Hamlet 2 (2008)
Directed by Andrew Fleming
Failed actor-turned-worse-high-school-drama-teacher Dana Marschz rallies his Tucson students as he conceives and stages a politically incorrect musical sequel to Shakespeare's Hamlet.
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Think Waiting for Guffman blended with Dead Poets Society.
Mr. Marschz (to pronounce it, you have to sort of buzz at the end) has seen too many movies like " Dead Poets Society " and " Mr. Holland's Opus ," and tries to inspire his students with his bizarre behavior.
-- "where dreams go to die," Dana laments -- he attempts to ignite his students' imaginations with stage versions of such cinematic favorites as "Erin Brockovich" and "Dead Poets Society."
Taking his cues from Dangerous Minds , Mr. Holland's Opus , and Dead Poets Society, Dana decides to change the lives of his students.
So do most of his students, who remain unmoved by misty references to Dangerous Minds, Dead Poets Society and other inspirational-teacher movies.
Steve Coogan (2006's " Marie Antoinette ") is equally tender and brilliantly quirky as Dana Marschz, taking what would seem to be unlikely inspiration from Martin Short in 2001's teen romp " Get Over It ."
He had secondary roles in the Ben Stiller comedy Night at the Museum and Jim Jarmusch’s Coffee and Cigarettes.
On this side of the Atlantic, however, moviegoers have seen him as Octavius in "Night at the Museum," Phileas Fogg in the misbegotten "Around the World in 80 Days" remake with Jackie Chan -- and, as of last week, as Damien Cockburn, "Tropic Thunder's" pretentious, hopelessly over-his-head director.