The Stag

JP Liz V1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi_JVWbPBj8

Out on general release this coming weekend


Peter McDonald (who co wrote) looks to be the mvp from the trailer

e_e

Very funny for the first hour or so, but I thought it really should have ended a good 15 minutes before it did. It tries to neatly tie up every loose strand in a very obvious and cheap way that I found more than a little off-putting.

But I've warmed to it a little more since seeing at JDIFF and it's so much better than it could have been. The laughs are a lot warmer and heartier than the likes of The Hangover and there's some nice character moments. A decent Irish comedy at least. Peter McDonald's character introduction is kind of a tour-de-force scene.

weemcd

One of the worst trailers I've ever seen

e_e

weemcd wrote: »

One of the worst trailers I've ever seen

Yeah it's a bad one alright. The film's at least a good bit better.

Baze

My advice would be to not watch the trailer at all (if anyone hasn't already and can help it, of course) as it takes away a good few of the film's punchlines, but then I guess most trailers do these days.

It's a funny, light hearted, feel good type of comedy.. and done well to be fair.

If I was harsh, I'd say it could have done with another re-write to tighten it up and remove a few of the cliches, as it had done quite well avoiding them for pretty much most of the film and only really dabbled in them slightly, but was a shame it did at all but that would be me being needlessly harsh as cliches are part are parcel of this genre generally and so you can forgive them indulging it the odd one or two.

Perfect film for a trip to the flicks with a few mates.

I may even go again, just to see it with a non-festival crowd.

Saw the trailer awhile back and it looks awful, like the kind of generic, bargain basement, shot over a weekend "comedy" that goes straight to netflix. The presence of the talentless Amy Huberman is all the reason I need not to bother with this. It's bad enough that every time I go to the cinema I have to watch that atrocious ad she's in.

Baze

Deleted User wrote: »

Saw the trailer awhile back and it looks awful, like the kind of generic, bargain basement, shot over a weekend "comedy" that goes straight to netflix. The presence of the talentless Amy Huberman is all the reason I need not to bother with this. It's bad enough that every time I go to the cinema I have to watch that atrocious ad she's in.

To be fair (and I have criticized her casting in this film here myself) I don't think that is a sufficient reason to avoid it, as her screen presence (if you could call it that) amounts to little more than three to four minutes max). So if you're avoiding it for that reason alone, I would give it a shot.

Baze

Baze wrote: »

To be fair (and I have criticized her casting in this film here myself) I don't think that is a sufficient reason to avoid it, as her screen presence (if you could call it that) amounts to little more than three to four minutes max). So if you're avoiding it for that reason alone, I would give it a shot.

I'm avoiding it because it looks terrible. It looks like the kind of cheap, unoriginal and full comedic muck that's ten a penny in netflix. The trailer is dreadful and paints the film as another laugh less and uninspired lads having some fun bore fear. It may very well be the surprise of the year but mediocre is how all I know who have seen it described it. There's so much good cinena on release atm that I can't get excited for one as poor looking as The Stag.

Baze

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm avoiding it because it looks terrible.

Okay, but I was replying to you saying:

Deleted User wrote: »

The presence of the talentless Amy Huberman is all the reason I need not to bother with this.

Now you say:

It looks like the kind of cheap, unoriginal and full comedic muck that's ten a penny in netflix. The trailer is dreadful and paints the film as another laugh less and uninspired lads having some fun bore fear. It may very well be the surprise of the year but mediocre is how all I know who have seen it described it. There's so much good cinena on release atm that I can't get excited for one as poor looking as The Stag.

So Amy having a small role in isn't "all the reason" you won't be going to see it. Grand.

Baze

Baze wrote: »

Okay, but I was replying to you saying:



Now you say:



Grand, and so Amy having a small role in isn't "all the reason" you won't be going to see it so.

No, her presence is reason enough not to bother with the film. If it looked in any way decent or the reviews were calling it anything other than mediocre then I may give it a chance.

