April 7, 2010, - 5:40 pm

“Dinner For Schmucks”: Hollywood Brings Us More Garbage for Summer Movie Season

By Debbie Schlussel

Today, publicists for Paramount Pictures alerted me to the trailer for this new summer movie, “Dinner for Schmucks.”  It looks like utter garbage.  I’ll reserve final judgment until I screen it and post my review when the movie debuts on July 23rd.  But if this is one of the highlights of the summer box office, it looks like your leisure time will be better spent at the beach or on your balcony sipping cocktails.

dinnerforschmucks

The “plot” of the movie is that Paul Rudd, in order to clinch a promotion at work, must bring a supernerd or utter weirdo to dinner with his boss, so that the boss and the other guests can make fun of the geek (and the other bizarros present).  The dinner is called the “Dinner for Extraordinary People.” Isn’t this what kids do in the playground–you know, before they grow up and become mature adults?  Don’t think I’ll like this.  Doesn’t look funny. Just stupid .  .  . and mean. But like I said, I’ll wait until I see it.  Oh, and by the way, the people who made this movie clearly don’t know their Yiddish.  A “schmuck” is basically a “p—k,” not a geek, unless they’re referring to the boss and his friends who make fun of the geeks. The more correct title would have been “Dinner for Schlemiels” or “Dinner for Putzes.”  I think the real Schmucks here are the ones who made this movie.

Here’s the trailer:

Like I said, this ain’t no “Revenge of the Nerds.” At least, it doesn’t look like it from the trailer.




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21 Responses

Looks like a very erotic movie.

Christopher Nelson on April 7, 2010 at 5:48 pm

Years ago, there were hit movies like David Copperfield, Dr. Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet, Anna Karenina, movies about Pasteur, etc. How far we have fallen.

Little Al on April 7, 2010 at 6:11 pm

A stupid, obnoxious or foolish person. An appropriate title for a stupid movie. Debbie, the fact they gave you an advance preview is notice its not good at all. Judging from the ad, I’d say its entirely skipworthy.

NormanF on April 7, 2010 at 6:32 pm

I’m hoping that Iron Man 2 is going to be as good or better than the first.

cirrus1701 on April 7, 2010 at 6:38 pm

How about “schlmazel”, which both actors truly are?

Graty Slapchop on April 7, 2010 at 6:44 pm

This sounds like a remake of a French film called “The Dinner Game” or “Le Diner de Cons”. It was actually very poignant, very original. Rent the French film first and see if the American one maintains the same sweet spirit of the original.

Lucinda on April 7, 2010 at 8:49 pm

Obviously, this was stolen from the French film, “Dinner Game”, where friends invited “idiots” to dinner to make fun of them. I bet this one is missing the human and sweet points of the original.

Greg on April 7, 2010 at 9:03 pm

    Your answer shows real ineelligtnce.

    Aira on March 23, 2015 at 1:14 am

Oops, I guess I should read ALL previous posts before entering my own comment. I apologize for the redundancy.

Greg on April 7, 2010 at 9:04 pm

Paul Rudd is funny. Too bad nobody can write a good comedy script anymore.

I read a clever essay that labelled, “Dude, Where’s My Car,” classic “mad cap.” I was convinced. Know I know why I laugh at some dumb-comedy where common sense is obliterated. Why doesn’t Hollywood understand that they shouldn’t re-make tired “relationship” stories, when they have other narrative tools, and the talent to make them work?

“Maverick” worked – even with unlikeables like Mel Gibson and Jody Foster – dollars for dimes says that an equally well written sequel work also work.

Mutteater on April 8, 2010 at 2:06 am

“Shmuck” in German, means “jewel.” “Putz,” in Yiddish, means “p***k.” It comes from a German word meaning “To clean.”

Miranda Rose Smith on April 8, 2010 at 2:41 am

Hollywood is for schmucks…AND THAT WORD CAN ALSO APPLY TO TO OTHER PEOPLE…NAMELY THOSE IN GOVERNMENT!

Bob Porrazzo on April 8, 2010 at 5:38 am

This has been going on since Married With Children and Roseanne, where comedy is reduced to the number of insults and the number of ridiculed persons that can be fit into a single script.

Now, America has adopted an entertainment format that has reigned in Japanese culture, where humiliating others is acceptable. Think American Idol, Survivor, The Apprentice, Hell’s Kitchen, and Fear Factor, to name a few. Are we surprised at anything that passes for entertainment?

Stephen S. on April 8, 2010 at 10:44 pm

in Yiddish, the word ‘schmuck’ refers to the part of the (male) penis removed at circumcision…the title of the movie, therefore, is totally dispicable not to mention distasteful!

Suzan Trayne on April 15, 2010 at 12:53 pm

Reminds me of a movie called “Dogfight” Where a group of guys would compete to bring the ugliest date to dinner. Schmuck, btw is German for snake.

Barry on April 19, 2010 at 6:55 pm

It IS an american adaptation of the play called “Le dîner de cons”, adapted for cinema circa 2000 and is one of the funniest french comedies of the last 20 years.

I just hope that Steve Carell will be up to the challenge because the original “schmuck” was really a stupid man, but becomes lovable throughout the movie and is never overplayed.

Jack on April 20, 2010 at 10:53 pm

How about ”Dinner for Schlussels”? Fulfills the same function.

Laurence H Collin on May 4, 2010 at 12:51 pm

You know Debbie, it always amazes me how you lack basic comprehension skills.

kon on May 9, 2010 at 5:21 am

I can’t even watch the preview!! I would rather watch Hannah Montana for a week than hear “momma mia poppa pia baby got the diarrhea” ONE MORE TIME. AAAAAAAAAAH! Waste of time.

Nicole on July 28, 2010 at 2:37 am

The movie was not so much a comedy but it left me entertained. Also the title is not what you think, the dinner is only about 10 minutes of the movie but it does not matter in my opinion. The movie is not an original, it’s a remake of the the movie “Le Dîner de cons” (the dinner game) the french original. So I do not understand these harsh comments. Take these negative comments to “The Other Guys” that was a horrible movie. Thank you

luke on January 20, 2011 at 3:24 pm

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