Pick of the week: “The Trip to Italy“ — My full review is here. The second go-round for Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon isn’t quite as much fun as the original “The Trip,” despite gorgeous Italian locations and mouth-watering food. But it’s still a lot of laughs, as they trade impressions, rock to Alanis Morissette and chuckle in the face of impending mortality.
“The Trip to Italy” opens Friday at Sundance Cinemas. Not rated, 1:48, three stars out of four.
Ever been on a fantastic vacation? Ever go back to the same spot the following summer?
Not quite the same, is it? You can still have a good time, but a great vacation is more than just location — it involves your state of mind, the time, the people you’re with, and often the essential newness of the experience. Hard to exactly replicate that again.
It’s been a long hot wait for fans of the Sundance Screening Room Series, which brings foreign, documentary and independent films to Sundance Cinemas on a regular weekly schedule. The last Screening Room calendar ended in late April, and while you can’t begrudge a theater for wanting to sell those “Guardians of the Galaxy” tickets, at some point between “The Giver” and “Sin City: A Dame To Kill For” getting booked there, it seemed like it was high time to get back to the Screening Room.
Thankfully, the series will fire up again next week, presenting nine films between Sept. 12 and the end of October, including some films that indie fans have been waiting for for months. The Screening Room films are all exempt from the Sundance amenities fees, and I’m happy to say that Sundance has invited me back to do some post-show talks after a couple of the films. I’ll let you know soon which ones and when.
Two men in a foreign country – a classic comedy setup? Hey, it worked for Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.
Madison Movie 