Also if you go back to my original post you'll see that I said "it looks awful, like the kind of generic, bargain basement, shot over a weekend "comedy" that goes straight to netflix". So it's not like I dismissed it solely because she's there. There's plenty of actors I don't rate but will watch them in a film if it looks good. Hell, I find Sean Penn to be an annoyingly smug ass whose a horrible human being but ill still watch a film with him in it.

johnny_ultimate

Going in, I was well prepared to dismiss this as a shameless attempt to ape The Hangover or another bland bromance. But the dominant chunk of the film - the stag itself - is genuinely well handled. It is often very funny in its broad, crude way, and there's impressively managed scenes of character development and drama amidst the wacky nudity. There's one scene by a campfire particularly that packs more of an emotional punch than one would expect of such a film. I certainly vastly preferred to The Hangover, although there are times when they try to make McDonald's character too much of a Zack Galafanakis type. Overall, though, it's just a notch better than simply being a predictable mediocrity.

So it was a real shame that the third act is as shamelessly sentimental as it is. There are a few moments where, if the film had decided to fade to black, I would have emerged from the Savoy feeling very pleased with the film I had just watched. But it opts to indulge itself, and that jars badly with the tone of the rest of the film. I can imagine a lot of other people emerging with an overall negative response for that reason, even if they enjoyed the film by and large.

Mickeroo

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Saw the trailer awhile back and it looks awful, like the kind of generic, bargain basement, shot over a weekend "comedy" that goes straight to netflix. The presence of the talentless Amy Huberman is all the reason I need not to bother with this. It's bad enough that every time I go to the cinema I have to watch that atrocious ad she's in.

Would you consider giving it a chance based on what the posters who have seen it have said? You're very quick to damn people elsewhere on here for writing films off without giving them a chance.

Don't get me wrong, based on the trailer I'd agree with you completely, and I can't stand that Huberman ad either but based on what the lads have said above I'm willing to give it a shot now.

youcancallmeal

weemcd wrote: »

One of the worst trailers I've ever seen

Yep, groaned the whole way through and then turned to the wife at the end and said "No f*cking way are we going to see that sh*te!"

mikom

No wonder it looks cheap......... Huberman probably pocketed half the budget just so she could be put on the poster.

AnonoBoy

mikom wrote: »

No wonder it looks cheap......... Huberman probably pocketed half the budget just so she could be put on the poster.

That's a load of nonsense.

johnny_ultimate

I think Huberman is the rare sort of actress I think actively detracts from any given work, but seriously she's off-screen for 75% of the running time here, and that 75% is a whole lot of fun. The film has other problems outside the 'non-stag' bits besides her presence, anyway.

Looking back, though, I do have to admire Butler and his cast's ability to stage a strong comic setpiece. There's a manic sort of intensity to several sequences -

The Machine's arrival, a brilliantly physical scene involving an electric fence, the flaming tent bit and even the much advertised sequence where everyone ends up naked

. Even when the punchlines or setups are fairly obvious, the film has a go-for-broke enthusiasm for wringing humour out of its situations. I don't want to overstate its successes - it's little more than a pleasant distraction even at the best of times - but as a comedy it hits the mark more than it misses.

Mickeroo

Mickeroo wrote: »

Would you consider giving it a chance based on what the posters who have seen it have said? You're very quick to damn people elsewhere on here for writing films off without giving them a chance.

Don't get me wrong, based on the trailer I'd agree with you completely, and I can't stand that Huberman ad either but based on what the lads have said above I'm willing to give it a shot now.

Don't get me wrong I have no problem giving the film a chance and will at some stage get to it but that doesn't stop the film from looking terrible and all the reviews seem to agree that it's not as bad as they expected which is hardly high praise. Also the last time I let people here sway my opinion I ended up watching The Guard which was a painful experience.

