Wedding Daze (2006)

Actor/writer Michael Ian Black is known for his appearance on TV series such as "Reaper", "The State", "Reno 911', "Ed" and most recently on the series "Backwash".

Known for his comedy, Black had the opportunity to write and direct his first romantic comedy feature film "Wedding Daze" starring Jason Biggs ("American Pie" films, "Loser") and Isla Fisher ("Wedding Crashers", "Rango", "Confessions of a Shopaholic").

The 2006 film features Biggs as the protagonist Anderson. A person who is very much in love with his girlfriend Vanessa (played by Audra Blaser), a young woman who Anderson considers "perfect".

So, what best than to give her the perfect proposal for marriage to show his love for her.

Unfortunately, for Anderson, his plan is to dress up as Cupid and visit her at the restaurant to propose to her. His best friend Ted (played by Michael Weston) can't believe what Anderson is about to do and disagrees with his plan and thinks it is embarrassing but for Anderson, he feels that he knows Vanessa and its the best way to propose to her.

While both argue outside the restaurant on who is right and who is wrong, Vanessa is being schmoozed by the waiter Morty (played by Mark Consuelos) and you can tell that Vanessa is starting to become quite interested in him.

Meanwhile, Anderson wins the argument and goes to propose to Vanessa. Shocked by the proposal, Vanessa is so happy that she has a heart attack and dies.

From that moment on, Anderson is a mess and one-year later, he is seen as a much bigger mess. Everywhere around him is something that reminds him of his dead girlfriend and he can't get over her.

One day, his friend Ted asks him to join him and grab a bit to eat a restaurant. And Ted tells him bluntly that he has to get over Vanessa and move on.

Anderson said he can't because she's so perfect.

But Ted insists that he take a look at other women and start over. Ted looks around and all he sees are older women that smoke and then catches the eye of a waitress in the restaurant.

Anderson tells him that if he does go out with a girl and gives it a try, will he get off his back. Ted agrees.

So, the waitress goes to take their order and the first thing that comes out of Anderson's mouth is "Will you marry me?" and surprisingly the waitress says "yes!" and accepts his proposal.

The story then showcases the waitress named Katie (played by Isla Fisher).

The story goes back a few days before the proposal and Katie is dating a man who is very feminine. Her parents Lois (played by Joanna Gleason) and Stuart (played by Matt Maloy) love him but Katie is not sure if she loves him at all. In fact, her boyfriend proposes to her and she tells him that "she'll think about it".

The next day, her mother can't believe that she is not accepting the proposal from a perfect guy. Confused about her boyfriend, she goes to her father Smitty (played by Joe Pantoliano) who is in prison, and tells her about her boyfriend's proposal and how she is not happy about it.

She goes back to work and tries to convince herself that she is happy about the marriage proposal and tells her friends and co workers Jane (played by Heather Goldenhersh) and Matador (played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach) about how she feels and Matador is quick to tell her that he doesn't like her current boyfriend.

And then we see the proposal once again, in which Katie says "yes" to Anderson.

Both agree to take things slow and live with each other. But still, Anderson feels guilty and starts thinking about Vanessa not approving of his decision to marry Katie. When Katie asks who is the woman that is pictured in his room, he tells her that it's Vanessa, a photo frame model and the reason why he is pictured with her is that he is a former model for a picture frame company. Katie doesn't question it and believes him.

But both spend time with each other and enjoy each other's company.

Meanwhile, Anderson introduces Katie to his parents, Katie introduces Anderson to her parents and sure enough, the parents don't agree with their children's choice of who they are going to marry. But Katie learns from Anderson's mother Betsy (played by Margo Martindale) that Vanessa is actually Anderson's girlfriend who passed away and is distraught that Anderson had lied to her.

The two get into a huge fight and it looks as if their brief relationship is over and the marriage is off.

And while they spend time away from each other for a brief time, both Anderson and Katie realize, they are actually falling for each other and want to get married.

And now with the help of Ted and Katie's friends, everyone takes off to Atlantic City for Anderson and Katie's wedding but in the process, Ted takes a car from the car lot that he works at and tells his boss it's for a test drive (and because he hasn't returned it, his boss calls the cops) and Katie's father has broken out of prison (and the cops are after him). To make things worse, Katie's former boyfriend has followed Anderson and Katie and wants to fight Anderson.

