End of an Era - Final Justin Reviews: Festival Films
Project Update
Back in February I realized that for all my claiming to be obsessed with one Mr. Justin Long, I was seriously remiss in my fannish duties on several counts.
1. There were far too many items in his Filmography I hadn’t seen.
2. There were far, far too many items I *had* seen, and in fact enjoyed, that I didn’t own.
Shameful. The boy works hard. And our heroes deserve our support, after all. So I pledged to watch everything he’d done that I could get my hands on, share it with all of you (aren’t you LUCKY?), attempt to keep my personal opinion in check (mostly), and then purchase everything I could find that I enjoyed enough to own and re-watch repeatedly. What does this mean? Well not much really, except that:
-I have viewed and reviewed 38 full length films, seen 4 web videos I might never have found otherwise, and watched 10 episodes of Unsupervised and 4 eps of New Girl this season, even though I don’t have cable
-I started out owning 3 of Justin’s films -two of which were gifts, for shame- (After.life, Going the Distance, and of course Live Free or Die Hard) and now own 5 more (Accepted, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Alpha and Omega, Dodgeball, and Herbie: Fully Loaded. …I might still consider Planet 51 and He’s Just Not That Into You)
Acknowledgements
Several people helped me in the realization of my quest. Without them, I never would have gotten to where I am today *sniff*. So, heartfelt (despite my usual dose of sarcasm there, I really do mean it) thanks to:
severina2001(Raising Genius, Happy Campers)
ayrotciv(Hair High)
max_q(Justin’s appearance on SNL)
storyfan(Fraternity School Shopping)
Of course I’m still looking for any help y’all can give me for Justin’s TV appearances I’ve missed in the past, or that don’t show up here (I think it’s going to be particularly hard to find Lumpy, which never ended up being released at Sundance Film Festival). There are definitely things Justin has done that have passed under the allegedly comprehensive IMDb radar. For instance, I know he’s appeared in many more web shorts including the Crappy Holidays series and Funny or Die’s Zac Efron’s Birthday Party, and Hunger Relief and a couple of vids by Judd Apatow. And I’m pretty sure he appears for one second (as a hacker, go figure) in the Denzel flick Déjà Vu. Even has a line and everything. It’s “This isn’t working, I need more cowbell!” Watch for him. *nods*
And now here we are at the end! I can hardly believe I have caught up to this man, he is so hyperactive works so fast. But I did it!
So without further ado, the final (at least until For a Good Time Call… is released in September, heh) set of reviews:
Film Festival Stuff!!
Ten Year (Toronto International Film Festival 2011)
Marty
Who should watch: This is a variation on the ‘you can never go home again…or can you?’ theme of most high school reunion movies - the ‘twist’ is it follows the Love Actually (or even He’s Just Not That Into You, for that matter ) ‘vignette’ motif, of picking up multiple smaller plot threads involving different characters, examining their relationships, and then weaving them all together into a bigger picture tapestry. As a group of friends reunites for the event, they slowly reveal to each other the turns their lives have taken in the past ten years. One of the ‘main’ plotlines follows the story of Jake and Jess, played by Channing Tatum (also a producer…yes, really) and wife Jenna Dewan Tatum. Jake is all but ready to propose to his girlfriend, he even has a ring already, just waiting for that right moment - but will reconnecting with his high school sweetheart (Rosario Dawson) stir up ghosts for Jake that might make him think twice before popping that all important question? If you’re a fan of films like Love Actually for the moving emotional scenes or the witty romance, you might find such chick-flickitude a little thin on the ground with this one, but if you like those ‘vignette’ movies because of how neat and clever they are (or if you just really like Channing Tatum!) then you’ll do fine with Ten Year. :)
(although goodness knows where you’ll get a hold of it - I haven’t heard news of it anywhere since the festival …ETA: if you ARE looking for it…make sure to also search under the title 10 Years …it appears IMDb has just changed the title of its entry WHILE I WAS WRITING THIS. …oddly, I think it might be an improvement.)
