Tag: Comedy

New Movie Merv Debuts On Prime Wednesday December 10, 2025

Get in the Holiday Spirit with the new Holiday Rom-Com Merv starring Zooey Deschanel, Charlie Cox, Chris Redd, and Patricia Heaton. Streaming Globally on Prime Video Wednesday December 10th, 2025.

When their beloved dog Merv loses his spark after their split, Anna (Zooey Deschanel) and Russ (Charlie Cox) are forced into the world’s most awkward co-parenting arrangement. Hoping to shake Merv out of his funk, Russ takes him to Florida for a much-needed getaway—only for Anna to show up unexpectedly. As Merv slowly gets his groove back, turns out fixing their dog’s broken heart may lead to a few sparks of their own.

On set of MERV
Photo Credit: Dana Hawley/Prime
© Amazon Content Services LLC
MERV
Photo Credit: Prime
© Amazon Content Services LLC
Russ (Charlie Cox) in MERV
Photo Credit: Wilson Webb/Prime
© Amazon Content Services LLC
Anna (Zooey Deschanel) in MERV
Photo Credit: Wilson Webb/Prime
© Amazon Content Services LLC
Anna (Zooey Deschanel) and Russ (Charlie Cox) in MERV
Photo Credit: Wilson Webb/Prime
© Amazon Content Services LLC
Anna (Zooey Deschanel) and Russ (Charlie Cox) in MERV
Photo Credit: Prime
© Amazon Content Services LLC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare

2024    Lionsgate

Rated:  R

Length:  2 hrs

Action ~ Comedy ~ War ~ History ~ True Story

Directed By:  Guy Ritchie

Starring:  Henry Cavill, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Henry Golding, Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer, Babs Olusanmokun and Eiza González.

NO RULES. NO REGRETS. JUST VICTORY

Henry Cavill stars as Major Gus March-Phillips who is brought out of Military Prison by Brigadier Colin Gubbins “M” and Ian Fleming late 1941 in England during World War II. He is tasked with heading Operation Postmaster, a last resort mission dreamt up by Winston Churchill, “M” and Ian. An unsanctioned secret operation to go to the Spanish island of Fernando Po in Africa, where the Nazi’s are resupplying their U-boats that are decimating the Royal Navy fleet, and destroy the resupply ships.

Accompanied by Irishman Henry Hayes(Hero Fiennes Tiffin), Freddy “The Buzz” “Frogman” Alvarez(Henry Golding), and “The Danish Hammer” Anders Lassen(Alan Ritchson), they sail around the coast of Africa to La Palma Canary Islands where they storm a Nazi Garrison and extract Geoffrey Appleyard(Alex Pettyfer). They then continue on the Swedish fishing Trawler Maid Of Honor to the Spanish port of Fernando Po to destroy the Nazi resupply ships. A suicide mission fraught with  perils and unexpected twists and turns. They sail between the British Navy ships on one side who will incarcerate them and the Nazi U-boats on the other that will kill them.

This is based on the true story of the first Black Ops before there was such a thing. The beginnings of Agencies like the Navy Seals, CIA and other world agencies that were spawned to do the dirty work under the radar. Gus March-Phillips was the inspiration for James Bond in Ian Flemings novels. Sir Christopher Lee who starred in and was a consultant on numerous James Bond movies, was a member of The Ministry Of Gentlemanly Warfare in it’s early days. He was also second cousin to Ian Fleming.

Cavill delivers his most charismatic performance since The Man from U.N.C.L.E., channeling that mustached grit with Guy Ritchie flair, while his co-stars, like a sharp-shooting Eiza González and the ever-reliable Alan Ritchson, match his energy beat for beat. Christopher Lee’s nod to real history adds gravitas, reminding us these men and women changed the course of history.​

A thrilling blend of fact, legend, and adrenaline-fueled storytelling, this is one of the best True Story war films of recent years. These men and women helped change the course of history. It’s a fantastic story well told and portrayed by all involved in this movie. I love the True Story Movies and I love this one.

A great adventure!

Well done and highly recommended!

Two Thumbs Up

Alex Pettyfer, Alan Ritchson, Henry Cavill, Hero Fiennes Tiffin and Henry Goldin in THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE.
Photo Credit: Dan Smith for Lionsgate.
Courtesy of Lionsgate.

Champagne Problems

2025   Netflix

Rated:  PG-13

Length:  1 hr  39min

Comedy ~ Romance ~ Christmas

Directed by:  Mark Steven Johnson

Starring:  Minka Kelly, Tom Wozniczka, Sean Amsing, Thibault de Montalembert, Astrid Whettnall, Flula Borg, and Xavier Samuel.

Christmas In France Is Always A Good Idea.

