This image released by Focus Features shows Sterling K. Brown as Lee-Curtis Childs in "Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul." (Steve Swisher/Focus Features via AP)
The term mockumentary has become synonymous with Christopher Guest鈥檚 work, a mix and match of documentary style and satirical fiction. Movies like 鈥淪pinal Tap鈥 and 鈥淏est in Show鈥 poked fun at the excesses of rock 鈥檔鈥 roll and the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, respectively.
鈥淗onk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.鈥 a new film starring Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown, and now playing in theatres, amps up the mock in mockumentary to present a satirical take on Southern Baptist megachurch values.
Brown and Hall are former power couple Lee-Curtis and Trinitie Childs, pastor and 鈥渇irst lady鈥 of the Wander to Greater Paths church. Once a powerhouse, with a congregation in the thousands, the church was temporarily shuttered in the aftermath of a sex scandal involving the narcissistic Lee-Curtis. 鈥淚鈥檓 not a perfect man ladies and gentlemen,鈥 he preaches. 鈥淕od doesn鈥檛 make perfect men. What I am is a servant of the Lord. Folks being the Lord鈥檚 servant doesn鈥檛 mean that you are not susceptible to being lured or seduced or being ambushed by the devil.鈥
In an effort to rebuild their congregation鈥檚 confidence, they set out with a plan to reopen the church and earn back trust, as well as the big bankroll that provided their lavish lifestyle. 鈥淲e need to connect to people and make them see why they need you back in the pulpit,鈥 says Trinitie.
There are some very funny moments in writer-director Adamma Ebo鈥檚 鈥淗onk for Jesus, Save Your Soul,鈥 ably performed by Brown and Hall, but it is in the dramatic sections that this mockumentary soars. For proof of this movie鈥檚 ability to surprise, see Hall reclaim her power in a gut-wrenching monologue, while wearing mime make-up. It鈥檚 remarkable work that blurs the line between the ridiculous and the sublime.
Emmy-winner Brown is equal parts charisma and egomania. His love of Italian hand-crafted shoes, helicopters and the finer things seems ripped from the megachurch playbook, but it is his power that impresses. Brown brings the juice, preaching to the choir with an authority that is both divine and extravagant.
Together their collective passion for piousness and material items may put you in the mind of Jim and Tammy Faye Baker, but Lee-Curtis and Trinitie lean heavily into the tragicomedy their real-life counterparts somehow managed to avoid.
鈥淗onk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.鈥 doesn鈥檛 hold back in its savage satire, but it is in the character work by Brown and Hall that cuts the deepest.
This image released by Netflix shows Kevin Hart, left, and Mark Wahlberg in "Me Time." (Saeed Adyani/Netflix via AP)
Most movies for kids often have just enough adult content to give parents a chuckle as the young ones giggle along with the silly stuff. 鈥淪hrek,鈥 鈥淢inions鈥 and even the wholesome 鈥淭oy Story鈥 movies have embedded subliminal messages and jokes for parents who sit dutifully by as their children watch
The same is not usually true with movies aimed at grown-ups. Mature themes about house husbands, unfulfilled career ambitions and marital discord aren鈥檛 exactly the stuff of family movie night. And that鈥檚 what makes 鈥淢e Time,鈥 a new Netflix comedy starring Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg, such a head-scratcher. Hart and Wahlberg should be able to squeeze some adult laughs out of the story of self-discovery by men who explore uncharted avenues in their lives, so why is so much of the humour aimed at kids?
Hart is Sonny Fisher, husband to architect Maya (Regina Hall) and father to two adorable kids. While Maya is advancing her career, Sonny put his dreams of being a musician on hold to stay home with the kids. At home, he鈥檚 a natural. It鈥檚 in the outside world that his awkwardness comes to the fore.
On the other end of the spectrum is his best friend, Huck Dembo (Wahlberg). The embodiment of YOLO, he鈥檚 a party boy and a risk-taker with a way with a phrase.
When Maya convinces Sonny to opt out of a family vacation and take some 鈥渕e time,鈥 he reluctantly agrees and winds up on Huck鈥檚 latest birthday adventure, a trip to Burning Man with a bus load of party people.
Cue the odd mix of adult reckoning and infantile gags.
