i want you to hit me as hard as you can... KFBR392. If that specific combination of letters
and numbers has any meaning to you, it's quite possible you're a fan of the 2010 R-rated comedy
Macgruber. How did Will Forte's throat ripping dimwit go from popular Saturday Night Live
skits to a box office bomb, and then gain a big enough cult following to prompt his return in a
streaming series? Put some gas in the Miata and find out what the [ __ ] happened to this movie!
Macgruber himself, Will Forte, had worked on his comedic chops with the Los Angeles improv
group the Groundlings before writing for TV series like That 70s Show, Third Rock from
the Sun and the underappreciated and short-lived Hollywood producer comedy Action. During that time
he continued performing with the Groundlings and landed on the radar of long-time Saturday Night
Live producer Lorne Michaels. Forte auditioned for the New York-based show and actually got the gig,
but he declined, instead deciding to remain in California writing. Obviously he eventually
changed his mind and joined the SNL staff in 2002. Although he struggled a bit with
performances and wrestled with his obsessive compulsive disorder when writing sketches,
over the next eight years alongside regulars like Andy Samberg, Bill Hader and Amy Poehler, Forte
would establish memorable cringe characters such as the Falconer, ESPN commentator Greg Stink, and
creepy politician Tim Calhoun. One character that Forte was not initially keen on was Macgruber. SNL
writer and Lonely Island co-founder Jorma Taccone had pitched Forte on the idea, which he described
as Macgyver's less competent stepbrother. Forte groaned at the concept and rejected it,
but Taccone was persistent and Forte ultimately relented. Thanks for watching Joblo videos,
if you enjoy our shows please like and subscribe and click the bell to be notified when new videos
go live. Now back to the show! The first round of Macgruber skits directed by Taccone premiered in
2007 and featured Forte's mulleted vest-wearing special agent trying to defuse a bomb with
everyday objects, along with unconventional and increasingly disgusting items like dog turds and
pubic hair. Needless to say Macgruber fails and the bomb detonates, which would become the running
joke. Forte assumed that would be the last of the inept operative but audiences and Lorne Michaels
wanted his return. Macgruber would make eight more SNL appearances over the next couple of years plus
a trio of Super Bowl commercials for Pepsi that guest starred original Macgyver himself Richard
Dean Anderson. For some reason only the second episode was aired during the game. Forte later
speculated it was because of the three segments that one featured Pepsi the most. Still the Super
Bowl spot got plenty of attention and positive reaction, and Michaels then suggested giving
Macgruber the big screen treatment. Historically, spin-off movies based on SNL characters were hit
or miss to put it mildly, and it had been a decade since The Ladies Man flopped at the box
office. The main challenge for a feature was that Forte and Taccone, along with fellow SNL writer
and Macgruber collaborator John Solomon, had no idea how to elaborate on the character's brief
adventures. As Taccone said, "it's just a guy who explodes." For inspiration they turned to their
shared appreciation for the exaggerated carnage and sweaty machismo of 80s movies like Commando,
Uncommon Valor and Rambo, with a special nod to Patrick Swayze's throat ripping classic
Road House. That style of self-serious action flick became fertile ground for satire and
the trio quickly found themselves with a raunchy and massive 175 page script. For time and budget
constraints, lengthy and complicated action sequences were carved out and the script was
slimmed down significantly. Relativity Media would finance the movie for a meager 10 million dollars,
which aside from 1994's androgynous dud It's Pat was the smallest budget of any SNL feature
to date. The comparatively minimal risk meant that the filmmakers would have very limited oversight,
allowing them to get weird. When it came time for casting, Forte's Macgruber sketch co-stars
were obvious choices. Maya Rudolph would play the spirit of Macgruber's deceased wife Casey,
with Kristen Wiig as Vicky St. Elmo, his intrepid teammate and love interest. To try and offset the
comedy stars, the team sought more respected dramatic actors for the remaining major roles.
For the part of ambitious soldier Dixon Piper, the movie's straight man, they approached Ryan
Phillippe, who at the time was mainly known for serious movies like Cruel Intentions and Crash.
Philippe's own representation didn't even think he'd be interested, but the actor,
who calls himself an SNL nerd, was thrilled at the chance to go against type. To play Dieter
Von Cunth, the dastardly villain who obliterated Macgruber's wife during their wedding ceremony,
the filmmakers went to Val Kilmer. Although he hadn't starred in a comedy since his early career,
Kilmer apparently killed it at the table read, which also was actually the first time he had
even looked at the script. At that same table read the role of Macgruber's superior Colonel Jim Faith
was played by Ray Liotta, who curiously performed the character with a New York gangster accent.
