#oh to date 90s phil and play silly parlor games and fuck him up with a cheap face mask and let him put his entire body weight on top of you.

[philhoffman]

This week’s Monday Philm (on a Tuesday) is Strangers With Candy (2005), based on the eponymous TV show and one of my least favorite movies lmao. I like Amy Sedaris elsewhere but I never watched the show and it’s not really within my sense of humor, but it does get a few laughs, especially from PSH, Allison Janney, Greg Hollimon, and Stephen Colbert.

PSH’s deadpan performance as Henry is hilarious. There’s not too much to write—it’s a pretty small role that’s better seen that described—just that it’s fun to see Phil fucking around in a comedy with some of his friends, not taking anything too seriously. Funny that last week’s feature was Empire Falls because there are a few lines (especially in Principal Blackman’s office) where you can hear the same broad accent he used as Charlie Mayne lol. Perfect pratfall, precisely in frame, no notes. And I LOVE that little smile Henry/Phil gives when he takes his clipboard back from Matthew Broderick—it’s the blink of an eye but one of my favorite little flourishes he ever did.

I was so bored and I’d already gone through the hassle of getting the DVD to work on my laptop so I watched the commentary track with Amy, Stephen Colbert, and director Paul Dinello for Phil’s scenes. I was pleasantly surprised to hear the commentary actually did address one of the few questions I had about Strangers With Candy—what Henry writes on his clipboard that makes Alice clam up then announce the science fair winner herself. I’d wondered if Phil had actually written anything, and, much like how PTA shot the phone call scene in Licorice Pizza, Dinello says he told Phil to “write something that would offend her.” It’s too dirty to repeat here—even Amy and Stephen’s jaws’ drop when Dinello tells them on the track—but oh, what an awful filthy boy.

(Related, since this was their only film project together: I never realized Phil and Amy dated briefly in the 90s until someone said it plainly a few months ago, but in hindsight it is so clear. How did I not immediately know when she described playing this game with him: “I’d be like, You have to act like you passed out on top of me and I have to try to get out from underneath you without waking you up.” She is stronger than me bc I would never be the same.)