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Extreme Dating
2004
This movie, which was in post-production for a Very Long Time was
released on DVD in the U.S. on Feb. 7, 2006.
(It had been available in Thailand and some European nations for a
few months prior to that.)
"Extreme Dating" is a light-weight action-comedy-romance that has some truly funny
moments, especially if you know and love Lee Tergesen.
Lee plays a character named Hack, an ex-con turned painter whose
partner in crime is the roly-poly A.J. (John DiMaggio).
The engaging ensemble cast features Devon Sawa, Amanda Detmer, Andrew Keegan
and Ian Virgo as four 20-something friends who work for an ad
agency. Lamenting the state of their love lives, they come to
believe that the key to winning over their the object of their
affections is to place themselves in extreme situations and let the
sparks fly.
Thus, they plot a fake kidnapping -- hiring Hack and A.J. for
$100 each to carry out the hoax. A slap-stick abduction occurs, but
things turn serious when the friends later learn that the pair are
ex-cons. Plus, Hack leaves a ransom message, demanding $50,000 for
the return of the abductees -- Troy (Andrew Keegan) and a girl he
had admired from afar, Amy (Jamie-Lynn DiScala).
Lee gets a goodly amount of screen time even if there isn't very
much to his part. But he makes the most of it, of course. One of the
funniest bits comes after the unexpected arrival of the cabin owned
by resort mogul Marshall Jackson (played by Meat Loaf!). He stumbles
upon the whole scheme, throwing the worlds stupidest criminals for a
loop.
Hack insists they "stick to the plan." But AJ reminds
him, "The last time you said that you wound up locked in the
trunk of a Buick with a transvestite."
Lee-as-Hack flops down in a chair and huffs: "Can we go, like,
*one day* without bringing that up."
The movie produces another giggle when the two are watching a
COPS-like show on TV. The title in the corner of the screen --
"When Good Criminals Go Bad."
It's a fluffy, innocuous piece of fun. There certainly have been
worse movies of this type. I think the main thing that has hindered
its release has been a lot of legal woes.
Originally scheduled for theatrical release in 2004, "Extreme Dating" has had a bumpy ride. In
November 2003, Franchise Pictures picked up the worldwide rights to the movie. But
then Franchise Pictures went through a $77 million lawsuit and liquidated some of its projects, including "Extreme Dating."
Warner Home Video picked up the rights, indicating a
direct-to-video release.
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