With all these obstacles, will Anderson and Katie ever get married?

VIDEO:

"Wedding Daze" is presented in 1080p High Definition (widescreen 1:85:1). Picture quality for the film is quite vibrant, black levels are pretty good considering this is a catalog title and I detected no artifacting, no edge enhancement on the video. For the most part, fans of the film should be pleased with the picture quality and vibrant colors.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"Wedding Daze" is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish 5.1 DTS and French 5.1 DTS. The film is primarily dialogue and music driven. Dialogue is clear and understandable as is the music coming from the front and center channels. There are some moments where the surround channels are used. When Isla shoots a gun into the ceiling or when Matador steps on the brakes of his car, you can hear the surround channels being utilized.

But for this romantic comedy, it's a front and center channel driven soundtrack.

Subtitles are in English SDH, Spanish and French.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Wedding Daze" comes with an alternate opening sequence and two deleted scenes.

JUDGMENT CALL:

"Wedding Daze" is a romantic comedy that has a few jokes that will make you laugh and has potential to be entertaining. Somehow, during its final half hour, it becomes uninspired and loses its humor and eventually becomes too kitschy for anyone to really enjoy.

As someone who grew up watching Jason Biggs on the "American Pie" films and also have been entertained by actress Isla Fisher in a few of her films, the idea to have a film that revolves around a shotgun wedding is sure to bring some laughs, especially with Michael Ian Black writing and directing the film.

First, the good. The good is that the premise of the story of two individuals trying out a relationship and getting married, despite not spending any time together is quite interesting and can be entertaining. Both characters, Anderson and Katie are normal people, it's just those that are around them are not.

And the storyline that is built around those characters is pretty much out of left-field and very crazy.

Anderson's father is hardcore into sex and gives Anderson his cock ring as a gift for his marriage, while his mother threatens Katie that she will cut her if she brings up Vanessa's name. As for Katie's mother, she is married to a shy Jewish man who has built a Jewnicorn and wants to make it to a toyline, while her mother still thinks about having mad, passionate sex with her ex-husband.

Throw in Katie's co-workers, Jane who wants to be in the circus and throws knives while Matador is just a strange individual.

Needless to say, there are some funny moments in the film as Katie tries to be sexy for her fiance, tasting Anderson's toothpaste dribble around his mouth and he accidentally spitting it out on her eye and temporary blinding her. I couldn't help but laugh.

But from there on, things become too kitschy as Michael Ian Black somehow changes the pacing and has everything focus on the group going to jail, breaking out of jail and having the police after them. It worked great during the Laurel & Hardy and Buster Keaton silent years but to focus a romantic comedy so much on it, especially for its climax, unfortunately instead of peaking, the storyline goes downhill and never recovers.

Actually, I had more fun watching the ending credits with the talent having fun and messing around than what was taking place in the final 20 minutes of the actual storyline of the film.

"Wedding Daze" is a Blu-ray release that features vibrant and solid PQ and the lossless audio soundtrack is about what I would expect from a romantic comedy. Special features are few with only an alternative opening sequence and two deleted scenes, all three which I'm glad were cut out of the film.

Needless to say, I'm sure Jason Biggs and Isla Fisher fans will have fun watching the film but while the film has its fun and charming moments, much of those moments happen earlier on and the storyline doesn't get any better.

Overall, "Wedding Daze" is popcorn romantic comedy that is not the best, nor is it the worst but its storyline suffers from lackadaisical writing and an uninspiring way to end the film that it comes up short.

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American: The Bill Hicks Story (2011)

In the booklet included with the new Blu-ray "American: The Bill Hicks Story", Mary Hicks, Bill Hicks' mother, is quoted as saying "When he got sick, Bill wanted me to help him file all of his photographs, and he showed me Hendrix and Dylan documentaries. I said, 'Bill, why are you showing me all of this?' and he said 'In case someone comes mom, and they want to make one about me.'" After watching this documentary on the late and brilliant comedian one has to wonder if the film makers would have been better off consulting Mrs. Hicks on the basics of telling compelling stories. As fascinating a subject as Hicks unquestionably is, this documentary proves to be an extremely disappointing dusting over of Hicks' career combined with an irritating level of gloss and flashy editing techniques which show a lack of respect for the subject in favor of displaying art school editing prowess.

