# Talladega Nights or Shoot Me, Please **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 4, 2006, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talladega-nights-or-shoot-me-please/367323 "2006-08-04T14:03:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![phall0106](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phall0106/32/5934_2.png) [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talladega-nights-or-shoot-me-please/367323/1 "2006-08-04T14:03:51Z")
I received preview passes to Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and initially I was excited. Although I’m not NASCAR fan at all, I do have somewhat of a liking of Will Ferrel. I liked him on SNL and loved him in Elf. He can be funny, although somewhat goofy. I was hoping Talladega Nights would prove to be one of these times, and overall, Will did a typical Will job. However… The supporting crap, and that’s what it was, including the other characters, the dialogue, the lame storyline and the constant stream of brand name items was so distracting and irritating that it sucked out any possible enjoyment of the movie. Hallboy (aged 12) liked it. I left the theatre feeling like I needed to go home and scrub the kitchen floor and fold the laundry, as a desperate need to clean and organize to somehow combat the icky, low class and vulgar feeling the movie left with me. So, whadda ya’ll think of it? ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talladega-nights-or-shoot-me-please/367323/2 "2006-08-04T16:40:42Z")
> [@phall0106](#): > > I left the theatre feeling like I needed to go home and scrub the kitchen floor and fold the laundry, as a desperate need to clean and organize to somehow combat the icky, low class and vulgar feeling the movie left with me. > > So, whadda ya’ll think of it? Well hell, after that description now I _have_ to see it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rachael\_Rage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@Rachael\_Rage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachael_Rage)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talladega-nights-or-shoot-me-please/367323/3 "2006-08-04T17:23:14Z")
I was inclined to see it, considering I enjoyed **Old School** and **Anchorman** a lot more than I expected. But last night I saw the full theatrical trailer for the first time, and it failed to elicit even one slight chuckle. I didn’t think that was a good sign. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talladega-nights-or-shoot-me-please/367323/4 "2006-08-04T17:31:34Z")
When in small contained doses, Ferrell is effective. Spread him out too thin and he is as annoying as Scrappy Do. If a movie is released in August, it is pure dog shit. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talladega-nights-or-shoot-me-please/367323/5 "2006-08-04T17:34:43Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > When in small contained doses, Ferrell is effective. Spread him out too thin and he is as annoying as Scrappy Do. > > If a movie is released in August, it is pure dog shit. According to Rotten Tomatoes it’s getting pretty decent reviews, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talladega-nights-or-shoot-me-please/367323/6 "2006-08-04T17:50:44Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > If a movie is released in August, it is pure dog shit. Hey, flies spend money too… :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talladega-nights-or-shoot-me-please/367323/7 "2006-08-04T18:00:48Z")
The reviews are pretty good and I’ve heard a couple of people who hated _Anchorman_ saying that they laughed at this one. Plus I like the name Ricky Bobby. heh. Ricky Bobby. It’s fun to say. It sounds so Nascar. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talladega-nights-or-shoot-me-please/367323/8 "2006-08-05T02:22:37Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > If a movie is released in August, it is pure dog shit. Feh. _Little Miss Sunshine_ and _Scoop_ were both pretty good, IMHO. I liked the Ballad. Typical Will Ferrel crap, but amusing. I guess you just have to be in the right mood for that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talladega-nights-or-shoot-me-please/367323/9 "2006-08-05T10:54:36Z")
I enjoyed Elf, but in general find his movies insipid, so I will not go to this one. ---
**Author:** ![Ender\_Will](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Ender\_Will](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ender_Will)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talladega-nights-or-shoot-me-please/367323/10 "2006-08-05T19:37:09Z")
It’s not high-quality cinema, but it does have some funny bits and lines. I wasn’t expecting anything more than that, so it was OK in my book. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talladega-nights-or-shoot-me-please/367323/11 "2006-08-05T19:39:29Z")
