Theater Movie Show

A veteran pot dealer creates a fake family as part of his plan to move a huge shipment of weed into the U.S. from Mexico.After being robbed of a week's take, small-time pot dealer David is forced by his boss to go to Mexico to pick up a load of marijuana. In order to improve his odds of making it past the border, David asks the broke stripper Rose and two local teenagers to join him and pretend they're on a family holiday.

Review:

There's nothing to it, if all you're looking for witty/clever/subtle/deep humor, and you hate sexual/stupid/slapsticky type humor...you will probably still like We're The Millers. It's not a gold mine of comedy by any means, but it did the job it told us it would do: Make us laugh and give us a fun ride. They really brought together a dysfunctional family and did it in a way that allowed for some suspension of disbelief. A lot of comedies nowadays have those hit or miss scenes where you either laugh, or you just can't suspend your disbelief and you're sitting there like "Really? Really? She's gonna poop in the sink?" (guess the reference). We're The Millers is pretty much a compilation of those kinds of scenes that hit just the right tone to pull it off as funny, clever and it just kinda grows on you. The "family" we see on screen for most of the surprisingly high 109 minute runtime is in a lot of ways funny, in some ways disgusting, and in a few ways charming. The film just works with the pairing of Sudeikis and Aniston, as we saw for a tiny bit in Horrible Bosses, which to me is one of the funniest movies in a long while. If you liked Wedding Crashers, or Hot Tub Time Machine, chances are you'll like this one, which was written by the 4 screenwriters who worked on those films. The 2 pairs of writers who have a history with comedy throw some subtle humor in the dialog which you probably won't get if you're not paying enough attention, which allows for every comedy lovers dream: To be laughing out loud, then hearing an ever so subtle joke causing you to laugh harder, then hearing another one and another and another. The film was consistently funny in a sense that when it got me, it REEALLLY got me. Overall, the film is just a slight bit lovable, with characters you actually kinda like...not too common for a modern comedy. More so than the story, the laughs came interspersed well enough to where I can't complain because I did way more laughing than I expected. It wasn't "rolling on the floor" funny, but I did have some hearty laughs out loud.

A man who has made a new life for himself and the daughter left on his doorstep 6 years ago finds his family threatened when the birth mother resurfaces. Valentin is Acapulco's resident playboy, until a former fling leaves a baby on his doorstep and takes off without a trace. Leaving Mexico for Los Angeles to find the baby's mother, Valentin ends up finding a new home for himself and his newfound daughter, Maggie. An unlikely father figure, Valentin raises Maggie for six years, while also establishing himself as one of Hollywood's top stuntmen to pay the bills, with Maggie acting as his on-set coach. As Valentin raises Maggie, she forces him to grow up too. But their unique and offbeat family is threatened when Maggie's birth mom shows up out of the blue, and Valentin realizes he's in danger of losing his daughter - and his best friend.

Review:

I'll be honest, I was dragged in to see this movie but was quickly enthused and charmed by the undeniable chemistry between father and daughter(Eugenio Derbez, Loreta Peralta). The very first minutes weren't exactly my cup of tea but it it gets to the point eagerly and you get the whole message of the title along with it. Don't confuse it for just another meager Disney squall of becoming a family film. No where throughout the movie did I remember the pacifier or the Game Plan those were particularly distasteful movies I could hope to forget. Instructions Not Included finds heart and answers many questions all of us have asked about life. All the troubles and dismay we go through are for not, the very essence of where we have placed our hopes lie within the children we take care of and honestly there aren't any instructions included through the sobs, the laughs, and the peace we come to while they teach us how to grow. Watch this movie and I promise you won't forget it and bring a box of Kleenex for your tears.