The problem in reviewing a documentary such as "American" is many fans of Bill Hicks already know the back story of his life and career. There have been very good documentaries and books focused on this subject that do a fine job of divulging personal stories and anecdotes, and there are many bootleg videos and even commercially available dvd's that show Hicks in action on stage. "American" chooses to pick from these readily available sources to show the viewer the kind of comedian and voice he was. There are a few more rare performances shown, and those clips are definitely the highlight in this film, but for the most part one can't help but feel that old news is being rehashed constantly.

All of the interviews in "American" are with Hicks' family, friends, and fellow local comedians at the time, and while they are all very eager to tell stories about Bill, it's hard not to notice the complete and total lack of attention that is paid to some of the bigger names that respected Hicks. People like David Letterman, Jay Leno, and the New Yorker's John Lahr are ignored in this documentary, and if anyone had a significant impact on Hicks' career it would be these three. This total lack of recognition of the bigger names surrounding Hicks' story make the interviews with his family and friends that much more vacant. Not to say that his family and friends are not interesting, because they are, but when there is so much more history and voices being ignored it makes it hard to counteract other points of view that may not be so biased.

What leaves the biggest distaste in the mouth about "American" is the crow-barring of the editing and graphical style. The film makers obviously had a gimmick up their sleeves with how they wanted to show this story, and it takes so much away from the subject that by the end of the film you're left wondering if they film was about Bill Hicks or this new and wacky editing tool. All of Hicks' family photos are interspersed with cartoony and slick visuals that flat out annoy. During the entirety of the film the viewer will desperately wait for a moment that is just raw video footage instead of Hicks being portrayed as a cartoon figure reciting his comedy. More than that, though, you really have a palpable feeling that more time was spent in the editing and animating room than focusing on Hicks and his legacy. There is a ton to be said about Hicks by many different voices, and when you gloss over this fact with flashy animations all substance goes out the window. It's hard to imagine Hicks would be happy if this documentary ended up being the only film based on his life.

Bill Hicks is a precious subject. There is a reason why more and more people each year flock to his mind and words. He was an incredibly sensitive, hilarious, thought-provoking, and engaged person. This documentary does little to reflect that, sadly. It's hard to give a two-star review to a subject that is so brilliant, but any time more attention is brought to Hicks can only be a good thing. There are many other ways to discover Hicks and what he had to say, and this documentary should not be one that you consider. Start with his albums. "Dangerous" first, then "Relentless", followed by "Arizona Bay", and finally "Rant In E Minor". These albums are the only introduction you will ever need. As far as other documentaries about Hicks go, the Comedy Central produced "It's Just A Ride" is far more competent and telling than "American". It features interviews with both his friends and family as well as the more famous names that were there as Hicks rose to fame. I will also point out that the blu-ray edition features hours of extra content including interviews and performances which make this purchase a little more justifiable.

Understanding Hicks is sitting down and giving him your full and undivided attention. Part of the problem with "American" is that Hicks is reduced to soundbites and one-liners that were never Hicks' forte. When Hicks came on stage he told stories, weaving them together with other stories, coming back to them, referencing earlier jokes, and accosting his audience with declarations of love and concern. You cannot wrap up the Bill Hicks experience in a soundbite. Experiencing Hicks live meant that you had to ingest, absorb, and ruminate. Otherwise you just wouldn't get it. The quality of "American" is on par of a passing fan without much interest in the comedian; someone who may chuckle a bit at his stories but hold no interest in Hicks beyond a surface level curiosity, and ultimately not understand the bigger picture. While I can accept this probably isn't the case with the film makers here, they certainly don't convince to the contrary. Bill Hicks' message deserves much more than that.

Writing from Austin, Texas (Bill Hick's home base), I must say I am saddened and outraged that this release has not been made available here in the land of the free and the home of the brave. It is no surprise that this is a UK import they appreciated him more over there then they ever did here. Jolly good! I doubt this will ever get a stateside NTSC release. If you have a way to play PAL DVDs, then this is manna from heaven for any Bill Hicks fan. Kudos to the film makers for this awesome tribute to Mr. William Melvin Hicks! The graphics are unique and the film is a true testament to the impact Bill Hicks has had and continues to have as his words ring truer everyday.

