Harland Williams Movies
An unpredictable comic whose talents as an artist and writer of children's books frequently goes unnoticed in favor of such antics as appearing on the Late Show With David Letterman in peanut butter-covered boots, Harland Williams set the tone for his cinematic career as a urine-chugging state trooper in the Farrelly brothers' sophomoric smash Dumb and Dumber (1994).Born in Toronto, Ontario, the artistically inclined Williams aimed to refine his passion for drawing and painting at Canada's prestigious Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario. Childlike curiosity combined with his love of art drove Williams to create a series of popular children's books in which a similarly curious young dinosaur named Lickety Split embarks on a series of amazing adventures and learns important life lessons in the process. Finding a creative outlet in poetry and painting while working as a forest ranger for five years after dropping out of Sheridan College, Williams set his goals to leave the forest as a standup comic and actor, soon moving to L.A. to pursue his newfound calling.
After his memorable debut in Dumb and Dumber, Williams appeared briefly in the television series Simon before attempting a starring vehicle with Disney's Rocketman in 1997. Trashed by critics and largely ignored by audiences, Rocketman may not have launched Williams' career into the stratosphere, but it did result in a number of memorably comedic roles in such popular comedies as Half-Baked (1998) and There's Something About Mary (1998). The new millennium also proved to be a busy year for Williams in both his career as a standup and an actor: serving as host of Comedy Central's Premium Blend, appearing in the Geena Davis Show, The Whole Nine Yards, and as an abrasive tyrant television star who learns the true value of love in Becoming Dick. In 2001, Williams appeared as the compound-fractured friend of a spastic Tom Green in Freddy Got Fingered. The following year found Williams as a gender-bending college student alongside co-stars Barry Watson and Michael Rosenbaum in Sorority Boys. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2008
- Add The Best of Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen to QueueAdd The Best of Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen to top of Queue
Byron Allen showcased numerous popular stand-up comedians as host of the program Comics Unleashed. This release compiles some of the best sets recorded on the show including routines by Dane Cook, Howie Mandel, Margaret Cho, Katt Williams, and Brad Garrett. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Brenner, Margaret Cho, (more)
- 2008
Audiences should be prepared for all-out anarchy when Harland Williams steps on stage. This stand-up/sketch comedy hybrid allows the performer to reveal all his comic talents. ~ Kimber Myers, All Movie Guide
- 2007
- Add Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen to QueueAdd Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen to top of Queue
Santa finds himself in serious trouble when Rusty Reindeer leaves the North Pole in order to do some soul searching in the big city, and a malfunctioning "Nice 'N Naughty O'Matic" leaves him unable to distinguish the good kids from the bad in this animated adventure for the entire family. Rusty Reindeer is having a personal crisis, and now he's hoping to find his true role in Christmas by venturing into the city and joining a support group for holiday icons. Meanwhile, as Rusty is trading stories with Albert the Thanksgiving turkey and Mr. C the ornery cupid, Santa's "Nice 'N Naughty O'Matic" goes on the fritz. Now a young boy who should have been on the good list has been mistakenly shifted to the bad, and in order to ensure that the child has a good Christmas Rusty will enlist the aid of moody Halloween ghosts Trick and Treat. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Savage, Fred Willard, (more)
The familiar Cinderella concept gets a sun-splashed makeover in Death to the Supermodels director Joel Silverman's wave-riding teen comedy. The misfits of Laguna Beach high school have suffered more abuse than they're willing to take at the hands of in-crowd bully Tyler Masters (Ryan Carnes), and as the senior trip draws ever closer their hunger to seek revenge for years of humiliation grows too powerful to resist. Enter newly arrived high school student Jordan (Corey Sevier), a former east-coaster who seems to be having a hard time fitting in at Laguna Beach. When Jordan learns that the highlight of the senior year is the annual surfing contest in Costa Rica, he soon hatches a plan that will give the downtrodden outcasts a much-needed ego boost while simultaneously serving Tyler with a well-deserved comeuppance. In order to do it right, though, Jordan will have to convince outcast hip-hopper Mo (Sisqo), morose Doris (Laura Bell Bundy), skate-punk Taz (Miko Hughes), and virginal Larry (Lee Norris) to break for Costa Rica a week early and train for the competition under the tutelage of loopy former surf pro Rip (Harland Williams). It's not going to be easy, but if Jordan can pull the troops together and make this wild plan work, he just might manage to leave his mark on Laguna Beach High after all. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Corey Sevier, Laura Bell Bundy, (more)
