Why is the fact that he is a southpaw at all relevant?
:eek: Michael Mann wrote the script for Miami Vice? An MTV movie?
Man. Now I have to see it. (Collateral is my favorite movie of the 2000s so far.)
If you go back and read my post, you’ll notice that I was talking about another movie. I’m well aware of how race cars in professional competition look.
Or, what crazyjoe said.
When I made my response, I assumed that he was talking about product placement being unironically worked into significant plot points (ie Dr. Pepper saving the shuttle in Red Planet) and dialogue (see Miami Vice example, ugh), and that he knew that actual racecars are covered in ads and wasn’t talking about that.
It was too Will Ferrell-y for a Will Ferrell movie. I like him better in movies that have counter-wackiness to his own wackiness, like Steve Carell and Paul Rudd’s characters in “Anchorman”. I haven’t seen “Elf”, but I think “Anchorman” is a great example of a Will Ferrell movie that makes the Ferrell energy work. When it’s just two hours of him, it gets old really fast, especially when there’s no compelling subplots or characters. They should have done more with Jane Lynch and the kids, or more of that sort of thing. No other characters had their own arc, they were only there in relation to Ricky Bobby. Michael Clarke Duncan and John C. Reilly should have had more character stuff to do beside “support Bobby”, in the same way that Paul Rudd’s “Anchorman” character (can’t remember the name) had his Panther scent and Brick was, well, Brick.
Michael Mann was the man behind the original Miami Vice television show. It’s arguably the starting point of his fame.
It was groundbreaking in it’s own way (some might say a bad way).
He went on to make many good movies (which I already listed). You sound young. You might go back and watch Manhunter and Heat if you liked Collateral. He tends to make moody/stylized stuff which is why you might think Miami Vice is just an MTV movie, but the reviews indicate that its something more than that.
From what I’ve read, Miami Vice’s appeal doesn’t come so much from the “action/thriller” area but I haven’t seen it.
::adjusts rabbit ears::
Hell yeah! That’s how dogma leads to schism leads to holy war.
(Do I get points for bringing up “holy war” in a discussion of a Will Ferrell NASCAR movie?)
Sailboat
I saw it and like it.
I generally don’t take movies to seriously. I was expecting it to be a one or two giggle movie, but ended up laughing pretty hard at several points. I mean, it’s a Will Ferrell movie. These guys are just going nuts, having fun and it shows. The outtake credits at the end really show the Ferrell and McKay adlibbing and just generally having a good time.
What, not one “shake and bake” reference yet?
How can people be so serious? This was just a stupid-funny Will Ferrel movie.
Won’t somebody think of the snowblind big cats??
Wow, that made me laugh out loud. You must really be a fetus. Michael Mann is defined by Miami Vice. Were you unaware it was a TV show, too?
And I second the vote you see Manhunter. Good stuff.
Oddly enough, reading this thread kind of makes me want to see TN now. My friend wants to see it and at first I begged off, now I told her if she still wants to go I’ll go with her. Considering we’re in NYC it is a considerable investment, but hell. It’s just a movie.
Definitely see it. I would have completely missed out on 40 Year Old Virgin (even on DVD probably) because it just looked like a stupid premise and I didn’t laugh even a little at the preview. Turned out to be a funny movie.
Now I’m not saying either of these movies don’t have stupid premises, but funny is funny.
I loved Gary Cole in this movie. Usually whenever I see him in a role I can only think of Lumbergh, but this was the first time I really appreciated the new character. I was also a bit disturbed to find his portrayal of Reese Bobby as scarily sexy. Was it me, or did he look a bit wirier than usual?
Seeing Season 5 episodes of The West Wing after watching this movie adds a whole new dimension to the VP’s habit of wearing cowboy boots.
I’m well aware that it was a TV show, but since the movie is being done by MTV and it can’t even get through the preview without working a ridiculous advertisement into the dialogue, I felt it wasn’t worth the time checking it out on IMDB to see whether it was actually written by Michael Mann or someone he sold rights to or something. So why don’t you do something useful with that patronizing attitude, and shove it up your ass?
Now, now. No offense intended. For all I know you’re some high school kid who never knew about the show…
This is not appropriate for Cafe Society, fetus. Do not do this again.
Sorry, SkipMagic and Darth Vader’s Little Pal.
I just saw it tonight - she introduces herself as Ricky’s assistant.
You couldn’t get a better cast. Gary Cole is great of course, but I’m amazed nobody yet has mentioned Jane Lynch as Ricky Bobby’s mom; she’s hysterical! Many here have said that Will Ferrell is best as a second-banana to other great comedians, and I think this is true in Talledega Nights. Will’s Ricky is more of a straight man than anything. Everyone else gets the funniest lines, even the kids.
As for the product placement, it was totally a joke. Not just the stickers on the cars, but all the deliberate shout-outs and logo flashes through the whole film were a wink, especially the first dinner scene.*
I don’t know who they are marketing this film to, but the bits they chose for the trailers either weren’t funny to begin with, or due to editing are utterly drained of any humor they may otherwise contain. And this oft-shown bit of dialogue isn’t in the movie at all (unless I somehow blocked it out):
Ricky: There can’t be two number ones.
Cal: Yeah, I guess that would be 11.
It always seemed to be a cheap rip-off of This is Spinal Tap, so I’m glad they cut it.
It wasn’t a four-star film by any stretch, but a solid, kinda stupid, comedy. I think fans of Anchorman will enjoy it.
*I just saw The Island the other day on cable, and the product placement in that bothered me lots more. What a piece of crap…