Idiocracia

IDIOCRACY (2006). When this film came out, it was looked at as a broad satire of how infantile our culture could become. Now? Events may already overtaken it and made it seem too mild!

Mike Judge's tale is a riff on Woody Allen's SLEEPER where a man from the present ends up in a future he doesn't recognize. An "average Joe" (Luke Wilson) circa 2005 wakes up centuries in the future to find a world so dumbed down that he's the smartest man around! Joe meets up with Frito (Dax Shepard) and Rita (Maya Rudolph) and they end up in the orbit of the boisterous President Camacho (Terry Crews). Together they try to upgrade the intelligence of the American public - good luck with that!

Judge and Etan Cohen's screenplay is a bit scattershot at times, but it is fitfully hilarious too. The most popular show on TV is "Ow! My Balls!" about the various way a man's marbles can be whacked. Costcos are the size of cities and junk food is not only king - but, often the full meal. Again - is this really "centuries from now?". The supporting cast include Thomas Haden Church as Brawndo's CEO and uncredited bits by Sara Rue and Stephen Root.

Fox was so scared of the film it was barely released. Even when theaters requested the rights to show the movie, they were often denied. Of course, this only made the cult surrounding it only that much stronger.

Now, sit back, take a big swig of Brawndo and enjoy the future! Er...the present....? Past?