Taccone, who was just making his feature directing debut, didn't feel comfortable giving the veteran
actor direction and instead ended up going to Kilmer's Tombstone co-star Powers Boothe to play
the unflappable military commander. Other minor parts were filled out by pro wrestlers like Chris
Jericho, Kane and the Great Khali as a crack team of allies with similarly unlikely names who meet a
swift and fiery end thanks to Macgruber's unstable homemade explosives. Coincidentally the same exact
thing happened to Cunth. No wait that didn't happen to me because i'm not a [ __ ] [ __ ] who
blows up his own dudes. After only a few weeks of prep time, shooting began in August 2009
in New Mexico. For guidance on how to stretch his budget, Taccone had referenced commentary tracks
on DVDs of Robert Rodriguez movies. It must have provided valuable insight as Taccone later claimed
the entire cost for the movie's visual effects was less than 200 grand. Taccone and cinematographer
Brandon Trost were intent on making glossy action cinema like Die Hard but on a fraction of the
budget. Taccone calls Macgruber a "sleight of hand action movie" in that it doesn't really contain
much action. Forte admitted that having financial limitations led to silly gags like water dunking
the bad guys instead of a protracted shootout scene. Classic Macgruber. Uninhibited by network
TV standards and practices, the filmmakers could get as filthy as an R rating would allow, making
for some wonderful awkwardness like Macgruber's unorthodox way of asking to keep his job.
I will suck your [ __ ] dick. Powers Boothe wasn't quite certain how he should react to this request
so Taccone instructed him to play it like Leslie Nielsen in Airplane but even more serious. I am
serious and don't call me Shirley. Other notably uncomfortable moments came in the form of love
scenes. Macgruber's enthusiastic sex with Vicky was shot in the middle of a scorching Albuquerque
summer and Forte's cascade of sweat was very real. Known for his meticulous attention to scripting
detail, Forte also actually predetermined the precise number of passionate grunts.
Kristen Wiig, who celebrated her birthday being fake humped by her SNL colleague,
had to keep turning away from the camera because she couldn't stop laughing. She also later said
that Forte spent the next several days apologizing to her. By contrast, Macgruber's guilt-ridden and
equally unpleasant graveyard intimacy with the ghost of his dead wife was shot on a cold night,
and Maya Rudolph was nearly eight months pregnant at the time so a stunt double had to stand in for
the more energetic activity, at least for the shots when Forte wasn't just hammering at air.
Another infamous Macgruber moment came with his unusual vegetable distraction.
The original plan was to use a carrot as a nod to Macgyver but it was changed to celery instead,
since the production was already experiencing some legal contention with the original show's creator.
Shooting the scene also happened to take place on the same day that Forte's mother visited the set
with two friends, which feels appropriately awkward for the bumbling hero. When it came time
for Piper to replicate the diversionary tactic, Ryan Phillippe bravely performed the celery stunt.
But he admits that everyone doubted he would actually go through with it because he was
perceived as a "serious actor." But Phillippe admired the fearless commitment of his comedy
co-stars, later saying "i may not have done this stuff my whole career but if Will's gonna do that,
i'm gonna do it." Judging by the final product, all of the cast members were clearly game for
pretty much anything, although there was a bridge too far for Val Kilmer. In the movie, Macgruber
continually and over confidently makes promises to his nemesis regarding the vivid fate of his
genitals. I cannot wait to cut off your dick and shove it in your mouth. Taccone repeatedly tried
to convince Kilmer to let him actually film it in what he described as "beautifully shot in
silhouette." But while the actor was amused by the idea, he ultimately refused. It was essentially
the only compromise of the production. Filming on Macgruber wrapped in a brisk 28 days, although
they did briefly reconvene to shoot the flaming payoff to Macgruber's vindictive obsession with
KFBR392, a scene that was originally intended to have Richard Dean Anderson as the vehicle's owner.
Test screenings for the movie were promisingly positive and a premiere at the South by Southwest
film festival received an uproarious response. In the weeks before the movie was scheduled to open
Forte went on a promotional tour in character, even hosting WWE Raw. Macgruber seemed to be
developing solid buzz. It's time to go pound some [ __ ]. Universal released Macgruber on May 21,
2010. And it bombed like any of the devices Macgruber failed to disarm,
earning only four million dollars for its opening weekend. Critics were divided, while audiences
were generally baffled. Just two weeks later the movie had completely disappeared from theaters
with a domestic total of $8.5 million. The previous summers had R-rated breakout comedies,
but Macgruber would not be counted among them. Still the creators and cast have no regrets as
the demented homage to 80s action was exactly the movie they set out to make, and despite its
abysmal box office it turned out they weren't the only ones who loved Macgruber. Over the course of
the decade that followed, Forte's delusional soft rock loving imbecile built a cult following one
that even includes filmmakers like Edgar Wright and Christopher Nolan. As that fanbase slowly
but surely continued to grow, the creators often discussed trying to make a sequel however they
could, even contemplating a Kickstarter. That plan ultimately evolved into a long form series
and in January 2020 it was announced that Forte's incompetent narcissist would return for a series
on NBC's Peacock streaming service, where the primary cast will be joined by Sam Elliott,
Laurence Fishburne, and Billy Zane as a villain named Enos Queeth. It's been a long and winding
road for Will Forte's blustery buffoon and his hilariously violent and under-appreciated
adventure. His survival and resilience is ironic for a character who originally could barely last
60 seconds before blowing himself to smithereens. But hey that's classic
Macgruber. Let us know your thoughts, leave a comment in the comments and thanks for watching