By Rex Reed 3/07/12 12:04pm

movies

Friends-With-Kids-3

Friends With Kids: Do-It-All Jennifer Westfeldt Paints a (Modern) Family Portrait

They say if the hope for a distinguished movie career becomes a steep climb in this age of hack directors, lousy scripts and formulaic trash, then do it all yourself. A lovely triple threat named Jennifer Westfeldt is putting this theory into fast-lane action. The cowriter and star of the independent film Kissing Jessica Stein now returns as producer, sole scriptwriter, director and star of Friends With Kids, a snappy and warmly observed film about the contemporary mores of dating hell, marriage and parenthood. She’s obviously been influenced by the candid, full-frontal assault on decency by people like Judd Apatow and the Farrelly Brothers, because the film sometimes borders on pornography, but it has more heart and is more intelligent and mature in every way. And Ms. Westfeldt gets a lot more than show-off obscenity from her actors. The tightly knit ensemble of friends and supporters she has drafted is committed and talented, and the camaraderie pays off. Read More

By Drew Grant 1/06/12 9:30am

Comedy

Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein (Getty Images)

Portlandia’s Second Season Premieres at the Museum of Natural History to Comedic Crowd; Accidentally Hallucinating Reporters

First, a little bit of back story: The night before The Observer was to go to the screening party for the sequel season of Portlandia, the IFC comedy show starring Saturday Night Live fixture Fred Armisen and Sleater-Kinney’s Carrie Brownstein, an Irishman stepped on our lighter in a bar. In exchange for the gaffe, the gentleman offered us a fist-sized piece of homemade organic chocolate truffle, wrapped in decorative foil. How sweet!

As we dashed our way to the Museum of Natural History last night in order to see what could possibly top the catchphrase “Put a Bird On It,” we split the giant confection with a fellow famished coworker. Which would have all been fine, if we hadn’t made the completely understandable mistake of confusing “chocolate truffles” for “chocolate-covered mushrooms.” No, not truffle mushrooms. The other kind. (In hindsight, putting actual truffle mushrooms into chocolate doesn’t make any sense either.)

We guess that’s why your parents warned you never to take organic candy from strangers. Ooh look, there’s Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig! Are those two glowing, or is just the hallucinogens kicking in? Read More