An underachieving vocal coach is motivated by her father, the king of movie-trailer voice-overs, to pursue her aspirations of becoming a voiceover star. Amidst pride, sexism and family

A friend invited me to a Sundance USA event in San Francisco, where they take 10 films from the festival and show them in different cities around the US. I had no idea what the movie was even about, and obviously no expectations. I was completely blown away. 'In a World' was one of the funniest, cleverly-written and flawlessly edited movies I've seen this year (2012-present). From Demetri Martin, Rob Cordry and Lake Bell herself, the acting was fantastic. I had seen Lake Bell in 'How to Make it in America' and thought she was great, but I had no idea how unbelievably talented she is (i.e. playing an accent- obsessed speech coach/aspiring voice-over actress who does probably 10+ flawless accents throughout the movie...a movie she wrote and directed as well. No big deal). I'm not sure if this movie is getting distributed to a wider audience, but I'm grateful my friend convinced me to go. If you have a chance to catch this, it's a must-see.

Shy 14-year-old Duncan goes on summer vacation with his mother, her overbearing boyfriend, and her boyfriend's daughter. Having a rough time fitting in, Duncan finds an unexpected friend in Owen, manager of the Water Wizz water park.

Review:

There are some movies which sound so simple that it's hard to convey to people just how good they are. The Way, Way Back is one of those movies. It's simply a coming-of-age story about a 14-year-old boy over the course of his summer break. There are no big action scenes or special effects here, just really good writing with actors who can bring such a realistic story to life. The movie begins with the boy, Duncan, riding in a car with his family to his mother's boyfriend's beach house. As the mother sleeps in the passenger seat, the boyfriend asks Duncan to rate himself on a scale of 1 to 10. After replying with a 6, the boyfriend insists that he's just a 3. What's surprising is that this seemingly heartless guy that the mother is dating is played by Steve Carell. Carell is known for playing lovable and funny characters. But he switches it up with this role. That scene sets the tone for how little Duncan is looking forward to this summer trip. And it doesn't help that his mother doesn't really set her boyfriend straight even when she is awake. To escape the annoyances at his new temporary home, Duncan takes a bike to ride around town with. When he finds a way into the local water park, he meets one of the middle-aged operators there named Owen. Duncan seems fascinated by Owen (played by Sam Rockwell) and how he uses humor in almost everything he says. It seems like he's never met anyone like him who's so worry-free and exudes such confidence all the time. (Sam Rockwell is perfect at playing this care-free kind of man-child.) Owen manages to get Duncan a job at the park where he tries to instill some of that same confidence in him as well. It becomes clear that as they bond with each other, Duncan wishes this would be the kind of guy his mother would date instead. The job at the water park also opens up a whole new fun side that this 14-year-old kid didn't even know he had in him. If not for the occasional Google or iPad reference, this movie could easily have taken place in the 1980's. The setting as well as the way people dress and talk to each other is right out of an 80's film - is it a coincidence that all of the music played in the movie is from that era? There's a very natural and wholesome vibe to it, especially in the water park scenes - nothing looks too modern or high-tech; it's just a place where people go to have an old-fashioned good time. While Steve Carell may be the most popular name on the poster, the movie has a great cast altogether. Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense, Little Miss Sunshine), in particular, does an amazing job as the mother torn between defending her son and trying to make things work with the arrogant boyfriend who doesn't always treat them right. But it's the scenes between Duncan and his new older friend Owen that are the heart of the movie. Sometimes it just takes the right person to bring out someone else's true colors and help them be comfortable in their own skin. And sometimes it takes the right movie to make you feel like a kid again. This one will have you yearning for the days when things were a little simpler.

Obsessed with the BBC production of "Pride and Prejudice", a woman travels to a Jane Austen theme park in search for her perfect gentleman. Austenland is a romantic comedy about 30-something, single Jane Hayes, a seemingly normal young woman with a secret: her obsession with Mr. Darcy-as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice-is ruining her love life; no real man can compare. But when she decides to spend her life savings on a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become more real than she ever could have imagined.

