The Last Big Thing

1996
R
1h 38m

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

434

YOUR RATING

Mark Ruffalo and Dan Zukovic in The Last Big Thing (1996)

A sardonic look at life in the 1990s in this trailer

Play trailer1:54

1 Video

2 Photos

Comedy Drama

From a bland tract house on the outskirts of Los Angeles, Simon Geist (with occasional help from his platonic girlfriend Darla) wages war against all of modern American popular culture. Geis... Read allFrom a bland tract house on the outskirts of Los Angeles, Simon Geist (with occasional help from his platonic girlfriend Darla) wages war against all of modern American popular culture. Geist starts up a magazine called "The Next Big Thing", which he uses to confront and insult u... Read allFrom a bland tract house on the outskirts of Los Angeles, Simon Geist (with occasional help from his platonic girlfriend Darla) wages war against all of modern American popular culture. Geist starts up a magazine called "The Next Big Thing", which he uses to confront and insult upcoming actors, comics, models and rock bands. As Geist's mysterious Underground Agenda es... Read all

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

434

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 wins & 6 nominations total

Videos1

Trailer 1:54

Last Big Thing

Photos1

User reviews18

6.4434

Featured reviews

10fixyrhash

Best movie you've never seen

The film revolves around a man who believes that all forms of media are obsolete. The idea behind his art project is to unmask the ridiculous culture that we are bathed in. Naturally, the film takes place in Los Angeles/Orange County. He attacks stand up comics (caw, caw, caw), rock bands, models, blockbuster Hollywood films, and touches on many other mediums. Eventually, he finds himself in the sights of the weapon he has set into motion. The film is five years old and rings more true every day. It's the best description of post-punk anger I've ever seen. It's also one of my top 10 favorite films.

9creed-5

Sardonic, acrimonious, witty and silly.

This movie is an amusing and utterly sarcastic view of pop culture and the producers thereof. I was impressed with the photography that consisted of vivid colors and spin doctored settings, especially when you think that this is Zukovic's first large scale attempt.

One warning, do not take the movie's message that seriously. It is not for mass consumption ( and that is not a compliment). The message is a somewhat stylized post-college, neophyte view of society.

I did enjoy the basic plot line of a fictitious 'zine editor verbally whipping the mobocracy of the 90's.

10bcool57

The Greatest Film Ever Made....

This film is as good as it is difficult to find. The film's hero (and writer and director) is Simon Geist- a man "with an agenda." He creates a fake magazine just to have the authority to interview the swine of Los Angeles- the actors, the models, the musicians- who believe that their own defecation doesn't smell. With clever dialog, Zucovic succeeds in doing this. Sure, the budget for this film was probably what he paid for a used car, but this film is so solid and so well written that it works very well. Any person who can reenact Edward Munk's 'The Scream' in the reflection of a silver trashbin at a local coffee house should be nominated for some type of award. Give this film a chance and listen to what it says... because they HAVE been making the same car since 1986... it's called 'the car.' Bravo, Zucovic, bravo!

jerkystick

Tripe but not trite

I came across this movie on cable on night. It's interesting but not completely.

Working with little money, the director takes what would be nothing more than home movie sets and creates a Faulkner like stream of consciousness that swirls around a shallow, uncreative world.

The dryness of Simon Geist is comical. He is the 'know it all' jerk that criticizes modern art but offers no alternative. And at the end you find that he is what he hates.

The response to this movie has been pretty brutal. If Ingmar Bergman had made this, I would have expected better. But I say kudos to Dan Zukovic. It's far from being a great movie, but I have considered watching it again.

trra

Bizarre and funny!

I liked this film a lot. I keep looking for it to appear on dvd. If you're a fan of strange indie productions like Niagara Niagara, Bottle Rocket, Interstate 60, Cherish and the like, this should work for you. Sure it's extremely low-budget, but the acting is fine. The egotistical main character reminds me of many people I met in LA over the years. I laughed hard and long. I turned around after viewing and recommended it to my teenage kids. They were equally impressed and have watched over and over again with friends. If you can catch this on Sundance or Independent Film Channel, don't miss out.

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The tongue piercing of the reporters was a prop made from half-dome pierced earrings from the local Walmart. The backs were cut off and denture glue was used to stick them to the tongue.

Quotes
Simon Geist: They've been making the same car since 1986. It's called The Car.

Soundtracks
Endless Rerun
Written by Cole Coonce & Dan Zukovic
Published by Braindead Muzick, BMI
Lead Vocals: Blaine Capatch
Bass Guitar: Brian Bradley
Guitar, Background Vocals, Drums: Cole Coonce
Courtesy of Nitronic Research