When was the last time that we were given a really good sketch-comedy film, packed with big names and famous faces each taking just a few minutes to put us in hysterics and then pass the screen to the next wacky cameo? Remember The Kentucky Fried Movie, the 1977 masterpiece of tastelessness that shocked audiences all the way into risque comedy history? What about Monty Python’s The Meaning Of Life? Even Weird Al Yankovic’s brilliantly absurd UHF is considered a classic in its own right these days. So why the significant lack of sketch films in the modern age? They seem like such a perfect vehicle for studios to load with stars and rake in the returns. You’d think more people in Hollywood would be jumping at the chance to revive the genre.

Luckily, there’s a whole slew of names to the sketch-comedy rescue!

Relativity Media has gathered an impressive array of talent for a new sketch movie that’s set to hit production by May. So far, we know that different segments will be directed by Brett Ratner, Peter Farrelly, Bob Odenkirk, Griffin Dunne, and even Zach and Miri Make A Porno actress Elizabeth Banks making her debut behind the camera.

The list of actors signed on for the as-yet-untitled laugh-fest is even more noteworthy. Gerard Butler, Kieran Culkin, Hugh Jackman, Johnny Knoxville, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Moretz, Liev Schreiber, Sean William Scott, Tony Shalhoub, Emma Stone, Matt Walsh, Patrick Warburton, Naomi Watts, and Kate Winslet are all expected to make appearances, most of them probably pretty brief.

So in honor of this news, Atomic Popcorn wants to know: What’s your favorite sketch-comedy movie?

Liam Neeson, soon to be seen in The A-Team remake by Joe Carnahan as well as Clash of the Titans, has joined Paul Haggis’ The Next Three Days. Haggis is most notable for writing Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace as well as directing the Oscar-winning Crash.

Haggis’ latest film started shooting last Friday, with Russell Crowe playing the husband of a woman (Elizabeth Banks) who is arrested for a murder she claims she’s innocent of. Neeson, according to Variety, “plays an ex-con and expert on prison escapes who becomes involved in her husband’s effort to break her out of jail.”

The film has cobbled together a very interesting cast alongside these leads, including Daniel Stern, RZA, Olivia Wilde, and Brian Dennehy. Haggis’ script is based on the 2008 French film Pour Elle. The film, being produced by Lionsgate, will wrap production on December 12, 2009.

Elizabeth Banks jumps onboard for the Paul Haggis feature The Next Three Days starring alongside Russell Crowe. Centering around a wife who’s suddenly imprisoned for murder, Crowe will be the husband who tries to go and get his other half out of the slammer. The Haggis and Fred Cavayé written pic is actually a film adaptation, believe it or not. Based off of the Cavayé written and directed French film Pour Elle, this Americanized version is set for a TBA 2010 release.

Producing along with Haggis is Olivier Delbosc, Marc Missonnier who both took part in producing Cayavé’s Pour Elle. Michael Nozik joins the trio, previous producing/executive producing work being The Narrows and Syriana. The film is under Haggis’ company Hwy 61 and also includes Fidélité Films (do I even have to explain the connection here) and Lionsgate for the theatrical distribution.

Time to get back to work in 'Forever 21'

One of the most busy actresses within the past year, Elizabeth Banks, is ready to continue filling up her schedule some more. The Zack And Miri Make A Porno star is locked into Dreamworks Studios’ Forever 21. Right now the only information on what it is about is just that it’s a workplace comedy. Does that mean it’ll actually take place within the confides of the store with the same title? Lord knows, but Mike Culbert and Mike Pellettieri already have the script ready and raring to go for Dreamworks. Culbert and Pellettieri are new to the scene, this being their first screenplay heading onto the big screen.

Elizabeth Banks has been in quite a few films as of recent, from Role Models to Zack and Miri all the way to Oliver Stone’s W. When even more information on this and other comedies coming out from Dreamworks Studios is released (yes, even Little Fockers that’s still set for 2011), you’ll find it all here on Atomic Popcorn.

This movie is crude, vulgar, childish, nerdy…and oh yeah… freaking hilarious (not that you couldn’t tell that by the redband trailer). This is the kind of movie where you expect all the funny parts to be what you saw in the trailer spots on TV, but there’s so much more. Although it starts a little slow telling the stories of two buddies ‘living the dream’  working for an energy drink company, it picks up pretty quickly when they get sentenced to a month of community service for an accident on their promotional tour.

Danny and Wheeler (Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott) face jail time if they can’t pull off a month of working with two outcast kids at the Sturdy Wings mentoring program. Run by recovering addict and general madwoman Gayle Sweeny (Jane Lynch) the guys find themselves trying to hold their own with 15 year old nerd wonder Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) and 10 year old foul mouth Ronnie (Bobb’e J. Thompson). Between Gayle’s ramblings and Ronnie’s wisecracks you’ll find yourself wanting more of the awkwardness they contribute.

