Quick Movie Reviews: Pizza Movie, Faces of Death, You, Me & Tuscany

Pizza Movie: For whatever reason, stoner comedies went out of fashion even earlier than broader comedies did. As somebody who was a teenager during the era of Grandma's Boy, Pineapple Express, and the Harold and Kumar franchise, this subgenre spawned a fair share of formative comedy movie experiences for me, and I'll always cherish being just the right age during what ended up being the end of the golden era of bong rip cinema. Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher, better known as the sketch comedy duo BriTANick, also grew up during the final days of goofy reefer madness on the big screen and got the chance to resurrect this genre for their directorial debut Pizza Movie. While Pizza Movie was unfortunately relegated to a streaming release on Hulu, it nevertheless succeeds in its quest to bring back this specific breed of dumb comedy.

In a shocking development, Pizza Movie follows the epic journey of two otherwise friendless college roommates (Gaten Matarazzo, Sean Giambrone-who do a good job capturing the dynamic of close friends who are in the middle of a spat and trying to navigate an incredibly difficult situation) attempting to get to the lobby of their building to pick up the pizza they ordered after taking an experimental psychedelic drug called M.I.N.T.S. that they discovered a tin full of in their dorm room after a particularly tough day on campus. As the creator (a perfectly cast Sarah Sherman) of M.I.N.T.S. explains via a lo-fi YouTube video, the high features seven stages of hallucinations that are broken up by brief periods of lucidity and if they somehow can't get to their pizza by the end of the seventh stage, their bad high could turn into something much worse. With the drug's seven distinct phases and the series of obstacles they face within their dorm (a group of authoritarian RA's hellbent on cracking down on partying, run-ins with their bullies that include their former friend played by Lulu Wilson, the pizza being delivered by a robot that can't climb stairs or ride on the elevator), Pizza Movie kind of plays out like a video game with various levels/enemies to defeat. The hyperactive revolving door nature of the plot and characters proves to be fertile ground for bits as McElhaney and Kocher toss out a relentless onslaught of absurdity. Not everything hits as intended, but the dedication to putting these characters into insane new situations is admirable and the jokes that do work are often very funny. I believe that McElhaney and Kocher have a really great comedy in them and I'll be eager to see if they can make it happen.

Grade: B

Faces of Death: Daniel Goldhaber's remake of the controversial 1978 horror movie that was widely believed to be depicting real murders at the time of its release feels like a bit of a missed opportunity. Goldhaber and his writing partner Isa Mazzei came with a great meta hook revolving around a serial killer (Dacre Montgomery) who's recreating the murders from the first film and uploading them to a TikTok-esque social media platform and a content moderator (Barbie Ferreira) for the platform who pretty quickly becomes convinced these videos are real and sets out on a dangerous mission to bring the perpetrator to justice after everyone around her tells her she's crazy for believing these videos are depicting real murders. The problem is that the commentary on how desensitized our culture has become to violence in the internet era is incredibly surface level and Goldhaber refuses to keep his foot on the gas-which leads to some pretty long lulls where nothing overly compelling or shocking happening on screen. Montgomery's eerie performance, the gloriously grainy 35mm photography from Isaac Bauman and some tense, well-crafted setpieces are enough to rescue the film from the depths of mediocrity, but it's just hard to get too excited about this being a decent movie when there was a visible path to greatness that could've been followed.

Grade: B-

You, Me & Tuscany: Folks, a 2000's romcom has fallen out of a wormhole and into theaters in April 2026. Don't say miracles can't happen anymore! You, Me & Tuscany brings the most insane Pinterest vision board ever conceived to life with an appropriately light touch from veteran director Kat Coiro (Marry Me, A Case of You) and fully sincere execution of its absurd love story. Every single plot beat can be telegraphed from a million miles away, but there's enough kooky side characters (the chipper, sandwich-scarfing cab driver played by Marco Calvani was my favorite), lush Italian scenery and chemistry between Halle Bailey and Rege Jean-Page to forgive its predictability. Watching an easygoing, totally fine romcom on the big screen is a rare treat these days, so big shoutout to Universal for keeping this former staple of the industry alive. 

