own personal history (extra point if you get the science fiction reference I just made). I assume you remember the first film, which was campy fun and starred John Cusack, even if it didn't make any sense. The sequel opens with a summary of what the stars of the first film did with their power to travel through time. Hint: they were jerks and did jerk things, which is realistically how 99 percent of humanity would respond to time travel. Lou Dorchen (Rob Corddry) took over as the lead for a metal band, and retired from that to make billions in the tech industry. Jacob (Clark Duke) is working through his issues by being useless and awkward. Nick (Craig Robinson) has stolen a number of major pop hits before their original sing- ers could release them, and made a ton of money. Keep in mind, none of this makes any sense whatsoever. The manboys take another dip in the hot tub time machine, complete with Chevy Chase as the Repairman Who Knows Some Stuff. The part of the movie with him in it is sad in an oddly precise way, as he repeats his nonsensical putting noise from Caddyshack, and makes me remember when he wasn't the punchline to a joke about getting pathetic. They end up in the future, than run into Adam Yates-Steadmeyer (Adam Scott), the son of John Cusack's character. Wacky hijinks, rape "humor," drug "humor," and sex "humor" ensue, though most of it isn't actually that funny. Overall, as much as I am ashamed to admit it, the movie made me laugh. Making me laugh when I didn't want to indicates some measure of craft is present in the film, so I decided to give it two stars and call it a day. At least I can rest easy knowing that in a situation where I was forced to choose between this and Jupiter Ascending, I chose the lesser of two evils. Now showing at Market Fair 15, Carmike 12 and Patriot 14 Adam Scott Makes Better Choices Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (Rated PG-13) by HEATHER GRIFFITHS HEATHER GRIFFITHS, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@ upandcomingweekly.com. 910.484.6200. 2015 FINE ARTS SERIES Presents SABELA GRIMES Thursday, March 12 at 7:00p.m., Capel Arena SLIPPAGE and Thaddeus-Wideman Dance Friday, March 13 at 7:00p.m. Seabrook Auditorium Tickets: $10 at the FSU box office • 910-672-2108 Slippage and Thadueus-Widman are presented with support from: A responsive environmental dancework of technology, sound and movement conceived and directed by Dr. Thomas F. DeFrantz, Duke University. Wideman-Davis dance, founded in 2003, explores contemporary performance in relation to history, memory, gender, and identity. Creater of the street dance form FUNKAMENTALS Capel Arena lecture workshop Tickets: $10 at FSU box oce Funded by the oce of Title III Advertising to Grow Your Business www.upandcomingweekly.com For effective advertising call 910.484.6200 today!