French & Crazy: Wrong Cops

I get it, Maynard.  I don't agree with you, but I get it.  Today's film is Wrong Cops, a Film that dares to not really have a Plot, have a cast full of A-Holes and be filled with bizarre non-sequiturs.  This is a Quentin Dupiex Film, so you can expect it to be strange.  The exodus of the Film is this: Quentin liked working with one of the Actors in Wrong, so he decided to make a series of Short Films based around him.  People have made Movies for worse reasons, right?  The Terror was made when Roger Corman finished shooting The Raven three days early and had one lead- Boris Karloff- under contract for that much longer.  Not Of This Earth (1988) was made on a bet between Corman and Jim Wynorski that the latter could Remake the Film for the exact same amount as the 1957 Film.  Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women (which I own) was made as a challenge to his protege Peter Bogdanovich out of Russian Sci-Fi Footage and a tiny budget for new footage with Mamie Van Doren.  So yeah, Roger Corman is related to a lot of silly Movies.  Wrong Cops tells the tale of a bunch of A-Hole Cops in Los Angeles.  That's about it, really.  The Film is made up of a bunch of short segments stuck together.  As a cost-saving measure, the segments were filmed as the Funding came in, as opposed to all at once.  It is a weird idea, but this is the man who made a film about a love-struck tire with Scanner powers.  I won't SPOIL the whole thing- since it is available on Streaming in the U.S. via Netflix-, but I will give you a taste of what is in it.  To find out more, read on...

This is Quentin Dupiex.  He's a crazy man.

It is important to know who to love and/or hate before you start watching a movie.

The man on the right is one of the titular Wrong Cops.  He's an asshole.

The man on the left is supposed to be teenager...but is actually Marilyn Manson.  Weird casting, right?

The man on the left is also being harassed by the same Cop.  He buys weed from the Cop- packed inside dead rats- and owes him some money.  He also has something to hide- which I won't SPOIL.

Daniel Quinn- aka Scanner Cop- returns as this poor guy who was apparently shot earlier and gets dragged around from place to place.  He's good if you want someone to critique your Techno Song though.

Of course I'm not kidding.

I should note that Eric of Tim & Eric is in this.  He's still not good, but he's much less annoying here.

So yeah, I don't hate a movie featuring one half of Tim & Eric.  Big whoop- wanna fight about it?!?

I will not SPOIL what happens in the End (since it is too weird to explain anyhow), but I will leave you with my favorite Character.  The End.

I won't lie- this is weird and random shit.  Is it always funny?  Not to me.  Is it always interesting?  I'd say 'yes' to that.  You are never quite sure what is going to happen next, which works for some people.  The flip-side, of course, is that it is so random that is not always easy to keep track of things.  There are about four notable Plots here and they just kind of criss-cross.  It is kind of like a less pretentious and more crude version of Cloud Atlas.  The Film is really just a series of moments- for better or for worse.  I liked it.  You may like it.  You may not like it.  If your Country put up a bearded Drag Queen for a major world-wide Contest of Nations, you probably won't.  You know who you are.  In the End, this is going to be Dupiex's most divisive Film.  Here's a simple reply from Dupiex to all of his Critics (especially those who make Wrong puns all the time)...

Next up, I continue my journey through Project Terrible.  Since I gave nothing but Super-Hero Films this Round, it's only fitting that I do a terrible one of my own.  Stay tuned...

Burning Rubber: Wrong

I don't want to be right.  Today's film is Wrong.  Is it?  No.  Is it weird?  Yes.  Unlike some other Austrian's I know- who will remain Maynard...I mean, nameless-, I thought this movie was very interesting.  I love Rubber- both the material and the film.  This is certainly an odd one.  In many ways, it is an experiment in Dadaism, an Art form based on a lack of logic.  If you're looking for logic, straight-forward events and anything remotely-conventional, this is not the film for you.  In the Making Of Feature, Dupiex refers to Wrong as an 'Un-film.'  That is certainly one way to look at it, although I don't know if it truly does it justice. The film has the makings of a normal story.  A man loses his dog and wants to get him back.  It's what follows that is unconventional, both in the events and how they play out.  I wouldn't dare SPOIL any of the major twists and turns of this film, but I'll give you a taste of what crazy shit there is to come.  This thing is a mix of bizarre and deadpan, which either really works or really doesn't.  You know how I feel, but let's see how you do after this...

Dolph Springer (a dry Jack Plotnick) makes up one morning to find that his dog is missing.  This really upsets him, as you can see.

