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A Fond Look At A Vince Vaughn & Luke Wilson movie called OLD SCHOOL plus DEAN QUIXOTE and ROLLING KANSAS!
Hey folks, Harry here... Well then, this OLD SCHOOL sounds like quite a good movie... it has a great cast and I'm looking forward to getting to see it, and actually the other two films sound like they're worth checking out too. Here ya go...
Hey then,
Dig the site. I have written for you a few times in the past and now I feel the need to render my (mostly favorable) reviews of one film coming in the future, and a few in a state of limbo. Lets start chronologically, shall we? Starting with a few indie-pics and leading up to a really entertaining flick--OLD SCHOOL (Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaugn).
--I'll begin with a movie I saw many months ago, but have yet to hear anything since. It's a nice, quaint little marijuana-flick then (and maybe now) titled ROLLING KANSAS. It stars a bunch of relatively unknown college-age kids (for instance--the fast food worker in Super Troopers). These young adults are, "in dire need of some cash" (whats that line from), and decide to take part in a journey to a magical forest of weed located in Kansas. Along the way, they encounter trouble, a sage-like Rip Torn (in an odd, but amusing role), happiness, and in the end, they all find something out about themselves. The director, Thomas Haden Church (Lowell from the tv show "Wings") and Kevin Pollack make for some of the funniest moments as two federal agents who confront the kids. Now, he film was a definite rough-cut, so I feel it unnecesary to criticize a few pacing issues which I hope will be resolved. And the music was temporary I believe. And here is an important feature. They need a great soundtrack to really kick this picture into high-gear. As of now it's fair, but a road-trip movie needs a kickass soundtrack. All in all it was amusing, and could be made a lot better with a few kickass songs.
--Moving on, I'll now speak of a film which I never heard of going into the screening, and haven't heard of since I left the screening. It's a shame too, for it's a very smart movie (a trait that isn't employed as much as it should in movies today). It's entitled DEAN QUIXOTE. It attempts to pose as a romantic-comedy, and I guess that's reasonable. It has both romance and some very funny comedy. But, still it seems to damn smart for such a category (no offense Ephron fans). It follows Dean (a respectable Brian Poth) as he takes part in his quest of self-discovery. He hasn't had much luck with the ladies or his career, and if I remember correctly, he begins to question everything in life. This is where the brains come in. Sometimes a little too much brains actually. The dialogue got thick in parts, but at least you could tell it was trying to be great. I shouldn't say too much about this film, because I don't recall many of the details. But I do recommend it. Merely for the fact that it was something original in a some-what unoriginal time. Oh, I should also give praise to the buddy of Dean, Guy (Simon Billig), for he stole his fair share of scenes.
--And now, the main event. The very film that couldn't stop entertaining if it tried--OLD SCHOOL. Shit, I really sounded like a plant just then. Despite that, it's about three thirty-somethings who attempt to regain a certain freedom that has been missing since their college days, and by reliving past glories they...blah, blah, blah. I'm not saying that it's boring, it's just that I could more easily describe the film as your run-o-the-mill college comedy. Parties, naked-sorority sisters (very hot, naked, and oily, sorority girls mind you) a tight-ass dean (played nicely by THE Jeremy Piven) fun times, and, well...plenty of hijinks. Now why is such a run-of-the mill movie so damned funny? I have a three-pronged answer for you all. Get ready. One: the direction. The director, Todd Phillips, knows how to pace his comedy, further illustrated by another great college flick he directed, ROAD TRIP (a movie I enjoyed more than it's pastry-humping contemporary, American Pie). Now, the second great reason this film succeeds so nicely lies in the premise. By making a college comedy starring thirty-somethings it opens up a floodgate of truly original comedic ideas. These ideas would not have been a success, however, without the third reason this film was so damned great: the stellar cast. I'll begin with the leads.
Luke Wilson: He did a damn fine job with his role, that of the main character. It's tough playing the straight-man in a comedy, and he proves the straight-man can steal scenes with the rest of them. His sense of comedic timing helps bring some flatlining dialogue back to life. You can imagine how funny it must have been to grow up with the Wilson brothers (or Dignan and Anthony, as I like to call them). Moving on.
