list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Wedding Crashers on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Wedding_Crashers/241284/default.aspx Title: Wedding Crashers
Year: 2005
Director: David Dobkin
Plot: Two guys find out the hard way that sneaking into the wrong party can cause serious problems in this comedy. Jeremy Klein (Vince Vaughn) and John Beckwith (Owen Wilson) are a pair of longtime friends who work for a law firm, helping contentious couples mediate their divorces. Their job has given them a cynical attitude about marriage, and as a hobby each weekend the two make a point of crashing weddings reception, where they load up on free food and booze and try their luck at seducing the bridesmaids. When William Cleary (Christopher Walken), the nation's Secretary of the Treasury and a possible candidate for the Presidency, announces his daughter is to wed, the nuptials are billed as the social event of the year, and Jeremy and John decide they must attend the reception. However, John makes the mistake of falling head over heels for Claire (Rachel McAdams), the bride's sister, while Jeremy attracts the attentions of a woman he'd prefer not to be involved with, and soon their romantic peccadilloes get them in very hot water. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 112
Number of Lists: 101
Number of blog posts: 14
Number of discussion threads: 8
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Sat, 15 Aug 2009 14:15:34 GMTWedding Crashers2005David DobkinTwo guys find out the hard way that sneaking into the wrong party can cause serious problems in this comedy. Jeremy Klein (<a href="/players/P___225542/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Vince Vaughn</a>) and John Beckwith (<a href="/players/P___200996/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Owen Wilson</a>) are a pair of longtime friends who work for a law firm, helping contentious couples mediate their divorces. Their job has given them a cynical attitude about marriage, and as a hobby each weekend the two make a point of crashing weddings reception, where they load up on free food and booze and try their luck at seducing the bridesmaids. When William Cleary (<a href="/players/P____74206/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Christopher Walken</a>), the nation's Secretary of the Treasury and a possible candidate for the Presidency, announces his daughter is to wed, the nuptials are billed as the social event of the year, and Jeremy and John decide they must attend the reception. However, John makes the mistake of falling head over heels for Claire (<a href="/players/P___334531/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Rachel McAdams</a>), the bride's sister, while Jeremy attracts the attentions of a woman he'd prefer not to be involved with, and soon their romantic peccadilloes get them in very hot water. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide112Tag Target (>10)1011483http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u49184d1ena.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Wedding_Crashers/241284/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/goughdrop/archive/2009/8/15/43535.aspx Post By: GoughDrop
Post To: GoughDrop Blog
Post Date: 8/15/2009 10:15:34 AM
Body: Piven finally finds a vehicle where he can play to his strengths. After the problems with Smoking Aces and his other recent feature attempts, Jeremy Piven wisely chose a role that audiences can accept him in. The Ari Gold typecasting works in Piven's favor with The Goods. The script is full of hystercal gags and funny jokes. There are plenty of lame stabs in the comedic dark, but when every scene has a funny moment, you can't help but walk away with a satisfied smile. I don't believe that I've ever seen a film with the sheer number of jokes and gags that The Goods offers. Piven is perfectly cast as the maestro of car salesmen. Will Ferrell makes another gut-busting cameo as his dead best friend. James Brolin and David Koechner have a hysterical storyline of unrequited bi-curious love. But the scene stealer of this romp is Kathryn Hahn in a portrayal of a sex-starved sales seductress. It's not Wedding Crashers, 40-year Old Virgin, or Old School, but it's definitely in the strong second tier of modern comedies. The Goods: The Don Ready Story(2009)The 40-Year-Old Virgin(2005)Wedding Crashers(2005)Old School(2003)
]]>Sat, 15 Aug 2009 14:15:34 GMTGoughDropGoughDrop Blog8/15/2009 10:15:34 AMPiven finally finds a vehicle where he can play to his strengths. After the problems with Smoking Aces and his other recent feature attempts, Jeremy Piven wisely chose a role that audiences can accept him in. The Ari Gold typecasting works in Piven's favor with The Goods. The script is full of hystercal gags and funny jokes. There are plenty of lame stabs in the comedic dark, but when every scene has a funny moment, you can't help but walk away with a satisfied smile. I don't believe that I've ever seen a film with the sheer number of jokes and gags that The Goods offers. Piven is perfectly cast as the maestro of car salesmen. Will Ferrell makes another gut-busting cameo as his dead best friend. James Brolin and David Koechner have a hysterical storyline of unrequited bi-curious love. But the scene stealer of this romp is Kathryn Hahn in a portrayal of a sex-starved sales seductress. It's not Wedding Crashers, 40-year Old Virgin, or Old School, but it's definitely in the strong second tier of modern comedies. The Goods: The Don Ready Story(2009)The 40-Year-Old Virgin(2005)Wedding Crashers(2005)Old School(2003) http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_April_13_Going_To_The_Chapel/625/41636/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 4/17/2009 2:06:05 PM
