Jason KingGhost Town ($9-) plus Free Tix
February 13th 2009 23:20
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Ghost Town ($9-) plus Free Tix
This story has been told about a hundred times. Person can talk to ghosts after near death experience. Nothing will be right in their world until they help the ghosts. Welcome to the comedic rip off of The 6th Sense.
A dentist, played by Ricky Gervais, is sick of dealing with people. Not just a few people; everyone. Social niceties annoy him and "just being friendly" is out of the question. But this doesn't prevent annoying chatter from following him to his dental practice or even to the hospital where he must undergo his first colonoscopy. While the doctors roll him down a corridor on a gurney, chatting about frivolous nonsense, he interrupts and insists on full anesthesia for the examination.
Once back on the street, he realizes he can see people that others cannot. He returns to the hospital and asks the doctor if anything unusual happened during the procedure. The doctor's reticence does not deter him from wrenching the truth from her that, technically speaking, he was dead for "almost 7 minutes". As a result, he can now see ghosts. And of course, they all want something from him.
The director David Koepp is a brilliant screenwriter who has worked on such little films as Jurassic Park, Panic Room and the latest Indiana Jones but this is his directorial debut and while it's a pleasant film it lacks punch or a reason to be there besides the occasional laugh from Gervais. I hope his Screenwriter skills are at their best because I am looking forward to his next project of Angels and Demons - am reading the book now and loving it!
Greg Kinnear plays the ever persistant ghost harassing Dr. Bertram Pincus (Gervais) to help him with his problems. Kinnear is fine in this film but this was no challenge for him to play. I once met Greg Kinnear when I was a young cinema worker and made a bumbling fool of myself in front of him. He was there with Jack Nicholson and my hero worship for Nicholson turned me into an epileptic sweat machine that stutter spoke himself to freak status. I remember Kinnear looking at me and nodding with that "ok - help me" look on his face.
But I did help him and the head of Fox out and told them where they could slip away to once the movie started for drinks - they appeared back at the end of "As Good As It Gets" Australian Premiere slaughtered. It was quite funny. But my experience was insane - I sat behind Nicholson for the entire premiere and he laughed the loudest in the whole cinema. But I think I have had a trip down memory lane and have digressed.
Tea Leoni is also fine and quite funny. I find her so beautiful and trustworthy onscreen. She exudes this motherly warmth and butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. Her dog in the film is amazing. I want one - but only if I can live in a small apartment.
Ricky Gervais is hysterical in parts and his comic timing and dry sense of humor are, as always, superb but I don't think it was enough to hold this film together. It has been a long time where I have fallen asleep in the start of a film, and I nearly did - I even considered leaving. To be honest - I just found the film plain boring.
Overall it's quaint comedy and worthy to take your grandparents too - but for me - I could have waited for a rainy Sunday DVD viewing. Worth $9-. Rated M and OUT NOW.
I also have a TWO DOUBLE passes to giveaway for this one. If you are interested be the first two people to tell me 2 other Ricky Gervais MOVIES - all yours. Easy!
This story has been told about a hundred times. Person can talk to ghosts after near death experience. Nothing will be right in their world until they help the ghosts. Welcome to the comedic rip off of The 6th Sense.
A dentist, played by Ricky Gervais, is sick of dealing with people. Not just a few people; everyone. Social niceties annoy him and "just being friendly" is out of the question. But this doesn't prevent annoying chatter from following him to his dental practice or even to the hospital where he must undergo his first colonoscopy. While the doctors roll him down a corridor on a gurney, chatting about frivolous nonsense, he interrupts and insists on full anesthesia for the examination.
Once back on the street, he realizes he can see people that others cannot. He returns to the hospital and asks the doctor if anything unusual happened during the procedure. The doctor's reticence does not deter him from wrenching the truth from her that, technically speaking, he was dead for "almost 7 minutes". As a result, he can now see ghosts. And of course, they all want something from him.
The director David Koepp is a brilliant screenwriter who has worked on such little films as Jurassic Park, Panic Room and the latest Indiana Jones but this is his directorial debut and while it's a pleasant film it lacks punch or a reason to be there besides the occasional laugh from Gervais. I hope his Screenwriter skills are at their best because I am looking forward to his next project of Angels and Demons - am reading the book now and loving it!
Greg Kinnear plays the ever persistant ghost harassing Dr. Bertram Pincus (Gervais) to help him with his problems. Kinnear is fine in this film but this was no challenge for him to play. I once met Greg Kinnear when I was a young cinema worker and made a bumbling fool of myself in front of him. He was there with Jack Nicholson and my hero worship for Nicholson turned me into an epileptic sweat machine that stutter spoke himself to freak status. I remember Kinnear looking at me and nodding with that "ok - help me" look on his face.
But I did help him and the head of Fox out and told them where they could slip away to once the movie started for drinks - they appeared back at the end of "As Good As It Gets" Australian Premiere slaughtered. It was quite funny. But my experience was insane - I sat behind Nicholson for the entire premiere and he laughed the loudest in the whole cinema. But I think I have had a trip down memory lane and have digressed.
Tea Leoni is also fine and quite funny. I find her so beautiful and trustworthy onscreen. She exudes this motherly warmth and butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. Her dog in the film is amazing. I want one - but only if I can live in a small apartment.
Ricky Gervais is hysterical in parts and his comic timing and dry sense of humor are, as always, superb but I don't think it was enough to hold this film together. It has been a long time where I have fallen asleep in the start of a film, and I nearly did - I even considered leaving. To be honest - I just found the film plain boring.
Overall it's quaint comedy and worthy to take your grandparents too - but for me - I could have waited for a rainy Sunday DVD viewing. Worth $9-. Rated M and OUT NOW.
I also have a TWO DOUBLE passes to giveaway for this one. If you are interested be the first two people to tell me 2 other Ricky Gervais MOVIES - all yours. Easy!
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Comment by Michelle Sweeney
Competition Queen
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Comment by Linh
Celluloid Fun
I didn't find this film very funny, but a few lines from Ricky Gervais and Greg Kinnear made me chuckle.
I prefer Heart and Souls (starring Robert Downey Jr and Kyra Sedgwick) than Ghost Town. Both films are similar, but H & S is better performed, funnier and touching.
Overall, I was disappointed with Ghost Town.
Cheers!