Zoolander
Zoolander | |
---|---|
Directed by | Ben Stiller |
Written by | Ben Stiller |
Produced by | Scott Rudin Ben Stiller Stuart Cornfeld |
Starring | Ben Stiller Owen Wilson Christine Taylor Will Ferrell Jerry Stiller |
Music by | David Arnold |
Distributed by | Village Roadshow Pictures VH1 Films |
Release date | 2001 |
Running time | 89 min. (theatrical) |
Language | English |
Zoolander (2001) is a movie based on a pair of short films, produced and directed by Ben Stiller for the VH1 Fashion Awards television show in 1996. The short films, and the movie, feature a model with below-average intelligence. The title role (Derek Zoolander) is played by Ben Stiller, and his agent is played by father Jerry Stiller. The movie also stars Stiller's wife, Christine Taylor.
Plot summary
Template:Spoiler In Zoolander, the supremacy of Derek Zoolander as the world's top male-model is challenged by the up-and-coming Hansel (Owen Wilson), an acid-tripping, Great Spirit-worshiping throwback to the '60s. When his best friends are killed in a "freak gasoline-fight accident," Derek announces that he is retiring from the male modeling profession. He returns to the coal mines where his father and brothers work, but soon finds himself desperately out of place.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Prime Minister Hassan of Malaysia is working on reducing child labor in his country. The evil world-wide organization known as the fashion industry is determined to retain Malaysia as a major source of cheap labor, and is desperate to thwart the incumbent Prime Minister. Fashion mogul Jacobim Mugatu (Will Ferrell) is assigned to train a dull-witted male model to assassinate the Prime Minister.
Zoolander is also notable for a plethora of celebrity cameo appearances, including Lance Bass, Tyson Beckford, David Bowie, Sandra Bernhard, Andy Dick, Fred Durst, Fabio, Tom Ford, Cuba Gooding Jr., Lukas Haas, Tommy Hilfiger, Paris Hilton, Carmen Kass, Lil' Kim, Heidi Klum, Lenny Kravitz, Natalie Portman, Frankie Rayder, Mark Ronson, Winona Ryder, Claudia Schiffer, Garry Shandling, Christian Slater, Stephen Dorff, Gavin Rossdale, Gwen Stefani, Donald Trump, Patton Oswalt, Vince Vaughn, Donatella Versace, Veronica Webb, and Billy Zane.
Cast
- Ben Stiller - Derek Zoolander
- Owen Wilson - Hansel
- Christine Taylor - Matilda Jeffries
- Will Ferrell - Mugatu (Jacob Moogberg)
- Milla Jovovich - Katinka Ingabagovanana
- Jerry Stiller - Maury Ballstein
- David Duchovny - J.P. Prewitt
- Jon Voight - Larry Zoolander
- Judah Friedlander - Scrappy Zoolander
- Vince Vaughn - Luke Zoolander (uncredited)
- Nathan Lee Graham - Todd
- Alexandre Manning - Brint
- Asio Highsmith - Rufus
- Alexander Skarsgård - Meekus
Cameos
- David Bowie - himself
- Billy Zane - himself
- Donald Trump - himself
- Christian Slater - himself
- Tommy Hilfiger - himself
- Natalie Portman - herself
- Gwen Stefani - herself
- Heidi Klum - herself
- Paris Hilton - herself
- Claudia Schiffer - herself
- Veronica Webb - herself
- Winona Ryder - herself
Trivia
- Many members of the shock rock band Gwar make cameo appearances during the Derek-Hansel walk-off scene and are uncredited.
- In addition to his father and wife playing major roles, director/star Ben Stiller's mother Anne Meara and sister Amy Stiller also appear in the film.
- The name of Will Ferrell's character, Mugatu, is a reference to the Mugato seen on the original Star Trek series.
- The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center (New York, New York) were digitally removed from one shot in the film and obscured in another shot. Zoolander was released mere weeks after the September 11th terrorist attacks.
- The bassist from the band System Of A Down, Shavo Odadjian makes a short appearance as one of Hansel's friends.
Malaysia
The film was never shown in Malaysia, the country figured prominently in the film, as it is depicted as impoverished and dependent on sweatshops. Malaysia's censorship board deemed it "definitely unsuitable". [1] The only authenticity is when Zoolander speaks to Prime Minister Hassan in Malay.
The film was also banned in neighbouring Singapore, due to bilateral sensitivities and the movie's excessive drug use. However, as of 2006, it has since been un-banned by the authorities.
Magnum
"Magnum" is the name of a male model pose in Zoolander. The film's protagonist Derek Zoolander invented the pose and he protects it as a trade secret (it is supposedly patented). The style of the pose is identical to all his other named poses, (which include "Le Tigre" ,"Ferrari" & "Blue Steel"),except that on "Magnum", he faces, left, a feat he has been unable to do all his life, as he is not an "ambiturner." This contributes to the running joke that despite his reputation as a male model, Zoolander knows only one pose.
The pose is a distinctive and, among the film's cult following, instantly recognizable creation of Ben Stiller. Its most defining characteristics are a lead-in that consists of using the neck to whip the head from one side to center and a facial expression that is decidedly feline.
Derelicte
"Derelicte" is the name given to the fashion line designed by Will Ferrel's character Mugatu. It is described in the film as "a fashion, a way of life inspired by the very homeless, the vagrants, the crack whores that make this wonderful city so unique." Ironically enough, during the scene where Mugatu introduces Derek (Ben Stiller) to Derelicte, an actual homeless person appears on a pedestal. He is known in the New York area as 'Radio' and frequents large movie shoots. This is his first major role.