Posts tagged Jon Heder
Review: Blades of Glory (2007)

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on March 29, 2007.

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Blades of Glory sticks to formula, with good results

It started with dodgeball. Then it was NASCAR. Now it's figure skating. Hollywood seems to be going through a phase of sports-themed comedies, and this weekend will see the release of Blades of Glory, the latest Will Ferrell movie in which he plays the same egotistical-jerk-at-the-top-of-his-game as usual. Really, does he play anything else?

Will Ferrell and Jon Heder play Chazz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy, respectively - professional figure skaters whose rivalry for each other eventually results in them being permanently prohibited from skating singles in the Olympics. However, the pair discover a loophole that will allow them to skate as a pair. They'll have to put aside their differences if they're going to steal the gold from the favored competitors, Stranz and Fairchild Van Waldenberg (Will Arnett and Amy Poehler).

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ReviewsAndrew JohnsonAmy Poehler, Blades of Glory, Jon Heder, Will Arnett, Will FerrellComment
Feature: Jon Heder talks Blades of Glory

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on March 29, 2007.

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Napoleon takes to the ice

Jon Heder is probably best known to most as the socially inept yet lovable Napoleon Dynamite. However, ever since that small film became a cult sensation, the actor has had the opportunity to work with many veteran directors and actors and make a name for himself in Hollywood. He can next be seen alongside Will Ferrell in Blades of Glory, a comedy about two male figure skaters who end up competing as a pair.

According to Heder, it's a film audiences are lucky to see. There was a brief period of time during which it was nearly cancelled, after the actor broke his ankle during training.

"I wish I could say it was a cool accident and I was doing a cool trick, but I wasn't. I was going into a spin and my foot stayed stuck in the ice, so I just kind of crumpled on top of it," Heder said. "There was a brief time where we really thought the movie wasn't going to happen."

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FeaturesAndrew JohnsonBlades of Glory, Jon Heder, Will FerrellComment
Feature: Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Heder talk School For Scoundrels

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on September 28, 2006.

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A tale of two 'Scoundrels'

It's hard to imagine two actors that contrast as much as Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Heder. One is an Oscar-award winner known for his dramatic roles. The other is a newcomer to Hollywood who burst onto the scene in a screwball comedy. However, the actors are teaming up in School For Scoundrels, the latest comedy directed by Todd Phillips (Road Trip, Old School). Yet though their acting styles are tremendously different, both found the concept of the film appealing and intriguing.

"School For Scoundrels was a well-written script and I like Todd Phillips," Thornton said. "It's funny because I've always wanted to play a teacher in a movie, like maybe a college professor or something like that. But, in more of a drama and something really depicting school life the way it really is, and it's just kind of odd that I ended up playing up a teacher like this."

Heder said he was looking to get out of Napoleon's shadows by playing a character that has a conflict.

"You know the nerds and the dorks out there have a lot of conflict. So, I guess I'm attracted to those characters more," Heder said.

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FeaturesAndrew JohnsonBilly Bob Thornton, Jon Heder, School For Scoundrels, Todd PhillipsComment