Labor Pains (2009/First Look Blu-ray + DVD)
Picture:
B/C+ Sound: B-/C+ Extras: D Film: D
In many
ways, the latest generation of would-be Hollywood stars is looking like the
lost generation like nothing we have seen before. If you subtract the majority of them,
non-actors who would never make it at any other time in the town’s history, it
is not a pretty picture. Then there are
those who have talent and let it go right down the drain like Lindsay Lohan, it
is tragedy, just like her latest film, Labor
Pains.
This is
not the story of Lohan trying to keep her employment at major studios, but is
Co-Writer/Director Lara Shapiro’s idiot plot comedy about Lohan as a bad
employee who drives her boss (Chris Parnell) crazy enough (the only convincing aspect
of the whole 89 minutes) to fire her.
That is until she instantly thinks up the lie that she is pregnant!
Fortunately
for all of us, she is not, but she then has to explain away why she does not
look it and just about every is idiotic to believe her… except any viewer with
half a brain watching this. Many will
say critics are out to get Lohan, but in this case, there is a good reason
because the projects she is picking are sooooooooooo, sooooooooooooo bad. Lohan believes (is it off-screen addiction
troubles) she is funny, but what worked as the “I’m smart but not always smart
gal” formula is something she outgrew years ago and is just plain
pathetic. Along with Parnell, other good
actors also wasted (hope they got their paychecks) include Cheryl Hines,
Janeane Garofalo, Tracee Ellis Ross and Jay Thomas.
After
this, even Republicans will make an exception and approve of abortion in this
case!
The 1080p
1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image on the Blu-ray is the default highlight
here, looking better than expected, though that does not extend to the
anamorphically enhanced DVD. The Dolby
Digital 5.1 mix on both formats is weak and would-be joke-based, but it sounds
barely better on the Blu-ray, but poor all around. We sadly get extras, including a Making Of
featurette and previews in both formats.
The Blu-ray adds (to no avail) Production Stills and Cast Interviews,
but by this time, you’ll have moved on too.
- Nicholas Sheffo
