Mike Judge's fourth film, EXTRACT, arrives on Blu-ray/DVD today, and while you're already mulling a purchase because you love Mike Judge and everything he stands for (Truth, Justice and TP for Your Bunghole), I thought I'd help nudge you in the buyin' direction with a list of specific reasons why the comedic genius behind Beavis and Butt-Head, OFFICE SPACE, KING OF THE HILL and IDIOCRACY deserves your patronage this holiday season.
The following insights were gleaned from a Dec. 8 dinner at Joe's in Venice, CA, where a group of entertainment journalists, emboldened by a not-insignificant amount of wine, lobbed questions at Mr. Judge - who, similarly emboldened, spoke candidly about his greatest hits (commercial and critical) and his future endeavors. Here goes...
1) He Wrote EXTRACT for Jason Bateman
And the first draft was, according to Judge, completed "a long time ago". Pretty brave move for a filmmaker whose three live-action figures have (shamefully) combined to gross $22 million domestically. Bateman is, of course, perfect as an increasingly miserable factory owner whose life's mission is, at present, to rush home before his wife changes into her sweatpants (after which there will be no sex for the evening). It probably helped that Judge didn't get a studio involved, but, even when he worked with Fox (which, amazingly, he said he'd do again despite their shoddy treatment of OFFICE SPACE and IDIOCRACY), he's never had a Big Comedy Star forced on him. Move, say, Will Ferrell into that role, and you end up with a zanier, less recognizably human version of the film - and that's just not what interests Judge. For the most part, he's into the banal trials and tribulations of the average white male - even when they're cryogenically frozen and thrust 500 years into the (very stupid) future.
2) He Understands Ben Affleck's Tremendous Value as a Character Actor
This is not a knock on Affleck's many movie star turns (at least, not as far as Judge is concerned), but ever since his portrayal of the sadistic, repeat-senior O'Bannion in Richard Linklater's DAZED AND CONFUSED, the actor's best performances have generally come when he's played scruffy and stupid rather than dashing and sophisticated. According to Judge, he all but cast Affleck as Bateman's bartender/stoner confidante in EXTRACT because of O'Bannion - and his work in this film reminds us of the star's unexploited comedic potential. As Judge explained, sometimes it's just easier for smart actors to play stupid (this is apparently also true of ex-90210 star Dustin Milligan, who plays a pool-cleaning lothario in EXTRACT) . Here's hoping Affleck makes a little more time for morons as he moves forward in his acting career.
3) He Would Like to Follow Up the Box Office Underperformance of EXTRACT With a Chris Elliott Vehicle
If chasing Bateman for EXTRACT was brave, this is downright ballsy. Judge, in his own words, on why this must be:
Hollywood tends to think young, but when I was seventeen Rodney Dangerfield was all the rage, and [after CADDYSHACK], we couldn’t get enough. I think he was sixty when BACK TO SCHOOL came out. You can’t predict a lot of things. It’s hard to be an executive, but I think the problem is that Rodney Dangerfield wasn’t trying to make romantic comedies. He wasn’t with a twenty-five year-old girlfriend; he was just being himself - and he was carrying these movies that were huge. There’s great young actors, but there’s also these older guys who are just funny. Chris Elliot could read the phone book, and it’d be funny. Dangerfield was just playing his age in an appropriate way, and as a teenager we just loved it.
Judge's idea for an Elliott vehicle would find the actor traveling to India to become a Bollywood star - which kinda sounds like a great, unwritten GET A LIFE episode. He also discussed a TV project they tried to develop for Elliott, in which he would've played a man with no medical training who gets elected coroner (still possible in some states - or, at least, it was). I actually prefer that idea, but anything that gets Elliott back on the big screen in a starring role (for the first time since 1994's celebrated CABIN BOY!) will certainly work for me.
Unsurprisingly, Judge also disclosed that he's a huge fan of Bob and Ray (the legendary radio/TV comedy duo that featured Chris's dad Bob Elliott). One of Judge's KING OF THE HILL highlights was sitting in on a table read for an episode that brought together the three generations of Elliotts - Bob, Chris and Abby (currently a featured performer on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE).
