The Clapper

A handful of times the past year my brother kept recommending the film I am covering in today’s entry, 2017’s The Clapper (trailer). For whatever reason, I kept neglecting the film whenever he asked if I checked it out yet. My brother rarely insists on films so much, so I should not have been surprised that he acquired this DVD for me for a Christmas gift a couple weeks ago. Turns out my brother knows which type of comedies I am a fan of these days, as this did not disappoint.

Eddie Krumble (Ed Helms) is defined in the opening scenes as a career paid-programming audience member. An early opening montage shows Krumble applauding along to various shows as an eagerly interested audience member, and getting paid a rare bonus when he is granted the opportunity to be the “random” audience member to ask a question about the product available for sale. His friend Chris (Tracy Morgan) is his fellow audience member co-hort, and the duo have an amusing friendship dynamic that always entertains. Later on, it comes to fruition that Eddie is apparently a grieving widow who found solace in this new routine in life, yet is clearly still on edge throughout the film by his constant agitated body language, and meek candor he conducts himself when conversing with superiors.

Helms pulls this role off wonderfully, and he only got me more invested in Krumble when he starts to interact more with his gas station clerk crush, Judy (Amanda Seyfreid). The two appear to start hitting it off, when of course, Eddie’s world starts to fall apart with unwanted fame upon him when talk show host, Stillerman (Russell Peters) outs Krumble for his frequent talk show appearances and dubs him “The Clapper.” Watching Eddie spiral out of control with the press tracking him, along with his friends and family down hit that difficult fine line to walk of uncomfortable comedy.

The final act had me worried on how it was going to unfold when Stillerman convinces Eddie to come on his talk show multiple times to make everything right and to get to know the person behind the clapping. Thankfully, The Clapper, gets it right in the final scenes that introduce new conflicts and wrap up with clever resolutions. I would not say this film is the traditional comedy that will be a “non-stop laugh riot,” but more of a complex comedy with some scenes that definitely triggered some laughs, but also plenty of hard-hitting dry comedy that both Helms and Seyfreid perfect playing off each other’s unique character chemistry.

While The Clapper does not spell out Krumble’s past baggage he is coping with being a widow, Helms provides ample context with it in how nervous he portrays the character. Watching him overcome that baggage and find renewed hope in life with Judy was a riveting journey to be a part of. The DVD has no extras, but that is fine by me as The Clapper is a refreshingly different comedy well worth your time.

Other Random Backlog Movie Blogs

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12 Angry Men (1957)
12 Rounds 3: Lockdown
21 Jump Street
The Accountant
Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie
Atari: Game Over
The Avengers: Age of Ultron
The Avengers: Infinity War
Batman: The Dark Knight Rises
Batman: The Killing Joke
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice
Bounty Hunters
Cabin in the Woods
Captain America: Civil War
Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Christmas Eve
Clash of the Titans (1981)
Clint Eastwood 11-pack Special
The Condemned 2
Countdown
Creed I & II
Deck the Halls
Detroit Rock City
Die Hard
Dredd
The Eliminators
The Equalizer
Dirty Work
Faster
Fast and Furious I-VIII
Field of Dreams
Fight Club
The Fighter
For Love of the Game
Good Will Hunting
Gravity
Grunt: The Wrestling Movie
Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2
Hell Comes to Frogtown
Hercules: Reborn
Hitman
I Like to Hurt People
Indiana Jones 1-4
Ink
The Interrogation
Interstellar
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot
Jobs
Joy Ride 1-3
Last Action Hero
Major League
Man of Steel
Man on the Moon
Man vs Snake
Marine 3-6
Merry Friggin Christmas
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpions Revenge
National Treasure
National Treasure: Book of Secrets
Nintendo Quest
Not for Resale
Payback (Director’s Cut)
Pulp Fiction
The Punisher (1989)
The Ref
The Replacements
Reservoir Dogs
Rocky I-VIII
Running Films Part 1
Running Films Part 2
San Andreas
ScoobyDoo Wrestlemania Mystery
Scott Pilgrim vs the World
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Shoot em Up
Slacker
Skyscraper
Small Town Santa
Steve Jobs
Source Code
Star Trek I-XIII
Sully
Take Me Home Tonight
TMNT
The Tooth Fairy 1 & 2
UHF
Veronica Mars
Vision Quest
The War
Wild
The Wizard
Wonder Woman
The Wrestler (2008)
X-Men: Apocalypse
X-Men: Days of Future Past