Body: [quote user="mercurial"] I've finally reached that age where it seems all of my friends are getting married. The ceremonies are fun: watching my buddies committing their lives to a person they love, but what is even better is when there is an open bar and a decently catered meal. Wedding Crashers was a hilarious film based almost entirely on this notion. Knowing my friends, I'm surprised that none of them have had one of those spur of the moment weddings in Las Vegas at a 24 hour chapel with an Elvis impersonator like in What Happens In Vegas and Love Stinks. Speaking of Vegas, there are a lot of movies featuring the pre-wedding bachelor party going there and everything running amuck like in Very Bad Things. But don't get me wrong, those intimate family weddings following years of tradition are cool too. With kilts and bagpipes, Mike Myers has a traditional Scottish wedding in So I Married An Axe Murderer; Mira Nair showed us the ups and downs of an arranged Indian marriage in Monsoon Wedding; and of course Disney has perverted the minds of millions of young girls by making them believe that fairy tale weddings like in Enchanted, etc are the only way to get married (which has resulted in films like Bride Wars when everything doesn't go right). [/quote] I'm looking through this list and realizing that movies that feature heavily on weddings tend to turn me off. I'm not sure why exactly. I'll have to do some soul searching. But has anyone ever seen The Ruling Class? That features what is probably one of the funniest at the alter scenes I've ever watched. Between Alastair Sim and Peter O'Toole I was just doubled over!
]]>Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:06:05 GMTRisseladaWeekly Theme4/17/2009 2:06:05 PM[quote user="mercurial"] I've finally reached that age where it seems all of my friends are getting married. The ceremonies are fun: watching my buddies committing their lives to a person they love, but what is even better is when there is an open bar and a decently catered meal. Wedding Crashers was a hilarious film based almost entirely on this notion. Knowing my friends, I'm surprised that none of them have had one of those spur of the moment weddings in Las Vegas at a 24 hour chapel with an Elvis impersonator like in What Happens In Vegas and Love Stinks. Speaking of Vegas, there are a lot of movies featuring the pre-wedding bachelor party going there and everything running amuck like in Very Bad Things. But don't get me wrong, those intimate family weddings following years of tradition are cool too. With kilts and bagpipes, Mike Myers has a traditional Scottish wedding in So I Married An Axe Murderer; Mira Nair showed us the ups and downs of an arranged Indian marriage in Monsoon Wedding; and of course Disney has perverted the minds of millions of young girls by making them believe that fairy tale weddings like in Enchanted, etc are the only way to get married (which has resulted in films like Bride Wars when everything doesn't go right). [/quote] I'm looking through this list and realizing that movies that feature heavily on weddings tend to turn me off. I'm not sure why exactly. I'll have to do some soul searching. But has anyone ever seen The Ruling Class? That features what is probably one of the funniest at the alter scenes I've ever watched. Between Alastair Sim and Peter O'Toole I was just doubled over! http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Weekly_Theme_for_April_13_Going_To_The_Chapel/625/41584/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 4/13/2009 4:41:51 PM
Body: I've finally reached that age where it seems all of my friends are getting married. The ceremonies are fun: watching my buddies committing their lives to a person they love, but what is even better is when there is an open bar and a decently catered meal. Wedding Crashers was a hilarious film based almost entirely on this notion. Knowing my friends, I'm surprised that none of them have had one of those spur of the moment weddings in Las Vegas at a 24 hour chapel with an Elvis impersonator like in What Happens In Vegas and Love Stinks. Speaking of Vegas, there are a lot of movies featuring the pre-wedding bachelor party going there and everything running amuck like in Very Bad Things. But don't get me wrong, those intimate family weddings following years of tradition are cool too. With kilts and bagpipes, Mike Myers has a traditional Scottish wedding in So I Married An Axe Murderer; Mira Nair showed us the ups and downs of an arranged Indian marriage in Monsoon Wedding; and of course Disney has perverted the minds of millions of young girls by making them believe that fairy tale weddings like in Enchanted, etc are the only way to get married (which has resulted in films like Bride Wars when everything doesn't go right).
