We weren’t really sure if last week’s Commentary Commentary was gross enough for the lot of you. So a poll was taken – it pretty much consisted of Brian Salisbury and myself – and it was decided the ante needed to be upped this week. Especially in honor of Fantastic Fest, we felt it was time to really turn on the gore and mindlessly fun commentary tracks. So we’re heading back with the South Park boys to Cannibal! The Musical, Trey Parker‘s first feature film which was subsequently picked up by Lloyd Kaufman and the fine (?) people at Troma Entertainment. What we got shocked and amazed even our gore-filled hearts and minds. A grotesque but absolutely hilarious look at the real-life trial of Alferd Packer, a 19th Century prospector who was accused of cannibalism in Colorado. The film isn’t the most accurate depiction of the events, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t entertaining. Equally entertaining is this commentary track featuring cast, crew, and ample amounts of consumed alcohol, something most commentary tracks are lacking in. Here’s what we found out. Note: it isn’t much.

If women ever wanted to see a film of why men are terrible and feel terrible afterwards then Neil LaBute’s In the Company of Men would probably be your best bet. If women ever wanted to see a film about why men are terrible and laugh uncontrollably at our inadequacies, perversions, insensitivities, hormonal indulgences, and even occasional homosexual confusions (am I right men? Huh?….right?…) then Clown is it. It objectifies just about every single reason why a woman would doubt going into a relationship with a man and yet does it with some of the most pointed, extreme, and filthy sense of humor imaginable.

The fun of Let The Bullets Fly comes directly out of the verbal and situational jump rope that everyone involved commits to. It’s formed with Shakespearean-style characters who both seem larger than life and able to lie. After taking down a horse-drawn train coach, the infamous bandit Pocky Zhang (played coolly by writer/director Wen Jiang) finds out that he’s killed the Governor-to-be of a sleepy little hamlet called Goose Town and decides, what the hell, he’ll ride into town claiming to be the man he’s killed. Fortunately, a toady named Tang (Xiaogang Feng) and the poor dead man’s unaffected widow (Carina Lau) want to tag along to avoid being murdered on the side of the road. When they ride into town, they’ll face off against the man who controls the city with a wealthy fist. Master Huang (played with pure genius by Chow Yun-Fat) gives them the proverbial finger by sending his hat to personally greet them, and the escalating game of egos gets started at a gallop.

Why Watch? With the destructive bliss of Fantastic Fest slamming down on us like a thousand pounds of salmon (which is why the Short Film Of The Day won’t be so quite “Of The Day” for a bit), I thought it would be fitting to feature some wonderful short films that have played this fest and lived to tell the tale. This first one is a funny (slightly philosophical) jab at what we’re all made of. Based on the short story by Terry Bisson, it features Tom Noonan (with whom you can’t go wrong) and Ben Bailey (who you may recognize as the driver of the Cash Cab). It’s quirky, light, and a lot of fun. Without further ado, two aliens walk into a diner… What does it cost? Just 7 minutes of your time. Check out They’re Made Out of Meat for yourself:

It was one of the uproarious, raunchiest and most beloved comedies of the summer. No, we’re not talking about The Hangover: Part II. We’re talking about the ultimate women’s lib movie, Bridesmaids, which showed that beautiful ladies can burp, fart and poop on screen just like the men can. The DVD and Blu-ray of Bridesmaids drops today, complete with an unrated version of the film, so now you can invite your mom, grandmother and aunt over for a maid of honor toast with your favorite beverage and enjoy the movie again.

Welcome back to Junkfood Cinema; already too old for this shit. If you are reading this, you are probably doing the internet wrong. This is the weekly movie column that has maintained a hearty resilience to quality since 2009. Every Friday I fricassee a truly bad film, skewering it upon its own ineptitude. But then, just before it’s burned past the point of being palatable, I glaze it with a BBQ sauce of unabashed love and shove it directly down your throat. If you find you aren’t dead from internal bleeding, you are welcome to then enjoy the snack food item I pair with each film. Because honestly, name one person obesity ever killed, right? This week’s heart-clogger? Ernest Goes to Camp.

It’s tough to parody something if it’s not iconic. That’s why there have been some truly brilliant Muppets trailer parodies and a few that weren’t all that fun. Spoof on the entire romantic comedy genre? Gold. Mocking a mediocre ad for a summer comedy that wasn’t all that dynamic? Not as golden. This new trailer (with its bass-booming send-up of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trailer that captured so much attention) thankfully fits into that former category. The gimmick is perfected, and they manage to work in a few more jokes on top of it. Inspired work that you really just have to see for yourself. It’s time to light the lights:

