He is QUASI

 

Jeri Jacquin

Currently streaming on HULU from director Kevin Heffernan and Searchlight Pictures is the twisted hilarity and the story of QUASI.

It is 1800’s France and the very hunched Quasi (Steven Lemme) is hanging out with his friend Duchamp (Kevin Heffernan). Walking to work, Quasi is subjected to, well let’s just say, bad manners by the people of his village. Working at the local torture chamber, the rest of the village is celebrating Pope Week.

King Guy (Jay Chandrasekhar) is bored with life at the moment and with the new Queen Catherine (Adrianne Palicki). She is stunning but more importantly, very smart as well. She visits the torture chamber below wanting a tour led by Quasi taking an interesting in his work.

In the town square, Quasi finds himself the winner of an audience with the Pope but also the King. During a private conversation, the King reveals what he really wants – the Pope gone! Pope Cornelius (Paul Soter) does not want to spend one dinner moment longer than he has to with King Guy as it seems there is a history there as Cardinal Claude (Erik Stolhanske) gets caught in the dining crossfire.

When Quasi finally has his confessional win with the Pope, it seems the King isn’t the only one who wants a person knocked off with a jewel encrusted dagger. Now Quasi is caught between two men who want each other dead and a Queen who has plans of her own. As with everything in Quasi’s life, things go awkwardly wrong with death is at his doorstep, he shows that even a hunchback can be a hero!

Lemme as Quasi is so sweet and really doesn’t want to hurt anyone. Shocked at the attentions of Queen Catherine, that has to be put aside while he finds his way out of a serious mess. Lemme is just cool, period, and, if it can be said – nice hump dude! Heffernan as buddy Duchamp is a little more than upset that Quasi won the lottery. Getting attention from the lovelies of the village is about one step more than he can handle. Heffernan takes his role and makes me want to spend the evening doing shots with him.

Chandrasekhar as King Guy is a ruler full of, well, himself and has no conscience where death is concerned. That all being said, Chandrasekhar looks frakken fantastic in a crown! I do have to say that I miss his moustache but I can’t be greedy (or can I?). As the King, he is greedy, arrogant and petulant – and I love it.

Soter as the Pope is a man of some god or other with a long-standing grudge toward the King. Soter’s version of the Pope is probably the most hilarious ‘pope’ I’ve seen mainly because he says what a lot of us think. Stolhanske as the Cardinal is the perfect pairing with Soter, their whispering session was sheer hilarity.

Palicki as Queen Catherine is hilarious, beautiful, smart and is not about to let a King or a Pope stand in her way of making sure Quasi is saved. Well, truth be told she isn’t thrilled about being married to this particular King either. Palicki is charming and hilarious all rolled into one, but then again, I’d expect nothing less! Long live the Queen!

SHOUT OUT to Brian Cox, seriously, you can not reunite the gang without bringing back the leader with the voice that makes you want to buy a burger from McDonalds and crushes family in succession. Yea, I did that.

Other cast include Buck Heffernan, Quinn Heffernan, Kelsey Heffernan, Eugene Cordero, Marcus Henderson, Michael Yurchak Hassie Harrison, Gabrielle Lane, Gabriel Hogan and Phil Hudson.

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Searchlight Pictures is responsible for such films as SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, 12 YEARS A SLAVE, THE SHAPE OF WATER and THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING MISSOURI. They have an extensive film library as well as documentaries, scripted series, and limited series. For more information, please visit www.searchlightpictures.com.

The SUPER TROOPERS band of Broken Lizard consisting of Steve Lemme, Jay Chandrasekhar, Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske join writer/director Heffernan in creating their newest comedy. Based on The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo, this 1831 class is being set on its ear!

It is nice to see the band is back together again taking on a period piece with the coolest set designs. Running along the borderline of appropriate, I’ve always thought this group is the funniest because of their unique ability to dance along that line while making us all laugh. As a superfan of the 2001 film SUPER TROOPERS and use the lines from the film in everyday life, my funny bone needed a good laugh right meow!

Taking the story of Quasi and giving it every hilarious moment they could squeeze out is not only what I would expect from this gang of comedy misfits but, to be honest, I probably wouldn’t have watched otherwise. The pairing of Lemme with Heffernan, Chandrasekhar with Soter and Palicki as the sparkling, sugar coated cake topper is everything.

Get ready for a new twist on an old tale, or should I say a new twisted story just waiting for this particular group to share.

In the end – every day is a hump day!