Movie #118 - Club Dread

Club Dread
20th Century Fox
2004 - Rated R - 1 hr 44 min
Director: Jay Chandrasekhar
Starring: Bill Paxton, Kevin Heffernan, Jay Chandrasekhar, Brittany Daniel, Jordan Ladd, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, Erik Stolhanske

Often called the weakest of the Broken Lizard films (Super Troopers, Beerfest, Slammin' Salmon), this mock horror movie is definitely not as strong as this five-man comedy team can typically deliver.  Still, it's funnier than most other mock horror films and it doesn't take itself too seriously....ever...and so I like it.  Other BL fans might not agree, but I still giggle when Juan talks.

That being said, the talents of this team are impressive.  When you go from this movie to their other movies, where they play completely different characters, their talents and character-acting ranges may surprise you.  As always, these guys are just fun to watch. Even if the premise is campy and the other actors are a bit weird. Except Bill Paxton, who is the best washed-up, has-been, un-Jimmy Buffet I've ever seen on screen.

Movie #66 - Beerfest

Beerfest
Warner Bros Pictures
2006 - Rated R - 1 hr 50 min
Director: Jay Chandrasekhar
Starring: Paul Soter, Eric Stolhanske, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Jay Chandrasekhar, Cloris Leachman, Will Forte, Eric Christian Olsen, Mo'Nique

Oh, these guys. This installment of Broken Lizard is one of my favorites, so watching this was a good time. Honestly, binge drinking has never been as funny as when these guys are "training" for the big Beerfest competition in Germany.

What I love most about the movie is the sentimental plot, where these two brothers are competing in Beerfest against their evil German cousins to prove a point: their grandfather was the rightful heir to the family brewery and their great-grandmother (a priceless Cloris Leachman) is not a whore. This adds an almost heartwarming dimension to the plot so it's not just about getting trashed and playing beer pong.

As usual, the five Broken Lizard members characterize their roles perfectly, from a nearly unrecognizable Steve Lemme as nerdy Finkelstein to the ex-frat boy Landfill played by Kevin Heffernan. These guys are seriously talented and always fun to watch. Definitely recommended if you want to laugh out loud.