Review:

I saw this Austenland premiere at Sundance yesterday and I was thoroughly entertained. While not a completely original romcom premise, there is enough that is fresh in the storyline to keep you engaged, and at one point even with a whodunit flair. Director Jerusha Hess (co-writer of Napoleon Dynamite) has a really remarkable debut. The movie is smart, funny and paces nicely. Keri Russell is at her girl-next-door best, but Jennifer Coolidge feels like she has been cut loose to reveal her outrageous, campy silliness in all its splendor, and Brett McKenzie (of Flight of the Conchords fame) is surprisingly believable and impossible not to like as mostly a straight man. I expect this performance will catapult McKenzie's acting career. Other cast members, including J.J. Field and Jane Seymour, are solid. Most of the cast was at the premiere and came on stage for the Q&A. Now many casts at Sundance say they enjoyed making the movie, but you could tell there was something different with this group. They sounded like the REALLY HAD FUN. McKenzie was hilarious live (something few actors are) and I only wish Coolidge had been there. Their enthusiasm was certainly buoyed by just having seen the movie for the first time and I'm sure being surprised by how well it turned out. But also, quite a credit to Hess to create an environment where good spirits flow. The positive energy definitely found its way to the screen. I had the good fortune to run into Jerusha Hess in the parking lot afterward. She seems like a very genuine and engaging woman. I expect she will be highly sought-after from here out. A new Nora Ephron. In fact, there was something about this movie that reminded me a little of Mixed Nuts.

After moving his family back to his hometown to be with his friends and their kids, Lenny finds out that between old bullies, new bullies, schizo bus drivers, drunk cops on skis, and 400 costumed party crashers sometimes crazy follows you. After having the greatest time of his life three summers ago, Lenny (Adam Sandler), decides he wants to move his family back to his hometown and have them grow up with his gang of childhood friends and their kids. But between old bullies, new bullies, schizophrenic bus drivers, drunk cops on skis, psycho grade school girlfriends and 400 costumed party crashes he finds out that sometimes crazy follows you.

There I sat, in stone-cold silence, not completely watching, but observing Grown Ups 2, one of the most desperate comedies of the year. Smiling maybe twice, groaning several times, rolling my eyes several more, and eventually closing them for a few seconds trying to imagine what a movie like this could've been if the quality of the talent matched the quality of the three screenwriters behind this project. The first Grown Ups film wasn't great - or even good - by any means, but had the vibe of a cheery, stupid ABC Family movie. The strongest complaint I had about the original film carries over to this one immensely which is that given the immense amount of talent in this film, from the three title characters alone, this should be a much better, much funnier movie. Adam Sandler can be funny when he is given timing and a decent character, Kevin James can always be sweet, simple, and relatable, Chris Rock is one of the funniest comedians working today, and David Spade almost always knocks one out of the park in Rules of Engagement. It's dumbfounding to note that Taylor Lautner has the biggest laughs in the film, and after watching this, I have faith that after the redundant Twilight franchise he'll find work in some solid buddy comedies. However, the first inkling that Grown Ups 2 is terrible is by the sole fact that Rob Schneider himself decided other matters were worth is time than making a film that was almost guaranteed to be a hit. The entire event is a plot less picture (not the good kind) that provides its audience with a pathetic array of scenes that seem more like throwaway skits from Saturday Night Live. It's a massively redundant, laundry-list of senseless setups with unfunny payoffs that usually involve something along the lines of bathroom humor, objectification, homophobia, and obnoxious behavior. In other words, it's another Sandler movie. It takes place entirely on the last day of school and revolves around the gang of Lenny (Adam Sandler), Eric (Kevin James), Kurt (Chris Rock), and Marcus (David Spade) returns, this time welcoming a more quiet, suburban lifestyle contrary to that of Lenny's in Hollywood, and the ridiculous series of sitcom antics that unfold overtime. The plot stops there. What follows is, as stated, a series of cheaply-staged, poorly-performed, witless gags that do nothing but make one check the time. Among the barrage of questions I had while watching this film, one of which was, "who is the target audience here?" My mind resorted immediately to tweens and adolescents, who spend too much time giggling at bathroom humor as is. But then, as the film progressed, it began to redirect its senses to a more sentimental side, which only shows the immense tonal strain the film has which is "create cinematic anarchy for forty minutes before showing that this is a story about being true to ones roots and taking care of the family." The sentimentalism is then mixed with a strangely out of place eighties party that concludes the picture, which will definitely not be appreciated to the fullest extent by the previously mentioned tweens and adolescences, as many of the jokes and period references will fly straight over their head. The problem with the film is that it seems so effortless and so poorly conducted. At least with various Sandler films like Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, and even the unexpectedly raunchy That's My Boy, I could sense that it was made for somebody, be it adolescents or a bit older of a crowd and stuck with that persona. Grown Ups 2 is a film made with no agenda, no personality, and no spirit. It even resorts to the tireless Sandler cliché of having all the male characters being a cornucopia of stupidity and the female characters being nothing but eye-candy for the men. There are certain things I expect Sandler to be over now, what with approaching fifty in a few years. You have a choice as a moviegoer this weekend and the several other weekends Grown Ups 2 is going to play. You can either a see a film that possesses gags as commonplace and predictable as a Fruity Pebbles commercial or use this time as an opportunity to seek out nearby independent features in theaters, at your local video store, or even on Netflix. Say you refute that suggestion and want to see Grown Ups 2 as a pleasant, feel-good movie. I know plenty of independent movies that are pleasant, feel good movies (Frances Ha is one of them and is still playing in many theaters nationwide). Wouldn't you at least want to give money to people who don't believe that you're sitting in the audience because you possess the attention-span of a newborn? Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Salma Hayek, Maya Rudolph, Maria Bello, Nick Swardson, Shaquille O'Neal, Peter Dante, and Allen Covert. Directed by: Dennis Dugan.

