“Tommy Boy” (1995) and “Black Sheep” (1996) — “Tommy Boy” was the first film to showcase Chris Farley’s comic genius, while “Black Sheep” is possibly the first film to fully realize the hilarity of an overweight man tumbling […]
“The Cable Guy” — As a lonely, misunderstood man trying to make a friend other than his TV set, Jim Carrey delivers his best dramatic performance. Of course, there’s also some comedy — notably the basketball […]
John’s “Mallrats” flashback review, Aug. 2, 2021 “Mallrats” — Brodie (Jason Lee) might just be the most heroic character ever to grace the screen. His philosophy in life is to just do and say whatever […]
“Airplane!” — With this classic, the “absurd dialogue delivered with a straight face” brand of comedy from David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams was unleashed on the masses, and Leslie Nielsen became the master of […]
“Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” — To quote Lisa Simpson, “Jim Carrey can make us laugh with no more than a frantic flailing of his limbs.” Before he decided he was a serious actor, Carrey delivered this […]
John’s “Clerks” flashback review, Aug. 1, 2021 “Clerks” — Kevin Smith’s black-and-white debut film is a day-in-the-life tale of a convenience store clerk and all the people and situations he encounters. It’s the reality of […]
“The Naked Gun” (1988) and “Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear” (1991) — From the files of 1982’s six-episode run of “Police Squad” comes the big screen exploits of bumbling Lieutenant Frank Drebin (Leslie Neilsen). The […]
NDSU Spectrum: TV review ‘Friends’ or ‘Survivor?’ I choose ‘Gilmore Girls’ By JOHN HANSEN March 2, 2001 Well, I finally stopped watching “Friends.” The reason is only partially due to what you’re thinking: that I’m […]
John’s “The Lone Gunmen” flashback review, johnvhansen.com, May 8, 2011 NDSU Spectrum: TV review ‘Lone Gunmen’ finds its niche in comedy By JOHN HANSEN May 5, 2001 At first, “The Lone Gunmen” didn’t seem like […]
John’s “Gilmore Girls” Season 1 flashback review, johnvhansen.com, Nov. 7, 2013 NDSU Spectrum: TV review ‘Gilmore Girls’ makes you want to hug your TV By JOHN HANSEN May 4, 2001 I’ve always been a fan […]