Existing fans of Zach Galifianakis’ subversive, absurd, and highly-entertaining talk show Between Two Ferns will not be disappointed by Netflix’s Between Two Ferns: The Movie. The film adaptation of the Funny Or Die web series is also guaranteed to garner new fans for Galifianakis, and his portrayal of a snarky and inept talk show host.
Accompanied by his producer Carol Hunch (Lauren Lapkus), his cameraman, Cameran “Cam” Campbell (Ryan Gaul), and “Boom Boom” (Jiavani Linayao), who is the show’s sound mixer. Galifianakis and his hapless crew embark on a series of misadventures while insulting A-list celebrities along the way.
Here are 10 of the most hilarious quotes from Between Two Ferns: The Movie.
“What do you have to do? Go drive around in a Lincoln convertible, shirtless?”
Between Two Ferns: The Movie doesn’t waste any time when it comes to putting a celebrity in the hot seat. Matthew McConaughey hasn’t been visible on the big screen lately, but he is the face of Lincoln cars. The commercials are your standard celebrity endorsement fare: McConaughey makes driving seem like a golden ticket if you want to access a world of total chillness.
When McConaughey grows impatient with Galifianakis’ insults, the host quickly reduces the Academy Award-winning actor to a sell-out pin-up.
“I’m a white man and I’m straight, I deserve it.”
Galifianakis finally throws down the gauntlet, demanding Will Ferrell give him his own network talk show. This quote pokes fun at those who believe white males to be inordinately marginalized in modern society. The line works on multiple levels since Galifianakis is so stupid and horrible at his job that he has in no way earned this opportunity.
“Some people have it all. Looks, talent. How does it feel to only have looks?”
All of the celebrities who appear on Between Two Ferns know what they’re in for, and they always manage to seem uncomfortable in spite of it. When interviewing Paul Rudd, Galifakanis doesn’t deviate from his formula of slinging an insult right out of the gate by insinuating Rudd is nothing but a pretty face. Rudd is a handsome guy, but he’s capitalized on his comedic talents more so than his looks.
Rudd is one of the show’s few guests who drops hints that he’s in on the joke. As an accomplished comedic actor and writer, there’s no doubt Rudd appreciates Galifianakis’ deadpan delivery.
“You have 12 million Instagram followers. How long did it take you to apologize to each one of them for Bumblebee?”
Galifianakis never holds back when it comes to criticizing his guests. Nothing is off-limits. Rising star and ingenue Hailee Steinfeld isn’t exactly a household name, but the chances are good viewers have seen the Transformers’ spin-off.
The movie actually received good reviews, but Galifianakis talk show persona never stokes a celebrity’s ego or gives any credit where it’s due. His interviews are more like one-man roasts, and this quote is quintessential Zach. It doesn’t matter if the movie was good or made money if he doesn’t like it; all bets are off.
“I’d love to see an all-male reboot of Ocean’s 8.”
Galifianakis is unapologetically clueless about celebrity culture, so, when he interviews rapper-actress Awkwafina, he gets a chance to showcase his ignorance when it comes to both music and film.
The joke here is obvious: Ocean’s 8 is the all-female reboot of the wildly successful franchise. Not only does Galifianakis never bother to do his research, but it’s also almost impossible to fathom how mainstream pop culture fare doesn’t even cause a blip on his radar.
“I thought it was Analyze This, but it was Anal-yze This.”
The joke that hotel guests remain clueless that their choice to rent porn won’t come back to haunt them is one that can land or fall completely flat. When Galifianakis is confronted with an itemized bill in front of his co-workers, he does his best to dig himself out of the embarrassing hole.
Things go from bad to worse when he claims he didn’t realize this wasn’t the Billy Crystal comedy. The itemized bill reveals he makes the same mistake several times. Plus, porn puns never really get old.
“You once said you’re your own worst critic. So you haven’t read any of your reviews?”
Celebrities can check their egos at the door, because all it takes is one bad movie for Galifianakis to have a field day as Benedict Cumberbatch learns the hard way. Talk show banter is usually light, and the sole purpose is for someone famous to promote their next project.
It’s an unspoken rule the host shouldn’t bring up unfortunate career-related choices. How ironic that a guy who has an unnatural attachment to ferns and hosts a cable access shows has the nerve to point out how Dr. Strange himself has been taken to the woodshed by critics?
“Women are always being told to watch their weight in Hollywood. So why do you think so many actresses could still stand to lose a few pounds?”
Galifianakis and his team score an unexpected interview Tessa Thompson who happens to be at the wrong place and the wrong time (she’s researching boring people for a movie role). This question is a not so subtle jab at Hollywood and the entertainment industry’s double standard when it comes to beauty. The question sets Thompson up to deliver a zinger of her own with Galifianakis on the receiving end.
“Dinklage. Is that an STD?”
Between Two Ferns: The Movie is a mockumentary about a parody of a talk show, but that doesn’t make some moments any less cringeworthy. Galifianakis isn’t afraid to go there. Luckily, neither is Peter Dinklage, an actor who embraces the chance to poke fun at himself and celebrity stereotypes.
There are several obvious ways Galifianakis can go with this interview, and, with a name like Dinklage, the potential insults are innumerable, but a male body part certainly springs to mind. That’s one of the great things about Between Two Ferns: The Movie. Viewers can never be sure just what horrible thing Galifianakis is going to say next.
“What was the marijuana budget on True Detective?”
This question didn’t make it into the Matthew McConaughey interview at the start of the movie. But, as the credits roll, there’s blooper footage that screams missed opportunities. There’s nothing funnier than to watch celebrities laugh at themselves, and McConaughey has a great sense of humor about his image. Couple that with Woody Harrelson’s well-documented history with weed, and this question is a takedown of two former co-stars with one stone(r).