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If you consider yourself a fan of the late Bill Hicks then this is a must see documentary. Very well put together as you get a chronological order of the events that took place on his rise to stardom. Included some early life and behind the scene details of Hicks' trials and tribulations. I thought the beginning of the film was a little slow but things quickly picked up as Hick's career started to bloom. Production did a good job including many of Bill's early and late footage of his shows. Fan or not, I think no one will be disappointed watching this film. Its unfortunate that we do not have enough people like Bill Hicks to invoke thought as well as put a comical light on issues that may normally bring about negative feelings. R.I.P.

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I saw it tonight on its second US release after NYC and before LA, in a small bar in Denton, Texas, surrounded by about 50 Bill Hicks fans, and if you get a chance to see it like that, do so. Next best, invite a few fans over to watch it, and rent it as Video on Demand.

It is an outstanding documentary, and it deserves to win all sorts of awards. And for true fans who think they have all the CDs and videos, you'll find enough new material to satisfy you as well.

Where are you now, Bill, when we need you so much? You're in this movie, and maybe you can still inspire people to stand up and be counted.

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I am a very big fan of Bill Hicks, and I think that the man was a visionary years ahead of his time. This documentary however seemed to shed less insight into his past than it did give the opinions of his friends. I know that having read the book, seen the Sane Man and other Bill Hicks DVD and that there probably isn't a heck of a lot more to learn so my expectations may have been too high. I'd say that this is worth renting but I'd stray awy from purchasing it unless you are a mega-fan buying it to fulfill a completionist urge.

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Guest Wife (1945)

A star turn for Claudette Colbert in an very amusing and well-written comedy. Happily married woman tricked into posing as the wife of her husband's best friend but the press get ahold of the story and her life and marriage are compromised. Amusing and adult script and marvelous Colbert make this a brisk, breezy and enjoyable film superbly remastered. Oscar nom for Original Score.

GUEST WIFE does not have the reputation of Claudette Colbert's greatest comedies, but it's a fine comedy with the beautiful star in fine form. Claudette plays the devoted wife of Dick Foran who finds herself forced to pose as the wife of Foran's best friend, Don Ameche. The sparkling Colbert wit and charm are in full force and the lady at 41 is every bit the beauty she was a decade earlier in her Oscar-winning triumph IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT. Heck, Claudette looked fabulous into her nineties!! This United Artists release, like most of their vintage films from independent producers from the period, rarely plays on television so this video might be your only chance to see this wonderful movie. The film's print is sparkling and the movie is (unusual for a video release) introduced by Roddy McDowell.

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Guest Wife is directed by Sam Wood, written by Bruce Manning and John Klorer, and stars Claudette Colbert (Mary), Don Ameche (Joe) and Dick Foran (Chris). The story tells of a journalist, Joe, who claims to his boss that he is married because the company would like their employees to be as such, and Joe wants to take some vacation leave. But he happens to still be single. Something that's now a major problem since his boss requests the company of Joe and wife for the weekend! His pal Chris lends him his wife Mary so as to bluff his boss into agreement, however, things start to get complicated.

Obviously hampered by the strict censorship that existed at the time of its making, Guest Wife none the less is a cheeky little comedy that boasts fun acting and a safe and solid script.. Tho referred to as a screwball comedy in some quarters, I feel that doesn't quite do the film any favours. Yes the gags are breezy enough, but they are hardly of the whirlwind scattergun variety. The interplay between the wonderful Colbert and the charming Ameche is spot on, even if the heavy cloud of censorship tone downs stops the material from being fully realised into a classic comedy must see. There's an itch about just who we are supposed to root for since Chris is a nice guy and Mary clearly loves him, and of course Joe is a bit of a cad when one considers his deception. Yet we are in the company of Mary and Joe for the most part, which although it be a fake marriage, it's a nice coupling. So either way come the end some viewers will be left disappointed.

Safe and tidy, with the film as a whole more likely to leave you with a smile more than a beaming grin. 6.5/10

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Virgin Territory (2007)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program This is something like a Shakesperian comedy, only with humor that's a little more raunchy. It takes place in Italy around the 17th century (or so) and focuses in on a sort of Don Juan character who is always on the run (played by Hayden Christensen). He finds sanctuary from the hoodlums who are chasing him by scamming his way into being the gardner of a convent. One can already imagine the mischief a lady's man is bound to cause amongst a slew of virgin(?) nuns!