- 2000
In this made-for-TV movie, shown on the E! network, Richard Breggs (Harland Williams) is a super-swell guy. An aspiring actor, he drives a taxi so that he can afford to buy his girlfriend Maggie (Elizabeth Berkley) a set of window shades for their apartment. All is dandy until Richard's friend Nick informs him that his niceness is the source of his career problems, and that he'll only be able to get ahead as an actor if he becomes a class-A jerk. Richard decides to give Nick's advice a try, and four years later he wakes up with amnesia to discover that he's the star of a monstrously popular TV show called, appropriately enough, "Dick." Living in a mansion, he is informed by his butler Edward (Robert Wagner) that yes, he has become a bonafide schmuck. This news horrifies Richard, who sets about trying to find Maggie and mend his wicked ways. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harland Williams, Robert Wagner, (more)
- 2000
NBC's animated series based on David Spade's stand-up material about his dysfunctional father. Viewers first encounter the Blake family when Hollywood star James (David Spade) attempts to prevent his mother (Julia Sweeney) from discovering that his father, Sammy (Spade again) is living with him. Unfortunately, neither James nor his brothers knows exactly what to do with the obnoxious old man. Maura Tierney and Andy Dick are among the other actors to contribute their voices to the show. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Spade, Harland Williams, (more)
- 1999
- Add Insane Clown Posse: Big Money Hustla$ - The Movie to QueueAdd Insane Clown Posse: Big Money Hustla$ - The Movie to top of Queue
Everybody's favorite Faygo-swilling evil-clown rappers, Insane Clown Posse, invade your home entertainment center with their first feature-length motion picture. Big Baby Sweets (Violent J) is a notorious underworld kingpin who rules the streets of New York with the help of his loud-mouthed lieutenants Lil Poot (Monoxide Child) and Big Stank (Jamie Madrox). The NYPD have been unsuccessful in their attempts to bring down Big Baby Sweets, so the Chief of Police (Johnny Brennan) brings in the heavy artilery -- Sugar Bear (Shaggy 2 Dope), a hot-shot police detective who has cleaned up the mean streets of San Francisco. Along with Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope from ICP (and Monoxide Child and Jamie Madrox from their brother group Twiztid), Big Money Hustla$ also features appearances by wrestler Mick Foley, blaxplotation legend Rudy Ray Moore, punk rock pioneers the Misfits, and comic actor Harland Williams. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Harland Williams stars in this comedy as a confidence man who is trying to outrun the bill collectors. Posing as a woman, he gets a job as the headmistress at an exclusive private girl's school, but now he has a whole new set of problems -- namely, fooling everyone into thinking he's a woman for the next several months, and dealing with Harriet Magnum (Katey Sagal), the no-nonsense assistant headmistress known around the school as "Dirty Harriet." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harland Williams, Katey Sagal, (more)
- 2007
- R
- Add Bachelor Party 2: The Last Temptation to QueueAdd Bachelor Party 2: The Last Temptation to top of Queue
This sequel to the audacious 1984 comedy Bachelor Party comes 24 years after the original and stars Josh Cooke as Ron, a bachelor who falls in love and decides to get married with his girlfriend of two months. His soon-to-be brother in law doesn't approve of the match, however, and is determined to out Ron as a gold digger. Many uproarious and outrageous encounters follow, as Ron's future in-law sets up boobie traps that live up to their names in more ways than one. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harland Williams, Josh Cooke, (more)
- 2007
- R
- Add The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning to QueueAdd The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning to top of Queue
Hazzard County's two rowdiest siblings are back and stirring up more mischief than ever in this prequel to the 2005 comedy adventure that explores the origins of the General Lee while finding out just how Bo (Jonathan Bennett) and Luke Duke (Randy Wayne) first incurred the wrath of bumbling greedy businessman Boss Hogg (Christopher McDonald). Hogg is set to foreclose on Uncle Jesse's (Willie Nelson) farm, and in order to save their crusty kin from financial ruin Bo and Luke agree to deliver his potent brand of moonshine to Hazzard County's thirstiest residents. Unfortunately for Bo and Luke, the nefarious Boss Hogg doesn't take kindly to the newly arrived competition. Subsequently thrown in jail and sentenced to sweat out the remainder of the summer on work detail, the crafty Duke boys enlist the aid of sexy cousin Daisy (April Scott) in outrunning the car with the star and making Boss Hogg's life unbearable through a series of outrageous schemes. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jonathan Bennett, Randy Wayne, (more)
