Fox Searchlight’s Gentleman Broncos, directed by Napoleon Dynamite‘s Jared Hess and starring Flight of the Conchords‘ Jemaine Clement, opened this weekend on two screens, grossing $11,502 dollars.  Which isn’t  horrible in terms of per-screen average.  It was supposed to go wider this weekend, but after getting horrible reviews, it pulled out of first Chicago and then Dallas and now Seattle too (no word on whether it still plans squirt all over Tucson).  Here were some of the positive reviews:

“A juvenile, crass and silly mess that’s occasionally irritating to watch, intermittingly funny and over-the-top, but nonetheless amusing and wildly imaginative.” Source (6.25 out of 10)

“Its quirkiness preceding and very nearly swallowing it whole, Gentlemen Broncos is less warped than it thinks it is yet still provides enough bizarre, painstakingly designed schlock to tickle the willing.” Source (3 out of 5)

Roman Polanski with a bullhorn sez, “DID SOMEONE SAY ‘TICKLE THE WILLING?’”  Meanwhile, I think my favorite review was this one from UGO:

“Jared Hess is now, after Rudolf Hess, my most hated Hess.”

Ah, yes, what would we movie critics do without pointed Nazi references?  “If I were a holocaust Jew and had been given the choice between seeing this movie again and a shower, this reviewer would surely have chosen the shower.”  Anyway, don’t weep for Jared Hess, as he’s still rich in love and support from his family.  By which I mean he’s Mormon so I assume he has lots of wives.

Here’s the first trailer and poster for Gentlemen Broncos, which has already released some decent viral videos with Jemaine Clement (from Flight of the Conchords).  Via ONTD:

Benjamin [Michael Angarano], home-schooled by his eccentric mother [Jennifer Coolidge, AKA Stifler's mom], is a lovable loner whose passion for writing leads him on an offbeat and hilarious journey as his story gets ripped off by the legendary novelist Ronald Chevalier [Jemaine Clement] and then is adapted into a disastrous movie by the small town’s most prolific homespun filmmaker [Sam Rockwell].

I’m torn (like your sister’s hymen).  I like most of the actors, and the videos so far have been pretty good.  On the other hand, this is directed/co-written by the same guy who did Napoleon Dynamite, which was more white than Pat Boone riding a polar bear through the set of “2001: A Space Odyssey”.

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After the jump, I’ve got a brand new promotional clip from Gentleman Broncos, starring Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords.  To refresh your memory, Gentleman Broncos comes from Jared and Jerusha Hess, the mormon husband and wife filmmaking team behind Napoleon Dynamite.  Clement plays Dr. Ronald Chevalier, a fantasy novelist.  In this clip, he describes his creative process:

“To inspire myself, I turn to myself, and my own original compositions. This chord conjures up a family of electronic dogs, scavenging for a home. This suggests a planet, with 50 moons.  This, an android, who discovers feelings.”

In theory I know I should find this funny, but good god is it dry.  It almost makes me wish someone would get hit in the nuts, or a cross-dressing black guy in a fat suit would chase someone around with a rolling pin.  Oh lawdy, chile, I done tripped an’ fell on mah sweet potata pie, now mah britches is ruined!
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Gentlemen Broncos, the upcoming movie from Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess, "follows a high school outcast who’s an aspiring fantasy author. He attends a fantasy convention to show off his work and finds his supposed masterpiece – ‘Yeast Lords’ – ripped off by legendary novelist Ronald Chevalier, who has turned desperate for ideas."

Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords  ("New Zealand: Why not?") plays Chevalier, and the above video is from his viral site, RonaldChevalier.com.  An excerpt:

A Cluster Award-winning, published author since the age of 13, Dr.Chevalier’s robust body of work includes titles such as Cyborg Harpies, Brain Cream, and the all new, completely original novel Brutus & Balzaak. 
Dr. Chevalier’s talents extend into such varied spheres as the sciences, arts. His original painted works have received various accolades within the “Art World”, and he’s revolutionized the genre of “Visitation Portraiture”.

This movie hasn’t even finished shooting yet and already has a viral site.  It seems like every movie has a viral site these days.  These viral sites have really been spreading like… uh, wildfire. 

I’ve posted this video from Flight of the Conchords because Jemaine Clement (he’s the weird looking one) has been cast in Gentleman Broncos, Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess’ next film. 

Gentlemen Broncos "follows a high school outcast who’s an aspiring fantasy author. He attends a fantasy convention to show off his work and finds his supposed masterpiece – ‘Yeast Lords’ – ripped off by legendary novelist Ronald Chevalier, who has turned desperate for ideas." The film’s script was written by Jared Hess and his wife Jerusha, the same two who wrote both Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre. Production is set to start in March. [FirstShowing.net]

Also joining the cast are Sam Rockwell (left, with the sweet mustache) and Michael Angarano (right). 

I’m not sure how to feel about this one.  I like Flight of the Conchords, and I even loved Napoleon Dynamite before the nerds ruined it (yeah, I said it. it felt good, dammit).  But Conchords humor plus Napoleon Dynamite humor?  Jesus, it might be so deadpan that it’s just two guys staring at each other with their mouths open for two hours.  It’d cut to one guy, then the other, then to a close up of the ironic galoshes they’re both wearing. It might not be funny, but you’ll laugh because the only other option is feeling really uncomfortable.