Fast Sofa

When I was kid growing up in Scotland, there used to be a really cool cult film show called MOVIEDROME. It was hosted by Alex Cox (director of Repo Man) and each week he would pick a film, talk about it very honestly (often pointing out shortfalls and foibles of the production) and then show it. This was before DVD of course, so it was a great opportunity to see some pretty weird and wonderful films, things like RIVERS EDGE, NEAR DARK, and something with Dennis hopper escorting a dead body across the united states on a train(don't remember what this was called).

This is exactly the kind of film that would have been on moviedrome, great and improbable casting (Crispin Glover and Eric Roberts together at last!), unachieved potential etc. Busey really impresses as Rick, he really takes his character on a journey, and towards the end he really starts to impress. I think the pairing of Busey with Indie film legend Crispin Glover, helped Busey achieve this performance. Whether because of the good on screen chemistry they obviously have or because Glover sets the bar pretty high acting wise.

Other plus points include the credible and snappy dialogue, and a great cameo by Eric Roberts as Jennifer Tilly's husband/manager/pimp. On the downside, we have a pretty uninspired performance from Tilly, and a meandering plot that doesn't seem to get its act together until the last 20 minutes or so. There also parts by played by Goldberg and Lyon (is that right?, the girlfriend) that are so underwritten that they could almost have been left out they do that little to forward the action. The terrible split screen sequences are extremely half-arsed and should have been left on the cutting room.

All in all very interesting failure. BBC bring back moviedrome and might even pay my license fee this year.

This movie was pretty bad. The only reason I rented it is because of Eric Roberts. He is in it only maybe 7 minutes at the most. It's a great cast but all the talent is wasted on this crummy film. This is a terror for long term fans of any of these actors. It's a bust! I mean a real bust! Fast cars, fast women and fast food! What the hell is this movie about anyways? Even the beautiful Jennifer Tilly could not save it! Rent The Fast and the Furious if you want a quality movie! Out of 4 stars i give this a big fat 1/2 star! That bad folks! Love ya Eric Roberts but dam choose another film buddy!

This film is a sort of torture, but with just rewards. If you can make it through the first 27 minutes and 36 seconds, you are rewarded with the always-delightful Crispin Glover, playing a red-headed wandering-eyed bird-loving robbery victim. His greatness just barely balances out the awfulness of his partner-in-crime, Jake Busey's drug-wielding porn-addict with about all the acting skill of a porn star himself. Watching him hit on various women throughout the film is both embarrassing AND sleazy at the same time! Luckily Adam Goldberg, Jennifer Tilly, and Natasha Lyonne are all also present, still enjoyable actors despite their miniscule mediocre roles in the film. This movie is worth it if you are a diehard fan of Crispin Glover(fast fowarding through most of the other parts is a must, though), or a fan of ridiculous pornography that pretends to be a real film I suppose.

I read some of the reviews on IMDB before taping this movie, and didn't expect to make it very far in (still needed to tape because of Natasha Lyonne) but ended up watching the whole thing and enjoying it.

The first third is so sleazy and stupid it actually entertains. For the rest of the film, Crispin Glover is fascinating and funny as an naive intellectual who's seemingly left the house for the first time. Through a chance encounter, he hits the road with wildman Jake Busey (who is also excellent and likeable in this role).

Jake Busey's character gets into a number of quandaries throughout the film as a result of his drunken or selfish behavior, and those serve as the mini plots in a film that has no larger one. But it was enough to keep me tuned in, along with the delicious film characterizations.

One problem is, you look at the cast and expect gold, I'm here to say DON'T. Enjoy it for what it is and you're going to have a good time.

Fast Sofa is a strange watch. It's a movie that will leave some very cold towards it. A crazy cast delivers some very watchable moments and it's got very nuanced, strange performances from both Crispin Glover and an over the top Jake Busey. I recommend this on some conditions...

The problem with this movie, it lacks direction. Even in a buddy road movie about two people with NO direction you need to have a somewhat coherent plot. This movie misses on that, no matter, it keeps you watching with cheap shock value, strange exchanges and funny moments. The film seems to be schitzo, but again that doesn't necessarily make it a bad film. The director could have reigned in the camera trickery as it plays out like a bad art student film at times but I found it tolerable. Interesting credits.

While this film is hard to watch for some people as it tends to meander, Jake Busey and Crispin Glover make this is a must for fans of strange trashy late night films.

I really at times wonder why Busey hasn't done more, he's got great timing and strange charisma. Ah well, put this one on your late night viewing list, keep your expectations low and enjoy. 7/10