"Sounds like you guys fancy yourselves as drinkers, eh?"
"Yeah maybe just a little bit, I think we just beat the Irish"
In this next installment of underrated & overlooked comedies (see my recent write-up of 'Hot Tub Time Machine') we're gonna take a look at a film that holds a little more importance than you'd think: 'Beerfest'. Sometimes writers (JD Salinger), musicians (Jackson C Frank) and even filmmakers (Charles Laughton) have that ONE stroke of genius in their career and can never tap in to that genius again or live up to expectation. Sometimes those artists never try again and stop with their one masterpiece while other artists keep trying and trying to match their one "hit" and can never top it or even come close. The film career of "Broken Lizard" (the comedy troupe responsible for hits like 'Super Troopers' and flops like 'Club Dread') falls in to the latter category. Many people feel that 'Super Troopers' is their "catcher in the rye" and just about everything they've done since has been pretty bad. For the most part that's actually true but... 'Beerfest' stands as the one (and only) piece of evidence that proves that Broken Lizard isn't a one hit wonder. Sure its not a masterpiece like 'Super Troopers' but then again how many comedies in this day and age have come close to touching the comedic genius of that movie? You'd think the minds behind something like 'Super Troopers' who came up with stuff like the "meow scene" or the horny German couple would be able to produce non stop hits one after the other. But their follow-up; 'Club Dread' - a satirical comedy/horror about a serial killer murdering people on an island, was one of the biggest disappointments in years. Seriously, I think I laughed a total of 2-1/2 times while watching that. Then there was 'Puddle Cruiser' - Broken Lizard's early film from the late 90's which got released AFTER they gained popularity. Although 'Puddle Cruiser' has elements of 'Super Troopers' in it (both films are about a gang of irresponsible cops played by the same actors) I still only laughed 2-1/2 times. Both film were such letdowns that I didn't even bother to give 'Beerfest' a chance when it first came out. But after what's probably my 20th time watching it, I can honestly say I'm a fan...
Sure 'Beerfest' went for some cheap & ridiculous laughs (scenes of drinking animal piss and ejaculating frog semen) and yes it does feature Mo'nique in a prominent supporting role, but the core plot is quite awesome (in an over the top silly kinda way): an underground beer drinking competition (in the same secret society-esque vein as Fight Club) where different countries face off against each other for beer drinking supremacy. On the surface this comes off as some fratboy bullshit (...and it kinda is). But fratboys aren't the only demographic out there who have a fun time getting drunk and playing drinking games so plenty of people could enjoy this movie. And speaking of demographics, the plot alone pretty much alienates just about any female on the planet so this film already has a strike against it (although I have had a couple of women tell me they found this movie funny so give it a chance, ladies). In 'Beerfest' two brothers (Tom and Jan) pull together a team of their closest friends (Barry, Landfill & Finklestein) to compete in the beer drinking competition known as: "BEERFEST" in order to win back their family's respect and claim ownership of a beer recipe that belongs to their great grandfather. They're also representing America which had always been the one country kept out of the competition until now (perhaps a comment on globalization and Americas tainted image to the rest of the world?). The teams have to put their drinking skills to the test by competing in games like beer pong, table tennis, thumper, beer chugging and more. Imagine an Olympics for beer drinking. The film even managed to get a supporting cast of academy award nominated actors like Donald Sutherland and Cloris Leachmam as well as German arthouse heavyweight Jurgen Prochnow (yes, there are many 'Das Boot' references in beerfest). So not only does this movie appeal to the lowest common denominator with a love for potty humor, but even movie snobs can crack a smirk at references to films like Das Boot. If you were let down by the broken lizard crew in the past and passed this movie over (which is understandable) I highly suggest giving it a shot. What followed 'Beerfest' was quite possibly they're worst movie ever: The Slammin' Salmon - An un funny movie with a dumb premise and forced humor that didn't just fall flat but comes off embarrassing at times. I mean seriously, watching this movie after watching 'Super Troopers', you'll find yourself going: "did they really think that would come off as funny?" Look, I'm all about filmmakers branching out and doing something new but maybe the broken lizard crew shoulda just stuck too making super trooper sequels (with the exception of beerfest). Why are so many comedy troop-based movies doomed to either failure (Mr. Show's 'Run Ronnie Run', The Tim and Eric movie or almost any SNL movie), obscurity (UCB's 'Martin and Orloff') or a minor cult following (the kids in the hall's 'Brain Candy' or Derrick Comedy's 'Mystery Team')?
Highlights from 'Beerfest' include the scene where the team goes to pick up Barry only to find out he's been working as a male prostitute, lines like; "I wanna put my dick in it" (after tasting the most delicious beer ever) or "I've been shittin' pancakes ever since" and Will Forte's overall presence.
