How to Be a Man

What makes a good comedy? Is it character development, plot, production values, maybe? I would draw a straight line, because it's that simple: it should make you laugh. That's where most comedies with high production values, character development or expensive decoration and FX in the range of 8+ rating fail: they just don't deliver those skull cracking gigs and belly thrashing laughs. Is let's say "The Grand Budapest Hotel" a better movie? - Yes! Well, objectively, let's not deny obvious cumulative well earned 8.2 points. Did it make me laugh? - Nope, even though I've enjoyed my time spent, it only made me smile at utmost. Hence if you are "hate family comedies" kind of a person and want some pure and simple raw fun, turn to "How to be a Man" - you sure gonna love it.

How to be a man, with Gavin McInnes is a simple comedy. Funny simple.

McInnes plays himself as Mark McCarthy and it shows. He is a former comedian who thinks he is dying, so he wants to leave his unborn son with a few life-lessons. We follow McInnes and the cameraman Bryan, played by Liam Aiken, as they go through various experiences that are supposed to teach McCarthy's son what to expect of life.

I saw this film without any expectations, not having seen or heard of it before. I have seen McInnes personality in some work, so I knew what to expect of him. That was to my advantage.

If you have seen some of his work, and didn't like it, chances are that you will not like this film. It carries a lot on him, and to be honest, few other actors could have made this film tolerable. The cast is excellent, and Aiken does a very good job as supporting actor.

The reason why it didn't get a better rating from me is while it was a very entertaining movie, the plot was simple and I doubt it will stick with me. Not necessarily a bad thing, I think I could watch this several times more.

Worth watching, IF you like Gavin McInnes.

Wow. I totally loved this film!

I guess it depends which side of the tracks you were born on, as to whether you will appreciate and truly understand the meaning of this film. I can only guess that all the negative reviewers are woke snowflakes, who live in their intellectual and superior minds all day, but have never experienced the rough and tumble of real life. The main character is experiencing an existential crisis, which is why his behaviour may seem weird and not funny at all. If you like watching shows like South Park, you will probably like and understand this film. I highly recommend it.

How can that guy teach how to be a man if he isn't one? Forced jokes, amateur movie, awful acting. Theres noting good about this movie. It's probably the worst movie I ever saw in my life.

It's always fun to watch a movie filmed on location in a place that you're familiar with. All the more when that place is Brooklyn.

It is safe to say that most of the movies I start these days, I do not finish, and safer yet to say that I was quite surprised to make it to the rolling of the credits for How To Be A Man.

Within the first thirty minutes I could make out a solid (if absurd) plot, a charismatic lead, strong writing, and at least two corners I had puked into in recent months (RIP Trash Bar).

HTBAM is more or less a stand up comedy routine in the disguise of a movie, showcasing the comedic stylings of the film's lead, Gavin McInnes. Gavin is a force, and carries 92% of the weight of a production that could likely have not been made possible without him.

It was good enough that I later did some research on McInnes, and found that he had written a book titled 'How To Piss In Public'. I bought it, read half of it, and that was good enough for me. There is some arguably interesting stuff in there, particularly for those that might hold 80-90s American punk history at all nostalgic. But I'm not here to sell books.

Less than one month after watching HTBAM, I bumped into Gavin himself at the corner of N5th and Bedford Ave., in the heart of Williamsburg. I give him a hearty hello, praised his fine work, and we ended up chatting for nearly thirty minutes. I still have a series of selfies I took of the two of us in that span, including one of him kissing me on my cheek with his greasy yet perfectly manicured handlebar moustache.

And that was that. Until...

Three years later I was living in Arizona, and the story of how I met this no-name star of this forgotten movie came into conversation at a party. When I mentioned Gavin by name, one person in attendance uttered something along the lines of, "holy sh#t", you made out with the founder of the Proud Boys." I had no idea what that meant at the time. But I do now.

If you're fortunate enough to subscribe to the 'death of the author' philosophy, then you might be able to enjoy this genuinely funny film, starring the human personification of a leaky douchebag.