kennetharthurfrench

I can honestly say this is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Badly acted and badly written. The conversation about irony vs. Contradiction might be the worst written scene I've ever come across in a film. The main characters are completely unlikable and the situation is unrelatable. The only people I liked in it were Amy Madigan as the friend and Bud Cort as the other DJ; I wish there'd been more with them. Rance Howard was good in his one scene as well. But Matt Clark is like a parody of an alcoholic in his scenes; it was embarrassing to watch. Worst of all, Jamie Lee Curtis had zero chemistry with James Keach. It was almost like they repelled each other. Avoid this at all cost.

There have been several Lord of the Rings inspired fan films. This one falls far short of Chris Bouchard's The Hunt for Gollum or Kate Madison's Born of Hope. For one thing, it tells a story that doesn't need telling. One soldier of Rohan going off to warn his countrymen is not much of a plot. Second, it looks very amateurish. The props are cheap (it's unlikely that the army of Rohan would carry flimsy wooden shields). The two orcs who are hunting the hero wear near identical masks and the other in their company (an Uruk-hai? It's never explained) wears a black leather mask that makes him look like Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Don't waste your time on this.

Let me start off by saying I love Derek Jarman's work. Caravaggio and Edward II are among my favorite films. But he, like a lot of filmmakers, just didn't get punk. I realize that this movie is about more than punk and what it has to say about society and class is important. But dressing people up in torn clothes and playing any generic loud/fast music does not equal punk. Having so many non-actors in important roles doesn't help either. If you want a film that gets what punk rock is about, has something to say about society, and has great music, try Rude Boy.