John C Reilly

News, Reviews & Features
  • Wreck-It Ralph

    Movie Review | Matt | 3rd February 2013

    I'm sorry to dispel the idea that this site is run entirely by the kind of geeks who immerse themselves in every form of popular culture available, but I'm not much of a gamer. By all accounts, the other guys are, but I couldn’t tell apart a Far Cry from a Mass Effect, or even a Vita from a DS for that matter. I mention this only as a way of making it clear upfront that I may not be the best person to appreciate Wreck-It Ralph's myriad of 8-bit cameos and gaming references – just in case my right to review a film about a fairly unfamiliar subject matter is ever called into question. Let alone my opinion: it's actually rather good.

  • The Dictator

    Movie Review | Ali | 11th May 2012

    Jokes are funny, aren't they? I don't mean in the 'Ha ha, Jimmy Carr is totes a legend LOL' kind of way; more I find them a strange way to get a laugh – painstakingly constructing sentences and cadences to maximise hilarity. It's a far more traditional, way more precise craft than surrealist, situational or observational comedy, and not one that's overly-familiar to Sacha Baron Cohen, who has thus far mostly traded on the comedy of embarrassment – the exquisite awkwardness that hidden cameras and unsuspecting participants provide. The Dictator represents his return to scripted comedy after the Borat/Bruno double-header, but any fears that Cohen's appeal would effectively be neutered while working with a safety net are swiftly allayed – this showcases his talents on the page as well as on the screen.

  • Carnage

    Movie Review | Matt | 2nd February 2012

    If you type 'Carnage' into IMDB, you'll find it is the alternative title to The Nail Gun Massacre, A Bay Of Blood and even Prime Cut, an early Gene Hackman film about a cattle rancher who "grinds his enemies into sausage". It's the kind of title you'd expect to see propped up on the bargain shelf at Asda with a cover showing Stone Cold Steve Austin walking away from an exploding jeep. And yet here I am reviewing Roman Polanski's new low-key character-based comedy. It's almost a shame.

  • We Need To Talk About Kevin

    Movie Review | Anna | 23rd October 2011

    The novel that sparked a thousand debates in book groups up and down the land has finally made it to the big screen, and the film manages to be just as devastating as its source material. Eva (Tilda Swinton) is the mother of a mass murderer. Her teenage son Kevin (Ezra Miller) committed a horrific, Columbine-style atrocity at his high school, only Kevin didn't follow the fashion for turning his weapon on himself – Kevin is very much alive.

  • Fight For Your Right Revisited

    Movie Feature | Ali | 8th May 2011

    I was all set to use my unparalleled exclusive access as an iTunes customer to review the new Beastie Boys short film that came with their new album, but then I realised it was on YouTube and you could watch it for free. Durr.

  • Cyrus

    Movie Review | James | 15th September 2010

    Appearances can be deceiving. Take Cyrus, the latest comedy from writer/director pairing Jay and Mark Duplass. Certainly, if one were to gaze upon its theatrical poster a number of seemingly telling points stand out; John C. Reilly smirking like a bemused bulldog, Marisa Tomei's alluring half-smile and Jonah Hill's cold, reptilian eyes piercing through your soul. Fox Searchlight seem to want this film to resemble another Apatow-esque comedy conflict, a first impression which is entirely erroneous; Cyrus is, in fact, a slow, sincere film more interested in characters and relationships than timed pratfalls - arguably to its detriment.

  • 9

    Movie Review | Matt | 2nd November 2009

    We are told that 9 is brought to us by the visionary directors Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov, which immediately conjures up images of gothic fairytale whimsy and flashy action. Although containing elements of both, this film is actually more like an epic adventure - and it's just a little too ambitious.

  • Step Brothers

    Movie Review | Ali | 28th August 2008

    There is literally zero chance of anyone walking into Step Brothers and not knowing what to expect. Here are your dead give-aways. Will Ferrell. John C Reilly. Anchorman director Adam McKay. Yes, Step Brothers is basically a free reign for the curly-haired duo to act like screaming man-children, free from the constraints of stor...

  • Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby

    Movie Review | Ali | 18th September 2006

    That Will Ferrell is a Marmite kind of guy, but love him or hate him, there's a certain quality to him that you just can't ignore. Having graduated to the grand overlord of the Frat Pack over the last few years (by default more than anything: put out enough movies and you'll rise through the ranks), Ferrell divides audiences li...