Genres

Visitors Review

Paul Celano 2013-05-04 10:35:27

In search of bigfoot

This film was a delight to watch, but did get slow at parts. At partsyou did feel a little bored, but something would come up to get yourattention back for a bit. It had light humor, but it was a nice chuckleand relaxing. The cast in the film was pretty good. Luke Wilson wasdecent, but not his best role. Now they needed an actor to play a offthe wall weird teacher who is obsessed with bigfoot. So they pickedDavid Koechner, who at first I thought wouldn't fit, but he proved mewrong. Gretchen Mol played the main female role and she did a good job.The film is all about a teacher trying to get tenure. That in itselfsounds like a boring piece of work, but luckily they did put some humorin the film. That is basically what David Koechner was for. Some sceneswere a bit out of the ordinary, but it really fit with the film. Thisindependent film didn't rely on anything crazy like special effects.Just nice dialog and a decent cast. This would be one of those niceSunday afternoon movies to watch.

2013-05-03 18:59:37

I love Luke Wilson but...

This review is from: Tenure (DVD) He has been in better movies then this. However, I just happen to be a Luke Wilson fan, so I'm glad I got this.

elivbg1 2013-04-18 19:24:44

A great comedy with some serious stuff inside

I was actually pleasantly surprised. For some reason, I find manycomedies produced lately virtually painful to watch. I was wondering ifthis movie would be the same... I found it to be completely refreshing;great cast, quirky characters. May be not so over-the-top impressivecharacters but the main characters were very likable. Luke Wilson seemslike a decent actor, in this movie I felt that I was seeing a person,so I felt more connected to his role than some of his other roles. Iloved the "Bigfoot" characters. And I liked the ending, too-- good butnot too good to be true. I also like to comment on the theme, gettingtenure. I am a university assistant professor and the process is allthat and more. It is a nerve-racking process. I will stop here becausethere is too much detail that goes into this, which would be of nointerest to the general reader. The movie did do a decent job ofshowing some aspects of the system yet with a great sense of humor.

2013-04-17 23:21:54

Loved It!

Very moving and funny film. An unexpected gem. The characters ring true throughout and there is never a false note. The film manages a great balance between sarcasm and sincerity. I completely loved it!

r-victorlaszlo 2013-04-08 23:09:58

Hilarious!

Hilarious! I saw this movie at the Hamptons Film Festival, and quitesimply... I laughed my ass off. Seriously, it has the makings of a realcult classic. There was a group of teenage boys and girls sitting to myright, and a couple who were probably in their 50's/60's on my left(I'm in my 30's) and we were all cracking up audibly. It reminded me ofwhen I saw Tootsie in the theater back in the 80's - the audience woulderupt in laughter and it didn't seem to matter the age of the person -everyone was getting it - it was just plain old funny. I'm a huge fanof movies, and especially comedies, and this one hit it. Luke Wilson isgreat- and not only is he funny - but he does some seriously goodacting - this is a role where you get to see that yes, as my girlfriendkept reminding me, he's handsome as hell, and yes, as anyone who's seenhim before, he's a funny dude, but in this film, we get to see him act,and he does an amazing job. Put this with Gretchen Mol, who always doesa great job, and looks amazing, but plays a very sensitive character...I want to see these two together again. The whole cast is strong, andthrow in David Koechner - the funniest I've ever seen him and if you'veseen him, you know how funny he is (he threatens to steal each scenewith a character that will probably have college kids dressing up likehim next Halloween) ... like I said, you have the makings of a cultclassic here. You really should catch it in the theater too - you needto have that sensation of laughing with other people - you get thatfeeling like you're joining a club when you watch this movie. I can'twait to bring my friends as soon as this hits the theaters so I can sayI was the one who told them about it first, and yes, I plan to see itagain. Can't wait. Neither can my girlfriend (hopefully not justbecause she wants to see Luke Wilson's handsome mug again)

2013-04-08 11:42:26

Gentle, Understated Gem

Professor Charlie Thurber (Luke Wilson) loves teaching, and his students love him back, some a little more than they probably should. But he hates academia's competitive paper chase. After being passed over for tenure once too often, he decides to knuckle down and join the game at bucolic Grey College. But a screw-loose colleague, a sexy competitor, and family pressures may be more than a loyal English professor can bear.This straight-to-DVD gem will probably never get the recognition it deserves. PR people can't compress its concept into a plug line. Its gentle, optimistic tone defies hip cinematic cynicism. And its low-key humor, based on characters and language rather than broad physical comedy, will never rake in the big bucks. Yet I can't help but love this film, possibly because I see myself and my colleagues here on screen.Wilson plays Thurber so he has our sympathy, but doesn't need our pity. He excels at what he does, and students seek his help because he's a good teacher. But being good isn't good enough anymore. Anybody who's ever postponed grading or given students just enough to get by while hammering on our own scholarship to show the department we deserve to exist, will recognize Thurber as one of our own.And this movie doesn't jump out waving jazz hands to convince us we ought to laugh. Despite a few exaggerated moments, it mainly displays an understated quality that shows its audience a level of respect we've grown unaccustomed to recently. If more movies like this came out of the mainstream Hollywood dream factories, Sunset Strip might have fewer zillionaires, but the movies would still be something to look forward to.

