To hear Will Ferrell's producing partner Adam McKay tell it, America is about to come down with a case of "Foot Fist" fever.

"I heard [John] McCain made mention of [the movie] at some town hall meeting in Iowa, then he kind of did the bow and then said to some reporters, 'Like "Foot Fist Way"? No one?' "

OK. So maybe he's kidding about Sen. McCain's endorsement, but McKay and Ferrell think the ultra-low-budget taekwondo comedy "The Foot Fist Way" is no joke, even though the film has had its share of Hollywood heavyweights in stitches ever since its premiere at Sundance in 2006.

With its mix of easy gags, foul-mouthed banter and hilariously awkward moments of unease, "The Foot Fist Way" has kicked down the door of the industry for friends turned filmmakers Danny McBride, Ben Best and Jody Hill. The trio of North Carolina School of the Arts grads just wanted to make something they thought was funny, collectively coming up with the concept and script about a deluded sensei named Fred Simmons who presides over a class of old ladies, pimply faced teens and ankle-biters.

Having moved to L.A. and looking to get away from what he calls "pretty soulless work" as a supervising story editor on MTV's "Real World/Road Rules Challenges," Hill saved up $35,000 over a four-year period to direct a labor of love inspired by his youth studying martial arts, with McBride starring as Simmons.

In the summer of 2005, McBride finally fastened his black belt while Hill scrambled around Concord, N.C., recruiting students from his alma mater to work on the crew and getting all the production value he could from using a largely vacant apartment complex owned by his father as a setting and a Ferrari lent by a family friend as a prop.

The one extravagance the budget allowed was for the potential casting of '80s action star Michael Dudikoff ("American Ninja") for the role of Simmons' idol, Chuck "The Truck" Wallace. But when Hill couldn't find a way to contact Dudikoff, Best stepped into the role. Less than a month after wrapping a 19-day shoot, they sent the film off to the Sundance Film Festival, not knowing whether their go-for-broke comedy would fly.

Full story from Stephen Saito, Special to The Los Angeles Times

For More Information

"The Foot Fist Way": Official Site