Hamlet 2

Infobox Film
name = Hamlet 2


image_size =
caption = Theatrical release poster
director = Andrew Fleming
producer = Eric Eisner Leonid Rozhetskin Aaron Ryder
writer = Andrew Fleming Pam Brady
starring = Steve Coogan Catherine Keener Amy Poehler David Arquette
music = Ralph Sall
cinematography = Alexander Gruszynski
editing = Jeff Freeman
distributor = Focus Features
released = August 22 2008 (limited)
August 27 2008 (wide)
runtime =
country = United States
language = English
budget = $9 million
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website = http://www.whatwouldsexyjesusdo.com
amg_id = 1:416670
imdb_id = 1104733

"Hamlet 2" is a comedy film directed by Andy Fleming, written by Fleming and Pam Brady, and starring Steve Coogan, Catherine Keener, Amy Poehler, and David Arquette. It was produced by Eric Eisner, Leonid Rozhetskin, and Aaron Ryder. "Hamlet 2" was filmed primarily at a high school in New Mexico from September 2007 to October 2007. The film premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and will be distributed by Focus Features. The film had a limited release on August 22, 2008, followed by a wide release on August 27. The film is rated R by the MPAA for "language including sexual references, brief nudity and some drug content".

Plot

After an opening recapping the highlights of Dana Marschz's unsuccessful acting career (undignified television commercials and a bit acting part), the film joins him "where dreams go to die": Tucson, Arizona. He is an even more unsuccessful suburban high school drama teacher, with only two (enthusiastic) students and a history of producing school plays that are merely stage adaptations of Hollywood films (his latest being "Erin Brockovich"). When the new term begins, a bunch of inner city kids are forced to transfer classes, due to destruction of a building in the school, and take his class, as it is the only remaining arts elective available. He gets off to a rocky start with the new students, and is floored when the school notifies him that the drama program – a worthless waste of money in the administration's judgment – is to be shut down at the end of the term. Unintentionally inspired by the school paper's ruthless pre-adolescent drama critic, Dana undertakes to write and produce an original play: a sequel to "Hamlet" featuring a time-traveling title character, and a song-and-dance number featuring the Son of God, called "Rock Me Sexy Jesus". He begins to win the cooperation of his students, but is further traumatized when his wife leaves him for the uninteresting – but fertile – boarder they had taken into their home to supplement their modest income. The students rally to finish the play, especially after the school shuts down the production over its controversial content, staging it in an abandoned warehouse and rave spot, amid a media frenzy.

Production

Screenwriters Andy Fleming and Pam Brady began writing the script in 2003 after viewing the [http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=8#comic eighth] Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal comic by Zach Weiner. The play shown within the film was written on deadline for production.cite news | author=David M. Halbfinger | title=Done Deals Finally Start To Appear At Sundance | publisher=The New York Times | date=2008-01-23 ] The film was budgeted at a little over $9 million.cite news | author=Lauren A.E. Schuker | title=Comic 'Hamlet 2' Finally Gets Sales Going at Sundance | publisher=Wall Street Journal | date=2008-01-23 ] Production began in September 2007 in New Mexico. [cite news | author=Francesca Martin | title=Great Danes go head to head | publisher=The Guardian | date=2007-09-12 ] Filming took place mainly at West Mesa High School in Albuquerque, where actual students were permitted to perform as extras in the film. [cite news | author=Megan Martin | title=Students learn about making movies from an on-the-set perspective | publisher=Albuquerque Journal | date=2007-11-06 ] Filming concluded on October 31, 2007. [cite news | author=Dan Mayfield | title=N.M. movies make Sundance cut | publisher=Albuquerque Journal | date=2008-01-11 ] The film was executive produced by Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa, who also produced "Little Miss Sunshine".

Cast

*Steve Coogan - Dana Marschz
*Catherine Keener - Brie Marschz
*Amy Poehler - Cricket Feldstein
*Arnie Pantoja as Vitamin J
*David Arquette - Gary
*Elisabeth Shuecite news | author=Gregg Goldstein | url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i791a7e20e195349cf84c027aa68d11f8 | title='Hamlet 2' to be among New Frontiers | publisher=The Hollywood Reporter | date=2007-12-20 | accessdate=2008-01-24 ] - Herself
*Skylar Astin - Rand
*Phoebe Strole
*Melonie Diaz

Release

A rough edit of "Hamlet 2" was prepared for the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, where it was a late addition, three days before its scheduled screening. The film premiered at the festival on January 21 2008. After the screening, an all-night bidding war took place for rights to distribution, which Focus Features won for $10 million, acquiring worldwide rights to the film.cite news | author=Anne Thompson | url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117979445.html?categoryId=2470&cs=1 | title=Focus Features acquires 'Hamlet 2' | publisher=Variety | date=2008-01-22 | accessdate=2008-01-24 ] The purchase of "Hamlet 2" nearly broke the Sundance Film Festival record set by "Little Miss Sunshine", which sold for $10.5 million in 2006.

Critical reaction

Duane Byrge of "The Hollywood Reporter" described "Hamlet 2" as "a slam-bang patchwork of more inspired comedies, such as ' and '". Byrge described the premise as "a twist on the formula of let's-put-on-a-show, with the twist being that no one wants the show". He thought that the screenwriters had put together "a string of gags in a hit-and-miss dither". [cite news | author=Duane Byrge | url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUKN2356654020080123 | title="Hamlet 2" sends up suburbia in rowdy fashion | work=The Hollywood Reporter | publisher=Reuters | date=2008-01-23 | accessdate=2008-01-24 ]

Edward Douglas of ComingSoon.net described "Hamlet 2" as "outrageously funny but it does require a certain type of sense of humor and the ability to laugh at very odd behavior and situations". Douglas thought that Coogan played his character over-the-top, but found that through the film, "you really start to love him". He described the premise as "ludicrous" but said, "Sometimes, you just have to turn off your brain and allow yourself to laugh." [cite news | author=Edward Douglas | url=http://www.comingsoon.net/blog/2008/01/reviews_the_great_buck_howard.php | title=Reviews: "The Great Buck Howard" & "Hamlet 2" | publisher=ComingSoon.net | date=2008-01-23 | accessdate=2008-01-24 ]

"The New York Times" noted of the film, "It made sure to take shots at Christians, gays, Latinos, Jews, the American Civil Liberties Union and Elisabeth Shue, one of its lead actresses."

The film currently holds a 63% positive rating on movie review site Rotten Tomatoes.

References

External links

* [http://www.whatwouldsexyjesusdo.com Hamlet 2 Official Film Site]
* [http://filminfocus.com/focus-movies/hamlet-2/movie-splash.php FilmInFocus: Hamlet 2]
* [http://wearemoviegeeks.com/2008/08/review-hamlet-2/ We Are Movie Geeks Review Hamlet 2]
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