Movie 43 (2013)
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A collection of absurd and outrageous sketches are linked by a desperate pitch from a mad screenwriter.
The story
Movie 43 is a collection of various interconnected short films and sketches. The narrative is framed by a central segment titled 'The Pitch,' where a mad screenwriter named Charlie Wessler attempts to sell a script containing several outrageous stories to a film executive, Griffin Schraeder. As the pitch progresses, the tension between the two men escalates, leading to a series of increasingly bizarre and extreme scenarios. These segments include a variety of scenarios ranging from a high-stakes negotiation to a series of unrelated, often absurd, comedic vignettes featuring a large ensemble cast of Hollywood stars.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film is structured as a series of interconnected short films and sketches. The primary framing device, 'The Pitch,' features Charlie Wessler (Dennis Quaid) attempting to sell a script to Griffin Schraeder (Greg Kinnear). When Schraeder dismisses the ideas, Wessler becomes aggressive, eventually leading to a confrontation with a manager, Bob Mone (Common), who ends up shooting Schraeder. This is revealed to be a filmed segment. The film then transitions into various sketches: 'The Catch' features a man with testicles on his neck; 'Homeschooled' depicts a bizarre homeschooling experience; 'The Proposition' involves a woman who is a coprophiliac; 'Veronica' involves a man and his ex-girlfriend arguing over an intercom; 'iBabe' features a company selling a realistic replica of a woman; 'Super Hero Speed Dating' features a superhero-themed comedy; 'Machine Kids' is a PSA about children in machines; 'Middle School Date' involves a girl's first period; 'Happy Birthday' features leprechauns; 'Truth or Dare' involves a couple getting extreme body modifications; 'Victory's Glory' is set in 1959 and features a basketball team; and 'Beezel' involves a man and his aggressive pet cat. An alternative version, 'The Thread,' replaces the pitch with a group of teenagers searching for a 'dangerous' film.
- First release year
- 2013
- Runtime (minutes)
- 94
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Steven Brill; Peter Farrelly; Will Graham; Steve Carr; Griffin Dunne; James Duffy; Jonathan van Tulleken; Elizabeth Banks; Patrik Forsberg; Brett Ratner; Rusty Cundieff; James Gunn; Bob Odenkirk; Steve Baker; Damon Escott
- Writers
- Steve Baker · writer; Ricky Blitt · writer; Will Carlough · writer; Tobias Carlson · writer; Jacob Fleisher · writer; Patrik Forsberg · writer; Will Graham · writer; James Gunn · writer; Claes Kjellstrom · writer; Jack Kukoda · writer; Bob Odenkirk · writer; Bill O'Malley · writer; Matthew Alec Portenoy · writer; Greg Pritikin · writer; Rocky Russo · writer; Olle Sarri · writer; Elizabeth Wright Shapiro · writer; Jeremy Sosenko · writer; Jonathan van Tulleken · writer; Jonas Wittenmark · writer
- Cast and characters
- Elizabeth Banks · not specified; Kristen Bell · not specified; Halle Berry · Emily; Leslie Bibb · not specified; Kate Bosworth · Arlene; Gerard Butler · Leprechaun #1 / Leprechaun #2; Josh Duhamel · Anson; Anna Faris · Julie / Vanessa; Richard Gere · Boss; Terrence Howard · Coach Jackson; Hugh Jackman · Davis; Johnny Knoxville · Pete
- Genres
- sketch comedy; comedy; black comedy; sex comedy
- Themes
- absurdity; satire
- Tone and mood
- absurd; raunchy; extreme
- Premise and plot tags
- anthology; sketch comedy; ensemble cast
- Reception
- The film was universally panned by critics and considered one of the worst films of all time, though it achieved modest commercial success.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 18 · scale: 100 · review count: 23
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Raspberry Award · Worst Picture · Won
- Production trivia
- The title 'Movie 43' has no specific meaning.; The film was produced over a period of several years.; The film was originally slated for release in April 2012.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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