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SXSW: Quint on Greg Mottola's ADVENTURELAND and Broken Lizard's THE SLAMMIN' SALMON!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with a look at two comedies from SXSW 09… well, at least two films that are sold as comedies.
Broken Lizard’s THE SLAMMIN’ SALMON is definitely a balls out comedy, whereas ADVENTURELAND is more of a sweet coming of age story, a slllligghhttlllyyy vulgar rom-com about two young and flawed characters who find real, tangible love for the first time. It’s being sold as SUPERBAD and it really isn’t. It’s a love-letter to an era and a nostalgic look back at first-time love… with some boner jokes and dick-punches thrown in for good measure.
I think the highest compliment I can pay to ADVENTURELAND is it made me fall in love with Kristen Stewart (I forgive you for TWILIGHT, baby. We can pretend that never happened). For a romantic comedy to work for me I have to fall in love with the girl and Stewart plays her with that perfect mix of vulnerability and brokenness.
It’s the GARDEN STATE formula. In these movies if you can accept who the girl (or guy if your gender or particular orientation looks that way instead) for who she is as a complete, if flawed, person then the movie works. If you don’t give a shit, I don’t care how many well-timed fart jokes or higher-brow dry humor is packed in there the movie just won’t work.
ADVENTURELAND is a surprisingly adult movie, with none of the characters 100% innocent or right. Jesse Eisenberg plays the lead with a Woody Allen-like twitch, melding likeability with a dry detachment. When his alcoholic father is demoted, he’s forced to take a summer job to pay for his first year of college at Columbia University in New York City.
Turns out the only work he’s qualified for is carnie, being the jerk at the game booths at a local amusement park. When he gets there he’s immediately thrown in with a bunch of crazy characters. There’s the pipe-smoking, intellectual dork played by FREAKS & GEEKS vet Martin Starr, the epitome of ‘80s sex, Lisa P (played with huge hair by Margarita Levieva), a mysterious and cool mechanic who doubles as a musician played by Ryan Reynolds, the nutty duo of Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig who run the park, Eisenberg’s friend and hook-up for the job, the dick-punching Frigo (Matt Bush) and, of course, the withdrawn Molly Ringwald-ish Em, played by Kristen Stewart.
While the sparks begin with Stewart and Eisenberg, the girl is also juggling a lustful affair with the married Reynolds. The two lives run parallel at the beginning, but as Eisenberg and Stewart’s love really takes hold we know that they’re going to collide eventually and the hurt will begin.
What Mottola pays especially close attention to is making the characters real and flawed, so there is not one big fuck-up. Eisenberg semi-cheats on Stewart about halfway through the movie and in any other film that would have been the big 2nd act drama that separates the two lovers. But not here. I love that about this film.
And I’d also like to underline Reynolds’ work here. His Connell could have easily been a villain… a married man, using this young girl who is obviously in love with him to scratch a particular itch. He even starts to actively give bad advice to Eisenberg, who looks up to him as does everyone else in the park, as the two young characters get more and more serious.
But he’s torn as a character. He’s a likable guy, despite the bullshit he pulls. You get the feeling that Connell cares for Em and Eisenberg’s James Brennan in his own way and doesn’t go super studio jilted lover crazy. He’s laid back, watching as things unfold and gently nudging the characters and situation when he can.
Hader and Wiig bring the comedy relief, peppering the movie with their bizarre characters. Hader in particular has a few moments to shine, including his incredibly unlikely moment of being a threatening badass, protecting his employees. It’s always good to see Hader. He’s becoming almost like comfort food for me, seeing him pop up in all these films. I know he’ll always bring something funny.
I will say that I don’t think this film will be as iconic as SUPERBAD was, that it won’t invade pop culture the way that flick did, but I think it stands a big chance of being more important to a lot more people, the same way THE SURE THING, SAY ANYTHING and PRETTY IN PINK are more important to some people than the FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFFs and SIXTEEN CANDLES’. There’s something real to the romance, a real spark, and the world is just real enough to lose yourself in it.
