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First Look: Eastbound and Down with Danny McBride

BuzzSugar — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:37:19 -0800

Kenny Powers was supposed to be baseball's next big thing, but when he got to the big leagues, his obnoxious personality (and his not-so-fast fastball) became his ticket right back out. He thought he'd mount a comeback, of course - but for now, he's plotting his next move from his brother's couch while working as a substitute gym teacher. As HBO puts it, "Every kid has a great ball player they look up to. Kenny Powers is not that guy."

Powers - played by Danny McBride, sporting an amped-up version of his Pineapple Express mullet - is the central figure in Eastbound and Down, a new comedy series premiering Sunday on HBO following Flight of the Conchords. The show has a lot of funny folks behind it: It's produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's production company, the same folks who run Funny or Die. (Ferrell himself makes occasional appearances as a car salesman with a hairdo that puts McBride's to shame.)

Considering it's an HBO series, Eastbound and Down has been relatively under the radar, so I'll be curious to see what it's like on Sunday. For now, to check out a promo for the show and a related ad starring Ferrell, just read more.

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Step Brothers: Middle-Aged Men Behaving Badly

BuzzSugar — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:30:03 -0700

Step Brothers is yet another entry into the canon of movies that have resulted from the collaboration between director Adam McKay, star Will Ferrell, and (. . . wait for it) producer Judd Apatow. After mining all kinds of scenarios for comedy (anchormen, race car drivers, the '70s in general, etc.), even these funny guys have to hit the bottom of the barrel sometime. I imagine the concept that would result from that rock-bottom brainstorming session would go something like this: "How about instead of making a movie about a guy who has a grownup job but sometimes acts like a childish loser, we literally just make a movie about a childish loser?" In other words, it would look a lot like Step Brothers.

And so it goes, with Ferrell of course taking the overgrown-child role. Add to the mix a crew of esteemed supporting actors including Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins, and you end up with a familiar comedy that explores some unfamiliar territory (Ferrell's private parts - I'm not even joking). The movie had me buckled over in my seat laughing about half the time, but I spent the rest of it horrified and a little bored with how standard it all felt. To see what I loved and what I'm tired of, read more.

Stripped of all the bravado that his moronic characters usually boast, Ferrell's Brennan Huff is actually humble, painfully aware that he is the world's biggest loser (he still lives at home with his mom even though he's 40-something years old). His mom (Steenburgen) speculates that things went wrong for her son after some public humiliation by other kids, led by Brennan's older brother Derek (the pitch-perfect Adam Scott). Then a middle-aged fellow in a similar boat, Dale Doback (John C. Reilly), is forced to move in with Brennan when their parents get married. The two immediately resent each other - and by "resent," I mean Dale tells Brennan how much he hates him, and then they quite literally go at each other's throats.

For the most part, the shtick works, and the two stars have great chemistry together. And when Ferrell whips himself into an angry, manic, f-bomb-laden frenzy full of sex jokes and scatological humor, it's occasionally worth a chuckle. Mostly, though, the act feels tired: The novelty of Ferrell flying off the hook like that has worn off for me by now. It's a little different when Reilly does it; we're not as used to seeing him channel immaturity and comic rage. But even then, the infantile tantrums that resort to third-grade jokes get old fast.

But, when the movie is actually working and thinking at how to make us laugh (rather than resorting to the tried-and-true stuff), it's really, really good. The fellas stay true to their characters, and in a lot of moments the natural humor inherent in their situation comes through. For example, Brennan is believed to be a great singer but is hesitant to perform for anyone. When he finally does sing for his new brother, Dale is so moved that he describes the gorgeousness of Brennan's voice as "a combination between Fergie and Jesus." Later, when we're introduced to the d-bag that is Brennan's tormenting brother Derek, he's driving his family along in a car, demanding they sing a song together and that everyone's harmonies are in key and timed perfectly. It's one of my favorite scenes in the movie.

Ferrell is a talented guy. He's especially great when he puts a little effort into making us laugh and saves the angry meltdowns and the exposing of body parts for when it really counts. Thankfully Step Brothers has more going on than just its star's juvenile proclivities.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

Movie Preview: Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly in Step Brothers

BuzzSugar — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 11:28:41 -0800

It's still no Anchorman or Old School, but this next Will Ferrell project Step Brothers looks like it might be at least better than Semi-Pro. For one thing, it's directed and co-written by Adam McKay who wrote Anchorman and who, of course, collaborated with his daughter Pearl to make the viral video "The Landlord." For another thing, it seems like it will be based on these two big kids, Brennan (Ferrell) and Dale (Reilly), and their competitive/loving relationship, as opposed to something a little more gimmicky, like race-car driving or the 1970s in general.

In other news, this is the movie for which Will Ferrell auctioned off a role to support his friend's charity, Cancer for College. The role ultimately went to a 10-year-old boy from Dallas for just over $47,000.

Step Brothers opens July 25. The trailer made me laugh out loud in a few spots, so to check it out and tell me what you think, read more.

Photo courtesy of Sony

Judd Apatow Rounds Out Funny or Die Team

BuzzSugar — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 16:10:50 -0700

It was probably just a matter of time.

Judd Apatow has joined Will Ferrell and Adam McKay to round out the team behind funny video site FunnyOrDie. The guys have been friends for years, so the collaboration only makes sense to them.

FunnyOrDie might prove helpful in the coming months as a writer's strike looms over Hollywood. The site has been touted as a way for the guys to find other funny people with whom they may want to work in the future. Read: If you are a funny person and submit a video to FunnyOrDie and they love it, you might - might! - someday be welcomed into the coveted Apatow circle o' laughs.

You can see the funny video the three guys made as their announcement if you read more

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Jeremy Piven to Play a Desperate Car Salesman

BuzzSugar — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 12:27:17 -0700

And somehow, this seems fitting.
In the first deal between Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's company Gary Sanchez Productions and Paramount Vantage, Jeremy Piven will play a used-car liquidator in a "high-concept comedy" titled The Goods: The Don Ready Story.

More details.
According to Reuters, "Piven will play a character who's hired to save a struggling car dealership during a Fourth of July weekend sale."

Good call, folks.
After seeing him play a sleazeball in Smokin' Aces, and considering how convincing he is on "Entourage," it seems right that Piven stick to these desperate or depraved characters. Hopefully with his skills and the influence of the Ferrell-McKay duo The Don Ready Story will be a super success.

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Link Time!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:30:14 -0700

Stephenie Meyer's The Host will be made into a movie - MTV Movies Blog
Betty White will play herself on 30 Rock - Zap2It
Dwayne Jones, Samuel L. Jackson, and Steve Coogan cast in Adam McKay's The Other Guys - Coming Soon
K-Fed joins the cast of Celebrity Fit Club - TMZ
True Blood's jewelry line has stainless steel and dastardly silver pieces - FabSugar
Bruce Willis' 10 best movies - Rotten Tomatoes
Where's Kirk Cameron? Preachin' about Darwin - Best Week Ever
The early Oscar predictions get started - Moviefone
Pee Wee Herman: Planning a comeback - Vulture
Can Modern Family be the new Arrested Development? - TV.com