Welcome to Alternative to What: a weekly column that tries to find a great alternative to driving to the multiplexes. Based on releases of that week, the selections will either be thematically related or feature recurring cast and crew. The goal is to help you better understand the diversity of cinema and hopefully find you some favorites while saving a few bucks. At worse, this column will save you money. Expect each installment to come out on Fridays, unless specified.
THIS WEEK:
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011)
- Alternative To -
The Night Before (2015)
Like it or not, but it's officially Christmastime. It has been for months now, but rational people have noticed how inappropriate it was to mention it earlier. With Christmas seeming to come earlier and earlier every year, it's hard to find the spirit alive in anyone. With this weekend's releases, The Night Before becomes the latest R-Rated comedy to skewer the holiday. It isn't the first new release of the season (that's Love the Coopers), but it's already being hailed as one of the funniest holiday movies in years. Of course, it depends on your tolerance of Seth Rogen and his gang of improvisational raunchers. It's likely to be a treat for those who have been waiting for a strong R-Rated comedy this year. Even if you include this summer's Spy, there aren't that many to choose from that are about, well, anything.
If you're looking for more Christmas raunch, you don't have to go too far to find another film that skewered the holiday, mixing cheer with marijuana. A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas even goes one further and happens mostly over the course of one evening. There's babies high on drugs, claymation, something called a Wafflebot, and Danny Trejo as a overcautious uncle in an ugly sweater. It's the third in the series that Rolling Stone called "The modern Cheech & Chong." They're a duo whose adventures continue to be wacky and self-referential. Throw in some Neil Patrick Harris, and you got the formula for some of the most absurd road trip comedy in the modern era.
In the case of their Christmas movie, it follows those familiar tropes. Kumar must grow as a person as Harold faces parenthood in the near future. It's the uncertain time that adds a sincerity in between a lot of profanity and marijuana. It's a film that features the gang accidentally injuring Santa and somehow using it as the way to find out the meaning of life. It's the Christmas movie through the guise of a familiar formula. It may not entirely be that successful, but it definitely keeps things on the wackier side of the equation. Gone is the series' sense of racial discrimination that made their earliest work extra special. It's fun comedy, which is just fine at just 90 minutes.
If you're looking for more Christmas raunch, you don't have to go too far to find another film that skewered the holiday, mixing cheer with marijuana. A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas even goes one further and happens mostly over the course of one evening. There's babies high on drugs, claymation, something called a Wafflebot, and Danny Trejo as a overcautious uncle in an ugly sweater. It's the third in the series that Rolling Stone called "The modern Cheech & Chong." They're a duo whose adventures continue to be wacky and self-referential. Throw in some Neil Patrick Harris, and you got the formula for some of the most absurd road trip comedy in the modern era.
In the case of their Christmas movie, it follows those familiar tropes. Kumar must grow as a person as Harold faces parenthood in the near future. It's the uncertain time that adds a sincerity in between a lot of profanity and marijuana. It's a film that features the gang accidentally injuring Santa and somehow using it as the way to find out the meaning of life. It's the Christmas movie through the guise of a familiar formula. It may not entirely be that successful, but it definitely keeps things on the wackier side of the equation. Gone is the series' sense of racial discrimination that made their earliest work extra special. It's fun comedy, which is just fine at just 90 minutes.
There's a lot that is too inappropriate to get into here. However, it's interesting to know how little alternative there is for people simply wanting to make fun of Christmas in an adult manner. Yes, the above video does feature an animated phallus. It's in keeping with the franchise's dedication to vulgarity in humor. Thankfully, there's enough charm in the characters, and they manage to balance out any problematic elements with simple charisma. As long as you are looking for just a comedy with a lot of dirty jokes, then this should do the trick in some capacity. It may not be the best of the franchise, but it's definitely better than most stoner comedies you see anyways.
I don't plan to do too much coverage of Christmas movies during the upcoming month of Alternative to What. However, this is more of an acknowledgment that the times are upon us. There's only going to be more. The one positive is that The Night Before at least looks to be somewhat enjoyable, if you're into raunchy comedy. I don't have much really to say other than I'd recommend holding off on Christmas stuff for now so that the month feels more special. However, if you must, I don't think it's too bad of an idea to celebrate with a little bit of Harold & Kumar celebrating Christmas in their own way. Again, it's a very Christmasy movie, but it's at least more tolerable than alternatives.
I don't plan to do too much coverage of Christmas movies during the upcoming month of Alternative to What. However, this is more of an acknowledgment that the times are upon us. There's only going to be more. The one positive is that The Night Before at least looks to be somewhat enjoyable, if you're into raunchy comedy. I don't have much really to say other than I'd recommend holding off on Christmas stuff for now so that the month feels more special. However, if you must, I don't think it's too bad of an idea to celebrate with a little bit of Harold & Kumar celebrating Christmas in their own way. Again, it's a very Christmasy movie, but it's at least more tolerable than alternatives.
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