Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2008 - (Page 20)

REVIEWS I TRAILER PARK BOYS: THE MOVIE Prebook 3/25; Street 4/22 Universal/Screen Media, Comedy, B.O. $3.9 million, $24.98 DVD, ‘R’ for pervasive language, sexual content/nudity and drug content. Stars Robb Wells, John Paul Tremblay, Mike Smith. www.homemediamagazine.com the day-to-day world, the milieu has consistently proven irresistible to filmmakers and audiences alike in countless films that have either used the setting to illustrate the woes of society in a drama or revel in the excesses of low culture in what can best be described as “white trash comedies.” By nature, audiences for these films should have a strong appetite for the depiction of the seamier side of rural or suburban life. Those viewers hungering for a heaping dose of low-rent would-be criminals, drugs, booze, strippers and other grotesqueries will find themselves wildly satisfied with the TPB movie. Focusing on the latest criminal scheme of perennial losers Ricky, Julian and Bubbles, the film follows the characters from their most recent stint in the slammer to the concoction and hilarious execution of the fabled “Big Dirty,” a plot to make off with many buckets of untraceable coins, find their fortune, leave their lives of crime behind and settle down. Impressively, the film somehow manages to be, at times, both wildly excessive and distinctly Canadian in its subtlety. – David Greenberg T he amount of funny people and comic projects with Canadian pedigrees that have tumbled over the border into the United States over the years is hard to ignore. From such performers as Dan Aykroyd and Jim Carrey to sketch-comedy institutions such as “SCTV” and “The Kids in the Hall,” laughs with an accent from the Great White North have long had a major impact in this country. While little known in the United States, the series “Trailer Park Boys” has been a cultural sensation since it hit the small screen in 2001. The arrival of a feature film adaptation brings the potential for another comic Canadian invasion. While the reality of living in a trailer park likely holds little appeal for many people in I BAD MEAT Street 3/25 Arts Alliance, Comedy, $19.95 DVD, ‘R’ for some crude sexual content. Stars Billie Worley, Lance Barber, Chevy Chase, Judah Friedlander, Ben Bailey, Frank Caeti, Melissa FosseDunne. S cott Dikkers, editor in chief of The Onion, directed and cowrote this comedy about two small-town dimwits who hatch a kidnapping scheme involving a prominent politician. Both friends have motivation for the crime. Buddy (Barber of For Your Consideration), a petty criminal, wants to move up in the world, which to him means making the top of the FBI’s most-wanted list. Mild-mannered factory worker Earl (Worley of “Early Edition”) wants money to put a down-payment on a trailer, a condition set by his longtime dream girl (Fosse-Dunne). When Congressman Bernard P. Greely (Chase) suddenly dies, so does their plan. That is until Buddy decides to hold the corpse for ransom, which causes a world of trouble. Fans of comedy-on-the-run movies such as Midnight Run and Dumb and Dumber may find things to like, including the likeable Barber and Worley, but it’ll be tough. Many of the jokes from Dikkers and co-writer Michael J. Hirsch are crass and obvious, and most of the actors lack the comic timing to salvage them. A critical plot point to Buddy and Earl’s kidnapping fiasco involves a series of blatant oversights that even the least discriminating viewer will have trouble forgiving. Perhaps the most troubling aspect of Bad Meat is the sight of Chase, the man who made audiences howl in the 1980s with Caddyshack, Fletch and National Lampoon’s Vacation, phoning it in wearing a bad toupee and false teeth. Also bothersome: The talented Friedlander (of American Splendor and “30 Rock”) dancing around in his underwear and doing little else. Both actors deserve better than this. – Pete Croatto 20 Home Media Magazine March 23–29, 2008 http://www.homemediamagazine.com http://www.tlareleasing.com

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Home Media Magazine - March 23-29, 2008

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