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Drillbit Taylor (2008) DVD Review
Drillbit Taylor (2008) DVD Credits:
Drillbit Taylor (2008) Directed by:
Steven Brill
Drillbit Taylor (2008) Written by:
Chris Brown, Seth Rogen
Drillbit Taylor (2008) Cast:
Owen Wilson, Alex Frost, Casey Boersma, Dylan Boersma, Troy Gentile, Nate Hartley
Drillbit Taylor (2008) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
Drillbit Taylor (2008) DVD Release Date:
28th July 2008
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Drillbit Taylor (2008) Synopsis:

Based on an original idea by John Hughes, the story revolves around two high school freshmen who are targeted by the school bully on the first day of the school year. The boys hire what they think is a low-budget soldier of fortune (Owen Wilson) to protect them, but he turns out to be anything but.

Drillbit Taylor (2008) DVD Review:

Judd Apatow must be one of the busiest and most influential people in the comedy sub-world of Hollywood, because nearly every time I laugh or am surprised by a comedy I am certain to find Apatow’s name somewhere in the credits. Even more significant than Apatow’s occasional projects that he writes and directs are the ones that he produces. Scripts tend to hold more significance than directors do in these films, as they are often written by one of Apatow’s past collaborators. Whether producing Jason Segal’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall or one of Seth Rogen’s many scripts, there is a constant theme that remains in these films. Although they take on a lot of the writers, a little bit of the individual directors (especially in the case of David Gordon Green’s imprint in Pineapple Express), there is also something of Apatow that stays constant, as if he is a creating a world that makes John Hughes or Kevin Smith look like amateurs.

One of the strong changes that Apatow has carried through nearly every film that his name attached to is careful attention when casting. Casting hardly ever goes to the most attractive person, because the roles are usually filled with outcasts and geeks. From Freaks and Geeks the casting has included teens that actually look their own age. This tradition continued with Superbad and McLovin and a now with Drillbit Taylor. Nate Hartley, Troy Gentile and David Dorfman could easily be the freshman version of Superbad’s vulgar trio. There is the geek, the super-geek, and because this is yet another script co-written by Seth Rogen, there is also a smart-ass fat kid.

These three kids are the easy target to get picked on by the bullies when they start high school, so they decide to take action. After several instances they decide to pool their money together and try to buy a bodyguard, or at the very least someone that will beat up the bullies for them. Owen Wilson is Drillbit Taylor, a hapless soldier who is residing on the beach as a bum. The idea of three puny children hiring a homeless man to protect them from bullies is a brilliant concept that seems perfectly suited from this group, but the entire premise is watered down some in order to achieve the PG-13 rating. In this case it is much easier to get away with a homeless man that looks like Owen Wilson. He is believable, but somehow not at all threatening. It is a safe choice, but a rather successful one, and proof that this group can make a relatively clean film.

As fun as the film is, there is even more enjoyment from the DVD, teeming with the usual special feature that seem to come with Apatow films. There is the expected gag reel, but more important is the line-o-rama, showing the audience the many improvised improvements and changes tried during filming. Some work better than others. There is also an extended version of the film on the Extended Survival Edition, and thirteen deleted and extended scenes. Exclusive to this edition is also a several featurettes and extra bits. There is also a commentary track with director Steven Brill, co-writer Kristofor Brown and the three kids. Another short featurette has co-writers Rogen and Brown talking about the inspiration for the film, having worked on the Apatow-involved series undeclared together.

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Drillbit Taylor (2008) DVD review written by: Ryan Izay

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