You probably have never even heard of the 2001 Tom Green film Freddy Got Fingered, which was a comedy so disliked that Roger Ebert gave it a zero-star review back in the day. The film is considered a classic to comedy lovers, but has largely dissipated from public consciousness. James Meyers Jrwas one of the many who had forgotten the disastrous film. But for some reason this film, and the unsuspecting James Meyers Jr. hit the spotlight this week, when Meyers was unexpectedly busted for failing to return a VHS rental of a film from a now-closed local video star, back in 2002.

“I don’t ever remember owning it, renting it, or watching it,” the 37-year-old caterer andd DJ told NBC News.

The Concord police department in North Carolina stopped Meyers for a broken brake light on Tuesday while he was driving his 10-year-old daughter to school. The cops discovered their was a warrant for his arrest for failing to return to video.

Meyers was shocked. In the 14 years since renting the video he, like anybody else, had been stopped before for other traffic stops and attended court hearings. There had never been any notice that he was wanted for failing to return a movie.

The police officer said told Meyers that there was a civil suit from J&J Video which was processed as a criminal case which meant that there was a warrant out for Meyer’s arrest. The police officer himself thought the charge was “ridiculous” and saw that Meyers’ daughter was in the car so he said that he would let him go but he had to report to the police station. When he arrived at the station Meyers was arrested for a misdemeanor of failure to return rental property, which is a fine up to $200.

Meyers recounted the events on his YouTube.

When Tom Green, who had directed as well as starred in the movie (and has said that Rotten Tomatoes is in the “business of hating on art”) and is currently on a stand-up comedy tour in Australia, heard about the charge, he said that he wanted to help Meyers.

“If it’s 200 bucks, of course I’ll pay it for him,” said Green to the New York Daily News.

Meyers said that he watched Freddy Got Fingered for the first time last Wednesday.

“I thought it was great,” said Meyers, “It was hilarious and was laughing all the time.”

If the charges are not dismissed Meyers will have to face a criminal record. Meyers’ court date is April 27.

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Jenny C Lu

Article by Jenny C Lu

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