Between Two Ferns’ Outtakes Are Funnier Than The Rest Of The Movie

Between Two Ferns: The Movie had its moments, but its outtakes are the hilarious highlight. After roles in movies like Heartbreakers or 2002’s underrated Below, Zach Galifianakis had a breakthrough with his scene-stealing turn in 2009’s The Hangover. In addition to following up with two hit sequels, Galifianakis appeared in more hit comedies such as Due Date. It was during this era that his web series Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis also arrived, which is an acidic fake talk show where the titular host holds awkward interviews with major celebrity guests between potted ferns.

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis parodies vapid celebrity talk shows, where instead of softball questions, Galifianakis has thinly veiled contempt for most of his guests. Early guests on the show include Bradley Cooper, Charlize Theron and Natalie Portman, and like other cringe chat shows like The Eric Andre Show,- which saw Jack Black get real electric shocks – celebrities would appear often know next to nothing about what would happen. The last episode – at least to date – of Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis was in 2018 and featured Jerry Seinfeld, Wayne Knight and Cardi B, but these later episodes lacked some of the biting humor that made the show so popular.

That might be one reason fans of Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis were a little concerned when a Netflix movie spinoff was confirmed. The series worked because it was delivered in bite-sized chunks, whereas Between Two Ferns: The Movie has a runtime of over 80 minutes. While it received mostly good reviews, critics noted that even with a slim runtime the film felt padded in parts and Between Two Ferns: The Movie relied on celebrity cameos from the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Dinklage, Brie Larson and many more for most of its laughs. Even the harshest critics had to admit that Between Two Ferns: The Movie’s ending outtakes are the highlight, however.

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Between Two Ferns: The Movie’s outtakes (uploaded by YouTube channel Baptiste Pasquier) confirm that even the guests are in on the joke for even the harshest of Galifianakis’ jabs. It also reveals the host often himself has the hardest time keeping a straight face, as he breaks into fits of snorting giggles halfway through the nastiest questions. Paul Rudd, Jon Hamm, Brie Larson and David Letterman – who the host dubs “crystal meth Santa Claus” thanks to his thick beard – are the most prominently featured in Between Two Ferns: The Movie’s outtakes.

Hamm and Larson – who wants to join the Fast & Furious series – both struggle to keep straight face, especially the latter when the host asks if she blames herself for her parents’ divorce. Between Two Ferns: The Movie is a short, entertaining watch, but its outtakes definitely prove to be the comic highlight. This has been true of some other movies, from Cannonball Run to the Rush Hour trilogy, which ended on blooper reels that let viewers know the performers were having a very good time together – even if the movies themselves sometimes faltered.

About The Author

Padraig Cotter
(3484 Articles Published)

It’s pronounced Paw-rick, not Pad-raig. Now that’s out of the way, a brief introduction. Padraig has been writing about film online since 2012, when a friend asked if he’d like to contribute the occasional review or feature to their site.

A part-time hobby soon blossomed into a career when he discovered he really loved writing about movies, TV and video games – he even (arguably) had a little bit of talent for it. He has written words for Den of Geek, Collider, The Irish Times and Screen Rant over the years, and can discuss anything from the MCU – where Hawkeye is clearly the best character – to the most obscure cult b-movie gem, and his hot takes often require heat resistant gloves to handle.

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He’s super modern too, so his favorite movies include Jaws, Die Hard, The Thing, Ghostbusters and Batman. He can be found as i_Padds on Twitter making bad puns.

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