I know a lot of readers and talkbackers aren’t fans of Broken Lizard. That’s fine. Different strokes and all that. But I personally love their stuff. I’m even one of the only people in the world that unconditionally enjoyed CLUB DREAD.
It goes back to the early days, seeing SUPER TROOPERS at SXSW. To this day, I hold ST up as one of the best comedies of the naughts. Brian Cox… “Ursula! I’m… nekkid!” … and Kevin Heffernan’s Farva and the mustache rides and snozzberries that taste like snozzberries and chicken-fuckers and littering and, littering and… littering and…
I love random humor. I’m a sucker for it, so they play right into my funny bone.
But going into THE SLAMMIN’ SALMON I had heard some iffy things. I know we got luke-warm reviews out of Slamdance, where they premiered, and that they haven’t been picked up for US distribution yet. I also knew this was the first time Jay Chandrasekhar stepped aside as director, Kevin Heffernan giving it a shot.
The trailer didn’t come across as all that funny to me, so apprehension is a pretty accurate description of my mindset going in. I hoped this wasn’t the one I disliked.
Turns out I didn’t need to worry my ugly little head over it. For Broken Lizard fans this film will be welcome addition to the library. For non-fans I don’t think there’s much chance this one will speak to you.
What is interesting about this flick is that it’s the first time since SUPER TROOPERS that they’ve gone the independent route, trying to recapture some of their early magic. For the most part it’s a success, but I will say it’s not as good as SUPER TROOPERS, a level I can’t be sure they’ll ever reach again. That film hit at the right time, under the right circumstances. It’s going to be a lot of work and luck to capture that lightning in a bottle again.
In the flick our team is working at an upper-class Miami seafood restaurant called The Slammin’ Salmon, named after the show-name of its owner, a retired boxer played by the great Michael Clarke Duncan. Everybody fears the man, for good reason. He’s not too bright, but he makes up for it with meanness and brute strength. In fact, when he misspeaks and someone corrects him, he doesn’t even wait for them to finis their sentences before he bellows out, “WHATEVER, MUTHAFUCKA!” I cracked up every single time Duncan shot out one of those.
Well, it turns out The Slammin’ Salmon got in trouble on a recent chip to the Orient. After losing a bet involving the hunting of Japanese Albinos to the Yakuza he only has one night to raise $20,000. The most the restaurant has ever taken in in a single night is $15k, so the boxer’s right hand man (played by Heffernan) has to put a fire under his employee’s asses. A competition is created, with the winner getting a long stay at a resort (how this is arranged is pretty damn funny in and of itself) and the promise of $10,000.
The rest of the Broken Lizard troupe play the waiters. Steve Lemme is an actor who (spectacularly) quit to take the lead in a CSI-ish network show only to find his character killed with the semen of his murderer in his shoes 5 episodes in.
Jay Chandrasekhar plays the Gollum-like role of Nuts, dubbed so by his co-workers for what happens when he goes off his medication and his Mr. Hyde, calling himself Zongo, becomes the dominant personality. Erik Stolhanske is the waiter probably the most into the competition and then there’s Paul Soter.
I mentioned that Chandrasekhar has a dual role, but Soter really has a dual role, playing twins. One is the somewhat insane cook and the other is his calm, introverted brother who just came on as busboy and is thrown into the competition against his will.
Of course we get all forms of customers, to the man (SNL’s Will Forte) who is one of the first seated and literally brings a copy of War and Peace to read, camping at the table, to the famous pop star and her posse (Vivica A. Fox) to the man wanting to propose to his girlfriend (TV stars Sendhil Ramamurthy of Heroes fame and G4’s Olivia Munn).
A scattershot approached is used here, with a hundred plates spinning at once, two or three gags firing every half-second as these men and women fight for that number one earner spot. As a result not everything works, but so many jokes are thrown out that do work that the mediocre ones don’t have time to stick.
I found myself laughing consistently. MVP goes to Michael Clarke Duncan, with a close second to Jay’s crazy Jeckyll & Hyde Nuts/Zongo. I almost wish we’d get a follow-up film just about Zongo and his crazy delusions, zero-filter rantings and hatred of pants.