]]>Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:41:51 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme4/13/2009 4:41:51 PMI've finally reached that age where it seems all of my friends are getting married. The ceremonies are fun: watching my buddies committing their lives to a person they love, but what is even better is when there is an open bar and a decently catered meal. Wedding Crashers was a hilarious film based almost entirely on this notion. Knowing my friends, I'm surprised that none of them have had one of those spur of the moment weddings in Las Vegas at a 24 hour chapel with an Elvis impersonator like in What Happens In Vegas and Love Stinks. Speaking of Vegas, there are a lot of movies featuring the pre-wedding bachelor party going there and everything running amuck like in Very Bad Things. But don't get me wrong, those intimate family weddings following years of tradition are cool too. With kilts and bagpipes, Mike Myers has a traditional Scottish wedding in So I Married An Axe Murderer; Mira Nair showed us the ups and downs of an arranged Indian marriage in Monsoon Wedding; and of course Disney has perverted the minds of millions of young girls by making them believe that fairy tale weddings like in Enchanted, etc are the only way to get married (which has resulted in films like Bride Wars when everything doesn't go right). http://www.spout.com/blogs/cindyblog/archive/2008/12/31/38980.aspx Post By: CindyBlog
Post To: CindyBlog Blog
Post Date: 12/31/2008 4:15:10 AM
Body: Director, David Dobson has done a very fine job of entertaining us. What I like about THE WEDDING CRASHERS is that it doesn't pretend to be anything other than an all out comedy. Yes, there is the romantic story, but that just helps us enjoy the comedic aspects. The actors work very well together. Owen WIlson, Christopher Walken, VInce, Vaughn, Jane Seymour, Ilsa Fisher, Rachel McAdams come across quite comfortably.
]]>Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:15:10 GMTCindyBlogCindyBlog Blog12/31/2008 4:15:10 AMDirector, David Dobson has done a very fine job of entertaining us. What I like about THE WEDDING CRASHERS is that it doesn't pretend to be anything other than an all out comedy. Yes, there is the romantic story, but that just helps us enjoy the comedic aspects. The actors work very well together. Owen WIlson, Christopher Walken, VInce, Vaughn, Jane Seymour, Ilsa Fisher, Rachel McAdams come across quite comfortably. http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/Thanksgiving_movies_the_good_and_the_sucky_in_th/216/37542/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: SkyPilot
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 11/21/2008 2:57:23 PM
Body: The new movies I mention are coming out on Thanksgiving, which is Thursday the 26th. Getting Bigger All the Time: The Vince Vaughn Chronicles Let's trace his growth in reverse order. 5. Four Christmases (NEW) -- Vaughn is now over 12 feet tall. Needless to say, Vince was filmed separately, in front of a green screen. He only held a real prop once: Inside the box is a 52" flatscreen TV. 4. Wedding Crashers (2005) -- Watch the trailer. Vince is nearly 9 feet tall. To make him appear only slightly larger than Owen Wilson, Director Peter Jackson is hired to pull out all the perspective tricks he used with the Hobbits in LOTR. 3. Dodgeball (2004) -- Watch the trailer. Vince is seven and a half feet tall. It becomes clear that Vince can't throw a dodgeball without giving his target a concussion. Their solution: preceding all action scenes, the studio weakens him by shooting him with a moose tranquilizer. 2. Made (2001) -- Watch the trailer. My favorite Vince Vaughn movie! Vince and actor/director Jon Favreau (of Iron Man) are entry-level mobsters trying not to blow their new career in crime. Peter Falk is great as the mob boss. With Vince measuring 6'11", it's clear why Falk would want him as a thug. 1. Swingers (1996) -- Would anyone who used Vince's catchphrase, "That's money!", in 1996 please confess in this discussion? I was too young to see this movie when it came out, and when I finally saw it about two years ago, I couldn't get why it became a craze. Can someone please help me understand? Swingers is the last time Vince was nearly normal-sized, at 6'5". New Movies That Sound Like Musicals When You Add An Exclamation Point 1. Australia! -- Watch the trailer. Starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, set in Pre-WWII Australia. The director Baz Luhrmann has made films like Moulin Rouge! and Romeo + Juliet, so I think this will be good. 2. Milk! -- Watch the trailer. Based on the true story of gay activist Harvey Milk. With Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, James Franco, Emile Hirsch. When Jason Statham is More Badass Than Usual 1. Transporter 3 (NEW) -- Watch the trailer. The trailer's exciting. I didn't see the first two movies because I heard they weren't very good. Are there any fans of them out there? 2. Crank (2006) -- Watch the trailer. Statham wakes up to find that his arch-enemy has poisoned him. He only has about an hour to find an antidote and/or avenge his murder. It's filmed in real time, and it makes Run, Lola Run feel like a walk in the park. Orthodox Jewish Film: I Don't Have a Clever Title for This List 1. The Secrets (NEW) -- Drama about students in an all-female seminary in Safed, Israel. 