2013-04-04 03:27:12

Very unfunny comedy about the academic world

In a fictitious small college, a mediocre professor of English literature (played by Luke Wilson) see his job threatened because tenure is soon up, and the university has decided to bring in to compete for his job a supposedly brilliant as well as beautiful young professor from Yale (the lovely Gretchen Mol). This is supposed to be an affectionate satire of the academic world in the US, but I found little affection in what I see. As for the supposed humor, I don't recall laughing once at this movie. Seeing these people with their ridiculous trappings, the vain and pompous administrators, it is clear these professors and administrators add very little value to the rest of the society, yet they live not badly and with a certain status. While the movie obviously exaggerates, from what I read is a not altogether incorrect depiction of life in the rarefied US academic world. Are academics smart people? It doesn't seem so from this movie. Here they look pretty pathetic. It's funny how the Gretchen Mol character is repeatedly described as super smart, when she seems to be the typical dumb blonde (she is the most likable character in the movie, though). The Luke Wilson character, though not entirely unlikable, is a man in his late thirties that is still single and unattached, without any real prospect of improving his life, if anything, it is clear that his life would go downhill from here. The character of the anthropologist friend is downright pathetic (and the big foot thing? what was about that?). The dean and the old lady playing the academic director were also repellent characters. Clearly most of these people could not get a job outside of academia. Seeing this movie, I understand why more and more people believe that tenure should be abolished.

napierslogs 2013-04-03 16:19:39

"Tenure" has its faults, but it's still OK

"Tenure" is a comedy about college professors. It has its fair share ofproblems, mainly that it has a really weak (in some cases false)description of college life for professors. And its hard to call this acomedy.The jokes are very sophomoric, you may laugh a little bit, but thesejokes are for the lowest common denominator. I found it a very odd mix,since generally movies about academic professors are supposed to bemore intelligent. Do not mistake this movie as intelligent. DavidKoechner (who I am generally not a big fan of) is in the main comedicrole, he crosses the line from professor to student, and his jokescross the line from decent to unacceptable.That aside, the rest of the movie is a pretty good exploration of asmart, but insecure, 30-something guy. Luke Wilson is his usual,likable self, and I looked forward to the resolution for his character."Tenture" is not the smart, funny academic film that I was expecting(and that I think it was supposed to be), but I found a bit of myselfin Luke Wilson's character and I was smiling at the end. If you ignorethe promise of high comedy, this film can be enjoyed.Follow my blog Napierslogs' Movie Expositions athttp://napierslogs.blogspot.com

2013-03-28 09:49:25

"It's not the end of the world. It's only tenure."

The tenure process in academia is a process that many people do not understand. Lifetime employment? How quaint! How ridiculous! How wasteful!Here's the deal (or one version of it). Tenure gives faculty the freedom to avoid politics in the search for scholarship. You can see why this might be more essential in some areas (political science, sociology, art) than others (engineering, biology, chemistry). But the standards for getting tenure, although they vary from institution to institution, usually make receiving tenure difficult. Many jobs have a probationary period that make it easy to get rid of an employee if the fit is not working out. Then, the now ex-employee looks for another job. These probationary periods commonly last for 3-6 months.Now try this system. You are on probation for 6 YEARS. And if you fail to pass this threshold, you almost certainly will have to downgrade your professional plans, plans that have probably taken you to one or more graduate degrees plus the 6 year investment. So when "Dr. Sasquatch" (played by David Koechner) tells his best friend, a professor (played by Luke Wilson) in English Literature concerned about getting tenure at Grey College, "It's not the end of the world. It's only tenure," those in the know KNOW it is the end of THAT world.Charlie Thurber (Wilson) is an excellent teacher, but he can't seem to get any publisher interested in his scholarship. Jay Hadley (Koechner), already denied tenure, makes it his mission to help Thurber, even when it involves trashing the reputation of the new English professor (Elaine Grasso, played by Gretchen Mol), who is publishing up a storm.Bigfoot makes cameos throughout.Tenure is a gently uplifting comedy, with a number of subplots (erotic poetry club, herbal enhancement, and hired girlfriends) that will also make you smile and chorkle.