But Duncan is the fresh ingredient here, really selling the threat, but also the comedy. The team originally wrote this role for Mike Tyson and while a part of me really damn wants to see that version of the movie, I’m glad they got Duncan instead. He doesn’t get much credit as a comic actor, but he proves here beyond any doubt that he’s got the chops.
So, I had a lot of fun with both of these films, but for different reasons. ADVENTURELAND hits theaters April 3rd and I’ll keep an ear to the ground and let you know when THE SLAMMIN’ SALMON gets picked up.
Last couple of days and I’m way behind on reviews… I also have 8 interviews to get in front of your eyes as well. Four movies tomorrow, so I’ll write when I have a chance to come up for air. If you want to keep up with my day to day, hour to hour minutiae you can follow me on Twitter!
-Quint
quint@aintitcool.com
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When did that happen?
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...then be happy with your lame Seth Rogen "comedies". And fuck, Club Dread ruled big time! I even go so far and say that it's a smarter Slasher film deconstruction than Scream!
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Super Troopers is absolute genius. Club Dread sucked donkey balls. Beerfest was rubbish as well. Lets hope this is more like ST.
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Oh, I don't know... about the time McLovin' became part of pop culture... Might not be your thing, but that movie was huge and is quoted all the time.
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And will be forgotton long after The Sure Thing (Edwards pwns), Say Anything, Bueller et al remain.
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I even know more people who still quote Half Baked. Was there even one memorable moment in Superbad? Maybe they just quote the title at the right times. "Eewww, this burger tastes...superbad."
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Mar 20, 2009 5:50:53 AM CDT
Oh, now I know what you mean with "quoted all the time"
by derlanghaarige
In these Friedberg and Seltzer movies, right? They quote everything that was popular for a few minutes.
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Because of the weather. But that doesn't mean that Superbad was good or even quotable.
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and McLovin is to modern pop culture as Pauly Shore's "The Weasle" was to 90's pop culture -- everyone's sick of it and it's annoying as hell.
I've actually never heard anyone quote Superbad - not even the people I know who love it and thank God for that because I can only handle so much of anything that comes out of Jonah Hill's mouth. What a fucking ass clown. -
was probably too busy directing episodes of Knight Rider (and some decent episdoes of Chuck)hey whatever it takes to pay the bills Jay, this sounds real similar to the "bet" in Still Waiting... but it's from BL which means it'll be funny
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I have a 19 y/o brother who loves Superbad and quotes it a lot, or at least he says he does I haven't watched it yet, it's on my Netflix Que, hell I could watch it online via Netflix but I'm just not that motivated to
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Der...I like BL and Seth Rogan what does that say about me yikes
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Mar 20, 2009 6:03:44 AM CDT
Superbad et al is fucking overrated and so is Seth fucking Rogen
by motoko kusanagi
That self-loving bitch needs to fuck off.Fuck all these wannabe-comedies to hell. Comedy is as dead as the action genre.
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I think, if studios are reluctant to pick up a new Broken Lizard film, that the reluctance will disappear once Super Troopers 2 hits theaters. If they get the word out and advertise it right so people know it's coming, well, Super Troopers 2 will make a ton of money.
And what the hell is wrong with Club Dread? It skews the whole "Scream" mentality of knowing all the ins and outs of the Horror genre pretty damn well. Besides, I love it's ridiculous ending. "Peen-ah-lope". -
Super trooper was fucking brilliant...so many gags that were well thought out and not easy fart jokes. Like the Meow bit or Shenanigans. Nothing else they have done has even remotely worked for me. Beerfest was just awful, lazy writing. Hope this is good tho.
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I hated it when I first watched it, but it did grow on me, Bill Paxton for one is hilarious in it, still wouldn't say it's a great movie though...
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That outtake of him singing at Ricky Bobby's bedside gets me every time...
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I want to let you guys know. Everything yo usee i nthe trailer for adventureland is real.
