O Fogo da Vingança

So I was flicking through the channels late at night and was surprise to see Sean William Scott on screen in a film I didn't recognise (always the best way to watch a film I find - no preconceptions). Anyway, I was intrigued enough to keep watching all the way through to the finish.

Scott is Ben McGewen, a small-time who's having to pay off his murdered brother's debt to gang boss Gregory (Lou Diamond Philips wearing a shockingly white wig and who I only actually recognised just before the end). All he has to do is steal a rare Chinese sculpture for him. Unfortunately the sculpture is locked away in a high-security bank vault. Good thing that Ben has an elaborate plan which involves the putting on a club night in the warehouse next door and a crew of accomplices capable of pulling it off. So long as everything goes to plan of course.

Inevitably, everything that can go wrong, does go wrong, but then if it didn't, there wouldn't be much of a film. Their original choice of DJ doesn't show and his replacement isn't too keen on their choice of music, Ben's ex-girlfriend is hanging around and distracting him, there's undercover FBI agents hanging around the club and Gregory is an impatient man.

I'm sure that if I thought about it, I could poke all kinds of holes in the plot and there were a few scene's that fell flat or just seemed to be filling time but I can say I warmed to the film. The main reason would be Scott, who carried the film and for once, wasn't playing a variation on Stifler. The rest of the cast were all unknown to me apart from Diamond-Philips and Dave Folley, who has little more than a cameo as one of the FBI agents though they all played their roles fine. It also made me laugh (especially a line that I will not repeat here as I don't want to upset more sensitive ears). So overall, it was a fun but nothing special.

Congratulations to all those involved in STARK RAVING MAD on a job well done! I was lucky enough to be present at one of the recent screenings and I enjoyed myself thoroughly!

Before I get into specific comments, let me me tell you a little bit about my personal likes and dislikes so you have some sort of frame of reference.

Some of my favorite films of late have been ELECTION, YOU CAN COUNT ON ME and RUSHMORE. I'm a huge fan of Woody Allen (The current frontrunner is CRIMES & MISDEMEANORS) and the Coen Brothers. I also love the KIDS IN THE HALL, A FISH CALLED WANDA and GROUNDHOG DAY, which, to me, is the perfect comedy.

That being said...

STARK RAVING MAD isn't perfect but God bless the filmmakers for trying and, on many more occasions than not, succeeding! This is a smart comedy that looks great, has a kick ass soundtrack, well-rounded characters, a plot that keeps us on our toes without being confusing or illogical and a heart that hits some pretty serious emotional moments without ever being trite and saccharine.

Here's how I'd sum up this film:

FAWLTY TOWERS in a rave!

Applause for Scott (Who really impressed me! He pulls off a tough role and debunks whatever theories his agents are probably telling him - Enough with the AMERICAN PIE movies already!) and Tim Sharp, who carries the emotional core of the film squarely on his shoulders. Both actors work well together and have a nice chemistry. In addition, the pizza delivery guy is HILARIOUS. I loved the pizza delivery guy! I also loved the guy on Scott's team who inadvertently takes ecstasy in the middle of the job! Very, very funny! And Dave Foley is great as the slimiest but funniest FBI agent I've ever seen!

Go see this film! It's a fun ride!

Hooray for the people in Hollywood who still take chances!

The other day me and a friend of mine were discussing Seann William Scott. We were watching evolution and both thought it was great but Sean William Scott is just playing the same character over and over and its gonna end soon if he doesnt do something else. (though I do hope they make an evolution sequel, but not likely) Then my friend was like "well he did have that striaght to video action movie or whatever it was" I was like " geeze straight to video already, he didnt have a chance." It got me very interested, however, since Stark Raving Mad was the only movie Seann Scott had been in I had not seen.

I went and rented the film and me and my friend watched it the next day. What I was was surprised. Here is a film that deserves much better than the straight to video release it got. It has top notch direction, excellent pacing and sets and a truly fitting musical score. This film is a little light on plot but it makes up for it with its excellent characters, I found it truly a pleasure to watch. Seann William Scott really steps up to the plate with this film and brings something new to the table.

I watched the film through with the commentary track the next day and I have to say if you like commentary tracks this one is almost more entertaining than the film itself. If Seann William Scott ever reads this (not that I expect him to) I would want him to know how his enthusiasm for this project and real want to do something different than typical American Pie characters really comes through in the film, I could really tell this was more than a paycheck for Seann. In the immortal words of Seann Scott's co-star Monet Mazur "This movie should be called Stark Raving Fun... 'cause thats what we've been having." lol

I literally just finished watching this film and to say that I was impressed is an understatement. This film is good, really good. It obviously has its flaws and some of the plot lines contained in the film are a little strange but overall the film works. The film follows Ben McGewen (Scott) and his band of thieves as they try to break into a bank vault through the wall of a night club where McGewen works. Over the course of the film, villains, the police and many other funny incidents are introduced to the audience and they all provide comedy and substance to the movie. There are several things in this film which must be applauded. First, Scott's performance is spot on and shows he can do characters outside of the Stifmeister. The supporting cast are also very good. However, what is truly great about this film, apart from the editing and direction, is the plot. Drew Daywalt and David Schneider (writers and directors) manage to create an environment where the audience are sitting on the edge of their seat waiting for the next bizarre occurrence to get in the way of the job. Sure, the conclusion is done well, but its the actually story that makes this film worth watching. Im surprised this film went straight to video and I hope that more people see it, if not for the immortal lines: Scott: So what are you doing now? Jeffrey Jay: I rob banks. Scott: What you doing here then? Jeffrey Jay: Robbing a bank. Brilliantly acted, directed and with a very suitable musical score I give this film an easy 8 out of 10.

'Stark Raving Mad' is one of those late-night, mid-week, B-movie feel movies that uses a recognisable face (Seann William Scott) to front a cast of lesser-knows talent (although I did recognise Patrick Breen from 'Men in Black' and 'Galaxy Quest'). Even so, this movie is a pleasing take on the usual bank heist concept and a nice little gem in a movie collection.

It may not be anything special to rave about, but the script is none-the-less fairly well-written. It certainly keeps everything moving at a decent pace without getting you loss and the dialogue has a nice straight-forward flow to it, so you can kick back and enjoy without having to think.

Some might say that the characters are obvious -- crime lords, cops, nightclub owner, the main man, etc., etc. I say that they're varied and eclectic, giving rise a range of amusing on-screen chemistries and antics. They're acted well enough, so I can't complain.

The movie also boasts some pleasingly creative (and if not creative, then definitely interesting) film-making. I particularly liked the way they presented narration/exposition.

The one thing, however, that I really like about this movie is the soundtrack. It's an original score (By DJ John Digweed) of nice pounding beat-y bassy techno dance music that gets you bopping every time. I will sit with this movie playing repeatedly in the background just to hear the music.

All in all, 'Stark Raving Mad' is an entertaining, light-hearted movie that probably deserves a bit more credit than it gets. I give this movie 8/10, not so much because there's anything spectacular about it, but just because I really like this movie.