well, first off, i LOVE boogie nights. i think it is one of the best films ever made. anderson is my hero, and i basically get anything he does. it works for me.
that being said, this one is clearly the work of a teenager getting his feet wet. anderson is smart enough to utilize a form and story that would play into his lack of experience. there bis clearly something under the surface of this film.
still, it is a tough watch. first, my print was terrible, which is probably due to it being a nearly 20 year old film shot on 1/2" video and duped dozens of times. it is entirely understandable and excusable, but it doesn't make it any easier to watch. the color bleeds, shots are tough to see, and the sound is blown out. the performances are typical of such amateur films, and the actors are obviously not pros. it is dated a bit as well...note reeds mullet and 80s era gym clothes...remember, unlike boogie nights, this film is not a period piece, so all the embarrassing clothing / hairstyles are unitended, which makes them even funnier, if you ask me...this is proof if we ever needed it, that people actually though that mullets, those terrible fluorescent gym clothes and oakleys spoke for them. what they said, i have no idea, because i think all they could ever say would be "look at me, i'm a thick skulled idiot whose only accomplishments in life are my pumped up arms, my fake tan, and the ability to grow my hair, although i wont even full commit to that...go figure...
it is most interesting as an archive piece. if boogie nights hadn't been made, and anderson not become the powerful, original voice he is, this probably would not be that noteworthy.
he gets extra points in my book merely for finishing the work. anyone who has tried to make such a piece knows that finishing is an accomplishment in and of itself. and thank God he did finish, because this guy is the best hope for the future of cinema. kudos to him.
that being said, this one is clearly the work of a teenager getting his feet wet. anderson is smart enough to utilize a form and story that would play into his lack of experience. there bis clearly something under the surface of this film.
still, it is a tough watch. first, my print was terrible, which is probably due to it being a nearly 20 year old film shot on 1/2" video and duped dozens of times. it is entirely understandable and excusable, but it doesn't make it any easier to watch. the color bleeds, shots are tough to see, and the sound is blown out. the performances are typical of such amateur films, and the actors are obviously not pros. it is dated a bit as well...note reeds mullet and 80s era gym clothes...remember, unlike boogie nights, this film is not a period piece, so all the embarrassing clothing / hairstyles are unitended, which makes them even funnier, if you ask me...this is proof if we ever needed it, that people actually though that mullets, those terrible fluorescent gym clothes and oakleys spoke for them. what they said, i have no idea, because i think all they could ever say would be "look at me, i'm a thick skulled idiot whose only accomplishments in life are my pumped up arms, my fake tan, and the ability to grow my hair, although i wont even full commit to that...go figure...
it is most interesting as an archive piece. if boogie nights hadn't been made, and anderson not become the powerful, original voice he is, this probably would not be that noteworthy.
he gets extra points in my book merely for finishing the work. anyone who has tried to make such a piece knows that finishing is an accomplishment in and of itself. and thank God he did finish, because this guy is the best hope for the future of cinema. kudos to him.