Cool News
SPUN Review
God I fucking love Film Festivals!
Alright, so Sunday was the first real day of CineVegas for me. Yesterday didn't count since I was closer to an occupant from the Cabinet of Dr Caligari, than an actual Day One film festival attendee... But after the mountain of sleep, I have emerged as Sooper-Festival Man! Ready to climb all movies, ready to cheer for independent films... Ready to watch the unwatchable and survive!
Luckily on this, my first full day of CineVegas I got my day off right as could be with a film that due to the fucking lamebrained MPAA, might never see the light of a screen near you anywhere near as cool as this unrated version I saw today at the fest. SPUN! SPUN is a masterpiece of drug cinema.
Director Jonas Ã…kerlund was working from the true life story of three astoundingly bizarre days of Meth-Addict Will De Los Santos, who went to rehab and through sheer willpower, managed to get this film into the perfect hands to direct, with the perfect cast to realize it.
In a film that reminds me in ways of MARATHON MAN, TRAINSPOTTING, the classic D.O.A., REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS and a dash of THE LOST WEEKEND for good measure. I saw the film sitting 3 seats away from Will De Los Santos and man is he a character... In the film he's played by Jason Schwartzman as Ross (all the names except for the dog known as Taco were changed to protect the guilty). Ross reminds me of all good guys that descend into the hellpit of addiction and excess. Now the brilliance of this film is that in showing us this 3 day epic in the life of a meth-head we are hit with a hyper-surge of energy through editting and slowed up, sped down trippy cool whacked out drug moments, along with brilliant traditional animation sequences that very much remind of Bakshi's work in COONSKINS and AMERICAN POP! Oh, and a supporting cast from Heaven!
Let's start with John Leguizamo as SPIDER MIKE! Spider Mike is a tattooed Meth dealer that is psychotically paranoid about the cops. From the moment we're introduced to his eyeball, to the moment with the sock and Debbie Harry (more on her later)... well I was just delighted. Again John Leguizamo proves why he is one of the most daringly wonderful performers out there. Between his role here and in the absolutely fucking superb ZIGZAG - which is in limited release in New York only - FUCKING STUDIOS GET YOUR HEADS OUT OF YOUR ASSES!!!! Ahem, sorry, I needed that moment. It just pisses me off to no end when I know I've seen a film that a great deal of you would love love love, and because a bunch of pussy bastards with no idea how to market quality are afraid to pick up a great film because it doesn't fit in their cookie cutter universe. UGH!
Ok, so John Leguizamo is great, but then Mena Suvari is wonderful as COOKIE - Spider Mike's girlfriend. From her gross gross gross grooooossss teeth to her nappy ass hair and those clothes that look like the stuff Rav wears... Of course he's cuter in them, because Mena was skank through and through in this flick. Absolutely wonderful performance here!
Well once at Spider Mike's we meet Patrick Fugit's FRISBEE character playing an absurdly violent and super-sexual Monkey Video game that after you kill your opponent you are allowed to jack off and ejaculate what I can only call robotic sperm. Now, I didn't even recognize Patrick Fugit in this film. Gone is that sweet faced good boy from Cameron Crowe's UNTITLED (aka ALMOST FAMOUS) He is pimply faced and disgusting, with a mom that all of you would love to bang. I mean hot as hell, her panty shot with the cheetohs... MAN! Whack material for years!
How was Brittany Murphy's NIKKI??? I'll never... I'm better than that gag, She was fantastic. Here she plays the super sexual, very meth-ed stripper girl friend of the epic COOK - to be discussed later -- Brittany is more than just a series of superbly performed mannerisms and nuances, she's also got sweetness in her... oh and a green dog named Taco - Though technically in the real world, the dog wasn't green and was named Taco because he was a Chuhuahua and back in 97 or so when Will De Los Santos went through all this shit, the YO QUIERO TACO BELL ads were like leprosy and apparently it caught even this doggie!
Then there was Chloe Hunter as APRIL - a stripper that Schwartzman picks up and fucks like crazy and then does... well let's just say that his treatment of women skills are a bit on the lacking side. I mean, i know he was interested in starting a relationship, but I really felt he could have handled this just a teeny tiny bit better than he did!