The people in his life- his Gardener, a Pizza Delivery Girl and others- are not much help.  If he didn't call Pizza Delivery Companies to chat or talk to people on a Cell Phone while they're four feet away, that might help.

This Cop is no help.

However, Dupiex liked him so much that he wrote a spin-off film- Wrong Cops.  Future review, even if it does star one half of Tim & Eric.

Think your Office is not a fun place to be?  Well, you're right, but this one is worse.

Seriously, that is damp!

What's worse than an ugly tree in your backyard?  How about a tree that has spontaneously turned into a different one?

No matter what you think is bad about this movie, there is no denying that everything about her is good!

Who is this mysterious man in the Woods?  What does he have to do with the missing Dog?

I won't say, but I really doubt that you'll predict it.

When in doubt, read a book.  That seems to help, right Dolph?

Will Dolph find his dog?  Will his neighbor (aka that guy who's in like 5,007 commercials) find a new home? Will the strange man stop painting people's cars different colors while they're not looking?  Will studying a dog's poop answer the riddle?

I won't tell.  The End.

I like this movie.  At times, it may have dragged a little.  That said, sometimes it can be hysterical, provided you like its humor.  It is all about a mix of the mundane and the completely insane.  For example, a man starts to paint Dolph's Gardener's car blue while he's standing nearby.  When he sees it, he explains that 'he likes the car red.'  There's also the bit where Dolph's boss seems keenly aware that her Office is constantly being soaked in water, while her Office is dry.  She has plenty of towels- no doubt pressed by the other employees- in the place, so she's certainly aware of what's happening.  If you don't find this funny, I can understand it.  This film is an acquired taste and I don't just say that as a cop-out to explain why I like it.  The movie is an attempt to make a weird, random mess seem good.  To me, they succeeded.  It's not perfect, but it's so endearing to me.  If you're open-minded, give it a try.  You still may not like it, but at least you'll be able to judge for yourself.  I just know how all of this praise for Wrong is going to make some of you feel.  You're probably doing this right now...

Next up, a shocking tale of shockingly-shocking magnitude.  Look- I'm reviewing Shocker, okay?

A Review in Pictures: Rubber (2010)

Are you ready for the weirdest movie of 2010?  If so, you're in luck.  This film is an Independent film by Quentin Dupiex, a relatively-unknown Director from Canada.  Can a Quebecois make a film that I love?  The answer is 'yes,' although it does come with some conditions.  You see, Rubber is a really, really weird movie. It also takes a little while to get going.  When it does, however, it's a film that never quite goes the way that you think it will go.  As such, I won't SPOIL too much of it for you.  Consider this review to be more a teaser for the film than anything else.  My goal is to show you enough to build up your expectations until you go see the movie.  Hell, you can go see it now if you want.  If you're still here, read on.  If you're ready to meet the road, here is the...

Who are these mysterious people in the desert and why are they watching the action unfold?

Why is this tire operating on its own?  What is it's motivation?

Actually, I can answer that one.  He has a simple goal in mind...

Don't piss this tire off or you'll get your mind blown!

This renegade tire has no respect for life.  It even faces down with the police!

Nobody is safe- not even random people sitting at the pool!  Oh the humanity!

Who shot this man?  Why does he need seem all that bothered by it?

The police, desperate for justice, come up with a plan right out of a Tex Avery cartoon.  Seems appropriate.

Who is this man?  Why is he trying to put a stop to this whole thing?  You'll have to watch and see.  The End.

This is...not what you could have ever guessed.  The plot of this movie is a bit obtuse, but intentionally-so.  It's hard to explain without going into more detail than I would like.  Essentially, a tire gains sentience and looks for love.  He also has no problem killing whatever gets in the way of his goal.  Of course, that makes this movie sound far more like a horror film than it is.  It is part romance, part comedy, part horror and a bit sci-fi.  I mean, the idea of the tire coming to life is never really explained all that much- it just happens.  The movie has a lot more tricks up its sleeve than you might imagine.  This is more than just a one-joke/one-premise movie.  That said, the first twenty minutes is a bit slow.  Part of that is because it has to establish its bizarre and twisted narrative.  Part of it is also intentional, a joke that will probably be lost on many.  If the film was about ten minutes shorter, I would be recommending it to everyone who like bizarre films.  As it is, I have a more conditional recommendation.  If you can make it through the early part of this movie, you'll have a great time.  You won't quite be sure what you just saw, but you'll love it!  Let's just hope that the tires make it to Hollywood before those things from Birdemic 2 do!

Next up, Syfy Channel Week begins.  We start off strong with a film that mixes Alive with The Abominable Snowman.  Stay tuned...