Unless you’ve been living under a non-Internet-enabled rock for the last couple of weeks, you’ve likely seen the notorious clip of director David O. Russell’s foul-mouthed freakout on the set of his film I [Heart] Huckabee’s. Was it amusing to see the unhinged auteur hurl a furious string of epithets at Lily Tomlin? You bet. But it was definitely humor of the disturbing, Borat-esque variety, especially on repeat viewings. Watching a real person taken over by such toxic, poisonous rage gives a whole new meaning to the term "viral video."
Well, few know how to put the cringe in comedy like Stella’s Michael Showalter, whose own take on the Russell/Tomlin fiasco surfaced online this weekend. (It’s viewable here — but be warned, both versions are very NSFW.) Showalter plays the incident more or less straight, screaming Russell’s obscene tirade almost verbatim; guest Paul Rudd (pictured) carps ineffectually and sits in stunned silence just like Tomlin did.
Don’t bother waiting for a punchline or an ironic reversal; there’s none to be found, and it’s hard not to wish Showalter had done a little more with the material. Still, his and Rudd’s deadpan delivery are both killer, and hearing them blow their tops about a jokey webcast instead of a big-budget existential puzzle film makes the whole thing a little funnier, I suppose. So what do you think, PopWatchers? Is Showalter’s skit twice as unsettling, twice as hilarious, or twice as blah as the original?
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I guess we can safely say that neither Michael Showalter nor Paul Rudd will ever be in a David O. Russell film.
You’re probably right Mirka…although from what we’ve seen it just means Paul Rudd and Michael Showalter won’t have to wait around on a set for a loooonnnng time till Russell figures out what he wants to do. They also won’t have to watch a grown man act like a toddler in his terrible twos.
What is “NSFW”?
As George Clooney said… life’s just too short to work for Russell.
nsfw – not safe for work.
honestly, who reads popwatch at work?
wahahahahahahh
I adore both Showalter and Rudd and thought their take on the video was hilarious. Great delivery and super clever.
I read Popwatch at work. Who would waste their free time surfing the internet?
No one yells at Lily Tomlin and gets away with it!
Sadie Ratliffe is on to you, David O. Russell. You’re a snake. Hiss hiss.
All that’s missing is the scene where Russell walks off Camera, and then pops out like Michael Meyers from the set door. Now THAT, my dear popwatchers, is comic brilliance!
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