70s ERA NEWS COMES ALIVE IN HILARIOUS "ANCHORMAN"

I haven't seen a movie with such a completely different first and second half like this since Full Metal Jacket. But while Kubrick's Nam tale has a brilliantly chilling first half set in Boot Camp and loses all energy once the war setting kicks in, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy falters with bad pacing during the first part, but starts a full sprint (or some other sports metaphor that sounds better than that) at the end that makes it all worthwhile.

The first half hour or so suffers from a smugness that just didn't work for me. Will Ferrell seems forced to burden all the laughs with little or no support. It's a low key tone that doesn't utilize the cast well, and maybe takes itself more seriously than it should. You meet the news crew, see how the station works, and are introduced to Christina Applegate's character, who becomes a threat to the all-male good old boy's club in the studio.

She's one of the main problems with the film. She's not particularly charming, has very little funny to say or do, save to hit someone in the nuts, and frankly looks a bit tired. She's supposed to be this great knockout that everyone's falling over but can't seem to pull it off.  In one scene, she brags about her exquisite breasts and you can't help but shake your head and say, "no...not really." In fact, in many of her close-ups, she's way too tan, and her eyebrows are so fair, that she looks like she's a recovering burn victim. This part called for someone more like Kim Catrall.

Ferrell plays Burgundy as a pompous goof that doesn't know how stupid he is with a portrayal that brings to mind Ted Knight's brilliant work as Ted Baxter on the old Mary Tyler Moore show.   It's definitely a love it or hate it performance, which is a bit hard to take during the slow first 30 minutes of the film.  I only got a few chuckles during this period, and was ready to invent a reason to leave the movie early, and then, like some baseball team that is down by 15 runs in the 5th inning, the film starts nailing it by taking an absurd and bizarre slant that has some of the funniest scenes I've watched in a long time.

Fist fights with grizzly bears, dogs getting kicked off bridges, and more crazy shit that comes out of nowhere becomes the new norm, and the audience was laughing their asses off. The last 45 minutes was so funny, it was well worth the lackluster start to get there.

In one of the film's shining moments, newscasters from rival stations meet up in an abandoned alleyway and have a five-way gang fight that is brilliant. People are swept away in a net by people on horseback ala Planet of the Apes, arms are ripped off, and one guy's weapon of choice is bat with scissors strapped to it.  The random insanity that ensues through the rest of the film is some of the funniest stuff I've seen in a good while.

Steve Carrell from The Daily Show is the true gem in this film as a semi-retarded newscaster with an IQ of 45 that gets amazingly funny lines to say. When insulted with the dig, "It looks like you got your clothes at The Salvation Army", he replies confidently,  "Yeah...well it looks like you got your clothes at THE TOILET STORE!"  I'm definitely eager to see more of his work in the future.

Comedy legend Fred Willard is a nice touch, as well, as the news director.  His understated performance really adds a lot.  You've got to respect this guy for a lifelong career of 2nd banana and character acting performances done with such a high quality.

And for you retro-fans, there's plenty of kitschy 70s fashion and decor to laugh at.  Though in one scene, a perfectly 80s era Rubik's Cube is one someone's desk, but I'm sure that was more of a joke than a mistake.

If you've liked Ferrell's other films, you're sure to like this one, just hang in there when the going gets tough, and you'll get a great payoff.

And stay tuned during the closing credits, there's some hilarious bloopers including  a wonderfully bizarre inclusion of a scene from Smokey and The Bandit.

-Robert Berry
rberry@retrocrush.com

retroCRUSH RATING

THREE out of FIVE

EXXXXXXCELLENT!
SEND IN A STORY ABOUT THE WORST BOSS YOU EVER HAD AND WIN A MR. BURNS STATUE FROM SIDESHOW COLLECTIBLES

Throughout television history, the "evil boss" character has been a staple of many shows.  From Lou Grant to Mr. Slate to Alan Brady, there's something about these maniacal managers that we love to hate because, we've all had them.  But out of them all, perhaps no boss has achieved the infamy and levels of despicableness as C. Montgomery Burns from The Simpsons.  And retroCRUSH is giving away (yes GIVING AWAY) a polystone bust of this twisted genius courtesy of Sideshow Collectibles to a lucky reader.  All you have to do is send us an email with a story about the worst boss you ever had (or have now). 

This is a remarkable piece.  If you don't want to risk the contest, Sideshow actually sells them, too (CLICK HERE to buy one for $31.50).  This is no shoddy item, either.  Made of some mysterious substance called "polystone" it has a durability and weight to it that reminds you of some mixture of a polymer and stone!  It's a limited edition of 3000, and we're giving away the ultra-rare #957 in the series, of which there is ONLY ONE IN EXISTENCE!

So send in your entry to boss@retrocrush.com by July 15th!  All entries will become property of retroCRUSH and the best of which will be reprinted in a special feature here, along with our Top TV Bosses of All Time article.  Please do not use the real name of your boss or the company name in the article.  So email us today, before we release the hounds!

SAFETY CHARTS FROM INDIA
"AN IDEAL BOY" IS A BOOK FULL OF FUN

While perusing one of retroCRUSH's favorite site's THE SNEEZE, I stumbled on a review of "An Ideal Boy: Charts from India".  His funny observations made me rush to Amazon and buy it immediately.  The vintage health and safety posters from India reprinted within are a riot.  Their culture is so similar to America's in so many ways, yet subtle differences make it particularly hilarious.

I love this series of pictures.  Apparently kites are one of the leading sources of danger in India.  And don't forget that fighting causes injury!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE!

WONDER WOMAN

Rarely has there been a retro-pinup as universally adored to the degree that Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman has.  In the 70s, I'd never miss a chance to see her TV show "in her satin tights, fighting for the rights, of the old red white and blue!"  With some close competition from Julie Newmar in her 60s Catwoman getup, Carter's pictures are easily the most popular feature we've ever run.  So I scoured through our archives, found some higher resolution pictures and some new ones to enjoy here for the first time.

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF OUR LYNDA CARTER GALLERY