The difficulty of making that doctor's appt -- Jon Weinberg/Kris Elgstrand's FUNERAL DAY

An oddball and dark (but not black) comedy about a neurotic, narcissistic hypochondriac named Scott who seems bent on missing the funeral of one of his best friends (who has died from cancer) because poor Scott has just found what appears to be a lump on one of his testicles, as well as maybe a melanoma on his shoulder, FUNERAL DAY results in quite a few good laughs. As directed by and starring Jon Weinberg (shown at left, center, and below), this enjoyable little romp is a kind of road trip around Los Angeles as our nut-case hero fends off old friends trying to get him to that funeral and instead makes some new ones who have some very interesting ideas and suggestions for him.

Mr. Weinberg manages to direct competently enough and to perform the leading role in such as way that he makes Scott somehow bearable, as well as funny, so that his journey -- mostly on foot and running around town since has does not have a car--  pulls us into the film and keeps us pretty much glued.

The movie's fine ensemble cast adds a lot to the fun, as well, with Tyler Labine (above, left), as the friend who has the perfect solution to our hero's nut problem, and Dominic Rains (below, right), as another would-be friend who is more than ready to involve his pal in a less-than-upfront real estate transaction.

The screenplay, by Kris Elgstrand, races along nicely and also features some racy, funny dialog and situations -- the most bizarre of which involves a couple of doctors Scott meets in the park (Kristin Carey (below, center) and Jed Rees (below, left, and at bottom) who simply can't wait to take our hero home and "milk" his prostate. Ah, the meeting of modern medicine and modern romance!

As it rambles humorously along, the movie also sends up everything from materialism to creativity, friendship and much else. By the time Scott visits a sexy waitress (Sarah Adina) sporting a very nice tattoo, and then tries to break into a local hospice, you'll either be having a fine old time (as was I) or maybe have given up on this oddball movie.

I'd say stick with it and have yourself some good laughs and silly fun, even as you're treated to a raft of nice performances -- including those of Suzy Nakamura (above) and Tygh Runyan -- as little Scott is eventually made to realize that, yes, he really should grow up a bit and schedule that necessary MD appointment.

From Random Media and running a zippy 79 minutes, the movie hit DVD, digital and VOD last week -- for purchase and/or rental.

DVDebut for Colin Kennedy and Ewan Morrison's 2015 swinging-sex movie, SWUNG

Other than Paul Mazursky's Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice there have been very few films of much worth that addressed the "swingers" scene, either back in the 1960s-70s, when this sort-of trend drew some notoriety, or even more recently. (Of course, it's still going on -- and probably always has been.) All of which makes the DVD debut of a pretty good movie titled SWUNG worth noting.

With a screenplay by Ewan Morrison (based on his

popular novel), directed by Colin Kennedy (shown at left) and starring Spanish actress Elena Anaya, the movie, up until its final scene, does a fine job of introducing us to the swingers scene in Scotland circa 2015 (the year the film first appeared) and especially of allowing us to see how that kind of polyamorous sexuality can add zest to an intimate relationship, as well as sending it wildly out of balance.

Our leading twosome, Alice (Ms Anaya) and David (Owen McDonnell), are currently going through a lot of problems. David is separated from his wife (with a divorce pending) and only rarely sees his beloved little daughter; he has lost his design business, is now unemployed and finding it difficult to navigate the maze of Britain's unemployment benefits; and he is mostly impotent -- which makes his relationship with Alice increasingly problematic.

We really do feel for this poor guy, and McDonnell's performance is encompassing enough to easily pull us in, as is that of Anaya, one of Spain's better actresses who has made a number of English-language movies at this point in her career. This couple seems intelligent, genuine, even funny -- the latter trait rather vital, since, as they are told at least twice during the film, a sense of humor is necessary for good sex among swingers.

How Alice and David enter this new world, what they make of it and who they meet (above and below) fills up much of the movie, and all of this is at once fascinating, appealing and disturbing. It's believable, too. The details here are specific and sometimes more than a little shocking (the kitchen-table sex scene is a lulu).

Eventually, thanks to Alice's job as journalist, we're introduced midway to a famous sex therapist/ex-madam/ex-sex-worker named Dolly (to whom this film is dedicated) -- played very well by Elizabeth McGovern, below and at bottom, in a stunning platinum wig -- who is able to coach the couple into its best sexual experience yet.

But then, as the movie heads toward its far-too-easily-accessed conclusion, events grow more telescoped than realistic, as David turns from only a middling asshole into a complete one, which pretty much discredits the supposedly positive finale.

This is too bad, since so much of Swung has proven so well handled. What will remain with you, TrustMovies suspects, will likely be some of the excellent earlier scenes rather than the story's silly, thoroughly unearned ending. From Film Movement's Omnibus Entertainment division and running 88 minutes, the movie arrived on DVD this past week -- for purchase and/or rental.