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Still Waiting...

Still Waiting... is a 2009 black comedy directed by Jeff Balis and written by , serving as a to the 2005 Waiting.... The story is set at a , where manager Dennis (played by ) faces pressure to boost sales after losing key staff members and customers to the rival Ta-Ta's Wing Shack, a wing with scantily clad waitresses that draws bigger tips. The film follows the Shenaniganz crew, including returning and new characters like Agnew (Steve Howey), Amber (), and Naomi (), as they devise outrageous schemes to sabotage the competition and meet corporate sales targets in a single day. Released directly to DVD on February 17, 2009, by Lionsgate Films, the movie runs for 88 minutes and is rated R for strong crude sexual content, language, drug use, and nudity. The ensemble cast also features Luis Guzmán, Chi McBride, and David Koechner in supporting roles, blending raunchy humor with workplace antics similar to the original film. Produced by Heavy Duty Entertainment, Still Waiting... expands on the cult following of Waiting... but received mixed to negative critical reception, with an audience score of 18% on Rotten Tomatoes based on over 2,500 ratings, often criticized for lacking the original's charm despite its comedic efforts.

Background and Development

Development

Following the cult success of the 2005 comedy Waiting..., which gained popularity through strong DVD sales despite modest theatrical performance, Lionsgate announced a direct-to-DVD sequel titled Still Waiting... in mid-2007. The project was spearheaded by Rob McKittrick, who wrote and directed the original but transitioned to writer and producer roles for the , with first-time feature director Jeff Balis taking over behind the camera to helm the production. To facilitate the return of several cast members from the original film, the story was set at a new branch of the fictional Shenaniganz chain. As an independent production, Still Waiting... focused on the low-cost, raunchy humor that defined its predecessor.

Writing and Pre-production

penned the for Still Waiting..., expanding on the original film's exploration of the mundane frustrations and absurdities of work by centering the plot around the threat posed by a rival chain, Ta-Ta's Wing Shack, whose provocative uniform policy draws away customers and staff from Shenaniganz. This sequel maintained the comedic tone of its predecessor while updating the dynamics to reflect competitive pressures in the service industry. The production prioritized continuity by bringing back key performers from the 2005 film, including as the scheming manager Dennis and as the hapless waiter Calvin, alongside the new addition Steve Howey and returning cast members like and . These casting choices helped preserve the ensemble chemistry that contributed to the of Waiting.... As an independent project, Still Waiting... faced typical hurdles in financing but secured through , which handled its release on DVD in February 2009. efforts focused on recapturing the original's loose, improvisational approach to dialogue and scenes, with locations scouted to mimic the casual chain-restaurant environment.

Synopsis and Characters

Plot

The film opens at the Shenaniganz restaurant, where general manager supervises a team of waitstaff, including the returning employee from the original film. The staff navigates the daily grind of , but business is suffering due to competition from the nearby Ta-Ta's Wing Shack, a rival eatery that attracts patrons with its waitresses dressed in skimpy outfits. To counter the loss of customers, and the team hatch a plan for the Shenaniganz waitresses to wear revealing costumes, mimicking their competitors in a bid to boost tips and foot traffic. This leads to escalating pranks and sabotage between the two restaurants, interspersed with chaotic antics during a busy shift, such as mishandled orders and workplace mishaps. Personal subplots emerge, including struggles to meet sales targets on the last night of the fiscal quarter in hopes of to district manager. The strategy yields temporary success for Shenaniganz, drawing crowds and improving sales on the final night of the fiscal quarter, but it underscores the absurd and relentless nature of the service industry. The narrative closes on a comedic note, with the staff reflecting on their ongoing predicaments amid the unresolved rivalries.

Cast and Characters

The principal cast of Still Waiting... features a mix of returning actors from the original Waiting... () and new performers, creating an dynamic that pays homage to the first film's chaotic restaurant environment while introducing fresh personalities to drive the sequel's conflicts. stars as Dennis, the beleaguered manager of ShenaniganZ who is fixated on amid mounting pressures from a rival eatery. plays Calvin, an awkward and socially inept waiter who frequently stumbles through customer interactions and workplace pranks. reprises her role as Naomi, the sharp-tongued hostess who spearheads a rebellious push against the restaurant's outdated uniforms and policies. Supporting the leads are several key players who add layers to the kitchen and floor staff antics. Steve Howey portrays Agnew, a sarcastic and jaded waiter whose biting humor masks his growing frustration with the job. appears as Amber, a waitress navigating the chaotic environment at ShenaniganZ. returns as Bishop, the no-nonsense head cook overseeing the back-of-house operations with stern authority, while reprises Raddimus, the philosophical line cook offering wry observations on the team's dysfunction. plays Nick, an overly eager busboy desperate to prove himself as a full waiter. The film incorporates fan-service cameos from original cast members to bridge the two stories, including as , the charismatic waiter from who briefly appears to offer misguided advice. returns as Dean in a quick role, highlighting the continuity of the ShenaniganZ universe, and as Dan, the overly enthusiastic corporate figure. This casting approach emphasizes returning ensemble members for continuity while integrating new talent like Higgins and Benedict to refresh the group's interpersonal tensions and comedic timing.

Production

Filming

for Still Waiting... took place in , . The production was handled as a project by Eden Rock Media and Heavy Duty Entertainment, distributed by , following the style of the original 2005 film Waiting....

