2) Hot Rod
Everyone loves The Lonely Island now. Or at least they love their big digital short hits like “I’m on a Boat,” “Jack Sparrow,” and “Dick in a Box.” Their contributions to things like movies haven’t been quite as beloved (Jorma Taccone co-wrote and directed MacGruber, for example). But there’s a distinct sense that the next big screen project they put their names on will find some success. Or perhaps not. People are starting to voice their appreciation of their first big movie project in recent years, though. Hot Rod came out in 2007, but it was mostly trashed and described as “unfunny” in numerous outlets (is there a more self-serious word in the English language?).
Its humor is, to put it mildly, unorthodox. Andy Samberg has become something of a comedy institution for his work on Saturday Night Live, but as the lead here he goes full oddball, with touches such as donning a fake mustache and emphasizing the “h” in “what” like old-fashioned people do. It sounds stupid in verbal form but something about the irony with which Samberg does it strikes a nearly perfect chord. Oh, and how did I not remember Ian McShane played Samberg’s father? His straight villainous performance adds another layer to the absurdity that this movie thrives on.