Zeek12

Deleted User wrote: »

Also the last time I let people here sway my opinion I ended up watching The Guard which was a painful experience.

I'm with you there. Could'nt believe that film got such great reviews. What a real let down:(

So does Pat Shortt show up in The Stag? Almost seems like his presence is compulsory in Irish films these days

e_e

Zeek12 wrote: »

So does Pat Shortt show up in The Stag? Almost seems like his presence is compulsory in Irish films these days

No.

Banjaxed82

weemcd wrote: »

One of the worst trailers I've ever seen

Irish films more often than not really seem to do themselves no favours with their trailers.

Calvary being the latest. The pacing of Irish trailers always feels so laboured, and the choice of music misjudged so often.

Anyway, will still be seeing Stag.

Planemo

weemcd wrote: »

One of the worst trailers I've ever seen

Saw the trailer before WoWS, packed cinema and I was the only one not in hysterics. No one ever went broke pandering to the lowest common denominator.

AnonoBoy

Banjaxed82 wrote: »

Irish films more often than not really seem to do themselves no favours with their trailers.

It's been a problem for a while alright.

Years ago I was planning on going to see Studs when it came out. The I saw the trailer and felt like I'd seen a tiny clip from every scene and had the whole plot spelled out for me. Turned me off ever looking at the film at all.

mark13

Saw it at Jdiff, not a laugh was had..like a straight to video American teen comedy movie from 2001.

He tried his best, but McDonald's character was a shambles, a lazy rip-off of Stifler from the American Pie movies and most of his dialogue was cringe-worthy.

There was a quick Q&A afterwards with the writers were they pointed out that they only spent 2 weeks writing the dialogue, Jesus wept.

Warper

It looks awful in the trailer.

moorehouse1

Much better than trailer suggested
good comedy,really enjoyed it
Huberman was the only thing I didnt like about the film,
bit of a rip off of stifler was the machine but iv'e seen alot worse

walshb

One of the worst films ever. Not one funny moment for me. The acting and delivery of lines was appalling. The groom and best man, how the hell did they get cast as actors? And the incessant calling of "The Machine" was just ridiculous. Gleeson should leave the acting to his daddy!

Raoul Duke

mark13 wrote: »

There was a quick Q&A afterwards with the writers were they pointed out that they only spent 2 weeks writing the dialogue, Jesus wept.

Did anyone ask them why they spent such a short period of time writing it? That would have been my first reaction to that news.

Basq

I despised the trailer..

.. the good news is that it is far better than the trailer makes it out to be.

It's not a perfect film by any means - it has it's fair share of patchy acting (from Mrs. BOD, Hugh O Conor and Brian Gleeson), corny dialogue and one too many cringe-inducing overly sentimental scenes. That aside - Peter McDonald definitely steals the show.

And it's got far more laughs than any Irish comedy as of late.. that's for sure!

Birdie Num Num

Just saw this, rare sh*te as a friend would say, with a few (rare) laughs. Predictable and annoying in parts. If you like RAW you might like this. Go see it.

Omackeral

The absolute worst film I've ever seen in the cinema.Not one remotely likeable character in it and the faux American accents were an absolute head melt. I honestly couldn't decipher if they were doing posh D4 type accents or actually from the States. I didn't get even one chuckle from the movie and I'd find humour in most things. Don't even start me on that 'The Machine' character. The most ridiculous attempt at a Stifler (from American Pie) rip-off I've ever witnessed. We walked out after 45 minutes.

Hunter of Invisible Game

mark13 wrote: »

Saw it at Jdiff, not a laugh was had..like a straight to video American teen comedy movie from 2001. .

Well, you must have been one of the only a few there not laughing at least once, as I was at that screening and the crowd clearly found it funny.

Was also at a screening in Swords last weekend and it was the same kind of positive reaction.

As for the posts comparing The Machine to Stifler?? What??

Their characters are nothing alike.

Stifler is a dumb jock who is obsessed with sex. He's an idiot..

