Danny Roane: First Time Director

Film, Reviews

Available at Amazon.com

Directed by
Andy Dick

Cast
Eddie Alfano ………. Vinnie Carbonarra
Bob Bancroft ………. Allen Roane
Jack Black ………. Jack Black
Jamie Brown ………. Candice Sauvigne
Mo Collins ………. Deidra Fennigan
Marshall Cook ………. Nathan West
Catherine DePrima ………. Business Woman
Andy Dick ………. Danny Roane
Jacob Dick ………. Evan Wetzle
Lucas Dick ………. Adam
Kevin P. Farley ………. K.C.
Kate Flannery ………. Marla
Derrel Furutani ………. Japanese Auditioner
John Garret ………. Frank
Scott Haze ………. Rehab Patient
Paul Henderson ………. Paul Gunderson
Michael Hitchcock ………. John Imbagliado
Ricky Horne
Jimmy Kimmel ………. Jimmy Kimmel
Karen Loftus ………. Mrs. Wetzel
Madeline Long ………. Susan Fritz
Noli McCool ………. Vicious Cycle Actor
Jonnas McDiffitt ………. Patrick
Jason Miller ………. Charles Brown
Frankie Muniz ………. Frankie Muniz
Bob Odenkirk ………. Pete Kesselmen
Daniel Passer ………. Asp / Hitler
Anthony Rapp ………. Anthony Rapp
Sara Rue ………. Charlotte Louis
Barry Saltzman ………. Barry
Tyler Sedustine ………. Tyler Carmichael
David Seiler ………. Korean Auditioner
Jacob Stein ………. Jewish Auditioner
Ben Stiller ………. Ben Stiller
Crystal Stone ………. Viscious Cycles Actress
Erik Strom ………. Caucasian Auditioner
Maura Tierney ………. Maura Tierney
Danny Trejo ………. Hector
James Van Der Beek ………. James Van Der Beek

Run Time: 84 minutes
Rated R
DVD Release date: November 6, 2007

Danny Roane: First Time Director is written, directed, and produced by professional drug-addled, pan-sexual, ADHD narcissist Andy Dick. Dick is best known as a TV actor in such sitcoms as Newsradio and Less Than Perfect, where, in his own words, he played the roles of “office fag” and “slightly older office fag” respectively.

Apart from his work behind the camera, Dick is also the star of Danny Roane: First Time Director, playing the eponymous Roane, a drug-addled, pan-sexual, ADHD narcissist former sitcom star. A documentary crew follows Roane around as he attempts to make a semi-autobiographical movie about the dangers of drug and alcohol addiction. He eventually gets some money together and calls in some favors with some famous friends (Ben Stiller, Jack Black) to help him make the movie. Roane casts James Van Der Beek as the star of his movie, then falls off the wagon, rewrites the film as a musical as casts “the guy from Rent” (Anthony Rapp).

That’s pretty much it, in terms of plot. Even by mockumentary standards, the story is wafer thin. I can’t imagine that Andy Dick has the attention span to watch an entire film, let alone make one. It is mostly a string of unrelated gags, musical numbers, and celebrity cameos. It isn’t really a movie. It seems more like a series of 5 minute long YouTube videos strung back to back. Most of the humor is cheap and broad. For instance, he urinates on Jimmy Kimmel and Frankie Muniz in the first reel.

But here’s the thing: at times, it is really funny. I laughed more at this film than at Wedding Crashers or Talladega Nights or at Napoleon Dynamite. As a movie, it’s a failure. But as 80 minutes of people goofing around, it is perfectly adequate entertainment.

The DVD

Audio and Visual
The movie was made on the cheap. No quality of transfer is going to change that thing.

The Extras

Apart from a block of Lionsgate trailers, we are afforded 10 minutes of outtakes. It’s mostly folks giggling, but surprisingly watchable.

We also get 6 Extended Scenes, which total up to about 20 minutes. The highlights here are an extended bit with the Kate Flannery (Meredith of The Office) explaining her qualifications as a casting director, and professional mockumentary subject Michael Hitchcock talking about his love of the WB.

The DVD Lounge’s Rating for
Danny Roane: First Time Director
CATEGORY
RATING
(OUT OF 10)
THE MOVIE

5
THE VIDEO

7
THE AUDIO

7
THE EXTRAS

5
REPLAY VALUE

7
OVERALL
5.5
(NOT AN AVERAGE)