Galaxy Quest (1999)

Never Give Up. Never Surrender.

You can both like sci-fi and make fun of it. Galaxy Quest proves it with this delightfully-cast spoof of iconic sci-fi series and the fate of their has-been actors. Former captain of a Star Trek-like TV spaceship and has-been diva, Alan Rickman's character and his crew are reunited at a comic-con where they are approached by actual aliens. The extraterrestrials are convinced that the actors are a true spaceship crew who has the power and knowledge to save them from the space threat they are facing. Let's be clear, Galaxy Quest is not a masterpiece of the 7th art but an unpretentious comedy classic. How often do you get to witness a sci-fi icon like Ellen Ripley making fun of the genre that launched her career as one of the best movie stars to ever set foot on Hollywood soil? Whether or not you enjoy old sci-fi series, Galaxy Quest plays for both teams. Its friendly self-mockery style underlines the ridiculous misuse of female characters in ancient science-fiction and the unjustified worship of its alpha male hero. 

1 reason to watch: Sigourney Weaver. Oh and did I mention Sigourney Weaver?

Carnage (2011)

4 neurotic parents trapped in a Brooklyn apartment reveal their true self under their respectable yuppy covers in order to defend their son's honor.

I wanted to watch Carnage because I usually like when Roman Polanski makes movies behind closed doors. And of course, I couldn't wait to see this impressive cast trapped in a Brooklyn apartment: Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, and John C. Reilly. Sorry Seth (MacFarlane and his tribute song to actresses' upper parts from the 2013 Oscars ceremony), you won't see Winslet's boobs in this movie! Waltz' character is a first class a-hole and Foster's is totally nuts. Carnage is the story of 2 couples dealing with their sons' fight and its consequences. I was honestly a bit disappointed with the movie. It's not as subtle as I hoped it would be (when Winslet pukes on Reilly and Foster's hardwood floor I wondered 'who does that? You feel like throwing up and you don't run to the bathroom? You stay here in the living room and puke on the books?). Plus, it hardly comes to a conclusion. The characters are complete unbridled maniacs from the start. It made me laugh a few times as it underscores the ridicule of those neurotic yuppies. Carnage is based on a play and it's often the case for characters to be infinitely more intense and overplayed on live theater. I would have liked Polanski to re-work the screenplay entirely to adapt it more easily to the different feel of cinema. If you want a much better Polanski claustrophobic piece, I'd recommend you watch Death and the Maiden (with Sigourney Weaver and Ben Kingsley): on a stormy night, a man has to find shelter at a neighbor's whose wife is convinced the man once tortured her while playing Schubert.

1 reason to watch: the incredible cast

1 reason NOT to watch: you'll find much better Polanskis