While attending a party at James Franco's house, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel and many other celebrities are faced with the apocalypse. All Jay Baruchel expected coming to LA was a fun time with Seth Rogen with all the wild partying to have both by themselves and at James Franco's housewarming party. Suddenly, the Rapture hits and the Biblical Apocalypse has begun. Now, Jay and Seth are desperately sheltering in James' house for rescue along with a few other friends. Together, they must band together to attempt to survive the end of the world, only for Jay to find that they are all too dumb and superficial to do it until they discover the only way out.

Review:

I was fortunate enough to watch a screening today in Miami and let me just point out, this movie is exactly what you would expect from Seth Rogen in terms of comedy. Its non stop laughing from the opening scene to closing. Everything about this movie is great, the story, the actors, and the comedy. Having such funny actors like James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, and Craig Robinson playing themselves all in one movie just makes it that more entertaining. If you liked the comedy in Superbad and Pineapple Express, you will love This Is the End. I recommend this movie to everyone who has a sense of humor. Like everyone that stood in line with me to watch it almost two months early, you wont regret it.

A hard-partying high school senior's philosophy on life changes when he meets the not-so-typical "nice girl." Sutter Keely lives in the now. It's a good place for him. A high school senior, charming and self-possessed, he's the life of the party, loves his job at a men's clothing store, and has no plans for the future. A budding alcoholic, he's never far from his supersized, whiskey-fortified thirst-master cup. But after being dumped by his girlfriend, Sutter gets drunk and wakes up on a lawn with Aimee Finecky hovering over him. She's different: the "nice girl" who reads science fiction and doesn't have a boyfriend. While Amy has dreams of a future, Sutter lives in the impressive delusion of a spectacular now, yet somehow, they're drawn together.

