Movie 43 is a 2013 American sketch comedy film conceived by producer Charles B. Wessler. Featuring fourteen different storylines, each by a different director, including Elizabeth Banks, Steven Brill, Steve Carr, Rusty Cundieff, James Duffy, Griffin Dunne, Patrik Forsberg, James Gunn, Bob Odenkirk, Brett Ratner, Will Graham, and Jonathan van Tulleken; the film stars an ensemble cast led by Banks, Kristen Bell, Halle Berry, Leslie Bibb, Kate Bosworth, Gerard Butler, Josh Duhamel, Anna Faris, Richard Gere, Terrence Howard, Hugh Jackman, Johnny Knoxville, Justin Long, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloë Grace Moretz, Liev Schreiber, Seann William Scott, Emma Stone, Jason Sudeikis, Uma Thurman, Naomi Watts, and Kate Winslet.
The project took almost a decade to get into production, and was eventually picked up by Relativity Media for $6 million. Filming took place over a period of several years, as casting also proved to be a challenge. Some, including George Clooney, declined to participate, while others, such as Gere, attempted to get out of the project.
Released on January 25, 2013, after having been originally slated for release on April 13, 2012, Movie 43 was panned by critics, although it was a modest commercial success, grossing $32.4 million against a budget of $6 million. Considered one of the worst films of all time, the film received three awards at the 34th Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture.
Plot Movie 43 is a series of different, interconnected short films and sketches containing different scenes and scenarios about a washed-up producer as he pitches insane story lines featuring some of the biggest stars in Hollywood.
The Pitch Produced and directed by Peter Farrelly and written by Rocky Russo, Jeremy Sosenko, and Ricky Blitt
The film is composed of multiple comedy shorts presented through an overarching segment titled "The Pitch", in which Charlie Wessler, a mad screenwriter, is attempting to pitch a script to film executive Griffin Schraeder.
After revealing several of the stories in his script, Wessler becomes agitated when Schraeder dismisses his outrageous ideas, and he pulls a gun on him and forces him to listen to multiple other stories before making Schraeder consult his manager, Bob Mone, to purchase the film.
When they do so, Mone's condescending, humiliating attitude toward Schraeder angers him to the point that, after agreeing to make the film "the biggest film since Howard the Duck", he confronts Mone in the parking lot with a gun and tries to make him perform fellatio on the security guard (Wessler had gotten on the lot by doing the same thing) and kill him if he does not make the film.
Wessler tries to calm Schraeder down with more story ideas to no avail, but Mone pulls out a gun and shoots Schraeder to death. As the segment ends, it is revealed that it is being shot by a camera crew as part of the movie, leading into the final segments.
Cast Dennis Quaid as Charlie Wessler Greg Kinnear as Griffin Schraeder Common as Bob Mone Charlie Saxton as Jay Will Sasso as Jerry Odessa Rae as Danita Seth MacFarlane as Himself Mike Meldman as Himself
Alternative version (The Thread) Directed by Steven Brill and written by Rocky Russo and Jeremy Sosenko
In some countries, like the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, the structure differs. Instead of a pitch, the films are connected by a group of three teenagers searching for the most banned film in the world, Movie 43, which will ultimately lead to the destruction of civilization. Calvin Cutler and his friend J. J. make a video in the style of MTV's Jackass and upload it on YouTube where it instantly reaches over 1,000,000 views. This turns out to be an April Fool's prank from Calvin's younger brother Baxter, who cloned YouTube and hyper-inflated the views while working on his science project.
Calvin and J.J. attempt to get revenge by telling Baxter of a film that's so dangerous it will cause the annihilation of the world. The movie is known as Movie 43. While J.J. and Baxter look for Movie 43 on a Google stand-in, Calvin retrieves Baxter's laptop and loads it with viruses from porn sites, and masturbates to a strip tease video on the porn sites in a bathroom. Baxter finds hundreds of results for Movie 43 on a website referred to by him as a dark corner of the Internet. They find the sketches starting from the 43rd search on the list of results.
As Baxter and J.J. keep watching videos, they are interrupted by Vrankovich and a group of Chinese mobsters wanting to find Movie 43, going so far as to take J.J.'s classmate Stevie Schraeder, film executive Griffin Schraeder's oldest son, hostage. Vrankovich warns them that if they find Movie 43, civilization will be destroyed. They ignore his claims and keep searching, eventually finding the real, Movie 43, which turns out to be from the future, and which shows Baxter as a profane commando, leading a group of recruits to survive after the world has ended.
As Calvin finishes ruining Baxter's laptop, their mother enters, wearing the same shirt and shorts that the woman in the strip tease video wore, causing Calvin to have a mental breakdown, realizing he masturbated to a video of his mother. Afterward, a deadly earthquake rumbles and mankind is lost. However, a few years later the only survivor, a crippled Calvin, finds Baxter's laptop still working despite the viruses. He watches the last remaining skits on the laptop.
This version of the film was released in the U.S. as part of the Blu-ray Disc of Movie 43 as an unrated alternate cut of the film, and it is the only version of the film streaming on Amazon Prime in the U.S.
