Love crappy movies but are too ashamed to admit it? Are you a big Rob Schneider fan but you're tired of being burned? Not sure if you want to waste your money on the same old movie? That's why you have Joe.
Joe Loves Crappy Movies is by Joseph Dunn. Joe willingly goes to see the very worst that Hollywood has to offer. Whenever a crappy movie comes out Joe will be there to see it, make fun of it, and actually review it. Nothing is safe, and nothing is sacred. From the big budget action disasters to the low brow fart based comedies, to anything starring Martin Lawrence? Joe will tear it apart.
With each entry you'll get not only a comic poking fun at the movie, but also a detailed review. Joe's not educated in film or cinematography or acting, he's just a guy that draws comics and likes movies. So if you're looking for the everyman perspective and a little joke in comic form... you're in the right place.
Get Him to the Greek
Starring: Russell Brand, Jonah Hill, Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs, Rose Byrne, Elisabeth Moss
Directed by: Nicholas Stoller
Universal Pictures
The Official Site of Get Him to the Greek
Discuss Get Him to the Greek on the boards!
I was a big fan of the 2008 film Forgetting Sarah Marshal and its hilarious and heartfelt take on heartbreak and rebounding. It had an incredible collection of characters that demonstrated both the best and worst of human nature. Even the film’s villain, while demonstrating several villainous qualities, wasn’t really such a bad guy. He was just “the other guy”.
That guy that wooed the girl away from the film’s star was Aldous Snow, a lanky, eccentric rock star with a heart of gold and true sincerity just below his foul-mouthed, sex-crazed, adulterous surface. At the time he seemed the most unlikely of characters to spin-off into his own film, like focusing a movie on the adventures of Darth Vader (we all know how the turned out.) Still this unconventional villain proved that sometimes the “other guy” can be just as compelling as the “original guy”.
In theory…
So Aldous is back (played again by Russell Brand) for Get Him to the Greek and the big news is that his sober days are behind him. After a poorly received album and a public split from his long time girlfriend he jumps head first towards hitting rock bottom.
Fellow Marshall alumni Jonah Hill with a shorter haircut and complete new identity plays Aaron, a record company underling given the task of transporting Aldous from London to L.A. for a comeback performance at the Greek Theater. He also happens to b Alduos’ biggest fan. It’s the nervous straight man trying to control the unpredictable clown on a road trip of epic proportions. Let the hilarity ensue.
In theory…
Okay, Greek is plenty funny and the dynamic between the pair works particularly well. Aaron goes through all manner of craziness to try and keep the rock star on schedule and off drugs going as far as to drink down and smoke up any existing product just so Aldous won’t have a chance. The result in the straight man becoming the clown and our voice of reason getting comically lost in the wonders of sex, drugs and rock and roll.
The major misstep for me comes in making Aldous a tragic character, something set-up throughout through confrontations with the daemons of his past but confronted much too often. We want to see this character cutting loose, out of control, not quietly reflecting on life’s regrets. Redemption is something that suits the character well but would have fit better as a third act revelation. Show the issues but let him burry them like any other self-respecting, self-abusive rock star.
If you’ve seen the promotion then you know that P. Diddy shows up long enough to steal every scene he’s in. Easily, actually, with his profane head games and insistency to engage in a car chase on foot. As the studio executive that sends Aaron on his task he’s a welcome touch whenever he pops up. He’s voted most likely to get his own unlikely spin-off.
Greek’s head and funny bone are in the right place but it feels like it’s trying to hard all the time, never letting things get rowdy enough to be interesting. The result is that the most memorable and significant joke is one involving the texture of a wall. What does that say for the stability of a film when it has to rests its laurels on a furry wall? Regardless, there’s enough fun, boobs and surprisingly catchy tunes to satiate the rock star in all of us.
The best of the songs featured, for me anyway, was “The Clap”. it is definitely tongue-in-cheek fun but hey – a good pop song is a good pop song, even if it is about STDs. The movie is decidedly less catchy but harmless at the same time. It seems par for the course in this tame summer season so far but things could always turn at any second.
Nevermind that DVDs and home videos are a dying industry - Greek will be a staple on basic cable in no time. Save your money and use it s=to see an actual concert.