Review:

he Spectacular Now is a deep exercise in emotion and character, and a bold step in the right direction for teen films, which are becoming decidedly more naturalistic, involved, and human. Last year, we had the wonderful Perks of Being a Wallflower, and not two months ago we had the strong and touching The Way, Way Back. Now we are graced with such a wonderful look at a teenage relationship plagued by fear, alcohol, understanding, nervousness, and uncertainty that it almost hurts. Miles Teller will be a recognizable face for some. He appeared in a faceless role in 21 & Over this year, which I regarded as tasteless comedy that was so heavily focused on partying and excessive raunchiness that it became almost as nihilistic as Project X. Here, he is the same character but given a personality and a believable, realistic touch. Teller plays Sutter Keely, a high school senior obsessed with living in the moment. He parties hard, drinks constantly, anything from keg-beer to hard liquor concealed in a flask, works in men's clothing, and discards the future as something that will just happen. He is woken up on the lawn of someone's home by Aimee Finecky (Shailene Woodley), a pleasantly average girl who is up early at 6am getting ready to do her mother's paper route. Aimee's mother has been controlling her for a long time, even potentially corrupting her college ambition because her idea of "living in the now" is paying bills and keeping the home straight. Sutter and Aimee strike an immediate friendship. He introduces her to the luxury and openness of partying and drinking. She introduces him to the wonderful and eclectic world of Manga. The film beautifully illustrates how both parties were welcomed into a different little world they would've never experienced if it wasn't for the other person and Sutter's alcoholic tendencies. But overtime, Sutter's alcoholism worsens. He clearly drinks to get drunk, but remains functional when doing it. He starts to shun his relationship with Aimee, being fully aware he is bad news and not the guy she needs. She has long accepted his drinking habits because she can see the person he is at the core - caring, harmless, and immensely loving. Meanwhile, his ex-girlfriend comes in the picture every now and then. Her name is Cassidy (Brie Larson) and - rather than being a typical queen bee or spiteful ex-girlfriend - it's evident she ended their relationship based on the frustrating inertness Sutter posses. He doesn't have a plan and the only thing he can do when you ask him about it is take a sip out of his personalized flask. There's no future there. Teller and Woodley have impeccable chemistry here. Woodley, once more, refines her role as the supporting girl with natural beauty in more ways than one like she did in Alexander Payne's The Descendants. They are only guided by the smooth, sensitive direction of James Ponsoldt, whose last film, simply titled Smashed, took a look at a young, first grade schoolteacher who was beginning to fall prey to alcoholism. Her addiction became so brutal, she lies and says her incident of throwing up in class is related to her untrue pregnancy and not a piercing hangover from the night before. The film showed how one's addiction to the bottle can compromise their life. Ponsoldt's follow-up effort is more about showing how the bottle (or flask in this case) can compromise a perfectly beautiful friendship. Writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber make this a surprising tone piece, one that is more concerned with the loquacious behavior of teens rather than the raunchy behavior. A tremendous scene focuses on Sutter and Aimee walking away from a keg-party on the beach, deep into the woods, talking about their homelife and their favorite things in life. The scene is a four-to-five minute static shot and develops character nonchalantly and not forcefully, allowing for the naturalism to just sneak up on the audience. This isn't the only scene with Sutter and Aimee that tackle beautiful touching and realistic instances. Take for example the scene where they go to have sex. "Take your shirt off" she innocently says, and after he does - successfully exposing an ordinary male body - she follows, exposing another ordinary body and a white bra. When he giggles, just because of the circumstances, she tenderly covers up her bare midriff with her arms, to which he responds by lightly removing them from her stomach. They proceed to have sex in a blissfully unpredictable manner, deeply fixated on the bodies and the intimacy - not the nudity. This is another bold instance that will resonate and be remembered by teens more-so than the average sex scene in comedies, where breasts and hilarity are the only thing that matters. The Spectacular Now's one minor missteps results when it gets too caught up with Sutter's story of being raised by a single mother who closets information on his father that it kind of forgets that Aimee is a major character here as well. We know Aimee's mom is controlling because she says so, but never do we see Aimee stand up to her or take action to her mother's dictative qualities. Equal humanization would've been divine seeing that humanization alone is one of the film's major goals. The film concludes on yet another bold note, cementing that Neustadter and Weber didn't want to say too much. Much of the film operates on deep, character emotion, so attaching an ending that neatly packages things up would've been a complete contradiction to the film's focus. I initially thought some would be upset with the film's ending, saying it cheats the audiences, but if they were brave enough to seek out a smaller film of this magnitude, they shouldn't be disgruntled that it plays different instruments than other films of the same genre.