Cast Mark L. Young as Calvin Cutler Adam Cagley as J.J. Devin Eash as Baxter Cutler Fisher Stevens as Vrankovich / Minotaur Tim Chou as Chinese Gangster #1 James Hsu as Chinese Gangster #2 Nate Hartley as Stevie Schraeder Liz Carey as Sitara Beth Littleford as Mrs. Cutler
Segments
The Catch Produced and directed by Peter Farrelly, written by Bill O'Malley, Rocky Russo, and Jeremy Sosenko
Single businesswoman Beth goes on a blind date with Davis, the city's most eligible bachelor. When they arrive together at a restaurant, Beth is shocked when he removes his scarf, revealing a pair of testicles dangling from his neck. Over dinner, it confuses her that he fails to acknowledge his anatomical abnormality, and nobody seems to be surprised by it. When two friends of Davis come by, one of them convinces him to give Beth a kiss. Davis agrees, but when he kisses her on the forehead, his neck testicles are dangling near Beth's mouth, causing her to scream and break off the kiss.
Cast Hugh Jackman as Davis Kate Winslet as Beth Roy Jenkins as Ray Rocky Russo as Jake, The Waiter Anna Madigan as Abby Julie Claire as Pam Katie Finneran as Angie
Homeschooled Directed by Will Graham, written by Will Graham & Jack Kukoda
Recently moved in, Sean and Clare have coffee with their new neighbors, Robert and Samantha who have a teenage son, Kevin, whom they home-school. They begin inquiring about the homeschooling, and Robert and Samantha describe how they replicated a full high school experience, going as far as hazing, bullying, ostracizing, and giving out detentions.
To make the experience as awkward as possible, like "real high school," they threw parties that excluded Kevin, Samantha instigated Kevin's "first kiss" and Robert revealed romantic feelings for Kevin. Visibly disturbed, the neighbors end up meeting Kevin, who says he is going out and gives them the impression that all is fine: until he reveals a doll made of a mop with Samantha's face on it, referring to the doll as his girlfriend.
Cast Jeremy Allen White as Kevin Miller Liev Schreiber as Robert Miller Naomi Watts as Samantha Miller Alex Cranmer as Sean Julie Ann Emery as Clare
The Proposition Directed by Steve Carr, written by Rocky Russo & Jeremy Sosenko
Julie and Doug have been in a relationship for a year. When he attempts to propose, she reveals that she is a coprophiliac, asking him to defecate on her in the bedroom. Urged by his best friend Larry and others to go along with it, he eats a large meal and drinks a bottle of laxative prior to the event.
Wanting foreplay, Julie is angered when Doug wants to finish, and she runs into the street. Chasing after her, he is then hit by a car and graphically evacuates his bowels everywhere. She cradles him and apologizes; covered and surrounded by his excrement on the road, she exclaims that it is the "most beautiful thing" she has ever seen and accepts his marriage proposal.
Cast Anna Faris as Julie / Vanessa Chris Pratt as Doug / Jason J. B. Smoove as Larry Jarrad Paul as Bill Maria Arcé as Christine Aaron LaPlante as Friend
Veronica Directed by Griffin Dunne, written by Matthew Alec Portenoy
Neil is working the night shift at a local grocery store when his ex-girlfriend Veronica comes through his line and they begin arguing. Soon it turns into sexual discussion and flirtation as they lament over their relationship. Unbeknownst to them, Neil's intercom microphone broadcasts the entire explicit conversation throughout the store, where various elderly people and vagrants tune in. After she leaves in tears, the customers agree to cover his shift while he goes after her.
Cast Kieran Culkin as Neil Emma Stone as Veronica Arthur French as Old Man Brooke Davis as Tall lady Josh Shuman as Short Man
iBabe Directed by Steven Brill, written by Claes Kjellstrom & Jonas Wittenmark & Tobias Carlson and Rocky Russo & Jeremy Sosenko
A developing company is having a meeting in their headquarters over their newly released product, the "iBabe", a life-sized, realistic replica of a nude woman which functions as an MP3 player. The boss listens to his various workers argue over the placement of a fan that was built into the genital region of the iBabe, which is cutting off the penises of teenage boys who attempt to have sex with them. The board members then agree to strongly emphasize the dangers of the product via its new commercials.
Cast Richard Gere as Boss Kate Bosworth as Arlene Jack McBrayer as Brian Aasif Mandvi as Robert Darby Lynn Totten as Woman Marc Ambrose as "Chappy" Cathy Cliften as iBabe #1 Cherina Monteniques Scott as iBabe #2 Zach Lasry as Boy
Super Hero Speed Dating Co-edited and directed by James Duffy and written by Will Carlough
Robin and his cohort Batman are in Gotham City at a speed dating event seeking out a bomb threat by their nemesis Penguin. While Robin attempts to connect with various women through speed dating including Stacey, Lois Lane, and Supergirl, Batman encounters his ex Wonder Woman and attempts to stop Penguin from detonating Supergirl, who later turns out to be the Riddler in disguise, which Batman already knew and was screwing with Robin, who kissed "her" moments before Batman exposed the Riddler's ruse. Lois Lane tells Robin on their speed date that six months ago she broke up with Superman, who turns out to be a stalker/sexual predator by ejaculating on her bedroom window. Further playing with the popular discussion of Superman's sperm, like in the film Mallrats, Lois Lane reveals that he uses his semen as a hair gel to keep the spit curl consistent.
Cast Justin Long as Dick Grayson / Robin Jason Sudeikis as Bruce Wayne / Batman Uma Thurman as Lois Lane Bobby Cannavale as Clark Kent / Superman Kristen Bell as Kara / Supergirl John Hodgman as The Penguin Leslie Bibb as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman Will Carlough as Riddler Katrina Bowden as Stacey
Machine Kids Written, co-edited, and directed by Jonathan van Tulleken
A faux-Public service announcement about children stuck in machines and how adults' criticism of these particular machines affects the feelings of the children stuck inside them. This commercial was paid for by the "Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children Inside Machines".
Middle School Date