Product Description: Studio: Hbo Home Video Release Date: 06/30/2009 Run time: 180 minutes
Amazon.com: Stepping up to the plate in this six-episode HBO series, comedy's newest It Boy, Danny McBride (The Foot Fist Way, Pineapple Express, Tropic Thunder), hits it out of the park as Kenny Powers, a former baseball phenom, who, after spending his millions and burning all bridges, returns to his high school to teach physical education. The delusional Powers (he still wears a mullet!) insists that he will return to the majors. Until then, he makes a play for his former high school flame (Katy Mixon), now an art teacher who is engaged to the boring, by-the-book principal (Andrew Daly). He runs roughshod over his brother and his disapproving wife (John Hawkes and Jennifer Irwin), who allow Powers to live with them and their children. He lures the idolizing nerdy band teacher to the dark side. Eastbound and Down has an odd sense of humor. To say that the foul-mouthed, substance-abusing Powers is "inappropriate" is an understatement. He makes Billy Bob Thornton's Bad Santa look like Edmund Gwenn in Miracle on 34th Street). When one of his students repeats his father's claim that Powers ruined baseball, Powers tells the class, "Anybody want to pick on anybody in class, aim for him, because I ain't watching."
Eastbound and Down benefits from some big league talent. Will Ferrell, who helped get The Foot Fist Way into theatres, appears as a car salesman who wants to exploit what's left of Powers' celebrity with predictably disastrous results. Episodes were directed by McBride collaborator Jody Hill (Observe and Report), David Gordon Green (Superbad), and Ferrell's partner in comedy, Adam McKay (Talladega Nights, Anchorman). There are other obnoxious characters on television, but Kenny Powers is in a league of his own, and he may take some warming up to. But McBride imbues this extreme character with an uncompromised integrity that is oddly admirable. Despite what his brother tells him at one point, Powers is someone you like being around. --Donald Liebenson
Stills from Eastbound and Down- The Complete First Season(click for larger image)
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - A caricature in its decline
The whole of this series and its effectiveness with audiences hinges on whether or not you have ever seen white-trash in all of its ignorantly willfull and hilarious nuances on a daily basis. If you have not then the liklihood of enjoying this series is virtually nil. But if, like me, you have, then you realize although the anti-hero of this series (Kenny Powers) is an unrelenting and shameless pig, he really does effectively capture the essence of some of the more ignorant from this strata of ... Read More
Rating: - Great Show
This is one of the more funny shows I have seen in a while. I'm looking foward to seeing season two to see what will happen next.
Rating: - Best HBO comedy by far!
First 3 episodes are super funny! Can't wait to see if they continue the series. Made my whole family laugh out loud over the holidays!
Rating: - Great price!
I can't believe how much Best Buy wanted for this series, considering how short it was. It is exactly what it is. Fast shipping, No complaints.
Rating: - Hysterical and brilliant writing
This is some of the funniest TV ever. If your a fan of prolific profanity and good ole fashioned bathroom humor with a witty twist then this is an absolute must see.
Season two is slated to premier in 2010, now is the perfect time to catch up on the 6 episode season 1.
From the guys that made Anchorman, and Taledega nights with some PineApple Express in there too.
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