Not as bad as I expected. This indie film follows the lifes of several low-profile drug dealers and consumers, in the oh-so-stylish camerawork that has become an standard for the type of films that want to reflect a drug-addict POV.
However, the camerawork is better and more controlled than I expected, and there are plenty hysterical situations to please seasoned viewers. I particularly liked a lunatic scene involving a naked John Leguizamo and a sock, or a hilarious police assault were the camera freezes to show the cops in 70s cop show stylisms.
The cast is also quite good. Add to John Leguizamo some decent supporting roles by Brittany Murphy and Mena Suvari. The best in the acting department, however, is Mickey Rourke, who not only shows that he still can act but also easily steals every scene he is in.
Not all is good, however. Some quite outrageous situations receive an indignating comic treatment (the shadow of Tarantino reaches even here), and, to put it mildly, the lives of the characters we follow are not as interesting as the filmmakers believe it to be.
Post Edited (04-16-05 05:33)
Spun is a fantastic film. I caught it on Showtime about a year ago or so and absolutely loved it. I originally started watching it because I'm a huge Jason Schwartzman fan, but really dug the film. The film is extremely strange though, and certainly not for everyone. The film has some very surreal animated scenes and Mickey Rourke giving a hilarious speech in a porno shop.
But, if you don't want to see Mena Suvari take a dump (and be quite happy about it) then don't pick up this flick. It is pretty graphic in some scenes (Leguizamo masturbating while talking to Debby Harry on the phone, Suvari dropping one, etc). Overall though, it is quite a ride and has some great acting throughout
Its gotten tons of bad reviews, both from critics and audiences. But I have to disagree with them, although the movie got a bit too digusting for me at some points, it still gave me a realistic and accurate view of life with drugs. Besides, Jason Swartrzman(sp?) rocked! There was a bit of guilty pleasure in it as well, where that one chick got tied up and left chained to the bed for a couple of days, naked. Yeah, I'm sick and perverted.
I thought it got released in 2002...
True. I often forget to check the release year on the IMDB. In my country it has been released (video and DVD only) in 2005, so I automatically assumed it was a 2004 film.
I found it to be a good film but an unpleasant experience. The tied up woman was stolen straight from the book Less Than Zero which is way darker than the film. This film wasn't like a Drugstore Cowboy or a Trainspotting. It's more like the realistic parts of Requiem for a Dream or Permanent Midnight and pretty accurate where meth is concerned.
I too love this film.
The super jittery camerawork was fantastic in showing these guys all hopped up on meth.
The porn store scene was good...notice who is playing the clerk behind the counter?
It's Rob Halford, the lead singer of Judas Priest.
I watched this movie. It was enjoyable, I enjoyed it, but it was ultimately pointless. It doesn't really show why these people are the drug addicts they are, only that they are drug addicts. Also, I'm not a big Jason Schwartzman fan. I mean, I like him, but he's the same guy in every movie, Jason Schwartzman. I don't understand the appeal. But, hey, screw my opinon.
One thing I will give this movie, that cover of the Iron Maiden song: great.
Post Edited (04-17-05 11:37)
I hate John Leguizamo to the point I can't watch a film even if i think he could be in it.
I finally rented this while I was away from the board because of the recommendations here, (I was also working my way through the "Deadwood" box set). I liked the movie despite it's flaws. I figured the pointlessness of the characters's lives and the banality of most of what was really happening to them was intentional. They were supposed to be so caught up in the drug, getting it, using it, and what they felt while on it, that they were incapable of seeing what was really happening. It came across as more realist than "The Salton Sea", but that worked better as a "film" since it was a thriller and had more structure.
The parts that didn't work to me, Eric Roberts' campy over the top performance (distracted from the mood of the rest of the film), Schwartzman's encounter with the ex-girlfriend he had been leaving messages for (too stagey and formulaic), and the last scene (felt like they stole it from every moody downer nihistic 70s film you can think of).
I would like to find the soundtrack, loved what they did with the Maiden song as well. I kept saying "I know this song, something's not right about it, but I like it" until I figured it out. I also wonder what a former meth addict I know (nine years clean now) would think of the film. When I mentioned "Salton Sea" to her once, she was curious to see how they portrayed the drug life.
It's a good flick but unpleasant as it should be I guess. I don't expect many more in the meth genre. It's pretty uninteresting. If you live around it in the rural setting, it's usually just people hanging out in trailers with a revolving social circle of folks in and out of prison. The urban version doesn't seem any more interesting other than the gay club scene or the frugal stock trader scene. I think the standard abuse movies will always be alcohol and heroin. The Jack Kerouacs and the Bill Burroughs's and other musicians and artist types are a lot more interesting than new wave crack heads. Still, I think a paint huffing movie would be interesting.
h.p. Love wrote:
> Still, I think
> a paint huffing movie would be interesting.
You could try Love Liza (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0282698/).
Mofo Rising wrote:
> h.p. Love wrote:
>
> > Still, I think
> > a paint huffing movie would be interesting.
>
> You could try Love
> Liza (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0282698/).
>
Thanks. It's on the top of my list now.
Mofo,
You beat me to the Love Liza thing. Great PSH flick.