Justin’s Role: Justin plays Marty, longtime best friend and good-natured rival of AJ, played by The Social Network’s Max Minghella. The one-upping duo serve as most of the (mild) comedy - largely down to AJ’s professed attempts at being the perfect ‘wing man’, that conversely just usually end up sabotaging Marty’s efforts to woo the one ‘unattainable’ girl he’d never had the guts to go after in high school. It’s less of a surprise to the audience than to Marty when the truth comes out that they are once again in competition - this time for the attentions of the same woman. As a smaller “B Story” part, this was actually a pretty straightforward and - dare I say it - bland, role for Justin, so there probably wasn’t a whole lot for him to work with, and consequently not a whole lot to say. It’s one of the most recent things Justin’s done, and by this time in his career he’s a seasoned pro and did a solid job here - and made it look easy. Which is nice to see in itself. And the resolution of Marty and AJ’s dilemma *is* one of the sweeter moments in the film. :)
Bonus Fun Fact: The thing I find most interesting about this movie (besides having *met* him at the only known showing of it to my knowledge - wheeee!) is that Justin actually missed the showing, because there were people outside still waiting for autographs and he *promised*. So before the show could start, he ducked back outside and ended up spending over an hour with fans signing things and making silly calls to their unsuspecting friends with their cell phones!! Seriously, who does that? Justin, that’s who. And that, ladies and gents, is just one example of why I straight up hardcore luff him so. <3
Bonus Gossip Fact: This is the movie credited with introducing Justin to new current squeeze Kate Mara - although she was dating Max at the time of filming (gasp! The drama). I met Kate briefly as well at the premiere…and for the record - we didn’t see Kate and Max pose for a single pic together (ngl I only found out they were together by Googling Kate’s dating status…which I did because I sensed a little sparkage between her and Justin. I did. No lie). So uh…lock up your wives, young Hollywood! Although if the lovey-dovey pudding-sharing, Bahamas-visiting internet reports are true, they might be safe from the prowling Longster for the moment - looks like Kate has it all locked down pretty solid herself for now!
The Conspirator (Toronto International Film Festival 2010)
Nicholas Baker
Who should watch: Directed by Robert Redford, The Conspirator is the true story of Mary Surratt, the first woman to be sentenced to death by the US Government on charges as a co-conspirator in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. This period drama is an in-depth, moving and effective commentary on corruption and conspiracy in the 19th century American legal system. James McAvoy, Tom Wilkinson, Robin Wright, Kevin Kline, Alexis Bledel and Evan Rachel Wood headline this big name festival entry. We also recognize Stephen Root working on yet another of Justin’s films, and Norman Reedus has a small role which basically amounts to a little sampling of Daryl Dixon for all you The Walking Dead fans. :)
Justin’s Role: Sigh. I feel almost bad that this is the last post and I’m ending with one of the very few sour notes of my reviews, but as biased as I am when it comes to Justin - I just have to be honest here. Redford actually received some criticism for his choice of casting with Justin. He plays the relatively major role of best friend and fellow soldier to Frederick Aiken (played by leading man James McAvoy), the lawyer reluctantly charged with Mary’s defense. And as much as I’d like to rant and rail and disagree, Justin’s performance in this one sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb. Everyone in this movie has adopted that stiff demeanour and formal diction which is pretty much accepted as de-rigueur in period fare. Everyone except Justin. He plays it genuinely and honestly enough, that’s true, but I’m afraid his carriage and voice are just too natural - too casual and modern to fit in with what is happening on the screen the rest of the time. It would be pure speculation on my part to offer an opinion on whether this was a deliberate acting choice (nobody talks like that in real life, after all), a direction (or lack thereof) issue, or if he simply finally found his limitation (if there’s anything Justin isn’t, I’d say it’s stiff and snooty). But if there’s one thing I can’t argue against, it’s the critical claim that the jarring note *does* take one out of the film. So Justin, baby, I still love you. But this is one of those rare cases where it might have been better just to blend in. Sorry.
…Justin also sings in this movie, which is another choice - and you KNOW I say this one with love, too - that maybe should have been considered a little more carefully. ;)
Raising Genius (Paris Film Festival 2005)
Hal Nestor
Who should watch: Heh. I dunno. This is little oddball of a movie, and when I say odd I mean it! (ye be warned) But it’s definitely got its cute moments, and although it’s not something we loved enough to feel the need to rewatch a whole bunch of times I’ll own up and admit that Mr S and I still laughingly quote it at each other over the dinner dishes (I like to think of this as the Napoleon Dynamite Effect), and he even goes so far as to use Hal’s voice any time he decides to put a voice to the thoughts he’s convinced our Snicklet must be having. And that voice is pretty weird! It sounds to me like kind of a riff off of Stephen Root’s (also in the movie, as Hal’s father) infamous Milton (‘I believe you have my stapler’) of Office Space fame, and it’s probably the source of most of the comedy here. Bravo, Justin. Ya weirdo.