Nearly anyone who performs in public on a regular basis is familiar with the notion of the audience member who makes their opinions loudly and clearly known during the show, and like most comedians Jamie Kennedy has dealt with his fair share of hecklers over the course of his career. However, when Kennedy moved from stand-up comic to actor, he encountered a new breed of heckler -- the on-line film critic who posts angry rants on the internet, taking Kennedy to task for nearly every aspect of such critically drubbed movies as Son Of The Mask and Malibu's Most Wanted. Kennedy teamed up with director Michael Addis to make the documentary Heckler, which explores the increasingly combative relationship between artists and their audience. Heckler features interviews with a number of comics and musicians discussing their experiences with loud-mouthed spectators (including Bill Maher, David Cross, Louie Anderson, Rob Zombie, Joe Rogan and David Allen Grier), but Kennedy goes a step further, confronting a number of the writers who've bad-mouthed his work and questioning their role in the creative process. Kennedy and Addis also talk with filmmaker Uwe Boll, who went so far as to challenge his critics to a boxing match. Heckler received its world premiere at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jamie Kennedy, Louie Anderson, (more)
A guy takes one last shot at learning from his mistakes with women in this romantic comedy. Zach (Brad Hunt) has been in love with Abbey (Lauren Graham) as far back as he can remember. However, Zach is both shy and tragically inept around women, and has never had the nerve to tell her how he feels. When Zach learns that Abbey is moving away to pursue her career, he decides he has one last chance to win her over, so with the help of his even less romantically inclined buddy Bleckman (Harland Williams), Zach tracks down all of his former girlfriends to get a clearer picture of where he's gone wrong in the past, and how he might be able to win Abbey's heart. Lucky 13 also features John Doe, Debra Jo Rupp, and Brande Roderick. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harland Williams, Lauren Graham, (more)
The time-honored "men in drag" concept gets a teen sex comedy makeover with this farce from director Wallace Wolodarsky. Dave (Barry Watson), Adam (Michael Rosenbaum), and Doofer (Harland Williams) are a trio of broke playboy misogynists who are accused of embezzlement by their frat brothers and kicked out. The friends quickly find themselves with only one option if they wish to remain on campus rent-free and nab the real culprits: the sorority known as Delta Omicron Gamma (D.O.G.), an institution widely known for its members' deficiency of physical beauty. After undergoing radical transformations thanks to wigs, makeup, and some serious depilatory efforts, the boys are soon passing themselves off as Daisy, Adena, and Roberta. It's not long before their past mistreatment of women has come back to haunt them, while Dave falls in love with Leah (Melissa Sagemiller), the head of the sorority, forcing him to consider when and where to confess the truth. In the meantime, the boys draw closer to learning the identity of the real thieves. Sorority Boys (2002) co-stars Heather Matarazzo. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Television star Tom Green makes his directorial debut with this gross-out comedy. Green stars as Gord Brody, a 28-year-old slacker who aspires to be an animator of Hollywood cartoons. After his dreams of working for studio mogul Dave Davidson (Anthony Michael Hall) temporarily wash out, along with his thankless job at a cheese factory, Gord returns home to live with his parents, Jim (Rip Torn) and Julie (Julie Hagerty). Jim wishes that Gord would simply grow up, move out of the basement, and get a real job like his younger brother Freddy (Eddie Kaye Thomas), who works in a responsible position at a bank. When the battle of wills between Gord and Jim heats up, Gord devises various stunt-like schemes to drive his father bonkers, including the bogus charge that their father molested Freddy as a youngster. Marisa Coughlan co-stars as Gord's wheelchair-bound, nymphomaniac, amateur rocket-scientist girlfriend Betty, while comedian and Green's fellow Canada native Harland Williams plays Gord's oddball neighbor Darren. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
