bob odenkirk Tagged Articles at Cinematical

If you were going to create a gallery of rogues, what actors and actresses would you include?

Personally, I'd throw some Christopher Walken in with some Lena Olin, Henry Rollins, Gary Oldman, perhaps some Lena Headey and Jackie Earle Haley ... just to name a few. But maybe I'm completely off because this is a different type of rogue. The Hollywood Reporter posts that Ving Rhames *, Ellen Barkin, Rob Corddry, Bob Odenkirk, Jeffrey Tambor, and Maggie Q have signed on for a new action comedy called Rogue's Gallery -- which already stars Joe Anderson, Odette Yustman, Adam Scott, and Emilie de Ravin.

Written by Brian Watanabe and Abe Levy, and directed by Fouad Mikati, the film focuses on "the battle that ensues among groups of government spy teams in an underground facility after their boss is assassinated." Are there that many spy teams? Do they then use their super spy skills to try and take the others down? The premise sounds like it could have promise.

The film is currently shooting in LA, but we can still dream of our own group of rogues. Who would make your list?

*Okay, he'd definitely make my rogue cut.

There's even more casting news on the Son of Mourning front, which is making this whole flick seem even sweeter. However, before I get to that, the project got itself a name change. In the casting news that went up at The Hollywood Reporter, it's said that the film will drop the "U" and now be called Son of Morning. That's ... a totally different tone.

Anyway, on the heels of a couple Sopranos stars, Jesse Bradford, Steven Weber, Bob Odenkirk, and the ever-wonderful Edward Herrmann have signed on to the satire. The movie stars Joseph Cross as a copywriter who goes home to think over his parent's divorce, and "after a series of environmental disasters, is mistaken for Jesus Christ." How does that work? Does a hurricane hit that has clouds shaped in such a way that they look like this guy? Does he go to a costume party dressed as Jesus when all this badness hits? I don't get it.

Of course, people like Bradford, who plays a Hollywood agent, and Weber, who plays a lieutenant governer, descend upon the poor dude to capitalize on his new-found fame. Odenkirk will play the guy's co-worker, and finally Herrmann will be the new Jesus' father figure and mentor. You can't do much better than that.

Truth be told, the above video is from a television show and not a film. BUT, since David Cross (one of my favorite comedians) is in, like, every other movie these days, I felt we could let this one slide by. Plus, this is one of my most favorite Cross moments ever -- and anytime I have the chance to post a video from Mr. Show, I will take it without asking any questions. For those not familiar, Mr. Show with Bob and David was a sketch-comedy program on HBO long ago, starring David Cross and Bob Odenkirk. The above video, titled The Audition, happens to be one of my personal favorite segments from the show -- so much so that my friend and I bring it up all the time. Surfing around earlier, I stumbled upon the video over at Funny or Die and, well, it was fate. So here ya go -- enjoy your afternoon!

Favorite Mr. Show sketch? Sound off below.

Warning: Foul language (f-word) used toward the end.

As I write this, The Brothers Solomon has a 15% rating with critics over at Rotten Tomatoes. Users (ie: average moviegoers), however, are scoring it at 75%. That's a pretty hefty margin, and so obviously people are finding something in Solomon that critics are missing. This sort of thing happens a lot throughout the year -- mostly with comedies -- and no one seems capable of placing a finger on exactly why critics and moviegoers are so far apart. Don't get me wrong, stupidity has a lot to do with it -- and The Brothers Solomon is a stupid movie. There's no questioning that. But is it funny? To a certain degree, yes, if you're a fan of movies like Dumb and Dumber and A Night at the Roxbury -- films that feature two moronic, yet seemingly happy-go-lucky characters who view the world from inside their own ultra-unrealistic bubble. And it's enough to keep you laughing for about twenty minutes, as that's about when the SNL-type shtick wears off and you're left holding (figuratively, not literally) onto Malin Akerman's ass in a wet bathing suit because it's the only part of the flick worth watching.

And I don't mean to be a perverted slime ball about it, but the scene in which Akerman struts out of a jacuzzi, half-naked, while Will Arnett crawls behind, licking her wet footsteps as the love song from Footloose (Almost Paradise for those keeping track) blares in the background is probably the most ridiculous -- and amusing -- of the entire film. Those moments are few and far between -- and they only work on those willing to lose themselves in the Solomon's alternate reality; a reality in which the outcome to every situation or dilemma is always positive, no matter how crummy it may seem on the surface. Take shit with a smile should be their motto, and perhaps there's a message there about how remaining in a constant positive state is the one true key to happiness. Then again, that's kind of creepy. And so are the Solomon brothers.

If there's a silver lining to Fox's cancellation of the stunningly hilarious and consistently brilliant Arrested Development, it's that the series' superlative cast is now free to roam Hollywood and pop up in all sorts of movies. (Seriously: Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, Tony Hale ... they all have new movies coming out!) But the guy who seems to be everyone's favorite joker is Will Arnett, who played the outrageously obtuse "illusionist" known as Gob Bluth. OK, so Arnett's first two post-AD movies, Let's Go to Prison and RV, were junkpiles, but the guy (along with his wife, Amy Poehler) stole a few hilarious scenes in Blades of Glory and reminded us why we love Arnett so much.

