Fresh off a Golden Globe win for best comedy, rental copies of “The Hangover” may be in short supply for the next few weeks. But it’s worth the wait. Don’t be put off by the setup that seems painfully unoriginal: four buddies head to Las Vegas for a no-holds-barred bachelor party. the Ringo of the quartet (played to perfection by Zach Galifianakis) accidentally spikes the boys’ drinks with “roofies,” causing them to wake up the next morning forgetting everything that happened during the wild night before, including what happened to the groom-to-be who has gone missing. as they attempt to retrace their debaucherous steps each scene grows more and more ridiculous. in a good way. I laughed incessantly from start to finish, something a movie hasn’t been able to intentionally achieve in many moons. Missing teeth, wayward tigers, randomly appearing babies, Heather Graham as a stripper, stolen cop cars, angry mobsters, Tasering for amusement, it’s all in here. as you might guess, this is not highbrow humor with dry puns of the Maginot Line used to describe receding hairlines. Instead, “Hangover” is raunchy, outrageous and truly a comedic masterwork. the film works because we feel caught up in the madcap search for the misplaced fiance (stoic straight man Justin Bartha). Not even remotely appropriate for kids under 15 years old or most over 65 years old. (R: Language, sex, drugs, mild violence). 1 hour and 40 minutes.
(out of 4 stars):
Should you rent it? Yes — the funniest film you will see all year.
‘The Simpsons: the Complete 20th Season’
Four years ago when my son was 6 years old he asked me when he could join me in watching the cartoon about the silly yellow family that had me howling with laughter every Sunday night. After a thoughtful reflection of at least 5 seconds, I replied when he was 10 (which seemed like an eon away at the time). and like clockwork, on his 10th birthday, my son with his photographic memory proclaimed how excited he was that he could now watch “The Simpsons.” I was trapped. So, with enormous trepidation radiating from my wife, the boy and I sat down together to watch the just-released disc of the 20th season of America’s longest running television comedy. and of course, the first episode featured Marge getting a job as an erotic cake baker, with the icing on the cake being the use of the word for a prominent part of the male anatomy. which was immediately followed by a silent glare across the room from my wife that screamed “This is what I was afraid of!” and of course, she’s right. No matter how funny Homer and brood are — and make no mistake, after two decades they remain the best television show ever — it is not now, nor has it ever been, a show for kids. (Not rated, but equivalent of PG-13 for language and mature themes). 8 hours and 2 minutes.
Ratings (out of 4 stars):
Should you rent it? Yes — Epically funny TV show’s 20th season remains adults only.
J.B. Alderman can be reached at jason@alderman.net.
on DVDs: `Hangover,’ `Simpsons’ succeed as top-rate adult comedy