Even Hitler Had a Girlfriend

A fat, schlubby security guard can't get women to date him, so he sits around his apartment in his underwear watching porn channels. He branches out to hiring prostitutes, and soon ends up spending every last cent he has on them. I'd be lying if I said that this film isn't mostly a thin excuse to have half-naked women dancing on camera, but this extremely low concept, shot-on-video oddity derives more than a little charm from Marcus Templeton's funny, naturalistic performance in the lead. He's not exactly a good actor, but he has a lot of dialogue that he mostly delivers in narration, and he's funny and kind of appealing. Nobody else in the film is any good at all, but it's certainly not a complete waste of time.

Joe Bob Briggs calls this "the greatest comedy of the year" or some such thing and it's hard to argue with that. I watched it with three other guys. Two of them loved it, one hated it. We agreed that it was too much like his own sex life (or lack thereof) to find it amusing!

Definitely low budget, but this only adds to the overall sleazy look and feel (very appropriate). Many great lines and scenes.

I recall that Joe Bob Briggs picked this flick out as one of the best drive - in movies of the year, if not the best. JBB knows whereof he speaks, although I suppose the term " drive - in " means little to nothing to current audiences. This movie is a contemporary exploration into the pure alienation of a modern man and his efforts to integrate into a society that refuses to accommodate his needs and desires outside of a capitalist system that can only last as long as the cash does. The movie features some scenes of gyrating women in dishabille which initially seems like straight exploitation that will not significantly add to the story, but these shots ultimately prove to be strangely hypnotic images, especially when played against stark images of power lines and quickly moving ominous clouds. There's serious danger and implications of terror lurking underneath the surface of this painful dark comedy. This is a much more sophisticated offering than a lot of the recent high budget Hollywood stuff that gets off with a rave review because it's allegedly symbolic and darkly allegorical and everyone wants to act like they " get it " when there's really nothing to get. If there's a genre for existentialist comedy, then this movie should be at the top of the list.

There are so many great scenes in this movie. The drama that is the rise-and-fall of Marcus Templeton is engaging and believable; Andren Scott hits the nail on the head as the archetype of the good-natured, clueless, pathetic sap. Like Homer Simpson and George Costanza, everyone knows a Marcus, and will probably recognize a little bit of Marcus in themselves.

I can honestly say that this movie has some of the best tragically comic, pathetically poignant one-liners of any movie: "Can I at least touch your breasts? Well can I at least see them for a minute? Would you like to go home now?"

It's unfortunate then, that the bad scenes (i.e. the "sexy stripper" scenes) are so prolific and long. You will ask yourself "were hot girls really that lame and homely in the late eighties?" These seemingly never-ending, awkward strip teases will have the whole room uncomfortable, and the god-awful, noodle-doodle electric guitar accompaniment will serve to heighten the pain.

But then again, that's what the remote control is for...

A great party film! Everybody watching it shouts at the screen (does everyone know a guy like this who can't get a date?), they all seem to relate to the "hero" on some level. Of course, guys like watching the film because virtually all the women in it end up popping their tops. More importantly, the dialogue is very funny, and the characters are memorable to say the least.