A while back on this lovely site, I wrote about how Shoot ‘Em Up was one of the most misunderstood action movies of the last twenty years. If you read the thread of comments below that piece, you will see the article brought two types of people out. The people who adored the film, and the people who hated it. But either way, they came. The piece took on legs of its own, and within six months, I was talking casually to Shoot ‘Em Up‘s writer/director Michael Davis, who thanked me for writing it. It was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had as a writer, and one I am hoping to duplicate again by talking up Hot Rod.
Released back in 2007, Hot Rod is very funny movie. While I would love to assume most people know that, they don’t. The truth is, you bring this movie up at a party and most people have never even heard of it. When I find that out, I slap them in the face. Why? Because when I slap them in the face and scream HOT ROD as loud as I can, it tends to lock the title of the movie into their subconscious, which will then trigger them to see it, as they are curious as to why it has brought them so much pain. They will then discover a movie that deserves to sit right alongside Anchorman for just how filled with talent it is and just how constantly funny it is. Yes, I just fucking said that. I like Hot Rod as much as Anchorman.
This is The Lonely Island guys before we all fell in love with their awesome SNL digital shorts. This is a cast full of faces who would go on to become mainstays in the genre of comedy (Danny f*cking McBride, bitches). This is physical comedy at its finest. This is the power of the mustache. This is Hot Rod.
Learn the name, motherfuckers. Learn the name.
