Death Finds Hilarity in the British Flick "Death at a Funeral"

When the family patriarch croaks, a dysfunctional family gathers to bury him. But a 4 foot tall man (Peter Dinklage) comes out to demand from the deceased's son Daniel (Matthew Macfadyen) and his siblings 15,000 quid as a funeral dowry of sorts. Or else, he would expose his affair with the old man to friends and family! And he's got photos to prove of their indiscretions!

Meanwhile, we are treated to a bevy of zany characters: the grumpy wheelchair-bound grand uncle (the delightfully scroogey Peter Vaughan), the brilliant but cooky and successful novelist brother Robert (Rupert Graves), the hopeless lover Justin (Ewen Bremner) and the drugged out solicitor Simon (Alan Tudyk) who was given Mescaline (a hallucinogenic) instead of Valium. What ensues is a rollicking ride of chaos. Funeral has never been this fun!

Tudyk refers to his naked scenes as memory from when he was younger when a drunken man suddenly took his clothes off and climbed the restaurant tables. He does better by climbing the roof - and letting it all hang out! The latest (2010 U.S.) version has the delectable James Marsden playing Simon! Yum!

"Death at a Funeral" is directed by Frank Oz. The U.S. version is directed by one of my favorite directors, Neil LaBute. Peter Dinklage - one of only 2 Americans, along with Tudyk, from the British original - was retained. Tudyk's Simon character becomes Oscar (James Marsden) in the new version. It's a tad silly though to remake something so new.

Matthew Macfadyen plays Daniel. In the movie, he plays husband to real wife Keeley Hawes.

Tudyk naked on the roof!

Alan Tudyk takes a bow!

Calling sexy back!

Mr. Marsden, Please - No Boxes, Thank You!

"Do you think I'm cute?" James Marsden asks.

Director Richard Kelly ("Donnie Darko") has done 5 films, but in "The Box" he gets marquee names to star in it - Cameron Diaz and James Marsden. The premise of the movie is intriguing: would you push a button that would kill an anonymous person while you get $1 million in return ?

This morality tale soon turns into a bizarre tale of horror filled with conspiracies, mysticism and the occult. The end product feels quite freaky and lopsided. It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. Diaz and Marsden star as the couple who gets the mysterious box from the preternatural Frank Langella - with half of his face missing!

We love mind-benders, but this one gets our nerves for being too unfocused. Only James Marsden made this flick barely watchable; even Cameron Diaz seemed spaced out!

Twilight Zone of Confusion!

James Marsden as a young Versace model.

Actor Kirk Cameron met Marsden while the latter was on a Hawaiian holiday with his family. Then Marsden gets an invitation from Cameron to visit him in Hollywood. And the rest is history.

Run, James, run!