Vince Vaugn: Never doubt this man's comic ability. Just don't do it. His delivery is tops. He SPEAKS with his words. I know that may not appear to make much sense, but his words appear to seek out and find the perfect place to settle in each conversation. Like I said, just tops. Moving on.
Will Ferrell: I really appreciate how Phillips was finally able to capitalize on Ferrell's unique comedy. Sure his "Mustafa" was funny, and he was great in JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK, but he has elevated himself to a new level of humor. Such a level that I feel the need to write him a mythical origin story that will attempt to explain his genius. Here we go..."Forged in the depths of emotion, one man rose to greatness. Wielding a fierce ability to dramatically switch emotions at the drop of a...laugh? Comedy is born. Ferrell, the timid husband, conquered the boredom. Ferrell, the drunken maniac, entertained the masses. Yet Ferrell, riding a tranquilizer-induced high, stole my heart. Heros get remembered, but legends never die."---Excuse me. I get a bit preachy when it comes to the funny. Cliff's Notes: He was good, really good.
As for the rest of the cast, they were also good. Wilson's love interest (Ellen Pompeo) was quite nice, in a Rene Zellweger sort of way. The frat bros were all entertaining. Various Daily Show members/alum pop up in nice little scenes. And Margaret Yang (Sara Tanaka) even had a part, so that was nice. Oh, I also like the acting of the breasts in this film, though they didn't get as much screen-time as I would have liked, they stole each and every scene. Just oozing charisma. They all have futures in this industry. Or another related industry.
NOw, bear in mind, this is just a review. The last thing I want is for my praise to hype the movie to a level that can only end in disapointement. But, I do believe that someone who enjoys any of the following will enjoy this film: Will Ferrell, Luke Wilson, Vince Vaugn, ROAD TRIP, or breasts.
I'll sum up by saying exactly what I mustered up the courage to say to the director at the end of the screening..."Well done." Not that he cares, or it means much, coming from a common, no-good, half-cocked...
GOONDOCK SAINT
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And today AICN has good reviews for both brothers. That feels good.
I wasn't that crazy about Road Trip, but I can imagine a movie with the same sense of humour as Road Trip starring Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Will Ferrell would be pretty damn funny. I look forward to this bad boy. -
Weren't they also federal agents in "3000 Miles to Graceland"?
Maybe Kevin Pollack's lighter will work this time around!!!
SoundGuyNoise
www.worldofhurtwrestling.com -
One of the most inept and unfunny movise I've seen. Whatever credibility this reviewer had went south the minute he praised that hunk of shit.
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Road trip was an alright flick. It had some amusing, funny moments. It was a hell of alot better than that stupid, boring piece of crap American Pie and its worse sequel.
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John Favreau. This bit of casting equivalency brought to you by Christopher3.
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I didn't even need to read the review, though I did anyway. When I first heard about this movie a couple months ago I knew it would be comedy at its best. And I expect it will be. Ferrel, Vaughn and Wilson are all top-notch comedians with very different styles...but most importantly, they all have a great sense of timing. With these three in a movie together there is no chance this movie can fail...regardless of the reviewer's comparison's to Road Trip and your feelings about that or American Pie. All you need to do is look at the cast list, take a deep breath, smile and say: "I'm there."
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Unfortunately, it's had its release date pushed back; it was originally supposed to come out in October but now won't come out until spring of 2003. Will Ferrell has another movie that he's working on now called "Action Newsman" that sounds promising (cowritten by Adam McKay, who did some great short films with Ferrell for SNL- "The H is O' and "The Baby and the German Intellectual")
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I think its a great cast, but everything I've read about this tells me it sucks - the release date was pushed back 6 months. Plus, there are negative reviews all over the internet about this film simply not working.
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For the first hour. Ferrell and Vaughn are hysterical. The last third - which is a direct rip off of both "Billy Madison" and "Back to school" is lame and unfunny and feels like it's from another movie.
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Sep 06, 2002 3:22:51 PM CDT
And Old School has 24s ELISHA CUTHBERT as some TASTY JAILBAIT
by executor
Vaughn and Ferrell are hysterical. Sure, the movie drags after a while when the obligatory 3rd act "plot" kicks in, but all in all, one of the funniest movies in a long long long time. Plus, it doesn't puss out...language, tits, gangbangs, naked KY-jelly wrestling, sex with high school girls (mmmm....Elisha...)...damn!!
