Today, I’m going to go with a new format for The Morning After. Each film will have its own separate review posting and this article will bear links to each individual movie review. The only review content that won’t merit it’s own page will be television series reviews, which will continue to be highlighted in this article.

So, here is what I watched this weekend:

12 Monkeys

Terry Gilliam’s films may never be considered masterpieces, but they are always involving, frequently entertaining and often bizarre, twisted fairy tales. 12 Monkeys is a bit more restrained than traditional Gilliam, but no less interesting to watch. Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis are at the top of their game in this pseudo-sci-fi commentary on terrorism and social behavior. It made me wonder whatever happened to Madeleine Stowe and I found her with a sporadic but respectable career on television.

Trading Places

Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy flex their comic muscles in a film that succeeds more based on the script than their performances. Matter of fact, it’s almost painful to watch Aykroyd in this film. Murphy is certainly good, but this film excels thanks to Jamie Lee Curtis and Denholm Elliott who enhance every scene they’re in. The film doesn’t hold up too well after 20 years of semi-obscurity. Most remember Murphy’s Beverly Hills Cop, but even that feels like it’s faded unlike many ’80s blockbusters.

Coupling

While I love many American television series, I’ve been on a BBC kick lately, catching everything from across the Atlantic. I’ve now moved on to this Steve Moffat comedy called Coupling about six neurotic Londoners who share sex advice and relationships. They are a conflicted and eccentric lot, but the show never fails to make me laugh. The first few minutes of the first episode take a bit to get through, but once it hits its peak, it’s funny as hell. While I liked Friends a bit, this show is more frank and brazen than Friends ever was, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for both in this mixed up world. Though, if you ever thought there must be a world of difference between the British and the Americans, you would be mistaken. Watching this show just confirms how similar we all are. The only real gap between us is that the British aren’t as afraid of sex as a punchline. Broadcast networks would be too timid to do half of what Coupling managed to do in its first season alone.