Volume CXXXIII, Number 18 March 1, 2002 f

Stop in the name of comedy!
MONICA GUZMAN
COLUMNIST

Ever been stuck talking to someone who is so not funny that you want to run away? You know-he keeps making all these horrible jokes and won't stop because he thinks he's hilarious? If this has ever happened to you, you know exactly what it feels like to sit through Super Troopers. Or at least you know what I felt like.

In the beginning, there was hope. The film started with a group of very high teenagers driving down the road, pulled over by a Vermont state trooper. Okay, I thought, here comes some tasteless drug humor- nothing I can't laugh at. I'm sure it will get more intelligent in a few minutes. Oh, was I wrong. The humor went beyond tasteless; it was vomit-inducing. After fifteen minutes I wanted to leave.

Super Troopers tells the "story" of a group of immature, disgusting, repulsive, and incompetent Vermont state troopers and their battles against the local cops for highway domination. On the way, there are numerous unnecessarily perverse sex scenes, instances of senseless nudity, and even a scene where the troopers test out a bullet-proof jock strap. It's pretty much Animal House with a uniform and a badge. Sadly, I realize that this is a good thing for many of you….

The people responsible call themselves Broken Lizard, which started out as a Colgate College comedy group and "matured" into a film production company. It consists of director Jay Chandrasekhar, Steve Lemme, Erik Stolhanske, Paul Soter, and Kevin Heffeman-who play, respectively, Thorny, Mac, Rabbit, Foster, and Farva, the Vermont Highway Patrol "fraternity brothers." Broken Lizard started as a college comedy group from Colgate and "matured" into a film production company.

The crazy thing about this film is that even though I hoped and prayed it would just end already at every moment, I couldn't help but notice that these guys are having a great time. Sure, they can't write or act by anyone's standards, but just the fact that they actually managed to get this film out in theaters, and that people are watching it, is enough to make me appreciate them in a weird way. Some of the jokes, though senseless and rather stupid, when taken out of context, are hilarious.

In other words, this movie is well suited to become a cult classic in the tradition of Caddyshack, the National Lampoon films,and The Blues Brothers-all movies I hate but the rest of the world just can't seem to stop quoting….

So, if you've been reading this and thinking to yourself, "Wow! Unnecessary sex scenes? Perverse humor? Beyond tasteless? I'll check the show times!" Well, you've totally missed my point. But heck, go see Super Troopers. You'll probably really enjoy it. Just make sure you don't start quoting it for a few months, okay? Please? I just need a little time to mentally prepare myself. Why are you laughing? Hey, I'm being serious! Oh never mind-it's hopeless.