Scott Adsit Movies
Comedic actor Scott Adsit got his start performing at Chicago's Second City in the mid-'90s, where he met and befriended Tina Fey. He transitioned from stage to screen with a handful of appearances on HBO's Mr. Show with Bob and David and went on to take on guest roles on several TV shows, including Friends and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Adsit got his first taste of steady work with Cartoon Network's Moral Orel, which he wrote, produced and provided voices for. With his career on a roll, Adsit reunited with Tina Fey in 2006, when he was cast opposite her on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
The lauded laugher's inaugural season introduces the offbeat staffers at "The Girlie Show," a TV variety program produced at venerable Rockefeller Center in New York City. Presiding over the show is TV scribe Liz Lemon (series creator and writer Tina Fey). But trouble looms upon the arrival of brash new honcho Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), the head of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming. Jack incessantly meddles with the series, hiring edgy but wildly erratic star Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) and changing the show's name to the desperately hip "TGS With Tracy Jordan." All this exasperates Lemon and pushes the show's horrified starlet, Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski), to the sidelines. Not only does Jack creep into the writers' room and even appear as a sketch performer (only to plug products), but he referees Lemon's sour romantic life. He sets her up on a blind date (with a woman); interferes with her bumpy reunion with her boorish ex-boyfriend Dennis (Dean Winters); and intervenes as her love blooms for affable paramour Floyd (Jason Sudeikis). Love is on the horizon for Jack, too. He dates a Bush administration official; tangles with his ex-wife (Isabella Rossellini); and woos an auctioneer (Emily Mortimer). But Jack still has time for territorial warfare against his gravelly voiced archnemesis Devin Banks (Will Arnett), a Left Coast network exec who callously eyes Jack's job. Always an omnipresent figure is naive man-child Kenneth the Page (Jack McBrayer), whose misadventures include switching roles with bigwig Jack, scoring a prime spot in Tracy's posse and trying to help the pampered Tracy reach spiritual self-actualization. Alas, Kenneth's bright-eyed idealism prevails even while working for this cast of ego-fueled eccentrics. ~ Dean Maurer, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, (more)
Relive the second season of the Primetime Emmy Award-winning comedy 30 Rock, the show that the guy who writes stuff on DVD boxes calls "my current assignment" and that Gillian Flynn of Entertainment Weekly has named "simply the best TV." Created by Golden Globe and SAG Award winner Tina Fey, 30 Rock features Fey (as TV writer Liz Lemon), Golden Globe and SAG Award winner Alec Baldwin (as corporate executive Jack Donaghy), Tracy Morgan and Jane Krakowski (as Lemon's unpredictable stars, Tracy Jordan and Jenna Maroney) and Jack McBrayer (as the naive NBC page Kenneth Parcell). Co-workers and friends, they are all trying to balance work and life, with the inevitable result of failed relationships, disastrous parties, at-work drunkenness, hard-core coffee addiction, world-class sandwich eating and occasional attempts to chop down Christmas trees. Join in the behind-the-scenes fun with lots of exclusive content and all fifteen episodes of the acclaimed second season of 30 Rock from executive producer Lorne Michaels.
