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(About Our Ads) "STRANGE WILDERNESS" (2008) (Steve Zahn, Allen Covert) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Extreme Heavy Heavy Minor Heavy Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Heavy None Minor Heavy Extreme Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Extreme Minor Mild Heavy Heavy QUICK TAKE: Comedy: After running his late father's wildlife TV show into the ground, a young man takes his crew on a journey to get footage of Bigfoot in hopes that it will boost their low ratings. PLOT: Peter Gaulke (STEVE ZAHN) is the somewhat dimwitted host of the wildlife TV show "Strange Wilderness" who -- with the aid of audio man Fred Wolf (ALLEN COVERT), cameraman Milas (ERNEST BORGNINE), driver Danny (PETER DANTE), and production assistant Cooker (JONAH HILL) -- tries to carry on the tradition of his late father in making nature interesting. Unfortunately, the show's ratings have plummeted since Peter took over the reins -- especially in comparison to a competing show hosted by Sky Pierson (HARRY HAMLIN) -- and Peter's just been given two weeks notice of its cancellation. Luckily for him, his father's survivalist friend, Bill Calhoun (JOE DON BAKER), has knowledge of a sighting of Bigfoot. Hiring unemployed mechanic and current alcoholic Whitaker (KEVIN HEFFERNAN) as their new animal handler, adding Cheryl (ASHLEY SCOTT) as their travel coordinator, and having stoner Junior (JUSTIN LONG) replace his uncle Milas as their cameraman, the TV crew sets out for Ecuador to find the elusive but legendary creature. With the aid of guide Dick (BLAKE CLARK) and tracker Gus Hayden (ROBERT PATRICK), they hope footage of Bigfoot will boost their ratings and save their show. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Those looking for a goofy comedy or who are fans of someone in the cast might be interested. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For non-stop language, drug use, crude and sexual humor. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: STEVE ZAHN plays the somewhat dimwitted host of the show who thinks that finding Bigfoot might boost their low ratings. Prone to outbursts and frustrated gestures, he uses strong profanity and smokes pot. ALLEN COVERT plays his partner, the audio guy on the show. He uses strong profanity and smokes pot. JONAH HILL plays a production assistant on the show who's prone to picking up a guitar and singing profanity-laden songs. KEVIN HEFFERNAN plays the TV crew's new and inexperienced animal handler who's also an alcoholic and thus drinks a lot. ASHLEY SCOTT plays the lone woman on the TV crew who's briefly seen topless while high from nitrous oxide, and it's suggested she does something sexual with Gus. She briefly uses strong profanity. JUSTIN LONG plays Milas' nephew, a stoner who's often smoking pot or using a bong. He uses strong profanity and serves as the crew's cameraman. PETER DANTE plays the crew's driver who uses profanity. HARRY HAMLIN plays Peter's more successful rival who has a condescending attitude toward him. We also see that he's having a sexual affair with Bill's wife. ROBERT PATRICK plays an intense Vietnam vet and current tracker who's going to help the TV crew find Bigfoot, but then tries to leave with their stuff (and it's suggested he does something sexual with Cheryl). JOE DON BAKER plays a survivalist friend of Peter's late dad who wants to sell a map to Peter showing where Bigfoot was spotted (and needs the money to buy Lithium and another drug). BLAKE CLARK plays a guide in Ecuador who takes the TV crew to meet Gus. ERNEST BORGNINE plays Peter's cameraman, a holdover from when his father hosted the show. He has no problem with Peter or others smoking pot, but doesn't go along with them on their hunt for Bigfoot. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated comedy. Profanity consists of at least 82 "f" words, while other expletives and many colorful phrases are also uttered. Sexually related dialogue is present. A rear entry sexual encounter is seen on video (from a distance), while other nudity is present (a man's misshapen penis and scrotum from self-stitching in the past, topless women in thongs, another woman in just her panties), and lions are seen mating in wildlife footage. It's implied a woman does something sexual with a man in exchange for a map. An extended comedy bit has a man with a large turkey attached to his otherwise bare crotch after it's partially swallowed his genitals and won't let go (graphically seen in an x-ray image of that, as well as his penis being stretched outward as others try to pull it off him). Real nature footage shows animals attacking others, while other bits (made by the filmmakers, played for comedy), feature a shark, alligator and