Danny Roane: First Time Director

Review By: Rocco Passafuime
RoccoPassafuime@TheCinemaSource.com

Some comedians are born for the stage like Chris Rock and Dane Cook, others manage to crossover and become truly exceptional actors like Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams, and Jamie Foxx. And there are others that are just so incredibly unique that they deserve to be in a class all by themselves.

One such comic actor is the inimitable Andy Dick. Famous for his often outrageous and confrontational style of humor, there is literally no limit to what button he’ll push for a good laugh. Now he returns with his directorial debut, the comedy Danny Roane: First Time Director, now available on DVD.

Told in documentary-style, Danny Roane (Andy Dick) is a washed-up TV sitcom actor, whose pension for drinking has left his career in ruins and turned him into the ultimate celebrity train wreck. Danny has but one chance to give his flagging career a badly-needed shot in the arm when his debut film project is given the green light by an independent film studio.

It’s a cautionary film about the perils of drug and alcohol abuse called “Ded Drem” and he quickly assembles his cast and crew. However, his old boozing ways emerge again, causing dire consequences for his filmmaking venture.

Andy Dick makes his directorial feature debut with this often hilarious mock-documentary. While Dick’s script suffers from being a bit uneven, the comic is in full form here with much of the insanely confrontational style of humor that made him a favorite on his self-titled MTV sketch comedy show.

What makes it all work is Dick’s willingness to go to the very edge of chaotic self-deprecation for a laugh and his antics often leave you in stitches. These include a wacky song about drugs and an outrageously absurd bit of anti-Semitic humor at the end that must be seen to be believed. Also, his inclusion of various actor cameos ranging from James Van Der Beek and Anthony Rapp to Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Maura Tierney only adds to the sheer insanity.

The DVD’s picture quality is in the 1:78:1 anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio, with the sound quality in Dolby Digital Surround 5.1. The DVD also has a pair of special features.

The first is an outtake reel, which is fairly long in the tooth, but often hilarious. The second are extended scenes, primarily of the actor interviews that are a bit extraneous, but often funny.

All in all, while the film’s structure isn’t entirely on the mark, Andy Dick’s outrageously out-of-control comic styling makes this a surprisingly hilarious delight for audiences. Those who particularly enjoyed his self-titled MTV sketch show and his outrageous pop star character Daphne Aguilera will absolutely love Danny Roane: First Time Director.

Movie Grade: B
DVD Features Grade: B-
Overall Grade: B