DOCUMENTARY REVIEW: Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You

The adjectives "titan" and "humble" are not commonly found together. Famed television producer Norman Lear is an iconoclast in every way. His successful shows and the waves they created are forever chiseled into that industry. Away from the his seat as a creative czar, the man remained a hard-working and vigilant self-made man of activism and integrity. In his 90s, Lear has crossed unimaginable measures of impact and history. The new documentary "Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You" stylishly chronicles his vast contributions.

MOVIE REVIEW: Sisters

The newest collaboration of former "Saturday Night Live" BFFs Amy Poehler and Tina Fey proves that smart people cannot always escape cliche. "Sisters" has an implausible, though energetic concept for the comedy-hungry forty-something crowd. Unfortunately, "Sisters" has no ability to buck predictable formula. Even a go-for-broke, R-rated potty-mouthed jolt from two of our favorite, and normally buttoned-up, comediennes can save this film.

MOVIE REVIEW: Inside Out

The prevailing feeling has been that the hallmark extra level of magic and poignancy that used to be Pixar's calling cards have been lost while they milked dollars from lackluster sequels and prequels like "Cars 2" and "Monsters University." We have missed the visual originality from "Monsters Inc." and "Cars." We have missed the sense of wonder from "Wall-E" and "Ratatouille." Most of all, we have sorely missed the strong familial dynamics of the "Up," the "Toy Story" series, and "Finding Nemo." "Inside Out" is exactly the redemptive return to form that Pixar desperately needed. The film rivals each of those prior greats in each of those areas. This is exactly what you loved and were missing while being something truly great that can stand on its own merits.

MOVIE REVIEW: They Came Together

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that we might have a new entry into the pantheon of parody classics with the recent release "They Came Together." The new comedy from director David Wain, best known to audiences for "Wanderlust," "Role Models," and "Wet Hot American Summer," checks all of those above boxes for being a great parody. The film is packed with smart humor, joke complexity, clever approaches, and an elaborate sense of storybuilding and delivery that most parodies lack. Best of all, Wain assembles a near-perfect cast of his old pals, led by Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler, that never cease to entertain.

EVERY MOVIE HAS A LESSON

by Don Shanahan

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