My fiance worked at this exact park. All the wierd things the employees do and the management is all real. evertime my fiance sees the commercials she cracks up to the poitn of tears because its almost exact. -
Fantastic she was on 2 1/2 Men, was wondering when she was gonna do some features.
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what a fuckin' unbelievable piece of prime, grade-a ass...
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Quint I'll back you up on club dread I saw it twice ocn ein theaters once on DVD and remeber laughing a lot on both screenings Best buy had the DVD for 5 bucks last week so I picked it up. haven't watched it yet but I doubt it will be a different experience from before. Broken lizard has a formula that tends to at leats make movies that will keep you interested even if you're not laughing. Inc lub dread when I wasn't laughing I was hypnotically staring at brittany daniels. In the slammin salmon looks like I'll have the same saving grace in Cobie Smulders.
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...but it sure smells good!
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(According to imdb.)Why didn't you mention him!?
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I like Broken Lizard but if I see it I'll have to bring a trusted chaperon to tell me when his part is over because I'll have my eyes closed tightly and my fingers jammed in my ears the second I catch sight of him. I can't stand that guy. Worst SNL castmember ever (and yes, I've seen enough episodes from its whole run to make that claim).
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. . . but DAMN there are still some funny as hell parts. I still haven't seen Club Dread. I'm definitely down for some Salmon. Off topic: When do we get Tim & Eric's Awesome MOVIE. Great Job!???
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and the Lizard Loving. Brian Cox was another person I didn't expect to be funny as hell but it worked out awesomely. Big Bear indeed.
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And for my money, Club Dread is better than Super Troopers (but both are amazing). Beerfest is utter garbage though.
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Yes, one of them was directing and some others had small roles, but it's as much of a Lizard movie as Yellowbeard was a Monty Python movie.
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What a bunch of worthless shit made by people who have never even seen comedy performed before... and if Quint loves that shit then I never want to hear him claim a movie is bad again.Yes, I know I could just not click on articles with his name in the subject, but then what the hell am I going to read? Merrick or Beaks? I don't hate myself that much.
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But technically it's a prequel set in the 70's. It's going to be frickin' hilarious. And no, I'm not kidding.
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So you walked out of that movie saying it was "fucking awful?" Really? I'm thinking not. You laughed your ass off with everyone else in the theatre for most of the film. Now it probably won't stand the test of time, and I'm sick of Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill too but there are plenty of crap comedies more worthy of hate.
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I nothing Superbad. I did indeed walk out of the cinema thinking it was fucking awful. For no other reason than it was a complete load of shit and provided a grand total of zero fucking laughs.
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Superbad did suck. We all got together after hearing how hilarious it was FROM EVERYONE (I remember reading tons of quality reviews from this site about it as well word of mouth from people at work, etc) and we sat there in awkward silence for almost the entire movie. It felt like watching a student film without any jokes. Some people I know tell me i'm wrong because they were just like McLovin' in school or something...but remembering that I was a lame piece of shit doesn't make me laugh, it makes me angry. Anyway, the long and short of it is that just because people like it and quote it doesn't make it good. It just makes it quoted.
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Uh... isn't she in the Slammin' Salmon too?
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I love how any movie/actor/actress mentioned on this site is either "amazing" or "a piece of shit." Nothing in the middle. Stupid. Superbad didn't reinvent comedy, but it wasn't bad. Broken Lizard is some low-brow stuff, but they have their moments. How about that for down the middle. Morons.
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Good enough...to fuck...your mother!
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Mar 20, 2009 11:35:19 AM CDT
Super Troopers > Beerfest > Puddle Cruiser > Club Dread
by kid idioteque
But I have enjoyed all their flicks. I'm sure this one will be no different.
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Mar 20, 2009 11:36:48 AM CDT
I actually work at an amusement park during the summers
by my_blue_penis
I'm interested to see if they can capture the feeling of working at an amusement park. The outings, the flings, the utter contempt and the praying for rain...
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.....unfunny and, well, super bad.
