Crazy 4 Cult 2

Last Friday was the opening night for art show Crazy 4 Cult 2: This Time It’s Personal at LA’s Gallery 1988, which also brought us the original Crazy 4 Cult as well as the classic videogame related I am 8-bit. Now I didn’t have the chance to attend as a trip to LA general requires things like money, but I’m not disappointed. I mean just because it’s a gathering of fans of the greatest cult films to see artwork related to said films. And just because it was hosted by one of my favorite writer/directors (in that order) Kevin Smith and his überproducer Scott Mosier. And because the first Crazy 4 Cult featured some appearances by indie greats Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko) and Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead). Doesn’t necessarily mean I wanted to be there or would’ve done anything to do so. Anyway, from stealing off their website here are a few of my favorite pieces. be sure to check out the rest of the work here http://www.crazycult2.blogspot.com/, there may still be a few pieces left to buy.

Review: Tropic Thunder

This is a funny a movie. It had some truly great performances. And its mockery of the Hollywood industry really hit some high notes. But still this movie was a disappointment. That is because throughout the film you see the etchings of a much greater movie hidden within, a movie that two generations later people will still be discovering and passing on. Instead what we get is merely a funny movie, one that will be greatly quoted for six months and enjoy a healthy stay on Netflix’s rental queue and then slowly fade away.

Tropic Thunder chronicles the making of a Vietnam War movie. Unfortunately the untried director is having trouble handling his stars, a fading action star, a drug addled comedian, an Academy Award winner in blackface, a rapper turned brand name, and… some other guy, which is making his film fall behind schedule, go over budget, and having the producers threatening his nutsack (is “nutsack” two words?). So to get the shots and acting he needs in time he decides to put all the actors in the jungle away from all their handlers and assistants, and shoot the thing guerilla style with help from the Vietnam Vet who wrote the book and the FX guy. Unfortunately things take a wrong turn and the actors find themselves combating Asian drug smugglers at first thinking it’s part of the movie. So think Three Amigos. Or Galaxy Quest. Or A Bug’s Life. But with more satire on Hollywood.

The film is funny. Robert Downey Jr., as the Academy Award Winner, does a superb job of a guy who is just way into his role (hence the advanced blackface to play the platoon’s African-American sergeant). Ben Stiller, as the action star (as well as director and co-writer of the actual film), is also phenomenal as a guy who is just trying way too hard. I have also found new respect for Tom Cruise (actually make that any respect) who plays the hard-balled (is “hard-balled” hyphenated?) movie producer. And while a minor role I’d also like to give some props to SNL cast member Bill Hader who was just comedic perfection as Cruise’s right hand man. Jay Baruchel, as the aforementioned some other guy, does a good job as the always underrated straight man of the film, even if his character is a little too convenient for the movie. And Brandon Jackson, as the rapper, does okay with the little material he is given. Jack Black, as the comedian, does not fair so well. In fact the man has only one funny thing in the entire flick, I mean it’s definitely one of the funniest, but it’s still his only one, despite numerous efforts.

But it’s not really the performances that prevent Tropic Thunder from becoming more than a summer smash (again, other than Jack Black’s), it’s mostly in this film’s difficulty finding it’s voice, like a young boy going through puberty, with his nubile body sprouting curly black hairs in new places completely ruining the appeal. It’s kind of like they filled a shotgun with a variety of jokes and didn’t care where they landed in the story, and not in the good way like a Marx Brothers movie. Their subtle and sometimes glaringly awkward references to various other Vietnam movies faired ok. However, their parodies are uninspired and unnecessary, such as mocking the multiple Murphy movie The Nutty Proffesor II: The Klumps (I mean when you parody fart humour with fart humour, you really don’t accomplish much) or the seven second Russell Crowe is Australian/wins awards/punches people joke, which sets up Downey’s character, but no other allusions of this nature to his real life counterpart are in the film, other than the occasional Aussie reference, which were horrible jokes anyhow (though some were saved by Downey’s responses). But while their parodies were shallow, their satires were great when they actually took the time to expound on them, like Cruise’s so-mean-he-intimidates-drug-lords producer or a brilliant and inspiring conversation on how an actor never goes “full retard” for a role. But the ones they didn’t really bother to develop, like Jackson’s rapper, Alpo Chino, (say it aloud) becoming nothing more than a marketing tool for his energy drink and power bar (get Booty Sweat and Bust-a-Nut today!), deserved better than their single scene occurrences. There was just so much material floating in the air that they never pinned down. You get the sense that the movie lost a lot of weight in the editing room for the sake of just putting in the jokes. Which is probably why when Jack Black’s character has a breakdown at the end of the film over why he feels the needs to take drugs, you don’t even care. Because the movie never took the time establish this. While Stiller’s character’s breakdown is more acceptable because they took the time to build it up first, not just throwing it at us. Oh, and then there was just weird thing about how the writer of the book wasn't really in Vietnam that didn't lead anywhere; it was comepletely asanine to exist in the movie.

As such we (or probably just me) are left unsatisfied. We see where the jokes and character development could’ve gone, but because of the cutting the parts they left in just feel flat and wasteful. And just on a side note, Matthew McConaughey, who plays Stiller’s agent, really weirded me out in this picture. I mean, I’ve always kinda given him a free pass because I mean, c’mon, he was Wooderson. But for some reason his presence really angered me. I really don’t know why. I guess maybe because it was a good chance to put someone good in a small role and it was wasted on him, and that he should stick to cringe worthy (is cringe worthy two words?) romantic comedies with what should’ve been Goldie Hawn’s abortion (Kate Hudson for you playing at home) and piss-poor (again, hyphenated?) action/adventure flicks. I really don’t know where I was going with that, just something I felt like sharing.

So again, the movie works for laughs, but it could’ve been better and you sense it all while you’re watching it. Instead of worthy satire, you get what will probably be the best movie in the future Stiller/Black movie boxset (one word?).

Rating: 6/10