Strange Wilderness

The film industry needs more movies like Strange Wilderness. Crude, outrageous comedies are as American as apple pie and The Super Bowl, and they're necessary staples of our culture. How many times have your friends quoted Old School during some night of drunken debauchery? Strange Wilderness is chock full of larger-than-life laughs and enough raunchy vignettes to have viewers rolling on the floor. Much like Grandma's Boy, another comedy by Adam Sandler's production company Happy Madison, Wilderness is good ole fashioned fun. Also like Grandma's Boy, Wilderness went overlooked by most of the theater crowd, which is shame, because the flick really is simply hilarious. So hopefully, this ball of raunch will have its day in the sun on DVD, like Grandma's Boy did.

Wilderness follows the impeccably funny Steve Zahn as wildlife show host Peter Gaulke. Along with an equally hilarious film crew that includes other Adam Sandler cohorts Allen Covert as cameraman Fred Wolf and an especially bronzed and smiling Peter Dante as Danny Guiterrez, Zahn wreaks havoc in the wilderness. Plus, for added measure the crew's got comedy go-to-guy Jonah Hill, showcasing a strange Southern drawl and some gnarly sideburns. They drink booze, film animals and smoke weed. Remember, they're nature boys.

Now, Gaulke finds himself in a bit of a predicament. His show, "Strange Wilderness," is about to be cancelled if he can't somehow spark a big surge in ratings. However, the show footage is utterly hilarious. Take Zahn's voiceover lines for the bear footage at the beginning of the film. "Bears derive their name from a football team in Chicago," he deadpans, before realizing it's a completely bunk remark. Then take another scene where he and his crew are filming sea lions. After describing the sea lions' escape to shore from the sharks, he adds "Luckily there are no tigers on sore or the sea lions wouldn't know what the fuck to do." The lines are priceless with Zahn's inflection, and it's a bit reminiscent of the backhanded, sarcastic commentary made famous on Mystery Science Theater 3000. Other show antics that have warranted cancellation include footage of nubile blonde "natives" frolicking naked, Gaulke's use of the term "pigmy" and leaving beer cans at filming locations. Needless to say TV exec Lawson (Jeff Garlin) is not impressed, and Gaulke and his merry band of idiots are about to lose their livelihood.

However, an old family friend informs the "Wilderness" crew about a Big Foot sighting in the Andes, and he gives them a map. Big Foot footage would most definitely save the show, so Gaulke and Co. embark on a journey to find him. Then the real antics ensue— including a giant bird stuck on an uncomfortable "member" and even a little cannibalism for good measure. However, it's all in good fun, and in true Happy Madison fashion, the film's narrative never slows down, and the laughs come fast and furious. Take another scene where Hill dedicates an acoustic guitar ballad to his family. "And if you're my step mom Phyllis, fuck you," he croons. That's even highlighted in the DVD's special features under "Cooker's song" it's a brilliant move. It's all a bit outrageous and ADD, but it's perfectly hilarious at the same time. Another standout line comes from Dante about tequila he downed. "My Johnson swelled up like a water balloon hooked up to a tea kettle." The script's definitely vivid.

The DVD's got all of the requisite special features. There's a behind-the-scenes featurette that keeps the laughs going and a closer look at some of the more outrageous fare, plus some great deleted scenes. So, in other words, it's pure American comedy and a good comedic kick in the balls all at once.

—Rick Florino
05.06.08