Product Description

(Comedy) Jon Heder plays an unlucky meter reader who enrolls in a confidence-building class so he can win the love of the girl of his dreams. The class turns out to be something quite different when it becomes clear to the young man that his professor (Thorton), has his sights set on the same girl. "Uproarious…fiendishly funny!" – Rolling Stone, Peter Travers "A+ for laughs and genuine comic smarts" – Maxim, Pete Hammond

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26383 in DVD
• Brand: WELLSPRING/GENIUS
• Released on: 2007-02-13
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 107 minutes

Amazon.com
School for Scoundrels is the kind of stupid-fun comedy for which the phrase "Wait for the DVD" was invented. Like a lot of its jokes, it fell flat in its brief theatrical release, but there's enough funny stuff here to warrant a look, especially if you enjoyed writer-director Todd Phillips' previous films Old School and Road Trip. Of course, Phillips also directed the comedy remake of Starsky and Hutch, so you know there's going to be as many misses as hits in the movie's constant barrage of slapstick, insults, and tasteless gags. Loosely inspired by the 1960 British comedy directed by Robert Hamer, this crudely Americanized version finds a meek and geeky parking-meter reader named Roger (Napoleon Dynamite's John Heder) looking for love and not getting any, so he enrolls in a confidence-building school led by Dr. P (Billy Bob Thornton), who turns out to be Roger's #1 rival in his quest to win the heart of Amanda (Jacinda Barrett), Roger's cute Australian neighbor and the would-be girl of his dreams. As an escalating war of one-upmanship in which Roger's quick learning provokes Dr. P's competitive instincts, School for Scoundrels isn't exactly a laff-riot, but it's got some aces up its sleeve that make it worthwhile, like a crazed appearance by Ben Stiller, a fun if not-always-funny supporting cast (Michael Clark Duncan, Horatio Sanz, Todd Louiso) and a pair of stars who work well together as comedic opposites in the game of love. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

It was okay
This movie had its funny moments, although Jon Heder was always better as Napoleon Dynamite than any of these other roles he plays. The concept behind having a "school" that is supposed to teach confidence but really conveys sinister ways in order to reach that confidence was good. I do not recommend the unrated version though. The only reason it is unrated is because Billy Bob says G## D##### about a million times. After a while the curse words get to the point where they are weakening the film and not strengthening it. Then again its just B grade comedy, despite having Ben Stiller in the mix. Okay to rent but definitely little substance to make it part of your collection.

so disappointing! Jon Heder-you can do better!
I had high hopes for SFS, and the early previews ("trailers") I saw were so promising. Jon Heder? Billy Bob Thornton? What could go wrong? As it turned out...quite a bit. I read a review which mentioned that Jacinda Barrett is too bland to be a leading lady, and I wholeheartedly agree. I would NOT recommend this. There were a few laugh-out-loud moments, but they were very few and far between and didn't make up for what happened (or didn't happen) in the interim. All in all, it was a waste of time. One of the few redeeming qualities was the soundtrack, but that didn't make up for that two hours of my life spent watching this.

YOU CAN'T HELP YOURSELF BECAUSE YOURSELF SUCKS!

One-Upmanship is back!

If you tolerated ROADTRIP, if you found OLD SCHOOL moderately entertaining then you might consider "SCOUNDRELS." Director Todd Phillips, this time assembles Billy Bob Thornton (of BAD SANTA) and Jon Heder (of NAPOLEON DYNAMITE and BENCHWARMERS) for this remake of Robert Hamer's 1960 screen version of Stephen Potter's series of One-Upmanship or Lifemanship books outlining how to win without actually cheating (check them out, written a century ago but still classics).

Heder is Roger NYC meter maid so cowardly he pays the tickets he rights! He can't find it in himself to as out his lovely neighbor Amanda (Jacinda Barrett, of Poseidon). He is refered to enroll in a course converting losers to lions with the ladies, taught by Thornton's Dr. P with the burly assist of Michael Clarke Duncan as Lesher. Other mama's boy misfits enrolled are a "whipped" Horatio Sanz, Matt Walsh and Todd Louiso's obligatory virgin. After Roger proves himself too good a student, Dr. P wants to seduce Amanda to prove he is still in charge, then the One-upmanship begins this-time school is out and student is a master, sortof.

The theme is as classic and as familiar as the books themselves. So are the punchlines. Heder and Thornton (who even takes a shot at ex-Jolie) keep the goofs coming, Ben Stiller adds to the hilarity all too briefly. Overall, sort of mild considering the salsa from Phillips in the past.