I like seeing Mike Judge go back to the American workplace. Idiocracy‘s great moments were mired in some repetitive silliness, and I wonder if Judge might simply be much more at home working in the context of today.
The trailer for Extract suggests that he’s once again funneling current issues through a straightforward lens, but that was part of what made Office Space work so well. It’s simple, direct and perceptive rather than angling to come across as overly clever. (The Jump to Conclusions mat is a good comment on the overly clever, as is perhaps the studio fate of Idiocracy.)
Am I little sad to see Ben Affleck playing the Diedrich Bader role? Yep, but I can deal with that. Especially with J.K. Simmons making that face when Mila Kunis shows up. The sweatpants tying is perfect, and the sequence that costs the fantastic Clifton Collins Jr one of his balls would get me in the theater, if nothing else did. Man, even losing a nut is probably better than being in Boondock Saints 2.
Cinematical has the trailer debut. Thanks to the ever-vigilant Brian Henne for the heads-up.