Banter is one of those things I really dig in movies and TV. Some actors really nail banter. Dennis Leary and Kevin Spacey are two of those actors. And they're both at the top of their game in The Ref. (Which happens to be a Christmas movie, in case you didn't know.) Family gatherings at the holidays can be stressful things. We see that clearly in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. For every bit of utter silliness in that movie, there's equal measure of darker dysfunction in The Ref. For some reason, that sort of dark holiday comedy didn't play well to the movie-goers of 1994. But there was an audience, a pretty solid and continually growing one, for this sharp and biting commentary-filled dark comedy. If you haven't seen it, you should. Watch me talk about it in today's vlog. Don't forget that you have some say over what … Continue reading →