The Foot Fist Way premiered at Sundance in 2006. I got my hands on a copy about a year ago, and wondered why it never got a big cross-country release. I knew it was a hit among big-time comedy folk (your Stillers, your Apatows, your Oswalts), and I started to figure that maybe they just wanted to keep it to themselves. But with a big push from Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, Foot Fist has found its way into theaters. Shot independently over nineteen days for little money in North Carolina, the film is a character study about a character you'd never want to meet -- Fred Simmons.

Danny McBride plays Simmons, an unbalanced children's Tae Kwon Do instructor who goes completely off the rails when his wife (the very funny Mary Jane Bostic) cheats on him. Fred is obsessed with karate master and low-budget film star Chuck "The Truck" Wallace (Ben Best), and tries to focus his energies on bringing his hero to the school. That's about it for a plot, much of the film consists of quasi-connected short scenes and moments that feel quite a bit like sketches. A genuinely hilarious scene early on involving an elderly woman, for example, is a self-contained jewel (I actually choked on soda watching it), and would be an internet sensation if this film had never existed.

The juxtaposition of a deranged man and young children is a comedy staple going back (at least) to W.C. Fields, but since this is an indie flick, things go darker than you might expect. Simmons is not a likable man, not at all really, and McBride's resistance to give him a big heart makes him feel a lot more authentic than a lot of the "heroes" in major studio comedies today. Sometimes a dick is just a dick.

Back in March, Judd Apatow talked about how Will Ferrell's Ron Burgandy was the character best suited for a sequel. However, he suggested that this idea would happen in 30 years time, showing Ron as a 70-year-old anchor. Now I wonder if this was just a ploy to get buzz going, because it seems that this potential sequel is a little closer to reality. Collider talked with Anchorman's writer/director Adam McKay, and he says we won't have to wait three decades.

McKay says, "I might do this other movie called Channel 3 Billion, which is kind of this science fiction/Brazil-type comedy. Then after that, Will and I are like let's do Anchorman 2, so you're talking like years, maybe we'll do it. But we're going to do it, for sure." Collider asked if this was 100%, and McKay responded: "Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're dying to do it. Unless we can't get the cast together, which is always kind of a tricky thing. But, I think, with that cast we're all friends, so yeah, we want to do it."

Personally, I was hoping for more teeny tyke landlords, but this could definitely be fun. What do you think?

When I told a friend of mine that I was heading to a screening of Baby Mama, he immediately replied: "Oh, the Saturday Night Live movie?" Hmm -- well, sort of. The comedy -- which premiered at Tribeca and goes wide this weekend -- was produced by SNL honcho Lorne Michaels, and stars show veterans Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. On the other hand, it's not based on an SNL sketch, and doesn't feature any characters from the show.

Baby Mama's pre-release reputation as a "Saturday Night Live movie" probably isn't helpful: movies falling into that category don't have the best track record in the minds of people who pay attention. At the same time, the show has contributed a lot to the movies, mostly in its capacity as a breeding ground for comedic talent. This installment of Cinematical Seven collects films with an SNL connection that have actually been good, or in some way significant. I limited the pool to the last ten years; we all know that The Blues Brothers and Wayne's World are classics that started out as SNL sketches, but what has the show done for us lately?

Two new trailers for two films I was kinda looking forward to have arrived online, and I'm feeling a sense of discomfort. It's not terribly strong, because it's early, but there's definitely an uneasy vibe there. The first trailer, for Step Brothers, makes it look like the film has potential, but ultimately suffers because it's way too long. Directed by the reliable Adam McKay, and starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, this one tells of two unemployed, spoiled grown men who eventually become best friends after their single parents marry. It's Ferrell, so it's silly, but for a first trailer it's just so damn long. I know we sometimes gripe about teasers, and we itch for a longer look at something, but there's something to be said for leaving us itching for more. This first trailer for Step Brothers leaves me interested in seeing more (because I love all three of these guys), but I'm not scratching at anticipation hives. Watch it now at Yahoo and let us know.

Next up, we have Get Smart. Hmmm. Loved the TV show. I dig the idea. I dig this cast. I get it. But do I want to see it? I know the original was silly, but does this new film take it too far? I'm still on the fence -- though Anne Hathaway looks pretty damn good -- so I'll leave it up to you to decide what you think of this. And is it just me, or do you half expect Steve Martin to show up at some point wearing that ridiculous mustache. Watch the trailer over at Apple and let us know.