Then there were the TWO PSYCHOTIC DETECTIVES played with insanity by Peter Stormare and Alexis Arquette... At one point when they are going to be breaking in on someone... the 1970's Cop Show Opening Titles format nearly killed me it was so cool. And then the way these guys totally treat Patrick Fugit like their bitch to slap and abuse... WONDERFUL! This is great casting!
Oh, and then there is the wonderful Debbie Harry as the DYKE NEIGHBOR of Schwartzman! Again, this is wonderful. She is also... no, I won't say, but I will say that her scene at the liquior store and with Leguizamo are to be cherished always! This is great character casting.
Have I mentioned Eric Roberts as THE MAN. I haven't liked Eric Roberts this much since his film LA CUCARACHA - and technically he really reminded me of his turn in STAR 80 here, except with a different compassed direction for his sleaze.
In a part that was little more than a cameo, Larry Drake (yup, Robert Durant himself) plays DR. K - the animal doctor that must fix TACO, which by the way... I mentioned he was green, but I'm really hoping that this bares no resemblence to the green dogs of Ang Lee's HULK!
Throughout the film we have Schwartzman's frantic calls to his girlfriend that he hasn't seen in a year named AMY. Now, you get the idea that through his insistence to reach her, that he loves her deeply. That he has this terrible METH life, and that this Amy chick was the only good thing to happen to him. That she is his ROSEBUD that he's trying to rediscover. When she is revealed and Charlotte Ayanna appears... BOING! Oh yeah, she is so different from all the other women and people in general in this dirty nasty heinous world of rankness. She is a vision. And through her beauty and purity, you measure Ross' fall from grace to his drugged out perdition he is mucking his way through.
Lastly... MICKEY 'fucking' ROURKE! If there is a reason I prefer this movie to TRAINSPOTTING - it would be Mickey Rourke. He is so phenomenal. So great as THE COOK, that I couldn't believe it. There is this moment, where he is toying with Schwartzman while watching hardcore wrestling on the T.V. and it was played to genius levels. This is my favorite work of Rourke's since the amazing Alan Parker film ANGEL HEART, and technically this is a juicier role. In fact, Will De Los Santos when he first started on the script, was calling it THE COOK, the title SPUN came around later. Absolutely fantastic.
This film hit me in the forehead this morning and it made me feel great all day long... and I saw some other wonderful films today, I'll tell you about all of them later on. As for now, there is an empty bed that I need to get in. So adios!
-
+ Expand All
-
GO HARRY GO!
-
If this film resembles Requiem for a Dream IN ANY WAY, count me out. As a totally open-minded 27 year-old, RFAD left me nauseated, disgusted and angry. If that was the point, fair enough. Along with Nil By Mouth, RFAD is the only film I've ever seen that I wanted to UNwatch as soon as the credits rolled. Ass to Ass indeed. Fucking Horrendous.
-
Jun 10, 2002 10:52:39 AM CDT
I'm never trusting Harry Knowles again. He likes every dam
by christopher3
-
And that she should be in every small, indie film possible for her character actress skills alone? Oh, I did? Well, repeat as necessary. // e.
-
I love Requiem for a Dream, but I also can't help thinking that it should be the last movie starring drugs to be made. It's not really fair to call it a drug flick because it's more about the idea of addiction than it is about actual drugs, but it's undeniable that drugs are a big part of the film. And it really kind of sums everything up -- it pretty much says everything that any deadly serious anti-drug movie before it has tried to say. So I guess that leaves drugs as a narrative device for comedy. Har har. This movie sounds like it's playing out that funny angle, and it sounds cool and stylish, but I don't know if it's possible for it to be much more than that as far as the dramatic end of the spectrum goes.
-
From what I've heard, I think that comparing this to Requiem for a Dream might be like comparing Kids Return to Dead or Alive. It sounds more like an American Trainspotting with a little Confessions of a Trickbaby thrown in. Of course, I could be wrong. I'm glad to see Schwartzman in an interesting project, anyway. I haven't liked most of his movies, but Phantom Planet kicks ass.
-
well played H - Angel Heart was awesome, and so too Year of The Dragon.... classics man...
-
I'm a shallow human being, Fat Paul.
-
My prayers have been answered!