Justin’s Role: When I met Justin (yes again, what?) back in May, he described this role as “a boy who locks himself in a bathroom to write out math equations on the wall, but I spend all my time staring out the window at the girl next door…who was Danica McKellar…which is crazy because I grew up with the Wonder Years.” But it’s more than that. Hal is both a genius and a bit of a nutbar - he’s a regular feel-bad rainbow of personality disorders - although he seems to have a happy-go-lucky enough attitude for a kid who treats the DSM-IV like a to-do list and is obsessed past the point of eat or sleep with finishing his theorem (he sleeps on a pile of books in the corner and survives on ‘Tasty Tarts’ slipped under the door on demand from his harried parents, sucking half glasses - it’s very important that it be exactly half, even though he can’t see it - of milk through a rubber hose. Yes really). Despite the loud counting “Five, Six, Seven, Eight!” of the cheerleader next door practicing her routines, which is purportedly throwing off his ability to concentrate and causing the ‘perturberance’ in his equations. Definitely some OCD, Agoraphobia, obsessive delusion, and general teenaged rebellious shenanigans going on in that bathroom. Meanwhile, Hal has been named valedictorian - an honour his long-suffering but cripplingly perfectionist and prideful mother (Wendy Malick) is determined to get him out of the bathroom to receive. In desperation, the family brings in Dr Curly Weekes (Ed Begley Jr) to see if they can get Hal out of the bathroom in time. Tippi Hedron and Shirley Jones also star. :)
So Justin’s role here is the lead. However, I saw a comment on this movie, that it appears to be about Hal, but really in the end turns out to be about the mother. And I do have to agree. The commenteer followed this up with ‘Maybe it’s a chick flick?’ That I can’t comment on - except to say that nobody seems to be able to find a pre-defined category to slot this little oddity into!
Hair High (Various, world wide 2004-2009)
Dwayne (voice)
Who should watch: As I once said of Justin’s Die Hard character, Matt Farrell, I’m not sure there’s any way to describe this without using the word “weird”. The cover describes it as ‘gothic comedy’ and um…it’s animated…and it’s about a couple of star-crossed teen lovers and the story of how their 1950's date to the prom turns deadly. And…that’s really all I have to say about it myself. Other than: it has Sarah Silverman, Ed Begley Jr and …wait for it…David Carradine. :) Kinda artsy. Kinda…gross-out based like a semi-serious, less farcical Ren and Stimpy sort of deal (which, if we are to believe the gospel of Clueless, is ‘way existential’).
Justin’s Role: Hmm. I think this role is best described as something along the lines of “Thug #2”. The nerdy protagonist’s jock rival has a couple of lackeys at his beck and call, and Dwayne is the less chatty of the two - mainly expressing himself through a trademark fingernail-meets-chalkboard style cackle and a couple of grunted syllables. So this character appears on screen quite often through the film, but the actual number of lines Justin has are probably countable on one hand. What’s interesting about those few lines though is that Justin did this funny cracked, grating, raspy thing with the character - and I didn’t recognize the voice. ME. Even when I was looking for it. I knew his character was called Dwayne, but I’m not sure the character is even ever named out loud, so I spent most of the movie waiting for the mysterious Dwayne to appear, not realizing I’d been hearing Justin do Dwayne since the start. So I think that speaks volumes of Justin’s abilities with his voice. Colour me impressed, Dwayne.
Bonus “Fun” Fact: And just as a testament to my obsessive ability to recognize Justin’s voice (even when ‘chipmunked’ to 3x speed), Justin does have one more uncredited line that I caught: when one of the teachers chides a student named Lewis for wasting the confetti before prom, Justin’s (regular) voice can be heard piping up “but I didn’t touch a thing, Miss Crumbles!”
