I don’t often put much thought into what is written on DVD cases. However, I saw a particularly interesting one on the cover of “Year One.” Rene Rodriguez of the Miami Herald wrote:
“I double dare anyone not to laugh.”
So, I decided to take Mr. Rodriguez’s dare. Easier done than said. I think I laughed more in “Revolutionary Road” than I did in “Year One.”
A few weeks later, I found myself watching “Land of the Lost.” On the DVD case for that instant classic, Colin Covert of the Minneapolis Star Tribune said:
“Laugh-out-loud funny!”
I never LOLed, although I did chuckle a few times. These weren’t mild laughs; they were a response to very uncomfortable situations that I wasn’t quite sure how to respond to.
We laugh off these two movies now like an age-old joke; they somehow have quickly come to be the quintessence of comedic failure. But back in June 2009, “Year One” and “Land of the Lost” had massive expectations. They were supposed to rake in the money while making audiences howl with laughter. But as we all know, they both fell flat on their faces in both respects.
Fast forward to today, 2010, and the studios are praying they haven’t got another comedic dud on their hands. Universal, who was responsible “Land of the Lost,” brings us “Get Him to the Greek” on June 4; Sony, guilty for “Year One,” gives us “Grown Ups” on June 25. These studios would nothing more than to have their latest releases become the new “The Hangover,” a modest comedy which far exceeded anyones expectations.
There are reasons why “Year One” and “Land of the Lost” flopped, and both share a lot of the same missteps. Allow me to elaborate…
Marshall and the Movies 
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