Let’s talk about Champagne, Champagne Problems, and the bubbles in between. Champagne isn’t just a Sparkling Wine from France, it is the most celebratory beverage ever invented. Champagne Problems sound pretty from a distance, Paris, promotions, perfect photos. But up close, they sting like any other heartbreak. The bubbles just make it easier to pretend everything is fine, at least until the glass is empty.

Champagne Problems isn’t just a fizzy holiday rom-com, it is a sparkling holiday movie that’s much more than just a cheerful romantic comedy. It’s a story about how a life that looks perfectly poured can still taste a little off once you sit with it for a while. At first glance, it seems like the usual pretty package, glamorous locations, stylish outfits, and plenty of champagne to toast every little moment. But beneath all that sparkle, it tells a deeper story about what really goes on when life isn’t as perfect as it looks.

The movie’s main character, played beautifully by Minka Kelly, feels trapped in a world where everything is supposed to be perfect and planned. Her life is all about control, schedules, and appearances, but when unexpected emotions start bubbling to the surface, she has to face the truth that not everything can be neatly organized or fixed with a toast. This contrast between the polished exterior and real feelings is what makes the film so relatable and refreshing.

Champagne Problems also does a fantastic job showing how problems in life aren’t always about big disasters. Sometimes, it’s the little things, the doubts, the disappointments, the quiet moments of vulnerability, that matter the most. The story gently reminds us that those “champagne problems” are real feelings that deserve attention, not something to brush off or pretend away.

This movie isn’t just about romance, although the chemistry between Minka Kelly and Tom Wozniczka is magical, it’s about finding the courage to be honest with yourself and others, even when it’s messy or uncomfortable. With heartfelt performances, relatable themes, and a beautifully crafted atmosphere, Champagne Problems is a must-watch holiday film that will leave you both smiling and thinking. If you want a movie that feels like a warm, honest conversation wrapped up in festive cheer, this one’s for you. You know what Bobby would say:

Highly Recommended!

Turn off the lights and devices

(Except for the Tree!),

Make some popcorn,

Grab a beverage,

and Stream This

 Fizzy Christmas Gem

on NETFLIX!

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

1989   Warner Brothers Pictures

Rated:  PG-13

Length:  1 hr  37min

Christmas ~ Comedy

Directed by:  Jeremiah S. Chechik

Starring:  Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki, John Randolph, Diane Ladd, E. G. Marshall, Doris Roberts, Randy Quaid, Miriam Flynn, Cody Burger, Ellen Hamilton Latzen, William Hickey, Mae Questel, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Nicholas Guest, and Brian Doyle-Murray.

YULE CRACK UP!

Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without a trip to Chicago, hanging with The Griswold’s. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation was the third installment in the Vacation franchise. When it was first released, it did marginally well but didn’t reach mass critical success until long after it hit reruns on TV and was released to the growing DVD market. And, as we all know, is now one of the most searched for and watched Christmas Movies of all time.

Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) sets out to create the perfect Christmas at home in Chicago with his wife Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo) and their kids, Audrey (Juliette Lewis) and Rusty (Johnny Galecki). Eager for Christmas tradition, Clark drives the family to the countryside to chop down the biggest tree they can find, but without tools, they uproot it, damaging their station wagon and irritating yuppie neighbors Todd (Nicholas Guest) and Margo Chester (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) when they return home. The next day Clark obsessively strings thousands of Christmas lights across the house, causing a neighborhood blackout when they finally illuminate.​

As relatives arrive unannounced, chaos multiplies in the cramped Griswold home. Ellen’s cousin Catherine (Miriam Flynn) and her husband Eddie (Randy Quaid), a boisterous, financially strapped redneck, pull up in their RV with kids Rocky (Cody Burger) and Ruby Sue (Ellen Hamilton Latzen), with their slobbery dog Snots. Clark’s parents, Clark Sr. (John Randolph) and Nora (Diane Ladd), join Ellen’s folks Art (E. G. Marshall) and Frances (Doris Roberts), sparking bickering, while eccentric Aunt Bethany (Mae Questel) brings a frozen jello mold topped with cat food and Uncle Lewis (William Hickey) adds his cigar-smoking grumpiness to the mix.

Holiday mishaps escalate: a loose squirrel terrorizes the house, the overcooked turkey ruins dinner, Bethany’s cat gets electrocuted in the tree lights, and Lewis’s cigar torches the tree. Amidst the Christmas chaos Clark has been anxiously awaiting his Christmas bonus from his boss Frank Shirley (Brian Doyle-Murray) to fund a backyard swimming pool he’s already ordered and can’t afford without it. After opening the last minute Christmas Bonus envelope from the late mailman, Clark snaps in a profane tirade. Instead of the huge check he always gets, he has received a subscription to a “Jelly Of The Month Club”.

