Redemption Road: The Music is Legit

There are no pets in this film. They would have died long ago for these characters. They get the blues, give the blues, live the blues, and sometimes even play the blues. The last part is inconveniently difficult for Jefferson Bailey. He fancies himself an aspiring blues musician, but he has a nasty case of stage fright. Unfortunately, he has even worse problems in Mario Van Peebles’ Redemption Road, which screens on the Grio TV.

During his time in Austin, Bailey has been binge-drinking and sleeping with the wife of the loan shark he is into, for far more than he can repay. The aggrieved Boyd is out to collect his interest and then some, so Bailey reluctantly agrees to return to Huntsville with the imposing Augy. Supposedly, he was hired by the estate of Bailey’s grandfather, to bring the prodigal underachiever home, so he can collect his legacy. However, the big man might have an ulterior motive for accepting the assignment.

There is real-deal blues music in Redemption, often played in authentic looking road houses. Thanks to performances from the likes of Gary Clark Jr., James “Nick” Nixon, and Alabama Slim & Little Freddie King, real blues aficionados will forgive the film a lot, including all the cliches in Morgan Simpson and George Richards’ screenplay (which are plentiful). On the other hand, the scruffy white, goatee-wearing Simpson does not look very legit playing a blues musician, not even in hipster Austin.

Indeed, Simpson is by far the film’s weakest link. On the other hand, the late, great Michael Clarke Duncan is perfectly cast as the hulking but sensitive Augy and Tom Skerrit adds some grizzled charisma as Santa, his blues club proprietor crony. Duncan and Skerrit each have some nicely turned confessional speeches, but Bailey’s drama quickly grows tiresome. Still, Luke Perry deserves credit for wholeheartedly playing against type as the violent sleaze, Boyd.

Broken Lizard’s Slammin’ Salmon

The food might be decent, but never expect to see celebrity owners at their ostensive restaurants. Actually, that is usually for the best. Take the case of former heavy weight champion turned restaurateur Cleon “Slammin’” Salmon. His idea of taking an active interest in his upscale seafood establishment typically involves terrorizing the wait staff in the Broken Lizard comedy troupe’s The Slamin’ Salmon (trailer here), which opens in New York this Friday.

Probably best known for the Sundance hit Super Troopers, Broken Lizard specializes in dumb humor packaged for the indie film set. Slammin’ is basically more of the same, the only deviation being Kevin Heffernan assuming the directorial duties from fellow Lizard Jay Chandrasekhar. Still, there is something refreshingly politically incorrect about a comedy in which a long series of jokes are written around a schizophrenic character named “Nuts” who turns into the lunatic “Zongo” when he does not take his meds.

After losing a bet to the Yakuza on an albino hunting expedition, “The Champ” has to raise twenty G’s fast. Of course, that is quite a bit more than the restaurant has ever done in one night, but there is no need to be reasonable if you can simply terrify your manager into running a series of escalating sales contests that you have no intention of honoring. It’s good to be the champ.

Slammin’s comedy is overcooked and served with more enthusiasm than style, but to be honest, it is funny more often than not. Granted, the hit-or-miss humor hardly breaks any new ground. When Rich the manager (played by director Heffernan) accidentally swallows a customer’s diamond engagement ring (don’t ask), it is all too obvious where the film is headed—both literally and figuratively. Still, there are some clever moments, including amusing cameos from Morgan Fairchild appearing as herself and Lance Henriksen as her television producer. Broken Lizard also gets credit for maintaining their manic energy and delivering a few big tasteless laughs.

By and large, the staff of the Salmon are pretty likable, particularly How I Met Your Mother’s Cobie Smulders as the cute med student-waitress Tara. However, the Lizards are frequently upstaged by Michael Clarke Duncan (of The Green Mile fame), who is very funny in an appropriately over-the-top way as The Champ. They are all effectively supported by a great looking restaurant set that has the right chic designer look.

Nobody involved in Salmon is likely to hear their name called on Oscar night for their work on this film, but it should have a long life in frat house DVD players. While the humor might not be especially edifying, there are laughs in Salmon. It opens Friday (12/11) at the AMC Empire 25 and Village 7.