ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, October 12, 1996 TAG: 9610150001
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: B12 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: It Came from the Video Store
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO
In the movie marketplace, the phrase "low-budget" can have several meanings. It can be scornfully pejorative, dismissing a film as worthless, or it can point out a realistic differentiation between hideously expensive Hollywood productions and video entertainment.
As Lloyd Kaufman, president of Troma Films, has observed, "It's still money, even with low budgets. You can open a lot of dress shops for a half a million dollars. It's a chunk of dough, no question about it."
Relatively modest budgets are the common denominator in this week's quartet of video releases, beginning with Troma's own, "Cannibal: The Musical," which was first a stage play at the University of Colorado.
The subject here is Alfred Packer (Juan Schwartz) who was convicted of cannibalism in 19th-century Colorado. (Didn't the students at UC once vote to name the new dining hall after him?)
Though this is 100 percent pure Troma with unapologetically cheesy ambiance and effects, the film is also true to its undergraduate roots with smart, irreverent, cheerfully tasteless music and humor. Writer/director Trey Parker uses a cheeky attitude to compensate for an inexperienced cast and whatever-works locations and sets.
I spoke to Kaufman last summer at the Video Software Dealers Convention. Though Troma has become synonymous with the lowest of low-budget productions, his enthusiasm for movies was unfeigned and continuous. This is how he explains Troma:
"From the beginning when Michael Herz and I founded the studio, we believed the `brand name' was the way to go. We couldn't compete with the majors. The guys who tried to challenge the establishment - the battlefield is littered with their bodies.
"We have to do what's within our hearts and souls and create a brand name around that view of the universe. We are not serious about ourselves but we take our movies very seriously. I believe that 'Cannibal: The Musical' - and I had nothing to do creatively with it - is a profound movie. I believe it is top quality social satire. I believe it has something to say to people other than just providing entertainment."
Overstatement? Of course, but "Cannibal" still has more intelligence, wit and originality than most of the movies that are ground out of Hollywood studios.
At the same convention, I spoke to producer/director Jag Mundhra, who has made a name for himself in another side of the low-budget business.
"I like thrillers," he said. "You can still do a very good-looking 'Rear Window' with a good but unknown actor. The cost will be a very small fraction without compromising the presentation of the story.
"If you try to do a big action movie for a small budget, it's going to look cheesy because you've got to make compromises somewhere."
Mundhra's newest releases are a trilogy. "Irresistible Impulse," "Tainted Love," and Twisted Passion" were economically made back-to-back-to-back with overlapping casts.
Only "Irresistible Impulse" adds anything to the genre. It's a loosely wrapped story of a sleazy real estate agent (Doug Jeffrey) who allows himself to be entangled in a wild scam with femme fatale Lee Anne Beaman who, in "Tainted Love" plays a tough cop looking for a serial killer who may be rich guy Jeffrey who, in "Twisted Passion" is a cop who arrests a psycho. "Tainted" and "Twisted" depend on uninspired cliches. "Irresistible" has several surprises, real humor and is well-photographed by Howard Wexler. It's the only one of this bunch that approaches "Rear Window."
Next week: Action!
Got a question about home video or film? Contact your favorite video columnist at P.O. Box 2491; Roanoke, VA 24010, or by e-mail at 75331.2603@compuserve.com
New Releases This Week:
Primal Fear ***
Starring Richard Gere, Edward Norton, Andre Braugher, Frances McDormand, John Mahoney, Laura Linney, Alfre Woodard. Directed by Gregory Holt. Paramount. 128 minutes. Rated R for graphic violence, strong language, brief nudity, sexual content.
This legal thriller is enjoyable as a guilty pleasure - mostly for Gere fans - despite several self-inflicted wounds. One major plot element is transparently obvious early on; the big trial contains some moments of wonderful humor that may or may not be intentional. But it's still strangely enjoyable, particularly on the small screen. Mystery fans who missed this one during its successful theatrical run will love it on tape. Don't be surprised if young Norton gets a Supporting Actor Oscar nomination.
- MIKE MAYO
Celtic Pride *
Starring Daniel Stern, Dan Aykroyd, Damon Wayans. Directed by Tom De Cerchio. Buena Vista/Hollywood. 90 minutes. Rated PG-13 for subject matter, strong language.
The heroes of this fitful sports comedy are a couple of bloated middle-aged white guys whose obsession with sports has made them pathetic losers. The basketball scenes focusing on co-star Wayans are relatively unimportant to the story, and the athletes and coaches are portrayed as self-indulgent, immature fools. Sports fans and sports movie fans are unlikely to be amused.
- MIKE MAYO
Fear *
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Reese Witherspoon, William Petersen. Directed by James Foley. MCA/Universal. 95 minutes. Rated R for subject matter, strong sexual content, violence, language.
Sick flick is a ham-fisted variation on the "Fatal Attraction"/"Hand That Rocks the Cradle" formula. In those films, a beautiful insane woman menaced a middle-class family. This time out, Wahlberg is Psycho-boy whose sexual obsession with teen-age Witherspoon smacks of kiddie porn, though it's handled without nudity or graphic love scenes.
- MIKE MAYO
The Essentials:
Cannibal: The Musical **1/2 Troma Team Video. 95 minutes. Rated R for violence and subject matter.
Irresistible Impulse. *** York Home Video. 107 minutes. Unrated , but contains sexual scenes, nudity, violence and strong language.
Tainted Love. *1/2 York Home Video. 93 minutes. Unrated , but contains sexual scenes, nudity, violence and strong language.
Twisted Passion. *1/2 York Home Video. 101 minutes. Unrated , but contains sexual scenes, nudity, violence and strong language.
LENGTH: Long : 119 linesby CNB