2. Ushpizin (2005) -- Watch the trailer. This was really fantastic. Moshe and Mali are delighted to let Moshe's old friends stay with them for a time, but their stay turns sour when the friends' presence seems to awaken some old bad habits in Moshe, like binge drinking and barroom brawling. A gorgeous film about patience, change, and hope. New to DVD Highlights 1. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (11/18) -- Watch the trailer. I haven't seen this one yet, but I'd like to. Did you like it more than the first one? 2. Tropic Thunder (11/18) -- Watch the trailer. Good but not great (in my opinion). Ben Stiller was my favorite character. 3. Hancock (11/25) -- Watch the trailer. Seeing it once was too much. 4. Mamma Mia! (11/25) -- Watch the trailer. That musical with Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Firth. 5. X-Files: I want to Believe (11/25) -- Watch the trailer. I want to believe this is good, but I can't. Does anyone remember that old episode where the guy elongates his body and slithers through heating ducts? He uses his power to enter peoples' homes and eat their livers? Remember? 6. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (11/18) -- Watch the trailer. I'm not sure, but I think this movie is about Johnny Appleseed's groupies. They followed him on foot all over America, even in winter! That showed a lot of determination, especially considering that they were so poor, they only had one pair of pants to share among them. In this second installment, several of the girls get frostbite, all of them get snakebites, and one of them bites a woodchuck and gets rabies.
]]>Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:57:23 GMTSkyPilotComing Soon11/21/2008 2:57:23 PMThe new movies I mention are coming out on Thanksgiving, which is Thursday the 26th. Getting Bigger All the Time: The Vince Vaughn Chronicles Let's trace his growth in reverse order. 5. Four Christmases (NEW) -- Vaughn is now over 12 feet tall. Needless to say, Vince was filmed separately, in front of a green screen. He only held a real prop once: Inside the box is a 52" flatscreen TV. 4. Wedding Crashers (2005) -- Watch the trailer. Vince is nearly 9 feet tall. To make him appear only slightly larger than Owen Wilson, Director Peter Jackson is hired to pull out all the perspective tricks he used with the Hobbits in LOTR. 3. Dodgeball (2004) -- Watch the trailer. Vince is seven and a half feet tall. It becomes clear that Vince can't throw a dodgeball without giving his target a concussion. Their solution: preceding all action scenes, the studio weakens him by shooting him with a moose tranquilizer. 2. Made (2001) -- Watch the trailer. My favorite Vince Vaughn movie! Vince and actor/director Jon Favreau (of Iron Man) are entry-level mobsters trying not to blow their new career in crime. Peter Falk is great as the mob boss. With Vince measuring 6'11", it's clear why Falk would want him as a thug. 1. Swingers (1996) -- Would anyone who used Vince's catchphrase, "That's money!", in 1996 please confess in this discussion? I was too young to see this movie when it came out, and when I finally saw it about two years ago, I couldn't get why it became a craze. Can someone please help me understand? Swingers is the last time Vince was nearly normal-sized, at 6'5". New Movies That Sound Like Musicals When You Add An Exclamation Point 1. Australia! -- Watch the trailer. Starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, set in Pre-WWII Australia. The director Baz Luhrmann has made films like Moulin Rouge! and Romeo + Juliet, so I think this will be good. 2. Milk! -- Watch the trailer. Based on the true story of gay activist Harvey Milk. With Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, James Franco, Emile Hirsch. When Jason Statham is More Badass Than Usual 1. Transporter 3 (NEW) -- Watch the trailer. The trailer's exciting. I didn't see the first two movies because I heard they weren't very good. Are there any fans of them out there? 2. Crank (2006) -- Watch the trailer. Statham wakes up to find that his arch-enemy has poisoned him. He only has about an hour to find an antidote and/or avenge his murder. It's filmed in real time, and it makes Run, Lola Run feel like a walk in the park. Orthodox Jewish Film: I Don't Have a Clever Title for This List 1. The Secrets (NEW) -- Drama about students in an all-female seminary in Safed, Israel. 2. Ushpizin (2005) -- Watch the trailer. This was really fantastic. Moshe and Mali are delighted to let Moshe's old friends stay with them for a time, but their stay turns sour when the friends' presence seems to awaken some old bad habits in Moshe, like binge drinking and barroom brawling. A gorgeous film about patience, change, and hope. New to DVD Highlights 1. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (11/18) -- Watch the trailer. I haven't seen this one yet, but I'd like to. Did you like it more than the first one? 2. Tropic Thunder (11/18) -- Watch the trailer. Good but not great (in my opinion). Ben Stiller was my favorite character. 3. Hancock (11/25) -- Watch the trailer. Seeing it once was too much. 4. Mamma Mia! (11/25) -- Watch the trailer. That musical with Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Firth. 5. X-Files: I want to Believe (11/25) -- Watch the trailer. I want to believe this is good, but I can't. Does anyone remember that old episode where the guy elongates his body and slithers through heating ducts? He uses his power to enter peoples' homes and eat their livers? Remember? 6. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (11/18) -- Watch the trailer. I'm not sure, but I think this movie is about Johnny Appleseed's groupies. They followed him on foot all over America, even in winter! That showed a lot of determination, especially considering that they were so poor, they only had one pair of pants to share among them. In this second installment, several of the girls get frostbite, all of them get snakebites, and one of them bites a woodchuck and gets rabies. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/10/21/36545.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 10/21/2008 11:01:01 AM
