Peluca

I've seen Napoleon Dynamite lots of times, and finally learned where I could see Peluca. So I checked it out. I mean, I can see where they got the idea for Napoleon Dynamite for this. Same personality in each character, just different names. Also, the whole "Pedro shaving his head" thing and Napoleon throwing that toy out the window and making it jump around and all. But I must say, Jared Hess must have gone from desperation to domination. Also, maybe if this was longer and had more detail in what Seth, Gayle and Pedro, maybe, just maybe, I'd like it better, despite it being in b/w. The Defiant Ones, was in b/w, yet still a great movie, the same for Schindler's List, but if you watched it in a different DeLuxe format, it could be in color.

Not long before filmmaker Jared Hess made his feature-length debut with the polarizing teen comedy, "Napoleon Dynamite", he started his film career by making this very similar short, "Peluca", which, like its successor, features Jon Heder, who was yet to become very famous, in the starring role. As a fan of the movie that followed, I've seen this short more than once in the bonus features of the Special Edition DVD. While I would say "Napoleon Dynamite" is the superior of the two, "Peluca" definitely comes close to it in terms of quality.

The main character here is Seth, a geeky teenager who is pretty much just like Napoleon Dynamite. He's not very popular at school, but is friends with two Mexican students, Pedro and Giel. During lunch break, while Seth is at the table in the cafeteria with Pedro and Giel, Giel (who is like Pedro Sanchez in "Napoleon Dynamite") has his hood over his head. This is because he was recently feeling too hot, and shaved his head to cool off, but now he doesn't want to be seen without any hair. The three of them agree to ditch their next class and go shopping, so Seth can buy a fanny pack and Giel can get a wig, but can they get enough money to do so?

Quite a few things in this short are also featured in "Napoleon Dynamite", including the way it begins. If you've seen ND, I'm sure one part of my plot description sounds familiar. However, there are also some things that did not end up being repeated in this short film's successor, but are still funny. One difference between "Peluca" and ND is that this short film is in black and white and the picture isn't quite perfect, obviously due to the very low budget. However, despite that, I certainly do recommend this pre-"Napoleon Dynamite" short for fans of the movie. If you like the style of humour in Jared Hess' feature-length debut, you can see more of the same in this film.

This is a slice of life thing with the people from Napoleon Dynamite. The whole thing is to be as bland and autistic as possible as these guys maneuver their ways through a day in and out of school. There is some really clever stuff. Despite being on a nearly empty bus, the main character goes to the back and sits next to some kids half his age. Good work.

I have seen Napolean Dynamite a good 6 times, and just finally saw "Peluca". Don't let the die-hards fool you - this thing is a mess. It shows promise and Hess is about as good as he is in "Dynamite", but the cinematography is awful, the "Gosh!" and "Idiot!"s are way overused.. I can't believe they got the green light to make a major motion picture based on this.

Again, that said, I love Napolean Dynamite, and am glad they re-cast the character of Pedro, among others. It just wouldn't have worked the way they originally set out.

It's on side 1 of the DVD if you want to check it out.

I gave this short film a 10 for a very specific reason: This film became a springboard for both the Writer/Director and the Lead Actor. The fact that this film cost 2 days and $500 makes it quite fantastic that the careers of at least two young men have been assured.

As many already know, this is the short which Jered Hess and Jon Heder made in Preston, Idaho...detailing what amounts to a day-in-the-life of a smalltown nerd. Heder's character development of what would become Napoleon Dynamite (Seth, in this film) is obviously undercooked, but the ingredients are all there, and it tastes just as sweet. Think "Cookie Dough".

In the Director's Commentary, Hess admits to messing up the exposure which shows itself in most of the outdoor shots, and while it's a little distracting, overall it almost lends a kind of "low-rent" charm which you quickly get used to.

9 minutes of quirky angst, and you can't help but grin throughout. Film "quality" issues aside, and keeping in mind this is basically a "student film" in regards to writing and character dev, and it's really just very cool that the small amount of effort which was undertaken could blossom into a Feature Film deal and an underground hit.

Word-up to all aspiring actors and directors: All you need is 2 days, $500 bux, a quirky idea, some basic film skills, some ninja skills, an interesting character, and a belief in yourself and you too can give up your day job and move to Los Angeles for an exciting career in the Movies!

...which beats a decroded piece of crap anyday!