Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie (2004)

This "alternate film" companion to Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) was compiled from dropped subplots and alternate takes. While Ron Burgundy's rivalry with Veronica ... See full summary »

Director:

Adam McKay

Writers:

Will Ferrell, Adam McKay

Stars:

Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Will Ferrell	...	Ron Burgundy
Christina Applegate	...	Veronica Corningstone
Paul Rudd	...	Brian Fantana
Steve Carell	...	Brick Tamland
David Koechner	...	Champ Kind
Kevin Corrigan	...	Paul Hauser
Fred Willard	...	Ed Harken
Chris Parnell	...	Garth Holliday
Chuck D	...	Malcolm Y
Maya Rudolph	...	Kanshasha X
Kathryn Hahn	...	Helen
Fred Armisen	...	Tino
Chad Everett	...	Jess Moondragon
Tara Subkoff	...	Mouse
Michael Coleman	...	Construction Worker (as Mike Coleman)

Storyline

This "alternate film" companion to Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) was compiled from dropped subplots and alternate takes. While Ron Burgundy's rivalry with Veronica Corningstone continues, a group of unprofessional thieves, better known as "The Alarm Clock" try to make the truth known, whatever that may be.

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Plot Keywords:

alarm clock | news satire | improvisation | multiple cameos | frat pack | 

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Taglines:

The Adventure continues...

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 December 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Anchorman: Wake-Up Ron Burgundy

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Apatow Productions,DreamWorks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This feature film is included in the 2-disc Limited Edition DVD set and the 2-disc Blu-ray Best Buy Exclusive Edition of Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004), released on December 28, 2004 and August 31, 2010, respectively.

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Goofs

While driving to the observatory, the cars passed by are recent models as opposed to 1970s models

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Quotes

[Ron, Brian, Champ and Brick drive to the observatory]
Champ Kind: I love you, Ron.
[pause]
Champ Kind: I said I love you, Ron.
[pause]
Champ Kind: Why is everyone ignoring me? I love you, Ron! And I think we should adopt a child together in Vermont! Answer me!
Ron Burgundy: Um... so... uh... the... the car's running great.
Brian Fantana: Hm? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah...
Ron Burgundy: Take it for a tune-up?
Brian Fantana: Yeah.
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #19.102 (2011)

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Soundtracks

Fire on the Mountian
Written by George McCorkle
Performed by The Marshall Tucker Band (as Marshall Tucker Band)

User Reviews

Here Now The Outtakes

Could "Anchorman" have been funnier had it been allowed to stretch itself out beyond the two-hour limits of a commercially-minded comedy? Here's a chance for us "Anchorman" lovers to find out.

In "Wake-Up Ron Burgundy", we see San Diego's Channel 4 news team in action once again. Ron (Will Ferrell) struggles with love and jealousy as co-anchor Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) achieves her dream of big-time success. Meanwhile, their little world is threatened by the emergence of the incompetent but very radical terror cell who calls themselves "The Alarm Clock". When Veronica is captured by this gang, it's up to Ron and his buddies to save the day.

No use getting too excited about that long-discussed "Anchorman" sequel: This is strictly outtakes from the first movie, with some clever editing disguising the fact that Ron and Veronica are meeting here once again for the first time. Better you think of this as an alternate-reality "Anchorman" than a real sequel.

Narrator Bill Kurtis puts it in perspective in his opening narration. What we are about to see, he explains, is "the chaff from the wheat, the skim from the milk, the pudding from the all-you-can-eat lobster buffet, and the surgeon guy from Prince and the Revolution."

What "Wake-Up" really is is a chance to see Ferrell and his co-writer/director Adam McKay working even more of their creepy-funny comedy vibe. Scenes in "Anchorman" could stretch on a bit, but made their point. Here, they stretch on beyond that point, then stretch further.

Ron needs a moment to compose himself on-air while reading a tender story about a Japanese devil owl, then another, and then another. "A lot of emotion here," he says, tearing up.

A creepy mentor figure, Jess Moondragon (Chad Everett) pops up to offer no meaningful advice for Ron, but plenty of lustful rumination on what he'd like to do to Mother Nature - "things you can only do in Bangkok."

Such scenes work as goofier riffs on ideas from the first film, but with a rub. Watching Ron and Veronica's awkward first date a second time isn't so killer with a long sequence showcasing Ron's driving skills replacing his mastery of the jazz flute.

Because it's all outtakes, however skillfully put together, there's story gaps galore and rehashed gags from the first movie with slightly different blocking. The Alarm Clock angle works in bits, but is too thin to serve as a framing device. The character build-up that made "Anchorman" so immersive is shortchanged here. Most of that made the first film.

Fans of Champ Kind (Dave Koechner) will enjoy the wild man acting even wilder here; one moment he's a raving homosexual, five minutes later he's a raging cannibal. Brick Tamland (Steve Carell) lunches on used coffee filters. In addition to Everett (his send-up of the serenely sleazy Moondragon aided by a strong late-career resemblance to Clint Eastwood), there's a brief killer cameo from Stephen Root as a fill-in anchor.

Like I said, it's all sweet stuff if you're an "Anchorman" lover. But it's definitely not the sleeper classic "Anchorman" has become. It's definitely more self-indulgent in its humor and fitful in its direction. "Wake-Up" shows that in addition to being frightfully clever, the people behind "Anchorman" had a lot of sense in where to trim.