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Justin does Weirdsville
Posted by Justin
“Be gone. Walk with Satan. Don’t step on the pentagram!”
The Scoop: 2007 R, directed by Allan Moyle and starring Scott Speedman, Wes Bentley and Taryn Manning
Tagline: A strange place to find yourself.
Summary Capsule: Drug dealers have to deal with a lot more than drugs if they’re to survive the night.
Justin’s Rating: Oh Rexy, you’re so sexy!
Justin’s Review: Allan Moyle. That name might mean nothing to you, but at MRFH we give a little half-salute any time someone mentions him in the hallway. While not the biggest cheese wheel at the cult curd factory, Moyle nevertheless has delivered to us at least two bonafide favorites: Pump Up The Volume and Empire Records. He’s never really broken into anything even neighboring the big time, but I grew curious what he’d been up to since the 90’s – a scary foray that includes a Michael Jackson biopic (true) – and discovered another possible cult flick of his: Weirdsville.
On paper, it’s all been done before: two stoner buddies stumble into wacky situations and misunderstandings, trying to keep their heads above the water just enough to take another toke on their bongs. I’ve seen this sort of thing played light and odd (Dude, Where’s My Car?), for sure, but Weirdsville takes a darker route that stumbles, runs and flat-out falls through the story.
In the seedy districts of Toronto (is there such a thing?), drug consumers/salespeople Dexter and Royce are having a very bad night. They owe all manner of Loonies and Toonies to their thumbs-chopping dealer, and have decided to resort to one big heist to solve their problems. Unfortunately, their key link in the plan, a girl named Matilda who knows the safe combination, overdoses and winds up dead. A tad bummed, the impulsive Royce and introspective Dexter decide to bury her body at a drive-in movie theater (why not?) and continue with the plan anyway.
If only they knew what type of movie they were in, dear readers, if only. They’d probably just head straight on home and get a good night’s sleep if they did.
Before long, their simple criminal plan spirals far out of control, drawing them the ire and attention of angry Satanists, angrier medieval-focused midgets, and the angriest drug dealer of them all. Plus, there’s some kidnapping, drug usage and random violence to keep things spicy.
As I said, on paper we’ve seen this before, and on paper, it sometimes works. Having druggies – particularly pushers – as your lead characters makes the job of having us root for them all that much harder. And as Weirdsville skews more toward black humor and away from laugh-out-loud silliness (although there are moments), it just keeps your interest somewhat sated without raising any standards.
I like Moyle, I really do. I think he writes interesting characters, has a good head for comedy, and isn’t afraid to scribble outside the lines in his movie coloring book. But I can’t say that this movie demands your attention so much as pleads for it, and that isn’t a good thing.
'Quick! Draw on her face with a sharpie!'
Groovy Quotes
- Satanist: Well played. Nothing like a good shovel to stop a car.
Quiet Guy: You want to end up like Retardo Montleban over here?
Royce: What are you, are you like Satan worshipers?
Abel: Hey hey, zip zip zip. You are not worthy to utter his name! But yes, we do bask in the light of the dark lord.
Dexter: How’d you knock him out?
Royce: I hit him with that elf thing that we broke in with.
Dexter: Gnome.
Royce: Yeah whatever. What is it, a leprechaun?
Dexter: Gnome.
Royce: You know what I mean, like that smurf thing that I hit the window with?
Dexter: Not smurf – gnome.
Royce: What are you saying, man? Why don’t you just tell me? You keep saying no.
Royce: [while hugging Matilda] God, to think that we almost buried you tonight!
Abel: Be gone. Walk with Satan. Don’t step on the pentagram!
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