On the Scene: The 'Trailer Park Boys' Hollywood premiere

With the Harold and Kumar sequel coming in April and Seth Rogen's sure-to-be-classic Pineapple Express due out in August, it's going to be a big year for stoner movies. But with little fanfare and not a red carpet in sight, perhaps the dopiest flick to hit theaters is this weekend's release Trailer Park Boys: The Movie (link contains some NSFW language) which had its U.S. premiere Wednesday night in Los Angeles. Haven't heard of the Canadian comedy crew? Neither has most of Hollywood, judging by the turnout (granted, it was a cold and rainy LA night), but the diehards (yours truly among them) still showed up in force to cheer on the three funniest dudes to ever come out of Nova Scotia.

And cheer, hoot and holler they did, as soon as the opening credits rolled, perhaps because most of the audience members were suffering from serious TPB withdrawal. The movie comes after seven super successful seasons on Canadian television, where the hijinks of petty thieves and lifelong Sunnyvale Trailer Park residents Ricky, Julian, and Bubbles are chronicled in faux reality fashion. Think: Reno: 911! but on the other side of the law. Although when it comes to daily ineptitude, any of these guys would give Lt. Dangle a serious run for his money. The story in a nutshell: No money, little brains, and lots of dope and liquor, plus a cast of wacky characters to make life's poor-boy simplicities all the more absurd.

It should also be noted that Oscar nominee Ellen Page had a regular role as the park supervisor's daughter on the show's second season some five years ago. Even back then, says Robb Wells (pictured, left), who plays Ricky, she stood out. "Ellen was just so professional and natural, you couldn't help but think she's definitely going somewhere," he told us at the after-party, held at the Laugh Factory. "[Her nomination] is unf---inbelievable, but I'm not surprised. She's the real deal."

The TV series has been available on DVD for some time now (do yourselves a favor, Netflix customers, and add seasons 1 through 5 to your queue), accounting for the Boys' small but cultish following. And with a sequel set to start shooting this summer, as well as talk of bringing the show to an American network like Comedy Central, no doubt it'll grow. On this trip, Mike Smith (center), who plays the lovable Bubbles, even got recognized on the Sunset Strip. "This very sexy lady came up to me, gave me a smoke and said she loved me, I couldn't believe it!" he yowled. "That was a prostitute," cracked John Paul Tremblay (right), a.k.a. Julian. "I know," says Smith, "but she didn't charge me anything."