With everyone in various stages of isolation and practicing social distancing, we launched our Atom Movie Club. What better way to celebrate our love of movies than watching one together and tweeting about it? This Thursday at 8pm EST/5pm PST, we’ll be watching a movie that’s free to stream and we’re inviting everyone to watch with us. You can join in on the livetweeting fun with the hashtag #AtomMovieClub. 

This week’s movie: HOT ROD (2007)

Check out the deets below:

Hot Rod is currently streaming for free on Netflix. Sync up the time with the World Clock and hit play right as the clock strikes 8pm EST/5pm PST on Thursday, April 9th.

In order to prep you for the watch, we’re putting together this quick and handy guide to refresh your memory before our watch party.

Synopsis

Rod Kimble (Andy Samberg) is a loser. An immature slacker in a small town, he still lives with his mom while craving the approval of his abusive stepdad, Frank (Ian McShane). Living in a fantasy world, Rod believes his dead father was motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel’s backup and that he, Rod Kimble, is a stuntman himself. But when Frank falls ill and is in desperate need of an operation to save his life, man-child Rod steps up to the task – if only so Frank can get better so they can fight one last time so Rod can finally beat him. With the help of his brother and fellow slacker friends, Rod hatches a plan that is simple, if idiotic: He plans to beat the record for jumping over the most schoolbuses on his moped. He and his crew need to raise the money to rent the school buses, build the ramp, and promote the jump. The only problem is, Rod is completely inept and terrible as a stuntman. To complicate matters further, Rod’s next-door-neighbor and longtime crush, Denise (Isla Fisher), comes back home from college. Public humiliation is almost certain, but Rod hopes beyond hope that he can pull it off.

Major Characters

Rod Kimble (Andy Samberg): Our fearless, if inept, leader. Rod is a stunted man-child but has a good heart. His dream is to raise money fro his father to get a heart transplant – not out of altruism or love, however, but simply because he wants Frank to live so he, Rod, can finally beat Frank in a fight.

Dave (Bill Hader) & Rico (Danny McBride): Rod’s loyal but equally idiotic friends since childhood. They become the crew for Rod’s plan and stick by him even when he lets his insecurities get the better of him and acts like a jerk. They may not have many brains between them, but they’re supportive to the end.

Kevin Powell (Jorma Taccone): Rod’s half-brother. Kevin is the actual brains of the operation, and it’s his savvy video editing and social media skill that help Rod’s stunt videos go viral – even if it is for the wrong reasons. Unlike his dad, Kevin and Rod have a good relationship, but Rod threatens to blow that up when he doesn’t appreciate all that Kevin is doing for him.

Frank Powell (Ian McShane): Rod’s stepfather. He has little respect for Rod as, well, Rod is a screw-up. But Frank is a jerk, always challenging Rod to physical fights and wrestling contests that he knows Rod will never win, beating Rod literally and figuratively every time. When he’s in dire need of a heart transplant, Rod decides to raise money for him if only so he has one last chance at beating Frank.

Marie Powell (Sissy Spacek): Rod’s mother. She let Rod grow up believing his real father was a great stuntman because she knew it meant so much to Rod. But she later reveals his dad wasn’t a stuntman at all, just a regular guy. She loves her son, even if she doesn’t have a lot to do.

Denise (Isla Fisher): Rod’s next-door neighbor and the woman he’s had a crush on since he was a kid. She becomes part of his crew for the jump and, though she has a boyfriend already, starts to finally return the feelings that Rod holds for her – maybe.

Jonathan (Will Arnett): Denise’s boyfriend and Rod’s rival. Jonathan is insensitive, callous and arrogant, but he’s also handsome and successful and suave in all the ways Rod is not. And he’s all that stands in Rod’s way of winning Denise’s heart – outside of his own issues, of course.

Fun Facts & Trivia Bits

1. The fake band, “Gown,” that plays during Rod’s final jump is actual real-life band Queens of the Stone Age.
2. While filming the opening scene where Rod is jumping over the bus, the stuntman doubling for Andy Samberg actually broke his leg in the attempt.
3. However, Samberg actually performed as many stunts he was allowed, like the pool jump.
4. Bill Hader’s bitchin’ hair in the movie is, shockingly, not a wig. Instead, Hader had extensions put in and he had to wear them all summer long.
5. The original scriptwriter was Pam Brady, however, Samberg’s Lonely Island comedy troupe rewrote the whole thing to make it their style as
6. The project was originally meant to be a Will Ferrell vehicle and the original script was so in his voice and style that Lonely Island and director Akiva Schaffer felt it would be impossible to leave the script as-is and it not just be an impression of Ferrell.
7. All of the pictures in the Kimble and Powell houses are real childhood pictures of Samberg and Taccone.
8. Quite a few scenes were completely improvised, such as the scene of Rod ringing the pool over the bell and the guys singing along, and the scene where Rod asks out Cathy and starts laughing hysterically.
9. When filming the “You look pretty” “What did you say?” scene with Rod and Denise, it was raining when they did Samberg’s shots so the rain had to later be digitally removed.
10. The scene where Rod jumps over the 15 schoolbuses features a staggering twelve hundred extras, and two of them are Samberg’s actual parents, who can be spotted in the crowd.

Join us this Friday and tweet away at #AtomMovieClub!