American Crude

..These are some of the movie's plot keys. Yes, you read it right; "some"!

Was Craig Sheffer, the actor and the movie's director, trying to make a crime movie? Was he trying to make a satire about the "night" of America then thought of presenting it in a comic style? Was he trying to make a black comedy? Was he - oh god - thinking that it's a comedy from the start? Whatever the answer is, that guy made an ugly, disturbing and disturbed movie.

Originally many problems in one night could produce a fine comedy, black or else. But many problems in one movie could produce just a bad movie. It is made in such a poor, primitive and messy way. The script thinks itself a genius, while mixing the genres together, in one night, with many storylines, and absurd spirit. But it lost being anything good or bearable. What it did win though was having a one of a kind silly sense of humor; and it's very natural since it's directed by Sheffer; one of the silliest actors alive!

I bet that none of the movie's cast knew what the main goal was. I guess Sheffer told them that he wanted to make a satiric cross between Pulp Fiction and American Pie. So sometimes it's about bloody crimes, then it's about crude comedy, then it's about both, then it's about the ugliness of America, then it's about just ugliness!

It's "let's put some of the dirtiest matters on screen for the sake of making a satire". It turned into a great satire towards stupid movie-making mainly. Here's a movie that feeds itself, and us, with massive amount of dirt, a monster of a comedy, and low movie-making to torture everyone who sat to complete it. Thus putting the American flag at the top of the movie's presented crimes wasn't something serious about "only in America"; it was rather a try to sell the movie's own crimes as something serious!

Anyway, don't be confused, asking was it a comedy? A satire? A black comedy? A crime movie? A soft porn?? Because, in fact, it is confused. It tried to say that America has become a big toilet, but ended up as a big toilet itself. Thus I won't say "give it a chance and think about it", instead I'll say "don't forget to flush"!

(American Crude) is a dictionary of dirtiness and bad movie-making. It's nasty matters shown in nasty way.

The criminal Carlos (Jennifer Esposito) breaks out from prison and her pimp Felonious Spinks (Michael Clarke Duncan) drives the runaway car. Carlos seeks revenge against the criminal Henrique, who raped and introduced her to prostitution.

The smalltime crook Johnny (Ron Livingston) is married with Jane (Cynthia Watros), but he is still fancy Olivia (Amanda Detmer) that is the love of his life and will marry his best friend Bill (Rob Schneider). Johnny organizes a bachelor party for Bill with their friend Phil (Eric Stonestreet) while Jane organizes a shower for Olivia.

Johnny's father is the pedophile Mr. Grand (Raymond J. Barry) that sells abducted teenagers to Henrique. Mr. Grand has injured his wife when she asked for the divorce and now she is crippled. Johnny plots a scheme with the travesty Gigi LaRush (Missi Pyle) to separate Olivia from Bill and is negotiating fake passports with Carlos and Spinks. But when Bill and Gigi are arrested by a police officer and Mr. Grand kidnaps Tammy Snow, the lives of these players are entwined with tragic consequences.

"American Crude" is an unpleasant and unfunny tale about North America's scumbags that have their lives entwined after a tragic event. There is pedophilia, travesty, betrayal, fellatio, robbery, murder, lesbianism and the genre is very confused, apparently a black comedy. Maybe with Guy Ritchie in the direction, "American Crude" might have worked. But the debut of Craig Sheffer in a feature is awful since he directs this movie with very "heavy hand" and the humor never works. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Escolhas Erradas" ("Wrong Choices")

This has got to be one of the best films of this century, it is a brilliant story and it comes together amazingly well !!! Do yourself a favor and watch it for yourself, it is a dark comedy on a Clockwork Orange king of way ! Very interesting, awesome storyline! Ten stars !!!!! The actors in this film are amazing, the plot is great, you will be on the seat of your pants wondering what is haqppening next the whole time ! A MUST SEE if you are a fan of dark comedies. Jeff Winiski, the person who wrote the story did a great job as well as the producer who cast such a colorful cast. Trust me, you will NOT be disappointed in this one !

American Crude was very repulsive with a poor storyline with very unlikeable characters, and the subject matter was crude and offensive. The storyline features numerous references to prostitution, murder, paedophilia, rape, adultery, transvestites, gays and lesbians, and disabilities, this movie was entirely in bad taste. I don't know who approved of this idea to be made into a movie. It is disgusting and totally unfunny. If anyone has any common sense, surely someone would have strongly recommended to change the subject matter.

Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile), Rob Schneider (Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo), Ron Livingston (Office Space), and John C. McGinley (Scrubs) waste their talents in this atrocious load of rubbish.

American Crude certainly lives up to its title, as the entire movie is repulsive and in bad taste. The subject matter certainly does not make a good idea for a black comedy.

Give this a miss.

1/10.

Despite the attracting cast which had a quite good reputation as comedians the movie itself is just not good. The story is kinda boring, they clearly didn't think too far to write this comedy. But since it's a comedy I expected some laughs and to be honest I didn't laugh once, and there is nothing wrong with my sense of humor so that can't be it. I should have read the reviews before watching American Crude or at least looked at the ratings as for once the ratings are totally justified.