“Hey. If any of you are looking for any last-minute gift ideas for me, I have one. I’d like Frank Shirley, my boss, right here tonight. And I want him brought from his happy holiday slumber over there on Melody Lane with all the other rich people and I want him brought right here…with a big ribbon on his head! And I want to look him straight in the eye, and I want to tell him what a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-assed, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed, sack of monkey shit he is! Hallelujah! Holy shit! Where’s the Tylenol?”

It truly is a timeless Christmas Classic full of Slapstick Holiday Humor and endless one-liners. I have been watching this movie for decades, every year at Christmas time. It just wouldn’t be the season without a trip to the Griswold’s for some Humorous Holiday antics!

Start The Season Right!

Turn off the lights and devices,

Make some popcorn,

Grab a beverage,

and Stream This Movie

on HBO Max!

Jingle Bell Heist

2025   Netflix

Rated:  Unrated

Length:  1 hr  36min

Christmas ~ Comedy ~ Romance

Directed by:  Michael Fimognari

Starring:  Olivia Holt, Connor Swindells, Lucy Punch and Peter Serafinowicz.

“Tis The Season To Give And Take.

FROM NETFLIX TUDUM:

Two down-on-their-luck hourly workers reluctantly form an alliance to rob one of London’s most illustrious department stores on Christmas Eve. As they hatch their plans, the pair start to realize there are sparks between them, and they’re not from the twinkly holiday lights around jolly London town. The Netflix original holiday film Jingle Bell Heist stars Olivia Holt (Heart Eyes) and Connor Swindells (Sex Education). The film was directed by Michael Fimognari (To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You), and co-written by Abby McDonald (Bridgerton) and Amy Reed (Diary of a Future President).

When Sophia Martin (Holt) moved to London from Philadelphia to care for her mother after a cancer diagnosis, she expected life across the pond to be a bit more affordable. Stuck caretaking while working two jobs, Sophia’s at her wit’s end when she learns her mother’s surgery won’t be covered by insurance. Desperate for a quick payday, she resorts to robbing her horrible boss, Maxwell Sterling (Serafinowicz), only to be caught by Nick O’Connor, a former security consultant turned phone technician.

Nick has no reason to turn Sophia in, though. He’s more interested in teaming up with her to land funds to take care of his daughter after his recent divorce. So Sophia and Nick form an alliance out of desperation, but, as the pair begin to plan the ultimate seasonal scam, a holiday heist at a posh department store, their scheming relationship might just turn into something more.

The Review:

I watched this last night (Friday November 28,2025), the day after Thanksgiving,  also known as Black Friday. The official battle cry day of The Holidays. I wasn’t really in a Christmas mood yet being a little overwhelmed by how quickly Christmas was going to arrive. I looked for a movie in vain, which is incredibly odd because I have numerous streaming platforms to access, and numerous lists of movies to watch to review, including a growing Christmas/Holiday Movie List. But I wasn’t quite ready to watch a Christmas movie yet. Then I saw Jingle Bell Heist on Netflix, it is high up on my Christmas list of movies to watch, and was #2 on Netflix’s Top Ten Movies…..

Alrighty then, Christmas movie it is…..

I gave in and tried to get in the mood as Jingle Bell Heist started, honestly I felt more like The Grinch. The Movie starts with Sophia and Nick in a Department store Christmas Eve as the lights are getting turned off. They turn to each other and, Jinx Jinx they owe each other a coke as they both start to say, “You don’t have to do this…….”. Then we are transported back in time to two weeks earlier as Sophia is walking to work. She comes upon a man and his daughter busking, playing Holiday tunes on their violins when a grumpy old Grinch guy says, “You can’t do that here, take it somewhere else.”

Right away Sophie (Olivia Holt) grabbed my attention as she watched, then bumped into the old Grinch guy, promptly heists his wallet, takes out the cash and gives it to the buskers as she says, “Merry Christmas”. That was it, Jingle Bell Heist and Olivia Holt had my full undivided attention. I love the Underdogs and Sophie and Nick (Connor Swindells) sure have the world working against them. As their troubles unfolded before me, they instantly had my empathy. Both trying to lift themselves up out of their situations financially, working at jobs with bosses they don’t like. Both trying to look out for and take care of their families.

Sophie and Nick cook up a scheme to “get the money” but that is just the beginning of this Christmas Caper Roller Coaster Ride. There is more going on than meets the eye, everywhere we look and every step of the way, as these two plan a Holiday Heist. Unexpected twists and turns right up until the very end in this Christmas Rom-Com! In the end I enjoyed the Jingle Bell Ride! Why are you still reading this?

Turn off the lights and devices,

Make some popcorn,

Grab a beverage,

and Stream This Movie

on Netflix!