Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

Get teaser-trailer here.

Former SNL writer-director Adam McKay, who also made Anchorman, seems as if he’s got the winning formula for hitting the college and 20-something male audience: picking on the weird side of life, normally accepted by the bulk of American society (not that that's anything new, it is a popular form of comedy, actually). Nascar, this nation’s most popular sport, is perhaps also the most questioned sport – especially considering it’s six-pack toting audience and generally southern-hick stereotype. This trailer looks like Run Ronny, Run meets Days of Thunder meets Eyes Wide Shut (erm, actually, scratch DOT). The most Americans I ever met when living in Europe was the near two hundred who attended a stock car race in Southern Spain which they were quickly kicked out from in strange fashion. Eight of them later were arrested for “throwing chorizo,” which can be quite a dangerous cured meat. This movie will be popular - for different reasons - on both sides of the Mason-Dixon.

This is a welcome teaser trailer and the film looks promising – if anything, it will pander to the millions who want another classic, quotable Will Ferrell film. Also interesting extra: in 2007, a new Ferrell film will be coming out called Blades of Glory, the story of an Olympic skating rivalry – wonder where they got the idea for that? The role of Shani Davis will be played by, erm, Horatio Sanz or Jon Heder.

Notice the trademark touches of a pandering comedy teaser: a catching hick song in the background followed by an AC/DC song (see Harikari trailer), malt liquor ads galore (helmet, dinner table), statutory rape jokes, Chuck Norris joke (awesome), nice family dinner over pizza, Coke, Budweiser and the wife has a martini, line dancing, mongoose reference (obligatory for classic slapstick, see early Buster Keaton short film, Sonata for Yolanda).

Also, Sasha Cohen, of "Ali G" fame, will be playing the French nemesis driver = thank you God.



And John C. Reilly – always amazing – seems to be in the role of a lifetime. The last 30 seconds of the trailer are especially brilliant too – Molly Shannon doing what she does best: acting like a total fucking retard, Will Ferrell referencing Hollywood’s favorite pincushion, Tom Cruise, and the car busting down the street and destroying someone’s house. Perfect material for a fluff comedy. Should be delightful, bring your forties, fried chicken and corn bread.