Mar 27 2009
Cattle Call - A National Lampoon Movie That Has Some Laughs For Once
I only watch the National Lampoon releases when I’m doing an activity where I only have to partially concentrate. I basically give them as much attention as went into writing the script–usually very poorly done, even for formula films.
Cattle Call from 2006, oddly enough has some laughs. It may not have turned out that way if not for the acting abilities of Diedrich Bader and Jonathan Winters. You really know when you’re watching true comedians when they can take mediocre writing and use their characterization and adlibbing skills to bring out the laughs.
I wasn’t even aware that Jonathan Winters was alive, but he plays a Thomas the Hollywood studio tour guide who was formerly an “important director.” It’s not the main scene in the movie, but to hear him talk you have to wonder if he’s basing it on some real people who have fallen to all time lows in their movie-making careers. I was cracking up all through his bit.
Diedrich Bader, who you may know from the classic Office Space and The Drew Carey Show, plays a truly weird individual who becomes obsessed with Nicole Eggert’s character. Nicole has seen some better days, she looks like an aging stripper–or “barmaid wannabe actress” which is what she plays in the movie. I guess you could say she’s a MILF to some extent, but for some reason she looks unnatural.
Diedrich though is in prime form. For a lousy Lampoon movie he is still entertaining.
Normally I can recommend National Lampoon flicks for pointless nudity. Cattle Call doesn’t have the prime flesh though, it’s more for comic effect than for the required T&A. And I guess that’s refreshing since I started watching the movie to see what Diedrich’s character would do.
I can’t say that this is a hilarious movie. It’s a time killer. You may want to watch it on cable or even when they might show an edited version on Comedy Centralfor a couple of laughs in the beginning of the film. Just watch Jonathan Winters’ scene and fast forward to Diedrich lusting over Nicole Eggert in a quiet psychopathic geek manner.
If they had punched up the script this NL movie could have been a sleeper hit. You would think with all the effort it takes to put out these movies the Lampoon guys might do some script rewrites. The acting talent is there in this instance. Why not take advantage of it?
