A comedy about three young outcasts confronting their high school misfortunes sounds like the storyline for “Superbad.” That hilarious movie was produced by Judd Apatow, who’s in the business of churning out recent runaway comedy hits such as “Knocked Up” and “Talladega Nights.”

Not surprisingly, Apatow's fingerprints are all over “Drillbit Taylor,” the latest in the pantheon of comedies with distinctly youthful flavor. Yep, a trio of anxious freshmen enters high school, only to find that they have descended to a level of hell that even Dante could not contemplate.

Best friends Wade (Nate Hartley), the freakishly skinny, bespectacled wannabe magician, and chubby Ryan (Troy Gentile), channeling the persona of Jack Black, are humiliated from day one when they show up at school wearing the same bowling shirt.

They become instant targets for the seriously deranged Filkins (Alex Frost), a psychotic bully prone to violently erratic behavior, especially after Wade intervenes on behalf of the extremely nerdy and short Emmit (David Dorfman), who’s been unceremoniously stuffed inside a school locker.

Of course, Emmit desperately latches on to Wade and Ryan because there’s absolutely no way anyone else will even talk to the dweeb. The wisecracking Ryan would rather ditch their new acquaintance, but circumstances conspire to keep them together. Suddenly, the idea of high school as this great place to be turns into a daily living hell.

After a series of unfortunate events caused by Filkins’ reign of terror, the boys realize that the habitual apathy of the school system dooms their remaining days unless they take drastic action. Principal Doppler (Stephen Root) is oblivious to the mayhem created by Filkins and more inclined to blame the victims.

After some Internet research, the freshmen decide they need to hire a personal bodyguard. The film’s funniest moments involve a succession of interviews with a wide variety of applicants at a local coffee shop. Some prospects are truly inept; others are prohibitively expensive.

Though living very comfortably in an upscale neighborhood, the boys can only hire a bodyguard that an allowance can afford. Enter Drillbit Taylor (Owen Wilson), wearing old Army fatigues and spouting a resume of military service worthy of Rambo.

In reality and to no one’s surprise, Drillbit is a low-rent mercenary whose Army service is questionable. He claims to be skilled in covert black-ops and exotic martial arts, which includes dubious Mexican judo. A homeless bum who spends time with his buddies on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, Drillbit lives a squatter’s life in a tent on a cliff overlooking the ocean. His motivation in helping the rich kids is to score enough money so that he can move to Canada, where freeloading appears to be easier.

To keep his cash flow running, Drillbit initiates his credulous charges in a ridiculous boot camp, leading to several hilarious missteps. Notwithstanding his grandiose claims, Drillbit is no match for Filkins, let alone any minor altercations.

Before the kids become too suspicious that their valuables seem to mysteriously disappear, Drillbit ends up being mistaken for a substitute teacher, and suddenly he’s teaching a number of courses. He tells his homeless buddies that the secret to impersonating a teacher is to constantly hold a coffee mug while hanging out in the teacher’s lounge.

A few complications set in when his substitute act draws attention from the pretty English teacher (Leslie Mann), and suddenly he’s more interested in the romantic possibilities. When his clients become weary of the drifter’s act, Drillbit not unexpectedly, having developed a bond with the kids, has to fess up to his deception, and in the process becomes the savior he had promised to be.

Suffering from misdirection and too many twists, “Drillbit Taylor” drills the empty patches of comedy too many times. To be sure, there are plenty of funny things happening, but the plot lacks cohesion. The kids are likable, though the pint-sized member of the trio gets too annoying. Owen Wilson delivers his trademark slacker routine as if he was sleepwalking, but at least he’s amusing for the most part.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

Asian martial arts cinema is becoming more accessible by means of DVD releases.

From acclaimed director Johnnie To, who racks up bushels of Hong Kong Film Awards nominations, “PTU: Police Tactical Unit” follows a band of night patrol cops on a tough night, when a gang leader is mysteriously murdered and a detective loses his gun to four young thugs.

The PTU finds itself in the middle of a war between two gangs, building towards an explosive and violent conclusion.

“13: Game of Death” tempts a jobless man in serious debt to complete 13 increasingly gruesome tasks as he is lured into a violent game of life and death. Adapted from a Thai manga graphic novel, this film examines how far one would go for wealth.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

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Meet Bert and hear the stories beginning at 3:30 p.m.

This informative book provides a glimpse into the founding and success of California's premiere 20th century crop dusting company, begun by Bert's parents.

Atwood's book contains vast personal insights, many interviews and several hundred photos.

Watershed Books is located at 305 N. Main St., Lakeport, telephone 263-5787.

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Once the bad boy of comedy, Martin Lawrence has mellowed so much in recent years that it was inevitable he’d end up in G-rated Disney fare like “College Road Trip.” Even last year’s “Wild Hogs,” with its PG-13 rating, was racier. Unless he gets back to his nightclub standup routines with haste, Lawrence may be doomed to endless sequels of “Big Momma’s House,” and that’s no way to enhance a career. It’s bad enough that he’s upstaged by a scene-stealing pet pig.

Lawrence’s James Porter is a control freak, particularly when it comes to dealing with his precocious teenage daughter Melanie (Disney Channel’s singing sensation Raven-Symone). Police chief in a Chicago suburban town, James is anxious for Melanie to attend Northwestern, if only because it’s a short ride from home and he can keep an eye on his first-born child. Smart and ambitious, Melanie has other ideas about her college future, one that focuses singularly upon acceptance to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

After making a good impression on judges at a mock trial, Melanie is invited for an interview at Georgetown, and for spring break she plans a road trip with school buddies Nancy (Brenda Song) and Katie (Margo Harshman).

