Step Brothers

The creative nut jobs behind Talladega Nights were so inspired by that film’s loose, improvised scenes between Will Farrell and John C. Reilly that they felt compelled to create a whole picture in that volatile vein. Step Brothers is the result. Farrell and Reilly play pushing-40 man-babies Brennan and Dale, who are forced to live together when their parents get married. Six Feet Under’s Richard Jenkins and the luminous Mary Steenburgen are delightful in this circus of idiocy as the parents of these socially stunted lummoxes. There’s little to the plot beyond introducing rivalries, like Brennan’s douche bag brother Derek, who Adam Scott injects with venomous asshole-ism, and the ritual any unemployed adult must engage in: job hunting. It barely matters what happens, it’s just ridiculously hilarious and that’s the point. This team really know how to put together a worthwhile double-disc edition and this is precisely the kind of film to benefit from the inclusion of jettisoned footage. The first disc includes both versions of the film, extended and alternate scenes, a gag reel, line-o-rama, the full-length "Boats and Hoes” music video and an enjoyable "making of.” Disc two really packs in the goods. More deleted scenes include some excellent exchanges between Jenkins and Steenburgen, and another batch of extended and alternate scenes have plenty of juicy material. The interview and therapy scenes have their own full sections of outtakes, many of them hysterical, as are the full "Prestige Worldwide” presentation and further stepsibling confrontations in "Dale vs. Brennan.” There are a couple Apatow oddities however, like a sketch about a homeless girl living on set and a scandalous affair between Jenkins and Steenburgen that results in an irate Ted Danson showing up. A music "making of” is a real treat, with in-depth footage of Jon Brion creating the original score and employing a super-group of himself, Nels Cline of Wilco and Greg Saunier of Deerhoof for the crazy rock tracks. Brion also gets into the improvisational spirit, encouraging a mandolin virtuoso from the Punch Brothers to noodle with the melody. To top it off, the feature commentary is done as a musical, with Jon Brion scoring live and Reilly, Farrell and McKay spouting off songs about the production like "Do You Have the Balls to Make Some Balls?” NBA star Baron Davis shows up to chat b-ball, sing a few lines and sum up the picture as "Adult Cabbage Patch Kids.” Mission WTF? accomplished!