A New York socialite, deeply troubled and in denial, arrives in San Francisco to impose upon her sister. She looks a million, but isn't bringing money, peace, or love... A New York socialite, deeply troubled and in denial, arrives in San Francisco to impose upon her sister.

Review:

If you want to see this year's master class in screen acting, you need to watch Cate Blanchett's mesmerizing performance as Jasmine French, a delusional Park Avenue socialite wife in Woody Allen's 45th directorial effort, a sly, bicoastal update of Tennessee Williams' classic "A Streetcar Named Desire". As the film opens, her impeccably dressed character has hit rock bottom after her financial wizard of a husband is arrested and her assets are liquidated. In the throes of a nervous breakdown, she arrives in San Francisco and moves in with her kind- hearted sister Ginger who lives a modest, blue-collar life in a tiny apartment on the edge of the Mission – on South Van Ness near 14th Street to be exact - with her two hyperactive sons. You can tell Jasmine is not only out of her element but quite judgmental about how her sister's life has turned out. The irony of Jasmine's patronizing attitude is that she is a habitual liar who is so angry about her destitute circumstances that she frequently talks to herself. The story follows the basic outline of "Streetcar" but takes some interesting turns, for instance, when she tries to better herself by taking computer classes while working as a receptionist at a dental office. Allen has crafted his film into a clever juxtaposition of current and past events that feels jarring at first since it reflects Jasmine's precarious mental state but then melds into a dramatic arc which resonates far more than a straightforward chronology could have allowed. As a writer, he has become more vociferous in his dialogue without losing his wit. He doesn't pull punches when he showcases confrontations between his characters, whether it's between the two sisters, men and women, or people from different classes. Hostility can come in flammable torrents or in thinly veiled remarks. That Allen moves so dexterously in tone is a testament to his sharp ability in drawing out the truth in his actors. Blanchett is a wonder in this regard because there is something intensely fearless in her approach. Unafraid to lose audience sympathy for her character, she finds an innate sadness in Jasmine that makes us want to know what happens to her next. She also mines the sharp, class- based humor in Jasmine's struggles with one highlight a hilariously executed scene in a pizza restaurant where she explains to her confused nephews to "Tip big, boys". The rest of the cast manage effective turns. Alec Baldwin plays Jasmine's swindler husband with almost effortless aplomb. Sally Hawkins brings a wonderful looseness to Ginger, Stella to Blanchett's Blanche, and finds a level of poignancy in her character's constant victimization at the hands of her sister as well as her brutish, blue-collar boyfriend Chili, played with comic fierceness by Bobby Cannavale in the Stanley Kowalski role. In a conveniently conceived role, Peter Sarsgaard gets uncharacteristically breezy as Dwight, a wealthy, erudite, and matrimonially available State Department diplomat who appears to be the answer to Jasmine's prayers, while Allen casts two unlikely comics in about-face roles – Andrew Dice Clay as Ginger's defeated ex-husband Augie and Louis C.K. as Al, an amorous suitor who brings Ginger a few moments of romantic salvation. Allen's European sojourn appears to have freed him up with the movement of characters in scenes and Javier Aguirresarobe's ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona") camera-work complies nicely. The San Francisco locations bring a nice geographic change to Allen's storytelling, and he only uses the Golden Gate Bridge in a long shot once from the Marin side. This is Allen's best work in quite a while, and Blanchett is the ideal muse for his tale.

Meet, Prem, and Amar look to have a blast at their college reunion, though they soon find themselves in another predicament.