Of course, as you've already guessed by now, there is a certain woman (played by Mischa Barton) whom he desires above all else. Only problem is, she's betrothed to, not one, but two(!) other men. Oh, what's a playboy to do!?

As the title indicates, there is some gratuitous nudity in the film. However, I actually thought there would be much more than there was, especially as they were constantly discussing the topic of intercourse. Sadly, Mischa Barton does not remove her shirt, but she still manages to steal the show. I look forward to seeing more movies with this stunning beauty!

If you enjoy British comedy, this film will likely be right up your alley. If you want to take a chance on a charming Romantic comedy based in a long-ago era, this film might be just the thing.

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Truth be told, I certainly wasn't expecting great art in a movie entitled "Virgin Territory." But I had an open mind. I had hoped for something light and silly, and indeed this film is light and silly--it just isn't particularly fun. A misguided effort to tell a Casanova story, "Virgin" is a period piece that owes as much to "Porky's" as it does to any swashbuckling epic. Add some bizarre Monty Python-esque moments, copious nudity and implied sex, and a strange narration by a superfluous character--and this movie completely baffled me. Romantic comedy or teen sex romp--"Virgin" is both and neither.

The film stars Hayden Christensen playing a charming lothario who seems to be absolutely irresistible. When faced with a gaggle of beautiful young nuns, he doesn't even have to work at bedding the entire convent. Every woman throws herself at poor Christensen. Needless to say, those of a more devout nature might not appreciate this movie. Christensen doesn't really overcome the deficiencies of the script. Seeing him in this straight to DVD clunker, I had to ask--"What happened to the promising star of 'Life as a House' and `Shattered Glass'?" Even Tim Roth, who adds class to any endeavor, can't elevate this film.

It's easy to find fault with "Virgin Territory," but I think the film's biggest issue is that it fails to connect with a target audience. Too infantile for a serious audience, it also misses other key demographics. Young guys that might enjoy the nudity are likely to be put off by silly romantic subplots. And those more interested in the story are likely to wonder just what there is to really care about. Those interested in the comedy might chuckle once or twice, but it's hardly a gut-buster. Mostly, though, viewers are likely to be disinterested. I know I was. KGHarris, 09/08.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I was wondering what to expect when i started watching this movie BUT i can honestly say it was kinda ok.. It's like a sex movie for 19-24 year olds. It was cheesey yet you couldn't help but watch at times.. I would truly have given it 2.85 stars...

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program While the film could have been an interesting big screen adaptation of the Casanova tale, with lots of young and up and coming actors and actresses, it falls into the trap of looking like modern day actors forced into these medieval roles. They just don't pull off looking like they should be in that time frame. Many, many comedic attempts have tried to go the bawdy romp route and failed, and this one is no different.

For a much better movie, and similar theme, look no further than television and the British production (shown in the US on Masterpiece Theater) of Casanova (Masterpiece Theater). It's a tremendously better play on the same plot, and you can see the production quality and performances are all a notch or two above this sophmoric, direct to DVD flick.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I remember reading about this film almost 3 years ago. It was suppose to be Misha Burton's vehicle to show her acting after leaving "The O.C." after three season. But after about 10 minutes its easy to see why the film skipped theaters and went direct to DVD.

The plot involves a lady's man, who falls in love with the one girl that he cannot have and comedic (yet forced) hilarity insues. I'm not saying that its a bad movie, but the production value is on the low side and the plot is increidbly predictable.

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Casa de Mi Padre (2012)

I love telenovelas! That being said, Will Ferrell's Spanish in "My Father's House" is just bad enough that I can almost understand it, and trust me: I do NOT speak Spanish, so the captions are a treat.

This delightful spoof takes itself seriously every single second of its running time, which always adds to the fun. When the badly made fake white puma laughed sardonically, I bought every moment; and I loved the horseback riding on stuffed animals with a fan blowing their hair. Any time our three heroes are riding in the pickup, the same scene goes by the "windows" and you can practically see the wires holding up the bushes. Rough scene shifts and laughably poor continuity were fun all the way, e.g., our hero has a roll-your-own cigarette in his mouth, dribbling tobacco down his shirt front. In the next camera angle...no cigarette. Then from another view, there is that cigarette again!

