SCREWED (2000) directed by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (September 26, 2000)

[Splatterpunk]

The screenwriting team behind the outstanding biopics ED WOOD, THE PEOPLE VS LARRY FLYNT, and MAN ON THE MOON decided they wanted to try their hands at directing as well as writing, so that’s how we got Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski’s SCREWED from 2000. The bumbling comedy of errors is a huge departure from their aforementioned works, but it does hearken back to their earliest projects, PROBLEM CHILD and PROBLEM CHILD 2. SCREWED is loaded with talent, but has just as many clunkers as laugh out loud moments.

Willard Fillmore (Norm MacDonald) has spent the last fifteen years as the chauffeur and servant of the wealthy but miserly Miss Crock (Tony and Emmy award winning Elaine Stritch). Fed up with enduring endless abuse, he cooks up a dimwitted scheme with his best friend, chicken joint owner Rusty P Hayes (Dave Chappelle), to kidnap Crock’s beloved Pomeranian and hold him for ransom. The dognapping goes awry, leading the police to believe that it is Willard who has been taken. Escalating hijinks ensue. Danny DeVito, who receives third billing, shows up in the second act as a demented mortician named Grover Cleaver and proceeds to steal every scene he’s in. We also get the late, great Sherman Hemsley as Crock’s right hand man and Sarah Silverman as Willard’s on again off again girlfriend.

Helluva cast, right? They just can’t elevate the material for the most part, unfortunately. DeVito is the only one who is funny without fail, although to be fair, his character is the most outrageous by far. The story feels like an attempt to emulate the Coen Brothers’ zanier efforts, but I found myself wishing that MacDonald and Chappelle had been given a pass at the script in order to tailor it more to their respective strengths. The narrative is completely ludicrous, but the filmmakers and their cast are able to maintain a fairly silly tone, mitigating any concerns about plausibility. For such a goofy outing, there’s a surprising amount of gore. This is no horror film, but the handful of gruesome moments conjures some pleasing dark humor.

MacDonald has always been an acquired taste, but I’ve always enjoyed him. He does fine here and it was fun to see him play off of Chappelle (who was only a few years away from mega stardom). Stritch is the film’s secret weapon as her no nonsense harridan is the perfect foil to the comedians’ silliness (a hat tip should also be given in this regard to Daniel Benzali who plays a detective determined to unravel Willard’s comically convoluted deception). As I said above, DeVito is unquestionably the highlight of the film. On the other hand, Silverman and Hemsley are mostly wasted in smaller roles.

To date, SCREWED is the only cinematic directorial effort from the team of Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. They’ve continued to work as scripters, though, with their most recent work being the acclaimed DOLEMITE IS MY NAME. SCREWED is definitely a mixed bag, but I still found myself laughing quite a bit. Being a huge fan of Dave Chappelle, it was interesting seeing him in a large role in a film that seems mostly forgotten and/or dismissed. At 81 minutes, I knew I’d have that, even if I didn’t care for the film in general (I went in knowing it had a fairly bad rep). Manage your expectations here, and you might have a good time. Recommended, with caveats, for fans of DIRTY WORK, HALF BAKED, and RAISING ARIZONA.

[metsfan1545d]

Originally Posted by Splatterpunk

The screenwriting team behind the outstanding biopics ED WOOD, THE PEOPLE VS LARRY FLYNT, and MAN ON THE MOON decided they wanted to try their hands at directing as well as writing, so that’s how we got Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski’s SCREWED from 2000. The bumbling comedy of errors is a huge departure from their aforementioned works, but it does hearken back to their earliest projects, PROBLEM CHILD and PROBLEM CHILD 2. SCREWED is loaded with talent, but has just as many clunkers as laugh out loud moments.

Willard Fillmore (Norm MacDonald) has spent the last fifteen years as the chauffeur and servant of the wealthy but miserly Miss Crock (Tony and Emmy award winning Elaine Stritch). Fed up with enduring endless abuse, he cooks up a dimwitted scheme with his best friend, chicken joint owner Rusty P Hayes (Dave Chappelle), to kidnap Crock’s beloved Pomeranian and hold him for ransom. The dognapping goes awry, leading the police to believe that it is Willard who has been taken. Escalating hijinks ensue. Danny DeVito, who receives third billing, shows up in the second act as a demented mortician named Grover Cleaver and proceeds to steal every scene he’s in. We also get the late, great Sherman Hemsley as Crock’s right hand man and Sarah Silverman as Willard’s on again off again girlfriend.

Helluva cast, right? They just can’t elevate the material for the most part, unfortunately. DeVito is the only one who is funny without fail, although to be fair, his character is the most outrageous by far. The story feels like an attempt to emulate the Coen Brothers’ zanier efforts, but I found myself wishing that MacDonald and Chappelle had been given a pass at the script in order to tailor it more to their respective strengths. The narrative is completely ludicrous, but the filmmakers and their cast are able to maintain a fairly silly tone, mitigating any concerns about plausibility. For such a goofy outing, there’s a surprising amount of gore. This is no horror film, but the handful of gruesome moments conjures some pleasing dark humor.

MacDonald has always been an acquired taste, but I’ve always enjoyed him. He does fine here and it was fun to see him play off of Chappelle (who was only a few years away from mega stardom). Stritch is the film’s secret weapon as her no nonsense harridan is the perfect foil to the comedians’ silliness (a hat tip should also be given in this regard to Daniel Benzali who plays a detective determined to unravel Willard’s comically convoluted deception). As I said above, DeVito is unquestionably the highlight of the film. On the other hand, Silverman and Hemsley are mostly wasted in smaller roles.

To date, SCREWED is the only cinematic directorial effort from the team of Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. They’ve continued to work as scripters, though, with their most recent work being the acclaimed DOLEMITE IS MY NAME. SCREWED is definitely a mixed bag, but I still found myself laughing quite a bit. Being a huge fan of Dave Chappelle, it was interesting seeing him in a large role in a film that seems mostly forgotten and/or dismissed. At 81 minutes, I knew I’d have that, even if I didn’t care for the film in general (I went in knowing it had a fairly bad rep). Manage your expectations here, and you might have a good time. Recommended, with caveats, for fans of DIRTY WORK, HALF BAKED, and RAISING ARIZONA.

love this movie

wish it had a blu ray release

[Robopredinator]

Never heard of the movie but caught it on Netflix this week. It's hilarious! A really underrated, and underappreciated (since I've never heard of it) movie. I agree with your synopsis of the movie with one exemption: while Devito's character was a riot, I think Miss Crock was the highlight of this film. She played that part beautifully!