Review:

Masti had some substance in it when it released almost a decade ago, but its sequel gasps for a fresh story and only delivers adult humor with no furnishing at all. The characters seem like they jumped out of American Reunion (2012). The whole plot is somewhat derived from it. The characters follow their usual air and continue to do for what they had previously learned a lesson (in Masti c. 2004). Women in here, not to mention, are treated as objects and don't induce humor. But, the massively vulgar jokes on them, do. Popular SMS jokes, obscene one-liners & merchandise which give out a witty remark is what Grand Masti is all about. In order to put the film in line with the title, the makers have used the word "grand" a couple of times and the use of fireworks, waves & screw-driven into its cavity mostly depict the same. Cast performance is fine, and all three lead actors portray slightly exaggerated beings of their older selves. Actresses are pure flesh show, be it wives or paramours. Certain sequences are borrowed from Austin Powers, Agneepath, No Entry & they give it a worn-out look and totally drive the audience off the screen. An average 3.3 out of 10 for the effervescent sequel. I also do suspect if it crossed the line. BOTTOM LINE: Much like expected, Grand Masti delivers vulgarity, but at the price of poor plot & clichéd conclusion. Perfect for a mild laugh with like-minded friends to bust stress. Can be watched with a typical Indian family? NO

When the Davison family comes under attack during their wedding anniversary getaway, the gang of mysterious killers soon learns that one of victims harbors a secret talent for fighting back. When a gang of masked, ax-wielding murderers descend upon the Davison family reunion, the hapless victims seem trapped... until an unlikely guest of the family proves to be the most talented killer of all.

Review:

'YOU'RE NEXT': Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five) Another home invasion flick, this one is from filmmakers Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett. The two have teamed together on a number of other horror films including 'A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE', 'WHAT FUN WE WERE HAVING', 'AUTOEROTIC' and segments in the anthology films 'V/H/S', 'V/H/S/2' and 'THE ABCS OF DEATH'. Wingard once again directed and edited the movie and Barrett wrote it. This slasher flick revolves around a family having a reunion at their vacation home (out in the middle of nowhere) when they're attacked by ax-wielding (and crossbow shooting) killers. It stars Sharni Vinson (an Australian beauty known for sequels like 'STEP UP 3D' and 'BLUE CRUSH 2'), Nicholas Tucci, Wendy Glenn, Rob Moran, Barbara Crampton, Margaret Laney, filmmaker Ti West (who also wrote and directed segments in 'V/H/S' and 'THE ABCS OF DEATH') and a slew of actors from other Wingard and Barrett films like AJ Bowen, Joe Swanberg, Amy Seimetz, L.C. Holt and Lane Hughes. If you've seen Wingard and Barrett's work before it's everything you'd expect from them; nothing but exceptional grade A horror entertainment. The film all takes place at the Davisons' remote vacation house. Paul and Aubrey Davison (Moran and Crampton) are celebrating their wedding anniversary and their three sons and daughter (all adults now) have joined them (with their significant others). The reunion gets off to a rocky start as two of the sons engage in a heated argument, at dinner, when things become even more crazy as the family is attacked by masked murderers (carrying axes and crossbows). The killers find out they've taken on more than they bargained for when they discover one of the Davison boys' girlfriends (Vinson) has a secret skill. The story isn't too original but the film is creative in the way it delivers it (and there are a few twists; I didn't see the one involving Vinson's character coming and there's another big twist at the film's ending). The movie is creepy and brutally violent but also darkly comedic, it's everything Wingard and Barrett have grown to be experts at. Vinson is a gorgeous and likable horror movie heroine and the rest of the cast is all more than adequate in their roles as well. The film, like all great horror movies (and good movies in general), is just a great collaboration. This is a skill that all quality movies depend on but it's something the horror genre is especially good at because horror filmmakers (as well as cast and crew) are a lot more supportive of each other. I once saw an interview with director Eli Roth in which he said horror filmmakers are like 'one big family' and way more supportive of one another than any other genre. They see one filmmaker's success as a success for all rather than as competition. This really shows in great horror movies as it's more than apparent in this film!