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I don't need to sit here and spew off a list of unsuccessful Saturday Night Live-related movies, because we're all well aware of their track record when it comes to stretching 30-second skits into full-length feature films. But maybe the problem lies in the amount of foul-mouthed filth on screen, which is why the folks behind the latest SNL flick MacGruber have decided to get completely nutty and go for a straight-up, balls-out hard-R comedy.

Speaking to Vulture about the film, SNL star Bil Hader (who's not listed as a cast member, but will almost certainly make a cameo) says, "I read the script, and it's like a hard-R comedy, and it totally works. It's hilarious. It's kind of in the vein of, like, eighties action movies, like there's a very definitive bad guy. I don't know if I can talk about the plot too much, but it's hilarious. The thing that kind of blew my mind about it is that it's like a HARD-R movie. I was like, "What is this? This is f**king ugly. You guys are really going to do this?" And they're like, "Yup." And I was like, "That is awesome. That is f**king hilarious." So far the cast of MacGruber (not counting cameos ... and we know these guys love their little cameos) includes Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Val Kilmer and Ryan Phillippe

I actually dug the whole 80's action movie vibe in Pineapple Express, but I've spoken to a slew of people who were either turned off by it or didn't "get" it. Will it work for MacGruber? Is the answer to SNL's box office woes a film that's filthy, nasty and unapologetic? What do you think the chances are of this flick actually succeeding?

I'm fascinated by pre-production news that make the movie sound different each time. Just a few days ago, Monika Bartyzel told us about a report in Variety that A Good Old-Fashioned Orgy would begin production this month in North Carolina. Saturday Night Live's Jason Sudeikis was set to star as an immature 30-year-old man who enlists his friends to help him throw one last summer bash -- an orgy -- before his rich folks sell their vacation home in the Hamptons. Will Forte and Leslie Bibb will co-star. It sounded like a silly little SNL star vehicle with potential.

Now comes word from The Hollywood Reporter that Michelle Borth has joined Orgy, and the brief article describes it as an indie film with the premise that "eight friends, all heading into their 30s and all on the verge of major life changes ... decide to celebrate their last Labor Day together." So that makes it sound like a more serious-minded ensemble piece about aimless adults -- which, sadly, sounds like a thousand other indie dramatic comedies.

Borth is an immensely appealing actress -- not just because she was willing to strip down and push the limits in fictional televised sex on HBO's Tell Me You Love Me, but because she transcended the limitations of her character as written. I imagine that she was hired more for her thespian abilities than for her apparent lack of inhibitions, but she is an intriguing and sexy addition to the cast.

I'd probably go to see A Good Old Fashioned Orgy just for the title. It's got punch, and it is a great, brief description of what's to come. It sort of reminds me of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas for a new generation. But the story is different, and instead of a big-busted country singer, we're getting a little slice of Saturday Night Live. Variety reports that Jason Sudeikis, Will Forte, and Leslie Bibb have signed on to star in the film, which will be directed by co-writers Pete Huyck and Alex Gregory (King of the Hill).

Sudeikis will star as a 30-year-old dude with wealthy parents. However, he's "forced to grow up when his father decides to sell the family vacation home in the Hamptons, bringing an end to his tradition of throwing elaborate summer theme parties. Wanting to go out with a bang, he enlists his friends to throw one final party." Yes, it's an orgy. I guess he doesn't mind seeing all his friends nude, or bumping bare butts with a buddy.

There's great potential for this flick, which begins production this month in North Carolina. But it makes me wonder -- how long until we get another sex-centered comedy? Sex comedies used to be more about the thinking, and then maybe the doing, but now we've got both an orgy and Zack and Miri Make a Porno on the way. What's next?

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.

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]