-
Jun 10, 2002 2:06:16 PM CDT
Whats worng with the movie industry?! - the same thing thats wro
by elseed
No one in the big leagues (money) industry wants to turn everything upsidedown! What would middle america think? what about the mormons! we cant forget them! Jeez, these are people with values! Harry's right, distributors are suck ass scared to rock the boat & luckily there's enough filmakers out there who dont give a shit & you can make a film with a lot less money than you used to. I am also lucky as in canada (ya, I know, canukle head) our gov' & monitors are really good when it comes to judging quality over censorship. We are living in a goldon age of film people, soak it up - if it's being allowed to be played near you!
-
You know, where you love the movie to death when you leave the theatre and then the next morning you wake up and say "what the hell was I thinking?" BTW, there's a great dig on Harry at Modernhumorist.
-
Jun 10, 2002 3:34:22 PM CDT
Yeah yeah yeah, but what about the real movie everyone wants to
by iamlegolas
Bubba Ho-Tep, mothaphucka!!!
-
Jun 10, 2002 5:08:02 PM CDT
Just a few things... plus, Year of the Dragon = Racist Filmmakin
by almost sexy
First off I have to agree with IamLegolas about the Bubba Ho-tep review. Hopefully that will be along shortly. Frankly, I'm just excited that it's actually made it to a festival at all. Go Bruce!!! Ahem. It seems like the Jason X banner was up for like two or three months, which is interesting as the film didn't last more than two weeks in any theatre around here (whereas LOTR FOTR is still playing at the pacific place downtown, if anyone's interested). Finally, someone above mentioned Year of the Dragon, which I loved as a kid. Later in college I talked to a friend of mine who was taking a film class at Berkeley, and when I brought that film up he totally unloaded on me for mentioning it because it is an inherently racist film. I've seen it plenty of times since, and I still don't see the racism. What do y'all think about this? Does anyone else think it's a racist film?
-
When I saw Year of the Dragon back in the 80's I thought it was racist, sexist, and just about every "ist" you could mention. Maybe now with some more years under my belt, I'd feel different, but not very likely. Cimino didn't exactly turn into the maverick many thought he'd become after Deer Hunter. Some day if it's on TV I'll give it another look, but for now I'd classify the film as racist, not to mention just plain lousy. Now where's that Bubba Ho-Tep review?
-
For the most part, if a movie is showing at a film festival, it's gonna be 'decent' Harry liked this one a lot in particular so he comes here and gets the word out that its a great film in his opinion. What's so wrong with that? You people need to chill out with this oh he likes every movie shit and gets paid off for reviews et al. A movie like this will get 0 exposure and likely not even see anything beyond a limited release in the theatres, so who is he going to be getting paid off by? No one, he liked the movie, he's telling us he liked the movie and why. Accept it and sit the fuck down.
-
RoyDaBoy, 2 words: Tomb Raider! Also, remember that Harry had a back injury (and at least 1 surgery BTW), and can't go to see many movies. So lately he has only been going to see the ones he knows he will like. BTW he hated Tomb Raider, and let's not forget Paul Anderson who destroyed (among other movies) Soldier (script was written specifically for Kurt Russell, and could have been the best movie of his career), and Alien Resurrection (Which was written by Buffy creator Joss Wheadon. In an interview he said that he cried
-
I dunno. Year Of the Dragon seemed good at the time. Granted he made a lot of shit, but Dragon was a great Mickey Rourke performance. I should watch it again. I was only 10 so the stereotypes I missed out on. I just liked all the violence.
-
See that up there? That's why I love Harry! There was a point in my life where I was completely disinterested in the Rourke. Then, I saw a single film with him in, and never again have I ever written or said the words "Mickey" and "Rourke" without the word "fuckin'" between them. Apparently, it's as a natural, given kind of a thing as I always felt it to be. (Also, so Harry likes most movies? So do I. I don't exactly have so much time in the world that I'd waste it on something I didn't love. I certainly wouldn't be typing this right now.)
-
Jun 11, 2002 6:28:05 PM CDT
"Luckily on this, my first full day of CineVegas I got my day of
by sod off baldric
Huh-wha? Can anyone translate this sentence into English for me please?
-
I believe he means you'll never see it projected as we saw it projected here. There is so much offensive-to-the-mainstream material in the movie that the MPAA will never allow it to go unedited with an R rating nowadays. You'll have to catch the DVD if you want to see what we saw. But goddamn, if it ain't worth it. "Ask not what the !*^$# can do for you... ask what you can do for the !*^$#." That's what you'll hear in the theater after the MPAA gets hold of the film, opposed to one of the most brilliant lines in the film. Damn censorship.