piranhas separately attacking humans, while humans mow down Bigfoot with machine guns. Some men have their front teeth busted out, and other, less severe contact also occurs. Some of the violence has bloody results (including a person previously having been cut in half, etc.), while crude humor is also present. Some of the animal attack scenes might be unsettling to some viewers, but they're played entirely for goofy comedy. Various characters do drugs (joints, bongs), and many are high from nitrous oxide, while one character is noted as being an alcoholic and is often seen drinking, and a character briefly smokes a cigar. Varying degrees of bad attitudes are present, and some kids may be enticed to imitate some/all of the goofy/inane material that occurs in the film. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, some handheld footage is present. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Peter smokes a joint while telling someone on the phone that he used to smoke a lot of dope, but has quit. We hear bubbling sounds and then see Junior using a bong. We then hear that sound again, followed by pot smoke wafting into the camera shot. Later, when park rangers fly over in a helicopter, one announces, "Smokey the Bear says put out the bong." Fred and Peter share a joint. Danny mentions something being in the tequila from the night before, plugging up his "Johnson" (penis) and causing it to swell up (not seen). We see TV footage of the TV van passing by with beer cans falling out of it. We see that Junior has fake open eyes tattooed on his eyelids so that it looks like he's awake when he's asleep (he states he did this because he thought the "sh*t" -- drugs -- was laced). We see bottles of booze in the background behind Peter. Junior uses a bong. There's talk that Whitaker already had his fourth beer in the morning (as he's seen holding one). We see that Junior stole a canister of nitrous oxide from a dentist's office. Later, it's seen leaking inside the RV, followed later by views of everyone inside there high, taking hits off that and drinking. Bill says he needed money for his Lithium and some other drug. Whitaker has a beer, and then admits that he's an alcoholic. He then makes various comments about quitting, adding that his current beer is his last. Fred and Peter share a joint. Peter does a bong hit. One of the guys punctures a beer can and then drinks from the resultant holes. BLOOD/GORE We see a bear tearing into a fish it's caught (with meaty and slightly bloody results). Junior asks the others if they ever tried to poop and brush their teeth at the same time (as he comes out of the RV's bathroom), stating that it's hard. Danny dresses in a sea lion outfit to mingle with the real thing, but is attacked by a large shark. We see thrashing and bloody water, making us think he's been killed. Later, however, he's seen alive, albeit in a wheelchair (and we see bad scars on his torso when he shows others). This is all played for comedy. A thug repeatedly honks his car horn to interrupt the crew's filming, and then wants $100 to stop. That results in Peter slapping the guy on the back of the head and running off, followed by the thug making him and Fred look for a supposed scratch on his car hood. When they bend over to look, he uses the car's hydraulic system to make it bounce upward and hit them in the face, knocking them down. We next see them at the dentist, missing their front teeth (with bloody results down their chins and on their shirts). Peter states that he has to go "take a leak," and we then partially see and hear him do that outdoors. We see wildlife footage of a lion taking down a gazelle, and of vultures eating a dead zebra (pulling at the fleshy meat). The crew finds Sky's team dead from an unseen attack. That includes one person who's strung-up upside down, while Sky is barely alive, having been cut in half (we see some blood around the bottom of his torso, as well as his lower body nearby -- all played for comedy). Junior urinates, but we don't hear or see anything. Bigfoot comes out of his cave, confused about what's occurring, with Peter panicking and shooting him with his handgun, followed by the rest of his crew shooting the creature with machine guns, killing him (no blood at that moment, but his dead body is later seen with some bloody bullet holes in it). Various members of the crew eat and drink various things to make them vomit. They then do so, projectile style, over the edge of a pier, all to serve as chum to attract a shark. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Some of Sky's TV crew make condescending fun of Peter and his crew, making fun of names by asking if it's Neal and Bob, and then asking, "Or is that what they do?" (meaning gay oral sex as in "kneel and bob"). Peter refers to some aborigines as "pygmy people." After meeting Cheryl, Peter states (thinking he's out of her earshot, but he's not), "I'll be laying some serious pipe" (have sex with her). She then states that she heard him, but believes he said that to make him sound heterosexual (thinking he's gay). Peter does a faked and strained accent to imitate those who speak Spanish (thinking it will help him communicate better with them). A thug repeatedly honks his car horn to interrupt the crew's filming, and then wants $100 to stop. That results in Peter slapping the guy on the back of the head and running off, followed by the thug making him and Fred look for a supposed scratch on his car hood. When they bend over to look, he uses the car's hydraulic system to make it bounce upward and hit them in the face, knocking them down. We next see them at the dentist, missing their front teeth (with bloody results down their chins and on their shirts). We see that Junior stole a canister of nitrous oxide from a dentist's office. We see surveillance footage (thus from a distance) of Bill's wife removing her shirt and then turning around in front of Sky, with him then having rear entry intercourse with her (we see movement). Watching this, Fred eagerly adds his sexual commentary, including wanting to get "a slice of that," etc. When Dick states that's his full name (no last name), the guys on the TV crew snicker and make various crude, double entendre comments about that. When Dick states, "You say Dick, I come," one jokes, "You come where?" There are comments about liking Dick, if he ever lets his dog lick his name, and if his name gets hard in the morning. About his time in Vietnam, Gus (a vet) uses the term, "Little gook." Gus makes off with the crew's gear, stranding them in the jungle. Peter and his crew end up shooting and killing Bigfoot, and then try to justify that with various excuses. They also try to stage a death by suicide scene for the creature, to capture for their show. FRIGHTENING SCENES For those sensitive to such images: As the crew makes their way through a jungle, we see a large snake coiled around a tree branch above them. As the crew wanders through the jungle at night, they hear strange sounds and appear frightened, but it turns out to be just Cheryl. GUNS/WEAPONS Bill wears a sidearm, and later is seen carrying a rifle. Gus has a hunting bow and large knife. Bigfoot comes out of his cave, confused about what's occurring, with Peter panicking and shooting him with his handgun, followed by the rest of his crew shooting the creature with machine guns, killing him (no blood at that moment, but his dead body is later seen with some bloody bullet holes in it). Moments later, Peter fires another handgun shot into the body (all played for comedy). IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "F*ck you /you f*ck/m*therf*cker/too," "F*ck yeah," "Who the f*ck is Jack Knockelson?" (or something like that, a mispronunciation of Nicholson), "You guys are out of your f*cking minds," "F*cking bad boys," "He would know what the f*ck to do," "Oh f*ck," "You just got knocked the f*ck out," "We're already f*cked," "F*cking hot," "F*ck that," "F*ck it," "F*cking psycho," "We're pretty much f*cked," "F*cking beautiful," "F*ck you say?" "Fish f*ckers," "F*ck him," "F*cking c*ck-tease," "What the f*ck?" "That's f*cked up," "You stupid f*ck," "Get in the f*cking car," "You f*cking asshole," "Oh sh*t," "Check this sh*t out," "You're sh*tting me," "Sh*t, man," "Bullsh*t," "Eating the sh*t out of..." "That's the craziest sh*t I've ever seen," "Holy sh*t," "I'll be laying some serious pipe," "Whore," "You want him to piss that turkey off his hog?" "You like Dick?" "We love Dick," "Doesn't that mean we're eating Dick?" (all of those using that word are double entendres using a man's name), "It all went to hell," "You stupid asshole," "It is so much fun to have your ass royally kissed," "Crappy," "Pygmy people," "What the hell /is that/is she doing?" "The show sucks," "Fat bastard," "Jeez," "You son of a gun," "Numb nuts," "You're off the charts nuts," "You morons," "You're such an asshole," "You got to be kidding me," "Where the hell you guys been?" "Take a leak," "Sucker," "You ass," "Balls" (testicles), "Did one of you just shove your beak up my ass?" "Run like hell," "Little gook," "Ball quilt," "Dude," "I'll be damned," "You sons of bitches," "Holy crap," "It made me feel so crappy," "Chick," "You suck," "Bitch" (man) and "The asshole of the sea." We see that Junior has fake open eyes tattooed on his eyelids so that it looks like he's awake when he's asleep (he states he did this because he thought the "sh*t" -- drugs -- was laced). Danny has the center of his hair spiked up in a faux Mohawk. Danny drives the crew's RV through a 4-way stop without