Cinematical has just received this exclusive poster for the upcoming comedy Step Brothers (click on the image for a larger version), and damn it if I'm not ridiculously excited about this film. Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly re-team with director Adam McKay (Talladega Nights) for a flick that just tugs at the heart strings inside all of us. I'd say it's inspiring -- almost earth shattering -- but then again, I don't want to get your hopes up too much. They should be up, though, but at a level where you can still reach them -- kinda like a cookie jar. Step Brothers tells the tale of pampered best friends whose single parents fall in love and decide to get married. Admit it, you know you secretly dreamt of that happening to you growing up -- except in my fantasy, my best friend was Alyssa Milano and, well, use your imagination.

Co-starring Adam Scott, Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins, and produced by some dude named Judd Apatow, Step Brothers arrives in theaters on July 25.

By now you've probably watched a video or two over at the Funny or Die website (our own Patrick Walsh has a gem up there as we speak). The site, created by Adam McKay and Will Ferrell, specializes in promoting comedic shorts, uploaded by users, who then try to spread the word and get their short as many votes as possible. The highest rated shorts -- or the shorts with the most buzz -- have a special section reserved on the site, and a fraction of those often wind up in Will Ferrell or Adam McKay's own top picks of the week. For the casual internet surfer, there's a ton of funny stuff on there -- stuff that's sometimes created by Ferrell and McKay themselves (see: The Landlord series) -- and now that successful duo has added a new partner to their team: Judd Apatow.

Apatow has already used the site to promote his viral marketing videos for Knocked Up and Superbad, and now it looks like he'll be coming onboard as another creative head -- a comedic mastermind, if you will. The three have already shot and uploaded a short of their own, announcing Apatow's involvement, which you can view here (or after the jump). In it, Apatow insists that he wants to add more hardcore porn to the website, while McKay and Ferrell argue against the idea. It's a little long, but pretty damn funny. I assume this means we'll be seeing shorts exclusively created by Apatow and his clan arrive on the site soon, some of which I'm sure will feature Ferrell and/or Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill ... you name em'. I think it's great that the current leaders in big-screen comedy have banded together in an attempt to produce the funniest stuff out there. Can't wait to see what they have in store for us down the line ...

I like Will Ferrell as much as the next girl, but I don't think I like him enough to drop $47,100. The Hollywood Reporter tells us a winner has emerged in the auction for a cameo role in Ferrell's next film, Step Brothers. Erik had first reported on the auction last week, and just in case you are wondering, this isn't just a shameless cash grab -- Uwe Boll; I'm looking in your direction. All of the proceeds from the auction are going to a charitable organization called the Cancer for College foundation. The charity is run by Ferrell's former fraternity buddy, who is a two-time survivor of Hodgkin's Disease.

So who was willing to drop almost fifty grand for the part of 'Guy in Bathroom Stall #2'?. The winning bid came from an anonymous bidder in Texas who was bidding on behalf of his son. The bidder told THR, "I lost my mother to ovarian cancer a few years ago so I feel fortunate that my 10-year-old and I are able to participate in an event involving Cancer for College and Will Ferrell. It's a great opportunity for him to both hang out with 'Ricky Bobby' and learn a valuable life lesson -- that it's important to help people who need help by whatever means you are able to do so". Step Brothers is the latest collaboration for Ferrell and Adam McKay with Judd Apatow producing. The film stars Ferrell and John C. Reilly as two ultra-competitive step-brothers vying for their parents affection. Brothers is currently still in production, but is scheduled for release on July 25th, 2008.

Whenever I see the word 'auction' somewhere, I immediately know my broke ass won't be able to afford whatever it is they're auctioning off. So until I see the headline: Will Ferrell Randomly Gives 'Step Brothers' Role to Editor of Cinematical.com, I'll have to settle for reporting on the auctions, and not bidding. But if you do have some cash to spare, you enjoy Will Ferrell's films, and would love to brag to your friends that you're "in the New Will Ferrell Flick!!" -- then this could be right up your alley. According to BBC News, Ferrell is auctioning off a cameo role (Guy in Bathroom Stall #2?) in Step Brothers, the next Ferrell/Adam McKay big-screen collaboration. All proceeds will go to Cancer for College, which is a fantastic little charity that helps provide college scholarships to current and former cancer patients. And as Ferrell notes: "What a perfect Christmas present for your son or daughter. It is the surefire way to win the present of the year award. Support this amazing cause by buying them me."

