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Half Baked (1998)
With Dave Chappelle involved, you will laugh...no matter how ludicrous the plot.
In a nutshell, Half Baked tells the story of three pot-smoking friends who go to incredible lengths to get their hapless friend, Kenny, out of prison. Their solution? Sell pot, of course! You don't watch something like this expecting to see a good movie. You look at the cover of the movie, you see who's in it, you read the plot summary, and you prepare to laugh. And with Half Baked, that's just what you'll do.
This is certainly one of the most lighthearted movies about drug addiction that you'll ever see (please spare me the whole "weed is just a plant" argument). Despite it being a goofy comedy, the filmmakers do a decent job of making you care about the characters, making seeing the film through to the end an imperative. You won't see anything remarkable, but you will re-stock your supply of dumb movie quotes to throw around with your friends for years to come. I recommend a watch, with plenty of junk food to tide you over in the meantime.
Black Mass (2015)
Depp's mesmerizing performance lifts up an otherwise bland film
Johnny Depp will forever be one of my favorite actors. I have always been blown away with how he can completely disappear into characters, bringing to life some of the most eccentric, vibrant characters that cinema has seen in quite some time. However, a recent string of disheartening duds left me doubting Depp's acting prowess as he continues aging (I mean, Mortdecai? Seriously?) However, Depp's turn as the murderous Whitey Bulger might possibly be the finest performance of his illustrious career. I forgot that I was watching Johnny Depp once the movie got going, instead focusing on Whitey Bulger himself menacing from the other side of the screen. The best performances are ones that help you see characters, not actors in makeup or wigs. However, the problem with Black Mass as a whole was that aside from Depp's wonderful portrayal of Bulger, there wasn't much here to entertain. The other performances were either unremarkable (Edgerton, Johnson) or too brief to be of any consequence in judging the film (Scott, Harbour, Stoll, Bacon). The story was solid, but at the end of the day, it's simply something that we've seen countless times before. Thus, I recommend at least one watch to see the best performance that Johnny Depp has ever graced us with. The rest you can judge for yourself.
Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman (2000)
Worse than the original, and nowhere near as fun
While the original Jack Frost was terrible, yet fun to watch, Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant, Killer Snowman, is just terrible. The main characters surviving from the first encounter with the murderous Jack are back here, as is Scott MacDonald as Jack himself. However, whatever it was that made the first film fun is sorely missing here. The effects are terrible, the dialogue is terrible, the acting is terrible, and I could go on and on. I think the original film found the perfect balance of serious and humorous moments. It balanced telling a (completely illogical) story with just the right dose of not taking itself seriously. This movie just threw story out the window and put all its eggs in the "not take itself seriously" basket. The filmmakers shouldn't be faulted for this, as a movie about a killer snowman should never take itself seriously. However, without some kind of effort put forth to make you care about the characters, then even cheese like this can turn your stomach. While the original will always be a crappy horror classic, this sequel comes off as an attempt at milking money out of an idea. I don't recommend this movie.
Jack Frost (1997)
Low-budget, cheesy dialogue, and horribly acted...everything B-Level horror ought to be!
I sincerely hope that you did not watch this movie expecting to see Oscar material. In fact, I hope you did not watch this expecting a movie that is anything close to good. While the title may mislead a bit (due to a family-friendly film with Michael Keaton being released around the same time, also about a living snowman), one look at the cover and one quick read of the plot snippet should have clued you in on the fact that this movie is pure B-level horror gold. It's about a serial killer who, by crazy circumstances, continues his murderous rampage as a mutant, killer snowman, for crying out loud! However, despite its many flaws (and there are many), there is a lot to like here. For one, there's certainly spirit behind the production. There's not much budget, the script is weak, the story has plot holes you could drive an 18-wheeler through...but that's what makes it great. We don't watch crappy horror movies to see cinematic perfection. We watch them to be entertained. And while this little flick will never win any major awards, I can certainly attest to the fact that I was, if nothing else, entertained. I recommend at least one watch.