鈥淢e Time鈥 squanders its two leads in a sea of wasted opportunities. Individually, Hart and Wahlberg bring the funny, so the comedic combo effect should be doubled, but director John 鈥淎long Came Polly鈥 Hamburg keeps his two stars apart for most of the film鈥檚 first half. By the time their hijinks really begin, the mix of sincerity and silly has already worn thin. Both actors try hard to elevate the poop jokes and frenetic physical comedy, but are left hanging by a script that attempts to mix and match adult concerns with juvenile jokes.
The result is a movie that feels like it can鈥檛 decide who it is for; the poop joke audience or the buddy comedy crowd.
鈥淢e Too鈥 is a childish movie that attempts to examine what it means to be an adult.
Daniel Zolghadri is pictured in a scene from 'Funny Pages.' (Photo courtesy A24)
鈥淔unny Pages,鈥 a new, chaotic rite-of-passage movie now in theatres and on VOD, seems to have taken the advice of one its characters to heart. Early on, an art teacher urges his student Robert (Daniel Zolghadri) to 鈥渁lways subvert.鈥 Director Owen Kline, in his quirky directorial debut, challenges the notion of a traditional coming-of-age tale in this gritty celebration of life鈥檚 outsiders.
When we first meet Robert, he is being mentored by Mr. Katano (Stephen Adly Guirgis), an encouraging teacher who heaps praise on the teenager鈥檚 drawings. 鈥淢ichael Jordon!鈥 he shouts when he sees a drawing he really likes. When Katano suddenly dies, Robert is left adrift, caught between his suburban parents (Josh Pais and Maria Dizzia), who want him to go to college, and his ambition to create Mad Magazine level artistry.
One quick brush with the law later, Robert quits school and subverts his life by renting a space in a rundown rooming house, already occupied by creepy roommates Barry (Michael Townsend Wright) and Steven (Cleveland Thomas Jr.). He鈥檚 hoping some of the unusual living situation will provide him with the edge he needs to create great art.
While working as an assistant for Legal Aid attorney Cheryl (Marcia DeBonis), Robert meets Wallace (Matthew Maher), a tech criminal who once worked as a 鈥渃olour separator鈥 at Image Comics. Despite Wallace鈥檚 crusty exterior and occasionally violent outbursts, Robert is drawn to his talent and tries to recruit him as his new mentor.
Most coming-of-age stories rely on a certain amount of uplift to provide an inspirational punch to the storytelling. Not 鈥淔unny Pages.鈥 This is the kind of movie that offers unlikable characters with no happily ever afters. It lives in the fringes of society, and the abrasiveness of the story鈥檚 denizens may turn off some viewers, but the richness of the performances is rewarding, no matter how edgy.
The movie鈥檚 gritty, grainy look matches its subject matter. There is nothing slick about 鈥淔unny Pages.鈥 Like the comic books it reveres, the movie is outsider art unconcerned with the niceties of coming-of-age conventions. It feels destined to become a cult film, much like the movies 鈥斺淐rumb,鈥 鈥淕host World鈥 鈥 and people 鈥 Joe Franklin, Peter Bagge 鈥 that serve as its inspiration.
In part three of a four-part investigation into the seedy underbelly of the lucrative clothing donation bin industry, CTV W5's Jon Woodward and Joseph Loiero look into allegations that the industry is rife with organized crime activity.
Canada will lower the number of permanent immigrants it allows into the country by at least 20 per cent from its previous target of 500,000, 愛污传媒 confirmed Wednesday.
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante announced Wednesday she would not seek a third mandate. Her decision has many talking about the demands of municipal leadership, particularly for women.
The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the Liberal party is 'strong and united,' despite efforts from within his caucus to oust him as leader.
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Abousfian Abdelrazik told a court Wednesday about the roller-coaster of emotions he experienced during the tense days of early 2009 when he awaited the green light to return to Canada from Sudan.
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A Real Canadian Superstore in B.C.'s Fraser Valley was evacuated Tuesday night due to a "suspicious" fire in the toilet paper aisle, according to authorities.
The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.
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Trash carried by a North Korean balloon fell on the presidential compound in central Seoul on Thursday, officials said, the second such case in recent months that raise concerns about the vulnerability of key South Korean sites during potential North Korean aggression.
Turkiye鈥檚 air force struck Kurdish militant targets in Iraq and Syria on Wednesday in apparent retaliation for an attack at a key state-run defence company that killed five people and wounded more than a dozen others.
The Justice Department warned Elon Musk鈥檚 America PAC in recent days that his US$1 million sweepstakes to registered voters in swing states may violate federal law, people briefed on the matter told CNN.
