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Review: ‘Sex Tape’ an X-rated tale with a PG plot

By WTOP Staff

JAKE COYLE
AP Film Writer

The high-concept comedies spawned by “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” need to start using birth control.

Judd Apatow’s landmark film rightfully ushered in a new era in comedy, but it has also inspired a now sizable cottage industry of thin movies (“The Hangover,” ”The Five-Year Engagement,” ”Bad Teacher,” ”Horrible Bosses,” ”The Other Woman”) with concepts boasting good titles but shallow stories.

Of these, only one (“The Five-Year Engagement”) had Apatow’s imprimatur. He and his cohorts have mostly moved on to telling stories about various seminal chapters of life — child birth (“Knocked Up”), high-school graduation (“Superbad”), young parenthood (“Neighbors”), 30s singledom (“Bridesmaids”), middle age (“This Is 40”) — and many of these make up some of the best comedies of the last decade.

“Sex Tape,” however, belongs to the former group and it marks a low point despite coming from several Apatow acolytes. It’s directed by Jake Kasdan, a consulting producer on “Freaks and Geeks” who went on to direct “Bad Teacher.” ”Sex Tape” reteams that film’s lead duo, Jason Segel (a near constant in Apatow-land) and Cameron Diaz, the always game, wide-smiling muse for what’s now been several generations of comedy.

A screwball that takes its genre literally, “Sex Tape” is about a West L.A. married couple, Annie (Diaz) and Jay (Segel), trying to reawaken their love life after years of marriage and two kids. Following failed attempts with double-knotted roller skates and new venues like the kitchen floor (“I can see my to-do list,” says Annie), they settle on making a porn for themselves that tours through the positions of “The Joy of Sex.”

In the first of many outlandish plot twists, Jay hands out his old iPads like party favors at a get-together of friends and family. Hours afterward, an anonymous text makes him realize that each iPad has their video stored on it, due to a syncing app he favors. The technological premise has already been debunked, but that’s a minor issue for the movie.

While this set-up could have gone somewhere interesting (shouldn’t the video go viral?), the screenplay by Segel, his writer partners Nicholas Stoller (the director of the far superior and somewhat similarly themed “Neighbors”) and Kate Angelo bizarrely settles for a suburban nighttime odyssey wherein Jay and Annie try to take back the iPads.

This includes a stop at their friends’ house, a similar couple played by Ellie Kemper and Rob Corddry; a visit to Annie’s prospective new boss, a family website CEO who wants to buy her blog (Rob Lowe); and a Los Angeles pornography warehouse (with a memorable uncredited cameo by Jack Black).

In short, it’s a PG plot for an X-rated story. The movie is so desperate for laughs that it resorts to gags like a chasing dog that can open doors and Lowe’s family guru doing cocaine lines with Slayer pounding. Segel’s gratuitous full-frontal nudity in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” was far funnier and more surprising than anything in “Sex Tape.” He has slimmed down notably, seemingly going for a more grown-up (and, alas, less funny) screen presence.

To its credit, there’s a lightness to the film and the performers are uniformly likable. When Kemper and Corddry appear (their couple yearns to see the video as their own turn-on), you wish the movie would stick with them and their nervous energy.

“Sex Tape” tries to somehow bridge the gap between the traditional romantic comedy and today’s porn-addled digital world. It’s a valiant effort, and there is something — though only very little — of Cary Grant’s scampering in “Bringing Up Baby” to Segel’s mishaps around the CEO’s mansion. But “Sex Tape” doesn’t sync.

“Sex Tape,” a Columbia Pictures release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for “strong sexual content, nudity, language and some drug use.” Running time: 95 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.

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MPAA rating definition for R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

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Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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