- Starring:
- Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, (more)
After Season 2 concluded with GE exec Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) accepting a post with the Bush administration, Season 3 kicks off with his return to the company and swift climb back to his old post. At "The Girlie Show," hapless head writer Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) continues to wrangle her two biggest stars: Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan), who makes contract negotiations -- and pretty much everything else -- more difficult for Liz, and Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski), who has shifted all her focus to preparing for a knockoff Janis Joplin biopic. Jack, meanwhile, is distracted by family issues throughout the season. In a parody of Mamma Mia!, paternity tests lead Jack to his long-lost father-liberal professor Milton Greene (Alan Alda), who just happens to be in need of a kidney transplant. And Jack's controlling mother, Colleen (Elaine Stritch), becomes even more of a burden after he "accidentally" backs over her with his car. The incident results in Jack's latest romance, as he falls for his mother's live-in nurse, the passionate Elisa (Salma Hayek), whose deep Catholic faith and devotion to her large Puerto Rican family frequently prove trying. Unlucky-in-love Liz thinks she's finally found the perfect man in handsome pediatrician Drew Baird (Jon Hamm). But she soon discovers Drew has been "living in the bubble," thinking the world revolves around him because he can always get by on his looks. Season 3 features the series' usual parade of guest stars, including Steve Martin as an eccentric businessman who woos Liz; Jennifer Aniston as Liz's college roommate, who develops a romantic obsession with Jack; and Harry Anderson, Markie Post, and Charlie Robinson, playing themselves in a Night Court reunion organized by Tracy to cheer up NBC page Kenneth Parcell (Jack McBrayer). ~ Todd Thatcher, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, (more)
When the weight of rejection begins to set in after being denied entry to every college he has applied to, a high school burnout attempts to placate his mom and dad and win the heart of his dream girl by scheming with his friends to create a fake university in a hilarious comedy of artificial education directed by Steve Pink and starring Justin Long. Bartleby "B" Gaines (Long) is a high school senior whose street smarts just never seemed to translate into the classroom, and whose bad luck in love has left him pining for the unattainable Monica (Blake Lively). When Bartleby and his rebellious crew of outcasts find the frequent college rejection letters they have all been receiving bringing endless grief from their disappointed parents, they soon band together to create the fictional South Harmon Institute of Technology. After creating a believable façade in an abandoned psychiatric hospital, employing the talents of a close friend's brilliantly subversive uncle (Lewis Black) to pose as the dean, and creating a phony website in order to sell the school to their parents, Bartleby and friends soon realize that all of their hard work has paid off in ways than they never imagined. With a variety of college rejects attempting to enroll in classes at the ersatz university and the skepticism of some privileged students from a nearby college drawing unwanted attention to the South Harmon Institute of Technology, Bartleby and friends find their ruse becoming ever more difficult to maintain. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Justin Long, Jonah Hill, (more)
Director Sean Meredith's animated entry into the 2007 Newport Beach Film Festival details one man's curious voyage into the deepest depths of the underworld. Upon awakening in an unfamiliar part of the city after an especially rough night, Dante asks the first person he spots for a little help in gathering his bearings. When the man responds that he penned an ancient poem called The Aeneid, the perplexed Dante recalls that particular piece of prose being penned two thousand years ago. But with no one left to turn to, Dante has little choice but to follow his enigmatic guide. When the man reveals that it is his duty to lead Dante on an extensive journey through a dreadful world of "horror and torment," the weary traveler becomes convinced that his only hope for survival is to follow his host into the scorching heart of Satan's vast inferno. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dermot Mulroney, James Cromwell, (more)
