WEIRDSVILLE (2007)

WEIRDSVILLE
**½
Rating: R
Length: 90 minutes
Director: Allan Moyle (Empire Records; Pump Up the Volume)
Writer: Willem Wennekers (Night Class)
Starring: Wes Bentley, Taryn Manning, Scott Speedman, Matt Frewer, Greg Bryk, Maggie Castle, Jordan Prentice

There seems to be a sort of genre that has spawned over the years that can loosely defined as “frantic/drug induced/caper comedy”- if that makes any sense. There has been the good (“Go”; “Gridlock’d”), the watchable (“Stark Raving Mad”) and the god awful (“Fifty Pills”). “Weirdsville” falls more in the watchable category, but you get my drift on what kind of movie it is if you’ve seen any of the above mentioned flicks. The main character or characters are usually druggies or if not, involved heavily with untrustworthy (but well-meaning) druggies, and are trying to pull of some kind of get rich quick scheme or trying to find a way out of some crazy predicament. The two smack and potheads here- Royce (“American Beauty”’s Wes Bentley) and Dexter (Scott Speedman- I swore he was Chris Evans until I saw his name in the end credits instead)- do mean well and just want to pay off a dope dealer (Raoul Bhaneja) who Royce and his prostitute girlfriend Matilda (Taryn Manning- again! What the hell?) accidentally screwed over while Dexter was off trying to kick his habit. They plan to rob a rich hippie (Matt Frewer) who has been hospitalized after an ice pick jammed into his skull. His mansion, which contains a safe with all of his money (he doesn’t believe in banks), is only being guarded by a horny teenage pothead named Jeremy (Joe Dinicol). Should be easy enough- but nobody counted on the deranged Satanists whom Royce and Dexter stumble upon performing a sacrifice. No coincidence that the Satanists also happen to be loyal followers of the hippie and need some blood (somehow it ends up being Matilida’s) to bring the hippie back to full health. Throw in some medieval time re-enacting midgets bent on revenge and a few other obstacles and you’ve got “Weirdsville” in a nutshell. It doesn’t always work. Obviously, some of the plot points are a bit far fetched to say the least, but there are some genuine laughs and the movie is truthfully never boring. The biggest surprise to me was Wes Bentley. I have never been a fan (hated him in “American Beauty”- sorry “Beauty” fans). He gives a really terrific comedic performance. If his true calling are roles like this, then god bless him let them cast him in more. Movies like “Weirdsville” end up having a strong shelf life because they always end up finding a cult audience. Director Allan Moyle, in fact, you may recognize from a couple of other cult “classics” (though I despise both) “Empire Records” and “Pump Up the Volume”. One day you’ll be sitting on one of your friend’s couches flipping through the stations and this movie will be on and your friend will say something like “Oh man, have you seen this? It’s actually pretty funny”. A movie could have a worst fate.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Calla- Swagger
Black Mountain- Druganaut

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