4) Bernardo Bertolucci Loves Beavis and Butt-Head
I don't quite know how to process this, but it makes me ever so happy to know that the director of THE CONFORMIST and LAST TANGO IN PARIS could, at some point over the past eighteen years, be found giggling himself silly as the juvenile delinquent comedy duo kicked Coach Buzzcut in "the jimmy". Repeatedly. At his urging. Perhaps Judge could work in a butter-lubing reference in a future B&B short to honor his famous admirer (and, yes, Judge is open to the idea of more B&B.)
Speaking of butter-lubing, Marlon Brando was also a fan of Beavis and Butt-Head. Evidently, during the shooting of DON JUAN DEMARCO, Brando and co-star Johnny Depp would perform their own B&B routine (with Depp as Beavis and the method-acting icon who originated the role of Stanley Kowalski on Broadway as Butt-Head; there must be video somewhere).
Also somewhat related to butter-lubing...
5) Mike Judge Still Owns a Copy of the Beavis and Butt-Head Porn Spinoff
It's called BEAVER & BUTT-FACE, and, to keep it from falling into the wrong hands, he's hidden it on a videotape labeled "HAPPY, TEXAS". For the record, while he appreciates the effort on a notoriety level, Judge wasn't a huge fan of this particular tribute. He seemed especially put off by the heavily made-up actor who portrayed Butt-Head (replete with taped-back nose). His cautious description of the action was not appetizing, but, if you must, it appears there are versions available via the torrents. Ahem.
6) The More Successful Judges Movies Are, The More Likely It Is That Someone Will Shell Out for a Complete BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD Collection on DVD
Actually, this is just wishful thinking, but listening to Judge talk about the countless Beavis and Butt-Head riffs that are consigned to bootleg purgatory because no one is willing to cough up for the music video licenses, I couldn't help but wonder what it would take to get these lost classics on DVD. And since it seems like nothing short of Spielberg-level mogul-hood will do, I believe it is necessary and right that all good people rush out today and plunk down for EXTRACT on DVD and Blu-ray. Seriously. Then Judge will have the creative freedom to go forth and make his own, idiosyncratic comedies without worrying that some negligent studio will deem them unworthy of competent marketing and distribution.
I realize this is a pipe dream, but as a great man once said... It's Christmas. It's the time of miracles. So be of good cheer.
Faithfully submitted,
Mr. Beaks
Hollywood tends to think young, but when I was seventeen Rodney Dangerfield was all the rage, and [after CADDYSHACK], we couldn’t get enough. I think he was sixty when BACK TO SCHOOL came out. You can’t predict a lot of things. It’s hard to be an executive, but I think the problem is that Rodney Dangerfield wasn’t trying to make romantic comedies. He wasn’t with a twenty-five year-old girlfriend; he was just being himself - and he was carrying these movies that were huge. There’s great young actors, but there’s also these older guys who are just funny. Chris Elliot could read the phone book, and it’d be funny. Dangerfield was just playing his age in an appropriate way, and as a teenager we just loved it.Judge's idea for an Elliott vehicle would find the actor traveling to India to become a Bollywood star - which kinda sounds like a great, unwritten GET A LIFE episode. He also discussed a TV project they tried to develop for Elliott, in which he would've played a man with no medical training who gets elected coroner (still possible in some states - or, at least, it was). I actually prefer that idea, but anything that gets Elliott back on the big screen in a starring role (for the first time since 1994's celebrated CABIN BOY!) will certainly work for me. Unsurprisingly, Judge also disclosed that he's a huge fan of Bob and Ray (the legendary radio/TV comedy duo that featured Chris's dad Bob Elliott). One of Judge's KING OF THE HILL highlights was sitting in on a table read for an episode that brought together the three generations of Elliotts - Bob, Chris and Abby (currently a featured performer on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE).