Mockumentary mastermind Christopher Guest turns his satirical eye away from dog shows, small-town theater, and folk music to offer a hilarious take on Hollywood award season in this comedy focusing on trio of actors whose lives are turned upside down when they discover that their performances in an independent film are generating a sizable buzz in the entertainment industry. Jay Berman (Guest) is in the process of directing his first feature film -- an intimate family drama set in the 1940s and detailing the tempestuous reunion of an estranged Jewish family that is reluctantly drawn together to celebrate Purim at the behest of their dying matriarch. The cast soon comes down with an infectious case of award fever when rumors on the Internet claim that "Purim" stars Marilyn Hack (Catherine O' Hara), Victor Allan Miller (Harry Shearer), and Callie Webb (Parker Posey) may be delivering Oscar-caliber performances. When "Hollywood Now" co-anchors Chuck Porter (Fred Willard) and Cindy Martin (Jane Lynch) perpetuate the buzz on national television, the entire film crew starts to see stars in their eyes. Subsequently convinced that they have a sleeper hit on their hands, unit publicist Corey Taft (John Michael Higgins), talent agent Morley Orfkin (Eugene Levy), and producer Whitney Taylor Brown (Jennifer Coolidge) immediately cave to requests from Sunfish Classics president Martin Gibb (Ricky Gervais) to alter the film so that it may appeal to a larger audience. Now, while "Purim" screenwriters Lane Iverson (Michael McKean) and Philip Koontz (Bob Balaban) are forced to watch helplessly as their original screenplay is plundered in order to cash in on the positive buzz, awards season draws near and the production takes a most unexpected turn. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Balaban, Jennifer Coolidge, (more)
- 2001
Denise Richards guest stars as Cassie, the visiting cousin of Ross (David Schwimmer) and Monica (Courteney Cox). Cassie is a "looker," no question about, and those doing the most looking -- and longing -- are Ross' friends Joey (Matt LeBlanc) and Chandler (Matthew Perry)...not to mention Ross himself. Meanwhile, Monica's upcoming bridal shower necessitates an eleventh-hour brainstorming session by her pals Rachel (Lisa Kudrow) and Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow). And Joey may not have the right "equipment" for a nude scene in an upcoming movie. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Denise Richards, June Gable, (more)
- 2004
When his germophobia causes him to bungle a murder investigation and accidentally destroy valuable evidence, Monk's detective's license is revoked by Mr. Brooks (Saverio Guerra), San Francisco's ill-tempered new police commissioner. As Monk (Tony Shalhoub) scrambles around for a new job, Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) and Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford) attempt to pin the murder on a man named Paul Harley (Brennan Elliott)--while the irascible Commissioner is plagued by a mysterious assailant who repeatedly tries to steal his hat! Ultimately, Monk digs up a connection between the killer and the hat thief, just as his friends at the Police Force stumble upon a foolproof (and hilarious) method to get our hero's job back. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
His characteristic nitpicking over the condition of his shirts leads Monk (Tony Shalhoub) to a young man named Pablo Ortiz (Alejandro Chaban), who has been jailed for the murder of fashion model Clea Vance. Believing Pablo to be innocent, Monk makes a foray into the world of high fashion, where he meets egotistical designer Julian Hodge (Malcolm McDowell). A second murder convinces Monk that Hodge is the guilty party--but before he can close in on the culprit, Monk must overcome his disgust at the sight of superthin supermodels forcing themselves to throw up just before marching down the runway! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2004
Pregnant Kellie (Cynthia Watros) fumes when Drew (Drew Carey) misses their first sonogram to go out bowling and drinking with the boys. That's right: Their kid hasn't even been born yet, and already the couple is quarrelling over every single solitary aspect of parenthood. All this arguing proves to have a deleterious effect on the "sea monkey" in Kellie's womb, who expresses his dismay in a voice that sounds suspiciously like series regular Diedrich Bader. This episode originally aired in tandem with "Michigan J. Gus". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Can a guy edging into middle age become a success fighting guys half his age? That's the big question behind this independent comedy. Jerry Ferro (Adam Carolla) is almost 40 years old, and he's spent most of his life going nowhere -- and taking his own sweet time getting there. While Jerry enjoyed some success as an amateur boxer when he was young, these days he's out of shape, drinks too much, and scrapes by working in construction. Through his work as a handyman, Jerry has landed a part-time job teaching boxing at a gym in Pasadena, though none of his students are likely to ever move beyond sparring as a hobby. One day, one of Jerry's old friends, Eddie Bell (Tom Quinn), stops by the gym with a promising new fighter he's training. Since he's short on sparring partners, Eddie asks Jerry to step into the ring with the young boxer, and while it's clear that Jerry is in lousy shape and out of practice, he also manages to knock out the challenger with one well-placed punch. Eddie is convinced Jerry still has what it takes, and offers to help Jerry make a comeback, confident that despite his age he can land him a spot on the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team. Also starring Heather Juergensen, The Hammer received its world premiere at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adam Carolla, Heather Juergensen, (more)