The Machine is never portrayed in that light. If anything, he is shown as someone who has something to offer the rest of the group when it comes to life experience: how he handles his debt, how the brothers need to confront their father regarding his threats to not attend the wedding. He is also shown as someone capable of empathy when he tells the best man that he really is a best man for keeping a lid on his feelings for the bride.

The Machine is a character who is intelligent but is caught up with pretending to be someone he is not, hence the American expressions he uses when he first meets the group. A guy who tries to avoid showing weakness at all costs: won't admit he was wrong, say sorry, admit he nearly killed people etc etc. None of these characteristics are similar to the sex obsessed imbecile that was Stifler.

Mr E

Ah to be fair, he was a bit like the asshole version of Stifler from American Wedding (particularly at The Machine's introduction in the pub).

He obviously turned out to be a much different character by the end of it, but I can see where the Stifler comparison came from.

bnt

Maybe it will play will play better outside Ireland? Mark Kermode (BBC 5 Live) was quite positive about it, for example, thought it's among the best of the "bridegroom / stag party" genre, and managed to avoid most of the genre clichés. Though he thought the U2 bit was a cop-out. :cool:

e_e

It would have been SO much funnier if the guy

shook his head and said "this is ****e." during the U2 at the end.

. Subverting our expectations and not being really condescending to people who dislike U2. I have never seen a final act as distrustful of the audience as this film is.

Dermighty

This looks terrible!

e_e

Y'all are acting as if good films can't have terrible trailers, and vice versa.

Although I wouldn't call this a "good" film by any means, just nowhere near as bad as it looks.

Omackeral

Dermighty wrote: »

This looks terrible!

It is.

Omackeral

Hunter of Invisible Game wrote: »

Well, you must have been one of the only a few there not laughing at least once, as I was at that screening and the crowd clearly found it funny.


As for the posts comparing The Machine to Stifler?? What??

Their characters are nothing alike.

Just finished reading this review from IMDB.

"......All this is commendable but, unfortunately, the film fails because as a comedy, it's simply not funny. For all its representations of modern progressive Irish society, the humor is terribly dated. Tiresome gags are milked from character's names, with Fionnan constantly reminding others how his name should be pronounced, "It's Fionn-awn!", and The Machine insisting on calling Davin "Gavin". McDonald gives the movie's strongest performance in the role but the character of The Machine is a walking comedy cliche, American Pie's Stifler straddled with post Celtic Tiger debt."

The reviewer was also reminded of Stifler it would seem. He/She also goes on to say as a comedy, it's not really funny. I tend to agree. Thought the characters were uppity,unfunny and unlikeable.

Liam McPoyle

Went to see it earlier this evening.

Poor stuff IMO.

Some of the most unlikeable charectors I've seen on screen for a long time.

Little or no laughs and a massively schmaltzy last act. Really struggled to find anything worth recommending in it.

2ndcoming

I think the thing that counted worst against the film was the inclusion of such exclusively Deep South Dublin characters, without anyone really to burst their bubble. I think it's fair to say if you aren't from Cabinteely or thereabouts you would find people called Fionnán (mispronounced insistently by himself, ironically), Davin and "The Machine" extremely annoying in general. In the film, they all drive Beemers and speak in basically American accents.

I would have thought there would have been more scope for humour having the couple be from very different backgrounds, and the clash of the two families meeting on the Stag the backdrop for the comedy.

K.Flyer

Went to see it on Saturday night in Dundrum and the room was practically full, which is good going for a movie that some believe is terrible and on this night, most of the room was laughing out loud, including ourselves.

Micky Dolenz

I genuinely don't get the Huberman hating, I find her to be a very capable actor.

I enjoyed the movie, it had was a bit cheesy but so what. I did think it was catering to an American audience a bit too much though with the Americanized accents and references. Saying things that Irish people would never say. Doozy for one springs to mind.

