TIM & ERIC’S BILLION DOLLAR MOVIE
(R)
MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
I feel like I’ve come late to the party with this whole Tim & Eric thing. In fact, I’ve come so late that they’ve already got a feature film, and this is the first time I’ve heard of them. To be accurate, I first heard of Tim & Eric when their “Billion Dollar Movie” was making its limited theatrical run, and I saw it on the marquee at the local campus movie theater while catching a midnight show. It wasn’t enough to get me to buy a ticket, but I was curious nonetheless.
When it finally hit Blu-ray, I took my opportunity to check it out. And while it’s not the funniest or cleverest movie ever made, it brought a few good laughs to my morning.
“Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie” follows the titular comedy duo who were given a billion dollars by a Mafia-type movie studio to make a blockbuster hit. However, after squandering their budget on nonsensical gurus, Hollywood make-overs, unnecessarily expensive props and costumes, as well as a Johnny Depp look-alike actor, they go on the run. As the studio tries to get them to pay back the billion dollars, Tim and Eric become a PR firm that decides to strike it rich by revitalizing a dilapidated mall.
Made famous on Adult Swim and Funny or Die, Tim & Eric have cornered a small fan base that will help this film live in cult movie status for quite some time. For someone like myself, who hadn’t seen any of their bits on Adult Swim, it is at least relateable.
The humor balances between obnoxious in-your-face crassness and dry, awkward deliveries. The elements I enjoyed the most was the film’s ability to both skewer the often moronic decisions made by massive movie studios while also satirizing the pointless yet overused aspects of a private PR firm. This leads the film to be a strange cross between “Get Shorty” and “Office Space,” yet having its own unique flavor.
Tim and Eric have enough cache in the comedy world to fill their movie with notable actors in small parts or cameos, including John C. Reilly, Will Ferrell, Robert Loggia and Jeff Goldblum. It does not shy away from gross-out humor, but the comedy is not hinged on that. It’s R-rated for sure, but the most biting satire delivers often rests on situational gags that are just uncomfortable and surprisingly clean.
Special features include a commentary with Tim and Eric, along with a slate of deleted and extended scenes. There’s trailers, a poster gallery, a photo gallery and promotional videos. Featurettes include an interview with Tim & Eric, HDNet’s “A Look at Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie” and “Good Evening S’Wallow Valley.” Finally, for those who want enlightenment, there’s a Shrim Dance Screensaver.