And with that, we come to the end of an era, folks. That was the last holdout movie I was having trouble tracking down, and ayrotciv was good enough to find it for me. I’m almost kinda sad to see the back of this project - but I sure do feel accomplished - and a little bit disbelieving that I actually managed to track down and see *everything* Justin has done. …That I know of, anyway. :)
Justin's full filmography, complete with reviews, below:
Justin’s Filmography
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011)
Alvin (voice)
Status: Reviewed here
Ten Year (2011)
Marty
Status: Reviewed above
Alpha and Omega (2010)
Humphrey (voice)
Status: I own this, reviewed here
The Conspirator (2010)
Nicholas Baker
Status: Reviewed above
Going the Distance (2010)
Garrett
Status: I own this, reviewed here
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009)
Alvin (voice)
Status: Reviewed here
Taking Chances (2009)
Chase Revere
Status: Reviewed here
Old Dogs (2009)
Troop Leader Adam (cameo, uncredited)
Status: Reviewed here
Planet 51 (2009)
Lem (voice)
Status: Reviewed here
After.Life (2009)
Paul Coleman
Status: I own this, Reviewed here
Youth in Revolt (2009)
Paul Saunders
Status: Reviewed here
Funny People (2009)
Re-Do Guy (cameo)
Status: Reviewed here
Serious Moonlight (2009)
Todd
Status: Reviewed here
Drag Me to Hell (2009)
Clay Dalton
Status: Reviewed here
Still Waiting... (2009)
Dean (uncredited)
Status: Reviewed here
He's Just Not That Into You (2009)
Alex
Status: Reviewed here
Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)
Brandon (cameo)
Status: Reviewed here
Just Add Water (2008)
Spoonie
Status: Reviewed here
Strange Wilderness (2008)
Junior
Status: Reviewed here
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)
George Harrison (cameo, uncredited)
Status: Reviewed here
Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007)
Alvin (voice)
Status: I own this, Reviewed here
Battle for Terra (2007)
Senn (voice)
Status: Reviewed here
Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
Matthew 'Matt' Farrell
Status: seriously? I so own this, Reviewed here if you really need to hear it
Idiocracy (2006)
Doctor Lexus (cameo)
Status: Reviewed here
Accepted (2006)
Bartleby Gaines
Status: plan to purchase, Reviewed here
The Break-Up (2006)
Christopher
Status: Reviewed here
Dreamland (2006)
Mookie
Status: Reviewed here
The Sasquatch (Dumpling) Gang (2006)
Zerk
Status: Reviewed here
Herbie Fully Loaded (2005)
Kevin
Status:plan to purchase, Reviewed here
Waiting... (2005)
Dean
Status: Reviewed here
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
Justin
Status: plan to purchase, Reviewed here
Hair High (2004)
Dwayne (voice)
Status: Reviewed above
Raising Genius (2004)
Hal Nestor
Status: Reviewed above
Jeepers Creepers II (2003)
Darry Jenner (cameo, silent)
Status: Reviewed here
Crossroads (2002)
Henry
Status: Reviewed here
Jeepers Creepers (2001)
Darry Jenner
Status: Reviewed here
Happy Campers (2001)
Donald
Status: Reviewed here
Galaxy Quest (1999)
Brandon
Status: Reviewed here
TV
New Girl (2011)
Paul Gunslinger
Status: I watched all four of Justin’s eps, no word yet on if he'll be back next season.
Martha Stewart's
Haunted House (2011)
Teenage Werewolf
Status: Not sure about this one. The description is ‘TV movie’, but from the article I found it looked like just a Halloween ep of Martha’s show. Still, holla if you can hook me up
Saturday Night Live (2009)
Status: no luck finding this one, holla if you can hook me up
King of the Hill (2006-2007)
Adam / Cashier / Kid #1 / …
- Grand Theft Arlen (2007) … Student teacher (voice)
- The Texas Panhandler (2006) … Adam/Kid #1 (voice)
- 24 Hour Propane People (2006) … Cashier (voice) / Troy (voice)
Status: no luck finding these, although they sound very minor. Still, holla if you can hook me up
That '70s Show (2006)
Andrew Davis
- Love of My Life (2006) … Andrew Davis
Status: no luck finding this one, holla if you can hook me up
Campus Ladies (2006)
Connor
- Fraternity Row (2006) … Connor
Status: no luck finding this one (or ever hearing of it before), holla if you can hook me up
Ed (2000-2004)
Status: in the viewing queue
Shorts/Videos
Free Hugs (short) (2011)
Check out boy
Status: looking hard, holla if you can hook me up
That Is All (2011) (short with John Hodgman)
Himself
See for yourself!
Beyond All Boundaries (short) (2009)
Corp. James R. Garrett (voice) / Sgt. John H. Morris (voice)
Status: no luck finding this one, holla if you can hook me up
Fraternity School Shopping (video short) (2008)
Herbert
See for yourself! (THANKS storyfan)
Robin's Big Date (short) (2005)
Robin
See for yourself!
Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie (video) (2004)
Chris Harken
Status: located, and I've have seen Justin's clip, but not the full deal as of yet
Back in February I realized that for all my claiming to be obsessed with one Mr. Justin Long, I was seriously remiss in my fannish duties on several counts.
1. There were far too many items in his Filmography I hadn’t seen.
2. There were far, far too many items I *had* seen, and in fact enjoyed, that I didn’t own.
Shameful. The boy works hard. And our heroes deserve our support, after all. So I pledged to watch everything he’d done that I could get my hands on, share it with all of you (aren’t you LUCKY?), attempt to keep my personal opinion in check (mostly), and then purchase everything I could find that I enjoyed enough to own and re-watch repeatedly. What does this mean? Well not much really, except that:
-I have viewed and reviewed 38 full length films, seen 4 web videos I might never have found otherwise, and watched 10 episodes of Unsupervised and 4 eps of New Girl this season, even though I don’t have cable
-I started out owning 3 of Justin’s films -two of which were gifts, for shame- (After.life, Going the Distance, and of course Live Free or Die Hard) and now own 5 more (Accepted, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Alpha and Omega, Dodgeball, and Herbie: Fully Loaded. …I might still consider Planet 51 and He’s Just Not That Into You)
Acknowledgements
Several people helped me in the realization of my quest. Without them, I never would have gotten to where I am today *sniff*. So, heartfelt (despite my usual dose of sarcasm there, I really do mean it) thanks to:
severina2001(Raising Genius, Happy Campers)
ayrotciv(Hair High)
max_q(Justin’s appearance on SNL)
storyfan(Fraternity School Shopping)
Of course I’m still looking for any help y’all can give me for Justin’s TV appearances I’ve missed in the past, or that don’t show up here (I think it’s going to be particularly hard to find Lumpy, which never ended up being released at Sundance Film Festival). There are definitely things Justin has done that have passed under the allegedly comprehensive IMDb radar. For instance, I know he’s appeared in many more web shorts including the Crappy Holidays series and Funny or Die’s Zac Efron’s Birthday Party, and Hunger Relief and a couple of vids by Judd Apatow. And I’m pretty sure he appears for one second (as a hacker, go figure) in the Denzel flick Déjà Vu. Even has a line and everything. It’s “This isn’t working, I need more cowbell!” Watch for him. *nods*
And now here we are at the end! I can hardly believe I have caught up to this man, he is so hyperactive works so fast. But I did it!
So without further ado, the final (at least until For a Good Time Call… is released in September, heh) set of reviews:
Film Festival Stuff!!
Ten Year (Toronto International Film Festival 2011)
Marty
Who should watch: This is a variation on the ‘you can never go home again…or can you?’ theme of most high school reunion movies - the ‘twist’ is it follows the Love Actually (or even He’s Just Not That Into You, for that matter ) ‘vignette’ motif, of picking up multiple smaller plot threads involving different characters, examining their relationships, and then weaving them all together into a bigger picture tapestry. As a group of friends reunites for the event, they slowly reveal to each other the turns their lives have taken in the past ten years. One of the ‘main’ plotlines follows the story of Jake and Jess, played by Channing Tatum (also a producer…yes, really) and wife Jenna Dewan Tatum. Jake is all but ready to propose to his girlfriend, he even has a ring already, just waiting for that right moment - but will reconnecting with his high school sweetheart (Rosario Dawson) stir up ghosts for Jake that might make him think twice before popping that all important question? If you’re a fan of films like Love Actually for the moving emotional scenes or the witty romance, you might find such chick-flickitude a little thin on the ground with this one, but if you like those ‘vignette’ movies because of how neat and clever they are (or if you just really like Channing Tatum!) then you’ll do fine with Ten Year. :)
(although goodness knows where you’ll get a hold of it - I haven’t heard news of it anywhere since the festival …ETA: if you ARE looking for it…make sure to also search under the title 10 Years …it appears IMDb has just changed the title of its entry WHILE I WAS WRITING THIS. …oddly, I think it might be an improvement.)