It’s hard to know what to think of this trailer for Killing Bono – the first straightforward comedy from director Nick Hamm. While the director is better known for horror like The Hole and Godsend, this trailer makes his new film out to be a fluffy affair that uses winks and coy smiles to stay afloat. The story focuses on a band from Dublin that isn’t U2, coming up around the same time as U2. As you can guess, the fame and fortune only goes to one of them. That’s strong fodder for both comedy and drama, but Hamm and writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais seem to be taking a piss take here. On the plus side, both Ben Barnes and Robert Sheehan are sharp young talents who will hopefully wear name tags so we can tell them apart from the guy playing Bono. It all feels like the cinematic equivalent of The Monkees, and the cheesy mid-90s voice over doesn’t help. Check it out for yourself:

The end of the world next year may need to wait for everyone to put on their pink bow ties. According to a conversation with The Playlist, Adam Scott is announcing that everyone that would be involved with a Party Down movie is on board, and that they’re close to making a Summer 2012 shoot a reality. The money quote: “We’re like 90% there, we’re hoping to do it maybe next summer, if everyone’s schedules work out and the guys get time to write a script. They have kind of a skeleton of a story worked out so we know where it’s going to go but we just have to kind of cross the t’s and dot the i’s, or something. But Starz are being super cool and they’re going to let us do it, and we’re all excited, we all want to do it.” For a project like this, the key might be in marketing it to a crowd that isn’t already in the rabid fan base of the show. Or at least convincing someone with access to a check book that the audience can be broadened. Ultimately, this is a vague yet hopefully statement. It would be fantastic to see it happen, and tossing out a scheduling goal is more concrete than other television show adaptations, but if that last 10% is financing, it might be a longer road toward shooting than Scott lets on. Still, it’s not like talk of this project has worn out its welcome [Due to Content Scraping and Theft, we have been forced to try abbreviated feeds. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and woud very much appreciate you clicking through to view the full article on FilmSchoolRejects.com]

A while back Seth Rogen and his usual gang of friends put together a mock trailer for a film called Jay and Seth vs. The Apocalypse, which was set in the ravaged remains of a post-Apocalyptic Earth and told the story of Rogen and Jay Baruchel trying to get along squatting together in some rubble. Perhaps I shouldn’t call it a mock trailer, because that’s not necessarily true. It was more of an audition tape that hoped to drum up some interest in getting the film made for real, as a feature length project. It seems to have worked. While doing a recent interview promoting the soon to be released 50/50, Rogen let slip to Movies.com that the script was in the can, and that the film would begin shooting in February. Rogen said that his usual co-writer Evan Goldberg was also involved in the project, and that this time the duo would be sharing the title of co-directors as well. Those guys, they’re inseparable. People are going to start talking. Will Baruchel be returning to reprise his role in the short? Of course. And according to Rogen that’s just the beginning. He said, “It’s now much more than just Jay and Seth — there’s many other people vs. the apocalypse now. It’s gonna be crazy.” If you haven’t watched the original trailer yet, give it a go below, and then let me know what you think about it getting the go ahead to become a real movie. I generally [Due to Content Scraping and Theft, we have been forced to try abbreviated feeds. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and woud very much appreciate you clicking through to view the full article on FilmSchoolRejects.com]

This week, on a very special episode of Reject Radio, we take on the cinematic emotional roller coaster by speaking with comedian Bill Bailey about getting him hired for the next Star Trek movie and by dissecting Taxi Driver‘s Travis Bickle with psychologist, Dr. Jeff Greenberg. Plus, Landon Palmer joins me for a long-form discussion about the terrorist attacks of 9/11, their effects on movie culture, and on audiences. Download This Episode

Why Watch? Charlie Chaplin‘s first film, Making a Living, features the man who would go on to be the planet’s biggest star donning a top hat and the creepiest face he could muster. It’s the earliest example of his potential for genius, and one of the few where we get to see a talent that’s still in the raw. By his next film, Kid Auto Races at Venice, he had debuted his Little Tramp character and launched a career in earnest. So, what better way is there to spend Labor Day than to watch how Chaplin worked? What does it cost? Just 9 minutes of your time. Check out Making a Living for yourself:

Why Watch? It has a bit of a slow start, but this story of a game show enthusiast stuck in the rut of a bait and tackle shop finds a winning rhythm that sails because of clever writing, a lead that’s endlessly endearing and a supporting cast that nails down just the right amount of quirk. Dakota Shepard is funny and slightly sad as said game show whiz who’s never been anywhere, Joshua Koopman plays a cartoonish world traveler named Eric, and just about everyone else in the cast colors outside the lines to make the film shine. It’s rare to find adult dramedy that works well (especially in an indie world saturated with them) so this is a nice treat that earns extra points for the bizarreness of its dream sequences. Do Quiet Coyote and give this one your attention. What does it cost? Just 35 minutes of your time. Check out Come On Down for yourself:

In 2008 I was going through some major family issues, ones I am (even now) reluctant to publicly talk about. Often times I would feel I was alone in wondering if I would suffer the way I was watching those close to me suffer. I was lost, and while from the outside I didn’t let on, inside I was going through my own personal hell. That’s when Christopher Titus came along. Having grown up with the likes of Malcolm in The Middle I was fully aware of the new age of programs that tackled the issues of the dysfunctional family in a darkly comedic way without losing a sense of reality. A few years prior to ’08 I had seen one of Titus‘s specials on Comedy Central (I believe it was The 5th Annual End of The World Tour) and was immediately entertained. Through Google, I discovered he once had a show – one that, oddly enough, came right around the same time as Malcolm. The show, of course, was called Titus. I got my first glimpse of the show on YouTube in my college dorm room, but I didn’t know what I was about to get myself into.