stopping (no other vehicles are there). Cooker uses a hand buzzer to shock Cheryl's hand, and later twice gets Whitaker on the crotch with the same thing. Peter does a faked and strained accent to imitate those who speak Spanish (thinking it will help him communicate better with them). We see a miscellaneous man with various tattoos, piercings, and gold teeth. We see that Junior stole a canister of nitrous oxide from a dentist's office. Later, it's seen leaking inside the RV, followed later by views of everyone inside there high, taking hits off that and drinking. Junior spray paints a large image of a penis and scrotum, and then makes a mock masturbation gesture with his hand over that image. Peter flails about in an exaggerated fashion while frustrated. One of the guys punctures a beer can and then drinks from the resultant holes. Various members of the crew eat and drink various things to make them vomit. They then do so, projectile style, over the edge of a pier, all to serve as chum to attract a shark. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A little bit of comedy-based, suspenseful music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) Cooker sings several songs while playing the guitar and uses various "f" words in his lyrics. PROFANITY At least 82 "f" words (2 used with "mother," 2 used sexually, as are several uses of the term "laying pipe"), 38 "s" words, 5 slang terms using male genitals ("c*ck-tease," "Johnson," "hog" and several uses of "d*ck," with many others playing off a man's name being Dick), 3 using female ones ("p*ssy"), 12 hells, 11 asses (4 used with "hole"), 4 craps, 4 damns, 2 S.O.B.s, 15 uses of "Oh my God," 5 of "God," 3 of "G-damn," 2 each of "Jesus" and "Jesus Christ," and 1 use each of "Christ," "For God's sakes" and "Oh God." SEX/NUDITY Danny mentions something being in the tequila from the night before, plugging up his "Johnson" (penis) and causing it to swell up (not seen). We see wildlife footage of lions mating, with Peter's voice over narration saying things such as "Slice me off a piece and serve that up hot" and "I'm next in line." We see footage of various bare-breasted women in small thong bottoms (one turns around and we see most of her bare butt). There's talk of men showering together being "friends with benefits" (not seen). After meeting Cheryl, Peter states (thinking he's out of her earshot, but he's not), "I'll be laying some serious pipe" (have sex with her). She then states that she heard him, but believes he said that to make him sound heterosexual (thinking he's gay). About a puffer fish, it's said that it sucks its "balls" into its stomach. At the dentist's office, Peter asks for Penthouse Magazine, but is told they don't have that. After a canister of nitrous oxide leaks inside their RV, we see Cheryl riding and bucking on top of something in just her panties (we see the side of her bare breast, all as she's high from the gas). Junior spray paints a large image of a penis and scrotum, and then makes a mock masturbation gesture with his hand over that image. We see surveillance footage (thus from a distance) of Bill's wife removing her shirt and then turning around in front of Sky, with him then having rear entry intercourse with her (we see movement). Watching this, Fred eagerly adds his sexual commentary, including wanting to get "a slice of that," etc. Peter states that he has to go "take a leak," and we then partially see and hear him do that outdoors. He then spots some turkey chicks, and the next thing we see is him running toward his crew with his pants down and the huge mother turkey attached to his crotch (his penis inside its mouth/throat). We next see him at the doctor, still that way, with an x-ray image showing a graphic view of his penis down the turkey's throat. The male doctor then has the female nurse rhythmically massage the turkey's throat to make it relax and let go (with one man making a crude remark about her stroking the beak), but she then reacts in disgust to Peter having an erection (not seen), with him stating that he couldn't help it due to what she's doing and her being "f*cking hot." The doc then sticks a syringe into the turkey's neck, but Peter reacts to the pain of it getting him as well (not seen). The doc then says that maybe Peter can urinate into the turkey (to pass whatever was in the syringe into the turkey's throat, prompting Fred to ask, "You want him to piss that turkey off his hog?" There's talk of the turkey "blowing Peter, and we then see others trying to pull it off him, resulting in a graphic view of his penis being stretched from his body. When Dick states that's his full name (no last name), the guys on the TV crew snicker and make various crude, double entendre comments about that. When Dick states, "You say Dick, I come," one