Music and Soundtrack

The musical score for Still Waiting... was composed by Adam Gorgoni, who had previously provided the music for the 2005 film Waiting..., ensuring a sense of auditory continuity between the two entries in the franchise. Gorgoni's score features lighthearted, comedic cues tailored to the film's ensemble humor, including energetic instrumental tracks that underscore prank sequences and chaotic restaurant antics. A notable original element is the parody rap song "Still Waiting Rap," written and performed by and , which plays during a competitive scene and satirizes the film's themes of workplace frustration. This track, courtesy of Dirty Hands Matt Records, adds a humorous, self-referential layer to the . The film incorporates several licensed songs to amplify its comedic , such as "Lullaby" by for ironic moments, "Korobeiniki" by Ozma in a playful context, and "Banks of the Ohio" by for folksy contrast amid the absurdity. Other selections include "Barbarian" by Rock 'n' Roll Soldiers, providing upbeat rock energy during group interactions, and "Hey Mami" by Fannypack for flair in social scenes. These tracks, drawn from and artists, help punctuate the film's montages and heighten the satirical edge without overshadowing the dialogue-driven . No official soundtrack album was released for Still Waiting..., though individual tracks from the score and licensed music remain available through their respective artists' catalogs.

Release and Distribution

Theatrical and Home Media Release

Still Waiting... was released directly to home video on February 17, 2009, by Lionsgate Home Entertainment, skipping a theatrical run typical for sequels of this nature. The decision to bypass cinemas aligned with the film's status as a low-budget follow-up to the 2005 cult comedy Waiting..., focusing instead on leveraging the original's dedicated fanbase through physical media. Initial home media offerings included standard DVD and Blu-ray editions, both featuring an unrated cut with extended raunchy scenes not present in any potential theatrical version. These formats provided viewers with additional content, such as deleted and alternate scenes, enhancing the film's comedic elements centered on antics. The release was initially limited to North America, with the United States as the primary market, though a double-feature Blu-ray edition including the original Waiting... later became available in Canada in 2012. Over time, the film expanded to digital streaming platforms, including availability on starting in 2019. As of November 2025, the film is available for streaming on platforms such as and in the United States. In its first year, the DVD sold over 500,000 units, generating approximately $6.2 million in , a performance attributed to the enduring popularity of the original film's DVD success among comedy enthusiasts.

Marketing and Promotion

The and promotion for Still Waiting... primarily leveraged the of the 2005 original Waiting... through digital channels and low-budget tactics aimed at comedy enthusiasts. The official unrated trailer debuted online on on January 28, 2009, just weeks before the DVD release, showcasing clips of the returning cast members like in archival footage and new outrageous humor involving restaurant pranks and raunchy antics to hook fans of the first film's style. This trailer was edited to highlight the sequel's absurd, over-the-top , earning a nomination for "Trashiest Trailer" at the 2009 , which provided additional buzz in industry circles.

Reception and Legacy

Critical Response

Still Waiting... garnered limited attention from professional critics upon its direct-to-video release, resulting in overwhelmingly negative that underscored its perceived shortcomings as a sequel. With only two reviews aggregated on , the film holds a 0% Tomatometer score, indicating universal disapproval among the sampled critics. No score is available due to the absence of qualifying reviews from major outlets. Critics frequently lambasted as a lazy cash-in on Waiting..., faulting its weaker script for recycling repetitive gags without the fresh insight or wit of its predecessor. The review, for instance, deemed it "a dreadful ... with nothing new to offer the world of restaurant ," criticizing its sluggish pacing, low-budget execution, and reliance on smug, offensive humor involving crude topics like bodily functions and stereotypes that failed to elicit laughs. Similarly, Reel Film described it as a "thoroughly and pervasively disagreeable followup," highlighting its meandering narrative, lack of momentum, and hackneyed jokes that rendered the proceedings endlessly dull and irrelevant. Amid the harsh assessments, a few positive notes emerged regarding the returning cast's chemistry and the crude humor's potential appeal to fans of the first film, though these were minor amid broader flaws. Both reviews praised individual performances, such as ' professional comedic delivery as the only reliable source of amusement and Kirk Fox's idiosyncratic turn as the slick bartender, which provided fleeting entertainment in an otherwise uninspired ensemble.

Audience Reception and Cultural Impact

Still Waiting... garnered mixed reception from audiences, particularly among fans of the original Waiting..., earning a 4.9 out of 10 rating on based on over 7,400 user votes. Viewers who enjoyed the first film's irreverent take on life often praised the sequel for its nostalgic callbacks to the Shenaniganz setting and continued crude humor, with one reviewer noting it as "way better than the majority of direct-to-DVD sequels out there" for those who loved the original. However, it faced for lacking the , sharp writing, and high-profile of its predecessor, leading to perceptions of it as a formulaic cash-in on the earlier cult favorite. Commercially, the film exemplified the sequel trend prevalent in 2000s comedies, bypassing theatrical release to target home audiences with low-budget extensions of popular franchises. This approach reinforced tropes of service industry , depicting exaggerated workplace antics in a chain restaurant environment that echoed broader parodies of and drudgery. In the streaming era, Still Waiting... has sustained niche appeal through various ad-supported platforms such as and Fawesome, where it is available for free viewing as of 2025.

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