Good to hear some people like it. I like Farrell, but the trailers for this one don’t have a single laugh in them. I was beginning to doubt it would be worth the money. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talladega-nights-or-shoot-me-please/367323/12 "2006-08-05T19:45:05Z")
It’s the only Ferrell movie I’ve ever been the least bit interested in and I typically despise him and do not like NASCAR at all. I’m not sure why I want to see it but I do although I will definitely wait to Netflix it instead of seeing it in the theatre. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talladega-nights-or-shoot-me-please/367323/13 "2006-08-06T00:23:10Z")
I’ve never seen _Anchorman_ or _Old School_, but have some interest in NASCAR, so went to see it today. Not everything worked, but there were some fairly funny set-pieces (the sequence where Ricky’s no-account father coaches him back into driving was a particular standout) and much of the apparently heavily improvised dialogue between Farrell and John C. Reilly had me having with laughter. Shakespeare it ain’t, but there seemed to be a bit more emotional depth to it than most such gross-out comedies, and I found myself entertained. I did find myself wishing they’d worked a few more driver cameos into it. As it was, the only one I noticed was Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talladega-nights-or-shoot-me-please/367323/14 "2006-08-06T01:42:03Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > […]much of the apparently heavily improvised dialogue between Farrell and John C. Reilly had me having with laughter. Having _what_, I wonder? Larry King on CNN last night had “Ricky” and “Cal” on _as themselves_, and kept repeating the show. I had the tv on as I slept, and kept thrashing around as if trapped in a terrible dream. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talladega-nights-or-shoot-me-please/367323/15 "2006-08-06T01:54:33Z")
> [@phall0106](#): > > and the constant stream of brand name items That’s what pisses me off the most. I saw a preview for the new Miami Vice movie the other day and they showed Jamie Foxx’s character saying “We’re as fast as FedEx!” ARGH! Those people don’t need advertising money! Especially not if it’s shoving out a line a screenwriter wrote that might actually, ya know, progress the storyline, instead of wasting time and breath. Although the script for those kinds of movies is probably written by robots anyway. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talladega-nights-or-shoot-me-please/367323/16 "2006-08-06T02:18:28Z")
> [@](#): > > Having what, I wonder? Oh, crap. Heaving, should have said. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talladega-nights-or-shoot-me-please/367323/17 "2006-08-06T04:00:19Z")
> [@phall0106](#): > > the constant stream of brand name items was so distracting and irritating that it sucked out any possible enjoyment of the movie. Never been to a NASCAR race I take it. 😃 Or seen either a NASCAR car or driver in uniform. ---
**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talladega-nights-or-shoot-me-please/367323/18 "2006-08-06T05:15:46Z")
I just got back from seeing it, and I thought it was hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talladega-nights-or-shoot-me-please/367323/19 "2006-08-06T14:35:31Z")
Saw it last night. Well, it wasn’t as bad as the Adamn (typo, but I like it too much to edit) Sandler movie with the remote control or the Lindsay Lohan movie with the bad luck idiocy. So, it’s the third worst movie I’ve seen this year at the drive in. It was after “Monster House,” which I loved, so the night wasn’t a complete wash. I think my husband liked it more. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talladega-nights-or-shoot-me-please/367323/20 "2006-08-09T03:14:20Z")
Saw it tonight. I laughed quite a bit, but I kept feeling like I should have been laughing harder than I was. Nearly every scene seemed to pull up short. For example (why am I using a spoiler box for this?): When Ricky Bobby shows up at his mom’s house after fighting the cougar, he shold have been WAY more messed up than he was. He had, what, a couple scratches on his face, plus it ruined his Crystal Gayle t-shirt? Please; the more fake blood they used, the funnier it would have gotten. In general, I thought the throwaway jokes were pretty funny (like the example in the spoiler tag about the t-shirt), and the Big Set-Up Gags fell completely flat. John C. Reilly and Sasha Baron Cohen were both terrific as always, as was Amy Adams. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talladega-nights-or-shoot-me-please/367323.md?page=2)