Grade: B-

2026 NFL Mock Draft (4/13)

1.Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, quarterback (Indiana)

2.New York Jets: Arvell Reese, edge rusher/inside linebacker (Ohio State)

3.Arizona Cardinals: David Bailey, edge rusher (Texas Tech)

4.Tennessee Titans: Jeremiyah Love, running back (Notre Dame)

5.New York Giants: Sonny Styles, inside linebacker (Ohio State)

6.Cleveland Browns: Francis Mauigoa, tackle (Miami)

7.Washington Commanders: Mansoor Delane, cornerback (LSU)

8.New Orleans Saints: Carnell Tate, wide receiver (Ohio State)

9.Kansas City Chiefs: Caleb Downs, safety (Ohio State)

10.Cincinnati Bengals: Jermod McCoy, cornerback (Tennessee) 

11.Miami Dolphins: Makai Lemon, wide receiver (USC)

12.Dallas Cowboys: Akheem Mesidor, edge rusher (Miami)

13.Los Angeles Rams: Spencer Fano, tackle (Utah)

14.Baltimore Ravens: Olavaega Ioane, guard (Penn State)

15.Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Keldric Faulk, edge rusher (Auburn)

16.New York Jets: Jordyn Tyson, wide receiver (Arizona State)

17.Detroit Lions: Monroe Freeling, tackle (Georgia)

18.Minnesota Vikings: Dillon Thieneman, safety (Oregon)

19.Carolina Panthers: Kenyon Sadiq, tight end (Oregon)

20.Dallas Cowboys: Avieon Terrell, cornerback (Clemson)

21.Pittsburgh Steelers: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, safety (Toledo)

22.Los Angeles Chargers: Ruben Bain Jr., edge rusher (Miami)

23.Philadelphia Eagles: Kaydon Proctor, tackle/guard (Alabama)

24.Cleveland Browns: Omar Cooper Jr., wide receiver (Indiana)

25.Chicago Bears: Peter Woods, defensive tackle (Clemson)

26.Buffalo Bills: Denzel Boston, wide receiver (Washington)

27.San Francisco 49ers: Caleb Lomu, tackle (Utah)

28.Houston Texans: C.J. Allen, inside linebacker (Georgia)

29.Kansas City Chiefs: Blake Miller, tackle (Clemson)

30.Miami Dolphins: Colton Hood, cornerback (Tennessee) 

31.New England Patriots: Zion Young, edge rusher (Missouri)

32.Seattle Seahawks: Chris Johnson, cornerback (San Diego State)

David Spade Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of David Spade-whose latest project 'Outcome" arrives on Apple TV this Friday. 

David Spade's Filmography Ranked:

16.Jack & Jill (D-)

15.Coneheads (D)

14.Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (C)

13.Grown Ups 2 (C)

12.The Benchwarmers (C)

11.The Wrong Missy (C+)

10.The Rugrats Movie (B-)

9.Hotel Transylvania 2 (B-)

8.Hotel Transylvania (B-)

7.The Do-Over (B-)

6.Black Sheep (B-)

5.Grown Ups (B-)

4.Joe Dirt (B)

3.The Emperor's New Groove (B)

2.Tommy Boy (B)

1.Grandma's Boy (A)

Top Dog: Grandma's Boy (2006)

I was a freshman in high school when Grandma's Boy came out and once the film hit home video in May 2006, it quickly gained a rabid following among my peers. I would imagine this was the case at many American high schools in 2006/2007 as Grandma's Boy proved to be an era-defining cult classic from the final years of Blockbuster/early years of VOD rentals. Personally, there are probably only a handful of comedies that were released during my high school years that I've seen more or enjoy as much as Grandma's Boy. It's just one of those transcendent stoner comedies that features a high volume of hilarious bits and quotable lines that are really fun to blurt out if you want to get a laugh out of somebody who has seen it or confuse the shit out of somebody who hasn't (my personal favorite is "I didn't know you were bringing people, I would've trimmed my antlers!"). Honestly, I'm sitting here right now and laughing as I replay several scenes from the movie back in my head. That's the kind of lasting reverence that only a really special movie can provide folks! 