jokes, "You come where?" There are comments about liking Dick, if he ever lets his dog lick his name, and if his name gets hard in the morning. We see footage of a primate's large testicles. As the others show their scars, Cheryl turns around and partially lowers her pants to show hers on her butt, but we don't see anything. Gus then states that pygmies in the past cut his scrotum, resulting in his testicles unwinding down to the ground. He then says he collected them and sewed himself up, followed by him showing the others (including Cheryl) the results. We then see a close-up view of his penis and testicles, all misshapen from the crude stitch job in the past, with someone saying it looks like a "ball quilt." Peter comments on Cooker wearing a thong after the later bends over. The crew wakes up to find that Gus and Cheryl are gone, as are most of their belongings. They think Cheryl stole their stuff as well, but she later returns, states that she'd want to "f*ck you guys before I'd f*ck him" and adds that she "took one for the team" to convince Gus to give her their Bigfoot map (meaning she did something sexual with him in exchange for that). That prompts the guys to say they have maps as well, hoping she'll do the same to/with them. The crew eat various piranhas as revenge for them earlier eating Dick, with Whitaker finally realizing and telling the others, "Doesn't that mean we're eating Dick?" Peter states various things about human perception of animals, including that they're eager to fornicate. Trying to justify them shooting Bigfoot, one of the guys blurts out that the creature was "a f*cking c*ck-tease." SMOKING Gus briefly smokes a cigar. TENSE FAMILY SCENES We hear that Peter's dad died sometime in the past, but we don't know when, and there's no leftover grieving. Bill sees surveillance footage of his wife removing her shirt and then turning around in front of Sky, with him then having rear entry intercourse with her. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Drug use. Alcoholism. TV nature shows. VIOLENCE All of the following is played for comedy. Milas slaps Junior on the back of the head to make him shape up. We see shaky camera footage of an alligator attacking and killing a person (it's hard to see any details). We see footage of a man on fire. Danny dresses in a sea lion outfit to mingle with the real thing, but is attacked by a large shark. We see thrashing and bloody water, making us think he's been killed. Later, however, he's seen alive, albeit in a wheelchair (and we see bad scars on his torso when he shows others). This is all played for comedy. Cooker uses a hand buzzer to shock Cheryl's hand, prompting her to hit him on the head with what looks like a metal trashcan lid. He later uses the same to shock Whitaker on the crotch on separate occasions. A thug repeatedly honks his car horn to interrupt the crew's filming, and then wants $100 to stop. That results in Peter slapping the guy on the back of the head and running off, followed by the thug making him and Fred look for a supposed scratch on his car hood. When they bend over to look, he uses the car's hydraulic system to make it bounce upward and hit them in the face, knocking them down. We next see them at the dentist, missing their front teeth (with bloody results down their chins and on their shirts). Cheryl hits her head on the top of an RV's door when she stands up. Peter briefly has Fred in a headlock. We see wildlife footage of a lion taking down a gazelle, and of vultures eating a dead zebra (pulling at the fleshy meat). Gus tells the story of sticking a knife and then grenade into a man's head in the past. After Fred wakes him up, Peter punches him several times. Piranhas attack Dick as he wades through water (we see frothy water around him as he slowly sinks, but no blood, and this is played for comedy). The crew finds Sky's team dead from an unseen attack. That includes one person who's strung-up upside down, while Sky is barely alive, having been cut in half (we see some blood around the bottom of his torso, as well as his lower body nearby -- all played for comedy). Bigfoot comes out of his cave, confused about what's occurring, with Peter panicking and shooting him with his handgun, followed by the rest of his crew shooting the creature with machine guns, killing him (no blood at that moment, but his dead body is later seen with some bloody bullet holes in it). Moments later, Peter fires another handgun shot into the body (all played for comedy). Peter and Fred end up fighting in an office where they knock things over and a chair ends up being thrown through a glass wall (played for comedy). A large shark jumps up and bites a person standing on a pier (no blood, played for comedy). Reviewed February 1, 2008 / Posted February 1, 2008