Rubin et Ed

My memories of this movie date to when Crispin appeared on the Letterman show dressed as Rubin. Totally in character, he attempted to kick Dave in the head with his four inch shoes and I believe has never been invited back.

This movie truly is more quotable than Caddyshack. "Who's the biggest loser in this room?" Rubin: "Raise your hand, Ed." But my favorite line has got to be when Ed finally drags Rubin to that stupid seminar and claims "Car's back, everything's cool."

If you like to laugh, see this movie. It's an all-time cult classic.

This movie is a story of two failures who get thrown into each other's worlds for one of the most bizarre journeys ever captured on film. As an avid lover of truly weird films, I find Rubin and Ed to be an irresistible comedy.

Crispin Glover is, as always, wonderful. He portrays Rubin, a social outcast and complete shut-in who's forced to go out into the world to prove to his mother that he is making friends, so she'll give him back his stereo.

He comes across Ed (Hessman), who is a "fraud failure" trying his hand as a member of "the organization," which is portrayed as some sort of real estate cult. The two wind up traveling into the Utah West Desert to bury Rubin's recently murdered cat, and come to hate each other entirely as they become the most unlikely pair of friends.

This movie is not for everyone, and indeed it is not easy to find even in Utah (where it is set, and from whence director Trent Harris hails). Rubin and Ed is a remarkably strange and offbeat film. It's the epitome of a cult classic, and as such will inevitably leave you thinking, "huh?" However, if you're tired of Hollywood's sanitized story lines and obvious repetition, I highly recommend trying to find a copy of this movie.

Now and then, despite any reservations your brain might have, a movie gotcha. Sometimes you have to see it a dozen times first. Then various lines start to spring from your mouth and you can't and don't want to stop. It doesn't make any sense: the movie is *different* (like pet iguanas and Carmen Ghias), which isn't bad, and trivial (like Who was the Head of the Class? Who shoveled the coal on The Dead Man's train?), and just plain stupid (like Andy Warhol's art, or land so radioactive it'll kill you in 30 seconds, or expensive real estate seminars).

But Oh Lord! for some reason you're tickled pink to see it... every time, you're happy as a clam and pleased as punch. Never mind that when you watch it, everyone thinks you're a fraud failure. Never mind that your cat-loving friends find it repulsive. Why are some people compelled to reinact The Rocky Horror over and over? Why why why why why you may echo?

This movie is "cooler" than some. Cooler movies ask hard stuff, like Who Am I? Who was Mahler? Who was Dr. Scholl, anyways? Drink deep. And remember to be at Room 71 at 6 o'clock, if you want to climb higher and higher.

My cat can't even eat a wedge of watermelon. Rubin and Ed is a superb adventure of Rubin and his dead cat. This may be the best storyline I've seen in a movie in a long time. Rubin's cat dies, he wants to bury it so they go to the desert and get lost. It's genius! This is the funniest movie I've ever seen. Rubin will always have you guessing what strange thing he'll be doing next, and Ed is the perfect portrayal of an unsuccess. Superb!!

I presume this film to have been a "work of love" for Crispin Glover and Howard Hessman - two actors reveling in their trade just for the fun of it and for the personal challenge. The result is both hilarious (I don't use that word lightly) and gratifying, as the two never let us down, but sustain their wonderful best to the end. The budget must have been super-lean, yet the work is crafted to fit within it, resulting in a piece of comic theater that should even provide the two actors themselves with nostalgic sidesplits in years to come.

This film brought to my mind visions of "Rozmarné Léto" (Capricious Summer, by Jiri Menzel) for its humanist humor, and, less obviously, Ataque Verbal, by Albaladejo and crew, for its acting virtuosity - though by Albaladejo, I would sooner recommend Cielo Abierto to anyone unfamiliar with his work.

At first viewing, though I felt the acting good, I considered it narrow in scope. On second viewing, the depth of the characters' problems struck me: one a virtual agoraphobic recluse with little future ahead, the other a whimsical business misfit whose wife's left him. Neither has a clear view of how to escape his predicament, but both see through - or have no choice but to wrestle with - much of the phoneyness of Americana materialism and mercenary dreams.

I just wish this film were more available - and on DVD - I'd like to buy several copies to send to friends.