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It had it's parts, but really wasnt that good. McLovin was NEVER funny. EVER. FUCK YOU. DIE. Michael Cera cant play any other role...and The fat ugly jewish kid ends up with that hot chick. BULLSHIT. What kind of fucking moron puts beer in detergent bottles. Christ, and that ending pissed me off, why dont they just fuck and get it over with.
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was great because it was fresh as hell. The comedy, the characters, the plot. The only thing that sort of followed suit with other movies was the love interest.
FARVA'S #1!!! -
I want a goddamn liter of cola!
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Mar 20, 2009 1:19:19 PM CDT
These boys get that syrup in 'em, they get all antsy in their pa
by name818
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EVER!
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I'm the only one that loved Super Troopers and Superbad?
Do I look like a cat to you boy? Am I jumpin' around all nimbly bimbly from tree to tree? Am I drinking milk from a saucer? DO YOU SEE ME EATING MICE? -
I have NEVER heard anyone quote that movie... is there anything evern quotable in it? That said, I didn't really read much about it before watching it, and I enjoyed it. Fuck you.
Next, I enjoyed Super Troopers too. Need to make a note to watch it meow before I forget. I also want to watch both of these movies Adventureland and Slammin Salmon. -
Who fucking really cares about that shit? Its like facebook updates. The only people I hear talking about it or people dying to be more famous.
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Slammin Salmon sounds like Waiting while Adventureland sounds like Waiting 2. But wait there already is a Waiting 2? Did anyone see that?
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Anyway, the other long and short of it is that just because you don't like it doesn't make it bad. It just makes it a movie you don't like.
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Super Troopers was great. Beerfest was equally as good, I dont understand why people dont like it as much. Club Dread was not my favorite, but I will watch any Broken Lizard movie as opose to all the crap that's out there
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I'll definitely be seeing both movies.and quint i love club dread here's to living the high life on pina coladaberg
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Do not speak ill of Beuller.
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SS sounds more like waiting 2, they have to make a set amount of money
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that is all
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Yeah...sorry about your luck if you think thinking your favorite comedy is gold (Super Troopers) and the other, more successful comedy (Superbad) is crap.I happen to like both. McLovin is a small part of why, but the dick drawing montage, the dancing with the chick on her menses, the frigging soundtrack, and the 'one little bottle of vaginal lube' (which I suspect lots of you sand filled ladyboys could use).Broken Lizard is rad, and so is Judd Apatow. It's not like there's an Apatow movie waiting to bend THIS one over the pool table and make em see the smiley belt buckle. Beerfest opened against Superbad...or Knocked Up...right?
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Its delicious.
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That's the Apatow Flick that buried Beerfest.
Pah. Not the best of the bunch, to be sure. -
the only reason you assholes hate superbad is because you didnt have sharp enough social skills to get girls. im sure if this had not been case, you (like every other male or female who has been 16) wouldve related to having to part with your best friend, starting the horrible journey of dating in high school.
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Was Super Troopers hilarious or what? Shame that their two next ones sucked so bad (i think this is pretty much the consensus). The only thing that made me laugh in Club Dread was one of the songtitles on Bill Pullman's album: "I could tell you, but then i'd have Tequila!" Awesome. The only thing funny in Beerfest (god, that one sucked!) was when grandpa pulled his own plug. Apart from that they sucked pretty bad, especially when compared to Super Troopers. Guess it's kind of hard to recapture such a comedy classic. At least you have to give them credit for trying not to repeat themselves - the guy doing Farva could make a whole career out of that one character.
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I'm a huge fan of How I Met Your Mother, so she's the movie's biggest draw for me now.
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Club Dread and Beerfest were absolutely hilarious.
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to each his own ; )
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...not love the scene in beerfest where Barry(Jay) wakes up naked in a field, blood around his mouth oh no not again" as the camera pans out to a deer carcass with its throat ripped out laying next to him? That one scene beat the complete Superbad. Superbad just wasn't very funny other than the two cops.
Supertroopers was their best film to date. -
sorry about the typos -should read *around his mouth, saying "oh no not again"...
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