Utter Talent: Voices of Barnyard

"Barnyard" writer-director Steve Oedekerk begins this behind-the-scenes documentary with his explanation of his attempts at trying to find an actor who could be annoying enough to play "Snotty Boy." He came to the conclusion that no one on earth is that irritating, so he did the voice work himself! "Sadly, that's what it came down to," he says with a wry smile.

Until he could get all the "right actors" for the parts, Oedekerk voiced a number of the roles himself. However, two of them were so popular with the rest of the film makers that they remained in the film: "Snotty Boy" and "Mr. Beady."

All of this DVD bonus feature was very interesting, I thought - and included interviews with Andie McDowell, Wanda Sykes, Courteney Cox, Sam Elliot and Kevin James.

McDowell said she did most of the work "right here in Asheville, North Carolina." Sykes was very funny and inventive; Cox, sweet like her character, but sarcastically funny in real life; Elliott, "a soulful guy with a crazy, cool voice," and James "with his Jackie Gleason sensibility."

James, who voices "Otis," the star of the film, enjoyed his role especially, he said, since he had a chance to sing a song, which he loves to do..