• VARIETY shoots up news that “Semi-Pro” was the top grossing film of last weekend, but netted only $15 million - “the lowest opening for a major Will Ferrell comedy in almost a decade.”
• The BALTIMORE SUN is shattered that the Orioles’ Kevin Millar decided to break out the pink bat, only to have it splinter after two trips to the plate.
You may not have heard, but there’s this little movie called “Semi-Pro” that’s just hit theaters. It’s the inspiring ’70s tale of Jackie Moon - owner, player, and coach of the Flint Tropics - who oh so desperately wants to get his team into the NBA.
Well, we dribbled our way to the local cineplex to catch the latest masterpiece from the man that is the manifestation of comedy itself - Will Ferrell. Would his newest film bounce it way into our hearts? Read more…
So we’ve been watching SportsCenter more and more these days, so long as Scott Van Pelt is hosting. The show is getting back to the understated wisecracking that made it a staple for us.
What killed the show for so many years was blindered buffoons like Chris Berman and Stuart Scott shouting down the viewers with schtick. The subtle, well-reasoned approach is what wins out, which is also why no one watches SNL anymore.
If you eyeballed ‘Center last night, you probably saw Van Pelt forced into an uncomfortable-looking promotional segment with an insufferably wooden Will Ferrell. During the five minute exchange, SVP came off as, oh, we don’t know, 1000 TIMES FUNNIER. The best line came when the two were looking at video of ill-advised athlete haircuts through the years. When Dwayne Schintzius’ massive mullet was unfurled, Van Pelt coined it the “Kentucky Waterfall.”
Clutch comedy like that has us coming back for now, but we wonder how much better the show could be without the absurd PC parameters obviously dropped on the anchors by Bristol suits. Take for instance, this absurd on-air apology by Van Pelt last night (video after the jump). Read more…
According to the Nielsen numbers, over 97 million viewers tuned in to see Eli Manning out-duel Tom Brady on Sunday, with 81% of the sets in Boston and 67% of the TVs in New York tuned into the game.
Fox’s pre-game festivities, including a red-carpet walk hosted by Ryan Seacrest, helped bring in the “American Idol” crowd - and also bring up some amusing quips from the boys in the booth.
I laughed exactly zero times in those 108 seconds. But if you enjoy the Ferrell formula of no clever dialogue (unless you consider telling a referee ‘suck my c—, I’ll murder your family‘ clever) and cheap, physical gags to get laughs, it appears you’ll relish “Semi-Pro.”
OK, that was a letdown, but here’s a comedic production that’s actuall funny, albeit with a slightly lower budget:
Looks like it wasn’t a good year for sports cinema. SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY reports that only one athletically-inclined film cracked the top 20 list of money-making movies in 2007.
(CNBC’s Darren Rovell in his role in ‘Blades of Glory 2: Icelandic Boogaloo’)
According to THE MOVIE TIMES, “Blades of Glory”, the figure skating farce starring Will Ferrell and Jon Heder (a.k.a. Napoleon Dynamite) finished at #20, grossing over $118 million since its March release.
Only four other sports-related films placed in the top 100, including the memorable ping pong saga “Balls of Fury” (#71, $32 million) and the charmingly-named “Mr. Woodcock” (#81, $25 million). If you’re curious to see where “Who’s Your Caddy?” landed, check this list.
But fear not, sports cinephiles - next year’s “Semi-Pro” is certain to go box office boffo!
