The Film
Talking tough about the family jewels is enough to make a male moviegoer cringe. Barry Munday will have both sexes crossing and uncrossing legs and wincing for most of its 95-minute runtime.
Barry (Hard Candy's Patrick Wilson) is a dorky ladies' man, who loves to TGIF-it up a variety of local chain restaurants, with the occasional strip club thrown in for good measure. Then one day, he wakes up without his most prized possession: his testicles. Supposedly, he doesn't know where they went off to, although that part is questionable.
Another item that is questionable is his impending fatherhood, which comes courtesy of one-night stand and recent virgin Ginger (Judy Greer). The two soon strike up a Knocked Up-style storyline, which is sprinkled with plenty of famous faces, including Chloë Sevigny, Jean Smart, Cybill Shepherd, Billy Dee Williams, Malcolm McDowell, and a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo by Colin Hanks.
Barry Munday may have a bit of that Knocked Up magic, but it's really wrapped up in a WTF premise. Despite that completely bizarre twist of fate and being billed as a comedy, the film is a bit of a letdown, especially given the large, talented cast.
The Picture
Barry Munday may have a lot of famous names, but it's low budget, and that is most evident in the film's image. Expect soft scenes, mediocre black levels and a decent amount of grain to run rampant through the 1.78:1 transfer. There's some decent detail on clothing and in faces, but the color palette is sort of drab and toned down. Overall, it's the epitome of low budget, but certainly isn't horrifying and shouldn't keep you away from watching the flick.
The Sound
Like many indie comedies, Barry Munday is mostly talk with just a little bit of surround action sprinkled in. This release makes fairly good use of the DTS-HD Master Audio track, delivering great dialogue and an interesting musical soundtrack. The track also includes some nice ambience in the surrounds, most notably in bar and strip club scenes, as well as one memorable air guitar competition (um, yeah).
The Extras
This indie flick features run-of-the-mill special features, such as deleted scenes, bloopers, and even a featurette promo from HDNet. Aside from a nice commentary with first-time director Chris D'Arienzo and stars Patrick Wilson and Judy Greer, the one standout is a 3-minute short titled, "Your Penis and You." While the title alone is enough to make this bizarre few minutes notable, it also includes appearances by some of the cast, including Wilson, Christopher McDonald, and Kyle Gass.
Final Thoughts
When the family jewels are concerned, you're going to want to proceed with caution. The same could be said for Barry Munday. The film probably won't be at the top of your list, unless you find genital mutilation a must-see. Despite the weird premise and quirky scenarios, this film still manages to fall a little flat. Still, it does have a sweet tone, and much of that is due to the casting. Just make sure to rent this one first.
Product Details
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