Why Watch? So…why can’t Hollywood figure out video game adaptations again? We recently featured Dan Trachtenberg’s Portal short film, and here’s another situation where fans have figured out 1) how to pay homage to a beloved video game while 2) pulling in viewers that don’t know a thing about it. The game in question this go ’round is “Fallout,” and this short film from Julian Higgins and Zack Finfrock is hilarious, triumphant, and holds its tongue firmly in its cheek. Plus, the make-up design and camera work are stellar, as is the acting chemistry. The production here puts most Hollywood video game attempts to shame. To shame! What does it cost? Just 16 minutes of your time. Check out Fallout: Nuka Break for yourself:

What if there were a shirt that would drive women around you into an uncontrollable sexual stupor? That’s the central conceit behind Chick Magnet, and of course the second big question is how to explain to her why you want to keep your shirt on during sex. The trailer for the low budget sex comedy definitely shows its limitations, but there’s at least a little bit to chuckle at here and a heart that will inevitably be involved (since one of the characters wants to use the shirt to get his crappy ex-wife back). Plus, somehow the production tricked Tracy Morgan, Kristen Bell and Rosario Dawson into making appearances as themselves. For those keeping score, an unknown writer/director and writer/producer (named Ryan R. Williams and Jeff Venables) created a movie where every woman wants to sex them up, and they somehow convinced Bell and Dawson to be two of those women. So, yeah, check it out:

Why Watch? The sheer joy of watching a Coen Brothers’ film in three minutes. This segment from To Each His Own Cinema (which should be seen by everyone ever) is like taking the last bite of your favorite desert. It’s completely satisfying with its slow comedy, Josh Brolin’s fish-out-of-water-who-thinks-the-water’s-fine behavior, and the pocket of truth that everyone here is trying to find in its most common form. Maybe that’s what’s so appealing here. There’s nothing false about this scene at all, and yet it’s still so funny. What does it cost? Just 3 minutes of your time. Check out World Cinema for yourself:

The premise of Ben-To is a simple one: being a student is hard, money is tight, and if you want cheap food, you’re going to have to fight for it. The tone seems far less Battle Royale and more Lucky Star, but that’s because a situation where poor students turn to fisticuffs in order to get at discounted food demands to be a broad comedy. Thanks to Twitch, we can share the teaser for the forthcoming Anime series, so check it out for yourself:

This past spring saw the premiere and hasty cancellation of the Christian Slater-starring comedy Breaking In. The show aired on FOX and despite critical praise, it failed to maintain most of its audience once it moved to a new time slot and losing its American Idol lead in. This is all after the show’s rocky production history where FOX nixed the program after the pilot was shot, but then revived it for its seven episode spring run. Many analysts have stated that the show wasn’t given a fair chance on the network with its extremely short run and time slot stumbling. That ‘s why the impossible might just be happening as FOX is in the tail end of a deal reviving the show for a 13-episode second season. In order to achieve this renewal according to Deadline, FOX “joined Sony TV in shouldering the cost for extending the cast’s options and then put Breaking In on the list of contenders for its 2-hour midseason comedy block.”

While talking about screenwriting methods with Marti Noxon on Reject Radio, she mentioned that by sticking to a few internal rules, she’d been able to make a solid name for herself and get to a point in her career where she could hop behind the director’s chair. Maybe we should all write those rules down. It doesn’t have financing yet, but Noxon revealed that she had secured Susan Sarandon, Topher Grace and Kristen Bell for a “family comedy with a fantasy element” called Box City. She wouldn’t go into details – which is understandable considering the film is still in the gestation process, but she did mention that all the major roles were taken by the actors she envisioned while writing the script. Sarandon is a legend, although her choices in the past ten years have ranged from small-scale brilliance to larger failures (despite elevating even the worst of the bunch). Grace and Bell are both young talents that still have a lot more to offer. At any rate, it’s nice to see Bell’s name attached to something that’s not an airhead’s romantic comedy. Plus, she’s a great match for Noxon’s style of witty banter (honed after many a season on Buffy). Hopefully this will find its financing so that we have something to look forward to while the Veronica Mars movie that won’t ever happen continues not to happen. Without more information, it’s tough to know how excited to get here, but the cast is a strong one, and [Due to Content Scraping and Theft, we have been forced to try abbreviated feeds. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and woud very much appreciate you clicking through to view the full article on FilmSchoolRejects.com]