Operation: Belvis Bash

I'd say in politically correct America, awarding Alexander Loy and Joe Walser's politically incorrect comedy Zero Dark Dirty a positive rating is a very risky move. You run the risk of facing major backlash from all over the spectrum, and had this been a more mainstream movie than it currently is, I would assume the media would smother the film with so much controversy and bad-buzz that they'd potentially scrutinize and unintentionally blacklist the actors involved from future films.

I'm here to report that while the film will be found extremely insensitive and offensive to a certain group of people, it is also very funny in the area of light-hearted humor. The film takes many jabs at religious and political notions surrounding the nation of Islam and the Islamic religion, while allowing criticisms towards Christianity and Judaism to be heard as well. The end-result is a film so silly and asinine that to take it seriously and allow yourself to be offended by it would be embarrassing on your part.

The story centers on Alexander Loy's musician character "Belvis Bash," a second-rate singer with the vocals and looks of Elvis and the swagger and clothing of Johnny Cash. Belvis spends most of his time playing at smaller dives until he is discovered by Major Emile Hickory (Mark Metcalf), an unabashedly outspoken man who believes he'd be perfect for the job of traveling to Afghanistan with other musicians, comedians, and actors to perform for the Afghanistan people to show that America isn't populated with a large amount of ignorant, close-minded buffoons who are war-crazy.

Belvis reconnects with May Summer (Noel Britton), an old friend he knew from long ago who aspired to be a singer and is now performing her talents for people in Afghanistan. The other man he meets is the fearlessly racist and hopelessly incompetent comedian Samuel Stilman (Corey Feldman), who doesn't seem to think before he speaks, resulting in the three talents being kidnapped and taken into custody by a group of Afghanistan radicals.

Admittedly, the first forty minutes of the film are a drag. I sat there worried the film, which I had absurdly higher hopes than I should've had for, would quickly evolve into a sea of monotonous jokes and wind up possessing a premise that wasn't fully realized. Then, the film began to realize it was a lawless work of parody, anarchic humor, and politically incorrect silliness, and allowed its actors - particularly, Corey Feldman in one of his most memorable roles in years - a release to play around with the dialog possible in a film like this. Some lines he delivers are innocuous, like when he's riding on a camel through the desert, "This mule needs to go faster!," he yells. Some are more racist and discriminating and not fit for a place in this review.

The reason I'm giving Zero Dark Dirty (whose title is an obvious play on Kathryn Bigelow's Oscar-nominated Zero Dark Thirty of last year) a positive rating is because it has an unsettling and uneasy premise (especially in today's timid times) that it makes good use of. As mindless as the dialog is (written by co-director Alexander Loy), it provides for some shockingly memorable laughs and hilarity if one chooses to make an attempt not to get offended. This film barely takes itself seriously; the last thing you want to do is take it seriously.

Starring: Alexander Loy, Noel Britton, Corey Feldman, and Mark Metcalf. Directed by: Alexander Loy and Joe Walser.

On the war on global terrorism America's most effective weapon, of course, is a C-level rockabilly singer who is a combination of Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. I know what you're thinking, "ANOTHER one of these movies?"

Zero Dark Dirty is a comedy in the tradition of the "Naked Gun" and "Scary Movie" franchises. It pokes fun at current popular films while framing it in a somewhat absurd storyline. If you are fans of these types of films Zero Dark Dirty is right down your alley.

The main character, Belvis Bash (played admirably by Lex Lvovsky) is a down on his luck musician. When the movie opens he is performing in a nursing home. He gets the opportunity to be a part of the government's Pop Culture Outreach Program and perform for the people of Afghanistan. He agrees and, as they say, hijinx ensue.

I don't want to give too much away but this is a "fish out of water" story with Belvis trying to understand the local culture. There is even the obligatory love interest in the form of May Summer, played by Noel Britton. She got roped into participating by answering an ad for a musical entitled "Les Miserables: Episode One." There are a lot of these types of jokes throughout the movie.

Oh, and did I mention there are cameos by Frank Stallone and Daniel Baldwin? This movie has everything.

The film pokes good-natured fun at Middle Eastern culture as well as American "decadence." No doubt, the usual group of people who get offended by this type of humor will be offended. However, there is nothing mean-spirited about the humor in this film. While some jokes are a bit cringe-worthy it is all done in good fun.

If you are looking for a good laugh and like pop culture references I strongly suggest you take a look at this film.

Zero Dark Dirty is the kind of film that's like biting into a soft-caramel filled chocolate when you were expecting simply chocolate (provided you like caramel, if you don't insert whatever candy-filling is your favorite). It has the feel of a classic Hope & Crosby "Road to..." movie, but several strange, unexpected elements turn it into a unique viewing experience. It's romantic comedy and political satire, action/adventure and rock & roll musical. You wouldn't think any of these would mesh, but they manage to create a lighthearted and, at times, intensely powerful feature. Lex Lvovsky and Noel Britton nail their starring performances among a star-studded, eclectic cast with such faces as Corey Feldman, The Iron Sheik, Mark Metcalf, Frank Stallone, Daniel Baldwin, and Larry Thomas (the Soup Nazi in an emotionally impacting scene). If you like your Johnny Cash laced with a little Elvis and good-old-fashioned American pride, Zero Dark Dirty is the film for you!

With a title like it has you might think you know exactly what you're getting into, but I was surprised at what I ended up seeing. Far from a simple spoof, it actually takes (somewhat) seriously the issues of terrorism and foreign occupation. What sets it apart, though, is that it does this while maintaining a level of near-pure goofiness. A movie that has a prominent role for the Iron Sheik isn't taking itself too seriously, and with this movie I think the silliness is it's biggest strength.

Corey Feldman rules in this one. It's a great role and he steals the show in my opinion. From beginning to end he chews up the screen, and the movie is worth watching for his performance alone.

The movie has its issues. Some side stories detract from the main plot and a few gags fall flat. But to me the unique tone, consistent laughs, and Feldman's performance make this one a lot of fun. Recommended.

Given the title I thought this was going to be a straight up parody - and I am actually very happy it wasn't. It's really hard to describe this movie.

Basically it was really funny and well put together. The story was all over the place at times, but I was satisfied with it when it ended.

Corey Feldman was actually really funny. I didn't know what to expect. The Iron Sheik is hilarious too. I liked all the cast - there were no bad actors in the cast.

Lex Lvovsky is good as the Elvis guy, and he did a good job as a writer director. I hope he gets a chance to make more crazy movies like this - it was really very original.