We follow the estupido second son of a successful Mexican rancher. All the dialogue is in Spanish with the exception of a creepy American DEA officer who speaks a clumsy combination. This cast is terrific:

* Will Ferrell ("The Other Guys") is Armando, a well-meaning but clumsy hombre who will never measure up to his padre's expectations. He is still a virgin because the "right woman" hasn't come along. I think his chances would improve if he could only learn how to roll his own cigarettes!

* Genesis Rodriguez ("Man on a Ledge") Sonia seems to be the "right woman" despite the fact that she is engaged to Armando's brother and appears to be connected to drug lords. In keeping with the telenovela tradition, she sings at the end!

* Diego Luna ("Y tu mamá también") Raul is Papa's favorite. Little does the old man suspect that his son's obvious succe$$ is NOT based on livestock!

* Gael Garcia Bernal ("Letters to Juliet") is an especially great "bad guy!" He lights two Canadian Slim cigarettes and smokes them alternately with either hand. He wears white cowboy boots that are waaaay too long, and is obviously having a blast! Actually, a sharp-eyed Amazon reader enlightened me: Those white boots are not too big for him. He says they are called chuntaros and they are made that way. I added this information on my blog @ JayFlix.net, as well. Thanks!

There is a hilarious scene where two Mexicans are discussing the drug trade. The "Narco" rationalizes that he isn't selling drugs to Mexicans, just fat, stupid Americanos. I was delighted with the equal time granted to the Gringos before the film ended!

The sound track is loaded with referential, mariachi-tinged música that adds to the fun. The men's trio "No Se" ("I Don't Know"), complete with bongos, was a delight. Amazon.com will let me know when I can add this one to my collection.

Nice parody of Westerns and Spanish telenovelas. Of course seeing a "gringo" play the lead in this comedy role with a largely Mexican cast was going to be fun, but Ferrell was absolutely perfect and the only guy that could have pulled it off very well.

It's true Will's career has been up and down with hits and misses, but he made a homerun here. I really enjoyed the movie.

With his poor broken Spanish and intentional bad acting guaranteed a laugh a minute. Just looking as his black perm and acting Mexican pretty much sold the movie. However, the barrage of over the top and bizarre sequences pretty much elevated the movie even more (and there are too many too list).

Probably my favorite involved the ones involving the "White cat" (pure gold).

The supporting cast is made of acclaimed Mexicans actors like Diego Luna, and the late Pedro Armendáriz Jr., and young up and coming actress Genesis Rodriguez who all gave great comedic performances.

You can tell they really had fun with this one.

Recommended.

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This deadpan spoof of Mexican "telenovelas" generates a fair quotient of laughs provided you tap into its goofy spirit. Will Ferrell stars in this all-Spanish language tale of a Mexican rancher who has to defend his father's land after his no-good brother (Diego Luna) shows up having owed a debt to a drug lord (Gael Garcia Bernal). Andrew Steele apparently wrote "Casa De Mi Padre" in English, but the film is a faithful Mexican soaper all the way through, and one's familiarity with the genre probably will dictate how much of the film you'll find funny. Though I'm certainly not a constant viewer of Univision, there are some inspired moments here along with several amusing songs penned by score composers Andrew Feltenstein and John Nau. Lionsgate's Blu-Ray of this barely-released comedy hits stores on the 17th with commentary with Ferrell, Steele and director Matt Piedmont on-hand; deleted scenes; commercials; a featurette; music video; and interview with the late Pedro Armendariz, Jr., who co-stars in the film. The 1080p transfer is fine (English subs run on the picture itself as opposed to below it) and the DTS MA audio is nicely engineered.

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Not a hater, but also not a Will Ferrell fanatic. I've liked him in stuff and not liked him in stuff. But I do think the concept behind CASA DE MI PADRE is sort of genius. Take a popular American comedic actor who happens to be the gringoest gringo around and plant him in a Mexican melodrama and have him speak entirely in Spanish. In Ferrell's own words: "It's telenovela meets bad Mexican western." Just the novelty of seeing Ferrell take on this out-of-left-field role and then full-on committing to it was worth the price of admission. To quote Kris Kristofferson's brief opening voice-over: "If it sounds Spanish, man, that's what it is. It's a Spanish movie." For trivia-heads, this is a nod to Kristofferson's spoken opening of his version of the song "Me and Bobby McGee." And, yes, those are Christina Aguilera's lips as she belts out the title song in the opening credits.

