Alyson Hannigan

Eight Days a Week

Date Movie: Unrated Edition

Grandma’s Boy: Unrated Edition

The Ringer

Before hitting the jackpot with Felicity, former Mousketeer Keri Russell served as the object of her dweeb neighbor’s masturbatory fantasies in Eight Days a Week. Apparently, Mike Davis’ indie comedy won an audience prize at the 1997 Slamdance festival, but it remains a mystery as to why. It resembles dozens of other horny-teen flicks, albeit minus much of the raunch usually associated with the genre, and it’s easy to see why the producers of Felicity were attracted to Russell. Considering the relatively tame nature of the sexuality and voyeurism, its R-rating can either be taken as ridiculously harsh or a gift.

Not having seen the original versions of Date Movie and Grandma’s Boy, there would be no way for me to know how the rated versions differ from the ones newly made available in DVD. And, absent the transference of a large amount of money into my bank account, I see no good that could derive from me revisiting the originals. Date Movie relies on parodies of other, better films to sustain its plot ... such as it is. It stars the ever-perky Alyson Hannigan, who, now that she has a hit sitcom, likely will never agree to do another movie as dopey as this.

Doris Roberts, Shirley Jones and Shirley Knight all enjoyed substantial careers before agreeing to appear in Grandma’s Boys. I hope they received lots of money for their efforts, because, otherwise, it would be a sad way to be remembered. Johnny Knoxville (Jackass, A Dirty Shame) stars as a man who pretends to be mentally challenged, so he can fix the Special Olympics. For Knoxville, feigning mental retardation is a regular part of his schtick. No amount of marijuana could make any of these movies - rated or unrated - funny.