Ìý A couple of supermarket slackers played by Dane Cook and Dax Shepard fight over the affections of Jessica Simpson in Employee Of The Month. It's a "lowbrow" comedy from the producers of Wedding Crashers, but the laddish gags didn't bear as much fruit at the box office as the Owen Wilson/Vince Vaughn vehicle. (Still, you might find it in the bargain bucket at your local co-op.)
Basket Cases Only
Arguably the first mistake made by writer-director Greg Coolidge was to cast actors completely devoid of charm and likeability in the lead roles. Even so, he sings their praises in a five-minute featurette called On Set Shenanigans that strives to show us that Cook and co. are dab hands at comedy improv. However, if you cut to the Ad Libs section, you'll see the actors scraping the very bottom of the barrel for oneliners. The situation gets so dire that supporting players Andy Dick and Harland Williams actually dispense with the English language and start making gargling noises. Genius.
The remainder of the featurettes barely amount to ten minutes of behind-the-scenes footage and interviews. At Work With Lon finds Dick doing more of his Mr Magoo shtick, Men Of Super Club introduces the other characters ("I'm Iqbal, not IQ Ball," insists Brian George) and Beauty Of Bulk is an ode to supermarkets that sell ten gallon jars of peanut butter. Or as Efren Ramirez (who plays Jorge) puts it, "You can buy big things and feel good about yourself..."
The Sales Pitch
Arguably the funniest scene on this DVD comes courtesy of John O'Hurley (best know for playing J Peterman in Seinfeld). In an alternative opening for the film, he introduces a cheesy TV commercial for Super Club supermarkets, boldly opening with, "Hello, I'm a well-recognised actor…" A blooper reel is thrown in too and features Cook and Shepard giving each other a tongue lashing (literally).
Coolidge gives two commentaries for the film, the first with Dane Cook who tries desperately to be funny and fails. (Cue polite laughter from Coolidge.) Cook also whines about taking a fall on set after having to wear shoes with wheels on them. "I had bruises up and down my leg for the rest of the shoot," he says, but we can guarantee it's more painful having to sit through his bad acting. In his own commentary, Coolidge explains the process of developing the script and then watching the actors toss it aside and make it all up on the day. We appreciate the effort, and there are a few funny moments, but overall, this DVD will have most people heading for the express checkout queue.
EXTRA FEATURES
Employee Of The Month DVD is released on Monday 14th May 2007.