Ferrell plays Armando Alvarez, a humble Mexican who takes pride in toiling on his father's land. But the ranch has fallen on hard times, thanks in large part to the rampant neighborhood drug trafficking. The Alvarez household is pinning their hopes on Raul (Diego Luna), the other and smarter Alvarez son who now returns after years away making a success of himself. Raul brings with him his sultry fiancee Sonia (Genesis Rodriguez), and never mind that Sonia has messed-up ties to the local drug kingpin, the elegant La Onza (Gael García Bernal). And, it turns out, the bold and clever Raul isn't the panacea to the ills of the Alvarez clan. Far from it. So, now, can Armando step out of his brother's shadow and resolve the community's drug problem? He'll have to do it with an unending hail of bullets and in gratuitous slo-mo. Bring on the gun battles, but, please, not until the final 20 minutes.

With English sub-titles and shot in epic "Mexicoscope," CASE DE MI PADRE hilariously spoofs those trashy yet somehow addictive telenovelas. The filmmakers purposely riddle the film with deliberately obvious and cheap sets, with dubious blocking and editing gaffes and rear screen snafus. There are sight gags involving dummies briefly replacing the actors in action sequences. The film is scratched up in places and occasionally skips. There are bizarre hallucinatory interludes and musical numbers with the accompanying zestful gritos (really enjoyed the song "Yo No Se"). It all kept me giggling.

Will Ferrell's accent sounds convincing to me. I actually assumed his voice had been dubbed in by someone else. But, no, that's Will himself servicing the dialogue, relying on his four years of high school Spanish and a dialect coach and undoubtedly on his fellow cast members who are native Spanish speakers. It's weird, by the way, to see Gael García Bernal in a comedy and being funny. He's certainly funnier here than he was in AMORES PERROS. And that's exactly how I'm aiming to push this film to my friends: "Hey, check out CASA DE MI PADRe... it's funnier than AMORES PERROS." Plus, this one has a fake mystical white mountain lion. Just in case that's the decider for you.

The DVD's bonus stuff:

Audio Commentary with Will Ferrell, director Matt Piedmont and writer/producer Andrew Steele

The late Pedro Armendariz Jr.'s Final Interview (00:03:38 minutes)

10 Deleted Scenes (totaling 00:19:38 minutes)

Making Of CASA DE MI PADRE featurette, worth it alone for the segment featuring Luna and Bernal in a sit-down interview (00:15:44 minutes)

"Fight for Love" Music Video original song performed by Will Ferrell and Genesis Rodriguez

3 fake commercials (totaling 00:02:57 minutes)

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I thought the movie was going to be interesting and fun because of the cast. However, it was boring with no good story or funny situations.

Don't waste your time watching it.

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South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)

Simply amazing. You can say that it is nothing but fart jokes and toilet humor, but it is so obviously much more than that. What Trey Parker and Matt Stone have done is created one of the most thought provoking and clever comedies of all time and the greatest musical of the decade. Not only is it truly hilarious, it is also one of the most controversial movies of all time. It is mocking the hypocrisies of the MPAA and the average American parenting, as well as many other countless subjects. Not that it isn't a bad thing :) I would have rated it the day I saw it, but I decided to look it over more carefully to see all the undertones that it contains. It is also a great musical. With the help of Marc Shaiman, Trey has created greats like "Mountain Town", the infamous "Uncle F**ker", the Oscar-nominated "Blame Canada", the Les Miserables parody "La Resistance Lives On", and the Disney-based "Up There". However, it is definitely not for children and actually holds the world record for the most profanity in an animated movie, with 399 swear words, 221 acts of violence, and 128 offensive gestures. This wanton swearing is objectionable, but that aside, this is one of the greatest movies of all time, and not even the angry parents can deny it.

For some reason, I can't sit through a half-hour of the South Park TV show. I enjoy it well enough, but it never really holds my attention. The humour always seems stunted on the small screen, very ribald but always in an inconsequential way. Well, free from the restrictions of television, Stone (no relation) and Parker have made a tremendously funny companion movie that manages to weave social satire using thread made up of curse words. And surprisingly, it became one of my favourite movies in recent memory.

And not to be forgotten, but it's a damn fine musical as well.