But the girls-only trip to check out prospective colleges is disrupted by the insistence of James to escort his daughter. The meddlesome father is so neurotic, crazy and overprotective that it’s only a matter of time before things start to go horribly wrong.

Early on in the trip, James discovers that his young son Trey (Eshaya Draper) and the pet pig are stowaways in the back of his police SUV. Trey and the pig are the gifted members of the family. Often they play chess together while taking a bubble bath. The bright pig, who should be a candidate for a college interview, is a comic foil for James, usually because the lovable pet has an unnerving way of eyeballing the police chief.

The accident-prone father’s plans to protect and serve his daughter go awry at every turn. For one thing, an effort to bypass highway traffic turns into disaster when the SUV ends up at the bottom of a ravine.

Circumstances force the family into a carpool with an impossibly cheerful father-and-daughter team on their own road trip. Decades removed from his last film, Donny Osmond plays Doug Greenhut as so maniacally perky while singing show tunes with his daughter Wendy (Molly Ephraim) that he’s borderline psychotic. It won’t even take a second song to get the feeling the Greenhut family belongs in a padded cell.

“College Road Trip” goes the extra mile to put father and daughter in a constant state of bickering and bantering, with plenty of slapstick situations thrown in almost at random. James will do his manipulative best to undermine Melanie’s desire for independence, even staging phony encounters on the Northwestern campus.

Then there are the serious hijinks of the family pig causing complete mayhem at a hotel wedding, resulting in the party tent collapsing and the bride ending up with a face full of wedding cake.

Other mishaps include the family hitching a ride with a busload of Japanese tourists who love to sing karaoke, and this is an invitation for yet one more opportunity for Melanie to sing a rendition of “Double Dutch Bus.” At the last leg of the trip, James and Melanie hitch a plane ride with a USA diving team, not realizing that their sport had nothing to do with water.

Befitting the Disney tradition, “College Road Trip” is filled with sentimental family bonding and an abundance of life lessons. Given that the market for family films is so greatly underserved, this film has enough laughs for the younger audience it intends to attract. You can drop off your kids for “College Road Trip” and not worry about the consequences.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

More than 20 years ago, Tom Hanks starred as the fun-loving guy who was going to marry the girl of his dreams in “Bachelor Party.” His wacky buddies decided to have a blowout party at a fashionable hotel. Comic mayhem ensued. Attempting to recapture the magic of that film is the direct-to-video release of “Bachelor Party 2: The Last Temptation.” Not for lack of effort, this indirect sequel doesn’t measure up to the inventiveness of the original.

“Bachelor Party 2” tries too hard by pushing the envelope of the “sex comedy” with an overabundance of booze-soaked debauchery. Harland Williams is the only recognizable person in this movie, though the publicity advertising touts ultra-sexy Emmanuelle Vagier for being named one of Maxim’s Hot 100 Girls.

One of the bachelor’s buddies gets the wrong idea about the pretty girls at the sex addicts’ convention. As the blowout weekend takes place in Miami, it’s not surprising that the hotel is full of bikini-clad hotties and strippers bent on seduction.

“Bachelor Party 2” is probably the adolescent male’s idea of a sendoff for a buddy headed to matrimony.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

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Sue Lehman does it again! “The Rat” is a fun mystery even the likes of Agatha Christie would love to chase.

Ruth was sick and frail, so it was really no surprise when they found her dead one morning. But when that nice young man died, and that little girl, and that nosy Detective Thomlinson started snooping around, it started to look like there might be a problem. In fact, it started to look a lot like murder.

You'd better keep your eyes peeled for mischief, just in case, because when there's a rat in the house, it'll keep making a mess until you catch it. The weapon? Rat poison. The murderer? It's anybody's guess.

A book signing will follow the reading.

Red Hat attendees will receive a FREE Gift from Wild About Books.

“Blindsided,” released January 2007, was Sue Lehman’s first book published. She now resides in Northern California. Lehman is the owner of Allegro Piano Service; she tunes and repairs pianos. She is currently working on her next book.

Wild About Books is located at 14290 Olympic Drive, Clearlake, next door to Lisa's clothing store.

For an updated list of times and dates for upcoming events, stop by and see visit or call the store today at 994-WILD (9453).

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“Youth Writes” has partnered with local businesses to provide six performance sites throughout the county.

These sites are: Holy Joe’s Coffee Shop in Upper Lake (Friday, April 4 at 4 p.m.), Café Victoria in Lakeport (Saturday, April 5 at 1 p.m.), Giovanni’s Coffee and Tea in Loch Lomand (Saturday, April 12 at 1 p.m.), Tuscan Village in Lower Lake (Saturday, April 19 at noon), Wild About Books in Clearlake (Friday, April 25 at 3 p.m.), Calpine Geothermal Visitor Center in Middletown (Saturday, April 26 at 1 p.m.).

Poets should sign in 10 to 30 minutes prior to events. They need to be accompanied by a parent/guardian or bring a signed permission slip. Permission slips are available on-line at www.lakecountyartscouncil.com.

PERFORMANCE TIPS: Choose your strongest pieces to perform in public. Always speak slowly and don’t be afraid to pause. Practice out loud and for friends and family. Memorize your poems to maximize your impact.

Selected poets will be invited to read at the Art and Nature Show at Rodman Slough Preserve, Nice-Lucerne Cutoff at 11 a.m. on May 3.

For questions about “Youth Writes” contact Lorna Sue at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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