Written by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, and directed by McKay (Anchorman, Talladega Nights), Step Brothers stars Ferrell and John C. Reilly as two guys who become competitive step brothers following the marriage of their single parents. Ferrell and Reilly last squared off against one another as friends-turned-enemies in Talladega Nights, and I'm sure there will be a lot more of that hysterical back-and-forth in this latest project. And speaking of projects, I think Ferrell just had a great idea for his next film -- some actor looking for extra cash auctions himself off to the highest bidder. Oh wait, Brett Ratner already went there. Perhaps he can direct then?

It's been quite awhile since we first and last heard about Adam McKay's Step Brothers, an R-rated comedy that will reunite the director's Talladega Nights duo, Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly (cementing Reilly's placement in the "Frat Pack") and will be overseen by that film's producers, Judd Apatow and Jimmy Miller. Joining the leads, according to The Hollywood Reporter, is Adam Scott, who recently played the male nurse in Apatow's Knocked Up and Oscar-winner Mary Steenburgen, who co-starred with Ferrell in Elf.

In Step Brothers, Ferrell and Reilly play -- what a shocker -- immature guys who become stepbrothers and best friends when their parents marry. Scott has been cast as Ferrell's younger, more successful brother and Steenburgen is their mom. Still no word on who plays Reilly's father, who I assume will be marrying Steenburgen's character. Other cast members reportedly include Andrea Savage (Comedy Central's Dog Bites Man) as Ferrell's therapist, and someone named Katherine Hahn (could it be Knocked Up costumer Catherine Hahn?) as Adam Scott's character's wife.

Steenburgen seems way too young to play mother to Will Ferrell, who is only 14 years her junior, but this won't be the first time such close-age parental casting has occurred (the craziest was Angela Lansbury and Laurence Harvey -- two years apart -- in The Manchurian Candidate). Still, the actress is one of my favorite motherly actresses, mainly thanks to Parenthood and even Back to the Future III -- her schoolmarm character seems like a mom even if she isn't, at least not until the animated series. Now if Apatow could just get her Parenthood husband, Steve Martin, to play Ferrell's step-dad, I could really get behind this movie. Apatow could be just the guy to re-boost Martin's once-funny career.

Rat pack. Brat pack. Frat pack. Splat pack. Whenever a group of actors and/or filmmakers begin to star alongside each other in a series of movies or unite with a common goal in mind, the entertainment media is usually quick to point out that a new pack has arrived. Over the weekend, as Knocked Up raked in roughly $29 million at the box office (not bad for a comedy facing Pirates of the Caribbean in only its second week), I began to ponder whether Judd Apatow had branched off and started his own pack. This would be a completely new pack, and different from the Frat Pack (which consists of folks like Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell, Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson and Steve Carell). The way I see it, the Frat Pack no longer exists; sure these guys randomly show up in the same movies, but it appears they've all handed in their Frat Pack I.D. cards and gone their separate ways.

Which brings us to Judd Apatow, whose pack is far from a Frat -- unless we're talking Revenge of the Nerds here. This pack consists of Apatow, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, Jason Segal, Martin Starr and James Franco. But that's just the first tier; on the second level, you have Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Harold Ramis. Then, you have potential members who consist of folks like Jack Black and Owen Wilson. I'm probably leaving out a few folks (some writers, etc), but these are the central players; some of which were recent members of the Frat Pack. So, if there is a new pack in town, what do we name it? I'm horrible with names, but I imagine it has to rhyme with 'rat' in order to count and it should, in some way, reflect who these guys are and what their brand of comedy is all about. Fat Pack? But they're not all fat. Geek Pack? Doesn't rhyme with 'rat.' Joke from a Hat Pack? Okay, that's just lame.

So, I ask you: Is there a new Judd Apatow pack, or should they be considered part of the Frat Pack? And, if there is a new pack, help us name it.