Is the Judd Apatowian reign of fratastic films nearing an end — or at least facing some healthy competition?
Possibly. Low-budget martial arts comedy The Foot Fist Way, which first premiered at Sundance in 2006, is poised to be the sleeper hit of the summer of 2008, thanks to a second round of screenings currently under way.
The underground film, largely forgotten after its initial run, was slipped to Hollywood heavyweights Will Ferrell and Adam McKay.
Turns out they loved it and helped the filmmaking trio, college friends Jody Hill, Danny McBride and Ben Best, get distribution with Paramount Vantage. (Keep an eye out for McBride, who has a boatload of minor cameos in films like Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder this summer.)
Now you can catch the tale of a mullet-sportin,’ strip-mall taekwondo instructor by the name of Fred Simmons as he does his best to whip a gaggle of suburban moms and bratty kids into shape. The indie flick kicks delivers Napoleon Dynamite-style deadpan humor that’s sure to click with fans of the British version of The Office — it’s that kind of smarmy, awkward goodness.
A slew of comedians, like Patton Oswalt, can’t stop raving about film.
Oswalt wrote a glowing endorsement of the film on his blog: "I want you to go see it ‘cuz it’s hilarious and brilliant and if you like The Big Lebowski, Office Space, Dazed and Confused and Repo Man then you’ll love The Foot Fist Way."
What do you think? Is The Foot Fist Way primed to be the indie hit of 2008? Watch the trailer (embedded, right) and let us know in the comments.
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