New Movie Releases: Foot Fist Way, Mister Lonely and More

The Foot Fist Way A washed-up, slack-jawed, perv-inator of a martial arts instructor simultaneously insults, intimidates and inspires his students to uphold the tenets of tae kwon do in The Foot Fist Way, a little indie princess that got fitted for its Cinderella slippers at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival.

After it was scooped up by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, TFFW went viral amongst the comedy community, with some people declaring it “THE FUNNIEST MOVIE THAT THEY HAVE EVER SEEN ZOMFG!!!” You may even remember that backlash has already begun. Unfortunately for this fairy tale, the clock has struck midnight and instead of the princess reverting into a beautiful and mild mannered peasant, we find ourselves staring at an oafish thug with a foul mouth.

Perhaps it was the fact that we had a terrible day at work, or perhaps it was the couple sitting next to us on an obvious (and stunningly awkward) first date, who proceeded to talk through the entire movie, or maybe it was that we needed to be intoxicated, but The Foot Fist Way is possibly one of the most profoundly unamusing films we have seen in quite some time.

Now, that’s not to say that we didn’t laugh out loud once or twice, (especially at the Myrtle Beach references and a choice scene involving a wedding ring) but our chortles felt empty, like eating our feelings in the form of a sadness bowl at KFC.

Co-Writer and lead Danny McBride is, pitifully, at his very best when he is at his meanest, doling out the verbal roundhouse kicks to everyone in sight, which left our attitude towards his character bruised and bloodied. There is nothing to love about this man—no redeeming kindness streak or character arch to speak of—and he is surrounded by people who are, amazingly, even less appealing! So, when the collision of his two worlds, made manifest by his whorish wife(a wooden Mary Jane Bostic) and his quadruple-black-belt idol Chuck “the Truck” Wallace (played with oozing sleaziness by Co-Writer Ben Best), sends him into an emotional tailspin, the most sympathy we could muster was a half-hearted sigh.

Mercifully, the movie was only about 75 minutes long. Any longer and we would have been more than willing to break a cinder block with our own head. --Steph Beasley
[Trailer] [Showtimes]

Bigger, Stronger, Faster
If you saw the title “Bigger, Stronger, Faster,” and thought it was a movie about the Kanye West, think again. While that could be interesting, that’s not what this is. It’s a documentary about steroids and their rampant usage in America. Produced by the same guys who produced Bowling for Columbine and Farenheit 9/11, this promises to raise some interesting questions and maybe even attempt to answer them, going pretty high up the governmental chain. It certainly presents an interesting question: in today’s “we’re #1!” culture, how far will people go to make sure they're the best, and is it right? While this film might not have any hip-hop dancing, it could actually work out your brain some. But maybe go easy on the butter flavored topping on your popcorn just this one time. Those startlingly fit athletes could induce some body image issues. --Matthew Frederick
[Trailer] [Showtimes]

Mister Lonely
During SXSW, we told you a little bit about Harmony Korine's Mister Lonely, the story of a Michael Jackson look-alike who stumbles on an isolated community of celebrity impersonators. Starring Diego Luna, Samantha Morton and Werner Herzog, Mister Lonely is Korine's first film since 1999's Julien Donkey-Boy (he's probably best known for writing Larry Clark's Kids and directing the cult hit Gummo).

If you didn't get a chance to see it during Southby (two screenings? Come on!), you can finally catch it this weekend at the Dobie. We will definitely be there. --Matt Smith
[Trailer] [Showtimes]

Kung Fu Panda
The title pretty much sums this one up. There is, apparently, a panda who knows Kung Fu. But the cast is absolutely stellar, including the voices of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen and David Cross. Bring the kids. --Matt Smith
[Trailer] [Showtimes]

You Don’t Mess With the Zohan
We don't know about you, but we haven't found Adam Sandler's baby-talk funny since his SNL days. And You Don’t Mess With the Zohan (ostensibly a combination of Borat and Zoolander--market research says it's a hit!) doesn't look like it'll change our minds. But it is getting a cautious thumbs-up from some folks, so who knows.
[Trailer] [Showtimes]

Surfwise
Directed by Doug Pray, Surfwise explores the life and times of Dorian Paskowitz, the eccentric father of a vagabond surfing family. --Matt Smith
[Trailer] [Showtimes]

Stuck
Stuart Gordon (probably best known for his 1985 horror Re-Animator) directs this horror thriller about a woman who faces a serious moral dilemma after a homeless man becomes, er, stuck in her windshield. Starring Mena Suvari, Stuck is based on a similar real-life incident. --Matt Smith
[Trailer] [Showtimes]

Standard Operating Procedure
Errol Morris' Abu Ghraib doc Standard Operating Procedure finally hits Austin this weekend after a slow cross-country rollout. The controversial doc (what doc isn't controversial though?) uses interviews and dramatizations to examine the story behind the infamous prison abuse photos, and the complex nature of truth. --Matt Smith
[Trailer] [Showtimes]

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By math in Arts & Entertainment on June 6, 2008 5:30 PM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

oh steph

Hey Seth and Jaffie,

First off, thanks for reading. I truly appreciate your criticism and value it more than you can know.