Bottom Feeder: Jack & Jill (2011)

I've always had a soft spot for Adam Sandler's comedies and there's only a small fraction of them that I believe have no positive merits to them. The undisputed leader in the clubhouse of Sandler-led whiffs is Jack & Jill. There are plenty of the Sandman's comedies that punch down with their humor, but the jokes here go well beyond questionable taste and firmly enter the territory of being straight-up cruel. Not to mention, the punchlines are so weak that it quickly becomes embarrassing and painful to watch these actors that are above this material deliver them. The good news is that Sandler hasn't stooped this low since and he'll have to try really fucking hard to get anywhere close again. 

Most Underrated: Joe Dirt (2001)

Joe Dirt was a fixture on Comedy Central when I was a teenager. There were honestly points where it felt like it was playing once every 2-3 days for months on end. Fittingly, Comedy Central was my introduction to Joe Dirt and it remains the only format I've ever watched it in. Spade is without question the best he's ever in a movie without his former comedy partner Chris Farley as the affable titular mullet-clad janitor who becomes an overnight celebrity after telling his life story to a Los Angles radio DJ (Dennis Miller) live on air and there's a nice mix of slapstick humor and heart driving Dirt's absurd life story. I never bothered with the little-seen 2015 sequel since it didn't air on Comedy Central, but I'm pretty confident that it's probably not as special as Mr. Dirt's first adventure. 

Most Overrated: None

Tommy Boy and The Emperor's New Groove are arguably the only Spade movies that could even be considered here and they're both solid watches in my book. Beyond that, Spade's film career has largely been populated by voiceover work in harmless animated movies (Hotel Transylvania franchise) , a smattering of starring roles in average-to-below-average comedies (The Benchwarmers, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, The Wrong Missy)  and the occasional opportunity to pal around with his old Saturday Night Live buddy Adam Sandler for a fat paycheck (both Grow Ups movies, The Do-Over). His film career just never really recovered after Chris Farley's passing, and it doesn't seem overly likely that it's going to pick back up again now that he's in his early 60's with zero notable live action credits over the past 10 years. 

Movie Review: The Drama

If you discovered the deepest, darkest secret from your spouse's distant past, would you still be able to look them at the same way? That's the thesis statement driving The Drama, the new pitch-black comedy from writer/director Kristofer Borgli (Dream Scenario, Sick of Myself). The inciting incident here takes place at a tasting to finalize the appetizer/wine menu in the days leading up to a wedding ceremony when the maid of honor (Alana Haim) convinces the about-to-be-wed couple (Robert Pattinson, Zendaya) to engage in an exercise that her and her husband (Mamadou Athie)-who is serving as the best man-did right before their own wedding where they shared the worst thing they've ever done. After the first three members of these couples laugh their way through their answers, Zendaya's character makes a confession that makes everyone else so deeply uncomfortable that it turns a fun dinner conversation into a heated confrontation that causes all involved parties to leave feeling enraged and betrayed. This horrendous icebreaker question sets into motion a series of events that will forever change the lives of the previously happy couple and several people in their orbit.

Shrouding The Drama in secrecy was a really brilliant move from A24's marketing team. The confession itself is really just the tip of the iceberg as the ramifications that stem from it are every bit, if not more surprising. While the movie is certainly strong enough to have survived being burdened by a more transparent marketing campaign, embracing ambiguity as much as possible beforehand maximizes the effectiveness of the massive shitstorm The Drama unleashes on the audience. 