Justin’s Role: Justin plays Marty, longtime best friend and good-natured rival of AJ, played by The Social Network’s Max Minghella. The one-upping duo serve as most of the (mild) comedy - largely down to AJ’s professed attempts at being the perfect ‘wing man’, that conversely just usually end up sabotaging Marty’s efforts to woo the one ‘unattainable’ girl he’d never had the guts to go after in high school. It’s less of a surprise to the audience than to Marty when the truth comes out that they are once again in competition - this time for the attentions of the same woman. As a smaller “B Story” part, this was actually a pretty straightforward and - dare I say it - bland, role for Justin, so there probably wasn’t a whole lot for him to work with, and consequently not a whole lot to say. It’s one of the most recent things Justin’s done, and by this time in his career he’s a seasoned pro and did a solid job here - and made it look easy. Which is nice to see in itself. And the resolution of Marty and AJ’s dilemma *is* one of the sweeter moments in the film. :)
Bonus Fun Fact: The thing I find most interesting about this movie (besides having *met* him at the only known showing of it to my knowledge - wheeee!) is that Justin actually missed the showing, because there were people outside still waiting for autographs and he *promised*. So before the show could start, he ducked back outside and ended up spending over an hour with fans signing things and making silly calls to their unsuspecting friends with their cell phones!! Seriously, who does that? Justin, that’s who. And that, ladies and gents, is just one example of why I straight up hardcore luff him so. <3
Bonus Gossip Fact: This is the movie credited with introducing Justin to new current squeeze Kate Mara - although she was dating Max at the time of filming (gasp! The drama). I met Kate briefly as well at the premiere…and for the record - we didn’t see Kate and Max pose for a single pic together (ngl I only found out they were together by Googling Kate’s dating status…which I did because I sensed a little sparkage between her and Justin. I did. No lie). So uh…lock up your wives, young Hollywood! Although if the lovey-dovey pudding-sharing, Bahamas-visiting internet reports are true, they might be safe from the prowling Longster for the moment - looks like Kate has it all locked down pretty solid herself for now!
The Conspirator (Toronto International Film Festival 2010)
Nicholas Baker
Who should watch: Directed by Robert Redford, The Conspirator is the true story of Mary Surratt, the first woman to be sentenced to death by the US Government on charges as a co-conspirator in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. This period drama is an in-depth, moving and effective commentary on corruption and conspiracy in the 19th century American legal system. James McAvoy, Tom Wilkinson, Robin Wright, Kevin Kline, Alexis Bledel and Evan Rachel Wood headline this big name festival entry. We also recognize Stephen Root working on yet another of Justin’s films, and Norman Reedus has a small role which basically amounts to a little sampling of Daryl Dixon for all you The Walking Dead fans. :)
Justin’s Role: Sigh. I feel almost bad that this is the last post and I’m ending with one of the very few sour notes of my reviews, but as biased as I am when it comes to Justin - I just have to be honest here. Redford actually received some criticism for his choice of casting with Justin. He plays the relatively major role of best friend and fellow soldier to Frederick Aiken (played by leading man James McAvoy), the lawyer reluctantly charged with Mary’s defense. And as much as I’d like to rant and rail and disagree, Justin’s performance in this one sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb. Everyone in this movie has adopted that stiff demeanour and formal diction which is pretty much accepted as de-rigueur in period fare. Everyone except Justin. He plays it genuinely and honestly enough, that’s true, but I’m afraid his carriage and voice are just too natural - too casual and modern to fit in with what is happening on the screen the rest of the time. It would be pure speculation on my part to offer an opinion on whether this was a deliberate acting choice (nobody talks like that in real life, after all), a direction (or lack thereof) issue, or if he simply finally found his limitation (if there’s anything Justin isn’t, I’d say it’s stiff and snooty). But if there’s one thing I can’t argue against, it’s the critical claim that the jarring note *does* take one out of the film. So Justin, baby, I still love you. But this is one of those rare cases where it might have been better just to blend in. Sorry.
…Justin also sings in this movie, which is another choice - and you KNOW I say this one with love, too - that maybe should have been considered a little more carefully. ;)
Raising Genius (Paris Film Festival 2005)
Hal Nestor
Who should watch: Heh. I dunno. This is little oddball of a movie, and when I say odd I mean it! (ye be warned) But it’s definitely got its cute moments, and although it’s not something we loved enough to feel the need to rewatch a whole bunch of times I’ll own up and admit that Mr S and I still laughingly quote it at each other over the dinner dishes (I like to think of this as the Napoleon Dynamite Effect), and he even goes so far as to use Hal’s voice any time he decides to put a voice to the thoughts he’s convinced our Snicklet must be having. And that voice is pretty weird! It sounds to me like kind of a riff off of Stephen Root’s (also in the movie, as Hal’s father) infamous Milton (‘I believe you have my stapler’) of Office Space fame, and it’s probably the source of most of the comedy here. Bravo, Justin. Ya weirdo.
