Trailer Trash MASH, Light vs. Dark Comedy Edition: Macgruber & Cyrus

In this edition of Trailer Trash MASH we have two trailers from two very different comedies. One is a major studio production with a big budget, lots of action, filled with gags and is based on a Saturday Night Live skit. The other is a small-budget dark comedy that is completely character-driven and will be a featured film at this year’s Sundance Film Festival this weekend.

First up is the movie adaptation of the popular reoccurring SNL skit, MacGruber, which of course features Will Forte parodying the famous problem-solving secret agent Angus MacGyver, from the 1980s action-adventure TV series, MacGyver. I think SNL’s writing has become very hit or miss over the last couple years. They either have some side-splitting gems, or some cricket-chipping bombs. The MacGruber skits have never made me pee my pants in agonizing, but they were always amusing and entertaining because of their sheer absurdity.

The movie actually has a pretty impressive cast including: Forte, Ryan Phillippe, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, and the great Val Kilmer as the bad guy. While I’m not sure if I’m going to be lining up on opening day for MacGruber, this first official red band trailer is pretty impressive, containing a few lines that made me chuckle, as well as what appears to be some pretty decent action. MacGruber is directed by fellow SNL star Jorma Taccone, who hasn’t directed any feature films before this, but has directed numerous skits and the always great SNL Digital Shorts over the years. The screenplay was co-written by Will Forte, Jorma Taccone, and John Solomon, another veteran SNL writer. Universal is bringing MacGruber to theaters everywhere starting on April 23rd.

WARNING: This is a red band trailer that features graphic language. Just type in any year before 1993 if it prompts you to.

Next up we have Cyrus. The film has an exceptional cast with John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei, and Catherine Keener, and is written and directed by the Duplass Brothers (Baghead). Cyrus is set to premiere at Sundance this weekend, and according to the film’s profile page on the Sundance website, the plot goes something like this: Cyrus becomes a dark, poignant, sometimes hilarious war dance as Molly (Tomei), Cyrus (Hill), and John (Reilly) walk the line between creepy and sympathetic. Each member of this awkward triangle teeters somewhere between bare honesty and furtive manipulation as he or she lets loose all manner of dysfunctionality. The excruciating, delightful fun is seeing where the boundaries ultimately land.

This film looks like a really interesting and dark comedy. I think it could be a breakthrough performance for Jonah Hill, who has thus far only been in films filled with raunchy humor, acting as the snarky sarcastic wit. He displayed great angst and vulnerability in Superbad, but I think Cyrus will be the film that opens the door for dramatic roles in the future, if he so chooses. Check out the trailer for Cyrus below.

What Do You Think? Discuss.