From the opening refrain of 'Mountain Town', it quickly becomes apparent that the satire will be witty and tight, parodying Broadway musical standards for their own twisted purposes. But the whole thing takes a wicked left turn with the infamous song 'Uncle F**ka' (I truly despise having to put the asterisks in, but then I guess that's the kind of thing this movie is railing against). It's a nonsensical, roll-on-the-floor-laughing, swearing-for-swearing's-sake song from the movie-within-a-movie starring Terrance and Philip. And it throws down the gauntlet for all that is to come.

The remaining songs are all perfectly placed parodies, which serve to advance the narrative, provide character development, and serve up more opportunities for poopy jokes. All noble causes, I'd say. Favourites include 'Kyle's Mom is a B**ch' (which if you listen close enough, is actually quite poetic), and 'What Would Brian Boitano Do' (or WWBBD, in which the 1988 Olympic Champion is held up as an all-knowing superhero). And of course, the closing credits contain a soulful, sincere performance by Doobie Brother Michael McDonald of 'Eyes of a Child' ("Sure, life is kind of gay/But it doesn't seem that way/Through the eyes of a child") that spoofs the drek David Foster and Diane Warren regularly churn out.

Special mention should be made for 'Blame Canada'. Any true Canadian knows who the target of that one is, no?

The brilliance of this movie, it appears to me, is that Stone and Parker figured that the only way to top their TV show would be to up the ante with the movie. Thus we get Saddam Hussein as a butchy homosexual lover of Satan, the execution of Bill Gates, and of course 'Operation Human Shield' in which all the black residents of South Park are not only expected to shield their white army mates from Canadian attack, but are strapped to the tanks as well.

And of course there's the swearing. I read somewhere that this is the movie with the greatest proliferation of cuss words. Well, bravo I say. Bring your grandma and your kids, cause in the end all that swearing actually makes a very powerful point. And Cartman's final coup de grace -in which his cussing actually saves the day -is as good a condemnation of the censorship of speech as anything this side of Newspeak from George Orwell's '1984'.

Buy South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999) Now

Ok, ok, this is one of those guilty pleasures. I have to admit that I hate listening to people swear, think the animation in South Park is unbelievably lame, don't care what happens to Kenny and I like Canada (well, sort of.) So what makes this film so funny?

Probably the over-the-top raunchiness that characterizes all South Park. The first time someone played a tape of the cartoon for me, I was gasping with laughter and had to rewind the tape to catch the stuff I was missing while I was convulsing on the sofa. (It was the 70-foot satellite dish issuing forth from Cartman's posterior that caused me to nearly lose consciousnes.)

A little bit of vulgarity is annoying. Somehow, a ton of it, big heaping gobs, is hysterical. When you get to Terrence & Phillip's song number in their "film within a film" you will know what I mean.

There's not only a lot of Terrence & Phillip (Canada's hottest action stars) but also a catchy, Academy-award nominated theme song (Blame Canada) and a very funny Satan who finds Saddam Hussein just a bit insensitive and uncaring.

I laughed hysterically through the entire film. If you like South Park, the full-length movie will not disappoint you in any way.

Read Best Reviews of South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999) Here

This movie takes all of society's politically correct garbage and puts it in its rightful place the trash. This brilliant musical with the South Park characters tells it like it really is. Poking fun at censorship, racism, religion, Les Mis, and Saddam Hussein along with other topics too numerous to mention, this movie will have you crying from laughter. If you have any type of education (and sense of humor) you can't help but appreciate the movie not only for it's over the top antics but it's well thought out message(s) and underlying themes.

However, if you are easily offended by cursing or can't handle reality stay as far away as possible and go back to the mindless safety of Disney.

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I missed this when it was on the pictures over here in the U.K., so I thought that I'd try the DVD. What a laugh. I've been watching the series from episode one. To be honest, I thought that it was starting to get a bit boring.

This film re-instated my enthusiasm for the whole South Park thing. If you like or have ever have liked the series, then I guarantee that you will love this film.

If you can find humour in foul language, sex, death, pornography and politically incorrect satire, then this fella's for you.

If you don't like South Park or you're easily offended by... Foul language, sex, death, pornography and politically incorrect satire then you would be wise to give it a wide berth.

It's easy. If you like South Park or that kind of humour then you'll absolutely love this film.

If you don't like this kind of stuff, then don't bother, because it will offend you, with ease.

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