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Tim & Eric's Billion Dollar Movie
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray A - America - Magnet Releasing/Magnolia Pictures Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (13th June 2012). |
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The Film
 Have you ever watched a film so full of hyper real characters and insane comedy that it literally made your brain feel like it was on drugs? That’s probably the best way I can describe the experience of watching “Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie” (2012) as someone who was a virgin to their brand of unconventional humor. I had honestly never heard of the duo before, but I caught the trailer online a few months earlier and thought the film looked like it had the potential to fry my brain in amusing ways. I’m of the opinion that any movie highlighting Robert Loggia ranting to “eat [someone’s] heart” has got to be worth a spin. After actually viewing the film, however, all I could find myself asking was “what the f*ck did I just see?”. This is a film that, within the first 20 minutes, shows a very graphic depiction of Eric getting his penis pierced. Obviously they used a stunt cock, but that won’t stop every guy who sees this from crossing his legs and covering his manhood, lest the piercer from the film somehow find a way to exit the screen and make a grab for our own genitalia. There are gross-out gags aplenty, almost none of which I’m going to spoil because it’s best to experience them for the first time in the context of the film. I will say that John C. Reilly manages to play a character that made me feel physically sick just looking at him, worried that at any moment he might somehow find a way to infect me through the disc. Suffice it to say, they like to push the envelope of acceptable taste. Tim (Tim Heidecker) & Eric (Eric Wareheim) are in deep crap. After spending one billion (yes, billion) dollars of the Schlaaang Corporation’s money, the duo managed to produce a film with only 3 minutes of useable footage. The rest of the money, it seems, was blown on expensive Hollywood makeovers, homes, cars, and a litany of excesses that would find most men either dead or behind bars. The company’s owner, Tommy Schlaaang (Robert Loggia), wants his money back – now. Of course, there’s no possible way Tim & Eric can come up with a billion dollars in a week. Or can they? When a commercial to take over control of a mall in S’Wallow Valley plays on TV, the men go to meet Damien Weebs (Will Ferrell), who promises – after two back-to-back viewings of “Top Gun” (1986) – that running this mall will earn the guys their billion bucks. Unfortunately, the mall is a veritable playground for transients, drug dealers, shady store owners, Shrim… and a wolf that lives in the Pizza Court. But the guys are determined, and they set out with their mall guide, the sickly Taquito (John C. Reilly), to get the S’Wallow Valley Mall back in business. Wow, that synopsis almost makes it sound like there’s a genuine film being made here. There isn’t. Tim & Eric use the storyline as a skeletal structure for their comedy, turning every scene into almost the opposite of how you think it’s going to go. Unless you’re one of their adoring fans; then you probably have at least half an idea. These two guys excel at intolerable humor. Their brand of comedy isn’t so much to craft the perfect joke as it is to make a really bad one. And then repeat it over, and over, and over, and over, and over until it goes from funny to annoying and, hopefully, comes full circle back to making you piss yourself. It’s easy to see why they’d cast Zach Galifianakis, not necessarily because audiences love him, but because his absurd brand of almost non-humor is in keeping with their mold. I’m aware of how utterly incongruent this is going to sound, but two influences to the film that seemed apparent to me were the work of David Lynch, and "Weird Al” Yankovic’s 1989 classic (yes, dammit, it’s a classic) “UHF”. I saw shades of the former not only due to the casting of the inimitable Ray Wise as spokesman for Shrim (his boys eat only good, soft meat!), but also in its inherent “weirdness”. That’s one of those intangible things that you’ll just know when you see it, but I felt the undertones throughout. The “UHF” influence seems more apparent, as that film has "Weird Al" taking over a derelict TV station and programming it with hilariously off-kilter shows (Wheel of Fish, anyone?). Here, Tim & Eric take over a mall replete with sideshow curiosity store owners. See? They’re practically the same! Honestly, they do same many of the same qualities. That was a big part of what kept me invested in watching, since although there’s not much of a real plot to worry about the duo make sure every scene is crafted around some kind of gag. There’s no time for lulls, only lulz.
Video
I suppose it’s fitting that a “billion dollar movie” should have a transfer commensurate with its implied wealth. Of course, we know that this film clearly did not have even 1% of that budget, but that doesn’t stop Magnolia from making sure the film’s 1.78:1 1080p 24/fps AVC MPEG-4 encoded image is a cut above. Tim & Eric are typically TV guys, and I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that much of the crew who worked on this film was part of that universe because it’s shot and lit like TV. There really isn’t much of a cinematic look to the movie; everything is framed-up and well-lit. The Tim & Eric we meet in the film’s opening are done up “Hollywood”, and the HD image reveals many details in their pancake makeup faces and ridiculous hairpieces. Otherwise, it hits all the needed marks for hi-def – colors pop off the screen without appearing too oversaturated, black levels hold up very nicely in dark lighting, and the picture is razor sharp. A few scenes looked slightly washed out, nothing major. Awesome transfer, good job.
Audio
For a film by a couple of guys who mostly work in TV, the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound track mixed at 48kHz/24-bit is surprisingly active and robust. This is a comedy that keeps the jokes flying a mile a minute, so the sound design remains active throughout, juicing up the audio with all manner of disgusting gags. I wish I were able to un-hear the sounds of a Shrim bath being prepared. There isn’t a lot of major activity save for a bullet-riddled climax between the guys and the thugs from Schlaaang. The majority of the film is a front-and-center affair, but I do give them credit for making the most out of having a multi-channel sound mix to play with on this production. Subtitles are available in English for the hearing impaired and Spanish.