Body: This past weekend, Saturday Night Live received a huge ratings boost thanks to the appearance of vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. But as much fun as it was seeing her act the good sport next to a jokingly critical Alec Baldwin, it only made me anticipate her inevitable feature film debut. I mean, did you notice she was the only person who didn’t need to keep reading from the cue cards? She’s a natural. And whether her ticket wins or loses the race on November 4, it’s certain that one day Palin will at least make a cameo in some kind of fictional movie, whether she means to or not. So, as we wait for her to show up in a small part in the Coen brothers’ adaptation of Michael Chabon’s The Yiddish Policemen’s Union (both because she’s from Alaska and reminds me of Frances McDormand in Fargo), let’s take a look at some other politicians who’ve made interesting film cameos, some intentionally and some not. John McCain in Wedding Crashers (2005) Few of us noticed or thought much of it when Senator McCain appeared as himself, shaking hands with Christopher Walken and Jane Seymour, in this romantic comedy. But so far this year you’ve probably seen the cameo, or a photo from it, more times than you’ve seen the rest of the movie. I wonder if McCain and Walken had time to chat about the latter’s role in The Deer Hunter. Christopher Dodd in Dave (1993) When I was in high school, I had no idea who my state’s U.S. Senators were. Fortunately, I saw Dave and saw Dodd’s cameo, complete with a caption telling who he is. Other state’s youth who might have had similar experiences include Iowa, Ohio, Illinois and Wyoming, as the political comedy also featured cameos from Senators Tom Harkin, Howard Metzenbaum, Paul Simon and Alan Simpson. Representative Tip O’Neill also appears, but everybody knew who he was, right? Patrick Leahy in The Dark Knight (2008) What’s a U.S. Senator doing in a comic book movie? More importantly, what’s a Democrat politician doing in a Republican’s wet dream? Well, Vermont’s Leahy is apparently a huge Batman fan and has also appeared in Batman and Robin and lent his voice to an episode of Batman: The Animated Series. Al D’amato in The Devil’s Advocate (1997) There’s no more appropriate place for a politician to make an appearance than a movie about the Devil. Right? Well, D’amato’s cameo is unfortunately a little more innocent than it seems, though he is still seen cavorting with employees of Satan. Rudy Giuliani in The Out-of-Towners (1999) It’s definitely appropriate for an NYC mayor to make an appearance in a movie that promotes Manhattan tourism, but Giuliani picked the wrong movie to be associated with. Possibly one of the worst remakes ever, it’s more likely to dissuade viewers to come to the Big Apple. Ed Koch in The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) Koch, on the other hand, is a huge cinephile (he even moonlights as a film critic) and has appeared in a ton of NYC-set films, good and bad. When I was a kid, nothing made me think Koch was cooler than his appearance alongside the Muppets. Jim Garrison in JFK (1991) It’s typical for people to have cameos in films about themselves, so it’s not too surprising to see the former District Attorney show up in Oliver Stone’s film. Not only did he get to make a small appearance, though, he actually got to portray someone as famous as Earl Warren. And he kind of did a better job of it than Kevin Costner did of portraying Garrison. John F. Kennedy in Forrest Gump (1994) Thanks to movie magic, the former President of the United States was able to make a cameo opposite Tom Hanks sixty years after he’d been assassinated. Of course, another actor provided his line for him, but I’m sure the real JFK would have been down to knowingly costar with an Oscar winner and memorably say, “I believe he said he had to go pee.” George W. Bush in Death of a President (2006) Thanks to similar movie magic, the current U.S. President was able to be seamlessly edited into this movie so that it truly appears as though the real G.W. Bush has been shot. To think, back when Forrest Gump was made, there were such innocent ways of featuring a deceased or unauthorized personality in a movie or TV commercial (remember John Wayne hawking Coors?), but now they’re killing presidents and employing dead child stars (that controversial new Poltergeist Direct TV ad). I wonder how far the ethics will be stretched in another decade. Gerald Ford in The Bees (1978) This is another cameo that probably wasn’t authorized, but it’s even more innocent than putting words into Kennedy’s mouth. Plus, it’s not a very good movie, and so the former U.S. President’s uncredited appearance probably wasn’t a very big deal. Even if the filmmakers try to make it seem that a swarm of killer bees are a threat to Ford as he’s riding on a Rose Bowl Parade float. If Hollywood ever remakes this film, they’ll probably use effects wizardry to make it look like the President actually gets stung and dies. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:01:01 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com10/21/2008 11:01:01 AMThis past weekend, Saturday Night Live received a huge ratings boost thanks to the appearance of vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. But as much fun as it was seeing her act the good sport next to a jokingly critical Alec Baldwin, it only made me anticipate her inevitable feature film debut. I mean, did you notice she was the only person who didn’t need to keep reading from the cue cards? She’s a natural. And whether her ticket wins or loses the race on November 4, it’s certain that one day Palin will at least make a cameo in some kind of fictional movie, whether she means to or not. So, as we wait for her to show up in a small part in the Coen brothers’ adaptation of Michael Chabon’s The Yiddish Policemen’s Union (both because she’s from Alaska and reminds me of Frances McDormand in Fargo), let’s take a look at some other politicians who’ve made interesting film cameos, some intentionally and some not. John McCain in Wedding Crashers (2005) Few of us noticed or thought much of it when Senator McCain appeared as himself, shaking hands with Christopher Walken and Jane Seymour, in this romantic comedy. But so far this year you’ve probably seen the cameo, or a photo from it, more times than you’ve seen the rest of the movie. I wonder if McCain and Walken had time to chat about the latter’s role in The Deer Hunter. Christopher Dodd in Dave (1993) When I was in high school, I had no idea who my state’s U.S. Senators were. Fortunately, I saw Dave and saw Dodd’s cameo, complete with a caption telling who he is. Other state’s youth who might have had similar experiences include Iowa, Ohio, Illinois and Wyoming, as the political comedy also featured cameos from Senators Tom Harkin, Howard Metzenbaum, Paul Simon and Alan Simpson. Representative Tip O’Neill also appears, but everybody knew who he was, right? Patrick Leahy in The Dark Knight (2008) What’s a U.S. Senator doing in a comic book movie? More importantly, what’s a Democrat politician doing in a Republican’s wet dream? Well, Vermont’s Leahy is apparently a huge Batman fan and has also appeared in Batman and Robin and lent his voice to an episode of Batman: The Animated Series. Al D’amato in The Devil’s Advocate (1997) There’s no more appropriate place for a politician to make an appearance than a movie about the Devil. Right? Well, D’amato’s cameo is unfortunately a little more innocent than it seems, though he is still seen cavorting with employees of Satan. Rudy Giuliani in The Out-of-Towners (1999) It’s definitely appropriate for an NYC mayor to make an appearance in a movie that promotes Manhattan tourism, but Giuliani picked the wrong movie to be associated with. Possibly one of the worst remakes ever, it’s more likely to dissuade viewers to come to the Big Apple. Ed Koch in The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) Koch, on the other hand, is a huge cinephile (he even moonlights as a film critic) and has appeared in a ton of NYC-set films, good and bad. When I was a kid, nothing made me think Koch was cooler than his appearance alongside the Muppets. Jim Garrison in JFK (1991) It’s typical for people to have cameos in films about themselves, so it’s not too surprising to see the former District Attorney show up in Oliver Stone’s film. Not only did he get to make a small appearance, though, he actually got to portray someone as famous as Earl Warren. And he kind of did a better job of it than Kevin Costner did of portraying Garrison. John F. Kennedy in Forrest Gump (1994) Thanks to movie magic, the former President of the United States was able to make a cameo opposite Tom Hanks sixty years after he’d been assassinated. Of course, another actor provided his line for him, but I’m sure the real JFK would have been down to knowingly costar with an Oscar winner and memorably say, “I believe he said he had to go pee.” George W. Bush in Death of a President (2006) Thanks to similar movie magic, the current U.S. President was able to be seamlessly edited into this movie so that it truly appears as though the real G.W. Bush has been shot. To think, back when Forrest Gump was made, there were such innocent ways of featuring a deceased or unauthorized personality in a movie or TV commercial (remember John Wayne hawking Coors?), but now they’re killing presidents and employing dead child stars (that controversial new Poltergeist Direct TV ad). I wonder how far the ethics will be stretched in another decade. Gerald Ford in The Bees (1978) This is another cameo that probably wasn’t authorized, but it’s even more innocent than putting words into Kennedy’s mouth. Plus, it’s not a very good movie, and so the former U.S. President’s uncredited appearance probably wasn’t a very big deal. Even if the filmmakers try to make it seem that a swarm of killer bees are a threat to Ford as he’s riding on a Rose Bowl Parade float. If Hollywood ever remakes this film, they’ll probably use effects wizardry to make it look like the President actually gets stung and dies. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/robvs/archive/2008/10/13/36276.aspx Post By: robvs