I’m not bothered by Hill pulling double duty at all. We talked a little about this in the latest Crappy Movies Podcast but it seems to me that it was the best choice towards not getting stuck in catching up. Hill’s character form Sarah Marshall was stunted. Giving him context outside of that’s setting would have been a stretch. I much prefer starting fresh with an original character that can embrace the straight man routine without the baggage of being a Hawaiian stoner in a past life.
Thank you for stopping by. Hope all is well. I miss these updates more than you know.
Joe – The creator of the strip who has embraced giving crappy movies the chance they deserve. Like the majority of the cast he’s obsessed with boobs.
First Appearance - The Introduction
Yeo – Yeo is Joe’s wife and often the voice of reason in the strip. Having her act rational allows the rest of the cast to embrace being in a comic strip which primarily involves randomly punching people, interacting with fictional characters and talking about boobs. Yeo is smart, beautiful and way too good for Joe. Don’t tip her off.
First Appearance - Fever Pitch
Irv – Joe’s movie-going sidekick who’s always down for watching Jason Statham crescent moon kick some thug through a plate glass window and getting some drinks before after and during a Vin Diesel movie. Like the majority of the cast he’s obsessed with boobs.
First Appearance - Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior
Agent 337 George Jones – A government Agent that took over for Joe after he was bad-mouthing President Bush in the V for Vendetta strip. George ran the show for over a month bring a much needed sense of patriotism and justice to both the strips and reviews. He eventually got too attached to his work, empathizing with Joe’s plight to give crappy movies a fair shake. In a way he came to love crappy movies as well and was pushed out of the position. He spiraled out of control and ended up in prison. His adventures will be told in the limited series JLCM Presents: 337 Locked Up which is set to début Christmas of 09.
First Appearance - V for Vendetta
Other Notable Appearances: Stay Alive, Ice age 2, Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector, Slither, Here Comes Guest week, Let’s Go To Prison
Leonidas – The former king of Sparta who has traveled into the future and is having trouble coping with the modern times. Yelling loudly and kicking people into giant holes doesn’t really work the same way it did in the olden days. As time as gone by he’s adjusted but it’s a safe bet that he’s always one bad message away from throwing a spear through someone.
First Appearance - 300
Other Notable Appearances: Four Brothers, Strip# 300, The Golden Compass, Rambo, Untraceable, The Ladies of Max Paybe
Palpatine – Former Senator, Emperor of the Galactic Empire, Sith Lord... He shows up in the Joe Loves Crappy movies galaxy on occasion to let people know that they’re being stupid. No one’s really sure how he shows up in this universe but chances are it breaks all kinds of copywrite laws.
First Appearance - Episode III: The Dark Side
Other Notable Appearances: Four Brothers, Night Watch, Saw 3, Are We Done Yet
Slow Billy – Billy is a sweet kid but he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. If you’re watching him for the day be prepared to explain to him the plot of the movie or how popcorn works or, not so much where babies come from, but what babies are. He’s a complete moron.
First Appearance - Four Brothers
Other Notable Appearances: The Chronicles of Narnia, The Da Vinci Code, Vantage Point, Journey to the Center of the Earth
Kyle the Movie Snob – Be careful what fun facts about movies you tell your friends at a friendly gathering or in line for the latest blockbuster, because if you’re even slightly wrong, Kyle will be more than happy to let you know. He usually gets what’s coming to him though. Poor guy has cracked three ribs since joining the JLCM cast.
First Appearance - Ultraviolet
Other Notable Appearances: 16 Blocks, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Transformers, Journey to the Center of the Earth
Jean-Luc Picard – Another lawsuit waiting to happen is Jean Luc Picard who, towards the end of the strip’s first year, became the go-to background character. If there was ever a seat to fill or a random person to place wandering around in the background, nine times out of ten it was Picard. While Picard has crossed paths with Irv he and Joe have never met. Perhaps they will some day but for now just can an eye on the background.
First Appearance - The Producers
Other Notable Appearances: I’m not telling you, that’s no fun. It’ like Where’s Waldo – go find him!
Ice Cream Sandwich – Delicious and… deadly? Usually when you see someone eating an Ice Cream sandwich, someone else is experiencing a substantial amount of pain. Still, how nice is an ice cream sandwich on a hot summer day?
First Appearance - Saw IV
Other Notable Appearances: Bee Movie, Run Fatboy Run, Saw V