The lessons in sarcasm by Danny, and the lessons in love by Wheeler, highlight the time between the ‘bigs’ and ‘littles’ as the mentors and kids are called. Camping trips, real life fantasy role playing and awkward social interactions give plenty of fodder for the sight gags and one liners that keep you chuckling though the movie.

There’s a good storyline and messages in the film about friendship, being yourself,  and about what all those 30 and 40 year old guys still living with their parents do on the weekends to ‘socialize’ – but don’t let a moral hold you back from seeing this gem.

The only problem I saw in this movie was how little we see of Danny’s girlfriend Beth (Elizabeth Banks) Her role doesn’t allow her to be the funny-woman we’ve seen in movies like Zack and Miri or 40 Year Old Virgin.  Besides that, please remember that this is a rated R movie. I was embarrassed for the numbers of families in the theater who brought kids that looked to be 8-10 years old. Maybe they thought the child stars meant it was family friendly, but the language and nudity were definitely not.

Great movie, lots of laughs.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Someone once told me it’s impossible for men and women to be friends. It just is. There’s always the inherent possibility of sex happening somewhere down the line, I guess, so every male/female friendship isn’t really friendship, it’s just a booty call that hasn’t been dialed yet.

Zack and Miri (short for Miriam, natch) are male and female lifelong friends who, even by living together and sharing expenses, struggle to get by. Neither has a meaningful arelationship, career aspirations, or financial independence. Their easy solution: go to their high school reunion, where Miri can hook up with rich Bobby Long (played by Christopher Reeve-lookalike Brandon Routh), who can help pay off her debts. As Miri hits on him (and rather pathetically), Zack meets Bobby’s, um, boyfriend, played by a throaty-sounding Justin Long. Zack introduces Miri to the boyfriend, who, of course, is crushed. Bobby’s fortune is actually the result of his work in gay porn films, which he’d managed to keep secret until his boyfriend causes a scene during the reunion.

When Zack and Miri return home, they find out that their overdue bills have finally caught up with them – the power is turned off, and the water is shut off. As they sit in a bar to enjoy the complimentary electricity, they wonder what they can do for money…

… and Zack, of course, suggests making a porno.

And of course, the name of the film gives the plot development away, and the duo begin putting together a film. They find a financial backer (Zack’s friend and co-worker who was saving for a giant TV), a set, costumes, and they even cast actual actors to appear in the film. Their idea? Star Whores: a pornographic re-imagining of the film Star Wars. Original, right?

Of course, what happens from there is the real meat of the film (wow, no pun intended, seriously), and it centers around the possibility of feelings between Zack and Miri. The problem, though, is that at times, the film does a really great job of creating actual chemistry between the leads, and with the rest of the cast. Yes, that’s a problem. If it was a simple horny comedy that didn’t rely on empathy, we’d have a simple series of gags and body parts, and we’d be set. But, when this film relies on said empathy creation to carry it – it works. It’s just that the film can’t decide if it wants to be the surprisingly touching film that happens to be about making a porno, or if it wants to be the simple horny comedy that has a weak subplot about unrealized love. There are just too many scenes that really feel like the actors are reading their lines robotically from cue cards. It’s fascinating – the scenes that come off flat and fail to generate emotion happen in one scene, and as we transition to another setting, then they somehow remembered how to act. It creates such an unbalanced, uneven feel, that it’s hard to connect with the film, and it gets a little frustrating. This is really obvious at the end, with tacked on speeches about true love and all that jazz, and it just flops. I feel like I have to blame this entirely on director Kevin Smith, because I know he can do better.

It’s not a terrible film, not by any means. I did genuinely enjoy it. But it just has too many holes (NOT A PUN), and too many failings to be anything memorable. Whenever it does something right, and manages to seem clever, it immediately defeats itself with a horrible one-liner or bad acting.

Lightly recommended for Smith or Rogen fans.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ 

Thanks to those hooked up folks over at MySpace for releasing a very tame version of the redband trailer for the upcoming Kevin Smith film Zack and Miri make a Porno. From the early reviews of the film, one from us, the show is a must see, laugh out loud comedy. Of couse full of all kinds of sexual inuendoes.

This film has garnered a pretty big following already due to the media stink it has created in its advertising. Some states are not allowing the advertising with the word “Porno” in it. Of course I hope you checked out our Halloween Costumes of Zack and Miri here.

Zack and Miri make a Porno debuts in theaters October 31st. Check back here for the review early Friday morning, or if you will forget – sign up for our newsfeed up in the upper corner of the site.

The crazy folks from the Kevin Smith camp have pulled yet another soon to be news worthy stunt. They have sent out a Halloween costume for those of you who don’t know what to be yet. Why not be Zack or Miri? Two of the most sought after costumes of the season can be yours here at Atomic Popcorn.

Below is the image and I also have added the PDF from the press release I received earlier. Is Kevin Smith going to far for this film or is he just having fun pressing the buttons of those who hate having their buttons pressed?

Click images for real size costume!!

Zac and Miri make a Porno debuts in theaters on October 31st in time for all you freaks to come out of the woodwork. Make sure you wear protection!!

Make sure to swing back by for our Review later this month!!