The Clapper (film)

Last updated
The Clapper
The Clapper poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Dito Montiel
Screenplay byDito Montiel
Based onEddie Krumble Is the Clapper
by Dito Montiel
Produced by
  • Mike Falbo
  • Ed Helms
  • Alex Lebovici
  • Dito Montiel
  • Steve Ponce
  • Robin Schorr
Starring
Cinematography Michael Barrett
Edited byJake Pushinsky
Music by Jimmy Haun
David Wittman
Production
companies
  • Oriah Entertainment
  • Cedarvale Pictures
  • LTD Films
  • Pacific Electric Picture Company
  • Skit Bags
Distributed by Momentum Pictures
Release dates
  • April 23, 2017 (2017-04-23)(Tribeca)
  • January 26, 2018 (2018-01-26)(United States)
Running time
89 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$6,961 [1]

The Clapper is a 2017 American comedy film written and directed by Dito Montiel, based on his novel Eddie Krumble Is the Clapper. It stars Ed Helms, Amanda Seyfried, Tracy Morgan, Adam Levine, Mickey Gooch Jr. and Russell Peters. It was the final film role of Alan Thicke, who died on December 13, 2016.

Contents

The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 23, 2017, and was released on January 26, 2018 by Momentum Pictures.

Plot

Eddie Krumble (Ed Helms) is a widowed contract actor who works as an audience member for infomercials, with his best friend Chris (Tracy Morgan). He also has a budding romance with Judy (Amanda Seyfried), a shy gas station attendant.

One day he gets noticed by Stillerman (Russell Peters), a late night talk show host because of his frequent appearances as a recurring audience member. He loses his job due to Stillerman's segments searching for "the Clapper". The Stillerman Show's hunt for Eddie also gets Judy fired and she appears to go missing.

Initially declining offers to appear on Stillerman's show without payment (there is a rule against paying guests), Eddie caves in, appearing on the show to find Judy. After, Eddie and Chris do several "Searching for Judy" segments on the show, which they are paid for. After a few such segments, Judy phones the network and tells Eddie on-air to stop "stalking" her. Fearing a lawsuit, the show ends these segments and cuts ties with Eddie and Chris.

Six months later, Eddie and Chris reappear on the show, as does Eddie's mother Ida (Brenda Vaccaro) berating Stillerman's treatment of her son. On air, Eddie admits that he misses his late wife and that he loves Judy, who sees the segment while she is pumping gas that night. As Eddie mentions on television where he'll be the next day, she finds him and tells him she loves him back. They subsequently marry in the closing credits.

Cast

Production

In February 2016, it was announced Ed Helms and Amanda Seyfried would star in the film, with Dito Montiel directing the film from a screenplay he wrote, based on his novel of the same name. Helms and Mike Falbo would be producers under their Pacific Electric banner, with Robin Schoor. [2] In April 2016, Tracy Morgan joined the cast, with Alex Lebovici and Michael Bien joining as an executive producer, and Steve Ponce as a producer under his Oriah Entertainment banner. [3] In May 2016, Russell Peters joined the cast. [4] In June 2016, Adam Levine, Leah Remini, P.J. Byrne, Mickey Gooch Jr. and Brenda Vaccaro joined the cast. [5] [6] Later that month, Mark Cuban, Rob Gronkowski and Sara Sampaio joined the cast. [7] In July 2016, Wendy Braun joined the cast. [8]

Filming began in June 2016.[ citation needed ]

Release

The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 23, 2017. [9] Shortly after, Momentum Pictures and Netflix acquired distribution rights. [10] It was released in a limited release and through video on demand on January 26, 2018 [11] and on Netflix on May 1, 2018. [12]

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 23% based on 26 reviews, with a weighted average of 4.3/10. The site's consensus reads: "The Clapper is tugged along by the valiant efforts of a talented cast, but it's ultimately not enough to make this wan romantic comedy worth a watch." [13] On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 21 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [14]

Accolades

List of awards and nominations
YearAwardCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef(s)
2019 Golden Raspberry Awards Worst Actress Amanda Seyfried Nominated [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Koepp</span> American screenwriter (born 1963)