Post To: robvs Blog
Post Date: 10/13/2008 11:09:10 PM
Body: I had pretty low expectations for What Happens in Vegas, and it turned out to be a decent movie. The writing was clever at times and it wasn't as predictable as many similar movies. Its no Wedding Crashers, but I would put it on the same level as How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
]]>Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:09:10 GMTrobvsrobvs Blog10/13/2008 11:09:10 PMI had pretty low expectations for What Happens in Vegas, and it turned out to be a decent movie. The writing was clever at times and it wasn't as predictable as many similar movies. Its no Wedding Crashers, but I would put it on the same level as How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. http://www.spout.com/groups/The_Stiller_Vaughn_Wilsons/Best_Stiller_Vaughn_Wilson_comedy/89/35318/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: seely
Post To: The Stiller Vaughn Wilsons
Post Date: 9/19/2008 3:04:07 PM
Body: Personally, I'm a fan of Wedding Crashers, I think. They all have some pretty good cameos in random films too. Anchorman (as much as I dislike Will Ferrell) comes to mind...
]]>Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:04:07 GMTseelyThe Stiller Vaughn Wilsons9/19/2008 3:04:07 PMPersonally, I'm a fan of Wedding Crashers, I think. They all have some pretty good cameos in random films too. Anchorman (as much as I dislike Will Ferrell) comes to mind... http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_Everybody_Seems_To_Love_But_I_Hate/190/31374/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: unclefestering
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 6/18/2008 1:11:08 PM
Body: [quote user="nikolarulz"] Ok, so here's mine: 1. Madagascar - along with most other animated stuff people seem to not be able to get enough of, I'm pretty reserved. Honestly, I believe that the time of succesful animated movies, like the ones from the Disney era, has gone by. Now they seem to only be made for parents to entertain their children with something while they clean their house. As far as I'm concerned, anmation itself is not the only artistic merrit these movies should be judged by. 4. Wedding Crashers - This is just too dumb to watch. Even if it's a comedy, I cannot watch something that dumbs me down so much. These movies are simply made just to be box office hits, and for no other apparent reason. 5. Ocean's Twelve, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, and other ridiculous sequels of good movies. [/quote] I'm right there with you on Madagascar. I don't think the story is that great and I'm tired of computer graphics being substituted for animation. It isn't that I don't think they have a role, but I'm tired of the pointlyess 3-D, assembly line animation. I think I laughed two or three times at Wedding Crashers. Then I sat there bored by the rest of it. I didn't want to include sequels in my list since they usually fail to match the original, but Oceans 12 is especially egregious.
]]>Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:11:08 GMTunclefesteringTop 56/18/2008 1:11:08 PM[quote user="nikolarulz"] Ok, so here's mine: 1. Madagascar - along with most other animated stuff people seem to not be able to get enough of, I'm pretty reserved. Honestly, I believe that the time of succesful animated movies, like the ones from the Disney era, has gone by. Now they seem to only be made for parents to entertain their children with something while they clean their house. As far as I'm concerned, anmation itself is not the only artistic merrit these movies should be judged by. 4. Wedding Crashers - This is just too dumb to watch. Even if it's a comedy, I cannot watch something that dumbs me down so much. These movies are simply made just to be box office hits, and for no other apparent reason. 5. Ocean's Twelve, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, and other ridiculous sequels of good movies. [/quote] I'm right there with you on Madagascar. I don't think the story is that great and I'm tired of computer graphics being substituted for animation. It isn't that I don't think they have a role, but I'm tired of the pointlyess 3-D, assembly line animation. I think I laughed two or three times at Wedding Crashers. Then I sat there bored by the rest of it. I didn't want to include sequels in my list since they usually fail to match the original, but Oceans 12 is especially egregious. http://www.spout.com/blogs/chrismorrell/archive/2008/6/6/30812.aspx Post By: chrismorrell
Post To: chrismorrell Blog
Post Date: 6/6/2008 7:58:54 PM
Body: Totally forgettable...if you like Vince Vaughn, makes you wish you were watching "Dodgeball"...if you like Owen Wilson, makes you wish you were watching "Zoolander"...
]]>Fri, 06 Jun 2008 23:58:54 GMTchrismorrellchrismorrell Blog6/6/2008 7:58:54 PMTotally forgettable...if you like Vince Vaughn, makes you wish you were watching "Dodgeball"...if you like Owen Wilson, makes you wish you were watching "Zoolander"... http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/funny/MemberTagFilms.aspxfunny
Number of films tagged: 609