- 2009
- R
- Add The Informant! to Queue
A rising star in the agricultural industry suddenly turns whistleblower in hopes of gaining a lucrative promotion and becoming a hero of the common people, inadvertently revealing his penchant for helping himself to the corporate coffers and ultimately threatening to derail the very investigation he helped to launch in this offbeat comedy from Academy Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh. Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon) was fast rising through the ranks at agri-industry powerhouse Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) when he became savvy to the company's multinational price-fixing conspiracy, and decided to turn evidence for the FBI. Convinced that he'll be hailed as a hero of the people for his efforts, Whitacre agrees to wear a wire in order to gather the evidence needed to convict the greedy money-grabbers at ADM. Unfortunately, both the case -- and Whitacre's integrity -- are compromised when FBI agents become frustrated by their informant's ever-shifting account, and discover that he isn't exactly the saintly figure he made himself out to be. Unable to discern reality from Whitacre's fantasy as they struggle to build their case against ADM, the FBI watches in horror as the highest-ranking corporate bust in U.S. history threatens to implode before their very eyes. Scott Bakula, Joel McHale, and Melanie Lynskey co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, (more)
A team of high-class thieves avenge their mentor's death -- with the help of his own daughter -- in this big-budget remake of the 1969 British caper classic. The Italian Job stars Mark Wahlberg as Charlie, the mastermind of a daring Venice heist overseen by John (Donald Sutherland), a lifelong criminal who plans to retire from the fold with the earnings from his most recent take. Basking in the glow of a job well done at a secluded retreat in the Alps, the thieves -- including the aptly-named Handsome Rob (Jason Statham), tech-geek Lyle (Seth Green), and hearing-impaired quipster Left Ear (Mos Def) -- are ruthlessly double-crossed by one of their own, the taciturn, calculating Steve Frezelli (Edward Norton). Time passes and each member of the group finds himself pursuing other opportunities in the States, until Charlie rallies them together for a revenge-motivated scheme designed to bilk Steve of all his misbegotten earnings. In order to cinch the deal, he even enlists John's reluctant safecracking-prodigy daughter, Stella (Charlize Theron), for an elaborate, incognito Los Angeles heist. But the paranoid Steve proves himself to be one step ahead of them at just about every turn, and Charlie finds that he'll have to make some daring last-minute changes to their plan if the team is to succeed. The Italian Job marked director F. Gary Gray's second 2003 release after the Vin Diesel vehicle A Man Apart. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, (more)
Shot almost entirely on a two-and-a-half-story recreation of a full-size operating airport terminal, this romantic comedy from director Steven Spielberg revolves around an Eastern European man by the name of Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks), whose plans of immigrating to New York were hastened by a violent coup in his home country. Unfortunately, Viktor finds himself on the wrong end of a nasty technicality while en route to America: His passport was issued from a country, which, during its upheaval, ceased to exist in an official capacity. Unauthorized to leave Kennedy Airport upon his arrival and unable to return home, Viktor finds himself exiled inside the terminal's international transit lounge. Though airport official Frank Dixon (Stanley Tucci) views Viktor as an annoying bureaucratic glitch, other airport employees -- including a beautiful flight attendant by the name of Amelia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) -- come to see him as a welcome, if unofficial, addition to their numbers. As the days stretch on into months, the terminal transforms from an intimidating atmosphere of forced assimilation into a country within itself, complete with culture, ambition, status, complex diversity, and the need for love. The supporting cast includes Diego Luna, Chi McBride, Kumar Pallana, Zoe Saldana, Eddie Jones, and Jude Ciccolella. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, (more)
Just as the old saying goes, a trio of hapless city-dwelling friends (Seth Green, Matthew Lillard, and Dax Shepard) find themselves spiraling out of control up a very brown river in this raucous comedy from Little Nicky director Steven Brill. Heading out for a weekend canoe trip in search of an elusive 200,000-dollar treasure, the trio must contend with everything from raging rapids to backwoods mountain men if they're ever going to uncover the secret of the missing booty. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Seth Green, Matthew Lillard, (more)