Jizdenky 2013-03-28 02:11:18

War of the Teachers

Mike Million's 'Tenure' gives the impression that it's a universitycampus comedy. I found the premise refreshing and appealing. Theproblem is that the comedy parts are just not that funny and Milliontries too much to make it quirky funny to the point that it backfiresas he goes way over the top and tumbles down.I found the Jay Hadley character very annoying and not to be a verybelievable professor. The Rosemarie DeWitt track also feltout-of-place. The movie should have just stayed focused on the keycharacter Charlie Thurber. Many people of his age would be able torelate to what he's going through. I liked the Million avoids clichésin places. For example, the Teacher's pet sequence was well done.On the technical side, the score is pretty good and the camera capturesthe simplicity and beauty of the location. The woods and countrysideare nice to look at. The pacing is very slow, especially at thebeginning. Luke Wilson is terrific. His restrained performance asCharlie makes the character all the more real. And if this film isworth watching then it's mostly because of him. David Koechner does hisbest with an ill-written character. Gretchen Mol is cute and likable.Sasha Alexander is wasted.Overall, it's not as bad as many reviewers have made it out to be butit could have easily been a lot better.

napierslogs 2013-03-25 00:48:59

"Tenure" has its faults, but it's still OK

"Tenure" is a comedy about college professors. It has its fair share ofproblems, mainly that it has a really weak (in some cases false)description of college life for professors. And its hard to call this acomedy.The jokes are very sophomoric, you may laugh a little bit, but thesejokes are for the lowest common denominator. I found it a very odd mix,since generally movies about academic professors are supposed to bemore intelligent. Do not mistake this movie as intelligent. DavidKoechner (who I am generally not a big fan of) is in the main comedicrole, he crosses the line from professor to student, and his jokescross the line from decent to unacceptable.That aside, the rest of the movie is a pretty good exploration of asmart, but insecure, 30-something guy. Luke Wilson is his usual,likable self, and I looked forward to the resolution for his character."Tenture" is not the smart, funny academic film that I was expecting(and that I think it was supposed to be), but I found a bit of myselfin Luke Wilson's character and I was smiling at the end. If you ignorethe promise of high comedy, this film can be enjoyed.

2013-03-24 13:16:07

Great Show

Had a friend recommend Tenure to me and I loved it...! Good show! I'm not a man of many words for shows, but love a good one when I see one... Recommend it to anyone.....

2013-03-23 12:24:34

purchase of DVD "Tenure"

This review is from: Tenure (DVD) No problems! Everything was most efficient. A very good experience. Movie most enjoyable. I recommend it.

ivealwaysgotmail 2013-03-23 01:49:44

Great Movie, All Around well done, The rare 10/10 just enough Comedy movie!

Seriously, One of the best comedy's i have seen in a while, Some greatone-liners in there, a simply perfect cast, great storyline, justenough random humor, Loved it.Its rare for me to rate a movie this highly but this movie isn't one ofthose movies with funny moments and boring lulls, its one of thosemovies that just keeps you smiling and giggling the whole time and itsthe best of its kind that i have seen.Its been a long time since i have been so pleasantly surprised by amovie like i was this one, I definitely recommend this movie to any andall people who like to laugh and smile, Which I'm pretty sure are mostpeople ;-).

2013-03-18 02:15:51

Slow -

Luke Wilson stars in the college comedy, Tenure. This is Blowtorch Entertainment's first original production. Mike Elton directs but need a little more pizazz in his pacing and emoting of the characters. Tenure is about Dr. Thurbur, a beleagured college professor who competes for tenure with a new colleague. She is a professor from Yale and very attractive. David Koechner co-stars as an anthropology professor. He is a sidekick that also has a "Big Foot Club". Luke Wilson could do so much more with his character, but was constrained throughout. "Tenure" has potential, but is a half-hearted try at comedy and romance.

2013-03-17 23:40:56

Expectations make or break this DVD

Being as this received little to no ad support and the amount of customers asking for this has been nil, I had only ordered a few copies. Once I finished watching this slightly tedious piece though, I felt the main success would be from those expecting a quiet melancholy college life film, supplanted with a loser filled dark humor theme. Throw in a significant Bigfoot search subplot with Koechner leading that charge, and you have a strange little independent film.Wilson is his normal self here playing the morose professor fighting for his tenure, with a perverse sidekick in Koechner (who never really goes into the slapstick/sight gag realm here - he is just plain weird), and one bizarre role of the Alzheimer's dad played by Bob Gunton. No memorable performances, but maybe a couple of laughs, so if you expect nothing (no outright Luke Wilson/Koechner laughorama lines here) then you will be slightly entertained. The writing was skewed towards awkward moments in every day life that almost become unbelievable, but Wilson has the power to convey that with his known looks of confusion.The picture quality is good and the sound is solid for being a first-time feature from this group. The special features are scant and include several minutes of deleted scenes and gags. The entire gag reel is Koechner doing everything he is famous for - so in that aspect this DVD might be worthy enough for you. The only deleted scene worth watching is Koechner being chased by Bigfoot. 3.75 for the film and DVD quality and .25 for the supplements. Region 1 coded.

