"Z is for Zoolander"

Preamble: OK, if you've been reading my movie reviews for the past 25 days, you should know by now that I have a very ecletic palette when it comes to movies. It came as quite a shock to my boyfriend that this is actually one of my favorite movies (I mean I love Solaris - the original Russian version), especially considering I've never been the biggest Ben Stiller or Will Farrell fan. But it is just the utter ridiculousness of it all that keeps me in stitches.

Fun Fact - I actually spent a summer working in a modeling agency in Chicago and unfortunately it was nothing close to level of this movie, it was actually quite boring.


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Year: 2001

Rated: PG-13

Summary - Propelled to the top of the fashion world by a photogenic gaze he calls "Blue Steel," dimwitted male model Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) thinks he's got a fourth consecutive win as Male Model of the Year in the bag. But, when his rival, Hansel (Owen Wilson), unexpectedly takes the crown, Derek is crushed. He becomes easy prey for fashion designer Jacobim Mugatu (Will Ferrell), who signs Derek to star in his "Derelicte" fashion show, then brainwashes him to kill Malaysia's prime minister.

Directed by: Ben Stiller

Screenplay by: Drake Sather, Ben Stiller, John Hamburg

Story by: Drake Sather, Ben Stiller

Starring:
Ben Stiller as Derek Zoolander
Owen Wilson as Hansel McDonald
Christine Taylor as Matilda Jeffries
Will Ferrell as Jacobim Mugatu
Milla Jovovich as Katinka Ingabogovinanana
Jerry Stiller as Maury Ballstein
David Duchovny as J.P. Prewett
Jon Voight as Larry Zoolander
Vince Vaughn as Luke Zoolander
Judah Friedlander as Scrappy Zoolander
Nathan Lee Graham as Todd
Alexander Skarsgård as Meekus
Justin Theroux as Evil DJ
Andy Dick as Olga the masseuse
Andrew Wilson as Hansel's corner guy
John Vargas as Italian designer
Jennifer Coolidge as American designer
Tony Kanal as French designer
Nora Dunn as British designer
James Marsden as John Wilkes Booth
Patton Oswalt as Monkey photographer

Top Picks from the Soundtrack
"Relax" - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
"Call Me" - Nikka Costa
"Love to Love You Baby" - No Doubt
"I Started a Joke" - The Wallflowers

The Review
This film is certainly not everybodies cup of tea. Lots and lots of people will hate this film in a big way! But I loved Zoolander very much. I love Ben Stiller films very much and when he combines his talents with his family, friends and icons doing Stiller a favor it makes Zoolander a better movie to watch.

It's inane humor but it's all worth it for the fourth wall breaking moment that actually addresses just what I was thinking the first time I watched this movie in the third act.

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Grade: B

Aces for Acting
Christine Taylor

MVP
Will Farrell

Favorite Character
Monkey Photographer

Best Character Interactions
Derek and Hansel

Best Scene

Mugatu: SHUT UP! Enough already, Ballstein! Who cares about Derek Zoolander anyway? The man has only one look, for Christ's sake! Blue Steel? Ferrari? Le Tigra? They're the same face! Doesn't anybody notice this? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills! I invented the piano key necktie, I invented it! What have you done, Derek? You've done nothing! NOTHIIIING! And I will be a monkey's uncle if I let you ruin this for me, because if you can't get the job done, then I will!

[flings "M" shaped shuriken at the Prime Minister]

Mugatu: Die, you wage-hiking scum!


Notable Quotable
Derek Zoolander: Rufus, Brint, and Meekus were like brothers to me. And when I say brother, I don't mean, like, an actual brother, but I mean it like the way black people use it. Which is more meaningful I think.

Most Memorable Moments
J.P. Prewitt: I'm a hand model, mama. A finger jockey. We think differently than the face and body boys... we're a different breed.

Fun Facts
The sequel to this movie, Zoolander 2 is due to be released on 02/12/2016.

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Did I whet your appetite to watch Zoolander for the first time or maybe just the first time in a long time? I find this movie to be polarizing; you either love it or hate it. How do you feel about this movie? Who is your favorite character? If you're a selfie junkie do you have your own personal version of "Blue Steel"? If you do, you should totally post one in the comment section below.

If you enjoyed this review please be sure to comment, +1/like, share and maybe even follow this blog.

Well, that was it, day 26, the last and final day of the A to Z Challenge 2015. I did it! I hope you completed the challenge as well. I hope you've enjoyed my posts and found some other really cool blogs to follow over the course of this challenge, I know I have.

If you plan on continuing to read this blog know that you can look forward to weekly reviews of albums, books, comic books, TV shows and of course movie reviews with a little fashion, recipes and gaming thrown in to keep things fresh. To do that all you have to is click the join this site in the widget to the left or click here to subscribe to the RSS feed or sign up for the newsletter(that widget is to your right).

Otherwise, ciao until next year (my theme will more than likely be music related)!