So here's some good news: The brand-new trailer for Mr. Arnett's latest venture, Bob Odenkirk's The Brothers Solomon, looks like it could be a solid vehicle for the guy's admirably warped sense of humor. It's about two grown brothers who, combined, have the social skills of a potted plant -- but that won't stop them from providing their dying father with a grandchild. That's the whole of the plot, it seems, but based on the trailer TBS looks like a pretty funny flick. Saturday Night Live's Will Forte (who also wrote the screenplay) plays the other Solomon, and the Wills' supporting cast includes folks like Kristen Wiig, Jenna Fischer, Chi McBride and David Koechner.

Given that Mr. Odenkirk, himself a seriously funny guy, last directed Let's Go to Prison (which, frankly, stinks), one hopes that The Brothers Solomon is a big step up for the filmmaker. (It sure as heck couldn't be much worse.) Bob once directed a really fine little movie called Melvin Goes to Dinner, so obviously he's got some skills behind the camera. Guess we'll find out on September 7, which is when the R-rated Solomon brothers start lookin' for love in all the wrong places.

If Judd Apatow thinks Seth Rogen is the next big comic star, apparently some other people are trying to shove Rainn Wilson into those shoes. The lovable doof from The Office is slowly lining up a number of big-screen roles for himself, working with everyone from Jason Reitman (in Bonzai Shadowhands) to Bob Odenkirk. Someone might want to tell Apatow that his boy Rogen has some serious competition.

MTV has just picked up the comedy Kanan Rhodes: Unkillable Servant of Justice, in which Wilson will star while Odenkirk directs. (Hmm, borrowing a bit from the Mckay/Ferrell duo with that title, are we?) Odenkirk calls the pic a "souped-up Pink Panther-slash-Ace Ventura," in which Wilson will play a guy who serves subpoenas ... but in a very James Bond-esque sort of way. So basically, he'll be playing Dwight from The Office if for some reason Dwight was fired and took a job serving subpoenas.

As far as Odenkirk goes, he's desperately looking for a hit -- Let's Go to Prison was a horrific waste of space and his upcoming The Brothers Solomon looks to be another big swing and a miss. And you'd think after Mr. Show, the dude would produce some quality entertainment -- perhaps he and David Cross need to reunite for something real soon. Odenkirk claims Kanan Rhodes (which was written seven years ago) will feature a "superpowered" comedic cast, so here's hoping he hits this one out of the park ... and doesn't strike out swinging.

I still pine for Arrested Development -- it was one of the best shows on TV and Fox slowly choked the life out of it through poor marketing and unfortunate time-slots. Okay, so this is hardly news and it's probably time I let it go. Will Arnett, who played the hilarious eldest brother Gob on the show, is keeping busy with the upcoming Let's Go To Prison and has just finished shooting The Brothers Solomon, both directed by Bob Odenkirk.

MTV news has a profile on the Odenkirk film; it also stars Will Forte of Saturday Night Live -- who also wrote the screenplay. Bob Odenkirk and David Cross (another Arrested Development alum) were the creators of the Mr. Show sketch comedy series which aired on HBO from 1995 to 1998. The movie centers on two brothers who are inept in romance, but as a gesture to their comatose dad, they decide to provide him with grandchildren.

It's a bizarre premise, but considering the cast's skill with a more bizarre brand of humor, they might actually manage to make it funny. Since Odenkirk, Arnett, and Forte, have all worked in improv; I'm sure there will be plenty of footage to choose from for the final edit.

[via VH1 News]

One of the greatest comedic shows to ever hit HBO might be heading for the big screen. Hell yes, I'm talking a Mr. Show movie! I'm not sure there are words to describe how incredibly awesome Mr. Show is and was, but if you, like me, were a big fan, then you know exactly what I'm talking about.

For those that have never experienced Mr. Show, picture Saturday Night Live on crack ... and with only two main stars. Created by David Cross and Bob Odenkirk, essentially, Mr. Show consists of a series of skits which all sort of transition into one another through a common thread. Back in 2003, a Mr. Show spin-off movie called Run Ronnie Run went straight to DVD. Based off one of Cross' characters from the show, the film received mixed reviews, though was later disowned by Cross and Odenkirk.

As far as a new movie goes, Odenkirk recently told Premiere magazine he's down for another go-round, noting a Mr. Show movie has been written by both him and Cross. He says, "That's really my kind of humour, and David and I are good friends and want to work together again. Hopefully, we'll get to make the movie in the fall". Will it be another spin-off? Will it be an hour and a half of sketch comedy? Either way, I'm so down.

You Are Going to Prison is Bob Odenkirk's upcoming film about two criminals sharing a cell in a maximum security prison. The movie was written by Ben Garrant, Thomas Lennon and Michael Patrick Jann of The State and Reno 911! It's also being scored by Alan Elliot, who has been writing about the movie and posting pictures on his blog since August. Apparently Bob gave some nice gifts to the likes of Meg White and Queens of the Stone Age in order to get them to play songs for the movie. This film just might have the right combination of talent and bribery to make it worthwhile.