06.25.2014 | By SBC Staff |
The last WWII movie I saw was “Monuments Men” by George Clooney. It was a disappointment. Clooney’s best friend, Brad Pitt, has decided to do one as well but with more bite, more drama, and darker. Watch the trailer of “Fury” which also stars Michael Peña, Shia LeBouef, and Logan Lerman. Is it Oscar-worthy? Read More
03.28.2014 | By Mariana Dussan |
*Updated 2026
The “1-4-0”: Great biography film about Cesar Chavez. It is emotional and inspirational, but it comes with gaps that make the film hard to fully appreciate.
03.25.2014 | By Mariana Dussan |
*Updated November 2025
This week at a roundtable, I had the opportunity to chat with Diego Luna, director of the upcoming film Cesar Chavez. During the half hour-long segment the passionate Luna shared details of his four-and-a-half-year journey and the obstacles he had to overcome in order to bring the story of a nearly forgotten Mexican leader, Cesar Chavez, to fruition.
08.12.2011 | By Jack Rico |
*Updated April 2026
From drama to comedy, Michael Peña, the Chicago native with Mexican blood from Jalisco and San Luis Potosi, is in my opinion, one of the most underrated actors in the film business. He is also the next Latino actor who will win an Oscar. His performance as Jesus Martinez in The Lincoln Lawyer was as visceral and absorbing as any performance this year in a supporting role. Read More
05.10.2011 | By Karen Posada |
*Updated January 2026
ShowBizCafe.com was very excited to get invited to Grand Rapids, Michigan back in September 2010. We spent a chunk of the nighttime in a scrap yard seeing the cast of 30 Minutes or Less film a couple of pretty neat scenes. A few of us film junkies were picked up at our hotel by 7pm the day we arrived and were taken to a secret location. Read More
04.10.2009 | By SBC Staff |
Rated: R for pervasive language, graphic nudity, drug use, sexual content and violence.
Release Date: 2009-04-10
Starring: Jody Hill
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country: USA
Official Website: http://observe-and-report.warnerbros.com/
Go to our film page
Observe and Report is a bizarre film whose laughs are rooted in shock comedy. This is highlighted by the last 5 minutes which will either culminate with your fascination by the scene or by you heaving at the person next to you. The choice will be yours. I’m curious to know which one you will pick. Nevertheless, the laughs aren’t as frequent and the storytelling process is nowhere in sight.
This movie comes at the heels of January’s surprise hit “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” – coincidence? It was written and directed by Jody Hill, whose underground hit “The Foot Fist Way” who brought an exploration of a main character who is reprehensible, delusional, and foolish.
Seth Rogen stars as a bi-polar mall security guard Ronnie Barnhardt who is called into action to stop a flasher from molesting his “mall crush†(Anna Faris) and turning shopper’s paradise into his personal peep show. But when Barnhardt can’t bring the culprit to justice, a surly police detective (Ray Liotta) is recruited to close the case.
The cast is top notch, but perhaps the one who stands out most is comedy princess Anna Faris (Scary Movie, The House Bunny). Getting laughs is hard to do and she manages to make me laugh out loud in every scene she is in. Mexican-American actor Michael Peña, known for his dramatic performances, is another one who provided perhaps me with the loudest laughs halfway through the film. His character, Dennis, was undeniably underused. His screen time barely hits ten minutes, but he was a scene stealer from the very moment he was on.
What I can promise you is that you will laugh at this film, it is just a matter of whether you will feel right doing it. The director, Hill, takes perverse pleasure in getting laughs at whatever costs as he pushes the boundaries of what is funny and what isn’t.
