Live, from a musty copy room somewhere in Burbank, comes the latest edition of my all-new and semi-awesome adventures.
- So on the political front, it looks like tonight might finally mark the end of the long, seemingly neverending road for Hillary Clinton and her prolonged race for the Democratic nomination. It remains to be seen exactly how this will all play out, and the next few days should be interesting. Let's hope for a graceful exit. That being said, after this election, the primary system really needs to be reexamined. I mean it really is amazing how large a percentage of the Democratic delegate count is determined by the Super Delegates, and how iffy some of these delegate counts are to begin with. Personally, I don't see why all elections can't simply be determined by popular vote. If millions of votes can instantly be tabulated for the likes of American Idol, why is it so hard for this to be done for a presidential election?
- So turning to the world of entertainment ...
The MTV MOVIE AWARDS aired on Sunday. Man, I have fond memories of this show from year's past. Of course, it's rare to find anything worth watching on MTV these days, but I was at least somewhat excited to see that the talented Mike Myers was hosting this year's festivities, rather than like Tila Tequila or something. The awards themselves were the usual ridiculousness - Transformers as movie of the year? Seriously? Even by MTV standards that doesn't make much sense. Suffice it to say I'd be curious to do a quick check and see how many of the night's winners fall under the same corporate umbrella as MTV.
However ... I thought overall this was a pretty entertaining show, probably the best since Jack Black hosted several years back and did a hilarious Lord of the rings parody. Myers and co did a great job with the preproduced sketches. Myers got to try out some funny new characters, each parodies of various backstage Hollywood types. Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., and Jack Black starred in a pretty hilarious short parodying the viral video craze. And, best of all ... Mike Myers and Dana Carvey reunited to do an all-new Wayne's World sketch! Schwing! This alone was worth the price of admission, and it was insanely cool to see Wayne and Garth back with a vintage sketch. It made me realize something too ... it made me realize that now, more than ever, the world is ready for WAYNE'S WORLD 3 to be made. Come on, Myers, make it happen!
- Alright, speaking of out-there comedy, time for a movie review of the latest comedic film that has all the cool kids talkin'. Yep, I'm talkin' 'bout ...
THE FOOT FIST WAY Review:
- There's no better feeling as a comedy fan than that of having your mind blown by something new and never-before seen. That feeling of sitting down and watching, for the first time, something like The UK Office, or Da Ali G Show, or Flight of the Conchords, or Arrested Development. The feeling of seeing a movie like Wet Hot American Summer, or Napoleon Dynamite, or Office Space, and realizing that the definition of funny has just been turned on its head.
So is The Foot Fist Way up there in the comdy pantheon? Is it, as the hype would have you believe, the funniest thing since sliced bread, a movie deserving of enthusiastic endorsement from the likes of Will Ferrel, Patton Oswalt, and Seth Rogan? Is this the next big thing in comedy?
The answer is: almost, but not quite. The amazing thing about The Foot Fist Way is just how much raw potential everyone involved exhibits. There is genuine hilarity at the core of this movie. But in execution, the end result is a bit of a mixed bag. The movie is simply not quite as funny as it wants to be. In fact, at times it morphs into a strange, excessively dark sort of drama, going so far with its characters that it becomes genuinely disturbing rather than just awkwardly funny. But like I said, the raw talent is unquestionably there. There's no doubt: martial arts instructor Fred Simmons, as brought to life by Danny McBride, is a near-classic creation. McBride creates a memorable character here, fleshed-out and wholly authentic. The same can be said for a number of the supporting players, as well as, in general, the world of the film. Everything feels real, accurate, and therefore rife for merciless mocking. It helps that the movie was shot outside of Hollywood and with a number of non-actors. If Napoleon Dynamite leaned more towards the surreal, this one is much more grounded. Still, Fred Simmons, the "king of the demo," is a larger than life character in the vein of a David Brent or any number of Will Ferrell creations - a guy who is the king of his own small, sad world yet, when the curtain is pulled back, he's kind of sad and pathetic.
Fred Simmons, despite being a pudgy, redneck-ish guy, paints himself as a master martial artist, the ultimate mentor to his loyal class of students young and old. And yet, as we see Fred's home life, we realize he isn't quite as indestructable as he'd have his students believe. Fred's biggest problem: his wife seems to be a chronic flirt and sometime cheater. Fred's great white hope is Chuck "The Truck" Wallace, a Chuck Norris-esque martial artist / movie star who Fred idolizes. When the two meet at a karate expo, Fred convinces Chuck to visit his class, thinking it will be a watershed moment for him personally and professionally. Instead, Chuck isn't all he's cracked up to be, and soon becomes not just a nuiscance to Fred, but his mortal enemy.
As mentioned, the movie descends into some very dark comedy as it progresses. It somewhat tries to be an uplifting story, but ends up being an almost depressingly sad portrait of a pathetic guy with delusions of grandeur. Still, there are a lot of laughs to be had. Fred's passive-aggressive relationship with his wife, for example, produes some of the movie's most downright hilarious moments. Same can be said for Fred's interactions with his "apprentice," a rolly-polly kid named Julio, who seems mostly just confused as to what Fred sees in him. The kid playing Julio is great, and really steals a number of scenes. I also really got a kick out of Fred's friend Mike, played by the movie's director, Jody Hill. Mike was a dead-on parody of a certain kind of wannabe nerd, who worships all things martial arts. Mike speaks in a deadpan deep voice, sounding like he's mimicking a bad Hong Kong movie dub. He has bleach bonde, slicked back hair, constantly reminds people of his black belt, and is in a death-metal band. Hilarious. Mike definitely has some of the movie's best lines as well.
So again, this is a movie that I would recommend that any comedy fan check out. I wouldn't put it in the absolute top tier of comedy flicks, and I can't say it quite lives up the enormous wave of hype that preceeded its theatrical release ... but I give it points simply for being a unique, original vision and for being consistently entertaining. Even if at some points the humor stops clicking and the plot overwhelms the comedy, the characters alone were fun and interesting enough that it's just entertaining to see them in their natural environment. Part of the problem may be that the movie kind of sets itself up to be a Will Ferell-esque laugh-a-minute comedy, but ultimately plays it a little straighter, a little more Office than Anchorman. If anything though, this is a pretty impressive debut for Danny McBride, Jody Hill, and the rest of the Foot Fist Way team. I for one would be very interested in seeing what they come up with next.
My Grade: B+
- Okay, the fumes from the copier are about to knock me out. I'm outta here, dude.
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