Thunder -2008- -unrated Director--s Cut-...: Tropic

“They still don’t know they’re in a movie… but now you will.”

We are on a . The entire jungle was a set. The cast is standing around, exhausted. Kirk Lazarus is out of character, talking to a therapist (played by Paul Thomas Anderson , uncredited). Tugg Speedman is crying into a Booty Sweat can. Tropic Thunder -2008- -Unrated Director--s Cut-...

Then Les Grossman walks in. He holds up a phone. “They still don’t know they’re in a movie…

A door slams. A lock turns. The screen goes to static. Kirk Lazarus is out of character, talking to

The original climax happens—explosions, Grossman’s helicopter ballet, the big statue collapse. But then the screen cuts to black.

“They forgot me here. The director’s cut never ends. Send… craft services…”

We see Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller) in full prosthetic makeup as “Simple Jack,” but the scene is nine minutes long and deeply uncomfortable. After the third “You m-m-m-make me wanna have a b-b-b-baby,” the director (a cameo by David O. Russell , screaming) forces Tugg to do 27 takes. Tugg breaks down sobbing, not as Simple Jack, but as himself. “I sold my soul for a Razzie,” he whispers. The scene ends with a title card: This footage was deemed “too mean for Hollywood” – so we put it back in.