Stacy's Blog Has Got It Going On

 "It takes a heavy sack to sign up for this contest." -The Major Every year, fifty teenage boys are selected to compete in The Long Walk.  Fall below the speed of 3 miles per hour too many times and the military convey surrounding the competitors will give you your ticket out of the competition.  The Walk doesn't have a finish line.  It keeps going until there's only one Walker left standing. What Works: So cards on the table, I love the book The Long Walk .  It was the first Stephen King book I ever read and it remains my favorite to this day.  I've always wanted to see a movie adaptation, but I was nervous that the filmmakers might not do it justice.  I was so excited to watch this, but I was also very anxious.  With a massive sigh of relief, I can say this is an extremely worthy adaptation. Let's start with what they kept from the novel.  Obviously the basic story is the same, but the most important feature beyond that is the dialogue. ...

 "Well, what do I know?  I'm Jeff Winger's dumb, gay dad." -Britta Perry "Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking" picks up with the study group arriving at the hospital after learning about Pierce's (Chevy Chase) overdose.  Abed (Danny Pudi) is already there because Pierce asked him to film a documentary on what is about to transpire.  Pierce tells the study group that he is dying and is going to bequeath gifts to all of them.  Pierce isn't actually dying, but is planning on getting revenge on the others for not treating him with respect. Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown) is the first to receive her gift; a CD, which Pierce claims is a recording of the others talking badly about her behind her back. Britta (Gillian Jacobs) is next.  Pierce gives her a check for $10,000 to give to a charity of her choice, but, as she leaves, he mentions there isn't anything stopping her from giving herself the money, which makes Britta feel extremely guilty, as she could...

 "Books!" -Abed Nadir "Early 21st Century Romanticism" picks up with Troy (Donald Glover) and Abed (Danny Pudi) both crushing on a librarian, Mariah (Maite Shwartz).  They get her attention by periodically yelling "Books!" before pretending like they are asleep.  Since they both like her, they ask her to attend the Valentine's Dance with both of them to get to know them and decide who she would like to see again.  Mariah agrees. When the study group meets, several of them express concern about the amount of painkillers Pierce (Chevy Chase) is taking.  Britta (Gillian Jacobs) arrives and the group sees her say goodbye to her new friend, Page (Brit Marling).  Britta tells the group that Page is a lesbian, so Pierce, assuming Britta is dating Paige, reads off a prepared statement, which is offensive, but surprisingly supportive.  Pierce then pops another painkiller and moonwalks out of the room.  When the rest of the group suggests an intervention, J...

 "I attack them using my...addition notes." -Troy Barnes A student at Greendale, Neil (Charley Koontz), is known as Fat Neil.  Everyone calls him that, which causes Neil to become depressed.  Surprisingly, the only person who seems to notice is Jeff (Joel McHale), who begins spending time with Neil and feigns an interest in Neil's favorite pastime, Dungeons & Dragons.  Neil ends up giving Jeff all of his Dungeons & Dragons books and claims he won't need them anymore, which causes Jeff and Annie (Alison Brie) to worry that Neil might attempt suicide.  Jeff and Annie gather, Troy (Donald Glover), Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown), Abed (Danny Pudi), and Britta (Gillian Jacobs) and they decide to play a game of Dungeons & Dragons with Neil to try and cheer him up.  They realize Chang (Ken Jeong) was in their planning session the entire time, but decide to not address it and let him play.  Pierce (Chevy Chase) isn't invited to play, but was secretl...

 "Well, that answers my question.  Jeff Winger is sexy even in a coffin." -Dean Pelton "Celebrity Pharmacology" picks up with Annie (Alison Brie) getting the rest of the study group to be in her play about drug awareness.  They agree to be in the play and start rehearsing, but none are overly enthused about being in the show.  Pierce (Chevy Chase) is especially upset because he doesn't have any lines, but is playing Drugs. Britta (Gillian Jacobs) complains to Jeff (Joel McHale) about a guy she is seeing who texts her too much and she doesn't like flirting over text.  Later, when Britta isn't in the room, her phone gets a message from someone named Marcus (Justin Marco).  Jeff decides to help Britta out by flirting with Marcus for her, but Abed (Danny Pudi) tells him that it's a bad idea. Pierce tries to get Annie to give him more lines in the play, but she brushes him off.  Later, he notices her collecting cans from garbage cans around campus.  He...

 "Whiskey for the pain." -Millie When Millie (Alison Brie) gets a job teaching in a small town, she and her boyfriend, Tim (Dave Franco), move away from the big city, even though Tim is very reluctant to do so.  As the two grapple with their new home and their relationship is tested, the pair go for a fateful hike in the woods and discover something that will forever change them. What Works: I think Together is a film that would have worked with pretty much any two actors in the lead roles, as long as they had chemistry with one another, but Alison Brie and Dave Franco bring this to another level because the actors are married in real life.  They add a level of authenticity and intimacy to these characters and their relationship.  They elevate this movie to a degree I can't overstate, which makes it so much easier for them to bring you along on this disgusting journey. This is a body horror movie, a genre I love because if you're going to make a body horror movie, th...