David Koepp is an American screenwriter and director. He is the ninth most successful screenwriter of all time in terms of U.S. box office receipts with a total gross of over $2.3 billion. Koepp has achieved both critical and commercial success in a wide variety of genres: thriller, science fiction, comedy, action, drama, crime, superhero, horror, adventure, and fantasy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Seyfried</span> American actress (born 1985)

Amanda Michelle Seyfried is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She began acting at 15, with recurring roles as Lucy Montgomery in the CBS soap opera As the World Turns (1999–2001) and Joni Stafford in the ABC soap opera All My Children (2003). She came to prominence for her feature film debut in the teen comedy Mean Girls (2004), and for her roles as Lilly Kane in the UPN mystery drama series Veronica Mars (2004–2006) and Sarah Henrickson in the HBO drama series Big Love (2006–2011).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Franzese</span> American actor

Daniel Franzese is an American actor best known for his roles in the films Bully and Mean Girls. Franzese is the creator of several live comedy shows, including the 2011 rock opera Jersey Shoresical: A Frickin' Rock Opera! and his one-man stand-up performance I've Never Really Made the Kind of Money to Become a Mess in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judy Greer</span> American actress (born 1975)

Judith Therese Evans, known professionally as Judy Greer, is an American actress. She is primarily known as a character actress who has appeared in a wide variety of films. She rose to prominence for her supporting roles in the films Jawbreaker (1999), What Women Want (2000), 13 Going on 30 (2004), Elizabethtown (2005), 27 Dresses (2008), and Love & Other Drugs (2010).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chace Crawford</span> American actor (born 1986)

Christopher Chace Crawford is an American actor. He is known for his television portrayals of Nate Archibald on the series Gossip Girl (2007–2012), and of Kevin Moskowitz / The Deep in the television series The Boys (2019–present) and the resulting franchise. He is also known for starring in the films The Covenant (2006), The Haunting of Molly Hartley (2008), Twelve (2010), and What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012). In 2015, he portrayed Billy LeFever in the short-lived series Blood & Oil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dito Montiel</span> American/Nicaraguan author, filmmaker, musician ()

Orlandito Montiel is an American author, filmmaker, and musician.

<i>Fathers and Daughters</i> 2015 film

Fathers and Daughters is a 2015 drama film directed by Gabriele Muccino, written by Brad Desch, and starring Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, and Kylie Rogers. The film received mostly negative reviews from critics. It grossed over $5.1 million against a $22.4 million production budget.

<i>The Last Word</i> (2017 film) 2017 American film

The Last Word is a 2017 American comedy-drama film directed by Mark Pellington, from a screenplay by Stuart Ross Fink. It stars Amanda Seyfried and Shirley MacLaine.

<i>Gypsy</i> (TV series) 2017 American psychological thriller television series

Gypsy is an American psychological thriller drama television series created by Lisa Rubin for Netflix. Naomi Watts stars as Jean Holloway, a psychologist who secretly infiltrates the private lives of her patients. Billy Crudup co-stars as her husband Michael. The first season comprises 10 episodes and was released on June 30, 2017.

<i>Gringo</i> (2018 film) 2018 Australian film

Gringo is a 2018 action comedy film directed by Nash Edgerton and written by Anthony Tambakis and Matthew Stone. The film stars David Oyelowo, Charlize Theron, Joel Edgerton, Amanda Seyfried, Thandiwe Newton, and Sharlto Copley, and follows a mild-mannered businessman who is sent to Mexico to deliver an experimental marijuana pill. When he is kidnapped by a drug cartel, he must escape alongside a hired mercenary. The film was co-produced between the United States and Australia.

<i>The Pirates of Somalia</i> (film) 2017 American film

The Pirates of Somalia is a 2017 American drama film written and directed by Bryan Buckley, and based on the 2011 book of the same name. The film stars Evan Peters, Al Pacino, Melanie Griffith, and Barkhad Abdi. The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 27, 2017. The film was released on December 8, 2017, by Echo Bridge.

<i>Adventures in Public School</i> 2017 Canadian film

Adventures in Public School is a 2017 Canadian teen comedy film directed by Kyle Rideout, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Josh Epstein. It stars Judy Greer, Daniel Doheny, Siobhan Williams, Andrew McNee, Andrew Herr, Russell Peters, and Grace Park.

