Haggard

If you've seen the skits that Bam and crew do on CKY, this is basically a cross between that and a funny but generic comedy. I enjoyed it but I wasn't expecting a "real" movie.

Ryan Dunn, who apparently the plot is based on, is really the only one who seems to act decently and isn't so cartoonish that he's unbelievable. Bam does a passable job acting -basically just playing himself. Chris Raab stays in his retarded Marlon Brando character and Don Vito is basically himself dressed as Julius Caeser and you can go with that since people do have crazy relatives in real life. Brandon Dicamillo just does the over the top characters he does on the CKY videos which is fine in CKY but it takes you out of the suspension of disbelief a little too much. Between his silly skit characters (one of them has a "beard" that looks like a bag of cotton balls glued together) and the film breaking into random music video-esquire skate montages, it doesn't seem like a narrative movie anymore.

There is potential -the cinematography, directing and editing are all pretty good, though at times self-indulgent, and fans of CKY should enjoy it but I wish it would either try to be a "real" and believable movie or just be over the top ridiculous and funny. It seems to try to be both at once... and that is where it fails. Again, I enjoyed it despite the flaws but I think it would be more interesting to see Bam try to make a real film and not A CKY video with a plot.

Haggard is a great example of how, if one has an idea, a video camera, and few friends, a movie can be made. Directed by skateboarder Bam Margera of 'CKY' and 'Jackass' fame, this is a movie shoddily filmed on handie cams and stars himself and his mates (most of whome have also been affiliated with CKY or Jackass). The story revolves around Ryan Dunn and his serial cheating girlfriend, which is supposidly based on a true story - in short, this film is bloody funny and if I was you, I would attempt to see it at all costs. This is not Shakespare in Love and this is not the Shawshank Redemption, if it had been made half as seriously as either of these two films then it would have been crap... but seen as they set out to make a crap movie then its actually pretty good.

8 out of 10.

In honor of the late Ryan Dunn, I felt I needed to watch Haggard: The Movie. I watched the sequel to the film made six years after this, Minghags, and really enjoyed it. Seeing this one, it clears up a lot of the confusion I had with Minghags. I wasn't aware this was the predecessor to the film, but seeing it now, really makes me take a liking to Bam Margera's independent style of filmmaking.

Before Jackass, Bam Margera took part in a series of videos he called CKY (named after the band). He wound up making several volumes of him and his friends, like Raab Himself, Ryan Dunn, Rake Yohn, etc, goofing around and being themselves. Then he went on to be a member of Jackass and do his own MTV shows like Bam's Unholy Union and Viva La Bam. Haggard: The Movie was the middle of the road coming out in 2003. A year after the first Jackass movie.

It's supposedly a true story remade with the characters in the movie are played by Bam's friends. Ry (Dunn) is upset when he finds out his girlfriend Glauren (Rivell) wants time apart. He then realizes that she is hanging out with a heavy-metal punk nicknamed Hellboy (Yohn). To help their friend out, Valo (Margera), Falcone (DiCamillo), and Raab Himself (Raab) all try to vandalize Glauren's house. But Ry is still sinking deeper and deeper into a mental depression.

The humor is totally up my alley with lots of rough housing, name calling, and well acted, natural conversations. The movie is not too long or too short. It is perfectly managed. The only downside is it has one montage too many. Many of the montages in the movie are set to skateboarders with rock music by CKY, Gnarkill, and H.I.M. in the background. I have no problem with any of the music played, but there are at least four montages in the film that go on for way too long.

Other than that, the film is pretty close to perfect. I was under the assumption that since most of these guys are used to doing dangerous stunts they couldn't really do justice acting in a full length movie. I was way off. They pulled if off perfectly. In no way was I expected Bam and Dunn could both act as well as they did.

Between the soundtrack, the filming style, the humor, the acting, and the story, Haggard: The Movie wins in every category. Except the fact that the number of montages can be tedious, and the subplot of an invention doesn't really take off as much, but we see it done with more in the sequel. Haggard: The Movie is not only a great film, but a great way to remember an amazing actor and daredevil.

Starring: Ryan Dunn, Jenn Rivell, Bam Margera, Brandon DiCamillo, Chris Raab, Rake Yohn, and Vincent Margera.

We came 1,400 miles from Tulsa to check out "Bam's CKY Preview" party at the Trocadero in Philly - just by chance we ran into Bam Margera at FDR Park - I said "yo bam" and talked to him before he skated....he thought it was cool that we had come all that way - when we told him that we wouldn't be checking out the world premiere of "HAGGARD" on Monday because it was sold out he told us to meet his folks at West Chester and "we'd have tickets"......we did and they did. These people are all so cool and real down to earth - they are having a blast with their new celebrity.

Now to the flick....... "HAGGARD" is a scream.....this is a Camp Kill Yourself fans dream come true. Ryan Dunn's whole sick situation is brought on by himself and the guys are without mercy. The whole thing revolves around Ryan's weak ass relationships....so funny when you throw in such helpful friends as Bam Margera, Brandon DiCamilo and Chris Raab and of course Rake Yohn as the evil one. This is a real movie folks......with a plot, script, characters the whole thing - Bam and Brandon have done a killer job of putting this together. The obnoxious and disgusting things they do in order to bring revenge on Ryan's slut of a girlfriend played by Bam's real life love Jenn Revel. We also get to see DiCamilo go off on one of his classic freestyle tangents trying to market a "reverse microwave" - I think Brandon gets better drugs then most of us......just kidding.

So the movie is real funny. Side splitting funny....with a little rad skating thrown in for fun. The entire cast and crew showed up for the premiere and hung around the theater to talk to fans. One of the best times of my life...a killer independent film...and a damned kickass effort by Bam and his entire West Chester Crew.

jp

When I first saw this movie I didn't know what to think of it. I thought it could have been better. Later that same day I was at work and the movie was all I thought about. There's so many things going on in the movie that have never really been introduced or haven't been introduced in that shape or form yet in a movie. So after thinking about it I thought it was good, then I watched it for a second time and I liked it better that time then the first time I saw it. The second time you see it you already know about all the ideas floating around in the movie and you can easily enjoy it more the second time. There are some things I dont understand like Bam skating in between some scenes, and Hannah laughing hysterically from the window which some other people may find funny I just didnt get the humor behind it. I give this film 3 out of 5. I think Chris Raab's character really made the movie funny. I'd like to see what Bam's next film would be like if he plans to make another. I would like to see him grow as a director.