Extras
Like most Magnet/Magnolia pictures, this film received a very brief theatrical run which coincided with a debut on HDNet. Unlike most Magnolia pictures, however, this one has been given a massive slate of extras. I’m not saying the studio chintzes out on jamming their Blu-rays with supplements, but I also don’t recall any of their titles having such a wealth of goodies. The disc includes an audio commentary, deleted and extended scenes, interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, trailers and more. The audio commentary with Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim is a potent blend of their irreverent humor mixed with informative production notes. These guys clearly can’t take anything seriously for longer than a couple of minutes, so they can easily get off track, but they manage to reveal enough information about the making of the film that it’s more than a lengthy comedy set. A handful of deleted scenes (1080p) are available for the following: - “EZ Swords Commercial” runs for 1 minute and 39 seconds, this is a funny promo Alan cut to promote his business. - “Prayer to Jim Joe Kelly” runs for 1 minute and 4 seconds, Tim & Eric pray to their former spirit guide before meeting for the mall job. - “Eric Meets Katie” runs for 1 minute and 18 seconds, his first impression is an awkward one, naturally. - “Bishopman Call” runs for 30 seconds, Alan makes a call the Schlaaang and tattles on the guys. - “Switcharoo Sabotage” runs for 59 seconds, Tim explains his reasoning for making sure Eric’s date went poorly. - “Understanding Your Movie: Sex as a Weapon” runs for 48 seconds, this would have been the third informational, and unbearably creepy, PSA run during the film. - “Understanding Your Movie: Relationships” runs for 47 seconds, what can I even say here? It defies logic and reasoning. - “Liebe Sex” runs for 1 minute and 41 seconds, Tim’s big sex scene can now be viewed with a hardly-erotic Barry White wannabe crooning over it. There are also a few extended scenes (1080p) included: - “Weebs Introduction” runs for 15 minutes and 13 seconds, the whole scene with the guys first meeting Ferrell’s character plays out longer here, with more gags and lines. - “Money Rain Down on Me” runs for 1 minute and 42 seconds, after their disastrous screening at Schlaaang, the guys brainstorm ways to make money and break into song. - “Brainstorming with Jason” runs for 1 minute and 25 seconds, the guys try to come up with more ideas for scoring quick cash. “Good Evening S’Wallow Valley” (1080p) is a featurette than runs for 8 minutes and 25 seconds. This is ostensibly a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film, but it plays out more like one long joke reel. There’s relevant information mixed in so deep with farcical bullshit that the line is beyond blurred. “Interview with Tim & Eric” (1080i) featurette runs for 22 minutes and 26 seconds. Similar to most every other feature on here, this is a heavily jokey affair sprinkled with some useable information. These guys clearly don’t like to take much seriously, even if it’s at the expense of properly promoting their film. I love humor as much as the next guy, but some comedians need to find their “off” switch on occasion, otherwise it’s all overkill. “HDNet: A Look at Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie” (1080i) featurette runs for 4 minutes and 6 seconds. Made up of films clips and interview footage repurposed from the piece listed above, this is a brief, redundant EPK that can easily be skipped. “Shrim Dance” (1080p) screensaver – if left untouched, this will play uninterrupted for almost 5 hours, endlessly entertaining you with the confusing, absurd dance to the Shrim Gods. It is, at once, strangely hypnotic and highly disturbing. A series of promo videos (1080p) created to pimp the film have been included: - “NACA promo” runs for 4 minutes and 34 seconds, Tim & Eric pretend that their film has been entered into a film challenge, and you need to see it to help them win. - “”In the Can” Sundance Interview” runs for 11 minutes and 8 seconds, this “talk show” (which looks like public access TV for the indie crowd) manages to get both guys to give a mostly serious interview about their film. It’s candid and feels genuinely refreshing after so much humor. - “Gas Attack” runs for 31 seconds, Tim & Eric see their film’s release pattern as being akin to a major gas attack. - “Godfather” runs for 31 seconds, Tim & Eric just want to let you know that their film is as good as the true classics of cinema. - “Sad” runs for 31 seconds, a more somber approach to marketing the film. “Posters” (1080p) gallery contains 4 images of various artwork used to promote the film. Photo gallery (1080p) contains 24 behind-the-scenes pictures of the film’s production. Greenband theatrical trailer (1080p) runs for 2 minutes and 22 seconds. Redband theatrical trailer (1080p) runs for 2 minutes and 31 seconds. The disc opens with bonus trailers (1080p) for the following Magnolia releases: - “Goon” runs for 2 minutes and 24 seconds. - “God Bless America” runs for 2 minutes and 21 seconds. - “The Hunter” runs for 2 minutes and 36 seconds. - “Playback” runs for 2 minutes and 10 seconds. - “HDNet promo” runs for 1 minute and 2 seconds. The disc is also equipped with BD-Live functionality, as well as featuring a bookmarks option for tagging your favorite scenes. If you mark anything, make it the Shrim bath.
Packaging
This single disc Blu-ray comes housed in a keep case with appropriately bizarre cover art. A slip-cover with matching art – and shiny gold lettering! – is included on initial pressings.
Overall
Either you like ‘em or you hate ‘em. It’s likely going to be a bigger hit with their fans than with non-fans, but if you enjoy absurdist humor then chances are this may just appeal to you.
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