Justin’s Role: When I met Justin (yes again, what?) back in May, he described this role as “a boy who locks himself in a bathroom to write out math equations on the wall, but I spend all my time staring out the window at the girl next door…who was Danica McKellar…which is crazy because I grew up with the Wonder Years.” But it’s more than that. Hal is both a genius and a bit of a nutbar - he’s a regular feel-bad rainbow of personality disorders - although he seems to have a happy-go-lucky enough attitude for a kid who treats the DSM-IV like a to-do list and is obsessed past the point of eat or sleep with finishing his theorem (he sleeps on a pile of books in the corner and survives on ‘Tasty Tarts’ slipped under the door on demand from his harried parents, sucking half glasses - it’s very important that it be exactly half, even though he can’t see it - of milk through a rubber hose. Yes really). Despite the loud counting “Five, Six, Seven, Eight!” of the cheerleader next door practicing her routines, which is purportedly throwing off his ability to concentrate and causing the ‘perturberance’ in his equations. Definitely some OCD, Agoraphobia, obsessive delusion, and general teenaged rebellious shenanigans going on in that bathroom. Meanwhile, Hal has been named valedictorian - an honour his long-suffering but cripplingly perfectionist and prideful mother (Wendy Malick) is determined to get him out of the bathroom to receive. In desperation, the family brings in Dr Curly Weekes (Ed Begley Jr) to see if they can get Hal out of the bathroom in time. Tippi Hedron and Shirley Jones also star. :)
So Justin’s role here is the lead. However, I saw a comment on this movie, that it appears to be about Hal, but really in the end turns out to be about the mother. And I do have to agree. The commenteer followed this up with ‘Maybe it’s a chick flick?’ That I can’t comment on - except to say that nobody seems to be able to find a pre-defined category to slot this little oddity into!
Hair High (Various, world wide 2004-2009)
Dwayne (voice)
Who should watch: As I once said of Justin’s Die Hard character, Matt Farrell, I’m not sure there’s any way to describe this without using the word “weird”. The cover describes it as ‘gothic comedy’ and um…it’s animated…and it’s about a couple of star-crossed teen lovers and the story of how their 1950's date to the prom turns deadly. And…that’s really all I have to say about it myself. Other than: it has Sarah Silverman, Ed Begley Jr and …wait for it…David Carradine. :) Kinda artsy. Kinda…gross-out based like a semi-serious, less farcical Ren and Stimpy sort of deal (which, if we are to believe the gospel of Clueless, is ‘way existential’).
Justin’s Role: Hmm. I think this role is best described as something along the lines of “Thug #2”. The nerdy protagonist’s jock rival has a couple of lackeys at his beck and call, and Dwayne is the less chatty of the two - mainly expressing himself through a trademark fingernail-meets-chalkboard style cackle and a couple of grunted syllables. So this character appears on screen quite often through the film, but the actual number of lines Justin has are probably countable on one hand. What’s interesting about those few lines though is that Justin did this funny cracked, grating, raspy thing with the character - and I didn’t recognize the voice. ME. Even when I was looking for it. I knew his character was called Dwayne, but I’m not sure the character is even ever named out loud, so I spent most of the movie waiting for the mysterious Dwayne to appear, not realizing I’d been hearing Justin do Dwayne since the start. So I think that speaks volumes of Justin’s abilities with his voice. Colour me impressed, Dwayne.
Bonus “Fun” Fact: And just as a testament to my obsessive ability to recognize Justin’s voice (even when ‘chipmunked’ to 3x speed), Justin does have one more uncredited line that I caught: when one of the teachers chides a student named Lewis for wasting the confetti before prom, Justin’s (regular) voice can be heard piping up “but I didn’t touch a thing, Miss Crumbles!”