Number of people who tagged: 317

Number of times used: 942

]]>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:10:58 GMT609317942Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/comedy/MemberTagFilms.aspxcomedy
Number of films tagged: 1087

Number of people who tagged: 253

Number of times used: 1342

]]>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:38:30 GMT10872531342Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/family/MemberTagFilms.aspxfamily
Number of films tagged: 6288

Number of people who tagged: 226

Number of times used: 1138

]]>Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:09:21 GMT62882261138Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Great/MemberTagFilms.aspxGreat
Number of films tagged: 231

Number of people who tagged: 202

Number of times used: 371

]]>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:11:49 GMT231202371Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Loved-It/MemberTagFilms.aspxLoved-It
Number of films tagged: 509

Number of people who tagged: 179

Number of times used: 921

]]>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:56:35 GMT509179921Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/romance/MemberTagFilms.aspxromance
Number of films tagged: 7162

Number of people who tagged: 169

Number of times used: 1004

]]>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:01:30 GMT71621691004Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/hilarious/MemberTagFilms.aspxhilarious
Number of films tagged: 222

Number of people who tagged: 165

Number of times used: 331

]]>Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:39:04 GMT222165331Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/fun/MemberTagFilms.aspxfun
Number of films tagged: 459

Number of people who tagged: 142

Number of times used: 296

]]>Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:23:09 GMT459142296Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/sex/MemberTagFilms.aspxsex
Number of films tagged: 2414

Number of people who tagged: 126

Number of times used: 548

]]>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:50:42 GMT2414126548Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/it/MemberTagFilms.aspxit
Number of films tagged: 101

Number of people who tagged: 106

Number of times used: 117

]]>Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:42:42 GMT101106117Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/marriage/MemberTagFilms.aspxmarriage
Number of films tagged: 3471

Number of people who tagged: 67

Number of times used: 267

]]>Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:39:11 GMT347167267Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/favorite/MemberTagFilms.aspxfavorite
Number of films tagged: 85

Number of people who tagged: 62

Number of times used: 127

]]>Sat, 15 Aug 2009 02:22:58 GMT8562127Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/disappointing/MemberTagFilms.aspxdisappointing
Number of films tagged: 75

Number of people who tagged: 53

Number of times used: 101

]]>Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:25:18 GMT7553101Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/to/MemberTagFilms.aspxto
Number of films tagged: 58

Number of people who tagged: 53

Number of times used: 69

]]>Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:54:49 GMT585369Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/dancing/MemberTagFilms.aspxdancing
Number of films tagged: 94

Number of people who tagged: 49

Number of times used: 131

]]>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:25:46 GMT9449131Tag