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Walda Caesar
EXPECTATIONS: I haven't seen The Hangover and yet I need to watch and review its sequel today? Uh oh! I'd better find out all I can about the first film from as many sources as possible. Some tell me I need to have seen the first in order to appreciate the sequel, that's useless information! I'll be the judge of that, thank you very much. Others tell me that The Hangover is quite simply the funniest film ever made. Yet others tell me it is simply a series of events that includes Mike Tyson and a tiger. Either way, I'm going to have to plunge into this pool of madness head first...
I'm eating watermelon! Isn't that hilariously odd of me?REALITY: ... I awake, numb and disoriented on the cinema floor. My face is bonded so tightly to the combination of spilled sugary drinks and semen stains that I am forced to tear off my three-day stubble in order to free myself. That's strange, I could have sworn I shaved before I came out. Where are my shoes? What happened here? What the hell did I just watch?
Judging by the queues I had to wait in for this thing, everyone in town has already seen this film. The Hangover being the natural favourite of students and the unemployed, I started by hanging around outside the job centre. "Oi, mate!" I called to a paisley-clad gentleman across the way.
"They go to Thailand and get proper fucking razzed. Then they can't remember owt the next day so they go bombing about the place trying to figure shit out," the man explained, the odour of cheap deodorant and fags wafting at me as he spoke.
Of course! It's coming back to me now. The so-called Wolf Pack -- Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) -- is in Thailand for Stu's wedding. The festivities begin after "just one drink" at the beach. They wake up the next morning in a dingy hotel in Bangkok, completely unaware of what happened the night before. They begin their adventure, seeking the truth about a previous adventure, running around Thailand piecing together their antics from the night before. The problem with this scenario is that the punchlines all come first and then lead into setup. The sensible guy got a tattoo, haha! The guy with crazy hair got his head shaved, heehee! They stole a gay monkey, hoho! The film then goes on to explain how all these hilarious instances came about and the truth, it must be said, is not as interesting as the mystery.
In fact, the first act spends so much time alluding to the first film that I was glad I had never seen it. I wish formulaic sequels like this were actually for films that never existed, because picking this up as you go along seems more fun than understanding every vague reference to Stu's teeth or roofies in orange juice until it pays off. Otherwise, I could imagine myself wondering why the hell they were so obviously recycling jokes by referencing the last time they did them as the setup and then doing them again as the punchline. Hurr, he thinks something is wrong with his teeth because last time something was wrong with his teeth but he actually has a tattoo! Ha fucking ha!
This week's animal is a monkey. Tune in next time when the Wolf Pack adopt an actual pack of wolves.Unfortunately, as all of this came rushing back to me, the helpful fellow who had spurred my memory had long gone, so I had to rely on my own deeply concealed subconscious. In order to unearth the memories I must return to the scene of the crime and ask the cinema staff just what the hell happened.
Well, it seems that my loss of consciousness and my loss of shoes were directly related, insofar as my shoes were stolen sometime after I fell unconscious. However, this does not help me in my quest for the truth. Luckily the staff was also willing to fill me in some of the events of The Hangover Part II. Turns out the Wolf Pack lose track of Stu's future brother-in-law and have to hunt him down by retracing their steps. This is the main thrust of the action in the film, but the resolution is so unsatisfying and unoriginal that you'll wonder why they ever bothered writing it in at all.
Now I guess I'd better make my way back to my car and drive home in my socks and ... wait a minute! That chav at the job centre was wearing my bloody shoes! That last minute realisation reminds me of something. The Hangover Part II isn't actually worth remembering. No wonder I fell asleep for three days, this damn thing is as formulaic and bland as you can get. A carbon copy of its predecessor and proud of it, The Hangover Part II offers absolutely nothing new in the field of storytelling or comedy. Sure, there are some laughs to be found here, but who cares? It's a film that everyone on Earth has already decided is the funniest film ever made, because The Hangover has become the barometer against which lazy critics will always gauge new comedy. By that standard, surely the sequel will be the second coming of comedy Christ?