If you鈥檙e a regular visitor to Walt Disney World, your annual passes are going to cost you more. The resort in Orlando, Fla., hiked prices on all four levels of its passes on Wednesday.
Three people were found dead Wednesday and four others were hospitalized after an 'unexplained' incident at a care home in southern England, police said.
The U.S. said Wednesday that 3,000 North Korean troops have deployed to Russia and are training at several locations, calling the move very serious and warning that those forces will be 'fair game' if they go into combat in Ukraine.
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Officials in Hong Kong said Wednesday they have discovered dinosaur fossils in the city for the first time on a remote, uninhabited island that's part of a geopark.
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Evan Mobley had 25 points and eight rebounds to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 136-106 rout in Toronto's home opener on Wednesday as the Raptors also lost starting point guard Immanuel Quickley.
Former 'Malcolm in the Middle' star Frankie Muniz is set to continue his NASCAR career with a full-time ride in the Truck Series for 2025.
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He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.
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Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.
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He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.
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Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante will not be seeking re-election.
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A volunteer treasurer is facing charges after funds went missing from Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston鈥檚 riding.
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A Manitoba inmate who was released from custody by mistake has been arrested, according to Winnipeg police.
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Southey RCMP say drivers should expect delays on Highway 6 Wednesday night after a serious crash.
Regina police says officers will provide an update Thursday in its search for the suspect of a homicide that took place in the city during the summer of 2023.
Detective Robert Hofstetter examined Erb鈥檚 home after her death and came to several conclusions based on the blood stains he found there.
A psychologist who recently assessed Geovanny Villalba-Aleman believes he may have experienced a psychotic break before stabbing three people in a gender studies class at a University of Waterloo.
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Canada's discount airline is suspending operations to and from Saskatoon.
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The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.
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A 27-year-old man is miraculously alive after his pickup went over Hawk Cliff near Port Stanley. Fire fighters estimate that from the top to bottom of the embankment is around 270 feet.
A haunted house in the Town of Innisfil is causing a real scare for some people a week before Halloween.
Barrie police conducted a search on Wednesday of the last place Autumn Shaganash was seen in hopes of giving her family some answers to her mysterious disappearance.
A 34-year-old motorcyclist has died following a collision in Barrie鈥檚 south end on Tuesday.
The Windsor Jewish Federation responded on Wednesday evening to a decision by the board of governors for the University of Windsor concerning its agreements with pro-Palestinian protesters.
Windsor Fire and Rescue Services has been working to prepare for heightened HAZMAT risk ahead of relaxed restrictions around the transportation of some hazardous materials across the Ambassador Bridge.
As hospitals elsewhere in Ontario reintroduce mask mandates due to rising respiratory illnesses, Windsor hospitals are taking a more measured approach.
Two B.C. RCMP officers won鈥檛 face criminal charges for their use for force that left a man who had been arrested for public intoxication with a concussion, a torn shoulder and a chunk of his hair missing 鈥 but they could face professional discipline.
When 16-year-old Kaydence Bourque was struck and killed in a crosswalk on Cedar Hill Cross Road in Saanich in 2021, the community was shaken to the core.
A man who fired at least 19 gunshots at an RCMP detachment in northern British Columbia, narrowly missing officers inside, has won a reduced prison sentence from the province's highest court, which ruled the sentencing judge failed to fully weigh the man's mental illness at the time.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
Graduate students looking to become mental-health professionals will have more opportunities to study in the University of Lethbridge鈥檚 Master of Education Counselling Psychology program.
A dazzling light display is making its return to Lethbridge this holiday season.
As part of anniversary celebrations, the City of Lethbridge is inviting the community to see VisitLethbridge.com Arena like they never have before.
The lack of 24-hour public washrooms has been a long-standing issue in the Sault, especially considering the rise in homelessness.
The union representing the fire rangers with the Ministry of Natural Resources says money won鈥檛 fix the systemic problems in the workplace.
Rallies by a group called Voices Against Violence took place across the country on Monday, including Sault Ste. Marie.
Investigators found the remains of a 77-year-old American man on Wednesday at the scene of a fire that destroyed a hotel in western Newfoundland earlier on the weekend.
Police in western Newfoundland say a 77-year-old man visiting the province from Kansas is missing after a fire at a hotel in Deer Lake, N.L.
At 2 p.m. on Thursday, the scene at the Lions Club in Clarenville, N.L., rivalled any rowdy St. John's bar that thumps with music late on a weekend night.
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