<i>Valley Girl</i> (2020 film) 2020 film by Rachel Lee Goldenberg

Valley Girl is a 2020 American jukebox musical romantic comedy film directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg, written by Amy Talkington from a story by Wayne Crawford and Andrew Lane, and produced by Matt Smith and Steven J. Wolfe. It is a remake of the 1983 film of the same name and stars Jessica Rothe, Josh Whitehouse, Logan Paul, and Judy Greer. The film follows Julie Richman, a Valley girl, who falls in love with Randy, a rebellious punk, during the early 1980s.

Studio 8 is an American entertainment company founded in 2014, by Jeff Robinov, John Graham, Mark Miner and based in Culver City. It specializes in film and television production.

<i>The Dropout</i> 2022 American drama television miniseries

The Dropout is an American biographical drama television miniseries that dramatizes the rise and fall of the disgraced biotechnology company Theranos and its founder, Elizabeth Holmes, played by Amanda Seyfried. It features an ensemble supporting cast, including Naveen Andrews, Elizabeth Marvel, William H. Macy, Stephen Fry, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Bill Irwin, Utkarsh Ambudkar, LisaGay Hamilton, Michael Ironside, Laurie Metcalf, Anne Archer, and Sam Waterston. Created by Elizabeth Meriwether, the series is based on the podcast of the same name hosted by Rebecca Jarvis and produced by ABC News.

<i>Things Heard & Seen</i> 2021 American horror film

Things Heard & Seen is a 2021 American horror film written and directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, based on the novel All Things Cease to Appear by Elizabeth Brundage. It stars Amanda Seyfried and James Norton. It was released on April 29, 2021, by Netflix, and received mostly negative reviews from critics.

<i>Bad Therapy</i> (film) 2020 American comedy thriller film by William Teitler

Bad Therapy is a 2020 American comedy thriller film directed by William Teitler from a screenplay by Nancy Doyne, based on the novel Judy Small by Doyne. It's been described as a mixture of thriller, comedy and drama. It stars Alicia Silverstone, Rob Corddry, and Michaela Watkins.

<i>The Crowded Room</i> American drama television series

The Crowded Room is an American psychological thriller miniseries created by Akiva Goldsman and inspired by the 1981 non-fiction novel The Minds of Billy Milligan by Daniel Keyes. Tom Holland, Amanda Seyfried, and Emmy Rossum lead a supporting cast that includes Sasha Lane, Will Chase, Lior Raz, Laila Robins, and Henry Eikenberry.

Riff Raff is an upcoming American crime comedy film directed by Dito Montiel, written by John Pollono, and starring Jennifer Coolidge, Gabrielle Union, Pete Davidson, Ed Harris, and Bill Murray.

References

  1. "The Clapper".
  2. Busch, Anita (February 5, 2016). "Ed Helms, Amanda Seyfried Lead Cast Of Comedy 'The Clapper'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  3. Busch, Anita (April 7, 2016). "Tracy Morgan In Talks To Star With Ed Helms In Dito Montiel's 'The Clapper'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  4. Kroll, Justin (May 31, 2016). "Russell Peters Joins Ed Helms, Amanda Seyfried in 'The Clapper'". Variety . Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  5. Busch, Anita (June 7, 2016). "'The Voice's Adam Levine Joins Comedy Feature 'The Clapper'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  6. Ali, Rasha (June 7, 2016). "Adam Levine Joins Indie Comedy 'The Clapper'". The Wrap . Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  7. Busch, Anita (June 20, 2016). "Mark Cuban, Rob "Gronk" Gronkowski & Sara Sampaio Join Comedy 'The Clapper'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  8. Pederson, Erik (July 13, 2016). "Michael Trucco & Ryan McPartlin Sail With 'Hunter Killer'; Wendy Braun Joins 'The Clapper'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  9. Cox, Gordon (March 2, 2017). "Tribeca Film Festival Unveils 2017 Feature Film Slate (Full List)". Variety. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
  10. Hipes, Patrick (September 14, 2017). "Dito Montiel's 'The Clapper' Strikes Deal At Momentum Pictures". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  11. Evangelista, Chris (December 13, 2017). "The Clapper Trailer: Ed Helms is an Infomercial Superstar". Slash Film. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  12. Van Luling, Todd (April 25, 2018). "Here's What Is Coming To Netflix In May 2018". The Huffington Post . Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  13. "The Clapper (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  14. "The Clapper Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  15. "39th Razzie Nominations!". YouTube: Razzie Channel.