Search - Kingpin on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Violence, Not For Children, Adult Humor, Sexual Situations Movie Release: 1996 DVD Release: 05/18/1999 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV,Pan and Scan Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, French SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 57 mins Studio: MGM Total Copies: 16 Genres: Comedy, Road Movie, Buddy Film

In the '70s, Roy Munsen (Woody Harrelson) was a bowling phenomenon. He was none too sharp about picking friends, though, and the champion he had to beat, "Big Ern," takes him under his supposedly friendly wing. Big Ern (Bill Murray) shows him the high-living lifestyle, and induces him to go on the road with him, hustling small-town bowlers. A couple of the men he bilks take exception to the scam, and show their displeasure with Roy by mangling his hand. Twenty years later, Roy (who now has a hook in place of his hand), earns his living as a salesman. On a visit to a bowling alley, he cannot help but notice the incredible talents of an Amish boy, Ishmael (Randy Quaid). Bowling is not part of the Amish lifestyle, but Ishmael occasionally sneaks into the bowling alley and plays a frame or two. Roy takes Ishmael under his wing, and together they begin a quest for bowling success. This comedy is directed by Peter and Robert Farrelly, who also directed Dumb and Dumber. Like those comedies, it contains a lot of gross-out jokes and bathroom humor. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Woody Harrelson - Roy Munson
Randy Quaid - Ishmael
Vanessa Angel - Claudia
Bill Murray - Ernie McCracken
Chris Elliott - The Gambler

A deviously smart "dumb" gross-out comedy, Kingpin gets a deluxe DVD release from MGM that is chock full of extras. Essentially similar to the theatrical version, this director's cut adds minutes to eight scenes that seemed too off-color in the days before There's Something About Mary helped change public standards of decency. A separate audio track features the Farrelly brothers' off-the-cuff, good-natured commentary on the making of the film. The two use the opportunity to tell amusing anecdotes about cast and crew and their individual contributions to the film. While much of this is trivial information, the commentary track illustrates how the Farrelly brothers keep finding comic inspiration on the set and then include it in the final film (including a hilarious bit where Woody Harrelson accidentally spills coffee in a scene with a baby). Unfortunately, the brothers rarely discuss the actual decision-making process behind the film. It may be true that dissecting comedy is rarely funny, but the opportunity to discover how the Farrelly brothers manage to succeed with tasteless comedies where their many followers fail is lost. The anamorphic widescreen transfer shows off Mark Irwin's lovely Super 35 lensing and the Dolby Digital transfer also comes in Surround Sound. ~ Nick Dedina, All Movie Guide