Stephen Rannazzisi Movies
A New Jersey rent-a-cop gets his moment to shine as the holidays approach and Santa's little helpers stage a coup at the local shopping mall in this comedy starring King of Queens' Kevin James. Paul Blart (James) is a single suburban dad attempting to make ends meet by working as a mall security guard. Paul takes his job very seriously; unfortunately the same can't be said for the shoppers he deals with on a daily basis. That all changes the day that Santa's little helpers shut down the mall and start taking hostages, including Paul's daughter and his main squeeze. Realizing that no one knows the mall better than the man who's paid to guard it, Paul mounts his Segway and speeds to the rescue. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin James, Keir O'Donnell, (more)
- 2006
Based on the BBC comedy series The Worst Week of My Life, Big Day was described by parent network ABC as "24 Meets Father of the Bride." The entire series took place on a single day, upon which occurred the wedding of Danny (Josh Cooke) and Alice (Marla Sokoloff). Each half-hour episode depicted the many crises and calamities surrounding such prenuptial rituals as securing the venue, choosing the right wedding gown, stage-managing the reception, and so on. Aiding, abetting, and sometimes impeding the bride and groom were Alice's mom, Jane (Wendie Malick), and dad, Steve (Kurt Fuller), and such assorted friends and relatives as Becca (Miriam Shor), Skobo (Stephen Rannazzisi), and Lorna (Stephnie Weir). Whereas the original British version stretched out the wedding over a period of nine episodes, the American Big Day was storyboarded for 22 separate installments -- a formidable creative task indeed for executive producers Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa, whose previous screenwriting credits included What Women Want and 13 Going on 30. Intended to debut in January 2007 as a mid-season replacement, Big Day was moved forward to a premiere date of November 28, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marla Sokoloff, Josh Cooke, (more)
Mockumentary mastermind Christopher Guest turns his satirical eye away from dog shows, small-town theater, and folk music to offer a hilarious take on Hollywood award season in this comedy focusing on trio of actors whose lives are turned upside down when they discover that their performances in an independent film are generating a sizable buzz in the entertainment industry. Jay Berman (Guest) is in the process of directing his first feature film -- an intimate family drama set in the 1940s and detailing the tempestuous reunion of an estranged Jewish family that is reluctantly drawn together to celebrate Purim at the behest of their dying matriarch. The cast soon comes down with an infectious case of award fever when rumors on the Internet claim that "Purim" stars Marilyn Hack (Catherine O' Hara), Victor Allan Miller (Harry Shearer), and Callie Webb (Parker Posey) may be delivering Oscar-caliber performances. When "Hollywood Now" co-anchors Chuck Porter (Fred Willard) and Cindy Martin (Jane Lynch) perpetuate the buzz on national television, the entire film crew starts to see stars in their eyes. Subsequently convinced that they have a sleeper hit on their hands, unit publicist Corey Taft (John Michael Higgins), talent agent Morley Orfkin (Eugene Levy), and producer Whitney Taylor Brown (Jennifer Coolidge) immediately cave to requests from Sunfish Classics president Martin Gibb (Ricky Gervais) to alter the film so that it may appeal to a larger audience. Now, while "Purim" screenwriters Lane Iverson (Michael McKean) and Philip Koontz (Bob Balaban) are forced to watch helplessly as their original screenplay is plundered in order to cash in on the positive buzz, awards season draws near and the production takes a most unexpected turn. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Balaban, Jennifer Coolidge, (more)