-
Jun 11, 2002 8:36:44 PM CDT
Damn....The film is THAT good? Nice to see mena suvari in somet
by godfather02
her last good film was AB. I heard fro several buddies she's great in this. Sounds like "spun" might be the next "Midnight CowBoy"!
-
I have heard Will De Santos is interested in coming on as a producer for the film HEY DJ.
It will star Jon Jacobs of Lucinda's Spell and Charlotte Lewis (the babe from the The Golden Child).
It looks like it'll be a cool movie! It's about a Miami DJ who gets involved with three women at once!
Here's the listing on the Internet Movie Database:
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0322621
I know I'M gonna check it out! Later dudes! -
The fingerprints of Jonas Auckerland, the man responsible for the infamous Prodigy video
-
its more about addiction, than drugs. sure there are people addicted TO drugs but ultimitely their addicted to a notion of a better life (the dream of the title)....and nil by mouth is a masterpiece of realism and autobiographical storytelling. if you wanted to un watch both of these movies cos they didn't fit with your pallette, then why the fuck are you talkbacking on a drug movie? surely drug movies just arent for you and you should stick to agent cody banks?
no biggie -
Mar 12, 2003 10:14:52 AM CST
I bet this talkback was five times longer than this 9 months ago
by tomboy beanpole
And if only then Harry had told us about the scene where Mena Suvari drops a deuce, the groundswell of support for this movie might have carried it into theaters by now. It could be right up there with that scene from Rules of Attraction where that guy barfs on that chick's back during sex.
-
it sounds like one overlong music video without the music i doubt it will ever get a release considering it was shot two years ago.
-
Mar 12, 2003 12:29:19 PM CST
I've just been waiting to see what Jason Schwartzman has been up
by imageburn13
I've been hoping he'd do something on par with his Rushmore performance. I was pissed when he turned down the role for Donnie Darko but then Jake Gyllanhall (sp?) did a fantastic job. hi-fives all around. I think blatantly omparing this to Requiem is easy but I think its a totally different film. Requiem was about human suffering (which Darren struck home scene after scene for severe impact) and it held no punches. Thats what it set out to do. As did trainspotting (here's hoping for the sequel) but in a different vein. (No pun intended) (ie. how people were affected) I have't seen Spun so I can't speculate but I don't think it's in the same context as RFAD.
-
i more or less agreed with the review posted. i can tell you i didn't even recognize eric roberts during the movie. it wasn't until the credits were running when i had a realization of which character he played. the animation sequence was genious! the only thing i didn't care about was the "cops" spoof. thought that was a waste... the drug ingestinging scenes were very reminiscent with "requium for a dream", the tone was at times reminiscent of "trainspotting". but even with it's lack of originality at times, i do suggest people check this film out (if you can find it) when it's released.
-
I saw Spun at the Toronto Film Fest last year. It was the worst thing there, well, that and Irreversible. It is not as well crafted as Requiem and does not belong in any
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 439 total posts 159 posts
- WTF HOLLYWOOD: SOLARBABIES -- 144 total posts 142 posts
- Herc’s Seen Tonight’s Return Of THE WALKING DEAD!! Discuss Also DOWNTON ABBEY, FEAR FACTOR, PAN AM, ONCE, SIMPSONS, DYNAMITE, LUCK, SHAMELESS, BAIT CAR, THE GRAMMYS And More!! Sunday Is Sweeps Day 11!! -- 155 total posts 140 posts
- Avid Comic Reader Hercules Does Battle With Tedium During Kevin Smith’s COMIC BOOK MEN! -- 55 total posts 45 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 196 total posts 45 posts
- I am The Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day! No, I’m the Behind the Scenes Pic of the Day! -- 35 total posts 35 posts
- If the Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day drops her pen, pick it up, but don’t look at her legs or else it will be on your record. -- 60 total posts 34 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 127 total posts 32 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 513 total posts 29 posts
- The Sensorties Revisit The Friday Docback (And Still Smell)!! DOCTOR WHO Story #7 Again, The Coming Of Season/Series 7, And More!! -- 118 total posts 27 posts