UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT: A Motherfudging Dark Show

You wouldn't be wrong to think that Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is a live-action cartoon joke machine. The bright colors, the radiant/goofy Ellie Kemper as the star, the co-creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, the laugh-a-minute setup. The Netflix series is Internet meme-friendly, with a catchy theme song and a "single gal in the big city" premise. On a superficial level, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is perfect for our pop culture landscape, especially with its nostalgia heavy references. But underneath the bubblegum pink veneer is a grim story about trauma, abuse, and survival.

Ellie Kemper stars in the title role, playing a girl who spent 15 years under a bunker after getting kidnapped by an insane "Reverend." After an interview on the Today show, Kimmy decides to start her life over in Manhattan, since she has no life to go back to in Indiana. Kimmy gets a job, a roommate, and a whole new life. Season 1 explored Kimmy's "unbreakable" attributes--her optimism, her determination, and her attempts to regain control. Season 2 takes a different turn, with the hororr of Kimmy's life in the bunker coming up to the surface. Kimmy might be unbreakable, but she isn't quite past her trauma.

9 Summer Movies I'm Most Excited For

SUMMER MOVIE SEASON IS UPON US! Guys, Summer 2015 was so fun to write about, and I get to do it again this year! Nobody really knows when Summer Movie Season begins and ends, but it's usually when the first big movie is released. So here are some movies to look out for when you want to escape the scorching heat and the possibility of a Donal Trump presidency. The movies are in order of release date. FYI I'm skipping Captain America: Civil War because come on. You don't need me to tell you to go see that.

The Nice Guys (May 20)
Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling star in this action comedy, from ace writer/director Shane Black (Iron Man 3). Hopefully this movie will have Black's off-kilter wit and physical gags.

THE JUNGLE BOOK is a Visual Wonder (Review)

I was really looking forward to The Jungle Book. Director Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Chef) is one of the few white male directors actually worth his bloated budgets and opportunities. The 1967 Disney animated film is a childhood classic. After Cinderella, I have faith in the new trend of bringing old animated classics back to the big screen. And its star-cast is full of talented folks. Then the reviews starting pouring in, and the 77 on Metacritic was really promising. So all in all, yes, this movie was on my "please watch ASAP" list.

The Jungle Book stars newcomer Neel Sethi, Bill Murray (St. Vincent), Idris Elba (Thor), Ben Kinglsey (Selfless), Lupita Nyong'o (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Scarlett Johansson (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), Giancarlo Esposito (Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials), and Christopher Walken (Jersey Boys). Based on both the Rudyard Kipling novel and the animated film, the script was written by Justin Marks, who apparently is writing a Top Gun sequel unfortunately. The Jungle Book made $103 million in the US, and has already made about $190 million overseas.

Melissa McCarthy Shines in Disappointing THE BOSS (Review)

Melissa McCarthy is one of my favorite comedy actors working today. Her brand of humor works for me. McCarthy has made a movie career out of lady-centric physical comedy, creative insults, and the importance of women bonding with other women. Her comedies usually aim to explore experiences that are often invisible in most mainstream media. Undoubtedly her best film is Spy, which took great care in exposing the severe underestimation of women over 40. McCarthy is a major "face on the poster" movie star, and she uses her clout to tell the stories she wants to tell.

Her latest film is The Boss, directed by her husband Ben Falcone. McCarthy and Falcone wrote the screenplay together along with Steve Mallory. Falcone and McCarthy previously made Tammy, which grossed $100 million even with bad reviews. Similarly, The Boss is getting trashed by the critics. However, I decided to check it out since I like Melissa McCarthy and most of the cast members. The Boss co-stars Kristen Bell (Frozen), Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Ella Anderson, Tyler Labine (Monsters University), Timothy Simons (Veep), and Kathy Bates.

Live Die Reteam: Some Thoughts on the Upcoming EDGE OF TOMORROW Sequel

One of my favorite movies from 2014 was the Tom Cruise/Emily Blunt sci-fi action movie Edge of Tomorrow (retitled Live Die Repeat for home video, which is annoying). The film was a critical hit, but audiences were slow to catch up to how great it was. The film made about $370 million at the worldwide box office, which is low in the face of its $175 million budget. However, because the movie attained a lot of goodwill with critics and audiences, the idea of a sequel has been floating around. Everyone seemed to be into it, including screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie (who has worked with Cruise on MI 5 and Jack Reacher). Stars Cruise and Blunt and director Doug Liman seem to be on board as well.

Edge of Tomorrow is a great film, one that deserves to have a proper legacy in sci-fi action. The story is based on a Japanese mange called All You Need is Kill. The narrative was interesting, with an interesting world around it. Cruise and Blunt are electric. Considering how crowded the summer blockbuster season usually, it's not hard to imagine why this movie seemingly slipped under the radar. The movie didn't come from an established property, and Tom Cruise has a hard time selling his non-Mission: Impossible stuff. Truth be told, it's more important that movie exists and people see it. Even if that means after the fact.