Adam Resnick Movies
Danny DeVito steps behind the camera for this darkly funny satire that combines elements of Barney and Friends with the real-life Pee-Wee Herman scandal while recalling the director's previously twisted black comedies Throw Momma From the Train (1987) and The War of the Roses (1989). Robin Williams stars as Randolph Smiley, a popular children's show host known professionally as "Rainbow Randolph." Dismissed from his beloved job when he's caught taking payola, Randolph becomes increasingly mentally unhinged and the target of his delusional revenge fantasies is Sheldon Mopes (Edward Norton), otherwise known as Smoochy, the fuchsia rhino character that has replaced him and soared to national popularity. Randolph soon learns that his ex-girlfriend and network executive Nora Wells (Catherine Keener) is sleeping with Sheldon, so he sets out to kill Smoochy, egged on by an unexpected ally: corporate president Marion Frank Stokes (Jon Stewart), who should be profiting from Smoochy's rise to fame, except for the fact that he and his cronies are unable to control the idealistic Sheldon's on-air agenda. Death to Smoochy (2002) co-stars Harvey Fierstein, Vincent Shiavelli, and Michael Rispoli. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
While lots of people dream of winning the lottery, one man hatches a more ambitious plan than just buying a ticket and hoping for the best in this satiric comedy. Russ Richards (John Travolta), a weatherman on a local TV station in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, sells snowmobiles on the side, but both careers are in a rut thanks to an unusually warm winter. Russ's girlfriend Crystal (Lisa Kudrow) appears on the State Lottery's weekly televised drawing, pulling the numbered balls out of the rotating bin. With the help of a few of his less scrupulous friends - among them sleazy strip joint proprietor Gig (Tim Roth), small time hood Dale The Thug (Michael Rappaport), and Crystal's sleazy cousin Walter (Michael Moore) - Russ figures out a way to rig the drawing and have Crystal pull numbers that they happen to own. However, Russ discovers that making the scheme work and keeping everyone quiet about it is more trouble than it's worth. The supporting cast includes Chris Kattan, Ed O'Neill, and Bill Pullman; Nora Ephron, who previously worked with Travolta on the comedy hit Michael, directed. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Travolta, Lisa Kudrow, (more)
- 1998
When Sid (Sid Newman) dies, nearly all of the crew members of The Larry Sanders Show find themselves in mourning. Having just told Sid in a jealous rage that the audience was laughing "at" him instead of "with" him following a successful skit, Hank (Jeffrey Tambor) is especially affected due to the fact that he feels partially responsible for Sid's death. As Hank vows to offer financial support to Sid's family, Larry (Garry Shandling) attempts to keep his relationship with Laura Dern a secret. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1998
When word begins to spread that Beverly (Penny Johnson) is pregnant, it doesn't take long for the office to begin a pool to guess the identity of the father. Armed with the knowledge that he is a former guest, speculation begins to fly. Meanwhile, Hank (Jeffrey Tambor) ruins a Wisconsin family's life during a remote shoot. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1998
When Jon Stewart guest hosts and draws even bigger ratings that The Larry Sanders Show's eponymous host, Larry's paranoia starts to kick in. When the increasingly sex-obsessed host targets Winona Ryder for conquest, he is devastated upon finding Ryder and Stewart making out in the dressing room. The appearance of two network suits compounds Larry's anxiety, and his fears may be justified when it's revealed that there may be some big changes on the show. Meanwhile, Hank (Jeffrey Tambor) has difficulties changing his license plates to his trademark "Hey Now" when oddball doppelganger fan Paul (George Wyner) already has the customized plates. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Former NBC intern and Get a Life creator Chris Elliott stars as the title character, a recent graduate of the exclusive Fancy Lad Academy who unwittingly boards the wrong sea vessel and ends up a whipping post for its gruff, foul-mouthed crew after his predecessor (Andy Richter of The Late Show) falls overboard. Over the course of their adventures, Elliot eventually earns the respect of the crew as he also earns his manhood. This supremely silly film features sight gags and tastelessness galore, including a love scene with a woman who's all hands -- literally. Elliot's old boss David Letterman appears in an amusing unbilled cameo as a sarcastic villager in port. In all, Cabin Boy works much in the same vein as Elliot's former TV show; a crass sense of humor is helpful for full appreciation. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Elliott, Ritch Brinkley, (more)
- 1991
Season two of the blithely surrealistic Fox sitcom Get a Life begins as over-aged paperboy Chris Peterson (Chris Elliott) celebrates his 31st birthday by moving out of the apartment over his parents' garage -- and moving into the apartment over the garage of his grumpy neighbor, police officer Gus Borden (Brian Doyle-Murray). The defection of series regular Sam Robards is amusingly addressed in the next episode, wherein Robards' character, Chris' best friend Larry Potter, runs out on his wife, forcing Chris to launch a search...for a new best friend. As for Larry's wife Sharon (Robin Riker), her hatred of Chris reaches epic proportions in the episode which finds them both trapped in a meat locker. In other episodes, Chris becomes a food inspector after finding a dead rat in a milk carton, belatedly has his tonsils removed, is held hostage by his prison inmate pen pal (A crisis that does not seem to faze Chris' parents -- played by Bob Elliott and Elinor Donahue -- in the least!), becomes a male escort to meet rich and sexy young girls (only to end up with a poor and elderly old bag), "stalks" an attractive doctor (Emma Samms) while simultaneously being stalked by a love-starved drugstore clerk (Amy Yasbeck), becomes a genius when exposed to toxic waste, misguidedly tries to adopt an obnoxious space alien named Spewey, and screws up the time-space continuum while attempting to save Gus' job. Just the sort of mishaps that could happen to anyone, right? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Elliott, Bob Elliott, (more)
- 1990
Chris Peterson (Chris Elliott) undergoes the sort of bizarre, surrealistic life experiences that are all too typical for 30-year-old paperboys who still live above their parents' garage as Get a Life enters its first season. In the series opener, Chris persuades his best friend Larry Potter (Sam Robards) to join him for the world premiere of the treacherous Hell Loop 2000 roller coaster (the first of the series' many whimsical invocations of the year 2000) -- only to become stuck upside-down when the coaster stalls. In later adventures, Chris becomes a male model, talks his phlegmatic father Fred (played by Chris Elliott's real-life father, Bob Elliott) into participating in the newspaper boys' annual picnic, endeavors to set a rather pointless world record, is replaced on the job by a paper-delivering robot, applies for his first-ever driver's license in order to impress a pretty waitress, and wins a weekend with his favorite talk show host (played by Fred Willard), who proves to be an even bigger waste of humanity than Chris! Also: Chris has a brief romantic fling with the sister of Larry's wife Sharon (Robin Riker), much to Sharon's dismay (to say she doesn't like Chris is like saying a rattlesnake doesn't like a mongoose); he experiences a full married life within a single day with his new-found "soulmate"; he stars in the very off-Broadway musical "Zoo Animals on Wheels," he briefly switches bodies with Larry after falling victim to an ancient curse; and, after 20 years, he finally receives the toy submarine kit which he'd paid for by becoming a paperboy in the first place. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Elliott, Bob Elliott, (more)
