Bob Odenkirk Movies

A floundering MIT graduate sends out the '80s with a bang after being invited to an end-of-summer bash by his former high school crush in this nostalgia-flavored comedy starring Topher Grace, Anna Faris, and Dan Fogler. Matt Franklin (Grace) has just graduated from MIT, but he's content to spend his days stacking the shelves of his local Suncoast Video instead of going to work for a Fortune 500 company. Meanwhile, his sarcastic twin sister, Wendy (Faris), knows he can do better, and his best friend, Barry (Fogler), has a wild streak the size of the Mississippi River. When Tori Frederking (Teresa Palmer) happens into the video store one day and strikes up a conversation with Matt, he compulsively lies about having a job at Goldman Sachs. Incredibly, Matt and Tori hit it off, and she invites him to join her for a massive summer blowout. The opportunity of a lifetime finally within reach, Matt arrives at the party in style, intent on sweeping Tori off her feet. Later, somewhere between the stolen car and the epic dance-off, Matt, Tori, Wendy, and Barry realize that this is the night they will still be thinking about when they're old and gray, and the neon-drenched '80s are just a distant memory. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Things go from breaking bad to breaking worse for Walter White (Bryan Cranston), the cancer-stricken chemistry teacher, and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), his former student and partner-in-crime, in Season 2 of the drama about two methamphetamine cookers. Having watched drug dealer Tuco (Raymond Cruz) "beat a dude to death...for nothing," Walt and Jesse decide they need to cut ties with the psychotic pusher. Impetuous Jesse devises a half-baked plan of attack, but cooler-headed Walt has a more surefire way to get rid of Tuco. Once free of him, Walt and Jesse face a new pair of problems. First, their business takes a financial hit, and second, Walt's brother-in-law, DEA agent Hank (Dean Norris), gets a major break in the investigation into the meth ring-and it just may put Walt and Jesse in his crosshairs. In response, Walt cooks up an elaborate ruse that has him spinning intricate webs of deceit and misdirection, while a rattled Jesse establishes a shaky alibi that places him in Hank's sights. To get their product back on the streets, Jesse organizes a crew of dealers, and one of them is jacked by two drug-addled losers who make off with his stash and cash. Arguably the season's most riveting episode, it ends in a shocking scene of crushing finality. Meanwhile, on the home front, Skyler (Anna Gunn) is extremely concerned about Walt's mysterious disappearances. When he finally makes overtures to reconnect with the family, she keeps him at arm's length, still wondering what he's been up to while he was away. As for Jesse's personal life, he once again finds himself on the streets, and his quest for living quarters not only proves successful, but lands him a girlfriend as well. ~ Ray Stackhouse, Rovi

Respected stand-up comic Dana Gould performs a set at Chicago's historic Second City theater on this release. The influential comedian delivers routines on a wide array of topics including astronauts, polar bears, and the devil. In addition, this release offers a fifteen minute short film written and directed by Gould. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

A man who serves subpoenas with the suaveness and intensity of James Bond sets out to ensure that the folks who are set to appear in court know the exact date and time of their trial in this comedy starring The Office's Rainn Wilson. Mr. Show's Bob Odenkirk directs a script penned in collaboration with screenwriter B.J. Porter. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Comedians of Comedy: Live at the Troubadour features a night of comedy consisting of over a dozen of the most creative stand-up comics in the country. Filmed before an appreciative crowd at the famous L.A. venue, the program features performances by Zach Galifianakis, Patton Oswalt, David Cross, Bob Odenkirk, Dana Gould, Andy Kindler, and many others. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Devastated after being fired by director Woody Allen, actress Annabelle Gurwitch sets out on a soul-searching journey to discover whether getting the axe was the best or worst thing ever to happen in her professional career. Anyone who has been in the workforce for an extended amount of time has likely been there -- one minute you've got a good-paying job that you love, and the next minute you're standing in the unemployment line. When Annabelle Gurwitch got fired by the legendary director of such classics as Annie Hall and The Purple Rose of Cairo, she thought her career was over. Upon turning to her many showbiz pals for advice, however, Gurwitch quickly discovered that she was not alone. In this documentary, Gurwitch enlists the aid of filmmakers Chris Bradley and Kyle La Brache in traveling the country to interview such celebrities as Tim Allen, David Cross, Sarah Silverman, and Jeff Garlin to find out exactly how they dealt with the heavy hand of rejection. Additional interviews with GM workers in Lansing, MI, who were handed their pink slips offer some tales that are tragically comedic and others that seems to reinforce the old adage about one door closing and another door opening, while a visit to job fairs and "outplacement services" show just what the jobless endure on a day-to-day basis. Conversations with the downsizers as well as the downsized offer viewers a chance to explore the topic from both sides as host Gurwitch reminds viewers that sometimes the greatest success stories are born of failure. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A washed-up television star attempts to crawl out of the bottle and back to the top of the heap in this showbiz mockumentary starring Andy Dick as the biggest underdog the small screen has ever known. The time has come to sober up and jump back in the fray, but could it be that Danny Roane (Dick)'s talent has finally been drowned by a few too many week-long benders? As he takes his shot at directing his first-ever feature film, the world watches wondering whether he'll turn out an undisputed classic or simply blackout before the martini shot is in the can. Ben Stiller, Maura Tierney, James VanDerBeek, and Bob Odenkirk all drop in to wish their old friend good luck as he stumbles his way down the comeback trail. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Comedian Sarah Silverman cheerfully ignores any and all taboos in this performance film based on her hit off-Broadway show. Combining stand-up material with comedy sketches and musical numbers, Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic is dominated by Silverman's typically edgy monologues, including bits on racism, September 11, family dysfunction, drug abuse, rape, the Holocaust and plenty of other unlikely sources of comedy guaranteed to make viewers squirm while they laugh. Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic had its American premier at the 2005 South by Southwest Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Mr. Show alumnus Bob Odenkirk's directorial debut, Melvin Goes to Dinner, is based on the play Phyrogiants! by Michael Blieden, who also adapted the script for the screen and stars in the film's titular role. Melvin has just broken up with his girlfriend, Trenice (Melora Walters), and has met up with his friend Joey (Matt Price) and two women, Alex (Stephanie Courtney) and Sarah (Annabelle Gurwitch), whose relationship to the men remains ambiguous. From there, the bulk of the action takes place around a table at a restaurant, as the four bare their innermost secrets and discuss everything from ghosts to stewardesses to masturbation. The film was shot simultaneously on five hand-held cameras in order to capture the essence and idiosyncrasies of the constantly overlapping conversations. Featuring appearances by Odenkirk, David Cross, Maura Tierney, and Jack Black in an unbilled cameo as a mental patient, and a score by Michael Penn, Melvin Goes to Dinner was the winner of the Audience Award for First Film at the 2003 South by Southwest Film Festival, the Best American Feature Award at the 2003 Avignon Film Festival, and the Best Picture Award at the Phoenix Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

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, Rovi