As far as tonal juggling acts go, Borgli picked a mighty tricky one to try and pul off. There are layers upon layers of discomfort rearing their ugly head as the tackling of a very taboo subject turns into a reflection on the role of communication in relationships, the fallout that comes from sharing an ugly truth that leaves you vulnerable to immense blowback from the people that are confronted by it and how people use the misdeeds of others to deflect from their own bad behavior. Remarkably, Borgli manages to absolutely ace this exceptionally difficult test. The cocktail of absurd comedy, psychological drama and radical empathy he puts together here proves to be the precise right formula to maximize the effectiveness of the insane situations these characters find themselves in while not losing sight of their humanity as they go through this massive unforeseen challenge to their relationship against the already deeply stressful backdrop of a wedding. 

Of course, Borgli's brilliant writing and direction is further heightened by his powerhouse cast. Whether it's the riveting, emotionally dense turns from the four leads or the hilarious scene-stealing bit parts from the likes of Zoe Winters as the performatively enthusiastic wedding photographer or Jeremy Levick as a wedding DJ who is happy to tell anybody who will listen about the specifics of his setup, every character gives the film just what it needs at that moment in time and is able to remain grounded in the face of a parade of heightened squirm-inducing situations that no person would ever want to find themselves trapped in the middle of. When the dust settles on 2026, I'm confident this will remain one of the best ensembles of the year and everybody who signed off on this group of actors playing these roles deserves a ton of credit for helping make this movie so special.

The Drama is a film that demands the viewer to look inward and really question their moral fiber There's a real chance that relationships will strengthen or deteriorate based on how the conversations the film will inspire play out. Best of luck to anyone out there that's brave enough to watch this with their spouse and hopefully you can do a better job of living with whatever truths are unearthed than the characters in the film do. 

Grade: A

2026 NFL Mock Draft (4/6)

1.Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, quarterback (Indiana)

2.New York Jets: Arvell Reese, edge rusher/inside linebacker (Ohio State)

3.Arizona Cardinals: David Bailey, edge rusher (Texas Tech)

4.Tennessee Titans: Jeremiyah Love, running back (Notre Dame)

5.New York Giants: Sonny Styles, inside linebacker (Ohio State)

6.Cleveland Browns: Francis Mauigoa, tackle (Miami)

7.Washington Commanders: Mansoor Delane, cornerback (LSU)

8.New Orleans Saints: Carnell Tate, wide receiver (Ohio State)

9.Kansas City Chiefs: Caleb Downs, safety (Ohio State)

10.Cincinnati Bengals: Jermod McCoy, cornerback (Tennessee) 

11.Miami Dolphins: Makai Lemon, wide receiver (USC)

12.Dallas Cowboys: Ruben Bain Jr., edge rusher (Miami)

13.Los Angeles Rams: Spencer Fano, tackle (Utah)

14.Baltimore Ravens: Olavaega Ioane, guard (Penn State)

15.Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Akheem Mesidor, edge rusher (Miami)

16.New York Jets: Jordyn Tyson, wide receiver (Arizona State)

17.Detroit Lions: Monroe Freeling, tackle (Georgia)

18.Minnesota Vikings: Dillon Thieneman, safety (Oregon)

19.Carolina Panthers: Kenyon Sadiq, tight end (Oregon)

20.Dallas Cowboys: Avieon Terrell, cornerback (Clemson)

21.Pittsburgh Steelers: Ty Simpson, quarterback (Alabama)

22.Los Angeles Chargers: Keldric Faulk, edge rusher (Auburn)

23.Philadelphia Eagles: Cashius Howell, edge rusher (Texas A&M)

24.Cleveland Browns: Omar Cooper Jr., wide receiver (Indiana)

25.Chicago Bears: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, safety (Toledo)

26.Buffalo Bills: Peter Woods, defensive tackle (Clemson)