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Will Ferrell has yet to be even the slightest bit funny in anything he's ever been in, especially that soul-suckingly tedious scene in AUSTIN POWERS 2. Kevin Smith was right, Will Ferrell WAS the Jar Jar Binks of J&SBSB (WHY, KEV!?!! WHYYYYY!!!). Sorry to playa hate, but I'm normally pretty tolerant of people with no talent (hell, I've actually voluntarily rented a few Martin Lawrence movies) but the hero worship of someone so fundamentally unfunny as Will Ferrell never ceases to bewilder me.
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Sep 06, 2002 6:23:24 PM CDT
Old School sounds fine, but the movie I can't wait for is El
by smurfette
Will Farrel dressed in green felt with pointy ears? I'm there.
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Good to know someone else realized the 3KMTG connection.
As for the Will was JarJar comment... when/where did Smith say this? -
I don't care what they say, Road trip was good and Ferrell knows how its done. I also noticed the Three thousand miles connection...
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Sep 06, 2002 8:07:39 PM CDT
Ferrell is not remotely funny in anything he has ever done, and
by red giant
Will Ferrell is one of the least funny people ever to call themselves a comic. SNL sucked in recent years and he is right there at the heart of the kind of no-talent shitheads that ruined it (again).
Like Cash said I honestly have never even laughed at him. In fact, he drags down a scene/skit/sho/movie to me simply by being in it. Mustafa was funny? Why exactly? That...thing in Zoolander, you call that remotely funny? That was embarassingly stupid. I could do his parts better than him, and I suck at performing of any kind (as does he). He looks and acts like a completely regular person *trying* to be funny when he innately is not.
How he continue to get spots in anything is a farce. He is undr contract or something, I just don't get it.
If there were any justice in rewarding talent and punishing bad acting, Ferrell would never get any job on screen or TV again.
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She's got a great spread in the new FHM. Mmmmmm. As for Old School, shit, gross-out slapstick is my semi-guilty pleasure, I'm there. And Right on to whoever said Van Wilder was a must see. His assistant owns every scene he's in.
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He said on the DVD commentary of JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK that people have said that Will Ferrell is the Jar Jar Binks of the film, but he disagrees. As much as I love Smith he's clearly one of these sad, deluded people that somehow find this guy funny, calling him a genius just too many times over the course of the commentary.
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A bunch of set-ups for jokes, without the punchline, or with easy punchlines. I refer you to the Old Guy with the Boner. So, here we have a kindly old gent who walks around sporting a massive hard-on - interesting premise- and the joke is...oh, wait, that WAS the joke. An old guy. A boner. And...waitforit...a VIAGRA comment. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Leno eat your heart out! Todd Phillips has ZERO sense of what makes a comedy work, ZERO sense as to how to stage a joke, and the only redeeming qualities the movie has is the desperate energy of its cast and Amy Smarts two talents.
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Ferrell is the funniest thing to come out of SNL since Myers. You may not get him yet, but you will soon. If Old School doesn't prove it, Elf will. All you player haters can nuzzle deez nutz.
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Sep 09, 2002 7:46:18 AM CDT
"Your father may never again have what we call a human face."
by bitterman23
Has anyone ever seen the SNL sketch where Ferrel played this insane doctor (the host was Freddie Prinze Jr, but he wasnt in this particular sketch), telling a couple he lost their baby, that it was born a witch, etc. If you dont like that one, then you just don't like Will.
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I am wondering if you actually watch all these films, or do companies like Dream Works pay you to say nice things about there films?
1) I did not find as much humor in this film (or the script) as you did and I feel that this is an attempt to bring Ivan Reitman back to his days when he created Stripes.
2) Also Luke Wilson is a stuck up piece of human trash, who thinks he is better then most.
3) As someone who worked on the project I hope it does well but with an initial release date of Aug 2002 that got bumped to Spring 2003 with 15 pages of re-shoots in Aug, something has not gone quite right.
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