New film from "Napoleon Dynamite" director Jared Hess has its release cancelled for, well, sucking

November 4, 2:27 PMDallas Comedy ExaminerScott Wampler

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 "Gentleman Broncos" has been cancelled by Fox Searchlight. (photo: collider.com)

Jared Hess, the director behind quirky comedies "Napoleon Dynamite" and "Nacho Libre", is having a bad week: his newest film, "Gentleman Broncos", has just had its release cancelled due to a slew of terrible reviews and general suckiness on the film's part.  So, when will you get to see "Gentleman Broncos", assuming you have the motivation?  Read on for the details, my gentle Examiner readers...

"Gentleman Broncos" did not look like a particularly funny film, and perhaps that snap-judgement based on the trailer was correct: Fox Searchlight, the studio that's releasing not releasing the film, has just yanked its planned nationwide rollout after a disastrous opening in Los Angeles and New York. 

Over at Cinema Blend, they're running some details on the situation, including this email that was sent out to various movie-review sites regarding the planned release of "Gentleman Broncos":

Unfortunately GENTLEMEN BRONCOS will not be opening in any additional markets after Friday, November 6th. All screenings, etc. have been cancelled please do not include film in your calendars or reviews. Thank you.

Well, that's the end of that, huh?  At "Get The Big Picture", another movie news site, they're running an article that brings up the bad year that Fox Searchlight's been having in general.  Get The Big Picture had this to say about the "Gentleman Broncos" debacle:

("Gentleman Broncos")  is expanding a little bit this weekend, but that was decided before the revenue from this past weekend came in. And if it does similar numbers in those theaters, I can't expect Searchlight would reverse this decision, made just two days after the opening weekend numbers rolled in. So it looks like it could be a total loss for the studio. That wouldn't be worth raising an eyebrow if the usually reliable Fox Searchlight hadn't misfired nearly every time out this year.

Director Jared Hess found great success with his indie comedy "Napoleon Dynamite" several years back, but the reaction to his follow-up, "Nacho Libre", was mixed-to-negative (and that's being generous).  The reaction to "Gentleman Broncos" has been even worse, with the film earning one scathing review after another.  Film Drunk's got some examples of the good reviews the film's earned, and they're faint praise, indeed:

“A juvenile, crass and silly mess that’s occasionally irritating to watch, intermittingly funny and over-the-top, but nonetheless amusing and wildly imaginative.” Source (6.25 out of 10)

“Its quirkiness preceding and very nearly swallowing it whole, Gentlemen Broncos is less warped than it thinks it is yet still provides enough bizarre, painstakingly designed schlock to tickle the willing.” Source (3 out of 5)

So, folks, if you were planning on catching "Gentleman Broncos" in theaters soon...uh, don't.  We'll have to wait and see what Fox Searchlight decides to do as far as a DVD/BluRay rollout, so stay tuned to the Comedy Examiner for news on this situation as it develops.  And in the meantime, check out these other recent articles from the Comedy Examiner's Office:

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(photo: thefunnyads.com)