Many television shows consider themselves to be inventive and daring.  Some try very hard to be different and in most cases the results are uneven at best.  Those shows that do manage to be on the cutting edge sometimes become classics and last for years (South Park, The Simpsons).  More often than not though, they get relegated to cult status and are mostly never heard from again.

Such is the case with the excellent Comedy Central show Strangers With Candy. 

Dreamed up by the shows stars Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert and Paul Dinello, Strangers With Candy went out of its way to go over the top. Sometimes the results were mixed but there were moments of true comic brilliance that showcased the talents of this incredible group of comedians.  Once you’ve seen even a single episode of the show, you know that there was no way this was going to be a huge hit.  The humor is too offbeat for mainstream America.

That’s why I was surprised to see a Strangers With Candy movie get a theatrical release in 2006.  I mean, the show had very little commercial appeal and for any studio to throw money at this would be nothing more than a tax write-off at best.  Still, it wasn’t like I wasn’t looking forward to seeing it.  After all, Jerry Blank may be one of the richest characters any comedian could hope to play and seeing Sedaris get to throw herself at it in an R-rated no-holds-barred movie seemed like a perfect way to spend 91 minutes. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, the movie Strangers With Candy lived up to my expectations deliciously.  Sedaris stars again as Jerry Blank, the pushing 50 ex-con with multiple addictions and poor vaginal hygiene.  The movie takes into account that many viewers may have never seen the show so it opens right off with Jerry’s less than triumphant return home and her decision to pick up her life right at the point where it went wrong by going back to High School. 

Now if this premise seems far-fetched, please understand that the writers know that.  The beauty of Strangers With Candy is that it knows just how fucking stupid it is and it cranks up the outrageousness to 11 while still managing to show no nudity and feature very little language.  It’s all about adult themes and innuendos here, not slapstick or goofiness for the sake of goofiness.  In the end, the concept ends up being a bit higher-minded than you may want to admit. 

Stephen Colbert’s character, science teacher Chuck Noblet, will have you laughing almost every time he’s on screen.  The husband and father whose illicit homosexual affair with the art teacher (Director Paul Dinello) goes against his newfound Christianity is hilarious!  He, Sedaris and Dinello collaborated on the script and their sense of humor permeates even the character names (for instance the hulking African American principal named Onyx Blackman). 

The movie is offensive, dumb and extremely funny all at once.  Listen to the names listed on the “all-star” science team and see if you don’t hate yourself for laughing at the ridiculously Asian names (my favorite being Alexander Graham Wang).  This script is fantastic. 

Here are two juxtaposing comedic lines for you to consider.  The first happens so fast you may miss it.  Principal Blackman ponders how to win the Science Fair and says, “I have 3000 students and nearly a dozen teachers.  Surely one of them is smart.”

If that line doesn’t do it for you, this one might.  Jerry and her new found science nerd friend Megawatti are standing by the school bulletin board.

Megawatti:  Are you thinking about signing up for the Science Fair, Jerry?

Jerry:  No, I’m thinking about pussy.  The Science Fair is for losers.

Walla!  Instant laughs. 

To prove that I’m not just blowing smoke up your ass though, consider all the people who signed on to play bit parts in this movie.  Matthew Broderick plays a hired Science Fair ringer, Sarah Jessica Parker is the Grief Counselor, Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays a school board member whose sexual inadequacies are getting the best of him and in the most surprising appearance of all, Ian Holm… that’s right Sir Ian Holm plays the family doctor.  These aren’t people who just latch on to any old script and collect a paycheck.

You need to do yourself a favor and pick up Strangers With Candy if you’ve never seen it.  There will most likely never be a sequel but since I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy, I’ll just be happy we at least got this. 

Presentation
The thing about Strangers With Candy is that it doesn’t look any different than it did on TV.  That’s a good thing and a bad thing.  Good in that it keeps the continuity of the show.  Bad in that there’s really nothing special about the sets or the lighting to speak of.  Therefore, when it comes to presentation, this disc is nothing special.  Same with the audio.  You can see everything fine and hear it as well, but there’s nothing that’s going to really make you sit up and take notice of the transfer or anything.

Extras
Well, the highlight here is obviously the commentary.  Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert and Paul Dinello sit in the room together and talk through the entire film.  They stay on topic for the whole thing but it’s never boring or dry.  Inside jokes fly, comments about co-stars abound and while it’s light on the technical side of things, who fucking cares?  This commentary is nearly as funny as the movie.  Keep an eye out for all the times Sedaris appears as an extra sans the Jerry Blank makeup.

Aside from that you get some deleted scenes that are hit and miss for comedic value, a video featuring Blackman’s Secretary Iris Puffybush, the theatrical trailer and trailers for Dorm Daze 2, Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man, Awesome, I… Shot That and The Aristocrats.

The Bottom Line
Strangers With Candy is one very funny movie that you should definitely check out.  If you are a fan of Colbert, Sedaris sor just like to watch really offbeat comedy, go pick this up tonight and get ready to laugh your ass off.