Film is like a drug. It is a shelter when you cannot deal with reality - Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Along with directors like Steve Mcqueen, Nicolas Refn and Fatih Akin - Apichatpong Weerasethakul is truly one of the "Leaders Of The New School". Like Karim Ainouz ('I Travel Because I Have To...') or John Carluccio ('Battle Sounds'), he's another filmmaker who made the transition from studying architecture (my major in college) to film, yet there's no direct trace of that in his work (unless you count the shots of all the landscapes in his work, but even that's kinda reaching). So naturally as an architecture graduate with a love for cinema this one is a bit personal and close to my heart (in fact my love for film trumps my interest in architecture & design to the point where it isn't even funny). Weerasethakul's work, which pretty much all takes place in Thailand, is rooted in things like nature, spiritualism, sexuality, subtle doses of religion, love, romance and surrealism. He's also clearly all about challenging the idea of traditional storytelling. Of all the young-ish/breakout directors of the last 6 years or so, he's one of the few who cant really be compared to anyone else. Sure there's hints of Tarkovsky or a little Wong Kar Wai in his work (if you really wanna reach) but at the end of the day he's one of the few original filmmakers of his era.
NATURE:
Apichatpong Weerasethakul always makes it a point to show the audience the beauty of Thailand and just nature in general. Watching one of his films on the big screen is a MUST (especially his more recent work like Uncle Boonme & Syndromes). Each frame makes you feel like you're actually in the jungle or among wild animals. And if there was ever one color to be associated with his work it would have to be green (the tall grass, the leaves and other various plant life). The actors in his films blend in to the natural surroundings to the point where they look they're just another lifeform growing in the jungle...
'Tropical Malady'
'Tropical Malady'
'Blissfully Yours'
'Syndromes & A Century'
'Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives'
'Uncle Boonmee'
Cemetery Of Splendour
Cemetery Of Splendour
Mysterious Object At Noon
TRANSFORMATION & PARALLEL UNIVERSES:
In just about any Weerasethakul film you'll see at least one of the main characters transforming in one way or another. Whether it be the transformation of a man in to a transgendered woman ('The Adventures Of Iron Pussy') to the constant transformation of humans into animals or animal-like figures in 'Tropical Malady' (one of the main characters transforms into a tiger at the end of the film) and 'Uncle Boonmee' (one of the characters in the film turns into a giant monkey). And in a similar vein Weerasethakul constantly plays with the theme of parallel universes. In 'Syndromes And A Century' we see the exact same scenarios acted out twice with the same actors in the same settings, each with its own slight twist. At the end of 'Uncle Boonmee...' we see our main characters essentially step outside of themselves and go in to another universe. Or in the same film we watch as the princess look at her reflection in the water only to see a more "attractive" image of herself...
'Uncle Boonmee...'
'Uncle Boonmee...'
'Uncle Boonmee...'
'Syndromes & A Century'
Iron Pussy
'Tropical Malady'
INFLUENCES & VISUAL SIMILARITIES
Archangel/Tropical Malady
Post Tenebras Lux/Uncle Boonmee
Jumanji/Tropical Malady
Uncle Boonmee/The Grey
Uncle Boonmee/Pan's Labrynth
Uncle Boonmee/Jauja
Princess Mononoke/Uncle Boonmee
Suspiria/Cemetery Of Splendour
Suspiria/Uncle Boonmee
Uncle Boonmee/The Nightmare
Safe/Uncle Boonmee
Uncle Boonmee/Jauja
A Brighter Summer Day/Uncle Boonmee
Uncle Boonmee/Attack The Block
THE HUMAN BODY:
The actors in Weerasethakul's films are often shirtless or almost completely naked. I'm sure some of this has to do with the fact that most of his films take place in Thailand where I hear its quite hot, but still...he takes advantage of this by focusing his camera on the crevices of the bodies that don't always get shown in most films (the sweat, the different shades of skin, etc)...
'Blissfully Yours'
'Mobile Men'
'Mobile Men'
'Uncle Boonmee...'
'Tropical Malady'
SPIRITUALISM & RELIGION:
Another one of Weerasethakul's talents is showing Buddhism and spirituality without coming off preachy or shoving it down the audiences throats. Its clear that he's a spiritual person and believes in a higher power but at the same time you don't feel like you're watching a religious film. He cleverly places monks as key figures (or even just in the background), ghosts and/or spirits as well as religious art all through out his work...
Tropical Malady
'Tropical Malady'
'Syndromes...'
'Syndromes...'
'Uncle Boonmee...'
'Uncle Boonmee...'
Cemetery Of Splendour
ROMANCE & SEXUALITY:
Whether its man & woman (Syndromes & A Century), man & man (Tropical Malady) or human & fish (Uncle Boonmee), Apichatpong Weerasethakul makes it a point to show all kinds of romantic relationships or attractions with the same care and objectivity. As an openly gay director, he doesn't show hetero relationships any differently than homosexual relationships (similar to other modern, openly directors like Gus Van Sant and Todd Haynes). He explores innocence and the fear of telling someone you love them (Syndromes) or the curiosity and slow attraction that starts to build between two people who don't really know each other...
'Syndromes...'
'Blissfully Yours'
'Tropical Malady'
SLUMBER...
The characters in Apichatpong's films often find themselves nodding off (sometimes involuntary like in the case of Cemetery Of Splendour) or dreaming in an effort to connect with some spiritual power (Tropical Malady) or a deceased relative (Uncle Boonmee). Plus, his films just have a sleepy/meditative quality...