In this black comedy, a criminal discovers a market for murder in the suburbs. After doing time in prison, mobster Jimmy the Tulip (Bruce Willis) moves to a suburban neighborhood. But Jimmy's new neighbors (Rosanna Arquette and Matthew Perry) soon figure out who he is. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, (more)
Returning from a food run, kindly kindergarten teacher Kenny (Harland Williams) makes the mistake of feeding a massive amount of junk food to a tired-looking, diabetic NYPD horse, which drops dead. Tossed in jail, Kenny relies on his totally stoned roommates (Dave Chappelle, Guillermo Diaz, Jim Breuer) to devise a way to raise the 100,000-dollar bail. Their solution? Sell marijuana stolen from a government research lab. Cameos in this comedy include Stephen Wright, Janeane Garofalo, Stephen Baldwin, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Willie Nelson, and Jon Stewart. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dave Chappelle, Guillermo Diaz, (more)
Former Kids In The Hall member Bruce McCulloch wrote and directed this comedy about the romantic tribulations of a group of Toronto twenty-somethings whose relationships with their dogs are more stable and long-lasting than their romances with people. Nice guy Andy (Luke Wilson) gets dumped by his girlfriend Cheryl (Kathleen Robertson) when she meets another man (Gordon Currie); worst of all, Cheryl also ends up with custody of Andy's dog. On the rebound, Andy meets Lorna (Natasha Henstridge), the host of a children's TV show, but she's too obsessed with her dog Peanut to pay Andy much mind. Keiran (Kristin Lehman), on the other hand, is a bit too enthusiastic for Andy, leading to yet another short-lived relationship. Cheryl ends up taking her dog (formerly Andy's dog) to a pet psychiatrist (Mark McKinney) who thinks that her promiscuity may be traumatizing the pooch. Meanwhile, Bruce McCulloch and Janeane Garofalo are cast against type as Jeff and Jeri, Andy's cheerful and annoyingly romantic friends. Although it was completed in 1998, Dog Park's U.S. release was delayed until September 1999 due to the film's sale to New Line Cinema; as a result, Bruce McCulloch's directorial debut hit theaters only a month before the scheduled release of his second film, Superstar. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Natasha Henstridge, Luke Wilson, (more)
The Farrelly Brothers set this romantic comedy in their home state of Rhode Island. In 1985, when teen-nerd Ted Stroehmann (Ben Stiller) challenges a high-schooler who's bullying retarded Warren Jenson (W. Earl Brown), his concern prompts Warren's sister, the dazzling and desirable Mary Jenson (Cameron Diaz) to choose Ted as her senior prom date, a fact Ted's pals find hard to believe. However, on prom night, Ted gets his penis caught in his zipper, so the much-desired date never happens. Living in Providence and waxing nostalgic 13 years later, Ted hires Pat Healy (Matt Dillon) to locate Mary, and the creepy private investigator finds her in Miami, where she lives with her tan-shriveled roommate Magda (Lin Shaye). After Pat develops a stalker-style fixation on the lovely, unattached Mary, he lies to Ted, telling him that she's now an overweight mother confined to a wheelchair. Employing professional eavesdropping equipment, Pat gathers a dossier on Mary's life and future plans, information that forms the basis for more lies when Pat begins dating her. Sure enough, Mary falls for Pat, although her friend Tucker (Lee Evans) is very suspicious of Pat's claim to be a Harvard-educated architect. Meanwhile, Ted learns the truth but continues to encounter offbeat obstacles as he accelerates to Miami in hopes of finding happiness with his true love. Former Modern Lovers singer Jonathan Richman vocalizes a narrative ballad of onscreen commentary in the Cat Ballou (1965) tradition. Most of the cast sings and frolics to Build Me Up, Buttercup by The Foundations during the closing credits. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Stiller, Cameron Diaz, (more)
Georgia (Nia Vardalos) came to Greece to follow a man. A few years later, she's been cast aside -- alone and adrift in a foreign land. Eventually, her passion for history leads her to a job as a tour guide. But Georgia is bored, and has lost her "kefi" (Greek for mojo) to boot. When taciturn sasquatch Poupi (Alexis Georgoulis) replaces the regular driver at the last minute, the frazzled tour guide thinks that her luck has just hit rock bottom. Thankfully, Georgia's latest batch of tourists is a more lively bunch than she's anticipated, and in between bouts with rival tour guide Nico (Alistair McGowan), she manages to form a genuine connection with wisecracking widower Irv (Richard Dreyfuss), a solo vacationer who maintains a jovial facade despite the fact that he misses his late wife dearly. With a little help from Irv, Georgia comes to realize that true love may be closer than she thinks -- if she could just recapture her kefi and open her eyes. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nia Vardalos, Richard Dreyfuss, (more)