27.San Francisco 49ers: Caleb Lomu, tackle (Utah)

28.Houston Texans: Kaydon Proctor, tackle/guard (Alabama)

29.Kansas City Chiefs: Blake Miller, tackle (Clemson)

30.Miami Dolphins: Colton Hood, cornerback (Tennessee) 

31.New England Patriots: Zion Young, edge rusher (Missouri)

32.Seattle Seahawks: Chris Johnson, cornerback (San Diego State)

Movie Review: They Will Kill You

 

Frantic, playful genre mashup pic They Will Kill You-which marks the English-language debut for Russian filmmaker Kirill Sokolov-is without a doubt among the most fun movies I've seen in theaters recently. Soklov wisely keeps the energy level high and the exposition to a minimum as he depicts the twisted tale of an ex-con (Zazie Beetz) who accepts a maid job at a luxury Manhattan apartment complex in order to free her estranged sister (My'hala) from the clutches of a Satanic cult headed up by the building's enigmatic superintendent (Patricia Arquette). Beetz bring the perfect combination of rage and resilience to her ass-kicking protagonist Asia Reaves, there's a number of nutty reveals that were wisely obscured in the marketing that help give this film a uniquely goofy flavor despite how heavily homages to the works of Sam Raimi, Jackie Chan and Quentin Tarantino factor into its DNA and the action sequences have an abundance of slick camera movements, electric fight choreography and terrific practical blood/gore effects. Getting to see a true labor of love where the spirted efforts of the creatives involved are baked into every frame is what offbeat midnight movies like this are all about and I'm hopeful that They Will Kill You will go onto to become a cult favorite for decades to come. 

Grade: B+

Mamoudou Athie Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Mamoudou Athie-whose latest project "The Drama" releases in theaters tomorrow. 

Mamoudou Athie's Filmography Ranked:

10.Unicorn Store (C)

9.Black Box (C+)

8.The Front Runner (B-)

7.Patti Cake$ (B-)

6.Elemental (B-)

5.Jurassic World Dominion (B)

4.The Burial (B)

3.Underwater (B)

2.Uncorked (B+)

1.Kinds of Kindness (B+)

Top Dog: Kinds of Kindness (2024)

I'm among the small group of people that doesn't view the anthology film Kinds of Kindness as one of the lesser entries in Yorgos Lanthimos' filmography. The humor that nicely balances absurdity with some really sick dark comedy had me cackling throughout, the cast (Jesse Plemons, Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Athie) does a really good job of stepping into various roles of varying sizes in each of the film's three largely standalone stories and Robbie Ryan's terrific cinematography really heightens the bizarre, surreal feeling of the situations this revolving door of characters find themselves in. 

Bottom Feeder: Unicorn Store (2019)

In the pantheon of directorial debuts from actors, Brie Larson's Unicorn Store isn't high on either end of the list. This fantasy dramedy about a struggling artist (Larson) who gets reinvigorated when she receives a letter from a mystical salesman (Samuel L. Jackson) inviting her to the titular store is competent enough to not be a slog to sit through but not compelling enough to leave a lasting impression. There are worst sins to commit as a filmmaker than making something that induces a shoulder shrug when it's over, so Larson can at least take a bit of solace in that.

Most Underrated: Uncorked (2020)

Being released in the opening days of the COVID lockdown on Netflix gave Uncorked the disservice of being buried harder than damn near any other movie released this decade. Anybody that is looking for a well-written, character-driven drama should definitely give this movie about a young man (Athie) who leaves his family's successful barbeque restaurant in Memphis to pursue his dream of becoming a sommelier a shot. 

Most Overrated: Elemental (2023)

While Elemental is a sweet movie with beautiful animation, the unfocused nature of the plot prevents it from fully coming together as both a romcom and tale about the many unspoken sacrifices immigrants make in order to try and provide their children with a better life in a new country.