2013-03-17 08:49:12

Quirky take on faculty politics

"Tenure" turned out to be a pleasant watch, a fun and quirky take on college politics, revolving around a college instructor's attempts to obtain tenure. Luke Wilson plays Charlie Thurber, a popular English professor who just can't seem to publish anything, and this places him at a disadvantage when it comes to procuring the much-valued tenure. His best friend, a professor in the anthropology department, Jay Hadley (David Koechner) is a bizarre character who is adamant that he has evidence that Bigfoot exists, and pulls all sorts of stunts, often with the hapless Thurber getting dragged along for the ride.Thurber's only other rival for tenure is newcomer Elaine Grasso (Gretchen Mol) who is not only from Yale, but has managed to get her article published. There are several other story arcs that all kind of mesh together, albeit in an awkward manner at times - there's Thurber's father William (Bob Gunton), a former professor and resident at a memory care facility; Thurber and his sister's constant bickering about their father's care and the money needed for it (she demands it, he makes excuses); Hadley's Bigfoot club and their pursuit of the elusive sasquatch; the erotic poetry club that Thurber agrees to advise with only one member; the female student who comes on to Thurber - quite a lot of story arcs for a small, indie flick.Somehow, the various story arcs come together, and ultimately this is a low-key comedy/drama that might appeal to those who can relate to faculty politics.

Cami 2013-03-16 14:52:17

Always available

A college teacher at a small institution loves to teach,yet he is being pulled in many directions and is in the midst of classroom,collegiate and family obligations. All the while he is awaiting promotional tenure that may or may not ever come--yet he is always available.Pretty amusing segments especially,his parent being chased by hosp staff, the organic vitamins,a Yeti field trip organizer,a dating fee dinner, and creative poetry sessions.Grade C+ for college dazeSim-- "Browning version" "Dangerous minds"

candigale 2013-03-04 23:23:50

Very funny movie

I found this movie hilarious. I came across it on Cinemax. I had neverheard of it; but I found myself laughing all the way through. Whoeverwrote it is a genius. The boyfriend from Yale always plays funny parts;i.e. Reno 911 & Eastbound and Down. Whenever I see him in anything, Istart laughing before he speaks. I know he is going to be funny. Ihaven't seen Luke Wilson in anything lately, and I know he is a funnyactor. He is very monotonous, but the looks on his face are what killme. And David Koechner acting like an idiot is also something you canalways count on. He is crazy. I saw him on Funny or Die in skits calledMen of unquiet desperation, or something like that. He played a parkingattendant, and I could not stop laughing. He is also someone who makesme laugh before he even starts speaking.

George 2013-03-04 09:38:22

Publish or Perish

"Tenure" hits home for me, who foraged through college academia for 25 years, and came close to, but never achieved that sought after prize of a guaranteed, permanent job. I would liken it to the process of "razing," a constant succession of challenges and roadblocks thrown in your way by those who have already survived and made it. As Henry Kissinger said after a career at the height of government, compared to that college politics are the worst of all. He's damn sure correct. So, if this movie falls short it is that it somewhat trivializes the traps and doesn't show enough of them. I suppose that this being a comedy, we can't hardly blame it for that. The main character's friend, who has already been denied and is living out his final 'grace' year is too over the edge--I never observed a character like him, as he would not be hireable in his 'out there' frame of mind. The big disappointment for me was Gretchen Mol who plays the part of a new, highly published professor formerly from Yale (as prestigious as it gets) and therefore an immediate threat to our main character. Urged to be his avowed enemy by the goofy prof, he can't help but be attracted to her beauty, attractive personality, and her revealed vulnerability. She trusts him with the kind of secrets that is well advised not to share in the real college world. Her weakness is his strength--he is a superb teacher, much loved and respected by his students. Her strength--nearly all her articles are published in important academic journals--is his weakness. And in the 'publish or perish' atmosphere of most universities, failure to publish dooms you, no matter how good a teacher you are. This may surprise those of you who have no direct connection to the world of higher academia, but it is absolutely the truth. In my own career, I was very much like our protagonist, and it brought back many unpleasant memories. There is a humanist ending which I will not reveal, but one that doens't happen very often. It certainly avoided me! A very watchable one-time viewing movie, even if this is not your world.