Directed by: Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim
Starring: Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim, Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, John C. Reilly, Will Forte
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Magnolia Home Entertainment
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Running Time: 94 minutes
Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Tim and Eric are definitely one of my favorite comedy duos. Ever since “Tom Goes to the Mayor, they have continued to make awkward comedy…cool! “Tim and Eric’s Awesome Show, Great Job!” was one of my favorites show on television and this movie is just a giant blown-up sketch and succeeds in all areas. The main and only real probably with this film is that it will not appeal to “non Tim and Eric” fans. It is mainstream to the point of production but not beyond that. I have seen this film many times and I find that each time I like it more and more. I look forward to seeing what they will come up with next…”Trillion Dollar Movie??”
“Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie’ is definitely the weirdest comedy of the year, no question. If you are a fan of long stretches of awkwardness and zany humor, this will be the film for you to check out. The basic premise for the movie is that they blow a billion dollars making a movie and escape Hollywood to go run a mall. That’s about it. If you are looking for all the familiar faces from “Awesome Show”, you will see them but they are very minor. Palmer Scott playing the Shrim God, steals the show. I don’t blame Tim and Eric for focusing on the bankable names in the movie like Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, John C. Reilly and Will Forte, especially since they all have worked with Tim and Eric before.
The Blu-ray presentation overall is impressive. The video looks sharp but of course there is Tim and Eric’s trademark VHS-quality sketches as well. The sound is also good with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, but doesn’t really push it too much. The Blu-ray combo pack also comes with a DVD and digital copy of the film. I like this option in case I am at work and don’t have access to a DVD player or I am on the road and have the digital option. I wish they would switch to digital streaming service, Ultraviolet though.
The special features are decent but I was hoping for a little more I think. There is a decent yet a bit restrained audio commentary track with Tim and Eric. There are eight deleted scenes, including a commercial for EZ Swords, and are worth checking out. There is about three improved extended scenes, which run about 20 minutes. “Good Evening S’Wallow Valley” is a basic behind-the-scenes promo but with a Tim and Eric twist. There is an incredibly awkward and long interview with Tim and Eric. “HDNet: A Look at Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie” is the typical Magnolia piece. The coolest feature has to be “Shim Dance Screensaver”, which runs content for almost five hours. Lastly there are a bunch of promo videos and trailers included.
I couldn’t get the digital copy to work.