Everything Must Go – DVD Review

Cara Le Piet — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:20:47 +0000

Everything Must Go has a toned down, sensible performance from Will Ferrell, which fans of the eccentric comedian may find disappointing. Compared to Will Ferrell’s typical crude, outrageous and seam-splitting comedy films, like Anchorman and A Night At The Roxbury, Everything Must Go uses dark humour and cynical wordplay to get the audience laughing. It is certainly not a film which will have you in stitches, but the odd witty remark or clever reference will have you smiling at least. The film, directed by Dan Rush, sees Nick Halsey (Will Ferrell), a high flying businessman, go from being a well paid executive, to being homeless and penniless in the same day. The film is based on Raymond Carver’s short story, Why Don’t You Dance. Nick loses his job, due to his alcohol addiction which he claims ‘is under control. I swear’. After a rude dismissal by a snobby younger manager, Nick goes home to find that his wife has left him, having changed the locks on the house, left his possessions scattered on the front garden and, to top it all off, she’s even blocked him from their joint credit card account. He’s in a right pickle. We instantly feel sympathy towards Nick, who despite having thousands of dollars in the bank and owning an impressive house with a pool, is left abandoned and helpless on his front porch. His friend, Frank, who also happens to be a policeman, warns him that he only has a few days in the yard before he has to move on, so he suggests Nick sells his stuff. Salvation comes in the form of his pregnant neighbour Samantha (Rebecca Hall), who is having boyfriend troubles herself, and a local boy aged around 14. Slightly overweight Kenny (Christopher Jordan Wallace) is constantly riding his bike because ‘my Mum says I could do with the exercise’. Just like Nick, young Kenny is also alone and looking for a friend. A strange relationship forms when the pair decide to work together to sell Nick’s belongings in a yard sale. The film is too predictable, especially a cheesy music medley where the pair work together and sell almost all of Nick’s items. Will Ferrell, who is a creative comedian, seems to be stuck with half funny lines which don’t suit him. Finally, the bitter-sweet conclusion to the film isn’t a typical happy ending, but problems are resolved and friends are made.

Ten movie cameos worth hitting the pause button for

Gemma Exley — Sat, 16 May 2009 07:11:35 +0000

They say that actors are movieland’s biggest narcissists, but directors love nothing better than plonking themselves in front the camera – Alfred Hitchcock had an appearance in no less than 37 of his productions and Sam Raimi isn’t too far behind. The best cameos, however, are the ones that come as a surprise – you might blink and miss them, but these brief scenes are what the remote control was invented for.

Rewind to these classics…

1 – Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder.

Oh, we were laughing at you, Cruise, not with you… Les Wiseman – more insane than Collateral’s Vincent – was just too close to the actor. Terrifying stuff – although the part did get him nominated for a Golden Globe, rare for a cameo role.

2 – Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Tim Robbins and Jack Black in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

You’ve got to wonder how it works on a Judd Apatow set… Do his pals just swing by hoping for a chance to show their face on-screen? All of the director’s films are packed with cameos, but Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy has more surprise appearances than an episode of Jeremy Kyle. Just how much fun did they have shooting the battle scene?

3 – David Bowie in Zoolander

There are plenty of people you expect to show up in a Ben Stiller movie (see above), but David Bowie isn’t necessarily one of them. In his best role since, er, Labyrinth, he acts as judge for the walk-off scene and lands his own freeze frame in the process. Looks like even Stiller knows that this is as A List as it gets – and Bowie wins the cameo-off.

4 – Billy Idol in The Wedding Singer

Another rock star playing himself – although, despite the fact he was playing himself ten years younger in this 1998-filmed 80s-set flick, there was probably no one else more apt to save the day for Adam Sandler’s throwback character.

5 – Will Ferrell in Wedding Crashers

Another appearance from one of Hollywood’s comedy clique, but what’s so impressive about this appearance is that, even though Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn have plenty of box office pull, by the time of release, Ferrell had almost as much draw – yet New Line still chose to keep the cameo under-wraps. Of course, regardless of the studio not flogging it to death, the Anchorman star still stole the show.

6 – Sean Connery in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

One of the stand-out memories from the 1991 flick (aside from the Bryan Adams soundtrack, as much as we try to forget). Coonery’s appearance as King Richard might have been less than a minute long, but, unlike the nudge-nudge wink-wink appearances above, it became one of the most important scenes of the film.

7 – Keith Richards in Pirate of the Caribbean: At the World’s End

We all knew that this was coming. Ever since the first Pirates instalment, Johnny Depp had modelled his Jack Sparrow on Richards – so it made sense for the Rolling Stones guitarist to come in do a bit of method acting in the third sequel.

8 – Stan Lee in Mallrats

With appearances in everything from Spider-man to Fantastic Four, the cameo CV of Marvel Comics’ top dog is as extensive as his comic book biog. However, his appearance as himself in the Kevin Smith geek-out must top the list. It’s crass, but you know that the real-life fanboys were dying to hear the answer when Jason Lee asks him if Mr Fantastic can stretch EVERY part of his body.

9 – Spike Milligan in Monty Python’s Life of Brian

This would be a be a bit like if John Cleese turned up in any contemporary comedy jap now… As one of the Goons, Spike Milligan was a big influence on the Monty Python crew, so imagine the delight of Cleese et al when they coincidently stumbled across him in Tunisia. Bagging him on the spot, the crew cast Milligan as prophet trying to get the attention of his Brian-chasing acolytes. He disappeared again before he could be included in any of the close-ups, so keep you’ll have to keep you finger on the pause button.

10 – Pamela Anderson in Borat

Whilst many of Borat’s other cameos were unwitting ones, Pamela Anderson was actually in on the joke (Sasha Baron Cohen would never have got near her otherwise) – but this fact should remind us all that she actually IS an actress; the former Baywatch star manages to look completely caught off-guard as she’s chased through a bookstore by Kazakhstan journo. We can now forgive you for Barb Wire, Pam.

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