The-Plague Artie Lange stars in 'Beer League' as the unemployed foul mouth drunkard Artie DeVanzo. Artie and Dennis Mangenelli (Anthony DeSando) have been competing with one another since high school. The two men continue their rivalry well into adulthood by playing in a beer league, which is basically just a group of grown men who get drunk and play softball. After a fight between the two teams during an exhibition the local police decide that the group with the better record at the end of the year will stay in the league, and the other is poop out of luck."Beer League' is a movie best enjoyed with a few friends and a few beers, and there is nothing wrong with that right? This comedy is purposely full of New Jersey stereotypes from angry waitresses at the diner to the typical garden state Italians. Writer/actor Artie Lange sticks to his raunchy style of comedy that will either have you on the floor laughing, or turning off the t.v. Cara Buono who plays Linda Salvo, (Artie's love interest), is truly charming although she isn't quite the girl next door type. His fellow teammates consisting of Jo Lo Truglio, Seymour Cassel, Jerry Minor, and Ralph Macchio (wax on wax off) all come together to form a believable New Jersey softball team that you can't help but want to join.Critics never rate low-brow comedies such as this very highly, and it truly is a shame. I would gladly take this small budget movie that was only shown on 165 screens over some of these hundred million dollar summer blockbusters. 'Beer League,' which also made my list of movies to watch while drinking is crude and immature with a dash of genius. 'Beer League' is obviously aimed towards a male audience (sorry ladies) and is entirely "love it or leave it," but Lange's performance alone makes this movie worth a watch, come for the Lange, stay for the beer…league.

pmcann88 As with many on this blog, I am a HUGE Stern fan (for 30 years) and LOVE Artie Lange - I thought his contributions to the Stern show were huge and brilliant. LOVE the guy. BUT - this movie, "Beer League", is simply AWFUL. There was nothing redeeming about it - the writing, acting, directing, editing, lighting, etc - all atrocious. And it has nothing to do with being from Jersey - please! It has to do with having a modicum of common movie-viewing sense and a decent sense of humor. If you have those then you must agree that this movie is amateurish at best. The surprising thing is that Artie IS an intelligent and sensitive guy - he HAS to be to be as funny as he was on the Stern show. This project reeks of him wanting to do a movie, whatever it took. This is an excellent example of why smart actors wait for good material. Otherwise you end up in a pile of stinking drek like "Beer League". Or perhaps it's part of Artie's now-public self-loathing that allowed this to happen. Either way, I wish Artie well.

nixskits One of the terrible because it's true facts about show business over the last few years was that many people expected Artie to die! His brutally frank tales often revolve around his gluttonous eating habits, severe depression and drug abuse. The man who could have easily become another entertainment fatality too soon has apparently cleaned up his act and finally gotten on the healthier track. Of course, his sense of what's funny will stay in the gutter where his quick with a witty and/or vile joke mind is destined to remain. (Please note the above comments were written before Artie's recent situation developed into public knowledge. I don't consider whatever actually happened to be my or anyone else's business unless Artie himself goes on the record about the truth. Art, we love you and want you to get better! You're a talented man and millions of us are thinking of the Lange family in these times. From a sincere fan.)"Beer League" is a kick in the pants comedy that lets Art shine, with food stains on his shirt, in his Jersey stomping grounds. These drink a little, swear a lot leagues do exist and his natural talent for baseball was something he had going for himself before tragedy and chemical dependency took hold during the midpoint of his life. The no longer teenage looking Ralph Macchio and Seymour Cassel help Art along in this both sensitive and totally insensitive story as he finds love and the hate inside both rising to the surface.Full of great tunes and guy humour, this star vehicle isn't for all tastes. It's primarily geared towards the audience he's won over on the radio and his stand up career. Great roles for Cara Buono as his lady and Laurie Metcalf as his saint of a mother might help keep the women who don't care for the overall raunchy tone watching.A little poem I wrote a while back in 2007:" Artie Lange's 40th Birthday "You've come a long way from hopes dockedFrom Jersey to Holeywood, ya rocked!Show business wasn't always your cup of teaGive a big middle finger to all things phony!Mad TV, we laughed deliriouslyNow satellite is taking you Siriusly!Into a wild and crazy new frontierLet your next forty years keep the roasts near!

Nick Zbu Artie Lange has talent. If it's one thing someone can walk away from this film with, it's that Lange is a funny man and has a real ability to portray a realistic human being and a damn funny one. The movie is pretty solid from a creative viewpoint and Artie himself is classic. He's truly in comedic form and simply outpaces everybody else in this movie. The supporting cast is sweet--through I didn't recognize Ralph Macchio until the credits--and there's nothing wrong there. I'm not damning with false praise when I think that Lange's performance in 'Dirty Work' is surpassed here with this film. It's raunchy without apology, and it works very well.The only problem is the film seems to be made on the cheap and the plot development was a bit rough. Not bad like they hired a pizza boy to do the editing, but it was noticeable enough to distract. The film quality itself is perfect and it's a damn shame this film didn't get a better word of mouth. While this is a gem, it shouldn't be found in a Wal-Mart bargain bin for $5.All and all, if you are a big Artie Lange fan, this is the movie where he returns to the brilliant guy we know from MadTV when he was propping that show up and Dirty Work. Now if he would only do a few more and get his life back into order, the world would be a better place.