MINORITY REPORT: I can think of no better way to observe Memorial Day weekend than by seeing a movie about going to another country and freaking out because it's different from America. Our fallen soldiers would be so proud. - Joseph "Jay Dub" Wade
One of the biggest comedies of all time is coming to Netflix next month, and arguably at the perfect time considering most of us are stuck at home for the foreseeable future. The Hangover will arrive on the streaming service in April, but those who are looking to revisit the wild shenanigans with the Wolf Pack in Las Vegas won't be able to throw this one in their queue and wait for a rainy day, as it won't be on the service for very long.
Netflix released a list of everything coming to instant streaming next month and The Hangover was amongst the titles arriving, rather fittingly in this case, on April 1, which just so happens to be April Fools Day. But unlike many of the other movies and TV shows joining the service's offerings for subscribers, this particular movie will also be leaving the service come May 1. Yes, for reasons that aren't completely clear at the moment, it will be available for a mere 30 days. But that is enough time to fit this one into your streaming schedule, especially considering everyone is locked in social isolation right now.
The Hangover was released in 2009 and went on to become one of the biggest comedy hits of all time. Directed by Todd Phillips, who was known for his work on R-rated comedies primarily before directing the Oscar-winning Joker last year, was behind the camera for the ensemble buddy comedy which starred Just Bartha, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and a star-making turn for Zach Galifianakis. The movie was embraced by critics and went on to earn a downright staggering $465 million worldwide, working from a budget of just $35 million. It also went on to win the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture, in the musical or comedy category.
The movie centers on a group of friends who, two days before his wedding, drive to Las Vegas for what is intended to be a wild and memorable bachelor party. Unfortunately, things get a little out of hand and, when the three groomsmen wake up the next morning, they can't remember anything that happened to them during their night of celebration. More importantly, they can't find Doug. With the wedding fast approaching, the group attempts to re-trace their steps and find Doug so they can get him back to Los Angeles in time for the ceremony.
Naturally, Warner Bros. was quick to turn the comedy into a franchise. The Hangover Part II brought back the full cast and hit theaters in 2011. While it failed to match the level of critical acclaim, it proved to be hugely successful as well, paving the way for 2013's The Hangover 3. Combined, the trilogy grossed more than $1.4 billion at the global box office. The Hangover will be available starting April 1 via the Netflix streaming servicefor subscribers.
I was having a really stressful day this week. I mean, I felt like my adrenals were really going to go up in smoke, or something. I had had a ton of iced tea (my fave caffeinated drink of choice), and I knew I just should have probably: Gone for a yoga class, taken a trip to the gym, walked around the park in my neighborhood, splurged on a massage...But something in me just wanted to continue doing what I was doing. I was working on a new project, even though it was way past my bedtime, and I was getting pretty wiped out...
Now, yes, yes, yes: I could have stopped, had a nice, crisp glass of white wine, called a friend, or dallied around and gone online, but... I decided to power through what I was working on. I knew, intuitively, what was what going to make me feel the best: Moving forward and not necessarily getting it all done, but making just enough progress until I could feel that satisfied "click,"and stop.
And I realized, whether this was a good thing or bad, learned or conditioned, my own response to stress at the time, whatever- I just had to really and simply respect the need for that "click" feeling. It gave me a bit of a natural high, and made me THEN want to relax, as if I'd really earned it.
So, listen: Please. Do not force yourself to take a bath, watch another show on your Netflix queue, or even workout in the name of "self-care," if it's going to possibly cause you more anxiety when you are stressed to your limit. I have left more than one "forced" yoga class, glaring at some of the terribly rude drivers in my gym's huge parking lot afterward, my calm dissolving instantly. Of course, I really and certainly do not want to discourage exercising in order to decrease your stress levels, but sometimes, you have to face that mother head on. You have to just deal with it-whatever it may be-kid's homework help, piles of laundry, that report that needs to get done, banking, paying bills-whatever it may be that is grabbing a hold of your brain, and not letting go.... Now, that's some self-carefulness. xo
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