The thing is, I am not sophisticated. Sure, I have a degree in journalism that I am not currently using in the professional sense, and studied film criticism during my college years, but I just truly found this movie to be incredibly disappointing. I went into it expecting to see the next American Movie, but instead found the repetitive and pointless story line (the random guy with the yellow-blonde hair, while amusing, had absolutely nothing to do with anything in the movie) to be a bit exasperating. As I said in the review, perhaps I was just in a seriously bad mood (I wasn't kidding when I said that the people who sat next to me talked through THE ENTIRE DAMN MOVIE - a side note to people who talk during movies: you SUCK) and was not receptive to what TFFW had to offer.

What I do think this film shows is promise of future greatness. I think if Hill and McBride had more guidance while making the film, then possibly they would have chosen less spastic transitions, a more crisp script and actors who didn't belong in Skinemax late night soft-core porn.

I loved Old School. I would have Old School's babies if that were possible. I also enjoyed Superbad and Borat to a lesser extent. I just can't bring myself to believe that this is the best that these filmmakers could do.

The review that is posted above seems to be an older version than I intended, as I did mention the Patton Oswalt connection in a more current version. I wanted to see the film a year ago when he brought it through, but had prior obligations, and I was busting at the seams to see it this time and was totally bummed when it didn't deliver the gut-busting hilarity that I expected.

However, I did see The Machine Girl on Monday night, and that film totally kicked ass. Equal parts sardonic wit and face-melting gore, it is definitely one of the most enjoyable films I have seen in quite awhile. When it comes out, I will certainly fill you in further. Until then, comment on faithful readers.

jaffie

I totally agree with Seth on this.

I was lucky enough to attend an early screening of "The Foot Fist Way" well over a year ago hosted by Patton Oswalt when he was in town for the opening of "Rattatouie." I loved it.

It's a dumb, low-budget movie that kept me laughing throughout. Maybe the difference is that I went into it thinking, "this is going to be a silly, but probably pretty funny movie." If you go into this movie thinking it will rock your world view, then you might be disappointed.

Sure, everyone has their own brand of humor, but I find the review a little snobby. I think I am a sophisticated person. I have two college degrees in Fine Art, I read philosophy and science books for fun, and I thought "The Foot Fist Way" was a very funny movie. What am I to do?

I actually did have empathy for the main character. I saw in him bits of all the "tough guys" I've known throughout my life. There's a hidden element to the character that's not so obvious to the casual observer. I see him as a little kid who's trying to act tough so that he can seem cool. There's some vuneralbility there, he just doesn't show it.

In short, I think this movie has plenty of high-brow and low-brow appeal to go around, the viewer just has to stop rolling his or her eyes long enough to just enjoy the damn movie. Don't worry about it, just relax and enjoy the ride. You can read Voltaire when you get home.

seth

Dear readers:

I like steph's writing. She's definitely one of the strongest writers on this arts & entertainment website.

Here's the problem. The editorial decision to assign her movies like Foot Fist Way to review is absolutely flawed. She needs to grow her confidence a bit more. A movie like this requires a reviewer who can suspend all airs of sophistication and encourage others to enjoy a piece of comedy that is 100% carnal in nature.

Uhhh... Yeah, character arch. Why should that convention be forced on every fucking movie ever made?!? I don't remember people bitching because Borat didn't have a character arch. Look, in 2003, a movie called 'Old School' was released that demonstrated there exists a lucrative market for movies that can't sell tickets to eighth-grade girls (i.e. R-rated comedies). Since 'Old School' we have thoroughly enjoyed such base r-rated cinematic works as 'Superbad,' 'Borat,' and now 'Foot Fist Way.'

On a high-brow level, this movie lampoons the jock archetypes created by past martial arts-as-bully-destroyer films like 'Karate Kid.' It mocks heightened aggression as a solution to insecurity. Sure, Fred doesn't have redeeming character traits. He's demonstrating that 'getting tougher than your bullies' isn't a winning resolution. Critics bitched when Sergio Leone made westerns featuring an anti-hero main character, now they're bitching when a comedy features an anti-hero.

The laughs come it at all levels. High punches to the cranium. Rabbit punches to the gut (a lot, be careful), and low sweep-the-leg-johnny kicks that will knock you down with laughter.

Don't worry that Steph has panned this film. She's trying to carry an air of sophistication in her writing. Same as when the Austinist interviewed Will Ferrell and only asked him about his non-comedy work out of fear that the site might seem 'uncultured.' And don't worry about Marc Savlov's two-star rating in the Chronicle. He's just keeping their rankings in line with the 2.5 stars given to 'Old School' by the Chronicle.

Go see this movie if you want to laugh.

Seth