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‘Between Two Ferns’ movie review

Anyone who has seen “Between Two Ferns” knows its incredible comedic value. For those of us who aren’t aware, “Between Two Ferns” is a “talk show” created in 2008 by “Funny or Die.” In these productions, Zach Galfianakis, famous for his role in “The Hangover,” hosts singers, celebrities, politicians and performers.

The interviews usually don’t go over 10 minutes, but in that short period of time, Galifianakis grills celebrities with all the questions we’d like to know but are too civilized to ask.

The interviews in the movie are no different. Galifianakis asks Brie Larson when she got her first period, calls Jon Hamm an attractive idiot and questions Keanu Reeves on whether or not he has more than 100 words in his vocabulary. 

The most noticeable difference between the YouTube series and the movie, though, is the portrayal of the talk show. In the YouTube series, all the actors play the real-life versions of themselves; Galifianakis is still a celebrity. In the movie, however, Galifianakis pretends to be a nobody and Will Ferrell plays a power-hungry, coked out version of himself. While all the actors don their real names, their personas are hyperrealistic.

The plot of this movie is simplistic and, at times, dreadfully uninteresting. But at the end of the day, I’m not there to see a heartwarming film about a man fulfilling his dreams. I’m there to laugh so hard my abs hurt after Galifianakis asks Matthew McCoughnahey “Out of all the things you can win an Oscar for, how surprised are you that you won one for acting?”

It’s true: Watching celebrities get roasted is the bread and butter of this show, and the movie surely delivers.

In addition to all the famous faces already mentioned, Rashida Jones, Adam Scott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tessa Thompson, Gal Gadot, David Letterman, Chance the Rapper, Bruce Willis and many others cameo as themselves.

The “Between Two Ferns Movie” is available on Netflix, but many of the celebrity interviews can be found on YouTube. If you’re a fan of “The Eric Andre Show” or Tyler the Creator, this is a movie you won’t want to miss.

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