Windy City Heat

I watched this movie when it first came out on Comedy Central several years ago and just rediscovered it again. It is a very funny and elaborate prank played on an aspiring actor named Perry. Perry is part of a comedy group known as the Big 3. The other members are Don Barris and another actor that goes by the screen name Mole. These two comedic actors "discovered" Perry at the comedy store in 1992 and have been messing with him ever since.

I advise you to give the movie a chance. And if you enjoyed the high jinx in the movie, try listening to the Big 3 podcasts, where Don and Mole continue to mess around with Perry.

As to whether or not the movie is "real" or not, I am not sure you need to have that question answered to enjoy the movie. However, I have listened to many of the podcasts and it seems pretty apparent Perry is not in on the joke. It seems as though he has a narcissistic personality disorder, is very gullible, and, rather unfortunately, has a low IQ. He was in a car accident as a teenager and this may have stripped him of some intelligence or he may have just had this personality disorder from birth. Either way, the result is hilarious.

While the pranks and personal nature of the jokes Don and Mole pull could be viewed as cruel, Perry's racist, misogynistic and xenophobic behavior make the viewer OK with the pranks. If you give the movie a chance and enjoy the pranks, I suggest you give the podcasts a listen!

The premise itself is only mildly amusing--Perry's friends play a massive practical joke on him, making him believe he's the star of a major motion picture--and the project's grandiose scope could have easily become depressing if the joke were to fall flat. But it doesn't.

Comedically, what makes this film work is the unflinching posture of Perry's co-stars, who maintain their composure as the level of insanity rises. Cinematically, it works because of the onslaught of inventive gags, many of them subtly plausible (like mis-spelling Perry's name on the marquee). Altogether, Perry's friends/tormentors create a scenario that closely resembles real life, exaggerating the minor annoyances that make life hell to, well, to make Perry's life hell. And it is absolutely hilarious! In short, it's "Spinal Tap" for the film industry, only this purports to be real.

Having taken some time to re-watch and ruminate over Windy City Heat (I've seen it four times and counting), explaining the enduring appeal of it is still tricky. First of all, it's funny. It's blindingly funny. It's tip a cow then kick a duck up the arse funny. It's also fantastically original in it's conception and treads heavily where few might dare to tread at all. The mark in this; possibly the most elaborate prank ever, is the fabulous Perry Caravello. Arrogant, sexist, homophobic and gullible. He is hilariously short tempered yet naive and lovable. Our catalysts and instigators are Don and Mole who according to the film have been messing with Perry for over a decade now. The setup is to have Perry, an aspiring actor and comedian in Hollywood, audition for a part in a film and win it. They go on to shoot the actual film over the course of a week, only it's all part of the setup and every scene is just another opportunity to provoke Perry's wrath while the cameras are rolling. There is physical comedy, humiliation, and provocation. It's great. When watching the film you will recognise names and faces. The in-jokes are endless. Perry gets none of the references. I do get twinges of pity for Perry as he falls for joke upon joke. Half the jokes are just to sell or justify a previous joke or fabrication. Some of the setups seem so contrived that it's hard to believe anyone would fall for it, but Perry sees no problems. It's humour is maybe a little cruel and sadistic in spirit, which in turn provokes thought on edgy comedy as an elaborate web of ethical dilemmas. Fortunately, any uncomfortable doubts about what you're watching are put to bed when you understand the relationship of Perry with Don and Mole. Perry is working, making some money and gaining the fame his so craves. Though it's clear someone like Perry can be (and has been!) taken advantage of in a town like Hollywood, I'd go as far to say Perry is protected by Don and Mole and there's obviously some affection there. The underlying fascination of WCH has percolated to the depths of my subconscious and left me quite frankly, obsessed. If there were ever a film cult I was part of than this is it. It is continued now with the excellent ongoing podcast (The Big Three podcast) and the unfolding drama and windups over facebook and other online forums. WCH triumphs where a film like I'm still here totally failed. There is no holier than thou Hollywood smugness. It is well planned and improvised and thick with gags from the most base to the marvellously subtle. It runs hand in hand with An idiot abroad as the most hilarious and startlingly real tragi-comedy out there. Comedy on film is often about levity and escapism but on the other end of that spectrum lies WCH, something that's real and engaging, provocative and most importantly, deeply and lastingly funny.

I watched this film when it aired on Comedy Central. It was late, I was half asleep. I didn't expect to make it all the way to the end but I'm glad I did. This is one of the funniest prank films out there.

It reminds me of Impaled: Painfully Blunt! In that film, they set up a guy named Jonathon "The Impaler" Sharkey who's running for president of the United States. In this film, Scary Perry is being set up. Perry expects to make it big as a Hollywood action star. Instead, his buddies put him through hoop after absurd hoop.

I was expecting an angrier reaction from Perry after the film but it never really happened. I don't want to spoil anything but over all it was a funny and unique prank only because Scary Perry is a unique guy.

I highly recommend this if you're into Bad Grandpa and Borat.

I know that WCH was not fake because I was Don Barris in the movie and this has been going on for over eleven years. Get in touch with me if anyone cares to and you can ask me questions. I'll share things that will make you believe that it is real. I'll also let you in on future plans for the project which will explain why there wasn't a satisfactory ending where we explain to Perry what happened.