THE MARC PEASE EXPERIENCE (PG-13)
1/2
Eight years after running off stage in tears during a high school production of “The Wiz,” Marc Pease (Jason Schwartzman) is still haunted by that day, and his former music teacher Mr. Gribble (Ben Stiller) uses Marc as a cautionary tale. Also troubling Marc: his naively ambitious a cappella troupe and his teenage girlfriend Meg’s (Anna Kendrick) secret relationship with Gribble.
The buzz: Considering the quality of most recent, highly publicized Ben Stiller movies (the “Night at the Museum” franchise must be put to bed), it’s a little scary to think how awful the completely un-promoted “Marc Pease” could be.
The verdict: As pointless and obnoxious as someone pulling on your ears, the credibility-free “Marc Pease” features a desperate character painfully made out to be some kind of tragic hero. The film isn’t about delusions of grandeur or teacher/student relationships. Director/co-writer Todd Louiso just has no idea what is even supposed to be funny, and if you can count to zero you know how many laughs this movie delivers.
Pressure Cooker (NR)
!!!
Like a junior version of “Top Chef,” this doc centers on underprivileged Philly high school students competing for scholarships to some of the nation’s best culinary universities. A little more flash (the movie’s budget appears to be nil) would step up the competition, but “Pressure” gets a big boost of personality from the kids’ outspoken teacher, who’s as likely to criticize their eggs as help them shop for prom dresses. From a student who watches over her blind sister to another who left Africa only four years earlier, these stories move and inspire as tales of youth in need cooking up opportunity from scratch.
ALSO OUT
Post Grad (PG-13)
!
“Boy is the rest of ‘Post-Grad’ bad.” MATT PAIS, METROMIX
X-Games 3D: The Movie (PG)
!!
“Prepare to learn nothing.”
MATT PAIS, METROMIX
Cold Souls (PG-13)
!!!
“It’s invigorating to walk out of a movie that actually makes you think.”
CHRISTY LEMIRE, AP
