Interview: Vince Offer discusses his new movie 'InAPPropriate Comedy'
You know his face, and you know his product. You may even know his name. And now, you will know his comedy.
Vince Offer, better known as the ShamWow guy, arrives at select theatres this weekend with an offbeat, filthy feature lengthy film. InAPPropriate Comedy is its generic title, and it stars among others, Rob Schnieder, Lindsay Lohan, Ari Ahaffir, Michelle Rodriguez, and Adrien Brody – the Adrien Brody who won an Academy Award, by the way, just in case you were unsure.
“I didn’t want to do a Hollywood comedy,” explains Vince while in Toronto promoting the film. “There is no shortage of different sensibilities or taboos.”
The film, which features series after series of jokes seeking to push or simply demolish boundaries, sexual, racial, and otherwise, has been a vision of Vince’s for quite some time. In 1999, Vince wrote and directed the low-budget Underground Comedy Movie, and with the success he has achieved promoting products on television – the ShamWow and Slap-Chop most notably—Vince was able to fund his movie endeavor.
Some of characters in his new film are modern day spoofs and others ones that Vince envisioned from his childhood. One segment is an African-American spinoff of Jackass called Blackass, and The Amazing Race gives way to The Amazing Racist.
Adrien Brody, plays a character called Flinty Harry, and from the trailer, this is a marked departure for the talented leading man.
“We were so thrilled to have him on board,” says Vince of Brody. “I think he feels as if he has been pigeonholed; he did Saturday Night Live recently, and he had an absolute blast doing comedy.”
Characters, though, are something Vince is particularly familiar with. A longtime love of variety shows, and with experience doing sketches and performing at flea markets as a youngster, Vince has already seen one character become a huge success.
“The informercial, that’s not exactly me,” explains Vince. “It’s a character. It put me on the map, and honestly, the money from that made this movie.”
Whether or not the movie will foster more feature film attempts by Vince remains to be seen. If audiences deem Vince’s product as one worth buying, more may come down the line, and if not, then Vince is still proud with what he has accomplished, embracing his passion for comedy.
Regardless of future movie endeavors, Vince will be back on television where he has come to be known, with more infomercials heading down the pipe. “Bottom line, I’m a businessman. It was a good opportunity, fun to write, and fun to make. We’ll see if people laugh.”
InAPPropriate Comedy opens in select theatres tomorrow. At Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto, the first 200 ticket buyers to the 6:20 and 8:30 showing will receive a free ShamWow – signed by Vince.