And with that, we come to the end of an era, folks. That was the last holdout movie I was having trouble tracking down, and ayrotciv was good enough to find it for me. I’m almost kinda sad to see the back of this project - but I sure do feel accomplished - and a little bit disbelieving that I actually managed to track down and see *everything* Justin has done. …That I know of, anyway. :)
Justin's full filmography, complete with reviews, below:
Justin’s Filmography
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011)
Alvin (voice)
Status: Reviewed here
Ten Year (2011)
Marty
Status: Reviewed above
Alpha and Omega (2010)
Humphrey (voice)
Status: I own this, reviewed here
The Conspirator (2010)
Nicholas Baker
Status: Reviewed above
Going the Distance (2010)
Garrett
Status: I own this, reviewed here
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009)
Alvin (voice)
Status: Reviewed here
Taking Chances (2009)
Chase Revere
Status: Reviewed here
Old Dogs (2009)
Troop Leader Adam (cameo, uncredited)
Status: Reviewed here
Planet 51 (2009)
Lem (voice)
Status: Reviewed here
After.Life (2009)
Paul Coleman
Status: I own this, Reviewed here
Youth in Revolt (2009)
Paul Saunders
Status: Reviewed here
Funny People (2009)
Re-Do Guy (cameo)
Status: Reviewed here
Serious Moonlight (2009)
Todd
Status: Reviewed here
Drag Me to Hell (2009)
Clay Dalton
Status: Reviewed here
Still Waiting... (2009)
Dean (uncredited)
Status: Reviewed here
He's Just Not That Into You (2009)
Alex
Status: Reviewed here
Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)
Brandon (cameo)
Status: Reviewed here
Just Add Water (2008)
Spoonie
Status: Reviewed here
Strange Wilderness (2008)
Junior
Status: Reviewed here
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)
George Harrison (cameo, uncredited)
Status: Reviewed here
Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007)
Alvin (voice)
Status: I own this, Reviewed here
Battle for Terra (2007)
Senn (voice)
Status: Reviewed here
Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
Matthew 'Matt' Farrell
Status: seriously? I so own this, Reviewed here if you really need to hear it
Idiocracy (2006)
Doctor Lexus (cameo)
Status: Reviewed here
Accepted (2006)
Bartleby Gaines
Status: plan to purchase, Reviewed here
The Break-Up (2006)
Christopher
Status: Reviewed here
Dreamland (2006)
Mookie
Status: Reviewed here
The Sasquatch (Dumpling) Gang (2006)
Zerk
Status: Reviewed here
Herbie Fully Loaded (2005)
Kevin
Status:plan to purchase, Reviewed here
Waiting... (2005)
Dean
Status: Reviewed here
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
Justin
Status: plan to purchase, Reviewed here
Hair High (2004)
Dwayne (voice)
Status: Reviewed above
Raising Genius (2004)
Hal Nestor
Status: Reviewed above
Jeepers Creepers II (2003)
Darry Jenner (cameo, silent)
Status: Reviewed here
Crossroads (2002)
Henry
Status: Reviewed here
Jeepers Creepers (2001)
Darry Jenner
Status: Reviewed here
Happy Campers (2001)
Donald
Status: Reviewed here
Galaxy Quest (1999)
Brandon
Status: Reviewed here
TV
New Girl (2011)
Paul Gunslinger
Status: I watched all four of Justin’s eps, no word yet on if he'll be back next season.
Martha Stewart's
Haunted House (2011)
Teenage Werewolf
Status: Not sure about this one. The description is ‘TV movie’, but from the article I found it looked like just a Halloween ep of Martha’s show. Still, holla if you can hook me up
Saturday Night Live (2009)
Status: no luck finding this one, holla if you can hook me up
King of the Hill (2006-2007)
Adam / Cashier / Kid #1 / …
- Grand Theft Arlen (2007) … Student teacher (voice)
- The Texas Panhandler (2006) … Adam/Kid #1 (voice)
- 24 Hour Propane People (2006) … Cashier (voice) / Troy (voice)
Status: no luck finding these, although they sound very minor. Still, holla if you can hook me up
That '70s Show (2006)
Andrew Davis
- Love of My Life (2006) … Andrew Davis
Status: no luck finding this one, holla if you can hook me up
Campus Ladies (2006)
Connor
- Fraternity Row (2006) … Connor
Status: no luck finding this one (or ever hearing of it before), holla if you can hook me up
Ed (2000-2004)
Status: in the viewing queue
Shorts/Videos
Free Hugs (short) (2011)
Check out boy
Status: looking hard, holla if you can hook me up
That Is All (2011) (short with John Hodgman)
Himself
See for yourself!
Beyond All Boundaries (short) (2009)
Corp. James R. Garrett (voice) / Sgt. John H. Morris (voice)
Status: no luck finding this one, holla if you can hook me up
Fraternity School Shopping (video short) (2008)
Herbert
See for yourself! (THANKS storyfan)
Robin's Big Date (short) (2005)
Robin
See for yourself!
Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie (video) (2004)
Chris Harken
Status: located, and I've have seen Justin's clip, but not the full deal as of yet