Overall I enjoyed it even if the ending was a bit ott.

irishguitarlad

I saw this movie recently and it was very very poor, for a supposed comedy there was very few people laughing. Avoid this movie and go see something else or when it comes out on dvd just buy something else. Don't even download this movie just let it waste away and let no one speak of it again.

Looper007

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

I genuinely don't get the Huberman hating, I find her to be a very capable actor.

I can see why she rub's a lot of people up the wrong way, the certain amount of attention she get's doesn't warrant for her talent. She's not a very good actress but she get's put into nothing roles like in this film cause she's a name. Down to the fact she's married to one of our greatest sport's men ever, a bit like Victoria Beckham on a smaller scale.

Ask any Irish person what she's famous for. The First thing they say is she's married to Brian O'Driscoll. Without that she wouldn't be anywhere. That's why she get's the hate she does.

Micky Dolenz

Ah jealousy. Got it.

Shiraz 4.99

After reading some of the positive reactions on here I was looking forward to this.
I am now left with the conclusion that many of the contributors here are on the payroll of the producers & you're covertly using this forum as a promotional soapbox for your embarrassment of a film.
I take it you've disciples out in Facebook & Twitterland combating the ridicule this is going to receive once it lands on DVD.
The script reads like the discarded coursework of a Trinners art freasher trying desperately to disguise the fact they're actually a D4 head & wouldn't know the first thing about a hard man character.
The Stifler references are valid although the writers managed to morph The Machine into about 5 different people depending what the scene required for a neat full stop.
Early on we are led to believe that the groom may be gay due to Bridezilla like outbursts but this is never followed up on, it looks as if this idea was discarded in the editing room as the director realised this may be too obvious.
I have watched porn films that have had better ensemble acting than this piece, perhaps this was the best cast that could be assembled for the money but it really shows.
The most frustrating thing is we know that Irish cinema can be so much better than this, it annoys me to think about it.

So, in conclusion, many of you are in brainwashed collective, the film doesn't deserve a single star & save your money for Transformers 4 which will appear as good as TWWB in comparison.

Insect Overlord

Shiraz 4.99 wrote: »

So, in conclusion, many of you are in brainwashed collective

...or else a few of us just wanted to see an easy bromance comedy and didn't go into the cinema expecting the new Irish Citizen Kane or Apocalypse Now. Jesus. :rolleyes:

I hate when people post rants about how liking a film makes you a moron. It's such a backwards way to look at an art form that's subjective. Not everyone likes the same things and it's what makes cinema such an interesting medium. People can interpret films in their own unique way and in the case of something like the Stag enjoy it for the trash it is.

I grabbed a film called rewind in Dealz the other day as it's one of those Irish films I heard good things about aswell as terrible things do figured I'd give it a go. Huberman is absolutely atrocious in it and it's obvious that she has no acting talent. You could draw a smiley face on a brown bag and it would have more presence than she does. It's a masterclass in how not to act.

Shiraz 4.99

An File wrote: »

...or else a few of us just wanted to see an easy bromance comedy and didn't go into the cinema expecting the new Irish Citizen Kane or Apocalypse Now. Jesus. :rolleyes:

If you ordered a wonderful sea bream for lunch but were given a huge turd on the plate instead, would you eat that turd out of politeness ?, you might even say it was one of the finer turds you tasted lately.
Well this analogy is based on you, stting in the cinema, enjoying your bromance comedy.

heachtra measa riamh

Insect Overlord

Shiraz 4.99 wrote: »

an t-imeacht is measa riamh

FYP. :P

I get your point, but I didn't order the bream. I ordered a cinematic Big Mac, and I got it and enjoyed it. And then felt slightly bloated and guilty afterwards. :pac:

Shiraz 4.99

Deleted User wrote: »

I hate when people post rants about how liking a film makes you a moron.

Christ no, each to their own, all art = subjective

I really thought it was atrocious, I didn't mean to offend anyone, just to warn them.